Graphic News Planner (news) 28/03/2024 09:51:40
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ACCIDENT: Why did Baltimore bridge collapse? (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 17:30GMT)
March 26, 2024 -- The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by a Singapore-flagged container ship, plunging multiple vehicles into the the Patapsco River.
ACCIDENT: Why did Baltimore bridge collapse? (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 17:30GMT)
GN45642 Graphic shows why entire bridge collapsed when a single pier was hit
(163mm wide by mm deep)
ACCIDENT: Why did Baltimore bridge collapse? (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 17:30GMT)
GN45642 Graphic shows why entire bridge collapsed when a single pier was hit
(163mm wide by mm deep)
SPACE: Calls for protected moon sites (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 16:00GMT)
March 26, 2024 -- Scientists are seeking the urgent protection of certain locations on the moon which could be crucial to the deployment of scientific instruments such as “hypertelescopes”.
Astronomers are calling for certain sites on the moon to be protected from a future wave of missions involving lunar satellites, rovers and mining equipment.
The prime locations, known as Sites of Extraordinary Scientific Importance (SESI), are rated the best places in the solar system for the placement of instruments designed to peer into the universe.
Researchers have designs for instruments that could be installed on the lunar surface by the end of the decade, including radio telescopes built into craters on the far side of the moon, known as “hypertelescopes”.
The dark side of the moon is the most radio-quiet place in the solar system, thanks to the moon’s 3,400km diameter (70 billion tonnes of rock) that blocks radio interference from Earth.
The UK’s Royal Astronomical Society has published a paper outlining a site survey of the lunar surface which pinpoints eight locations of interest that could be used for large scale instruments.
A hypertelescope would be larger than those on orbiting platforms such as the James Webb Space Telescope, giving astronomers unparalleled clarity when looking back into the cosmic dark ages – a time before stars.
SPACE: Calls for protected moon sites (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 16:00GMT)
GN45630 Graphic shows scientific sites of interest on the moon.
(107mm by mm deep)
Astronomers are calling for certain sites on the moon to be protected from a future wave of missions involving lunar satellites, rovers and mining equipment.
The prime locations, known as Sites of Extraordinary Scientific Importance (SESI), are rated the best places in the solar system for the placement of instruments designed to peer into the universe.
Researchers have designs for instruments that could be installed on the lunar surface by the end of the decade, including radio telescopes built into craters on the far side of the moon, known as “hypertelescopes”.
The dark side of the moon is the most radio-quiet place in the solar system, thanks to the moon’s 3,400km diameter (70 billion tonnes of rock) that blocks radio interference from Earth.
The UK’s Royal Astronomical Society has published a paper outlining a site survey of the lunar surface which pinpoints eight locations of interest that could be used for large scale instruments.
A hypertelescope would be larger than those on orbiting platforms such as the James Webb Space Telescope, giving astronomers unparalleled clarity when looking back into the cosmic dark ages – a time before stars.
SPACE: Calls for protected moon sites (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 16:00GMT)
GN45630 Graphic shows scientific sites of interest on the moon.
(107mm by mm deep)
MILITARY: Brazil-France submarine programme (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 15:00GMT)
March 28, 2024 --
MILITARY: Brazil-France submarine programme (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 15:00GMT)
GN45643 Graphic shows specifications of submarines S Riachuelo (S-40) and SN Álvaro Alberto (SN-10).
(107mm wide by mm deep)
MILITARY: Brazil-France submarine programme (Graphic DUE Mar 28, 15:00GMT)
GN45643 Graphic shows specifications of submarines S Riachuelo (S-40) and SN Álvaro Alberto (SN-10).
(107mm wide by mm deep)
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ENTERTAINMENT: Titanic “door” prop sells at auction (Graphic)
March 27, 2024 -- The controversial “door” that saved Rose – but sadly not Jack – in James Cameron’s Titanic has sold for $718,750 at auction.
Arguments over whether Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) could have fit on the approximately 2.4m-long, 1m-wide door instead of freezing to death so love interest Rose could remain above water have only grown louder since the film's release in 1997.
The prop, while widely known to be a door, is in fact a copy of part of a door frame just above the first-class lounge entrance of the real Titanic.
The original panel, housed at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the most complete piece of debris salvaged from shipwreck.
In 2022, director James Cameron revealed that “forensic analysis” using two stunt people fitted with sensors in ice water, proved that only one could have survived.
ENTERTAINMENT: Titanic “door” prop sells at auction (Graphic)
GN45637 Graphic shows details of the auction of the Titanic “door” prop.
(107mm wide by 160mm deep) View graphic
Arguments over whether Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) could have fit on the approximately 2.4m-long, 1m-wide door instead of freezing to death so love interest Rose could remain above water have only grown louder since the film's release in 1997.
The prop, while widely known to be a door, is in fact a copy of part of a door frame just above the first-class lounge entrance of the real Titanic.
The original panel, housed at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the most complete piece of debris salvaged from shipwreck.
In 2022, director James Cameron revealed that “forensic analysis” using two stunt people fitted with sensors in ice water, proved that only one could have survived.
ENTERTAINMENT: Titanic “door” prop sells at auction (Graphic)
GN45637 Graphic shows details of the auction of the Titanic “door” prop.
(107mm wide by 160mm deep) View graphic
POLITICS: Israel ultra-Orthodox draft (Graphic)
March 27, 2024 -- Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet and most Israelis oppose his draft bill to perpetuate or even extend historic exemptions from military service to ultra-Orthodox Haredi men.
Two members of Israel’s three-person war cabinet have said they cannot support the proposed legislation that continues to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from mandatory military service. Both centrist cabinet minister Benny Gantz and defence minister Yoav Gallant distanced themselves from Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“The nation cannot accept it, the Knesset [parliament] must not vote for it, and my colleagues and I will not be members of the emergency government should such legislation pass in the Knesset,” said Gantz.
In addition, dozens of commanders in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reserves sent a letter warning that the current proposal for an ultra-Orthodox draft bill will deepen inequality in Israel and harm security.
The reservist commanders’ letter, which was sent to Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday and made public on Tuesday, warned that the government was trying to “solve the need for more soldiers in the easiest way for politicians -- increasing the burden on those who are already serving.”
Since last October’s Hamas attacks, Israel has activated around 360,000 reservists. Of the 13,000 eligible candidates, only 1,200 Haradi men join the IDF annually.
The plan is to increase the time conscripts and reservists serve in the military. At the same time, most ultra-Orthodox men are exempt from military service, which will create an “extremely unequal” situation, the commanders charged in their letter.
POLITICS: Israel ultra-Orthodox draft (Graphic)
GN45639 Graphic shows history of ultra-Othodox military exemptions.
(107mm by 163mm deep) View graphic
Two members of Israel’s three-person war cabinet have said they cannot support the proposed legislation that continues to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from mandatory military service. Both centrist cabinet minister Benny Gantz and defence minister Yoav Gallant distanced themselves from Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“The nation cannot accept it, the Knesset [parliament] must not vote for it, and my colleagues and I will not be members of the emergency government should such legislation pass in the Knesset,” said Gantz.
In addition, dozens of commanders in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reserves sent a letter warning that the current proposal for an ultra-Orthodox draft bill will deepen inequality in Israel and harm security.
The reservist commanders’ letter, which was sent to Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday and made public on Tuesday, warned that the government was trying to “solve the need for more soldiers in the easiest way for politicians -- increasing the burden on those who are already serving.”
Since last October’s Hamas attacks, Israel has activated around 360,000 reservists. Of the 13,000 eligible candidates, only 1,200 Haradi men join the IDF annually.
The plan is to increase the time conscripts and reservists serve in the military. At the same time, most ultra-Orthodox men are exempt from military service, which will create an “extremely unequal” situation, the commanders charged in their letter.
POLITICS: Israel ultra-Orthodox draft (Graphic)
GN45639 Graphic shows history of ultra-Othodox military exemptions.
(107mm by 163mm deep) View graphic
ACCIDENT: Port of Baltimore closed indefinitely (Graphic)
March 27, 2024 -- Baltimore is the busiest port in the U.S. for car exports, and also ships industrial supplies of coal and asphalt. Its closure is likely to cost over $200 million a day in lost revenue.
While the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore will have a limited impact on the broader U.S. economy, the city does handle around 3% of all container ship traffic in the country, and is the largest importer/exporter of automobiles.
It’s also the main hub for importing construction equipment and, given its proximity to the Midwest, is the main importer of farming machinery, such as combine harvesters, tractors and hay balers.
Total trade via the port in 2023 amounted to $80 billion – every day Baltimore is closed, $217 million of commerce will not cross its docks.
Industry experts believe the flow of goods in the U.S. will change dramatically as a result of the port’s closure, with importers likely to send their cargoes through west coast ports and then move them on trains eastward to avoid bottlenecks in the east.
The rerouting of goods is likely to cause delivery delays and increase costs.
ACCIDENT: Port of Baltimore closed indefinitely (Graphic)
GN45638 Graphic maps and charts industry affected by the closure of the Port of Baltimore.
(107mm by 160mm deep) View graphic
While the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore will have a limited impact on the broader U.S. economy, the city does handle around 3% of all container ship traffic in the country, and is the largest importer/exporter of automobiles.
It’s also the main hub for importing construction equipment and, given its proximity to the Midwest, is the main importer of farming machinery, such as combine harvesters, tractors and hay balers.
Total trade via the port in 2023 amounted to $80 billion – every day Baltimore is closed, $217 million of commerce will not cross its docks.
Industry experts believe the flow of goods in the U.S. will change dramatically as a result of the port’s closure, with importers likely to send their cargoes through west coast ports and then move them on trains eastward to avoid bottlenecks in the east.
The rerouting of goods is likely to cause delivery delays and increase costs.
ACCIDENT: Port of Baltimore closed indefinitely (Graphic)
GN45638 Graphic maps and charts industry affected by the closure of the Port of Baltimore.
(107mm by 160mm deep) View graphic
ACCIDENT: Dali container ship history (Graphic)
March 27, 2024 -- The ship that struck and destroyed a Baltimore bridge on Tuesday morning has a chequered history, including at least one earlier collision and propulsion worries.
It’s still not clear what caused the Dali to smash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but video footage showed nearly all of its lights going off shortly before impact. The incident is proving disruptive for shipping at one of the busiest ports on the U.S. East Coast and also for road transport, as it severed a key link on the major highway encircling Baltimore.
The Dali hit a stone wall berth at the Port of Antwerp in 2016 during unmooring manoeuvres, according to VesselFinder. The vessel, which was built in 2015, suffered damage to its stern and transom but remained afloat. The ship was then repaired.
More recently, mechanical questions have been raised. Last June, a routine safety inspection at San Antonio, Chile, found issues related to some of the gauges and thermometers linked to the Dali’s propulsion and auxiliary machinery, according to Tokyo MoU, an organisation that promotes safe shipping. The issues weren’t grounds to detain the ship, flying under the Singapore flag, and it was unclear exactly what they were.
A standard ship examination by the US Coast Guard later last year found no deficiencies, the Equasis marine database showed, according to Bloomberg.
ACCIDENT: Dali container ship history (Graphic)
GN45636 Graphic shows details of MV Dali container ship.
(107mm by 134mm deep) View graphic
It’s still not clear what caused the Dali to smash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but video footage showed nearly all of its lights going off shortly before impact. The incident is proving disruptive for shipping at one of the busiest ports on the U.S. East Coast and also for road transport, as it severed a key link on the major highway encircling Baltimore.
The Dali hit a stone wall berth at the Port of Antwerp in 2016 during unmooring manoeuvres, according to VesselFinder. The vessel, which was built in 2015, suffered damage to its stern and transom but remained afloat. The ship was then repaired.
More recently, mechanical questions have been raised. Last June, a routine safety inspection at San Antonio, Chile, found issues related to some of the gauges and thermometers linked to the Dali’s propulsion and auxiliary machinery, according to Tokyo MoU, an organisation that promotes safe shipping. The issues weren’t grounds to detain the ship, flying under the Singapore flag, and it was unclear exactly what they were.
A standard ship examination by the US Coast Guard later last year found no deficiencies, the Equasis marine database showed, according to Bloomberg.
ACCIDENT: Dali container ship history (Graphic)
GN45636 Graphic shows details of MV Dali container ship.
(107mm by 134mm deep) View graphic
AVIATION: Japan fighter jet plans (Graphic)
March 26, 2024 -- Japan’s cabinet has approved the export of new fighter jets it is developing with the UK and Italy, in the latest move away from its pacifist policies.
It eased arms export rules to allow the jets to be sold to countries that Japan has signed defence pacts with, and where there is no ongoing conflict.
Japan has pledged to double military spending by 2027, citing threats posed by China and North Korea.
Each fighter jet sale will require cabinet approval, authorities said.
In December 2022, Japan came on board a UK-Italy collaboration, dubbed the Tempest, to develop this new fighter jet that will use artificial intelligence and advanced sensors to assist pilots, the BBC said.
AVIATION: Japan fighter jet plans (Graphic)
GN45634 Graphic shows details of Tempest fighter jet.
(107mm by 120mm deep) View graphic
It eased arms export rules to allow the jets to be sold to countries that Japan has signed defence pacts with, and where there is no ongoing conflict.
Japan has pledged to double military spending by 2027, citing threats posed by China and North Korea.
Each fighter jet sale will require cabinet approval, authorities said.
In December 2022, Japan came on board a UK-Italy collaboration, dubbed the Tempest, to develop this new fighter jet that will use artificial intelligence and advanced sensors to assist pilots, the BBC said.
AVIATION: Japan fighter jet plans (Graphic)
GN45634 Graphic shows details of Tempest fighter jet.
(107mm by 120mm deep) View graphic
TERROR: Islamic State-Khorasan factfile (Graphic)
March 26, 2024 -- The Central Asian Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) has emerged as the most dangerous offshoot of the Islamic State group, with a reputation for extreme brutality.
Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) has given itself the name Khorasan as that was part of a historical area spanning parts of Iran, Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries.
The group, which was established in 2014 by disaffected members of Pakistani Taliban, is waging an insurgency against the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, who it opposes on ideological grounds.
Under the leadership of Sanaullah Ghafari, the group has transformation itself into one of the most fearsome branches of the global Islamist network, capable of operations far from its bases in the borderlands of Afghanistan.
The U.S. has said its ability to develop intelligence against extremist groups in Afghanistan such as ISIS-K has been reduced since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country in 2021.
ISIS-K grievances against Moscow include the brutal wars in Chechnya, the intervention in Syria
against ISIS and Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.
TERROR: Islamic State-Khorasan factfile (Graphic)
GN45633 Graphic shows factfile of the Islamic State-Khorasan.
(107mm wide by 158mm deep) View graphic
Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) has given itself the name Khorasan as that was part of a historical area spanning parts of Iran, Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries.
The group, which was established in 2014 by disaffected members of Pakistani Taliban, is waging an insurgency against the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, who it opposes on ideological grounds.
Under the leadership of Sanaullah Ghafari, the group has transformation itself into one of the most fearsome branches of the global Islamist network, capable of operations far from its bases in the borderlands of Afghanistan.
The U.S. has said its ability to develop intelligence against extremist groups in Afghanistan such as ISIS-K has been reduced since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country in 2021.
ISIS-K grievances against Moscow include the brutal wars in Chechnya, the intervention in Syria
against ISIS and Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.
TERROR: Islamic State-Khorasan factfile (Graphic)
GN45633 Graphic shows factfile of the Islamic State-Khorasan.
(107mm wide by 158mm deep) View graphic
ECONOMY: India’s wealth gap widens (Graphic)
March 26, 2024 -- The “billionaire Raj” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now more unequal than the British Raj under colonial occupation, when around 50% of income went to the richest 10% of the population.
Inequality declined immediately post-independence until the early 1980s but shot up at the turn of the century and has widened sharply during Modi’s decade in power.
The inequality gap could actually be worse than the figures suggest; the quality of data in India is described as “notaby poor” by researchers at the World Inequality Database, and has deteriorated further in recent years.
ECONOMY: India’s wealth gap widens (Graphic)
GN45632 Graphic shows how 1% of the population control 40% of the country’s wealth
(107mm wide by 132mm deep) View graphic
Inequality declined immediately post-independence until the early 1980s but shot up at the turn of the century and has widened sharply during Modi’s decade in power.
The inequality gap could actually be worse than the figures suggest; the quality of data in India is described as “notaby poor” by researchers at the World Inequality Database, and has deteriorated further in recent years.
ECONOMY: India’s wealth gap widens (Graphic)
GN45632 Graphic shows how 1% of the population control 40% of the country’s wealth
(107mm wide by 132mm deep) View graphic
CONFLICT: Red tape blocks Gaza aid (Graphic)
March 26, 2024 -- The UN says it has enough food near Gaza’s southern border to feed the enclave’s 2.2 million people, but aid workers say they face challenges caused by Israel’s security checkpoints.
Before aid shipments can enter Gaza, they undergo a series of checks by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). And aid agencies and UN officials say Israeli red tape slows the flow of trucks carrying food supplies.
Israeli officials reject these accusations and say they have increased aid access to Gaza. Israel isn’t responsible for delays in aid getting into Gaza, they say. Israel has also accused Hamas of stealing aid.
The inspection process “isn’t the impediment” to aid “getting into the Gaza Strip,” said Shimon Freedman, a spokesman for COGAT, the Israeli military branch that handles aid transfers.
Under growing international pressure, Israel earlier this month opened a new route for the delivery of aid directly to northern Gaza, known as Gate 96.
By March 20, COGAT said at least 86 international aid trucks had entered via Gate 96.
“There is a sufficient amount of food entering Gaza every day,” said Col. Moshe Tetro, a COGAT official overseeing Gaza.
CONFLICT: Red tape blocks Gaza aid (Graphic)
GN45635 Graphic shows steps in importing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
(107mm by 148mmmm deep) View graphic
Before aid shipments can enter Gaza, they undergo a series of checks by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). And aid agencies and UN officials say Israeli red tape slows the flow of trucks carrying food supplies.
Israeli officials reject these accusations and say they have increased aid access to Gaza. Israel isn’t responsible for delays in aid getting into Gaza, they say. Israel has also accused Hamas of stealing aid.
The inspection process “isn’t the impediment” to aid “getting into the Gaza Strip,” said Shimon Freedman, a spokesman for COGAT, the Israeli military branch that handles aid transfers.
Under growing international pressure, Israel earlier this month opened a new route for the delivery of aid directly to northern Gaza, known as Gate 96.
By March 20, COGAT said at least 86 international aid trucks had entered via Gate 96.
“There is a sufficient amount of food entering Gaza every day,” said Col. Moshe Tetro, a COGAT official overseeing Gaza.
CONFLICT: Red tape blocks Gaza aid (Graphic)
GN45635 Graphic shows steps in importing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
(107mm by 148mmmm deep) View graphic
ACCIDENT: Baltimore bridge collapse (Graphic)
March 26, 2024 -- The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by a Singapore-flagged container ship, plunging multiple vehicles into the the Patapsco River.
A container ship has crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and plunge into the river below.
Several vehicles fell into the extremely cold Patapsco River, with rescuers initially searching for at least seven people.
Two people were rescued from the water, one in serious condition, according to the Baltimore Fire Service.
At 1:30am (local time), the Singapore-flagged “Dali” container ship lost power, adjusted its course and started smoking before hitting a bridge support.
ACCIDENT: Baltimore bridge collapse (Graphic)
GN45631 Graphic locates the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
(107mm by 127mm deep) View graphic
A container ship has crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and plunge into the river below.
Several vehicles fell into the extremely cold Patapsco River, with rescuers initially searching for at least seven people.
Two people were rescued from the water, one in serious condition, according to the Baltimore Fire Service.
At 1:30am (local time), the Singapore-flagged “Dali” container ship lost power, adjusted its course and started smoking before hitting a bridge support.
ACCIDENT: Baltimore bridge collapse (Graphic)
GN45631 Graphic locates the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
(107mm by 127mm deep) View graphic
UKRAINE: Russia missile strikes on energy infrastructure (Graphic)
March 20, 2024 -- Russia launched missile and drone attacks at energy infrastructure targets across the country as it continued to blame Ukraine for the terrorist attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.
Long-time Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Muslim-majority Chechen Republic, has warned against Russian ultra-nationalist sentiment and anti-migrant policies espoused by officlals in the wake of the Crocus City Hall attack.
UKRAINE: Russia missile strikes on energy infrastructure (Graphic)
GN45629 Graphic shows Russian claims of new territory captured, with missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
(107mm wide by 121mm deep) View graphic
Long-time Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Muslim-majority Chechen Republic, has warned against Russian ultra-nationalist sentiment and anti-migrant policies espoused by officlals in the wake of the Crocus City Hall attack.
UKRAINE: Russia missile strikes on energy infrastructure (Graphic)
GN45629 Graphic shows Russian claims of new territory captured, with missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
(107mm wide by 121mm deep) View graphic
U.S.: Donald Trump wealth (Graphic)
March 25, 2024 -- A judge in New York has granted Donald Trump’s request to pause his $464m civil fraud judgement, giving him 10 days to put up a reduced sum of $175m.
The former president's legal team had previously said he was unable to secure a bond from a private company for $464m.
He had faced a deadline of Monday to put up the bond or pay the full amount.
Mr Trump was found liable earlier this year for repeatedly inflating the value of his assets, the BBC said.
U.S.: Donald Trump wealth (Graphic)
GN45628 Graphic shows a breakdown of Donald Trump’s assets and income.
(107mm by 134mm deep) View graphic
The former president's legal team had previously said he was unable to secure a bond from a private company for $464m.
He had faced a deadline of Monday to put up the bond or pay the full amount.
Mr Trump was found liable earlier this year for repeatedly inflating the value of his assets, the BBC said.
U.S.: Donald Trump wealth (Graphic)
GN45628 Graphic shows a breakdown of Donald Trump’s assets and income.
(107mm by 134mm deep) View graphic
WORLD AGENDA: April 2024 (Graphic)
April 1-30, 2024 -- Events in April include national elections in India, a total solar eclipse in North America, the upgrade to the security alliance between the U.S. and Japan, the imposition of a fee to visit Venice, and Rolling Stones’ new tour across the U.S. and Canada.
Apr 7, Tunisia: Briton Russell Cook will become the first man to run the length of Africa, equal to 360 marathons. The challenge began at South Africa’s most southerly point last April, and took 351 days.
Apr 8, North America: A swathe of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada is plunged into darkness as people don their eclipse shades to witness the region’s last solar eclipse for the next 20 years.
Apr 10, U.S., Japan: Washington and Tokyo unveil the biggest upgrade to their security alliance since a 1960 defence pact, in a move to counter China’s growing military power.
Apr 19-Jun 1, India: Narendra Modi is seeking a rare third term for his Hindu nationalist government in national elections, with polls suggesting he will win a comfortable majority among the almost one billion eligible voters.
April 20, World: Bitcoin undergoes its four-yearly “Halving,” intended to ensure the cryptocurrency’s scarcity and increase its value.
April 24, Austria: A painting by Gustav Klimt that was believed lost for 100 years will be auctioned in Vienna. Portrait of Fräulein Lieser, last seen in 1925, is expected to fetch between €30-50m.
Apr 25, Italy: Venice imposes a €5 entry fee on daytrippers during peak tourist season, as the city seeks to combat overtourism.
Apr 28, U.S., Canada: The Rolling Stones go back on the road, with two of the core trio already in their 80s.
WORLD AGENDA: April 2024 (Graphic)
GN45627 Graphic shows selected news events in April 2024.
(163mm wide by 210mm deep) View graphic
Apr 7, Tunisia: Briton Russell Cook will become the first man to run the length of Africa, equal to 360 marathons. The challenge began at South Africa’s most southerly point last April, and took 351 days.
Apr 8, North America: A swathe of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada is plunged into darkness as people don their eclipse shades to witness the region’s last solar eclipse for the next 20 years.
Apr 10, U.S., Japan: Washington and Tokyo unveil the biggest upgrade to their security alliance since a 1960 defence pact, in a move to counter China’s growing military power.
Apr 19-Jun 1, India: Narendra Modi is seeking a rare third term for his Hindu nationalist government in national elections, with polls suggesting he will win a comfortable majority among the almost one billion eligible voters.
April 20, World: Bitcoin undergoes its four-yearly “Halving,” intended to ensure the cryptocurrency’s scarcity and increase its value.
April 24, Austria: A painting by Gustav Klimt that was believed lost for 100 years will be auctioned in Vienna. Portrait of Fräulein Lieser, last seen in 1925, is expected to fetch between €30-50m.
Apr 25, Italy: Venice imposes a €5 entry fee on daytrippers during peak tourist season, as the city seeks to combat overtourism.
Apr 28, U.S., Canada: The Rolling Stones go back on the road, with two of the core trio already in their 80s.
WORLD AGENDA: April 2024 (Graphic)
GN45627 Graphic shows selected news events in April 2024.
(163mm wide by 210mm deep) View graphic
AEROSPACE: WindRunner aircraft (Graphic)
March 25, 2024 -- A U.S.-based energy startup, Radia, has unveiled plans to build the world’s largest cargo aircraft, WindRunner. The aircraft will deliver giant blades directly to land-based wind farms.
Current turbine blades are 70 metres long or less, but Radia wants to deploy blades up to 105 metres long. The company says its GigaWind turbines could be two to three times more powerful and two to three times more profitable than those typically deployed today.
WindRunner will use sustainable aviation fuel and needs only a simple 1,800-metre packed-dirt or gravel runway to land on, something no other large commercial aircraft can achieve
With a cargo bay that’s 12 times larger than a Boeing 747-400, WindRunner will be 108 metres long, 37.4 metres longer than Boeing’s Jumbo jet.
Radia says it’s focusing “on existing technology and safety by using, where applicable, tried-and-true aviation materials, components and fabrication techniques that have FAA [U.S. Federal Aviation Administration] approval, are already in mass production and are lowest-risk.”
Mark Lundstrum, an MIT aerospace engineer, founded Radia in 2016. The company says its team includes advisers from Boeing, MIT, Rolls-Royce, the FAA, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, and former Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull.
The company has, so far, raised more than US$100 million and is planning to have the gigantic aircraft in production by 2027.
AEROSPACE: WindRunner aircraft (Graphic)
GN45624 Graphic shows Radia’s proposed Windrunner cargo aircraft.
(107mm by 135mm deep) View graphic
Current turbine blades are 70 metres long or less, but Radia wants to deploy blades up to 105 metres long. The company says its GigaWind turbines could be two to three times more powerful and two to three times more profitable than those typically deployed today.
WindRunner will use sustainable aviation fuel and needs only a simple 1,800-metre packed-dirt or gravel runway to land on, something no other large commercial aircraft can achieve
With a cargo bay that’s 12 times larger than a Boeing 747-400, WindRunner will be 108 metres long, 37.4 metres longer than Boeing’s Jumbo jet.
Radia says it’s focusing “on existing technology and safety by using, where applicable, tried-and-true aviation materials, components and fabrication techniques that have FAA [U.S. Federal Aviation Administration] approval, are already in mass production and are lowest-risk.”
Mark Lundstrum, an MIT aerospace engineer, founded Radia in 2016. The company says its team includes advisers from Boeing, MIT, Rolls-Royce, the FAA, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, and former Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull.
The company has, so far, raised more than US$100 million and is planning to have the gigantic aircraft in production by 2027.
AEROSPACE: WindRunner aircraft (Graphic)
GN45624 Graphic shows Radia’s proposed Windrunner cargo aircraft.
(107mm by 135mm deep) View graphic
HISTORY: On this day April 14-20 , 2024 (week 16) (Graphic)
April 14-20, 2024 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week. This week features the world’s first cloned camel, the first Ford Mustang, the first album by the Rolling Stones, Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, English romantic potent Lord Byron, and SpaceX’s Starship.
April 14, 2009: The world’s first cloned camel was born in Dubai. The calf, named Injaz (Achievement), made her debut alongside her surrogate mother five days after her birth
April 15, 1964: The first Ford Mustang was sold to a Chicago schoolteacher, two days before the car’s official launch. Over 100,000 were sold in the first three months
April 16, 1964: The Rolling Stones, the first album by the group of the same name, was released. It became a big international hit, and topped the UK charts for 12 weeks
April 17, 1989: Thousands of Chinese students marched into Tiananmen Square in Beijing, calling for democracy following the death of purged liberal reformer Hu Yaobang
April 18, 1954: Gamal Abdel Nasser became prime minister of Egypt. He went on to become president in 1956 and remained in power until his death in 1970
April 19, 1824: Noted English Romantic poet Lord Byron died of a fever at Missolonghi during Greece’s war of independence against the Ottoman Turks
April 20, 2023: SpaceX’s Starship, the biggest rocket built to date, blew up just four minutes into its maiden flight after the upper stage failed to separate from the booster
HISTORY: On this day April 14-20 , 2024 (week 16) (Graphic)
GN45577 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic
April 14, 2009: The world’s first cloned camel was born in Dubai. The calf, named Injaz (Achievement), made her debut alongside her surrogate mother five days after her birth
April 15, 1964: The first Ford Mustang was sold to a Chicago schoolteacher, two days before the car’s official launch. Over 100,000 were sold in the first three months
April 16, 1964: The Rolling Stones, the first album by the group of the same name, was released. It became a big international hit, and topped the UK charts for 12 weeks
April 17, 1989: Thousands of Chinese students marched into Tiananmen Square in Beijing, calling for democracy following the death of purged liberal reformer Hu Yaobang
April 18, 1954: Gamal Abdel Nasser became prime minister of Egypt. He went on to become president in 1956 and remained in power until his death in 1970
April 19, 1824: Noted English Romantic poet Lord Byron died of a fever at Missolonghi during Greece’s war of independence against the Ottoman Turks
April 20, 2023: SpaceX’s Starship, the biggest rocket built to date, blew up just four minutes into its maiden flight after the upper stage failed to separate from the booster
HISTORY: On this day April 14-20 , 2024 (week 16) (Graphic)
GN45577 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic
HISTORY: On this day April 7-13 , 2024 (week 15) (Graphic)
April 7-13, 2024 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week. This week features the Rwandan genocide, the ancient Egyptian city of Aten, the marriage of Britain's Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles, the first crossword puzzle book, Australia's official national anthem, the historic city of Cuenca in the highlands of Ecuador. and British fashion designer Mary Quant.
April 7, 1994: The Rwandan genocide, triggered by the assassination of the president, began. Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days
April 8, 2021: Archaeologists announced the discovery of the ancient Egyptian city of Aten, founded 3,400 years ago and the most important find since the tomb of Tutankhamun
April 9, 2005: Britain’s Prince Charles married his long-term companion Camilla Parker Bowles. They became King and Queen in 2022 on the death of Queen Elizabeth II
April 10, 1924: The first crossword puzzle book was published in New York. The “odd-looking book with a pencil attached” was an instant hit and became the craze of the year
April 11, 1984: Australia adopted Advance Australia Fair, written in 1878, as the official national anthem and designated green and gold as the national colours
April 12, 1557: Spanish explorers founded the city of Cuenca in the highlands of Ecuador. The historic centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site
April 13, 2023: Mary Quant, British fashion designer credited with introducing the miniskirt and hotpants amid London’s Swinging Sixties culture, died at age 93
HISTORY: On this day April 7-13 , 2024 (week 15) (Graphic)
GN45576 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic
April 7, 1994: The Rwandan genocide, triggered by the assassination of the president, began. Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days
April 8, 2021: Archaeologists announced the discovery of the ancient Egyptian city of Aten, founded 3,400 years ago and the most important find since the tomb of Tutankhamun
April 9, 2005: Britain’s Prince Charles married his long-term companion Camilla Parker Bowles. They became King and Queen in 2022 on the death of Queen Elizabeth II
April 10, 1924: The first crossword puzzle book was published in New York. The “odd-looking book with a pencil attached” was an instant hit and became the craze of the year
April 11, 1984: Australia adopted Advance Australia Fair, written in 1878, as the official national anthem and designated green and gold as the national colours
April 12, 1557: Spanish explorers founded the city of Cuenca in the highlands of Ecuador. The historic centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site
April 13, 2023: Mary Quant, British fashion designer credited with introducing the miniskirt and hotpants amid London’s Swinging Sixties culture, died at age 93
HISTORY: On this day April 7-13 , 2024 (week 15) (Graphic)
GN45576 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic
HISTORY: ON THIS DAY auto-updating (3) (Interactive UPDATED Mar 25)
January 1, 2024 -- Have a look at how this mobile-friendly widget auto-updates each day to show a range of international anniversaries and events today in history - a daily feature to engage your online visitors day after day.
EDITORS: This is a responsive interactive graphic that can be published in an iframe. The events and picture displayed are determined by the system clock on the device on which it is viewed.
The graphic can be published using embed code. If you host the graphic yourself, you may wish to substitute some of the events or images to give a more national or local interest. The image and text for each day are held in the hyperesources folder. Data is supplied for a whole year.
HISTORY: ON THIS DAY auto-updating (3) (Interactive UPDATED Mar 25)
GN40881 Responsive interactive graphic shows anniversaries and events from today’s date in history. Changes automatically each day. Come back tomorrow to see anniversaries and events for that date.
(800px wide by 650px deep - auto updating)
EDITORS: This is a responsive interactive graphic that can be published in an iframe. The events and picture displayed are determined by the system clock on the device on which it is viewed.
The graphic can be published using embed code. If you host the graphic yourself, you may wish to substitute some of the events or images to give a more national or local interest. The image and text for each day are held in the hyperesources folder. Data is supplied for a whole year.
HISTORY: ON THIS DAY auto-updating (3) (Interactive UPDATED Mar 25)
GN40881 Responsive interactive graphic shows anniversaries and events from today’s date in history. Changes automatically each day. Come back tomorrow to see anniversaries and events for that date.
(800px wide by 650px deep - auto updating)
RUSSIA: Moscow concert hall attack (Graphic)
March 23, 2024 -- Russia has arrested 11 people including four suspected gunmen in connection with a shooting rampage that killed at least 115 people in a concert hall near Moscow, the Kremlin has said.
Several gunmen in combat fatigues entered the Crocus City Hall concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday night and opened fire in the popular music venue, killing at least 115 people and wounding more than 140 others in a brazen terror attack.
The assailants threw explosives, triggering a massive blaze at the hall, which can accommodate 6,200, according to Russian news outlets.
Militant Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Russia for 20 years. But there were indications that Russia was pursuing a Ukrainian link, despite a statement from Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak that Kyiv had nothing to do with it.
RUSSIA: Moscow concert hall attack (Graphic)
GN45625 Graphic shows locator and facts around the Moscow concert hall attack.
(107mm wide by 148mm deep) View graphic
Several gunmen in combat fatigues entered the Crocus City Hall concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday night and opened fire in the popular music venue, killing at least 115 people and wounding more than 140 others in a brazen terror attack.
The assailants threw explosives, triggering a massive blaze at the hall, which can accommodate 6,200, according to Russian news outlets.
Militant Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Russia for 20 years. But there were indications that Russia was pursuing a Ukrainian link, despite a statement from Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak that Kyiv had nothing to do with it.
RUSSIA: Moscow concert hall attack (Graphic)
GN45625 Graphic shows locator and facts around the Moscow concert hall attack.
(107mm wide by 148mm deep) View graphic
POLITICS: Bosnia to begin talks to join EU (Graphic)
March 22, 2024 -- European Union leaders have agreed to open membership talks with Bosnia-Herzegovina as the bloc seeks to pull a divided Western Balkan country closer into its orbit to counter Russian influence.
The move is a win for a nation still ethnically and politically divided, even decades after the 1992-95 war that tore the country apart, leaving more than 100,000 people dead and millions displaced.
Bosnia comprises of two entities, Serb-dominated Republika Srpska and a Muslim-Croat federation, linked by a weak central government in Sarajevo.
Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who counts Russian President Vladimir Putin as an ally, has long threatened to secede from the rest of the country and has opposed NATO membership.
It could be many more years until the country formally joins the EU, as they would be required to implement more economic and democratic reforms.
The war in Ukraine has sharpened the EU’s awareness that it needs to show commitment to the Western Balkans.
POLITICS: Bosnia to begin talks to join EU (Graphic)
GN45622 Graphic shows EU enlargement and candidate countries.
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The move is a win for a nation still ethnically and politically divided, even decades after the 1992-95 war that tore the country apart, leaving more than 100,000 people dead and millions displaced.
Bosnia comprises of two entities, Serb-dominated Republika Srpska and a Muslim-Croat federation, linked by a weak central government in Sarajevo.
Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who counts Russian President Vladimir Putin as an ally, has long threatened to secede from the rest of the country and has opposed NATO membership.
It could be many more years until the country formally joins the EU, as they would be required to implement more economic and democratic reforms.
The war in Ukraine has sharpened the EU’s awareness that it needs to show commitment to the Western Balkans.
POLITICS: Bosnia to begin talks to join EU (Graphic)
GN45622 Graphic shows EU enlargement and candidate countries.
(107mm wide by 168mm deep) View graphic
CRIME: Trump assets under threat of seizure (Graphic)
March 25, 2024 -- The New York Attorney General could soon begin seizing Donald Trump’s assets, most likely real estate, if he is unable to raise the cash for a $464 million bond in his civil fraud case.
New York Attorney General Letitia James could begin seizing Donald Trump’s assets, if he cannot raise the cash for a $464 million bond in his civil fraud case.
On March 18, Trump’s lawyers filed a court document declaring they were unable to secure the bond amount, which has increased from $454m to more than $464m due to interest charges.
This raises the possibility that James could begin the process of seizing his assets on March 25, most likely targeting his properties and golf courses.
Newsweek claims to have reviewed a document from the attorney general’s office that lists properties owned by Trump that had “fraudulent” and “misleading” values attached to them, which could end up being seized:
• Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles – California
• Trump International Hotel and Tower, Las Vegas – Nevada
• Mar-a-Lago (official residence of Donald Trump) – Florida
• Trump National Golf Club, Jupiter – Florida
• Trump National Golf Club, Charlotte – North Carolina
• Trump National Golf Club, Washington D.C. – Virginia
• Trump National Golf Club, Philadelphia – New Jersey
• Trump National Golf Club, Hudson Valley – New York
• Trump National Golf Club, Colts Neck – New Jersey
• 40 Wall Street – New York
• Trump Tower – New York
• Trump Park Avenue – New York
• Trump National Golf Club, Westchester – New York
• Seven Springs, Bedford – New York
• Trump International Golf Links – Turnberry (Scotland)
• Trump International Golf Links – Aberdeen (Scotland)
CRIME: Trump assets under threat of seizure (Graphic)
GN45610 Graphic shows assets owned by Donal Trump that could be seized.
(107mm by 152mm deep) View graphic
New York Attorney General Letitia James could begin seizing Donald Trump’s assets, if he cannot raise the cash for a $464 million bond in his civil fraud case.
On March 18, Trump’s lawyers filed a court document declaring they were unable to secure the bond amount, which has increased from $454m to more than $464m due to interest charges.
This raises the possibility that James could begin the process of seizing his assets on March 25, most likely targeting his properties and golf courses.
Newsweek claims to have reviewed a document from the attorney general’s office that lists properties owned by Trump that had “fraudulent” and “misleading” values attached to them, which could end up being seized:
• Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles – California
• Trump International Hotel and Tower, Las Vegas – Nevada
• Mar-a-Lago (official residence of Donald Trump) – Florida
• Trump National Golf Club, Jupiter – Florida
• Trump National Golf Club, Charlotte – North Carolina
• Trump National Golf Club, Washington D.C. – Virginia
• Trump National Golf Club, Philadelphia – New Jersey
• Trump National Golf Club, Hudson Valley – New York
• Trump National Golf Club, Colts Neck – New Jersey
• 40 Wall Street – New York
• Trump Tower – New York
• Trump Park Avenue – New York
• Trump National Golf Club, Westchester – New York
• Seven Springs, Bedford – New York
• Trump International Golf Links – Turnberry (Scotland)
• Trump International Golf Links – Aberdeen (Scotland)
CRIME: Trump assets under threat of seizure (Graphic)
GN45610 Graphic shows assets owned by Donal Trump that could be seized.
(107mm by 152mm deep) View graphic
CONFLICT: Aid routes into Gaza (Graphic)
March 21, 2024 -- Airdrops of food, a new sea route, and trucks entering through border crossings have not yet delivered enough food and supplies to Gaza to meet the needs of an increasingly desperate and hungry population.
As many as 1.1 million people could face deadly levels of hunger by mid-July, according to a new report from a global authority on food crises.
Israeli restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza may amount to the war crime of deliberate starvation, the UN has said, as the White House called for unimpeded access for aid to the coastal strip.
Israel denies impeding the entry of aid to Gaza and accuses aid organisations of failing to distribute it.
CONFLICT: Aid routes into Gaza (Graphic)
GN45609 Graphic shows humanitarian aid routes into Gaza.
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As many as 1.1 million people could face deadly levels of hunger by mid-July, according to a new report from a global authority on food crises.
Israeli restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza may amount to the war crime of deliberate starvation, the UN has said, as the White House called for unimpeded access for aid to the coastal strip.
Israel denies impeding the entry of aid to Gaza and accuses aid organisations of failing to distribute it.
CONFLICT: Aid routes into Gaza (Graphic)
GN45609 Graphic shows humanitarian aid routes into Gaza.
(107mm wide by 153mm deep) View graphic
POLITICS: Biden poll lead (Graphic)
March 21, 2024 -- President Joe Biden has taken a sudden lead over Donald Trump, according to a poll commissioned by Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Three other polls have found Biden leading Trump.
The FAU and Mainstreet Research survey, conducted between March 15 and 17, found Biden leading Trump by two percentage points among likely voters, with 47 per cent saying they'd support the president if the election were held today and 45 per cent choosing Trump.
In FAU's February poll, only 41 per cent of voters backed the president, while 44 per cent supported Trump.
Three other polls released this week found him leading Trump. Surveys from Reuters/Ipsos, Civiqs/Daily Kos and Public Policy Polling for the Democratic super PAC Progress Action Fund all show Trump trailing Biden by one percentage point.
Biden, 81, improved his standings among every age group except young voters; however, Trump saw his support among those 18 to 34 jump 14 per cent in the past month.
Trump, 77, made gains among likely male voters, with 51 per cent saying they'd back him in November's election.
POLITICS: Biden poll lead (Graphic)
GN45611 Graphic shows poll of polls since Joe Biden announced his presidential bid.
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The FAU and Mainstreet Research survey, conducted between March 15 and 17, found Biden leading Trump by two percentage points among likely voters, with 47 per cent saying they'd support the president if the election were held today and 45 per cent choosing Trump.
In FAU's February poll, only 41 per cent of voters backed the president, while 44 per cent supported Trump.
Three other polls released this week found him leading Trump. Surveys from Reuters/Ipsos, Civiqs/Daily Kos and Public Policy Polling for the Democratic super PAC Progress Action Fund all show Trump trailing Biden by one percentage point.
Biden, 81, improved his standings among every age group except young voters; however, Trump saw his support among those 18 to 34 jump 14 per cent in the past month.
Trump, 77, made gains among likely male voters, with 51 per cent saying they'd back him in November's election.
POLITICS: Biden poll lead (Graphic)
GN45611 Graphic shows poll of polls since Joe Biden announced his presidential bid.
(107mm by 125mm deep) View graphic
UKRAINE: Strikes on Russian oil refineries (Graphic)
March 20, 2024 -- Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown drone technology against a swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities.
At least nine major refineries have been successfully attacked this year, currently taking offline 11% of the country’s total capacity by some estimates. As the conflict at the front lines has shifted in Moscow’s favour, the drone campaign is becoming a key plank of Ukraine’s defence – both in its symbolism and its strategic aims.
It gives Kyiv the ability to reach deep into Russian territory and strike an industry that’s crucial to the Kremlin’s war effort, providing both supplies of fuel to its armed forces and a flow of petrodollars into its coffers, Bloomberg said.
UKRAINE: Strikes on Russian oil refineries (Graphic)
GN45604 Graphic shows recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries.
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At least nine major refineries have been successfully attacked this year, currently taking offline 11% of the country’s total capacity by some estimates. As the conflict at the front lines has shifted in Moscow’s favour, the drone campaign is becoming a key plank of Ukraine’s defence – both in its symbolism and its strategic aims.
It gives Kyiv the ability to reach deep into Russian territory and strike an industry that’s crucial to the Kremlin’s war effort, providing both supplies of fuel to its armed forces and a flow of petrodollars into its coffers, Bloomberg said.
UKRAINE: Strikes on Russian oil refineries (Graphic)
GN45604 Graphic shows recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries.
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POLITICS: Trump’s allies turned enemies (Graphic)
March 20, 2024 -- Former President Donald Trump not only faces multiple criminal cases but former aides and allies who have turned against him.
Trump is now the Republican presidential nominee-presumptive after passing the 1,215 delegate threshold on March 12 after rival, Nikki Haley, bowed out of the race in the aftermath of Super Tuesday.
Mike Pence, Trump’s former Vice President, told Fox News host Martha MacCallum on March 15 that he does not have his support.
“It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year,” he said.
The announcement that he won’t back his former boss sees Pence joining an ever-growing list of ex-Trump administration officials refusing to back his latest White House bid -- many of them saying they no longer believe him to be fit for office.
Joining the former Vice President are two Trump-appointed Secretaries of Defence, James Mattis and Mark Esper, and former Attorney General Bill Barr.
In a brief filed Tuesday (March 19), Trump’s lawyers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant their client “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution.
The president “cannot function, and the Presidency itself cannot retain its vital independence, if the President faces criminal prosecution for official acts once he leaves office,” the brief claims.
Lower courts have already twice rejected the immunity claims, but Trump’s lawyers will get a fresh chance to press their case before the Supreme Court when the justices hear arguments on April 25.
POLITICS: Trump’s allies turned enemies (Graphic)
GN45608 Graphic shows former aides and allies that now say former President Donald Trump is unfit for office.
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Trump is now the Republican presidential nominee-presumptive after passing the 1,215 delegate threshold on March 12 after rival, Nikki Haley, bowed out of the race in the aftermath of Super Tuesday.
Mike Pence, Trump’s former Vice President, told Fox News host Martha MacCallum on March 15 that he does not have his support.
“It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year,” he said.
The announcement that he won’t back his former boss sees Pence joining an ever-growing list of ex-Trump administration officials refusing to back his latest White House bid -- many of them saying they no longer believe him to be fit for office.
Joining the former Vice President are two Trump-appointed Secretaries of Defence, James Mattis and Mark Esper, and former Attorney General Bill Barr.
In a brief filed Tuesday (March 19), Trump’s lawyers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant their client “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution.
The president “cannot function, and the Presidency itself cannot retain its vital independence, if the President faces criminal prosecution for official acts once he leaves office,” the brief claims.
Lower courts have already twice rejected the immunity claims, but Trump’s lawyers will get a fresh chance to press their case before the Supreme Court when the justices hear arguments on April 25.
POLITICS: Trump’s allies turned enemies (Graphic)
GN45608 Graphic shows former aides and allies that now say former President Donald Trump is unfit for office.
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ACCIDENT: Chemical tanker capsizes off Japan (Graphic)
March 20, 2024 -- A South Korean-flagged chemical tanker carrying industrial acid has capsized in stormy seas off southwestern Japan, killing at least eight of the crew.
The South Korean-flagged “Keoyoung Sun” chemical tanker has capsized off the coast of Yamaguchi prefecture in southwestern Japan, with eight deaths confirmed by the coastguard.
The tanker, which was forced to anchor due to bad weather, requested assistance after 7:00am on Wednesday (2200 GMT, Tuesday).
The vessel had 11 crew members on board, of which nine have been retrieved by the coast guard. Eight of those have been confirmed dead, with rescuers looking for the remaining two.
The tanker was carrying around 980 tonnes of acrylic acid, which is used in plastics, resin, and coatings and can irritate the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
ACCIDENT: Chemical tanker capsizes off Japan (Graphic)
GN45605 Graphic shows the location of the Keoyoung Sun capsizing.
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The South Korean-flagged “Keoyoung Sun” chemical tanker has capsized off the coast of Yamaguchi prefecture in southwestern Japan, with eight deaths confirmed by the coastguard.
The tanker, which was forced to anchor due to bad weather, requested assistance after 7:00am on Wednesday (2200 GMT, Tuesday).
The vessel had 11 crew members on board, of which nine have been retrieved by the coast guard. Eight of those have been confirmed dead, with rescuers looking for the remaining two.
The tanker was carrying around 980 tonnes of acrylic acid, which is used in plastics, resin, and coatings and can irritate the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
ACCIDENT: Chemical tanker capsizes off Japan (Graphic)
GN45605 Graphic shows the location of the Keoyoung Sun capsizing.
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UKRAINE: Russia moves children from border area (Graphic)
March 19, 2024 -- Around 9,000 children are to be evacuated from the Russian city of Belgorod and the wider region after shelling the regional governor blames on Ukraine.
Reports suggest the security situation in Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk regions, has been deteriorating since March 12, when Russian anti-Kremlin militias broke into the region from Ukraine, resulting in clashes with the Russian military.
Ukraine has increasingly used its long-range firepower to hit oil refineries and depots deep inside Russia and has sought to unsettle the Russian border regions, putting political pressure on President Putin.
UKRAINE: Russia moves children from border area (Graphic)
GN45603 Graphic shows area where evacuation of children is going to take place.
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Reports suggest the security situation in Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk regions, has been deteriorating since March 12, when Russian anti-Kremlin militias broke into the region from Ukraine, resulting in clashes with the Russian military.
Ukraine has increasingly used its long-range firepower to hit oil refineries and depots deep inside Russia and has sought to unsettle the Russian border regions, putting political pressure on President Putin.
UKRAINE: Russia moves children from border area (Graphic)
GN45603 Graphic shows area where evacuation of children is going to take place.
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CONFLICT: Fears of mass famine in Gaza (Graphic)
March 19, 2024 -- Catastrophic food shortages in the Gaza Strip will see mass death from famine without an immediate ceasefire and surge in food aid, says global hunger monitor the IPC.
Food shortages in northern Gaza are so extreme that they already exceed famine levels, with mass death now imminent, unless an immediate ceasefire and increase in food distribution occurs.
That is the assessment of the Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC), who say 70% of people in parts of northern Gaza are suffering more than triple the 20% threshold to be considered famine.
A famine is underway if 20% of households face an extreme lack of food, 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition, and two adults or four children per 10,000 people die from malnutrition and disease every day.
Gaza’s health ministry says 27 children and three adults have died so far from malnutrition.
The IPC says between March and July 2024, more than 1,000,000 Gazans, half the population, will be classified as suffering from Phase 5 food insecurity – a catastrophic famine.
CONFLICT: Fears of mass famine in Gaza (Graphic)
GN45600 Graphic charts aspects of Gaza’s food shortages.
(107mm by 150mm deep) View graphic
Food shortages in northern Gaza are so extreme that they already exceed famine levels, with mass death now imminent, unless an immediate ceasefire and increase in food distribution occurs.
That is the assessment of the Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC), who say 70% of people in parts of northern Gaza are suffering more than triple the 20% threshold to be considered famine.
A famine is underway if 20% of households face an extreme lack of food, 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition, and two adults or four children per 10,000 people die from malnutrition and disease every day.
Gaza’s health ministry says 27 children and three adults have died so far from malnutrition.
The IPC says between March and July 2024, more than 1,000,000 Gazans, half the population, will be classified as suffering from Phase 5 food insecurity – a catastrophic famine.
CONFLICT: Fears of mass famine in Gaza (Graphic)
GN45600 Graphic charts aspects of Gaza’s food shortages.
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CONFLICT: U.S. confirms death of top Hamas leader (Graphic)
March 19, 2024 -- U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan has confirmed that Hamas’ deputy miliary leader, Marwan Issa, was killed last week in an Israeli air strike in Gaza.
Issa is the highest-ranking Hamas official to have been killed in Gaza since the October 7 attacks.
The Palestinian militant group, which controls Gaza, has not officially commented on reports of his death.
Israeli media sources have reported that Issa was killed in a strike on a tunnel complex under the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza last week.
The deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing – the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades – was considered one of Israel’s most-wanted men. The European Union, which placed the Hamas leader on its terrorist blacklist, linked him directly to the October 7 attack led by the group which killed approximately 1,200 people, according to the BBC.
CONFLICT: U.S. confirms death of top Hamas leader (Graphic)
GN45599 Graphic shows Hamas governing structure.
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Issa is the highest-ranking Hamas official to have been killed in Gaza since the October 7 attacks.
The Palestinian militant group, which controls Gaza, has not officially commented on reports of his death.
Israeli media sources have reported that Issa was killed in a strike on a tunnel complex under the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza last week.
The deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing – the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades – was considered one of Israel’s most-wanted men. The European Union, which placed the Hamas leader on its terrorist blacklist, linked him directly to the October 7 attack led by the group which killed approximately 1,200 people, according to the BBC.
CONFLICT: U.S. confirms death of top Hamas leader (Graphic)
GN45599 Graphic shows Hamas governing structure.
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POLITICS: Trump’s trials (Graphic)
March 19, 2024 -- Former President Donald Trump is unable to raise an appeal bond to prevent New York’s attorney general from seizing his real estate assets to satisfy a $454 million civil fraud judgment.
Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay $454 million in damages and interest after being found liable for financial fraud after overvaluing his properties to obtain favourable loans.
Trump’s lawyers said he has been unable to find a company willing to cover the appeal bond. They said they’ve approached over two dozen companies through four separate brokers and have spent “countless hours negotiating” without securing an underwriter.
The lawyers wrote, “defendants’ ongoing diligent efforts have proven that a bond in the judgment’s full amount is a practical impossibility.”
Earlier, on March 5, Trump posted a $91.6 million bond to appeal the $83.3 million in damages a jury ordered him to pay to writer E. Jean Carroll for defamation by denying her sexual assault allegations.
Trump has until March 25 to post the bond and prevent New York Attorney General Letitia James from collecting the court-ordered damages while he appeals.
POLITICS: Trump’s trials (Graphic)
GN45601 Graphic shows trials that Donald Trump is facing.
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Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay $454 million in damages and interest after being found liable for financial fraud after overvaluing his properties to obtain favourable loans.
Trump’s lawyers said he has been unable to find a company willing to cover the appeal bond. They said they’ve approached over two dozen companies through four separate brokers and have spent “countless hours negotiating” without securing an underwriter.
The lawyers wrote, “defendants’ ongoing diligent efforts have proven that a bond in the judgment’s full amount is a practical impossibility.”
Earlier, on March 5, Trump posted a $91.6 million bond to appeal the $83.3 million in damages a jury ordered him to pay to writer E. Jean Carroll for defamation by denying her sexual assault allegations.
Trump has until March 25 to post the bond and prevent New York Attorney General Letitia James from collecting the court-ordered damages while he appeals.
POLITICS: Trump’s trials (Graphic)
GN45601 Graphic shows trials that Donald Trump is facing.
(107mm by 159mm deep) View graphic
INDIA: General election 2024 (Graphic)
April 19 - June 1, 2024 -- The world’s largest democracy is heading to elections in which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is vying for a third five-year term. Nearly a billion people will vote at around one million polling stations over five weeks.
India’s general election pits Modi’s ruling BJP and its allies, against the main opposition Congress party-led alliance of about two dozen parties.
Nearly 970 million voters – more than the entire population of the U.S., the EU and Russia combined – are eligible to vote, making the election the largest democratic exercise in the world.
They will cast their votes through 5.5 million electronic voting machines at around one million polling stations from the snow-clad mountains in the Himalayas, the deserts of Rajasthan and sparsely populated islands in the Indian Ocean.
A victory would make Modi, 73, only the second prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's independence hero and its first prime minister, to win a third straight term.
INDIA: General election 2024 (Graphic)
GN45581 Graphic shows map of India with election timeline and key parties.
(163mm wide by 211mm deep) View graphic
India’s general election pits Modi’s ruling BJP and its allies, against the main opposition Congress party-led alliance of about two dozen parties.
Nearly 970 million voters – more than the entire population of the U.S., the EU and Russia combined – are eligible to vote, making the election the largest democratic exercise in the world.
They will cast their votes through 5.5 million electronic voting machines at around one million polling stations from the snow-clad mountains in the Himalayas, the deserts of Rajasthan and sparsely populated islands in the Indian Ocean.
A victory would make Modi, 73, only the second prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's independence hero and its first prime minister, to win a third straight term.
INDIA: General election 2024 (Graphic)
GN45581 Graphic shows map of India with election timeline and key parties.
(163mm wide by 211mm deep) View graphic
MILITARY: Niger junta bans U.S. troops (Graphic)
March 18, 2024 -- Niger’s junta has revoked with immediate effect a military accord that allows the U.S. to mount counterterrorism operations in the Sahel from its military base in Niger.
The announcement followed a visit to the capital, Niamey, by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee, the State Department’s top official for African affairs, and Gen. Michael E. Langley, who heads U.S. military operations in Africa.
The statement read on television, “denounced with force the condescending attitude” of the head of the U.S. delegation, which he said had undermined the long relationship between the two countries. The junta’s spokesman, Amadou Abdramane, said Niger was “denouncing with immediate effect” the accord with the U.S. military.
The United States operates a drone base in the north of Niger with around 1,100 military staff.
The Pentagon built Air Base 201 six years ago at Agadez for $110 million. It has been vital for monitoring extremist groups connected to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Gen. Langley warned earlier this year that if the U.S. closed the drone base, the move would be “impactful” in Niger and the region and for the United States’ broader counterterrorism strategy.
“If we can’t see, we can’t sense,” he said. “If we lose our footprint in the Sahel, that will degrade our ability to do active watching and warning, including for homeland defense.”
MILITARY: Niger junta bans U.S. troops (Graphic)
GN45598 Graphic shows Niger’s recent timeline since last year’s coup d'état.
(107mm by 160mm deep) View graphic
The announcement followed a visit to the capital, Niamey, by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee, the State Department’s top official for African affairs, and Gen. Michael E. Langley, who heads U.S. military operations in Africa.
The statement read on television, “denounced with force the condescending attitude” of the head of the U.S. delegation, which he said had undermined the long relationship between the two countries. The junta’s spokesman, Amadou Abdramane, said Niger was “denouncing with immediate effect” the accord with the U.S. military.
The United States operates a drone base in the north of Niger with around 1,100 military staff.
The Pentagon built Air Base 201 six years ago at Agadez for $110 million. It has been vital for monitoring extremist groups connected to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Gen. Langley warned earlier this year that if the U.S. closed the drone base, the move would be “impactful” in Niger and the region and for the United States’ broader counterterrorism strategy.
“If we can’t see, we can’t sense,” he said. “If we lose our footprint in the Sahel, that will degrade our ability to do active watching and warning, including for homeland defense.”
MILITARY: Niger junta bans U.S. troops (Graphic)
GN45598 Graphic shows Niger’s recent timeline since last year’s coup d'état.
(107mm by 160mm deep) View graphic
POLITICS: Vladimir Putin – Russia’s longest Kremlin ruler since Stalin (Graphic)
March 15-17, 2024 -- Vladimir Putin has been elected for a fifth term as Russia’s president, extending a quarter-century of rule, and potentially aiding his stay in power until 2036.
In a surprise to absolutely nobody, Vladimir Putin has won a fifth term as Russia’s president, extending a quarter-century of rule and potentially aiding his wish to stay in power well into the next decade.
In 2020, he amended the Constitution of Russia to exempt himself from presidential term limits until 2036, when he’ll be 83.
Putin is Russia’s longest-serving Kremlin leader since Soviet-era dictator Joseph Stalin who was in power for 10,636 days – Putin has served 8,844 days, as of March 17, 2024, when polling booths closed.
All credible opposition to Putin is either dead, in prison or exiled, establishing his power over the country of 144 million people as absolute.
POLITICS: Vladimir Putin – Russia’s longest Kremlin ruler since Stalin (Graphic)
GN45579 Graphic charts the longest-serving Russian presidents.
(107mm by 123mm deep) View graphic
In a surprise to absolutely nobody, Vladimir Putin has won a fifth term as Russia’s president, extending a quarter-century of rule and potentially aiding his wish to stay in power well into the next decade.
In 2020, he amended the Constitution of Russia to exempt himself from presidential term limits until 2036, when he’ll be 83.
Putin is Russia’s longest-serving Kremlin leader since Soviet-era dictator Joseph Stalin who was in power for 10,636 days – Putin has served 8,844 days, as of March 17, 2024, when polling booths closed.
All credible opposition to Putin is either dead, in prison or exiled, establishing his power over the country of 144 million people as absolute.
POLITICS: Vladimir Putin – Russia’s longest Kremlin ruler since Stalin (Graphic)
GN45579 Graphic charts the longest-serving Russian presidents.
(107mm by 123mm deep) View graphic
UKRAINE: Magura V5 sea drone (Graphic)
March 14, 2024 -- Kyiv is stepping up attacks against Russian warships with the use of domestically produced sea drones, which have crippled Moscow’s naval capability in the Black Sea.
The Magura V5, named after a Slavic goddess of war, has a range is 800km, so it can easily reach the Crimean peninsula and even the Russian coastline. It can allegedly carry 350kg of payload, enough to sink a warship.
The Magura drone can sail up to 78km/h. Thanks to its speed and size – 5.5m long – it's hard to spot, especially among the waves at night.
The hydrodynamic hull and sleek profile allow the drone to move secretly, making it easy to launch from any remote location.
There is another advantage of the Magura. They do not require a complex infrastructure to launch. The control panel of this marine drone looks quite compact, no larger than a modern laptop.
Sea drones are proving difficult to stop, specially when launched as swarm to overwhelm the ship's defences.
In the latest reported strike, Ukrainian naval drones attacked the Sergei Kotov patrol ship near the Kerch Strait, according to the Ukraine's military intelligence agency.
In February, drones sank Russia's Caesar Kunikov amphibious landing ship and Ivanovets missile corvette.
UKRAINE: Magura V5 sea drone (Graphic)
GN45571 Graphic shows the specifications of the Magura V5 drone, and Russian ships sunk by sea drones.
(107mm wide by 157mm deep) View graphic
The Magura V5, named after a Slavic goddess of war, has a range is 800km, so it can easily reach the Crimean peninsula and even the Russian coastline. It can allegedly carry 350kg of payload, enough to sink a warship.
The Magura drone can sail up to 78km/h. Thanks to its speed and size – 5.5m long – it's hard to spot, especially among the waves at night.
The hydrodynamic hull and sleek profile allow the drone to move secretly, making it easy to launch from any remote location.
There is another advantage of the Magura. They do not require a complex infrastructure to launch. The control panel of this marine drone looks quite compact, no larger than a modern laptop.
Sea drones are proving difficult to stop, specially when launched as swarm to overwhelm the ship's defences.
In the latest reported strike, Ukrainian naval drones attacked the Sergei Kotov patrol ship near the Kerch Strait, according to the Ukraine's military intelligence agency.
In February, drones sank Russia's Caesar Kunikov amphibious landing ship and Ivanovets missile corvette.
UKRAINE: Magura V5 sea drone (Graphic)
GN45571 Graphic shows the specifications of the Magura V5 drone, and Russian ships sunk by sea drones.
(107mm wide by 157mm deep) View graphic
POLITICS: Biden and Trump set for rematch (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 13)
March 13, 2024 -- Democrat incumbent President Joe Biden and Republican former-President Donald Trump are set for a rematch of the 2020 election after both sealed their parties’ nominations.
Donald Trump sealed his nomination 244 days before the election, when Nikki Haley, his last remaining challenger, stood down after a disappointing Super Tuesday showing. More than a dozen hopefuls had stood against Trump, including former allies like Haley, Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, but despite the four criminal charges and 91 felony counts hanging over the former president, ranging from allegations over his attempt to reverse his loss to Biden in 2020, to his handling of classified documents and payments to a porn star, Trump has seen them all off in near record time.
Neither candidate will be formally selected until the party conventions in the summer but both have already shifted the focus of their campaigns from the primaries to the November election. However, despite their strong showing against their primary opposition, weaknesses in their vote were clear and may be exploited by their opponent come autumn.
POLITICS: Biden and Trump set for rematch (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 13)
GN45570 Graphic charts data from the latest U.S. election poll of polls, and shows expected voting in each state.
(107mm wide by 157mm deep)
Donald Trump sealed his nomination 244 days before the election, when Nikki Haley, his last remaining challenger, stood down after a disappointing Super Tuesday showing. More than a dozen hopefuls had stood against Trump, including former allies like Haley, Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, but despite the four criminal charges and 91 felony counts hanging over the former president, ranging from allegations over his attempt to reverse his loss to Biden in 2020, to his handling of classified documents and payments to a porn star, Trump has seen them all off in near record time.
Neither candidate will be formally selected until the party conventions in the summer but both have already shifted the focus of their campaigns from the primaries to the November election. However, despite their strong showing against their primary opposition, weaknesses in their vote were clear and may be exploited by their opponent come autumn.
POLITICS: Biden and Trump set for rematch (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 13)
GN45570 Graphic charts data from the latest U.S. election poll of polls, and shows expected voting in each state.
(107mm wide by 157mm deep)
HISTORY: On this day March 31-Apr 6, 2024 (week 14) (Graphic)
March 31 - April 6, 2024 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week. This week features the Eiffel Tower, the Inuit people of Canada, the neon signs of London’s Piccadilly Circus, actor Marlon Brando, Finland joining NATO, the French Revolutionary Tribunal and the Swedish band ABBA
March 31, 1889: The Eiffel Tower, built by the engineer Gustave Eiffel, was inaugurated in Paris, France. At 324m (1,063ft), it was the world’s tallest man-made structure
April 1, 1999: A new territory, Nunavut, “our land”, was created in Canada to provide autonomy for the Inuit people. It comprises most of the Canadian Arctic archipelago
April 2, 1949: Years of post-war gloom ended as neon signs were lit up again in London’s Piccadilly Circus, 10 years after they were banned at the start of World War II
April 3, 1924: Marlon Brando, Oscar-winning U.S. movie actor whose best known films included The Wild One (above), On the Waterfront, and The Godfather, was born
April 4, 2023: Finland was welcomed into NATO, doubling the length of the alliance’s borders with Russia. It applied to join the group after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
April 5, 1794: Georges Jacques Danton, who set up the French Revolutionary Tribunal, became one of the victims of the Terror himself when he was guillotined for treason
April 6, 1974: The Swedish band ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with the pop classic Waterloo, which was later voted the best song in the contest’s history
HISTORY: On this day March 31-Apr 6, 2024 (week 14) (Graphic)
GN45521 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic
March 31, 1889: The Eiffel Tower, built by the engineer Gustave Eiffel, was inaugurated in Paris, France. At 324m (1,063ft), it was the world’s tallest man-made structure
April 1, 1999: A new territory, Nunavut, “our land”, was created in Canada to provide autonomy for the Inuit people. It comprises most of the Canadian Arctic archipelago
April 2, 1949: Years of post-war gloom ended as neon signs were lit up again in London’s Piccadilly Circus, 10 years after they were banned at the start of World War II
April 3, 1924: Marlon Brando, Oscar-winning U.S. movie actor whose best known films included The Wild One (above), On the Waterfront, and The Godfather, was born
April 4, 2023: Finland was welcomed into NATO, doubling the length of the alliance’s borders with Russia. It applied to join the group after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
April 5, 1794: Georges Jacques Danton, who set up the French Revolutionary Tribunal, became one of the victims of the Terror himself when he was guillotined for treason
April 6, 1974: The Swedish band ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with the pop classic Waterloo, which was later voted the best song in the contest’s history
HISTORY: On this day March 31-Apr 6, 2024 (week 14) (Graphic)
GN45521 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic
HISTORY: On this day March 24-30, 2024 (week 13) (Graphic)
March 24-30, 2024 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week. This week features Isabel Peron of Argentina, the discovery of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, the first successful non-direct blood transfusion, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, Ireland’s ban on smoking in public places, and the glass pyramid at the Louvre
March 24, 1976: Argentine president Isabel Peron was deposed in a bloodless military coup. She lived under house arrest for five years before being exiled to Spain in 1981
March 25, 1655: Christiaan Huygens, Dutch astronomer and mathematician, discovered Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Huygens also determined the nature of Saturn’s rings
March 26, 1964: Barbra Streisand shot to stardom in the musical Funny Girl, based on the life and career of comedian and Broadway star Fanny Brice
March 27, 1914: The first successful non-direct blood transfusion, using stored blood rather than transfusing directly from donor to receiver, was performed
March 28, 1979: A partial meltdown in a nuclear reactor at the Three Mile Island power plant in Pennsylvania caused the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history
March 29, 2004: Ireland, renowned for its pub culture, became the world’s first country to impose a nationwide ban on smoking in public places, including all bars and restaurants
March 30 1989: The imposing new entrance of the Louvre Museum, a dramatic glass pyramid designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, was opened
HISTORY: On this day March 24-30, 2024 (week 13) (Graphic)
GN45520 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic
March 24, 1976: Argentine president Isabel Peron was deposed in a bloodless military coup. She lived under house arrest for five years before being exiled to Spain in 1981
March 25, 1655: Christiaan Huygens, Dutch astronomer and mathematician, discovered Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Huygens also determined the nature of Saturn’s rings
March 26, 1964: Barbra Streisand shot to stardom in the musical Funny Girl, based on the life and career of comedian and Broadway star Fanny Brice
March 27, 1914: The first successful non-direct blood transfusion, using stored blood rather than transfusing directly from donor to receiver, was performed
March 28, 1979: A partial meltdown in a nuclear reactor at the Three Mile Island power plant in Pennsylvania caused the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history
March 29, 2004: Ireland, renowned for its pub culture, became the world’s first country to impose a nationwide ban on smoking in public places, including all bars and restaurants
March 30 1989: The imposing new entrance of the Louvre Museum, a dramatic glass pyramid designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, was opened
HISTORY: On this day March 24-30, 2024 (week 13) (Graphic)
GN45520 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic
ARCHAEOLOGY: San José shipwreck recovery (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 5)
March 4, 2024 -- Colombia is embarking on a deep-water expedition to recover the Spanish galleon San José, known as the “holy grail of shipwrecks”, which sank in 1708, carrying treasure believed to be worth up to $20 billion.
Between April and May, an underwater robot would be sent to recover some of its bounty.
The operation will cost more than $4.5 million, and a robot manufactured by the Swedish marine services company Saab will work at a depth of 600m to remove some items.
The San José was the flagship of an armada carrying treasure from Spain’s colonies in South America to the court of King Philip V to fund the War of Spanish Succession.
On June 8, 1708, it was ambushed off the coast of Cartagena by a British squadron led by Admiral Charles Wager. Before the San José could be boarded, it exploded and sank with the loss of all but 11 of its 600 crew and passengers.
Ever since, finding the ship has been the fantasy of treasure hunters, adventurers and novelists. In Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, the unrequited lover, Florentino Ariza, dreams of recovering the sunken hoard for his love Fermina Daza.
Colombia had been involved in a lengthy legal battle with the Seattle-based commercial salvage company Sea Search Armada over breach of contract and ownership of the bounty. In 1980, the company claims to have located the shipwreck.
Spain argues that the San José is a military vessel and therefore it is still Spanish property under the UNESCO convention.
Indigenous groups and local descendants of Afro-Caribbean communities also argue that they are entitled to reparations, because their ancestors mined the treasure.
ARCHAEOLOGY: San José shipwreck recovery (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 5)
GN45081 Graphic shows details of the San José and the expedition to recover its bounty.
(163mm wide by 237mm deep)
Between April and May, an underwater robot would be sent to recover some of its bounty.
The operation will cost more than $4.5 million, and a robot manufactured by the Swedish marine services company Saab will work at a depth of 600m to remove some items.
The San José was the flagship of an armada carrying treasure from Spain’s colonies in South America to the court of King Philip V to fund the War of Spanish Succession.
On June 8, 1708, it was ambushed off the coast of Cartagena by a British squadron led by Admiral Charles Wager. Before the San José could be boarded, it exploded and sank with the loss of all but 11 of its 600 crew and passengers.
Ever since, finding the ship has been the fantasy of treasure hunters, adventurers and novelists. In Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, the unrequited lover, Florentino Ariza, dreams of recovering the sunken hoard for his love Fermina Daza.
Colombia had been involved in a lengthy legal battle with the Seattle-based commercial salvage company Sea Search Armada over breach of contract and ownership of the bounty. In 1980, the company claims to have located the shipwreck.
Spain argues that the San José is a military vessel and therefore it is still Spanish property under the UNESCO convention.
Indigenous groups and local descendants of Afro-Caribbean communities also argue that they are entitled to reparations, because their ancestors mined the treasure.
ARCHAEOLOGY: San José shipwreck recovery (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 5)
GN45081 Graphic shows details of the San José and the expedition to recover its bounty.
(163mm wide by 237mm deep)
WORLD AGENDA: March 2024 (Graphic)
March 1-29, 2024 -- Events in March include Donald Trump’s hush-money trial, Israel’s offensive in Rafah, crucial elections in Iran, Portugal and Russia, the 96th Academy Awards ceremony and the auction of Lionel Messi’s first contract with Barcelona.
Mar 1, Iran: Voters cast their ballots for a new parliament and the Assembly of Experts, a key body in charge of appointing the supreme leader. The election is the first since the 2022 crackdown on protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Mar 10, Gaza Strip: Israel has warned it will launch an offensive in Rafah unless Hamas frees all hostages held in Gaza by the start of Ramadan on this day.
Mar 10, Portugal: The ruling socialists remain on course to win a snap election called after Prime Minister António Costa was forced to step down in November amid a sprawling corruption probe.
Mar 10, U.S.: With 13 nominations, Oppenheimer – about the scientist who helped develop the atomic bomb – leads the Oscars battle, closely followed by the fantasy drama, Poor Things and box office hit, Barbie.
Mar 15-17, Russia: Vladimir Putin is expected to win his fifth term as president in elections that will extend his quarter-century rule and keep him in power until at least 2030.
Mar 18-27, UK: A napkin on which 13-year-old Lionel Messi’s first contract with Barcelona was signed is auctioned in London, with a starting price of $380,000.
Mar 26-Jul 14, France: The Musée d’Orsay stages “Paris 1874. The Impressionist Moment” to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition.
Mar 25, U.S.: Donald Trump will become the first former U.S. president to face a criminal trial, indicted on 34 felony counts connected to hush-money payments made to a porn actress in the run-up to the 2016 election.
WORLD AGENDA: March 2024 (Graphic)
GN45504 Graphic shows selected news events in March 2024.
(163mm wide by 210mm deep) View graphic
Mar 1, Iran: Voters cast their ballots for a new parliament and the Assembly of Experts, a key body in charge of appointing the supreme leader. The election is the first since the 2022 crackdown on protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Mar 10, Gaza Strip: Israel has warned it will launch an offensive in Rafah unless Hamas frees all hostages held in Gaza by the start of Ramadan on this day.
Mar 10, Portugal: The ruling socialists remain on course to win a snap election called after Prime Minister António Costa was forced to step down in November amid a sprawling corruption probe.
Mar 10, U.S.: With 13 nominations, Oppenheimer – about the scientist who helped develop the atomic bomb – leads the Oscars battle, closely followed by the fantasy drama, Poor Things and box office hit, Barbie.
Mar 15-17, Russia: Vladimir Putin is expected to win his fifth term as president in elections that will extend his quarter-century rule and keep him in power until at least 2030.
Mar 18-27, UK: A napkin on which 13-year-old Lionel Messi’s first contract with Barcelona was signed is auctioned in London, with a starting price of $380,000.
Mar 26-Jul 14, France: The Musée d’Orsay stages “Paris 1874. The Impressionist Moment” to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition.
Mar 25, U.S.: Donald Trump will become the first former U.S. president to face a criminal trial, indicted on 34 felony counts connected to hush-money payments made to a porn actress in the run-up to the 2016 election.
WORLD AGENDA: March 2024 (Graphic)
GN45504 Graphic shows selected news events in March 2024.
(163mm wide by 210mm deep) View graphic
SCIENCE: Great North American eclipse (Graphic)
April 8, 2024 -- On April 8, a total solar eclipse will dazzle millions of people in North America along a path crossing from Mexico into the United States and then Canada.
The eclipse will be entering over Mexico’s Pacific coast, dashing up through Texas and Oklahoma, and crisscrossing the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England, before exiting over Eastern Canada into the Atlantic.
The total solar eclipse will have a narrow path roughly 185 kilometres wide.
Within the U.S., more than 31 million people live inside the path of totality. Millions more reside within the path in Mexico and Canada, especially the more populated cities of Mazatlán, Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa.
The path of totality comes within 322km of major cities of the U.S.: Washington D.C.; Baltimore; Philadelphia; New York; and Boston. Additionally, over half the nation’s population lives within 400km of the path of totality.
This eclipse will be the first total solar eclipse to be visible in the provinces of Canada since 1979,the first in Mexico since 1991, and the first in the U.S. since 2017. It will also be the last total solar eclipse visible in the vontiguous United States until August 23, 2044.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, aligning perfectly and completely blocking the sunlight.
SCIENCE: Great North American eclipse (Graphic)
GN45499 Graphic shows eclipse path and stages.
(163mm wide by 199mm deep) View graphic
The eclipse will be entering over Mexico’s Pacific coast, dashing up through Texas and Oklahoma, and crisscrossing the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England, before exiting over Eastern Canada into the Atlantic.
The total solar eclipse will have a narrow path roughly 185 kilometres wide.
Within the U.S., more than 31 million people live inside the path of totality. Millions more reside within the path in Mexico and Canada, especially the more populated cities of Mazatlán, Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa.
The path of totality comes within 322km of major cities of the U.S.: Washington D.C.; Baltimore; Philadelphia; New York; and Boston. Additionally, over half the nation’s population lives within 400km of the path of totality.
This eclipse will be the first total solar eclipse to be visible in the provinces of Canada since 1979,the first in Mexico since 1991, and the first in the U.S. since 2017. It will also be the last total solar eclipse visible in the vontiguous United States until August 23, 2044.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, aligning perfectly and completely blocking the sunlight.
SCIENCE: Great North American eclipse (Graphic)
GN45499 Graphic shows eclipse path and stages.
(163mm wide by 199mm deep) View graphic
AVIATION: Electric cargo aircraft (Graphic)
August 7, 2023 -- Pyka’s Pelican Cargo drone is a self-flying electric aircraft featuring fully automated flight control software, triple-redundant high energy density batteries, and a carbon composite airframe.
The California-based aviation company is transforming the future of freight delivery with its Pelican Cargo drone.
On August 1, Pyka received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its Pelican Spray aircraft for crop protection nationwide.
Securing FAA approval for Pyka’s agricultural drone will also help the company obtain its Pelican Cargo drone certification.
The company signed a deal with Britain’s Skyports Drone Services earlier this year. It plans to use Pelican Cargo for large-volume payloads that its smaller uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) can’t carry.
“Pelican Cargo means we can now fly significant volumes of cargo: a real game changer,” said Skyports director Alex Brown.
Earlier this month, Skyports and Britain’s Royal Mail launched a fully electric drone delivery service between Scotland’s Orkney Islands. The three-month trial uses a Brazilian Speedbird Aero DLV-2 aircraft to deliver letters and packages weighing up to 6kg (13 lbs). The Pelican Cargo will boost this delivery payload to 181kg (400 lbs).
Michael Norcia, CEO of Pyka, says Pelican Cargo’s low operating costs -- expected to be $15 a flight hour (€13.60) due to lower energy and maintenance costs -- will make airborne freight prices competitive over short distances with road transport.
AVIATION: Electric cargo aircraft (Graphic)
GN44680 Graphic shows Pyka crewless electric cargo aircraft.
(107mm by 152mm deep) View graphic
The California-based aviation company is transforming the future of freight delivery with its Pelican Cargo drone.
On August 1, Pyka received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its Pelican Spray aircraft for crop protection nationwide.
Securing FAA approval for Pyka’s agricultural drone will also help the company obtain its Pelican Cargo drone certification.
The company signed a deal with Britain’s Skyports Drone Services earlier this year. It plans to use Pelican Cargo for large-volume payloads that its smaller uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) can’t carry.
“Pelican Cargo means we can now fly significant volumes of cargo: a real game changer,” said Skyports director Alex Brown.
Earlier this month, Skyports and Britain’s Royal Mail launched a fully electric drone delivery service between Scotland’s Orkney Islands. The three-month trial uses a Brazilian Speedbird Aero DLV-2 aircraft to deliver letters and packages weighing up to 6kg (13 lbs). The Pelican Cargo will boost this delivery payload to 181kg (400 lbs).
Michael Norcia, CEO of Pyka, says Pelican Cargo’s low operating costs -- expected to be $15 a flight hour (€13.60) due to lower energy and maintenance costs -- will make airborne freight prices competitive over short distances with road transport.
AVIATION: Electric cargo aircraft (Graphic)
GN44680 Graphic shows Pyka crewless electric cargo aircraft.
(107mm by 152mm deep) View graphic