Author: zenger.news

Danielle Wolfson’s oxygen tank was almost empty as she neared the peak of Mount Everest on May 23. At such a high altitude and low temperature, she knew she could just sit down and await a quick death. She’d stepped over bodies of previous climbers who’d done exactly that. Two things saved this 43-year-old Israeli attorney: Covid and chutzpah. “We Israelis are a little aggressive and very creative,” Wolfson said after becoming the first female Israeli to reach the top of the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak, where she unfurled an Israeli flag. Danielle Wolfson, the first Israeli woman to reach the…

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MYSURU, India — To protect the environment and conserve forests, forest department staff and residents cleared two tonnes of plastic waste from the Kabini Backwaters in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka near Mysuru.  “During this drive, we found heaps of medical waste, garbage, plastic, and used shoes,” said S.P. Mahadev, Assistant Conservator Forest. “This waste collection drive was carried out for the second time this year by the forest officials along with local resort owners and villagers.”  “Plastic waste poses a threat to the wild animals in these backwaters. Kabini Dam, near the town of Heggadadevanakote or H.D.Kote, is witnessing heavy inflow after the…

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WASHINGTON — Imports of solar panels and other goods made with materials produced by a Chinese company Hoshine Silicon Industry Company were banned by the United States after the plants were linked to forced labor camps in China’s Xinjiang region targeting Uyghurs and other minorities. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement on June 24 barring silicon-based products from the company that operates from plants in Xinjiang that have been connected to coercive state labor programs targeting minorities of the nation. According to Customs and Border Protection officials, the ban applies to solar panels containing Hoshine materials. Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said…

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OTTAWA, Ontario — A bomb exploded on Air India Flight 182 from Canada off the coast of Ireland, killing 329 people on June 23, 1985. This included over 280 Canadian citizens, including 29 entire families and 86 children under 12. “My father was on a flight that was 36 years ago,” said the wife and daughter of a victim.  “We come here every year and gather here as a family and do a memorial service. But, unfortunately, because of Covid-19, we could not do the service last year, but we have come today.” A friend of a victim, Michael Darcey,…

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WASHINGTON — Within the next “one to two years,” China is not likely to attempt to take over Taiwan militarily as it would be “extraordinarily complicated and costly” to seize an island as big as Taiwan and with its level of defense capability, said a U.S. military top officer.  During a Congressional hearing on June 23, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: “I do not see it happening right out of the blue. There is no reason for it.” His remarks contrast with earlier warnings issued by top U.S. admirals portraying the threat as imminent. In…

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HONG KONG — When Hong Kong-based newspaper Apple Daily closed its doors after 26 years due to a government crackdown, US President Joeseph R. Biden on June 24 termed it as a sad day for media freedom in Hong Kong and around the world. In a statement by the White House, the US president noted that through arrests, threats, and forcing through a draconian National Security Law that penalizes free speech, Beijing has insisted on wielding its power to suppress independent media and silence dissenting views. “Independent media play an invaluable role in resilient and prosperous societies,” he said. “Journalists are truth-tellers who hold…

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SRINAGAR, — With the Covid-19 situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir showing an improvement, its administration is organizing a capacity-building program for shikara (houseboat) operators of Dal to revive tourism in Kashmir. “We are trying to train traders, including these shikara owners, to follow proper standard operating procedures,” said Sarmad Hafeez, the secretary of the Department of Tourism of Jammu and Kashmir. “The program is not limited only to Dal; all traders at every tourist destination in the Union Territory are being trained as well.” “The program is aimed at spreading a message across the world that Kashmir is safe and that the tourism…

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CHIMANIMANI, Zimbabwe — Jane Chitsuro, 43, is still seeking answers into the whereabouts of the remains of her 18-month-old son, Tanatswa Dudzai, who disappeared on the evening of March 15, 2019, when Cyclone Idai hit Chimanimani, eastern Zimbabwe. According to the United Nations, the cyclone, which spread across Malawi, Mozambique, and eastern parts of Zimbabwe, claimed over 1,000 people and displaced over 1.5 million. Many others, like young Dudzai, are still missing. “I still hope one day my son will be found,” Chitsuro told Zenger News. “I want him to be buried with dignity.” On that fateful evening, Chitsuro, a widow,…

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NEW DELHI — With India’s second-wave lockdown easing in many states, workplaces are slowly opening up with half the strength of employees. However, with India issuing an updated advisory last month warning that the SARS-CoV-2 virus primarily spreads through aerosol transmission, especially in closed air-conditioned environments, the challenge for many of these offices is to ensure adequate ventilation to avoid becoming hotspots of infection. “In closed un-ventilated indoor spaces, droplets and aerosols become quickly concentrated and greatly increase the risk of transmission to people in the area,” said the set of guidelines. “Let outdoor airflow in to displace indoor air. This…

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Cops have arrested a drug lord at his Costa del Sol mansion, where they found a huge painting of him seated next to Pablo Escobar, Al “Scarface” Capone and other big-time criminals. Footage shows how a large team of armed officers entering the suspected drug lord’s mansion at night. As the alarms in the house went off, the suspect locked himself in his panic room. Meanwhile, the police officers spotted a huge framed painting hanging on a wall, depicting the suspect seated at a table with a variety of real and fictional mobsters. The table is empty, save for an…

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