Church Collapse in Mexico Kills 11 During Collective Baptism

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A church roof fell in a city on Mexico’s Gulf Coast as dozens of parishioners were at Sunday Mass. Rescuers said at least three children were among the dead.


Surveillance footage shows the moment the roof of a church in Ciudad Madero, Mexico, collapsed during Sunday Mass. | Secretary of Public Security Tamaulipas, via Reuters
Rescuers in northern Mexico recovered the bodies of 10 people who died after the roof of a Roman Catholic church collapsed during Sunday Mass in Ciudad Madero, an oil-refining city on the Gulf of Mexico. Among the youngest victims were three children, including a 1-and-a-half-year-old boy.

The roof collapsed during a collective baptism, according to the Diocese of Tampico. About 60 people were injured, and more than 23 of them were hospitalized on Monday morning, the Tamaulipas State security spokesman’s office said. One of those hospitalized died later on Monday, the spokesman said.

About 100 people were inside the Santa Cruz church at the time of the collapse, officials said. » | Emiliano Rodríguez Mega and Simon Romero, Reporting from Mexico City | Monday, October 2, 2023

The Coming California Megastorm

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A different ‘Big One’ is approaching. Climate change is hastening its arrival.

California, where earthquakes, droughts and wildfires have shaped life for generations, also faces the growing threat of another kind of calamity, one whose fury would be felt across the entire state.

This one will come from the sky.

According to new research, it will very likely take shape one winter in the Pacific, near Hawaii. No one knows exactly when, but from the vast expanse of tropical air around the Equator, atmospheric currents will pluck out a long tendril of water vapor and funnel it toward the West Coast.

This vapor plume will be enormous, hundreds of miles wide and more than 1,200 miles long, and seething with ferocious winds. It will be carrying so much water that if you converted it all to liquid, its flow would be about 26 times what the Mississippi River discharges into the Gulf of Mexico at any given moment.

When this torpedo of moisture reaches California, it will crash into the mountains and be forced upward. This will cool its payload of vapor and kick off weeks and waves of rain and snow. » | Raymond Zhong | Graphics by Mira Rojanasakul | Photographs by Erin Schaff | Friday, August 12, 2022

Trump’s Wall: A Symbol of His Presidency? - BBC Newsnight

Senior Republicans are resisting spending on the controversial wall when the money - they say - should be spent on disaster relief. The wall was meant to separate America from Mexico but the divide so far has been between the President himself and his party. Division that points to a gulf of differences on other issues - between those who are broadly internationalist and those who cry America First. Gabriel Gatehouse has been to the site of the wall in Arizona and sent this report.

Severe Weather Threatens Eastern US States

BBC: Severe weather is threatening as many as 73 million Americans in the eastern states, after two days of powerful storms killed up to 34 people.

Government forecasters have warned of severe thunderstorms from the Gulf of Mexico up to the Great Lakes.

On Sunday and Monday, tornadoes cut a broad track of death and destruction through the southern US states.

The storms flattened buildings, overturned cars, and left thousands of residents without power.

"Widespread thunderstorms are forecast across the central Gulf Coast region, with several severe [or] supercell storms possible," the National Weather Service wrote in a morning forecast.

More than two million people are said to be at risk of tornadoes and high winds in parts of Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday.

As the storm moves further east, parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are expected to be under threat of severe weather, forecasters say. (+ BBC videos) » | Tuesday, April 29, 2014

BP Reaches £4.9bn Gulf Oil Spill Deal
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: BP has agreed to pay $7.8bn (£4.9bn) to American businesses hit by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in an eleventh-hour deal that's likely to be welcomed in the City of London on Monday.

The UK oil company will pay damages to the thousands of hoteliers, shrimpers and oystermen along the Gulf Coast who were caught up in America's worst oil spill. The settlement follows a week of intense talks in New Orleans between lawyers for the local businesses and BP's legal team.

Following the agreement, US District Judge Carl Barbier delayed for a second time the trial into who should shoulder the blame for the explosion that killed 11 people and injured many more in April 2010. The trial had been rescheduled to start tomorrow after Judge Barbier had given BP another week to find a deal.

"The proposed settlement represents significant progress toward resolving issues from the accident and contributing further to economic and environmental restoration efforts along the Gulf Coast," said Bob Dudley, BP's chief executive. » | Richard Blackden, New York | Saturday, March 03, 2012

Republicans Take On Obama over Oil Pipeline
Republican politicians in the United States are fighting President Barack Obama's decision to reject a controversial pipeline project. They are trying to strip the president of his authority to decide the fate of the Keystone oil pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada through the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Republicans say Obama made the decision based on political considerations, and that the project would create thousands of jobs. Democrats, however, argue that a full environmental assessment must be carried out before the deal can be approved. Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reports from Washington, DC, the US capital.

Libya Has Made Fools of Us All Over Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi, and Much Else Besides
THE TELEGRAPH: Gaddafi was playing Tony Blair long before the release of the Lockerbie bomber, argues Con Coughlin.

It doesn't matter how much money BP stands to make from its deep-water exploration off the Libyan coast – it is never going to compensate for the humiliation Britain has suffered over last year's decision to repatriate the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi.

Britain's leading oil company says it has postponed plans to drill its first deep-water well in Libya's Gulf of Sirte until later in the year, because of the concerns that have been raised by the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. But that is not the only reason BP is holding fire: its senior executives fear that if work commences just as Megrahi is celebrating his first year of freedom, it would further infuriate the members of the US Senate who are already demanding a full Congressional inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Megrahi's release.

The fact of the matter is that Megrahi, according to what we were told at the time, should not be alive, and certainly not the subject of the sickening spectacle that has been arranged today by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Libyan dictator's son and political heir. This will see 500 teenagers, flown in from around the world at vast expense, acting as guests of honour at a ceremony to mark the one-year anniversary of Megrahi's return home from his Scottish prison cell.

Precisely what role BP played in securing Megrahi's release, or what bearing this had on its $900 million oil exploration contract, remains unclear. The company says it did no more than lobby the Scottish Parliament for a prisoner swap. But many senior officials in the Obama administration believe that BP was more deeply involved. They point to the role played by Sir Mark Allen, a former senior MI6 officer who headed the negotiations that persuaded Libya to stop work on its nuclear weapons programme, in late 2003, and wrote to the Foreign Office seeking Megrahi's release.

The lenient approach that Scottish officials adopted in dealing with Megrahi's case, in which no serious assessment appears to have been made of the terrorist's medical condition, certainly fits with the approach that Tony Blair encouraged British officials to adopt towards Libya following the nuclear deal. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi might remain one of the region's less appealing dictators, but that did not prevent Mr Blair from working tirelessly to bring him in from the diplomatic cold. Continue reading and comment >>> Con Coughlin | Friday, August 20, 2010

With Remarks on Mosque, Obama Enters Risky Debate
Guests at a White House dinner on Friday, where the president commented on the proposed mosque in Lower Manhattan. Photograph: The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Faced with withering Republican criticism of his defense of the right of Muslims to build a community center and mosque near ground zero, President Obama quickly recalibrated his remarks on Saturday, a sign that he has waded into even more treacherous political waters than the White House had at first realized.

In brief comments during a family trip to the Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Obama said he was not endorsing the New York project, but simply trying to uphold the broader principle that government should “treat everybody equally,” regardless of religion.

“I was not commenting, and I will not comment, on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there,” Mr. Obama said. “I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That’s what our country is about.”

But Mr. Obama’s attempt to clarify his remarks, less than 24 hours after his initial comments at a White House iftar, a Ramadan sunset dinner, pushed the president even deeper into the thorny debate about Islam, national identity and what it means to be an American — a move that is riskier for him than for his predecessors.

From the moment he took the oath of office, using his entire name, Barack Hussein Obama, as he swore to protect and defend the Constitution, Mr. Obama has personified the hopes of many Americans about tolerance and inclusion. He has devoted himself to reaching out to the Muslim world, vowing, as he did in Cairo last year, “a new beginning.”

But his “new beginning” has aroused nervousness in some, especially those who disagree with his counterterrorism policies, or those more comfortable with a vision of America as a white and largely Christian nation, and not the pluralistic melting pot Mr. Obama represents.

The debate over the proposed Islamic center in Manhattan only intensified on Saturday, as the conservative blogosphere lighted up with criticism of Mr. Obama, and leading Republicans — including Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker; Representative John A. Boehner, the House minority leader; and Representative Peter T. King of New York — forcefully rejected the president’s stance.

Mr. Gingrich accused the president of “pandering to radical Islam.” Mr. Boehner said the decision to build a mosque so close to ground zero was “deeply troubling, as is the president’s decision to endorse it.” And Mr. King flatly said the president “is wrong,” adding that Mr. Obama had “caved in to political correctness.”

Indeed, the criticism was so intense that the White House ultimately issued an elaboration on the president’s clarification, insisting that the president was “not backing off in any way” from the comments he made Friday night. >>> Sheryl Gay Stolberg | Saturday, August 14, 2010

Outgoing BP Chief: 'Life's Not Fair'
SKY NEWS: The outgoing BP chief executive Tony Hayward says he feels "demonised and vilified" over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill as the firm posts one of the biggest corporate losses in history. Joel Hills reports.



No, Tony, life certainly isn't fair when people who screw-up can walk away from a company with millions in the form of a golden parachute, yet others work all their lives, do things well, but walk away with next to nothing. Life certainly isn't fair. You got that right! – © Mark

Exclusive: 'BP Boss Off To Russia'
SKY NEWS: Sky News has learnt that BP's embattled chief executive Tony Hayward is to take up a new post in Russia as part of the deal to replace him following the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. Our Business Editor Mark Kleinman has the details.

BP Oil Spill: Tony Hayward Replaced by Bob Dudley as Oil Giant Slumps to Record Loss
THE TELEGRAPH: Tony Hayward has resigned as chief executive of BP, after the energy giant announced a record $17bn loss this year on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.



The oil company also said that Bob Dudley, the American in charge of BP’s oil spill response unit, will now take over on October 1 and lead the company through an accelerated programme of $30bn in asset sales. BP made “clean” profits of $5bn, stripping out the effect of inventory changes and exceptionals, but took a $32.2bn pre-tax charge on the oil spill.

This is made up of a $20bn compensation fund for victims, clean-up charges and provisions for funding costs. The “clean” profits are a 74pc rise in last year’s figure of $2.9bn, as a result of higher oil prices and more efficient operations. BP will now press ahead with becoming smaller and more profitable, selling $30bn of exploration and production assets in the next 18 months.

Mr Dudley will also have to navigate a criminal investigation into the spill, a slew of litigation and ward off rivals seeking to pounce on the company's trophy assets. Dudley, who ran BP's troubled Russian joint venture, TNK-BP, said last month that for BP to "remain strong and viable in the US, it has a great deal of work to do." >>> Rowena Mason | Tuesday, July 27, 2010

DAILY EXPRESS: BP Boss Tony Hayward Sent to Siberia in £12m Exit Deal: BP boss Tony Hayward is to be sent to Siberia in a £12million exit deal designed to quell outrage in the United States, it emerged last night. >>> Padraic Flanagan | Tuesday, July 27, 2010

BP Blunderer's Golden Goodbye: Hayward Exits with £10m Pension Pot as an American Replaces Him
MAIL ONLINE: The embattled head of BP is on the brink of bailing out today - with a golden parachute to break his fall.

Tony Hayward, who arrived at the company's headquarters in London this morning, will receive a seven-figure payoff and a pension estimated at £584,000 a year.

He will stand down today after three months of abuse left him described as the ‘most hated and clueless man in America’.

The enforced departure of the 53-year-old Briton will top the agenda at a crucial London board meeting today.

He has been widely seen as a ‘dead man walking’ ever since an oil-rig explosion led to the worst-ever environmental disaster in the U.S.

The focus will not be on if he goes but when, and how much it costs. During his 28 years at BP, he has built up a gold-plated £10.8million pension pot which he can start taking at 60.

He is also entitled to a year’s salary, equal to just over £1million.

His departure follows a disastrous series of PR gaffes since 11 died in an explosion on April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico.

One of his most notorious was to admit: ‘I want my life back’, at a time when millions of barrels of oil were gushing into the ocean, wrecking the livelihoods of thousands of Americans.

A few weeks later, his decision to go sailing on his yacht in the Isle of Wight added to suspicions that Mr Hayward was not being suitably contrite. But the level of the fury from America has been extraordinary and relentless despite the fact that BP was not solely responsible for the disaster.

President Obama warned: ‘He wouldn’t be working for me after any of those statements.’

Yesterday a BP spokesman insisted that Mr Hayward, whose family have been the victims of crank phone calls, hate mail and death threats, remains the company’s chief executive.

But his departure is inevitable, and will be the second headline-grabbing exit of a BP chief executive in just three years. In 2007, his predecessor Lord Browne dramatically resigned after admitting lying on oath to a High Court judge. >>> Becky Barrow and Daniel Bates | Monday, July 26, 2010

BP Chief Tony Hayward 'Negotiating Exit Deal'
BBC: BP's chief executive Tony Hayward has been negotiating the terms of his exit, with a formal announcement likely within 24 hours, the BBC has learnt.

Mr Hayward has been widely criticised over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

BBC business editor Robert Peston said it was likely he would be replaced by his US colleague Bob Dudley, now in charge of the clean-up operation.

BP said Mr Hayward "remains our chief executive and has the full support of the board and senior management".

Our correspondent added that while BP had been preparing for a change at the top for some time, the company was waiting until progress had been made on stemming the leak and until it was possible to quantify the financial costs of the disaster.

BP is due to release its results for the second quarter on Tuesday.

It is expected to reveal a provision of up to $30bn (£19bn) for the costs of capping the well, compensation claims and fines to be paid, resulting in a massive quarterly loss.

BP's board is scheduled to meet on Monday ahead of the results.

Mr Hayward has been with the company for 28 years. >>> | Sunday, July 25, 2010

Barack Obama Warns that BP Oil Disaster Is Not Over
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama has warned that the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is not over.



Although oil has stopped leaking into the ocean, the US President has urged Americans not to "get too far ahead of ourselves".

BP announced on Thursday evening that it had successfully capped the Deepwater Horizon oil well for the first time since April.

Underwater video footage showing no oil gushing from the well has led to widespread relief across America.

Speaking outside the White House, Mr Obama said that although the worst of the crisis was probably now in the past it would be several more weeks before it was finally over. Tests will continue for the next 24 hours to establish whether the cap will hold. >>> Robert Winnett in Washington | Friday, July 16, 2010

Nach der Ölkatastrophe: Großbritannien fürchtet BP-Zusammenbruch
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der Börsenwert hat sich halbiert, die Kosten der Ölpest summieren sich bislang auf 3,12 Milliarden Dollar: BP ist angeschlagen. Die britische Regierung fürchtet angeblich einen Zusammenbruch des Konzerns - ein Risiko, weil viele Rentenfonds betroffen wären. Derweil prüfen arabische Staatsfonds einen Einstieg.

Investoren aus dem Nahen Osten erwägen Medienberichten zufolge, dem angeschlagenen britischen Energiekonzern BP mit einer Kapitalspritze zur Seite zu springen. Die Londoner Zeitungen „Daily Telegraph“ und „Guardian“ berichteten am Montag übereinstimmend, der Golfstaat Kuweit prüfe, seine Beteiligung an dem britischen Energiekonzern von bislang 1,75 Prozent auf 10 Prozent aufzustocken. >>> | Dienstag, 06. Juli 2010

Libya Eyes Stake in 'Bargain BP'
THE TELEGRAPH: Libya has expressed an interest in building a stake in BP, describing the oil company as a bargain following its Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The Libyan Government, headed by President Gaddafi, may not be welcomed as an investor in BP by the White House. Photograph: The Telegraph
Share[s] in BP rose 3.5pc to 333.3p in London, following weekend speculation that the company had been in contact with sovereign wealth funds about them buying stakes.

Shokri Ghanem, the chairman of Libya's National Oil Corporation, told a newswire that: "BP is interesting now with the price lower by half and I still have trust in BP. I will recommend it to the Libyan Investment Authority."

He later added: "I think that BP shares are good value for bargain hunters,"

BP denied that it was planning to issue any new equity, but a weighty shareholder buying up stock on the open market could still help provide a floor on the company's plummeting share price. It declined to comment on any talks with sovereign wealth funds.

The oil giant has lost half of its market value since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank on April 20, triggering a catastrophic leak. Qatar, Abu Dhabi and the Kuwait Investment Authority, which already holds 1.8pc of BP, have also been linked to the company as possible investors. >>> Rowena Mason | Monday, July 05, 2010

The Golfing President
MAIL ONLINE: Barack Obama has been criticised for continuing to play golf while oil spills into the Gulf of Mexico.

He has played at least seven times since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, creating America’s biggest environmental disaster.

Having already racked up 39 games since taking office, Mr Obama is approaching the record as the U.S. President spending the most time on the golf course.

Republican Party chairman Michael Steele has called on the President to stop playing until the oil leak has been curbed.

Steele said he was outraged ‘that President Obama finds himself on yet another golf course as oil continues to spew into the Gulf’.

Democrat Senator Bill Nelson said Mr Obama needs to have a ‘higher command and control operation’. You're playing too much golf during oil spill, Barack Obama is told >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Monday, June 28, 2010

Come Join the Party! We’re Having Lots of Fun
THE TELEGRAPH: The G8 leaders said it was important to accelerate efforts to make sure the Afghanistan's own security forces can "assume increasing responsibility within five years."

The Prime Minister and the President are expected to discuss BP and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Photo: The Telegraph
The leaders of the world's eight top industrial democracies also condemned the alleged sinking by North Korea of a South Korean warship and calling on Iran to do more to respect human rights.

The countries — the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia — added that current tensions in Gaza were "unsustainable."

But the joint statement by the so-called Group of Eight powers did not go as far as some nations, including the United States and Japan, wanted.

The joint statement was released at the end of a meeting in Canada of the eight powers and before a larger group of 20 nations convenes that also includes fast-growing economies like China.

The leaders turned to foreign policy matters after finding themselves at odds on how to continue to spur world economic growth in the aftermath of the worst recession since the 1930s. The countries were divided over whether to continue government stimulus spending, as the United States wants, or to cut mushrooming deficits, as Europe and Japan want. G8 sketch out a five-year exit strategy on Afghanistan >>> | Saturday, June 26, 2010

Obama Harms Special Relationship
THE SUNDAY TIMES: A poll carried out in Britain and American [sic] reveals Obama's handling of the BP oil spill crisis is damaging relations between the two countries

President Barack Obama's attacks on BP are damaging relations, a poll found. Photo: The Sunday Times
President Barack Obama’s attacks on BP over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are damaging the special relationship between Britain and America, according to a poll carried out in both countries.

The YouGov poll, which questioned nearly 1,500 people in Britain and almost 600 in America, shows overwhelmingly that Obama’s strident attacks on BP are hurting the special relationship. By 64% to 2% in Britain and by 47% to 5% in America, people believe the president’s handling of the crisis has damaged relations.

For British respondents, Obama’s attacks have changed for the worse their attitude to America. Only 54% said they now had a favourable attitude towards America, compared with 66% when the question was asked before the oil spill. More than a fifth of people in both Britain and America, 22% in each case, think Obama is anti-British. >>> David Smith | Sunday, June 20, 2010

Change Muslims Simply Can’t Believe In >>>

'Reckless' BP Blamed by Partner for Oil Spill
THE TELEGRAPH: Oil giant BP came under further pressure on Saturday after one of its partners said the company's "gross negligence or wilful misconduct" were to blame for the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Anadarko Petroleum, which owns a quarter of the ruptured Deepwater Horizon well, has refused to accept any blame for the explosion that killed 11 workers and sparked America's worst environmental disaster.

The company's chairman and chief executive Jim Hackett insisted in a statement that BP should foot the entire bill for the environmental and economic damage caused by the blow out.

Mr Hackett said: "Frankly, we are shocked. BP's behaviour and actions likely represent gross negligence or wilful misconduct."

He said that "mounting evidence clearly demonstrates" that the disaster that led to the explosion and sinking of a drilling rig and the deaths of 11 workers "was preventable and the direct result of BP's reckless decisions and actions." >>> Patrick Sawer | Saturday, June 19, 2010

Oil Spill: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Fears BP's 'Annihilation'
THE TELEGRAPH: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has expressed concerns that the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill could lead to the "annihilation" of BP.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev fears BP's 'annihilation' over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Medvedev stopped short of saying the disaster would prompt a review of Russia's partnership with BP, but he said: "This is a wake-up call."

"Certainly, we are not indifferent to their future... Hopefully, they can absorb the losses," he told the Wall Street Journal.

BP shares, which have fallen around 46pc since the spill began, rose 4.5pc in early tradiing on Friday.

BP is present in Russia through TNK-BP, the third largest oil producer in the country, accounting for roughly a quarter of BP's global production. It owns half of TNK-BP and the other half is owned by Alfa Access-Renova, a consortium of Russian businessmen.

When asked how the oil spill would affect Russia's view of BP as a partner, he said: "What I know is that BP will have to pay a lot of money this year.

"Whether the company can digest those expenditures, whether they will lead to the annihilation of the company or its breakup into pieces is a matter of expediency."

Mr Medvedev's comment come as estimates of the damage caused by the US's biggest environmental accident spiral[.] >>> | Friday, June 18, 2010

Medvedev Sees Risk to Euro
Russian President Dmitry Medvdev speaks with The Wall Street Journal. Photograph: WSJ
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: ST. PETERSBURG, Russia—Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed doubts about the future of Europe's common currency and said the Gulf of Mexico oil spill could threaten the survival of BP PLC.

Asked whether Europe's debt turmoil could threaten the euro, Mr. Medvedev said, "I don't exaggerate the threat, but it can't be underestimated."

The Russian president didn't rule out financial assistance to struggling European nations, but said the European Union should bear the burden of any major "financial injections."

"Russia's prosperity, to a large extent, depends on how well things are going on the European continent," Mr. Medvedev said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "We are not a member of the EU, but we are a European country."

On the eve of his first state visit to the U.S. next week, Mr. Medvedev also questioned whether the Gulf oil spill might lead to the "annihilation" or breakup of BP, as the company faces billions of dollars in losses from the disaster.

He stopped short of saying Russia would re-evaluate BP's lucrative partnership in Russia, which represents almost a quarter of its oil production, but predicted the spill will prompt a fundamental rethinking of oil exploration around the world.

"This is a wake-up call," Mr. Medvedev said. Of BP's fate, he added: "Certainly, we are not indifferent to their future. ... Hopefully, they can absorb the losses." >>> Gregory L. White, Robert Thomson, and Rebecca Blumenstein | Friday, June 18, 2010