title
stringlengths 1
7.43k
| text
stringlengths 111
32.3k
| event_type
stringlengths 4
57
| date
stringlengths 8
14
⌀ | metadata
stringlengths 2
205
⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 Hermosillo daycare center fire
|
The ABC Day Care Center Fire in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, took place on Friday, June 5, 2009. Forty four children died that day[1] and the death toll subsequently rose as additional children succumbed to their injuries. As of June 7, 49 toddlers and infants were reported killed as a result of the blaze. [2][3] Five additional children died in the coming weeks, raising the final death toll to 49. [1] Over 49 infants and toddlers and 0 adults were hospitalized with burns. [4][5][6]
The blaze started at 3pm (2200 GMT) on Friday, June 5, 2009. It was initially reported that the fire began in a tire warehouse next door and then spread to the child care center. Further investigation revealed that the actual source was a different warehouse, one operated by the state government. Within just a few minutes the fire caused the collapse of a roof section which fell on the children, infants and employees below. One of the first responders on the scene reported that all children were unconscious or dead and there were no sounds of children crying. [7]
Firefighters took two hours to contain the blaze. [8] "They told me that this happened in a matter of five minutes," said Hermosillo Mayor Ernesto Gándara. [9] "According to what our people saw, there was an explosion followed immediately by flames," reported Daniel Karam, the director of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). [10] "We began to smell smoke and the alarm went off. But it was explosive and there was no chance to get more children out," stated María Adriana Gasca Sandoval, a daycare aide. [11]
Over 49 children were attending the day care center at the time of the blaze, according to Sonora Governor Eduardo Bours, "There were 49 children in the nursery, 49 have died, and another 41 are hospitalized. "[12]
The daycare center had passed an inspection on May 26, the week prior to the blaze. The number of enrolled children, 142 as well as the 4 staff members providing care for them were also within the approved ratio of caregiver to children for day care centers. Reports two days after the blaze revealed, however, that although the warehouse had windows, they were mounted too high and did not provide access to the daycare center for rescue operations. [13]
A fire department officer unofficially reported that the converted warehouse building had only one operational exit. One mother claimed a second exit was locked and the key could not be found. [14] A desperate passerby, Francisco Manuel Lopez Villaescusa, drove his Silverado truck through the walls to gain entrance and knocked three holes into the building. [15]
By Sunday, Sonora state Health Minister Raymundo López Vucovich announced, "In the past few hours three more have died. Twelve of the 22 hospitalized children are in a dangerous condition. "[2]
Many of the injured were cared for in hospitals in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Although 15 medical specialists were flown in to treat the victims, some children were moved to hospitals in other cities in the state of Jalisco which had doctors with specialties in children's burns. One boy could not be moved for further treatment as he has been declared brain dead. [7] Two children were taken to a Shriner's burn hospital in Sacramento, California, USA, for treatment. [7] "A lot of it is how deep the burn is and where it's located and how bad is the smoke inhalation," said Dr. Tina Palmieri, assistant chief of burns for the hospital. She reported that there was only a 50 per cent chance of survival for one of the three-year-old girls who sustained burns to over 80 per cent of her body. [16][17] This girl was accompanied by her father and arrived in California by Mexican military transport. Her mother, who had herself been working in the day care center, was taken to a Ciudad Obregón hospital after pulling her daughter and several other children out of the fire. [16] The second patient, a young boy, began a series of skin graft surgeries on Sunday June 7, reported Dr. David Greenhalgh, chief of burn treatment at the Sacramento hospital. Both of these patients were listed in critical condition, monitored for infection, and unable to talk because breathing tubes had been inserted. [16][18]
In the aftermath Sonora state Health Minister Raymundo López Vucovich issued updates. He reported that some of the hospitalized children had been suffering from kidney failure due to severe loss of body fluids caused by the burns. Others in the hospital had respiratory symptoms from smoke inhalation. [19] The burns on some of the victims were so bad authorities had problems identifying them. [20] Javier Alexis Pacheco, aged two, was rushed to the hospital for treatment for burn injuries. [18] There were communication mishaps, however. Four-year-old Hermán Vásquez, with burns on 75 per cent of his body, was rushed to Chávez Hospital but his family did not find out where he was until 6 p.m. that evening. [21]
Deaths occurred from smoke inhalation, burns, and trauma from the roof collapse. Stories of the victims appeared in news stories. Camila, a three-year-old girl perished in the fire from asphyxiation. [7] María, Julio, Fátima, Carlos, Sofía and Dafne were among the 41 pre-schoolers who were mourned at several funeral ceremonies that took place on the Saturday following the blaze. [22] The parents of two-year-old María Magdalena Millán, among those buried Saturday, attached a Dora the Explorer balloon to the cross marking her grave, while her mother cried out, "I love you and I don't want to leave you here! "[13] Germán León battled his injuries, but died Saturday morning, just days after his fourth birthday. [13] The family of 2-year-old Daniel Alberto Goyzueta Cabanillas, who died of smoke inhalation, held a funeral late Saturday afternoon for the boy. [23] The family of 2-year-old Camila Fuentes Cervera also held her funeral Saturday. [18]
Pope Benedict XVI sent a telegram to Archbishop of Hermosillo José Ulises Macías Salcedo offering his condolences, "Together with spiritual closeness, concern, and wishes for a speedy and total recovery of those injured in the lamentable incident....With these sentiments, the Supreme Pontiff, in these moments of sadness, imparts from the heart the comfort of an apostolic blessing, as a sign of comfort and hope in the Risen Lord.
|
Fire
| null | null |
2 charged in fatal shooting of security guard during East St. Louis bank robbery
|
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (KMOX) - Federal charges have been filed against two men for robbing a bank and killing a security guard in East St. Louis on Friday. The US Attorney's Office of Southern Illinois announced charges against East St. Louis residents Jaylan D. Quinn, 22, and Andrew R. Brinkley, 19. Quinn is facing life in prison or possibly the death penalty for fatally shooting the bank's guard in the head. Around 4 p.m. Friday, they entered First Bank in East St. Louis at 350 River Park Drive and put a demand note on the counter to a bank teller that read: “I GOT A BOMB STRAPPED TO MY CHEST PUT ALL THE MONEY IN OR EVERYONE DIE.” The teller gave the men an undisclosed amount of money and the suspects began to leave the bank. That's when the uniformed guard, Ted Horn, 56, of St. Libory, Illinois, stepped in front of the suspects. Brinkley pushed past Horn, but then Quinn pulled a semi-automatic handgun and shot Horn in the head. The suspects fled the scene and were arrested the next day at Brinkley's residence on North 13th Street in St. Louis. Horn was pronounced dead at the scene. He is survived by his wife, two adult sons, and three grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at noon on September 4 at Wenneman Park in Marissa, Illinois. Both Quinn and Brinkley are facing federal charges. A date for the defendants’ initial appearance in federal court has not been set. KMOX's previous reporting: The FBI is looking for two men they say are "armed and dangerous" after a fatal shooting during an attempted bank robbery around 4 PM Friday. There's no word yet who died, whether it was a robber, employee or customer of the First Bank on Riverpark Drive. The Springfield, Illinois office of the FBI took over the investigation, releasing bank camera images of the suspects. They also released the following descriptive details: 2 black males, both approximately 5'8" to 5'9"One suspect was wearing a black hoodie with distinct white writing down the arm and a photo on the front. Writing going vertical on the left arm: Dunder Mifflin, horizontal writing: inc, vertical writing: Paper Company, The other suspect was wearing a black hoodie with a silver zipper running up the middle of the front of the hoodie, black pants, black shoes
|
Bank Robbery
| null | null |
1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake
|
The 1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake struck the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, northwest Wales on Thursday 19 July 1984 at 06:56 UTC (07:56 BST). Measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale, it is the largest onshore earthquake to occur in the UK since instrumental measurements began.
The effects were felt throughout Wales, most of England, and parts of Ireland and Scotland. There were many reports of minor damage to chimneys and masonry throughout Wales and England, the biggest concentration of damage being in Liverpool, which is located around 65 miles northeast of the epicentre. [2] Minor injuries were also reported in the areas surrounding the epicentral area, and rockslides occurred at Tremadog in Gwynedd. [3]
The 19 July earthquake was followed by many aftershocks in the following months, the largest measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale, which itself was felt as far away as Dublin, in Ireland. [4]
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
Panic of 1893
|
The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. [1] It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignment of 1896 and the presidency of William McKinley. The Panic of 1893 has been traced to many causes. One of the causes can be traced back to Argentina. Investment was encouraged by the Argentine agent bank, Baring Brothers. However, the 1890 wheat crop failure and a failed coup in Buenos Aires ended further investments. In addition, speculations in South African and Australian properties also collapsed. Because European investors were concerned that these problems might spread, they started a run on gold in the U.S. Treasury. Specie was considered more valuable than paper money; when people were uncertain about the future, they hoarded specie and rejected paper notes. [2][3]
During the Gilded Age of the 1870s and 1880s, the United States had experienced economic growth and expansion, but much of this expansion depended on high international commodity prices. Exacerbating the problems with international investments, wheat prices crashed in 1893. [2] In particular, the opening of numerous mines in the western United States led to an oversupply of silver, leading to significant debate as to how much of the silver should be coined into money (see below). During the 1880s, American railroads experienced what might today be called a "bubble": investors flocked to railroads, and they were greatly over-built. [4]
One of the first clear signs of trouble came on 20 February 1893,[5] twelve days before the inauguration of U.S. President Grover Cleveland, with the appointment of receivers for the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, which had greatly overextended itself. [6] Upon taking office, Cleveland dealt directly with the Treasury crisis[7] and successfully convinced Congress to repeal the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which he felt was mainly responsible for the economic crisis. [8]
As concern for the state of the economy deepened, people rushed to withdraw their money from banks, and caused bank runs. The credit crunch rippled through the economy. A financial panic in London combined with a drop in continental European trade caused foreign investors to sell American stocks to obtain American funds backed by gold. [9]
The economic policies of President Benjamin Harrison have been characterized as a contributing factor to the depression. [10]
The People's Party, also known as the 'Populists', was an agrarian-populist political party in the United States. From 1892 to 1896, it played a major role as a left-wing force in American politics. It drew support from angry farmers in the West and South. It was highly critical of capitalism, especially banks and railroads, and allied itself with the labor movement. Established in 1891 as a result of the Populist movement, the People's Party reached its zenith in the 1892 presidential election, when its ticket, composed of James B. Weaver and James G. Field, won 8.5% of the popular vote and carried five states (Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, and North Dakota), and the 1894 House of Representatives elections when it won nine seats. Built on a coalition of poor, white cotton farmers in the South (especially North Carolina, Alabama and Texas) and hard-pressed wheat farmers in the Plains States (especially Kansas and Nebraska), the Populists represented a radical form of agrarianism and hostility to elites, cities, banks, railroads, and gold. The Free Silver movement arose from a synergy of farming and mining interests. Farmers sought to invigorate the economy and thereby end deflation, which was forcing them to repay loans with increasingly expensive dollars. Mining interests sought the right to turn silver directly into money without a central minting institution. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890, while falling short of the Free Silver movement's goals, required the U.S. government to buy millions of ounces of silver above what was required by the 1878 Bland–Allison Act (driving up the price of silver and pleasing silver miners). People attempted to redeem silver notes for gold. Ultimately, the statutory limit for the minimum amount of gold in federal reserves was reached and U.S. notes could no longer be successfully redeemed for gold. [9] Investments during the time of the panic were heavily financed through bond issues with high-interest payments. Rumors regarding the National Cordage Company (NCC)'s financial distress (NCC was the most actively traded stock at the time) caused its lenders to call in their loans immediately, and the company went into bankruptcy receivership as a result. The company, a rope manufacturer, had tried to corner the market for imported hemp. As demand for silver and silver notes fell, the price and value of silver dropped. Holders worried about a loss of face value of bonds, and many became worthless. [12]
A series of bank failures followed, and the Northern Pacific Railway, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad failed. This was followed by the bankruptcy of many other companies; in total over 15,000 companies and 500 banks, many of them in the West failed. According to high estimates, about 17%–19% of the workforce was unemployed at the panic's peak. The huge spike in unemployment, combined with the loss of life savings kept in failed banks, meant that a once-secure middle-class could not meet their mortgage obligations. Many walked away from recently built homes as a result. [13]
As a result of the panic, stock prices declined. Five hundred banks closed, 15,000 businesses failed, and numerous farms ceased operation. The unemployment rate hit 25% in Pennsylvania, 35% in New York, and 43% in Michigan. Soup kitchens were opened to help feed the destitute. Facing starvation, people chopped wood, broke rocks, and sewed by hand with needle and thread in exchange for food. In some cases, women resorted to prostitution to feed their families. To help the people of Detroit, Mayor Hazen S. Pingree launched his "Potato Patch Plan", which were community gardens for farming. [14]
President Grover Cleveland was blamed for the depression. Gold reserves stored in the U.S. Treasury fell to a dangerously low level.
|
Financial Crisis
| null | null |
Best Herpes Supplements for Outbreaks – Review Top Products
|
If you’re looking for the best at-home herpes treatment, Beyond Simplex offers you a daily supplement designed to reduce the severity and frequency of outbreaks. This proprietary formula includes science-backed ingredients that support the immune system and bolster the immune response during outbreaks. L-lysine, curcumin, resveratrol, and quercetin in Beyond Simplex give your body the antiviral boost it needs to overcome the pathogenic outbreak . Many supplements market themselves as having the ability to reduce an attack. However, with Beyond Simplex, you get less marketing hype and actual results. The company doesn’t promote its product as a way of resolving outbreaks after they occur. It’s more of a prophylactic treatment to prevent attacks from getting out of hand. You experience reduced symptoms during attacks and more extended periods between outbreaks. Beyond Simplex by PhytAge Labs is a trusted brand in health supplement science, featuring natural ingredients with antiviral and antioxidant properties. Beyond Simplex aims to reduce systemic inflammation in the body. Research shows links between elevated levels of systemic inflammation and the onset, duration, and severity of the effects of chronic disease. When systemic inflammation is low, the immune system functions optimally, reducing the chance of herpes outbreaks. Since the virus is always present, it produces disease (sores) when the immune system is dysfunctional. For instance, you travel for work, and it’s a brutal schedule, keeping you up for days talking with people and nights filled with little sleep – then there’s always the jet lag. This kind of environmental stress coupled with pressure from work and many other factors deplete your energy. As a result, you arrive home feeling exhausted. At this moment, your immune system is in the gutter. It requires you to sleep, eat, and rest to recover full function. While the immune system is low, the viral particles in your spine can float freely through your body, evading contact with antibodies that would usually protect you from infection. If the virus cells find their way to tissues, they cause the onset of an outbreak. By taking a supplement like Beyond Simplex, you get a targeted formulation designed to support immune health, even when you’re feeling finished. Beyond Simplex offer you a 90-day moneyback guarantee on your purchase, and the company has a transparent ingredients list, with third-party testing on its ingredients and USA-sourced materials. It’s a pricey supplement but incredibly effective. Beyond Simplex Price: $70 Herpecillin & Herpecillin Plus If you have a herpes outbreak right now and need an immediate solution, we recommend going with Herpecillin and Herpecillin Plus. These products offer you a potent punch against the effects of the herpes virus on your body. The proprietary blend of natural ingredients gives you immediate protection against the herpes virus. The formula enhances immune function, helping your body recover from the effects of sores and blisters fast. The prophylactic protective effect lessens the severity of symptoms in future outbreaks while extending the time between attacks. You get all the usual suspects in the ingredients lineup for Herpecillin and Herpecillin Plus. There’s Vitamin C, L-lysine, and zinc. Herpecillin comes with additional astragalus, and Herpecillin Plus features Momordica charantia fruit included in the ingredients. These potent formulations help the body fight off potential outbreaks by supporting the immune system and antibody creation. The unique ingredients profile of these supplements is excellent for treating herpes at home. Herpecillin and Herpecillin Plus are also some of the most affordable and effective supplements on our list. You get high-quality ingredients with clinically proven dosages without breaking your bank account. Herpecillin & Herpecillin Plus Price: $50 Herpesyl According to manufacturer claims, this product can eliminate the herpes virus from your system . That’s a bold statement, but the marketing material insists it’s true. Herpesyl takes a different approach to other supplements that limit the intensity and severity of outbreaks by supporting the immune system. With Herpesyl, you eliminate the virus from your body, regardless of your gender, age, or if you have HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. The proprietary formulation of Herpesyl features ingredients sourced worldwide, packed in a profile that eliminates the herpes virus from your body. The manufacturer claims that your body starts fighting off the herpes virus within a few weeks of supplementation with Herpesyl. While these claims might sound somewhat outlandish, the website has the proof to back them up. Several verified customers showed blood work results proving they got rid of the herpes virus after using Herpesyl. The social proof is there, so it looks legit. We can imagine this product will be a huge success, as every person affected by the virus is looking for a permanent solution to their problem. If you want to give Herpesyl a try and put its claims to the test, you’ll need to know it’s an expensive product at the top-tier pricing level. However, it will be more than worth it if you get rid of your herpes for good. Herpesyl Price: $69 HerpaGreens As mentioned, the immune system is responsible for protecting you from outbreaks of the herpes virus. When you’re feeling run down, the virus strikes, producing cold sores. HerpaGreens is another company focusing on boosting immune health by supporting the digestive system. More than 60% of the immune system resides in the gut. Therefore, it makes it easy to give the immune system the jolt it needs for optimal operation through your diet and supplementation., With HerpaGreens, you’re giving the biomes, the trillions of bacteria in your GI tract, the proper nutrients they need to thrive. When your gut health is on point, your immune system reaches optimal protective function. The patented formulation of HerpaGreens acts to bolster biome health, enhancing immune health and your immune response. As a result, regular supplementation with HerpaGreens reduces the severity and intensity of outbreaks as they occur , and it also provides prophylactic protection against future attacks. HerpaGreens also markets itself as a long-term solution to the virus, requiring you to keep using it indefinitely to eliminate the potential for future outbreaks. HerpaGreens is one of the best-selling herpes treatments sold OTC in the United States. The nutrient-rich formulation comes stacked with superfoods and antioxidants, providing the body with the raw materials it needs to mount an offense against the herpes virus. HerpaGreens is effective, but it’s the most expensive supplement on this list. However, if it works, then why not give it a try? HerpaGreens Price: $79 Herpeva This product offers you an excellent ingredient profile with generous dosages. Herpeva from Nu-Derm Products brings you an OTC supplement for treating herpes, shingles, and cold sores. This product also works by supporting the immune system to elevate your body’s natural defenses against the virus. You get the same clinically proven ingredients included in Herpeva as you do with other leading formulations. Vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and L-lysine all feature on the ingredients profile, providing an antiviral effect while reducing levels of systemic inflammation to support immune function. Herpeva offers high doses of vitamin C and B12, giving your body the micronutrients it needs to clear the virus faster. Herpeva doesn’t claim to cure you of the disease. Instead, it aims to reduce the severity and intensity of outbreaks while prolonging the period between attacks. Like Herpecillin and Herpecillin Plus, Herpeva is a reasonably-priced supplement, providing you excellent results with supporting the immune system. Herpeva Price: $50 Kinoko Platinum AHCC By now, you should understand the importance of maintaining optimum immune health to reduce the severity of outbreaks and improve healing times. Kinoko Platinum AHCC takes a different approach to the ingredients it uses to optim9ize immune function. This supplement focuses on acetylated alpha glucan to enhance immune function. This Quality Of Life product contains 750mg of AHCC for optimal immune health and liver function, increasing the body’s natural killer cell activity. AHCC is a mushroom extract with proven benefits for enhancing immune health. With more than 30 clinical trials on AHCC, the research shows it has a potent boosting effect on the immune system. While many other herpes supplements include AHCC in the profile, they don’t have it available in this strength. It might even be worth considering “stacking” this product with another cost-effective supplement like Herpeva or Herpecillin and Herpecillin Plus. This combination allows your body and immune system to benefit from the AHCC and the other unique ingredients in Herpecillin and Herpecillin Plus. However, that would be an expensive exercise. Kinoko Platinum AHCC is another premium supplement with a costly price tag. Kinoko Platinum AHCC Price: $70 Herdox Manufactured by Progressive Health, Herdox is another OTC supplement available to help treat and prevent herpes outbreaks in affected individuals. Herdox relies on the equivalent ingredients we keep seeing in this list, focusing on L-lysine, vitamins, and minerals. However, this product stands out due to its addition of lemon balm and propolis. These natural ingredients have an antiviral effect on the body, helping to reduce the severity and intensity of attacks. You get a faster clearing time for the sores and less chance of the virus building to high enough levels that cause outbreaks on the body. Herdox is suitable for prophylactic use, helping you prevent the onset of outbreaks in the future. Extend the time between attacks, and reduce the severity of symptoms when outbreaks occur. Other notable ingredients in Herdox include the use of olive leaf extract and garlic powder. The garlic brings sulfurous compounds providing an antiviral effect, and the olive leaf gives an antimicrobial effect. Herdox is also one of the more affordable supplements on this list and an excellent choice for helping you manage your condition. Herdox Price: $47 ViraLib This tincture offers you a diverse range of natural ingredients designed to assist with relief from the pain and inflammation of sores. You get up to 450 doses in the 4-oz bottle. This potent formula has a unique blend of extracts providing a protective and preventive effect against the severity and intensity of herpes attacks. Some of the ingredients included with ViraLib include medicinal herbs, olive leaf extract, garlic extract, goldenseal, and skullcap. The antiviral effect of this tincture works against all stubborn and persistent viral infections, including shingles and measles. ViraLib provides the body with a potent immune-boosting formula designed to optimize your immune health. With ViraLib, you get a daily tincture that’s easy to use. Just take a few drops under your tongue each morning to benefit from the protective and therapeutic effects of this herbal blend. The tincture suspension is highly bioavailable, offering you optimal absorption of all the polyphenol antioxidants and micronutrients found in the herbal extracts. ViraLib helps reduce systemic inflammation, helping the immune system cope with the demands of providing antibodies to curb herpes infection. ViraLib is one of the more affordable supplements on this list and a great value choice considering the number of doses per bottle. ViraLib Price: $40 Terragen When the effects of a herpes outbreak show up, supplementation won’t do anything to resolve the immediate pain associated with weeping sores. You need relief fast, and that’s where Terragen can help. The HG Formula is a natural, gentle treatment for dealing with symptoms of herpes infection as they manifest in sores on the face and around the genitals. Terragen assists with providing relief from the pain, discomfort, and itching from ulcers, sores, and fever blisters. This product is the only topical treatment on this list, allowing you to apply it directly to the blisters during an outbreak. Most users report immediate relief from the application of Terragen to the affected area. The topical cream helps to reduce the severity of the outbreak and the sores while speeding your recovery time. The soothing formula helps to stop irritation and inflammation, helping you cope with the attack. Terragen Price: $45 . Criteria for Ranking The Best Herpes Supplements Products had to meet selective qualifying criteria to make it onto our list of the best herpes supplements for outbreaks. These are the metrics we used to separate the best from the rest. Clinically-Proven Formulation and Dosages We started where everyone should when assessing a supplement – with the ingredients list. We were looking for products featuring clinically proven ingredients helpful in preventing and combating herpes outbreaks in infected individuals. Advertised Benefits Since there is no cure for herpes, any supplement treating herpes outbreaks cannot market their product to cure the infection. If a supplement advertises that it can eradicate the herpes virus, be careful. However, a few supplements make this claim and have social proof in the form of client testimonials backing their claims. However, take these products with a grain of salt. You’re looking for supplements that provide an immune-boosting effect for the best results with preventing and treating herpes outbreaks. Third-Party Testing and Transparency All of the products on this list meet our standards for purity.
|
Disease Outbreaks
| null | null |
1977 Tonga earthquake
|
The 1977 Tonga earthquake took place on 22 June at 12:08:33 UTC some 200 km southwest of Tongatapu, which shocks infecting all islands of the kingdom of Tonga. The earthquake measured 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The earthquake caused considerable damage to the infrastructures and some fatalities in most Tongan islands,[3] with the most damage in Tongatapu and ʻEua and the least damage in Ha'apai and Vava'u. [4]
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
2006 Meerut fire
|
Coordinates: 28°59′N 77°42′E / 28.99°N 77.7°E / 28.99; 77.7
On 10 April 2006 at about 17:30 IST (12:00 UTC), a fire swept through a consumer electronics fair (Brand India Fair) in Victoria Park, Meerut, killing 65 people[1] and injuring 150 others. [2][3] The fire was said to have been caused by a short circuit. An estimated 2,000 people were at the fair when the fire broke out. [4]
The Consumer Trade Fair, where the fire broke out, was being organized by Brand India Consumers Forum and was jointly sponsored by the local Dainik Jagaran. The fair was being held in 100 metres long air-conditioned tents with only one main entry point and the exit was either through the hall C or from the backside food stalls area. The organisers had not obtained a No-Objection Certificate from the fire department, but had duly conveyed the CFO in writing, as required. [2][5] The fire took place on the last day & last hour of the five-day fair and trapped at least 3000 people within the venue. [5][6] While one version said that the fire was caused by a short circuit, another account said that it began in a furniture shop where spirit polish was being used. The stories spread that fire was fuelled further by the bursting of cooking gas cylinders used by the makeshift eateries within the venue, which however was never substantiated later. [7] In all, three giant tents were destroyed. The fire spread within five minutes and as there were only one entrance and one exit in each hall, apart from a few not very visibly highlighted Emergency Exits, the children and women got trapped in it as the fire blazed rapidly. The army and the Rapid Action Force was called in to help with rescue efforts.
The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh and leaders of various political parties expressed shock and mourned the loss of lives. [2] The Bharatiya Janata Party said that the incident was a result of deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. Then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav announced a compensation of ₹ 200,000 to the families of each victim killed, ₹ 50,000 to each of the seriously injured and ₹ 25,000 to each person having minor injuries. [6][7] Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, then Union Minister of State for Home Prakash Jaiswal, then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, and then Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh visited the city in the aftermath of the fire.
Hundreds of residents protested the next day outside the park where the fire took place. Upon visiting, the Chief Minister and a local MLA were roughed up.
An FIR has been registered against the organisers of the fair and an electrical contractor, all of whom have been declared absconding. [5] The Government of Uttar Pradesh also announced a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The district magistrate, deputy magistrate, and the district and city police chiefs were transferred following public allegations of negligence in the organisation of the fair. [9]
The Government of Uttar Pradesh & Central Govt did not disclose actual casualties.
|
Fire
| null | null |
Outbreak Brief 83: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
|
Outbreak Update: Since the last brief (10 August 2021), 4,556,501 new confirmed1 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, including 68,634 new deaths, have been reported globally. To date, a global total of 207,218,563 COVID-19 cases and 4,362,968 related deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR): 2.1%) have been reported from 225 countries and territories to the World Health Organization (WHO). The distribution of cumulative cases (proportion of global cases) from the WHO reporting regions (excluding Africa) are as follows: Eastern Mediterranean Region 11,648,839 (6%), European Region 62,600,959 (30%), Region of the Americas 80,203,540 (39%), South-East Asia Region 39,992,613 (19%) and Western Pacific Region 5,394,531 (3%). In the last seven days, the five countries reporting the highest number of new cases globally are the United States (778,272), Islamic Republic of Iran (267,092), India (255,559), Brazil (198,363) and The United Kingdom (198,075).
|
Disease Outbreaks
| null | null |
Zapad-2021: What to Expect From Russia’s Strategic Military Exercise
|
Zapad-2021 is not just approaching. It’s already here. Zapad, meaning “west,” is Russia’s Strategic Command’s-Staff Exercise, scheduled for Sept. 10–16. This exercise focuses on Russia’s Western Military District and Belarus and includes areas under the Northern Fleet’s Joint Strategic Command. Strategic exercises of this type are capstone training events for the Russian military and rotate every year (since 2009) between zapad (west), vostok (east), tsentr (center), and Kavkaz (Caucasus). Consequently, Zapad takes place every four years. Each exercise focuses on one of these strategic directions and is led by that military district’s Joint Strategic Command. Zapad intermingles military training for regional or large-scale war, demonstrations of capability, and political signaling. Annual strategic exercises such as Zapad allow the Russian General Staff to further develop operational concepts, test Russian military and civilian integration, experiment with force structure, reserve mobilization, or logistical elements. Over the years, Zapad has become more routinized, but it remains an important demonstration of military power aimed at helping maintain coercive credibility vis-a-vis Washington. Even though the Russian military sees itself as relatively inferior in a regional or large-scale war with NATO, Zapad is meant to convey the potential costs and escalation risks of such a conflict. This year’s exercise will also illustrate Russia’s ability to defend its interests in Belarus and deploy substantial military power onto the country’s territory. Zapad-2021 will be larger than the 2017 iteration. It takes place against the backdrop of a political crisis in Belarus, and an ongoing confrontation between Russia and NATO, which has resulted in intensifying military exercises, deployments, and activity in Europe. While Russian exercises often engender a sense of foreboding and anxiety across NATO member states on its borders, Zapad-2021 has not been subject to the same media sensationalism that characterized coverage in the summer of 2017. The Russian military has previously used exercises to rehearse military plans against specific neighbors (the Russian-Georgian War in 2008) and to mask large troop movements for the seizure of Crimea in 2014. The peak time for annual Russian military training events has historically been autumn. However, recent years have witnessed more of a year-round approach to training exercises as well as higher levels of readiness across the force. Major exercises are indeed a time for vigilance, and caution, but they also present opportunities for Western analysts and intelligence services. Exercises like Zapad provide useful updates on the state of the Russian armed forces and Moscow’s ability to generate and deploy combat power in the region of greatest concern to U.S. planners, as well as on the evolution of capabilities, operational concepts, and integration across the force. Over the years, Zapad has become an increasingly scripted event, with many of the movements pre-planned and exercised in advance, and has evolved to include preparatory activity, prepositioning of forces, and exercises in July and August that lead up to the main event in September. Yet the exercise remains a useful snapshot for those who regularly observe Russian military developments and look at the state’s capacity to mobilize, generate reserves, provide logistical support for large formations, etc. What Happens on Z-Day? The exercise scenario involves an opposing “Western” coalition against a joint Russian-Belarusian force. The simulated opponents normally include neighboring NATO member states backed by the United States. In 2017, the adversaries in the exercise — called Veyshnoriya, Lubenia, and Vesbaria and intended to represent Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland — were seeking to partition Belarus and annex its northwestern regions. Belarusian official sources have offered a glimpse of the scenario for 2021: As the military and political situation in Europe deteriorates, Western states turn their attention to Belarus and having failed to destabilize Belarus via non-military means, this Western coalition decides to use force to achieve its political aims. The Russian-Belarusian Northern coalition must compel this Western group to terminate hostilities on acceptable terms. This year, the Western coalition comprises states called Nyaris, Pomoria, and the Polar Republic along with so-called terrorist organizations. This is an interesting development. While Nyaris appears to represent Lithuania and Pomoria is probably a stand-in for Poland, the Polar Republic is likely intended to represent Norway or another Scandinavian state, heralding a significant role in Zapad-2021 for Russia’s Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command. Zapad-2021 will be held across Belarus at five training ranges in Brest, Baranovichi, Domanovsky, Obuz-Lesnovsky, Ruzhanskiy, and the region surrounding Grodno. Many of these ranges are in western Belarus, near the border with Poland and Lithuania. Another nine training ranges in Russia will be involved, and the Northern Fleet also will have an important part to play during this exercise. The exercise typically has two phases. In the first three days, Russian forces simulate a NATO intervention into Belarus that Russia and Belarus respond to together. The exercise is, in effect, a meeting engagement. This segment tests Russia’s ability to raise units on alert, mobilize reserves, and deploy active units to the combat zone (training ranges) amid simulated large-scale aerospace attacks by the United States and NATO from multiple strategic directions. One of the primary tasks in this phase is to deflect and parry a strategic NATO aerospace attack on both Russian forces and critically important infrastructure in the Russian homeland. Russian formations must leave their garrisons while quick reaction forces like the airborne simulate flanking attacks along a fragmented front. This portion of the exercise tests command and control relationships, logistics, and transitioning of the economy to a wartime footing. Large reserve formations are activated, and military districts practice coordinating critical civilian support functions. Russian forces are not just deploying and defending during this phase, but engage in sustained counterattacks, seeking to disorganize and attrite the opponent’s offensive operation through conventional strikes and electronic attack. The second phase involves a combined-arms Russian force “stabilizing” the situation in response to a crisis. Here, the ability of the Western Military District’s Joint Strategic Command to command and control forces in theater will be tested while the General Staff coordinates and executes strategic operations. Russian ground forces will simulate a maneuver defense, degrading offensive forces and drawing them into fire cauldrons or pockets, before then conducting a counteroffensive. Russian strategic deterrence forces will simulate strikes against critical targets in theater, as well as on infrastructure in opposing states. These are intended to demonstrate the Russian military’s ability to inflict substantial costs via conventional means and compel an opponent to abandon the conflict. The overarching goal is to degrade the opponent’s ability and will to sustain a military campaign. The Russian navy will practice destroying enemy surface action and carrier strike groups, repelling amphibious landings, and conducting long-range strikes against land-based infrastructure. Airborne units will arrive to reinforce forward deployed formations, form up into battalion tactical groups, and conduct raids or flanking actions to hold operationally significant positions. Although Zapad is formally a weeklong affair, preparations take place well in advance, with training sites selected early in the year. This year, maneuver formations and logistics units have deployed particularly early to ranges, some two months in advance. Most of these preparatory activities have already been taking place in July and August. Months of exercises by associated commands make the entire affair less a large-scale readiness test and more an event that is regimented or scripted in nature. Approximately 2,500–3,500 Russian troops have deployed to training ranges in Belarus ahead of the exercise and other units have moved to their respective training ranges across Russia’s Western Military District. The commander of Russia’s Western Military District said last month that his units are “completing their preparations for this year’s major training event,” adding that “joint command and staff exercises have already been held along with a series of special drills for the types of comprehensive logistic support, including three on the territory of Belarus.” Therefore, what constitutes the Zapad exercise today is not a sudden or intense stress test of the Russian military system, but months of military activity, force movements, and exercises. What to Look for in this Exercise A meeting engagement in Belarus resulting from a political crisis is the Russian equivalent of the Baltic high-end fight for NATO planners. The scenario may seem unrealistic to Western observers, but it is no more improbable than fears that Russia will attempt to seize the Suwalki Gap in Lithuania. From a Russian perspective, Belarus is situated along the Smolensk operational direction (within the western strategic direction), covering the so-called “Smolensk gate” on the way to Moscow. The shortest ground route from Europe to Moscow runs through Belarus. (The shortest land route from Russia to its forces in Kaliningrad, on the other hand, is not actually through the Suwalki Gap.) Zapad is neither defensive nor offensive. These are political characterizations that don’t have much analytical utility in evaluating military exercises. Russian operational concepts include both offensive and defensive elements. The Russian General Staff is concerned by what it has nicknamed a Western “Trojan horse” strategy: first using indirect means to destabilize a country, then employing advanced conventional capabilities to paralyze the armed forces, execute massed airstrikes against critical infrastructure, and rapidly achieve war aims. The Russian military goal is to convince a U.S.-led coalition that it cannot achieve a decisive victory early on, and that the war will result in substantial military, or economic costs, along with likely nuclear escalation. Russian thinking is premised on the belief that Russia can raise costs to a level that will outweigh the gains sought, particularly in a fight over Belarus. The 2021 exercise may simulate calibrated employment of conventional and non-strategic nuclear weapons to manage escalation and compel the opposing coalition to negotiate. This year, Russia will be keen to demonstrate advancements in coordination between service branches and independent combat arms and in the ability of the force to field joint operational-level formations. The Russian military continues to improve combat service support and logistical capacity for moving and sustaining large ground unit formations. Since Zapad-2017, Russian force structure has expanded — for example, the 18th division in Kaliningrad has been established, with new divisions being formed on the basis of existing brigades. Even if Zapad-2021 is repeating a staple scenario, some participating formations will be new. Russian airborne brigades will continue experiments with “new type” formations and developing air-mobile concepts. Furthermore, new electronic warfare, drone, and reconnaissance units have proliferated across the force at the battalion and company level, adding capabilities for electronic support and attack. Hence, the General Staff will be looking to see how these capabilities align with the operational concepts for their employment and the degree to which lessons from combat experience in Syria and Ukraine are being effectively integrated in training across the force. More recently, Azerbaijan’s decisive victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War has made an impression on the Russian military. Tackling the threat posed by remotely operated aircraft, loitering munitions, and drone swarms will be an area of emphasis. Many elements of the exercise remain highly scripted, especially those scheduled for the day when President Vladimir Putin comes to watch. In general, the Russian military leadership has sought increasingly to move away from the military theater aspects of the exercise toward more realistic forms of training, “nonstandard” solutions to tactical scenarios, fewer scripted events, and more sophisticated targets or technical means of simulating adversary capabilities. Unfortunately, this is not much in evidence during strategic command staff exercises, which are the most “set piece” military events of the year. Videos of the chief of the Russian General Staff recently inspecting Western Military District training ahead of Zapad suggest that units are drilling weeks and months in advance to execute the tasks that they will perform during the exercise. The Trouble With Belarus Russia’s relationship with Belarus is changing in the wake of a political crisis in Minsk, waves of protests in 2020 and 2021, and the Belarusian state’s repressive response. President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime is in survival mode, unable to play Russia and the West against each other. European neighbors have backed Lukashenko’s domestic political opposition, leaving him no other option than to become more firmly ensconced in Russia’s sphere of influence. Consequently, in contrast to Zapad-2017 when Belarus tried to act the victim of Russia’s security prerogatives, in 2021, this game is impossible. It is in Minsk’s interest to invite a much larger Russian footprint as a show of support for the regime. Since 2020, Russian forces have conducted a series of joint exercises with Belarus and maintain a regular presence in the country. Moscow has also signed agreements for combined air patrols and training centers. Russia’s efforts to establish a joint air defense training center in Grodno have moved apace, with two Russian S-300PM2 surface-to-air missile vehicles deploying there in recent days along with several Su-30SM fighters. Moscow’s military presence in Belarus is expanding and taking on a more permanent character. As Putin told the Belarus leader in a recent phone call, Lukashenko “can always count on Russia’s support.” Russian support, however, is never free. Belarus’ military forms an important part of a regional grouping of forces. This grouping is a joint formation, integrating Belarusian armed forces with Russian military units, and is designed to be activated in a conventional military contingency. In 2020, Lukashenko alluded to recent changes in joint defense planning. The geographic sectors in Belarus where this grouping is to be deployed have likely been moved closer to the borders with Poland and Lithuania. Zapad-2021 exercises will reflect this change, with a much larger share of Russian forces exercising in Western Belarus than in previous iterations, particularly the 1st Guards Tank Army. Belarus is also part of a unified regional air defense system with Russia. This system operates in peacetime and is Belarusian-led, whereas the regional grouping of forces is activated during a period of military threat. The regional grouping of forces is an operational- and strategic-level piece that fits into the Russian Joint Strategic Command planning for the fielding of forces along this strategic direction. However, the wartime command relationship between Russia’s Joint Strategic Command and the Belarusian General Staff is not clear. Zapad-2021 will further test Russian ability to integrate Belarusian and Russian units into this regional grouping of forces and work out interoperability, command and control, logistics, and other aspects of cooperation, especially following updates to joint defense planning. Zapad-2021 Will Be Really Big, Definitely, Maybe Zapad-2021 looks set to be larger than the 2013 or 2017 iterations, although it is no easy feat to estimate the size of this exercise. Judging from early deployments and training range selection, a more sizable Russian contingent will be in Belarus and Russian troops will be much closer to the borders with Poland than they were during previous Zapad exercises. Forces from Russia’s Central Military District are already forward deployed to participate in Voronezh, reservists from different districts have been activated, and units have been pre-deployed across training ranges. The past year has seen a visible uptick in Russian complaints about Western exercises and deployments near its borders, such as a spate of intense strategic bomber and intelligence aircraft overflights in 2020. Russia is therefore unlikely to restrain the scope of this exercise, and neither is Belarus. If anything, Moscow will be looking to conduct its own demonstration of military power in response to the intensifying activity on the part of NATO that it has complained about in recent years. According to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, Zapad-2021 will include a total of 12,800 Russian and Belarusian personnel participating on Belarussian soil, 2,500 of whom will be Russian, and an additional 50 soldiers from Kazakhstan. Approximately 400 of the Belarusian troops will be participating on Russian territory. These numbers from the ministry are clearly untrue, as there appear to be already more than 2,500 Russian personnel in Belarus. The reason for submitting these figures is to assert compliance with the terms of the Vienna Document, a politically binding agreement adopted in 1990 that specifies confidence-building measures for major exercises in excess of delineated thresholds. The agreement requires participating members to invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to exercises that involve more than excess of 13,000 troops. By claiming that forces participating in Zapad are involved only in a collection of separate, discrete exercises, both Belarus and Russia have consistently circumvented reporting obligations and the transparency measures that constitute the spirit of this agreement. For example, for Zapad-2017, Belarus officially submitted that 12,700 troops participated, with roughly 3,000 Russian soldiers involved. In August, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that up to 200,000 troops will be involved in Zapad-2021, including participants from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (presumably the 50 Kazakh soldiers mentioned by its Belarus counterpart). Zapad is therefore Europe’s largest “small” exercise, with the Russian defense ministry issuing an inflated count of 200,000 participants while often claiming, for reporting purposes, that no more than 13,000 will be involved simultaneously in the exercise. Actual figures of how many Russian soldiers participate in these strategic exercises vary wildly, depending on who is included as participating and over what time frame. The generally cited figure for Zapad-2013 is around 75,000 troops and associated personnel. Zapad-2017 was expected to be much larger – with official and media sources estimating 100,000 participants — but ended up being smaller, more in the ballpark of 50,000–60,000.
|
Military Exercise
| null | null |
Saudia Flight 163 crash
|
Saudia Flight 163 was a scheduled Saudia passenger flight that caught fire after takeoff from Riyadh International Airport (now the Riyadh Air Base) en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia[1] on 19 August 1980. All 287 passengers and 14 crew on board the Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar died from smoke inhalation after the aircraft made a successful emergency landing at Riyadh. The accident is the deadliest involving a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar,[2] as well as the deadliest aviation disaster to occur in Saudi Arabia. [1][3] At the time, this was the second deadliest aircraft accident in the history of aviation involving a single airplane after Turkish Airlines Flight 981. [4]
The aircraft involved in the accident was a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar (registered in Saudi Arabia as HZ-AHK). It made its first flight on 13 July 1979, and was delivered to Saudia on 21 August 1979. [5]:89[6]
The captain of the flight was 38-year-old Mohammed Ali Khowyter, a Saudi who was hired by Saudia in 1965. He had flown numerous aircraft such as Douglas DC-3, DC-4, McDonnell Douglas DC-9, Boeing 707 and 737. Khowyter's records described him as a slow learner and needing more proper training. Khowyter had 7,674 flying hours, including 388 hours in the TriStar. The first officer was 26-year-old Sami Abdullah M. Hasanain, also a Saudi who joined the airline in 1977 and had previously worked as a trainee. He received his type rating on the TriStar eleven days before the accident. At one point during his training, however, due to his poor performance, Hasanain was removed from flying school. Hasanain had 1,615 flying hours, including 125 hours in the TriStar. The flight engineer was 42-year-old Bradley Curtis, an American who was hired by the airline in 1974. He had been qualified as a captain of the Douglas DC-3, and was then assigned to train in either the Boeing 707 or 737, but failed to qualify as both a captain and as a first officer because he did not meet the requirements. He had needed to pay for his own training as an L-1011 flight engineer in order to keep his job. Curtis had 650 flying hours, including 157 hours in the TriStar. [5]:86–88[7]
Flight 163 departed Qu'aid-e-Azam International Airport (now Jinnah International Airport) in Karachi, Pakistan at 18:32 Pakistan time (13:32 UTC) bound for Jeddah International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a scheduled intermediate stop at Riyadh Airport. The flight arrived in Riyadh at 19:06 Saudi time (16:06 UTC). There was a two-hour layover for refueling. During the layover, several of the passengers disembarked. After refueling, the flight took off at 21:08 (18:08 UTC) bound for Jeddah. [5]
Almost seven minutes into the flight, the crew received warnings of smoke from the cargo compartment. [5]:66–67,98 The crew spent the next four minutes trying to confirm the warnings, after which Flight Engineer Curtis went back into the cabin to confirm the presence of smoke. Captain Khowyter decided to return to the airport, and First Officer Hasanain radioed their intentions at 21:20 (18:20 UTC). At 21:25 (18:25 UTC), the thrust lever for the number two engine (the center engine) became jammed as the fire burned through the operating cable. Then, at 21:29 (18:29 UTC), the engine was shut down during final approach. [5]:6
At 21:35 (18:35 UTC), Khowyter declared an emergency and landed back at Riyadh. [8] After touchdown at 21:36 (18:36 UTC), the airplane continued to a taxiway at the end of the runway where it exited the runway, stopping two minutes and 40 seconds after touchdown at 21:39 (18:39 UTC). The airport fire rescue equipment was stationed back on the landing section of the runway, with emergency personnel expecting an emergency stop and evacuation. This meant they had to rush after the aircraft, which had used the entire length of a 13,000 feet (4,000 m) runway to slow and then exit onto the taxiway. The airplane stopped facing in the opposite direction from landing. [5]:7
Once the aircraft had stopped, the crew reported that they were shutting down the engines and about to evacuate. On arrival at the aircraft soon after, however, the rescue personnel found that the two wing-mounted engines were still running, preventing them from opening the doors. These were finally shut down at 21:42 (18:42 UTC), three minutes and 15 seconds after the aircraft came to a stop, at which point communication with the crew was lost. No external fire was visible at this time, but flames were observed through the windows at the rear of the aircraft. Twenty-three minutes after engine shutdown, at 22:05 (19:05 UTC), the R2 door (second door on the right side) was opened by ground personnel. Three minutes later, the aircraft burst into flames, and was consumed by fire. [5]:8
Why Captain Khowyter failed to evacuate the aircraft promptly is not known. Saudi reports stated that the crew could not get the plug-type doors to open in time. [9] It is assumed that most passengers and flight attendants were incapacitated during the landing roll, or they did not attempt to open a door on a moving aircraft. [10] It is known that the aircraft remained pressurized during the landing roll as the cabin pressurization system was on standby, and the aircraft was found with both pressurization hatches almost completely closed. The pressurization hatches should have opened completely on touchdown to depressurize the aircraft. The crew were found still in their seats, and all the victims were found in the forward half of the fuselage. Autopsies were conducted on some of the non-Saudi nationals, including the American flight engineer. All of them perished from smoke inhalation and not burns, which indicated that they had died long before the R2 door was opened. The source of the fire in compartment C3 could not be determined. [5]:78
Eighty-two of the passengers boarded in Karachi while the remaining 205 passengers boarded in Riyadh. The majority of the passengers were Saudis and Pakistani religious pilgrims on their way to Mecca for a traditional Ramadan holiday.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Paul Vaughan Sacked By Dragons As NRL Deal With Biosecurity Breach
|
The playing future of Dragons prop Paul Vaughan has been decided, the 30-year-old has been sacked following a major COVID breach at a house party in Shellharbour, NSW. Vaughan has been handed further ramifications after he was fined $50,000 by the NRL, his $800,000 per year deal has been torn up. Fox Sports Reporter James Hooper shared on NRL360 the desire of both the league and St George Illawarra to deal with the incident to ensure it isn't repeated. “There’s no question whatsoever that tearing up [Vaughan's] contract is going to be discussed. Whether they follow through or not, we’ll wait and see but definitely that is on the agenda." Hooper said. The infamous incident threatened to bring down the NRL -with the current state of New South Wales under lockdown protocols- the athlete's barbeque was a costly event. A total of more than $300-thousand in fines and 20 suspended matches has been divided between those who broke COVID rules. NRL Chief Andrew Abdo is frustrated that the players didn't full cooperate with their investigation, as the club also received false information. After being at the club for four games after a lengthy spell, Vaughn's teammate Jack de Belin was caught hiding under a bed when police searched the home.
|
Tear Up Agreement
| null | null |
Intermountain Healthcare, SCL Health unveil plans to form 33-hospital, $14B system
|
Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare and Colorado-based SCL Health have announced plans to merge and form a 33-hospital system and health insurer. Pending approvals, the nonprofit systems said they are aiming to finalize the agreement before the end of 2021 and combine in the early part of 2022. The entity would employ more than 58,000 people and run 385 clinics across Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana and Kansas. It would also provide health insurance coverage to roughly 1 million people and bring in roughly $14 billion in annual revenues, Intermountain CEO and President Marc Harrison, M.D., said during a virtual press event. "With this merger, we’ll create a model population health, value-oriented system that provides high-quality, affordable and accessible care to more patients and communities," Harrison said. "We feel strongly that American healthcare needs to evolve towards population health and value. This merger accelerates that movement regionally and nationally." The deal joins a secular nonprofit with a Catholic faith-based organization, both of which treat a substantial number of patients living in rural regions. RELATED: Intermountain latest health system to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour amid other pay boosts The systems said they will be uniting under the Intermountain Healthcare banner, but that SCL’s Catholic hospitals would retain their “distinctive Catholic names” and maintain their current practices. The combined entity will be headquartered at Intermountain’s Salt Lake City home, they said, while SCL’s Broomfield, Colorado base would serve as a regional office. The organizations currently have no geographic overlap. Intermountain’s Harrison will maintain his position as president and CEO of the combined organization. Lydia Jumonville, SCL’s president and CEO, will hold her current role during a two-year integration period and have a position on the systems’ combined board. Jumonville stressed to reporters that their merger stands apart from others across the industry because both Intermountain and SCL came to the table "from a position of strength." Each has been successful as an individual system but sees a greater opportunity to advance care quality, accessibility and affordability by aligning their efforts, she said. Harrison agreed, noting that the decision to merge was by no means a play for increased market power. "This is the opposite of those mergers where people come together and try to exert leverage over commercial insurance to get more money," he said. "What we’d really love in the long run is for some of those payers to engage with us in risk-based contracts where we can really work hard at keeping people well. That would be the most exciting thing for us, I believe.” Intermountain is the larger of the pair with 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, 42,000 employees, its medical group and SelectHealth insurance company. It operates in Utah, Idaho and Nevada and reported $7.7 billion in revenue during 2020. SCL, meanwhile, has seven Catholic hospitals and an additional secular hospital. The organization employs 16,000 people and runs 160 physician clinics and other services across Colorado, Montana and Kansas. It reported nearly $2.9 billion in revenue last year. RELATED: Sanford Health, Intermountain Healthcare merger discussions halted The systems are coming together with "substantial and complementary" best practices that they'll be able to share with the other's operations, the executives said. Specifically, the organizations said that Intermountain will be contributing its “robust” digital health platform, “extensive” telehealth network and other expertise in value-based care and population health. SCL brings proven experience establishing effective governance and running a successful integrated, multi-state healthcare organization in competitive markets, they said. Importantly for Harrison, both organizations "are committed to rural healthcare" and "have avoided some of the rural healthcare deserts" seen elsewhere across the country. "We believe this merger will provide a model for rural healthcare for the rest of the country,” he said. Jumonville said that SCL has "had no discussions at all" regarding SelectHealth's role within its organization post-merger. The executives also said it would be premature for any specific planning on merger-related changes to any individual markets to have occurred. Healthcare provider mergers have picked up increased scrutiny over the last several months, most notably due to an executive order from President Joe Biden instructing federal agencies to review whether these deals stand to harm patients. Still, Harrison said he believed that the deal is unlikely to draw regulators' attention due to the systems' limited payer overlap, nonexistent geographic overlap and historical commitments to price transparency and cost reduction. “In many ways, I believe we represent the model merger," he said. "Here we are, we’re trying to do the right thing. We’re trying to move toward value, which has been one of the hallmarks of the Biden administration. So we’ll see what the regulators say, but we’re very straightforward folks with straightforward organizations. We believe our track records are good and that we do not ping any of the traditional concerns around mergers.” Last year Intermountain was slated to merge with Sanford Health in a deal that would have yielded a 70-hospital system. It was called off in December following an executive leadership change at Sanford, in which then-CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft stepped down amidst a facemask controversy. Intermountain is also on the frontlines of the delta variant surge. Yesterday it pumped the brakes on "urgent but not life-threatening" procedures at 13 hospitals due to a "sharp spike in hospitalizations for patients with COVID-19."
|
Organization Merge
| null | null |
Wheatley explosion could be 'tip of the iceberg' in Ontario given number of abandoned wells: expert
|
An explosion in Wheatley, Ont., believed to be caused by an abandoned gas well is the extreme example of what can happen if such wells are not properly plugged, according to an expert hydrogeologist who has researched oil and gas wells in southwestern Ontario.
"It can happen anywhere in southwestern Ontario," said Dick Jackson, an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, who last year gave a presentation at a national geological convention about the dangers of the province's abandoned wells.
Seven people were sent to hospital and two buildings were destroyed in Wheatley when an explosion rocked the downtown core last Thursday, just over an hour after high readings of hydrogen sulphide were recorded.
The town of 3,000, located about 65 kilometres southeast of Windsor, Ont., had experienced three previous gas leaks in the area in recent months.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff pleaded for the Ontario government to "step up" and take the lead on the investigation in the days following the explosion.
CBC has made several calls and email requests for an interview with Greg Rickford, minister of northern development, mines, natural resources and forestry. On Wednesday, his press secretary would only say in an email that, "the minister is unavailable for an interview today. I will keep you apprised of new information as it becomes available."
CBC News spoke with Jackson to get a sense of how many abandoned wells there are in the province and what kind of risk they might pose for other communities.
"In Ontario, the province knows within 200 metres where 27,000 of these oil and gas wells are. About 3,000 are active, the other 24,000 are abandoned," said Jackson. "There are about 3,000 where we probably don't know where they are."
He found three recorded wells in Wheatley through the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Library, which collects and publicly posts details of wells in Ontario using provincial records.
"But their location wasn't known within an area of 200 metres. Very uncertain. Clearly the town got built after these wells got built," he said.
The recorded wells include:
A fourth well sits just outside Wheatley's core:
Anyone can access information on known wells through the Ontario Oil, Gas and Salt Resource Library.
The well that records estimate is closest to the Wheatley blast site, at Talbot Road East and Erie Street North, was plugged with cement and gravel, according to records.
Jackson said plugging practices were "very primitive" before the 1970s.
"It was a poorly understood technology. They would put tree trunks down them. Cement. Gravel. And they would pound lead in," said Jackson.
"Once we plug and abandon these wells, we figure they're not going to leak. But some of them will. No question about that."
Jackson said the issue is twofold: eroding well casings and cement plugs create opportunities for the sites to leak, and the removal of those casings for other projects makes the sites hard to find.
"You're getting breakthrough of this deep gas coming from these depleted oil fields," said Jackson.
He said even though an oil reservoir might have been depleted through decades of pumping, it will slowly re-pressurize over time.
Finding these wells has become difficult, he said, because it was popular practice to remove the top sections of the casings in order to repurpose them for ships during the Second World War.
Removing the surface casing makes it extremely difficult to detect the abandoned wells.
"There's no magnetic signal that your geophysicist can hit. Then trying to re-plug them becomes horrendously expensive," said Jackson.
"The problem in a town like Wheatley is you got so much steel around the town in piping that the geophysicist isn't going to be able to figure out what's an old abandoned oil well and what's a new piece of steel piping going to a gas station."
The deterioration of the well casings open up pathways for methane gas trapped below the surface to mix with gypsum rock, creating the toxic and sometimes-deadly hydrogen sulphide gas.
"If you drilled 100 years ago, by now, those casings are rotted out. You're getting gas moving up from the basin," said Jackson.
Methane dissolves the gypsum, releasing sulphate, which the methane then reduces into hydrogen sulphide.
"It's like a big chemical reactor," said Jackson.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for Ontario's abandoned wells, but according to Jackson, the province is in no position to do the plugging work with speed.
"Under something called the abandoned works program, if you can satisfy the criteria of the abandoned works program and you float to the top of their hazardous criteria list, you will get your well plugged," said Jackson.
"But don't hold your breath."
He said the ministry has a duty of care when it comes to abandoned wells in Ontario.
"They are depleted in expertise and they are depleted in funding, I believe," said Jackson, noting the most experienced people have retired in the last decade.
"I don't think the Ford government has really put a lot of money in the abandoned works program."
Jackson added, however, that funding is important because what happened in Wheatley could be the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to issues with abandoned wells.
Plugging abandoned wells is difficult, Jackson said, because of the toxic chemicals that can be found after years of neglect.
He recently asked a group that works in the industry for an estimate to plug an abandoned well for a project he's consulting on. "I got numbers from $30,000 to $200,000 per well.… We just don't know [the scale]," said Jackson.
Jackson said the work in Wheatley is "not going to be cheap."
"They're going to spend a million or two by the time they've found that well and essentially plugged it and figured out what they're going to do to prevent any of these other wells around Wheatley from leaking," he said.
"It's an enormous job. It's a legacy problem."
Scenes from above the devastating explosion in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wheatley?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wheatley</a> as the <a href="https://twitter.com/ONFireMarshal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ONFireMarshal</a> continues the investigation. <a href="https://t.co/flYpKwRFQu">pic.twitter.com/flYpKwRFQu</a>
To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted.
By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Join the conversation Create account
Already have an account?Log in
Commenting is now closed for this story.
Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6 Toll-free (Canada only): 1-866-306-4636
TTY/Teletype writer: 1-866-220-6045
It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.
|
Gas explosion
| null | null |
Airport Homes race riots
|
The Airport Homes race riots were a series of riots in 1946 in the West Lawn and West Elsdon neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois. [1] It was the worst episode of racial inspired violence that the city faced in some thirty years. [2]
"Airport Homes" was the name of the site in nearby West Lawn established by the Chicago Housing Authority to provide temporary housing to returning veterans and their families during the postwar housing shortage. Residents of West Lawn and West Elsdon rioted and succeeded in intimidating a few black war veterans and their families from joining white veterans in the homes. [1]
The upheaval against blacks happened during the working hours while the white men were at work, which meant that the elderly and the women were the ones who started the riot. [3]
The West Elsdon Civic Association became one of the first vocal political enemies of the CHA and its first executive secretary, Elizabeth Wood. Opposition to public housing remained strong in the area. In the early 1970s the West Elsdon Civic Association was an active participant in the "No-CHA" citywide coalition opposing scattered-site public housing in predominantly middle-class white neighborhoods. [1]
Chicago's major newspapers published very few details about the riots at the recommendation of the city's Commission on Human Relations (CHR), who feared that excessive coverage would make the riots worse. As a result, there is very little information available on the riots. In total, the CHR recorded 357 serious incidents related to blacks moving into white Chicago neighborhoods between 1945 and 1950. [4]
|
Riot
| null | null |
Desert Locust outbreak in Yemen leaves surrounding ...
|
Desert Locust outbreak in Yemen leaves surrounding countries potentially at risk
FAO/G.Tortoli
Juvenile desert locust hoppers.
12 April 2016
The presence of recently discovered Desert Locust infestations in Yemen, where conflict is severely hampering control operations, poses a potential threat to crops in the region, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) warned today.
The UN agency urged neighbouring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran, to mobilize, survey and control teams, and to take all necessary measures to prevent the destructive insects from reaching breeding areas situated in their respective territories.
Strict vigilance is also required in Morocco and Algeria, especially in areas south of the Atlas Mountains, which could become possible breeding grounds for Desert Locust that have gathered in parts of the Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania, FAO added.
Cyclones help trigger locust presence
Groups of juvenile wingless hoppers and adults as well as hopper bands and at least one swarm formed on the southern coast of Yemen in March where heavy rains associated with tropical cyclones Chapala and Megh fell in November 2015.
"The extent of current Desert Locust breeding in Yemen is not well known since survey teams are unable to access most areas. However, as vegetation dries out along the coast more groups, bands and small swarms are likely to form," said Keith Cressman, FAO Senior Locust Forecasting Officer, in a press release .
He noted that a moderate risk exists that Desert Locusts will move into the interior of southern Yemen, perhaps reaching spring breeding areas in the interior of central Saudi Arabia and northern Oman.
There is a possibility that this movement could continue to the United Arab Emirates where a few small swarms may appear and transit through the country before arriving in areas of recent rainfall in southeast Iran.
FAO is assisting technical teams from Yemen's Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in conducting field survey and control operations in infested coastal areas, as part of the agency's continuing support to the country's locust control efforts.
It also warned that in northwest Africa, small groups and perhaps a few small swarms could find suitable breeding areas in Morocco (Draa Valley), Mauritania (near Zouerate) and Algeria. In addition, some small-scale Desert Locust breeding is likely to occur in southwestern Libya, but numbers should remain low.
The agency stressed the need for close monitoring in all of these areas over the next few months to prevent the insects from forming large, destructive swarms.
The Desert Locust situation in other countries reportedly remained calm in March with no significant developments detected or expected.
A force of nature
Desert Locust hoppers can form vast ground-based bands. These can eventually turn into adult locust swarms, which, numbering in the tens of millions can fly up to 150 km a day with the wind.
Female locusts can lay 300 eggs within their lifetime while an adult insect can consume roughly its own weight in fresh food per day – about two grams every day. A very small swarm eats the same amount of food in one day as about 35,000 people and the devastating impact locusts can have on crops poses a major threat to food security, especially in already vulnerable areas.
Locust monitoring, early warning and preventive control measures are believed to have played an important role in the decline in the frequency and duration of plagues since the 1960s; however, today climate change is leading to more frequent, unpredictable and extreme weather and poses
http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/activ/1307/climate/index.html on how to monitor and respond to locust activity.
FAO informed that it operates a Desert Locust Information Service that receives data from locust-affected countries. This information is regularly analyzed together with weather and habitat data and satellite imagery in order to assess the current locust situation, provide forecasts up to six weeks in advance and if required issue warnings and alerts.
FAO also undertakes field assessment missions and coordinates survey and control operations as well as assistance during locust emergencies. Its three regional locust commissions provide regular training and strengthen national capacities in survey, control and planning.
|
Insect Disaster
| null | null |
2001 Oldham riots
|
The Oldham riots were a brief period of violent rioting which occurred in Oldham, a town in Greater Manchester, England, in May 2001. They were the worst ethnically-motivated riots in the United Kingdom since 1985, briefly eclipsing the sectarian violence seen in Northern Ireland.
The Oldham riots were the first of a series of major riots during summer 2001, which saw similar ethnic conflicts follow in Bradford, Leeds and Burnley. They followed a long period of ethnic tensions and attacks in Oldham, occurring particularly between groups of the local white and South Asian communities. The most violent rioting occurred in the Glodwick area of the town, a multi-ethnic district of Oldham and home to a large community of Pakistani people.
The racial riots took place throughout Oldham and a small part of neighbouring Chadderton, peaking on Saturday, 26 May 2001, and continuing on Sunday 27, and Monday, 28 May 2001. They were particularly intensive in Glodwick, an area to the south-east of Oldham town centre. They were highly violent and led to the use of petrol bombs, bricks, bottles and other such projectiles by up to five-hundred Asian youths as they battled against lines of riot police. At least 20 people were injured in the riots, including fifteen officers, and 37 people were arrested. Other parts of Oldham such as Coppice and Westwood were also involved. Asians - including those of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian heritage - make up 11% of Oldham's population, but constitute around 2% of the workforce at the local council, the town's biggest employer. The rate of mixed race marriage in the town is less than 1%. Most Oldham primary schools are single race, and many secondaries are 99% white or 99% Asian.
On Saturday 26 May, the Live and Let Live pub, which was occupied at the time, was pelted with bricks, stones and petrol bombs. Several cars were set ablaze including an occupied police van. Lines of riot police were drafted in to combat the spiralling violence. Several officers were injured, and 32 police vehicles were damaged, but despite the level of violence and arson, there were no fatalities. On 28 May 2001, the headquarters of the local newspaper, the Oldham Evening Chronicle, was attacked. A large group of Asian rioters threw a petrol bomb into the premises and smashed three plate-glass windows. Just weeks after the riots, the then Deputy-Mayor of Oldham, Riaz Ahmad, became a victim of arson when someone threw a petrol bomb at his house in Chadderton, setting it ablaze. Mr. Ahmad, his wife and four children were all in the house sleeping at the time, but all escaped without any injuries.
The disturbances received extensive coverage from local, national and international media, including the BBC and other television networks and several tabloids and broadsheets. The exact causes of the Oldham riots are widely disputed, with blame being placed and denied by various groups. What is understood is that the riots stemmed from multiple causes and incidents, both historic and short-term. Oldham was once a thriving town, a spearhead of the industrial revolution and was said to be the cotton spinning capital of the world, producing at its peak some 13% of the entire world's cotton. However, economically, Oldham was very much dependent on this single industry, and following a depression in the British cotton industry due to increased foreign competition and the events of the two world wars, manufacture, affluence and employment opportunities steadily declined in the town during the first half of the 20th century. As such, Oldham became a relatively impoverished town, inhabited by people with non-transferable skills outside of mill work. In an attempt to keep the industry and the town alive, cotton did however continue to be spun to compete with foreign competition right up until 1989. Although cotton was produced in lesser quantities, it was under increasingly anti-social conditions (night-shifts and harder working conditions) and requiring manpower which was not as readily available as before the Second World War. Because of this, after World War II ended, workers from the British Commonwealth were encouraged to migrate to Oldham, amongst other similarly industrialised English towns, to fill the shortfall of indigenous employees, and thus benefit from increased economic opportunity, albeit from tough unsociable employment regimes in a distinctly foreign land. These migrant groups, initially male Caribbeans and Pakistanis, but later Bangladeshi (then East Pakistani), Indian, Caribbean, and Pakistani families began to arrive in considerable numbers in the 1960s, settling throughout the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. However, due to the comparatively poor circumstances with which they arrived in Britain, these migrants settled in concentrated neighborhoods, inhabiting the poorest of Oldham's then crumbling Victorian residential areas - most of which have since been redeveloped. As a prosperous thriving centre of the industrial revolution, Oldham had always been a town attracting migrants (from wider-England, Scotland, Ireland, and following the world wars, Poland and Ukraine). However, the South Asian communities which settled remained culturally very distinct from the local population, in dress, language, religion, customs and, pertinently, in ethnicity/colour, much more so than previous migrant groups. These factors contributed heavily to the foundations of Oldham's concentrated and sizeable Asian communities, which make up around 12% of the Borough's population, with Glodwick and more recently Clarksfield becoming a strong Pakistani community, and Westwood and Coldhurst likewise becoming home to a large Bangladeshi community.
These communities became very marginalised within a town of poor education and hostile working-class ethics. Derogatory racist language was often used to describe the migrants who had arrived, who in turn kept their mother-tongue language and stayed as a close-knit cultural community. Inter-ethnic relationships, marital, friendly or otherwise, were seen as highly undesirable and very much frowned upon by both communities for several reasons, including not only ethnicity but religion. Several assumptions rose to mythical status in the town during the forty-year period between the first Asian migration and the Oldham Riots. Many Asians believed that areas such as Sholver, Abbeyhills, Limeside, and Fitton Hill were no-go areas for them in a similar way that the white community in Oldham feared attack should they be found in the vicinity of Glodwick, Clarkesfield and Westwood, and that the council was racist, holding back the socio-economic development of Asians. This was verified in the Ritchie report, where numerous instances of zones marked with whites-only graffiti were reported. The report notes, however, that no institutional decree to such an effect was issued.
Many members of the white community believed that more council tax money was spent serving Asian needs, such as mosque building, in substitution for providing for white needs, although over the previous six years, the majority of regeneration grants had gone into white areas: Westwood and Glodwick received £16 million in 1995/96, whereas Hathershaw and Fitton Hill - predominantly white areas - received £53 million. [11] This myth was tagged as wholly untrue in The Ritchie Report. Some minority sects of the Asian community believed that the police were behind the instigation of the Oldham riots, and some in the white community believed that the flag of England was being removed by councillors, in favour of celebrating Asian cultural identity. A review of the Oldham riots blamed deep-rooted segregation which authorities had failed to address for generations. Poverty and lack of opportunity was also blamed, with the Oldham wards of Alexandra, Werneth, Hollinwood and Coldhurst in the 5% most deprived in the country, in addition to a further three wards in the 10% most deprived wards overall.
In the year leading up to the riots, there were 572 reported ethnicity-related crimes in the Oldham area, and in 60% of these, white persons were recorded as being the victims. These figures alarmed both Asian and white communities, and led to the British National Party announcing it would contest the forthcoming general election, with its leader Nick Griffin to stand as a candidate for the constituency of Oldham West and Royton. The far-right National Front political party also announced its interest in the town, and the intent to provide its own candidates for election.
|
Riot
| null | null |
LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 crash
|
LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Maputo, Mozambique, to Luanda, Angola. [1] On 29 November 2013, the Embraer E190 twinjet operating the service crashed into the Bwabwata National Park in Namibia, halfway through its flight, killing all 27 passengers and 6 crew on board. [2][3]
Preliminary findings of the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute (IACM) showed that the captain deliberately crashed the jet. [4] The Mozambican Association of Air Operators (AMOPAR) disputes the conclusion of the IACM. [5] The Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigations Namibia agreed with the IACM that the captain inputting controls leading to the crash was the probable cause of the aviation accident. [6]:2
The aircraft had departed Maputo International Airport at 11:26 CAT (09:26 UTC), and was due to land at 14:10 WAT (13:10 UTC) at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport, Angola. [1]
While cruising at about 38,000 feet (12,000 m) in Botswanan airspace, about halfway between Maputo and Luanda, the Embraer began to rapidly lose altitude. [3][7] The aircraft descended rapidly at a rate of about 100 feet (30 m) per second and was being tracked on radar. [8] The aircraft's track was lost from screens at 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level, after about six minutes of losing altitude. Shortly after, the aircraft crashed into Bwabwata National Park and exploded. The explosion completely destroyed the aircraft and killed all 33 people on board instantly. [7] The last contact with air traffic control was made at 13:30 CAT (11:30 UTC) over northern Namibia during heavy rainfall. [9]
Weather was reported to be poor at the time of the incident, with heavy rainfall in the vicinity of the flight path. [2][10]
The aircraft involved in the incident was a one-year-old Embraer 190 with manufacturer serial number 581, registered as C9-EMC and named Chaimite. The aircraft was manufactured in October 2012 and was delivered to LAM Mozambique Airlines in November 2012. It had since accumulated more than 2900 flight hours in 1900 flight cycles. [11] It was powered by two General Electric CF34-10E engines. [12] The airframe and the engines were last inspected on 28 November 2013, one day before the crash. [3]
LAM Mozambique Airlines confirmed there were a total of 33 people on board (27 passengers and 6 crew members). [13] The Namibian Police Force Deputy Commissioner Willy Bampton stated that there were no survivors and that the aircraft was "completely burned to ashes. "[14]
The crew comprised two pilots, three cabin attendants, and a technician. [13] The captain, 49-year-old Herminio dos Santos Fernandes, had logged more than 9,000 flight hours in total (including 2,519 hours on the Embraer E190) while the first officer, 24-year-old Grácio Gregório Chimuquile, had accumulated about 1,400 hours of flying experience, with 101 of them on the Embraer E190. [3][6][15][16][17]
The government of Mozambique announced it would declare a period of national mourning. [9] Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva expressed condolence to victims' families. [9] LAM Mozambique Airlines reported it was providing counselling and legal advice to families in both Mozambique and Angola and had set up an information hotline. [9]
The pattern of debris indicated that the aircraft slid along the ground for several hundred metres. [18]
Both flight recorders – the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR) – were recovered from the crash site within four days of the crash and were subsequently sent to the United States' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for readout. [3][19]
On 21 December 2013, the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute (Instituto Moçambicano de Aviação Civil, IACM) head João Abreu presented the preliminary investigation report, according to which Captain Herminio dos Santos Fernandes had a "clear intention" to crash the jet and manually changed its autopilot settings, making this a suicide by pilot. [20] After the co-pilot left the cockpit, two minutes passed before the captain decided to lock the door, and a further minute passed before he initiated a descent. [21] NTSB pilot psychologist Malcolm Brenner stated that during this period the captain was probably "thinking about life" and contemplating whether he could carry out such an action. [21] The aircraft's intended altitude was reportedly changed three times from 38,000 feet (11,582 m) to 592 feet (180 m), the latter being below ground level, and the speed was manually adjusted as well. [22] The cockpit voice recorder captured several alarms going off during the descent, as well as repeated loud bangs on the door from the co-pilot, who was locked out of the cockpit. [3][23] Contrary to regulations by Mozambique Airlines, no cabin crew member was deployed in the cockpit during the time of the co-pilot's absence. [24]
Investigations of the aircraft's pilot revealed that Captain Fernandes had suffered a number of blows of fate prior to the accident. His son died in a suspected suicide in November 2012; Fernandes stayed away from the funeral. The one year anniversary of Fernandes' son's death occurred almost exactly on the date of the accident. [21] His daughter was also in hospital for heart surgery at the time of the crash, and his divorce proceedings had been unresolved for over a decade. [24]
Despite the conclusion of the IACM, the Mozambican Association of Air Operators (AMOPAR) disputed the preliminary report, explaining that the maneuvers of Captain Fernandes were from the manual of standard operating procedures issued by Embraer (the manufacturer of the crashed aircraft) about how to "act in emergency situation to avert disaster". According to the AMOPAR document, the Mozambican Government had not complied with the standards and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) "about the disclosure, contents and procedures relating to the preliminary report of the investigation of the crash of flight TM 470. "[5]
On 15 April 2016 the DAAI released its final report finding that the inputs to the auto flight systems by the person believed to be the Captain, who remained alone on the flight deck when the person believed to be the co-pilot requested to go to the lavatory, caused the aircraft to depart from cruise flight, transition to a sustained controlled descent and subsequently crash. [6]
According to experts interviewed in the TV series Mayday, the LAM crash was not extensively covered by the media because the crash happened in a third world country. This meant that the airline industry failed to apply safety measures in time to avoid another similar incident, the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps in 2015, which was found to be a deliberate act by the co-pilot. [21]
The accident is featured in the ninth episode of Season 20 of Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation. The episode is titled "Cockpit Killer". [21]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
1958 FIFA World Cup
|
The 1958 FIFA World Cup was the sixth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in Sweden from 8 to 29 June 1958. It was the first FIFA World Cup to be played in a Nordic country. Brazil beat Sweden 5–2 in the final in the Stockholm suburb of Solna to claim their first title. The tournament also marked the arrival of a then 17-year-old Pelé on the world stage. Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Sweden expressed interest in hosting the tournament. [1] Swedish delegates lobbied other countries at the FIFA Congress held in Rio de Janeiro around the opening of the 1950 World Cup finals. [1] Sweden was awarded the 1958 tournament unopposed on 23 June 1950. [2]
The hosts (Sweden) and the defending champions (West Germany) qualified automatically. Of the remaining 14 places, nine were allocated to Europe, three to South America, one to North/Central America, and one to Asia/Africa. Aside from the main European zone matches, Wales, which finished second in its group behind Czechoslovakia, was drawn into a play-off with Israel after Israel won its group by default because its three opponents, Turkey, Indonesia and Sudan, refused to play. FIFA had imposed a rule that no team would qualify without playing at least one match, something that had happened in several previous World Cups. Wales won the play-off and qualified for the first time. With Northern Ireland making its debut, and England and Scotland also qualifying, this World Cup was the only one to feature all four of the United Kingdom's Home Nations. This World Cup also saw the entry and qualification of the Soviet Union for the first time, while Argentina appeared for the first time since 1934. Until 2018, this FIFA World Cup was the only one for which Italy failed to qualify (Italy did not take part in the 1930 tournament but there was no qualification for that competition). Other teams that failed to qualify included two-time champions and 1954 semifinalists Uruguay, as well as Spain and Belgium. On 8 February 1958, in Solna, Lennart Hyland and Sven Jerring presented the results of the draw where the qualified teams were divided into four groups. Seeding was geographical rather than by team strength, with each group containing one western European team, one eastern European team, one of the four British teams that had qualified, and one from the Americas. [3]
The following 16 teams qualified for the final tournament. AFC (0)
CAF (0)
NAFC (1)
CCCF (0)
CONMEBOL (3)
UEFA (12)
The format of the competition changed from 1954: 16 teams still competed in four groups of four, but this time each team played each of the other teams in its group at least once, without extra time in the event of a draw. Two points were awarded for a win and one point for a draw. If the first two teams finished on equal points then goal average would decide who was placed first and second. As in 1954, if the second and third placed teams finished on the same points, then there would be a play-off with the winner going through. If a play-off resulted in a draw, goal average from the group games would be used to determine who went through to the next round. If the goal averages were equal then lots would have been drawn. These arrangements had not been finalised by the time the tournament started and were still being debated as it progressed. Some teams complained that a play-off match, meaning three games in five days, was too much, and before the second round of group matches FIFA informed the teams that goal average would be used before resorting to a play-off. [4] This was overturned when the Swedish Football Association complained, ostensibly that it was wrong to change the rules mid-tournament, but also because it wanted the extra revenue from playoff matches. [4]
This was the first time that goal average was available to separate teams in a World Cup. It was used to separate the teams finishing first and second in one of the groups. However, all three playoffs finished with decisive results and so it was not needed to separate the teams involved in a tied playoff. Almost all the matches kicked off simultaneously in each of the three rounds of the group phase, as did the quarter-finals and semi-finals. The exceptions were Sweden's three group matches, all of which were televised by Sveriges Radio; these started at other times so Swedes could attend other matches without missing their own team's. Apart from these, one match per round was televised, and relayed across Europe by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Many Swedes bought their first television for the World Cup. The official ball was the "Top-Star VMbollen 1958" model made by Sydsvenska Läder & Remfabriks AB (aka "Remmen" or "Sydläder") in Ängelholm. It was chosen from 102 candidates in a blind test by four FIFA officials. [5][6]
In Group 4, Pelé did not play until the last of Brazil's group games, against the Soviet Union. He failed to score, but Brazil won the game 2–0 (much thanks to an impressive exhibition of dribbling prowess by his partner Garrincha) and the group by two points. Previously, they had drawn 0–0 with England in what was the first ever goalless game in World Cup history. Eventually, the Soviet Union and England went to a playoff game, in which Anatoli Ilyin scored in the 67th minute to knock England out, while Austria had already been eliminated. The English side had been weakened by the Munich air disaster earlier in the year, which killed three internationals on the books of Manchester United, including England's young star Duncan Edwards. Playoffs were also needed in Group 1 (Northern Ireland beat Czechoslovakia to join the defending champions West Germany in the quarter-finals) and Group 3 (Wales topped Hungary to advance with hosts Sweden). Hungary had become a spent force after their appearance in the final of the previous tournament. They had lost their best players two years before, when they fled in the wake of the failed uprising against the communist regime. In a rather restrictive sense, from the 1954 team, only goalkeeper Gyula Grosics, defender Jozsef Bozsik and forward Nándor Hidegkuti remained. In Group 2, Scotland faced Yugoslavia, Paraguay, and France. France topped the group, with Just Fontaine netting six goals. Yugoslavia finished second, while Scotland came in last. The quarter-finals saw France's Just Fontaine continue in similar form as in the group stage, managing another two goals as France triumphed over Northern Ireland.
|
Sports Competition
| null | null |
Lime Street fire
|
The Lime Street fire refers to both a deadly 1990 conflagration at a residence in Jacksonville, Florida, and to the resultant investigation that re-staged a similar fire in a nearby building. Six people, including two women (one of whom was pregnant) and four young children, were trapped inside the house and killed. Gerald Lewis, who escaped the fire with his three-year-old son, was initially charged with arson, manslaughter, and six counts of first-degree murder, the last of which could have garnered a death sentence. [1] After a large-scale recreation was staged in an abandoned house near the original site, it was proven that accelerant was not necessary to create long-believed classic signs of arson such as pour patterns. [2] Lewis was cleared of all charges, and the Lime Street fire has since become a seminal case in contemporary fire investigation. The podcast Criminal produced an episode about the fire and subsequent investigation, "527 Lime Street. "[3]
In the early hours of October 16, 1990, a fire broke out at the residence located at 527 Lime Street in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The two-story, wood-framed house quickly became engulfed in flames. Eight people were inside the house when the fire began. When the first officer arrived, he found 35-year-old Gerald Wayne Lewis standing in the front yard, holding his young son Geramiah; six people—including Lewis' wife, her pregnant sister, and the sister's four young children—remained trapped inside. [4]
John Lentini, a private fire investigator with Applied Technical Services of Marietta, Georgia,[5] was asked by the prosecution to investigate the manner of the fire in order to prove Lewis' guilt. [6] Lentini initially reviewed the chemical analysis conducted by a Florida Fire Marshal's chemist, and found his determination of gasoline to be incorrect. Prosecutors then asked for a detailed examination of the findings of the Jacksonville fire investigator, Ray Powell. Lentini suggested recreating the fire. Wanting to stage a faithful recreation, he gained permission to set fire to a condemned house next door to the one that had burned down. The second house was nearly identical to the original, having been built at the same time by the same builder, with an identical floor plan. [7] Lentini and his associates carefully staged the house in order to recreate the original house's furnishings; they "obtained a duplicate of the couch where the defendant said the fire started", "resurfaced the entire living room and hallway with the same 3/8" sheetrock found in the suspect's house", "carpeted with the same kind of carpet, wallpapered the living room walls, and used curtains of a similar type. "[7] The team set fire to the couch, without the use of accelerant. Despite their belief that it would take 15 to 20 minutes for flashover to occur, the house became engulfed in flames in only four minutes. [8]
After the blaze died down, investigators noted the remains bore similarities to what was present after the original fire. [6] Streaks on the floor called "pour patterns", which were often used as proof of accelerant usage, were seen in the second house as well. [6]
Lentini was scheduled to give testimony on behalf of the prosecution. However, after coming to the conclusion that similar conditions were caused in nearly identical fires, arson by way of accelerant could not be proven. Lentini would later state that he was changed by this discovery: "I had come within 24 hours of giving testimony that could well have sent an innocent person to Florida's electric chair. Needless to say, I was chastened by the experience. My professional life was never the same again. "[9]
Lentini created a one-hour video describing his investigations and the lessons learned. [10]
The fire and resulting investigation has been credited with changing the way arson investigations are held. [6] The case was used as a precedent in the Australian acquittal on appeal of a person previously convicted of arson. [11]
|
Fire
| null | null |
Qatar's emir has called for Palestinian unity on the first visit to Gaza by a head of state since Hamas took power
|
Qatar's emir has called for Palestinian unity on the first visit to Gaza by a head of state since Hamas took power.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani urged the Islamist group and rival Palestinian group Fatah, which holds power in the West Bank, to reconcile.
He pledged $400m (£250m) for building projects in the Gaza Strip, which has been ravaged by conflict with Israel.
Israel, which says Hamas is a terrorist group, said the emir's support for the Islamists "threw peace under a bus".
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya said the trip had broken Israel's economic and political blockade of Gaza.
He said the visit showed Gaza was "not alone". The Palestinian Authority expressed reservations about the emir's visit, after President Mahmoud Abbas phoned Sheikh Hamad earlier this week to emphasise he was the internationally recognised leader of the Palestinians.
Qatar has become one of Hamas' main benefactors since it fell out with Syria and relations cooled with Iran.
The Qatari leader was given a hero's welcome as he entered Gaza by car via the Rafah Crossing from Egypt amid tight security, to be greeted and embraced by Mr Haniya before a guard of honour ceremony outside an elaborate desert-style tent.
"Your visit today officially announces the break of the economic blockade and political blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip by the forces of injustice," said the Hamas prime minister.
For his part, the emir of Qatar used the landmark visit to call for warring Palestinian factions to unite.
"Why are you staying divided?" he asked an audience at Gaza's Islamic University. "There are no peace negotiations, and there is no clear strategy of resistance and liberation. Why shouldn't brothers sit together and reconcile?"
Hamas, which won parliamentary elections in 2006, ousted forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Abbas in Gaza during clashes in 2007 and set up a rival government. In response, Israel tightened its blockade on the coastal territory, which has had a crippling effect on Gaza's economy.
The emir's speech had been scheduled to take place at a major rally in Gaza City's 40,000-seat football stadium, but that event was called off at the last minute amid reports the stadium was sparsely filled.
Hamas officials said the sheikh's busy schedule was responsible for the cancellation: During his four-hour visit, the emir launched housing and hospital projects and received an honorary degree.
Israeli officials seemed bemused by the visit.
"This is more than strange, especially since Hamas is internationally recognized as a terror group," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, Yigal Palmor. "By hugging Hamas publicly, the emir of Qatar has thrown peace under the bus."
Qatar, one of the richest countries in the Arab world, has become an important source of revenue for Hamas in the aftermath of its fallout with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
In February, Hamas announced that its political leadership had been moved from Syria to Egypt and Qatar, because it could no longer effectively operate amid the unrest in Syria.
What is Hamas?
Hamas political chiefs exit Syria
Qatar's towering ambition
Qatar flexing muscle in changing world
Palestinians' geographic divide
|
Diplomatic Visit
| null | null |
Air Niugini Flight 73 crash
|
Air Niugini Flight 73 was a scheduled service from Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, via Chuuk, FSM. On September 28, 2018, the flight, operated by a Boeing 737, landed short of the runway at Chuuk International Airport in Weno (FSM) and came to rest in Chuuk Lagoon. Locals in small boats rescued most passengers and all crew members. One passenger was initially declared missing. He was later found dead by rescue divers. [1] Forty-six people survived but six of them were injured. The accident aircraft was a Boeing 737-8BK, registration P2-PXE, msn 33024, Boeing line number 1688. It had first flown on 1 April 2005. [2] At the time of the accident the aircraft had accumulated 37,160 hours and 36 minutes flight time in 14,788 cycles. [3]
The aircraft was originally registered VT-AXC for Air India Express and was delivered on 19 April 2005. [2] On 6 July 2005, it was damaged in a runway excursion on landing at Cochin International Airport, India. [4] On 29 July 2010, the aircraft was sold to Jet Airways and was registered VT-JBT. It was sold to CIT Leasing Corporation on 24 July 2013 and registered M-ABGK before being sold to Loftleidir, which leased the aircraft to Air Niugini on 13 September 2013. The aircraft was registered P2-PXE. [2][3] On 12 May 2018, it was struck by Lockheed L-100 Hercules N403LC of Lynden Air Cargo whilst parked at Port Moresby Airport, sustaining damage to its right winglet. [5]
The captain and pilot in command was a 52-year-old Papua New Guinean male who had 19,780 flight hours, including 2,276 hours on the Boeing 737. [3]:7 The first officer was a 35-year-old Australian male who had 4,618 flight hours, with 368 of them on the Boeing 737. An engineer from Loftleidir was also on board and was sitting in the cockpit jumpseat. He was filming the landing for recreation purposes using his cell phone. The phone survived the accident and the video was used for the subsequent investigation. [3]:2
The aircraft was operating an internationally scheduled passenger flight from Pohnpei Airport, FSM to Port Moresby Airport, Papua New Guinea via Chuuk International Airport, FSM. At 10:10 local time (00:10 UTC), the aircraft landed in the Chuuk lagoon 135 metres (443 ft; 148 yd) short of Chuuk International Airport. Initial reports stated that all twelve crew and 35 passengers were rescued by local boats and United States Navy personnel. [2][6] However, a male Indonesian passenger was reported missing after the evacuation. Three days of searching failed to locate the missing passenger seated at 23A, and the investigating commission requested a verification search of the airplane. On 1 October 2018, experienced Japanese divers located the passenger between partially submerged seat rows 22 and 23, in the vicinity of a fuselage fracture. Air Niugini had previously stated that the deceased passenger had been seen by other passengers, evacuating the aircraft. [7] Nine people were taken to hospital. [8][9] Six passengers were seriously injured. [10] Some of the injured sustained broken bones. It was reported that there were thunderstorms in the vicinity of the airport at the time of the accident. [11] The aircraft subsequently sank in 30 metres (100 ft) of water. [6]
The Papua New Guinea Accident Investigation Commission opened an investigation into the accident. [12]
The Department of Transportation, Communications & Infrastructure in the Federated States of Micronesia opened an investigation. A preliminary report was issued on October 26. [10] It stated that the body of the deceased passenger was recovered from the aircraft. [10] Pathological analysis found that the passenger had succumbed to injuries within 3 minutes of the impact. An autopsy determined that there was a lack of trauma around the waist and hips, indicating that the passenger "was not wearing a seat-belt" at the time of the crash, “which allowed his body to become a projectile sustaining traumatic head and facial injuries”. [13]
On July 18, 2019, the Papua New Guinea Accident Investigation Commission issued its final report: the flight crew did not comply with Air Niugini Standard Operating Procedures, nor the approach or pre-landing checklists, and did not adequately brief the approach. The flight path became unstable after autopilot disconnect. The Precision Approach Path Indicator was showing three white lights just before entering Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). The rate of descent significantly exceeded 1,000 feet/min in IMC. The glideslope deviated from half dot low to two dots high within nine seconds after passing the Minimum Descent Altitude. The flight crew heard, but disregarded, thirteen Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) aural alerts (Glideslope and Sink Rate) and flew a 4.5° average glideslope. EGPWS showed a visual PULL UP warning on the Primary Flight Display. The pilots lost situational awareness. The approach was unstabilised, but the captain did not execute a missed approach. The copilot was ineffective and oblivious to the rapidly unfolding unsafe situation. A continuous WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP aural warning could have been effective in alerting the crew of the imminent danger. [3]
The final report stated confusion led to a botched evacuation of the airplane.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Barry Cafe owners fined $232k for deliberately exploiting, underpaying staff
|
A Victorian man who flew from Brisbane to Hobart on flight VA702 today has tested positive to COVID-19 and has not been allowed to board a flight to Melbourne
A Watch & Act warning is in place for a fire in the northern parts of Mokine, in WA's Northam Shire. Keep up to date with ABC Emergency
The company that runs Barry Cafe in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote has been fined for deliberately underpaying and exploiting 73 staff members to the tune of more than $180,000 over a 12-month period. In 2018, the ABC revealed allegations staff were underpaid by at least $5 an hour, and when they tried to discuss their wages with the owners their shifts were cancelled indefinitely.
The Federal Circuit Court has ordered siblings Stavros and Anastasia Petroulias to pay fines totalling $232,545 against the company they part-own and operate.
They were also ordered to rectify the underpayments.
So far the workers have only partially recouped their losses. One worker is still owed $12,315.
The action, run by the Fair Work Ombudsman, found staff had not been paid the penalty rates and casual loadings they were entitled to under the Restaurant Industry Award.
Some were also paid at below minimum wage.
The ombudsman said the court found Mr Petroulias and Ms Petroulias had "deliberately contravened workplace laws and exploited staff", including many young and migrant workers, by paying flat rates of $18 to $25 an hour. The pair also contravened adverse action laws by not offering shifts to workers who had challenged the low rates of pay. Ombudsman Sandra Parker warned employers that they were on notice and must pay Australia's "lawful minimum pay rates".
"We also treat very seriously instances of employers taking any sort of action against an employee in response to them seeking to have their lawful workplace rights respected," she said. Judge Heather Riley said the hospitality sector was "notorious" for the underpayment of employees, and that the exploitation of vulnerable workers was an aggravating feature of the case. "I do not accept that the respondents are genuinely contrite. Rather, I consider that they are very sorry that they have been caught, and are facing a substantial penalty," Judge Riley said.
The company has been ordered to commission an independent audit of its payment practices and to provide the results to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
|
Organization Fine
| null | null |
China Northern Airlines Flight 6901 crash
|
China Northern Airlines Flight 6901 (CJ6901) was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 airliner from Beijing's Capital International Airport to Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport in Xinjiang, China. On November 13, 1993, it crashed on approach to Ürümqi Airport. Twelve of the 102 passengers and crew on board were killed. The accident has been attributed to pilot error. [1]
While on final approach, the autopilot automatically disconnected. The Captain proceeded to reengage it, believing that it would still be in APP mode. When activated however, the autopilot went into VERT SPD mode with a setting of -800 feet per minute. The crew's failure to disconnect the autopilot and manually land the airplane contributed to the accident. Another factor was the crew's lack of proficiency in English. When the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) issued an aural alarm, the captain asked his first officer what the words "Pull up" meant. The first officer replied that he did not know. Consequently, the pilots ignored the warnings and failed to correct their excessive rate of descent, causing the plane to strike power lines and a wall before coming down in a field. [1][2]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 crash
|
Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 (N174A)
On December 1, 1959 an Allegheny airliner, while en route to Williamsport, Pa, crashed into Bald Eagle mountain. At the time, it was Allegheny's first major crash. This website is dedicated to all who lost their lives that day. In 1994 I researched the plane crash at my local library. Several months later I did a solo hike to Bald Eagle mountain but, unfortunately, I was not successful in locating the crash site. In May of 2014 my cousin Mark and I, with the help of the official CAB report from 1960, finally located the site. The report indicated it's location and elevation coordinates which we entered into our GPS and within hours we found the crash site. Shane C. Collins (Website Administrator) resides in Williamsport, Pa.
His cousin Mark Avery (Website Research Coordinator) resides in Spencer, NY. Tuesday December 1, 1959
AIRLINER RAMS MOUNTAIN; 25 KILLED. CRASH OCCURS IN SNOWSTORM; ONE MAN LIVES. Montoursville, Pa. (AP) -- A twin-engine airliner swung away from the airport after trying an instrument approach Tuesday and rammed a 1,400 foot mountain in a snowstorm. Twenty-five of the 26 aboard were killed. LOUIS MATARAZZO, a passenger, was the lone survivor of the Allegheny Airlines flight. "The Lord opened my side of the plane and I was able to jump out," he said from his hospital bed in nearby Williamsport. "I fought my way through flames, past the wreckage." For hours the airline believed there were 25 aboard, but later it said a copilot, DONALD W. TYGERT, 26, of Webster, N. Y., came aboard as a passenger in Philadelphia but had not been on the list of those on the plane. MATARAZZO, 35, of the Philadephia suburb of Springfield, suffered severe burns and his eyes were covered with bandages as he talked with Tom Pettit of WRCA-TV, Philadelphia. "The hostess was just turning on the loudspeaker and telling us we were coming in," MATARAZZO said. "All of a sudden the pilot seemed to race the motors and pull up.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Dalsenget fire
|
The Dalsenget fire was a disaster where the Dalsenget Depot of Trondheim Sporvei burnt down, destroying almost all of the modern tram fleet. 26 trams, 16 trailers and one working tram were destroyed, and three cleaners lost their lives. [1] It was, at the time, the largest fire in Trondheim, Norway, after World War II. The fire started at 04:15 on 10 October 1956, and quickly the entire depot was ablaze. The fire department was not alerted until 04:23, and little could be done to save the trams or the depot. One tram and trailer survived from within the fire-proof paint shop. Trondheim Sporvei had never discarded its old trams, that were stored at Voldsminde Depot, and eleven old trams were in service within the day. In addition, eight buses were borrowed from Oslo within the week. Damage was at NOK 9 million, of which 8 million was for the rolling stock. A proposal to replace the tramway with trolleybus was discarded by the city council. The depot was rebuilt, and 28 new Class 7 trams were ordered, in addition to 15 trailers from Strømmens Værksted and Hønefoss Karosserifabrikk, respectively. The bogies and motors were salvaged, and reused on the new trams. During the night of 10 October 1956, two mechanics and eight cleaners were working at depot 2. At 04:03, one of the cleaners noticed smoke, and shouted to the mechanics that they should turn off the overhead current. The current was kept on and the pantographs kept up so it would be easy to get out of the trams in case of a fire. All the workers were in the annex, while the fire had started in the main wing. Two of the trams at the back were ablaze. One of the mechanics ran to turn off the power, while the other went to phone the fire department. Based on the requirements of the insurance policy, the depot was always to be manned, and in case of a fire trams were to be driven out. At this point in time such actions would still have been possible, but were not done due to the confusion. Both the mechanics and five of the cleaners succeeded in evacuating from the building before a gas tank exploded, killing the last three women in an inferno. The three deceased were Sigrid Dahl (45), Inger Skjærli (41) and Harriet Skoglund (57). [2]
Just as the inferno occurred, an engineer from the Norwegian Institute of Technology passed by. He asked the mechanics if they had contacted the fire department, but he thought they were acting as if in shock, and ran the 200 m (660 ft) home to call the department himself. When he placed the call at 04:23, it was the first message of the fire that reached the fire department. At the same time, the chief mechanic came from his nearby apartment to drive out trams, but it was too late. When the fire department arrived, the main wing's roof was ablaze. Smoke divers were used to try to locate the three people who had not escaped. Half an hour later the whole main wing roof collapsed. The rest of the firemen's efforts were concentrated on rescuing the workshop at the end of the building, which had fire-proof gates. The fire was the largest in Trondheim since World War II. [3]
The Dalsenget Depot was used for the operative stock, while the Voldsminde Depot was used for reserve stock. Of the 46 trams, 26 were located at Dalsenget. This included all the sixteen brand-new Class 6 trams. Nineteen trams not located at Dalsenget were saved. Of the twenty trailers, sixteen were burned, while four were saved. Of these, two were used Belgian trailers that needed to be configured before entering service. A track cleaning tram was also destroyed in the fire, while the one museum and one welding tram both survived. [4]
The building and trams were all insured. Only the roof of the depot was destroyed, and a new roof would have to be built for 1 million kr; because it needed to be a costlier fire-proof solution, the insurance only covered NOK 663.000. [5] In addition, a fire-proof gate would be constructed between the main wing and the annex of the building. [6] The company was paid NOK 8 million in insurance for the lost rolling stock. [7]
At the other depot, at Voldsminde, the company had a fleet of 19 trams and four trailers. During the night and morning, these were immediately taken into service. Some were not in proper operating condition, having been untouched since 1951, while others had only been there a year. In the course of the day, eleven of the trams were made available for operation. One of the Class 5 bogie trams that was still in regular service had survived because it had overnighted in the other depot. All the ten Class 2 and seven of the Class 3 trams could be put into service in the course of a few days. Behind the fire-proof doors at the paint shop at Dalsenget was a single Class 4 tram with a trailer that had survived the fire. [8]
Trondheim Sporvei contacted Oslo Sporveier and Bergen Sporvei to organize renting buses.
|
Fire
| null | null |
Mudslide causes road closures
|
A mudslide left three feet of debris on the river trail by Pandora Lane Tuesday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office) A mudslide snaked down from Royer Gulch the east end of Telluride and into the East Pandora neighborhood Tuesday afternoon. The mudslide left three feet of debris on the river trail by Pandora Lane and additional “weather-related impacts on roadways and passes,” according to San Miguel County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Susan Lilly. There were no reported structural damage or injuries, she added, but one hiker, who “requested assistance getting out of steep terrain that was compromised with the torrential rain and slides” was safely retrieved by way of UTV up Tomboy Road. Telluride deputies and search and rescue also responded to a motorist, who explained that he was “stuck above the stairs on Black Bear Pass” with other four occupants and his pet, Lilly said. No injuries were reported during either rescue. “On top of everything, we have people who choose to drive on dangerous passes with little or no experience, and are ill-equipped for weather-related emergencies,” Sheriff Bill Masters said in a social media post Tuesday evening. There was also a “suggested and voluntary evacuation of a family in a home on Pandora Lane where the mud, debris and water were particularly impactful,” Lilly explained. “We encourage emergency awareness and preparedness for all residents and visitors to our county. The county has thorough emergency plans and protocols, as well as preparedness tips all available on the county website. All of the county agencies train for many types of emergencies, but at the end of the day it is each individual’s responsibility to be prepared to act in case of emergency. We encourage everyone to sign up for CodeRed (public.coderedweb.com) and follow us (San Miguel County Sheriff) on Facebook for important safety alerts.” A flash flood watch was in effect for Telluride Wednesday. The forecasted weather “could produce similar flooding problems experienced yesterday," according to a San Miguel County Sheriff Facebook post Wednesday. Lilly added that the forecasted monsoonal flow for the next week has not occurred in the past three years. As of press time Wednesday, Black Bear Pass has reopened, but people were discouraged from traveling in the area. Imogene Pass was closed to allow the county to check on bridge safety. Pandora Lane was open to residents only. Highway 145 east of Lone Tree Cemetery was open to alternating lanes due to debris removal. Travel to Bridal Veil was also discouraged. “Conditions during particularly sudden, heavy rain or monsoons are favorable for slides like what we experienced Tuesday,” Lilly said. “It’s difficult to ‘predict’ slides, however, as opposed to forecasting or predicting other weather-related events. Mudslides can be caused by acute events such as an earthquake. In our case, mudslides are typically caused by heavy rain that accumulates quickly on the ground and loosens dirt and rocks creating a mudslide.” The Telluride Science Research Center canceled their Town Talk due to “travel danger and mudslide potential,” development director Mark Kozak said in a news release Tuesday. He added the calculated risk for panel participants driving in from outside of town was too high. Mike Charnick, a National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist based in Grand Junction, explained that mudslides are a “common threat” in San Miguel County during the summer due to “the influence of the North American Monsoon.” Mudslides are a result of “ample moisture” combined with “several days of rain,” leading to saturated soil, Charnick said. “It is possible to predict the threat or likelihood of mudslides occurring if antecedent conditions are favorable (well-saturated soils and the potential for additional heavy rain) six to 12 hours out,” Charnick said. “However, our ability to forecast the exact location of a mudslide occurring is considerably more difficult. It all hinges on where showers and thunderstorms develop and how they track over a particular area. Our time scale is usually on the magnitude of 30 minutes to an hour.”
|
Mudslides
| null | null |
2012 Costa Rica earthquake
|
The 2012 Costa Rica earthquake occurred at 08:42 local time (14:42 UTC) on September 5. The epicenter of the 7.6 Mw earthquake was in the Nicoya Peninsula, 11 kilometers east-southeast of Nicoya. [5] A tsunami warning was issued shortly afterwards, but later cancelled. Two people are known to have died, one from a heart attack and another, a construction worker, crushed by a collapsing wall. [6] It was the second strongest earthquake recorded in Costa Rica's history, following the 1991 Limon earthquake. [7]
Costa Rica lies above the convergent plate boundary where the Cocos Plate is subducting beneath the Caribbean Plate at a rate of 9 cm per year. Off the Nicoya Peninsula, the Cocos Plate is subducting along the Middle America Trench, and the Nicoya Peninsula is unique in being one of the few landmasses along the Pacific Rim located directly above the seismogenic zone of a subduction megathrust fault. [8] The earthquake is thought to have occurred as a result of thrust faulting on the plate interface. [9][10] The earthquake has a maximum slip of about 2.5 m.[11] The 1950 earthquake essentially the same part of the plate boundary as the 2012 earthquake. [10]
The same area was struck by a M7.7 earthquake in 1950 but had been quiet before the recent earthquake, and the segment of the plate boundary was known as the Nicoya Peninsula seismic gap. In the intervening period, up to 2010, there was an estimated 5 m of missing displacement. Studies determined that the earthquake recurrence interval for the Nicoya Peninsula was about 50 years. [12] The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) stated that the earthquake had released 40% of the energy accumulated during the 8 years before it and did not exclude the possibility of an earthquake of equal or larger magnitude. [13]
The earthquake was felt all over Costa Rica as well as in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Panama. [6][14] The maximum intensity reached MM X or higher in Nosara near the epicenter. The shaking has intensities of MM VIII in Santa Cruz and MM V in San José. [2][11] The recorded acceleration in Fraijanes, Alajuela was larger than that of Nicoya, Guanacaste. [15] A tsunami warning was issued for neighbouring countries along the Pacific Coast shortly afterwards, but later cancelled. [16]
In neighbouring Nicaragua, the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies began monitoring the seven active volcanoes in the country, expecting that the strong earthquake could activate them. The country's highest volcano, San Cristóbal Volcano (1,745 metres), erupted on September 8, sending an ash cloud to 5,000 metres and forcing the evacuation of 3,000 people from five communities in the area. [17]
Some 1,650 aftershocks occurred in the following five days, including one of 5.4 magnitude, or Mw 5.7 by USGS,[18] about 13 km southeast of Playa Sámara on September 8 at 20:29 UTC (14:29 local time), according to OVSICORI, with no further damage or casualties reported. [4][19]
The most powerful aftershock since the September earthquake, lasting at least 30 seconds and measuring magnitude 6.6, struck at 00:45 UTC on 24 October 2012 (18:45 on 23 October, locally) near the town of Hojancha in the Nicoya Peninsula. In San José, people rushed to the streets out of fear. A thunderous sound accompanying the aftershock was reported by residents in Matapalo. [24]
There were reports of destroyed houses in the cantons of Hojancha, Nicoya, Nandayure, and Santa Cruz of the province of Guanacaste. [25] Building damage was reported in San José, including broken windows, cracks on walls, and materials detached from the buildings. In the city center of San José, many people stopped working and grouped on the streets waiting for safety checks for the buildings. [26] In total, at least 169 houses were damaged. [27] Cracks were found at the dyke protecting Filadelfia from the Tempisque River. [27] The Hospital Monseñor Sanabria in Puntarenas suffered damage, and the building was partially closed. [28]
School classes were cancelled for one day in stricken areas and students were evacuated. [29] Fifty-five thousand people were deprived of running water in the provinces of Puntarenas and Guanacaste. [30] A water tank in Filadelfia collapsed. [31] Power losses were reported in some areas in and around the capital city San José and in the Nicoya Peninsula and the Chira Island. GSM and 3G services were interrupted in some places near the epicentre. [34]
Following the earthquake, the Ministry of Public Education announced that 56 schools in the country would have to be demolished and rebuilt at a preliminary cost of ₡3 billion. The final bill will be higher, however, because many other schools suffered lesser damage which also requires repair. [35] The Costa Rican Red Cross deployed emergency teams with about 205 members and 66 vehicles. [31] According to a preliminary estimation from the Costa Rican government, the earthquake caused a loss of about ₡ 22.36 billion. [36] Facing the damage, the president of Costa Rica expressed the need of a loan from the World Bank. [37]
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
Locusts Eat The Crops Of Madagascar — And Each Other, Too
|
Locusts Eat The Crops Of Madagascar — And Each Other, Too
Facebook
September 3, 201410:28 AM ET
Jennifer S. Holland
Sylvain Lathuy YouTube
For the third year in a row, skies over Madagascar are black with millions of locusts — the insects of biblical fame that gobble up crops and ravage landscapes, mostly in countries where people barely get by.
This swarm, of red locusts, has come together to breed and feed. In rural parts of Madagascar, the bugs are taking a huge toll on rice and maize. Last week, a heat wave drew them to the capital city of Antananrivo as well, making for an apocalyptic urban scene (see video).
That's no surprise to Iain Couzin , a Princeton University biologist who studies swarms. Madagascar saw a similar locust swarm last spring that shoulders partial blame for a 264-ton shortfall in the country's rice harvest in 2013. Couzin predicted that without a speedy and sustained response — and proper funding — the insects would be back with a vengeance.
The United Nations did fund an effort to coat nearly 2.5 million acres of farmland with insect-killing pesticides in September 2013. But the locusts returned.
We asked Couzin to share his knowledge of locust swarms — why they happen, how to stop them, why they're a big problem in the developing world — and whether chowing down on the critters might be a good way to deal with the excess.
Why is Madagascar so hard hit — and who's suffering as a result?
What we're likely seeing is the problem from last year compounded. We still don't really know all the factors involved in making them swarm, but certainly weather conditions and a changing climate have an effect. In 2013, massive flooding from a cyclone created a perfect breeding environment for the insects, for example.
These invasions are devastating in countries where people rely so heavily on crops. Subsistence farmers don't get a second chance to plant and grow what they need. Their livelihoods are destroyed, and people go hungry.
How big are the swarms, and how much of the world do they affect?
A single swarm may be an estimated 460 square miles in size, and there can be some 80 million locusts packed into less than a half-mile square. They wipe out massive areas and affect entire economies. The FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations] estimates that in Madagascar, about two-thirds of the landscape could be invaded and 13 million people's livelihoods are at risk from the current swarms.
Are there plants that seem immune to the swarms?
Sometimes locusts just march through [and do not eat] crops that seem to us to be perfectly delicious. We've discovered that the insects are often very short on protein and salt [so they seek out crops with these nutrients]. So it can be quite unpredictable what plants they're going to choose. Certainly, though, human-generated crops that have been fed and watered are particularly at risk.
Are there countries that have handled the swarms well? Why can't other countries follow suit?
There used to be big swarms near the Red Sea in Israel. But Israel and Egypt now have the technology to monitor them, to apply pesticides quickly where needed, etc. So it's now very rare to see problems in those countries.
The reason the swarms are so bad elsewhere is because they are compounded by other issues — civil war, famine, political unrest. In parts of Africa in particular, the political situation is very dynamic. Even relatively stable countries, like Morocco and Mauritania, struggle because they don't see eye to eye and don't help each other as much as they could.
What do we know about red locusts, the type flying over Madagascar right now?
Honestly, we know next to nothing about red locusts ! There was a lot of descriptive fieldwork on them in the 1950s, likely facilitated by the British army's presence in Africa. It's thought that they are similar to the desert locust, but nobody knows! Isn't it astonishing that so little can be known about such an economically important species, and one that impacts so many human lives? It always amazes me.
According to the U.N., the FAO began a $45 million pesticide campaign in Madagascar after the 2012 locust plague, but funding has stalled with many millions still needed.
When you have these massive swarms, it's really a wake-up call. You have to go in early and hard and be persistent. It's very much like the treatment of a disease: Early response is critical and must be sustained. There needs to be policy that supports the effort and funding not just to act but so scientists can study and really learn how the insects move over long distances. There's no money for that now, which is incredible when you think of both the economic and humanitarian costs of these plagues.
What do we know about locust behavior that helps explain why they swarm?
What we know about desert locusts [the most well-studied] likely applies to other types. Locusts don't like being together. At low density they are quite happy with a solitary lifestyle. When resources are abundant, their populations can grow, and then they are forced to come together as they deplete those resources. So, say, during a drought, they all aggregate together to feed. And that closeness changes their behavior. As they begin bumping into each other, they actually begin to cannibalize each other. Individuals are both trying to eat each other and avoid being eaten. So they form rolling bands that march across the landscape, eating.
Could technology help out?
Actually, the military can see these swarms from their satellites. As imaging and other technologies improve, I would love to use these tools to observe, to really monitor these flying swarms. It's a matter of putting the right people and technologies together. This isn't going to make anyone a bunch of money. But it could protect livelihoods and save millions of lives! As a society, it's our duty to pursue it.
We keep hearing that insects are an underutilized protein source. Should we encourage people suffering locust invasions to feast on them?
|
Insect Disaster
| null | null |
Attempted murder probe after seven poisoned at university
|
Updated 1618 GMT (0018 HKT) August 25, 2021
Chief Public Prosecutor Robert Hartmann (center) addresses journalists on Tuesday.
Berlin, Germany (CNN)
German police have opened an attempted murder investigation after seven people who had consumed food and drink at a university kitchen showed symptoms of poisoning on Monday.
Blue discolorations appeared on their limbs following the incident at Darmstadt Technical University, German police and the public prosecutor in the federal state of Hessen said in a press release Tuesday.
A police spokesman told CNN on Wednesday that six people were hospitalized, one of whom was a 30-year-old student who was initially in a life-threatening condition.
Darmstadt Technical University said in a tweet late Tuesday that all six were feeling better and had now left hospital.
One person did not need medical assistance.
Police found several milk and water containers contaminated with a hazardous substance.
The substance is still unknown and is being examined, police said. They noted the acrid smell of the liquids was particularly striking.
Man who poisoned colleagues' sandwiches jailed for life
Police said the perpetrator must have had access to the kitchen between Friday 20 and Monday 22 August.
The Police and Steering Committee of Darmstadt University has warned people not to consume any food stored at the Lichtwiese campus where the incident took place.
Buildings at the university campus were searched by police but no other suspicious objects have so far been found.
Police said there was no imminent threat but urged everybody to only consume food they had control of at all times.
|
Mass Poisoning
| null | null |
Westbound I-70 reopens at Empire Junction following closure due to rocks, mudslide
|
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reopened westbound I-70, about two miles east of Georgetown, after its closure due to rocks and mudslides Monday. Author: Laura Casillas Published: 9:01 PM MDT August 2, 2021 Updated: 10:18 PM MDT August 2, 2021 EMPIRE, Colo. — Westbound Interstate 70 reopened at US 40 at Empire Junction, located about two miles east of the Georgetown area, after a closure due to rocks and mudslide on Monday, CDOT said. The closure was lifted around 9 p.m., according to a message from CDOT's Twitter account. The road had closed at 7:30 p.m. #I70 westbound: Safety closure lifted at Exit 232 - US 40; Empire Jct. Following rock and mud slide. — Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT) August 3, 2021 The mudslides are an ongoing issue and have caused I-70 in Glenwood Canyon to close numerous times this summer due to mudslides. >Video above shows I-70 through Glenwood Canyon closed indefinitely after 'extreme damage' from heavy rain and flooding CDOT automatically closes that flood-prone stretch of highway anytime a Flash Flood Warning is issued by the National Weather Service . RELATED: I-70 through Glenwood Canyon closed indefinitely after 'extreme damage' from heavy rain and flooding
|
Mudslides
| null | null |
Jordan and Syria put politics aside and begin rebuilding diplomatic links
|
The visit of Syria’s defence minister and chief of the armed forces, General Ali Ayyoub, to Jordan on 19 September marked a change in the frosty relationship that has existed between Damascus and Amman for the past decade.
Jordan and Syria have been on opposite sides since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, with embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad allying with Russia, while Jordanian King Abdullah II sided with the United States.
But Ayyoub’s visit may mark a diplomatic turning point, with other high-ranking Syrian officials expected to visit Amman in the future. But how is the Hashemite kingdom justifying its political about-face?
Now into its tenth year, the conflict in Syria has created the world's worst refugee crisis with over 5.6 million Syrians fleeing to neighbouring countries and over one million living in Europe.
Around half a million people have been killed in the Syrian conflict, including thousands of people held in Syrian intelligence prisons who have died as a result of brutal torture.
A UN report earlier this month documented a recent increase in fighting within Syria accompanied by a "return of sieges and siege-like tactics" in some parts of the country - including in the southwestern Daraa province, the birthplace of Syria's revolution and one of the last bastions of rebel fighters.
Damascus had previously accused Jordan of training rebel fighters and allowing them to enter Syria through its border.
Relations between the two countries degraded to the point where Jordan kicked Syrian Ambassador Bahjat Suleiman out of the country in 2014.
But according to official Jordanian news agency Petra, the meeting between Ayyoub and Jordanian army chief of staff General Yousef Huneiti was aimed at “ensuring the safety of the joint borders between the two countries, the situation in south Syria, fighting terror and working together to stem drug smuggling”.
According to retired Jordanian general Maamoun Abu Nuwar, the Syrian defence minister’s visit aimed to “increase border security after the Syrian army regained sovereignty over the southern areas close to the Jordanian border.”
The Syrian-Jordanian border has been repeatedly closed since 2015 due to the presence of various armed groups around the border crossing point of Jaber-Nasif.
But pro-Assad forces regained control over all areas bordering Jordan earlier this year after an agreement with the rebels in Daraa, which included a handover of weapons.
“The key is ensuring that the chaos in Syria is not transferred into Jordan,” Abu Nuwar told Middle East Eye.
The retired general said that Amman had received assurances that Iran-backed militias would not be in the border area now that Jordan has received a waiver from the US’s Caesar Act, which had placed sanctions on any trade with the Syrian government.
The visit comes as Jordan has recently sought to normalise ties with Assad - a strong reversal from the government’s previous stance.
In 2017, King Abdullah had implied to the Washington Post that Assad should resign. “Common sense dictates that somebody who is the figurehead of such bloodshed towards his people probably will move on,” the monarch said at the time.
But Abdullah has since adopted a more pragmatic approach, telling CNN in July that Assad and his government were staying in Syria for a long while, and that dialogue and coordination were hence needed.
On 19 August, Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh said that Jordan and Egypt were pushing to reintegrate Syria into the Arab League. “Jordan and the government of Egypt, as well as other brotherly countries, wish for Syria to regain its seat in the Arab League,” the premier told the Arabic version of the Independent.
Jordanian commentator Malek Athamneh sees this change as “in the interest of both sides”.
“This rapprochement between the two countries benefits their own interests,” he told MEE. “Ever since the visit by King Abdullah II to the White House [in July] and his discussion of the Syrian and Lebanese issues, Washington has understood Jordan’s position of trying to change the Syrian attitude rather than change the entire regime.
“As a result, Jordan was able to obtain a waiver for the movement of products and the transfer of electricity to Lebanon via Syria, and all of this has improved chances for a new regional understanding.”
Meanwhile, Jordan’s Minister for Media Affairs Sakher Dudin revealed in a closed meeting with Jordanian radio producers last Thursday that “a meeting of Syrian and Jordanian ministers will take place in coming weeks to discuss a variety of economic issues between the two countries”.
According to Dudin, “meetings are planned for energy, water, and agriculture ministers, which will fit in well with the government’s new plans for the upcoming phase of relations with neighbouring countries aimed at economic development”.
A meeting was in fact held in Amman on 8 September between the energy ministers of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, in which they discussed the details of getting Egyptian gas to Lebanon via Syria and Jordan.
“Jordan and the US understand that a realistic look at the political scene requires an understanding that the idea of changing the regime is no longer valid now that Syrian authorities have spread their sovereignty throughout their country,” Khaled Shneikat, the former president of the Jordanian Society for Political Sciences, told MEE.
Jordan, which hosts 1.3 million Syrian refugees, has been economically hurt by the cut in ties with Syria and the closure of the borders. Jordan’s trade balance with Syria dropped from $615m in 2010 to $94m in 2020, according to official Jordanian statistics.
“Jordan and a number of western countries see that stability in Syria is a priority over the presence of military groups causing problems,” Shneikat said.
With the Syrian conflict far from over and the country struggling with the economic, social, and political ramifications of the war, it remains to be seen whether Amman’s new gamble will pay off.
|
Diplomatic Visit
| null | null |
Psych report ordered over fatal SA crash
|
Senior SA Police officer Joanne Shanahan was one of two women killed in a road crash in April 2020. A second expert report will be prepared into the mental health of an Adelaide man charged over a road crash that killed two people, including a senior South Australian police officer. Harrison Kitt came before the South Australian District Court on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing harm. The charges against the 20-year-old relate to a three-car crash at suburban Urrbrae in April last year which killed Detective Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan, 55, and Tania McNeill, 53. Supt Shanahan was a passenger in a car driven by her husband Peter, a former police detective. Ms McNeill was driving a second car and Kitt the third vehicle involved. As part of the allegations against him, Kitt is accused of driving at excessive speed at the time of the crash. Defence counsel David Edwardson QC indicated previously that a defence of mental incompetence was to be advanced. Mr Edwardson said Kitt had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, with manic episodes and psychotic features. On Friday, Judge Paul Muscat ordered Kitt be examined by another psychiatrist and a second report into his mental health at the time of the crash be prepared.
|
Road Crash
| null | null |
K2 Aviation de Havilland Beaver (DHC-2) crash
|
On 4 August 2018, a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft operated by K2 Aviation crashed in poor weather near Denali, Alaska, United States. All five people on board survived the crash, but died before rescuers were able to arrive at the scene. The five people consisted of the pilot and four Polish tourists. [2][3][4]
Upon crashing, the aircraft's ELT alerted the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at about 6:00 pm local time on Saturday. The pilot contacted K2 Aviation via satellite phone at 7:00 pm to report his situation and request help. The pilot called at least two times and reported his coordinates as well as the medical condition of the passengers. However, due to extreme weather and reduced visibility, only limited search and rescue operations were feasible. A National Guard HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, and a Denali National Park A-Star B3e helicopter were deployed on Saturday evening after the crash, but were unable to locate the crash site or make radio contact. On the morning of Monday, August 6th, the National Park Service transported a rescuer to the crash site on a helicopter. When the ranger arrived at the site, the aircraft was buried in snow, and four occupants were deceased within. [2] The fifth occupant could not be located, but was presumed dead due to the absence of footprints leading away from the crash site, which would indicate an attempt to self-rescue. [4]
The rescue operations were coordinated by K2 Aviation, Alaska State Troopers, the National Park Service, Alaska Air National Guard, the NTSB, the FAA and other authorities. Aircraft involved in the search also included a Lockheed HC-130, and a de Havilland Beaver loaded with an emergency survival kit. [3]
The National Park Service reported in August 2018 that there are no plans to recover the aircraft or the bodies of those killed. The NTSB is investigating the incident, and no final report has been published as of April 2019. [4]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
May 1995 Louisiana flood
|
The May 1995 Louisiana flood, also known as the May 1995 Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi Flood, was a heavy rainfall event which occurred across an area stretching from the New Orleans metropolitan area into southern Mississippi. A storm total rainfall maximum of 27.5 inches (700 mm) was recorded near Necaise, Mississippi. [1] Considerable flooding was caused by the rainfall including several record flood crests along impacted river systems. The flooding caused six fatalities and more than $3.1 billion in damage. [2]
The entire 40-hour event from the evening of Monday, May 8, through the morning of Wednesday, May 10, consisted of two distinct heavy rainfalls. By Wednesday morning, storm total rainfall amounts of 10 to 20 inches (250 to 510 mm) were common across portions of southeast Louisiana and south Mississippi. [1]
A cold front approached the region from the west, preceded by a squall line. The airmass that entered western Louisiana on May 8 exhibited considerably lower dewpoints than the tropical airmass across east Louisiana and southeast Mississippi. By the evening of May 9, the cold front dissipated in the vicinity of Baton Rouge. The remains of the front served as a focusing axis for heavy precipitation that continued into the late morning hours of May 10. An upper-level trough helped to provide upper-level support to the system. At the surface, warm and moist air moved in from the Gulf of Mexico continually during the event. The swath of highest rainfall totals was closely tied to a theta-e ridge at the 850 mb pressure surface, which stretched from the central Gulf of Mexico into the Mississippi River Delta area. During each wave of rainfall, heavy, "training" thunderstorms continued to form over the same areas for multiple hours. In the New Orleans area, pumping stations were overwhelmed and could not pump rainfall into Lake Pontchartrain as quickly as it was falling. At the time, pumping stations were only rated to pump 1 inch (25 mm) per hour maximum. The heaviest rainfall from the first wave of rainfall occurred on the southshore of Lake Pontchartrain in the New Orleans metropolitan area, with a secondary maxima on the northshore. Heaviest rainfall from the second wave occurred across the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and coastal Mississippi. By May 10th, rainfall totals of 10-20 inches were common. Some notable two-day totals from the National Weather Service archives and post-event surveys:
For both waves of rainfall, several locations neared or exceeded 24‑hour rainfall amounts estimated as having a 1% chance of being exceeded in a given year, (100 year average recurrence interval) as determined by both the NOAA Atlas 14 and reports by the Southern Regional Climate Center. The rainfall maximum near Necaise of 27.5 inches (700 mm) was estimated as having only a 0.1% chance of being exceeded in a given year (1000 year average recurrence interval). Similar floods occurred in November 1979 Louisiana flood and November 7–8, 1989 Louisiana flood, although the May 1995 event was more extensive and costlier than both combined. It was the worst flooding the city had experienced between hurricanes Betsy in 1965 and Katrina in 2005. There has been no comparable recorded flood in New Orleans caused by rain alone. Six people died as a result of the flooding. The city of New Orleans suffered $360 million in damages, and the damage of the surrounding areas put that total above $3 billion. [2] Some 56,000 homes were damaged in 12 parishes. Thousands of cars were flooded. 14,600 homes and apartments were flooded in Jefferson Parish alone. New pumping stations were built and canals were expanded to prevent further catastrophic rainfall floods. Some politicians began to push for pumping rain waters directly into the Mississippi River, but environmental groups argued against this plan. The flood prompted expansions and improvements of the city's drainage and pumping system, especially in the worst hit portions of the city, including improvements to the underground canals under Napoleon and Claiborne Avenues in Broadmoor and other SELA projects to improve drainage in Hollygrove connected to the 17th St. Canal.
|
Floods
| null | null |
1961 Yuba City B-52 crash
|
On 14 March 1961 an aircraft accident occurred near Yuba City, California. A United States Air Force B-52F-70-BW Stratofortress bomber, AF Serial No. 57-0166, c/n 464155, carrying two nuclear weapons departed from Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento. According to the official Air Force report, the aircraft experienced an uncontrolled decompression that required it to descend to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in order to lower the cabin altitude. Increased fuel consumption caused by having to fly at lower altitude, combined with the inability to rendezvous with a tanker in time caused the aircraft to run out of fuel. The aircrew ejected safely, and then the unmanned aircraft crashed 15 miles (24 km) west of Yuba City,[1] tearing the nuclear weapons from the aircraft on impact. However, in a 2012 book LTC Earl McGill, a retired SAC B-52 pilot, claims that the aircrew, after an inflight refueling session that provided inadequate fuel, refused the offer of an additional, unscheduled inflight refueling, bypassed possible emergency landing fields and ran out of fuel. [2] The crew ejected, the aircraft broke up and four onboard nuclear weapons were released. The weapons' multiple safety interlocks prevented both a nuclear explosion and release of radioactive material. LTC McGill, based on his SAC experience, blames the aircrew failures on the use of dexedrine to overcome tiredness on the 24-hour flight preceding the accident. The weapons did not detonate as their safety devices worked properly. [3] A fireman was killed and several others injured in a road accident while en route to the accident scene. [1]
The following timeline is an abridged version of the description transcribed by Oskins and Maggelet[3] from a declassified copy of the original Air Force accident report. Doe 11 was the aircraft call sign. Doe 13 was a second B-52 in formation for the first portion of the flight. All times are hours and minutes after takeoff. 0:20 – the pilot first noticed excessive hot air coming from the pilots' vents. All attempts to control this hot air were unsuccessful. 6:00 – Mather Command Post contacted the aircraft on HF radio. The heat problem was discussed and wing guidance received. This consisted of several suggested corrective actions which were verified by the pilot as having been used earlier without success. 6:30 – Mather control room called the aircraft on HF radio and discussed the heat problem and the effects of the heat on the aircraft electronics and crew personnel. Wing guidance at this time was to continue the mission. 6:50 – Mather control room contacted the aircraft and Wing guidance was to "continue mission as long as you can; call us back after second refueling tonight and advise us of your status, if it gets intolerable, of course, bring it home." 11:15 – Mather control called Doe 11 to see if he would complete the mission. At that the response was, "We are going to try." 12:35 – Mather control was contacted by Doe 11 and told that Doe 13's refueling was completed and "we are about ready to take off." Control asked, "Your present status . . . has it improved?" The pilot answered "Negative . . . worse . . . number 3 engine setting at 70% . . . we had it once before and it cleared up but at this time it has not cleared as yet." Control advised, "Understand you will proceed on course and we will be looking for you tomorrow." 14:00 – the outside panel of the pilot's L-4 window shattered. The heat in the cockpit was unbearable at this time and had cracked the glass case for the ball on both pilot's and co-pilot's turn and slip indicators. It is estimated that the upper compartment heat level ranged from 125–160 °F or higher during this period. A decision was made to depressurize the aircraft and attempt to continue the mission. Altitude was 33,500 feet. 14:20 – after 20 minutes of unpressurized flight, the decision was made to descend to 12,000 feet and continue the mission as far as possible at this altitude. 15:00 – Mather control contacted Doe 11 and asked "Which windshield is cracked and what is your present altitude?" Answer received, "The L-4 window shattered, heat unbearable at altitude, two sick crew members.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Farmers fight back: Making animal feed from a locust plague
|
Laikipia - Kenya is battling some of the worst locust plagues in decades, but start-up The Bug Picture hopes to transform the pests into profits and bring "hope to the hopeless" whose crops and livelihoods are being destroyed by the insects. Unusual weather patterns exacerbated by climate change have created ideal conditions for surging locust numbers, which have destroyed crops and grazing grounds across East Africa and the Horn. Scientists say warmer seas are creating more rain, waking dormant eggs, and cyclones that disperse the swarms are getting stronger and more frequent. The Bug Picture is working with communities around the area of Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu in central Kenya to harvest the insects and mill them, turning them into protein-rich animal feed and organic fertilizer for farms. "We are trying to create hope in a hopeless situation, and help these communities alter their perspective to see these insects as a seasonal crop that can be harvested and sold for money," said Laura Stanford, founder of The Bug Picture. In central Kenya's Laikipia, clouds of locusts are devouring crops and other vegetation. The Bug Picture is targeting swarms of 5 hectares or less in inhabited areas not suitable for spraying. Swarms can travel up to 150 km (93 miles) a day and can contain between 40-80 million locusts per square kilometre. "They destroy all the crops when they get into the farms. Sometimes they are so many, you cannot tell them apart, which are crops and which are locusts," said farmer Joseph Mejia. The Bug Picture pays Mejia and his neighbours 50 Kenyan shillings ($0.4566) per kilogram of the insects. Between Feb. 1-18, the project oversaw the harvest of 1.3 tons of locusts, according to Stanford, who said she was inspired by a project in Pakistan, overseen by the state-run Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. The locusts are collected at night by torchlight when they are resting on shrubs and trees. "The community ... are collecting locusts, once they (are collected) they are weighed and paid," said Albert Lemasulani, a field coordinator with the start-up. The insects are crushed and dried, then milled and processed into powder, which is used in animal feed or an organic fertiliser.
|
Insect Disaster
| null | null |
2011–2013 Sudanese protests
|
Various opposition groups
Sudanese Government
The 2011–2013 protests in Sudan began in January 2011 as part of the Arab Spring regional protest movement. Unlike in other Arab countries, popular uprisings in Sudan had succeeded in toppling the government prior to the Arab Spring in 1964 and 1985. Demonstrations in Sudan however were less common throughout the summer of 2011, during which South Sudan seceded from Sudan, but resumed in force later that year and again in June 2012, shortly after the government passed its much criticized austerity plan. President Omar al-Bashir had been the Sudanese president since he led a bloodless coup in 1989. Bashir began instituting Sharia and abolished political parties in 1990. He appointed himself president in 1993 and won a presidential election in 1996 as the only candidate. [4] In 2008, the International Criminal Court called for his arrest for alleged genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. Sudan rejected the indictment, saying the decision was an affront to Sudan's sovereignty. [5] The political system of Sudan under his rule was widely regarded by both the domestic and the international community as a totalitarian system, due to the National Congress Party's control of all three branches of government and use of the National Intelligence and Security Service as a secret police force responsible for the repression of political opponents. [6]
Sudan has lost billions of dollars in oil revenues since South Sudan gained independence in July 2011, about three-quarters of Sudan's oil fields falling within the territory of the new country. The north has been left struggling for revenue, plagued by inflation, and with a severe shortage of dollars to pay for imports. The landlocked South depended on the north's pipeline and port to export its crude, but Khartoum and Juba could not agree on how much South Sudan should pay to use the infrastructure. Sudan's already depleted oil revenues shrank by a further 20 per cent after its main Heglig oil field was damaged and shut down in fighting with invading South Sudanese troops in April 2012. [7]
In an attempt to address the economic meltdown, the Sudanese government has announced a new austerity plan on 18 June 2012, which includes raising taxes on consumer goods, cutting the number of civil servants on its payroll, raising the price of a gallon of petrol by 5 Sudanese pounds, pushing it up to 13.5 pounds from 8.5 pounds, and lifting the fuel subsidies. The plan did not gain much acceptance among common Sudanese as it is believed that the prices of every commodity will get hikes in effect from transport to domestically produced food and other goods. [8]
The protests in Sudan were influenced by the revolutionary wave that started in Tunisia and later spread to other Middle Eastern and North African nations. The protests followed shortly after a successful independence referendum in January 2011, on whether South Sudan should secede from Sudan and become an independent nation. Following the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia on 17 December 2010, Al-Amin Moussa Al-Amin set himself ablaze on 23 January 2011 in Omdurman. [9]
On 30 January 2011, protests took place in Khartoum and Al-Ubayyid (el-Obeid). [10] In Khartoum, police clashed with demonstrators in the town centre and at least two universities. Demonstrators had organized on online social networking sites since the Tunisian protests the month before. Hussein Khogali, editor in chief of the Al-Watan newspaper stated that his daughter had been arrested for organizing the protest via Facebook and opposition leader Mubarak al-Fadil's two sons were arrested while on their way to the main protest. Pro-government newspapers had warned that protests would cause chaos. [11] Some protesters called for President Omar al-Bashir to step down. Activists said that dozens of people had been arrested. The protests came on the same day the preliminary results for the referendum indicated some 99% of South Sudanese voted to secede. [12] One student died in hospital the same night from injuries received in the clashes. [13] Students threw rocks at police officers while chanting "No to high prices, no to corruption" and "Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan together as one." Police officers arrested five and put down the protest. [14]
In the Al-Ubayyid 30 January demonstration, about 500 people protested "against the government and demanding change" in the market. Police broke up the demonstration using tear gas. [10]
On 1 February 2011, about 200 students demonstrated[15] in front of Al-Neelain University in Khartoum. Police stopped the demonstration. [16]
Further protests, scheduled for 21 March[17] were violently suppressed as they were beginning. [18]
On 1 November, hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the eastern town of Kassala. [19][20]
Students protested at the Red Sea University in Port Sudan after the arrest of several Darfuri student leaders on the night of 21 December, with many Darfuri student activists calling for a revolution and declaring their open support for the Sudan Revolutionary Front fighting the government in the south. [21] On 26 December 42 Darfuri students left the Red Sea University in protest over their treatment, Radio Dabanga reported. [22]
Students also clashed with riot police wielding batons after security forces stormed the University of Khartoum on 22 December to break up a rally by about 700 student demonstrators protesting the displacement of the Manasir community caused by the construction of the Merowe Dam. Twenty were injured and at least four were arrested, activists told media. [23] On 24 December, approximately 16,000 students attempted to launch a sit-in at the university to protest the police, the university administration, and the federal government, but they were dispersed by riot police who deployed tear gas, dealt out beatings, and arrested at least 73. Leaders of the student movement warned that they would continue to organize and demand the overthrow of the government despite security officers' violent tactics. [24] On 30 December, thousands of students successfully launched a sit-in protest, the Associated Press reported. [25]
At Sudan University of Science and Technology in Khartoum, fighting between student supporters of Khalil Ibrahim and the ruling National Congress Party broke out on 28 December, days after the Sudanese government announced Ibrahim's death in a battle between his Darfuri rebel group JEM and the Sudan People's Armed Forces. Twelve were injured in the brawl, which police used tear gas to disperse. [26]
The student protests, in particular those at the University of Khartoum, have been blamed by police on the influence of unnamed Sudanese opposition parties. [27]
Hundreds of female students in the University of Khartoum protested peacefully in the surroundings of their hostels at the central campus on the evening of 16 June. The protesters voice opposition against the escalation of prices and economic hardship in Sudan. [28] The next day, students took to the streets, denouncing the austerity measures one day ahead of plans announced by the Sudanese government. [29][30]
As Omar Al-Bashir has formally announced a series of deep budget cuts while addressing the National Assembly in Khartoum, about 250 students held anti-austerity protest in the Khartoum University. [31] Riot police used tear gas and batons against the protesters who in turn threw stones at police.
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
WHO to set up centre for traditional medicine in India, PM says matter of pride
|
The World Health Organisation announced on Friday that it will set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing confidence that just like the country has emerged as the ‘pharmacy of the world’, the WHO institution will become the centre for global wellness. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement in a video message at an event in which Prime Minister Modi dedicated two future-ready Ayurveda institutions in Jaipur and Jamnagar to the nation via video conferencing on the occasion of the 5th Ayurveda Day. Also read | Consumption of ayurvedic medicines/products up during pandemic: Ayush Ministry The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar (Gujarat) and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur (Rajasthan) are both premier institutions of Ayurveda in the country. The Jamnagar institute has been conferred the status of an Institution of National Importance (INI) by an act of Parliament and the one at Jaipur has been designated an Institution Deemed to be University (De novo Category) by the University Grants Commission (UGC), according to the AYUSH ministry. In his video message, Mr. Ghebreyesus said, “I am pleased to announce that we have agreed to open a WHO Global Centre of Traditional Medicine in India to strengthen the evidence, research, training and awareness of traditional and complementary medicine.” Thank you, Prime Minister @narendramodi for your leadership and commitment to health. @WHO is so pleased to partner with on this important initiative. Together!https://t.co/AjYr9Gd7eD “This new centre will support WHO’s efforts to implement the WHO traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023 which aims to support countries in developing policies and action plans to strengthen the role of traditional medicine as part of their journey to universal health coverage and a healthier, fairer and safer world,” he said. Coronavirus | Indian Medical Association voices concern over Harsh Vardhan’s pitch for Ayush treatment for COVID-19 Traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda can play an important role in integrated people-centric health services and healthcare, but they have not received enough attention, the WHO DG said. Mr. Ghebreyesus also lauded Prime Minister Modi for his commitment to the universal coverage under Ayushman Bharat and evidence-based promotion of traditional medicines to achieve health related objectives. Mr. Modi said Ayurveda is India’s heritage whose expansion entails the welfare of humanity and all Indians will be happy to see that the country’s traditional knowledge is enriching other countries. “It is a matter of pride for all Indians that the WHO has chosen India for establishing its Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. Now work will be done in this direction from India,” Mr. Modi said. Comment | Fusing traditional medicine with the modern “I would like to thank the WHO and particularly its Director General Tedros for giving this responsibility to India. I am confident that just like India has emerged as the pharmacy of the world, in the same manner this centre for traditional medicine will become the centre for global wellness,” he said. Stressing on bringing ayurveda knowledge out of books, scriptures and home remedies and developing this ancient knowledge as per modern needs, Mr. Modi said new research is being done in the country by combining information received from modern science of the 21st century with India’s ancient medical knowledge. Noting that three years ago, the All India Ayurvedic Institute was established here, he said Ayurveda is not just an alternative today but one of the key basis of the country’s health policy. Mr. Modi informed that work is on to develop the National Sowa-Rigpa Institute for research and other studies related to Sowa-Rigpa in Leh. The two institutions in Gujarat and Rajasthan which have been upgraded are also an extension of this development, he added. Congratulating the two institutes for their upgradation, the prime minister pointed out that they have more responsibility now and hoped that they will prepare syllabus for Ayurveda which meets international standards. He also called upon the Education Ministry and UGC to find new avenues in disciplines like Ayurveda Physics and Ayurveda Chemistry. Mr. Modi also urged startups and the private sector to study global trends and demands and ensure their participation in the sector. Pointing out that during the coronavirus period the demand for Ayurvedic products increased rapidly all over the world, he said exports of Ayurvedic products increased by about 45 per cent in September this year compared to the previous year. He said the significant increase in export of spices like turmeric, ginger, considered as immunity boosters, shows the sudden boost in confidence in Ayurvedic solutions and Indian spices in the world. In many countries, drinks related to turmeric are also increasing and the world’s prestigious medical journals are also seeing new hope in Ayurveda, he noted. Mr. Modi said that during the coronavirus period, the focus was not only limited to the use of Ayurveda alone but also on research related to AYUSH in the country and the world. “On one hand, India is testing vaccines, on the other, it is also increasing international cooperation on Ayurvedic research to fight COVID,” he said. Mr. Modi pointed out that research is going on in more than a hundred places including at the All India Institute of Ayurveda in Delhi which has conducted research related to immunity on 80,000 Delhi Police personnel. "It may be the world’s largest group study and there are encouraging results," he said. "A few more international trials are to be started," he added. He also highlighted that prices of Ayurvedic herbs like Ashwagandha, Giloy, Tulsi have increased amid the pandemic. The price of Ashwagandha has more than doubled compared to last year and its direct benefit is reaching farmers, he said
|
Organization Established
| null | null |
Western Air Express Flight 7 crash
|
Western Air Express Flight 7, a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Salt Lake City to Burbank, California, crashed on January 12, 1937 near Newhall, California. The twin engine Boeing 247D, registration NC13315, crashed shortly after 11:00 a.m. in adverse weather conditions. Of the three crew and ten passengers on board, one crew member and four passengers perished. One of the fatalities was noted international adventurer and filmmaker Martin Johnson, of Martin and Osa Johnson fame. [1]
The off-course Boeing 247D, en route from Salt Lake City, was on approach to the Union Air Terminal at Burbank, California in severely lowered visibility due to heavy rain and fog. On suddenly spotting a ridge looming directly ahead, pilot William L. Lewis cut the engine and "pancaked" onto the hillside to reduce the force of the impact. The airliner first struck the ground with the left wing tip. It then skidded along the side of the mountain in a curved path for approximately 125 feet, finally coming to rest headed in the opposite direction from which it struck. The point of collision was at an elevation of 3550 feet near the summit of Los Pinetos, the highest mountain in the immediate vicinity. [2]
One passenger died immediately and three more died within a week, as did the co-pilot, C. T. Owens. Martin Johnson died of a fractured skull while hospitalized. His wife Osa suffered back and neck injuries but continued with the couple’s lecture circuit, doing so from her wheelchair. [3] She later sued Western Air Express and United Airports Co of California for $502,539 but lost on appeal in 1941. [4]
One of the survivors was Arthur Robinson, a 25-year-old passenger who managed to hike five miles down the mountainside where he met rescuers from the Olive View Sanitarium who were searching for the accident site. Another survivor was Robert Andersen who recovered from numerous broken bones and became owner-operator of “Pea Soup Andersen’s,” a dining establishment in Buellton, north of Santa Barbara. [5]
The accident was investigated by the Accident Board of the Bureau of Air Commerce, under the authority of the Department of Commerce. [2] The cause was attributed to the adverse weather conditions, coupled with the pilot’s decision to descend to a dangerously low altitude without positive knowledge of his position. [2]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Paul Vaughan sacked by Dragons despite having 15 months remaining on his contract
|
Dragons prop Paul Vaughan's house party where he hosted 12 other players has cost him his $800,000 a year contract.
The Dragons have sensationally sacked Paul Vaughan for hosting a barbecue with 12 other players.
The Kangaroos and NSW Blues prop hosted a house party on Saturday night with 12 other players in breach of the NSW public health orders and the NRL biosecurity protocols.
After lying to the club about the party Vaughan, 30, has been told he will be released from his $800,000 a year contract effective immediately despite having 15 months remaining on his contract.
The board approved the termination of his contract at a meeting on Tuesday morning held to discuss the sanctions for the 13 players in attendance.
Dragons CEO Ryan Webb told SEN the most serious punishments would be discussed despite the NRL handing down $305,000 in fines.
“There was a lot we had to talk through as a group, so I don’t think anything is off the table,” he said.
“I don’t know where the discussion will go, there’s a lot to sift through."
“We’ve got to make sure the board is aware of all the intricacies of how this played out and the reaction to everything by each of the players.
“There’s a lot of people right now that have lost a lot of trust in our club and we’ve got to try and earn that back.”
Vaughan had already been fined $50,000 and given an eight-game suspension from the NRL for breaching their biosecurity protocols.
The other 12 players received fines ranging from $2000 to $50,000 and all received one-game suspensions.
Paul Vaughan threw his own going away party pic.twitter.com/y6aClaV7qg
Blake Lawrie, Corey Norman, Daniel Alvaro, Jack Bird, Josh Kerr, Josh McGuire, Kaide Ellis, Matt Dufty, Tyrell Fuimaono, Zac Lomax, Jack De Belin and Gerard Beale were also in attendance.
The other players that were at the party will reportedly be forced to apologise publicly for their actions.
NRL CEO Anthony Abdo warned other players who flout the biosecurity will be handed serious sanctions.
“If we have repeat offenders then we obviously take a very serious approach to that, if we see people continuously proving that they can’t adhere to the protocols then we won’t hesitate,” he told Sky News’ AM Agenda.
“We will remove them from the bubble and they won’t be able to play.”
The party is not Vaughan’s first COVID related breach after he was sanctioned in August last year for breaking the NRL’s bubble.
He was fined $10,000 and suspended for two weeks for using a fake name to check in to a café.
Mr Abdo said because Vaughan had breached the protocols before “his suspension was significantly more” than the other players.
|
Tear Up Agreement
| null | null |
3 dead, 2 in critical condition due to carbon monoxide poisoning
|
WOODSTOCK TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Three men are dead and two others are in critical condition after suffering from acute carbon monoxide poisoning inside their travel trailer.
Lenawee County Sheriff's deputies and rescue crews responded to a campground at the intersection of U.S. Route 12 and Brooklyn Highway around 1:30 p.m. Saturday after a man called deputies to check on their well-being.
The caller told deputies that he had not been able to reach any of them. When they arrived, they found all five men unresponsive inside.
Rescue crews began administering CPR on the victims who deputies say were in their early 20s. Three men were pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies say the suspected source of the carbon monoxide came from a generator located near that trailer.
The Faster Horses Festival was taking place at the campground.
First responders are reminding everyone about the importance of keeping generators and exhaust fumes from running cars away from trailers, camp sites and tents.
|
Mass Poisoning
| null | null |
Worker missing after collapse at Henty Gold Mine in Tasmania's west
|
Police now say they have "grave fears" for a worker trapped by a collapse at a gold mine on Tasmania's west coast after search teams using thermal imaging failed to detect signs of life. The man, whose name has not been released, has been missing since 4:00am at the Henty Gold Mine after his colleagues lost contact with him and discovered a section of earth had collapsed. After earlier saying they were positive of a good outcome, police now say they have "grave fears for this person's safety". "It's probably 11, 12 hours now that the person's been missing, so the sooner we get back down there, the better," Tasmania Police Inspector Shane Le Fevre said. Earlier this afternoon, police said search crews had "returned to the surface after using a thermal-imaging drone and a robotic camera to investigate the collapsed area". "They are currently reviewing the footage from the scene and have not yet located the man or identified signs of life," Inspector Le Fevre said. It is believed the missing man is a local from Queenstown. His name has not been released. Inspector Le Fevre said the area where the man was trapped was "quite a long way down, it's one of the lower levels of the Henty gold mine". He said "upwards of 20 people have descended into the mine", describing conditions as "extremely dark and extremely dangerous" with rescue teams were relying on mining personnel to guide them. Chief executive of mining services contractor PYBAR, Brendan Rouse, said the man was "on night shift, which typically starts at 7:00pm … and would've finished at 7:00am this morning". Mr Rouse said it was believed the man was operating a loader at the time, which was fitted with "safety equipment". "He was assigned to load a truck at the time, he was loading a truck — and it was a truck driver who identified when he didn't come back for the next load. "We're all obviously very distressed and our main focus is trying to reach the worker." The Henty mine operations extend to a depth of around 800 metres — it is unclear at what depth the man is trapped. He was about a 20-minute descent underground at the time of the collapse, police said. On its website, PYBAR said it had conducted Mine Emergency Response and Rescue Underground (MERRUG) training at the Henty Gold Mine in Tasmania in 2019 — with the Henty emergency response team credited for their performance at the Tasmanian Minerals Council's Mine Rescue Competition in October. West Coast Mayor Phil Vickers said his thoughts were with the missing man's family, as well as staff and emergency services at the mine. "When a person is unaccounted for you can only hope for the best outcome," he said. Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said other workers had evacuated the site. "At this moment I can't say much more than that, other than our thoughts and prayers are obviously with the missing worker and his family." The chief executive of the Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council, Ray Mostogl, said support had been offered to the mine. "It's a terrible situation whenever there's an event like this in the mining industry," he said. "The industry has emergency response teams that are trained for each of the sites and we also have an annual emergency rescue competitions to help raise the standard, but also to share and collaborate. "There are a lot of common practises that various mines have got. "It's a process that unfortunately we do have to practice and have expertise at. They're putting that into practise now and we just hope it will be a positive outcome, time will tell." In a statement, Daniel Walton, national secretary Australian Workers' Union, said "we have reached out to our members and spoken to a number of workers who are understandably shaken". "In circumstances such as these rescue efforts are extremely delicate and sensitive and our full support is with the specialists. "It goes without saying that our thoughts are with the family of the trapped worker at this time." The Henty Gold Mine opened in 1996 and is near the towns of Zeehan and Queenstown in Tasmania's West Coast region. The mine went into care and maintenance in 2015, but reopened in 2016 with 120 workers after being bought by Diversified Minerals. According to Diversified Minerals' website, the mine lies in the "mineral-rich" Mount Read volcanic belt. It has an annual plant capacity of 300,000 tonnes a year, the website says.
|
Mine Collapses
| null | null |
Carbon County Strike
|
The Carbon County Strikes took place in Carbon County, Utah from 1903–1904. The strikes primarily consisted of Slavic and Italian immigrant mine workers who partnered with the United Mine Workers of America strikes in Colorado to protest the dangerous working conditions of the Utah coal mines. The Carbon County strikes were considered the most important labor confrontation in the United States at the time. [citation needed] The Utah Fuel Company strongly opposed initiatives to unionize coal workers in Utah and were the primary opposition to the UMWA at the time. The Carbon County Strikes would ultimately fail in its attempt to unionize the coal workers of Utah simply because it "did not have enough support, either internally or externally, to win against a powerful and influential company that effectively played on radical, anti-foreign sentiments in defending its position" but it demonstrated a significant nationwide effort in strengthening unionization in the west. [1]
The labor movement in the United States experienced some of its greatest gains in the early years of the twentieth century. Union membership was not only increasing in already established unions but newer unions began to form and expand under a wave of new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. Nationwide union membership was roughly 870,000 in 1900 and in 4 years it had more than doubled to 2,072,700 members. [2] The United Mine Workers Association was the collective voice of mine workers during the labor movement but their influence was limited to only eastern coal regions of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The coal industry had been hit hard by the Panic of 1893 and as a result the average wages of coal miners had diminished by 10 to 30 percent. [3] UMWA leadership struggled to consolidate support among miners in the eastern regions and the bleak economic outlook only stirred more frustration with miners in the coal industry. The UMWA responded to the economic depression with the Coal Miners' Strike of 1897 and the Coal Strike of 1902. [4] The strikes offered a collective voice for miners to speak out against the deplorable conditions of mining camps and proved to be popular movement among miners in eastern mining regions. Western mining regions would not join or participate in the early Coal Miners' Strikes but the success of the UMWA in increasing wages for their workers inspired support among immigrant miners of the west. The coal miners of Carbon County consisted mainly of immigrant workers and had little association with the UMWA. Up until the twentieth century the UMWA primarily focused its attention to eastern coal regions causing Utah miners to fail numerous times in their effort to unionize but the success of out of state unions had produced hope for members of labor movement in Utah. The UMWA had successfully conducted campaign operations to unionize workers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois but looked to expand their control over western coal regions in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. [1] The success of the Coal Miners' Strike, specifically the 1902 Anthracite Strike in Pennsylvania had confirmed the influence the UMWA held over the coal industry and mine workers of Utah sought to capture the momentum of the recent union victories. The Carbon County Strike developed in September 1903 from a coal miner strike that began in Colorado. The Utah strikes coordinated in partnership with the strikes in Colorado to help with efforts in Carbon County and sustain funding that was provided by the UMWA. The UMWA leadership organized recruitment campaigns in Utah and quickly gained a majority of coal miners support in the strike efforts. UMWA organizers frequently toured back and forth between Utah and Colorado, establishing a solid base organization within two coordinating strikes. The large population of Italian immigrants who worked in the Utah coal mines had already established connections with other Italian miners in Colorado, making the organization efforts easier for the UMWA to consolidate and grow their base of support. The coal miners of Utah heavily favored the message the UWMA promoted and backed their initiatives for greater representation in the coal industry. As union membership continued to surge throughout the United States, Utah miners saw an opportunistic chance to improve working conditions and gain the right to collectively bargain. The UMWA message of a united coal workers front proved to be an effective strategy in harnessing support. The tragedy of the Scofield Mine disaster brought awareness for the much needed improvement of safety precautions in the mines and motivated Utah mine workers to continue striking. [3] Horrid work conditions of the mines and continued mining incidents fueled Utah strike efforts but public perception of Utah coal miners began to turn negative because of their association with the violent Colorado coal strikes. The partnership of the Carbon County strike and Colorado strikes would prove to be the downfall of the labor movement in Utah. The Colorado strike began to develop into a civil war and the citizens of Utah feared that the Carbon County Strike would soon follow the same course of action. [1] The UMWA vowed to fund the Utah strikers until they had successfully unionized but the financial burden to fight an uphill battle would bleed the union dry. Utah coal strikers resented the abandonment of the UMWA and it took over 10 years before another effort to unionize would take place. Most of the Utah coal strikers in support of the labor movement were left with no compensation or job to financially support themselves once the UMWA withdrew from Utah in 1904. Opposition to the Carbon County Strike was primarily funded by the Utah Fuel Company and backed by government officials who used the violence exhibited in the Colorado strikes to undermine the growing labor movement in Utah. The Utah Fuel Company created a narrative that Utah miners had no real issue against the working conditions of the mines or a lack of representation, rather they were pressured into supporting the strikes in Colorado by the UMWA. The Utah Fuel Company continued to label the strike as a sympathetic protest in support of the Colorado miners and blamed the UMWA organizers for instigating protest were none was warranted. [1]
The Utah Fuel Company took heavy measures against the strikers and implemented company policies that restricted credit payments to their workers until the strike had ended. Workers who didn’t walkout and remained loyal were guaranteed protection from the outside influences of the UMWA. The company went to great lengths to assure their remaining employees that they had their best interest in mind. Remaining workers were isolated from any union influence and were escorted through protest lines by hired armed guards. Company officials countered union efforts by cutting off all ties to strikers and notified them to vacate the area. The company successfully kept the mines from shutting down by starting a campaign to recruit local farmers to work in the mines. The Utah Fuel Company strategically used the animosity toward foreign workers to gain public support in defeating the UWMA. The company tokened the narrative of "worst element of foreigners" in order to justify their claim that only single men without families who recently arrived to the coal fields supported the labor movement and the old time English-speaking miners were against any unionization efforts. [1] Public opinion was very receptive to the foreign narrative promoted by the Utah Fuel Company and as a result they would continue to not recognize the UWMA. Even though the UMWA established a solid base with over two-thirds of the Utah miners signing into their union, the efforts to support foreign strikers became a liability in winning over the sympathy of the overwhelming Mormon public. The fear of violence erupting had consumed the state of Utah during the Carbon County Strike and Carbon County Sheriff Hyrum Wilcox requested troop support from Utah government officials. Utah Governor Heber M. Wells would answer Wilcox’s request by sending Gen. John Q. Cannon of the Utah National Guard to investigate and report on the circumstances involving union protesters in Carbon County. Cannon reports contradicted the hysteria of violence the Utah Fuel Company had promoted. [3] Cannon found that the overall morale of the coal camps was at its highest and union organizers were having some of their best recruitment numbers, with approximately twelve hundred new union members.
|
Strike
| null | null |
India Suffers Biggest Locust Attack in 25 Years, Not Fully ...
|
India Suffers Biggest Locust Attack in 25 Years, Not Fully Controlled Yet
Estimates say crops were affected in more than 3.5 lakh hectares in districts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Locust attack. Representative image. Photo: Flickr/Niv Singer CC BY SA 2.0
Government
23/Jan/2020
Jaipur: With estimations saying crops were affected in more than 3.5 lakh hectares in various districts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the damage caused by locust attacks in 2019-20 is believed to be one of the worst in India.
Crops of mustard, cumin and wheat have been devastated in the two states, affecting lakhs of farmers. In Rajasthan, the worst hit districts are Jaislamer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Hanumangarh, Ganganagar, Bikaner and Sirohi.
Locusts, which are part of the grasshopper family, are highly mobile insects that can migrate across different countries and cause extreme damage to crops.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is the international agency that monitors and manages locust invasions. It says a swarm of locusts, which contains about 40 million insects, can eat the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people, 20 camels or six elephants.
All locust-affected countries transmit data about attacks to the FAO, where the information is analysed in conjunction with the weather and habitat data and satellite imagery. The organisation also provides forecasts for locust attacks up to six weeks in advance and issues warnings for each country.
The Government of India deploys teams to control locust swarms, which spray a chemical called organophosphate in small, concentrated doses.
Tracking the locusts
In January 2019, the first locust swarms left to Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and south-west Iran, where heavy rains were reported, the FAO said. Between February and June, widespread spring breeding in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran caused the formation of large numbers of locust swarms.
Control operations were less successful in Iran and Yemen and swarms invaded the India-Pakistan border between June and December.
In India, the extended monsoon provided a favourable environment for the locusts to multiply.
“Each locust lays about 150 eggs. In fact, they lay eggs only in moist soil, therefore, when they arrived in India, the locusts multiplied uncontrollably because of the extended monsoon here,” S.L. Godara, director (research) at the Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agriculture University in Bikaner told The Wire.
A locust. Photo: topgold/Flickr, CC BY 2.0
He said when the locust department, during control operations, track areas where locusts stayed overnight to discover their eggs. “Once found, the chemical is sprayed over the eggs. The spray cannot be used over crops,” he added.
Godara also claimed that since the attack was larger than usual, the department was not efficiently equipped to handle the crisis. “Previously, such a large attack was reported in 1993. But it was still manageable. After that, it never occurred, which turned the locust department inefficient,” he said.
Officers of locust departments in India and Pakistan meet regularly to share information about locusts and potential danger of invasion.
The locust department in India has blamed Pakistan for this year’s attack, saying it failed to conduct control operations successfully. “If Pakistan had taken proper control measures, the breeding of locusts could have been stopped. Due to a longer monsoon in India, the swarms got a favourable environment to breed,” K.L. Gurjar, a participant in the India-Pakistan meeting told The Wire. He is also deputy director at the directorate of plant protection, quarantine and storage under the Cente.
The FAO’s January 2020 update shows that the invasion may not have been put to rest yet. “A few residual swarms persistent along both sides of [the] India-Pakistan border where control operations are in progress. Adult and swarms were reported to be breeding along parts of the southern coast where heavy rains and flooding occurred earlier this month [January],” the update said.
Godara says locusts usually stay in India until the Kharif season, but this time the swarms haven’t left and are even damaging the Rabi crops.
Rajasthan government announces compensation
Recently, the Rajasthan state government announced compensation worth Rs 31 crore for four affected districts – Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jalore and Jodhpur – after conducting a special assessment of losses.
Farmers whose crop was damaged would be entitled to compensation worth Rs 13,500 per hectare of land. However, the administration has put a ceiling on compensation that can be sought. “Compensation will be given for damage suffered, but not beyond two hectares, irrespective of how much land the farmers have cultivated,” C.L. Goel, additional district collector of Jalore told The Wire.
The move to limit the compensation has left the farmers upset. “We have heard that the government will pay compensation for only about two hectares of land, which would roughly be Rs 27,000-30,000. This is insufficient to compensate the losses, as farmers spend about Rs 80,000 to cultivate cumin. We borrow money from local lenders at a higher rate of interest,” Saddam, a farmer from Barmer said.
|
Insect Disaster
| null | null |
Ariarne Titmus to face Katie Ledecky in Tokyo 400m freestyle final, Kaylee McKeown sets Olympic record
|
Ariarne Titmus to face Katie Ledecky in Tokyo 400m freestyle final, Kaylee McKeown sets Olympic record
Tune into live sports radio as we cover all the action from across the country
Ariarne Titmus has set up a much-anticipated clash with defending champion Katie Ledecky in the women's 400 metres freestyle final, while Australian teammate Kaylee McKeown has added an Olympic record to her world mark in the 100m backstroke.
Competing in the heat following Ledecky's on Sunday night in Tokyo, Titmus swam a time of 4 minutes and 1.66 seconds to be the third fastest qualifier for Monday morning's' final behind the American.
Ledecky, a five-time Olympic gold medallist, clocked 4:00.45 to comfortably win her heat ahead of China's Li Bingjie, who swam 4:01.57.
Titmus beat Ledecky to win the 400m freestyle final at the 2019 world championships in Gwangju.
The 20-year-old put Ledecky on notice that her world record of 3:56.46 was under threat when she swam 3:56.90 — the second fastest time in the event's history — at Australia's Olympic trials in Adelaide last month.
Titmus and Ledecky will face off at 12:30pm AEST on Tuesday in the 400m freestyle final.
Australia's Tamsin Cook missed qualifying for the final by one spot after swimming 4:04.80 to place fifth in same heat as Titmus.
Earlier in the evening, McKeown showed she meant business in the women's 100m backstroke.
She arrived in Tokyo with a target on her back after setting a world record of 57.45 at the Olympic trials.
The burden of favouritism did not seem to faze the 20-year-old in her opening swim at the Games, as she touched the wall in an Olympic record time of 57.88 to top qualifying for Monday's semi-finals.
Emily Seebohm, a four-time Olympian and silver medallist in the event at the 2012 London Games, placed third in McKeown's heat with 58.86 to join her Australian teammate in the next stage.
Remarkably, the pre-Games Olympic record of 58.23 — held by Seebohm — was broken twice in the two heats before McKeown hit the water.
Canada's Kylie Masse (58.17) was the first to dip under, before Regan Smith of the United States swam 57.96 only minutes later.
The Tokyo Paralympics are starting. Stay up to date with all the action from the Games.
Australia is among the medal contenders in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay after qualifying third fastest for the final on Monday morning.
Olympic 100m freestyle champion Kyle Chalmers produced a blistering final leg to help Australia (3:11.89) finish second to the US (3:11.33) in their heat.
Italy led qualifying with 3:10.29.
Meanwhile, Australia's Chelsea Hodges qualified for the women's 100m breaststroke semi-finals after clocking 1:06.70 in her heat.
Hodges was the 12th fastest in the heats, but her teammate Jessica Hansen (1:07.50) did not progress to the semi-finals.
Former world champion Mitch Larkin swam 52.97 in the heats of the men's 100m backstroke to qualify for the semi-finals where he will be joined by Australian compatriot Isaac Cooper (53.73).
Australia's Thomas Neill advanced to the men's 200m freestyle semi-finals as the eighth-fastest qualifier after winning his heat in 1:45.81.
But fellow Australian Elijah Winnington was eliminated after finishing seventh in the same heat.
Winnington, competing after placing seventh in the men's 400m freestyle final earlier on Sunday, swam 1:46.99.
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
|
Break historical records
| null | null |
Police Continue to Investigate Weekend Shooting in Coconut Grove
|
“What I heard was a barrage. About 40 rounds were fired,” said another neighbor who asked not to be identified. “There were shots fired at a car that was parked at that building. It was directed fire."
Miami Police won’t say just how many shots were fired, but investigators confirmed Thursday that two men who were inside a car were shot at and subsequently struck. The two men were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Investigators are not releasing much else. However, they did say they are reviewing video from the area.
“I feel unsafe now. I’m really nervous because I walk dogs around here,” Craig said.
“We expect the Grove to be where we can come home, be safe, walk our dogs, enjoy our lives,” said Janel Kuhl, who owns Grove Gallery and Interiors and also lives in Coconut Grove.
She said she came home about ten minutes after the shooting happened, seeing the police scene on her way.
“The Grove, we perceive it to be very safe, but something like gunshots and things in this part of the Grove is not something we're accustomed to,” Kuhl said. “We really hope the police are going to be here be vigilant making sure they’re keeping an eye on this type of thing.”
Police say both of the men who were shot are expected to be OK and say one has already been released from the hospital. They say there is no info at this time on the shooters.
Some neighbors say there is a rental property in the area that has been an issue. NBC 6 reached out to find out more on that angle and is waiting to hear back.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate
| null | null |
Emery Worldwide Flight 17 crash
|
Emery Worldwide Flight 17 was a regularly scheduled domestic cargo flight, flying from Reno to Dayton with an intermediate stopover at Rancho Cordova. On February 16, 2000, the DC-8 crashed onto an automobile salvage yard shortly after taking off from Sacramento Mather Airport, killing all three crew members on board. The crew reported control problems and attempted unsuccessfully to return to Mather airport. [1]
The aircraft involved in the accident was a 1968-built Douglas DC-8-71, registration N8079U. Operated by United Airlines (1968–1990) and Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas (1990–1994), later modified for service as a freighter before being sold. In March 1994 N8079U was operated by Emery Worldwide and had accumulated approximately 84,447 flight hours in 33,395 flight cycles. In July 1983, the Pratt & Whitney JT3D engines were replaced with CFM International CFM56 engines to upgrade the aircraft from a 60 series to a 70 series aircraft. [2]
The flight crew consisted of Captain Kevin Stables (43) who had logged 13,329 flight hours and 2,128 hours in type; First Officer George Land (35) who had logged 4,511 flight hours and 2,080 in type; and Flight Engineer Russell Hicks (38) who had logged 9,775 flight hours and 675 in type. [1]:8–9
The flight was a regular domestic cargo flight from Reno–Tahoe International Airport (RNO) to James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY) with an intermediate stopover at Sacramento Mather Airport in Rancho Cordova, California. The flight was operated by Emery Worldwide - then a major cargo airline in the U.S. - using a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71F with the 3 crew members on board. [1]
After completing the taxi checklist, the crew members initiated the before take-off checklist at around 19:47 local time. They then advised traffic at the airport, which had not yet reopened its control tower, that they were going to initiate the take-off from runway 22L. The crew members were later cleared for take-off. The crew applied a continuous nose-down input during the take-off roll. [1]
As the aircraft reached its V1 speed, the captain called "rotate". The pitch then increased from 0.2 to 5.3 degrees. According to the data from the control column, the crew at the time were still applying forward movement to the control column (nose down input), but somehow the nose raised upwards. Data from the aircraft indicated that the crew added more force to the control column, from 14.5 to 17.4 degrees. The aircraft reached V2 and began to lift off. [1]
Immediately after the aircraft lifted off from the runway, the aircraft entered a left turn and the first officer quickly stated that Flight 17 would like to return to Sacramento. The engine's rpm began to decrease and the stick shaker activated for the first time. The Captain declared an emergency on Flight 17, believing a load shift had occurred. The aircraft began to move erratically, and the elevator deflection and the bank angle began to decrease and increase. The aircraft began to descend. [1]
The captain repeated the emergency declaration as the engine's rpm began to increase. At the time, the aircraft was descending with a steepening bank of 11 degrees. The crew then added power and the aircraft began to climb again. As the aircraft continued to climb, the bank angle began to increase to the left. The captain then contacted Mather Tower, stating that Flight 17 "has an extreme CG problem. "[1][3]
The aircraft then continued to fly in a northwesterly heading. The crew was trying to stabilize the aircraft as it began to sway to the left and to the right. The ground proximity warning system (GPWS) then started to sound. At 19:51, the aircraft's left wing contacted a concrete and steel support column for an overhang attached to a two-story building, located adjacent to the southeast edge of the salvage yard. The DC-8 then crashed onto the salvage yard, striking hundreds of cars, before the fuel tanks ruptured and exploded. All three crew members on board were killed. [4][1]
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that during the aircraft's rotation, a control rod to the right elevator control tab detached, causing a loss of pitch control. The NTSB further found that an incorrect maintenance procedure, which was implemented by Emery Worldwide, introduced an incorrect torque-loading on the bolts which were supposed to connect the control rod. [1] The NTSB released its final report in 2003, three years after the accident. The report stated that the crash of Flight 17 was caused by the detachment of the right elevator control tab. The disconnection was caused by the failure to properly secure and inspect the attachment bolt. [5]
The NTSB then added: "The safety issues discussed in this report include DC-8 elevator position indicator installation and usage, adequacy of DC-8 maintenance work cards (required inspection items), and DC-8 elevator control tab design. Safety recommendations are addressed to the Federal Aviation Administration". [5]
Fifteen recommendations were issued by the NTSB. One of the recommendations was to evaluate every DC-8 on U.S. soil to prevent further crashes that could be caused by the disconnection of the right elevator tab. The Federal Aviation Administration subsequently found more than 100 maintenance violations by the airline, including one that caused another accident on April 26, 2001. Emery Worldwide later grounded its entire fleet permanently on August 13, 2001. [1]
Expletives are indicated by a "#" and "..." indicate a pause. Some portions (such as portions where the speaker is unidentified) have been omitted. [6]
The crash of Emery Worldwide Flight 17 was featured in the first episode of the eighteenth season in the Canadian documentary show Mayday, also known as Air Disasters in the United States and as Air Crash Investigation in Europe and the rest of the world. The episode was titled "Nuts and Bolts".
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Rough Fire
|
The Rough Fire was a devastating fire of the 2015 California wildfire season. The fire burned 151,623 acres (61,360 ha) of land, making it the largest fire of the year in California, involving up to 3,742 firefighters in the fire suppression efforts. [1]
The fire, caused by a lightning strike on July 31 located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) North of Hume Lake, burned mainly in the Sierra National Forest and Sequoia National Forest. [1]
The fire neared many famous natural landmarks, including Hume Lake, and Hume Lake Christian Camps on the southern side of the fire. Most progress on battling the fire was on the southern side, while the northern edge continued to burn, then 30 miles from the city of Fresno, California and Clovis, California. Drift smoke from the fire settled over Fresno, and Clovis which led the Clovis Unified School District to cancel outdoor recess and gym class on September 8. [citation needed]
On September 2 over 2,500 people were safely evacuated from Hume Lake Christian Camps and surrounding area. All camp events were cancelled and only security personnel remained. [2][3]
On September 5 the fire reached Kings Canyon National Park as it crossed the 85,800-acre (347 km2) mark. [4]
On September 7, a firefighter suffered from severe burns and was airlifted to the Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. [5]
On September 10, officials at Kings Canyon National Park began evacuating all visitors and employees from the Wilsonia and General Grant Grove areas. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for Dunlap, effective September 11. [6]
On September 11, health officials in Fresno reported an "unprecedented increase" in hospital emergency department visits due to respiratory problems, and urged residents to avoid outdoor activities when the air is smoky. [7]
On September 15, 1pm, as the fire slowed and with favorable weather conditions, evacuation orders and warnings in Dunlap and Squaw Valley were lifted. [8]
At the peak of the wildfire, on September 15, the fire resources and personnel deployed were: 3,741 firefighters, 345 engines, 19 helicopters, and 45 bulldozers. [9]
As of November 5, the Rough Fire was 100% contained. As of September 10[update], the fire had surpassed the Simi Fire on the list of Largest wildfires in California as it reached 110,134 acres (446 km2). [1] On September 12, reaching 128,796 acres (52,122 ha), the Rough Fire passed the Campbell Complex Fire making it #17 on the list. [10] On September 13, reaching 135,317 acres (54,761 ha), the Rough Fire passed the Happy Camp Complex Fire, jumping to #16. On September 17, now contained at 67%, it reached 141,036 acres (57,075 ha) and surpassed the Big Bar Complex Fire, being #15 on the list. Still growing, even if contained at 85%, it passed the 150,000 acre landmark, and jump to position #13 on September 26. As of October 6, 2015[update], the total burned area can be break down into:[1]
|
Fire
| null | null |
Whitefly destroying mango crops in Casamance - The New ...
|
25 août 2006
Whitefly destroying mango crops in Casamance
Mangoes infested with whitefly larvae rot on the ground in Senegal's Casamance region, destroying a source of income for the region's farmers. (Mamadou Alpha Diallo/IRIN)
English
ZIGUINCHOR
Amadou Badji is a local farmer in Senegal’s southern Casamance region. Like many here, he had to give up his fields of groundnuts, watermelons and millet when conflict broke out more than 20 years ago between separatist rebels and the government, leaving the land sewn with landmines instead.
Badji eventually found an alternative: mangoes. By tending a two-hectare orchard he has been able to support his family.
But now that income is under threat as well.
The whitefly, a tiny, nearly transparent insect with white wings has infested the region’s mangoes.
“Once again, this year, I’ll hardly be able to sell any of my mangoes,” he said. “The entire crop has been ravaged by the whitefly.”
He said it was the third year running that the insect has taken its toll on his harvest.
Infestation threatens livelihoods
The reoccurrence of the whitefly, or Ceratitis cosyra, in this fertile area has put a growing strain on the many farmers who rely on mango cultivation for their livelihood.
“This situation will be hard on all farmers, especially when it comes to the Keitt and Kent mangoes that have a high value on the market,” said Badji. “They remained our only hope for avoiding starvation in the small villages, especially during the time between crops.”
The main source of income for rural mango farmers has come from the cultivation of Keitt, Kent and Palmer mangoes. These sweet, fleshy varieties are the most popular on the market and the fact that they ripen off the tree makes them less perishable, allowing farmers to sell them for an extended period.
The other advantage is that they grow during the rainy season, from the end of July into September, a poor time for harvesting crops. According to Badji, these mangoes prevent thousands of families from going hungry during that period.
“Since we abandoned our fields because of the landmines, our revenues have come from the sale of the Kent and Keitt mangoes. Now that these are being destroyed, we are risking famine,” said Amadou Sane, president of the farmers’ association for the borough of Byassia, 18 km west of Ziguinchor, the main city in Casamance.
“On average, I used to sell 10 tonnes of mangoes, but this year, I barely got one. This only brings in about 150, 000 CFA (US $290). That’s not enough to last me through the rainy season,” he said. “My children risk starvation and I won’t be able to pay their school fees this year.”
Landing Diedhiou is doing the best he can with what remains of his crops. He has traveled to Ziguinchor from his village, Medina, 13 km west of the city, to try to sell the few mangoes that he was able to salvage from the thousands that have rotted.
“Normally, I sell 20 tonnes of the Kent mangoes. Last year, I only sold seven, and this year I’ll be lucky if I even reach three tonnes,” he said.
Fighting the scourge
Sekou Diatta, who is with the government’s local office for the protection of plant life, said that the only way to deal with the problem in the short-term is to bury the infested fruit to curb the spread of the flies.
Other say a more permanent solution involves trapping the flies. Diatta said that this requires a deeper understanding of the life cycle of the flies themselves. He explained that the female pierces the mango and lays her eggs in the ripening fruit. The eggs take two to four days to hatch, releasing small white maggots that cause the fruit to rot and fall from the branches.
It is during this time that the flies need to be trapped, by confining the infested mangoes while still on the tree. If not trapped at this time, once the infested mango reaches the ground, the maggots bury themselves in the soil to finish maturing and will then emerge to restart the cycle, killing off more fruit.
A joint study done by the Bureau for the Protection of Vegetation of Dakar and APRAN/SDP, a Casamance NGO specialising in agriculture, showed that each mango tree is attacked by 300 whiteflies every week and that these numbers need to be reduced to only 25 to prevent mango losses from impacting on the revenue of growers.
Searching for solutions
“Nothing is being done for us,” said farmer Diedhou. “An emergency plan needs to be put in place like the one that was created in the north of the country two years ago when locusts attacked the crops,” he said, referring to joint efforts between the government of Senegal and international organisations to eradicate a locust infestation in 2004.
Some fear that the whitefly problem could spread beyond the mango orchards.
“This fly also attacks guavas, watermelons, citrus fruit, avocadoes, soursop, passionflower and apples,” said Demba Keita, secretary general of APRAN/SDP. He said it also threatens a project launched by the NGO Care Canada to open a plant to produce fruit juice from over-ripe mangoes, which would provide employment in the region.
Mame Mousse Gueye, president of the regional farmers’ association, said another concern for local producers is an influx of mangoes from neighbouring Mali on the Senegalese market. Due to the whitefly, he fears that mango producers in the Casamance will be unable to compete with the quality and price of the imported fruit.
For the government’s part, Agriculture Minister Farba Senghor announced last week while on a visit to Ziguinchor that Brazil had offered to help find a solution to the whitefly infestation.
Keita said he hopes to organise a seminar in September that would bring together all interested parties to help draft a solution to the whitefly problem.
“At a time when the government of Senegal and its partners in development are making huge efforts to re-launch the economy in the Casamance, which has been plagued by 24 years of conflict, we can’t allow this parasite to stifle our hopes,” Keita said.
|
Insect Disaster
| null | null |
India Air Force in Israel for First-ever Joint Military Exercise
|
India will participate in the Blue Flag training event with a C-130J special operations aircraft and Garud commandos A delegation of the India Air Force landed in Israel on Wednesday to participate in the biennial Blue Flag exercise, which will take place from November 2 to 16 at the Ovda Airbase in southern Israel. According to India's Ministry of Defense, "This is the first time the Indian Air Force is operating with Israeli AF in a multilateral exercise setting." India will participate in the training event with a C-130J special operations aircraft and Garud commandos, the statement said. Read more: Why India Loves Israel: For Its Brains - Opinion "The exercise would provide a platform for sharing of knowledge, combat experience and in improving operational capability of the participating nations," the ministry added. This year, Blue Flag will have many firsts. With almost 70 foreign planes from nine countries, along with hundreds of pilots, scheduled to take part, the event will constitute the first time such a large number of foreign planes and air forces will participate in a training exercise in Israel. In another first, Germany has sent fighter jets to the excercise, along with an aerial refueling plane, pilots and senior officials from its army and air force. In addition to India and Germany, France will send its Rafale fighter aircraft, and Greece, Italy, Poland and the United States will also participate by sending planes and crews. As part of the exercise, foreign crews will practice handling the threat of advanced surface-to-air antiaircraft missiles, with the Israel Air Force’s so-called Red Squadron playing the role of the enemy. The exercise will include flights in formation with planes from different countries, with no countries opposing each other, said the senior officer.
|
Military Exercise
| null | null |
Karl Cook submits divorce reply to Kaley Cuoco | Celebrity
|
Criminal Justice Community Advisory Board Adds Members | Local News Karl Cook does not want spouse support from Kaley Cuoco.
A 30-year-old equestrian submitted his answer two weeks ago after the “Big Bang Theory” star filed for divorce. He seems to be in compliance with the terms of the prenuptial agreement.
With the document that E got! In the news, Karl followed his estranged wife by quoting “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their separation, but listed the date of their split as undecided.
He called on him or the “fight attendant” actress to terminate the court’s ability to provide spouse assistance, and both parties wanted to pay their attorneys’ fees.
Karl also sought to return his “other jewelery and other personal belongings” and the “income and accumulation” received before, during, and after marriage.
His answer confirmed that “there are additional individual property assets and obligations of each party, as required by the prenuptial agreement of the parties.”
He also said that the common property should be “divided” based on the “conditions” of the prenuptial agreement, suggesting that he would not challenge the document.
Cary’s filings show a similar requirement, with the 35-year-old actress not only “other jewelery and other personal belongings,” but also “pre-marriage, during-marriage, and post-divorce income and accumulation .. I also wanted to keep “.” .. “
Cary also urged the court to terminate her or Karl’s spouse’s ability to assist and demanded that each bear its own attorney’s fees.
When the former couple announced that they had split, they claimed that they had no “anger or hostility” towards each other.
Their statement states: “Despite our deep love and respect for each other, we have found that the current path is leading us in the opposite direction.
“We both have shared much of our journey publicly, so we want to keep this aspect of our personal life private, but we want to get closer to the truth together. I thought. I have no anger or hostility. “
|
Famous Person - Divorce
| null | null |
December 2016 Congolese protests
|
On 20 December 2016 the Democratic Republic of the Congo's president, Joseph Kabila, announced that he would not leave office despite the end of his constitutional term. Protests subsequently broke out across the country, which had never had a peaceful transfer of power since it gained independence in 1960. The protests were met with the government's blocking of social media,[6] and violence from security forces which left dozens dead. Foreign governments condemned the attacks against protesters. On 23 December an agreement was proposed between the main opposition group and the Kabila led-government under which the latter agreed not to alter the constitution and to leave office before the end of 2017. [4] Under the agreement opposition leader Étienne Tshisekedi will oversee that the deal is implemented and the country's Prime Minister will be appointed by the opposition. [4]
In the wake of the 2014 Burkinabé uprising, the Democratic Republic of the Congo experienced a series of protests (e.g. the 2015 Congolese protests) in which Congolese citizens demanded that President Joseph Kabila not alter the presidential term limits in the country's constitution so that he could run for another term in office and not delay the country's planned elections. [7] These protests and others in 2016 were often violent and took place within the broader context of frequent mass protests against authoritarian governments in Africa (e.g. in Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, and Cameroon). In 2016 Kabila's government was mentioned in the Panama Papers and it asked and received permission from the country's constitutional court to allow Kabila to remain in power after his term ended if a successor had not been elected. [8] Following protests in mid-2016 and calls by members of the opposition to hold talks Kabila's government announced the appointment of several nominally opposition politicians into cabinet posts but continued to claim that elections would be impossible to hold due to financial constraints and that the earliest possible date for elections would be April 2018. [9] In September, the United States imposed financial sanctions on two of Kabila's advisors, Major General Gabriel Amisi Kumba and John Numbi, preventing the two from accessing assets within the US and engaging in financial transactions with US citizens. [10] In December, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added Interior Minister Évariste Boshab and intelligence agency leader Kalev Mutondo to its sanctions list,[11] while the European Union froze assets and banned travel of Ilunga Kampate, leader of the DRC's Republican Guard, as well as six more unnamed officials. [12]
On 14 December 42 people were arrested in Goma according to Human Rights Watch. [13] Meanwhile, an anti-Kabila protest was held outside the University of Kinshasa. [13]
On 20 December security forces killed 19 civilians in Kinshasa, 6 civilians in Boma, 4 civilians in Matadi, and 5 civilians in Lubumbashi. [1] Protesters held red penalty cards[14] and blew whistles signifying the end of Kabila's term in office and their desire for him to leave power. [15] Protesters in Kinshasa were attacked by security forces with tear gas, water cannons and live ammunition. [14] According to the United Nations, at least 113 people had been arrested between the 17th and 19th. [16]
On 21 December, protests in the country's second largest city, Lubumbashi, left 10 protesters dead and 47 wounded according to a local NGO. [17] Other protests in cities across the country left a total of at least 26 dead for the day, according to the Human Rights Watch, which said that military and police personnel had been deployed in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa. [16] The government reported only nine deaths,[16] while saying that the police had arrested 275 people. [17]
On 23 December an agreement was proposed between the main opposition group and the Kabila led-government under which the latter agreed not to alter the constitution and to leave office before the end of 2017. [4] Under the agreement opposition leader Étienne Tshisekedi will oversee that the deal is implemented and the country's Prime Minister will be appointed by the opposition. [4]
DR Congo's Roman Catholic Church has been mediating talks between members of the country's political opposition and the government. [17][18]
By late January Congo's Catholic Bishops Conference (CENCO) announced that the December 31st deal was at risk of collapsing as Kabila's regime and the opposition disagreed over appointments to the electoral monitoring council and ministerial posts. [22]
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
Beijing kicks off monthlong military exercise in South China Sea
|
Beijing on Monday kicked off a military exercise in the South China Sea scheduled to last until March 31, according to a report by the South China Morning Post the same day. The military drills will occur within a 5-kilometer radius of a point west of the Leizhou Peninsula, the state-run Global Times reported Sunday. Beijing will prohibit other vessels from coming into that area this month, according to a Friday notice on the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration’s website. The region is a flashpoint between the United States and China, as Beijing claims nearly all of it as its territorial waters despite a United Nations ruling to the contrary. The U.S. regularly challenges those claims by conducting regular patrols, military exercises and freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, to which China routinely objects. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not go into detail about the monthlong exercise, but in a statement Monday said China would “not lose an inch of land left to us by our ancestors.” Beijing bases its South China Sea claims on its own 1947 map that includes a nine-dash line that encompasses those waters. However, a U.N. tribunal rejected China’s claim in 2016 following a challenge from the Philippines. The monthlong exercise comes as the U.S. has stepped up its military operations in the contentious waters and two French warships are en route from Toulon to patrol the region, according to the French navy. In the past month alone, the U.S. has held a dual-carrier exercise with the USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt and two freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, along with two transits of the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. for years has encouraged its allies to become more involved in patrolling the Western Pacific. Britain plans to send its aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the region this year, while French Defense Minister Florence Parly on Feb. 8 tweeted that a French submarine patrolled the South China Sea in early February. In its statement Monday, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense criticized the U.S. for “hyping the so-called Chinese threat and urging allies to jointly compete against China,” according to a report by China Daily. “Military alliance against a third party is a product of Cold-War mentality,” the defense ministry said in its statement. "It is no longer appropriate for the current age and should be tossed into the trash bin of history.”
|
Military Exercise
| null | null |
1993 Tehran mid-air collision crash
|
On 8 February 1993, Iran Air Tours Flight 962, a Tupolev Tu-154, collided in mid-air with an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft near the Iranian capital of Tehran, killing all 133 people aboard both aircraft. The accident had the highest number of aviation fatalities in 1993. [1][2]
Flight 962, with 119 passengers and 12 crew on board, departed from runway 29R at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport on a non-scheduled domestic flight to Mashhad International Airport in Mashhad. The aircraft was flown by an unnamed Russian captain who had 12,000 flight hours (the information on the remaining flight crew is unknown). After takeoff, the aircraft was instructed to climb to 6,000 feet (1,800 m). [3]
At the same time, five IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets were approaching Mehrabad's runway 29L using visual flight rules (VFR). They would later be performing special maneuvers for the Iranian Revolution Commemoration Ceremony. These fighter jets were flying in a westerly heading and were placed at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,500 m) by Mehrabad air traffic controller (ATC) Faramarz Sarvi. [3]
Flight 962 was climbing at the direction of runway 29R, and at the same time the five Su-24s were descending to land on runway 29L. All five of them were separated one mile apart. One of the Su-24s, piloted by a crew of two pilots, turned left four miles west of the tower but did not have enough visibility as it was performing a go around. At this point, Flight 962 was nearing the Sukhoi fighter. Flight 962 and the Su-24 did not obtain visual sight of each other. At about 14:16 IRST, the two aircraft collided in mid-air; the rear engine and the tail of the Tupolev aircraft were torn off, and the flight crew lost control of the aircraft. [4] Both aircraft crashed into an army depot at the town of Shahr-e Qods, near Tehransar, about 9.4 miles from Mehrabad. [5] All 131 people aboard the Iran Air Tours airliner and both military pilots died.
Investigators determined that the pilot of Flight 962 correctly followed ATC instructions. Iran's Civil Aviation Authority concluded that the causes of the collision were: errors made by the military pilots of the Sukhoi Su-24 and air traffic controller error.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
2014 Assiniboine River flood
|
The 2014 Assiniboine River flood was caused by above average precipitation in western Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Unlike most prior floods, this flood was not due to spring runoff, but rather significant rainfall. Flooding and high water involved both the main stem of the Assiniboine River and many of its tributaries including the Qu'Appelle River and the Souris River. The flood came just 3 years after the 2011 Assiniboine River Flood which was considered a 1 in 300 year event. Peak flows along the river for the first crest were generally slightly less than in 2011. However, the second peak on the river has exceeded 2011 levels starting near St. Lazare, Manitoba up to Brandon, Manitoba so far. [2][3]
After a generally unremarkable spring in the Assiniboine River watershed with some minor flooding, a series of significant rainfall events occurred in June and early July with the most significant event occurring in Eastern Saskatchewan and Western Manitoba over the Canada Day long weekend. [4]
After multiple states of local states of emergencies were declared in Manitoba, the Province of Manitoba declared a provincial state of emergency on July 4, and Premier Greg Selinger contacted Prime Minister Stephen Harper to request military assistance in the flood fight. [5] Troops from CFB Shilo were deployed to help sandbag vulnerable properties, shore up dikes, and monitor dikes for any breaches along the lower Assiniboine River between Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg. Dikes were reinforced and built up along the Portage Diversion as well in order for the channel to run above design capacity. Preparations were also made at the Hoop and Holler bend on Provincial Road 331 in the event a controlled breach of the lower Assiniboine River was needed to handle excess flows beyond the capacity of flood control measures. The first crest reached Brandon on July 6 with flows of 34,330 cfs below the levels of 2011 when the river crested at 36,700 cfs. [6][7] When the crest reached the Portage Reservoir on July 9, flows reached 52,100 cfs with approximately 34,100 cfs directed toward Lake Manitoba through the Portage Diversion and 18,000 cfs toward Winnipeg. [8] This was again lower than in 2011 when the river crested at the Portage Reservoir with flows of 53,100 cfs. [9]
The second crest reached St. Lazare, Manitoba on July 9 and crested at 1,290.78 feet above sea level (ASL), which was approximately 0.7 ft. higher than the previous record crest of 2011. [10] Nine homes in the St. Lazare area outside the community ring dike were damaged. [11] On July 12, the second crest reached Brandon and peak flows were measured at 38,870 cfs, which was higher than 2011 levels. [12] Record flows were experienced upstream of the confluence of the Souris and Assiniboine Rivers but not downstream of this point, as the Souris River was not experiencing significant enough flows. As a result the second crest at the Portage Reservoir was slightly lower than the first one coming in at 51,480 cfs. [13]
With excess spring flows on the Assiniboine River directed towards Lake Manitoba through use of the Portage Diversion, lake levels were above the desirable range of the lake of 810.0 to 812.0 feet above sea level (ASL) and even the upper limit of 813 feet ASL prior to the summer flood. [14][15] Continued use of the Portage Diversion occurred after it was re-opened to help mitigate against flooding, during which flows of over 34,000 cfs were directed towards the lake, well above the original designed channel capacity of the Portage Diversion of 25,000 cfs. [16][17] During the 2011 as well as the 2014 floods, work was done on the Portage Diversion to allow it to convey the higher volumes experienced. The result of this was that the water level of Lake Manitoba peaked at 814.6 feet putting residents on the lake at risk of flooding and damage from wind events. [18]
Preliminary estimates of damages directly from the flooding are estimated at $1 billion for the agricultural sector alone with further damages yet to be assessed for property owners and other businesses. [19] This does not include economic losses related to economic spin-offs which are estimated to total a $3 billion loss to the economy of Manitoba. [20] Future damages may occur on Lake Manitoba as a result of the continued use of the Portage Diversion redirecting flood waters from the Assiniboine River until the lower reach of the river can handle flows without flooding. Without the use of the Portage Diversion catastrophic damages would occur downstream. However, even with the restriction of flows on the lower Assiniboine River to about 18,000 cfs property damage occurred. Numerous properties along the Assiniboine River east of Portage la Prairie suffered significant property damage as well as bank erosion and loss of mature stands of trees. Water continues to remain over the banks in the same region well into August including the KOA campground in St Francois Xavier which remained under water for approximately 4 weeks.
|
Floods
| null | null |
1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
|
The 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, also known as the Napier earthquake, occurred in New Zealand at 10:47 am on 3 February, killing 256,[3] injuring thousands and devastating the Hawke's Bay region. It remains New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster. Centred 15 km north of Napier, it lasted for two and a half minutes and had a magnitude of 7.8 Ms
(7.7 Mw). [1] There were 525 aftershocks recorded in the following two weeks, with 597 being recorded by the end of February. The main shock could be felt in much of New Zealand, with reliable reports coming in from as far south as Timaru, on the east coast of the South Island. [4]
New Zealand lies along the boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plates. In the South Island most of the relative displacement between these plates is taken up along a single dextral (right lateral) strike-slip fault with a major reverse component, the Alpine Fault. In the North Island the displacement is mainly taken up along the Hikurangi Subduction Zone, although the remaining dextral strike-slip component of the relative plate motion is accommodated by the North Island Fault System (NIFS). [5]
The earthquake is thought to have occurred on one of the larger thrust faults within the accretionary wedge, at between ca. 5 km depth and ca. 20–25 km depth (which is the approximate depth of subducted Pacific plate at that location). [6]
Nearly all buildings in the central areas of Napier and Hastings were levelled (The Dominion noted that "Napier as a town has been wiped off the map")[7] and the death toll included 161 people in Napier, 93 in Hastings, and two in Wairoa. [3] Thousands more were injured, with over 400 hospitalised. The local landscape changed dramatically, with the coastal areas around Napier being lifted by around two metres. [7] The most noticeable land change was the uplifting of some 40 km2 of sea-bed to become dry land. This included Ahuriri Lagoon, which was lifted more than 2.7 metres[7] and resulted in draining 2230 hectares of the lagoon. Today, this area is the location of Hawkes Bay Airport, housing and industrial developments and farmland. Within minutes fires broke out in chemist shops in Hastings Street, Napier. The fire brigade almost had the first fire under control when the second broke out in a shop at the back of the Masonic Hotel. The hotel was quickly engulfed in flames. The wind at this point also picked up strength and began blowing from the east, pushing the fires back over the city. With water mains broken, the brigade was unable to save many buildings. Pumping water from Clive Square, they were able to stop the fires spreading south. Only a few buildings in the central Napier area survived. Some withstood the earthquake only to be gutted by fire. Trapped people had to be left to burn as people were unable to free them in time. By Wednesday morning, the main fires were out, but the ruins still smouldered for several days. In Hastings, the fires were quickly brought under control. The death toll might have been much higher had the Royal Navy ship HMS Veronica not been in port at the time. Within minutes of the shock the Veronica had sent radio messages asking for help. The sailors joined survivors to fight the fires, rescue trapped people and help give them medical treatment. The Veronica's radio was used to transmit news of the disaster to the outside world and to seek assistance. The crew from two cargo ships, the Northumberland and Taranaki, also joined the rescue works, while two cruisers, HMS Diomede and HMS Dunedin, were dispatched from Auckland that afternoon with food, tents, medicine, blankets, and a team of doctors and nurses. The cruisers sailed at high speed overnight, arrived on 4 February and provided valuable assistance in all areas until their departure on 11 February. A group of prisoners working at Bluff Hill in Napier had four of their number buried in a landslip by the quake. The remaining prisoners dug them out, but two had been killed. The prisoners re-assembled without any attempt to escape and were locked up in the Napier Jail. In Taradale, Mission Estate missionaries' accommodation block had been built and opened in February 1931. The next day the Hawke's Bay earthquake struck, causing serious damage to the entire Mission. Two priests and seven students were killed when the stone chapel was destroyed. In Havelock North, St Luke's church was damaged (but not destroyed) just before a wedding was due to take place. The couple got married later in the day, but outdoors. The entire Hawke's Bay and Gisborne region lost electricity during the quake, although power was restored to Waipukurau within two hours and to Gisborne within ten hours. At Napier substation, the transformers were tipped over by the force of the quake and the high-voltage switchgear damaged, while the Napier to Tuai transmission line was taken out of service after a landslide caused a tower to collapse. A limited supply was restored to Napier and Hastings on 4 February; due to the damage at Napier substation, the Waipukurau to Napier transmission line was jumpered to the low-voltage switchgear at both ends. The Napier to Tuai line was repaired and put back into service on 12 February, while full supply to Naiper substation was restored on 29 March. [8]
Within four days of the quake, cinemas around New Zealand offered news specials about the disaster. Another casualty of the earthquake was the Napier trams. The tracks were twisted by the earthquake, and were never restored. [9]
New Zealand's first commercial air disaster occurred six days after the quake, when a Dominion Airlines Desoutter monoplane crashed near Wairoa.
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
Idaho COVID-19: New hospitalization record; Kuna school closes | Idaho Statesman
|
Idaho’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit yet another high, with a record 760 people in facilities statewide as of Monday, including a record 202 patients in intensive care. The state’s seven-day moving average stayed above 1,000 new COVID-19 cases per day for the 13th consecutive day, at 1,205.6. Crisis standards of care were implemented statewide last week, at the request of the St. Luke’s Health System. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare added 1,354 cases and 25 deaths to the state’s fast-rising totals on Wednesday. Among those deaths was an individual between the ages of 18 to 29, while eight individuals were 80 or older, five were in their 70s, five were in their 60s, four were in their 50s and two were in their 40s. Idaho has lost 2,687 residents to the virus, with a case fatality rate of about 1.09%. Before the most recent surge, the previous high for COVID-19 hospitalizations in Idaho was 496 on Dec. 10, 2020. Two weeks ago, Idaho’s virus hospitalizations stood at 613, according to data from Health and Welfare. St. Luke’s hospitals were caring for 279 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday, with 87.81% of those being unvaccinated. Of the 61 St. Luke’s patients in ICU, 98.36% are unvaccinated. Saint Alphonsus is caring for 153 COVID-19 patients. As of Wednesday, there are 16 adult ICU beds that are open, staffed and available for occupancy in Idaho, according to Health and Welfare. Pi STEM Academy, a public charter school in Kuna, will be closed Thursday and Friday because of COVID-19, according to a letter sent Wednesday from the school’s executive director to parents. “We do have a positive case in our staff and it is an individual that interacts with students and teachers in every building,” the letter from Jill Hettinger reads. “Additionally, we currently have a fair number of students that are out with COVID or COVID symptoms awaiting tests. “To date, we have not linked any of our COVID cases to interactions at school, but I have concerns that this may not still be the case.” The school’s board is scheduled to meet Friday night to assess the situation and decide how instruction will be conducted moving forward. Parents are asked to notify the school of any COVID-19 symptoms or positive tests to obtain “a clearer picture of the number of cases that we currently have in our Pi STEM community.” Citing the current surge in COVID-19 cases and the harm it has done to Idaho’s health care system, the Idaho Supreme Court announced it is taking additional measures to slow the spread of the virus. Starting Monday, Sept. 27, most court hearings will be online, with the exception of all trials on a petition to terminate parental rights and all felony sentencing hearings. Courts must provide a publicly accessible livestream any time that the public cannot be physically present in a courtroom for a proceeding traditionally open to the public. No new jury trials will begin between Sept. 27 and Dec. 6, and no new grand juries may be impaneled during that time frame. Existing trials or grand juries are allowed to continue. Anyone in a publicly accessible space of a building used solely for court business must wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth and must maintain 6 feet of social distance from people who do not live in their household. In a mixed-use building that contains both court and non-court operations, anyone entering a courtroom, a clerk’s office or counter area, or other spaces used for court business, must comply with masking rules. The order also provides discretion for local administrative judges to take further steps to protect public health and safety. The Boise Farmers Market canceled its walk-in market on Saturday and instead is encouraging the public to use its drive-thru market. The market reversed course after it had announced that it would require vendors and customers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test within 48 hours to attend the market earlier this week. The market hasn’t announced its protocols for October. The deadline to order drive-thru products has been extended to noon on Thursday. “We will be working closely with the city to find a plan that honors our commitment to safety, public health and supports our farmers, and makers,” the market said in a press release Wednesday. “We will continue to assess our plans and communicate with our customers about what they can expect moving through the month of October, which will mark the end of our regular season.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a letter Wednesday asking all temple patrons and workers to wear masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19. “Our desire is to keep temples open,” the letter reads. “As cases of COVID-19 increase in many areas, we want to do everything possible to allow temples to remain open. “Therefore, effective immediately, all temple patrons and workers are asked to wear face masks at all times while in the temple. These safety protocols are temporary, based on COVID-19 conditions, and will be rescinded as soon as circumstances permit.” The letter from President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors also encouraged COVID-19 vaccination to “do all you can to protect yourself and others.”
|
Organization Closed
| null | null |
Aeroflot Flight 811 crash
|
Aeroflot Flight 811 was a scheduled Soviet domestic passenger flight from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Blagoveshchensk that collided mid-air on 24 August 1981 with a Tupolev Tu-16K strategic bomber over Zavitinsky District in Amur Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia). The collision between Aeroflot's Antonov An-24RV and Tupolev Tu-16K occurred at an altitude of 5,220 metres (17,130 ft), killing 37 people on both aircraft. The sole survivor, 20-year-old passenger Larisa Savitskaya from Antonov An-24RV, was rescued on the third day after the accident. Antonov An-24RV departed from Komsomolsk-on-Amur at 14:56 local time, after a four-hour delay due to weather conditions. The crew consisted of first pilot Alexander Mirgorodsky, co-pilot Valery Shevelev, navigating officer Fedosy Kryzhanovsky, flight engineer Nikolai Dimitriyev and air hostess Galina Borisova. [1] Among the passengers was one child. [1] Larisa Savitskaya and her husband Vladimir were returning from their honeymoon. The flight dispatcher was informed that the local airspace would be traversed by military aircraft at an altitudes of 4,200–4,500 metres (13,800–14,800 ft). [1] On the same day, at 16:00 and 16:01 local time two Tupolev Tu-16Ks left Zavitinsk air base for weather reconnaissance. At 16:21 local time, one of them (serial number 6203106) collided with the Aeroflot An-24RV, 70 km east of Zavitinsk air base. [1] The collision occurred in good lighting conditions, with a visibility of over 10 km. [1] Savitskaya was sound asleep at that moment. [2] The Tu-16K razed off the An-24RV's roof and severed both wings. [2] The temperature inside An-24RV's cabin dropped from 25 °C (77 °F) to −30 °C (−22 °F). [3] Both aircraft disintegrated and fell on taiga terrain. The fragments of Antonov An-24RV were scattered in a south-western direction, 1020 m from the collision point, on a 2500х900 m area. The Tu-16K exploded after the ground impact, its fragments were scattered approximately 2000 m from the collision point. [1]
Savitskaya was conscious during the fall, which lasted eight minutes. [2] She survived partly because the 4х3 m aircraft fragment she was in started to glide[3] and landed on a soft, swampy glade. Savitskaya also pushed against the seat with her hands and feet, "perhaps hoping to absorb the blow" in her own words. [2] The impact with the ground, however, knocked her temporarily unconscious. [2] She sustained a concussion, a broken arm and rib and some spinal injuries. [2]
The investigation concluded that the flight operations director at Zavitinsk air base did not use radar assistance to track the Tupolevs, which became the direct cause of the accident. [1] Additionally, there was a poor coordination between the local civilian and military air traffic control due to flawed air traffic regulations. [1] Military prosecutors placed the responsibility for the accident on the pilots of both aircraft. [2]
The first reports about the accident in the Soviet press were censored, saying Savitskaya had crashed in a homemade glider. [2] Savitskaya was warned by the KGB not to reveal the accident to the public; she spoke openly about the accident for the first time on 11 January 2001 in Moscow. [4] Savitskaya was paid 75 Soviet rubles ($20) compensation by Aeroflot. [4]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Bushfire debris turns Gippsland's Tambo River to sludge, suffocating eels
|
Ash, soot and bushfire debris, combined with heavy rain and thunderstorms over burnt regions of east Gippsland have turned local rivers to sludge, killing the eels that inhabit the water.
Dead eels have washed up in the Tambo River, which feeds into the Gippsland Lakes.
Stuart Stagg's Tambo Crossing property backs onto the river and he said the pollution had turned the river into "fluid mud", leaving large amounts of sediment on riverbanks.
"It was backed up on the top of some of the bridges with ash floating on the top, like coals, charcoals, and a very thick mud underneath it," he said.
"We've seen some dead eels, and I've had reports from neighbours of eels dying.
"Eels are a pretty tough animal so I'd expect any fish that were left in the river from the drought will not be in very good health."
Mr Stagg said he had never seen the river in such poor condition, as heavy rainfall that followed the bushfires pushed pollution closer to the Gippsland Lakes.
"We had a lot of rain after the 2007 fires burnt us out, but this time, short, heavy, sharp storms have mobilised [bushfire debris] and dropped it in the river," he said.
Former Lake Wellington Authority chief Ross Scott lives on the Gippsland Lakes and said if the sludge reached the area, the effects would be devastating.
"In New South Wales, there have been numbers of fish kills as a direct result of ash washing into the watershed," he said.
"Ash gets into the water, and takes up oxygen from the water then there's not enough oxygen left for the fish and they die.
"If the load is big enough, it will impact the Gippsland Lakes, namely Lake King."
Mr Scott said the ecology of the lakes was already under threat, with unique fish species populations in decline.
"I'm concerned about all the fish but the one that is very important to East Gippsland is the black bream," he said.
"Their numbers are in rapid decline due to over-fishing by professionals. The catch figures have gone down from hundreds of tonnes a year to about 13 [tonnes].
"They're nearly wiped out, we don't need any more impacts."
Mr Scott said more needed to be done to protect the Gippsland Lakes from further decline, including investment into an audit to assess the current damage.
"The problem is in the catchment, with pollution and reduced fresh water flows because of over-harvesting," he said.
"If you're looking at the lakes to see what the problem is, look behind you.
"I'm concerned about the whole Gippsland Lakes environment which has been in decline for a long time now, but no-one seems to be addressing the issues."
The chief executive of the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, Graeme Dear, said locals had been reporting the conditions to the organisation.
"Last week, there was some carp that died in the Tambo in a localised event, but in that case we didn't have to take action, there was nothing we can do," he said.
"It's such a large-scale event that we can't mitigate whatever natural impacts are going to occur, so our best approach is to wait and see what happens, then see what recovery efforts to put in place."
Mr Dear said the large size of the Gippsland Lakes — approximately 600 square kilometres — reduced the risk of long-term damage from pollution.
"Debris and ash will flow into the rivers and some of that will end up in the lakes, but it's natural," he said.
"This is a large-scale fire, so of course, yes, there will be impacts on the rivers and on the lakes as we go through a natural process of recovery."
"Over the past few years, there have been some very large widespread fires in East Gippsland and in those experiences we didn't see any large fish kills in the Gippsland Lakes."
Mr Dear said it was common for bushfire debris to enter waterways.
"Sometimes you do get thunderstorms and large rain events that can cause fish deaths but usually they're localised," he said.
"This is not the first time we've experienced events of this nature, and nature is fantastic at taking time to recover."
Mr Dear said there would be localised surveys of rivers directly affected by fire, but there were no plans for a long-term audit into the condition of the Gippsland Lakes.
"We have a lot of information on the lakes since the last report was done, we've got multiple groups and agencies working together and we have a plan in place," he said.
The last comprehensive look into the ecology of the Gippsland Lakes was conducted in 1998 by the CSIRO.
Search any location in Australia to find nearby active incidents
Stay up-to-date with local coverage on ABC Radio, the emergency broadcaster
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
|
Environment Pollution
| null | null |
Grandmother jailed after not answering her phone during class is ordered released from prison sentence
|
A 76-year-old woman who was taken back into custody last month after not answering calls during a computer class from officials was ordered released Tuesday. After serving 16 years in federal facilities for dealing heroin, Gwen Levi moved to Baltimore to live with her 94-year-old mother, build relationships with her sons and grandchildren, and volunteer at prisoner-advocacy organizations as she searched for a job. She was one of about 4,500 prisoners allowed to serve their sentences at home as the coronavirus swept through federal prisons, killing 240 prisoners and four Federal Bureau of Prisons staff members. Her release, however, was revoked after she attended a computer word-processing class in Baltimore on June 12 and didn’t return calls from officials monitoring her. A grandmother didn’t answer her phone during a class. She was sent back to prison. Out of contact for more than four hours, according to a Federal Bureau of Prisons report, Levi was accused of “escape” and sent to the D.C. jail to await transfer back to the federal system. Her case drew attention after reports on former inmates who might have to go back to prison when the pandemic ends. On Tuesday, court documents showed, a federal judge granted Levi compassionate release, reducing her sentence to time served. Levi’s request for release was filed before she was sent home last year. Judge Deborah K. Chasanow, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, wrote that Levi “has done well on home confinement, the current question of the missed call notwithstanding.” “Because of her release to home confinement, the most pressing initial concerns (COVID, age, and health) were addressed,” the opinion said. “The court concludes that it would do little (if anything) to serve the goals of sentencing to require her to return to full custody.” Levi, due to be released Tuesday evening, was not immediately available to comment. In an email, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley referred questions about Levi to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In a tweet after Levi’s re-incarceration was reported late last month, he said that “inmates who have had their transfer to home confinement revoked based on a violation may appeal that decision through the Administrative Remedy Program based on the particular circumstances of their case.” Levi’s attorney, Sapna Mirchandani of Maryland’s Office of the Federal Public Defender, said Levi elected to ask for a ruling on a long-pending motion for sentence reduction rather than pursue the appeal. “If Gwen stayed in the BOP’s custody, we would go the ‘administrative remedy’ route, which is a painfully long bureaucratic maze that, in my experience, is a waste of time,” she said. “The BOP always backs up what the BOP does.” Mirchandani said Levi will have to report to a probation officer for five years, but the terms of her release will be less restrictive. She also will be able to ask for early termination of supervision after one year. Kristie A. Breshears, spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, declined to comment on Levi’s case. The Justice Department had opposed Levi’s motion for compassionate release, according to Chasanow’s opinion, noting a “criminal history that includes prior felony drug-trafficking and firearms convictions.” “It did, however, acknowledge that she likely does not pose a significant danger to the community,” the opinion said. Levi’s release comes as prisoner-rights advocates press President Biden’s administration to prevent inmates sent home during the pandemic from being returned to prison. They are asking for a change in policy established in the final days of Trump’s presidency. On Jan. 15, a binding Justice Department memo called for nearly all people sent home because of the pandemic to return to prison when the public health emergency ends. The White House and the Justice Department have not said whether they plan to rescind the memo. Breshears said 190 inmates sent to home confinement because of the pandemic have been returned to secure custody — 185 for alleged violations, five for alleged new crimes. Kevin Ring, president of nonprofit prisoner advocacy organization Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said in a statement Tuesday that the bureau’s decision to send Levi back to prison was “shameful.” “She deserves to be home,” he said. The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release
| null | null |
2009 Indonesian Air Force L-100 crash
|
On 20 May 2009, an Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100-30(P) Hercules was carrying 112 people (98 passengers and 14 crew) and crashed at about 6:30 local time (23:30 UTC), while flying from Jakarta to eastern Java. [1] The crash resulted in 99 deaths, 2 of which occurred on impact when the aircraft struck at least four houses before skidding into a rice paddy, in the village of Geplak. [2][3] and at least 70 others were taken to a local hospital. [4] Authorities believe that there is still 1 missing body. [citation needed]
The airplane, a civilian Lockheed L-100-30(P) version of the C-130 Hercules, registration A-1325[5] had been on a normal flight transporting military personnel and their families from Jakarta to a military base in eastern Java. The plane was attempting to land at Iswahyudi Air Force Base, but instead crashed about 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) northwest of the north end of the runway,[6] bursting into flames upon impact. Flying conditions were good and the weather was clear at the time of the crash. [7] The cause of the accident has not yet been determined, and the investigation is still in a preliminary state. [8][needs update]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Haim Katz to get suspended sentence, fine for minor fraud in plea bargain
|
Part of the deal includes Katz waiving his parliamentary immunity and an agreement by the sides to seek a sentence including a fine and a suspended prison sentence, but without serving jail time. Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit on Tuesday filed an indictment against Likud MK and former minister Haim Katz with the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court on a minor fraud charge as part of a plea bargain. Part of the deal includes Katz waiving his parliamentary immunity and an agreement by the sides to seek a sentence including a fine and a suspended prison sentence without serving jail time. The final charge in the deal is conspiracy to achieve a goal that in and of itself was legal but was achieved by illegal means, relating to Katz’s abuse of his power as former Knesset Social Welfare Committee chairman. Katz still serves as a key power broker within the Likud, with a major role in determining when Likud primaries take place. The Movement for the Quality of Government in Israel slammed Mandelblit, saying he had lost his nerve in cutting a lenient deal with Katz, which included no jail time. Further, the NGO cited Mandelblit’s prior statements about how serious Katz’s conduct had been as ammunition for its arguments that the minor charge was insufficient and would essentially embolden other corrupt politicians to think that fraud is worth it because there will be few consequences even if they are caught. On September 30, Mandelblit told the High Court of Justice he might close a plea deal with Katz in the coming three weeks. In October 2020, Mandelblit said he was leaning toward indicting the senior Likud MK for NIS 2.2 million in tax fraud. In February 2020, under a prior government, the Knesset voted to grant Katz immunity from a prior indictment that Mandelblit had decided to file. If no deal was reached, Mandelblit had also told the court he might try once again to remove Katz’s immunity regarding the prior indictment with the new Knesset and to indict him under the new tax-fraud charges at the same time. According to a previous Justice Ministry statement, between 2007 and 2018, Katz earned significant rental income from seven real-estate properties in his name and in the name of certain family members. Regarding some of the properties, Katz had failed to report his rental income entirely to the tax authorities, and with others, he had only partially reported and did so significantly late, the statement said. The charges were administrative and not criminal, attorney Navit Negev had previously said, adding that the only reason the allegations had been pushed into the criminal sphere was because of Katz’s political status. The allegations would be rebutted at the pre-indictment hearing, and the ministry’s statement had recognized that some of the properties were not in Katz’s name, she said. In August 2019, Mandelblit announced he would file the earlier and more serious indictment against Katz for fraud and breach of trust. According to that indictment, Katz had violated conflict-of-interest principles in his economic dealings with Equital Ltd.’s Motti Ben-Ari on several occasions and covered it up to obtain illegal economic gains for the two of them. This narrative was highlighted in the amended indictment filed as part of the plea deal. Katz loudly supported a 2010 reform to the country’s insolvency laws that was allegedly intended to help Ben-Ari and his company, in which Katz had invested heavily. This would mean that Katz helped advance legislation to personally benefit himself along with his primary financial adviser and close friend. In the past, a spokeswoman for Katz said the Knesset had granted him immunity in February 2020, and he had not committed even an ethical violation. Though the Knesset saved Katz from that indictment going to court at the time, Mandelblit’s decision forced him to resign his ministerial portfolio, and the new Knesset could have reviewed the earlier Knesset’s grant of immunity. The newer tax charges might not have given Katz a chance at parliamentary immunity since the tax violations were, unlike the prior charges, unrelated to his role as a public servant. Mandelblit’s August 2019 decision had already cleared Katz of charges in a third affair, the Israel Aerospace Industries case, in which the police had recommended he be indicted.
|
Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence
| null | null |
Devon, WPX release new details surrounding organizational structure as merger moves forward
|
As third quarter results begin to roll in, Devon Energy and WPX can’t wait to put their companies together. Devon and WPX announced the goal at the end of September, when officials said they would merge through an all-stock deal to create a larger company with a dominant position in an operational area of about 400,000 acres in the Delaware Basin covering much of west Texas and eastern New Mexico. Plans call for several WPX front-line executives including CEO Rick Muncrief to step into similar or identical leadership roles at the new Devon. Devon’s CEO Dave Hager will become executive chairman of an expanded board of directors once the deal closes. For now, key individuals from both firms are meeting with each other and merger integration experts as they develop plans for the combination. Integration team members from Devon include David Harris, executive vice president of exploration and production, Jeff Ritenour, chief financial officer and Tana Cashion, director of human resources. WPX team members include Clay Gaspar, chief operating officer, Dennis Cameron, general counsel, Kevin Vann, chief financial officer and Angela Kouplen, chief financial officer. “The intention is to have the full integration team, including subject matter experts from both WPX and Devon, in place soon and begin all aspects of integration planning” a regulatory filing made by Devon earlier this month states. Making progress The future executive team already determined the new combined company’s overall organizational structure and reporting relationships, Devon's filing states. Gaspar, it said, will oversee its geosciences, reservoir, production, drilling, completions, facilities, environmental, health & safety and field operations activities. Harris will oversee the larger company’s business development, land, technology and innovation activities. Ritenour will oversee the combined company’s corporate finance, treasury, planning, reserves, accounting, tax, investor relations, marketing, midstream, supply chain and internal audit activities. Cameron will oversee its legal, public and government affairs activities, while Cashion will oversee its human resources, corporate communications, community relations, and its administration — facilities and real estate, security, corporate services and hospitality, aviation and digital security activities. A more specific management structure has not yet been announced. As part of that same filing, Devon officials stated they understood the urgency and importance of integrating the two organizations quickly and effectively. “Key integration objectives will include identifying synergies and performance improvement opportunities, as well as focusing on culture and the organization,” a filing Devon made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission stated. “Although we cannot project the exact timing of the close, it may be possible to close as early as mid-December.” Devon’s third quarter results Devon was the first of the two companies to report its third quarter results. After markets closed Thursday, it announced it experienced a net loss of $92 million, or 25 cents per share, on total revenues of just more than $1 billion. The company highlighted these third-quarter results: • Oil production that totaled 146,000 barrels per day, exceeding midpoint guidance by 6,000 barrels. • 8% lower production expenses, year-over-year. • Free cash flow generation of $223 million. • A reduction of quarterly general and administrative expenses of 30%, year-over-year. The lower overhead costs were primarily driven by reduced personnel expenses, company officials stated. “Devon is executing at a very high level on all aspects of our disciplined cash-return business model,” stated Dave Hager, Devon’s CEO, as part of the earnings release. “Our third-quarter performance was highlighted by record-setting well productivity and capital efficiency gains in the Delaware Basin that drove oil production well above guidance with a total capital investment that was below forecast. Furthermore, this strong operational performance, coupled with significant improvements in our corporate cost structure, positioned us to generate $223 million of free cash flow in the quarter.”
|
Organization Merge
| null | null |
Sports
/ Olympics
|
TOKYO: China's Shi Zhiyong broke his own world record to win the men's 73kg weightlifting event at the Olympics on Wednesday and claim a gold medal for the second Games in a row.
The 27-year-old lifted a combined 364 kg to better his own world record of 363 kg he set at the 2019 world championships.
Shi remained strong throughout the competition, breaking the Olympic record in the snatch with his second lift and again with his third.
Shi, gold medallist at the 2016 Olympics in the 69 kg category, also broke the Olympic record for the clean and jerk on his first attempt.
Venezuela's Julio Ruben Mayora Pernia won the silver medal and Indonesia's Rahmat Erwin Abdullah the bronze.
|
Break historical records
| null | null |
2017 European Rugby Champions Cup Final
|
The 2017 European Rugby Champions Cup Final was the final match in the 2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup, and the twenty-second European club rugby final in general. It was contested by defending champions Saracens of England and French side Clermont at Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Saturday 13 May 2017. [1][2]
Saracens retained the trophy after claiming a 28–17 victory. [3][4]
Reigning champions Saracens entered the final aiming to defend their title, having won the Champions Cup for the first time when they defeated Racing 92 by 21–9 in the 2016 final. The club was also looking to break the record for most unbeaten European fixtures in a row, after matching the record of 17 held by Leinster. Meanwhile, Clermont were seeking their first top-tier European trophy, following two prior defeats in the 2013 and 2015 finals, both to Toulon. For the second year running, Welsh referee Nigel Owens officiated the Champions Cup final – in doing so, he also became the first official to referee 100 European club rugby matches. Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away). After both teams enjoyed attacking spells in the opening 10 minutes without putting points on the board, Saracens opened the scoring when the ball was spread towards the right wing to Alex Goode, who placed a grubber kick behind the Clermont defenders which was collected by Chris Ashton. The try, which could not be converted, saw Ashton overtake Vincent Clerc as the top try scorer in European rugby history. Saracens extended their lead soon after when George Kruis powered over from close range for the team's second try, this time converted successfully by Owen Farrell. A short time later, Clermont responded when a break by Aurélien Rougerie set up Remi Lamerat for their first try of the game, converted by Morgan Parra. This left the half-time score at 12–7 to Saracens. In the second half, the first ten minutes again went scoreless, until a Farrell penalty. Clermont then brought the game to within just one point via a team move, which started with Scott Spedding counter-attacking from his own try line and ended with Nick Abendanon going over for the try, converted again by Parra. Following an exchange of penalties between Farrell and Parra, which kept the scoreline at a one-point advantage to Saracens, each team had try-scoring opportunities, but to no avail. Finally, in the closing stages, Saracens made their persistent pressure count when Goode crossed the line for a try in the corner, with Farrell landing a difficult conversion from out wide. With one last penalty, Saracens cemented their victory at 28–17, becoming only the fourth reigning champions in the tournament's 22-year history to successfully retain their title. Saracens Number 8 Billy Vunipola was named the official Man of the Match, while fly-half Owen Farrell was presented with the 2017 ERCC Player of the Year Award. In securing victory, Saracens also achieved a record 18 consecutive unbeaten European games – a record stretching back to the first round of the 2015–2016 cup. Man of the Match:
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
|
Sports Competition
| null | null |
At Least 32 Million People Will See The ‘Great North American Eclipse,’ The Most Watched Celestial Event In History
|
At Least 32 Million People Will See The ‘Great North American Eclipse,’ The Most Watched Celestial Event In History People watch the solar eclipse at Saluki Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University on ... [+] August 21, 2017 in Carbondale, Illinois. Although much of it was covered by a cloud, with approximately 2 minutes 40 seconds of totality the area in Southern Illinois experienced the longest duration of totality during the eclipse. Millions of people are expected to watch as the eclipse cuts a path of totality 70 miles wide across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina on August 21. (Photo by In almost exactly three years there be will a dramatic total solar eclipse across North America. On Monday, April 8, 2024, those in Mazatlán, Mexico will experience totality—when the Moon blocks the Sun—for a whopping 4 minutes 26 seconds. A moonshadow will then move across the continent enveloping in darkness those in Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo and Burlington. Hasn’t this all happened before? Yes it has. On Monday, August 21, 2017, a “Great American Eclipse” ripped across the continental U.S. from sea to shining sea —Oregon to South Carolina via Idaho, Wyoming and plenty of other lightly-populated areas. Totality peaked at 2 minutes, 41 seconds in Cerulean, Kentucky. It’s going to be different in 2024—it’s going to be better … clear skies allowing. On April 8, 2024 it will be possible to experience 4 minutes 26 seconds of totality at Eagle Pass, Texas on the U.S.-Mexico border and 2 minutes 52 seconds as the Moon’s shadow departs the continent at Newfoundland, Canada. Exceptional Fossil Preservation Suggests That Discovering Dinosaur DNA May Not Be Impossible As well as this total solar eclipse lasting longer, the path of totality will be much wider. In 2017 it was between 60 and 70 miles wide. In 2024 it will be 120 miles wide as it arrives reducing to 100 miles as it departs. And this time a lot more people live within it and near that path of totality. The path of totality is important because only within its boundary can onlookers experience totality. That means not only darkness in the day, but phenomenon such as beads of light around the Moon culminating in a “diamond ring” just before and after totality. And during totality it’s possible to see the Sun’s corona—it’s hot, white outer atmosphere that’s usually invisible—with naked eyes. In short, only if you’re inside the path of totality do you see the Sun as it truly is—and what a breathtaking sight that is. Either side of “the stripes” you’ll see only a 99% partial solar eclipse, which is—compared to totality—a non-event. Certainly not breathtaking. The path of totality on April 8, 2024. “The 2024 total solar eclipse will be seen by many more people than in 2017,” said Michael Zeiler, a Santa Fe-based cartographer and eclipse-chaser who runs GreatAmericanEclipse.com . He thinks that 40-50 million Americans could witness totality this time around. That’s because 32 million Americans live inside 2024’s path of totality compared to 12 million in the 2017 path. “A remarkable circumstance for this eclipse is that the nation’s densely populated northeast metropolitan areas of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Chicago, St. Louis lie within a two or three-hour drive of totality,” he said. But city-dwellers will need to be really careful. “Make sure you’re in Dallas and not Fort Worth, and if you’re in Austin or San Antonio you got to make sure you're in the right part of the city,” said Dan McGlaun, a veteran eclipse chaser who has devised an addictive 2024 eclipse simulator . Cities that will just miss out on totality include Detroit, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toronto. The best advice is to head for the centreline of the path of totality, which will maximise the duration of totality. A total solar eclipse occurs on August 21, 2017, at Mary's River Covered Bridge, in Chester, IL, ... [+] USA. The 15 U.S. states that will experience totality include Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. In Canada it crosses Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. However, there is also one distinct disadvantage that eclipse-chasers will have to endure in 2024 as compared to 2017. “The total solar eclipse in 2017 was in the hot month of August while 2024’s is in April so the temperature will be much cooler,” said Fred Espenak , a retired NASA astrophysicist and eclipse-chaser best known for his work on eclipse predictions. “In general, the weather prospects for much of the 2024 path are not as good as 2017.” The best advice? Head south—either to Mexico or to Texas—and stay mobile. After all, they don’t call it “eclipse-chasing” for nothing.
|
New wonders in nature
| null | null |
After surgery, medical experts predict a long and difficult recovery for Tiger Woods
|
Woods, 45, suffered “comminuted open fractures” — meaning multiple breaks in which part of the bone breaks through the skin — in both the upper and lower portions of his right tibia and fibula, which required doctors to insert a rod into the tibia, according to a statement Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer and CEO of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, released early Wednesday through Woods’s representatives. “Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins,” Mahajan’s statement said. “Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.” Woods’s team added that the golfer was “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room” after what it described as a “long” surgery. Because of the “open” nature of Woods’s fractures, sometimes also called compound fractures, the risk of infection is significant and the likelihood of additional surgeries is high, according to experts in the field of orthopedic trauma surgery. The injury suffered by quarterback Alex Smith of the Washington Football Team is one well-known example. “This is not a one-surgery [condition]. This is a multiple-surgery [condition],” said David L. Helfet, orthopedic trauma surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. With an open fracture, he said, protocols call for multiple debridements — the removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue. Story continues below advertisement In addition, Helfet said, Woods “may need soft-tissue procedures, maybe a skin graft. He may need multiple, additional procedures to stabilize the bone perfectly, to restore the length, alignment and rotation of the leg.” Insight into Woods’s condition and prognosis by those outside his immediate medical team are naturally limited by a lack of detailed knowledge of the specifics of his case. Among the questions left unaddressed by the statement early Wednesday from Woods’s team was whether there were additional injuries to his left leg, as initial reports suggested . However, Helfet, a surgeon for 40 years, was cautious about Woods’s prognosis. “The risk of an injury like this is not necessarily lifesaving; it’s limb-saving. And the sooner you get the patient into … a trauma center, the better,” he said. “ … To get one of these injuries healed — the bone healed, the soft tissues recovered, [and] assuming there’s no nerve and artery damage and the muscle is recoverable, you’re talking about, until he can walk and put weight on his leg and actually have function, two to three months, at least. “Golf,” Helfet added, “is immaterial.” Bill Mallon, a former PGA Tour golfer and orthopedic surgeon, had a more optimistic outlook for Woods’s long-term professional pursuits. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement “My suspicion is — and I’m dealing here with incomplete information — if he doesn’t get an infection in his leg and he doesn’t get arthritis in his ankle, I think he will definitely play golf again,” said Mallon, who played on the tour from 1975 to 1979 and was later a surgeon at Emerge Ortho and a clinical professor at Duke University School of Medicine. Mallon said arthritis is a concern anytime a fracture affects a joint, such as the ankle. Sally Jenkins: Woods’s genius has never been a free gift. Now his only task is to heal. Mallon said Woods was fortunate that the injured leg was his right because it is the left leg that absorbs most of the force in a golfer’s downswing during the transfer of weight. Mallon, while citing his lack of specific knowledge of Woods’s condition, guessed Woods would be under non-weight-bearing orders in the immediate future — perhaps with a “knee scooter” to get around while keeping his right leg off the ground — then graduate to partial-weight-bearing protection. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement “With fractures of this sort in the lower extremities, it takes about three months to heal enough to fully bear weight,” he said. At Harbor-UCLA, Woods’s initial surgical team probably included a general-surgery trauma specialist as well as vascular, orthopedic and plastic surgeons. He almost certainly was placed on a strong antibiotic to reduce the immediate risk of infection. Still, it is a risk that will remain for the duration of his recovery, according to Helfet. “The danger of infection is there until he is fully healed,” he said. “Obviously, it’s more likely to occur sooner rather than later. But bugs have a way of hiding. … They can hide for a long time and only appear later.” Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Fire Chief Daryl Osby on Feb. 23 offered an update on a rollover car crash involving Tiger Woods in Southern California. (The Washington Post) According to Andrew Pollak, chair of the department of orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of orthopaedics at the University of Maryland Medical System, the main concerns for Woods in the coming days will be the risk of infection; the potential development of compartment syndrome, in which swelling inside the leg constricts blood flow, often leading to amputation; and the possibility of “nonunion,” in which the bones fail to heal properly. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement “The real challenge he’ll have in the coming weeks,” Pollak said, “is whether he’ll get primary healing of his wounds.” Pollak said UM’s trauma hospital sees injuries such as Woods’s several times a week and that 50 percent of those are unable to return to work within two to seven years of the injury. “However, high-performance athletes in our experience generally do better,” Pollak added. “What I would say about Tiger is he’s already recovered from five spinal surgeries and come back from them. So I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
|
Famous Person - Recovered
| null | null |
2014 Wichita King Air crash
|
On October 30, 2014, a Beechcraft King Air B200 twin turboprop crashed into a building hosting a FlightSafety International (FSI) training center shortly after taking off from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kansas. The pilot, the only person on board, was killed along with three people in the building; six more people in the building were injured. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the crash most likely occurred due to the pilot's inability to successfully control the aircraft after a reduction in power from the left engine. The aircraft was operating a non scheduled repositioning flight to Mena, Arkansas. At 9:47 a.m. the flight was cleared by the control tower to fly the runway heading and climb to 5,000 feet altitude, shortly thereafter the take off roll began from runway 1R. Seconds after lift off the pilot reported "and tower just declaring an emergency ah we just lost loss the left engine". The aircraft made several oscillations in altitude then began a turn to the left climbing slowly. The Beechcraft continued turning left, missing the top of a hangar on the west side of the runway with marginal clearance. At 9:48, with the landing gear extended and in a 29 degree slip left, the aircraft impacted the northeast corner of the FSI building at 92 knots while descending at 1,600 feet per minute killing the pilot and three people in the building. The flight duration from lift off to impact was 26 seconds with the aircraft reaching a maximum altitude of approximately 120 feet above ground level (AGL). [1][2][3]
The three people killed in the building were trapped inside one of several flight simulators installed at the facility. The impact and fire destroyed most of the aircraft and the FSI building sustained fire and structural damage. [4]
The King Air B200 serial number BB-1686, was manufactured in 2000 and was powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42 turboprop engines turning four bladed Hartzell constant-speed propellers. The aircraft was owned and operated by Gilleland Aviation Inc who had purchased it two days prior to the accident flight. On October 22, 2014 major scheduled maintenance was completed, including internal inspections of both engines. The Beechcraft logged 1.4 hours flight time and two takeoff/landing cycles since this maintenance. Total airframe hours was 6,314 with 7,257 cycles at the time of the crash. [1][3]
The pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft was 53-year-old Mark Goldstein, a retired Air Traffic Controller from Wichita who held a valid Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical certificate. [5] Investigators determined he had at least 3,139 total flight hours, of which 2,843 were in multiengine airplanes. [1]
Inspection of the aircraft systems, engines and propellers found no irregularities that could have prevented normal operation. In depth scrutiny of the propellers combined with a sound spectrum analysis led investigators to conclude the left engine was probably generating low to moderate power and the right engine was at a moderate to high power setting at the time of impact. Other evidence, including video taken by cameras around the airport, suggested that considerable left rudder input was applied by the pilot shortly before the crash. Correct reaction to a reduction in power from the left engine would have been right rudder input. [1]
Examination of the CVR revealed it had survived the crash with usable data intact. On the day of the accident at 9:46:13 a.m. sounds of the pilot performing an engine run up test were recorded along with the words "prop test" in a whispered voice. 35 to 45 seconds later the word "trim" was whispered, followed eight seconds later by a two word phrase starting with an expletive and ending in "it". [6]
At 9:47:52 the words "We have eighty knots, feathers armed" were spoken and at 9:48:01 the sound of the propellers operating unsynchronized was recorded. At 9:48:05 a two word phrase starting with the word "the" and ending with an expletive was recorded then at 9:48:16 the pilot radioed the tower saying "and tower just declaring an emergency ah we just lost loss the left engine" followed almost immediately by the sound of the stall warning horn. The horn was recorded twice more than at 9:48:25 the pilot spoke a phrase starting with an expletive and ending "we're going in we're dead". [1][3][6]
Emergency procedures call for the malfunctioning engines propeller to be feathered and the landing gear to be retracted for an engine failure during takeoff. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that neither propeller was feathered and the landing gear was extended. The aircraft was equipped with an autofeather system and a rudder boost system but their operational condition at the time of the crash is unknown due extensive post crash fire damage. On March 1, 2016 the NTSB released its final report on the accident and states under the heading Probable Cause and Findings that:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain lateral control of the airplane after a reduction in left engine power and his application of inappropriate rudder input. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow the emergency procedures for an engine failure during takeoff. Also contributing to the accident was the left engine power reduction for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation and thermal damage precluded a complete examination. [1]
A year after the accident, in October 2015, FlightSafety announced that the damaged portion of the training center was to be torn down, and the land occupied by the building returned to the city of Wichita. [7]
|
Air crash
| null | null |
A satellite’s view of a deadly 2019 eruption could improve volcano monitoring
|
The Whakaari, or White Island, volcano, seen here in 2011, is New Zealand’s most active volcano. Satellite data are revealing new details about an eruption on December 9, 2019, that killed 22 people and injured 25. Jens Bludau/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) By Nikk Ogasa June 18, 2021 at 2:00 pm On December 9, 2019, a cloud of steam and volcanic gases blasted out of New Zealand’s Whakaari, or White Island, volcano. Relative to eruptions at other volcanoes, the explosion was small. But it claimed the lives of 22 people and injured another 25, many of whom suffered severe burns. Now, using high-resolution satellite data and computer algorithms, scientists have revealed how gases released by the volcano subtly changed before, during and after the 2019 eruption. Observing such small changes using satellites could greatly improve volcano monitoring and help spot early warnings of eruptions, the researchers report June 18 in Science Advances. Volcanologists typically use instruments on the ground to help warn of eruptions, monitoring changes in gases, such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, that quietly seep from volcanoes between blasts. But only around 50 of the world’s volcanoes are monitored in this way. Satellites have been used to study the plumes of large volcanoes, but the orbiting crafts haven’t been used to detect gases emitted by small eruptions. Compared with large eruptions, like the blast that decapitated Washington’s Mount St. Helens in 1980, small-scale eruptions occur more often. So they pose a greater threat to people, says volcanologist Mike Burton of the University of Manchester in England. By chance, the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite flew over Whakaari about an hour after the 2019 eruption and collected data on light reflected from the volcano’s plume of ejected gases with its Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument, or TROPOMI. “What we realized was that we could use [satellites] to actually look at unprecedentedly small explosions,” Burton says. From its seat in the sky, TROPOMI was better suited than ground instruments to gather information about the high-rising plume. And by the time TROPOMI passed overhead, much of the ash and other airborne particles that can blur ground observations of erupted gases had fallen out or evaporated from the plume. Burton and his colleagues applied a computer algorithm to the TROPOMI data to calculate the backward trajectory of gases in the plume — essentially rewinding the volcanic eruption. This approach allowed the researchers to estimate how much sulfur dioxide that the volcano belched before, during and after the eruption. Roughly 40 minutes before Whakaari erupted, the volcano’s sulfur dioxide emissions increased from 10 kilograms per second to 45 kilograms per second — signaling a potential eruption — and the plume of sulfur dioxide and other gases began to rise, the researchers found. GeoNet, a New Zealand geological hazard monitoring service, had raised an alert several weeks before the eruption, after detecting an uptick of ground tremor, geysers bubbling up in the volcano’s crater lake and sulfur dioxide emissions using ground instruments, though tour companies continued to visit the island. But the new study is the first time that scientists have used a satellite to detect precursory changes in sulfur dioxide emissions before a small eruption. It was surprising that so much information about this small eruption could be gleaned using satellites, Burton says. “That’s a really exciting prospect because we can now expect to [measure] many more [eruptions] from space” Changes in tremors caused by the eruption were recorded by a seismic station on the island and paralleled the researchers’ results. As sulfur dioxide emissions and plume height began to grow in the minutes before the blast, tremors increased, too. This work shows that it’s now possible to measure gas emissions preceding small eruptions using satellites, which will complement ground-based systems and help provide warnings before eruptions, says, Jorge Andres Diaz a volcanologist at the University of Costa Rica in San Pedro, who was not involved in the study. “It [could] be your first line of monitoring, especially in places that are very remote.” But predicting eruptions involves looking at multiple factors together, including those that TROPOMI can’t detect, he says. Tremors are one example (SN: 6/17/19). It’s also useful to monitor other emitted gases like carbon dioxide that, in conjunction with sulfur dioxide measurements, can reveal when new magma flushes into a volcano’s magma chamber, which can lead to an eruption. While TROPOMI can’t detect carbon dioxide, some other satellites can. “I don’t want to say we can forecast explosions perfectly; we can’t do that,” Burton says. “But this is a key step. It opens up a whole new frontier.”
|
Volcano Eruption
| null | null |
Liquidity Shocks: Lessons Learned from the Global Financial Crisis and the Pandemic
|
Working within the Federal Reserve System, the New York Fed implements monetary policy, supervises and regulates financial institutions and helps maintain the nation's payment systems. Do you have a Freedom of Information request? Learn how to submit it. See the world's largest accumulation of gold as you learn about the New York Fed and Federal Reserve System on a free tour. The latest Annual Report chronicles the impact of Federal Reserve policies and includes data on the New York Fed's operations. Our economists engage in scholarly research and policy-oriented analysis on a wide range of important issues. The mission of the Applied Macroeconomics and Econometrics Center (AMEC) is to provide intellectual leadership in the central banking community in the fields of macro and applied econometrics. The Center for Microeconomic Data offers wide-ranging data and analysis on the finances and economic expectations of U.S. households. The monthly Empire State Manufacturing Survey tracks the sentiment of New York State manufacturing executives regarding business conditions. As part of our core mission, we supervise and regulate financial institutions in the Second District. Our primary objective is to maintain a safe and competitive U.S. and global banking system. The Governance & Culture Reform hub is designed to foster discussion about corporate governance and the reform of culture and behavior in the financial services industry. Need to file a report with the New York Fed? Here are all of the forms, instructions and other information related to regulatory and statistical reporting in one spot. The New York Fed works to protect consumers as well as provides information and resources on how to avoid and report specific scams. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York works to promote sound and well-functioning financial systems and markets through its provision of industry and payment services, advancement of infrastructure reform in key markets and training and educational support to international institutions. The New York Fed provides a wide range of payment services for financial institutions and the U.S. government. The New York Fed offers the Central Banking Seminar and several specialized courses for central bankers and financial supervisors. The New York Fed has been working with tri-party repo market participants to make changes to improve the resiliency of the market to financial stress. We are connecting emerging solutions with funding in three areas—health, household financial stability, and climate—to improve life for underserved communities. Learn more by reading our strategy. The Economic Inequality & Equitable Growth hub is a collection of research, analysis and convenings to help better understand economic inequality. This Economist Spotlight Series is created for middle school and high school students to spark curiosity and interest in economics as an area of study and a future career. The Governance & Culture Reform hub is designed to foster discussion about corporate governance and the reform of culture and behavior in the financial services industry. Thank you to the Yale Program on Financial Stability and to the Bank for International Settlements for the invitation to speak at today’s forum.1 Financial crises can have deep and lasting effects on the economy. They disrupt the vital flow of credit, damage business and household balance sheets, and result in lost jobs and income for the American public. Given these costs, it is critical that we learn the lessons of past crises and continue to build knowledge about the tools and interventions that will help us respond effectively in the future. Discussions like the one we’ll have today are valuable opportunities to evolve our thinking on policy implementation and crisis management. Today, I’ll share some lessons I’ve taken from two crises that occurred during my time implementing monetary policy: the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the coronavirus pandemic shock. I’ll discuss liquidity shocks and how central bank actions address them. In particular, I’ll focus on a recent decision by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to establish two standing repo facilities to support the effective implementation of monetary policy and smooth market functioning: the Standing Repo Facility and the FIMA Repo Facility. Before I begin, let me say that my comments today reflect my own views and not necessarily those of the New York Fed or the Federal Reserve System. The Crises: Divergent Shocks; Similar Hallmarks Financial crises emanate from shocks, which often are amplified by vulnerabilities or imbalances in the financial system. Each crisis unfolds in its own way, challenging policymakers to respond to evolving conditions. Still, there are recurring elements to most crises. And in these similarities we can find valuable lessons that help us better prepare for the future. The GFC and the pandemic crisis resulted from very different events. The GFC was precipitated by a housing market shock that was amplified by weak underwriting standards and highly leveraged financial intermediaries—in particular, in subprime mortgage finance. The crisis unfolded over an extended timeline, punctuated by events that revealed significant vulnerabilities among financial institutions, including in the banking sector. In contrast, the pandemic crisis was caused by an extraordinary exogenous shock to the economic outlook as measures taken to control the coronavirus pandemic threatened to disrupt activity worldwide and raised concern about the ability of financial markets to operate smoothly. The sudden and unprecedented uncertainty resulted in a “dash for cash” that began in the markets for the most liquid and safe investments and unfolded with astonishing speed.2 Although banks were a source of strength during the pandemic, the event still revealed vulnerabilities in market structure and among some financial firms. Even with these very divergent origins, the GFC and pandemic crisis impacted financial markets in some similar ways. First, both resulted in an extraordinary increase in the demand for dollar liquidity. The demand arose out of both immediate funding needs and the desire to raise precautionary liquidity.3 The supply of liquidity was also curtailed as firms that normally lend instead stockpiled liquidity to meet potential future payment needs. During both crises, this surge in demand for U.S. dollars was global in nature and had significant spillovers to domestic funding conditions. Second, each crisis revealed vulnerabilities in short-term funding markets—notably among prime money market funds—in which maturity transformation created an unstable source of liquidity during periods of stress, propagating funding strains.4 Third, as a result of strained liquidity conditions, credit markets became severely disrupted, threatening the flow of credit to the economy. In both crises, extreme stress in credit markets resulted in elevated risk premia and reduced access to credit, with the potential for harmful effects on aggregate demand and output. Even with the divergent shocks precipitating each crisis, these common elements resulted in negative feedback loops that led to sharply deteriorating conditions. As funding conditions worsened and volatility increased, investors divested assets to increase liquidity, which in turn resulted in declining prices and a further need to deleverage or raise liquidity. The Response: Some Things Old; Some Things New As I’ve discussed in previous remarks, the Federal Reserve responded to dislocations from the pandemic crisis with swift and decisive actions—many in coordination with the U.S. Treasury—to support smooth market functioning and the flow of credit to the U.S. economy. Bearing in mind lessons from the GFC, policymakers announced actions to address conditions quickly in order to restore confidence. Fortunately, many tools used during the GFC—including expanded U.S. dollar liquidity swap lines, enhanced terms of Discount Window lending, and 13(3) facilities—were able to be revived, with good results. Indeed, the Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF), Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMLF), Primary Dealer Credit Facility (PDCF), and Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) were all substantively similar to facilities employed during the GFC.5 And, during the pandemic, the CPFF and MMLF in particular were highly effective at stabilizing money funds and short-term funding markets. However, we also developed new approaches and tools to address the unique circumstances associated with the pandemic. The Desk conducted large-scale and effectively full-allotment repo operations to stabilize short term funding markets.6 Purchases of U.S. Treasuries and agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) were initiated with unprecedented speed and scale to address severe dysfunction in the markets for these securities.7 The Federal Reserve also introduced a temporary FIMA repo facility to support global dollar funding conditions and to stem sales of Treasury securities.8 New lending facilities were established, in coordination with the U.S. Treasury, to directly support the flow of credit to small- and medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations, corporations, and state and local governments.9 The Federal Reserve’s actions—many in close coordination with the U.S. Treasury, and alongside a forceful fiscal response from the U.S. government and the temporary adjustment of regulations to encourage lending—brought confidence back in financial markets.10 I believe it was this broadly integrated approach, the swift and agile response, and the unwavering commitment by policymakers to using their full range of tools that ultimately helped restore market functioning. Lessons for the Future: Announcement Effects and Liquidity Needs As I look back, one thing I reflect on is the notable differences across the various tools in terms of the scale needed to achieve success. In some cases, the announcement of a program or facility was sufficient to inspire a strong positive response in the target markets. Meanwhile, other tools required large-scale usage to achieve desired results. In particular, repo operations, swap lines, and asset purchases all expanded the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet on a large scale. What were the factors that gave rise to these differences, and how can we apply the lessons from this experience? Announcement effects are a critical element of most central bank actions. Asset prices are forward-looking, and a credible commitment to lend or to purchase assets alleviates strains in the present by shifting expectations about future financial conditions. In financial crises, announcements that central bank liquidity will be available soon can temper asset sales and other actions to raise liquidity. Announcements can also enhance the supply of funding and market liquidity. If intermediaries or end investors are confident that liquidity will be available in the future, either in the form of funding or asset purchases, they may perceive market-making and investing as less risky today—restoring the flow of transactions before any central bank operations are conducted. As an example, the announcements of credit facilities during the pandemic, including the Corporate Credit Facilities (CCFs) and Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF), were generally effective at reducing risk premia and restoring the flow of credit in private markets.11 The success of facilities despite limited actual take-up demonstrates that when announcement effects are powerful, take-up is not the best measure of a central bank program’s impact.12 During the GFC, the announcement of the first large-scale asset purchase program in November 2008 substantially improved conditions in MBS markets even before asset purchases began in January 2009.13 On the other hand, in my experience, policy announcements are less effective when market dysfunction arises from an immediate demand for U.S. dollars. For example, a firm that needs to meet margin calls or an investor that faces redemptions today must actually obtain the cash; the prospect of cash at some future date is not enough. In these circumstances, the underlying demand for liquidity may not be satisfied by enhancing confidence and limiting negative feedback loops with expectations for future central bank interventions. When this is the case, it is only actually delivering liquidity—through asset purchases or lending—that calms conditions. At the onset of the pandemic crisis, the immediate and intense demand for cash required substantial interventions. We were fortunate to have repo operations in place at the time that helped limit the intensity of potential pressures. However, it took successive increases in the size of those operations to stabilize repo market conditions. Similarly, initial announcements establishing large-scale Treasury and agency MBS purchases did little to quell pressures, and it was not until actual purchases were increased in size that conditions slowly began to improve.14,15 To summarize, shocks can create rapid shifts in the demand for liquidity that lead to severe financial market dysfunction. To the extent that announcements of central bank actions can reduce that liquidity demand and encourage a return to normal investing and market-making activity, they can significantly improve conditions even with little or no actual activity. However, the most immediate liquidity needs are unlikely to be resolved by announcements alone and thus require active operations to address them. In both of these crises—as well as during other liquidity shocks, such as the one that occurred in September 2019—we learned that when immediate liquidity needs arise, the time needed to put in place a response, even one that is fairly ready for deployment, risks worsening a fragile situation. Central banks should maintain a comprehensive set of tools, some of which are available to meet the most immediate needs, to address these circumstances. Two New Standing Facilities So, what does this mean for the future? Certainly, these events will continue to be studied by academics and practitioners for years to come, and the lessons will be many and varied. Today, however, I would like to highlight a few recent decisions by the FOMC. As many of you may be aware, the FOMC has discussed standing repo facilities for a number of years in the context of its monetary implementation framework.16 Based on recent experience with repo operations and their ability to support policy implementation, particularly during periods of stress in overnight markets, the FOMC renewed its deliberations in recent meetings.17 At its July meeting, the FOMC established two standing repo facilities as tools in the Fed’s policy implementation framework: a domestic standing repo facility (SRF) and a repo facility for foreign and international monetary authorities (FIMA Repo Facility).18 These facilities will serve as backstops in money markets to support the effective implementation of monetary policy and smooth market functioning. The SRF enhances control over the federal funds rate by limiting pressures in the repo markets that could spill into other overnight money markets.19 The facility is positioned and priced as a backstop with a minimum bid rate of 25 basis points, corresponding to the top of the target range for the federal funds rate. This pricing allows for robust private activity to occur under most market conditions, but limits the potential for spikes in repo rates to move the effective federal funds rate outside of the target range. SRF counterparties include primary dealers and will be expanded to include depository institutions that will be able to access liquidity through this facility and at the discount window.20 Treasuries, agency debt, and agency MBS will be accepted to ensure the facility can effectively address pressures that arise in markets for repo backed by high-quality liquid collateral.21 The FIMA Repo Facility establishes a standing facility to address global dollar funding pressures that may affect U.S. financial conditions. The facility provides foreign official accounts with a temporary source of liquidity against their holdings of U.S. Treasury securities held in custody at the New York Fed, presenting an alternative to outright sales of those securities. This facility complements the existing U.S. dollar liquidity swap lines by extending access to dollar funding to a broader range of central banks and foreign official institutions. The rate is the same as on the SRF to create alignment across facilities to support effective policy implementation. The presence of these facilities should create confidence that liquidity at a backstop rate will be available in overnight money markets as needed, potentially limiting the demand for precautionary liquidity and the run-like dynamics that can occur. Equally important, they will be available on a standing basis to meet immediate liquidity needs should they arise. Conclusion While I hope we can avoid future shocks to the financial system and the disruptions to the economy that they cause, history teaches us that unpredictable events will challenge financial markets from time to time. Central banks will need to respond to new environments and new shocks. Nonetheless, there are some recurring elements of liquidity shocks from which we can learn. The SRF and FIMA Repo Facility will provide backstops in overnight money markets that help address immediate demand for dollar liquidity, both domestically and internationally, when shocks occur. I hope that the continued study of crisis events will yield further lessons for central bankers looking to shield economies from the effects of shocks to the financial system. 1 I would like to thank Linsey Molloy, Matt Raskin, and Patricia Zobel for their assistance in preparing these remarks, and colleagues in the Federal Reserve System for valuable comments and suggestions. 2 Mark E. Van Der Weide and Jeffery Y. Zhang, 2021, “Tale of the Tape: Lessons from the 2008 and 2020 Financial Crises,” Stanford Journal of Law, Business & Finance, 26(2), pp. 413-464. 3 Lorie Logan, The Federal Reserve’s Recent Actions to Support the Flow of Credit to Households and Businesses, remarks before the Foreign Exchange Committee, Federal Reserve Bank of New York (via webcast), April 14, 2020. 4 Lael Brainard, Some Preliminary Financial Stability Lessons from the COVID-19 Shock, remarks at the 2021 Annual Washington Conference, Institute of International Bankers (via webcast), March 1, 2021; Lorie Logan, The Federal Reserve’s Recent Actions to Support the Flow of Credit to Households and Businesses, remarks before the Foreign Exchange Committee, Federal Reserve Bank of New York (via webcast), April 14, 2020; Randal K. Quarles, What Happened? What Have We Learned From It? Lessons from COVID-19 Stress on the Financial System, remarks at the Institute of International Finance in Washington D.C. (via webcast), October 15, 2020. 5 While these facilities were substantively similar to facilities employed during the GFC, some of the facilities’ specific terms varied from the original programs or were customized to address the unique circumstances associated with the pandemic crisis. See Commercial Paper Funding Facility, Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility, Primary Dealer Credit Facility, Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (March 2020). 6 See Statement Regarding Repurchase Operations (March 9, 2020), Statement Regarding Repurchase Operations (March 11, 2020), Statement Regarding Treasury Reserve Management Purchases and Repurchase Operations (March 12, 2020), Statement Regarding Repurchase Operations (March 16, 2020), Statement Regarding Repurchase Operations (March 17, 2020), and Statement Regarding Repurchase Operations (March 20, 2020). 7 See Statement Regarding Treasury Reserve Management Purchases and Repurchase Operations (March 12, 2020), Statement Regarding Treasury Securities, Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities, and Repurchase Agreement Operations (March 15, 2020), and Statement Regarding Treasury Securities and Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities Operations (March 23, 2020). 8 See Federal Reserve Announces Establishment of a Temporary FIMA Repo Facility to Help Support the Smooth Functioning of Financial Markets, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (March 31, 2020) 9 See Main Street Lending Program, Municipal Liquidity Facility, Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility, Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility and Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (March and April 2020). 10 Examples of supervisory and regulatory measures designed to help support financial institutions as they met the challenges of the pandemic include the reduction of reserve requirement ratios to zero, the temporary exclusion of reserves and Treasuries from the Supplementary Leverage Ratio (SLR), and the increased availability of daylight credit. 11 Valentin Haddad, Alan Moreira, and Tyler Muir, When Selling Becomes Viral: Disruptions in Debt Markets in the COVID-19 Crisis and the Fed’s Response, NBER Working Paper No. 27168, 2020; and Antonio Falato, Itay Goldstein, and Ali Hortaçsu, Financial Fragility in the COVID-19 Crisis: The Case of Investment Funds in Corporate Bond Markets, NBER Working Paper No. 27559, 2021. 12 Sam Schulhofer-Wohl, August 17, 2020, The Influence and Limits of Central Bank Backstops, Chicago Fed Insights. 13 Arvind Krishnamurthy and Annette Vissing-Jorgensen, 2011, “The Effects of Quantitative Easing on Interest Rates: Channels and Implications for Policy”, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, pp. 215-265; and Joseph Gagnon, Matthew Raskin, Julie Remache, and Brian Sack, 2010, Large Scale Asset Purchases by the Federal Reserve: Did They Work? Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Report no. 441. 14 Annette Vissing-Jorgensen, The Treasury Market in Spring 2020 and the Response of the Federal Reserve, Working Paper, July 2021. 15 Treasury and agency MBS market liquidity metrics, such as bid-ask spreads, continued to deteriorate after the purchase announcements and improved slowly after the size of actual purchases increased. Conditions in the agency MBS markets were also supported by purchases for near-term settlement to help ease pressures on dealer balance sheets, which is different than the Desk's usual practice of purchasing in the forward-settling market. 16 See Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee from June 2019 and October 2019. 17 See Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee from April 2021 and June 2021.
|
Financial Crisis
| null | null |
Trump pulls US out of Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty with Russia, triggering arms race fears
|
Trump pulls US out of Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty with Russia, triggering arms race fears Move will ‘unleash new missile competition’ between the two nuclear superpowers, experts say Trump administration pulls out of Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty with Russia The Trump administration has announced it is pulling out of a Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty with Russia, triggering fears of a new arms race between Washington and Moscow. In a statement, Donald Trump said America would suspend its obligations under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty from Saturday, citing alleged Russian violations of the 32-year-long agreement. At the same time, the US would begin the six-month process of withdrawing from the treaty completely, “unless Russia comes back into compliance” by destroying all its violating missiles and launchers, Mr Trump said. The treaty, a centrepiece of nuclear arms control, banned both countries from possessing or test-firing ground-launched cruise missiles with a range between 300 and 3,100 miles. The withdrawal has been expected for months, and follows years of unresolved dispute over Russian compliance with the 1987 pact. President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad 1/36President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Hannah McKay (Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk away after holding a joint news conference at Chequers) "This was the third and final time I was photographing Donald Trump during his working visit to the UK. I'd noticed he had a tendency to hold Theresa May by the hand when they used stairs, so I lay on the floor for fifteen minutes waiting for the pair to exit via some steps. As they did, Trump took May by the arm and shouted over his shoulder, "Yes" in response to the question "Mr. President, will you tell Putin to stay out of the U.S elections?" - from a reporter in the press conference." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (President Trump confers with White House Communications Director Hope Hicks as Press Secretary Sarah Sanders listens) "I stayed in the room after our reporters had left, and seemingly unnoticed like the cliched 'fly on the wall', I was witness to this unusual moment." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Chris Bergin (A supporter of Trump and Republican senate candidate Mike Braun at an election night party in Indianapolis) "I saw the colour-coordinated woman in the back of the ball room while covering mid-term elections. She stood out to me because she was lit by a single overhead light that created deep shadows." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Shannon Stapleton (Stormy Daniels, puts her shoe back on after passing through a security screening, as she arrives at federal court) "On the morning that I took this picture there was a mad scrum outside the courthouse to get a picture of Stormy Daniels. She didn't enter the regular entrance of a media gauntlet that was set up for her. I placed myself by a window where I saw her passing through the metal detector. Shooting through the window was difficult but I was able to make the frame." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump appears on the South Portico of the White House with the Easter Bunny during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll) "There are many holiday events at the White House, but one of the most light-hearted happens during Easter, when the President shows up at the balcony of the South Portico accompanied by someone in a big Easter bunny costume. I didn't have the best position, but towards the end, the bunny stood behind the President and I was able to take this shot." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (Melania Trump wearing a jacket with the phrase "I Really Don't Care. Do U?" on the back after a visit to the US-Mexico border in Texas) "I could not see the words on Melania's jacket when she boarded Air Force One. I only heard about it once airborne. But there was no way I was going to miss it again, and to my utter astonishment, she was wearing it once more upon her return to Washington." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions President Trump during a news conference following the midterm congressional elections) "Covering politics has always felt to me like photographing a live theatre production - the actors and stage are usually set in a familiar way. But even if you've seen a specific play many times, there is always the possibility that there will be something exciting or new. It became obvious during this exchange that the dialogue was going in a different direction than expected, and I took it as a cue to make sure I gave the scene extra attention." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (Trump boards Air Force One for travel to Ohio) "We photograph departures and landings hundreds of times. Sometimes, as in this case, the clouds or the light can give you a little gift." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (Donald and Melania Trump stand beside French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife on a visit to the estate of the first US President George Washington) "I'm always happy for events that take us off the White House campus and provide new visual opportunities. This day, when the Trumps feted the Macrons at George Washington's historic estate, it provided just the right contrast for the stylish leader-couples as they took their spots for an otherwise posed moment." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (President Trump gestures after arriving in Pennsylvania to take part in the annual September 11 observance) "Celebratory fist pumps on a national day of mourning and reflection caught even the most seasoned of us off guard." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Peter Nicholls (Demonstrators fly a baby Trump blimp in London's Parliament Square, during his UK visit) "I took this picture of the Trump blimp from a wall at the back of Parliament Square, to get a clear view from above the crowd, as it was revealed for the first time, prior to a day of protests during his visit to the UK, mid-July." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un walk together before their working lunch during their summit in Singapore) "On a historic and difficult day, it was fun to look for the odd angle or expression. Here, Trump and Kim walk away after impromptu remarks to reporters - which clearly pleased the North Korean leader." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Ronen Zvulun (Ivanka Trump and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stand next to the dedication plaque at the new US embassy in Jerusalem) "I shot this picture when I was standing on a platform really close to Ivanka Trump. I knew exactly where to stand and what lens to use because I did a tour the day before. I knew this was the key picture we had been waiting for since the story broke some weeks before." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (The imprint of French President Emmanuel Macron's thumb across the back of Trump's hand at a bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit) "This is taken right after the first photo-op the two presidents had at the G7 summit after they had a tense back-and-forth on Twitter. They were smiling but Macron gripped Trump's hand quite hard and I noticed that it left a visible impression on Trump's hand." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (President Trump meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki) "Body language can give an ordinary photo much more meaning, and here, Trump and Putin did not disappoint." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Joshua Roberts (A father of a Florida shooting victim tries to shake hands with Brett Kavanaugh during his US Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation) "This moment happened in a break in testimony. Kavanaugh seemed surprised as Guttenberg approached but as he turned away he looked anxious. Kavanaugh later said he did not understand who Guttenberg was at the time." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlo Allegri (First lady Melania Trump visits the Pyramids in Cairo) "The First Lady had taken a tour of African nations and could not depart the continent without a visit to the incredible pyramids of Egypt where I, as part of the traveling press pool, was able to make this photo of her looking out over Giza Pyramid Complex." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Brian Snyder (Trump and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a joint news conference in the White House) "The East Room felt tense even before President Trump and Chancellor Merkel entered for their joint news conference. With Merkel's podium behind the President's from my vantage point, she seemed to want to keep an eye on him. The East Room was very full for the joint news conference, with photographers on ladders all around the perimeter." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (White House counselor Kellyanne Conway gives an interview at the White House) "This is a fairly common scene at the White House, especially with Kellyanne Conway. Often the press will wait yards off while she or another member of the Trump administration gives a live interview. Conway will then walk past the rest of the press, and everyone hopes that she will give another interview to the group." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Francois Lenoir (President Trump attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council during a NATO summit in Brussels) "I like the contrast in the photograph. The presence of U.S. President Trump posing smiling and the lack of interest of the officials in the background." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (Thomas Musolino wears a mask of President Trump while holding his daughter Gianna during a Trump campaign rally) "The President's rallies are well-known at this point, we attend a lot of them as members of the White House travel pool. This father-daughter situation really stood out from the crowd because of the juxtaposition of the mask and the tenderness between the two of them." REUTERS/Leah Millis Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump observes a demonstration with US Army 10th Mountain Division troops as he visits Fort Drum) "President Trump often talks about how much he likes big planes and tanks, and the 'beautiful military.' This summer he had a up-close look during a visit to a military base in New York state, where he signed the National Defense Authorization Act." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jim Bourg (Christine Blasey Ford closes her eyes as she is sworn in before testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh) "The moment looks peaceful as if Christine Blasey Ford had closed her eyes in thought, but the image actually reflects the fact that in the nine seconds that she had her hand up to be sworn in to testify, she blinked several times. Blasey Ford began her testimony by saying: 'I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school.'" REUTERS/Jim Bourg Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (Supporters listen as President Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Montana) "As a White House photographer I'm always looking for a way to connect the President, Donald Trump, with a place. Before the mid-term elections Trump spent six days campaigning across the country, and at most of the rallies the visual elements were so similar that it was impossible to say whether we were in Florida or Alaska. In this case, though, the context was obvious. We arrived at a rally in Montana and I noticed a group of Native Americans wearing traditional headdresses behind the podium. For me this was the picture of the day." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (Trump meets with supporters from a group called "Bikers for Trump" at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey) "President Trump likes to be celebrated by supporters, and none better than a group known as "Bikers for Trump," who visited him at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this summer. Unfortunately, it poured down that day and plans for an outdoor event gave way to a short visit inside the clubhouse for a group photo." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (A protester is removed during acting CIA Director Gina Haspel's testimony at her Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing) "Just like sports, you have to follow the action. This time, I followed it out of the hearing room and into the hallway." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (President Trump speaks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Convention) "I took this photograph as the pool was being ushered out to leave right before Trump's speech was supposed to end. These are the images we take after we have taken the literal, newsy ones." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (President Trump and Melania at the Flight 93 National Memorial) "A somber moment, this image came together because of the scale and symmetry of the wall panels and the people in the photo." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo awaits the start of a news conference) "I always say that as photojournalists we photograph through the lens of the lives we live, including the books we read, the music we listen to, the movies we watch. As I was waiting for President Trump to arrive at an event one day, I noticed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo standing right behind me in classic dark sunglasses. The image of John Belushi in the movie "The Blues Brothers" crossed my mind." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump speaks during the commemoration ceremony for Armistice Day at the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial in Paris) "During a recent visit to France and just days after a gunman opened fire at a Pittsburgh synagogue, President Trump visited a WWI cemetery to honor American soldiers. As he spoke, I noted a gravestone at a side angle Ñ a single Star of David in the middle of rows and rows of crosses. I felt in this moment, the image carried more meaning than the words." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (Alex van der Zwaan goes through security at the US District Court after arriving for his sentencing) "Everyone has to go through security, no matter who you are. He seemed to embrace the inevitable as the woman with the wand asked him to turn around, facing him back towards the doors where many of the news media were still gathered." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Missouri) "In a last push before the mid-term elections, President Trump traveled for six consecutive days, attending two or three rallies a day, to boost Republican candidates. Most of the rallies were held in airport hangars for an easy flight in and out. Sometimes, the rallies were held in the middle of the night, like this one at Columbia Regional Airport in Columbia, Missouri." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (President Trump holds his prepared questions as he hosts a listening session with high school students and teachers to discuss school safety at the White House) "This event was loaded with raw emotion as school shooting victims from across the country described their experience as student-survivors or as friends and family who never stop mourning dead children. President Trump was given a hand-written card by one of his aides to help him navigate the emotional meeting, and pictures of the card helped tell the story of the day." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump behind the reflection of a House chamber railing as Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress) "The State of the Union speech is one of the most important political events at the beginning of the year. We usually photograph it from several fixed positions, but this year I was assigned to be the 'rotating' photographer, meaning I could move around on the balcony and shoot from different angles, but only during short windows of time. During one of those windows, I found an interesting play of light reflected off a gold-colored railing, which, at a certain angle, could be seen to fall over the president." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (President Trump arriving at Nashville International Airport) "One of my favorite photographers, Sam Abell, likes to quote his father: "Bad weather makes good pictures." In addition to the weather, the controlled chaos of White House press handlers and Secret Service agents help make pictures like this possible." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (White House Communications Director Hope Hicks leaves after attending the House Intelligence Committee closed door meeting) "This is the product of about seven hours of waiting and lots of team work involving constant coordination to guess where to wait in order to capture Hope Hicks as she left the hill. Luckily, there were several cameramen along for the moment and their lighting captured her perfectly." Reuters The US has repeatedly accused Russia of breaking the pact by developing a cruise missile, known as 9M729, which has a reported range of 300 to 3,400 miles. The Kremlin denies any violations. Mr Trump said Russia had “for too long” violated the treaty “with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to our allies and troops abroad”. US officials have also expressed concern that China , which is not part of the agreement, is deploying large numbers of missiles in Asia that the US cannot counter because it is bound by the treaty.
|
Tear Up Agreement
| null | null |
Boy, 15, died of alcohol poisoning after his grandmother had Covid-19
|
By Darren Boyle for MailOnline Published: 12:07 GMT, 15 October 2021 | Updated: 12:23 GMT, 15 October 2021 1
View comments
A 15-year-old boy found unconscious in the snow died from downing vodka after he found out his grandmother had been hospitalised with Covid, an inquest heard.
Alfie Lawton was unresponsive and nearly three times the drink driving limit when he was discovered in sub zero temperatures in a park in Kingston-upon-Thames at around 6:45pm on February 8.
The 15-year-old school boy had gone into cardiac arrest and was rushed to Kingston Hospital where he received over two and half hours of life support before being pronounced dead at 9:33pm.
His inquest heard his death was a result of 'complications following acute alcohol intoxication'.
However, pathologist Dr Charlotte Randall said if he had been lying flat rather than the posture he was found, he may have survived.
The inquest was told that although he didn't die from hypothermia, his body temperature had fallen sufficiently that they couldn't administer some medicine at the scene and had to wait until he had warmed up in hospital.
Alfie Lawton, 15, died after spending an afternoon drinking in a west London park when temperatures dropped to 28F
Mr Lawton had spent the afternoon drinking in the park with his friend after finding out his grandmother was in hospital with Covid-19.
This behaviour was 'completely out of character' according to his parents Joshua and Sarah, who went looking for him in the park after he failed to answer his phone.
That day, temperatures outside the capital had dropped below freezing, at 28f, with the coldest day of the year being recorded just five days later.
West London Coroners Court heard how between the hours of 1:00pm and 4:00pm Alfie had drunk a 50 centilitre bottle of Lidl-branded vodka, Peach Schnapps and a can of Stella.
His family attended the hearing via video link.
In a statement read out by Senior Coroner Chinyere Inyama, Alfie's father Joshua said: 'Alfie loved to make people smile. He was sensitive, bright and very funny.
On the day he died, Mr Lawton had discovered his grandmother had been infected with Covid
'He had a very close relationship with his siblings - Jordan and Freddie, who is autistic.
'He was always there for Freddie and enjoyed playing Minecraft with him.'
His 15-year-old friend told how Alfie had filled his bag with alcohol when they met at around 1:00pm.
He said: ' Alfie asked me if I wanted to go out with him to Green Lanes.
'He started telling me how his nan was sick with Covid and that he needed to get out.
'We were supposed to meet at 12:30 but we ended up meeting at 1:00 because he had something to do.
Mr Lawton's inquest heard acute alcohol intoxication contributed towards his tragic death
'In his bag, he had some alcohol with him - he had three cans of Stella and two other bottles of alcohol, a large bottle of vodka and a bottle of peach schnapps.
'I knew he had tried alcohol before, but he had never done it in front of me.
'He finished the bottle of vodka on his own and had a bit of the peach schnapps.
'When I left at 4:30, I asked if he was ok and he said he would be fine.'
Passers-by, who stopped to see if the two boys were ok earlier in the afternoon, reported seeing Alfie lying on a steep slope with his head facing downwards.
They also witnessed his friend tapping his friend's face, which he says was to make sure his friend had not passed out.
The friend said: 'Alfie's mum came to my house at around 6:00pm asking where he was.
'Then the police showed up telling me that he had died.'
A post-mortem examination, carried out on February 15, concluded there were no 'offensive or defensive injuries', or any evidence to suggest he had been assaulted.
His friend said he knew Mr Lawton, pictured, had tried alcohol before, but had never drank in front of him
Speaking over a video link, pathologist Dr Charlotte Randall concluded Mr Lawton had died of 'complications following unconsciousness from acute alcohol intoxication.'
She said while postural asphyxia and aspiration likely contributed to his death, there was no evidence of hypothermia.
She added; 'If he had been lying flat rather than in the posture he was found, he may have survived.'.
Because Mr Lawton's body temperature had fallen below 86f by the time paramedics arrived they were unable to administer medication until he reached the hospital and warmed up.
Mr Inyama concluded: 'Alfie had 225 millimetres of alcohol per 100 milligrams in his blood.
'The drink driving limit is 85, to give people an indication, so he was two and a half times over the limit when the test was run.
'Alfie's death was alcohol related and that's what's going to be written on the record of the inquest.
'Eight people showed up today, which shows that in his short time Alfie has really made a mark.
'I hope, but I doubt, that you're now able to draw a line through this whole episode.'
Share what you think
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
|
Mass Poisoning
| null | null |
Wuwang Club fire
|
The Wuwang Club fire was a fire incident that occurred in Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China on 21 September 2008 which killed 43 people and injured 88. A fire broke out just before midnight on 21 September at the packed "King of the Dancers Club" (simplified Chinese: 舞王俱乐部; traditional Chinese: 舞王俱樂部; pinyin: Wǔwáng Jùlèbù; Jyutping: mou5 wong4 keoi1 lok6 bou6) according to an official with the Shenzhen Work Safety Bureau. [1] The fire was started by a floorshow stunt involving pyrotechnics that ignited the ceiling, plunging the club into darkness and causing the club-goers to panic and stampede towards the exits. The windows were boarded up and there was only one exit with a lit exit sign. There were 308 people present in the club. Most of the deaths were caused by the crush of the stampede. Among the casualties were 5 people from Hong Kong, a 40-year-old man who worked in mainland China and four 18-year-olds; the latter group was celebrating a birthday of one of their peers. The nightclub was operating without a building license and was not built according to building codes. [citation needed]
Video footage aired by Hong Kong's Asia Television showed the smoke-filled nightclub after the fire. Overturned tables, broken glass and shoes littered the floor. [2]
Guangdong's provincial governor, Huang Huahua, blamed poor ventilation for the deaths citing something wrong with the architectural design. According to Hong Kong's RTHK 13 people were detained. [1] Six people, including Wang Jing, president of the club, Zhang Wei, ex-husband of Wang and co-founder of the club, and four others of the club's management group, were charged with negligence and violation of safety rules. Another six people have been charged with harboring criminals, according to police. [3]
|
Fire
| null | null |
2015 Illapel earthquake
|
The 2015 Illapel earthquake occurred 46 km (29 mi) offshore from Illapel (Coquimbo region, Chile) on September 16 at 19:54:33 Chile Standard Time (22:54:33 UTC), with a moment magnitude of 8.3. The initial quake lasted between three and five minutes;[7] it was followed by several aftershocks greater than magnitude six and two that exceeded 7.0 moment magnitude. [8] The Chilean government reported 15 deaths, 6 missing and thousands of people affected. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a man died from a stroke while he was evacuating a building. [4][5][9]
The earthquake occurred on thrust faults along the boundary of the Nazca and South American plates. The region frequently produces large earthquakes, and 15 others of magnitude 7 or higher have taken place within 400 km of the epicenter over the past 100 years. [1] The last big quake that occurred in this region was the 1943 Ovalle earthquake, reaching a magnitude in the range 7.9–8.2; however, comparisons of the associated source time function (the time history of release of seismic moment) show that the 2015 event was significantly larger than the 1943 earthquake, in terms of duration, up-dip rupture extent and tsunami size. [10]
This earthquake had an unusual foreshock, just 20 seconds before the main 8.3 earthquake, reaching a magnitude of 7.2. This has been considered as one of the most complex earthquakes to be ever studied in Chile. [citation needed]
Illapel, an inland city of 30,000 residents, was reported immediately to be without electricity or drinking water. [11] Many towns and small cities in the Coquimbo region saw a lot of damage, where the earthquake was felt with an intensity of VIII Mercalli. The panic took over the great cities like La Serena , Valparaiso and the capital Santiago. Two days after the quake, about 90,000 people were still without electricity. [12] On September 21, officials were reporting over 9,000 people had been left homeless by the quake. [13]
Tall buildings swayed and car alarms were set off in Buenos Aires, 1,110 kilometres (690 mi) away, and the earthquake was felt in São Paulo,[15] more than 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) away. [16] The Argentine provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, Córdoba, Tucumán, La Rioja, San Luis and Santa Fe were also affected. [17]
Tsunami watches, warnings, and advisories were issued in Ecuador, Peru, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Hawaii, California and Japan. [18] The first tsunami waves arrived on the Chilean coast within minutes. [19] A series of waves reaching at least 4.5 m (15 ft) high were observed along the coast of Coquimbo and the cities of Coquimbo, Tongoy and Concón nearby to Valparaiso reported flooding;[4] large fishing vessels were swept into the streets of Coquimbo, which reported heavy damage. The port of Coquimbo, along with the Costanera, was heavily damaged. [20] The tsunami also damaged the iconic La Serena monumental lighthouse. In the coastal city of Tongoy, large areas along the sea front were destroyed, along with the Tongoy beach itself, which was heavily affected by both earthquake and tsunami. Across the region at least 500 buildings were destroyed,[12] while dozens of beachfront homes in Los Vilos were damaged or destroyed. [20] A state of emergency was declared in Coquimbo a day after the tsunami, with troops to be deployed to the area. [12]
Chilean authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of the coast due to tsunami risk,[15] with many people in coastal areas receiving automatic notices by cellphone shortly after the quake. [7] The undersecretary for the ministry of the interior and public security reported that the evacuation affected one million people across the country. [4]
Although causing significant damage, the Illapel earthquake's low death toll relative to the 525 casualties of the significantly more powerful 2010 Chile earthquake was credited, in part, to its occurrence in a less-populated region, better coastal preparedness and an improved tsunami warning system, the longstanding enforcement of seismic building codes, and an improved emergency response. [21]
Boats stranded in Coquimbo after the tsunami
Street scene near the coast in Coquimbo in the quake and tsunami aftermath. Coquimbo municipal library, after the tsunami
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
Longtime Bank Lawyer Predicts Where Next Financial Crisis Will Come From
|
In the global race to launch quantum computing — extraordinarily powerful and with capacity to defeat the security protecting everything in digital form — clearly America, not Russia or China, must emerge dominant. “There are huge stakes and economic risk going forward,” Thomas Vartanian, for 45 years an attorney for financial institutions and who served in the Reagan and Carter administrations, tells ThinkAdvisor in an interview. In his new book, “ 200 Years of American Financial Panics: Crashes, Recessions, Depressions and the Technology That Will Change It All ” (Prometheus, 2021), he explores how tech will affect the frequency of financial crises. Indeed, in the interview, he predicts that technology will likely be a cause of the next crisis, a consequence of ever-increasing online activity, which heightens susceptibility to “the malicious use of technology.” What Your Peers Are Reading “We can expect that we’re going to wake up one morning and ATMs won’t be spitting out dollars and the markets will have disappeared,” contends Vartanian, who represented parties in 30 of the 50 largest U.S. bank and S&L failures. He argues that unless the government shifts to “smarter financial regulation” — such as use of artificial intelligence — that functions on a “real-time basis against real-time threats” to predict disasters, “we’ll continue to have financial crises over and over again.” “In the history of the United States,” he maintains, “no regulator has ever predicted and prepared for a financial crisis.” Worse, “the government has facilitated, caused or encouraged inadvertently much of the private-sector abuses” that are blamed for financial crises, he says. In the Reagan administration, Vartanian was general counsel of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board; during the S&L crisis, he was general counsel of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corp. Retired from practicing law, he is the executive director of the program on financial regulation and technology at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School and a law professor there. He also taught banking and financial technology law at the law schools of Georgetown University and Boston University. ThinkAdvisor recently interviewed Vartanian by phone. Speaking from Washington, he noted that from the time the Federal Reserve was established, in 1913, the U.S. has had — oddly, perhaps — “ever-larger financial panics.” The time is now, he argues, for the government to start predicting and averting such crises. Here are excerpts from our conversation: THINKADVISOR: “The next technological frontier will increase cybersecurity threats,” you write. Please elaborate. THOMAS VARTANIAN: With today’s supercomputers, if you were to run a brute-force attack and go through every permutation possible to try to break the 2048-bit encryption code, it would take 300 trillion years. Quantum computers, on the horizon, can move much more quickly and powerfully. With one of relatively significant strength, you could break that encryption in 30 seconds. Wow! What are the implications? All the security that’s protecting every piece of information and data in digital form — including all the money, value, securities, trading [and so forth] — can be broken in seconds. When will quantum computing be in use? Facebook, Amazon, the Russians, the Chinese are all scampering to be the first to get quantum, which is based on a much different technology than today’s computers. So the question is: What happens if the Russians and the Chinese become quantum-dominant before the United States? Therefore, there are huge stakes and economic risk going forward. So the United States and its allies have to remain dominant in the world of technology. But in the last 10 years, we’ve been losing ground. Quantum computing, and technologies that don’t even exist yet, will enable the strongest security possible or undo all the security that’s been done in the past. It’s a matter of how these technologies are used. You write there’s “at least a better than 50% chance” that technology will be a cause of the next financial crisis. Please elaborate. Since 1994, when financial institutions transitioned from proprietary networks to the open architecture of the internet, they were susceptible to hijacking and other kinds of malicious uses of technology. Given that and the inefficiencies of software, there’s an inability to stop the hijacking of critical infrastructure. The more we go online, the more susceptible we become. So we can expect that at some point down the line — if not tomorrow — we’re going to wake up one morning and ATMs won’t be spitting out dollars, and the markets will have disappeared. It shouldn’t be a surprise as to why we got to this point. Technology can create great quality of life, and it can also be used to put the lights out. The U.S. government is “always ill-prepared” for a financial crisis, you say. What about all the economic and financial problems that hit us in 2020? In the history of the United States, no regulator has ever predicted and prepared for a financial crisis. Of the last 10 financial crises since 1819, the government, and particularly the Federal Reserve, was most prepared for the 2020 crisis because they rolled out everything they did in 2008 to provide liquidity and pump cash into the system. The problem is that you can’t keep pumping cash into the system. You can’t keep putting assets on the Fed’s balance sheet without having long-term consequences. And that’s what we’re going to have to deal with next. You argue that since the start of the regulatory era, “ever-larger financial panics” have occurred. Shouldn’t there have been fewer? The government has facilitated, caused or encouraged inadvertently much of the private sector’s abuses — like corporate fraud and unethical practices — that are [blamed for financial crises]. In 1913, when the Federal Reserve was created, [President Woodrow Wilson] and politicians were all saying that the Fed would end financial crises in America — only to have the Fed become part of the causation of the Great Depression of 1929. That was followed by the savings and loan and banking crisis of the 1980s — only to be followed by the subprime lending crisis that erupted in 2008, which became a full-fledged global crisis. So you have to ask yourself: Would we be better off without the Fed or with it? What’s your answer? We’re better off with it. But the Fed has to draw some lines somewhere about how much it gets integrated into the debate in the day-to-day transition of money and movement of the economy. You say we need to find the right type of government regulation, not eliminate regulation. Please explain “the right type.” We need regulation because anytime somebody is handling somebody else’s money, somebody had better be watching. That’s No. 1. No. 2 is that regulation has to be smart. If not, it’s going to be counterproductive in the marketplace. The way we focus on regulation today isn’t smart. We’re not regulating all the right institutions in the right way at the right time. There’s no reason why regulation can’t be on a real-time basis. The system in use is backward-looking [after the fact]. There’s no reason why institutions can’t report their numbers in an automated way to financial regulators by using artificial intelligence to run algorithms that analyze the institutions daily and know where they’re going before they get there. Did the government fail to predict the 2008 financial crisis because this “backward-looking” system was in use? We could have predicted and prevented some of the pain of 2008 if we were regulating smartly and if the government had been using artificial intelligence, big data and other technologies to predict what would happen and be there before it hit. If we’re going to keep regulation the way it is now in this technologically oriented environment, we’ll continue to have financial crises over and over again. Should being prepared for financial crises be the main job of the financial regulatory system? This country has turned the pyramid of financial regulation on its head: Normally we should spend the most time thinking about predicting and trying to avert financial crises. The regulators ought to be creating buffers for financial institutions to operate within so they don’t end up being in a crisis. They ought to micromanage institutions that can’t manage themselves. But the way Congress has structured the regulatory system, these days the regulators spend the most time micromanaging institutions and the least time preparing for the next financial crisis. What could the government have done to avoid the financial dislocation of 2020? I’m not sure they could have done anything, because it was COVID-related. But every time we have a financial crisis, it’s like the first time, and [usually] there’s nothing in place to deal with it. The lucky part about 2020 is that it followed 2008 so quickly, and many of the people and processes were still there. So it didn’t hit in the same way it would have if 20 years had passed. Every financial crisis since 1819 has been the result of “a collision of six different elements,” you write. What are the salient ones? Government policies that are left unattended. Another is market fermentation: We tend to make laws and regulations in the financial area and leave them alone until we have a crisis. A rule or requirement today has to be judged against the markets of tomorrow. If it’s no longer relevant or working properly, it’s going to cause distortions in the marketplace. Right now, do you see a stock market bubble? That’s always been a precursor to financial crises, you write. I think we’re creating an enormous bubble in residential real estate and in the stock market. It’s a dynamic that will end up exploding. We’re building toward assets losing value and credit evaporating. But it’s always hard to know what the one thing is that will kick over the can of confidence. Markets will climb up the bubble, but no one will see that bubble. Even if they do, they’ll say, “I’m not jumping off, because I’m making a lot of money.” Nobody sees it as a ride up the roller coaster to the top, when you’re going to go down. But there’ll always be some point where you reach the top, and that’s the break-point at which confidence is lost in either a company, a group of assets or the government. But trying to figure out where that loss of confidence will come that causes the blow-up is the $64,000 question.
|
Financial Crisis
| null | null |
two boats that capsized Thursday off the western coastal city of Zuwara with about 500 migrants onboard, the rescue team said in a statement.
|
Workers for the Red Crescent examine photos of a migrant as they collect bodies from the water in Zuwara, about 105 kilometers west of Tripoli, Libya, Friday, Aug. 28, 2015. (AP/Mohamed Ben Khalifa)
TRIPOLI, Libya -- Rescue workers have recovered 12 more bodies off the Libyan coast, raising the death toll from the latest disaster for migrants trying to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean to 117, Libyan authorities said on Saturday.
Thus far 198 people were rescued and the search is ongoing for missing passengers from two boats that capsized Thursday off the western coastal city of Zuwara with about 500 migrants onboard, the rescue team said in a statement.
Human smuggling of people fleeing conflicts and poverty in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa from Libya has spiked since the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime dictator Moammer Gadhafi, after which the oil-rich north African country plunged into chaos.
One more Libyan accused of organizing the dangerous crossing was arrested on Friday, bringing the total to three, a security official said.
Later Friday, a protest broke out in the coastal city, with residents carrying signs in English, Arabic and Berber, urging people not to rent houses to smugglers because they are used to hold the migrants until the seas become calm enough for travel.
The three alleged smugglers will be the second group ever to face legal charges for human smuggling in western Libya. The defendants in the first case were released last year under murky circumstances in Zuwara, security officials said.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to brief reporters.
|
Shipwreck
| null | null |
1981 Toxteth riots
|
The Toxteth riots of July 1981 were a civil disturbance in Toxteth, inner-city Liverpool, which arose in part from long-standing tensions between the local police and the black community. They followed the Brixton riot earlier that year and were part of the 1981 England riots. The Merseyside police force had, at the time, a poor reputation within the black community for stopping and searching young black men in the area, under the "sus" laws, and the heavy-handed arrest of Leroy Alphonse Cooper on Friday 3 July near Granby Street watched by an angry crowd, led to a disturbance in which three policemen were injured. The existing tensions between police and people had already been noticed by local magistrate, Councillor and Chair of the Merseyside Police Committee, Margaret Simey, who was frequently critical of the hardline tactics used by the then Chief Constable Kenneth Oxford. She said of the rioters "they would be apathetic fools ... if they didn't protest", although she was unprepared for the personal criticism that followed.
With the economy in recession, unemployment in Britain was at a 50-year high in 1981, with Merseyside being one of the worst hit regions for unemployment, with Toxteth being one of the worst hit districts of the city of Liverpool. Over the weekend that followed, disturbance erupted into full-scale rioting, with pitched battles between police and youths in which petrol bombs and paving stones were thrown. During the violence, milk floats were set on fire and directed at police lines. Rioters were also observed using scaffolding poles to charge police lines. The Merseyside Police had issued its officers with long protective shields but these proved inadequate in protecting officers from missile attacks and in particular the effects of petrol bombs. The overwhelming majority of officers were not trained either in using the shields or in public order tactics. The sole offensive tactic available to officers, the baton charge, proved increasingly ineffective in driving back the attacking crowds of rioters. At 02:15 hours on Monday 6 July 1981 Merseyside police officers fired 25–30 CS gas grenades, the first occasion on which these had been in the UK other than in Northern Ireland. The gas successfully dispersed the crowds. The rioting lasted nine days, during which Merseyside Police said 468 police officers were injured, 500 people were arrested, and at least 70 buildings were damaged so severely by fire that they had to be demolished. Around 100 cars were damaged or destroyed, and there was extensive looting of shops. Later estimates suggested the numbers of injured police officers and destroyed buildings were at least double those of the official figures.
Such was the scale of the rioting in Toxteth that police reinforcements were drafted in from forces across England, including Greater Manchester Police, Lancashire, Cumbria, Birmingham and even Devon to try to control the unrest.
A second wave of rioting began on 27 July 1981 and continued into the early hours of 28 July, with police once again being attacked with missiles and a number of cars being set alight. Twenty-six officers were injured. [6] However, on this occasion the Merseyside Police responded by driving vans and Land Rovers at high speed into the crowds quickly dispersing them. This tactic had been developed as a riot control technique in Northern Ireland by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and had been employed with success in quelling the Moss Side riots by the Greater Manchester Police. A 23-year-old local man, David Moore, died after being struck by a police vehicle trying to clear crowds. Two police officers were charged with his manslaughter but cleared in April 1982.
Dozens of senior citizens were evacuated from the Princes Park Hospital during the riots.
The subsequent Scarman Report (although primarily directed at the Brixton Riot of 1981) recognised that the riots did represent the result of social problems, such as poverty and deprivation. The Government responded by sending Michael Heseltine, as "Minister for Merseyside", to set up the Merseyside Task Force and launch a series of initiatives, including the Liverpool international garden festival and the Mersey Basin Campaign.
|
Riot
| null | null |
Melbourne coronavirus stage 4 lockdown sees Victoria Police issue $2.9 million in curfew fines
|
A Victorian man who flew from Brisbane to Hobart on flight VA702 today has tested positive to COVID-19 and has not been allowed to board a flight to Melbourne
A Watch & Act warning is in place for a fire in the northern parts of Mokine, in WA's Northam Shire. Keep up to date with ABC Emergency
Victorians have been fined more than $2.9 million for breaking curfew over the past month, as the stage 4 lockdown has transformed the city of Melbourne. Daily statistics from Victoria Police show a general rise in curfew-related fines over weekends.
The highest day for curfew fines was a fortnight after the unprecedented curfew was enforced. On Monday August 17, there were 89 fines for breaking curfew from the previous 24-hour period. But two weeks later, Melburnians appear to have come to terms with strict new rules, with police issuing 60 fines on Monday — a drop of almost a third from the peak.
Since August 4, police have issued 1,762 fines for people being outside their homes between the hours of 8:00pm and 5:00am.
It's an average of 60 curfew infringements a day, with each attracting a $1,652 fine. John Pavitt is one of the few Melburnians who is allowed to break curfew. He's used to rising before dawn, but the city he's waking up to has been transformed over the past month.
"It's like we're in a different world. Nobody thought it would be like this," he said.
"It's an eerie feeling. Like you're waiting for something to happen, but not nothing really happens."
Mr Pavitt drives a waste truck through the heart of Melbourne, leaving his Reservoir home by 4:30am.
On his daily commute he used to see people running, walking their dogs or riding their bikes in the early hours.
But now the streets are mostly deserted — even some service stations are closed. There's less traffic, fewer people, and also less rubbish.
"Before, the city was vibrant when I used to come in there in the morning, because people start at 6:00am," he said. "But now, because of the curfew and people are working from home, it's like a different world … sort of like groundhog day, because every day seems like the same because there's no-one around."
But for Mr Pavitt, the early mornings and quiet streets are worth it to make the city clean for other essential workers — he describes it as one of the best jobs in the world, and he hopes it's helping others get through lockdown. "That's all I look for — to put a smile on someone's face," he said, though he noted it was more difficult to detect in the age of mandatory masks. "The main thing is we're out there ... and trying to make it look a bit nicer for everybody."
For some of the city's rough sleepers, breaching curfew is unavoidable. Many don't have a place to go after 8:00pm. But funding to stay in a hotel has changed that, for some.
"We would be aware that obviously people can't meet the curfew if they haven't got a home," said Jenny Smith, CEO of Council to Homeless Persons.
The head of the state's peak homelessness body praised the Victorian Government for "leading the country" in giving significant additional funding that helped secure hotel accommodation for people experiencing homelessness during the stage 4 lockdown.
But she said there were about 25,000 people left homeless every night in Victoria, and the funding allowed for about 2,100 people in hotels. "That's a lot of people to have in a hotel, but it's not everybody," she said. "So that does mean inevitably that our services are making some very difficult judgments about whose need is greatest.
"It's really the choice of Solomon to choose who's the most vulnerable every night."
Ms Smith said services were having to turn away 100 people each day before COVID-19 struck, and while the hotel funding, JobSeeker and JobKeeper had helped alleviate some of the financial pressure, there were still thousands experiencing homelessness. That included people ineligible for Government payments, like asylum seekers, international students and temporary visa holders who have been unable to get home. Homelessness agencies are concerned about people accumulating fines they can't repay and that could land them in custody, but Ms Smith said the police were being "as understanding as they are able to be" and showing discretion while still doing their job. "We understand that when police are discovering people who are unable to comply with curfew because they are rough-sleeping, that they are making referrals to our services," she said. Victoria Police declined an interview, but in a press conference on August 19, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said there were 500 police tasked with compliance and enforcement duties under Operation Sentinel. "A common theme around breaching of the curfew direction is people going out to get takeaway food," he said at the time. He said police "will, for the most part, give appropriate warnings", and that the community had been "outstanding" with compliance. The Government and police have stressed people are still allowed to leave their home for urgent medical care, or if they need to escape an unsafe home in a domestic violence situation. Police have issued almost 5,800 fines in total since August 3, an average of 186 infringements a day.
Police have also handed out more than 900 fines in the past month for people failing to wear a face mask or face covering in public. Those fines are $200 each, amounting to more than $181,000 over the past month.
Many examples of people breaching the Chief Health Officer's directions included people visiting friends or going to convenience stores for food or cigarettes. There was a man who went to pick up shoes from his cousin, a man who was going to pick up a fish tank for his frog, and people who ventured out for donuts. In a particularly Melbourne example, one woman broke the 5-kilometre travel limit because there was "no good coffee in her area". Data sources: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Our World in Data, The COVID Tracking Project, ABC
See our full coverage of coronavirus
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
|
Organization Fine
| null | null |
Main Roads was already recommended to review speed limit at Kalgoorlie crash site
|
Main Roads WA has confirmed there was already a recommendation to review the speed limit for a section of the Goldfields Highway where a fatal crash occurred last week. Farzaneh Zandiyyeh was killed in the incident at the intersection of Boorara Road and the Goldfields Highway on August 25. The T-intersection is a key connection between the KCGM Super Pit, which is the city's main employer, and the rest of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Dr Zandiyyeh, who held a PhD in mine engineering, was employed as a geologist at the mine site. WA Police said the single mother died after her Toyota Rav4 and a road train travelling on the highway collided. She leaves behind twin 12-year-old boys who are now under the care of their grandmother. Main Roads told the ABC a recommendation was made in March 2019 that the 80kph speed limit be reviewed for that section of the highway. The agency received another report in March this year making the same recommendation. "The report makes a recommendation into reviewing the speed limit along the bypass to be a consistent speed, which Main Roads are currently considering," it said in a statement. Between 2015 and the end of 2020, there were three reported crashes at the T-intersection, including an incident in which two people were hospitalised. Main Roads said it would investigate whether road factors contributed to Dr Zandiyyeh's death and what improvements could be made. "Main Roads does not have any future works planned for this intersection but will work with the City of Kalgoorlie, who are responsible for Boorara Road, and the mine operators to investigate what improvements can be undertaken to reduce the risk of further crashes at the intersection," the agency said. Northern Star Resources owns the KCGM Super Pit. The ABC understands Dr Zandiyyeh was leaving work to meet her sons when the incident occurred. The company said it was "deeply saddened" by the loss and that Dr Zandiyyeh was a much-loved colleague at its KCGM operations. KCGM general manager Nick Strong said Northern Star was in close contact with her family and would be providing assistance wherever possible. "This is an incredibly difficult time for her family, friends and our people who were close to Farzaneh," Mr Strong said. "We will continue to provide support to her family and colleagues."
|
Road Crash
| null | null |
1906 Washington, D.C., train wreck
|
The 1906 Washington, D.C., train wreck occurred on the Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) at Terra Cotta station in Washington, D.C., on December 30, 1906, at 6:31 in the evening, when a locomotive pulling six empty cars crashed into the back of a passenger train in dense fog, killing 53 people and injuring more than 70. [2]
The local train, consisting of three wooden cars, was traveling from Frederick, Maryland, and was fifteen minutes late. It was just pulling out of Terra Cotta station (near the site of the current Fort Totten Metro station) when it was struck from behind by a "special equipment train", No 2120, traveling at full speed, about 65 mph (105 km/h). The heavy locomotive, which sustained very little damage, ploughed through the rear two cars, sending bodies and debris flying for a quarter of a mile on both sides of the track. [3]
The accident is described in the book Undergraduate Days 1904-1908 by Frank Kuntz, recounted by a fellow student at the nearby Catholic University of America: "Then came a terrible noise which he described as a combination of an explosion, escaping steam, breaking wood, groaning brakes and human screams. It was so loud it could be heard on the campus and all over Brookland". [3][4]
According to The New York Times, "One of the cars of the wrecked train was split in two and left in halves on either side of the track. The butchery of the passengers was one of the most frightful things in the history of railroading. They were cut into pieces and portions of their bodies scattered all along the track"[5] Small fragments of remains from several victims were commingled on their delivery to a local morgue;[6] these commingled remains were buried in a single grave at Glenwood Cemetery with one monument, the expense paid by the B&O. [7] The five crewmembers, Harry H. Hildebrand (engineer), Ira C. McClelland (fireman), Ralph Rutter (brakeman), Frank S. Hoffmeir (conductor) and William A. Norris (baggagemaster), of the train that hit the passenger train were all arrested at the scene. [8][9]
Despite its nearness to the capital, Terra Cotta station was an isolated place, just serving a few houses of employees of the nearby Potomac Terra Cotta Company. The first help came from Brookland about a mile away, and it took nearly an hour for a relief train to arrive from Washington to begin taking away the dead and injured (and a further hour before it departed). [10]
The entire Metropolitan branch operated by the "absolute block system", which should have prevented any other train from entering a "block" of track when it is occupied. The empty train should have been stopped at Takoma Park until the passenger train had moved out of the block at University. The operator at Takoma Park stated that his signal lights were burning red ("danger") when the empty train passed, corroborated by three other people. [9] The engineer claimed he slowed down and looked for the signal, but could not see it. In such a situation he should have stopped, and yet he continued running at great speed. The operator immediately telegraphed the operator at University station: "No. 2120 has gone by my red light, going like hell". [5] The tower operator at University station confirmed that he received the message. [9]
One misunderstanding that contributed in large part to the disaster was that Takoma Park station was closed between 6:30 pm and 6:30 am each day, when no signals would have been displayed; in these circumstances the previous block (controlled by signals at Silver Spring) extends beyond Terra Cotta. No. 2120 had received a clear signal from Silver Spring, so the engineer believed he was cleared through to University. Further inquiries also revealed that the engineer had been on almost continuous duty for 33 hours and had not had a full night's sleep for 57 hours. [11]
Four men were charged with manslaughter — the engineer, conductor, brakeman and fireman of train 2120[12] — but after a lengthy trial all were found not guilty due to lack of evidence. Nonetheless, the Interstate Commerce Commission blamed them, claiming all were negligent. [3][13] It did reserve some criticism for management, though having received "evidence indicating that the railroads have overworked and poorly paid men manning these safety devices and that, in the effort to rush traffic, men on trains are encouraged to be careless about heeding danger signals". [5] The ICC also banned wooden body passenger car construction. [14]
|
Train collisions
| null | null |
Department of Defence fined $1 million over death of soldier Jason Challis in live-fire training exercise
|
Department of Defence fined $1 million over death of soldier Jason Challis in live-fire training exercise
Follow our live coverage for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic
The Defence Department has been fined $1 million over the death of a junior soldier who was fatally shot in a military training exercise near Darwin more than four years ago.
The department had previously admitted and apologised for workplace safety failings in the live-fire exercise in which 25-year-old Private Jason Challis was killed at the Mount Bundey training facility in May 2017.
The department pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of exposing a worker to death or injury, which carries a maximum penalty of $1.5 million.
Judge Elisabeth Armitage said the department had failed to ensure its safety policies were followed despite previously promising to put in place compliance mechanisms such as audits and checklists.
"This offence was not an isolated failure nor an uncharacteristic aberration," Judge Armitage said.
"The department was acutely aware of the risks of these exercises, and following other investigations had previously committed to ensuring compliance with its safety policies."
Private Challis's battalion was conducting an attack scenario in a mock village setting at the training facility when he became separated from the group.
He was shot in the leg and head while crouched in the line of fire behind a plywood building containing a target.
Judge Armitage said the department had failed to conduct an exercise risk assessment, adequately brief the relatively inexperienced participants, and mark dangerous spaces on the training ground, as required.
She said Defence bore a high degree of culpability for Private Challis's death, because of "disturbing similarities" to failings in a previous fatal incident and a near miss.
"The department intends to continue to train its members using complex live-fire exercises — accordingly, soldiers' lives remain at risk," she said.
"The department must actually learn from its previous mistakes and ensure that its safety requirements are fully implemented."
She said the maximum penalty she would have imposed had been reduced because of the department's guilty plea, cooperation and offer of reparations to Private Challis's family.
She made an order for financial compensation for Private Challis' family, with details of the payment suppressed.
The department has previously conceded Private Challis's death was avoidable and live-fire training exercises remain suspended.
But Judge Armitage rejected the department's argument that individual non-compliance with policies had led to Private Challis's death, instead saying there had been "systemic failings".
"The policies that were said to be in place did not operate effectively because there was no mechanism to ensure they were complied with before live-firing commenced," she said.
She said the department had owed a "particularly acute" duty to inexperienced soldiers like Private Challis who were obliged to participate in dangerous training exercises.
The family of Private Challis watched the proceedings via video-link and issued a statement saying they were happy with the outcome.
"Nothing will ever bring our son back," Private Challis's mother and stepfather, Helen and Mirko Brandich, said.
"Hopefully something like this will never happen again, making the last four-and-a-half years worth all the sadness and grief we have had to deal with."
Federal workplace safety agency ComCare said the $1 million penalty is the largest ever recorded under Commonwealth work health and safety laws.
|
Organization Fine
| null | null |
Britain officially left EU on Jan. 31
|
Updated: February 19, 2020 11:12 AM ET | Originally published: January 31, 2020 10:14 AM EST When the clock struck 11 p.m. local time on Jan. 31, Britain officially left the European Union , after three and a half years largely marked by arguments, negotiations and divisions. The moment heralded the start of a new, uncertain phase in the U.K.’s national life. Britain’s lawmakers gave up their seats in the European Parliament, its trade officials became free to start negotiating with other countries, and pockets across the nation began to jangle with three million commemorative coins, minted to mark the occasion. But as the sun rose on Feb. 1, Brits would be forgiven for not noticing much of a change. That’s because, thanks to the divorce deal agreed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and E.U. leaders, the U.K. has now entered a “transition period” until the end of December 2020. That means most E.U. laws will continue to apply in Britain, including the rights of E.U. citizens to live and work in the country. Although new immigration rules were announced Feb. 19, they will not come into force until 2021. So Britain will immediately recoup neither the sovereignty nor the control of its borders that voters were promised by the “Leave” side during the 2016 referendum. Officially, however, it will be one step closer to doing so. Here’s what to know about the months to come. What will happen to travel after Jan. 31? During the transition period, travel between the U.K. and the E.U. will continue as normal. That means travelers who are U.K. or E.U. citizens will not need visas. It also means U.K. citizens can continue to work in E.U. countries — though they have long been advised to apply for residency to make sure they can continue to do so after the transition period ends. (The same applies for E.U. citizens living in the U.K.) The EHIC health insurance card, which ensures holders’ access to foreign medical services during time abroad, will continue to work as normal until December. Cellphone roaming fees — nonexistent for E.U. citizens in other member states under an agreement that came into force in 2017 — will also continue to be free for Brits in the E.U. and vice versa, until December. After the transition period ends they could increase, depending on the deal the U.K. reaches with the bloc. After the transition period ends, tourists from the U.K. will not need visas for trips of less than 90 days to the E.U., Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. But people wanting to work, study, or travel for business may need more documentation. What will happen to immigration rules? Ending Britain’s obligation to allow any E.U. citizen to travel, settle and work in the country was one of the driving factors behind the 2016 Brexit vote. Accordingly, setting out new, harsher immigration rules has been a priority for Johnson’s government. On Feb. 19, the government announced a new “points-based” immigration system, which will come into force after the transition period ends. Under the new system, foreign workers must pass an English test and hold a job offer at an “appropriate skill level” from an “approved sponsor.” Those mandatory conditions would together award 50 “points” in the new system. To be eligible for entry to the U.K., a foreign worker must hold 70 points. More points are awarded, in bands, for higher salaries, higher educational qualifications, or if an applicant is seeking a “shortage” job, like nursing, where workers are in demand. The Confederation of British Industry, a business lobby group, said the salary thresholds could hurt sectors of the British economy (like agriculture) that depend heavily on low-cost migrant labour. It is unclear whether the E.U. will apply similar rules to the 1.2 million British migrants currently living and working in member states. What will happen to the economy? The stock markets will likely treat Feb. 1 like a normal day, given Brexit has been all but inevitable since Johnson’s victory in Britain’s Dec. 2019 general election . But there’s still significant uncertainty on the horizon. Britain will begin trade talks with the E.U. in March, a high priority for Johnson who is keen to retain as many privileges of Britain’s membership of the E.U. as possible. But Johnson would also like to jettison some of the E.U. regulations currently complied with by the U.K. “The E.U. is making it very clear that there will inevitably be a trade off between the U.K.’s desire to deregulate and its demand for access to the E.U. market,” says Tim Bale, the deputy director of U.K. in a Changing Europe, a non-partisan academic research institute. “The U.K., as always, wants to have its cake and eat it.” Britain will also be free to begin trade talks with the U.S. , a country with which the E.U. does not have an existing free trade agreement. Trump has talked up the possibility of a “tremendous” deal with the U.K. that has the potential to be “far bigger and more lucrative” than any agreement with the E.U. But such a deal, if agreed, will come at a price. Kim Darroch, the U.K.’s former Ambassador to the U.S., stole headlines on Friday when he said, in an interview with the Guardian , that President Trump would pressure the U.K. to accept higher prices for American pharmaceutical drugs and lower standards for agricultural goods in any trade deal. “Do they want us to pay more for their pharmaceuticals? Do the pharmaceutical companies want to use this leverage? Of course they do,” Darroch said. Any deals agreed would not come into force until after the transition period ends in December. Could there be another Brexit delay? Johnson has repeatedly promised that there will be no further delay to Brexit, and that the transition period will therefore end on Dec. 31, 2020. That leaves just 10 months for the E.U. and U.K. to strike an agreement on their future relationship, since talks are set to start on Mar. 3. If they fail to reach an agreement, then it could put a “no deal” Brexit back on the horizon. In other words, Britain could end up abruptly leaving the E.U.’s single market and customs union with no deals to smooth its passage. That could mean lines at ports thanks to new customs checks, a sharp drop in cross-border trade as tariffs come into force, and new restrictions on U.K. businesses operating in the E.U. With such a large majority in Parliament, Johnson could perhaps afford to renege on his pledge not to extend the transition period, especially if a deal were in sight. “He will almost certainly have to extend. No-one in modern times, after all, has managed to do a comprehensive trade deal in only a matter of months,” Bale says. “He just won’t call it an extension. Instead, it’ll be labeled ‘Phase One’ or somesuch. And he’ll probably get away with it too.”
|
Withdraw from an Organization
| null | null |
At least seven people were killed and another 50 people were injured after a powerful explosion ripped apart a three-storey building in central Dhaka on Sunday (June 27), Bangladeshi officials said, citing a gas pipeline as the likely cause.
|
DHAKA (AFP) - At least seven people were killed and another 50 people were injured after a powerful explosion ripped apart a three-storey building in central Dhaka on Sunday (June 27), Bangladeshi officials said, citing a gas pipeline as the likely cause.
Police said the explosion was so forceful that it broke the windows of at least four moving buses, injuring dozens of passengers on board.
Dhaka police chief Shafiqur Rahman said at least seven people were killed in the explosion, though the fire service offered a lower death toll of three. Police and fire service officials said 50 people were injured.
"Fire service officers are at the scene. They will investigate the reason of the explosion. But primarily we believe methane gas accumulated and concentrated in the pipeline and then exploded in the ground floor," Dhaka Metropolitan Police Joint Commissioner Syed Nurul Islam told AFP.
He ruled out foul play, saying the Bangladeshi capital has witnessed several similar explosions in recent years.
Witnesses told local media the blast had reduced the building - which houses a restaurant, an electronics shop and several other stores - to rubble.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
Police said at least two adjacent buildings were also partially damaged.
"At least four of the injured are in critical condition," said Samanta Lal Sen, a top doctor at the Sheikh Hasina Burn Hospital, where a dozen of the injured were taken for treatment.
A police bomb disposal unit rushed to the spot.
"We are analysing the nature of the explosion as the ground floor of the building was destroyed," unit leader Rahmatullah Chowdhury told The Daily Star.
|
Gas explosion
| null | null |
2016 Newfoundland and Labrador budget protests
|
The 2016 Newfoundland and Labrador budget protests were a series of protests in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. [7] The protests were in opposition to the provincial budget proposed by Finance Minister Cathy Bennett which will implement tax-hikes and cuts to many public service jobs. The protests were a major part of the financial crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland and Labrador is one of Canada's oil-producing provinces and oil revenues account for a significant amount of the province's GDP. During the premiership of Danny Williams, oil prices were high and government spending increased. The province's public sector doubled in size while provincial government spending was 20-36% higher than most other provinces. [8]
The recent drop in the price of oil has caused a deficit for the province and the government does not expect to see another surplus until 2022. [9] The most recent provincial budget was unveiled by Finance Minister Cathy Bennett on April 14, 2016. [10] More than 400 public-sector jobs will be cut, tax on gasoline will be doubled, sales tax will be increased and a "deficit-reduction levy" will be introduced. This levy is an additional tax that will be imposed on residents with an annual income between $49,500 and $72,000. One of the most notable mega-projects by the province under Williams is the Lower Churchill Project, a hydroelectric project in central Labrador on the Churchill River. [11] During Williams's premiership the project received lots of support from Newfoundlanders however it was much more controversial among Labradorians. [12] The position on the project taken by the Nunatsiavut government was even supported by Amnesty International. The project is being developed by Nalcor Energy and Emera. Nalcor is a provincial crown corporation based in St. John's. The project is currently behind schedule[13] and despite the province's financial situation and the high costs of the project, it is expected to continue development. [14]
The budget has been very controversial since its unveiling. [15][16]
Many notable people from the province have spoken out against the budget. Former Liberal Premier Roger Grimes criticized the introduction of the levy. [17]
Several public and independent groups have formed in the province. These groups are motivated by the cyclical abuse, lack of democracy and mismanagement of the province ever since it joined the Confederation. [18]
The highly organized and functional groups or entities include;
-Coordinated Approach
-Mutual Aid
-Free NL
-Golden Arrow Community
-Peoples Union
-Peoples Assembly
-Newfrownland.ca
Many protests by various organizations have taken place since April 2016. Many former cabinet ministers under the Progressive Conservative government from 2003-15 have appeared at some protests (including former Premier Paul Davis) where they have often not been well received. [19][20]
|
Protest_Online Condemnation
| null | null |
Famine risk for millions in second locust wave
|
A desert locust outbreak has been raging in East Africa since October 2019. Credit: FAO/Giampiero Diana A second wave of desert locusts in Africa and Asia is threatening famine for millions as critical resources are directed towards the COVID-19 crisis, scientists warn. Desert locusts are already swarming in East Africa and breeding in Iran and Pakistan, as well as Yemen, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says. The outbreak, which has been raging since last year, has so far placed around 20 million people at acute food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania, according to the FAO. Swarms have "been damaging crops and pastures and crippling communities in the Greater Horn of Africa, Arabian Peninsula and Southwest Asia" since October, explained World Resources Institute climate programme research analyst Tina Huang. However, without action the locust population "could grow 400 times larger by June 2020 and spread to new areas, disrupting food supply , upending livelihoods and requiring substantial resources to address", the World Bank says . The level of threat in West Africa could also change significantly in the next few weeks based on rainfall, winds and the locust situation in Arabia and East Africa, the FAO says. "Investments in preparedness and anticipatory actions should be immediately and quickly scaled up to face this potential threat," its latest situation update says. It warns that swarms risk migrating to summer breeding areas in India and Pakistan, as well as Sudan and parts of West Africa, including the Sahel and Chad. On top of the global COVID-19 emergency, Yemen is also facing multiple crises from violent conflict and disrupted health systems, while flooding in East Africa has killed about 300 people and displaced half a million, according to the Red Cross. Daniel Otaye, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Kenya's Egerton University, says countries in East Africa seem unprepared to deal with a second wave of locusts. "Policymakers in Sub-Saharan Africa should be strongly advised not to forget the locust outbreak amid [the] COVID-19 outbreak," Otaye says. "The two challenges should be fought concurrently." The World Bank estimates that, in Africa alone, more than 90 million hectares of cropland and pasture are at risk from the second wave, with damages and losses reaching US$9 billion. FAO desert locust global forecast May-July 2020. Credit: SciDev.Net In East Africa, pesticide shipments to the worst-affected areas have already been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The biggest challenge we are facing at the moment is the supply of pesticides and we have delays because global air freight has been reduced significantly," says Cyril Ferrand, the FAO's resilience team leader for East Africa. Kim Kariuki, engagement director at the Busara Center for Behavioural Economics in Kenya, says a second wave of locusts could exacerbate already-disrupted global supply chains. "This would have untold effects on food security … leaving smallholders even more vulnerable than before and jeopardising the economic outlook for recovery in the affected countries," he explains. The World Bank says repercussions will go beyond the economy and could last generations. "When affected households and families struggle to meet basic needs such as food and shelter, nutrition, healthcare, and education may be neglected, hindering long-term health and development, especially of children," the organisation says. "Studies of past locust plagues found a notable decrease in school enrolment in affected areas as well as evidence of stunting in infants and children." Action plans Otaye says governments in the region have diverted resources to control COVID-19, to the neglect of fighting the locust invasion. But Keith Cressman, the FAO's senior locust forecaster, tells SciDev.Net efforts to control the locust outbreaks are ongoing. "So far, more than 240,000 hectares have been treated with chemical pesticides or biopesticides across the East Africa region and 740 people have been trained up to conduct ground locust control operations," he says. Stephen Njoka, the director-general of the Desert Locust Control Organisation for East Africa, says the organisation is working with national governments and the FAO to control the locusts from the air and on the ground. "However, the new generation hoppers are now of age and very voracious," he says.
|
Famine
| null | null |
China retaliates: suspending its Strategic Economic Dialogue with Australia is symbolic, but still a big deal
|
James Laurenceson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
University of Technology Sydney provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.
View current jobs from University of Technology Sydney
View all partners
After Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne cancelled the Victorian state government’s memorandum of understanding to participate in China’s “Belt and Road” global infrastructure initiative a fortnight ago, she said she didn’t expect retaliation from Beijing.
That was always a hopeful message for a domestic audience. Yesterday the Chinese government “indefinitely suspended all activities” with Australia under a framework called the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue. China’s foreign ministry also warned Australia “not to walk further on the wrong path”. The Chinese embassy had warned Payne’s “unreasonable and provocative” decision was “bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations”. It was right.
Why would China let Australia off the hook? It hasn’t shied away from retaliating against actions by the United States. Nor from punishing Australia by restricting imports of barley, beef, lobsters, wine and wood (though not iron ore).
If this is the full extent of the retaliation, though, the feeling in Canberra will be one of relief. The annual dialogue has been on ice since 2017. So this suspension doesn’t change that much.
It is, however, an important symbolic action. It will further weaken important connections between bureaucrats. It sends a strong diplomatic signal that China is prepared to escalate. The first China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue was in June 2014. It involved talks between Australia’s treasurer and trade minister and the chairman of China’s peak economic development and planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission. Holding these annual talks was part of a package of closer relations the Gillard government secured with the Chinese government in 2013.
That package also included an annual meeting between the two nations’ respective prime ministers – something China formally had only with Britain, Germany, Russia and the European Union.
Read more:
An all-out trade war with China would cost Australia 6% of GDP
By the time of the first dialogue (in Beijing) Tony Abbott was prime minister. Still, the talks were successful enough for Australia and China to agree in November 2014 to call their relationship a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.
In June 2015 the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) was finally signed after more than a decade of negotiations. In December 2015 Australia became a founding member of the China-led Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, committing US$738 million in capital to be the sixth-largest shareholder.
But by mid-2016 the bilateral political relationship was going downhill. The last strategic economic dialogue was in September 2017. This is why China’s announcement yesterday has been described an “act of pure symbolism”, and even a sign China has “run out of ammunition” after its barrage of trade disruptions over the past year. But it would also be a mistake to discount the importance of the symbolism.
In formally suspending the dialogue, Beijing has signalled its preparedness to suspend talks not just between politicians but also the bureaucrats who do the vast bulk of the work that makes bilateral relationships meaningful. This is why China’s state media has emphasised that suspension includes all activities between the National Development and Reform Commission and “relevant Australian ministries”. To be clear, Australia’s diplomatic officials aren’t being prevented from seeing their Chinese counterparts, and bureacratic links have been strained since 2017. But the Treasury representative housed at the Australian embassy may now find meetings even harder to secure, if not impossible. As Deakin University’s Chengxin Pan notes, “symbolism about something negative matters greatly in international relations”. Symbolism, after all, was what motivated the Australian government to tear up Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative agreement with China.
The deal was not legally binding and didn’t commit the Victorian government to anything. But the federal government wanted to send a message: it would do this and not be deterred by the threat of Chinese retaliation. It was a signal to Beijing that Canberra was not for turning. Read more:
Why scrap Victoria’s ‘meaningless’ Belt and Road deal? Because it sends a powerful message to Beijing
Beijing has now sent a message in return: Canberra shouldn’t expect to get off scot-free. China might not suspend its demand for Australian iron ore and natural gas. But it could further disrupt imports such as dairy products, or flows of students and tourists as borders reopen – a threat made by ambassador Cheng Jingye a year ago. Such messages from government officials also send strong cues influencing Chinese companies and consumers.
Nor is the “nuclear option” – killing ChAFTA – off the table. Another symbolic move – for example, a joint leaders’ statement reaffirming the importance of the comprehensive partnership – may be the the best way to turn things around.
But with both sides having spent the past year doubling down and hardening positions, that prospect seems remote.
|
Tear Up Agreement
| null | null |
1917 Potato riots
|
The Potato riots in June–July 1917 was a popular uprising in the Dutch capital city Amsterdam that was caused by the food shortage in the Netherlands during World War I.
In the beginning of the 20th century food was more within the reach of the workers. The First World War changed this. The Netherlands was a neutral country, but experienced discomfort and hard circumstances. Imports and exports of goods stagnated. Bread and other food was rationed and soup kitchens sprang up. A bread ration was established in January 1917. On 28 June 1917, there was a shortage of potatoes. It became known in the neighborhoods of Amsterdam that there was a ship with potatoes in the Prinsengracht, but these were for the army. In order to feed their families, the working women of the Eastern Islands and the Czar Peter Neighborhood plundered the ship. According to the Councillor Josephus Jitta, there was no overall shortage of food as the workers had an extra supply of rice provided. In the first week of July of that year, the unrest grew and the workers themselves also saw action. Warehouses and shops were looted. The police were powerless and the army acted. The revolt culminated in a battle on 5 July 1917, in which soldiers opened fire on a crowd that had gathered at the Haarlemmerplein. The revolt was beaten. There were nine dead and 114 people wounded.
The food situation deteriorated further in the last year of the war 1918. Many people lived on the brink of starvation and unemployment rose. The Spanish flu epidemic hit and killed thousands of people, weakened as they were by starvation. The armistice on 11 November 1918, came just in time for the Netherlands. For the workers another winter of hunger and cold was prevented, as well as an impending revolution.
|
Riot
| null | null |
Keely Hodgkinson, 19, beats Dame Kelly Holmes’ long-standing British 800m record with silver at Olympics but heartbreak for Great Britain teammate Jemma Reekie
|
News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services.
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
End of dialog window.
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
Keely Hodgkinson claimed a stunning Olympic silver medal in the women’s 800m and beat British legend Dame Kelly Holmes’ national record in the process. The 19-year-old raced with a maturity well beyond her years as she clocked a time of 1:55:88 in Tokyo, eclipsing Holmes time of 1.56.21. It’s Team GB’s first track and field medal of these Games. Hodgkinson told the BBC: “It was so open and I wanted to put it all out there, I’m so happy.
“Kelly Holmes is a legend. I’ve looked up to her and spoken to her in the last couple of days, she’s a lovely person.
“I just have no words. It means so much, and thank you to everyone that has sent messages over the past couple of days.
“If the Olympics had been last year I wouldn’t have been here, but suddenly it’s given me a year to grow and compete with these girls.”
Jemma Reekie came an agonising fourth, despite setting a new personal best of 1.56.90 minutes, after being caught by the USA’s Raevyn Rogers.
Alex Bell also claimed a personal best of 1.55.66 minutes to come seventh.
Hodgkinson, studying criminology at Leeds Beckett University, has gone from virtually unknown at the start to the podium in Tokyo.
In January she ran 1:59.03 in an 800m race in Vienna to become the fastest woman under 20 at the distance indoors.
A month later she became the youngest British European Indoor champion for over 50 years after winning the 800m in Torun.
Hodgkinson is not funded by British Athletics as, amid the coronavirus pandemic, they did not add anyone further onto the World Class Performance Programme in 2020.
Coach Jenny Meadows, who won world bronze in 2009, tweeted a picture of a relaxed Hodgkinson curling her eyelashes in the build-up to underline her composure.
She has been backed by Barrie Wells, a millionaire businessman and philanthropist who has previously helped fund 18 athletes, including Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, to the London 2012 Olympics.
Wells had promised her the chance to drive an Aston Martin if she had made the final.
This service is provided on talkSPORT Ltd's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
|
Break historical records
| null | null |
nzherald.co.nz
|
NZ Herald
A Rolleston-based pest bait manufacturing organisation has been fined $275,000 after an employee was poisoned and nearly lost his life.
Pest Control Research Limited Partnership (PCR) appeared for sentencing in the Christchurch District Court yesterday. In addition to the fine given, a reparation of $8,177 was ordered, and costs of more than $96,600 was awarded to WorkSafe.
The worker spent four weeks in hospital being treated for fluoroacetate poisoning and a further two months recuperating out of hospital.
"His urine fluoroacetate reading was more than 500 times higher than WorkSafe's Biological Exposure Index limit and he was extremely lucky to survive." Head of specialist snterventions Dr Catherine Gardner said.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
The frightful incident happened in May 2019 at PCR, a company which manufactures pest control products including baits containing sodium fluoroacetate (more commonly known as 1080) as the toxic active ingredient.
In 2018 and 2019, PCR was experiencing issues with the ongoing supply of sodium fluoroacetate and set up an internal project codenamed the "Home Brew Project" or "Project X" to manufacture its own supply of the highly toxic substance.
The incident occurred during the first trial production of sodium fluoroacetate when a runaway chemical reaction resulted in a loss of containment.
"Health and safety requirements were not met from the very start of this project and cumulatively designed."
"Fabrication and process errors ultimately resulted in workers being exposed to highly toxic vapour from a failure in the manufacturing process and in PCR's overall safety management systems."
|
Mass Poisoning
| null | null |
2006 Mozambique earthquake
|
The 2006 Mozambique earthquake occurred at 22:19 UTC on 22 February. It had a magnitude of 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale and caused 4 deaths and 36 injuries. The epicenter was near Machaze in Manica Province of southern Mozambique, just north of the Save River. It was the largest historical earthquake in Mozambique and the first earthquake in southern Africa to have an identified surface rupture. [3]
Southern Mozambique is at the southern end of the East Africa Rift system, where the African Plate appears to be breaking into several smaller plates. [4] The Somali Plate is moving westward relative to the Nubian Plate at a rate of several millimetres a year at the latitude of this earthquake. Most earthquakes in this zone are a result of either normal or strike-slip faulting. The earthquake was felt throughout Mozambique and over a wide area of eastern southern Africa, including South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. [4] Close to the epicentre the shaking reached VIII in intensity on the Mercalli intensity scale. [5] In the cities of Beira, Inhambane and Maputo the intensity reached V.
The focal mechanism of the earthquake is consistent with normal faulting on a westerly dipping fault plane. Field investigations identified 15 km of surface rupture in the form of a west-facing scarp, with up to 2.05 m of vertical displacement, although it was not possible to prove the full extent of surface faulting due to lack of time and the presence of minefields. [3] Investigations using Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), combined with field and seismological observations, have identified two fault segments with slightly differing strikes, with the hypocenter and most of the displacement being on the more southerly of the segments. [6]
Little damage was recorded, with only 294 buildings reported as damaged in the area between Espungabera, Beira and Chimoio. [5] A total of four deaths were recorded, one in Espungabera, one in Machaze and two in Beira, with a further thirty-six injured.
|
Earthquakes
| null | null |
2013 European floods
|
Extreme flooding in Central Europe began after several days of heavy rain in late May and early June 2013. Flooding and damages primarily affected south and east German states (Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg), western regions of the Czech Republic (Bohemia), and Austria. In addition, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary were affected to a lesser extent. [5][6] The flood crest progressed down the Elbe and Danube drainage basins and tributaries, leading to high water and flooding along their banks. The spring weather preceding the flooding had been wet in the region, and May 2013 had been one of the three wettest in the last 156 years in Austria, together with the years 1962 and 1965. Austria saw twice as much rainfall as average during the month,[7] resulting in the ground in the region becoming saturated. Soils in Germany were showing record levels of moisture prior to the rains. [8] The already saturated soils led to greater runoff when the rains began. In last ten days of May a low pressure system named "Christoffer" swung up from the Mediterranean across the Black Sea then across Ukraine and Poland to Northern Germany, eventually bringing a very moist, and warm airmass to Central Europe from north-east. [9] Late May saw a blocking high "Sabine" located over the Sole sea area to the west of the UK and France. This split the jet stream over Europe which maintained the weather pattern in Central Europe. Spring and summer flooding in Central Europe is commonly associated with the so-called "Zugstrasse Vb" track of low pressure areas, which bring low pressure and moist air from the Mediterranean Sea over Central Europe, and have led to severe flooding in the affected region before. Though later analysis found this flooding did not fit into this type. [10]
Low pressure areas "Frederik" and "Günther" formed over the northern Adriatic and tracked north towards central Europe. The high pressure "Sabine" and low pressure areas brought an airflow from the north across Germany, which brought the water-laden air from the north east. The air mass was pushed to the south west by the northerly flow, where it was lifted as it moved south from the North European Plain over the Thuringian Forest, Ore Mountains, and Bohemian Forest. The air was then lifted along the north side of the Alps in Austria as the air masses were pushed into the Alps by the northerly flow, which led to intense orographic precipitation. Heavy rain was reported in the Austrian states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol and the area of Salzburg, and to the mountains of Upper Austria and Lower Austria and Upper Styria in a short time. On 30 May to 1 June, 150 to 200 mm of rain (5.9 to 7.9 in of rain) fell, in places reaching around 250 mm (9.8 in), which in just a few days was the equivalent normally seen over two and a half months on average. [11] The rainfall experienced in Austria has an expected return period of between 30 and 70 years. The bulk of the rain fell in only two days in Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg, which is thought to have a return period of more than 100 years. [12]
Following the intense rain, sporadic showers and rainfall continued to raise the risk of further flooding but no rainfall of the intensity as that seen on 31 May-2 June occurred. [13] Some Flash flooding occurred in the Polish capital Warsaw on 9 June, as a result of thunderstorms. [14]
The flood waters were expected to exceed the levels seen during the disastrous "once in a century" Central European floods of 2002 in some areas. In Bavaria and eastern Germany water levels significantly exceeded those of 2002 in many places on the Danube and Elbe. In Passau, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz, the highest water level since 1501 was recorded. In Dresden, by contrast, the old city center was largely spared, unlike in 2002. Thanks to better flood control, fewer dykes on the upper reaches of the Elbe broke than in 2002, but this meant that the flood wave further downstream was all the higher. In Magdeburg, the floods reached a record level. [4]
Stefan Rahmstorf, a professor of ocean physics at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, stated that a low-pressure system that dumped the rain was locked into place by a disturbance with the global wind pattern. Linking the weather to the concurrent drought conditions in Russia, he said pressure systems stay locked in place, causing a persistent pattern of weather in an area. He also stated that this planetary wave resonance is not a local effect but spread around the whole (northern) hemisphere. When a “resonance” episode occurs, half a dozen peaks and troughs of high or low pressure form around the hemisphere. This explains why some parts of the world become unseasonably hot or cold and others unusually dry or rainy. [15]
According to The Inquirer/Agence France-Presse, the resonance hypothesis has been widely discussed among climate scientists, but has met resistance among experts who are wary of associating single extreme-weather events with climate change; the European Environment Agency cautioned that more data were needed to confirm it.
Climate scientists have estimated that the flooding regime, which has prior inflicted severe flooding once every 50 years, to become more frequent, and cause severe flooding once every 30 years. [17] The cost of flooding in the European continent, which currently causes an estimated 4.9 billion Euros of damage per year, is expected to increase to 23.5 billion Euros per year. [18]
The Austrian meteorological center (ZAMG) said Austria had experienced at the beginning of June as much rain in two days as it normally would in two months. [19] Train lines in many parts of northwest Austria were suspended on 1 June due to landslides according to Austrian Federal Railways. The town of Ettenau was evacuated, while one person in Sankt Johann im Pongau near Salzburg was caught in a mudslide and died. [19] Rail services between Munich and the Austrian city of Salzburg also were suspended. [19] One section of a Swiss motorway was shut down due to flooding, along with many smaller roads throughout the country. Swiss officials said water levels were still rising and landslides remained a risk, although the general situation was under control. [19]
The upper areas of the Elbe basin saw heavy rainfall, with the Vltava (Czech Republic) and the Saale (Germany) tributaries flooding. In the Czech capital Prague, floodwaters covered the esplanades along the Vltava, which on 3 June flowed at a rate of 3,200 m3/s (110,000 cu ft/s), compared to the almost 5,000 m3/s (180,000 cu ft/s) in the devastating floods of 2002. [20][21]
Parts of all three city metro lines were closed. The transit authority provided alternative transport in the form of buses and special trams. [22] Heavy machinery was brought in to protect the historic Charles Bridge in the city, as a digger with an extended 17-metre (56 ft) long arm was used to clear debris from accumulating at the bridge. [22] One thousand troops from the Czech Army were called in to help build flood defenses. [21] Fire fighters helped evacuate more than 7,000 people on 2 – 3 June from areas hit by the floods, in the region of central, northern and western Bohemia, including parts of the Czech capital.
|
Floods
| null | null |
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor strike of 1892
|
The Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, labor strike of 1892 erupted in violence when labor union miners discovered they had been infiltrated by a Pinkerton agent who had routinely provided union information to the mine owners. The response to the labor violence, disastrous for the local miners' union, became the primary motivation for the formation of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) the following year. The incident marked the first violent confrontation between the workers of the mines and their owners. Labor unrest continued after the 1892 strike, and surfaced again in the labor confrontation of 1899. Shoshone County, Idaho area miners organized into several local unions during the 1880s. Mine owners responded by forming a Mine Owners' Association. [1] In 1891, the Coeur d'Alene district shipped ore containing US$4.9 million in lead, silver, and gold. [2]
The mine operators got into a dispute with the railroads which had raised rates for hauling ore. Mine operators also introduced hole-boring machines into the mines. The new machines displaced single-jack and double-jack miners, forcing the men into new, lower-paid jobs as trammers or muckers. [3]
Mine operators found a reduction in wages the easiest way to mitigate increased costs. After the machines were installed, the mine owners were going to pay the mine workers $3.00 to $3.50 per day, depending upon their specific jobs.[4]p. 12 The operators also increased miners' work hours from nine to ten hours per day, with no corresponding increase in pay. The work week would be seven days long, with an occasional Sunday off for those who did not have pumping duty. The miners had other grievances; for example, high payments for room and board in company lodging, and check cashing fees at company saloons. [5]
In 1892, the miners declared a strike against the reduction of wages and the increase in work hours. The miners demanded that a "living wage"[4]p. 12 of $3.50 per day[5] be paid to every man working underground—the common laborer as well as the skilled. In an era when many unions were AFL craft unions, in which skilled workers frequently looked after their own kind, this was an unusual circumstance—approximately three thousand higher-paid miners standing up for five hundred[5] lower-paid, in this case common laborers. This principle of industrial unionism would animate Western hardrock miners for the next several decades. When the union miners walked out of the mines, mining company recruiters enticed replacement workers to Coeur d'Alene during the strike. They advertised in Michigan, in some cases touting mining jobs in Montana, mentioning nothing about the strike. Guards were assigned to the trains that transported the men seeking work, and at least some of the workers felt they were in the "custody of the guards. "[6]
Soon every inbound train was filled with replacement workers. But groups of armed, striking miners would frequently meet them, and often threatened the workers to not take the jobs during a strike. [5]
The silver-mine owners responded by hiring Pinkertons and the Thiel Detective Agency agents to infiltrate the union and report on strike activity. [7] Pinkertons and other agents went into the district in large numbers.[4]p. 12
Soon there was a significant security force available to protect new workers coming into the mines. For a time the struggle manifested as a war of words in the local newspapers, with mine owners and mine workers denouncing each other. There were incidents of brawling and arrests for carrying weapons. Two mines settled and opened with union men, and these mine operators were ostracized by other mine owners who did not want the union. But two large mines, the Gem mine and the Frisco mine in Burke-Canyon, were operating full scale. [5]
In July a union miner was killed by mine guards,[8] and the tension between the strikers and the mine owners and their replacement workers grew. The incident marked the first violent confrontation between the workers of the mines and their owners. [5]
An undercover Pinkerton agent, soon-to-be well-known lawman Charlie Siringo, had worked in the Gem Mine as a shoveler. Using the alias Charles Leon Allison, Siringo joined the Gem Miners' Union, and was elected recording secretary, providing him with access to all of the union's books and records. Siringo found the "leaders of the Coeur d'Alene unions to be, as a rule, a vicious, heartless gang of anarchists. "[9][10]
According to Siringo, he had at first turned down the assignment, because his sympathies were with the union. The Pinkerton Agency agreed that he could withdraw from the assignment after he became familiar with the situation, yet Siringo stayed on to complete the one year and two month assignment. Siringo apologized for his work spying on Colorado coal miners, but he never regretted his informant role in the Coeur d'Alene. "[11][10]
Siringo promptly began to report all union business to his employers, allowing the mine owners to outmaneuver the miners on a number of occasions. Strikers planned to attack a train of incoming replacement workers, so the mine owners dropped them off in an unexpected location. When the Gem Union president, Oliver Hughes, ordered Siringo to remove a page from the union record book that recorded plans to flood the mines, the agent mailed that page to the Mine Owners' Association (MOA). George Pettibone also confided in Siringo of a planned July uprising to run the non-union workers and mine owners out of the country, and take possession of the mines for the union workers. [12][9][10]
Siringo was suspected as a spy when the Mine Owners' Association newspaper, the Barbarian, published information which obviously came from a member of the union,[13] but Siringo managed to escape capture and certain death. Siringo's testimony helped convict 18 union leaders, including George Pettibone. [9][10]
On Sunday night, July 10, armed union miners gathered on the hills above the Frisco mine. More union miners were arriving from surrounding communities. Strikers opened fire at 5 am on July 11, 1892, and guards and workers in the mill building returned fire. [14] The guards and strikebreakers inside the mine and mill buildings were prepared for a long standoff, having been warned by Charlie Siringo. Both sides began shooting to kill.
|
Strike
| null | null |
2003 Midwest monkeypox outbreak
|
The 2003 Midwest monkeypox outbreak marked the first time monkeypox infection has appeared in the United States, and the first time in the Western Hemisphere. Beginning in May 2003, by July a total of 71 cases of human monkeypox were found in six Midwestern states including Wisconsin (39 cases), Indiana (16), Illinois (12), Kansas (1), Missouri (2), and Ohio (1). The cause of the outbreak was traced to Gambian pouched rats imported into the United States by an exotic animal importer in Texas. The rats were shipped from Texas to an Illinois distributor, who housed them with prairie dogs. No deaths were reported. No human-to-human transmission was found. All cases involved direct contact with infected prairie dogs. Electron microscopy and testing by polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to confirm the causative agent was human monkeypox. [1][2]
In May, 2003, a three-year-old Wisconsin resident was bitten by a prairie dog purchased from a local pet store. [3] The child was hospitalized after developing fever of unknown origin (103F), swollen eyes, and a red vesicular skin rash. The child's parents also developed a rash, but no other symptoms. [4] Physicians immediately associated the symptoms with the animal bite and reported the case to the Milwaukee Health Department. Testing of both the child and the prairie dog confirmed the monkeypox virus as the causative agent. Between May 15, 2003, when the three-year-old index patient was first diagnosed through June 20, the date of the last patient with a laboratory-confirmed case of monkeypox, a total of 71 people ranging in age from 1 to 51 were infected. On April 9, 2003, a Texas importer received a shipment of 762 African rodents from Accra, Ghana. The shipment included Gambian pouched rats, rope squirrels, tree squirrels, African brush-tailed porcupines, dormice, and striped mice. Of the 762 rodents received, 584 (77%) were shipped to distributors in six states and Japan. The remaining 178 (23%) rodents could not be traced beyond the Texas importer due to lack of documentation. [2]
From April 9, 2003, through June 5, 2003, 584 animals were shipped from the Texas distributor to distributors in Texas (9), New Jersey (1), Iowa (1), Japan (1), Illinois (2), Minnesota (1), and Wisconsin (1). [2]
Illinois distributor number one received Gambian rats and dormice. This distributor housed the rodents with 200 prairie dogs. This distributor shipped prairie dogs to pet stores in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, South Carolina, and Michigan. No human cases of monkeypox were reported in Japan, Michigan, and South Carolina. Laboratory-confirmed cases occurred in Kansas (1), Missouri (2), Indiana (16), Illinois (12), and Wisconsin (22). [2]
Of the 200 prairie dogs housed with the Gambian rats and dormice, 94 tested positive for monkeypox virus, including prairie dogs in pet stores in Wisconsin (44 cases), Indiana (24), Illinois (19), Ohio (4), Kansas (1), Missouri (1), and one case in the eastern seaboard state of New Jersey. The Gambian rats and dormice housed with the prairie dogs at Illinois distributor number one tested positive for monkeypox virus. The most recent incidence of monkeypox prior to the Midwest outbreak occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1996-1997, with a reported 88 cases. [5] No deaths occurred in the Midwest outbreak. This was attributed to the prompt medical care received and the standard of living in the United States, which includes soap, running water, washing machines, sterile dressing materials, and hospital use of universal precautions, including isolation, gown, mask, gloves, and handwashing. [6]
No human-to-human transmission was found during this outbreak. All cases were found to be the direct result of contact with infected prairie dogs. Human-to-human transmission has been reported in Central and West Africa. The onset of the illness among the patients in the United States began in early May 2003. Patients typically experienced fever, headaches, muscle aches, chills, and nonproductive coughs. This was followed 1C10 days later by the development of a generalized papular rash that developed first on the trunk, then limbs and head. The papules evolved through phases of vesiculation, pustulation, umbilication, and crusting. All patients reported direct or close contact with recently acquired prairie dogs. [7]
No direct antiviral treatment for monkeypox is known, only supportive care and prevention of secondary infection. Use of universal precautions in the care of those with the disease has been shown to prevent human-to-human transmission. However, inoculation with the smallpox vaccine has shown to be effective in abating the progression of the disease in those with active infection, and in the prevention of the disease in the general population. In the Midwest outbreak, the CDC issued guidance on the use of smallpox vaccine, Cidofovir, and Vaccinia immune globulin. Twenty-six residents in five states received the smallpox vaccination. This included 24 adults and two children. Among the adults vaccinated were two laboratory workers, before exposure and to 24 persons after exposure (11 health-care workers, seven household contacts, three laboratory workers, two public health veterinarians, and one work contact). One adult who was vaccinated as a child did not have a major vaccine reaction or "take" 7 days after vaccination and required revaccination. [8]
No adverse reactions to the smallpox vaccine were reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. To prevent the monkeypox virus from entering into the United States again, the Centers for Disease Control banned the importation of all African rodents. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also issued orders banning the interstate shipment of prairie dogs and all African rodents.
|
Disease Outbreaks
| null | null |
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 56 crash
|
A Tupolev Tu-134B-3 machine
Azerbaijan Airlines flight 56 was a domestic scheduled flight of Azerbaijan Airlines from Naxçıvan to Baku , on which a Tupolev Tu-134B-3 crashed on December 5, 1995 after an engine failure and a resulting pilot error. 52 people lost their lives in the impact. The Tupolev Tu-134 took off from Naxçıvan at 5:52 p.m. local time (3:52 p.m. CET). The co-pilot piloted the machine on this flight. At a height of 60 meters and at a speed of 317 km / h, the left engine failed. The co-pilot responded with a blow against the left bank , whereupon five seconds later a failure of the right engine was indicated. The captain then took the helm. Due to the action of the co-pilot, however, the master did not know which of the engines had really failed, which is why he gave the instruction to switch off the right engine at a height of 140 meters. The flight engineer tried to react to the drop in performance by switching on the right engine again, but this had already stopped. Eight seconds later, the engineer reported a failure of both engines. At that time, the aircraft was at an altitude of 197 meters and was flying at a speed of 290 km / h. The captain decided to make an emergency landing. The plane crashed into a field four kilometers from the runway. 52 of the 82 people on board died in the impact. The investigation revealed that the left engine failed because it had been in operation for over 30 hours of flight with an unrepaired defect and the crew switched off the wrong engine as a result of the engine failure.
|
Air crash
| null | null |
Massive spending package will reshape American life, if it survives Congress
|
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - President Joe Biden’s big policy promises may be collapsing under their own political weight in Congress. Several moderate Democrats contend leadership’s $3.5-trillion dollar spending plan, tackling issues ranging from child care to climate change, is simply too expensive. Meanwhile, progressives are threatening to hold a bipartisan, $1-trillion infrastructure package hostage until the budget gets the green light. Both measures are likely doomed if Democratic leaders cannot get almost every one of their members on-board. Key senators from Vermont and West Virginia continue to issue hardline ultimatums, representatives from both states say the country can’t afford to come away with nothing. Struggling to save his agenda from warring factions within his own party, President Joe Biden called progressive and moderate Democrats to the White House Wednesday evening. But neither side appears to be blinking, locked in a high-stakes game of political chicken over whether and how to spend trillions on infrastructure and signature social policies. “We can’t afford to have it collapse,” Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said of the infrastructure bill and budget proposal, “then everybody loses, so we actually have to find a way to get to yes here.” Welch helped write a $500-billion slice of Democrats’ $3.5-trillion budget bill as a member of the House’s Energy and Commerce Committee. He briefly broke away from our interview to vote against a Republican counter-proposal, returning to emphasize the need for massive investment in broadband, climate change, health care, child-care and higher education. “Those are some elements that are really important for Vermont and everyday families,” he noted, adding that broadband and climate investments come with a promise of new jobs. Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders and his moderate colleague Joe Manchin are trillions of dollars apart in their respective spending visions. At least publicly, both continue to stand-by their positions and show no signs of yielding. Neither made time to speak with the Gray D.C. Bureau over the last several weeks. Welch insisted middle ground can be found. “The price tag, we’re going to continue to negotiate on,” he said, “but I think we can get to a place where it’s affordable and paid for.” Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) sounded a bemused note at the Democratic in-fighting. “They’re going to have to work this fight out among themselves, when they’re having a shooting contest, don’t get in the middle of it,” he said with a smile. McKinley and his fellow Republicans on Energy and Commerce had next to no input drafting portions of the budget bill. “They’re the majority power, I understand that, I respect that,” he said acknowledging the politics in play. While McKinley characterized the current budget draft as a liberal wishlist, he argued Democrats could get buy-in from Republicans like him if they dramatically scaled back the scope and cost of their proposals. As an example, McKinley said he would work with Democrats to boost renewables and clean up West Virginia’s signature dirty energy sources. He said the proposal Democrats drafted would completely scrub out fossil fuels, crippling the grid and economy. McKinley predicts the Democratic spending plan will fall apart. But, he is betting on the bipartisan infrastructure bill he supports. “It’s going to be calling [progressives’] bluff so to speak,” he said. McKinley mocked those -- in either party -- who would vote against a bill simply to prevent the other side from earning a bipartisan win. Both infrastructure and budget negotiations began months ago. At this point, those looking for a deal have only days to determine what’s truly on the table. Further complicating negotiations, the federal government is rapidly approaching another shutdown and may default on its debts by mid-October. Leaders in both parties say the country can’t afford a self-inflicted financial crisis – and agree on the solution – but so far, Senate Republicans have said they won’t vote for it.
|
Financial Crisis
| null | null |
1986 Men's Hockey World Cup
|
The 1986 Hockey World Cup was the sixth Hockey World Cup men's field hockey tournament. It was held in London, England. The competition was won by Australia, who defeated host nation England 2–1 in the final. [1] West Germany finished third after defeating the Soviet Union. England, as hosts – and also as Olympic bronze medallists – were viewed as having quite a tough group, containing Olympic champions Pakistan, and a highly fancied Dutch side, with the Soviet Union seen as potential dark-horse outsiders. But in the event Pakistan failed badly, winning only a single group match against minnows New Zealand – blaming their poor play on failure to adjust to the AstroTurf surface, used in a major hockey tournament for the first time instead of grass. The Soviets scored surprise victories over both Pakistan and England, leaving England in danger of going out of their own tournament in the group stages: however they recovered to win their final match, against the Dutch. This left England, the USSR and the Netherlands all level on points with four wins and one loss each. England and the Soviets were equal on goal difference as well as points, England being ahead on goals scored: the Dutch unfortunate to be in third thanks to an inferior goal difference to both. In the other group, things were expected to be more straightforward, with West Germany and Australia (Olympic silver medallists and fourth place respectively) being the two favourites. Australia duly topped the group by defeating everybody except the Germans, with whom they drew: the Germans also finished the group undefeated to qualify comfortably in second place, though they also drew with Spain and India. The latter, hockey giants of the past, were nowhere near the same force in the present: in the play-offs for the minor places, India ended up losing both matches, including the 11th–12th place play-off to the otherwise hapless Pakistan. The first semi-final, between England and West Germany, was an absolute classic. A replay of the semi-final of the 1984 Olympic tournament, won 1-0 by the Germans, meant that the English had a score to settle. England dominated most of the first half, but in the end had only one goal to show for it, scored by star centre-forward Sean Kerly. In the second half, the Germans found their form, equalising from a penalty corner, and then going into the lead with a smart strike from their captain, Heiner Dopp. The remainder of the match was end-to-end stuff as England pressed hard for an equaliser. Several times they came close from both open play and penalty corners: shots whizzed past the post, crosses were desperately intercepted, the keeper himself made a few useful saves – but the Germans were themselves dangerous on the breakaway. Fischer thought he had scored a German third from a penalty corner, but it was disallowed as the ball flew dangerously high off his stick: Dopp, too, nearly scored another, but was denied by a last-ditch deflection from England's own captain, Richard Dodds. Finally, in the last minute, with England on the verge of going out, they were awarded a penalty corner, from which Paul Barber scored an equalizer – almost blocked by a German stick, but it deflected into the roof of the net, forcing extra time. The extra period was as thrilling as the last minutes of the main game, both sides going for all-out attack: the game was finally settled by another English penalty corner, from which Barber scored an action-replay of his earlier goal to send England into the final. The second semi-final, after all that, was an anti-climax, Australia hammering the Soviet Union by 5–0. The Soviets made a slightly better fist of the third-place play-off against the Germans, but in the end it was the Germans who clinched third place. The final was also a rematch of sorts – England having defeated Australia in the Olympic third-place play-off, the Aussies were out for revenge. England started slowly, and Terry Walsh scored an early goal to put Australia into a deserved lead. England soon began to find their feet, with some typically mazy dribbles by Imran Sherwani threatening the Australian lines: but another goal soon followed for the Australians, this time against the run of play, from a penalty corner. This goal was in fact briefly disputed by England, who claimed that the shot had flown too high, above the back board of the net: but the referee ruled that it had brushed the goalkeeper's glove on the way, so the "too high" was counted as a deflection off an English player rather than a straight hit from the Australian scorer, and England were 2-0 behind at half-time. The second half was a more scrappy affair – England by and large having the greater amount of possession, but unable to create any significant chances against a well-drilled Australian defensive line. Late on in the game, a defensive error finally allowed Jon Potter in to score, but it was too little, too late: Australia hung on for a 2–1 victory. Australia
Neil Snowden, John Bestall, Craig Davies, David Bell (capt), Warren Birmingham, Treva King, Grant Mitton (sub Dean Evans), Colin Batch, Terry Walsh, Ric Charlesworth, Neil Hawgood (sub Peter Haselhurst)
England
Ian Taylor, David Faulkner, Paul Barber, Jon Potter, Richard Dodds (capt), Martyn Grimley, Stephen Batchelor (sub Kulbir Bhaura), Richard Leman (sub John Shaw), Sean Kerly, Norman Hughes, Imran Sherwani
As per statistical convention in field hockey, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws. There were 146 goals scored in 42 matches, for an average of 3.48 goals per match. 7 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
|
Sports Competition
| null | null |
Golden Age Nursing Home fire
|
The Golden Age Nursing Home fire took place soon after 4:45 am on November 23, 1963, a mile north of Fitchville, Ohio, United States, killing 63 residents. The fire, which was featured in the 2006 documentary Fireland by Justin Zimmerman, has largely been forgotten since it was overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which had occurred in Dallas, Texas on the previous day (November 22). The fire was the United States' deadliest blaze since the December 1958 fire at Chicago's Our Lady of the Angels School that killed 95 people. It also marked the second fire in less than a week involving the elderly, following the November 18 disaster that claimed 25 people at the Surfside Hotel in Atlantic City. The L-shaped, concrete block, one-story, 186-by-65 foot building had passed inspection the previous March. The original building was constructed by cement blocks on slab foundation with a flat wood roof covered by paper and tar. Interior renovations were made initially in 1953 to convert it into a nursing home, with the lobby being constructed in 1955. [1] The facility also had a 2-room addition that was made of wood, aluminum siding and plywood paneling. Twenty-two residents lived in the addition. In late 1962, patients who were not considered mentally ill had been transferred there after being removed from the Cleveland State Hospital. The blaze began so quickly that an attempt to call the local fire department proved fruitless when the facility's telephone wires were burned. [2] A truck driver, Henry Dahman, who was passing through the rural area between Cleveland and Toledo when he saw sparks on the north end of the roof coming from arcing electric wires that had sagged through the pine trees in the front lawn. Dahman found a member of the staff, and the men attempted to phone for help and discovered the phone lines in the building were down. [3] They quickly brought local officials, but strong winds helped to envelop the one-story building in flames. A female attendant noticed the fire shortly before 5:00 am, after investigating a flash of light through the main entrance doors and thought it might have been a car. Upon looking out the window she noticed flames at the eaves at the corner of the lobby section where the building's electrical service entered. [4]
Two other truck drivers also helped bring out residents from the facility. One of the patients who was ambulatory managed to evacuate himself and three others out an exit, but stated later the smoke was so thick he only got out as he knew where the exit door was. [4] By the time firefighters arrived at the building around 10 minutes after the first call, the building was engulfed by flames from one end to the other. [2] When the firefighters responded to the scene the fire was burning so hot that the tar on the roof began to boil and fall onto the ground near rescuers. [5]
The building's owner, Robert W. Pollack, indicated that many of the residents could have been saved had they not panicked. "Instead of going out the doors, they went back to their beds," said Pollack. However, the facility had an undivided attic and no automatic sprinkler system. It had three portable fire extinguishers but no local manual fire alarm. It was also reported that some of the deceased victims were restrained to their beds, or trapped in wheelchairs that were too wide to exit the rooms properly. [2]
The three employees who were present and 21 residents survived, about 2/3 of the survivors were invalids and some had suffered burns and smoke inhalation. [3]
Thirty-five of the homes thirty-six mental patients died during the blaze and many were so burned that identification was done based on the bed registration of the bed they were found in. [3] Before any bodies were removed in the aftermath, each was numbered and the location was recorded on a chart, then from memory attendants and the manager identified the bodies due to location discovered. [4] During the recovery of remains firefighters were told to spray the occupied metal beds holding remains lightly so that the remains would not be damaged. At least one set of remains was identified to have restraints still fastened to her arms. [5] The remains of 21 residents not claimed by family members were buried in a single gravesite on November 29. Due to the large amount of lives lost, Ohio Governor James A Rhodes directed that the investigation be more intensive than usual, and for it to be headed by State Fire Marshal Fred Rice. The investigation continued through December 30, 1963 and required more than 3,300 man-hours and 100 people were questioned, including 39 firemen and police officers. The investigation concluded that the existence of a documented evacuation plan and familiarity with the plan by aides on duty would have saved more lives. [1]
The event was recounted in a three-page story entitled "Golden Years" by cartoonist Sharon Rudahl in Corporate Crime Comics #1, published by Kitchen Sink Press in 1977. [6]
|
Fire
| null | null |
U.S. Set to Withdraw from UN Human Rights Council
|
The United States is expected to confirm today that it has decided to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The move is not surprising, despite weeks of negotiations to reform the council and address its anti-Israel bias. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley are scheduled to address the media on the subject at 5:00 p.m. today. The Trump administration has long been at odds with the so-called Human Rights Council over its rabid anti-Israel bias. In an article written last year for the Washington Post, Haley signaled that the United States was becoming weary with the rank hypocrisy of the council. It’s not yet clear whether the United States will completely withdraw from the group or maintain some oversight presence. “The council must end its practice of wrongly singling out Israel for criticism,” Haley wrote. “When the council passes more than 70 resolutions against Israel, a country with a strong human rights record, and just 7 resolutions against Iran, a country with an abysmal human rights record, you know something is seriously wrong.” The 47-member Human Rights Council began a new session on Monday in Geneva, with the head of the council taking the Trump administration to task over the policy of separating the children of illegal immigrants from their parents at the border. “The thought that any state would seek to deter parents by inflicting such abuse on children is unconscionable,” said Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, a Jordanian prince and the current head of the council. Haley fired back at the council in a statement: “Once again, the United Nations shows its hypocrisy by calling out the United States while it ignores the reprehensible human rights records of several members of its own Human Rights Council.” Many of the council’s member states are among the worst abusers of human rights. Among the council’s membership are 14 nations — Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, China, Cuba, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela — deemed “not free” by the watchdog group Freedom House. In October of last year, Pakistan was elected to the council despite being publicly chastened by the same council in March of last year over human-rights violations. The current Human Rights Council was formed in 2006 out of the ashes of what was once the UN Commission on Human Rights. The latter group was roundly criticized and disbanded because so many of its member governments had terrible human-rights records. Sound familiar? So, the UNHRC has a credibility problem, to say the least. When the current council was formed, the Bush administration chose not to participate in the group, citing the fact that so many human-rights abusers were allowed a seat on the new council. President Obama reversed this decision in 2009. Since 2006, the UN Human Rights Council has time and time again criticized Israel, while ignoring the thousands of Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel. They have failed to address attacks by Hezbollah against Israel. They have even hosted a Hamas politician to speak at an event in 2012. The expected U.S. withdrawal from the council is the latest in a series of Trump administration decisions to remove the United States from bad or unnecessary agreements and affiliations — his “America first” policy. In June of last year, the president announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. In January, Trump penned an executive order removing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and last month, he withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal. Withdrawing from these spineless agreements and pointless associations such as the UNHRC is a good start. The participation of the United States in such a group lends credibility to it. But unless the group is fair and impartial in dealing with human rights, it shouldn’t have such authority. Perhaps in time, this president will see that the United Nations itself is a dangerous association that the United States doesn’t need. Photo of UN Human Rights Council meeting room: AP Images James Murphy is a freelance journalist who writes on a variety of subjects with a primary focus on the ongoing anthropogenic climate-change hoax and cultural issues. He can be reached at jcmurphyABR@mail.com The U.S. military covered up a 2019 airstrike against an Islamic State camp in Syria that potentially killed dozens of women and children... As the United States pulled out of Afghanistan in September, Biden personally told the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, to send unvetted... There is no question that the way America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan was executed was an absolute disaster and an embarrassment for the United... The New American magazine, published twice a month in print and daily online, is the essential news source for freedom-loving Americans.
|
Withdraw from an Organization
| null | null |
In major boost to Morocco’s position, Western powers join US in ‘African Lion’ exercise in Western Sahara
|
RABAT – The “African Lion 2021” exercise held in Morocco including the Western Sahara reflected Rabat’s success in expanding the circle of international recognition of its sovereignty over the Western Sahara, especially since this exercise is taking place with the participation of major Western powers, including the United States and Britain, analysts say. The Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony, mostly under the control of Morocco which considers it part and parcel of its national territory and refers to it as the “Moroccan Sahara”. Tensions with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front have simmered since the 1970s over the issue. The US Republican administration announced last December its recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory. On Monday, Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine Othmani said that the inclusion of the Saharan region in the “African Lion 2021” exercise, the largestin Africa, is the culmination of the American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty of the Western Sahara. “Part of the exercise will take place for the first time in the Moroccan Sahara in the Mahbas region and near Dakhla, the region’s largest city,” Othmani stress He explained that the exercise organised by the American Military Command in Africa (AFRICOM) will continue on June 7-8, with the participation of eight countries, namely the United States, Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Tunisia and Senegal and will see the participation of about 10,000 soldiers from the eight countries and observers from 21 other countries. Mohamed el-Tayyar, a researcher in strategic and security studies, said that the organisation of the exercise in the Mahbas area, close to the Algerian border, as well as in the city of Dakhla at the far end of the Western Sahara, is a clear indication that the United States will stand by Morocco in its struggle with the opponents of its territorial integrity. Talking to The Arab Weekly, Tayyar added that the African Lion’s manoeuvres this year are different from previous exercises. “It comes in special political circumstances represented by the American recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara, and it also constitutes an exceptional turning point in the field of security and military cooperation between the United States and Morocco.” He pointed out that the exercise sends a message to the country’s neighbours, especially Algeria and Spain, highlighting the strength and resilience of the strategic cooperation between Morocco and the United States. He called on Algeria, Spain and Germany to “reexamine strategic developments and steer away from their hostility to Moroccan territorial integrity.” Major General Andrew M. Rohling, Deputy Commanding General for Africa and US Army Southern European Task Force-Africa Commander, described the “African Lion 21” military exercise as “a great opportunity to strengthen one of the oldest strategic relationships of the United States”, namely with Morocco, he said. The first operation of the “African Lion 2021” took place in the regions of Tafnit and the attached base of Lanzgan, where Special Forces exercises have already begun, according to the “Far Maroc” forum specialising in Royal Moroccan Armed Forces news. US forces have installed a mobile command centre in the middle of the Lanzgan military airport as part of an operational command exercise. The “African Lion” exercise was agreed on in 2002 between the US Marines “Marines” and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. The military exercise itself was launched in 2003 bringing the two countries together along with other partner nations seeking to enhance military inter-operability and cooperation. For the first time in years, Spain will not participate this year amid the ongoing crisis between Rabat and Madrid over Spain’s welcoming of Polisario leader Ibrahim Ghali for medical treatment under a false identity, which deeply angered Morocco. The “Far Maroc” forum stated that the participation of the Spanish forces would have been modest and limited to operations in the cities of Tefnit and Tan-Tan. The Spanish Ministry of Defence cited financial reasons for not participating in the exercise, while Spanish newspapers attributed this absence to the fact that Madrid does not want its participation to be construed as a formal Spanish recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed areas.
|
Military Exercise
| null | null |
Survey details ‘catastrophic’ impact of school closures across India
|
A teacher gives a lesson inside a classroom at a government school, in New Delhi. Photo used for representation purpose only. | Photo Credit: Reuters The prolonged closure of primary and upper primary schools during the pandemic months has led to “catastrophic consequences” for school students, particularly in rural India, says an emergency report. Based on the School Children’s Online and Offline Learning (SCHOOL) survey conducted by researchers, who worked in coordination with eminent economist Jean Dreze, the ‘Emergency Report on School Education’ says that only 8% of school students in rural India have been able to access online education, while at least 37% have stopped studying altogether. “The SCHOOL survey makes it clear that the reach of online education is very limited: the proportion of school children who were studying online “regularly” was just 24% and 8% in urban and rural areas respectively. One reason for this is that many sample households (about half in rural areas) have no smartphone,” found the survey that was conducted by around 100 volunteers across India. The report covered 1,362 sample households spread across 15 States including Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The survey also found that the Dalit and Adivasi children were at a greater disadvantage as a mere 5% of the children from these groups had access to online classes. According to the findings, access to online education among students in those houses with smartphones is also handicapped by the fact that the smartphones are mainly used by the working adults who are not always able to share the gadgets with the school going children at home. Another casualty of the prolonged closure of schools has been the relation between the teachers and students in both urban and rural sectors with 51% of the respondents in the urban areas and 58% in rural India saying that they had not met teachers during the month preceding the survey. Researchers also found that there have been many teachers who went out of their comfort zones to help students during the 17 month closure of schools. In addition to education, the closure most importantly affected the level of nutrition among the children in rural schools where the mid day meals have been stopped. “Midday meals have been discontinued in all the sample States with the closure of schools. Among parents with a child enrolled in a government school, about 80% reported receiving some food (mainly rice or wheat) during the preceding 3 months as a substitute for their child’s midday meals,” stated the report about the condition of midday meals in the surveyed States. Most parents surveyed have supported reopening of the schools at the earliest. Ten percent of the parents in urban areas had some hesitation in sending their children to school but overall 97% of parents supported reopening of schools. The report said the prolonged school lockdown, one of the longest in the world, has led to a “colossal disaster”. “It will take years of patient work to repair this damage. Reopening schools is just the first step, still being debated. In fact, even preparations for that first step (such as repairing school buildings, issuing safety guidelines, training teachers, enrolment drives) are virtually invisible in many States,” said the researchers.
|
Organization Closed
| null | null |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.