UNFOLDING OF THE SCRIPTURES – 2013
BY THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE SALAWATIA MUSLIM MISSION OF GHANA
SHEIHU RASHID HUSSAIN SALWAT
(QUTUB AZ-ZAMAAN)
YEAR OF PROPHET ADAM (AS), WITH EFFECT FROM SUNDAY, 18th NOVEMBER 2012.
INTRODUCTION:
THE UNIVERSAL PEACE ORDER
We give thanks and praises to God, the Almighty, the Creator and the Sustainer, We pray for perpetual peace and blessings to be upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his holy Progeny.
The philosophy of Salawatia Muslim Mission of Ghana is based solely on the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Salawatia Mission is Tijaniyya by orientation. The Tijaniyya Order teachings are also solely based upon the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), which amongst other things, are self-restraint, patience, tolerance and peaceful co-existence with other people no matter their race, tribe, color, and political affiliations. It teaches the participation in community development. It is based on these Nobel teachings that the Mission embarks upon the promotion of peace in Ghana and in the whole world at large.
The Tijaniyya Order emphatically teaches that the ONLY way to achieve Faith and Outstanding Belief in Allah (SWT) is; “To love for your brother what you love for yourself.” Thus, the Universal Peace Order. So based on these virtues and profound wisdom taking into consideration the numerous conflicts both locally and internationally, Salawatia Mission has no option but to contribute its quota to the promotion of World Peace.
UNFOLDING OF THE SCRIPTURES
The Islamic concept of the Unfolding of the Scriptures, which means “Ayamul-Lah” or “Days of Allah”, was one of the mysteries of Knowledge conferred on man by God. In His infinite knowledge, He taught man by the pen and taught him what he did not know (Q 96:1-5). Among the mystic meaning of Knowledge is the Islamic concept of Unfolding of the Scriptures which is as old as time itself. The Quran attests to this in Chapter 45 verse 15: that says “Tell those who believe, to forgive those who do not believe in the Days of Allah; it is His responsibility to reward each People according to his deeds.”
Also in Quran 14:15 Allah says “We sent Musah (AS) with our signs commanding him to “bring out his people from the depth of ignorance into the light of knowledge, and to also teach them to remember the “Days of Allah”. Verily, in the concept of the “Days of Allah,” (Unfolding the Scriptures), there are signs for those who are steadfast and grateful”.
In a narration of Muslim, and on the authority of Ubaiyi, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (SAW) explained “Ayaamul-Lah” or “Days of Allah” to mean that, “Allah’s Days are some days of fortunes in the year and that some others are of misfortunes”, (Muslim, Book of Fadaail, Hadith No. 4386). In most cases, solutions are prescribed to curb and prevent the misfortunes not to occur, and the fortune days enhanced; hence the unfolding of the scriptures to serve as a guidance for this year, 2013.
WHAT THE SCRIPTIRES SAY: 2013
1. RAIN
There will be lot of rain and these will be torrential downpours. Half of Taiwan will be lost to the sea if serious care is not taken. The situation will cause a lot of destruction in some areas. However, some areas will realize beneficial rainfall that will promote food production and that will subsequently lead to food security.
- STORMS, TORNADOS AND HURICANES
There will be lots of storms, hurricanes and tornados this year in the continents of Asia and Australia. Places like Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, Southern India and South Eastern China especially will be most affected.
- 3. SCIENTISTS, OUR HOPE
The world still faces lot of disasters even with the level of technological advancement we have reached. This still leaves much to be desired. The World Scientists should rise above where they have reached and invent disaster detectors in order to give early warnings to save lives and property.
Scientists are capable of defusing storms, hurricanes and tornados by building Units of energies and firing them into the midst of the storms, hurricanes and tornados to counteract their advancements.
- EARTHQUAKES AND LANDSLIDES
Landslides, earthquakes, storms and other natural and man-made disasters will occur commonly in Latin America. These will result in the collapse and destruction of many structures.
- SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS
Unbearable weather conditions will be experienced in places like Ukraine, Russia, the Antarctica, Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany etc. Apart from the very cold weather conditions, these areas will also have snowstorms.
- 6. DISASTERS
There will be many accidents at Sea, in the Air and on Land. These will be more common especially in some parts of Latin America and Africa. These will have disastrous consequences.
- 7. WARS
North Korea, South Korea, Israel, Iran, China, Japan, and also some African countries will experience some degree of wars. Generally those of African countries will be tribal wars. These unwarranted, needless wars need serious diplomatic efforts to prevent or control the wars promptly.
The possibility of Ghana going to war with neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire is very high. Serious diplomatic efforts have to be made to avoid these unfortunate happening.
- 8. PROTESTS AND COMMUNAL VIOLENCE.
There will be lots of street protests, especially in the North African and Arab Countries. The youth in these countries will organize protest march against political reforms and call for changes in the political leadership. In a wider dimension, communal riots and disturbances will also be experienced in many places around the world.
9. SIGHTING OF UFO’S (UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS)
Lots of UFO’s will be sighted on the surface of the earth and these will affect life on earth negatively. Satanic forces will also come to bear on life and this will have a negative implication on man. The fear of God will diminish considerably from the hearts of mankind and acts of injustice, cruelty, immorality and brutality will become the order of the day. However those who remain steadfast will be safe.
- RISE OF THE BLACK RACE
The economic recession being experienced by some rich nations will continue. They will experience in addition a high rate of unemployment. The recession is a divine plan by God the Provider and Sustenaner aimed at testing the rich nations and the White Race. This is to put the Blackman in a position as a manager of the world economy for prosperity for all.
- BUSINESSES
Businesses however, will flourish in China, Japan and some African countries as a test case to the above and it is by God’s ‘Will’.
- POLITICS AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
There will be rising tension in the political scene in most countries of the world over. For that matter, politicians must conduct themselves very well and lead their people with fairness and justice for peace to prevail. The press must also be very circumspect in their reportage and report the right situation on the ground and should not twist information in order to make bigger sales. This will be very detrimental.
- SOME WORLD LEADERS WILL LOSE THEIR LIVES
World Leaders and Politicians must respect the clergy from all the religions of the world for they play a very vital role in peace and nation building. These men of God are those who pray for the departed souls of people when they pass away. The clergy also find it incumbent on them to pray for and maintain world peace and mediate for peaceful resolution.
- 14. POLITICAL SITUATION IN GHANA
The Democratic Credentials of Ghana is going to be deepened for the fact that the two major political parties both NPP and NDC have agreed to address their election disputes in the Law Court unlike some countries that have resorted to WAR. Political leadership and all political parties’ faithfuls should exercise a lot of restraint and tolerance and to also know that Ghana is first and bigger than all parties, and to also put Ghana first before any other thing.
The political situation in Ghana currently is one of anxiety. Even though, Ghana has gone through peaceful general elections, some parties feel the polls were not fair. These aggrieved parties have their grievances and those grievances must seriously and cautiously be addressed. This must not be taken for granted. The “Divine Will” requires that, the TRUTH must be brought out no matter the cost. Justice must be employed to make the truth known about the election results otherwise …, Ghana stands to experience terrible and disastrous consequences like devastating Fire outbreaks, Communal violence, Carnage on the roads, High rate of crime, etc.
Ghanaians should respect and accept the final verdict of the Supreme Court Ruling on the election results for the sake of peace. Hence forth, Political leaders and all politicians must be very civil in their political talks, must not use any vulgar and abusive languages. Politicians should not criminalize their opponents. If these pieces of advice are not heeded to, there will be serious political turmoil.
15. Political leaders must also be reminded that, they owe it as a duty to account for their stewardship not only to their people on the earth but also to God in the hereafter. Let the world be reminded that “Justice is the bedrock of peace”. There can never be peace without justice. There can never be a meaningful national development without peace. World leaders should put justice in the forefront in their quest for peace which is paramount in nation building. The rich, the poor, the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly must all be treated justly in this world for absolute peace to prevail.
Thanks and praises be to the Almighty God for revealing to us all these future happenings. It is high time, we all recognized this fore-warning and the prescribed Sadaqah which is charity to the poor and the needy, are for our own good. It is also in order to win the Mercies and Protections of Almighty God, and have peace. May the Almighty save the world.
SADAQAH:
HEADS OF STATES TO PERFORM THE SADAQAH ON BEHALF OF THEIR NATIONS AND ITS CITIZENRY:
- The Reciting of the Holy Quran or any other Holy Scriptures 180 times.
- 14 White Cows, 5 Brown Cows to be slaughtered and feed the poor.
- The equivalent of US$90,000 should be given to the needy as alms.
KINGS AND PARAMOUNT CHIEFS FOR THEIR DOMINION AND PEOPLE:
- The Reciting of the Holy Quran or any other Holy Scriptures 36 times.
- 9 White Cows, 7 Brown Sheep and 2 Brown Goats to be slaughtered and feed the poor in other to avoid war and natural disasters.
- GHC9, 000 or the equivalent in Dollars should be given to the needy as alms.
FAMILY HEADS ON THEIR OWN BEHALF AND THEIR FAMILIES:
- The Reciting of the Holy Quran or any other Holy Scriptures 3 times.
- 6 Bowls of Grains for family heads and 3 White Fowls are given to the needy.
- GHC 27 from family heads to the poor.
THE SINGLE INDIVIDUAL
- GHC 9 to be given to the needy.
Finally, I pray to Allah for beneficial rains and abundance of food. I pray to Allah for economic prosperity for all countries of the world. I pray to Allah to protect the world against all forms of disasters. I pray to Allah for permanent peace to prevail in the world.
I wish all Ghanaians and all the peoples of the world a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
God bless Ghana and the World at large. God bless you all. Was- Salamu alaikum
285 comments
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January 4, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Milan’s Boateng takes stand over racism
(CNN) — This season matches across Europe have been punctuated by repeated outbursts of racism and on Thursday AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng took matters into his own hands after leading his side off the field of play after being subjected to racist abuse.
Ahead of the resumption of the Serie A season at the weekend, the German, who plays for Ghana’s national team, was targeted by fans of fourth division side Pro Patria in a friendly during the match along with a number of other black Milan players.
Milan’s website reported M’Baye Niang, Urby Emanuelson and Sulley Muntari were the targets of racist abuse.
The game was suspended midway through the first half when Boateng, who was visibly upset by the chanting, picked up the ball and kicked it into the crowd.
After the incident, Boateng tweeted: “Shame that these things still happen… #StopRacismforever.”
The 25-year-old ripped off his shirt in disgust before being joined by his teammates and opposition players in walking off the field.
SOURCE: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/03/sport/football/football-ac-milan-racism-boateng/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 4, 2013 at 4:57 pm
Alhassan Nasiru-Deen
We thank The Al-Mighty Allah for the emergence of this QUTUB. May the Al-Mighty Allah give us the listening ear, the courage and ability to put into practice what this Great Servant of Allah is telling us. ALHAMDU-LIL’LAAHI.
January 4, 2013 at 8:22 pm
Yakubu m mustapha tanko(gunu)
Al hamdu lil laahi rabbil alaa miina we thank almighty Allah for what sheihu salawatia is doing for usages and am Appealing to our leaders to perform the sadaka for our country to be self thus who are close to them should inform them to do it, And are pray to GOD to protect our sheihu ,his household ,and his schoolers.
January 4, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Haruna Alidu
I pray for good health and a long and prosperous life for this our QUTUB and his family. May the Almighty Allah shawer abundant Blessings on him. I also pray for Allah’s protection for the Qutub and his family. I hope and pray that our leaders, kings, Chiefs, etc will have listening ears and the courage to act. As for the ability they have. Was- Salamu alaikum.
January 4, 2013 at 10:08 pm
SAYIBU ABDUL- FATAWU GOMBILA
I pray to the almighty God to consistently shower his mercy,guidance,protection on our Qutub zamaan. may he guide and protect his entire household for the sake of our beloved S.A.W. and may he also grant him good health, wisdom, retentive memory, karaama, joy, success and peace in this world and the hearafter. ameeeen
January 4, 2013 at 10:42 pm
imran
Salaam Sir, why dont you make these predictions in Muharam given the fact that the gregorian calendar has so many things in it that are not Islamic like the names of the months
January 5, 2013 at 5:54 am
Ishmael Abduljelil
May God almighty bless this man,May he live long on this Earth, to continue the wonderful work he’s doing. I pray that, may all our prayers be accepted in order to do away all bad things that are likely to occur. Once again i say God bless you and your family KUTUBU………….!!!!
January 5, 2013 at 1:36 pm
yakubu al-hassan
we thank the Almighty Allah for sending us sheihu salawatia. may the Almighty grant him more knowledge, good health and above all patience and tolerance to continue the propagation of his message to the entire human generation
January 5, 2013 at 1:43 pm
Abdul-Rahim Ibrahim
All praise is due to almighty Allah. Indeed Allah taught man what he knew not especiall His vicegerants like qutubuz zamaan Shehu Salawatia to warn mankind of the days yet to come. This is really an evidence based blog as he cited the quran and hadith to enlighten us about this important aspect of the religion of Islam. May Allah continue his blessings on shehu Salwat and protect him and his family as he protected the quran from hypocrites and falsehood.
January 5, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Mohammed Adam Amin
All praise is due to Allah for giving us Sheikh Salawatiya Qutubuz-zamaan to forewarn us in order not to fall victims to circumstances. May Allah reward him and his household beyond comprehension and protect him and his household as He, Allah protects The Holy Quran, and grant him and his household whatever they seek or yet to seek.
May all his efforts be rewarded with success. Aameen.
My spirit is willing but the discipline to accomplish my desire is weak, therefore I need Qutubuz-zamaan’s divine prayers.
January 5, 2013 at 8:39 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Plane carrying Italian fashion boss Missoni missing off Venezuela
(CNN) — A small plane carrying six people, one of them Vittorio Missoni, a director of Italy’s Missoni fashion house, is missing off the coast of Venezuela, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol Torres said.
The plane was carrying four Italian nationals who were on vacation, he said in a statement Friday.
The search for the missing aircraft continued Saturday, an Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Missoni confirmed in a statement that Vittorio Missoni, the son of the fashion house’s founders Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, was on the plane with his wife.
“The small plane they were traveling on has disappeared. This is all the information currently available,” the company statement said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/05/world/americas/venezuela-italy-plane-missing/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 5, 2013 at 8:40 pm
Haruna Mohammed
7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska; tsunami warning canceled
(CNN) — A tsunami warning was canceled early Saturday for portions of British Columbia, Canada, and southeastern Alaska, officials said.
The warning was issued following a 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Alaska 63 miles west of Craig, a town on Prince of Wales Island, and 208 miles south of the capital of Juneau, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The size of the temblor, which struck at 3:58 a.m. ET, off the coast of Alaska was downgraded by the USGS from 7.7 to 7.5.
There were no initial reports of damage but the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said a small tsunami of about six inches was observed near the southeastern Alaskan town of Port Alexander on Baranof Island.
A tsunami watch for the coastal areas of the British Columbia-Washington border was also canceled.
Based on available data, the tsunami warning center said there is “no destructive threat” to Hawaii, though it warned that some coastal areas could experience larger waves and strong currents.
On October 27, a tsunami was spawned by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck 86 miles south of Masset on British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Islands.
The tsunami reached all the way to Hawaii, where sirens were sounded to warn residents to get to higher ground. Visions of the devastating quake and tsunami that killed thousands in Japan in March 2011 fueled the fright, but the waves proved to be smaller and less powerful than feared.
While the warning at the time said waves could surge between 3 and 6 feet, the largest wave, measured in Kahului on the island of Maui, was about 2.5 feet above ambient sea level
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/05/us/alaska-earthquake/index.html
January 5, 2013 at 9:12 pm
Muhammad Uthman Andani
Thank you Sheikh Salawatia for not keeping this message to yourself but rather share with the whole world for the benefit of all. I pray that Allah (SWT) continue to give you wisdom and long life, so that the whole of humanity can continue to benefit from you. I also hope we heed the advice given by Sheikh. Jazaaka Allahu khair wassalaam!
January 5, 2013 at 10:53 pm
ALHASSAN ISSAH
hmmmmmm. i like sheikhu salawatia more than my wife and children. i like him more than my parents. may ALL MIGHTY ALLAH and HIS messenger S.A.W bless him and his household.He is the grandson of the HOLY PROPHET MOHAMMED S.A.W. no two ways about that.
January 6, 2013 at 12:27 am
Danjumma Adam Abdul-Mumin
Sheikh,we thank you so much.My hadaya for this is i am asking Almighty Allah to elevate you to the degree no human calculation could reach and recite salatil for you in the number of time since His beginning till His end(if that end exist).wa salaam
January 6, 2013 at 7:49 am
Zakaria Abdul-Kadiri, tv3 Tamale
We thank Allah for talking to humanity through this great Qutub. We pray that Allah give us hearing ears and also bless us with will power and resources to implement this great message. May Allah uplift the status of this great Qutub than before. Allahumma salla ala Fatihil-Khatim
January 6, 2013 at 8:08 am
Haruna Mohammed
Plane crash near French Alps kills 5
(CNN) — A French-Moroccan family of five was killed Saturday when their plane crashed near the French Alps, authorities said.
It was not immediately clear why the twin-engine plane went down. Everyone aboard died — a man, his wife and their three children — Virginie Favier, a local police captain, told reporters.
The family had been returning to Morocco after spending their holiday in the French Alps, she said.
Gilles Rabault, another police captain, told reporters that the plane disappeared off the radar and crashed shortly after takeoff from an airport near the southeastern city of Grenoble. Emergency workers responded after a resident reported the crash.
“We felt a big shake. The crash happened just below my house. At the beginning, I did not know what it was. We found out after firemen came that it was a plane crash. We did not see the wreckage,” a witness, identified only as Leo, told CNN affiliate M6.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/05/world/europe/france-plane-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 6, 2013 at 8:12 am
Haruna Mohammed
Fresh protests break out in Northern Ireland after night of violence
Belfast, Northern Ireland (CNN) — Fresh pro-British protests erupted Saturday in the Northern Ireland city of Belfast, police said, hours after nine officers were hurt in rioting.
Tensions have been high since city council members there voted a month ago to stop flying the Union flag year-round, restricting it instead to certain days.
Officers came under sustained attack in east Belfast from more than 100 people, some throwing fireworks and bricks, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said Saturday.
The violence continued into the night. Police said they deployed water cannon and fired plastic bullets and that a number of arrests were made.
Authorities were also investigating reports that a number of shots were fired at police lines.
Friday night, more than 30 petrol bombs were thrown at officers during serious disorder in the same part of the city. Officers were also pelted with ball bearings, fireworks and masonry, police said. Eight officers were hurt.
Another officer was hurt Friday in the Newtownabbey area, police said, where bottles and bricks were thrown at police in the course of a protest lasting several hours.
Police have arrested more than 20 people in connection with the disorder.
A lunchtime demonstration outside City Hall appeared to pass without trouble.
Northern Ireland’s political leaders have called for an end to the pro-British protests, which were prompted by the vote on the Union flag of the United Kingdom.
The disorder follows a summer of heightened tensions between Northern Ireland’s Catholic and Protestant communities. Riots in September left dozens of police officers hurt.
The recent violence follows more than a decade during which Northern Ireland has made steady progress toward lasting peace and stability.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/05/world/europe/northern-ireland-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 6, 2013 at 8:14 am
Abdul wasied Abdallah
may Allah increase the love of he Allah and our beloved Al-Rasuul (S.A.W.A.W) in the heart of sheihu Sallawatia (R.A).may he give him victory in his dawa and grant him the protection and success of our upheld and most cherish prophet (S.AW.A.W), MAY ALLAH MAKE HIM THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL IN ALL HIS UNDERTAKINGS. AMEN.
NOTE: sheikhu ti suhurimi a nab ko zugu kul’mi na dagbon ka ti nyaa, ti guha yuu, ka bori ni ti nyaa. A bihi nintam saha naabu.
January 6, 2013 at 8:18 am
Haruna Mohammed
Australia bushfires: Thousands stranded in Tasmania
Rescue teams in the Australian state of Tasmania are searching for missing people after bushfires swept the island.
Thousands of people have been stranded and at least 100 homes destroyed.
Much of Australia is experiencing a heatwave, and temperatures in the Tasmanian state capital Hobart earlier reached a record high of 41C.
A fall in temperatures and easing wind speeds are expected to help fire crews still battling several major fires.
But thousands remain in evacuation centres as dozens of fires continue to burn out of control.
The BBC’s Nick Bryant in Sydney says large swathes of south-east Australia are suffering from the worst fire conditions since the Black Saturday disaster almost four years ago, when 173 people in rural Victoria lost their lives.
He says there has been a combination of a record-breaking heatwave, high winds and drought, with Tasmania by far the worst hit.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20918692
January 6, 2013 at 8:24 am
seidumubarick
alhamdu lilahi, we are students in a prestigious spiritual university known as salawatia.we pray to almighty allah to grant as full comprehension of what shehu salawatia is teaching us.it is most unfortunate that many muslims have become slaves to their preconceived ideas;that is they find very difficult to look at the quran or any other issue with an open mind.may the almighty allah guide such muslims to the right path. may the almighty allah bless shehu salawatia for the services he is rendering to islam.
January 6, 2013 at 8:35 am
Haruna Mohammed
China sends patrol ships to islands at center of dispute with Japan
Beijing (CNN) — Two Chinese patrol ships have arrived near a disputed set of islands in the East China Sea that Japan has announced plans to bring under public ownership, Chinese state media said Tuesday, further ratcheting up tensions between the two Asian nations.
The state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the two vessels from China Marine Surveillance had “reached the waters around the Diaoyu Islands,” which Japan calls the Senkaku Islands.
The marine surveillance agency has “drafted an action plan for safeguarding the sovereignty” of the islands and will “take actions pending the development of the situation,” Xinhua reported, citing unidentified sources at the agency.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/11/world/asia/china-japan-islands-dispute/index.html
January 6, 2013 at 3:16 pm
Fuseini Kassim
All praise is due to Allah(S.W),the Cherisher,the Nourisher and the Evolver of all events, to whom all praise is due, to whom we shall ever thank.
We thank HIM for the mercy shown us by letting Sheikh Salawatia sharing with the Ummah with such revelations.These does not benefit only Ghanaians, but the entire human race.
May Allah grant him long life and guidance to continue the sacred work he is doing for mankind .May Allah richly bless Him. Ammeen!!!!!.
January 6, 2013 at 7:46 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Official: Dozens missing following wildfire in Australia’s Tasman Peninsula
CNN) — Australian authorities were searching Sunday for a number of people reported missing in wildfires that destroyed more than 100 homes in southeast Tasmania, officials said.
Police and rescue workers were going door to door in the southern Tasmanian towns of Dunalley and Boomer Bay to try to account for dozens missing after the fires hit the region on Friday, acting Police Commissioner Scott Tilyard said, according to CNN affiliate Network 10.
While there have been no casualties reported so far, Tilyard said he was “fearful that someone may have died in this fire.”
“It is a very distinct possibility still, and I think people need to brace themselves that that may be the case,” Tilyard told reporters in Tasmania’s capital of Hobart.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated by sea and air from the Tasman Peninsula because the fires have blocked roads in and out of the rural communities, officials said.
Evacuee Pam Macfarlane told Network 10 she didn’t know whether her home had survived the blaze. The fire reached her neighborhood less than an hour after she learned it had skipped over a nearby canal.
“It was terrifying. … I saw flames and I saw ashes coming,” she said.
Dazed residents sought shelter at relief centers.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/06/world/asia/australia-wildfire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 6, 2013 at 9:17 pm
Mustapha m. Mubarik
Al-hamdulil allah,may e almighty grant us more knowledgeble,educated,tolerance, etc people lik e sheih,maulana,hazahullah, salwatiya. 2 leadin us lik e way he’s doin.
I wil lik 2 cal on order tijania leaders 2 giv him their suport.
May allah(s.w) grant me a child who’s more den sheihu n whoever sees dis should say…amen!!!
January 7, 2013 at 1:46 pm
Ziblim A. Abdul-Razak of Salawatia, Gumani
Bismillahi Rahamani Rahimi.
Oh ! Almighty Allah give your mercy and guidance to our beloved Shehu Salawatia the Kutub A-zaman and His household and fulfilled all his plans and objectives.
Thank you very for your hard work we love you.
January 7, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Protesters in China call for press freedom
Hundreds of press-freedom advocates have gathered outside the offices of a liberal Chinese newspaper at the centre of a censorship row to call for media freedom in China.
The protesters gathered outside the office of Southern Weekly in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province, on Monday calling for media freedom, a taboo subject in the country, holding banners and chanting slogans.
“We want press freedom, constitutionalism and democracy,” read one of the banners at the protests.
An open letter from staff and interns at the newspaper last week called for the resignation of Tuo Zhen, a provincial ‘propaganda’ official after a new year editorial piece calling for guaranteed constitutional rights was changed to one that mirrored the views of the Communist Party.
“The Nanfang [Southern] Media Group is relatively willing to speak the truth in China so we need to stand up for its courage and support it now,” Ao Jiayang, an NGO worker attending the protest, said.
“We hope that through this we can fight for media freedom in China,” Ao said. “Today’s turnout reflects that more and more people in China have a civic consciousness.”
Another letter released last week and signed by prominent academics from across China, called for the removal of Tuo and more press freedoms as well.
A foreign ministry spokesperson in Beijing is reported to have said: “There is no so-called news censorship in China.”
Last week, China shut down the website of a pro-reform magazine for running an article calling for political reform and constitutional government.
source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/01/20131765743709723.html
January 8, 2013 at 9:19 am
Sulemana Haruna
Alhamdu lilahi, The Glorious Qur’an says ‘Produce your evidence if ye in deed are truthful. shehu’s words and deeds are always supported by facts from Ahadith and Qur’an. May Allahu (SWT) grant him long life so that we can learn a lot from him. May allah exalt him greater heights in his mission. May the world produce the likes of him.
Sulemana Haruna, Yendi
January 8, 2013 at 11:51 am
ZAKARIA ABUKARI SADIQ. 0244517557
My fellow muslims, let’s count ourselves lucky for having this Allah’s true servant amongst us. Since meeting him , I have witnessed and seen true Islam and obedience to Allah and mankind. He is someone who is ever ready to assist no matter your religious or ethnic inclination. Posterity will never forgive us if we do not make good of his teachings.
Nothing does he say without the backing of the Quran and hadith. Shehu you;ve done your bid for mankind and may Allah continue to bless you and your household.My wish is to continue to imbibe your teachings and practicalise it.
If these predictions on Ayamu Laahi continue to occur every year, can’t it be a testimony for people of the world to really know that he is the current Pole and thus the sole representative of the Holy Prophet.
To poeple who share the same views with me, we will say we have been lucky to have met him.
Kutubu you are and shall continue to be the light. May Allah continue to bless you and your family abundantly ,May you continue to be the shinning star of our time and may your reign as Kutubu Zamaan be long and prosporous. Above all we shall continue and impatiently wait for your prayers for all muslims.
January 8, 2013 at 12:44 pm
Haruna Mohammed
7 killed in Peru helicopter crash, including Americans
Lima, Peru (CNN) — Seven people, including at least two Americans, were killed when a helicopter crashed and exploded in central Peru, authorities said.
The crash happened Monday afternoon after the chopper took off from the Pucallpa Airport, according to the Peruvian Corporation of Airports and Commercial Aviation.
Minutes after takeoff, communication with the pilot was lost, and a heavy smoke column could be seen in the distance from the control tower.
By early Tuesday morning, only three bodies had been recovered because the remains of the other four were in the melted wreckage of the chopper, Ucayali Region Police Chief Cesar Larrea said.
He said recovery efforts were suspended to due to the dark, swamp-like conditions and will resume during the day Tuesday.
Employees from the company using the chopper, Columbia Helicopters, identified the three recovered bodies as those of two Americans and a Peruvian, Ucayali public prosecutor Marco Ochoa said.
Authorities are waiting for dental records Tuesday for technical identification of those bodies
Larrea, the police chief, said those three bodies were not found close to the site of helicopter’s crash and explosion, and that those bodies have no burn injuries — leading authorities to believe the three passengers jumped out before the crash.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/08/world/americas/peru-helicopter-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 8, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Rioting rocks Belfast for 5th night amid Union flag protests
Belfast, Northern Ireland (CNN) — Police and their vehicles were attacked with petrol bombs, hatchets and sledgehammers in East Belfast as rioting broke out in Northern Ireland for a fifth consecutive night, police said Tuesday.
Monday evening’s violence came as authorities accused pro-British extremists of exploiting protests over a decision by Belfast City Council to stop a century-old tradition of flying the Union Jack year-round.
About 400 people gathered at Belfast City Hall on Monday as the City Council met for the first time since it voted in December to fly the British flag only on certain days, police said. The protest, which was mostly peaceful, was organized via social media, authorities said.
Protesters called for the council to reverse its ruling over the flag.
In East Belfast, where the disorder was focused, about 250 protesters gathered and missiles such as petrol and paint bombs, fireworks and heavy masonry were thrown at police.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/08/world/europe/northern-ireland-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 9, 2013 at 6:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
7 killed in Peru helicopter crash, including Americans
Lima, Peru (CNN) — Investigators are working to determine what caused a helicopter crash in central Peru that killed seven people, including five Americans.
The team was supporting oil exploration operations near Pucallpa, Peru, when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed Monday afternoon, according to Columbia Helicopters, the Portland, Oregon-based company that employed the victims.
Minutes after the helicopter took off from the Pucallpa Airport, authorities lost communication with the pilot, and people in the control tower could see a heavy smoke column in the distance.
A company official said Tuesday that it was unclear what caused the crash.
“We’ve notified all the authorities and are cooperating with everyone fully, and we’ll do everything we can to learn any causes … of the accident,” said Michael Fahey, Columbia Helicopters president and CEO.
“It’s a very sad day for us. We operate globally, but we’re a family and we’re very close to our employees. And I personally knew many of the individuals who died as our other employees know many of them,” Fahey told reporters in Oregon. “We’re grieving for them.”
Columbia Helicopters has dispatched an investigation team to work with Peruvian authorities, Fahey said.
The victims were the aircraft’s pilots and crew. No other passengers were on board, Columbia Helicopters said.
The two Peruvians killed in the crash were Igor Castillo and Luis Ramos. The Americans were identified as Dann Immel, Edwin Cordova, Jaime Pickett, Darrel Birkes and Leon Bradford.
A local police chief said three of the bodies were found away from the site of helicopter’s crash and explosion, and those bodies had no burn injuries, leading authorities to believe the three passengers
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/08/world/americas/peru-helicopter-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 9, 2013 at 2:58 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Nigeria: Explosion in Lagos port
An oil depot in the port area of the Nigerian city of Lagos has been hit by a major explosion and fire.
The blast, which shook buildings in the Apapa area, happened during a transfer of fuel, the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said.
Firefighters have been at the scene and four people were wounded in the blast, AFP news agency reports.
Many tankers dock at jetties in the port in Lagos to load and unload petroleum products.
Willem Auret, who witnessed the blast from a ship on its way to Snake Island in Apapa, said he saw a tanker barge catch fire at about 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT).
“The fire started slowly and then expanded into chaos, exploding more than once,” he told the BBC.
“After the initial explosion, which I caught on camera, there was a secondary explosion,” he said.
It took about an hour and a half for the port authorities to arrive on the scene, he said.
“First one tugboat arrived… then several others joined it in an attempt to extinguish the fire. They seem to have the fire under control now.”
Nema’s Akande Iyiola told the BBC that the oil depot at Tin Can Island port where the explosion occurred was owned by the petroleum company MRS Oil.
“I felt the explosion from where we are,” Charles Osagie, who works at an import-and-export office in the district, told AFP.
Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest oil producers, but imports refined petrol.
SOURCE: http://www.citifmonline.com/index.php?id=1.1224654
January 9, 2013 at 3:13 pm
Mohammed Issifu Alhassan
Peace and blessing of Allah be upon the prophet of islam Muhammad S A W W and his entire family,we thank our Kutubu Zaman Imam Rashid for this revelations,i pray to Almighty Allah that our leaders, chiefs and individuals to be able to perform all the sacrifices.Ameen
January 10, 2013 at 6:32 am
Haruna Mohammed
Snowstorm, fierce winds and deadly flooding thrash Middle East
(CNN) — Brutal winter weather is making dire conditions even more so in parts of the Middle East, especially for thousands of Syrian refugees enduring frigid temperatures in tents.
The coldest air of the season was moving in behind a heavy snowstorm that blanketed refugee camps in Turkey and Lebanon.
Syria
In Syria, residents in cities pummeled by warfare were taking drastic measures to stay alive.
A video posted online shows three men and two children burning pages of schoolbooks to stay warm in the besieged city of Rastan.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/09/world/meast/middle-east-winter-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 10, 2013 at 6:35 am
Haruna Mohammed
New York City ferry crash leaves 85 injured
New York (CNN) — As an 8 a.m. ferry made its final maneuvers across the Hudson River, Ashley Furman clutched her hand-bag and made small talk with other commuters.
Then it all went black.
When she woke up, the 26-year-old New Jersey native was in pain and on the floor with the wind knocked out of her, about six feet from where she had been standing.
“It felt like an elephant landed on me,” she said.
The high-speed ferry that serves as Furman’s normal commute slammed into a Lower Manhattan pier near Wall Street around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Scores were left bloodied and writhing in agony as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
“Once I was able to catch my breath, I got up and it was very scary,” Furman said.
Packed with 326 passengers and five crew members, the vessel tossed people like rag dolls as it slammed to a halt, flinging those aboard into the air and against walls, seats and windows, according to several witnesses.
“I saw a lot of bleeding heads with white bandages (and) a lot of people strapped to boards,” said passerby Julie Westfall.
“It felt like we were in a car crash,” said passenger Elizabeth Banta, who watched in horror as medical personnel began triage on at least 85 injured people.
Two were initially listed in critical condition as emergency crews rushed the wounded on stretchers to hospitals. But by Wednesday evening, authorities said only one person’s condition remained critical.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board deployed a team to the scene and planned to more fully undertake their investigation on Thursday.
As the vessel approached Manhattan’s Pier 11, witnesses said, unsuspecting commuters had gotten up from their seats and packed closer to the ferry exits and atop stairwells — a typical occurrence at the end of their 40-minute commute.
But the perches may have magnified the effects of the crash, as passengers careened down stairwells and against windows.
“We know that they hit the pier at a relatively high rate of speed,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Gordon Loebl, who estimated that the boat had been traveling at about 14 knots, or 16 mph.
Furman said the vessel seemed to be “going pretty fast for a boat that was supposed to be docking.”
After the crash, the front of the ship bore a large gash.
The ferry, privately operated by Seastreak, provides daily service between Atlantic Highlands and Highlands in New Jersey to piers in Lower Manhattan.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those that were injured,” Seastreak LLC said in a written statement, adding that it would work with authorities to determine the cause.
Thirty-one people were transported to New York’s Bellevue Hospital. Of those, all were considered non-critical and were expected to be released Wednesday.
This is not the first time this vessel has been involved in a crash.
Coast Guard records indicate that the same Seastreak ferry in 2009 slammed into a New Jersey dock and tore a 2- to 3-foot gash in the starboard bow of the vessel.
A year later, a collision with a dock pile punctured a hole in the port side of the same boat.
Wednesday’s crash also drew comparisons to an unrelated 2010 incident when a ferry with mechanical problems crashed into the Staten Island Ferry terminal, injuring 36 people.
That ferry was the same vessel involved in an October 2003 crash that killed 11 people and injured 42, considered one of the worst ferry accidents in New York’s recent history.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/09/us/new-york-ferry-accident/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 10, 2013 at 7:28 am
Haruna Mohammed
Brake failure causes fatal accident at Kotokuraba Market
A fatal accident at the Kotokuraba Market in Cape Coast, on Wednesday claimed two lives, while five other people sustained injuries.
The deceased were identified as Ms Ramatu Adam, a teacher and one Ms Mavis Yawson, who were walking along the street when a commercial vehicle moving at high speed developed a brake failure and crushed them against a wall.
The two persons died on arrival at Central Regional Hospital, while the injured victims are on admission and responding to treatment.
The gory scene led to uncontrollable tears by the large crowd attracted to the scene, causing heavy vehicular traffic.
The mangled vehicle was towed from the site.
Police Inspector Evans Boatey at the Kotokuraba Police Station told the Ghana News Agency that the bus was being driven by 43-year- old Kofi Badu Smith, with passengers on board from Mankessim to the market.
Mr Stephen Anokye, Regional Manager of Ghana Road Safety Commission, who visited the scene, expressed concern about the spate of accidents on the spot the accident occurred.
He said the Commission had advised Urban Roads Department to carry out safety measures to forestall the rampant accidents at the black spot.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/99689.php
January 10, 2013 at 7:55 am
Haruna Mohammed
Two killed in accident at Suhum
Two people were killed on the spot and several others sustained injuries when the bus on which they were travelling collided with a petrol tanker at Asuboi near Suhum last week.
One of the deceased was identified as Louis Agyeman, a 39- year farmer, from Akyeansa.
According to police sources, the bus was travelling from Accra to Suhum while the tanker was from Kumasi heading to Accra.
The tanker driver was said to be overtaking a vehicle when it collided with the bus.
The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Suhum Government Hospital mortuary and the injured are on admission at the same hospital.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/99688.php
January 10, 2013 at 10:02 am
Sulemana Haruna
Poverty on the rise in Europe
The European Commission has warned that eurozone countries are drifting apart: An ever-declining south is facing a relatively stable north. Governments are unable to protect household incomes.
Europe is paying a high price for the ongoing economic crisis. Unemployment has risen to new highs and for those without a job, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a new one. Ever more people are threatened with poverty.
These are some of the findings of a report published on Tuesday (08.01.2012) by the European Commission’s office for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion headed by Laszlo Andor. Andor, in a press conference on the report, stated that “household incomes have declined and the risk of poverty or exclusion is constantly growing.”
Yet not everyone has been equally affected. Young adults, unemployed women and single mothers are especially at risk of sliding into chronic poverty, Andor said.
When the crisis began, the Commission and EU member states had promised that the social system would absorb some of the shock and have a stabilizing effect. However, with sinking tax revenues and rising welfare payments, many countries simply lacked the financial leeway to protect household incomes from the results of the crisis, Andor said.
Source: http://www.dw.de/poverty-is-on-the-rise-in-europe/a-16507641
January 10, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Iddrisu Mohammed
i think is high time the world understand salawatia and stop playing politics on him. however, those of us who understand you wish to appeal to you to pray to God to make us rich and we also hope to meet you and the Holy prophet( MOHAMMED) in Heaven. amen
January 10, 2013 at 1:08 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Train collision in Swiss town injures 17
(CNN) — Two passenger trains collided in a Swiss town Thursday, injuring 17 people, according to police.
Nine were taken to a local hospital, but none of the injuries were serious, police spokeswoman Anja Schudel said.
The commuter trains ran into each other close to the train station in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, 20 miles north of Zurich. The town is known for one of its tourist attractions, a large waterfall on the Rhine River.
Local media reported only minor damage to the trains, which remained on the track.
Railway service near the town has been halted for the day.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/10/world/europe/switzerland-train-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 11, 2013 at 6:59 am
Haruna Mohammed
Chinese vessel intrusion angers Japan
The Japanese government has summoned China’s ambassador to Tokyo to protest against four Chinese maritime surveillance ships entering the disputed waters near a group of islands that both countries claim.
The uninhabited outcroppings in the East China Sea, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan.
Akitaka Saiki, Japan’s deputy foreign minister, summoned Cheng Yonghua, the Chinese diplomat to the foreign ministry after the four Chinese government ships remained in the waters off the islands for about 13 hours on Monday night and Tuesday morning, the Japanese government said.
Tensions over the tiny islands intensified after Japan bought the islands from their Japanese private owners in September, prompting Chinese to hold demonstrations and boycott Japanese products.
The latest incident marked the 21st and longest intrusion of Chinese vessels into what Japan considers its territorial waters around the islands since that purchase, the coast guard said.
On December 13, a Chinese government aeroplane flew into airspace above the islands, prompting the Japanese military to scramble fighter jets and the government to lodge a formal protest.
China said the aircraft was conducting a normal operation.
source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/01/20131883126773286.html
January 11, 2013 at 7:05 am
Haruna Mohammed
Food prices boost China inflation
Higher food prices brought on by a bone-chilling spurt of cold weather pushed China’s consumer price index higher in December.
Chinese consumers paid 2.5% more for goods and services in December than they did a year ago, the government’s National Bureau of Statistics reported Friday.
While that’s up from a 2% annual increase in November, it nevertheless represents tame inflation for the world’s second largest economy. A year ago, the country was experiencing an annual inflation rate of 4% or higher.
Price hikes were the most dramatic for food. Food prices rose 4.2% year-over-year — while fresh vegetables rose the most. Some of that increase is likely attributable to chilly temperatures in much of China, which is experiencing its coldest winter in a quarter century.
Food is an important gauge of cost of living expenses in China. It accounts for more than a third of the country’s inflation calculation, and for rural families, it makes up the bulk of expenses.
source: http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/10/news/economy/china-cpi-inflations/index.html?cnn=yes&hpt=hp_t3
January 11, 2013 at 10:45 am
Mohammed Mubarik
God bless u yaa shaiq 4 this wwonderful things u are doing, we are proud of u. Shaiq we the youth need your prayers
January 11, 2013 at 10:50 am
Rahinatu benson
May the Almighty Allah continue to bless u for the good work u ve been doing and i think our political parties should listen to ur advice nd the head of state of other countries who ve been in a terrible disaster should do the necesassry sadaqa and i think by the grace of Allah the most merciful God will see them tru.ASSALAMU’ALAIKUM WA RAMATULAI WA BARAKATU
January 11, 2013 at 10:59 am
Malik nasir
We thank sheikh kutubu zaman for the wonderful work he has been doing to the world. I seek allahs guidance and protection for him. Allah bamu albarkan shehu
January 11, 2013 at 11:45 am
Yussif Gomdah
May Allah continue to guide and guard the life of our holy Sheihu Salawatia.
Personnally,i will cherish the day i will see Sheihu once again -(previous attempts had proved futile). Sheihu has done alot for humanity. Shehu Salawatia,the former chief imam of the Ghana Armed Forces is truely a formidable servant of Allah.
January 11, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Haruna Iddrisu
We thank the almighty Allah for giving us sheihk Salawatia Qutub Zamaani to forewarn us inorder not to become victims of th upcoming circumstances. May the Almighty Allah give us the ability to take it into consideration for it is a fact, and may the almighty continue to bless sheihk Salawatia for his hardwork…
January 12, 2013 at 7:28 pm
tahir salifu
we thank Allah(SWT) for bestowing unto this world sheikhu salawatia. May He increase him in divine knowledge and also open our hearts to heed to the advice.
January 12, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Mohammed sumaila
We thank God Almighty for giving us such a wonderful qutubu zamaani.may God almighty bless you and your family.
January 13, 2013 at 4:52 pm
Sayibu hamza
We give thanks to the Almighty Allah and ask peace and blessings to our beloved prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) and his household.
We also pray to God to grant our Sheihu all his wishes,expercially good hearlth,long life,karaama e.t.c and all his dreams should go true. Ameen summa Ameen.
By:Sayibu HamzaWe give thanks to the Almighty Allah and ask peace and blessings to our beloved prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) and his household.
We also pray to God to grant our Sheihu all his wishes,expercially good hearlth,long life,karaama e.t.c and all his dreams should go true. Ameen summa Ameen.
By:Sayibu Hamza, then it’s extremely serious and would be hard to convince Ghanaians to accept the de
January 14, 2013 at 7:17 am
Haruna Mohammed
Two burnt to death in tanker explosion
Fuel tanker carrying diesel somersaulted and exploded on the Bibiani-Kumasi highway on Friday afternoon, killing two people identified as the driver and his mate.
The two were burnt beyond recognition just like the truck which got burnt beyond recognition.
The driver was identified as Abubakar Sadick.
The bodies of the two have been deposited at the Toase Medical Centre.
The truck was said to be descending a hill when it overturned and caught fire.
The truck, which had 30,000 liters of diesel, was travelling from Kumasi to Sefwi-Edwenase in the Western Region.
The fire, which lasted several hours, also burnt four houses, four shops and a drinking spot which were close to the accident scene
The fuel tanker fell on its side after tripping over a speed rump.
The diesel spilled all over the road and caught fire moments later.
They suspected that the driver of the tanker car, who was driving at top speed, upon reaching Nyinamso No.1 near Nkawie, did not notice a speed ramp on the road.
He drove straight into the rump and the strong impact forced the tanker to fly in the air before landing on its side.
The tanker suddenly developed cracks resulting in the diesel spilling onto the busy road and the nearby houses and shops.
The driver and mate who were on board initially survived the accident as they lay on the road, injured.
Minutes later, the diesel started a ferocious blaze which covered the entire road burning the tanker in the process.
The occupants tried running with the injuries to escape death but unfortunately they were caught in the blaze.
The fire which has covered the entire area burnt the driver and mate to ashes as it later spread to nearby houses and shops.
Fear-stricken people in the hitherto peaceful farming community had to flee their homes to avert being caught in the fire.
The fire service and the police were immediately called to the scene to help to reduce the extent of damage.
The intensity of the fire blocked the busy road, as vehicles from Kumasi and Bibiani were seen parked several metres long.
The registration number of the fuel tanker was also not seen because it was burnt totally.
DSP Fredrick Kwadwo Asare Men¬sah, Crime Officer of Nkawie District Police Command, said a massive fireball from the explosion destroyed about 12 houses and some kiosks of the Nyinamso No. 1 community where the accident took place.
He told DAILY GUIDE that the driver lost control of the steering wheel after running over a speed rump unconsciously, causing the truck to overturn and explode.
The Crime Officer narrated that a young woman got injured as she fled the scene.
DSP Mensah said it took five hours for personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service to bring the fire under control but that was after the fire had destroyed some several structures.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/99840.php
January 14, 2013 at 7:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Another fire outbreak flattens 17 shops at Suame Magazine
At least 17 shops at the Suame Magazine in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ashanti, have been flattened by fire that swept through the area on Sunday.
The fire, which started around 1:30 PM, gutted the shops before Fire Service personnel were able to bring the situation under control.
It brings to three, the number of fire outbreaks recorded in the country in just 24 hours, after similar cases were recorded at the Tema industrial area and the slum around Nkrumah circle in Accra, popularly called Ecomog on Saturday.
Several property running into thousands of Ghana Cedis have been lost in the fire.
Luv FM’s Kwabena Ampratwum reported that the Electricity Company may this time round could be absolved from any blame, as the area did not have power at the time of the incident.
He said however that, it is alleged someone may have set fire near one of the shops, which got out of control and spread into other shops.
Kwabena said owners of affected shops who are mostly dealers in vehicular spare parts, are devastated as most of them do not have insurance policies covering their shops.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/99828.php
January 14, 2013 at 7:22 am
Haruna Mohammed
Victims of Ecomog fire appeal to gov’t for support
Residents of Ecomog, a slum around Kwame Nkrumah circle in Accra,
are appealing for government support to enable them restart their businesses destroyed by the fire.
Hundreds of them have reportedly been rendered homeless following blaze that flattened their homes late Saturday.
The cause of the blaze is unknown as personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service remained tight-lipped.
Residents say the fire started around 2:30pm shortly after some officials from the Electricity Company of Ghana came to work on a faulty electricity pole.
The residents started fighting the fire after it started before personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service arrived at the scene.
Joy News Elton John Brobbey reported Sunday that, some of the residents were counting their losses a day after the incident, while other called for assistance from government.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/99824.php
January 16, 2013 at 1:12 pm
Haruna Mohammed
2 killed as helicopter crashes into crane in central London
London (CNN) — A helicopter crashed into a construction crane atop a new luxury residential building in thick London fog Wednesday, killing the pilot and another person and sparking a line of flames as it plunged to the ground.
Thirteen others were injured in the crash that took place at the height of the morning rush hour in Vauxhall, south of the River Thames in central London.
Watch: Crash sparks security fears
One person was in critical condition, but police said the others did not appear to be seriously hurt.
“It is something of a miracle that this was not many, many times worse given the time of day,” said police commander Neil Basu.
The crash did not appear to be terrorism-related, police said.
SOURCE: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/16/world/europe/uk-helicopter-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
January 17, 2013 at 2:05 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Thousands evacuated amid Jakarta floods
At least four people dead and 20,000 evacuated as a result of intense rain storm which has hit the Indonesian capital.
Seasonal rains have triggered massive flooding in Indonesia’s capital, triggering the evacuation of at least 20,000 people and bringing misery to many more.
Floods regularly hit parts of Jakarta in the rainy season, but Thursday’s inundation following an intense rain storm appeared especially widespread.
Authorities said four people had been killed by the waters, which washed into homes, offices, schools and roads across the city of 14 million people.
Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen, reporting from Jakarta, said the entire city is currently flooded.
“People cannot get to their offices. They are walking or attempting to use bikes to get to work,” she said.
“In all the years of flooding, and the city receives floods every year, it has never been this bad, and it is a lot more serious.”
Vaessen, who reported that water levels are up to four metres higher than the day before, said that it was also an economic disaster for the city.
Monsoon rains, deforestation in the hills to the south of the city, chaotic planning and hundreds of rivers and waterways combine to cause floods, which expose the country’s poor infrastructure even as it posts impressive economic growth.
SOURCE: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/01/20131175203032929.html
January 19, 2013 at 9:51 pm
ABDUL-FATAWU ABUBAKARI
MAY GOD BLESS QUTUB ZAMANI FOR US AS NORTHERNER
January 21, 2013 at 7:03 am
Haruna Mohammed
C/R: Fire razes entire classroom block
A three-unit classroom block of the Amanful Junior High School in the Central region has been razed down by fire.
The incident took place early dawn, Sunday.
Joy News’ Richard Kojo Nyarko who was at the scene said it took firemen close to two hours to completely control the fire.
He said the entire classroom block, a computer lab and other offices were affected. Nothing could be salvaged, Richard added, saying no casualty was recorded since there was no one in the building at the time the fire started.
Parents whose wards attend the school, according to Kojo Nyarko, are worried their children’s education could be disrupted.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/100158.php
January 21, 2013 at 7:05 am
Haruna Mohammed
Electrical fault blamed for Swedru gov’t hospital fire
Preliminary investigations indicate that an electrical fault caused the fire that destroyed two apartments at the Swedru Government Hospital Saturday.
Fire officers say the two separate fires reportedly started shortly after power was restored to the hospital area in the afternoon.
The incident created panic among medical staff and patients until fire fighters managed to prevent the two separate fires from spreading to other buildings.
Swedru Municipal Fire Divisional Officer, Ebenezer Mensah told Joy News such disasters can be prevented if the people adheres to precautionary measures whenever the power goes off.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/100159.php
January 21, 2013 at 7:07 am
Haruna Mohammed
One person feared dead, scores injured at Okyereko acident
One person is feared dead with scores sustaining varying degrees of injuries in an accident at Okyereko, near Winneba, in the early hours of Monday.
ASP John Paul, of the Winneba Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) confirmed the incident to Joy News but was unable to state the extent of casualties.
But eyewitnesses say various body parts could be seen scattered at the scene of the accident with the injured taken to a nearby health facility.
ource: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/100178.php
January 21, 2013 at 7:09 am
Haruna Mohammed
Police officer dies in minister’s convoy accident
One police officer is reported dead in a fatal accident involving the convoy of the outgoing Upper West regional Mminister, Alhaji Amin Amidu Sulemani.
The accident occurred Saturday night about 500 metres from the minister’s home village at Jawia in the Sissala West District.
The deceased, identified as Constable Yaw Sarpong, and his colleague Constable Emmanuel Frimpong were on admission at the Police Hospital in Accra for serious injuries following the accident.
Explaining how the incident occurred, Deputy Upper West regional police commander, ACP Ampofo Doku told Joy News the driver of the police vehicle lost control and somersaulted due to poor visibility.
The two policemen who were sitting in the bucket of the single-cabin pick-up “sustained very serious injuries,” he said.
“In fact, one was still in coma as we were taking him to Accra last night. One was quite ok but then he had a problem with the spine and so he had difficulty standing up,” ACP Doku added.
Upper West regional correspondent Rafiq Salam reported that Constable Sarpong passed on later Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Sulemani who has been nominated as Minister designate for Roads and Highways, was admitted at the Korle-Bu hospital barely a month ago after sustaining gunshot wounds from an armed robbery attack in the same area.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/100166.php
January 21, 2013 at 8:59 am
Haruna Mohammed
24 dead in Tamale-Buipe road crash
Twenty four persons have been confirmed dead in a road crash that occurred on the Tamale-Buipe road in the Northern Region Monday morning.
The twenty four included 23 persons on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicle with registration number AS 8931-12 traveling from Kumasi to Tamale and the driver of a KIA truck with registration number AS 8833-11 traveling from Tamale to the Buipe market.
DSP Owusu, who confirmed the accident to Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Monday, said there was head-on collision between the KIA truck, which was carrying cattle, and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicle.
Two persons who sustained serious injuries have been rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/100184.php
January 22, 2013 at 7:12 am
Haruna Mohammed
1 dead, 7 injured in Indonesia earthquake
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) — One person was killed and seven were injured Tuesday when an earthquake hit the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, according to a government agency.
The 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck 37 kilometers (23 miles) under Aceh province, and a 4.7-magnitude aftershock followed 26 minutes later, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The casualties occurred in an area where several homes were damaged, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/21/world/asia/indonesia-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 22, 2013 at 9:03 am
Haruna Mohammed
Fire destroys property at Nkoranza Magazine
Fire gutted a shop at Nkoranza Magazine, in the Bono Ahafo region destroying vehicle spare parts worth about GH¢100,000 belonging to Madam Yaa Konadu, an Nkoranza-based businesswoman.
Madam Konadu 40, told the Ghana News Agency that she had not opened the shop for the past three years because she was sick and receiving herbal treatment.
Mr Evans Osei-Worae, Nkoranza South Municipal Coordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation said the cause of the fire is being investigated by the Ghana National Fire Service.
He suspected that the fire originated from a nearby mechanic workshop since there were traces of some embers of burnt substances.
Mr Osei-Worae urged landlords to ensure that electrical gadgets in their houses are used properly by their tenants to prevent domestic fires.
He appealed to community fire volunteers to monitor activities of people who use fire, such as hunters and palm wine tappers to prevent bushfires.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/100242.php
January 24, 2013 at 6:43 am
Haruna Mohammed
3 Canadians aboard plane missing in Antarctica
(CNN) — A plane carrying three Canadians across Antarctica is unaccounted for, and inclement weather is impeding the search for the aircraft, New Zealand officials said.
The emergency locator transmitter on the Twin Otter aircraft activated at 10 p.m. Wednesday (4 a.m. ET) from within New Zealand’s Antarctic rescue area, a Maritime New Zealand statement said.
The plane was flying from the South Pole to an Italian base at Terra Nova Bay, Maritime New Zealand said.
Planes and helicopters in New Zealand are ready to search, but “weather conditions are extremely challenging,” said John Ashby, a search and rescue mission coordinator for Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand. “There are winds of 90 knots at the site, and conditions are forecast to worsen with snow becoming heavier.”
The plane has survival equipment and supplies for five days, Ashby said.
Canadian, U.S. and Italian authorities are also involved, the statement said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/23/world/antarctica-missing-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 28, 2013 at 6:41 am
Haruna Mohammed
Australian state of Queensland hit by deadly flooding
Three people have died and hundreds of homes are under water after heavy rain brought flooding to parts of the Australian state of Queensland.
Bundaberg is expecting its worst floods ever – a mass evacuation is under way in part of the city, but hundreds of people are feared stranded.
In Brisbane, the state capital, almost 5,000 homes and properties are at risk.
The rain was brought by Tropical Cyclone Oswald, which is now affecting the northern part of New South Wales.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has offered her condolences to the families of the flood victims.
Ms Gillard was speaking in Gipsland, Victoria, where she was visiting people afflicted by the recent wildfires.
She said it had been a “tough period” for Queensland, and that the whole country was being “challenged by nature”.
“But we are a strong and smart nation and we’ll get through this, as we always do, by pulling together,” she said.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21226178
January 28, 2013 at 6:43 am
Haruna Mohammed
Months after devastating blaze, fire kills 7 in Bangladesh factory
Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) — Seven female workers were killed Saturday afternoon in yet another fire at a clothing factory in Bangladesh’s capital, police said.
“We have found seven bodies of workers who died either in a stampede or (after) jumping from the second floor of the factory as a fire broke out,” Chowdhury Monzurul Kabir, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told CNN.
More than a dozen other workers were hospitalized after being injured in the incident, according to police.
Police and witnesses said the fire broke out at Smart Fashions Limited at Mohammadpur, located in the inland city of Dhaka, and it quickly spread to a second floor where several hundred people, mostly women, were working.
As the flames spread, panicked workers tried to head downstairs and outside to safety. But those that did get down found a door locked on the first floor, according to workers who escaped.
“There was no fire alarm in the factory, and everybody rushed to get out of the two-story building as some workers shouted they saw flames on the second floor,” said Rezina Begum, one of those employees who suffered injuries.
Saturday’s fire comes two months after the country’s worst clothing factory fire that killed 112 people at Tazreen Fashions Limited on the outskirts of Dhaka.
It also coincides with a visit to the Bangladeshi capital by a U.S. congressional delegation aiming to assess the safety of clothing factories in the South Asian nation.
The Smart Fashions Limited factory employed more than 300 workers and did not have proper fire safety measures, according to a fire service and civil defense official.
“The factory is illegally built, and there was no fire exit,” Mahbubur Rahman, the fire service and civil defense director, told reporters.
Police said they are trying to track down the factory’s owner.
“We’ve launched an investigation, and certainly we’ll bring the perpetrators to justice,” said Kabir.
Bangladeshi-made garments make up 80% of the nation’s $24 billion in annual exports.
The country has about 4,500 garment factories, where workers make clothes for brands including Tesco, Wal-Mart, JC Penney, Kohl’s and Carrefour. The sector earned $19 billion in the last financial year, which ended in June 2012.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/26/world/asia/bangladesh-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 28, 2013 at 6:46 am
Haruna Mohammed
3 believed dead after plane wreckage found in Antarctica
(CNN) — Authorities found the wreckage of a plane that crashed days ago in Antarctica in a condition that suggested no one survived.
Searchers found the plane, a Twin Otter aircraft carrying three people, close to the summit of Mount Elizabeth in Queen Alexandra Range, in Antarctica.
The plane “appears to have made a direct impact that was not survivable,” Maritime New Zealand said Saturday.
On Sunday, the agency said a recovery effort was planned. While the crash site is remote, weather conditions were good for the operation.
The fate of the three Canadian crew members aboard the aircraft had been unknown since the the flight went missing Wednesday.
The plane was flying from the South Pole to an Italian base at Terra Nova Bay, Maritime New Zealand said.
The missing crew had a kit that included survival suits, mountain tents, and enough food and water for five days.
The aircraft was believed to have been flying at a height of 13,000 feet in the rugged Queen Alexandra Range. It is a long distance from any bases in Antarctica.
The Twin Otter was operated by Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air Ltd.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/26/world/antarctica-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 28, 2013 at 6:48 am
Haruna Mohammed
Brazil mourns Santa Maria nightclub fire victims
Brazil has declared three days of national mourning for 231 people killed in a nightclub fire in the southern city of Santa Maria.
The fire reportedly started after a member of a band playing at the Kiss nightclub lit a flare on stage.
Authorities say most of the victims were students who died of smoke inhalation. The first funerals are expected on Monday morning.
It is the deadliest fire in Brazil in five decades.
The BBC’s Gary Duffy reports from Sao Paulo that the national sense of loss is profound.
Brazil postponed a ceremony due on Monday in the capital, Brasilia, to mark 500 days to the 2014 football World Cup. In Santa Maria, 30 days of mourning were declared.
President Dilma Rousseff, who cut short a visit to Chile, has been visiting survivors at the city’s Caridade hospital along with government ministers.
“It is a tragedy for all of us,” she said.
Authorities have released the names of the victims, after revising down the death toll from 245.
More than 100 people were being treated in hospital, mostly for smoke inhalation.
Officials will now investigate reports that a flare was lit on stage, igniting foam insulation material on the ceiling and releasing toxic smoke.
They will also look at claims that many of those who died were unable to escape as only one emergency exit was available.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21226565
January 28, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Two feared dead in Odorkor accident
Two people are feared dead after the Mitsubishi Pajero in which they were traveling Friday afternoon skidded off the road at Odorkor, a suburb of Accra, and somersaulted several times before landing on its side.
Two others, who are said to be in critical condition, have been rushed to the hospital, an eye witness told Joy News.
The bodies of the two victims were still lying by the road side several minutes after the accident, the witness added.
It is not yet clear what caused the accident but it is believed the driver of the Pajero lost control while speeding.
Wailing onlookers swarmed the scene of the accident.
The police were yet to arrive on the scene of the accident at the time of filing the report.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201301/100477.php
January 29, 2013 at 7:58 am
Haruna Mohammed
U.S. jet missing off Italy; search for pilot under way
(CNN) — Rescuers were searching for the pilot of a U.S. fighter jet missing over the Adriatic Sea on Monday, the U.S. military announced.
Controllers lost contact with the F-16 around 8 p.m. Monday (2 p.m. ET) while the jet was on a training flight, the U.S. Air Force reported. The single pilot’s condition was not immediately known, the service said.
The jet was based at Aviano Air Base, a key NATO installation in northern Italy.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/28/world/europe/italy-missing-jet/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
January 29, 2013 at 11:24 pm
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alhassanjudo
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February 2, 2013 at 6:17 am
Haruna Mohammed
Mexican oil giant chief won’t speculate on cause of blast that killed 33
(CNN) — A day after an explosion rocked its offices in Mexico City, Mexico’s state-run oil giant Pemex says it’s too early to speculate on the cause of the deadly blast.
At least 33 people — mostly women — were killed in the explosion, Pemex chief Emilio Lozoya said at a news conference Friday. More than 100 were injured, including 52 who remain hospitalized.
Watch: Blast rocks Mexico City
Lozoya was asked if he believed Pemex, the powerful but often criticized state oil monopoly, was the target of a bombing, but he declined to speculate. Experts from Mexico and abroad are investigating the scene to determine the cause, he said.
Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam similarly refused to rule out possibilities.
“We have experts in everything, absolutely everything,” he told reporters, adding that investigations are under way to determine whether the blast was the result of an accident or an attack.
Some witnesses have reported smelling a strong odor of gas after the blast.
It is a complicated investigation that “cannot be explained in a few hours,” Lozoya said.
The priority, Lozoya said, is providing support to the victims’ families and rescuing anyone who may remain trapped.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto visited victims in the hospital Friday, offering condolences and promising help.
The explosion happened Thursday afternoon at an administrative building in the Pemex office complex.
“People were screaming. … You could see pieces of the wall falling to the ground,” said Joaquin Borrell Valenzuela, an attorney for the Pemex comptroller’s office, who was in a courtyard outside the building at the time of the blast.
Paramedics quickly arrived and started pulling people from the rubble.
Thousands of people work at the Pemex headquarters, which includes a 54-story building that is nearly 700 feet tall. The annex where the explosion happened is adjacent to the tower.
The oil company’s production capabilities have not been harmed, and operations and oil production will continue Friday as normal, Lozoya said.
Employees at the Pemex annex said that the basement of the building, where he explosion is believed to have originated, housed a water treatment facility, storage areas and archives. The first floor, which also was heavily damaged, is where the company’s human resources team worked.
One employee, Silvia Hernandez, recounted how she was finishing up her workday at another building and standing in line to clock out when she heard a blast.
“I saw the explosion of glass, people bleeding; it was something very shocking,” she said. “I can’t say more because the memory makes me nervous. I was terrified, anxious.”
A bridge that connected her building with the annex collapsed, likely trapping employees, she said.
Another employee, who declined to give his name for fear of retribution, spoke about his failed attempt to locate his brother within the rubble.
The man smoked cigarette after cigarette in the predawn hours of Friday as he waited at the medical examiner’s office to claim his brother’s body. More than 100 relatives waited outside the offices with him.
The man said he was among the employees who began rescue efforts in the immediate aftermath of the explosion. He knew his brother worked in the human resources area, which had been damaged, so the man covered his face with a rag and ran there to search for him.
The man said he removed debris and helped rescue others, but never reached his brother. By then, professional rescuers arrived and took over the job of looking for survivors.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/01/world/americas/mexico-pemex-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 2, 2013 at 6:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Iran, Syria warn of retribution for Israeli airstrike
(CNN) — Shouting condemnation and promises of retaliation, Syria, Iran and Hezbollah on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to send warplanes into Syria, calling its airstrike a day before “inhuman” and “barbaric.”
Russia also condemned Wednesday’s attack, saying it would represent an unprovoked violation of United Nations charter if confirmed.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry summoned the commander of U.N. forces in the Golan Heights on Thursday to formally complain about the incident, while Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, warned the attack would have “dire consequences” for Israel, according to Iran’s semiofficial Mehr News Agency.
Just last week, Abdollahian warned that Iran would consider any attack on Syria as an attack on itself, Mehr reported at the time.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/31/world/meast/israel-syria-strike/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 4, 2013 at 11:48 pm
Seheed abdullah
I need contact details of sheik imman Rahid kutubu of salawatia
April 10, 2013 at 11:32 am
salawatia
0249832001
February 7, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Seidu Abukari Tizoo
It is may belief that,if the leaders all over the world put justice first everything will move on successifully by His grace…Sheikhu may your prayers be answered by ALLAH(SWT)
February 7, 2013 at 9:47 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Japan scrambles fighters after Russian jets approach island
(CNN) — Japan’s military scrambled fighters Thursday after two Russian SU-27 jets entered Japanese airspace off Rishiri Island near the tip of Japan’s northernmost Hokkaido Island, according to the country’s Defense Ministry.
The Russian jets left Japanese airspace without incident after a little more than a minute, the ministry said.
The incident occurred near territory disputed by Japan and Russia since the end of World War II.
Japanese officials lodged an official protest with Russia over the incident, Japan’s Kyodo news service reported.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/07/world/asia/japan-russia-jets/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 12, 2013 at 7:57 am
Haruna Mohammed
Cleanup under way after storms tear through southern Mississippi
(CNN) — Emergency officials in seven Mississippi counties were dealing Monday with widespread damage after a swarm of storms swept through the area Sunday evening, injuring scores of people.
No deaths have been reported.
Two people in Lamar County were critically hurt, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said.
A tornado struck Hattiesburg, a southern Mississippi city that straddles Lamar and Forrest counties. The Weather Service described the storm as packing 170 mph winds — an EF-4 on the service’s tornadic scale
SOURCE: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/11/us/mississippi-tornado/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 12, 2013 at 8:11 am
Haruna Mohammed
Busted toilets, hot rooms, headaches after fire strands cruise ship in Gulf
(CNN) — Passengers on a Carnival cruise ship drifting in the Gulf of Mexico aren’t getting the vacation they expected — sleeping on its decks, making do with a few working toilets, and doing what they can to get food — all due to a weekend engine fire left the vessel dead in the water.
The Carnival Triumph was about 150 miles off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, heading back Sunday morning to Galveston, Texas — where it had departed Thursday on a four-day trip — when a fire broke out in an engine room, according to Carnival Cruise Lines.
The ship’s automatic fire extinguishing system kicked in and soon contained the flames, and no injuries were reported, Carnival reported.
Yet this fire left the ship — and its 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members — adrift without propulsion, the cruise line said, halting its trip back to port.
The first of two tugboats that will tow the ship to Mobile, Alabama, arrived on Monday evening, the cruise line said in a statement. The ship should arrive in the Gulf city some time Thursday.
Not being able to sail, though, is just one of the problems. Issues with running water, scarce electricity and more contributed to headaches big and small, according to passengers and their loved ones.
Toby Barlow’s wife Ann told him there was “sewage running down the walls and floors” with passengers being asked to defecate in bags and urinate in showers due to a lack of functioning toilets. Food lines ran 3½ hours long and some, like herself, slept outside to keep cool.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/11/travel/cruise-ship-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 20, 2013 at 9:55 am
Haruna Mohammed
2 missing, 14 hurt in Kansas City gas explosion
(CNN) — It was happy hour at JJ’s when the roof blew off the popular Kansas City, Missouri, restaurant.
“When we got to the scene, we had a fully involved restaurant that had patrons, probably several patrons, inside at the time of the incident,” said Fire Chief Paul Berardi.
A natural gas explosion leveled the eatery about 6 p.m. CT Tuesday. Two people were missing and 14 were injured.
One man walked out from the rubble with only cuts and scratches, but he couldn’t find colleagues who’d been standing next to him when the blast occurred.
“He was very worried about them,” said Jill Chadwick, spokeswoman for the University of Kansas Hospital. The patient gave her permission to relay his story but not divulge his name.
“He remembered the smell of gas, the explosion and the roof collapsing,” Chadwick said. “He said, ‘There was no door for me to walk through.'”
The blast knocked out the front of the building, and he stepped through the gaping hole.
“Early indications are that a contractor doing underground work struck a natural gas line, but the investigation continues,” according to the utility, Missouri Gas Energy.
The fire department suspects no “foul play at this time,” Berardi said.
Sniffer dogs scanned the debris late Tuesday for signs of human remains, CNN affiliate KCTV reported.
The gas leak sprung about an hour before the explosion.
People at JJ’s and nearby residents smelled it and alerted authorities. Utility workers came out to inspect, said fire department spokesman James Garrett.
Jennifer Carter, who was in the restaurant, told CNN affiliate KSHB that a man who had a hand-held device came in before the blast and told her and 10 others to leave. Employees had already turned off appliances after smelling gas, she said.
Carter complied. She was just a few blocks away when she heard the explosion.
The gas sent flames a few stories high into the night sky. More than 100 firefighters responded in total, said Berardi.
Dr. Leonardo Lozada heard the explosion a block and a half away at St. Luke’s Health Systems, where he is chief physician.
“It was pretty loud. I just heard it; it wasn’t that traumatic,” he said. Others told him they saw the roof blow off.
His hospital admitted two victims in critical condition along with others who suffered less severe injuries.
One man had burns to 40% percent of his body. KU Hospital also admitted a patient to its burn unit.
In all, hospitals reported three patients in critical condition and three in serious condition.
By 8 p.m. utility workers turned off the flow of gas, Berardi said.
A crew of more than two dozen inspected nearby buildings to ensure no natural gas was trapped inside.
JJ’s Restaurant was a popular place near Country Club Plaza, an opulent locale with shops and restaurants that offer much of what the heart desires with a proud price tag attached.
The menu at JJ’s sported dishes with French names. Its wine list was a gourmet’s dream and a penny pincher’s nightmare. With more than 2,500 selections, a wine connoisseur could spend as much as $10,000 for the finest bottle in the house.
The restaurant’s owner, James Frantze, was in Oklahoma at the time of the blast. A message on the restaurant’s Facebook page made a simple request of patrons:
“Please keep our friends and families in your hearts and prayers.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/20/us/missouri-gas-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 22, 2013 at 7:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Indian city shaken by blasts; 12 dead
New Delhi, India (CNN) — Two bomb blasts killed at least 12 people and wounded 57 others on Thursday in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, Home Secretary R.K. Singh said.
Hyderabad’s police commissioner Anurag Sharma didn’t rule out the possibility of terror involvement in the city blasts. But he refused to identity any group as a suspect.
The two bombs were planted on bicycles parked in a crowded spot, Sharma said. They were improvised explosive devices, he said, and they could have been triggered by a timer.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called the strike a “dastardly attack” and said “the guilty will not go unpunished.” He directed government agencies to extend all possible relief to authorities in Andhra Pradesh state. He also approved money for the next of kin of those killed and for others seriously injured.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/21/world/africa/india-blasts/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 22, 2013 at 7:40 am
Haruna Mohammed
60 million in path of winter storm
(CNN) — A massive winter storm spanning 20 states dumped more than a foot of snow in some places Thursday and brought life to a standstill in parts of the central United States.
About 60 million people — 20% of the U.S. population — were under winter weather warnings, watches and advisories in the 750,000 square miles affected.
Statewide emergency declared
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency. Snow, sleet and ice could wreak havoc, and parts of the state could see more than 10 inches of snow.
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Sly James also declared a state of emergency. There were 250 snow plows working to clear roads in the city, and residents were urged to limit travel.
Kansas City International Airport shut down because of the weather, according to Joe McBride with the city’s aviation department.
The city picked up 7.6 inches of snow, a record daily snowfall, the National Weather Service said.
CNN iReporter Joseph Kopel posted photos of empty shelves in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Wednesday as people stocked up for the blizzard.
Authorities in Kansas had closed a 240-mile stretch of Interstate 70 west of Salina earlier in the day. Two dozen soldiers from the Kansas National Guard later searched the interstate and U.S. Highways 54 and 400 farther south for any stranded travelers.
In Wichita, despite crews spreading salt and sand across roads for days, many roads remained slick. Side streets were worse, CNN affiliate KSN reported.
Gov. Sam Brownback called for people to stay home.
“If you don’t have to travel, don’t do it,” the governor said.
The storm started to wind down Thursday night in Wichita after leaving 14.2 inches of snow over two days — the second highest storm total in the city’s history, according to the National Weather Service.
Topeka received 9.2 inches of snow.
The University of Kansas closed two of its campuses — in Lawrence and Overland Park, both near Kansas City — through Friday because of the weather.
Across the country, flights were canceled or delayed because of weather. St. Louis, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago’s O’Hare, and Denver had the most cancellations and delays after Kansas City, according to FlightStats, which tracks air travel.
United Airlines announced Thursday that certain affected travelers can change their itineraries without paying fees.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/21/us/weather-winter-storm/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 25, 2013 at 6:27 am
Haruna Mohammed
Bangladesh protests claim 4 more lives
Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) — At least four people were killed and more than a hundred injured in fresh violence in Bangladesh as the Islamist groups clashed with police near the capital, Dhaka, on Sunday, police said.
“We’ve confirmed four deaths in Singair of Manikganj so far,” district police chief Mohammad Ali Mia told CNN. Manikganj district is 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) west of Dhaka.
Police said Sunday was largely peaceful across Bangladesh except in Manikganj, where several thousand Islamists took to the streets and attacked police with lethal weapons and firearms.
Police fired nearly 300 gunshots and 50 tear-gas shells in a bid to disperse the angry mob who gathered there after an imam of a local mosque used a loudspeaker to ask them to rally against bloggers they accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed, calling them anti-Islamic elements.
Mia said that 21 police officers were injured, including the officer-in-charge of a local police station, Liaquat Ali.
Meanwhile in Dhaka, hundreds of protesters in the city’s Shahbagh Square took to the street and brought out a procession rejecting the strike called by Islamist groups on Sunday. A coalition of 12 Islamist parties enforced a general strike across Bangladesh on Sunday to protest the killing of four of its supporters when police fired during a blasphemy protest on Friday.
In a recent spate of violence, at least 24 people have been killed in less than three weeks in response to a war crimes trial verdict announced on February 5 that sentenced a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Abdul Quader Mollah to life imprisonment.
Tens of thousands of people, mostly young, occupied Dhaka’s Shahbagh Square immediately and demanded death penalty for those involved in wartime crimes perpetrated more than four decades ago, while Jamaat called a series of strikes demanding that the trial process be dismissed and calling it “politically motivated.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/24/world/asia/bangladesh-protests-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
February 27, 2013 at 7:24 am
Haruna Mohammed
Deadliest balloon crash in decades kills 19 in Egypt
(CNN) — The view from above southern Egypt is stunning, a contrast of beige desert valley giving way to green farmland, including fields of sugar cane. Tourists soak in the sight by hiring hot air balloons that have large baskets to carry passengers hundreds of feet above the countryside.
Tuesday morning, as one of the balloons prepared to land, an explosion pierced the air, followed by a spreading billow of smoke.
“My first thought was that it was sugar cane that was burning,” said Christopher Michel, a photographer who was a passenger in another balloon at the time.
Smoke from the burning sugar cane painted the ancient city of Luxor below with an eerie haziness.
But the concern shown by the balloon pilot and the blaring sirens from emergency vehicles told Michel that something was wrong. He could not imagine the extent: One of the balloons had exploded, and its 21 passengers and operators plummeted about 1,000 feet (300 meters) to the ground.
By Tuesday afternoon, the number of dead had climbed to 19, making it the world’s deadliest hot air balloon accident in at least 20 years.
“This juxtaposition of this great beauty and this wonderful country and this horrible tragedy is just really shocking,” Michel told CNN. “We all feel terrible.”
It was an early, dark morning, Michel said, and uneventful for 45 minutes until they started to descend. He was overlooking mud-brick buildings and fields, with the Valley of the Kings in the distance, when the explosion shattered the quiet of the morning.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/26/world/africa/egypt-balloon-deaths/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
March 4, 2013 at 3:10 pm
Haruna Mohammed
U.S. investigates soldier shooting, car chase in South Korea
(CNN) — The U.S. Army said Monday it “regrets” an incident in which a U.S. solider was shot after allegedly refusing to stop for South Korean police, leading to a car chase through Seoul late Saturday night.
The 23-year-old private first class was shot in the shoulder after midnight on Saturday during the incident, according to Yonhap, a government-affiliated South Korean news agency.
South Korean police claim the soldier tried to run over a police officer on a dead-end street, according to Yonhap. The officer fired a warning shot and three shots into the car, but the car sped away and was later found near the Yongsan Garrison, home of the 8th U.S. Army in South Korea, Yonhap said.
The shooting victim — whose name has not been released — is in stable condition at the Brian Allgood Community Hospital in Seoul, according to the 8th U.S. Army Public Affairs office.
U.S. forces received a subpoena Monday morning for the two other individuals involved in the incident, U.S. military officials told CNN. The pair met with South Korean police later in the day, officials said.
The U.S. Criminal Investigation Command, who is responsible for investigating criminal incidents among U.S. forces anywhere in the world, are helping the Korean National Police with the investigation, the spokesperson said.
The serviceman was tested but “initial results do not indicate the presence of alcohol,” the army said.
“Although the details of this incident are unclear, we take all incidents involving U.S. service members in the local community very seriously and will work closely with the Korean National Police as they continue their investigation,” said Brig. Gen. Chris Gentry, Eighth Army deputy commanding general, in a news release.
The incident began when police received calls American soldiers were threatening people with an air rifle near Itaewon subway station, local police told Yonhap. The soldier, a U.S. Army staff sergeant and his wife then fled in a vehicle, beginning a high-speed pursuit with local police.
A police officer and two bystanders suffered minor injuries and four cars were damaged in the chase, Yonhap reported.
“Eighth Army’s relationship with the Korean community is very important and we regret this unfortunate incident,” the 8th U.S. Army Public Affairs office said in a news release. “We are thankful for the continued support to our soldiers and families by our Korean hosts as we continue to enforce the highest standards of professionalism among our service members.”
There are about 28,500 U.S. soldiers in South Korea, a military ally of Washington. U.S. troops have been in the region since the Korean War, in which an armistice was signed in 1953 but a peace treaty never ratified. Tensions still flare on the Korean peninsula, as seen by the recent North Korean rocket launch and underground nuclear testing.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/04/world/asia/south-korea-u-s-soldier-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 5, 2013 at 10:48 am
Haruna Mohammed
Malaysia launches attack on Filipino intruders in Borneo
(CNN) — Malaysian fighter jets and soldiers on Tuesday waged an offensive against a group of armed invaders from the Philippines, who have staked a claim to a remote part of the island of Borneo, authorities said. Previous efforts by Malaysian police to turn the men back had ended in deadly clashes.
The group of Filipino men, believed to number between 100 and 300, arrived three weeks ago on the east coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah, on Borneo, demanding to be recognized as representatives of a sultanate that used to rule the area.
Malaysian authorities initially tried to persuade the men to return peacefully to their homes in the nearby southern Philippines. But the intruders refused to budge, and the standoff turned violent in recent days as clashes in the region reportedly left nine Malaysian police officers and 19 intruders dead.
“Our security forces were attacked and killed. Malaysians, particularly those in Sabah, are worried about their safety,” Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a statement carried by the national news agency Bernama announcing the offensive Tuesday.
The standoff has touched on an unresolved territorial issue between the Philippines and Malaysia, as well as Manila’s efforts to improve relations with Islamic insurgents in the country’s south after decades of violence.
The Malaysian operation Tuesday morning in Lahad Datu, the district in Sabah where the Filipino men had come ashore, involved an air raid by F-18 and Hawk fighter jets followed by mortar fire and a ground assault by soldiers, Bernama reported.
The security forces “achieved their objective,” the news agency cited Tan Sri Ismail Omar, the head of the Malaysian Police, as saying without elaborating on what exactly the goal had been.
No members of the Malaysian forces were hurt in the attack, and the casualties on the Filipino side had yet to be determined, he said.
But representatives of the Filipino group didn’t report any initial losses from the offensive, saying the Malaysian jets had dropped bombs at a location they had occupied previously.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/04/world/asia/malaysia-philippines-standoff/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 5, 2013 at 11:06 am
Haruna Mohammed
Update: Apam accident casualties increase to nine
Two more people died on their way to the hospital bringing the total number of casualties in an accident that happened in Apam on Saturday to nine.
Seven people were reported dead after a Hyundai vehicle collided with another splinter vehicle close to Apam junction in the Central Region.
Station Officer Alex Quainoo of the Winneba Fire Service confirmed the deaths in an interview with Joy News’ Eric Ahianyo.
Eye witnesses said it took more than 30 minutes for trapped victims to rescued.
Eleven other people sustained varying degrees of injuries and have been rushed to the hospital.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201303/102186.php
March 5, 2013 at 11:07 am
Haruna Mohammed
Kumasi Girls hit by devastating rain storm; 300 students affected
Over 300 students of the Kumasi Girls Senior High School are without shelter on campus following a rain storm which ripped off the roof of their dormitory block.
Last night’s wind destroyed almost two-thirds of the uncompleted GET fund building which houses about 1000 students, leaving victims traumatized.
It comes just 24-hours after authorities organised the school’s 50th anniversary durbar where Director of Institute of Educational Development and Extension at the University of Education, Winneba and guest speaker, Dr. Kwame Asante solicited government’s support in tracing contractors of abandoned projects.
But memories of the Golden Jubilee anniversary which was under the theme “development of girl child education for national development; the role of Kumasi Girls School at 50” is short-lived as the school is hit with the disaster.
Headmistress, Mary Kraah-Ampofo, had appealed to the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council to pursue the contractor on the dormitory project.
Albat Construction firm has, since 2004, abandoned work though government has honored all certificates.
Ms Kraah-Ampofo told the gathering of the Golden Jubilee on Saturday “a student dormitory project awarded to Messers Albat Company in 2004 is in limbo. For 3 years in succession he has never shown up in the school. Dead or alive, I hope the powers that be, will ensure the completion of the said project to ease congestion in our dormitories,” she lamented.
She also mentioned Joe Poku Construction Ltd for having abandoned a 12-unit classroom block project which contract was awarded in 1999.
School authorities improvised to put the uncompleted building to use by accommodating newly-admitted students for the current academic year.
Now the students have unpleasant stories to tell as they carried their soaked belongings into the open for drying.
“I was very, very afraid so I started crying and the rain dropped inside the rooms”. A form one student said.
“My things got wet; my mattress, school bag, books everything got wet so right now, I am having only my uniform”. Another worried student said.
Part of the ripped off roof remains hanging on the structure, and authorities are worried this poses threat to life.
Mrs. Kraah -Amofa feared academic work could be sacrificed, especially, as final year students prepare for their exams.
“The whole of last week, we were engaged in the preparation for the 50th anniversary celebrations so in fact serious academic work didn’t go on. Today, we were supposed to start a serious work especially with those who are going to write final year exams. So once this has also happened we are in a mess”, she lamented.
School authorities have allocated two classrooms to house the affected students even though it is not adequate.
Meanwhile, Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Sarpong, has assured of immediate steps to address the problem.
He told students during a visit earlier this morning, every effort will be made to locate the contractor.
“This is a natural disaster and when it happens, it depends on how fast we are in addressing the situation.
“As at now I have ordered my works superintendents to make sure that the place be roofed immediately”.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201303/102266.php
March 5, 2013 at 9:38 pm
adam
Thanks to the almighty allah for the revelation qutub zaman has given
may almighty grant us hope and needs to perfomed the sadaqa. ASALAAMU ALAIKUM.
March 8, 2013 at 7:17 am
Haruna Mohammed
Protests over Shangpu village land grab
China’s National People’s Congress has opened in Beijing, beginning the final stage of the country’s once-in-a-decade leadership change.
But as the country’s politicians gather, there have been protests coming from a small village on the coast.
The residents of the village of Shangpu in Guangdong province are claiming that corrupt local officials and businessmen are stealing their land, and they are demanding democratic elections.
John Sudworth reports from Shangpu.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21664991
March 11, 2013 at 6:24 am
Haruna Mohammed
US-South Korea drills begin amid North Korea tensions
The US and South Korea have begun annual military drills amid high tensions with North Korea in the wake of a UN sanctions vote.
Pyongyang has strongly condemned the exercises, threatening to scrap the armistice that ended the Korean War.
Seoul says North Korea also appears to have carried out a threat made last week to sever a cross-border hotline.
The drills come days after the UN approved new sanctions on North Korea following its nuclear test in February.
The test last month was the communist country’s third. It followed an apparently successful launch in December of a three-stage rocket, seen as a banned test of missile technology.
North Korea’s neighbours and the US fear it is working to build a nuclear warhead small enough to put on a missile, but believe it does not yet have the capabilities to do so.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21737859
March 11, 2013 at 10:30 am
Haruna Mohammed
Italy, UK, Greece confirm Nigeria hostage deaths
(CNN) — Britain, Italy and Greece on Sunday confirmed that hostages from their countries were among seven construction workers reported killed in Nigeria over the weekend.
“This was an act of cold-blooded murder, which I condemn in the strongest terms,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement announcing that a British construction worker was among the dead.
Nigerian militant group Ansar al-Muslimeen claimed responsibility for the February kidnappings of the seven construction workers from an office in northeastern Nigeria. The group, widely known as Ansaru, released images of some of the bodies Saturday.
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it appeared the report of the deaths “is founded.” Greece said one of its citizens was among the dead, and that his captors “at no stage either communicated or expressed demands for the release of the hostages.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/10/world/africa/nigeria-hostages-killed/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 12, 2013 at 7:37 am
Haruna Mohammed
Three killed when Navy plane crashes in Washington state
(CNN) — Three Navy crew members died when their EA-6B Prowler crashed Monday morning about 50 miles west of Spokane, Washington, the service said.
The Navy has yet to release the names of the three service members.
The plane crashed at about 8:45 a.m. PT, sometime after it took off for a training flight from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in northwestern Washington.
The crash is under investigation, according to the Navy.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/11/us/navy-plane-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 12, 2013 at 7:39 am
Haruna Mohammed
5 dead in Afghanistan helicopter crash
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — Five coalition service members died after a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan on Monday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said.
The chopper went down in the Daman district of southern Kandahar during a rain storm, said Jawid Faisal, a government spokesman for the province.
There was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the incident, ISAF said. It has not released the nationalities of the service members.
It was the first coalition helicopter crash with fatalities since September, when two separate crashes killed a total of 11 coalition service members.
One occurred in early September, killing two; the other in the third week, killing seven service members and injuring two more.
There were no reports of enemy fire in either of those incidents.
There have been 18 coalition deaths in 2013, including two U.S. service members who were killed Monday by an assailant wearing an Afghan National Security Forces uniform.
The deaths come just after newly installed U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited Afghanistan on his first overseas trip since his confirmation and as coalition members draw down their forces in the nation where war has been ongoing since 2001.
In August 2011, a helicopter went down killing at least 30 U.S. service members, the single deadliest loss for U.S. troops in the Afghan war. Insurgents shot down the CH-47 Chinook, which was carrying 25 U.S. special operations forces.
Some the those who died belonged to the same covert unit that conducted the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, though they were not the same men, a military official said at the time.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/11/world/asia/afghanistan-helicopter-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 12, 2013 at 7:41 am
Haruna Mohammed
Earthquake strikes in Southern California
(CNN) — An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 struck near Anza, California, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Monday.
The USGS had originally said the quake had a magnitude of 5.1.
Anza is inland north of San Diego and south of Los Angeles.
There were reports that the quake was felt in Los Angeles, but there were no immediate ones of damage.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/11/us/california-quake-report/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 12, 2013 at 8:33 am
Haruna Mohammed
Abena Atea building at Kwame Nkrumah Circle on flames
The Kwame Nkrumah Circle branch of computer training institute, NIIT, has been engulfed by fire.
Joy News’ Beatrice Adu who is at the scene reports that fire men are currently battling the raging fires.
The third floor of the Abena Atea Building which houses several other businesses has been completely destroyed, according to Myjoyonline.com’s Ernest Dela Aglanu.
He said fire fighters are struggling to stop the inferno spreading from the Academic City section to other parts of the building.
The ground floor of the 7-Storey building, said to belong to the mother of Ghanaian football international, Samuel Osei Kufuor, houses Access Bank.
The Sikkim Manipal University shares the 3rd and 4th floors with the NIIT and the two institution have been the most affected.
A cleaner who at the building said she noticed the fire at about 6:30 Tuesday morning but all effort to reach the fire service proved unsuccessful.
She said the fire extinguishers also failed to function when the security men she alerted tried to quench the fire.
Dela Aglanu quotes the Accra Regional Police PRO, Freeman Tettey as saying investigations into the fire incident will start immediately.
The wife of Osei Kufuor has been to the building to assess the extent of damage caused by the fire.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/?refresh=1
March 13, 2013 at 7:15 am
Haruna Mohammed
Heavy snow snarls travel in northern Europe
London (CNN) — Swaths of northern Europe were in the grip of snow, ice and high winds Tuesday, causing serious disruption to road, rail and air travelers.
High-speed train operator Eurostar, which runs services linking Paris, Brussels and London, among other destinations, has canceled the rest of its services Tuesday and told passengers to stay at home.
“Severe weather conditions overnight in Northern France and Belgium have led to the closure of the high speed line,” a notice on the company’s website said.
“Passengers will not be able to travel on Eurostar services today and should not come to our stations.”
About 10,000 passengers are likely to be affected as a result of the cancellation of around 24 out of 27 scheduled trains Tuesday, Eurostar spokeswoman Lucy Drake said.
The bad weather may also affect services Wednesday, she said, with further cancellations or extended journey times possible
Passengers affected by the disruption will be offered exchanges or refunds, Drake said, and are urged to consider traveling next week if possible.
Air travel has also been hit, with Germany’s Frankfurt airport — a major European hub — canceling all flights for several hours as it worked to clear its runways.
Some 700 out of a total 1,238 flights have been canceled so far, affecting roughly 7,000 passengers, airport spokesman Christopher Holschier told CNN.
Two of Frankfurt’s four runways reopened for takeoff and landing as of 5 p.m. local time, Holschier said, but snow continues to fall.
Holschier said passengers were resigned to the situation as they were well aware of the adverse conditions. “Already, getting to the airport has been an ordeal,” he said.
Meanwhile, the official Twitter feed for the two main airports in Paris warned that travel disruptions in the French capital were making access to the airports difficult. However, train and bus services were starting to get back to normal in the afternoon, it said.
A quarter of flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle and one in five flights from Paris-Orly were canceled Tuesday in anticipation of the heavy snowfall, the two airports said Monday. Travelers were advised to check on their flight’s status before heading to the airport.
London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol airports have also reported snow in the past 24 hours.
Whiteout conditions
Late-winter blasts like these are nothing new for central Europe, according to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.
In fact, in Germany they have something known as Märzwinter, or “March winter,” said Miller. The phenomenon occurs in mid-March when, after a period of spring-like warmth early in the month that often sees trees and flowers begin to bloom, cold northerly winds bring mid-winter type weather back to the country.
True to form, last week there were seven consecutive days of above-average temperatures in Frankfurt.
The mercury peaked Saturday with a high of 17 degrees Celsius (about 62 degrees Fahrenheit), the kind of temperature usually expected in mid-May. On Tuesday, however, winter returned with a vengeance, dropping 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) of snow by noon.
In addition to the snow, winds have gusted to 50 and 60 kilometers per hour (31 to 37 mph), creating whiteout conditions and making travel even more difficult.
Northern France has taken the brunt of the storm, with some locations seeing up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) of snow. Gusty winds have created snow drifts a meter deep or more.
Meteo-France has issued a Red Warning — its highest level — for snow and ice through Wednesday morning.
The wintry blast also caused problems for motorists in southeast England, with some trapped in their vehicles overnight by accidents and road closures on icy highways in Kent and Sussex.
Conditions should improve by Wednesday, as the frontal system pushes south and loses some of its intensity, but the cold temperatures will remain through the end of the week.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/12/world/europe/europe-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 13, 2013 at 7:17 am
Haruna Mohammed
More than 50 dead from alcohol poisoning in Tripoli, ministry says
(CNN) — At least 51 people have died in the Libyan capital after drinking locally made alcohol, the Ministry of Health says, and the National Security Directorate of Tripoli said Tuesday it is launching an investigation.
According to the Libyan News Agency, the ministry recorded 38 fatalities in Tripoli hospitals and 13 others among people on their way to neighboring Tunisia for treatment. In addition, it said, there were 378 other cases of alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol sale and consumption is prohibited in Libya, a conservative Muslim nation, but smuggled alcoholic drinks can be found, in addition to homemade alcohol locally known as “bokha.”
The National Security Directorate said this large-scale poisoning was caused by such locally made alcohol.
A medical source in Tripoli who has seen some of the patients told CNN their symptoms indicated methanol poisoning. Methanol overdose symptoms include breathing problems, blindness, comas, seizures and death.
Officials say the first case was reported in the capital on Thursday, and over the following days Tripoli Central Hospital received a large number of people showing signs of alcohol poisoning. Some cases had to be transferred to other hospitals.
Those affected ranged in age from 16 to 55, the head of the internal medicine department at the hospital, Dr. Massoud al-Azzabi, told the state news agency on Monday. Some lost their eyesight, and some of the others were put on dialysis machines or respirators, he said.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Tripoli National Security Directorate announced the formation of a committee of five officers to oversee the investigation into the alcohol poisoning, which some reports call the worst ever in Libya.
The directorate said police stations in the city have started to record the cases and the Criminal Investigations unit is investigating.
A security task force that includes a number of security and revolutionary forces has been formed and is ready to raid suspected bootlegger hideouts upon orders from the government, according to the state news agency.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/12/world/africa/libya-alcohol-poisoning/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 13, 2013 at 7:20 am
Haruna Mohammed
Death toll from new SARS-like virus climbs to 9
(CNN) — There has been another confirmed case of a mysterious new SARS-like virus.
The Saudi health ministry informed the World Health Organization that a 39-year-old man was hospitalized with the novel coronavirus on February 28 and died two days later.
So far, WHO has recorded 15 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, including nine deaths, since the fall.
The Saudi patient did not appear to have had any contact with anyone who was already infected. As a result, WHO is investigating other potential exposure sources.
Symptoms
The novel coronavirus is in the same family as SARS.
SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, virus sickened 8,000 people and killed 774 between 2002 and 2003.
Symptoms of the novel coronavirus include an acute respiratory infection, fever and a cough. And it could lead potentially to pneumononia and kidney failure.
The first cases were found to have occurred in an Amman, Jordan, hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cases
Most of the people who’ve caught the virus have been in the Middle East.
But there have been cases reported in the United Kingdom as well.
One of the U.K. patients had traveled to Saudi Arabia. Upon return, he infected two other family members.
“Once it gets you, it’s a very serious infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Fortunately, he added, the virus is “very difficult to acquire.”
While the SARS epidemic was going on, many of those caring for patients were infected too. The fact that this hasn’t been seen with these cases so far is a good sign, Schaffer said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/13/health/new-coronavirus-case/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 13, 2013 at 7:21 am
Haruna Mohammed
Five Americans die in Afghanistan helicopter crash
Five Americans from Nato-led foreign forces in Afghanistan have died in a helicopter crash, a US official says.
The crash took place in Daman district of Kandahar province on Monday,
“Initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the incident,” said the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in a statement.
The US later confirmed all the dead were Americans, adding that a rainstorm had caused the crash.
Helicopter crashes have occurred fairly regularly in Afghanistan – either due to accidents or enemy fire.
Eleven people – including seven US soldiers – died last August when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed, also in southern Afghanistan.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21750666
March 13, 2013 at 7:25 am
Haruna Mohammed
Five dead as gunmen attack Kashmir security camp
At least five paramilitary soldiers have been killed by gunmen who opened fire on security forces near a school in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, police say.
Two gunmen have also been killed and at least five others, including three civilians were injured, police say.
The region has seen an insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, but violence has declined in recent years.
No group has said it carried out the attack.
The school was closed and no children were hurt in the attack, officials said. Security forces have cordoned off the area.
Reports say the gunmen attacked a security camp manned by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) near a school run by the police in the Bemina district.
Indian-administered Kashmir has been tense since the execution in February of Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri man convicted for plotting to attack India’s parliament in 2001.
Attacks in Srinagar have become rare – last October one person was killed by gunmen who opened fire in a hotel on the outskirts of Srinagar.
And in May last year seven paramilitary soldiers were injured after two men on a motorcycle fired at them in the city.
Claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, Kashmir has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years and two wars have been fought over it.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-21766580
March 13, 2013 at 7:28 am
Haruna Mohammed
29 people arrested over clashes in Yilo-Nayili
One person is feared dead while several others have been reported injured in clashes between two Dagomba clans at Yilo-Naayili in the Northern Region over land.
These clashes is said to usually occur in the dry season because most of the youth tend to be idle around that time.
Speaking on Citi Fm’s Eye Witness News program, the Assembly man for the Yilo –Nayili area Nkansah Twum indicated that the situation has been pending for ten years now.
According to him, the dispute is over a piece of land around the Tamale Airport which belongs to two leaders.
“During the rainy season it doesn’t occur since they go to the farms and work on their farms. This incident has resurfaced because one of the groups has decided to build on the land” he said.
He noted that there have been several calls from the assembly in a bid to resolve the issue but it has all proven futile.
“I am appealing to the two leaders to come together and settle the issue amicably so that peace can prevail” he added.
Meanwhile, the Police PRO for the Northern region ASP Ebenezer Tetteh has indicated that about twenty nine persons have been arrested following the clashes.
“It is our duty to conduct investigations so that all those who are linked to the incident are dealt with according to law” he said.
According to him, the group had been cautioned to resolve issues the right way rather than resorting to arms.
He called on the youth to “use the courts rather than arms when resolving issues.”
source: http://www.citifmonline.com/index.php?id=1.1301217
March 13, 2013 at 8:40 am
Haruna Mohammed
Bunpurugu MP warns arrest of Kokomba Chief could spark fresh clashes
The Northern regional security high command is being cautioned against attempts to arrest the Kokomba chief in the Bumpurugu Yoyoo district following clashes there.
The Member of Parliament for Bunpurugu, Solomon Boar Nanliit warns this may spark fresh fighting between the Bemobas and the Kokombas.
There has been simmering tension between the two tribes after an Independence Day violent clash over a parcel of land left one person dead.
The MP told Joy News the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) should instead be interested in fashioning out a roadmap to peace.
“How will (arresting the Konkomba chief) address the situation?” he quizzed.
Arresting any of the chiefs from either faction will not solve the problem, he declared, cautioning the REGSEC to desist from doing anything that can worsen the volatile situation.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201303/102695.php
March 15, 2013 at 8:17 am
Haruna Mohammed
Iranian fighter confronts U.S. drone
source: http://edition.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t3#/video/world/2013/03/14/tsr-dnt-starr-iran-confronts-us-drone.cnn
March 15, 2013 at 8:22 am
Haruna Mohammed
Carnival nightmare: Another cruise ship reports trouble at sea
(CNN) — First it was Triumph, then Elation, Dream and now Legend.
While they are happy names for cruise ships, some passengers say they’ve had experiences recently that belie those names.
In yet another setback, Carnival Cruise ship Legend is having technical difficulties that are affecting its sailing speed, the latest in a growing list of woes for the travel company.
The Legend was on the last leg of a seven-day Caribbean cruise that departed Tampa on Sunday. Within a span of a month, three other Carnival Cruise ships have reported problems.
Carnival Dream lost power and some toilets stopped working Wednesday, and no one was allowed to get off the vessel docked at Philipsburg, St. Maarten, in the eastern Caribbean. Carnival says it is flying the more than 4,000 passengers back to Florida and will give them discounts.
source:
March 15, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Haruna Mohammed
One person feared dead in latest Tamale rainstorm
One person is feared dead and hundreds more displaced in a rainstorm that swept through the Northern regional capital, Tamale last night.
Mallam Attah died instantly when a metal container hit him amidst the storm.
Assemblyman for Nyan-shegu, Mohammed Awal confirmed the death to Joy News.
Two communities were affected by the rainstorm and reports say at least one hundred houses have been destroyed.
The region has been hit by devastating storms in the last three weeks with many displaced. Authorities are struggling to deal with the calamity.
source:http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201303/102828.php
March 18, 2013 at 7:53 am
Haruna Mohammed
Dr Bawumia is “doing well” – NPP
The 2012 vice presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, “is doing very well” in hospital.
This is according to Prof Frimpong Boateng, one of the specialists who first attended to Dr Bawuiah following his accident on the Bole-Bamboi road Sunday afternoon.
A statement issued by the party, hours after the incident, said the NPP vice presidential candidate “was travelling to the Ashanti Region when two of the tyres of the vehicle he was travelling in, exploded 15 minutes into the journey. The vehicle flipped over, veered off the road, rolling over a few times.”
Dr Bawumiah was flown to Accra for medical treatment and doctors say “his condition is good”.
“…He’s being observed in hospital and it is hoped that he will be discharged within 24 hours,” the statement further stated.
Dr Bawumiah was travelling with three other persons – his aide Kwabena Boadu, his bodyguard Tanko, and his driver Emmanuel – none of whom sustained “any life-threatening injuries”.
“They… are also responding to treatment…” the statement added.
source: http://politics.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201303/102917.php
March 18, 2013 at 7:56 am
Haruna Mohammed
2 killed in Indiana plane crash
(CNN) — At least two people on board a small plane were killed when it crashed into homes in South Bend, Indiana, authorities said.
The private jet hit two homes and possibly damaged a third, said Capt. Phillip Trent with the South Bend Police Department.
The plane was carrying four people when it crashed.
The other two people on board were injured, as was one person on the ground, said Assistant Fire Chief John Corthier.
Nearby houses were evacuated because of a subsequent gas leak, CNN affiliate WNDU reported. Video from the affiliate showed emergency personnel on scene. The plane was still stuck in what looked to be a one-story home.
Among those injured, two are in fair condition and one is in serious condition, according to Maggie Scroope, spokeswoman at Memorial Hospital of South Bend, where the injured are being treated.
The plane’s pilot radioed for help after experiencing problems with the technical equipment, WNDU reported, adding that a landing attempt failed.
The plane departed from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was inbound to South Bend Regional Airport, WNDU said.
The affiliate reported that the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to arrive Sunday night to investigate the crash.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/17/us/indiana-plane-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
March 22, 2013 at 7:44 am
Haruna Mohammed
Two killed in fresh Nkoya-Alavanyo clash
Two people are reported dead in fresh clashes between the Nkonyas and Alavanyos in the Volta Region.
The two people were said to have been killed in their farms, Thursday.
The Nkonyas and Alavanyos are no strangers to violent disputes. Today’s clashes were said to have been sparked by a misunderstanding over a piece of land.
Security personnel have been dispatched to the two towns to ensure that the situation does not escalate.
There were similar clashes over a month ago which led to the killing of 52-year old Anthony Akoto who was shot dead and 48-year old Michael Sarpong who was decapitated.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201303/103182.php
March 22, 2013 at 9:00 am
Haruna Mohammed
About 20 dead in Myanmar as clashes between Buddhists, Muslims continue
(CNN) — The death toll from clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in central Myanmar has risen to around 20, a local lawmaker said Friday.
Set off by a dispute between a Muslim gold shop owner and two Buddhist sellers, the violence in Meiktila Township has prompted thousands of residents to flee their homes as rioters set fire to houses, schools and mosques, according to Win Htein, a member of parliament for the area.
He said that the number of dead had reached about 20 by his estimate, including charred bodies that had been found in the street.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/22/world/asia/myanmar-clashes/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
March 25, 2013 at 3:13 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Seven vehicles involved in accident on N1 Highway
Seven vehicles were involved in a serious accident on the N1 Highway just about 30 meters away from the Kwashieman inter section and athe Honkong bus stop.
According to Joynews reporters Beatrice Adu and David Andoh, who were at the scene of the accident, it involved a trailer, 207 benze bus two vans, two taxis and a Kia truck carrying charcoal and a Mitsubishi 4×4 vehicle.
The accident happened after police arrived on the scene to signal other drivers to slow down because a KIA trayback carrying tons of charcoal had broken down close to the traffic light at Kwashieman, obstructing traffic.
After the driver of a 207 benz bus complied with Police directive to stop due to the obstruction, an trailer carrying cement bags which had brake failure drove into the KIA trayback, smashing the 207 Benz bus in the process together with other vehicles in line.
Another KIA trayback carrying “pure water” in an attempt to avert driving into the crushed vehicles veered off the road and unfortunately drove into a nearby drinking spot. The driver is said to be in critical condition.
This was apparently due to the short distance from the scene of the broken-down KIA Trayback. He helplessly crushed into the 207 benz bus causing a ripple of accidents involving other stationary vehicles.
There were no casualties.
There were no casualties. The incident has created heavy traffic on that road.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201303/103290.php
March 26, 2013 at 11:41 am
Haruna Mohammed
North Korea issues new threat to U.S. bases
(CNN) — North Korea on Tuesday served up its latest round of threats against the United States, saying it plans to place military units tasked with targeting U.S. bases under combat ready status.
The Supreme Command of the North Korean military said it “will put on the highest alert all the field artillery units including strategic rocket units and long-range artillery units, which are assigned to strike bases of the U.S. imperialist aggressor troops in the U.S. mainland and on Hawaii and Guam and other operational zone in the Pacific, as well as all the enemy targets in South Korea and its vicinity.”
Angered by tougher U.N. sanctions and joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea, Pyongyang has issued a range of bombastic threats in recent weeks.
The announcement this month by the United States that its B-52 bombers were making flights over South Korea as part of the military exercises particularly enraged the North, which warned of reprisals if the sorties continued.
The North Korean military statement Tuesday, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, referred to the B-52 flights again, saying they had taken place over South Korea on Monday.
The U.S. Department of Defense responded to the North’s latest saber-rattling by reiterating its confidence that it can fend off whatever the regime of Kim Jong Un can come up with.
“The U.S. is fully capable of defending ourselves and our allies against an attack” by North Korea, said Lt. Jack Miller, a Pentagon spokesman.
“We are firmly committed to defending the Republic of Korea and Japan,” he added, using the official name for South Korea.
U.S. and South Korean generals on Friday signed a new contingency plan “designed to counter future North Korean provocations.”
Military officials from the two allies developed the plan after North Korea shelled South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, killing four people.
Weeks of saber-rattling
The slew of fiery rhetoric from Pyongyang in the past few weeks has included threats of pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the United States and South Korea, as well as the declaration that the armistice that stopped the Korean War in 1953 is no longer valid.
Most observers say North Korea is still years away from having the technology to deliver a nuclear warhead on a missile, but it does have has plenty of conventional military firepower, including medium-range ballistic missiles that can carry high explosives for hundreds of miles.
The heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula came after the North carried out a long-range rocket launch in December and an underground nuclear test last month, prompting the U.N. Security Council to step up sanctions on the secretive regime.
The North Korean statement Tuesday also referred to the sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, which took place three years ago to the day, killing 46 sailors.
South Korea blamed the North for the attack, accusations that Pyongyang has repeatedly denied.
“The present South Korean puppet authorities tried to link the Cheonan sinking case with the DPRK and shift the blame for the Yeonpyeong Island shelling on to the DPRK,” the statement said, using the shortened version of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/26/world/asia/north-korea-us-threats/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
March 26, 2013 at 11:47 am
Haruna Mohammed
U.S. warns citizens in Myanmar amid deadly sectarian unrest
(CNN) — U.S. authorities have issued a warning to U.S. citizens in Myanmar amid unrest between Buddhists and Muslims that has left at least 40 people dead in the past week.
The violence that began last week in the city of Meiktila, in the central Mandalay region, has spread to other towns and fueled fears in the commercial capital, Yangon, that prompted stores to close in a popular shopping district Monday.
The U.S. Embassy has responded to the violence and unease by warning U.S. citizens to avoid the Mingalar Market and Yuzana Plaza part of Yangon, the same area where the stores were shuttered Monday.
“A fight broke out in that area today as a result of ongoing tensions, resulting in a heavy police presence,” the embassy said in a statement Monday. It said, though, that there were “no known specific threats against U.S. citizens.”
Authorities clearing up the wreckage from last week’s riots in Meiktila have found eight bodies among the debris, increasing the number of dead from the previous total of 32, the New Light of Myanmar, a state-run newspaper, reported in its Tuesday edition.
During the clashes in Meiktila, which were reportedly set off by a dispute between a Muslim gold shop owner and two Buddhist sellers, rioters set fire to houses, schools and mosques, prompting thousands of residents to flee their homes.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/26/world/asia/myanmar-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
March 28, 2013 at 7:43 am
Haruna Mohammed
CCTV shows moment Taiwan quake struck
An 6.1 magnitude earthquake has struck central Taiwan, causing buildings to sway and injuring at least 20 people.
CCTV footage captured office workers clinging to furniture and schoolchildren fleeing classrooms amid the tremor.
Krassimira Twigg reports.
April 4, 2013 at 6:54 am
Haruna Mohammed
Quake hits off Philippines shore
(CNN) — A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck offshore in northeastern Philippines on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages.
The quake struck about 100 miles northeast of Manila and had a depth of 23 miles, the USGS said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/03/world/asia/philippines-quake/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
April 4, 2013 at 6:58 am
Haruna Mohammed
44 killed in 9-hour firefight at Afghan government buildings
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — Insurgents wearing Afghan National Army uniforms killed at least 44 people and wounded nearly 100 others Wednesday in a nearly nine-hour attack on Afghan government buildings in the southwestern province of Farah, said Mohammad Akram Ekhpelwak, the province’s governor.
The firefight has ended. Of the dead, 34 are civilians and 10 are Afghan security forces, according to Ekhpelwak. Nine armed attackers are dead, he added.
The attackers drove army vehicles to gain access to the area, said police chief Noor Agha Kantoz.
Read more here :http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/03/world/asia/afghan-insurgent-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
April 4, 2013 at 7:00 am
Haruna Mohammed
Dozens killed in Argentine storm, floods
(CNN) — Argentina’s president declared three days of national mourning Wednesday after heavy rains claimed dozens of lives.
At least 48 people were killed in La Plata, outside Buenos Aires, officials said Wednesday.
“In 12 hours it has rained what it normally rains in the entire month of April,” Santiago Martorelli, cabinet chief of the city, told the state-run Telam news agency. The rainfall in that period was 13 inches, he said.
“This storm is a catastrophe without precedent,” Martorelli said.
Some 3,000 residents of La Plata have evacuated due to the rain, officials said.
Earlier, eight storm-related deaths were reported in Buenos Aires, the capital.
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner toured some of the most heavily damaged areas Wednesday evening.
“I have come to see what happened with this disaster,” she said as she entered a flooded home, according to Telam. “I am not going to leave you alone.”
Police patrols in the area will increase, she said, due to residents’ concerns for their safety.
“People told me that they are afraid,” she said, “beyond what they’ve lost.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/03/world/americas/argentina-storm-deaths/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
April 4, 2013 at 7:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Six die in accident at Dabala
Six passengers died on the spot, while several others sustained injuries, when two Benz vehicles collided at Dabala near Sogakope on the Accra-Aflao highway Wednesday morning.
The accident occurred when a Benz 401, with registration number GE2585 Y, reportedly veered off its lane and collided with a Benz Sprinter bus, with registration number GS5184 -12.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Police Service (Volta Region), Mr Joy Afadgbedzi, the police had not been able to identify the dead because their bodies were mutilated.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Sogakope Hospital mortuary, while the injured are receiving treatment at the same hospital.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201304/103854.php
April 10, 2013 at 9:12 am
Haruna Mohammed
Iran quake kills 37, injures more than 850
(CNN) — A powerful earthquake struck southern Iran on Tuesday, killing at least 37 people but apparently sparing the nearby Bushehr nuclear plant from any damage, Iranian state-run media reported.
At least 850 people were injured, Iran’s Press TV said.
The magnitude-6.3 quake was centered about 100 kilometers (63 miles) southeast of the plant, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Press TV, citing Bushehr’s governor, said the single-reactor facility was undamaged. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had informed it of the earthquake and said that there was no damage or radioactive release at the facility.
The state-run IRNA news agency cited a plant executive as saying the facility’s distance from the epicenter was the reason for the lack of damage.
However, the quake “ruined” the city of Kaki, which is near the epicenter, the state-run IRNA news agency said.
The cities of Kormouj, Dayer and Kangan and the villages of Shanbe and Sana were also seriously damaged, IRNA reported. State media also reported landslides that had destroyed buildings and crowds gathering in towns seeking help, Reuters said.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society sent five assessment teams to coordinate rescue operations, IRNA reported, saying ambulances were sent from Tehran to assist in the rescue effort. The semi-official Fars news agency said helicopters also have been sent to help.
At least three strong aftershocks struck the same area in the hour after the quake Tuesday, according to the USGS, and Press TV said authorities expect the number of casualties to rise.
The earthquake could be felt across the Persian Gulf in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where some buildings in Abu Dhabi were evacuated and some businesses sent their employees home for the day.
Interactive map: World’s biggest earthquakes since 1900
It was not immediately clear whether the Bushehr plant was continuing to operate in the wake of the earthquake.
Iran began construction on the plant in 1975, before the country’s Islamic revolution. Russia stepped in during the 1990s to finish construction of the plant, which the IAEA says first connected to Iran’s electrical grid in 2011.
Interactive: Measuring the magnitude of earthquakes
The damage that earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.0 to 6.9 can produce varies widely. Near the epicenter, quakes on the lower to middle parts of that range could leave negligible to slight damage in buildings of good design, and considerable to great damage — such as broken or fallen walls — in poorly designed structures, according to the USGS.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/09/world/meast/iran-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
April 11, 2013 at 7:45 am
Haruna Mohammed
Tornado smashes Arkansas homes, destroys church
(CNN) — A storm system unleashed a tornado that slammed communities in northern Arkansas, damaging homes and destroying a church, officials said Wednesday evening.
At least three injuries were reported in Van Buren County.
Some 33 homes and a business were damaged in the county, said Tommy Jackson of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
The tornado demolished the sanctuary, fellowship area, classrooms and a pavilion at Botkinburg Foursquare Church, its pastor told CNN.
“If the tornado would have come an hour and a half later we would have been caught in it,” said Senior Pastor Ester Bass, referring to Wednesday night services.
No members of the church were injured.
A passing motorist who parked his truck in the church drive-through to get out of the dangerous weather had a close call, however, when the storm struck.
“It shook the truck and just lifted the roof right off the drive-through,” said Bass. “He was all right.”
Bass, 63, said his congregation of about 100 was left stunned.
“It is just devastating. My wife and I are just torn,” Bass said. “We put a lot of sweat and hard work and it was paying off. The church was growing.”
As church leaders prepared to meet with their insurance adjuster, the pastor was thankful for a loyal membership.
“They will be with me,” said Bass. “They are ready to buckle down and do what we have to. With the Lord’s help, we are going to rebuild.”
According to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, a Van Buren County highway was blocked by fallen trees and an 18-wheeler truck was overturned.
John Robinson, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Little Rock office, said the tornado tracked from the community of Scotland to Botkinburg. “It weakened fairly soon after that,” he said. Another storm formed after that.
Damage also was reported in Viola in Fulton County, near the Missouri border, and in Conway, Lincoln and White counties. About 15 homes were damaged in Izard County, Jackson said.
Storm spotters reported damaged and overturned vehicles along U.S. 65, north of Clinton.
Video footage from CNN affiliate KATV showed toppled trees and twisted building girders at one damage location.
Scotland, according to Robinson, suffered a fatality and major damage to a highway and homes in a major February 2008 tornado.
The severe weather season started late in Arkansas, according to Robinson, because of a chilly March. “It has been a very slow year.”
Thus far in 2013, six tornadoes have been reported, about half the normal number.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/10/us/arkansas-storms/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
April 12, 2013 at 11:45 am
Haruna Mohammed
Tornado :http://edition.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t3#/video/bestoftv/2013/04/12/ac-kaye-midwest-south-storms.cnn
April 15, 2013 at 8:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
China: Reports of bird flu in humans reach 60
Hong Kong (CNN) — Two more people infected with a rare strain of bird flu in China died over the weekend, as the number of human cases of H7N9 climbed to 60, state media reported Sunday.
The two deaths, both in Shanghai, takes the death toll to 13, the Xinhua news agency said.
Shanghai’s health authorities have now reported 24 cases, after three men were diagnosed with H7N9 on Saturday.
The virus also appears to have spread beyond eastern China for the first time. Two new cases were reported in central Henan Province on Sunday morning, while a child in Beijing in the north tested positive on Saturday.
The H7N9 strain is normally found in birds and was never known to infect people until last month.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said China had been infected with a new variation of bird flu. The agency said it continued to look for the source of the infection.
“Investigations into the possible sources of infection and reservoirs of the virus are ongoing,” the organization announced on Saturday. “Until the source of infection has been identified, it is expected that there will be further cases of human infection with the virus in China.”
So far, WHO said, there is no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission.
A possible source for the infections is poultry markets, which have become the focus of investigation by China’s health ministry and WHO.
Several cities in eastern China have suspended trading in live poultry in an effort to contain the problem.
Chinese scientists said the H7N9 virus probably came from migratory birds from East Asia that mixed with domestic fowl around Shanghai.
The new variation of bird flu has genetic characteristics that make it well-adapted to infect humans, the New England Journal of Medicine said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/14/world/asia/china-bird-flu/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
April 16, 2013 at 7:21 am
Haruna Mohammed
Deadly wave of bombings across Iraq ahead of elections
Baghdad (CNN) — A series of bomb blasts across Iraq on Monday killed at least 42 people and wounded more than 257 others, police said.
The attacks took place in at least six provinces: Baghdad, Anbar, Babel, Kirkuk, Salaheddin Diyala, and Nasriya, police officials across the country told CNN.
Two of the bombs exploded at a checkpoint near Baghdad’s international airport.
Most of the attacks in Baghdad targeted Shiite areas, police told CNN. Al Qaeda in Iraq, made up of Sunni extremists, has claimed responsibility for many attacks in recent months.
Attacks elsewhere hit security checkpoints, Shiite areas and political offices.
With provincial elections scheduled to take place in five days, ongoing attacks have politicians worried that violence could skew the outcome, if Iraqis who fear attacks on polling centers stay at home.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/15/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
April 17, 2013 at 6:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Update: 17 confirmed dead in collapsed mine
Seventeen persons have been confirmed dead after a reclaimed mine caved in at Kyekyewere near Dunkwa-on-Offin, in the Central Region at about 10a.m on Monday.
Sixteen bodies comprising two females and 14 males said to be between 18 and 50 years were retrieved from the collapsed pit.
But one of six persons who were rescued died on the way to hospital. The remaining five who are in critical condition are currently on admission at the Dunkwaw Government Hospital.
The assemblyman for Kyekyewere Electoral area, Jacob Aboagye had told Adom News that more people are feared trapped in the pit which belongs to a private mining firm.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Upper West Denkyira, Kofi Owush Ashia who confirmed the accident to Joy News said the mining company is owned by Gold First Mining Enterprise.
He said the mining firm applied for a license to operate, but has not been permitted to work there. “Until you get the license you don’t work,” he said.
He said about 30 persons were there when the mine caved in. He noted that until the incident, all efforts to drive the illegal miners away were fiercely resisted by the miners.
Personnel from the Fire, Police and Immigration Services as well as the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) have frantically been searching for survivors.
Four workers, a machine operator and the owner of the site have been invited by the Police to assist in investigation.
Among the deceased are a couple, a mother and her son who was a second year student at the Dunkwa Senior High School.
Mr Ashia said rescuers would have to do their best to get more survivors or retrieve the remaining bodies before the team winds up for today.
“By our custom we don’t work here on Tuesday”, the MCE said, adding that apart from today the rescuers can only continue their search on Wednesday.
But Luv News’ Erastus Donkor who visited the scene said from the look of things it would be impossible to find any more survivors now.
Inspector Daniel Adu Gyamfi who is leading the rescue team told Joy FM’s Top Story he doubted there could be some people buried in the pit.
“I am not suspecting there is anybody underground again,” he said.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201304/104462.php
April 17, 2013 at 6:25 am
Haruna Mohammed
Two dead, scores injured after building collapse at Krofrom
Two women are confirmed dead and scores injured after a residential building housing over 100 residents collapsed at Krofrom Abodwese, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti region.
The 3-storey building caved in during fierce rainstorms on Monday, April 15. The two-hour rainstorm started a little after 6pm and tapered off after 8pm.
Many of the occupants were not in the building when the disaster occurred. But voices of many trapped occupants were heard shouting for help from under the rubble.
Eyewitnesses told Luv News there was a loud bang followed by a plume of smoke that engulfed the vicinity.
A combined team of police and fire personnel struggled to clear the pile of concrete without any cranes and sniffer dogs to locate victims trapped under the rubble.
However, seven out of the scores of people buried under the rubble were rescued and taken to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for treatment on Monday night.
A survivor, Eric Azasu, said he had just entered his room on the second floor to receive a phone call when he heard the loud noise and saw his veranda caving in.
One of the two women killed in the disaster was sleeping on that veranda.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201304/104522.php
April 22, 2013 at 6:41 am
Haruna Mohammed
In China, rescuers race to find survivors from quake that killed scores
Lushan, China (CNN) — Impeded by frequent aftershocks, rescue workers in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan are scrambling to find survivors amid the destruction caused by the strong earthquake that hit the region over the weekend, killing at least 186 people.
More than 2,000 aftershocks have rattled the area around the epicenter of the original quake, which wrecked thousands of houses and ripped huge chunks of rock out of the sides of mountains, state-run media reported.
Authorities are trying to provide food, water and shelter for the tens of thousands of people left homeless by the disaster in Sichuan, which five years ago suffered a devastating earthquake that killed more than 87,000 people.
But right now the focus is on racing to recover survivors from the rubble in districts of the city of Ya’an, a hilly area of Sichuan that bore the brunt of Saturday’s quake.
“The top priority is to save lives,” Ma Jun, the head official of Baoxing County, one of the hardest hit areas, told the state-run news agency Xinhua. “Meanwhile, we’ll resettle the residents and reopen roads.”
But rescue workers’ efforts were being made more complicated by the persistent aftershocks, some of which were stronger than magnitude 5.0, and massive boulders that had tumbled into valleys, blocking the roads into severely affected areas.
The original quake Saturday was put at a magnitude of 6.6 by the U.S. Geological Survey and 7.0 by Chinese seismologists.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/22/world/asia/china-sichuan-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
April 24, 2013 at 8:32 am
Haruna Mohammed
Bangladesh building collapse kills over 70
(CNN) — An eight-story building collapsed Wednesday on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital, killing more than 70 people, the national news agency reported.
Authorities fear more people may be trapped inside the ruins of the commercial building, the agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.
It cited Health Minister A.F.M. Ruhal Huq as saying that the death toll exceeded 70.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/24/world/asia/bangladesh-building-collapse/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
April 24, 2013 at 8:33 am
Haruna Mohammed
Violence in western Chinese region of Xinjiang kills 21
Beijing (CNN) — Violence in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang has killed 21 people, including police officers and local officials, authorities said Wednesday.
The clash took place Tuesday afternoon in Bachu county after three local officials visiting homes in the area found “several suspicious persons” and knives in one house, according to a statement on the website of the Xinjiang government.
The people in the house then took the officials hostage, the statement said, and the ensuing violence left six of the assailants and 15 other people dead.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/24/world/asia/china-xinjiang-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
April 24, 2013 at 1:08 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Bangladesh Dhaka building collapse leaves 80 dead
At least 80 people have been killed and many more are feared trapped after an eight-storey building collapsed on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, government officials say.
Frantic efforts are under way to rescue those beneath the debris. Hundreds of people were injured by the collapse.
The army is helping with the rescue operation in the Savar area.
Building collapses are common in Bangladesh where many multi-storey blocks are built in violation of rules.
The eight-storey building contained a clothing factory, a bank and several other shops. It collapsed during the morning rush hour.
Many people have gathered near the scene looking for friends and relatives.
Dhaka resident Tahsin Mahmoo described the scene as a looking like a “war zone” to the BBC, adding that appeals had been put out for citizens to donate blood.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22275597
April 26, 2013 at 6:28 am
Haruna Mohammed
Israel forces shoot down a drone
Jerusalem (CNN) — The Israeli air force shot down a drone approaching the nation’s coast Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
An Israeli F-16 shot the drone with air-to-air missiles, an Israeli military official told CNN. It went down five nautical miles off the coast of Haifa, and Israeli naval forces were searching the area while an investigation was initiated, the Israeli military said.
“I view with utmost gravity this attempt to violate our border,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a prepared statement. “We will continue to do everything necessary to safeguard the security of Israel’s citizens.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/25/world/meast/israel-drone/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
April 26, 2013 at 7:59 am
Haruna Mohammed
38 people feared dead in fire at psychiatric hospital near Moscow
(CNN) — Thirty-eight people are feared dead after a fire tore through a psychiatric hospital near Moscow, Russian officials said Friday.
Officials were still trying to determine the death toll. There were 41 people in the building and three escaped the blaze early Friday, according to the Russian Emergencies Ministries.
So far, officials had found 12 bodies, and had not located others.
The fire was out and Andrei Vorobyov, acting governor of the Moscow region, had rushed to the scene.
A criminal investigation was launched and Saturday will be a day of mourning, the Russian Health Ministry said.
The fire may have been sparked by an electrical short, the state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/25/world/europe/russia-psychiatric-hospital-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
April 27, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Alidu Yakubu Wunnam
”Glory is to Allah, and praise is to Allah, and there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. ”HUTUB ZAMAAN” may you live long and may Allah listen to your prayers all the time. I wish you would have been updating us on the issues at all times. ‘Assalaamu Alaikum’ Yaa Shaihu Salawatiyya-HUTUBU AL-ZAMAAN.
April 27, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Alidu Yakubu Wunnam
”Glory is to Allah, and praise is to Allah, and there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. We thank God the Almighty for given us Shehu Salawatiyya ”HUTUBUZ ZAMAAN”. Shaihu, may you live long and may Allah listen to your prayers all the time. ‘Assalaamu Alaikum’ Yaa Shaihu Salawatiyya-HUTUBU AL-ZAMAAN.
April 29, 2013 at 10:22 am
Haruna Mohammed
Strange disease kills 100, linked to galamsey
A deadly lung disease is said to have claimed the lives of 100 people, mostly galamsey operators, within the last three years in the mining communities of Konongo and Odumase in the Ashanti Region.
According to the Tuberclosis (TB) Control Cor-dinator in the Asante Akim North municipality, Dr Paul Ntiamoah, the disease – chronic obstructive airway – was linked to illegal gold mining in the area.
So far, he said, there was no cure for the disease which can wipe out many lives, especially as galamsey activities intensify in the area.
Dr Ntiamoah told the Daily Graphic that there were strong signals that many more galamsey operators could die if people continue exposing themselves to the dust and fumes that emanate from illegal mining activities.
However the Deputy Director in charge of Public Health at the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, Dr Joseph Oduro, said he regional health directorate is yet to be informed of the disease and its death toll.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201304/105164.php
May 3, 2013 at 3:17 pm
Haruna Mohammed
U.S. military plane crashes in Kyrgyzstan
Moscow (CNN) — An American military refueling plane took off and crashed in Kyrgyzstan on Friday, Kyrgyz and U.S. officials said.
Three people were on board, said Bolot Sharshenaliev of the Kyrgyz Emergencies Ministry. A ministry spokeswoman had previously said there were five. The U.S. military didn’t give the number of those on the plane and said “the status of the crew is unknown.”
The plane was a U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft, according to the U.S. 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs Transit Center at Manas, near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The crew and aircraft are assigned to the transit center.
The Manas transit center is a U.S. airbase that serves as a supply hub for American forces in Afghanistan. It is located at the Manas airport.
The plane crashed in a mountainous area between Chorgolu and Cholok-Aryk — two villages in the Chuysky region of northern Kyrgyzstan, and a fire crew and three ambulances responded, Elmira Shyrypova, at the Kyrgyz Emergencies Ministry press office.
The transit center said investigators are determining the cause of the crash and emergency responders were on the scene
Kyrgyz Prime Minister Jantoro Satybaldiev held an emergency meeting in connection with the crash, state media reported.
Sharshenaliev said debris from the crash was scattered over an area of about a kilometer radius. He said witnesses calling in on a hotline said they saw a parachute when the plane was falling. Others said they saw an explosion and the plane was broken in half.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/03/world/asia/kyrgyzstan-us-aircraft-missing/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
May 6, 2013 at 9:27 am
Haruna Mohammed
Video/Photos: Fire guts several stores at Kantamanto
Fire Sunday morning gutted several stores at the Kantamanto market, at the central business district of Accra.
It is not clear what caused the inferno but the damage caused is estimated to run into thousands of Ghana cedis.
Eyewitnesses say the fire started around 5am Sunday and affected a greater part of the market.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service managed to contain the blaze after battling it for several hours.
Even though the fire has been brought under control, a billow of smoke could still be seen at the area known for the sale of several items including second hand clothes popularly known as “Broni waawu”.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201305/105477.php
May 8, 2013 at 7:37 am
Haruna Mohammed
23 dead in Mexico tanker blast
(CNN) — A speeding tanker truck carrying gas crashed and exploded in a huge fireball along a highway near Mexico City Tuesday, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens more, officials said.
“There was a flash, then a noise, and the ground began to shake,” said Dulce Gonzalez, who lives in the neighborhood where the tanker plowed into homes early Tuesday morning.
Flames engulfed cars and houses near the explosion, video from CNN affiliate Foro TV showed.
As crews searched for survivors, residents combed through the burned out shells that remained where their homes once stood. Some rescuers removed livestock and pets from the charred ruins.
The federal highway division of the office of Mexico’s transportation secretary said in a statement Tuesday night that 23 people had been killed.
Salvador Neme, the secretary for citizen security in Mexico state, said two of the victims were children.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/07/world/americas/mexico-tanker-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
May 9, 2013 at 8:26 am
Haruna Mohammed
Seven killed in Bangladesh garment factory fire
Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) — At least seven people died in a fire in a clothing factory in Bangladesh’s capital late Wednesday, police and the factory’s general manager said.
Among those killed were a police officer and the factory owner, who were meeting at the facility when the blaze erupted, officials said.
Zabidur Rahman, the general manager of the factory, said the fire broke out on the third floor of the 11-story sweater factory in Dhaka’s Mirpur district.
He said a nurse at the hospital told him all seven victims suffocated.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/08/world/asia/bangladesh-fatal-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
May 9, 2013 at 8:29 am
Haruna Mohammed
7 dead after cargo ship crash in Italy
(CNN) — At least seven people were killed and four others were hospitalized after a cargo ship smashed into a maritime traffic control tower in the Italian city of Genoa, the Italian Fire Brigade said Wednesday.
Genoa Port Authority personnel were inside the 51-meter-high structure when the crash took place, the Italian Fire Brigade said.
Two people were missing as emergency responders undertook rescue operations in the rubble of the collapsed tower, the brigade said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/08/world/europe/italy-ship-accident/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
May 13, 2013 at 9:40 am
Haruna Mohammed
Thunderstorm to hit Greater Accra, other parts of Ghana today
The Ghana Meteorological Agency is warning of an approaching storm from the Eastern region through to the southern part of the country.
The storm is said to be coming from Nigeria and is currently at the Ghana-Togo border.
A forecaster at the Agency, Patrick Lamptey, told Joy News on Monday the ‘thunderstorm system’, which will be accompanied by high winds, will affect parts of the eastern coast, southern part of the Eastern region, and most parts of the Volta region.
The thunderstorm, according to Lamptey is moving slowly, which means it will bring about longer periods of rain in the areas in the affected areas.
“So where you have problems with drainage…and the landscape is not the best, you should expect flooding in those areas”, he warned.
According to the Ghana Metrological Agency, strong winds accompanying the thunderstorm could destroy billboards not well built.
He cautioned the public against moving along the streets in the areas where the storm is likely to strike.
He cautioned that because of the rainy season, the public must take warnings about the passing storm seriously and protect themselves.
In April this year, severe rainstorm in Zabzugu in the Northern Region injured four people and left over 300 others displaced.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201305/105903.php
May 22, 2013 at 6:49 am
Haruna Mohammed
CO2 levels hit new peak at key observatory
(CNN) — In some ways, it’s just a number, but it’s a big number with enormous implications.
For the first time, scientists measured an average concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide of 400 parts per million in Mauna Loa, Hawaii, where the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observatory is located, on Thursday.
“Most experts that really study CO2 amounts estimate that we haven’t seen that amount of CO2 in our atmosphere in about 3 million years,” said J. Marshall Shepherd, climate change expert and professor at the University of Georgia. In other words, modern humans have never seen carbon dioxide in these proportions before.
Scientists say it’s apparent that human activity — namely burning coal, oil and natural gas — has been driving a rapid rise of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
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Carbon dioxide changes climate and drives acidification of the ocean.
“Once emitted, it remains for the ocean atmosphere system for thousands of years, warming the planet. It changes climate and is driving ocean acidification all that time,” said Jim Butler, a senior scientist at NOAA.
Among the many risks of rising temperatures, agriculture, forestry, ecosystems and human health are all expected to suffer as a result of trends in climate change.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/10/us/climate-change/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
May 23, 2013 at 7:22 am
Haruna Mohammed
Oklahoma tornado’s power caught on camera
Film footage shows the power of the tornado in Oklahoma, seen through the opening of a roof inside a storm shelter.
Once the tornado passes, shocked residents are filmed leaving the shelter and surveying the devastation.
The gigantic twister killed two dozen people, including nine children, in Oklahoma on Monday.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22621556
May 24, 2013 at 9:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
Powerful earthquake off east coast of Russia
(CNN) — A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck the Russian Far East on Friday, the U.S. Geologicial Survey reported.
The epicenter for the extremely powerful quake was located in the Sea of Okhotsk, just to the west of the Kamchatka Peninsula, and about 600 kilometers (nearly 375 miles) underground.
The quake was felt for five minutes in the region, Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency reported. Many people ran into the streets as the temblor shook.
No tsunami warnings were issued in the quake’s immediate aftermath.
The region is located along the Pacific “ring of fire,” an area of high seismic and volcanic activity stretching from New Zealand in the South Pacific up through Japan, across to Alaska and down the west coasts of North and South America.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/world/asia/russia-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
May 28, 2013 at 7:08 am
Haruna Mohammed
Royal Caribbean cruise cancelled in Bahamas after fire
A fire has broken out aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, forcing more than 2,200 passengers to end their trip early.
The Grandeur of the Seas had left Baltimore on Friday and was en route to CocoCay in the Bahamas when fire broke out in the mooring area in the early hours of Monday, the company said.
Passengers were mustered to assembly points for several hours while the fire was put out.
No serious injuries were reported.
The 2,224 guests and 796 crew were all safe and accounted for, Royal Caribbean said in a statement.
The fire broke out at about 02:50 ET (07:50 GMT) on Monday and was put out at 04:58, it said. Guests were released from their muster stations at 06:56.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22685364
May 29, 2013 at 7:06 pm
Sulemana Haruna
Allahu Akbar! The storms are here with us as prophesied by our Mawlana, Qutub Zamman. Yendi and other parts of the Northern region were greatly affected. Kpaachiyili, Bini and other surrounding communities in the Yendi area were deeply affected. A number of persons were confirmed dead in the aftermath of the storm that hit the area. In Kpaachi along Yendi Bimbilla road thunder strike dead a man in the midst of the storm. On the world stage, the least said the better Oklahoma and Belfast and also affected.
May 31, 2013 at 10:27 am
Haruna Mohammed
Arkansas and Oklahoma battered by severe weather
(CNN) — People in the central United States suffered through more severe weather Thursday — in the form of torrential rain, golf-ball-size hail and damaging winds, including a few reported tornadoes — and braced for even more storms.
Tornado warnings were issued at one point or another Thursday afternoon for portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Just 10 days ago, Oklahoma was in the cross hairs of a powerful tornado that left 24 dead.
Such warnings go out when witnesses or radar indicate a tornado. The National Weather Service, in fact, noted there were reports of tornadoes in at least seven communities in western Arkansas — as far west as Polk, as far south as Garland County, and as far north as Oden.
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At least nine people statewide suffered injuries — four minor ones in Oden, three in Clark County and two hurt by a lightning strike in Benton County — state emergency management spokesman Tommy Jackson told CNN. No details were immediately available on the conditions of any of those injured.
Two homes were destroyed in the small community of Oden, about 50 miles west of Hot Springs, according to Jackson. The weather service noted, too, that power lines were knocked down and Highway 88 was blocked at one point.
Three houses were reportedly damaged and three people were injured, around the small Clark County town of Amity, according to the same agency.
There was also reported tornadoes in north-central Oklahoma — including in and around Perkins and Ripley, which is about 10 miles east.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/30/us/severe-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
May 31, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Plane crashes into apartment block
source: http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/05/31/vo-plane-crashes-into-apartment-complex.wjla.html
May 31, 2013 at 4:13 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Brush fire rages in Los Angeles County
source: http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/05/31/vo-brush-fire-francisquito-california.kcal.html
June 4, 2013 at 7:13 am
Haruna Mohammed
China plant fire that killed at least 120 linked to possible ammonia blast
Mishazi, China (CNN) — Investigators believe a fire that killed at least 120 people at a poultry processing plant in northeast China may have been started by an explosion resulting from a buildup of ammonia gas, state media have reported.
The blaze began early Monday in a slaughterhouse at the plant in Mishazi Township in the province of Jilin, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua, which described it as one of the deadliest workplace accidents in recent years.
Witnesses have described hearing a loud bang and seeing the building fill with smoke. There are also reports that a lot of the workers inside the plant found it very difficult to get out because of doors that were locked or blocked.
One employee, Guo Yan, told Xinhua that the emergency exit was blocked when the fire broke out.
“Everyone was swarming toward another workshop. It was so crowded that I was harshly pushed and squeezed,” she said. “But I didn’t stop for even a second, even when I stumbled and lost my shoes.”
It remains unclear why exits were blocked. Some accounts have suggested that when the electricity went off during the fire, that locked some of the doors.
“Suddenly, the lights inside went out and the plant got quite dark,” a worker named Wang Fengya told Xinhua. “When I finally ran out and looked back at the plant, I saw high flames.”
The reports of workers’ difficulties exiting the building have revived concerns about work safety in Jilin and elsewhere in China.
The state-run China News Service said the fire was the latest in a series of workplace accidents in China in the past month. It cited a blast at an explosives factory in Shandong province on May 20 that killed 33 people and an explosion at a coal mine in Sichuan province that killed 28 workers.
Even after firefighters extinguished the blaze at the poultry plant, Xinhua reported, rescuers have found it hard to enter the slaughterhouse to search for survivors because of its “complicated interior structure and its narrow exits.”
The death toll had risen to 120 by Monday evening, Xinhua reported, and the number people of injured stood at 70. Authorities weren’t yet able to confirm how many people are still trapped inside, it said.
“Those who are suspected of being responsible for the accident have been taken into police custody for further inquiry,” Xinhua reported without providing further details.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is currently visiting Costa Rica, has called on authorities to minimize casualties, find the cause of the fire and hold those responsible accountable, according to state media.
“Rescue work is still underway,” said Zhao Xian, deputy director of the local emergency office. “The rescuers are trying their utmost to search for any survivors in the fire. We’ll do our best to treat the wounded, identify the victims and investigate the cause of the incident.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/04/world/asia/china-plant-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
June 4, 2013 at 7:15 am
Haruna Mohammed
Why Turkey’s protests are no Arab Spring
(CNN) — Taksim Square is Istanbul’s equivalent to Cairo’s Tahrir Square or London’s Trafalgar Square and it is now the epicenter of demonstrations triggered by construction plans for a shopping center in one of the city’s few remaining green spaces.
What was initially a small sit-in has morphed into a major series of protests due to — in the words of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan — “excessive force” by the police.
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Fadi Hakura
These protests reflect, in part, the deep ideological polarization between secular, liberal-minded Turks, and the more religious Turks, representing a quarter and two-thirds of the population respectively based on the 2011 general election results.
Many secular Turks complainthat the Islamist-rooted government is intolerant of criticism and the diversity of lifestyles. So far, Erdogan’s robust and muscular stance vis-à-vis the demonstrators has reinforced those perceptions.
A typical example cited by detractors is the government’s recent enactment of tight restrictions on the sale and promotion of alcohol even though the Turkish government’s Household Budget Surveys estimates that only 6 percent of Turkish households are alcohol drinkers. Less than 1.5 percent of car accidents in 2012 were alcohol-related according to Turkish economist Emre Deliveli .
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At the same time, critics are unhappy at the rapid pace of urbanization in Turkey’s metropolitan cities. Erdogan is planning to build a third airport, a third Bosphorus bridge and a canal linking the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which are likely to destroy millions of trees and a delicate ecosystem in northern Istanbul. A staggering $4.7 billion was spent on ambitious construction projects last year in Istanbul alone.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/03/opinion/turkey-protests-not-arab-spring/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
June 4, 2013 at 7:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Floods sweep through Central Europe
Heavy rainfall has caused severe flooding in Central Europe in the past week, including parts of the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany. A closed pedestrian bridge is seen here over the Danube river in Vienna, Austria, on Monday, June 3.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/04/europe/gallery/europe-floods/index.html?hpt=hp_c4
June 4, 2013 at 9:16 am
Haruna Mohammed
Flood waters from Czech dams bear down on Prague
River levels in the Czech Republic have risen sharply overnight after the authorities were forced to open several dams in the south of the country.
In the capital Prague, flood barriers have been raised to cope with the extra water on the River Vltava.
At least seven people have died in the Czech Republic and two in Austria after severe flooding and days of heavy rain.
Germany has drafted in the army to help with flood defences. Several cities have declared states of emergency.
In the Bavarian town of Passau, floodwaters have now reached a level not seen since the 16th Century, making much of the town inaccessible.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22752544
June 6, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Sulemana Haruna
The storm is forecast to hit Florida on Thursday.
Tropical Storm Andrea has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported late this afternoon. It is the first named storm of the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season.
As of 6 p.m. ET, the storm had winds of 40 mph and was moving to the north at 3 mph. The center of the storm was located about 310 miles southwest of Tampa.
A hurricane hunter aircraft “was able to identify a well-defined circulation” within the storm, the hurricane center said.
Tropical storm warnings have been put in place along the west coast of Florida from Boca Grande to Ochlocknee River.
Andrea will bring heavy rain, gusty winds, rough surf and severe thunderstorms to much of Florida on Thursday, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
The storm’s center should make landfall along the coast of Florida’s Big Bend on Thursday afternoon or evening, the hurricane center reports.
It is then forecast to head up the Eastern Seaboard on Friday and Saturday, delivering heavy rain and thunderstorms from the Mid-Atlantic to New England. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the East Coast from Flagler Beach, Fla., to Surf City, N.C.
Andrea is not forecast to strengthen into a hurricane.
The system has already produced drenching rain in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and in western Cuba, the hurricane center reported.
June 7, 2013 at 10:10 am
Haruna Mohammed
Waning Andrea to dump heavy rain across East Coast
(CNN) — Tropical Storm Andrea is expected to drench the East Coast with heavy rains Friday as its strength weakens.
A broader swath of the East Coast — including parts of 13 states, from Georgia to Maine — is under flash-flood watches. Flash flood warnings extend from Florida through coastal communities north to Virginia.
The warning means a sudden deluge of rain could overwhelm sewers, and cause rivers and creeks to overrun their banks through the weekend.
The watch area includes Washington, which the National Weather Service predicts could get up to 6 inches of rain Friday, and New York City, where forecasters say 1 to 2 inches of rain an hour could fall at times into Saturday.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/07/us/tropical-weather-andrea/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
June 7, 2013 at 10:12 am
Haruna Mohammed
As search in building collapse ends, lawsuits and investigations begin
Philadelphia (CNN) — Her family says she was brilliant, caring and had the ability to find beauty in everything.
Anne Bryan was in her first year as a full-time student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
She was among the six people killed Wednesday when a building collapse spilled rubble into a thrift store.
Roseline Conteh, Borbor Davis, Kimberly Finnegan, Juanita Harmin and Mary Simpson also died, according to Mayor Michael Nutter.
“Anne lived her life with an open heart,” her family said in a statement. “She gave herself to her family, friends and anyone in need of help. Her generosity was limitless.”
Nutter promised Thursday morning a “wide-ranging” investigation into the collapse of a four-story wall of a partially demolished building that toppled onto a Salvation Army store.
Later in the day, he released the name of the victims.
“Today, we mourn the loss of six Philadelphians who perished in the terrible tragedy … Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of the deceased,” Nutter said.
For more than a dozen hours, searchers had climbed over shards of wood, concrete and rebar before calling off the search for possible survivors late Thursday afternoon.
Fire Department Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said officials were “absolutely sure” there were no more victims in the huge pile of rubble.
The scene will be turned over to accident investigators from the police and inspections departments and the fire marshal’s office, he said.
Bright light in the darkness
Early Thursday, rescue workers celebrated after finding a 61-year-old woman buried in the rubble. CNN affiliate WPVI interrupted regular programming to deliver the astonishing news.
Myra Plekan moved her hand up and moved her body, a WPVI reporter on the scene said, seeming himself amazed by the rescue.
An ambulance raced Plekan to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she was in critical condition Thursday.
“It feels outstanding to be able to pull somebody (out) alive,” said Michael Resnick, the city’s public safety spokesman.
Thirteen people were injured.
Firefighters — apparently moved by the tragedy — placed flowers at the collapse site.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/06/us/philadelphia-building-collapse/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
June 7, 2013 at 11:28 am
Haruna Mohammed
Rescuers winch families to safety in German flood town
Rescuers used helicopters to pluck families from rooftops in the southern German town of Deggendorf on Wednesday as the Danube flood crisis continues.
Meanwhile more than 30,000 people in the eastern city of Halle have been told to leave their homes after rivers reached their highest level in 400 years.
Floodwater is also threatening parts of Austria and the Czech Republic.
At least 13 people have died and two are missing as a result of the floods.
Rising waters have been triggered by heavy rain following a wet spring.
Eight deaths were recorded in the Czech Republic and three in Germany, while two people were reported dead and two missing in Austria, according to a European Commission update on Tuesday evening.
Parts of Germany have not seen such severe flooding in centuries. However, in the Czech Republic, the water level has stabilised in the capital Prague, where there had been fears of a repeat of disasters in 2002 and 1997.
Records beaten
Helicopters started removing residents from their homes in Deggendorf on Wednesday after two levees along the Danube and Isar rivers broke.
Firefighter Alois Schraufstetter said the floodwater in the Bavarian town was 3m (9.8ft) high. “This is a life-threatening situation,” he was quoted as saying by Germany’s DPA news agency.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22779749
June 11, 2013 at 8:21 am
Haruna Mohammed
Rescue efforts continue in Mumbai apartment collapse
New Delhi (CNN) — Part of a residential building collapsed in central Mumbai on Monday evening, killing four people and injuring six, and rescuers continued to search for others who might be trapped Tuesday morning, officials said.
Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte told CNN Tuesday that four people have died and six have been rescued with injuries. He said one wing of a two- or three-story apartment building collapsed in the Mahim district of central Mumbai.
“We are estimating that three to four people are still trapped inside the building,” he said.
Fire brigades rushed to the scene, and video showed dozens of rescuers working to clear rubble.
Indian media reported that the collapse happened after heavy monsoon rains.
Just last week, a vacant building was being torn down in downtown Philadelphia when a four-story wall collapsed onto an adjacent Salvation Army thrift store. The incident left six people dead and 13 others injured.
In April, the nine-story Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1,130 people and injuring more than 2,400.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/10/world/asia/india-mumbai-building/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
June 12, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Colorado fires scorch state; thousands evacuated
(CNN) — Fires in Colorado have forced a prison to evacuate 905 inmates, a state corrections department spokeswoman said Wednesday.
The majority of the inmates are “special needs,” Alison Morgan told CNN, meaning they receive medical treatment.
Because it’s usually a time-consuming process to move inmates, officials began moving those at the Colorado Territorial Correctional facility to Centennial Correctional facility around midnight Tuesday, Morgan said. The transfer was finished at 9 a.m., she said.
She stressed the inmates were moved only as a precaution; the Royal Gorge Fire has not reached Colorado Territorial Correctional facility, which is located on Highway 50 in Canon City, southwest of Colorado Springs.
But that and other fires are moving fast and winds are expected to pick up throughout the day, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said at news conference Wednesday morning. The Black Forest Fire is burning in that county.
“We have some very unpredictable conditions,” he said. Authorities’ “priorities are saving lives — protecting the first responders and firefighters.”
There have been no injuries among responders so far, he said.
Meanwhile, backup is coming in. Rescue workers are getting more helicopters and National Guard troops are relieving law enforcement workers who have been working nonstop, Maketa said.
By late Tuesday, more than 3,600 residents were evacuated as the Black Forest Fire burned quickly through dry timber. As many as 80 homes could be damaged or destroyed, Maketa said Wednesday, but he said an exact estimate was difficult.
Low humidity, high temperatures and wind gusts helped the fire grow quickly and caused officials to issue evacuation orders for more than 2,500 homes.
But not everyone had heeded the evacuation order, Maketa said, and some were having trouble getting out.
“We have some folks that were having difficulty,” he said. “We are focused on our elderly population that may have difficulty moving, and people trying to move animals out. It has gone from an evac to somewhat of a search and rescue.”
Later Tuesday, the sheriff’s office tweeted that 1,260 homes had been evacuated.
Maketa said that some people who had originally indicated they wouldn’t evacuate had called to ask for help.
There have been no reported fatalities among residents, he reiterated Wednesday.
The Black Forest Fire had burned at least 7,500 acres by late Tuesday. It was the largest active fire in the state and is burning in a largely rural area just northeast of Colorado Springs.
The area is heavily wooded and many of the homes are on large parcels of land.
Army firefighters from Fort Carson have joined efforts south of Colorado Springs. The fort is also supporting firefighting efforts in the Black Forest area with bulldozer and air support.
Maketa said he was concerned that firefighting assets would be split between the Black Forest Fire and others burning in the state. He said that a formal request for more help has been placed with the state.
The rapidly growing Royal Gorge Fire had expanded to 3,800 acres by Tuesday evening, the Colorado Office of Emergency Management said. Three structures were confirmed lost.
CNN affiliate KKTV spoke to a farmer who lived close to the flames.
“I’m watching the flames just fly up the mountain, burst these dried trees and then die down,” the farmer said. The fire was moving away from his farm, he said, but he said that there wasn’t a lot of fuel for a fire because much of it had withered away.
The cause of both fires are under investigation, officials said.
There were two other smaller fires burning in Huerfano and Grand counties, the Colorado Office of Emergency Management indicated on a map on its website.
The latter fire was caused by lightning in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The blaze was only several acres in size and hadn’t grown much in spite of the high winds, park officials said on their website.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/12/us/colorado-fires/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
June 13, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Sulemana Haruna
At least 156 people have died and more than 5,500 been injured in a powerful earthquake in China’s south-western Sichuan province today.
The quake – measured by China’s seismological bureau at magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale and by the US Geological Survey at 6.6 – struck the steep hills of Lushan county shortly after 8am.
Though less destructive as the one which hit the mountainous region in 2008, it toppled buildings, triggered landslides and disrupted phone and power connections.
Authorities said nearly all the buildings in the village of Longmen had been destroyed.
Rescuers turned the square outside the Lushan County Hospital into a triage centre, where medical personnel bandaged bleeding victims, according to footage on China Central Television. Rescuers dynamited boulders that had fallen across roads to reach Longmen and other damaged areas lying farther up the mountain valleys, state media reported.
People in their underwear and wrapped in blankets ran into the streets of Ya’an and even the provincial capital of Chengdu, 70 miles east of Lushan, according to photos, video and accounts posted online.
June 17, 2013 at 1:05 am
Sulemana Haruna
Tropical Storm Andrea brought flooding rain and several tornadoes to the East
http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/
June 17, 2013 at 1:09 am
Sulemana Haruna
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued their latest 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook, expecting yet another active season.
The forecast calls for 13-20 named storms, 7-11 of which are expected to become hurricanes, including 3-6 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale). NOAA’s forecast specifies a “70% likelihood” of a range of storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes.
These forecast numbers are above the long-term average from 1950-2012 (12 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 major hurricanes) and slightly above the averages for the current active era from 1995-2012 (15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, 4 major hurricanes).
Three straight Atlantic hurricane seasons have had 19 storms. Only seven Atlantic seasons have had more hurricanes than last season’s 10 hurricanes. Among the four U.S. landfalls were the most intense tropical cyclone to make a U.S. landfall prior to June 1 (Tropical Storm Beryl), a soaking Tropical Storm Debby, a painfully slow Hurricane Isaac, and one of the most destructive storms in U.S. history, Superstorm Sandy. (Sandy became a “post-tropical” system shortly before landfall.)
Source: http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/
June 17, 2013 at 1:19 am
Sulemana Haruna
Between January and June 2013, 5,300 families are affected by floods in Afganistan.
June 17, 2013 at 1:20 am
Sulemana Haruna
In the first week of February 2013, heavy rain and snowfall across Afghanistan caused considerable damage, leaving 10 people dead and hundreds of houses destroyed. More than 1,200 families were displaced. Areas in the Central and Western Regions are among the worst hit. (OCHA, 10 Feb 2013)
By the end of February, more than 1,600 families had been affected, 26 people had been killed, and about 425 homes had been damaged or destroyed in 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. (USAID, 28 Feb 2013)
As of mid-April, over 70 weather-related incidents have been recorded throughout Afghanistan (IOM Weekly Summary Reports).
Heavy rain and flash floods starting on 24 Apr killed at least 17 people in the northern Balkh province. Hundreds of homes and thousands of acres of agricultural lands were destroyed. Submerged roads hamper the relief operations in the affected areas. (ECHO, 25 Apr 2013)
(2) Afghanistan: Districts Affected by Natural Disasters (1 January – 21 April 2013) [ReliefWeb; 21 April 2013]
Natural disaster incidents include avalanches, extreme winter, flooding, heavy rainfall, landslides & mudflows, and extreme weather (sandstorms, hail, wind, etc).
June 17, 2013 at 1:29 am
Sulemana Haruna
M 5.8 strong earthquake shakes Mexico today, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake’s epicenter was located 22km W of Jolalpan. It was 33.4 miles deep.
The epicenter was in Guerrero state near the border of Puebla.
Mexico earthquake caused landslides along several roads and collapsed walls in Jiutepec, Morelos. Luckily no injury has been reported (earthquake damage report below).
Mexico is one of the world’s most seismologically active regions.
05:19 UTC (local time 2013-06-15 22:19 @ epicenter
June 17, 2013 at 6:47 am
Haruna Mohammed
Blazing Sunday: 3-month-old baby burnt to death in Odawna Market fire
A three-month-old baby has burnt to death in the latest fire outbreak that engulfed a wooden structure at the Odawna Market near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra on Sunday evening.
The boy was said to have been left to sleep in the candle lit structure while his mother went out to buy diapers.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started about 15 minutes after the woman had left, around 7:40pm.
Traders rushed to the scene and managed to quench the fire before personnel of the fire service got to the scene.
However nobody, including the baby’s father who was part of those who quenched the fire, knew he was lying inside the structure.
One of the eyewitnesses told Myjoyonline.com that it was too late when they finally realized the baby was in there. He added that the three-month-old boy was completely burnt.
His father collapsed and was rushed to the hospital and his mother who rushed to the scene upon hearing there was a fire outbreak absconded.
This is the fourth fire incident to have been recorded on Sunday alone.
Another fire at Nungua this morning claimed the life of a two-year-old boy.
In Kumasi, scores of shops were razed to the ground at the central market when fire swept through it at dawn.
And a five-bedroom house situated at the plush Trassaco Valley residential community- estimated to cost a million dollars and with no fire extinguisher – was gutted by fire this morning.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201306/107900.php
June 17, 2013 at 6:49 am
Haruna Mohammed
Five bedroom Trassaco house gutted by fire
A five-bedroom house situated at the plush Trassaco Valley residential community was gutted by fire this morning, a third of such incidents to have been recorded on Sunday.
The occupant of the one-storey building, estimated to cost over a million dollars, said he spotted smoke billowing from upstairs at about 7:45am and rushed there.
Alex Briton who said he couldn’t reach personnel of the Fire Service drove to a nearby police station to ask for help, Joy News’ Isreal Laryea reported
Alex told the police he saw fire coming out of the air-conditioner.
The fire was eventually brought under control at about 9am.
Firemen who eventually got to the scene said the fire could have easily been contained if there was a fire extinguisher in the house.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201306/107891.php
June 17, 2013 at 10:36 am
Haruna Mohammed
Aided by rain, firefighters make progress in battle against Colorado fire
Colorado Springs, Colorado (CNN) — The hundreds of firefighters battling a huge blaze near Colorado Springs, Colorado, had a good night, the federal official overseeing the fight said Sunday.
It was “nothing backwards, all forward,” incident commander Rich Harvey said.
The 16,000-acre fire is now 65% contained, he said.
“There’s still a lot of (small fires) out there to get still,” he said. The plan for Sunday was to “mop up smokes” and maintain the perimeter.
El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said it will take some time before residents will be allowed to go home permanently.
“We have a crime scene in there. We have fire in there. We have downed power lines in there. We have trees falling each time there is a gust of wind,” he said, adding he was calling it a crime scene until proven otherwise.
He also said he didn’t want people to get a false sense of security because there no longer a big plume of smoke.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/16/us/colorado-fires/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
June 19, 2013 at 1:20 pm
Haruna Mohammed
World Cup only benefits outsiders, say Brazil protesters
Belo Horizonte, Brazil (CNN) — At 11 pm, the tired and the injured gathered in Belo Horizonte for one last expression of discontent.
More than a thousand sat in Praca Sete de Setembro, a square in the center of the city, chanting against the government and the police. But they weren’t the crowd’s only enemy. A sign hung from a nearby balcony. It read: “Anti Copa.” On the pavement the words “A FIFA é Foda” had been painted: “F*** You, FIFA,” in Portuguese. The roads had been blocked off by the military police, who watched the protesters from afar. A bank of police horses chewed on piles of hay left for them on the road.
Daniel Sanabria, a technician in his 20s, stood nearby cradling his arm, an ice pack on top of a bloody bandage. He peeled it off to reveal an ugly red welt on his left hand. “A bullet,” he explained.
Brazilian protester: Where do taxes go? Protests remain mostly festive in Brazil Tiny price hike triggers huge protests Brazilian protester: Where do taxes go?
Read: 9 cent hike leads to clashes on Brazil’s streets
The day was supposed to have been something of a coronation for Belo Horizonte, a relatively quiet and small city — if a population of 2.5 million people could ever be called small — surrounded by mountains, an hour’s flight north of Rio de Janeiro.
Its famous Mineirao football stadium had just hosted its first match of the 2013 Confederations Cup, a 6-1 victory for African champions Nigeria against the tiny Pacific islanders of Tahiti. It was a dry run for next year’s World Cup finals which return to Brazil for the first time since 1950, a chance to prove that the country was ready to host the most world’s most popular sports tournament.
Instead, military and civilian helicopters flew overhead, roads were blocked and military police stationed throughout the city as a series of protests sparked by anger about the cost of living, poor quality education and high transport costs took place at the same time as the match.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/americas/brazil-protests-montague/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
June 21, 2013 at 7:26 am
Haruna Mohammed
India grapples with ‘Himalayan tsunami’ that has left 150 dead
(CNN) — Rescue workers in northern India are scrambling to save tens of thousands of people left stranded by devastating floods that have killed as many as 150 people in the region.
One government official described the flooding as a “Himalayan tsunami.”
Triggered by unusually early and heavy monsoon rains, the floods have swept away buildings, roads and vehicles in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand, which borders Nepal and China. The neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh has also been hit.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those who have lost their lives and those who have suffered injury or loss of property in this huge tragedy,” said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who carried out an aerial survey of the affected areas in Uttarakhand on Wednesday.
Monsoon rains drench India, cause floods Flood washes cars away in India
With bad weather hampering rescue efforts and some areas still under water, officials are struggling to gauge the scale of the disaster.
“Very heavy casualties are feared and I cannot give the exact number without a proper survey,” said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, according to CNN’s sister network CNN-IBN. He described the severe flooding as a “Himalayan tsunami.”
Singh said Wednesday that estimates put the number of people killed in the floods at 102, but added that “it is feared that loss of lives could eventually be much higher.”
A local official in Uttarakhand, Om Prakash, said that the death toll in the state had reached 150, but cautioned that he wasn’t able to give an exact estimate since some villages were still inundated, CNN-IBN reported Thursday. More than 60,000 people remain stranded, the network said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/20/world/asia/india-floods/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
June 21, 2013 at 3:44 pm
Haruna Sanusi
Fellow muslim brethren,lets put our words into action and give the world’s KUTUB the needed support .salam
June 24, 2013 at 7:47 am
Haruna Mohammed
Up to 1,000 feared dead in India floods, landslides
(CNN) — Indian authorities scrambled to rescue thousands of people trapped after floods and landslides ravaged the Himalayan region, leaving up to 1,000 feared dead.
The exact number of those killed will not be clear until the muddy waters are cleaned up and the bodies recovered, said Vijay Bahuguna, the chief minister of Uttarakhand state, which is the worst-hit.
Survivors of India floods recount horror Monsoon rains drench India, cause floods Flood washes cars away in India
“Certainly, the number of the dead is much higher than 550 … and it could be around 1,000 as figures coming in suggest,” he said Saturday.
Emergency operations include the military and all forms of transportation, including trains moving people for free.
About 70,000 have been evacuated since the floods hit this month.
Barrages of water, mud and rocks have hit scores of towns and villages in the Indian state, inundating homes, shrines, roads and vehicles.
Bahuguna, has described the disaster as a “Himalayan tsunami.”
Dotted with temples and often referred to as “the Land of Gods,” Uttarakhand attracts large numbers of pilgrims from around India to its mountainous reaches. Those travelers, many of them far from home and short on belongings, are now caught up in the destruction.
Thousands of rescue workers are trying to reach more than 50,000 people cut off by the waters. Bahuguna told CNN’s sister network CNN-IBN on Friday night that the death toll was 556 but could rise. The bodies “were either buried or floating in slush,” he said. It will take 15 days to complete evacuations in the province, he added.
Other parts of northern India, including New Delhi, have also been hit by flooding, but Uttarakhand has suffered the worst of the devastation.
The rains over the region have eased in the past few days, aiding in the rescue of about 30,000 people, Bahuguna said.
Gurjit Singh, who had traveled to the town of Gobindghat with his 12-year-old son, described a chaotic scene as people tried to escape the flooding last week.
“There was nothing but death in front of us,” Singh said Thursday after getting out of a crowded car ferrying people to dry, flat land. “Now that we’ve got out, we feel like we’ve got a second life.”
His son, Rana Udesh Pratap, said the trek to safety was long.
“I held my father’s hand and walked and walked and walked on a narrow path,” he said. The two had made a pilgrimage to Uttarakhand from the nearby state of Punjab to visit the Sikh Hemkunt Sahib shrine.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/23/world/asia/india-floods/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
June 25, 2013 at 7:08 am
Haruna Mohammed
Helicopter crash kills Nicaragua air force chiefs
Key members of Nicaragua’s air force, including the chief of staff, are among 10 people killed in a helicopter crash.
The helicopter was returning from a military base in the north-west when it came down near a lake west of the capital Managua. The cause is unknown.
Air force Chief of Staff Colonel Manuel Lopez was killed in the crash, the Nicaraguan army said.
The air defence chief and the head of air force counter-intelligence were also among the dead, the army said.
The soldiers had reportedly been at a training session in the north-west town of La Paz Centro and were returning to the capital when the crash happened.
Army officials said an investigation was under way.
source: http://world.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201306/108243.php
June 25, 2013 at 8:45 am
Haruna Mohammed
Letap Jewellers on fire
Report reaching Myjoyonline.com says a two-storey building housing a jewellery company, Letap Jewellers, along the Graphic Road in Accra, has erupted in flames Tuesday morning.
The fire which an eyewitness says started around 3 am has been spreading very quickly as personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service battle to get it under control as at 7:30am.
According to the eyewitness, the security man on duty said an explosion from the second floor of the building preceded the fire.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201306/108435.php
June 25, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Another fire in Kumasi consumes 8 shops, four vehicles
Another fire outbreak in Kumasi has consumed eight shops at Suame Magazine, a suburban market in the Ashanti regional capital.
The fire which started at about 2am Tuesday swept through eight shops and completely burnt four vehicles as well as a corn mill.
The fire is believed to started immediately power, which had been cut from the area, was restored.
This is the second market fire in a month in Kumasi after a similar occurrence in the Central Market on June 16, 2013.
Market activities in the area have been halted with many traders ruing their loss.
Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor reported that the people suspect the fire may have started from the corn mill. According to Erastus, eyewitness say there was power outage in the area the previous night.
In a related development, fire which gutted portions of the second floor of a two storey building belonging to LETAP Pharmaceuticals earlier today, has been brought under control.
Eye-witnesses say the blaze started around 3am and it took the fire service personnel close to five hours to quench the fire.
According to James Oheneba Yaw Kwarteng, Accra Regional Public Relations Officer for the Fire Service, they had to use five fire tenders and three water tankers to bring the fire under control.
source:http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201306/108454.php
July 2, 2013 at 7:10 am
Haruna Mohammed
Arizona wildfires: The life of a ‘hotshot’ firefighter
he 19 firefighters killed in Arizona were part of an elite team known as a “hotshot” crew, specially trained to deal with wildland fires. What is it like?
The wall of flames, nearly 300ft (91m) tall, was racing up the mountain towards her. But Kim Lightley froze.
“I guess I was resolved to the fact I wasn’t going to survive, so for a fleeting moment, it was OK,” she said.
A 23-year-old “hotshot” from Oregon, Lightley was a long way from home, fighting one of the most deadly wildland fires in the history of Colorado.
She knew that half her unit were behind the flames and she was resigned to joining them. One attempt to run for her life had already failed when that escape route became blocked.
Unable to follow her superintendent’s instruction to deploy her emergency shelter, she only came out of her shock when he struck her on the head. She eventually made her escape, along with eight others. That was her last fire.
The events of that day in 1994, in which 11 of her friends died in the South Canyon Fire on Storm King Mountain, still haunt her and never more so the day after 19 firefighters died in a wildland fire in Arizona.
Tackling wildfires of these types is a job like no other – people within the fire service describe hotshots as “different breeds of people”, such are the unique demands of living in the wilderness for days and weeks on end.
There are about 110 “hotshot” crews across the US, mostly located in the south-west, each with about 20 members.
Their main task is to scour a “fire line” in the landscape, a break between the fire and nearby homes by removing anything that could fuel the flames – brush, trees, vegetation.
It is hard work – they have to dig, chainsaw, scrape and carry, while always being aware of the fire’s location and their escape routes.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/23137482
July 2, 2013 at 7:27 am
Haruna Mohammed
Unmanned Russian rocket explodes seconds after liftoff
(CNN) — An unmanned Russian rocket veered off course and exploded in a fireball Tuesday, seconds after liftoff from a launch pad in Kazakhstan.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Proton-M rocket was carrying three satellites for Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System, or Glonass, reported the RIA Novosti news agency.
Glonass is the Russian equivalent to the United States’ Global Positioning System, or GPS.
The rocket had just taken off from the Baikonur space center, in a launch broadcast live on television.
Seconds later, it changed course, burst into flames and dove nose-first into the ground.
In 2010, another Proton-M rocket carrying three satellites crashed in the Pacific Ocean.
Authorities have suspended further launches of the rockets as they investigate what caused the explosion.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/02/world/europe/russia-rocket-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
July 4, 2013 at 6:43 am
Haruna Mohammed
Death toll in Indonesia quake rises to 30; rescuers search for missing
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) — The death toll in Tuesday’s earthquake in Indonesia has risen to 30, authorities said. The number of those injured stands at 275.
Most of the victims were children and the elderly, who were struck by falling debris, said disaster management spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Rescuers are searching for a dozen people who were reported missing.
Thousands of homes, schools and mosques sustained damages, when the 6.1-magnitude quake struck in the country’s northwest. The quake also triggered landslides that cut off roads, Nugroho said.
The death and destruction was concentrated in the province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra. The two hardest-hit districts were Bener Meriah and Central Aceh, the country’s National Disaster Management Agency said.
People ran out of their homes when the quake struck, and many residents were hesitant to return for fear of aftershocks, Nugroho said.
In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude underwater earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries. The majority of the deaths were in Indonesia, with Aceh bearing the brunt.
Tuesday’s quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) in a mountainous area near Sumatra’s northwestern tip, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by at least two aftershocks of magnitude 5.2 and 5.3.
Indonesia is on the Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/04/world/asia/indonesia-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
July 4, 2013 at 6:54 am
Haruna Mohammed
Arson at Tema Central Market foiled
The Police Administration has disclosed that a combined team of the Tema Regional Police, Fire Service and Tema Metropolitan Assembly Security Guards has foiled an attempt by some unknown person(s) to set the Tema Central Market at Community One ablaze.
The suspected arson which was detected at about 12.00 midnight of Wednesday 3rd July, 2013 by the team is said to have resulted in the burning of two tables used to set the fire alight.
The Police say preliminary investigation has revealed that the suspect(s) lit two sticks of candle, put them in a plastic bag, stuffed it with polythene bags and place it between two wooden tables, and set it in front of a big store in the market.
“However, due to the vigilance of the Police and the other security officers who have been patrolling the market day and night, the fire was instantly found and put out,” a statement from the Public Affairs Directorate said.
The release signed by DSP Cephas Arthur said: “The Police would want to assure the public that security measures have been put in place to protect our markets and other vital installations from fire and other criminal attacks. Arsonists are therefore warned to desist from carrying out any nefarious activities, as they would be dealt when caught”.
“Meanwhile all efforts are being made to track down the perpetrators of this incident. The public are therefore entreated to volunteer information on the perpetrators of this act and other crimes to the Police for the necessary action.”
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201307/108905.php
July 5, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Xinjiang calm on anniversary of deadly riots
Urumqi, China (CNN) — Urumqi, the capital of China’s far-western Xinjiang Province, was calm but definitely tense Friday, four years after violent clashes left hundreds dead and exposed deep ethnic rifts in the region.
In the days leading up to the anniversary, and in the wake of recent attacks that left 35 dead in Xinjiang, Chinese authorities have taken measures to thwart further unrest.
Paramilitary police in camouflaged fatigues with automatic weapons and riot gear have been stationed outside key points throughout the capital, including government buildings, banks and major intersections. While it is not unusual for there to be a visible police presence in a city known for past troubles, the number of armed troops on the streets has increased dramatically — one main street next to a local theater in the city was backed up with a column of police trucks, armored personnel carriers and other riot-control vehicles.
Read: China ramps up security in Xinjiang
According to tourist operators and local residents, the government has also banned all night markets and non-tourist public events to avoid crowds gathering at this sensitive time.
Periodic bursts of violence are nothing new in Xinjiang, a resource-rich region of western China where the arrival of waves of Han Chinese people over the decades has fueled tensions with the Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim ethnic group. Uyghurs have complained of discrimination and harsh treatment by security forces in Xinjiang, despite official promises of equal rights and ethnic harmony. In China as a whole, Han Chinese account for 92% of the population. They now make up about 40% of the population of Xinjiang, where Uyghurs used to be predominant.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/05/world/asia/china-xinjiang-violence-anniversary/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
July 5, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Explosion at Aboadze Thermal plant
There has been an explosion at the Aboadze Thermal plant, in Takoradi Friday morning.
The explosion was said to have occurred at the GRIDCO switch station but there was no fire, a source confirmed to Joy FM’s Western Region correspondent Kweku Owusu Peprah.
Technical service personnel are still investigating the cause of the fire, with personnel of the Fire Service also on standby to avert any fire outbreak, the source added.
The source said the explosion did not cause any severe damage to the plants and should not affect power supply to the country.
The Aboadze Plant started operation in 1997 by the Volta River Authority to complement the existing Hydro Plant at Akosombo and Kpong.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201307/108996.php
July 6, 2013 at 2:10 pm
Iddrisu Abdul-Rashid
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SHEIHU OF SALAWATIYA, IMAM HUSAIN RASHID (QUTUUBU AZ-ZAMANI)
I greet you in peace, Asalamu alekum. I hope this letter finds you in good health and I also pray Allah’s continuous blessing for you. Let me take the opportunity to congratulate you on the many positive programmes you have recently instituted to uplift the image of Islam and which we hope will help demystify the rather misrepresented religion. I want to particularly mention your interest in the science of the religion from which you have started to pilot satellite creations. This will in no doubt contribute to and Speer Islamic research into the science of the Holy Quran. I also note with amusement the walk you organized in Accra that saw many chiefs, Imams and ordinary people out on the street to exercise their limps for a healthier life.
I take the pains to write this letter following your decision not to stage Tafsir in Tamale this year. This was in reaction to the ugly events of last year which led to some rioting and the purported firing of guns and indeed the trading of insults. As ugly and as detestable those events were, many including myself took it for granted that this notice was served in the heat of the moment and that when things normalise we will see a retraction. However time has elapsed and there is still no word from you regarding rescinding that decision meanwhile we are only a few days away from Ramadan.
As a concerned Muslim and a young man who has had to deal with you for over a decade on this particular subject matter I felt obliged to write to you this open letter. I am doing so conscious of the fact that many other people will read this letter. I am also sure that many others have also approached you on this issue from many different directions. While we respect your decision and respect your right in this matter we owe it a duty to the many voices who cannot reach out to you to raise their concerns with you.
Before I even go ahead to make a case why you should rescind your decision I am at a loss as to why a distinguished retired captain of the Ghana armed forces will retreat from a battlefield only because the terrain is rough. We are made to understand that in the army you don’t retreat neither do you surrender.
On a more serious note, this will certainly not be a good example for the many who are learning under your feet and indeed the many others who look up to you for inspiration and direction. The message I see you conveying to us young people who are striving to barely scratch the surface for survival is that we should abandon our people, our hopes our dreams when the going gets tough. Can we actually grow to learn to withstand tough and bad times?
Are the enemies of the religion not winning against us? Is it not possible that some have been praying for a seed of discord to be sown amongst our leaders such that all our Imams will jump ship and allow the people to go astray? Are you happy to be the first to abandon your people?
One of the very first Islamic lessons I came into contact with whiles growing up was the fact that I should never tire working for the sake of Allah. We are encouraged to keep up the struggle even in tough times. The Jihad is not an event but a continuous process. Even as Imams including yourself continue to provide guidance for the ummah, we are still nowhere near the perfection of our deen and we now more than ever need guidance on how to truly worship our creator and maker, Allah subhanahu wa ta ala. Are you willing to abandon this Jihad in favour of the emotions it stirs?
We are told to repay bad deeds with good ones. Assuming without admitting that your person has been defiled and trampled upon would you rather reply in like manner without regard to the exultation? If the decision is not rescinded we will note in one corner of our brain permanently the disparity between talk and deeds and am not sure this is what you want us to do as a people who are learning from you.
There are many questions begging for answers. I will not pretend that you are not human and you cannot get offended in the process of human interaction. I can certainly understand your many frustrations. There is no gain in running away from the reality of the situation and how much it almost cost us as a people. The beauty of our religion is that it has provided solution for every situation and I want to use this medium to implore you to rescind your decision in the name of Allah and come and join your colleague Imams to help reform our society of youth whom we are fast losing to social vices.
The ummah you lead should not be ones to bear the brunt of your anger. They should not be the low hanging fruits to be nibbled away all because they hang that low. I need not recount to you, because you know better than I do that our prophet, Mohammed (SAW) who perfected our religion for us suffered harsher treatment but yet he rose above these human provocations to hand down this beautiful religion from his maker.
There would always be problems, but our ability to withstand these problems is what sets us apart from the crowd. I entreat you not to take for granted and not to treat lightly the trust reposed in you by your ummah. You are a source of guidance, you are a teacher, a doctor and a father to many and we look forward to your change of mind.
Thank you
Yours faithfully in the service of Islam
Iddrisu Abdul-Rashid
abdulrashid.iddrisu@gmail.com
July 10, 2013 at 5:38 pm
salawatia
We praise Allah, the Merciful, and the Beneficent. May Allah’s perpetual peace and blessings be upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his household.
First and foremost, I would like to thank you most sincerely for your letter to me asking me to change my mind. Your presentation was wonderful.
I am not running away from my responsibilities. You would agree with me that I have actually dedicated myself to the people of Dagbon and beyond. As a Qutub and a peace advocate who has been preaching for permanent peace not only in Dagbon and Ghana, but the world as a whole, I should make consented efforts to reach out to the whole world.
Muslims in other cities in Ghana such as Accra, Kumasi, Koforidua and the rest had approached me to lunch my teachings in their towns and cities. I have to answer to their calls, because I am for everybody both Muslims and Non-Muslims. So my coming to Accra is to serve the people of Accra and the environs.
Secondly, there was a six man delegation from Tamale led by the Chief of Zongo (Sheihu Dalhu A. Mumin) who came and met with the delegation in Accra led by Chief of the Wangara community in Accra (Alhaji Moro Issah) and had an agreement that I should do the 2012 Tafsir in Tamale and 2013 Tafsir in Accra. Hence I am here to fulfill the agreement and the promise made. A Mumin should always honour and fulfill his promises.
Lastly I would like to assure the people of Tamale that I would be there for them and I am always with them.
July 8, 2013 at 7:07 am
Haruna Mohammed
San Francisco crash Boeing ‘tried to abort landing’
The Boeing 777 that crash-landed at San Francisco airport was “significantly below” its target speed near the runway and the pilot tried to abort the landing, US investigators say.
The pilot was flying into San Francisco for the first time at the controls of a 777, Asiana Airlines says.
The flight from Seoul with 307 people fell short of the runway on Saturday, killing two and injuring dozens.
The aircraft apparently hit a sea wall, ripping off its tail.
Passengers and crew escaped down emergency slides as it burst into flames.
Asiana confirmed that two female Chinese teenagers died in the crash. They had been seated at the back of the aircraft.
They are believed to be the first-ever fatalities in a Boeing 777 crash.
San Francisco’s coroner is currently trying to establish whether one of the two fatalities occurred after a passenger was run over by an emergency vehicle rushing to the scene of the crash.
‘Everything is on the table’
Continue reading the main story
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Start Quote
It is too early to rule anything out”
Deborah Hersman
NTSB
At a news conference on Sunday, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chief Deborah Hersman said aircraft speed was below the planned 137 knots (158mph; 254km/h) as it approached the runway.
Citing information both from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, she said there was a call to increase the speed about two seconds before the impact.
The pilot then requested to abort the landing and “go around”, Ms Hersman added.
“We have to take another look at the raw data and corroborate it with radar and air traffic information to make sure we have a very precise speed.
“But again, we are not talking about a few knots here or there. We’re talking about a significant amount of speed below 137,” she said.
Asked about possible reasons for this, Ms Hersman stressed that “everything is on the table” and “it is too early to rule anything out”.
It has now emerged that although the pilot who was at the controls had nearly 10,000 flying hours – only 43 hours of those were on a Boeing 777.
Asiana Airlines said that Lee Kang-kook was assisted by another pilot who had more experience flying that type of aircraft.
Although he had flown into San Francisco 29 times at the controls of other types of aircraft, this was the first time he was doing so at the controls of a Boeing 777.
In a separate development, US officials confirmed that a navigation system helping pilots make safe descents was turned off for maintenance at San Francisco airport.
The Glide Path is used for landings in bad weather conditions; however, it was clear and sunny when the Asiana Airlines aircraft crashed on Saturday.
Debris on runway
The twin-engine Boeing 777 has a good safety record for long-haul and is used by many major carriers.
The only previous notable crash occurred when a British Airways plane landed short of the runway at London’s Heathrow Airport in 2008.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23222048
July 8, 2013 at 7:13 am
Haruna Mohammed
Lac-Megantic train blast: PM Harper visits ‘war zone’
Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the part of Lac-Megantic affected by Saturday’s crude oil explosion looks like a “war zone”.
At least five people died when runaway train cars packed with crude oil derailed and blew up early on Saturday.
Some 30 buildings had been completely incinerated by fires which engulfed the historic centre, said Mr Harper.
Police are trying to find 40 missing people: a nearby bar was said to have been crowded at the time of the blast.
“This is an enormous area, 30 buildings just completely destroyed, for all intents and purposes incinerated,” Harper said. “There isn’t a family that is not affected by this.”
The fires were so intense and burnt for so long that Quebec police warn some bodies may never be recovered.
The five bodies found are so charred they have been sent to Montreal for identification, police say.
Fires were finally extinguished early on Sunday evening.
“The flames, the fires all have been put out now. We did it,” said fire chief Denis Lauzon.
Investigation pledge
Visiting the affected area on Sunday, Mr Harper said an “unbelievable disaster” had befallen Lac-Megantic, which is around 250km (155 miles) east of Montreal.
Saturday’s pre-dawn explosion sent a fireball and black smoke into the air, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people.
“This is an enormous area, 30 buildings just completely destroyed, for all intents and purposes incinerated,” said Mr Harper. “There isn’t a family that is not affected by this.”
He added: “There’ll be investigations to ascertain what’s occurred and make sure it can’t happen again.”
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23221939
July 8, 2013 at 11:50 am
Haruna Mohammed
Ivory Coast accuses Ghana of breaching int’l law over Bui dam
The Ivorian authorities are demanding discussions with the Ghana government over the likely environmental and social impact of the Bui hydroelectric dam project on Ivory Coast.
According to the Ivorians, Ghana, in building the Dam, failed to consult them “in total violation of the international regulations in force, as regards cross-border projects”.
In a letter dated June 17, 2013 and published by The Herald newspaper, the Ivorian government also indicated that although they had sent several invitations to Ghana for discussions on the project, they were yet to receive a response.
The Ivorians want discussions with Ghana on how to mitigate the consequences which the operation of the dam would have on them.
But speaking on the Monday July 8 on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Deputy Minister for Energy and Petroleum, Mr John Jinapor, said although government had not received the letter, he was certain the Ghana government would readily accede reach out to the Ivorian authorities for discussions on the issue.
The Bui Hydro-electric Dam is located 50km from the Ghana-Ivory Coast border on the Black Volta.
The dam is expected to provide about 400 megawatts of the power to Ghana when it becomes fully operational.
Below is the full letter sent to Ghana’s Ambassador to Ivory Coast:
Dear Ambassador,
I have the honour to inform you that the Regional Office of Waters and Forests of Bondoukou reported to the Ministry in charge of Waters and Forests informing it about the commissioning of hydroelectric Dam built by Ghana on the black Volta river in the Bui Village, which is located at about 50km from the northern border with Cote d’Ivoire and its possible consequences on our territory.
Indeed, according to the information we received, Ghana built this Dam without consulting Cote d’Ivoire, in total violation of the international regulations in force, as regards cross-border projects, and it has not yet responded to the requests made by our country to have discussions on this project.
In this regard, I would be grateful for the provisions you could take in order to report to the Ghanaian authorities for the purpose of carrying out an environmental and social impact study in the area and to agree with our Government on the measures to be taken to mitigate the consequences related to the exploitation of this Dam.
Please accept, Dear Ambassador, the assurance of my highest consideration.
Signed
Chief of Staff
KALOU Emmanuel
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201307/109076.php
July 10, 2013 at 3:23 pm
Haruna Mohammed
China Sichuan landslide ‘buries up to 40 people’
A landslide has buried between 30 and 40 people in China’s Sichuan province following heavy rain, state media say.
Rescue workers with search dogs are at the scene in the city of Djiangyan, Xinhua news agency reports.
On Tuesday a bridge collapsed in the nearby city of Jiangyou, leaving at least 12 people missing.
Days of heavy rain and floods have damaged hundreds of homes and forced the evacuation of more than 36,000 people in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.
Footage from Chinese state media, meanwhile, showed the dramatic rescue of a factory worker in the town of Deyang, who was stranded by the floods after the factory was washed away.
“The water level is so high that vehicles, forklifts and excavators have all been washed away,” Wei Xiao, another factory worker, told Reuters news agency.
Mud and landslides caused by flooding and strong rains are common in China’s mountainous areas, killing hundreds of people every year. Deforestation has also made soil erosion much more of a problem.
‘Evacuated’
The landslide occurred in the town of Zhongxing is Dujiangyan – one of the places badly hit by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Map
The landslide, which covered about 2 sq km (0.8 sq miles), damaged at least 11 homes, Xinhua reported.
“So far we only know 11 families were buried and more than 200 residents have been evacuated,” a local official told AFP news agency.
Patrol members in Dujiangyan told local media that by the time they arrived at the scene, a few hours after the landslide, “everything was already a vast expanse of water”.
Eyewitnesses described stones and debris running down the hill and covering around eight homes in less than three minutes.
Meanwhile, rescue teams have been deployed in Jiangyou to search for those missing after Qinglian bridge collapsed, state media said.
At least six vehicles were reported to have plunged into the river when it came down after days of heavy rain.
Jiangyou’s local government say the river volume suddenly increased to a 50-year high on Tuesday.
“The high levels of flood sediment, and strong and destructive force of the water, caused the Qinglian bridge to collapse,” it said.
Two other bridges, one in Jiangyou and one in Deyang, were also washed away, officials said.
Chinese officials said that the heavy rain had affected more than 500,000 people in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, damaged about 300 homes, and forced the evacuation of 36,800 people, Xinhua reported.
For the worst affected areas, it appears that there is going to be little respite, says the BBC’s Martin Patience in Beijing.
Heavy rainfall is forecast in Sichuan province over the next 24 hours, our correspondent adds.
In 2011, more than five million people were reported to be affected by deadly floods in eastern China.
In 2008, Sichuan was hit by a devastating earthquake which led to almost 90,000 people dead or missing. A swollen river has wrecked exhibits at a memorial to those who died.
SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23251188
July 11, 2013 at 6:49 am
Haruna Mohammed
Canada train disaster: Blast missing ‘probably dead’
Canadian police have said 30 people still missing since Saturday’s train disaster in a Quebec town are “most probably dead”.
Twenty bodies have already been found after a runaway train carrying oil derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic.
The train operator’s boss blamed a local engineer for the accident, saying he had probably failed to set a series of hand brakes.
At least 30 buildings were razed by the fireball from the explosion.
This forced some 2,000 town residents to flee their homes.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23266074
July 15, 2013 at 12:19 am
Halil ahmad
Allahu Akbar
July 17, 2013 at 10:12 am
Haruna Mohammed
Scores rendered homeless as fire guts a slum near CMB in Accra
Scores of people have been rendered homeless after fire gutted a slum community called Abuja near the CMB in Accra.
The victims, including pregnant women and nursing mothers, are largely head porters and petty traders who ply their trade at Kantamanto and its environs.
Their wooden makeshift structures serving as accommodation and kiosks were consumed by the devastating fire which started around 8pm Tuesday.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
But Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Fire Service, Prince Billy Anaglatey said the fire outbreak in the area was not a surprise to the fire service.
He noted that everything in the area, such as the structures, have been put together “haphazardly” and doubted if there were any fire safety measures considered by residents, and by extension city authorities.
“Nobody should be surprised that the fire has started in this area, nobody should be surprised that the fire has spread so fast to the adjoining areas because of the materials they used in constructing the area.”
However, he said the fire personnel did well to bring the fire under control and prevented further destruction.
Meanwhile, the fire service says investigations are underway to establish the extent of damage as victims could not be immediately identified.
The latest fire comes at a time the country is experiencing a series of fire outbreaks usually at market centres, which some including high profile government officials suspect arson.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201307/109557.php
July 20, 2013 at 10:12 am
ISSAH MOHAMMED IKILIL
THE WORLD IS A SIMPLE COMBINATION OF ELEMENTS OF MATTER. ANYBODY WITH THE INSIGHT TO DEAL WITH THE CONTENT OF THE SPIRIT SO AS TO PRESENT A BENEFIT TO THE MATERIAL WORLD MUST BE KEPT ON HIGH PEDESTAL. IMAM RASHEED IS ONE OF SUCH PEOPLE.
July 22, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Haruna Mohammed
China’s Gansu province hit by powerful earthquakes
Two powerful earthquakes have struck China’s north-west Gansu province, killing at least 75 people and leaving more than 400 others injured.
The first earthquake near Dingxi city had a magnitude of 5.98 and was shallow, with a depth of just 9.8 km (6 miles), the US Geological Survey said.
Just over an hour later, a magnitude 5.6 quake hit the same area, it added.
In 2008, an earthquake in Sichuan province left up to 90,000 people dead and millions homeless.
A factory worker in Min county told AFP that he felt “violent shaking” and “ran to the yard of the [factory] plant immediately”.
“Our factory is only one floor. When I came to the yard, I saw an 18-storey building, the tallest in our county, shaking ferociously, especially the 18th floor,” he said.
Continue reading the main story
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23401470
July 23, 2013 at 8:10 am
Haruna Mohammed
‘It was pretty chaotic’ as landing gear on Southwest jet collapses, passenger says
(CNN) — Ten people suffered minor injuries Monday when the nose gear of a Southwest Airlines jetliner collapsed after landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, the city’s Port Authority reported.
Southwest Flight 345 was landing at LaGuardia from Nashville about 5:40 p.m. when the accident occurred. The nose of the blue-and-orange jet came to rest on the ground after the aircraft came to a stop, and passengers evacuated the aircraft on emergency slides.
“The aircraft skidded down the runway on its nose and then veered off and came to rest in a grass area between the runway and taxiway foxtrot,” Thomas Bosco, the airport’s general manager, told reporters. It stopped about halfway down the 7,000-foot runway.
Kathy Boles, a passenger aboard the Boeing 737, said a “strong jolt” could be felt inside the cabin when the gear failed and the nose slammed into the tarmac.
“It was just a bang and a bounce, and then a slam on the brakes and a skidding feeling,” Boles told CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360.”
“I feel extremely blessed to have come off that,” she said. “It just really felt like the plane could have broken in half, it was such a hard impact.”
Fellow passenger Anastasia Elliot said the situation was “pretty chaotic.”
“We hit the ground pretty hard and slid,” she said. “There was a lot of smoke filling the plane, just a lot of smoke and burnt rubber.”
Another passenger said it felt like the plane crashed and then skidded to a stop.
“Everything in the plane that was loose went flying forward,” Bill Roland said. “There were cell phones, iPads, books (and) drinks all skidded up.”
A total of 150 people were aboard the flight. In addition to the 10 injured aboard the plane, a Port Authority police officer was treated for heat exhaustion, Bosco said.
There were conflicting reports about how many members of the aircraft’s crew were among the injured. Southwest said three flight attendants had reported being hurt, while the Bosco said the six-member crew had been taken to a hospital for observation.
LaGuardia was closed to arriving flights as emergency vehicles surrounded the disabled jet, but the airport was back open for arrivals and departures by 7 p.m., Bosco said.
Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a possible nose gear problem before landing, but later amended that to say that after it reviewed air controller tapes, no issues were noted ahead of time. The National Transportation Safety Board was aware of the incident and sent an investigator to the scene.
The incident followed a runway crash of an Asiana jetliner in San Francisco last month that killed three people and injured more than 180 others.
Investigators in that crash will not determine a cause for several months at least but initial attention has focused on actions of the crew during approach.
The 737 has a conventional hydraulic landing gear system — a unit under each wing and a steerable wheel that extends from under the nose. Pilots can land safely with only the main gear operable and such incidents occur from time to time.
Southwest has more than 600 of the 737s in its fleet, including those operated by its subsidiary AirTran.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23401470
July 24, 2013 at 3:34 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Four dead after Australia-bound asylum boat sinks
At least four people have died after a boat carrying Australia-bound asylum-seekers sank, amid ongoing debate over the new policy.
The boat sank off the Indonesian island of Java, the transit point for people-smugglers.
At least 157 people have been rescued. It is not clear how many are missing.
Meanwhile, Australia’s immigration minister said he would investigate abuse claims at the country’s offshore processing centre in Papua New Guinea.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a new asylum policy last week, ahead of polls expected to be announced soon.
Under the policy, asylum-seekers arriving by boat in Australia will be sent to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for processing, and those whose refugee claims are upheld will be settled in PNG, rather than Australia.
Australia has experienced a sharp increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat in recent months. But critics have accused Australia of avoiding responsibility and passing on its problem to a developing nation.
Mr Rudd said that the sinking underlined the need for a policy shift, saying the government had to send “a very clear message to people-smugglers to stop sending people by boat to Australia”.
SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-23429003
July 26, 2013 at 7:33 am
Haruna Mohammed
Spain train crash victim: ‘It felt like a roller coaster’
(CNN) — The last thing Elder Stephen Ward remembers is flying sideways out of his seat.
The 18-year-old Mormon from Bountiful, Utah, was on his way to the Spanish town where he was planning to start two years of missionary work when the train he was riding in derailed as it went around a sharp curve.
One minute, he was writing in his journal. The next, he was covered in blood.
Ward was one of scores of people injured in Wednesday’s deadly crash.
“We had been going around some pretty sharp turns. We finally came to one more sharp turn, and the train, like, completely lifted up,” he said. “It was leaning sideways. It felt like a roller coaster.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/25/world/europe/spain-train-crash-scene/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
July 29, 2013 at 3:40 pm
inusah ahmad
assalaamu alaikum. I only have one question to ask our revered sheihu. Somewhere in 2010, the sheihk predicted world three and it did not come to pass, so how are we to get an explanation for this? Again, some years ago, the sheihu led a procession in Tamale to meet a certain chief of jinns. i dont know how all this can be explained. All the predictions, i guess are just everyday occurrences common to the world. thank you.
August 12, 2013 at 6:48 am
Haruna Mohammed
Venezuelan refinery ablaze after lightning strike
(CNN) — Firefighters were battling a blaze at a Venezuelan refinery Sunday after a lightning strike, a top official in the country’s state oil company said.
Lightning struck Sunday afternoon at a Petroleos de Venezuela refinery in the northern city of Puerto La Cruz, causing an explosion and subsequent fire, company Vice President Asdrubal Chavez said.
No injuries have been reported, Chavez said. Authorities are evacuating residents who live near the refinery, Anzoategui state Gov. Aristobulo Isturiz said.
Officials said lightning struck a pond at the refinery around 3:15 p.m. Sunday.
Video of the scene shows bright orange flames shooting up from the ground and a column of thick, black smoke rising far above the refinery.
In a Twitter post, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he was in close contact with teams on the ground.
The state oil company describes the Puerto La Cruz refinery as one of its “most important centers of crude oil processing.”
About 1,000 workers are based at the facility, the company said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/11/world/americas/venezuela-refinery-blast/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
August 12, 2013 at 6:56 am
Haruna Mohammed
Nairobi airport closes as fire crews tackle blaze
A huge fire has broken out at the main international airport in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) had been closed and passengers evacuated.
Cabinet secretary for transport Michael Kamau said the fire was “very severe” and urged people to stay away from the airport.
Images showed flames raging from one of the main buildings.
The interior ministry tweeted that an evacuation of the entire airport was under way, with only essential personnel remaining, but said the fire had been contained.
There have been no reports of any casualties and the cause of the fire is not clear.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is an important regional hub for East Africa, with many long-distance flights landing there to connect to countries across the region.
Water ‘shortage’
Dark smoke could be seen billowing into the sky across much of Nairobi, one report said.
Shocked would-be passengers stood outside the airport, bags in hand, watching the blaze.
The BBC’s David Okwembah, who is at the airport, says many ambulances are going to the scene as well as fire engines.
He said a junior police officer told the BBC the fire had started at the airport’s immigration offices, although this has not been confirmed.
Multiple reports say the arrivals and immigration sections have been devastated by the blaze.
The BBC’s Anne Soy in Nairobi quotes the government as saying fire engines are running dangerously low on water and tankers are being used to ferry water to the airport.
Julian Kyula – a passenger on board one of the last planes to land at the airport before flights began to be diverted – said a large cloud of black smoke had been visible from the plane.
He told the BBC’s Newsday programme that although the plane had landed the passengers were now stranded in the cargo area – at a safe distance from the blaze but unable to leave the airport.
“Everyone is very calm, the crew is very calm, and we’ve disembarked from the plane now,” he said, adding that passengers had not been given much information.
“There’s a lot less smoke, so it’s already looking a lot better than it did earlier this morning,” he said.
Mutea Iringo, a senior official at the interior and national co-ordination ministry, earlier confirmed “a serious fire” at JKIA, adding: “We are doing everything possible to avert a crisis.
“Apart from emergency landings, all flights into and out of JKIA have been cancelled… [the] airport has been shut down.”
Cabinet secretary for transport Mr Kamau urged people not to obstruct the work of the emergency services.
“They should allow the emergency work to continue and we kindly request even spectators, people who just want to watch, they should just keep off.”
The KAA said only emergency vehicles were allowed in the area.
source: http://world.myjoyonline.com/pages/africa/201308/110936.php
August 12, 2013 at 6:58 am
Haruna Mohammed
Indonesia volcano erupts in Palue, killing six
Thousands of Indonesians are still waiting to find out when it will be safe for them to return home.
They were evacuated after a volcanic eruption on the tiny eastern island of Palue over the weekend.
Six people who died after they were covered in volcanic ash as they slept on a beach have now been buried.
Jonathan Josephs reports.
source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23662478
August 12, 2013 at 8:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
Somalia: Ethiopian Air Force plane crashes in Mogadishu
An Ethiopian Air Force cargo plane has crashed and caught fire on landing at Mogadishu airport in Somalia.
Four of the six crew members on board the aircraft – carrying ammunition for international forces fighting Islamist militants – were killed.
Ammunition could be heard exploding inside the plane as the fire spread, closing the airport. The blaze was put out after about two hours.
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia in 2011 to assist African Union forces.
It is not known yet when the plane got into difficulties, and whether it overshot the runway, or fell short of it.
Continue reading the main story
It was not immediately clear where the plane flew from.
The Somali Islamist militia, al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, described the crash as an act of God, reports the BBC’s Abdullahi Abdi Sheikh in Nairobi.
On its Twitter feed, al-Shabab said the plane crash had “thwarted… the plots of the enemy invaders”.
Map
Ethiopian troops are not part of the African Union peacekeeping force, supporting the Somali government forces in their fight against al-Shabab.
Al-Shabab militants have shot at planes in the past but not in recent years, the Associated Press news agency reports.
The two crew members injured in the crash are currently receiving medical attention at the African Union hospital in Mogadishu, its mission in Somalia, Amisom, said in a statement.
Crash probe
The crash occurred shortly before 08:00 local time (05:00GMT), Amisom said. There was no damage to the runway, it added.
“The cause of the incident is yet to be established but investigations are currently under way,” the AU mission said.
The aircraft was a Soviet-made Antonov 24, Reuters news agency reports. Military aircraft regularly land at the airport. It was unclear what ammunition the plane was carrying.
A convoy of empty Somali military trucks had been seen earlier at the airport, Reuters adds.
Somalia – which has seen conflict since 1991 – has a poor record on aviation safety.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23628549
August 15, 2013 at 9:56 am
Haruna Mohammed
NTSB: No distress call prior to UPS cargo plane crash in Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama (CNN) — The pilot and co-pilot of a UPS cargo plane did not issue a distress call prior to crashing while on approach Wednesday to Birmingham’s airport, a National Transportation Safety Board official said.
While UPS said the status of its crew remained unconfirmed, Birmingham Airport Authority Chairwoman Gaynell Hendricks and the city’s mayor confirmed the pilot and co-pilot died in the crash.
“It’s a grim scene,” Hendricks told CNN affiliate WBRC.
The plane, an Airbus A300-600F, broke into pieces, spreading the majority of the debris over an area of about 300 yards, said Robert Sumwalt of the NTSB. A photograph provided by city officials shows the crumpled front portion of the plane resting in a debris-strewn field.
The plane, which took off from Louisville, Kentucky, went down around 4:45 a.m. on a street that runs parallel to the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Mayor William Bell said.
The location is about a half-mile north of the runway, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen told CNN.
NTSB investigators have yet to retrieve the cockpit and voice recorders of the plane because the wreckage is still smoldering, Sumwalt said. Once the fire is out, authorities will retrieve the recorders, he said.
Even so, investigators have begun working to piece together what led to the crash.
The crew did not issue a distress call, Sumwalt said, confirming what the mayor said earlier.
The crew did not report any trouble, Bell said, citing conversations with control tower officials. Light showers and a visibility of 10 miles were reported in the area of the airport at the time of the crash, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.
A spokesman for Bell, the mayor, confirmed late Wednesday morning that no buildings were hit and no one on the ground was injured.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/14/us/alabama-cargo-plane-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
August 19, 2013 at 7:31 am
Haruna Mohammed
Fire destroys a chemical shop at Kwame Nkrumah Circle
Fire destroyed a chemical shop on the ground floor of a one-storey building at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, in Accra, Sunday afternoon.
It took fire fighters about one and half hours to put out the fire.
An Assistant Officer at the Fire Service, Charles Oti, told Joy News they had to break down the door to the blazing chemical shop before fighting the fire.
Although the Fire Service are yet to ascertain the cause of the fire, eye-witnesses suspect it was started by an electrical fault.
Mr Charles Oti, however, said although it was difficult getting to the fire they managed to fight it adequately. Only minimal damage to property was encountered.
source:http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201308/111650.php
August 19, 2013 at 7:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
Passengers aboard Antrak Air flight escape death
Passengers aboard an Antrak Air flight from Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana to the capital Accra escaped death when the pilot navigated a faulty airplane to safe-landing in Tamale.
One of the engines of the airplane caught fire, mid-air, according to Mr. Charles Nyaaba, a passenger on the plane.
This caused one of the fans of the plane to stop functioning, he said.
The pilot quickly returned to Tamale and managed to land safely.
Mr. Nyaaba said panic-stricken passengers prayed and wailed whilst the pilot navigated the faulty airplane to try and save their lives.
He told Myjoyonline.com that the bewildered passengers are scrambling to reach their family members.
They do not know what alternative plans are being made to convey them to Accra.
Flight attendants are tight-lipped over the incident.
Chief Commercial Officer of Antrak Air, Mr. Antwi Boasiako, in a release later, explained “there was a fire incident on one engine of Antrak aircraft with registration number EC-KUL, enroute from Tamale to Accra”.
“The Captain detected the fire 20 minutes into the flight and returned safely to land at the Tamale airport. There was no injury or casualty. The aircraft, manufactured in 2008, is operated for Antrak by Swiftair of Spain.
We will update the public once investigations into the incident have been completed by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority. We will not be making any further comments on the incident.
At this point, our priority is to make alternative travel arrangements for passengers who will be affected by the grounding of this aircraft. We have started contacting all affected passengers. For additional travel information or enquiries, passengers may contact us on 0302745514. Thank you.”
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201308/111566.php
August 21, 2013 at 8:44 am
Haruna Mohammed
Train crashes into truck on Graphic Road
A truck carrying scrap metal this afternoon was crashed by a train on the Graphic Road, starting a vehicular traffic on the busy road.
No injuries were recorded in the accident which happened at about 3:45pm.
The truck had developed a mechanical fault and was stuck on the train tracks at the level-crossing at the time of the accident.
The vehicle, an old Albion truck with registration number GR 3794 J had gone to the Odorna area to load the scrap metal.
The driver had attempted to join the main road at the level-crossing area when it developed the mechanical fault.
Sensing danger, he mobilised support to push the truck off the tracks but whilst they were at it, the train appeared and they abandoned the vehicle to run to safety.
The train crashed and pushed it off its way. The truck overturned on its side and poured the scrap metal on the road but the train moved on and continued its journey towards Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
The incident resulted in a vehicular traffic.
The police later appeared on the scene and towed the track off the road to allow traffic to flow.
No fatalities have been recorded yet and there are no reports of injuries.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201308/111778.php?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
August 26, 2013 at 7:04 am
Haruna Mohammed
Mexican cargo train derails; at least 5 killed
(CNN) — A cargo train with stowaway migrants on board derailed in southern Mexico on Sunday morning, killing five people and injuring 17 more, officials said.
At least 250 Honduran migrants were traveling on the train when it derailed, the government of Mexico’s Tabasco state said in a statement.
Rescuers were at the scene in a remote area of the state on Sunday, civil protection officials said.
Photos showed overturned train cars and injured victims on the tracks.
Eight cars overturned in the derailment, which happened around 3 a.m. in the municipality of Huimanguillo.
The train’s engine and first car stayed on the tracks, allowing authorities to use them to transport injured victims to a regional hospital, officials said.
The locomotive derailed after heavy rains in the area softened the earth around the tracks, state officials said.
In addition to the hundreds of stowaway migrants aboard, CNN affiliate FOROtv reported the train was carrying scrap metal.
Mexico no longer has a nationwide passenger rail system, but thousands of Central American migrants hitch rides on freight trains heading north toward the United States.
On the train, nicknamed “The Beast” and “the train of death,” they often huddle on rooftops and cram into spare spaces between cars.
All of those who died or were hospitalized after Sunday’s derailment are Honduran, officials said.
El Salvador’s foreign ministry said consular officials were heading to the area to help any Salvadorans who may have been injured.
Mexican Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade said in a Twitter post that officials are communicating with authorities in Central America over the derailment and offering assistance to injured victims.
Representatives from the private railway company that operates the cargo train route could not be immediately reached for comment.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/25/world/americas/mexico-train-derails/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
August 26, 2013 at 7:05 am
Haruna Mohammed
Fire at Korle-Bu diabetic centre controlled
Firemen have been able to douse a fire that caught the diabetic centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital early Monday morning.
The fire, which started few minutes before 5am, reportedly gutted the records section of the centre.
Joy News’ Beatrice Adu who was at the scene said mosquito nets close to windows at the centre caught a nearby fire set by an unknown person and spread quickly.
Eyewitnesses tried to douse the flame but to no avail, she reported. They called fire service personnel who responded swiftly to control the blaze.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201308/112042.php
August 26, 2013 at 7:07 am
Haruna Mohammed
Greater Accra records 3340 road crashes
The Greater Accra Region, recorded 3,340 road crashes, consisting 181 deaths and 1548 injured persons, within the first six months of 2013.
This represents 14 per cent decrease in deaths and 19 per cent decline in injuries, compared to figures in 2012.
Mr Daniel Wuaku, Regional Director of National Road Safety Commission, made this known in Tema on Thursday, at a stakeholder’s forum, on road safety, held for commercial drivers within the District.
He said despite the improvement in figures, the situation is still alarming, adding: “Those in the road transport sector especially, should go the extra mile to ensure road safety,” he said.
Mr Wuaku urged drivers to abide by basic road regulations, in order to help minimise road crashes within the country.
Mr Thomas Nintori, Tema Regional Manager of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, said drivers should avail themselves of daily, weekly and monthly checks on their cars, to ensure that they are safe and fit for the road.
“No matter how good a driver you are, you may not be able to control your car when there is a sudden mechanical fault as you drive, and this could mean an accident.”
He advised drivers to make it a point to understand road signs, since wrong reading could cause an accident.
“Revise road safety signs regularly so that you do not forget them,” he stressed.
Superintendent Oduro Amaning, Commander of the District Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of Ghana Police Service called on drivers to use the road in a way that ensures safety of other users.
He cautioned commercial vehicle drivers who do not have the required drivers’ licenses, to legally obtain one immediately, or risk police arrest and prosecution.
source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201308/112022.php
August 26, 2013 at 7:11 am
Haruna Mohammed
Tropical Storm Fernand hits east coast of Mexico
(CNN) — Tropical Storm Fernand slammed into the east coast of Mexico late Sunday, just hours after it formed over the western Bay of Campeche, bringing with it the threat of heavy rains.
The storm made landfall at 11:45 p.m. CT (12:45 a.m. ET) about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north-northwest of Veracruz, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.
Fernand had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was heading west at 9 mph. The storm is expected to weaken as it heads inland.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Gulf Coast from Veracruz north to Barra de Nautla.
Fernand is expected to dump between 4-8 inches of rain over the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, northern Puebla, southern Tamaulipas and eastern San Luis Potosi, and as much as a foot of rain in some places.
“These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides,” the hurricane center said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/26/world/americas/mexico-tropical-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
August 26, 2013 at 7:12 am
Haruna Mohammed
Official: Firefighters to protect Yosemite ‘no matter what it takes’
Yosemite National Park, California (CNN) — Susan Loesch and Curtis Evans just started settling into their second home in California’s Sierra foothills a few months ago. Now, they’re worried it could go up in smoke as a massive wildfire spreads.
“This is kind of a little paradise up here for us. … To think this would all be gone would be devastating,” Evans told CNN Sunday.
Cradling their chihuahua, Cuervo, they prepared to leave the area on Sunday as more than 2,800 crew members struggled to corral the sprawling Rim Fire, which had devoured nearly 134,000 acres.
“It’s scary,” Loesch said. “You worry about the firefighters being on the line. … It’s overwhelming.”
The wildfire, which remained 7% contained, was spreading primarily to the northeast and east and threatened to grow amid extremely dry conditions and hot weather.
After days of battling the blaze, things were looking up on Sunday, said Vickie Wright, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.
Firefighters battle Yosemite wildfire California wildfire doubles in size
“We’re a long way from complete,” she said, “but at least our boots on the ground are getting a better handle on it.”
A top priority is stopping the fire from spreading further in Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite fire: Blaze spreads to national park
“The park is a national treasure,” she said, “so no matter what it takes, we’re going to do everything in our power to protect that park.”
While the Rim Fire had consumed 12,000 acres in the northwest section of the park by Saturday, so far it has had little or no direct impact on Yosemite Valley, a popular spot for tourists and home to many of the famous cliffs and waterfalls in the park.
About 4,500 structures, many of them vacation homes, were under threat, according to InciWeb, a federal website that collects information from agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/25/us/california-yosemite-wildfire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
August 26, 2013 at 7:14 am
Haruna Mohammed
Dozens killed in Bolivia prison fire, brawl
CNN) — A prison brawl and fire left 29 inmates dead and dozens injured in eastern Bolivia, state media reported Friday.
The incident at Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz started with a battle between two groups.
A child was among the fatalities, state-run ABI news agency said. At least 50 people were injured.
Bolivia allows children to legally live with incarcerated parents.
President Evo Morales expressed sympathy and solidarity with victims and their families. He demanded an investigation into the incident, which authorities described as the deadliest prison violence in Bolivia.
State media reported that the fire started early Friday with a confrontation between two groups of inmates. One group attacked the other with sharp weapons and firearms, and set two liquid gas cylinders on fire, sparking an explosion.
At least 100 additional troops were dispatched to reinforce security inside the prison, according to state media.
The prison is a maximum security facility.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/24/world/americas/bolivia-prison-brawl/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
August 28, 2013 at 9:14 am
Haruna Mohammed
India buildings collapse kills 7; 10 believed trapped
New Delhi (CNN) — At least seven people have died and 10 others are believed to be trapped after two residential buildings collapsed in western India, authorities said Wednesday.
Rescue workers are searching for survivors amid the rubble of the two three-story buildings in the Vadodara district of Gujarat state, said Vinod Rao, the top district administrator.
Seven people have been injured by the collapse, which took place around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, Rao said.
Authorities are investigating what caused the 13-year-old buildings to come down.
In April, scores of people were killed in the collapse of an illegal multistory building in Thane, a city near the Indian financial hub Mumbai.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/28/world/asia/india-buildings-collapse/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
August 28, 2013 at 9:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
California Rim Fire is ‘one fifth contained’
Firefighters are slowly making progress against a sprawling wildfire that is now 20% contained in and around California’s Yosemite National Park.
But the Rim Fire continues to spread and now encompasses more than 288 sq miles (746 sq km), officials say.
The flames are raining ash on a reservoir that supplies water and hydro-electric power to San Francisco.
City officials say they are moving water to lower reservoirs and monitoring supplies for contamination.
The blaze is also threatening thousands of homes and some of California’s renowned giant sequoia trees. Some 3,700 firefighters are tackling the flames in difficult terrain.
It has now burned an area larger than the land mass of Chicago, but firefighters hope a cooler forecast toward the end of the week will help contain the blaze.
“We are making progress,” said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He said the expected drop in temperatures “would bring some much-needed relief”.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23829047
August 29, 2013 at 6:59 am
Haruna Mohammed
Obama: Because they marched, America changed
Washington (CNN) — Heralding the long fight toward racial equality that many say hasn’t ended, President Barack Obama commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech Wednesday on the same steps the civil rights leader spoke from half a century ago.
“His words belong to the ages, possessing a power and prophecy unmatched in our time,” Obama told a diverse crowd that gathered under gray skies and intermittent drizzle to attend the hours-long ceremony.
King, Obama said, “gave mighty voice to the quiet hopes of millions,” hailing leaders who braved intimidation and violence in their fight for equal rights.
On that August day in 1963, when King and his fellow marchers attended what he labeled “the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation,” few in that crowd could have imagined that half a century later, an African-American president of the United States would mark the occasion with a speech in the same location.
And during his remarks from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Obama cast his own election to the Oval Office as a consequence of persistence and courage from leaders such as King.
9 things about MLK’s speech and March on Washington
“Because they kept marching, America changed,” Obama said. “Because they marched, city councils changed and state legislatures changed and Congress changed and, yes, eventually, the White House changed.”
While other, negative changes have forestalled the push toward racial harmony, Obama stressed Wednesday that the work of civil rights leaders had permanently changed the discourse between races in America.
“To dismiss the magnitude of this process, to suggest, as some sometimes do, that little has changed, that dishonors the courage and the sacrifice of those who paid the price to march in those years,” Obama said.
Read Obama’s full remarks
Adopting words from another of King’s speeches, Obama declared that “the arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own.”
Leaders speaking at Wednesday’s anniversary event, including Obama, stressed that income disparity, high unemployment and a shrinking middle class have slashed hopes for attaining equality for millions of Americans, though the president said those facts couldn’t erase the forward march of the civil rights movement.
“To secure the gains this country has made requires constant vigilance, not complacency,” he said, adding, “We will suffer the occasional setback, but we will win these fights. This country has changed too much.”
In an interview after the speech, he said he wished his policies had done more to improve the gap between those who have wealth and those who do not.
“It certainly weighs on me,” he told PBS. “In my first term, essentially, my job was to make sure, as you said, that the economy didn’t just completely collapse.”
10 signposts on America’s race journey
Other speakers Wednesday marked the great progress toward King’s goal of racial accord, though many suggested that the dream was far from realized, specifically citing voter identification laws that critics say prevent African-Americans from casting ballots, and the verdict in the closely watched Trayvon Martin murder trial.
“We have come a great distance in this country in the 50 years. But we still have a great distance to go before we fulfill the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.,” said U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, adding that progress toward King’s goal could be marked by his own election to Congress.
“But there are still invisible signs, barriers in the hearts of humankind that form a gulf between us,” said Lewis, the only speaker from the 1963 march who also spoke Wednesday.
Another leader from King’s era of the civil rights movement, Myrlie Evers-Williams, said the United States had “certainly taken a turn backwards” in the quest for civil rights.
Two former presidents also delivered remarks Wednesday, each representing a distinct era in the movement for equal rights in America. President Jimmy Carter, speaking ahead of Obama, asserted that recent developments in American policy would have disappointed King.
“I believe we all know how Dr. King would have reacted to the new ID requirements to exclude certain voters, especially African-Americans,” said Carter, a Democrat. “I think we all know how Dr. King would have reacted to the Supreme Court striking down a crucial part of the Voting Rights Act just recently passed overwhelmingly by Congress.”
And another Democratic president, Bill Clinton, argued during his speech for working together against stalemates and inaction, saying King “did not live and die to hear his heirs whine about political gridlock.”
Opinion: Did we really learn the lesson of the March on Washington?
“It is time to stop complaining and put our shoulders against the stubborn gates holding the American people back,” Clinton said.
Neither of the living former Republican presidents attended Wednesday’s event. In fact, no elected Republican delivered remarks at the 50th anniversary commemoration. George H.W. Bush and his son George W. Bush both opted out, citing health concerns. The latter is recovering from a recent heart procedure.
Before Obama addressed the throngs gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, civil rights leaders past and present remembered the decades-long movement to secure equal treatment and rights for African-Americans.
The daughters of two presidents key to enacting the Civil Rights Act were also present: Lynda Johnson Robb and Caroline Kennedy, whom Obama recently nominated as ambassador to Japan.
Celebrities and entertainers at the event included Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, who star as husband and wife in one of the summer’s hottest movies, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” about life in the White House through the eyes of the (mostly black) hired help.
Winfrey declared that King had seen injustice and “refused to look the other way.”
“We, too, can be courageous by continuing to walk in the footsteps of the path that he forged,” Winfrey said.
Two musicians who performed at the 1963 march also sang Wednesday. Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, from the trio Peter, Paul and Mary, sang Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” backed by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the parents of Trayvon Martin, whose 2012 shooting death sparked a national conversation about race. Mary Travers, the third artist in the group, died in 2009.
Obama’s most personal remarks on race ahead of Wednesday’s speech came in the aftermath of the July verdict that found Martin’s killer not guilty.
5 faces of the March on Washington
In the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial, attendees used the occasion to remember where they were when they first heard King’s “I have a Dream” speech.
“I grew up in a segregated environment. I never met a white person till I was a junior in college,” said Betty Waller Gray, who traveled to Wednesday’s march from Richmond. “It was just so emotional to be here today after knowing where I was in 1963. I was just a kid finishing high school back then.”
Gilbert Lyons, an employee of the National Park Service, attended the original March on Washington half a decade ago and heard King utter his famous works in person.
“I went home with it in my head. I even spoke to my wife about it,” he said. “It stayed with me. And the more I heard about Martin Luther King, the more things he was doing, I said, ‘this man is great. He is a gentleman that can bring America back to themselves like they’re supposed to be.’ We’re not supposed to be this race and that race. We are Americans.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/28/politics/obama-king-speech/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
September 2, 2013 at 9:18 am
Haruna Mohammed
Bunkpurugu floods: One dead, about 6,000 displaced
One person has been confirmed dead with nearly six thousand people displaced in the Bunprugu district of the Northern Region, following Saturday’s torrential rains that hit the area.
About 700 houses are said to have been submerged by flood waters while several farmlands have been destroyed.
Member of Parliament for the area Solomon Namliit Boar described the situation as unfortunate. He told Joy News help is yet to reach the victims.
The district Secretariat of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is struggling to provide relief to affected persons due to inadequate resources.
According to Wuni Sugri, the District NADMO Coordinator, the victims have been taking shelter in classrooms nearby and while personnel from his outfit have begun registering them.
source:http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201309/112407.php
September 5, 2013 at 12:21 pm
Haruna Mohammed
G-20: Where geopolitics trump economics
Abu Dhabi (CNN) — During the height of the 2009 financial crisis, when there was a real and present danger of banks seizing up due to a lack of liquidity, the then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown altered the geopolitical architecture.
Brown moved with a sense of urgency to formalize the Group of 20 nations.
The strategy was sound. He wanted to bring countries representing 80% of GDP under one umbrella, bridge the gap between the developed and the developing world and, most importantly, tap the $4 trillion of surplus funds that still exist within the BRICS economies.
In the context of a financial crisis, the strategy worked. Four years later, however, geopolitics is trumping economics. The G20 has become an unwieldy group of countries with different priorities, and without political backing from Washington.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/04/business/g20-putin-obama-defterios/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
September 5, 2013 at 4:42 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Gabrielle downgraded to tropical depression
(CNN) — Tropical Storm Gabrielle was downgraded to a tropical depression Thursday morning, but still was expected to drop a fair amount of rain on Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, forecasters said.
Gabrielle is expected to dump up to 4 inches of rain in parts of Puerto Rico and up to 8 inches in other places, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
“These rains could cause dangerous flash floods and mudslides over mountainous terrain,” the center said.
The system, centered late Thursday morning about 80 miles south-southeast of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, was expected to move over the Dominican Republic on Thursday night .
Its maximum sustained winds had dropped to 35 mph by late Thursday morning, below the 39 mph threshold for a tropical storm.
Puerto Rico dropped its watches and warnings for the storm Thursday morning, and the Dominican Republic changed a tropical strorm warning to a tropical storm watch from Cabo Engano to Cabo Frances Viejo.
One of the last times the region was hit with devastating rains was in October, when Hurricane Sandy roared through the Caribbean leaving at least 51 dead. That figure includes deaths in Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/05/world/americas/tropical-storm-gabrielle/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
September 9, 2013 at 6:53 am
Haruna Mohammed
Thai Airways plane skids off runway, 13 injured
(CNN) — A Thai Airways International flight arriving at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport late Sunday night skidded off the runway as it touched down.
Thirteen passengers were injured while evacuating the aircraft. There were no fatalities.
According to an airline statement, Thai Airways flight 679, operated with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, departed Guangzhou, China, at 9:25 p.m. and arrived in Bangkok at 11:20 p.m.
After touching down, a landing gear malfunction caused the aircraft to skid off the runway, according to the airline.
Sparks were seen in the vicinity of the right-side landing gear, near the engine.
The airline says the pilot remained in control of the airplane until it came to a stop and its 14 cabin crew led the evacuation of all 288 passengers.
No passengers were reported injured during the actual landing.
“Thirteen passengers received minor injuries during the evacuation,” the airline said.
Injured passengers were transported to a local hospital.
“THAI will conduct an investigation as to the cause of the incident,” the airline’s parent company said in an official statement.
Airport officials are still working to clear the runway and expect flight delays on Monday.
The incident is the second in two weeks for Thai Airways. At least 39 passengers were injured after an Airbus A380 with 500 passengers from Bangkok hit severe turbulence during its approach into Hong Kong International Airport on August 30.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/09/travel/thai-airways-skids-off-runway/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
September 9, 2013 at 7:16 am
Haruna Mohammed
Rescued from Alaska volcano: Blue skies gave way to treacherous ice
(CNN) — Taryn Lopez doesn’t think it got too terribly cold during the two days she was stranded on Alaska’s Mount Mageik volcano.
“I think about 28 degrees was the lowest we saw — but then the temperature gauge was frozen,” she said Saturday evening from King Salmon, Alaska.
Mount Mageik rescue Mount Mageik rescue
Thanks to sleeping bags, waterproof gear and emergency supplies, Lopez, a fellow researcher and a pilot survived unharmed in their iced-over helicopter from Wednesday until a rescue chopper scooped them up Friday.
Pilot Sam Egli took John Paskievitch, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, and Lopez, a post-doctoral researcher, about 6,500 feet up the volcano on Wednesday.
The researchers were picking up instruments to save them from the upcoming winter. Their work is aimed at learning how seismic readings are linked to the underlying causes of earthquakes. Some volcanic earthquakes quakes are caused by moving magma, water or gas, Lopez said. Knowing which substance is moving could help assess the risk of eruptions, she said.
The trio took advantage of a break in the weather Wednesday to land at their highest instrument site on Mageik.
“There were blue skies when we landed,” she said. But within half an hour, Egli told the researchers he was concerned about ice on the rotors.
“We grabbed our stuff and got in the helicopter,” Lopez said, but even in the few minutes that took visibility became too poor for takeoff.
Egli could call for help by satellite phone and radio, but the weather prevented a rescue attempt on Wednesday. On Thursday, rescuers circled overhead but could not land.
Meanwhile, the three stayed in sleeping bags inside the helicopter except to answer nature’s calls and shoot a flare at the request of the rescuers. There was enough food and water on board.
“Even though it wasn’t that cold, it was pretty foul when you were outside,” Lopez said.
Lopez, 33, grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, and has spent time on mountains in Russia and Alaska, so she was prepared for the cold. But she was grateful for Paskievitch and Egli’s decades of experience in the field.
“I felt really luck to be with those people,” Lopez said. “I know they kept us all alive.”
She also praised the Alaska Air National Guard, which rescued her.
“It was such a relief hearing them up there even when they couldn’t get in,” she said.
Paskievitch wasn’t available to talk Saturday — because he was back out on the mountain. Lopez said he hoped to check on the condition of the helicopter, where the researchers had to leave their instruments.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/07/us/alaska-volcano-rescue/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
September 9, 2013 at 11:53 am
Haruna Mohammed
Philippine rebels in deadly attack in Zamboanga
Clashes between Philippine troops and hundreds of suspected Muslim rebels have left at least six people dead, officials say.
Suspected members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) moved in on Zamboanga, a city in Mindanao, by boat early on Monday, officials said.
Clashes spread from the coast to the city’s busy Rio Hondo area.
The MNLF signed a peace agreement with the government in 1996. However, some of its fighters remain active.
Many residents have fled Rio Hondo to escape the fighting.
“The main target by the MNLF in encroaching Zamboanga city is to raise their banner of independence at city hall,” city mayor, Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, told Agence-France Presse (AFP) news agency.
She told media that the clashes have killed at least two security personnel and four civilians.
There were also reports of a number of people who were wounded.
At least 20 residents were being held hostage, reports quoted the military and police as saying.
Armed forces spokesman, Lt Col Ramon Zagala, said that around 800 troops had been deployed to secure the city.
“We are trying to contain them, so that this will not spread elsewhere,” he told Agence-France Presse news agency.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24012348
September 10, 2013 at 10:24 am
Haruna Mohammed
Wildfires are threatening homes in Australia
Seven firefighters have been injured battling blazes in New South Wales, after 40 fires broke out on Tuesday.
At least one home has been destroyed and a number of cars have also been ruined.
More than 500 firefighters tackled the bushfires, which ignited after a very long period of warmer than average weather.
Australia has just experienced its warmest 12 month period on record. The average temperature throughout the country in the year up to August 31 was 1.1C above the long-term average.
The three months ending February 28, 2013 were the hottest summer months ever recorded in Australia. This brought unprecedented heatwaves, bushfires and floods, which a government commission dubbed the “Angry Summer”.
Spring only officially started on 1 September, but already the temperatures are soaring. On Tuesday it climbed to a stifling 33C.
Once the fires were ignited, the flames were fanned by a wind which was gusting over 70kph.
This is a very early start to the bushfire season and is a stark contrast to the recent weather over Victoria and Tasmania. Heavy rain and strong winds have been pounding the region, with Mount Read reporting 71mm of rain.
The same weather system is now blasting New Zealand, with much of the country expecting to see severe weather over the next 48 hours.
The wettest of the weather will be over the Westland Ranges where there could be as much as 400mm of rain. This could cause rivers to overflow their banks and trigger flash flooding.
The winds will also be causing problems, gusting up to 140kph and bringing down trees and powerlin
Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/weather/2013/09/201391084714393173.html
September 11, 2013 at 6:33 am
Haruna Mohammed
DNA study suggests hunting did not kill off mammoth
Researchers have found evidence to suggest that climate change, rather than humans, was the main factor that drove the woolly mammoth to extinction.
A DNA analysis shows that the number of creatures began to decrease much earlier than previously thought as the world’s climate changed.
It also shows that there was a distinct population of mammoth in Europe that died out around 30,000 years ago.
The results have published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The view many researchers had about woolly mammoths is that they were a hardy, abundant species that thrived during their time on the planet.
But according to the scientist who led the research, Dr Love Dalen of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the study shifts that view.
“The picture that seems to be emerging is that they were a fairly dynamic species that went through local extinctions, expansions and migrations. It is quite exciting that so much was going on,” he told BBC News.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24034954
September 16, 2013 at 8:15 am
Haruna Mohammed
Rain slows rescue efforts amid deadly Colorado floods
Boulder, Colorado (CNN) — “Mother Nature is not cooperating.”
That was the message Sunday from frustrated authorities battling even more bad weather in flood-hit Colorado.
Heavy clouds and rain grounded helicopters, slowing the search for the nearly 500 people who remain unaccounted for. Authorities fear as many as six may be dead.
“Mother Nature is not cooperating with us today, and currently we are not flying. But tomorrow if we get that window of opportunity, which is sounds like we might get, we have the horsepower to hit it hard,” incident commander Shane Del Grosso told reporters.
Up to 1,000 people are waiting to be evacuated, he said.
In the meantime, authorities are looking for opportunities to get in by ground and planning their next steps.
But they are waiting for their break.
“We need a change in the weather pattern … to really go after what needs to be done out there,” Del Grosso said.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/15/us/colorado-flooding/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
September 16, 2013 at 4:42 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Miss America crowns 1st winner of Indian descent
(CNN) — She’s the second consecutive New York beauty queen to take the Miss America title, but she’s the first Indian-American to wear the national crown — er, tiara — atop her perfectly coiffed head.
“I was the first Indian Miss New York, and I’m so proud to be the first Indian Miss America,” Nina Davuluri said after she won.
Davuluri’s resume goes considerably deeper than her heritage, however.
The 24-year-old Fayetteville, New York, native was on the dean’s list and earned the Michigan Merit Award and National Honor Society nods while studying at the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a degree in brain behavior and cognitive science.
Miss America: Butt glue, ‘Breaking Bad’ jokes and more highlights
Her father, who emigrated from India 30 years ago, is a gynecologist, and Davuluri said she’d like to become a physician one day as well.
“During her year as Miss America she will serve as spokesperson for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) this year as she travels to Washington, D.C., to work with the Department of Education,” according to a Miss America statement.
She also is passionate about healthy lifestyles after battling obesity and bulimia when she was younger.
Davuluri’s platform was “Celebrating Diversity Through Cultural Competency.” For the talent portion of the competition, she performed classic Indian dances fused with Bollywood moves.
She has studied the Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam styles of dance, and in preparation for the Miss America contest, she worked with famed Bollywood choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan.
Miss California Crystal Lee was first runner-up, and Miss Oklahoma Kelsey Griswold was second runner-up, while Theresa Vail, the tattooed, bow-hunting, Chinese-speaking Miss Kansas, won the online viewers’ poll.
Despite a night of firsts, a tired theme emerged following Davuluri’s victory: Racists took to Twitter to lambaste the pageant for picking an Indian-American. They were none too kind to Davuluri herself, either, with one particularly uninformed tweeter calling her a Muslim.
Something similar happened when Rima Fakih was crowned Miss USA in 2010. Fakih is of Lebanese descent, and many were quick to try to link her to the militant group Hezbollah.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/16/showbiz/miss-america-racist-reactions/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
September 16, 2013 at 4:44 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Thousands evacuated after volcano eruption in Indonesia
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) — A volcano in Indonesia prompted the evacuation of more than 6,000 people this weekend, blanketing buildings and cars in ashes, emergency officials said Monday.
Mount Sinabung erupted early Sunday. It is the highest mountain in North Sumatra with an altitude of about 2,600 meters (8,530 feet). North Sumatra is a province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Five people suffered breathing difficulties after inhaling volcanic ashes, and they were transported to a hospital in the North Sumatran city of Kabanjahe, said Jhonson Tarigan, a spokesman of the Sinabung Disaster Control Agency.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/16/world/asia/indonesia-volcano/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
September 20, 2013 at 6:39 am
Haruna Mohammed
Mexico storms: Death toll up to 97 as Manuel loses force
Mexican authorities say 97 people have been killed by storms that hit the country earlier in the week.
In the village of La Pintada, near the Pacific coast, a landslide partially engulfed the town.
At least 15 bodies have been recovered and almost 70 residents are missing, the authorities said.
Tropical Storm Manuel, which on Thursday briefly became a hurricane, has now moved north, forcing hundreds from their homes in Sinaloa state.
As it hit the land, Manuel brought torrential rain and winds of up to 120km/h (75mph) and caused flash floods in Sinaloa.
Thousands affected
Schools in the region have been closed and a fishing village of Yameto was evacuated as Manuel approached.
More than 100,000 were affected by the hurricane, the State governor, Mario Lopez Valdez told reporters.
It then gradually began losing strength, according to the United States National Hurricane Center, going back to being a tropical storm.
Manuel is now expected to dissipate before the weekend.
However, weather conditions are expected to remain poor over the coming days as a third storm is forecast.
With the Gulf Coast having been hit by Hurricane Ingrid, this week was the first time since the 1950s that Mexico has had to deal with two storms simultaneously, the BBC’s Will Grant in Mexico City says.
The resort town of Acapulco and its surrounding areas were worst hit by Manuel earlier in the week.
Since then, more than 10,000 stranded tourists have been airlifted by military planes out of the resort town of Acapulco.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24170297
September 24, 2013 at 8:40 am
Haruna Mohammed
Typhoon Usagi hits southern China, killing at least 25
(CNN) — At least 25 people have died after Typhoon Usagi slammed into the coast of southern China, state media reported Monday.
Bringing strong winds and heavy rain, Usagi forced the relocation of hundreds of thousands of people, the cancellation of hundreds of flights and the closing of a major shipping lane.
“Usagi has devastated the eastern part of Guangdong,” where it made landfall late Sunday, the state-run news agency Xinhua said.
The storm trashed construction sites, damaged hundreds of homes and cut off power and water, the news agency reported. Twenty-five people have so far been confirmed dead, it said.
At one point the most powerful storm so far this year, Usagi has menaced the region for days. It left at least two people dead and three others missing in the Philippines and at least nine people injured in Taiwan.
The typhoon weakened Sunday as it got nearer to the Chinese coast, but was still packing sustained winds of around 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) when it hit land. By Monday afternoon, it had faded to become a tropical depression.
The densely populated financial center of Hong Kong, which had appeared to be in the storm’s path before it began to track in a more northerly direction on Sunday, avoided the worst of its fury.
Seventeen people in the territory sought medical attention, eight of whom were admitted to hospitals, authorities said.
Flights disrupted
Usagi, which means rabbit in Japanese, also wreaked havoc on transportation, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights at Hong Kong International Airport, according to airport officials.
With thousands of passengers stranded, airlines and airport authorities were scrambling to deal with the backlog as flights resumed Monday.
Major Chinese airlines, including China Southern Air, canceled flights into the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, Xinhua reported.
In preparation for the storm’s arrival, four of six reactors at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station in Shenzhen reduced their operating capacity, Guangdong authorities told Xinhua.
A total of 226,000 people were relocated in Guangdong, the news agency cited the local civil affairs bureau as saying.
The typhoon severely damaged or destroyed 7,100 houses, it reported.
In neighboring Fujian Province, more than 80,000 people were evacuated and 50,000 disaster-relief personnel were deployed, Xinhua reported.
A major shipping lane between Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Taiwan was closed Saturday in anticipation of the storm’s arrival.
More than 22,000 fishing boats in Fujian and another 48,000 in Guangdong have been ordered into port, authorities told Xinhua.
East Asia is buffeted for several months a year by heavy storms that roll in from the Pacific. At its peak, Usagi eclipsed Super Typhoon Utor, which hit the Philippines and South China last month, as the strongest storm of the year so far.
About 50 people died as result of Utor in China, and 11 people were killed in the Philippines.
September 24, 2013 at 8:41 am
Haruna Mohammed
Landslides, floods kill at least 19 in northern Philippines
(CNN) — Heavy monsoon rains have left at least 19 people dead, most of them children, in the northern Philippines, state media reported.
Four other people are still reported to be missing, and many towns are flooded.
Most of the people were killed by landslides set off by the rain in the province of Zambales on Luzon, the largest island in the archipelagic nation, the government-run Philippines News Agency (PNA) said, citing the regional disaster management council.
The landslides killed 16 people in the town of Subic, the council said. At least 10 of the victims were aged 12 or younger.
An 84-year-old man died of hypothermia in nearby Castillejos, PNA reported, and two people drowned in the neighboring province of Bataan.
A landslide engulfed a house in San Marcelino, Zambales, on Sunday night and four of its inhabitants, including three young children, remain missing, authorities said.
Monsoon rains cause flooding and deaths in the Philippines each year.
The disaster management council said that as of Tuesday morning, parts of Zambales, Bataan and two other provinces, Pampanga and Bulacan, are still under as much of four feet (1.2 meters) of water.
More than 11,000 people have been displaced by the effects of the monsoon rains, the national disaster management council said.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/24/world/asia/philippines-landslides/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
September 24, 2013 at 8:45 am
Haruna Mohammed
Report: ‘Hidden income’ makes China’s rich wealthier than thought
Hong Kong (CNN) — China’s urban rich are making far more than they officially report, suggesting the wealth gap in the world’s second largest economy is much higher than previously thought, according to a new study.
The China Society of Economic Reform released a survey Monday that found “gray income” was 6.2 trillion yuan (U.S. $1 trillion), or 12% of GDP. “Gray income” can range from illegal cash from kickbacks to unreported income and gifts.
“The result has highlighted expanding social inequalities and policy issues surrounding official corruption and income distribution,” said Wang Xiaolu, who led the research for the CSER, in an article in Caixin Online. “The richer the household, the more likely it receives shadow income.”
The study comes a day after Bo Xilai, a once high-flying politician, was sentenced to life in prison for bribe-taking,15 years for embezzlement and seven years for abuse of power. Bo is appealing the verdict.
The CSER surveyed 5,344 urban families in 18 Chinese provinces. The results suggest the top 10% of households earn nearly 21 times more than the poorest 10%. The National Bureau of Statistics places income disparity far lower, saying China’s wealthiest make 8.6 times more than its poorest. “China is in a dangerous zone as one the most unequal countries in the world,” Wang wrote.
The survey found that rich families gain 80% of their wealth from business and on average “have decent gains” in stock markets, whereas most middle and lower income families lose cash in the capital markets, Wang said. “We can’t rule out that some of these business gains are problematic, or even illegal, because many survey takers count kickbacks as business gains,” he wrote.
Much of the high gray income is linked to the loose credit handed out between 2009 and 2010, Wang wrote, as well as the rapid increase of government investment during the same period.
“To stop widening income disparity and unfair allocation, in addition to anti-corruption campaigns, there needs to be gradual but firm progress in economic, political and social reform that moves the country closer to the rule of law with public scrutiny over administrative power,” he said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/24/business/china-wealthy-rich-poor-divide/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
September 25, 2013 at 6:47 am
Haruna Mohammed
12 perish in accident at Tarkwa on Monday night
Twelve passengers perished in a motor accident at Simpa near Nsuaem in the Tarkwa Nsuaem municipality when the vehicle on which they were travelling collided with a Mercedes Benz Bus on Monday night.
The Hyundai minibus with registration number WR 2905-13 was said to be returning from Takoradi to Tarkwa when the accident occurred in a curve on the Tarkwa-Apimanin highway.
According to the police, the Mercedes Benz bus with registration number GT 104 U belonging to a construction company was travelling from Tarkwa towards Takoradi.
There were 13 passengers (including the driver) on board the vehicle.
The Western Regional MTTU Commander, DSP Thomas Bayor, told the Daily Graphic that upon reaching Simpa, the driver of the Mercedes Benz Bus saw that a faulty articulated low-bed truck with the registration number GR 664 D had parked in his lane.
He said in an attempt to overtake the faulty truck, the Benz Bus moved into the lane of the oncoming Hyundai minibus and rammed into it, resulting in the fatality.
At the time of the accident, at about 6:30 p.m., it was raining, therefore visibility was poor.
ACP Paul Aryitey, Tarkwa Divisional Police Commander,
source:http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201309/113683.php
September 25, 2013 at 6:50 am
Haruna Mohammed
Two die in car crash on Motorway
Two people have been confirmed dead in an accident on the Tema Motor way on Tuesday.
The accident was said to have occurred when the driver of a truck loaded with cement travelling from Aflao to Accra, lost control of the vehicle and crushed into a bridge near the Ashaiman end of the road.
The accident caused heavy traffic on the motorway.
DSP David Eklu, Ashaiman Divisional Police Commander, told Joy News the driver and his mate lost their lives.
source:http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201309/113657.php
September 25, 2013 at 6:54 am
Haruna Mohammed
Pakistan quake kills more than 200 people; island appears
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) — An earthquake in Pakistan, powerful enough to prompt the appearance of a small island off the coast, has killed more than 200 people, Pakistani officials said.
The 7.7-magnitude quake struck in a remote area of southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, but it had severe consequences.
At least 208 people were killed in the district of Awaran and the city of Turbut in Balochistan province, Asad Gilani, the provincial home secretary, said Wednesday.
In addition to the fatalities, around 350 people have been injured, he said, and more people are still trapped in rubble.
The quake was strong enough to cause a mass 20 to 30 feet high to emerge from the Arabian Sea like a small mountain island off the coast of Gwadar, local police official Mozzam Jah said. A large number of people gathered to view the newly formed island, he said.
Large quakes can cause significant deformation to the earth’s crust, particularly visible along coastlines.
The island is about 100 feet in diameter and about one mile off the coast, GEO TV reported.
Zahid Rafi, principal seismologist for the National Seismic Monitoring Center, confirmed the island had formed. He said it was “not surprising,” considering the magnitude of the earthquake.
But John Bellini, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said that generally it would be unlikely for such a large island to emerge from a quake like Tuesday’s.
Many things, such as the tide, could come into play regarding the rise of the island, he said.
More than 1,000 troops will be sent to the area to provide aid, including rescue teams and medical teams, Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa said.
With a depth of about nine miles (about 15 kilometers), the quake struck 43 miles (69 kilometers) northeast of Awaran and 71 miles (114 kilometers) northwest of Bela, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Some mud-walled homes fell in Awaran, said Latif Kakar, director of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in Balochistan.
The tremors lasted two minutes. People flocked out onto the streets of Quetta, the provincial capital.
Aftershocks could be felt in Karachi, hundreds of miles to the southeast.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/24/world/asia/pakistan-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
September 25, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Germany gets its first ever black MPs
A chemist and an actor have been voted Germany’s first black lawmakers.
Karamba Diaby and Charles M.Huber, descended from Senegal, have been hailed as figures of historical importance for the country – which celebrated the start of Angela Merkel’s third term in office on Sunday.
They were among 34 MPs with immigrant backgrounds to win seats in Sunday’s election, up from 21 in the previous term.
Senegalese-born chemist Karamba Diaby moved to the city of Halle in 1986 after receiving a scholarship to study in communist East Germany.
The 51-year-old, who stood for Angela Merkel’s rival Social Democratic Party, gained German citizenship in 2001.
Speaking at the election, he declared his priority would be to promote equal opportunities in education.
He said: ‘My election into the German Parliament is of historical importance.
‘Every child born in Germany should have the chance to be successful in school regardless of their social background or the income of their parents.’
The other black MP elected on Sunday was Charles M. Huber, a 56-year-old actor born in Munich to a Senegalese father and a German mother.
Huber is a member of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, which won the election with 41.5 per cent of the vote.
Although nearly one in five of Germany’s 80 million people are immigrants, or the children or grandchildren of immigrants, relatively few have made it into Parliament.
Until now there were no black lawmakers in the lower house, despite more than 500,000 people of recent African origin believed to be living in Germany.
Merkel’s party also welcomed its first Muslim lawmaker into the Bundestag.
Cemile Giousouf was elected in the western town of Hagen.
The 35-year-old was born in Germany to Turkish immigrant parents.
She is one of many lawmakers descended from Turkey to make it into the lower house, but most have been members of the Social Democratic Party, the environmentalist Green Party or the Left Party, according to the country’s Migration Media Service.
The historic shift mirrored Chancellor Angela Merkel’s unprecedented victory, winning a third term in power last night.
The result makes her the only European leader not to become a casualty of Europe’s financial crisis.
Official results have now confirmed that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives won Germany’s election with 41.5 per cent of the vote but indicate that they have finished short of an absolute majority.
Its coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democrats, slumped to 4.8 percent – not enough to win seats.
Challenger Peer Steinbrueck’s Social Democrats won 25.7 percent, their Green allies 8.4 percent and the hard-line Left Party 8.6 percent. The likeliest outcome for coalition is with the Social Democrats.
Speaking before the result, the Chancellor, 59, said it was too early to discuss plans for the next government.
Merkel said: ‘I see the next four years in front of me and I can promise that we will face many tasks, at home, in Europe and in the world.
‘We will do all we can in the next four years together to make them successful years for Germany.
‘It is too early to say how we will proceed but today we should celebrate.’
The result is an improvement of more than eight points on the last election in 2009.
The Union’s strong showing was also personal victory for Merkel, who has held the position since 2005, solidifying her position as arguably Europe’s strongest political leader.
Victory at the polls was tempered by a disastrous showing from the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) – Merkel’s current junior coalition party – which only won 4.8 per cent of the vote.
It means they cannot rule for a second term in power with the incumbent Chancellor.
The result could see the center-right party face an embarrassing ejection from parliament also.
The exit polls were greeted by shocked silence by the Free Democrats’ at their election event.
Four years ago, the party won nearly 15 percent of the vote, its best-ever result – but the party has taken much of the blame for squabbling in Merkel’s governing coalition since then.
SOURCE: http://politics.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201309/113712.php
September 26, 2013 at 7:24 am
Haruna Mohammed
Death toll climbs as army, militants fight on in the Philippines
(CNN) — At least 158 people have been killed since fighting broke out earlier this month between separatist rebels and soldiers in the Philippines, state news reported Wednesday.
The majority of those killed, 125, were militants from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the government-run Philippines News Agency (PNA) said. Also among the reported dead were 15 members of the military, five from police, and 13 civilians.
The lengthy crisis in Zamboanga City began when large numbers of rebels from the Muslim militant group came ashore more than two weeks ago.
They took roughly 180 people hostage in coastal areas of the city. After attempts to negotiate the hostages’ release failed, security forces moved in, resulting in intense bursts of fighting.
The vast majority of the captives have now been freed, but authorities believe the rebels are still holding around five people, Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, a military spokesman, said Wednesday.
The unrest has fueled fears of increased instability in a region where the central government is pursuing a new peace plan after decades of violence.
More than 109,000 people have been displaced in Zamboanga City and close to 19,000 are displaced in Basilan province, according to the United Nations, which described the situation Wednesday as a humanitarian crisis.
Zamboanga City, on the southwestern tip of Mindanao, is a mainly Christian city.
“We are increasingly alarmed by the situation and the growing needs of people caught up with violence,” said Luiza Carvalho, U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines. “We are particularly concerned for the most vulnerable, especially the well-being of women and children.”
Hundreds of houses have caught fire during the fighting. Authorities have accused the rebels of deliberately starting the fires.
The rebels are a faction of the MNLF, a separatist movement founded in 1971 by Nur Misuari with the aim of establishing an autonomous region for Muslims in the mainly Catholic Philippines. The MNLF signed a peace deal with the central government in Manila in 1996, but some of its members have broken away to continue a violent campaign.
Last month, Misuari issued a “declaration of independence” for the Moro nation — referring to Mindanao’s indigenous Muslim population — after complaining that the MNLF had been left out of a recent wealth-sharing agreement with another insurgent group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has fought for decades to set up an independent Islamic state on resource-rich Mindanao.
source: edition.cnn.com/2013/09/25/world/asia/philippines-standoff/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
September 27, 2013 at 7:25 am
Haruna Mohammed
Unknown number of people trapped in Mumbai building collapse
New Delhi (CNN) — A five-story residential building collapsed in the Indian financial hub of Mumbai early Friday, trapping an unspecified number of people in the wreckage, authorities said.
“It’s a pancake collapse,” said Said Sachidanand, deputy commandant at the National Disaster Response Force. Eight people have been rescued so far, but “the exact number of those trapped under the debris is not known,” he said.
The building, an old construction in southern Mumbai, gave way around 6 a.m. Friday. Fire engines and and ambulances rushed to the scene to carry out rescue efforts, Sachidanand said.
The first floor of the building was rented out to a decorating firm, but about 22 apartments were occupied on the upper four floors, said Sitaram Kunte, the commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Council, which owned the building.
In April, scores of people were killed in the collapse of an illegal multistory building in Thane, a city in the Mumbai region.
Deadly collapses have occurred in the city in past years, as well.
Housing rights groups say many old buildings in the city are rundown and neglected, while newer ones are often built using substandard materials and have structural problems.
People live in them because they don’t have a choice — in Mumbai, demand for housing far exceeds supply. About 65% of the population is estimated to live in slums, the groups say.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/27/world/asia/india-mumbai-building-collapse/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 1, 2013 at 6:33 am
Haruna Mohammed
72 people missing after Chinese fishing boats sink during typhoon
Beijing (CNN) — Seventy-two people are missing after three Chinese fishing boats sank in the South China Sea amid stormy weather caused by a typhoon, state media reported.
Two of the vessels foundered Sunday afternoon as they battled gales about 330 kilometers from the Chinese island of Hainan, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported. The third one sank Monday morning, it said.
As of Tuesday morning, rescuers had retrieved 16 survivors, the state-run China News Service reported, citing the Hainan government. Rescue operations have been hampered by strong gales and rough seas.
A total of five fishing boats with 171 crew aboard had been caught in the storm, the Hainan Maritime Search and Rescue Center said, according to Xinhua. The two other vessels managed to survive the harsh conditions.
All three boats that sank were from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.
President Xi Jinping urged local authorities to do their utmost to find the missing or stranded and minimize casualties,” state media reported.
Xi also ordered the armed forces and central government departments to help in the rescue effort.
The storm, Typhoon Wutip, made landfall in central Vietnam late Monday. Authorities there relocated tens of thousands of people from areas at risk as the storm approached.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/30/world/asia/china-fishing-boats-sink/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 1, 2013 at 6:35 am
Haruna Mohammed
Train mysteriously runs loose in Chicago, injuring dozens
Train mysteriously runs loose in Chicago, injuring dozens
At least 48 people were injured; 33 of them were transported to hospitals, Forest Park Mayor Anthony Calderone told CNN affiliate WLS. They are believed to have minor injuries.
It was not immediately clear how many passengers were aboard the train.
Investigators are not characterizing the incident as a runaway train at this point, Steele said.
A central question: whether anyone had climbed on board the empty train and set it in motion.
“In order for a train to move, it has to be energized,” said Ronald Ester, vice president of CTA Rail Operations.
“We call it unlocking the master controller,” he said. The train would have needed to be placed in power position manually.
Authorities are looking at video feeds from the platforms and from some rail cars. They’re also interviewing workers who were nearby.
It’s unknown whether there were criminal activities, Steele said. Authorities did not immediately find windows broken, doors pried open or graffiti on the train.
The train that caused the accident had four cars; the one with passengers aboard had eight.
The incident took place about 8 a.m.
Train service continued but did not stop at Harlem, near the site of the crash. Shuttle buses were made available.
Steele emphasized that the CTA has “a very strong safety record.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/30/us/chicago-train-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 1, 2013 at 6:36 am
Haruna Mohammed
38 dead, 82 unaccounted for after Philippines boat collision
CNN) — Two days after the ferry they were on sank after colliding with a cargo ship, 82 people remained unaccounted for Sunday in waters between southern Philippine islands, a Coast Guard official said.
Authorities have found the bodies of 38 people and rescued another 750, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Dawn Baterbonia.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. Friday in the Mactan Channel about 2 miles northwest of Cebu City, the capital of Cebu province.
The passenger ship — MV St. Thomas Aquinas — was coming from nearby Butuan City and the cargo ship — the Sulpicio, which had about 20 people aboard — was leaving Cebu for the province of Davao in Mindanao.
The passenger ferry sank, but not before sending out a distress call heard by Coast Guard officials.
The cargo vessel involved in the crash — along with Navy, Coast Guard and commercial vessels — was helping in the rescue efforts.
The incident recalls one of the worst maritime disasters in world history dating to December 20, 1987, also off the Philippines.
Between 1,700 and more than 4,000 people were killed when the ferry Dona Paz collided with the tanker MT Victor. The number of casualties has varied; many claim the Dona Paz was extremely overcrowded.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/16/world/asia/philippines-ships-collision/index.html
October 1, 2013 at 6:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
Risk ends in death for 22 people near Indonesia
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) — They had gambled with their lives to journey from as far as Iraq and Lebanon in search of a better life. But for 22 people the wager ended in death off the coast of Indonesia, after their vessel capsized, a government spokesman said Saturday.
Many children lay among the lifeless bodies authorities pulled from the seas of the coast off West Java.
But 28 others emerged alive from the waters and received treatment for minor injuries at a hospital in Cianjur, said Martinus Sitompol, an Indonesian government spokesman.
Rescuers continue to search for 30 more people believed to be on the boat, when it overturned. Their fate is yet uncertain. Many of them likely lie buried far beneath the waves.
Sitompol could only wager a guess why the boat capsized. He said some on the boat were from Iraq and Lebanon.
“It’s possible they ran out of fuel,” he surmised. “It’s possible that they didn’t know how to man or steer the boat.”
There are many ways for overfilled, unseaworthy crafts off the coast of Indonesia to spill the people they were carrying into the ocean. It happens many times a year.
The Australian media said the vessel was headed for Australia’s Christmas Island, a common landing point for such boats.
For some, Australia is the land of their hopes, but the government there has had its fill of capsizing, broken down refuge boats and enacted legislation this year to dash them. It is now forbidden for illegal immigrants arriving by boat to ever live on Australian soil.
This mishap precedes a visit by new Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Indonesia.
Such dangerous boats carrying asylum seekers from Indonesia to Australian shores have long been a sore spot with its government.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/27/world/indonesia-boat-sinks/index.html
October 3, 2013 at 6:58 am
Haruna Mohammed
Deadly hornets kill 41 people in China, injure over 1,500
Hong Kong (CNN) — Swarms of aggressive hornets, in their fall mating season, are inflicting a deadly toll in a central Chinese province.
Hornets have killed 41 people and injured 1,675 people in three cities in Shaanxi province since July, according to the local government. Thirty-seven patients remain in critical or serious condition.
Over the summer and early fall, giant hornets have invaded schools full of children and descended upon unsuspecting farm workers.
One of them is Mu Conghui, a woman who was attacked in Ankang City while looking after her millet crop.
“The hornets were horrifying,” she told Xinhua, the Chinese state-run news agency. “They hit right at my head and covered my legs. All of a sudden I was stung and I couldn’t move.
“Even now, my legs are covered with sting holes.”
Two months, 13 dialysis treatments and 200 stitches later, Mu still remains hospitalized and unable to move her legs.
The influx of venom to the human body can cause allergic reactions and multiple organ failure leading to death. Patients like Mu have been receiving dialysis to remove the toxins from her body. In photos, patients bore deep dark craters scattered across their limbs, the size of bullet wounds.
Government authorities say these attacks are from a particularly venomous species, the world’s largest hornet, known as the Asian giant hornet or vespa mandarinia.
The giant hornet extends about 3.5 to 3.9 centimeters in length, roughly the size of a human thumb. It has an orange head with a black tooth used for burrowing, according to an animal database at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Wang Xue, director of the intensive care unit at First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University and an expert of the provincial hornet sting treatment guidance unit, warned in a Shaanxi government release that hornets tend to be aggressive and more active during September and October — their breeding season. The hornets do not go into hibernation until December, according to local government authorities.
Local authorities have deployed thousands of police officers and locals to destroy the hives. So far, about 710 hives have been removed and at least 7 million yuan (about $1.1 million U.S.) sent to areas affected by hornets, according to a government press release.
The spate of attacks could be caused by the unusually dry weather in the area, authorities say. The arid environment makes it easier for hornets to breed. Urbanization could also be a contributing factor, as humans move into hornets’ habitats.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/03/world/asia/hornet-attack-china/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 3, 2013 at 7:01 am
Haruna Mohammed
8 dead, 14 hurt in Interstate 40 wreck in east Tennessee
(CNN) — Eight people died when a bus carrying church members home blew a front tire, crossed the grassy median of Interstate 40 in eastern Tennessee, clipped an SUV and collided with a tractor-trailer before overturning, officials said Wednesday.
Six people on the eastbound bus were killed, along with one of three occupants of the SUV and the tractor-trailer driver, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said in a statement.
“We hope and pray that there will be no more,” Sgt. Bill Miller told reporters Wednesday evening.
There were 18 people on the bus, which was from Statesville, North Carolina, officials said. It was carrying senior adults who attend Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville.
Fourteen people were injured, the highway patrol said.
The wreck occurred about 2 p.m. in Jefferson County, about 40 miles east of Knoxville, said Tennessee Department of Safety spokeswoman Dalya Qualls. It was on Interstate 40 near the split with Interstate 81.
After the bus went out of control, it struck the westbound Chevrolet Tahoe and the tractor-trailer, officials said. The tractor-trailer caught fire.
Miller said eight of the injured were listed as critical, two as serious and four as stable at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Hospital spokeswoman Susan Wyatt said the church group was returning home from a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Dionne Stutts, wife of Front Street Baptist Senior Pastor Tim Stutts, said the church did not have specifics on anyone traveling on the bus.
The church group was on its way back to Statesville from the 17th annual Fall Jubilee preaching and singing conference in Gatlinburg, Stutts said.
Her husband was devastated by the news, Stutts said. He and the church youth minister were traveling to Tennessee.
Front Street Baptist, on its Facebook page, Wednesday evening thanked people for their prayers. “We know that God is in control and we need His comfort and peace,” a post read.
A photo from CNN affiliate WVLT showed smoke rising from the scene and debris along the highway.
I-40 was closed, and traffic was being rerouted, according to state transportation officials. The scene is expected to be cleared early Thursday morning.
Investigators will look at the condition of the bus and check the driver’s qualifications and driving history, according to Miller.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/02/us/tennessee-wreck/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 4, 2013 at 6:27 am
Haruna Mohammed
Plane crash kills 14 at Nigeria airport
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) — A plane carrying 20 people crashed on takeoff from Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Thursday, killing 14, the nation’s aviation minister said.
“The six survivors were promptly transported to the hospital and are receiving appropriate medical care,” Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi said in a statement on her Facebook page.
Two of the injured were in critical condition, and four were in stable condition, said her spokesman, Joe Obi, on her Facebook page.
The incident occurred at 9:32 a.m. when an Embraer 120 operated by Associated Airlines on a private charter flight to Akure crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport’s domestic wing and burst into flames, she said.
First responders reached the crash site and extinguished the fire within two minutes, “despite the surging crowd,” she said.
The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder have both been recovered from the wreckage, said Muhtar Usman, commissioner with the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau.
The identities of the victims were being withheld pending notification of relatives, Oduah-Ogiemwony said.
Among the passengers were relatives of the late former governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Agagu, who were accompanying his body on the flight, Nigerian state-run TV broadcaster NTA reported.
Agagu was a former aviation minister in Nigeria.
In a statement from an adviser, President Goodluck Jonathan extended his condolences to relatives of the dead.
“President Jonathan views the plane crash as most unfortunate and regrettable, given the concerted efforts of the federal government to enhance aviation safety in the country,” said the spokesman, Reuben Abati. “He has therefore ordered a thorough investigation of the crash by all relevant agencies with a view to determining the cause and taking further actions, as may become necessary.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/03/world/africa/nigeria-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 4, 2013 at 6:35 am
Haruna Mohammed
Tropical Storm Karen forms between Cuba, Mexico
(CNN) — A hurricane watch is in effect for parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast after Tropical Storm Karen formed in the southeastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday.
Track the storm
The watch covers the area from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to west of Destin, Florida. The center of the storm is forecast to be near the coast within that area Saturday.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from Grand Isle to the mouth of the Pearl River.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/03/world/americas/tropical-storm-karen/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 4, 2013 at 6:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
Italy shipwreck: Scores dead after boat sinks off Lampedusa island
Rome (CNN) — A boat carrying as many as 500 people capsized and caught fire off the Italian island of Lampedusa, the nation’s coast guard told CNN on Thursday.
At least 110 people died, a doctor with the local health department said. Antonio Candela said that 154 people had been rescued in the ongoing operation.
Lampedusa, not far from Sicily and the closest Italian island to Africa, has become a destination for tens of thousands of refugees seeking to enter European Union countries — and such deadly shipwrecks are all too common.
The latest boat to sink is thought to have been carrying up to 500 people. Those aboard include Eritreans, Somalis and Ghanaians, the coast guard said, and the boat is believed to have launched from Libya’s coast.
CNN forecasters said there were some gusting winds and showers Thursday morning in the region but no weather conditions significant enough to be likely to sink a boat.
According to Italian media reports, the vessel sank near Rabbit Beach, also known as Rabbit Island, which was recently voted one of the best beaches in the world by Trip Advisor.
The survivors are being taken to Lampedusa’s main port, where authorities have the facilities to help them.
The bodies of those who didn’t make it are also being moved there. Images from the scene showed some lined up in body bags on a quayside.
The head of the U.N. refugee agency, Antonio Guterres, praised the efforts of the Italian coast guard but said he was “dismayed at the rising global phenomenon of migrants and people fleeing conflict or persecution and perishing at sea.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/03/world/europe/italy-migrants-sink/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 7, 2013 at 7:12 am
Haruna Mohammed
Powerful typhoon hits eastern China
Powerful Typhoon Fitow has rammed into eastern China after triggering the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.
With winds up to 151km/h (93mph), the storm landed in Fujian province early on Monday, bringing heavy rains and causing widespread power cuts.
At least two people have been killed by the typhoon, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
The authorities earlier issued the highest alert – red – for the area.
Some homes are said to have collapsed in neighbouring Zhejiang province and two port workers are missing.
Travel chaos
Typhoon Fitow – named after a flower – made landfall at 01:15 local time on Monday (17:15 GMT Sunday) in the city of Fuding, Chinese meteorologists said.
They warned that some areas in Fujian and Zhejiang could see more than 200mm (8 inches) of rain in the coming hours.
Over the weekend the authorities drafted in the army to help strengthen flood defences, the BBC’s John Sudworth in Shanghai reports.
China is used to dealing with extreme weather events but, nonetheless, the risk to life remains high, our correspondent adds.
In Fujian, 177,000 people were evacuated before the storm hit the coast, Xinhua said, while in Zhejiang, some 574,000 people had to leave their homes.
Some 35,000 boats in Zhejiang and 30,000 in Fujian were ordered to return to harbour for shelter.
Coastal facilities such as seaside bathing centres were also closed, state media reported.
“We must not leave anybody in danger,” Zhejiang Governor Li Qiang was quoted as saying.
The typhoon also caused suspension of bullet trains and coach services in several cities in the area.
Dozens of flights to and from Wenzhou airport in Zhejiang were cancelled.
The storm is now moving north-west and is expected to weaken quickly.
Typhoon Fitow is the 23rd typhoon to hit China this year, Xinhua reported.
It comes just weeks after Typhoon Usagi killed at least 25 people in southern Guangdong province.
source: http://www.myjoyonline.com/world/2013/October-7th/powerful-typhoon-hits-eastern-china.php
October 11, 2013 at 7:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Powerful cyclone Phailin heads for India’s east coast
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – A powerful cyclone intensified on Friday and was heading towards India’s east coast, authorities said, forecasting a risk to life and extensive damage to property when it makes landfall in 36 hours.
Satellite images showed the storm in the Bay of Bengal to be about half the size of India.
Cyclone Phailin is expected to hit between Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state and Paradip in Odisha state on Saturday evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 205-215 km per hour (127-134 miles per hour), the India Meteorological Department said in a bulletin at 1930 EDT.
London-based storm tracking service Tropical Storm Risk described Phailin as a Category 4 storm, one notch below the most powerful Category 5 storms.
Authorities in the affected states had been stocking shelters with rations, as well as putting disaster response teams on standby and cancelling government employees’ holidays as Phailin – some 800 km from the Indian coastline – moved closer.
“The cyclone is expected to impact life and properties. The districts likely to be affected by the impending cyclone have been asked to ensure all preparedness including evacuation of people in vulnerable areas to the cyclone shelters for their safety,” Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a letter to the defense minister on Thursday, asking for the armed forces to prepare to help with disaster relief.
India’s largest gas field — the Reliance Industries-operated D6 natural gas block — lies in the Cauvery Basin off the east coast.
SOURCE: http://news.yahoo.com/powerful-cyclone-phailin-heads-indias-east-coast-025325012.html
October 11, 2013 at 7:21 am
Haruna Mohammed
Hospital fire kills 10 in Japan
Tokyo (CNN) — A fire broke out Friday at a hospital in Fukuoka, Japan, killing 10 people and injuring five, a fire department spokesman said.
The fire at the orthopedics hospital started early in the morning and burned for roughly 2 1/2 hours.
Four of the injured suffered serious injuries, the spokesman said.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/10/world/asia/japan-hospital-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 11, 2013 at 7:41 am
Haruna Mohammed
Survivors mourn victims of Italy shipwreck; at least 194 killed
Lampedusa, Italy (CNN) — More than 100 wooden coffins lie in long rows in an airport hangar, each with a single rose on top. Four of the coffins are small and white, belonging to children and adorned with a teddy bear.
Hand-written on each coffin is a number, but no name.
The Italian coast guard says at least 194 people were killed in a ship disaster last week off Lampedusa, a small Mediterranean island halfway between Sicily and Tunisia.
The vessel was packed with hundreds of African migrants when it sank half a mile from the Italian island, and the coast guard says many more victims may yet be found.
Search crews found the bodies of 83 of the victims on Sunday and were still diving in the area of the wreck.
Fading hope for more survivors
There were 518 migrants on the boat when it capsized Thursday morning, Italian lawmaker Mario Marazziti said, citing survivors’ accounts. Coast guard spokesman Filippo Marini said 155 people were rescued, and Italian authorities said the rest may still lie inside the vessel on the seabed, some 47 meters (154 feet) below the surface of the Mediterranean.
One diver who reached the wreck reported seeing dozens of corpses wedged in its lower deck. Gusty winds and rough waters Saturday put the recovery operation on hold, but the search operation continued when the weather cleared.
“We will continue all day and all night until we are able to bury these bodies,” coast guard Adm. Felicio Angrisano said.
The U.N. refugee agency said Friday that one of the survivors was Tunisian and the others were from Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa. The boat is also believed to have been carrying migrants from Somalia.
In July: Pope prays for lost refugees on Lampedusa
Survivors mourn those lost
Survivors held a private memorial service Saturday at Lampedusa’s airport.
“All the men entered first, chanting a song. They were all crying silently,” said Valentina Loiero, spokeswoman for Laura Boldrini, president of the Italian Parliament. Loiero attended the service.
“Then the women entered and you could see moments of unspeakable agony. A prayer was said by the local parish priest and then translated (from Tigrinya, an Eritrean language). The prayer basically said, ‘Your suffering is our suffering, your tears are our tears.'”
Boldrini and a delegation of Italian lawmakers met with survivors Saturday at Lampedusa’s migrant detention center, where they are being held. The cramped center was built to hold 250 people but houses more than 1,200.
Because of its location as the closest Italian island to Africa, Lampedusa is a common destination for African refugees seeking to enter European Union countries, and shipwrecks off its shores are common.
Opinion: Europe must be open to refugees fleeing persecution
An ill-fated journey
Survivors of the wreck described spending 13 days on the boat before the engine stopped just off Lampedusa’s coast, according to Melissa Fleming, the chief spokeswoman for the United Nations refugee agency.
The migrants hoped to be spotted, but, they told the agency, fishing boats passed by without helping, so they set fire to clothes and blankets in a bid to attract attention.
The fire then spread and when many of the migrants crowded to one side, the boat capsized, said Marazziti, the Italian lawmaker.
In response to criticism, the coast guard Saturday defended its response time and said its crews were on site 20 minutes after receiving the SOS call.
“The moment we got the emergency call from the fishermen at 7 a.m. we immediately intervened and started coordinating the rescue operations,” said Marini, the coast guard spokesman.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/05/world/europe/italy-migrant-boat-sinks/index.html
October 16, 2013 at 8:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Typhoon Wipha hits Tokyo area, killing at least 14
Tokyo (CNN) — At least 14 people have died and hundreds of flights have been canceled as Typhoon Wipha pummeled the Tokyo area on Wednesday.
A local government official in Oshima, a small island 120 km (75 miles) south of Tokyo, said that 13 people died after heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides that blocked roads and crushed houses.
Rescuers were unable to reach about 50 people in the area hit by landslides.
One other woman was confirmed dead after being rescued from a river in Machida, western Tokyo.
More than 500 domestic and international flights were canceled at Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports and the national rail operator halted bullet train services in central and northern Japan.
The typhoon is moving north along the Pacific coast of Japan and is expected to reach the northernmost island of Hokkaido by late Wednesday.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the main electricity supplier in Tokyo and central Japan, said blackouts affected more than 56,000 households.
TEPCO, which has been struggling to deal with a series of leaks at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, said workers at the plant were “on vigil” and accumulated rainwater had been released from storage tanks.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/16/world/asia/japan-typhoon-deaths/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 16, 2013 at 8:20 am
Haruna Mohammed
Clashes after teachers protests in Rio and Sao Paulo
Protesters have clashed with the police in Brazil’s largest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, after marches in support of striking teachers.
Soon after a peaceful march by more than 5,000 people ended in Rio, a much smaller masked group attacked shops, set fire to a police car and threw petrol bombs.
There were also clashes in Sao Paulo, where shops were ransacked.
Police responded with tear and pepper gas and detained dozens of people.
Four officers were injured and seven banks were vandalized during the unrest in Sao Paulo, according to Reuters news agency.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24545479
October 16, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Dozens reported killed in Laos plane crash
(CNN) — A Lao Airlines plane crashed as it prepared to land during poor weather in southern Laos on Wednesday afternoon, killing what witnesses said were dozens of passengers, according to the country’s national news agency, KPL.
Witnesses said at least 47 people were killed in the crash near the Champasak provincial capital of Pakse, KPL reported, though Laotian authorities have yet to release an official death toll.
The ATR propeller-driven plane was preparing to land when a wind gust appeared to push it away from the airport, KPL reported. The plane crashed on or near an island in the Mekong River, according to KPL.
Remnants of Typhoon Nari have been hitting the area. Pakse has received more than 3.9 inches of rain since Tuesday.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/16/world/asia/laos-plane-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 16, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Vessel capsizes off Miami; 4 dead, 11 rescued
(CNN) — Four people are dead and 11 were rescued after a small vessel capsized in waters off Miami early Wednesday, and rescuers were trying to determine whether anyone else needed to be saved, a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said.
The vessel capsized just after 1 a.m. about 7 miles off the channel that ships use to pass Miami Beach into the Port of Miami, Coast Guard spokeswoman Sabrina Laberdesque said.
The Coast Guard would not comment on the names and nationalities of those aboard, or the vessel’s destination and point of departure.
The 11 rescued were found clinging to the capsized craft, the Coast Guard said. Among them, one was airlifted to a hospital; their conditions were not released.
Those who died were found in the water, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard said it was searching for any other passengers who might be in the water Wednesday morning.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/16/us/miami-vessel-capsizes/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
October 18, 2013 at 7:23 am
Haruna Mohammed
Australia bush fires claim their first victim
(CNN) — Bush fires blazing in Australia’s New South Wales claimed their first victim Friday after a man died of a suspected heart attack defending his home against the blaze on the NSW Central Coast.
Australian media reports said Walter Lindner, 63, collapsed while battling alongside his neighbor to save his heritage-listed homestead. He was rushed to hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, more than 20 bush fires continued to burn uncontrolled across the state despite the easing weather conditions, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Authorities say hundreds of homes have been lost with the worst hit areas in the Blue Mountains, a World Heritage area to the west of Sydney, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air.
Firefighters were battling 98 fires across New South Wales as of late Thursday, according to the state’s Rural Fire Service. Earlier Thursday, the fire service tweeted that 34 blazes were still out of control.
More than 100 firefighters were battling flames in Heatherbrae, where one fire has so far destroyed 3,500 hectares (8,649 acres), the service said.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/17/world/asia/australia-fires/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
November 1, 2013 at 6:25 am
Haruna Mohammed
Quake hits southeastern Taiwan
(CNN) — A 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck the southeastern part of Taiwan late Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake — about 28 miles south-southwest of Hualian, Taiwan — was 9.3 kilometers deep, the survey said.
There were no immediate reports of damage.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/31/world/asia/taiwan-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
November 1, 2013 at 6:36 am
Haruna Mohammed
China’s factories solid as recovery takes hold
China’s factory activity picked up speed in October, the latest sign of sustained positive momentum in the world’s second-largest economy.
China’s official purchasing managers’ index topped analyst expectations, increasing to 51.4 in October from 51.1 in September, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Any number over 50 indicates an acceleration in the sector.
A separate PMI measure released Friday by global bank HSBC came in at 50.9, a seven-month high driven by strong output growth.
The official government gauge is heavily weighted toward large enterprises, while the HSBC survey taps a smaller sample size and places greater emphasis on smaller firms.
HSBC economist Hongbin Qu said that the manufacturing expansion was also driving improvements in the labor market.
“This … should support private consumption growth in the coming months,” he said. “China is on track for a gradual growth recovery.”
source:http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/31/news/economy/china-pmi-manufacturing/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
November 5, 2013 at 7:15 am
Haruna Mohammed
Kosovo votes amid violence and ethnic Serb boycott fearOutbreaks of violence have marred key elections in Kosovo.
Masked men forced the early closure of the main polling centre in an ethnically mixed Kosovan town during the municipal elections.
They burst into the building in north Mitrovica, setting off tear gas canisters and smashing ballot boxes.
Ethnic Serbs were encouraged to vote for the first time but as polls closed on Sunday evening there were concerns of a low turnout.
Credibility issue
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) had been providing technical assistance in the election, but following the attack in north Mitrovica it withdrew its staff from all three polling stations in the area, bringing polling there to an end.
SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24798397
November 5, 2013 at 7:16 am
Haruna Mohammed
Bolivian plane crash kills eight near Brazil border
An airplane has crashed in Bolivia’s northern Amazon region, killing at least eight of the 18 people on board.
The pilot and the co-pilot have survived but are in a serious condition.
The turboprop plane caught fire as it landed at around 16:00 local time (20:00 GMT) in the remote town of Riberalta, near the border with Brazil.
A spokesman for the Bolivian airline Aerocon said that the plane had suffered technical problems.
“As they were landing, on touchdown, the plane had some kind of problem that led to fire,” spokesman Nelson Kinn told Agence France-Presse.
“The people who died sustained multiple injuries and burns.”
The Fairchild Metroliner airplane was flying from the town of Trinidad to Riberalta, both in Beni department.
President Evo Morales expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims and ordered “a thorough investigation”.
The accident took place in heavy rain.
source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24800096
November 5, 2013 at 7:17 am
Haruna Mohammed
Nigerian wedding party in Borno State massacred by gunmen
Gunmen in north-eastern Nigeria have killed more than 30 people in a attack on a wedding convoy.
It happened on a notoriously dangerous stretch of road between Bama and Banki in Borno State, east of the regional capital Maiduguri.
The groom was reportedly amongst the victims.
The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has carried out frequent attacks in the area despite a state of emergency declared in north-east Nigeria in May.
Thousands of additional troops have been sent there to fight Boko Haram – which had been fighting to create an Islamic state since 2009. However attacks on civilians have continued.
A week ago dozens of people were killed during a lengthy gunfight after suspected militants attacked the town of Damaturu, burning police and military buildings.
A motorist who saw the bodies told AFP news agency that many of the victims appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds.
“All the victims were brutally murdered by the attackers,” said the driver, who did not wish to be named.
“My passengers and I were shocked when we met the dead bodies lying by the highway.”
The fate of the bride and her family members is unknown.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24798395
November 5, 2013 at 7:18 am
Haruna Mohammed
Dozens missing as Rohingya boat sinks off west Burma
Dozens of people are missing after a boat carrying refugees from ethnic conflict in western Burma (Myanmar) sank in the Bay of Bengal.
About 70 Muslims from the Rohingya minority, including women and children, were aboard, police in Burma said.
They are thought to have left a camp around the Rakhine state capital.
Aid agencies have warned of a growing exodus of Rohingyas, who have been displaced by communal violence, attempting the dangerous sea journey.
The boat was thought to be bound for Malaysia, where thousands of Rohingyas have sought sanctuary since violent clashes with Buddhists erupted last year.
Over the past two years, hundreds of thousands of minority Muslims have been forced to flee Burma.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24798448
November 5, 2013 at 7:19 am
Haruna Mohammed
Several killed as Thai ferry sinks off Pattaya
At least six people died as an overcrowded ferry sank near the tourist resort of Pattaya in eastern Thailand.
The dead included three Thais, two Russians and a Chinese, police said, adding that 15 people were seriously injured, including a Russian boy.
The rest of the passengers were rescued.
The double-decker ferry sank after reportedly running into engine trouble at around 17:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Sunday, police said.
“Witnesses said there were neither enough tubes nor life vests on the ferry. Some of those who cannot swim had to cling onto coolers or ice containers until rescuers came,” police Col Suwan Cheawnavinthavat was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
Stunned tourists were shown on local television being led to safety on shore where they were met by dozens of ambulances in Pattaya, which is about 100km (60 miles) south-east of Bangkok.
Police want to talk to the ferry captain to try to ascertain the cause of the accident, Col Suwan said.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-24796181
November 13, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Philippine Typhoon Haiyan survivors ‘desperate’ for aid
Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines are increasingly desperate for food, water and medical supplies, officials in affected areas say.
The official death toll stands at more than 2,000, though some reports say it could be as high as 10,000.
The UN says more than 11 million people may have been affected and some 673,000 displaced.
On Tuesday, eight people died when a wall collapsed as thousands of survivors mobbed a food warehouse.
Police and soldiers were unable to stop the looters, who took more than 100,000 sacks of rice from the government facility in Alangalang, Leyte, said Rex Estoperez, spokesman for the National Food Authority.
There were also reports on Wednesday of gunshots in the devastated streets of Tacloban, a city of 220,000 on Leyte island which is particularly badly affected.
‘Hopelessness’
Typhoon Haiyan – one of the most powerful storms ever recorded on land – hit the coastal Philippine provinces of Leyte and Samar on Friday.
It swept through six central Philippine islands before going on to kill several people in Vietnam and southern China.
Disaster management officials in the Philippines have put the confirmed death toll there at 2,275, with another 3,665 injured as of Wednesday. More than 80 people are listed as missing.
But speaking to CNN on Tuesday, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said the widely reported estimate that 10,000 people had been killed by the storm – known locally as Yolanda – was inaccurate and may have come from officials facing “emotional trauma”.
But he said 29 municipalities had yet to be contacted to establish the number of victims there.
The president also warned that storms like Haiyan were becoming more frequent, and there should be “no debate” that climate change was happening.
He said either the world committed to action on climate change “or let us be prepared to meet disasters”.
SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24922492
November 21, 2013 at 11:21 am
Haruna Mohammed
Renowned psychic, bestselling author Sylvia Browne dies at 77
(CNN) — Renowned psychic Sylvia Browne — a leader in the paranormal world who appeared regularly on television and radio and also wrote dozens of top-selling books — died Wednesday in a northern California hospital, according to her website.
She was 77.
A believer in reincarnation as well as God, Browne conducted thousands of hypnotic regressions and hundreds of trance sessions to help people around the world, according to her official biography. She explained on CNN’s Larry King Live that she both communicated with the dead and looked into the future.
“I don’t know how I do it,” Browne once explained on King’s show. “I’ve done it all my life.”
Her following extended well beyond those she helped directly. Some got to know her through her writings, others through the media — including appearances on “Unsolved Mysteries,” “Loveline with Dr. Drew” and “The Montel Williams Show,” on which she was a weekly guest for 17 years.
source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/20/showbiz/sylvia-browne-dies/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 9, 2013 at 11:03 am
Haruna Mohammed
Dozens arrested in Singapore after foreign worker’s death sparks riot
(CNN) — Police have arrested 27 people in Singapore after a riot that erupted on Sunday after a foreign worker died in a traffic accident.
A crowd of more than 400 people hurled objects and set fire to vehicles in Singapore’s Little India district on Sunday evening after a 33-year-old Indian man was run over by a private bus while crossing the road, the Singapore Police Force said in a statement.
At least 18 people — including 10 police officers, as well as the bus driver and conductor — were injured in the riot, which was the first major outbreak of violence in the country for more than 40 years.
It took some 300 police and special defense forces to bring the violence under control, according to Police Commissioner Ng Joo Hee.
Source : http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/09/world/asia/singapore-little-india-riot/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 9, 2013 at 11:05 am
Haruna Mohammed
A month later, Typhoon Haiyan death toll still rising in the Philippines
(CNN) — One month after Typhoon Haiyan tore through six Philippine islands, the death toll stands at 5,924 and 1,779 people are still missing, according to government figures released Sunday.
More than 12 million people have been affected by the monster typhoon that left behind catastrophic scenes of destruction and despair when it made landfall on November 8, the government said. It left entire communities without immediate access to food and medical care.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/08/us/typhoon-haiyan-one-month/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 9, 2013 at 11:14 am
Haruna Mohammed
Nelson Mandela death: 91 world leaders head to South Africa to honor titan
(CNN) — More than 90 heads of state are on their way to South Africa for what is expected to be the largest gathering of world leaders in Africa’s history.
It’s a clear sign of what kind of impact Nelson Mandela left on the world.
Mandela, the activist who spent 27 years in prison before becoming his country’s first black president, died Thursday at the age of 95.
U.S. President Barack Obama heads to Johannesburg on Monday for Mandela’s official memorial service, which will take place Tuesday in the city’s soccer stadium. But the 90,000 seats probably won’t be enough to house the many mourners wanting to pay thanks to the great anti-apartheid leader
A state funeral will be held Sunday in Mandela’s ancestral hometown of Qunu in the Eastern Cape province.
At least 91 heads of state and 10 former heads of state have said they’re coming to South Africa this week, government international relations spokesman Clayson Monyela said.
In addition to Obama, former presidents Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton will attend. More than two dozen U.S. lawmakers are also scheduled to attend.
Other guests include the Prince of Wales, British Prime Minister David Cameron and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as well as celebrities such as Bono, Oprah Winfrey and Naomi Campbell.
Out of the public eye, friends who had not seen each other in years have been coming together with Mandela’s family in his home, said Zelda la Grange, Mandela’s longtime personal assistant.
Mandela called La Grange his “rock” even though she seemed an unlikely confidante. She was a white Afrikaner and an employee of the former apartheid government.
In her first interview since Mandela’s death, she described the mood in his home to CNN’s Robyn Curnow on Monday.
“Obviously there’s sadness in the house,” she said, but also, “People are celebrating Madiba’s life. They are grateful.”
South African President Jacob Zuma, who announced Mandela’s death Thursday, referred to Mandela by his well-known clan name Sunday as he asked churchgoers to remember the former president’s values.
“When I say we pray for the nation, (it) is that we should pray for us not to forget some of the values that Madiba stood for, that he fought for, that he sacrificed his life for,” he said. “He stood for freedom. He fought against those who oppressed others. He wanted everyone to be free.”
In a suburb of Pretoria, parishioners said they were grateful for the man who saved them from revenge.
“His presence in our lives meant so much for the Afrikaaner people, allowed them to get rid of their guilt feelings and to participate in the journey that he invited us to join,” Wilhelm Jordaan said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/09/world/africa/nelson-mandela-memorial/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
December 11, 2013 at 7:26 am
Haruna Mohammed
15 dead after fire tears through market in Shenzhen, China
(CNN) — Fifteen people have been killed and five others injured in a fire early Wednesday at a market in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, the local fire department said.
About 145 firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, which charred an area of more than 1,000 square meters (10,800 square feet), the fire department said in a post on Weibo, a Twitter-like service in China.
The blaze started around 1 a.m. Wednesday, the state news agency Xinhua reported. Later in the morning, firefighters were still clearing away the embers and searching for survivors in the debris, the agency said.
There was no immediate mention of the cause of the fire.
The Rongjian Farmers’ Market is a venue for farm produce wholesalers in Gongming New District of Shenzhen, according to Xinhua.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/10/world/asia/china-shenzhen-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 16, 2013 at 6:37 am
Haruna Mohammed
Report: 16 killed in clash in China’s restive Xinjiang region
Beijing (CNN) — Sixteen people have been killed in violence in China’s volatile western region of Xinjiang, state media reported Monday.
Two police officers chasing suspects came under attack late Sunday from people with machetes and explosive devices in Shufu county, near the city of Kashgar, said Tianshan, a news website run by the Xinjiang government.
In the clash that ensued, two police officers died and 14 “gang members” were shot and killed, Tianshan reported. It described what happened as a “terrorist attack.”
Police detained two suspects, the report said, and the violence is under further investigation.
Deadly unrest frequently breaks out in Xinjiang, a large, resource-rich region that is home to the Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim ethnic group.
The arrival of waves of Han Chinese people over the decades has fueled tensions with the Uyghurs. Chinese authorities have cracked down heavily on violence involving Uyghurs, deepening resentment.
The Tianshan report Monday didn’t specify the ethnicity of the people involved in the clash with police.
The details of violent clashes in Xinjiang often remain murky. Uyghur diaspora groups, like the World Uyghur Congress, have criticized the Chinese government for the lack of transparency over such events.
Xinjiang government officials didn’t immediately return calls from CNN seeking further information on Sunday’s violence.
Chinese authorities have blamed Uyghurs for a vehicle attack in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in October that killed five people — including the three in the vehicle — and wounded 40 others.
Xinjiang’s worst violence in decades took place in July 2009, when rioting in the capital, Urumqi, between Uyghurs and Han Chinese killed some 200 people and injured 1,700. That unrest was followed by a crackdown by security forces.
Xinjiang is now home to more than 8 million Han Chinese, up from 220,000 in 1949, and 10 million Uyghurs. The newcomers take most of the new jobs, and unemployment among Uyghurs is high.
They complain of discrimination and harsh treatment by security forces, despite official promises of equal rights and ethnic harmony.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/16/world/asia/china-xinjiang-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
December 16, 2013 at 6:39 am
Haruna Mohammed
16 killed in Baghdad violence
(CNN) — At least 16 people were killed in shootings and explosions across the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Saturday, police said.
In one attack, roadside bombs went off in an outdoor market. In another, a car bomb exploded in a Shiite procession commemorating the death of an imam.
Along with the deaths, at least 36 people were wounded.
Iraq has been beset by Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence and political strife this year. More than 8,000 people were killed in acts of violence across the country over the year, according to U.N. figures.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/14/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 16, 2013 at 6:41 am
Haruna Mohammed
6 killed in latest spate of violence in Afghanistan
(CNN) — Six people, including a child and two students, were killed in two separate attacks in Afghanistan this weekend, officials said.
In one incident, a car struck a roadside bomb in the eastern province of Kunar Sunday morning, provincial spokesman Abdul Ghani Mutamim said. Four civilians, including a child, were killed in that attack.
Separately, two students died and four others were wounded when a missile struck the southern province of Logar on Saturday night. Provincial spokesman Din Mohammad Darwesh said all the victims were students between ages 12 and 16. He said it was unclear who fired the missile.
No one has claimed responsibility for either attack.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/15/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 16, 2013 at 6:42 am
Haruna Mohammed
Storms leaves piles of snow behind in Northeast
CNN) — If you live in the Northeast, there is a good chance you used a snowblower this weekend.
Mounds of snow are piled throughout New York and New England after a blustery storm swept through, leaving behind more than a foot of snow in some areas.
Albany, New York, got at least 12 inches, said one iReporter.
“We usually get these big snow storms in January and the snow on the ground usually stays until springtime since it’s always cold here in Albany,” Zeynep Rice said. “Last year was a bit weak in snow until end of February actually. So we’re happy to have a solid snow covering on the ground earlier than usual this season.”
The storm spared major metropolitan areas like Boston and New York, but some areas in Maine and along the U.S.-Canada border saw significant snow, the National Weather Service said.
The Maine cities of Biddeford (16.5 inches total) and Kennebunkport (14 inches) topped the list, while Exeter, New Hampshire, received 13.5 inches of snow over the weekend.
The good news for New Englanders and New Yorkers was that the storm quickly moved out of the Northeast.
Queens resident Lia Ocampo posted photos on CNN iReport showing a snow-covered subway platform at New York’s Queensboro Plaza station Sunday morning.
Ocampo told CNN she’s braced for more snow and a colder Christmas than last year. “We can’t do anything about the weather,” she said. “Just bundle up, warm up with hot coffee, cocoa or tea and stay positive.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/15/us/winter-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 18, 2013 at 9:07 am
Haruna Mohammed
Pentagon probes whether U.S. troops killed by enemy fire
(CNN) — The Pentagon urgently investigated whether six American troops killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday may have died from enemy fire after their helicopter crashed, rather than from the crash itself, two senior U.S. officials said.
“We do not know how those killed were killed,” one of the officials told CNN. “It’s unclear if it was the crash or contact with the enemy after the helo came down.”
One person survived.
It was the single-deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since a helicopter wreck killed seven Americans and four Afghans in August 2012.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon said initial reporting indicated that six members of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed.
Military officials cited potential mechanical failure and said at the time there was no indication of enemy activity in the area where NATO forces move around frequently.
Later in the day, questions surfaced about whether the troops may have actually survived the crash and then came under mortar fire.
“We believe there was some sort of enemy engagement once the helicopter crashed,” one of the officials said.
Both officials declined to be named because of uncertainty over what occurred. They emphasized strongly there had been no conclusion about the report of enemy fire.
Crew members of a second helicopter flying in the area would be interviewed.
Investigators also would look at the wreckage and conduct autopsies for clues.
Names of those killed were not released.
Interactive: Coalition troops killed in Afghanistan, Iraq
Tuesday’s incident raised to 129 the number of U.S. troops who died in 2013 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The vast majority were lost in Afghanistan.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/17/world/asia/afghanistan-isaf-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 19, 2013 at 6:54 am
Haruna Mohammed
Old Parliament House on fire
The Old Parliament House near the Art Centre and opposite the Kwame Nkrumah mausoleum, in Accra is on fire.
Myjoyonline.com’s Edwin Appiah who is on the ground says firefighters are struggling to put out the blaze, but it is proving difficult.
The fire which started at 3:45 am Thursday dawn has destroyed many documents.
Edwin reports that the buliding in which the Sole Commissioner is inquiring Judgement Debt Payments and other related matters has been completed burned.
Also the Finance, PR and Reseach departments of the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) are also on fire.
The fire fighting efforts by personnel of the Fire Service is being hampered greatly because cars parked in the compound of the building complex cannot be moved.
Edwin reports that the keys to the cars are in one of the rooms that is on fire.
source: http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2013/December-19th/old-parliament-house-on-fire.php
December 19, 2013 at 6:58 am
Haruna Mohammed
Group: Nearly 1,000 killed over 2 days in Central African Republic
(CNN) — Nearly 1,000 men were killed over a two-day period this month in the Central African Republic, according to Amnesty International.
The human rights group said Wednesday that war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed in that country.
“Crimes that have been committed include extrajudicial executions, mutilation of bodies, intentional destruction of religious buildings such as mosques, and the forced displacement of massive numbers of people,” said Christian Mukosa, Amnesty International’s Central Africa expert.
The country has seen violence and chaos since the Muslim-backed Seleka militia and other rebel groups from the marginalized northeast seized the capital Bangui in March. President Francios Bozize fled to Cameroon, and Michel Djotodia, who had been one of the Seleka leaders, made himself President.
Djotodia later officially disbanded the Seleka, but as many as 15,000 kept their arms and instead continued to wreak havoc in Bangui and elsewhere. They mainly targeted Christian communities, which in turn formed their own vigilante group, the anti-balaka (literally “anti-machete”).
Anti-balaka forces staged an early morning attack in the capital on December 5, going door to door in some neighborhoods and killing approximately 60 Muslim men, Amnesty International said.
De facto government forces, known as ex-Seleka, retaliated against Christians, killing nearly 1,000 men over a two-day period, according to the rights group. A small number of women and children also were killed.
In a statement, Amnesty International called for the deployment of a “robust” U.N. peacekeeping force, with a mandate to protect civilians, and enough resources to do so effectively.
“The continuing violence, the extensive destruction of property, and the forced displacement of the population in Bangui are feeding enormous anger, hostility and mistrust,” said Mukosa.
“There can be no prospect of ending the cycle of violence until the militias are disarmed and there is proper and effective protection for the thousands of civilians at risk in the country. Residential neighborhoods must be made safe as an urgent priority in order to allow people to go back to their homes and resume their normal lives.”
The Central African Republic is about the size of France and a country rich in resources, including diamonds, gold, timber and ivory. The former French colony has rarely seen political stability or economic growth in the 53 years since it gained independence.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/18/world/africa/car-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 23, 2013 at 7:00 am
Haruna Mohammed
Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters march in Bangkok
Bangkok (CNN) — Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Thailand’s capital Sunday, some surrounding the home of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whom they want to oust.
An estimated 90,000 protesters were marching in Bangkok, Lt. Gen. Paradon Patthanathabut, Thailand’s national security chief, told CNN. He said that number rose to 150,000 at the peak of the rally in the late afternoon.
He earlier said 10,000 had surrounded the premier’s home while she tours the northeast provinces. The demonstration there was later disbanded.
In a bid to cool tensions, Shinawatra dissolved the nation’s parliament earlier this month and called for new elections, to be held on February 2.
But the move has done little to appease anti-government protesters, who remained on the streets by the thousands.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/22/world/asia/thailand-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 23, 2013 at 7:02 am
Haruna Mohammed
Winter weather wreaks havoc for the holidays
(CNN) — At least eight people are dead after a bizarre mix of weather across the country spawned tornadoes, ice storms and record-setting warmth this weekend.
Four of the deaths involved two vehicle accidents in Kentucky. Three people drowned in the Rolling Fork River near New Hope when a car drove into the water. Two people escaped but were hospitalized with hypothermia.
“Water was out of the banks, considerably up onto the roadway area. They ran their vehicle into the water. Two of the folks were exiting the vehicle as the swift water started pushing the vehicle downstream. The other three occupants of the vehicle were unable to exit,” said Joe Prewitt, with Nelson County Emergency Management.
In the other crash, a rider on an ATV overturned into a creek near Carrollton and was trapped underneath.
The Kentucky Emergency Management reported a fifth death because of flood waters, in Ballard County, but did not provide specifics.
Authorities did not release the identities of the victims.
Several flood warnings remained in effect Sunday along some Kentucky rivers and streams.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/22/us/winter-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 23, 2013 at 7:04 am
Haruna Mohammed
Americans airlifted from South Sudan city racked by violence
(CNN) — All Americans who presented themselves at the United Nations camp in Bor, South Sudan, were evacuated safely Sunday amid deadly violence in the country, the State Department said. A State Department official said about 15 Americans were flown out.
U.S. personnel are working to confirm that no other U.S. citizens remain in Bor in need of evacuation, a State Department official said.
“This morning, the United States — in coordination with the United Nations and in consultation with the South Sudanese government — safely evacuated American citizens from Bor, South Sudan,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. “U.S. citizens and citizens from our partner nations were flown from Bor to Juba on U.N. and U.S. civilian helicopters. The United States and the United Nations, which has the lead for securing Bor airport in South Sudan, took steps to ensure fighting factions were aware these flights were a humanitarian mission.”
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/22/world/africa/south-sudan-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 23, 2013 at 3:35 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Pilot ‘deliberately crashed’ Mozambique plane
(CNN) — All Americans who presented themselves at the United Nations camp in Bor, South Sudan, were evacuated safely Sunday amid deadly violence in the country, the State Department said. A State Department official said about 15 Americans were flown out.
U.S. personnel are working to confirm that no other U.S. citizens remain in Bor in need of evacuation, a State Department official said.
“This morning, the United States — in coordination with the United Nations and in consultation with the South Sudanese government — safely evacuated American citizens from Bor, South Sudan,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. “U.S. citizens and citizens from our partner nations were flown from Bor to Juba on U.N. and U.S. civilian helicopters. The United States and the United Nations, which has the lead for securing Bor airport in South Sudan, took steps to ensure fighting factions were aware these flights were a humanitarian mission.”
“The U.S. government is doing everything possible to ensure the safety and security of United States citizens in South Sudan. We are working with our allies around the world to connect with and evacuate U.S. citizens as quickly and safely as possible,” Psaki said.
The United Nations moved noncritical staff out of South Sudan’s capital, Juba, across the border into Uganda on Sunday, as the violence spread inside the world’s newest country.
U.N. civilian staff were moved from a compound in the flashpoint town of Bor to Juba on Saturday, the same day a U.S. mission to airlift Americans out was aborted when the aircraft came under fire.
U.S. President Barack Obama said in a letter to congressional leaders Sunday that 46 U.S. service members took part in the mission, and he noted he “may take further action to support the security of U.S. citizens, personnel and property, including our Embassy, in South Sudan.”
Four U.S. troops were wounded in the attack in Bor and were expected to be moved to the U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl, Germany, a senior U.S. official told CNN earlier Sunday.
One of the injured “went through some pretty serious surgery” after being taken to Nairobi, Kenya, for wounds from the gunshots fired at the aircraft. All four have been able to speak to their families.
Thousands displaced
Hundreds of people have been killed in a week of fighting, which has spread from Juba to oil fields farther north.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir blamed soldiers loyal to his former vice president, Riek Machar, for starting the violence.
Up to 40,000 civilians have taken refuge in United Nations bases in the country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday.
“There are many more thousands of people who are very much in fear and vulnerable, and at this time, the priority of the United Nations is to (protect) the lives of civilians,” Ban told a news conference in the Philippines.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates some 62,000 people have been displaced in total, with five of South Sudan’s ten states affected by the violence.
The U.N. has said some 20 people were killed during an attack Thursday by about 2,000 armed youths on a U.N. peacekeeping base in Jonglei state. Two Indian peacekeepers were also killed.
After the attack, the assailants fled with arms, ammunition and other supplies, the U.N. said.
SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25482083
December 27, 2013 at 6:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
Dozens killed when bus skids off Thai bridge
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) — At least 29 people died and four others were seriously injured when a bus went off a bridge in rural Thailand late Thursday night, a police official told CNN.
Investigators believe the driver may have been unfamiliar with the route and perhaps was going too fast, police Sub-Lieutenant Chatchawan Suwanput at the Lom Sak provincial police station said.
There were long skids marks where the bus went off the curving Huay Tong Bridge, he said.
The accident took place around 11.30 p.m. as the bus was on its way from Khon Kaen province to Chiang Rai province
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/asia/thailand-fatal-bush-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 27, 2013 at 6:39 am
Haruna Mohammed
70 people injured in Argentine fish attack
CNN) — Their Christmas Day did not go as planned.
About 70 people were injured Wednesday when a swarm of carnivorous fish attacked at a beach near the city of Rosario, on the Parana River, Argentina’s state-run Telam news agency reported.
It described the fish as a relative of the piranha.
No one was killed.
But swimmers suffered various injuries, including a 7-year-old girl who lost a part of one of her pinky fingers, Telam said.
Ricardo Biasatti, sub secretary of Natural Resources for the province of Santa Fe, described the incident to the agency as “isolated and insignificant,” when the size of the river is taken into consideration.
Julian Aguilar, president of a local fisherman’s group, also downplayed it, saying the likelihood of such an event happening again was low, as attacks by this type of fish on humans are “occasional.”
The area is a popular swimming spot this time of year in Argentina, where it is summer.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/world/americas/argentina-fish-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 27, 2013 at 6:41 am
Haruna Mohammed
17 migrants die when their intercepted boat capsizes at Turks and Caicos
(CNN) — At least 17 people have died and dozens more were rescued after their boat capsized off the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean on Wednesday, according to the local government and U.S. officials.
The U.S. Coast Guard, assisting the islands’ rescue crews, retrieved about 55 Haitians in waters 100 meters from shore, the U.S. agency said. They fell into the water when their overloaded sail freighter tipped over, the guard said.
The nationalities of the 17 dead people weren’t immediately clear Wednesday, but 12 were males and five were female adults, said Colin Farquhar, commissioner of Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Earlier reports had put the death toll at 18.
Farquhar added that the search for additional casualties concluded late Wednesday because of darkness and worsening seas. The search will resume Thursday, he said.
Although the Coast Guard put the number of rescued at near 55, local authorities used different numbers.
A total of 33 people — 21 men including a child and 12 females — were detained as suspected illegal Haitian migrants and “will be repatriated to Haiti at the earliest opportunity,” Farquhar said.
Officials couldn’t be immediately reached for comment to explain the discrepancy between the approximate 55 rescues the Coast Guard cited and the 33 detainees Farquhar discussed.
The Turks and Caicos Islands government said in a Facebook statement that a sailing vessel believed to be carrying suspected illegal migrants was intercepted by the Marine Branch of the islands’ police force after 3 a.m. Wednesday. Two hours later, while the boat was being towed to a dock to unload the suspects, the sloop capsized, the statement said.
“The stricken vessel has now been removed from the water and will be central to our ongoing investigations into this matter,” Farquhar said. “We must all remain vigilant to combat illegal migration.”
He thanked police officers and emergency personnel for working under what he called “challenging circumstances.”
Police were searching Wednesday “for the handful of people who reached shore and fled the scene,” the government said.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British territory.
The incident occurred near the country’s island of Providenciales, commonly known as “Provo” and described on the official tourism website as its most developed isle where most international flights arrive.
The 33 rescued people — all Haitians — were in custody of the government’s immigration detention-removal center, Farquhar said. Authorities revised that figure from an earlier reported count of 32 rescued people.
Haitian migrants seeking to enter the United States have used the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas as way stations to enter the United States.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/world/americas/turks-caicos-migrant-deaths/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 27, 2013 at 6:42 am
Haruna Mohammed
Authorities: Freezing weather leaves 19 dead in U.S., Canada
(CNN) — Thousands of people in parts of the northern United States and southeastern Canada endured at least their fourth consecutive day without electricity Thursday because of ice-related outages, and power companies warned some still might not have power until at least the weekend.
More than 232,000 customers were without power in below-freezing temperatures Thursday in parts of Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and northern New England. Storms that began hitting Michigan on Saturday and moved through New England early this week knocked down trees and power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands in the dark.
At least 19 people died in weather-related incidents since Saturday, authorities said Thursday.
Of the casualties, 14 were in the United States, according to various emergency management officials. The majority died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the officials said.
In Kentucky, five people died in flooding-related incidents, state officials said.
In Canada, three people in Quebec and two in Toronto died from carbon monoxide poisoning, official said.
In areas near Toronto, where officials said the storm was one of the worst to hit the city, more than 54,000 were without power Thursday. While that’s down from 300,000 at the peak, utility officials there declined to estimate when the last outages would be fixed.
“It’s taking long because we haven’t seen a storm like this in our history,” Toronto Hydro spokeswoman Tanya Bruckmueller told CNN affiliate CBC News. “The amount of damage to both our equipment due to the trees coming down is slowing us down, as well as this morning we’ve got snow coming, which is much heavier on the branches and is now covering a lot of what we need to be repairing.”
Toronto resident Vic Baniuk told CBC on Thursday that his family hasn’t had power for five days, and they were using a fireplace and a cast-iron stove to stay warm.
“We’re sitting in the dark and cold, and I feel that everybody has ignored us,” he told CBC.
A tree branch pierced his roof, making a bad situation worse.
“This is not an inconvenience. This is an emergency, a disaster,” CBC reported Baniuk said.
Light snow might fall Thursday night and Friday morning in Toronto, where the temperature was -2 C (28 F) around 3 p.m. The temperature isn’t expected to get above freezing until Saturday, with a high of 3 C (37 F) possible.
Another 16,000 people were without power Thursday elsewhere in southern Ontario; 20,500 had no electricity in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and another 8,900 still had outages in Quebec province, utility companies said.
The Hyrdo-Quebec utility estimated that about 2,000 of its customers in Quebec, mostly in rural areas, would not get power back until Friday.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/26/us/winter-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 30, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Haruna Mohammed
8 people killed in violence in China’s Xinjiang region
(CNN) — Police shot and killed eight people who attacked a police station in Xinjiang, a restive region in northwestern China, authorities said Monday.
Nine people armed with knives threw explosives at the building and set police cars on fire, the Xinjiang government said on its official news website. One of the people was taken into custody, the statement said, describing the attackers as “thugs.”
The violence took place around 6:30 a.m. in Yarkant County in western Xinjiang and is under investigation, authorities said.
It’s the latest outbreak of deadly unrest in Xinjiang, a large, resource-rich region that is home to the Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim ethnic group.
Earlier this month, a clash in the region left 14 Uyghurs and two police officers dead, authorities said. Chinese officials said the two police officers came under attack as they were trying to apprehend suspects.
The arrival in Xinjiang of waves of Han Chinese people over the decades has fueled tensions with the Uyghurs. Chinese authorities have cracked down heavily on violence involving Uyghurs, deepening resentment.
The government statement about Monday’s clash didn’t specify the ethnicity of the people who fought with police.
The details of violent encounters in Xinjiang often remain murky. Uyghur diaspora groups, like the World Uyghur Congress, have criticized the Chinese government for the lack of transparency over such events.
Chinese authorities have blamed Uyghurs for a vehicle attack in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in October that killed five people — including the three in the vehicle — and wounded 40 others.
Xinjiang’s worst violence in decades took place in July 2009, when rioting in the capital, Urumqi, between Uyghurs and Han Chinese killed some 200 people and injured 1,700. That unrest was followed by a crackdown by security forces.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/asia/china-xinjiang-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 30, 2013 at 2:18 pm
Haruna Mohammed
El Salvador’s Chaparrastique volcano erupts for first time in 37 years
(CNN) — El Salvador’s Chaparrastique volcano erupted Sunday, sending a dark cloud of ash miles into the sky, forcing thousands to evacuate from their homes and snarling travel in the Central American country as airlines canceled flights.
“We are not certain there will be new eruptions, but we can’t rule out that possibility either,” President Mauricio Funes said in a televised address urging residents near the volcano in the department of San Miguel to leave their homes and head to shelters.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the eruption began at 10:30 a.m. and produced a column of gas and ash approximately 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) high.
Authorities warned residents not to approach the area near the volcano, which is located in eastern El Salvador.
The international airport in San Salvador, the capital, redirected some flights to other airports, including in Guatemala, to avoid the ash.
Avianca airlines announced Sunday night that it had canceled 33 flights scheduled to arrive and depart from El Salvador as a precautionary measure due to the ash cloud. Iberia and United Airlines also canceled flights that had been scheduled to arrive in San Salvador Sunday night.
This is the first eruption of Chaparrastique in 37 years.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/americas/el-salvador-chaparrastique-volcano-erupts/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 30, 2013 at 2:20 pm
Haruna Mohammed
Rockets from Lebanon smash down in Israel; IDF returns fire
Jerusalem (CNN) — Rockets coming from Lebanon smashed into northern Israel on Sunday near the town of Kiryat Shmona, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Israeli forces fired toward the source of the launch, the IDF said. At least 20 Israeli rockets landed in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF and the Lebanese official National News Agency.
There were no initial reports of injuries on either side.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the weekly meeting of the Israeli Cabinet, said he blames the Lebanese government for allowing Hezbollah to position rockets in neighborhoods while attacking civilians.
“This is a double war crime that is being perpetrated under the aegis of the Lebanese government and army, which are not lifting a finger to prevent this arming and these crimes,” he said.
He said the IDF responded quickly and forcefully.
“We will not allow a drizzle, and we will respond strongly,” he said.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/29/world/meast/israel-rockets/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 31, 2013 at 6:36 am
Haruna Mohammed
North Dakota train collision ignites oil cars; fire to burn out
(CNN) — A wreck involving two trains, one of which was carrying crude oil, sparked a large fire Monday that sent huge flames and dangerous smoke into the sky, North Dakota authorities said.
There were no reports of injuries from the accident, said Sgt. Tara Morris with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, but “with the oil on fire there are hazardous conditions, and we are directing all people in the area to shelter in-place and stay indoors.”
Firefighters will be forced to let the fire burn out, which may take as long as 12 hours from the time of the accident (2:12 p.m. CT), because they cannot get close enough to the flames, she told CNN.
The incident occurred one mile west of Casselton, a town of 2,300 residents about 25 miles west of Fargo. Huge plumes of smoke could be seen in Fargo, Morris said.
The sheriff’s office advised all residents in Casselton and two nearby townships to evacuate because the winds were shifting due to a high-pressure system.
A Red Cross shelter in Fargo was available, the sheriff’s office said.
Morris said it was unclear how the accident happened and authorities are trying to determine whether one of the trains derailed before they collided.
About 10 of the cars on the train carrying oil were fully engulfed in flames. At least a dozen firefighters are involved, she said.
An official with the Federal Railroad Administration said it will support a National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the accident.
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/us/north-dakota-train-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
December 31, 2013 at 6:38 am
Haruna Mohammed
Helicopter rescue planned for ship stranded in Antarctic
(CNN) — As the 74 people on a climate change research ship stuck in the ice in Antarctica readied for New Year’s Eve festivities, authorities revealed plans to send in a rescue helicopter.
The Russian-flagged MV Akademik Shokalskiy has not moved in a week since getting stuck in unusually thick ice on Christmas. The people on board say they are holding up fairly well.
“The group on this ship is incredibly collegiate,” said Alok Jha, a science correspondent for The Guardian newspaper, told Anderson Cooper 360. “There are a lot of skills and things people are sharing with each other.”
Chris Turney, an Australian professor of climate change at the University of New South Wales, said there are regular briefings on the status of rescue attempts, and in the meantime, people are doing what they can to keep busy. That includes yoga and Spanish classes, Jha and Turney said.
Turney said it was raining hard Monday, and visibility was deteriorating. The forecast for the next 24 hours called for more of the same.
Officials said a helicopter from a nearby Chinese ship will be used in the airlift, but rescuers must wait for conditions to improve.
In preparation, crew members of the Akademik Shokalskiy have marked a spot on the ice where the helicopter can land, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.
The helicopter, which can transport 12 people each trip, will take the ship’s 52 passengers — who include the research team and journalists — to the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long. An Australian icebreaker, which tried unsuccessfully to reach the research vessel, will send a barge to pick them up.
The 22 crew members of the Akademik Shokalskiy will stay aboard, the maritime agency said.
“People are sort of seeing the end in sight and just keeping morale up,” Turney told CNN. “It’s New Year’s Eve tonight, so there are all sorts of plans.” That includes the singing of an original song written by one of the passengers and dancing, Jha said.
And there may be good spirits — both emotional and alcoholic, Jha and Turney said.
The Akademik Shokalskiy passengers said it wasn’t a bad place to be stuck. The scenery is beautiful. Penguins have been walking up to the ship and sniffing around, checking out th
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/antarctic-ship-stuck/index.html?hpt=hp_c1