Hundreds of Whales Die after Mass Stranding on NZ Coast

Third-worst whale stranding on record leaves hundreds of Cetacea dead in NZ

At least 340 pilot whales have died after a mass stranding on Farewell Spit (Golden Bay, NZ), and about 80 were still alive tonight.

The stranding may have been due to old age, sickness, or the  whales inability to keep up with the pod. Underwater explosions caused by sonar, seismic testing or underwater sea quakes could also have an impact on them,” said a report.

End

 

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – December 5, 2013

Ten beached whales die in Florida Everglades, dozens stranded

At least ten beached whales have died as rescuers tried to save dozens more that were stranded in shallow waters  in Florida’s Everglades National Park, said wildlife officials.

The whales, believed to be short-finned pilot whales, were first spotted on Tuesday pm near the Gulf of Mexico, according to the park officials.

Adult short-finned pilot whales weigh 1,000 to 3,000kg with females and males averaging 12 and 18 feet long receptively. They typically travel in pods of about 30 animals.

Wildlife officials said the rescue efforts to save the whales by pushing them into deeper waters would resume Thursday morning.

Video footage showed at least one carcass reduced to a bare skeleton and large chunks of flesh missing from others, possibly bitten by sharks.

NSA collects and anal-yzes 5 billion cellphone records each day

The US National Security Agency collects and analyzes about 5 billion cellphone records each day indicating location data around the world, according to a new report by Washington Post based on the records leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

FOUR Canadian soldiers commit suicide in one week

At least four Canadian soldiers have committed suicide in just one week, probably overcome by pangs of conscience.

At least three of the soldiers had “served” in Afghanistan, according to Canadian Defense officials.

In the latest incident, a married 46-year-old soldier apparently committed suicide on Monday. His body was found near his base in Quebec. Sylvain Lelievre had served in Bosnia and Afghanistan, according to reports.

Last week, the bodies of three other soldiers were discovered. They were Michael McNeil, William Elliott and Travis Halmrast. They were based in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta respectively.

30,000 Eritreans “abducted to Sinai desert for ransom”

Up to 30,000 Eritreans have been abducted since 2007 and taken to Egypt’s Sinai desert to suffer torture and ransom demands, according to a new research.

Victims are kidnapped in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan and taken to Sinai where they are held captive in the mostly lawless desert.

The abductors have extorted at least $600m  from families in ransom payments, says the study.

“The study, presented to the European parliament, says Eritrean and Sudanese security officers are colluding with the kidnap gangs,” according to a report.

Ferocious storm cuts power to 25,000 homes in Scotland, shuts rail network

>Winds of up to 116 mph  (187 km/h) battered parts of Scottish highlands cutting power to at least 25,000 customers and forcing the authorities to shut down the entire rail network due to debris on the tracks.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency has warned of flooding risks in coastal areas and Traffic Scotland advised drivers to avoid traveling in multiple areas due to “extremely dangerous” conditions, reports said.

Fast-food workers in 100 US cities will walk off the job

The strike is part of a nationwide movement, which began a year ago to increase federal minimum wage, unchanged since 2009, from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour. The workers also want the right to unionize.

“We have people going to work every day and coming home to no utilities or having to make tough decisions on whether to eat or pay rent. But they go to work and work hard every day and they’re good at their jobs and these companies should take care of their employees and do better. We know that they have the profit,” said a worker.

“Dramatic increases in a starting wage such as those called for in these rallies will challenge that job growth history, increase prices for restaurant meals, especially in the value segments and lead to fewer jobs created,” said the National Restaurant Association.

This post will be updated throughout the day…