Daily Archives: December 28, 2015

Περίμετρο δύο χιλιομέτρων γύρω από τον τόπο του ατυχήματος έχουν στήσει οι Αρχές στην Αυστραλία, καθώς υπάρχει διαρροή θειικού οξέος. Τρεις ελαφρά τραυματίες

Ένα τρένο που μετέφερε 200.000 λίτρα θειικού οξέος εκτροχιάστηκε σε μια απομακρυσμένη ζώνη στο βόρειο τμήμα της Αυστραλίας, αναγκάζοντας τις αρχές να στήσουν μια περίμετρο ασφαλείας δύο χιλιομέτρων γύρω από τον τόπο του ατυχήματος.

Τα μέσα ενημέρωσης προβάλλουν θεαματικές αεροφωτογραφίες που ελήφθησαν από το τρένο που εκτροχιάστηκε χθες στην πολιτεία Κουίνσλαντ, η οποία είχε πληγεί προηγουμένως από ισχυρές βροχοπτώσεις και πλημμύρες.

Η αστυνομία ανακοίνωσε ότι υπήρξε μια πάρα πολύ μικρή διαρροή θειικού οξέος και ντίζελ στον τόπο του ατυχήματος, το οποίο σημειώθηκε σε απόσταση περίπου 20 χιλιομέτρων ανατολικά της Τζούλια Κρικ.

“Η μηχανή και τα 26 βαγόνια έχουν εκτροχιαστεί”, δήλωσε εκπρόσωπος της σιδηροδρομικής εταιρείας του Κουίνσλαντ.

“Οι ομάδες μας των ειδικών βρίσκονται εκεί για να κάνουν μια αποτίμηση της κατάστασης”, δήλωσε παράλληλα ο επιθεωρητής Τρέβορ Κιντ στο Australian Broadcasting Corporation, χωρίς να αναφερθεί στα αίτια του ατυχήματος.

“Θα πρέπει να ληφθεί υπόψη ότι η ζώνη αυτή είναι απομακρυσμένη, ότι έχει πληγεί βαριά από τις πλημμύρες, ότι η πρόσβαση σε αυτή είναι περίπλοκη”, συνέχισε, επισημαίνοντας ότι “όλα αυτά αποτελούν προκλήσεις που πρέπει να αντιμετωπιστούν”.

Γίνεται επίσης μια αποτίμηση του αντίκτυπου του ατυχήματος αυτού για το περιβάλλον, πρόσθεσε, σημειώνοντας ότι η περιοχή αυτή δεν βρίσκεται πολύ κοντά σε υδάτινους πόρους ούτε σε μεγάλες υποδομές.

Από την πλευρά της η σιδηροδρομική εταιρεία του Κουίνσλαντ ανακοίνωσε ότι οι ειδικοί της δεν έχουν ακόμη μπορέσει να αξιολογήσουν την κατάσταση καθώς πολλοί δρόμοι της περιοχής έχουν πλημμυρίσει.

Τα μέσα ενημέρωσης μετέδωσαν ότι τρία μέλη του σιδηροδρομικού προσωπικού τραυματίστηκαν ελαφρά στο ατύχημα.

Πηγή:news247.gr

Police have arrested a man over a violent brawl outside a Sydney ice creamery and seized 150 vials of steroids allegedly found in the man’s vehicle.

The 25-year-old man was charged with affray over the vicious fight on Christmas Eve in Brighton-Le-Sands that left one man unconscious.

The brawl erupted after three men walking along the footpath of the Grand Parade approached another group of three men who were sitting at tables outside an ice cream parlour, police were told.

A verbal argument between the two groups escalated into physical blows as the men punched, kicked and used restaurant chairs as weapons, police said.

One man was knocked unconscious.

Police from St George Local Area Command arrested the 25-year-old man in Sans Souci around 4.30pm on Sunday.

Officers conducted a search of the man’s vehicle where they allegedly found and seized 150 vials of steroids.

Police also conducted a search warrant at a home in Sans Souci and allegedly seized a number of personal items and mobile phones.

The 25-year-old man was taken to St George Police Station and charged with affray and possessing a prohibited drug. He has been granted conditional bail and is due to appear in Sutherland Local Court on 21 January.

Footage of the brawl captured by a witness shows a figure lying motionless on the pavement as a group of men continue their assault.

“He just like, one punch in the face, and he was on the floor, didn’t move. And then the other guys just went at each other,” witness Fleur McGregor told Channel Seven.

One man can be seen using a chair to club a man lying on the ground.

He was hit with a chair four times before being kicked repeatedly in the head, according to Channel Seven.

The ice cream parlour’s customers were trapped inside as the brawl continued. One employee can be seen closing the parlour’s glass front doors.

“This poor little girl at the window of the ice cream store … was terrified because of what was happening,” Ms McGregor said.

Emergency services attended the scene immediately, but most of the men involved had fled.

The man who was knocked unconscious was spoken to by police and ambulance paramedics but he declined any treatment, police said.

He was expected to make a full recovery, they said.

Police say they would still like to speak to a number of men who may be able to assist with their enquiries.

On Thursday night, police released descriptions of three men in relation to the incident.

One man was described as being of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern appearance, medium build, aged in his 20s, with short dark hair and facial stubble. At the time he was wearing a red shirt, black tracksuit pants, and white runners.

The second man was described as being of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern appearance, medium build, aged in his 20s, with short dark hair and facial stubble. At the time he was wearing light grey shorts, a grey/green T-shirt, and white runners.

The third man was described as being of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern appearance, aged in his 20s, large build with short dark hair. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a blue T-shirt, black shorts, and highlighter yellow and green runners.

Police investigations are continuing.
source:smh.com.au

Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble criticized Greece on Sunday over the way it deals with refugees, saying Athens has ignored for years the European Union’s Dublin rules that oblige migrants to file for asylum in the first European Union (EU) country they arrive in.

Schaeuble told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that German courts had decided some time ago that refugees were not being treated humanely in Greece and could not be sent back there, contrary to the Dublin rules.

Greece, a main gateway to Europe for migrants crossing the Aegean sea, has faced criticism from other EU governments who say it has done little to manage the flow of hundreds of thousands of people arriving on its shores.

“The Greeks should not put the blame for their problems only on others, they should also see how they can do better themselves,” said Mr Schaeuble, who has repeatedly clashed with Greek officials over economic policy this year.

In contrast to his criticism of Greece, Schaeuble sought to offer to compromise with eastern European states that have voiced reluctance to accept migrants under EU quotas.

“Solidarity doesn’t start by insulting each other,” he said. “Eastern European states will also have to take in refugees, but fewer than Germany.” The biggest migration crisis in Europe since World War Two also means that European countries will have to increase spending on the military, he said.

“We will have to spend a lot more funds for joint European defence initiatives,” Mr Schaeuble said.

“Ultimately our aim must be a joint European army. The funds that we spend on our 28 national armies could be used far more effectively together,” he said.

“For Germany, this means that we will have to support our foreign and security policies more strongly than we would perhaps like,” he said, adding the Middle East would not become stable without stronger European engagement.

Germany has gradually adopted a more assertive role in global missions. Earlier this month, lawmakers approved a mission in Syria, including sending six Tornado reconnaissance jets, a frigate to help protect a French aircraft carrier, refuelling aircraft and 1,200 military personnel.

Schaeuble said he also planned to top up money for development aid in order to achieve the goal of 0.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) more quickly. Germany currently spends around 0.43% of GDP on aid.

source:ekathimerini.com

One of Australia’s best loved rock stars and the lead singer of The Easybeats, Stevie Wright, has died aged 68.

Reports of his death were first published on The Noise11 music website, which said he had fallen ill on Boxing Day and then died in Moruya Hospital on the NSW south coast on Sunday night. The hospital said it could not comment on patient matters.

Rock historian Glenn A. Baker confirmed to radio station 6PR he had been informed of the rock legend’s death.

Wright was a migrant, born in Leeds, England in 1948, he came to Australia with his family when he was nine years old, living in Melbourne first and then Sydney.

He formed The Easybeats in 1964 at the age of just 16 with a group of other young migrant teenagers – Harry Vanda, George Young, Dick Diamonde and Snowy Fleet. Within a few years the band had become one of Australia’s most popular musical groups, inspiring their own brand of Beatles-style fandom, dubbed ‘Easyfever’.

Their best known song, Friday On My Mind, reached the number one spot on the music chart in Australia in 1966, and later went on to become a top ten single in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy and a top 20 hit in the United States, according to

The song was later covered by David Bowie on his Pin-Ups album.

In 1967, the band toured as the supporting act for the Rolling Stones and released several successful albums.

The band split up in 1969, but Wright had another major hit with Vanda and Young in 1974 with the 11-minute Evie.

Wright struggled with substance abuse for decades, including an addiction to heroin, which he was introduced to to while starring in the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972.

He underwent treatment, including now notorious ‘Deep Sleep Therapy’ at Chelmsford Hospital, which involved electric shock treatment. Dozens of patients died following the therapy, and it left its mark on Wright. He went on to suffer from alcoholism and bouts of violent psychosis.

Asked on ABC’s Australian Story whether there were things in his life he would not do again if he had the chance, Wright said “I wouldn’t pick up any hard drugs… It can destroy, it does destroy.”

He and partner Fay Walker told the program in 2013 that he had been off alcohol for 20 years and heroin for 12 years, though he now suffered from liver and kidney problems, and was a diabetic.

The Easybeats were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005.

source:smh.com.au