The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.
Shohei Ohtani wins 3rd AP Male Athlete of the Year award, tying Michael Jordan for 1 shy of recordBy Nobuyuki Nakata / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer 7:00 JST, December 24, 2024 * * OSAKA — The venue of the 1970 Osaka Expo inspired images of the near future. Pavilions with outrageous appearances lined the venue. Two were particularly notable: the Takara Beautilion Pavilion, which was made of combined capsules, and the Toshiba IHI Pavilion, which comprised a red dome supported by black steel grids. They were designed by Kisho Kurokawa, an architect who died in 2007. Kurokawa, who was 35 when the 1970 Expo opened, became a legend who had a major influence on world architecture. The avant-garde uniforms that the staff wore in the pavilions and elsewhere at the Expo were designed by Junko Koshino, 85, a famous fashion designer. The architecture of the Pavilion Textiles, which involved a dome sticking out of the center of a ramp-like structure, was designed by Tadanori Yokoo, 88, a modern artist. Those innovative designs had people predicting great achievements for those who created them. In the same way as the 1970 Osaka Expo, a wide variety of talented people are taking up new challenges for 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. Yuko Nagayama, a 49-year-old architect, designed the Women’s Pavilion, which introduces successful women in Japanese society. “If I communicate messages at the Expo, which is a venue for experimental ideas for the future, I can change society’s consciousness about architecture,” she said enthusiastically. In the process of building the pavilion, construction materials with hemp leaf patterns on the surfaces were reused. The materials were used to build the Japan Pavilion — which Nagayama designed — for the previous expo in Dubai. The plan is attracting attention as a pioneering attempt to reuse construction materials from one expo to the next on a large scale. However, the plan faces many challenges, for example, financing the cost of implementing it. Although ordinary decommissioning of pavilions is covered by the government’s budgets, decommissioning and transporting each item for reuse are not covered by those funds. Nagayama took the initiative to search for companies that would cooperate, and some firms that helped build the Japan Pavilion in Dubai agreed to work with her. They include major general contractor Obayashi Corp. and general logistics company Sankyu Inc. The number of the items that she brought back to Japan exceeded 10,000. Globally reusing construction materials faces a barrier of standards that are different among countries. Because the construction materials used for the Japan Pavilion in Dubai were made under European standards, certificates for the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) were needed to reuse the items in Japan. However, the pavilion for the 2025 Expo is only going to be used as a temporary building during the exposition, so the Osaka city government allowed an exception and the materials are not subject to the JIS. “I hope steps will be taken in society also during ordinary times to reuse construction materials, including the revision of laws,” Nagayama said. “I hope we can convey the message that taking on challenges can give us a big reward.” The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition publicly solicited architects aged 45 or younger with the aim of finding those who can become a second Kisho Kurokawa. Twenty teams are taking part in designing facilities, including bathrooms. Shingo Saito, a 37-year-old architect, designed toilets that take into consideration people of different genders and those with disabilities. “Toilets, which everybody uses, are a condensed version of society that shows how it should be,” he said. “How should I express with architecture a diverse society? I want to exhibit one form.” He adjusted the size of each restroom stall and the heights of handrails after hearing opinions from wheelchair users, people with visual impairments and caregivers. Chie Konno, a 43-year-old architect who is taking part in a gallery, said, “Things that we had regarded just as waste can be resources for shaping our daily life.” Konno compressed used tea leaves and coffee grounds into panels that are utilized as construction materials. Architecture has been designed with a nod toward the future, and its large size is appealing to the eye. “Now that digitalization is occurring in society, it is important to present values that people can feel only in these venues,” said Shoichi Inoue, 69, a director of the International Research Center for Japanese Studies who is familiar with expo buildings.The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Don McHenry scored 29 points as Western Kentucky beat Kentucky Wesleyan 91-71 on Saturday. McHenry also contributed four steals for the Hilltoppers (9-3). Braxton Bayless added 18 points while going 7 of 10 (3 for 3 from 3-point range) while they also had five rebounds. Julius Thedford went 6 of 13 from the field (3 for 7 from 3-point range) to finish with 17 points. It was the sixth straight win for the Hilltoppers. The Panthers were led in scoring by Quentin Toles, who finished with 15 points and six assists. Kentucky Wesleyan also got 14 points and six rebounds from Fatih Huyuk. Kennedy Miles also had 14 points and five assists. Western Kentucky took the lead with 5:32 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 46-41 at halftime, with Bayless racking up 13 points. Western Kentucky pulled away with an 8-0 run in the second half to extend a four-point lead to 12 points. They outscored Kentucky Wesleyan by 15 points in the final half, as McHenry led the way with a team-high 19 second-half points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
'Punjab Bandh' will be observed on December 30 after it was called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political), Kisan Mazdoor Morchaand and other farmers' organisations. Farmer leader of Kisan Mazdoor Sanghrash Committee-Punjab, Sharvan Singh Pandher, said last week that 'Punjab Bandh' call for December 30 gained support from various groups. "Punjab bandh will be observed on 30th December from 7 am to 4 pm. We have received support from many unions and groups," Pandher was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. What's opened, what's closed in Dec 30? Pandher said both Punjab government and private offices will remain closed on December 30. "Rail movement and road traffic will also be closed on 30th December," Pandher said while addressing a press conference at Khannur border. However, airport services won't be affected during the bandh. Pandher also requested the people of Punjab to complete any travel or essential work as the state will observe a complete bandh from 7 AM to 4 PM on December 30. "However, emergency/medical services will remain operational," said farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher. There will be no restrictions on wedding programmes and job interviews. He said petrol pump and gas agencies will remain closed and "shutter of all the shops will be down". Why 'Punjab Bandh' has been called? The protest organised by the farmers of Punjab at the Khanauri border in Sangrur district, near the Haryana border, entered its 318th day. They have been protesting since February 13, 2024, to press on their various demands including a law to guarantee the minimum support price (MSP). Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann earlier lashed out at the central government and said that they should abandon their "stubbornness" and open their way for talk with the farmers. He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if he can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine , then why can't he talk to the breadwinners sitting 200 kilometers away. The Punjab Chief Minister wrote in a post on X, “The central government should abandon its old stubbornness and open the way for talks with the farmers' organizations... A cat does not run away when a pigeon winks.. I don't know what penance the central government is doing now?? If Modi ji can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, then can't he talk to the breadwinners sitting 200 kilometers away? What time are you waiting for..?” Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal (70) has been sitting on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border since November 26 to put pressure on the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP). Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal (70) has been sitting on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border since November 26 to put pressure on the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP). Farmer leader Abhmanyu Kohar alleged that over the years, political parties made promises with farmers, but every time they were betrayed. "We request the Supreme Court that it direct the Centre that along with a legal guarantee to MSP, it should fulfil other demands of farmers. When demands of farmers are met, then there will be no reason for Dallewal ji to sit on fast,"Kohan was quoted by PTI as saying.
Government to block incinerators that do not contribute to green plansNYT Strands December 29, 2024: Clues, answers, Spangram for today
Chargers QB Justin Herbert does not practice because of left ankle injuryATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, roughly 22 months after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections and house the homeless as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. Biden spoke later Sunday evening about Carter, calling it a “sad day” but one that “brings back an incredible amount of good memories.” “I’ve been hanging out with Jimmy Carter for over 50 years,” Biden said in his remarks. He recalled the former president being a comfort to him and his wife Jill when their son Beau died in 2015 of cancer. The president remarked how cancer was a common bond between their families, with Carter himself having cancer later in his life. “Jimmy knew the ravages of the disease too well,” said Biden, who was ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.
Automotive Aftermarket M&A will Continue to Attract High Investor Interest in 2025THE recent earthquakes in Ranau, Sabah, have underscored the urgent need for rigorous planning and design standards for major buildings and infrastructure projects. As seismic activities continue to pose a risk in Sabah, it is crucial for engineers, developers and policymakers to adopt stringent measures that enhance the resilience and safety of structures. Understanding the Seismic Risk in Sabah Tan Sabah, located in a seismically active zone, has experienced significant earthquakes, particularly in areas like Ranau and Kundasang areas. The 2015 magnitude 5.9 earthquake in Ranau caused considerable damage, bringing attention to the vulnerabilities in existing buildings and infrastructure. In addition, these recent occurrences highlight the necessity of integrating seismic considerations into all stages of planning and design. Ir. Ts. KJ Tan JP, the past chairman of ACEM Sabah and as a local consulting engineer who possesses master engineering degree from Imperial College London (ICL) and also has the vast experience and knowledge in the field of seismic engineering, highlights the following key requirements for planning and designing in earthquake-prone areas 1. Compliance with Modern Building Codes Adherence to the Malaysian National Annex to Eurocode 8 (MS EN 1998) is essential for earthquake-resistant structures. The Eurocode 8 standard outlines specific requirements for seismic analysis, structural behavior, and material strength to ensure safety under earthquake forces. Developers and engineers must update their design practices to comply with this standard. 2. Seismic Hazard Assessments Before initiating any project, a detailed seismic hazard assessment must be conducted. This involves evaluating the site’s geological conditions, fault line proximity, and soil characteristics to determine the ground motion parameters and earthquake risks. Such assessments provide crucial data for structural design. 3. Earthquake-Resilient Structural Designs • Ductility and Energy Dissipation: Structures should be designed to absorb and dissipate seismic energy without collapsing. This can be achieved through reinforced concrete frames, shear walls, and flexible foundations. • Base Isolation Technology: For major projects, such as hospitals, bridges and high-rise buildings, base isolation systems can be employed to reduce earthquake vibrations. • Redundancy and Symmetry: Structural designs must avoid irregularities to ensure an even distribution of seismic forces. 4. Geotechnical Considerations Ground conditions play a critical role in seismic performance. Engineers must conduct thorough soil testing to mitigate risks such as liquefaction, landslides and ground settlement. Foundation systems, such as deep pile foundations or raft foundations, may be required to stabilize structures in areas with poor soil conditions. 5. Retrofitting Existing Structures Older buildings and infrastructures that were not designed to withstand seismic forces should undergo structural retrofitting. Techniques such as installing steel braces, adding shear walls, and strengthening joints can enhance their earthquake resistance. 6. Incorporating Monitoring and Early Warning Systems For critical infrastructure like dams, power plants and highways, integrating earthquake monitoring and early warning systems is vital. Real-time monitoring enables swift action to mitigate risks during seismic events. 7. Training and Awareness Programs Collaboration between the government, industry stakeholders and professional bodies such as IEM and PAM, and local universities such as UMS and UiTM is essential to build earthquake preparedness. Professional engineers, professional architects, town planners, contractors, and local authorities must undergo regular training on seismic design practices and earthquake response. Conclusion The recent earthquakes in Ranau serve as a wake-up call for all stakeholders involved in construction and infrastructure development in Sabah. By implementing modern seismic design standards, conducting rigorous assessments, and prioritizing safety, Sabah can build resilient structures capable of withstanding earthquakes. Ensuring structural integrity is not just an engineering necessity but a critical step toward protecting lives, investments, and the future of Sabah’s development.
Members of our Community Editorial Board, a group of community residents who are engaged with and passionate about local issues, respond to the following question: As Boulder officials look to reduce or even eliminate serious traffic crashes on roads through the Vision Zero initiative, they have asked city staffers to study changes that could be made to traffic signals to make intersections safer. Your take? “To everything, Turn, Turn Turn,” The Byrds once sang. I go out of my way when navigating the streets of Boulder so as not to make a left turn. Making a left turn across 28th Street seems like a game of chicken. As a driver, one must calculate speed, an acute angle, the presence of cyclists, pedestrians and hope that those driving in the opposite direction are equally alert. I’d rather go to a traffic light and exercise some patience. Boulder’s Vision Zero Action Plan seeks to create safer streets by reducing serious injury and traffic fatalities to zero. In assessing where left-hand signal arrows would be most effective so as to mitigate the risk at dangerous intersections, they work for the common good. Forty percent of all crashes occur at intersections and 61% of crashes occur at left-hand intersections. Vision Zero has received five million dollars in grant funding from state and federal agencies which has resulted in the design of the Safe Routes to School improvements program. Watch out for our kids. Special attention must also be paid to elderly pedestrians. Ninety-year-old, Virginia Knowlton crossing Alpine Avenue near the Ideal Market Community Plaza was fatally hit by a driver heading south on Broadway who was making a left-hand turn to enter the shopping center. Boulder’s population is aging, and this population needs more time crossing the street. Don’t inch out onto the road to try and speed them up. Just wait. Watch out for our elders. It is maddening to be stuck behind a car waiting to make a left turn into oncoming traffic. The answer is simple, just get rid of left turns. I believe this would increase safety and improve traffic flow. Those who travel our roads as their business, such as UPS drivers, have already created algorithms to minimize left turns on delivery routes. We can make safety make sense. Traffic signals should be as sophisticated as the cars that use them. Many new cars have rear-view video for backing up coupled with audio alerts to warn a driver if a car is too close or if you veer out of your lane. Car technology requires that we pay attention. Other technologies compete for our attention and if employed while driving can be lethal. I wonder if cars of the future could alert us to right- or left-turn violations. But until then, it is the driver who must be vigilant. Smart technology applied to traffic signals can help. And while we’re at it, if all cars gassed up on the left side, traffic flow into gas stations would be quite civilized. Regulation for the common good. I’m all for it. Jim Vacca, jamespvacca1@gmail.com Hand-eye coordination does not come easily to some people. I, for example, am completely hopeless when it comes to video games. Indeed, the trip between my eyes and my hands seems to involve several stops and a number of detours. Likewise, when I look at a map, I see one of Jackson Pollack’s lesser-known works; translating the lines and dots on the paper into actual movements feels like a Herculean task requiring a series of complex cognitive gymnastics. Spatial relations are especially challenging; judging distance using any metric other than city blocks seems to involve magic. Making matters worse, the supposed invariance of east and west seems scarcely more credible than treating COVID with bleach. Not surprisingly, I learned to drive late in life — waiting until the limited public transportation system in Boulder and the increasing frustration of my friends in response to my frequent requests for rides made obtaining both a license and car unavoidable. Thus, I am writing as one of the likely targets of the proposed regulations. As such, I have one crucial piece of advice for the more motorically gifted: Those of us who are not naturally inclined to immediately and automatically convert visual information into the appropriate overt behavior need all the help we can get! More specifically, I applaud proposals to expand the use of left-turn arrows. I dread situations in which I have to judge whether oncoming traffic is sufficiently slow for me to navigate through the intersection without incident. For me, these events fall somewhere between trying to follow one of Einstein’s thought experiments and attempting to solve one of those math problems in which people are traveling in different directions at different speeds in different types of vehicles. Along similar lines, I also support the implementation of whatever light-changing algorithms and turning restrictions are associated with the fewest accidents at each intersection. While this approach will inevitably involve subjective judgments about how to weight different kinds of traffic incidents, at least it rests on actual data on the frequency of different kinds of events under different timing and turning protocols. While the imposition of additional regulations may seem unduly burdensome — especially to those who have refined reflexes and have been driving since their nervous systems were more malleable — it’s probably a good idea to prioritize the potential vulnerabilities of drivers when developing the safety-related rules of the road. As a bonus, additional restrictions may actually make driving less attractive... Elyse Morgan, emorgan2975@gmail.comDow paces gains on renewed rotation, bitcoin above $US99,000
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