News Stories

[Ithekro]

Still...it is around 500 light years away. With the proposed FTL drives being investigated, it would take 50 years to reach (upper limit presently at 10 times the speed of light).

[SeijiSensei]

First steps toward defusing the conflict in Ukraine

The United States, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union reached an agreement here on Thursday evening that calls for armed pro-Russian bands to give up the government buildings they have seized in eastern Ukraine and outlines other steps to de-escalate the crisis.

This only scratches the surface. It doesn't mention Crimea, for instance, nor requires the Russians to pull back their forces along the Ukrainian border. Still it's a start.

On the Korean ferry disaster, there's this rather plausible explanation in the Times as well:

An investigator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the government had not yet reached its final conclusions, said it was possible that the ferry’s cargo — which included 180 trucks and cars and more than 1,100 tons of cargo in shipping containers — had not been tied down properly.

[Xellos-_^]

the Russians are keep Crimea,

the issue now is to keep Russian out the rest of eastern Ukraine

[Wigwams]

ukraine should just "sell" crimea to russia: all debt gets forgiven and continued cheap gas. its better to get something out of it rather than lose it for absolutely nothing.

[Haak]

I don't think it would be wise to sell your citizens property and livelihood like that as if you own them. XP

Besides Russia have already stolen it anyway and there's no reason for them to pay up.

[Wigwams]

its to "normalize" relationship, russia cant get away with "stealing", but maybe "buying" it with permission from ukraine will be "ok". the crimeans can "vote" on it again.

[Fireminer]

Rob Ford launch re-election campaign

I wonder why haven't anyone put this guy into a drug rehabilitation camp - we would have do it in Vietnam.

Author Gabriel Garcia Marquez dies aged 87

Politicians, Entrepreneurs, Celebrities,... come and go, only the books remain.

[RRW]

(Reuters) - The vice-principal of a South Korean high school who accompanied hundreds of pupils on what turned out to be a disastrous ferry trip has committed suicide, police said on Friday, as hopes faded of finding any of the 268 missing passengers alive.

Kang Min-gyu, 52, had been missing since Thursday. He appeared to have hanged himself with his belt from a tree outside a gym in the port city of Jindo where relatives of the people missing on the ship, mostly children from the school, were gathered.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A3F01Y20140418

actually they found suicide note now

Suicide note of Vice Principal of Danwon HS discovered in his wallet, written “cremate and put his remains on the wreck site.” He said “I am sorry I survived myseld” to “parents, students, school and education board” and “responsible for everything”. Says he wishes to be a teacher in the afterlife.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...eview?sle=true

[maplehurry]

^that's so sad. It's not yet confirmed that the other 270s are dead...

[RRW]

It was 11 years ago when the public recoiled from the sensational media coverage of the subway arson attack in Daegu that killed nearly 200 people. The harsh criticism forced the Journalists Association of Korea to announce a set of guidelines for its members on reporting disasters and major accidents:

Do not allow your reporting to disrupt rescue efforts; do not provoke unnecessary fear; thoroughly evaluate uncertain claims to prevent misinformation; do not force victims or their family members into interviews; reduce the use of close camera angles; do not use pictures and videos that are excessively shocking or provocative; refrain from revealing personal details of the survivors and the dead.

Those are seven rules for journalists to live by. Too bad they matter only until the next deadly event.

http://m.koreatimes.co.kr/phone/news...newsidx=155641

They basically make how Malaysia handle missing plane like professional now

[Tiberium Wolf]

Dad allegedly suffocates son to play video games

Aghrrr... Another scumbag that soils gamers name.

[Haak]

HMRC wants to sell taxpayer data:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...taxpayers-data

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by RRW

http://m.koreatimes.co.kr/phone/news...newsidx=155641

They basically make how Malaysia handle missing plane like professional now

How are they going to make money then? [/sarcasm]

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

How are they going to make money then? [/sarcasm]

By reporting about how unprofessional the reporting of their competitors is

[ganbaru]

Sunken Korea ferry relatives give DNA swabs to help identify dead
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A3F01Y20140419

Current underwater search for Malaysia plane could end within a week
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A3I01020140419

Special Report: How the U.S. made its Putin problem worse
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A3H0OQ20140418

[KiraYamatoFan]

Originally Posted by RRW

http://m.koreatimes.co.kr/phone/news...newsidx=155641

They basically make how Malaysia handle missing plane like professional now

To put it bluntly in a single word, those media are c**ts to do what they did. This is beyond disgusting.

By the time the investigation will be over, I really want to know why this whole rescue operation took so long according to the chronology of events. Especially why they did not bring anything to stabilize the ship and cut a few holes through the hull to save the living above all.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

By the time the investigation will be over, I really want to know why this whole rescue operation took so long according to the chronology of events. Especially why they did not bring anything to stabilize the ship and cut a few holes through the hull to save the living above all.

Risk of explosion. Cutting through the hull of the ship would require blowtorches, buzzsaws won't cut it. The decomposing bodies generate methane.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

By the time the investigation will be over, I really want to know why this whole rescue operation took so long according to the chronology of events. Especially why they did not bring anything to stabilize the ship and cut a few holes through the hull to save the living above all.

Cutting holes in the ship has the potential to destabilize the pressure inside, possibly resulting in hypothetical airpockets with survivors getting flooded.


Also. Some of the reports I've heard seem to indicate the diving conditions here are VERY bad. To the point where diving at all is dangerous...which kinda makes all the dramatic indignation of every amateur diver complaining that they're not being allowed to help out a bit annoying. Something bad happens, and energy has to be diverted to rescue the rescuers.

[Sugetsu]

Originally Posted by Tiberium Wolf

Dad allegedly suffocates son to play video games

Aghrrr... Another scumbag that soils gamers name.

This has to be one of the most horrible news i have read in a very long time. It is truly upsetting...

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Cutting holes in the ship has the potential to destabilize the pressure inside, possibly resulting in hypothetical airpockets with survivors getting flooded.


Also. Some of the reports I've heard seem to indicate the diving conditions here are VERY bad. To the point where diving at all is dangerous...which kinda makes all the dramatic indignation of every amateur diver complaining that they're not being allowed to help out a bit annoying. Something bad happens, and energy has to be diverted to rescue the rescuers.

Form teams and use a buddy line?