Widow left devastated after Virgin Galactic crash

Widow left devastated after Virgin Galactic crash

World sabahdaily   6:26 AM

Michelle Saling, Alsbury's widow, told MailOnline, 'I have lost the love of my life. I am living in hell right now.'

The identity of the other pilot, who was critically injured when he ejected from the plane at 45,000 feet, is still unknown.

Alsbury, 39, had piloted SpaceShipTwo as recently as August 28.

Addressing the media at the crash site on Saturday morning, Virgin CEO Richard Branson said, 'This is a very tough time for all of us at Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company and Scaled Composites, and our thoughts remain with the families of the brave Scaled pilots, and all those affected by this tragedy.'

He added, 'In testing the boundaries of human capabilities and technologies, we are standing on the shoulders of giants. Yesterday, we fell short. We will now comprehensively assess the results of the crash and are determined to learn from this and move forward together as a company.'


Branson then closed out his statement by saying, 'I truly believe that humanity's greatest achievements come out of our greatest pain. This team is a group of the bravest, brightest, most determined and most resilient people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. We are determined to honour the bravery of the pilots and teams here by learning from this tragedy. Only then can we move forward, united behind a collective desire to push the boundaries of human endeavor.'

Branson also said he had never met Alsbury before, though photo and video evidence of the two celebrating a successful run in April 2013 seems to suggest otherwise.

The two are seen clearly talking and posing for photos in video released by Virgin Galactic, making the blunder that much more embarrassing for Branson and his team.

Branson flew to the site of the crash immediately after the tragedy occurred on Friday, and has been working closely with authorities to try and determine what went wrong during Friday's flight.

In a blog-post en route, Branson wrote: 'I am writing this as we refuel on one of the most difficult trips I have ever had to make. I will be in Mojave soon to join the Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composite teams involved in the SpaceShipTwo flight test program.

'Mojave is also where I want to be - with the dedicated and hard-working people who are now in shock at this devastating loss... We've always known that the road to space is extremely difficult - and that every new transportation system has to deal with bad days early in their history.'

He concluded: 'Space is hard - but worth it. We will persevere and move forward together.'

In a press conference Friday afternoon, George Whitesides, chief executive of Virgin Galactic, said; 'Our primary thoughts at the moment are with the crew and families and we are doing everything we can for them now.'

'Space is hard, and today was a tough day. The future rest on hard days like this.'

Stuart Witt, who is in charge of the Mojave Air and Space Port, where SpaceShipTwo was launched Friday, also remained optimistic about the future of space travel.

He said: 'Stay the course. This is not easy. If it was easy it would not be interesting to me and my colleagues standing next to me.'

'We are doing this for you and your generation. It is a cause far greater than any one of us singularly. I compare it to the Magellan expedition [the first circumnavigation of the Earth].'

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has also launched an investigation into the crash.

In May, Virgin Galactic announced it was switching the fuel used in the vehicle's hybrid rocket motor, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene, a form of rubber, to a polyamide-based plastic.

During a media tour of Virgin Galactic's Mojave facilities on October 4 that marked the tenth anniversary of the final flight of SpaceShipOne, the suborbital vehicle that won the $10-million Ansari X Prize, company officials said they expected to resume powered test flights 'imminently' once qualification tests of the new motor were done.

At the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on October 15, Virgin Galactic chief executive George Whitesides said the company had completed those qualification tests.

'We expect to get back into powered test flight quite soon,' he said.

Branson's big project has also attracted a slew of big name passengers happy to pay for this once in a lifetime experience, including newlyweds Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; Justin Bieber and his manager Scooter Braun; Lady Gaga, who plans to try and sing in space; former pop star Lance Bass, who has long been vocal about his desire to head to space; Ashton Kutcher, who was the 500th customer to purchase a ticket; Tom Hanks; Bryan Singer; and Princess Beatrice, who would be the first royal in space and who dates Dave Clark, an executive at Virgin Galactic.

Russell Brand also got a ticket for his birthday from ex-wife Katy Perry when the two were married. Perry bought a ticket as well so Brand would not have to go alone.

Stephen Hawking and Kate Winslet are also set to fly, but got their seats for free. Winslet because she is married to Branson's nephew, Ned RocknRoll, and Hawking because Branson wanted to offer the legendary astrophysicist a chance to go into space.

- Daily Mail

Burkina Faso’s army dissolves parliament after day of unrest

Burkina Faso’s army dissolves parliament after day of unrest

World sabahdaily   7:36 AM

Burkina Faso’s military dissolved parliament and announced a transitional government today after violent protests against President Blaise Compaore, but it was not immediately clear who was in charge.

Army chief General Honore Traore said the new government would be installed after consultation with all political parties and would lead the country to an election within 12 months. He also announced a curfew from 7pm until 6am.

The move came after tens of thousands of angry protesters packed the streets of Ouagadougou to demand Mr Compaore’s departure, storming parliament and setting it on fire and ransacking state television. At least three protesters were shot dead and scores wounded when security forces opened fire on the crowd.
“Given the need preserve the country from chaos and preserve national unity . . . the National Assembly is dissolved, the government is dissolved,” Gen Traore told a news conference.

However, he declined to say whether Mr Compaore, whose attempt to extend his 27-year rule has sparked months of tension in the landlocked country, remained the head of state.

Diplomatic pressure

Regional west African bloc ECOWAS had said earlier today that it would not accept any party seizing power through non-constitutional means – suggesting diplomatic pressure to leave Mr Compaore in place.

Before the military’s announcement, the president had issued a statement announcing a state of emergency to be enforced by the army and calling for talks with the opposition.

The protests were sparked by the government’s attempt to push a constitutional change through parliament to allow the 63-year-old president to seek re-election next year. Large protests also erupted in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina’s second biggest town, and Ouahigouya, in the north.

In the capital, the crowd faced off with security forces outside the presidential palace in a tense standoff that lasted several hours as opposition leaders held talks with senior military officials in an attempt to ease Mr Compaore from power. Both opposition leaders and protesters on the streets have made it plain they would not allow any role for Mr Compaore.

Hundreds of angry protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the armed forces following the president’s statement, many of them shouting “Blaise Leave” and “No More Blaise”. “We want Blaise Compaore to leave. We want change,” said George Sawadogo, a 23-year-old student.

Closely watched

The departure of Mr Compaore, a close military ally of the United States and former colonial power France, would be closely watched by other governments across west and central Africa, where a number of long-serving leaders are reaching the end of their constitutional terms.

Burkina Faso is one of the world’s poorest nations but has positioned itself as a mediator in regional crises. It is also a key ally in western operations against al Qaeda-linked groups in west Africa.

Amid uncertainty over how the army’s announcement would be received abroad, Ghana’s foreign minister Hanna Tetteh said in a tweet the country’s embassy in Burkina confirmed a military takeover of power. She declined to provide further details.

White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan had earlier said in a statement that the United States was deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Burkina Faso and called on all parties to end the violence and respect democratic norms.

France, which has a special forces base there that conducts operations across the Sahel, also appealed for restraint by all sides. Its embassy had held talks with opposition leaders today.

Mr Compaore has ruled the nation with a firm grip but has faced increasing criticism in recent years, including defections by members of his party. He weathered a military and popular uprising in 2011 thanks to the support of his elite presidential guard.

But diplomatic pressure has mounted over the past year for Mr Compaore to step down in 2015. – (Reuters)

Six days of darkness, NASA says not gonna happen

Six days of darkness, NASA says not gonna happen

World sabahdaily   12:28 AM

For the last several days we are being bombarded about the six days of darkness that is set to ‘darken the whole world’. There are reports –and by the way almost every newspaper and website has covered it –that more than ninety percent of the earth will be darkened by the absence of sunlight.
The rumors suggest that the sunlight will not reach the earth due to the massive solar storms and flares that will be hitting the sun for more than two hundred hours in one stretch.

These rumors claim that these solar storms will be so much powerful that a look of complete pitch-dark night will descend all over the earth. Many such rumors ask people to stock all the essentials as due to the continuous night for over six days shopping malls and local stores will not remain open.

The fact that the solar surface is experiencing one of the worst solar storms these days might have convinced many people to believe the report. Last week, there were three massive x-class solar flares and their impact was felt on earth as they caused radio blackout over a large area.

But thankfully this is just a rumor and there is no truth in it. ‘Six days of total darkness’ is nothing but hoax and NASA has said that it is not going to happen not just thins year but in our whole life time and the lifetimes of many a generations to come. But despite strong rebuttal from NASA, the hoax is spreading like wildfire and the whole world seems to be talking about it right now.

There are rumors doing the rounds for the last several weeks that in December this year, the whole world will remain without sun coming out even for minutes. Many people had warned that the difference between day and night will be blurred and that it will be very difficult to differentiate as to whether it was day or night.

Had it been true, it wouldn’t have been less than catastrophic. While NASA has debunked it as completely baseless people are not believing the rebuttal. A user on a social networking site says, “Unfortunately, people are going to find out very soon that this information is FAR from a hoax.

Likely the public is being tested on reactions before the real “actual” news is revealed that this event will happen in the near future. So laugh all you want now but when the truth comes out, try to keep a level head about it. There is likely nothing that can be done to prevent what is coming so stay calm and carry on. Help those around you and do the best you can do”. There are many others who are also talking in the same way.

Though there were confusion about the origin of the rumor, but now it is clear as to who started it. The origin of the ‘news’ has now been confirmed to be a satirical news site Huzlers.com. The website is not just spreading rumors about the impending six days of the darkness across the world, it is also asking its Facebook and Twitter users to post whatever trash they can post on their walls and write everywhere they could. In a report on its website, it tries to make the rumor real.

The report says, “NASA has confirmed that the Earth will experience 6 days of almost complete darkness and will happen from the dates Tuesday the 16 – Monday the 22 in December. The world will remain, during these three days, without sunlight due to a solar storm, which will cause dust and space debris to become plentiful and thus, block 90% sunlight…This is the head of NASA Charles Bolden who made the announcement and asked everyone to remain calm. This will be the product of a solar storm, the largest in the last 250 years for a period of 216 hours total”.

-nvonews

Nasa Confirms Six Days of Darkness in December'

Nasa Confirms Six Days of Darkness in December'

World sabahdaily   12:31 AM

It may feel like winter is slowly squeezing all the sunlight out of your day, but if you see any news stories claiming the Earth is headed for ‘Six Days of Total Darkness’ then don’t start stocking up on the tins of beans and torches just yet.

‘Satirical news site’ Huzlers.com has been spreading this fake story far and wide on the web this week, taking in numerous Facebook and Twitter users and encouraging them to post about what they’re going to be up to during the six days of darkness.

The story on the vaguely official looking website titled “Nasa Confirms Earth Will Experience 6 Days of Total Darkness in December 2014!” claims that an incoming solar storm is to blame, causing "dust and space debris to become plentiful and thus block 90% sunlight”.

This is false. Although solar storms certainly are real phenomena (they occur due to fluctuations in the Sun’s magnetic field) they’re not like terrestrial storms that can blow up dust and dirt.

In pictures: The best debunked myths and fake news stories
Instead they create very minor disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere. Historically there have been rare storms that could knock out electrical systems today, but they're mostly of the order of magnitude only likely to throw a homing pigeon slightly off course – not blot out the Sun.

However, the hoax story even drafts in some credible-sounding sources including Nasa chief Charles Bolden, who reportedly warned the public to stay calm. Some users even linked to a (real) video of Bolden talking about “emergency preparedness” – an official-sounding phrase that apparently bypasses common sense to hit the big button marked ‘PANIC’ in the brain.

In actuality Bolden recorded the video to encourage US families to think about what they would do in the event of an earthquake or hurricane – natural disasters that are a real enough threat in America.

This total-darkness hoax apparently comes in a couple of flavours (some claim that a non-existent “photon belt” is responsible for the blackout) and are so widespread that Nasa employees even had to debunk the rumours themselves back in 2012.

-indipendent

Mark Zuckerberg and 5 Other Billionaires Now Basically Own Hawaii

Mark Zuckerberg and 5 Other Billionaires Now Basically Own Hawaii

World sabahdaily   9:46 PM

In a billionaire move that nearly out-Bransons Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg just bought part of Hawaii. Yeah, he just bought part of a state.
The Facebook founder dropped $100 million on two adjacent chunks of land on Kauai’s north shore. Forbes confirmed that Zuckerberg purchased 700 acres on Hawaii’s fourth-largest island to build a private sanctuary for his family. Zuckerberg must have a really big family.

So what, exactly, does $100 million get you in the Aloha State? The first piece of land, Pila’a Beach, features 393 acres of pristine white-sand beaches. The second plot, the Kahu’aina Plantation, is a 357-acre former sugarcane plantation that boasts 2,500 feet of shore and a working organic farm.


But it looks like Zuckerberg isn’t looking to widen his social network. The plantation currently houses about two dozen small huts used by locals as vacation spots or permanent homes. It’s rumored that Zuckerberg is paying these residents large sums of money to vacate so that his compound can be totally secluded. How much do you wish you owned one of those huts right now?

Zuckerberg’s team is staying hush-hush about the acquisition. A Facebook spokesperson said, “We don’t comment on rumors and speculation, but thank you for reaching out!”

Under Hawaiian law, the beaches on his land will have to remain public, as the state has no private stretches of sand. So if you want to hang out with the 32-billion-dollar man, just head to Kauai. Maybe he’ll build a sand castle with you.

Here are some of the other bigwigs who own land in Hawaii:


Larry Ellison

In 2012, Oracle founder Larry Ellison bought the island of Lanai. No, we didn’t stutter. In true billionaire fashion, the software tycoon dropped an estimated $500-$600 million to buy Hawaii’s sixth-largest island (the actual figure was confidential). In reality, Ellison owns 98 percent, or 87,000 acres of the Polynesian island, where he reportedly plans to invest in tourism. The previous owner of Lanai was David Murdock, the billionaire behind Dole Foods who appropriately nicknamed it Pineapple Island.
Steve Case

You can take the boy out of Hawaii, but you can’t take the Hawaii out of the boy. Former AOL Time Warner chairman, Steve Case, was born in Hawaii and graduated from Punahou School. In 2000, he paid $26 million to buy 36,000 acres on the historic Grove Farm, which is a former sugarcane plantation. He also acquired the majority share of Maui Land & Pineapple, which owns 26,000 acres in Hawaii.

Michael Dell

Michael Dell doesn’t own an island, but don’t feel bad for him. The founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell owns a $64.7 million (assessed value) home in the Kukio development on Hawaii’s big island. The Raptor Residence, as it is called, sits on 4.3 acres of land and has seven bedrooms, several bathrooms, and gorgeous waterfront views.


Kamehameha Schools

Forget a booster club, this school system has enough land to pay its bills. Kamehameha schools is a private school system in Hawai’i founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a royal descendant of Kamehameha I. Bishop owned 9 percent of Hawaii, which totals more than 365,000 acres spread out across the islands. When she died, she left the expansive area of land to the school system in an endowment.

Alexander and Baldwin

In 1831, Samuel Thomas Alexander and Henry Perrine Baldwin purchased 561 acres on the island of Maui to cultivate sugarcane. Today the company of Alexander & Baldwin owns about 87,000 acres throughout the state. It still produces Maui Brand sugar, but it has added the Matson shipping company and luxury residential properties to its holdings.

-yahoo news

What Venezuela's Security Council Seat Means for the U.S.

What Venezuela's Security Council Seat Means for the U.S.

World sabahdaily   6:52 AM

In an election sure to be a thorn in the side of the U.S., Venezuela on Thursday won the non-permanent member seat on the U.N. Security Council for the Latin American region. The country, which has had frosty relations with the U.S., is unlikely to be an ally on key issues involving Syria, Iran and Russia in a time of global turmoil.

Socialist Venezuela traditionally has opposed U.S. and Western positions on international issues. Jason Marczak, deputy director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council, says the country’s presence on the council will mean a vote against the American position on nearly every topic.

“Whatever global issue you can think of that the U.S. would have an opinion on, I think Venezuela is going to take an opposing viewpoint,” Marczak says.

Relations with former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013 of cancer, were strained, and things have not improved under Nicolas Maduro. In February, the current president expelled three American officials, charging that they had recruited students to take part in protests that were spreading across the country. Citizens were dissatisfied over shortages of goods, high inflation, growing crime and increased censorship of the media, but Maduro has continually accused the U.S. of supporting an opposition he's said is planning a coup. Forty-three people were killed in the violence over three months.

Venezuela is likely to be an ally of permanent Security Council member Russia as that country continues to foment dissent in neighboring Ukraine. In March, Venezuela was one of just 10 (other than Russia) countries to vote against a U.N. resolution that recognized Crimea as falling within Ukrainian borders.

The Latin American country is also likely to oppose any attempted Security Council action against Iran, another ally. The U.S. and five other world powers are engaged in nuclear negotiations with Iran, but additional sanctions against the country could be pursued in the Security Council should the negotiations fail. Maduro also has been a vocal opponent of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom the U.S. has long wanted to step down.

Venezuela ran unopposed for the seat to represent Latin America, in line with a closed-door agreement to allow the spot to rotate among countries in the region. Chavez sought a seat in 2006, but the U.S. opposed the campaign and succeeded in shutting it down.

This time, the U.S. was silent on Maduro’s bid, which Marczak attributes in part to so many other world crises requiring attention. It also downplays the significance of the winning bid.

“The approach of the U.S. to Venezuela joining the Security Council is to not give Maduro an opportunity to further play up this as a diplomatic success at home,” Marczak says. “The way he’d be able to do that is by showing the opposition of the U.S. and his ability to overcome the U.S. opposition, and by the U.S. being quiet, it’s much less of a diplomatic victory for Maduro.”

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, D-Fla., said that due to Venezuelan support of “state sponsors of terrorism like Iran, North Korea and Syria,” the U.S. should have actively tried to stop the country's bid for a Security Council seat. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle called on Secretary of State John Kerry to oppose Venezuela's effort.

-us news

How the Blue LED Changed the World, and Won a Nobel Prize

How the Blue LED Changed the World, and Won a Nobel Prize

World sabahdaily   6:22 AM

Their inventions have found their way into bedside lamps, television screens, and smartphones, and have the potential to give light to the 1.5 billion people who don’t have access to electricity grids, according to the Nobel Assembly.

In recognition of this, scientists Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura, whose invention of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) “triggered a fundamental transformation of lighting technology,” were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics, the Nobel Assembly announced Tuesday.

“Their inventions were revolutionary. Incandescent light bulbs lit the 20th century; the 21st century will be lit by LED lamps,” the assembly said in a press release. Before the three finally succeeded in making semi-conductors produce blue light beams in the late 1980s and early 1990s, scientists had been struggling with the challenge for three decades. Red and green LEDs existed, but the absence of blue made it impossible to create white light.

Newsweek Magazine is Back In Print

Akasaki and Amano, working as a team at Nagoya University in Japan, and Nakamura, working separately at Nichia Chemicals, a small company in Tokushima, and now at the University of California, Santa Barbara, built their own equipment and did thousands of experiments in the late 1980s, succeeding in obtaining the bright blue light from semiconductors. In the 1990s, the three scientists were able to make the blue LEDs more efficient.

The prize, the assembly says, is meant to reward inventions that provide the most “benefit to mankind,” as per the wishes of Alfred Nobel. This invention has already changed the way we light buildings as well as the screens in our living rooms, on our desks, and in our pockets, and has the potential to provide light where electricity is hard to come by and clean polluted water, according to the assembly.

"These uses are what would make Alfred Nobel very happy," said Professor Olle Inganas, a member of the prize committee from Linkoping University, according to BBC News.

Here are five ways blue LEDs have changed our lives, according to information provided by the Nobel Assembly:

White Energy-Efficient LED Lamps

The laureates’ inventions made white LED lamps possible. Since LEDs convert electricity directly into light, rather than wasting the majority of energy on heat, “we now have more long-lasting and more efficient alternatives to older light sources,” according to the assembly.

Traditional light bulbs emit light with an efficiency of 16 lumen per watt (lm/W). Fluorescent lights multiply that at 70 lm/W, but current LED lamps leave even those in the dust, with a recent record of roughly 300 lm/W.

“As about one-fourth of world electricity consumption is used for lighting purposes, the highly energy-efficient LED lamps contribute to saving the Earth’s resources,” according to the assembly.

TV, Computer and Phone Screens

Without blue LEDs, televisions, computers, and phones wouldn’t have backlit liquid-crystal display (LCD) screens, which are built with LEDs, according to the assembly. LEDs also provide the flash for camera phones.

Providing Light to Those Without Electricity

LEDs are far more efficient than traditional light sources. In other words, they require less energy to provide light. In the developing world, where more than a billion people live without access to electricity grids, the efficiency of the LED means they can use cheap local solar power instead, according to the assembly.

In many parts of the world, solar-powered LED could replace fuel-powered light, such as kerosene lamps, candles, and open fires, which can be “dangerous, polluting, expensive and dim," Evan Mills, founder of the Lumina Project, told CNN in 2012. “LEDs the size of a cherry can generate light 100 times brighter than a kerosene lamp at a very low wattage, while solar cells have become much more efficient."

Sterilizing Polluted Water

Ultraviolet LEDs, made possible by the blue LEDs, could help sterilize polluted water in the future, according to the assembly, “as UV light destroys the DNA of bacteria, viruses and microorganisms.”

Greenhouse Cultivation

Light on different parts of the spectrum influences plant growth, according to MIT Technology Review. Because the color of LEDs can be controlled by computers, according to the assembly, that means they can not only provide more efficient lighting in greenhouses, but also more control for growers over their plants.

“Plant scientists all over the world are currently studying this phenomenon in an effort to exploit it in future,” according to the MIT Technology review.

“The invention of the blue LED is just 20 years old,” the Nobel Assembly said in its Tuesday press release, “but it has already contributed to create white light in an entirely new manner to the benefit of us all.”

-newsweek.com

110,000 to be evacuated in Albay in case of flood-driven lahar

110,000 to be evacuated in Albay in case of flood-driven lahar

World sabahdaily   10:36 PM

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – With rains pouring over Albay in Bicol for the past few weeks, local government officials are preparing for the possibility of a Mayon eruption coinciding with or being followed by a storm or typhoon.

"We will expand our evacuation to up to 110,000 people because we will include populations very close to the river channels and the sea," said Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Head Cedric Daep on Monday, October 6.

People living near river systems are at great risk from flood-driven lahar which usually find their way to river channels which are also old lahar paths. The expected hazardous eruption, due in weeks, could happen during the typhoon months of October or November. (READ: Albay needs P118M a month for Mayon evacuation)

Such a combination can greatly increase casualties and damage such as what happened in the 2006 Mayon eruption followed by Typhoon Reming (international name Durian) 4 months later.

Reming drove the just-expelled volcanic ash in the sides of the volcano down to the villages living at its feet. The deadly floods and lahar combination killed around 1,200 people and wrought P1.13 billion (US$2.5 million) worth of damage to agriculture, aquaculture and infrastructure.

To prevent a similar disaster, the provincial government of Albay plans to relocate communities living near major waterways and the sea aside from the population who live in the 6 kilometer danger zone already in evacuation centers.

The evacuation will be green-lighted once rainfall reaches beyond 6 millimeters per hour, which Daep says is the cue for lahar on the sides of the volcano to be driven down.

This standard will apply regardless of the type of weather system pouring over the province, he added.

The deadly lahar of 2006 was triggered by a record-high amount of 466 millimeters of rainfall in 12 hours.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the water-driven lahar flow began only around 10 minutes after the onset of Reming's floods at 2 pm on November 30, 2006.

The swift-moving lahar and flood waters caused giant volcanic boulders to roll down its steep slopes. The lahar buried entire villages before making their way out to sea.

Can't lower alert level yet

While no volcanic quakes or significant number of rockfalls were detected in the past few days, Mayon remains at Alert Level 3 which means it is due for an eruption in weeks, said Phivolcs resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta.

Though the volcano appears to be quiet, Phivolcs has observed a reverse pattern in the amount of gas released from the crater and the inflammation of the lower part of the volcano.

"If magma is rising, it should be that the value of gas [released] is at least maintained. But what we're seeing is while it is inflating and the volume of rising magma is increasing, the gas value is going down," he told media.

Last September 30, the amount of gas released was 1,251 tons average. On October 2, it went down to 308. On Sunday, October 5, it decreased further to 148.

This means that gas from new magma rising to higher chambers isn't being released and is instead building up pressure inside the volcano, he explained. The higher the pressure inside the volcano, the more destructive the expected eruption may become.

"That's why even if it's quiet looking, we cannot lower the alert level," he said.

Phivolcs and the Albay provincial government are looking at 3 scenarios if the hazardous eruption is a vulcanian one – the most destructive type of eruption that could cause hot volcanic ash, debris and lahar to fall down the slopes at speeds of up to 500 kilometers per hour.

One scenario is for the eruption to cause the collapse of the lava dome spotted since August 15. The lava dome could cause more debris to fall towards the southeastern quadrant of the province which includes Legazpi City and the towns of Daraga and Santo Domingo.

In the second scenario, only the north wall of the crater will collapse because the eruption was not strong enough to collapse the lava dome. This would put northern communities at the greatest risk, communities like Tabaco City and the towns of Malilipot and San Vicente.

The 3rd and worst case scenario, according to Daep, is if the eruption creates an ash column. This would mean the deadly debris will be expelled outwards towards all communities surrounding Mayon.

Daep gave assurances that the preparations they are currently making are for the 3rd scenario.

Keeping evacuees where it's safe

In the meantime, the Albay government, along with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 5, are working on ways to keep evacuees in the evacuation centers.

The biggest challenge to Albay's zero casualty campaign is the tendency of evacuees to go back to the 6 kilometer danger zone to tend to their crops and animals, guard their property from thieves, take a bath and wash their clothes.

This week, the local government plans to cut electricity and water lines from houses inside the danger zone as a last ditch effort to stop evacuees from returning, said OCD Region 5 Director Raffy Alejandro.

They are also aiming to increase the number of work animals relocated to grazing fields outside the danger zone so that evacuees can go their instead.

A cash-for-work or food-for-work program is also in the works with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide temporary alternative form of income for the farmer evacuees, said Alejandro.

But the biggest source of discomfort in evacuation centers is still the lack of water and comfort rooms.

According to 35-year-old evacuee Veronica Rosana, people in evacuation centers are forced to line up as early as 3 am in front of water faucets and wait for as much as two hours for their turn.

"That's why some people just decide to return to their houses in the danger zone so they can wash their clothes or take a bath properly."

Daep said the provincial government "is doing everything they can to address the situation." – Rappler.com

King Richard III died painfully on battlefield

King Richard III died painfully on battlefield

World sabahdaily   1:13 AM

England's King Richard III might well have lost his kingdom for a horse.
The reviled king suffered nearly a dozen injuries on the battlefield, but the fatal blows were probably only sustained after he had to abandon his horse, according to a new paper.

Since the skeleton of the 15th-century king was discovered under a parking lot in central England in 2012, scientists have done numerous studies, including an examination of his twisted spine that led Shakespeare to label him a hunchback. In the latest research, published Wednesday in the journal Lancet, scientists used computer scans and other methods to analyze the king's skeletal wounds.

"Richard was probably in quite a lot of pain at the end," said Sarah Hainsworth, a professor of materials engineering at the University of Leicester and one of the study authors. She said the king was most likely attacked by numerous assailants after dismounting from his horse, which got stuck in a marsh.

Richard's skeleton showed evidence of 11 injuries from weapons including daggers, swords and a long metal pole with an axe and hook that was used to pull knights off their horses. "Medieval battle was bloody and brutal," she said, noting one of the skull injuries showed a sword had pierced his head.

The nine injuries Richard suffered to his head prove the king somehow lost or took off his helmet during the battle at Bosworth Field, against Henry Tudor, on Aug. 22, 1485. He was the last English monarch to die in battle.

Even if Richard's injuries had been treatable, it was highly unlikely his rivals would have shown him mercy, said Steven Gunn, an associate professor of history at Oxford University, who was not part of the research.
"A live ex-king is just an embarrassment," he said.

Gunn also said it was significant there were no attempts to disfigure Richard. "Having evidence that the real Richard III is dead is very useful," he said. "You don't want somebody popping up somewhere later claiming to be the real king."

Hainsworth said the wounds in Richard's skeleton match historical accounts that he fought until the very end.

"This doesn't tell us anything about what kind of king he was or the controversy surrounding his nephews," she said, referring to rumors that Richard murdered his two nephews to protect his throne. "Whatever else people think about him, he fought bravely until he died."

-ap

Thousands evacuated as Philippine volcano threatens to erupt

Thousands evacuated as Philippine volcano threatens to erupt

World sabahdaily   9:48 PM

Thousands of people living near the Philippines' most active volcano began leaving their homes on Tuesday as lava trickled down its slopes and authorities warned of a dangerous eruption.

Mayon, a volcano famed in equal parts for its near-perfect cone and brutal volatility, had begun to stir again with magma rising to the top and small earthquakes rattling deep inside, authorities said.

"A hazardous eruption is possible within weeks," the director of the state volcanology agency, Renato Solidum, told AFP.

Residents within an eight-kilometre (five-mile) radius will be forcibly evacuated, said regional civil defence director Bernardo Alejandro.

He said authorities expect to evacuate almost all of the 50,000 people in the danger zone -- a picturesque coconut farming area near the Pacific coast

"We'll have no problems with the 99 percent who will evacuate but there are some who will be hard-headed," Alejandro said, citing the response to a similar evacuation call in 2009 when some farmers refused to move out.

"They don't want to leave their houses and their livelihood.... these are coconut and orchid farmers with chickens, pigs and carabaos (water buffalo)."

Locals involved in the tourist industry were expecting Mayon's latest burst to be a mini-boom.

The area, about 330 kilometres (200 miles) southeast of Manila, is already a draw for visitors who want to see Mayon's cone, sample the region's spicy cuisine and visit its beautiful beaches.

"This will boost local tourism.... it's like a party, people are out at night watching," said Marti Calleja, who runs all-terrain vehicle tours near the volcano for as many as 100 tourists per week.

"It's dramatic, like a fireworks show.... when there's nothing happening (in the volcano) it's all dark around here, but now it's picture-perfect," Calleja told AFP.

Calleja said that when Mayon became active in the past, his clients often requested night tours to see the glowing crater.

Aljon Banares, who works for a backpackers' inn 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from the volcano, was also preparing for more visitors.

"We have more guests in situations like this. Tourists want to see the lava flows," Banares said.

Four foreign tourists and their local tour guide were killed when Mayon last erupted, in May 2013.

However they were on the volcano's slopes at the time, and Banares said tourists would not be in danger if they acted sensibly.
"We tell our clients that it's safe as long as they follow the government's warnings," he said.

The 2,460-metre (8,070-foot) Mayon has a long history of deadly eruptions.
In 1814 more than 1,200 people were killed when lava flows buried the town of Cagsawa.

An explosion in August 2006 did not cause direct deaths, but four months later a passing typhoon unleashed an avalanche of volcanic mud from Mayon's slopes that killed 1,000 people.

-afp

US strikes Islamic State jihadists near Baghdad

US strikes Islamic State jihadists near Baghdad

World sabahdaily   9:42 PM

The United States has bombed militants near Baghdad in support of Iraqi forces, striking close to the capital for the first time in its expanded campaign against Islamic State jihadists.

But in a sign of their growing strength, a monitoring group said the jihadists had managed to bring down a Syrian warplane conducting strikes over their stronghold of Raqa in north-central Syria.

The US air strike against IS fighters in the Sadr al-Yusufiyah area, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Baghdad, came as world diplomats pledged to support Iraq in its fight against the militants and less than a week after US President Barack Obama ordered a "relentless" war against IS.

"US military forces continued to attack (IS) terrorists in Iraq, employing attack and fighter aircraft to conduct two air strikes Sunday and Monday in support of Iraqi security forces near Sinjar and southwest of Baghdad," the US Central Command said in a statement.

"The air strike southwest of Baghdad was the first strike taken as part of our expanded efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions to hit (IS) targets as Iraqi forces go on offence, as outlined in the president's speech last Wednesday."

The strikes destroyed six IS vehicles near Sinjar and an IS position southwest of Baghdad that had been firing on Iraqi forces.

They bring the number of US air strikes across Iraq to 162.
Iraqi security spokesman Lieutenant General Qassem Atta on Tuesday welcomed the expanded American action, saying the US "carried out an important strike against an enemy target in Sadr al-Yusufiyah."

Sadr al-Yusufiyah lies in the Euphrates Valley, between the militant stronghold of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, and the key battleground of Jurf al-Sakhr, further south.

It is one of the closest front lines to Baghdad where Iraqi government forces and allied militia have struggled to defend their positions.

IS militants have seized a swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring an Islamic "caliphate", committing widespread atrocities and instituting a brutal interpretation of Islamic law.

As part of the extended campaign Washington has vowed to carry out strikes in Syria as well, despite warnings from President Bashar al-Assad's regime against violating its airspace.

On Tuesday, the jihadists shot down a Syrian warplane conducting strikes against them, the first time they have done so since the regime began bombing their stronghold of Raqa in July, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"IS fighters fired on a military aircraft which crashed," the Britain-based monitoring group said.

"It is the first aircraft shot down since the regime launched air strikes against the jihadists in July following their declaration of a caliphate in late June," said the group, which relies on a wide network of doctors and activists for reports on the situation in Syria.

A photograph posted on a jihadist Twitter account purported to show the wreckage of the plane.

"Allahu Akbar (God is greater), thanks to God we can confirm that a military aircraft has been shot down over Raqa," another account said, congratulating the "lions of the Islamic State".

The expansion of the US air campaign came as representatives from about 30 countries and international organisations, including the United States, Russia and China, vowed during talks in Paris on Monday to support Iraq in the fight against IS.

In a joint statement, diplomats promised to back Baghdad "by any means necessary, including appropriate military assistance, in line with the needs expressed by the Iraqi authorities, in accordance with international law and without jeopardising civilian security."

They stressed that IS militants are "a threat not only to Iraq but also to the entire international community" and underscored the "urgent need" to remove them from Iraq.

The Paris statement made no mention of Syria, but US Secretary of State John Kerry stressed again at the talks that "we're not going to coordinate with the Syrians."

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that US forces will target Syrian anti-aircraft systems if they take aim at American planes conducting strikes inside Syria against IS.

On the ground in Iraq, sporadic clashes broke out Monday near the town of Dhuluiyah, north of Baghdad, where security forces and allied tribesmen prepared for an operation against IS-led militants.

The area would appear to be the target of the next major drive against IS in Iraq, after a successful operation to break the siege of the town of Amerli farther north.

The Paris meeting was the latest in a series of frantic diplomatic efforts to build a broad global coalition against the jihadists, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said meetings would come "thick and fast" ahead of a UN General Assembly next week.

Ten Arab states including Saudi Arabia are among the countries backing the US-led coalition, and Australia has pledged 600 troops.

"We are not building a military coalition for an invasion... but for a transformation as well as for the elimination of (IS)," Kerry told reporters.

"We are fighting an ideology, not a regime."

The beheading at the weekend of a British aid worker, the third Western hostage to be executed on camera, raised the stakes in the battle against the jihadists, who the CIA estimates have as many as 31,500 fighters.

-afp

2 British tourists found dead on beach in Thailand

2 British tourists found dead on beach in Thailand

World sabahdaily   7:07 AM

Two British tourists were found battered to death Monday on a beach on a scenic island in southern Thailand that is one of the country's most popular diving destinations.

Police described the two as a 23-year-old woman from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and a 24-year-old man from Jersey, Channel Islands. Their nearly naked bodies were discovered on Koh Tao, a small island in the Gulf of Thailand.

A bloodied hoe was found near the bodies and is believed to have been used as the murder weapon, police Col. Prachum Ruangthong said.

"The man was chopped in the back and on the side of his head, while the woman was chopped in her face," he said. "It's very gruesome."

An initial investigation found that the two had traveled separately to Koh Tao, where they met while staying at the same seaside hotel, police Maj. Gen. Kiattipong Khawsamang said.

"They went out to a bar and left together after 1 a.m. according to closed circuit TV camera footage," he said.

Police said they had no immediate suspects and were checking more camera footage in search of the attacker.

"We don't know who the suspect might be yet but we have talked to different witnesses who might lead us to some clues," Kiattipong said. He said the woman was traveling with three other friends.

Local media reported that outraged residents of the island, which is home to about 2,000 people and survives on tourism, had blockaded its piers to help police prevent the killer from escaping.

The attack came amid government efforts to revive Thailand's tourism industry after a military coup in May ended prolonged, sometimes violent political protests. Martial law remains in effect.

Koh Tao, an island in Surat Thani province, is a quieter destination than the neighboring islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, where "full moon" parties attract travelers from Thailand and abroad. It is 410 kilometers (250 miles) south of Bangkok.

-ap

4th doctor dies of Ebola in Sierra Leone

4th doctor dies of Ebola in Sierra Leone

World sabahdaily   9:04 PM

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone has lost a fourth doctor to Ebola after a failed effort to transfer her abroad for medical treatment, a government official said Sunday, a huge setback to the impoverished country that is battling the virulent disease amid a shortage of health care workers.

Dr. Olivet Buck died late Saturday, hours after the World Health Organization said it could not help medically evacuate her to Germany, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brima Kargbo confirmed to The Associated Press.

Sierra Leone had requested funds from WHO to transport Buck to Europe, saying the country could not afford to lose another doctor.

WHO had said that it could not meet the request but instead would work to give Buck "the best care possible" in Sierra Leone, including possible access to experimental drugs.

Ebola is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of sick patients, making doctors and nurses especially vulnerable to contracting the virus that has no vaccine or approved treatment.

More than 300 health workers have become infected with Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Nearly half of them have died, according to WHO.
The infections have exacerbated shortages of doctors and nurses in West African countries that were already low on skilled health personnel.

So far, only foreign health and aid workers have been evacuated abroad from Sierra Leone and Liberia for treatment.

Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan, Sierra Leone's top Ebola doctor, was being considered for evacuation to a European country when he died of the disease in late July.

-AP

New Thai PM calls for public trust in national reforms

New Thai PM calls for public trust in national reforms

World sabahdaily   1:14 AM

BANGKOK: Thailand's new Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has given his first policy speech to the Thai National Legislative Assembly on Friday (Sep 12), unveiling a set of reforms aimed at bringing about economic and social stability to the kingdom.

During the two-hour address, the prime minister repeatedly called for help from the public in bringing an end to Thailand's socio-political divide. He vowed to eliminate social gaps, promote education, tighten law enforcement and weed out corruption.

With potential elections scheduled for the end of 2015, Prayuth admitted time would play a part in carrying out comprehensive national reforms. "Whatever can be done first, will be carried out swiftly and continuously to bring an effective outcome. Time is not our weakness, it's a challenge for us," he said.

Throughout the address, the prime minister continually returned to the need to eliminate corruption and create a working environment based on transparency. However, he is off to a rocky start with allegations of corruption marring the current renovations of Government House.

Regardless, he has called for the public's trust in his administration. "The law will do its job, serving justice and gaining trust from the people, giving chances to everyone,” said Prayuth. “I am not doing this for any individual. I'm doing this for all Thais."

For now, the cabinet has now been handed clear guidelines for the task ahead. But General Prayuth's no-nonsense command of parliament shows that he is still very much the man in charge and ultimately the one responsible for the interim government's success.

- CNA/ec

Roger Moore ‘distraught’ about death of iconic Bond villain Richard Kiel

Roger Moore ‘distraught’ about death of iconic Bond villain Richard Kiel

World sabahdaily   6:06 AM

Roger Moore is among those mourning the passing of iconic Bond villain Richard Kiel.

“I am totally distraught to learn of my dear friend Richard Kiel's passing,” he tweeted Wednesday. “We were on a radio programme together just a week ago. Distraught.

“Can’t take it in,” he added.

The actors appeared in two 007 films together, 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me” and 1979’s “Moonraker,” in which Moore’s James Bond faced off against the steel-toothed villain Jaws, played by Kiel.

The 86-year-old actor recently spoke with BBC Radio Wales to share his remembrances of his late co-star.

I heard about three hours ago, and it came as quite a shock, because about a week ago, we were recording for BBC 4's ‘The Reunion’ program,” he said.

Moore said that Kiel, who called into the interview from his home in Fresno, Calif., “sounded very, very fragile.”

“We didn’t know this, (but) he had surgery the day before (for) his leg, he’d had a fall, and was still half-anesthetized. But he still, being the pro that he was, he'd come in to do the show.

“He was a really wonderful guy,” he added. “For me, the simplest way to describe him is that he was a big man with an even bigger heart.”

Khloé ‘couldn’t handle French relationship’

Khloé ‘couldn’t handle French relationship’

World sabahdaily   7:56 PM

Khloé Kardashian apparently ended her relationship with French Montana because she couldn’t “emotionally handle” it.

The reality TV star has been linked to the rapper since around April this year, but they’ve kept their romance relatively under wraps.

It follows her filing for divorce from Lamar Odom in December last year, after it was rumoured the basketball player was taking drugs and had been unfaithful. Yesterday reports surfaced that Khloé and French have taken a break, and now sources say it’s because she wasn’t ready for a new relationship.

“She ended the relationship, telling French she can't emotionally handle it,” an insider divulged to TMZ.

Apparently things were moving too fast for the 30-year-old, with French even thought to have bought her a Jeep for her birthday in June.
Sources say they “still get along and will hang out here and there”, but nothing more.

Yesterday, it was Us Weekly who reported the romance was over.
"They are on a break," an insider said. "The relationship got too heavy and Khloé needed to take a step back."

Another added French had become “needy”.

"It grated on her that he became so dependent on her," they said.

The news could come as somewhat of a relief for Khloé’s family. It’s thought her sisters Kim and Kourtney and mom Kris Jenner didn’t warm to her new beau, amidst fears he was using her for publicity.

In a Billboard interview, the musician even admitted he would “capitalise” on her fame. However, the brunette beauty seemed to hint on Twitter she didn’t care what his motives were.

"It's amusing to me that Y'all think I don't see it. I was the first one to see it. I just don't care (sic),” she wrote.

-© Cover Media

Lee Seung-hyun and Qi Wei celebrates marriage in Las Vegas

Lee Seung-hyun and Qi Wei celebrates marriage in Las Vegas

World sabahdaily   11:59 PM

Following their impromptu wedding in Saipan back in August, Chinese actress and mainland-based American-Korean actor Lee Seung-hyun (also known as Nathan Lee) have finally registered their marriage and held the official wedding reception in Las Vegas.

As reported on Tencent Entertainment News, after registering their marriage on 7 September, the couple held their wedding the next day at the Caesar's Palace Hotel & Casino located at the Las Vegas Boulevard.

Though originally scheduled for an outdoor wedding, the reception eventually had to be moved indoors due to bad weather.

The entire ceremony was reported to be simple yet romantic. Lee even hired a translator to translate the English vows into Chinese for the guests, while he explained it sentence by sentence to Qi Wei.

Lee, who dated actress Ady An in the past, was speculated to have cheated on her with Qi Wei last year, whom he met while working together on the music video "Our". Though the two of them were also spotted having a secret vacation in Bangkok later on, both parties denied that they were dating.

However, in August this year, both Lee and Qi revealed that they got married while vacationing in Saipan, though the marriage wasn't legal yet as they have not filed their marriage registration, which they finally did in Las Vegas.

-yahoo entertainment

Yumiko Cheng holds Hong Kong reception

Yumiko Cheng holds Hong Kong reception

World sabahdaily   5:01 PM

Ten months after their pre-wedding celebration in Thailand's Koh Samui last year, Cantopop singer Yumiko Cheng and husband Andy Leung finally held their wedding banquet in Hong Kong last week.

According to Hong Kong's On CC News, the couple celebrated their union in a larger traditional Chinese banquet at the Harbour Grand Kowloon Hotel on 4 September, with star-studded guests including Nicholas Tse, Chin Ka Lok and wife, Angela Tong, Sherman Chung, Cally Kwong, Deep Ng, Patrick Tse, Cheung Tat Ming, and Jade Kwan.

Yumiko was also accompanied by her bridesmaids, including celebrities Joey Yung, Charlene Choi, and Gillian Chung, who all wore matching pink dresses, while husband Andy arrived at the event with his groomsmen that include Edmond Leung, Wilfred Lau, and Sam Lee.

Since the couple has yet to officially register their marriage, they did not wear wedding bands, though Yumiko still flashed her four-carat diamond engagement ring.

Asked about their baby plans, Yumiko and husband revealed that they have no immediate plans for children and want to spend more time with each other for the time being.

The singer also expressed her gratitude towards EEG Chairman Albert Yeung, who generously paid a part of the banquet.
-yahoo

Second member of K-pop group dies from car crash

Second member of K-pop group dies from car crash

World sabahdaily   10:41 PM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A second member of the South Korean band Ladies' Code died from injuries sustained from a motor accident, her management said Sunday.

Kwon Ri-sae, 23, died Sunday morning at a hospital in Suwon, just south of Seoul. She had been unconscious after undergoing hours of emergency brain surgery following Wednesday's accident, according to Polaris Entertainment agency spokeswoman Kim Eun-kyung.

Fellow band member Go Eun-bi died shortly after a van carrying the group crashed into a guard rail on a rain-drenched highway near Seoul.

Police suspect that the van driver may have been speeding on the wet road to meet a tight schedule. The National Forensic Service is currently investigating the accident. Inspector Lee Ho-dong said the police will call in the driver, who was treated for a mild injury, for more questioning.

Another member of the five-member group fractured her jaw and two others suffered minor injuries.

Ladies' Code debuted last year.

South Korea singer dies in van

South Korea singer dies in van

World sabahdaily   11:55 PM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean singer Go Eun-bi, better known as EunB, died after a van carrying her group Ladies' Code crashed into a guard rail on a rain-drenched highway near Seoul, police said Thursday.

The 22-year-old Go's bandmate RiSe, whose real name is Kwon Ri-sae, was seriously injured in the accident early Wednesday and remained in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery, officials said.

The band, which debuted last year, was returning to Seoul after recording a TV program in the southeastern city of Daegu, said police inspector Lee Ho-dong.

The group's agency said another band member fractured a bone and two others had minor injuries and were treated for shock.

The driver, who was treated for a minor injury before questioning, may have been speeding on a wet road to meet a tight schedule, Lee said.

"We are investigating the exact cause of the accident. But it's difficult because the highway section where the crash occurred did not have a closed-circuit television camera," Lee said, adding that a camera from inside the van was sent to the National Forensic Service.

Lee said it would likely take about a month before it's determined what caused the crash.

-ap