MODI'S CURSED TUNNEL

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: First video emerges of trapped Indian workers

Andrew Clarance in Delhi and Cherylann Mollan in Mumbai - BBC News
Tue, November 21, 2023

A camera has captured footage of the 41 workers trapped in a tunnel in India's Uttarakhand state for the first time in nine days.

The video was filmed using an endoscopic camera that was slipped inside a new pipe drilled into the tunnel on Monday.

Rescuers also used the pipe to give the workers their first hot meal in days.

So far, they had been subsisting on snacks sent through a narrower pipe inserted earlier.

The under-construction tunnel caved in after a landslide.

The incident took place on the morning of 12 November in the northern state's Uttarkashi district. Contact with the trapped men was established soon after that and they are being provided oxygen, food and water since then.

On Monday evening, the rescue operation witnessed a breakthrough after rescuers were able to push a six-inch diameter pipe through the debris inside the tunnel.

Officials slipped a small camera attached to a flexible cable into the pipe and used it to film the trapped men.

In a video released to the press, rescuers can be seen viewing the footage on a computer screen outside the tunnel.

An official asks the men to appear before the camera and smile and wave - the workers can be seen responding to the instructions.

He also tells them that they will be rescued soon and later asks them to identify themselves in front of the camera.

The unfolding drama of India's tunnel rescue mission


Rescuers to drill new tunnels for trapped India workers

Rescuers appear to be using two-way radios to communicate with the men - the video shows one of them holding a walkie-talkie in his hands.

The men, many of whom are wearing safety helmets and jackets, can be seen standing in a semi-circle near the camera.

The official then tells the men that the pipe will soon be cleaned after which water will be sent to them.

Some colleagues of the workers said they were delighted to see their friends after so many days.

"I have seen them on camera, but now I'm waiting to see them in the flesh," said Rahul Ameen, whose two friends are trapped inside.

Mr Ameen said he has been regularly visiting the tunnel to keep himself updated about the progress of the rescue operations.

The workers seen on a monitor in the control room

The new pipe is wider than the four-inch diameter pipe officials had inserted into the tunnel, hours after a portion of it caved in on 12 November.

Because of the narrowness of the pipe, only certain snacks like grams and dry fruits could be given to the workers so far. The pipe was also used to supply oxygen to them.

Officials have said that the new, wider pipe will help supply the workers with more oxygen, food and other essentials such as medicines, mobile phones and chargers.

Rescuers have already used it to give the workers their first hot meal of khichdi (a rice and lentil dish) - which was packed in bottles and sent inside.

The operation, which entered its 10th day on Tuesday, has encountered several delays and obstacles primarily due to loose soil and falling debris.

The plan is to dig a hole wide enough to accommodate a 900mm pipe, which the workers can use to crawl out of the tunnel.

However, on Monday, officials said that they were attempting to dig two more tunnels by the side of the main escape tunnel as additional escape routes.

On Sunday, federal Highways and Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari had visited the site and said that the rescue operations could go on for "two to three days".

41 workers stuck in a tunnel in India for 10th day given hot meals as rescue operation shifts gear

Associated Press
Updated Tue, November 21, 2023 

This screen grab image provided by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) shows one of the 40 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in Silkyara, in the northern Indian Uttarakhand state, India, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. ( SDRF via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)


NEW DELHI (AP) — The 41 construction workers who have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India for over a week are finally getting hot meals Tuesday, provided through a newly installed steel pipe, as rescuers work on an alternate plan of digging toward them vertically.

The meals, made of rice and lentils, were sent through a 6-inch-(15.24 cm) pipe pushed through the rubble late Monday, said Deepa Gaur, a government spokesperson.

For the last nine days, the workers survived off of dry food sent through a narrower pipe. Oxygen is being supplied to them through a separate pipe.

Officials on Tuesday released a video, after a camera was pushed through the pipe, showing the workers in their construction hats moving around the blocked tunnel while communicating with rescuers on the ground through walkie-talkies. Their families have been growing more worried and frustrated as the rescue operation dragged on.

The tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand state, a mountainous region that has proved a challenge to the drilling machine which broke down as rescuers attempted to dig horizontally toward the trapped workers. The machine’s high-intensity vibrations also caused more debris to fall, prompting officials to suspend rescue efforts briefly.

Currently, rescuers are creating an access road to the top of the hill from where they will dig vertically. From the vertical direction, drilling to the tunnel will take a few days and debris could fall during the digging, officials said Monday. Rescue teams will need to dig 103 meters (338 feet) downwards to reach the trapped workers — nearly double the distance.

Auhtorities said they would also continue digging horizontally from the mouth of the tunnel toward the laborers.

The workers have been trapped since Nov. 12, when a landslide caused a portion of the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) tunnel they were building to collapse about 200 meters (650 feet) from the entrance.

Uttarakhand is dotted with Hindu temples, and highway and building construction has been constant to accommodate the influx of pilgrims and tourists. The tunnel is part of the Chardham all-weather road, a flagship federal project connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites.

About 200 disaster relief personnel have been at the site using drilling equipment and excavators in the rescue operation.

Expert hopeful on rescue of Indian tunnel workers

Reuters Videos
Mon, November 20, 2023 

STORY: Rescuers were trying to send cooked food to workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in the Indian Himalayas on Monday (November 20) as they worked on new plans to get them out.

The 41 workers have been trapped since November 12, when a 3-mile highway tunnel in Uttarkhand state caved in.

Officials were upbeat about five new plans to free the workers, including drilling vertically from the top of the mountain.

Though previous attempts have ended in failure.

Rescuers were drilling a second, 60 meter long (196.8 foot) pipe through the debris to deliver cooked meals and a fiber optic connection to allow the trapped men to contact their families.

President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association Arnold Dix inspected the site.

"It's like a big 3D picture. So okay now we now have an idea at the top, now I have to go have another look at the bottom. It's like, it's like any complex job you have to look all around it, from the top, from the bottom and we need to discuss it. But at the moment, it's looking positive... And we need to compare what we've seen here, above the tunnel with what we know is happening in the tunnel and this actually helps us make the proper decision because we're rescuing those 41 men and we are not letting anyone get hurt while they're doing it, but to do that, we must be very careful with what we do and that's why we're all here."

Authorities gave their assurances that the men were safe, with access to oxygen, dry food, water and medicines via pipe.

Medics said three of the trapped men had complained of dysentery.

Authorities have not said what caused the tunnel to cave in, but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods.

Up to 60 workers were on the overnight shift at the time of the collapse, and those near the exit managed to escape the tunnel on the national highway that is part of the Char Dham Hindu pilgrimage route.

Indian workers trapped in tunnel for 10 days seen on camera
AFP
Mon, November 20, 2023 

Rescue teams released images taken on an endoscopic camera of workers trapped inside the under-construction tunnel (-)

Forty-one Indian workers trapped in a collapsed road tunnel for 10 days were seen alive on camera for the first time Tuesday as workers attempted to create new passageways to free them.

One of the proposed routes is nearly half a kilometre (over a quarter of a mile) long.

Looking exhausted and anxious, with thick beards, the men could be seen peering at the endoscopic camera sent by rescuers down the thin pipe through which air, food and water are being sent.

"We will bring you out safely, do not worry," rescuers can be heard telling the helmet-wearing men trapped inside as they gather near the camera, video released by state authorities shows.

Excavators have been removing tonnes of earth, concrete and rubble from the under-construction tunnel in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand since November 12, after a portion of the tunnel collapsed.

But rescue efforts have been slow, complicated by falling debris as well as repeated breakdowns of crucial heavy drilling machines, with the air force having to twice airlift in new kit.

- 'Top priority' -

Before the camera was introduced, rescuers had been communicating with the men inside using radios.

"All the workers are completely safe", Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a statement. "We are trying with all our might to get them out safely soon."

Dhami said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the men, adding Modi told him it had to be their "top priority" to get the workers out.

Engineers had been trying to horizontally drive a steel pipe just wide enough for the increasingly desperate men through at least 57 metres (187 feet) of earth and rock that block their escape.

But the giant earth-boring machine they were using ran into boulders it could not get through.

Drilling on that route was paused on Friday after a cracking sound created a "panic situation", officials said.

- Complex operations -

Rescue teams are now preparing two new approaches to reach the men.

One is drilling a vertical shaft down from the forested hill above, forcing workers to cut an entirely new track to the top for the heavy equipment needed.

Officials estimated the proposed vertical shaft would need to be 89 metres (291 feet) deep, a potentially complex dig above the men in an area that has already suffered a collapse.

The other is to approach from the far side of the road tunnel, a far longer route of more than 450 metres, according to Indian media reports.

The tube used to deliver supplies to the men was successfully widened on Monday with the installation of a 15-centimetre (six-inch) pipe, through which the camera was sent down.

It is hoped that a drone can also be sent down to assess the stability of the area where the men are trapped.

Hot meals were also delivered through the new pipe for the first time.

"We have sent 24 bottles with meals and bananas to the trapped workers," top local civil servant Abhishek Ruhela told AFP.

Experts have warned about the impact of extensive construction in Uttarakhand, where large parts of the state are prone to landslides.

The planned 4.5-kilometre tunnel is part of Modi's infrastructure plans aimed at cutting travel times between some of the most popular Hindu sites in the country, as well as improving access to strategic areas bordering rival China.

Foreign experts have been drafted in, including Australian independent disaster investigator Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association.

"Those 41 men are coming home," Dix told the Press Trust of India news agency. "Exactly when? Not sure."

Trapped Indian tunnel workers given antidepressants as anger grows over nine-day ordeal

Arpan Rai
Mon, November 20, 2023 at 6:44 AM MST·3 min read

Antidepressants and other essentials were being supplied to the 41 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in India on Monday as their families’ patience wore thin over the nine-day rescue operation.

Some of the 41 men who have been trapped inside the tunnel in India’s northern Uttarakhand state since 12 November have begun suffering health issues ranging from dysentery to headaches and increasing anxiety over their safe rescue.

At the weekend efforts to drill through the fallen rocks and debris blocking the mouth of the tunnel were halted after the auger machine being used broke down, and it was decided the risk of new landslides was too great. The authorities are now planning to drill a new hole downwards vertically to rescue the workers.

While Indian prime minister Narendra Modi attempted to reassure the families of the workers that “federal and state rescuers are working seamlessly”, they have voiced more anger the longer the rescue operation has been prolonged. The new vertical hole could take days more to drill, officials say.

On Saturday, an angry confrontation was seen between the families of the workers and those supervising the rescue. The families had also protested last week to expedite drilling at the site.

“I am losing my patience,” Maharaj Singh Negi, whose brother Gabbar Singh is among the trapped workers, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

“The officials have not even briefed us about the future plans.”

Authorities have tried multiple different approaches to evacuate the trapped workers since 12 November.

India’s road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said a breakthrough in rescue operations is likely in two-and-a-half days.

“Saving the trapped workers and evacuating them at the earliest is the biggest priority. Preparations are underway to restart the auger machine and resume drilling and pipe-laying at the tunnel,” he said.

“Though I am no technical expert, in the given circumstances, horizontal digging seems the best option. If the auger machine does not encounter any obstacles it might reach the trapped workers in two and a half days.”

A narrow pipe that was originally part of the construction work has been used to send essential supplies like food to the workers, while another pipe is supplying oxygen. Officials said they were being sent multivitamins and antidepressants to try and help with the mental and physical strain of their ordeal.

The state health department has set up a camp for health checkups near the site and has 10 ambulances on standby.

“We are sending multivitamins, antidepressants and dry fruits to workers who have been trapped inside the under-construction tunnel at Silkyara in Uttarkashi [area in Uttarakhand],” Anurag Jain, a top government official at the road transport and highways ministry, told news channel NDTV.

“Fortunately, there is light inside the area because the electricity is on.

“There is a pipeline and thus water is available. There was a four-inch pipe which was used for compression. Through that we are sending food from day one,” he said.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined by Indian authorities. The hillside state of Uttarakhand is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods.

The under-construction tunnel is part of the Modi administration’s multi-million dollar Char Dham project that aims to link four Hindu holy sites in the state.
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Indian rescuers to dig new shaft for 41 men trapped for 9 days

AFP
Mon, November 20, 2023 


Rescue workers stand at an entrance of the under-construction road tunnel, days after it collapsed (-)

Indian rescuers were battling Monday to free 41 men trapped in a road tunnel for nine days, as they prepared to dig an entirely new shaft after previous efforts failed.

Excavators have been removing earth, concrete and rubble from the under-construction tunnel in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand since November 12, after a portion of the tunnel collapsed.

But rescue efforts have been slowed by falling debris as well as repeated breakdowns of the crucial heavy drilling machines, with the air force having to twice airlift new kit.

Engineers had been trying to horizontally drive a steel pipe through the debris, just wide enough for the increasingly desperate men to squeeze through at least 57 metres (187 feet) of earth and rock that block their escape.

But drilling on that route was paused on Friday, after a cracking sound created a "panic situation", officials said.

Teams were now preparing to dig the new shaft from above, forcing workers to cut an entirely new track up to the top of the forested hill high above for the heavy equipment needed.

Officials estimated the proposed shaft would need to be 89 metres (291 feet) deep to reach the men.

Experts have warned about the impact of extensive construction in Uttarakhand, where large parts of the state are prone to landslides.

"Every effort is being made," Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a statement Monday, insisting the "workers trapped in the tunnel are safe".

He said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the crisis.

- 'Get them out' -

Top local civil servant Abhishek Ruhela said the track to the new drilling site was three-quarters built.

"Up to 900 metres (2,950 feet) of the 1,200 metre-long road being built for drilling over the tunnel has been completed," Ruhela told AFP.

Rescuers have been communicating with the trapped workers by radio, while food, water, oxygen and medicine have also been sent to them via a narrow pipe.

Anshu Manish Khalkho, director of the government's highways and infrastructure company, NHIDCL, said Monday that workers had successfully installed a wider 15-centimetre (six-inch pipe), allowing more food to be sent.

"We will now provide them with food and medical supplies through that pipe," Khalkho said in a statement.

Foreign experts have been drafted in, including independent disaster investigator Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association.

"We are going to find a solution and get them out," Dix told reporters Monday at the site.

"A lot of work is being done here. It is important that not only the men rescued but also the men who are (doing the) rescuing are safe."

Villagers have set up a Hindu temple at the mouth of the tunnel to the local god, Boukhnag, saying the original temple had been moved during construction.

Some villagers blamed the tunnel collapse on the fact that the initial temple was destroyed.

The tunnel is part of Modi's infrastructure project aimed at cutting travel times between some of the most popular Hindu sites in the country, as well as improving access to strategic areas bordering rival China.

40 workers have been trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in India for over a week and 3 attempts to drill through the debris have failed so far

Michelle Mark
Sun, November 19, 2023 

Rescue workers stand at an entrance of the under-construction road tunnel, days after it collapsed in the Uttarkashi district of India's Uttarakhand state.AFP via Getty Images


A partial tunnel collapse in the Indian state of Uttarakhand has left 40 workers trapped for a week.


Multiple efforts to drill through the debris to reach the workers have failed.


Rescuers have been able to send the workers radios, food, water, and oxygen through a pipe.

Rescuers have been working for over a week to extricate 40 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in northern India, and are now shifting strategies following three failed attempts to drill through the debris.

The tunnel partially collapsed on November 12 after a landslide in the state of Uttarakhand. Rescue crews have been able to send radios, food, water, and oxygen to the workers through a pipe, according to The New York Times.

Rescuers have now made three attempts to drill through the debris to reach the workers from various angles, but all have failed, the BBC reported on Sunday. Officials told reporters the land around the tunnel was fragile, and drilling could risk more debris falling.

"We have decided to go with a pause-and-go approach to maintain the equilibrium," Anshu Manish Khalkho, director of state-run highway management company, said Friday, according to CNN. "It may look easy from the outside, but on-site we have to factor in the effects of the drilling vibrations on the fragile terrain."

Rescue workers gather at the site after a tunnel collapsed in the Uttarkashi district of India's Uttarakhand state.AFP via Getty Images

Officials have now identified a spot directly above the tunnel that rescuers will attempt to drill through, and workers are preparing a platform for the drilling machine. The officials told reporters the rescue could take an additional four or five days, according to the BBC.

One doctor on the site, who has been speaking with the trapped workers, said some of them have developed concerning symptoms such as headaches and vomiting.

"They are suffering from anxiety and gastritis. We sent medicines, dry fruits, chickpeas, and puffed rice," Dr. B.S. Pokriyal told CNN. "They kept asking us to get them out fast, so I spent some time counseling and motivating them."

Pokriyal added that the men have about 0.6 miles of space within the tunnel to walk around.

Before the landslide, the trapped workers had been building part of a national highway project intended to facilitate pilgrimages to the major Hindu shrines in Uttarakhand.

India considering new shaft to free trapped tunnel workers

AFP
Sun, November 19, 2023

Rescue workers stand at an entrance of the under-construction road tunnel, days after it collapsed 

Indian rescuers are considering opening a vertical shaft to free 41 men trapped in a collapsed tunnel after drilling at the site was paused over fears of further cave-ins and as efforts stretched into a second week.

Excavators have been removing earth, concrete and rubble from the under-construction tunnel in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand since last Sunday after a portion of the tunnel collapsed.

Rescue efforts have been slowed by continued falling debris as well as repeated breakdowns of the crucial heavy drilling machines, with the air force having to twice airlift in new kit.

Drilling through the tonnes of debris was paused late Friday, after a cracking sound created a "panic situation", officials said.

Operations were then halted due to the possibility of "further collapse", said the government's highways and infrastructure company, NHIDCL.

"Every possible effort is being made," Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari said Sunday, after visiting the site.

He said if the drilling machine was fixed, they could reach the men by Tuesday, but said teams were also considering multiple alternative routes.

Relatives of those trapped, who spoke to the men via radio, said conditions were grim and morale low.

"They are in tears... they have started asking us whether we are lying about the rescue efforts being made to save them," one relative told reporters late Saturday, without giving their name.

- 'Bring those 41 men home' -

Engineers had been trying to horizontally drive a steel pipe about 90 centimetres (nearly three feet) wide through the debris -- enough for the increasingly desperate trapped men to squeeze through.

Bhaskar Khulbe, a senior government official involved in the rescue operations, said teams were now considering digging an entirely new shaft, including from above.

That could involve digging down more than 100 metres (330 feet), but a track would have to be constructed to even bring the heavy diggers to that site.

The Press Trust of India news agency reported initial "preparations to drill a vertical hole from the top of the hill" had begun, as an alternative route out.

Rescuers have been communicating with the trapped workers by radio, while food, water, oxygen and medicine have also been sent to them via a 15-centimetre-wide (six-inch) pipe.

Tunnel expert Arnold Dix, an independent disaster investigator and president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, said he was on his way to India after being asked to help.

"We are discussing right now our options for the safe rescue of these men," Dix told India Today.

Experts have warned about the impact of extensive construction in Uttarakhand, where large parts of the state are prone to landslides.

Dix said the tunnel was in "one of the most difficult areas", but said he was confident they would be rescued.

"We are going to bring those 41 men home," he said.

Villagers have set up a Hindu temple at the mouth of the tunnel to the local god, Boukhnag, saying the original temple had been moved during construction.

Some villagers told reporters they blamed the tunnel collapse on the fact that the initial temple was destroyed.

QUE INC. 

Quebec expects possible profit with planned sale of A220 jet program stake in 2030

Allison Lampert
Mon, November 20, 2023 

Air France presents its new A220 in Roissy near Paris
In this article:

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Quebec expects to be in the black when it exits its minority stake at the end of the decade in Airbus's now money-losing A220 narrowbody jet program, the Canadian province's economy minister told Reuters.

Quebec holds a 25% stake in the jet, which has faced scrutiny as Airbus struggles to contain costs on parts. Airbus has also faced delays in ramping up production toward its latest target of 14 planes per month by 2026.

Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said the program, which was supposed to make money in 2025, should be in the black between 12 to 18 months later given strong market demand.

Aerospace is a key industry in predominately French-speaking Quebec.

In 2022, Quebec invested $300 million in the program, following an earlier $1 billion lifeline to the plane's original manufacturer Bombardier in 2016. Last year's agreement would allow the province to stay in the deal until it is bought out by Airbus in 2030.

"I think we're going to recuperate at least all of our money, if not more," Fitzgibbon said in an interview on Friday. "But the idea is that we're not going to lose money.”

The A220, which has roughly 110 or 130 seats depending on the model, is produced both in Mobile, Alabama, and in Mirabel, Quebec.

Airbus has said it plans to raise Mirabel production to 10 A220s a month, with four jets a month in Mobile. The planemaker created the Mobile production line for U.S. customers to avoid a trade dispute with Boeing when it took over the plane from Canada's Bombardier in 2018.

Fitzgibbon said Mirabel could produce A220 jets no matter which customer takes them as Mobile fills up.

"Any excess, regardless of where the plane will be sold, will be made in Mirabel."

(Reporting by Allison Lampert; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Sheryl Sandberg says rape should never be a tool of war and the horrors of the Hamas terror attacks can't be swept under the rug

Jake Epstein
Mon, November 20, 2023 at 1:59 PM MST·3 min read

Israeli authorities are building cases against Hamas militants accused of rape and sexual assault.

As some deny or overlook the atrocities, a former tech executive says such violence can't be ignored.

"The silence on these war crimes is deafening," Sheryl Sandberg wrote in an opinion essay.

As Israeli officials start to build cases against Hamas militants accused of raping women during the October 7 terror attacks, a former tech executive is issuing a plea to the international community: rape can't be normalized as a feature of war, nor should it go ignored when it happens.

Reports of rape and sexual assault surfaced quickly in the immediate aftermath of the massacre. But in the weeks since, many more horrific incidents have surfaced and been revealed through the testimony of survivors and witnesses, from the footage of body cameras worn by Hamas, and through forensic evidence collected by authorities. Now, Israeli authorities are working to hold the militant group to account for the violence.

But amid this massive collection of documented evidence, the country has still been forced to contend with denials or dismissals of rape or other atrocities Hamas stands accused of committing on October 7.

Sheryl Sandberg, the former chief operating officer at Meta and the founder of the nonprofit organization LeanIn.Org, wrote in an opinion piece published Monday by CNN that regardless of all the different sides and views of the ongoing conflict, people should still be able to agree that "rape should never be used as an act of war."

Sheryl SandbergDominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images

"We have come so far in believing survivors of rape and assault in so many situations, yet this time, many are ignoring the stories that these bodies tell us about how these women spent the last moments of their lives," Sandberg said. "The silence on these war crimes is deafening. It's time to see beyond historical arguments about the past and political arguments about the future to denounce this now."

Rape and sexual violence have long been tragic elements of war and conflict throughout history, from World War II to the Rwandan genocide and Sierra Leonean Civil War of the 1990s. United Nations Women, a UN entity dedicated to gender equality and women empowerment, refers to wartime sexual violence as one of "history's greatest silences" and one of the world's "most extreme atrocities."

"In many contexts, sexual violence is not merely the action of rogue soldiers, but a deliberate tactic of warfare. It displaces, terrorizes and destroys individuals, families and entire communities, reaching unthinkable levels of cruelty against women of all ages from infants to grandmothers," a UN Women publication on rape as a tactic of war reads.

While these tactics have been strongly condemned by Western and humanitarian leaders in the past, incidents of rape and sexual violence still continue to be documented in more recent conflicts, like the wars in Ethiopia, Ukraine, and Sudan. Accountability and justice in these cases have been hard to come by.

Sandberg said that when people don't loudly condemn the incidents of rape and violence like those committed in Israel on October 7, or elsewhere around the world, it represents a "massive step backward" for all victims. Regardless of what stance one might take on the Israel-Hamas conflict, she said everyone should be able unite in being against terrible atrocities such as rape.

"We can each 'be a witness' and together call out this unacceptable horror and unimaginable suffering," Sandberg wrote in her op-ed. "We must denounce these rapes in every conversation, at every rally, and on signs held on every street corner. We must forget our conflicting politics and remember our common humanity."

Sheryl Sandberg: Something we can all agree on
Opinion by Sheryl Sandberg

Mon, November 20, 2023 

Scroll back up to restore default view.

Editor’s Note: Sheryl Sandberg is the founder of Lean In.org. The opinions expressed in this commentary are her own. Read more opinion at CNN. This article contains graphic and disturbing accounts of sexual violence.

Conflicting reactions to the recent attack on Israel and subsequent war in Gaza have led to heated and even violent disagreements in communities, colleges, Congress and coffee shops. People across the globe are protesting on all sides and shouting in the streets. But for one moment, I urge us to shift our focus from politics to humanity.

Sheryl Sandberg - Courtesy Sheryl Sandberg

Because no matter which marches you are attending —or if you are attending none at all; no matter which flag you are flying — or if you are flying none at all; no matter what religion you practice — or if you practice none at all, there is one opinion that everyone can agree on: Rape should never be used as an act of war.

On October 7, Hamas terrorists committed unspeakable atrocities that we must speak about — and speak about loudly. Numerous witnesses have testified that sexual violence was widespread on that day, according to reports by Israeli investigators. An eyewitness has recounted the horror of watching a fellow concert-goer being gang-raped, then murdered. Rescue workers have reported recovering lifeless bodies, naked with their legs spread. Yet some are flat-out denying that these atrocities occurred. Even worse, some might actually believe that these women — mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives — ”deserved it.”

We have come so far in believing survivors of rape and assault in so many situations, yet this time, many are ignoring the stories that these bodies tell us about how these women spent the last moments of their lives.

The silence on these war crimes is deafening. It’s time to see beyond historical arguments about the past and political arguments about the future to denounce this now.

Throughout history, women’s bodies were considered part of the destruction and spoils of war; sexual violence was widely viewed as an inevitable by-product of conflict rather than a grave offense. A breakthrough came just thirty years ago when the wars in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo saw the devastating and deliberate use of mass sexual violence. This evoked a loud response from global women’s organizations and human rights activists. They yelled in horror and fought for change. Under pressure, the United Nations Security Council created the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 1993 with an unprecedented commitment to prosecute rape as a crime against humanity along with other war crimes.

US leaders on both sides of the aisle, especially women, have taken a strong stand against the use of rape as a tactic of war. In 1995, then first lady and future secretary of state Hillary Clinton traveled to China, and in her famous “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” speech, insisted that “it is a violation of human rights … when thousands of women are subjected to rape as a tactic or prize of war.” In 2008, addressing the use of sexual violence in armed conflict, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that “rape is a crime that can never be condoned.” The world agreed.

Not loudly condemning the rapes of October 7 — or any rapes — is a massive step backward for the women — and men — of the world. The ground gained was hard-fought and must not be lost. This is as true for Israel as for Ukraine where Russian soldiers have been accused of sexually brutalizing victims from ages four to 82. According to one United Nations report, a pair of Russian soldiers brutally raped a 22-year-old mother repeatedly and sexually assaulted her husband. Next, one of the soldiers raped their four-year-old daughter. Investigations of these reprehensible crimes are underway, but as always, prosecution of these cases is difficult. Cries for justice will help victims, who deserve our unconditional support.

Dr. Denis Mukwege has spent his life providing medical, psychological and legal assistance to survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At Panzi Hospital, which he founded in 1999, he and his staff have cared for more than 50,000 survivors. Mukwege’s vocal advocacy against rape as a weapon of war has led to both an assassination attempt and a Nobel Peace Prize. As he accepted his award in Oslo, he declared, “With this Nobel Peace Prize, I call on the world to be a witness and I urge you to join us in order to put an end to this suffering that shames our common humanity.”

Today, it’s urgent that we add our voices to Mukwege’s. No matter what you believe should happen in the Middle East — I personally support a two-state solution where a Palestinian state and Israel co-exist so that both their populations can enjoy peace and security — we can surely unite against these atrocities. We can each “be a witness” and together call out this unacceptable horror and unimaginable suffering.

We must denounce these rapes in every conversation, at every rally, and on signs held on every street corner. We must forget our conflicting politics and remember our common humanity.

The USDA's new plant zone map could change how you garden, including when and what you grow

Grace Eliza Goodwin,Jenny McGrath
Mon, November 20, 2023 

The USDA updated its map of plant hardiness zones for the first time in over a decade.


The new map shows that half the country has shifted to warmer zones.


The updated zones could allow gardeners to grow plants that they never could before.

The USDA has updated its plant hardiness zone map for the first time in over 10 years. The new map could change how you garden.

Gardening consultant, Megan London, for example, told NPR she's now considering growing an array of new treats including kumquats and mandarin oranges in her gardens in central Arkansas.

According to the new map, central Arkansas shifted half a zone up from zone 7b to zone 8a since the USDA last updated its map in 2012.
What are plant zones?

The USDA's map is the national standard that lets gardeners and growers know what types of perennial plants — plants that return year after year — are most likely to thrive in certain locations. The map categorizes these locations by zones and half zones, the USDA said on its website.

The US is divided into 13 growing zones. Each zone represents the average lowest winter temperature an area typically sees every year, per the USDA.

A good chunk of southern Florida, for example, is zone 10b (35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit) while northern Montana has pockets of zone 3b (-35 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit).

Many plants native to the US are equipped to survive in a wide range of zones, according to Better Homes & Gardens. Some ferns and grasses can thrive in zones 4 through 9, for example.

"This is all about winter cold, this map," Chris Daly, director of the PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University, told Business Insider. "It has nothing to do with planting zones in terms of when you plant or what can survive the summer." He helped develop the map along with the USDA.
Half of the US has shifted to warmer plant zones

Central and northern Florida and other parts of the Southeastern US have changed zones on the 2023 map (top).US Department of Agriculture

The new map for 2023 has pushed half the country into a warmer half zone, while the rest of the country has remained in the same zone, the USDA said in a press release.


The 2023 USDA map shows warmer zones in central Michigan, as well as shifts in some Northeastern states.US Department of Agriculture

For example, some areas of Omaha, Nebraska have moved from 5b to 6a. Meaning that the average lowest winter temperature for that region rose from between -15 and -10 degrees Fahrenheit to -10 to -5 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the North Central US, some of the coldest zones have disappeared from northern Minnesota in 2023 (left) compared to 2012 (right).US Department of Agriculture

These changes could mean a shift in what will grow best in your garden. When you're purchasing perennials, you'll often see their zone ranges listed, Daly said.

However, growers should be cautious, Jonathan Foster, a horticulture outreach professional, wrote on The University of Maine's Maine Gardner Manual site.
Limitations of the USDA's new plant zone map

"The map is a guideline, not a guarantee," Foster wrote, and plants can thrive in several zones. However, you'll want to consider other factors, like summer temperatures and soil quality as well. The map doesn't reflect these nuances.

The zone shifts in the Southwestern US for the 2023 map (top) aren't as widespread as other areas of the country.US Department of Agriculture

Foster also noted that more delicate plants, like poppies, might not fare as well as hardier trees and shrubs in snowy climates like Maine.

The map is also limited in how detailed it can get, Daly said. Your garden might get more sun than your neighbors or have shadier spots thanks to trees. "Those may have microclimates that are warmer or colder than what the zone says that you are," Daly said.
What caused half the US to shift to a warmer zone?

The USDA said that the shift to warmer zones is "not necessarily reflective of global climate change," because several factors contributed to the changes.

In the Northwestern US, the 2023 USDA map (left) shows some regions of Montana in new, warmer zones.US Department of Agriculture

Daly and the USDA used data from 1991 to 2020 and chose the coldest night of the year. "We only have 30 numbers that we're averaging together," Daly said. That's why it's important to look at decades of data, he added.

The temperature on the coldest night can shift for a variety of reasons aside from climate change. One year might not have a cold snap, and the next winter's could be particularly harsh, Daly said.

The new map is also based on information from thousands more weather stations, according to the USDA. It pulled data from 13,412 weather stations compared to 7,983 for the 2012 map, per the USDA's press release.

Daly developed Prism, the software that created the map. "It's really good at reproducing the effects of features on the Earth's surface, such as mountains, valleys, and coastlines, on climatic patterns," he said. It helped make the map more detailed and accurate than previous versions.

It's also interactive. "You can enter your zip code or you can click anywhere in the map and zoom and pan on it and see what your zone is," Daly said.
How climate change is influencing plant hardiness zones

In the grand scheme of things, climate change is influencing where plants can grow, Daly said.

Sections of the South Central US, including Houston, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana, have changed to new zones in the 2023 USDA map (left).US Department of Agriculture

"We know for a fact that average temperatures are rising due to climate change. There's no doubt about that," Daly said. "And I think over the long term, this should cause plant hardiness zones to gradually shift northward."

Alert level downgraded for Papua New Guinea's tallest volcano

ROD McGUIRK
Mon, November 20, 2023 

A cloud of volcanic ash and steam rises as Mount Ulawun erupts, seen from 30,000 feet in the air, on April 30, 2001. Authorities have downgraded the alert level for Papua New Guinea's tallest volcano, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 and ruled out a tsunami a day after it erupted, spewing smoke as high as 15,000 meters (50,000 feet).

 (Klaus Wermuth/AAP Image via AP) 

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Papua New Guinea’s tallest volcano had its alert level reduced Tuesday and a tsunami was ruled out one day after Mount Ulawun erupted, spewing smoke as high as 15 kilometers (50,000 feet) into the sky.

One of the South Pacific nation’s most active volcanoes, Ulawun erupted on Monday afternoon, placing regional neighbors, including Japan temporarily, on tsunami alert.

The alert level for the volcano on the northeastern island of New Britain was downgraded by Papua New Guinea’s Geohazards Management Division to Stage 3, which means a “moderate-to-strong eruption.” The division rated the tsunami risk in a bulletin at “nil.”

The organization had on Monday elevated it to Stage 4 which in Papua New Guinea’s four-tier scale indicates a “very strong eruption.”

But the volcano, which stands 2,334 meters (7,657 feet) above sea level, remained active and the eruption could continue indefinitely, the division said.

The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia, reported volcanic smoke rising as high as 15,000 meters (50,000 feet) on Monday.

The division reported the ash plume rising at least 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) on Tuesday before becoming lost in atmospheric cloud.

The division said airborne ash could travel long distances and effect aviation services. A thick ash cloud extended tens of kilometers (miles) to the northwest of the volcano.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the nation’s industry regulator, did not immediately respond to an email asking if air travel was being effected.

The nearest large town is Bialla, which is established among oil palm plantations on Ulawun’s slopes 47 kilometers (29 miles) to the southwest, the division said. Hargy Oil Palm Ltd., a company based in Bialla, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

The division said heavy coatings of black ash were causing leaves to droop in oil palm plantations near the volcano and were as accumulating on roofs.

A resident of the provincial capital of Kimbe, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) further west, said on Tuesday she was unaware of the eruption because of the distance.

Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the world’s earthquake and volcanic activity occurs. Ulawun has repeatedly erupted since 1700s, and had a last major eruption in 2019 when more than 5,000 people were evacuated.

The division said there we no known casualties from Ulawun’s history of eruptions.

But major impacts in terms of population displacement, infrastructure damage and disruption to services were common, the division said.

Weeklong negotiations for landmark treaty to end plastic pollution close, marred in disagreements

CARLOS MUREITHI
Updated Mon, November 20, 2023 




A boy walks on the plastic waste at the Badhwar Park beach on the Arabian Sea coast on World Environment Day in Mumbai, India, June 5, 2023. Negotiators at UN-led talks in Nairobi have failed to agree on how to advance work towards the development of a global treaty to end plastic pollution. Environmental advocates say some oil-producing governments used stalling tactics designed to ultimately weaken the treaty.

 (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The latest round of negotiations to craft a treaty to end global plastic pollution closed late on Sunday after talks in Nairobi, Kenya, where delegates failed to reach a consensus on how to advance a draft of the agreement after a week of strained negotiations.

Environmental advocates criticized the outcome of the weeklong United Nations-led meeting on plastic pollution, saying oil-producing countries successfully employed stalling tactics designed to weaken the agreement.

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for Plastics is mandated with creating the first international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution in five rounds of negotiations.


At this third round of talks, delegates were expected to discuss a draft published in September that represented the views from the first two meetings and narrow down options.

Member states decided to move forward with a revision of the draft, which has become longer due to new proposals during this round and will be even more difficult to advance, participants said. States also failed to reach a consensus on intersessional work to discuss crucial parts of the draft ahead of the fourth round of negotiations.

But at the close of the session, outgoing negotiation chair Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez described the round as “a significant step forward.” He noted, however, that “much remains to be done both in narrowing down our differences and in developing technical work to inform our negotiations.”

Throughout the week, delegates suggested options to strengthen proposed global rules across the entire lifecycle of plastic from production to disposal. A coalition of “high-ambition” governments led by Rwanda and Norway hope to eradicate plastic pollution by 2040 by having a treaty that guarantees interventions throughout the whole life cycle of plastics, including reducing output and restricting some chemicals used in the plastics industry.

But some oil-producing countries advocated for shifting previously agreed mandates of the agreement, like changing the focus from the entire lifecycle of plastic to waste management, and having voluntary measures at national levels to fight plastic pollution, instead of global measures.

Environmentalists disagree.

“The science is very clear, the data is very clear, and the moral imperative is very clear," said Graham Forbes, global plastics campaign lead at Greenpeace. "You cannot solve the plastic pollution crisis if you do not massively cut plastic production."

Ana Lê Rocha, director of the global plastics program at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, said “the bullies of the negotiations pushed their way through, despite the majority countries, with leadership from the African Bloc and other nations in the Global South, in support of an ambitious treaty.”

But Stewart Harris, a spokesperson of the International Council of Chemical Associations, sees an opportunity for the treaty to accelerate circularity, or the reuse of plastics. He hoped the agreement will set up “something like a requirement for governments to establish circularity targets as part of their national action plans.”

The world produces more than 430 million tons of plastic annually, and two thirds of that are products that are disposed of soon after use, becoming waste and, often getting into the human food chain, according to the United Nations. Global plastic waste is expected to nearly triple by 2060, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Plastics are often made from oil, or other planet-warming fossil fuels.

More than 1,900 participants from 161 countries, including government officials, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, and civil society members, took part in the talks. A total of 143 lobbyists registered for the negotiations, according to an analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law.

Tadesse Amera, co-chair of the International Pollutants Elimination Network, worried that lobbyists could “divert science from independent science to industry-based science” and “prevent the treaty from protecting human health in the environment.”

This week’s talks were the third of five rounds. The next talks will take place in Ottawa, Canada in April 2024. Delegates have until the end of 2024 to produce a final draft.

Jacob Kean-Hammerson, an ocean campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency, described the remaining path to create the treaty as “treacherous.”

“These negotiations ended with more questions than answers about how we can bridge the political divide and craft a treaty that stimulates positive change," he said.

Forbes, who led Greenpeace’s delegation at the talks, said the stakes will be higher in the coming negotiation rounds.

“We are charging towards catastrophe,” he said. “We have one year to turn this around, and to ensure that we are celebrating our collective success instead of dooming ourselves to a dark and dangerous future.”

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


U.N. plastic treaty talks grapple with re-use, recycle, reduce debate

Duncan Miriri
Updated Sun, November 19, 2023 

 A boy walks on a beach polluted by plastic trash in Bali

NAIROBI (Reuters) -A third round of United Nations negotiations to try to deliver the world's first treaty to control plastic pollution has drawn more than 500 proposals from governments, participants said on Sunday.

Negotiators, who spent a week meeting in the Kenyan capital at talks known as INC3, have until the end of next year to strike a deal for the control of plastics, which produce an estimated 400 million tonnes of waste every year.

The plastics industry, oil and petrochemical exporters, including Russia and Saudi Arabia, have said a global deal should promote recycling and re-use of plastic, but environmental campaigners and some governments say much less needs to be produced in the first place.

Environmental group Greenpeace said a successful deal would require the United States and the European Union to show greater leadership than they have so far.

"The hard truth is that INC3 has failed to deliver on its core objective: delivering a mandate to prepare a first draft of a treaty text," Graham Forbes, head of delegation for Greenpeace, said.

"This is not progress. This is chaos," he said referring to the number of submissions.

Two more rounds of talks will take place next year to try to finalise the deal. A proposal to hold an extra session before the next round in Canada, known as intersessional talks, failed to advance in the final plenary meeting, participants said.

Bethanie Carney Almroth, an eco-toxicologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, who was involved in the talks, said the world was confronting a huge challenge.

"Plastics are connected to climate change, to biodiversity loss and other major threats and crises that we as the human population are facing on the planet," she said.

There was no immediate comment from the United Nations.

LESS THAN 10% OF PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLED

Stewart Harris, a spokesman for the International Council of Chemicals Association, an industry body that favours measures like re-using plastic containers as opposed to production curbs, said the Nairobi talks had delivered good ideas.

A proposal by Switzerland and Uruguay to hold more discussions on curbing harmful polymers and chemicals of concern garnered support from more than 100 members states.

But some participants were disappointed by what they called the lack of a clear path towards an effective deal.

"Major fossil fuel producers and exporters stalled efforts to move forward in an efficient manner," said Tadesse Amera, co-chair of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a global network of non-governmental organisations.

Less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled, the U.N. Environment Programme says, while at least 14 million tonnes end up in oceans every year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says.

Canada, Kenya, and the European Union were among those who said plastic production needed to be limited, while a coalition of Russia, Saudi Arabia and others has sought to emphasise recycling.

Members of the Saudi delegation at the talks declined to talk to Reuters, while Russian delegates could not immediately be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by George Obulutsa and Barbara Lewis)

Frustration as latest talks on global plastic treaty close

Nick PERRY and Dylan GAMBA
Sun, November 19, 2023 

Delegates at the final day of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution meeting in Nairobi on Sunday (Tony KARUMBA)

The latest negotiations toward a global plastic treaty concluded late Sunday with disagreement about how the pact should work and frustration from environment groups over delays and lack of progress.

Negotiators spent a week at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi haggling over a draft treaty to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution found everywhere from ocean depths to mountaintops to human blood.

It is the third time negotiators have met since 175 nations pledged early last year to fast-track talks in the hope of finalising a treaty by 2024.

The meeting in Nairobi was supposed to advance the process by fine-tuning the draft treaty and starting discussions about what concrete measures should target pollution from plastic, which is made from fossil fuels.

But the treaty specifics were never really addressed, with a small number of oil-producing nations -– particularly Iran, Saudi Arabia and Russia –- accused of employing stalling tactics seen at previous negotiation rounds to hinder progress.

"Unsurprisingly, certain countries are blocking progress on every term, playing obstruction and procedural manoeuvres," Carroll Muffett from the Center for International Environmental Law told AFP.

- Lacking leadership -

In closed-door meetings, so many new proposals were put forward that the text -- instead of being revised and streamlined -- ballooned in size over the course of the week, according to observers following the talks.

Graham Forbes from Greenpeace said the meeting had "failed" its objectives and urged governments to take a harder line in future negotiations on nations not acting in good faith.

"A successful treaty is still within reach but it will require a level of leadership and courage from big, more ambitious countries that we simply have not seen yet," he told AFP.

There was anger directed at UNEP, with the civil society alliance group GAIA accusing the hosts of overseeing "an undisciplined and meandering" meeting that allowed a minority to hold proceedings "hostage".

UNEP said "substantial" progress had been made by nearly 2,000 delegates in attendance.

The International Council of Chemical Associations, the main industry group for global petrochemical and plastic companies, said the process had improved an "underwhelming" draft and jostling between governments was critical for treaty building.

"We (now) have a document -- a draft text -- that is much more inclusive of the range of ideas," spokesman Stewart Harris told AFP.

The plastics meeting comes just before crucial climate talks in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates later this month that are set to be dominated by debate over the future of fossil fuels.

Global demand for plastic has seen production double in 20 years and at current rates, it could triple by 2060 without action, according to the OECD.

Ninety percent of plastic is not recycled, with most dumped in nature or improperly burned.

Environment groups have long argued that without curbs on the manufacturing of new plastic any treaty would be weak.

- Behind schedule -

Around 60 "high ambition" nations have called for a treaty that eliminates some plastic products through bans and phase outs, and enshrines rules to reduce plastic production and consumption.

But in Nairobi, some nations expressed reluctance to support cuts on plastic production, a concern recognised by the incoming chair of the negotiation committee.

"We are not here to end all plastic, we are here to end plastic pollution," Ecuador's Luis Vayas Valdivieso told delegates after his election on Sunday.

Divisions also sharpened over whether treaty terms should be legally binding or voluntary.

Eirik Lindebjerg from the World Wide Fund for Nature said despite frustrations the process had not been derailed, and a majority of countries still supported a strong treaty.

"I wouldn't call the meeting a failure. We are behind schedule, but we are not off track," he told AFP.

There are two final rounds of negotiations in 2024: the first in Canada in April, and a second in South Korea in November, with the goal of adopting a treaty by mid-2025.

np-dyg/bp

Plastics treaty talks yield 'chaos': Greenpeace

Reuters Videos
Mon, November 20, 2023 


STORY: Talks aimed at delivering the world's first treaty to control plastic pollution have drawn more than 500 proposals from governments, participants said on Sunday (November 20).

Negotiators, who have spent a week at U.N. talks in Kenya's capital Nairobi, have until the end of next year to strike a deal.

But the number of submissions was described as "not progress" but "chaos" by the head of Greenpeace's delegation, Graham Forbes.

"We are talking in circles and pandering to a few countries that are not negotiating in good faith and all the while the fossil fuel industry is expanding plastic production at the expense of our climate, biodiversity and human health.”

Plastic produces an estimated 400 million metric tonnes of waste each year.

But how the plastics treaty should tackle this waste has been a cause for debate.

Environmental campaigners and some governments argue that you'll get less waste if you produce less plastic in the first place.

But the plastics industry, perhaps unsurprisingly, doesn't agree.

Nor do oil and petrochemical exporters like Russia and Saudi Arabia.

They say a global deal should promote recycling and re-use.

Stewart Harris of the International Council of Chemicals Association said the Nairobi talks had delivered good ideas.

"We now have in the document a wide range of views that will carry forward into INC4, and at INC4, that’s where we expect governments to start to narrow down and identify areas of consensus."

Campaigners said major fossil fuel producers and exporters had stalled efforts to make meaningful progress.

Less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled, the U.N. Environment Programme says, and at least 14 million metric tonnes is estimated to end up in oceans every year.

Two more rounds of talks will take place next year to try to finalize the deal.

AQUANAUT

Deep sea explorer Don Walsh, part of 2-man crew to first reach deepest point of ocean, dies at 92

MARK THIESSEN
Mon, November 20, 2023 





In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, Navy Lt. Don Walsh and explorer Jacques Piccard descend to the deepest spot in the world's ocean, in 1960, a feat not repeated again by another human being until 2012, when movie director James Cameron returned to the same spot in a small submarine. Walsh, an explorer who in 1960 was part of this two-man crew that made the first voyage to the deepest part of the ocean, has died. He was 92. Walsh died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, at his home in Myrtle Point, Ore., his daughter, Elizabeth Walsh, said Monday, Nov. 20. 

(U.S. Navy via AP)

Retired Navy Capt. Don Walsh, an explorer who in 1960 was part of a two-man crew that made the first voyage to the deepest part of the ocean — to the “snuff-colored ooze” at the bottom of the Pacific's Mariana Trench — has died. He was 92.

Walsh died Nov. 12 at his home in Myrtle Point, Oregon, his daughter, Elizabeth Walsh, said Monday.

In January 1960, Walsh, then a U.S. Navy lieutenant, and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard were sealed inside a 150-ton, steel-hulled bathyscaphe named the Trieste to attempt to dive nearly 7 miles (11 kilometers) below the surface. A bathyscaphe is a self-propelled submersible used in deep-sea dives.

The two men descended to 35,800 feet (11,000 meters) in the Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the Earth's oceans, part of the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) off Guam in the Pacific.

After a descent of about five hours, the steel-hulled submersible touched down on what the log described as the “snuff-colored ooze” of silt stewed up by the ship reaching the bottom.

When they reached the seafloor, the two men shook hands.

“I knew we were making history,” Walsh told The World newspaper of Coos Bay, Oregon, in 2010. “It was a special day.”

After spending 20 minutes on the floor and confirming there was life there when a fish swam by, they began their 3 1/2-hour ascent.

“We were astounded to find higher marine life forms down there at all,” Piccard said before his death in 2008.

Piccard designed the ship with his father, and they sold it to the U.S. Navy in 1958. Walsh was temporarily serving in San Diego when Piccard requested volunteers to operate the vehicle. Walsh stepped forward.

“There was an opportunity to pioneer,” Walsh told The World. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to be doing, but I knew I’d be at sea. It wasn’t until later they told us what they had in store.”

Walsh was born Nov. 2, 1931, in Berkeley, California. He joined the Navy at age 17, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in oceanography from Texas A&M.

He served in the Navy for 24 years, retiring with the rank of captain and serving on various submarines. He then became a professor at the University of Southern California before opening his own marine consulting business in 1976.

In 2010 he received the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award and served on many boards, including as a policy adviser to the U.S. State Department.

“Walsh was a Navy officer, a submariner, an adventurer, and an oceanographer. To his family, we extend our deepest condolences and gratitude for allowing him to explore, and share his extraordinary experiences and knowledge with us,” Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus said in a Navy press release.

Walsh traveled the world, including many trips to Antarctica, where the Walsh Spur pointed rock is named in his honor.

His daughter said one of the earliest lessons she and her brother Kelly learned from their parents is that the world is not a scary place — a lesson that was reinforced because their parents always came home after their various travels.

He encouraged them to venture out, as well.

“Don’t be scared of it and go have adventures and learn things and meet people,” she recalled him teaching. “He’s certainly instilled an enthusiastic curiosity about the world in Kelly and I, and that’s a tremendous gift.”

In 2020, Kelly Walsh made his own journey to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in a vessel owned and piloted by Dallas explorer Victor Vescovo.

“An extraordinary explorer, oceanographer, and human being. I’m so honored I could call him my friend,” Vescovo posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the day after Don Walsh’s death.

In addition to his children, Walsh is also survived by his wife of 61 years, Joan.

Cocoa prices hover at 45-year highs as lagging harvests kick off 3rd season of shortages


Filip De Mott
Mon, November 20, 2023

Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Cocoa prices are hovering around 45-year highs as futures trade over $4,000 per metric ton.

Bad weather and concerns over crop disease led to lagging harvests, Bloomberg reported.

Similar factors have also dragged down the supply of sugar, driving its price up.

Cocoa prices are trading at levels not seen in 45 years, as a supply crunch in the commodity drags on for another year.

Prices dipped on Monday, but a string of earlier gains helped push US cocoa futures above $4,000 per metric ton, contributing to an appreciation of over 40% for the year.

It's a price not seen since 1978, Bloomberg reported, and surpasses the 2011 peak that resulted from that year's Ivory Coast export ban on cocoa. But it's still well below the 1977's high of $5,379 per metric ton.

This time around, delayed harvests are exacerbating shortages that have been ongoing for two years, and the supply crunch is heading into a third year.

Harvesting seasons in both Ghana and the Ivory Coast have fallen behind the pace set last year, with bad weather and crop disease concerns driving the lag.

In late October, bean deliveries to Ivory Coast ports were 16% behind this season, a source told Bloomberg.

Outlooks also remain dim as El Nino threatens to dry out West Africa, a detriment to growers. This comes against rising global demand, with processing improving in Europe, Brazil, and the Ivory Coast.

Poor weather and dismal harvests have also weighed on commodities such as sugar, driving its price to a high not seen for over a decade. Poor production in India has led to export curbs on the commodity, in the government's bid to keep domestic sugar prices stable.