Jagged Little Pill Star Antonio Cipriano Exits Show After Producers Were Accused of Transphobia

Antonio Cipriano is the latest star of Broadway's Jagged Little Pill to speak out against the alleged "harm" inflicted by the show's producers against the trans and non-binary community.

© Matthew Murphy "Broadway should be a safe space for everyone," Antonio Cipriano wrote as he announced that his performance with the cast at Sunday's 74th Tony Awards would be his last

The actor, 21, announced that he is exiting the jukebox musical following his performance with the cast at Sunday's 74th Tony Awards, where the show is up for 15 awards, including best musical. "After four years of being with Jagged Little Pill, the Tony's tonight will be my final performance with the show," he began his statement posted to Twitter.

"Your love and support over the years means more to me than I could explain, and I will always hold that close to my heart," Cipriano continued. "With that, I have to acknowledge the harm that many trans + non-binary, and all marginalized folks, on-stage cast members and off have endured through the years. "

RELATED: Jagged Little Pill Broadway Stars Accuse Producers of Harm 'to the Trans and Non-Binary Community'

"Broadway should be a safe space for everyone to create and experience art. All artists deserve to exist fully and authentically. As a member of the community, I recognize my privilege and take responsibility for being part of the harm caused. Representation, mental and physical health are extremely important. I'm hopeful for a more equitable future where the right changes and protection are put into action. I am lucky and grateful to be a part of this community and I am hopeful to see what change we as a collective can make going forward. I love y'all from the bottom of my heart," the actor concluded.

Cipriano plays Phoenix in Jagged Little Pill, which opened on Broadway in December 2019, using songs from Alanis Morissette's 1995 album of the same name. The show tells the story of the Healys, a suburban Connecticut family hiding a well of issues behind their picture-perfect façade.

Celia Rose Gooding, who will also retire her run as Mary Frances "Frankie" Healy after the performance at Sunday's awards show, bid farewell to the musical on Twitter on Friday while calling out the producers' alleged behavior (the show has a total of 42 producers, according to its website).

"While performing at the Tonys has been a lifelong dream of mine, I do not want my performance to act as a distraction from the fact that Broadway has a lot more work to do to be the safe, equitable space that artists of all walks of life deserve," Gooding, 21, wrote.

RELATED: Tony Awards 2021 — a Complete List of Winners

"That being said, I cannot ignore the harm Jagged has done to the trans and non-binary community, including cast members on stage, off stage, and behind the scenes in the production-making process. They are owed a space to exist and perform free of transphobia, and the opportunity to tell their own stories, just as I have over the years," she shared.

"Action statements have been released, and I look forward to witnessing these changes; but I believe it will be in my best personal interest to focus more on work that I can align myself with emotionally and morally, just as Frankie would," Gooding continued.

Gooding's exit was previously announced, after she was cast as Nyota Uhura in the upcoming Paramount+ prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Nora Schell, a non-binary actor who made their Broadway debut in the chorus and other roles on Jagged Little Pill, wrote that they were "heavily pressured and eventually asked to wait to get NECESSARY surgery to remove polyps from my vagina."

After being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in 2019, Schell wrote that they communicated their condition to the show's management, also letting them know that they were struggling with anemia due to the subsequent blood loss from their PCOS. Schell said they were told that the information would be relayed to the creative team, but allegedly, that never happened.

Schell recounted losing consciousness due to their anemia during a dress rehearsal and wrote that a "higher up" told them to "push through."

The inaction that followed their complaints "allowed me to be intimidated into staying and performing when I was clearly not well," Schell wrote, adding that a costar ultimately advocated for them and they were allowed to go home.

RELATED: Moulin Rouge! Tony Winner Karen Olivo on Why They Left Show: 'Something Really Shifted in Me'

"After surgery I was intimidated by company management. The validity of my recovery period was diminished and dismissed. I was told 'I need to work to get paid' and that 'I can't expect to be paid when taking personal days,'" they wrote. "When I relayed the possibility of these growths returning/needing surgery again in the future, I was met with exasperation and told that if I had to take off it wouldn't be considered paid medical leave."

RELATED VIDEO: Alanis Morissette Is Coming to Broadway! 'Jagged Little Pill' Musical to Premiere in the Fall

Additionally, Schell wrote that their gynecologist said she "could not ethically continue to operate" on them if they remained in a work environment that ignores their medical needs.

"I've been vaguely referencing mistreatment for years, and this is certainly not an exhaustive account of my experiences, but it is certainly the most alarming, fundamentally wrong and DANGEROUS incident I experienced. I'm still dealing with the consequences of waiting to get this surgery," Schell concluded.

The lead producers issued a social media statement ensuring a "comprehensive investigation" on Saturday.

"We are deeply troubled by the recent claims that have been made by a former cast member. We met with our cast and members of our core creative team today to let them know we take this matter very seriously, and to share with them the actions we are taking in response," the statement read in part. "Broadway shows are by their very nature collaborative human efforts, so there is nothing more important to us than our people. We are committed to continuing to nurture a work environment where everyone feels valued and respected."

The show also previously faced controversy over the character Jo Taylor, who was originally written and played as non-binary during a run in Boston. However, when the show went to Broadway, the role was depicted as a cisgender gay female.

Lauren Patten, the actress who plays Jo, shared a conversation she had with transgender actress and activist Shakina Nayfack last week, discussing her role in the character's development.

"I am profoundly sorry for the harm I caused, and I am thankful to Shakina, as well as the friends and colleagues with whom I have spoken privately, for holding me accountable," Patten, 29, wrote with the video. "It is my deepest hope for Jo to be a character that can be claimed and owned by folks of many queer identities — butch and masc women, nonbinary and genderqueer folks, trans men, and many more. Theatre has the power and the potential to be expansive, and I hope that Jo can be a representation of that moving forward."

RELATED: All the Broadway Shows Opening or Returning as N.Y.C. Theaters Reopen Their Doors

Producers also addressed the "reasonable and deeply felt upset around the issues of transparency and accountability and the character of Jo" in a statement released last weekend, outlining several actions they're taking in response.

"As leaders of this very special enterprise, we should have done better and recognize our failure and its consequences," the statement read. "We put our cast and our fans in a difficult position. Torn between their love for the show we created and their hurt and disappointment around this issue and with our words (and then with our silence)."

CIBC hires former Liberal innovation minister Navdeep Bains

TORONTO — CIBC has hired former Liberal cabinet minister Navdeep Bains as vice-chair, global investment banking.

Provided by The Canadian Press

Bains stepped down as innovation minister in January and did not run in the recent federal election.

He officially joins the bank Oct. 4.

CIBC says Bains will focus on developing and fostering senior level client relationships and business development globally as part of its capital markets team.

Bains joins former Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt who was hired by CIBC in January 2020 as vice-chair, global investment banking.

CIBC says together with Raitt that the bank's senior advisory team will offer unparalleled insights into public and industrial policy issues.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CM)

The Canadian Press

CANADA

3D printing could help build homes with unique designs more cheaply, advocates say

Manjula Selvarajah 

© Twente Additive Manufacturing Fibonacci House, near Procter, B.C., is Canada's first 3D-printed home.

The Fibonacci House in Procter, B.C., boasts spectacular views of the nearby mountains — but that's not what makes the tiny home a one-of-a-kind vacation rental.

It is Canada's first 3D printed house — a spiral structure with a standout feature: Curved walls. (It was inspired by — and named after — the mathematical Fibonacci sequence.)

Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing is a process where an object is built using layers of materials as directed by a digital design.

While 3D-printed construction is still considered to be in its infancy, advocates say that in the future, the technology could be used to build houses with unique designs quickly and more cheaply, with less of a need for scarce skilled labour.

Ian Comishin is the president of Twente Additive Manufacturing, the company behind the Fibonacci House, which is listed on Airbnb. He said 3D printing allows builders to construct complex, curved walls for the same price as a straight wall.

"So now, architectural features that are exciting or adding aesthetics can be done for virtually no cost comparison," he said.
How it works

To construct such a home, the building is first designed digitally. Designers determine which aspects of the house can be 3D printed; typically, it's parts like foundations and walls made of concrete — a material that lends itself well to 3D printing. The instructions are then sent to a robotic printer, which can either build the elements at the construction site or elsewhere, like in a factory.

The walls of the Fibonacci House were printed off-site in 11 days, then brought to the build location for workers to assemble.

"The robot itself has a hose and a nozzle," Comishin said.

A mortar-concrete mix is pumped out of the hose, and it's formulated so each layer can be stacked on the next, building up the structure layer by layer. It's much like a baker's nozzle piping icing onto a cake.

There's a cottage industry of people who use much smaller 3D printers at home, making and sometimes selling various knick-knacks. Some libraries and maker spaces also offer members access to 3D printers at their facilities.

But the real promise of the technology is how it will change the creation of bigger products, from planes to buildings.
A solution for homelessness?

Don McQuaid is the managing director of World Housing, an international agency focused on solving homelessness, which helped fund a 3D-printed community of 50 homes in Tabasco, Mexico.

"Our belief is that technology is going to be the solution for homelessness, and we believe that everyone deserves a home," he said.

Now the non-profit is partnering with Trente Additive Manufacturing on an ambitious project here in Canada. Called Sakura Place, it will be a community of five 3D-printed homes in Nelson, B.C., for families struggling to afford housing. Each house will be 700 square feet with two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.

The community could one day be a proof of concept for using 3D-printing technology to build affordable housing elsewhere in Canada, as many continue to voice frustration with the country's expensive real estate market.

In September, the average home price in Canada was $604,000, up more than 17 per cent from one year earlier. And according to a report by Scotiabank, Canada has the lowest supply of housing per 1,000 residents among the G7 countries.

3D printing could also address some of the challenges posed by the short building season in some of Canada's remote communities, McQuaid said.

"It could be a solution for us to be able to come in, fly the [3D-printing] machine and use local materials and local people to assist and build in a tight window," he said.
How it cuts costs — but not that dramatically

Comishin also sees the technology addressing a shortage of skilled labour in the construction industry.

"This type of technology is something that's very easily adapted to somebody who … comes from just about any sort of computer background," he said. "It allows for job sites to have access to precision and repeatability that is sometimes unachievable just through human processes."

That predictability can reduce costs, he said, before cautioning that although 3D-printed homes are cheaper than traditional builds, it's a reduced cost — not a fraction of the cost.

"People get really excited with the technology. And then they call us up, and they think that they can build a house for $6,000, or $10,000," he said.

Many parts of the house, including windows, toilets and fixtures, can't be 3D printed, Comshin said.

"The cost on those things don't change," he said. "So from that perspective, we can still do affordable housing, but there's pretty unrealistic expectations [around] what this technology can do from a cost perspective."

A number of studies and projects have estimated cost savings to range from 10 to 50 per cent, compared to conventional construction.

Another challenge is that while a 3D printer can build concrete structures relatively cheaply, that doesn't include the cost of the 3D printer itself, which can range from $49,000 for the small, basic models, to upwards of $125,000 for the larger models, according to 3Drific, an internet publication focused on 3D printing.

Still, at least one jurisdiction is aiming to sharply ramp up 3D construction. Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is aiming to have 30 per cent of new construction in the city-state be 3D printed by 2030.

STATE CAPITALI$T STALINIST PURGE

HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng and CEO Tan Xiangdong have been detained by Chinese police, according to the company

By Steven Jiang and Michelle Toh, CNN Business

.

HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng making a speech in December 2018 in Haikou, Hainan, China.

In a brief statement on Friday, the embattled conglomerate said that the two executives had been "placed under compulsory measures" by Hainan provincial police for suspected criminal offenses.

It did not specify which laws were suspected to have been broken. In China's legal system, "compulsory measures" by the police usually precede formal arrests.

The HNA CEO, also known as Adam Tan, was listed as a US citizen in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in November 2018. The US Embassy in Beijing declined to comment.

Once known for its aggressive deal-making, HNA Group went bankrupt earlier this year. The news marked a dramatic fall for one of the most important players in China's private sector.

In the statement posted on social media Friday, HNA said that the firm and its subsidiaries were "operating in a stable and orderly manner, with restructuring work moving forward in accordance with the law."

"Business operations have not been affected in any way," it added.

News of Tan's detention came the same day it was announced that Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou had reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice and was allowed to return home from Canada, where she had spent almost three years under house arrest.

Asked about the HNA executive at a media briefing on Monday, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said she wasn't aware of either Tan or his case.

HNA began as an airline more than two decades ago, but grew rapidly into other lines of business over the years through overseas acquisitions, as well as investments in real estate and finance.

Starting in 2015, the group embarked on a $40 billion shopping spree that included investments in Hilton and Deutsche Bank. By the end of 2017, HNA's assets topped 1.2 trillion yuan ($186 billion).

But those acquisitions were built on a mountain of debt, which hit 707 billion yuan ($110 billion) by June 2019. The company's woes were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, and in February 2020, government officials in Hainan took control.

At the request of the company, authorities in the province established a "working group" with other agencies in a bid to solve the company's financial crisis.

News of the executives' troubles this week comes as another major Chinese business is facing the spotlight for its own debt crisis.

For weeks, investors have been waiting to find out what will happen to Chinese conglomerate Evergrande, with global markets swayed by fears of contagion.

The property developer is facing a massive cash crunch, which is seen as a major test for Beijing. Some analysts fear it could even turn into China's Lehman Brothers moment, sending shockwaves across the world's second biggest economy.

China is also in the midst of a sweeping crackdown on its private sector, with targets ranging from tech to finance.

However, even state-owned entities have not been immune. Those behemoths, along with other government entities, appear to be the latest targets in Beijing's growing scrutiny of the financial sector.

On Sunday, the country's top anti-graft official called for "thorough disciplinary inspection of financial institutions," according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

The outlet said that Zhao Leji, a top politician and member of the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, had urged financial institutions to take action to better meet the needs of ordinary people, and avoid systemic financial risks.

A new round of inspection has been approved by the ruling Communist Party's anti-corruption watchdog, which will conduct checks of party organizations in 25 financial institutions, according to the report by Xinhua, which was also posted on a government website.

In China, it is common for major companies to form internal organizations to ensure their companies are staying in line with the Party.

The institutions facing scrutiny include the country's central bank, top financial regulators, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the so-called "Big Four" state banks.

— CNN's Beijing bureau, Laura He and Jill Disis contributed to this report.

 HNA Group CEO Tan Xiangdong attending a conference in Beijing in November 2017.

The 2 Michaels are home. But what about the 115 Canadians still detained in China?
Emerald Bensadoun 

© Provided by Global News Woman hand gripping the jail bars.

All eyes were on Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor on Saturday as the two returned home following nearly three years spent in apparent arbitrary detention in China.

Heartwarming images and video surfaced of the two reuniting with their families. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday called their homecoming "good news for all of us," noting that they had both gone through an "unbelievably difficult ordeal."

But as of Sunday at least 115 Canadians remain in custody in Chinese prisons, Global Affairs Canada said in an emailed statement to Global News. Not all Canadians imprisoned in China are in arbitrary detainment, but the agency said at least four of those jailed are on death row.

Read more: ‘Two Michaels’ welcomed home by friends, family after years in Chinese detention

"Canada opposes the death penalty in all cases, everywhere," Global Affairs Canada said.

"We have raised our firm opposition to the death penalty with China and continue to call on China to grant clemency for all Canadians sentenced to death."

Video: “Two Michaels” and Meng Wanzhou return home

The agency said it reviews each detention on a case-by-case basis, as consular officials often require a "tailored approach" that can adapt to different local contexts and circumstances.

Here's a look at the four Canadians currently on death row.

Robert Schellenberg

Of those sentenced to death, the most recent is Canadian Robert Schellenberg of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Liaoning High Court upheld his death sentence on Aug. 10 following an appeal made over the summer.

Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in China in 2014 and was formally charged with drug smuggling in January 2015. Initially, a Chinese court had sentenced him to 15 years in prison. But four years later, his verdict was overturned following a retrial and he was sentenced to death.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said in August that Canada "strongly" condemned the court's decision to uphold the death penalty for Schellenberg.

Read more: Chinese court upholds death sentence for Robert Schellenberg in drug smuggling case

“We have repeatedly expressed to China our firm opposition to this cruel and inhumane punishment and will continue to engage with Chinese officials at the highest levels to grant clemency to Mr. Schellenberg,” he said, shortly after the ruling was delivered.

“We oppose the death penalty in all cases, and condemn the arbitrary nature of Mr. Schellenberg’s sentence.”

In an emailed statement to Global News, Global Affairs Canada reiterated that the federal government remains "strongly opposed" to the decision to arbitrarily impose and uphold the death penalty for Schellenberg.

The agency added it "will continue to engage with Chinese officials at the highest levels to seek clemency for Mr. Schellenberg."

Video: Chinese court upholds death sentence against B.C. man

Xu Weihong

Canadian Xu Weihong was sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate Court over drug manufacturing charges on Aug. 6, 2020. They also handed down a life sentence to Wen Guanxiong, whom they claim helped Xu make ketamine.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin justified Xu's death sentence during a briefing last year, saying that death penalties would help "deter and prevent" similar crimes in the future.

“I would like to stress that China’s judicial authorities handle the relevant case independently in strict accordance with Chinese law and legal procedures,” Wang had said.

He added that “this case should not inflict any impact on China-Canada relations.”

Video: China defends death sentence for Canadian convicted of making illegal drugs

Ye Jianhui

Ye Jianhui is the fourth Canadian to receive the death penalty in China.

His sentence was handed down in August of last year over charges to manufacture and transport drugs by the Foshan Municipal Intermediate Court, just one day after Xu's.

Ye and co-defendant Lu Hanchang conspired with others to manufacture and transport drugs between May 2015 and January 2016, the Associated Press reported last year.

Asked last year if the sentencing of the Canadian drug offenders was linked to Meng’s case, Wang said China’s judicial organs “handle cases independently,” while also adding that “the Canadian side knows the root cause” of difficulties in China-Canadian relations.

Read more: China sentences another Canadian to death over drug charges

Fan Wei

Fan Wei was given the death penalty on April 30, 2019 along with 11 others over his involvement in an international methamphetamine operation.

Speaking to Global News the day of his sentencing, Global Affairs Canada said officials attended the sentencing and reading of the verdict. They called on China to grant clemency, adding the decision to apply the "cruel and inhumane" death penalty to Fan's case was of "extreme concern" to their government.

"Obtaining clemency for Xu Weihong, Ye Jianhui and Fan Wei is also of primary importance given China's decision to impose the death penalty in these cases," Global Affairs Canada said, in an emailed statement to Global News on Sunday.

"Canada will continue to provide consular services to Robert Schellenberg, Xu Weihong, Ye Jianhui and Fan Wei, as well as to their families."

-- With files from Global News' Saba Aziz and Aaron D'Andrea, as well as the Canadian Press, Associated Press and Reuters.

Prosecutor seeks to resume ICC probe in Afghanistan

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court sought urgent clearance Monday from the court's judges to resume investigations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, saying that under the country's new Taliban rulers “there is no longer the prospect of genuine and effective domestic investigations” in the country.

Judges at the global court authorized an investigation by Prosecutor Karim Khan's predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, in March last year. The probe covers offenses allegedly committed by Afghan government forces, the Taliban, American troops and U.S. foreign intelligence operatives dating back to 2002.

The decision to investigate Americans led to the Trump administration slapping sanctions on Bensouda, who left office over the summer at the end of her nine-year term.

The investigation was deferred after Afghan authorities asked to take over the case. The ICC is a court of last resort, set up in 2002 to prosecute alleged atrocities in countries that cannot or will not bring perpetrators to justice.

Khan said in a statement Monday that he now plans to focus on crimes committed by the Taliban and the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State group, adding that he will “deprioritize” other aspects of the investigation.

“The gravity, scale and continuing nature of alleged crimes by the Taliban and the Islamic State, which include allegations of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, targeted extrajudicial executions, persecution of women and girls, crimes against children and other crimes affecting the civilian population at large, demand focus and proper resources from my Office, if we are to construct credible cases capable of being proved beyond reasonable doubt in the courtroom," Khan said.

The Associated Press

GERMANY ELECTIONS

Seat held by Merkel since 1990 won by SPD candidate born in 1993

Philip Oltermann in Berlin

The German constituency held by Angela Merkel for the last 30 years has flipped to a 27-year-old politician from the Social Democratic party (SPD), in the starkest expression yet of a generational change of guard underlying Sunday’s national vote.

  

© Photograph: Stefan Sauer/dpa 

Anna Kassautzki has said she is animated by social injustice and describes herself as a committed feminist and European.

Germany’s outgoing chancellor had continuously won a direct mandate in the electoral district of Vorpommern-Rügen – Vorpommern-Greifswald I since it was created after reunification in 1990.

Her successor, however, will not hail from her party but its historical rival: Anna Kassautzki of the SPD claimed the seat on the Baltic coast with 24.3% of first votes, improving her party’s performance by 12.7 percentage points.

Merkel’s designated successor in the district, the 33-year-old tax auditor Georg Günther, came second on 20.4% of first votes.

“I feel incredibly honoured,” said Kassautzki. “We delivered a team effort.”

Born in Heidelberg in 1993, the politician is a district leader of the Young Socialists movement and works at the University of Greifswald, where she leads a family support service team.

Kassautzki has said she is animated by social injustice and describes herself as a committed feminist and European in her Twitter biography. “If we want to move our country forward, we must ask the upper 10% to pay up more instead of courting them,” she wrote on her campaign website.

The 27-year-old’s triumph is representative of a broader change of power in Germany’s north-east, where the SPD managed to flip every single constituency in the states of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as well as emerging triumphant in parallel state elections in the latter and in Berlin.

The Green party, which used to have only one direct mandate, managed to expand its number of directly elected candidates to 16, after flipping unlikely seats in conservative strongholds such as south-western Baden-Württemberg and Munich.

The Bundestag will have its first two transgender delegates in the coming term after an increase in the ecological party’s share under the second vote. The Green candidates Tessa Ganserer and Nyke Slawik will enter parliament via their party’s list.

Slawik tweeted that she could hardly believe her win, adding she hoped “we will today open a new chapter of self-determination in politics and that we can end the years-long patronising of queer people”.

Two transgender women win seats in German parliament


BERLIN (Reuters) - Two German politicians from the Greens have made history by becoming the first transgender women to win parliamentary seats in Sunday's national election.

© Reuters/ANDREAS GEBERT 

Interview with Greens transgender candidate for the Germany elections Tessa Ganserer

Tessa Ganserer and Nyke Slawik stood for the Greens party, which came third in the election, increasing its share of the vote to 14.8% from 8.9% in 2017 and is set to play a pivotal role in the building of a new three-way coalition government.

"It is a historic victory for the Greens, but also for the trans-emancipatory movement and for the entire queer community," Ganserer, 44, told Reuters, adding that the results were a symbol of an open and tolerant society.

Topping the priority list for Ganserer, who was elected to Bavaria's regional parliament in 2013, is an easier procedure for ratifying a sex change on identity documents.

Ganserer, who has two sons, also wants legislative changes to allow lesbian mothers to adopt children.

Slawik, 27, said the results were unbelievable. She secured a seat in parliament through the Greens list of candidates in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

"Madness! I still can't quite believe it, but with this historic election result I will definitely be a member of the next Bundestag," Slawik posted on Instagram.

Slawik has called for a nationwide action plan against homophobia and transphobia, a self-determination law, and improvements to the federal anti-discrimination law.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in Germany in 1969 and same-sex marriage legalised in 2017. But hate crimes against LGBT+ people jumped by 36% last year, according to police figures that highlight a rising trend of homophobia in parts of German society.

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Eagle with a 6-inch foot span roamed Australia 25 million years ago

Ian Randall For Mailonline 

© Provided by Daily Mail MailOnline logo

An eagle with a six-inch foot-span that ambushed unsuspecting prey such as flamingos and koalas ruled the food chain of South Australia 25 million years ago.

This is the conclusion of Flinders University experts who identified the new species, Archaehierax sylvestris, based on a 63-bone fossil discovered near Lake Pinpa.

Found on a remote cattle station, the remains from the late Oligocene Period are one of the oldest-known and 'best preserved' eagle-like raptors in the fossil record.







ARCHAEHIERAX'S AUSTRALIA

During the late Oligocene when Archaehierax sylvestris lived, the environment in Australia was starkly different to how it appears today.

While Lake Pinpa is today a bone-dry desert, 25 million years it was a vast, shallow body of water surrounded by verdant forests.

The team believe that Archaehierax would have ambushed its prey — likely koalas, possums, waterfowl, cormorants and flamingos — by swooping down from these trees and grabbing them with its long legs.

'This species was slightly smaller and leaner than the wedge-tailed eagle [Australia's biggest eagle alive today], but it’s the largest eagle known from this time period in Australia,' said paper author and palaeontologist Ellen Mather of Adelaide's Flinders University.

'The foot span was nearly 15 cm [6 inches] long, which would have allowed it to grasp large prey. The largest marsupial predators at the time were about the size of a small dog or large cat, so Archaehierax was certainly ruling the roost.'

'The fossil bones reveal that the wings of Archaehierax were short for its size, much like species of forest-dwelling eagles today. Its legs, in contrast, were relatively long and would have given it considerable reach.

'The combination of these traits suggest Archaehierax was an agile but not particularly fast flier — and was most likely an ambush hunter.

'It was one of the top terrestrial predators of the late Oligocene, swooping upon birds and mammals that lived at the time.'

'With eagles at the top of the food chain, they are always few in number — and so are infrequently preserved as fossils,' added co-author and fellow Flinders University palaeontologist Trevor Worthy.

'It’s rare to find even one bone from a fossil eagle. To have most of the skeleton is pretty exciting, especially considering how old it is.'

'I have studied this [site] for many years now, and this is the most exquisite fossil we have found to date,' Professor Worthy added.




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'The completeness of the Archaehierax skeleton allowed us to determine where it fits on the eagle family tree,' added Ms Mather.

'It shows a range of features unlike any seen among modern hawks and eagles.

'We found that Archaehierax didn’t belong to any of the living genera or families. It seems to have been its own unique branch of the eagle family.

'It’s unlikely to be a direct ancestor to any species alive today,' she concluded.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Historical Biology.

 

La Palma volcano: authorities lock down coastal area as lava approaches sea

By Al Goodman and Hannah Ritchie, CNN

Residents along the eastern shore of Spain's La Palma island were ordered into lockdown Monday as lava flowing from the Cumbre Vieja volcano nears the sea.

Lava flows approaching houses as the Mount Cumbre Vieja erupts in El Paso, spewing out columns of smoke, ash and lava as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on the Canary island of La Palma, on September 19, 2021. - The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Spain's Canary Islands today spewing out lava, ash and a huge column of smoke after days of increased seismic activity, sparking evacuations of people living nearby, authorities said. Cumbre Vieja straddles a ridge in the south of La Palma island and has erupted twice in the 20th century, first in 1949 then again in 1971.

 (Photo by DESIREE MARTIN / AFP) (Photo by DESIREE MARTIN/AFP via Getty Images)

The 1,250 Celsius degree lava may touch the Atlantic Ocean in the hours ahead, likely causing explosions and sending clouds of toxic gases over the island, Canary Islands emergency services warned on Monday morning.

"Given the possibility the lava will reach the sea in the coming hours on the coastal area of Tazacorte, and in anticipation of possible emissions of gas harmful to health, the Canary Islands volcano emergency committee orders the lockdown of San Borondon, Marina Alta, Marina Baja and La Condesa," they tweeted.

"The population should follow instructions of the authorities and remain at home, with doors and windows closed, until the situation can be evaluated in the morning," they added.

In the early hours of Monday morning, the lava traveled past the southwestern town of Todoque which was evacuated a few days ago and was just 1.6 kilometers (roughly 1 mile) from La Palma's coast, according to emergency services.

Authorities have also called on residents within a 5-kilometer radius of the volcano to put in place further precautions, due to the possibility of new explosive eruptions which could cause glass to shatter.

The main airline for the Canary Islands, Binter Canarias, confirmed Monday that it will continue to suspend flights to and from La Palma airport while it monitors the situation.

All other air traffic at the airport was also canceled Monday morning, according to Spain's airport operator, AENA.

Monday is the ninth consecutive day of eruptions from the volcano, which has so far forced the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people, destroyed hundreds of homes and ravaged the island's economically crucial banana plantations.

Reuters drone footage showed a rapid river of red hot lava flowing down the slopes of the crater, passing close to homes, and swathes of land and buildings engulfed by a black mass of slower-moving, older lava.

The flow of lava has engulfed more than 230 hectares, the European Union satellite monitoring service Copernicus said, swallowing hundreds of houses as well as roads, schools and churches, and forcing thousands to evacuate.

No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported since the volcano's eruption, but about 15% of the island's banana crop could be at risk, jeopardizing thousands of jobs.

La Palma volcano: Explosions send lava tumbling down mountainside after brief lull

Sep 27, 2021

Global News

Lava exploded from La Palma's volcano on Monday as night fell on the Spanish island after a brief lull, while hundreds of people in coastal villages hunkered down in anticipation of lava emitted in previous days reaching the sea and releasing toxic gas.

Spurts of vivid red lava emerged from the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the early evening and snaked down the dark mountainside towards evacuated buildings after a period of several hours without explosions.

No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported, but about 15% of the island's banana crop could be at risk, jeopardizing thousands of jobs.

Scientists: Spanish volcano has entered 'low activity' phase


LOS LLANOS DE ARIDANE, Canary Islands (AP) — A Spanish island volcano that has buried more than 500 buildings and displaced over 6,000 people since last week lessened its activity on Monday, although scientists warned that it was too early to declare the eruption phase finished and authorities ordered residents to stay indoors to avoid the unhealthy fumes from lava meeting sea waters.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

The plume of ash emerging from the main vent that opened on Sept. 19. stopped in the early hours of Monday, live footage of the Cumbre Vieja range in the La Palma island broadcasted by the public Canary Islands Television showed. But the column of ash and volcanic material returned after a two-hour hiatus.

“The volcano of La Palma has entered in a phase of lower activity,” the Madrid-based Institute of Geosciences, IGEO, said in a tweet. “Let's see how it evolves in the coming hours.”

The archipelago's volcanology institute published graphs showing a sharp decline in seismic activity in the area. “In the last hours the volcanic tremor has almost disappeared, as well as the strombolian explosive activity,” Involcan said on Twitter. But the institute had to follow later with another post announcing that, in addition to the ash cloud, “the re-emission of lava in the main cone is also confirmed.”

Experts were also on alert as the swarm of quakes that preceded and accompanied Spain's first volcanic eruption on land in half a century moved south, with more activity detected in the island's Fuencaliente area, Spain's National Geographic Institute said.

“That the volcano is now less active doesn't mean that it cannot change,” the institute's top investigator, Stavros Meletlidis, told Antena 3, a private Spanish broadcaster.

Meanwhile, the island's authorities advised residents in four neighborhoods to remain indoors to avoid toxic gases that could be released as a result of lava at more than 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,830 Fahrenheit) meeting Atlantic Ocean water at a temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius.

Scientists say that the thermal shock results in the release of water vapor plumes loaded with hydrochloric acid and tiny particles of volcanic glass that can cause skin, eye and respiratory tract irritation.

Shopkeepers and residents were also sweeping the layer of ash that had fallen over the island's capital, Santa Cruz de Las Palmas, after winds dispersed the volcano's cloud the day before.

The speed of the flow had increased since Sunday as a result of more fluid lava descending down a sharp slope toward cliffs onto the sea. The flow was some 800 meters from reaching the water early on Monday, authorities said.

More than 230 hectares have been buried by the lava, which has destroyed over 18 kilometers of roads, according to Copernicus, the EU's satellite monitoring service. The molten rock has destroyed houses, schools, churches and health centers, as well as irrigation infrastructure for the island's banana plantations, which provide nearly one-third of the island's jobs.

No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported since the volcano’s eruption.

La Palma, home to about 85,000, is part of the volcanic Canary Islands, an archipelago off northwest Africa. The island is roughly 35 kilometers (22 miles) long and 20 kilometers (12 miles) wide at its broadest point.

__

Parra reported from Madrid.

Daniel Roca And Aritz Parra, The Associated Press

La Palma volcano: Where is La Palma? Map shows where the Canary Islands volcano eruption is - and will it cause a tsunami?

The eruption of a volcano in the Canary Islands has so far led to the destruction of homes and evacuations on the small Spanish island of La Palma, with fears that the eruption could trigger a tsunami

By Liv McMahon
Monday, 27th September 2021

La Palma volcano: Where is La Palma? Map shows where the Canary Islands volcano eruption is - and will it cause a tsunami?

 (Image credit: AP/Canva Pro)

A volcano located on the Canary Island of La Palma erupted on Sunday 19 September, sending lava streaming down hills and destroying hundreds of homes on the volcanic island.

5,000 people were initially evacuated from La Palma area surrounding the Cumbre Vieja volcano, but thousands more have been evacuated following the eruption of a new vent on the Canary Islands volcanic ridge.

La Palma’s airport was previously forced to close amid the disruption, but has now reopened.

The huge ash cloud accumulating over the island has once again seen flights from La Palma cancelled, however.

Here's what caused the Canary Islands volcanic eruption, where the volcano is located and how long the eruption could last.

Where is La Palma?

One of Spain’s seven Canary Islands, La Palma is the most northwesterly islands of the chain of volcanic islands like Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

The island of La Palma is the most northwestern of the Canary Islands, with the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupting on the south of the fifth-largest island (Image credit: Canva Pro)

La Palma is the fifth largest of the islands, with an estimated area of 7,493km squared.

A popular tourist destination for snorkelling, and known for its rugged, rocky landscape, La Palma has a population of roughly 85,000 people.

The volcanic eruption on Sunday took place at the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the southwest of the Canary island.

Mount Cumbre Vieja erupts in El Paso, spewing out columns of smoke, ash and lava as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on the Canary island of La Palma on September 19, 2021. (Image credit: Desiree Martin/AFP via Getty Images)

What caused La Palma’s volcanic eruption?

The Canary Islands volcanic eruption took place following a swarm of earthquakes and tremors which have been rocking the island over the last two weeks.

A total of 642 quakes measuring between magnitude 2.0 and 3.0 were recorded on and around the island of La Palma during the last 14 days.

The dramatic eruption on Sunday 19 September is believed to have been triggered by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake striking the islands off Africa’s northwest coast.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano spews lava, ash and smoke as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on the Canary island of La Palma in September 26, 2021. 

(Image credit: Desiree Martin/AFP via Getty Images)

Cumbre Vieja started to erupt at 3.15pm local time on Sunday after having last erupted in 1971.

Spanish Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto came under fire for comments calling the eruption a “wonderful show” and potential attraction for tourists.

How long could the La Palma volcano eruption last?

Volcanic eruptions can last between anywhere from days to months.

A volcano eruption at Iceland’s Mount Fagradalsfjall, to the southwest of Reykjavik, is the longest to occur in half a century.

Having begun on 16 March 2021, the Icelandic volcanic eruption will have lasted for six months as of Sunday 26 September.

A woman walks down the street covered in ash from the volcano in Santa Cruz de la Palma on the Canary island of La Palma, Spain on Sunday Sept. 26, 2021

. (Image credit: AP/Daniel Roca)

The Canary Islands has historically seen plenty of volcanic activity, with an underwater submarine eruption occurring in waters off the island of El Hierro in 2011.

Could the La Palma volcano eruption cause a tsunami?

The Cumbre Vieja volcano is at risk of collapse should a volcanic eruption occur at the summit of the previously dormant volcanic ridge.

In the early 2000s, University College London scientists studied the volcano's destructive potential, finding that an eruption could trigger a dramatic landslide and consequent ‘mega tsunami’.

Scientists have also said that the risk of such a seismic shift and chances of triggering a tsunami rippling out across the Atlantic and potentially reaching the shores of the United States is small, however.

Dr Isobel Yeo, volcanologist at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) said: “The eruptions have caused a great deal of local damage but the current level of seismic activity from magma rising and the eruptions is not something that we would expect to trigger a landslide and cause a mega tsunami in the future.

"Large-scale landslides and tsunami are very infrequent in the Canary Islands and their direct links to eruptions remain uncertain.

"However, the Canary Islands monitoring organisation, Involcan, will be keeping a close eye on the eruption and monitoring the events in the coming days.”

Dr Yeo added that theories of a potential collapse at Cumbre Vieja causing a landslide or ‘mega-tsunami’ would represent “an absolute worst-case scenario” and would be highly unlikely event during the current eruption.

“The "mega-tsunami" hypothesis needs a huge volume landslide,” Dr Yeo said.

“In my opinion, the current level of volcanism is not of sufficient magnitude to create the ground movement required to trigger such a landslide, nor is the type of slide required typical for this region.

“Although the current fountaining and lava flows have been destructive, there would likely have to be a substantial increase in explosivity or increase in the rate of lava expulsion that could spell a change in the dynamics on the island.


"While this is a possibility that we cannot rule out, it is very unlikely that a mega-tsunami will occur during the current unrest.”

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ONTARIO
Driver charged in death of Hamilton woman giving water to pigs at protest has first day in court

CBC/Radio-Canada 8 hrs ago

© Toronto Pig Save Regan Russell often attended demonstrations

 at a Burlington, Ont. slaughterhouse.

A truck driver charged with careless driving causing death has his first day in court Monday after police say he killed an animal-rights activist who was giving water to pigs being led to slaughter.

Police say the man, who police have not named, was driving his truck to Fearman's Pork plant in Burlington, Ont. in June of 2020 when it struck and killed 65-year-old Hamilton woman Regan Russell.

Halton police charged the driver with a provincial traffic offence that could result in anything from a monetary penalty to two years in jail.

Russell's family, friends and supporters have called on police to upgrade that to a criminal charge, but police say there's no evidence to suggest the driver struck Russell with criminal intent. Supporters are gathering outside court Monday morning in Burlington.

Mark Powell, Russell's husband, said "we're here because nobody else is representing Regan Russell." He said the court matter that's set to begin will only be between the Crown and the driver over provincial laws.

"Regan was just collateral damage," he said, adding he wants to be there to stand up for his family.

In a press release issued Sunday, Russell's step-son Joshua Powell said "Regan was usually protesting the unnecessary cruelty within animal agriculture; but on that day was standing up against Bill 156, which restricts these activities, while granting power to truckers and drivers in policing their property."

The provincial bill creates "animal protection zones" that prohibit animal rights activists from "interfering or interacting with the farm animals in the motor vehicle."

He said "Regan's killing has been deemed a minor incident by the justice system of Canada, and this is unacceptable."