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Inouye Telescope Aims To Be Largest And Most Powerful Of Its Kind

Angel Gimalo
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Inouye Telescope Aims To Be Largest And Most Powerful Of Its Kind

The project director of a new solar telescope in Hawaii that will be the most powerful of its kind hopes scientists will be able to start observations at the facility in three months.

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, at the summit of Haleakalā volcano on Maui, was supposed to open last fall.

Rimmele was expecting to return to Maui as early as this week.

“November 15 is what we’re shooting for. We just had a big review, the final construction review that was conducted by the National Science Foundation,” Rimmele said. ”(The scientists) are getting really anxious to get their observations and data done.”

The telescope has received about 100 proposals from researchers for an initial observing window of two-and-a-half months.

Picking which scientists get to go first depends heavily on atmospheric conditions and what objects are visible on a given day.

He said one quarter or even a fifth of the proposals may be approved for the first cycle.

“We are highly oversubscribed and people will have to submit proposals again for the next cycle,” he said. “That’s just how it works.”

The telescope is to be the largest and most powerful of its kind in the world.

The National Solar Observatory said the Inouye telescope will be able to reveal features three times smaller than anything scientists are able to currently see on the Sun.

The Hawaii Supreme Court in 2016 affirmed a permit for the solar telescope’s construction.

The next year, more than 100 protesters tried to block a construction convoy heading to the telescope site, citing the sacredness of Haleakala’s summit. Maui police arrested six people.

Protests against another telescope planned for a different mountain and island — the Thirty Meter Telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island — have prevented construction crews from working on that project.

Southern California Declare Water Supply Alert For First Time In 7 Years

Angel Gimalo
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Southern California Declare Water Supply Alert For First Time In 7 Years

A major Southern California water agency has declared a water supply alert for the first time in seven years and is asking residents to voluntarily conserve.

The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California took the step Tuesday, hoping to lessen the need for more severe actions such as reducing water supplies to member agencies.

The move comes a day after U.S. officials declared the first-ever water shortage on the Colorado River, a key water source for Southern California.

“This is a wake-up call for what lies ahead,” said Deven Upadhyay, chief operating officer for the district that supplies water to 19 million Californians.

“We cannot overstate the seriousness of this drought,” he said. “Conditions are getting worse, and more importantly, we don’t know how long it will last.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom last month asked Californians to scale back water use and many of the state’s counties, mostly in Central and Northern California, are already under a state of drought emergency.

Concern about water supplies spread to the state’s heavily-populated southern region following a winter of low precipitation and shrinking reservoirs throughout the West.

Newsom on Tuesday said he may put mandatory water restrictions in place in the coming months, the East Bay Times reported.

“At the moment, we’re doing voluntary,” he said. “But if we enter into another year of drought — and as you know our water season starts Oct. 1 — we will have likely more to say by the end of September as we enter potentially the third year of this current drought.”

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California receives about half its water from the Colorado River and State Water Project.

Water levels in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir on the Colorado River, were at about 35% of capacity on Tuesday.

The State Water Project, which collects water from rivers and tributaries, has already reduced the Southern California district’s allocation to 5% and next year the amount could be zero, officials said.

Scientists say climate change has made the American West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will keep making weather more extreme.

Glen MacDonald, a University of California, Los Angeles distinguished professor of California and the American West, said even if precipitation returned it would not likely be enough to keep pace with the loss of water through evaporation due to rising temperatures.

That has the potential to not only turn California lawns brown but could also affect the nation’s food supply, which relies heavily on the state’s farmlands, MacDonald said.

“We are living in the perfect drought, right now,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, but we kind of have seen this coming.”
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Brazil City District Atafona, Slipping Into Sea

Angel Gimalo
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Brazil City District Atafona, Slipping Into Sea

Decades ago, Júlia María de Assis thought someday she would take over the hotel her father had begun building in Atafona, a seaside district in Brazil’s northern Rio de Janeiro state.

But the very attraction that drew the tourists to Atafona – the sea – became its foe.

Advancing water put the hotel’s construction on hold until, 13 years ago, the ocean’s force finally tore it down.

Almost 500 other buildings have succumbed, too.

“It was going to be 48 suites – a big hotel that never started operations,” said de Assis, 51, standing beside rubble that once composed her family’s dream.

“Even though the hotel’s structure was strong, every time the waves hit the building they damaged it and, finally, it collapsed.”

As a result of human action, over the past half century the Atlantic Ocean has been relentlessly consuming Atafona, part of the Sao Joao da Barra municipality that is 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Rio de Janeiro’s capital and home to 36,000 people.

Due to climate change, there is little hope for a solution. Instead, Atafona will slip into the sea.

The Paraiba do Sul River, which originates in neighboring Sao Paulo state, brings sediment and sand to Atafona where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its flow was mostly diverted in the 1950s to provide water to the growing capital, which weakened Atafona’s natural barrier to the ocean, said Pedro de Araújo, materials technology professor at the Fluminense Federal Institute.

“Less land sediment and sand that stabilized the coast made it so the sea is eating away at the city,” said de Araújo, who is pursuing a doctorate analyzing river erosion and seeking to model what that will mean for its delta going forward. He estimates that the river has one-third of its original flow.

Deforestation of mangroves in recent decades also left Atafona more vulnerable, said de Araújo.
The sea’s average position moves some five meters (16 feet) inland every year, according to the professor.

Specialists have evaluated possible solutions, such as construction of artificial barriers or depositing vast quantities of sand, but none appear effective enough to halt the ocean’s advance. Global sea level rise due to melting ice means destruction will continue, and at a faster rate, de Araújo said.

People often ask de Assis, who thought she would inherit a hotel, if her city’s reversal of fortunes saddens her. She says she is grateful she was born in Atafona, but that humans need to respect nature.

“I feel nostalgic for the house where I spent summers,” she said, and pointed to the sea. “It’s at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.”

Naomi Osaka To Donate Cincinnati Prize Money To Haiti

Angel Gimalo
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Naomi Osaka To Donate Cincinnati Prize Money To Haiti

Tennis star Naomi Osaka says she’ll donate her prize money from U.S. Open tune-up tournament in Ohio for relief efforts in Haiti following a deadly earthquake.

In addition to donating prize money to relief efforts in Haiti following a deadly earthquake, tennis star Naomi Osaka said she plans to do more.

“I feel like I’m not really doing that much,” Osaka said on Monday. “I’m trying to figure out what I can do. The prize money thing was the first thing I thought I could do that would raise the most awareness. I guess that is the reason I announced it.”

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the region on Saturday, with an estimated death toll of 1,400.

On Saturday night, Osaka tweeted her decision to donate her prize money from this week’s U.S. Open tune-up tournament in Ohio.

Osaka, who has a Haitian father and Japanese mother, has an opening-round bye in Cincinnati. She will face the winner of Tuesday’s match between Coco Gauff and qualifier Hsieh Su-Wei.

When asked about Haiti during Monday’s news conference, Osaka became emotional and had to step away for a few minutes before returning to answer more questions.

Haiti is also dealing with the fallout from last month’s assassination of president Jovenel Moise, and now the effects of a tropical storm which is hampering earthquake recovery efforts.

“It’s really scary,” Osaka said. “I see the news every day, and honestly the earthquake was kind of close to my parents’ school there, so I’m honestly not really sure how that’s doing and I haven’t seen any pictures or video of it yet.”

Osaka, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, won her second career Australian Open earlier this year, but withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon because of mental health concerns.

“It was something I needed to do for myself,” Osaka said. “I was a little bit embarrassed to go out because I didn’t know if people were looking at me in a different way. The biggest eye-opener was going to the Olympics and having other athletes come up to me and say that they were really glad that I did what I did. I’m proud of what I did.”

Osaka also said she reached out to U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who withdrew from the U.S. women’s team final in Tokyo for her own mental health needs.

“I sent her a message,” Osaka said. “I also wanted to give her space because I know how overwhelming it can feel.”

Osaka, who lit the Olympic cauldron in the opening ceremony in Tokyo, said she took time off after returning and said she’s motivated to do well in Cincinnati after having to withdraw from last year’s event with a hamstring injury.

The Western & Southern Open is considered a tune-up for the US Open, which begins Aug. 30 in New York.

“I felt like I played well in Tokyo,” Osaka said. “But there was still some decisions that I didn’t make that well, so I just wanted to get that feeling back because I honestly haven’t played many matches this year. I guess I’ll see how well I do in this tournament and sort of lead it on from there into New York.”

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International Air Transport Association Says $144m Airlines’ Fund Trapped In Nigeria

Elizabeth Williams
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International Air Transport Association Says $144m Airlines’ Fund Trapped In Nigeria

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday lamented over the blocked funds belonging to airlines in several countries.

The association, representing some 290 airlines, urged governments to abide by international agreements and treaty obligations to enable airlines to repatriate nearly $1 billion in blocked funds from the sale of tickets, cargo space, and other activities.

Approximately $963 million in airline funds are being blocked from repatriation in nearly 20 countries.

Four countries: Bangladesh ($146.1 million), Lebanon ($175.5 million), Nigeria ($143.8 million), and Zimbabwe ($142.7 million), account for over 60% of this total, although there has been positive progress in reducing blocked funds in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe of late.

IATA’s Director-General, Willie Walsh, said: “Governments are preventing nearly $1 billion of airline revenues from being repatriated.

“This contravenes international conventions and could slow the recovery of travel and tourism in affected markets as the airline industry struggles to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

“Airlines will not be able to provide reliable connectivity if they cannot rely on local revenues to support operations.

“That is why it is critical for all governments to prioritize ensuring that funds can be repatriated efficiently. Now is not the time to score an ‘own goal’ by putting vital air connectivity at risk.”

Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act Implementation To Begin Next Year

Elizabeth Williams
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Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act Implementation To Begin Next Year

The Federal Government of Nigeria has hinted implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) till August 2022. President Muhammadu Buhari gave this hint when he inaugurated a steering committee on Tuesday to oversee the process.

Unveiling members of the steering committee, President Buhari said it has 12 months duration for the assignment, while he expects periodic updates to be given to him.

While directing immediate implementation of the framework for the PIA, he urged relevant stakeholders to comply and reposition for full activation within 12 months.

The steering committee is headed by the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva. Other members include Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources; Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); representative of the Ministry of Justice; representative of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Natural Resources, Olufemi Lijadu as External Legal Adviser.

The Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, will serve as Head of the Coordinating Secretariat and the Implementation Working Group.

The primary responsibility of the steering committee will be to guide the effective and timely implementation of the PIA in the course of transition to the petroleum industry envisaged in the reform programme, and ensure that the new institutions created have the full capability to deliver on their mandate under the new legislation.

The PIA provides legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the petroleum industry, development of host communities and related matters.

The President noted that Nigeria lost an estimated $50 billion worth of investments in 10 years, created by the uncertainty of non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), lack of progress and stagnation in the sector.

Europeans Criticize Iran Over ‘Serious Violations’ Of Nuclear Deal

Elizabeth Williams
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0
Europeans Criticize Iran Over ‘Serious Violations’ Of Nuclear Deal

The foreign ministries of Germany, France and Britain on Thursday expressed “grave concern” over the latest report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog that said Iran continues to produce uranium metal, which can be used in the production of a nuclear bomb.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna confirmed earlier this week that Iran has produced uranium metal enriched up to 20 percent for the first time, and has significantly increased its production capacity of uranium enriched up to 60%.

The production of uranium metal is prohibited by the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, and is meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.

Germany, France and Britain — the western European members of the JCPOA — called the moves by Iran “serious violations” of its commitment under the JCPOA. They said that “both are key steps in the development of a nuclear weapon and Iran has no credible civilian need for either measure.”

Iran insists that it is not interested in developing a bomb, and that the uranium metal is for its civilian nuclear program.

Our concerns are deepened by the fact that Iran has significantly limited IAEA access through withdrawing from JCPOA-agreed monitoring arrangements,” the joint statement added.

The United States unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018, with then-president Donald Trump saying it needed to be renegotiated.

Since then, Tehran has been steadily increasing its violations of the deal to put pressure on the other signatories to provide more incentives to Iran to offset crippling American sanctions reimposed after the US pullout.

No One Foresaw Swift Collapse Of Afghani Army – Top US General

Elizabeth Williams
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0
No One Foresaw Swift Collapse Of Afghani Army – Top US General

The Pentagon’s top general defended on Wednesday the US military’s response to the Taliban’s breakneck seizure of power in Afghanistan, saying no one foresaw the collapse of US-trained Afghan forces that fast.

“There was nothing that I, or anyone else, saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days,” US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley said.

“The Afghan security forces had the capacity, and by that I mean they had the training, the size, the capability, to defend their country. This comes down to an issue of will and leadership,” he added.

The US military and the administration of President Joe Biden are under political attack domestically over the Taliban’s defeat of the Afghan forces with little fight and the collapse of president Ashraf Ghani’s US-backed government last weekend.

The speed appeared to catch the US government off guard and it launched a rapid evacuation operation for US citizens and Afghans granted special visas for their work for US forces.

Pentagon Says 7,000 Civilians Taken Out Of Kabul

Elizabeth Williams
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0
Pentagon Says 7,000 Civilians Taken Out Of Kabul

The Pentagon says the US military is ramping up evacuations out of Afghanistan, and that 7,000 civilians have been taken out of the country since August 14.

Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor tells reporters that 12 C-17 aircraft departed with 2,000 evacuees over the past 24 hours. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday, Taylor said that the military now has enough aircraft to get 5,000-9,000 people out a day, depending on how many have been processed and other factors, such as weather.

There are now about 5,200 US troops at the airport, a number that has been steadily increasing in recent days.

“We are ready to increase throughout,” said Taylor.

His comments came amid ongoing chaos at the Kabul airport, as Afghans and other civilians desperately try to get on flights out of the country in the wake of the Taliban takeover on Sunday.

US Open 2021: Qualifying Rounds To Be Played Behind Closed Doors

Emenike Agu
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US Open 2021: Qualifying Rounds To Be Played Behind Closed Doors

Fans will not be allowed to attend the US Open qualifying rounds to “ensure the health and safety of all”.

The main tournament will have cpacity crowd when it starts on 30 August.

The qualifying week will see “the greatest number” of players and support staff on site, with organisers estimating more than 2,500 people.

“This was a particularly tough decision for the USTA to make, given the immense popularity of US Open Qualifying among fans,” said organisers.

“But after consulting with local health authorities and the US Open medical team, it was determined that it was the right decision to ensure the health and safety of all.”

Because of Covid-19, indoor capacity at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center within Flushing Meadows has been reduced, while many of the players’ facilities have been moved outdoors during qualifying.

“With that, there is not enough room to allow fans to access the site while still ensuring player and fan safety – which remains our top priority,” organisers added.

The US Open 2020 singles titles were won by Austria’s Dominic Thiem and Japan’s Naomi Osaka, and it is the fourth and final Grand Slam event in the tennis calendar.

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