Day: June 24, 2023

The US announced Friday it will investigate the loss of the Titan, while Canada said it will probe the actions of the Polar Prince, the Canadian vessel that towed the submersible to the site of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean. The US National Transportation Safety Board declared the destruction of the Titan a ‘major marine casualty’ and said Friday that the US Coast Guard would lead an investigation into the loss of the submersible. Meanwhile, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said it would launch an investigation into the actions of the Polar Prince support vessel that towed the Titan from Newfoundland to the site of the wreckage of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean. The TSB said its action is “in accordance with the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and international agreements.” “In the coming days, we will coordinate our activities with other agencies involved,” it said in a statement. “This is all the information available at this time. Updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.” The Polar Prince is a Newfoundland vessel owned by the Miawpukek First Nation. The ship joined other vessels in the search for the Titan. It also carried some family members of the five men that died in the implosion of the submersible. Miawpukek Chief Mi’sel Joe told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Friday that the investigation would be harrowing for the Polar Prince crew. “It’s going to be rough on the crew,” he said. “They’re looking after the ship, they’re looking after themselves, and they’re looking after the family that’s on board. My heart goes out to them. To all of them. It’s a loss of life, and it’s never easy on the family.” The Polar Prince lost contact with the Titan early Sunday, about 90 minutes after it began towing the submersible toward the Titanic – 700 km. (435 miles) off the coast of Newfoundland. A remotely operated vehicle found the Titan submersible’s tail cone on the seafloor roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic. Additional debris that was discovered near the site was “consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” said a US Coast Guard official.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Authorities have confiscated PHP2 million worth of suspected illegal drugs during a buy-bust here late Friday night. The operation, which took place at Dacudao Avenue, Barangay Governor Paciano Bangoy, also led to the arrest of 18-year-old Kurt Aaron Espinosa, reportedly a high-value individual on the police drug list. Espinosa was arrested after he handed the suspected shabu weighing 103 grams to a poseur-buyer and accepted the PHP1,000 marked money. Confiscated from Espinosa were one small and two big self-sealing transparent plastic sachets of suspected shabu. The suspect is now detained at the Bajada Police Station and facing drug charges.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Europe has reported an increasing risk of mosquito-borne diseases, more frequent heat waves and flooding, and severe weather conditions like summers getting longer and warmer. Climate Change Commission (CCC) commissioner Albert dela Cruz Sr. has warned that the situation in Europe could also happen to the Philippines, considering that it is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change and global warming. In a statement on Saturday, dela Cruz cautioned against the dire impact of climate change on public health and emphasized the need for immediate climate action to address the serious health risks among the general population, particularly the critically vulnerable and marginalized sectors. ‘We realize that there is no disease group that is immune to the effects of climate change. And this is why we need to act now so we can respond to the threats to maintain a healthy population and with that attain economic stability through resiliency and sustainability,’ he said, reacting to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) report published on June 22. The ECDC said more cases and possibly deaths from diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, and West Nile fever, are expected in the continent. ‘Efforts need to focus on ways to control mosquito populations, enhancing surveillance and enforcing personal protective measures,’ the report said. That Europe is experiencing a warming trend creates more favorable conditions for invasive mosquito species, such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, according to the ECDC. As of June 8 this year, a total of 2,162,214 cases and 974 dengue deaths have been reported globally, based on the data from the ECDC. ‘The health of populations will be in greater danger with climate change affecting health both directly, for instance, among the elderly who experience heat stroke due to exposure to extreme heat, or indirectly, when climate change alters the environmental conditions for mosquito-borne diseases, like dengue and malaria,’ dela Cruz said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has projected that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year because of heat stress, malaria, diarrhea, and malnutrition alone. Direct damage costs to health are estimated to be between USD2 billion and USD4 billion per year by 2030, according to the WHO report, adding that areas with weak health infrastructure, mostly in developing countries, will be the least able to cope without assistance. The Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 period devotes an entire chapter to climate change and disaster resiliency. The pioneering chapter identifies key objectives for climate action, including increasing climate and disaster risk resilience of communities and institutions, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Philippines reiterated the need to expand and enhance international cooperation in adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, climate finance, and other means of implementation, such as technology transfer and capacity development toward transformative climate action. ‘Under the Marcos administration, accelerating climate action and enhancing climate resilience have been more firmly embedded in our development agenda, which we project will lead to more flow of resources, including Means of Implementation,’ CCC vice chairperson and executive director Robert EA Borje said at the 58th Sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change held in Bonn, Germany on June 5-15.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The secretary of the Guerrilla Front 30 (GF-30) under the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) of the New People’s Army surrendered to the forces of the 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB) in Barangay Puyat, Carmen, Surigao del Sur on Thursday. In a statement Saturday, the 36IB identified the surrenderer as Grecyl Yparraguirre Rubi, alias Raquel. Three other members of GF-30 also yielded to 36IB on Thursday, including Ramil Salazar Quesada, alias Ben, the husband of Rubi, and the vice commanding officer of Platoon 1, GF-30; Robert Arreza Yparraguirre, alias Mark of Platoon 1, GF-30; and Bakekor Lauro Masiga, alias Pidok, a member of Sentro De Grabidad 16 of the NEMRC. They also handed over to the Army an AK-47 rifle, an M-14 rifle, an AR-18 rifle, and an M203 grenade launcher. In the same statement, Lt. Col. Vincent Viray, the commander of 36IB, said the four lamented the difficult situations they endure due to the intensified military operations in the area. ‘Their decision to surrender stemmed from exhaustion and hunger. With our focused military operations, they are now running out of food and other essential supplies. They also experienced demoralization with the failure of the promises of their leaders,’ Viray said. He added that Rubi and Quesada also wanted to reunite with their children and live peacefully as a family. ‘I welcome you back to the mainstream society. I am also grateful for your courage in coming out with the decision to abandon the terrorist movement,’ Viray said. He also encouraged the remaining NPA rebels in Surigao del Sur to surrender and avail of the programs and services of the government.

Source: Philippines News Agency