text:
From left: Franck Pilet, Expansion Manager Decathlon, Phillipe Cauviere CEO, The Hub Mall Karen, Valery Guers, Decathlon Nairobi Project leader and Margaret Mbaka, MD Janus Continental Group exchange documents at the lease signing of the Decathlon store at the Hub Karen Mall.
Nairobi, December 15th, 2017 – A leading global sports retail firm has announced plans to enter the Kenyan market in coming months as part of its continental expansion plans.
Coming hot on the heels of recent store openings in Ghana and South Africa earlier this year, Decathlon, a dedicated sports equipment retailer and manufacturer with a French heritage and featuring 1267 stores in 35 countries globally, has confirmed that plans are underway to establish its first East Africa store at The Hub Karen next year.
The entry of Decathlon in the local market will serve to further enhance Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows in the local formal retail market by French companies.
Established in 1976, in France, Decathlon currently operates in more than 35 countries globally with turnovers in excess of 10 billion euro. Last year, with more than 300 stores in its home market of France, Decathlon generated turnovers in excess of Euro 3.3 billion with its international business generating more than Euro 6.7 billion from its operations in Brazil, Mexico, China, Russia, India and Europe among other regions.
According to Decathlon Nairobi Project Leader, Valéry Guers, the firm has completed lease negotiations with The Hub Karen management and is now set to embark on the 1500 square metres (16150 sqft) store fit out. Once concluded, Decathlon, popularly known in the local scene for its Kalenji brand, said will be setting out to develop a Sports Goods Mega Store appropriately stocked with a choice of 36,000 store keeping units (SKUs) and equipment covering over 70 sports.
The Decathlon Nairobi Store, Guers said, has been conceptualised as a family destination thus the reason to open at The Hub Karen. Globally recognised for its innovative products and value for money products, the Decathlon Nairobi store will showcase its groundbreaking designs such as Kalenji (running gear), Kipsta (football), Quechua (hiking and camping), Domyos (fitness), Artengo (tennis) and Inesis (golf), among others.
"With the support of the team at The Hub Karen, we are finalizing on our market entry plans for Kenya which remains a key part of our Africa expansion plans," Guers said, adding that, "Kenya presents a unique market opportunity for us at Decathlon given its global renowned athletic prowess and general formal retail advancements. This fits in very well with our corporate mission to innovate and to remain the main playing partner of all sportsmen."
In store, Decathlon will ensure that our products are available to test and try, so people can get a feel for the product before making the decision to purchase them or not.
To provide a complete sporting experience to customers', the store will have multiple zones starting from Sports Experience, Play to Discovery. The multiple-zone concept is based on learning, experiencing and discovering all forms of sports under one roof.
"The vision is to make sports available to every individual by creating an environment that makes sport easily accessible to many," said Guers
While confirming the ongoing engagements, The Hub Karen, Chief Executive Officer, Philippe Cauviere said the Lifestyle shopping complex will provide over 1500 square metres (16150 sqft) shop floor space and access to the common use 540 square metres (5810 sqft) of playground/experiential area at the shopping complex.
The entry of Decathlon in the local market and at The Hub Karen, Cauviere said will further serve to deepen Kenya's formal retail market as international retailers continue to explore local opportunities. At The Hub Karen, leading lifestyle brands including Turkish clothing firm LC Waikiki and South Africa's Woolworths have recently set up shop joining a prestigious list of retailers including French retailer Carrefour.
"At The Hub Karen, we are proud to be associated with Decathlon as part of our commitment to provide a unique lifestyle shopping destination for the discerning market," Cauviere said.
Besides the sales of leading sports brand names, Decathlon is also a key private brands developer and currently markets more than 20 Decathlon Brands, each dedicated to a specific sport.
Based on an integrated model, Decathlon controls all the stages of its products life: from research and development to sales through design, production, and logistics. Present in France and abroad Decathlon Teams globally have been working with a constant ambition: to innovate in all areas to remain the main playing partner of all sportsmen.
In Kenya, with a more than 35,000 square meters (376,740 sqft) gross lettable area featuring retail outlets, offices, and a purpose built leisure centre, The Hub Karen, opened in February 2016.
The Lifestyle destination mall features more than 1,300 eatery seats and 85 shopping stores hosting local and international retailers. Some of the brands in the mall include French retail giant Carrefour, Furniture Palace, Funscapes, F&F Fashion, Bossini, Adidas, Reebok, Burger King, Dominos, KFC, Artcaffe, Spurs, Ocean Basket and Zucchini.
The Lifestyle destination for work, play and leisure is part of the Janus Continental Group, an international conglomerate, comprising of market-leading companies in the Energy, Hospitality and Real Estate sectors.
Decathlon Nairobi will be introducing 40 sports to the Kenyan market including skating, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking and kayaking…Equipment and gear for these sports will be available at the Decathlon store and on www.decathlon.co.ke as soon the store is open.
DECATHLON INNOVATION
Innovation is an important part of everything we do. We are exploring and researching new products,
concepts and event ideas regularly to ensure your sports experience is constantly improving and
enjoyable. In addition, Decathlon will be embarking on various activities to promote different types of
sports in Nairobi.
As Decathlon is known for its innovative products and value for money products, it will showcase its own
brands to the Kenyan market. This includes ground breaking designs such as Kalenji (running gears),
clearly inspired by the Kalenjin Tribe, recognised as the place of the world's best runners. But also: Kipsta (football), Quechua (hiking and camping), Domyos (fitness), Artengo (tennis) and Inesis (golf), and many others…
All these brands have already been approved by customers across the world and have helped Decathlon
to make the pleasure and benefits of sports accessible to many.
Our purpose: "to make sport accessible to many" through:
Our store: with a choice of more than 3,000 products in 40 sports ranging from running,
football, basketball and cycling; to archery, hiking, kayaking and so on. It will be more than a store; it will be a place for sport experience: in store and outside with our free playground. The range will be available on www.decathlon.co.ke
Our team: To provide a complete sporting experience to sports users, we will recruit Kenyan sportsmen, ready to share with all, their passion in sport. The main goal is to create experiences, and to make sports discovery great.
Our prices: Decathlon offers sports users quality products at the lowest price and a warranty on all its products; a proof of their high quality.
For Decathlon:
Valéry Guers
Decathlon Nairobi Leader
Email: valery.guers@decathlon.com
Pascaline Asser
Corporate Communication Leader
Email: pascaline.asser@decathlon.com
For The Hub Karen:
Philippe Cauviere
Email: pcauviere@TheHubKaren.com
Anthony Kagiri
Group Corporate Affairs Manager
Email: akagiri@januscontinental.com


text:
New Hampshire Disaster Number NH-00020
A Notice by the Small Business Administration on 09/21/2011
Agency/Docket Number:
Disaster Declaration #12809 and #12810
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2011-24237 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2011-24237
Start Preamble
U.S. Small Business Administration.
Amendment 2.
This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of New Hampshire (FEMA-4026-DR), dated 09/03/2011.
Incident: Tropical Storm Irene.
Incident Period: 08/26/2011 through 09/06/2011.
Effective Date: 09/12/2011.
Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 11/02/2011.
Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 06/05/2012.
Submit completed loan applications to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Start Further Info
A. Escobar, Office of Disaster Assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street, SW., Suite 6050, Washington, DC 20416.
End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information
The notice of the President's major disaster declaration for Private Non-Profit organizations in the State of New Hampshire, dated 09/03/2011, is hereby amended to include the following areas as adversely affected by the disaster.
Primary Counties: Strafford, Sullivan.
All other information in the original declaration remains unchanged.
Start Printed Page 58559
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers 59002 and 59008)
James E. Rivera,
Associate Administrator for Disaster Assistance.
End Signature End Supplemental Information
[FR Doc. 2011-24237 Filed 9-20-11; 8:45 am]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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This website contacted 17 IPs in 4 countries across 14 domains to perform 47 HTTP transactions.
The main IP is 3.92.171.198, located in Fairfield, United States and belongs to AMAZON-AES - Amazon.com, Inc., US. The main domain is ciencecom.salesloftlinks.com.
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text:
Direct real-time PCR-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance
Ella Trembizki, Cameron Buckley, Basil Donovan, Marcus Chen, Rebecca Guy, John Kaldor, Monica M. Lahra, David G. Regan, Helen Smith, James Ward, David M. Whiley
Sexual Health And Wellbeing
OBJECTIVES: Surveillance for Neisseria gonorrhoeae azithromycin resistance is of growing importance given increasing use of ceftriaxone and azithromycin dual therapy for gonorrhoea treatment. In this study, we developed two real-time PCR methods for direct detection of two key N. gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance.
METHODS: The real-time PCR assays, 2611-PCR and 2059-PCR, targeted the gonococcal 23S rRNA C2611T and A2059G mutations, respectively. A major design challenge was that gonococcal 23S rRNA sequences have high sequence homology with those of commensal Neisseria species. To limit the potential for cross-reaction, 'non-template' bases were utilized in primer sequences. The performance of the methods was initially assessed using a panel of gonococcal (n = 70) and non-gonococcal (n = 28) Neisseria species. Analytical specificity was further assessed by testing N. gonorrhoeae nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)-negative clinical samples (n = 90), before being applied to N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-positive clinical samples (n = 306).
RESULTS: Cross-reactions with commensal Neisseria strains remained evident for both assays; however, cycle threshold (Ct) values were significantly delayed, indicating reduced sensitivity for non-gonococcal species. For the N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-negative clinical samples, 7/21 pharyngeal samples provided evidence of cross-reaction (Ct values >40 cycles); however, the remaining urogenital and rectal swab samples were negative. In total, the gonococcal 2611 and 2059 23S rRNA nucleotides were both successfully characterized in 266/306 (87%) of the N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-positive clinical specimens.
CONCLUSIONS: Real-time PCR detection of gonococcal 23S rRNA mutations directly from clinical samples is feasible and may enhance culture- and non-culture-based N. gonorrhoeae resistance surveillance.
The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy
10.1093/jac/dkv274
Trembizki, E., Buckley, C., Donovan, B., Chen, M., Guy, R., Kaldor, J., ... Whiley, D. M. (2015). Direct real-time PCR-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance. The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 70(12), 3244-3249. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkv274
Trembizki, Ella ; Buckley, Cameron ; Donovan, Basil ; Chen, Marcus ; Guy, Rebecca ; Kaldor, John ; Lahra, Monica M. ; Regan, David G. ; Smith, Helen ; Ward, James ; Whiley, David M. / Direct real-time PCR-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance. In: The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy. 2015 ; Vol. 70, No. 12. pp. 3244-3249.
@article{95082b23a8e04f5e91b930d3690e4fe4,
title = "Direct real-time PCR-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance",
abstract = "OBJECTIVES: Surveillance for Neisseria gonorrhoeae azithromycin resistance is of growing importance given increasing use of ceftriaxone and azithromycin dual therapy for gonorrhoea treatment. In this study, we developed two real-time PCR methods for direct detection of two key N. gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance.METHODS: The real-time PCR assays, 2611-PCR and 2059-PCR, targeted the gonococcal 23S rRNA C2611T and A2059G mutations, respectively. A major design challenge was that gonococcal 23S rRNA sequences have high sequence homology with those of commensal Neisseria species. To limit the potential for cross-reaction, 'non-template' bases were utilized in primer sequences. The performance of the methods was initially assessed using a panel of gonococcal (n = 70) and non-gonococcal (n = 28) Neisseria species. Analytical specificity was further assessed by testing N. gonorrhoeae nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)-negative clinical samples (n = 90), before being applied to N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-positive clinical samples (n = 306).RESULTS: Cross-reactions with commensal Neisseria strains remained evident for both assays; however, cycle threshold (Ct) values were significantly delayed, indicating reduced sensitivity for non-gonococcal species. For the N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-negative clinical samples, 7/21 pharyngeal samples provided evidence of cross-reaction (Ct values >40 cycles); however, the remaining urogenital and rectal swab samples were negative. In total, the gonococcal 2611 and 2059 23S rRNA nucleotides were both successfully characterized in 266/306 (87{\%}) of the N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-positive clinical specimens.CONCLUSIONS: Real-time PCR detection of gonococcal 23S rRNA mutations directly from clinical samples is feasible and may enhance culture- and non-culture-based N. gonorrhoeae resistance surveillance.",
author = "Ella Trembizki and Cameron Buckley and Basil Donovan and Marcus Chen and Rebecca Guy and John Kaldor and Lahra, {Monica M.} and Regan, {David G.} and Helen Smith and James Ward and Whiley, {David M.}",
doi = "10.1093/jac/dkv274",
journal = "Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy",
Trembizki, E, Buckley, C, Donovan, B, Chen, M, Guy, R, Kaldor, J, Lahra, MM, Regan, DG, Smith, H, Ward, J & Whiley, DM 2015, 'Direct real-time PCR-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance', The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, vol. 70, no. 12, pp. 3244-3249. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkv274
Direct real-time PCR-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance. / Trembizki, Ella; Buckley, Cameron; Donovan, Basil; Chen, Marcus; Guy, Rebecca; Kaldor, John; Lahra, Monica M.; Regan, David G.; Smith, Helen; Ward, James; Whiley, David M.
In: The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, Vol. 70, No. 12, 01.12.2015, p. 3244-3249.
T1 - Direct real-time PCR-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance
AU - Trembizki, Ella
AU - Buckley, Cameron
AU - Donovan, Basil
AU - Chen, Marcus
AU - Guy, Rebecca
AU - Kaldor, John
AU - Lahra, Monica M.
AU - Regan, David G.
AU - Smith, Helen
AU - Ward, James
AU - Whiley, David M.
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Surveillance for Neisseria gonorrhoeae azithromycin resistance is of growing importance given increasing use of ceftriaxone and azithromycin dual therapy for gonorrhoea treatment. In this study, we developed two real-time PCR methods for direct detection of two key N. gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance.METHODS: The real-time PCR assays, 2611-PCR and 2059-PCR, targeted the gonococcal 23S rRNA C2611T and A2059G mutations, respectively. A major design challenge was that gonococcal 23S rRNA sequences have high sequence homology with those of commensal Neisseria species. To limit the potential for cross-reaction, 'non-template' bases were utilized in primer sequences. The performance of the methods was initially assessed using a panel of gonococcal (n = 70) and non-gonococcal (n = 28) Neisseria species. Analytical specificity was further assessed by testing N. gonorrhoeae nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)-negative clinical samples (n = 90), before being applied to N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-positive clinical samples (n = 306).RESULTS: Cross-reactions with commensal Neisseria strains remained evident for both assays; however, cycle threshold (Ct) values were significantly delayed, indicating reduced sensitivity for non-gonococcal species. For the N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-negative clinical samples, 7/21 pharyngeal samples provided evidence of cross-reaction (Ct values >40 cycles); however, the remaining urogenital and rectal swab samples were negative. In total, the gonococcal 2611 and 2059 23S rRNA nucleotides were both successfully characterized in 266/306 (87%) of the N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-positive clinical specimens.CONCLUSIONS: Real-time PCR detection of gonococcal 23S rRNA mutations directly from clinical samples is feasible and may enhance culture- and non-culture-based N. gonorrhoeae resistance surveillance.
AB - OBJECTIVES: Surveillance for Neisseria gonorrhoeae azithromycin resistance is of growing importance given increasing use of ceftriaxone and azithromycin dual therapy for gonorrhoea treatment. In this study, we developed two real-time PCR methods for direct detection of two key N. gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance.METHODS: The real-time PCR assays, 2611-PCR and 2059-PCR, targeted the gonococcal 23S rRNA C2611T and A2059G mutations, respectively. A major design challenge was that gonococcal 23S rRNA sequences have high sequence homology with those of commensal Neisseria species. To limit the potential for cross-reaction, 'non-template' bases were utilized in primer sequences. The performance of the methods was initially assessed using a panel of gonococcal (n = 70) and non-gonococcal (n = 28) Neisseria species. Analytical specificity was further assessed by testing N. gonorrhoeae nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)-negative clinical samples (n = 90), before being applied to N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-positive clinical samples (n = 306).RESULTS: Cross-reactions with commensal Neisseria strains remained evident for both assays; however, cycle threshold (Ct) values were significantly delayed, indicating reduced sensitivity for non-gonococcal species. For the N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-negative clinical samples, 7/21 pharyngeal samples provided evidence of cross-reaction (Ct values >40 cycles); however, the remaining urogenital and rectal swab samples were negative. In total, the gonococcal 2611 and 2059 23S rRNA nucleotides were both successfully characterized in 266/306 (87%) of the N. gonorrhoeae NAAT-positive clinical specimens.CONCLUSIONS: Real-time PCR detection of gonococcal 23S rRNA mutations directly from clinical samples is feasible and may enhance culture- and non-culture-based N. gonorrhoeae resistance surveillance.
U2 - 10.1093/jac/dkv274
DO - 10.1093/jac/dkv274
JO - Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
T2 - Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
JF - Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Trembizki E, Buckley C, Donovan B, Chen M, Guy R, Kaldor J et al. Direct real-time PCR-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 23S rRNA mutations associated with azithromycin resistance. The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy. 2015 Dec 1;70(12):3244-3249. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkv274


text:
Der Vulkanausbruch des Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai 2022 in Tonga ereignete sich am 14. und 15. Januar 2022 mit massiven Eruptionen, die phreatomagmatischer Natur waren. Am 15. Januar um 04:14 Uhr UTC (17:14 Uhr Ortszeit) wurde eine Beben-Magnitude von 5,8 auf der Oberflächenwellen-Magnituden-Skala registriert. Der Ausbruch war nach ersten Abschätzungen der weltweit stärkste seit der Eruption des Pinatubo auf den Philippinen 1991. Nachfolgende Analysen von Vulkanologen ergaben, dass es sich um eine der stärksten jemals gemessenen Eruptionen handelte. Die Explosionsstärke war stärker als alle registrierten Eruptionen im 20. Jahrhundert und weit stärker als alle jemals durchgeführten Nuklearwaffen-Tests. An Stärke war sie etwa vergleichbar dem Ausbruch des Krakatau im Jahr 1883.

Es leben geschätzt rund 76.000 Menschen in einem Radius von 100 km um den Vulkan. Durch den Vulkanausbruch wurden weite Teile des Inselstaats Tonga von einer 5 bis 10 cm dicken Schicht vulkanischer Asche bedeckt, was Auswirkungen auf die Wasser- und Stromversorgung sowie die Luftqualität hat. Der durch den Ausbruch ausgelöste Tsunami führte insbesondere an der Westküste der Hauptinsel Tongatapu mit ihren vielen Hotels zu schweren Schäden. Die tongaische Regierung rief bis zum 13. Februar den Katastrophenfall aus.

Atmosphärische Druckwelle

Die Druckwelle der Eruption bewegte sich mehrfach um den gesamten Erdball. In Deutschland wurde sie, von Norden kommend, abends mit einem Luftdruck-Impuls von ca. 1,5 hPa gemessen, wenige Stunden später dann schwächer aus Süden. Dazwischen kulminierte die Wellenfront  in Algerien, das Tonga auf dem Globus gegenüberliegt. Am 17. Januar, gut zwei Tage nach der Explosion, wurde nochmals ein Durchgang von ca. 0,5 hPa registriert. Weitere Durchgänge der Welle durch Mitteleuropa folgten bis mindestens zum 18. Januar. Die Explosion war sowohl im 2300 Kilometer entfernten Neuseeland als auch im 9700 Kilometer entfernten Alaska zu hören.

Es wird vermutet, dass es sich um den lautesten je nachgewiesenen Knall neben dem Knall des Ausbruchs des Krakataus von 1883 handelt.

Schwerewellen
Wissenschaftler waren überrascht über die vom Ausbruch ausgelösten Schwerewellen der Atmosphäre, die sich bereits auf der Oberseite der Ausbruchswolke abzeichneten und darüber hinaus in Satellitenaufnahmen zu sehen waren. Mit dem Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) des NASA-Satelliten Aqua wurden in der 20-jährigen Betriebszeit des Sensors bislang keine vergleichbaren konzentrischen Wellenbilder beobachtet. Es wird angenommen, dass auch diese Wellen die Erde mehrfach umrundet haben. Als Ursache der Entstehung wird vermutet, dass heißes Gas bis weit in die Stratosphäre aufsteigt und die Luft  durcheinanderwirbelt. Die Schwerewellen könnten einen längerfristigen Einfluss auf das Wetter haben, weil sie die zyklische Umkehrung von Windrichtungen in den Tropen beeinflussen; das könnte Wetteränderungen zur Folge haben, die bis nach Europa reichen.

Vulkanasche und -gase
Das Volcanic Ash Advisory Center im neuseeländischen Wellington meldete Asche bis in einer Höhe von 18,6 km. Satellitendaten der NASA zeigen, dass die Eruptionssäule bis zu 58 km hoch war und damit in die Mesosphäre reichte. Das stellt einen Rekord dar, denn es war die höchste Eruptionswolke, die je vom Weltraum aus beobachtet wurde. Die Gesamtmenge an Schwefeldioxid, die durch die Eruption in die Atmosphäre gelangte, wird auf 0,4 Teragramm (400.000 Tonnen) geschätzt. Ein merkbarer Einfluss auf das Klima wäre erst ab 5 Teragramm (5 Mio. t) zu erwarten. Die Aschewolke bewegte sich langsam in Richtung Nordwesten auf Fidschi zu. Fidschis Umweltministerium bestätigte einen Anstieg der Schwefeldioxidkonzentration in der Atmosphäre in der Nacht auf den 17. Januar und warnte die Bevölkerung vor saurem Regen. Das Schwefeldioxid breitete sich später weiter westwärts nach Australien aus.

Eruptionsgewitter
Die Eruptionen wurden von einem ungewöhnlich starken Eruptionsgewitter begleitet. Am 15. Januar wurden zwischen 17:19 Uhr und 23:00 Uhr Ortszeit 400.000 Blitze registriert, mit einem Maximum in der Stunde zwischen 18:00 und 19:00 Uhr Ortszeit (5:00 bis 6:00 Uhr UTC) mit ca. 200.000 Blitzen.

Tsunami

Durch die Eruptionen wurde ein Tsunami ausgelöst, der z. B. Nukuʻalofa, die Hauptstadt Tongas, mit einer Höhe von 1,2 m erreichte. Die in Tonga maximal erreichte Tsunami-Höhe wurde jedoch am 18. Januar 2022 mit 15 m angegeben. Erste Aufklärungsflüge zeigten zerstörte Häuser in der Hauptstadt. Nach ersten Einschätzungen wurden auf der Hauptinsel etwa 50 Häuser zerstört und 50 weitere beschädigt. Am 18. Januar wurden schwere Beschädigungen auf den kleineren und niedrigeren Inseln Fonoifua, Mango und Nomuka bekannt. Von Mango war zuvor ein aktives Notsignal entdeckt worden. Die Überwachungsflüge des OCHA registrierten ein komplett zerstörtes Dorf auf Mango sowie zahlreiche verschwundene Gebäude auf der Insel ʻAtatā.

Das Pacific Tsunami Warning Center gab für das US-Außengebiet Amerikanisch-Samoa eine später aufgehobene Warnung heraus. Die Nationale Katastrophenschutzbehörde Neuseelands warnte nach dem Ausbruch davor, dass in einigen Teilen des Landes mit "starken und ungewöhnlichen Strömungen und unvorhersehbaren Überflutungen" zu rechnen sei. Tatsächlich kenterten dort in einem Hafen mehrere Boote.

Auch in Kalifornien kam es zu einer Überschwemmung, vor allem in Teilen von Santa Cruz und Port San Luis, und auch in Peru richtete der Tsunami noch Schäden an. In den Regionen La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Ica und Arequipa meldete Perus National Civil Defense Institute (INDECI) hohe Wellen. In Paracas wurden mehrere Gebäude beschädigt. Zweiundzwanzig Häfen an der Nord- und Mittelküste   wurden geschlossen und die Fischereitätigkeit eingestellt.
An der über 11.000 Kilometer entfernten chilenischen Pazifikküste erreichte der Tsunami nach 12 Stunden zuerst Süd-Chile. An mehreren Orten wurden Wellenhöhen von über einem Meter gemessen, wobei diese in der in Nord-Chile gelegenen Küstenstadt Chañaral mit 1,74 Meter den höchsten Wert erreichten. Dort gab es auch in anderen Küstenstädten wie Iquique Überschwemmungen.

In Japan erreichten die Tsunamiwellen etwa zehn Stunden nach dem Ausbruch zuerst die Südwestküste. In Kushimoto in der Präfektur Wakayama wurde eine Wellenhöhe von etwa einem Meter gemessen.  Auch von der zu den Ryūkyū-Inseln gehörenden Insel Amami-Ōshima wurden Überschwemmungen berichtet.

Meteotsunamis
Neben den herkömmlichen Tsunamis wurden auch Meteotsunamis beobachtet, die durch die Energie der atmosphärischen Druckwelle ausgelöst werden. Dies war in Japan der Fall, wo erste Wellen schon drei bis vier Stunden vor der Laufzeit der im Wasser laufenden Tsunamiwelle registriert wurden. Auch im Mittelmeer, das normalerweise vom Tsunami nicht erreicht wird, kam es zu kleinen Wellen, die bei den Balearen 20 bis 40 cm erreichten. Nach dem Krakatau 1883 ist das erst der zweite Fall, bei dem nach einem Vulkanausbruch Meteotsunamis beobachtet wurden.

Opfer
Auf Tonga sind vier Todesopfer gemeldet worden: je eine Frau auf Mango und Tongatapu sowie ein Mann auf Nomuka. Ein viertes nicht näher beschriebenes Opfer wurde am 30. Januar bestätigt. Die Regierung von Tonga berichtete am 21. Januar von insgesamt 15 Verletzten, wovon auf die flachen und deshalb vom Tsunami stark zerstörten Inseln Nomuka (etwa 65 km nordöstlich) acht, Fonoifua (etwa 80 km) vier und Tungua (etwa 85 km) zwei entfielen. Auch Mango (etwa 70 km nordöstlich) und ʻAtatā (etwa 55 km südlich) wurden zumindest teilweise überspült. Die Inseln Mango und Fonoifua wurden evakuiert. Auf einer der vom Tsunami betroffenen Fidschi-Inseln starb eine Frau an Erschöpfung während der Rückkehr nach der Evakuierung.

Am Strand der peruanischen Region Lambayeque ertranken zwei Menschen in den Wellen des Tsunamis.

Weitere Schäden
Die Kommunikation des Inselstaates zur Außenwelt wurde schwer beeinträchtigt, da das einzige Glasfaserkabel für die Internetverbindungen beschädigt wurde. Weitere Kommunikationsverbindungen waren ebenfalls gestört. Am 22. Februar wurde die Reparatur des Kabels abgeschlossen und die Internetverbindung stand am 23. Februar wieder zur Verfügung.

Die landwirtschaftlichen Folgen der Katastrophe sind noch nicht absehbar. Die Überschwemmung mit Salzwasser durch den Tsunami hat wahrscheinlich Agrarfelder beeinträchtigt, auch Vulkanasche kann sich negativ auswirken. Zudem ist saurer Regen aufgrund der hohen Mengen Schwefeldioxid in der Atmosphäre zu befürchten. Etwa 86 % der Bevölkerung Tongas arbeiten in der Landwirtschaft und Fischerei. Der Agrarsektor machte in 2015/16 etwa 14 % des Bruttoinlandsprodukts aus und über 65 % der Exporte.

Hilfen
Neuseeland und Australien boten Hilfen an, u. a. in Form von Aufklärungsflügen. Die neuseeländische Außenministerin Nanaia Mahuta kündigte am Morgen des 17. Januar einen ersten Aufklärungsflug der Royal New Zealand Air Force mit einer Lockheed P-3K Orion an, nachdem die Aschekonzentration nachgelassen hatte. Beide Länder warfen zunächst Hilfslieferungen aus der Luft ab, da die Rauchwolke Landungen verhinderte. Die australische HMAS Adelaide soll von Brisbane aus Hilfsgüter nach Tonga transportieren. Australien kündigte zudem eine Soforthilfe in Höhe von einer Million Australischer Dollar an und Neuseeland von einer halben Million Neuseeland-Dollar, eine Summe die später auf eine Million und am 22. Januar auf 3 Millionen aufgestockt wurde. Die Europäische Union aktivierte am 15. Januar das Notfallbeobachtungssystem von Copernicus (Emergency Mapping Service (EMS)). Die Vereinigten Staaten sagten 100.000 US-Dollar an Soforthilfe zu.

Tonga bat dabei um kontaktlose internationale Hilfen, da der Inselstaat frei von COVID-19-Infektionen war. Die tongaische Regierung beschloss zudem eine 72-Stunden-Quarantäne für alle Güter, die das Land erreichten. Ausgenommen davon war Trinkwasser, welches im Inselstaat durch die Kontaminierung von Grund- und Regenwasser besonders knapp war. Am 20. Januar 2022 konnte je eine Landung aus Neuseeland und eine aus Australien auf dem Flughafen durchgeführt werden, nachdem die Rollbahn gereinigt worden war. Zudem traf die neuseeländische HMNZS Wellington ein, der die HMNZS Aotearoa folgte, die 250.000 Liter Wasser lieferten und täglich 70.000 Liter Wasser entsalzen konnten. Neuseeland beschloss zudem die Entsendung der HMNZS Canterbury, die zwei Helikopter mitnahm, um die weiter entfernt liegenden Inseln versorgen zu können. Japan lieferte am 22. Januar 3 Tonnen Trinkwasser zum Flughafen Fuaʻamotu.

Fidschi, dessen Lau-Inseln nahe an Tonga liegen und die daher ebenfalls vom Tsunami betroffen waren, bildete mehrere Expertenteams, um sowohl den betroffenen Lau-Inseln Ono-i-Lau, Vatoa, Moce, Moala, Vanua Balavu und Lakeba als auch Tonga beim Wiederaufbau und Reparaturen helfen zu können. Die Finanzierung übernahm Australien. Das für Tonga bestimmte und 50 Mann starke Team wurde auf COVID-19 getestet und in Quarantäne geschickt, um dann mit der HMAS Adelaide von Brisbane aus nach Tonga zu gelangen.

Siehe auch
 Liste großer historischer Vulkanausbrüche

Weblinks

 The Tonga eruption explained, from tsunami warnings to sonic booms In: National Geographic, 16. Januar 2022
 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Erupts Again, NOAA: National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, 14. Januar 2022 (englisch)
 Dramatic Changes at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, NASA Earth Observatory, 24. Januar 2022
 Satellitenbilder zeigen Ausbruch von Unterwasservulkan Video (02:04) auf Spiegel Wissenschaft, 15. Januar 2022 (deutsch)
 Gemessene Tsunami-Höhen an verschiedenen Orten im Pazifik (PDF 1,22 MB)

 GLOBAL RAPID POST DISASTER DAMAGE ESTIMATION (GRADE) REPORT (PDF; 3,0 MB)
 Vorläufige Satellitenbasierte Schadensfeststellung (englisch)
 Copernicus: Übersicht
 UNOSAT
 Tongatapu, 17. Januar 2022 (PDF 4,4 MB)
 ʻAtatā, 18. Januar 2022 (PDF 1,7 MB)
 Mango, 19. Januar 2022 (PDF 1,9 MB)

Einzelnachweise

Haʻapai
Hunga Tonga
Naturkatastrophe 2022
Ereignis in Tonga
Tsunami
Geologie Australiens und Ozeaniens

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The other day I 'stumbled-upon', quite literally, an article from Spiceworks, a free IT community, about the Internet of Things (I blogged about it here a couple of months ago) and how it will affect IT in the future. I thought that this would be a nice follow up post from it. For those of you who are still unfamiliar with the term…
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a collective of Internet-connected consumer devices, manufacturing systems, business tools, customer service appliances, medical equipment, agricultural sensors and other things. – Deepak Kumar
According to 'The Devices are Coming…' article, 71% of IT professionals believe that IoT will impact consumers and the workplace. Despite this, 59% of IT professionals apparently aren't preparing this this in the workplace. While the report states that IoT isn't something which will occur overnight, it does mention the inevitablility of it. The introduction of IoT means that more devices shall be generating more data, and thus, using more bandwidth and IP addresses. This then puts company data at a higher risk of security breach. Because of this, it is thought that 43% of IoT shall be linked to new networks. Morover, 68% of IT professionals will invest in infrastructure and 63% will invest in more security solutions in order to cope with the technology. It is thought that by 2020, IoT will have grown to 26 billion + devices! (Gartner, 2013).
Thinking about publishers and booksellers, it shall be interesting to see how it will impact the sector. Judging from general articles which I have read and also thinking about the work experience placements I have carried out over time, I think that the sector is keeping on top of new techologies which are available, as challenging as it is, however it shall be great to see how IoT will impact this sector which is continuiously adapting.
Leave a comment	| tags: computing, devices, future, internet of things, IT, publishing, technology	| posted in The Digital Age, The Future of the Publishing Industry
As promised, a blog post about The Bookseller's FutureBook Hackathon which took place last weekend (14th and 15th June) at University City London, an event of which I had the amazing opportunity in volunteering at.
The Hackathon was the first to take place in all of the publishing sector's long history. In retrospect, I would probably say it was long overdue; however, considering the vast surge in digital content and ebook technology in recent years, one could say that the Hackathon took place at about the right time. Issues have now been around long enough for people to start thinking more about the solutions. Certainly, it has given publishers a lot of food for thought in terms of how they will continue to deliver content in formats and models to satisfy consumer demand, and it has also given them time to contemplate what it is that they wish to focus on themselves.
The event was organised by Blake Brooks, Alice Ryan and Matthew Cashmore and what a fantastic event it was. Cashmore has commented that he has never sat and heard such consistently good ideas in the whole ten years in which he's been running hacks.
Alice Ryan and Matthew Cashmore get the Hackathon underway
The weekend started with publishers posing challenges to the hackers and encouraging ways in which they can enhance the industry by creating solutions to the issues. One topic's presence which surprised me was the topic of audiobooks. In my time completing my MA in publishing, alongside the internships I undertook, I can honestly say that I rarely heard the term 'audiobook' used. Not that it was an alien concept to me or anything, it just appeared as though with the massive demand for content and ebook technology, it seemed as though the audiobook was left behind. Other challenges talked of by speakers included the discoverability of books, the best use of data, automated content curation (because there are more exciting and interesting ways to suggest new books other than 'other readers bought this'), and the best digital reimagination of print assets (with a focus on children's). An hour and a half later with the publishers' motivational speeches still ringing in hackers' ears, the game to win £5k and create something amazing, is on…
In and amongst helping out, I had the chance to wander around and take a peek at some of the team's ideas and various demos. Something which I found incredibly intriguing, was the use of conductive paint in a children's book. With the aid of an electric board, some wires, a chip, an SD card and a human touch, said book produced sound from a mini speaker, thus sparking the idea that paper books can be interactive. A savvy piece on work aimed at children's books, and if you ask me, a nod in the right direction of those parents who despise the idea of their children using an iPad in order to encounter an interactive book.
The afternoon entailed publisher workshops which, again included some interesting debates and were to encourage and help hackers to complete their projects.
Saturday workshops which took place
The event ran throughout the night, with the submission deadline for projects being 1pm Sunday afternoon. Read here for all of the winners over each category. Possibly one of my favourite winners was: Book Monster, who created a search engine which enabled people to find a book purely on an advertisement they'd heard, when they couldn't remember the title or author. Definitely a useful way in which to discover books. I do actually remember getting the tube back across London that evening and seeing a poster advertising a book a couple of times, but was unable to catch the title or the author. Certainly the projects showcased would definitely be highly useful in the publishing world.
The overall winner of the £5,000 prize, Voices, was announced on Thursday 19th June.
Voices aimed to connect people with audio by encouraging them to record their own audiobook clips, and be rated for their performance online.
With audio always being seen as the inferior within the rights family, new technology means that it can now be seen as a serious contender against other forms of publishing. Literograph, were the runners-up in the Hack, being awarded £1,000. The group created a widget to "sit on relevant news stories, so that readers interested in a story could click through to books on the subject and a means of buying them." Sara Lloyd, communications and digital director at Pan Macmillan, stated: "I loved it for its simplicity and because it answers a real need, to embed curation and discovery into the online channels where readers already congregate."
Overall, the event has proved to be a great success with many publishing professionals singing the praises of the 75 or so hackers which took part in the event. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes an annual occurrence. It certainly shows just how exciting the publishing industry is and the endless possibilities which are available in enhancing the sector for the future.
All information regarding the FutureBook Hack (some of which was used to help write this post) can be found on The Bookseller.
Leave a comment	| tags: future, FutureBook, Hackathon, innovation, publishing, technology, university city london	| posted in The Digital Age, The Future of the Publishing Industry
The Internet of Things: (neologism) "refers to an expanding network of interconnected internet-enabled devices […] also known as M2M or machine to machine". – The Guardian, Luke Dormehl
Over the years as technology has developed, devices are now able to connect with one another in a multitude of different ways. The Guardian's article states that while Internet of Things is still in its early stages of development, by 2020 it is thought that there will be 50billion devices with the ability to link M2M.
Alex Hawkinson, CEO of SmartThings, a home automation company, says in the article that technology can now be used to solve daily problems and can be used for security, peace of mind and saving money. Examples he gives are people being notified if doors are left open or heating left on when no-one is home, meaning that the possibility to save money on things like utility bills is possible.
Apple is said to have jumped on the bandwagon by introducing Homekit, an Internet of Things "platform" which will enable consumers to unlock doors and control lighting using an iPhone.
Google is also one of the big players investing into the idea as it is though they paid £1.9billion to Nest Labs, a home automation company wich is already looking into other domestic related operations, including health and security systems.
The article furthers by saying that people can get "hung up" on the "things" themselves, and the main point to think about is the value of the data which these devices will extract in order to function, i.e. an example given is a toothbrush with Internet of Things technology (Kolibree, the world's first connected electric toothbrush) – data will be given on how a user brushes their teeth and where they need to improve. The idea is to get "real-time feedback" as opposed to waiting for an annual dental check, for example. Renee Blodgett, Vice President of Kolibree states that:
"Data empowers us".
On the flip side, the article also discusses the risks and dangers of the Internet of Things. With the extraction of data, the question of privacy and how data is monitored is raised. Evgeny Morozov calls the issue "solutionism" which is the idea that serious issues such as global warming and obesity can be solved with the aid of interconnected devices. He discusses in his latest book that "self-tracking [is] the epitome of the modern narcissistic quest for uniqueness and exceptionalism" and openly wonders why people would want to turn their lives into "temples of surveillance".
I guess if I was to think of the Internet of Things as a very simplified version, the extraction of data is already a present occurrence in a day-to-day environment. For example, many retail outlets now take customer's details to enhance their shopping experience and recommend clothes for customers according to recent purchases. The same can be said for bookstores and internet retailers such as Amazon. I regularly receive emails informing me of new books or recommended reads I should purchase. I guess one only has to consider Amazon's whispernet technology; when a customer buys an ebook off Amazon, the file will immediately be wirelessly transmitted to a Kindle device.
Perhaps the next stage in technology for devices such as Kindles could be that they help enhance literacy levels, particularly in primary schools, for example. Or even in institutions for children with learning disabilities. Perhaps if a student has an exam coming up, their device can automatically extract data from recent online searches and purchases to suggest tips and reading material for them. These are just the tip of a massive iceberg of possibilities and ideas which I cannot even imagine.
With The Bookseller's FutureBook Hackathon taking place in London this coming weekend (14th and 15th June) – of which I shall be volunteering at – it shall be interesting to see what the technology companies and teams in attendance shall suggest in terms of the future of publishing…
Leave a comment	| tags: Amazon, Apple, connection, Evgeny Morozov, future, Google, homekit, internet of things, Kolibree, Nest Labs, publishing, smartthings, technology, The Guardian	| posted in The Digital Age, The Future of the Publishing Industry
I think it's quite safe to say that I've been out of the blogging-sphere for a while. While I've finally landed a full-time, salaried job (hurrah!!), admittedly not in publishing, I have definitely drifted away from the publishing world, and have since realised that it's time to get firmly back into it again…
One of the most intriguing articles I've come across is that The Bookseller's The FutureBook will be hosting a 'Hackathon' next month in which many of the industry's major players: Pan Macmillan, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House and Faber & Faber, all of which are founders of the event, shall be attending. The initiative behind it comes from Simon Trewin (William Morris Endeavor). It is thought that such events have occurred in many different sectors in the past in which companies and businesses can come together and brainstorm solutions to issues concerning the industry. It is said that nothing like this has been taken on by the publishing industry in the past.
According to The Bookseller's article, Trewin has stated that introducing new people and ideas to the industry will create a fresh perspective for the sector. He feels that the industry needs to take greater risks in order to continue to develop. If we are to look back to The Bookseller's FutureBook conference last November, Jamie Byng, Director at Canongate, stated that fewer books needed to be published each year, but a greater focus needed to be placed on those published. He affirmed that by doing this it would mean that "greater care" would be put into those published.
If I were to think about it from my personal perspective: a Graduate who studied a Masters in Publishing, a self-confessed lover of books and reading, and as a young twenty-something looking to break into the industry; I feel that publishers may be right to reduce the number of books they publish. Certainly, it may be worth a trial. My only reasoning for this, is that with how fast the industry is currently moving, and how fast industries surrounding it (ie. technology and IT) are moving, surely it may be worth taking a little breather and focusing on change and development, one piece at a time? I know what you're thinking… Bad idea, you'll get left behind?
While I totally admit, I am no expert in the field – I mean, I don't even currently work in the sector – I can only comment as an observer and as someone who intensively studied the industry for twelve months, publishers should take the risk to get it right. What I've learnt over the past two years of undertaking internships and completing the MA, is that the industry is continuously playing catch-up. Although, from what I have seen, they're doing a great job! And if I look at this from a consumer's point of view, I myself, have trouble keeping up with what's out there. I mean, it took me a couple of years after Kindles were produced, to actually purchase one! (And giving in to one was tough enough). But I think I certainly realised that I needed to be open-minded, particularly when wanting to pursue a career in the field.
Stephen Page, the CEO of Faber, stated in last November's FB conference, that the transition to digital was "comfortable", however "more innovation was needed". Michael Bhaskar, digital publishing director of Profile Books, reaffirmed this by saying "publishers had to define themselves better […] It is about filtering and amplifying content to add value. If you're doing that you're a publisher". I must agree with this, publishers do need to define themselves better. What's more is that they need to brand themselves more and become more recognised.
I remember attending the London Book Fair in 2013 and thinking about how exciting and intriguing it would be to tailor the Fair to consumers, the people who, at the end of the day bought the books and products in which they [the publishers] were trying to sell amongst themselves. I felt that if consumers knew more about the industry and publishers branded themselves more, surely this would encourage even more people to buy books and integrate with the sector?
Obviously, I am no expert, but the whole idea of the FutureBook Hack and the focus on taking the industry forward is certainly an interesting and exciting one, and it definitely gives me food for thought. I'll be keeping tabs on this one!
William Morris Endeavor (WME) with support from the Centre for Publishing at the Department of Information Studies, University College London, Blackwell's and Midas PR. The initiative for the hackathon came from WME's Simon Trewin
Leave a comment	| tags: future, FutureBook, Hack, publishing, technology, The Bookseller	| posted in Publishing Companies, The Digital Age, The Future of the Publishing Industry
Are 'phablets' a rival for e-reading devices?
The above video is a shocking yet accurate depiction of the growing smartphone-obsessed culture which is becoming apparent within society. The New York Times posted this intriguing article a couple of weeks ago, 'More Connected, Yet More Alone', and talks of Charlene deGuzman's reasons behind making the video. Nick Bilton, the person who wrote the article, speculates whether smartphones are having their 'TV-in-the-kitchen-moment'?
From the video, I can definitely see how it relates to today's society. Particularly with social media playing a prominent role in people's day-to-day lives, and the recent developments in mobile phone technology over the years, it is so much more easier to connect virtually than it ever has been; so much so that I believe that people are becoming obsessed with it. The day after the New York Times posted this article, The Guardian published an article stating that phablets are big in Asia-Pacific, equalling tablets and laptops combined.
The Guardian reported that 25.2 million phablets – 'large-screened phones with screen sizes of between 5in and 7in diagonally' – are shipped in the Asia-Pacific (excl. Japan), roughly the same amount of devices shipped as tablets (12.6 million) and laptops (12.7 million) combined (figures from research company, IDC). It is believed that it is Samsung's Galaxy Note, inspired by Dell's Streak phone in 2010, which has truly sparked the surge in phablet technology.
Looking at the evidence, it made me wonder how it will affect publishing in the future…
I wrote about this earlier in the year with my blog post: 'Adaptive Web Technology and Publishing' and even the figures mentioned there stated that by 2016, 2.1 billion mobile browsers will use HTML5 browsers, therefore adding to the current 17% of the world's population which has a mobile subscription.
As it can be seen from the articles in the NYT and The Guardian, more phablets than laptops and tablets combined are being shipped in Eastern parts of the world – imagine what the figures would be should Western parts of the world be included, too. For me, it poses the question as to whether e-reading devices such as the Kindle could soon become old news, especially if technology is moving towards a smartphone future…
Publishers are already recognising that ensuring their content is available through smartphones is adamant. For example, academic publisher, Cambridge University Press's 'Cambridge Journals Online' platform has launched a Mobile version. In addition, publishers such as Penguin have launched various Apps to use on mobiles and tablet devices, Kindle has an App which is available to use on devices other than Kindles, and with social media sites such as Twitter, publishers are able to interact with the end-consumer on a regular basis.
What's to say, that we ourselves, aren't publishers? For those who use Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets, every post, tweet, and status is published for the world to see. Phablets make this easy and with the growing obsession of 'connecting' with one another, it appears that we are increasingly moving into a world where access to content is constantly in demand.
Personally, I do not believe that phablets are a serious threat to e-reading devices… yet. The article from The Guardian only takes into account the figures for Asia-Pacific, and it is already common knowledge that the technological market is by far greater and more advanced than other parts of the world. E-reading devices such as the Kindle will continue to develop, and while the 'I Forgot My Phone' video shows people using their smartphones, not Kindles/iPads etc., I believe that the majority of people may not necessarily make the link of reading books on their smartphones just yet. Saying that, I do feel that the concept of publishing on a wide scale is pretty much there when it comes to smartphone technology.
Leave a comment	| tags: Adaptive Web Techology, apps, Cambridge Journals Online, Cambridge University Press, Charlene deGuzman, connection, Dell, digital, ereaders, Facebook, future, Galaxy Note, isolation, Kindle, New York Times, Nick Bilton, Penguin, phablets, publishing, Samsung, smartphones, social media, technology, The Guardian, Twitter	| posted in The Digital Age, The Future of the Publishing Industry
A 'digital-first' future for publishing?
Whilst carrying out my regular scouring of the internet for anything publishing related, I came across the term digital-first. On looking more into the term, it appears that many publishers are looking to release new titles in digital format only, in order to predict as to whether the book can sell well in print format. Some of the first publishers to trial this new concept are HarperCollins and Harlequin.
The former announced earlier this year that mystery line, Witness Impulse, would be one of the first lines which the publisher would release digital-first. The first ten titles shall be released in October under the imprint, William Morrow.
Dan Mallory, the man behind the line noted that digital-first publishing was the most effective way to market unknown books and authors. He also highlighted that the launch involved libraries as they aim to deliver titles through ebook loans. Shawn Nicholls, marketing director for Impulse (an imprint of Morrow), mentioned that digital-first is 'part of a larger branding campaign to build sales for midlist authors overall and to help readers discover'.
As my previous blog entry suggests, discovering books through digital formats, i.e. the internet in particular, will become easier with apps such as BookVibe. Integration with digital is increasingly becoming a part of everybody's daily life. Should 'digital-first' be embraced by more publishers in the future, it can be suggested that browsing for books online will become easier. (Now don't even get me started on what this will mean for bricks-and-mortar booksellers!)
Leave a comment	| tags: app, books, booksellers, BookVibe, browsing, Dan Mallory, digital, digital age, digital-first, discovery, eBooks, Harlequin, HarperCollins, publishing, Shawn Nicholls, technology, William Morrow, Witness Impulse	| posted in Publishing Companies, The Digital Age, The Future of the Publishing Industry, Trade Publishing
Creating a 'vibe' is the new way to 'discover' books
In and amongst the depths of the internet, I've read blogs and articles which state that browsing for books in a bookshop is the most effective way to 'discover' new books. I even popped into the independent bookshop in Aldeburgh, Suffolk (I strongly recommend you go and have a gander if you're ever around that area) a few weeks ago and got chatting to one of the owners who specified that customers don't necessarily know what they're looking for when they come in and come into the store to discover.
Saying this, it appears that all may not be lost in terms of internet book browsing. Lloyd Page wrote a blog entry via The Bookseller speculating about a new way to 'get your book to the front of the queue'. BookVibe.
BookVibe is a book discovery tool which aims to aggregate information by feeding into your Twitter feeds.
Essentially a phone app, users will be able to tap in 24/7 and see what their friends, followers and following are reading there and then. The integration with social media site Twitter (and soon to join the 'vibe', Facebook), is a savvy way for publishers to see into the reading habits of millions of people. Could such an app take on recommendation site gaints such as Goodreads? It would certainly boost 'word-of-mouth' marketing which undoubtedly has the power to make a book into a bestseller. Lloyd writes that Parakweet, the company who thought of BookVibe, have plans to introduce extra features, such as book alerts for new releases. I think this would be a good idea, particularly so readers can keep up to date with their favourite authors. I think a great feature of the app which Page mentioned was the fact that you could 'thank the author within the app with a tweet that uses a template text message (promoting BookVibe…)'. This creates interaction with authors on a brand new level. In addition, it also allows publishers to see what authors (and book genres) are currently favourites amongst the general public. Another way which the app could be used to enhance author-reader interaction, is if the app alerted the user of upcoming book talks or events in their local area which the author (or other authors equivalent to the user's favourite) would be at present at.
I guess one of the most important things to consider is how user-friendly the app will be. The BookVibe website currently shows an image of what the user can expect if he/she signs up to receive weekly emails of book recommendations from friends.
The use of the 'Buzz' rating also links well with the new 'vibe' feel which the app is no doubt hoping to create.
Of course, Page does speculate on possible flaws of the app: 'The claim is that the tool can surf through 500m tweets a day, drill down into those which mention books and decipher if the vibe is positive or negative'. The BookVibe website also states that it has 'analysed over 100 billion tweets to detect book discussions'. Page further wonders as to whether the app will have the capacity to distinguish the differences between books, should two books share the same/similar titles for example.
Only time will tell whether BookVibe will be successful or not and whether it will create the desired 'buzz'-effect around new and upcoming books and authors. Anything which promotes reading can only be a good thing…
Leave a comment	| tags: apps, books, BookVibe, digital, discovery, future, Lloyd Page, phones, reviews, social media, technology, The Bookseller, Twitter, vibe	| posted in The Digital Age, The Future of the Publishing Industry


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About Brenntag Tunisia
Sustainability Topics
Together for Sustainability
The Responsible Care Philosophy underwrites the principle of ecologically responsible development, as inalienable part of every activity of a business.
This philosophy aims to secure clean air, unpolluted water and unspoiled natural riches for this and future generations.
The challenge is to realise further economic and social development with full respect of the stated ecological aims.
Therefore, Brenntag in Belgium firmly subscribes to Responsible Care and the Responsible Care Covenant of the Belgian Association of Chemical Distributors (BACD).
Declaration of Policy
Brenntag in Tunisia, as underwriter of the Responsible Care Covenant, is committed to achieve the highest possible degree of protection of the health and safety of its employees, its customers and the public, and safekeeping of our environment.
Our policies are in accordance with the legal norms and aim to minimise the risks with regard to health, safety and environment.
Leading Principles
Brenntag in Tunisia, as underwriter of the Responsible Care Covenant, declares that our distribution activities will incorporate the prevailing norms of quality, safety and environment and aim to improve upon them continuously. We pledge to manage our business according to these principles.
To recognize and respond to community concerns about the handling and transportation of chemicals.
To make health, safety, and environmental considerations a priority in our operational activities at existing and new facilities.
To inform emergency response officials, employees and the public of the chemical-related health and environmental hazards and of the protective measures according to general knowledge or manufacturer's recommendations.
To inform customers upon their request about the handling, use, transportation and disposal of chemical products in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations and according to principles and techniques of controlled product handling.
To operate our facilities in a manner that respects the health and safety of our employees and the public.
To be prepared to constructively co-operate in resolving problems related to the handling and disposal of chemicals.
To co-operate with government and others in creating laws, regulations and directives to secure safety and to respect the environment.
To promote the philosophy and principles of Responsible Care by exchanging experiences and giving assistance to others who produce, transport, trade or dispose of chemicals.
Brenntag in Tunisia, furthermore, follows the translation by The Responsible Care Covenant of the stated leading principles into operational directives for:
Controlling the risks associated with our distribution activities
Translating the principles into internal guidelines and procedures
Distributing product information
Storing and handling our products
Transporting our products
Dealing with our subcontractors
Implementing legal norms
Educating and Training our employees
Defining our internal and external emergency procedures
Preventing and analyzing accidents
Communicating with people outside our company
© Alliance Tunisie S.a.r.l. Lot N° 40 Z.I. M'Ghira 1 Fouchana
2082 Ben Arous, Tunisia +216 79 408 670


4. Remove a cowl, having spread a sheeting (see subsection 11.8).
5. Remove the air filter (see subsection 5.9).
6. Lift the car and establish on supports. Merge liquid from the cooling system, oil from the engine and take off drive belts (see subsection 2.6.4).
7. Apply accurate tags on hoses of the cooling system and decrease in toxicity of exhaust gases, on vacuum hoses, sockets of conducting, the tire of connection with weight and fuel pipes. Paste the put tags an adhesive tape or put with paint that they were well visible. Make instant pictures or sketch a relative positioning of details and arms.
8. Remove a washer reservoir of a windshield and a tank of cooling liquid.
9. Remove the fan(s) and a radiator (see subsection 4.8 and subsection 4.5).
11. Dump the residual pressure of fuel in a tank for what turn off a stopper of a jellied mouth and disconnect fuel tubes from the engine (see subsection 5.2).
12. Disconnect draft of a butterfly valve, draft of the throttle valve of transmission and a cable of gear shifting on the engine (if is available).
13. Remove the battery and a tray of the battery (see subsection 3.3.2).
14. Remove the soaking-up and final collectors, being guided by the description in subsection 3.1.1.4 and subsection 3.1.1.5.
15. On the cars equipped with the hydraulic booster turn off bolts of the pump of the hydraulic booster. If the place is enough, bind the pump, having taken aside, without disconnecting hoses. If necessary disconnect hoses (see subsection 10.19).
Tie up the compressor a wire, do not allow that it hung on hoses.
16. Attach slings to the engine, bring tal the elevator and fix slings on a waist. Choose a weak point to a small tension of a waist.
17. Remove half shafts (see subsection 8.3).
18. Turn off a coupling bolt of a back support of the engine (from a wall of a motor compartment), get rubber caps from a longitudinal longeron of a support of the engine and turn off four nuts and five bolts (see subsection 7.1.5).
19. Take off drive belts, a pulley of the pump of cooling liquid and a pulley of the crankshaft.
20. Turn off a bolt of fastening of a support of the engine from a radiator to the chassis.
21. On the cars equipped with automatic transmission get the plastic filter from the lower part of a case of transmission. Turn off bolts of fastening of the hydrotransformer to the leading disk (see subsection 7.2.8) and slightly give the hydrotransformer towards transmission.
22. Turn off bolts of fastening of transmission to the engine and separate the engine from transmission (see subsection 7.1.5). The hydrotransformer has to remain on transmission.
If with the engine also transmission is removed, it is necessary to disconnect the left support of the engine, cables, conducting and hoses from transmission. Not to turn off bolts of fastening of transmission to the engine at this stage.
23. Be once again convinced that all details connecting the engine to a body or transmission are removed. Remove all remained details previously having marked.
24. Record a transmission case, having established a support and having laid a board not to damage a case. Turn off bolts of support of the engine, except what treat transmission.
After posting of the power unit performance of any works under the engine or transmission is forbidden.
25. Carefully lift the engine (or the power unit assembled) from a motor compartment. If necessary wring out support from engine frame arms.
At dismantle of the engine from the car equipped with a manual transmission in that case when the check point remains on the car, it is required to lower a check point by means of a support. It is necessary to incline the engine and to get it from a motor compartment.
26. Take the engine aside from the engine and carefully lower against the stop in a floor, or remove the leading disk (coupling) and install the engine on the stand or a workbench.
On the cars equipped with automatic transmission apply tags on internal and external remote washers (if are available) and store washers together with the leading disk.
2. On the cars equipped with a manual transmission check a condition of coupling (see subsection 8.2), and on the cars equipped with automatic transmission, examine an epiploon of the hydrotransformer and the plug.
3. On the cars equipped with automatic transmission apply on nasal part of the hydrotransformer of a little jellied greasing.
4. Carefully establish transmission on the engine, being guided by the description in subsection 7.1.5 and subsection 7.2.8.
If transmission badly gives in to installation, it is not necessary to force installation by an inhaling of bolts at all. Otherwise breakages of a case or the block of cylinders are possible.
5. Wrap bolts of fastening of transmission to the engine and tighten with the moment specified in subsection 7.1.1.
6. Attach to the engine tal and carefully lower the engine (or the power unit) in a motor compartment.
If the engine was removed without transmission, lower the engine until the assistant does not combine adjusting pins on the block of cylinders with transmission. The correct combination of transmission with the engine requires a manipulation by both units.
7. Reliably tighten fastening bolts.
8. Establish other removed details and elements of fastening upside-down.
9. Restore liquid level in the cooling system, oils in the engine, liquid in automatic transmission and a hydraulic actuator of a steering (see subsection 2.8.4, subsection 2.5.1.1 and subsection 2.5.1.2).
10. Start the engine, check operation of the engine and existence of leaks. Stop the engine and check the level of liquids in all systems.


Economics deals with the operation of the whole system of social cooperation, with the interplay of all its determinants, and with the interdependence of the various branches of production. It cannot be broken up into separate fields open to treatment by specialists who neglect the rest. It is simply nonsensical to study money or labor or foreign trade with the same kind of specialization which historians apply when dividing human history into various compartments.
The history of Sweden can be treated with almost no reference to the history of Peru. But you cannot deal with wage rates without dealing at the same time with commodity prices, interest rates, and profits. Every change occurring in one of the economic elements affects all other elements.
One will never discover what a definite policy or change brings about if one limits his investigation to a special segment of the whole system. It is precisely this interdependence that the government does not want to see when it meddles in economic affairs. The government pretends to be endowed with the mystical power to accord favors out of an inexhaustible horn of plenty. It is both omniscient and omnipotent. It can by a magic wand create happiness and abundance.
The truth is that the government cannot give if it does not take from somebody. A subsidy is never paid by the government out of its own funds; it is at the expense of the taxpayer that the state grants subsidies. Inflation and credit expansion, the preferred methods of present-day government openhandedness, do not add anything to the amount of resources available. They make some people more prosperous, but only to the extent that they make others poorer.
European totalitarianism is an upshot of bureaucracy's preeminence in the field of education. The universities paved the way for the dictators.


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Can I Sue My Landlord For an Injury in Washington D.C.?
Landlords are responsible for ensuring that their property is safe for tenants and their families. Though generally, in Washington D.C., landlords do everything in their power to ensure their tenants' safety, there are times where they are negligent and serious accidents occur as a result. Please continue reading and reach out to our experineced Washington D.C. personal injury attorneys to learn more about apartment accidents and how our firm can help you through every step of the claims process ahead. Here are some of the questions you may have:
What are the most common causes of apartment accidents?
Apartment accidents can happen for many different reasons, though oftentimes, negligent landlords are responsible. When landlords fail to fix unsafe conditions, people can sustain serious injuries. Some of the most common forms of landlord negligence that our firm sees are neglecting to install smoke detectors, failing to clear away weather-related hazards timely, failing to ensure that there is no mold or asbestos in the air, and more. If you are injured due to a landlord's negligence, there is a very good chance you have a valid premises liability claim.
What do I do if I am injured in an accident?
The first thing you should do after sustaining an injury in an accident is to call the police, who will send an ambulance to the scene that will transport you to a hospital. From here, you should take pictures of the unsafe apartment conditions before anyone has a chance to clear them away. You should also ask anyone who witnessed your accident for their contact information, including their name, phone number, and email address. Finally, once you are treated at a hospital and receive medical documentation concerning your injuries and their extent, you should retain the services of an experienced Washington D.C. personal injury attorney who can gather and present all additional evidence needed to satisfy the burden of proof.
What is the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Washington D.C.?
In Washington D.C., the wrongly injured are granted a certain period of time after an accident to take legal action against the liable party. The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Washington D.C. is, generally, three years, giving you three years from the date of your accident to sue the landlord responsible. Our firm is here to fight for the compensation you deserve and need. All you have to do is ask.
Have You Been Injured in a Motorcycle Accident? Here is What You Need to Know.
What You Need to Know About Airport Accidents in Washington D.C.


Here at Out In The Aire Outdoor Learning and Forest School we believe children need regular interactions in nature to ensure that we provide them with an opportunity to develop socially, emotionally, physically, linguistically, cognitively and spiritually. Our engaging outdoor woodland education programmes allow children to develop confidence, self-regulation, social skills and other emotional intelligences through a variety of experiences. The sessions are very relaxed and provide development through teamwork, risk taking and problem solving activities.


Cars and 4x4s do not require a permit to access HWRCs.
Cars towing trailers of 1.8m (approx 6ft) or less can access sites without a permit.
If you use a trailer between 1.8m and 3.0m (approx 6ft and 10ft) in length you will need to apply for a permit to access HWRCs.
Trailers over 3.0m (approx 10ft) are not permitted access to HWRCs.
The measurements above apply to the actual trailer 'box' area only, and do not include the towbar or any other attachments.
Where a commercial-type vehicle (such as a van or pick-up) is the only towing vehicle available for a trailer, then the vehicle itself is permitted to access the site without a permit provided it does not carry any waste. It is not permitted for a householder to hold permits for a commercial-type vehicle and a trailer at the same time.
Householders who have hired a van for three days or fewer to dispose of their own household waste do not require a permit.
Householders should bring the van hire agreement with them and present it to site staff on arrival.
If you use a commercial-type vehicle (a van or pick-up) to dispose of your household waste you will need to apply for a permit.
Vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes are not permitted access to HWRCs.
Horseboxes are not permitted access to HWRCs.
Any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes in weight is not permitted access to HWRCs.
Blue badge holders do not require a permit to dispose of their household waste.


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Lyft Will Test Self-Driving Chevy Bolts on Public Roads Within a Year
The ride-sharing app will use Chevy's upcoming electric car to test autonomous technology—with a human in the driver's seat, just in case.
GM Media
If you use the ride-hailing app Lyft, you might soon find that the pink mustache-wearing car that comes to pick you up is a self-driving electric Chevy Bolt—provided you're in the yet-unnamed city where Lyft and GM plan to begin public road testing of autonomous cars.
That's the word from The Wall Street Journal, which reports that GM and Lyft have agreed to begin testing self-driving cars on public roads within the next year. While the location of the testing program has not yet been confirmed, Lyft insiders tell WSJ that customers will be able to opt in (or out) of the self-driving test program when hailing a ride through the app.
And don't worry: WSJ reports that the first batch of autonomous test cars will still have a human in the driver's seat, to take control in case anything goes awry (and, assumedly, to satisfy the legal requirements of the jurisdiction where the test will take place).
The self-driving test will use a fleet of Chevy Bolts, GM's upcoming all-electric car promising 200 miles of range and a sub-$30,000 price after rebates. The Bolt is due out to customers some time in 2017.
It's part of a larger push from GM to get into the self-driving trend. Earlier this year, the automaker gave Lyft half a billion dollars to help "create an integrated network of on-demand autonomous vehicles in the U.S." Separately, GM purchased aftermarket autonomous tech developer Cruise Automation for $1 billion back in March. Cruise Automation's technology will power the self-driving Bolts used in the Lyft experiment.
GM hopes to use its Lyft partnership to cultivate a large customer base for the Bolt among Lyft drivers, WSJ reports. Tech/automaker partnerships seem to be the theme this week: Fiat Chrysler just agreed to supply minivans to Google for self-driving tech development.
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The Challenges and Prospects of Regulating the Mining Industry in Kenya
Unless capacity is built across all stages of mineral extraction right from minerals agreements' negotiations all the way to the actual extraction of these resources, then Africa, including Kenya, will continue to lag behind in development despite its rich deposits in minerals.
The Distribution of Selected Minerals across the Republic of Kenya
By Dr. Kariuki Muigua, PhD (Leading Environmental Law Scholar, Natural Resources Lawyer and Dispute Resolution Expert in Kenya)*
Africa hosts 30% of the earth's mineral reserves, including 40% of gold, 60% of cobalt, and 70% of platinum deposits, and produces about 30% of the world's gold, 70% of the world's platinum, 28% of the world's palladium, and 16% of the world's bauxite. In addition, Africa also produces (yearly, in thousand metric tons) 205,056 of hard coal, 67,308 of nickel-bearing ores, and 29,174 of iron bearing ores, as well as 595,507 kg of gold-bearing ores. The extractive or mining industries generally have long been touted as key to anchor 'development' or 'economic growth' to alleviate poverty in developing countries.
But despite this, African countries continue to exhibit low levels of development and poor standards of living. This has been attributed to various factors including exploitative multinational corporations, lack of expertise and corruption, and African countries negotiating unfavourable mining development agreements, with the result that the Continent has received inadequate returns for its mineral wealth. At the continental level, the Africa Mining Vision is expected to address most of these challenges if not all. But even with this Vision document, most of the African countries still struggle with making the mineral resources work for them, in uplifting the lives of their people.
Kenya is no exception as it has a number of mineral deposits albeit in smaller amounts, which, unfortunately, have not contributed much to the country's GDP as would be expected. The communities are also yet to boast of any significant benefits from the mining activities going on within their regions. GDP from Mining in Kenya is estimated to have increased from 12313 KES Million in the third quarter of 2018 to 26757 KES Million in the first quarter of 2021. This is a significant growth as GDP from Mining in Kenya averaged 8963.05 KES Million from 2009 until 2018. According to the Mining and Minerals Policy, Sessional Paper No. 7 of 2016, as at 2016, the sector was contributing 0.8 percent to gross domestic product (GDP) per annum. The contribution to GDP was expected to increase to three (3) percent by 2017 and ten (10) percent by 2030 according to the Medium Term Plan (MTP) II (2013-2017).
While these statistics paint a hopeful picture with the figures increasing over the last ten years, there is still a lot of room for not only growth in these figures but also positive contribution of the mining sector to the lives of the ordinary citizens especially those to be found within the localities where such mining takes place. Indeed, the discovery of such minerals as the titanium deposits in the Coastal region gives hope to the expectation of a brighter future for the sector and country at large. Reserves for Titanium and Niobium, both found in the Coast region, are projected to be worth Sh9 trillion, and Sh3.8 trillion for the estimated of 750 million barrels, according to Tullow Oil's 2017 projections.
The Mining Minister has already made Regulations to ensure that the mining activities do not only go on smoothly but also that they benefit the local communities even as they contribute to the national development agenda. These Regulations include: Mining (Dealings in Minerals) Regulations, 2017; Mining (Licence and Permit) Regulations, 2017; Mining (Work Programmes and Exploration Reports) Guidelines, 2017; Mining (State Participation) Regulations, 20I7; Mining (Use of Local Goods and Services) Regulations, 2017; Mining (Employment and Training) Regulations, 2017; and Mining (Use of Assets) Regulations, 2017. These Regulations are meant to streamline the mining sector in the country by ensuring that the main provisions in the Mining Act 2016 are fully and efficiently implemented.
Notably, some of these Regulations such as the Mining (Use of Local Goods and Services) Regulations, 2017; Mining (Employment and Training) Regulations, 2017 are meant to directly empower the local communities by promoting job creation and market for locally produced goods. However, while these Regulations mean well for the local communities and local industries, a lot still needs to be done to ensure that the environment favours the implementation of such Regulations. For instance, the Regulations on use of local goods and services require that the holder of a mining licence, its contractors and sub-contractors, to the maximum extent possible, give first priority to materials and goods made in Kenya; and services provided by citizens of Kenya or Kenya entities, provided that such goods and services are equal in quality, quantity and price to, or better than, goods and services obtainable outside of Kenya. This proviso defeats the purpose of these Regulations because many factors of production make locally produced goods more expensive when compared to imported ones.
Thus, as long as investors can prove that they can source such goods and/or services at more competitive prices or those with better quality, they will easily bypass the compliance requirements of these Regulations. The manufacturing sector and other factors affecting the local production of goods and services may thus need to be fixed before these Regulations can effectively be implemented. Similarly, the Regulations on employment and Training assume that locals have some basic knowledge that can be built on to achieve the level of expertise required in the execution of the corresponding duties within the industry. Exclusive reliance on the foreigners to create expertise through technology transfer may not yield the desired results. There is need for the government to do much more through the local institutions of higher learning through sponsoring courses to build capacity and even having the students/professionals taking such courses leaving the country for specialized training and to gain experience. Such candidates would then be ripe to learn more through any exchange and technology transfer programmes set up under the Mining (Employment and Training) Regulations, 2017.
Further, the lack of proper guidelines or failure to implement any existing regulations and guidelines can lead to conflicts as has been witnessed in other African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the locals feel sidelined as far as mining benefits sharing is concerned. For instance, there have been queries on how to manage expectations of the local people living within the mining areas in order to avert possible conflicts in future. There is a need for ensuring that the constitutional principles of public participation, inclusive decision making, environmental protection and conservation, respect for human rights and respect for occupational health and safety are taken into account when engaging investors in the mining sector in order to avoid any potential conflicts as well as ensuring that these natural resources benefit communities as well.
These are just few examples of the many challenges that are likely to arise in the implementation of these Regulations and which therefore may need to be addressed before the mining sector can benefit from the well-meaning Regulations as enacted by the Cabinet Secretary. Indeed, unless capacity is built across all stages of mineral extraction right from minerals agreements' negotiations all the way to the actual extraction of these resources, then Africa, including Kenya, will continue to lag behind in development despite its rich deposits in minerals.
*This is article is an extract from an article by Dr. Kariuki Muigua, PhD Muigua, K., "Regulating Mining: A New Vision for Kenya? http://kmco.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/ 2019/07/Regulating-Mining-A-New-Vision-Kariuki-Muigua-12th-July-2019.pdf. Dr. Kariuki Muigua is Kenya's foremost Environmental Law and Natural Resources Lawyer and Scholar, Sustainable Development Advocate and Conflict Management Expert. Dr. Kariuki Muigua is a Senior Lecturer of Environmental Law and Dispute resolution at the University of Nairobi School of Law and The Center for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy (CASELAP). He has published numerous books and articles on Environmental Law, Environmental Justice Conflict Management, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Development. Dr. Muigua is also a Chartered Arbitrator, an Accredited Mediator, the Africa Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Managing Partner of Kariuki Muigua & Co. Advocates. Dr. Muigua is recognized as one of the leading lawyers and dispute resolution experts by the Chambers Global Guide 2021 and nominated as ADR Practitioner of the Year (Nairobi Legal Awards) 2021.
Abuya, W.O., "Mining Conflicts and Corporate Social Responsibility in Kenya's Nascent Mining Industry: A Call for Legislation," In Social Responsibility, IntechOpen, 2018, pp. 61-81, at p.63. Available at https://www.intechopen.com/books/social-responsibility/mining-conflicts-and-corporate-social-responsibility-inkenya-s-nascent-mining-industry-a-call-for-l [Accessed on 7/7/2019]
African Union, Assessment of the Mining Policies and Regulatory Frameworks in the East African Community for Alignment with the Africa Mining Vision, p. 2. Available at https://repository.uneca.org/bitstream/handle/10855/23538/b11580379.pdf?sequence=1 [Accessed on 7/7/2019].
African Union, Africa Mining Vision: "Transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development", (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), February, 2009). Available at https://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/PublicationFiles/africa_mining_vision_english.pdf [Accessed on 8/7/2019].
Base Titanium, "Response to Hakijamii's Draft Report on Base Titanium's Impacts on the Community," 25th August, 2017. Available at https://www.businesshumanrights.org/sites/default/files/documents/ Hakijamii%20Base%20Response%20Final%20- %202017%2008%2028_0.pdf [Accessed on 8/7/2019].
BSR, "Conflict Minerals and the Democratic Republic of Congo: Responsible Action in Supply Chains, Government Engagement and Capacity Building," May 2010. Available at https://www.bsr.org/ reports/BSR_Conflict_Minerals_and_the_DRC.pdf [Accessed on 8/7/2019].
Economic and Social Rights Centre (Hakijamii) (Kenya), Titanium mining benefit sharing in Kwale County: HAKIJAMII, A comprehensive analysis of the law and practice in the context of Nguluku and Bwiti, September, 2017. Available at http://www.hakijamii.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Titanium-mining-benefitsharing.pdf [Accessed on 8/7/2019];
Ezekwe sili, O.K., "Harnessing Africa's natural resources to fight poverty," Daily Nation, Wednesday April 15 2009. Available at https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/opinion/440808-560566-gnl8o6z/index.html [Accessed on 7/7/2019].
In the Matter of the National Land Commission [2015] eKLR, Advisory Opinion Reference 2 of 2014.
Kimani, M., "Mining to profit Africa's people," Africa Renewal 23, no. 1 (2009): 4-5; Bush, R., "Conclusion: mining, dispossession, and transformation in Africa," In Zambia, mining, and neoliberalism, pp. 237- 268. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2010. Available at https://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/default/ files/file%20uploads%20/alastair_fraser_miles_larmer_zambia_mining_anbook4you.pdf#page=260 [Accessed on 8/7/2019];
Masinde, J., "Are Kwale residents expecting too much?" Daily Nation, Tuesday February 12 2013. Available at https://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/smartcompany/Are-Kwale-residents-expecting-too-much/1226-1690904- nb7rqyz/index.html [Accessed on 8/7/2019].
Matthysen, K., Montejano, A. Z., & International Peace Information Service (Antwerp), 'Conflict Minerals' initiatives in DR Congo: Perceptions of local mining communities. Antwerp: International Peace Information Service, 2013. Available at https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ 20131112_HU.pdf. [Accessed on 8/7/2019].
Michira, M., "The billions buried under Kenyan soil," 2nd May, 2017. Available at https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001238312/the-billions-buried-under-kenyan-soil [Accessed on 8/7/2019].
Mui Coal Basin Local Community & 15 others v Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy & 17 others [2015] eKLR, Constitutional Petition Nos 305 of 2012, 34 of 2013 & 12 of 2014(Formerly Nairobi Constitutional Petition 43 of 2014) (Consolidated).
Mulehi, A., "How it looks to live near mining sites – Kwale," (Natural Resources Alliance of Kenya, Oct 17, 2018). Available at https://kenra.or.ke/how-it-looks-like-to-live-near-miningsites-kwale/ [Accessed on 8/7/2019].
Murombo, T., "Regulating mining in South Africa and Zimbabwe: Communities, the environment and perpetual exploitation," Law Env't & Dev. J., 9 (2013): 31.
Ndemo, B., "Kenya's mineral resources could pull millions out of poverty, Daily Nation, Monday June 24 2019. Available at https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/ndemo/2274486-5169428-990fwj/index.html [Accessed on 3/7/2019];
Republic of Kenya, Mining and Minerals Policy, Sessional Paper No. 7 of 2016, p. 1. Available at http://www.mining.go.ke/images/PUBLISHED_MINING_POLICY_-_Parliament_final_.pdf [Accessed on 8/7/2019].
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Zalan, K., "Tracing conflict gold in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Public Radio International, June 23, 2017. Available at https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-06-23/tracing-conflict-gold-democratic-republic-congo.
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