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Massive, Army-led NATO exercise Defender Europe kicks off

One of the largest U.S.-Army led military exercises in decades has kicked off and will run until June, with 28,000 total troops from 27 nations taking part. Defender Europe 2021 will include “nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas” in a dozen countries. The exercise is the deployment of a division-size force from the United States to Europe, pulling equipment from Army prepositioned stocks, then moving personnel and equipment across the theater to multiple training areas. Last year’s exercise was planned to be the largest NATO exercise in Europe in 25 years but had to be scaled back due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, U.S. and allied forces managed to conduct some of the planned drills and joint exercises. This year’s wider-ranging exercise will include COVID restrictions and monitoring but will span the Balkans and the Black Sea region and use key ground and maritime routes that bridge Europe, Asia and Africa, according to a U.S. Army Europe and Africa statement. “While we are closely monitoring the COVID situation, we’ve proven we have the capability to train safely despite the pandemic. No matter what, our nations count on our forces being ready to defend the peace,” said Gen. Christopher Cavoli, U.S. Army Europe and Africa commanding general. The multi-faceted, months-long exercise provides the United States and allies a showcase event for crisis response, Cavoli said. The U.S. Air Force and Navy will see an increased role in this previously largely Army affair. Planners are incorporating “new or high-end capabilities,” which include air and missile defense assets, capabilities from the Army’s Security Force Assistance Brigades and V Corps, which was recently reactivated. Of the 28,000 total participants, an estimated 2,100 are coming from the Army National Guard and another 800 from the Army Reserve. Equipment and personnel begin flowing this month from the United States to Europe. Next month units will draw from prepositioned stocks of gear in the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. Defender Europe 21 acts as an overarching, umbrella-like operation that includes several exercises that run from early May to June, including: There are two large-scale training events also running under Defender-Europe 21 this year:

Military Exercise

2015 FIL Women's U-19 World Lacrosse Championship

The 2015 FIL Rathbones Women's U-19 World Lacrosse Championship was the sixth FIL Women's Under-19 World Lacrosse Championship, an international field lacrosse tournament that is held every four years and is sponsored by the Federation of International Lacrosse. It took place from 23 July to 1 August 2015 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The games were played at the University of Edinburgh – Peffermill Playing Fields. The Canadian team won its first world championship at this event in defeating the United States in the final. Fifteen nations were set to participate in the championship; however the Haudenosaunee Nationals team withdrew on the eve of the tournament, due to issues regarding the acceptance of their national passport by UK authorities. [1] The fourteen participating teams were placed in three groups. After playing a round-robin, all five teams from Pool A advanced to the championship round along with the top three seeded teams from Pools B and C. The remaining six teams in Pools B and C competed in the Platinum Division for placings nine through fourteen. All times are local (UTC+1). All times are local (UTC+2). The final standings of the tournament according to the FIL:

Sports Competition

2011 Wollongong floods

The 2011 Wollongong floods, beginning in March 2011, were a series of floods occurring throughout Wollongong and the Illawarra regions of New South Wales, Australia. The floods were the result of a storm cell covering most of the southern regions of the state and torrential rain in suburban Sydney and nearby regional areas. Sixteen pre-school children and their carers were rescued at Jamberoo by the State Emergency Service. [1] Albion Park received 63 millimetres (2.5 in) of rain in the hour leading up to 1 pm on 21 March 2011. [1] A man, presumed to be in his forties, was found dead 150 kilometres (93 mi) east from a stormwater bridge as torrential rain continued fall across the Illawarra on 21 March. Dozens of people were rescued as highways were shut and trains suspended until the waters subsided. [1][2] The Bureau of Meteorology issued flash flood warnings for the South Coast, Riverina, Illawarra, South West Slopes, Snowy Mountains and Southern Tablelands, with heavy rain expected to continue. [1][3] In the first 48 hours of the flood (20–21 March) 160 millimetres (6.3 in) of rain has fallen in Wollongong. Robertson in the Southern Highlands recorded the state's highest rainfall on 21 March with 83 millimetres (3.3 in) equalling the March record for 2003. [2] The Princes Highway was closed around Station Street, Albion Park and at Kiama after a tree fell and blocked the road. The Southern Freeway was closed at Berkeley and the Illawarra Highway was also closed. [3]

Floods

United Airlines Flight 175 crash

United Airlines Flight 175 was a domestic passenger flight that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The flight's scheduled plan was from Logan International Airport, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles, California. The Boeing 767-200 aircraft was deliberately crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing all 65 people aboard and an unconfirmed number in the building's impact zone. Approximately thirty minutes into the flight, the hijackers forcibly breached the cockpit and overpowered the captain and first officer, allowing lead hijacker and trained pilot Marwan al-Shehhi to take over the controls. Unlike Flight 11, whose transponder was turned off, Flight 175's transponder was visible on New York Center's radar, which depicted the aircraft's deviation from its assigned flight path for four minutes before air traffic controllers took notice at 08:51 EDT. Thereafter, they made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the cockpit. Unbeknownst to the hijackers, several passengers and crew members aboard made phone calls to family members and relayed information regarding the hijackers and casualties suffered by passengers and crew. The aircraft crashed into Tower Two (the South Tower) of the World Trade Center at 09:03. The Flight 175 hijacking was coordinated with that of American Airlines Flight 11, which struck the upper floors of Tower One (the North Tower) 17 minutes earlier. The crash of Flight 175 into the South Tower was the only impact televised live around the world. The crash and subsequent fire caused the South Tower to collapse 56 minutes later at 09:59, resulting in hundreds of additional casualties. During the recovery effort at the World Trade Center site, workers uncovered and identified remains from some Flight 175 victims, but many other body fragments could not be identified. The flight was hijacked as part of the September 11 attacks. The team was assembled by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who also provided the financial and logistical support, and was led by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who devised the plot. Bin Laden and Mohammed, along with the hijackers, were motivated by anti-US sentiment. The attacks were given the go ahead by bin Laden in late 1998 or early 1999. The World Trade Center was chosen as one of the targets due to it being a prominent American symbol that represented economic prowess. [1] The team of hijackers on United Airlines Flight 175 was led by Marwan al-Shehhi, originally from the United Arab Emirates with a stint in Hamburg, Germany as a student. By January 2001, the pilot hijackers had completed their training;[1] Shehhi obtained a commercial pilot licence while training in South Florida, along with American Airlines Flight 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta and Flight 93 hijacker Ziad Jarrah. The hijackers on Flight 175 included Fayez Banihammad, also from the UAE, and three Saudis: brothers Hamza al-Ghamdi and Ahmed al-Ghamdi, as well as Mohand al-Shehri. [citation needed] The hijackers were trained at an al-Qaeda camp called Mes Aynak in Kabul, Afghanistan, where they learned about weapons and explosives, followed by training in Karachi, Pakistan, where they learned about "Western culture and travel". Afterwards, they went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for exercises in airport security and surveillance. Part of the training in Malaysia included boarding flights operated by US carriers so they could observe pre-boarding security screenings, flight crew movements around the cabin, and the timing of cabin services. [1] A month before the attacks, Marwan al-Shehhi purchased two four-inch pocket knives from a Sports Authority store in Boynton Beach, Florida, while Banihammad bought a two-piece "snap" utility knife set at a Wal-Mart, and Hamza al-Ghamdi bought a Leatherman Wave multi-tool. [2][3] The hijackers arrived in Boston from Florida between 7 and 9 September. [4] The flight was operated by a Boeing 767-200, registration number N612UA, built and delivered to United Airlines in February 1983,[5][6] with capacity of 168 passengers (10 in first class, 32 in business class, and 126 in economy class). On the day of the attacks, the flight carried only 56 passengers and 9 crew, which represented a 33 percent load factor – well below the average load factor of 49 percent in the three months preceding September 11. [3] The nine crew members included Captain Victor Saracini (51), First Officer Michael Horrocks (38), purser Kathryn Laborie, and flight attendants Robert Fangman, Amy Jarret, Amy King, Alfred Marchand, Michael Tarrou, and Alicia Titus. [7] Hamza al-Ghamdi and Ahmed al-Ghamdi checked out of their hotel and called a taxi to take them to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. [8] They arrived at the United Airlines counter in Terminal C at 06:20 Eastern Time and Ahmed al-Ghamdi checked in two bags. Both hijackers indicated they wanted to purchase tickets, even though they already had paper tickets, which were purchased approximately 2 weeks before the attacks. [1] They had trouble answering the standard security questions, so the counter agent repeated the questions very slowly until satisfied with their responses. [3][9] Hijacker pilot Marwan al-Shehhi checked in a single bag at 06:45, and the other remaining hijackers, Fayez Banihammad and Mohand al-Shehri, checked in at 06:53; Banihammad checked two bags. [3] None of the Flight 175 hijackers were selected for extra scrutiny by the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS). [10] Shehhi and the other hijackers boarded Flight 175 between 07:23 and 07:28. Banihammad boarded first and sat in first class seat 2A, while Mohand al-Shehri was in seat 2B. At 07:27, Shehhi and Ahmed al-Ghamdi boarded and sat in business class seats 6C and 9D, respectively. One minute later, Hamza al-Ghamdi boarded and sat in 9C. [3][10] The flight was scheduled to depart at 08:00 for Los Angeles. Fifty-one passengers and the five hijackers boarded the 767 through Terminal C's Gate 19. The plane pushed back at 07:58 and took off at 08:14 from runway 9,[3][11] about the same time Flight 11 was hijacked. By 08:33, the aircraft reached cruising altitude of 31,000 feet, which is the point when cabin service would normally begin. [3] At 08:37, air traffic controllers asked the pilots of Flight 175 whether they could see American Airlines Flight 11. The crew responded that Flight 11 was at 29,000 feet, and controllers instructed Flight 175 to turn and avoid the aircraft. [12] The pilots declared that they had heard a suspicious transmission from Flight 11 upon takeoff. "Sounds like someone keyed the mic and said 'Everyone, stay in your seats'," the flight crew reported. This was the last transmission from Flight 175. [13][11] Flight 175 was hijacked between 08:42 and 08:46, while Flight 11 was just minutes away from hitting the North Tower. [3] It is believed that hijackers Banihammad and al-Shehri forcibly entered the cockpit and attacked the pilots while the al-Ghamdis commanded passengers and crew to the aft of the cabin and Shehhi took over the controls. [11][14] Knives were used to stab the flight crew and kill both pilots.

Air crash

Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crash

Delta Air Lines Flight 191 was a regularly scheduled Delta Air Lines domestic service from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles with an intermediate stop at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). On August 2, 1985, the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar operating Flight 191 encountered a microburst while on approach to land at DFW. The aircraft impacted ground over one mile (1.6 km) short of the runway, struck a car near the airport, collided with two water tanks and disintegrated. The crash killed 137 people and injured 26 others. [a] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the crash resulted from the flight crew's decision to fly through a thunderstorm, the lack of procedures or training to avoid or escape microbursts, and the lack of hazard information on wind shear. The aircraft was a Lockheed L-1011-385-1 TriStar (registration number N726DA). [4]:1 It was delivered to Delta on February 28, 1979, and the airline had operated it continuously since that date. [4]:93 Three Rolls-Royce RB211-22B engines powered the aircraft. [7] The crew consisted of three flight crew members, and eight cabin crew members. Out of the 11 crew members, only three flight attendants survived the crash. [4] The captain, Edward N. (Ted) Connors Jr., age 57, had been a Delta Air Lines employee since 1954. He qualified to captain the TriStar in 1979 and had passed his proficiency checks. [4] The NTSB report mentioned that past flight crews who had flown with Connors prior to the accident described him as a meticulous pilot who strictly adhered to company policies. [4] The report also stated that Connors "deviated around thunderstorms even if other flights took more direct routes" and "willingly accepted suggestions from his flight crew. "[4] Since his qualification in 1979, Connors had passed all eight en route inspections that he had undergone; The NTSB report also notes that he had received "favorable comments" regarding "cockpit discipline and standardization". [4] Connors had logged over 29,300 hours of flight time, 3,000 of which had been in the TriStar. [4] Flight 191's first officer was Rudolph P. (Rudy) Price Jr., age 42, had been a Delta Air Lines employee since 1970. [4]:92 Delta captains who flew with Price described him as an "above average first officer" and possessing "excellent knowledge" of the TriStar. [4]:7 Price had logged 6,500 flight hours, including 1,200 in the TriStar. [4] The flight engineer, Nicholas N. (Nick) Nassick, age 43, had been a Delta Air Lines employee since 1976. he had logged 6,500 hours of flight time, including 4,500 in the TriStar. [4][8][9] Fellow Delta employees described him as "observant, alert, and professional. "[4] Connors had served with the U.S. Navy from 1950 to 1954 and fought in two tours in the Korean War. Price had served with the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1970 and fought in four tours in the Vietnam War. Nassick had served with the U.S. Air Force from 1963 to 1976 and fought in four tours in the Vietnam War. The pilots were based in Atlanta, the flight attendants were Miami/Ft. Lauderdale based. Of the 152 passengers aboard, 128 were killed in the crash. Twelve of the 24 survivors were seated in a cluster near the tail of the aircraft. [10] The NTSB report lists 126 passenger fatalities rather than 128, but notes that two of the passengers listed as survivors died more than 30 days after the crash, on September 13[11] and October 4, 1985. [a] Of the dead, 73 originated from the Miami metropolitan area. Of them, 45 were from Broward County, 19 were from Palm Beach County, and nine were from Dade County. [12][13] One of the passengers was Don Estridge, known to the world as the father of the IBM PC; he died aboard the flight along with his wife,[14] two IBM summer interns, four IBM employees from the IBM Branch Office in Burbank, CA, and six additional family members of IBM employees. [15] Flight 191 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, with a scheduled stop at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The flight departed Fort Lauderdale on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan at 14:10 Central Daylight Time (UTC−05:00). [4]:1[16][c] The flight's dispatch weather forecast for DFW stated a "possibility of widely scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. "[4]:1 Another dispatch weather alert warned of "an area of isolated thunderstorms ... over Oklahoma and northern and northeastern Texas. "[4]:1 The flight crew reviewed these notices before takeoff. As the aircraft flew past New Orleans, Louisiana, a weather formation near the Gulf Coast strengthened. The flight crew decided to deviate from the intended route to make the more northerly Blue Ridge arrival to DFW. [4]:2 The flight held for 10–15 minutes over the Texarkana, Arkansas VORTAC. At 17:35, the crew received an Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) broadcast for weather on approach to DFW, and the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) air traffic controller cleared the flight to the Blue Ridge, Texas VORTAC and instructed the flight to descend to 25,000 feet (7,600 m). [4]:2,99 At 17:43:45, the Fort Worth ARTCC controller cleared the flight down to 10,000 feet (3,000 m). [4]:2 The controller suggested they fly a heading of 250° toward the Blue Ridge approach, but Captain Connors replied that the route would take them through a storm cell, stating, "I'd rather not go through it, I'd rather go around it one way or the other. "[4]:2 After a brief exchange, the controller gave the flight a new heading. [4]:2 At 17:46:50, the controller cleared the flight direct to Blue Ridge and instructed the flight crew to descend to 9,000 feet (2,700 m). The captain expressed his relief that the controller did not send them on the original trajectory. [4]:2 At 17:51:19, the second officer commented, "Looks like it's raining over Fort Worth. "[4]:114 At 17:51:42, the Fort Worth ARTCC controller transferred the flight to DFW Airport Approach Control, which cleared the flight to descend to 7,000 feet (2,100 m). [4]:2 Two minutes later, the controller asked the Delta flight to deviate by ten degrees and to slow their airspeed to 180 knots (210 mph; 330 km/h). The flight acknowledged the request.

Air crash

2018 Derry riots

The 2018 Derry riots were riots and civil disturbances taking place in Derry, Northern Ireland from 8 July 2018, before the Protestant Orange Order parade. It was the first 12 July parade to take place in Derry for five years. Violence broke out in the republican Bogside area in what has been called the worst in the city in "decades". The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has blamed the New IRA group for trying to kill police officers. Riot police fired plastic baton rounds, whilst at least 70 petrol bombs have been thrown at them. The riots have been condemned by senior leaders, including Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald who attended a "not in my name" rally. An Ulster Unionist Party MLA has claimed that the republican rioters are "using children" to blame the PSNI for the violence. Violence linked to the riots overspilled in other parts of Northern Ireland. On 13 July, the house of Gerry Adams in west Belfast was attacked with a home-made bomb. Adams survived injury and claimed that his two grandchildren were standing at the doorway only ten minutes before the blast at 10:50 pm. The house of another republican in Belfast, Bobby Storey, was also attacked the same day. However, no casualties were reported in either of the attacks. On 20 July, the New IRA claimed responsibility for gun and bomb attacks at police during the disturbances in Derry. [8]

Riot

Beijing suspends China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue

China's government has announced it is indefinitely suspending all activities under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue – the first formal freeze of a diplomatic mechanism since relations between the two countries soured. Analysts say the move, by China's main planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, is likely retaliation for the federal government's recent announcement that it was tearing up two Belt and Road agreements between Beijing and Victoria. In a statement, the commission accused Australia of unfairly targeting China. "Recently, some Australian Commonwealth government officials launched a series of measures to disrupt the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia out of Cold War mindset and ideological discrimination," the commission said. However the decision is likely to have little practical impact on Australia. The last China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue was held back in 2017, when then-trade minister Steve Ciobo travelled to Beijing for talks. But the bilateral relationship has deteriorated since then, and took an even sharper dive last year after Canberra called for an international inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting trade reprisals from Beijing. All high-level ministerial communications have now been effectively frozen by China's government. Analyst Jeffrey Wilson, from the Perth USAsia Centre, said Beijing's decision to suspend the dialogue was an "act of pure symbolism" with "zero substantive effect". "The Strategic Economic Dialogue has been in abeyance for nearly four years; not to mention the fact that official interactions across the board have been wholly suspended by the Chinese side since April 2020," he said. "It is an act of pure symbolism, reflecting China's need for some kind of 'tit-for-tat' retaliation against Australia. "Specifically, it retaliates against the cancellation of Victoria's two [Belt and Road Initiative memorandums of understanding], and the announcement of another review of the Darwin Port lease".  Mr Wilson said the announcement might also indicate that China had "run out of ammunition" to aim at Australia. "China has placed sanctions against practically all major Australian exporters that it can, bilateral investment has collapsed, and intergovernmental discussions are non-existent. "By going thermonuclear in 2020, China now has no substantive forms of leverage over Australia, and has to resort to largely meaningless acts of symbolism." Monash University economy professor Heling Shi also played down the economic impact of the announcement. "I think China still needs Australia's iron ore. China's economy is recovering, and to a huge extent, China still relies on iron ore from Australia, so the economic activities won't stop," he told the ABC. Professor Shi said the framework was designed to discuss macroeconomic collaboration policies and strategies between China and Australia, but it did not cover all economic and trade events held by both countries. Take a look back at some of the key diplomatic flashpoints between China and Australia in 2020, and where things might be heading in the new year. The term of "indefinite suspension" was also "flexible", Professor Shi said. "The so-called 'indefinite suspension' is a flexible term. From the Chinese government's perspective, it depends on Australian governments following actions. "If the Australian federal government changes their current policy [to China], then the dialogue can be reinstated immediately," he said. He also agreed the move was retaliation for Australia's decision to scrap Victoria's Belt and Road agreements, as well as the government's move to review the lease of Darwin Port to a Chinese company. Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the decision was "regrettable" and said Australia's trade with China could not be on Beijing's terms alone. But he also said the episode highlighted the importance of building relations with other major powers in the region, accusing the government of damaging ties with India by bungling the announcement of its ban on travel from the country. "What's also regrettable is that the government says it wants to have better relations with countries including the Quad and that of course includes the US, Japan and India [as well as Australia]," he said. "If anyone thinks our relations with India have been improved in the last week, then they're kidding themselves." But the Australia China Business Council warned the announcement could still hurt trade between the two countries, calling it "a new low in the relationship". "Some commentators are describing Beijing's announcement as largely symbolic with little immediate impact on trade. This misses the point," the ACBC said in a statement. "Business and consumers in China take their cues from Beijing and there is no disguising the parlous state of the political relationship with Australia. This will have an impact over time as business and consumers look elsewhere." Additional reporting by Wing Kuang 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)

Tear Up Agreement

Hitrino train derailment

On 10 December 2016, a freight train derailed, exploded and caught fire in the village of Hitrino in Shumen Province, Bulgaria, killing at least seven people and injuring 29 others. At 05:37 local time (03:37 UTC) on 10 December 2016,[2] a Bulmarket freight train travelling from Burgas to Ruse derailed in Hitrino, Shumen Province, Bulgaria. The company specialises in transport of fuels over rail and road. Two of the waggons, which were carrying propane-butane and propylene, struck a power line pole, exploded and caught fire,[3][4] engulfing at least fifty buildings,[5] one of which collapsed, trapping several children. The three train drivers (two in the lead and the third driver in the second electric locomotive) survived the accident. [3] Seven people were killed[6] and 29 injured. [7] An evacuation of the village was ordered as 150 firefighters fought the blaze;[8] it was extinguished by midday. [2] The injured were taken to hospitals in Shumen and Varna;[4] some of them had sustained burns to 90% of their bodies. [3] It was reported that sparks had been seen coming from the locomotive of the train immediately before the accident, possibly indicative of heavy braking. [9] The incident occurred on the oldest railway line in Bulgaria, connecting the country's main riverine port on the Danube in the city of Ruse and the main port on the Black Sea in Varna. The line was built during Ottoman rule by British private investors in the 1860s. The railway station in Hitrino was also the site of the first railway accident in Bulgaria in 1866. The train operator Bulmarket Rail Cargo was founded in 2004 and in the same year acquired a license for railway operations. It operates second-hand Danish (Class 86) and British (Class 87) electric locomotives like those involved in the incident (lead locomotive nr.86.003 and second locomotive nr.87.025), as its mainline motive rolling stock, as well as diesel-hydraulic locomotives for shunting duties. Bulmarket DM, the mother corporation of Bulmarket Rail Cargo, has its headquarters and main base of operations, with its own railway yard, Bulmarket Port and fuel storage facilities, in the city of Ruse. Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor opened an investigation into the accident. [6] The owner of Bulmarket DM, Stanko Stankov, expressed his intention to involve an international team of railway incident experts from France, Germany and the Czech Republic to execute an independent investigation into the case. [10] This was rebutted by the Attorney General's Office; it issued a statement that according to Bulgarian law such an investigation has absolutely no legal basis and justification, because the Attorney General's Office (Главна Прокуратура) and its special division for investigation of severe crimes and incidents — the National Inquiry Service (Национална Следствена Служба) — are the only legal bodies authorized by the country's laws to execute such investigations. On that basis, the police authorities guarding the perimeter denied access to the crash site to technical experts involved by the train operator. [11] Residents were not allowed into their homes as a state of emergency was declared, but volunteers were allowed to be in Hitrino. Bullmarket DM also had to remove cisterns within 15 days. [12] According to the State Agency for National Security (semi-autonomous agency within the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, tasked with counter-terrorism, counter-espionage and high-profile corruption cases) the probable trigger for the incident was a railroad switch that had not been properly secured. [13] The investigators from the National Inquiry Service of the Attorney General's Office found that upon derailment at the railroad switch a crash between the fifth and sixth tank wagons led to the towing hook of one of them causing a rupture in the lower frontal part of the gas tank of the other. The discharged gas fumes from the liquid gas reached a bakery located in immediate proximity to the railway station, and its furnaces ignited them, causing the violent explosion. [14] According to ammunition experts, the chain of events led to an equivalent of an oversized thermobaric weapon with blasting energy four to five times greater than the TNT-equivalent. [15] Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov visited the scene. He called for people to donate blood as there was a shortage in the local hospitals. [3] Local response alleviated the shortages. [6] Bulgarian Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski also visited the site, along with top rail officials. [16] A national day of mourning was declared for 12 December 2016. [7] The Bulgarian Government announced that a fund of 10 million leva (€5.1 million) was to be made available following a special Cabinet meeting on 12 December. The money would be distributed in two ways: 5 million leva (€2.55 million) would go to the Hitrino Municipality, and the other 5 million leva (€2.55 million) would go to the Labour and Social Policy Ministry. The Interior Ministry stated that people who had lost identity documents, passports and driving licences in the fire would have them replaced free of charge. [17] Coordinates: 43°25′34″N 26°54′33″E / 43.4262°N 26.9093°E / 43.4262; 26.9093

Gas explosion

Dead carp wash up on Hindmarsh Island, resident told no help available to clean up 'smelly' mess

Dead carp wash up on Hindmarsh Island, resident told no help available to clean up 'smelly' mess Hundreds of fish have washed up on Hindmarsh Island in South Australia as blackwater continues to move through the River Murray system. Blackwater has been working its way down the river system since last year's floods, with decomposing organic material, including leaves and bark, washing into the river. Resident Catharina Taylor said the dead carp had created a "horrible smell" and she feared the smell would get worse in the summer heat. Ms Taylor said she had alerted Alexandrina Council and the State Government's Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) department about the dead fish, but was told no help to clean up the mess would be offered at this stage. "Only thing that I actually heard is that they cannot help, they haven't got the manpower and we should get the community behind us," Ms Taylor said. "Two [residents] are in their 80s, and four of us are in our 70s, so you know, that's asking a little bit too much. "And there are also so, so many of them [dead fish], you don't know where to start — if you pick them up, where do you put them? "We are going to get a horrible smell here." Alexandrina Council Mayor Keith Parkes said council staff would monitor the situation, but had not received any complaints about the fish kill. "We know about the incidents of the blackwater events due to the high river flows and the flooding, so the dead fish are coming down with the flows and we are experiencing high flows in our region now," Cr Parkes said. "We are probably at about the peak of the floodwaters, so they're managing those flows through the barrages and of course if there are dead fish amongst that, that will go through the barrages into the saltwater side. "With the wind and the tide they are getting some [fish] washed up along the beach on the foreshore and we have experienced it a couple of times already. "Over a day or two with tidal action, wind changes and flows — the dead ones get washed out to sea." Cr Parkes said there was no health risk and council would clean up the dead fish if they did not move naturally. In a statement, PIRSA said it was aware of the fish kill and it had occurred as a result of the freshwater species being trapped in the saline Coorong waters. "During these natural kills, it is typical that animals and birds will generally clean up dead fish that remain from these events," it read. "Dead fish should also decompose rapidly in the current warm conditions and any inconvenience should pass quickly."

Environment Pollution

Bay View Tragedy

The Bay View massacre (sometimes also referred to as the Bay View Tragedy) was the result of a strike held on May 4, 1886, by 7,000 building-trades workers and 5,000 Polish laborers who had organized at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to strike against their employers, demanding the enforcement of an eight-hour work day. [1] A few days earlier, on May 1, a peaceful demonstration had been held in nearby Chicago, with similar demands. By Monday, May 3, the number of participants had increased to over 14,000 workers who gathered at the Milwaukee Iron Company rolling mill in Bay View. They were met by 250 National Guardsmen under order from Republican Governor Jeremiah M. Rusk. The strikers had shut down every business in the city except the North Chicago Rolling Mills in Bay View. The guardsmen's orders were that, if the strikers were to enter the Mills, they should shoot to kill. But when the captain received the order it had a different meaning: he ordered his men to pick out a man and shoot to kill when the order was given. Workers camped in the nearby fields and the Kosciuszko Militia arrived by May 4. Early the next day the crowd, which by this time contained children, approached the mill and were fired upon. Seven people died as a result, including a thirteen-year-old boy. [2][3] Several more were injured during the protest. Several contradictory newspaper accounts described other possible casualties, but the count of seven deaths is substantiated by specific names (Frank Kunkel, Frank Nowarczyk, John Marsh, Robert Erdman, Johann Zazka, Martin Jankowiak, and Michael Ruchalski). [4] Since 1986, members of the Bay View Historical Society, the Wisconsin Labor History Society, and other community groups have held a commemorative event to honor the memories of those killed during the incident. The event is held every year on the first Sunday in May at 3pm, at the State Historical Marker site at the intersection of Superior Street and Russell Avenue, within view of the former rolling mill location.

Strike

COVID-19 Case Total Update for September 20

As of 5 PM, Monday, September 20, Russell County has had 1,001 total positive cases of COVID-19 since tracking began, an increase of 11 cases since Friday, according to the Russell County Health Department. The current active and in isolation case count is 35 with 938 recovered cases, 68 hospitalizations with two currently hospitalized, 28 deaths and 62 in quarantine. The average age of positive tests is 36.9. The age range for September is 10 months to 87 years old. The cumulative positivity rate for last week was 22 percent. The cumulative positivity rate for this week is 6.4 percent. And the cumulative positivity rate for September is 15.7 percent. One breakthrough case was reported with the new cases. There have been 19 total breakthrough infections or infections after vaccination. "Before anyone gets excited about the low positivity rate for this week, remember every school child that is a contact of the positive case in the classroom is getting tested every morning," said Russell County Health Department Administrator Paula Bitter. "Those tests count for us. And yes, the testing is working. There were students that tested positive this morning. If the school would have not been doing the testing, those children would have been in school and potentially infecting other children." "The average age of the 11 new cases is 35.2 years of age," Bitter said. "The age range is two years old to 87 years old. This is important because more and more children are testing positive. The delta variant is easily transmitted. The children are not only sharing in school, but they are also taking it home and infecting other family members. I have made a recommendation to the school board to implement masking while in school. This will not only help decrease the transmission, but it will also help keep children out of quarantine. Does this need to last all year? I would hope not but for right now something needs to be done before children become extremely ill. As I have said before, I don't like wearing masks. But there are times you must think of others and try to do what is right for everyone. Remember, children under the age of 12 are not able to be vaccinated." As of September 20, Russell County ranks 100th out of 105 counties in the state's vaccination rate, number of cases and number of tests given ranking. Russell County ranked 97th on Friday. The breakdown shows a vaccination rate of 44 percent, ranked 79th, average number of COVID cases at 57 per 100,000, ranked 73rd, and average number of COVID tests given at 231 per 100,000, ranked 95th.

Disease Outbreaks

A disease surveillance system, for the future

A defining moment in the history of epidemiology was the removal of the handle of a water pump. This is a spectacular story. In 1854, when a deadly outbreak of cholera affected Soho area of London, John Snow (1813-1858), a British doctor and epidemiologist, used the health statistics and death registration data from the General Registrar Office (GRO) in London, to plot on a map of the area, the distribution of cholera cases and deaths. He observed that a majority of cases and deaths were in the Broad Street area, which received supply from a common water pump, supporting his theory that cholera was a waterborne, contagious disease. The collection of health data and vital statistics by the GRO had improved over the previous decade-and-a-half due to untiring efforts put in by another medical doctor, William Farr (1807-1883). Based upon the data on the time, place and person distribution of cholera cases and deaths, supplemented by a map, Snow, on September 7, 1854, could convince the local authorities in London to remove the handle of the water pump, which they reluctantly did. The cholera outbreak was controlled in a few weeks. It started the beginning of a new era in epidemiology. John Snow is often referred to as the father of modern epidemiology and William Farr as founder of the modern concept of disease surveillance system. A year on, mind the gaps in the pandemic response In the years to follow, epidemiology became a key discipline to prevent and control infectious diseases (and in present context for non communicable diseases as well). The application of principles of epidemiology is possible through systematic collection and timely analysis, and dissemination of data on the diseases. This is to initiate action to either prevent or stop further spread, a process termed as disease surveillance. However, in the late 19th century, with the emergence of understanding that germs cause the diseases, and then in the early 20th century, with the discovery of antibiotics and advances in modern medicine, attention from epidemiology somewhat shifted. The high-income countries invested in disease surveillance systems but low- and middle-income countries used limited resources for medical care. Then, in the second half of Twentieth century, as part of the global efforts for smallpox eradication and then to tackle many emerging and re-emerging diseases, many countries recognised the importance and started to invest in and strengthen the diseases surveillance system. These efforts received further boost with the emergence of Avian flu in 1997 and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2002-04. A major cholera outbreak in Delhi in 1988 and the Surat plague outbreak of 1994, nudged the Government of India to launch the National Surveillance Programme for Communicable Diseases in 1997. However, this initiative remained rudimentary till, in wake of the SARS outbreak, in 2004, India launched the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP). The focus under the IDSP was to increase government funding for disease surveillance, strengthen laboratory capacity, train the health workforce and have at least one trained epidemiologist in every district of India. With that, between 2004 and 2019, nearly every passing year, more outbreaks were detected and investigated than the previous year. It was on this foundation of the IDSP (which now has become a full fledged programme) that when COVID-19 pandemic struck, India could rapidly deploy the teams of epidemiologists and public health experts to respond to and guide the response, coordinate the contact tracing and rapidly scale up testing capacity. India’s disease surveillance system needs a reboot The disease surveillance system and health data recording and reporting systems are key tools in epidemiology; however, these have performed variably in Indian States, as we know now from available analyses, be it seroprevalence-survey findings or the analysis of excess COVID-19 deaths. As per data from the fourth round of sero-survey, Kerala and Maharashtra States could identify one in every six and 12 infections, respectively; while in States such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, only one in every 100 COVID-19 infections could be detected, pointing towards a weak disease surveillance system. The estimated excess deaths are also higher in those States which have weak disease surveillance systems and the civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. In a well-functioning disease surveillance system, an increase in cases of any illness would be identified very quickly. An example is Kerala, arguably the best performing disease surveillance system amongst the India States, as it is picking the maximum COVID-19 cases; it could pick the first case of the Nipah virus in early September 2021. On the contrary, cases of dengue, malaria, leptospirosis and scrub typhus received attention only when more than three dozen deaths were reported and health facilities in multiple districts of Uttar Pradesh, began to be overwhelmed. The situation is not very different in States such as Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, where viral illnesses, most likely dengue, are causing hospitalisation but not being correctly identified or are being reported as mystery fever. This is a bit concerning as 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and a lot of political promises of strengthening disease surveillance and health systems, one would have expected a better performance. It raises the question: if the pandemic could not nudge the governments to strengthen the disease surveillance system, then what will? Or is it that difficult to strengthen the disease surveillance system? Can a digital ID aid India’s primary health ecosystem? A review of the IDSP by joint monitoring mission in 2015, conducted jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Government of India and World Health Organization India had made a few concrete recommendations to strengthen disease surveillance systems. These included increasing financial resource allocation, ensuring adequate number of trained human resources, strengthening laboratories, and zoonosis, influenza and vaccine-preventable diseases surveillance. Clearly, it is time all these recommendations are re-looked and acted upon. At a more specific level, the following should be considered by health policy makers. First, the government resources allocated to preventive and promotive health services and disease surveillance need to be increased by the Union and State governments. Second, the workforce in the primary health-care system in both rural and urban areas needs to be retrained in disease surveillance and public health actions. The vacancies of surveillance staff at all levels need to be urgently filled in. Third, the laboratory capacity for COVID-19, developed in the last 18 months, needs to be planned and repurposed to increase the ability to conduct testing for other public health challenges and infections. This should be linked to create a system in which samples collected are quickly transported and tested and the reports are available in real time. Fourth, the emerging outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, be it the Nipah virus in Kerala or avian flu in other States as well as scrub typhus in Uttar Pradesh, are a reminder of the interconnectedness of human and animal health. The ‘One Health’ approach has to be promoted beyond policy discourses and made functional on the ground. Fifth, there has to be a dedicated focus on strengthening the civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems and medical certification of cause of deaths (MCCD). These are complementary to disease surveillance systems and often where one is weak, the other is also functioning sub-optimally. Sixth, it is also time to ensure coordinated actions between the State government and municipal corporation to develop joint action plans and assume responsibility for public health and disease surveillance. The allocation made by the 15th Finance Commission to corporations for health should be used to activate this process. Majority of the ‘mysterious’ diseases are ‘missed’ diagnosis: experts The emergence and re-emergence of new and old diseases and an increase in cases of endemic diseases are partly unavoidable. We cannot prevent every single outbreak but with a well-functioning disease surveillance system and with application of principles of epidemiology, we can reduce their impact. Sometimes, the control of a deadly disease could be as easy as the removal of a handle of a water pump. However, which handle it is to be can only be guided by coordinated actions between a disease surveillance system, a civil registration system and experts in medical statistics, and, finally, informed by the application of principles of epidemiology. Indian States urgently need to do everything to start detecting diseases, which will prepare the country for all future outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics. This is amongst the first things, which Indian health policy makers should pay attention to. Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, a physician-epidemiologist, is a public policy and health systems expert and co-author of the book, Till We Win: India’s Fight Against The COVID-19 Pandemic

Disease Outbreaks

1943 University of Oslo fire

The 1943 University of Oslo fire (Norwegian: aula-brannen) was a fire in the ceremony hall (Universitetets Aula) of the University of Oslo in 1943. Its direct consequences were the closing of the university, and the arrest of 1,166 people; these were chiefly male students. Of these, 644 were sent to German "readjustment" camps, where 17 people died. Initial beliefs that the fire was either a Reichstag fire or perpetrated by communists were wrong; members of the Norwegian resistance movement were responsible. Universitetets Aula, the ceremony hall, was raised in 1911 at the centennial anniversary of the university. It is a part of the original university campus in downtown Oslo (not Blindern), and was built as an annex to the already existing Domus Media, Domus Academica og Domus Bibliotheca, built between 1841 and 1851. The ceremony hall has been used for lectures, graduation ceremonies and concerts and also features valuable paintings by Edvard Munch. [1] When Nazi Germany invaded and subsequently occupied Norway in 1940, Universitetets Aula was originally used for Norwegian prisoners of war. [2] The valuable Munch paintings were stored somewhere else. [3] After the war phase was over in Eastern Norway, the university continued mostly as usual until September 1941, when attempts of nazification increased. [2] The fire took place on 28 November 1943. The material damage was minimal; the arsonists had called the fire department themselves. A pre-booked concert was held there the next day. [3] However, the Nazi authorities did not take lightly to the incident. Although they immediately suspected communist university students of the incendiarism,[4] the fire gave room for a general crackdown on students, as had been desired by Reichskommissar Josef Terboven for some time. In a meeting at Skaugum on the evening that day, Terboven ordered the closing of the university as well as the arrest of all male students. German Wehrmacht officer Theodor Steltzer was to be involved in the arrest,[5] and managed to leak the news to Norwegian resistance member and former University of Oslo research fellow Arvid Brodersen in Hjemmefrontens Ledelse on 29 November. [6] Leaflets were printed and handed out in the morning of 30 November, but many disbelieved it and did not act. 1,166 students were arrested in the action against the students of 30 November. [5] The ceremony hall was used to round up the arrested, and Wilhelm Rediess spoke to the crowd. Women were released, whereas the male students and some faculty were sent to temporary concentration camps. [6] After pressure from both the Norwegian resistance, people associated with Nasjonal Samling and even instructions from Berlin, about half of the 1,166 were released[7] whereas 644 were sent to Germany. Of these, 17 perished in "readjustment" camps. [5] The university was closed for the purposes of education, whereas research continued. [8] Many had suspected the fire to be a Reichstag fire, perpetrated by Nazis in order to provoke a reaction. In 1949, it surfaced that the fire was started by Norwegian resistance members, specifically people working with the illegal newspaper London-Nytt. The name of perpetrator Petter Moen was revealed as late as in 1993. Whether someone else ordered Moen to do it is still not known, neither are his exact reasons. [4] Petter Moen was arrested for illegal press activity in 1944, and died when shipwrecked in the prisoner transport SS Westfalen. [9] Material traces of the fire were still visible as of 2008, when the ceremony hall underwent a lengthy restoration for the university's bicentennial anniversary in 2011. [1] Coordinates: 59°54′55″N 10°44′07″E / 59.91528°N 10.73528°E / 59.91528; 10.73528

Fire

Norway Cancels Big Military Exercise After 1,000 US Marines Arrive in Country

After the Norwegian government canceled an international military exercise this week, the U.S. Marine Corps is determining what to do with the 1,000 Marines who arrived there earlier this month to train. Norwegian Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen canceled the exercise on Tuesday, citing spikes in coronavirus cases in the country. "We must be one step ahead to try to avoid the spread of the mutated, and more contagious variant of the virus," Bakke-Jensen said. "We have weighed the arguments and our decision has been to cancel the planned allied exercise activity in Troms." Read Next: The Marines Could Be the Next Military Service to Get New Grooming Rules About 3,400 troops from Norway, the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands and Germany were scheduled to participate in the cold-weather training exercises, called Rein I and Joint Viking. All but about 500 of them had already arrived in Troms to train. Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway, a Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa spokesman, said there will now be a controlled termination of the exercise in line with COVID-19 restrictions. "We are working closely with our Norwegian military counterparts to determine the next steps with our Marines who are currently deployed to Norway," Rankine-Galloway said. About 1,000 Marines arrived in Setermoen, Norway, earlier this month. Troms is about 100 miles north of Setermoen, near the Barents Sea. The waterway is considered Russia's naval backyard. Bakke-Jensen said as of Tuesday, there would be a halt in the arrival of new allied forces to Indre Troms. For those forces already in place, there will be a "well-planned departure." More than 61,000 Norwegians have been infected with COVID-19, the sometimes-fatal illness caused by the new coronavirus. More than 500 people have died of the virus there. The country has seen 14,637 new cases over the last month, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. That's close to the record-high 15,819 cases Norway recorded in November -- the highest level there since the start of the global pandemic. More than 2.1 million people have died from the virus worldwide. Medical experts are also warning about a new strain of the virus that is more contagious and possibly more deadly. Last year's iteration of Cold Response, another major NATO exercise, was also significantly scaled back due to the pandemic. Training in and around the Arctic Circle has been a priority for NATO forces to counter Russia in the region. Bakke-Jensen said some winter training could be tailored "in adherence with proper infection prevention measures until the various departure dates." "I want to thank all our allies who have shown great flexibility and understanding in a challenging situation," the defense minister said. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Sailors Had Their Noses Painted by a Trident-Wielding King with Blue Hair. Here's Why The Kremlin has rebuffed allegations that a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine reflects Moscow’s aggressive intentions. Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador pointed to what he called many threats from Ukraine and provocative actions by U.S. warships... Naval forces from the United States, Israel and two Gulf Arab states are taking part in a joint security drill in the Red Sea... Volcanic activity beneath Iwo Jima, site of a defining World War II battle, is pushing sunken naval vessels to the surface. A Montana Army National Guard soldier has become the first woman to complete the seven-week U.S. Army Sniper Course at Fort... Israel has warned that it would act with military force if needed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. At least five service members allegedly were part of the deadly pro-Trump mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The military's non-tactical vehicle fleet alone is the second largest in the federal government next to the U.S. Postal... Max Cleland, who lost three limbs to a hand grenade blast in Vietnam and went on to represent his native Georgia in the U.S... The Kremlin has rebuffed allegations that a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine reflects Moscow’s aggressive intentions. Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador pointed to what he called many threats from Ukraine and provocative actions by U.S. warships... Naval forces from the United States, Israel and two Gulf Arab states are taking part in a joint security drill in the Red Sea... Volcanic activity beneath Iwo Jima, site of a defining World War II battle, is pushing sunken naval vessels to the surface. A new hotline and a more comprehensive, comparative claims processing system are among the efforts to assist Gulf War and...

Military Exercise

23 COVID outbreaks reported in N.J. schools, up from 6 last week

There were 23 school outbreaks involving a total of 102 students, teachers and staff who tested positive for COVID-19, state officials reported Wednesday. The number of New Jersey schools reporting COVID-19 outbreaks has jumped to 23 as a rising number of students and teachers are catching the virus in the classroom or during the school day, state officials said Wednesday. The 23 outbreaks — which are defined as cases where three or more unrelated people tested positive after contracting the virus at school — include 102 students, teachers and staff who reported having the virus, officials said. That is an increase over last week, when state officials said there were 6 school outbreaks involving 20 people statewide. “As the new academic year unfolds, we are continuing to work with our educational communities and local health partners to ensure that our schools remain safe spaces for learning. We have previously discussed the screening testing program that we’re engaged in with the majority of our school districts,” Gov. Phil Murphy said at his coronavirus update press conference in Trenton. The cases included: Mercer County: 6 outbreaks involving a total of 30 cases Atlantic County: 4 outbreaks involving a total of 12 cases Morris County: 3 outbreaks involving a total of 15 cases Cumberland County: 2 outbreaks involving a total of 12 cases Hudson County: 2 outbreaks involving a total of 9 cases Bergen County: 1 outbreak involving 4 cases Cape May County: 1 outbreak involving 3 cases Gloucester County: 1 outbreak involving 7 cases Monmouth County: 1 outbreak involving 3 cases Sussex County: 1 outbreak involving 4 cases Union County: 1 outbreak involving 3 cases The 23 outbreaks were reported in 22 districts, with one unnamed district reporting two outbreaks, school officials said. There were 82 reported cases among students and another 16 teachers and school staff who tested positive in 10 districts. An additional four staff members tested positive in a single outbreak in one school district. State officials did not release the names of the schools with outbreaks or any details about how students and teachers caught the virus at school despite COVID-prevention measures, including a mandate that nearly everyone in schools wear masks. At least seven New Jersey schools have switched to remote learning since the start of the school year, state officials said. Three of those schools remain virtual. It is unclear how many total students and school staff have tested positive in New Jersey schools since the start of the school year. The outbreak numbers include only cases where contact tracers believe people caught the virus at school. They do not include students, teachers and school staff who tested positive, but are believed to have contracted the virus at home or during other activities outside school. “As the K-through-12 screening testing program we have previously discussed gets more fully underway, we do anticipate having more robust data to share,” Murphy said. State officials said they hope to eventually release the total number of students, teachers and school staff who test positive statewide. “We’re hoping that those data can be publicly available fairly soon,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan. “It’s going to be very helpful not only to the students and the staff and the schools, but also to the general public to have a sense of what is going on because a lot of times the school transmission information outside of outbreak activity also helps to kind of reflect what’s going on in the community,” she added. Multiple school districts — including Woodbridge, Madison, Jackson, Old Bridge, Clifton and Cherry Hill — have been publicly posting the number of positive tests in their districts on their websites or in messages to parents. Those districts have reported hundreds of positive cases among students and staff. Robbinsville school district, which reported 30 positive cases districtwide, announced it switched to remote learning in its high school due to a high number of cases and a large number of students quarantining. New Jersey schools are not required to publicly disclose how many students or teachers have reported having the virus. Districts are supposed to report the data to local health officials and warn students who are considered “close contacts” or those who tested positive. Last school year, New Jersey had 281 school outbreaks involving 1,263 positive tests among students, teachers and school staff, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. However, the definition of a “school outbreak” has changed. Last year, the state defined a school outbreak as cases where two or more students, teachers or school staff caught the virus at school. This year, the definition was changed to three or more students to align with how the federal Centers for Disease Control counts school outbreaks, state officials said.

Disease Outbreaks

Earl Spencer on his obsession with finding the shipwreck that changed the English monarchy forever

The Earl 'couldn't have been more excited' as his lifetime obsession - a story to rival Game of Thrones - became tangible in French waters As a young boy, my enthusiasm for history was awakened by Henrietta Marshall's Our Island Story, a celebration of 2,000 years of England's past. In that book, the sinking of the White Ship in the winter of 1120, and the resulting death of Prince William Adelin, heir to the English throne, was considered such an important tale that it was allocated an entire page - and a colour illustration. I could not have imagined all those years ago that I would some day write my own bestselling account of this monumental maritime disaster - or that I would find myself...

Shipwreck

2015 Blackbushe Phenom 300 crash

On 31 July 2015, an Embraer Phenom 300 business jet crashed into a car park next to Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire, United Kingdom, while attempting to land. The only pilot and all three passengers on board were killed. The three passengers were members of the bin Laden family. [1][2][3][4] The subsequent inquiry found no evidence of any pre‑existing technical defect in the aircraft and concluded that "several factors combined to create a very high workload for the pilot [...] leading him to become fixated on continuing the approach. "[5]:3 The aircraft involved was an Embraer Phenom 300 light business jet manufactured in 2010, serial number 50500040 and registered in Saudi Arabia as HZ-IBN. The plane was owned by Salem Aviation of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which was the aircraft's first owner. Salem Aviation is owned by the bin Laden family. [2][6] At the time of the crash, the aircraft was on a flight from Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy, to Blackbushe Airport with three passengers, all Saudi nationals, and one crew member, a Jordanian pilot, on board. The passengers were Rajaa Hashim, one of the wives of Osama bin Laden's father Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (who had died in an aircraft crash in the 1960s), as well as her daughter Sana Hashim and Sana's husband Zuhair Hashim. [3][4] The aircraft involved had no prior incidents; weather conditions for the approach into Blackbushe Airport were warm and sunny, with very good visibility and winds from the south. [2][4][7] The crash occurred at 15:00 BST. Shortly before landing and while flying along the landing circuit, the pilot received a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) advisory message warning him of the presence of a microlight aircraft also in the circuit. [2] Six times during the Phenom's final approach, the terrain awareness and warning system issued "pull up" warnings. [7][8] As it reached the runway threshold, the jet was travelling at 151 knots (280 km/h), 43 knots (80 km/h) faster than its final approach target speed of 108 knots (200 km/h). [1][9][5]:4 Based on tyre marks left on the runway, the aircraft touched down two-thirds of the way along the runway, leaving only about 440 m (1,440 ft) of runway in which to stop. The aircraft landed at a speed of 134 knots (248 km/h) (compared to the 108 knots (200 km/h) recommended by the manufacturer); the required stopping distance at this speed would have been more than 600 m (2,000 ft). It struck an earthen bank and became briefly airborne again before coming to a rest in the car park of a British Car Auctions facility, directly adjacent to Blackbushe Airport. [7] The wreckage caught fire within one second of coming to rest. [5]:30 Several fire engines attended the scene to extinguish the fire, which was complicated by the burning wreckage setting alight several cars around the wreckage in the car park. [10] All four people on board the aircraft survived the landing, but were killed by the post-crash fire. No-one on the ground was injured. [1][5] The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) opened an investigation into the accident. [11] In August 2015, the AAIB issued a Special Bulletin that described the accident sequence. [8] The final report was published in December 2016. [5] It was established that the aircraft's final approach was not stable, the speed at landing was excessive, and the touchdown point too far down the runway for the aircraft to stop safely within the remaining length. The AAIB concluded that "several factors combined to create a very high workload for the pilot. This may have saturated his mental capacity, impeding his ability to handle new information and adapt his mental model, leading him to become fixated on continuing the approach. "[5]:3 The place where the aircraft ended up meant that fire-fighting was delayed, as access was through a locked gate and the first two airport fire appliances had to await the arrival of the third, which carried the key. However, the report suggested that the delay did not affect the duration of the fire, which in any case would have continued until all the fuel was consumed. [5]:37 The airport operator subsequently ensured that each vehicle carries necessary keys, and made improvements to documentation. [5]:47

Air crash

Hackers access program controlling Florida's town water in attempts to poison it with harmful chemical

Hackers have broken into a water treatment facility that serves the town of Oldsmar in Florida and attempted to poison the water supply. The hackers remotely gained access to a software program, named TeamViewer, on the computer of an employee at the facility to gain control of other systems, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said. "The guy was sitting there monitoring the computer as he's supposed to and all of a sudden he sees a window pop up, [telling him] that the computer has been accessed," he said. "The next thing you know someone is dragging the mouse and clicking around and opening programs and manipulating the system." The hackers then increased the amount of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, being distributed into the water supply. Inside a massive cyber attack on the Australian National University that risks compromising high-ranking officials across the globe. The chemical is typically used in small amounts to control the acidity of water, but at higher levels it can be very dangerous. It can cause irritation, burns and other complications if consumed in large quantities. The plant employee noticed the change and alerted his employer, who called the sheriff. The water treatment facility was able to quickly revert the command, leading to minimal impact. "The amount of sodium hydroxide that got in was minimal and was reversed quickly," Sheriff Gualtieri said. The affected water treatment facility is a public utility owned by the local town, and has its own internal IT team, he said. The FBI and Secret Service have been called in to assist in an investigation. Sheriff Gualtieri said he does not know who is responsible for the cyberattack. The year is 2022 and ticketing for the football grand final goes down. Fans don't know it yet, but this is an act of cyber sabotage designed to distract Australia from a brewing regional war. "The important thing is to put everyone on notice," he said. He said the city's water supply was not affected and the public was "never in danger". "At no time was there a significant adverse effect on the water being treated," Sherriff Gualtieri said. Officials said other safeguards in place likely would have caught the change before it reached the water supply. The remote-access system the hacker was able to use has since been disabled. The treatment plant that was targeted provides water to businesses and about 15,000 residents, authorities said. AP/Reuters )

Environment Pollution

Lunar Eclipse 2021: Dos and Don’ts One Should Follow During Chandra Grahan

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes in between the Sun and the Moon. During the phenomenon, the Earth moves in between the Sun and Moon and obstruct the sunlight reflected by the Lunar surface. The first lunar eclipse of 2021 is going to happen on Wednesday, May 26. But this is going to be an especially super lunar event, as it will be a supermoon, a lunar eclipse and a red blood moon all at once. People in India, South Asia, East Asia, Australia, and much of North America, South America, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Antarctica will be able to see the eclipse on the day. The partial phase of the eclipse will begin on the afternoon of May 26 at 3:15 pm IST and end at at 6:23 pm IST. The total phase will begin at 4:39 pm IST and end at 4:58 pm IST. Spectacular Photos of Earth as Seen from ISS at Sunrise and at Night Leaves Internet Spellbound Lunar Eclipse 2021: You Can View Chandra Grahan From These Cities; Check Timings, Other Details

New wonders in nature

Carbon monoxide poisoning increases due to residents without heat

This is causing people to use alternative ways to stay warm and unfortunatly are putting themselves at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. It's silent, deadly and you don’t know it's happening. The Texas Panhandle Poison Center has received over 400 calls related to carbon monoxide poisoning since Sunday. The temperatures drop at night, Doctor Jeanie Jaramillo-Stametz with the poison center said that’s when many people are using stove tops, wood fireplaces and other unconventional ways to heat their home. “If carbon monoxide is accumulating and you go to sleep you simply may not wake up,” Dr. Jaramillo-Stametz said. “They are very desperate for warmth; their electricity has been out for a prolonged time and they are bringing in their charcoal grills and that’s resulted in quite a few exposures. Even charging a cell phone in a car that is parked in the garage could result in a dangerous amount of emission. It is not recommended to use alternative heating sources, but it you do an inexpensive carbon monoxide detector can be purchased to help prevent deathly exposure. “If they have headache, dizziness lightheaded, nausea, vomiting those are symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, they are very similar to the flu.” Dr. Jaramillo-Stametz said. Pets are often the first to show symptoms. If you think you might be exposed, immediately get fresh air. Calling Texas Panhandle Poison Center will connect you with physicians who can walk you through additional steps regarding medical care.

Mass Poisoning

2011 Thailand floods

Severe flooding occurred during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand. The flooding began at the end of July triggered by the landfall of Tropical Storm Nock-ten. These floods soon spread through the provinces of northern, northeastern, and central Thailand along the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins. In October floodwaters reached the mouth of the Chao Phraya and inundated parts of the capital city of Bangkok. Flooding persisted in some areas until mid-January 2012, and resulted in a total of 815 deaths (with three missing) and 13.6 million people affected. Sixty-five of Thailand's 76 provinces were declared flood disaster zones, and over 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) of farmland was damaged. [1] The disaster has been described as "the worst flooding yet in terms of...water and people affected. "[citation needed] The World Bank has estimated 1,425 trillion baht (US$46.5 billion) in economic damages and losses due to flooding, as of 1 December 2011. [2][3][4] Most of this was due to the manufacturing industry, as seven major industrial estates were inundated in water as much as 3 meters (10 feet) deep during the floods. [5] Disruptions to manufacturing supply chains affected regional automobile production and caused a global shortage of hard disk drives which lasted throughout 2012. The World Bank's estimate for this disaster means it ranks as the world's fourth costliest disaster as of 2011 surpassed only by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, Forest fires in 1997, Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. [6] A 2015 study suggests increasing odds for potential flooding similar to the 2011 flood intensity to occur in the future. [7] Thailand's southern provinces also saw seasonal flash-flooding towards the end of the year, although these were not as destructive as the floods in the more northerly provinces. Various regions of Thailand are prone to seasonal flash-flooding due to their tropical climate. The floods often occur in the north and spread down the Chao Phraya River through the central plains, in the northeast along the Chi and Mun Rivers flowing into the Mekong, or in the coastal hillsides of the east and south. Remnants of tropical storms that strike Vietnam or the peninsular south commonly increase precipitation, resulting in further risk of flooding. Drainage control systems, including several dams, irrigation canals and flood detention basins, have been constructed,[8] but are inadequate to prevent flood damage, especially in rural areas. Much effort, including a system of drainage tunnels begun in 2001,[9] has been put into preventing the inundation of the capital city, which lies near the mouth of the Chao Phraya and is prone to flooding, with considerable success. Bangkok has seen only brief and minor flooding since the major flood of 1995. Other regions, however, had experienced severe flooding as recently as 2010. Rainfall in March 2011 over the area of northern Thailand was an extraordinary 344 percent above the mean. Bhumibol Dam in particular received 242.8 mm of rain, well above the normal 25.2 mm. Since 1 January the dam had accumulated 245.9 mm, 216.0 mm or 186 percent above normal. [10] Bangkok's tendency to flood is particularly acute. Bangkok and adjacent provinces are only 50 cm to two meters above sea level. [11] Sea levels are rising four mm every year. The rising sea levels push more water into the Chao Phraya River. To combat rising sea levels a barrier dam stretching from Chonburi to Hua Hin has been proposed, at a cost of 500 billion baht. [12] The three-meter high dykes that sequester the river are subsiding, as is the rest of the city. In the past, some areas of Bangkok were sinking as much as three centimeters per year, due to excessive groundwater extraction. Groundwater extraction was halted in 1977. That step has slowed subsidence to about one centimeter per year on average. However, the sheer weight of Bangkok's ever expanding infrastructure has exacerbated the problem. Bangkok has some 700 buildings more than 20 storeys high and 4,000 buildings eight to 20 storeys high. [11] The sheer weight of these structures displaces the spongy soil and increases subsidence. In a 2015 report, Thailand's National Reform Council warned that relocation of the capital was not out of the question. With the monsoon season well underway in 2011, when noticeable rainfall started in May, major flooding began as Tropical Storm Nock-ten made its landfall in northern Vietnam, causing heavy precipitation in northern and northeastern Thailand and flash floods in many provinces from 31 July. [13][14] Within one week thirteen persons had been reported dead, with ongoing flooding in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phrae, and Uttaradit in the north, and Bung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, and Udon Thani in the upper northeast. The upper-central provinces of Phichit, Phitsanulok, and Sukhothai were also flooded as the flooding spread down the overflowing Yom and Nan Rivers. Prachuap Khiri Khan on the gulf coast was also affected. [15] Flooding was still ongoing by late-August, as heavy rains were expected to continue for longer than usual due to the effect of El Niño. Flood waters reached a depth of 50 cm in downtown Nan, and became the highest recorded in 16 years in Phitsanulok Province, while large areas in the downstream provinces of Nakhon Sawan, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, and Nakhon Nayok were affected and the death toll rose to 37 by 22 August. Both Bhumibol and Sirikit Dams increased discharge rates to compensate for the increase in incoming flow. [16][17] By 19 September almost all of the lower central provinces were affected by the flood: Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, and Nonthaburi, the latter two on the northern border of Bangkok. [18] Broken floodgates resulted in water from the Chao Phraya flowing through irrigation canals and inundating large areas of paddy fields in Singburi, Ang Thong, and Ayutthaya, but lessened the strain on Bangkok as the fields served as water retention areas. [19] Power boats were used to run against the river's flow while at anchor in an attempt to increase the river's discharge rate. [20] By the beginning of October, most dams were already near or over capacity and were being forced to increase their rate of discharge, potentially worsening downstream flooding. [21] Flooding in Ayutthaya worsened and flood water entered the city itself, inundating the Ayutthaya Historical Park and forcing evacuations. Barriers protecting industrial estates failed, resulting in the flooding of dozens of major factories and a country-wide disruption of the manufacturing supply chains. [22] In Nakhon Sawan, the sandbag barrier protecting the city was breached, resulting in rapid flooding of the city.

Floods

The annual Red Dragon chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear training excercise was held Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013, at Fort McCoy

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, the 9/11 and Global War on Terrorism Remembrance Task Force, and the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum will mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with an event open to the public on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds on Sept. 11. The “9/11 Day of Remembrance” will feature participation in the national Tolling of the Bells, a reading of names of those killed on 9/11/01 and in-action during the Global War on Terrorism, along with a commemorative ceremony at 9 a.m. to include aircraft flyovers, guest speakers, musical performances, and military honors. Speakers will include Gov. Tim Walz, retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs Commissioner Larry Herke, Gold Star Mother Jill Stephenson and Mariah Jacobson, daughter of Flight 93 hero Tom Burnett. Other elements of the day will include a documentary screening of Resolute: MN Stories of 9/11 & the War and museum display, Veteran support and discussions groups, live music, connection opportunities, children’s activities and more. This event is free and open to the public. Check the MDVA events page for the detailed event schedule. The event will follow current COVID-19 prevention guidelines set by the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC. Governor Scott McCallum salutes Sergeant First Class Charles Zehner of the Wisconsin National Guard Second battalion 127th infantry based in Appleton, Wis. before presenting him with the Battalion Level Supply Excellence Award 200 during proceedings at the Governor's Day Review at Fort McCoy. Soldiers of the 1775th Military Police Company of the Michigan Army National Guard crawl under doors and windows while training at Fort McCoy's urban warfare complex. PETER THOMSON photo F-16 fighter jets fly over Fort McCoy during the Governor's Day Review ceremony. The annual Red Dragon chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear training excercise was held Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013, at Fort McCoy. Red Dragon is the Army Reserve's only CBRN training excercise. (Rory O'Driscoll/La Crosse Tribune) Staff Sgt. Aaron Brown, a member of the 458th Army Reserve Unit visits with his brother, Nick Brown, right, and his nephews, 2-week old Sawyer Brown and 14-month old Spencer Brown, at a send-off ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Onalaska, Wis. The 458th headed to Fort McCoy for training after the ceremony. PETER THOMSON photo Members of the 32nd Military Police Company are given a send off Tuesday, March 18, 2003 as they move on to Fort McCoy prior to overseas deployment. The noon hour event was at the Wisconsin National Guard Headquarters, 2400 Wright St., in Madison, Wis. Pvt. Courtney Pfad, 19, got support from her stepfather James Tsikretsis, left, and mother Karen Tsikretsis, of Fort Atkinson. WSJ photo/Joseph W. Jackson III PUBLISHED CAPTION 3-19-03 Courtney Pfad, 19, gets hugs Tuesday from her stepfather, James Tsikretsis, and her mother, Karyn Tsikretsis, before leaving Madison for Fort McCoy. Members of the 37th engineers out of Fort Bragg, N.C., parachute out of a C130 at Fort McCoy, Wis. The division is on it's way to Nicaragua to build schools and health care clinics in Operation New Horizons. Erik Daily Soldiers from the 829th Engineer Company listen to speakers during their deployment ceremony at Fort McCoy. The Wisconsin National Guard soldiers were heading to Afganistan to tear down buildings and recover unused equipment from past deployments. Lt. Colonel Bryan Much, Commander of the Wisconsin National Guard 1st Battalion, 126th Field Artillery gives visitors to Fort McCoy an overview of the base during a tour of annual training exercises Wednesday, Aug. 18, 1999. A sign warns motorists traveling at Fort McCoy that a tank crossing is approaching, Monday August 12, 2002 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Sgt. 1st Class Paul Honek, with the 229th Engineer Company, assigns soldiers their stations at the firing range at Fort McCoy. PETER THOMSON photo Steve McQuaid, Darlington, Wis., and his fiance, Jacque Lauer, Wyocena, are reunited at Volk Field. 150 soldiers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Military Police Company returned from Iraq Friday, July 23, 2004, at Volk Field near Fort McCoy, Wis. WSJ/John Maniaci Fort McCoy commander Col. Micheal R. Staszak. Dick Riniker photo Scott Wood, of Madison, kisses his wife, Megan Tellijohn, after being reunited. 150 soldiers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Military Police Company returned from Iraq Friday, July 23, 2004, at Volk Field near Fort McCoy, Wis. Members of the 147th make their way to waiting families Wednesday September 10, 2003, most of the 205 member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 147 Command Aviation Battalion who deployed to Kuwait in March 2003 returned to Volk Field. Friends and family wait for soldier from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Military Police Company, returning from Iraq Friday, July 23, 2004, at Volk Field. 10-year old Tyler Brudos of DeSoto, Wis., sits atop a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, complete with his dog tags and camouflaged face, while experiencing Armed Forces Day Open House at Fort McCoy Whether COVID-19 vaccines contain fetal cells or products was extensively discussed in a recent Hint. The quick answer was no. But the use of … This a continuation of a previous Hint on the topic of vaccination after COVID-19 infection. Our popular River Valley Media Group Big Buck Contest is back, and you can start sharing your success photos now. What are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving? Questions have arisen about the need for a COVID vaccination if you already had a primary or natural infection. At this point in our learning … Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented a handgun from making its way onboard an airplane at La Crosse Regional Airpor… Nearly 61 years of restaurant history will come to an end at 2 p.m. Tuesday when the King Street Kitchen at 141 S. Seventh St. in downtown La … Discounting the 2020 season, when no State competition was held due to the pandemic, senior Lydia Rosendahl ran the streak of the Lancer cross… The Saint Mary’s University Department of Fine and Performing Arts will perform “The 39 Steps,” adapted by Patrick Barlow, Thursday through Sa… Regina McGuire is a member of the 2021 Rising Stars Under 40 recognized by the 7 Rivers Alliance and the River Valley Media Group. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.

Military Exercise

TWA Flight 529 crash

TWA Flight 529 was a Lockheed Constellation L-049 propliner, registration N86511, operating as a scheduled passenger service from Boston, Massachusetts to San Francisco, California. On September 1, 1961, at 02:05 CDT, the flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Midway Airport (ICAO: KMDW) in Chicago, killing all 73 passengers and five crew on board; it was at the time the deadliest single plane disaster in U.S. history. [1][2] The accident was investigated by the Civil Aeronautics Board, which concluded its probable cause was the loss of a 5/16 inch bolt which fell out of the elevator control mechanism during the climb from Chicago, resulting in an abrupt pitch up followed by a stall and crash. [3][4] The four-engine propliner originated in Boston, and after making intermediate stops in New York and Pittsburgh, arrived at Chicago Midway Airport at 01:18 CST, where a new crew took over, and fuel and oil were added. At 02:00 the flight departed from runway 22, bound for Las Vegas, Nevada, the next stop. Five minutes later, while climbing westbound to 5,000 ft, the aircraft suddenly pitched violently upwards, resulting in an accelerated stall from which the crew was unable to recover. The aircraft crashed into terrain, and left a debris field of 200 by 1,100 feet. [3] The CAB investigated the accident, and as the wreckage pieces were reassembled and scrutinized, it became apparent that a critical 5/16 inch AN-175-21 nickel steel bolt was missing in the elevator boost linkage mechanism. [5] By carefully examining and analyzing the various scuff marks and grease patterns near the missing bolt, the CAB investigators concluded that the bolt had fallen out prior to the aircraft's disintegration and collision with the ground, and not as a result of the accident itself. Without the bolt in place, the elevator (when in boost mode) and hence the entire aircraft would become uncontrollable, leading the investigators to deduce that the bolt had fallen out, most likely by working itself loose, a short time prior to the beginning of the accident sequence. [4] The design of the Lockheed Constellation L-049 aircraft allowed the pilots to disable the hydraulic elevator boost and control the elevators manually via direct mechanical linkage. The pilots of the accident flight apparently attempted to revert to manual control as the aircraft began to pitch up, but the design was such that a continuous nose down pressure on the elevators made the shift to manual elevator control mechanically impossible. [6] Thus, according to the CAB's reconstruction of events, as the pilots were desperately applying nose down pressure to avoid a stall, they were also hampering themselves from shifting to manual mode and regaining elevator control. [4] On December 18, 1962, the CAB published its final report on the accident, concluding that the probable cause was "... the loss of an AN-175-21 nickel steel bolt from the parallelogram linkage of the elevator boost system, resulting in loss of control of the aircraft. "[4] As a result of their investigation of the accident, the CAB urged the FAA to mandate a redesign of the elevator boost control, so that the shift to manual mode could be easily carried out by the pilots, even when applying nose down pressure. The FAA replied that they had asked the manufacturer to incorporate procedural changes in the aircraft's flight manual, but did not require any design changes. [4]

Air crash

1958 BOAC Bristol Britannia crash

G-AOVD was a Bristol Britannia 312 operated by BOAC which crashed near Christchurch, Dorset in the south of England on Christmas Eve 1958, killing two of the five crew and all seven passengers. [1] On 24 December 1958 much of the south of England was covered in thick fog making travel by any means hazardous. Many aircraft had to be diverted as visibility was below the minimum permissible distance at most of the airports on the south coast. To a pilot who was less than aware of the conditions on the ground and the altitude at which they were flying, this fog would have an appearance very similar to normal cloud cover. For the pilots of G-AOVD this may have added to the illusion that they were at a much higher altitude and that they were reading the instruments correctly. The aircraft departed from London Heathrow Airport at 10:10 am on a test flight to renew its certificate of airworthiness with 12 persons aboard including five crew. After completing the test, at approximately 11:55 am, the crew requested clearance to descend from 12,000 feet to 3,000 feet for approach to Hurn Airport, possibly as an alternate destination due to poor weather at Heathrow. Approximately 3 minutes later, at 11:58 am, Hurn Airport lost contact with the aircraft as it struck the ground, crossing a road into a ploughed field, bringing down telephone lines and trees and alerting residents in the nearby villages. Upon realising they had lost contact with the aircraft, the controller at Hurn contacted the emergency services giving the last known position before contact was lost. Likewise the residents of Winkton, Sopley, and people living near Bransgore contacted emergency services saying they believed that they had heard the sound of a low flying aircraft and the sound of a crash. Around midday, the members of the volunteer fire service in Burley and Christchurch were alerted by an air raid siren calling them to the station to respond to the report of the crash. The initial report from Hurn Airport stated that they were unaware of the type of aircraft involved or how many passengers were being carried, and that they believed the aircraft was to the north of the airport when it crashed. However, on receiving updated information on the reports from Winkton and Sopley the fire crews decided to start the search for the aircraft in that area. The fire service searching in Winkton discovered the location of the wreckage after travelling a short distance along the Burley Road and finding telephone poles and cables which had been broken and dragged into a field off the road. A foot search was mounted and eventually the crew spotted some broken trees along with aircraft debris and a fire. The crew chief sent a message to fire control to confirm the location of the crash and set up a rendezvous at a local public house to give emergency services a positive location. Another appliance which had been sent to Sopley to search there could not be contacted as it was not fitted with a radio; fortunately, however, its crew encountered other appliances heading towards the incident, and were then informed of the location. Another hindrance to the emergency effort was the lack of a four-wheel drive appliance which meant that the firemen had to attempt to drive an eight-ton vehicle over a ploughed field, which delayed the rescue. While this was going on, the crew chief and some of the crew from the first appliance on the scene continued to search on foot and eventually found the remains of the cockpit with the injured co-pilot trapped inside. They began to cut him free and as further emergency services arrived on the scene, a coordinated search and rescue effort was mounted over the site, fanning out and finding a further two survivors. The fire station was eventually able to confirm what aircraft had been involved and the number of people on board at the time. Having received this information the emergency services were able to account for all the people involved and to continue putting out the fires. The crash was attributed to a failure on the part of the captain and first officer to correctly establish the altitude of the aircraft before and during the descent. The Britannia aircraft was fitted with a three-handed altimeter which required a higher degree of concentration to read correctly than was desirable. The crew misread the instrument believing that they were at 11,500 feet when they began descending, when in fact they were at only 1,500 feet. As a result, they flew the aircraft into the ground which was obscured by fog at the time. The type of flight in which the aircraft was engaged was also thought to be a contributing factor. It was concluded that this crash was a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and that there were no defects with the aircraft or its systems which contributed to the crash. For this the failure to read the instruments correctly rests with the captain. This was not the first crash involving a crew misreading this type of altimeter in this long distance, high altitude aircraft. As a direct result of this and other similar incidents, altimeters would now be required to display a cross-hatch or chequered flag when indicating an altitude below 1500 feet. Furthermore, all fire appliances in Christchurch would now be fitted with radios for improved communication, and when four-wheel drive appliances became available, Christchurch was one of the first rural stations to be allocated one. As a result of the accident the Ministry of Transport issued a directive to replace all three-pointer altimeters in British registered aircraft which operated at over 20,000 feet before September 1959. This followed an investigation of the problems of interpretation of the display. An interim flight safety warning was also issued pending altimeter replacement which described the risk of misreading these altimeters as "most likely when the routine monitoring of the instrument panel has been interrupted. If this happened during climb or descent the height when the instruments are rescanned may be very different from the anticipated. "[2]

Air crash

Cash-Laden Companies Are on a Mergers and Acquisitions Spree

Businesses spent $1.74 trillion on mergers and acquisitions involving U.S. companies during the first six months of the year—the highest amount in more than four decades—as finance chiefs tapped into cheap funding options to acquire technologies, services and other assets. Such transactions surged in value in the first six months of the year, up from $511.79 billion during the year-ago period and $1.28 trillion in the first six months of 2019, before the pandemic, according to data provider Refinitiv, which began tracking deals in 1980. The total number of deals with U.S. involvement, at 9,725, also was higher than in comparable periods in 2020 and 2019, Refinitiv said. U.S. companies are cash-rich thanks to last year’s emergency fundraising rounds and strong earnings in recent quarters, providing chief financial officers with money to fill gaps in their portfolios. Also, consumer behavior and market patterns have changed during the pandemic, forcing businesses to accelerate their transformation strategies. Under pressure to meet high expectations from investors, many companies are taking the faster route to grow their business through acquisitions instead of focusing on organic growth alone. The recent surge comes after deal making slowed to a trickle last spring after coronavirus restrictions took hold, before picking up later in the fall. “The market is clearly hot,” said Luca Zaramella, the chief financial officer of snack-foods maker Mondelez International Inc., which in May agreed to spend about $2 billion on Chipita SA, a European snacking company. Mondelez plans to finance the transaction with new debt, existing cash and $1 billion it received after selling down part of its stake in Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. “The cost of capital is pretty compelling,” Mr. Zaramella said. The pandemic delayed the companies’ negotiations. “I feel more comfortable having taken the time,” he said. Companies struck more deals valued at more than $1 billion than in the prior-year period and in the first six months of 2019, according to Refinitiv. Those transactions include Microsoft Corp.’s purchase of artificial-intelligence firm Nuance Communications Inc. for $16 billion; AT&T Inc.’s agreement to merge its WarnerMedia business with Discovery Inc. ; and Visa Inc.’s deal to acquire Swedish payments provider Tink for $2 billion. “There has probably never been easier access to capital,” said Brian Salsberg, global head of the integration practice at professional services firm Ernst & Young. Near-zero interest rates, monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve and strong investor demand for corporate debt are adding to companies’ financial fuel . Businesses in the S&P 500 held cash and cash equivalents of $3.79 trillion at the end of the first quarter, up from $3.03 trillion during the same period last year and from $2.07 trillion in 2019, according to the most recent comprehensive data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Highly rated U.S. companies raised $817.16 billion in debt in the first six months of the year, down from $1.24 trillion in the prior year period, but still up compared with the first half of 2019, Refinitiv said. Money raised through equity sales also went up. Debbie Clifford, chief financial officer of Autodesk. Companies mostly paid in cash, but also used shares, notes and borrowings, according to Dealogic, another data provider. Software firm Autodesk Inc., which used existing cash on its balance sheet for two deals totaling over $1 billion this year, plans to keep investing, CFO Debbie Clifford said. “The market for cash and fundraising continues to be very strong,” she said. Autodesk made an offer for a third transaction when it tried to buy software firm Altium Ltd. for $3.9 billion in June, but the offer was rejected. Ms. Clifford declined to comment on that deal. Deal makers are facing steep asking prices, as high stock markets drive up the valuations of companies. Multiples for transactions involving U.S. companies—calculated by dividing the median enterprise value by earnings before interest, depreciation, tax and amortization—rose to 17.4 times in the first half of the year, compared with 10.5 times in the prior-year period, according to data analyzed by consulting firm Bain & Co. “If you look at historical values, multiples are certainly up,” said Cameron Hyzer, the CFO of business-intelligence platform ZoomInfo Technologies Inc., who has struck three deals since the company’s initial public offering in June 2020. “We are seeing more room for mergers and acquisitions,” he added. Some companies are also spending on deals to meet environmental, social and governance goals. Ford Motor Co. , as part of a plan to spend $30 billion by 2025 on electrification, recently acquired Electriphi Inc., a San Francisco-based fleet-charging company for an undisclosed amount. Online marketplace Etsy Inc. is looking to learn more about mobile-first strategies from London-based shopping app Depop, which it agreed to acquire for $1.62 billion in June, though this wasn’t the only reason for the deal. Etsy’s CFO Rachel Glaser said 90% of Depop users are younger than 26 years of age, an important customer group. “We think we got a really good price for this very attractive company,” she said. The growth in special-purpose acquisition companies also is driving M&A volumes higher. There are about 500 SPACs globally, many based in the U.S., that are looking to do deals, according to Refinitiv. Practitioners expect M&A activity to remain high in the coming 12 to 18 months, as companies continue to play catch-up using cash reserves and new debt. Rising interest rates over time could slow the pace of deal making, but advisers don’t forecast a sudden halt. Federal Reserve officials signaled last month they expect to raise interest rates by late 2023 , sooner than they anticipated in March. “You still have a lot of runway for this cycle that we are in,” said Noah Kornblith, a partner at law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP who is helping clients negotiate mergers and acquisitions.

Organization Merge

2006 labor protests in France

The 2006 youth protests in France occurred throughout France during February, March, and April 2006 as a result of opposition to a measure set to deregulate labour. Young people were the primary participants in the protests as the bill would have directly affected their future jobs in a way that they considered negative. The controversial bill, entitled "Loi pour l'égalité des chances" ("Equal Opportunity Law"), created a new job contract, the Contrat première embauche (CPE – First Employment Contract or Beginning Workers Contract). [1] Under this job contract, which aimed to encourage the creation of new jobs, it would have been easier, during a contract's first two years, for workers under twenty-six years old to be fired. It would have allowed employers the opportunity to terminate employment of workers under twenty-six without any reason, within their first two years of employment. [2] Those opposed to the First Employment Contract were worried that it could compromise job security, encourage social pressure with a view to lowering wages, and impede employees in having legal recourse in cases of sexual harassment or other abuse, since this could lead to their subsequently being fired. Proponents of the bill argued that France's tightly regulated employment market discourages French businesses from employing staff, which has led to France suffering high unemployment. High unemployment, especially for young immigrants, was seen as one of the driving forces behind the 2005 civil unrest in France and this unrest mobilized the perceived public urgency for the First Employment Contract. Youths are particularly at risk as they have been locked out of the same career opportunities as older workers, contributing to both a rise in tensions amongst the economically disenfranchised underclass, and, some claim, a brain drain of graduates leaving for better opportunities in Britain and the United States. The French population was roughly split on the issue of whether the First Employment Contract should be implemented. The contract was first proposed after the civil unrest that occurred in France in October and November 2005. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin's rating dropped to a four-month low of forty-two percent,[3] largely because of the recent protests against the bill. He stated though that he had the backing of French President Jacques Chirac. Later on, polls in L'Express and Paris-Match displayed a swing of the population behind protesters – around 70% were against the CPE law when it was promulgated by president Chirac. The bill also included the possibility of manual labour apprenticeships for 14-year-olds, suspension of family welfare in cases of students skipping school (a measure long in the programme of the far-right National Front party), and night labour being permitted for youths as young as 15 years old (as compared to 16 years old before). Protests against the bill originally occurred before the bill was approved by Dominique de Villepin. On 7 February, between 200,000 and 400,000 people took part in 187 demonstrations. Some universities, including Rennes, were also occupied during February. Over a million took part in protests on 7 March. On 9 March, around 38 universities were on strike. Protests across France on 16 March led to widespread disruptions. Approximately one hundred bicyclists barricaded streets around the Louvre in protests unrelated to the labour contract. [4] (The protest around the Louvre concerned the lack of sports teachers in schools.) Another hundred protesters descended on City Hall in Rennes, refusing to leave. Other, mostly peaceful, protests occurred throughout the country, in cities such as Marseille. Many universities, including the University of Toulouse, were forced to close on 16 March as some wanted them to remain open and others wanted them closed during the large protests. Media attention focused on the violent element of the demonstrations in Paris on 18 March, when as many as 700,000 protesters converged on the city's Place de la Nation. Once the protesters departed from the meeting, a few dozen rioters began to torch cars and vandalize store fronts as police were called in to calm the situation. To suppress the crowd, police officers began to spray tear gas. In the evening, new clashes occurred on the Place de la Sorbonne, between a hundred demonstrators and the police, until 1 am. A protester from that night, Cyril Ferez, a trade unionist from the Sud-PTT union, trampled by riot police, was in a coma for three weeks after skirmishes in the Place de la Nation, Paris. [5] That day saw 156 people being arrested in Paris. Protesters in Marseille were also sprayed with tear gas after some of them climbed Marseille's City Hall and replaced a French flag with a flag that proclaimed "anticapitalism." Throughout the rest of the country, less violent protests occurred. In the estimated 160 protests organized around the country, police estimated that half a million students and labourers participated. Organizers estimated the number was closer to 1.5 million. [6] Students (including high school students) demonstrations began to become daily, and often were the site of clashes with the police. After large demonstrations and subsequent riots on 16 and 18 March, on the 21st the Dijon students' union called for a general strike,[7] as demanded by left-wing papers such as Libération. A meeting that day of various labour and student groups[8] agreed for another 'day of action' against the law, including strikes, demonstrations and university occupations across the country. Riots erupted again after a day of relative calm in several cities in France. According to the French national ministry of education, universities had continued their strike and 21 universities out of 84 were entirely blocked by students. In total, 67 universities were either on strike or blockage. CPE opponents convened a fourth national 'day of action' against the law on 28 March, including strikes, demonstrations and university occupations across France. Strikes disrupted rail and air transport, public education and mail services while between 1.055 million people (according to police estimates) and 2.71 million (according to union estimates) marched against the law. [9][10] Much of the discrepancy in crowd estimates is in Paris where the police estimated 92,000 demonstrators while unions estimated 700,000. Whatever the sources, this is double the number that on 16 March demonstration, and more than during the December 1995 protests against the reform of pensions laws. 600 persons were arrested by the police[11] Police repression also took place in minor towns, such as Lons-le-Saunier (Jura) or Lannion (Côtes d'Armor). In total 3.1 million people (according to the CGT) or 1 million (according to the police) people turned out to protest the law throughout the country, while rail and air transport were affected. [12] The CPE was scrapped by Chirac on 10 April under the pressure of ongoing protests and blockade across France, though some protests continue against the law of which it was part (the loi pour l'égalité des chances [Equal Opportunity Law], or LEC). [13] Protests were smaller in scale as the movement against the CPE split into those that wanted to fight the LEC and those that considered the victory against the CPE to be an acceptable compromise.

Strike

2020 European Men's Handball Championship

The 2020 EHF European Men's Handball Championship was the 14th edition of the tournament and the first to feature 24 national teams. It was co-hosted for the first time in three countries – Austria, Norway and Sweden – from 9 to 26 January 2020. [1] Spain won their second consecutive title by defeating Croatia 22–20 in the final. [2][3] Note: Bold indicates champion for that year. Italic indicates host for that year. The draw was held at the Erste Bank Campus in Vienna on 28 June 2019. [4][5] The seedings were announced on 17 June 2019. [6] On 21 August 2019, 23 couples were announced. [7] On 27 December 2019, EHF replaced the Serbian referee pair Nenad Nikolić and Dušan Stojković with the Latvian referee pair Zigmārs Sondors and Renārs Līcis, due to an injury and late recovery of Nikolić in late October. [8] All times are local (UTC+1). Points and goals gained in the preliminary group against teams that advance were transferred to the main round. FT: 23–23 ET: 3–3, 2–3 The teams ranked fourth in each group after the completion of the preliminary round matches were ranked 18 to 24, while teams ranked third in each group after the completion of the preliminary round matches were ranked 13 to 18 according to the number of points won in the preliminary round. Places seven or eight were attributed to the two teams ranked fourth in the groups, places nine and ten were attributed to the two teams ranked fifth in the groups, places eleven and twelve were attributed to the two teams ranked sixth in the group according to the number of points won by the respective teams after completion of the main round matches. Places one to six were decided by play–off or knock–out. SpainSecond title Team roster: Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas, Jorge Maqueda, Ángel Fernández Pérez, Raúl Entrerríos, Alex Dujshebaev, Daniel Sarmiento Melián, Rodrigo Corrales, Julen Aguinagalde, Ferran Solé, Iosu Goñi Leoz, Adrià Figueras, Joan Cañellas, Viran Morros, Aleix Gómez, Aitor Ariño, Gedeón Guardiola, Daniel Dujshebaev.Head Coach: Jordi Ribera. The all-star team and awards were announced on 26 January 2020. [9] Source: Sportresult Source: Sportresult

Sports Competition

West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crash

West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 was a West Caribbean Airways charter flight that crashed in northwest Venezuela in the early hours of Tuesday, 16 August 2005, killing all 160 passengers and crew on board. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration HK-4374X, was en route from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City, Panama, to Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport (FDF) in Fort-de-France, Martinique, France. While flying at 33,000 ft (10,000 m), the aircraft's speed gradually decreased until it entered an aerodynamic stall. The crew, probably under the mistaken belief that the aircraft had suffered a double engine flame-out, did not take the necessary actions to recover from the stall. The confusion and lack of action resulted in the crash. [2]:123–124 All the passengers were French citizens from Martinique, with the exception of one Italian, acting as the tour operator. The crew was Colombian. The flight was chartered by the Globe Trotters de Rivière Salée travel agency in Martinique. Most of the passengers were tourists returning from a week's vacation in Panama. The 160-person death toll made the accident the deadliest of 2005, the deadliest aviation disaster to occur in Venezuela, and the deadliest involving a McDonnell Douglas MD-82. [1][3][4][5][6] Medellín-based West Caribbean Airways started as a charter service in 1998. It specialized in flights to San Andrés in the Caribbean, parts of the Colombian mainland, and Central America. A few months before the accident, the airline had been fined $46,000 for lack of pilot training and failure to log required flight data. [7][8] The airline had experienced a previous fatal accident in March 2005. [9][10] The aircraft involved in the incident was delivered to Continental Airlines on 4 November 1986 as N72824, which operated it until around 2001. [11] At this point, the airframe was put into storage in the California desert for four years, and eventually purchased by MK Aviation, a United States-based company. On 10 January 2005, the aircraft was transferred to West Caribbean Airways, and registered as HK-4374X, leased to WCA by MK Aviation. [11][12] The jet's tail cone fell off in early July 2005 and was replaced. [13][14][15] The captain of flight 708 was 40-year-old Omar Ospina, and the first officer was 21-year-old David Muñoz. The captain had 5,942 hours of flight experience (including 1,128 hours on the MD-82), and the first officer 1,341 hours, with 862 of them on the MD-82. [2]:11–13,72 Flight 708 took off from Tocumen International Airport at 00:58 local time (05:58 UTC). [2]:2 It climbed initially to flight level (FL) 310, and subsequently to FL 330. The aircraft reached FL 330 (nominally 33,000 feet or 10,000 metres) at 01:44. Five minutes later, the crew turned the aircraft's anti-icing systems back on (having turned them off during the final part of the climb). [2]:2–4 The system uses bleed air from the engines, and this reduces the thrust they can produce. With the anti-ice system on, the highest altitude at which the aircraft could maintain level flight was reduced to 31,900 ft (9,700 m). The aircraft was being flown too high for its weight and the icing conditions it faced. [16] The captain noticed the reduction in engine output, but he did not realize the source of the problem, so he started a rapid descent as a precaution. At that time, the airspeed was already near stall speed, and the autopilot had already compensated with a nose-up attitude (angle of attack, or AOA) of 5.8° in an effort to maintain a constant altitude. West Caribbean, like all owners of the MD-82, had received an operation bulletin from the planes' manufacturer three years earlier, warning that the autopilot could try to compensate for inadequate speed, even allowing the speed to continue to drop towards a stall situation, without sending a warning or disconnecting; the bulletin advised pilots simply to monitor airspeed during autopilot level flight, but West Caribbean had not shared this bulletin with its pilots. [16] Already approaching a stall condition, the airliner was pummeled by sudden turbulence, reducing the airflow into the intakes of the engines, which reduced thrust even more. The flow of air over the wing of the aircraft became stalled. Although the cockpit voice recorder picked up the first officer correctly diagnosing the situation as a stall and attempting twice to communicate this to the captain, the captain was likely confused by the unusual behavior of the engines, due to the anti-ice system and probably the airflow disruption caused by turbulence. The captain thought he was struggling with an engine flameout, which he told the first officer to communicate to the ground controller, and did not recognize the stall situation; he then mishandled the stall by increasing the nose-up attitude to an AOA of 10.6°, which compounded the drop in airflow to the engines and further exacerbated the stall. [17] In less than three minutes, the aircraft plunged from over 33,000 ft (10,000 m), reaching a maximum rate of descent of over 300 ft/s (90 m/s), crashing belly-first and exploding at 07:01 UTC. [2]:9[16] The crash site was in a field on a cattle ranch near Machiques, in the western Zulia State, Venezuela (about 30 kilometres or 16 nautical miles from the Colombian border). [18] All times are UTC. (For local time in Panama and Colombia, subtract 5 hours; for Venezuela subtract 4:30 hours; for Martinique, subtract 4.) The Comité de Investigación de Accidentes Aéreos (CIAA, Aircraft Accidents Research Committee) of Venezuela led the investigation into the causes of the accident. The French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile was assigned the main responsibility for investigative analysis of the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), with the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also taking part in recovery of FDR data. On 22 November 2005, the CIAA released an initial report (significantly changed by the time of the final report) suggesting that a buildup of ice inside each engine's PT2 probe was partly responsible for the accident. Analysis of the CVR showed that the crew discussed weather conditions, including icing, and continually requested and performed descents, which is the usual response to a low power or low airspeed situation. Analysis of the debris showed that both engines were rotating at normal speed at the time of impact, which enabled investigators to conclude that the engines had not been previously damaged, and were functioning at the time of impact. Ground scars showed that the aircraft impacted in a nose-high attitude. The CIAA, which by then had been renamed the Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil (JIAAC, Civil Aviation Accidents Investigation Board), released their final report into the accident and found the probable underlying causes of the crash to be the result of pilot error. [17][20] Underscoring the finding listing pilot error as a cause, the JIAAC noted a lack of both situational awareness and crew resource management (CRM), which would have better enabled the crew to properly respond to the stall and the severity of the emergency. The report stressed that the crew failed to operate the aircraft within its normal parameters. This resulted in the crew failing to recover from the stall due to poor decision-making and poor communication between the pilots. In addition, West Caribbean Airways came under criticism: West Caribbean failed to provide its pilots with the operation bulletin from McDonnell Douglas, specifically addressing the autopilot issue; failed to emphasize CRM in ongoing pilot training; created stress for its pilots by not providing regular paychecks for a period of nearly six months leading up to the accident; and further created stress for the accident crew when the airplane was delayed and almost refused takeoff at their previous stop due to West Caribbean's non-payment of catering and food service fees. [16][21] As a result of the crash, West Caribbean Airways was grounded by the CAEAC just one day after the crash occurred.

Air crash

1992 India–Pakistan floods

The 1992 India–Pakistan floods was a deadliest flood caused by a five days long heavy monsoon rains and severe weather that occurred on 7 September 1992[5][6] across the north-Pakistan of Azad Kashmir, North-West Frontier Province and Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. Severe floods left more than 2,500 fatalities, including 2,000 deaths in Pakistan administered state, 300 in Punjab province, and 200 in India administered state with several other missing. The floods swept away more than 12,672 villages and several people were buried alive due to landslides near mountains. Punjab, that shares its borders with Azad Kashmir, suffered a heavy agriculture loss in its economic history. [7] The floods evacuated 3.3 million people from the affected areas. Initial reports cited between 900 and 1,000 dead with 1,000 missing. The floods originated from the three major rivers such as Indus river, the longest river of the country, which flows through Pakistan, China and India, Chenab river, the major river of India and Pakistan, and the Jhelum river, a river in northern India and eastern Pakistan. The heavy rainfall in northern mountains made three rivers overflow. [8][9] The Jhelum river swept away more than 400 people in Punjab province, including refugees along with shelters built of mud on the banks of the river. [10] Pakistan suffered a heavy loss of 2,000 fatalities as well as millions of worth properties, while hundreds of people died in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. [11][12] After floods struck Pakistan, mostly Azad Kashmir, the Government of Pakistan declared a nationwide emergency. The United Nations mobilized disaster management team to make necessary arrangements for dispatching disaster relief and to provide medical assistance to the flood victims of Pakistan. Pakistan also established the Prime Minister Relief Fund for 1992, a relief account designed to receive international funds as well as provincial-level relief contributions to combat the disaster. Government mobilized Pakistan army as well as local administration in an effort to recover missing people and to provide emergency services to the victims. [13] The World Bank, a financial organization for government agencies, described the efforts of Pakistan "satisfactory" towards its swift recover of damage, although hundreds of people were confirmed dead. [14] Severe floods left 2,500 people dead, including 296 from Punjab. More than 9.3 million people were affected, and 350,000 families rendered homeless, including refuge huts. A report by the Pakistani government stated that 12,672 villages in north Pakistan were washed away, 160,000 cattle drowned away, and 80% of bridges and roads were completely destroyed. It was declared a deadliest flood in the history of Pakistan, destroying an estimated $1 billion of property of that time. [3]

Floods

1950 Fairfield-Suisun Boeing B-29 crash

Northeast of San Francisco, California, on 5 August 1950, a United States Air Force Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber carrying a Mark 4 nuclear bomb crashed shortly after takeoff from Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base with 20 men on board. Twelve men were killed in the crash, including the commander of the 9th Bombardment Wing, Brigadier General Robert F. Travis,[1][2][3] and another seven were killed on the ground when the aircraft exploded. The base was later renamed for Travis. In July 1950, soon after the outbreak of the Korean War, the Joint Chiefs of Staff resolved to send ten Silverplate (nuclear-capable) Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers to Guam as a deterrent to a People's Republic of China (PRC) attack on Taiwan, (Republic of China), and for possible future use in Korea,[4] each loaded with a Mark 4 nuclear bomb without the fissile pit. [5][6] There were twenty passengers and crewmen on board B-29 44-87651 of the 99th Bombardment Squadron when it commenced takeoff from runway 21L at Fairfield-Suisun at 22:00 on Saturday, 5 August 1950, including the commander of the 9th Bombardment Wing, Brigadier General Robert F. Travis; ten men in the forward compartment and ten in the rear. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Eugene Q. Steffes, with First Lieutenant Carter W. Johnson as his co-pilot and Technical Sergeant Donald W. Moore as his flight engineer. [6] As the aircraft reached a speed of 125 miles per hour (109 kn; 201 km/h) about three-quarters of the way down the 8,000-foot (2,400 m) runway with the propellers rotating at 2,800 rpm, the number two (port inboard) propeller suddenly went up to 3,500 rpm. Steffes ordered the propeller feathered and the aircraft lifted off at an airspeed of 155 mph (135 kn; 249 km/h), then number three (starboard inboard) propeller suddenly went to 3,500 rpm. Moore reduced its speed to 2,800 rpm by reducing the manifold pressure. Steffes attempted to retract the landing gear by moving the gear switch to the "up" position but the gear did not respond; with the undercarriage still extended, drag reduced the aircraft's airspeed to 145 mph (126 kn; 233 km/h). Steffes checked the landing gear fuse; finding it satisfactory, he attempted to raise the gear again, but the gear motors did not operate. Unable to accelerate, the aircraft would not be able to clear terrain ahead, so Steffes initiated a 180-degree turn to head back for an emergency landing. The tower cleared him to land on runway 21L, and crash crews were alerted. The aircraft turned around but lost altitude, Steffes asked Johnson to help him with the controls, and Moore reported more trouble with number three engine. Steffes allowed the aircraft to drift to the left to avoid a nearby trailer park, and the aircraft struck the ground at 120 mph (100 kn; 190 km/h). [6] The aircraft broke apart in the crash, and burst into flames, the entire nose section breaking off. The escape hatches there were jammed and would not open, but passengers and crew were able to exit through a hole in the nose caused by the crash, and through a window from which the commander and co-pilot removed the plexiglas. Travis was thrown clear from the wreckage but died from his injuries on his way to hospital. One other man in the forward section, Staff Sergeant Joseph Prachniak, was also fatally injured. All ten people in the rear compartment died in the crash. [6] Only one of the twenty aircraft occupants, First Lieutenant C.E. Boyce, escaped uninjured. [7] Four men were on duty in the base bake shop near where the forward section came to rest. They immediately ran to assist. They heard cries for help from the nose section, and helped to remove eight men from the wreckage. Firefighters arrived on the scene, as did military police and spectators. When .50 caliber ammunition started to cook off, Sergeant Lewis Siqueira, who was in charge of the bake shop detail, ordered his men out of the area. Sergeant Paul P. Ramoneda started to do so, but then turned back to help men still trapped in the burning aircraft. [8] Lieutenant Colonel Raymond E. Holsey, the highest-ranking officer on the scene, feared the 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of explosives in the Mark 4 would explode. He ordered the large crowd of rescuers and onlookers to get clear, and told the firefighters to let it burn. The firefighters and onlookers did not comply. [9] About 20 minutes after the crash, the high explosives in the bomb detonated, spreading wreckage and burning fuel over a 2-square-mile (5.2 km2) area. [9] The explosion blew a crater in the ground 20 yards (18 m) across and 6 feet (1.8 m) deep. [7] An additional seven people who were not part of the crew died on the ground in the explosion, including Ramoneda and five firefighters. All of the base's fire trucks were destroyed,[9] along with dozens of private vehicles in the nearby trailer park, which was set on fire. [7] Some 49 people were admitted to the hospital, while another 124 were treated for minor injuries. [6] Two women had their right foot amputated. [7] The crash investigators found that the number two propeller was indeed feathered. The cause of the problem was improper adjustment during maintenance on 22 July 1950, when all four propellers were changed. A problem was detected with number two during a test flight, and the ground crew was instructed to install new contactors. There was no paperwork indicating that this was done, and the entire maintenance crew was killed in the crash. The number three engine and propeller were not found. The generators were found to be working, so there was sufficient electrical power to retract the landing gear. No crew members recalled hearing the landing gear motors. The switches could not be checked due to the degree of destruction of the aircraft, but the fuse was intact. It was noted that there were only six seat belts for the ten men in the forward compartment. [6] Their report made four recommendations: USAF B-29 operating procedures were changed as a result of the investigation; aircraft with the same type of propellers as 44-87651 were required to be test-flown after corrective maintenance, and the number of persons permitted aboard an operational flight was reduced to 16, as it was felt that overloading and an inadequate number of safety belts in the accident aircraft contributed to the high loss of life. [10] The 19 bodies were taken to the McCune Garden Chapel in Vacaville. [11] The Air Force announced that the aircraft was on a "training mission". [9] Ramoneda was posthumously awarded the Soldier's Medal, the Purple Heart and the Cheney Award.

Air crash

What students can expect from the American Rescue Plan Act

The University of Pittsburgh will distribute $31.9 million in funds to more than 30,000 students on all five campuses as part of the latest coronavirus relief package that was approved earlier this year, the University announced today. On March 21, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law. The bill authorized $39.6 billion in COVID-19 relief funding for higher education. Of that amount, the University of Pittsburgh received $54.7 million, which is more than the two previous federal aid packages combined. The University is required to distribute half of this money to students to help cover expenses related to the disruption caused by COVID-19. However, given the impact the pandemic has had on some doctoral and graduate students whose funding was exhausted by the end of the spring 2021 or summer 2021 terms, the University is providing an additional $4.5 million to assist them with degree completion. With this third round of federal funding, Pitt has received a total of $111 million in relief funds, with $58.3 million going directly to students. This reflects the University’s commitment to affordability and supporting students through these programs as well as Pitt initiatives such as the Pitt Success Pell Match program and Panthers Forward. “Given the tremendous needs created by the pandemic, we felt it was important to support students in ways that went beyond the federal requirements,” said Hari Sastry, senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer. He said the remaining $22.9 million in relief monies from ARPA will be used to offset institutional expenses related to the pandemic, such as testing, personal protective equipment and new technology in the classrooms. The ARPA encourages higher education institutions to prioritize students with the greatest need, and it enables universities to provide grants to non-citizen students. To be considered eligible, students must be enrolled at least half time for the fall 2021 term, and students can only receive one grant, which will be distributed by the week of Oct. 11, 2021. Students can give consent to use their grant to satisfy any outstanding account balance with the University if they wish. “In accordance with the ARPA guidelines, Pitt is broadly distributing funds to graduate and undergraduate students in a way that supports and helps them complete their educational journeys,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd. “In response to effects of the pandemic, we are eager to provide grants as broadly as possible to assist our students. It is the right thing to do.” Pitt will distribute funding through these programs. Additionally, some PhD and doctoral students with appointments and fellowships have had their progress toward degree completion delayed by one or more terms due to pandemic-related issues. The University is providing funding from its institutional relief funding to support these individuals. The institutional share of the ARPA funds will be used to offset expenses related to COVID-19 including lost revenue and reimbursement for expenses associated with bringing students and faculty to campus. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, COVID-related net expenses have totaled more than $160 million. ARPA represents the third round of COVID-related federal relief. The University received $21.3 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020 and $30.6 million from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) in January 2021. 4200 Fifth Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15260 United States

Financial Aid

2019 Durham gas explosion

On April 10, 2019, a gas explosion occurred near downtown Durham, North Carolina at the 115 block of North Duke Street in the Brightleaf District. The blast destroyed several buildings and damaged dozens of others,[4] killing two people and injuring 25 others, including 9 firefighters. [5] City officials have cited a gas leak to be the cause of the blast. On June 22, 2020, four separate lawsuits were filed in relation to the explosion. Each lawsuit represented separate victims of the blast, including one of the two deceased. [6] The explosion occurred at a local coffee shop by the name of Kaffeinate. The store was run by shop owner Kong Lee and his family. At 9:38 am, firefighters responded to a call of a potential gas leak near the Kaffeinate shop. Many witnesses reported the smell of gas prior to the explosion taking place. Durham officials stated that they evacuated eight to ten people from the coffee shop prior to the blast. The leak was reportedly caused by a gas line being breached by contractors with valid work permits. At 10:07 am, an explosion was reported near downtown Durham. The sound of the explosion was captured on one of the cameras facing the nearby 11-foot-8 bridge. [7] The damage was widespread, as businesses roughly two blocks away suffered damage although this was mostly limited to shattered windows. Fifteen buildings suffered damage in and around Brightleaf. [8] The coffee shop, Kaffeinate, was reduced to rubble as a result of the blast. An adjacent building holding a Porsche collection was destroyed. An office building directly in front of the coffee shop suffered extensive damage to its interior and exterior. The explosion could be felt several miles away, and a large smoke cloud from the resulting fire could be seen from miles away — this smoke cloud also showed up on weather radar. The Durham School of the Arts suffered damage to its interior, although no injuries were reported. 25 people were treated for injuries and at least 10 people were sent to local hospitals. Duke Regional Hospital and Duke University Hospital each received 5 patients. Kong Lee, the owner of Kaffeinate, was killed in the blast while preparing to evacuate the store. Jay Rambeaut, a Dominion Energy first responder, was sent to UNC Medical Center, where he died from his injuries on April 25. [9] Five of the injured were in critical condition. Nine of the 25 injured were responding firefighters. One firefighter suffered major injuries and underwent surgery. Vincent E. Price, the president of Duke University, confirmed that 10 Duke employees were injured in the explosion. [10] Passersby rushed to the scene quickly after the explosion, seeking to help the injured, while others helped motorists who were trapped in their cars by inflated airbags. City firefighters soon began arriving to fight a fire triggered by the explosion. Once the blaze was extinguished, a search-and-rescue effort began; it continued until the evening of the following day. Following an investigation, officials in the Durham Fire Department released a report[11] which determined that a three person crew from Optic Cable Technology digging horizontally to install underground cables breached a 3/4 inch gas line in front of Kaffeinate on the morning of the explosion. Shop owner Kong Lee went outside to complain about the gas smell – the report includes images from a nearby security camera that shows Lee waving his hand in front of his nose as he talked with the crew – but there was no evidence that Lee or anyone from Optic Cable called 911 to report the gas leak. The report was unable to determine what ignited the estimated 46,000 cubic feet of natural gas that leaked out of the ruptured pipe in the roughly 60 minutes from the initial breach to the explosion at 10:06 am. [12]

Gas explosion

The 75th anniversary of a tragic gas explosion in Onset

Librarian Steven M. Miller Jr. provided the display and excellent compilation of the tragic event from 75 years ago. Frank Mulligan, Wicked Local ONSET – Sunday, July 18, was the 75th anniversary of a horrendous gas explosion in Onset Center that killed nine people, injured 60 more, and demolished four buildings – lifting one into the air. The tragic event is described in a well-researched compilation of newspaper and published reports by Steven M. Miller Jr., Wareham Free Library’s Reference/Outreach Librarian, as part of a display in the library this month with newspaper clips and photos that was suggested by Wareham Historical Society President Angela Dunham. It was 12:30 on a Thursday afternoon in Onset on July 18, 1946 when Christy’s Spa’s bar manager Cliff Downey smelled a gasoline odor coming from the basement, Miller’s compilation notes. Christy’s was a popular spot for servicemen and couples, and though it was the noontime lunch rush, Downey ordered everyone out of the building. He went down in the basement to investigate. Downey found that gas was coming from a pipe where plumber Cecil Barrett had been working. Barrett had reportedly plunged a pick through one of the gas pipes. Downey described the scene to the Boston Globe as a “sizzling white haze” streaming from the broken gas pipe. The gas was shut off at 12:45. Downey called the Buzzards Bay Gas Company, which had trouble shutting off the rusty valve at the surface. In fact, Miller notes, the company had to dig underground to unearth another valve. The Fire Department was also notified and told those gathered around the restaurant to clear the area. Even after the gas was shut off and the scene secure, police advised everyone to stay away from the building. However, as minutes passed, the ropes in front of the building were taken down. A crowd remained that included shoppers, onlookers, and tourists. Some of Christy’s restaurant workers went back to their posts inside to continue working on their tasks. At around 1:10 p.m. Christy’s exploded. Witnesses told the Wareham Courier that the Spa “was lifted high into the air before mushrooming out and falling back, showering missiles, injuring many who escaped the direct concussion of the blast …” It turned “the center of Onset into a scene of death and horror …” Wareham Selectmen declared an emergency, National Guard units were summoned, help came from neighboring fire departments, and state police. Mrs. H.L. Pratt, a local rooming house owner on nearby Highland Avenue, said she had smelled gas in the air about 10 minutes before the explosion while she walked past the restaurant getting her fish and chips for lunch. It was speculated that the windowless double cellar may have filled up with gasoline between the pipe breaking and the supply being shut off. Claire McMenimon told the Boston Globe she was walking through Flagstaff Square across the street when the blast struck her like “a terrific blast of hot air.” “Area buildings were shaken from the burst and several windows within three quarters of a mile went crashing to the ground. The blast from the explosion sent broken glass more than 500 feet in all directions. Many were buried from the remains of the four collapsed buildings as cars in the immediate vicinity were overturned. It was reported that the blast could be heard from miles away at several local beaches,” notes Miller’s compilation. The demolished buildings housed a fish and chips shop, two fruit and grocery stores, a gift shop, and several second floor apartments. “Many stopped automobiles also helped bring victims to nearby Tobey Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and St. Luke’s in Middleboro. It was also reported that nurses at area hospitals gave blood transfusions to victims. Thirty-eight of those injured were transported to local hospitals, seven were listed on the ‘danger list’ for two days after the explosion. “A crew worked at the scene searching for bodies until around 8 p.m., as nine were found in the wreckage. During the search for survivors, a U.S. Army watch bearing the inscription ‘Andy’ was discovered, and it was believed a 10th victim was killed, but no one was ever reported missing in the days following the explosion. The scene was largely cleaned up over the course of the next week by the Onset Fire Dept. and E.T. Gault Transportation Company, with some equipment on loan from Camp Edwards. It was estimated the explosion caused over $200,000 worth of damage (over $2,750,000 in 2021 dollars). Guy Rizzuto and his wife Catherine, who had opened up their fish and chips establishment a month earlier, were both killed in the explosion as was Amy Heald, an employee in the bakery of the nearby gift shop. Barrett, the plumber, Christy’s owner William English, Raymond Brune, who was working on the music box in Christy’s, and Christy’s cook Joanna Rose were also causalities of the accident. Elizabeth Ward, of New Bedford, was injured while walking on the street after leaving the gift shop and died at Tobey Hospital. Frank Albrecht of Onset was the last victim claimed by the explosion. “A reporter from the Boston Globe speculated in the next day’s newspaper that the blast occurred from a refrigerator unit spark. Downey noted the fridge was one item that he did not turn off when he returned to the premises. An inquest was held by Judge Stephen B. McLeod, associate justice of the Brockton Superior Court, and it included more than 50 statements by witnesses, many of whom were injured in the blast. The three-page final report by McLeod noted that, ‘The cause of the explosion was the action of Cecil Barrett, who broke the pipe and ignited the gas with his carelessness.’ The Buzzards Bay Gas Company was also blamed for not having emergency crews ready to address the situation. More than $115,000 (over $1,500,000 in 2021 dollars) was paid in a settlement by Liberty Mutual and the Buzzards Bay Gas Company to the families who were killed and injured. The area was eventually rebuilt. Onset Village Market quietly sits on the spot where the Christy’s Spa explosion occurred 75 years ago ...” Miller said much of the information and clippings came from the Boston Globe database. “And I just decided to put this display together because I wanted to highlight something of importance to local history. People are very interested in local history around here, especially with the postcard series that we do on our website on Facebook every Thursday.”

Gas explosion

Horsham company convicted, fined $100,000, over fatal Ballarat wall collapse

An excavation company in regional Victoria has been fined $100,000 over the death of a senior employee when a brick wall collapsed on him at a residential building site two years ago. Horsham Backhoe entered a plea of guilty after a 56-year-old man was crushed by a brick wall in Ballarat in September 2019. The deceased was the director of Horsham Backhoe at the time. WorkSafe laid charges against the corporation in February this year following an investigation which took place over 16 months. Horsham Backhoe pleaded guilty to failing to establish or maintain an exclusion zone around live demolition areas and failing to provide appropriate training. During the sentencing hearing in the Ballarat Magistrate's Court today, Magistrate Ron Saines said there were mitigating factors that influenced the sentencing. "The accused corporation has entered a plea of guilty and I accept it was done at an early stage [in the process]," he said. "[Also] the fact that [the deceased's wife] was widowed as a result of this health and safety breach … carries immeasurable consequences. "[Horsham Backhoe] has lost what is likely to be their principal employee. "That person, who was not only an employee, would have been responsible for a variety of managerial aspects of the corporation.  "I accept that this extra crucial punishment or consequence is relevant when determining sentencing." The court heard the true fatal consequence of the breach was a failure to identify, plan, and implement strategies to deal with the risk of the brick wall falling.  Magistrate Saines said this was the "heart of objective seriousness".  "[This is a] very significant breach. It's not the highest or most egregious, but it's a great deal more than minor," he said.  Magistrate Saines said if the corporation had not entered a plea of guilty there would have been a potentially increased fine of up to more than $1.4 million.

Organization Fine

1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash

On 26 June 1950, a Douglas DC-4 Skymaster[Note 1] aircraft departed from Perth, Western Australia for an eight-hour flight to Adelaide, South Australia. It crashed 22 minutes after take-off, 35 miles (56 km) East from Perth Airport. All 29 occupants were killed in the accident; one initially survived, but died six days later. It was the worst civil aviation accident in Australia. [Note 2][3][4][5][6] As the aircraft flew eastwards over the outer suburbs of Perth numerous witnesses observed that it was flying at a lower altitude than usual for the daily Skymaster services, and at least one of the engines was running roughly and backfiring at regular intervals. In the minutes before it crashed, witnesses heard a number of different engine noises – sometimes operating normally, sometimes all engine noise ceased, only to be replaced by what was described as a very loud, high-pitched "scream". When the wrecked engines were examined many weeks after the accident a significant amount of corrosion product was found in the fuel system within two of the engines. After a preliminary investigation, Investigators from the Department of Civil Aviation believed the water responsible for the corrosion was also responsible for rough running of at least one engine, and ultimately temporary loss of power from all engines on at least one occasion. The Investigators did not find a likely source for the water. All but one of the 29 occupants on board the aircraft died, either from multiple injuries and burns, or from incineration. One elderly male passenger survived the crash. The first rescuers at the crash site found him wandering about, dazed and distressed. He suffered serious burns and was admitted to hospital where he died six days later. The accident became the subject of an Inquiry chaired by a Supreme Court judge. In the absence of evidence indicating the source of any water in the fuel, the Inquiry dismissed the submission that water was responsible for the accident. The Inquiry did not determine the cause of the accident but it made recommendations to enhance the safety of aircraft operations. The aircraft was the Amana,[Note 3] a Douglas DC-4-1009 registered VH-ANA and the flagship of the Australian National Airways fleet. It flew for the first time on 28 January 1946 and was flown to Australia on 9 February 1946. [1][7] The Amana departed from Perth Airport[Note 4] at 9:55 pm for the 8-hour flight to Adelaide. On board were 24 passengers, 3 pilots and two air hostesses. [Note 5][3][11] A radio report was received from the Amana at 10:00 pm advising it was on course and climbing to 9,000 feet. Nothing more was heard from the aircraft. [11][12] As it flew east over the outer suburbs of Perth numerous people on the ground observed that it was flying unusually low, and heard at least one of its engines running roughly and backfiring repeatedly. [Note 6][5][13][14] Amana crashed at about 10:13 pm. [5] A number of residents on farming properties to the west of York heard a large aircraft flying low over the area. The aircraft seemed to be in trouble because the noise from the engines was changing significantly. At times the engines seemed to be operating normally but on at least one occasion all engine noise ceased for a brief time and then returned as a very loud, high-pitched noise. One resident reported that when all engine noise ceased he could hear a rushing sound until the scream from the engines returned. Several residents reported seeing a bright flash of white light in the distance, followed by a loud crashing and scraping noise. Those closest to the crash could then see the yellow glow of a major fire. [5][13][15] Ten minutes after the Amana set course for Adelaide, a Douglas DC-4 operated by Trans Australia Airlines became airborne at Perth, also heading for Adelaide. [Note 7] As the TAA aircraft set course for Adelaide, the captain, Douglas MacDonald,[Note 8][18] saw a vivid white flash on the horizon in precisely the direction in which he was heading. It lasted about six seconds, long enough for him to draw it to the attention of the two other crew members. Eight minutes later, the TAA aircraft passed over a band of fire on the ground. MacDonald estimated the fire was 28 nautical miles (52 km) east of Perth Airport. As MacDonald approached Cunderdin, he was aware the Amana, flying about ten minutes ahead of him, had not yet radioed its position report at Cunderdin. He became concerned that the vivid white flash and the ground fire might indicate some tragedy had befallen the Amana so he advised Air Traffic Control about his observations. Air Traffic Control was also concerned about the Amana's failure to report at Cunderdin so on hearing MacDonald's observations of the vivid white flash and the ground fire they activated emergency procedures. They asked MacDonald to fly back to the fire and determine its position. MacDonald did so and advised Air Traffic Control of bearings from the fire to York and Northam, the towns nearest the crash site. [11][16][19] Frank McNamara (62), an apiarist, and Geoff Inkpen (25), a young farmer, heard the sound of a big aircraft in serious trouble, flying low nearby. McNamara described the noise from the engines as "terrifying". [20] They investigated and saw the bright light of a flash fire. [Note 9] McNamara sent his two teenage sons in his utility truck to York to alert the police. McNamara and Inkpen then set out on foot in the direction of the fire. As there was bright moonlight, they were able to hurry through the bush. After about half an hour, they came upon a scene of devastation. They were astonished to find an elderly man in a dazed state wandering around the burning wreckage. He gave his name and explained that he had been a passenger on a large aircraft. He had survived the crash despite being badly burned.

Air crash

Woman, 61, killed in ‘gas blast’ which destroyed her home was on FaceTime to boyfriend at time of explosion

This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. A WOMAN killed in a suspected gas blast that destroyed her home was on FaceTime to her boyfriend at the time of the explosion, an inquest heard. Hazel Wilcock, 61, was found in the rubble of her home in Bury, Greater Manchester, on the evening of February 18. Five others, including a child, were injured in the horror blast. An inquest into Ms Wilcock's death was opened at Rochdale Coroner's Court today. Police coroner's officer Jane Scullion told the court: "Hazel was at her home address and was having a FaceTime call with her partner when an explosion took place, causing the phone to disconnect and cut off. "All emergency services attended the scene. "Ms Wilcock's property was completely destroyed and there was damage to two neighbouring properties. "Ms Wilcock was in a seating position, on the sofa, at the time of the FaceTime call." Ms Scullion said the fire service has not gathered any evidence of "suspicious activity" and other investigations are still taking place, Manchester Evening News reports. The provisional cause of Ms Wilcock's death was recorded as "traumatic asphyxia". Assistant coroner Michael Salt said an inquest is "inevitably needed". A date is yet to be fixed for the full inquest but Mr Salt said that the file will be reviewed on May 24. Tributes have poured in for Ms Wilcock, who worked as a counsellor for St Ann's Hospice. Chief executive of the hospice, Rachel McMillan said: "Everyone at the hospice is extremely shocked and saddened by the tragic news of Hazel's death, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. "Hazel had been part of the St Ann's team for four years as a senior counsellor in our Patient and Family Support Team, working hard to support the people we care for and those closest to them. "She was a much-loved member of the hospice family, always compassionate, and always focused on ensuring the very best care for our patients." And neighbour, June Winsche, told MEN: "She had lots of friends and loved entertaining and I'd always be invited over for meals. "Hazel was just so kind. We went on retreats together and she tooktime with me when I was going through a very bad time. "She was a counsellor so had amazing listening skills and I am awareshe helped a lot more people. "She was very inspirational and pushed me to start my own businessbecause she believed in me so much." Close friend, Amanda Webber, wrote on Facebook: "A beautiful soulinside and out. "It was a pleasure to have known you and to have worked for you, mayyou Rest in eternal peace and your smile shine down on us all. "You shall be sadly missed by all who knew you. R.I.P Hazel xx." While Andrea Procter wrote: "Hazel you were such an inspiration and fantastic friend. "Devastating news. So sad." Neighbours who raced to help the survivors in Summerseat, Gtr Manchester, said the blast was heard three streets away. Kerry Crompton said: “It is so sad about the lady. I used to see her walking her dog. “I’ve been told that, at the time, she was in the living room on a video call to her friends. That must have been ­horrific for those people.” The mum of two, 36, told how she pulled her neighbour — named only as Stephanie — her daughter Evie and dog Besti from the wreckage of the home. She said: “They were both absolute black. Stephanie was screaming. I just grabbed them and got them out. The little girl was hysterical.” A friend of the pair said they were lucky to be alive. Builder Paul Camprey, 41, said: “There was a massive boom and the doors and windows shook. The whole house had been destroyed.” Thirty homes were evacuated, with some families allowed back yesterday. Greater Manchester Police said a woman and child were taken to hospital with minor injuries and three others treated at the scene, Police, the fire service, the council and gas suppliers are investigating. GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk Rangers next manager odds: Van Bronckhorst odds-on but Lampard in the mix Corrie & Emmerdale fans rage as tonight's episodes cancelled in schedule change Eamonn Holmes quits This Morning after 15 years - for surprising new venture I don't blame Ioan for moving on with Bianca but it's COWARDLY says Alice Evans ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. View our online Press Pack. For other inquiries, Contact Us. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/

Gas explosion

Emma McKeon breaks Olympic 100m freestyle record in Tokyo, Ariarne Titmus to challenge for third gold

Emma McKeon breaks Olympic 100m freestyle record in Tokyo, Ariarne Titmus to challenge for third gold Tune into live sports radio as we cover all the action from across the country Australia's Emma McKeon has sent a warning to her rivals in the women's 100 metres freestyle after setting an Olympic record in the heats in Tokyo. And Australia has qualified fastest for the women's 4x200m freestyle final, giving McKeon and Ariarne Titmus the chance of winning more gold at the Games. McKeon, already a gold and bronze medallist in Tokyo, showed why she is the favourite in the eyes of many observers to win the 100m freestyle with a blistering time of 52.13 — a personal best and the eighth fastest of all time — in her heat. She broke the three-day-old Olympic mark of 52.62 held by world record holder Sarah Sjoestroem, who swam the time when leading off Sweden's 4x100m freestyle squad in Sunday's final, which was won by Australia. McKeon, who swam 51.35 on the fly when helping Australia win the gold, will be joined by relay teammate Cate Campbell in the 100m freestyle semi-finals. Campbell won her heat in 52.80 to be the fourth-fastest qualifier for Thursday morning's semi-finals. McKeon was competing two days after she finished third in the 100m butterfly final. "I'm pretty happy with that," McKeon told Channel Seven after her heat. "An Olympic record is pretty cool. But I guess I had yesterday off and this morning off, so I think it freshened me up a bit." McKeon had arrived in Tokyo with the fastest pre-Games time of the year (52.19), while she beat Campbell in the 100m freestyle final at last month's Olympic trials in Adelaide. Campbell, a three-time Olympic relay gold medallist, is chasing her first podium finish in the 100m freestyle. She placed sixth in Rio in 2016 when she was the firm favourite, having set a world record in the build-up to the Games. Campbell won a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle as a 16-year-old at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ariarne Titmus's incredible Tokyo Olympics continues, with the Australian superstar winning gold in the 200m freestyle. Meanwhile, McKeon and Titmus will be added to Australia's 4x200m freestyle line-up for Thursday morning's final. Both were rested from Wednesday night's heat, with Titmus having won her second gold medal of the Games in the 200m freestyle final earlier in the day. Australia, the world champions in the 4x200m freestyle, won its heat in 7:44.61, with Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Brianna Throssell and Tamsin Cook booking its spot in the final. The Australians hold the world record in the event with a time of 7:41.50. They will also have Madi Wilson — eighth behind Titmus in the 200m freestyle final — and Leah Neale available for the relay decider. The Tokyo Paralympics are starting. Stay up to date with all the action from the Games. In other results, Australia's Mitch Larkin reached the men's 200m individual medley semi-finals but countryman Brendon Smith was surprisingly eliminated in the heats. Smith, who won bronze in the 400m individual medley earlier in the Tokyo swimming program, swam 1:58.57 to place second in his heat in the shorter event. He was 22nd fastest overall in the heats, missing the top 16 by 0.42. Larkin, seventh in Tuesday's 100m backstroke final, clocked 1:57.50 to win his heat and be the ninth-fastest qualifier for the medley semi-finals. Jenna Strauch and Tristan Hollard safely progressed to the respective semi-finals of the women's 200m breaststroke and men's 200m backstroke. 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

LPG leakage triggers blast, 4 of family injured

Kolkata: A suspected gas leak — resulting in formation of a vapour cloud inside a small room — led to a blast on the ground floor of a five-storey building at Ahiripukur Lane in Beckbagan around 5.45am on Thursday. The explosion injured four of the same family. It is believed the explosion took place when one of the residents put a switch on to charge a cell phone. A vapour cloud explosion occurs when sufficient amount of flammable material mixes with air and is ignited. The victims have been identified as Ananda Das (42), his wife Kiran (36), son Shivam (7) and his niece Bhumi Chowdhury (16) alias Buli. While Buli is stated to be out of danger, the three others have received various degrees of burn injuries. The victims were initially rushed to a private hospital in the Park Circus area before being shifted to SSKM. Ananda is presently employed with the Japanese consulate as a support staffer. A forensic team, the bomb disposal squad and the dog squad were rushed to the blast site on Thursday morning. Police said the gas cylinder and electrical equipment of the house was found intact. No trace of explosives was found from the house. According to police, the impact of the blast was such that at least three walls of the room were ripped apart. Since the building is interconnected and there are multiple rooms next to each other, the blast damaged three adjoining rooms. KMC has been roped to ascertain whether it will be safe for others to continue living as the ground floor has taken the maximum hit,” said an officer. “The explosion was a result of the ignition of a cloud of flammable vapour. In this case, there was an LPG leakage. It could be either due to a mistake in shutting down the gas (and not just the oven) or a damaged gas pipe. The vapour cloud accumulated in the small room of Ananda. The pressure of the cloud was higher than the atmospheric pressure outside,” explained a source from the forensic unit. “Any little spark or ignition is enough for the cloud to burst. The expansion of this vapour happens horizontally. That is exactly what happened in this case. The blast did not affect the ceiling at all but blew away the walls,” he added. “Vapours were formed due to leakage in gas, which exploded as the house occupant plugged the charger of the mobile,” said joint CP (Crime) Murlidhar Sharma. Dulhara Khatun, a local resident, said the sound was enough to make them believe that it was an explosion. “We came out of the room around 6am and found the wall of the ground floor ripped apart. The residents were lying in the bedroom and screaming for help. I rushed back home, unable to bear to see the scene,” said Khatun.

Gas explosion

Corning train wreck

The Corning train wreck (also known as the Gibson train wreck) was a railway accident that occurred at 5.21 a.m. on July 4, 1912, on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad at East Corning freight station in Gibson three miles east of Corning in New York State, leaving 39 dead and 88 injured. [1][2] At 3:50 a.m. freight train No.393 left Elmira with 55 loaded cars; it experienced steaming problems and at 4:46 a.m. pulled into a siding at East Corning freight station to investigate. As it was doing so a coupling broke, leaving several cars on the main line. The line operated Automatic Block Signals; the presence of a train in the block section automatically setting the preceding semaphore signals; the first to caution, the next to danger. In addition as it was foggy the flagman placed two torpedoes on the line to protect the rear of the train. [2] Passenger train No.9 running from Hoboken, New Jersey, to Buffalo and Niagara Falls left Elmira at 4:47; it consisted of ten cars hauled by two locomotives. It heeded the signals and came to a halt behind the disabled freight train. The engineer of No.9 decided to assist the freight train and the head locomotive was uncoupled to push the loose cars ahead onto the siding. [1] Meanwhile, train No.11, an eight car mail express pulled by a Wootten-type engine, also travelling from Hoboken to Buffalo, departed Elmira at 5:00 a.m. For some reason the engineer, William Schroeder, ignored two signals, one at caution and one at danger and plowed into the back of No.9 at a speed of 60 mph. The rear coach of No.9 was 'completely destroyed', the next one being of steel construction was less damaged only the 'vestibules and platforms on both ends were crushed', however it was 'stripped off its trucks and telescoped the third (wooden) car from the end through two-thirds of its length. [2] All but two of the mail express cars were derailed and whiplashed, bringing down the telegraph poles on both sides of the track; meaning it was an hour before news of the disaster reached Corning. Meanwhile, hordes of spectators gathered hampering subsequent access by medical and rescue teams. [3] A special relief train arrived from Elmira at 7 a.m. carrying doctors and nurses, but by 9 a.m. injured were still trapped in the wreckage. [4] At the coroner's inquest it was revealed that 95% of the victims had suffered fractured skulls, the conclusion being that they had their heads out of the windows to try to determine the cause of the delay. The inquest also heard that engineer Schroeder had appeared drunk the morning of the accident at 12:30 a.m. Moreover, he was late for work that morning, appearing only after two men had been sent to rouse him. Schroeder denied being drunk, stating that he had drunk two gins 'as medicine'. The inquest completed on July 17, 1912, acquitting the Lackawanna Railroad but holding engineer Schroeder responsible for the crash. [3] The ICC investigation, published on July 30, 1912, centered on why No. 11 failed to stop. Schroeder said that the fog was very thick as he approached East Corning and that "he was able to distinguish signals only by very carefully watching for them, at times they could not be seen a distance of one car length". He also admitted that due to problems with the steam injectors he was "not constantly on the watch for the signals" and did not see the caution signal, the fusee or the flagman; only becoming aware of the train ahead when he was 150 feet from it. [2] A member of the New York Public Service Commission stated "The railroad rules are very strict. The engineers are required to know the location of every signal. That is part of their business. It is their duty to observe every signal, if for any reason, they cannot or do not see it as the train passes, it is their duty to regard it as a danger signal and stop the train". [3] The investigation also criticized the flagman from No. 9, as unlike the flagman from the freight train, he failed to deploy torpedoes on the track (in his evidence he stated that when he heard No. 11 approaching he lit a fusee and placed it next to the engineman's side of the track and also flagged the oncoming train with a red flag but the engineman was looking across to the other side of the engine and failed to notice him). [2] But as well as attributing blame to individuals the investigation also made a number of recommendations. The regulations guiding the use of torpedoes should be clarified as they rely too greatly on the judgment of rail staff. Automatic block signaling would have provided far greater protection had the blocks overlapped; meaning that protection would have been provided by two stop signals (rather than just one) as well as the caution, hence one signal missed would not then have resulted a disaster. Finally, the safety of all-steel cars was highlighted over wooden construction as only two people were killed in the steel car, "the substitution of all steel equipment for wooden equipment in high speed passenger service shall be required at the earliest practical date". [2]

Train collisions

2016 Tunisian protests

 Tunisia In January 2016, protests erupted in the Kasserine region of Tunisia over unemployment. These unemployment rates were 30% in the region as compared to the national 15.3%. [2] In particular, there was high youth unemployment. The protests consisted of violence against the police and marching on Tunis. The incidents continued for a week injuring 59 officers and 40 protestors until the government imposed a curfew. [3]

Protest_Online Condemnation

2007 Mogadishu TransAVIAexport Airlines Il-76 crash

The 2007 TransAVIAexport Airlines Il-76 crash refers to an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft operated by that Belarusian airline that crashed in the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, on 23 March 2007, during the Battle of Mogadishu. The plane was carrying repair equipment and humanitarian aid. According to a spokesperson for the transport ministry of Belarus, the aircraft was shot down. However, the Somali government insisted that the crash was accidental. [1] A crew of eleven on board the aircraft perished in the accident. On 9 March 2007, a Transaviaexport Ilyushin Il-76TD, registration EW-78826, that was about to complete an Entebbe–Mogadishu flight carrying Ugandan peacekeepers and equipment,[3] made a successful emergency landing at Mogadishu International Airport after having been struck by a rocket propelled grenade and catching fire on approach to the airport of destination. [4] The rocket had apparently been fired from a boat while the plane passed over it at a height of 150 metres (490 ft). [5] A crew of nine Belarusian were aboard the aircraft, along with six UPDF soldiers;[5] all of them resulted unharmed. Islamist militia claimed the attack, saying that African Union peacekeepers were their target, as they were seen as invading troops; Somali officials denied such attack, and said the incident was due to the aircraft experiencing a technical failure. [4] There had been a report with unverified claims circulating on the internet stating that the aircraft had actually been carrying a secret load of infantry fighting vehicles for Ugandan troops. This report also claimed that these vehicles saved all occupants on board. [6] The aircraft involved was an Ilyushin Il-76, a large Russian-built cargo aircraft. Registered as EW-78849,[7] the Il-76 had been on a chartered cargo flight carrying equipment to Ugandan AMISOM peacekeepers in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. [8] All of the crew members were Belarusian. [9] Four of the personnel on board the accident aircraft were engineers who had worked on repairing another aircraft of the same type that had been the subject of an attempted shootdown 14 days earlier. [1][10] Much of the equipment on board EW-78849 was for repairing the aircraft damaged earlier;[citation needed] the rest of the cargo was humanitarian aid. [11] The first aircraft was still crippled at the departure time of EW-78849, and TransAVIAexport were considering whether to cannibalise it for re-usable parts. [7] EW-78849 was due to fly back to Belarus carrying equipment used for the repairs of EW-78826. [12] The flight plan included a refuelling stop at Djibouti. [7] Bound for Minsk, the aircraft had taken off from Mogadishu International Airport at 14:00 local time. [12] According to Somali Interior Minister Mohamed Mahamud Guled, as soon as it reached 10,000 feet (3,000 m) altitude, the pilot reported a problem in engine number two, stating that he would turn back to the airport. [8] He was in the process of attempting to return to the airport for an emergency landing[13] when one wing exploded,[14] separated from the aircraft and fell into the Indian Ocean, while the rest of the plane continued, on fire, along the beach at a low altitude before crashing. [8][15] The accident occurred in an area called Kuluweyne,[11] with the main part of the wreckage landing near a farmer's hamlet. A Reuters reporter who visited the scene reported seeing crushed animals, four corpses still on the ground, and wreckage spread across an area the size of four football fields. Rescuers found ten of the crew members dead at the scene, and an eleventh alive and wandering around the crash site. He was transported to a hospital where he died the same day. [16] Operations at the airport were not affected by the crash, with Somali Prime Minister Ali Gedi and his delegation departing as scheduled from the airport the next day, destined for the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia. [13] A civilian who witnessed the crash said he heard what he believed to be a surface-to-air missile being fired immediately before the accident. [8] "I saw with my eyes when the plane, which was flying low-level, was hit by a rocket and then fell to the ground," Shabelle reporter Maryan Hashi said. [15]" There have been reports that the projectile came from a small boat,[17] and others that it came from a nearby farmers' market. [18] The plane appears to have been struck by the missile at an altitude of about 150 metres (490 ft). [19] All eleven occupants on board the aircraft died in the incident. [20] Their bodies were transported back to Belarus in a Gomelavia aircraft on 30 March 2007. [21] On 2 April funeral services were held in Belarus for the victims, with hundreds attending. Eight of the victims were buried in a single lot at Maskouskiya cemetery, the rest in Vitsebsk. [22] The Somali authorities originally stated that the cause of the crash was unknown, and have since maintained that the crash occurred as a result of an accident, and that it had not been shot down. [1][15] However, while not claiming responsibility for this specific attack, an Islamist web site published claims that the plane was indeed struck by a missile. [15] Within 24 hours of the crash, Belarusian officials confirmed that the plane had been shot down. [19] Somali soldiers began to guard the area against interference. [11] TransAVIAexport suspended all flights to Somalia as a result of the incident,[23] and Belarus advised its airlines not to enter Somali airspace. [24] An investigation was launched by the Belarusian transport prosecutor's office for violations of Article 126 of the Criminal Code, which concerns international terrorism. [6] On 5 April 2007, the US Federal Aviation Administration released a communication prohibiting US airlines and commercial operators from operating over Somali airspace at altitudes below 26,000 feet (7,900 m), due to possible threats from rocket propelled grenades and shoulder-launched missiles. [25] According to the Small Arms Survey 2008 Yearbook, the aircraft was shot down by one of two 9K38 Iglas fired by Hizbul Islam. [26]

Air crash

SpaceX's Star Wars Day launch puts 60 Starlink satellites in orbit, lands rocket

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a full stack of 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit on Tuesday afternoon (May 4) and then stuck its landing at sea to top off a successful mission. The veteran Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Pad 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 3:01 p.m. EDT (1901 GMT), marking the company's 13th launch of the year. SpaceX launched its own version of the "fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy," the Falcon 9, on Star Wars Day (aka "May the Fourth"), a global celebration of all things "Star Wars." The 229-foot-tall (70 meters) rocket is named after the Millennium Falcon — the iconic ship in the "Star Wars" franchise piloted by Han Solo. It's payload? A full stack of 60 flat-paneled broadband satellites called Starlink. "And liftoff! May the force be with us," a SpaceX launch commentator said during a live webcast of the mission. Related: May the Fourth be with you! R2-D2 helps NASA astronaut celebrate 'Star Wars Day' A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 60 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 4, 2021. Approximately nine minutes after liftoff, the rocket's first stage returned to Earth, touching down on SpaceX's drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You," for its ninth successful landing. The launch was originally part of a planned SpaceX doubleheader, as the company worked towards a launch of its massive Starship at its South Texas facilities. That flight was pushed back to no earlier than Thursday (May 6), while the Falcon 9 was able to get off the ground. Onlookers were treated to quite the spectacle as the rocket blasted off as part of a rare daytime mission. Related: SpaceX's Starlink satellite megaconstellation launches in photos A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster stands atop the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Atlantic Ocean after landing on May 4, 2021 following its 60-satellite Starlink launch. SpaceX is continuing the rapid launch pace set last year, as the Hawthorne, California-based rocket builder celebrated its 13th launch so far in 2021. Every single one of those launches have been on reused rockets, and most have carried SpaceX's own Starlink satellites. That's because the company has been working to fill its initial internet constellation of 1,440 broadband satellites. That milestone has already been achieved, but SpaceX isn't slowing down; the company currently has permission to launch as many as 30,000 Starlink satellites, with an option for even more. Forecasters at the 45th Space Wing's Weather Squadron predicted favorable conditions at launch and the weather did not disappoint. It was nothing but clear blue skies over the space coast as the Falcon roared to life and climbed to orbit. The only concern going into Tuesday's launch was recovery weather and liftoff winds at the launch site. Neither of those proved to be an issue. The first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket (left) executes an entry burn ahead of landing as its second stage continues to orbit with 60 Starlink satellites during a successful launch on May 4, 2021. (Image credit: SpaceX) Rapid reuse The booster used in Tuesday's launch, called B1049, is not only one of SpaceX's fleet of flight-proven boosters, but also one of the most experienced. The veteran flier now has nine launches and landings under its belt as the company has plans to push its Falcon 9 rockets to the limit. It's only the second booster in SpaceX's fleet to reach this milestone. (The other is B1051.) This frequent flyer made its debut in 2018, carrying the Telstar 18V satellite before trekking across the country to launch 10 Iridium NEXT satellites in 2019. Its subsequent missions have all contained Starlink payloads. Tuesday's flight marks the seventh load of the broadband satellites that this particular booster has carried into space. SpaceX has been using its previously flown boosters with the most miles to transport its own satellites into space. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster designated B1049 stands atop Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California a day before a scheduled Jan. 11, 2019 launch of 10 Iridium Next satellites. (Image credit: SpaceX) This is the 117th overall flight for Falcon 9, and the 63rd flight of a used, refurbished booster. In fact, every single SpaceX launch so far in 2021 has been on a flight-proven rocket. When the upgraded Falcon 9 debuted in 2018, SpaceX Founder and CEO Elon Musk told reporters that the company expected each Falcon 9 to fly 10 times with few refurbishments in between flights, and as many as 100 times before retirement. According to Musk, the company has learned a lot through the refurbishment process, including that there doesn't seem to be a hard limit on the number of flights that any given Falcon 9 can fly. Following the launch of the Crew-2 astronaut mission to the International Space Station for NASA, the SpaceX CEO did indicate that the company would push the Falcons to the limit and keep flying them on Starlink missions until they break, which could well surpass the 10 flights previously predicted. Having a fleet of flight-proven rockets at its disposal allows SpaceX to keep up with its rapid launch cadence. However, company officials have stressed that while losing a booster is unfortunate, the main objective of each mission is always to deliver the payload safely to its intended orbit. Anything beyond that is a bonus. SpaceX has yet to launch the same rocket 10 times, but according to Musk, that historic flight should happen in the very near future. Constellation expansion SpaceX deploys 60 Starlink satellites in orbit for the Starlink 25 mission, on May 4, 2021. (Image credit: SpaceX) SpaceX launched its massive internet constellation, to help provide internet coverage to the world, in particular those in remote and rural areas. To that end, company engineers designed a fleet of flat-paneled broadband satellites to fly over the Earth, beaming down internet coverage to users who can access the service via a compact user terminal. With Tuesday's launch success, SpaceX has launched nearly 1,600 Starlink satellites into orbit, including some that are no longer operational. This goes beyond the company's initial quota, which means we could see an official commercial rollout of the Starlink internet service sometime this year. Currently, Starlink is still in its beta-testing phase with users around the world putting the burgeoning broadband service through its paces. The company has also opened up its website to begin taking preorders, although service won't begin right away. Prospective users can go to the company's website and reserve the service with a $99 deposit right now. Starlink review (hands on): How good is Elon Musk's satellite internet service? SpaceX is not the only company with aspirations of connecting the globe. OneWeb, Amazon and Telstar all have constellations of their own planned. However, OneWeb is currently the only other service with actual satellites in space. The London-based company launched 36 of its satellites in March on a Russian Soyuz as part of an effort to fill out its planned constellation containing 650 satellites. (To date, OneWeb has launched five of its planned 19 missions.) Amazon recently signed a deal with United Launch Alliance (ULA), for nine of its Project Kuiper missions to fly on an Atlas V rocket, sometime in the future. Specifics on the number of satellites to be launched and when have not yet been released. Fairing recovery The net-equipped SpaceX boat GO Ms. Tree catches a Falcon 9 payload fairing half on Aug. 18, 2020. Both of the fairing halves featured in Tuesday's mission will be recovered by the newest member of SpaceX's recovery fleet, Shelia Bordelon. Thanks to onboard parachutes and navigation software, the clamshell-like hardware will glide itself back to Earth and gently splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. From there, the two fairing pieces will be pulled from the water by the brightly painted boat. This is the fourth mission now for Shelia Bordelon, which uses an onboard crane to retrieve the fairings. With any luck, the fairings will be able to be used again on a future mission.

New achievements in aerospace

1923 Kraków riot

The 1923 Kraków riot was a violent riot that took place during a strike on 6 November 1923 in Kraków, Poland. The incident is also called the 1923 Kraków uprising, particularly by Marxist sources. Demonstrators took control of the Main Market Square area and disarmed some troops. [3][4] Eventually troops and police were ordered to fire on the workers, though some soldiers refused. Three armored cars were used, one of which, named Dziadek ("Grandpa"), was captured by the workers in the Market Square area. Some 18–30 workers were killed, as well as 14 soldiers. No policemen died, but 31 were injured. Poland regained independence in 1918 (see Partitions of Poland), in the aftermath of the First World War, but was involved in several military conflicts, such as Polish-Soviet War, till late 1920. After the wars, the newly reconstituted country had to deal with a difficult economic situation, including economic depression and hyperinflation. [3] Workers rights were curtailed, their material situation drastically worsened, and Polish socialists were in opposition to the coalition government of Endecja and Chjeno-Piast, with Wincenty Witos as prime minister. At the same time, Witos and his men were afraid that Józef Piłsudski, who for the time being was staying in his estate in Sulejowek, would use any opportunity to return to power. The Marshall was officially presenting himself as a private person, but his house was carefully watched by the police. In the fall of 1923, hundreds of strikes took place across the country. [3] At first, Polish government adopted a lenient policy towards worker demonstration, but after a scandal in 1922, in which a carriage with Polish president was pelted by stones by the workers while police did nothing, this policy changed. In October 1923, railroads were militarized, and the striking rail workers were drafted into the army. In Kraków, where workers' strikes and demonstrations were occurring as well,[3] local military commander, General Józef Czikiel, introduced special courts for striking rail workers. In response, on November 5, Polish Socialist Party proclaimed a general strike. On 5 November the government forbade any demonstrations, yet this decree was disregarded by the workers of Kraków. Therefore, troops, some of them armed with machine guns, were deployed on the streets of the city, and on crucial positions across the city early in the morning on November 6. A day earlier, Polish Socialist Party (Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, PPS) had declared a general strike as in response to government militarization of the railways (ordered in order to end a month-long strike of the railway workers) and other restrictions. Workers clashed with the police, but the situation didn't progress further on that day. Another large workers demonstration begun in late morning of 6 November, resulting in events described in some sources as Bloody Tuesday. [7] It all started when the protesters approached Worker's House, located at Dunajewskiego Street, where a demonstration was planned for that day. However, the House was locked, and in front of it were the police, some of them with rifles and bayonets. Angry workers came closer to the police, and then one of the officers, positioned in a nearby hotel, fired at the crowd. It was the spark that ignited the crowd. The demonstrators rushed at the police, disarming some of the officers. At the same time, a Polish Army regiment, called to help the police, appeared in the Planty Park. The workers began chanting "Long live Józef Piłsudski", and upon hearing that, the soldiers put down their weapons, honoring their beloved commandant. Soon afterwards, rifles were in the hands of the demonstrators, many of whom were well-trained veterans of the Polish-Soviet War. Since the situation was getting very serious, local authorities called uhlans of the 8th Regiment, under Rotmistrz Lucjan Bochenek, an experienced soldier, who ordered his subordinates to charge on the crowd, but horses were unable to run on the wet sidewalks, and many of them slipped and fell. The workers dispersed, with a number of them hiding in nearby houses, where they opened fire. Bochenek, and his deputy Mieczyslaw Zagorski were killed, and shocked uhlans were disarmed. [6] Another cavalry unit was also disarmed, and its commandant, shot in both legs, was unable to control the soldiers, who, after hearing workers chant "Long live Pilsudski! Down with the government of Witos! ", mingled with the crowd, giving up their weapons. Upon order of General Czikiel, Colonel Becker was left in charge of the army units sent to fight the demonstrators. Becker, finding out about failure of the mounted troops, sent into action infantry regiments, which on previous night had been transported from Katowice and the area of Lwow. Meanwhile, workers were erecting barricades and clashing with the police and troops units again. The Internationale was sung. The demonstrators took control of the Main Market Square area and disarmed some troops. Eventually, troops and police were given orders to fire on the workers, although some soldiers refused to do so. [3] Three Armored cars were usedone of which, named Dziadek, was captured by the workers in the area of the market square. The driver of the armored car was killed, two other soldiers inside were seriously wounded. Around midday of November 6, the center of the city was under control of the workers, with police and army units stationed around Kraków Main station, and offices of the voivode. At that time, rumors began circulating among the demonstrators, which had it that large army units with artillery were on their way. However, the government in Warsaw, anxious about the situation, had already begun negotiations with the opposition, and a five-hour truce was declared, which prevented further fighting. Altogether, about 18 to 30 workers and 14 soldierswere killed (including 11 cavalryman from an ill-fated charge), and there were 101 soldiers wounded. No policeman were killed, but 31 were injured.Among the civilians, 10 were seriously wounded.

Riot

Montenegro Joins NATO, First New Member in a Decade

U.S. news Montenegro Joins NATO, First New Member in a Decade NATO welcomed the tiny country of Montenegro, as its 29th member Monday — the first new member in nearly ten years. Prime Minister of Montenegro Dusko Markovic, center, shakes hands with U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon, right, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stadning next to him,during an accession ceremony for Montenegro into the NATO alliance at the State Department in Washington on Monday June 5, 2017.Shawn Thew / EPA Link copied June 5, 2017, 9:06 PM UTC / Updated June 5, 2017, 9:05 PM UTC By Abigail Williams NATO welcomed the tiny country of Montenegro, as its 29th member Monday — the first new member in nearly ten years and a move that comes on the heels of President Trump's visit to NATO's headquarters. The State Department affirmed the U.S. commitment to North Atlantic Treaty Organization's chief principle to come to the defense of U.S. European allies. "Montenegro’s accession sends a strong message of strength to the region and makes clear to our allies," Under Sec. of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon declared, “the U.S. remains as committed as ever to the principle of collective defense as enshrined in article five of the Washington Treaty.” President Trump declined to offer the same assurances while at the NATO headquarters less than two weeks ago unnerving many members of the security alliance. Montenegro Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, center, shakes hands with U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon, right, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during an accession ceremony at the State Department in Washington on Monday June 5, 2017.Shawn Thew / EPA NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that member nations were not always on the same page. “We are an alliance of democracies and we have at time different political perspectives, but together we rise above those differences and unite around a common purpose,” Stoltenberg said. “To stand with each other, to protect each other, and if necessary to fight to defend each other.” The mood at the ceremony was celebratory as the small former Yugoslav republic of Montenegro, once considered a Russian stronghold, was formally inducted as the newest member of the security alliance. "Montenegro should be commended in particular for asserting its sovereign right to choose its alliances even of the face of concerted foreign pressure," said Shannon. "America respects the right of all nations to chart their own path." Related: Little Montenegro Muscles Way Into NATO, Despite Trump Shove "[This] is a historic event for a country and a nation which endured enormous sacrifices in the 19th and 20th centuries in order to defend their right to a free life, the right to decide on our own future, the right to be recognized by the world under our own name, and with our national symbols," said Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic. "This is also confirmation of something that has never been questioned – that Americans remain committed to the stability and security of the Western Balkans and Europe." Still, it is unclear what the alliance's recent victory will do to sooth the concerns of U.S. European allies after the President's recent performance in Brussels. President Trump is the only U.S. President since the alliance was formed almost seven decades to not explicitly state the U.S. commitment to "Article five" the core tenet of NATO's charter: "an attack against one ally is considered as an attack against all." "The times in which we could rely fully on others, they are somewhat over," German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared earlier this month following President Trump's remarks in Brussels. “We have to know that we must fight for our future on our own, for our destiny as Europeans.” Anxiety over the administration's position on international agreements was only compounded by the recent decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, a landmark global agreement meant to curb emissions that cause climate change. "I condemn this brutal act against #ParisAccord @realDonaldTrump Leadership means fighting climate change together. Not forsaking commitment," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted following the announcement. I condemn this brutal act against #ParisAccord @realDonaldTrump Leadership means fighting climate change together. Not forsaking commitment. — Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) June 1, 2017 Secretary of State Tillerson unable to attend today's ceremony in Washington, was asked during a press conference in Sydney with his Australian allies to explain the administration's seeming move towards isolationism. "I hope – the fact that we are here demonstrates that that is certainly not this administration’s view or intention to somehow put at arm’s length those important allies and partners in the world," said the Secretary of State. Abigail Williams

Join in an Organization

Local

A 91-year-old woman and her caretaker were found dead inside a home, where firefighters said there were dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Two women who were killed due to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide at a residence in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, have been identified by local police. Doris Gariepy, 91, who lived at the home and her caretaker, 38-year-old Tonya McKinney, were discovered by first responders to the scene on Mascuppic Trail Saturday around 10:45 p.m. already deceased. Tyngsborough firefighters, equipped with specialized devices, were able to indicate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide at the home, officials said. "This is an absolute tragedy and we will continue to work diligently to determine how this occurred," Tyngsborough Police Chief Richard Howe said. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. Along with officials from National Grid, Tyngsborough police and fire authorities remained on the scene Sunday to determine how the accident occurred, Howe said.

Mass Poisoning

The Straits Times

Two historical shipwrecks have been excavated from Singapore's waters. Ceramic pieces dating back to the 14th century have been salvaged. Here are details of their discovery and their significance to the island city's maritime heritage. A Singapore-registered barge carrying two bulk loader cranes encountered bad weather while on its way to Kuantan and ran aground at Pedra Branca on Dec 30, 2014. The two cranes were at risk of toppling onto Pedra Branca's famous Horsburgh Lighthouse, which was built in 1851. To prevent this from happening, dynamite was attached to the two cranes, and they were blown up while two boats pulled them away from the lighthouse, scattering metal into the sea. Commercial divers were hired to clear the area of these scraps, said Dr Michael Flecker, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute's (ISEAS) archaeology unit. It was while diving to retrieve the scraps in 2015 that Mr Ahmad Qamarulhazman, a diver, stumbled upon a few old ceramic plates, and informed his manager Mr Ramdzan Salim about them. Mr Ramdzan said he was sceptical of the find, given how close they were to the rocky seabed. Nevertheless, he asked Mr Ahmad to identify the area, and returned there when their tasks were finished, only to find more plates. At around the same time, a 10-week-long archaeological dig was being carried out at a site in Empress Place. The divers, while following media coverage of the findings, realised that some plates retrieved near Pedra Branca looked very similar to artefacts retrieved in Empress Place, and decided to hand over the plates to the institute for further research and safekeeping. The rest is history. Upon ISEAS' confirmation that the plates were high quality celadon ceramics dated to the 14th century, the National Heritage Board partnered the institute to conduct a survey at the Pedra Branca site, discovering a shipwreck in 2016. Mr Ramdzan said on Wednesday that he had a hunch that the finds were significant as he had previously participated in a privately-funded expeditions to recover centuries-old porcelains. Asked if it crossed his mind to sell the artefacts he stumbled upon, he said getting the plates valued for sale would have been too time-consuming. Furthermore, he added that public education about Singapore's history was the first thing on his mind, and handing over the plates was the right thing to do. Mr Ramdzan joined the ISEAS team on the initial survey in 2016, and subsequently participated as a volunteer on the excavations, further contributing to a project that was kick-started by his civic-minded decision to hand over the plates to the relevant bodies. • Research has dated the ceramics, which formed the bulk of the items salvaged from this wreck, to the 14th and possibly 15th century. • Direct parallels were drawn between these finds, and those from the excavations at Empress Place and Fort Canning Park in the past, making the shipwreck highly archaeologically and historically significant. • Findings will help to shed light on the maritime trading history of Singapore, and how life was like here during the 14th-century Temasek period. • Following the end of excavation works for the first shipwreck, NHB and ISEAS conducted a survey around Pedra Branca and uncovered a second shipwreck dating to the late 18th century. Efforts were then made to excavate this shipwreck between 2019 and 2021. • Cargo likely from an India-built merchant vessel, the Shah Munchah, with remnants of the ship’s hull. The vessel sank in 1796 while on a voyage from China to India. • Diverse finds from this ship include both ceramics and non-ceramic objects. • Four anchors - as long as 5m and weighing 2.5 tonnes - and nine cannon were recovered from the site. The cannon were typically mounted on ships employed by the East India Company in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and used for defence as well as signalling. • Findings will contribute to research on maritime trading activities around Singapore’s waters in the 18th century. • Instruments like sonars are used to locate objects protruding from the seabed, while magnetometers are used to find iron objects. • A modern ship, the MV Yu Seung Ho, sank near the site of the second historic wreck in 1979, rendering the magnetometer useless for this survey as metal signatures were unusually high. • Divers went with old-school visual surveys to help find the second historic wreck. • The site is mapped, including its size and the seabed material, so researchers know what excavation equipment to use. • Environmental conditions are determined to choose the right vessel and diving technique for the excavation. • A grid is set up on the seabed, and aligned with the ship’s keel if one still remains. No hull was found for the first wreck, while just remnants of the second vessel’s hull remained. • Dredging devices, which act like underwater vacuums, are used to unearth artefacts. • Recording is done through various means like photos, videos and sketches. • Collected artefacts are logged according to their grid numbers, while the precise location within the grid is recorded for unique pieces. • Important pieces are packed in bubble wrap, while others are placed in boxes and taken to the storage facility. • Ceramics and glass are desalinated and stabilised by leaching out salts through a simple process of replacing the water they are soaked in. • Metals are placed in a chemical solution. • Organic materials are reinforced if possible. • Ceramics are divided into types, like blue and white, or greenware, and also by the kilns they came from if possible. • Artefact information is put into a database, and this is linked to the grid square it was found in, allowing for easy counting. • Distribution - how much of each type of artefact was found in different areas over the wreck - is studied. • Cataloguing is the final stage, where all the types and quantities of artefacts are listed. • Using distribution information, how the ship was wrecked can be analysed, much like detective work. • Artefacts are identified and dated, which is especially important for items that are no longer being used today. • Findings are compared with existing literature. Chinese and Indian texts may shed light on the identity of the first shipwreck, while multiple sources like company records and newspaper reports will help identify the second shipwreck. • New revelations may be discovered. For instance, unexpected items like a tambourine and shakers were found in the second shipwreck.

Shipwreck

Swarms of brown locusts seen in parts of the Northern Cape

Swarms of brown locusts seen in parts of the Northern Cape By Staff Reporter - 05 January 2022 - 21:34 Brown locust swarms were seen in parts of the Northern Cape on Wednesday. File picture. Image: Tatiana Zherebtsova/123rf Large swarms of brown locusts could be seen in a number areas in the Northern Cape on Wednesday. The province had been expecting huge swarms during the rainy season towards the end last year, and Agri Northern Cape  said late last year that farmers had been ready for the pests and are not expecting a disaster. Swarm of locusts. Noupoort, Eastern Cape. Prayers for the farmers. pic.twitter.com/ac3YAyfH2N — Becky Horne (@Nibbles93786332) January 5, 2022 This seems like an ominous first post for 2022 but here it is: Driving through one of the many swarms of brown locusts plaguing South Africa’s Eastern & Northern Capes, this one outside Noupoort. pic.twitter.com/zjvTz1kfmZ — Laura López González (@LLopezGonzalez) January 5, 2022 Agri Northern Cape Risk Management's Janine Möller said on Wednesday a large part of the Northern Cape has been affected. “There are big flying swarms in the southeast of the Northern Cape,” Möller said. In November, the Northern Cape agriculture department announced the first brown locust outbreak in the ZF Mgcawu and Pixley ka Seme districts. At the time, the department said it was expecting more outbreaks in other districts. TimesLIVE

Insect Disaster

Olympic champion Thompson-Herah keeping Flo-Jo's time in view

Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica crosses the finish line first to win the gold medal in the women's 100m final at the Tokyo Olympics.   -  REUTERS Given the perfect conditions, Elaine Thompson-Herah believes she can break Florence Griffith Joyner's 33-year-old record in the 100 meters. Don't expect it to happen in Lausanne on Thursday at the Athletissima with the forecast predicting 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) at race time — cooler than ideal temperatures to break the record of 10.49 seconds. "It is in my reach. On a perfect day, and perfect weather if I get that, I would definitely challenge it,” the Jamaican sprinter said Wednesday, four days after running 10.54 — the second-fastest women’s 100 of all-time — at the Prefontaine meeting in Eugene, Oregon. The temperature was only around 26 degrees C (79 degrees F) in Eugene on Saturday afternoon when she ran 0.07 quicker than her previous best, which came when she defended her Olympic title on the fast track in Tokyo. READ: Thompson-Herah posts second-fastest 100m ever in speedy Pre-Classic "I tell myself, (the temperature) doesn’t matter,” she said. “Going to Prefontaine there was no intention of breaking that world record. It was a normal work day for me. If it doesn’t happen this season, I’m fine with the time that I have got right now.” If Thompson-Herah does not set the record in the season-ending meets on the Diamond League circuit, she could peak next year back in Eugene at the world championships in July. "She is a good inspiration to the sport,” Thompson-Herah said when asked about Flo-Jo’s legacy in track and field. “How she ran her races, they were so easy and smooth. So I try to do pretty much the same." The top six finishers from Tokyo will all line up in Lausanne, including silver medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was also second to her Jamaican teammate on Saturday in Eugene. “I definitely have not run my best race as yet,” said Fraser-Pryce, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion who ran her lifetime-best 10.63 this year at the age of 34. “Seeing women’s sprinting at the level it is at is truly remarkable,” she said. “I’m glad I am able to be in that conversation.” A stellar Athletissima lineup will have a near sold-out crowd of about 12,000 to see a slew of Olympic champions and world record holders at the first major European meet since the Tokyo Games. “We haven’t had a full stadium for a couple of years or so,” Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis said. “It’s just more fun." Read more stories on Athletics.

Break historical records

North Sea flood of 2007

Cyclone Tilo[2] (also known as Cyclone Andrea in Norway)[3] was a European windstorm which affected northern and western Europe in early November 2007. Combining with the remnants of Hurricane Noel, Tilo's storm surge led to the North Sea flood of 2007, affecting the coastlines of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Belgium, starting on the night of 8–9 November 2007. Cyclone Tilo absorbed the extratropical remnants of ex-Hurricane Noel on 7 November, before rapidly intensifying, which paved the way for the stronger upstream storm Tilo. The jet stream was diverted to the north by a strong ridge of high pressure to the west of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean,[4] forcing the jet stream over the north of Greenland and back towards Europe. The unusually long fetch was considered important in the potential destructiveness of the storm, stretching down from the Norwegian Sea into the North Sea before reaching the east coast of England and the Dutch and German coasts. [4] In combination with a high tide, the tidal level was expected to exceed 3 metres (9.8 ft) above normal sea levels. The flood and waves were expected to overwhelm sea defences and cause extensive flooding; in particular, the coasts of Norfolk and Kent. However, in the event, the storm surge was 20 centimetres (7.9 in) less than forecast, and damage was relatively minor. [5][6] The water level came to just 10 cm below the top of the sea wall surrounding Great Yarmouth. [7] Flood warnings were issued for the east coast of Britain and the entire Dutch coast. The Maeslantkering in the port city of Rotterdam was closed for the first time since its construction in 1997. [8] Denmark and Germany issued severe gale warnings for winds gusts up to 125 km/h (78 mph), and the Scottish islands of Orkney and Shetland expected winds gusts up to 145 km/h (90 mph). Oil platforms off the coast of Norway were also closed for the duration of the storm. Felixstowe docks were closed and trains services were suspended between Lowestoft and Norwich due to flooding of the line. [9] In Scotland all schools in Orkney were closed with some closures also in Caithness and Sutherland. Wind gusts as high as 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) were reported, along with early snow for the Scottish highlands. The Northlink ferry company cancelled sailings between the Northern Isles. Caledonian MacBrayne also cancelled a dozen routes to the Western Isles. 4000 homes lost power in Grampian; there were also reports of trees and roofs being blown down. [10] A rescue tug was called on to stand by a 240-foot cargo ship struggling in the sea off Shetland. The A90 road was closed between Aberdeen and Peterhead after a lorry was blown over. A double-decker bus was blown off the road near Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire. [10] There were also reports of a roof blown off in Fraserburgh. [11] One other consequence of the storm was a record influx of little auks (a small Arctic seabird) into the North Sea, with a count of 18,371 from the Farne Islands on 9 November as they returned north, nearly double the previous record count, then further counts there of 7,143 on 10 November and 28,803 on 11 November. [12][13] North Norfolk District Council were left seeking to apply for compensation from the government's Bellwin scheme for natural disasters. Replacing damaged promenade handrails was estimated to cost £20,000, while council-owned beach chalets were estimated to cost more than £40,000 to mend. Inspections were also undertaken of the steel under Cromer pier, where waves had damaged the floor of the Pavilion Theatre. [14]

Floods

Boles Fire

The Boles Fire was a wildfire that burned in Siskiyou County during mid-September 2014. On September 15, at 1:38 p.m. PDT, the Boles Fire ignited near Weed, California. Later on the same day, at 10:30 p.m. PDT, the Boles Fire was reported at 350 acres and 15% containment. [2] Over 100 structures were reported damaged or destroyed on that day. Later that day, the wildfire was reported at nearly 100% containment;[3] however, this report turned out to be erroneous. On September 16, the Boles Fire had burned 375 acres (152 ha) and was only 20% contained. It also destroyed 150 residences and forced the evacuation of 1,500 people in Weed and Siskiyou County. [4][5] During the next couple of days, the Boles Fire increased to 479 acres (194 ha), before finally being fully contained on September 20. [1] The wildfire also caused 1 injury. [1] The Boles Fire destroyed a total of 150 residential structures and 8 nonresidential commercial properties, while damaging 4 single residences and 3 nonresidential commercial properties. [1] The damage caused by the Boles Fire is currently unknown[update]. The cause of the wildfire was reported as "under investigation. "[1] Ronald Beau Marshall was charged with arson in the Boles Fire case. As of December 5, 2014, Marshall was subject to a preliminary hearing in the matter. [6] In 2015, Ronald Beau Marshall was sentenced to three years in prison for starting the fire. [7] In 2016, Marshall was released from prison. [8]

Fire

After E.U. imposes fine over coal mine, Poland PM Mateusz Morawiecki defiant

| Poland now faces a half-a-million-euro fine for every day the disputed coal mine remains open. Photo: Slaevk Ruta/ZUMA Wire/imago images Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was defiant on September 21 after a top E.U. court demanded his country shut down a mine near the Czech border. "We are not going to turn off Turow, it would deprive millions of Polish families of electricity," Morawiecki said during a media briefing, according to the Polish Press Agency. The European Court of Justice slapped Poland with a €500,000 ($586,000) daily fine on September 20 in response to the country's refusal to shut down the Turow open-cast lignite mine. The Czech Republic took the case to court over complaints that the mine is causing cross-border environmental hazards, especially as it concerns air and water quality. Why did the court issue a daily fine? In May, the E.U.'s top court told Poland to shut down the mine, though Poland has refused to comply. In June, Prague asked the E.U.'s top court to fine Poland €5 million ($5.9 million) per day for failing to halt production at the mine. Though the daily fine ordered by the court is considerably less, Prague still eyes the verdict as leverage in bilateral negotiations over the matter, which are ongoing. The daily fine will continue to accrue until the mine is shut. Despite the ruling, Poland said it stands by its decision to keep the mine open. "Suspending work at the Turow mine would threaten the stability of the Polish power system," Polish government spokesperson Piotr Muller said. By contrast, Jakub Kulhanek, the Czech foreign minister, hailed the verdict, tweeting: "The main goal remains the same — access to drinking water on the Czech side must not be jeopardized." Poland will not close Turow, citing 'energy security' Poland argues closing the Turow mine would endanger the country's energy security. The mine, which has been operating since 1904, fuels a power station that provides around seven per cent of electricity. Turow also employs 4,000 people. Germany and the Czech Republic have both complained about an increase in noise and dust brought about by the plant's expansion, though Poland argues both countries have their own lignite mines near their borders with Poland. Poland still relies on coal for 80 per cent of its power needs and has vowed to shut its last mine by 2049, in line with E.U. targets. "Poland did not leave its citizens without energy and did not close the mines overnight," Marcin Romanowski, Poland's deputy justice minister, wrote on Twitter. "It is judicial robbery and theft in broad daylight. You won't get a cent," he added.

Organization Fine

Topanga History: The 1930 Shipwreck of the Ameco

The Malibu community needs trustworthy reporting—but good journalism isn’t free. Please help keep us in print by making a contribution. Three survivors of the Ameco tragedy, including the boat’s captain, Bill Lightfoot (right) A photo of survivors from 1930 Malibu’s Halle Berry is making her directorial debut as she … St. Aidan’s Church hosted its annual Harvest of Hope charity… Three survivors of the Ameco tragedy, including the boat’s captain, Bill Lightfoot (right) The Topanga Bubbles is a popular fishing spot about a mile from the beach, where natural gas rises up from the seafloor. Why it attracts fish is a mystery, but one guess is that they like the rocky terrain around the vent. This site is connected to the worst boating accident in the Santa Monica Bay, in which the overcrowded fishing boat Ameco capsized and 16 people drowned on Memorial Day, May 30, 1930. The trouble started when the 45-foot Ameco left the Santa Monica Pier for its second daily trip to the Topanga Bubbles with an estimated 70 people on board. Half as many would have been crowded. A fisherman who refused to get on warned the ticket seller, according to the June 3, 1930, edition of the LA Times. “I told her she was overloading the boat ... and she replied that they had to on Sundays and holidays, as they were the only days they had in the week, the others not amounting to anything,” the man recalled to the newspaper. At the Topanga Bubbles, a wind came up and the sea grew rough. The inexperienced captain, Bill Lightfoot, 25, raised anchor at 4 p.m. for the return trip and turned the boat parallel to shore. A wave slapped the side and splashed the passengers. As everyone ran to the other side, another wave caught the boat off balance and tipped it over. “The interlude between merrymaking and deepest tragedy was painted as so brief that it was impossible for anyone even to grasp at a life preserver before being flung into the whipping waves,” the May 31, 1930 Evening Outlook newspaper reported. Gasoline and oil spilled out of the Ameco, choking the swimmers as they battled the waves. People tried to hang onto the slimy bottom of the boat before it sank. Death appeared be selecting its victims to show different ways of suffering. Florence Keller, 18, drowned, and her father survived. Jane Keller, 14, survived, and her father drowned. Barbara Jones, 16, lost her grandfather while trying to save Robert Buchen, 17. She held the unconscious teen up for 20 minutes, then realized he’d died from a head wound. There were also uncanny tales of survival. A photo of survivors from 1930 Robert’s friends—Earl Smith, 17, and Howard Martin, 16—helped others stay afloat and were the last to be saved themselves. Paul Fowler cut off his heavy shoes with a pocket knife, then stabbed a barrel to make an extra handhold where seven others were already clinging. One man swam to a fishing barge half a mile away. Another made it to shore. The loss of life would have been much greater if two other fishing boats hadn’t been nearby, the Freedom and the Palisades. The passengers on the Freedom threatened mutiny if more people were brought on board, but deckhand George King reportedly shouted, “I’ll smack the first man that sets foot in this pilot house!” as Captain Joe Fudge coolly steered through the middle of the swimmers, so they wouldn’t pull his boat over. A lucky coincidence also saved lives. Scanning the ocean with binoculars, Santa Monica Canyon pharmacist Burton “Doc” Law happened to see the Ameco turn over. He immediately reported it, sending lifeguards racing to the scene. During their rescue work, they placed a marker where the Ameco had sunk, but the waves washed the marker away, and the wreck has never been found. Only three bodies were recovered that day and since no record was made of the passengers, nobody knew how many were still missing. The radio news brought thousands to the beach seeking answers. Drivers shone their headlights into the surf to aid rescuers. Policemen searched cars that had overstayed in the parking lot. “Now and then, a man shuffled tiredly into the parking space and fished from a damp pocket a crumpled and brine-soaked ‘ticket,’” a contemporary account published in the LA Times reported. “[He’d] claim his car, try graciously to answer the attendant’s eager question: ‘How did it happen?’—and drive away homeward into the night.” The Ameco belonged to a small fleet of boats owned by the Morris Pleasure Fishing Company. The Morris family, descended from generations of Nova Scotia sailors, were peculiarly callous to the tragedy. Captain Clifford Morris refused to fire the Ameco’s captain, Lightfoot. Less than two weeks after the tragedy, Captain Duncan Morris wrote a letter to the editor of the Evening Outlook opposing the outcry for new laws: “There should be absolutely no attempt by local bodies to interfere with the operator ... with ballasting ... [or] to pile additional equipment on such boats ... [Only to] insure ... ‘elbow room at the rail.’” The Morris Company invited people to fill up their fishing trips while Navy boats, Japanese fishing boats, airplanes, and the Goodyear blimp were still searching for bodies. “Capt. C. A. Morris brings news that the pier and barges are continuing the run started last week, and that the recent disaster has not stopped the many ‘Izaak Walton’ fans from filling all available space,” the Outlook reported on June 9, 1930. Yet, these fishing trips inadvertently joined the search by discovering some of the victims. The first body to resurface was Barbara’s grandfather, Ward S. Ferguson, found near the Topanga Bubbles on June 13. The last of the 16 bodies, and the ones that the Japanese fishing boats had been after, were found on June 23-24, and belonged to Shizuo “Sam” Suyemori and Kiyoki “Joe” Kamimura. A rumor, exoticizing these foreigners, claimed that they had been carrying thousands of dollars in payroll money. This was denied by their friends and family, 11 of whom had been fishing with them, and no such treasure was found in the victims’ wallets. The Ameco wasn’t the first boat that the Morris Company had lost at the Topanga Bubbles. The 62-foot Kisanto, one of the largest boats for hire in Santa Monica, sank there after its engine caught fire on May 10, 1926. No lives were lost. It also was not their first boat named Ameco. The original Ameco, 60 feet long, dragged its anchor in a storm on February 13, 1926, and wrecked itself against the Santa Monica Pier. A string of mishaps that year included the deaths of Captain Thornton Morris and two employees, who drowned trying to save a different boat that got loose in a storm on April 8, 1926. The Ameco disaster led to new boating regulations on seaworthiness and passenger limits. It also brought up other issues, like that Santa Monicans were poor swimmers, and none of the schools had a swimming pool. Some argued that pleasure boats shouldn’t even be allowed in the Santa Monica Bay because it was really just a “bight,” a shallow indentation in the coastline. “The word bay deceives many, both on land and sea. It conveys the thought of protection from storms and thundering swells of water. Such protection does not exist here,” the Outlook wrote. In 1935, the Topanga Bubbles got its own fishing barge, the 350-foot ship Star of Scotland. This ship had experienced an overloading accident as well. Earlier that year off Santa Monica, a stage built for fishermen along its side collapsed, and one man drowned, after people came running to see a boy’s big catch. Captain Charles Arnold was found innocent because the stage met current requirements and an insurance company had inspected it days before. In 1938, the Star of Scotland was sold to gangster Tony Cornero, who converted it into Santa Monica’s most notorious gambling ship, the Rex. Repurposed again to fight in World War II, the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine near South Africa. The famous Star of Scotland shipwreck off the Santa Monica Pier is a later ship that Captain Arnold operated as a restaurant until it sank in a 1942 storm. In 1946, he and his wife moved to Topanga and took over the restaurant Schuler’s Grill, where Topanga Living Café is today. One final event at the Topanga Bubbles is worth noting: an explosion heard there just after dark, on Nov. 25, 1936, and followed by a heavy sea. No wreckage was found, so it probably wasn’t a boat, and no light was seen to support the theory that a meteor had crashed. A sailor nearby believed the explosion had come from underwater and was caused by the bubbling gas. Pablo Capra is the Archivist for the Topanga Historical Society and author of “Topanga Beach: A History” (2020). More at topangahistoricalsociety.org.

Shipwreck

Air China Flight 112 crash

Air China Flight 112 was a scheduled international passenger flight on 15 March 2003 that carried a 72-year-old man infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). This man would later become the index passenger for the infection of another 20 passengers and two aircraft crew, resulting in the dissemination of SARS north to inner Mongolia and south to Thailand. The incident demonstrated how a single person could spread disease via air travel and was one of a number of superspreading events in the global spread of SARS in 2003. The speed of air travel and the multidirectional routes taken by affected passengers accelerated the spread of SARS with a consequential response from the World Health Organization (WHO), the aviation industry and the public. [3][4][5] The incident was atypical in that passengers sitting at a distance from the index passenger were affected and the flight was only three hours long. Until this event, it was thought that there was only a significant risk of infection in flights of more than eight hours duration and in just the two adjacent seating rows. Other flights at the time with confirmed passengers with SARS did not have the same extent of infection spread. [3] Some experts have questioned the interpretation of the incident and highlighted that some passengers may have been infected already. The role of cabin air has also come under question and the incident involving Flight 112 has led to some experts calling for further research into patterns of airborne transmission on commercial flights. [6] The 2003 SARS epidemic was caused by the then newly emerging subtype of coronavirus (SARS-CoV), which was previously unknown in humans. [7] It was first noted in Guangdong, China in November 2002. Three months later, it surfaced in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, and Canada. Transmission was primarily through inhalation of droplets from a human cough or sneeze and people affected presented with a fever greater than 38 °C (100 °F) and dry cough, typically appearing as atypical pneumonia. [8] By 28 February 2003, the SARS epidemic had reached Hanoi and was considered of global concern, causing the WHO headquarters in Geneva to issue a global health alert on 12 March 2003, the first since the 1994 India Plague epidemic. [9] Led by the WHO, management of the event consisted predominantly of contact tracing, isolating the affected person and quarantining their contacts. [7] The last known case of human-to-human transmission of SARS was in 2004. [10][11] Of the more than 8,000 people that were reported to develop SARS between November 2002 and July 2003 worldwide, more than half were from mainland China (particularly Beijing), 20% were healthcare workers and 29 countries reported 774 deaths. Although the overall fatality rate was 15%, it rose to 55% in those over 60. [7][12] On 15 March 2003, Air China Flight 112, a Boeing 737-300, flew from Hong Kong on a three-hour flight to Beijing carrying 120 people including 112 passengers, 6 flight attendants and 2 pilots. [13] The flight had 88% occupancy. [3] The index passenger was a 72-year-old man, LSK, who had been in Hong Kong since 26 December 2002. [14] Later, he had been visiting his sick brother at the Prince of Wales Hospital between 4 March and 9 March 2003, when his brother died. During this time there were known cases of SARS on the same ward and LSK's niece, who had been visiting her sick father, also developed SARS. [3] On 13 March 2003, two days prior to embarking on Flight 112, LSK developed a fever. [3] He then consulted a doctor the next day, one day before taking the flight. [14] He was unwell when boarding the flight and sat in seat 14E. [4] With six people per row, LSK had 23 passengers sitting in front, or in the same row, and 88 passengers sitting behind him. [3] One Taiwanese engineering firm had seven employees on the flight. On 21 March 2003, they returned to Taipei. [14] In addition, there was a group of 33 tourists and an official from the Chinese ministry of commerce. [3] LSK became the source of infection to another 20 passengers and two crew members. [3] Passengers up to seven rows away from him were affected. [4] Of those later interviewed, eight of the 23 in front or to the side and 10 of the 88 behind LSK, caught the virus. [3] The incident became the largest in-flight transmission of SARS, probably due to the presence of a super-spreader. [15] Upon arrival at Beijing, LSK was seen in hospital but not admitted. The following day he was taken by family members to a second hospital, where he was successfully resuscitated before being admitted with suspected atypical pneumonia. However, he subsequently died on 20 March 2003. Following investigations, at least 59 people with SARS in Beijing were traced back to LSK, including three of his own family and six of the seven healthcare workers from the emergency room during his resuscitation. [16] Within eight days of the flight, 65 passengers were contacted, of which 18 had become unwell. Sixteen of these were confirmed with SARS and the other two were highly probable. Thirteen were from Hong Kong, four from Taiwan and one from Singapore. Another four from China who were not directly interviewed, were reported to the WHO. The average time for the onset of symptoms was four days. None of these 22 people had any other exposure to SARS other than on Flight 112. [3] Flight attendant Meng Chungyun, age 27, travelled home to Inner Mongolia where she infected her mother, father, brother, doctor and husband Li Ling, who later died. [2] Flight attendant Fan Jingling also travelled back home to Inner Mongolia and together both became sources of infection for almost 300 people in Inner Mongolia. [4] The group of 33 tourists who were on the flight destined for a five-day tour of Beijing, were joined by another three people in Beijing. [3] Two of the three were together and the third unconnected. The three and the group were unknown to each other and had different plans before and after the flight. On 23 March 2003, a local hospital notified the Department of Health in Hong Kong of three people with SARS.

Air crash

High-level Side Event during the White House COVID-19 Summit on the margins of the UN General Assembly

Africa CDC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation to the African Union (IFRC), and the U.S. Mission to the African Union (USAU) are organizing a High-level Side Event on the margins of the UN General Assembly with a theme: ” Saving lives – Saving livelihoods” Achieving high-level, equitable, COVID-19 vaccination coverage in African Union (AU) Member States. ? September 23, 2021 ⏰ 2:30-4:00 pm (East Africa Time/GMT+3). The event seeks to: – Galvanize governments of AU member states and humanitarian actors to implement equitable and inclusive vaccine rollouts for COVID-19 vaccines and routine immunizations. – Outline ways to increase demand for COVID-19 vaccines, including community ownership, and trust building initiatives. – Discuss approaches to minimize the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and protect livelihoods – Encourage governments and global health actors to prioritize the leadership of frontline community health workers and volunteers and local actors in the vaccine rollout strategy at every level. Fellow attendees will include stakeholders and policymakers in the health and development sectors from the U.S. and African governmental and non-governmental space.

Disease Outbreaks

2017 United Arab Emirates Air Force Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk crash

On 11 August 2017, a Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force crashed while on a Saudi-led mission in Shabwa, Yemen, killing four of the soldiers on board. Emirates News Agency reported that the crash was due to a "technical malfunction". [1] One of the soldiers who survived the crash was a member of the royal Al Nahyan family, causing the Emiratis to ask for help rescuing the survivors from the United States, which responded "[i]n a matter of hours". The Wall Street Journal reported that the incident helped instill trust between the UAE and the US, laying groundwork for the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement, which happened three years later in 2020. [2]

Air crash

Morocco/US’s African Lion: ‘The largest US military exercise ever conducted on this continent’

Posted on Friday, 11 June 2021 12:55 Morocco and the US launched a series of joint military exercises near the Sahara on 7 June. Touted as the largest US military exercise conducted on Africa, they are due to wrap-up on 18 June. “The largest US military exercise ever conducted on this continent.” This is how US Major General Andrew Rohling described the 2021 edition of the African Lion military exercise, which will be conducted in conjunction with Morocco on its territory between 7 and 18 June, during the launch ceremony in Agadir. After entering the military base, one then has to walk along yellow-tinted barracks, an airstrip and through a corridor bedecked with the flags of the 10 partner countries, which frame the entrance to the U-shaped green tents. Two generals, one Moroccan and one American, discussed the challenges of this 17th edition, in front of the portrait of King Mohammed VI. “This exercise has undoubtedly reached a degree of maturity that attests to the strength of cooperative relations between our respective armies,” said General Belkhir El Farouk, commander of the Southern Zone. Referring to the “evolution of world geopolitics”, the officer of the Royal Armed Forces (RAF) insists on the need for “more multinational” military action to face “hybrid threats using multifaceted modes of action.” An air training exercise involving Moroccan and US “bombers, fighters and aerial refuelling aircraft” will take place, as well as naval manoeuvres, including a joint “naval firing exercise” between the two countries’ navies, according to Africom (US Africa Command). But beyond these tactical considerations, the aim of the exercise this year is open to various interpretations, especially given the fact that the US officially recognised Morocco’s claims over Western Sahara just a few months previously. Therefore, there is the lingering question of whether these exercises will take place in Polisario-controlled areas of Morocco. READ MORE Western Sahara/Morocco: Can US President Biden undo Trump's deal? For two weeks, more than 7,000 soldiers from the participating countries will gather to carry out joint exercises in “Agadir, Tifnit, Tan-Tan, Mahbès, Tafraoute, Ben Guerir and Kenitra,” US Colonel Ryan Dillon told us. Mahbès is the only place mentioned in this list that is located on the former Spanish colony’s territory. The US officer did not specify whether he was talking about the region or the city itself. However, US command has stipulated that it is referring to the town of Zag, which is opposite Mahbes on the other side of the former border, a few miles from the Guerir Labouhi base. “This base was selected as a training location for the African Lion 2020, which was cancelled, but we still planned to use it for this exercise,” said the US colonel. The base is located about 6km from the border with former Western Sahara and 100km from Tindouf in Algeria, where the Polisario Front has set up camp. “US and Moroccan planners considered a wide range of locations and worked closely together to determine the best ones to ensure the success of African Lion 21,” Africom told us. This decision was made in the summer of 2020, according to the same source. Therefore, there is no link between Trump’s recognition of Morocco’s claims over Western Sahara and the choice of locations, according to the US military. Major General Rohling, Southern European Task Force Commander and Africa Commander, added that “the exercise’s combined ‘joint’ task force headquarters in Agadir, Morocco, will command and control all air, land and maritime component commands spread across the three host nations and the waters of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. From Thiès, Senegal through Morocco – and Bizerte, Tunisia, our exercise footprint spans an area that is nearly twice the length of the continental US.” Tunisia, Senegal, Canada, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK are also involved in the operations. Because according to Farouk, “the concept of linguistic, strategic and procedural interoperability” is central to the exercise. In the tent, the participants were riveted by a world map that was covered by a military camouflage net. It had been built to human scale for the occasion and had small flags scattered all over it. A military officer waved his stick over different areas with fake names, illustrating a scenario that some of the joint forces would face, while others were tasked with playing the role of enemy troops. While the two generals’ stated objective is to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation, there are also various regional geopolitical issues at stake. We have been informed that Egypt and Libya are two of the 21 countries participating in these exercises. It remains to be seen whether the two countries will actually be represented or simply be present via videoconference. READ MORE In Libya, Tunisia and Egypt hope to work hand in hand Egypt and Morocco are the only two North African countries that maintain official relations with Israel, one of the US’ main allies in the MENA region. As for the Libyan crisis, Rabat is trying to play a mediating role, notably through the various meetings that have taken place in recent months in Bouznika under the auspices of Morocco’s foreign minister Nasser Bourita. READ MORE Morocco, Israel normalise relations after US-led deal says Trump For its part, the US views the presence of Russian mercenaries from the private military company Wagner in the country with hostility. The Sahel, which has been the scene of terrorism and political problems for nearly a decade, is represented by Burkina Faso and Chad. Is the aim of this exercise simply for Washington to send “messages” to forces or countries that are hostile to their allies in the region? “As we say in the army infantry, you always have to improve your foxhole – a strategic defensive position,” Colonel Dillon told us. READ MORE Chad/CAR: Escalating tensions against backdrop of France-Russia conflict The former spokesman for Task Force Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria concludes by saying that “the biggest challenge has been working in a deteriorated environment – which is why African Lion 20 did not happen. As soldiers, we must always be ready to execute our mission.” Understand Africa's tomorrow... today We believe that Africa is poorly represented, and badly under-estimated. Beyond the vast opportunity manifest in African markets, we highlight people who make a difference; leaders turning the tide, youth driving change, and an indefatigable business community. That is what we believe will change the continent, and that is what we report on. With hard-hitting investigations, innovative analysis and deep dives into countries and sectors, The Africa Report delivers the insight you need. On 11 November, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced that a new Sovereignty Council, headed by himself, would be established. Several figures ... who were calling for a rapid transfer of power to civilians have been removed from it. This is the first time that General Diendéré, who is suspected of having been directly involved in the October 1987 coup that resulted in the ... deaths of Thomas Sankara and his companions, has been asked to testify since this historic trial began. He is the main defendant, as Blaise Compaoré continues to live in exile in Abidjan. The report submitted by President Félix Tshisekedi’s ministers regarding the infrastructure component of the so-called “Sino-Congolese” ... programme reveals several shortcomings. Back in 2018, when Kenyan Senator Gideon Moi announced that he might run in next year’s presidential race, supporters of Deputy President William ... Ruto immediately attacked him as a spoiler. One of the politicians who wouldn’t hear of it was MP Oscar Sudi, who took aim at Moi’s educational credentials.

Military Exercise

Death of two teenagers brings WA weekend road toll to five

Two teenagers have died after a car they were travelling in crashed in Western Australia's South West on Saturday night, taking the state's weekend road toll to five. Police said the car was travelling along Brownes Road, in Coolup — a rural lane about 100 kilometres south of Perth — at about 8:00pm when it left the road and rolled several times. The 17-year-old female driver and a 17-year-old male passenger both died at the scene. Two other passengers were injured. The state's two rescue helicopters were sent to the crash scene, with one transporting a 17-year-old boy to Royal Perth Hospital and the other a 10-year-old boy to Perth Children's Hospital The 17-year-old boy was in a serious but stable condition on Sunday morning, while the 10-year-old boy was listed as stable. All of the people in the car were known to each other and were locals. In a statement, WA Police asked anyone who witnessed the crash — or saw the Holden Commodore in the lead-up to the accident — to come forward. Police are also investigating a fatal hit and run crash on Mandurah Road in Golden Bay in the early hours of Sunday morning. A 37-year-old Rockingham man was found dead lying in the northbound lane, just north of the Dampier Drive traffic lights at about 2:45am. The two crashes come after two women died and three people were seriously injured in a crash on WA's notorious Bussell Highway on Friday afternoon. A 54-year-old Bunbury man has since been charged in relation to that incident. He will face court charged with counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one count of causing grievous bodily harm. Another double fatality on same section of Bussell Highway claimed the lives of husband and wife Jim and Sabine Mather earlier this month. Construction work to widen the busy road to two lanes in each direction began in September. Deputy Police Commissioner Col Blanch called on people to be careful on the roads, especially as teenagers flock to the South West for leavers celebrations this week. "We've had a tough year, we've all had a tough year — obviously better than other states — but certainly it's still been a tough year," he said. "People will be out there, trying to get out and enjoy the summer in WA. "No-one needs to be in a hurry. You don't need to overtake people. "Pay attention to the roads. You've got to really pay attention to what's going on. "Families themselves are horribly affected [by crashes] for years. "I can only implore people: Just really pay attention on the road because it's tragic what's happened here in WA."

Road Crash

Cubana de Aviación Flight 310 crash

Cubana de Aviación Flight 310 was a scheduled international flight from José Martí International Airport, Havana, Cuba, to Arturo Michelena International Airport, Valencia, Venezuela, which crashed near Bejuma, Venezuela, on 25 December 1999. All 22 people on board were killed. The aircraft involved was a Yakovlev Yak-42D, registration CU-T1285. [1] The aircraft was manufactured in 1991 as msn 4520424914068. [2] The flight had departed José Martí International Airport, Havana, Cuba bound for Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas, Venezuela. Due to mudslides and flooding, the flight was diverted to Arturo Michelena International Airport in Valencia. [3] The aircraft was held for 40 minutes. [1] The pilots called Air Traffic Control at Valencia Airport to say that they were descending from 8,000 feet (2,400 m) to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) to get ready to approach. As Flight 310 started its approach to Valencia Airport the aircraft struck the San Luis Hill. The aircraft crashed near the town of Bejuma. All 22 passengers and crew died in the crash,[1][4] which happened at 20:18 local time (00:48, 26 December UTC). [5] The location of the crash was 10°11.5′N 68°08.8′W / 10.1917°N 68.1467°W / 10.1917; -68.1467. [6] The nationalities of the victims of Flight 310 were-[5] Coordinates: 10°11.5′N 68°08.8′W / 10.1917°N 68.1467°W / 10.1917; -68.1467

Air crash

Coronavirus isn't an outlier, it's part of our interconnected viral age

As Coronavirus spreads, so does the sobering reality that epidemics will become more common with our increasingly connected age. In our global society, outbreaks of infectious disease can move from a remote village to a major city on the other side of the world in under 36 hours. Understanding this new reality will be key to reducing the risk of future epidemics. A swelling population As the world’s population swells, so will the number of outbreaks and the people impacted. “The number of outbreaks, like the number of emerging infectious diseases, appears to be increasing with time in the human population both in total number and richness of causal diseases," according to the authors of one recent study. Additionally, the WHO says there are 7,000 signals of potential outbreaks every month. And in June 2018, for the first time ever, the world faced six of the eight categories of disease highlighted in the WHO Blueprint priority diseases list. A connected population Trends from globalization to travel, urbanization and climate change are fueling the increased incidence of outbreaks. We’re an increasingly mobile global population, travelling more for both work or pleasure than ever before. In 2018, there were 4.2 billion air transport passenger journeys – compared to 310 million in 1970. This mobility helped propel coronavirus' swift transfer from China to more than 60 countries in two just months. We're also living closer together, as the global population grows and puts pressure on living space. By 2050, 68% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas, according to the UN. Climate change exacerbates these trends and the incidence of infectious diseases. By 2080, extreme global warming could expose 1 billion people to mosquito-borne diseases in previously unaffected regions such as Europe and East Africa, according to the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2020. In 2015, for example, the El Niño effect allowed Zika to spread from Brazil to the rest of South America. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic requires global cooperation among governments, international organizations and the business community, which is at the centre of the World Economic Forum’s mission as the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. Since its launch on 11 March, the Forum’s COVID Action Platform has brought together 1,667 stakeholders from 1,106 businesses and organizations to mitigate the risk and impact of the unprecedented global health emergency that is COVID-19. The platform is created with the support of the World Health Organization and is open to all businesses and industry groups, as well as other stakeholders, aiming to integrate and inform joint action. As an organization, the Forum has a track record of supporting efforts to contain epidemics. In 2017, at our Annual Meeting, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched – bringing together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines. CEPI is currently supporting the race to develop a vaccine against this strand of the coronavirus. Changes ahead The spread of infectious diseases bring a number of shifts for the global population. Infectious diseases were named one of the top 10 risks in terms of impact for the next 10 years according to the Global Risks Report. This report, published in January, came with a special warning: “As existing health risks resurge and new ones emerge, humanity’s past successes in overcoming health challenges are no guarantee of future results.” These diseases will reshape economies. Economists estimate that, in the coming decades, flu pandemics will cause average annual losses of 0.7% of global GDP – or $570 billion. Meanwhile, climate change will have its own impact on the global economy. By 2050, under a high-emissions scenario that sees global warming reach 2°C, global GDP losses could range between 2.5% to 7.5%, according to Oxford Economics. The worst affected countries could likely be in Asia and Africa – countries also most impacted by epidemics. COVID-19 is already impacting on global markets, with the OECD predicting it could be the “greatest danger to the global economy” since the financial crash. Reducing the long-term risks With an increasing likelihood that we’ll see more epidemics on this scale in future, the World Economic Forum's Outbreak Readiness and Business Impact white paper points to a “cycle of attention and neglect,” which must be broken for countries and companies to effectively manage the risks. Given a increasingly connected society, fighting future epidemics will no longer be the sole responsibility of public healthcare experts. Solutions will take cooperation from a range of leaders, both public and private, as well as the help of the general population. Working together will be key. As the white paper explains, "By looking for opportunities to create shared value with government and civil society organizations, businesses can support better global and local capacity to manage the risk and impact of outbreaks.” Kate Whiting, Senior Writer, Formative Content The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. Top COVID-19 stories: WHO warns of syringe shortage; Health workers in England to be required to get COVID-19 vaccine; Canada authorizes COVID-19 booster dose. The world is moving into a post-COVID dispensation. In this new era, India will prioritize economic expansion and sustainability to sustain its growth and influence on the world stage.

Disease Outbreaks

Child killed, four others hurt in Fitzroy Crossing crash off WA's Great Northern Highway

A child has been killed and four others have been injured in a crash in Western Australia's Kimberley. WA Police said a gold Nissan X-Trail turned off Great Northern Highway and rolled on a sand track in Fitzroy Crossing about 9:55pm last night. Seven children aged between 12 and 16 were travelling in the four-wheel drive vehicle at the time and one — a 12-year-old girl — died at the scene. Four others were treated in hospital for injuries. Major Crash is investigating the accident. Anyone who may have seen or has dash cam footage of the crash, or who saw the vehicle travelling in the area beforehand, has been urged to come forward.

Road Crash

Sakha Avia Flight 301 crash

Sakha Avia Flight 301 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Kutana to Aldan via Uchur in Russia. On 26 August 1993 the Let L-410 Turbolet operating the flight crashed on approach to Aldan airport, killing all 24 people on board. It is the deadliest aviation disaster involving the Let L-410 Turbolet. [1][2] The aircraft was on final approach to Aldan Airport. The flaps were extended for landing, however, when this happened, the aircraft abruptly pitched up to 40 degrees, stalled and crashed into the ground 896 feet (273 m) from the runway. All 24 people on board were killed. [1] The aircraft involved was a three-year-old L-410UVP-E (registration RA-67656) which first flew in 1990. The aircraft was powered by two Walter M-601E engines. [1] The investigation determined that the aircraft was overloaded, moving the center of gravity to the rear. [1] This article about an aviation accident is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Air crash

Defender-Europe 21 Military Exercises Come to an End after 2 Months

The US-NATO joint military exercise known as Defender-Europe 21 has concluded after 2 months of operations and the US forces have been redeployed to the US. According to U.S. Army Europe and Africa, more than 28 thousand forces from 26 nations participated in the exercise and conducted “simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas” in 12 host countries in the Balkans, including Albania, the Baltics, the Black Sea, and Africa. Under US leadership, allied forces worked “to build readiness, enhance interoperability, and strengthen relationships”. Defender-Europe 21 began in Albania, on April 26th, with the disembarkment and unloading operations known as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore at the Port of Durres. More than one thousand vehicles and other heavy equipment and supplies were offloaded from the USNS Bob Hope into smaller vessels which brought the cargo to shore for land movement. A number of military operations were conducted by thousand of US and Albanian troops in various locations in Albania during the month of May. Part of the operation was also Tirana Open Day, a public display of US and NATO capabilities, showcasing equipment and interacting with the public.

Military Exercise

5 killed, 28 injured in building explosion due to gas leak in Karachi

At least five people were killed and 28 others sustained injuries in a massive explosion due to a gas leak in a multi-storey residential building near Maskan Chowrangi in Karachi's Gulshan-e-Iqbal Topics Type address separated by commas Your Email: Enter the characters shown in the image. Send me a copy: The blast is suspected to have taken place on the second floor of a building. ALSO READ India's maiden natural gas exchange to start operations on Monday At least five people were killed and 28 others sustained injuries in a massive explosion due to a gas leak in a multi-storey residential building near Maskan Chowrangi in Karachi's Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Geo News reported. While all the injured people have been shifted to nearby hospitals, three have been reported to be in critical condition. The intensity of the explosion had caused confusion regarding the cause of the explosion, however, an investigation by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) concluded that the blast occurred due to leakage of natural gas, Geo News said. "A stove burner was found at the crime scene. The burner has been handed over to area's police," the BDS was quoted as saying in its report. The explosion has severely damaged the first two floors of the building. Geo News reported that the authorities had faced difficulty in rescuing people stuck on the upper floors of the building as the staircase was damaged due to the blast. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.

Gas explosion

1994 Páez River earthquake

The Páez River (Río Páez[1] Spanish pronunciation: [ˈri.o ˈpaes]) is a river in southwestern Colombia. It is a tributary of the Magdalena River[2] which drains into the Caribbean Sea. It flows into the Magdalena just south of the village of Remolino del Vicho. [3] On 6 June 1994, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake stuck in the Páez River area causing extensive landsliding and resulting in over 1,100 dead and the displacement of almost the entire population of 15 municipalities in the departments of Cauca and Huila. [4] Six bridges and over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of roads were destroyed by the landslides. [5] In order to spur development in the Paez River region, Colombia Law 218 of 1995 was passed that granted exemptions on income tax for 10 years for investments made in the departments of Cauca and Huila. [6] This article related to a river in Colombia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Earthquakes

A coordinated, long-term effort to mitigate the impact of natural disasters

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami resulted in widespread loss of human life and livelihoods, severe damage to infrastructure and ecosystems and large economic costs. Following this disaster, there was a strong recognition across the AsiaPacific region of the need to undertake a coordinated, long-term effort to mitigate the impact of natural disasters through effective preparedness and prevention measures, including the establishment and further strengthening of early warning systems. The ESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness was established in 2005 following a US$ 10 million contribution from the Royal Thai Government. The Fund is part of the overall United Nations effort to strengthen resilience across the Asia-Pacific region. It contributes to the narrowing of capacity gaps and supports the development of an integrated, regional early warning system comprised of a network of collaborative centres. In 2011, the scope of the Fund was expanded to also cover disaster and climate preparedness, while retaining a focus on end-to-end early warning for coastal hazards. ESCAP is entrusted with managing and administering the Fund and draws on its mandate as the commission for Asia and the Pacific to promote regional cooperation and integration for effective disaster risk reduction. In accordance with the Fund’s Terms and Conditions, this Annual Report provides an overview of the results of the Fund in 2020. It also describes the financial status of the Fund and the activities carried out by the secretariat.

Tsunamis

4 NW Houston family members rushed to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning

Updated: 10:21 PM CST December 22, 2020 HOUSTON — Four members of a northwest Houston family were rushed to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning Tuesday afternoon. Cy-Fair Fire Department  crews found the victims inside the home in the 17000 block of Cairnlassie . One of the patients is a 3-year-old child, according to the fire department. The child and two other family members were in serious condition when they arrived at Memorial Hermann Hospital. An older man was last reported in critical condition. Cy-Fair firefighters believe the carbon monoxide poisoning was caused by a portable generator running in the garage  without proper ventilation. One of the family members was able to call 911 when they started feeling sick. Fire crews discovered a portable generator in-use without proper ventilation in the garage of the home. It’s believed this is what caused the residents to become ill. Never run a generator indoors or in partly enclosed areas. Photo: Capt. Daniel Arizpe, PIO #hounews pic.twitter.com/VFejmWUl8U — Cy-Fair Fire Department (@cyfairfd) December 22, 2020 Dangers of using generators indoors Cy-Fair Fire Department Captain Daniel Arizpe said the home lost power overnight and the family used a generator inside the garage to power some appliances. Crews believe the family is lucky to be alive. “Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless. It’s a silent killer,” Arizpe said. He said because there was no proper ventilation, carbon monoxide gas crept into the home and made the family sick. "Portable generators are not meant to be used indoors. They need to be, the CDC recommends them to be used 20 feet away from a structure and any kind of vent,” Arizpe said. He said not doing so can be dangerous and even deadly. “This particular incident, the fire crews did see that it was about 108 parts per million inside the home which is very dangerous at prolonged amount of time,” Arizpe said. On average, the EPA states carbon monoxide levels in a home without a gas stove range between 0.5 to 5 parts per million, and 5 to 15 parts per million in homes with properly adjusted gas stoves. Arizpe said it’s important to know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning which include dizziness, fatigue and vomiting.

Mass Poisoning

Somers Isles Trading Wins Best New Store Award

The Somers Isles Trading Company Ltd won the Best New Store Award on a worldwide stage in the DFNI Frontier Awards 2021. A spokesperson said, “Every year the Frontier Awards celebrate the very best of innovation, creativity and excellence within the global travel retail sector. The 2021 winners were announced in a live ceremony in Cannes on 27th October 2021. “Against extremely strong competition from six other leading brand entries including Bahrain Duty Free, CTC-ARI, Cyprus Duty Free, GMR Kannur Duty Free Services and the DFS Samarataine Paris Pont-Neuf store, who were highly commended, The Somers Isles Trading Company Ltd won the Best New Store Award for its’ Love Bermuda entry. “Winning in this category on a worldwide stage is all the more remarkable given that the runner up to Somers Isles was Samarataine Paris Pont-Neuf by DFS. Owned by LVMH and located in the heart of Paris, the 20,000 m2 store cost over $200MM to develop and was opened by President Macron earlier this year. “The Somers Isles Trading Company was awarded the retail contract in the new state-of-the art passenger terminal at the L.F. Wade International airport in Bermuda which opened in December 2020. The Somers Isles Trading Company was founded and developed by Bermuda resident, CEO and entrepreneurial owner, Rhona Sutton. “Ms. Sutton’s vision was to set a new standard in airport retail and to create a truly outstanding customer experience. Love Bermuda stores celebrate the colour, vibrancy and life of Bermuda in a space where the customer experience is created through a welcoming environment, lovingly designed products, friendly people and excellent service. The Love Bermuda environment reflects the beauty and ‘sense of place’ of Bermuda where all senses are stimulated, including sight, sound, taste and smell. “Somers Isles researched the customer profile in detail and created a carefully curated mix of products designed to appeal to visitors and local Bermudians equally. In addition to the brand story, each Love Bermuda product has its own story to tell and is designed to celebrate the history and culture of the island. “An enticing range of gifts and treats for women, men and children was created with uncompromising attention to detail. A bespoke champagne, wine and spirits range was hand picked by Somers Isles’ in-house connoisseur, while a carefully edited range of International brands was selected to surprise and inspire customers and reflect the ethos to offer “brands we love, brands with stories and brands with purpose.” “Somers Isles and Love Bermuda are proud to showcase the ranges of many local Bermudian brand owners and artisans, several of whom have never had a presence at the airport. Their stories are told in the iconic Moongate [the symbol of good fortune and love] created to provide a prominent feature for their brands. “Ms. Sutton’s talented design and product development teams in London and New York work closely with a customer focussed Bermuda based team to support the realisation of the vision. “While the onset of Covid-19 significantly impacted the numbers of flights and passengers, customer response to Love Bermuda shops and product ranges has been extremely positive. The key measure of conversion [numbers of customers buying] and average spend per customer have significantly exceeded expectations and industry benchmarks.” Rhona Sutton, Founder & CEO of The Somers Isles Trading Company Limited says: “Our vision was to set a new standard in airport retail by offering an elevated, curated and memorable experience designed for travellers to and from the beautiful island of Bermuda. The Love Bermuda brand was developed especially for Bermuda and to blend the best of the local brands and artisan creativity. “I am delighted that we have won this incredible award so soon after opening our stores in December 2020. To do so against such strong competition especially the LVMH owned DFS Samarataine store in Paris is really quite overwhelming. I’m sure that the worldwide recognition from our win will contribute to raising the profile of Bermuda as a wonderful travel destination. “I am delighted that in being recognised with this award, I am also able to thank Skyport for the opportunity and for believing in us and the capability of our teams in Bermuda, London and New York to deliver on our vision. “As an entrepreneur and business founder, I’m thrilled to collaborate with so many Bermudian business owners and to champion the locally designed and produced brands. Through this exciting and challenging project, I’ve learnt more than ever the importance of believing in our vision and our ability to deliver. “Knowing that I have a supportive and committed team and brand partners and businesses both in Bermuda and Internationally is vital to me. I am extremely grateful and want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who are on this journey with us, especially those who have been on board from the beginning”. Aaron Adderley, Skyport President says: “We selected The Somers Isles Trading Company as our retail concessionaire for Bermuda’s new terminal because of the bespoke and innovative proposal created by Rhona Sutton and her team. “We were thrilled to open the retail and duty free shops almost a year ago as they offer our passengers luxurious, quality items and many unique options from Bermudian artisans. This award is well deserved and we could not be happier for the Somers Isles Trading Company team. Love Bermuda truly takes the concept of Travel Retail to a new level.”

Awards ceremony

Astonishing aurora awed skywatchers Wednesday night

One of the most intense displays of northern lights in years delivered a superb sky show to the northern United States, Canada and other high-latitude locations across the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday night into Thursday. Arriving on the heels of a disappointing display of auroras over Halloween weekend, this second event more than compensated. Unique circumstances helped multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs), blasts of plasma from the surface of the sun, merge to unleash a major geomagnetic storm. Auroras were seen as far south as Southern New England and Nebraska, in addition to typical locations farther north through Canada, Alaska and Northern Europe. An aurora chaser in Northern California was even able to witness the phenomenon, according to SpaceWeather.com, while in Sweden, the lights were bright enough to be seen at sunrise Thursday. From October 12: Brilliant auroras light up North America from Alberta to Nebraska The catalyst for the magnificent display was what SpaceWeather.com dubbed a “cannibal” CME. The sun unleashed at least one CME on Monday and then shed a second, faster-moving burst Tuesday. “As it [the second] approached our planet, it overtook at least one other CME and swallowed it,” SpaceWeather.com wrote. As many as three CMEs may have been involved, according to Space.com. Satellites observing solar winds detected a “stairstep structure” Wednesday night, an indication of several CMEs bunched together. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center determined the geomagnetic storm reached level G3, or strong, on its five-level scale. The effects of the geomagnetic storm were waning Thursday, but lingering solar winds may be strong enough for another night of spectacular northern lights in parts of Europe and North America. Interest in aurora activity spiked over Halloween weekend as a top-tier X-class flare erupted on the sun, launching a CME toward Earth. Alerts for G3 geomagnetic storming were up for Saturday night, when the CME was expected to collide with our atmosphere. Portions of the flare eventually reached Earth but with weaker effects than had been expected. The northern lights were still fantastic in the high latitudes but did not shine much south of Canada. As the workweek began, word of the new CMEs emerged as their protons spewed earthward. Given the underwhelming display over the weekend, skywatchers were skeptical. Skepticism is often warranted with aurora forecasts. The reasons are many and largely relate to limited capabilities to observe CMEs as they hurl through space toward Earth. Once the Wednesday’s outburst arrived, it quickly became apparent that this episode was different from the weekend’s. Auroras displayed farther south than usual, arriving in multiple waves. The show climaxed late at night, rewarding those who stayed up to wait. “The best aurora display I have seen in a couple years!!!,” tweeted storm chaser Justin Phillips in Wisconsin. The lights were seen Wednesday night into Thursday morning from Europe to North America. With the sun up over these areas Thursday, the auroral oval, or zone where northern lights are likely to be visible, migrated to parts of Russia and Asia. In the United States, northern lights were seen as far south as parts of southern New England, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Idaho, and then toward a cloudier Pacific Northwest. Multicolored and full of shimmering pillars, the show was quite striking in addition to its unusual southward excursion. The diverse color palette emerged as the solar particles interacted with various gases of our atmosphere. “When the charged particles from the sun hit the atmosphere, different gases emit different colors: Oxygen gives off greens and yellows, while nitrogen emits blues and reds,” Kathryn Prociv wrote in 2017 in a Capital Weather Gang article after one of the last major aurora events to have been visible so far south. Although most auroras are green, colors such as red and blue often show up during intense solar storming. Blue and/or purple auroras are particularly uncommon and are indicative of interactions of the solar plasma with Earth’s atmosphere at relatively low altitudes (60 miles or less).

New wonders in nature

Sunflower Student Movement

Students and civic groups Republic of China Government Legislative Yuan The Sunflower Student Movement is associated with a protest movement driven by a coalition of students and civic groups that came to a head between March 18 and April 10, 2014, in the Legislative Yuan and, later, also the Executive Yuan of Taiwan. [3][4][5] The activists protested the passing of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) by the then ruling party Kuomintang (KMT) at the legislature without clause-by-clause review. The Sunflower protesters perceived the trade pact with the People's Republic of China (China; PRC) would hurt Taiwan's economy and leave it vulnerable to political pressure from Beijing, while advocates of the treaty argued that increased Chinese investment would provide a necessary boost to Taiwan's economy, that the still-unspecified details of the treaty's implementation could be worked out favorably for Taiwan, and that to "pull out" of the treaty by not ratifying it would damage Taiwan's international credibility. [6][7][8] The protesters initially demanded the clause-by-clause review of the agreement be reinstated,[9] later changing their demands toward the rejection of the trade pact, the passing of legislation allowing close monitoring of future agreements with China, and citizen conferences discussing constitutional amendment. [10] While the Kuomintang was open to a line-by-line review at a second reading of the agreement,[11][12] the party rejected the possibility that the pact be returned for a committee review. [13] The KMT backed down later, saying that a joint review committee could be formed if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) agreed to participate in the proceedings. This offer was rejected by the DPP, who asked for a review committee on all cross-strait pacts, citing "mainstream public opinion. "[14] In turn, the DPP proposal was turned down by the KMT. [15][16] The movement marked the first time that the Legislative Yuan had been occupied by citizens. [17][18] The term "Sunflower Student Movement" referred to the use of sunflowers by the protesters as a symbol of hope as the flower is heliotropic. [19] The movement's name in Chinese is (Chinese: 太陽花; pinyin: taì yáng hua), a calque of the English word "sunflower", rather than the native term, (Chinese: 向日葵; pinyin: xiàng rì kuí)[20] This term was popularized after a florist contributed 1000 sunflowers to the students outside the Legislative Yuan building. [21] "Sunflower" was also an allusion to the Wild Lily Movement of 1990 which set a milestone in the democratization of Taiwan. [22] The movement is also known as the "March 18 Student Movement" (318學運) or "Occupy Taiwan Legislature" (佔領國會事件). The movement's anthem was "Island's Sunrise" by the indie band Fire EX. from Kaohsiung. [23][24] On March 17 2014, Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) attempted a unilateral move in the Legislative Yuan to force the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) to the legislative floor without giving it a clause-by-clause review as previously established in a June 2013 agreement with the opposing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Previously, in September 2013, the two parties had agreed to hold 16 public hearings over the details of the trade agreement with academics, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and representatives of trade sectors impacted by the agreement. The KMT had chaired eight public hearings within a week, and several members of social groups, NGOs, and business representatives from impacted industries were either not invited or were informed at the last minute. [9] When academics and business sector representatives gave their opinions at the hearings, the presiding chair of the legislature's Internal Administrative Committee, KMT legislator Chang Ching-chung [zh], said the agreement had to be adopted in its entirety and could not be amended. [25] Legislative gridlock followed, as the opposing DPP had not completed the eight hearings they had agreed to chair by March 17. Chang, citing Article 61 of the Legislative Yuan Functions Act, announced that the review process had gone beyond the 90 days allotted for review. The agreement, in the KMT's view, should therefore be considered reviewed and should be submitted to a plenary session on March 21 for a final vote. [9] On March 18 around 9:00 p.m. local time, crowds of students, academics, civic organizations, and other protestors climbed over the fence at the legislature and entered the building. In the melee, one window of the Legislative Yuan was smashed and a police officer suffered serious injuries. A lawyer who was assigned to the protesters stated that six individuals had been arrested over the protest so far. While several hundred protesters remained outside the building, about 300 protesters occupied the legislative floor overnight and succeeded in preventing several attempts by police to expel them. The protesters demanded that the clause-by-clause review of the agreement be reinstated, otherwise they vowed to occupy the legislature until March 21, when the Yuan had scheduled to vote and pass the CSSTA. As night approached, the authorities cut water and electricity to the building. Premier Jiang Yi-huah ordered riot police be sent in to evict the protesters, but that directive was not implemented. [9][26] Shortly after the movement began, thousands of riot police from the National Police Agency were mobilized across the country to surround the protesters. [27][28] On March 20, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng promised not to use force on the protesters. [29] On March 21, Speaker Wang refused to meet with President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Jiang Yi-huah to discuss a response, stating that the president should listen to the people and that a compromise was needed between the lawmakers first. [30] Premier Jiang met with demonstrators outside the legislature on March 22 but stated that the executive branch had no intention of dropping the trade pact. [3] At a press conference on March 23, President Ma restated his resolve in passing the trade pact and affirmed he did not act according to orders from Beijing. [31][32] In response to the press conference, a group of protesters led by Dennis Wei[33] stormed and occupied the Executive Yuan around 7:30 p.m. local time on March 23. [34] The protesters were evicted from the Executive Yuan by 5:00 a.m. on March 24, but some congregated again on Zhongxiao East Road. [35] During the 10-hour eviction process, around 1000 riot police and other law enforcement personnel reportedly used excessive force, including water cannon and baton strikes to the head against the nonviolent protesters, while journalists and medics were ordered to leave. [36] More than 150 people were injured and 61 were arrested. [37] The Association of Taiwan Journalists accused the police of using violence against the media during the eviction process and violating freedom of the press, citing more than 10 cases of attacks on media reporters. [38] On March 25, President Ma invited representatives of the student protests to his office for a dialog over the controversial trade agreement "without any preconditions", after the president said earlier he would not hold face-to-face talks. [39] One of the student leaders Lin Fei-fan accepted the invitation initially and agreed no preconditions should be set for the meeting, but he said the students wanted to discuss whether Taiwan needed new legislation to monitor all cross-strait agreements, and whether the CSSTA should be postponed until that legislation was introduced. [25] However, one day later, on March 26, the protest leaders rebuffed the invitation to meet despite earlier calling on President Ma to meet with them to answer their demands, as they feel Ma, who was the Chairman of the Kuomintang, was still controlling the Kuomintang legislators via the party regulations, so that the cross-party negotiations failed once again to reach a consensus on the protests and the pact. [40][41] On March 26, student protesters called for all legislators to support the establishment of a law for supervising cross-strait agreements before passing the recent trade in services pact. The student activists drafted an undertaking document and asked all lawmakers to sign the document to show their approval. [42] On March 27, Lin Fei-fan called for a March 30 rally filling the Ketagalan Boulevard leading from the Presidential Office to the legislature to put pressure on President Ma to heed the demonstrators' demands. [43][44] The organizers behind the demonstration said around 500,000 people massed in the March 30 rally, while the police estimated the figure to be 116,000. [45] Twenty-two NGOs also took part in the rally. [46] Hundreds of people opposing the movement held a concurrent rally in the same area, but left before the students dispersed. [47] On April 1, hundreds of pro-China activists supporting the trade pact rallied against the parliament seizure. The group was organized by Chang An-lo, a prominent Taiwanese gang leader also known as "White Wolf", who was on bail after being arrested on his return to Taiwan from China, where he had fled 17 years previously.

Protest_Online Condemnation

1995 Air St. Martin Beech 1900 crash

On December 7, 1995, a chartered twin-turboprop Beechcraft 1900D commuter aircraft registered as F-OHRK and owned and operated by Air Saint Martin crashed near Belle-Anse, Haiti. The flight was en route from Cayenne, French Guiana and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and had been chartered by the Government of France to return illegal immigrants to Haiti from French territory. Investigators determined that F-OHRK had drifted ten nautical miles off course. The aircraft collided with a mountain at 5,030 feet after having been cleared by air traffic control to descend to 4,000 feet. .

Air crash

1981 Playa Azul earthquake

The 1981 Playa Azul earthquake occurred on October 24, 1981, at 21:22 local time (03:22 UTC on October 25). It was located near Playa Azul, Michoacán, Mexico. The magnitude of the earthquake was Mw 7.2, or Ms 7.3. [1] Three deaths were reported, two from Michoacán and one from Mexico City. Some buildings were damaged in both Michoacán and Mexico City. A small tsunami was registered in Acapulco with a maximum height of 9 cm. [2] The southwestern coast of Mexico lies above the convergent boundary where the Rivera Plate and Cocos Plate are being subducted beneath the North American Plate along the Middle America Trench. The area is seismically very active with large thrust type earthquakes occurring along the plate interface and normal fault type earthquakes occurring at a somewhat deeper level within the descending slab. The plate interface seismicity in this area is strongly segmented, with separate Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero and Colima segments being recognised. [3] The southeastern end of the Michoacan segment coincides with the broad Orozco fracture zone within the Cocos Plate. [4] During the 1970s, with no major earthquakes recorded since at least 1911, the segment was recognised as a major seismic gap. [5] This earthquake was an interplate earthquake that occurred in the central part of the Michoacán seismic gap. [6] The 1985 Michoacán earthquake broke the two remaining parts of the Michoacán gap, i.e. those to the north and south of the 1981 Playa Azul earthquake rupture zone. [5] The 1981 Playa Azul earthquake had a focal mechanism of reverse faulting from a shallow-dipping thrust fault. [7] The maximum slip of this earthquake was estimated to be about 4.04 m.[8] According to the calculation of C. Mendoza, along the dipping interface the area of maximum slip was concentrated below the hypocenter, and there was another area of significant slip, of about 1 metre (3.3 ft), above the hypocenter. [9] Michoacan suffered widespread damage with some buildings also affected in Mexico City. There were 2 deaths and 17 people injured in Michoacán and 1 death and 11 people injured in Mexico City. [10] One source reports a total of 9 deaths associated with this earthquake. [11] Power outages and telephone service interruptions were widespread in Mexico City. [12] Thousands of people got stuck in darkness in the Mexico City Metro. [13]

Earthquakes

Titanic wreckage set to become a tourist attraction with paid expeditions on offer to wealthy tourists

Titanic wreckage set to become a tourist attraction with paid expeditions on offer to wealthy tourists Follow all the action of the Tszyu v Inoue super welterweight contest in our live blog Follow our live coverage for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic The Titanic is disappearing. The iconic ocean liner that was sunk by an iceberg is now slowly succumbing to metal-eating bacteria: holes pervade the wreckage, the crow's nest is already gone and the railing of the ship's iconic bow could collapse at any time. Racing against the inevitable, an undersea exploration company's expedition to the site of the wreckage could start this week, beginning what’s expected to be an annual chronicling of the ship’s deterioration. With the help of wealthy tourists, experts hope to learn more about the vessel as well as the underwater ecosystem that shipwrecks spawn. “The ocean is taking this thing, and we need to document it before it all disappears or becomes unrecognisable,” Stockton Rush, president of OceanGate Expeditions, said from a ship headed to the North Atlantic wreck site. The 109-year-old ocean liner is being battered by deep-sea currents and bacteria that consumes hundreds of kilograms of iron a day. Some have predicted the ship could vanish in a matter of decades as holes yawn in the hull and sections disintegrate. Since the ship's 1985 discovery, the 30-metre forward mast has collapsed. The crow's nest from which a lookout shouted, "Iceberg, right ahead!" disappeared. And the poop deck, where passengers crowded as the ship sank, folded under itself. The gymnasium near the grand staircase has fallen in. And a 2019 expedition discovered that the captain's haunting bathtub, which became visible after the outer wall of the captain's cabin fell away, is gone. "At some point you would expect the railing on the bow, which is very iconic, to have collapsed," Mr Rush said. The company has outfitted its carbon fibre-and-titanium submersible with high-definition cameras and multi-beam sonar equipment, Mr Rush said. Charting the decomposition can help scientists predict the fate of other deep-sea wrecks, including those that sank during the world wars. OceanGate also plans to document the site's sea life, such as crabs and corals. Hundreds of species have only been seen at the wreck, Rush said. Another focus will be the debris field and its artifacts. David Concannon, an OceanGate adviser who's been involved in various Titanic expeditions, said he once followed a trail “of light debris and small personal effects like shoes and luggage” for 2 kilometres. The expedition includes archaeologists and marine biologists but OceanGate is also bringing roughly 40 people who paid to see the ghost ship. They'll take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks in the five-person submersible. They're funding the expedition by spending anywhere from $130,000 to $200,000 each. "Somebody paid $28 million to go with Blue Origin to space, not even the moon,” said Renata Rojas, 53, of Hoboken, New Jersey. “This is cheap in comparison." Obsessed with the Titanic since she was a kid, Ms Rojas said she started studying oceanography in hopes of one day discovering the wreck. But it was found the same year, prompting her to pursue a career in banking instead. "I kind of need to see it with my own eyes to know that it’s really real," she said. Bill Sauder, a Titanic historian who previously managed research for the company that owns the ship's salvage rights, said he doubts the expedition will discover "anything that's front-page news". But he said it will improve the world's understanding of the wreck’s layout and debris field. For instance, he'd like confirmation regarding where he believes the ship’s dog kennels are. OceanGate will not take anything from the site, making this expedition far less controversial than the now-scuttled plans by another firm to retrieve the Titanic's radio. RMS Titanic, the company that owns the wreck's salvage rights, wanted to exhibit the radio equipment because it had broadcast the Titanic's distress calls. But the proposal sparked a court battle last year with the US government. It said the expedition would break federal law and a pact with Britain to leave the wreck undisturbed because it's a grave site. All but about 700 of the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew died after the ship struck an iceberg in 1912. The court battle ended after the firm indefinitely delayed its plans because of complications brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. But it's possible that not everyone will approve of this next mission. In 2003, Ed Kamuda, then the president of the Titanic Historical Society, told The Associated Press that human activity, including tourism and expeditions, needs to be limited. He said the site should be a simple maritime memorial and left alone. “Let nature take back what is hers,” he said. "It’s only a matter of time before it’s a brown stain and a collection of pig iron on the ocean floor.”

Shipwreck

nzherald.co.nz

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's 'royal' visit to New York. Video / ABC OPINION: In 1989, when Diana, Princess of Wales made her famous trip to New York (and which was recently revived in the public imagination by The Crown) her first daytime engagement was to visit the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, a non-profit organisation which offered (and still offers) social services, education, and healthcare. Later, she attended a gala dinner to benefit the Brooklyn Academy of Music before undertaking her iconic visit to an AIDS unit at a Harlem hospital where she hugged a seven-year-old patient. I'm mentioning this because it's worth keeping in mind what a sanctioned, legitimate royal trip to the Big Apple looks like given that Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have made the first major appearances of their post-palace careers by staging their own quasi-official tour in New York. Barricades for the public? Check. A press pen for the media? Check. A rolling security cordon involving plain clothes officers, suited security guards and more than 100 New York police officers, some armed with M4 machine guns? Check. A clearly defined charitable agenda? Umm… And it is precisely there that Harry and Meghan's DIY royal "tour" veers dramatically off course from the palace blueprint. Because while appearance-wise their first "official" outing as the Stateside outpost of the house of Windsor might look deceptively like a royal trip, bearing many of the hallmarks of a Whitehall-sanctioned international jaunt, the picture starts to fracture is when we get to the substance of what they are actually doing. On Thursday they kicked things off by visiting the 9/11 memorial and One World Trade Center, during which they met with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the city's Mayor Bill de Blasio, National September 11 Memorial & Museum President Alice Greenwald and Bloomberg Philanthropy CEO Patricia Harris. Then, it was back to the Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side, where the Duchess underwent a quick outfit change, before they zipped off to the United Nations for a meeting with US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, for what the ambassador termed an "important discussion of Covid-19, racial justice, and raising mental health awareness". (The Sussexes then paid a visit to the World Health Organisation in conjunction with their Archewell Foundation.) Let's just pause here because the question must be asked: just what was the point of their One World Trade Center visit? What charity, organisation or cause did it help? As the Latin phrase goes, cui bono? That is, who benefits? The only obvious answer: the Sussexes' image. Wanting to pay their respects at the site where thousands of people lost their lives is one thing. Planning an event that involved two photocalls is entirely another. Likewise, no matter the trappings like the security cordons, Harry and Meghan have no diplomatic standing or roles and no longer in any way represent the Crown. So why are they traipsing around UN Plaza and the WHO? (Surely the latter has much bigger pandemic-related fish to fry.) It is now 18 months since the Duke and Duchess arrived in the US and the Covid pandemic, along with Meghan's second pregnancy, would seem to have delayed their ability to fully launch themselves onto the American market as public figures. This New York trip, however, can be considered the opening move in their campaign to establish their new, shiny Stateside public identities and to try to carve out a place for themselves in the national firmament. (The symbolism of Meghan's choice of earrings for the day, her Cartier halo diamond earrings which she has previously worn on her wedding day and at son Archie's christening, has not been lost in the mix.) So, how did the Sussexes decide to use their US coming out? What did they choose to do with this potent, not-to-be repeated opportunity? To take part in a visit with no clear or definable philanthropic goal aside from ensuring a volley of images making them look "royal". If there was one image that underscores this, it was that when Harry and Meghan emerged from their five-star hotel for their UN meeting, the Duchess had changed her outfit. For her second designer look of the day she kept the $1727 The Row merino turtleneck sweater she had worn to One World Trade Center but replaced her wide-legged black trousers and black coat with what was mooted to be a Max Mara number, a $4555 bag from Italian brand Valextra and black sunglasses. While the 40-year-old might have looked like the reincarnation of Jackie Kennedy with a black American Express card (which is to say, chic as hell), the very fact she changed clothes is striking. (It would not appear to be because Meghan had gotten the New York weather wrong with the temperature on Thursday hitting 26 degrees Celsius because both of her outfits featured warm coats. Huh.) The fact is, her switching up her (truly sublime) ensemble ensured that there were two sets of distinct photos from their day, thus potentially ensuring more press coverage and more sets of images for the media to pore over. It is hard to get away from the feeling that, so far, the Sussexes' big New York coming out seems driven by image and to sell themselves to the United States as royals. After only one day, it has felt less like a monarchical outing and more like a marketing opportunity. All of which is a damn shame. Contrast what the Sussexes were doing on Thursday with the schedule of Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who was not only also in the city but also at the UN. She has been attending this week's General Assembly in her capacity as the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development and who was, on the same day as Harry and Meghan's outings, taking part in discussions focusing on women's digital financial inclusion in Africa. This is exactly the sort of work Meghan can and should be doing. As a lifelong advocate for gender equality, the former Suits star has one of the most influential platforms in the world to advocate on this front. Imagine if Meghan had joined Maxima for even a brief session. She would have ensured that the world's attention, even momentarily, was on an issue which affects hundreds of millions of lives. That is the incredible power that Meghan possesses - a power that she is currently squandering while she and Harry take themselves off on their self-styled 'royal tour'. After all of this, what is so strange is that when the Sussexes' quit as full-time working members of the royal family, they said they wanted to "carve out a progressive new role" - and yet their new roles look curiously like knock-off copies of their old ones, all shaking hands with officials and posing for photos before it's off to the next meeting. I'll leave you with this thought: the US is also home to two other siblings of future monarchs, namely Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Princess Martha Louise of Norway. Neither spends their time trying to pass themselves off as something they are not. Instead they are both women with jobs, families and charitable interests, all of which they manage to do without having to alert Good Morning America. Just saying... • Daniela Elser is a royal expert and a writer with more than 15 years' experience working with a number of Australia's leading media titles.

Diplomatic Visit

Iranian authorities have recently discovered 81 ancient relics dating back to the Seljuk era (1037–1194) in the city of Gorgan

TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have recently discovered 81 ancient relics dating back to the Seljuk era (1037–1194) in the city of Gorgan, the northern province of Golestan. The objects were found in an illegally-excavated well, Amir Rahmatollahi, a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage said on Monday, CHTN reported. The relics, which include plates, candlesticks, kohl container, pen pot, and incense burner, were handed over to the Archaeological Museum of Gorgan, the official added. Golestan is reportedly embracing some 2,500 historical and natural sites, with UNESCO-registered Gonbad-e Qabus – a one-millennium-old brick tower – amongst its most famous. Narratives say the tower has influenced various subsequent designers of tomb towers and other cylindrical commemorative structures both in the region and beyond. The UNESCO comments that the tower bears testimony to the cultural exchange between Central Asian nomads and the ancient civilization of Iran. Seljuk, also spelled, Seljuq, was a ruling military family of the Oguz (Ghuzz) Turkic tribes that invaded southwestern Asia in the 11th century and eventually founded an empire that included Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and most of Iran. Their advance marked the beginning of Turkish power in the Middle East.

New archeological discoveries

Covid-19 clusters at malls: Some retail workers worry about getting infected, hope to get priority for vaccine

SINGAPORE — When the Covid-19 cases in the community stabilised at the end of last year, staff members at Shunji Matsuo Hair Studio had, like many others, started to let their guard down, believing that the situation here had mostly returned to normal. That was until last month, when a customer they served at their salon in Ngee Ann City tested positive for the coronavirus. The employee who served the customer on April 25 had to be quarantined, while the rest of the staff members were swabbed and placed on phone surveillance by the Ministry of Health (MOH). The hair salon’s director Tay Tat Sin, 39, said that though none of them got infected, the episode was a wake-up call for the hair salon to be more careful, especially now that there are more coronavirus cases here in the past month or so. With a few malls now having clusters of infections, some retail workers here are starting to feel worried that they may get the infectious disease as they continue to serve customers on a daily basis. As of Thursday (May 27) afternoon, the Covid-19 cluster at Jem and Westgate malls in Jurong East has the second-largest active cluster with 60 cases so far, after the Changi Airport one. The two malls have closed temporarily to curb the spread of the disease there. White Sands mall in Pasir Ris has another cluster that started with a worker at Wok Hey food stall, and Jewel, the retail and leisure complex at the airport, is also shut to the public temporarily. People who have been to all four malls have been offered free testing for Covid-19 by the Government. Because of this, some retail workers who spoke to TODAY are hoping to be prioritised for the vaccination exercise soon because the added protection would give them peace of mind as they go about their work. So far, the Covid-19 vaccine has been offered to only frontline workers such as those in healthcare or who are hawkers and teachers, as well as those above the age of 40. MOH said last week that the vaccination programmes will now be rolled out in five-year bands and progressively move to younger age groups. WORRIED ABOUT GOING TO WORK In the meantime, some workers are unnerved because of the various clusters in the community. Ms Bahirah, 22, who goes by one name and works at shoe store Clarks at Ion Orchard mall, said: “Right now, it’s not a lockdown yet so we still have to go out every day. It’s very scary and we have no choice.” This is also the case for one retail worker from another store in Ion who cannot be named because she is not authorised to speak to the media. Though the worker has already received her first of two shots of the Covid-19 vaccine, she told TODAY that she is still worried about getting infected, especially since there are new virus strains that are more infectious. Both workers said that they would prefer that the authorities impose a lockdown, similar to the circuit breaker period last year when non-essential activities and business have to stop. This would help to keep retail workers safe and save on operation costs, given that sales have fallen significantly since tighter movement restrictions were imposed earlier this month, they reasoned. If a lockdown is not possible, they hope that the authorities would consider allowing retail workers to get to the front of the queue for the Covid-19 vaccination so that they may be better protected as they continue to come in contact with customers. Retail operators who spoke to TODAY would also like their staff members to be prioritised for the vaccine. Mr R Dhinakaran, president of the Singapore Retailers Association, said that many of its members have indicated that they want their customer-facing employees to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Some salespersons are feeling vulnerable when they have to face customers daily at work. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY Mr Tay, Shunji Matsuo’s director, said that he has appealed to the authorities twice for his employees to get vaccinated. However, he was rejected both times. Right now, an appeal to be vaccinated earlier may be made only by Singapore citizens and permanent residents with urgent needs, such as those who need to travel on compassionate grounds, or for work or study purposes where working or studying remotely is not an option. Mr Tay said that he has considered closing his salon in Ngee Ann City during this period, but the contract with the landlord states that he has to operate every day. He cannot cut his operating hours either. In response to TODAY’s queries, Mr Dhinakaran said that the association had asked the Ministry of Trade and Industry last year if retail workers can get priority for the Covid-19 vaccine, but was told that it was too early for such discussions to take place as the programme had not yet begun. The association has since submitted a second request a week ago and is waiting to hear back from the authorities. TAKING PRECAUTIONS AS BEST PROTECTION Among the 13 retail operators and workers interviewed by TODAY, many said that they have put in place robust safety measures to protect themselves and their customers. Shunji Matsuo hair salon invested in getting more air purifiers for its Ngee Ann City outlet. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY A spokesperson for Valiram Group, which manages brands such as Bath and Body Works, said that it adheres to all the standard operating procedures put in place by the governments of the countries in which it operates. She added that the group, which has its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is also “guided by the landlords of malls we operate in and retail associations we are a part of”. Nail technician Ayumi, 33, who goes by one name and works at Nailz Haus in IMM mall in Jurong East, said that she is not afraid of getting infected even though IMM is close to Jem and Westgate. That is because she and her colleagues make sure to sanitise their work stations frequently. She also goes straight home after work and tries not to interact with too many people. Ms Evangeline Seah, 41, who owns FE The Nail Lounge at Raffles City Shopping Centre on North Bridge Road, ensures that employees adhere to hygiene measures such as wearing gloves, sanitising the shop and taking their temperature regularly. “Since we re-opened after the circuit breaker last year, we have been cleaning a lot. We clean after every customer,” she said. Like some of the workers interviewed, Ms Ayumi from the nail salon at IMM said that they would rather the stores remain open because they are more concerned about losing out on their salaries than being sick. “We still have to earn money to provide for our families and pay for everyday expenses. If the shop remains open, at least we still have a salary,” she said in Mandarin. By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.

Organization Closed

Police investigating armed robbery at a Scone bank

Around 11.15am (AEDT) a man armed with a shotgun entered a bank on Kelly Street at Scone, and threatened attendants. He was handed cash before leaving the scene in a blue vehicle, which headed west on Kingdon Road. Police say none of the bank attendants were injured. The man is described as being of a large build, wearing a blue hooded jumper with grey long pants, white joggers, black and grey-coloured camouflage pattern hooded jacket. Detectives from Hunter Valley Local Area Command are urging anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

Bank Robbery

Jewish Theological Seminary library fire

The Jewish Theological Seminary library fire was discovered on Monday, April 18, 1966, at 10:15 AM when smoke was seen pouring from one of the small upper windows of the Jewish Theological Seminary Library tower at Broadway and 122nd Street at the in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The tower, with only few small windows, was the perfect environment for a major conflagration. There were no floors separating one level from another, only steel library stacks surrounded by catwalks. The tower was like an oven and the fire spread quickly. Extinguishing it was extremely difficult, with only one entrance and stairwell from the bottom and limited window access. Fire Chief Alfred Eckert dispatched masked firefighters to the highest floor that could be safely reached. The firefighters spread canvas tarpaulins over as many shelves of books as they could, while hook and ladder trucks sprayed water through the highest openings in the tower, cascading down to the fire below. The fire was declared under control at about 7:00 PM, nine hours after it was discovered. Menahem Schmelzer, the librarian at the time, joined Gerson Cohen, the future chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and the fire chief, for the initial foray into the damp, charred stacks. The fire had been confined primarily to the upper stacks, which housed mostly second and third copies of books, although some important recent acquisitions had also been kept there. But the water had caused enormous damage and the growth of mold threatened to do more. After rejecting several methods for drying the water-soaked books, the suggestion was brought to Rabbi David Kogen, then-vice chancellor of the Seminary, to place paper towels between the pages of every book to absorb the moisture. Volunteers of all ages were recruited from around the neighborhood and Jewish day school students were brought in to help. The paper toweling was supplied by local retailers and manufacturers. Some 70,000 volumes were destroyed in the fire and many more were damaged. [1] The library's rare books and manuscripts, which were stored elsewhere, were spared. [2] The library's book collection was rebuilt with the help of donations from private and institutional libraries. The books were moved to a prefabricated building in the JTS courtyard that remained until a new library building was completed in 1984. The library now exceeds 380,000 volumes. With the assistance of the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, 35,000 books that were saved from the fire and placed in high-density storage are being restored and catalogued.

Fire

United Airlines Flight 823 crash

United Airlines Flight 823 was a scheduled flight from Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania to Huntsville International Airport, Alabama with 39 on board. On July 9, 1964 at approximately 18:15 EST, the aircraft, a Vickers Viscount 745D, registration N7405,[2] crashed 2.25 mi (3.62 km) northeast of Parrottsville, Tennessee after experiencing an uncontrollable fire on board, killing all 39. [1]:3 The fire of unknown origin occurred in the passenger cabin. [1]:14–15 One passenger abandoned the aircraft through the No.4 escape window prior to impact but did not survive the free-fall. Among the victims was Durant da Ponte, professor of American literature and assistant dean of the University of Tennessee graduate school. [3] The Aircraft Accident Report published by the Civil Aeronautics Board in June 1966—almost two years after the crash—stated that "The Board is unable to identify the source of fuel, the ignition point of the fire, or the cause of the final manoeuvre. "[1]:15 The investigation found the probable cause was "an uncontrollable in-flight fire, of undetermined origin, in the fuselage, which resulted in a loss of control of the aircraft. "[1]:15 Approximately 33,000 lbs. of the 40,000 lb. (empty weight) airliner were recovered, with much of the missing weight attributable to cabin furnishings that were destroyed by fire. The wreckage was transported to the Naval Laboratory in Washington, D.C. where the Vickers was reconstructed by the Civil Aeronautics Board. [4] The accident triggered an investigation of the Lockheed L-109C flight data recorder which resulted in modifications of that device and revision of the standards for all recorders. Also addressed were potential problems with the Pyrene Duo Head Model DCD-10 fire extinguisher system for the underfloor baggage and heater compartments. There was an Airworthiness Directive issued. Revisions were made to the Pilot's Manual, Viscount Maintenance and Instruction, and Accessories Manuals. [1]:(Attachments 1–2)

Air crash

UN World Food Programme Warns Of Approaching Hunger Catastrophe

9 days ago Mon 08th November 2021 | 04:58 PM MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2021) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Monday of an approaching hunger catastrophe as the number of people who find themselves at the verge of famine has risen to 45 million in 43 countries. "The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that the number of people teetering on the edge of famine (IPC4/Emergency or worse) in 43 countries has risen to 45 million, as acute hunger spikes around the world. This number has risen from 42 million earlier in the year and 27 million in 2019," WFP said in a statement. WFP Executive Director David Beasley noted that conflict, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are all factors affecting the worsening hunger situation globally. "Fuel costs are up, food prices are soaring, fertilizer is more expensive, and all of this feeds into new crises like the one unfolding now in Afghanistan, as well as long-standing emergencies like Yemen and Syria," Beasley added. The head of WFP met with the second deputy prime minister of the Taliban (terrorist organization banned in Russia) movement, Abdul Salam Hanafi, in Kabul on Sunday where the organization is elevating its support to aid almost 23 million people on the brink of starvation. The UN organization estimated that the cost of ending famine now stands at around $7 billion, up from $6.6 billion last year. "As the cost of humanitarian assistance rises exponentially, we need more funds to reach families across the globe who have already exhausted their capacity to cope with extreme hunger," Beasley said. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization's Food price Index found that food prices hit a ten-year high this month which means food production prices also rose. The WFP works with 139 million people across 85 countries with goal of providing food and building self-reliance of the poorest and most vulnerable individuals globally.

Famine

B.C. Premier John Horgan diagnosed with cancer, to begin radiation treatment

B.C. Premier John Horgan says he has been diagnosed with cancer after a biopsy of a growth on his throat late last week. In a statement Thursday, he said pathology reports following his surgery confirmed the mass was cancerous. "My prognosis is good and I expect to make a full recovery," wrote Horgan, 62. "The surgery and biopsy that were done last week were successful and I am grateful to the amazing health-care team for all the support I've received." The premier said he will begin radiation treatment in the next several weeks until it finishes toward the end of December.  Horgan said he still plans to participate in cabinet meetings and fulfil his other duties virtually over the course of his treatment. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth, whom Horgan appointed deputy premier last week after announcing the surgery, will attend in-person events in his place.  "I would, again, like to thank everyone who sent their well wishes. Your support gives me strength and humbles me. I look forward to being back in the legislature and travelling in the new year," Horgan said in his statement. The premier spoke on Oct. 28 about having noticed the lump on his throat several months earlier. He said he'd been in and out of hospital for testing, which confirmed the need for the biopsy last Friday. Horgan was previously diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2008, when he was in his 40s. He was declared cancer free after surgery and treatment. "It's important, I think, for people to understand that this isn't the first time I've experienced a health issue like this, and it's the extraordinary efforts of our public health-care system that gives me complete confidence that all will be well for me," he said during last week's news conference. Farnworth has said he expected to attend briefings and meetings on the premier's behalf, and will assist in whatever way is required. Farnworth, the NDP's house leader, was first elected to the legislature more than 30 years ago. Last month, Horgan's caucus marked one year since winning a majority government in the provincial election. Horgan first became premier in June 2017, after forming a minority government. On Thursday, Health Minister Adrian Dix said he'd spoken with Horgan about his personal health and said support crosses party lines. "He is, of course, determined and positive and thoughtful and, as someone who has dealt with cancer and survived before, he understands both the challenges but he's engaging with real optimism," Dix said, speaking just before beginning a COVID-19 briefing. "I think the qualities that make him a great premier but also a great friend and a really great human being are going to help him in this, are the supportive people across the political spectrum and the people of B.C." The B.C. Liberals, who are in Opposition, said the premier has the support of its members.  "Our thoughts are with John Horgan and his family today. We wish him the best and hope for a speedy and full recovery," a statement read. WATCH | What Horgan had to say ahead of biopsy surgery: With files from The Canadian Press 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.

Famous Person - Sick

Guildford and Redhill hospitals sign radiotherapy agreement

Cancer patients in Surrey will have a greater choice over where they receive radiotherapy treatment following a £10m agreement between two hospital trusts. From the end of 2013, patients who are currently treated at The Royal Surrey County Hospital, in Guildford, will be able to use East Surrey Hospital, in Redhill. It is hoped the new facility will shorten journey times for patients. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council are now considering the plans. Michael Wilson, who is the chief executive of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital in Redhill, said: "This is good news for patients living in Surrey and Sussex as it will provide care closer to home. "It is also an example of how by working in partnership with other hospitals we are securing the future of hospital services on this site."

Sign Agreement

Peace Mission-2021: India takes part in SCO joint military exercise in Russia

India participated in the sixth edition of multinational military exercise organised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Russia's Oregon, the Army said in a statement on Wednesday. "The Indian military contingent comprising an all arms combined force of 200 personnel including 38 personnel from the Indian Air Force is participating in the Exercise Peaceful mission -2021. The Indian contingent was inducted to the exercise area by two IL-76 aircrafts," the Army said in a press statement. "Prior to their departure, the contingent underwent training and preparation under the aegis of South Western Command," the Army said. The aim of the exercise is to foster close relations between SCO member states and to enhance abilities of the military leaders to command multi-national military contingents, the Army said. The sixth edition of the military exercise 'Peaceful Mission-2021' is being hosted by Russia in the Orenburg region. The exercise began on September 13 and will end on September 25. "The joint counter-terrorism exercise 'Peaceful Mission' is a multilateral exercise, which is conducted biennially as part of military diplomacy between Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states," the Army said. "The exercise will enable sharing of best practices between the Armed Forces of SCO nations. The exercise will also provide an opportunity to the Armed Forces of SCO Nations to train in Counter-Terrorism Operations in an urban scenario in a multinational and joint environment," the Army said. "The scope of the exercise includes professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills and procedures, establishment of joint command, control structures and elimination of terrorist threats. Exercise Peaceful Mission 2021 is a landmark event in military interactions and global cooperation to counter-terrorism," the Army said in the statement.In the past, Pakistan, China and India have taken part in multinational military exercises. However, last year, India did not send troops for the SCO military exercise where both China and Pakistan were present. The SCO is an economic and security bloc in which India and Pakistan were admitted as full members in 2017. Its founding members included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. ALSO READ | India, China likely to hold 12th round of military talks very soon: Sources Click here for IndiaToday.in’s complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Meta is shutting down Facebook’s face ID system, will delete billions of user photos from its database Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar to receive Padma Shri award on November 8 in Delhi Delhi's air quality dips to 'very poor' category for first time this season PM Modi returns to Delhi after G20 summit, COP26 climate conference Mumbai cruise drugs case: NCB SIT summons Aryan Khan after taking over probe Thousands join longest climate march in Glasgow PM Modi unveils statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath

Military Exercise

1982 Bristow Helicopters Bell 212 crash

On 14 September 1982 a medical evacuation helicopter flight operated by Bristow Helicopters crashed during the early hours of the morning in driving rain and poor visibility over the North Sea. All six crew members on board died when their aircraft plunged into the sea near the Murchison platform[a] while trying to locate the Baffin Seal seismic survey vessel. The Accidents Investigation Branch of the United Kingdom issued the final report on the cause of the crash on 22 June 1984. It concluded that there was insufficient evidence to determine a conclusive cause of the accident, although adverse weather, total darkness, and a difficult mission profile were all major factors. The large petroleum reserves under the North Sea have been exploited since 1965. The Treasure Finder semi-submersible accommodation platform supported a number of offshore oil rigs and normally carried a group of four Bell 212 support helicopters for inter-rig transfers of passengers and freight and medical evacuation. [2] Treasure Finder also contained hospital facilities servicing the Brent oilfield. [3] On 14 September 1982, a crewman on the Baffin Seal seismic survey vessel suffered an injury, and the captain sent a request for medical assistance to the Treasure Finder. [4] The Baffin Seal's helicopter deck was obstructed, so the rescue helicopter would not be able to land on the vessel but instead would have to winch the casualty aboard. To accomplish this, the helicopter took off with a full crew of pilot, co-pilot, winch operator, winchman, doctor and medic. [3] The Bell 212 lifted off at 2.25 am (all times are UTC) on a course to the Baffin Seal's reported location with a plan to lower the two medical personnel onto the ship and, if necessary, winch them back onboard with the injured crewman. At 2.31 am the co-pilot told approach control that they were unable to establish marine VHF communication with the vessel, and asked for navigational assistance from the Murchison platform. Witnesses on the platform and its stand-by vessel later saw the helicopter pass by in a northeasterly direction in driving rain and poor visibility. At 2.36 am approach control informed the helicopter that the survey vessel had a searchlight and could turn it on and point it vertically to assist in location and the co-pilot replied a minute later that they could see the Baffin Seal and were in radio communication. At 2.41 am approach control attempted to call the helicopter but received no reply. The last transmission from the aircraft was on marine radio at 2.42 am: "Five miles north of the Murchison platform letting down to surface contact. "[2] After repeated attempts to contact the helicopter were unsuccessful, approach control declared an alert at 2.50 am. Four helicopters, a Royal Air Force Nimrod, a United States[b] Orion and several support vessels in the area searched for the missing aircraft. [6] At 10.23 am two inflated life rafts were spotted floating upside-down 16 miles (26 km) northeast of the Murchison platform. Other pieces of helicopter debris and three bodies were found and recovered 17 to 22 miles (27 to 35 km) northeast of this platform during the day. On 17 September an underwater locator beacon led searchers to the bulk of the wreckage and two more bodies, 14 miles (23 km) from the platform at 1,120 ft (340 m) below water. [2] At the time of the accident, Bristow Helicopters was the largest private operator of helicopters in the United Kingdom, with a fleet of 70 aircraft. [7] Bristow was responsible for providing four search-and-rescue helicopters based on the Treasure Finder with pilots and crew. [4] Normally, fourteen pilots were on the rig and a similar number ashore, of which four were qualified for nighttime search-and-rescues. [4] The pilot of the accident aircraft, who was also the Chief Pilot for the Brent Field, was one of only two such qualified pilots available that night; the other night-qualified pilot had flown extensively earlier that day. [2] The accident was one of a series suffered by Bristow helicopters in the North Sea in just over a year. These included the 12 August 1981 loss of another Bell 212 and the 13 August 1981 loss of a Westland Wessex. Soon after the crash, former Labour Secretary of State for Social Services David Ennals called for a Trade Department inquiry into the safety of helicopter operations in the North Sea oil industry. [8] The accident brought the total number of dead from North Sea helicopter accidents by all UK operators to 40. [8] The Bell 212 registered as G-BDIL was a twin-engine two-bladed medium helicopter manufactured on 18 July 1975. For the flight the rear bench seats were removed to allow fitting a rescue winch, leaving only two rear seats available and the remaining two cabin crew using safety harnesses. The aircraft had a Certificate of Airworthiness that was valid until 30 January 1983 and a Certificate of Maintenance that was valid until 27 October 1982 or 7,567.5 airframe hours. The airframe had a total of 7,532.25 hours at the time of the accident. The gross weight of the aircraft and the estimated center of gravity were both within authorized limits. The aircraft had two liferafts installed and all six personnel were wearing immersion survival suits and life vests with personal locator beacons. The aircraft was also equipped with a SARBE beacon and an underwater locator beacon, both activated by immersion in salt water. Available navigation equipment installed included a Decca Navigator System, VOR, and ADF receivers. During the flight, the co-pilot had asked for the non-directional beacon on the Murchison platform to be turned on to assist in finding the Baffin Seal but the beacon remained off until after the accident because the platform's radio operator was fixing an equipment issue. [2] Two oilfield diving support vessels were placed at the service of investigators on the day of the accident, the Kommandor Michael and the British Voyager, equipped with sonar, underwater video equipment, lifting gear, and an underwater location beacon receiver. Kommandor Michael was also equipped with two remote-control unmanned submersibles while British Voyager carried two manned submersibles. [2] After locating the wreckage on the sea floor on 17 September at 61°35′58″N 1°58′51″E / 61.59944°N 1.98083°E / 61.59944; 1.98083 (accident site) in about 1,100 feet (340 m) of water, one of British Voyager's submersibles performed a video survey and located the bodies of two of the missing aircrew. [2] Due to the water depth, the impact damage to the airframe, and a prolonged period of dangerous weather, it was not until 10 October that the semi-submersible lifting vessel Uncle John was able to retrieve the wreckage for analysis. [4] The damage to the airframe showed that it had sustained a severe impact to the front right quarter, consistent with a high-speed impact with the ocean surface while nose-down, banked to the right, with both the main and tail rotors spinning. [2] Investigators did not document any pre-impact damage to the helicopter, its engines, transmission, rotors, avionics, or other systems nor were there any documented physiological impairments to the aircrew. [2] Evidence recovered from the navigational systems and the position of and damage to the wreckage indicated the helicopter lost altitude during a turn to the right while flying at a low altitude searching for the Baffin Seal. [2] The investigation was unable to determine a specific cause of the accident. The flight took place in darkness and weather conditions of high wind and rain soon after the aircrew had been awakened, and at a very low altitude while attempting to locate a difficult target—in such conditions there was a low margin for safety and any loss of altitude would have been fatal. [2]

Air crash

United Arab Airlines Flight 869 (1963) crash

United Arab Airlines Flight 869 was an international scheduled passenger de Havilland Comet 4C flight from Tokyo, Japan, to Cairo via Hong Kong, Bangkok, Bombay and Bahrain. [1][2] On 28 July 1963 it was being operated by a de Havilland Comet registered as SU-ALD, when on approach to Bombay's Santa Cruz Airport it crashed into the Arabian Sea off Bombay on 28 July 1963 with the loss of all 63 passengers and crew on board. [1][2] Among the 55 passengers was the Philippine delegation of 24 Boy Scouts and adults traveling to the 11th World Scout Jamboree in Greece. [3] At 1:46 a.m. in Mumbai on 28 July 1963 (20:16 GMT on 27 July), the Comet crew reported being overhead the Santa Cruz VOR beacon at 7000 feet and were cleared to descend to 4000 feet. [2] The crew requested an Instrument Landing System approach to Runway 09 and that they would follow the back beam procedure. [2] The controller advised them the procedure was not available and they should carry out an approach using the VOR beacon. [2] The crew agreed to use the procedure and reported leaving 7000 feet in the descent on the 272-degree radial from the VOR. [2] The controller advised them that they might encounter heavy turbulence if they went more than six or seven miles west of the airport. [2] The crew requested a left-hand procedure rather than the more normal right-hand one because of the weather. [2] Permission was granted and the aircraft, already in severe turbulence, entered a left-hand turn and then crashed into the sea at 1:50 a.m., nine nautical miles from Madh Island. [2] Because no wreckage was salvaged and the crew did not report any problems, it was concluded that the aircraft was probably lost due to loss of control while turning in severe turbulence and heavy rain. [2]

Air crash

Iowa flood of 2008

The Iowa flood of 2008 was a hydrological event involving most of the rivers in eastern Iowa beginning around June 8, 2008 and ending about July 1. Flooding continued on the Upper Mississippi River in the southeastern portion of the state for several more days. The phrase "Iowa's Katrina" was often heard. [2] The flooding included (from north to south, east to west), the Upper Iowa River, the Turkey, and the Maquoketa Rivers; outside of the Driftless Area, they include the catchments of the Wapsipinicon River and that of the Iowa River, to include the latter's major tributary, the Cedar River (and its significant tributaries); and the Skunk River in its various forks. The Des Moines River had some minor flooding, but floodwalls and levees for the most part held fast. The Upper Mississippi River which receives the outflow from all these rivers remained at flood stage. The flooding of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City were the most significant events. Recovery in particular for Cedar Rapids is considered to be a protracted and costly affair. For Iowa City, the level of damage was less than expected, but that of Cedar Rapids was greater than anticipated. In Iowa City, the campus of the University of Iowa was vulnerable, and serious flooding did occur there. President George W. Bush landed on Air Force One at The Eastern Iowa Airport on June 20. He toured on foot and by helicopter the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City region. On the same day, Senator John McCain made a stop in Columbus Junction. [3][4] State Meteorologist Elwynn Taylor of Iowa State University said that the wet spring of 2008 was traceable to relatively warm and wet air over the winter. Taylor explained: "Fog in the winter is normally the result of a strong flow of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, which normally does not occur in the winter," he said. "Usually that occurs in March and April. It's caused by either low pressure over New Mexico or high pressure over Bermuda. Both are common in the summer. Both are rare in the winter. More than 80 percent of moisture that falls in the Midwest is from the Gulf of Mexico, and the primary cause of it coming here is the Bermuda high pressure. The pressure arrived very early and much stronger than usual by April and May this year. And it was the case in 1993. "[5] Taylor was quoted at length in the article, concluding: "Rule of thumb is, if a storm begins in the Texas Panhandle, it will come to Iowa. The conditions that allow a storm to develop there are the conditions that move the storm to Iowa." The 2007–2008 winter was particularly severe in northeast Iowa, with a heavy snow cover that persisted in many areas until early spring rains. From the last week in April, the state experienced heavy rain, particularly in the form of thunderstorms, which saturated the soils. It was an extension of the Late-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence, which aside from record-setting tornadoes, also brought huge quantities of rain in the form of stalled thunderstorm systems. Another possible, contributing factor was the extensive field tiling (installation of drain tile) in Iowa. Almost 40% of agricultural fields in Iowa are tiled, which allows water to flow more quickly from fields into waterways, possibly causing water levels to rise faster. [6] Also, farming closer to creeks and rivers, without adequate buffer strips, allows the water to move rapidly from the field directly to the surface water. [7] While the Great Flood of 1993 was greater in continental terms, in local Iowa terms, the June 2008 Midwest floods were considerably worse. Lessons learned in 1993, however, helped prevent or otherwise ameliorate damage, extensive as it was; one example is how the city of Des Moines raised its levee around its domestic water and sewage treatment plants. The extent of flooding in 2008 was probably less than during the Flood of 1851, but it is difficult to compare impacts of the two floods because of changes in population, economy, and land use. A study performed by Mark Burton at the University of Tennessee and Michael J. Hicks at Ball State University was based on post 1993 flood data. However, the 2008 floods damaged key infrastructure outside of the model (e.g. the University of Iowa library) due both to changes in population and flood protection measures. However, the Burton & Hicks study did identify crop damages at roughly $3 billion, which turned out to be very close to the actual damages. [8] The flooding led to evacuations of many homes. In eastern Iowa along the Iowa River and Cedar River, flooding exceeded that of the Flood of 1993. [9] Flooding also forced the closure of an extensive number of roads throughout the eastern half of the state, a situation that affected far more people than those who directly experienced the floods; in particular, portions of Interstate 80 and I-380 were closed. The closure of bridges in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City disrupted normal traffic patterns, and led to extensive detours. Rail traffic was also seriously compromised. The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E Railroad) had a washout between Mason City and Nora Springs. The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co. (CRANDIC/CIC) was particularly affected; its bridge in Cedar Rapids was destroyed by the flooding while an embankment downriver near Coralville was also washed out. The Keokuk Junction Railway (KJRY) also reported disruptions. Amtrak service was rerouted, away from Iowa; a number of trains had their passengers put onto buses. [10] Amtrak was due to restore service July 5, 2008 on its California Zephyr from Chicago to Denver. The service had been suspended due to flooding in Iowa. Two other routes closed by flooding had resumed service on July 1. Chartered motor coaches were used in the interim as alternate transportation.

Floods

Guildford A3 murder probe continues as CCTV images of witnesses released

Police would like to speak to a number of witnesses who could hold vital information regarding Helen Anderson's death Share Click to playTap to play The video will auto-play soon8Cancel Play now Images of several witnesses who could have vital information which could help police investigating a murder have been released. The body of Helen Anderson was found in undergrowth off the A3 Guildford slip road near Woking Road on August 23. The 41-year-old mother-of-four from Finsbury Park was described as a "dear sister and daughter" who "had a big heart". The four images released on Monday (October 11) were taken outside Sirwan Supermarket in Lordship Lane, Tottenham, between 11pm and 11.40pm on August 21. The individuals in the CCTV stills could help detectives piece together Helen's movements before her death. A Surrey Police spokesperson said: "We would like to make it clear that the people pictured in these images will be treated as witnesses. "If one of the people picture is you, or you recognise anyone in these images, please contact us quoting PR/45210089588 respectively, via webchat on our website, online or by calling 101." Alternatively, you can submit information through the Major Incident Public Portal here. Dane Messam, 52, of Henry Road in Hackney, has been charged with murder in connection with this investigation. A 50-year-old man from Enfield has also been arrested on suspicion of murder and a 51-year-old man from Hackney has been arrested on conspiracy to commit murder. They have both been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release

Landmark, Countryside cooperatives merge into new cooperative, Alcivia

Landmark and Countryside Cooperatives, which merged in March this year, have announced the name of their new combined cooperative – Alcivia. President and CEO of the new cooperative, Jim Dell, who was also CEO of Landmark Cooperative, said the new name represents a feeling of togetherness among its employees, members and customers. The name also symbolizes the organization's "forward thinking and positive culture," he added. "It was an exciting process that included extensive customer research and close collaboration between our marketing team, board of directors, CEO and a cross-section of employees from both legacy cooperatives," Dell said. "In the end, we arrived at a distinctive name we can call our own. It's a name that says we're all together on this journey." The merger became effective Mar. 1, 2021, after the proposal received a "yes" vote from both cooperative's members late last year. Countryside Cooperative Frank Brenner has been helping Dell to ensure a smooth transition, though it doesn't appear that he has taken a permanent position with Alcivia. Alcivia boasts high numbers as a new entity, with combined grain volume exceeding 39 million bushels and combined energy (diesel, propane and gas) landing at 82 million gallons. They also have 833 active employees with about half being full-time, as well as over 25,000 members and $625 million in annual sales. Dell said the key parts of the merger involved marketing and logistics teams in major market research projects and cross-departmental collaborations. Through this, the new logo emerged. He also said that the cooperative has invested more in its input financing programs and has given employees more geographic flexibility so employees' families can move around more easily. Alcivia Cooperative covers parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. "Our goal was to bring like-minded, community-minded people together and bring a stronger entity to serve our membership in many different ways as we move forward," Dell said. "Our input financing programs played a big, big role. Combined together, we've exceeded $50 million of input financing this spring. ... This program turned out to be a very solid program for us."

Organization Merge

Locust PLAGUE threatens Africa: UN warns 7 million people at risk from ravenous insects

The locust warning comes after billions of desert locusts invaded East Africa earlier this year. Locust swarms of "biblical" proportions have also overrun parts of India, blotting out the skies over Gurgaon. Swarms of the winged pest can consume food for 2,500 people in a single day, making already vulnerable regions particularly susceptible to the threat. Swarms can grow up to "several hundred square kilometres" with as many as 80 million adult insects per square kilometre. On Friday, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned of outbreaks in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Although smaller than this year's plagues in East Africa, the UN said swift action is required to deal with the problem. The migratory swarms threaten to exacerbate problems in areas struck by droughts last year as well as the economic fallout of COVID-19. READ MORE: Pope Francis issues warning on deadly plague ‘worse than’ coronavirus The UN's food agency said: "The situation is aggravated by the inaccessibility and ecological sensitivity of some of the affected areas." One locust breeding ground has been identified in Botswana's Okavango Delta, a sprawling and lush plain that is flooded seasonally. The Botswana outbreak, which began in May this year, was declared a regional emergency by June. FAO southern Africa coordinator Patrice Talla said: "Some of the worst-affected areas are very difficult to reach." At the start of September, the UN's Locust Watch group said swarms bred this spring still persist in the Horn of Africa. Some of the worst-affected areas are very difficult to reach Patrice Talla, FAO southern Africa coordinator And summer breeding is now well-underway in northern Ethiopia were controllers have noted a growing number of locust bands. Immature swarms also remain in eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia, although there is a risk they could still migrate southwards towards Kenya. This could happen in October when the prevailing winds change direction. Desert locusts typically reach speeds of about 10mph (16kmh), depending on the winds. DON'T MISS...END OF THE WORLD: Why coronavirus is only the tip of the iceberg [INSIGHT]10 Biblical plagues on Earth spark claims ‘we’re living in Exodus’ [REPORT]Nostradamus prophecy of PLAGUE: Did he predict COVID-19? [ANALYSIS] Under favourable conditions, the swarms can travel between three and 80 miles or more in a single day. The FAO said: "Locusts can stay in the air for long periods of time. "For example, locusts regularly cross the Red Sea, a distance of 300km. "In the past, there have been some spectacular and very long-distance swarm migrations, for example from North-West Africa to the British Isles in 1954 and from West Africa to the Caribbean, a distance of 5,000km in about ten days in 1988." Recently, a number of mature swarms have invaded Eritrea and have spread across the Red Sea coast and highland areas. Swarms from Yemen have invaded parts of southwest Saudi Arabia, reaching the Red Sea coast near Jizan. And on August 31, a swarm was tracked moving from northwest Kenya to South Sudan. The FAO said: "In southern Oman, adult groups and a swarm formed from local breeding on the coast. "Locust infestations are expected to increase substantially in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen, and, to a lesser extent, on the Red Sea coast in Sudan and Saudi Arabia where numerous hopper bands could form during September."

Insect Disaster

Woman, 23, diagnosed with terminal cancer after lump 'dismissed as hormonal'

The family of a woman who has “untreatable” breast cancer claim doctors missed diagnosing her when they dismissed a lump in her breast as “hormonal”. Tasmin Gooding, 23, of Ramsgate, Kent, was told her cancer was incurable after it was found to have metastasised to her neck, hips and spine. Her family have been left stunned, heartbroken and searching for answers as to how the cancer was missed despite Tasmin's best efforts. The Goodings have a family history with the disease, which has seen Tasmin's mum survive breast cancer and her sister fight leukaemia at the age of just three, KentLive reports. But in spite of all of this, doctors missed a possible early warning sign - a lump in Tasmin's breast, her family say. Tasmin (right) with her sister Jo and brother Lewis Tasmin's first appointment was in November 2020 after finding the lump, but due to the pandemic was unable to bring another family member with her. A biopsy and ultrasound were carried out at a hospital but the results came back showing a hormonal lump. Tasmin did not receive a mammogram breast screening - used to find underlying signs of cancer or tumours that are too small to detect otherwise. Angela, Tasmin's mum, said: "There was no mention of it at all about giving her a mammogram. "She was actually told that it was highly doubtful that it's cancer because she was only 23, she was too young. "I don't believe that - and now she's got three tumours in her breast and one in her arm pit." Tasmin with her nieces Amelia and Lilly The family became more concerned when Tasmin began to lose weight in the following months. Her mum continued: "By the beginning of August 2021 she starts drastically losing weight, and we thought she was depressed, she'd split up with her boyfriend, she wasn't very happy. "She'd actually moved into her own flat and we thought she was lonely - but then we noticed the weight loss was actually quite drastic. "You know, she was showing bones and things like that." In September, ten months from when doctors said her initial lump was abnormal, Tasmin found another in her armpit. She was booked in for a second ultrasound of the tumour, but within an instant of it starting, the radiologist called for a biopsy to be prepared. Tasmin with her nephew Harvey It took just a few days for the results to come back. Angela said: “We got a phone call from the secretary changing her appointment time so she was the last of the day. "They didn't want us coming out when there's people in the waiting room so they've given us the last appointment - obviously they're going to tell us something bad. "But the other thing was they recommended that she brought somebody with her - and that answered it for me.” The results showed that all three tumours that had been biopsied were cancerous. A PET scan in early October was taken to see whether it had spread, with an MRI to confirm the findings of the first scan. Tasmin’s family discovered that what had first been thought to be treatable stage two breast cancer had spread and progressed in just the short period of time between November 2020 and October 2021. Instead, Tasmin was diagnosed with stage four cancer in her breast, that had spread to her spine, neck and pelvis - and was incurable and terminal. Her mum said: "How could it have turned from a hormonal lump to stage four terminal cancer in 10 months? "They must have missed it - and if they caught it the first time round she might have been able to get treatment and get rid of it. "Now she's on palliative care and they can't give her a time limit as to how long she has left." She said she was “on a time limit” with her daughter. "She's only going to survive so long - she's not got any life ahead, she's never gonna grow old - she can't have kids." A GoFundMe page initially started by Tasmin’s colleague to get her through chemotherapy raised money for her to complete her bucket list. Tasmin's sister Jo said: “It's amazing what people have done and shows how much she's loved. "I asked her, 'what are the things you want to do for your bucket list', and she said, 'I just want to make memories with my family and friends and help the turtles from their nests to the sea’." Jo continued: "You know, she's blonde and she's funny and she's all about fake tan and makeup. "That's the first thing she asked when I said about chemo - she wanted to know if she could still fake tan. "She always looks at life in the right way.” The GoFundMe has since cleared £12,000 - well clear of the initial £2,000 goal - giving Tasmin the chance to go travelling as she'd planned. Her mum and sister have shared her story to the hopes of raising awareness of breast cancer. Angela said: “We want to say to girls her age - any age - don't just take a doctor's word for it. "Push, if you feel in your gut that there's something wrong. "Always - if you're offered an ultrasound and a biopsy, they should always do a mammogram. "My niece who's 21 wanted a check-up - and was told the only way she could do it is to pay £300 privately - and a lot of you can't afford £300.

Famous Person - Sick

Vaccination Tracker

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 24): Malaysia's Covid-19-linked fatalities fell 19% to 2,326 in the week of Sept 17 to 23, compared with the record high of 2,869 in the previous week. This came as daily reported deaths declined to a two-month low of 116 on Thursday (Sept 23). Of the 2,326 weekly deaths, 575 or 24.72% were brought-in-dead (BID) cases, according to Ministry of Health (MoH) data. Since the coronavirus struck the country last year, the total reported Covid-19-related deaths were at 24,681, while the cumulative number of BID cases stood at 4,838. Only 842 deaths occurred this week The MoH also noted "actual deaths" during the Sept 17-23 period totalled 842 (up 12.87% from the previous week's 746 deaths), while the rest were backlog cases from previous data. The MoH is now using different methods to improve its Covid-19 death reporting due to discrepancies over the reporting of backlog cases. It is now releasing more detailed data on its CovidNow website and a cloud-based repository hosting service provider dubbed MoH Github. The ministry has decided to be more transparent on the reported deaths and actual deaths for overall and BID cases. It said the backlog deaths data was due to the human resource system when in July and August frontliners, especially in the Klang Valley, were overwhelmed and this caused some delays in investigations. Active cases dropped 12.7% to 198,281 in Sept 17-23 week Active cases which carry high transmission risks dropped by 12.7% to 198,281 on Thursday, from 227,120 a week earlier. Of these, 165,421 people were undergoing home quarantine, 21,350 patients were being treated in Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centres, 10,396 individuals were hospitalised and another 502 were placed in intensive care units (ventilated and unventilated). A total of 133,438 Covid-19 recoveries were reported from Sept 18 until Sept 23, the fourth straight week it outpaced infections. In comparison, 106,928 Covid-19 cases were identified during the week. The country's cumulative recoveries stood at 1.95 million, versus 2.17 total infections. Weekly Covid-19 vaccine doses increased to 1.93 million from previous week Malaysia administered a total of 1.93 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from Sept 16 until Sept 23, up from 1.7 million delivered in the previous week. To date, 22.48 million people across Malaysia or 68.8% of the nation's population had received their first dose, including 19.18 million people or 58.7% who were fully inoculated. The Klang Valley, comprising Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, had the highest vaccination rate in terms of total population fully vaccinated at 79.3%, followed by Negeri Sembilan (69%), Labuan (67.5%) and Sarawak (64.8%).

Disease Outbreaks

Power outages possible across B.C. when drought-weakened trees are hit by fall storms, hydro provider warns

Residents across British Columbia are being advised to prepare a well-stocked emergency kit for what BC Hydro warns could be a stormy fall and winter made worse by the effects of a severe summer drought. The latest report from the Crown utility says record-breaking heat between June and August in many parts of the province killed trees or weakened their root systems. It says unstable trees, combined with predicted stormier La Nina weather conditions, create the potential for more power outages if they topple across power lines. BC Hydro says conditions heading into the fall mirror those in 2015 and 2018, when the utility was hit by its two most damaging storms. It says a storm following the 2015 summer drought caused over 710,000 outages and lasted multiple days. BC Hydro has some of the highest densities of trees per kilometre of power line in North America.

Droughts

2013 Anti–Sri Lanka protests

The 2013 Anti–Sri Lanka protests are a series of student protests and agitations initiated by the Students Federation for Freedom of Tamil Eelam in Tamil Nadu, India, against war crimes committed against Sri Lankan Tamil people by Sri Lankan army during the Eelam War IV. The protesters demanded that the Government of India vote in support of a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution censuring the Government of Sri Lanka for war crimes. [4] Some radical groups even demanded the prosecution of the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse for his role in the alleged genocide of Sri Lankan Tamils. Apart from college students, doctors, film personalities and employees of IT companies also participated in the protests. [5] The agitations started on 11 March 2013 when eight students of Loyola College, Chennai, who fasted in condemnation of alleged atrocities committed on Tamils in Sri Lanka were arrested by the Tamil Nadu police. [6] The arrest was criticised by student organisations as well as the Loyola College management and nine colleges across the city went on strike. [6] The following protests see students from all over Tamil Nadu take into streets, it was a massive outrage of Tamil Nadu people and students against sinhala government after 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom. From school to colleges a mass number of students participated in the protest. Students from other states lik who are studying in Tamil Nadu colleges too participated. Numerous protests, rallies held in marina beach which saw huge number of students. The anger and anguish of students turned against DMK and Congress which is the ruling party during 2009 Eelam war. A statewide general strike declared on 12 March 2013 by the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) evoked a mixed response with most of the political parties in the state keeping aloof alleging inaction on the part of the main participant Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) which was in power during the decisive stages of Eelam War IV. [7][8] Student organisations called for statewide agitations on Monday, 18 March, forcing arts and science colleges in the state to close down for an indefinite period. [9] As colleges and schools remained closed student groups organised protest through social media, Tamilandu people who themselves are sympathetic towards Sri Lankan Tamils sent their children to take part in the protests. As protests peaked in Tamil Nadu national and international media provided good coverage. One remarkable effect of this protest is DMK chief Karuna fearing students outrage pulled out of congress alliance, On 19 March DMK chief announced withdrawal from UPA alliance citing Congress disregard to the suffering of Eelam Tamil. [10] When DMK pulled out of UPA it was well received by DMK supporters. Congress was isolated in Tamil Nadu in 2014 general elections it contested in 40 seats alone and lost in all constituencies. But ironically DMK formed alliance with congress again in May 2016 Tamil Nadu state elections showing its own colors. [11] On 18 March 2013, large-scale agitations were held outside Raj Bhavan, Chennai resulting in the arrest of over 500 students. [12][13] A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk was attacked in the Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur on 16 March 2013[14] and another at Chennai Central on 17 March 2013. [15] The Government of Tamil Nadu declared the indefinite closure of 525 engineering colleges affiliated to the Anna University. [16] On 2 April 2013, actors from Tamil film industry staged a one-day token fast in support of student protests in Tamil Nadu. [17] The Tamil Nadu State Legislative Council passed legislation on 27 March 2013 urging the Indian Government to slap economic sanctions on Sri Lanka and demand for the formation of a separate state for the Tamils of Sri Lanka. The resolution which was proposed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha was unanimously passed at the Assembly. The resolution was passed following the debate in the Council regarding the ongoing statewide students protests in Tamil Nadu. [18][19] The resolution demanded the formation of a separate state in Sri Lanka, through the means of a referendum by a resolution at the UN Security Council which should be conducted among Tamils in Sri Lanka and other displaced Tamils across the world. [19] Moving the resolution, Jayalalithaa said the ongoing students protest was reflective of her government's initiative on the Sri Lankan issue even as she requested them to withdraw the stir and resume classes. [20] The resolution also called on the Indian Government to stop considering Sri Lanka as a 'friendly country' and impose economic sanctions, as well as calling for an international inquiry in "genocide and war crimes" against Sri Lankan Tamils. [18][19] On 20 June 2013, during 2013 ICC Champions Trophy semi final match between India and Sri Lanka at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, Tamil Eelam supporters invaded the pitch with the flags of the Tamil Eelam. [21] After the match, at least 400 protesters held up the Sri Lankan team bus and raised anti-Sri Lankan government slogans. [22]

Protest_Online Condemnation

2006 Nukuʻalofa riots

The 2006 Nukuʻalofa riots, also known as the Tongan riots,[1] started on 16 November, in the Tongan capital of Nukuʻalofa. The Legislative Assembly of Tonga was due to adjourn for the year and despite promises of action, had done little to advance democracy in the government. A mixed crowd of democracy advocates took to the streets in protest. The riots saw a number of cases of robbery, looting, vehicle theft, arson and various property damage. Riots broke out around 3:30 pm TOT as rioters threw stones, broke windows, and looted. By about 6:00 pm, rioters started setting buildings on fire. The first targets of the rioters were government buildings. Then they attacked enterprises, including some that were leased to ANZ Bank and those owned by the Prime Minister Feleti Sevele. A private shop selling mobile telephones and advertising for Tonfön (part of the Shoreline Group of Companies owned, at the time, by the royal family) was next. Rioters also attacked and burned the main office of the Shoreline Group of Companies, which was located one kilometer away from the small central business district. Several of the larger Chinese shops were targeted for looting and burning. Other shops, including one owned by ethnic Indians, were burned as well, but it is not clear if they were intentionally set on fire or caught fire from surrounding buildings. At about 6:00 PM TOT rioters torched the Royal Pacific hotel (owned by the Shoreline Group of Companies). The hotel was located on one of the main roads into the city. There are many commercial buildings on the thoroughfare, and the fire spread to some of those buildings as well. According to an article in Tonga Now, normally law-abiding Tongans of both sexes and all ages were participating avidly in the looting. However, some photoswould seem to indicate that the car-tipping and arson were the work of young men. This conception would be reinforced after a destroyed Chinese shop was vandalized with graffiti. At nightfall, the police and the Tonga Defence Services regained control of the central business district and were turning away anyone who tried to enter. Estimates of the damage varied. Some estimates said that 60 to 80% of the central business district was destroyed. It was announced that eight bodies had been found in charred ruins. Since most of the employees of the affected businesses managed to reach safety, news reports speculated that the dead were likely looters. It is not clear if the deceased have been identified or if identified, when their names will be released. The Tongan government declared a state of emergency. Only firefighters, police, utility workers, etc. were allowed inside a perimeter defined by Vuna road, ʻAlipate road, Mateialona road, and Tupoulahi road. Residents of that area could enter only after being searched. For the next month, gatherings of more than five persons were illegal in that area. Emergency laws gave security forces the right to stop and search people without a warrant. The Tongan government promised reform. Popular elections were held in 2008, in which a majority of the Legislative Assembly were elected by popular vote. The Chinese embassy chartered an airplane to evacuate Chinese nationals. 110 soldiers and 44 police officers from Australia and New Zealand arrived to help the local police to establish order. The New Zealand army was to be in charge of airport security and the police were to protect the High Commission. The Australian contingent from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment were to assist and relieve exhausted Tongan police. A leader of the Tongan pro-democracy movement, MP 'Akilisi Pohiva, has criticised the intervention of Australian and New Zealand peacekeepers following the riots. Some businesses had temporarily relocated to the suburbs. Some looted items were returned. Police were guarding the telecommunications center and investigating mobile call logs. According to the Matangi Tonga newspaper, twenty-six arrests had been made and the number of deaths had been revised down to six. Nukuʻalofa was by now largely peaceful. The town center was still cordoned off and heavily patrolled, but local shop owners and the like could easily get permission to enter the restricted area. Some Chinese shops which escaped damage were now open again. Major shops and banks, however, were still operating from temporary locations in the suburbs. Peace was believed to be restored and foreign forces began leaving. The forbidden area in town was reduced. Police had made 571 arrests. The first business to rebuild and reopen was the Fung Shin supermarket, which opened in new premises on 19 December 2007. In November 2008, rebuilding began with an anticipated three years of work for the infrastructure to be complete.

Riot

1999 Pentecost flood

The 1999 Pentecost flood (German: Pfingsthochwasser 1999) was a 100-year flood around the Pentecost season in 1999 that mostly affected Bavaria, Vorarlberg and Tirol. It was caused by heavy rainfall[1] coinciding with the regular Alpine meltwater. By late May, the annual spring meltwater from the Alps meant many Bavarian rivers were already at a high water level. On May 22 the rainstorm "Quartus" hit the northern Alps, bringing an additional 180 litres/m2, causing the Ammersee and the Amper and Isar rivers to expand and flood large areas. These flooded areas expanded quickly covering parts of the Oberallgäu on the river Iller. The flood then continued downstream to some of the more inhabited areas in Bavaria. The water level of the Isar, which flows through Munich, was lowered by the Sylvensteinspeicher reservoir near Bad Tölz. However causeways on the Iller failed, flooding Sonthofen, parts of Augsburg and Neustadt. In Hindelang-Hinterstein the flood reached a peak not recorded in the previous 250 years. A subsequent Alpine highwater on 23–24 August 2005 again did damage to these areas. In the Vorarlberg area the Rhine flood affected Lake Constance damaging Hard and Bregenz. In Tirol the village Pflach in Lechtal was flooded. This Europe-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This article about a flood is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Floods

1948 Heathrow Disaster crash

The 1948 Heathrow Disaster was the crash of a Douglas DC-3C of the Belgian airline Sabena at Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom on 2 March 1948. It was the first major accident at Heathrow Airport; of the 22 people on board 20 were killed, of whom most had British nationality. [1] The DC-3 involved was built in 1947 with serial number 43154 and registration OO-AWH and was used by the Belgian airline company Sabena from 21 March 1947 until its destruction in 1948. It was built for a US military contract but was never delivered and was the last DC-3 to be built by Douglas. [2] The Sabena flight was a Douglas DC-3 which departed from Brussels, Belgium en route to London, United Kingdom under the command of pilot Henri Goblet and radio officer Jean Lomba. [3] Workers in a hangar nearby saw the aircraft crash on the runway and quickly went to the survivors' aid. When they reached the aircraft there was utter devastation, only the tail section of the aircraft was left intact. However, there were survivors and the workers quickly pulled a few passengers from the burning wreckage. They could hear the screams of those still trapped in the inferno and despite all their efforts those people perished. When emergency personnel finally arrived on the scene, there was no one left to save. It was later concluded that a high number of passengers survived the crash but died in the blaze either by burning to death or smoke inhalation. The three survivors were badly burned and were quickly taken to the hospital, where one of them soon died from his injuries. One of the survivors was former MP Otho Nicholson. [4] Following the crash, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Civil Aviation stipulated that ground-controlled approaches would no longer be available to aircraft landing in conditions of less than 150 feet (46 m) vertical visibility and 800 yards (730 m) horizontal visibility except in an emergency. [5] In the wake of the crash and that of a Douglas DC-4 two months later, Sabena postponed its 25th anniversary celebrations that had been scheduled for the end of May 1948. [6][7] The two airport workers who entered the burning wreckage to rescue survivors, Harold Bending and Angus Brown, were awarded the George Medal in June 1948. [8][9]

Air crash

North Sea flood of 1953

The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm at the end of Saturday, 31 January 1953 and morning of the next day. The storm surge struck the Netherlands, north-west Belgium, England and Scotland. A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm over the North Sea caused a storm tide. The combination of wind, high tide, and low pressure caused the sea to flood land up to 5.6 metres (18.4 ft) above mean sea level. Most sea defences facing the surge were overwhelmed, causing extensive flooding. In the Netherlands 20% of the land was below mean sea level (subsequently with the expansion of Flevoland this proportion has increased); the next-highest 30% sat at less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) above sea level. Such land relies heavily on sea defences and was worst affected, recording 1,836 deaths and widespread damage. Most of the casualties occurred in the southern province of Zeeland. In England, 307 people were killed in the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Twenty-eight people were killed in the north of West Flanders, Belgium. Nineteen were killed in eastern Scotland. More than 230 deaths occurred on seacraft along Northern European coasts as well as on ships in deeper waters of the North Sea. The ferry MV Princess Victoria sank in the North Channel east of Belfast with 133 fatalities, and many fishing trawlers sank. Realising that such infrequent events could reoccur, the Netherlands and the UK carried out large studies on strengthening of coastal defences. The Netherlands developed the Delta Works, an extensive system of dams and storm surge barriers. The UK constructed storm surge barriers on the Thames Estuary and on the Hull where it meets the Humber Estuary. On the night of 31 January – 1 February 1953, many dykes in the province of Zeeland, the southern parts of the province of South Holland and the northwestern parts of the province of North Brabant proved unable to resist the combination of spring tide and a northwesterly storm. On both the islands and the mainland, large areas of the country were flooded. Many people still commemorate the dead on 1 February. [citation needed] The Rijkswaterstaat had warned about the risk of a flood. [2] At the time of the flood, none of the local radio stations broadcast at night, and many of the smaller weather stations operated only during the day. As a result, the warnings of the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) did not penetrate the flood-threatened area in time. People were unable to prepare for the impending flood. The disaster struck on a Saturday night, and hence many government and emergency offices in the affected area were not staffed. As telephone and telegraph networks were disrupted by flood damage, amateur radio operators went into the affected areas with their equipment to form a voluntary emergency radio network. These radio amateurs provided radio communications for 10 days and nights, and were the only people able to maintain contact from affected areas with the outside world. [3] The Zeeland dykes were breached in 67 locations. [2] Large parts of South Holland, Zeeland and North Brabant were inundated. In North Holland only one polder was flooded. The most extensive flooding occurred on the islands of Schouwen-Duiveland, Tholen, Sint Philipsland, Goeree-Overflakkee, the Hoeksche Waard, Voorne-Putten and Alblasserwaard. Parts of the islands of Zuid-Beveland, Noord-Beveland, IJsselmonde, Pernis, Rozenburg, Walcheren and Land van Altena were flooded, as well as parts of the areas around Willemstad, Nieuw-Vossemeer and parts of Zeelandic Flanders. The highest death tolls were recorded on the islands of Schouwen-Duiveland and Goeree-Overflakkee. Afterward, the government formed the Delta Commission to study the causes and effects of the floods. They estimated that flooding killed 1,835 people and forced the emergency evacuation of 70,000 more. Floods covered 9% of Dutch farmland, and sea water flooded 1,365 km2 (527 sq mi) of land. An estimated 30,000 animals drowned, and 47,300 buildings were damaged, of which 10,000 had to be taken down (or were swept away). The total damage is estimated at 1 billion Dutch guilders. The Schielands Hoge Zeedijk (Schielands High Seadyke) along the river Hollandse IJssel was all that protected three million people in the provinces of North and South Holland from flooding. A section of this dyke, known as the Groenendijk, was not reinforced with stone revetments. The water level was just below the crest and the seaward slope was weak. Volunteers worked to reinforce this stretch. However, the Groenendijk began to collapse under the pressure around 5:30 am on 1 February. Seawater flooded into the deep polder. In desperation, the mayor of Nieuwerkerk commandeered the river ship de Twee Gebroeders (The Two Brothers) and ordered the owner to plug the hole in the dyke by navigating the ship into it. Fearing that the ship might break through into the polder, Captain Arie Evegroen took a row boat with him. The mayor's plan was successful, as the ship was lodged firmly into the dyke, reinforcing it against failure and saving many lives. The Afsluitdijk across the entrance of the Zuiderzee was said to have paid for its construction cost in that one night, by preventing destructive flooding around the three great meres that used to be the Zuiderzee. Several neighbouring countries sent soldiers to assist in searching for bodies and rescuing people. The U.S. Army sent helicopters from Germany to rescue people from rooftops. Queen Juliana and Princess Beatrix visited the flooded area only a few days after.

Floods

Scooter Braun files for divorce from Yael Cohen after 7 years

Music mogul Scooter Braun has filed for divorce from his wife, Yael Cohen — nearly two weeks after Page Six broke the news of their split . Braun, 40, retained celebrity divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, whose previous clients include Kim Kardashian, Angelina Jolie and Ryan Reynolds. The court documents filed in Los Angeles Wednesday make it clear there is a prenuptial agreement in place between the businessman and the F–k Cancer co-founder, 34. Braun is seeking joint custody of his and Cohen’s three children: Jagger, 6, Levi, 4, and Hart, 2. He has also agreed to pay his estranged wife spousal support. Braun — the fiery music manager who discovered Justin Bieber and has been at the center of a very public spat with Taylor Swift after buying the rights to her early work — married Cohen in July 2014. Braun and Cohen married in July 2014. Getty Images for ChefDance Despite publicly celebrating their anniversary on Instagram on July 6, just days later, we revealed the couple were splitting up. “They’re friends,” said an insider, adding Braun and Cohen were still living together. While sources said at the time that there were no plans to divorce, we’re told that Braun was the one to pull the plug on his marriage in the end. Page Six also revealed this month that Braun had secretly checked into an “intense psycho-spiritual retreat” months before his separation from Cohen.

Famous Person - Divorce

Nashville woman diagnosed with COVID days before breast cancer surgery

 . seek to previous 12… 6 seek to 10%, 20% … 60% When a Nashville woman was diagnosed with breast cancer, her life took two turns. After that she tested positive for Covid-19 days before surgery. News4's Marissa Sulek talked with this woman today. NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - When one Nashville woman heard she had breast cancer she wanted it removed as soon as possible. But a virus stopped her in her tracks. Inside a Lipscomb University improv class, Beki Baker teaches students how to plan for life’s unplanned moments. “Taking risks, learning things quickly, playing well with others, quick problem solving,” said Baker. Last fall, she had her own unplanned moment at age 38 when she found a lump on her breast. “I felt perfectly healthy,” said Baker. “Had no signs or symptoms or anything. It was really scary because I am also a mother of three young children.” Baker said she never had a mammogram, but she said she had a nagging feeling she needed to get the lump checked out. After a biopsy and ultrasound, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer and scheduled to have surgery. “Everything had been prepped, everything was ready,” said Baker. All she had left was to test negative for COVID-19 72 hours before the procedure or they would have to cancel. “Unfortunately, I got the phone call from my surgical oncologist that I was positive,” said Baker. Dr. Lisa Bellin was Baker’s surgeon at Ascension Saint Thomas. Although Baker had no COVID-19 symptoms, she decided to postpone the surgery 10 days. “I told her about it, and she was surprised of course,” said Bellin. “We make it happen, but it’s not easy at all.” Like Baker teaches her students, life is unscripted. After months of let-downs, she is now cancer free. “It was definitely an exercise of letting go of control and recognizing my own limitations and my own humanity and having to sort of learn how to move through that,” said Baker. Baker said breast cancer does not run in her family. She continues to go to Ascension Saint Thomas for monthly check-ups. WSMV.com is now with you on the go! Get the latest news updates and video, 4WARN weather forecast, weather radar, special investigative reports, sports headlines and much more from News4 Nashville.

Famous Person - Sick

Impunity rules as juntas take over in Mali, Chad, Guinea

Power grabs in West Africa over the past year -- in Chad, Mali and most recently Guinea -- are enjoying newfound impunity, leaving citizens angry and distressed. "What's the use of constitutions, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and international diplomacy if after all anything goes?" asked Ahmed Sankare, a mobile telephone vendor in the Malian capital Bamako. ECOWAS and many voices in the international community condemned the Guinea coup, as they did a year ago and again in May for Mali. The words have been the same: restore constitutional order, free detainees, set a timeline for elections. But a year later, Mali's military remain in command, with doubts growing over their promise to return the Sahel country to civilian rule through elections in February 2022. In Chad, after Idriss Deby Itno died fighting rebels on April 20, his son seized power. Former colonial power France, Chad's main trading and strategic partner, quickly gave its blessing to the new leadership, refraining from describing what took place as a coup. In Mali as in Chad, the new presidents are the product of special forces -- Colonel Assimi Goita in Bamako, General Idriss Deby in N'Djamena. And in both countries, the constitution has been replaced by a "transition charter". - 'A favourable climate' - "The international community has lost its leverage... taking on board the coup in Mali, then in Chad by literally kissing, in the person of (French President Emmanuel) Macron, the son of the deceased president who has taken power," said Peter J. Pham, former US envoy to the Sahel. "The United States is the only big outside power to halt military assistance to Bamako until constitutional order is re-established," he said. Jean-Herve Jezequel of the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank warned against the idea that the coups in Mali and Chad helped trigger Guinea's putsch. But "the way these recent coups in Chad and Mali were accepted, even validated, by regional and international actors has probably created a favourable climate for what happened in Guinea," he said. Burkinabe news outlet Wakat Sera drew parallels between the coups in Guinea and Mali. The new strongman in Conakry, Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, simply "recited the formula for power grabs through arms... like a recording that all putchists everywhere use", it argued. - 'Domino effect' - In Bamako, a top official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the coups in Mali and Chad could create a "domino effect", with militaries elsewhere saying to themselves "why not us?" In Guinea's case, "experience tells us to be extremely cautious and not too naive," Fabien Offner of Amnesty International told AFP. "Some see the end of the (Alpha Conde) regime as a good thing, (but) it's not the first time that there are hopes in West Africa and they are often dashed," he said. The message in the Wakat Sera editorial to the international community was clear: "Stop with the ostrich policy" and the "broken record" of toothless condemnations, it said.

Regime Change

Decades-old bottle of Fairy dishwashing liquid found on English beach

A bottle of dishing washing liquid dating back at least 47 years has washed up on a beach in Somerset, England, prompting calls for action to combat the "modern day scourge" — plastic. The Burnham Coastguard rescue team noticed a significant amount of debris on the shore, washed in by the tides over several days. Most of it was natural, but there were plenty of man-made items too, they said. In a Facebook post, the team said the beach warden spotted the well-preserved bottle of Fairy liquid, with its printed labelling still mostly intact. The bottle was marked "4D OFF", dating the bottle to before the 1971 decimalisation of Britain's currency, according to the BBC. The letter D was the symbol for pence at that time. "This bottle has been floating around in our waters and still looks almost new," the rescue team said. "What can we do about this modern day scourge?" The post answered its own question, issuing a few recommendations, including urging people to join local beach clean-up efforts and to "be mindful of what we flush down our toilets, cotton buds are the worst offenders." "Small changes by everyone can make a big difference to our beautiful planet and even to our very own stretch of coast, so let's make a difference together," the team said. How big is the problem and what can we do about it? In a comment on the post, the rescue team said the bottle was "disposed of in a correct manner". "In hindsight it would've been good to keep it and use it to show how long it takes to break down," the team said. A UNESCO report stated that plastic debris killed more than 1 million seabirds each year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals. About 8 million tonnes of plastic went into the ocean in 2010, according to a comprehensive 2015 study of plastic pollution. The study's co-author, Dr Chris Wilcox, said Australia produced a total of 13,888 tonnes of plastic litter each year, a quarter of which found its way into waterways. Australia is among a growing number of countries to take steps to reduce plastic pollution, enacting a single-use plastic bag ban on July 1. 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