Non-IT News Thread
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Surfside tower collapse: 'Zero' hope of finding survivors
Rescue teams combing the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in Florida are switching from a search-and-rescue mission to a recovery effort.
The decision comes about two weeks after the 12-storey Champlain Towers South fell in the middle of the night. Forty-six victims have been found and 94 are still missing, Surfside city officials said. No survivors have been found since the initial collapse, and rescue crews say many victims were found in their beds. News that the rescue mission was ending came during a private meeting on Wednesday between families of the missing and Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah. -
Spanish ministers clash over campaign to eat less meat
A Spanish minister has been roasted by members of his own coalition government over his efforts to reduce meat consumption in the country.
This week consumer affairs minister, Alberto Garzón, launched a campaign to encourage Spaniards to eat less meat. "Eating too much meat is bad for our health and for the planet," Mr Garzón said in a video on Twitter. But for some cabinet ministers, his plea for moderation was difficult to swallow. "It seems to me the campaign is unfortunate," agriculture minister Luis Planas said in an interview with a local radio station. Mr Planas said the "Less meat, more life" campaign was "unfair" for Spain's meat industry, which is a major contributor to the country's economy. Those views were echoed in an open letter to Mr Garzón, penned by six meat-producing associations. -
Jovenel Moïse: Foreign hit squad killed Haiti's president, police say
A group of 28 foreign mercenaries, including retired Colombian soldiers, assassinated Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse earlier this week, police say.
After a gun battle in the capital Port-au-Prince, 17 were detained, some at the house they were using, others after entering Taiwan's diplomatic compound. Three suspects were killed by police and eight are still being sought. Bloodied and bruised, arrested suspects were shown to the media on Thursday, along with a slew of seized weapons. It is still unclear who organised the attack and with what motive. The attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday, when gunmen broke into the president's home in Port-au-Prince, shooting him dead and wounding his wife. Mr Moïse, 53, was found lying on his back with 12 bullet wounds and a gouged eye, according to authorities. -
Cuba protests: Thousands rally against government as economy struggles
Thousands of Cubans have risked jail by joining the biggest protests for decades against the island's Communist government.
"There is no food, no medicine, there is no freedom. They do not let us live," one of Sunday's protesters named only as Alejandro told BBC Mundo. The protests are significant, because government critics face harsh punishments for dissent in Cuba. The island's president called for his supporters to "fight" the protesters. Cuba is in the midst of an economic crisis and has been hit hard by US sanctions and Covid. Cubans have been angered by the collapse of the economy, food and medicine shortages, price hikes and the government's handling of the pandemic. Protesters shouted "freedom" and "down with the dictatorship" in demonstrations across Cuba, including the capital Havana. -
@jaredbusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@obsolesce said in Non-IT News Thread:
@mlnews the closer you are to the equator, the worse the rise in sea level. No idea the time line though.
Probably because all the spinning pushes it out there.
What spinning? Dumbass round eather’s thinking shit spins.
Spinning does not make noticeable difference.
Only 0,33%. If rise close to notrh pole is 30cm, on eqautor it should be 30.1cm
(I know I'm 9 days late with this comment
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@jaredbusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@obsolesce said in Non-IT News Thread:
@mlnews the closer you are to the equator, the worse the rise in sea level. No idea the time line though.
Probably because all the spinning pushes it out there.
What spinning? Dumbass round eather’s thinking shit spins.
You mean flat-Earthers?
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@obsolesce said in Non-IT News Thread:
@jaredbusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@obsolesce said in Non-IT News Thread:
@mlnews the closer you are to the equator, the worse the rise in sea level. No idea the time line though.
Probably because all the spinning pushes it out there.
What spinning? Dumbass round eather’s thinking shit spins.
You mean flat-Earthers?
No.
Flat-earthers know that Earth is flat.
Dumbass round-earthers think that earth spins
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@mario-jakovina said in Non-IT News Thread:
@obsolesce said in Non-IT News Thread:
@jaredbusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@obsolesce said in Non-IT News Thread:
@mlnews the closer you are to the equator, the worse the rise in sea level. No idea the time line though.
Probably because all the spinning pushes it out there.
What spinning? Dumbass round eather’s thinking shit spins.
You mean flat-Earthers?
No.
Flat-earthers know that Earth is flat.
Dumbass round-earthers think that earth spins
Oh that's right. Earth only spins if it's
roundspherical... otherwise everything else revolves around earth which is stationary. -
Nasa set for attempt to fix Hubble's trouble
Nasa will attempt to fix a problem that has stopped the Hubble telescope from being used for astronomy.
It's the worst glitch in years to hit the venerated observatory. An onboard computer halted on 13 June, leading to the science instruments being put in "safe mode" - where all non-essential systems are shut down. Now, the possible origin of the malfunction has been traced to a control unit that supplies electricity to the failed computer. Ground controllers will begin switching over to back-up hardware on Thursday, in an effort to get one of the most important scientific tools in history up and running again. Although astronomy observations have been suspended since June, Nasa says the telescope itself and the science instruments are healthy. -
National Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says
Sugar and salt should be taxed and vegetables prescribed by the NHS, an independent review of the food we eat has suggested.
The report, led by businessman Henry Dimbleby, said taxes raised could extend free school meal provision and support better diets among the poorest. England's National Food Strategy also wants GPs to try prescribing fruit and vegetables to encourage healthy eating. Boris Johnson said he was not attracted to extra taxes on hard-working people. The prime minister added he would study the report, and promised the government would respond with proposals for future laws within six months. Meanwhile, the food industry warned new taxes on wholesale sugar and salt could lead to higher food prices in shops. Ian Wright, of the Food and Drink Federation, which represents manufacturers, said: "Obesity and food is very much about poverty, and we need measures to tackle poverty and to help people to make choices they need to make." -
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
National Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says
Sugar and salt should be taxed and vegetables prescribed by the NHS, an independent review of the food we eat has suggested.
The report, led by businessman Henry Dimbleby, said taxes raised could extend free school meal provision and support better diets among the poorest. England's National Food Strategy also wants GPs to try prescribing fruit and vegetables to encourage healthy eating. Boris Johnson said he was not attracted to extra taxes on hard-working people. The prime minister added he would study the report, and promised the government would respond with proposals for future laws within six months. Meanwhile, the food industry warned new taxes on wholesale sugar and salt could lead to higher food prices in shops. Ian Wright, of the Food and Drink Federation, which represents manufacturers, said: "Obesity and food is very much about poverty, and we need measures to tackle poverty and to help people to make choices they need to make."Since when has solely taxing something unhealthy made people stop ingesting it? Nothing good will come from this, at all. It's just a ploy.
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@obsolesce said in Non-IT News Thread:
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
National Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says
Sugar and salt should be taxed and vegetables prescribed by the NHS, an independent review of the food we eat has suggested.
The report, led by businessman Henry Dimbleby, said taxes raised could extend free school meal provision and support better diets among the poorest. England's National Food Strategy also wants GPs to try prescribing fruit and vegetables to encourage healthy eating. Boris Johnson said he was not attracted to extra taxes on hard-working people. The prime minister added he would study the report, and promised the government would respond with proposals for future laws within six months. Meanwhile, the food industry warned new taxes on wholesale sugar and salt could lead to higher food prices in shops. Ian Wright, of the Food and Drink Federation, which represents manufacturers, said: "Obesity and food is very much about poverty, and we need measures to tackle poverty and to help people to make choices they need to make."Since when has solely taxing something unhealthy made people stop ingesting it? Nothing good will come from this, at all. It's just a ploy.
It's just another sin tax...
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Climate change: Science failed to predict flood and heat intensity
Top climate scientists have admitted they failed to predict the intensity of the German floods and the North American heat dome.
They've correctly warned over decades that a fast-warming climate would bring worse bursts of rain and more damaging heatwaves. But they say their computers are not powerful enough to accurately project the severity of those extremes. They want governments to spend big on a shared climate super-computer. Computers are fundamental to weather forecasting and climate change, and computing will underpin the new climate science “Bible”, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) next month. -
Mystery 19th Century botanist tracked down following appeal
A mystery 19th-Century botanist has been found, thanks to sleuthing work by the public.
Isabella Anne Allen had been known only by the secrets she left behind, tucked between the pages of an old book. But following an appeal for information, on the BBC News website, she has now been traced to the village of Madresfield, Worcestershire. Her story came to light when clues such as pressed flowers, poems and doodles were found inside The English Flora. Donated to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) decades ago, the botanical text was rediscovered by staff sorting through boxes ahead of a move to a new library. -
Hubble space telescope's function is restored
Engineers have restored the science instruments aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, after a glitch took them offline.
Astronomers can now begin collecting data for the first time since 13 June, when a computer stopped working. Last week, engineers began switching over to backup hardware, in a bid to get one of the most important research tools in history up and running again. It's the worst malfunction in years to hit the venerated observatory. "Hubble is an icon, giving us incredible insight into the cosmos over the past three decades," said Nasa's administrator Bill Nelson. "I'm proud of the Hubble team, from current members to Hubble alumni who stepped in to lend their support and expertise. Thanks to their dedication and thoughtful work, Hubble will continue to build on its 31-year legacy, broadening our horizons with its view of the Universe." -
Oregon Bootleg Fire: Evacuations as largest US fire burns 300,000 acres
In the US state of Oregon, the nation's largest active wildfire has burned through more than 300,000 acres, prompting thousands of evacuations.
The Bootleg Fire, already among the biggest in the state's recent history, is one of more than 80 major blazes raging across 11 western states. Fed by hot temperatures and intense winds, the Bootleg has been burning since 6 July. In neighbouring Canada, heat waves have also fuelled hundreds of fires. Wildfires have torn through more than 1.1m acres in the US - mainly in western states - according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires. The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions. -
Jeff Bezos launches to space aboard New Shepard rocket ship
Billionaire Jeff Bezos blasted into space on Tuesday, in the first crewed flight of his rocket ship, New Shepard.
He was accompanied by Mark Bezos, his brother, Wally Funk, an 82-year-old pioneer of the space race, and an 18-year-old student. They travelled in a capsule with the biggest windows flown in space, offering stunning views of the Earth. All four passengers have now parachuted safely back to Earth after their 10-minute, 10-second trip. New Shepard, built by Bezos' company Blue Origin, is designed to serve the burgeoning market for space tourism. On this flight was the oldest person who has been to space - Ms Funk - and the youngest, student Oliver Daemen. The spacecraft lifted off at 14:12 BST (09:12 EDT) from a private launch site near Van Horn, Texas. -
China floods: 12 dead in Zhengzhou train and thousands evacuated in Henan
Twelve people have died after record-breaking rainfall flooded underground railway tunnels in China, leaving passengers trapped in rising waters.
Video shared on social media shows evening commuters just managing to keep their heads above water. Water is seen rushing onto platforms. More than 500 people were eventually rescued from the tunnels in Henan province, officials said. Days of rain have caused widespread damage and led to 200,000 evacuations. Above ground, roads have been turned into rivers, with cars and debris swept along in fast moving currents. A number of pedestrians have had to be rescued. More than a dozen cities in Henan province are affected. President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that there had been "significant loss of life and damage to property". Several dams and reservoirs have breached warning levels, and soldiers have been mobilised to divert rivers which have burst their banks. Flights and trains in many parts of Henan have also been suspended. -
Covid: China rejects WHO plan for second phase of virus origin probe
China has rejected the next stage of a World Health Organization (WHO) plan to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
The WHO wants to audit laboratories in the area the virus was first identified. But Zeng Yixin, deputy health minister, said this showed "disrespect for common sense and arrogance toward science". WHO experts said it was very unlikely the virus escaped from a Chinese lab, but the theory has endured. Investigators were able to visit Wuhan - the city where the virus was first detected in December 2019 - in January this year. But earlier this month WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlined the terms of the inquiry's next phase. This included looking at certain science research institutions. -
Tokyo Olympics: 2020 Games begin as Naomi Osaka lights Olympic flame in poignant ceremony
The honour fell to Naomi Osaka to light the flame, the beacon of hope the Olympics attempts to be.
It marked the official opening of Tokyo 2020, a year later than planned, and in the midst of a global pandemic. Perhaps as expected, Friday's opening ceremony was not of the usual ilk. No carnival like Rio, no skydiving monarchs like London, but a more sombre tone, a sobering reminder that this is a Games taking place in a world still facing its toughest challenge. "Today is a moment of hope," said Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). "Yes, it is very different from what all of us had imagined. But let us cherish this moment because finally we are all here together." This Games is going to be different, dampened by masks, positive tests and the absence of fans. But it is still the Olympics; still the greatest show on Earth, still faster, higher, stronger and now together.
