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SPACE X MISSION LED BY MILLIONAIRE JARED ISAACMAN RETURNS TO EARTH

Posted on September 15, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn crew has returned to Earth after five days in orbit,
following an historic mission featuring the world’s first commercial spacewalk.

The Dragon capsule made splashdown off the coast of Florida shortly after
08:30BST, an event stream lived by SpaceX.

“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed! Welcome back to Earth,” SpaceX said on social
media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The US space agency Nasa said the mission represented “a giant leap forward” for
the commercial space industry.

Re-entering earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft neared temperatures of 1,900C
(3,500 degrees Fahrenheit), caused by the intense pressure and friction of
pushing through the air at around 7,000mph (27,000kph).

The four-member civilian team, backrolled and led by billionaire Jared Isaacman,
travelled further into space than any humans for more than fifty years.

Scott Poteet, a retired US Air Force pilot, and SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis
and Anna Menon were also on the crew.

Mr Isaacman and Ms Gillis are the first non-professional crew to perform a
spacewalk, a risky manoeuvre that involves exiting the spacecraft.

Only astronauts from government-funded space agencies had attempted the feat,
prior to this flight.

Images broadcast live showed the two crew emerge from the white Dragon capsule
to float 435 miles (700km) above the blue Earth below.

Speaking to mission control in Hawthorne, California during the spacewalk,
Isaacman said “Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here —
looks like a perfect world”.

As Dragon doesn’t have an airlock, the crew were exposed to the vacuum of space
during the spacewalk.

This spacewalk, higher than any previously attempted, was made possible by
innovative astronaut suits fitted with new technology.

During the five days, the crew conducted more than 40 experiments, including
investigations into the impact of space missions on human health and testing
intersatellite laser communication between the Dragon Spacecraft and Space X’s
Starlink satellite.

Gillis, who is a trained violinist, brought her instrument and performed “Rey’s
Theme” from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” alongside orchestras on earth.

Her rendition was sent back to Earth using SpaceX’s Starlink as a test of the
satellite network’s potential to provide in-space connectivity.

The video was created in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,
which the Polaris Program were fundraising for throughout the mission.

The crew were in orbit inside the Dragon spacecraft, named Resilience, for a
total of five days, launching early on Tuesday morning from the Kennedy Space
Centre in Florida.

The mission made history by reaching a maximum altitude of 1,400km (870miles),
which is higher than any human has flown since the final Apollo Mission in 1972.

Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned Polaris missions, a collaboration
between Mr Isaacman and SpaceX.

This includes the first manned flight of the new SpaceX rocket Starship, which
is still under development.



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WHO WAS BEHIND ONE OF THE CONFLICT’S DEADLIEST ATTACKS?

Posted on September 15, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




X



A still from a social media video shows victims of the attack on Wad al-Nourah



Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.

For 40-year-old farmer Ali Ibrahim, the nightmare began in the late afternoon on
5 June, with the sound of heavy weapons.

“We had never seen such shelling since we were young,” he recalls. “The
bombardment lasted for four hours, with houses destroyed, screaming children –
women and the elderly were helpless to escape.”

At least 100 civilians were killed that day in the attack on the Sudanese
village of Wad al-Nourah, according to estimates by volunteers of the local
resistance committee.

Mr Ibrahim says the villagers were unarmed: ”We are simple farmers. We’ve never
carried weapons. We have no enemies. We are just citizens trying to protect our
lives.”

X



Footage was posted on social media showing bodies ready for a mass burial



The BBC has heard testimonies from several survivors who accuse armed men from
the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – the paramilitary group fighting the Sudanese
army – of opening fire and storming the village in two successive attacks, using
heavy weaponry. Dozens of residents were killed or injured.

The alleged number of deaths in this incident would make it one of the deadliest
incidents involving civilians since the war between the army and the RSF began
in April 2023.





Survivors of the attack on Wad al-Nourah receiving treatment at Al Managil
hospital



The BBC managed to speak to several survivors of the Wad al-Nourah attack, who
are currently receiving treatment at the Al Managil government hospital where
they were transferred for treatment.

Reporters were also able to analyse the videos they shared.

The hospital is located about 80km (50 miles) from the village, and many
survivors arrived there hours after the attack. According to their testimonies,
the RSF forces also tried to prevent them leaving the village, and looted most
of their vehicles.





Survivors spoke of a bombardment unlike anything they had experienced in years



After enduring “hours of terror” during the bombardment, followed by frantic
attempts to find a way to transport the wounded and bury those killed by the
shelling, the residents were “shocked” by a second massive RSF attack on their
village early the next morning, one of the survivors at the hospital told the
BBC.

“They entered our house, beat me and my siblings, and asked, ‘where is the
gold?’. My little sister was scared and told my mother to give them the gold.”

This account is consistent with those of other survivors, all of whom confirmed
RSF forces had “attacked the village from three directions, entered homes,
killed civilians, and looted valuables, including gold, cars, and stored
agricultural products”.




‘THEY KILLED MY BROTHER’



Hamad Suleiman, a 42-year-old retail trader, said armed RSF fighters entered his
brother’s house and began shooting without warning.

“I went to my brother’s house and found them there… They shot my brother and
nephew dead, and another nephew was injured and is here with me in the
hospital.”

He says he tried to reason with the RSF fighters and asked why they had killed
his family.

“I tried to talk to them, and they told me to recite the Shahada [The Islamic
profession of faith that is recited when the feeling of death is near]. They
shot me in the hand and fled… they looted all the cars.

“I was wounded and couldn’t find a way out for hours.”





People fled the town of Wad al-Nourah following the alleged attack



The BBC contacted the RSF for their response to the survivors’ testimonies, and
the accusations of attacks, killings, looting and intimidation. We had received
no reply by the time of this report’s publication.

RSF spokesperson Al-Fateh Qurashi issued a video statement on X, formerly known
as Twitter, a day after the incident – denying their forces had targeted
civilians.

He stated that the forces had engaged with elements of the Sudanese Armed Forces
(SAF) and Intelligence – also known as ‘Al Mustanfaron’ – a militia carrying
small weapons and aligned with the SAF, who were in the village at the time of
the attack.



The BBC’s fact-finding team analysed videos provided by the RSF, which they
claimed depicted locations and trenches used by Al Mustanfaron in Wad al-Nourah.
The analysis revealed these locations were all situated outside the village, not
within it.

The analysis also showed that members of the RSF opened fire towards the
village, using heavy weapons from about a mile away.

Wad al-Nourah is similar to hundreds of villages scattered across Gezira state.
Most of its residents work in agriculture and trade, and it has a small weekly
market where traders from neighbouring villages come to buy and sell livestock
and crops.

The RSF took control of Gezira state, to the south of the capital, Khartoum, in
December 2023, and has been accused of carrying out numerous abuses against
civilians there – which it repeatedly denies.

Gezira state is one of the regions most affected by the war, with the fighting
spreading there early on in the conflict. It also became a refuge for thousands
of displaced people fleeing Khartoum and Darfur.

Since the RSF took control of the area at the end of last year, one village
after another has suffered acts of violence.

The RSF continue to deny accusations of war crimes such as killing, looting,
rape and burning villages – instead pointing the finger at what they call
“unruly” people.



Thousands of people have died and 10 million have been forced to flee their
homes since April last year, when Sudan was thrown into disarray after its army
and a powerful paramilitary group began a vicious struggle for power.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Sudan, Clementine
Nkweta-Salami, has called for a comprehensive and transparent investigation to
uncover the circumstances of the Wad al-Nourah attack.

The villagers, who lost dozens of loved ones, hope an investigation committee
will be established, and that the perpetrators will be held accountable – rather
than escaping punishment as has happened in the past in Sudan.

Additional reporting by Abdelrahman Abutaleb and Richard Irvine-Brown



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KEIR STARMER MAY HAVE BROKEN RULES OVER DONOR’S GIFTS TO WIFE

Posted on September 15, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




Reuters



The Sunday Times reports that the gifts covered Victoria Starmer’s clothing
costs both before and after the general election



Sir Keir Starmer may have broken parliamentary rules in failing to declare
clothes bought for his wife by Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli.

According to the Sunday Times, the donations also covered the cost of a personal
shopper and alterations for Victoria, both before and after the general
election.

The prime minister reportedly approached parliamentary authorities on Tuesday to
make a late declaration after being given fresh advice on what items needed to
be disclosed.

A No 10 spokesperson said Sir Keir believed he had complied with the rules, but
had since declared further items.

MPs are required to register gifts and donations within 28 days of receiving
them.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “We sought advice from the authorities on coming to
office.

“We believed we had been compliant, however, following further interrogation
this month, we have declared further items.”

Lord Alli has previously bought clothes and glasses for Sir Keir, which have
been listed on his entry on the register of MPs’ interests.

Most recently, the prime minister declared the fact Lord Alli had provided him
with accommodation for several weeks, which is recorded as being worth more than
£20,000.

In August, it emerged Lord Alli had been given a temporary Downing Street
security pass despite having no formal government role.

Getty Images



Lord Alli was enobled by Tony Blair in 1998 and has recently led fundraising for
the Labour Party, as well as donating to individuals including Sir Keir



The Conservative Party has called for the prime minister to face a “full
investigation” into the “apparent serious breaches of parliamentary rules”.

Andy Carter, a former Conservative MP who sat on Parliament’s Standards
Committee, told the BBC that registering interests was a “base level
responsibility of MPs” and that Sir Keir “has form on this”.

The prime minister was referred to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner in
2022, when he was found to have been late in registering eight interests,
including tickets to football matches and the sale of a plot of land.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has not yet commented on the Sunday
Times report.



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SCOTTISH ISLES HOLD KEY TO MYSTERY OF SNOWBALL EARTH

Posted on August 16, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




UCL

A cluster of Scottish islands could help solve one of our planet’s greatest
mysteries, scientists say.

The Garvellach islands off the west coast of Scotland are the best record of
Earth entering its biggest ever ice age around 720 million years ago,
researchers have discovered.

The big freeze, which covered nearly all the globe in two phases for 80 million
years, is known as “Snowball Earth”, after which the first animal life emerged.

Clues hidden in rocks about the freeze have been wiped out everywhere – except
in the Garvellachs. Researchers hope the islands will tell us why Earth went
into such an extreme icy state for so long and why it was necessary for complex
life to emerge.

SPL



The Earth became almost completely covered in ice during the longest and most
severe ice age in the planet’s history



Layers of rock can be thought of as pages of a history book – with each layer
containing details of the Earth’s condition in the distant past.

But the critical period leading up to Snowball Earth was thought to be missing
because the rock layers were eroded by the big freeze. 

Now a new study by researchers at University College, London, has revealed that
the Garvellachs somehow escaped unscathed. It may be the only place on Earth to
have a detailed record of how the Earth entered one of the most catastrophic
periods in its history – as well as what happened when the first animal life
emerged when the snowball thawed hundreds of millions of years ago.

Back then Scotland was in a completely different place because the continents
have moved over time. It was south of the Earth’s equator and had a tropical
climate, until it and the rest of the planet became engulfed in ice.



“We capture that moment of entering an ice age in Scotland that is missing in
all other localities in the world,” Prof Graham Shields of University College
London, who led the research, told BBC News.

“Millions of critical years are missing in other places because of glacial
erosion – but it is all there in the layers of rock in the Garvellachs.”

The islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland are uninhabited, apart from a team
of scientists working out of the main island’s solitary building, although there
are also the ruins of a 6th Century Celtic monastery.

The breakthrough was made by Prof Shield’s PhD student, Elias Rugen, whose
results have been published in the Journal of the Geological Society of London.
Elias is the first to date the rock layers and identify them as from the
critical period that is missing from all other rock formations in all other
parts of the world.

His discovery puts the Garvellachs in line for one of the biggest accolades in
science: the golden spike hammered in at locations identified as the best record
of planet-changing geological moments – though to ward off thieves the spike is
not actually made of gold.

UCL



The discovery was made by Elias Rugen, here pretending to hammer in a coveted
golden spike. For now he’s making do with a carrot



Elias has taken many of the judges of the golden spike, formally known as
members of the “Cryogenian sub-commission”, several times to the rock faces to
press his case.

The next stage is to allow the wider geological community to voice any
objections or to come up with a better candidate. If there are none, then the
spike could be hammered in next year.

The prize would raise the scientific profile of the location and attract further
research funding.



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THAILAND PICKS THAKSIN’S DAUGHTER PAETONGTARN AS NEW PM

Posted on August 16, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




Thailand’s parliament has picked Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of
billionaire tycoon and former leader Thaksin, as prime minister.

At 37, she will be the country’s youngest PM and the second woman in the post,
after her aunt Yingluck.

Her selection comes just two days after former PM Srettha Thavisin was dismissed
by a constitutional court. Both are from the Pheu Thai Party, which came second
at the 2023 election but formed a ruling coalition.

Ms Paetongtarn is the fourth member of the Shinawatra clan to become prime
minister in the past two decades.

The other three, including her father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck, were deposed by
military coups or constitutional court rulings.

The circumstances of Ms Paetongtarn’s appointment are a stark reminder of how
constrained the power of elected governments is in Thailand.

On Thursday, Ms Paetongtarn said she admired Mr Srettha’s work and thought his
dismissal was unfortunate.

“We’ve gathered here today to show the people that we are determined, driven and
ready to push the country forward,” she told reporters on Thursday at her
party’s headquarters, where she was put forward as the PM candidate.

Educated at elite schools in Thailand and at university in the UK, she spent
some years working at the Shinawatra family’s Rende hotel group, where her
husband serves as deputy chief investment officer.

She joined Pheu Thai in 2021 and was appointed party leader in October 2023.



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TRAIN DRIVERS’ PAY OFFER GOOD DEAL, MINISTER DARREN JONES INSISTS

Posted on August 16, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




A new pay offer for train drivers is a “good deal for the taxpayer” because it
will end more than two years of strikes, Treasury minister Darren Jones has
said.

The offer, which will be voted on by members of the Aslef union, includes a
backdated 5% increase for 2019 to 2022, 4.75% for 2022 to 2024, and 4.5% for
2024 to 2025.

The Conservatives say the Labour government has “just caved to the unions”, and
argue it will mean higher fares for passengers or tax rises.

In a BBC interview, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was asked four times
who would foot the bill, but declined to be drawn on each occasion.

She told Radio 4’s Today programme it was “important that we settle these
disputes, and I’m glad that it sounds like we’re going to be able to completely
resolve this”, adding that the government would ensure passengers got a “fair
deal”.

The disruption caused and “the massive hit that we took to our economy was
completely unacceptable, and was a symptom of the wider failure that we saw
right across the public sector, right across industries, by the last
Conservative government”, Ms Phillipson said.

The government believes the majority of funding for a pay offer for train
drivers will come from train operating company budgets.

Ministers intend to set out where the rest of the money will come from at the
Budget in October.

It is understood ministers believe most of the funding can come from money
already budgeted for pay rises since 2022.

But the government has not provided figures to back this up.

It also leaves open the option that taxpayers pick up part of the pay bill at a
time where other services are being cut to save money.

Aslef’s leadership is recommending that union members accept the offer.

General secretary Mick Whelan said: “We are pleased that after being treated
with utter contempt for the last two years by the privatised train companies,
and the previous government that was pulling their strings, we finally have a
new government that listens and wants to make the railway work for staff, for
passengers and for the taxpayer.”

But Conservative shadow transport secretary Helen Whately condemned the
government’s approach, saying “a ‘no-strings’ deal means this will be paid for
by passengers and taxpayers”.

“Ditching working practice reforms leaves a hole in the finances that can only
be filled by higher fares or higher taxes,” she said.

Citing Labour’s decision to scrap winter fuel payments for around 10 million
pensioners, Ms Whately added: “The government has chosen to prioritise the
unions over passengers and taxpayers – and pensioners too.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned “difficult decisions” will need to be made
in October’s Budget, and accused the previous Tory government of leaving a £22bn
hole in the public finances.

She has indicated that some taxes are likely to rise, but has insisted Labour
will stick to its manifesto promise not to raise income tax, National Insurance
or VAT.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Mr Jones said: “Resetting the relationship
between government and public sector workers in this instance is a good deal for
the taxpayer because we are preventing strikes from happening.

“There is a direct cost to the economy if the strikes continue and we need to
work together in partnership with workers and trade unions and business in order
to get sustainable growth back into the economy.”

Since June 2022, train drivers have taken 18 days of strike action and refused
to work non-contractual overtime, causing huge disruption on the rail network.

According to the Department for Transport, the rail industry has missed out on
around £850m in revenue as a result.

Liberal Democrat transport spokeswoman Wera Hobhouse said: “Years of
Conservative mismanagement has left commuters paying more for less.

“Any action to reach a fair deal for passengers and workers alike is welcome.”

However, she added that “keeping travel affordable must be a priority” and
called for an immediate price freeze on season tickets.



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9 + 1 USEFUL PLUMBING TIPS

Posted on July 23, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER

Plumbing is a facility of our home that in some time in the future we are surely
going to deal with it. We usually do not spend much of our time thinking about
the potential misfunctions. But then comes the moment something suddenly stops
working or just faces a problem, something that we surely can ignore.

Dealing with plumbing problems has nothing fun in it. This work can cost us in
terms of money and time. So, see 9 + 1 useful plumbing tips from Αποφράξεις
Ρέθυμνο.


1. STOP POURING OIL INTO DRAINS

Fat and oil remaining will eventually accumulate in your pipes. You are not
going to notice it at first, as you will think that this is fine because as a
liquid it can go down with the water. But over the periods these types of fats
and oils will clog your pipes and cause serious hydraulic problems. Think about
your home pipes before pouring this cooking liquid inside your drain and
remember to choose a safer disposal option. For example, you can wait for the
fat to solidify before throwing it in the compost bin.


2. DRAIN FILTER USAGE

Always remember to use a drain filter in your facility. Blocking of pipes is one
of the most common plumbing problems. In the case of showers or sinks, they can
become dirty and disgusting thanks to the remaining hair and soap. The filter
can help you avoid the blockages that may occur from them.


3. DON’T THROW THINGS INSIDE YOUR PIPES

Some things should be rinsed and some things that definitely should not. We can
surely understand the meaning of this. If you start rinsing things differently
than body waste into your toilet, eventually there is the risk of causing
serious types of blockages, that we bet you surely do not want to deal with
without a plumber in Rethymno. This includes toiletries, balls, medicines, and
toilet paper. In case you notice that your toilet is clogging more often, there
is always the chance of additional causes, that could be the root of your
problem.


4. MAIN WATER SUPPLY LOCATION

Plumbing is not the type of work that you actively learning. Althought. it is
very important to know the location of the main water valve of your home and how
to act if there is a problem. In case of a broken water pipe, turning off your
main water supply is going to help you minimize the damage, until our team gets
there for help. If you do not the exact location, you are going to spend a lot
of time and your residence will suffer from significant water damage in
Rethymno.


5. FIND POTENTIAL LEAKS IN YOUR TOILET

Toilet leaks can be a real pain. Remember that if you manage to find them early,
then it will be more manageable and could save you some more serious plumbing
problems on the road. One of the places in your toilet that you will most likely
find a leak, is your toilet flush valve. The flush valve seal is what prevents
water from flowing from the tank into your toilet bowl when it is not in the
flush state. Early detection of leakage in your valve seal requires a simple
test: food coloring.

No, you did not read it wrong. All you need is a few drops of food coloring in
your toilet bowl. Check again in a few hours. If some of the colored water has
found its way into your toilet bowl, it means you are leaking.


6. MAKE SURE YOUR MAIN DRAIN ACCESSIBILITY

While your plumbing is usually out of sight, the main drain must be always free
and clean. This is because, in the event of a sewage dam, we must be able to
move quickly and efficiently. Remember that an access point into the sewer
should be uncovered and always easy to reach, without much difficulty.


7. PREVENT YOUR PLUMBING FROM FREEZING

This is not a problem for the summer, but as time passes and winter comes, the
temperatures drop sharply. Once they fall enough, your plumbing will have an
increased risk of freezing. The best thing you can do in this case is to make
sure that the air is always circulating inside your home and that there is a
minimum temperature of 16 Celsius. You should also insulate the external
plumbing lines, to avoid possible damage.

If you have a room that gets particularly cold in the fall and completely cold
in the winter, do not wait until then to look for options for better air
circulation. Spend the warmer months finding solutions.


8. AVOID THE USE OF CHEMICAL CLEANERS

Chemical drain cleaners can become incredibly destructive when it comes to the
health and well-being of your plumbing. People tend to use them because they are
advertised as effective immediately in unclogging in Rethymno, but they can do
more harm in the long run.

If you need something to get rid of an annoying clog, natural cleaners are a
safe drain cleaning option. It uses a natural bacterium that dissolves organic
matter without damaging the inside of your pipes.


9. EXAMINE THE INDIVIDUAL SHUT-OFF VALVES

Your plumbing eventually will need repair and this is something inevitable.
Without a doubt, you are not looking forward to the day when you will have to
turn off all your water for someone to come and do the work.

We have a way of dealing with it. Installing separate shut-off valves in your
plumbing will eliminate the problem with or without water because you will be
able to turn off the water in different parts of the house when you need it.
That way, if you have a problem with your bathroom, you can still use the
kitchen sink.


+1. EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR FAUCET

How many times have we been terrified of hearing this dripping, the drop, the
drop of the tap, so we make sure the taps close as tightly as they can? This is
bad for your faucet seal. It wears out faster due to the increased pressure it
experiences each time it becomes tight.


SEE MORE:

 * Δήμος Μυλοποτάμου
 * Αποκορώνου
 * Ανώγεια
 * Μπαλί
 * Πλακιάς
 * Γεωργιούπολη


Posted in NEWS | Tagged apofraxeis, apofraxeis Rethymno, Αποφράξεις Μαυράκης
Ρέθυμνο, αποφράξεις Ρέθυμνο, καθαρισμός αποχέτευσης, καθαρισμός αποχέτευσης
Ρέθυμνο, υπηρεσίες απόφραξης στο Ρέθυμνο | Leave a comment


POLAR BEAR TRACKERS HELP KEEP PEOPLE AND BEARS APART

Posted on July 17, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




9 hours ago

By Victoria Gill, @vic_gill, Science correspondent, BBC News
Tyler Ross



As the climate warms, polar bears are seen on land earlier in the season



At the end of the Canadian Arctic summer, polar bears head inland to wait for
the ice to form.

And while thousands of tourists flock to catch a glimpse of these magnificent
predators, researchers are developing novel ways to keep people and bears safely
separated.

New tracking devices that stick in polar bears’ fur could be the key to
protecting both people and bears – by closely monitoring the animals’ locations.

Polar bears now spend more of the year on land, as Arctic sea ice melts, so
conservationists are increasingly concerned about bears and people coming into
contact.

The tracking tags, which have been tested on bears in Canadian Arctic, could
help prevent those encounters, by “keeping a remote eye” on the bears.

Tyler Ross



The fur tags relay a bear’s position and allow scientists to study behaviour



Lead researcher Tyler Ross, a PhD candidate from York University in Toronto,
said the fur tags were “particularly promising” for the prevention of these
“human-bear interactions”.

In communities in the southern Canadian Arctic, where the scientists tested
these tags, polar bears that wander too close to a community are sometimes
caught, transported and released in carefully selected sites away from towns and
villages.

“These tags could be fitted to those bears to monitor where they are after
they’ve been released,” explained Mr Ross.

“If they’re coming back towards the community, conservation staff would have a
sense of where they are, and they could head them off. I think that’s where they
offer considerable promise.”

The researcher, who studies polar bear ecology, also says the tags could fill
important gaps in knowledge about the bears. And as the Arctic climate warms up
rapidly, the need to monitor bears becomes increasingly urgent.

Tyler Ross



The new tracker tags attach to the bears’ fur and, while the animals are sedated
to fit the tags, the devices fall off naturally



“There’s a dearth of information about male polar bear movements, because they
can’t be equipped with conventional tracking collars,” said Mr Ross.

The sea ice [that the polar bears use as a platform from which to hunt] is
disappearing faster than it has in the past,” explained Mr Ross. “So the winter
hunting season is getting shorter. We want to know where they’re moving in
response.”

Polar bears are difficult to tag. Male bears’ heads are smaller than their
necks, so tracking collars can just slip off.

Another option is ear tags – attached by piercing the bear’s ear. They require
an animal to be recaptured in order to remove the tag and, in rare cases, can
injure the ear.

The three new tags the researchers tested were designed by the company 3M in
collaboration with the charity Polar Bears International. They all attach to the
bears’ coarse fur.

To fit the tags, scientists had to locate and sedate bears. They then assessed
the quality of the data they received from each device and noted when the tags
fell off.

Tyler Ross



The best performing tag remained attached to the bear for an average of 58 days



The best performing device was called a SeaTrkr tag, which is “crimped” into the
bears’ fur. It stayed attached for an average of 58 days and – with an in-built
GPS system – allowed the scientists to pinpoint the bears’ location to within
just a few metres.

“It’s ideal to have something that falls off naturally – that’s not permanently
attached to the bear,” explained Mr Ross. “But anything that lasts in the order
of a few months would be great [for our research], because then you’re getting
these important seasons that the bears are going through throughout the year.”

Climate change is bringing bears and humans into closer proximity, making places
where polar bears and people coexist, riskier for both.

One US Geological Survey study in 2022 that that used data from satellite
tracking collars on more than 400 polar bears in Alaska, shows the time they
spend onshore has grown significantly in recent decades.

“Getting a better sense of polar bears’ movements is really crucial,” Mr Ross
commented. “Particularly given the state of their environment at this point.”

This study of the bear tags is published in the journal Animal Biotelemetry.

BJ Kirschhoffer/PBI





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VICTIMS DRANK TEA LACED WITH CYANIDE

Posted on July 17, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




The six people who died in a luxury hotel suite in Thailand were poisoned by tea
laced with cyanide, police have said.

Police suspect that one of the dead was behind the poisoning and was driven by
crushing debt.

The six deceased were found dead by housekeepers at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel
in the Thai capital Bangkok late on Tuesday.

Investigators believe they had been dead for 24 hours by then.

Two of the six had loaned “tens of millions Thai baht” to another of the
deceased for investment purposes, authorities said. Ten million baht is worth
nearly $280,000 (£215,000).

Confusion and mystery had earlier surrounded the grim discovery of the bodies,
with local reports initially suggesting there had been a shooting. Police later
dismissed these reports.

A clearer picture is emerging now of what might have happened.

The group of six people had all gathered in a room early in the afternoon on
Monday, police said.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Deputy Bangkok police chief Gen Noppassin
Poonsawat said the group had checked into the hotel separately and were assigned
five rooms – four on the seventh floor, and one on the fifth. The group had all
made their way to the room on the fifth floor.

Two of the victims, Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55, are American
citizens.

The other four were Vietnamese nationals Thi Nguyen Phuong, 46, her husband Hong
Pham Thanh, 49, Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, 47, and Dinh Tran Phu, 37.

The group ordered food and tea, which was delivered to the room around 14:00
local time and received by Ms Chong.

According to the deputy police chief, a waiter offered to make tea for the
guests but Ms Chong refused this. The waiter recalled that she “spoke very
little and was visibly under stress”, authorities said.

The waiter later left the room – no one else is believed to have entered the
room apart from the six inside. Police say there were no signs of a struggle or
a robbery.

Police later found traces of cyanide in all six tea cups.



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KEIR STARMER SEEKS TO TURN PROMISES INTO REALITY

Posted on July 17, 2024 by JOANNA TANNER




When there is a change of government, there is a dizzying hokey cokey of
changing job titles.

Even if the winner of the election was not wildly surprising and even for those
of us who spend our professional lives observing and scrutinising these folk, it
can still catch you out.

Suddenly, the person answering to “prime minister” is a different bloke from
earlier in the month.

The leader of the opposition, Rishi Sunak, continues to oppose the prime
minister, but is no longer the prime minister.

This is a new government attempting to leverage three set-piece moments in its
first fortnight to cement its place in office in the mind’s eye of the
electorate – and shake off that novelty as a team of people who were so long in
opposition and are now running the place.

There was the Nato Summit in Washington last week, there is the European
Political Community gathering at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire on Thursday and
then there is the King’s Speech today.

They are all events where ceremony and vivid pictures varnish the more prosaic
political promises.

Pretty useful for any government at any time – the staging and choreography of
office denied to parties of opposition.

And certainly useful to a UK Labour government rather keen to move on from a day
of headlines about the Welsh Labour government imploding.

In purely numerical terms, the number of planned new laws set out at today’s
State Opening of Parliament is on the high side – and higher, Labour say, than
Tony Blair managed at his equivalent moment in 1997.

It is worth saying that government plans and government achievements are not the
same thing.

Ideas for new laws can get bogged down, side-tracked, amended, and a government
can run out of time or enthusiasm to pursue them.

And stuff happens, stuff always happens, that seizes the agenda, the attention,
the in-tray of ministers.

But remember this is a government with a mountainous majority.

Rebellions and noises off would have to be mighty loud to cause Sir Keir Starmer
real problems and while there is no doubt that in time there will be an awkward
squad on his benches, most are likely to be loyal before they (potentially) get
grumpy.

For the prime minister today, the aim is to project a sense of energy and
urgency, but not surprises.

He will try to convince you he is turning his campaign promises into reality, or
at least beginning the process of doing so.

And he wants to give off the impression the party has been working hard in
opposition to be ready for government – that the scale of these ideas make it
obvious they have not been cobbled together in the last fortnight.

Labour want to make the most of any honeymoon period, which they know will
probably be short-lived.

They successfully harnessed that most powerful of words – “change” – in the
election campaign.

Now comes the next difficult bit: actually trying to deliver it.



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