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الأربعاء، 7 مارس 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Global aviation accident rate reaches all-time low
Fault under Japanese nuclear plant could trigger powerful earthquake
International community to resume nuclear talks with Iran
Blast kills five trespassers at PNG gold mine
Avalanches in northeastern Afghanistan kill 44

Global aviation accident rate reaches all-time low

Posted: 06 Mar 2012 06:06 PM PST

MONTREAL, Canada (BNO NEWS) -- Passenger safety improved significantly last year as the numbers of accidents and fatalities reached the lowest in aviation history, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Tuesday. It surpasses the previous low in 2010.

More than 2.8 billion people flew safely on some 38 million flights in 2011, according to estimates from the IATA. The association recorded a total of eleven hull loss accidents involving Western-built jets last year, an improvement of 35 percent when compared to the 17 hull loss accidents in 2010.

The IATA defines a hull loss as an accident in which the aircraft is destroyed or substantially damaged and not subsequently repaired for whatever reason, including a financial decision by the owner. The global accident rate for 2011 is equivalent to one accident in every 2.7 million flights.

"Safety is the air transport industry's number one priority. It is also a team effort. The entire stakeholder community - airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and safety regulators - works together every day to make the skies safer based on global standards," said Tony Tyler, IATA's Director General and CEO. "As a result, flying is one of the safest things that a person could do. But, every accident is one too many, and each fatality is a human tragedy. The ultimate goal of zero accidents keeps everyone involved in aviation focused on building an ever safer industry."

IATA said 486 people died on Western-built jets and passenger turboprops in 2011, significantly lower than the 786 fatalities in 2010. "Aviation's good record is not the result of complacency. The strong performance in 2011 should not distract us from the need for continuous improvement to drive the accident rate even lower," Tyler said. "An even safer future will be built on the foundation stones of global standards, cooperation between industry and government and information sharing."

But concerns remain as the average hull loss rate for the Middle East and North Africa worsened to 2.02 from 0.72 in 2010. Latin America and the Caribbean performed better than 2010 but was still almost 3.5 times worse than the global average. Africa remains the worst performing region with a rate of 3.27, though down 56 percent compared to 2010.

The deadliest aviation accident of 2011 happened in July when a Royal Moroccan Air Force transport aircraft crashed into a mountain about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) northeast of Guelmim, the capital of the Guelmim-Es Semara region in southern Morocco. Officials said all 80 people on board were killed in the crash.

Fault under Japanese nuclear plant could trigger powerful earthquake

Posted: 06 Mar 2012 05:28 PM PST

TOKYO, Japan (BNO NEWS) -- A fault under the reactors of a nuclear power plant in southwestern Japan could trigger a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of up to 7.4 on the Richter scale, experts warned on Tuesday.

The Urasoko fault runs under the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in the town of Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture, located near the coast in southwestern Japan. The fault is at least 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) long with multiple faults existing 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.8 mile) on the south-side of the fault.

Yuichi Sugiyama, leader of the research team at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), told the Kyodo news agency that the worst-case scenario, in which several faults would activate together, should be taken into consideration.

AIST believes the fault could trigger a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of up to 7.4 on the Richter scale, considerably stronger than previous calculations by Japan's Earthquake Research Committee and Japan Atomic Power. They estimated that the Urasoko fault, combined with other faults connected to it, was only about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) long and could trigger earthquakes up to 7.2 on the Richter scale.

However, the latest research, Sugiyama explained, shows that it is highly likely that all the faults are activated together, extending the Urasoko fault to 35 kilometers (21.7 miles). The Urasoko fault is expected to cause a total displacement of over three meters (9.8 feet) if it becomes active, but if activated together with other faults, the displacement could reach nearly five meters (16.4 feet).

Japan has been facing an ongoing nuclear crisis since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged on March 11, 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami devastated the country. The disaster disabled the cooling systems of the plant and radioactive elements leaked into the sea and were later found in water, air and food products in some parts of Japan.

International community to resume nuclear talks with Iran

Posted: 06 Mar 2012 04:36 PM PST

BRUSSELS, Belgium (BNO NEWS) -- World powers which are dealing with Iran's nuclear program have accepted its offer for a new round of talks, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Tuesday. It comes more than a year after negotiations broke off in stalemate.

Ashton said she accepted Iran's offer to resume talks on behalf of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "We hope that Iran will now enter into a sustained process of constructive dialogue which will deliver real progress in resolving the international community's long-standing concerns on its nuclear program," she said.

The dates and venue of the talks were not immediately announced.

International concerns regarding Iran's nuclear activities have been increasing for decades. And while Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear program is for the peaceful purpose of providing energy, many countries contend it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons and may be close to obtain them.

Negotiations with Iran broke off in January 2011 after the Iranians refused to discuss the nuclear issue, but Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, offered to resume the talks in a letter to the European Union last month. It gives a new boost to efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the dispute.

"Our overall goal remains a comprehensive negotiated, long-term solution which restores international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, while respecting Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy consistent with the NTP [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]," Ashton wrote in a letter to Jalili on Tuesday.

In January, the Council of the European Union (EU) announced broadened restrictive measures against Iran by banning crude-oil imports and a freeze on Iran's central bank assets. As part of the toughest sanctions yet against Iran, the EU also banned imports of petrochemical products from Iran into the EU as well as the export of key equipment and technology for this sector to Iran.

Blast kills five trespassers at PNG gold mine

Posted: 06 Mar 2012 03:48 PM PST

ENGA, Papua New Guinea (BNO NEWS) -- Five people who illegally entered a large gold mine in Papua New Guinea were killed in a routine blast during the weekend, the mine operator reported on Tuesday. Three survivors were arrested and charged.

The accident happened at around 5.25 a.m. local time on Saturday when mine operator Barrick Niugini Ltd., which is internationally known as Barrick Gold, carried out a routine blast at the Porgera Gold Mine in Enga province. The mine is one of the top producing gold mines in the world.

Barrick said its local staff were alerted by an injured trespasser who said others were missing in the mine, after which a search-and-rescue operation led to the discovery of five bodies. "We deeply regret this loss of life - it tragically demonstrates that the mine is not a safe place to be for unauthorized persons," said Greg Walker, the executive general manager of Barrick Niugini Ltd.

'The National' newspaper reported that a group of eight people had illegally entered the mine to look for gold. Five of them were killed in the routine blast while the three survivors were later taken into custody and charged with trespassing. At least one of the survivors was injured.

"I extend my condolences to the families of those who died but, time and time again, we have been warning the people that blasts are always going on," Enga Governor Peter Ipatas told 'The National'. "When it comes to mining companies, they use chemicals which are dangerous. They use explosives which are dangerous."

Local police officials said two of the victims were from the town of Laiagam while a third victim was from nearby Porgera.

"These people were in the wrong place. The mining company has been mandated by law to do mining. They give sufficient warning and clear the blast area," Ipatas was quoted as saying by the newspaper. "These people were willing to put their lives at risk for gold. They have paid the ultimate price. While I extend my sympathies, this should be a warning to everybody who wants to trespass at the mine and do illegal mining."

In August 1994, eleven people were killed when a blast destroyed the Dyno Wesfarmers explosives factory at the Porgera Gold Mine. The powerful blast, which left a crater 40 meters (131 feet) wide and 15 meters (49 feet) deep, damaged property up to 2 kilometers (1.2 mile) away. Several government investigations failed to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Avalanches in northeastern Afghanistan kill 44

Posted: 06 Mar 2012 01:46 PM PST

FAYZABAD, Afghanistan (BNO NEWS) -- More than 40 people have been killed and others are missing after heavy snowfall caused two avalanches in a remote region in northeastern Afghanistan on late Monday, officials said on Tuesday. Hundreds of animals have also been killed.

The largest avalanche occurred on late Monday in the village of Deh Pasin in Shiki district, located in the remote and mountainous province of Badakhshan which faces severe snow every year between October and April. The village, located near the border with Tajikistan, can only be reached by helicopter.

The landslide buried more than 20 houses in the village, killing at least 39 people and injuring six others. Several dozen people from a nearby village reached Deh Pasin on Tuesday and used their bare hands and shovels to search for an unknown number of missing residents. Several hundred animals were also believed to have died in the avalanche.

A second avalanche in a nearby district killed five people, a provincial official said, bringing the overall death toll to at least 44.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said the U.S. government, in partnership with USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, will send supplies to the disaster-hit region through an implementing partner in Tajikistan. "Our thoughts are with those that lost their lives today, but also with their families, and with those who struggle in the aftermath of this tragedy," the spokesperson said.

Mountainous regions in Afghanistan are prone to avalanches. In January of this year, at least 49 people were killed when a series of avalanches devastated a number of villages in Badakhshan province. More than 500 houses were buried under the snow, including up to 80 houses in Zech village alone.

And in February 2010, more than 170 people were killed when a series of avalanches struck the Salang Pass, a major mountain pass which connects northern Afghanistan and the Afghan capital of Kabul.

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الأربعاء، 7 مارس 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

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