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    ROV detects leaks in Deepwater Horizon well cap

    Monday, July 19, 2010 As many as four leaks have been detected in the Deepwater Horizon well cap in the Gulf of Mexico, according to live footage shot by one of BP’s ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles). The leaks were detected early this morning, just after 4:00 (EDT). The HOS SUPER H ROV 1 made the discovery while performing an “integrity survey” of the well and well cap. It recorded what appears to be a thin metal pipe lining the outside of the oil cap. Four small leaks of what appear to oil bubbles were detected during this survey. The first appears just after the elbow connecting the pipe to the…

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    Mount Diablo buckwheat rediscovered in California

    Wednesday, June 1, 2005 Mount Diablo buckwheat Taxonomic name: Eriogonum truncatum Mount Diablo buckwheat is a small pink flower that was only known to grow on Mount Diablo in remote Contra Costa County, California. The University of California, Berkeley announced that one of its graduate students, Michael Park, rediscovered on May 24 the Mount Diablo buckwheat, a plant not sighted since 1936 and believed to have been extinct.Found nearly 30 miles east of San Francisco, Park [aged 35] identified the small pink flowering plant said to resemble baby’s breath during a routine visit to the mountain. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in integrative biology. The significance of the find…

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    Frank Hsieh named new Taiwanese premier

    Tuesday, January 25, 2005 TAIPEI, Taiwan —Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has chosen Frank Hsieh, a leading member of his pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, as the new Premier of the Republic of China. Frank Hsieh replaces Yu Shyi-kun, who served as Taiwan’s premier for three years. Mr. Yu and the entire 20-member cabinet resigned Monday to allow President Chen Shui-bian to reshuffle the cabinet, after his party’s coalition lost parliamentary elections last month. Mr. Hsieh, the 59-year-old mayor of Taiwan’s second largest city, Kaohsiung, is a close ally of Mr. Chen and will be expected to closely carry out the president’s agenda. Mr. Hsieh served as Chairman of the Democratic Progressive…

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    Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer

    Thursday, November 8, 2007 What you are about to read is an American life as lived by renowned author Edmund White. His life has been a crossroads, the fulcrum of high-brow Classicism and low-brow Brett Easton Ellisism. It is not for the faint. He has been the toast of the literary elite in New York, London and Paris, befriending artistic luminaries such as Salman Rushdie and Sir Ian McKellen while writing about a family where he was jealous his sister was having sex with his father as he fought off his mother’s amorous pursuit. The fact is, Edmund White exists. His life exists. To the casual reader, they may find…

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    England: Multi-storey carpark in Liverpool gutted by fire, 1,300 vehicles destroyed

    Thursday, January 4, 2018 A fire on Sunday night in the seven-storey carpark for the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England destroyed almost all the vehicles parked inside and led to cancellation of the final evening of the Liverpool International Horse Show and evacuation of nearby blocks of flats. The blaze reportedly started with a parked Range Rover Discovery. Investigators with the fire brigade stated that they believe the fire began with an accidental engine fire in the Range Rover at about 4.30 pm. The first call was made at 4.42 and firefighters arrived eight minutes after that. Ultimately twelve engines and 85 firefighters were involved in combatting the blaze. Aerial…

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    Pipe bomb found near nuclear power plant in Arizona

    Friday, November 2, 2007 The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona is currently locked down while security teams are doing a sweep of the area after a pipe bomb was found this morning. Arizona Public Service Company (APS) spokesman Jim MacDonald said a contract worker was stopped at the main gate of the facility for a routine security sweep and a suspicious looking device was reportedly found in the bed of the worker’s pickup truck. APS owns the station, which is located in Wintersberg, Arizona. According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), the suspicious looking device was a pipe bomb. “MCSO bomb squad tests later determined that the…

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    Eleven year-old driver kills family in collision

    Friday, January 15, 2010 A Honda, with eleven-year-old Jose Covarrubias behind the wheel, ran a stop sign in Porterville, California colliding with a Ford around 7:30 P.M. The eastbound 1993 Honda was sideswiped from the driver’s side by a southbound 1999 Ford, killing Jose. His sister, 6-year-old Elizabeth Covarrubias, and mother, Maria Covarrubias, were killed when they ejected, as they were not wearing seatbelts. Family friend Froylon Gonzalez was sent to the hospital with serious injuries, and the driver of the Ford, Charles Seguin, sustained minor injuries. Felipe Gonzalez, Froylon’s brother, said the family was returning from Jose’s soccer team practice. He also added that he had never seen Jose…

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    China offers Africa financial aid including $10 billion in loans

    Sunday, November 8, 2009 China has offered Africa concessional loans worth US$10 (€6.5) billion as part of a host of new measures aimed at improving the economy of African nations. The announcement was made at the opening of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Leaders of nearly 50 African countries are attending the two-day conference. China had already stated today at the 3rd Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs, held immediately before the FOCAC, that Chinese firms would be encouraged to invest in Africa, while both sides would work together to improve the tourism, telecommunications and finance industries. China also said that governments should work with…

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    Copiapó, Chile mining accident: in depth

    Wednesday, October 13, 2010 The rescue of the Chilean miners trapped in the San José Mine in Copiapó, codenamed Operación San Lorenzo (San Lorenzo Operation), began on Tuesday night, at around 20:00 local time (23:00 UTC). Florencio Ávalos was the first miner to be rescued, at 00:12 local time (03:12 UTC) on Wednesday. He was wearing a shirt signed by all his fellow miners. “The first miner is already with us. We saw it all, him hugging his wife Monica and his son Byron,” said President Piñera shortly after the first rescue. “We still have a long journey.” “This will be recorded on every single Chilean heart forever,” Piñera added.…

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    U.S. President Obama’s farewell address focuses on accomplishment

    Thursday, January 12, 2017 United States President Barack Obama gave his official farewell address on Tuesday night from McCormick Place in Chicago, reflecting on personal and national accomplishments. This is expected to be his last major speech before officially handing the reins to president-elect Donald Trump on January 20. “Its why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima; Iraq and Afghanistan – and why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs as well.” Obama’s speech was wide-ranging. He thanked his family and the nation, spoke of the need for unity, noted the country’s accomplishments and need for improvement in areas like education…