World
Pakistan Bombing Raises Fears Over Security Breach, 100 Dead
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani authorities were scrambling on Tuesday to figure out how a suicide bomber could carry out one of the country’s deadliest militant attacks in years, exploding in a crowded mosque inside a heavily fortified police compound in Peshawar. The death toll from the explosion has risen to 100.
At least 225 people were hurt in the bombing on Monday morning, which made officials worry about a major security breach at a time when the Pakistani Taliban, the main anti-government militant group, has been stepping up attacks, especially on police and the military.
Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said that the Pakistani Taliban, also known by their acronym TTP, attacked a televised speech to parliament on Tuesday. He said that they were running their operations from Afghan territory next door and asked the Afghan Taliban to do something about them. At first, a TTP commander took the blame, but later, a TTP spokesman distanced the group from the violence by saying that it was not the TTP’s policy to attack mosques.
Officials said the bomber detonated his explosives vest as more than 300 worshippers were praying in the Sunni mosque, with more on their way. According to Zafar Khan, a police officer, the blast blew off part of the roof, and what was left caved in, injuring many more.
Rescuers worked all night and into Tuesday morning to clear away piles of rubble so they could reach worshippers who were stuck under it. The death toll rose as more bodies were discovered, and several critically injured people died, according to Mohammad Asim, a government hospital spokesman in Peshawar.
According to him, the majority of the victims were police officers.
Pakistan Police Are Looking Into How The Bomber Got Inside
Police are looking into how the bomber got into the mosque inside a walled-off police headquarters compound called Police Lines. The compound is in Peshawar’s high-security district, which houses other government buildings.
“Yes, it was a security lapse,” said Ghulam Ali, the provincial governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar’s capital.
Former regional interior secretary Akhtar Ali Shah, based in Peshawar then, said the attack “was not a spur-of-the-moment attack.”
“It was the work of a well-organized group,” he said, according to The Associated Press. He said that the people who did the attack needed help from insiders to get into the compound and that they probably went in there more than once to keep an eye on things or to put bombs there ahead of time.
“It’s a security breach, not a security lapse,” he explained. “There are multiple layers of security you must cross from all entry points,” with ID checks.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan told parliament that investigators believe the bomber was assisted by someone from the families of government employees who live in the compound near the mosque. He stated that 97 of the 100 people killed were police officers and that 27 officers were still in critical condition.
97 Of The 100 People Were Police Officers
The military’s media wing turned down an interview request for the chief of army staff. Asim Munir, who took office in November, has yet to appear in the media.
The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s provincial secretary-general, Kamran Bangash, blamed the insecurity on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government.
“The government has failed to improve the economy and law and order situation,” he said, adding that it should resign to pave the way for snap parliamentary elections. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the party’s leader, condemned the attack.
Pakistan is in the middle of a political and economic crisis because of a disputed election and floods last summer that killed 1,739 people, destroyed more than 2 million homes, and flooded up to a third of the country. The bombing happened at the same time.
After the bombing, Sharif went to a hospital in Peshawar and said that those who did it would face “stern action.” He dismissed criticism of his government on Tuesday and called for unity. “My message to all political forces is unity in the face of anti-Pakistan elements. “We can fight our political battles later,” he said on Twitter.
In a tweet shortly after the explosion, Pakistan Taliban commander Sarbakaf Mohmand claimed responsibility for the attack.
Taliban Has Not Taken Responsibility
Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the TTP, said a few hours later that it was not the group’s policy to attack mosques, seminaries, and other religious sites, and that anyone who did so could be punished by TTP policy. He did not explain why a TTP commander claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Pakistan, predominantly Sunni Muslim, has seen an increase in militant attacks since the Pakistani Taliban brokered a cease-fire with government forces in November.
The Pakistani Taliban are the main group of militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Peshawar has been attacked many times.attacks. In 2014, a Pakistani Taliban faction attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 154 people, most of whom were children.
However, in recent years, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, a regional affiliate of the Islamic State group and a rival of the Taliban, has been behind deadly attacks in Pakistan. Overall, violence has increased since the Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021, following the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the country after 20 years of war.
So Many Lives Lost
The TTP is distinct from but close to, the Afghan Taliban. It has been fighting an insurgency in Pakistan for the past 15 years, demanding stricter enforcement of Islamic laws, the release of its members detained by the government, and a reduction in Pakistani military presence in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where it has long been based.
Earlier this month, the Pakistani Taliban claimed that one of its members shot and killed two intelligence officers, including the director of the Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency’s counterterrorism wing. According to security officials, the gunman was killed in a shootout near the Afghan border.
The Taliban-run Afghan Foreign Ministry expressed “sadness” that “numerous people lost their lives” in Peshawar and condemned attacks on worshippers contrary to Islamic teachings.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in the Middle East, tweeted his condolences, calling the Peshawar bombing a “horrific attack.”
“Terrorism for any reason and in any location is indefensible,” he said.
SOURCE – (AP)
World
Do Microplastics in the Atmosphere Endanger Your Fertility?
(VOR News) – It is quite possible that the presence of small microplastic particles in the air may be a contributing factor to a wide variety of health problems, including malignancies of the lungs and colon.
This is something that needs additional research to be determined. There is one more item to take into consideration, and that is the potential that this is the exact circumstance.
A recent study found that tires and debris that are decomposing shed minute fragments of plastic that go airborne, so creating a form of air pollution that is not particularly widely known. This type of pollution is caused by the degradation of plastic. An example of this type of pollution is that which is discharged into the atmosphere.
The industry refers to microplastic as “air pollution.”
According to the findings of a researcher named Tracey Woodruff, who is a professor of obstetrics, gynaecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, “These microplastics are basically particulate matter from air pollution,” and it is common knowledge that this particular type of air pollution is particularly hazardous.
The researchers who supplied background notes stated that the size of microplastics is less than 5 millimetres, which is smaller than a grain of rice.
This information was provided, according to researchers. These details were supplied by the researchers who conducted the study. These particulars were provided by researchers who were responsible for carrying out the study.
The amount of plastic that is created on a yearly basis by enterprises all over the world is roughly 460 million tonnes, as indicated by the data that were provided by academics all over the world. The forecasts indicate that by the year 2050, this quantity is anticipated to have increased to 1.1 billion tonnes.
Driving is a substantial contributor to the amount of plastic that is floating around in the atmosphere, according to the conclusions of the experts who conducted the study about the phenomenon. When tires are worn down to the point where they scrape against the surface of the road, they allow microplastics to be released into the environment.
As a result of the tires wearing down, this occurs. This impact is brought about as a consequence of the inevitable amount of wear and tear that tires are subjected to.
A study that was published on December 18 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology was the result of researchers conducting an examination of data collected from over 3,000 previous investigations.
The paper was published as a consequence of this procedure. The review was constructed with the help of this analysis that was carried out.
Microplastic used this analysis to put together the review.
A number of diseases, such as cancer, lung problems, and infertility, may be influenced by the presence of microplastics in the air, according to the data, which led to the conclusion that this may be the case.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the studies that were incorporated into the study were carried out on animals, the researchers claimed that it is very certainly plausible that the findings can also be applied to people. The fact that the majority of investigations were conducted on animals does not change the reality that this is the case.
“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” stated Nicholas Chartres, the principal investigator and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.
The organisation reported this comment. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) issued a press release on behalf of the organisation that contained this statement. The news release was disseminated to the public. We are convinced that state officials will act quickly to make sure that no leaks of this kind occur, which is of the highest importance.
SOURCE: USN
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World
Russian Oil Ships In The Kerch Strait Are Undergoing Rescue Operations.
(VOR News) – Following Sunday’s powerful storm, a Russian oil tanker carrying hundreds of tonnes of oil products ultimately broke apart, causing an oil spill into the Kerch Strait below. Additionally, Russian officials reported that the damage was causing problems for another vessel.
Sunday, Russian authorities announced an emergency rescue operation.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, which claimed the Emergency Situations Ministry as its source, the Volgoneft-212 tanker, carrying fuel oil and carrying thirteen crew members, ran aground and suffered damage to its bow. A shipment of fuel oil was being transported by the tanker.
Authorities have told the public that the damage was brought on by the extreme weather conditions that are currently occurring.
A second tanker, the Volgoneft-239, was damaged during the storm and is currently stranded in the same area with 14 crew members on board, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The tanker was discovered abandoned and alone in the same spot.
Additional tankers also suffered damage. The 132-meter-long cruiser, which was constructed in 1973, hangs the Russian flag around its neck.
The footage posted by state media showed the 136-meter Volgoneft-212 tanker, which was cut in two with its bow underwater, and waves crashing over its deck. At least one person lost his life as a result of this tragedy. This led to the opening of two distinct criminal investigations by the Russian authorities to look into potential violations of certain safety regulations.
Having flown the Russian flag since 1969, the yacht was finished.
Rosmorrechflot, the Russian government agency in charge of water transportation, reported a petroleum product spill.
It is believed that the cargo capacity of each tanker is around 4,200 tonnes of oil products.
The magnitude of the leak and the cause of the substantial damage one of the tankers received were not specified in the official remarks. This is in accordance with the official remarks.
Several news sites cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that President Vladimir Putin directed the formation of a working committee to handle the rescue effort and lessen the effects of the oil disaster.
Peskov recommended that the government appoint the working committee’s members. This comment was made public right after Putin met with the ministries responsible for ecology and disaster management.
The Russian government has said that it will be sending more than fifty individuals and pieces of equipment to the area in response to the current crisis. Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats are examples of these people and tools.
The news that experts are presently investigating the damage at the event site was announced by Svetlana Radionova, who is in charge of Rosprirodnadzor, Russia’s natural resources regulating entity.
Kommersant reports that Volgoneft-212 used 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil.
The footage, which showed a partially submerged ship and murky water on rough seas, was posted to Telegram without the owner’s consent.
The warships were located in the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from the Russian mainland, when the distress signals were sent out.
The Kerch Strait is a crucial international marine passage that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, allowing for easier traffic between the two bodies of water. It also acts as a border between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which is under Russian occupation. The Kerch Strait is located in the centre of the two nations.
The peninsula has remained a major source of contention between the two national governments ever since Russia annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. Russia was the one who seized the peninsula. Ukraine brought legal action against Russia before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
Specifically, the lawsuit claimed that Russia intended to illegally take over a location. The argument was supported by evidence pertaining to Russia’s conduct in the region. In 2021, the Russian Federation closed the strait for several consecutive months
SOURCE: VN
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World
Japan List Cannabis as Narcotic Criminalizes Recreational Use
TOKYO – Japan updated its cannabis and narcotics control legislation on Thursday, criminalizing cannabis (Marijuana) use and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), imposing a maximum seven-year prison sentence.
While the possession, transmission, and cultivation of cannabis and THC were already prohibited in Japan, the new rules will classify them as narcotics and criminalize their use as well, with a prison sentence of up to seven years for violations.
The amended regulations also legalize medical items containing cannabis-derived compounds that are beneficial and safe.
In 2019, 1.8 percent of the Japanese population had used cannabis at least once, making it the country’s second most popular illicit substance behind methamphetamine.
In 2023, a record 6,703 people were probed in cannabis-related criminal cases in Japan, topping methamphetamine cases for the first time, according to the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry. Seventy percent of instances involved people under the age of thirty.
A nationwide poll performed the same year by the ministry’s research group estimated that approximately 200,000 people had consumed marijuana within the previous year.
Japan previously did not penalize cannabis usage, apparently taking into account farmers who may have accidentally ingested the drug while producing cannabis plants for use in hemp products.
The amendments will also lift a restriction on cannabis-derived medicines, putting them under a licensing system similar to other drugs used for pain relief and other purposes.
Drugs derived from cannabis plants were only allowed in clinical studies in Japan, but patient groups have been advocating for access to cannabis-derived cannabidiol treatments already licensed in Europe and the United States for illnesses like severe epilepsy.
Cannabis cultivation dates back to the Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory, roughly six to ten thousand years ago (source: Wikipedia).
Cannabis hemp, as one of Japan’s first cultivated plants, provided an essential supply of plant fibre for clothing, cordage, and Shinto ritual goods, among other uses.
For much of Japanese history, hemp was common for fabric and food before cotton emerged as the country’s dominant fibre crop during industrialization during the Meiji period.
Following the end of World War II and the occupation of Japan, the Cannabis Control Law prohibited cannabis possession and manufacturing.
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