News Burst 29 January 2020
- The US Department of Justice Antitrust Division has been on a hiring spree amid investigations into Silicon Valley tech giants, according to Reuters, citing two DOJ officials with knowledge of the matter.
- The Iranian city of Mahshahr saw Caspian Airlines commercial jet carrying 135 people skidding off a runway before coming to a stop on a busy highway. Miraculously, no one was killed or seriously injured, and all passengers and crew disembarked as the plane remained on its belly in the middle of vehicle traffic, with the aircraft itself appearing relatively undamaged.
- Japanese authorities said Tuesday a man with no recent travel to China has contracted the novel strain of coronavirus – apparently after driving tourists visiting from Wuhan, where a deadly outbreak began. The man ifrom Nara in western Japan drove two groups of Wuhan tourists earlier in January and was hospitalised on Saturday with flu-like symptoms.
- Authorities in the Kazakhstan capital of Nur-Sultan have declared a state of emergency after a week-long winter storm continues to pummel the city with strong winds and heavy snow.
- A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck in the strait between Jamaica and Cuba on Tuesday afternoon. A tsunami warning was issued for Jamaica, Cuba, Belize, Honduras and the Cayman Islands, but that threat has now passed.
- Australian officials on Tuesday warned the country’s central and eastern states to brace themselves for increased temperatures and strong winds in the next week, following more than a week of cooler and damper weather in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
- Helocopter crash: there are indications that the helicopter plunged some 1,000 feet (305 metres). It was flying at about 184mph (296kph) and descending at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute when it struck the ground, according to data from Flightradar24. The pilot, Ara Zobayan, was chief pilot for the craft’s owner, Island Express Helicopters. He also was a flight instructor, had more than 8,000 hours of flight time and had flown Bryant and other celebrities several times before.
2019-nCoV Summary
- Japan, Germany confirm human-to-human transmission.
- US, UK warn citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to China.
- 5,571 cases confirmed; 131 deaths.
- President Xi said China is taking the “devil virus” very seriously and will contain it.
- Governors and mayors across US bracing for viral outbreaks.
- Reports that China has refused US offer of assistance, and that Beijing is withholding data from CDC.
- Thailand reports 6 new cases, bringing total number to 14.
- The White House warned airline executives that it’s considering suspending all flights between China and the US.
Weekely Asteroid
- 2020 BJ1 2020-Jan-29 15.5 Lunar Distance 11 km/s 51 m.
- 2018 AL12 2020-Jan-30 18.2 Lunar Distance 17.7 km/s 39 m.
- 2020 BZ4 2020-Jan-31 5.7 Lunar Distance 9 km/s 11 m.
Strongest EQ in Europe M5.1 Albania
Strongest EQ in US M3.7 Alaska
Strongest EQ on the Planet M7.7 Cayman Trench
Deepest EQ M3.6 185 km Alaska News Burst 29 January 2020