Miscellaneous News

Jura said:

LOL yeah not my best post ever

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Shaolian said:

Haha, although I'm reacting more to the actual news article itself.

Cheers, and keep 'em news coming.

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WORLD NEWS | Sat Jun 24, 2017 | 9:16am EDT
Arconic knowingly supplied flammable panels for use in tower: emails

By Tom Bergin | LONDON

Six emails sent by and to an Arconic Inc (ARNC.N) sales manager raise questions about why the company supplied combustible cladding to a distributor for use at Grenfell Tower, despite publicly warning such panels were a fire risk for tall buildings. The emails, dating from 2014 and seen by Reuters, were between Deborah French, Arconic's UK sales manager, and executives at the contractors involved in the bidding process for the refurbishment contract at Grenfell Tower in London, where 79 people died in a blaze last week.

When asked about the emails, Arconic said in a statement that it had known the panels would be used at Grenfell Tower but that it was not its role to decide what was or was not compliant with local building regulations.

The company manufactures three main types of Reynobond panel-- one with a polyethylene (PE) core, one with a fire retardant core and another with a non-combustible core, according to its website.

Diagrams in a 2016 Arconic brochure for its Reynobond panels describe how PE core panels are suitable up to 10 meters in height. Panels with a fire resistant core -- the FR model -- can be used up to 30 meters, while above that height, panels with the non-combustible core -- the A2 model -- should be used, the brochure says.

Grenfell Tower is more than 60 meters tall.

The brochure also issued a blunt warning that cladding can be a fire risk.

"When conceiving a building, it is crucial to choose the adapted products in order to avoid the fire to spread to the whole building. Especially when it comes to facades and roofs, the fire can spread extremely rapidly," the brochure said.

"As soon as the building is higher than the fire fighters’ ladders, it has to be conceived with an incombustible material." Nonetheless, between May and July 2014, French, who was based at Arconic's factory in Merxheim, France, responded to requests from the companies involved in refurbishing Grenfell Tower on the availability of samples of five different types of Reynobond aluminum-covered panels, all of which were only available in the combustible PE and FR versions, according to Arconic brochures.

In the end, Arconic said on Friday, the company provided PE panels. "While we publish general usage guidelines, regulations and codes vary by country and need to be determined by the local building code experts," the company said in an emailed statement in response to the Reuters enquiry.

"The loss of lives, injuries and destruction following the Grenfell Tower fire are devastating, and we would like to express our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this tragedy ... We will fully support the authorities as they investigate this tragedy," the statement said.

French did not respond to requests for comment.

Arconic, which was known as Alcoa Inc until 2016, declined to say if it knew how tall the tower was and the emails seen by Reuters do not specifically refer to its height. They do, however, refer to "Grenfell Tower" and mention other high rise projects where paneling has been used when discussing the appearance that was being sought for Grenfell Tower.

Arconic also knew the quantity of panels being supplied and thus the total exterior coverage. A source at one of the companies involved in the process said Arconic had "full involvement" throughout the contract bidding process.

Omnis Exteriors, which cut the Arconic tiles to shape and supplied them to the cladding contractor, said it was not responsible for the choice of panel.

"CEP played no part in the selection of Reynobond PE and simply fulfilled the order as directed by the design and build team," the company said in a statement on Saturday, referring to CEP Architectural Facades Ltd, the Omnis unit which fulfilled the contract.

Harley Facades Ltd., the company which installed the panels, Rydon Group, the overall contractor on the 2014-2016 Grenfell refurbishment, and the local authority, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which owns the tower block all declined to comment.

Rydon previously said in a statement that its work on the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, which was intended to give the building better heat and sound insulation, complied with all building regulations. Harley said last week it was "not aware of any link between the fire and the exterior cladding to the tower".

In the emails, French and representatives of Harley and Rydon also discuss the choice of panel models and colors and how they were inching towards securing the contract with the local authority.

Harris did not respond to requests for comment.

On Sunday, British finance minister Philip Hammond said the type of panels used, which are cheaper than non-combustible panels, were banned for use in high rise buildings in Britain, as they are in Europe and the United States.

Omnis said combustible Reynobond PE material was safe to use on high rise buildings if the insulation material usually put behind the panels was made of incombustible material such as mineral fiber. Some safety experts say the regulations are not black and white. The UK uses a 'principles-based' approach to regulation which puts an onus on companies to operate safely, based on common understanding of risks and the technology available.

This differs to the highly specific 'rules-based' approach to regulation taken in the United States.

Supporters of the principles-based approach say it avoids the emergence of loopholes and means companies have to take account of new information on risks immediately, rather than wait for a new regulation to be drafted.

The fatal fire was started by a faulty Hotpoint fridge-freezer in one of the apartments, London police said on Friday. Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said insulation on the building, and the cladding panels, had failed safety tests carried out after the disaster.

The police investigation was considering the possibility of manslaughter and criminal offences in respect of the fire.

(Editing by Catherine Evans and Toby Chopra)

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Law-enforcement agencies have not shown similar zeal against friends of the government, or against Hindu-nationalist vigilantes who have, in recent months, shown increasing boldness in enforcing their agenda. Their victims usually happen to be from India’s 14% Muslim minority, whether these are cattle-traders beaten up—and in one recent case, killed—by self-appointed protectors of the sacred cow, or cricket enthusiasts cheering the wrong team. Following India’s loss to Pakistan in an international match on June 18th, 21 men were denounced by neighbours for celebrating. They have been charged under India’s colonial-sedition laws, and remanded in custody.

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FBI investigates disappearance of visiting Chinese scholar from University of Illinois campus
Doug Stanglin , USA TODAY Published 2:32 p.m. ET June 23, 2017 | Updated 8:27 p.m. ET June 23, 2017

The FBI is investigating the disappearance of a visiting Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois who was last seen getting into a black car on campus two weeks ago, prompting an emotional appeal from her father.

Yingying Zhang, 26, was last seen on a security video camera getting into a black Saturn Astra in Urbana, Ill., on June 9.

Jon Holloway, assistant special agent in charge of criminal investigation at the Springfield FBI office, discussed the FBI's efforts in the case at a campus meeting Thursday night, The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports.

The FBI, which has labeled the case as a kidnapping but has not ruled out other scenarios, said a $10,000 reward has been offered seeking information in the case. In addition, the Champaign county Crimestoppers organization has offered a separate $40,000 reward the case.

The FBI said Zhang, wearing a charcoal-colored baseball hat, pink-and-white top, and white tennis shoes, was carrying a black backpack when she got into the automobile.

FBI Springfield ✔ @FBISpringfield
#FBI Springfield still seeking information re:location of #YingYingZhang. Reward up to $10,000 being offered. @UIPD

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The four-door hatchback, which appeared to be driven by a white male, was shown on the security video circling the area prior to making contact with Zhang, the FBI said.

She can be seen speaking with the driver for some time before she enters the vehicle.

Her father, Ronggao Zhang, who arrived last weekend from China, made an emotional appeal for her safe return in an interview with the News-Gazette.

"Ying, be strong. Dad is waiting for you here," Zhang said, addressing his daughter. "I hope that being a good person you will be safe forever."

Yingying began her studies in the natural resources and environmental sciences department in April.

Zhang, who works as a driver in China, said he, an aunt, and Yingying's boyfriend, Xiaolin Hous, intended to stay in the U.S. as long as necessary to find his daughter.

"We're not leaving without her," he said through a translator.

Contributing: Associated Press

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N00813 said:

LOL Greece isn't feeling very loyal to the EU after 2008...
Even without the speculation from Reuters, this is most likely linked to Greece being one of the terminals for OBOR.

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Greece blocks EU statement on China human rights at U.N.

FILE PHOTO: Flags of European Union and China are pictured during the China-EU summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 12, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee

By

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| BRUSSELS/ATHENS

Greece has blocked a European Union statement at the United Nations criticizing China's human rights record, a decision EU diplomats said undermined efforts to confront Beijing's crackdown on activists and dissidents.

The EU, which seeks to promote free speech and end capital punishment around the world, was due to make its statement last week at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, but failed to win the necessary agreement from all 28 EU states.

It marked the first time the EU had failed to make its statement at the U.N.'s top rights body, rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said.

A Greek foreign ministry official said Athens blocked the statement, calling it "unconstructive criticism of China" and said separate EU talks with China outside the U.N. were a better avenue for discussions.

"Greece's position is that unproductive and in many cases, selective criticism against specific countries does not facilitate the promotion of human rights in these states, nor the development of their relation with the EU," a Greek foreign ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.

Presented three times a year, the statement gives the EU a way to highlight abuses by states around the world on issues that other countries are unwilling to raise.

The impasse is the latest blow to the EU's credentials as a defender of human rights, three diplomats said, and raises questions about the economically powerful EU's "soft power" that relies on inspiring countries to follow its example by outlawing the death penalty and upholding press freedoms.

It also underscores the EU's awkward ties with China, its second-largest trade partner, diplomats said.

Brussels has welcomed Beijing as an ally against U.S. President Donald Trump in the fight against climate change and trade protectionism. But as business ties grow, the bloc is struggling to speak out against a Chinese government crackdown on human rights lawyers and other activists since 2015.

China's COSCO Shipping, owner of the world's fourth-largest container fleet, took a 51 percent stake in Greece's largest port last year.

Hungary, another large recipient of Chinese investment, has repeatedly blocked EU statements criticizing China's rights record under communist President Xi Jinping, diplomats said.

The Greek foreign ministry spokesperson said "there were also other countries that expressed similar reservations".

One EU diplomat expressed frustration that Greece's decision to block the statement came at the same time the International Monetary Fund and EU governments agreed to release funds under Greece's emergency financial bailout last week in Luxembourg.

"It was dishonorable, to say the least," the diplomat said.

When asked about Greece's actions at a regular briefing in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "We express appreciation to the relevant EU country for upholding the correct position."

"We oppose the politicization of human rights and the use of human rights issues to interfere in other countries' domestic affairs," Geng said



(Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

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Wednesday, 28 June 2017 | MYT 4:30 PM

Japanese budget airline forces wheelchair-bound man to crawl onto plane

A file picture of a Vanilla Air Airbus A320.


TOKYO: A Japanese budget airline apologised Wednesday for forcing a wheelchair-bound man to crawl up a set of stairs to board his flight.

Hideto Kijima, 44, was returning last month to Osaka from a vacation in Amami, a small island off southern Japan, when a Vanilla Air employee told him that company safety rules banned anyone from carrying him up the stairs.

There was no lift at the small airport to move disabled passengers from the tarmac up to the jet's door.

Kijima, who is paralysed from the waist down, said in a blog that he was forced to crawl up the stairs using only his arms.




The Asahi newspaper said the man pulled himself up some 17 steps.

Vanilla Air, the budget arm of major carrier All Nippon Airways, said it had apologised to Kijima.

"We're sorry that we caused him that hardship," a company spokesman told AFP, adding the carrier has since made it mandatory to have lifts for disabled patrons at that airport.

The airline had previously barred passengers who could not walk from boarding a flight at Amami because it was dangerous to carry someone up the stairs, the spokesman said.

Kijima, a frequent traveller outside Japan, told Nippon TV on Wednesday he was "surprised" when staff said he would not be able to fly if he could not walk up the stairs.

"I wondered if the airport employees didn't think that was wrong," he added. – AFP


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Syrian Army restarts offensive to capture Iraqi crossing from US-backed rebels: video
By

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- 03/07/2017

BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:00 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) restarted their offensive near the Al-Tanf Crossing on Saturday, seeking to drive members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) out of the country.

Backed by Hezbollah and Hashd Al-Sha’abi (Iraqi paramilitary), the Syrian Arab Army’s 5th Corps attacked the US-backed rebels in the southeastern countryside of the Homs Governorate, Sunday, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy’s defenses.

Video footage of the Syrian Army’s operations in southeastern Homs was captured by a group of journalists embedded with soldiers at the front-lines:

Video footage of the Syrian Army’s operations in southeastern Homs was captured by a group of journalists embedded with soldiers at the front-lines:

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The SAA is trying to take its southern border and push the FSA from its land in Rif Dimashq, Homs and Sweida.

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