sputnik--2019-08-27--Russian Scientists Work on Creating Molecular-Sized Microchip Elements

Modern silicon-based integrated circuits (ICs) have practically reached the limits of miniaturisation, while the use of organics can potentially allow the creation of microchip elements as large as a single molecule. Scientists from the Russian National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (NRNU MEPhI) are actively conducting studies in this field. They have recently published the results of their modelling changes in agitated molecule of organic semiconductors in the Journal of Physical Chemistry.  There are several reasons why organic electronics are considered to be a promising field. The raw materials for them are easily accessible and the use of organic materials allows molecular-sized IC elements to be made, thus bringing them closer to the internal structures of living organisms.  One such promising sphere in this field is the design of directed organic molecular and functional materials. Right now, Russian researchers are summarising global experience in these spheres and conducting predictive modelling.  "Our group [of scientists] is conducting predictive modelling for organic electronic materials, specifically for organic light-emitting diode [OLED; used in light-weight high-quality displays capable of bending]. The OLED emits light, when electrons coming from a cathode meet with [electron] holes coming from anodes and engage in recombination*. The state, when an electron and a hole are mutually attached but don't recombinate, called exciton, can last relatively long and is often localised within a single molecule", said one of the researchers, Alexandra Freidzon, assistant at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI and scientist at the Photochemistry Centre of the Federal Scientific Research Centre.  *recombination is a process in which two subatomic particles are eliminated with the release of energy  According to her, the migration of exciton's quasiparticle on neighbouring molecules allows the colour and the effectiveness of light emission of OLEDs to be conveniently controlled. For that purpose a light-emissive layer can be placed between n- and p-type layers of organic semiconductors, carrying electrons and holes respectively, with these quasiparticles "meeting" in the middle-layer, engaging in recombination and staying attached to each other.  "We have studied how exciton behaves in a molecule of a typical hole semiconductor, which is also used as a matrix for the emissive layer, and it turned out that exciton localises not on the entire molecule, but on certain parts of it and can migrate between them. Exciton can do it under the influence of small perturbations, such as the ones caused by the presence of another molecule", Freidzon added.  MEPhI’s researchers have studied the mechanism and the speed of exciton's migration from one end of the molecule to another and discovered that the migration goes very fast only one way and it can be fostered by certain intramolecular fluctuations.  The authors of the research study believe that it's now possible to study how the presence of neighbouring molecules affect this process and suggest the modification to the exciton-carrying molecule in order to make the process of transferring agitation energy to the emissive molecule more efficient. Such work is a the heart of virtually designing functional materials – scientists single out the material’s key functions and then build a model, describing the process of its function. This allows them to determine the main factors affecting the processes' effectiveness and thus to suggest modifications to certain functional materials if needed.  The scientists at MEPhI stress that they are only beginning to understand exciton’s migration process within the molecule in organic semiconductors, but will soon be able to present suggestions on modifying the molecules used in OLED display’s emissive layers.


sputnik--2019-10-09--Scientists Closer to Understanding Nature of Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays

The Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy (TAIGA), an international scientific collaboration, is launching one of the world’s largest and most sensitive high-energy gamma-ray observatories, allowing astronomers for the first time to study gamma radiation and ultra-high energy cosmic rays, the science team reported in an article: “Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment”.  Already at the observatory, scientists from Moscow State University (MSU), National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (NRNU MEPhI), Irkutsk State University Applied Physics Institute and other leading universities in Russia and Germany are preparing for new series of experiments at two TAIGA observatory facilities, using an array of distributed detector stations TAIGA-HiSCORE and new telescopes TAIGA –IACT, which will allow them to record the “image” of Cherenkov radiation from a cascade of ionised particles produced as a result of the interaction of a high-energy gamma-quanta with the atmospheric atoms. Since the measurements on the main detectors of the observatory are carried out on moonless nights, experiments are carried out in autumn, winter, and spring (in the summer, Russian nights are too short) .  The unique TAIGA complex, being constructed in the Tunka Valley 50 km from the southern tip of Lake Baikal, utilises a new hybrid array technology for detecting extensive air showers (EAS) generated by gamma quanta. In addition to Cherenkov radiation, it can detect all the main EAS components produced in the atmosphere when a primary cosmic ray enters the atmosphere.  “Today, the complex is at the deployment stage, the number of detectors of various facilities and the area of their registration is increasing. Methods of recording, processing and analysing events are being developed, and their accuracy is being enhanced to the planned level. This is an inevitable stage for any large-scale experimental complex,” commented Igor Yashin, a professor at the NRNU MEPhI Institute of Nuclear Physics and Engineering.  According to the scientist, in the short term, the assembly of the third Cherenkov telescope and bringing the number of detector stations of the TAIGA-HiSCORE array to 120 pieces on an area of one square kilometre will take place. In winter, gamma-radiation flux measurements from known gamma sources – such as a pulsar in the Cancer Constellation and others – will be carried out. The tasks of the NRNU MEPhI group include testing photomultipliers and associated electronics for installing TAIGA-HiSCORE, developing and ensuring the operability of the Cherenkov telescopes camera’s electronics, duty at TAIGA observatory, etc.  The origin of cosmic rays (high-energy protons and atomic nuclei) is one of the most important mysteries of modern science. Upon solving it, humanity may come closer to creating new sources of super-high energy. For example, space-based particle accelerators could provide billions of times more acceleration energy than the most powerful particle accelerator on Earth, the Large Hadron Collider.  The science team of the observatory included scientific associates of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Irkutsk State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Novosibirsk State University, Altai State University, and other leading scientific research centres throughout Russia (JINR, INR RAS) and Germany.


sputnik--2019-12-25--Russian Scientists Develop Unique Membranes for Treating Oral Cavity Wounds

The coatings have successfully passed pre-clinical animal tests, showing their effectiveness in tissue regeneration, as well as high antibacterial properties. Besides, the development is significantly cheaper than its foreign analogues.  The research results were published in Applied Surface Science Magazine.  Pathologies of the soft tissues of the maxillofacial area often require surgical intervention. According to old methods, after surgery, the wound surface is left open for healing by secondary tissue tension, or an autograft from another area is used.  Evgeny Bolbasov, the project manager, a researcher at the Laboratory of Plasma Hybrid Systems of TPU, added that foreign analogues are manufactured using costly technology. In Russia, the electrospinning method is used, where a high-intensity electric field produces non-woven fibrous structures.  Non-woven membranes are made of a Russian-made copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and tetrafluoroethylene (VDF-TeFE). Using the electrospinning method, the researchers have managed to significantly reduce the cost of the material and improve its properties.  To modify the membranes, the scientists coated the surface with a copper coating using magnetron sputtering. Copper is a cheap and highly effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent.  The manufactured polymer membranes have successfully passed pre-clinical trials in laboratory animals; the researchers have studied their mucous and conducted a series of histological and immunohistochemical tests.  The next stage will imply limited clinical trials, improving the technology, as well as studying the effect of the material’s piezoelectric properties on the regeneration process.  In addition to TPU and the Siberian State Medical University, the research also involved Tomsk State University, the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Materials, the Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radio-electronics, and the Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science SB RAS.


tass--2019-10-02--Scientists to create molecule-based medicine capable of spotting cancer cells

Aptamers are artificial molecules based on short chains of DNA or RNA. They can find target molecules in the human body and make connection with them, which can be used in medicine. Scientists believe, for instance, that aptamers will be able to accurately display cancer-affected cells, which will make the treatment more effective and safe for healthy tissues.  October 2. /TASS/. Scientists have completed one of the key stages in development of "therapeutic" molecules, aptamers, which can find the target cells of the body and affect them. The experiments may allow to create new drugs for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases, the Siberian Federal University's press service said on Thursday. The results were published in the scientific journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry .  "SFU scientists as part of an international research team conducted experiments to measure the 3D structures of aptamers in liquid solution in order to later develop "agents" with a more accurate space structure. It is expected that they will best cope with therapeutic medical tasks," the SFU press service said with a reference to one of the authors of the work, an employee of the Siberian Federal University, Felix Tomilin.  As part of the experiments conducted at the synchrotron at the National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, the authors obtained data on the shape and spatial distribution of electron density in the aptamer, which helps to avoid thrombosis during surgeries. This allowed scientists to build a theoretical three-dimensional model that is used in the creation and improvement of agent molecules to tackle diseases.  “We managed to prove that the three-dimensional structure of the said aptamer obtained as a result of the calculations has the most energetically favorable configuration in solution. Such aptamers will be effective as independent therapeutic agents, similar molecules can also become a convenient "means of transportaion" for the delivery of drugs or, for example, photoproteins — luminous molecules which are able to signal the cells of the human body affected by a disease," a co-author of the study and an employee of the Krasnoyarsky Federal Scientific Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Roman Moryachkov, explained to TASS.


tass--2019-12-04--Scientists prepare ice-proof platform for work in the Arctic

RosHydroMet and the Admiralty Shipyard inked a contract on construction of the North Pole ice-proof floating platform to revive the North Pole annual drifting expeditions, which have been suspended in the early 2000s due to the climate changes.  ST. PETERSBURG, December 4. /TASS/. A team of Russian and foreign scientists during the Trans Arctic 2019 expedition successfully tested technologies to organize scientific research to be used for work of the North Pole ice-proof platform, which the Russian hydrometeorology service, RosHydroMet, has ordered, Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute Alexander Makarov told TASS on Wednesday.  "During the first stage of the Trans Arctic 2019 project, the Akademik Treshnikov (research vessel) was frozen into ice north off Franz Josef Land, and a camp was organized next to it on the ice - there researchers studied the Arctic’s environment," the director said. "The vessel became the platform’s model. During the expedition we faced an emergency situation - a crack line crossed the ice, we packed the camp within three hours, thus we practiced our actions in an emergency situation."  The expedition on board the Akademik Treshnikov featured more than 50 scientists, including representatives of three foreign organizations, the scientist continued. The experts worked both onboard and in the camp, where they had equipment to study the ice, ocean and atmosphere. Onboard the North Pole platform researchers will conduct geological, acoustic, geo-physical and ocean studies. The vessel will work independently for two years, will sail in the ice without icebreakers and will carry a Mil Mi-8 helicopter.  The North Pole platform’s lifespan is 30-40 years, thus scientists may plan studies for years ahead, the director continued. "It is a unique situation - our life consists of shorter cycles - marine projects are normally 3-5 years long, not more; thus for coming decades this would be the most prominent scientific project in the Arctic," he said, adding scientists from Germany, Norway and a few Asian countries had expressed interest in joining the research on this ice-proof platform.  "I hope the project would be international, as everybody is interested in up-to-date information from the Arctic," he said. "In addition to this platform we have a network of observatories on the shore - on Spitzbergen, the Baranov Cape, and Tiksi - those observatories practically completely cover the Russian Arctic with the exception for the eastern sector. When we have the floating platform, it would mean we have a territory-stretched observatory."  According to the Institute’s director, results of studies in the central Arctic during the past expedition are of important practical value. One of directions is forecasts for navigation in the Northern Sea Route. "The Institute is responsible for forecasts, hydrometeorology services along the route, and the precision of models, forecasts for the high-latitude Arctic is not like for the temperate latitudes," he said. "Thus, the information, received from direct observation off the platform, will be of huge value to specify and update forecast models for the high-latitude Arctic."  The Trans Arctic 2019 scientific polar expedition is a big project of Russia’s hydrometeorology service, RosHydroMet, which continues the research traditions of sea, air and drift expeditions and stations in the Arctic’s high latitudes. The first stage kicked off in March on board the Akademik Treshnikov vessel. The second stage was on board the Mikhail Somov. Earlier, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered to allocate in 2019 almost 870 million rubles ($13 million) for scientific studies and monitoring of the Arctic environment during the Trans Arctic 2019 expedition. The Professor Multanovsky and the Professor Molchanov research vessels also participated in the expedition. During the voyages scientists received unique data, which will be used for complex analysis of the Arctic’s environment in the changing climate.


theguardianuk--2019-11-21--'We're all Earthlings': the scientists using art to explore the cosmos

Since 1984, the scientific research institute SETI has worked with some of the brightest minds on our planet: astronomers, solar system dynamics experts, exoplanet detection specialists, astrochemists. All of them are on a mission to decode the universe’s mysteries – but has one area of expertise been overlooked?  Jill Tarter thinks so. She’s the chair emeritus of SETI – whose name stands for “search for extraterrestrial intelligence” – and the inspiration for Jodie Foster’s character in the movie Contact. Tarter believes scientists should look to the art world to help solve some of their biggest problems. “Art gives people an opportunity to think about bigger-picture ideas or think about them in a new way,” she says. “It can make people think differently about who they are, where they are, or questions such as: where do we come from? Where are we going? Is there anybody else out there?”  After meeting artist Charles Lindsay at an event a decade ago, and seeing some of the photos he had produced, a realisation struck her: perhaps artists could help scientists be more creative. “We have a hard time in SETI – and in the search for life beyond Earth – trying to imagine what we can’t imagine. We don’t really know what life somewhere else would be like. We don’t know what technology somewhere else would be like. But here, I was looking at a piece of art that made me think of life and biology. And it dawned on me that maybe an artist is somebody who could help us envision things we hadn’t thought of before.”  Of course, art and science have long coexisted. As Lindsay points out, Leonardo da Vinci was both a great scientist and a great artist. “Yet somehow during the 20th century,” he says, “these disciplines became silos and more specialised.”  Lindsay and Tarter hatched a plan to work with a SETI researcher and create art that combines astral research with creative output. “The scientists’ work can benefit from the presence of artists and then the artist’s work can be influenced from close interaction with scientists,” Lindsay explains. The result is an artist-in-residence programme at SETI that brings creativity to the lab. It’s designed to not only broaden views, but also make challenging scientific concepts more accessible to the public.  In 2010, Lindsay became the first artist to take up residence at SETI. During his tenure, he worked with SETI’s astronomer Laurance Doyle, along with colleagues from UC Davis and the Alaska Whale Foundation, to create Code Humpback, an installation that explores ideas about encrypted signals and interspecies communication through whale vocalisations, morse code, and “two- and three-vector ocean surface interference patterns made in the Pacific”. Because many people don’t spend time poring over studies in scientific journals, the project helped the scientists present work to the public in a captivating way.  Since Lindsay’s inaugural run, artists at SETI have produced sculptures, textiles and even a glass-etched recreation of the Kepler space telescope’s field of view. Film composer Felipe Pérez Santiago, who is working with Tarter, to crowdsource sounds from around the world that he will use then use to write a soundtrack, which he hopes will eventually be launched into space. “I want to create collaborative music that celebrates all our cultural diversity, but also shows that we are a single species,” says Santiago of the Earthling project. “I want to send a message of who we are now as a species, as earthlings.” For her part, Tarter hopes the symphony will head to Mars. “I would love for Earthling to go with Elon Musk’s first crew to Mars,” she says, “so they would be taking with them a musical piece that represents all of us on Earth.”  The institute’s current artist-in-residence is Zeinab Alhashemi. She’s teamed up with Mark Showalter, an astronomer who helped run Nasa’s Cassini mission to Saturn and its New Horizons mission to Pluto, because they shared common interests. “She’s an artist interested in geometry and motion and I’m a scientist interested in geometry in motion,” says Showalter. The result of their collaboration, which will be shown at Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates, is a kinetic sculpture of two spheres, one in steel and one in corten metal, the latter material designed to rust. The spheres move clockwise, counterclockwise, and in random shapes until they meet to become one sphere again. “Through my conversation with Mark, I decided that the movement of the spheres will be very subtle,” says Alhashemi. “The only way to notice the movement is if you would stay next to the sculpture for some time or you leave it and come back to see that the shape has changed.”  Working with Alhashemi has helped Showalter push beyond his usual modes of thinking. “It exercises a different part of my brain,” he says. “It allows the right and left side to work together. On the one side, it’s a very technical and mathematical process, and on the other it is very creative and sort of unbound way of thinking about what we do.”  Joining Alhashemi are three new artists-in-residence: Xin Liu, an artist and engineer, who hopes to explore time suspended in water; Jordan Holmes, an engineer, spoken word artist and musician who is interested in interactive storytelling environment; and Alfred Darlington, AKA the electronic artist Daedelus, who plans to create a map using spatial audio. The programme is also getting a new advisor, Dorka Keehn, who also sits on the San Francisco Arts Commission.  Tarter has big ambitions for those works of art and the stories they tell. “Ultimately, my goal is to change everyone’s perspective to this more cosmic perspective of seeing how we fit into the universe and seeing that, when compared to as-yet-unknown life beyond Earth, all of us are the same,” she says. “We’re all Earthlings.”


themoscowtimes--2019-10-07--Scientists Discover Record Methane Emission in the Russian Arctic

A group of scientific researchers has discovered a record methane emission coming from the eastern Siberian Sea, expedition organizer Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) said in a statement.  The scientists found concentrations of the greenhouse gas — which can significantly influence the planet’s climate — up to nine times the global average.  “This is the most powerful gas fountain I've ever seen,” said Igor Semiletov, the head of the expedition and a TPU professor. “No one has ever recorded anything like this before.”


thevaccinereaction--2019-01-03--Physician Scientists Fail to Disclose Pharma Conflicts of Interest in Medical Journals

Medical doctors conducting scientific research are not accurately disclosing their financial ties to pharmaceutical and health care companies when their studies are published in medical journals, according to a recent article published by ProPublica in collaboration with The New York Times.1  A number of these doctors are prominent figures in the medical field. One example is Howard A. “Skip” Burris III, MD the president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Burris declared that he has no conflicts of interest in over fifty journal articles, including those articles in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.1 However, ProPublica reported that pharmaceutical companies paid his employer, Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee approximately $114,000 for his speaking and consulting engagements and almost $8 million for his research during the time period when the disclosure of financial relationships and industry was required. One of those journals was the Journal of Clinical Oncology, published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the medical trade group he was elected to head.1  Another top breast cancer doctor, José Baselga, MD, the former chief medical officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and one of the editors-in-chief for the journal Cancer Discovery, failed to disclose conflict of interests with drug companies in numerous journal articles including articles in The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine.2 In September 2018, Dr. Baselga resigned from his position as the chief medical officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center after ProPublica and The New York Times reported that he failed to disclose his financial ties to drug companies.3 In response to public pressure, Baselga also resigned from his position as one of the editors-in-chief for Cancer Discovery.3  One doctor critical of physician scientists who fail to disclose their financial ties to drug companies, Jeffrey Botkin, MD, associate vice president for research at the University of Utah, authored a viewpoint in The Journal of the American Medical Association.4 He wrote, “They really are falsifying the information that others rely on to assess that research. Money is a very powerful influencer, and people’s opinions become subtly biased by that financial relationship.”4  In addition to identifying several other top physician scientists who failed to disclose conflicts of interest in medical journals, ProPublica reported that medical journals often give confusing advice and inconsistent rules on disclosing financial conflicts of interest and do not routinely vet the authors of the journal articles.1  It is no secret that relationships between the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies involve significant financial entanglement that raises conflict of interest issues.5 In 2009, the Institute of Medicine published a report, Conflicts of Interest in Medical Research, Education and Practice, that pointed out flaws in the system of how study authors report conflicts of interests in medical journals and the influence of pharmaceutical industry money in medical education and practice.6 Financial incentives provided by drug companies have long influenced medical doctors to engage in inappropriate pharmaceutical product prescribing habits to promote the purchase and use of the sponsoring company’s prescription drugs, which calls into question the integrity and credibility of both medical doctors and drug companies.7  But this same type of relationship has also become very prominent between the pharmaceutical industry physician scientists (medical doctors who also conduct research in addition to being in clinical practice), which poses serious problems for the objectivity and integrity of published scientific research. The credibility of scientific research findings published in medical journals is even further compromised when scientists fail to disclose financial ties to the drug company paying for the research.  A significant amount of vaccine related research is now being conducted by physician scientists at prominent U.S. universities and medical institutions receiving both pharmaceutical industry money and NIH grants to develop and market vaccines.8 Professors and physician-scientists who conduct these studies can have personal financial relationships with vaccine manufacturers but, as pointed out in the article by ProPublica, a study author’s financial conflicts of interest with a pharmaceutical company may or may not be revealed in the original publication in which results of the scientific research is reported.1  Concerns have been voiced about the pharmaceutical industry’s lack of transparency with regard to the development and side effects of FDA licensed vaccines and drugs and financial relationships with medical doctors, who promote the use of those products. It is logical to ask whether the public can trust the conclusions of vaccine research conducted by physician-scientists heavily funded by vaccine manufacturers, who may also receive grants from government agencies developing and marketing vaccines, which may incentivize vaccine researchers to design and conduct research steered toward toward conclusions that align with the financial interests of industry and affirm the safety of and effectiveness of government vaccine use policy nad law.  The oligopoly of medical journal publishes dominating the reporting of scientific research also has important implications for the scientific and medical communities, as well as federal health agencies that rely upon the validity of scientific research to make medical and government policy. The autonomy of peer reviewed scientific research conducted by physician scientists in previous decades before consolidation of medical journal publishers owned by big corporations has gradually diminished.8  Corporate owned publishers have gained control over the type of scientific research and content that gets published in medical journals and this has led to a trend toward restricting published “science” to that which is both politically correct and favors the interests of the pharmaceutical and medical trade industries.9 Medical journals today tend to block publication of studies that provide evidence conflicting with government health policy, such as CDC vaccine use recommendations, in part due to legislation passed by Congress over the past four decades directing federal agencies to develop a strong public-private business partnership with the pharmaceutical industry.9 10  The recent investigative report by ProPublica confirms the legitimacy of published concerns about the financial collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, physician scientists and medical journal publishers, and the credibility of medical policy and public health laws, including vaccine policy and law, based on or influenced by scientific research published in medical journals.11


vdare--2019-09-13--German Scientists Scientific Decency Means Not Using The Term Race

German Scientists: "Scientific Decency" Means Not Using The Term "Race"

Following the 100th anniversary of the death of the “German Darwin,” researchers have distanced themselves from the classification of humans into races. Scientific decency should preclude using the term “race,” they say.  Scientists at the University of Jena in eastern Germany have called for the term “race” to no longer be used, saying there is no biological basis for the classification of humanity into races.  “The primarily biological justification for defining groups of humans as races — for example based on the color of their skin or eyes, or the shape of their skulls — has led to the persecution, enslavement and slaughter of millions of people,” the scientists wrote in the Jena Declaration.  “However, there is no biological basis for races, and there has never been one. The concept of race is the result of racism, not its prerequisite,” they continued. …  Scientific research on genetic variations of human beings shows that “instead of definable boundaries, genetic gradients run between human groups,” say the scientists. “To be explicit, not only is there no single gene that underpins ‘racial’ differences, but there is not even a single base pair.”


vdare--2019-10-25--Black Scientists Held Back by Being Less Scientific

From the New York Times:  Black Scientists Held Back by Perceptions of Their Priorities  New research suggests “hard/lab science” is valued over “patient-focused science” in awarding research grants.  Scientific research ideally is colorblind, with merit the only factor in hiring, publishing or the awarding of research grants. But the reality often falls short.  Eight years ago, a study published in Science found that black researchers were 10 percentage points less likely than white ones to receive funding from the National Institutes of Health, even after controlling for factors like educational background, previous research awards and publication record. Its authors theorized that the difference might reflect an accumulation of slight advantages over the course of white scientists’ careers.  That study, which the N.I.H. itself commissioned, prompted the agency to put $500 million toward a 10-year initiative to improve the situation, for example by increased mentoring of minority researchers and efforts to address possible bias in peer review.  But new research suggests racial disparity in grant funding persists, and offers a fresh theory about a source of some of it: research topic choice….  The new study, commissioned by the N.I.H. and published recently in Science Advances, examined data from nearly 160,000 applications in the years 2011 to 2015. It showed that clinical research on community-level health interventions has a harder time getting N.I.H. support than research focused on cellular science, and that black scientists are more likely to be seeking to do the former.  Disparities in topic choice among black and white scientists account for about 20 percent of the N.I.H.’s racial funding gap, according to the study.  George Santangelo, senior author of the new study and director of the N.I.H.’s Office of Portfolio Analysis, said “an inordinately large fraction of African-American applicants” applied for funding in the topic areas less likely to win funding. Nearly 40 percent of proposals from black researchers were on a cluster of eight topics, most deemed less likely to be funded.  Some of the keywords used in applications less likely to get funding: “socioeconomic,” “patient” and “disparity.” The lowest award rate was for those using the terms “ovary,” “fertility” and “reproductive.” Successful applications, by contrast, tended to use words like “neuron” and “cartilage.”


collectiveevolution--2019-05-29--Concerning Contaminants Have Been Discovered In The Gardasil 9 Vaccine

The list of concerns is quite large when it comes to the Gardasil HPV vaccine. Perhaps even more concerning is the censorship media outlets and even scientists are experiencing for simply asking questions and having a discussion. When that happens you know we’re straying far from science and that something is up. Despite big media’s efforts, who receive large amounts of funding from corporations and governments, to censor and shape the vaccine safety dialogue, information is still coming out. What gives big media away even more is their constant attack on those questioning vaccine safety, labelling them as “anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists” and ridiculing them instead of actually addressing the concerns they have and countering them with information. Why wouldn’t they just do that?  No doubt, the “brainwashers” will also categorize a company called CORVELVA as “anti-vaccine,” despite the fact that it’s made up of numerous reputable scientists and has been in operation since 1993. Its mission is to encourage the free choice of vaccinations as well as preaching the importance of sharing scientific research related to the effectiveness of vaccinations and the possible adverse reactions to certain vaccines.   They are a very influential group based out of Italy, so much so that they made a lot of noise after the highly regarded National Order of Biologists in Italy made a  €10,000 donation to the group, as explained in an article published in Nature, International Journal of Science titled “Italian scientists protest funding for vaccine-safety investigation.” The Nature article points out that “Some scientists in Italy are up in arms over a donation from the organization that oversees the nation’s professional biology qualification to an advocacy group that opposes the country’s policy of mandatory childhood vaccination.” This part is confusing: Why would any group or any scientist oppose more safety studies regarding vaccinations? Wouldn’t professionals on both sides of the coin be in support of as much vaccine safety testing as possible?  My last article on the vaccine safety awareness group was on their testing of the Infanrix Hexa vaccine. It’s a six-in-one vaccine that’s manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) that’s supposed to contain the following antigens: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis toxoids; inactivated poliomyelitis viral strains 1-2-3; and hepatitis B surface antigen. CORVELVA discovered that none of these antigens were actually in the vaccine, which means it had zero antibodies to the intended antigens to be created. This was a huge shock, and in addition they found much more, including 65 contaminants that shouldn’t be in there. You can read more about that story here.  The ridicule vaccine safety studies are subjected to reminds me of Dr. Christopher Exley, the world’s leading authority on aluminum toxicology who was recently denied funding from scientific authorities to study aluminum in vaccines. His GoFundMe page was also shut down. A number of studies in the past few years have emphasized how injected aluminum doesn’t exit the body and travels to distant organs and the brain. This sparked Exley to open up the brains of multiple autistic people where he found some of the highest brain aluminum content ever measured, so he wanted to do some more research. You can read more about that and access those studies here.  When it comes to the Gardasil vaccine, it contains heavy amounts of aluminum compared to other vaccines on the market. The Gardasil 9 vaccine was the most recent one examined by CORVELVA. What they discovered was quite disturbing:  From what we could see the problems were, under the metagenomic profile, the presence of adventitious genetic material presents such as bacteria, human and mouse DNA, adventitious viruses like phages and retroviruses and yeasts. What most impressed us was the presence of L1 fragments of the genome of papillomavirus. These fragments should not be present in the vaccine because the papillomavirus is carcinogenic and their presence together with the aluminum adjuvant is believed to be the cause of some of the serious adverse reactions in the injured. The same chemical analysis, even if shocking due to the number of potential non-residual contaminants found, had left a huge question mark. The analysis with the technology used in the laboratories we identified, gave us 338 signals of which only 22% are known. What has seemed to many unbelievable, that is the list of the probably identified compounds, in reality, to us, it created enormous interest the remaining 78% not known. A study of this unknown 78% started a further study and, after repeated analysis carried out in two different laboratories and with two different instruments, we can now tell you that a signal we found, compared to three databases consulted, leads us to determine that in some lots of Gardasil 9, especially in lot R009338, there is a contamination corresponding to an amazing drug called APDB. Currently, it has been impossible to determine with absolute certainty that the signal is just the APDB amphetamine because of the current regulations our laboratories could not buy the certified analytical standard as it was a drug and could not be acquired by subjects not provided with the appropriate authorization, however, the correspondence of the fragmentation spectra in several databases with this molecule gives us a very high degree of probability. (source)  The group filed a complaint with the Carabineer Command for Health Protection in Italy to verify their results, the report was filed in August of 2018 at the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Rome, and you can access it HERE.  Doctor Explains How The HPV Vaccine Is Linked To A Rise In Cervical Cancer Rates  Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Explains Dangers of the HPV Vaccine & How It Could Give You Cancer  A Strong Association Has Been Found Between The HPV Vaccine & Infertility  Sacrificial Virgins” – A Must-See Film About Young Girls Being Severely Damaged By HPV Gardasil Vaccines  Colton Berrett Dies After Being Unable To Cope With His Gardasil HPV Vaccine Injuries  On a recent episode of CETV, we discussed the mainstream media and the way they fear monger and blame the unvaccinated without addressing important facts. We talked about the history of measles outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations, provided multiple clips from scientists and doctors sharing information related to the above, and cited examples of fraud, specifically with regards to the MMR vaccination and the CDC.  Below you can watch part of our discussion, but to see the whole thing you have to become a member on CETV. We created this platform because we were demonetized on Youtube and our reach on Facebook was dramatically reduced simply for sharing information like what you’ve read in this article. We had to create it in order to keep doing what we do, and we are barely hanging on, but we will continue to do our work regardless of our financial situation. We thank you for your support if you are already a supporter!  A number of safety concerns exist when it comes to vaccines, yet the mainstream continues to ignore them and ridicule those who question vaccine safety. The medical establishment continues to claim that vaccines are completely safe when they cannot provide any evidence themselves. Why are vaccine safety studies being shut down, like the aluminum example mentioned in this article? What is going on here? It’s OK to question vaccines, do your own research, and think for yourself. It’s our right and obligation to defend our freedom of choice.


fortruss--2019-08-20--Astronomers discover new planet orbiting Milky Way star

Astronomers at the National Center for Scientific Research at Grenoble Alpes University in France have discovered a second planet revolving around the star Beta Pictoris, outside of our solar system.  Beta Pictoris is a young Milky Way star surrounded by a dust disk, according to Nature magazine.  “We talking about a giant planet about 3,000 times more massive than Earth, situated 2.7 times further from its star than the Earth is from the Sun,” said Anne-Marie Lagrange, an astronomer at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research and lead author of a study in Nature Astronomy.  “To better understand the early stage of formation and evolution, this is probably the best planetary system we know of,” Lagrange told AFP.  The new planet, called Beta Pictoris C, has a mass nine times larger than Jupiter and takes 1,200 days to complete its orbit, as does Beta Pictoris B, which is the first exoplanet of this system, discovered in 2009. However, Beta Pictoris C is approximately three times closer to the star they both orbit.  The presence of the new celestial body was determined after analyzing more than ten years of data obtained through the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) high precision spectrograph, installed on the European ESO telescope of the La Silla Astronomical Observatory in Chile.  In addition, the study indicates that more data will be needed to make more accurate estimates of Beta Pictoris C characteristics as well as system dynamics.  Scientists hope to gain new information about the planet from data from the European Space Agency’s astronomy Gaia space mission, as well as from the future Extremely Large Telescope being built.  Beta Pictoris has fascinated astronomers for the past thirty years by allowing us to observe a planetary system during its development process around a star.  Located in the southern constellation of Pictor — “The Painter’s Easel” — Beta Pictoris is the second brightest star in its constellation.


sputnik--2019-04-23--Australian WWII Ship Discovered Relatively Intact After 77 Years PHOTOS

Australian WWII Ship Discovered ‘Relatively Intact’ After 77 Years (PHOTOS)

According to a press release by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an Australian federal government agency that conducts scientific research, the SS Iron Crown was found about 100 kilometers off the Australian state of Victoria's coast by Australian research vessel Investigator Tuesday. The Investigator was using multibeam sonar equipment and cameras to hunt for the sunken ship.  The 100-meter-long ore freighter was sunk by a Japanese submarine on June 4, 1942, while passing through Bass strait with manganese ore cargo. The freighter sank within 60 seconds of being struck by a torpedo from the submarine. The incident led to the death of 38 members of the ship's 43-member crew.  "The Iron Crown is historically significant as one of only four World War II shipwrecks in Victorian waters and is the only ship to have been torpedoed by a submarine in Victorian waters," Peter Harvey, a maritime archaeologist with Heritage Victoria, a Victorian state government agency, wrote in the press release.  "There were 43 crew from the Australian Merchant Navy on board the ship and 38 lost their lives in the attack. Locating the wreck after 77 years of not knowing its final resting place will bring closure for relatives and family of those that were lost at sea, as well as for Australia's maritime community," he added.  According to Emily Jateff of the Australian National Maritime Museum, who led the search for the wreck, the wreck seems to be "relatively intact" and the ship is "sitting upright on the seafloor in about 700 meters of water." Images captured by the camera on Investigator shows the intact bow of the ship, railings and anchor chains.  "We have mapped the site and surrounding seafloor using sonar but have also taken a lot of close-up vision of the ship structure using a drop camera. This will allow us to create a composite image of the whole site to assist in follow up surveys for its conservation and management," Jateff noted.  The Tuesday press release also states that a memorial service will be planned for the site, since the discovery of the wreck is of "national significance." Additional details regarding the memorial service were not revealed.  This is not the first time that the Investigator has uncovered historically significant shipwrecks. In 2017, the vessel discovered the SS Macumba, a merchant ship sunk on August 6, 1943, during a Japanese air attack in the Arafura Sea, west of the Pacific Ocean.


wakingtimes--2019-10-01--From Tomb To Table Cumins Health Benefits Rediscovered

From Tomb To Table: Cumin’s Health Benefits Rediscovered

Many spices are perfectly happy living a charmed life as seasonings, peppering things generously with flavor, and without ever arousing the suspicion that they may be capable of profound acts of healing as well.  Meet cumin, a member of the parsley family, which is to say from a well-known family of healers native to the central Mediterranean region (southern Italy, Algeria and Tunisia).  Cumin’s traditional use stretches back into prehistory, as evidenced by its presence in Egyptian tombs.  The Greeks actually used it much like we use pepper today, keeping cumin at the dining table in its own container, which is still practiced by Moroccans to this day.  It is also been used for millennia in India as a traditional ingredient of curry.  An accumulating body of research now indicates that these ancient “culinary” uses, once considered primarily aesthetic in nature, may have served more fundamental medicinal roles in these cultures.  Modern scientific investigation has revealed that cumin has a broad range of potential healing properties that, when properly applied, could profoundly alleviate human suffering by providing natural alternatives to often highly toxic pharmaceutical interventions.  For instance, research published in the journal Food Chemistry and Toxicology demonstrated that cumin has blood sugar lowering properties comparable to the drug glibenclamide (known in the US as glyburide), with the additional benefit (not conferred by pharmaceutical intervention) that it also lowered oxidative stress and inhibited the advanced glycated end products (AGE), which are implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications.[i]  Remarkably, this is only the tip of cumin’s medicinal potential. There are at least 10 other potential medicinal properties of cumin now confirmed in the experimental literature:  The so-called “evidence-based” approach of modern medical science to understanding cumin’s medicinal value is relatively new. Only in the past two decades, but especially in the past ten years, scientific research on spices and culinary herbs has virtually exploded. While enlightening, we must remember that the approach is limited in a number of ways. For one, it relies on animal research, which is both inherently cruel (vivisection) and conveys only approximate data, as these substances often have very different effects in animals than humans.  Also, spices like cumin should not be considered in isolation, as traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation contained a vast storehouse of medically relevant information pertaining to the synergies inherent in combinations of ingredients, modes of preparation, seasonal harvesting, etc. In other words, cumin does not lend itself well to the pharmacological, drug-based model of medicine, which presumes there are monochemical “magic bullets” within complex herbs or spices that must be identified and isolated into megadoses, and which are primarily responsible for their beneficial effects.  Nonetheless, it is welcoming that increasingly science confirms traditional herbalism and culinary practice. Perhaps, as the scientific evidence continues to pour in, we will be more willing to give ourselves permission to appreciate once again the wondrous superfluity of nature, its ceaseless benevolence, and the the fact that issuing directly from her fecund soil, are powerful healing gifts, that we can enjoy sensually, viscerally and now intellectually with greater abandon.  Sayer Ji is founder of Greenmedinfo.com, a reviewer at the International Journal of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, Co-founder and CEO of Systome Biomed, Vice Chairman of the Board of the National Health Federation, Steering Committee Member of the Global Non-GMO Foundation.  Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of WakingTimes or its staff.  **© [09/22/19] GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.**


abcnews--2019-03-11--What you need to know about the Boeing 737 MAX 8 that crashed in Ethiopia

The weekend crash of a new airliner in Ethiopia had both aviation experts and the public flying wondering on Monday if it is an indication of a larger safety issue with an aircraft designed to be a workhorse of the industry -- the Boeing 737 MAX.  When Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed just six minutes after takeoff on Sunday, killing all 157 people on board, comparisons were immediately made with an October 2018 crash in Indonesia involving the same type of plane.  So far, it is unclear how much that crash and last fall's Lion Air Flight 610 crash have in common other than the aircraft type and that flights went down shortly after takeoff while apparently struggling to gain altitude.  The Lion Air accident that ended with the plane plummeting into the Java Sea appeared to have been caused by pilot error and poor maintenance, according to experts who reviewed the publicly-released data.  So what is the MAX aircraft? What do we know about its accident record? Is it safe? And when are we going to learn more?  The MAX series is designed to fly more people, further than previous 737s  The Boeing 737 is the best-selling commercial airliner in the history of aviation and the MAX series is its latest iteration, done in a move to make the aircraft serve more people, on longer routes.  Originally developed as a smaller aircraft for shorter routes, it has, over time, been developed to serve a network as large as the United States. The latest version came to life in 2017 with the launch of the 737 MAX 8. (The MAX 9 and MAX 10 are its higher-capacity siblings.)  It has more powerful engines operating with far greater efficiency, allowing a larger number of travelers to fly with less cost to the airline. The new power and increased aerodynamics also allow the aircraft to fly long distances, such as flights from the continental U.S. to Hawaii, with ease.  The two engines on the aircraft protrude forward more than on previous models and sit higher on the wing, affecting the balance of the aircraft.  The new design of the winglets -- at the tips of the wings -- is the most efficient of any airplane, according to Boeing engineers. The reshaping of the wings helps reduce drag.  Boeing also introduced a new flight control safety system on the MAX — called MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) — that senses if the aircraft is flying at an improper angle and, if needed, puts the nose down in order to prevent a stall. Experts believe it was a component of this system that was improperly maintained before the 737 MAX 8 crashed in Indonesia in October. It's unknown if this system played a role in Sunday's accident.  The aircraft appeared to struggle to gain altitude upon takeoff  Investigators have more questions than answers about the accident in Ethiopia this weekend. The plane left Addis Ababa that morning and suffered control issues almost immediately, according to data from Flightradar24 and analyzed by ABC News.  The aircraft appeared to start "porpoising," or struggling to maintain a consistent altitude. The pilots requested a return to the airport and available data was lost just 6 minutes after takeoff. The MAX aircraft appears to never have reached an altitude above 1,000 feet.  Debris from the crash was found in a deep crater over a relatively small area outside of Addis Ababa. The compact field of aircraft parts and personal belongings often indicates a steep-angle crash.  Investigators have found the black boxes, the airline says  In a statement released on Monday, Ethiopian Airlines said both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were recovered from the crash scene, making up the black boxes and the most critical pieces of evidence.  If in good condition, the black boxes are expected to paint a clearer picture of every moment in the cockpit and the functions of the flight control systems. The cockpit voice recorder records every sound in the cockpit, from the voices of the pilots to any audible alerts they heard.  It's unclear when an analysis of the black boxes will be released. In American investigations, a summary is typically provided weeks after the accident. The Ethiopians are in charge of the investigation but are expected to seek international assistance in the readout of the flight recorders. The National Transportation Safety Board told ABC News on Monday it is prepared to quickly asses the conditions of the boxes and, if the request comes from the African nation, analyze them.  Four NTSB and four FAA investigators were arriving in Addis Ababa Monday, the agencies told ABC News.  U.S. aviation officials are not expected to ground the 737 MAX without more evidence  Federal aviation sources told ABC News the FAA is not expected to ground the Boeing 737 MAX without information that indicates the aircraft is unsafe. The agency tweeted on Monday that it would issue a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community, a reiteration that the aircraft is considered safe and worthy of international service.  "If we identify an issue that affects safety, the FAA will take immediate and appropriate action," the FAA said in a statement on Monday.  American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines all fly the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and say they are confident in its safety. Sources at the airlines told ABC News they have not encountered the "Angle of Attack" issues reported by the Lion Air pilots. An improperly maintained sensor is believed to have caused the incorrect readings in the MCAS system. After that accident, the FAA reissued existing guidance on how pilots should react if the MCAS system is malfunctioning — effectively telling pilots to turn it off and manually fly the airplane.  Southwest Airlines, one of the first to invest in the series, flies the most 737 MAXs of any U.S. carrier with 34 in its fleet flying all over the country. American Airlines has 24 in its fleet, mostly based out of Miami and serving its Caribbean routes. United Airlines operates 14, most of which fly in and out of Houston.

disaster, accident and emergency incident


abcnews--2019-11-06--New NTSB report in fatal crash involving self-driving car

A new federal report into last year's fatal crash involving a self-driving car in suburban Phoenix says the Uber vehicle couldn't anticipate the actions of jaywalkers.  The National Transportation Safety Board report also says the SUV wasn't designed to slam on the brakes to reduce the severity of an unavoidable accident.  A 49-year-old woman was killed in the March 2018 crash while pushing a bicycle across a dark Tempe street.  It was the first fatality in the country involving a self-driving vehicle.  The Maricopa County Attorney's Office hasn't decided whether to file charges against the driver.  According to the Arizona Republic, the NTSB released more than 400 pages of documents this week ahead of a Nov. 19 meeting during which the board will discuss the probable cause of the crash.


abcnews--2019-11-19--Safety agency says distracted driver caused fatal Uber crash

The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board says Uber had an ineffective safety culture when one of its autonomous test vehicles ran down and killed a pedestrian last year in Tempe, Arizona.  Robert Sumwalt said at a hearing Tuesday on the March 2018 crash that Uber didn’t continually monitor its operations and it had de-activated its Volvo SUV’s automatic emergency braking system. Uber’s own system also didn’t have the ability to brake automatically, relying on a human backup driver to do the braking.  He says all companies that test autonomous vehicles on public roads need to study the crash to prevent future accidents.  Sumwalt said lessons from the crash don’t just apply to Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group “and they’re not limited to ‘something went wrong and now it’s fixed.’ Something went wrong, and something else might go wrong unless it’s prevented,” he said.  The Uber system detected the pedestrian, Elaine Herzberg, 49, 5.6 seconds before the crash. But it but failed to determine whether she was a bicyclist, pedestrian or unknown object, or that she was headed into the vehicle’s path, the NTSB said. The system also did not include a provision for detecting jaywalking pedestrians, the agency said.  Instead, Uber relied on a human operator to pay attention and stop the vehicle to avoid a crash. But the company’s driver was streaming a television show and looking down just before the crash. The NTSB said Uber had cameras monitoring the drivers, but it didn’t do spot checks to make sure they were paying attention.  It said Uber has made many safety improvements since the crash, including activating the braking systems, better training of human backup drivers, adding a second driver and hiring a safety director.  Herzberg was impaired by methamphetamines at the time of the crash and crossed a road in the dark away from an intersection, according to the NTSB staff.  The board will determine the cause of the crash at the Tuesday hearing and make recommendations.


abcnews--2019-11-22--More than 50 vehicles pile up in crash on Denver road

Police say more than 50 vehicles were involved in a weather-related crash in west Denver.  Injuries were reported in the pileup about 7:30 p.m. Thursday night, but Denver police say none are considered life-threatening.  The accident happened along eastbound 6th Avenue near southbound I-25. Both directions of 6th Avenue were later closed in that area.


abcnews--2019-12-28--Hawaii tour helicopter crash kills 6, leaves 1 missing

HONOLULU -- The search for the final person missing after a Hawaii tour helicopter crash killed six is expected to resume Saturday depending on weather, officials said.  There are no indications that anybody survived the crash, authorities said Friday night after the remains of six of the people on board were found. Authorities have not named those on board and said families are being notified.  The helicopter was set to tour the rugged and remote Kauai's Na Pali Coast, which is one of the most dramatic and sought-after destinations in Hawaii and was featured in the film “Jurassic Park." The plane crashed at the top of a mountain on the island of Kauai, authorities said.  A search began for the helicopter carrying a pilot and six passengers from two families after it was reported overdue Thursday evening. Two passengers are believed to be minors, the Coast Guard said.  Steep terrain, low visibility, choppy seas and rain had complicated the search, the agency said.  The helicopter company, identified as Safari Helicopters, contacted the Coast Guard about 6 p.m. Thursday to say the aircraft was about 30 minutes overdue, authorities said.  A person who answered the phone at a number listed for Safari Helicopters declined to comment and hung up.  According to a preliminary report, the pilot said the tour was leaving the Waimea Canyon area, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific," about 4:40 p.m., which was the last contact with the helicopter, Kauai police said.  The Eurocopter AS350 has an emergency electronic locator transmitter, but no signals were received. The locator devices are designed to activate when an aircraft crashes, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said in an email.  The FAA requires the locators to be able to withstand impact. However, it is possible for the device to stop working in an extreme crash, Gregor said.  He said the agency is looking at the company's safety record but likely won't have a full report until Monday. It's looking into the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board, which announced Friday that it was sending three investigators to Kauai.  U.S. Rep. Ed Case of Hawaii cited fatal accidents over the years, blaming the FAA for not taking NTSB safety improvement efforts seriously and the industry for not regulating itself. He said “innocent lives are paying the price."  The FAA said it conducts random and regular surveillance on all Hawaii air tour operators and ensures companies address any issues. Gregor said the agency does not have concerns about the industry statewide.  The NTSB aviation accident database lists nine crashes of Hawaii helicopter sightseeing flights in the last 10 years, including three with fatalities.  After a Hawaii skydiving plane crashed and killed 11 people in June, the NTSB called on the FAA to tighten its regulations governing parachute operations. The FAA said at the time that it had made changes to address NTSB recommendations.  The chopper that crashed this week along a route used by all tour helicopters was found in a mountainous region inland from the Na Pali Coast, which is one of the most dramatic and sought-after destinations in Hawaii and was featured in the film “Jurassic Park." Towering mountains with deep ravines and huge waterfalls make up the interior of the uninhabited state park. Red rock cliffs with thick jungle canopies rise from the Pacific Ocean to over 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) high.  Ladd Sanger, a Texas-based aviation attorney and helicopter pilot who has handled several crash cases involving similar helicopters in Hawaii, said tour operators on Kauai face unique challenges because of weather and topography.  Kauai “has microclimates, so the weather at the airport is going to be different than up at the crash location,” Sanger said. “Those microclimates can come on very quickly and dissipate quickly too, so the weather reporting is difficult.”  Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesman Dan Dennison, who has spent years visiting and photographing the area, said winter brings more rain and turbulent seas.  “You can have very low ceilings. You can have fog and cloud banks that move in very quickly. You can have heavy rain and strong winds that make flying difficult if not impossible at times,” he said.  The shoreline has beaches that could potentially serve as emergency landing zones, but they are “few and far between,” Dennison said.  And even the beaches that are there would be a tight spot to land a helicopter.  “Kauai is incredibly unforgiving terrain,” Sanger said. “If you lose the engine there’s just really no place to land on the tour route that they were flying.”  Associated Press writer Dan Joling in Anchorage, Alaska, contributed to this report.


abcnews--2019-12-29--Police: All 7 killed in Hawaii tour helicopter crash

HONOLULU -- Tour helicopter operations in Hawaii have come under increased scrutiny after the deadly crash this week, one of several recent accidents in the state, with a congressman calling the trips unsafe and lacking proper oversight.  There were no survivors of a Thursday tour helicopter crash that killed three minors and four adults, officials confirmed Saturday.  The helicopter that was set to tour the rugged Na Pali Coast, the picturesque and remote northern shoreline of Kauai that was featured in the film “Jurassic Park,” crashed on a mountaintop Thursday.  The remains of six people were recovered Friday and the seventh is still missing. Kauai police confirmed there were no survivors based in part on the nature of the crash and impact damage, officials said in a statement. Recovery efforts were suspended Saturday afternoon.  There were six people from two different families and a pilot on the flight.  U.S. Rep. Ed Case of Hawaii cited fatal accidents over the years, blaming the Federal Aviation Administration for not taking National Transportation Safety Board safety improvement efforts seriously and the industry for not regulating itself.  “Tour helicopter and small aircraft operations are not safe, and innocent lives are paying the price,” said Case, a Democrat. “In our Hawaii alone, the industry, while stridently arguing that it is safe and sensitive to neighborhoods, has in fact ignored any sensible safety improvements, instead dramatically increasing in recent years its volume of flights, at all times of day and night, in seemingly all weather over more residential neighborhoods and to more risky and remote locations, at lower altitudes, while completely failing to address ground safety and community disruption concerns."  The FAA, however, said it conducts regular surveillance on all Hawaii air tour operators and ensures companies address any issues, agency spokesman Ian Gregor said in an email. He said the FAA does not have concerns about the industry statewide.  Police on Kauai have preliminary identifications for three of the seven people aboard Thursday’s helicopter tour that crashed in a remote part of Hawaii.  In a statement Saturday, police said the flight manifest listed the pilot as Paul Matero, 69, of Wailua, Hawaii. Two passengers were named as 47-year-old Amy Gannon and 13-year-old Jocelyn Gannon of Wisconsin. Amy Gannon’s friend Dorecia Carr said Gannon’s death would rattle the city of Madison.  “She is very important, I mean she owns a huge business in Madison that helps so many people,” Carr said. “The city is going to be really shaken.”  Amy Gannon co-founded a nonprofit company that helped female entrepreneurs succeed. Carr also said Gannon mentored her 17-year-old son AJ Carr.  Dorecia Carr said when she didn’t have enough money to move to allow her son pursue his acting career, Gannon put up the money for them to go. AJ Carr has appeared in “Chicago P.D.,” “This Is Us,” and “All American.”  “She did so much. She paid for us to leave Madison because she believed in him,” Dorecia Carr said. “So much happened because of her. This is a huge loss.”  Madison Metropolitan School District spokesman Tim LeMonds confirmed that Jocelyn Gannon was an eighth grader attending Hamilton Middle School.  “Our community has lost a wonderful young person," the district said in a letter sent Saturday to students.  Dorecia Carr said Gannon’s husband and son were not on Thursday’s flight and are still in Hawaii.  The four other passengers, including two girls who were 10 and 13 years old, are believed to be from Switzerland, police said, but their identities have not yet been released.  The helicopter company, identified as Safari Helicopters, contacted the Coast Guard on Thursday evening after the tour did not return to the airport as scheduled. A search began but steep terrain, low visibility, choppy seas and rain complicated the search.  A person who answered the phone at a number listed for Safari Helicopters declined to comment, but the owner released a statement Saturday saying, “The Safari Helcopter family, along with the broader community, mourn the loss of seven lives that were on Thursday’s sightseeing flight." Owner Preston Myers added that the pilot, Matero, had 12 years of experience on Kauai and called him a “seasoned member of our team.”  According to a preliminary report, the pilot said the tour was leaving the Waimea Canyon area, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific," about 4:40 p.m., which was the last contact with the helicopter, Kauai police said.  The FAA's Gregor said the agency is looking at the company's safety record but likely won't have a full report until Monday. The NTSB announced Friday that it was sending three investigators to Kauai.  The NTSB aviation accident database lists nine crashes of Hawaii helicopter sightseeing flights in the last 10 years, including three with fatalities.  After a Hawaii skydiving plane crashed and killed 11 people in June, the NTSB called on the FAA to tighten its regulations governing parachute operations. The FAA said at the time that it had made changes to address NTSB recommendations.  Towering mountains with deep ravines and huge waterfalls make up the interior of the uninhabited state park where the helicopter crashed this week. Red rock cliffs with thick jungle canopies rise from the Pacific Ocean to over 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) high.  Ladd Sanger, a Texas-based aviation attorney and helicopter pilot who has handled several crash cases involving similar helicopters in Hawaii, said tour operators on Kauai face unique challenges because of weather and topography.  Kauai “has microclimates, so the weather at the airport is going to be different than up at the crash location,” Sanger said. “Those microclimates can come on very quickly and dissipate quickly too, so the weather reporting is difficult.”  Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesman Dan Dennison said winter brings more rain and turbulent seas.  “You can have very low ceilings. You can have fog and cloud banks that move in very quickly. You can have heavy rain and strong winds that make flying difficult if not impossible at times,” he said.  The shoreline has beaches that could potentially serve as emergency landing zones, but they are “few and far between,” Dennison said.  And even the beaches that are there would be a tight spot to land a helicopter.  “Kauai is incredibly unforgiving terrain,” Sanger said. “If you lose the engine there’s just really no place to land on the tour route that they were flying.”  This story has been corrected to show that Sanger said Kauai is unforgiving terrain, not Dennison.


birminghammail--2019-01-08--M58 horror crash kills woman and boy 14 with lorry driver arrested

M58 horror crash kills woman and boy, 14, with lorry driver arrested

A lorry driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after 14-year old boy and a woman died in a crash on the M58 near Wigan, Lancashire Police said.  In a statement, Lancashire Police said: "The collision, which happened between junctions 3 and 4 Westbound, involved an HGV, a minibus and a number of other vehicles.  "Very sadly as a result of the collision two people, a woman and a 14-year old boy, suffered injuries which proved fatal. No further details can be released at this time as we are contacting next of kin.  "A number of other people also suffered serious injuries and are being treated at hospital.  "The driver of the HGV, a 31-year old man from Chorley, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He is currently in custody.  "Shortly after the initial collision a second collision took place involving an HGV, a van and a car. As a result of this collision a woman also suffered serious injuries. Two men were also seriously injured."  A police spokesman added: "We are working closely with partner agencies and the motorway remains closed in both directions for accident investigations.  "Our thoughts are with all of those affected by today’s tragic incidents."


birminghammail--2019-01-09--Driver crashes into car park barrier at Tamworth retail park

One of the exits from Tamworth's Jolly Sailor retail park is blocked after a driver wiped out a car park barrier.  The incident, involving an ICT Express Ltd lorry, happened at the exit of Sainsbury’s car park near to Argos before 12pm.  One bewildered eyewitness told us: “I can’t believe how this happened as there is a clear height restriction.  "It is not the first time it has happened either. Why don’t drivers take more care?”  Chris Cowie, operations manager at ICT Express Ltd, said: "It is disappointing that this has happened. It was an unfortunate accident that should not have happened.  "This was one of our agency drivers who we hadn’t had in before. Clearly he has made a mistake. He is fine but was very apologetic. He said he didn’t see the signs.  "We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused."


birminghammail--2019-01-15--M6 crash - long delays and lane closures after lorry and car smash near Aston Expressway

An accident is causing long tailbacks on the M6 this evening (Tuesday, January 15).  The accident, which involved a lorry and a car, happened at around 5.30pm just as commuters were making their way out of the city.  There are currently three lanes closed between J6 A38(M) Aston Expressway Spaghetti Junction and J7 A34 Birmingham Road (Great Barr).  Lanes two, three and four (of four) are shut whilst emergency services carry out investigations.  There is lots of queueing traffic as a result.  A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "There was a non-injury collision between a lorry and car on the M6. Police are attending to make the road safe."  And congestion is adding a further headache for commuters on the M42, especially those around the Solihull area.  One lane is closed and there's queueing traffic due to a technical fault with the hard shoulder live lane on M42 Southbound.  The congestion runs to J7 (M6 interchange) and travel time is thought to be around 20 minutes at around 6pm on Tuesday evening.  The hard shoulder live running lane usually helps to alleviate congestion during peak time.  There was also an accident here earlier, which cleared at around 5pm.


birminghammail--2019-01-16--Pedestrian seriously injured following crash on Chester Road

A pedestrian is in a serious condition in hospital after being hit by a car on the Chester Road.  The man, in his 30s, was walking near the Blue Angel Fish Bar, between the junctions of Eachelhurst Road and Gunter Road, when he was hit by a black Volkswagen Polo.  He was treated at the scene by an off-duty nurse and by-standers before paramedics arrived and took over his care.  The man suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after the accident at around 8.45pm on Tuesday.  A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We were called to reports of a RTC involving a car and a pedestrian.  "There was an off duty nurse on scene when arrived and we treated a man, the pedestrian, who had suffered serious injuries.  "He was given trauma care at the scene before being taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in a serious condition."  Police closed the road in both directions between Tyburn Island and the Bagot Island for several hours while investigations took place.  A force spokesman said: “Police were called to reports of a collision involving a car and pedestrian in Chester Road, near the junction of Gunter Road, Erdington, just after 8.45pm yesterday (Tuesday 15 January).  “A man in his 30s was taken to hospital with serious injuries.  “The driver remained at the scene and is helping officers with their enquiries.”  Images taken from the scene show collision forensics officers examining the dual carriageway.  An officer is pictured shining a torch into cracked windscreen of the Golf with front end damage.  Diversions were set up and the bus routes 67 and 28 were redirected.  Network West Midlands tweeted: “Due to a traffic accident on the Chester Road, Police have closed both directions between Tyburn Island and Bagot Island.  "Diversions are currently in place for the 67 and 28 #bus services, therefore there may be delays to your journey.”  The road was reopened around 10.40pm.  Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit via email at FL_COLLISION_INVEST@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk, via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk, or call 101 anytime. Please quote log 2448 of 15/1/19.


birminghammail--2019-02-02--M6 delays after major crash causes closure of carriageway

Saturday shoppers face large tailbacks on the road this morning after an accident which closed part of the near Walsall.  Congestion stretching back two-and-a-half miles has slowed the northbound route at junction nine, which is popular with Ikea customers heading to the Wednesbury superstore.  The accident has affected the soutbound side too, where an 'up and over' diversion has been put in place using the exit and entry slip roads to pass the scene.  Two lanes of the southbound carriageway at Bescot have been closed for barrier repair, due to the extent of the damage.  The accident involved a lorry and two cars, causing damage at J9 A461 Wood Green Road (Wednesbury) with congestion to the M6 J8.  There were no reports of injuries by emergency services and agencies on social media this morning.  One lane is closed northbound to clear up lamp-post and barrier damage.  Two lanes reopened at around 9.20am, according to traffic information service Inrix.


birminghammail--2019-02-02--Teenager taken to hospital after crash in Acocks Green

A girl in her early teens was injured in a road traffic accident in Acocks Green this morning.  She was taken to hospital by ambulance but is not thought to have been seriously injured.  The driver stopped at the scene in Shaftmoor Lane and waited until police officers arrived.  The girl, who is believed to be aged around 13 or 14, was conscious and talking.  She is thought to have suffered a head injury and was taken to hospital as a precaution.  West Midlands Police also responded to a report of an accident just after 10.30am this morning.  A spokesman said: "We were called to a report of a collision between a car and a teenage girl just after 10.30am.  "The driver stopped at the scene to talk to officers and the girl was taken to hospital for a check up.  "She had sustained a cut to the head but initial indications are that it was not serious."


birminghammail--2019-02-09--Emiliano Sala plane crash - expert says pilot had not lost all control

Emiliano Sala plane crash - expert says pilot 'had not lost all control'

The pilot of the plane carrying Emiliano Sala' had not completely lost control, an expert said.  Sala's body was recovered and formally identified earlier this week but David Ibbotson, who was flying the light aircraft, has not been found.  The 28-year-old Cardiff City striker died when the Piper PA-46 Malibu plane crash landed in the English Channel near Guernsey.  It is believed the plane came down due to bad weather as it flew from Nantes in France to Cardiff on January 21.  Former RAF instructor David Learmount, now consulting editor at aviation news website Flight Global, suggested Mr Ibbotson still had some control over the plane when it came down, reports the Mirror  He said the wreckage would have been spread out over a wide area if there had  been a high-speed, uncontrolled dive.  This suggested the pilot had "not absolutely, completely lost control", he said.  He told The Times: "Nobody dives an aircraft into the sea knowing they are diving the aircraft into the sea. You pull the nose up.  "It didn't enter the sea at high speed with its nose down."  A fundraising page has been set up asking for donations to restart a search for the pilotl.  A Go Fund Me page has so far raised more than £13,000.  A message on the site reads: "Please help bring David Ibbotson home and help give him the send off he deserves.  "As a family we are relying on the kindness of the good hearted people to help us raise the much needed funds to help us find our beloved Dad, Husband and Son.  "As a family we are trying to come to terms with the tragedy and the loss of two incredible men.  "To be told the search has now been called off for the foreseeable future has only made this tragic time more difficult.  "We can not bare the thought of him being alone, we need him home so that we are able to lay him to rest."  Below, the message Emiliano Sala sent to his friends:  Sala's body was recovered in a privately-funded search which had been launched after the initial search was called off three days after the men and their plane, which had been travelling from Nantes in France to Cardiff, went missing.  Although Mr Ibbotson, 59, of Crowle, Lincolnshire, has not been located, poor weather conditions meant a "difficult decision was taken to bring the overall operation to a close", a spokesman for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said on Wednesday.  The aircraft remains underwater off the coast of Guernsey in the English Channel.


birminghammail--2019-03-11--Live updates M40 shut northbound after massive crash

Live updates: M40 shut northbound after massive crash

The M40 was closed to northbound traffic this afternoon after a major crash.  The motorway was shut following what was described as a "multi-vehicle accident".  It happened between junctions 13, for Warwick, and 12, for Gaydon.  Highways England said it involved a number of cars and a lorry.  This is a live breaking incident and we will bring you more news in updates below.  Follow us on Twitter  and  Facebook  for the latest news. We are also on  Instagram.  If you are on the go, the Birmingham Live app helps bring you closer to the latest news where you live.  Available on iPhone and Android , the app can be tailor made to bring you the latest on what matters to you.  Breaking news, the latest on your football club, the pick of the weeks events and the latest travel - you can tailor the app to suit you.  Our push notifications help highlight the biggest stories to you first.


birminghammail--2019-03-15--Bentley driver arrested at scene after horror crash kills two children aged 10 and 23 months

Bentley driver arrested at scene after horror crash kills two children, aged 10 and 23 months

Two boys, one aged 23 months and the other 10, have died in a car crash.  The collision happened on the Birmingham New Road in Wolverhampton, at the junction with Lawnswood Avenue , at about 8.45pm on Thursday, West Midlands Police said.  The children were in a BMW car with their mother, who was seriously injured and remains in hospital.  The driver of an Audi A3 which struck the BMW left the scene, while a 31-year-old man driving a third car, a Bentley, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, said the force.  The children's mother was taken to hospital with serious injuries, where she remains.  West Midlands Ambulance Service said when its crews arrived, several members of the public were already tending to the injured.  A spokesman said: "There were three patients who all came from the same car.  "Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that nothing could be done to save the two young boys who had been badly hurt and they were confirmed dead at the scene."  Accident investigators were on the scene overnight, where a blue Audi S3 could be seen with a crumpled front end as well as a white BMW which had also been extensively damaged.  The BMW's off-side airbags had deployed and the car had come to rest in a row of metal pedestrian barriers at the roadside.  A witness who saw the aftermath said it had been a "massive" accident and he heard "a woman screaming".  The man, who lives locally and declined to be named, said: "It's very sad to hear that children have been killed."  Det Sgt Paul Hughes, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is an extremely tragic set of circumstances which has left a family totally devastated. Staff from our dedicated family liaison unit are now supporting them.  “I would appeal directly to the driver of the Audi to make contact with us.  "You may not be fully aware of the full tragic circumstances but you now need to speak to us.  "I would also ask the public who have any information or recall seeing a blue Audi S3 and a white Bentley Continental convertible travelling along the Birmingham New Road to make contact.  “The investigation is in its early stages and I would also ask the public to think about the family at this tragic time and not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the collision.”


birminghammail--2019-03-15--Birmingham New Road crash witnesses heard almighty bang as two children killed

Birmingham New Road crash witnesses 'heard almighty bang' as two children killed

Witnesses told how they heard an "almighty bang" as two children were killed in an horrific crash.  The boys, aged 23 months and ten years, were travelling in a BMW with their mother when the collision happened.  It happened on the Birmingham New Road at the junction with Lawnswood Avenue in Wolverhampton at 8.45pm on Thursday, March 14  The 31-year-old driver of a Bentley was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, while the driver of an Audi S3 left the scene, police saud.  A witness said the BMW was struck with an "almighty bang".  Investigators urged witnesses who saw a white Bentley Continental convertible and a blue Audi S3 travelling along Birmingham New Road at around the time to make contact.  Police also appealed directly to the Audi driver to "make contact".  West Midlands Police confirmed the speed of the vehicles involved was one line of enquiry.  In the immediate aftermath, several members of the public rushed to help and carried out CPR in the road, in a bid to save the injured children, while a woman was heard "screaming".  One man, whose flat overlooks the dual carriageway leading to the accident scene, said the BMW was hit shortly after his son spotted two cars heading towards the junction.  The resident, who asked not to be named, said: "I didn't see it but I heard it.  A taxi driver said two cars passed him about a mile away from the accident scene.  Tanveer Hussain pulled up at the crash site and was able to point out the man alleged to have been driving the Bentley to police officers.  Describing how two cars had passed him at speed, Mr Hussain added: "I was further up the road, by McDonald's, and two cars overtook me. If I am doing 35 to 40, they were doing much more."  Explaining what happened after he heard a bang and then saw the crash site, Mr Hussain added: "I got out of my car and other lads tended to the children. What I saw was terrible.  "It was too much. The mother was in shock."  Eye-witness Dudley Hartley said police quickly cleared the area and moved onlookers away - after immediately realising the severity of the children's injuries.  The 62-year-old said: "I was watching television and heard an enormous bang. I just looked straight out of the window."  Mr Hartley, who went outside to see if he could help at the scene, said: "It was absolutely shocking. To see something of this nature and then to discover there were two fatalities, both children, is shocking.  "The cars were in situ and one was up the railings. My heart goes out to the family. It's so, so sad."


birminghammail--2019-03-16--Police desperately search for Audi driver after two brothers killed in Wolverhampton crash

Police are still urgently trying to find the driver of a blue Audi S3 after a horror crash which left two young brothers dead.  Sanjay Singh, 10, and his 23-month-old brother Pawanveer, from Dudley , were killed when the white BMW being driven by their mother was hit by the Audi S3 as they turned right into Lawnswood Avenue, at around 8.45pm on Thursday (March 14).  The driver of the blue Audi left the scene , while a 31-year-old man - who was driving a white Bentley Continental convertible, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He has since been released pending further investigation.  The death of the two young brothers has devastated communities across the West Midlands.  More than 24 hours on from the crash here's what we know:  Black Country Live contacted West Midlands Police today (March 16) who confirmed the driver of the blue Audi S3 has still not been traced.  The family have released a statement via West Midlands Police.  They said: “Our family are grieving over the tragic deaths of our two beautiful children, as well as dealing with the shock of the horrific crash.  “We appeal to the general public to come forward as witnesses in order help police find the perpetrator who fled from the scene and to bring him or her to justice.  “At this time we would appreciate some privacy and space to grieve over our precious loss.  “Your co-operation in this would be very much appreciated.”  Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes who is leading the investigation released desperate appeal for the Audi driver to "do the right thing" and come forward.  Talking at a press conference yesterday he said: "You may not have been fully aware of the full tragic facts at the time, but you are now. You know what has happened so please do the right thing and come and see us."  He added: "The public can always help us and always do.  "The driver may have told you what’s gone on, if not, do you know someone who is suddenly without a car?  "By not telling us, you're not helping them, us or the family.  "We can’t solve these sort of things without the help of the public. Did you see the cars beforehand? Did you witness the collision?  Residents in the Lanesfield area near the Birmingham New Road have spoken out about the "dangerous" road that is "atrocious for accidents".  Many have called for speed cameras to be set up to reduce the number of accidents.  A spokesperson at City of Wolverhampton Council said: “This is a horrific incident which has cost the lives of two innocent children.  "Clearly it is inappropriate to speculate on the causes while the police undertake their investigation, but needless to say, we take our road safety duties very seriously.  “The City Council constantly monitors speed and accident data to help identify and address areas of concern.  We will continue to do this and will be liaising closely with the police to ensure we can help and support them as much as we can.  “Our thoughts are with the children’s family and friends and would encourage anyone with information to contact the police as soon as possible.”  West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, has said he will support any proposals the council puts forward to improve average speed enforcement measures.  A note left at the scene reads: “Two beautiful boys taken away so suddenly. You will be missed so much and always remembered.  Goodnight, God Bless you superstars. Love from Miss Best (Princess Angel).  Another said: “We will all miss your cheeky smile and funny jokes. You’re wearing the shiniest tiara now! I have left your exact one with your flowers.  Mrs Worrall left a tribute that read: “Sweet angels, gone too soon. Your smiles and laughter were contagious. We shall miss you so much!”  Anyone with information is urged to contact police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight or call 101 anytime.  Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting log number 2580 of March 14.


birminghammail--2019-03-21--Live updates - M5 to be shut for hours after Junction 3 lorry crash at Quinton

There are major jams on the M5 this morning after a serious accident.  The motorway was closed between the entry and exit slips on the northbound carriageway at junction three , for Quinton .  Two cars and a lorry were understood to have been involved in the crash, which happened just before 6am on Thursday.  Highways England warned the scene was expected to be closed for "several hours".  More as we get it.  Each day BirminghamLive journalists bring you the latest news on the roads and railways across Birmingham and the West Midlands and further afield to help keep you on the move.  For the very latest updates on roads including the M6, M42, M5 and more, visit our dedicated traffic and travel news Facebook page here.  You can also bookmark BirminghamLive's Traffic and Travel landing page here.


birminghammail--2019-04-02--MI6 boss son Sam Younger 22 killed in unexplained car crash in Scotland

MI6 boss’ son Sam Younger, 22, killed in 'unexplained' car crash in Scotland

Tributes have been paid to the "big-hearted and fun-loving" son of MI6 chief Alex Younger after the 22-year-old reportedly died in a motor vehicle accident on a private estate.  Sam Younger, who is said to have been involved in the crash in Stirlingshire on Saturday, was described as a "wonderful son" by his devastated family.  The Edinburgh University student was remembered as "always warm and friendly" and "confident and excited about the future" by lecturer Kieran Oberman.  "We are devastated by the tragic news of his death and our thoughts are with his family and friends," he said.  Mr Younger was a former pupil of the prestigious Dulwich College boys school in south London, where he played rugby in the first XV.  The Old Alleynians Association of former students announced his death with "deep sadness".  "Sam died in a car accident in Scotland in the early hours of Saturday morning," said a statement online.  "A selfless, big-hearted, fun-loving and committed Alleynian, and Old Alleynian, we offer heartfelt condolences to Sam's family and friends."  Police Scotland said Mr Younger's death was being treated as unexplained, although there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.  The force said: "(We) can confirm that Sam Younger, a 22-year-old student from Edinburgh University, has died following an accident involving a motor vehicle on a private estate in Stirlingshire on Saturday 30th March 2019.  "The family have provided that they wish privacy and space to remember and celebrate their wonderful son."  A report was being compiled to be submitted to the procurator fiscal.  Mr Younger's father has been Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) - a position known as "M" - since November 2014.  The appointment came after a career of more than 20 years as an officer in the SIS, which is commonly called MI6.  Earlier this year it was reported that the former Army officer was expected to stay in the post beyond his November retirement date in the interest of security stability in the post-Brexit period.  The Times reported that the extension, if confirmed, would make him the longest-serving MI6 chief since the 1960s.


birminghammail--2019-04-12--Car crashes into front of office in Lichfield city centre

STAFF at a Lichfield business were shocked today when an estate car smashed into the front of their city centre office building.  The rear of the Toyota crashed through brickwork and the ground floor window of Field Hamlin Financial Advisers in Bore Street at around 2.20pm.  An ambulance rushed to the scene and tended to the driver of the car, reported to be an elderly man.  A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said he is not believed to be injured but was treated for shock.  A spokesman for Field Hamlin told the Mercury: “I was not in the building. It appears an elderly gentleman  who was parked opposite, accidentally reversed into our building.  “As far as we know he is OK. All of our staff our fine - no one works on the ground floor.”  Firefighters are at the scene dealing with the structural damage until engineers arrive.  Staffordshire Police said no arrests have been made.


birminghammail--2019-04-15--Isle of Wight bus crash victim Yvonne Coplands heartbroken family pay tribute

Isle of Wight bus crash victim Yvonne Copland's heartbroken family pay tribute

The family of a 64-year-old woman killed in a crash involving a double-decker bus have said she "will be greatly missed".  Yvonne Copland died after the collision at the junction of Forest Road and Betty Haunt Lane in Newport, Isle of Wight, on Sunday, sparking a major incident.  The grandmother, from Newport, was travelling in a red Fiat Bravo, and three other people in the car were taken to hospital in a serious condition.  Her family said in a statement released through Hampshire police: "Much loved wife, 'ma' of four children and four grandchildren who was loved by all who knew her. She will be greatly missed by all her family and friends.  "We would like to thank the efforts of the first responders, air ambulance crew, paramedics, police, fire, members of the public and all hospital staff.  "We would also like to thank everyone for their best wishes and support, but would respectfully ask for privacy at this difficult time."  The driver of the bus, a man in his 50s, also suffered a serious injury and 10 passengers on the bus were taken to hospital as a precaution.  Four people travelling in a silver Mini Cooper were taken to hospital as a precaution.  More than 2,400 people have signed a petition for traffic lights to be installed at the junction, described as a "blind spot", to prevent further accidents.  One of those who signed the petition on change.org, Evelyn Tubb, wrote: "This is crazy that we have to sign a petition for something so obviously dangerous and yet so 'simple' to rectify."  Faye Courage wrote: "This is a junction i have always hated pulling out of!! Let's make it safe!!!!"  An Isle of Wight Council spokesman said: "Any decision by the council to implement road safety measures is something that would be only done following the advice and input of relevant agencies and experts after a thorough investigation of the circumstances of what happened."  Bus operator Southern Vectis said it is believed the double-decker ended up in the Fiat's path after a crash moments earlier.  General manager Richard Tyldsley said: "Early indications suggest a car pulled out in front of a route 7 bus and our driver was unable to avoid it. The bus was forced into the path of another car."  A spokeswoman for Isle of Wight NHS Trust said a "major incident" was declared just after 1.50pm on Sunday, with four people being airlifted to mainland hospitals and 15 taken to St Mary's Hospital in Newport.  People were asked not to attend the emergency department unless "absolutely necessary".  The major incident was stood down shortly before 5pm, but the trust said the hospital remained in a "critical incident status" to ensure all patients were treated.