Daily Archives: April 18, 2014

Οι γονείς των μαθητών που αγνοούνται μετά το ναυάγιο την Τετάρτη ενός οχηματαγωγού στα ανοικτά της Νότιας Κορέας κατηγόρησαν σήμερα για ανικανότητα την κυβέρνηση της χώρας, τα σωστικά συνεργία, αλλά και το πλήρωμα του πλοίου, στο πηδάλιο του οποίου την ώρα του δυστυχήματος βρισκόταν ο τρίτος αξιωματικός και όχι ο πλοίαρχος.

Οι ειδικοί εκτιμούν ότι 48 ώρες μετά το δυστύχημα είναι απίθανο να βρεθούν ζωντανοί κάποιοι από τους 268 ανθρώπους που εξακολουθούν να αγνοούνται, πολλοί εκ των οποίων είναι μαθητές.

Μέχρι στιγμής 28 σοροί έχουν εντοπιστεί, σύμφωνα με τον τελευταίο απολογισμό του λιμενικού.

Στο Sewol, το οποίο εκτελούσε ένα τακτικό δρομολόγιο προς το νησί Τζετζού, επέβαιναν 475 άνθρωποι, μεταξύ των οποίων 352 μαθητές λυκείου που είχαν πάει σχολική εκδρομή. Από αυτούς 179 άνθρωποι έχουν διασωθεί.

Εκατοντάδες δύτες που βρίσκονται στο σημείο του δυστυχήματος, περίπου 20 χιλιόμετρα από τις νοτιοδυτικές ακτές την Νότιας Κορέας, δεν έχουν καταφέρει ακόμη να εισέλθουν στο πλοίο εξαιτίας των ισχυρών ρευμάτων και των άσχημων καιρικών συνθηκών.

Στο μεταξύ τα σωστικά συνεργεία εγχέουν οξυγόνο στην αίθουσα του εστιατορίου του πλοίου όπου πιστεύεται ότι βρίσκονταν οι περισσότεροι επιβάτες την ώρα του δυστυχήματος.

Τρεις γερανοί έχουν φτάσει στο σημείο του ναυαγίου, όμως θα ξεκινήσουν την ανάσυρση του πλοίου μόλις εξανεμιστούν οι ελπίδες για τον εντοπισμό επιζώντων.

Η έρευνα για τα αίτια του χειρότερου ναυτικού δυστυχήματος που έχει σημειωθεί στη Νότια Κορέα εδώ και 21 χρόνια επικεντρώνονται στον 69χρονο πλοίαρχο του Sewol και το πλήρωμα.

«(Ο καπετάνιος) ενδέχεται να μην ήταν στη γέφυρα. Και ο άνθρωπος στο πηδάλιο την ώρα (του δυστυχήματος) ήταν ο τρίτος αξιωματικός», δήλωσε ο Παρκ Τζάε Οκ εισαγγελέας που ερευνά την υπόθεση.

Πάντως είναι συνηθισμένο κατώτεροι αξιωματικοί να αναλαμβάνουν το πηδάλιο στη διάρκεια του ταξιδιού των 400 χιλιομέτρων από το λιμάνι Ιντσεόν στην ηπειρωτική Νότια Κορέα ως το νησί Τζεζού, καθώς πρόκειται για ένα τακτικό δρομολόγιο σε γνωστά νερά.

Το δυστύχημα συνέβη σε ήρεμα, ρηχά νερά και οι ερευνητές έχουν επικεντρωθεί στον ρόλο του πληρώματος του Sewol καθώς το πλοίο φαίνεται να έχει καθαρό μητρώο ασφάλειας.

Οι γονείς των αγνοούμενων μαθητών κατηγορούν τον πλοίαρχο Λι Τζουν Σοκ για την τραγωδία, καθώς την ώρα που εκατοντάδες επιβάτες του πλοίου βρέθηκαν παγιδευμένοι εκείνος βρισκόταν στο πίσω μέρος του πλοίου, όπως δήλωσε ο Παρκ Τζάε Οκ.

Εξάλλου αυτόπτες μάρτυρες είπαν ότι ο πλοίαρχος και μερικά μέλη του πληρώματος εγκατέλειψαν το σκάφος την ώρα που άλλα μέλη του πληρώματος καλούσαν τους επιβάτες να μείνουν εκεί όπου βρίσκονταν, καθώς το πλοίο άρχιζε να βυθίζεται, περίπου 25 χλμ. νοτιοδυτικά του Τζιντό, ενός μεγάλου νοτιοκορεάτικου νησιού.

Τόσο ο πλοίαρχος όσο και η ναυτιλιακή εταιρεία στην οποία ανήκει το Sewol έχουν ζητήσει συγγνώμη για την απώλεια ανθρώπινων ζωών, όμως κανένας από τους δύο δεν έχει αναλάβει την ευθύνη για το δυστύχημα.

Τα αίτια της τραγωδίας δεν είναι ακόμη γνωστά. Πολλοί επιβάτες που διασώθηκαν δήλωσαν ότι άκουσαν έναν δυνατό θόρυβο και στη συνέχεια το φέρι ακινητοποιήθηκε απότομα, γεγονός που ενδέχεται να σημαίνει ότι το πλοίο χτύπησε στο βυθό ή σε κάποιο βυθισμένο αντικείμενο.

Οι ειδικοί επισημαίνουν επίσης ότι είναι πιθανό το φορτίο του Sewol, περίπου 150 αυτοκίνητα, να μετακινήθηκαν, αποσταθεροποιώντας το.

Ο πλοίαρχος από την πλευρά του λέει ότι δεν χτύπησε σε ύφαλο.

Σύμφωνα με την εταιρεία στην οποία ανήκει το πλοίο, ο 69χρονος καπετάνιος έχει πολύχρονη εμπειρία και εκτελούσε το δρομολόγιο Ιντσεόν-Τζεζού εδώ και οκτώ χρόνια.

Πάντως η οργή και η αγανάκτηση των συγγενών των θυμάτων μεγαλώνουν καθημερινά. Κυρίως οι γονείς των μαθητών επικρίνουν έντονα τις αρχές, τις οποίες κατηγορούν για αδιαφορία και ψεύδη.

«Η κυβέρνηση είπε ψέματα χθες», δήλωσε σήμερα ένας άνδρας, που είπε ότι μιλά εξ ονόματος όλων των γονιών, σε μια παρέμβαση που μεταδόθηκε απευθείας από την νοτιοκορεάτικη τηλεόραση.

«Σας ρωτώ όλους: Έτσι γίνονται τα πράγματα στη Νότια Κορέα; Σας παρακαλούμε μία ακόμη φορά, σας παρακαλώ, σώστε τα παιδιά μας».

Ο ίδιος είπε ότι στο σημείο της τραγωδίας έχει δει μερικά σκάφη και δύτες και όχι 500 δύτες, 169 πλοία και 29 αεροπλάνα, όπως ισχυρίζεται η νοτιοκορεάτικη κυβέρνηση.

Μαζί με άλλους γονείς μετέβη επί τόπου χθες Πέμπτη με ένα πλοίο το οποίο ναύλωσαν τα σωστικά συνεργεία για τις οικογένειες των θυμάτων.

Εξάλλου στις τάξεις του σχολείου Ντανουόν, στο οποίο φοιτούσαν οι αγνοούμενοι μαθητές, οι συμμαθητές τους αφήνουν μηνύματα στα θρανία τους, στους πίνακες και τα παράθυρα ζητώντας την ασφαλή επιστροφή των φίλων τους.

«Θα σε δω ξανά, θα σου πω ότι σε αγαπώ γιατί δεν στο έχω πει αρκετά», γράφει ένα από τα μηνύματα.

Δεκατέσσερις μαθητές και δάσκαλοι αυτού του λυκείου, που βρίσκεται στην πόλη Ασάν, μια βιομηχανική πόλη στα περίχωρα της Σεούλ όπου ζουν κυρίως εργάτες σε εργοστάσια και οικογενειάρχες της μεσαίας τάξης, έχουν βρεθεί νεκροί μετά το ναυάγιο, ενώ 247 εξακολουθούν να αγνοούνται.

Το σχολείο στο οποίο φοιτούν σχεδόν 1.400 μαθητές έχει κλείσει ως τις 23 Απριλίου.

Οι οικογένειες και οι φίλοι των αγνοούμενων είναι συγκεντρωμένοι στην αίθουσα του γυμναστηρίου του σχολείου, όπου μια γιγαντοοθόνη δείχνει απευθείας τις προσπάθειες των σωστικών συνεργείων.

Στην είσοδο του λυκείου ομάδες του Ερυθρού Σταυρού της Νότιας Κορέας μοιράζουν νερό και τρόφιμα στους φίλους και συγγενείς των αγνοούμενων μαθητών. Νοτιοκορεάτικες εταιρείες κινητής τηλεφωνίας έχουν εγκαταστήσει δωρεάν τηλέφωνα ώστε να μπορούν να επικοινωνούν με όσους έχουν μεταβεί στο σημείο της τραγωδίας.

Πηγή: newsbomb.gr

Ο γνωστός τραγουδιστής περνάει δύσκολές ώρες με την περιπέτεια υγείας του. Για αυτό μίλησε ο Χρήστος Δείξιμος που  είναι ετεροθαλή αδέλφια με τον Αντώνη Βαρδή κάτι το οποίο δεν ήταν ευρέως γνωστό…

Ο Χρήστος Δείξιμος είναι ο πατέρας του Άκη και του Κώστα και νοιώθει ευγνώμων στον αδελφό του, ο οποίος τον στήριξε στην ζωή του. «Είμαστε αδέλφια από διαφορετικό πατέρα, αλλά την ίδια μάνα. Ο Αντώνης έχει βοηθήσει πολύ κόσμο. Είναι μια πάρα πολύ ιδιαίτερη καρδιά. Έχει πολλές ευαισθησίες. Έχει περάσει πολύ δύσκολα στη ζωή του», εξήγησε στο ciao και συνέχισε: «Μεγαλώσαμε μαζί με τον Αντώνη. Ήταν πολύ δύσκολα τα χρόνια εκείνα και πολύ περισσότερο για τον αδελφό μου. Εγώ δεν γεύτηκα δυσκολίες, γιατί είχα τον αδελφό μου, τον Αντώνη και με στήριξε.

Ο Αντώνης με μεγάλωσε κυριολεκτικά, με έπλασε και με έκανε αυτό που είμαι σήμερα». Ο Χρήστος Δείξιμος μίλησε για το πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζει με την υγεία του ο Αντώνης Βαρδής. «Επειδή είναι η δεύτερη δοκιμασία του αυτή, περίπου το ’90 είχε πάλι ένα προβληματάκι, μόλις το έμαθα, είναι σαν να συμβαίνει σε μένα. Σίγουρα είναι κάτι που δεν ορίζει ο άνθρωπος. Είναι Θεού θέλημα οτιδήποτε μας έρχεται. Και θεωρώ ότι θα το ξεπεράσει, γιατί είναι πολύ δυνατός. Προσευχόμαστε όλοι για εκείνον και τη ζωή του. Χωρίς προσευχή, πίστη και σεβασμό σε αυτό που μας έφερε στη γη, δεν γίνεται τίποτα. Πιστεύω ότι θα το ξεπεράσει»

Πηγή: madata.gr

MH370’s black box isn’t black, and time is running out to find it. Find out why.

Malaysia and Australia will sign a deal specifying who handles any wreckage from missing flight MH370 which may be recovered, including the crucial “black box” flight data recorders, Malaysian media reports.

Officials in Malaysia are drafting the agreement “to safeguard both nations from any legal pitfalls that may surface during that (recovery) phase,” the government-controlled New Straits Times says.

The Malaysian government hopes the deal can be finalised soon and endorsed in a cabinet meeting next week.

Australian officials are studying the memorandum of understanding (MoU), the newspaper says.

“The MoU spells out exactly who does what and the areas of responsibility,” civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman was quoted as saying.

Mr Azharuddin said Malaysia would lead most of the investigation, with Australia and others helping. Details of the MoU will not be made public, the report said.

Mr Azharuddin and other officials could not immediately be reached by news agency AFP.

The Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people, including six Australians, inexplicably veered off course en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 and is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, off the West Australian coast.

But a massive international search – led by Australian authorities – has failed to turn up any wreckage so far.

The Bluefin-21 unmanned submarine is being deployed in the search for missing flight but data from its dives have failed to find any trace of the plane.

The New Straits Times report said the Malaysia-Australia deal would address “specific areas” including who will handle the wreckage and the flight data recorders, known as black boxes.

Malaysia’s scandal-prone regime, which has a poor record on transparency, has pledged it will reveal the data recorders’ contents, if they are found.

Procedures for passenger remains to be governed by deal

The New Straits Times quoted a source with “intimate knowledge” of the deal saying it also specified where any passenger remains would be brought and who would carry out autopsies.

The crisis has brought intense international scrutiny on the Malaysian government, which has been accused by anguished Chinese families and other critics of hiding information and possibly trying to cover up its handling of the situation.

It is hoped any data contained within will indicate what caused the plane to divert.

A range of theories including hijacking, rogue pilot activity and aircraft malfunctions have been speculated.

Malaysia’s government has rejected such claims, saying it is passing on all it knows promptly. Two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese.

A survey by Malaysia’s leading independent polling firm released earlier this week found that only 26 per cent of Malaysians believed the government was being transparent about MH370.

source: abc.net.au

Ανακαλύφθηκε για πρώτη φορά μια δεύτερη Γη σε κατοικήσιμη απόσταση από το άστρο της.

Για πρώτη φορά οι αστρονόμοι φαίνεται πως ανακάλυψαν αυτό που τόσο καιρό αναζητούσαν: μια δεύτερη Γη.

Operators aboard the Australian Defense Vessel Ocean Shield move the U.S. Navy’s Bluefin 21 autonomous underwater vehicle into position for deployment in the Southern Indian Ocean, as the search continues for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, in this handout picture taken April 14, 2014.

An underwater drone scouring the Indian Ocean floor for a missing Malaysian jetliner has dived to its deepest ever level, putting its equipment at unprecedented risk, as hopes dwindled that it might soon turn up some sign of wreckage.The U.S. Navy’s Bluefin-21 and its “side scan” sonar has become the focal point of the search some 2,000 km (1,200 miles) west of the Australian city of Perth, where authorities believe Malaysia Airlines (MASM.KL) flight MH370 hit the ocean after disappearing from radars on March 8 with 239 people on board.

The search has centred on a city-sized area where a series of “pings” led authorities to believe the plane’s black box may be located. But after more than a week without a signal, and almost two weeks past the black box battery’s life expectancy, authorities have turned to the Bluefin-21.

But the Bluefin-21’s searches of the largely unmapped ocean floor have been frustrated by an automatic safety mechanism which sends it to the surface when it exceeds a depth of 4.5 km (14,763 feet). Its searches have yet to find any sign of the plane.

On Friday, as searchers waited for the remote-control submarine to return from its fifth mission, the U.S. Navy said the Bluefin-21 had gone to a record depth of 4,695 metres (15,403 feet) in its previous mission.

“This is the first time the Bluefin-21 has descended to this depth,” U.S. Navy spokesman Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel S. Marciniak said in a statement.

“Diving to such depths does carry with it some residual risk to the equipment and this is being carefully monitored by the U.S. Navy and (Bluefin-21 owner) Phoenix International (PHIN.BO).”

He also confirmed that the Bluefin-21’s search area had been reduced based on further analysis of the initial signals believed to have come from the plane’s black box. Authorities have said the U.S. Navy’s previous estimate, that the Bluefin-21’s hunt may take two months, was also wrong and the drone was focusing on a “reduced and more focused underwater search area”.

NO END IN SIGHT

On Monday, the search coordinator, retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said the air and surface search for debris would likely end in three days as the operation shifted its focus to the ocean floor.

But on Friday, the Perth-based Joint Agency Coordination Centre said that up to 11 military aircraft and 12 ships would join in the search across 52,000 square km (32 square miles) of ocean. Marciniak said U.S. patrol aircraft “continue to support the search effort”. That would suggest searchers, under pressure from the families of those on board the plane that was on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared, still hold some hope of finding floating wreckage.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was quoted by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday as saying that “we believe that (underwater) search will be completed within a week or so. If we don’t find wreckage, we stop, we regroup, we reconsider”.

Asked by Reuters to clarify Abbott’s comments to the newspaper, his office said he was only suggesting that authorities may change the area being searched by the Bluefin-21 drone, not that the search would be called off.

Malaysia’s defence minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, vowed that the search would continue even if there could be a pause to regroup and reconsider the best area to scour.

“The search will always continue. It’s just a matter of approach,” he told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur.

He said Abbott remained in close contact with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and the two had spoken on Thursday to discuss the search.

source: reuters.com

One of the most symbolic foods to be prepared for the Greek Orthodox Easter, red eggs are traditionally dyed on Holy Thursday, or ‘Kokkinopempti’ (Red Thursday), although eggs may also be dyed on Holy Saturday or any other day of Lent, with the exception of Good Friday. The eggs are coloured red to symbolise the blood that Christ shed on the cross at the crucifixion. 

The red dyed egg represents the blood of Christ and the rebirth of Christ and the egg itself represents the Virgin Mary, her fertility and life. From ancient times, the egg has been a symbol of the renewal of life, and the message of the red eggs is victory over death. Some superstitions have grown out of Greek traditions and customs, one of which relates to the dyed red egg. In order to ward off evil, a household should place their first-dyed red egg where the home has their icons displayed.

Traditionally, the eggs are taken to church and after midnight mass, when Christ has risen, the faithful will take their eggs and crack them with each other. The tradition states you crack the nose of the egg against the bottom of the other egg. The person who has the last unbroken egg remaining receives the good luck. Also, red eggs are cracked during the Easter Sunday lunch feast and are cracked around the table by family members and friends prior to lunch being served. The cracking of the egg symbolises the opening of the Tomb and the resurrection of Christ.

In some parts of Greece, on the Sunday before Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera) there is a custom to eat an egg at the end of the meal, following which the accompanying phrase is said: “With an egg I close my mouth and with an egg I shall open my mouth once again.” The closure of one’s mouth represents the six week period of Great Lent and the egg which breaks the fast is the dyed red egg which is broken to celebrate Christ’s resurrection following Anastasi. One of the many things that help to make Easter special is the tradition of breaking the Red Egg. In most Greek households, baskets are filled with dyed red eggs which are offered to newly arrived guests to select and partake in the egg cracking ritual with their hosts.

Red eggs are also used to decorate Easter Tsoureki and ‘avgoules’ or large Koulorakia.

Dyeing red eggs is a wonderful tradition to start with your family, and a great way to get the children involved. Have them help by decorating their own eggs with patterns and experimenting with food dyes. Not only does this ensure children are part of this tradition, but it also allows them to learn more about Greek culture. Discuss with them the meaning of dyeing eggs red at Easter, and what it represents. It’s educational as well as fun for the children and a great way for children to connect with grandparents too.

Nowadays, it’s not just red dye that’s used, other coloured dyes are available for use such as green and blue. You can also buy stickers for the eggs as decorations or create your own using leaves and cloth. Place a small leaf or pressed flower on the egg shell. Put the egg in a nylon stocking, tie a knot tightly at each end so the leaf or flower does not move. Place the stocking with eggs into the dye and follow the recipe provided. When the eggs are cooked, allow to cool before removing from stocking and polish with olive oil.

How to dye red eggs

1. Select a dozen eggs, small-to-medium in size, and clean any external material.

2. In a stainless steel saucepan, boil five cups of water with a quarter cup of vinegar. Lower heat and simmer for half an hour.

3. In a glass bowl, strain store bought dye as per instructions (these may change in relation to what dye you purchase – dye is commercially available at Greek delicatessens around Australia) and let sit till it comes to room temperature.

4. In the saucepan, add the dye and then slowly add the eggs – they should create one layer at the bottom of the saucepan completely covered in the dyed water.

5. Bring to the boil over medium heat, and then reduce heat to low. Cover and let the eggs simmer in the dyed water.

6. Start checking for colour at 12-15 minutes of simmering. Do not simmer longer than 20 minutes. If you feel the eggs are not red enough, leave in pot and remove from heat. When the pot is cooled enough, place in refrigerator and let sit until you get the desired colour.

7. Remove eggs from the dyed water with a slotted spoon and let cool on racks.

8. When they are cool, coat the eggs with olive oil and polish them to a shine using paper towels.

9. Refrigerate until they are ready to use.

source: Neos Kosmos

THE hunt for potential life in outer space has taken a step forward — an international team of researchers has discovered the first Earth-sized planet within the “habitable zone” of another star.

The exoplanet dubbed Kepler-186f was first spotted by scientists using NASA’s Kepler telescope, according to research published in the US journal Science.

The new planet is “more of an Earth cousin than an Earth twin,” said Elisa Quintana of the SETI Institute at NASA’s Ames Research Centre in California, the lead author of the paper published in Science.

“What makes this finding particularly compelling is that this Earth-sized planet, one of five orbiting this star, which is cooler than the Sun, resides in a temperate region where water could exist in liquid form,” she said.

“This discovery does confirm that Earth-sized planets do exist in the habitable zones of other stars”, she said.

The exoplanet, located some 500 light years from Earth, orbits in what is seen as the sweet spot around its star: not too close and not too far, so it could have liquid water, considered a crucial component to possibly hosting life.

“The discovery of Kepler-186f is a significant step toward finding worlds like our planet Earth,” said Paul Hertz, NASA’s Astrophysics Division director at the agency’s headquarters in Washington.

Kepler-186f is around 1.1-times the size of Earth — which researchers say is key to predicting the composition of the surface and its atmosphere.

When planets are 1.5 times the size of Earth or larger, many of them seem to attract a thick hydrogen and helium layer that makes them start to resemble gas giants like Jupiter or Saturn.

Kepler-186f is the fifth and outermost planet orbiting the Kepler-186 star, right on the far edge of that solar system’s habitable zone, meaning the surface temperature might not be warm enough to stop water from freezing.

“However, it is also slightly larger than the Earth, and so the hope would be that this would result in a thicker atmosphere that would provide extra insulation,” explained San Francisco State University astronomer Stephen Kane, another member of the team behind the discovery.

— Tracking ‘transits’ —

Scientists using the NASA’s Kepler telescope first discovered it by tracking “transits” — shadows that cross in front of the star.

The finding was confirmed by observations from the W.M. Keck and Gemini Observatories.

“The discovery of planets with Earth-like properties is one important link in the chain required to answer” whether life can exist on other planets, said co-author Fred Adams, an astronomer at the University of Michigan.

“And the discovery of the planet Kepler-186f is an important step toward finding a planet that is like our Earth,” he added.

But current technology does not allow astronomers to see the celestial body directly or do any analysis to determine its atmosphere or composition.

“Some people call these habitable planets, which of course we have no idea if they are,” said Kane. “We simply know that they are in the habitable zone, and that is the best place to start looking for habitable planets.” Because its star is so dim, Kepler-186f may not be suitable for follow-up studies to determine its composition, explained Quintana.

“However, our research tells us that we should be able to find planets around bright stars that will be ideal targets to observe” with telescopes like NASA’s Webb orbiting telescope, currently under construction, she said.

Of nearly 1,800 planets detected over the past 20 years, only around 20 orbit within the so-called “habitable zone” — and all appear to be larger than Earth, which makes it harder to tell whether or not they are gas giants.

The Kepler space telescope, launched in March 2009, observes some 150,000 stars, a few thousand of which have been found to have possible planets.

source: news.com.au

Scientists are astonished to find a viper eaten alive from the inside out by his prey, a centipede.

While scientists were on a field study in Macedonia, they came upon the carcass of a nose-horned viper–not an unusual sight in the region they were in. This viper, however, was unusual. That is because the head of a centipede was sticking out of the snake’s abdomen, Live Science reported. The researchers were astonished.

After conducting a postmortem on the viper, Vipera ammodytes, the researchers concluded that the centipede likely eviscerated the predator from the inside out.

“All of us were astonished, as nobody has ever seen something like this,” said Ljiljana Tomovic, a herpetologist at the University of Belgrade, in an email to Live Science. A report of the rare never-before-seen event was published in the journal Ecologica Montenegrian, with the title: ‘Two fangs good, a hundred legs better; juvenile viper devoured by an adult centipede it had ingested.’

The scientists took a photo of the centipede, Scolopendra cingulate, busting out of the young female snake’s abdomen. Measurements of the two creatures side by side show that the centipede is almost as long as the viper.

In May of last year, Tomovic and his colleagues were tagging reptiles on Macedonia’s Golem Grad, a 44-acre (18 hectars) island in Lake Prespa, a place that is home to thousands of tortoises, tens of thousands of dice snakes, and hundreds of vipers, Live Science said.

One researcher, Dragan Arsovki, happened to turn over a stone and saw the remnants of the unfortunate viper, Tomovic said. She also said that the centipede was actually heavier–114 percent heavier–than the snake.

Upon dissecting the viper, the scientists found that its visceral organs were missing and wrote that “the entire volume of its body was occupied by the centipede.’

“Therefore, we cannot dismiss the possibility that the snake swallowed the centipede alive, and that, paradoxically, the prey has eaten its way through the snake, almost reaching its freedom,” the authors wrote.

source: sciencerecorder.com

At Bear Cottage, the couple will be met by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his wife, Margie.

The visit is designed to raise awareness of the children’s hospice, which provides medical and end-of-life care to children suffering from life-limiting illnesses.

Bear Cottage was established in 2001 entirely through community support and donations.

Nursing Unit Manager at Bear Cottage, Narelle Martin, says the facility’s affiliation with The Children’s Hospital at Westmead allows them to provide some of the best medical care in the world.

“We’re the only children’s hospice in the world that is directly affiliated to a children’s hospital,” she said.

“The care that the kids can get here is fantastic.”

Dedicated staff aim to create a unique and holistic care program for the children.

The staff include a full-time play therapist, social workers, music and art therapists, registered nurses and a chef. There are also 80 trained volunteers that help in the house.

The team’s vision is to create a setting that is as far removed from a hospital environment as possible.

“Bear Cottage is like a Club Med for kids… it’s got everything that a child would want… there’s toys, Xboxes and PlayStations… the dog is always a hit,” Ms Martin said.

The couple will be met at the hospice by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Cottage gives carers a much-needed break

Leo and Julie Murnane travel from Lithgow in NSW to Bear Cottage four times a year.

They bring their 13-year-old son Michael, who suffers from Batten Disease – a fatal disorder of the nervous system.

While Michael is cared for by Bear Cottage staff, Julie and Leo are free to take time out from their 24-hour job as his full-time carers.

“We just don’t have to do anything, we can look after ourselves. It’s amazing… You can ask them for anything and 99 times out of 100, they’ll try and get it, or try and do it.”

It is hoped the Royal visit will focus attention on Bear Cottage and help raise its profile.

Ms Martin says there is a lot of anticipation at the cottage ahead of the visit.

“We’re very excited that she (the Duchess) has taken the time out to come and visit us,” she said.

“Getting the message out there and showcasing Bear Cottage is fantastic and hopefully it’ll highlight that Australia may need some more children’s hospices in due course.”

Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess visited the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

They met residents from the town of Winmalee, which was devastated by bushfires last October, as well as Rural Fire Service volunteers and girl guides.

source:abc.net.au

THE captain of a doomed ferry delayed evacuation for half an hour after a South Korean transportation official ordered preparations to abandon ship, raising more questions about whether quick action could have saved scores of passengers still missing and feared dead, according to a transcript of the ship-to-shore exchange and interviews with a crew member.

It’s also emerged that the ship’s third officer was in charge of the bridge when the ferry capsized.

The order by an unidentified official at the Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Centre to put on life jackets and prepare for evacuation came just five minutes after a Wednesday morning distress call by the Sewol ferry. The ferry, which was bound for Jeju island, replied that “it’s hard for people to move.’’

The confirmed death toll from Wednesday’s sinking off southern South Korea was 25, most of bodies found floating in the ocean, the coast guard said. But 48 hours after the sinking, the number was expected to rise sharply with about 270 people missing, many of them high school students on a class trip. Officials said there were 179 survivors.

The captain hasn’t spoken publicly about his decision making.

However South Korean prosecutors said the third officer — not the captain — was in command of steering the ship when the accident occurred.

Captain Lee Joon-Seok, who has become a focus of public anger for escaping the ferry while hundreds of others were trapped, was “in the back’’, prosecutors said.

The new details about communication between the bridge and transportation officials follow a revelation by a crew member in an interview with The Associated Press that the captain’s eventual evacuation order came at least half an hour after the distress signal.

Meanwhile, strong currents and rain hampered rescue attempts as they entered a third day. There was no progress in attempts to enter the ship and look for any survivors, officials.

Divers worked in shifts to try to get into the sunken vessel, where most of the missing passengers are thought to be, but strong currents would not allow them to enter. The divers planned to pump oxygen into the ship to help any survivors, but first they had to get inside, said coast guard spokesman Kim Jae-in.

The water temperature in the area was about 12 degrees Celsius, cold enough to cause signs of hypothermia after about 90 minutes of exposure.

Mr Kim said two vessels with cranes arrived and would help with the rescue and to salvage the ferry, which sank not far from the southern city of Mokpo and now sits with just part of its keel visible. But salvage operations hadn’t started yet because of the rescue attempts. Salvaging the capsized ship could be risky because the vessel could get wedged deeper in the ocean’s floor, he said.

A private company has sent a robot to help aid rescue operation, but Mr Kim said the robot is still a prototype and hasn’t been yet been used.

Out of 29 crew members, 20 people, including the captain, Lee Joon-seok, 68, survived, the coast guard said.

The captain made a brief, videotaped appearance, although his face was hidden by a grey hoodie.

“I am really sorry and deeply ashamed,’’ Mr Lee said. “I don’t know what to say.’’

Kim Soo-hyun, a senior coast guard official, said officials were investigating whether the captain got on one of the first rescue boats.

Kim Han-sik, president of Chonghaejin Marine Co., the ship’s owner, also apologised separately, bowing deeply and saying through his tears, “I committed a sin punishable by death. … I am at a loss for words. I am sorry. I am sorry.’’

The 146-metre Sewol had left Incheon on the north-western coast of South Korea on Tuesday for the overnight journey to the southern resort island of Jeju. There were 475 people aboard, including 325 students from Danwon High School in Ansan, which is near Seoul,

It was three hours from its destination when it began to list for an unknown reason.

Oh Yong-seok, a helmsman on the ferry with 10 years of shipping experience, said that when the crew gathered on the bridge and sent a distress call, the ship was already listing more than 5 degrees, the critical angle at which a vessel can be brought back to even keel.

The first instructions from the captain were for passengers to put on life jackets and stay where they were, Mr Oh said.

Video obtained by The Associated Press that was shot by a survivor, truck driver Kim Dong-soo, shows the vessel listing severely with people in life jackets clinging to the side of the ship to keep from sliding. The initial announcement for passengers to stay in their quarters can be heard.

A third mate reported that the ship could not be righted, and the captain ordered another attempt, which also failed, Mr Oh said. A crew member then tried to reach a lifeboat but fell because the vessel was tilting, prompting the first mate to suggest to the captain that he order an evacuation, Mr Oh said.

About 30 minutes after passengers were told to stay in place, the captain finally gave the order to evacuate, Mr Oh said, adding that he wasn’t sure that in the confusion and chaos on the bridge if the order was relayed to the passengers. Several survivors told the AP that they never heard any evacuation order.

By then, it was impossible for crew members to move to passengers’ rooms to help them because the ship was tilted at an impossibly acute angle, he said. The delay in evacuation also likely prevented lifeboats from being deployed.

“We couldn’t even move one step. The slope was too big,’’ said Mr Oh, who escaped with about a dozen others, including the captain.

Passenger Koo Bon-hee told the AP that many people were trapped inside by windows that were too hard to break. He wanted to escape earlier but didn’t because of the announcement to stay put.

“The rescue wasn’t done well. We were wearing life jackets. We had time,’’ the 36-year-old Koo said from a hospital bed in Mokpo where he was treated for minor injuries. “If people had jumped into the water … they could have been rescued. But we were told not to go out.’’

The last major ferry disaster in South Korea was in 1993, when 292 people were killed.

source:theaustralian.com.au