thedailymirror--2019-01-07--British man feared dead in Lanzarote after wallet found floating near boat on fire

A missing British man is feared dead after a fire broke out on a motor boat he was on off the coast of Lanzarote.  Dramatic video footage shows bright orange flames and plumes of smoke rising from the boat.  The emergency services found the vessel empty after launching a rescue operation on Friday morning when it went up in flames.  They discovered the unnamed man’s wallet in the sea near the boat - and subsequently spoke to his partner who confirmed he had left the upmarket Marina Rubicon port in Playa Blanca on Lanzarote’s southern coast alone around 7.30am.  Civil Guard said the search operation involving police, coastguards and a local authority emergency response unit was continuing after firefighters put out the blaze.  Specialist Civil Guard divers were assisting as well as a coastguard helicopter, which took the video footage of the upturned boat near the Pechiguera Lighthouse with thick black smoke rising from its hull as it was engulfed in flames.  One source confirmed: “The missing man is a British national. He hasn’t yet been located.”  He is believed to be 68 and it is understood he lives in Lanzarote.  The boat he was on has been named locally as Orca.  The cause of the fire is not yet known.  One Brit holidaymaker commenting on the boat blaze wrongly claimed on social media the man on board had been found floating in the sea, despite the Civil Guard insisting last night he had yet to be located.  Another said: “Fire on a boat is never a good thing. I hope everyone is ok.”


thedailymirror--2019-01-12--Paris bakery explosion Gas leak blast rocks French capital leaving four dead

Paris bakery explosion: 'Gas leak' blast rocks French capital leaving four dead

A massive explosion rocked Paris this morning killing four people and sparking a huge emergency response to piles of rubble and screaming residents.  Police and paramedics were scrambled to a quiet street in the French capital after a suspected gas leak caused a giant blast.  At least four people, including two firefighters, were killed and dozens more injured after a fireball ripped through Hubert bakery on the Rue de Trevise, in Paris' ninth arrondissement.  Before the deaths were announced, 12 people were said to be in critical condition, according to a fire department spokesman. Four of those, including two firemen who were called to the gas leak prior to the explosion, were in a 'life-threatening' condition, a police spokesman confirmed.  Shocking images showed a buildings either gutted or on fire and piles of rubble littering the street.  It is thought the blast, which occurred at around 9am local time, was caused by a gas leak in the bakery.  More than 200 emergency responders attended the scene, France's Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said.  "There are casualties," said one emergency worker.  "A whole shop front has been taken out, and other buildings have also been severely damaged.  "It’s a Saturday morning – a lot of people were at home. Leaking gas caused the explosion, which is being viewed as an accident."  The fire service has been seen helping stranded residents out of the apartments above the shop.  One injured victim, who works in a nearby hotel, spoke to reporters at the scene, claiming fire crews were called to reports of a gas leak in a bakery and the explosion happened around an hour later.  He also said the guests in the hotel were badly injured as a result of the blast.  An eyewitness who was staying at a hotel nearby said he saw a huge fire erupt in the building blown out by the blast.  "There was broken glass everywhere, storefronts were blown out and windows were shattered up to the third and fourth floors," said 38-year-old David Bangura.  He said that as he approached the scene, a woman was crying for help from the first floor of a building: "Help us, help us, we have a child".  Two helicopters landed on the nearby Place de l'Opera to evacuate victims.  According to opening hours listed online, the Hubert bakery is closed on Saturdays.  Police are warning people to avoid the area and leave the surrounding streets free for emergency vehicles.  Stranded residents in the apartments directly above the bakery were being led to safety by members of the fire service.  Some were still in pyjamas and dressing gowns as they were helped down ladders.  Those injured in the explosion was seen being stretchered into an ambulance by paramedics.  Flames were seen on the ground floor of the Hubert patisserie, and there appeared to be significant damage to the upper floors of the building, too.  One witness told French news channel BFM TV: "I was sleeping and suddenly I heard a big explosion and windows exploded in our building. I went down and I saw it was the bakery, it's carnage."  Another resident, who managed to escape safely, added that there was "nothing left" of her apartment.  A Twitter user, who lives nearby, said his windows were rattled by the force of the blast.  Another said she "heard screaming, like some were still trapped."  Others say the blast could be heard as far as two kilometres away from the bakery.  One social media user wrote, "The impact is so huge, it woke everyone up. People are still stuck there."  The French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe arrived at the scene around an hour after the explosion.  The incident has occurred on a day of high security in the French capital.  There are 5000 police on the streets of Paris today for an Act 9 ‘Day of Rage’ by the anti-government Yellow Vest movement.  They have been behind numerous acts of vandalism, including destroying parts of the Arc de Triomphe itself.  Fires have been rife and buildings smashed to pieces during nine weeks of Saturday rioting by the movement.  Paris has also been targeting by terrorist groups in recent years, including Islamic State and Al-Qaeda.  However, gas leaks frequently lead to explosions in the city, and today’s will be investigated in full.

disaster, accident and emergency incident


thedailymirror--2019-02-06--Hermit living in Scottish forest saved after SOS signal is picked up in Texas

A hermit living in a remote forest in Scotland was rescued after his distress signal was picked up nearly 5,000 miles away.  The elderly man, believed to be in his 70s, had lived alone in a log cabin near Fort Worth for many years.  But he activated a distress beacon to send an SOS signal to tell emergency services he was in trouble.  It was picked up 4,500 miles away at the International Emergency Response Coordination Centre in Houston, Texas, and relayed to the UK Coastguard.  With no means of finding out if it was a false alarm, the Coastguard sent up a helicopter from Prestwick, Ayrshire.  A winchman found the man seriously ill in his cabin but the surrounding trees prevented him from being winched up.  A mountain rescue team was instead sent in to bring him to a suitable area for winching.  Team leader John Stevenson said: “We got a call to take seven of us by helicopter to as close as the aircraft could land.  “We reached the dwelling and took him by stretcher to the helicopter.  “It was a cold night and the job took about 90 minutes. It was a very well coordinated rescue.”  The pensioner was flown to Torlundy, where he was taken by ambulance to hospital in Fort William. His condition was not known last night.  Neil Blewett, aeronautical operations centre controller for HM Coastguard, said: “The satellites and the SPOT beacon saved his life because without any of those, we would not have known he needed urgent help.”


thedailymirror--2019-02-14--British man 54 dies in Tenerife diving tragedy despite efforts to revive him

British man, 54, dies in Tenerife diving tragedy despite efforts to revive him

A British man has died after he went into cardiac arrest while diving in Tenerife.  The man, believed to be aged 54, was pronounced dead in the small resort of Abades in the south-east of the holiday island after being rushed ashore following a medical alert.  Efforts to revive him before and after paramedics arrived failed and a judicial investigation is now underway into the events leading up to his death.  Civil Guard officers in the country announced two days ago they had reported a number of diving schools including two in Abades for alleged administrative infractions.  It happened just before 4pm local time today in Abades, regarded as a peaceful place in the municipality of Arico which is popular with locals and some foreigners who own holiday homes.  Its beautiful golden sand beach is known as a fantastic diving spot.  It's unclear if the victim was on holiday or lived in Tenerife.  A spokesman for a regional government emergency response coordination centre confirmed: “A 54-year-old diver of British origin has died on the Tenerife coast.  “An air ambulance and two land ambulances were mobilised along with police and Civil Guard after a local emergency coordination centre took a call to say a diver who needed urgent medical attention was being transferred to land.  “A medical coordinator from the Canary Islands Emergency Service came to the conclusion the patient had gone into cardiac arrest during the call and advised the caller how to practice CPR to try to revive him until expert help arrived.  “The medical experts confirmed he was still in cardiac arrest when they arrived and tried to revive him themselves without obtaining a positive result.  “He was confirmed dead at the scene. Local police helped the air ambulance land on a pier in the area of Abades and cooperated with the rest of the emergency response teams.  “Civil Guard looked after the body until court officials arrived.”  Although Abades is now a small holiday resort, the hill above it was once the site of a whole leprosy village including a hospital and crematorium - built in 1943 - when leprosy was a manor disease on the island.  The leprosy station later became a military training facility.  During checks carried out in early February, officers discovered faulty equipment and unregistered workers at several diving schools in Tenerife.


thedailymirror--2019-02-17--Brit holidaymaker dies in Tenerife diving tragedy while celebrating 32nd wedding anniversary

A British holidaymaker has died in a Tenerife diving tragedy while celebrating his 32nd wedding anniversary with his wife.  "Top bloke" Andrew Littler, from Coalville, Leicester, got into difficulties during a dive off the Spanish island's coast on Valentine's Day .  He tragically died at the scene after reportedly going into cardiac arrest .  The 53-year-old, who had been "doing something he loved and enjoyed", had been due to go for a Valentine's meal with his wife that evening.  Heartbroken pals are now raising money to help repatriate his body, as the tragedy remains under investigation by a local court.  Andrew is understood to have worked as a transporter driver, but was a well-known DJ in his home area. His wife, Lesley, is still in Tenerife.  Desperate attempts were made to revive the holidaymaker on a pier in the quiet south-eastern holiday resort of Abades after he got into trouble.  But sadly, the efforts proved unsuccessful and he was declared dead at the scene.  A GoFundMe appeal has now been launched to help repatriate him.  Close friend David Granger, also from Coalville, said: “It is with great sadness that I have to say Andrew Littler who ran Black Night disco around the area for many years has passed away while on holiday.  “He was celebrating his wedding anniversary in Tenerife with his wife of 32 years."  David said Andrew died on Valentine's Day and would be "greatly missed".  He continued: "A GoFundMe page has been set up by his work colleagues to help repatriate Andrew home where he belongs so his family can give him a final farewell."  “Andrew was a true friend of mine for more than 30 years. He’s helped me a fair few times. He will be greatly and sadly missed."  Friends and colleagues of Andrew have so far raised more than £2,000.  Pal Andrew Toher said: “So shocked to hear the news. He was a top bloke that would do anything to help. Thoughts and prayers to Lesley and the family."  Another devastated friend added: “Andy was more like a brother to me rather than a friend. He was always there when the going got tough.  “I can say I was proud to be your brother We were friends for over 24 years. What a sad loss. He will be missed.”  Andrew was rushed to shore around 4pm local time last Thursday - hours before the planned Valentine’s Day meal with his partner.  A spokesman for a regional government emergency response coordination centre confirmed at the time: “A 53-year-old diver of British origin has died on the Tenerife coast.  "An air ambulance and two land ambulances were mobilised along with police and Civil Guard after a local emergency coordination centre took a call to say a diver who needed urgent medical attention was being transferred to land  “A medical coordinator from the Canary Islands Emergency Service came to the conclusion the patient had gone into cardiac arrest during the call and advised the caller how to practice CPR to try to revive him until expert help arrived.  “The medical experts confirmed he was still in cardiac arrest when they arrived and tried to revive him themselves without obtaining a positive result.  “He was confirmed dead at the scene.  "Local police helped the air ambulance land on a pier in the area of Abades and cooperated with the rest of the emergency response teams.  “Civil Guard looked after the body until court officials arrived.”  The alarm was raised by a monitor Andrew was with.


thedailymirror--2019-03-20--Cyclones Idai More than 350 dead with Mozambique Zimbabwe and Malawi devastated

Cyclones Idai: More than 350 dead with Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi devastated

More than 350 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds more are missing after the cyclone that unleashed devastating floods in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.  Aid workers rushed to rescue victims clinging to trees and crammed on rooftops on Tuesday amid fears that many thousands of people are at risk.  In Mozambique, the rapidly rising floodwaters created "an inland ocean," endangering tens of thousands of families, aid workers said as they scrambled to rescue survivors and airdrop, food, water and blankets to survivors of Cyclone Idai.  "This is the worst humanitarian crisis in Mozambique's recent history," said Jamie LeSueur, head of response efforts for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.  The United Nations allocated 20 million (£15m) from its emergency response fund to ramp up the humanitarian response in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.  The European Union and Britain have also pledged aid, and the US Embassy in Zimbabwe said America was "mobilising to provide support" to partners in the three affected countries.  Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi said that more than 200 people had been confirmed dead in his country. Earlier he said the death toll could reach 1,000.  At least 400,000 people have been left homeless.  In Zimbabwe's eastern mountain areas bordering Mozambique, residents struggled to cope with the disaster.  "There was a house there, it was buried and the owners may have been buried with it. They are missing," said Zacharia Chinyai of the Zimbabwean border town of Chimanimani, who lost 12 relatives in the disaster.  The cyclone took residents by surprise, Mr Chinyai said.  "We heard news on the radio" about the flooding in neighbouring Mozambique, he said. "But we never thought we could also be victims... No-one told us it was going to be this devastating."  "I wasn't able to save anything except this baby," she said of her lone surviving child, a six-month-old son, who suffered an eye injury and scars to his face.  The family was sleeping when their house collapsed, the 30-year-old said.  "Trees, rocks and mud were raining on us. I grabbed my son, my husband took Anita and we ran to a hut, but that also collapsed. Anita died there," she said.  Amanda was trapped in the rubble of their house and her body was not found until the next day.  "I knew she was already dead. I cried the whole night," Ms Dhliwayo said. "I lost so much that I wish I had just died."  The cyclone created southern Africa's most destructive flooding in 20 years, said emergency workers. Heavy rains were expected to continue through Thursday.  Mozambique's Pungue and Buzi rivers overflowed, creating "inland oceans extending for miles and miles in all directions," said Herve Verhoosel of the World Food Programme (WFP).  "This is a major humanitarian emergency that is getting bigger by the hour," Mr Verhoosel said.  He said people were "crammed on rooftops and elevated patches of land."  "People visible from the air may be the lucky ones and the top priority now is to rescue as many as possible," he said.  Many areas remained impassible. With key roads washed away, aid groups were trying to get badly needed food, medicine and fuel into the hard-hit city of Beira, on Mozambique's coast, by air and by sea.  "It's dire," Caroline Haga of the Red Cross told The Associated Press from Beira, a city of 500,000.  "We did an aerial surveillance yesterday and saw people on rooftops and in tree branches. The waters are still rising and we are desperately trying to save as many as possible."  Satellite images were helping the rescue teams target the most critical areas, Ms Haga said. Rescue operations were based at Beira airport, one of the few places in the city with working communications.  The waters flooded a swathe of land more than 150 square miles in central Mozambique, according to the European Union's global observation programme, which was mapping the crisis, putting more than 100,000 people at risk.  "The full horror, the full impact is only going to emerge over coming days," Red Cross spokesman Matthew Cochrane told reporters in Geneva.  Thousands of homes were destroyed in Beira, and the city and surrounding areas were without power and nearly all communication lines were destroyed.  Beira's main hospital was badly damaged, and in large areas flood waters completely covered homes, telephone poles and trees, the Red Cross said.  Beira could face a "serious fuel shortage" in coming days, the WFP said, and its power grid was expected to be out of action until the end of the month.  In Zimbabwe the death toll was 98 but expected to rise, a local government minister, July Moyo, said.  He said bodies of Zimbabweans had been reported floating all the way into Mozambique. "Some of the peasants in Mozambique were calling some of our people to say: 'We see bodies, we believe those bodies are coming from Zimbabwe'," Mr Moyo said.


thedailymirror--2019-05-04--NAS Jacksonville Plane carrying 136 passengers skids off runway into river

NAS Jacksonville: Plane carrying 136 passengers 'skids off' runway into river

A plane with passengers on board 'skidded' off the runway and into a river in Florida on Friday night.  Mayor of Jacksonville Lenny Curry confirmed a "commercial" plane was "down on the river" at 10:30pm (03:30am Saturday GMT).  He said the incident was a "developing situation" and urged his followers to "pray while they [the Fire and Rescue team] work".  Posting on Twitter, he said: "Teams are working to control jet fuel in the water."  Passengers could be seen standing on the wing of the plane and getting into a yellow float.  The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirmed the incident and a marine unit was called to the scene to assist.  The Sheriff said the plane landed in shallow water "was not submerged".  There were 136 passengers on board along with seven crew members.  According to a spokesperson for Naval Air Station Jacksonville, the Boeing 737 aircraft slipped off the runway while trying to land and ended up in the St John's River.  The airport spokesperson said: "At approximately 9:40pm today, a Boeing 737 arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba into Naval Air Station Jacksonville crashed into the St. Johns River at the end of the runway.  "Navy security and emergency response personnel are on the scene and monitoring the situation."  Mayor Curry said President Donald Trump's White House staff had called to offer help as the situation was developing.  He added: "We are all one family. One people. One city.  "All alive and accounted for. Our Fire and Rescue teams are family to all."  Every passenger was accounted for and only minor injuries were reported.  The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation.


thedailyrecord--2019-01-02--Nazi bomb packed with live explosives discovered in Ayrshire

A fisherman says he netted a Nazi bomb which nearly capsized his boat - and was still packed with live explosives.  Glenn Gallagher, 44, was fishing off the coast of Largs, North Ayrshire, days before Christmas when he felt an unusually heavy object tugging at the nets.  The dad-of-four lugged it onboard his boat, The Two Boys, initially mistaking it for a boiler.  But Glenn soon noticed a "horrific" smell of explosives, as the Mark 7 World War Two depth charge landed on the deck of his boat.  And he recalled how the weight of the bomb, which had languished on the seabed for around 75 years, nearly tipped the fishing boat over.  Glenn said: "When we pulled it out the weight nearly tipped us over.  "The bottom of the boat went right over, we nearly capsized.  "I thought it was some sort of boiler at first, and we got a big large boulder which hit deck along with depth charge.  "I am just glad it never went off on us to be honest."  The WW2 explosive was accidentally picked up on December 20, sparking a huge emergency response from the MOD explosives unit.  A 700m exclusion zone was placed around Glenn's vessel, and the depth charge was taken out to sea one mile from the coast and placed it in 27 metres of deep water.  Experts had to wait until morning the next day before they could safely detonate it.  Glenn, from Largs, said: "It's a weird smell, but when you smell it you know it's explovies.  "It's like a mixture of paint and bleach - it's ghastly, it makes you feel sick and your eyes water."  Glenn, who was onboard the boat with crewman Ross Dunn, said: "I heard it made a bit of a bang on Friday morning when they blew it up, so it was clearly still live.  "The smell of explosives was horrific when we brought it on board.  "We have had a few like this during my 29 years at sea.  "Most places we get stuff like that is in the Clyde as there was an ammunition dump south of wee Cumbrae, but that was just out Greenock Road in Largs.  A spokesman for the Royal Navy said: "We can confirm that Royal Navy clearance divers from Northern Diving Group (NDG), based at HM Naval Base Clyde, were called to assist.  "The team examined the item and it was found to be a Mark 7 World War Two depth charge.  "The team took the item back to sea, around one mile from the coast, and placed it in 27 metres of deep water.  "They then dived down to the ordnance, placed explosive charges and carried out a controlled explosion.  "The disposal was completed around 10am on Friday."  A Belfast Coastguard spokesman said: "We informed the MOD after being alerted to the matter and then it was arranged for somewhere to meet just north of Great Cumbrae and the Navy took it from the fishing boat.  "An exclusion zone was put around it of around 700m and we put broadcasts out reminding all vessels to keep clear of it."


thedailyrecord--2019-01-28--Skinny teen breaks his neck when hes forced to wrestle with 15 stone teacher

Skinny teen breaks his neck when he's 'forced' to wrestle with 15 stone teacher

A skinny college student claims he was forced to take part in a 'wrestling match' with a 15-stone teacher during a lesson which left him with a broken neck.  Imaam Usmin, 18, says he felt a bone crack in his neck after the unnamed teacher accidentally fell on top of him as they wrestled during a public services class.  The teenager - who at the time weighed just eight stone - was being taught key skills to help further his dream of becoming a police officer when he suffered the serious injury.  But Imaam's family said the pupil and teacher - who they estimated was double his size - had been 'mismatched' during the exercise which led to the accident.  The teenager said he had reservations about taking part in the wrestling session amid fears he didn't stand a chance against the heavy-weight teacher .  But, after refusing three times, he was forced to participate after staff allegedly threatened to discipline him for "bad behaviour".  An investigation has now been launched following the incident during a lesson at Bradford College on December 7 last year which has left Imaam with a metal plate in his neck.  The teen, from Bradford, West Yorks, said: "They took us on a six-mile hike and then to a park near Grosvenor Road.  "They made us do activities like wheelbarrow and one-legged races and then wrestling.  "I refused three times and then they said if I don't do it they will put me on a behavioural report."  Imaam was initially taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary by one of the teachers, who he claims downplayed the extent of his injuries despite describing the pain as excruciating.  He added: "They said 'it's fine' and 'don't worry'."  Following initial checks, the distraught teen was given a neck brace to wear for a month but the injury failed to heal properly and doctors at Leeds General Infirmary decided to operate.  Medics carried out the operation to replace the cracked bone with a metal plate last week.  Imaam spent five days in hospital and the ordeal has seen him lose a stone in weight.  He now fears the injury has dashed his hopes of joining the police and he will now have to turn his attention to another career.  "I don't know if I will be able to go back to college," he added.  "Doctors have told me it will take three to four months to recover and, by the time I go back, college will be over."  His dad, Osman Usmin Sharif, 39, said the college should not have allowed the wrestling to go ahead.  "This was a mismatch and they should not have made him wrestle," he added.  "They have put a plate in his neck and he may struggle to look in blind spots.  "If he can't do that, he can't drive and can't join the police.  A Bradford College spokesperson said an investigation is underway to determine exactly what happened during the lesson.  They added: "The safety of students and staff is paramount and any incidents are treated with the utmost seriousness.  "This incident was reported to the Health and Safety Executive and a full investigation was launched in line with our policies and procedures.  "As that investigation remains ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment any further at this time except to say that we wish Imaam a full and speedy recovery."  A HSE spokesperson said it is not investigating the incident because it does not fall into its remit.  They added: "HSE was made aware of this incident but we determined this incident does not fall within any of the categories within our set criteria that would lead us to investigate.  "We will not be commenting further on this."  The Bradford College website states that students taking part in the Public Services course will be taught by a team of experienced tutors and ex-serving professionals.  The college website states that, while studying Public Services, students get the chance to experience police riot training, visit fire stations and attend an annual army camp residential.  The website adds that: "Our courses aim to offer real-world learning and that's why some of our programmes require you to wear a uniform.  "Public Services careers provide defence, education, emergency response and health & safety services to our country."


thedailyrecord--2019-02-06--Scots hermit rescued from forest by SOS beacon picked up 9000 miles away in TEXAS

A hermit living in an isolated Scots forest was rescued after his distress signal was picked up in Houston, Texas.  The man, in his 70s, has lived alone for many years in a cabin near Loch Treig – about 13 miles east of Fort William.  He activated an SOS signal on his “SPOT” beacon on Sunday to alert emergency services that he was in trouble.  It was picked up 4500 miles away at the International Emergency Response Coordination Centre in the US and relayed to the UK Coastguard.  With no means of finding out if it was a false alarm, the Coastguard sent up a helicopter from Prestwick, Ayrshire.  A winchman found the man seriously ill in his cabin but the surrounding trees prevented him from being winched up.  Lochaber Mountain Rescue team were instead sent in to bring him to a suitable area for winching.  Team leader John Stevenson said: “We got a call to take seven of us by helicopter to as close as the aircraft could land.  “We reached the dwelling and took him by stretcher to the helicopter.  “It was a cold night and the job took about 90 minutes. It was a very well coordinated rescue.”  The pensioner was flown to Torlundy, where he was taken by ambulance to hospital in Fort William. His condition was not known last night.  Neil Blewett, aeronautical operations centre controller for HM Coastguard, said: “The satellites and the SPOT beacon saved his life because without any of those, we would not have known he needed urgent help.”


thedailyrecord--2019-08-02--Woman dies following rescue mission at Bracklinn Falls in Callander

A woman died in a tragic accident at a popular beauty spot in Callander yesterday (Thursday).  A multi-agency emergency response – involving police, fire and rescue, ambulance, Coastguard and mountain rescue – was sparked following reports of two women in difficulties in the water at Bracklinn Falls at around 11.30am.  A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “Whilst one of the women was safely recovered, the other was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”  The air ambulance and Coastguard search and rescue helicopter were both spotted on a fairway at the nearby Callander Golf Club.  The main road to the falls was closed for several hours as emergency services responded to the incident.  Enquiries into the tragedy are continuing.  More on the incident in Wednesday’s Stirling Observer.  Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.


thedailyrecord--2019-08-22--Major emergency response at St Enochs Shopping Centre after man injured at construction site

Major emergency response at St Enoch’s Shopping Centre after man injured at construction site

There has been a huge emergency response at St Enoch’s Shopping Centre following an accident this afternoon.  Cops and ambulance services raced to the scene at around 3.20pm after a man was injured at a construction site at the Glasgow City Centre mall.  A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 3.20 pm on Thursday 22 August 2019 police were called to a report of a man having been injured at a construction site at St Enoch Shopping Centre, Glasgow.  “Emergency services are currently dealing with the incident.”  We'll be bringing you the very latest updates on this breaking news story.  For the latest news and breaking news visit  dailyrecord.co.uk  Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.  Follow us on Twitter @Daily_Record - the official Daily Record Twitter account - real news in real time.  We're also on Facebook - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Record Online.


theguardianuk--2019-02-05--SOS call from Scottish off-gridder picked up in Texas

A man living without electricity in a forest in the Highlands was airlifted to hospital after his distress call was picked up in the United States.  The man, in his mid-seventies, lives alone in a cabin near Loch Treig, about 13 miles inland from Fort William. His SOS call was picked up on Sunday evening by the International Emergency Response Coordination Center in Houston, Texas, which organises emergency responses globally, and then relayed to the UK coastguard’s national operations centre in Fareham, Hampshire.  Lochaber mountain rescue team posted photographs on Facebook of the man being secured to a stretcher, and said:“LMRT assisted with a med-evac last night for one of the area’s ‘off gridders’ after setting off their PLB [personal locator beacon].” He was taken by helicopter to Belford hospital in Fort William for an urgent medical assessment.  A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the man normally activated his PLB in a “check-in” alert mode every Sunday to let family and friends know he was well. However, on Sunday he activated an SOS alert, potentially signifying he needed help.  “Without any other means to get in contact with the man to find out if the SOS was intentional or not, HM Coastguard decided to send the Prestwick coastguard helicopter to the man’s remote Scottish cabin to check if he was OK,” the spokesperson said.  “When the coastguard winchman was winched down and made his way to the man’s cabin they found that he was indeed very ill and needed medical assistance. The helicopter was unable to winch close enough to the man’s cabin so Lochaber mountain rescue team were called in to help move the casualty to a more suitable location for winching.”  Neil Blewett, a UK aeronautical operations centre controller for HM Coastguard, said activation of the beacon and the speed of the satellite technology saved the man’s life.  “What must seem a very long way round for an alert to reach us is actually very quick thanks to the satellite technology that we use.”  He added: “We have since heard that the man is doing well and we wish him a speedy recovery so that he can return home as soon as possible.”


theirishtimes--2019-03-18--Tyrone disco deaths It started with pushing then the crushing started

Tyrone disco deaths: ‘It started with pushing… then the crushing started’

The terrifying scene at a St Patrick’s Day disco in Co Tyrone, where three teenagers died in a crush, has been described in a post on social media by a girl reportedly caught up in the incident.  “It started with pushing and shoving but everyone was still laughing and having a good time. Then the literal crushing started,” the girl wrote in a lengthy post, shared widely on Facebook.  “The people on the outside of this line were so determined to get in they felt the need to not only push us against the wall, but push with all their strength. No matter how much we screamed and pushed back, there was no movement”, she wrote.  Three teenagers were killed in the incident, as several hundred people were trying to get into the venue at the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown after being dropped off by buses.  A 17-year-old girl, named locally as Lauren Bullock, and two boys, Connor Currie aged 16 and, and Morgan Barnard, aged 17, died, one at the scene and two later in hospital, police confirmed.  People struggled to get off the ground and there was confusion in the immediate aftermath between 9pm and 10pm on Sunday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said.  In her Facebook post the girl describes seeing two of her friends falling to the ground in the crush of people, and being unable to get back up.  “I could still see people laughing with no idea what was going on. At this point I thought my friends were going to die, I was standing up and I couldn’t breathe so I couldn’t imagine how they felt,” she said.  “I was hysterically screaming for people to move but it was only the people around me who knew the seriousness,” she said.  In the girl’s Facebook post, she describes falling to the ground, and landing on top of a number of other people, unable to get back up.  “As I looked down I could see multiple bodies underneath me and as I looked up I could see multiple bodies on top of me. It was the most traumatic, frightening and stressful moment of my life. I was looking about for my friends and trying to keep my head up,” she wrote.  “People were scratching, biting and grabbing anything they could to pull themselves up to breath (sic). I think that’s what really shows the seriousness of it all, people were literally fighting for their lives,” the girl wrote.  At some point, other young people began to drag people out of the crush of bodies, she said.  “My leg was caught underneath someone and my hair was caught somewhere else, my jeans were pulled down around my thighs and my jersey above my head, but I was getting pulled out,” she said.  The social media post had been shared over 11,000 times on Monday afternoon.  The girl went on to describe a scene of panic as the young people attending the disco scrambled to find friends they were attending the social event with after the crush.  “I ran about frantically. I seen a young boy lying motionless trying to be resuscitated by the ambulance crew,” she wrote in the Facebook post.  “If it wasn’t for the young people doing the right thing and ringing the police, the situation could’ve been so much worse,” she said.  The mother of two teenage boys who attended the event on Sunday night spoke of her terror as she tried to establish their whereabouts.  Emma Heatherington (42), the mother of two boys who were in the queue to enter the hotel, said she “felt sick” when she learned on social media that parents were being asked to come to the hotel to collect their children.  Ms Heatherington told RTÉ’s One O’Clock news she eventually made contact with her two children by mobile phone and although they were “quite traumatised” they were safe.  However, she said her daughter who was at home had “come down the stairs screaming” because she had learned on social media that the girl who died had been a friend from their home village of Donaghmore.  Recounting what her sons experienced she said: “They were in the queue and there was some commotion at front and they were asked to step back. Before long the police were on the scene and ambulance were on the scene and it was frantic.  “It was all very quick, very bad, very crazy and surreal. They don’t know what happened. My youngest boy Adam, he saw a boy on the ground and saw the ambulance crew trying to resuscitate him. It turned out the boy was from his year in school so as you can imagine that was extremely traumatic for him to witness that.”  Ms Heatherington said there were rumours all night about the identities of those who died and the news broke on Monday morning that a young girl who was friends with her daughter was among the dead.  “I will never forget the sound of the door opening last night. My initial reaction of course when I saw the call out on Facebook to get your children home was sick. I felt sick. I couldn’t even hold the phone for shaking.”  Ms Heatherington told of phoning one son who was at a nearby McDonald’s fast food restaurant, and he was fine, but “he just said ‘mummy it is not good’ and then he got cut off. I finally got through to the older brother and he was okay, he was on the way home. The sound of the door opening was a relief.”  “I thought that was over and then my daughter came screaming down the stairs to say her friend was dead.”  She said teenagers in Donaghmore just wanted to be together and were hugging each other “crying, just distraught”. Ms Heatherington also expressed concern for the people involved with the family-owned Greenvale Hotel, remarking that she herself had very good memories of attending events there as a teenager.  “I am devastated as well for the owners and staff who witnessed what happened last night,” she said.  Dr Nigel Ruddell, medical director of the Northern Ireland ambulance service, said it had started receiving calls at about 9.26pm on Sunday . He said it was “obvious to us that a number of patients were critically ill” and six emergency ambulances, two rapid response cars and four emergency response doctors and a number of ambulance personnel were dispatched to the scene, the first arriving within five minutes.  He said there was “a large crowd of young people”, and it “was evident it was a popular event”.  He said a fourth patient in hospital was expected to make a full recovery, while a fifth was treated at the scene and discharged from there.  PSNI assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton confirmed the deaths of three teenagers and said the fourth victim , a 16-year-old girl, was in a stable condition in hospital.  Speaking at the scene, Mr Hamilton said that “preliminary investigations show there was a crush towards the front door of this hotel”.  “There looks like there was a large crowd of young people pushing up against the hotel.”  Mr Hamilton appealed for anyone with images of the incident to give it to the police, and not post it on social media.


themanchestereveningnews--2019-04-17--At least 28 people have died after a tourist bus crash on the holiday island of Madeira

At least 28 people are thought to have died following a crash on the Portuguese holiday island of Madeira.  Many more have reportedly been left injured after a coach careered off the road into a house below on Wednesday afternoon.  The vehicle is said to have been carrying 57 passengers - many of which are believed to have been German tourists.  It's understood the incident happened near a botanical garden in the hotel district in Canixo, a quiet coastal community in the south-east of the island, known as Canixo de Baixo.  Witnesses report seeing more than a dozen ambulances at the scene, as well as a large number of other emergency response vehucles.  According to the Mirror , the mayor of Santa Cruz Filipe Sousa has said 28 people have died.  The casualties have been described as 11 men and 17 women.  Pictures and video from the scene show the vehicle on its side having crashed onto what looks like the roof of the building.  Firefighters can also be seen carrying people away on stretchers.  A huge cordon is said to be in place, with casualties still being removed from the coach.  A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "We are seeking information from the authorities in Portugal about a bus crash in Madeira, and are ready to support any British people who require assistance."


themanchestereveningnews--2019-05-31--BBC Ambulance shows drama as emergency crews try to rescue man from under a tram

A man being hit by a tram - one of the thousands of calls paramedics raced to in just 36 hours - featured on last night's episode of Ambulance.  The award-winning show, which follows the work of the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), returned for the first episode of a new series.  One of the featured incidents which required a huge emergency response was reports of a man being hit by a tram and stuck underneath, somewhere between Pomona and Cornbrook stations in Manchester.  Ambulance call handlers were spoken to by a police officer who told them: "Hello it's police, can I have your assistance with a male that's been hit by a tram?  The huge emergency consisted of Matt and Andy, part of a specialist doctor and paramedic team reserved for the most serious 'category one' emergencies, four hazardous area response teams, one ambulance, a senior paramedic, six police cars and three fire crews.  Initial reports suggest that the man had been 'caught in the head' by the tram as he lay in the middle of the tracks.  But his condition couldn't be fully assessed until he was freed from under the tram.  The casualty was driven on the tram to Cornbrook station before being taken to Salford Royal for further treatment.  Elsewhere in the show, paramedics Paul and Adam went to the aid of a 56-year-old man who collapsed in the bathroom.  In the ambulance his partner says she thought he had gone for a lie down upstairs.  The pair later went to help 79-year-old Shirley, who fell on the dancefloor while celebrating at an annual butchers’ ball in Bolton.  With the help of medical staff she was back on her feet and dancing again three months later.  Their colleagues Jade and Jonny responded after 88-year-old Jean fell and banged her head, causing bleeding.  Later they treated 87-year-old patient Loretta, who was found on the floor by her daughter.  The episode covers a 36-hour window into the work of NWAS.  During that time, the ambulance service received 9.488 calls, of which those were 159 'category one' incidents being the most serious.


themanchestereveningnews--2019-08-01--Dramatic pictures show worsening situation at crumbling Whaley Bridge dam

These dramatic pictures show how more of the Toddbrook Reservoir dam wall is crumbling away.  Around 400 homes in the lower valley area of Whaley Bridge were evacuated on Thursday after a 'severe flood warning' was issued.  It came after a massive emergency response was launched when a section of the dam wall collapsed following heavy rainfall and flooding.  Now latest images from the scene appear to show more of the dam wall has broken away.  Several more of the large concrete panels which form the wall have slipped into a muddy void which has formed beneath the affected area.  A landslip seems to be taking place on the grass slope next to the dam wall.  Emergency workers can also be seen forming a human chain on top of the wall as they lay sandbags in the battle to prevent further damage.  Those evacuated have been told to stay with family or friends, with others being sheltered at Chapel High School in nearby Chapel-en-le-Frith.  Tonight engineers are assessing the stability of the dam. Police are warning people to stay away from the area.  Water is being removed from the reservoir and being pumped into the River Goyt below to relieve pressure on the wall.


themanchestereveningnews--2019-08-01--This is what is being done to relieve pressure on crumbling Whaley Bridge dam and stop a deluge

Water is being pumped out of the Toddbrook Reservoir in a desperate bid to relieve pressure on the already-crumbling dam wall.  Around 400 homes in the lower valley area Whaley Bridge were evacuated on Thursday after a 'severe flood warning' was issued.  Those affected have been told to stay with family or friends, with others seeking shelter at nearby Chapel High School.  A large-scale emergency response was sparked after a section of the dam wall collapsed following heavy rainfall and flooding.  Video footage taken just 24 hours earlier shows tens of thousands of gallons of water crashing over the wall into the River Goyt below.  It is understood this caused damage to the structure of the reservoir. There were fears the dam could burst completely.  As it stands, engineers are still assessing the stability of the structure. Police are warning people to stay away from the area.  Trains have also been cancelled between Hazel Grove and Buxton until 'it is safe' for services to run.  Water is being removed from the reservoir and being pumped into the River Goyt below to relieve pressure on the wall.  The levels of the River Goyt are already high because of the heavy rain and water from the reservoir.  Lee Rawlinson, area director at the Environment Agency, told the Manchester Evening News : "We don't issue severe flood warnings lightly but you can imagine the volume of water that sits behind that reservoir, if there was to be a catastrophic failure then that would have a huge significant affect for those living downstream."  The Canal and River Trust, which owns the reservoir, has also issued a statement.  It read: "Following the heavy rainfall which has caused widespread problems across the North West, we’re currently working with local agencies to manage the potential risks arising from damage to the spillway at Toddbrook Reservoir which feeds the Peak Forest Canal.  "Our engineers are on site assessing the scale of the damage and over the next few hours we will be doing all we can to draw down water from the reservoir in a controlled way to reduce the risk to surrounding communities.  "In the meantime the emergency services are taking every precaution including evacuating local properties and closing local roads to maintain public safety."


themanchestereveningnews--2019-09-11--Baby thrown from bridge into River Irwell in Radcliffe dies - live updates

A baby who was thrown into the River Irwell in Bury has died.  There was a huge emergency response to the incident in the Blackburn Street area in Radcliffe just before 4.25pm today.  The child, a boy thought to be almost 12 months old, was recovered from the water by firefighters who gave him first aid. The boy was taken to hospital, but despite the best efforts of paramedics and specialised doctors he died a short time later.  A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody for questioning.  Greater Manchester Police said a murder investigation has been launched and detectives are urging any witnesses to get in touch as a matter of urgency.  Detective Superintendent Jamie Daniels said: “This is an incredibly tragic incident that has led to an innocent baby boy losing his life and we are doing everything we can to support his family at this unimaginably devastating time.  “I know his loss will be felt by the entire community and our thoughts are very much with his loved ones this evening.  “Whilst we have a man in custody, our investigation is ongoing and I’d urge any witnesses or anyone with any information to get in touch as soon as possible so that we can find out what happened to him.”  Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 8797 or 101 quoting incident number 1930 of 11/09/2019, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.  We'll bring you updates on this breaking story below as we get them.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news. We are also on Instagram .  If you are on the go, the M.E.N. 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 week’s events and the latest travel - you can tailor the app to suit you. Our push notifications help highlight the biggest stories to you first.

newsdesk@men-news.co.uk (Lee Swettenham, Ashlie Blakey, Thomas George)


theseattletimes--2019-11-06--Airman missing in Gulf of Mexico after falling from plane

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. military and local Florida law enforcement are searching the Gulf of Mexico for an airman who fell out of a plane during a parachute training exercise.  An Air Force news release says the special tactics airman departed a C-130 aircraft Tuesday morning during a planned static-line jump several miles south of Florida’s Hurlburt Field and made an unintentional water landing.  Officials didn’t say whether the airman’s parachute deployed after leaving the plane.  Officials say an emergency response was immediately initiated, and rescue teams on Wednesday continued to search a 700-square-mile (1,800-square-kilometer) area off the coast between Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola.  Participating in the search are boats and aircraft from the Air Force, Coast Guard, Army, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.


thesun--2019-01-04--Brit man feared dead after fire rips through motor boat he was skippering off the coast of Lanzarote

A BRITISH man is missing feared dead after a fire on a motor boat he was on off the coast of Lanzarote.  The emergency services found the vessel empty after launching a rescue operation this morning when it went up in flames.  They discovered the unnamed man’s wallet in the sea near the boat - and subsequently spoke to his partner who confirmed he had left the upmarket Marina Rubicon port in Playa Blanca on Lanzarote’s southern coast alone around 7.30am.  Civil Guard said the search operation involving police, coastguards and a local authority emergency response unit was continuing after firefighters put out the blaze.  Specialist Civil Guard divers are assisting as well as a coastguard helicopter, which took video footage of the upturned boat near the Pechiguera Lighthouse with thick black smoke rising from its hull as it was engulfed in flames.  One well-placed source confirmed: “The missing man is a British national. He hasn’t yet been located.”  The boat he was on has been named locally as Orca. The cause of the fire is not yet known.  One Brit holidaymaker commenting on the boat blaze wrongly claimed on social media the man on board had been found floating in the sea, despite the Civil Guard insisting last night he had yet to be located.  Civil Guard sources confirmed the missing Brit was 68 and not in his fifties as initially believed, and said that he lived on the island.  A spokesman for the force said: “With regards to the fire today that occurred on a boat 1.5 miles west of Pechiguera Lighthouse, an inspection and search carried out by Civil Guard divers inside and near the vessel has failed to find any sign of the only person on board.  “The remains of the gutted boat have been towed back to Marina Rubicon so Civil Guard investigators can start their probe into what happened.”  We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


thesun--2019-10-14--British woman, one-year-old baby and four other tourists among 12 treated after chlorine leak at Alg

British woman, one-year-old baby and four other tourists among 12 treated after chlorine leak at Algarve hotel

TWELVE people including a baby were treated after chlorine leak at an Algarve hotel left holidaymakers "struggling to breathe".  Emergency responders took five people to hospital and treated another seven at the four-star Falesia Mar Hotel in the popular resort of Albufeira.  At least six holidaymakers, including a one-year-old baby, were among those affected in the Thursday lunchtime drama.  And a British woman was among the five people aged 21 to 35 who were taken to hospital, according to Portuguese TV reports.  A hotel receptionist confirmed an incident had taken place but said no one was available for comment.  Hotel bosses activated an emergency response protocol after the chlorine leak, which is understood to have occurred in a maintenance room near the swimming pool.  The 3HB Falesia Mar consists of apartments on a cliff-top location in Olhos d’Agua a short drive from Albufeira Town which is one of the Algarve’s liveliest resorts.  It is near a golf course known as the Pine Cliffs golf course.  Earlier this month six tourists were taken to hospital and another eight treated at the scene after breathing in chemicals at a Spanish holiday resort.  The holidaymakers, understood to include children, suffered breathing difficulties after inhaling a mix of hydrochloric acid and bleach at the Eldorado Resort in the Costa Dorada town of Cambrils.  Seven ambulances raced to the hotel to treat those affected at 11am on October 1.  Local reports said it happened after a lorry operator made a mistake as he refilled a storage tank near the resort gym and spa, causing a dangerous reaction after bleach mixed with hydrochloric acid.


thesun--2019-12-06--Ohio man sparks mass panic as homemade NUCLEAR REACTOR is found in his garage prompting evacuation o

Ohio man sparks mass panic as homemade NUCLEAR REACTOR is found in his garage prompting evacuation of 40 homes

A MAN in Ohio has sparked mass panic after he reported suffering burns from a nuclear reactor he built in his garage.  Homes in a suburb of Columbus were evacuated after the bomb squad, firefighters in hazmat suits, medics, arson investigators and nuclear specialists were called out.  The man sustained “radio frequency burns” while working on a “quantum physics generator” in his garage, said Columbus Division of Fire spokesman, Battalion Chief Steve Martin.  In the man’s call to 911 he made reference to a particle accelerator and “alpha waves”, which led to concerns about potential radiation, he said.  But he added: “We have no reason to believe that he was trying to make anything that would do anyone any harm.”  He said medics determined the man did not appear to be seriously injured, Cincinnati.com reports.  The large emergency response and the evacuation of residents was out of caution while investigators were “evaluating his story”.  Radiation level checks were conducted on the man and the garage and nothing was found, Martin said.  Firefighters are taking readings in the area to ensure it is safe for residents to return but have not given any indication as to when that will be.  It’s unclear what kind of nuclear reactor the man was attempting to build but if it was a nuclear fusion type then it would be perfectly legal.  In nuclear fusion, atoms are forcibly joined, releasing energy and because it’s completely clean and cheap is regarded as the “holy grail" of energy production.  Scientists say such homemade reactors pose no real threat to neighbouring communities or the environment because they contain no nuclear materials, such as uranium or plutonium.  Anne Stark, senior public information officer for California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, told the BBC as long as they private citizens obtain the components of the reactor legally “they could do whatever they want”.  Earlier this year it was reported 14-year-old Jackson Oswalt, built his own nuclear fusion reactor at the family home in Memphis.


theweekuk--2019-01-09--Suspicious packages sent to consulates and embassies in Australia who was targeted

Suspicious packages sent to consulates and embassies in Australia: who was targeted?

Deliveries of suspicious packages containing white powder have sparked a series of major emergency responses at consulates and embassies in Melbourne and Canberra.  Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade said it had been called to “a number of incidents” across the city on Wednesday afternoon, reports the BBC. Regional newspaper The Age says that the South Korean, Indian and New Zealand consulates were all evacuated after receiving packages, while the US foreign diplomatic headquarters was placed in lockdown.  Suspicious packages were also delivered to the British, Spanish, Greek, Taiwanese and Turkish consulates, the paper adds.  According to unconfirmed reports, packages could have been sent to up to 22 locations - including the Italian, Thai, Swiss and Egyptian embassies - across Melbourne and in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), the region including and surrounding Australian capital Canberra. The affected embassies in the ACT have not been identified. The deliveries sparked an emergency “hazardous material” response, and specialist firefighters were seen carrying large bags emblazoned with the words “danger asbestos” as they left the South Korean and Indian consulates, The Guardian reports.  The Australian Federal Police (AFP) tweeted that the packages “are being examined by attending emergency services” and that “the circumstances are being investigated”.    Victoria Police issued a separate statement saying that it was aware of “a number of consulate offices in Melbourne today receiving suspicious packages”.  “At this time we believe the matter is targeted and not impacting the general community,” the statement continued.  The Brisbane Times reports that initial suspicions over the packages were raised by the misspelling of “consulate” on an envelope delivered to the Pakistani consulate in Melbourne on Wednesday morning.


drudgereport--2019-08-23--Scientists Attempt To Edit DNA In Human Sperm

Scientists Attempt To Edit DNA In Human Sperm...

June Wang, a Weill Cornell Medicine lab technician, views a sample of human sperm. She's preparing to try to edit the DNA in the sample with a gene- editing technique called CRISPR. **Elias Williams for NPR** ****hide caption****  ****toggle caption****  Elias Williams for NPR  June Wang, a Weill Cornell Medicine lab technician, views a sample of human sperm. She's preparing to try to edit the DNA in the sample with a gene- editing technique called CRISPR.  Elias Williams for NPR  First it was human embryos. Now scientists are trying to develop another way to modify human DNA that can be passed on to future generations, NPR has learned.  Reproductive biologists at [Weill Cornell Medicine ](https://weill.cornell.edu/)in New York City are attempting to use the powerful gene-editing technique called CRISPR to alter genes in human sperm. NPR got exclusive access to watch the controversial experiments underway.  The research is aimed at finding new ways **** to **** prevent disorders caused by genetic mutations that are passed down from men — including some forms of male infertility. The team is starting with a gene that can increase the risk for breast, ovarian, prostate and other cancers.  The experiments are just starting and **** have not yet been successful. But the research raises many of the same hopes — and fears — as editing the DNA of human embryos. Nevertheless, the researchers defend the work.  "I think it's important from the scientific point of view to investigate in an ethical manner to be able to learn if it's possible," says [Gianpiero Palermo](https://ivf.org/about-us/labs-and-directors/andrology), a professor of embryology in obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine, who runs the lab where the work is being conducted.  During a recent visit to Palermo's Andrology Laboratory at Weill Cornell's Center for Reproductive Medicine, **** NPR witnessed an experiment attempting to edit a single gene in sperm.  "If we can wipe out a particular gene, it would be incredible," Palermo says. "Theoretically, in principal, this would be a major, major benefit to society."  Gianpiero Palermo, a professor of embryology at Weill Cornell Medicine, runs the lab where scientists are trying to use CRISPR to edit genes in human sperm. **Elias Williams for NPR** ****hide caption****  ****toggle caption****  Elias Williams for NPR  Gianpiero Palermo, a professor of embryology at Weill Cornell Medicine, runs the lab where scientists are trying to use CRISPR to edit genes in human sperm.  Elias Williams for NPR  Other scientists who are not involved in the research agree. One of the main goals is to try to understand and possibly prevent male infertility caused by genetic mutations.  "Male infertility is a very common condition," **** says [Kyle Orwig](https://mageewomens.org/investigator/kyle-orwig-ph-d), a professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "And there are some diseases that are incredibly devastating to families. And for those diseases, for me, if you could get rid of it, why wouldn't you get rid of it?"  But others say editing DNA in sperm raises the same troubling questions as editing DNA in embryos. Would it ever be safe to make babies that way? Would it open the door to someone someday trying to make "designer babies"? Should scientists be trying to tinker with the human gene pool in ways that could affect generations to come?  "It doesn't matter whether you're manipulating the embryo or you're manipulating the sperm," says [Françoise Baylis](https://www.dal.ca/sites/noveltechethics/our-people/francoise- baylis.html), a bioethicist at Dalhousie University in Canada, who is advising the [World Health Organization](https://www.who.int/ethics/topics/human- genome-editing/committee-members/en/) about gene editing.  "The concern is what kind of world are you creating as you move down the path to start manipulating human genetics. We're on the cusp of prospective parents controlling the genetics of their offspring," says Baylis, who wrote the forthcoming book [Altered Inheritance: CRISPR and the Ethics of Human Genome Editing](http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674976719) _._  [CRISPR enables scientists ](https://www.broadinstitute.org/what-broad/areas- focus/project-spotlight/questions-and-answers-about-crispr)to make very precise changes in DNA. As a result, many scientists say the technique is revolutionizing scientific research. Doctors have already started using it to try [to treat diseases](https://www.npr.org/sections/health- shots/2019/07/29/744826505/sickle-cell-patient-reveals-why-she-is- volunteering-for-landmark-gene-editing-st), for example.  But a Chinese scientist stunned the world last year when he announced he had [used CRISPR to create the world's first genetically modified babies](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/11/26/670752865 /chinese-scientist-says-hes-first-to-genetically-edit-babies) — twin girls whose DNA he edited when they were embryos to try to protect them from AIDS. The announcement was widely condemned as premature, reckless and unethical.  In addition to concerns that such a step may be unsafe for the resulting babies and future generations, critics say this kind of research is unnecessary because there are other ways to prevent most genetic diseases. Editing sperm, eggs or embryos also raises profound philosophical, moral and ethical questions that need to be addressed first.  "There's reason to worry about undertaking the research before we've asked the question properly whether we would ever actually want to use those techniques," says [Ben Hurlbut](https://sols.asu.edu/ben-hurlbut), a bioethicist at Arizona State University in Tempe. "Once those techniques are developed, it becomes much harder to govern them. If you've done the hard work of developing the recipe, someone else can bake the cake."  Theoretically, editing DNA in human sperm could be somewhat safer than editing DNA in human embryos, because in embryos it's possible to inconsistently edit and miss certain cells, whereas in sperm any changes would be present in every cell of any resulting offspring. But the larger questions remain.  "I know that things can get dangerous and things can get kind of out of hand quickly," says June Wang, a lab technician conducting the experiments in New York. "But on the other hand, I think that CRISPR can do so much. It has a lot of potential."  This particular experiment is targeting a [gene known as BRCA2](https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer- terms/def/brca2). Mutations in this gene can increase the risk for breast, ovarian, prostate and other cancers.  "I have high hopes that we can have a huge impact," Wang says.  During my tour of the facility to watch the experiment getting underway, Wang escorts me into a small windowless research lab, after punching a keypad on a large door.  Left: Human sperm from an anonymous donor. Right: Wang delivers a 1,100-volt shock to a batch of sperm to try to get the microscopic CRISPR gene-editing tool into the DNA. **Elias Williams for NPR** ****hide caption****  ****toggle caption****  Elias Williams for NPR  I watch as Wang and a colleague snap open the latches on a frosty silver canister, pop off the lid and slide out a small vial. It contains 58 million sperm purchased by a woman for in vitro fertilization and then donated for research after she had completed IVF.  The sperm samples are frozen in liquid nitrogen. After carefully thawing and preparing the sperm, Wang puts millions of sperm **** on a slide under a microscope to make sure they are healthy.  "It looks really good," she concludes after examining the specimen.  The key challenge to editing DNA in human sperm is finding a way to deliver the microscopic CRISPR gene-editing tool to the DNA. The problem is that DNA is packed very tightly inside the head of each sperm, making it difficult to insert the CRISPR tool. That makes many scientists wonder whether it may even be possible.  "I think it will be very difficult to do," says [David Albertini](https://www.asrm.org/news-and-publications/journal-of-assisted- reproduction-and-genetics/), editor of the _Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics_ and a [visiting scientist at Rockefeller University ](http://www2.rockefeller.edu/research/faculty/labmembers/AliBrivanlou/)in New York City.  Wang and Palermo acknowledge that it will be a challenge, but they remain hopeful.  "Nobody's tried to do CRISPR on sperm before, so we have to try to figure out the right way to do it," Wang says.  A potential solution involves a [process known as electroporation](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and- biological-sciences/electroporation), **** which involves delivering an electrical shock to cells.  "The hope is that the shock will cause the sperm to kind of loosen up a little bit for just a moment," Wang says. "When the cell loosens up, the CRISPR gene- editing tool will hopefully get inside."  Wang and Alessandra Parrella, a Weill Cornell staff associate, are part of the team trying to use CRISPR to edit DNA in human sperm. They work at the Andrology Lab at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. **Elias Williams for NPR** ****hide caption****  ****toggle caption****  Elias Williams for NPR  Wang and Alessandra Parrella, a Weill Cornell staff associate, are part of the team trying to use CRISPR to edit DNA in human sperm. They work at the Andrology Lab at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.  Elias Williams for NPR  Wang carefully fills a vial with sperm and then drips in a solution containing the CRISPR tool, which in this case has been designed to target BRCA2. She then places the mixture inside the electroporation machine, which will **** deliver an 1,100-volt shock.  "It's kind of a weird concept," Wang acknowledges. "But it works pretty well."  After the sample is in place, Wang presses a button on the machine, which emits a few quiet beeps.  "That is it," she says. "I just zapped all the sperm. Hopefully the CRISPR materials got in there."  She repeats the process two more times and then places the treated sperm samples into an incubator. In 24 hours, she will analyze the samples for any signs the editing worked.  "I'm really hopeful we'll be able to get it. It's just going to be a lot of work, a lot of testing and a long time, just because this hasn't been done before," she says.


naturalnews--2019-12-02--Scientists explore the ability of Christmas rose to inhibit tumor cells

(Natural News) Helleborus niger, also known as black hellebore or Christmas rose, is a winter-blooming evergreen plant native to the mountains of southern and central Europe. This plant is well-known for producing large, white, glistening flowers that bloom around Christmas time in warm winter areas, and in early spring in cooler winter regions. While its flowers resemble wild roses, H. niger belongs to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, and is said to be poisonous.  Despite its toxicity, H. niger is a known traditional remedy for a variety of illnesses. Numerous studies have also confirmed its many beneficial properties. To examine its safety and potential as an anti-cancer treatment, researchers from Germany analyzed the aqueous fermented extract of H. niger. They found that not only is H. niger rich in useful phytochemicals, it can also stop the proliferation and migration of cancer cells, making it a strong candidate drug for the treatment of different types of cancer. The full study was published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  H. niger is a perennial herb that has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Records left by various physicians mentioned this particular herb in relation to the treatment of various diseases. For instance, Paracelsus, a Swiss physician during the medical renaissance, acknowledged the healing properties of H. niger. He recommended its leaves for preventing dementia and its roots for treating joint diseases.  All the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals at the Health Ranger Store end in less than 12 hours (at midnight, tonight). All deals are activated across every product category, while inventory lasts. Stock up at the best prices of the year.See the full selection of all the deals here.  In later centuries, notable figures described H. niger as a remedy for ailments of the mind, such as depression, lethargy and sleepiness. Some even reported that the plant has anti-tumor properties. Today, scientists attribute many beneficial properties to H. niger, such as anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, immune-modulating and blood cholesterol- and glucose-lowering properties.  In terms of bioactive components, H. niger has four relevant compound classes, namely, steroidal saponins, ranunculin derivatives, beta-ecdysone and flavonoids. (Related: Natural flavonoids from fruits and vegetables dramatically lower cancer risk.)  The Christmas rose is not just for display; it can also fight cancer  The manifold therapeutic applications of H. niger — which are all thanks to its abundance in phytochemicals — make it a very attractive focus of scientific research. However, two of its four active compound groups, namely, ranunculin derivatives (e.g., protoanemonin) and steroidal saponins, have also been associated with genotoxicity (causes DNA damage) and disintegration of membrane structures.  For their study, the researchers obtained H. niger aqueous fermented extracts (HNE) and conducted various tests to evaluate its safety for therapeutic use. They assessed the anti-angiogenetic potential of HNE using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Angiogenesis or the formation of new blood vessels is induced and utilized by tumors so they can get sufficient blood supply, grow, and spread.  The researchers also conducted 2D and 3D proliferation assays and migration and invasion assays to determine the effects of HNE treatment. For these assays, they used a panel of tumor cell lines. They performed an additional 2D proliferation assay to determine the effects of steroidal saponins isolated from HNE.  The researchers found that HNE did not exhibit any genotoxicity in vitro. HNE, at concentrations of up to 10 micrograms per milliliter, had non-hemolytic effects. HNE also exerted anti-angiogenetic effects on HUVEC and anti-proliferative effects in five different cancer cell lines. In particular, HNE (600 to 1000 micrograms per milliliter) inhibited the migration of human renal cancer cells, colorectal adenocarcinoma cells and neuroblastoma cells by more than 80 percent  Meanwhile, hellebosaponin A and D, together with macranthosid I, did not show comparable effects alone or in combination. And because proteanemonin in isolated form is unstable, parallel investigations with it could not be performed.  Based on these results, the researchers concluded that HNE has anti-angiogenetic effects on HUVEC and anti-proliferative and migration-inhibiting effects on tumor cells.


newspunch--2019-02-02--Scientists Detect Enormous Cavity Growing beneath Antarctica

Scientists Detect ‘Enormous Cavity’ Growing beneath Antarctica

Scientists have discovered a gigantic cavity growing under Antarctica that they say is roughly the size of Manhattan and stands almost 1,000 feet tall.  The huge opening at the bottom of the Thwaites Glacier – a mass known as the “most dangerous glacier in the world” – is so big it represents an overt chunk of the 252 billion tonnes of ice Antartica loses every year.  Sciencealert.com reports: Researchers say the cavity would once have been large enough to hold some 14 billion tonnes of ice. Even more disturbing, the researchers say it lost most of this ice volume over the last three years alone.  “We have suspected for years that Thwaites was not tightly attached to the bedrock beneath it,” says glaciologist Eric Rignot from the University of California, Irvine, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.  “Thanks to a new generation of satellites, we can finally see the detail.”  Rignot and fellow researchers discovered the cavity using ice-penetrating radar as part of NASA’s Operation IceBridge, with additional data supplied by German and French scientists.  According to the readings, the hidden void is but one ice casualty among a “complex pattern of retreat and ice melt” that’s taking place at Thwaites Glacier, sectors of which are retreating by as much as 800 metres (2,625 ft) every year.  The complex pattern the new readings reveal – which don’t fit with current ice sheet or ocean models – suggest scientists have more to learn about how water and ice interact with one another in the frigid but warming Antarctic environment.  “We are discovering different mechanisms of retreat,” first author of the new paper, JPL radar scientist Pietro Milillo explains.  While researchers are still learning new things about the complex ways ice melts at the Thwaite Glacier, at its most basic, the giant cavity represents a simple (if unfortunate) scientific actuality.  “[The size of] a cavity under a glacier plays an important role in melting,” Milillo says.  “As more heat and water get under the glacier, it melts faster.”  That’s important to know, since Thwaites currently accounts for about 4 percent of global sea level rise.  If it were to disappear entirely, the ice held in the glacier could lift the ocean by an estimated 65 centimetres (about 2 ft). But that’s not even the worst-case scenario.  The Thwaites Glacier actually holds in neighbouring glaciers and ice masses further inland. If its buttressing force disappeared, the consequences could be unthinkable, which is why it’s considered such a pivotal natural structure in the Antarctic landscape.  Just how long it will stay, nobody knows – which is why scientists are right now embarking on a major expedition to learn more about Thwaites.  What they’ll find remains to be seen, but it’s inarguably among the most important scientific research being conducted in the world right now.  As New York University geoscientist David Holland, who wasn’t involved in the current study, told The Washington Post last year: “For global sea-level change in the next century, this Thwaites glacier is almost the entire story.”


npr--2019-04-22--Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS

Parts of the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, N.C., are contaminated with a PFAS compound called GenX. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is surveying residents in the area about their health. **Mark Wilson/Getty Images** ****hide caption****  ****toggle caption****  Mark Wilson/Getty Images  Parts of the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, N.C., are contaminated with a PFAS compound called GenX. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is surveying residents in the area about their health.  Mark Wilson/Getty Images  Scientists are ramping up research on the possible health effects of a large group of common but little-understood chemicals used in water-resistant clothing, stain-resistant furniture, nonstick cookware and many other consumer products.  Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are generally referred to by their plural acronym, [PFAS](https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas). PFAS are resistant to water, oil and heat, and their use has expanded rapidly since they were developed by companies in the mid-20th century. Today, PFAS' nonstick qualities make them useful in products as diverse as food wrappers, umbrellas, tents, carpets and firefighting foam. The chemicals are also used in the manufacture of plastic and rubber and in insulation for wiring.  In short, they are all around us. And as a result, they've found their way into the soil and, especially in some regions, into our drinking water.  "We're finding them contaminating many rivers, many lakes, many drinking water supplies," says [Linda Birnbaum](https://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/director/index.cfm), director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. "And we're finding them not only in the environment, but we're finding them in people."  "Essentially everyone has these compounds in our blood," she explains.  That's in part because PFAS don't break down easily — a quality that has earned them the nickname "forever chemicals." Some varieties have been found to stick around in the human body for years, if not decades. Others accumulate in soil or water, creating a continuous source of exposure.  Despite their ubiquity, however, scientists know relatively little about the health effects of **** most types of PFAS.  **No PFAS legal safety limit yet**  "Despite their everyday use, the body of science necessary to fully understand and regulate these chemicals is not yet as robust as it needs to be," acknowledged the assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water, [David Ross](https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about- assistant-administrator-epas-office-water), at a congressional hearing on PFAS in March.  This year, the EPA [signaled](https://www.npr.org/2019/02/14/694660716/epa- says-it-will-regulate-toxic-pfas-chemicals-but-not-soon-enough-for-critics) that it is considering setting a legal safety limit for some PFAS in drinking water, but it hasn't acted yet.  Meanwhile, public spending on research of the chemicals has gone up. The National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and multiple state university systems have all increased their funding for PFAS studies in recent years.  The Environmental Protection Agency signaled this year that it is considering setting a safety limit for PFAS in drinking water. **Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images** ****hide caption****  ****toggle caption****  Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images  The Environmental Protection Agency signaled this year that it is considering setting a safety limit for PFAS in drinking water.  Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images  "We have more and more of our grantees who are looking at PFAS in their studies — both mechanistic studies and animal studies," as well as epidemiological studies that analyze large populations, explains Birnbaum. But the work is slow going.  "These are a very broad class of chemicals — probably 5,000 or more — and it seems like new ones are being produced all the time," she says.  In most cases, U.S. [chemical regulations](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/it-could-take-centuries-for- epa-to-test-all-the-unregulated-chemicals-under-a-new-landmark-bill) do not require that companies prove a chemical is safe before they start selling it. It's up to the EPA to determine whether a substance is unacceptably dangerous and under what circumstances, and typically such analyses begin only after public health concerns are raised.  As a result, "we really don't know much about the great majority of these chemicals," says Birnbaum.  One approach that scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health are taking is to analyze [hundreds of PFAS varieties](https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP4555) at once. The goal is to identify subgroups of PFAS with similar characteristics, so scientists won't have to do a battery of toxicity tests on each individual chemical.  "There's no way that we'll ever be able to test 5,000 or more PFAS," Birnbaum explains.  **Early studies suggest some health risks**  Some of the most large-scale PFAS epidemiology research in the U.S. was conducted by a [science panel](http://www.c8sciencepanel.org/) starting in 2005 as part of a class action lawsuit against the chemical company DuPont. The case alleged that thousands of people in West Virginia and Ohio were hurt by industrial releases of a PFAS chemical called PFOA.  The panel — made up of three career epidemiologists **** whom both sides of the court case agreed to have evaluate the scientific evidence — found a "probable link" between long-term exposure to the chemical and certain medical conditions, such as kidney cancer and thyroid disease.  Additional studies of both humans and rodents have found similar associations.  "I think we have growing information that at least some members of this class can be problematic," says Birnbaum.  Those findings have raised a host of new questions, first about mechanism: How __ do PFAS chemicals act in the body? It's one thing to see an association between exposure to a substance and disease. It's much more difficult to determine a likely path from **** chemical exposure to disease symptoms.  "We still don't know the precise molecular ways that they produce toxicity," explains [Jamie DeWitt](http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/pharmacology/dewitt.cfm), a toxicologist who studies PFAS at East Carolina University.  For example, DeWitt and others have published studies of both humans and rodents that suggest exposure to one PFAS chemical — PFOA — can [suppress the body's response](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1104903) to vaccines.  "I'm pretty sure that a type of immune cell called a B cell is involved" in that suppression, says DeWitt. "But I don't know why the B cell doesn't produce enough antibody. Is it signaling molecules that say, 'Hey, B cell, make antibody?' Is it something wrong inside the B cell itself? Is it the amount of energy that the B cell has? These are these molecular mechanisms that we're still trying to figure out."  Knowing those mechanisms for PFOA might help scientists estimate the potential risks of other PFAS that have a similar structure, she says. "Honestly, I think we're still at the very beginning."  At the current rate of research, Birnbaum says, it will take about two years to get a basic handle on the toxicity of the whole PFAS group. But there will still be many questions for both scientists and regulators.  "Realizing that these chemicals have escaped into the environment, how are we going to remediate those problems? How are we going to get rid of these chemicals?" she says.  "A question that we all need to be asking is: What's essential?" she says. "Do we really need it? Are there some places where we need to have this class of chemicals to be safe? But if that's the case, we would like them used in closed systems so they don't escape and end up contaminating the whole world."  Asked to comment on how essential PFAS are, a spokesperson for the [FluoroCouncil](https://fluorocouncil.com/), part of the main trade group representing chemical companies in the U.S., defended their widespread use in consumer products.  "PFAS are an essential enabling technology that play a vital role in products ranging from lifesaving applications in pacemakers and defibrillators, to the design of lower-emissions automobiles with improved auto safety, to the manufacturing of semiconductors, solar panels and high-performance electronics," a spokesperson for the FluoroCouncil wrote in an emailed statement to NPR.  "The vast differences within the PFAS family of chemistry are not immediately obvious to many people," the statement continues. "While some of the names sound the same, PFAS have differing characteristics, formulations, intended uses, and environmental and health profiles."  **Living with uncertainty**  While two years is not very long in the world of basic scientific research, it can feel like an eternity to people who are worried about their health. In response to public concern, some [states](https://www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse/) already are taking action on their own, both to [regulate PFAS](https://ecology.wa.gov/Waste-Toxics /Reducing-toxic-chemicals/Addressing-priority-toxic-chemicals/PFAS) emissions and exposure and to [gather public health information](https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/dhhs-survey-citizens- genx-and-pfas-concerns) in communities where the water is known to be contaminated.  "For people who live in areas where one of their drinking water sources has a level [of PFAS] that was high enough to raise concern, there's a really strong demand for information," says [Alissa Cordner](https://www.whitman.edu/academics/departments-and-programs/sociology /sociology-faculty/alissa-cordner), a sociologist at Whitman College and one of the organizers of a nationwide [PFAS contamination list](https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/2017_pfa/index.php).  "There's so much uncertainty around what the scale and the consequences of contamination are," she explains, and that uncertainty makes people afraid. "In terms of individuals wanting to know 'What's in my drinking water?' the testing is still prohibitively expensive."  And even when scientists or officials test water in a community, the lack of scientific evidence gathered, so far, about PFAS and health makes it difficult for people to know how to react. Most in-home water filters don't remove the chemicals effectively, [according to the CDC](https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/docs/pfas_clinician_fact_sheet_508.pdf).  "I think it's confusing, because you have so many chemicals about which we know so little, other than they're a member of this large class," says Birnbaum. "I think that is confusing, but it's also frustrating. So we're trying to address those problems right now." Regulators, scientists and citizens all agree: Research results can't come soon enough.


sottnet--2019-01-09--Physician scientists fail to disclose Big 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.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.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 almostfor 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.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.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.In response to public pressure, Baselga also resigned from his position as one of the editors-in-chief for Cancer Discovery.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.He wrote, "They really are falsifying the information that others rely on to assess that research.."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.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.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.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.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.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 and 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.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.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.


sottnet--2019-05-03--Scientists study machine behavior in order to prevent a robot apocalypse

Scientists study "machine behavior" in order to prevent a robot apocalypse

Experts say it is time to study "machine behavior."  Machines are making decisions and taking action without human input.  Experts have been warning us about potential dangers associated with artificial intelligence for quite some time. But is it too late to do anything about the impending rise of the machines?Once the stuff of far-fetched dystopian science fiction, the idea of robot overlords taking over the world at some point now seems inevitable.The late Dr. Stephen Hawking issued some harsh and terrifying words of caution back in 2014:Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, warned that we could see some terrifying issues within the next few years:Last week, a team of researchers made a case for a wide-ranging scientific research agenda aimed at understanding the behavior of artificial intelligence systems. The group, led by researchers at the MIT Media Lab, published a paper in Nature in which they called for a new field of research called "machine behavior." The new field would take the study of artificial intelligence "well beyond computer science and engineering into biology, economics, psychology, and other behavioral and social sciences," according to an MIT Media Lab press release Scientists have studied human behavior for decades, and now it is time to apply that kind of research to intelligent machines, the group explained. Because artificial intelligence is doing more collective 'thinking,' the same interdisciplinary approach needs to be applied to understanding machine behavior, the authors say."We need more open, trustworthy, reliable investigation into the impact intelligent machines are having on society, and so research needs to incorporate expertise and knowledge from beyond the fields that have traditionally studied it," said Iyad Rahwan, who leads the Scalable Cooperation group at the Media Lab.Rahwan explains:This is particularly concerning, especially considering we already know that AI can hate without human input and that robots have no sense of humor and might kill us over a joke "We're seeing an emergence of machines as agents in human society; says David Lazer, who is one of the authors of the paper, as well as University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Computer and Information Sciences at Northeastern.We interact numerous times each day with thinking machines, as the press release explains:There is still a lot we don't know about how machines make decisions.What hasn't been examined as closely is how these algorithms work.These issues need to be studied, the group says.There is a significant barrier to the type of research the group is proposing, however:And, there are ethical concerns surrounding how AI makes decisions:, as a press release from Northeastern University states. "The process of understanding how online dating algorithms are changing the societal institution of marriage, or determining whether our interaction with artificial intelligence affects our human development, will require more than just the mathematicians and engineers who built those algorithms."