Junior Digest

Weeks of demonstrations have plunged the financial hub into crisis, with images of masked, black-clad protesters engulfed by tear gas during street battles against riot police stunning a city once renowned for its stability.

Sunday’s action, billed as a return to the peaceful origins of the leaderless protest movement, drew more than 1.7 million people, making it one of the largest rallies since the protests began about three months ago, according to organisers the Civil Human Rights Front.

It ended a weekend of protests that, as of early Monday, saw no major confrontations with police for the first time in weeks.

The report warns of other dangers ahead: if plastic emissions in the environment continue at the current rate, microplastics could present widespread risks for aquatic ecosystems in a century, which could in turn increase human exposure.

Experts recommend wastewater treatment, which can remove more than 90 percent of microplastics in water by using treatments such as filtration.

WHO said those measures would have a double advantage as it would also address the problem of faecally contaminated water by removing microbial pathogens and chemicals that can cause deadly diarrhoeal diseases.

Washington D.C.  Aug 18: A recent study reveals that tourists also undertake an emotional journey when they disconnect from technology and social media during their travels.
The study published in the journal, ‘Travel Research’ investigated how engaging in digital-free tourism impacted travellers’ holiday experiences.
It involved losing access to technologies such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, the Internet, social media and navigation tools.
The findings came as the demand for so-called ‘digital detox’ holidays which is on the rise.
Lead author Dr Wenjie Cai, from the University of Greenwich Business School, said, “In the current ever-connected world, people are used to constant information access and various services provided by different applications.
“However, many people are increasingly getting tired of constant connections through technologies and there is a growing trend for digital-free tourism, so it is helpful to see the emotional journey that these travellers are experiencing,” added Dr Cai.
Our participants reported that they not only engaged more with other travellers and locals during their disconnected travels, but that they also spent more time with their travel companions.
As well as looking at emotions Dr Cai, working with Dr Brad McKenna of UEA’s Norwich Business School and Dr Lena Waizenegger from AUT, used the theory of affordance to understand the loss or gain of technological opportunities while travellers engage in digital-free tourism.
For example, Google Maps affords navigation and when taken away, the participants lost the ability to navigate, which caused anxiety for some.
Dr McKenna said the findings have valuable implications for tour operators and destination management organisations to gain a better understanding of travellers’ emotions when developing ‘off-the-grid’ packages or tech-savvy tour products.
“Understanding what triggers consumers’ negative and positive emotions can help service providers to improve products and marketing strategies. The trips our travellers took varied in terms of lengths and types of destinations, which provides useful insights into various influencing factors on emotions,” said Dr McKenna.
We found that some participants embraced and enjoyed the disconnected experience straightaway or after struggling initially, while for others it took a little bit longer to accept the disconnected experience.
Many also pointed out that they were much more attentive and focused on their surroundings while disconnected, rather than getting distracted by incoming messages, notifications or alerts from their mobile apps.
In total 24 participants from seven countries travelled to 17 countries and regions during the study. Most disconnected for more than 24 hours and data was collected via diaries and interviews.
By talking to other travellers, especially locals, many reported that they were given excellent advice and learned more about sights, places, and beaches that were not on any tourism websites or guidebooks, but were a highlight of their trips.
Once reconnected, many participants said they were upset and overwhelmed as soon as they saw all the incoming messages and notifications they received over the days they were disconnected.
However, having enjoyed the engagement with locals and physical surroundings during disconnection, some decided to have another digital detox in the future.

“Much of the planet sweltered in unprecedented heat in July, as temperatures soared to new heights in the hottest month ever recorded. The record warmth also shrank Arctic and Antarctic sea ice to historic lows,” the agency said.

The findings confirmed data released by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service on August 5, though the margin of the new record compared to the last, in July 2016, was greater according to the US data.

Searing heat waves saw records tumble across Europe last month, while in the US, nearly 150 million people struggled to stay cool from the Midwestern plains to the Atlantic coast and local media reported at least six deaths.

The new high is all the more notable because the previous followed a strong El Nino, which boosts average global temperatures beyond the impact of global warming alone.

El Ninos are naturally occurring weather events triggered by periodic warming — every three to seven years — in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

“Nine of the 10 hottest Julys have occurred since 2005 — with the last five years ranking as the five hottest,” the NOAA said, based on its data from weather stations, ship reports, and buoys.

Alaska had its hottest July since it began keeping records in 2005, several countries in Europe saw their heat records smashed, and it was also the hottest month ever across Africa as a whole.

There were some regions with cooler than average temperatures including parts of Scandinavia and western and eastern Russia, where temperatures were at least 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) below average or cooler.

Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described global warming and the breaking of recent records as a “climate emergency.”

“We have always lived through hot summers. But this is not the summer of our youth. This is not your grandfather’s summer.”

US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2017 from the Paris Climate Agreement, which seeks to cap global warming at below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

But a federal climate assessment released by the NOAA last November found that climate change “is affecting the natural environment, agriculture, energy production and use, land and water resources, transportation, and human health and welfare across the US and its territories.”

Srinagar, Aug 19: Restrictions were tightened in some parts of the city on Sunday following incidents of violence a day earlier, even as the first batch of Haj pilgrims returned to Kashmir from Saudi Arabia, officials said

They added restrictions continued in many parts of the Valley for the 14th day on Sunday

Restrictions were reimposed in certain areas which witnessed trouble on Saturday after the curbs were eased in several areas of the city and elsewhere in the valley, the officials said

They said protests took place at around a dozen places in which several protesters were injured

However, the exact number of injuries was not available, they added

The officials said the flights carrying around 300 pilgrims landed at the Srinagar airport in the morning

Elaborate arrangements have been made for the smooth movement of pilgrims to their respective destinations, they said

“Only one family member is allowed at the airport to receive the Hajis. A fleet of the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses has been deployed to facilitate the movement of Hajis and their relatives with the coordination of all district administrations,” the officials said

The security forces, they said, have been directed to allow passage of pilgrims and their relatives, who have already been issued passes, through the areas where restrictions are in place

Government spokesman Rohit Kansal had on Saturday said the restrictions were eased in 35 police station areas of the valley. However, several places witnessed clashes between groups of youth and security forces, leading to reimposition of the curbs

On Saturday evening, Kansal said protests took place at six places in the valley in which eight persons suffered injuries.

Landline telephone services have been restored in several areas of the city as the process to bring more areas on the telecom map was going on, the officials said.

Some private vehicles were seen plying in the civil lines areas of the city and the other district headquarters of the valley, they said. Some shops were also open in those areas, they added.

New Delhi, Aug 20: The Army had assured the government that it was prepared to foil any escalation by Pakistani force on ground post Balakot air strike on February 26.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had entered deep into Pakistani territory and bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp near Balakot in the wake of Puulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
While meeting with the retiring officers here, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat told them, “The Indian Army was ready to take on Pakistani forces on ground.”

Ten weeks of demonstrations have plunged the international finance hub into crisis, with communist-ruled mainland China taking an increasingly hardline tone, including labelling the more violent protester actions “terrorist-like”.

Democracy activists are billing the weekend rallies as a way to show Beijing and the city’s unelected leaders that their movement still enjoys broad public support, despite increasingly violent tactics deployed by a minority of hardcore protesters that have cast a shadow.

China’s propaganda apparatus seized on the violence, with state media churning out a deluge of damning articles, pictures and videos.

State media also ran images of military personnel and armoured personnel carriers across the border in Shenzhen, prompting the United States to warn Beijing against sending in troops, which analysts say would be a reputational and economic disaster for China.

With Frederiksen voicing her annoyance at Trump’s cancellation, the war of words marks another spat between the US and one of its traditional allies since Trump came to power two years ago on an avowedly “America First” foreign policy platform.

“Greenland was just an idea, just a thought. But I think when they say it was ‘absurd’ — and it was said in a very nasty, very sarcastic way — I said, ‘We’ll make it some other time,'” Trump said.

Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953, when it became part of the Danish Realm, and it gained “autonomous territory” status in 1979.

Its 55,000 inhabitants — of whom 17,000 reside in the capital Nuuk — are more than 90 percent Inuit, an indigenous group from Central Asia.

The government of Greenland has insisted that the island is “not for sale” and Frederiksen told reporters on Wednesday that she fully endorsed that view.

“I am both annoyed and surprised that the US president has cancelled a state visit,” said the prime minister who had been preparing to host Trump early next month.

“US & Denmark are close friends and allies with long history of active engagement across globe. Agreed to stay in touch on full range of issues of mutual interest,” Kofod tweeted.

The State Department said that in this conversation Pompeo expressed appreciation for Denmark’s contribution as a US ally.

He and his Danish counterpart also talked about “strengthening cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – in the Arctic,” the department said.

– ‘Show more respect’ –

The postponement of Trump’s visit — which was announced on Twitter — has sparked strong reactions in Denmark.

“Reality transcends imagination… this man is unpredictable,” said Morten Ostergaard of the Social Liberal Party, which is part of the ruling coalition.

“For no reason, Trump assumes that (an autonomous) part of our country is for sale. Then insultingly cancels visit that everybody was preparing for,” tweeted Rasmus Jarlov, a member of the opposition Conservative Party.

“Are parts of the US for sale? Alaska? Please show more respect.”

Nonetheless, the conservative newspaper Jyllands-Posten wrote that Trump’s actions ultimately benefitted Denmark, highlighting Greenland’s geopolitical value.

The territory is home to the US airbase Thule, crucial during the Cold War as a first line of monitoring against a potential Russian attack.

But the melting polar ice sheet is opening up potentially major shipping routes, and untapped reserves of oil, gas and minerals will become increasingly accessible, leading Russia and China to show mounting interest in the region.

As far back as 1867, the US State Department expressed interest in the island. And in 1946, President Harry S. Truman offered $100 million in gold, or parts of Alaska, in exchange for Greenland.

Nuclear agency Rosatom says the reactor is a simpler alternative to building a conventional plant on ground that is frozen all year round, and it intends to sell such reactors abroad.

But environmental groups have long warned of the dangers of the project, dubbing it a potential “Chernobyl on ice” and a “nuclear Titanic.”

A deadly explosion this month at a military testing site in Russia’s far north, causing a radioactive surge, has prompted further concerns.

The reactor’s trip is expected to last between four and six weeks, depending on the weather conditions and the amount of ice on the way.

Work began on the 144-metre (472-foot) Akademik Lomonosov in Saint Petersburg in 2006.

When it arrives in Pevek, a town of 5,000 in the Siberian region of Chukotka, it will replace a local nuclear plant and a closed coal plant.

It is due to go into operation by the end of year, mainly serving the region’s oil platforms as Russia develops the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Arctic.

– Radioactive waste –

Rashid Alimov, the head of the energy sector of Greenpeace Russia, said environmental groups had been critical of the idea of a floating reactor since the 1990s.

“Any nuclear power plant produces radioactive waste and can have an accident, but Akademik Lomonosov is additionally vulnerable to storms,” he told AFP.

The float is towed by other vessels, making a collision during a storm more likely, he said.

Global warming and melting ice has made the Northeast Passage — which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific along Russia’s northern coast — more accessible.

When AFP visited the Akademik Lomonosov in May 2018, it was a shabby brown colour. It has since been repainted in the red, white and blue of the Russian flag.

The vessel weighs 21,000 tons and has two reactors with a capacity of 35 megawatts each, close to that of those used by nuclear icebreakers.

It has a crew of 69 and travels at a speed of 3.5 to 4.5 knots.

Alimov said the project was a missed opportunity as Chukotka, a region larger than Texas populated by only 50,000 people, “has a huge potential for the development of wind energy.”

“A floating nuclear power plant is a too risky and too expensive way of producing electricity,” he said.

The nuclear industry, seeking to reinvent itself in a gloomy market, is developing smaller, cheaper reactors to attract new customers.

They follow the examples of submarines, icebreakers and aircraft carriers, which have long used nuclear power, and are intended for isolated areas with little infrastructure.

New Delhi, Aug 22: Amidst high drama, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram was on Wednesday taken into custody by the CBI in connection with the INX Media case .
The detention of the former Home Minister by A CBI team from his Jor Bagh residence came amidst a high voltage drama as large number of Congress supporters thronged the senior leader’s residence when the teams of the CBI and ED reached there.
He was taken to the CBI headquarters by a team of the agency for questioning.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Chidamabaram addressed a press conference, his first public appearance since the past 24 hours. Addressing the press meet, Mr Chidambaram asserted that he was running away from the law and that he was only engaged in pursuit of justice.
He assrted that neither he not any of his family members are accused in thecase.
Mr Chidambaram said that he was not running away from the law , rather was busy working with his lawyers in view of seeking protection form the law.
The team of the CBI and the ED had reached the AICC headquarters but were not able to reach to him at AICC and he left for his residence with his lawyers.
He was taken away from his home by the CBI in a probe agency’s vehicle after the officials talked to him inside his house for around half an hour.

Trinidad, Aug 15 : Captain Virat Kohli’s 43rd ODI century (114* off 99 ) helped India beat Windies by 6 wickets in the rain-affected third and final match of the three match series and clinch the ODI series 2-0 here at the Queen’s Park Oval.
Chasing a DLS target of 255 runs in 35 overs, India were off to a bad start as they lost the wicket (run out) of Rohit Sharma (10 runs) in the 3rd over on Wednesday.
After Rohit’s wicket, Virat came to bat and had a 66 run partnership with Shikar Dhwan for the second wicket. Shikhar Dhawan scored 36 off 36 before getting out to Fabian Allen.
Rishabh Pant failed with the bat once again as he went for a golden duck.
From there on, Virat Kohli dominated the Windies bowlers and scored his 43rd ODI hundred off 99 balls with 14 fours.
Kohli received excellent support from Shreyas Iyer who continued his good form and played a superb innings of 65 off 41 balls in a 120-run third-wicket partnership.
At the end, India chased down the target 256/4 (32.3) quite comfortably with 15 balls to spare to clinch ODI series 2-0.
Earlier, superb innings by Chris Gayle (72 off 41), Evin Lewis (43 off 29) and Nicholas Pooran’s late cameo 30 off 16 helped Windies post a fighting total of 240-7 in 35 overs.
Virat Kohli was declared ‘Man of the Match’ and ‘Man of the Series’ for his brilliant performance in the whole series.