Monthly Archives: December 2021
Thousands flee US towns over fast-spreading wildfires (VIDEOS)
Thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate as several grass fires rapidly spread through Boulder County, Colorado
Wildfires fueled by strong winds have triggered evacuation orders for multiple towns in northern Colorado, with a thick wall of smoke seen sweeping through the area as some reportedly remain trapped in their homes.
The fast-moving fires led Boulder County to evacuate tens of thousands of residents on Thursday, with gusts in excess of 100 miles per hour helping feed the blaze.
The town of Superior, made up of some 13,000 residents, was the first to clear out on orders from the county’s Office of Emergency Management, followed by Louisville, a city just north of Superior with a population of more than 21,000.
Footage and photos circulating online showed a vast cloud of smoke and dust enveloping the area, as well as the evacuation in progress, with some cars seen stuck in traffic as skies turned an eerie orange. The high winds could also be heard in some videos.
If you want to see Dillon road/i36 an hour ago… pic.twitter.com/7FYjxhjCPt
— Em (@KnitsRose) December 30, 2021
— WildFire (@WildFlowerSeed_) December 30, 2021
A massive plume of ash could be seen on radar images shared by the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Boulder branch, giving some idea of the scale of the flames. The service deemed the situation “life threatening.”
Radar showing the huge plume of smoke and ash being released from the #marshallfire burning in Louisville & Superior. Also, another smaller fire reported south of Johnstown and Milliken areas. #COwx pic.twitter.com/WCi7NvhPZU
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) December 30, 2021
#boulderFire #costco #highwinds #evacuate pic.twitter.com/n9mNDPpd4n
— Hunt (@Hunthk11) December 30, 2021
“Multiple structures” caught fire as the blaze made its way through Boulder County, according to Wildfire Today, which also reported that some residents are unable to leave their homes, though offered few details.
Last video. I’m moving!!! pic.twitter.com/GsesauMpGf
— Eric English (@EricEnglish777) December 30, 2021
The emergency office activated earlier in the day after downed power lines ignited fires in several areas, local media reported. Though two towns were given formal evacuation orders, the office told all residents in the area to “leave immediately” if they “see fire.”
Hope everyone is safe. It looks horrible. pic.twitter.com/Jcoc7SHwDU
— TheeKnopeFanLing (@LingZhiTweet) December 30, 2021
Whelp its certainly spreading pic.twitter.com/RPqRXGBt4p
— Bolin Jackson (@Bolin_Jackson) December 30, 2021
Local weather forecasts suggest that wind speeds will remain high throughout Thursday but will likely slow over night, while the NWS has issued a winter storm warning for the coming days, predicting heavy snows of between 12 and 24 inches across parts of northern Colorado.
Former ISIL prison transformed to bring joy and support to youth
Once used as a prison by the ISIL terror network in Iraq, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency and partners have converted a former grim detention centre into a sunny space for youth.
2021 Year in Review: Climate action, or blah, blah, blah?
This year saw another steady stream of UN-backed reports reinforcing a stark message: man-made climate change is an urgent and even existential threat to life on Earth. Will the international community’s efforts to tackle the crisis, as seen at the COP26 UN Climate Conference, result in meaningful action?
This year saw
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Officials promise groceries for Xi’an, China, city of 13 million under lockdown
Officials pledged steady deliveries of groceries to residents of Xi’an, a city of 13 million that is under the strictest lockdown of a major Chinese city since Wuhan at the start of the pandemic.
(Image credit: Ng Han Guan/AP)
Poland’s Pegasus snooping likely ‘tip of the iceberg’ – expert
Warsaw’s use of the controversial Israeli spyware on three government critics is probably just the start, according to one researcher
A cyber expert at security watchdog Citizen Lab has said there are probably more discoveries to come following the allegations that Poland’s government spied on three of its fiercest critics.
Speaking to AFP on Wednesday, John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Canada-based cybersecurity watchdog Citizen Lab said that Poland’s use of the Pegasus spyware “looks very bad.”
The Israeli spyware came to light in July following an investigation led by Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based media non-profit, in collaboration with Amnesty International and 17 media organizations.
Some 50,000 phones had been illegally accessed using the malware, made by the NSO Group. Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE were among the 11 countries in which potential clients were identified.
Scott-Railton believes the allegations that the Pegasus spyware was used against three Polish government opponents are just the “tip of the iceberg,” and that there is much more to come.
In a scandal dubbed by local media as “Polish Watergate,” it is alleged that the government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki spied on Krzysztof Brejza, a member of the Civic Platform party, who coordinated its 2019 election campaign; and Roman Giertych, a lawyer involved in cases against the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party.
It is also alleged that prosecutor and opposition figure Ewa Wrzosek was snooped upon. The allegations were made by Citizen Lab.
“Pegasus is a tool of dictators. Its use in these cases point to an authoritarian slide,” Scott-Railton added.
The Israeli software, which was found on the smartphones of the three individuals, grants the user the ability to read messages, look through photos, track the target’s location, and even switch on the camera without the knowledge of the phone’s owner.