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Fireball

Best of the Web: 'Unprecedented': Shockwave & 'huge roar' reported in Gran Canaria following meteor fireball event

meteorite gran canaria
First, it ripped the sky over La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife at great speed, like lightning that emitted colours with shades of green and red, to then cause such a roar over Gran Canaria that it was heard from many areas of the island before, finally, crashing in the sea, causing astonishment among the islanders who, at first, didn't know what it was.

Scientists have confirmed that it was a meteorite which, although it is not the first to fall in the Archipelago, there are no precedents for what happened yesterday, as it was accompanied by tremors. Fortunately, the Emergency Services announced that there is no record that it caused injuries or material damage.

The incident occurred yesterday (Wednesday) just after 3pm, although the exact time of the impact recorded by the measurement systems installed by Involcan and the National Geographic Institute (IGN) recorded various readings between 3:16pm and 4:35pm.

Comment: It sounds like it was a particularly bodacious meteor fireball. And, while small meteorites may have fallen into the sea following the object's overhead explosion, it's more likely that eyewitnesses observed it 'disappear over the horizon', not literally make impact in the Atlantic Ocean.

Translation:
The Canary Seismic Network, which operates INVOLCAN, has registered at 16:35 hours (Canary time) a seismic signal on the island of Gran Canaria caused by the passage of a powerful acoustic wave across the island.The preliminary analysis of seismograms shows a form compatible with an N-wave, produced by the impact on the earth's surface of a shock wave caused by an object, natural or artificial, moving in the atmosphere at its speed personality.The following figure shows the seismogram recorded by the GART seismic station (Artenara).The N-wave is a signal that produces a crash wave that impacts the Earth's surface and most likely its source was a solid https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B3lido



Snakes in Suits

Best of the Web: Nuclear war risks, Pope's 'unchristian' remarks, and 'lies' about Ukraine talks: Key points from Lavrov's press conference

Lavrov
© RuptlyRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gives a press conference on European security issues in Moscow, December 1, 2022.
The US is pursuing geostrategic goals without regard for the risk of nuclear escalation amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday during a press conference. Moscow is nonetheless ready for dialogue with Washington or any other party that wishes to engage, he added.

Lavrov also explained Russia's choice of strike targets in Ukraine, and touched on recent comments by the Pope, which Moscow has branded as an "insinuation."

Here's a recap of the main points from Lavrov's video-link press conference.

Evil Rays

Best of the Web: The Evil Of The Political Left Is Rooted In Their Exploitation Of Tragedies

Evil Of The Political Left
What is the root of all evil? Money? No, not really. Money is just a tool, like a hammer, a wrench or even a gun. When I think of evil I don't envision a handgun or a rifle or a big pile of hundred dollar bills. Instead, I see nightly news talking heads spreading disinformation and fear. I see mobs of over-emotional and ignorant activists setting fire to buildings, tearing things down because they don't know how to build anything useful and new. And above it all, I see a small group of elites hovering, licking their chops as they fantasize about the potential power that can be gained from exploiting the chaos.

The willingness to destroy and cause suffering for personal benefit is evil. The willingness to feed off the tragedies of others is evil. And these are the cold characteristics that currently define the political left.

There have been multiple criminal events and national emergencies over the past few years that leftists have been very quick to hijack or scapegoat onto conservatives, often with embarrassing results for themselves. The most recent being the Colorado "Club Q" shooting in which 5 people died and at least 19 were injured. Here was the mainstream media's reaction to the event, with little to no facts on hand to back their claims:

Tornado2

Best of the Web: Southern states are hit by TWENTY-THREE tornadoes overnight as more are expected

Tornado damage reported near District One Volunteer Fire/Rescue in Lowndes County, MS
Tornado damage reported near District One Volunteer Fire/Rescue in Lowndes County, MS
Tornadoes and huge thunderstorms barreled across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, sending millions hunkering down for cover overnight as Southern states were hit by 23 tornadoes.

The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that tornadoes hit the ground in Mississippi on Tuesday evening and Alabama was in the path of the storms during the overnight hours, leaving severe damage and at least two dead in Montgomery.

Several homes have been destroyed, thousands of people have been left without power, and a Mississippi church is now missing its steeple as forceful winds, torrential storms, and tornadoes tore threw.


Vader

Best of the Web: 'Is Washington Our Ally or Not?': EU Officials Accuse US of Profiteering Off Ukraine Crisis

g20 meeting indonesia meeting
© AFP / Saul LoebInternational leaders gather to hold an emergency meeting to discuss a missile strike on Polish territory near the border with Ukraine, on the side line of the G20 leaders' summit in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 16, 2022.
The allegations come as temperatures across Europe continue to drop, and amid the bombshell revelation by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week that the UK's European allies recognized the economic fallout which would accompany a long Russia-Ukraine conflict, and sought its speedy resolution in the spring.

European Union officials and diplomats have accused Washington of profiteering off the Ukraine crisis via energy and weapons sales, and warned that the mood is shifting against the US among its allies on the other side of the Atlantic.

"The fact is, if you look at it soberly, the country that is most profiting from this war is the US because they are selling more gas and at higher prices, and because they are selling more weapons," one senior European official told a German-owned media group on condition.

Comment: The Empire is cannibalizing itself in one last, wheezing gasp. The craven leaders of the EU have only themselves to blame for the mess they find themselves in. But then, they have no interest in the welfare of those they rule over.


Calendar

Best of the Web: Putin now regards Minsk agreements as 'mistake', suggests Ukraine war could last for years

Putin
© RIA/Maxim BlinovPresident Putin views a model of the Transport Interchange Hub at the mouth of the Shosha River in Zavidovo in the Tver Region RIA/Maxim Blinov
Most likely, the fighting will continue into 2023, and quite probably beyond, until either Moscow or Kiev is exhausted, or one side claims a decisive victory

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented, during a meeting with soldiers' mothers, that he now regards the Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015 as a mistake. This concession was stark in the context of the possibility of peace negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine.

It is worth remembering that in 2014, Putin acted on a mandate from the Russian parliament to use military force "in Ukraine," not just in Crimea. In fact, Moscow did save the cities of Donetsk and Lugansk from being overrun by Kiev's army, and defeated Ukraine's forces, but rather than clearing the whole region of Donbass, Russia stopped, and agreed to a cease-fire brokered in Minsk by Germany and France.

Comment: The Russians made it clear before now that this war will go on for most of 2023.


Alarm Clock

Best of the Web: 'New Normal': Three runners suffer heart attacks, 25 others need medical attention following Spanish half-marathon

heart attack runner spain half marathon
© GaintxurizketaA race official renders assistance to a runner in the Behobia-San Sebastián half-marathon which took place November 13, 2022
Three participants suffered heart attacks and 125 others required medical assistance following the Behobia-San Sebastián half-marathon last week. According to America's Frontline News, 33 runners reportedly required hospitalization.

The Behobia to San Sebastian half-marathon, a 15-mile historic running race held in the Spanish Basque Country, is held each year in November.

The Behobia-San Sebastián race has a very rigorous route with two high points, Gaintxurizketa (4 miles) and Miracruz (10 miles) In this year's edition, the event was attended by 30,000 runners and running enthusiasts.

Comment: The complicating factor of Covid vaccination was studiously avoided by the originating Spanish source. But even without that wrinkle, research has already shown that extreme endurance sports are bad for one's health.


Bad Guys

Best of the Web: Netherlands to shut down 3,000 farms to comply with EU rules despite UN warning of looming global food shortages

dutch german farmers protest
© Vincent Jannink /ANP/AFP / Getty ImagesFarmers gather with their vehicles next to a Germany/Netherlands border sign during a protest on the A1 highway, near Rijssen, against the Dutch Government's nitrogen plans on June 29, 2022
The Dutch government plans to buy and close down up to 3,000 farms near environmentally sensitive areas to comply with EU nature preservation rules.

The Netherlands is attempting to cut down its nitrogen pollution and will push ahead with compulsory purchases if not enough farms take up the offer voluntarily.


Comment: 'Voluntarily', and the public will not only be funding these tyrannical moves but they'll also have to suffer the consequences. And, once this goes ahead, more farms will likely be targeted.


Farmers will be offered a deal "well over" the worth of the farm, according to the government plan that is targeting the closure of 2,000 to 3,000 farms or other major polluting businesses.


Comment: Amidst burgeoning food shortages across the planet, those farms will be worth much more than the government is offering.


Comment: Meanwhile farmers over in the UK are being put out of business by other methods: Vegetable shortage threatens UK as supermarkets refuse to pay local farmers increased costs of production

See also: 'Hell on earth': UN warns world is facing 'perfect storm' of food shortages


Arrow Down

Best of the Web: Deadly landslide triggered by heavy rainfall tears through Italian island of Ischia - 6 inches of rain in just 6 hours - At least 8 dead (UPDATE)

The mudslide dragged debris and trees down the mountains towards the coast of the island of Ischia
© EPAThe mudslide dragged debris and trees down the mountains towards the coast of the island of Ischia
A number of people are feared to have been killed after a mudslide triggered by heavy rains swept away homes on the island of Ischia, near Naples.

The torrent of mud and debris dislodged trees, engulfed buildings and dragged cars into the sea as it reached the coast early on Saturday.

The body of a woman was reported to have been found under the mud, and several other people are still missing.

Dozens of homes are cut off, with bad weather hampering rescuers.


Comment: Update November 28

CNN reports:
Landslide on Italian island of Ischia kills at least 8

t least eight people have been confirmed dead after a landslide hit the Italian island of Ischia on Saturday, damaging buildings and obliterating transport infrastructure in its wake.

Five people are still missing, the governor of the Campania Prefecture office in southwest Italy told CNN Monday.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared a state of emergency on Sunday due to what she called "exceptional flood and landslide events," following torrential rain in the Gulf of Naples.

The landslide left damaged buses among the debris.
© Guglielmo Mangiapane/ReutersThe landslide left damaged buses among the debris.
Videos and images shared by local and national authorities showed the destruction in Ischia's port town of Casamicciola Terme. The island lies off Italy's coast, west of the city of Naples.

The governor of Campania, Vincenzo De Luca, said in a statement on Monday that the region had allocated around $4 million "to meet the most immediate needs relating to the Ischia landslide."

He added the administration would "ensure adequate services for displaced families housed in temporary shelters."

On Sunday, the governor told a news conference that homes on Ischia that were not up to building code were partly to blame for the damage, adding they must be demolished.

The Italian government also began distributing €2 million ($2.08 million) in aid and assistance to the local population affected by the landslide, according to a statement over the weekend.



Seismograph

Best of the Web: At least 310 killed on Indonesia's main island of Java after shallow magnitude 5.6 earthquake (UPDATES)

People injured during an earthquake receive medical treatment in a hospital parking lot in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia (
© APPeople injured during an earthquake receive medical treatment in a hospital parking lot in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia
At least 46 people have died and hundreds left injured after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake shook Indonesia's main island of Java on Monday.

The head of the country's disaster agency BNPB said up to 700 have been injured from the earthquake.

Earlier, a government official, Herman Suherman, said at least 300 were injured from the earthquake and said this figure was from just one hospital.

He pointed out that there were four hospitals in the area, in comments that indicate the casualties and those injured from the earthquake could rise.

The national disaster agency had earlier reported 14 deaths.


Comment: Update November 22

The Guardian reports:
Indonesia earthquake: rescuers search for survivors as death toll rises to 252

Indonesian rescue workers were racing to reach people still trapped in rubble one day after an earthquake struck the main island of Java, as the death toll rose to 252.

Monday afternoon's quake, centred in the Cianjur region of West Java province, struck at a depth of 6.2 miles (10km), triggering landslides and damaging buildings, including thousands of homes.

The number of people killed is unclear. In an Instagram post on Tuesday the local government said 252 were confirmed dead, with 31 missing, 377 injured and 7,060 displaced.

Ridwan Kamil, the governor of West Java, said the majority of the dead were children, many of them students taking extra lessons. "So many incidents occurred at several Islamic schools," he said. Authorities were operating "under the assumption that the number of injured and [dead] will rise with time".

Provisional data released by the authorities and cited by Save the Children said about 51 education sites were affected, including 30 elementary schools, 12 junior high schools, one high school, five vocational schools and one special school.

At a local hospital, overwhelmed by the number of patients, the injured lay on the floor on mattresses and blankets, or under makeshift tents. On Monday night, victims were treated in the dark, under torchlight, due to widespread power cuts.

Rescuers carry an injured victim of the earthquake at a hospital in Cianjur, Indonesia.
© Adi Weda/EPARescuers carry an injured victim of the earthquake at a hospital in Cianjur, Indonesia.
"Everything collapsed beneath me and I was crushed beneath this child," Cucu, a 48-year-old resident, told Reuters from the crowded hospital parking area. "Two of my kids survived, I dug them up ... Two others I brought here, and one is still missing," she said through tears.

BNPB said at least 25 people were still buried under the rubble in Cianjur as darkness fell on Monday. Efforts to reach victims been complicated by power failures, damaged roads and more than 80 aftershocks.

On Tuesday morning, hundreds of police officers had been deployed to assist in rescue efforts, Dedi Prasetyo, the national police spokesperson, told the Antara state news agency. "Today's main task order for personnel is to focus on evacuating victims," he said.

Officials were working on Tuesday to reach the area of Cugenang, which had been blocked off by a landslide.

The earthquake damaged at least 2,200 homes and displaced more than 5,000 people, the national disaster agency (BNPB) said. It said it had confirmed the deaths of 62 people, but had not verified 100 additional victims.

Mus Mustopa, who lives in Padaluyu, a village in Cianjur, told Indonesia's Kompas TV he helped a family recover the body of an 80-year-old woman who had died in the quake. It happened suddenly, he said. "I wasn't prepared and saw houses reduced to rubble ... Some 50 houses are damaged, with around 10 being heavily damaged."

Several landslides were reported across Cianjur.

Ima Mafazah, a volunteer with the Indonesian Red Cross, said tremors continued late into the evening on Monday. "Until now, the earthquake still happens, but not as big as before. A minute ago it happened again. Many people don't want to stay at their homes," she said, adding that people were traumatised, afraid and sleeping outside.

Homes had been damaged across a wide area and access was difficult due to cracked roads, said Mafazah. Nurses had been sent by the Indonesian Red Cross on motorbikes to reach the injured in four of the worst-affected areas, about one hour from the main town, that were otherwise inaccessible.

The US Geological Surveys's Pager system estimated that up to 242,000 people were exposed to "very strong shaking" and up to 978,000 people to "strong shaking". The quake was felt 60 miles (100km) away in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, where high-rise buildings swayed.

Mayadita Waluyo, a 22-year-old lawyer, told Agence France-Presse that panicked workers ran for the exits of their building in Jakarta as the quake struck. "I was working when the floor under me was shaking. I could feel the tremor clearly," she said.

Indonesia is especially vulnerable to earthquakes because of its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world.

In February, a magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed at least 25 people and injured more than 460 others in West Sumatra province. In January 2021, a quake of similar magnitude killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed nearly 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
Update November 25

AP reports:
Indonesia earthquake toll reaches 310 as more bodies found

The death toll from an earthquake that struck Indonesia's Java island early this week rose to 310 after rescuers found more bodies under landslides, an official said. At least 24 people remain missing.

In devastated towns in western Java, residents gathered near badly damaged mosques for Friday prayers. Others held prayers along with rescuers between the tents at evacuation centers.

Bodies were recovered Friday in two areas of mountainous Cianjur district where landslides triggered by Monday's quake brought tons of mud, rocks and broken trees, said Henri Alfiandi, chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

More than 1,400 rescuers have been searching through the rubble since the magnitude 5.6 quake, which injured more than 2,000 people.

The head of the National Disaster Management Agency, Suharyanto, who uses one name, said rescuers will continue searching until rebuilding begins.

"We will do it up to the last person. There is no reduction whatsoever, in strength, enthusiasm, or the equipment," Suharyanto said.

He said distribution of food and other aid is improving and is reaching more people in 110 evacuation locations.

The disaster agency said the earthquake damaged at least 56,000 houses and displaced at least 36,000 people. Hundreds of public facilities were destroyed, including 363 schools.

An earthquake of that strength would not typically cause such serious damage. But Monday's quake was shallow and shook a densely populated area that lacks earthquake-resistant infrastructure.

Indonesia is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin known as the "Ring of Fire."