This Sunday we bring our readers some news making the headlines over at Reddit r/news.
Around 20 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Springfield, Ohio, but officials confirmed that no hazardous materials were involved and there were no reported injuries. Two tankers contained residual amounts of diesel exhaust fluid, while the other two contained residual amounts of polyacrylamide water solution. Clark County officials claimed that there were no risks to public health, although the site remained “active.” Residents within 1,000 feet of the derailment were asked to shelter in place out of an abundance of caution – UPDATE: ‘No risk to public health’ after Norfolk Southern train derailment in Clark Co. (WHIOTV7 ~ LOCAL)
Twitter has reported a significant decline in revenue and adjusted earnings for December, according to sources, following a loss of advertisers on the social media platform after Elon Musk’s takeover. The company recently made its first interest payment to banks that lent $13bn to help finance Musk’s buyout – Twitter’s Revenue, Adjusted Earnings Fell About 40% in Month of December (The Wall Street Journal English Edition ~ PRO BANKRUPTCY CREDIT MARKETS)
Antarctica is experiencing its lowest sea ice levels since satellite observation began in 1979, according to a team of Australian scientists. The area of sea ice dropped to 1.92 million sq km on 25 February 2022, the lowest on record, beating the previous record by 136,000 sq km. Such loss exposes the floating ice margins to waves that flex and increase the probability of ice shelves calving, which allows more grounded ice into the ocean. Antarctica holds enough ice to raise sea levels by many metres if it were to melt. While melting sea ice does not directly raise sea levels because it is already floating on water, knock-on effects can – ‘Everyone should be concerned’: Antarctic sea ice reaches lowest levels ever recorded (The Guardian UK edition ~ News – Climate crisis – Antarctica)
The article reports on a series of incidents in which schoolgirls in Iran fell ill due to poisoning caused by “chemical compounds,” leading to concerned parents protesting in Tehran and other cities. Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, ordered an investigation into the incidents, which affected more than 30 schools in at least 10 provinces. Children complained of symptoms such as headaches, heart palpitations, lethargy, and strange smells. There have been no casualties reported so far. Videos on social media show parents gathering at schools to take their children home, and some students being transported to hospitals by ambulance or buses – Protests Break Out In Iran After ‘Poisoning Attacks’ On Schoolgirls (Outlook ~ INTERNATIONAL)
Colombia is considering relocating at least 70 hippos that are descendants of four imported from Africa illegally in the 1980s by drug lord Pablo Escobar to India and Mexico as part of a plan to control their population. The hippos, which have no natural predators in Colombia, are a potential threat to biodiversity and have been declared a toxic invasive species by the government. Scientists have warned that their faeces changes the composition of the rivers, which could impact the habitat of manatees and capybaras. The hippos would be lured with food into large, iron containers and transferred by truck to the international airport in the city of Rionegro, from where they would be flown to India and Mexico, where there are sanctuaries and zoos capable of taking in and caring for the animals – Colombia proposes shipping invasive hippos to India, Mexico (AP News)
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