30/05/2026

SATURDAY | MAY 30, 2026

9

Chemical spill death toll rises to eight

o Three individuals remain missing

officer from the Environmental Protection Agency said monitoring had not detected hydrogen sulfide or any other air contaminants that may have been a cause for concern. Nippon Dynawave Packaging, which is a subsidiary of Japan’s Nippon Paper Group, says on its website that it produces eight billion single-serve containers every year, supplying customers in North America, Asia, and around the world. – AFP

paper is made. Hanning said rescuers are working in an “active and hazardous recovery environment” to find the remaining victims. Officers sought to reassure the public that drinking water and air around the site were not contaminated. “Longview’s water is safe,” said Longview public works director Chris Collins. Brooks Stanfield, a federal on-site

feared dead. The accident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company happened during an early morning shift change when a 3.4 million-litre tank containing a large quantity of a substance called white liquor ruptured. White liquor is a highly alkaline solution containing sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide that is used to break down wood chips and create the pulp from which

substance imploded on Tuesday at the plant in Longview, Washington state, sparking a major operation. “We can confirm that six of the nine individuals have been recovered,” said Longview Fire Department chief Brad Hannig. “We continue working with the coroner to notify families.” Two individuals were previously confirmed dead on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to eight. The three others still missing and

LOS ANGELES: The death toll from a chemical spill at a paper plant in the northwestern United States has risen to eight, an official said on Thursday, with three others still missing. A large tank holding tens of thousands of litres of a highly caustic

Drones banned for World Cup matches, events WASHINGTON: Drone flights will be banned over US stadiums hosting World Cup matches as well as over fan events related to the tournament that kicks off on June 11, authorities said on Thursday. 300m above ground. “As fans from around the world gather at stadiums and fan events across the country for the Fifa World Cup, the FAA is using every available tool to protect the airspace, including stronger drone-enforcement efforts,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

Amazon Blue Origin rocket explodes LOS ANGELES: An uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on a Florida launchpad during a test on Thursday, in a major setback for Jeff Bezos’space venture as it seeks to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s IPO-bound SpaceX. Video posted by NASASpaceflight, which livestreams launches from Florida, showed the towering New Glenn rocket igniting on the pad at about 2100 ET (0100 GMT on Friday) before erupting into a massive fireball that billowed skyward, sending a towering plume of flames and smoke into the air. Blue Origin was preparing the rocket for its fourth launch, which was due to deliver 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit, part of efforts to build a broadband constellation to rival Musk’s Starlink network. Amazon Leo satellites were not integrated on the rocket at the time of the incident, a source familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named due to its sensitivity. The explosion marks the latest setback for the long-delayed New Glenn, which is supposed to play a central role in delivering lunar landers and cargo under Nasa’s Artemis lunar exploration missions. It comes just two days after Nasa awarded Blue Origin a US$188 million contract to land rovers on the moon’s surface, and less than a week after SpaceX carried out a largely successful test of its next-generation Starship rocket. – Reuters US labels Brazil crime groups as terrorists WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday designated two well-known Brazilian crime groups, the so-called Red Command (CV) and First Capital Command (PCC), as terrorist organisations, despite opposition from Brasilia. “CV and PCC are two of the most violent criminal organisations in Brazil,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “Their influence and illicit networks extend far beyond Brazil’s borders, across our region and into our country. “Together, they command thousands of members and have orchestrated brutal attacks against Brazilian police officers, public officials and civilians.” Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has made clear his opposition to the measure, which has broad legal implications in the US The leftist leader’s main rival in upcoming elections, conservative Flavio Bolsonaro, has supported the designation. Bolsonaro met with US President Donald Trump earlier this week. The US began designating criminal gangs – such as Mexico’s Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua – as terrorists when Trump entered office in January 2025. In the Trump administration’s view, the terrorist label makes it legally possible to undertake broader action – law enforcement, intelligence and counterinsurgency efforts – against the groups, their leaders and interests worldwide. – AFP

out that it is a no-drone zone. “Should there be the need for us to intercept a drone, we have the technology for that. We do have the technology to identify drones and then locate operators, it is something we will be doing if we need to.” “Deter, a new enforcement initiative that enables rapid detection of drone violations, will be used at the World Cup to support “enhanced enforcement,” the FAA said. The world’s premier soccer extravaganza is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 until the July 19 final. – AFP

On match days, unless specifically authorised, all aircraft including drones will be prohibited from flying within five kilometers of stadiums and up to 900m above ground level, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The no-fly zones around fan events put on by host cities at stadiums and other locations extend to a radius of two kilometres and up to

Violators could face fines up to US$100,000, confiscation of equipment and federal criminal charges, the statement said. The FBI confirmed that it would get involved “to ensure that we have a safe sky,” said FBI Atlanta office agent Aaron Hope. “Our primary focus is that the message gets

HATS OFF ... Air Force Academy cadets celebrate their graduation as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds perform a flyover in Colorado Springs,

Colorado. – AFPPIC

Sikh man convicted of killing UK student LONDON: A UK court on Thursday convicted a Sikh man for stabbing a university student, as police apologised for arresting and handcuffing the victim before he died in a case seized upon by far-right figures. They raised concerns about police initially failing to aid Nowak, instead arresting and handcuffing him, because Digwa claimed he had been racially abused.

The incident unfolded when Nowak encountered Digwa while walking home from a night out with his football team. The convicted killer claimed during the trial that Nowak was drunk and had racially abused him, punched him and knocked his turban off. He told the court he had stabbed the teenager in self-defence. However, prosecutors said Nowak was under the drink-drive limit and the racial abuse claim was a “wicked lie”. Detailing how Digwa stabbed Nowak five times, in the legs and chest, they said he had failed to tell police officers at the scene that he had knifed the teenager, instead insisting he had been racially abused and attacked. The jury heard Nowak had filmed part of the encounter on his phone, during which Digwa was heard saying “I’m a bad man”. He took Nowak’s phone during the altercation while his family members had removed the knife from the scene, the court heard. – AFP

“Why have they said nothing about the murder, aided by the police, of this innocent English boy?” Musk wrote on X during the trial. Robert Jenrick of the hard-right Reform UK party raised the case in parliament during the legal process, claiming it showed “two-tier policing”. Neighbours reported hearing Nowak say that he had been stabbed and was dying, according to the prosecution. However, police only started giving him first aid after he fell and became unconscious. Medics were unable to save him. Jurors convicted Digwa on Thursday after deliberating since Wednesday. They also found him guilty of carrying a knife in public, while his mother was convicted of assisting an offender. Digwa will be sentenced on June 1.

Hampshire Police said it was “deeply sorry” about the way officers treated Henry Nowak, an accountancy and finance student, in December in Southampton in a case that was highlighted by Elon Musk as well as leading British far-right personalities. The force said it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog. The apology came after a jury at Southampton Crown Court found 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, a British national, guilty of murdering Nowak by stabbing him multiple times. The case grew in prominence after far-right figures including Musk, Britain’s Tommy Robinson and others highlighted it on social media.