Fury in China as deliveryman kneels before guard

Kelly Ng
BBC News

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Videos of a delivery rider kneeling before a security guard has led to protests in China

Chinese authorities have called for gig workers to be treated with kindness after videos of a delivery rider kneeling before a security guard led to protests by dozens of riders.

Guards stopped the rider from leaving a building in Hangzhou on Monday - saying he damaged railings while scaling them during a rushed delivery.

Worried that his subsequent deliveries would be delayed, the rider got on his knees and pleaded to be let go, the city's police said in a statement.

The incident sparked outrage online, with many urging better protections for workers in the industry.

Some 12 million people work as delivery riders in China, and the pandemic has fuelled explosive growth in the sector.

But the industry - much like in the rest of the world - is notorious for its tight deadlines, where low-wage riders are subject to tough penalties over delays and poor customer feedback.

Many also work long days, earning less than a dollar for each delivery.

The hard life of a homeless Shanghai deliveryman

The incident on Monday drew huge crowds of angry delivery riders to the building in downtown Hangzhou, leading the police to dispatch dozen of officers to manage the situation - including from the special weapons and tactics team.

Videos shared on social media show the riders chanting, "Apologise! Apologise!"

At one point, they start belting out China's national anthem.

Hangzhou police issued a statement on Tuesday urging the public to "stay calm and seek to understand one another".

Meituan, the delivery platform that the rider in question was working for, said it will "take thorough responsibility" to look into whether he was treated unfairly, and ensure its delivery riders are properly protected.

The platform added that it has paid to repair the broken railings.

Hashtags related to the incident have clocked up hundreds of millions of views on microblogging platform Weibo in the last few days.

Some users condemned the security guards' "bullying tactics", while others acknowledged that the rider had made a mistake.

"They are both low-wage workers. Why did it have to come to this?" one user wrote. "It's a hot day, it's not easy for all of us. Let's try to empathise with one another."

Others cited poor working conditions as a factor.

"Why do delivery riders break traffic rules so often? It's simple. They will be fined if their deliveries are delayed," another user wrote.

"This is the power of the platforms they work for. And so the riders work as hard as they can and risk their lives in order to complete what they have to do.

"It's exactly how sweatshops function."

China has over the years introduced guidelines to protect the rights and interests of gig workers, but problems remain.

Incidents of riders clashing with security guards in China have made headlines in the past.

In January this year, a delivery rider in the eastern city of Qingdao was stabbed to death by a security guard for entering a building without authorisation.

Research by the China Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based NGO, shows gig workers have held at least 400 protests in the last five years to demand improvements.

Myanmar’s Rebel Militias Redeploy Towards Mandalay


Anti-regime forces aim to take the former royal capital by year’s end.

By Luke Hunt
August 15, 2024
THE DIPLOMAT

The walls and outer moat of the former royal palace in Mandalay, Myanmar

.Credit: ID 237393235 © Vika12345 | Dreamstime.com

Myanmar’s anti-regime forces are being re-deployed to the south, north, and east of Mandalay amid rising expectations of a coming battle with the military aimed at wresting control of the old capital from the ruling junta by the end of the year.

Militias from Kayin (Karen) State in the southeast and Shan State in the north were ordered this week to reinforce Mandalay’s flanks after securing significant battlefield victories elsewhere in the war-torn country, sources with the People’s Defense Force (PDF) told The Diplomat.

“People are selling up their personal belongings in Mandalay. They don’t want to see a repeat of what happened in Lashio. Everyone evacuated their homes as Lashio was falling and they lost all their possessions, including their pets, their dogs,” a PDF source said. “They were too late.”

The source said that the capture earlier this month of Lashio, the largest city in northern Shan State, by the Three Brotherhood Alliance had enabled the redeployment. People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) that are currently training with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) will also be dispatched to support an offensive on Mandalay, the source added.

“They’re building up a force to take Mandalay and the generals within the EAOs and PDF are telling us that they want to capture Mandalay before the end of 2024,” she said, adding the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) from the Three Brotherhood Alliance was also sending troops.

With the fall of Lashio the military lost control of its Northeast Regional Command and a major defense garrison, which sent soldiers scurrying and enabling a broader framework to be established for a tilt towards Mandalay.

Some 20 Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), including the KNLA and the three armed groups that make up the Three Brotherhood Alliance, as well as their PDF allies, have recorded a series of stunning victories since launching a dry season offensive last November.

They now control nearly all of Myanmar’s ethnic states, long stretches of the country’s borders with Thailand, Laos, China, Bangladesh, and India, and about 75 major towns and cities.

The major exceptions are Yangon, Naypyidaw, and Mandalay in the Irrawaddy Basin, the traditional home of the military which ousted an elected government in early 2021 and tipped the country into civil war.

EAO troop deployments are also on the back of recent battlefield victories by the Mandalay PDF. Last weekend, it launched offensives on three townships, 100 kilometers southwest of Mandalay, seizing a Chinese-owned oil and gas pipeline, a police station, and a garment factory used as a junta post.

Meanwhile, NUG-backed militias captured nine military posts near Thabeikkyin, about 100 kilometers north of Mandalay, on the Irrawaddy River. These were small gains in the overall context of the three-and-a-half-year conflict but the PDF source said rebel militias were now poised.

“Mandalay will be next and the EAOs-PDF including the Karen who are sending forces north are confident that it will be taken before the end of this year. After that it’s difficult to say where next but Naypyidaw and Yangon are the obvious choices,” she said.

Should Mandalay fall, then the international political dynamics should also change in favor of the exiled National Unity Government (NUG) and its struggle for recognition among regional players, in particular India, China, and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

China is still pushing the prospect of elections – even if restricted to areas under military control – India has stuck with the military by closing its borders, and ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus has been reduced to barely a talking point when leaders and foreign ministers meet.

In fact, ASEAN has proved infuriating and contributed little to any peace effort. Its sole focus has been negotiations with the military. One negotiator, a former prime minister, has apparently offered refuge for the military’s chief Min Aung Hlaing, if required.

Like most wars, Myanmar’s conflict is a battle of perceptions. Mandalay, the historical seat of kings until the British annexation in 1885, remains the country’s cultural center and its importance can not be discounted. Whoever controls Mandalay will lay claim to the country.

China backs Myanmar's efforts for early political reconciliation

China's top diplomat Wang Yi meets with Myanmar's junta leader

Anadolu staff |15.08.2024 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

ANKARA

China on Thursday backed the Myanmar junta’s efforts towards early political reconciliation, saying that Beijing is willing to deepen bilateral ties with its Southeast Asian neighbor.

After arriving in Myanmar on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief.

"China supports Myanmar's efforts towards early political reconciliation within the constitutional framework, and is willing to work with Myanmar to deepen bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields," the state-run Xinhua News Agency quoted Wang as saying.

In June, Min Aung Hlaing announced the holding of long-delayed elections next year, an announcement also welcomed by political parties.

The junta leader said that Myanmar attaches great importance to its relations with China, firmly adheres to the one-China policy, and is willing to remain a friendly neighbor that China can always trust, according to Xinhua.

He also thanked Beijing for playing a key role to bringing peace to Myanmar and said he hoped China will continue supporting Myanmar in safeguarding domestic stability and achieving political reconciliation.

"Myanmar stands ready to continue to work with China in combating cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud and will never allow any act that harms China's security and interests," he said.

In February 2021, Myanmar’s army overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power in a military coup.

The country fell into deep social, political, and economic turmoil as the army launched brutal campaigns against perceived opponents.

Since October, fighting between the military and armed opposition groups has intensified and spread to most of Myanmar.

Since the 2021 coup, over 2,470 airstrikes have been carried out, resulting in over 1,300 deaths.

More than 2.8 million people in the war-torn country are displaced, and at least 18 million require humanitarian aid, according to UN agencies.


*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid

 

‘The night is also ours’: Thousands light Kolkata streets in vigil after gruesome rape, murder of doctor in hospital

Medical professionals and activists hold posters and candles as they take part in a midnight protest to condemn the rape and murder of a young medic, in Kolkata on August 14, 2024. — AFP pic

Thursday, 15 Aug 2024 

KOLKATA, Aug 15 — Thousands took to the streets of Kolkata early Thursday morning to condemn the rape and murder of a medic that has triggered protests across India demanding better safety for women.

The discovery of the 31-year-old’s brutalised body last week at a state-run hospital has sparked widespread outrage, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding swift punishment for those who commit “monstrous deeds” against women.

-Advertisement-

Large crowds marched through the streets of Kolkata in West Bengal to condemn the killing, with a candlelight rally at midnight coinciding with the start of India’s independence day celebrations on Thursday.

The protesters in Kolkata, who marched under the slogan “reclaim the night”, called for a wider tackling of violence against women and held up handwritten signs demanding action.

“We want justice,” read one sign at the rally. “Hang the rapist, save the women,” read another.

“The atrocities against women do not stop,” midnight marcher Monalisa Guha told Kolkata’s The Telegraph newspaper.

“We face harassment almost on a daily basis,” another marcher, Sangeeta Halder, told the daily. “But not stepping out because of fear is not the solution.”

Medical professionals, activists and citizens of Siliguri chant as they take part in a protest march named 'The Night is also ours' to condemn the rape and murder of a young medic, in Siliguri on August 14, 2024.

Doctors in government hospitals across several states on Monday halted elective services “indefinitely”, demanding speedy justice and better workplace security.

Protests have since occurred in several other hospitals across the country, including in the capital.

Modi, speaking in New Delhi on Thursday morning at independence day celebrations, did not specifically reference the Kolkata murder, but expressed his “pain” at violence against women.

“There is anger for atrocities committed against our mothers and sisters, there is anger in the nation about that,” he said.

“Crimes against women should be quickly investigated; monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and quickly punished,” he added.

“That is essential for creating deterrence and confidence in the society.” — AFP

‘Reclaim the night’: Thousands rally in India after doctor’s rape, murder

Protesters across India are demanding more safety for women after a trainee doctor’s body was found in a state hospital.

15 Aug 2024

Thousands of people protested in the eastern city of Kolkata to condemn the rape and murder of a doctor in a state-run hospital that also provoked demonstrations across India demanding better safety for women.

The protests were held at more than 100 locations across Kolkata and spread to surrounding towns in the state of West Bengal late on Wednesday and rallies took place in several other Indian cities early into Thursday morning.

The 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, her brutalised body discovered last week.

Large crowds of women and men marched through the streets of Kolkata, with a candlelight rally at midnight coinciding with the start of India’s Independence Day celebrations on Thursday

.

Students join demonstrators for a midnight rally protesting against the murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, India [File: Bikas Das/AP]

The protesters in Kolkata and other cities, who marched under the slogan “reclaim the night”, called for a wider tackling of violence against women and held up handwritten signs demanding action.

“We want justice,” read one sign at a Kolkata rally. “Hang the rapist, save the women,” read another.

Many government hospitals in cities across India suspended all services except emergency departments earlier this week, as junior doctors sat outside in protest, demanding justice for the victim.

“Doctors nationwide are questioning what is so difficult about enacting a law for our security,” Dhruv Chauhan, from the Indian Medical Association’s Junior Doctors’ Network, told the Press Trust of India news agency. “The strike will continue until all demands are formally met.”

“It is not just about one night. Every night, women should have this freedom and choice to go out, so that in future no girl child’s parents have to think in case it gets late in the evening, whether their child shall return home safe or not,” Shalini Datta, one of the demonstrators, told The Telegraph newspaper, which is based in Kolkata.

Tanushree Das attended one rally with her daughter. “I believe the night is not just for men to enjoy, women also have equal rights. We have come out to claim this space for ourselves so that women no longer have a sense of fear associated with nights,” she said.




Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in New Delhi on Thursday at Independence Day celebrations, did not specifically reference the Kolkata case but expressed his “pain” at violence against women.

“There is anger for atrocities committed against our mothers and sisters, there is anger in the nation about that,” he said.

“Crimes against women should be quickly investigated; monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and quickly punished,” he added.

“That is essential for creating deterrence and confidence in the society.”

Crimes against women in India rose 4 percent in 2022 from the previous year, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), released late last year, showed.

At one Kolkata protest, a male participant, Neel Ghosh, said: “There is only space for justice now, nothing else, we will not be satisfied with anything else other than real justice.”

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

'Hang the rapist': Thousands protest after rape, murder of medic in India

Demonstrators held signs calling for justice and an end to violence against women.



AP

Large crowds marched through the streets of Kolkata in West Bengal to condemn the killing, with a candlelight rally at midnight. / Photo: AP


Thousands took to the streets of Kolkata to condemn the rape and murder of a medic that has triggered protests across India demanding better safety for women.

Large crowds marched through the streets of Kolkata in West Bengal to condemn the killing, with a candlelight rally at midnight coinciding with the start of India's Independence Day celebrations on Thursday.

The discovery of the 31-year-old's brutalised body last week at a state-run hospital has sparked widespread outrage, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding swift punishment for those who commit "monstrous deeds" against women

The protesters in Kolkata, who marched under the slogan "reclaim the night", called for a wider tackling of violence against women and held up handwritten signs demanding action.

"We want justice," read one sign at the rally. "Hang the rapist, save the women," read another.

"The atrocities against women do not stop," midnight marcher Monalisa Guha told Kolkata's The Telegraph newspaper.

"We face harassment almost on a daily basis," another marcher, Sangeeta Halder, told the daily. "But not stepping out because of fear is not the solution."

Halt of medical services

Doctors in government hospitals across several states halted elective services "indefinitely", demanding speedy justice and better workplace security.

Protests have since occurred in several other hospitals across the country, including in the capital.

Modi, speaking in New Delhi morning at Independence Day celebrations, did not specifically reference the Kolkata murder but expressed his "pain" at violence against women.

"There is anger for atrocities committed against our mothers and sisters, there is anger in the nation about that," he said.

"Crimes against women should be quickly investigated; monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and quickly punished," he added.

"That is essential for creating deterrence and confidence in the society."

Israeli army kills 2 more Palestinians during raid in northern occupied West Bank

2 Palestinians were killed in drone strike on Balata refugee camp in city of Nablus

Ahmed Asmar |15.08.2024 -



ANKARA

The Israeli army on Thursday morning killed two Palestinians and injured four others in a drone strike on the Balata refugee camp in the city of Nablus city in the northern occupied West Bank.

According to official Palestinian news agency Wafa, the drone strike took place as Israeli forces raided the Balata camp in eastern Nablus, triggering clashes with Palestinians.

It quoted local sources that identified the two slain Palestinians as Ahmad Sheikh-Khalil and Wael Masheh, both from the refugee camp.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Israeli forces hindered the movement of the ambulances transferring the injured to hospital.

Israeli forces have been carrying out regular raids across various areas of the West Bank, which have escalated since the start of the Gaza conflict last Oct. 7. Palestinians have also faced violent attacks by illegal Israeli settlers.

Since then, at least 632 Palestinians have been killed, and nearly 5,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and called for the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar

Kurdish militias, Assad regime forces agree to Russia-brokered deal after clashes in eastern Syria

August 14, 2024 

Syrian fighters group load a pickup-mounted rocket launcher before firing at Syrian government forces’ positions in the northwest of Aleppo province on January 1, 2024 [OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images]

Kurdish militias and Syrian regime forces have agreed to a Russia-brokered deal to end a week of clashes and hostilities in eastern Syria, amid ever-increasing breakdowns in relations between Damascus and the militias.

Last week, Arab tribal forces in the eastern Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor that are allied to the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad and Iran launched a surprise offensive on areas held by Kurdish-led militias under the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), capturing two towns in the province that are located near an oilfield held by American forces.

In retaliation during the clashes, Kurdish forces surrounded and besieged Syrian regime forces in the centres of the two major cities of Qamishli and Hasakah in the north-east, and also detained several Syrian army officers on their way to a security compound in Hasakah from their base outside the city.

It represented a severe breakdown in relations between the regime and the Kurdish-led authorities, collapsing a long-standing agreement which has seen the two often join forces, boost collaboration and mutually tolerate each other’s military presence in those provinces.

According to the Emirati newspaper, The National, which cited two unnamed Kurdish militants sources who spoke to it, Russian military officials set themselves on a mission to patch up the relations over the past few days following the events, with Russian officers reportedly going back and forth between a Syrian regime compound and Kurdish militia commanders in an effort to resolve the fallout.

Those efforts finally resulted in a deal brokered by the Russians on Monday, which stipulates that the Arab tribal forces allied with Assad and Iran would halt their attacks, and that regime officers and personnel would be released in exchange for 15 Kurdish militants captured over the last week.

“The pressure we have been applying on the regime helped” to achieve the deal, one of the Kurdish militia sources was quoted as saying.

 SPACE

New massive eccentric brown dwarf discovered

by Tomasz Nowakowski , Phys.org

TESS phase-folded lightcurve of TOI-2490, showing the relative flux of the 30-minute 

(1800 s) Sector 5 (red) and 20-second cadence 32 (blue) data, zoomed in on the transit. 

Credit: Henderson et al., 2024.

An international team of astronomers has reported the discovery of a new brown dwarf, which received designation TOI-2490 b. The newfound object is about 74 times more massive than Jupiter and orbits a sun-like star on a highly eccentric orbit. The finding was detailed in a paper published August 8 on the pre-print server arXiv.

Brown dwarfs (BDs) are intermediate objects between planets and stars, occupying the mass range between 13 and 80 Jupiter masses (0.012 and 0.076 solar masses). Although many brown dwarfs have been detected to date, these objects orbiting other stars are a rare find.

Now, a group of astronomers led by Beth A. Henderson of the University of Leicester, UK, has found another transiting brown dwarf. Using TESS, a transit signal was identified in the light curve of TOI-2490—a solar-like G-type main sequence star located some 872.5 light years away. The brown dwarf nature of this signal was confirmed by follow-up photometric observations and radial velocity measurements.

"In this paper, we report the discovery of TOI-2490b, a new, highly eccentric transiting brown dwarf discovered using TESS," the researchers wrote.

According to the study, TOI-2490 b is the size of Jupiter, while its mass is about 73.6 Jupiter masses, which yields a density at a level of 91.6 g/cm3. The brown dwarf orbits the host star every 60.33 days, at a distance of approximately 0.31 AU from it. The equilibrium temperature of TOI-2490 b is estimated to be 464.2 K.

The observations found that TOI-2490 b has an orbital eccentricity of approximately 0.78. Therefore, the astronomers noted that this result makes TOI-2490 b the most eccentric brown dwarf in the so-called BD desert—the lack of brown dwarfs around main sequence stars within about 3 AU from the host.

By analyzing the collected data, the authors of the paper concluded that TOI-2490 b likely formed with this high level of eccentricity. They added that this brown dwarf likely formed via stellar formation mechanisms and is assumed to have a similar metallicity and age to its parent star.

The study also found that the irradiation temperature of TOI-2490 b changes by about 1,000 K (from 545 to 1,552 K) as it travels around its orbit. However, further observations are required in order to fully understand such an extreme change.

When it comes to the properties of the host star, TOI-2490, it is as massive as the sun, and its radis is measured to be approximately 1.1 solar radii. The star is estimated to be 7.9 billion years old, has a metallicity at a level of 0.32 dex, and its effective temperature was found to be 5,558 K.

More information: Beth A. Henderson et al, TOI-2490b- The most eccentric brown dwarf transiting in the brown dwarf desert, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2408.04475

Journal information: arXiv 

© 2024 Science X Network

Astronomers detect a new short-period brown dwarf

 

Planetary health diet adoption would reduce emissions by 17%, environmental scientists suggest

by Bob Yirka , Phys.org

Changes in dietary emissions for adopting the planetary health diet in countries and regions

. Credit: Nature Climate Change (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-024-02084-1

A report by a multi-institutional team of environmental scientists suggests that if everyone in the world adopted the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet, global dietary greenhouse gas emissions would drop by 17%.

In their study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the group analyzed the distribution of emissions associated with 140 food products consumed in 139 countries.

Prior research has shown that diets rich in animal and trans fats can lead to health problems such as heart disease, and that animal farming produces more greenhouse gases than vegetable gardening. So medical researchers and environmentalists have been advising adults to consume less meat and more vegetables.

In this new study, the researchers quantified the benefits the planet would receive if everyone heeded that advice. They also looked at the disparity that exists between consumption habits between countries and what could be done to improve the global dietary emission outlook.

The researchers analyzed data regarding food consumption habits from 139 countries as a means to compare greenhouse gas emissions due to food production among those same countries. To make the job more manageable, they narrowed down the food products to just 140.

As part of their analysis, they found that 56.9% of the global population engages in what they describe as overconsuming—meat and dairy make up too much of their diet. They noted that if all these over-consumers switched to the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet, global greenhouse gas emissions related to food production could be reduced 32.4%.

The EAT-Lancet planetary health diet is a diet developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission back in 2019. It was designed to create a global paradigm in which food production could meet the demands of 10 billion people by the year 2050 to reduce deaths due to hunger and poor diet and to prevent the collapse of the natural world.

The diet is similar to a vegetarian diet, but allows small amounts of dairy and animal protein products such as fish, eggs and meat. The research team also notes that western countries, which are the biggest meat eaters, would need to make the biggest changes.

More information: Yanxian Li et al, Reducing climate change impacts from the global food system through diet shifts, Nature Climate Change (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-024-02084-1

Journal information: Nature Climate Change 

© 2024 Science X Network

Changing food consumers' choices may help cut greenhouse gases

 

Study suggests five-second break can diffuse an argument between coupled partners

by Bob Yirka , Phys.org

Experimental set up and affect coding. Credit: Communications Psychology (2024).

 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00122-4

A trio of psychologists at The University of St Andrews, in Scotland, has found that taking a five-second break before things escalate can reduce the chances of a full-blown argument occurring. For their paper, published in the journal Communications Psychology, Annah McCurry, Robert May and David Donaldson, conducted emotional experiments with volunteer couples.

Prior research has suggested that if couples in intimate relationships take a time-out when feeling frustration or anger building toward their partner, they may be able to diffuse the situation. The research team wanted to know how much of a break is needed to achieve such a result, so they designed and carried out emotional and stress experiments with 81 volunteer couples in their lab.

The experiments consisted of asking the couples to play an interactive game with one another that was designed to lead to conflict. Part of the game involved allowing one participant to blast a loud, unpleasant noise at their partner. Each of the couples was asked to play thirty rounds of the game, and they were interrupted and forced to take a time out at different times and for different durations. Each of the couples was also filmed with a 360-degree camera fitted with a microphone while they played.

The researchers used what they describe as advanced machine learning software to help them analyze the results of the gameplay between the couples. Voice levels and facial expressions were used to determine frustration and anger levels.

The analysis showed that forcing a couple to take a time-out as short as five seconds during the moments when frustration was building but before an outburst occurred, was as effective as a 10 to 15 second time out—a finding the team suggests, indicates that the break itself serves to diffuse the situation, thus its duration was not nearly as important as the fact that it took place.

The research team concludes by suggesting that their findings indicate that couples have a simple and easy-to-use tool at their disposal, one that does not require anything but the desire and will to use it when a potential argument begins to arise.

More information: Annah G. McCurry et al, Both partners' negative emotion drives aggression during couples' conflict, Communications Psychology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00122-4

Journal information: Communications Psychology

© 2024 Science X Network

The science of why 'siblings or dating' is so hard

Iceland volcano eruption could have killed many in Wales

14 Aug 2024 

Lómagnúpur mountain in southern Iceland and a lava flow (Credit: USW)

Drones are helping a team of university researchers understand how a volcanic eruption in Iceland more than 240 years ago could have killed people in Wales

The team of researchers and a volcanologist from the University of South Wales (USW) have used specialist equipment to develop detailed imagery and a virtual view of one of the most dramatic mountains in northern Europe.

And it could help geologists gain a much better understanding of the volcanic activity which has shaped the landscape of Iceland.

Earlier this year the GIS Informatics research team from USW used drones to survey Lómagnúpur mountain in southern Iceland. Rising to 764 metres above sea level, the cliffs on one side are the highest inland cliffs in the country at 671m, which is close to three quarters the height of Pen y Fan.

The initial work on getting the drone survey completed was unusual for the GIS research team at USW, because they are generally undertaken with an initial visit to the site of the flight.

However, because the mountain is more than 1,000 miles from South Wales, VR headsets connected to Google Earth along with specialist drone software were used to plan and simulate the entire flight operation.

“The 3D model came out well, with lots of detail,” said Joseph Griffiths, a lecturer in Informatics at USW who, along with colleague Nathan Thomas – an experienced and qualified drone pilot -carried out the drone survey.

“The 3D model is quite impressive and is generated from hundreds of individual photos which are processed into a highly complex geo-referenced point cloud. There is now scope to develop an interactive VR view of it and also the possibility of producing a detailed 3D printed model of the mountain so that people can see exactly how it looks.”

The Iceland drone survey and geological fieldwork has been carried out thanks to funding from Taith, a Welsh Government-backed scheme to support international research collaboration, in this case with scientists from the University of Iceland. Geologists from Newcastle and Lancaster Universities are also involved in the study

Volcanologist Dr Ian Skilling, who is a senior lecturer at USW, explained why the survey and fieldwork at the mountain could be so important.

“The details of Lómagnúpur that have been captured by the drone will be very important to geologists who are studying the history of volcanic activity in the area and help predict what might happen in the future in this very volcanically active area of Iceland,” he said.

“The mountain is very close to Iceland’s most active volcano, Grimsvotn, which is actually underneath Europe’s biggest ice cap called Vatnajökull, and typically erupts every few years. This area of Iceland has been very volcanically active for millions of years.

“We do know that around 240 years ago a massive eruption on the edge of the ice cap produced around 22 cubic kilometres of lava, the largest volume lava flow in recorded history, and caused a plume of toxic gas over Europe. According to parish records from the time this could have caused many deaths in Wales.

“If a similar large volume eruption underneath this ice cap happened now there could be a serious issue both with toxic gases and impacts on aircraft from the ash in the atmosphere.

“That’s why flying the drone around Lómagnúpur and examining the rocks in detail in the field is very important, as the mountain provides a long record of the interaction of large lava flows and ice caps in the past.”

Stonehenge monument altar stone came from Scotland via sea

Matthew Ward Agius

DW

AUGUST 14,2024

"Completely unexpected" finding connects Stonehenge’s 6.6-ton Altar Stone to the northernmost parts of Great Britain and possible transport by ocean.

The origins of Stonehenge are slightly less mysterious now

Image: Toby Melville/REUTERS

A detailed chemical study of Stonehenge's central monolith has upended understanding of the British monument's mysterious origins, suggesting one of its central stones was transported from northern Scotland.

The findings more than triple the distance that the five-square-meter, six-ton sandstone slab might have traveled, compared to previous assumptions.

The 5,000-year-old neolithic stone circle is a treasured part of Britain's archeological heritage, visited by more than a million people each year. It's a site for annual solstice celebrations and most recently the subject of a controversial climate protest.

But how the structure was built remains uncertain.

Until last year, the Altar Stone was described as a 'bluestone' despite being found to be sedimentary sandstone, which was thought to have originated from a deposit near the Brecon Beacons in Wales.

Along with smaller dolerite and rhyolite bluestone boulders from the Mynydd Preseli deposits on the country’s west coast, it has long been thought that ancient Britons transported these rocks 225 kilmoters (140 miles) to construct Stonehenge. The site also features large slabs of locally-sourced sandstone.

But a report from the University of Aberystwyth last year found the Altar Stone's composition was fundamentally different from the sandstone of Wales, with its authors surmising an origin in northern Britain.

On a recommendation from the Aberystwyth team, tiny fragments of the Altar Stone were sent to the other side of the world – Western Australia – where a PhD student at Curtin University put them under the microscope.

The six-ton Altar Stone is submerged beneath these two sandstone slabs at Stonehenge.

 Nick Pearce/Aberystwyth University

"Rock DNA" uncovers the origins of Stonehenge's Altar Stone

Stonehenge's large, central Altar Stone lies embedded in the earth beneath two larger sarsen sandstone blocks, which were sourced from the local Wiltshire region along with the other large upright stones that form the monument's outer circle.

But when the Aberystwyth researchers led by geologist Richard Bevins identified the possibility of a different origin for the Altar in 2023, it took a Welsh expat working on the other side of the world to fill in the gaps.

"I grew up kind of wandering those [Preseli] hills, much like, maybe, Neolithic Britons did thousands of years ago, and in some way that must have inspired me," said Anthony Clarke, a geologist originally from South Wales who currently works at Curtin University's Timescales of Mineral Systems group in Perth.

Anthony Clarke examines stone samples in his lab at Curtin University, Australia.

Image: Curtin University

Clarke and his colleagues performed an isotopic analysis of tiny decaying uranium fragments within the Altar Stone's crystals.

This process fires a laser into the rock slivers, measuring the ratio of uranium and lead released by the stone.

Using these measurements, Clarke and colleague Chris Kirkland – a Scotsman also working at Curtin – used an extensive geological database of the UK’s rock deposits to match the Altar Stone with the Orcadian Basin, about 850 kilometers north of Stonehenge.

"By measuring the isotopic ratios of uranium and lead within these little crystals, we have miniature 'clocks'," said Kirkland.

"These clocks are very handy because they tell us about the original age of the material that was eroded to produce our sandstone (...) we can look at lots of different crystals within the Altar Stone and build up an 'age fingerprint', much like DNA. It's like DNA for our rock."

Stonehenge: a story of seafaring trade?

Hauling a six-ton rock overland for more than 1,000 kilometers would have been a remarkable feat 6,000 years ago.

Instead, the researchers say the Altar Stone was probably transported over water.

"We initially thought it had to have been moved by ice – it's just such a long distance for humans to transport. But if we look at ice flow directions during previous ice ages in the UK, ice was actually moving even further away from southern Britain," Clarke said.

"If you look at overland transport of the Altar Stone, they would have to have passed some formidable barriers: rivers, the heavily forested nature of prehistoric Britain, the marshy boggy landscape and the mountains standing in the way, from northern Scotland (...) which then leaves us with a marine transport route."

Clarke points to evidence of sea-based trade, shipping and social connections throughout the British Isles at the time of Stonehenge's construction as supporting the ocean transport hypothesis.

It's similar to recent studies by archaeologists that uncovered the existence of an extinct branch of the Nile. Their analysis found the extinguished channel would have passed right by the site of many of the pyramids, indicating water transport was used by the Ancient Egyptians to transport the huge quantities of stone needed for their construction.

Clarke expects the water-transport hypothesis will draw a mix of responses from the archeological community but is confident this new Stonehenge study will help focus the search for the true source of the material used at the ancient site.

"I'm sure there's going to be a mixture of amazement and perhaps skepticism," Clark said.

"But this is something we welcome going forward, to really narrow down the source of the Altar Stone, perhaps to the individual outcrop or even quarry it might have been sourced from."

The new findings were published in the journal Nature.

Edited by: Derrick Williams

Primary source:

Clarke et al (2024). A Scottish provenance for the Altar Stone of Stonehenge. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07652-1

Additional sources:

Bevins et al. (2023). The Stonehenge Altar Stone was probably not sourced from the Old Red Sandstone of the Anglo-Welsh Basin: Time to broaden our geographic and stratigraphic horizons? Published in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104215

Bradley, Richard (2024). Beyond the bluestones: links between distant monuments in Late Neolithic Britain and Ireland. Antiquity. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.3

Ghoneim et al (2024). The Egyptian pyramid chain was built along the now abandoned Ahramat Nile Branch. Communications Earth & Environment. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01379-7

The Altar Stone at the centre of Stonehenge may have come from more than 700km away in Scotland, Australian study suggests

By Brianna Morris-Grant

ABC NEWS AUSTRALIA

Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but many things about it remain unknown.(Reuters: Peter Cziborra)

In short:

The 6-tonne Altar Stone inside Stonehenge may have come from a location in Scotland more than 700km away from its final placement, according to a new study.

"Fingerprinting" samples of the stone matched it to other samples in north-east Scotland, rather than Wales.
What's next?

Many questions, including how the stone may have been transported and what the original purpose of Stonehenge was, remain unanswered.


The 6-tonne stone at the centre of Stonehenge may have come from a location in Scotland more than 700km away from its final placement, new research has suggested.

The Altar Stone was long believed to have come from Wales, but may have been transported via sea, according to research led by Curtin University and published in science journal Nature.

The peer-reviewed study, funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project, was a collaboration between Curtin, the University of Adelaide, Aberystwyth University and University College London.

The Altar Stone, seen here underneath two bigger sarsen stones.(Aberystwyth University: Nick Pearce)

Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, and is believed to have been constructed between 3100 BC and 1600 BC.

Previous research has identified two types of stone used to make its inner and outer rings.


WA-led research has unlocked secrets of Stonehenge

The outer ring is made up of standing sarsen stones originating from a location about 25km away, while the inner ring is made up of smaller "bluestones", of which the Altar Stone is the largest.

Lead researcher and Curtin University PhD candidate Anthony Clarke said their team had analysed two fragments of the stone.


"As of last year, the ultimate source of the Altar Stone was an open question," he said.

"We've had [work] ongoing on the Altar Stone … [and it] has a provenance all the way in the Orcadian Basin of north-east Scotland, some 700 to 800 kilometres away.

"This is a completely unexpected result, given that we thought it was going to originate in Wales."

Anthony Clarke said visiting the area as a child was part of what inspired him to research Stonehenge.(Supplied: Curtin University)

Professor Chris Kirkland of Curtin University's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences said they had examined the Altar Stone's "fingerprint" using the "little crystals" in the sandstone.

"What we can do is look at those little crystals … [they] contain small amounts of uranium, and we know the rate of change [from] uranium to lead," he said.


"By measuring the … uranium and lead within these little crystals, we have miniature clocks [that] tell us the original age of the material.

"We can [then] build up an age fingerprint, much like DNA for a rock. Then we can compare that to a large database of other rocks around the United Kingdom [and] compare the age."

The team also investigated several ways the stone could have moved or been transported such a long distance to its final location in the centre of the monument.

University of Adelaide associate professor Stijn Glorie, a co-supervisor of Mr Clarke's PhD studies, leads the Australian Research Council Project, which funded the research.

"We collected some data on minerals inside this [sample of the Altar Stone] to understand the fingerprints of the rocks and then link that with rocks in Britain," he said.

"What this study shows us is that there was a long, long transport mechanism involved for those people to bring the rocks from Scotland.

"We first looked at the possibility that these rocks were just supported by glaciers, and we could rule this out because of the flow directions of these glaciers at the time were the opposite direction.

"So it was kind of impossible. The other option would then be that these humans have transported it themselves.

"Over land that becomes tricky, because of huge obstacles along the way, so we quite quickly get to the conclusion that the only possible way really to bring that rock from Scotland to Stonehenge is over [the sea]."

Many questions surrounding Stonehenge, including its original purpose, remain unanswered.

"It's been something that's been, particularly in Britain's history, quite important," Dr Glorie said.

"So it's something that is in people's minds and understanding how it was built and how it was formed has clear importance for understanding history.

Scientists crack Stonehenge origin mystery

Geochemical testing indicates that 50 of Stonehenge's 52 pale-gray sandstone megaliths share a common origin about 25 kilometres away at a site called West Woods.

"One key question, and I don't think we can answer it at all, to be honest, is the why?

"Why would those people go all the way to Scotland to bring a rather unremarkable rock all the way to Stonehenge?

"Obviously there is no written record, so it's hard to work out why that would be so.

"We can only speculate on this, it's a very hard research question. Why would they have come all the way to Scotland [for] a rock that looks not much different to rocks that are locally sourced?

"Maybe it has some kind of spiritual meaning to them."