Saturday, August 14, 2010

Former US Representative Dan Rostenkowski died of lung cancer Wednesday at his vacation home in Genoa City, Wisconsin. Rostenkowski, whose political career ended in the early 1990s after he was convicted on fraud charges, was 82.

Rostenkowski’s death was confirmed by his spokesperson, Jim Jaffe, who said that the former congressman had been receiving treatment for lung cancer for a while. Rostenkowski had previously been treated for prostate cancer in the 1990s.

Rostenkowski was born on January 2, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. He was an athlete and declined an invitation to try out for the Philadelphia Athletics (now the Oakland Athletics) in order to pursue a career in politics. Rostenkowski attended St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Wisconsin, served with the US Army in Korea, and graduated from Loyola University in 1951.

Rostenkowski’s political career was supported by the Cook County political machine, and he became a member of the Illinois state legislature in 1952, one year after graduating from college. In 1958, when he was 30, Rostenkowski was elected to the US House of Representatives. In 1961, he began serving on the United States House Committee on Ways and Means, the chief committee of the House for writing taxes. From 1981–1994, he served as the committee’s chairman. Rostenkowski was involved in the creation of Medicare in 1966 and he helped make amendments to the Social Security system in 1983.

In 1992, a federal jury began an inquiry into the House post office, and Rostenkowski was accused of buying US$22,000 in stamps with government funds and then turning them into cash. The investigation, which lasted two years, led to Republican allegations of corruption within the Democratic party. In 1994, Rostenkowski was charged with 17 felony counts, including the use of federal money to purchase furniture, and obstruction of justice. In order to avoid a trial, Rostenkowski made a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to two counts of mail fraud in exchange for fifteen months in prison, two months in a halfway house, and a US$100,000 fine.

Rostenkowski, who was not reelected for a nineteenth term in Congress in 1994, continued to maintain his innocence, and was pardoned by US President Bill Clinton in 2000.

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Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Local caterers get ready for big business, as almost three thousand fans converge on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center over the Independence Day weekend for the world’s largest ever furry convention, Anthrocon 2007.

Many hope to renew acquaintances, or meet new friends. Others look to buy from dealers and artists, or show off new artwork or costumes. Some attend to make money, or even learn a thing or two. But one thing unites them: They’re all there to have fun.

Saturday, October 7, 2006

The city of Bratsk in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, received a new turbine for its famous 4,500 megawatt hydroelectric plant founded in the mid-1950s on the Angara river. In future this new unit will cause an efficiency rise up to 255MW for each turbine.

Currently, the Bratsk Power Station operates 18 hydro-turbines, each with capacity of 250MW, produced by the Leningrad Metal Works (“LMZ”) in the 1960s. The plant is the second level of the Angara Hydroelectric Stations cascade. Since its full commissioning in 1967, the station was the world’s single biggest power producer until Canada’s Churchill Falls in 1971. Annually the station produces 22.6 billion kWh.

The precious 80 tonne cargo was transported to Pulkovo International airport of Saint-Petersburg where it was loaded on Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan to made all the way to Bratsk by air. On October 4, 2006 it landed in the Bratsk airport. In two days the unit 16 replacement arrived to the assemble place on the Angara river.

Sergey Emdin, CEO of IrkutskEnergo JSC, noted the press that the Bratsk plant reconstruction project includes not only the economical, but the ecological aspect by reducing carbon dioxide emission for 6 million tonnes for the period of 2008-2012.

In 2006 and 2007 the old plant is scheduled to receive two more working wheels – by one for each year respectively, and in 2008 and 2009 another four – by two for each year.

Sunday, September 4, 2005

In Louisiana, southeast of New Orleans, two storage tanks estimated to be filled with up to 160,000 barrels (6.7 million gallons) of oil are reported to be leaking into the Mississippi River. It was first noticed on September 1, 2005 by an aircraft flying overhead. Officials are not certain whether the tanks are the cause of the leak or how full the tanks are. Inspection of the storage tanks from the ground is impossible due to flooding in the area.

In comparison, the Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska leaked between 11 and 35 million gallons of oil.

Due to massive efforts directed toward search and rescue in New Orleans, the Coast Guard has not been able to look into the matter.

[edit]

Tuesday, May 9, 2006The Australian Budget (Appropriation Bill No. 1) for 2006-2007 was released by the Australian Liberal Party–Australian National Party coalition government treasurer, Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal).

Costello noted the resilience of the economy against natural disasters and terrorism, and through “disciplined and prudent management” the Government was able to “repay Labor’s debt” of quoted 96 billion dollars of net debt and the Government was now “debt-free”.

Costello noted that the Government budget was in “surplus for the ninth time” with a forecast surplus of 10.8 billion.

Friday, May 28, 2010

A man accused of being a serial killer has appeared in Bradford magistrates court in West Yorkshire today charged with three counts of murder. 40-year-old Stephen Griffiths is accused of killing Suzanne Blamires, 36, Susan Rushworth, 43, and Shelley Armitage, 31, all prostitutes.

Griffiths, a former van driver with a degree in psychology and studying for a PhD in criminology, gave his name as “Crossbow Cannibal” when asked. He has been in police custody since Monday when police were alerted to a CCTV recording that appeared to show a murder.

A caretaker had been reviewing footage from the flats where Griffiths lives when he saw footage of a woman and a man enter a flat early on Saturday morning. Two minutes later, she ran out and was followed by the man, who beat her to the ground and shot her in the head with a crossbow. Over the course of the weekend, the man was seen several times with bin bags and a rucksack.

On Tuesday, the day after the arrest of Griffiths, Blamires’ remains were found in the River Aire in nearby Shipley. She had been cut into several pieces and her head was located in a rucksack. Police continue to search for the other two alleged victims; Rushworth has been missing since June last year and Armitage vanished in April.

Police have searched much of Bradford’s red-light district, where Griffiths’ third-floor flat is located. Forensic investigations at the flat are expected to last around three weeks. There are plans to search landfill sites for bodies, and police may yet expand the inquiry to cover three more cold cases, although at present they have not been linked to the current inquiry.

Sniffer dogs have been used throughout the city, and police have been taking away plastic evidence bags. Some alleyways remain closed off. Police charged their suspect yesterday.

Griffiths was known as “the lizard man” in his block of flats owing to his habit of walking his two pet monitor lizards in the area. One neighbour is reported to have quoted him as saying he was studying for “a PhD in murder and Jack the Ripper,” and he has spent time in a high-security psychiatric hospital. During his five-minute court appearance he did not enter a plea, kept his head bowed and fidgeted with his cuffed hands. He said “Here, I guess,” when asked for his address.

As he stood in the glass-fronted dock, guarded by three security officers, he was watched by the families of Rushworth and Armitage, who were accompanied by police family liaison officers. Blamires’ family chose not to be present, but the victim’s mother Nicky Blamires, 54, has told the press that Suzanne was a “much-loved” family member even though she “went down the wrong path and did not have the life she was meant to have.” “Nobody deserves this,” she said. “All these girls were human beings and people’s daughters.”

Griffiths’ morning court appearance was followed by a second one this afternoon, at Bradford Crown Court. This time, he confirmed his name without incident. He was remanded into custody until next month, when he will appear in court again.

British media has been quick to compare the case to Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the “Yorkshire Ripper”. Sutcliffe was a Bradford killer responsible for thirteen murders and seven attempted murders, including several prostitutes. Since his 1981 conviction he has spent most of the last three decades in Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital near London.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Yesterday evening in La Molina, Spain, Wikinews sat down and talked with Irene Villa to discuss para-alpine skiing, disability sport, women’s sport, and her own sporting career. Villa was in town as part of activities taking place around the 2013 IPC Alpine World Championships, where one of her skiing club teammates is competing as a member of the Spanish team. Her high profile in Spain has brought additional interest to para-alpine skiing and disability sport in general.

((Wikinews)) : Hi we are interviewing Irene Villa, who is a disability skier from Spain and professional author, social figure, journalist, and psychologist. You are most well known for being a terrorist survivor, but you’re here because of the [2013 Alpine Skiing] World Championships. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Hola estamos entrevistando a Irene Villa, esquiadora española, escritora, figura política, psicóloga y periodista. Aunque se le conoce más por haber sobrevivido a un atentado, se encuentra aquí por el Campeonato del Mundo [de Esquí Adaptado 2013].}

Irene Villa: I’m here because I love sitting ski, I practice and I compete, but since I got pregnant and my son was born I stopped competing. But before I had my son I competed against the people who will run tomorrow, the Germans who win, and I wanted to be here. I haven’t raced in the World Cup, but I did race in the European Cup. And well, I’m also here to support paralympic sports. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Estoy aquí porque me encanta el esquí en silla, lo practico y he competido, pero desde que nació mi hijo dejé de competir, porque me quedé embarazada, pero antes de tener a mi hijo competí contra las que mañana corren, las alemanas que ganan, y quería estar aquí. Nunca Copa del Mundo, he corrido Copa de Europa. Y bueno, para apoyar al deporte paralímpico.}

((WN)) : In 2009 you said you were trying to make the 2010 Winter Paralympics. After giving birth are you going to continue with the sport and hope to make 2018? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?En 2009 dijo que quería clasificarse para los Juegos Paralímpicos de Invierno de 2010. Tras dar a luz, ¿va a continuar con el deporte e intentar llegar a 2018?}

Irene Villa: I would love to. The thing is that you need a certain amount of IPCAS points. I’m now competing, on top of that I have an injury, tomorrow and the next day I will be training, and I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to make it. Sochi [Winter Paralympic Games of 2014] is right around the corner, next year, so it depends on how many point you’ve got. 2018? For sure. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Me encantaría. Lo que pasa que bueno, eso no se sabe, porque tienes que tener unos puntos IPCAS determinados y yo ahora estoy compitiendo, encima me he lesionado, y mañana y pasado voy a estar esquiando, y no sé si van a dar los tiempos para llegar… Es que Sochi [Juegos Paralímpicos de 2014] está aquí al lado. Son el año que viene. Entonces depende de los puntos IPCAS que tengas. ¿2018? Seguro que sí.}

((WN)) : You compete in a lot of national competitions, and with disability sport in general, classification is a big issue. Competing in national competitions, does classification come into play, especially when there is so few women skiers in your group? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Participa en muchas competiciones nacionales, y en el deporte con discapacidad en general, las clasificaciones son un un tema polémico. En la competición nacional, ¿es la clasificación un factor tan determinante, especialmente cuando hay tan pocas esquiadoras en tu grupo?}

Irene Villa: Yes, certainly. You see, I have an advantage because I have buttocks, I have abs. I have an advantage over a teammate who has a spinal injury here [points to the high part of the back] and also competes. So of course classification is very important because we cannot have an advantage. I believe in competing in equal fairness, and disabilities vary so much that you need a good classification. Issues because of classification? Well, I think we are pretty well classified. For example, my fingers [shows hand where she lost three fingers] are not taken into account in classification, there’s always going to be a small detail that they don’t count. This is a disadvantage when holding the outrigger, and yet I’m classified like someone who is missing half a leg, for example. I’m missing both legs and three fingers. But, it’s really complicated to finetune it… Because then we would need to have twenty thousand classifications. This is what we have. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Sí, claro que sí. Porque claro, yo tengo ventaja por ejemplo al tener glúteos, al tener abdominales, tengo ventaja sobre una compañera de mi equipo que tiene una lesión medular desde aquí [señala principio de la espalda] y también compite, así que por supuesto la clasificación es muy importante porque no podemos tener ventaja. Creo que tenemos que estar en igualdad de condiciones, y las discapacidades son tan distintas que tienes que tener una buena clasificación. ¿Problemas porque no te clasifican bien? Hombre pues yo creo que nosotras estamos bien clasificadas. Por ejemplo, a mi estos dedos [muestra mano en la que perdió tres dedos] no me los cuentan en la clasificación, claro, siempre va a haber algo pequeño que no te cuentan. Esto es una desventaja al coger el estabilo, y sin embargo estoy clasificada igual que una a la que le falta media pierna, por ejemplo. A mi me faltan las dos y tres dedos. Pero es que claro, es muy dificil dar justo… Porque entonces tendríamos que tener veintemil clasificaciones. Es lo que hay.}

((WN)) : Some of the skiers I’ve talked to in the mens’ side, not in Spain, but from other countries, have complained about the quality of womens’ skiing, and that there’s not enough high quality competition. That’s why I was interested in if classification was impacting women’s skiing because there is so few women skiers, that classes seem they’d make it harder to find competitors in classes that are making the sport equitable and fair. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Algunos de los esquiadores de otros países con los que he hablado se quejaban de la calidad del esquí femenino, y la escasa calidad de la competición. Por eso me interesaba saber si la clasificación incidía en el esquí femenino al haber tan pocas esquiadoras, que las clases parece que hacen más dificil encontrar competidoras en clases que hacen el deporte más equitativo y justo.}

Irene Villa: Of course. In the case of the women, it is really hard to get a woman skiing, to have her compete in sit-ski. In fact, in Spain we exist thanks to Fundación También, which insisted in there being a female category. There was no female category, no women who dared. And we’re the same who started out in 2007. There has been no new blood because women don’t dare, because it is a tough sport, that requires sponsors —that do not exist—, or your own money, and it also demands courage and withstanding bad moments. I’ve suffered cold and injuries, and had some really tough times. You take away the best with you, but it is very hard, and men resist the cold better. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Claro. Es que en las mujeres cuesta muchísimo que una mujer se ponga a esquiar, a competir en silla. De hecho en España estamos gracias a la Fundación También, que es la que se empeñó en que hubiese categoría femenina. No existía la categoría femenina, no había mujeres que se atrevieran. Y de hecho somos las mismas que empezamos en el 2007. No se ha renovado porque no se atreven, es un deporte duro, que además requiere sponsors, que no hay, o dinero de tu bolsillo, y además requiere valentía y malos ratos. Yo he pasado mucho frío y muchas caidas, y lo he pasado muy mal. La verdad es que te quedas siempre con lo bueno, pero es muy duro, y es cierto que los hombres son más fuertes para el frío.}

((WN)) : Your personal experiences have adequately prepared you to hurl yourself down the mountain at high speed? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Sus experiencias personales le han preparado adecuadamente para lanzarse pendiente abajo a máxima velocidad?}

Irene Villa: At the beginning, it was very scary. The first times were very hard: falls, injuries… I even dislocated my vertebra and got a prothesis for the neck because of a hernia, one teammate broke her clavicle, another her femur… It has a lot of risks, but the truth is, speed hooks you! Once you learn to plant the ski pole, angle yourself, learn the position you must use, which is like a motorcycle rider’s, once you see you can run a lot and not fall, speed is addictive and you want to go faster. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Al principio, mucho miedo. Los comienzos fueron muy duros: caidas, lesiones… A mi incluso se me salió el disco del cuello, me tuvieron que poner una prótesis en el cuello por una hernia que tenía, otra se rompió la clavícula, otra el femur, en fin… Tiene mucho riesgo, pero la verdad que la velocidad engancha. Una vez que aprendes a clavar el canto, a angular, la posición en la que tienes que ir, que es como la de un motorista, una vez que ves que puedes correr mucho y no te caes, sí que engancha la velocidad y quieres ir cada vez más rápido.}

((WN)) : Most of the ski team looks like they come from the Madrid area? From the Fundación También? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿La mayor parte del equipo parece que vienen de Madrid? ¿De la Fundación También?}

Irene Villa: In my team we are from everywhere in Spain. Even Nathalie Carpanedo is from France. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?En el equipo somos de todas partes de España. Incluso Nathalie [Carpanedo] es de Francia.}

((WN)) : How does a Frenchwoman become a Spanish skier? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Cómo se convierte una francesa en una esquiadora española?}

Irene Villa: Because she lives in Madrid. She has the Spanish nationality. Then we have another woman from the South of Spain, in Andalusia, from Tarragona in Catalonia, from Galicia… We are from all parts of Spain. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Porque vive en Madrid. Tiene la nacionalidad española. También tenemos a una mujer del sur de España, de Andalucía, otra de Tarragona en Cataluña, de Galicia… Las chicas venimos de todas las partes de España.}

((WN)) : So there’s a national ski culture. People think of Spain as a place with beaches and no snow. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Así pues hay una cultura de esquí a nivel nacional. La gente piensa de España como un lugar con playas y nada de nieve.}

Irene Villa: There’s not too much tradition of paralympic skiing, to be true. There’s less. But we do have Sierra Nevada and the Pyrenees. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Del esquí adaptado no hay tanta cultura, eso es cierto. Hay menos. Pero bueno, tenemos Sierra Nevada y tenemos el Pirineo catalán, aragonés…}

((WN)) : The Paralympics in Spain are supported by the Plan ADO Paralímpico. Do they provide enough support to women and to winter sports in general? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Los deportistas paralímpicos reciben apoyo gracias al Plan ADO Paralímpico. ¿Proporcionan suficiente apoyo para las mujeres y los deportes de invierno en general?}

Irene Villa: The people in the national squad, like Úrsula Pueyo, would know that. If Plan ADO helps someone, it’s the people in the national team, those who dedicate their lives to the sport. They offered it to me when I was at my peak, in 2010, when I won my first gold medals and wasn’t yet married. They offered me to move to Baqueira, where Úrsula lives, with Nathalie, and with a Catalan girl too, but I declined, because when you have a life, a daily job, events, conferences, travels…. you can’t leave it all for the sport. But I think the Plan does help the people who dedicate themselves to the sport, like Úrsula. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Eso lo saben los que están en el equipo nacional, como Úrsula Pueyo. Si el Plan ADO ayuda a alguien es a quienes están en el equipo nacional, a quienes dejan su vida por el deporte. A mi por ejemplo me lo plantearon cuando yo estaba en mi mejor momento, que fue en el 2010, que gané mis primeros oros y no estaba casada. Me plantearon irme a vivir a Baqueira donde vive Úrsula, con Nathalie, y con otra chica catalana, pero dije que no porque cuando tienes una vida, un trabajo diario, eventos, congresos, viajes… no podía dejarlo todo por el deporte. Pero creo que a la gente que sí que se dedica a ello sí le ayuda. Como a Úrsula.}

((WN)) : When I’ve read about disability skiing in Spain for women, they talk about you and they talk about Teresa Silva. Is there a way to get more attention for women skiers on that level, outside of using you and Teresa Silva as a vehicle? Not that you are not great for drawing attention! But how do you draw more attention to women’s sports and high quality that women are capable of doing? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Cuando he leído sobre el esquí adaptado en España, suelen hablar de usted y Teresa Silva. ¿Existe alguna forma de atraer más atención a las esquiadoras, más allá de usarlas a ustedes como reclamo? ¡No es que no sean fantásticas para atraer atención! ¿Pero cómo se incrementa la atención al deporte femenino y a la alta calidad que las mujeres son capaces de lograr?}

Irene Villa: Oh, I would like that more people would join this sport or any other disability sport, that they practised it. And what we do is try to encourage them through the media, interviews, conferences… Teresa is the director of Fundación También, and she has access to talk with many people. As a speaker in motivation conferences and the like, I make people aware of it too. But it is difficult, because people try it out and love it, but will not race. Because racing is very risky and, well, you saw the slopes yesterday, sometimes they are hard, like a wall, and falling can be awful. But when we get the chance, we promote the sport and try to attract people that way, encouraging them to join this adventure that is sport. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Eso es lo que a mi me encantaría, que cada vez más gente se apuntase a este deporte o a cualquier deporte, que hiciese deporte con discapacidad. Y nosotros lo que hacemos es intentar a través de los medios de comunicación, a través de entrevistas, a través de congresos… Teresa es la directora de la Fundación, y tiene acceso a hablar a mucha gente. Yo como ponente de conferencias, de motivación y tal, también lo doy a conocer. Pero es dificil, como digo, porque la gente lo prueba y le encanta, pero dicen que no a la carrera. Porque la carrera tiene muchos riesgos y porque, bueno ya visteis la pista ayer, que es complicada, a veces es muy dura, es un marmol, y las caidas son muy jorobadas. Pero sí que en cuanto podemos y tenemos la oportunidad, lo damos a conocer e intentamos atraer a la gente de esa forma, animándola a que se unan a esta aventura del deporte.}

((WN)) : As an outsider from, not Spain, I know you are a political figure. Has that gotten in the way of your ability to be a sportswoman? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Como alguien que no es de España, entiendo que usted es una figura política. ¿Ha sido eso un obstáculo a la hora de ser una deportista?}

Irene Villa: No… Besides, that part about me being a political figure… I have nothing to do with politics. I don’t know why people always… Why? Because of what happened to me. I was a kid. A 12 year old has nothing to do with politics. We know too that ETA has attacked people who had nothing to do with politics as well. My mother was a police director. What may have interfered is the fact that since I was a known figure I’ve tried that other people…. Let’s see, for example I started doing sport so other people would know you could do sport. So it is true that the fact of being known has pushed me to do more things that I would’ve probably not have done. Because I wanted to show people that you could ski. And I ended up hooked. I only did it for a tv reportage. “Okay okay, a reportage and let’s have people know that yes, we can”. In fact, my book is titled “Knowing that you can” [Saber que se puede, in Spanish]. Later I got hooked. But the fact of being known motivates you to show other people a path that could be very beneficial to them, and at the end you get addicted to it. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?No… Es que además, lo de política me suena a que… yo no tengo nada que ver con la política. No sé por qué la gente siempre… ¿Por qué? Porque me pasó lo que me pasó. Era una niña. Una persona que tiene 12 años no puede tener nada que ver con la política. ETA ya sabemos que ha atentado contra gente que no tenía que ver con la política. Mi madre era funcionaria de policía. El caso es que lo que quizás ha podido interferir es que el hecho de ser una persona conocida he tratado de intentar que otras personas… A ver, yo empecé por ejemplo a hacer deporte para que otras personas supieran que se podía hacer deporte. Así que sí que es verdad que el hecho de ser conocida me ha impulsado a hacer más cosas de las que hubiese hecho seguramente. Porque yo quería mostrar a la gente que se podía esquiar. Y acabé enganchándome yo. Lo hice simplemente por un reportaje. “Venga venga, un reportaje y que la gente sepa que se puede”. De hecho mi libro se llama Saber que se puede. Luego me enganché. Pero el hecho de ser relevante o conocida te impulsa a mostrar a otras personas un camino que puede ser muy beneficioso para ellos, y al final acabas tú enganchada.}

((WN)) : When all is said and done, what do you kind of want your legacy to be? Do you want to be known as Irene Villa, disability sport advocate figure? Do you want to be known like Jon Santacana, or do you want to be known as somebody who has pushed the boundaries in other areas? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Al final del día, ¿qué clase de herencia desea dejar? ¿Ser conocida como Irene Villa, deportista y defensora del deporte discapacitado? ¿Ser conocida como Jon Santacana, o como alguien que ha forzado los límites en otras áreas?}

Irene Villa: As something more. I’d like my testimony to go beyond sport, which is what I try to do around the world, besides telling people you can do it. It’s about the capacity of a person to make herself, to be happy, to overcome resentment, to love herself, and to love others. I think that is the most important thing. And that’s the basis. I think sport is something that completes your life, mentally and physically. It’s very important. But my message is forgiveness, happiness and hope. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Algo más. A mi me gustaría, que es lo que hago por todo el mundo, aparte de decir a la gente que se puede, que mi testimonio vaya más allá del deporte. Es la capacidad de una persona de hacerse a sí misma, de ser feliz, de superar el rencor, de amarse, y de amar a los demás. Yo creo que eso es lo más importante. Y esa es la base. Creo que el deporte es algo que completa tu vida, te complementa mentalmente, físicamente. Es muy importante. Pero mi mensaje es perdón, alegría y esperanza.}

((WN)) : Thank you very much! ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¡Muchísimas gracias!}

Sunday, April 24, 2011

An investigation by the United States Coast Guard has concluded the largest oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry was partly the result of a “poor safety culture” aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The April 2010 explosion aboard the rig, which is located in the Gulf of Mexico, triggered a disaster that led to widespread environmental damage.

The report squarely blames Transocean, which managed the Deepwater Horizon, for being largely responsible for the explosion that claimed eleven lives. The rig had “serious safety management system failures and a poor safety culture,” the report says. Transocean fiercely rejected allegations that crews aboard the rig were badly trained and equipment was poorly maintained.

A slapdash safety environment on Deepwater Horizon would mean equipment was not mended or replaced if it meant losing valuable hours of drilling, the Coast Guard found. Electrical equipment believed to have caused a spark that ignited flammable gas was described as being in “bad condition” and “seriously corroded.” The report found that other deficiencies—improperly assembled gas detectors and emergency equipment; audible alarms switched off because of nuisance false warnings; complacency with fire drills; and poor preparation for dealing with a well blowout—all contributed to the disaster.

Transocean attacked the report’s conclusions and suggested the Coast Guard may have played a role in the disaster. A spokesperson for the company said Deepwater Horizon had been inspected by Coast Guard officials only months before the explosion, officials who said it complied with safety standards. “We strongly disagree with—and documentary evidence in the Coast Guard’s possession refutes—key findings in this report,” the company said.

This week, Deepwater Horizon owner BP launched legal action against Transocean. It also filed a lawsuit against Halliburton, the company that cemented the well, and Cameron, which manufactured the rig’s failed blowout preventer. BP is reportedly seeking to claim US$40 billion in damages, and alleges it has taken a massive financial hit and loss of reputation. In a statement, BP said it filed the lawsuits “to ensure that all parties … are appropriately held accountable for their roles in contributing to the Deepwater Horizon accident”.

In the lawsuit against Transocean, BP claims the company missed signs that a disaster was imminent and that it “materially breached its contractual duties in its actions and inactions leading to the loss of well control, the explosion and the loss of life and injuries onboard the Deepwater Horizon, as well as the resulting oil spill.” Halliburton, BP alleges, was riddled with “improper conduct, errors and omissions, including fraud and concealment” which led to the disaster, and continues to refuse to cooperate with investigators.

Transocean dismissed the lawsuit as “desperate” and “unconscionable,” and announced a countersuit against BP, which it claims was responsible for the disaster “through a series of cost-saving decisions that increased risk, in some cases severely.” Halliburton and Cameron, which is also countersuing, announced they would defend themselves against BP’s allegations.

U.S. President Barack Obama marked the anniversary of the explosion by conceding that although “progress” has been made to ensure the safety of deep water drilling rigs, “the job isn’t done.” Obama’s comments came less than a week after leading experts raised serious questions over the security of deep water drilling as the U.S. government approves more exploration without improving safety measures.

Charles Perrow, a professor at Yale University, said the oil industry “is ill prepared at the least” to deal with another oil spill, despite repeated assurances from the industry and the government, which insists lessons have been learned from the Deepwater Horizon disaster. “I have seen no evidence that they have marshaled containment efforts that are sufficient to deal with another major spill,” he said. “Even if everybody tries very hard, there is going to be an accident caused by cost-cutting and pressure on workers. These are moneymaking machines and they make money by pushing things to the limit.”

However, politicians have insisted they are doing all they can to help clean the coast of oil. “Cleanup efforts in some places are still ongoing, and the full scale of the damage done to our state has yet to be calculated, but the good news is that most all of our fishing waters are back open again,” said Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal at a press conference. “All of us here today want the entire nation to get the message that Louisiana is making another historic comeback.”

Gulf Coast residents, activists and relatives of the crewmen who were killed in the explosion paused this week for the anniversary of the oil spill’s beginning. A helicopter took the victims’ families from New Orleans to over the site where the rig stood, where it circled. “It was just a little emotional, seeing where they were,” said one victim’s mother. Remembrance services and candlelight vigils were held in the Gulf Coast region, which continues to suffer from the fallout of the catastrophe. The families have expressed anger at BP, who they say is being unfair and slow in paying out compensation from a $20 billion fund.

The area is still heavily affected by the disaster and reconstruction of the seafood industry that once thrived is slow. While tourists are beginning to return to the region, many are angry at BP and the Obama administration over how they handled the disaster. All the fishing waters in the area have now opened again, but people who live in the area remain dissatisfied. “I don’t see any daylight at the end of this tunnel,” one fisherwoman said. “I don’t see any hope at all. We thought we’d see hope after a year, but there’s nothing.”

Monday, September 27, 2010

New research published in the journal Nature Medicine has shown a link between a faulty gene and migraines. Scientists hope that this discovery will lead to improved pain management treatments for sufferers, with possible benefits for pain treatment generally.

The breakthrough involves a gene known as TRESK, thought to control the brain’s reaction to pain: if it is defective, then many normal activities and actions will be painful. Migraine sufferers (thought in the United Kingdom to number about eight per cent of men and eighteen per cent of women) often complain that light, noise and touch cause pain. TRESK can potentially be affected by drugs that would change the point at which it reports pain, which would alleviate the suffering of those with migraines. Now researchers will need to find such a drug.

The study involved scientists from the Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit at the University of Oxford and from Canada. They looked at the DNA of 110 people with migraine and members of their family, and found that TRESK was a major component in migraines. One of the Oxford researchers, consultant neurologist Zameel Cader, described it as a “once in a generation find” and said that it could “potentially lead to a treatment for pain in general.” Before this study, no genes had been directly linked to migraines, although parts of the DNA that raised the general risk had been found.

Migraines are described by the World Health Organisation as a major worldwide cause of disability. In Britain, it is estimated that migraines affect 20 per cent of the population, with about 190,000 migraines occurring daily and over 25 million lost days from work every year. Lee Tomkin, director of a sufferers’ charity, Migraine Action, described the news as “fantastic” and “genuinely a really great step forward.” Professor Peter Goadsby from the Migraine Trust termed it “a novel direction to consider new therapies in this very disabling condition.”