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WHO setting up vaccine hub in South Africa
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The World Health Organisation says it is setting up a technology transfer hub for producing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in South Africa, which could start manufacturing doses in nine to 12 months. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement aimed at boosting access to vaccines across the African continent, where cases and deaths had increased by almost 40 per cent over the past week. "Today I am delighted to announce that WHO is in discussions with a consortium of companies and institutions to establish a technology transfer hub in South Africa," Tedros told a news conference on Monday. "The consortium involves a company Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines, which will act as the hub both by manufacturing mRNA vaccines itself and by providing training to a manufacturer, Biovac," he said. WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that there were several options on the table, mainly smaller companies and biotechs, adding: "But we are also in discussions with larger mRNA companies and hope very much they will come on board". Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are the main producers of COVID-19 vaccines using mRNA technology. "We could see within 9-12 months vaccines being produced in Africa, South Africa," Swaminathan said. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said: "Through this initiative we will change the narrative of an Africa that is a centre of disease and poor development." Ramaphosa, referring to talks at the World Trade Organisation on its proposal for a waiver on intellectual property on COVID-19 vaccines, added: "Today is historic and we see this as a step in the right direction but it does not distract us from our original proposal put together by India and South Africa that we should see a TRIPS waiver at the WTO."
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Organization Established
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1926 United Kingdom general strike
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The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 to 12 May 1926. [1] It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British government to act to prevent wage reductions and worsening conditions for 1.2 million locked-out coal miners. Some 1.7 million workers went out, especially in transport and heavy industry. The government was prepared, and enlisted middle class volunteers to maintain essential services. There was little violence and the TUC gave up in defeat. Mine owners announced that their intention was to reduce miners' wages. The Miners Federation of Great Britain rejected the terms: "Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day." The Trades Union Congress responded to the news by promising to support the miners in their dispute. The Conservative government, under Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, decided to intervene by declaring that a nine-month subsidy would be provided to maintain the miners' wages and that a Royal Commission, under the chairmanship of Sir Herbert Samuel, would look into the problems of the mining industry and consider its impact on other industries, families and organisations dependent on coal supplies industry. The Samuel Commission published a report on 10 March 1926 recommending that national agreements, the nationalisation of royalties and sweeping reorganisation and improvement should be considered for the mining industry. [5] It also recommended a reduction by 13.5% of miners' wages, along with the withdrawal of the government subsidy. [6] Two weeks later, the prime minister announced that the government would accept the report if other parties also did. [7]
A previous royal commission, the Sankey Commission in 1919, had failed to reach an agreement, producing four different reports with proposals ranging from complete restoration of private ownership and control, to complete nationalisation. David Lloyd George, the then prime minister, offered reorganisation, which was rejected by the miners. [8]
After the Samuel Commission's report, the mine owners declared that miners would be offered new terms of employment, which included lengthening the work day and reducing wages depending on various factors. The Miners' Federation of Great Britain refused the wage reduction and regional negotiation. The final negotiations began on 1 May but failed to achieve an agreement, leading to an announcement by the TUC that a general strike "in defence of miners' wages and hours" was to begin on 3 May,[9] a Monday, at one minute to midnight. [10][11]
The leaders of the British Labour Party were not happy about the proposed general strike because they were aware of the revolutionary elements within the union movement and of the damage that the association would do to the party's new reputation as a party of government. During the next two days, frantic efforts were made to reach an agreement between the government and the mining industry representatives. However, they failed, mainly because[12] of an eleventh-hour decision by printers of the Daily Mail to refuse to print an editorial ("For King and Country") condemning the general strike. They objected to the following passage: "A general strike is not an industrial dispute. It is a revolutionary move which can only succeed by destroying the government and subverting the rights and liberties of the people". Baldwin was now concerned about the TUC and printers' action interfering with the freedom of the press. [citation needed]
King George V tried to stabilise the situation and create balance saying, "Try living on their wages before you judge them. "[13]
The TUC feared that an all-out general strike would bring revolutionary elements to the fore and limited the participants to railwaymen, transport workers, printers, dockers, ironworkers and steelworkers, as they were regarded as pivotal in the dispute. The government had been preparing for the strike over the nine months in which it had provided a subsidy by creating organisations such as the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies, and it did whatever it could to keep the country moving. It rallied support by emphasizing the revolutionary nature of the strikers. The armed forces and volunteer workers helped maintain basic services. It used the Emergency Powers Act 1920 to maintain essential supplies. On 4 May 1926, the number of strikers was about 1.5–1.75 million. There were strikers "from John o' Groats to Land's End". The reaction to the strike call was immediate and overwhelming and surprised both the government and the TUC; the latter not being in control of the strike. On this first day, there were no major initiatives and no dramatic events except for the nation's transport being at a standstill. "Constitutional Government is being attacked. Let all good citizens whose livelihood and labour have thus been put in peril bear with fortitude and patience the hardships with which they have been so suddenly confronted. Stand behind the Government, who are doing their part, confident that you will cooperate in the measures they have undertaken to preserve the liberties and privileges of the people of these islands. The laws of England are the people's birthright. The laws are in your keeping. You have made Parliament their guardian. The General Strike is a challenge to Parliament and is the road to anarchy and ruin". Stanley Baldwin, 6 May 1926, British Gazette
On 5 May 1926, both sides gave their views. Churchill commented as editor of the government newspaper British Gazette: "I do not agree that the TUC have as much right as the Government to publish their side of the case and to exhort their followers to continue action. It is a very much more difficult task to feed the nation than it is to wreck it". Baldwin wrote, "The general strike is a challenge to the parliament and is the road to anarchy". The British Worker, the TUC's newspaper, wrote: "We are not making war on the people. We are anxious that the ordinary members of the public shall not be penalized for the unpatriotic conduct of the mine owners and the government". In the meantime, the government put in place a "militia" of special constables called the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS) of volunteers to maintain order in the street. A special constable said: "It was not difficult to understand the strikers' attitude toward us. After a few days I found my sympathy with them rather than with the employers. For one thing, I had never realized the appalling poverty which existed.
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Strike
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American Airlines Flight 965 crash
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American Airlines Flight 965 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia. On December 20, 1995, the Boeing 757-200 flying this route (registration N651AA[1]) crashed into a mountain in Buga, Colombia, killing 151 of the 155 passengers and all eight crew members. [2]
The crash was the first U.S.-owned 757 accident and is currently the deadliest aviation accident to occur in Colombia. [3][4] It was also the deadliest accident involving a Boeing 757 at that time,[5] but was surpassed by Birgenair Flight 301 which crashed seven weeks later with 189 fatalities. [6] Flight 965 was the deadliest air disaster involving a U.S. carrier since the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988. [7]
The Colombian Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics investigated the accident and determined it was caused by navigational errors by the flight crew. [8]
The aircraft was a Boeing 757-223 registered N651AA. Its first flight was on August 12, 1991, and was the 390th Boeing 757 built. The aircraft was powered by two Rolls-Royce RB211 engines. [9][10]
At that time, Flight 965 mainly carried people returning to Colombia for the Christmas holiday, vacationers, and businesspeople. [11] A winter storm in the Northeast United States caused the airline to delay the departure of the airliner for 30 minutes to allow for connecting passengers to board the flight, and seasonal congestion caused further delay. Flight 965 took off at 6:35 pm EST (23:35 UTC), nearly two hours late. [8]:2[12][13]
The cockpit crew consisted of Captain Nicholas Tafuri, age 57, and First Officer Donald R. Williams, age 39. [14] Both pilots were considered to be highly skilled airmen. Captain Tafuri had more than 13,000 hours of flying experience (including 2,260 hours on the Boeing 757/767), and First Officer Williams had almost 6,000 hours, with 2,286 of them on the Boeing 757/767. Cali's air traffic controllers had no functional radar to monitor the 757, as it had been blown up in 1992 by the terror group FARC. [15] Cali's approach uses several radio beacons to guide pilots around the mountains and canyons that surround the city. The airplane's flight management system (FMS) already had these beacons programmed in, and should have, in theory, told the pilots exactly where to turn, climb, and descend, all the way from Miami to the terminal in Cali. [13]
Since the wind was calm, Cali's controllers asked the pilots whether they wanted to fly a straight-in approach to runway 19 rather than coming around to runway 01. The pilots agreed to approach straight-in, hoping to make up some time. The pilots then erroneously cleared the approach waypoints from their navigation computer. When the controller asked the pilots to check back in over Tuluá, north of Cali, it was no longer programmed into the computer, so they had to pull out their maps to find it. In the meantime, they extended the aircraft's speed brakes to slow it down and expedite its descent. [8]
By the time the pilots found Tuluá's coordinates, they had already passed over it. In response to this, they attempted to program the navigation computer for the next approach waypoint, Rozo. However, the Rozo non-directional beacon (NDB) was identified as R on their charts. Colombia had duplicated the identifier for the Romeo NDB near Bogotá, and the computer's list of stored waypoints did not include the Rozo NDB as "R", but only under its full name "ROZO". In cases where a country allowed duplicate identifiers, it often listed them with the largest city first. In other words, the "ROZO" waypoint should have been at the top of the FMS, as it was the nearest one, but in the case of Flight 965, it was not. Only several other waypoints that began with "R" were displayed. By picking the first "R" from the list, the captain caused the autopilot to start flying a course to Bogotá, resulting in the airplane turning east in a wide semicircle. The pilots then attempted to correct this by turning back to the south. By the time the error was detected, the aircraft was in a valley running roughly north–south parallel to the one they should have been in. The pilots had put the aircraft on a collision course with a 3,000-metre (9,800 ft) mountain. [16] The air traffic controller, Nelson Rivera Ramírez, believed that some of the requests of the pilots did not make sense, but did not know enough non-aviation English to convey this. [17]
Twelve seconds before the plane hit the mountain, named El Diluvio (the Deluge),[18] the ground proximity warning system (GPWS) activated, announcing an imminent terrain collision and sounding an alarm. Within a second of this warning, the first officer disengaged the autopilot, and the captain attempted to climb clear of the mountain. Within two seconds of the warning, take-off power was selected, and in the next second, pitch was increased to 20.6° upwards, causing activation of the stick shaker. [19] The stick shaker mechanically vibrates the control yoke (the "stick") to warn the flight crew of an aerodynamic stall. Crucially, when take-off power was selected neither pilot had remembered to disengage the previously deployed speed brakes, which were fully extended and significantly reduced the rate of climb. At 9:41:28 pm EST, the aircraft struck trees at about 2,720 metres (8,920 ft) above mean sea level on the east side of the 2,700-metre-tall (9,000 ft) mountain. The last record on the flight data recorder indicated that the plane was flying at 187 kn (346 km/h; 215 mph) and with a pitch attitude of almost 28°. The crash was 9.7 km (6.0 mi; 5.2 nmi) south of Tuluá VOR and 28 km (17 mi; 15 nmi) north of the approach end of runway 19 at Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport. [8] Initially, the aircraft cleared the summit, but struck the trees with the tail and crashed shortly after the summit. Five passengers, all seated within two rows of each other, survived the initial impact, but one died two days later of his injuries. [20] In addition to the four human survivors,[21] a dog, which had been in a carrier in the cargo hold at the time of the crash, survived the accident. The crash was investigated by the Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics (Spanish: Aeronáutica Civil) of the Republic of Colombia,[8] with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as well as other parties, including the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Allied Pilots Association, American Airlines, Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, and Rolls Royce Engines. The investigations revealed that neither the Boeing fixed-base simulator nor the flight management system simulator could be backdriven with the data obtained directly from the accident airplane's flight data recorder (FDR). Because the 757 flight simulators could not be backdriven during the tests, whether the airplane would have missed the mountain/tree tops if the speedbrakes had been retracted during the climb attempt could not be determined with precision,[8] but the final report stated that if the flightcrew had retracted the speedbrakes one second after initiating the escape maneuver, the airplane could have been climbing through a position that was 46 m (150 ft) above the initial impact point. Because the airplane would have continued to climb and had the potential to increase its rate of climb, it might well have cleared the trees at the top of the mountain.
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Air crash
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1911–1916 Australian drought
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The 1911–16 Australian drought consisted of a series of droughts that affected various regions of Australia between the years of 1911 and 1916. Most of the dry spells during this period can be related to three El Niño events in 1911, 1913 and 1914, though rainfall deficiencies actually began in northern Australia before the first of these El Niños set in and did not ease in coastal districts of New South Wales until well after the last El Niño had firmly dissipated and trends toward very heavy rainfall developed in other areas of the continent. The years before the drought had generally had satisfactory rainfall with impressive crop yields throughout most of the continent with the exception of the Gippsland region, the coastal districts of New South Wales and southeastern Queensland. In these areas, the rainfall deficiencies of the Federation Drought had never disappeared at any point during the decade of the 1900s. At the beginning of the year, a strong La Niña event was producing heavy rain over eastern Australia. January was the wettest on record in Sydney, and February was a phenomenally wet month in Victoria and southwestern New South Wales, with places like Pooncarie on the lower Darling River recording 190 millimetres (7.5 in) for the month. Averaged over Victoria, February 1911 stands as the third-wettest month since 1885 after October 1975 and February 1973. Heavy monsoonal rain drenched Queensland throughout the summer. These months, however, were virtually rainless in the southwestern quarter of the continent and quite dry in the Kimberley and Top End. Early March saw exceptionally heavy rains in southern Victoria and eastern Tasmania: Melbourne's rainfall of 191 millimetres (7.5 in) remains a March record. However, in the Top End and Kimberley, drought was already established as Darwin had its driest March in 138 years of record with only 21 millimetres (0.83 in) as against an average of 290 millimetres (11 in). April saw some good late wet season rains in the north due to a severe tropical cyclone drenching Port Douglas with a daily fall of 801 millimetres (31.5 in) and promising rains in southwestern Australia. [1]
However, despite the "big wet" continuing in southern Victoria through May and June, southwestern Australia and to lesser extent the settled parts of South Australia and southeast Queensland began to have major rainfall deficiencies in those months. By August dry conditions were, as is usual for El Niño years, general except in coastal districts of New South Wales and the southeast of Western Australia. Southwestern Australia was particularly hard-hit: wheat crops failed completely in many places and led to a revolution in water supply and farming techniques to cope with rainfalls lower than previously known. [2] In the humid forest belt, 1911 was the driest year of the twentieth century at Margaret River and Cape Leeuwin and even the Warren River, the most nearly perennial river in all of WA, ceased to flow during the ensuing summer. Apart from one big September fall in Victoria, dry and often hot conditions did not ease until one of the heaviest downpours ever known in Western Queensland fell in late November. This was followed by heavy general falls in December except in Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. November was the driest on record in many parts of western Victoria and eastern Queensland. The hopes the good December rains gave soon disappeared as January was exceptionally dry almost throughout the continent except for a few normally-dry areas between Perth and Geraldton. Major tropical cyclones provided respite to the Kimberley in February and the Eucla in March, whilst a small coastal belt of the Wet Tropics had exceptionally heavy rainfall in April and May, with Innisfail recording 2,600 millimetres (100 in) for those two months. [3]
However, elsewhere exceptionally dry conditions continued until a series of low pressure systems in June and July provided record-breaking rainfalls for that time of year in inland Queensland and New South Wales. Indeed, the winter averaged over those two states was nearly as wet as those of 1950 and 1998. [4][5] The wheat areas of Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria missed the heavy June falls completely but were very wet in July and the Western District of Victoria was relieved of anxiety by exceptionally heavy rainfall in the first eighteen days of September. Despite a dry October outside of southeastern Queensland rainfall for the rest of the year was generally satisfactory throughout southern Australia, though the wet season did not start well in the north. This year opened with some heavy monsoonal rains over the more coastal areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory in January; however, the month was very dry in the southeast apart from southern Tasmania. February was dry west of a line from Derby to Eucla and east from one between Melbourne and Bundaberg, but elsewhere some exceptionally heavy thunderstorm rains meant the month was a wet one. Adelaide received a particularly intense fall of 56.9 millimetres (2.24 in) on the 17th, with the worst flash flooding in the city's history. Apart from the North Coast of New South Wales, March was particularly wet, so much so that major flooding occurred in most rivers between Melbourne and Sydney. In Melbourne, the total of 23 rainy days is a record for any month between November and April[6] and the low sunshine hours of only four per day also unparalleled. The period around 12 April saw an extremely heavy if localised rainfall in the Albany district with totals of up to 175 millimetres (6.9 in) in a day near the Stirling Range and 114 millimetres (4.5 in) near Katanning. April was also very wet in the southern coastal districts of New South Wales, but May and June saw an unseasonal continuation of easterly winds. Thus, Tasmania, southwestern WA and the settled areas of South Australia were very dry, whilst most of New South Wales, Queensland and East Gippsland were wet. Apart from scattered coastal areas and the extreme southwest, July was exceptionally dry: Ouyen did not receive any rain in June or July[7] and Adelaide's rainfall for the period of only 32 millimetres (1.3 in) was less than in the disastrous year of 1982. Frosts were exceptionally severe and led to fears of crop losses. The following three months saw an abrupt reversal, with dry conditions in Queensland and most of New South Wales contrasting with good rains in the Mallee, South Australia and southwestern WA. August was particularly noteworthy as the most completely rainless month known in Queensland and New South Wales. The rain turned an unpromising wheat season into one of the best on record despite a violent cold outbreak in the east early in November when Melbourne recorded its lowest-ever maximum for that month on Melbourne Cup Day of just 11.4 °C (52.5 °F). December saw very wet conditions in Queensland, with record flows in some Cape York Peninsula streams; but, apart from one rain event mid-month with another record daily total in Adelaide, dry weather prevailed elsewhere. January was very wet in the Top End, Kimberley and central Australia, but distinctly dry in the south of the continent, leading onto a major heatwave with exceptionally dry conditions in the far southeast during February, when Orbost received no rain and Hobart only 3 millimetres (0.12 in). Torrential rains around Eden and Bega in March and wet conditions in southeastern Australia (especially Tasmania) in April were followed by a second heavy fall in a belt from Broome to the Darling Downs in May. The area around Uluru saw some of the heaviest rainfalls known until the 1970s that month. However, in the southern wheat belt May 1914 began a trend of powerful anticyclones and dry, easterly winds that was at the time quite unprecedented and not rivalled until 1982. In southwestern Australia the rainy season was extraordinarily poor from beginning to end, with only one significant fall all through from May to October and severe frosts prevalent throughout. June, August, September and October were all record dry months in Victoria[8][9][10][11] and Tasmania, and even unusually heavy July rainfall in Gippsland could do nothing to alleviate the drought. The result was, that with the northerly areas around the Darling Downs not well developed yet, Australia's wheat crop was almost completely lost after an exceptionally hot October in which temperatures reached over 36 °C (97 °F) even in Hobart. Wheat yields in Victoria were only around 0.10 tonne per hectare and in WA even lower. In coastal districts of New South Wales, however, the extraordinarily powerful anticyclones that desiccated the interior produced powerful onshore winds and extremely heavy rain: in Port Macquarie, the spring was the wettest on record. November and December were notably hot and humid, with rainfall near or above normal except in Tasmania and coastal Queensland during November. The southeast of Western Australia was particularly wet during these months, but in the desiccated agricultural regions the rain was much too late to save crops or pastures.
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Droughts
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Exeter crossing loop collision
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The Exeter crossing loop collision was a railway accident that occurred between the Temora Mail Train and a goods train at Exeter railway station, New South Wales, on 13 March 1914. At that time the main line was a single track, with a crossing loop and a down refuge siding at Exeter. The up fast goods train was running late[1] by the time it reached Exeter. Despite the train's being too long to be accommodated in the loop at that station,[1] the signaller [night officer] turned the train into the loop. When the locomotive had reached the points at the Sydney end of the station, the rear of the train was still on the main line at the southern end. Faced with the knowledge that the Temora Mail would soon be due, the goods train was brought forward so that it could be reversed into a siding on the eastern side of the station yard. It was during this manoeuvre that the Temora Mail struck the goods train head-on. [2]
Questions were swiftly raised as to why two trains should collide when the goods train should have had the protection of the home signal. The mail train driver claimed that the distant signal was clear when he passed it; however, as there was a thick fog at the time, he did not sight the home signal, which was against him, until the train was right upon it. The driver of the mail train was brought before the Goulburn Circuit Court charged with manslaughter. At that trial, the night officer at Exeter gave evidence to the effect that the down distant signal was in fact at danger at the time the mail train passed. The night officer further stated that there was no fog that night, but that just before the goods train arrived a slight mist had set in. However, the goods train driver gave conflicting evidence, stating that on the night of the accident the denseness of the fog made it difficult to see the signals. [2]
After a retirement of more than four hours, the jury delivered a verdict of "not guilty. "[2]
The collision killed 14. [1] Five were said to have been killed almost instantly, three died while still crushed in their carriages, one succumbed as rescuers reached him, and two died on the Exeter station platform. The remaining three reportedly died in a temporary hospital that had been set up in a sleeping carriage. Alfred Bray, the guard, was one of those killed in the collision. [2]
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Train collisions
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Jacobs breaks Italian 100m record with 9.95 in Savona
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European indoor champion Marcell Lamont Jacobs blasted to an Italian 100m record and sub-10 second clocking in his first individual race since winning over 60m in Torun at the Meeting di Savona on Thursday (13), the first European Athletics Area Permit Meeting of 2021.
Jacobs set an Italian 60m record and world lead of 6.47 at the Arena Torun in Poland just over two months ago and he gave further notice of his form with a blazing 8.91 relay leg in bitterly cold conditions in the 4x100m relay final at the World Athletics Relays in Silesia - which is also the venue for the Euroepan Athletics Team Championships Super League on 29-30 May - at the start of the month.
Making the most of the more conducive conditions on offer for sprinters in Savona, Jacobs translated this promise to the 100m - the event he will be contesting at the Olympic Games later this summer - by powering to an Italian record of 9.95 in the heats to propel him into the top-10 on the European all-time list.
His mark eclipsed the previous record held by Filippo Tortu - who was due to compete before withdrawing earlier this week with a small injury - by four-hundredths. Based on how relaxed Jacobs looked in the heats, a faster time seemed on the cards in the final but the 26-year-old withdrew as a precaution.
"I didn't realise what happened, I'll do it tonight, when I'm in bed and I already know I won't fall asleep,” Jacobs told the Italian athletiecs federation website.
“I would have liked to run the final but while I was warming up I had a small cramp in my calf and I didn't want to risk anything, as it is only the first race of the season. My goal was to go under ten seconds and I did it.”
Even though Jacobs did not take his place in the final, there was still an Italian winner. Lorenzo Patta, 20, shattered his lifetime best from 10.31 to 10.13 to climb to seventh on the Italian all-time list.
After an abbreviated indoor season, treble European champion Dina Asher-Smith cruised to victory on the quick track - a Mondotrack WS surface installed by European Athletics' Partner Mondo - in the 200m in 22.56 ahead of teammate Beth Dobbin (23.06) in her first race at the distance since striking gold at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.
Asher-Smith’s next race will be in 10 days’ time over 100m at the Gateshead Diamond League meeting where she will face a loaded field including Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah and the USA's world leader Sha’Carri Richardson.
Former European U20 silver medallist Alessandro Sibilio took a notable victory over former European senior champion Yasmani Copello from Turkey in the 400m hurdles, 49.25 to 49.37, and world indoor U20 record-holder Larissa Iapichino opened her outdoor season with victory in the long jump with 6.56m.
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Break historical records
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Adani faces possible multi-million-dollar fine over Abbot Point sediment water discharge
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Updated 3 May 2017, 4:21pmWed 3 May 2017, 4:21pm
Mining giant Adani faces a possible multi-million-dollar fine after sediment water eight times above authorised levels was discharged from the Abbot Point coal terminal last month, the ABC can reveal.
The Queensland Environment Department granted Adani a temporary emissions licence (TEL) to allow the company to release excess water at the site to cope with heavy rainfall caused by Tropical Cyclone Debbie.
But sources have told the ABC coal-laden water, exceeding authorised limits, passed through a monitoring location at the terminal called W2.
W2 is situated on the northern marine side of the terminal, adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area.
The Environment Department confirmed Adani advised it of a "non-compliant release" of site water.
"The TEL authorised total suspended solids releases of up to 100 milligrams per litre," Environment Department director-general Jim Reeves said.
"However, Adani Abbot Point Bulkcoal provided a report to EHP [the department] on 24 April advising it had a water discharge on 30 March from a licensed point on the northern side of the terminal, containing 806mg/L of sediment."
The department says it will consider compliance action against the company over the release.
"There are serious penalties for corporations whose non-compliance with their environmental authorities or temporary emissions licences causes environmental harm, including fines of up to $3.8 million if the non-compliance was wilful, or $2.7 million if the non-compliance was unintentional," Mr Reeves said.
"Even with a licence to pollute in its back pocket, Adani has still managed to exceed the permitted discharge of contaminants by 800 per cent," the Mackay Conservation Group's Peter MacCallum said.
"This is one more sign Adani's mine should not proceed."
Mr Reeves said Adani told the department none of the site water reached the marine environment or the adjoining Caley Valley wetlands, which is home to 40,000 shore birds.
Last month, a spokesman for Adani said the company believed it had acted, "within the requirements of the temporary emissions licence", a position backed at the time by the department.
Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane accused the ABC and Fairfax of rolling out "fake news" over claims by conservationists contaminants had been released from the Abbot Point terminal.
The Environment Department is conducting its own investigation into the possible release of contaminants from Abbot Point, with samples sent to a laboratory for testing.
The department was provided aerial imagery suggesting, "there was sediment-laden water flowing from the port into the [Caley Valley wetland]."
"EHP will prepare a full report on its investigations which will provide the basis for decisions on what, if any, compliance action will occur," the department said.
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Environment Pollution
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SpaceX emphasizes coordination with other satellite operators
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WAILEA, Hawaii — Two years after the close approach of a Starlink satellite with a European Space Agency satellite alarmed some in the space industry, SpaceX says it’s working closely with a wide range of satellite operators to ensure safe space operations. In September 2019, ESA announced it maneuvered an Earth science satellite called Aeolus when the agency determined it would pass dangerously close to a Starlink satellite. The incident was exacerbated by a breakdown in communication between ESA and SpaceX in the days leading up to the close approach. After that incident “we went to work coordinating” with both commercial and government satellite operators, said David Goldstein, principal guidance navigation and control engineer at SpaceX, during a panel discussion at the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies, or AMOS, Conference here Sept. 16. The best-known example of that coordination is a Space Act Agreement between NASA and SpaceX announced in March. Under the terms of that agreement, SpaceX agreed to move its Starlink satellites in the event of any close approaches with NASA spacecraft, a move intended to avoid scenarios when both parties maneuvered their satellites. In addition to that agreement, Goldstein said the company has a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Space Force and a “good working relationship” with ESA and the European Union’s Space Surveillance and Tracking program. Those partnerships extend even to OneWeb, a company that complained in Federal Communications Commission filings about a close approach one of its newly launched satellites had with a Starlink satellite in March. “We have a great working relationship with OneWeb after that conjunction in March,” Goldstein said. “Just fantastic coordination at the operational level.” He specifically praised OneWeb for its support for the ongoing Inspiration4 crewed mission, saying “they jumped through a lot of hoops” to provide updated information about the orbits of its satellites. Goldstein appeared by video on the panel from SpaceX’s headquarters because, he said, he is providing collision avoidance support for Inspiration4, which launched Sept. 15 for what’s scheduled to be a three-day mission. Other companies SpaceX is working with regarding space traffic management include Astroscale, which is developing technologies to service satellites and remove orbital debris, and United Launch Alliance. The work with ULA, he said, is to address “launch COLA [collision avoidance] sorts of issues.” SpaceX recently signed a contract with LeoLabs, which provides commercial space traffic management services using data from a network of tracking radars it operates. “They’re doing great work, and we’re super proud of the accomplishments they’ve had and the help they’re providing to us and others,” he said. Goldstein also expressed interest in Slingshot Beacon, a collaboration platform developed by Slingshot Aerospace to help satellite operators share space traffic information. That tool, he said, could make it easier for companies to share data and coordinate potential conjunctions. One of the more controversial aspects of Starlink is its automated collision avoidance system, where the satellites maneuver 12 hours before the time of closest approach if the risk of a collision exceeds a set threshold. Goldstein said he did not have up-to-date information on the number of such maneuvers the Starlink fleet has performed to date. However, he said the company informed the FCC that, from December 2020 through May 2021, Starlink satellites made more than 2,000 collision avoidance maneuvers. “The average per satellite during that time is one to two,” he said. “That’s not a terribly high number for that many spacecraft.” SpaceX currently has nearly 1,700 Starlink satellites in orbit. Goldstein appeared on a panel that was discussing developing “right of way” procedures for determining who should maneuver in the event of a close approach. “We need a sense of urgency to address things that we can do to avoid the Kessler Syndrome,” or a runaway growth of orbital debris. “There are things that we can do to make space safer, and we all need a sense of urgency to do what we can to avoid that.”
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New achievements in aerospace
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Somalia declares emergency over locust swarms - BBC News
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Somalia declares emergency over locust swarms
The UN says the situation in the Horn of Africa is the worst in 25 years
Somalia has declared a national emergency as large swarms of locusts spread across east Africa.
The country's Ministry of Agriculture said the insects, which consume large amounts of vegetation, posed "a major threat to Somalia's fragile food security situation".
There are fears that the situation may not be brought under control before the harvest begins in April.
The UN says the swarms are the largest in Somalia and Ethiopia in 25 years.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Kenya has not seen a locust threat as severe in 70 years, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
However, Somalia is the first country in the region to declare an emergency over the infestation.
Somalia's unstable security situation means that planes cannot be used to spray insecticide from the air.
Media caption,
How East Africa is battling devastating locust swarms
In January, the FAO called for international help in fighting the swarms in the Horn of Africa, warning that locust numbers across the region could grow 500 times by June.
The swarms spread into east Africa from Yemen across the Red Sea, after heavy rainfall in late 2019 created ideal conditions for the insects to flourish.
Locusts can travel up to 150km (93 miles) in a day. Each adult insect can eat its own weight in food daily.
In December, a locust swarm forced a passenger plane off course in Ethiopia . Insects smashed into the engines, windshield and nose, but the aircraft was able to land safely in the capital, Addis Ababa.
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Insect Disaster
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Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station fire
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The Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station fire was a fire at the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station in Antarctica, on 25 February 2012 that killed 2 people and injured another. The fire destroyed approximately 70% of the research station. The fire broke out in the machine room housing the power generators at approximately 2:00 am (Brasília time) on 25 February 2012. [1] The Brazilian Navy opened an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident. An initial report by the Ministry of Defense suggests that a short circuit might have triggered the explosion. Fifty-nine people were at the station when the fire broke out. Forty-four people (30 scientists, an alpinist, a representative from the Ministry of Environment and 12 soldiers from the Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro) were evacuated by helicopter to the nearby Chilean Eduardo Frei Montalva Station, while 12 Brazilian Navy soldiers stayed at the base trying to fight the blaze. [5]
The evacuees were later embarked in an Argentine Air Force flight to Punta Arenas, Chile. [6] The Brazilian Air Force sent a C-130 Hercules aircraft to pick up the 44 evacuees and transport them back to Brazil. [7]
Two soldiers, sub-officer Carlos Alberto Vieira Figueiredo and sergeant Roberto Lopes dos Santos, originally reported as missing by the Brazilian Navy, were found dead in the debris of the station after the fire. Their remains were flown back home on 28 February 2012. They received honors in a military funeral held at the Galeão Air Force Base. [8]
Sergeant Luciano Gomes Medeiros suffered non-life-threatening injuries and received first aid treatment at the Arctowski Antarctic Station. [9]
On 26 February 2012, the Brazilian Navy issued a press release with a preliminary report of the extent of the damages. According to the report, although roughly 70% of the station was destroyed by the fire; the shelters, several laboratories (of meteorology, chemistry and atmospheric sciences), the fuel tanks and the heliport remained intact, as they were isolated from the main building. [1]
President Rousseff issued a statement where she expressed her consternation over the accident and the death of the two Brazilian Navy soldiers and reiterated her "strong commitment to the full reconstruction of the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station". [10] The Ministry of Defense announced that reconstruction plans would commence on 27 February 2012. [11] The Brazilian government estimates that it will take about two years to rebuild the station. [12]
The accident received considerable coverage by the international media. In South America, Chilean and Argentine newspapers stressed the help of their respective countries in the evacuation effort. The Chilean newspaper La Nación quoted the call made by President Rousseff to the President of
Chile, Sebastián Piñera, to acknowledge the support "in the relief and rescue" of those affected by the fire. The daily La Prensa Austral devoted an entire front page to the disaster. In Argentina, La Nación published an extensive story explaining the location of the Brazilian station and how the Argentine armed forces participated in the rescue. Clarín also stressed the aid of the country to Brazil. The reconstruction of the station and the solidarity with Brazil were also quoted by the Spanish El País, the Portuguese Público and the American The Washington Post. [13]
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Fire
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Brazil firefighters search mud after dam collapse, at least 60 dead
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Firefighters pulled a body from the mud days after a dam collapse in Brumadinho, Brazil, today. Firefighters today carefully moved over treacherous mud, sometimes walking, sometimes crawling, in search of survivors or bodies four days after a dam collapse that buried mine buildings and surrounding neighborhoods with iron ore waste. BRUMADINHO, Brazil >> Brazilian firefighters moved over treacherous mud — sometimes walking, sometimes crawling — as they searched today for survivors or bodies following a dam collapse that buried an iron ore mining company’s buildings and inundated nearby neighborhoods with ore waste. The confirmed death toll rose to 60, with 292 people still missing, according to the fire department in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, where the dam is located. In an ominous sign, no one was recovered alive Sunday, a stark difference from the first two days of the disaster, when helicopters whisked people out of the mud. The death toll was expected to grow “exponentially” today, the Minas Gerais fire department said. Search efforts were extremely slow because of the treacherous sea of reddish-brown mud that surged out when the mine dam breached Friday afternoon. The mud was up 24 feet deep in some places, forcing searchers to carefully walk around the edges of the muck or slowly crawl onto so they would not sink and drown. Rescue teams this morning focused their searches on areas where a but was immersed and the cafeteria of mining company Vale, where many workers were eating lunch when the dam ruptured. Vale SA’s is the world’s largest producer of iron ore, the raw ingredient for making steel. The Brazilian company’s American depository shares plunged 15.8 percent today on the New York Stock exchange. At the scene of the disaster, helicopters looking for bodies took off and landed nonstop. On the ground, dozens of rescuers with tracking dogs were searching for bodies through the mountains of mud. The Associated Press witnessed a helicopter rescue of three bodies that arrived at the search center. Rescue efforts were suspended for about 10 hours Sunday because of fears that a second mine dam in Brumadinho was at risk of failing. About 24,000 people were told to get to higher ground, but by afternoon civil engineers said the second dam no longer posed a risk. Areas of water-soaked mud appeared to be drying out, which could help firefighters get to areas previously unreachable. Still, it was slow going for the search teams, residents were on edge and some started searching on their own for relatives. Wagner Rogerio, 43, said he was looking for childhood friends but had no equipment or instructions how to do so. “My family tells me I’m not a superhero and that I should go home. But the very least my friends deserve is a dignified burial,” he said with tears in his eyes. More than 100 Israeli specialists equipped with specialized rescue technology joined the 200 Brazilian firefighters on this morning. Throughout the weekend, there was mounting anger at the giant Vale, which operated the mine, and questions rose about an apparent lack of a warning siren ahead of Friday’s collapse. In an email, Vale told The Associated Press that the area has eight sirens, but “the speed in which the event happened made sounding an alarm impossible” when the dam burst. Clamor for culpability was growing. Sen. Renan Calheiros called for Vale’s board of directors to step down and Attorney General Raquel Dodge told reporters that Vale executives could be held responsible. Over the weekend, courts froze about $3 billion from Vale assets for state emergency services and told the company to report on how it would help victims. The carpet of mining waste also raised fears of widespread environmental contamination and degradation. According to Vale’s website, the waste is composed mostly of sand and is non-toxic. But a U.N. report found that the waste from a similar Brazil disaster in 2015 “contained high levels of toxic heavy metals.” That dam by Vale and Australian mining company BHP Billiton collapsed in the city of Mariana in Minas Gerais, killing 19 people and forcing hundreds from their homes. About 250,000 people were left without drinking water thousands of fish died. An estimated 646 million square feet of waste flooded nearby rivers and eventually flowed into the Atlantic Ocean.
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Mine Collapses
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Aukus: French contractor ‘astonished’ at cancellation of Australia submarine deal
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Head of Naval Group reiterates company’s ‘stupefaction’ at being told multi-billion dollar contract was being torn up
Last modified on Tue 12 Oct 2021 12.11 BST
The head of the French defence contractor Naval Group has reiterated the company’s “astonishment and stupefaction” at being told a multi-billion dollar submarine contract with Australia was being torn up hours after it was reassured the deal was on track.
Pierre Eric Pommellet said the firm had been kept completely in the dark about talks to dump the French deal and sign a new one with the United States and the United Kingdom, dubbed Aukus. “In the morning we understood our design conformed to their (Australia’s) needs and in the afternoon we learned they wanted to change the design,” he said in an account of events on 15 September.
Speaking at an open day to promote the defence firm’s “naval innovation” – including state-of-the-art underwater drones – Pommellet said he was not going to rehash the row that erupted last month over Canberra’s surprise decision to cancel the A$90bn (£48bn) submarine deal signed in 2016 or answer questions about it.
“I think you all know the story,” he said, adding that the decision was not viewed as a reflection on Naval Group’s work but was as “a political strategic decision” made in secret by a very small number of people high up in the Australian government.
“We satisfied all the demands of the program including on cost and delay,” he said of the proposal to supply 12 diesel-electric submarines.
Asked what happens next – Naval Group is believed to be seeking substantial compensation – he said: “It’s a contractual situation and is therefore defined by the contract. We respected the contract. The contract foresaw this situation and obviously the company will defend its interests firmly.”
On Wednesday, Pommellet and Bernard Emié, head of France’s external intelligence and security agency, the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE) in France, gave evidence to the Senate committee looking into the defence debacle.
Earlier, at a cross-party meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee at the Assemblée Nationale, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the French ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thébault would be returning to Canberra but did not give a date when.
As a response to the Aukus announcement, Thébault was recalled along with France’s ambassador to Washington in an unprecedented move.
The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, said he welcomed France’s decision to return its ambassador to Canberra, adding that he looked forward to “taking the relationship forward”.
Morrison told reporters on Thursday the Australia-France relationship was “bigger than a contract”. Australia welcomed France’s presence and influence in the Indo-Pacific, he said.
“So it’s a matter of basically picking up on all the things we were working on and continuing on with them because they’re very significant. They’re wide-ranging. They’re very much in our interests and France’s interests and we look forward to just getting on with that job.”
Macron is not believed to have spoken to Morrison since the fallout over the contract; an Elysée spokesperson said the country’s ambassador would return to Canberra with a clear framework for future talks.
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Tear Up Agreement
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New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 crash
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New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 (NZ441) was a scheduled flight of the New Zealand National Airways Corporation from Whenuapai, Auckland to Tauranga. On 3 July 1963 at approximately 9:09 am NZST, the flight, a Douglas DC-3 Skyliner, flew into a vertical rock face in the Kaimai Ranges near Mount Ngatamahinerua, at an altitude of 2460 feet (750 m). [1] Twenty-three people were on board. Twenty-two were killed instantly; there is evidence that one person survived the impact but died shortly afterward. Three extra passengers were supposed to be on the flight, but changed their plans at the last minute. [2]
According to Civil Aviation Authority investigators, a downdraft carried the aircraft below the level of the crests of the range, where under the very poor weather conditions prevailing at the time, the aircraft encountered an area of extreme turbulence from which it was impossible for the crew to recover altitude. On the day of the crash, another plane was caught in strong downdrafts in the Kaimai Ranges but managed to recover. Furthermore, the crew was probably unaware of the true position of the aircraft and initiated a premature descent. However, it must be appreciated that the crew decided to descend only to the level officially designated as the minimum safe altitude in the area of the descent. Following this accident, the Civil Aviation Authority made the decision to classify the Kaimai Ranges as mountainous terrain, which raised the minimum safe altitude for the area by 1000 feet (305 m). Due to the remoteness of the crash, the wreckage was not recovered but secured on site by the New Zealand Army in 1964. This is similar to New Zealand's other major air disaster, Air New Zealand Flight 901, which remains on the slopes of Mount Erebus in Antarctica where it crashed.
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Air crash
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NATO launches biggest military exercise in Europe since Cold War
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Tens of thousands of soldiers and thousands of military equipment units are being gathered in Norway these days to participate in the exercises of the North Atlantic Alliance. The drill will last until 7 November. The goal of the “Trident Juncture 2018” exercise is to have a deterrent effect and prepare to defend “against any threat coming from any direction and at any time,” said the drill commander, American Admiral James Foggo. The scenario involves joint action in case of Norway’s sovereignty violation. However, in addition to the official allies, the forces of neutral Sweden and Finland, as well as the Ukrainian military, will also take part in the exercise. The main maneuvers of the land, air and sea armada began on October 25, but the preliminary stage of the drill has already started off the coast of Iceland and in the north of Norway. It will cover the landing of the US Marine Corps aircraft from the atomic aircraft carrier “Harry Truman” — it is the first time since 1989 that the American aircraft carrier will be taking part in NATO drill. In addition to Poland and the Baltic countries, Norway is the only NATO member country that has a land border with Russia. Oslo and Moscow also have a large maritime boundary beyond the Arctic Circle, which has been a subject of controversy for a long time. Both sides are thinking about the reserves of oil and natural gas that may be found in the Arctic shelf. Since the beginning of the undeclared war of Russia against Ukraine, Finland and Sweden began to actively discuss joining NATO, and Norway announced that it would give about $ 20 billion to reorganize and rearm its army. “We cannot rule out the possibility that Russia will consider the use of military force as a possible tool in the Polar Region. Also, even though a potential crisis is unlikely to arise in the immediate vicinity of Norway, the conflict that will start in another region may directly affect us,” says the Norwegian Army’s long-term development plan presented in 2016. Norway’s defense budget grew from $ 5.8 billion in 2014 to $ 6.5 billion in 2018 and there are plans to increase it further. The budget of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense has been around $ 0.5 billion for many years. In summer, the “Saber Strike” drill was held in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, in which 18,000 soldiers from 19 NATO countries took part, and in November, “Anaconda” will be held in Poland with approximately 10,000 soldiers from 10 countries.
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Military Exercise
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Zhengzhou Airport riot
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The Zhengzhou Airport riot occurred on 5–6 February 2014. Passengers at the airport in Zhengzhou, capital of the Chinese province of Henan, angry over lengthy delays due to snowy weather, smashed computers at airline check-in counters and destroyed information kiosks. It has been estimated that as many as 2,000 people took part over two days before police were able to restore order. [1]
Some of the angry passengers had been waiting for as long as five days to catch flights back to their jobs in other cities after their annual trips to see family during the Chinese New Year holiday period. They were further frustrated by the lack of information from airline and airport staff while they waited. The mass incident highlighted the difficulties faced by China's commercial airline industry as more and more passengers choose to fly to their destinations; the airlines blamed the disorder on passengers' limited understanding of the nature of commercial aviation. [2]
After the riot, police did not report making any arrests, which outraged some commentators[who?] on Chinese social media. However, most of the public sympathized with their underlying complaints. In the years since, Chinese authorities have moved to open up more of the country's airspace, largely under military control, to commercial flights. With the industrialization and urbanization of China following its late 20th-century economic reforms, many younger workers left their homes in rural areas to work in growing cities. They are able to return usually only once a year, during the New Year in February. The 3.6 billion individual trips this involves over a 40-day period has been described as the world's largest annual migration. [1]
In the 1990s, when this demographic shift began, most of those workers traveled by train, putting great strain on the country's rail network. Overcrowding and long travel times led some travellers to take to the air as an alternative, especially as the country's three major state-owned airlines continued to grow, despite the military limiting civil aviation to less than 30% of the country's airspace. [3][unreliable source?] [4] This problem has been compounded on occasion when the People's Liberation Army Air Force has ordered traffic reductions at major airports to free up airspace for training missions. [5] Smog around airports also causes delays. [6]
By 2013 FlightStats ranked several Chinese airports among its 20 worst in terms of on-time flight departures. [7] Combined with unrealistic expectations by many newer Chinese flyers from the days when air travel was seen as luxury available only to a few, air rage incidents began occurring in the 2010s. [8][9]
Most of the reported air rage incidents involved a single passenger, or small groups, such as the case of Yan Linkun, a Communist Party official in Yunnan stripped of his position and sent to prison after a widely publicized incident, caught on video, where he smashed a gate agent's laptop in 2013. [10] However some turned into mass incidents involving larger groups of what began being called the "air rage tribe". [a] In summer 2013, 30 Nanchang Changbei International Airport passengers angry about a seven-hour weather delay pushed past security and occupied the runway. Airports began avoiding announcing flight delays except when there was a "major event" affecting multiple flights. [11]
Heavy snowfall in central eastern China during the first week of February 2014 caused severe disruptions to intercity transportation during the busiest week of that year's New Year. Airports all over the country were plagued by delays, and even rail was affected, with trains limited to slower speeds due to the weather. By Wednesday, 5 February, Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, where many of those who worked elsewhere in the country had returned to visit their families for the holiday, was experiencing intermittent delays. [1]
In the late afternoon, the continuing snow eventually turned those intermittent delays into a complete closing of the airport. Passengers continued to arrive, however. With the available seats in departure lounges long since filled, many sat and slept on their luggage, eating instant noodles they had prepared themselves as meals. Eventually it was believed that as many as 2,000 passengers were in the terminal building. [1]
Airline representatives claimed later that they had offered the stranded passengers tea, and attempted to find what overnight accommodations they could in the city that night for them. But for many passengers that was too little. Around 9 p.m. that night two incidents reportedly occurred. [3]
One passenger reportedly destroyed a China Southern Airlines information office. Another entered the airport's control room and struck Hu Xiaoyu, a staffer, then poured her drink over Hu. [b] The woman threatened to post photos of the aftermath online, Hu said. [1]
That break in decorum and order kicked off further violence the next day. There were reports that passengers had attacked check-in areas, assaulted staff before they could get away, smashed computers and generally otherwise vandalized the airline areas. Sina Weibo and other Chinese microblogging sites posted pictures of the damage to the terminal. [1] While airport management denied the reports, businessman Chen Yunxian, on the Internet, likened the airport to a refugee camp. "No one is telling people what they should do, and some started to riot and smash things. "[3][c]
Other stranded passengers recalled seeing water bottles thrown at flight information display boards. One said a thrower said "Down with China Eastern!" as he did. According to People's Daily, the captain of the local police station warned the airlines that if they continued to provide no information to travellers via the display boards, there would be violence. [12]
Passengers who did not damage property nevertheless occupied gate areas and demanded their money back. [12][d] Staff, many of whom had been working for over 24 hours with almost no breaks, barricaded themselves in offices for their own safety. "I've been wronged as well" Xiaoyu, the assault victim, told a local newspaper, explaining that delays meant she had to stay at work. "We can do nothing about the weather.
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Riot
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Lancaster Health Center and Welsh Mountain Health Centers announce new name for merged center
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Lebanon Community Health Center, now part of Union Community Care, opened its 920 Church Street facility in 2019. (Will Trostel) Lancaster Health Center and Welsh Mountain Health Centers , which merged their operations into one community health center on March 1, have announced that the new center is named Union Community Care , according to a March press release. Union has two locations in Lebanon at 920 Church Street and 101 South 9th Street, as well as multiple locations in Lancaster. Their services include primary care, dental care, behavioral health, and social services. Both of Union’s component organizations are Federally Qualified Health Centers and receive funding from Health Resource & Services Administration. As brands, both organizations still exist on their own at the moment. But that will change as websites, signs, and social media are updated. In the release, Union President & CEO Alisa Jones stated that the new organization will reflect both organizations’ values: “The vibrancy, diversity, personal values, and colorful existence that lives within our communities, patients, and staff inspire us to meet every family, friend, and neighbor where they live, relate to their lives, and see them as the brave, complex, unique human beings that they are.” Union Board President Dave Kreider added that ““[f]rom the very start of the merger process, both organizations worked collaboratively to create a new name and identity, focusing on strength in unity.” Welsh Mountain Health Centers was the first walk-up testing facility open to Lebanon County residents back in July of 2020.
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Organization Merge
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2017 Southern Thailand floods
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The 2017 Southern Thailand floods occurred from December 2016 throughout early months of 2017 and are the biggest floods in over 30 years in the southern part of the country during the regional annual monsoon season, which is distinct from other parts of the nation and mirrors that the Malay Peninsula. They have also caused damages in Kelantan and Terengganu states in Malaysia the weeks prior. The floods began in early January. Some 120 billion baht (US$4 billion) in damages are foreseen as of mid-January, much of this due to lost production in agriculture tourism and infrastructure. [1] Rubber supply is particularly impacted. The death toll have reached 91. [2] Particularly hard hit are palm and rubber plantations. [3]
This article about disaster management or a disaster is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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Floods
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S7 Airlines Flight 778 crash
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Sep 26, 2020·17 min read
On the 9th of July 2006, an S7 Airlines Airbus A310 was landing in the Siberian city of Irkutsk when something went terribly wrong. The wide body jet with more than 200 people on board refused to slow down, hurtling down the full length of the runway at terrific speed despite the pilots’ attempts to stop it. The plane ran off onto the grass, struck a concrete wall, and careened into a storage cooperative, igniting a massive fire which quickly consumed the plane. Of the 203 passengers and crew, 125 perished in the inferno. But the plane should have had plenty of room to slow down — so why didn’t it? The answer turned out to be shockingly simple: during the entire landing rollout, the left engine was still producing forward thrust! This colossal error should have been obvious, but instead the pilots flailed in helpless confusion, unable to discern the problem. The investigation found one tiny mistake that set the whole thing in motion — along with a host of troubling maintenance practices, a breakdown in communication, and a psychological phenomenon which left the pilots unprepared to react. S7 Airlines, formerly known as Siberia Airlines (and still popularly known as Sibir), is the largest domestic airline in Russia, with over 100 airplanes and 150 destinations. One of Sibir’s most popular routes is the 4,200-kilometer trip from Moscow to the airline’s operational base in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, near the shores of Lake Baikal. In the mid-2000s, Sibir operated this route using a wide-body Airbus A310 capable of seating more than 200 passengers, and it regularly filled the plane to capacity. On the 9th of July 2006, the A310 operating this flight was F-OGYP, a 19-year-old jet previously owned by Pan Am, Delta, and Aeroflot. Although this was a cross-country red eye flight, the plane was almost full, with 195 passengers and eight crew on board. In command were Captain Sergei Shibanov, a highly experienced pilot who had upgraded to the A310 the previous year; and First Officer Vladimir Chernykh, who was almost as experienced as Shibanov but had only recently started flying the A310 and had only 158 hours on the type. F-OGYP departed Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport for flight 778 to Irkutsk at 10:17 p.m. local time. The entire five-hour flight proceeded normally, and after crossing four time zones without leaving Russia, the crew began their descent into Irkutsk shortly after dawn. By that point, nothing untoward had occurred, although Captain Shibanov had commented to an air traffic controller that “it’s night and we’re not getting enough sleep.”
The plane was also not in sound mechanical condition. In the preceding 111 flight hours, no less than 50 different malfunctions were recorded, and by the day of flight 778, 15 of these had still not been fixed. The broken items included the left thrust reverser, the №2 autopilot, the auxiliary flap actuation system, and one of the toilets. But at Sibir, flying like this was business as usual. In fact, just three days earlier, this very plane had been landing in Irkutsk with an inoperative right thrust reverser when the left reverser also failed, leaving the plane with no thrust reversers at all. Because reverse thrust is important to helping slow the plane on landing, the concurrent failure of both reversers was serious enough to be classified as an “incident” by Russia’s transport agency. To correct the problem, Sibir’s maintenance division replaced the broken flexible drive shaft from the right reverser with the serviceable drive shaft from the left reverser, labeled the left reverser inoperative, and cleared the plane to fly. Shibanov and Chernykh were well aware that they would be landing with only one thrust reverser, and the procedure for doing so was so simple that it hardly needed to be stated: they would simply activate the right thrust reverser without touching the left one. As flight 778 approached Irkutsk shortly before 7:40 a.m. local time, the runway was covered with water, but the storm that dumped it had already passed, and a normal landing seemed imminent. At 7:43 and 40 seconds, the plane touched down on Irkutsk International Airport’s runway 30. The spoilers deployed to force the wheels onto the pavement, and the autobrakes activated. Now Captain Shibanov reached over to engage the right thrust reverser. The thrust reversers are activated using secondary thrust levers attached to the forward sides of the main throttle levers; while pushing the main throttle levers forward increases forward thrust, pulling the reverse levers backward will increase reverse thrust. As expected, Shibanov pulled back only the right reverse lever, and the right reverser came alive with a thunderous roar. As the plane decelerated through 185 km/h, Shibanov began to slowly reduce power to the reverser in order to smooth out the landing roll. But as he pushed the right reverse lever forward, his palm caught against the left throttle lever and began to push it forward as well. The left engine consequently began to accelerate, spinning up even as the right engine was spinning down. Within 20 seconds of touchdown, the right reverser was totally stowed and the left engine had reached 60% of takeoff thrust. The plane stopped slowing down, and 10 seconds later it began to gradually speed up instead. The pilots had thought the landing was essentially over, yet now something seemed off— but what? At that same moment, the takeoff configuration warning sounded in the cockpit, catching the pilots completely by surprise. They were landing — so why was the plane telling them they were not configured for takeoff? In fact, when the left engine accelerated beyond a certain threshold, the system determined that they were taking off and was attempting to warn them that they had not properly set the flaps, slats, or stabilizer. However, instead of trying to figure out why the warning had activated, First Officer Chernykh concluded that a technical glitch must have occurred, and he simply deactivated the alarm. He then reported to the controller that they had landed successfully, as yet unaware that something was terribly wrong. Another effect of the high forward thrust on the left engine was that the spoilers, which help force the plane down onto the runway, automatically retracted. This in turn deactivated the auto-braking system. By this point, having used up 1,600 meters of the 2,450-meter runway, Captain Shibanov observed that they were no longer decelerating and finally asked, “What’s wrong?”
“RPMs increasing,” said Chernykh. “Reverse again,” Shibanov ordered, applying maximum manual braking power as he did so. Chernykh attempted to reactivate the right thrust reverser, but because the left engine was providing significant forward thrust, the reverser could not activate — a safety feature designed to prevent reverse thrust from being engaged in flight or on takeoff. The speed of the plane stabilized as Captain Shibanov’s heavy braking cancelled out the thrust from the left engine, but the end of the runway was rapidly approaching, and the pilots still had not figured out why they weren’t slowing down. “We’re rolling out,” Chernykh exclaimed.
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Air crash
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Snowy mountains residents claim Bombala town tap water far from pristine
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A town in the pristine snowy mountain region is battling authorities over tap water that residents say is undrinkable, smells like compost and makes them itchy to shower in.
For baker Kristen Brown, the situation came to a head when he opened his oven to find his white loaves baked with Bombala's town water had turned into brown bread.
"It looked like wholemeal bread without the fibre," Mr Brown said.
"It had this almost compost-like sort of smell. It was pretty gross."
Last month, divers employed by the Snowy Monaro Regional Council vacuumed 70 cubic metres of sludge from the town's water plant after hundreds of angry residents turned up at a town meeting with jars filled with the dirty water coming from their household taps.
But residents, who have been having issues with their water for more than a decade, said it was a band-aid solution.
They said water from their taps still smelled "like a pond" and was undrinkable.
Others raised concerns about the balance of chemicals in the water.
Mr Brown said his morning shower now smelled like a swimming pool.
"When you get out of the shower your eyes are running and you're itchy and scratchy like when you've been swimming," he said.
"I think they've just covered up the colour and the smell with chorine."
At a recent public meeting, residents raised concerns the $15 million promised by the NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro to fix the water supply would be absorbed into broader infrastructure projects.
In a statement, the Snowy Monaro Regional Council Mayor John Rooney said he was taking "appropriate steps" to improve water quality.
"The township is receiving an unprecedented amount of funding to achieve this," he said in a statement.
"Residents are noticing these improvements with their water becoming clearer and with less odour."
The Council, however, is yet to submit its business case to officially apply for the State Government funding.
When he moved to the town on the southern Monaro tablelands from Victoria's Yarra Valley, Mr Brown said he was shocked to discover the state of the water.
"City residents would be up and arms, they wouldn't put up with it," he said, adding that he was worried about how the town's sub-par water affected the quality of his food.
"In a Third World country the water has got to be better than it is here," he said.
A cohort of ratepayers are refusing to pay for water until the situation is fixed.
Resident Jen Farrell said residents had wasted hundreds of litres by running dirty water through their taps in the hope it would run clear. "The water is undrinkable. We cannot wash our clothes, it makes our clothes smell. All it is good enough for is putting on the garden," Ms Farrell said.
Bombala Maneroo Motel manager Sandra Hodge said thousands of dollars had been spent on re-washing linen stained from the town water.
"It's taking about three hours a day extra in washing to try and get things clean," she said.
According to the Snowy Monaro Regional Council, the removal of sludge from the town's water plant was the first for the tank in 40 years.
But a former Bombala water plant manager said huge amounts of sludge — such as the 70 cubic metres removed last month — could accumulate in the system in a relatively short period of time.
Ossie Benson worked at the plant from the mid-1970s up until 2007 and said slime regularly gathered in the plant's clarifier.
He said if it was not monitored it could choke the town's water supply again.
"The clarifier only has to have a hiccup … and if that happened say four to six times it would put a lot of sludge into the system," Mr Benson said.
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Environment Pollution
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2017 Ischia earthquake
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The 2017 Ischia earthquake occurred in the island of Ischia, Campania, in southern Italy. The main shock occurred at 20:57 CEST (18:57 UTC) on 21 August 2017, and was rated 3.9 on the Moment magnitude scale. [6]
Despite the moderate magnitude, several buildings and a church collapsed. One woman died in Casamicciola Terme, after being hit by rubble that fell from a church. [7] Another woman died when her house collapsed. [8]
The collapse of several buildings and the death of two women created much controversy and debate in Italy, because many geologists stated that with a moderate magnitude quake, modern buildings should not collapse. [9]
Moreover, Ischia is a zone with a high number of irregular buildings, and many critics considered the poor construction materials as the main cause for the death of the two women and for the damage. [10][11]
The sharp increase of the population between 1950s and 1980s and the growing inflow of tourists increased the anthropic pressure on the island. Significant acreage of land previously used for agriculture has been developed for the construction of houses or residential buildings. Most of this development took place without any planning and building permits. Many houses and structures across the island sustained moderate to severe damage when the earthquake hit. [12]
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Earthquakes
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1858 Christiania fire
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The 1858 Christiania fire, starting on 14 April 1858, severely destroyed several city blocks near Stortorvet in Christiania, Norway. 41 buildings were destroyed, and about 1,000 people lost their homes. [1]
The fire started around at one o'clock in the night, in the home of a carpenter in a wooden building within the city block west of the street Dronningens gate. The wind was blowing from the north, and within one hour five houses were set on fire. Within three hours buildings east of Dronningens gate started burning. This block had many old wooden houses, and the whole block was soon on fire and burned down completely except for one building. An important task for the firefighters was to prevent the fire from spreading southwards across the street Prinsens gate. A fire engine pump from the fortress was placed here, and the crew managed to stop it spreading further southwards. Somewhat unexpectedly the fire jumped across the wide street of Kirkegaten. Some of the buildings collapsed rather quickly, and two of the firefighters perished during those events. To the east, crew from the ship Lindesnes managed to prevent the fire from crossing the street Skippergaten. After great efforts the firefighters succeeded in stopping the fire from spreading north and westwards across the streets Kongens gate and Østre gate. [2]
Eventually the whole block between the streets Prinsens gate, Kirkegaten, Østre gate and Dronningens gate was destroyed. Also nearly all buildings of the block east of Dronningens gate burned down, as well as large parts of the block west of Kirkegaten. A total of 41 buildings burned down. [3] Based on the census from 1855, the number of persons living within the destroyed area was 808. Adding an assumed extra number due to later development, it was estimated in contemporary newspaper reports that about 1,000 persons lost their homes due to the fire. [4] The number of livestock numbered to 38 horses and eight cows in 1855, and was presumed to be of the same order in 1858, although no specific report is available. Large quantities of household contents and goods had been saved from the burning houses, much of it assembled at the market place. [2]
The fire had a definite impact on decisions regarding the future of the city. Funding for a new water supply was decided four weeks after the fire. This included a new dam at Maridalsoset, the outlet of Maridalsvannet. [5] The old piping system of the city was made of linked pine logs with drilled holes. The new water pipelines were based on cast iron. [6] The old water pumps at the crossroads disappeared, and households got tap water installed. Also, the fire department of the city was eventually reorganized. [5]
Coordinates: 59°54′44″N 10°44′46″E / 59.91222°N 10.74611°E / 59.91222; 10.74611
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Fire
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9 Of The Most Expensive Divorces In Bollywood
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ENTERTAINMENT Meenu Katariya Recently, actor Aamir Khan and writer-director Kiran Rao announced their separation after 15 years of togetherness. The duo said:
Celebrity divorces never fail to get public attention. Sometimes, it's for love, other times it's the divorce alimony that catches public eye. Here we take a look at some of the most expensive celebrity divorces in Bollywood.
Saif and Amrita tied the knot in 1991. 13 years later they decided to separate and were granted divorce in 2004.
In a 2005 interview, Saif had revealed the alimony he had paid to his ex-wife, Amrita Singh. He said:
The couple got divorced in 2016 putting an end to their 13 years of marriage. According to the terms of the divorce, Karisma got Sunjay’s father's residence in Khar that was in her name. She also received a monthly interest of ₹10 lakhs from bonds worth ₹14 crore that Sunjay had bought in their children's names.
Aamir Khan and his first wife Reena Dutta separated in 2002 and it was reported that he paid an alimony of ₹50 crores to her.
Farhan ended his 16 years of marriage with his wife Adhuna. It was decided that Farhan will be paying a one-time alimony to her instead of monthly maintenance, the amount of which is not known.
Adhuna apparently also retained their family home 'Vipasana' after the divorce.
The couple dated for 5 years before getting married in 1998. When they separated after 13 years of marriage, it was reported that Malaika asked for a settlement of ₹10-15 crore.
Dancer and actor Prabhu Deva separated from his wife after 15 years in 2010. He reportedly gave her 3 residential properties - one in Anna Nagar and 2 flats in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh - 2 cars and ₹10 lakh in alimony.
The properties apparently were worth ₹20-25 crore.
Sanjay Dutt and Rhea Pillai separated after a few years of their marriage. As per the settlement details published in Mid-day, Sanjay's Bandra apartment worth ₹8 crore stayed with Rhea and he had to buy her a luxurious car.
When Hrithik and Sussane parted ways after 14 years of marriage, there were rumours that Sussane asked for an alimony of ₹400 crore which was settled at ₹380 crore. People started trolling Sussane on Twitter. At the time, Hrithik tweeted that the reports were fabricated and false.
While some reports said that Aditya Chopra had to pay a hefty sum of ₹50 crores as divorce settlement with his wife Payal Khanna, others said that the amount of alimony was huge but was kept under wraps.
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Famous Person - Divorce
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No Dallas police officers have been indicted so far on criminal charges from 2020 summer protests
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No Dallas police officers have been indicted so far on criminal charges from 2020 summer protests
Police monitor Tonya McClary told the Community Police Oversight Board this week that eight cases against officers were criminally investigated by the Dallas police public integrity unit. Only two are still pending.
Dallas police Sgt. Roger Rudloff (left) is shown grabbing Parker Nevills by his ponytail as other officers take him to the ground during a protest on May 30, 2020, in Dallas.(Chris Rusanowsky / ZUMAPRESS.com)
By Kelli Smith
7:53 PM on Dec 16, 2021 CST
No Dallas police officers have been indicted so far on criminal allegations stemming from George Floyd protests downtown in the summer of 2020, when the department deployed tear gas on demonstrators and dozens of protesters said they were mistreated, the city’s top police watchdog said.
Police monitor Tonya McClary told the Community Police Oversight Board this week that eight cases against officers were criminally investigated by the Dallas police public integrity unit. A police record she presented at the meeting shows that two cases are awaiting a grand jury hearing, while two others went before the grand jury last month.
The grand jury declined in both of those cases to indict Senior Cpl. Melvin Williams and Sgt. Roger Rudloff — officers who were alleged to have used excessive force on protesters in high-profile incidents during the massive demonstrations that broke out in May 2020 after Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer.
Authorities blocked the western side of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge while police conducted mass arrests on the bridge after protesters demonstrating against police brutality marched June 1, 2020, in Dallas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
The other four cases were only listed as closed by the public integrity unit.
“It just makes no sense that we have citizens who are being injured in the city of Dallas, and nobody’s being held accountable for it,” said Daryl Washington, who represents some of those injured in the demonstrations.
McClary said there were 45 complaints against officers that came from the protests. Eight complaints were criminally investigated by the Dallas police public integrity unit, 17 were handled by the department’s Internal Affairs Division, and 20 were received by the oversight office, McClary said, adding that most are now closed.
The public integrity unit investigates city employees for potential criminal misconduct, while internal affairs handles administrative reviews.
McClary said many of the complaints handled by internal affairs and the oversight office were general inquiries that didn’t require an investigation, such as questions about when the department can use tear gas or crowd control .
Protesters marched during a demonstration against police brutality in downtown Dallas on May 29, 2020.(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)
District Attorney John Creuzot announced more than a year ago that his office was independently investigating the treatment of protesters, including the pepper-ball shooting incident.
He declined to comment this week on why some cases haven’t been presented to a grand jury more than a year and a half after the protests, saying that as a general rule “the DA’s office does not comment on cases that may or may not be under ongoing investigation.”
Quietly cleared cases
The demonstrations in Dallas drew thousands and were part of a national outcry for racial justice and an end to police violence after Floyd’s murder. The eight cases handled by the public integrity unit were those involving the most serious allegations. Four were closed by the unit and aren’t listed as awaiting a grand jury hearing.
In three of them, the officers who are alleged to have mistreated people or used excessive force are listed as “unknown” or “unidentified,” according to the public integrity record shared during the police oversight meeting.
Two of those “unknown” cases state that the person complaining did not pursue charges or did not cooperate with the investigation. The third alleges that Dallas officers used excessive force while arresting a female and left her restrained for hours, but it says no officers in that case have been identified.
A fourth case cleared without a grand jury proceeding involves officers Yamin Olavarrieta and Jacob Holmes, who were alleged to have used excessive force during an arrest, according to the record.
Robert Rogers, who along with Zach Horn represented the two officers, confirmed that both officers were found not to have used excessive force after an internal investigation. Both are still with the Dallas Police Department.
Rogers also represents Senior Cpl. Melvin Williams, who was investigated in two separate incidents from the protests.
A grand jury declined last month to indict Williams on a case in which he was alleged to have used excessive force against Vincent Doyle, 23, who has said he was at the protests as an aspiring photojournalist to document the event.
Doyle said he was injured on May 31, 2020, when he was hit by so-called less-lethal ammunition. The injury left him with only 40% vision in his left eye and smashed his cheekbone.
Vincent Doyle said he was hit by a so-called less-lethal bullet during a May 30, 2020, protest in downtown Dallas.(Lawrence Jenkins / Special Contributor)
Washington, who is representing Doyle and others in a federal lawsuit related to the injuries, said he doesn’t believe he and others have been given all of the evidence from the protests.
He said the case has been hurting Doyle “because people have the general perception that they can suffer injuries and nothing’s going to be done.” The civil lawsuit is still pending.
Rogers said he was “relieved that the grand jury obviously recognized the conditions that these officers were facing in downtown Dallas during this incident and confirmed that Melvin Williams’ actions were within the law.”
More recently, Williams turned himself in to DeSoto police on a charge of misdemeanor assault after he was caught on video in the summer repeatedly punching a man in the face during a street brawl in Deep Ellum. Dallas police are conducting an internal investigation. Rogers said Williams is still on administrative leave.
Last month, a grand jury also declined to indict Sgt. Roger Rudloff , who shot a protester at close range with pepper balls. His case was brought to a grand jury after a Dallas Morning News investigation revealed that police quietly dismissed the criminal case against the sergeant.
Dallas police Sgt. Roger Rudloff stood over Jantzen Verastique (center) after shooting her with pepper balls as photojournalist Christopher Rusanowsky (right) photographed police arresting protesters by Interstate 35E.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
The News’ investigation also uncovered 18 allegations of abuse against Rudloff during his 26-year career with the department, including flashlight beatings, chokings and racial slurs. Black people and Latinos lodged most of the complaints against Rudloff, who is white.
It’s standard procedure for police internal affairs to review cases after a grand jury declines to indict officers. Rogers said he wasn’t sure about the status of the Williams and Rudloff reviews.
Pending cases
Williams is also one of three officers facing excessive force accusations in a case involving Brandon Saenz, who said he was peacefully protesting on May 30, 2020, when he was hit in the face with less-lethal ammunition. He lost an eye and seven teeth, and the left side of his face was fractured.
That case, which also involves Dallas police Officer Victor Rocha and Senior Cpl. Ryan Mabry, is one of the two marked as still pending.
“Both Vincent and Brandon received life-altering injuries, and somebody has to be held accountable for this,” said Washington, who is also representing Saenz.
During a June 3, 2020, news conference, Brandon Saenz recalled being hit by a rubber bullet fired by Dallas police during demonstrations.(Lynda M. Gonzalez / Staff Photographer)
Rogers said there’s no set date yet for when that case will be presented to the grand jury. He said he believes the three officers “acted reasonably with the appropriate levels of force throughout this incident.”
The second pending case lists Mabry and Garland police as involved in an incident in which an officer was alleged to have injured a person with less-lethal ammunition, according to the public integrity record.
The exact involvement of both Mabry and Garland police was not made clear. Garland police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Civil litigation
After the protests, there was speculation that 150 to 200 complaints would be filed against officers. McClary said she spoke with many organizers of the protests, and her impression is that many people chose not to file complaints once they learned that Dallas police, not her office, would have to investigate those complaints before the oversight office could review them.
The ordinance governing the oversight office stipulates that it can only investigate complaints that Dallas police had already reviewed. McClary said she “fought hard” alongside former Dallas police Chief U. Reneé Hall for an exception because they believed public trust in the department had eroded. But the city attorney’s office determined that the oversight office “could not be the first stop for an investigation,” McClary said.
Hall had said after the demonstrations that the department made mistakes the first few nights that protesters marched downtown. But she defended the decision to use tear gas on protesters, citing bricks being thrown at officer squad cars and looting occurring at downtown businesses.
Protesters are overcome by tear gas as they run police officers during demonstrations in downtown Dallas on May 29, 2020.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
Police conducted mass arrests of protesters during some demonstrations. In June 2020, after The News raised questions about protester arrests, the police said they were dropping dozens of cases without explanation .
Along with the federal lawsuit that a team of civil attorneys filed last year on behalf of Doyle and others, other civil lawsuits are still pending against the city and Dallas police related to the protests.
Local freelance journalist Steven Monacelli filed a lawsuit this year on allegations that police used excessive force and made an unlawful arrest when they fired a projectile into his leg, then ignored his media credentials and took him into custody.
The city of Dallas filed a motion to dismiss the suit, which is still pending, according to court records.
Looking ahead
McClary told The News on Wednesday that the Office of Community Police Oversight still plans to look more closely at complaints related to the 2020 protests.
“Our hope was to actually do a deep dive into all of these protest complaints because I do think there’s a wealth of things that we can learn,” McClary said.
Jesuorobo Enobakhare Jr., chairman of the Community Police Oversight Board, told The News on Wednesday that people who are exercising their right to protest should be protected from harm. He said people should remember the importance of First Amendment rights, especially in light of the downtown Dallas protests.
“We must learn from 2020,” Enobakhare said. “The freedom to protest is an important tenet of our democracy.”
Staff writers Cassandra Jaramillo and Miles Moffeit contributed to this report.
Kelli Smith , Staff Writer. Kelli covers breaking news and public safety at The Dallas Morning News. She is a native of El Paso, Texas, and a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Before joining staff, she reported for The Chicago Tribune and KTSM, the NBC affiliate in El Paso.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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Farah, Hassan beat one-hour world record in Brussels
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BRUSSELS (AP) — With no fans to cheer them on, four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah and Sifan Hassan both broke the rarely run one-hour world record on Friday at the Memorial Van Damme meeting.
In an empty stadium because of the coronavirus crisis, Hassan first improved the previous women’s mark of 18.517 kilometers set by Ethiopia’s Dire Tune at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in 2008 by covering 18.930 kilometers.
In the final race of the meeting, which is part of the Diamond League series, Farah broke Haile Gebrselassie’s 13-year-old record of 21,285 kilometers on his return to the track. Farah, who ran with his training partner Bashir Abdi, established a new world mark of 21.330 kilometers.
Abdi took the lead with five minutes left and challenged Farah until the closing stages but ended up eight meters behind. Farah switched to road racing in 2017 but is planning to defend his 10,000 meters title at the Tokyo Olympics next year.
“I’m very happy to break the world record today. What an amazing way to do it and to show people what is possible,” said the 37-year-old Farah.
Hassan and Kenya’s world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei fought toe to toe at the King Baudouin stadium. Hassan accelerated in the final minute to leave the marathon world-record holder powerless in her slipstream. Kosgei was later disqualified for stepping off the track.
“An hour is long. It takes a lot of concentration and focus. After the first half I found my rhythm. I’m really happy with this record,” Hassan said.
Reigning Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya failed in her bid to break the 1,000 meters record, crossing in 2 minutes 29.92 seconds, shy of Svetlana Masterkova’s 2:28.98 record set in the same stadium back in 1996. Kipyegon set the second best time over the distance last month in Monaco with a 2:29:15 finish. Following the sustained tempo of a pacemaker, she looked on track to set a new best mark until the last 150 meters but faded in the finale.
In the pole vault, Armand Duplantis of Sweden failed to improve Sergey Bubka’s best outdoor mark of 6.14 meters. The world record holder cleared 6.00m but failed in three attempts at 6.15.
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Break historical records
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United Airlines Flight 615 crash
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United Airlines Flight 615 was a US transcontinental east–west airline service from Boston to Hartford, Cleveland, Chicago, Oakland and San Francisco. On August 24, 1951, the Douglas DC-6 with registration N37550[1] operating the service, crashed on approach to Oakland, causing the death of all 44 passengers and 6 crew members on board. [2]
The flight departed Chicago at 10:59 p.m. CST en route to Oakland. At around 4:16 a.m., the plane was approaching Oakland. At this time, the pilot, Marion W. Hedden of Los Altos, had talked with the control tower of the Civil Aeronautics Administration at the airport preparing for his landing, and had mentioned no trouble. At 4:25 a.m. Flight 615 was cleared for the straight-in approach into Oakland. This approach clearance was the last radio transmission with the flight. The plane crashed into mountainous terrain 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Oakland, careening into Tolman Peak and over its knoll, scattering on the downslope and into Dry Gulch Canyon below in a fiery explosion. All 50 persons on board perished. After an investigation, it was determined that the pilot ignored the prescribed instrument landing procedures. The pilot instead relied on visual reference, using the copilot's automatic direction finder (ADF). The ADF threw the plane three miles (4.8 km) off course and below the prescribed altitude of 3,500 feet (1,100 m). Coordinates: 37°36′52″N 121°59′33″W / 37.61444°N 121.99250°W / 37.61444; -121.99250
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Air crash
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National Resources Review: A Mining Magazine
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Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with six companies to establish the Maritime Decarbonisation Centre to be set up in Singapore. Under the MoC, BW Group, Sembcorp Marine, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Ocean Network Express, Foundation Det Norske Veritas and BHP have pledged to contribute S$10 million (approximately AU$9.7 million) each to support the establishment of the centre and fund research and technology development projects in areas relating to decarbonisation in the maritime industry. MPA will add S$60 million R&D funding to these contributions, bringing the fund to a total of S$120 million (approximately AU$116 million). The Maritime Decarbonisation Centre will be a focal point for the global maritime industry’s efforts in both decarbonisation and innovation, bringing together experts and the industry, including start-ups to develop technologies and co-create innovative solutions. The centre will collaborate with other maritime technology centres based in Singapore as well as decarbonisation centres around the world to share knowledge and build capabilities. The centre will support trials of new fuels and technologies. It will include facilities for corporate labs, research facilities and house research offices and space for maritime tech start-ups. MPA’s Chief Executive, Quah Ley Hoon, said: “Maritime decarbonisation is a global challenge requiring a collective responsibility from all stakeholders involved. It is crucial to have strong public-private sector partnerships. We thank like-minded partners that have responded strongly to our call for collaboration. The agreement signed today is a first step, which we hope will catalyse a larger, much-needed momentum to make international shipping more sustainable.” BHP’s Chief Commercial Officer, Vandita Pant, said the pathway to decarbonisation in the maritime sector will accelerate with the innovation centre and the spirit of collaboration with which MPA and its partners are approaching and investing in new technology. “The opportunity to achieve real reductions in industry footprint with this collaboration is great. It builds on a number of partnerships that BHP has struck across our value chain to seek to accelerate decarbonisation,” Ms Pant said. BHP’s Vice President of Maritime and Supply Chain Excellence, Rashpal Bhatti, said MPA has a strong commitment to bringing industry together to create a cleaner and greener industry. “The MoC with MPA forms an integral component of BHP’s four pillars in our strategy for supporting decarbonisation of our maritime supply chain – data democratisation, onboard innovations, future fuels and chartering choices.” BHP was part of the first marine biofuel trial involving an ocean-going vessel bunkered in Singapore on 4 April 2021 and has led the industry in its support for maritime emissions reduction initiatives, including awarding the world’s first LNG-fuelled Newcastlemax bulk carrier tender and the first LNG supply agreement for these LNG-fuelled iron ore vessels .
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Organization Established
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1935 Gulf Coast longshoremen's strike
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The 1935 Gulf Coast longshoremen's strike was a labor action of the International Longshoremen's Association. Lasting for about ten weeks from October 1, 1935 to mid-December on the Gulf Coast of the United States, the strike was marked by significant violence. In Houston, New Orleans, and other major docks along the Gulf Coast, strikes and other labor conflict had been a regular annual occurrence through the 1930s. [1] The 1934 West Coast waterfront strike of the previous summer, involving workers from both the ILA and the International Seamen's Union, had developed into a general strike in San Francisco, with encouraging results for dock workers. Moreover Texan union longshoremen tended to look to the West Coast for inspiration, rather than President Joe Ryan and his "dictatorial rule" as president of the national ILA. [2]
Locals of the ILA struck 23 major shipping companies of the Gulf Coast, beginning on October 1. The ports involved included Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston, Port Arthur, Beaumont, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Mobile, and Pensacola. The overall goal of the strike was ILA control of dock operations in New Orleans. The strike failed although many locals struck without the support of the corresponding Seamen's Union locals[3] and against the active resistance of Ryan. [4]
The NAACP's publication The Crisis pointed out that New Orleans already had two strong unaffiliated longshore unions (one white, one black), which kept working all through the strike; that the ILA's forced closure of other Gulf ports had only driven ship traffic towards New Orleans; and that the change might be permanent. [5]
The ten weeks of the strike were marked with significant violence. Police in Houston, for instance, deputized 56 strikebreakers into the force temporarily, several being former officers allowed to wear their old uniforms, and dock officials imported their own recruits by the busload and hired Frank Hamer to head "a special force of twenty ex-Texas Rangers and sheriffs to prevent sabotage and looting. "[6] [7] That became a full-time position for Hamer for years, and he earned more than he had ever made. "Special officers" loyal to industrial interests remained attached to the Houston Police for another year until they were dismissed as part of the resolution of the 1936 Gulf Coast maritime workers' strike in January 1937, engineered by incoming Mayor Richard Fonville. [8]
Associated Press reports counted 11 killings related to the strike on November 9,[9] then a total of 14 on November 27th. [10] Known casualties include a black strikebreaker named Henry Jones, said to be the first fatality, on October 5;[11] a striking ILA member named Etienne Christ shot to death in Port Arthur, Texas, on 10/21;[12] three strikebreakers killed at the Port of Lake Charles, Louisiana, on 10/22;[13] independent black longshoreman Will Ballinger drowned while trying to escape from an attacking mob;[14] and striker Samuel L. Brandt shot to death in Houston on 11/25. The conflict, particularly in Houston and Galveston, would continue through the 1936 Gulf Coast maritime workers' strike into early 1937.
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Strike
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Carbon monoxide safety: Preventing poisoning in your home
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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Safety tips are needed to keep you and your family safe from silent killer carbon monoxide as the months start to get chilly.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can kill you in your sleep. It is more prevalent in gas appliances such as heaters and stoves. The Kern County Fire Department says as we go into the winter months and people start to use heaters once again — it’s important to get them checked out to prevent a carbon monoxide leak. Carbon monoxide detectors are also required in all homes in California.“That small device can prevent severe injury or fatality,” Division chief for Kern County Fire Joe Appleton said.
The fire department says If you do hear your carbon monoxide alarm go off take it seriously. Don’t shrug it off as an annoying beep even if it’s ringing at 2 in the morning. Listening to it could save you and your family’s life.
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Mass Poisoning
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Holborn rail crash
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The London Underground network carries more than a billion passengers a year. [1] It has one fatal accident for every 300 million journeys. [2] Five accidents causing passenger deaths have occurred due to train operation in nearly 80 years since the London Passenger Transport Board was formed, the last being at Moorgate in 1975; other fatalities have been due to wartime and terrorist bombings and station fires. Two accidents occurred near Charing Cross (now Embankment) in 1938. The accidents on separate lines were caused by wrong-side failures of the signals due to signal linesmen's wiring errors. On the night of 13 October 1940 a German bomb fell at Bounds Green station killing 16 people. On 14 October 1940, during World War II, a bomb fell in the road above Balham station, with the blast penetrating into the tunnel 9 metres below. The water mains and sewage pipes were broken, causing flooding and the loss of 68 lives - 64 shelterers and 4 railway staff. [3] The station and the tracks between Clapham South and Tooting Bec (then called Trinity Road, Tooting Bec) were closed until January 1941. On 11 January 1941 during World War II the Central line ticket hall of Bank station suffered a direct hit from a German bomb. The roadway collapsed into the subways and station concourse, killing 56 people. On 3 March 1943 a crowd of people were entering what was to become Bethnal Green station, which was being used at the time as an air-raid shelter. An anti-aircraft battery, a few hundred yards away in Victoria Park, launched a salvo of a new type of anti-aircraft rockets, causing the crowd to surge forward. A woman tripped on the stairs causing many others to fall. Three hundred people were crushed into the stairwell, 173 died at the scene. On 31 December 1945, two Metropolitan line trains collided in fog on an open-air section near Northwood. The driver of the second train had passed a danger signal under the "Stop and Proceed" rule but did not see the preceding train soon enough to stop. A fire was started by electrical arcing. 3 people were killed. [4]
On 27 July 1946, a Northern line train hit the buffers at Edgware. No passengers were killed; the driver died, but it was shown that he had suffered a heart attack at the controls before the collision. It appeared that the dead man's handle had been disabled while the train was still moving. [5]
On 8 April 1953 two Central line trains collided in a tunnel section during disruption caused by a signal failure, killing 12 people. Two train fires occurred on the Central line in 1958 and 1960, due to electrical short circuits in the trains causing arcing. In both cases the trains had to be evacuated in the tunnels and passengers and crew suffered from smoke inhalation. One passenger died in the Holland Park fire on 28 July 1958. [6] There were no fatalities in the Redbridge fire on 11 August 1960. [7]
On 23 September 1968 a northbound ballast train passed three signals at danger and collided with the rear of a stationary Bakerloo Line passenger train standing in the platform. The driver of the ballast train died before he could be released, an accompanying inspector and the train's guard were taken to hospital and survived. [8]
On 28 February 1975 a southbound Northern City Line train crashed into the tunnel end beyond the platform at Moorgate station. Forty-three people were killed in what was the greatest loss of life on the Underground in peacetime. As the driver was one of the initial 43 dead, the cause of the incident was never conclusively determined, and an accidental death verdict was recorded at the official inquest. On 9 July 1980 a Central line train failed to stop in time after passing a signal at danger and being tripped by a train stop. The train hit another train standing in the westbound platform at Holborn. No serious injuries were caused by the accident. An inquiry concluded that the accident was caused by the motorman of the rear train failing to control his train. On 23 November 1984 a fire raged inside Oxford Circus station. It started at 9.50 p.m. in a materials store and was declared extinguished at 3 a.m. the next day. Fourteen people were treated for smoke inhalation. The probable cause of the fire was smoker's materials being pushed through a ventilation grille into the materials store. This ignited rags or paint thinner within the store. At Kilburn station on 11 December 1984, a northbound Metropolitan line train incorrectly passed a signal at danger in foggy weather. The driver reset the controls, moved forward, and was killed when the train collided with a stationary train in front. At Kensal Green station on 16 October 1986, a stationary southbound Bakerloo line train at Kensal Green station was struck in the rear by a Class 313 British Rail service on the Euston to Watford Junction line "The DC line". 23 passengers were injured. The driver of the class 313 passed the protecting stop signal as though it were at caution when it only showed a 'calling on' aspect. The (apparently distracted) driver of the Class 313 observed the train stop lower at the stop signal but failed to notice that the signal had only displayed a calling on aspect. A further protecting repeater signal had been temporarily removed while a retaining wall was being removed but the preceding stop signal had been modified to show a maximum 'caution' aspect for the duration. The accident report criticised the fact that the calling on aspect looked much the same as the yellow 'proceed at caution' aspect but for its position on the signal head. [9]
The Euston to Watford Junction line was, at this time, signalled with an experimental system (installed in 1932–3) where a stop signal automatically changed to a calling on aspect after a 70-80 second time delay.
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Train collisions
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Mourning the INF Treaty
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On February 1, the Trump administration made official what had been in the offing for some time: the United States will withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Signed in 1987, the treaty banned the United States and Russia from developing or deploying any ground-launched missiles that could travel between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, or about 300 to 3,400 miles. Washington claims—correctly—that Russia is building and testing systems prohibited by the treaty, including a new cruise missile that the United States claims can travel at prohibited ranges. The Russians have responded by announcing their own plans to withdraw and develop new weapons.
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Withdraw from an Organization
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2000 Costa Rican protests
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The protests against the Energy Combo of Costa Rica were a series of demonstrations and popular protests held in Costa Rica as of March 20, 2000 after the approval in the first debate in the Legislative Assembly of the "Law for the Improvement of Public Services and Telecommunications and State Participation", also known as "Combo Energético" and popularly as "Combo ICE". This law was intended to allow competition in the telecommunications industry managed by Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, and was supported by both major parties of the government. [1]
ICE was popular among the general public of Costa Rica, and they saw the decision as privatizing the agency. Many were also worried about a major intrusion of foreign investment. The protests are considered a historic Costa Rican event for being one of the most significant social protests in recent times. [2][1]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Korean Air Lines Flight 007 crash
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Korean Air Lines Flight 007 (also known as KAL007 and KE007)[note 2] was a scheduled Korean Air Lines flight from New York City to Seoul via Anchorage, Alaska. On September 1, 1983, the South Korean airliner servicing the flight was shot down by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor. The Boeing 747 airliner was en route from Anchorage to Seoul, but due to a navigational mistake made by the KAL crew the airliner deviated from its original planned route and flew through Soviet prohibited airspace around the time of a U.S. aerial reconnaissance mission. The Soviet Air Forces treated the unidentified aircraft as an intruding U.S. spy plane, and destroyed it with air-to-air missiles, after firing warning shots which were likely not seen by the KAL pilots. [2] The Korean airliner eventually crashed in the sea near Moneron Island west of Sakhalin in the Sea of Japan. All 269 passengers and crew aboard were killed, including Larry McDonald, a United States Representative from Georgia. The Soviets found the wreckage under the sea on September 15, and found the flight recorders in October, but this information was kept secret until 1992. The Soviet Union initially denied knowledge of the incident,[3] but later admitted shooting down the aircraft, claiming that it was on a MASINT spy mission. [4] The Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union said it was a deliberate provocation by the United States[5] to probe the Soviet Union's military preparedness, or even to provoke a war. The White House accused the Soviet Union of obstructing search and rescue operations. [6] The Soviet Armed Forces suppressed evidence sought by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) investigation, such as the flight recorders,[7] which were released ten years later, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. [8]
The incident was one of the most tense moments of the Cold War and resulted in an escalation of anti-Soviet sentiment, particularly in the United States. As a result of the incident, the United States altered tracking procedures for aircraft departing from Alaska. The interface of the autopilot used on airliners was redesigned to make it more ergonomic. [9] In addition, the incident was one of the most important events that prompted the Reagan administration to allow worldwide access to the United States Global Positioning System (GPS). [10][11]
The aircraft flying as Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was a Boeing 747-230B jet airliner with Boeing serial number 20559. The aircraft first flew on January 28, 1972, and was delivered on March 17, 1972, to German airline Condor with the registration D-ABYH. It was sold to the ITEL Corporation in February 1979 and leased to Korean Air Lines with the registration HL7442. [12][13]
* 76 passengers, 23 active crew and 6 deadheading crew[14]
The aircraft flying as Korean Air Lines Flight 007 departed Gate 15 of John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, on August 31, 1983, at 00:25 EDT (04:25 UTC), bound for Gimpo International Airport in Gangseo District, Seoul, 35 minutes behind its scheduled departure time of 23:50 EDT, August 30 (03:50 UTC, August 31). The flight was carrying 246 passengers and 23 crew members. [note 1][15] After refueling at Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, the aircraft departed for Seoul at 04:00 AHDT (13:00 UTC) on August 31, 1983. This leg of the journey was piloted by Captain Chun Byung-in, First Officer Son Dong-hui and Flight Engineer Kim Eui-dong. [16][17]
The aircrew had an unusually high ratio of crew to passengers, as six deadheading crew were on board. [18] Twelve passengers occupied the upper deck first class, while in business class almost all of the 24 seats were taken; in economy class, approximately 80 seats were empty. There were 22 children under the age of 12 years aboard. 130 passengers planned to connect to other destinations such as Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Taipei. [19] United States Congressman Larry McDonald from Georgia, who at the time was also the second president of the conservative John Birch Society, was on the flight. After taking off from Anchorage, the flight was instructed by air traffic control (ATC) to turn to a heading of 220 degrees. Approximately 90 seconds later, ATC directed the flight to "proceed direct Bethel when able". [20][21] Upon arriving over Bethel, Alaska, KAL 007 entered the northernmost of five 50-mile (80 km) wide airways, known as the NOPAC (North Pacific) routes, that bridge the Alaskan and Japanese coasts. KAL 007's particular airway, R-20 (Romeo Two Zero), passes just 17.5 miles (28.2 km) from what was then Soviet airspace off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The autopilot system used at the time had four basic control modes: HEADING, VOR/LOC, ILS, and INS. The HEADING mode maintained a constant magnetic course selected by the pilot. The VOR/LOC mode maintained the plane on a specific course, transmitted from a VOR (VHF omnidirectional range, a type of short-range radio signal transmitted from ground beacons) or Localizer (LOC) beacon selected by the pilot. The ILS (instrument landing system) mode caused the plane to track both vertical and lateral course beacons, which led to a specific runway selected by the pilot. The INS (inertial navigation system) mode maintained the plane on lateral course lines between selected flight plan waypoints programmed into the INS computer. When the INS navigation systems were properly programmed with the filed flight plan waypoints, the pilot could turn the autopilot mode selector switch to the INS position and the plane would then automatically track the programmed INS course line, provided the plane was headed in the proper direction and within 7.5 miles (12.1 km) of that course line. If, however, the plane was more than 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from the flight-planned course line when the pilot turned the autopilot mode selector from HEADING to INS, the plane would continue to track the heading selected in HEADING mode as long as the actual position of the plane was more than 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from the programmed INS course line. The autopilot computer software commanded the INS mode to remain in the "armed" condition until the plane had moved to a position less than 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from the desired course line. Once that happened, the INS mode would change from "armed" to "capture" and the plane would track the flight-planned course from then on. [22]
The HEADING mode of the autopilot would normally be engaged sometime after takeoff to comply with vectors from ATC, and then after receiving appropriate ATC clearance, to guide the plane to intercept the desired INS course line. [22]
The Anchorage VOR beacon was not operational because of maintenance. [23] The crew received a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) of this fact, which was not seen as a problem, as the captain could still check his position at the next VORTAC beacon at Bethel, 346 miles (557 km) away. The aircraft was required to maintain the assigned heading of 220 degrees, until it could receive the signals from Bethel, then it could fly direct to Bethel, as instructed by ATC, by centering the VOR "to" course deviation indicator (CDI) and then engaging the auto pilot in the VOR/LOC mode. Then, when over the Bethel beacon, the flight could start using INS mode to follow the waypoints that make up route Romeo-20 around the coast of the U.S.S.R. to Seoul. The INS mode was necessary for this route, since after Bethel the plane would be mostly out of range from VOR stations. At about 10 minutes after take-off, flying on a heading of 245 degrees, KAL 007 began to deviate to the right (north) of its assigned route to Bethel, and continued to fly on this constant heading for the next five and a half hours. [24]
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) simulation and analysis of the flight data recorder determined that this deviation was probably caused by the aircraft's autopilot system operating in HEADING mode, after the point that it should have been switched to the INS mode. [9][25] According to the ICAO, the autopilot was not operating in the INS mode either because the crew did not switch the autopilot to the INS mode (as they should have shortly after Cairn Mountain), or they did select the INS mode, but the computer did not transition from "armed" to "capture" condition because the aircraft had already deviated off track by more than the 7.5 miles (12.1 km) tolerance permitted by the inertial navigation computer. Whatever the reason, the autopilot remained in the HEADING mode, and the problem was not detected by the crew.
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Air crash
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Turkish-backed Syrian armed groups unify forces
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ALEPPO, Syria — The areas controlled by the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the countryside of Aleppo in northwest Syria have recently witnessed the merger of a number of factions under new names. Most recently, on May 30, three military factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA) affiliated with the FSA in the countryside of Aleppo announced their merger under the name of the First Division. The factions that merged are the Ninth Division’s Brigade 143, Brigade 111 (Northern Brigade) and Brigade 112. A statement issued by these factions read, “In the framework of this restructuring operation within the ranks of the SNA and following the approval of the FSA’s First Legion and chief of staff, we announce our complete integration under the name of the First Division operating within the ranks of the First Legion.” In this context, Capt. Abo Jalal, commander of the newly formed First Division, told Al-Monitor, “This merger affirms our commitment to strengthen and support the SNA institution to achieve more progress. It reflects our insistence on defeating crime and protecting and preserving the dignity of the Syrian people who believe in the revolution and the struggle for liberation and change.” In a parallel event May 28, three SNA factions also announced their merger under the name of the 13th Division. A statement announcing the merger read, “As part of efforts to organize the ranks of the military forces, we, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Brigade, the Semerkand Brigade and al-Wakkas Brigade, announce our complete merger under the name of the 13th Division.” Col. Ahmed Hamadeh, military analyst and defected Syrian officer, praised the integration of the SNA factions. He told Al-Monitor, “This will positively reflect on the performance of armed factions in the battlefield. The reduced number of factions and the merger of small factions under a unified command will definitely lead to a better military organization and discipline. The SNA has three legions, and each legion includes a number of factions. The less factions there are, the more centralized the decision-making process will be.” He added, “The mergers take place in coordination between the leaders of the factions and the Ministry of Defense of the opposition’s [self-styled] interim government. When the merger agreement is reached, the minister of defense issues the relevant executive order. Each faction has to implement the administrative and military procedures related to this merger.” A military official in the Ministry of Defense of the Syrian opposition’s interim government told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “The merger between the factions is an administrative and organizational restructuring process within the SNA. We first discussed this step at the beginning of this year through consultations between faction leaders and officials in the Ministry of Defense.” He noted, “We are trying to take advantage of this period of calm to rearrange the internal ranks and prepare for any upcoming confrontation or battle with more efficient performance and organization than before." He pointed out that the interim government’s Ministry of Defense will continue its efforts in this context and integrate more factions to facilitate their leadership, organization and control of their members and prevent any violations. Col. Mustafa Bakkour, a Syrian army defector residing in Idlib, told Al-Monitor, “The SNA makes changes from time to time within its administrative structure for several reasons. These most notably include the formation of large military groups under one leadership and with one goal. These steps aim to avoid the multiplicity of authorities, conflicting decisions and competition among leaders. [The recent mergers] are a good call.” He said, “Since its establishment, the SNA factions have been working under the supervision of the Turkish army. I believe all organizational matters and decisions taken by the factions regarding mergers and other organization steps are with the direct support and blessing of the Turkish army, which aims to develop this military opposition institution.” The SNA controls the countryside of Aleppo, in addition to the areas of Ras al-Ain in the northwest of Hasakah province, and Tell Abyad, north of Raqqa province. On Dec. 30, 2017, the formation of the SNA was established by a military group in the Syrian opposition. On Oct. 4, 2019, the head of the opposition’s interim government, Abdul Rahman Mustafa, declared the merger of the SNA and the National Liberation Front (NLF) into one army, under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense in the interim government. Speaking to the press in Sanliurfa, Turkey, Mustafa said back then that this army seeks to free Syria from corruption, sectarianism and dictatorship, and to defend Idlib, Hama and the countryside of Latakia. He added that the unified SNA will strive to “return Syrian land to Syrians.” As of 2019, the SNA included all the factions that were affiliated with it and formed in December 2017, in addition to 11 factions of the FSA-affiliated NLF that was established in Idlib in May 2018. The merger between the SNA and the NLF brought the number of overall fighters to 80,000, according to the interim government.
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Organization Merge
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A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 jolted northern Japan on Sunday
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* No reports of damage after 6.6 quake off Honshu island (Adds details on Fujitsu, no damage, paragraphs 2, 6, 8)
TOKYO, March 14 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 jolted northern Japan on Sunday, seismologists said, shaking buildings in the capital Tokyo some 240 km (150 miles) away.
There were no reports of injuries or damage and no tsunami warning was issued. The magnitude of the quake, at 5:08 p.m. (0808 GMT), was measured at 6.6 by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The epicentre was about 40 km (25 miles) beneath the ocean off Honshu, Japan’s main island, the JMA said.
Tokyo Electric Power Co Inc (TEPCO) 9501.T said its two nuclear power plants in the region were operating normally. [ID:nTOE62D016]
Tohoku Electric Power Co 9506.T said operations at its Onagawa and Higashidori nuclear power plants were also normal. [ID:nTOE62D019]
Operations at Fujitsu Ltd's 6702.T semiconductor plant in Fukushima prefecture, in northeast Japan, were also not affected by the quake, an official at Japan's top IT services firm said.
Public broadcaster NHK said a bullet train in the area automatically halted for a brief time but soon resumed operating.
Expressways were closed for checks and police and fire departments were quoted as saying there were no reports of damage after the quake, NHK said.
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. (Reporting by Chikafumi Hodo, Yoko Kubota, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Osamu Tsukimori and Linda Sieg ; Editing by Paul Tait)
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Earthquakes
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2016 Moroccan protest movement
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The Hirak Rif Movement or The Rif Movement (Berber languages: ⴰⵎⵓⵙⵙⵓ ⵏ ⴰⵕⵉⴼ, Arabic: حراك الريف, meaning "Movement of the Rif") is a popular mass protest movement that took place in the Berber-speaking Rif region in northern Morocco between October 2016 and June 2017 as a result of the death of Mouhcine Fikri, a fishmonger who was crushed to death in a garbage truck after jumping in the back, following the confiscation of his allegedly illegal fish merchandise—of which he was selling on the local market—by local authorities. The mass protest movement was met with repression, with many violent clashes between police and protesters in various cities and towns, such as the Al Hoceima, Driouch, Nador provinces and led to the arrest of more than 150 Moroccans, seen by the regime as protagonists/leaders or media activists in the movement. The leader of the Rif mass protests, Nasser Zefzafi, was arrested by Moroccan law enforcement and intelligence operatives using telephone tracing technology on May 29, 2017, close to a beach near Al Hoceima. Right after his arrest, Zefzafi was flown in a military helicopter directly to Casablanca (500 km away), where he is being held and tried by a court of law for charges of sedition and conspiracy as of March 10, 2018. The Moroccan authorities chose to detain him away from his native city and his popular base to defuse the protest movement and to avoid mass escalations in his home city. Mouhcine Fikri, a 31-year-old fish seller, was crushed to death in a rubbish bin on October 28, 2016 in the city of Al Hoceima after trying to recover his confiscated merchandise. This death led to a set of protests that were regularly held and included more and more demands. The protests were led by activist Nasser Zefzafi. The protests were described as "the largest display of public anger in Morocco since the Arab spring in 2011. "[1]
The list of demands is the ground of the protests and includes:[2]
On May 29, 2017, Nasser Zefzafi was arrested in Al Hoceima. [3] Following this arrest came hundred others. [4] Following these arrests, daily protests began in Al Hoceima, Imzouren and other neighboring cities demanding the release of Zefzafi and the other activists. On Monday 26 June, which coincided with the celebration of Eid el-Fitr, the security forces (police, gendarmerie and auxiliary forces) launched a vast crackdown in Al Hoceima and the surrounding areas, to disband a planned march in solidarity with the detainees. [5] This resulted in widespread violence and beating. [6] The crackdown started early on the day of the feast by surrounding places of prayer, and preventing people from gathering in large numbers for the Eid's prayer. [6] The gendarmerie and police then completely surrounded and blocked all accesses to the city of Al Hoceima, including patrolling the surrounding hills and mountains and stopping people trying to get to the city on foot. [5] The police forces strictly prevented all cars and taxis from entering Al Hoceima, fearing a potential influx of protestors to the city from neighbouring populous areas such as Nador and El Aroui. The violence of the day resulted in the arrest of about 60 people, and many more unaccounted for and a large number of injuries amongst the population, also unaccounted for because of the media blockade. [5] The government official press then published various stories in its media claiming that 39 members of police were injured. [5]
A central person in the conflict about free speech is the journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui. Born in 1979, he graduated from college in 2004 and from the journalism institute in 2010. He worked in various publications, where he was known as a go-to-guy for sensitive issues that are generally avoided by the average reporter. He championed advocacy journalism, freely expressing his views and criticizing the government. He has also once said, "… a journalist has to shape public opinion by reporting the news but also by giving his own views." Since he launched the news site "Badil.info" in 2014, El Mahdaoui has become one of the most prominent faces in the media world in Morocco, not only because of his iconoclastic personality, but also because of a series of lawsuits that have been filed against him by various state security services and ministries. In June 2016, a court in Casablanca sentenced him to a four-month suspended sentence and $1000 fine for defamation over his report on corruption by then-Minister of Justice. El Mahdaoui's journalism became more opinionated. Through critical reports and long format videos posted on his news site and on YouTube, his followers base grew with each video that gets viewed by several hundred thousands soon after its posting. His profile continued to grow during the latest flare up of protests in the Rif, when he posted several critical videos supporting demands by the peaceful protesters and decrying repression by security forces. El Mahdaoui was eventually arrested, mistreated, denied health treatment, sentenced to three months then to one year in jail, and accused of a felony that will likely end up with a heavy sentence. Speaking on El Mahdaoui's arrest and mistreatment by Morocco's police, M. Aabid, a fellow reporter, said, "This is not about one single person, this is about the issue of freedom of expression." "El Mahdaoui has personified the idea that you can criticize the policies of the king without fear and the authorities don't like this idea." King Mohammed VI's only official direct response came in a communiqué read on Sunday 25 June 2017, by the spokesperson of the Palace, Abdelhak El Mrini. [7] The king's statement was framed as part of a routine council of ministers, which the king presided over the same day. In this statement the king alluded to what he described as "delays" in a project he claims to have launched for the development of Al Hoceima in October 2015, while he was in Tétouan. [7] The king then blamed his ministers for presenting projects to him which do not have realistic expectations and budgets, and added that "he would not allow those ministers to go on vacation this summer". [7] The king then went on, in what looked like blame directed at the protestors, when he stressed that his "development and social projects should not be politicised". [7]
The king's first direct response was when the issue was brought up by French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited him on 14 June. [8] During the brief press conference held after Macron's arrival, the French President said that he questioned the king in a direct and frank manner about the turbulence in the Rif, and that he sensed in the king's response a "will that goes in the sense of appeasement and not escalation of the situation". [8] Macron also reported that the king said to him, that "he inaugurated the practice of spending vacations in Al Hoceima", and the king claimed to Macron, that "contrary to other countries, people in the Rif were free to protest". [8]
On 28 June 2017, speaking on behalf of the king, Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani issued a video statement,[9] in which he commended the king's directives to conduct development projects in all of Morocco, not just Al Hoceima, while he expressed his regrets regarding the crackdown of El Eid, and regretted the injured amongst the police and population. [9] In the statement, Othmani also reported the king's wish for a very strict respect of the conditions of a fair trial of the 150 arrested in the Hirak, while also calling for respect of the law in dealing with claims of torture reported by the Rif detainees. [9]
On July 23, 2017, in a speech commemorating his 18th anniversary of his ascension to the throne, King Muhammad VI rebuked local officials in northern Morocco for their failure to implement development projects in a timely manner. [10] He also pardoned a number of activists who had been detained, including the singer Silya Ziani. [10]
It was reported that US Senator Tim Kaine issued a letter regarding the situation in Morocco in August 2017. In his letter, Kaine wrote that Moroccan citizens were "not fully protected with respect to expressing themselves, independent media outlets are significantly restricted, and members of the opposition are often unjustly targeted for their political beliefs." He also added, "In the past several months, tens of thousands of Moroccans joined protests calling for economic opportunity, political rights, and an end to corruption. In response, the government has arrested over 100 leaders of the protest movement. […] I am very concerned about these developments and strongly support the right of all people to peacefully express their grievances. "[11]
At international level, the repression of the Popular Movement to the Rif has had serious consequences on the population, forcing many young people to emigrate outside Morocco and this made the Riffian movement continue mainly in Europe where there is a large community of Riffian origin.
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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The World Today
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Indian mining giant Adani is being investigated for releasing polluted water from its north Queensland coal port.
The Queensland Government is already prosecuting the company over the release of coal-laden floodwaters onto the Caley Valley wetlands in 2017.
Now it's looking at releases made during the flooding last week. Featured: Peter McCallum, Mackay Conservation GroupAdani statement The Queensland Government is checking whether mining firm Adani has again breached its environmental licence for releasing water into a coastal wetland beside Abbot Point coal terminal.
Monsoonal rain hitting north Queensland results in a release of water from Indian mining giant Adani's Abbot Point coal terminal site into adjacent wetlands.
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Environment Pollution
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2018 Marriott Hotels strike
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The 2018 Marriott Hotels strike was a strike of more than 7,700 workers across the United States at 23 hotels operated by Marriott International in late 2018. The strike began in October and went through early December. Various professions across the hotel industry including housekeepers, cooks, servers, dishwashers, doormen, and concierges walked off the job as members of the Unite Here labor union. Their slogan was “One job should be enough", as a reference to the Fight for $15 movement in the service industry where employees are demanding a living wage. This walkout began in early October and spread to 23 Marriott hotels across the US to cities including San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, and Honolulu. [1][2]
The strike ended and workers went back to work on December 5, 2018 after negotiations with Marriott. [3]
As a result of the strike, hotel workers in San Francisco received a $4 hourly raise. Strikes in other cities also resulting in various new employment contracts that offered better wages and benefits, along with more protection against sexual harassment in the workplace. [3][4]
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Strike
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New test finds no evidence of Ebola virus in Cote d’Ivoire case
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Brazzaville, 31 August 2021 – The government of Cote d’Ivoire has informed the World Health Organization (WHO) that a second laboratory has tested samples from a patient suspected of having Ebola and has found no evidence of the virus. The tests by the French National Reference Center for Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (Institut Pasteur and INSERM Jean Mérieux BSL4 laboratory) in Lyon, France follow tests conducted by the Institut Pasteur of Cote d’Ivoire, which led health authorities to announce their first Ebola case since 1994. With the new results from the laboratory in Lyon WHO considers that the patient did not have Ebola virus disease and further analysis on the cause of her illness is ongoing. The suspected case was a young woman who travelled from Guinea to Cote d’Ivoire. Since Cote d’Ivoire announced the case more than 140 contacts have been listed in the two countries. No-one else has shown symptoms for the disease or tested positive for Ebola. Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. To prevent the spread of Ebola it is important to act urgently. Cote d’Ivoire health authorities alerted WHO of the case as required by the International Health Regulations 2005 and rapidly launched all key public health measures. After Cote d’Ivoire announced the Ebola case, in line with the no-regrets policy followed by WHO, immediate actions were implemented in both Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea. Around a dozen WHO experts were mobilized to support the country’s efforts and 5000 Ebola vaccine doses which WHO had helped Guinea procure were sent from Guinea to Cote d’Ivoire. In addition, WHO released US$ 500 000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the country initiate a quick response. The no-regrets policy encourages adopting measures immediately before all the dimensions and consequences of an emergency or outbreak are known with the aim of saving as many lives as possible.
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Disease Outbreaks
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Damian Warner wins gold in decathlon, sets Olympic record
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Canada's Damian Warner reacts after his first javelin throw in the decathlon event during the Tokyo Olympics in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday, August 5, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
TOKYO -- There were dark days in the dead of this past winter when Damian Warner couldn't see how an Olympic gold medal could possibly be in the cards.
The COVID-19 pandemic had one of Canada's greatest athletes training in a run-down hockey arena so cold he'd lose feeling in his fingers and toes.
"I remember having a conversation with Gar (Leyshon, one of his coaches) and I could almost break down in tears. It felt like your dreams are walking away from you and you couldn't do anything about it. I told him, 'I don't think this is conducive to an Olympic gold medal. I don't see my competitors training this way, we're not able to go to training camps. I just don't see it working."'
In an unforgettable Olympic Games jam-packed with stories of resilience, Warner couldn't have written a more extraordinary script - and certainly no better ending.
The 31-year-old captured Canada's first Olympic decathlon title in emphatic fashion. He set an Olympic record and a Canadian record, and became just the fourth man in history to top the elusive 9,000-point barrier.
Warner capped off the gruelling 10-discipline event with a fifth-place finish in the 1,500 metres - an event he laughingly said he loathes - good enough to finish with 9,018 points, bettering the previous Olympic record of 8,893 points, shared between American Ashton Eaton (2016 Olympics) and Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic (2004).
World record-holder Kevin Mayer of France won silver with 8,726 points, while Australian Ashley Moloney took bronze with 8,649. Pierce LePage of Whitby, Ont., who'd been flirting with bronze through the first eight events, finished fifth with 8,604.
In the moments after the victory, Warner talked about his coaching team that not only constructed a makeshift multi-events facility in Farquharson hockey arena in London when COVID-19 shut down the University of Western Ontario, but propped him up when times were pretty terrible.
"Luckily for me I have guys like Gar and Dennis (Nielsen) who are stubborn and persistent," Warner said. "They wouldn't let me give up. I eventually just leaned on them and thought, I want to be an Olympic gold medalist. If this is the only thing I can do, I'm going to do it. From the very beginning."
Leyshon and Nielsen were Warner's teachers - and basketball coaches - at Montcalm High School in London, and recruited him for track and field.
"It makes this whole thing that much more special, to do this with two of your high school teachers," Warner said. "I don't know the stories of most of the Olympians here, but I can't say their English teachers were coaching them, and their gym teachers.
"This is an incredible story and it's an incredible moment."
The one thing missing? An audience. Because of the state of emergency in Tokyo amid rising COVID-19 cases, no fans were permitted at Olympic Stadium. Pockets of coaches, fellow athletes, and media were the only onlookers who weren't watching the event unfold on TV.
Still, at times during the two-day event, Warner encouraged those in attendance to clap during a jump run-up. After a solid javelin throw, he raised his arms in celebration.
"Obviously, there's not many people out there. But there is. They're not here in the stadium but they're at home. Jen (Cotten, his longtime partner who gave birth to their first child, son Theo, in March) was sending me videos throughout this whole competition.
"When I was out there doing long jump and pole vault and high jump, any time I asked for a clap, those guys were clapping. A hundred people were clapping for me back (home). There was never a moment in this decathlon where I felt like I was doing it by myself."
The gold was a long time coming for Warner, who won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, silver at the 2015 world championships, and bronze at the 2013 and '19 worlds.
"I remember sitting on the ground after (in Rio) and being disappointed," Warner said. "I had the bronze medal but I was like, 'This is not what I wanted.' I wasn't proud to be an Olympic bronze medalist. We worked really hard since then to get to this point."
When Warner staggered across the 1,500 finish line, he was wrapped in hugs by Mayer and Moloney. He posed for photos, wearing the Canadian flag like Superman's cape. He went up into the stands to hug a teary-eyed Leyshon, who'd once boldly jotted down lofty goals for Warner.
"The thing with Gar and I, we're pretty ambitious and pretty optimistic. And the first year that I ever started training for the decathlon, Gar was like, 'You're going to be an Olympic gold medalist, you're going to score over 9,000 points, we're going to break the world record. Early on it's one of those things where, what does that even mean?"
They knew very little about the decathlon in the early days. They learned by watching YouTube videos of the greats, everyone from Daley Thompson to Dan O'Brien.
"I'm just making stuff up, because I didn't know. And he didn't know any better either. So we were just sort of fiddling around trying to make it work," Leyshon said.
He recounted a story of telling Warner to run hills. Warner balked.
"Damian said 'Do I need to do this?' And I said, 'Well, you don't need to do anything. But I'm only here because I think that you can be the best in the world at this. And I don't even like track and field. I'd rather do basketball. So if you don't want to do it fine."'
Leyshon walked to his car. Warner eventually got in. Leyshon drove him home in silence.
"(When he dropped him off) Damian leaned in and said, 'So what time tomorrow?' That's the kind of person he was. After that. I told him I thought he could be the best in the world, that he could win the Olympics, that he could be the world record-holder someday. And he sort of was like, 'Okay, let's try it that."'
In Tokyo, Warner was excellent from start to finish. He tied his decathlon world mark in the 100 metres, and then set Olympic decathlon records in the long jump - with a distance that would have won him bronze in the open long jump in Tokyo - and 110-metre hurdles. He cleared a personal best 4.90 metres in the pole vault on Thursday afternoon.
"He just proved that he is the best in the world," said his longtime hurdles coach Vickie Croley. "As good an athlete, he is an even better person. What a moment for all Canadians to celebrate."
Leyshon put the 9,000-point barrier in perspective.
"Like you think of in hockey, somebody scoring 50 goals in a season, this is sort of like scoring 200 points in a season. This is Wayne Gretzky-level stuff. Only the creme-de-la-creme, the very best in the world. the only people who've ever scored more than Damian did, broke the world record to do so."
The track and field community considers the Olympic decathlon winner the "world's greatest athlete," and few would have argued this week. Tokyo will go down as the hottest Olympics on record. When Warner walked onto the track on Day 1, at 9 a.m., the temperature at Olympic Stadium was already 33 C, with a humidex of 47 C.
"These last two days were crazy to manage. When we're out there in pole vault, every single time I picked up the pole it was burning. I (kneel down) to move my marker and I burned my knee. Like, what are we doing? You go into the shade and the shade's hot," he said with a laugh. "What are you supposed to do when the shade is hot?"
As the events played out, it became clear that Warner was on pace for gold. But while fans of track and field stats were frantically doing calculations, the Canadian had other things on his mind.
"People were writing, 'If Damian runs this, or scores this, he could score that,' but those aren't necessarily the conversations that (the decathletes) are having. Sometimes we're just walking through saying, 'I can't wait to get back to the athletes village and have some cake or ice cream.' Or like 'After this decathlon like I'm not going to eat any kind of healthy food. It's just going to be like ice cream and cakes and pastries,"' he said, prompting laughter from reporters.
"That's kind of the motivation."
He joked that he'd love to do away with the 1,500, a difficult event for the powerful decathletes and the only event he finds absolutely no joy in. There's been suggestions of increasing the women's seven-event heptathlon to 10 events.
Warner said he'd love to cut the decathlon down.
"I want to do anything except the 1,500 ever again. That'd be nice. Let's make a campaign for that. Nine events."
LePage, meanwhile, was competing with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.
"It's not an excuse or anything, but yeah, just been dealing with that and kind of doing modified training around that. It's been a little tough to deal with injuries, but everybody decathlete gets injured, you've just got to push through and I'm happy I pushed through and still ended up with a (personal best score)."
Canadian Dave Steen won bronze at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, then Warner captured bronze in 2016 in Rio.
Just 14 hours after racing to gold in the men's 200 final, Andre De Grasse, meanwhile, ran a sizzling anchor leg to put Canada's 4x100 relay into Friday's final.
Jamaica had the fastest time on the morning with 37.82, while China ran 37.92 for second place over Canada in a decision that was determined by thousandths of a second in a photo finish.
Aaron Brown, sixth in Wednesday's 200 metres, ran the lead-off leg, followed by Jerome Blake and Brendon Rodney. Racing for the seventh time of these Games, De Grasse took the baton from Rodney in about fifth place, before churning down the home stretch to cross the line alongside China.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2021.
Athletes take part in the opening ceremony of the one-year-delayed Tokyo Olympics. NBA players and fans pay tribute to NBA great Kobe Bryant.
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Break historical records
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China Aims for a Permanent Moon Base in the 2030s
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On 3 January 2019, the Chinese spacecraft Chang'e-4 descended toward the moon. Countless craters came into view as the lander approached the surface, the fractal nature of the footage providing no sense of altitude. Su Yan, responsible for data reception for the landing at Miyun ground station, in Beijing, was waiting—nervously and in silence with her team—for vital signals indicating that optical, laser, and microwave sensors had combined effectively with rocket engines for a soft landing. "When the [spectral signals were] clearly visible, everyone cheered enthusiastically. Years of hard work had paid off in the most sweet way," Su recalls. Chang'e-4 had, with the help of a relay satellite out beyond the moon, made an unprecedented landing on the always-hidden lunar far side. China's space program, long trailing in the footsteps of the U.S. and Soviet (now Russian) programs, had registered an international first. The landing also prefigured grander Chinese lunar ambitions. In 2020 Chang'e-5, a complex sample-return mission, returned to Earth with young lunar rocks, completing China's three-step "orbit, land, and return" lunar program conceived in the early 2000s. These successes, together with renewed international scientific and commercial interest in the moon, have emboldened China to embark on a new lunar project that builds on the Chang'e program's newly acquired capabilities. The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is a complex, multiphase megaproject that the China National Space Administration (CNSA) unveiled jointly with Russia in June in St. Petersburg. Starting with robotic landing and orbiting missions in the 2020s, its designers envision a permanently inhabited lunar base by the mid-2030s. Objectives include science, exploration, technology verification, resource and commercial exploitation, astronomical observation, and more. ILRS will begin with a robotic reconnaissance phase running up to 2030, using orbiting and surface spacecraft to survey potential landing areas and resources, conduct technology-verification tests, and assess the prospects for an eventual permanent crewed base on the moon. The phase will consist of Chinese missions Chang'e-4, Chang'e-6 sample return, and the more ambitious Chang'e-7, as well as Russian Luna spacecraft, plus potential missions from international partners interested in joining the endeavor. Chang'e-7 will target a lunar south pole landing and consist of an orbiter, relay satellite, lander, and rover. It will also include a small spacecraft capable of "hopping" to explore shadowed craters for evidence of potential water ice, a resource that, if present, could be used in the future for both propulsion and supplies for astronauts. CNSA will help select the site for a two-stage construction phase that will involve in situ resource utilization (ISRU) tests with Chang'e-8, massive cargo delivery with precision landings, and the start of joint operations between partners. ISRU, in this case using the lunar regolith (the fine dust, soil, and rock that makes up most of the moon's surface) for construction and extraction of resources such as oxygen and water, would represent a big breakthrough. Being able to use resources already on the moon means fewer things need to be delivered, at great expense, from Earth. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) recently unveiled its plans for a lunar base in the 2030s, the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The first phase involves prototyping, exploration, and reconnaissance of possible ILRS locations.James Provost The utilization phase will begin in the early 2030s. It tentatively consists of missions numbered ILRS-1 through 5 and relies on heavy-lift launch vehicles to establish command, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure; experiment, scientific, and IRSU facilities; and Earth- and astronomical-observation capabilities. CNSA artist renderings indicate spacecraft will use the lunar regolith to make structures that would provide shielding from radiation while also exploring lava tubes as potential alternative areas for habitats. The completed ILRS would then host and support crewed missions to the moon in around 2036. This phase, CNSA says, will feature lunar research and exploration, technology verification, and expanding and maintaining modules as needed. These initial plans are vague, but senior figures in China's space industry have noted huge, if challenging, possibilities that could greatly contribute to development on Earth. Ouyang Ziyuan, a cosmochemist and early driving force for Chinese lunar exploration, notes in a July talk the potential extraction of helium-3, delivered to the lunar surface by unfiltered solar wind, for nuclear fusion (which would require major breakthroughs on Earth and in space). Another possibility is 3D printing of solar panels at the moon's equator, which would capture solar energy to be transmitted to Earth by lasers or microwaves. China is already conducting early research toward this end. As with NASA's Artemis plan, Ouyang notes that the moon is a stepping-stone to other destinations in the solar system, both through learning and as a launchpad. The more distant proposals currently appear beyond reach, but in its space endeavors China has demonstrated a willingness to develop capabilities and apply these for new possibilities. Sample-return tech from Chang'e-5 will next be used to collect material from a near-Earth asteroid around 2024. Near the end of the decade, this tech will contribute to the Tianwen-1 Mars mission's capabilities for an unprecedented Mars sample-return attempt. How the ILRS develops will then depend on success and science and resource findings of the early missions. China is already well placed to implement the early phases of the ILRS blueprint. The Long March 5, a heavy-lift rocket, had its first flight in 2016 and has since enabled the country to begin constructing a space station and to launch spacecraft such as a first independent interplanetary mission and Chang'e-5. To develop the rocket, China had to make breakthroughs in using cryogenic propellant and machining a new, wider-diameter rocket body. This won't be enough for larger missions, however. Huang Jun, a professor at Beihang University, in Beijing, says a super heavy-lift rocket, the high-thrust Long March 9, is a necessity for the future of Chinese aerospace. "Research and breakthroughs in key technologies are progressing smoothly, and the project may at any time enter the engineering-development stage." CNSA's plans for its international moon base involve a set of missions, dubbed ILRS-1 through ILRS-5, now projected between 2031 and 2035. IRLS-1, as planned, will in 2031 establish a command center and basic infrastructure. Subsequent missions over the ensuing four years would set up research facilities, sample collection systems, and Earth and spaceobservation capabilities.James Provost The roughly 100-meter-long, Saturn V–like Long March 9 will be capable of launching around 50 tonnes of payload to translunar injection. The project requires precision manufacturing of thin yet strong, 10-meter-diameter rocket stages and huge new engines. In Beijing, propulsion institutes under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., recently produced an engineering prototype of a 220-tonne thrust staged-combustion liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine. In a ravine near Xi'an, in north China, firing tests of a dual-chamber 500-tonne-thrust kerosene/liquid oxygen engine for the first stage have been carried out. Long March 9 is expected to have its first flight around 2030, which would come just in time to launch the robotic ILRS construction missions. A human-rated rocket is also under development, building on technologies from the Long March 5. It will feature similar but uprated versions of the YF-100 kerosene/liquid oxygen engine and use three rocket cores, in a similar fashion to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. Its task will be sending a deep-space-capable crew spacecraft into lunar orbit, where it could dock with a lunar-landing stack launched by a Long March 9. The spacecraft itself is a new-generation advance on the Shenzhou, which currently ferries astronauts to and from low Earth orbit. A test launch in May 2020 verified that the new vessel can handle the greater heat of a higher-speed atmospheric reentry from higher, more energetic orbits. Work on a crew lander is also assumed to be underway. The Chang'e-5 mission was also seen as a scaled test run for human landings, as it followed a profile similar to NASA's Apollo missions. After lifting off from the moon, the ascent vehicle reunited and docked with a service module, much in the way that an Apollo ascent vehicle rejoined a command module in lunar orbit before the journey home. China and Russia are inviting all interested countries and partners to cooperate in the project. The initiative will be separate from the United States' Artemis moon program, however. The United States has long opposed cooperating with China in space, and recent geopolitical developments involving both Beijing and Moscow have made things worse still. As a result, China and Russia, its International Space Station partner, have looked to each other as off-world partners. "Ideally, we would have an international coalition of countries working on a lunar base, such as the Moon Village concept proposed by former ESA director-general Jan Wörner. But so far geopolitics have gotten in the way of doing that," says Brian Weeden, director of program planning for the Secure World Foundation. The final details and partners may change, but China, for its part, seems set on continuing the accumulation of expertise and technologies necessary to get to the moon and back, and stay there in the long term. This article appears in the October 2021 print issue as "China's Lunar Station Megaproject." Andrew Jones is a freelance journalist based near Helsinki. He writes about the space industry and technology with a particular focus on China's activities. The dawn of a new space race? Or just something to keep us occupied? To fight on tomorrow's more complicated battlefields, militaries must adapt commercial technologies In August 2021, engineers from Lockheed and the U.S. Army demonstrated a flying 5G network, with base stations installed on multicopters, at the U.S. Army's Ground Vehicle Systems Center, in Michigan. Driverless military vehicles followed a human-driven truck at up to 50 kilometers per hour. Powerful processors on the multicopters shared the processing and communications chores needed to keep the vehicles in line. It's 2035, and the sun beats down on a vast desert coastline. A fighter jet takes off accompanied by four unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs) on a mission of reconnaissance and air support. A dozen special forces soldiers have moved into a town in hostile territory, to identify targets for an air strike on a weapons cache. Commanders need live visual evidence to correctly identify the targets for the strike and to minimize damage to surrounding buildings. The problem is that enemy jamming has blacked out the team's typical radio-frequency bands around the cache. Conventional, civilian bands are a no-go because they'd give away the team's position. As the fighter jet and its automated wingmen cross into hostile territory, they are already sweeping the ground below with radio-frequency, infrared, and optical sensors to identify potential threats. On a helmet-mounted visor display, the pilot views icons on a map showing the movements of antiaircraft batteries and RF jammers, as well as the special forces and the locations of allied and enemy troops.
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New achievements in aerospace
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Burning of Cork
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The burning of Cork (Irish: Dó Chorcaí)[1][2] by British forces took place on the night of 11–12 December 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. It followed an Irish Republican Army (IRA) ambush of a British Auxiliary patrol in the city, which wounded twelve Auxiliaries, one fatally. In retaliation, the Auxiliaries, Black and Tans and British soldiers burned homes near the ambush site, before looting and burning numerous buildings in the centre of Cork, Ireland's third-biggest city. Many civilians reported being beaten, shot at, and robbed by British forces. Firefighters testified that British forces hindered their attempts to tackle the blazes by intimidation, cutting their hoses and shooting at them. Two unarmed IRA volunteers were also shot dead at their home in the north of the city. More than 40 business premises, 300 residential properties, the City Hall and Carnegie Library were destroyed by fires, many of which were started by incendiary bombs. The economic damage was estimated at over £3 million (equivalent to €155 million in 2019), while 2,000 were left jobless and many more became homeless. British forces carried out many similar reprisals on Irish civilians during the war, notably the Sack of Balbriggan three months before, but the burning of Cork was one of the most substantial. The British government at first denied that its forces had started the fires, and only agreed to hold a military inquiry. This concluded that a company of Auxiliaries were responsible, but the government refused to publish the report at the time. The Irish War of Independence began in 1919, following the declaration of an Irish Republic and founding of its parliament, Dáil Éireann. The Irish Republican Army (IRA), waged guerrilla warfare against British forces: the British Army and the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). In response, the RIC began recruiting reinforcements from Britain, mostly unemployed former soldiers who fought in the First World War. Some were recruited into the RIC as regular police constables who became known as 'Black and Tans'. Other former army officers were recruited into the new Auxiliary Division, a counter-insurgency unit of the RIC. The Auxiliaries and the 'Black and Tans' became infamous for carrying out numerous reprisals for IRA attacks, which included extrajudicial killings and burning property. [3] In March 1920, the republican Lord Mayor of Cork, Tomás Mac Curtain, was shot dead at his home by police with blackened faces. [4] In reprisal for an IRA attack in Balbriggan on 20 September 1920, 'Black and Tans' burnt more than fifty homes and businesses in the village and killed two local republicans in their custody. This drew international attention and became known as the Sack of Balbriggan. Two days later, following the Rineen ambush in which six RIC officers were killed, police burnt many homes in the surrounding villages and killed five civilians. [5] Several other villages suffered similar reprisals over the following months. [6][7] IRA intelligence officer Florence O'Donoghue said the subsequent burning and looting of Cork was "not an isolated incident, but rather the large-scale application of a policy initiated and approved, implicitly or explicitly, by the British government". [8]
County Cork was an epicentre of the war. On 23 November 1920, a non-uniformed 'Black and Tan' threw a grenade into a group of IRA volunteers who had just left a brigade meeting on St Patrick's Street, Cork's main street. Three IRA volunteers of the 1st Cork Brigade were killed: Paddy Trahey, Patrick Donohue and Seamus Mehigan. [9][10] The New York Times reported that sixteen people were injured. [11]
On 28 November 1920, the IRA's 3rd Cork Brigade ambushed an Auxiliary patrol at Kilmichael, killing 17 Auxiliaries; the biggest loss of life for the British in the war. On 10 December, the British authorities declared martial law in counties Cork (including the city), Kerry, Limerick, and Tipperary. It imposed a military curfew on Cork city, which began at 10 pm each night. IRA volunteer Seán Healy recalled that "at least 1,000 troops would pour out of Victoria Barracks at this hour and take over complete control of the city". [12]
IRA intelligence established that an Auxiliary patrol usually left Victoria Barracks (in the north of the city) each night at 8 pm and made its way to the city centre via Dillon's Cross. On 11 December, IRA commander Seán O'Donoghue received intelligence that two lorries of Auxiliaries would be leaving the barracks that night and travelling with them would be British Army Intelligence Corps Captain James Kelly. [12]
That evening, a unit of six IRA volunteers commanded by O'Donoghue took up position between the barracks and Dillon's Cross. [13] Their goal was to destroy the patrol and capture or kill Captain Kelly. Five of the volunteers hid behind a stone wall while one, Michael Kenny, stood across the road dressed as an off-duty British officer. When the lorries neared he was to beckon the driver of the first lorry to slow down or stop. [13] The ambush position was a "couple of hundred yards" from the barracks. [14][15]
At 8 pm, two lorries each carrying 13 Auxiliaries emerged from the barracks. The first lorry slowed when the driver spotted Kenny and, as it did so, the IRA unit attacked with grenades and revolvers. [13] The official British report said that 12 Auxiliaries were wounded and that one, Spencer Chapman—a former Officer in the 4th Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)—died from his wounds shortly after. [12][16] As the IRA unit made its escape, some of the Auxiliaries fired on them while others dragged the wounded to the nearest cover: O'Sullivan's pub. [12]
The Auxiliaries broke into the pub with weapons drawn. [13] They ordered everyone to put their hands over their heads to be searched. Backup and an ambulance were sent from the nearby barracks. One witness described young men being rounded up and forced to lie on the ground. The Auxiliaries dragged one of them to the middle of the crossroads, stripped him naked and forced him to sing "God Save the King" until he collapsed on the road. [12]
Angered by an attack so near their headquarters and seeking retribution for the deaths of their colleagues at Kilmichael, the Auxiliaries gathered to wreak their revenge. [17] Charles Schulze, an Auxiliary and a former British Army Captain in the Dorsetshire Regiment during the First World War, organized a group of Auxiliaries to burn the centre of Cork. [18]
At 9:30 pm, lorries of Auxiliaries and British soldiers left the barracks and alighted at Dillon's Cross, where they broke into houses and herded the occupants on to the street.
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Fire
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2019 Venezuelan protests
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Government
Colectivos
(Pro-Maduro paramilitaries)
Colombian Guerrillas
Opposition
The 2019 Venezuelan protests are a collection of protests that have been organized, since 11 January, as a coordinated effort to remove Nicolás Maduro from the presidency. Demonstrations began following Maduro's controversial second inauguration, developing into a presidential crisis between Maduro and National Assembly president Juan Guaidó. The protests also include counter-demonstrations organized by those who support Maduro. The protest partially resumed early in 2020, but were suspended due to the arrival of COVID-19 pandemic to Venezuela. The Wall Street Journal reported in a March 2019 article entitled "Maduro loses grip on Venezuela's poor, a vital source of his power" that slums are turning against Maduro and that "many blame government brutality for the shift". [5] Foro Penal said that 50 people—mostly in slums—had been killed by security forces in only the first two months of the year, and 653 had been arrested for protesting or speaking against the government. [5]
There have also been rival demonstrations in support of the Bolivarian Revolution, Maduro's government and against foreign intervention. Retired general Hugo Carvajal—the head of Venezuela's military intelligence for ten years during Hugo Chávez's presidency, who served as a National Assembly deputy for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and was considered a pro-Maduro legislator,[8] "one of the government's most prominent figures"—said that Maduro orders the so-called "spontaneous protests" in his favor abroad, and his partners finance them. [9]
Many Venezuelans did not support the inauguration of Maduro, and held protests across the nation and in the capital city, Caracas. [10] Several cacerolazos were reported across Caracas, including near to where Maduro was being sworn-in. Maduro supporters demonstrated separately. [11][12] Before the inauguration, the opposition had called on the people to protest during the inauguration, with one protest co-hosted by students led by Rafaela Requesens and Guaidó's Popular Will party, blocking off a road near UCV. [13]
Treated as a form of peaceful protest, several open cabildos were held in January 2019. The first of these was on 11 January, held by Guaidó. [14] In the streets of Caracas people gathered to support him. [15]
In anticipation of the protests on 23 January, other violent protests occurred. On 21 January there was a small-scale attempted military mutiny seen as a failed coup. [16] There were 27 soldiers who kidnapped security and stole weapons, trying to march on Miraflores, who fought with and were apprehended by authorities in the early hours. People in the local area continued the fight, protesting and burning things in the street even as tear gas was deployed. [17][18] Colectivos killed a non-protesting woman in her own doorway,[19] and five others were injured. [20]
According to Venezuelan journalist Francisco Toro for The Washington Post, protests broke out in working-class Caracas neighbourhoods on January 22, which until then had supported Maduro. [21] These resulted in the death of a 16-year-old boy by gunshot. [20][22] Other protests happened in the large Bolívar state, where three people were killed[23] and a statue of Hugo Chávez set alight and broken in half before the head and torso were hung like a trophy from a public bridge. [24][25]
Announced at the 11 January open cabildo, a series of protest marches drawing crowds which were reported by The Economist, The Wall Street Journal editorial board, and Yeshiva World News from hundreds of thousands to millions of Venezuelans,[26][27][28] 23 January protests – on the anniversary of the 1958 Venezuelan coup d'état that overthrew dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez – were the flagship event hoping to force Maduro to step down. United States Vice President Mike Pence sent a video of support to the nation on this day. [25][29] Similarly, Juan Guaidó and his wife Fabiana Rosales sent separate videos to the military of Venezuela, asking for them to "not shoot at us". [29][30]
Before the protest began, the Venezuelan National Guard used tear gas on gathering crowds at other locations. [25] Another area of the capital was blocked off at Plaza Venezuela, a large main square, with armored vehicles and riot police on hand before protesters arrived. [31] Photographic reports showed that some protests grew violent, resulting in injuries to both protesters and security. [32] By the end of the day, at least 13 people were killed. [33]
Cofavic interviewed witnesses who said that special forces killed five youths who had attended protests supporting the opposition. [5]
During the evening hours, President of the Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello called on Maduro supporters to hold a vigil surrounding Miraflores Palace, though no one attended the event. [34]
The Redes Foundation denounced in the Colombian Public Ministry that armed groups made up of National Liberation Army members and FARC dissidents, supported by the Bolivarian National Police and FAES officials, killed two Venezuelans, Eduardo José Marrero and Luigi Ángel Guerrero, during a protest in the frontier city of San Cristóbal, on Táchira state. Other protesters were injured during the shooting. [2]
A few days later, Michelle Bachelet of the United Nations expressed concern that the violence during the protests could spiral out of control, and requested a UN investigation into the security forces' use of violence. [35]
On 2 February opposition demonstrations filled the Las Mercedes Avenue [es] in Caracas. [36][37] The theme of the protests was to demand the entry of humanitarian aid into Venezuela,[38] with hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans participating to show support for Guaidó. [39] According to La Patilla, which provided satellite images, Maduro supporters participated in smaller counter-demonstrations on the same day at the same time. [38]
At least 285 were injured and 14 were killed in the clashes on 23 February 2019. [4]
Guaidó "took to the streets" to question Maduro's governance during the first two days of a nationwide blackout. According to The New York Times, "Maduro did not address the nation and his public silence has fed the tension gripping Caracas". [40]
Protests against Maduro in Caracas and other cities were called for 9 March, and went on despite the closure of the Caracas Metro and the lack of social media. The rally headed by Guaidó, took place near the presidential palace in Miraflores; The Washington Post labeled the manifestation as "unusual" as it was held in a sector usually associated with Maduro supporters. Heavy police presence blocked the streets with anti-riot shields. [41]
Guaidó announced on 16 March that he would embark on a tour of the country to organize committees for what he called "Operation Freedom" (Spanish: Operación Libertad) with the goal to claim the presidential residence, Miraflores Palace. [42] From the first rally in Carabobo state, he said, "We will be in each state of Venezuela and for each state we have visited the responsibility will be yours, the leaders, the united, [to] organize ourselves in freedom commands. "[42]
During the second wave of nationwide blackouts, Guaidó summoned new protests that would precede a decisive massive rally through Caracas. According to Guaidó, the goal of the protests is to increase political pressure, but rehearsals are needed as the operation cannot be organized "from one day to the next”. [43] Thousands of Venezuelans participated in a rally on 30 March, against the recurring blackouts. [44] Guaidó toured around Miranda state and Caracas giving several speeches.
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Plastic dumped in Melbourne's Yarra River to be turned into outdoor furniture
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Hours of gruelling work go into pulling plastic out of the Yarra River, but plans are afoot to return some of that rubbish to the water's edge in a way that is sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Recovered bottles, soy sauce containers, wrappers and microplastics will be melted down to create seats to be placed along the river bank.
It is a small step towards fixing the Yarra's health, which was rated poor in 18 of 25 environmental indicators by Victoria's Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability.
More than 180 tonnes of rubbish were pulled from the river over a four-year period, with a further four tonnes taken out during an eight-day blitz this month.
Peter Barker, chief executive of plastics manufacturer Newtecpoly, said a bench could be made from between 20 and 100 kilograms of recycled plastic.
He said the company was finalising discussions with Melbourne Water and environmental cleaning company Cleanwater Group and hoped to set up the first pieces of outdoor furniture by the end of the year.
"What looks like a large quantity of plastic can make a small piece of furniture," he said. "There's no plastic wasted. It's just condensed down."
While the recycled items might not be the most elegant, Mr Barker said it was possible to mould the plastic to create artwork, bollards, planks and anti-terror barriers.
Riverkeeper Andrew Kelly said it was impossible to know how much rubbish was in the Yarra but believed the problem was getting worse.
"Anything you drop on the street ends up in the river; it gets washed into the stormwater drains, into the creeks and then into the river."
He said litter was "a government problem" that was too big for community groups to fix.
"Every state has a container deposit scheme except Victoria and Tasmania. It's time we did it."
Melbourne Water said more than 90 per cent of litter found on the beaches of Port Phillip originated on suburban streets and had been carried through storm water.
"Melbourne Water has a team of people monitoring and removing litter from our waterways — up to 47,000 wheelie bins of rubbish are collected every year," waterways manager Andrew Mellor said.
Fixing the problem, however, is more complicated than asking people to put rubbish in the bin; commercial waste, tiny plastic beads and pieces of polystyrene pose a major threat to fish.
Phil Ryan, a Cleanwater Group technician who travels the country clearing beaches and rivers, said polystyrene was "inches thick" in parts of the Yarra.
"It's definitely not too late [to fix the problem], and let's face it, if we don't do anything now, future generations won't be able to enjoy nature."
His company uses a giant hose, dubbed Snuffleupagus, to suck up bags of filth from the edges of rivers and creeks. At Docklands on Monday, Mr Ryan found dozens of used syringes, something he was wary of after being spiked previously.
"It's a disgusting reality. It does go through your mind and you're constantly looking for needles," he said.
)
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Environment Pollution
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2015 East Village gas explosion
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Coordinates: 40°43′42″N 73°59′18″W / 40.728376°N 73.988245°W / 40.728376; -73.988245
A gas explosion occurred in the afternoon of March 26, 2015, in a building located at 121 Second Avenue, in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The explosion was caused by an illegal tap into a gas main. The explosion caused two deaths, injured at least nineteen people, four critically, and the resulting fire completely destroyed three adjacent buildings at 119, 121, and 123 Second Avenue between East 7th Street and St. Marks Place. In August 2014, a meter reader for Consolidated Edison, the utility company that delivers natural gas, electricity, and steam in New York City and in the metropolitan area, discovered that someone had illegally tapped into the 1+1⁄2-inch (3.8 cm) gas line which serviced the "Sushi Park" Japanese restaurant at 121 Second Avenue, the only part of the building authorized to receive gas service from Con Edison. The illegal taps were serving some of the apartments in the building. Con Ed turned off the gas to the building for 10 days until the taps were removed and the plumber who did the work certified to the city's Building Department that it had been completed. Neither the Building Department nor Con Edison were required by law to verify that the work had been done. [1]
In the days before the explosion, work was ongoing in the building for the installation of a new 4-inch (10 cm) gas line to service the apartments in 121 Second Avenue. Con Edison workers inspected the installation just an hour before the explosion, but did not pass it, for reasons not related to safety. The new line was locked off and not operational. The row of buildings along Second Avenue between East 7th and 8th Streets had landmark status due to being part of the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District, created by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2012. [2]:239–242 The date for the original construction of the Queen Anne style building at #121 is not known, but it was altered around 1886; the Greek Revival one at #123 was built around 1834 and altered to the Neo-Grec style in 1913 by George F. Pelham; and the building at #125, which was designed by Pelham in the Renaissance Revival style, was built in 1901. All three buildings were 5-story tenements, with #121 and 123 being old-law buildings, and #125 being a new law tenement. [2][3]
On the day of the explosion, Con Edison investigators had inspected a new gas pipe installation at 121 2nd Avenue, which remained turned off, and left about 2:45 PM. Shortly afterwards, the owner of the restaurant smelled gas and called the landlord of the building, but they neither reported it to Con Edison nor called 9-1-1. When the contractor in charge of the work being done and the landlord's son opened the basement door, an explosion occurred, with the front of the restaurant being blown out across the street. The first emergency calls started about 3:17 PM. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "The initial impact appears to have been caused by plumbing and gas work that was occurring inside 121 Second Avenue. "[4][5] Eleven other buildings were evacuated as a result of the explosion, and Con Edison turned off the gas to the area. Several days later, some residents were allowed to return to some of the vacated buildings. City officials, including de Blasio, said they suspect that leaking natural gas was the cause of the explosion. The explosion sparked a seven alarm fire with 250 firefighters involved; four firefighters were treated for injuries. [6]
According to law enforcement sources, the working theory is that one or more gas lines were surreptitiously tapped over several months using a device that was attached to the gas line with hoses siphoning gas to other lines. The siphoning apparatus was dismantled or hidden on Thursday before Consolidated Edison conducted an inspection. As soon as the utility inspectors left, an attempt to resume the diversion of gas went awry, setting off the explosion. [7]
The three adjacent buildings at 119, 121, and 123 Second Avenue, on the North-West corner of East Seventh Street and Second Avenue were all completely reduced to rubble by the early morning of March 27, 2015. An adjacent building, 125 2nd Avenue, was severely damaged but is still standing. Residents of 144 apartments in eleven buildings were evacuated. Multiple residents and families in the impacted area lost their homes. Four restaurants were completely destroyed, all located on the first floors in the collapsed buildings: East Noodle ramen shop at 119 Second Avenue; Sushi Park, a Japanese restaurant at 121 Second Avenue; and two restaurants at 123 Second Avenue: Pommes Frites—a Belgian fries shop—and Sam's Deli. An adjacent storefront in 125 Second Avenue was badly damaged. [3] A month later, many businesses in the neighborhood were still recovering economically from the explosion, including six businesses, such as Burp Castle, which remained closed more than a week after the explosion and six that were destroyed in the explosion. [8] The Good Old Lower East Side, a nonprofit social organization in the neighborhood, organized fundraising and donation drives to help people affected by the explosion. [9]
Two men were killed in the explosion. The men, who had been in Sushi Park – a storefront restaurant in 121 Second Avenue – were identified as Moises Ismael Locón Yac, a 27-year-old employee of the restaurant; and Nicholas Figueroa, a 23-year-old customer on a date at the restaurant. [4][10][11] They were initially reported missing and their bodies were found dead three days later on March 29 in the debris of the explosion and fire in the 121 Second Avenue building. As of April 8, 2015[update], there has been no official statement from city officials as to the cause of the explosion. The FDNY's Fire Marshals, the NYPD's Arson and Explosive Unit, the New York City Department of Investigation, and the Manhattan District Attorney's office all conducted investigations into the incident. [12] Detectives were proposing to charge the parties responsible for the explosion with criminally negligent homicide. [13] In 2016, four people were indicted for manslaughter: Maria Hrynenko, the building's owner and her son Michael (now deceased), Athanasios Ioannidis, an unlicensed plumber, Dilber Kukic, a general contractor, and one for record tampering, Andrew Trombettas, a licensed plumber. Officials focused on plumbing and gas line work that was done in the 121 2nd Avenue building, and they were looking into whether a gas line in the building, meant only for the restaurant on the first floor, was tapped into inappropriately. There were no permits issued for work to be done at 121 2nd Avenue after November 2014, according to the New York City Department of Buildings. [5][6][14]
Two roommates who subletted an apartment at 129 2nd Avenue—three buildings away from one of the collapsed structures—reportedly planned to sue the city for $20 million each. [15]
On February 11, 2016, Cyrus Vance, Jr., the District Attorney for New York County (Manhattan) announced the indictment and arrest of five people in connection with the explosion, including building owner Maria Hrynenko and her son; a plumber who used his city license to allow others to do work for him; the unlicensed plumber who did the work; and a contractor, Dilber Kukica. The charges included manslaughter and negligent homicide. According to media reports, the indictments claim that the explosion was the result of an illegal scheme to tap a legal gas line serving the ground-floor restaurant to provide gas service to the renovated apartments on the floors above. Although lawyers for the indicted people were not immediately available for comment after the announcement of the indictments and arrests, earlier, a lawyer for the building owner had blamed Con Edison for the blast, saying that "They should have shut off the main valve. "[16]
On November 14, 2019, Maria Hrynenko, 59, Athanasios "Jerry" Ioannidis, 63, and Dilber Kukic, 44, were found guilty in State Supreme court in Manhattan of manslaughter and other charges. Michael Hrynenko Jr. had also been charged, but died while awaiting trial. Andrew Trombettas, a plumber who sold his credentials to Ioannidis, pled guilty to lesser charges in January 2019.
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Gas explosion
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EgyptAir Flight 843 crash
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EgyptAir Flight 843 was a flight from Cairo International Airport to Tunis–Carthage International Airport. On 7 May 2002, the Boeing 737-566 on the route crashed into a hill near Tunis–Carthage International Airport. [1][2] Of the 6 crew members and 56 passengers, 3 crew members and 11 passengers died, making a total of 14 fatalities. [3]
Flight 843 took off from Cairo International Airport on the afternoon of 7 May 2002 to Tunis Carthage International Airport in Tunis, Tunisia. The passengers consisted of 27 Egyptians, 16 Tunisians, 3 Algerians, 3 Jordanians, and 2 Britons. The aircraft was a Boeing 737-566. The flight crew members were captain Ashraf Abdel-Aal (Arabic: أشرف عبدالعال) and first officer Khalid Odeh (Arabic: خالد عودة). The plane was flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) due to fog, rain and blowing sand on approach to runway 11 of Tunis-Carthage Airport. [2][4] The aircraft crashed into a hill in the Nahli area in the north of Tunis. [4] The aircraft came to rest at an elevation of 750 ft above sea level and 4 miles (6.4 km) from the airport. [2][4] Of the 6 crew and 56 passengers on board, 3 crew members (both flight crew members and one flight attendant) and 11 passengers were killed in the crash. [2][5] The investigation found the Minimum safe altitude warning device at Tunis-Carthage did not cover the approach for Runway 11, and recommended studying ways to improve the volume of sky covered by the device in order to cover approaches to all the runways. The cause of the crash was a controlled flight into terrain. [2]
According to the management of Carthage Airport, the pilots decided to carry out the normal landing at the airport. The accident occurred during the landing process. There are two theories regarding the accident:
The plane broke into two halves and the back of the plane caught fire. As a result, most of the victims were sitting in the back of the plane. Rescue teams headed to the crash area to rescue the injured passengers and retrieve the bodies of those killed. Rescue workers reported having difficulty reaching the site of the crash in the rough terrain. [6]
One of the survivors said that "the plane had left Egypt normally, but when we entered the Tunisian airspace we found an unusual climatic situation that I had not seen since the year. And we stayed for about half an hour between the fog and could not see the surface of the earth at all," adding that "while the pilot was preparing to land at the airport in Tunisia, the plane suddenly crashed into the mountain, and that maybe something wrong from the pilot and something from the plane. "[7]
After the accident, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board sent a team of investigators to assist authorities in Tunisia with their investigation. The team included representatives from Boeing and General Electric Engines. [8]
Misr Insurance Company began paying compensation to EgyptAir for the disaster-ridden plane in Tunisia as well as compensation for victims and injured in accordance with the international agreement. The value of the plane's compensation amounted to 22 million dollars, or 110 million pounds. [citation needed]
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Air crash
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1983 Coalinga earthquake
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The 1983 Coalinga earthquake struck at 4:42 p.m. Monday, May 2 of that year, in Coalinga, California,[5]
The shock was felt from the greater Los Angeles Area north to Susanville in Lassen County, and between the Pacific Coast and western Nevada. More than 5,000 aftershocks were recorded through July 31, of which 894 had a magnitude of 2.5 or larger. It measured 6.2 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (severe). [6]
The Coalinga quake was caused by an 0.5-meter uplift of an anticline ridge northeast of Coalinga, but surface faulting was not observed. Ground and aerial reconnaissance immediately after the quake revealed ground cracks and fissures within about 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) of the epicenter, none of which appeared to represent movement on deeply rooted fault structures. About five weeks later, on June 11, an aftershock caused surface faulting about 12 km (7.5 mi) northwest of Coalinga. [6]
The earthquake caused an estimated $10 million in property damage (according to the American Red Cross) and injured 94 people. Damage was most severe in Coalinga, where the eight-block downtown commercial district was almost destroyed. Here, buildings having unreinforced brick walls sustained the heaviest damage. Newer buildings, such as the Bank of America and the Guarantee Savings and Loan, sustained only superficial damage. The most significant damage outside the Coalinga area was at Avenal, 31 kilometers (19 mi) southeast of the epicenter. [6]
A disaster assessment by the American Red Cross listed the following statistics on damage in the area: almost destroyed – 309 single-family houses and 33 apartment buildings; major damage – 558 single-family houses, 94 mobile homes, and 39 apartment buildings; and minor damage – 811 single-family houses, 22 mobile homes, and 70 apartment buildings. Most public buildings, including the City Hall, hospital, schools, fire house, post office, and police station, sustained only minor damage. [6]
Six bridges of 60 in the area sustained measurable structural damage, which consisted of hairline cracks and spalling at the top of the support columns, fracturing and displacement of wing walls and parapets, and settlement of fill. [6]
All public utilities were damaged, but the water system continued to function despite many leaks in its transmission piping. Gas was shut off for several days because of broken piping and leaks, but only temporary interruptions of electric and telephone services were reported. One large section of old concrete sewerage west of the downtown area partly collapsed but continued to function. [6]
In the oil fields near Coalinga, surface facilities such as pumping units, storage tanks, pipelines, and support buildings were all damaged to some degree. One oil company administration building, about 7 km (4.3 mi) north of Coalinga, sustained major structural damage, and its two brick chimneys were toppled. Subsurface damage, including collapsed or parted well casing, was observed on fourteen of 1,725 active wells. [6]
The earthquake triggered thousands of rock falls and rock slides as far as 34 km (21 mi) northwest, 15 km (9.3 mi) south, and 26 km (16 mi) southwest of the epicenter. Only a few slope failures occurred east of the epicenter because of the absence of steep slopes in that direction. [6]
The California Seismic Safety Commission investigated the temblor, provided funding and expert technical assistance for planning and reconstruction and published a report on the quake. [7] Coalinga recovered 98 percent of its expenses in repairing and rebuilding public buildings at a time when an 85 percent recovery was considered a success. [8]
The Coalinga earthquake suggested to geologists that the state of California was in worse seismological danger than had been thought. The pace of earthquake activity along the Pacific coast was identified as a relevant subject for further study, and the investigation of earthquakes stemming from unknown faults caused concern. [9] California officials said that a predicted great quake would do far more damage than this one and that if it struck in a densely populated area the damage would be incalculable. [10]
Sources
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Earthquakes
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Ludlow Massacre
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The Ludlow Massacre was a mass killing perpetrated by anti-striker militia during the Colorado Coalfield War. Soldiers from the Colorado National Guard and private guards employed by Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I) attacked a tent colony of roughly 1,200 striking coal miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado, on April 20, 1914. Approximately 21 people, including miners' wives and children, were killed. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., a part-owner of CF&I who had recently appeared before a United States congressional hearing on the strikes, was widely blamed for having orchestrated the massacre. [6][7]
The massacre was the seminal event of the 1913–1914 Colorado Coalfield War, which began with a general United Mine Workers of America strike against poor labor conditions in CF&I's southern Colorado coal mines. [8] The strike was organized by miners working for the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company and Victor-American Fuel Company. Ludlow was the deadliest single incident during the Colorado Coalfield War and spurred a ten-day period of heightened violence throughout Colorado. In retaliation for the massacre at Ludlow, bands of armed miners attacked dozens of anti-union establishments, destroying property and engaging in several skirmishes with the Colorado National Guard along a 225-mile (362 km) front from Trinidad to Louisville. [6] From the strike's beginning in September 1913 to intervention by federal soldiers under President Woodrow Wilson's orders on April 29, 1914, an estimated 69 to 199 people were killed during the strike. Historian Thomas G. Andrews has called it the "deadliest strike in the history of the United States. "[2]:1
The Ludlow Massacre was a watershed moment in American labor relations. Socialist historian Howard Zinn described it as "the culminating act of perhaps the most violent struggle between corporate power and laboring men in American history". [9] Congress responded to public outrage by directing the House Committee on Mines and Mining to investigate the events. [10] Its report, published in 1915, was influential in promoting child labor laws and an eight-hour work day. The Ludlow townsite and the adjacent location of the tent colony, 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Trinidad, Colorado, is now a ghost town. The massacre site is owned by the United Mine Workers of America, which erected a granite monument in memory of those who died that day. [11] The Ludlow tent colony site was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 16, 2009, and dedicated on June 28, 2009. [11] Subsequent investigations immediately following the massacre and from modern archeological efforts largely support some of the strikers' accounts of the event. [12]
Areas of the Rocky Mountains have veins of coal close to the surface, providing significant and relatively accessible reserves. In 1867 these coal deposits caught the attention of William Jackson Palmer, then leading a survey team planning the route of the Kansas Pacific Railway. The rapid expansion of rail transport in the United States made coal a highly valued commodity, and it was rapidly commercialized. At its peak in 1910, the coal mining industry of Colorado employed 15,864 people, 10% of jobs in the state. [2]:96 Colorado's coal industry was dominated by a handful of operators. Colorado Fuel and Iron was the largest coal operator in the west and one of the nation's most powerful corporations, at one point employing 7,050 people and controlling 71,837 acres (290.71 km2) of coal land. [2]This article incorporates facts obtained from: Lawrence Kestenbaum, The Political Graveyard John D. Rockefeller purchased a controlling stake in the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company in 1902, and nine years later he turned over his controlling interest in the company to his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who managed the company from his offices at 26 Broadway in New York. [13]
Mining was dangerous and difficult work. Colliers in Colorado were constantly threatened by explosions, suffocation, and collapsing mine walls. In 1912 the death rate in Colorado's mines was 7.055 per 1,000 employees, compared to a national rate of 3.15. [2]:18 In 1914 the United States House Committee on Mines and Mining reported:
Colorado has good mining laws and such that ought to afford protection to the miners as to safety in the mine if they were enforced, yet in this State the percentage of fatalities is larger than any other, showing there is undoubtedly something wrong in reference to the management of its coal mines. [14]:19
Miners were generally paid according to tonnage of coal produced, while so-called "dead work", such as shoring up unstable roofs, was often unpaid. [14]:19 The tonnage system drove many poor and ambitious colliers to gamble with their lives by neglecting precautions and taking on risk, with consequences that were often fatal. [2]:138–139Between 1884 and 1912 mining accidents claimed the lives of more than 1,700 in Colorado. [15] In 1913 alone 110 men died in mine-related accidents. [2]:236–237
Colliers had little opportunity to air their grievances. Many resided in company towns, in which all land, real estate, and amenities were owned by the mine operator, and which were expressly designed to inculcate loyalty and squelch dissent. [2]:197 Welfare capitalists believed that anger and unrest among the workers could be placated by raising colliers' standard of living, while subsuming it under company management. Company towns indeed brought tangible improvements to many colliers' lives, including larger houses, better medical care, and broader access to education. [2]:199 But owning the towns gave companies considerable control over all aspects of workers' lives, and they did not always use this power to augment public welfare. Historian Philip S. Foner has described company towns as "feudal domain[s], with the company acting as lord and master. ... The 'law' consisted of the company rules. Curfews were imposed. Company guards—brutal thugs armed with machine guns and rifles loaded with soft-point bullets—would not admit any 'suspicious' stranger into the camp and would not permit any miner to leave." Miners who came into conflict with the company were often summarily evicted from their homes. [16]
Frustrated by working conditions they found unsafe and unjust, colliers increasingly turned to unionism. Nationwide, organized mines boasted 40% fewer fatalities than nonunion mines. [14]:19 Colorado miners repeatedly attempted to unionize after the state's first strike in 1883. The Western Federation of Miners organized primarily hard-rock miners in the gold and silver camps during the 1890s. Beginning in 1900, the United Mine Workers of America began organizing coal miners in the western states, including southern Colorado. The union decided to focus on the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company because of its harsh management tactics under the conservative and distant Rockefellers and other investors.
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Strike
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1951 East Rift Valley earthquakes
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The 1951 East Rift Valley earthquakes (Chinese: 1951年縱谷地震系列; pinyin: 1951 nián Zònggǔ dìzhèn xìliè) were a series of earthquakes which struck eastern Taiwan from 22 October 1951 to 5 December 1951, four of which registered at 7 or more on the Moment magnitude scale, the largest of those being magnitude 7.3 and 7.8 quakes on November 24. Altogether the quakes killed 85 people. The East Rift Valley (Chinese: 花東縱谷; pinyin: Huā-Dōng Zònggǔ) is an area of rugged terrain formed by the interaction of the Philippine Sea and Eurasian tectonic plates in eastern Taiwan. [5] Most of the area is sparsely populated by Taiwanese aborigines, but there are larger populations in the cities of Hualien and Taitung. The deadliest earthquake in the series struck at 05:34 on 22 October 1951, with an epicentre at 23.9°N 121.7°E, a few kilometres southwest of Hualien City, with a magnitude of 7.3, and was felt throughout Taiwan as well as on Penghu and Kinmen (Quemoy). The second quake to cause significant casualties hit at 02:50 on November 25 of the same year, again with a magnitude of 7.3, this time centred under the town of Yuli, Hualien. [6]
The earthquake series is sometimes known by different names, including the 1951 Hualien earthquakes (Chinese: 1951年花蓮大地震系列; pinyin: 1951 nián Huālián dà dìzhèn xìliè) and the 1951 Hualien-Taitung earthquakes (Chinese: 1951年花蓮–台東地震系列; pinyin: 1951 nián Huālián-Táidōng dìzhèn xìliè) – both of these refer to the same series of quakes in eastern Taiwan from October to December 1951. The total figures for casualties and damage from Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau are as follows:[6]
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Earthquakes
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Already battered by drought, Manitoba cattle farmers could face even worse conditions
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Jason Bednarek has never seen drought this bad in Manitoba's Interlake region, and midway into July, the third-generation farmer is already racked with worries about what he'll have to do to make it through winter. "I can't even put it into words how bad it is," said Bednarek, owner of 2B Land and Cattle. "I've never seen it worse." Bednarek doesn't know how he'll be able to keep his 2,000 calves near Ashern fed after a lack of rain and sweltering heat this season has left him with a shortage of hay and other crops for feed. With more prolonged heat warnings on the horizon, he and others are faced with the difficult decision of selling off large quantities of livestock at auction. "The damage is done," he said. "The only solution is to stop the bleeding and slaughter the cows." Bednarek is one of many Manitoba livestock farmers facing a devastating season due to drought. Rain deficits long before summer made for an elevated drought risk that has since become a reality. A couple of Manitoba municipalities have already declared states of agricultural disaster. And things aren't likely to improve much anytime soon. Environment Canada predicts a series of heat warnings will be in effect through much of central and southern Manitoba for the rest of the month, bringing consistent daily temperatures over 30 C, said agency meteorologist Alysa Pederson. The effects of climate change mean in years to come, these prolonged heat waves will become more and more common, she said. The average total precipitation from September to June is about 365 millimetres for Winnipeg and 335 for Brandon, she said. Those places received about half that — 185 and 186 millimetres, respectively — during the latest September to June period, said Pederson. The coming stretch of heat means the conditions could get worse before they get better for livestock producers struggling to find feed. "I sympathize, and my heart goes out to these guys," said Trevor Hadwen, an agroclimate specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada who works on the federal agency's drought reports, which can serve as an early warning sign. "It's something we are watching extremely closely." The latest report came out last week. It's based on precipitation levels from September of last year to June 30 and comes from a combination of hydrological, meteorological, agriculture and socio-economic data. That report suggests large swaths of central and southern Manitoba, as well as the Interlake, are facing "extreme" and "exceptional" droughts not seen in decades. An extreme drought is an event that normally happens only once every 20 to 50 years, said Hadwen, and an exceptional drought is defined as a twice-in-a-century event. Areas around Brandon, as well as communities straddling the Canada-U.S. border in southern Manitoba, are experiencing exceptional drought, the most severe rating in the agency's report. The same is true for much of Interlake. Statistically speaking, that suggests those spots haven't been this dry since around 1970, said Hadwen. Dauphin, Brandon and areas in and around Winnipeg are experiencing extreme drought and some of the driest conditions in the past five years. Anecdotally, Hadwen said, his agency continues to hear reports from farmers about how this year compares to 1988, when a severe drought ravaged much of Western Canada, particularly in the southern Prairies. "I fully understand that," he said. "We are beating those numbers all over the place in terms of rainfall deficits." One multigenerational farming family in the Ashern area is expected to sell its entire herd in the coming weeks, said Kirk Kiesman, a farmer and the general manager of the Ashern Auction Mart. "There's tears," said Kiesman, who has been farming in the Ashern area for about a decade and has about 220 cattle. Another cattle producer in his 80s told Kiesman this drought is worse than the one in 1988, largely because at that time, farmers could drive somewhere nearby to buy feed. "No one ever wants to see their breeding stock be sold for meat," Kiesman said. "Everyone's trying to scrounge up as much feed to keep as many of the mama cows as they can, but, you know, there's a point where you have to decide that no, some of these cows are going to have to go." The Ashern auction normally doesn't start until the final week of August. This year, it started about two months early, and organizers anticipate holding emergency drought auctions every two weeks through summer, said Kiesman. Many in the Interlake region have no idea where 90 per cent of their hay and other feed will come from in the months ahead due to stunted growth from a lack of rain, he said. He continues to hear from numerous farmers who, like him, are facing challenges on the feed front. The coming months look bleak for many. Manitoba offers online and telephone counselling for farmers and other people in rural areas who need someone to talk to. Kiesman says it's important to stick together. "It's important to have someone that if you need to cry, you can cry, and if you need to yell, you can yell," he said. "That's all important things that guys need to remember — that they're not by themselves."
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Droughts
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Air France Flight 212 (1968) crash
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Air France Flight 212 was a Boeing 707-328C, registration F-BLCJ, that crashed into the northwestern slope of La Soufrière Mountain, in Guadeloupe on 6 March 1968, with the loss of all 63 lives on board. The aircraft, named "Chateau de Lavoute Polignac", was operating the Caracas–Pointe-à-Pitre sector of Air France's South America route. When air traffic control had cleared the flight deck crew for a visual approach to Le Raizet Airport's runway 11, the crew had reported the airfield in sight. Flight 212 started to descend from flight level 90 and passed over Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe at an altitude of about 4,400 feet (1,300 m). As the aircraft continued north-westerly, it crashed into the Grande Découverte mountain, 27.5 km south-southwest of Le Raizet Airport and about 5 km from the main peak of La Grande Soufrière, at an altitude of 3,937 feet. The site is uphill from Saint-Claude and the Matouba hot springs. The accident investigators cited the probable cause as a visual approach procedure at night in which the descent was begun from an incorrectly identified point. The aircraft had flown for 33 hours since coming off the Boeing production line, and was on her second revenue service (her maiden passenger flight was the previous day's outbound journey from Paris). [1]
The accident came six years after Air France Flight 117, another Boeing 707, crashed into a mountain further north on the same island while on approach to Point-à-Pitre's Le Raizet airport. Less than two years later, on 4 December 1969, Air France suffered another crash on the same leg of Flight 212 when the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from Caracas.
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Air crash
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Schoharie County summer campers treated for CO poisoning symptoms
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STAMFORD, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Troop G of the New York State Police confirmed to NEWS10 that several participants in a local summer camp program are being treated for symptoms linked to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
At about 8:12 a.m., a caller reported to Delaware County 911 that six people were in and out of consciousness with possible carbon monoxide poisoning Camp Oorah Boys Zone. Authorities dispatched six ambulances, and first responders on the scene requested more resources once they identified that more affected campers and staff were affected. Police say that, all told, 53 campers and staff from the Zone were affected. All were reportedly transported to area hospitals—AO Fox, Cobleskill Regional, Margaretville, Mary Imogene Bassett, and O’Connor—either by ambulance or by the camp vehicles.
So far, no cause for the carbon monoxide exposure has been released.
The individuals in question are all male, ranging in age from 18 to 21. They apparently were in or near a building that was reportedly tested for CO, with the highest reading at 330 parts per million. According to the government agency OSHA, the personal exposure limit for CO is 50 parts per million.
Stanford Fire Department and Schoharie Police responded to the scene along with several other agencies, including code enforcement, New York State Police, and the Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office. According to Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department Chief McKay McMullen indicated Thursday morning that the building must be inspected before campers could return.
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Mass Poisoning
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1993 World Men's Handball Championship
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The 1993 World Men's Handball Championship was the 13th handball World Championship. It was held in Sweden 10-20 March. Russia won the championship. *Note: Although the Czech Republic and Slovakia became separate countries in 1993, the countries still competed together in the tournament as the Czechoslovak Handball Federation was not split yet. Top 3 from groups A & B plays in group 1 while top 3 from groups C & D plays in group 2 in the main round. The teams carry their results against the other teams to the main round. The last team from each group is eliminated from the championship. The winners of each group face of against each other in the final. The second-place finishers play the game for 3rd position, the third-place finishers play the game for 5th position and so on. Andrey AntonevichVyacheslav AtavinTalant DuyshebaevDmitry FilippovAleksey FrantsuzovValeri GopinVyacheslav GorpishinOleg GrebnevDmitry KarlovOleg KisselevVasily KudinovAndrey LavrovOleg SapronovPavel SukosyanDmitri TorgovanovIgor Vasilyev
Philippe GardentChristian GaudinPhilippe JuliaDenis LathoudPatrick LepetitPascal MahéGaël MonthurelLaurent MunierFrederic PerezThierry PerreuxÉric QuintinJackson RichardsonPhilippe SchaafStéphane StoecklinJean-Luc ThiébautFrédéric Volle
Magnus AnderssonAnders BäckegrenPer CarlénMagnus CatoErik HajasJerry HallbäckRobert HedinTony HedinOla LindgrenMats OlssonStaffan OlssonTomas SvenssonPierre ThorssonRobert VenäläinenMagnus Wislander
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Sports Competition
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‘ICONIC’: World record SHATTERED as Aussie sprint queens win our first Tokyo gold
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Australia’s all-conquering sprint queens have claimed a third straight Olympic gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay, shattering their own world record in the process, to set the nation up for a huge week in the pool.
Bronte Campbell, Meg Harris, Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell claimed Australia’s first gold medal of the games, clocking an incredible 3:29.69 seconds — the first team ever to go under 3:30 — to finish more than three seconds ahead of silver medallist Canada (3:32.78) and the USA (3:32.81).
The world record performance was set up by a mind-blowing performance from Emma McKeon on the third leg, and came after Australians Jack McLoughlin and Brendon Smith had earlier won silver and bronze medals respectively.
“Under three minutes 30. This is an iconic swim for world swimming,” Aussie swimming legend Ian Thorpe said in Channel 7 commentary.
“The first women’s team to ever be under that. Absolutely amazing to see.”
‘INSANE’: McKeon’s freak swim puts 100m rivals on notice ‘THAT’S TOUGH’: Thorpey’s brutal truth for breakout bronze star
0.16 SECONDS: 18-year-old stuns everyone as Aussie denied gold in cruel finish
McKeon swam an incredible 51.35-second third leg — the fifth fastest women’s 100m split of all-time — just an hour after she had qualified third fastest for the 100m butterfly final. McKeon will now be a raging favourite to win individual 100m gold.
Campbell (52.24) anchored the team brilliantly for bher third straight gold in the event while sister Bronte Campbell (53.01) and teenager Harris (53.09) justified their selection.
“I could not be prouder of these girls,” Cate Campbell said.
“It’s been a tough ask for everyone to get here and to come away with the win and the world record, we obviously couldn’t have asked for any better.”
It was Australia’s third medal on the first day of finals after McLoughlin and Smith won silver and bronze respectively to claim Australia’s first medals of the Tokyo Games.
This Australian team is considered a chance to break the nation’s record gold medal haul of eight at these Olympics and while the 400m final in particular was an agonising near-miss, the women’s sprint success lays the platform for plenty more gold ahead. Smith won Australia’s first medal of the Tokyo Olympics, finishing with a stunning late burst to claim bronze in the men’s 400m individual medley final.
McLoughlin then took silver in the 400m freestyle final, leading late before being agonisingly touched out by Tunisian teenager Ahmed Hafnaoui — racing in lane 8 - by just 16 one hundredths of a second.
OLYMPICS LIVE: US MELT DOWN OVER 49-YEAR NIGHTMARE
‘WTF’: DOES THIS PIC PROVE AUSSIE GOLDEN GIRL WAS DUDDED?
Smith had qualified fastest for the final after a surprise performance in the heats but found himself seventh with 50m to go in the gruelling event. However he charged home to claim bronze in 4:10.38 behind Americans Chase Kalisz (4:09.42) and Jay Litherland (4:10.28)
It was a remarkable performance by Smith, although there would be a tinge of disappointment knowing that his time in winning Saturday’s heat, 4:09.27, would have won gold in the final.
“The thing that’s tough here, I have to point it out, is if he had swum the time he did in the heat he would have won that final,” swimming legend Ian Thorpe said on the Channel 7 commentary.
“And it’s being able to back up from those races and what you do in recovery to be able to get the best out of yourself but still a bronze medal, if you asked him before he came in to these Olympic Games, I doubt he would have said he would have expected to medal.”
Smith was delighted with his bronze.
“Unbelievable. I can’t believe it. 12 months ago when the Games were cancelled or postponed, I thought give me another opportunity, another year to better my preparation from last time so, you know, to improve that much and to be able to get on the podium is incredible,” he said
McLoughlin (3:43.52), meanwhile, led with 50 metres to go in the 400m freestyle final but was just overhauled by 18-year-old Hafnaoui (3:43.36).
The 26-year-old admitted he could not see his Tunisian rival in lane 8.
“Hell no, I’m pretty much blind,” he told Channel 7.
‘I normally wear glasses. I was lane 2. I knew I would be able to see him on the way home and saw the boys in the middle come in. I put my head down the last 10m and kind of just heard a bit. But second Olympics, it is pretty good.”
Aussie Elijah Winnington, the pre-event favourite was seventh in 3:45.20 while American Kieran Smith won bronze in 3:43.94.
“It’s tough. It’s my first international final. Obviously a bit disappointed but that’s sport. You’ve got to get on with it and come back stronger,” Winnington said.
The defending champion women’s 4x100m freestyle relay teamhad been close to an unbackable favourite having breezed through Saturday night’s heats without big guns Cate Campbell and McKeon. And Australian coaches have made the difficult selection calls with Maddie Wilson and Mollie O’Callaghan the unlucky ones dropped for the final.
DAY 2 FINALS SESSION SCHEDULE & AUSSIES IN ACTION (ALL TIMES AEST)
11.30am: Men’s 400m Individual Medley Final - Brendon Smith (3rd)
11.40am: Women’s 100m butterfly semi-finals - Emma McKeon (3rd fastest qualifier for final), Brianna Throssell (eliminated)
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Break historical records
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Ambassador Pyatt’s Remarks at DEFENDER-Europe 21 DV Day, Exercise Immediate Response/ Centaur 21
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Ambassador Pyatt’s Remarks at DEFENDER-Europe 21 DV Day, Exercise Immediate Response/ Centaur 21 Petrochori I want to start this afternoon by thanking Deputy Minister Stefanis for giving us a lift up to Petrochori so we could observe this exercise and the final phase of the bilateral U.S.-Hellenic Army exercise IMMEDIATE RESPONSE/ CENTAUR 21 as part of DEFENDER-Europe 21. Minister, you’ve been a fantastic friend, and so much of what we’ve accomplished was on display today, so thank you again. I also want to acknowledge all of our partners from the Hellenic Armed Forces, especially Vice Admiral Drymousis, General Lalousis, General Choudeloudis, as well as the many other friends and allies who are here today. Thank you all for joining us this morning and for the transformative work that we have done together to reach this point. And I want to say a special thank you as well to a few key stakeholders in today’s exercise: first and foremost, General Cavoli, Commander of U.S. Army forces in, Europe and Africa. Thank you, sir, for your continued efforts to deepen the alliance between Greece and the United States. I’ve lost track of how many times General Cavoli has been in Greece, but I can tell you that since the beginning of 2018, he has been a fabulous partner for all of us as part of Mission Greece. And much of what we have accomplished in the military-to-military relationship rests on his shoulders. Thank you. I’m also pleased to see here today Lieutenant General Wooddisse. I hope very much that we will continue to see the United Kingdom’s involvement in these exercises with our Hellenic Armed Forces partners. And I was very glad to see the 1-131 Aviation Battalion’s Blackhawks back in action here, supporting their Alabama National Guard counterparts. And last but not least, I want to commend Major General Gordon, Brigadier General Presley, Lieutenant Colonel Craft, and Sergeant Major Birchfield for their presence and the presence of the 1-167 Infantry Battalion in today’s exercise. Your air crews that I met a few weeks ago at Alexandroupoli were fantastic ambassadors for the United States, which I know is a reflection of your strong leadership and a point of pride for the state of Alabama. And let me in this regard also echo General Cavoli’s congratulations and admiration for all that you’ve accomplished in a relatively brief time here in Xanthi. When Minister Panagiotopoulos and I visited the Port of Alexandroupoli earlier this month, we were able to welcome the troops and equipment that were transiting the port for DEFENDER-Europe 21. This large-scale, U.S. Army-led exercise, consisting of more than 28,000 multinational forces from 26 nations, highlights the critical importance of NATO’s southern flank. DEFENDER-Europe 21 utilizes key ground and maritime routes bridging Europe, Asia, and Africa, showcasing Greece’s critical geographic position at the nexus of three continents. And it’s worth noting that Greece is one of only four participating countries whose port was used to deploy equipment into Europe. And Greece is also one of four countries hosting a DEFENDER-Europe 21 logistical center. These facts demonstrate Greece’s important strategic role and what a critical asset the Port of Alexandroupoli represents, and why you have seen the United States, including U.S. Army Europe and Africa, so active and engaged in this region of Thrace. In particular, this exercise is the third time that the Petrochori Training Area has been utilized for bilateral and multilateral training in the past year. The Hellenic Tank Challenge took place here last fall, and exercise Thracian Cooperation took place here in the spring. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE/CENTAUR 21 marks the largest U.S. Army contingent to train in Petrochori, highlighting our growing cooperation with the Hellenic Army, and specifically with the D Corps headquartered in Xanthi. The defensive operations we just witnessed build interoperability and operational efficiency between the U.S. and Hellenic Army units as part of the larger multilateral exercise, which includes more than 5,000 troops from 11 countries spread out across 31 training areas. Under our updated U.S.-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, the United States is committed to deepening our military-to-military relationship with Greece, to the benefit of both our countries and the NATO Alliance. We’ve demonstrated the value of training together at Petrochori. And I’m proud to report that the U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s 7th Army Training Command, working with the Hellenic Army, has made substantial enhancements to the range as part of these exercises, as well as during IMMEDIATE RESPONSE/CENTAUR 21. We hope to participate in two more exercises here before the end of the year: Olympian Cooperation and the 2021 Hellenic Tank Challenge. So I want to thank Greece for its leadership in staging and hosting this important exercise, which demonstrates the ability of U.S. Army in Europe and Africa to serve as a strategic security partner in the Eastern Mediterranean, Western Balkan, and Black Sea regions, as well as our ironclad commitment to our NATO Alliance. I would also highlight Greece’s participation in other Balkan countries for DEFENDER-Europe 21 exercises, including DECISIVE STRIKE in North Macedonia and SABER GUARDIAN in Bulgaria. DEFENDER-Europe 21 sends a message to the world that the United States and Greece are standing shoulder to shoulder to promote peace and stability. As we commemorate the 200thanniversary of Greek independence, I want to thank the Greek government for its commitment to U.S. and Allied military operations. As General Lalousis reminded us, our countries have supported each other as friends and allies for two centuries now. And both of our governments, at the highest level, are committed to extending the duration and reach of our Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, reaffirming our resolve to advance joint security goals. As today’s exercise demonstrates, we are stronger together. A stronger and more secure Greece is important to America’s interests in this region. And we look forward to taking our alliance to an even higher level under the Biden-Harris administration, promoting safety and security on NATO’s critical southeastern flank. But our security relationship is not just about hardware. It’s about a commitment to a long-term partnership, based on shared strategic interests and values that have united our countries now for 200 years. When the United States and Greece work together, as we’ve seen today, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. And both the region and our alliance are safer and more secure as a result. Efcharisto poli.
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Military Exercise
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Pope Francis Draws Massive Crowds in Cuba — -- After holding Mass in Havana and meeting with Fidel Castro Sunday
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Pope Francis Draws Massive Crowds in Cuba — -- After holding Mass in Havana and meeting with Fidel Castro Sunday, Pope Francis will have another busy day today in Cuba as part of his 10-day visit to that country and the United States.
The pontiff will leave Havana this morning and travel to the town of Holguin, where he will conduct Mass. Then later in the day, Francis will travel by plane to Santiago to meet with the bishops at the Seminary San Basilo Magno. He will then attend the Shrine of the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre.
Francis, who arrived in Cuba Saturday, held Mass in Havana’s Revolution Square Sunday to an estimated crowd of 300,000 people, according to the Cuban government.
"God’s holy and faithful people in Cuba is a people with a taste for parties, for friendship, for beautiful things," Francis said. "It is a people which marches with songs of praise. It is a people which has its wounds, like every other people, yet knows how to stand up with open arms, to keep walking in hope, because it has a vocation of grandeur."
After Mass, the pope met with Cuban president Raul Castro and his brother, Fidel Castro. Raul Castro gave the pontiff a large crucifix made by a Cuban artist. The pope gave the president a painting of the patron saint of Cuba, La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre.
In his meeting with Fidel Castro, Francis gave the former Cuban leader several books, as well as a book and two CDs of homilies and a copy of his two encyclicals. In return, Castro gave Francis an interview book titled "Fidel and Religion," written in 1985 by Freitas Betto. Fidel wrote a dedication in it: "For Pope Francis, on occasion of his visit to Cuba, with the admiration and respect of the Cuban people."
The 40-minute meeting between the pontiff and Fidel Castro was described as “informal and familial” by the Vatican, The Associated Press reported.
But the pope did not meet with Cuban dissidents who were prevented from attending the cathedral where the greeting was supposed to take place, the AP said. The Vatican said no official meeting with the dissidents was planned but its embassy in Havana did contact leaders as a "sign of attention to these people," according to a Vatican spokesman.
The pope later spoke at a vespers celebration at Havana Cathedral in which he warned against letting riches rule your life and called poverty “the wall and the mother of consecrated life.”
Meanwhile, before his upcoming U.S. visit, Francis said he looked forward to attending the World Meeting of Families Congress in Philadelphia in a video released by the organization. "I look forward to greeting the pilgrims and the people of Philadelphia when I come for the World Meeting of Families,” he said. “I will be there because you will be there! See you in Philadelphia!"
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here. To be notified about our live weekend digital reports, tap here.
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Diplomatic Visit
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Delhi govt directs all state-run liquor shops to stock up
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New Delhi: The Delhi government on Thursday has directed all state-run alcohol outlets to maintain sufficient stocks to deal with a possible shortage in the coming days as all private liquor shops are set to wind up their business by September 30 under its new excise policy. As per the new excise policy of the Delhi government, liquor will be sold in Delhi from November 17. But private liquor shops will be shut down on 30 September. Around 260 privately-run liquor vends in the city will close down. Of the total around 850 liquor shops in Delhi, only those operated by Delhi government agencies will continue retail sale till November 16. In these circumstances, private liquor shops are no longer asking for new stock of liquor and the remaining stocks are getting exhausted quickly too. But a problem for a lot of shopkeepers is that these shops are going to be closed down forever. The consumers have started experiencing the shortage as their favourite liquors brands are missing owing to the winding up of business by privately-run liquor shops. At one of the private liquor shops on Vikas Marg in east Delhi, several liquor lovers were seen returning empty handed. They said they were told whisky or vodka brands were not available there. "Our owner has asked us to sell whatever stock is there and lock the shop. We have already sold all other liquors and now only beer is left," said a worker managing the sale counter of the vend. The liquor stores in Star City Mall in Mayur Vihar were also rapidly emptying their shelves before putting their shutters down permanently. "We are sorry to return back our regular customers as stocks are depleting. We stopped restocking and placing fresh orders after it was decided by the government to close private shops," said manager of a liquor store in the mall. A senior Excise department officer said steps are being taken to ensure that there is no shortage of liquor by strengthening retail sale from government vends. "It's a transition period of one and half month after which things will become normal. We have already asked the government agencies running liquor stores up to November 16 to maintain stock according to demand," said the officer. Naresh Goel, president Delhi Liquor Traders Association, said the private liquor vends in some areas like Saket have already shut their shop after selling out the remaining stocks. "Shortage is bound to occur as private vends used to be better stocked. Closure of all the private shops in the city in one go will create shortage as government shops cannot handle the demand as they are also in the process of winding up before November 17," Goel said. Amit Sharma, president of Delhi Liquor Sales Association, that represents workers at the liquor stores in the city, claimed around 3,000 people will be out of jobs after private stores close down. With the closure of private vends on September 30, there will no retail liquor sale in 26 of the 272 municipal wards. Also, there are no liquor vends in 80 wards. The New Excise Policy of Delhi government seeks to ensure equitable distribution of liquor vends across the city by dividing it into 32 zones. Each zone covering 8-10 wards will have nearly 27 liquor vends that will provide customers walk in experience and a choice of their preferred brands.
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Organization Closed
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TransAsia Airways Flight 235 crash
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TransAsia Airways Flight 235 was a TransAsia Airways domestic flight from Taipei to Kinmen (Quemoy), Taiwan. On 4 February 2015, the aircraft serving the flight, a ten-month-old ATR 72-600, crashed into the Keelung River shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, 5.4 km (3.4 mi; 2.9 nmi) to the east of Songshan in Taiwan. The aircraft had 53 passengers and five crew on board; there were 15 survivors. Two minutes after takeoff, the pilots reported an engine flameout. Flight 235 climbed to a maximum height of 1,510 feet (460 m), then descended. The other engine, still working, was shut down mistakenly. [1][2] Immediately before crashing into the river, it banked sharply left and clipped a taxi travelling west on the Huandong Viaduct (causing two more injuries), then the viaduct itself, with its left wing. Flight 235 was the second fatal accident involving a TransAsia Airways ATR aircraft within seven months: Flight 222 had crashed on 23 July 2014, killing 48 of the 58 onboard. Flight 235 departed Taipei Songshan Airport at 10:52 Taiwan time (02:52 UTC), for its destination of Kinmen Airport, with 53 passengers and five crew members on board. [3] Shortly after take-off, a fault in the auto-feather unit of the number 2 engine caused the automatic take-off power control system to auto-feather that engine. [4]:146[a] The flight crew misdiagnosed the problem, and shut down the still-functioning number 1 engine. [4]:146 The aircraft reached an altitude of 1,630 feet (500 m) and then began descending until it crashed. [4]:3[5] The last pilot communication to air traffic control was: "Mayday, mayday, engine flameout. "[6][7] At 10:55,[4]:4 the aircraft crashed into the Keelung River, on the border of Nangang District of Taipei and Xizhi District of New Taipei. The crash was recorded by dashcams in several cars travelling west along the elevated Huandong Viaduct next to the river. The aircraft, flying level, first cleared an apartment building. Then it rolled sharply, at nearly a 90-degree bank angle, left wing down. As the aircraft flew low over the elevated viaduct, its left wingtip struck the front of a 2015 Volkswagen Caddy[8] taxi travelling west on the viaduct, and the outboard section of the wing was torn off when it struck the concrete guardrail at the edge of the viaduct. [7][9] The aircraft continued its roll and struck the water upside down,[10] breaking into two main pieces. [11] The collision with the taxi and the viaduct was captured in footage from a dashcam in a car travelling a short distance behind the taxi, and debris from the plane's wing and pieces of the viaduct's guardrail were thrown across the road surface. [12] Two people in the taxi suffered minor injuries. [6][9]
At the time of the accident, no adverse weather phenomena were observed. At 11:00, the cloud base at Songshan was about 1,500 feet (460 m), the visibility was unlimited, and a light breeze was blowing from the east at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The temperature was 16 °C (61 °F). [5]
The aircraft involved in the accident was an ATR 72-600 twin turboprop, registration B-22816, MSN 1141. It first flew on 28 March 2014, and was delivered to TransAsia Airways on 15 April 2014. [13] Both Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M engines were replaced due to technical issues on 19 April 2014,[14][dubious – discuss] and the left engine was replaced again in August. [4]:15
The passenger manifest was composed of 49 adults and four children. Thirty-one passengers were Chinese; many were visitors from Xiamen on a six-day tour of Taiwan. [15][16] The remaining 22 passengers were Taiwanese. [7]
The flight crew consisted of two pilots, both ranked as captains; the captain was Liao Chien-tsung, 42, with a total of 4,914 flight hours (including 3,401 hours on the ATR 72) and the co-pilot was Liu Tze-chung, 45, with a total of 6,922 flight hours, including 5,314 hours on the ATR 72. [5][16][17] There was also an observer, Hung Ping-chung, 63, seated in the cockpit jump seat, who had a total of 16,121 flight hours, 6,482 of them on the ATR 72. [18] There were also two flight attendants as cabin crew. All crew members were Taiwanese citizens; the co-pilot was a dual New Zealand–Taiwanese citizen. [17]
Taipei police and fire departments received dozens of calls from eyewitnesses almost immediately after the crash. The Taipei Fire Department, military and volunteer rescue workers arrived at the crash scene only minutes later,[4]:49 and reached the survivors by boat around 35 minutes after the crash. [4]:45 They began removing survivors from the rear section of the semi-submerged fuselage and ferried them to shore in inflatable boats. Divers were forced to cut the seat belts of dead passengers, located mostly in the front section, to remove their bodies. That work was made difficult by low visibility underwater. [4]:48–50
The aircraft's flight recorders were recovered shortly after 16:00 that day. After 20:00, cranes were used to lift large sections of the fuselage ashore. [6][19][20]
Of the 58 people on board the flight, only 15 survived. [21] On 5 February, the bodies of the pilot, co-pilot and observer were recovered. [22] One of the two flight attendants survived. [23]
An unnamed source was reported to have claimed that the pilot had complained of "engine abnormalities" and requested an urgent inspection of the aircraft shortly before its final take-off, but had been rebuffed. [24] This assertion has been denied by both TransAsia Airways and the Civil Aeronautics Administration, the former of whom has released the maintenance records for both powerplants, both propellers, and the airframe. [25]
Following the accident, TransAsia Airways changed its website and social media branding to greyscale images, in mourning for the presumed deaths of the passengers. On 5 February, TransAsia retired the flight number GE235, changing it to GE2353. [26]
The spokesperson of the Office of the President of the Republic of China reported that President Ma Ying-jeou was very concerned about the accident and had given orders to the Executive Yuan and related authorities to provide maximum assistance with the rescue. Immediately after the accident, the President of the Executive Yuan, Mao Chi-kuo, contacted the Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aeronautics Administration to instigate an investigation into the crash, and the minister of national defense to prepare the military for the rescue.
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Air crash
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1892 Vacaville–Winters earthquakes
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The 1892 Vacaville–Winters earthquakes occurred in northern California as a large doublet on April 19 and April 21. Measured on a seismic scale that is based on an isoseismal map or the event's felt area, the 6.4 Mla and 6.2 Mla events were assigned a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), and affected the North Bay and Central Valley areas. The total damage was estimated to be between $225,000 and 250,000 and one person was killed. No evidence of fault movement on the surface of the ground was observed as a result of either of the strong shocks. Both occurred in the domain of the San Andreas strike-slip system of faults, but their focal mechanism is uncertain. The primary tectonic feature of the region is the strike-slip San Andreas system of faults (that move laterally alongside one another). From west to east, the Hayward–Rogers Creek Fault Zone and the Concord–Green Valley Faults are the closest to Vacaville and Winters. A 1999 forecast stated that the Hayward and Rogers Creek Faults have been given a 32% chance of a M6.7 or greater shock before 2030, and the Concord and Green Valley Faults have been assigned a lower probability of 6% each. [4]
Vacaville and Winters both lie to the east of these faults along the low foothills. Numerous geoscientists have remarked on the potential for blind thrust earthquakes in this area. These professionals specifically labelled it the Coast Range–Sierran Block Boundary Zone in a sequence of published articles from the 1980s and 1990s and stated that the 1983 Coalinga earthquake (a blind thrust event) occurred within the zone. [5]
Each large shock in the doublet, one on April 19 and the other two days later on April 21, had a high intensity and was felt over roughly the same geographical area. The area over which the initial shock was felt with an intensity of VIII (Severe) was about 1,100 km2 and the area for the second shock was about 890 km2. The furthest extent that they were felt was from Redding in the north to Salinas and Fresno in the south and to Virginia City, Nevada in the east. [1][3]
Investigators completed a study of the area that included a three dimensional crustal velocity model. Proprietary seismic reflection data were also inspected in an attempt to establish a source for the sequence. Observations of the range front and modelling of strong ground motions led to the presentation of a 17 km (11 mi) rupture on the west-dipping Gordon Valley blind thrust fault that could have produced the felt intensities that were specific to the April 19 event. [5]
The shocks affected Solano and Yolo Counties along the border of the Sacramento Valley. In the north, the communities of Esparto and Capay both experienced Mercalli intensities of VIII (Severe)—which is associated with damage—and in the south, Vacaville and Fairfield both experienced the same. Work by seismologist Toussan Toppozada, that was published in a 1981 report, further clarified that Vacaville was at the center of the destruction. Damage also occurred at Dixon as well as the area of the highest reported intensity of IX (Violent), midway between Winters and Vacaville, at Allendale. There, some buildings were damaged, some collapsed, and 1.6 km (1 mi) long ground fissures were observed. [6][7]
These widespread and north-trending cracks were very narrow, from 2.5–7.6 centimeters (1–3 in) in width. Despite these surface cracks and other offset drainages and other lineaments, no surface faulting occurred. This was confirmed by trench excavations where these features were found. Other ground effects occurred though. Reports of rockslides and dislodged boulders were written about in the newspapers, but the most common type of damage were the many chimneys that were damaged or destroyed. [6] Total damage was estimated between $225,000 and $250,000,[1][2] and one person was reported dead. [1]
An isoseismal map for the April 19 event shows an asymmetrical and slightly elongated pattern of isoseismal lines (of equal intensity) on the north–south axis. There are high intensities east of the Napa–Solano county border. No locations in Napa county reached any higher than intensity VI (Strong), indicating that the shock originated east of the Vaca Mountains. The April 21 event differed slightly, in that the strongest effects were shifted slightly to the northwest. [6]
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Earthquakes
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DHL's Italian subsidiary investigated for tax fraud
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MILAN, June 7 (Reuters) - Italian tax police have seized assets worth more than 20 million euros ($24 million) from the local unit of logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL (DPWGn.DE) as part of a fraud investigation, a judicial document seen by Reuters showed on Monday.
Deutsche Post DHL confirmed that its Italian subsidiary DHL Supply Chain had been notified by prosecutors in Milan about an investigation centred on alleged tax irregularities.
"Since the company believes that it has always operated in full compliance with Italian tax laws, it will provide to the investigators all the cooperation needed to quickly and satisfactorily clarify its position," Deutsche Post DHL said in a statement.
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Milan prosecutors allege that a "transportation and logistics multinational" in Italy failed to pay value-added taxes and pension contributions due for staff, police said on Monday, by relying on contractors instead of hired workers.
The unnamed logistics company used workers provided by a consortium of 23 local cooperative firms, the police said. The asset seizure order, of which Reuters saw a copy, identified the company in question as Deutsche Post DHL's Italian unit.
Police confirmed they had seized more than 20 million euros of assets following the investigation and searches in Milan and nearby cities.
The seizure order said two executives of the German firm's Italian subsidiary were under investigation for tax fraud. Under Italian law, companies can be held responsible for crimes committed by their executives.
Milan prosecutors Giovanna Cavalleri and Paolo Storari said in the document that by using an external workforce, DHL Supply Chain had made significant savings on labour costs while exploiting workers and competing unfairly with rivals.
"Compliance is and always has been a core principle of all DHL business units and guides all our actions at Deutsche Post DHL Group," the German company said.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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Justin Bieber Believes That His Marriage to Hailey Bieber Was a "Calling"
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The pop star opened up about life with his wife in a new interview. Justin Bieber is opening up about married life with his wife, Hailey Bieber. In a new cover story for GQ, the pop star revealed that the first year of their marriage "was really tough," but he ultimately saw his nuptials with the model as a personal "calling." The pair first married in September 2018 at a New York City courthouse, two months after initially getting engaged in the Bahamas. The couple then had a lavish South Carolina ceremony a year later with high-profile guests such as Kylie and Kendall Jenner. "I just felt like that was my calling. Just to get married and have babies and do that whole thing," Justin shared. "[But] the first year of marriage was really tough, because there was a lot, going back to the trauma stuff. There was just lack of trust. There was all these things that you don't want to admit to the person that you're with, because it's scary. You don't want to scare them off by saying, 'I'm scared.'" A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) Justin later expressed, however, that he and Hailey are in great place now, and that they lean on each other as they navigate married life together. "We're just creating these moments for us as a couple, as a family, that we're building these memories. And it's beautiful that we have that to look forward to," he continued. "Before, I didn't have that to look forward to in my life. My home life was unstable. Like, my home life was not existing. I didn't have a significant other. I didn't have someone to love. I didn't have someone to pour into. But now I have that."
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Famous Person - Marriage
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The Indian Ocean Dipole is making Australian bushfires worse and increasing locust swarms in Africa
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The global weather event fuelling the catastrophic bushfires this summer is being blamed for massive locust swarms devastating parts of East Africa and creating a food security crisis. The phenomenon, known as the Indian Ocean Dipole, has been blamed for warmer waters in the western parts of the Indian Ocean and is the same weather event that contributed to extremely hot and dry conditions throughout the devastating bushfire season this summer. Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya are currently experiencing the worst locust swarms in decades, with the insects able to consume enough food for millions of people in a single day. Just like warnings of more severe bushfires in Australia, experts have warned climate change is likely to see Africa hit by more and more frequent locust invasions. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has described the current locust invasion as "an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods" in the East Africa and Horn of Africa regions. For Ethiopia and Somalia, it is the worst locust invasion for 25 years and it is the worst in Kenya for 70 years. Global weather conditions have created perfect conditions for large locust swarms. The Indian Ocean Dipole has played a significant role in creating conditions for the locusts, according to FAO locust expert Keith Cressman. "Locusts are entirely integrated with nature, so they depend very much on weather and environmental conditions," he told the ABC's PM program. "The increased frequency of cyclones in the Indian Ocean is a very significant factor in all of this — as you've seen in Australia, this has contributed to your wildfires that you've been facing for several months." Mr Cressman said that just like the prediction Australia would continue to see hotter, drier weather and worsening bushfire seasons due to climate change, Africa would see more locusts. "I think we can expect to see an increase frequency of desert locust outbreaks, like what we're facing now." Climate change was driving extreme weather variability, according to climate scientist Abubakr Salih Babiker from the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. "In 2019, we alerted people to the potential impact of drought and we ended the year with alerts for flooding and locusts and things like that," he said. "We are seeing more things like that and they are definitely related to climate change." Mr Cressman said the danger of increased locust invasions was the threat to food security. He said 1 square kilometre of locusts could consume enough food for 35,000 people in one day. But most swarms were much larger. "There was a swarm in Kenya earlier this year that was 40 kilometres long and 60 kilometres wide," he said. "Its potential to eat food would be the equivalent to about 82 million people in a single day." In its latest assessment of the disaster, the FAO warned South Sudan and Uganda were also at risk and new swarms were forming in Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen. But the most pressing concern is the new locust breeding cycle, which is likely to hit the region in time for the start of the next growing season, in March.
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Famine
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Dongxing Coal Mining Co fire
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The Dongxing Coal Mining Co. fire was an incident that began on Monday, March 15, 2010, in the main pit of Dongxing Coal Mining Co, Xinmi, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China. Twenty-five miners died during the incident which, among other things, resulted in four local officials being removed from office. The fire began at 8:30 PM on Monday when electrical cables in the main pit caught on fire. At the time, 31 workers were in the mine and six were saved in the rescue operation that ended at around 2:00 AM the following morning. The mine was being renovated to increase its annual output to 150,000 tons from 60,000. Shuhe Wang, Deputy Director of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, said that mines that are being rebuilt were strictly forbidden from producing coal, but the Dongxing Coal Mining Co had ignored the ban and resumed production without a license. Wang blamed the incident on coal safety officials' lack of supervision. The Xinmi government acted quickly to crack down on company officials and government officials who should have prevented the disaster: Yingxi Su, a vice-mayor of Xinmi, Ruihui Fan, governor of Niudian township, Xinxian Zhu, a township official in charge of work safety, and Guoqi Pei, a deputy director of the Xinmi Coal Mine Bureau, were removed from office; three work safety inspectors who were responsible for overseeing the mine were dismissed; and Mancang Fu of Dongxing Coal Mining Co along with three directors were placed under criminal detention. The personal accounts of Fu and the three company directors were frozen as were the company's accounts. The dead miners were identified as migrants from Henan, Anhui and Sichuan provinces.
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Fire
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When sweet marriages of celebrities turned sour on social media!
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Many high profile celebrity marriages in Nigeria and across the world have either been ridiculed or dragged to the social media court for no just reason, and the latest involving music legend, 2face and his wife, Annie is not an exception. Annie threw caution to the wind last week, after she dragged 2face to the social media court to whip up sentiments and seek non-existing justice. She called out her husband for spending quality time under the same roof with his baby mama, Pero, under the guise of taking the children for holidays. In a viral length post she made, on her Instagram page, the aggrieved actress accused her husband of infidelity, disclosing that she has put up with many flaws in the marriage in a bid to keep their status as an enviable couple intact. Despite agreeing for 2face to have quality time with his other children from previous relationships, Annie revealed that the deal did not include him constantly sharing a bed with his baby mama. She also believes that 2face’s action was part of a plot with his family to end their marriage of eight years and pave the way for his baby mama to come. Annie’s post which resulted in family feud has since set the internet buzzing for many days now, with a lot of their fans taking sides with either couple. Her colleagues in the movie industry were not left out bashing as they condemned Annie for taking their marital problems to the social media court rather than seeking counsel from their family heads. Meanwhile, it was only a few days back that 2face broke his silence when he pleaded with the public to respect his family’s privacy and stop meddling into his marital crisis for the sake of his children. Displaying maturity, the singer in an Instagram post also admitted his family’s mistakes and called for caution. “I admit that bringing our personal issues on social media was not cool but I will not sit back and watch everybody have a free for all battle here in the name of love or solidarity. “None of us is perfect, I would like to urge our families and supporters to stop the madness and the public to please respect our privacy and our kids, let us deal with our issues internally. I take God beg una,” he wrote. However, 2face is not alone in this disturbing trend. Just weeks back, the social media was inundated with an official petition for the divorce by Paul Okoye’s wife, Anita, citing irreconcilable differences as the basis of the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. A copy of the petition which surfaced online, came as a huge shock not only to both families and their close friends but also, to the teeming fans of the couple. But ironically, after a few days or so, we started hearing that Paul a.k.a Rudeboy has reunited with his family in the United States. Setting the record straight, the singer shared a photo of himself posing with his family on his Instagram page to shut down the rumour. Who’s fooling who? If one may ask. While tongues are still wagging, popular radio presenter, Chinedu Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu of Wazobia FM, came into the picture with his own story of marital woes. In a post Instagram made on Instagram, Nedu reacted to the allegation of domestic violence levelled against him by his ex-wife, Uzoamaka Ohiri, which he said was buzzing on social media. He wrote: “My attention has been drawn to stories making the rounds on social media by my ex wife (Uzoamaka Ohiri).” “While I am not one to trade issues on social media, it has become pertinent that I clear the air once and for all. First of all I would like to state clearly that I do not support or encourage any form of domestic violence whether targeted at a woman or man. I have also never been one to physically violate anybody including my ex wife.” “Our marriage was one plaqued with a lot of issues. One of which was continuous infidelity from her side that led to me conducting a paternity test on our kids which led to the revelation that our first son is not my biological son even though he was born within the period during which we were married.” “On the allegation of domestic violence, we have had this matter investigated twice, one the police station in Ajah and another by a competent court of law during the dissolution of our marriage. Both times I was cleared of all allegations and I have the necessary proof to back up my claim. If any one should be laying claims to domestic violence it should be me.” Nedu’s outburst on social media has opened a pandora box of his delicate family, especially when it has been revealed to him through paternity test that his first son is not his biological son. Sadly, this ongoing marital crisis involving celebrities has given many causes for concern as there’s urgent need to review the use of social media as a platform for networking, sharing of photos and information. In recent times, social media has gone beyond using these sites for sharing photos, media and other necessary information. It has become a place where fights, quarrels, and all sorts of vices thrive. Before now, many celebrities have sacrificed their marriage on the altar of social media. It’s still fresh in our minds, when we witnessed the marriages of the likes actress Mercy and her ex-hubby Lanre Gentry, Tonto Dikeh and Olakunle Churchill,Toke and Maje Ayida, Muma Gee and Prince Eke, Tiwa Savage and her estranged hubby, Teebillz among others hit the rocks following allegation of domestic violence, cheating and irreconcilable differences. Nonetheless, it goes to say that social media is fast turning the love stories of our high profile celebrities to sour.
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Famous Person - Marriage
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China's military is ramping up the frequency of drills testing its ability to seize islands
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The Chinese military is ramping up its presence in the South China Sea and enhancing its ability to seize an island, despite military friction with the United States in the region. An area in the west of the Leizhou Peninsula will be cordoned off to traffic on Thursday and Friday, because of "live-fire exercises," according to a notice by China's Maritime Administration. Separately, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday that a naval detachment under the Southern Theatre Command had conducted an amphibious landing exercise in the South China Sea in the early hours of the morning. The exercise involved using Wuzhishan — a Type 071 amphibious transport dock — and two helicopters, at least one tank and three air-cushioned landing craft, according to video footage released by the state broadcaster CCTV. The video also showed soldiers being sent to an unspecified island by both the helicopter and the transport dock. "In recent years, this [naval] detachment has organised targeted exercises in conjunction with major exercises, and has accelerated the deep integration of the amphibious landing vessels with other combat forces," said the video. The exercises reflected the increasing posturing by the Chinese navy, which has organised a series of drills this year aimed at enhancing its ability to take over an island. Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator and a former PLA instructor, said the amphibious island-seizure exercise had a strong and clear signal — to regain the island they once lost. "China has been emphasising such exercises in recent years. The island seizure ability shown in the video reflected that the PLA has already conducted enough exercises to gain superiority in the air and at sea, and this marine combat ability will certainly be used to regain control of some islands," Song said. According to data compiled by the South China Morning Post, China has conducted 20 naval exercises involving elements of island capture in the first half of the year alone, far exceeding 13 such exercises carried out during 2020. The recent exercise came after the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold sailed near a disputed South China Sea reef, the Mischief Reef, which China claims as its own but is also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam. An international tribunal ruled in 2016 that most of China's claims in the waters had no legal basis. The Benfold incident started a new round of accusations between China and the US after Beijing introduced a regulation in late August requiring notice by foreign vessels entering its claimed territorial waters. The disputed waters have been a flashpoint in the strained US-China tensions. China continues to claim nearly all the waters after vowing to ignore the tribunal verdict, while the US has shown a growing willingness to challenge Beijing's actions there and has conducted regular freedom-of-navigation operations. In further evidence of friction between the superpowers, China kicked off a series of naval exercises in late August, immediately before a high-profile joint drill between the US and other members of the strategic Quad alliance off the coast of Guam.
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Military Exercise
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Montenegro Becomes 192nd UN Member State
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Montenegro Becomes 192nd UN Member State
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Montenegro has become the 192nd member state of the United Nations. Montenegro's president and top leaders of the world body marked the occasion with a flag-raising ceremony outside U.N. headquarters in New York.
"I declare the Republic of Montenegro admitted to membership in the United Nations."
With those words, General Assembly President Jan Eliasson made it official. Five weeks after citizens of the tiny Balkan republic voted for independence from Serbia, Montenegro is a full-fledged member of the family of nations.
Moments after the Assembly accepted Montenegro's membership application, Serbia's acting U.N. Ambassador Slavko Kruljevic acknowledged the end of an 88-year union.
"I would emphasize that the Republic of Serbia, having spent almost a century in common state with the republic of Montenegro, shall seek to develop the closest and most friendly bilateral relations," he said. "The policy of good neighborliness and regional cooperation represents the cornerstone of my country's foreign policy in its commitment to the lasting stabilization of the region of southeast Europe."
A short time later, the Montenegrin flag was raised at a formal ceremony in the U.N. plaza, alongside the flags of the 191 other member nations.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed Montenegro's orderly path to independence, calling it a welcome change from the Balkan region's violent past.
"The people of Montenegro demonstrated that adherence to democratic values and the rule of law offer the most effective way to achieve political goals," he said. " And they showed that even most sensitive problems can be resolved peacefully."
Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic said he was pleased to convey his country's appreciation to the world body.
"It is a great event for Montenegro's citizens but at same time, this is a great responsibility for us," he said. "We are aware about it, and we are devoted to the goals of the United Nations."
Montenegro is the first country admitted to the United Nations since East Timor in 2002. It has already been recognized by nearly all countries, including the United States.
The Balkan nation of 620,000 people is the latest of the former republics of Yugoslavia to leave Belgrade's orbit. Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Bosnia split earlier, during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
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Join in an Organization
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Varig Flight 810 crash
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Varig Flight 810 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Rio de Janeiro to Los Angeles with stopovers in Lima, Bogotá, Panama City, and Mexico City. On 27 November 1962 the Boeing 707-441 operating the route crashed into a mountain on approach to Lima, killing all 97 passengers and crew. At the time it was the deadliest aviation accident in Peru. [1]
The aircraft involved in the accident was a Boeing 707-441 equipped with four Rolls-Royce Conway 508 engines, registered PP-VJB to Varig. At the time of the accident the aircraft was two years old and sustained 6,326 flight hours; its certificate of airworthiness (CofA) was issued 12 September 1962 and was due to expire on 22 May 1963. [1][2][3]
Due to having two crew on board, 17 crew members were aboard the flight, of which eight were cockpit crew. [2] The cockpit crews consisted of:[4]
All crew members were citizens of Brazil except for two stewardesses. At 03:43 UTC the flight departed from Rio en route to Lima carrying 80 passengers and 17 crew members. The flight passed Pirassununga at 04:30, Campo Grande at 05:24, Corumbá at 05:48, Santa Cruz at 06:30, Cochabamba at 06:52, Charaña at 07:15, and Pisco at 08:13. The crew established contact with Lima air traffic control at 08:09 while at an altitude of 36,000 feet (11,000 m) and declared they would pass Pisco at 08:13 before reaching Lima airport at 08:36. When requesting permission to descend, air traffic control warned the Boeing 707 of the presence of a Douglas DC-6 that would also reach Pisco at 08:13, but the DC-6 was at an altitude of 13,500 feet (4,100 m). At 08:14, one minute after passing Pisco, the Boeing 707 started descent, reporting at 08:19 to be at an altitude of 26,000 feet. Shortly thereafter the flight was granted authorization for a straight-in approach to runway 33. At 08:24 the flight reported to ATC it was at an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,600 m) whilst still in descent; at 08:30 it had reached and altitude of 12,000 feet (3,700 m) and was directly overhead of Las Palmas. Because the flight was at too high for a straight-in approach to runway 33, ATC suggested rotating 360° over the point of Las Palmas to lose enough altitude for an approach and report again when the turn was completed. The flight continued descending then turned slightly right from its 330° heading, passing east of the airport before making a left turn and passing over the airport. The flight continued the turn until it was heading south, passing the west of Las Palmas in order to initiate the procedure from the ILS course, then finally made a 180° turn to reach the ILS back course, at a heading of 327°. The flight stayed on the standard intercept course for nearly three minutes until before initiating the turn North. The heading of the flight was 333° when it crashed into the Laz Cruz Peak, eight miles east from the approach track for the planned ILS course. Communications with ATC ceased at 08:37, and an emergency was declared at 08:55. [5]
The wreckage of the Boeing 707 was found at 18:00 by the Peruvian Air Force. The impact of the crash and explosion from the crash completely destroyed the aircraft, killing all 80 passengers and 17 crew members. [5] Visibility at the time of the accident was reported to be 14 kilometres (8.7 mi). [6]
The aircraft was determined to be flying normally at impact; at the time of impact the engines were operating at approach power. No one cause to the accident could be proven conclusively, but several theories have arisen. [7] The flight time for the 113 mile distance between Pisco and Lima was listed as 23 on the flight plan, when in reality the average flying time reported by other airlines was closer to 16 minutes. The overestimate of time by seven minutes resulted in the aircraft's excessive altitude when arriving at Lima. Analysis of data suggested it was possible that the pilot incorrectly tuned to the Limatambo Non-directional radio beacon in the belief it was for LIM 335. There was also a possibility that the navigation equipment was giving the flight crew inaccurate information, or a malfunction of the automatic direction finder causing the flight crew to believe the ILS was not functioning. [7][8]
The probable cause of the accident was cited as follows:
"A deviation, for reasons unknown, from the track prescribed for the instrument approach along the ILS back course of Lima-Callao Airport. "[1]
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Air crash
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Police investigate weekend road-rage shooting in Buckhead
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The victim called police about 4:40 p.m. Sunday after pulling off Piedmont Road near the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta hotel.
By Chelsea Prince , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
July 12, 2021
Atlanta police are investigating after a road-rage incident erupted in gunfire Sunday afternoon in Buckhead.
The victim called police about 4:40 p.m. after pulling off Piedmont Road near the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta hotel. He told the officers he was driving near the intersection of Piedmont and East Paces Ferry roads when a man shot at him, according to police.
The two drivers “engaged in a traffic-related dispute” before bullets started flying, the police department said in a statement. The victim was not injured.
More than 40 shootings have been reported on metro Atlanta’s roads this year, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens more. Sunday’s incident follows another shooting Saturday that injured a Lyft passenger.
Explore Shootings on metro Atlanta roadways this year have killed 13, injured others
The passenger was hit multiple times when someone in another car opened fire on the ride-hailing vehicle on Moreland Avenue in Little Five Points, police said. They were conscious when they were taken to a hospital, and their condition was unknown Monday morning.
“Preliminary investigation indicates the victim and a friend were passengers in a Lyft vehicle when they heard gunshots that appeared to be discharged from another vehicle,” police spokesman Officer Anthony Grant said in a statement. “The victim realized he was struck by gunfire and requested EMS services.”
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
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1995 Rugby League World Cup Final
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The 1995 Rugby League World Cup final was the conclusive game of the 1995 Centenary World Cup tournament and was played between England and Australia on 28 October 1995 at the Wembley Stadium in London, England. Australia won the final by 16 points to 8 in front of 66,540 fans. Australia, the defending champions, won the Rugby League World Cup for the 8th time. The pre-match entertainment for the Final was provided by British rock group Status Quo. 1995 was the year of the Super League war, with the new Super League causing a split in Australia. As a result, the Australian Rugby League did not select any player who had signed with Super League (though they did not stand in the way of any SL aligned country from selecting players who were playing in Australia). As 100% of Australia's squad was sourced from Australian Rugby League-aligned players, several test players from the successful 1994 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France were not selected for the World Cup, though a number of the team had played in the 3-0 Trans-Tasman Test series win over New Zealand earlier in the year. After being overlooked for representative games during the year, Super League aligned Canberra Raiders players Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart, Steve Walters, Bradley Clyde, Brett Mullins and David Furner, took the ARL to court during 1995 in a bid to be able to play in the World Cup. The courts found in their favour and ordered the ARL to consider all players for selection regardless of who they were aligned to. However, as one unnamed ARL official was quoted as saying, the ARL were only forced to consider Super League players, not select them. Just how many, if any, Super League players were actually considered for selection remains unknown and speculation remains that behind closed doors no Super League player was actually considered for selection. Without the Super League players, many thought that the Kangaroos would be a second-string side despite their series whitewash over the SL aligned New Zealand earlier in the year. England, coached by Phil Larder and captained by Wigan's Denis Betts, had surprised in the opening game of the tournament when they defeated Australia 20–16 at Wembley. England won all three of their group matches. England defeated Wales 25–10 in the Semi-final at Old Trafford to advance to the Final. The Bob Fulton coached, Brad Fittler captained Australians began their World Cup defense with shock 20–16 loss to England at Wembley in the opening game of the World Cup. After this the Kangaroos remained undefeated including a then world record 86–6 win over rugby league minnows South Africa. Australia defeated New Zealand 30–20 in the Semi-final at the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield. The game had gone into extra-time after the score was locked at 20-all at the end of the regulation 80 minutes. England won the coin toss and Australia's Andrew Johns kicked off the match. In England's first set with the ball Australia were penalised for their skipper Brad Fittler's high tackle on Andrew Farrell. From the resulting good field position England were able to force a line drop-out and get another set of six in Australia's half of the field when Brett Dallas was judged to have caught the ball in the field of play before being tackled by Paul Newlove. At the end of the second set, Radlinski put up a high kick, which Australia's fullback Tim Brasher failed to secure and Jim Dymock was penalised for regathering the ball when off-side (the referee ruled that Brasher had knocked on, though replays suggested Martin Offiah got a hand to the ball). Bobbie Goulding kicked the penalty goal from fifteen metres out, giving his side a 2–0 lead. [2] From Australia's resulting kick-off, Andy Farrell tried to trap the ball with his foot but it bounced off upfield and with his teammates failing to react, it was regathered by Andrew Johns only two metres out from the English try line. On the last tackle of the ensuing set, Johns at first receiver put a perfectly weighted grubber kick into the left-hand corner of England's in-goal area where winger Rod Wishart dived in and got a hand on it,[3] giving Australia the first try of the match in the seventh minute. [4] Johns then converted the try from the touch-line and the Kangaroos were leading 6–2. [5] A few minutes later England were penalised around the centre of the field and Johns attempted the kick at goal but missed. With the game now swinging from end to end, Johns conceded a penalty close to the goal posts and Goulding's kick bounced off the uprights but went in,[2] so England were trailing 4–6 by the eighteenth minute. A few minutes later England conceded a penalty in front of their goal posts and Johns kicked Australia to an 8–4 lead. Shortly after, Martin Offiah made a break from 15 metres inside his own half and raced 60 metres down along the left sideline with Dallas and Steve Menzies (a second row forward who almost ran down the flying winger) in pursuit and was contentiously ruled to have been taken over the sideline 5 metres out by a desperate Tim Brasher tackle as he threw the ball back into the field for Paul Newlove to toe ahead and dive on, though television replays suggested that Offiah had managed to release the ball before he went into touch. [6] After a high shot from Andy Farrell on Mark Carroll, Johns kicked another penalty giving Australia a 10–4 lead at the thirty-minute mark. Just before the half-time break England conceded another penalty in the ruck but Johns' kick missed so the score remained unchanged at the break. [7]
After making their way into good attacking field position, England played the ball ten metres out from Australia's goal-line where centre Paul Newlove at dummy-half ran the ball at the defence of Terry Hill and Brett Dallas to force his way through to score in the left corner. [8] The sideline conversion attempt by Goulding missed so England trailed 8–10 after five minutes of the second half. [6] Around the ten-minute mark the game was interrupted by a topless female streaker. [9] The play continued swinging from one end of the field to the other, with neither team able to capitalise on their scoring opportunities for the next twenty minutes. Australian interchange player Jason Smith was blood binned and had to return to the bench. A few minutes later the Kangaroos had made their way deep into England's half when, on the last tackle, the ball was moved through the hands and eventually flicked passed back from Johns as he was being tackled to the feet of Brasher who kicked it ahead to the try-line. [8] Both fullbacks then scrambled to get to the ball and the referee ruled that Brasher had grounded it, awarding Australia a try. [6] Johns converted the try so Australia lead 16–8 with just over ten minutes remaining. England forward Karl Harrison then had to come off the field with an injured arm. A few minutes from full-time Australian forward Mark Carroll was sent to the sin-bin for an infringement in the ruck. The remainder of the match extended into additional injury time but was played with no further points so Australia retained the World Cup with a 16–8 victory and their fifth consecutive world title. 21-year-old Andrew Johns was named man-of-the-match. [10] Kangaroos coach Bob Fulton had named the young half as the team hooker, and he did indeed pack into the scrums. However Johns played at halfback in general play with Geoff Toovey having the dummy-half duties, necessary because Toovey had actually injured his neck during the tournament and simply could not pack into the front row in the scrums. [11]
Following the match Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex presented Kangaroos captain Brad Fittler with the Cup and each of the players with medals. [12][7] During the 1990 Kangaroo Tour, an 18-year-old Fittler had reportedly broken protocol when he had said "G'day dude" to Prince Edward's father, HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh when the team had met the Duke as part of the tour. History allegedly repeated itself as Fittler was heard to say "Thanks dude" to Prince Edward when receiving the World Cup on the Wembley balcony.
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Sports Competition
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John F. Kennedy Jr. plane crash
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John F. Kennedy Jr., the son and namesake of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, died when the light aircraft he was flying crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts on July 16, 1999. Kennedy's wife, Carolyn Bessette, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, were also on board and died. The Piper Saratoga had departed from New Jersey's Essex County Airport, and its intended route was along the coastline of Connecticut and across Rhode Island Sound to Martha's Vineyard Airport. [3][4]
The official investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that Kennedy fell victim to spatial disorientation while he was descending over water at night and consequently lost control of his plane. Kennedy did not hold an instrument rating and therefore was only certified to fly under visual flight rules. At the time of the crash, the weather and light conditions were such that all basic landmarks were obscured, making visual flight challenging, although legally still permissible. On the evening of July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. piloted a Piper Saratoga to attend the wedding of his cousin, Rory, to Mark Bailey at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. The plane also carried Kennedy's wife, Carolyn Bessette, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette. Lauren Bessette was to be dropped off at Martha's Vineyard Airport, while Kennedy and his wife would continue to Barnstable Municipal Airport. [5] Kennedy had purchased his plane three months before the crash. [6] The Bessette sisters were seated in the second row of seats, which faced the rear of the plane and were back-to-back with the pilot's seat. [7]
Kennedy checked in with the air traffic control tower at Martha's Vineyard Airport before his departure. At 8:38 p.m. on Friday, July 16, Kennedy departed from New Jersey's Essex County Airport, 21 miles (34 km) west of Midtown Manhattan. At about 9:41 p.m., unknown until subsequent official investigations, Kennedy's plane crashed nearly nose first into the Atlantic Ocean. [1] At 10:05 p.m., a clerical-duties summer intern contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) office in Bridgeport, Connecticut, about Kennedy's failure to arrive, but the intern was told that no information could be released to him over the phone. [8]
At 2:15 a.m. on July 17, the Kennedy family reported to the Coast Guard Air Station at Cape Cod that the plane had not arrived. At 4 a.m., the United States Coast Guard began a search and rescue operation. [9] Kennedy's cousin, Anthony Stanislas Radziwill, told the press that if Kennedy was still alive, "He'll find a way to get out. He possesses the will to survive, enough will for all three of them. "[10] Officials were not optimistic about finding Kennedy alive after several pieces of debris from his plane were recovered from the ocean. "There is always hope," Coast Guard Lt. Gary Jones said. "But unfortunately, when you find certain pieces of evidence, you have to be prepared for anything. "[5]
U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke with Kennedy's older sister, Caroline, and paternal uncle, Ted. Clinton also spoke to Andrew Cuomo, who was married to Kennedy's cousin, Kerry, at the time. "He wanted to let them know he was thinking about them, that we'll do everything we can, and that our prayers are with them", Clinton spokesman Joe Lockhart said. [5] Clinton ordered U.S. Navy warships to assist in the search for Kennedy's plane. Critics argued that the search was an abuse of taxpayer dollars, as no ordinary citizen would receive similar treatment. [11] Clinton said that afternoon that the Kennedys had "suffered much, and given more", and he also called for them to feel "the strength of God, the love of their friends and the prayers of their fellow citizens". On July 19, the NOAA vessel Rude finally located fragments of Kennedy's plane using side-scan sonar. Rude captured high-resolution images which were used to create a three-dimensional map of the ocean floor. [12] At 11:30 p.m. on July 20, the salvage ship USNS Grasp (T-ARS-51) identified the plane's fuselage. [13] Navy divers found parts of the plane strewn over a broad area of seabed 120 feet (37 m) below the surface,[14] approximately 7.5 miles (12.1 km) west of Martha's Vineyard. [1]
On the afternoon of July 21, divers recovered the bodies of Kennedy and the Bessette sisters. Divers found the Bessette sisters near the fuselage, while Kennedy himself was still strapped in his seat. [10] Coast Guard Admiral Richard M. Larrabee said that all three bodies were "near and under" the fuselage, still strapped in. [15] The bodies were taken to the county medical examiner's office by motorcade. [13][16] Autopsies on the evening of July 21 performed by the county medical examiner found that all three had died upon impact. At the same time, the Kennedy and Bessette families announced their plans for memorial services. [16] After the autopsies were completed, the three bodies were taken from Hyannis to Duxbury, Massachusetts, where they were cremated in the Mayflower Cemetery crematorium. [17]
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officially declared that Kennedy's plane had crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. The probable cause of the crash was "the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation". [1] Kennedy was not qualified to fly his plane by "instruments only". The crash occurred in conditions not legally requiring such qualification. Other pilots flying similar routes on the night of the crash reported no visual horizon due to haze. [1]
Haze and visibility
Atmospheric conditions along Kennedy's flight path on the night of the crash were occasionally hazy, which can lead to spatial disorientation for pilots. The weather was officially listed as "visual meteorological conditions" (VMC), which allowed Kennedy to fly under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) rather than Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), especially since he lacked an instrument rating. The visibility was very poor in Essex County, New Jersey and airports along Kennedy's flight path reported visibility between five and eight miles with haze and a few clouds. Some pilots flying similar routes as Kennedy on the night of the accident reported no visual horizon over water because of haze. Also, the NTSB reported on one pilot who cancelled a similar flight that evening due to "poor" weather. The conditions near the crash site were: "Clear skies at or below 12,000 feet; visibility 10 miles".
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Air crash
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2014 Albanian demonstrations in the Republic of Macedonia
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The 2013 Albanian demonstrations in Macedonia was a wave of violent protests and a period of ethnic tensions among the Albanian minority in Macedonia in March 2013 over an controversial appointment of former ethnic Albanian guerrilla commander Talat Xhaferi as the country’s defence minister. 22 were injured during fighting between demonstrators and police as the military was sent in to quell the rioting and ethnic tensions that flared over the next few days. Protests rocked villages and Albanian-majority streets, where demonstrators threw stones at police who later fired Tear gas to disperse protesters. Rallies, Demonstrations, Marches and Protest unrest was organised among Albanian youths and young people. Rioters set fire on stations and pelted stones after reports that ethnic Albanians were attacked during youth-led protests in Macedonia against he appointment of the Albanian defence minister. [1][2]
Thick plum of smoke arose in Skopje after cars was set alight and protesters was attacked by the military. Rioters was met with Tear gas and live shots, tanks pushed protesters off the streets. Mobs kept attacking the police cars and ethnic Macedonians staged protests and thousands participated in rival rallies and demonstrations in the country. Protesters continued protests and rioting over the next few days amid violence and widespread attacks by police and violence between police and ethnic groups on both sides. Albanian demonstrators said their were hooligans who staged rallies for the days before the uprising but protesters (Macedonians) said they were ordinary youth. 1 was critically wounded and 22 were injured in the battles. [3][4]
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Protest_Online Condemnation
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Pregnant celebrity brides: Jennifer Garner, Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore and more
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Rachel Avery Pregnant celebrity brides who married while expecting a baby: Heidi Klum, Camila Alves, Lily Allen, Alicia Keys and Jessica Alba. From Jessica Alba to Drew Barrymore , there are actually quite a few celebrity brides who tied the knot while pregnant - Katy Perry even planned to say "I do" while expecting her first child, but the coronavirus pandemic caused her to postpone her wedding in Japan . Some expectant brides sported barely-there bumps and others were positively blooming, here are the incredible women who celebrated their big day while pregnant. SEE: The celeb brides who wore their wedding dresses twice Lily Allen and Sam Cooper Lily Allen had a non-traditional wedding to David Harbour in Las Vegas in 2020 but back in 2011 she married Sam Cooper in a quaint village wedding in Gloucestershire. The singer and her then-husband decided to announce their baby news at their wedding breakfast, and the bride showed off just a tiny hint of a bump. Lily Allen has a very small bump when she announced her pregnancy on her wedding day Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey Brazilian model and designer Camila Alves married Matthew McConaughey at their home in Texas in June 2012. Camila was pregnant with their son Livingston who was born in the December of that year. The couple married in 2012 Heidi Klum and Seal Supermodel Heidi married singer Seal at his beachfront home in Mexico in May in 2005 while she was carrying their son Henry. The couple sadly split in 2014 and Heidi is now married to guitarist Tom Kaulitz. Heidi Klum also attended many star-studded events while heavily pregnant Jessica Alba and Cash Warren Jessica Alba met producer Cash Warren when she was filming Fantastic Four. The couple then married in 2008 in Los Angeles, three years after the film came out. Very heavily pregnant at the time, Jessica gave birth just one month after saying "I do". Super-bride Jessica Alba gave birth just one month after getting married Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Alicia Keys set the bar high for glowing pregnant brides as she was over six months pregnant at the time. The singer married Swizz Beatz on the gorgeous French island of Corsica on 31 July 2010, and wore a gorgeous Vera Wang Grecian gown for her big day. The couple are still happily married and recently celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary, where Alicia revealed Swizz Beatz was her "dream come true."
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Famous Person - Marriage
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Bangalore circus fire
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The Bangalore circus fire occurred on 7 February 1981 at the Venus Circus in Bangalore, India, where more than 92 lives were lost, the majority of them being children. The circus fire had some similarities to the Hartford circus fire, which occurred on the afternoon of 6 July 1944. The fire swept the main tent of the circus, which crashed down in flames onto a crowd of about 4,000 people, setting off a stampede towards the exits. [1] The fire disaster claimed 92 lives and 300 others were injured. [2] 56 of those killed, and many of those hurt, were school children. [3] More children were killed in the stampede than by the fire. 21 adults who died were mothers and teachers who had brought the children to the special Saturday matinee for kids. Several of the burn victims were charred beyond recognition. A total of 119 patients were treated in the Burns centre at Victoria Hospital. Fourteen patients with more than 80 percent burns died within 48 hours of the disaster. 32 patients were operated by skin grafting or flap procedures. [2]
The cause of the fire was speculated to be a discarded cigarette[3]. [4] The blaze erupted at the back gate as a three-hour matinee [5]
had ended and the spectators were moving towards the exits. Apart from the spectators inside, another huge crowd was waiting outside the tent for the next show. [4]
The flames quickly spread through the canvas top and wooden bleachers,[3] whipped by strong winds. It took only 15 minutes for the fire to consume the tent, long before the first fire engines arrived. [4] The 4000-seater spectator gallery was also destroyed during the fire. Help could not be sought immediately as the telephone lines were dead. Many of the female performers ran into the fire to save the children. No animals were hurt as they were not inside the ring at the time, and employees pulled caged tigers and lions away from the blaze. Elephants and horses broke their tethers and escaped to safety. [4]
.
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Fire
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2021 Kilmarnock incidents
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On 4 February 2021, three separate fatal incidents occurred in Kilmarnock, Scotland. The incidents were thought to be linked and involve the same 40-year man. In the first, a woman died after being injured outside University Hospital Crosshouse. In the second a woman died after being stabbed in the town. In the third, the man was killed in a road crash just off the A76. Armed Police Scotland officers attended the scene at University Hospital Crosshouse before putting the site into a police lockdown. Police Scotland Ayrshire division had ruled out any connection to the attacks being terrorism related. [1]
On 5 February 2021, police confirmed that a woman who was injured outside University Hospital Crosshouse had died as a result of her injuries, whilst her daughter, a 24 year old woman, who was stabbed at Portland Street also died as a result of her injuries. The man also later died following his injuries as a result of crashing his car on a road off the A76. [2]
At about 7:45 pm on the evening of 4 February 2021, a 39-year-old woman was found injured at the University Hospital Crosshouse car park, and was later declared dead at the scene. [3] The hospital was placed under a police lockdown after the incident and all ambulance and hospital traffic was diverted to University Hospital Ayr as a result. [4]
Shortly fter 11:00pm on 4 February 2021, NHS Ayrshire and Arran confirmed that the lockdown at the hospital had been lifted and it was safe for staff and patients to come, though a large police presence would remain on the scene. [5][6]
About 20 minutes following the attack at University Hospital Crosshouse, a second incident occurred in the town centre by the railway viaduct. At 8:05 pm, a 24-year-old woman was stabbed and seriously wounded. [3] She was taken to hospital where she later died from her wounds. [3] Portland Street, where the viaduct is situated, was cornered off by police attending the scene, with all traffic being diverted away from the area. [7] The public were strongly urged to stay away from the area. [8][9]
At around 8:30pm, an hour following the first incident at University Hospital Crosshouse, police responded to a "serious road collision" just off the A76 road, south of Kilmarnock. A 40-year-old man, alleged to have been involved in the earlier incidents died in the crash. After the crash, police confirmed it is not looking for anyone else as part of the investigation and there is no ongoing threat to the public. [10][11][9]
A statement issued from Police Scotland noted that "Officers in Kilmarnock are currently dealing with two serious incidents in the town at this time, one at Crosshouse Hospital and a second in Portland Street. These areas are cordoned off and the public are asked to avoid them at this time. "[12] In a statement, Crawford McGuffie, medical director at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: "NHS Ayrshire and Arran is aware of an incident in the grounds of University Hospital Crosshouse. As a result, the hospital has been under lockdown, and ambulances diverted to University Hospital Ayr. We are assisting Police Scotland with their investigations, and to ensure the safety of staff, patients and visitors. As this is a Police Scotland incident, we are unable to comment any further at this time. "[12]
NHS Ayrshire and Arran issued assurance that the risk to the public was deemed to be "minimal", leading to the lockdown being lifted at University Hospital Crosshouse several hours later. In an additional statement, Crawford McGuffie said "We would like to reassure anyone coming to the hospital, in particular to any patients or staff coming on shift, that Police Scotland have confirmed it is safe to do so. However, if you are worried, please speak to the onsite Police Scotland officers. "[6]
In a statement on 5 February 2021, a Police Scotland spokesperson said "A number of locations remain cordoned off as officers continue to conduct inquiries. We are working to confirm the full circumstances of what has happened. Understandably, people will be shocked by what has happened. We are still in the process of establishing the full circumstances, however, I would like to reassure people that there is no wider threat to the community. "[2]
The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon responded immediately after the incident was declared and told people to follow police guidance. She sent out her condolences to those affected and shared her gratitude towards the emergency services and told the public to continue following police advice. [13][14]
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, sent his condolences to the family and friends of those affected at the beginning of the Scottish Government's daily coronavirus briefing. [15] Other ministers from the Scottish Government such as Jeane Freeman, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Justice also shared their thoughts with those affected and told the public to follow police guidance. [16][17][18][19]
Other politicians who publicly expressed their condolences were Douglas Ross MP for Moray, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Monica Lennon MSP for Central Scotland as well as Barry Douglas, the local councillor for the Kilmarnock East and Hurlford ward of East Ayrshire Council who tweeted "Thoughts are with everyone involved in the incidents that have taken place. "[20][21]
A spokesperson for East Ayrshire Council, the council area in which the attacks occurred, issued a statement on 5 February, stating "we know that our communities will be shocked and saddened by these events, but we wish to reassure you that there is no risk to the general public",[22] adding that "as this is an ongoing police matter, we need to keep a number of roads in Kilmarnock town centre closed and diversions are in place, and on the A76, to allow the investigation to continue". [22][23]
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Road Crash
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Ryan International Airlines Flight 590 crash
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Ryan International Airlines Flight 590 was a cargo flight carrying mail for the United States Postal Service from Greater Buffalo International Airport (BUF) in Buffalo, New York, to Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in Indiana, with a stopover at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) in Cleveland, Ohio. On February 17, 1991, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15RC operating the flight crashed on takeoff from Cleveland during icing conditions. Both pilots, the aircraft's only occupants, were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the causes of the crash were the flight crew failing to de-ice their aircraft, as well as the inexperience of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), McDonnell Douglas, and Ryan International Airlines with icing condition on DC-9-10 aircraft (the shortest variant of the DC-9). [1][2]
The aircraft involved was a 22-year-old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15RC (Rapid Change) registered as N565PC. The -15 is a sub variant of the series 10 of DC-9s. The accident aircraft first flew in 1968 and was delivered to Continental Airlines as a passenger aircraft in July of that same year, registered as N8919. The aircraft operated with Continental for five years. In October 1973 the aircraft was delivered to Hughes Airwest and re-registered as N9351. Seven years later, in October 1980, the aircraft was transferred to Republic Airlines, which operated the aircraft until June 1984, when it was converted into a freighter and delivered to Purolater Courier. Three months later the aircraft was registered as N565PC. In October 1987 the aircraft was transferred to Emery Worldwide. Ryan International Airlines began to operate the aircraft in 1989. [3]
The captain was 44-year-old David Reay. He had flown with Ryan Air International since 1989 and logged 10,505 flight hours, including 505 hours on the DC-9. [1]:5–6[4]
Reay was described "as a pilot with average skills who took criticism well," and "having very good command authority and being smooth on the controls." However, Reay had been involved in disciplinary action at the airline twice. The first was in August 1990 where he landed an aircraft without computing the proper data. The second was when he gained access to the jumpseat of an aircraft operated by a different airline by using an unauthorized identity card. Reay received a written warning on the first offense and a verbal warning on the second. Reay had also been involved in a business venture where he distributed literature claiming that he was in a partnership with the airline. After a talk with the airline's president, Reay reclaimed the literature. Reay had previously made a similar claim with another flight position, which resulted in him being removed from it. Despite this activity, Reay had no criminal arrests, nor had he been involved any vehicular accidents. [1]:87–88[5]
The first officer was 28-year-old Richard Duney Jr., who was far less experienced, having only been with the airline since January 28, 1991, less than a month before the accident. However, prior to joining RIA, he had been a pilot for a commuter airline from 1986 to 1989 and had served as a first officer on the DC-9 with USAir, but was laid off in 1991. Duney had 3,820 flight hours, with 510 of them on the DC-9. [1]:6,88
The airline's chief pilot described Duney as "very personable and eager to do a good job." However, on March 28, 1990, Duney was involved in a car accident, though no charges were filed. Duney did not have any criminal history. [1]:88
At 23:50, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued the following weather report at CLE:
Time--2350; type--record special; ceiling--indefinite, 1,500 feet obscured; visibility--1 mile variable; weather-- light snow; temperature--23°F; dewpoint--19°F; wind-- 220 degrees at 14 knots; altimeter--29.91 inches; remarks-- runway 5R visual range 6,000 feet plus, visibility 3/4 mile variable 1 1/2 miles. [1]:7
The National Aviation Weather Unit (NAWU) warned pilots flying into Ohio that there were icing conditions and turbulence. No AIRMETs (airman's meteorological information) were in effect. [1]:9–10
The NWS forecast at CLE was as follows:
Ceiling 1,000 feet obscured, visibility 1 mile in light snow and blowing snow, wind 220 degrees 20 knots gusting to 30 knots. Occasionally ceiling 2,000 feet overcast, visibility 4 miles in light snow. Low-level windshear. After 2300: ceiling 4,000 feet overcast, visibility 5 miles in light snow, wind 210 degrees 18 knots gusting to 28 knots. Occasionally ceiling 2,000 feet overcast, visibility 2 miles in light snow and blowing snow. Low-level windshear. After 0700: ceiling 4,500 feet overcast, wind 320 degrees 7 knots, chance of light snow showers. After 1400: VFR. [1]:9–10
In other words, the weather was dangerously cold with the temperature at 23 °F (−5 °C), enough to cause ice to accumulate on aircraft, and the dew point at 19 °F (−7 °C). There was light snow and strong winds blowing at 14 knots (16 mph; 26 km/h), increasing the risk of windshear. Pilots could only operate under instrument flight rules until 14:00 the next day. [1]:10
Flight 590 departed Buffalo at 22:55 Eastern Standard Time (EST) on February 16. The flight landed at Cleveland at 23:44. [1]:1
During Flight 590's approach into Cleveland, two other flights (one which had just departed and another one which was landing) both reported icing conditions. The approach controller told Flight 590 during its approach: "two pilot reports moderate rime icing reported 7,000 feet on to the surface during the descent that was by a 727, and also moderate chop turbulence from 4,000 feet on to the surface." The crew of Flight 590 acknowledged the transmission. [1]:1
After landing, the aircraft taxied to the mail ramp where mail bound for Cleveland was unloaded and new mail bound for Indianapolis was loaded.
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Air crash
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Trump: U.S. 'Will Withdraw' From Iran Nuclear Deal
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"The fact is this was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever have been made," President Trump said Tuesday from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.
Evan Vucci/AP
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"The fact is this was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever have been made," President Trump said Tuesday from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.
Updated at 6:36 p.m. ET
President Trump announced Tuesday that he has decided to exit a 2015 multinational agreement in which Iran agreed to limit its production of nuclear weapons material.
"I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal," Trump said.
He said the U.S. will reimpose economic sanctions that were lifted as part of the U.S. commitments made in the deal.
The U.S. has been repeatedly waiving sanctions that curtail Iran's oil sales, but those sanctions waivers faced a Saturday deadline, prompting Trump's move Tuesday.
Trump made the announcement during a speech at the White House.
"The fact is this was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever have been made," he said.
"It didn't bring calm, it didn't bring peace, and it never will," he also said.
Speaking in a nationally televised address, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called Trump a "bothersome creature." Rouhani also said Iran would attempt to hold talks with the other world powers in the deal to see whether the agreement can be continued. But if it can't, he said, Iran's atomic energy organization is prepared to restart nuclear activities.
Also speaking in a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement is historic. Netanyahu thanked Trump for his "courageous leadership" and "commitment to confront the terrorist regime in Tehran."
In a statement, Saudi Arabia said it "supports and welcomes the steps announced" by Trump. "The Kingdom also supports reinstating economic sanctions on the Iranian regime."
Trump's repudiation of the agreement was called "misguided" by former President Barack Obama, whose administration negotiated it. In a joint statement, the leaders of Great Britain, France and Germany, which all signed the agreement, expressed "regret and concern."
Speaking slowly and deliberately, Trump did not mention his predecessor by name but clearly had the Obama administration in mind.
Trump called the agreement, which was drafted along with U.S. allies, "poorly negotiated."
The president also said that at a time when the U.S. "had maximum leverage, this disastrous deal gave Iran many billions of dollars, some of it in actual cash," which Trump called "a great embarrassment to me as a citizen and to all citizens."
"It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement," Trump said, calling it "defective at its core."
Trump justified his decision by citing what he sees as flaws in the deal. He called the sunset provisions of the agreement, which allow Iran to resume its nuclear enrichment program when the agreement phases out by 2030, "totally unacceptable." If allowed to stand, he said, the agreement would spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. "Everyone would want their weapons ready by the time Iran had theirs," the president warned.
Trump also criticized the agreement's inspection provisions, which he called inadequate, and its failure to prevent Iran from building ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.
In a statement, Obama, who rarely addresses actions of his successor, said the agreement is working and "has significantly rolled back Iran's nuclear program."
Walking away from it "turns our back on America's closest allies," the former president said.
Obama added, "In a democracy, there will always be changes in policies and priorities from one Administration to the next. But the consistent flouting of agreements that our country is a party to risks eroding America's credibility, and puts us at odds with the world's major powers. Debates in our country should be informed by facts, especially debates that have proven to be divisive."
There are few issues more important to the security of the US than the potential spread of nuclear weapons or the potential for even more destructive war in the Middle East. Today’s decision to put the JCPOA at risk is a serious mistake. My full statement: https://t.co/4oTdXESbxe
Trump said he consulted extensively with U.S. allies in Europe and in the Middle East. "We are unified in our understanding of the threat," Trump said, "and in our conviction that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon."
The path ahead is unclear. In their statement, British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the U.S. to "do everything possible to preserve the gains for nuclear non-proliferation brought about" by the agreement "by allowing for a continued enforcement of its main elements."
The leaders also encouraged Iran "to show restraint in response to the decision by the US; Iran must continue to meet its own obligations under the deal, cooperating fully and in a timely manner with IAEA inspection requirements."
The three European leaders also said they remained committed to the agreement. "We urge all sides to remain committed to its full implementation and to act in a spirit of responsibility," the trio said.
France, Germany, and the UK regret the U.S. decision to leave the JCPOA. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake.
After his remarks, Trump signed a presidential memorandum that he said reinstates "the highest level" of economic sanctions on Iran and said any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also face sanctions.
Trump also declared Tuesday that "America will not be held hostage by nuclear blackmail."
The president added that his action "sends a critical message" that the U.S. "no longer makes empty threats." Instead, Trump explained, "when I make promises, I keep them."
Trump also announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on his way to North Korea for talks in preparation for a planned summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "Plans are being made, relationships are building, hopefully a deal will happen," Trump said.
Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a rally against the Iran nuclear deal on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on September 9, 2015, in Washington, D.C.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a rally against the Iran nuclear deal on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on September 9, 2015, in Washington, D.C.
The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee criticized Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran pact.
"With this decision President Trump is risking U.S. national security, recklessly upending foundational partnerships with key U.S. allies in Europe and gambling with Israel's security," Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said in a statement. "Today's withdrawal from the [deal] makes it more likely Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program in the future."
"The governments of Iran, Russia, and China will seize this opportunity of self-imposed U.S. isolation to continue major weapons sales, deepen economic ties, and further challenge the United States and Europe not only in the Middle East but in other areas like North Korea," Menendez also said.
Republicans praised Trump's action. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said that "the Obama-era agreement" was "deeply flawed" and that Trump's announcement was "as strong statement that we can and must do better."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., responded on Twitter with a substantial thread of criticism of the president's decision.
Trump faced a May 12 deadline to decide whether to continue to waive certain sanctions that would prevent countries or companies from buying oil from Iran. Imposing the sanctions would effectively breach the deal.
The president has repeatedly bashed the Iran nuclear agreement, calling it one of the worst deals he has ever witnessed. During his presidential campaign, Trump had promised to "dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran."
The 2015 agreement with Iran was negotiated by the Obama administration and signed by the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, China and Russia.
As a part of the deal, Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear weapons program and ongoing inspections in return for relief from economic sanctions.
Critics of the deal argue that it gave away too much without addressing other critical issues, including Iran's development of ballistic missiles and its support of destabilizing actions in the Middle East.
There are also concerns that certain provisions of the deal are not permanent, potentially allowing Iran to restart its nuclear program.
After entering office, Trump continued to have harsh words for the deal, but he had stopped short of actually pulling the United States out of the agreement.
There were disputes in the White House and the Cabinet about how to handle the Iran deal. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former national security adviser H.R. McMaster both backed staying in the agreement, a view that put the officials at odds with Trump.
The recently confirmed Pompeo and new national security adviser John Bolton are much more hawkish on Iran.
European allies had urged the president to stick with deal, despite his misgivings. Macron, who was treated to an official state visit at the White House last month, said the agreement could be kept in place while the countries work to craft a new and more comprehensive pact.
Even some opponents of the deal in Congress said it would be best to remain in the agreement until something better was put in place.
"I believe the best path forward at this point is to continue pushing to fix these flaws as we enforce the hell out of the deal," said Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., the head of the House Foreign Affairs committee, in a statement before Trump's announcement.
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Tear Up Agreement
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Bank robber jailed for nine years
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A County Court judge says a Warrnambool man who robbed a bank was motivated by his gambling addiction. 34-year-old Bradley Armitstead has been jailed for nine years for armed robberies at the Seymour bank and the Warrnambool Football Club gaming room, late last year. Judge Tim Woods said Armitstead's prospects of rehabilitation were slim, unless he overcame his gambling problem and stopped abusing drugs and alcohol. Armitstead has been sentenced to nine years jail and will be eligible for parole in six.
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Bank Robbery
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Raab: UK could withhold aid to Afghanistan to hold Taliban to account
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Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday suggested the United Kingdom could withhold aid to Afghanistan to hold the Taliban to account, even as calls grew for the government to step up relief efforts to the region. The U.K. spent £292 million on bilateral aid in Afghanistan in 2019, according to official statistics, but has allocated £93.8 million for the 2021-2022 financial year. An additional Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office humanitarian crisis reserve is worth £30 million, but FCDO did not respond to questions asking if it would change in light of the crisis. More reading: ► Afghanistan: Aid organizations face uncertain future under Taliban ► As US pulls out of Afghanistan, development must adjust, experts say ► Opinion: The international community must not abandon Afghanistan It is also unclear how development in the country will proceed in the future, with many U.K.-based NGOs remaining tight-lipped due to the sensitivities and fast-moving nature of the situation. The HALO Trust, a charity that clears land mines, tweeted: “We will continue to serve the people of Afghanistan. We will persist.” Raab, who was criticized for being on vacation while the situation in Afghanistan was worsening, broke his silence about events there late Monday afternoon. He insisted “there are levers” for holding the Taliban accountable, ranging from “sanctions that we can apply to the ODA [official development assistance] that we will hold back, pending reform.” Preet Kaur Gill, shadow international development secretary, called for humanitarian aid and assistance to be ramped up in the countries neighboring Afghanistan, which are expected to soon host large numbers of refugees. She also called for a plan to ensure the safety of development programs, particularly those focused on helping women and girls. “There must be a coordinated approach and response … to make sure especially those that are left in Afghanistan get the support they need,” she said. The U.K. has a “debt of honor” according to Andrew Mitchell, the Conservative member of Parliament who organized a rebellion against the government's aid budget cuts. “When and if conditions allow we must continue to provide expertise and development money to build state capacity to provide for the people of Afghanistan, whether through educating girls, assuring perinatal healthcare, or continuing the work strengthening local governance structures where British expertise and brave development personnel made a quantifiable difference,” he told Devex. A comprehensive look at the day’s top global development breaking news, analysis, and opinion Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for foreign affairs and international development, called for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to work with international allies to create a “safe corridor of land from Kabul to an international border.” She said this might offer an escape route from a “murderous, tyrannical and barbaric regime,” adding, “All those who need to escape the Taliban, especially women and girls, must be given the chance.” “To pull the rug out from our allies like this is short-sighted, narrow-minded and indefensible.” The concern for women and girls was also echoed by Sarah Champion, chair of the International Development Committee of MPs. She called for the U.K. to fulfill “any pledged donations quickly and completely,” adding, “Doing anything else will be a betrayal of the Afghan people and the legacy of the soldiers who lost their lives in the pursuit of their freedom.” “At the very least, anyone that’s been working for a British financed NGO, anyone that’s been working with our troops or humanitarian work, ought to be guaranteed at least a safe passage, if not asylum status in this country,” Champion told Devex. The U.K. government’s aid cuts to Afghanistan, alongside the withdrawal of troops, had left “the country’s fragile democracy to crumble,” according to Stewart McDonald, Scottish National Party spokesperson for defense. “To pull the rug out from our allies like this is short-sighted, narrow-minded and indefensible. Aid spending on Afghanistan must be increased, and the impending cut to the overseas aid budget must be cancelled and reinstated at 0.7% [of gross national income] immediately,” he said in a statement.
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Financial Aid
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No longer a rainforest: B.C.’s Sunshine Coast improvises to survive long-term drought
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This story is part of When in Drought, a series about threats to B.C.’s imperilled freshwater systems and the communities working to implement solutions. Almost buried in sand at the edge of Paul Nash’s prolific urban farm in Sechelt is an inflatable children’s swimming pool, filled to the brim with one of the most precious commodities on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast. Water. An unrelenting drought is parching southern communities on the Sunshine Coast, just north of Vancouver, and, as officials warn that the region is on the brink of running out of water, residents are nervously eyeing the long range forecast of dry weather. After two months with only occasional sprinkles of rain, water levels on Chapman Lake, which supplies water to more than 85 per cent of Sunshine Coast residents, have dropped precipitously. Pleas to the public to cut water use, enforcement and identification of water profligates or residents with unfixed water leaks, are having some effect, but, without multiple days of more than 25 millimetres of rain a day, combined with a further drop in water usage, the Chapman water supply could run out by late September. It is obvious that the Sunshine Coast can no longer be considered a rainforest, at least in summer, says Sunshine Coast Regional District chair Lori Pratt, who has been on an emotional roller coaster as the crisis has progressed. “We really are in a very dire situation,” Pratt says. “I lose a lot of sleep over this,” she says, wiping back inadvertent tears. Even after the rains come, it will not allay concerns that summer droughts are becoming the norm. Stage four water restrictions, which forbid any outside use of tap water, were imposed in 2015 for 22 days, 2017 for 25 days and 2018 for 14 days. This year brought the earliest-ever clampdown, with stage four restrictions kicking in on Aug. 10 and now extending past 30 days with no immediate signs of letting up. Despite those restrictions, water levels continue to drop and in late August the district opened its Emergency Operations Centre, meaning it is ready for action if a state of emergency is declared. That would likely mean shutting off all users that are not supporting human health — essentially the hospital and long-term care facilities — firefighting or drinking water, says Remko Rosenboom, Sunshine Coast Regional District general manager of infrastructure services. Homes could be without water for part of the day and some non-essential industries and businesses could temporarily be forced to close, warns the regional district. “We have breweries on the coast, we have cement factories on the coast and other companies that are using significant amounts of water and, if every drop counts, every drop counts,” Rosenboom says. Innovation is thriving as residents figure out how to continue farming or growing vegetable gardens during the drought and the emergency has triggered an extraordinary community effort to deliver totes of water to those in need. At Ruby’s Run urban farm in Sechelt, Nash is adjusting the hoses on his new swimming pool storage system. With stage four restrictions, Nash, who intensively farms three-quarters of an acre of leased land, knew his preexisting 1,000-litre storage tank would not be sufficient and racked his brains to come up with water storage ideas. The answer came as he watched his neighbour’s grandchildren playing in a plastic pool. “I looked across and thought ‘that’s water storage,’ ” Nash says. A quick check online showed two pools were available locally and Nash says he “burnt rubber” to get to the store. He set up the 10,000-litre pool before visiting a friend with a well, carting water back in tanks and, finally, setting up pumps for the drip systems that now keep his plants alive. “At three a.m. I completed it. That was 24 hours for the project, from concept to completion … It’s the cheapest, simplest thing and at the end of the season we can deflate it and roll it up. And it cost me $250,” Nash says. At Ruby’s Run, the strawberries, potatoes, garlic, carrots, flowers and myriad other fruits and vegetables — many growing in raised boxes above other plantings, allowing run-through drip irrigation to be used twice — produce will be harvested earlier than usual, but, for this year, the farm has dodged a bullet. However, Sunshine Coast residents are coming to the realization that being on the front line of climate change is likely to mean annual droughts. Many are grappling with the question of whether it is a personal or government responsibility to ensure farms and other businesses have a steady water supply. Bill Stockwell, owner of Central Coast Concrete and Stockwell Sand and Gravel, said, like many other industries in the area, he has his own water supply through a water licence on a spring on his property. “We do have lots of water, we just have a storage problem,” he says, noting that his company recycles all water used for processes such as washing gravel. “All my water goes straight through wash pads and settling ponds, where the sediment settles out, and then I reuse the water to wash my aggregate, so I use it over and over again. I do lose water to evaporation and stuff that sticks to the rocks, but for the most part, if I didn’t recycle, I wouldn’t have enough water,” he says. It is difficult to rely on the district water system because water shortages have not been taken seriously, says Stockwell, who believes it will take a full-blown crisis, such as running completely out of water, to get all levels of government working together to solve the problem. In the meantime, Stockwell is planning on putting in a well for backup and has steel tanks that provide 20,000 gallons of storage on his property. The neighbouring mine, Lehigh Cement Company, has its own well and recycles water and many other commercial users do the same, he says. It’s a part of the way many on the Sunshine Coast are bearing the costs of continuing to live and work in the area. That cost is definitely being felt by farmers, Nash says. “If we want free water that falls from the sky, we are going to have to pay to store it. If we are going to ask the government to solve the problem, there’s a cost to that too,” Nash says. “If you haven’t got water, you have nothing, so, whatever it costs, it’s worth it. If doing water management is going to break you, the farm wasn’t viable in the first place,” Nash says, who knows some are already turning to dryland farming, which include techniques and methods to store water and adapt to growing crops without irrigation but within perpetually dry conditions. At Farmer Dan’s Farm Stand, the piles of tomatoes, garlic and onions did not require intensive watering. “But I won’t have enough water to be doing new seedings,” says farmer Dan White. “If there’s no rain, I don’t really have the money this year, or the systems in place, to get delivered water onto my crops. The cost of drilling a deep well can stretch into tens of thousands of dollars, which small farms like White’s, running on marginal profits, cannot afford. “I hope the carrots have long taproots and, with some mulching, they’ll be able to cruise to maturity … I’m just going to have to ride out the watering restrictions and harvest what I can,” he says. White, with farming in his blood, has no intention of giving up. “But I’m probably going to have to get a real job over the winter,” he says. At Hough Heritage Farm, Raquel Kolof, Sunshine Coast Farmers Institute president, invested more than $20,000 in a well and thousands more in electrical and pumping equipment after struggling through previous water restrictions. Like much of the Sunshine Coast, there is water under the ground on Kolof’s property, but, until a well was dug, much of it was not accessible. Striding through green pastures, where Berkshire pigs, Icelandic sheep, turkeys and unusual breeds of goats graze together and ducks swim on a series of ponds, Kolof has no doubt drilling a well was money well spent. “It’s a big financial burden, but, if people can do it, it is well worth it,” says Kolof, who is passionate about the need to produce sustainable local food and wants government to pay more attention to other outdoor water users, such as the construction industry. A farm with animals feeds the soil and ensures that water goes back into the aquifer, she says, picking up a handful of richly composted dirt. “This is animal poop in action,” she says. “When we unfairly look at farms as water users, we are not acknowledging the role that we play in stewarding water,” she says. In a region laced with small farms, where many residents rely on home gardens to stock freezers, the water restrictions came as a bitter blow. The regional district, faced with dismay from farmers, who were in peak growing and harvesting season, gave those with ‘farm class status’ a two-week exemption from the watering restrictions, but the farm status rule means, while 16 farms are temporarily able to continue watering, numerous non-status farms are unable to irrigate their crops. The saviour for many is an unprecedented community effort which has seen breweries, cideries and industry joining forces with volunteers to save unused water, or pick up well water in 1,000 gallon totes, which are then delivered to small farms or those with home gardens. Walking through lush community gardens in Roberts Creek, Casandra Fletcher, board chair of the One Straw Society, which aims to create local, sustainable food systems, says there was panic when water restrictions were brought in, especially as some of the affected farms grow for the food bank. “It was pretty crazy and I called a meeting with organizations and local governments — everyone connected with food growing,” she says. Out of that came Project Water Box, led by Fletcher and Brian Smith, CEO of Persephone Brewing Company, which operates both a brewery and a farm. Breweries and cideries offered their 1,000-litre plastic totes and excess grey water and, within 48 hours, 100 people who needed water signed up, while those with pickup trucks and companies with tankers, offered to deliver the water. “It was an amazing pulling together of the community. … It was pretty darn beautiful,” Fletcher says. Applicants were “triaged,” with food-growing farms given priority, and trucks now deliver water to more than 100 people along an 80 kilometre stretch of highway, including remote, rural properties, Fletcher says. The program has also ordered 100 more totes, which will be sold for water storage during the rainy season, as one step towards community resiliency. Smith, whose brewery runs tasting rooms and picnic areas, as well as growing much of the food sold to visitors, says most excess water at the brewery comes from cooling the beer, with cold water running around hot pipes. “As it warms up, that cold water becomes wastewater, but it is clean. It hasn’t been contaminated in any way, so we have been capturing that,” Smith says. “Being a farm, we are critically aware of the importance of water … and then it occurred to us that we probably have more water than we need here, so we started cooperating with the One Straw Society to get it to others,” he says. The totes, which sit empty for much of the year, were the next part of the equation and friends joined the push to bring in more totes or offer water from wells, Smith says. “So now, my guess is there’s probably been more than 100 totes brought to the Sunshine Coast, so that’s a hundred thousand litres of new water storage,” he says. At Sunday Cider the smell of fermenting apples is drifting over the picnic area as Patrick Connelly does a quick walk through the trees. Once apple trees are established, they do not need much water, but most of the trees are young and the challenge is keeping them healthy during the drought. Climate change looms over all the water problems, which is why hardy apple trees are so important, Connelly says, pointing out that little, ugly apples make great cider while the trees help with carbon sequestration. The cidery does not have as much spare water as the breweries, but sustainability is its core value, so the business is doing what it can to support Project Water Box, Connelly says. “The thing that made the most sense was to offer our totes that are used for cider-making and for juice transport and storage and offer them to farms that need them to store water in site,” he says. But it is a stopgap measure and long-term solutions are needed, Connelly emphasizes, pointing out that the water problem has been apparent for at least 25 years. “I think the [Sunshine Coast Regional District] is working on it and understands the level of crisis, but there’s not a ton of action that has been taken that actually solves the problem,” he says. “We don’t want to plant and pray, we need to take rational measures.” Ione Smith of Upland Agricultural Consulting agrees that there is a history of missed opportunities. “When we worked on the agricultural area plan for the Sunshine Coast Regional District we recommended that the regional government play a better role in bulk purchasing cisterns or water storage tanks for farmers,” she tells The Narwhal. “There has been an opportunity for years to be prepared for this. Everyone knew the drought was coming. It was an opportunity missed by the entire community, from local government down, to get ahead of this.” As Sunshine Coast residents ponder how water shortages became so acute, there are recurring themes such as lack of infrastructure upgrades by previous regional district boards — apparently unwilling to be the targets of public blowback from increased taxes — provincial government delays in deciding on water licence applications, development and increased tourism. “Anyone who has been here more than a couple of years knows that water problems have not been solved. The community has been wrestling with that and trying to encourage our politicians to show a little bit of leadership, but it hasn’t happened. The infrastructure doesn’t exist yet,” Smith, from the Persephone Brewing Company, says. “The biggest missing piece is political will. … Political cycles are short and one of the fears of local politicians is that we live in a small community and they don’t want to be disliked,” he says. That appears to have changed with the current regional board and the sense of urgency is now palpable. District chair Pratt lays much of the blame at the feet of the provincial government and says that, with continual delays in making decisions on applications, such as use of the Church Road well site, a proposed groundwater well system, her feelings have progressed from frustration to downright anger. “We’re just waiting and it feels like every time we’ve got something ready, the goalposts have changed or they are expecting us to get more information,” she says. “Water expansion projects take a lot of time as you wait for provincial approvals and testing and feasibility studies on wells and aquifers. We’ve been denied the Chapman Lake expansion that would have allowed for accessing more water sources within that system,” she says. In 2018 Environment Minister George Heyman turned down an application to raise the dam after a divisive community debate. The changes would have meant either removing part of Tetrahedron Provincial Park, the largest protected area on the Sunshine Coast, or downgrading the park. Reliance on Chapman Lake means the water system is fragile, but the regional district has been trying to diversify, only to be stymied by provincial delays, although Pratt says she and others in the district hope the Church Road well site will be operational by next year. The Church Road application went to the province in 2019 and, that year, Doug Donaldson, then forests minister, said it was a top priority, Pratt says with exasperation. “He assured us at a face-to-face meeting at the Union of B.C. Municipalities that it would be given the highest priority for health and safety. We’ve followed the process. We are still waiting on licensing from the province,” she says. A spokesperson for the Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Ministry said there is ongoing consultation about the Church Road site with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and the Town of Gibsons has also submitted applications for the same groundwater source. Technical assessment is near the final stage and the province is working with municipalities to manage the aquifer “in a responsible and sustainable manner through a water management plan,” the spokesperson said. Although some are pointing at increased development and tourism as part of the problem, average population growth is between one and two per cent, says Pratt, who, in her non-political life, is a realtor who has also worked in the tourism industry. Last month the regional board stopped short of putting a moratorium on water service connections, which is one of the few ways the board can restrict development in rural areas where subdivision applications are approved by the province, but the board may revisit that motion, Pratt says. Residential water users were among the top water users in August 2021, according to a district presentation. Pratt doubts whether tourism can be restricted, but some, such as councillor Selena August, acting Chief of shíshálh (Sechelt) First Nation, worry that tourists and absentee landlords are creating problems because they are less concerned than locals about the ramifications of running out of water. “There has been a huge increase in visitors. I am looking at licence plates from Ontario, Alberta and the States. It’s crazy,” she says. Annie Wise, executive director of Sunshine Coast Tourism, says that she doesn’t see tourism as a primary driver of drought. “While there are more travellers in the summer months, I don’t think that’s what’s driving the water emergency — I think it’s climate change.”The district’s data shows a clear connection between a lack of water and water wasted via major water leaks, she says. And the bulk of tourists during summer months flock to the region’s largest resort properties in Pender Harbour and Egmont, Wise says, which rely on different water source from Chapman Lake that is not currently experiencing a water emergency. Five large siphons are now being used to pump water from depleted Chapman Lake, with district staff either having to hike the 18-kilometre round trip to the lake or hitch helicopter rides in to regularly check the siphons. The regional district is consulting with the shíshálh Nation about plans to siphon water from nearby Edwards Lake — a project that, once consultations are concluded, would need provincial approval — and there are ongoing negotiations with the Town of Gibsons, which draws its water from an aquifer, on re-opening a hookup into their system and then “paying back” the water to top up the aquifer once the rains start. If the regional district starts drawing water from the aquifer it is likely Gibsons to more severe water restrictions. Along Chapman Creek, at the intake for the nearby water treatment plant, a trickle of water is tumbling gently over a picturesque waterfall, a far cry from the torrent seen during wet weather.
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Droughts
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Russia Fatally Poisoned A Prominent Defector In London, A Court Concludes
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On his deathbed, Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence agent who defected, accused Vladimir Putin of ordering his assassination.
Alistair Fuller/AP
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On his deathbed, Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence agent who defected, accused Vladimir Putin of ordering his assassination.
The European Court of Human Rights has found the Kremlin responsible for the 2006 assassination by radiation poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence official who defected to the West.
Meanwhile, British police said Tuesday that they have identified a third suspect in a Russian-linked nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent in southern England.
Litvinenko died in London weeks after drinking tea that was later found to have been laced with the deadly radioactive compound polonium-210.
In its ruling, the ECHR said it "cannot but conclude" that two Russian intelligence agents, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, had killed Litvinenko "acting as agents of the respondent State [Russia]."
However, the court rejected a claim for punitive damages by Litvinenko's widow, Marina, who brought the case. The ECHR, also known as the Strasbourg court, is affiliated with the Council of Europe, which is distinct from the European Union.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement in Litvinenko's death, while Lugovoi and Kovtun have suggested that the defector may have poisoned himself. However, critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB officer, say Litvinenko's death is part of a deliberate policy to "liquidate" defectors.
On his deathbed, Litvinenko himself accused Putin of ordering his assassination.
The European court's decision is in line with the findings of a 2016 British inquiry into Litvinenko's death. It concluded that the FSB, the successor to the KGB, carried out the operation to kill him, which was "probably approved by Mr. [Nikolai] Patrushev, then head of the FSB, and also by President Putin."
British authorities on Tuesday also made a dramatic announcement in yet another high-profile case of a Russian-linked assassination plot on British soil. They named a third suspect in a plot three years ago to kill Sergei Skripal, a former agent of Russia's military intelligence branch, the GRU, and his daughter, Yulia.
After retiring, Skripal was arrested and convicted of working undercover for Britain's MI6. He spent several years in a Russian prison before arriving in the United Kingdom as part of a prisoner swap.
In March 2018, Skripal and Yulia were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury, southern England.
Authorities later said the Skripals had been poisoned with a nerve agent, Novichok, developed during the Cold War in a top-secret Russian laboratory. The two survived the attack.
British authorities, using surveillance video, later identified two Russian men, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, as suspects in the attack. Petrov and Boshirov, which London says are part of the GRU, were later charged in absentia with conspiracy to murder and attempted murder.
Police say they now have enough evidence to charge a third man, Denis Sergeev, alias Sergei Fedotov, with plotting to kill the Skripals. They say Fedotov met several times with Petrov and Boshirov ahead of the operation and returned to Russia ahead of the other two suspects.
"The government will continue to respond extremely robustly to the enduring and significant threat from the Russian state," British Home Secretary Priti Patel told Parliament on Tuesday, according to Reuters. "We respect the people of Russia but we will do whatever it takes, everything it takes to keep our country safe."
A previous version of this story said Sergei Skripal was once a member of Russia's foreign intelligence branch, the SVR. In fact, Skripal was a member of the military intelligence branch, the GRU.
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Mass Poisoning
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Thai Airways Flight 231 crash
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Thai Airways Flight 231 was a scheduled passenger flight that crashed on 27 April 1980. The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 operating the flight, registration HS-THB, stalled and crashed after entering a thunderstorm on approach to Bangkok. The accident killed 44 out of 53 passengers and crew on board. The aircraft was a Hawker-Siddeley HS 748 with registration HS-THB, built in 1964. The plane had completed 12,791 flight hours at the time of the accident. [1]
The flight took off from Khon Kaen Airport for Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. After about 40 minutes, Flight 231 was on approach to the airport, planning to land on runway 21R. It entered an area of rain, which turned out to be a severe thunderstorm, at 1500 feet. About a minute after entering the storm, a downdraft struck the plane, which caused the nose to go up and the plane to stall. The aircraft then went into a nose dive, which the pilot tried to pull the aircraft out of. The Hawker then banked slightly to the right, and was almost out of the dive when it crashed into the ground. The plane then slid for 510 feet and broke up at 06:55. [1] The accident killed 44 of the passengers and crew; the other 9 people aboard were injured. The following causes may have led to the crash:[1]
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Air crash
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The Social and Political Costs of the Financial Crisis, 10 Years Later
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The economic costs of the financial crisis were staggering. But the most important effects of the financial crisis may be political and social, not economic. The years after the crisis saw sharp increases in political polarization and the rise of populist movements on both the left and right in Europe and the United States, from Brexit to Trumpism. At the core of the problem: The American financial system threatened to cripple the world economy. To avoid disaster, the U.S. government bailed it out. While this may have been the most efficient way to respond to the crisis and prevent it from becoming even worse, this response still strikes most people as fundamentally unfair. Justice is about much more than economic efficiency. It fundamentally also requires fairness. It is hard to overstate the sheer economic cost of the 2008 financial crisis. The combination of increased expenditures and decreased revenues resulting from the crisis from 2008 to 2010 is likely to cost the United States government well over $2 trillion , more than twice the cost of the 17-year-long war in Afghanistan. Broader measures are even more damning. Measured by decrease in per capita United States GDP compared to the pre-crisis trend, by 2016 the crisis had cost the country 15% of GDP, or $4.6 trillion . Such numbers are too vast to be understood in any meaningful way, but one on a smaller scale may be even more powerful. A 2018 study by the Federal Reserve Board found that the crisis cost every single American approximately $70,000. Just in dollar terms, the crisis was arguably the most significant event of the 21st century so far, and the largest single economic downturn since the Great Depression. If the only effects of the financial crisis were economic, it would still be worth revisiting 10 years later. But the most important effects of the financial crisis may be political and social, not economic. The years after the crisis saw sharp increases in political polarization and the rise of populist movements on both the left and right in Europe and the U.S., culminating in Brexit in the UK and the election of Donald Trump here — by some measures the country’s most polarizing president ever. Such increases in political divides are a predictable response to financial crises across eras and countries. Even the economic recovery experienced by the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, Britain, is not enough to neutralize the long-term political and social effects of the collapse. The severity of the crisis was such that probably no government response could have eliminated these political and social consequences; when the economy collapses, people will suffer, and they will blame the people in charge. In my opinion, the way that the Bush and Obama administrations chose to respond to the crisis greatly exacerbated the change in American political culture produced by the crisis. Fundamentally, the American (and world) economy was crippled by the actions of the leaders of the American financial sector, and the U.S. government chose to “punish” those leaders by giving them enormous sums of money through bailouts. This may have been the right decision. It may have been necessary to prevent a second Great Depression. It might even have been economically optimal, in the sense that it prevented an even worse outcome at the lowest possible cost (I do not believe this, but let’s assume it is true for the sake of argument). It nonetheless strikes most Americans as fundamentally unjust. Justice is generally conceived of in one of two ways . The first, and more common, one is that justice is fairness. In a fair world, good behavior is rewarded and bad acts (usually meaning acts that contravene generally accepted norms) are punished. Economists and people with significant training in economics, however, often conceive of justice as efficiency — that is, the just outcome is the one that maximizes welfare. Although this is how economists often see it, most people have a very different perspective. Psychology experiments show that most people — and even monkeys ! — believe that justice is fairness, and believe it so strongly that they will pay significant costs to protest unfair outcomes. People given the chance to punish someone who has betrayed them in a game, for example, will generally take it even if doing so leaves them worse off. They explicitly choose fairness over efficiency. The arguments in favor of the government’s response to the financial crisis — ranging from TARP, to the nationalization of AIG, to allowing bailed-out banks to continue to pay bonuses to their employees — all hinged on the logic of justice as the rescue of the American economy at the lowest possible financial cost. These arguments, however, entirely ignore the powerful and far more common belief that justice is fairness. Efficiency may have required rewarding people who had acted badly and punishing the blameless — but that did not make it fair. One way to highlight the scale of this unfairness is to look at the contrast between how bailed-out banks and automotive companies were handled. When the government rescued major American banks, it did not fire even one of their CEOs. The bailouts did not prevent the banks from generously paying their executives, and paying dividends to shareholders, rather than retaining capital to increase stability. When the government bailed out AIG, it did not impose a single penny of loss on any of AIG’s creditors. If you were a player in the American financial system, the government did everything possible to make sure that you did not suffer consequences from the crash your industry had caused. When GM and Chrysler were bailed out, on the other hand, their CEOs were fired and their unionized workforces were forced to accept substantial pay cuts, even though they had nothing to do with the causes of the crisis. Each individual decision may, in some sense, have been the right one when measured purely in terms of economic efficiency. In aggregate, however, they gave the appearance of a government willing to spare no expense to shelter Wall Street from the consequences of its own mistakes, while largely unwilling to make similar efforts for others. Perhaps even worse was the extent to which the government focused its efforts on stabilizing the financial sector instead of directly aiding most Americans. This was best symbolized by former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s approach to the response to the financial crisis. He explained, for example, why the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which was meant to help Americans who were facing eviction because they were unable to pay their mortgages, had done little, because its real purpose was to “ foam the runway” for banks that had made the loans — that is, he saw it as a program meant to help banks, not the customers to whom they had made loans, often under predatory terms. Even if we accept the argument that focusing almost entirely on the health of the financial sector was the best way to handle the crisis, this approach creates a series of problems. It largely removes any pressure on the sector to permanently change the behaviors that led to the crisis. Even worse, though, it corroded the bonds of trust required for the functioning of democracy. It’s entirely reasonable that many voters would lose trust in the governing elite. And when that trust is broken, democratic populations will turn to politicians who promise to overturn that elite, whether it’s Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Boris Johnson, or Nigel Farage. Populist movements often turn to outsiders to lead them. The problem with voting for complete outsiders, however, is that they don’t have a track record. You don’t know what they really believe . And they don’t always know how to pull the levers of power. Once in office, they can turn on you and pursue policies very different from the ones they promised, they can be manipulated by insiders, or they can simply be ineffective in trying to enact their agenda. The result is either more of the same or a government that is so discombobulated that it cannot function. We can see different versions of this unfolding now in both the U.S. and UK. In the UK, within days of winning the vote to leave the EU, leading Brexiters started walking back key campaign promises to redirect EU funding toward Britain’s national health services, cut immigration, and harden Britain’s borders. Now, two years after the vote, the government has been unable to cobble together a deal to actually leave the EU. The result has been a government frozen in inaction, constant threats to PM Teresa May’s authority, the resignation of key officials, and continued confusion about what to do next. In the U.S., Donald Trump has been either unable or unwilling to aggressively pursue the populist policies he promised during the campaign, with the exception of cutting back on refugee admissions and, to some extent, imposing tariffs on foreign trade. During his campaign, Trump promised to raise taxes on the rich and repeatedly attacked Goldman Sachs (and attacked his opponent for giving paid speeches to them). Once in office, he has cut taxes on the wealthy, filled his administration with Goldman alums, and sought to limit the power of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — in essence, rewarding the financial elites whose failure helped lead to his election. The task facing May’s and Trump’s successors is simple. He or she, Democrat or Republican, Labour or Tory, must break this cycle. He or she will have to have both the will and the skill to address major concerns about the economy, ranging from stagnating median income to increasing inequality to the fundamental economic insecurity of most people. Beyond that, however, the two successors must govern in a way that is seen to be just. That means, for example, demonstrating that those who break the law will be punished, even if they are wealthy and powerful. A leader seeking to assuage these sorts of concerns, for example, might seek to emphasize white-collar crime, which is still too often ignored by prosecutors , and for which the overall number of prosecutions in the U.S. is at a 20-year low . Whatever their approach, future leaders should be guided by the idea that has always underpinned democratic societies — justice is about much more than economic efficiency. It fundamentally also requires fairness. GM Gautam Mukunda is a Research Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. Previously, he was on the faculty of Harvard Business School, and he received his PhD from MIT in Political Science. He is the author of Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter .
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Financial Crisis
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Battle of Ballantyne Pier
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The Battle of Ballantyne Pier occurred in Ballantyne Pier during a docker's strike in Vancouver, British Columbia, in June 1935. The federally-owned dock was named for the head of the Harbours Board, which built it. There were ongoing strikes on the West Coast of North America in the Depression and it led to the right to collectively bargain and the rise of the I.L.W. U. (See Celtic Shipyard, 1934 West Coast strike; San Francisco)
The strike can be traced back to 1912 when the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), began organizing the waterfront workers in Canada, alongside the Lumber Handlers' Union in Vancouver. Going head to head with the employers association, the Shipping Federation, several strikes resulting in wage increases were won by workers in the coming years. Victories on the waterfront increased over the next decade, and by 1923, the Shipping Federation became determined to break the power of the ILA. A strike broke out in October 1923 which saw 1400 men joining picket lines at the Vancouver waterfront. However, provisions had been made by the Shipping Federation. The dockers were immediately met by 350 men armed with shotguns who had been housed on a nearby ship. This intimidation of the strikers, coupled with the fact that ships were still being loaded and unloaded by numerous non-union workers, forced the strike to collapse two months later. The 1923 strike destroyed the ILA, and it was soon replaced by a new organization, the Vancouver and District Waterfront Workers' Association (VDWWA). Set up originally by the bosses as a company union, the VDWWA soon began to take a confrontational stance towards the Shipping Federation. By 1935, nearly every port in British Columbia had been organised by the VDWWA. Following the pretext to the destruction of the ILA, the Shipping Federation provoked another major strike in the spring of 1935, locking out 50 dockers at the port at Powell River. The strike soon snowballed to bring other dockers across the region into the fold. Following a refusal to unload ships coming from Powell River, 900 workers were met with a lockout in Vancouver. Dockers across the border in Seattle also refused to unload ships coming from Vancouver and Powell River that were manned by non-union workers. On June 18, several weeks after the original lockout, between 900-1100 dockers and their supporters marched through Vancouver towards Ballantyne Pier where non-union workers were unloading ships. The strikers were met at the pier by several hundred armed policemen. Attempting to force their way through, the dockers soon found themselves under attack from the police lines. Many marchers were clubbed as they tried to run to safety, while many others tried hopelessly to fight back, using whatever weapons they could find. Aided by Mounties who had been posted nearby, the police continued to attack the strikers. The VDWWA union hall was attacked, with tear gas being used against members of the women's auxiliary who had set up a first aid station inside. The battle continued for three hours, and ended with several hospitalizations, including that of a fleeing striker who had been shot in the back of his legs. Dragging on until December, the strike lost much of its militant character after the fighting at Ballantyne Pier. The struggle to form a union completely independent of the Shipping Federation continued for another two years, when, in 1937, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) was born. The strike of 1935 failed. It, however, helped the future founding of a union for the dockers of British Columbia that was completely independent of the employers' association. The ILWU participated in numerous disputes in the following years, and in the 1940s, it was integral in winning many strikes that lead to better pay and conditions for waterfront workers. The Vancouver and District Waterfront Workers' Association (VDWWA) was established as a company union following a defeated longshoremen's strike in 1923, replacing the International Longshoremen's Association. Communist organizers with the Workers' Unity League (WUL) managed to seize control of the VDWWA's executive a decade later and transformed it into a militant union, which then began working towards strike action. A strike, more accurately a lock-out, finally commenced on 27 May 1935. That was several months after an agreement had been reached between the union and the Shipping Federation of British Columbia, but the terms were unfavourable to the longshoremen. In late May, union membership voted to take over the despatching of work gangs on the harbour to load and unload ships as required. Despatching was a key issue for longshoremen, and prior to the 1923 strike had been carried out by the union. Longshoremen claimed that the Shipping Federation of British Columbia, an employers' association of waterfront-based companies and the main employer on the docks, unfairly discriminated against workers. Especially targeted were those considered sympathetic to an independent union or simply disliked by the despatcher, making the allocation of work a punitive mechanism and the job itself insecure. When the union unilaterally took over despatching, the Federation claimed that it was a violation of their agreement and locked out the longshoremen. Replacement workers, known pejoratively as "scabs" by strikers, were mobilized along with hundreds of police specials, who were recruited to break the strike. Meanwhile, nearly 2000 relief camp workers flooded into Vancouver on 4 April 1935. These were unemployed men protesting the conditions of the federal relief camps that were set up as a stop-gap solution to the unemployment crisis by the Department of Defence. Camp inmates were also organized under the Workers' Unity League into the Relief Camp Workers' Union. Communist leaders were attempting to merge the two strikes and spark a general strike. The Shipping Federation and the police were aware of the plan and claimed it was an attempt to start a Bolshevik revolution on the Pacific Coast. Thus, when the waterfront strike finally began, tensions were already high between anticommunists and strikers. Historians agree that both strikes were driven by legitimate grievances: abysmal conditions in the relief camps and despatching and other workplace issues on the waterfront. Nevertheless, a massive mobilization that included all three levels of police, with specials attached to each police force, took place in anticipation of an attempted revolution. Specials trained at the Beatty Street Drill Hall under Brigadier-General Victor Odlum and Colonel C.E. Edgett and were co-ordinated by a group called the Citizens' League of British Columbia, a vigilante organization funded by the Shipping Federation.
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Strike
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Palair Macedonian Airlines Flight 301 crash
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Palair Macedonian Airlines Flight 301 was a scheduled international passenger flight to Switzerland's Zurich-Kloten Airport from Skopje International Airport, Skopje, which crashed shortly after take off on March 5, 1993. The Fokker 100 was operated by Palair, the then national airline of Macedonia (now North Macedonia). A total of 83 people, 79 passengers and 4 crew members, were killed in the crash while 14 people survived. At the time, it was the deadliest plane crash in the country. It was surpassed a few months later on the same year when a Yakovlev Yak-42 slammed onto a mountain near Ohrid. It was the deadliest aviation accident involving a Fokker 100 at the time it took place, a record it maintained until TAM Flight 402 crashed on 31 October 1996. Flight 301 is still the second-deadliest Fokker 100 crash. [1][2]
The investigation of the disaster, which was assisted by the Dutch investigation team, concluded that the cause of the accident was loss of roll controllability due to the accumulation of ice on the wings of the aircraft. Also known as atmospheric icing, the ice accumulation caused the deterioration of lift force. Failure to adhere to the correct procedure for handling an atmospheric icing was also cited as one of the causes of the crash. The aircraft involved in the accident was a Fokker 100 with a registration code of PH-KXL, with a serial number of 11393. The aircraft was new, built in 1992 and was sent to Palair in 27 January 1993. [3][4] It had accrued a total of 188 flight hours and 136 flight cycles. [5]
Flight 301 carried 92 passengers and 5 crew members. Most of the passengers were Kosovars who were going to work in Switzerland. [5]
The flight was flown by members of the Aircraft Financing and Trading (AFT), a company based in the Netherlands, based on a leased contract. Both pilots had the rank of captain. The pilot in command (pilot not flying (PNF), training captain) was 49-year-old Peter Bierdrager, a Dutch national. He had his last medical check in 1992 and had accrued a total flying experience of 11,200 hours, of which 1,180 hours were in the Fokker 100. Other than the Fokker 100 license, he had also obtained licenses for Fokker F-27, Fokker 28 and Fokker 50. The captain-under-training (pilot flying (PF) and acting captain) was an unnamed 34-year old Macedonian. He had a total flying experience of 5,580 hours, of which 65 hours were in the Fokker. Before he joined AFT, he was a pilot at the Yugoslav's JAT. [5]
Flight 301 was an international scheduled passenger flight originating in Skopje, Macedonia, with a final destination of Zurich, Switzerland. 92 passengers and 5 crew members were on board the aircraft. The Fokker 100, registered as PH-KXL, belonged to Palair Macedonian Airlines, the then national airline of the country. [5]
Takeoff clearance was given at 11:11 local time. As Flight 301 took off, it was snowing and visibility was limited to 900 meters; observation on the ground confirmed that the visibility was poor enough that the end of the runway could not be seen from Flight 301's position. Flight 301 became airborne 28 seconds after its takeoff clearance. [5]
Just 2 seconds after taking off from Runway 34, the aircraft began to shake violently. While climbing through an approximate height of 50 ft and with an air speed of about 170 miles per hour, Flight 301 rolled severely to the left and then to the right, with a bank angle of 50 and 55 degrees, respectively. The flight crew immediately applied ailerons and rudder input to correct the attitude of the aircraft. The autopilot cavalry chimed and the sink rate warning sounded. [5]
The aircraft's right wing tip struck the ground beyond the end of the runway with an angle of 90 degrees. Flight 301 cartwheeled before crashing to the ground, with the fuselage breaking up into three pieces. The aircraft immediately exploded and burst into flames. [6][5]
The first report of the crash was received from a United Nations Peacekeeper who heard the impact while he was walking towards the ramp. He then immediately flew to the crash site and rescued 7 survivors from the crash site. More emergency services from the airport and the United Nations then arrived at the crash site. As many as 20 survivors, of whom 5 were in critical condition, were transported to the hospital in Skopje. However, 4 survivors would later be pronounced dead on arrival. Several others succumbed to their injuries. [7][8][9] Remarkably, the only surviving crew member, a flight attendant, suffered only minor injuries. [5]
Weather data collected by investigators suggested that there was light to moderate snow prior and during the accident. Airport workers reported that the snow melted when it touched the ground. Prior to the accident, there was no visible snow on the runway, taxiway or apron. Investigators confirmed that it was a wet snow, that is, snow mixed with rain. Temperature at the airport was recorded to be at 0° Celsius. The aircraft was exposed to wet snow and the temperature was lower than the freezing dew point, a conducive condition for an atmospheric icing. [5]
The aircraft had been checked for signs of snow and ice by ground crews prior to its take off.
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Air crash
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Delta Air Lines Flight 1086 crash
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Delta Air Lines Flight 1086 was a scheduled Delta Air Lines domestic passenger flight between Atlanta and New York's LaGuardia Airport. On March 5, 2015, the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 aircraft veered off the runway shortly after landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. [1][2][3][4][5][6] The plane ran up the seawall berm and struck the perimeter fence, sliding along it for approximately 940 feet (290 m) before coming to rest with the nose of the aircraft hanging over the berm above Flushing Bay. There were no fatalities, although 24 people suffered minor injuries. [7][8] The aircraft was seriously damaged and written off. [9]
The final report by the NTSB found the probable cause of the accident was the pilot's "inability to maintain directional control of the airplane due to his application of excessive reverse thrust, which degraded the effectiveness of the rudder in controlling the airplane's heading. "[10]:76
The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration number N909DL, serial number 49540, manufactured in July 1987 and delivered new to Delta on December 30, 1987. [1][10]:13 It had accumulated 71,196 total flight hours and 54,865 total flight cycles prior to the accident. [10]:13 It was owned and operated by Delta ever since the aircraft was put into airline service. [11][12]
Regularly scheduled 600-flight hour, 2200-flight hour, and 760-day maintenance checks were completed in the six months prior to the accident, all with no discrepancies. [10]:13 The aircraft's last major maintenance check was on September 22, 2014, in Jacksonville, Florida and included, among other things, tests of the autobrake, anti-skid and auto-spoiler systems. The aircraft's last overnight service check was completed March 2, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. [1]
The captain was 56-year-old Theodore W. Lauer, a former United States Air Force (1980–1989) pilot who had joined Delta in August 1989. He had 15,200 flight hours, including 11,000 hours on the MD-88 and MD-90. [10]:10–11[13][14]
The first officer was 46-year-old David W. Phillips, who had been with Delta since 2007 and had logged 11,000 flight hours, with 3,000 of them on the MD-88 and MD-90. He previously served as a United States Navy pilot from 1991 to 2012. [10]:11–12 Members of the flight crew were not publicly identified. Flight 1086 took off from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 8:45am EST, and was scheduled to land at LaGuardia Airport at 10:48 am. [15][16] LaGuardia Airport was under falling snow and freezing fog conditions at the time of arrival, with the captain reportedly telling passengers that weather problems could cause a delay. [2] Another Delta Air Lines MD-88 had landed on runway 13 about three minutes prior to flight 1086. [7] The pilots of this preceding flight confirmed that air traffic controllers relayed the braking action reports to the flight crew of Delta 1086; these reports were based on pilot reports from two other flights that landed several minutes prior to flight 1086. Both earlier flights had reported the braking action on the runway as "good." Statements by the pilots to the NTSB after the crash revealed that the runway appeared all white (covered with snow) when the airplane descended out of the overcast, seconds before landing. [1]
The aircraft was approaching runway 13 to land on what appeared to be a normal final approach. The aircraft was aligned with the runway centerline,[17] and the autopilot remained engaged until the aircraft was about 230 feet (70 m) above ground level, and airspeed during the final approach was about 140 knots (160 mph), and 133 knots (153 mph) at touchdown. The aircraft touched down at 11:02 am with the main landing gear close to the runway centerline. [17] The MD-88 veered off the left side of the runway shortly after touchdown, about 3,000 feet (910 m) from the approach end of the runway, on a heading approximately 10 degrees left of the runway heading. The MD-88 skidded left across the snowy airfield until about 4,100 feet (1,200 m) from the approach end of the runway, when the aircraft ran up the berm and the left wing struck the airport perimeter fence. It then was forced back onto a heading parallel with runway 13, and continued sliding in this direction for another 900 feet (270 m) along the perimeter fence, before coming to rest about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) from the approach end of runway 13, with the nose of the aircraft hanging over the berm. [1] The left wing of the aircraft destroyed approximately 940 feet (290 m) of airport perimeter fence. [1]
The aircraft sustained significant structural damage. [1] There was major damage to the left wing's leading edge, leading edge slats, trailing edge flaps, and spoilers. The left wing fuel tank was breached near the outboard end of the outboard flaps. The front radome and weather radar were heavily damaged, and damage to the underside of the fuselage extended from the front of the aircraft all the way back to the left front passenger door. The nose landing gear well and the main electronics bay also were damaged. [1] Delta subsequently declared the aircraft a hull loss, making the accident the 37th hull loss of a McDonnell Douglas MD-80. [9][18]
The crew of the plane managed a complete evacuation only after more than 17 minutes, while the aircraft was leaking fuel. [10]:63 Twenty-three or twenty-four passengers received minor injuries,[7] but all injured passengers had been sent home from the hospital by March 9, 2015. The airport was closed immediately after the accident at approximately 11:00 am. Runways were reopened beginning at 2:30 pm. [19] Runway 13 was closed until 10:30 am the next morning as emergency services cleared the accident site and the aircraft was removed into a hangar. [2]
Among the passengers on the flight was former football player Larry Donnell. [20]
On March 6, 2015, the NTSB reported that the cockpit voice recorder was successfully downloaded, and contained two hours of good quality recordings and captured the entire flight. Also, the flight data recorder (a 25-hour tape-based recorder) was examined and found to have captured the entire flight and approximately 50 parameters of data, including airspeed, altitude, heading, and information on engines and flight controls, among other data. [21] An NTSB meteorologist examined the weather conditions at the time of the accident, to determine if weather was a contributing factor to the accident. The NTSB also analyzed and developed the transcript of the cockpit voice recorder. [1]
NTSB investigators examined and tested the antiskid, autobrake, and thrust reverser systems on the aircraft. The autobrake selector switch in the cockpit was found in the "max" position. The tailcone handle in the main cabin had been actuated, presumably for evacuation purposes, and the rear tailcone had detached. [1]
Initial statements given by the pilots to the NTSB reveal a number of factors that may have contributed to the accident.
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Air crash
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No need to panic about mysterious coronavirus sample found in north Queensland wastewater, experts say
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Confirmation that coronavirus had been found in sewerage systems in the Airlie Beach area has left many people wondering how it got there and what it means for the region. The discovery was the result of a coronavirus-detection sewerage program being piloted by the University of Queensland and CSIRO and is thought to be the first detection of a positive sample in a region without a known COVID-19 case.
Here's what we know so far.
Researchers have been sampling wastewater to find traces of the coronavirus at several spots around Queensland.
A viral fragment was detected at a treatment plant which services Airlie Beach, Cannon Valley, Cannonvale, Cape Conway, Jubilee Pocket, Mandalay, Mount Rooper, and Shute Harbour.
Health authorities are now working with their Mackay and Townsville counterparts to see if any positive cases in their regions have been to Airlie Beach recently.
Not necessarily. This could be related to an old case.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the positive result means someone has either been infectious or was recovering from an infection over the past two weeks.
"A positive sewage result meant that someone who has been infected was shedding the virus," Dr Young said.
"Infected people can shed viral fragments and that shedding can happen for several weeks after the person is no longer infectious."
Dr Young assured people that water in the region remained safe because viral fragments themselves are not infectious.
"It's also important to remember that the usual wastewater treatment processes are specifically designed to get rid of microorganisms, including viruses, by removing or killing them, before any water is returned to the environment," Dr Young said.
The Whitsunday Regional Council agreed this did not necessarily mean COVID-19 was active in the Whitsunday community. Active cases: 38
Latest information from Queensland Health.
"But we won't know if there are undetected cases unless people with symptoms are tested," a council spokesperson said.
Dr Young said there was no reason to be alarmed by the positive result.
"I'm not concerned about the finding of these viral fragments and it should be of no concern to the community, but just to put everyone's minds at ease, we have stood up a pop-up testing clinic."
A pop-up testing clinic has been set up at the Airlie Beach Lagoon car park and more testing locations are expected to open soon.
The 13-week pilot wastewater surveillance program, running since mid-July, is testing in these regions:
The joint program is led by the CSIRO, the University of Queensland, Queensland Health, and the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences.
Queensland Health said the program helps "public health officials better understand the extent of COVID-19 infections in communities".
See our full coverage of coronavirus
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Environment Pollution
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1992 Mr. Olympia
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The 1992 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on September 12, 1992, at the Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki, Finland. The total prize money awarded was $275,000. This bodybuilding-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This article about sports in Finland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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Sports Competition
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Several armed robberies in DC appear to have been committed by teenagers, police say
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WASHINGTON — The Metropolitan Police Department is busy investigating several armed robberies and one attempted robbery believed to be committed by teenagers, in just a few hours on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Police said Wednesday afternoon that they arrested four suspects in the string of robberies, but it is unknown if the suspects are all teens at this time. Chief Robert Contee said the carjacking track force tracked them down this morning. “They were asleep inside of the vehicle," Chief Contee said. "There’s property inside of the vehicle. There appears to be at least one firearm inside the vehicle that we can see.” He said they believe the suspects could be linked to up to 12 robberies. There have been at least six armed robberies and one attempted armed robbery by a group of juveniles, police said. MPD's 4th District Watch Commander told WUSA9 that the group appeared to be targeting people on the street for cash and belongings. MPD Watch Commanders told WUSA9 that four of the armed robberies happened in D.C.'s 4th District. No injuries were reported in those incidents. But, in one of the robberies reported in the 1st District, two women were hurt on the 900 block of East Capitol Street, Northeast around 11:14 p.m. on Tuesday. The 1st District Watch Commander said one woman was hit with a handgun, and the other was hit with a rifle. The police report said phones, wallets, IDs, and a purse were taken. Neighbors who live near the 900 block of East Capitol Street NE were shocked to hear about the robbery. “You don't want that type of thing happening anywhere, but particularly close to where you live," Damian Conway said. "So very concerning to hear that.” Kristin Owen said she often walks her dog alone at the time the two women were attacked. “I usually feel really safe walking around. And there's often a lot of Capitol Police out because we're just a couple blocks up from the Capitol," Owen said. "So, I'm really surprised to hear the robbery.” From now on, she said she'll probably walk her dog earlier in the night or with her roommate. She even bought pepper spray Wednesday morning. Other neighbors said they plan to purchase security cameras now through the city's rebate program. MPD tweeted out information for a few other robberies that occurred overnight. One happened at 2:30 a.m. in the 1300 block of Parkwood Place, NW. Another robbery that happened just before 1 a.m. in the 800 block of Delafield Place, Northeast, involved five suspects all wearing masks and armed with rifles and handguns, according to police. Another robbery investigation is happening in the 2500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, but the victim in this case was not able to provide much detail about the suspects so it's not clear if this case is connected to the others, according the MPD 6th District Watch Commander. The suspects in many of these robberies are said to be armed. Police believe two of the suspects are armed with handguns, and the other two are armed with long rifles. Police have posted lookouts for multiple possible getaway vehicles used in the crimes. One is a black compact SUV, like a Hyundai or Honda CRV. The other is a black sedan. A Watch Commander with MPD's 6th District said it's possible the suspects are switching vehicles and targeting areas that are not well lit. It's too early to say for sure whether the robberies were all committed by the same group of teens, but detectives are looking into the possibility of them being connected, police said. The total number of robberies District-wide year to year is staying steady, but more criminals are using guns, according to DC Metropolitan Police data that WUSA9 examined. This year from Jan. 1, to July 14, there were 897 robberies throughout the city. Last year for that same stretch of time, there were 890 robberies according to the crime stats. When it comes to robberies using a gun, MPD reports 102 more this year compared to last citywide. In MPD's 4th District alone, which includes upper Northwest and most of Northeast D.C., there were four armed robberies Tuesday. So far in 2021, that area has seen 66 armed robberies, which is more than twice what it was in 2020.
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Bank Robbery
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2008 Namdaemun fire
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On February 10, 2008, an arsonist set fire to the historic Namdaemun gate (officially "Sungnyemun") in Seoul, South Korea, causing severe damage to the 550-year-old structure. The monument was subsequently restored and reopened to the public in 2013. The fire reportedly broke out at approximately 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, February 10, 2008. Firefighters soon arrived on the scene and started dousing the blaze with water in an attempt to extinguish the fire. Initially, the effort seemed successful: by late Sunday night, firefighters said they believed that they had contained the fire, with only minimal damage done to the wooden structure topping the otherwise stone structure. According to reports, they had been instructed by authorities not to be aggressive in fighting the fire out of fear that the structure would be damaged by the high-pressure water. [1]
After midnight, however, the dying fire suddenly reignited, quickly getting out of control. Despite the efforts of the more than 360 firefighters who were at the scene, the fire soon ended up destroying the entire wooden structure and causing substantial damage to the stone walls. [2][3] The fire did not result in any injuries. [4]
Originally, the fire had been suspected to be accidental. However, many witnesses reported seeing someone enter the gate shortly before the fire, and two disposable lighters were found where the fire was believed to have started. [2]
Later investigations revealed that the fire was indeed an act of arson. A 69-year-old man, identified as Chae Jong-gi (Korean: 채종기; Hanja: 蔡宗基), was taken into police custody on February 12, on the suspicion that it was he who started the fire. Chae confessed to the crime 30 minutes after his arrest. [5][6][7] According to police reports, Chae arrived at Namdaemun around 8:35 p.m. carrying an aluminum ladder, three 1.5-liter bottles of paint thinner, and two cigarette lighters. With the ladder, he climbed the western wall of the gate, entered the gate, and walked up to the second floor. There, he started the fire by sprinkling the floor with paint thinner and lighting it. [8] Chae stated that he had started the fire because he was upset about not having been paid in full for land he had sold to developers. [6] Chae had also been charged with setting fire to the Changgyeong Palace complex in Seoul in 2006. [9][10]
The reason he targeted Namdaemun was because it was easily accessible and was only secured by motion sensors. [11] He also considered attacking trains or buses, but decided against it due to the high number of casualties this would cause. [12]
South Korean newspapers blamed the government for failing to provide more security. [13]
The Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea stated that it would take three years and $21 million to rebuild and restore the historic gate. [14] In 2006, 182 pages of blueprints of the gate had been made as a contingency measure against possible damages, making reconstruction possible. [15]
President Lee Myung-bak proposed starting a private donation campaign to finance the restoration of the gate. [16] Many people felt that the government should pay for the restoration because it had failed to adequately protect the structure. [17] Lee's transitional committee clarified the president-elect's comments by stating that the government would pay for the majority of the restoration. [17]
The restored gate reopened to the public on May 5, 2013, having been rebuilt using traditional tools and techniques. The project cost 25 billion won to complete and includes new fire suppression systems and closed-circuit television cameras. [18][19]
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Fire
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Famine risk in Syria, four million desperate people
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The United Nations denounced that tens of thousands of desperate people in northwest Syria, where there are currently about four million people, are at risk for famine as they flee due to the conflict between the Syrian government and pro-Turkish fighters. Local humanitarian workers in Idlib in contact with international aid organizations said there is a famine risk for tens of thousands of desperate people in northwest Syria. There are currently an estimated four million Syrians in the region; one million displaced people have arrived in the past two weeks due to the conflict underway between the Syrian government backed by Russia and local pro-Turkish fighters. The UN said it is the worst humanitarian crisis since violence broke out in Syria nine years ago. Two million minors in the region UN estimates that four million Syrians are present in the regions of Idlib and northern Aleppo, outside of government control, and that half of them are minors, mainly children, while one-fourth are women. Among the 950,000 displaced people who have arrived since December 1, the percentage of children rises to 60%, equivalent to more than 600,000 children. These people fled from the war underway and have crowded into cities on the border with Turkey. Many of them, however, have only found shelter in sheds in the countryside or makeshift shelters, and many families have been exposed to the freezing temperatures of one of the coldest Syrian winters in recent years. In addition to this, the serious economic crisis that has hit Syria and the entire Middle East has sent the prices of essential services, such as water and electricity, soaring. No means to heat, feed, care for themselves "The displaced have no means to heat, feed, or care for themselves," Maamun Ladhkani, one of the humanitarian workers in Idlib, told ANSA. "The majority of families fled quickly while under airstrikes (attributed to Russia and the Syrian government)," Ladkhani said, adding that aid brought by the UN and international organizations "is just a drop in the sea". In recent days, Turkey has resumed pressure on Europe and its NATO allies, pushing the fleeing Syrian migrants onto the European coasts. "But these are Syrian migrants who are already in Turkey, not those amassed in Idlib and northern Aleppo," Ladkhani said. Turkey, which has hosted more than three million Syrian refugees for years, has sealed off its border with Syria for some time and doesn't intend to let any of the four million civilians pressing at its doors to cross into the country.
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Famine
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World economy expected to barely regain 2020 losses in 2021 - U.N. report
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world economy is expected to make a modest recovery of 4.7 percent this year after shrinking 4.3 percent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic - more than double the impact of the global financial crisis in 2009 - the United Nations said on Monday. The World Economic Situation and Prospects report by the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs said developed economies shrank by 5.6 percent in 2020 are projected to recover 4 percent, while developing countries contracted 2.5 percent and are estimated to grow 5.7 percent in 2021. “Massive and timely fiscal responses prevented a Great Depression-like economic catastrophe worldwide,” the report said. “It will remain critical that the G20 economies return to the trajectory of growth, not only to lift the rest of the world economies but also to make the world economy more resilient to future shocks,” the report warned. It said 131 million more people were pushed into poverty in 2020. Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Angus MacSwan
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Financial Crisis
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New Ebola Outbreak Threatens in Congo
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A woman who was in contact with at least 70 people has died of Ebola in a violence-plagued region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It could signal the start of the 12th outbreak of the virus in the country. By Steve Wembi KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — Ebola, the deadly virus that has increasingly struck Africa in recent years, is once again threatening a violence-scarred region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, three months after the health authorities in the country declared the last outbreak vanquished. The Health Ministry announced on Sunday that the wife of a farmer who had survived the disease died Feb. 3, three days after she first showed symptoms, at a hospital in Butembo, a city of 700,000 in North Kivu Province. A blood analysis on the woman performed in Butembo came back positive for the virus, the ministry said.
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Disease Outbreaks
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California Geological Survey Issues New Tsunami Hazard Maps for Local Areas
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The California Geological Survey (CGS) has released new interactive Tsunami Hazard Area maps for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, useful for evacuation planning in an extraordinary event. The maps allow users to type in an address to determine whether a particular property is within a tsunami hazard area. Local tsunami evacuation material will be added to the online map interface as it is developed. To view the maps, visit https://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/Pages/Tsunami/TsunamiHome.aspx. Working with the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the Tsunami Hazard Area maps include new data and improved computer modeling results, and replace maps published by CGS in 2009. The new maps are not only based on how far inland a surge of seawater might go in a worst-case scenario, they also include minor inland "buffers" to roads and landmarks to clarify where people must evacuate to be safe. The buffer areas also account for potential errors and uncertainties in the modeling. The maps incorporate hard lessons learned by Japan a decade ago during the Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami, said Steve Bohlen, California’s acting state geologist, and head of CGS. “Japan utilized data from several hundred years of tsunami records in its planning, which seemed perfectly reasonable,” Bohlen said. “Then it was impacted by a once-a-millennium tsunami. So, we’re taking a very conservative approach and using a thousand-year scenario as the baseline for our new maps, hoping to avoid the tragic loss of life experienced in Japan. “While damaging tsunamis are infrequent in California, they have [happened] and do happen. If you live on or visit the coast, you need to be aware of this potential hazard.” While the new maps for the two counties take a variety of potential tsunami sources into account, the worst-case scenario was modeled from a magnitude 9.3 earthquake in the eastern Aleutian Islands. Examples of new information provided by these maps: Santa Barbara County The Santa Barbara Airport area saw both modest increases and decreases in the tsunami hazard. Most areas that saw in increase in hazard are low-lying, undeveloped areas such as canals or wetlands. The east-west airport runway saw a decrease in tsunami hazard. Keep up with Noozhawk's daily COVID-19 coverage, delivered at 4:15 a.m. right to your inbox. The tsunami hazard moderately increased in the Santa Barbara and Carpinteria areas based on an improved understanding of tsunami sources and new modeling results. For most other parts of the county, the tsunami hazard remains the same. San Luis Obispo County The biggest increases in the tsunami hazard are in Cayucos, where the highest run-up elevation went from about 30 feet to about 50 feet in a few locations. The entire area east of the pier and on the ocean side of South Ocean Avenue may be exposed to hazards in extreme events. There are modest tsunami-hazard increases in Los Osos, San Simeon, and the north part of Morro Bay near Highway 1. For the southern part of the county, the tsunami hazard either remains the same or – in Avila Beach and Oceano – is slightly reduced. According to the large Aleutian Island scenario used by CGS, the first surges would reach the counties in five to six hours. “That time will go by fast, as scientists and emergency planners at the federal, state, and local levels will all need to assess the threat level before issuing an evacuation warning,” said Rick Wilson, head of the CGS Tsunami Program. "Bottom line: If you’re near the coast and feel strong shaking from a local earthquake or get an official notification to evacuate, move inland or to a higher elevation as soon as possible," he said. “A large tsunami surge might be fascinating to watch, but you don’t want to be anywhere near it.” The maps inform the state’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and emergency planning efforts so state agencies, local governments, tribal governments and others can effectively mitigate and respond to emergencies that might occur in their areas of responsibility. “We appreciate the collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s California Geological Survey to provide Californians who live, work or visit in a Tsunami Hazard Area the tools they need to develop evacuation plans for themselves, their families and their businesses,” said Lori Nezhura, deputy director of Planning, Preparedness and Prevention, Cal OES. More than 150 tsunamis have hit California’s shore since 1800. Most were barely noticeable, but a few have caused fatalities or significant damage. The 2011 tsunami that devastated Japan also caused $100 million of damage to California ports and harbors, including dangerous conditions and minor to moderate damage to a number of harbors in southern California. The most destructive tsunami to hit California occurred March 28, 1964. Several surges reaching 21 feet high swept into Crescent City four hours after a magnitude 9.2 earthquake in Alaska, killing 12 and leveling much of the town's business district. CGS, part of the California Department of Conservation, has issued Tsunami Hazard Area Maps in 13 counties and hopes to update the maps for the remaining seven coastal counties within the next year. “Hazards management for geologic events such as tsunamis, as well as mining and petroleum production is one of our department’s pillars or cornerstones,” Bohlen said.
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Tsunamis
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New Mexico State Penitentiary riot
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The New Mexico State Penitentiary riot, which took place on February 2 and 3, 1980, at the Penitentiary of New Mexico (PNM) south of Santa Fe, was the most violent prison riot in U.S. history. Inmates took complete control of the prison and twelve officers were taken hostage. Several inmates were killed by other prisoners, with some being tortured and mutilated because they had previously acted as informants for prison authorities. Police regained control of PNM 36 hours after the riots had begun. By then, thirty-three inmates had died and more than two hundred were treated for injuries. [1] None of the twelve officers taken hostage were killed, but seven suffered serious injuries caused by beatings and rapes. [2]
There had been riots at PNM before it moved in 1956, the first occurring on July 19, 1922,[3] and the second on June 15, 1953. [4]
The causes of the riot are well-documented. Author Roger Morris wrote that "the riot was a predictable incident based on an assessment of prison conditions. "[1] Prison overcrowding and inferior prison services, common problems in many correctional facilities, were major causes of the disturbance. [1] On the night of the riot, there were 1,156 inmates in a prison that had beds for fewer than 963. [5] First-time non-violent prisoners were not adequately separated from repeat violent prisoners. Many were housed in crowded unsanitary dormitories. PNM's food was of poor quality, a problem which was exacerbated by the prevalence of cockroaches and mice. Intestinal diseases were common. [6] A visiting warden reported PNM as the filthiest institution he had ever seen. [7]
Another cause was the cancellation of educational, recreational and other rehabilitative programs. [12] When the educational and recreational programs were stopped in 1975, prisoners had to be locked down for long periods. These conditions created strong feelings of deprivation and discontent in the inmate population that would increasingly lead to violence and disorder. [13]
Inconsistent policies and poor communications meant relations between officers and inmates were increasingly in decline. These patterns have been described as paralleling trends in other U.S. prisons as populations started to grow in the 1970s. The Attica prison riot was organized with solidarity among prisoners, demonstrated by their lack of interest in attacking one another, whereas the "snitch system" in the New Mexico Penitentiary pitted inmate against inmate, resulting in the distrust among inmates unless identified with a group. [14]
Following a change in prison leadership in 1975, the penitentiary experienced a shortage of trained correctional staff. A subsequent investigation by the state attorney general's office found that prison officials began coercing prisoners to become informants in a strategy known as "the snitch game". [15]The report said that retribution for snitching led to an increased incidence of inmate-on-inmate violence at the prison in the late 1970s. [16]
There had been several disturbances at the prison prior to the riot. In 1976, a work strike was organized by inmates as a response to the prison's poor conditions. In an attempt to subdue the protestors, Deputy Warden Robert Montoya authorized the use of tear gas against the striking prisoners. As they exited the dormitory coughing from the gas, “they were stripped naked and run nearly a hundred yards down the central corridor through a gauntlet of officials who beat them with ubiquitous ax handles. Called 'the night of the ax handles,' the incident was corroborated by several eyewitnesses, including some officials themselves, and resulted in serious injuries as well as a federal law suit, still pending in 1982, naming deputy warden [Montoya] and a senior guard captain among the assailants". [17] After this violent response to prisoners' concerns, one inmate, Dwight Duran, was prompted to draft a 99-page handwritten civil rights complaint to the US District Court of New Mexico called Duran v Apodaca, later to become the Duran Consent Decree. There was ample evidence from over ten grand jury investigations (between 1977 through 1979) about the conditions at the penitentiary, but the PNM administration resisted the changes and the legislature refused to allocate the necessary funds to make changes. The last time the US District Court grand jury ordered improvements was in November 1979, two months before the riot. There have been conflicting reports about the inmate population at the time of the riot and the official capacity of the prison that weekend. According to the Report of the Attorney General on the February 2 and 3, 1980, Riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico (PART I: The Penitentiary, the Riot, the Aftermath - Appendix C1) published the June after the riot, the design capacity of the penitentiary was 1,058, based on the Phase II Technical Report: Facilities Inventory of the 1977 New Mexico Corrections Master Plan. However, that number included the 60 beds in Cell Block 5, which was closed for renovations. It also included the 24 beds in the Annex and the 32 beds in the Modular Unit, both outside of the main facility. The official number of beds available, therefore, on the night of the riot was actually 974, but even that number is hardly fair as it includes the 11 solitary confinement cells in the basement of Cell Block 3. The official population of the prison the night of the riot was determined to be 1,156. [18]
The riot began with many of the prisoners intoxicated from homemade liquor they brewed inside the prison. Inmate Gary Nelson, assigned to E2 bunk 2, heard the plan to jump the guards if they did not lock the door to the dorm during the 1:00 a.m. count. [19]
The routine for the count was two officers first went into the dormitory. A third officer was given all the other officers' keys and locked the door to the dorm until the officers were ready to come out. The dayroom was 60 feet all the way down to the far side of the dorm. [20] The TV needed to be turned off and the dayroom locked. Because of overcrowding, the two officers went down two sides of a center aisle consisting of single beds the length of the dorm. As one officer looked down to the right between the rows of bunk beds, the other officer looked down to the left between the rows of bunks. At the last second, the shift commander entered E2 to help with the count. After he was let in, the officer outside the door did not latch it.
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Riot
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Ex-USC athletics official pleads guilty in college admissions scandal
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| UPDATED: November 5, 2021 at 2:47 p.m. A former USC senior associate athletic director pleaded guilty Friday, Nov. 5, to her role in the fraud and bribery scheme in which the children of wealthy parents gained admission to some of the country’s top universities as fake sports recruits. Donna Heinel, 60, entered her plea in Boston federal court to “honest services” wire fraud for arranging for more than two dozen students to get into the college, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. She signed a plea deal with federal prosecutors earlier this week, agreeing to accept a prison sentence of up to 46 months. Sentencing was scheduled for March 11. Prosecutors wrote in court papers that Heinel “abused a position of trust in a manner that significantly facilitated the commission of the offense.” Heinel is accused of working with the scheme’s organizer, William “Rick” Singer, to coordinate students’ admissions to USC as fake athletic recruits over four years beginning in 2014. According to the complaint filed in March 2019, Heinel presented applicants to admissions committees in exchange for payments from Singer totaling more than $1.3 million. Before she entered into the plea deal, she was heading to trial on a series of federal charges including conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and honest services mail and wire fraud. She faced up to 60 years behind bars if convicted on all counts, prosecutors noted. Almost 60 people were charged in the case, including nearly three dozen parents who subsequently pleaded guilty, such as actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin and Loughlin’s fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli. Parents have so far received punishments ranging from probation to nine months in prison. Singer, a Newport Beach consultant, pleaded guilty in March 2019 to racketeering, money laundering, fraud and obstruction. He is awaiting sentencing. Heinel admitted to helping funnel cash to Singer and making $20,000 a month in a phony consulting deal with him, according to federal prosecutors. In 2008, while working at the university, Heinel established a side business, Clear the Clearinghouse, wherein she advised high school administrators on NCAA guidelines for athletes, a service that is usually available for free. Her annual fee for the service was reportedly up to $700. Heinel, who was let go by USC on the day she was indicted, listed her Long Beach home for just under $2 million in the wake of the scandal. Three other members of USC’s athletics staff were also indicted. Ali Khosroshahin, a former head women’s soccer coach, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering and is expected to be sentenced on Jan. 5. Ex-water polo coach Jovan Vavic pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges and faces trial in March. And former assistant women’s soccer coach Laura Janke pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit racketeering and is scheduled for sentencing in April. Also, Jorge Salcedo, a former men’s soccer coach at UCLA, was sentenced in March to eight months behind bars for his plea to a federal conspiracy count.
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Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
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2017 Catalan general strike
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Catalan separatists held a general strike on 3 October 2017 following Catalonia's referendum on independence two days earlier. The referendum, which was held in defiance of Spanish national court orders, resulted in over 900 people injured as the national police attempted to prevent Catalans from voting. The violence galvanized separatist support for the strike, whose planning predated the crackdown, and led to endorsements from the Catalan government, the Catalan branches of the country's two largest labor unions, and pro-independence cultural groups. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, including 700,000 in Barcelona, participated in the strike. Despite high tensions, protests were civil, festive, and without incident, similar to prior pro-independence rallies. While protesters targeted Spanish police and national government sites, other effects included suspended public transportation and port activities, canceled university classes, and closed businesses small and large. Immediate effects of the strike included an emergency meeting called by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and a rare televised address by Spanish King Felipe VI that condemned Catalan disloyalty and notably did not mention police violence during the referendum. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont announced that the regional government would declare unilateral independence, which it did later that month. Catalonia held a contentious referendum on its independence from Spain on Sunday, 1 October 2017, against orders from the Spanish central government. [1] The national police enforcement attempted to prevent Catalans from voting in some locations with violent crackdowns[2][3] that resulted in about 900 people injured and separatist calls for a general strike. [1][3] By the time of the strike, the Catalan government was awaiting final referendum results before acting on what they had preliminarily announced as 90 percent support from about 2.3 million voters. The legitimacy of a declarative result was disputable for reasons of general population turnout, voter rolls, and independent confirmation. [1] Sky News described the events as Spain's largest political crisis since its 1930s civil war. [4]
Police violence during the referendum galvanized Catalan unions and cultural associations in support of the general strike. [5] Smaller unions planned the strike in advance of the referendum[6][7] and their efforts were compounded by strike endorsements given the night of the referendum from pro-independence cultural organizations Òmnium Cultural and the Catalan National Assembly as the vote was tallied. [8] Supporters ultimately included the Catalan government[1] and the Catalan branches[9] of Spain's largest unions:[5] the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT) and Workers' Commissions (CCOO). [9] (Their national leadership,[9] however, advised Catalans against participating, adding that protests should be nationally coordinated. [1] For legal reasons, the labor unions additionally referred to the strike as a labor dispute, despite its political purpose. [7]) Together, the dozens of pro-independence groups were known as the Taula per la Democràcia, or Board for Democracy. [8][10] They called for three million Catalans, including business owners, workers, and the self-employed, to withhold their work and bring Catalonia to a halt. [5] At the time of the strike, Catalonia represented a fifth of the Spanish gross domestic product, comparable in size to the Chilean economy. [11] Separatists hoped that the strike would become a major demonstration, leading shop owners to shut down as protesters moved downtown. [1]
On 3 October, two days after the referendum, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators[3] blocked roads across Catalonia, including main thoroughfares in Barcelona. Farmers blocked highways with their tractors. By 9:30 a.m., the Barcelona bus and subway systems were almost entirely halted. [1] Catalonia's railway company suspended service, the national railway ran minimally, and the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona closed, as did places of work from small stores to the large, wholesale food-trading market Mercabarna. [6] Universities canceled classes[3] and the large public market La Boqueria was nearly empty. [9] The strike included the staff of the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art and Sagrada Família basilica, and Barcelona's football team, FC Barcelona. [9][12] Barcelona's airport and most other large industries, however, ran without disruption. [9][13] Many students and farmworkers participated. [6] By midday, in Barcelona, tens of thousands of people occupied the city's major streets—Avinguda Diagonal, Gran Via, Via Laietana—en route to the major demonstrations at the city's administrative center, Plaça Sant Jaume, and the intersection of Barcelona's other city squares at Ronda de la Universitat. [6] Demonstrators gathered before the region's town halls before a planned action at 6 p.m.[6] Barcelona city police later estimated the city's crowd to be 700,000 people in size. [3]
The Spanish police were a focal point of protest as a response to their actions during the referendum. [6][3] A manifesto from the Board for Democracy, read from atop a car, called for withdrawal of Spanish security forces and more dialogue in lieu of force. It charged the state with aggressive violation of the public's "fundamental rights and democratic liberties". [10] Protesters chanted, "Spanish police get out! "[3] Demonstrators surrounded the hotels housing Spanish police to demand they leave Catalonia, which was also demanded by Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont. [1] In the small towns of Calella and Pineda de Mar, protests led some hotels to eject their Spanish police guests. Xavier García Albiol, the leading Catalan figure of the Spanish prime minister's party, was booed when voicing his support of the Spanish police in Pineda de Mar. Protests at the National Police Corps station in Barcelona continued from the day prior for its role in repressing the referendum. Demonstrators also protested the Spanish Delegation to Catalonia [ca][6] and showed broad contempt for the Spanish press, whom they accused of manipulative reporting and casting separatists as greedy and violent. [14]
Despite high tensions, protests were civil, festive, and without incident, similar to prior pro-independence rallies. [1][13][6][14] In one case, a protester who threw a beer can into riot police was surrounded by fellow protesters who chanted "We are a people of peace" and encouraged him to leave. [14] Firefighters and the Catalan police acted in an improvised role as peacekeepers at some protests. [6] In one instance, the Catalan police defused a volatile standoff by convincing the Spanish police to leave. [14] Posts on social media encouraged peaceful protest and resistance to incitement. The Catalan government forewarned against plainclothes officers who may infiltrate gatherings to sow discord. [6] Some shops were forced to close by protesters who graffitied "strikebreakers" on their storefronts. [13]
Protesters also sought to maintain momentum from the referendum. Some wore the Estelada (separatist flag) in yellow, red, and blue.
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Strike
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Kamala Mills fire
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On 29 December 2017, a fire broke out at Kamala Mills, a commercial complex in Lower Parel, Mumbai, at 00:22 IST. The fire resulted in the deaths of 14 people, and injuries to 55 more. The fire began in a bar, 1 Above, and spread to an adjacent pub, Mojo's Bistro, before spreading through the rest of the building in which they were housed. [1]
Kamala Mills is a commercial complex located in Lower Parel, Mumbai, and houses 34 restaurants and bars in addition to several commercial offices. [2] It is one of several former mill areas that are being redeveloped for commercial use in the city. [3]
Two restaurants located in the upper floors of the Trade Housing Building, 1 Above and Mojo's Pub, had been licensed by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai to use one-third of the rooftop space, with the remaining two-thirds to be reserved as an open area. [4] Both restaurants constructed illegal temporary structures over the entire rooftop space, with canopies, to provide additional space for serving food and drinks. [4]
The restaurant 1 Above, was served notices by the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation of India on August 4, September 22 and October 27, 2017, for using the rooftop to serve drinks and food without permission. [5] In August, some temporary construction on the rooftop by 1 Above was demolished by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, as it had been constructed illegally. [2] In October, the MCGM found that the same space was still being used illegally, and confiscated furniture that had been placed on the rooftop. [4]
Both, Mojo's Pub and 1 Above had also been served notices for illegally serving hookahs, a device used to vaporise inhale flavoured substances such as cannabis, by heating them up with charcoal. The fire began at 00:22 IST on 29 December 2017, in a bar called 1 Above, which was located on the rooftop of the three-storey Trade House Building in the Kamala Mills Compound. [2] The fire spread to a bamboo canopy constructed over the rooftop eating area, and spread from there to the adjacent Mojo's Pub, which was separated from 1 Above by a partition. [2][6] Both, 1 Above and Mojo's Pub were located alone one arm of the L-shaped building; from these two places, the fire spread along the other arm, damaging the offices of five media offices also located on the rooftop. [2] The entire upper part of the building was engulfed in fire in about 30 minutes. [6]
There were approximately 200 people inside the building when the fire began. [4] Access to the roof top consisted of one narrow staircase which lead to an elevator. [2] A door on the terrace remained locked through the incident. [2] As the fire burned, the rooftop collapsed, and parts which were made of combustible materials caught fire. This caused difficulties for the persons trying to escape the fire, as well as limited access for fire fighters. [2] Several people who were not able to exit the rooftop attempted to take shelter in a washroom located on the rooftop. [2]
The collapsed roof damaged the exits of the offices of a news channel, TV9 Marathi, which was located on the floor below 1 Above. [5]
Emergency services were contacted about the fire at 12:30 IST. [7] The Mumbai Fire Brigade responded to the fire, with eight fire tenders, and five water tankers, along with several ambulances. [5] The fire was brought under control by 2:45 IST and was doused completely by 6:30 a.m.[2][8] The Mumbai Fire Brigade initially classed the fire as Level II, but later upgraded their classification to Level III. [9] Some people were able to escape to a nearby lobby, and were rescued by fire fighters using ladders to access the top of the lobby. [2]
The fire caused the deaths of fourteen persons, most of whom were at Mojo's Pub or 1 Above when it began. [1] Thirteen were found dead on the scene of the fire, and one person died in the hospital of injuries relating to carbon monoxide inhalation. [10] All fourteen were located by fire fighters, trapped inside washroom stalls, without any burn injuries, suggesting that the deaths were due to smoke inhalation. [11] The injured and dead were taken to K.E.M. Hospital and Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital. [12] Post-mortem reports confirmed that all fourteen deaths were the result of asphyxiation. [1][5] A deputy fire officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade confirmed, based on eye witness reports, that several of those who died had attempted to lock themselves into the washrooms on the rooftop to escape the fire. [13]
The fire affected transmission of many television channels as several media companies had their broadcasting office in the compound. Times Now, Mirror Now and ET Now resumed transmission while Movies Now, Movies Now HD, MNX HD, MN+ HD, MNX, Romedy Now, Romedy Now HD and Zoom channels were not transmitting due to major infrastructure losses. [13]
A technical investigation was conducted by the Mumbai Fire Brigade, to establish the causes of the fire. [14] The Mumbai Fire Brigade released its technical investigation report on 5 January 2018. [15] The report examined evidence from the scene of the fire, as well as examining eyewitness accounts from survivors to establish the cause and spread of the fire. [15]
Initial reports suggested the fire broke out in a rooftop restobar, 1 Above, and rapidly spread to next door pub Mojo's Bistro,[16][17] and may have been caused by a short circuit. [18] Initial statements from the Mumbai Police also indicated that 1 Above did not have permission to function on the roof top, and had illegally constructed several structures there, including a toilet. [2] The Mumbai Fire Brigade also made initial statements, confirmed that 1 Above and Mojo's Pub did not have a fire exits on the rooftop or fire fighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers. [10][4]
The technical investigation conducted by the Mumbai Fire Brigade indicated that the fire actually started at Mojo's Bistro, probably due to ‘flying embers’ from a hookah, which is a device used to inhale vaporised substances, using charcoal to heat the apparatus. [19] The Mumbai Fire Brigade's report indicated that the fire spread from Mojo's Pub to the adjacent 1 Above, via flammable material including curtains, decorative flowers, and the bamboo canopies that had been illegally constructed on the roof. [14] Mumbai Fire Brigade's deputy chief fire officer R. Chaudhary said both 1 Above and Mojo's Bistro did not have functioning emergency exits or working fire safety equipment. [20] This was confirmed in the technical investigation report, which also found that the only emergency exit from the rooftop was locked, and had been further obstructed by stacks of beer kegs, which later exploded during the fire. [14] The technical investigation report also found that neither 1 Above nor Mojo's Pub had been able to produce the licenses and permissions needed to provide hookahs, serve alcohol, or food, on the rooftop. [15]
The technical investigation report also noted that the managers did not alert emergency services when the fire began, and that the fire brigade was only called when a security guard in the building raised an alarm. [15] The fixed fire extinguishing system in the building was not working and fire exits on lower flowers were obstructed by illegal construction and construction, causing persons to become trapped and limiting escape routes. [15]
On 29 December 2017, immediately after the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the MCGM to conduct an inquiry into the incident. [18] Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta had initially suspended five officials immediately after the incident, including assistant divisional fire officer Sandeep Shinde, designated officer Madhukar Shelar, junior engineer Dharmaraj Shinde, sub-engineer Dinesh Mahale, and medical health officer Satish Badgire.
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Fire
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Frantic rescue effort after deadly mine collapse in Indonesia
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Jakarta, Indonesia - The collapse of an unlicensed gold mine in Indonesia buried dozens of people on Wednesday. Rescuers dug desperately with their bare hands and farm tools to unearth victims calling for help from beneath the rubble. National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said three people were confirmed dead and 14 have been rescued. "It is estimated that 43 people are still buried," he said. Makeshift wooden structures in the mine in North Sulawesi province's Bolaang Mongondow district collapsed Tuesday evening due to unstable soil and the large number of mining holes, burying people in the mine pit. Local disaster official Abdul Muin Paputungan said the search effort was difficult because of the risk of causing more landslides and a lack of equipment. "Unstable soil conditions make us extra careful lifting rocks because it can lead to new landslides," Paputungan said. "We still hear voices crying for help from people beneath the rubble." Informal mining operations are commonplace in Indonesia, providing a tenuous livelihood to thousands who labor in conditions with a high risk of serious injury or death. Miners often burrow straight into hillsides with few supports, and children often are sent into the tunnels to dig and carry out ore hacked from rock faces. Police, search and rescue agency workers, soldiers and Indonesian Red Cross personnel were taking part in the rescue effort, but the remote location was complicating the operation. Paputungan said the mine and a village connected to it are in a steep area that can only be reached by foot. Earth-moving equipment and ambulances can't reach the location, he said. Indonesia accounts for about 3 percent of world gold production. Most of that comes from the Grasberg mine in Papua province, said to be the world's largest gold mine with $40 billion in reserves and up to 20,000 workers. But small artisanal, often unauthorized mining is rising in many parts of Asia and Africa. A study by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development found the number of people engaged in such mining has risen to over 40 million, up from 30 million in 2014 and 6 million in 1993. Landslides, flooding and collapses of tunnels are just some of the hazards in such mining. Much of the processing of gold ore involves use of highly toxic mercury and cyanide by workers using little or no protection.
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Mine Collapses
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Xcel Energy Cabin Creek Fire
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The Xcel Energy Cabin Creek Fire occurred on October 2, 2007, at Xcel Energy’s pumped storage hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colorado, a small town forty-five miles west of Denver. The accident killed five workers and injured three. The incident is thought to be the result of shoddy work by a contractor (RPI Coating) and Xcel Energy's willingness to cut costs at the expense of safety. [1]
The plant, the Cabin Creek Generating station, is a pumped storage hydroelectric generator that opened in 1967. It is located about 6 miles from Georgetown, accessed by the high mountain road of Guanella Pass. It sits at an elevation of greater than 10,000 feet above sea level. The power plant runs two generators that, when running at top performance, can produce a total 324 megawatts of electrical power. The plant is powered by water pressure from the water released from a storage reservoir. [2]
In 2000, a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-initiated inspection of the penstock (a long, sloping tunnel and confined space running nearly 3/4 of a mile) found that the epoxy lining on the interior of the pipes was deteriorating. This was leading to damage of the pipes themselves and Xcel was mandated to repair the epoxy to limit further damage. Work did not begin in earnest until seven years later, as the company had successfully been granted extensions to the deadline for this work to be completed. [3]
Xcel energy selected RPI Coating Inc. after a competitive RFP process. This was despite RPI having had more than $100,000 of fines levied against it by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Xcel's own rating of the company's safety profile as "zero." A zero should have automatically disqualified RPI from the bid process. Safety concerns had been identified by Xcel's safety director and RPI arranged for a specialist to be brought to the Cabin Creek site to address specific training for operating safely during work at the plant. While 14 crew members were slated to be working on the site, only nine would attend the six-hour safety meeting. [3]
In September 2007, the tunnel was prepped for work by Xcel and RPI. This involved shutting down the plant, draining the penstock, and creating an access point for equipment and workers. A single ingress/egress point in such a tunnel would later prove to be deadly; if the route to the single point of exit were blocked, workers would become trapped. This was not the only hazard: an RPI worker dislocated a shoulder during this process, after slipping on the moss covered floor of the tunnel. Sand blasting and other prep work would last through the month of September. [3]
Internal Xcel documents show that the penstock was a permit-required confined space work area. This would have required a costly set of safety mechanisms to be put in place, including work environment monitoring, specialized rescue team on site, and rigorous control of flammable substances. Neither Xcel nor RPI actually treated the work site as permit-required confined space. [3]
In early October, re-application of the epoxy coat started with about a dozen workers inside the penstock. An epoxy sprayer was operated by a small crew, workers did prep work ahead, and others ran material from the tunnel opening to the sprayer. While the epoxy itself was not volatile at the temperatures being used, it was applied at temperatures that were below the optimum for ideal use. To cope with this, and to help with regular cleaning, a solvent was used to keep the spray equipment free from contamination. RPI workers used methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), a highly volatile chemical with a low flash point, as the solvent. It was used on the sprayer as it sat inside the tunnel, where multiple sources of ignition were present. [3]
On October 2 around 1:55 pm, when a safety inspector and general foreman were out to lunch, a flash fire engulfed the sprayer platform while MEK was being circulated through the equipment. A growing fire separated the work group; five workers were on the far side of the burning spray platform, unable to reach the single point of exit, more than 1400 feet away. The separated workers were able to shout over the fire and ask for fire extinguishers, but none were located inside the tunnel. Other workers would have to leave the penstock and get fire extinguishers from outside. They then had to re-enter the now smoke-filled tunnel while the fire spread to other containers of MEK and other material around the spray platform. The trapped workers retreated up a steep section of the tunnel. Due to poor visibility, thick smoke, and other fumes, workers with fire extinguishers were unable to reach the fire and it continued to burn. The workers trapped by the fire were uninjured in the explosion and maintained radio contact until 2:45 pm. [3]
Clear Creek emergency communications center first received word of the incident at 2:03 pm after an RPI contractor notified Xcel about the incident and the Xcel employee called 9-1-1. First responders were immediately dispatched, but were not told that the fire was in a confined space, nor that specialized equipment by highly trained rescuers would be needed. After the enormity of the rescue was recognized, local first responders requested the help of a large, suburban Denver fire department. They also requested a mine rescue team from Climax Molybdenum Company's Henderson mine. Both agencies were over an hour away. Local responders, including a backcountry rescue team, made a single attempt to enter the tunnel, using breathing apparatus and an ATV. Conditions were still very hazardous in the tunnel, including toxic fumes and black smoke reducing visibility to zero. The rescuers were forced to turn back. Attempts to lower breathing apparatus, a radio and other equipment to the trapped workers were also made. [3]
Ultimately, the Henderson Mine Rescue Team would make entry into the tunnel and confirm both that the fire was out and that five workers were dead. Donald Dejaynes, 43, Dupree Holt, 37, James St. Peters, 52, Gary Foster, 48, and Anthony Aguirre, 18, asphyxiated. [4]
The four surviving workers were transported to a Denver hospital where they were all treated and subsequently released.
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Fire
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Pentagon Reportedly Establishes Investigative UFO Task Force
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The Pentagon will set a task force to investigate UFO sightings spotted by US military aircraft, CNN reported, citing unnamed defence sources. According to the report, David Norquist, the Deputy Secretary of Defence, will head a newly-established task force set to be officially announced in the next few days. The reported initiative is thought to have emerged particularly due to the release of three short videos by the Pentagon earlier in April, showing what it described as "unidentified aerial phenomena". In June, a committee was established by the Pentagon to analyse these encounters. The three videos, released in April, showed encounters with "unidentified aerial phenomena" that took place in 2004 and 2017. Earlier in 2007, a program to study recordings of observations of unknown aerial objects was launched at the behest of former Democratic Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, but ended in 2012 because "higher priorities" required available funding. As of today, the Pentagon is reportedly returning to the idea of investigating UFO sightings. US President Donald Trump teased in June that he might know some "very interesting" facts about one of the most intriguing supposedly-alien incidents, which occurred in Roswell in the early 1970s. Noting that "a lot of people would like to know what's going on", Trump hinted that he may declassify Roswell-related information but did not offer specifics.
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Organization Established
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Aria Air Flight 1525 crash
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Aria Air Flight 1525 was a scheduled Iranian domestic flight which crashed on landing at Mashhad International Airport, Mashhad, Iran, on 24 July 2009. The aircraft involved was an Ilyushin IL-62M, registered UP-I6208. [1] The aircraft entered service with Interflug on 1 June 1989 registered DDR-SEY. On 3 October 1990 it was re-registered D-AOAM, serving with Interflug until July 1991 when it was sold to Aeroflot and re-registered CCCP-86578. In January 1993 as a result of old Soviet Aeroflot assets splitting, it became the part of Uzbekistan Airways fleet and in March 1993 was re-registered UK-86578. In early 2000s the aircraft was moved from service. In October 2007 it was leased to DETA Air of Kazakhstan, re-registered UN-86509 and then in July 2008 UP-I6208. It was leased to Aria Air in March 2009. [2]
The accident happened at 18:10 Iran Daylight Time (13:40 UTC). The aircraft overran the runway at high speed and crashed outside the airport perimeter, the nose area totally destroyed and resting on its tail. There was no fire. [1] Sixteen people were killed. Among the dead were thirteen crew members and three passengers including Aria CEO Mehdi Dadpay. [3] There were 137 survivors of the total of 153 people on board. [1]
The aircraft was reported to have skidded off the runway. The cockpit area of the aircraft was destroyed by the impact with the airport perimeter wall. Nineteen people were reported to have been injured in the accident. [4] The weather was good at the time of the accident, with the METAR in force at the time reading "METAR OIMM 241300Z 08014KT CAVOK 34/M03 Q1012 A2989". [5] This translates as, METAR for Mashhad International Airport, issued on the 24th of the month at 13:00 UTC, wind at 14 knots (26 km/h), wind direction 080°; ceiling and visibility OK; temperature 34 °C; dew point −3 °C; altimeter 1012 millibars or 29.89 inches of mercury. [6] The aircraft landed with a crosswind. [1][clarification needed] It landed "long" and overran the end of the runway, hitting a wall located more than 1,100 metres (1,200 yd) further on, which demolished the forward section of the aircraft. [1][7][8]
According to the investigation by the Iranian Civil Aviation Organisation, the approach speed along the glide path was 325 kilometres per hour (200 mph; 175 kn), which was about 50 kilometres per hour (30 mph; 25 kn) more than the recommended speed. [9]:37–38 Corrective action could have been taken, but the engine reverser and spoiler systems were not used correctly to reduce speed. [9]:44–45
As a result of the accident, the Air Operators Certificate of Aria Air was suspended until the investigation. [1]
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Air crash
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