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☆ Britain hit by biggest day of strikes in a decade as pay disputes escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The bill would require basic service levels to be maintained in the fire, ambulance and rail sectors in the event of walkouts. Strikes will affect around 23,400 schools, about 85%, in England and Wales, with many closed fully or partially. According to the union, pay for experienced teachers has declined by 23% since 2010 once inflation is taken into account. In a sign that industrial unrest could escalate further, UK firefighters have voted to strike for the first time since 2003. The Fire Brigades Union has given the government until February 9 to make an improved pay offer.

China's population is shrinking. This shocking statistic is only the start of China's population decline. This year India is set to surpass China's population, and in a few years it will surpass China's working-age population — people 20 to 69. Because of its manufacturing prowess and importance to supply chains, China's shrinking working-age population has enormous, direct effects on the global economy. Among today's largest economies, only the US has a projection of positive population growth, though at very low levels.

☆ Elon Musk seeks to end lawsuit over 'inadvertent' late disclosure of Twitter stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | Industry Insight | Upcoming Sec Climate Disclosure Rules Bring Urgency To Esg Data Strategy Planning | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Elon Musk asked a U.S. judge to throw out a lawsuit claiming that his delayed disclosure of a large stake in Twitter Inc defrauded shareholders who sold Twitter stock at artificially low prices because they were kept in the dark. Under the SEC rule, investors must disclose within 10 days when they have acquired 5% of a company, which for Musk's Twitter investment would have been last March 24. Twitter shares rose 27% on April 4, to $49.97 from $39.31, after Musk disclosed his 9.2% stake, which investors viewed as his vote of confidence in San Francisco-based Twitter. The case is Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System v Musk et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

A Tesla car battery "spontaneously" burst into flames on a California freeway Saturday, and firefighters needed 6,000 gallons of water to put it out. In 2021, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) declined to open an investigation into Tesla car battery fires, calling them "rare events." A handful of studies have shown electric vehicles are less likely to catch fire than gasoline or hybrid-electric vehicles — but that when they do, they burn hotter and longer. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously said only 0.01% of Teslas have ever caught fire. That compares with an annual rate of 0.08% for all passenger and heavy-duty vehicles in a given year, according to NHTSA and the National Fire Protection Association.

☆ See photos from the Tesla Model S that 'spontaneously' caught fire while driving down the highway
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Tesla Model S "spontaneously caught fire" on a California highway on Saturday. Metro Fire Sacramento said that it took about 6,000 gallons of water to put the fire out. No one was injured in the incident, and the driver was able to safely pull over to the side of the highway, the department said. It took the fire department about 6,000 gallons of water to put out the fire. In 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board said that EV battery fires can represent a risk to first responders, including electric shock and a reignited fire due to the "stranded" energy in a damaged EV battery.

☆ A 6th Memphis police officer was taken off the force over Tyre Nichols' death. But he'll still be paid while his role is investigated.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Ashley Collman | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Officer Preston Hemphill has been placed on paid leave in connection to the fatal arrest of Tyre Nichols. He is the sixth Memphis police officer to be taken off the force following Nichols' death. Officer Preston Hemphill is now on paid administrative leave "pending the outcome of the investigation," a spokesman for the Memphis Police Department told Insider. Lee Gerald, an attorney representing Hemphill, told Insider that his client "was the third officer at the inital stop of Mr. On Friday, officials released video of Nichols' arrest, which shows him being tased, pepper sprayed, and punched multiple times.

☆ Driver in California cliff crash that injured his two young children and his wife moved from hospital to jail
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

MONTARA, Calif. — The driver of a car that plunged 250 feet off a treacherous cliff in northern California, injuring his two young children and his wife, was released from the hospital and jailed on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse, authorities said Friday. The office didn’t indicate when he was released from the hospital. The Pasadena man was seriously injured when the Tesla sedan went over the cliff at Devils Slide, along the Pacific Coast Highway on Jan. 2. Firefighters were forced to cut the family, including Patel’s 41-year-old wife, 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, out of the wreckage. Patel was later arrested after California Highway Patrol investigators “developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act,” the agency said.

☆ Firefighters smashed the window of a driverless Cruise taxi to stop it running over their hoses
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Firefighters smashed the front window of a Cruise autonomous car to stop it from running over hoses. Another Cruise car ran over a fire hose when it was in use at an active fire scene in June 2022. The incidents were noted in a letter sent by San Francisco officials to regulators on Wednesday. San Francisco firefighters smashed the front window of a Cruise driverless taxi to stop it from running over their hoses. A similar incident occurred in June 2022 when a self-driving Cruise car ran over a fire hose that was in use, the letter says.

☆ Deadly New Zealand flood crisis extends in country's north island
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, Jan 29 (Reuters) - New Zealand's deadly flood emergency continued on Sunday after heavy rainfall hit the country's north island, causing landslides, flash floods and knocking out roads. The nation's weather forecaster, MetService, warned of more severe weather on Sunday and Monday for the north island, including in Auckland where severe thunderstorms were possible. Climate change is causing episodes of heavy rainfall to become more common and more intense, though the impact varies by region. loadingOn Sunday, police said they were assisting with traffic management and road closures in that region after heavy rainfall "caused numerous slips, flooding and damage to roads". "Police are asking those in areas experiencing severe weather to ... not attempt to travel on the roads, many of which are currently undriveable," police said.

☆ Missile hits dwelling in Ukraine's Kharkiv: 1 dead, 3 injured
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Ukrainian firefighters work at a site of an apartment building severely damaged by a Russian missile, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine January 29, 2023. REUTERS/Vitalii HnidyiJan 29 (Reuters) - A missile hit an apartment building on Sunday in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, killing one person, injuring at least three and causing widespread damage, regional governor Oleh Synehubov said. A Reuters picture from the scene showed fire engulfing part of a residential building in the country's second most-populous city. Synehubov said the strike took place in the city's central Kyiv district. Anatoly Torianyk, deputy head of Kharkiv rescue services, said the building was made of wood.

☆ A man died after being crushed by a pop-up street urinal in central London
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A man working on a telescopic urinal in London was killed after being crushed beneath it. The urinals are stored underground during the day and are raised to street level at night. The pop-up toilets are stored underground during the day and are raised to street level at night for people to use, an initiative designed to discourage urination on the street. "We have been on site supporting our contractor and the emergency services and will assist all investigations in any way we can." A second telescopic urinal has also been shut down by the council as a precaution, according to LBC.

☆ Two companies race to deploy robotaxis in San Francisco. The city wants them to hit the brakes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco is trying to slow the expansion of robotaxis after repeated incidents in which cars without drivers stopped and idled in the middle of the street for no obvious reason, delaying bus riders and disrupting the work of firefighters. Some believe self-driving cars will never happen on a wide scale, but they’ve been gaining momentum in San Francisco. San Francisco doesn’t want robotaxis operating in the city’s downtown core, for example, or during morning and evening peak commuting times. He also provided letters in support of Cruise written by local San Francisco merchants associations, disability advocates and community groups. City officials argue that stopped robotaxis are hazards that can cause human drivers to react dangerously.

☆ Auckland, New Zealand starts clean-up after torrential rains, flash floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Cars are seen in a flooded street during heavy rainfall in Auckland, New Zealand January 27, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. @MonteChristoNZ/via REUTERSSYDNEY, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Authorities in New Zealand's biggest city Auckland began mopping up on Saturday, a day after torrential rains brought flooding and evacuations, shutting airports and forcing organisers to cancel a scheduled concert by Elton John. Two men were found dead amid the flooding, New Zealand Police said. Another person was unaccounted for after a landslide hit a house in Remuera, an inner suburb of Auckland, police said. Air New Zealand said it was "working through what its schedule will look like from midday today when Auckland Airport is scheduled to reopen."

☆ Torrential rains, flash floods lash Auckland; Elton John concert cancelled
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People walk on a flooded street after Elton John?s concert was canceled due to bad weather, in Auckland, New Zealand, January 27, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Duane Moyle/via REUTERSSYDNEY, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Torrential rains caused widespread flooding in New Zealand's biggest city Auckland on Friday, bringing emergency services were into action and forcing organisers to cancel a scheduled concert by Elton John. Videos on social media showed firefighters, police and defence force staff rescuing stranded people from flooded homes using ropes and rescue boats. British musician Elton John's concert in the city, which was expected to by attended by about 40,000 people, was cancelled. Flights into Auckland have also been delayed or cancelled due to the wild weather.

☆ Firefighters Union Pushes to Rid Protective Gear of ‘Forever Chemicals’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Kris Maher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PFAS compounds have been used in firefighting gear. The so-called forever chemicals have been associated with cancer and other illnesses. Growing concern among firefighters across the country that high rates of cancer in their profession are linked to chemicals in protective gear they wear has led to a sharp change of course in the union that represents them. The chemicals, known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been associated with cancers and other illnesses and are coming under greater scrutiny from environmental regulators. After years of playing down concerns about the chemicals, the International Association of Fire Fighters is now urging that gear with PFAS be removed whenever possible.

☆ 18 children injured in blaze at NYC basement daycare
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Eighteen children were injured after a fire erupted Wednesday afternoon at a daycare center located in the basement of a home in the Queens borough of New York City, fire officials said. The New York City Fire Department received a call after 2 p.m. Wednesday and found a “heavy fire" at a residence around 72nd and 147th Street. The fire department said a total of 18 pediatric patients were removed from the building, one was in critical condition and hospitalized. @FDNY / InstagramThe fire was under control about 40 minutes after firefighters arrived and was confined to the basement. The NYC Department of Buildings said that inspectors observed two commercial businesses, a daycare and a dental lab, operating in the basement of the two-story, single-family home.

☆ Shoplifters have set fire to two Walmarts and a Target in Atlanta to create diversions while they steal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Fires at two Walmarts in December and a Target on Monday are being investigated as arson. Officials tell local media the blazes appear to have been used as diversions for shoplifting. Officials in Atlanta confirmed to local media Tuesday that a fire at a Target on Monday was being investigated as arson, along with a pair of similar incidents at local Walmarts in December. The three blazes appear to have been set by shoplifters in order to distract attention from their heists, the Atlanta Fire Department said. Similar theft-related fires have broken out in cities and towns across the US, mostly at big-box stores including Walmart, Target, and Home Depot.

☆ Rodney King's daughter calls Tyre Nichols' police beating death 'sickening' 32 years after her father's assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rodney King's daughter is sickened by beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Lora King says the race of the 5 officers involved in Nichols' beating is irrelevant. On Monday, law enforcement officials allowed Nichols' family and their lawyers to privately view body-camera footage of Nichols' arrest. In the wake of the killing, attorneys for the Nichols family compared his beating to that of King's. Rodney King AP Images"Hashtags and clearer videos"Lora King said she wishes that 32 years after her father's infamous beating the world would have progressed beyond unjustified police killings of Black men.

☆ Chicago high-rise fire leaves one dead, eight injured
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Fire rages in a high-rise apartment building on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, U.S., January 25, 2023, in this still image obtained from a social media video. Chicago Fire Department/via REUTERSCHICAGO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A fast-moving fire on Wednesday spread to nine floors of a high-rise apartment building on Chicago's South Side, killing one person and injuring eight, including a firefighter, officials said. The blaze began on the 15th floor of the Harper Square Cooperative about 10 a.m. (1600 GMT) and spread vertically, Chicago Fire Department officials said in a news briefing. The 25-story, 360-unit apartment building has smoke detectors in the hallways, but it was unclear whether it has a sprinkler system, fire officials said. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine's battlefields look like World War I but with a new and terrifying addition that leaves troops with almost nowhere to hide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The conflict in Ukraine has emerged as the first major war involving drone use on both sides. By the late 1990s, Predator drones were being used by the US and NATO for reconnaissance missions in the Kosovo War. Ukraine has in many ways emerged as a guinea pig for drone warfare. Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesLater in the war, Russia began launching swarms of Iranian-made Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones, striking targets across Ukraine. Drones have significantly shortened the so-called kill chain, Cancian explained, helping troops swiftly locate targets and provide coordinates for artillery.

☆ College wrestler missing after friends say he jumped into California ocean for 'polar plunge'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A San Francisco State University wrestler is missing after jumping into Esplanade Beach for a "polar plunge," friends and authorities said. San Francisco StateThe two other men were able to get out of the water and called 911 for help. The U.S. Coast Guard, California Highway Patrol's air unit, the San Bruno Police Department, and California State Parks Ocean Life Guards were also called in to assist. Friends told KTVU that Alsaudi and his wrestling teammates were doing a polar plunge, when people jump into cold water during the winter months. Alsaudi is a political science major at the university with a minor in Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies.

☆ Hundreds evacuated as fire burns makeshift homes in Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A fire destroyed about 60 makeshift homes in a densely packed neighborhood surrounded by some of the wealthiest streets of South Korea’s ultramodern capital Friday. Firefighters extinguished the flames in Seoul’s Guryong village within about five hours, and no injuries or deaths were reported. Shin Yong-ho, an official at the fire department of Seoul’s Gangnam district, said rescue workers have searched areas affected by the fire but all residents were believed to have safely evacuated. Photos showed firefighters fighting the flames under thick, white smoke covering the village as helicopters sprayed water from above. Kim Ah-reum, an official at the Gangnam district office, said around 500 residents evacuated to nearby facilities including a school gym.

☆ A fire just razed a slum in the heart of one of Korea's ritziest neighborhoods. It highlights the vast wealth gap and tight proximity in which Seoul's richest and poorest live.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Cheryl Teh | Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

On January 20, a fire tore through the shantytown of Guryong village in Seoul. Firefighters and rescue workers clean up the site of a fire at Guryong village in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. ED JONES/Getty ImagesGuryong feels like a world away from Seoul, but it's very close to where the most well-heeled people in South Korea live. Around a fifth of single-person households in Seoul live in spaces under 14 square meters, or 150 square feet. But for now it's still Guryong village — a smoldering scar on the sparkling facade South Korea would rather have you looking at instead.

☆ Some 500 people are evacuated from fire in South Korea shanty town
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Jan 20 (Reuters) - About 500 people were evacuated on Friday after fire broke out in a shanty town in the South Korean capital, Seoul, fire authorities said. The fire erupted at 6:27 a.m. (0927 GMT) in Guryong Village in southern Seoul, which is home to more than 660 households. [1/4] Smoke rises from a fire at Guryong village, the last slum in the glitzy Gangnam district, in Seoul, South Korea, January 20, 2023. Plans for redevelopment and relocation have made little progress amid a decades-long tug of war between land owners, residents and authorities. Seoul said Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the village and asked officials to draw up measures to relocate families affected by the fire.

☆ How one of the most gut-wrenching images of Russia's deadly air strikes on Ukraine almost didn't happen
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Viral photos showed devastating aftermath of Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian apartment block. A photos shows a woman in a bathroom after a Russian strike on an apartment building in Dnipro, Ukraine, on January 15, 2023. Ukraine said Russia hit the building with a Russian Kh-22 missile, known as an "aircraft carrier killer." Another photographer's photo shows emergency personnel working at the site where an apartment building was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine on January 15, 2023. People stand next to the coffin during the funeral ceremony of Mykhailo Korenovskyi, Ukrainian boxing coach and a father of two, killed during the Russian missile attack in Dnipro, Ukraine, on January 17, 2023.

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