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Fire

Huge fire engulfs West London Grenfell Tower apartment block - UPDATES

frenfell tower fire
© Toby Melville / Reuters
Firefighters were battling to rescue people trapped inside a 24-storey tower block in west London this morning hours after a huge fire broke out and swept through apartments.

The fire at Grenfell Tower on Latimer Road near Notting Hill started shortly before 1am on Wednesday.

The London Ambulance Service said 30 people had been taken to five London hospitals. Two hundred fire fighters were at the scene along with 40 engines and at least 20 ambulance crews.

Comment: These videos show the extent of the blaze. Warning- some viewers may find them upsetting.



Update: Initial reports suggest the cause of the blaze may have been a faulty refrigerator on the fourth floor. A man reportedly caught a baby dropped from the 9th or 10th floor. Six people are confirmed to have died in the fire so far.

Residents had repeatedly warned authorities that the building was a fire risk. In addition to the outdated fire extinguishers and the presence of only one entrance, the foyer was loaded with accumulated trash (e.g. old mattresses), and the elevator accessing the ground floor was inoperative due to improvement work. But all warnings "fell on deaf ears". Just last year, the tower underwent renovations as part of a £10 million refurbishment project.

PM May's new chief of staff is facing tough questions after news that he delayed a fire-safety review in high-rise apartments:
Gavin Barwell, who was the housing minister before last week's election, took up the role of chief of staff to the prime minister after losing his Croydon constituency seat to Labour.

The review had been ordered by the All-Party Parliamentary Fire Safety & Rescue Group following the deaths of six people in a blaze at a high-rise building in Camberwell, southeast London, in July 2009.

At least six people died in the Grenfell Tower fire which broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Police say they expect the toll to rise and an investigation has been launched into the cause of the blaze.

It is not known whether Grenfell Tower was built to the same specifications as Lanakal House, the Camberwell high-rise.

Speaking on LBC Radio, the group's honorary administrative secretary, Ronnie King, said the Camberwell blaze had not been properly reviewed.
"The All-Party Group were looking at the issue of fire suppression in all the tower blocks with similar designs to this," he said. "And we understand that there are around 4,000 tower blocks that don't have fire sprinklers fitted into them.

"Successive ministers since 2013 have said they are still looking at it. Mr Barwell said he was still looking at it and was preparing to meet with the All-Party group. That's when the election was called and the meeting never happened."
Update: Francis O'Connor, a blogger and member of the Greenfell Action Group (GAG), repeatedly tried to warn the council of the fire risks in the building but was threatened by a lawyer and told to delete his blog.
"I am instructed that you previously posted blogs that have in general been critical of everything that takes place at Lancaster West in relation to the Kensington Academy Leisure Centre and investment on the estate," solicitor Vimal Sarna wrote to O'Connor in July 2013.
It then instructs the group to delete the blog - an order the group did not follow.
In 2016, an article on the blog chillingly predicts that only a tragedy would bring serious attention to the tower's problems.
"It is a truly terrifying thought but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believe that only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord, the KCTMO, and bring an end to the dangerous living conditions and neglect of health and safety legislation that they inflict upon their tenants and leaseholders," the post reads.

"It is our conviction that a serious fire in a tower block or similar high density residential property is the most likely reason that those who wield power at the KCTMO will be found out and brought to justice!"
But the scandal seems to reach beyond local council remit, as the Mirror reports that former Housing Minister Brandon Lewis "sat on" information about the several fire risks in buildings such as Grenfell Tower.

According to the newspaper, Lewis did not take action on safety irregularities on tower blocks over 30 meters tall because it could "discourage building." Instead he shrugged off suggestions that sprinklers should be installed in the block. Other ministers are believed to have also known about the damning evidence.
Update: Grenfell Tower victims 'may never be identified'
grenfell tower
© Paul Hackett / Reuters
Missing person signs are displayed close to Grenfell Tower block, which was destroyed in a fire,west London, Britain
The identity of some of the victims of the Grenfell Tower blaze may never be confirmed, the Metropolitan Police warned on Friday.

The death toll from Wednesday's fire is expected to rise from the confirmed 17 in the coming days, with Met Commander Start Cundy hoping it would not go into "triple figures."

Six bodies have been recovered from what remains of the 24-storey building, with a further 11 known to be located inside that cannot yet be removed. There are likely to be many more.

Fire authorities said they do not expect to find any further survivors in the gutted West London tower.

An official inquiry has been called by Prime Minister Theresa May, but authorities have warned the process could take months.

Firefighters and other rescue teams were forced out of the building on Thursday afternoon as the fire restarted. Many of the victims are thought to have been trapped in upper floors. The area remains inaccessible.

A criminal investigation by Scotland Yard is also under way, after calls for arrests on the basis of 'corporate manslaughter.' Tottenham MP David Lammy was one of those leading the calls.
Update: 30 now confirmed dead in London tower fire
At least 30 people were confirmed dead by the Metropolitan Police as a result of the blaze that destroyed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London on Wednesday morning. One of those deceased was being held in hospital in critical condition.

At least 24 people are being treated in hospitals across the capital, and twelve of them are in critical care.

Met Commander Stuart Cundy also confirmed that there is no evidence to suggest the "fire was started deliberately." He added that no fires were currently active within the building, but that the building continued to be considered hazardous.

The number of dead is expected to continue to rise. Amid criticism that the authorities are being slow to reveal the true number of people who died in the disaster, Cundy said he would "only say something that I know to be true."

London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Richard Mills confirmed fire service teams would continue the search for the victims on the scene.

He said there are no fires still burning inside the building at this point.

It has proven difficult to confirm how many people are missing, but the Met has put together a special team for concerned families to contact.

Cundy confirmed an "investigation will look in into what criminal offences may have been committed."


Update: London police: 58 people assumed dead in Grenfell Tower fire
grenfell tower fire
© Hannah Mckay / Reuters
Police in London have said 58 people are now presumed dead following this week's devastating fire at Grenfell tower block.

"Sadly at this time, there are 58 people who we have been told were in Grenfell Tower on the night that are missing and therefore sadly I have to assume that they are dead," Commander Stuart Cundy told reporters.

Cundy added that the death toll could rise. The new figure of 58 includes the 30 that had already been announced.



USA

State-sponsored sexual assault: Alaskan cops fight bills making sexual contact with prostitutes illegal

cop and prostitute
Alaskan police are still fighting twin bills winding their way through state legislature — because the proposed legislation would make sexual contact with sex workers illegal.

Anchorage Police Deputy Chief Sean Case traveled to Juneau earlier this year to plead the need for officers to be able to touch sex workers during an investigation, or their cover — and, thus, the case — would be blown.
House Bill 112 and Senate Bill 73, Case claims, 'are offensive to law enforcement officers and unnecessary because myriad laws and regulations already govern such conduct.'

HB 112 states, in part, "An offender commits the crime of sexual assault in the third degree if the offender ... while acting as a peace officer in the state, engages in sexual penetration with a person with reckless disregard that the person is ... the victim, witness, or perpetrator of a crime under investigation by the offender."

"If we make that act (of touching) a misdemeanor we have absolutely no way of getting involved in that type of arrest," Case told the Alaska Dispatch News.

Attention

Israeli policewoman dies after simultaneous stabbing attacks in Jerusalem - Update: ISIS claims responsibility

Israeli police
© Reuters
A 20 year-old Israeli border guard is in critical condition in a Jerusalem hospital, and several civilians are injured after two simultaneous knife and gun assaults in the historic city center. Two assailants have been shot dead, and another two detained, according to police.

Israeli media reported that in one of the incidents, close to Damascus Gate, the attackers rushed at a group of border guards, with one brandishing a homemade submachine gun, which jammed. Both of the assailants were killed.

The second attack reportedly happened outside the tourist landmark Zedekiah's Cave several dozen yards away, with the perpetrators swinging wildly at passersby. Two people are reported to have been "lightly injured" in the incident.

Comment: Islamic State claims fatal stabbing of Israeli policewoman; Israel unconvinced
The Islamic State on Friday night claimed responsibility for a coordinated shooting and stabbing terror attack in Jerusalem that killed an Israeli police officer, Hadas Malka, 23, in what the jihadist group vowed would be the first of many attacks.

The jihadist group in an online statement said three IS fighters had targeted "a gathering of Jews" in an operation Friday, and warned that "this attack will not be the last."

"With God's help, we succeeded in carrying out an attack in the heart of Jerusalem," the group said.

This was the first time that the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Israel, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist organizations.

Such claims are often impossible to corroborate, and Islamic State has taken responsibility in the past for attacks in which it was not directly involved.

Hamas dismissed the claim. Israeli officials also cast doubt on it, saying there was no indication of IS involvement, and that the attack did not appear to have been directed by any group.

In its statement, IS said the attack was "revenge for the religion of Allah and the sanctities of the violated Muslims."

"Let the Jews watch for the demise of their state at the hands of the soldiers of the Caliphate," the statement added.

Early on Saturday morning, Hamas rejected IS's claim of responsibility, saying the three belonged to Palestinian terrorist organizations.

"The claim by the Islamic State group is an attempt to muddy the waters," said Sami Abou Zouhri, spokesman for the terrorist group which runs the Gaza strip.

The attack was carried out by "two Palestinians from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and a third from Hamas," he said.

In the wake of the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revoked the entry permits given to Palestinians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to visit their relatives in Israel.

Israel had eased restrictions on the entrance of Palestinians from the West Bank for Ramadan, including permitting daily family visits during Sundays through Thursdays.

Netanyahu canceled the family visits at the recommendation of Chief of Police Roni Alsheich and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, according to a police statement.

Netanyahu, however, did not revoke the permission given to Palestinian men aged over 40 from the West Bank to enter Jerusalem for Friday prayers, police said.



Sheriff

Jail cops kill elderly man with ill-advised body slam

police attack
There's probably no better example, to highlight the systemic problem our system of justice currently faces, than the following story. An elderly man, William Howard (75), who had never been in trouble with the law before, had a run-in with police after his wife said he "began to act strange."

Howard was arrested and taken to jail for attacking his wife with a knife. But it's what happened next which illustrates just how violent the system truly is.

The convergence of mental health issues, crime, and the criminal justice system worked against Howard's favor following his arrest. Why he wasn't taken to a mental health facility following the attack is a question which remains to be answered — especially considering the fact that this man with no arrest history did something so outlandish. Nevertheless, Howard found himself an inmate in Florida's Orange County Jail on November 16, 2016.

Because of his diminished mental state, jail personnel were having a hard time getting Howard to cooperate with their orders. Appearing confused, according to reports, Howard would not come out of his jail cell.

Pistol

FBI finds Alexandria shooter's phone, computer & guns - 2 victims still in critical condition

police crime scene
© Joshua Roberts / Reuters
A congressman and a former staffer shot at baseball practice remain in critical condition and will require multiple surgeries. One injured aide has been released. The FBI is seeking more info about the shooter, who appeared to be politically motivated.

Five people were wounded on Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia. Republican members of the US Congress and their staffers were holding a practice for the annual congressional charity game, a tradition in the US capital since 1909.

Senate Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana), 51, was shot in the hip. The bullet fractured bones, injured internal organs and caused severe bleeding, the MedStar Washington Hospital Center said in a statement Thursday.

Comment: Further reading: Shooter who targeted GOP congressmen railed against conservatives


Star of David

Gideon Levy to Thom Yorke: This Is Why You Should Boycott Israel

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
© REUTERS/ RONEN ZVULUN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem
Hasn't the time come to do away with this artificial distinction between 'nice' Israelis and the brutal occupation they are responsible for?

Anyone questioning whether a boycott is a just and effective means of fighting the Israeli occupation should listen to the counterarguments of Thom Yorke from British rock band Radiohead and Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid. The front men of Radiohead and Yesh Atid present: cheap propaganda. Their counterarguments could convince any person of conscience around the world - to support the boycott. Yorke, who ignores the boycott movement, and Lapid, who is an ardent opponent of the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement, have enlisted to oppose the movement. Their reasoning says a lot more about them than the BDS movement.

Comment: For his part, Roger Waters has also tried to speak some sense to the Radiohead frontman:
Speaking recently to Rolling Stone, Yorke described the situation as "extremely upsetting", "offensive" and "an extraordinary waste of energy", adding of Waters and his fellow critics: "It's deeply distressing that they choose to, rather than engage with us personally, throw shit at us in public."

Now Waters has provided his own response to Rolling Stone, claiming that - contrary to Yorke's previous comments - he has attempted to reach him personally about the matter and that the singer "had misinterpreted my attempt to start a conversation as a threat."

Arguing that Yorke's interview "needs a reply as it doesn't tell the whole story", Waters directed his response to the Radiohead frontman: "I have made every effort to engage with you personally, and would still like to have the conversation."

Waters added: "Today is the 50th anniversary of the occupation of Palestine by Israel. Fifty years living under military occupation. Fifty years for a people with no civil rights. Fifty years of no recourse to the law. Fifty years of apartheid."

He continued: "The BDS picket line exists to shine a light on the predicament of the occupied people of Palestine, both in Palestine and those displaced abroad, and to promote equal civil rights for all the people living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea no matter what their nationality, race or religion. All human life is sacred, every child is our child, exceptionalism is always our enemy. There is no Us or Them, only Us."



Jet5

Four US F/A-18 pilot deaths tied to oxygen system issues

f-18_deaths
© AFP/Michael W. Pendergrass/US Nav
Having reviewed its fighter and trainer jets, the US Navy has linked the deaths of four F/A-18 Hornet pilots to failures of oxygen systems in aircraft cockpits.

An investigation was launched in late March after more than 100 T-45 instructor pilots at a number of US Navy training bases refused to fly with students in trainer jets to protest against the ongoing issue with oxygen contamination that can result in disorientation, loss of consciousness and even death.

Due to the increase in cases of hypoxia caused by problems with the Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS), US Navy student pilots have not been allowed to fly for the past three months.

Snakes in Suits

Not so friendly skies: United Airlines employee shoves elderly man to the ground, others ignore him as he lies motionless

Ronald Tigner United Airlines incident

After hitting his head on the ground, Tigner lies motionless with his arms splayed out and yet not one United employee bothers to bend down and talk to him.
For decades, United Airlines has boasted "come fly the friendly skies of United," but in April, video of Dr. David Dao being dragged off a United flight in Chicago went viral.

When Dao refused to give up his seat onboard an overbooked flight, security officers began dragging him down the aisle and off the plane in front of horrified passengers.

Now, Channel 2 Investigates has obtained video of another physical confrontation between United employees and a 71-year-old Houston man at Bush Intercontinental Airport in 2015. That man has filed a lawsuit.

"This is just one of the most inhumane things I've ever seen in my life," attorney William Hoke said.

In the video, recorded on a surveillance camera at the airport, Ronald Tigner -- a frequent flyer, father and grandfather -- is shown being pushed to the ground by a United Airlines customer service rep, right in front of the United ticket counter.


Comment: Such incidences are becoming all too common and are symptomatic of an indifferent system that increasingly devalues individual life.


Heart - Black

Teen who encouraged her boyfriend to commit suicide faces 20 years for involuntary manslaughter

texting woman
© Global Look Press
A Massachusetts woman who sent her boyfriend dozens of text messages urging him to kill himself has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors say she did it to get attention; the defense said the boyfriend had a history of attempted suicide.

A southeastern Massachusetts juvenile court on Friday found that Michelle Carter, now 20, caused the death of Conrad Roy III, according to AP.

Carter cried as the judge handed in his verdict in a nonjury trial.

"This court having reviewed the evidence, finds you guilty on the indictment with involuntary manslaughter," said Judge Lawrence Moniz.

Biohazard

Comply or die: Minnesota jury acquits cop who murdered Philando Castile

Philando Castille protesters
© Eduardo Munoz/AFP
A Minnesota jury found St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez not guilty in the 2016 shooting of motorist Philando Castile. The aftermath of the shooting was live-streamed on Facebook by Castile's girlfriend, attracting national attention.

Jurors reached the verdict shortly after 2pm local time Friday, after nearly 30 hours of deliberation, during which they made two requests to re-read the transcript of Yanez's testimony. The judge denied both requests.

"I thought I was going to die," Yanez testified on June 9 before a packed courtroom. "I had no other choice. I was forced to engage Mr. Castile. He was not complying with my directions."

Asked if he wanted to shoot Castile, the police officer began to cry, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "I did not want to shoot Mr. Castile at all," he said. "Those were not my intentions."

Comment: For background on the Philando Castile shooting, see: Minnesota woman live-streams aftermath of boyfriend's shooting by police during traffic stop

See also: US Police State - All the ways you can comply and still die during an encounter with police