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

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

TOPICS

metal and mineral

gold and precious material

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.

phillipens typhoon attack

http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/11/12/typhoon-haiyan-stevens-newday.cnn.html

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.

Fly through 17th century London

http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/11/04/vo-animation-17th-century-london.cnn.html

Deal in place to rescue American/US Air merger

Airline merger cleared for takeoff

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.

Feeling cramped? How to battle the shrinking airline seat

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.

HIDE CAPTION

Haiyan's wrath from above

<<

<

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

>

>>

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.

READ: Typhoon Haiyan crushed town 'like giant hand from the sky'

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.

Typhoon damage from the air

Family goes through ceiling to flee storm

Haiyan's track

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."

READ: Typhoon creates health crisis in the Philippines

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.