Category: News

Cargo shipments of the rechargeable lithium batteries used in countless consumer products should no longer be allowed on passenger planes because they can create intense fires capable of destroying an aircraft, a U.N. aviation agency has concluded, the Associated Press reports.

The decision late Monday by the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization’s top-level governing council to ban the shipments isn’t binding, but most countries follow the agency’s standards. The ban is effective on April 1.

“This interim prohibition will continue to be in force as separate work continues through ICAO on a new lithium battery packaging performance standard, currently expected by 2018,” said Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, the ICAO council’s president.

Lithium-ion batteries are used in a vast array of products from cellphones and laptops to some electric cars. About 5.4 billion lithium-ion cells were manufactured worldwide in 2014. A battery is made up of two or more cells. A majority of batteries are transported on cargo ships, but about 30 percent are shipped by air.

The ban doesn’t apply to batteries packaged inside equipment like a laptop with a battery inside, for example.

PRBA – The Rechargeable Battery Association, which opposed the ban, said in a statement that the industry is preparing to comply with the ban, but there may be “significant disruption in the logistics supply chain,” especially for batteries used in medical devices.

Photo: Getty Images

 

A memoir apparently written by a Canadian serial killer has been withdrawn within hours of appearing for sale online, the BC reorts.

Former multi-millionaire pig farmer Robert Pickton was convicted in 2007 of murdering six women. Charges relating to 20 other deaths were suspended.

Another inmate helped him smuggle the book out of prison, CTV reported.

The publisher requested its removal from retailer Amazon and apologised to victims’ families, reports said.

Officials in British Columbia had earlier vowed to prevent Pickton, who says he is innocent, from profiting from sales of the memoir, entitled Pickton: In His Own Words.

“It is not right that a person who caused so much harm and hurt so many people could profit from his behaviour,” said the province’s Minister for Public Safety, Mike Morris, in a statement.

British Columbian officials also asked Amazon to stop selling the memoir, which was published by Colorado-based Outskirts Press, a firm that specialises in helping authors self-publish books.

Amazon users had also called for it to be removed and gave it the lowest possible rating. The company has not yet commented on the book’s appearance on its site.

Photo: Reuters

 

The Syrian government and the main opposition umbrella groups say they accept the terms of a deal to cease hostilities from Saturday, the BBC reports.

The government said it would halt “combat operations” in line with the plan announced by the US and Russia.

But the opposition said its acceptance depended on government forces ending sieges and air strikes of civilians.

The deal will not apply to the two main jihadist groups in Syria, Islamic State (IS) and the rival al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra is an affiliate of al-Qaeda and forms part of a major rebel alliance.

Under the terms of the agreement announced by the US and Russia on Monday, the Syrian government and opposition were required to indicate by noon on Friday whether they would comply with the cessation of hostilities.

Armenian Minister of Finance Gagik Khachatryan and World Bank’s Regional Director for the South Caucasus Mercy Tembon signed a loan agreement today, under which the World Bank will provide Armenia with a loan of $55 mln with a 25 year maturity period, of which 14.5 mln will be soft loan.

The “Local Economy and Infrastructure Development Programme” loan agreement signed with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) envisages improvement of infrastructure and institutional capacities in Ararat, Vayots Dzor and Lori provinces, thus boosting the development of tourism in the regions.

Samsung’s latest flagship phones restore a couple of popular features dropped from the previous generation, the BBC reports.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge both accept MicroSD cards, allowing their storage to be expanded, and can also be submerged underwater.

In addition, they feature new gaming tech and a rear camera that should cope better in low-light conditions.

Their overall design, however, is similar to the Galaxy S6 line-up.

The new devices were unveiled in Barcelona on the eve of the Mobile World Congress tech show.

While the Galaxy S7 retains the same sized screen as the S6, the S7 Edge’s display has grown slightly from 5.1in (13cm) to 5.5in (14cm).

The Edge version is also slightly curvier than before and its camera protrudes less far out.

In addition, the “edged” parts of the screen now provide shortcuts to email, different photo modes and third-party apps.

On 22 February NKR President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree, awarding writer and Armenian studies expert Kim Bakshi with the “Gratitude” medal for substantial contribution to the popularization of the Artsakh’s cultural heritage and in connection with the 85th birthday, Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President reports.

The Azerbaijani side used weapons of different caliber as it fired more 1,200 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions over the weekend, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

Front divisions of the NKR Defense Army have mostly refrained from retaliatory actions and have confidently carried out their military duty.

The Bursa Governor’s Office has ordered that the only church in the city be vacated by Feb. 26, reports, quoting Radikal daily.

According to the report, four Christian communities restored the church between 2002 and 2004, and it was opened for worship after a protocol with the municipality was signed.

The pastor of the Protestant community, Ismail Kulacoglu, told Radikal that the protocol expired in 2015 and that the municipality had asked the communities to re-apply. Kulacoglu said they received an order to vacate the premises on Feb. 18 after they had re-applied.

The General Directorate for Foundations did not warn the communities beforehand and gave them eight days to leave the church, according to Kulacoglu.

The church serves as the only Christian house of worship in the city.

AA Photo

 

A military ground operation in Syria by Turkey and Saudi Arabia is not on the agenda and any such move would need to involve all countries in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday, Reuters reports.

“Russian air strikes were the biggest obstacle to achieving a ceasefire in Syria,” Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara. He said the Syrian opposition, which said on Saturday it had agreed to the “possibility” of a temporary truce, would meet in Riyadh on Tuesday.

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Virginia McLaurin waited all her life to see an African-American in the White House. So, when she finally got a chance to meet President Obama, the 106-year-old woman couldn’t contain her excitement, according to .

She squealed with delight. She waved her cane in the air. And she danced — busting moves that have made her the newest Internet darling.

In a video posted by the White House Sunday night, McLaurin opens her arms wide, greets Obama with an excited “Hi!” and begins swaying.

“It’s an honor, it’s an honor,” she tells the President. McLaurin was at the White House to celebrate Black History Month.

Obama asks if McLaurin wants to meet the first lady and the answer is an obvious one. As she rushes over, Obama, who appears amused, says, “Slow down now. Don’t go too quick.”