Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Report: Texas Rollercoaster Victim’s Body Was Found Partially Severed Read more: Six Flags Coaster Victim Rosa Ayala-Gaona Esparza Was Partially Severed | TIME.com http://nation.time.com/2013/11/12/report-texas-rollercoaster-victims-body-was-found-partially-severed/#ixzz2kWUbYSEZ
The body of a Texas woman who died when she was sent flying from a roller coaster in July was found partially severed and strewn across a roof, according to a new report.
The new report from the Arlington Police Department details the grisly death of Rosa Ayala-Gaona Esparza, 52, after she was flung from the Texas Giant roller coaster at a Six Flags amusement park on July 19. The report says it took firefighters an hour to find her body, the Houston Chroniclereports; it was “partially wrapped around” a support beam with her lower body lying on top of the roof and “nearly severed upper body hanging over the south side of the roof.”
Investigators interviewed 17 witnesses, including the coaster operator, who remembered thinking Esparza’s restraint was not all the way down on her thigh. The restraint was secure enough that the ride’s computer registered it as locked, the operator said.
Esparza’s daughter said she turned around and saw her mother upside down early in the ride, and witnesses sitting directly behind the victim said they tried to help when they saw Esparza’s feet in the air, but were unable to reach her, according to the report.
She was seated by herself in a car behind her daughter and son-in-law during the fatal accident. The victim’s family filed a lawsuit against Six Flags last month in district court, but the amusement park says independent contractors were liable for the design of the restraint system.
“Our hearts remain heavy about this accident and our sincerest condolences go out to Ms. Esparza’s family,” the park said in a statement Monday.
Woman tries to kill self after tiff over Karva Chauth
After being scolded by her husband for not fasting on Karva Chauth, a 39-year-old woman tried to kill herself by drinking acid in Kalyanpuri , east Delhi.
The family members of the woman, however, alleged that her husband had forced her to commit suicide. The incident happened around 11.30am on Monday.
The woman lives with her husband, Vijay, and their four children in a one-bedroom flat.
The family members of the woman, however, alleged that her husband had forced her to commit suicide. The incident happened around 11.30am on Monday.
The woman lives with her husband, Vijay, and their four children in a one-bedroom flat.
A glance into world’s greatest experiment
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will take up Mumbai's Campa Cola society case on November 19.
"We were badly disturbed by the development that is taking place at Campa Cola premises in Mumbai," the Supreme Court said.
"Apart from legal issues, there is also a human problem in the case," the apex court said in its order.
The court also agreed to consider a proposal to constrict a separate building in the premises for those whose apartments are to be demolished.
The attorney general said that the BMC will give a new plan to allow building of new homes in lieu of the illegal flats. AG also told the apex court that space was available inside Campa Cola premises to raise new structure for houses.
The SC has sought for fresh proposal from the AG by Tuesday.
Earlier today, there were scenes of euphoria and bursting of fire crackers in the Campa Cola compound as the apex court stayed the demolition of unauthorized flats in the complex for six months.
Shortly before the court order, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation squad bulldozed its way inside the compound by breaking open the gate to gain access. They used an earthmover to topple the gate as residents tried to block the entrance.
Scuffles broke out between angry residents and police. Some residents alleged that police used force against women.
Shortly after the court order, the civic staff began to make a retreat, leaving the residents to celebrate the reprieve.
Fire crackers were burst to welcome the ruling, after the apex court took suo motu cognizance of media reports on demolition of the building and stayed the action and ordered the BMC to delay the demolition till May 31, 2014.
In the ruling on Wednesday, the court has also ordered the BMC to take action against the builders.
The apex court had earlier ordered BMC to demolish 96 flats across 35 illegal floors in seven buildings in the compound. The SC deadline to vacate the flats ended on Monday.
The flats were built without the permission of BMC and hence were declared illegal. Over 100 families have been residing in the complex for the past 25 years.
The residents of the Campa Cola compound have been waging a long legal battle since 2005 when they first went to court for water connection and regularization and the court ordered the then municipal commissioner to take time-bound action in the case.
"We were badly disturbed by the development that is taking place at Campa Cola premises in Mumbai," the Supreme Court said.
"Apart from legal issues, there is also a human problem in the case," the apex court said in its order.
The court also agreed to consider a proposal to constrict a separate building in the premises for those whose apartments are to be demolished.
The attorney general said that the BMC will give a new plan to allow building of new homes in lieu of the illegal flats. AG also told the apex court that space was available inside Campa Cola premises to raise new structure for houses.
The SC has sought for fresh proposal from the AG by Tuesday.
Earlier today, there were scenes of euphoria and bursting of fire crackers in the Campa Cola compound as the apex court stayed the demolition of unauthorized flats in the complex for six months.
Shortly before the court order, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation squad bulldozed its way inside the compound by breaking open the gate to gain access. They used an earthmover to topple the gate as residents tried to block the entrance.
Scuffles broke out between angry residents and police. Some residents alleged that police used force against women.
Shortly after the court order, the civic staff began to make a retreat, leaving the residents to celebrate the reprieve.
Fire crackers were burst to welcome the ruling, after the apex court took suo motu cognizance of media reports on demolition of the building and stayed the action and ordered the BMC to delay the demolition till May 31, 2014.
In the ruling on Wednesday, the court has also ordered the BMC to take action against the builders.
The apex court had earlier ordered BMC to demolish 96 flats across 35 illegal floors in seven buildings in the compound. The SC deadline to vacate the flats ended on Monday.
The flats were built without the permission of BMC and hence were declared illegal. Over 100 families have been residing in the complex for the past 25 years.
The residents of the Campa Cola compound have been waging a long legal battle since 2005 when they first went to court for water connection and regularization and the court ordered the then municipal commissioner to take time-bound action in the case.
A glance into world’s greatest experiment
A glance into world’s greatest experiment
APPeter Higgs
“I don’t visualise the Higgs boson particle. For me it is just a byproduct of a theory that is significant,” observed Peter Higgs, the 84-year old Nobel Prize winner for Physics, 2013. He was addressing journalists at the opening of the London Science Museum’s new exhibition on the Large Hadron Collider. “So you can visualise it anyway you want,” he said.
And visualising this watershed event in science is what the exhibition “Collider: step inside the world’s greatest experiment” does. Melding imagination and science, the exhibition takes the visitor through the story of the LHC experiment conducted at CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) where Professor Higgs’ theory of the Higgs boson particle was tested and proved.
Described by Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum Group as “most significant of any science exhibition anywhere in the world, and a major cultural event,” Collider is science communication at its best; an evocative and avant-garde multimedia offering in which scientists from CERN and the London science museum, creative designers, a playwright and video artists contributed, the exhibition will be open till early May.
“With this exhibition we are going where we have not gone before … into meaty, real science,” said Dr. Blatchford, adding it was the close collaboration with CERN and a diverse creative team that brings the exhibition alive.
While praising the exhibition, Professor Rolf Heuer, Director-General of CERN, referred to the egalitarian and democratic spirit and work ethic of CERN that contributed to the success of the LHC experiment, on which a 10,000-strong multinational team worked.
From an innovative video installation in which CERN scientists and engineers introduce the significance of the Large Hadron Collider experiment, with many a digression in irony and wit (“It is not the God particle, but the Goddamned particle,” an exasperated scientist exclaims), the visitor is led into the bowels of the experiment to be shown the working of its innards. Virtual scientists and engineers from CERN take breaks from their work to speak about their role in the experiment. Actual LHC artefacts are displayed, as in a 2-tonne part of the 15-metre high magnets that direct particle beams, which are then revved up and guided to culminate in the explosion of particles.
The highlight of the exhibition is the dramatic and almost cosmic visualisation of the outcome of this grand experiment. Screened on a circular wall, the soundless 3D video sequence in just two captivating minutes takes the viewer through the apparatus of the experiment and its essential stages until two particles, visualised as dancing balls of pulsating light, collide in an eruption of colour and energy. And like lava from an eruption, flows knowledge represented here as streams of data. The curating team includes Alison Boyle, Science Museum Curator of Modern Physics and Harry Cliff, Science Museum Fellow of Modern Science.
CBI Director regrets remark on rape
CBI Director, Ranjit Sinha. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt
Faced with criticism over his remark on rape, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha on Wednesday expressed regret if he had hurt anyone inadvertently, saying he had deep sense of regard and respect for women and commitment to gender issues.
In a statement, Mr Sinha said he had made the comment in the context of legalising betting in sports.
“I gave my opinion that betting should be legalised and that if the laws cannot be enforced that does not mean that laws should not be made. This is as erroneous as saying that if rape is inevitable one should lie back and enjoy it.
“I regret any hurt caused as the same was inadvertent and unintended. I reiterate my deep sense of regard and respect for women and commitment to gender issues,” he said.
Mr Sinha was participating in a panel discussion being moderated by Editor-in-Chief of India Express Shekhar Gupta.
Former Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid and BCCI’s anti-corruption chief R N Sawani were among other participants.
The CBI Director, who was on the panel of a session on ‘Ethics and integrity in sports-- need for a law and role of CBI’, had said on Tuesday night that there was no harm in legalising betting in the country.
Mr Sinha maintained that the law should be strictly enforced and absence of enforcement or lack of will for idoes not mean that law the should not be made.
Sachin won’t be missed as new generation has arrived: Miandad
Sachin won’t be missed as new generation has arrived: Miandad
The HinduFormer Pakistan captain Javed Miandad.
Pakistan’s former Test captain Javed Miandad feels veteran batsman Sachin Tendulkar will fade from public memory once he retires after the second Test against West Indies as he is leaving the stage at a time when the Indian cricket team has found some exciting talent to fill the void.
“The nature of the cricket fans in this region is such that if a player tries to prolong his international career they tend to forget him soon after he retires,” Mr. Miandad told PTI.
Tendulkar has announced he will retire after the second Test which begins on Thursday. “I must admit, unlike others, I feel that Tendulkar should have retired earlier...and he is now going at a time when India has found some very talented batsmen who are now the reigning heroes and idols of the people,” he said.
Mr. Miandad said Tendulkar was deservedly getting a lot of adulation and tributes in the run up to his final match.
“It is good to see this because Tendulkar deserves all this respect and tributes as he has contributed a lot to Indian cricket over the years and his place among the master batsmen of the modern era is guaranteed,” Miandad added.
“I would recommend him as a role model for all young cricketers in all the cricket playing nations.”
The former Pakistani batting legend saw Tendulkar make his Test debut in Karachi in 1989 and said the teenager had impressed everyone and also fulfilled the vast potential and talent he had.
Rice godown looted in Philippines amid aid shortage
Rice godown looted in Philippines amid aid shortage
APChildren who say they fled when armed men were seen in their village wait in Tacloban city, Leyte province in central Philippines on Wednesday five days after cyclone Haiyan levelled tens of thousands of houses. Relief efforts have been hampered by blockd roads and closed airports.AP Photo
Thousands of people stormed a rice warehouse on an island devastated by Typhoon Haiyan, authorities said on Wednesday, highlighting the urgent need to get water, food and medical supplies into an increasingly desperate region.
Eight people were crushed to death on Tuesday when a wall collapsed as they and thousands of others stormed a rice warehouse on Leyte Island, said National Food Authority spokesman Rex Estoperez. The looters in Alangalang municipality carted away up to 100,000 sacks of rice, he said.
Five days after one of the strongest tropical storms on record levelled tens of thousands of houses in the central Philippines, relief operations were only starting to pick up pace, with two more airports in the region reopening, allowing for more aid flights.
But minimal food and water was reaching people in the devastated city of Tacloban, on Leyte island, which bore the brunt of the storm, and outlying regions due to a lack of trucks and blocked roads.
“There’s a bit of a logjam …getting stuff in here,” said Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“You’ve had quite a lot of security coming in over the last couple of days, less so other things. So then it gets here and then we’re going to have a real challenge with logistics in terms of getting things out of here, into town, out of town, into the other areas,” he said from the airport in Tacloban. “The reason for that essentially is that there are no trucks, the roads are all closed.”
Since the storm, people have broken into homes, malls and garages, where they have stripped the shelves of food, water and other goods. Authorities have struggled to stop the looting. There have been unconfirmed reports of armed gangs involved in some instances.
Police were working to keep order across the ravaged wasteland. An 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was in place.
“We have restored order,” said Carmelo Espina Valmoria, director of the Philippine National Police special action force. “There has been looting for the last three days, (but) the situation has stabilized.”
U.S. Brig Gen. Paul Kennedy said that later Wednesday his troops would install equipment at Tacloban airport to allow planes to land at night. Tacloban, a city of 220,000, was almost completely destroyed in Friday’s typhoon and has become the main relief hub.
“You are not just going to see Marines and a few planes and some helicopters,” Kennedy said. “You will see the entire Pacific Command respond to this crisis.”
A Norwegian ship carrying supplies left from Manila, while an Australian air force transport plane took off from Canberra carrying a medical team. British and American navy vessels are also en route to the region.
At the damaged airport in Tacloban, makeshift clinics have been set up and thousands of people were looking for a flight out. A doctor here said supplies of antibiotics and anesthetics arrived Tuesday for the first time. “Until then, patients had to endure the pain,” said Dr. Victoriano Sambale.
At least 580,000 people have been displaced by the disaster. In some places, tsunami-like storm surges swept up to one-kilometer inland, causing more destruction and loss of life. Most of the death and destruction appears concentrated on the islands of Samar and Leyte.
The damaged infrastructure and bad communications links made a conclusive death toll difficult to estimate.
The official toll from a national disaster agency rose to 2,275 on Wednesday. President Benigno Aquino III told CNN in a televised interview that the toll could be closer to 2,000 or 2,500, lower than an earlier estimate from two officials on the ground who said they feared as many as 10,000 might be dead.
“There is a huge amount that we need to do. We have not been able to get into the remote communities,” U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in Manila, launching an appeal for $301 million to help the more than 11 million people estimated to be affected by the storm.
“Even in Tacloban, because of the debris and the difficulties with logistics and so on, we have not been able to get in the level of supply that we would want to. We are going to do as much as we can to bring in more,” she said. Her office said she planned to visit
Cameron to meet PM tomorrow
Cameron to meet PM tomorrow
AP
British Prime Minister David Cameron
Expansion of business ties, exploring new areas of cooperation and the Vodafone tax dues issue are likely to figure during talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his British counterpart David Cameron here on Thursday.
Mr. Cameron will be here on a day-long visit, his third in two years, on his way to Colombo to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on November 15-16.
The British Prime Minister will hold talks with Dr. Singh on number of crucial bilateral, regional and international issues.
Both the leaders are likely to deliberate on boosting cooperation in trade and investment besides enhancing ties in areas of mutual interest.
Issues relating to Vodafone’s tax dues and other matters relating to business and investment are likely to figure in the meeting.
Vodafone, a British company, is facing tax liability of over Rs. 11,217 crore for purchase of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa’s stake in Indian telecom business Hutchison Essar in 2007.
The Government has agreed to resolve the issue amicably but there has been no significant development in the case so far.
During his visit to India in February, both India and the UK had decided to start negotiations on a civil nuclear pact to facilitate entry of British companies into emerging Indian atomic power sector besides agreeing to explore ways to enhance cooperation in diverse sectors.
India and the UK have vibrant economic ties and the two-way trade rose to about USD 16.15 billion in 2012 from USD 12.56 billion in 2010-11. The bilateral trade between India and UK stood at USD 16.25 billion in 2012. During April 2000 and November 2012, India has received FDI worth USD 17 billion from the UK.
There are about 700 Indian companies which have operations in the UK out of which over 70 are listed on London Stock Exchange.
Mr. Cameron will arrive here on Wednesday night. After holding talks with Dr. Singh, he will leave for Kolkata where he will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
In Kolkata, he will also visit Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Joka and will interact with the students and alumni there.
He will also visit the Indian Museum to see restoration work and interact with an NGO.
Mr. Cameron’s visit to India comes over a week after U.K. announced its decision to scrap the controversial 3,000-pound visa bond scheme for some “high risk” overseas visitors to the country including those from India which was scheduled to be implemented on a pilot basis this month.
India, which had raised the matter with the UK Government, welcomed the decision.
Andhra should be kept united: YSR Congress, CPI(M)
Andhra should be kept united: YSR Congress, CPI(M)
YSR Congress Party and CPI(M) on Wednesday told the GoM on Telangana that Andhra Pradesh should be kept united as the “devil of division” will raise its ugly head in other states and create more problems.
Maintaining that the State should not be bifurcated, B.V. Raghavulu, Andhra Pradesh CPI(M) secretary said, “We have expressed our opinion that Andhra Pradesh should be kept intact as more problems would recur than be solved.
“Our party has suggested various measures to improve the livelihood in backward regions of the State,” he told reporters here.
If bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is inevitable, the Centre has to face problems arising out of dividing it, he said.
YSR Congress Party urged the Union Government to stop the division process forthwith as it would spell “doom” to a multitude of Telugu people for generations to come.
In a letter submitted to GoM, the party has said that it would oppose every step towards bifurcation of the State. “Our party reiterates with clarity and conviction that the State should be united.”
Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Vatti Vasant Kumar said, he had on Tuesday urged the GoM to make Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Area (HMDA) a Union Territory.
Without making HMDA as a Union Territory, how will the Centre offer protection to life and property of Andhra region in HMDA, he asked.
Meanwhile, TRS has targeted TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for boycotting the GoM meeting.
“Among eight recognised political parties in Andhra Pradesh, all of them have expressed their opinion with GoM, except for TDP. He (Chandrababu Naidu) talks about justice, but doing injustice to both the regions,” TRS leader K.T. Rama Rao charged at a press conference here.
SBI Q2 profit falls 33%
SBI Q2 profit falls 33%
THE HINDU
State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, on Wednesday posted a 33 per cent drop in net profit at Rs 3,072.77 crore for the quarter ended September 30 after higher provisioning for bad debts.
The bank’s consolidated profit was Rs 4,575.31 crore a year earlier.
Total income on a consolidated basis rose to Rs 53,118.63 crore from Rs 49,917.47 crore in the same period a year ago, SBI said in a BSE filing.
On a standalone basis, SBI’s profit declined 35 per cent to Rs 2,375 crore from Rs 3,658.1 crore. Total income was Rs 37,199.92 crore as against Rs 32,953.47 crore in the same period a year ago.
This is the bank’s first earnings after Arundhati Bhattacharya took over as Chairperson on October 7.
Provisions for non-performing assets during the quarter rose to Rs 2,645.40 crore as against Rs 1,837.19 crore in the same period of the previous financial year.
As of September 30, the bank’s gross non-performing assets (NPAs) deteriorated to 5.64 per cent of gross advances, compared with 5.15 per cent year a year ago. Net NPAs rose to 2.91 per cent from 2.44 per cent.
SBI shares traded at Rs 1,724.90, up 2.95 per cent on the BSE.
1 dead, 15 hurt in blast at Bhushan steel plant
At least one person died and more than 15 others were critically injured in a blast furnace explosion at a private steel plant in Odisha on Wednesday, an official said. All the victims are contract labourers, Deputy Director of Factories and Boilers H.C.Sahu said.
The explosion occurred in a blast furnace at Bhushan Steel Ltd. in Dhenkanal district’s Narendrapur area, about 150 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.
Firefighters were still trying to douse the fire. The exact number of casualties and injured were not known as yet, he said. More people could be buried under the debris, said an eyewitness.
The state government has ordered a probe into the explosion.
World’s largest ‘fire diamond’ sold for $35 mn
World’s largest ‘fire diamond’ sold for $35 mn
AP
A Christie's employee displays the largest fancy vivid orange -THE ORANGE - diamond in the world, during a press preview in Geneva, Switzerland.. The Christie's auction of the 14.82-carat rare gem fetched almost twice the pre-sale price of $20 million. AP Photo
An exceptionally rare 14.82 carat orange diamond, the largest known gem of its kind, has fetched a record $35.5 million — more than double its pre-sale estimate — at an auction in Geneva.
THE ORANGE, the largest fancy, vivid orange diamond ever offered at an auction, sold for a whopping $ 35,540,612 at Christie’s Geneva, setting a world record price per carat for any diamond sold at auction.
The diamond, weighing 14.82 carats, also set a world record price for an orange diamond, Christie’s said.
Pure orange diamonds, also named “Fire diamonds” by famous gemologist Edwin Streeter in his book ‘The Great Diamonds of the World’ (1882), are exceptionally rare in nature. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has handed the deep orange gemstone, which was found in South Africa, the top rating for coloured diamonds: “fancy vivid.”
Among the very few fancy vivid orange diamonds that were ever sold at auction, the largest was less than 6 carats, making ‘THE ORANGE’ diamond the ultimate possession for diamond collectors.
The spectacular diamond entered the auction with a pre-sale estimate of USD 17,000,000.
“Time and again, a stone will appear on the market that is truly a miracle of nature. The 14.82ct orange diamond is one such a stone, a rare gem, which will perhaps only be seen once in a lifetime,” Francois Curiel, International Head of Christie’s Jewellery Department, said.
“In the sale on Tuesday, it soared far above all previous records for any orange diamond ever sold at auction, placing The Orange amongst the greatest pinks and blues, which are traditionally the most appreciated coloured diamonds,” said Mr Curiel.
Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction fetched a record total result of USD 125,360,131.
The exceptional jewels formerly part of the collection of Simon Itturi Patino, known as ‘The Andean Rockefeller’, sold well above their pre-sale estimates totalling USD 14.7 million.
Badly disturbed by the development at Campa Cola complex
Badly disturbed by the development at Campa Cola complex: SC
PTIA policeman stands in front of a gate blocked by residents of Campa Cola housing colony in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Supreme Court stays demolition of Campa Cola housing complex
In a relief to hundreds of agitating residents of Mumbai's Campa Cola society, the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed forthwith the demolition of unauthorised flats in the compound till May 31, 2014.
The order came minutes after the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) squad bulldozed its way into the Campa Cola compound in South Mumbai to take action against illegal flats in the society.
A bench headed by Justice G.S. Singhvi took suo motu cognizance of media reports and stayed the demolition process, saying it will pass a detailed order at 2 pm.
"We were badly disturbed by the development that is taking place at Campa Cola premises in Mumbai," said the bench.
The Supreme Court, in its order mentioned, apart from legal issues, there is also a human problem in the case. The apex court also agreed to consider the proposal of constructing a separate building in the premises for those whose apartments are to demolished.
Justice Singhvi, who had on October 1 refused to re-consider his earlier order on demolition of flats built beyond the sanctioned six floors, had set November 11 deadline to vacate 102 flats declared as illegal.
Seven high-rise buildings of Campa Cola Housing society were constructed between 1981 and 1989. The builders had permission for only six floors. One of the compound buildings, Midtown, has 20 floors and another building, Orchid, has got 17 floors.
In the morning, the municipal staff with police help barged into the compound in South Mumbai by breaking open the main gate to take action against illegal flats in the society.
The residents were involved in scuffles with police who forcibly moved them away from the gate to facilitate access for the civic squad.
The residents blocked the entrance and refused to allow civic officials to enter the premises as the BMC team was expected to cut power and water supply in remaining illegal flats on Wednesday.
Deal in place to rescue American/US Air merger
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Justice Department had sued to block the planned combination of the two big airlines
- The deal announced on Tuesday requires the carriers to sell certain facilities to boost competition
The Justice Department has reached a settlement with American Airlines and US Airways that requires them to sell facilities at seven airports in order to complete their planned $11 billion merger to create the world's biggest carrier.
The deal announced Tuesday allows low-cost airlines to increase their presence at Boston Logan, Chicago's O'Hare, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles, Miami, New York LaGuardia, and Washington National airports.
The Justice Department and attorneys general from several states and the District of Columbia sued in August seeking to block the merger on grounds it would lead to higher prices and less service for consumers.
The agreement requires court approval as part of American's bankruptcy restructuring. The carriers now expect to complete their merger in December.
Antitrust officials claimed the planned merger, which follows a wave of airline industry consolidation in recent years, would "substantially lessen competition" for commercial air travel.
The carriers fought back, saying that integrating their networks to benefit passengers was their motivation for merging and that blocking the deal would only "deny customers access" to a broader network that "gives them more choices."
'Everything is gone' in Guiuan, tropical paradise forever transformed by typhoon
Destroyed buildings are seen on the Philippines' Victory Island on Monday, November 11. Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms in recorded history, wrecked the country on a monumental scale. Click through the gallery to see other aerial shots of the disaster.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Super Typhoon Haiyan came ashore in Guiuan in the eastern Philippines
- Days later, the community is largely cut off and in need of basic necessities
- "It's total damage, 100% damage," community's mayor says
- A military plane brings in rice and water, transports out injured
Situated where the Philippines meets the Pacific Ocean, Guiuan had the look and feel of a tropical paradise -- replete with surf camps, resorts and pristine white beaches. Its location on Samar Island's southeastern tip, in many ways, had been Guiuan's greatest blessing.
And now? It could be seen as its greatest curse.
When Super Typhoon Haiyan came ashore early Friday -- bringing sustained winds of 315 kph (195 mph) and gusts as strong as 380 kph (235 mph) -- it did so in Guiuan.
Buildings collapsed, palm trees snapped, shelters ceased to be. And with devastation came desperate needs for, as one Guiuan put it, "food, tents, everything."
As he noted: "Everything is gone."
Guiuan was cut off from outside communication and many basic necessities until recently, when a C-130 military cargo plane flew over the ravaged area and landed at its small airport.
The aircraft's cargo bay was packed with supplies and Filipino troops.
Once there, where should they start to help? That's hard to say, admits Guiuan Mayor Christopher Gonzales, given the scale of what's happened. Almost all of his community's 50,000 people are now homeless, thanks to Haiyan.
"If you want to look at our municipality," Gonzales said, "it's total damage; 100% damage."
The troops don't waste any time, quickly unloading drinking water and bags of rice, as residents watch from a safe distance. Some troops stay to participate in search-and-rescue operations in a place where the death toll is still far from settled.
Within 20 minutes, the C-130 is back buzzing again. Its new load includes some people hurt by the storm, some with spinal injuries. Other more able-bodied people have found seats, hoping to get far from the misery that is likely to forever be associated with a place that many had considered paradise.
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