REDDING, California — A rare fire tornado that raged during this summer’s deadly Carr Fire in Northern California was created by a combination of scorching weather, erratic winds and an ice-topped cloud that towered miles into the atmosphere, according to a study announced Wednesday.
The churning funnel of smoke and flame killed a firefighter as it exploded in what already was a vast and devastating wildfire in July on the edge of Redding, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of San Francisco.
The wildfire claimed eight lives and destroyed more than 1,000 homes before it was contained on Aug. 30.
The study in the Geophysical Research Letters journal used satellite and radar data to suggest how a monstrous “firenado” the size of three football fields developed on July 26.
It said the firenado was formed in much the same way as a regular tornado, which differs from the “fire whirls” that are formed only by heat from a wildfire.
The only other documented case of such a “firenado” was during the 2003 Canberra fires in Australia, according to the study.
A key factor was the development of a cloud generated by the fire itself that was ice-topped and grew quickly, doubling in length in just 15 minutes. It reached as high as 39,000 feet (11.9 kilometers), according to the study, which was published on Nov. 21.
The development of that pyrocumulonimbus cloud “helped stretch the underlying column of air, concentrating the rotation near the surface” and causing tornado-strength winds that reached 143 mph, according to the study.
“This paints a clear picture of the sequence of events leading to the vortex development and intensification,” said Neil Lareau of the University of Nevada, Reno, who co-authored the paper.
Other factors included record high temperatures, low humidity and a “near-surface cyclonic wind shear zone,” according to the study. A wind shear occurs when the wind speed or direction suddenly changes, so that the wind actually is blowing in two opposite directions.
The wind shear near the ground set up the spin that developed the fire tornado plume, Lareau said.
“These observations may help forecasters and scientists identify – and potentially warn – for future destructive fire-generated vortices,” according to the study.
Lareau is an assistant professor in the Physics Department of the College of Science. The article was co-authored by Nicholas Nausler of the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma and John Abatzoglou from the Department of Geography at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.
LONDON — Pete Shelley, the singer-songwriter and co-founder of the punk band the Buzzcocks, has died at age 63.
On Thursday, the band confirmed “with great sadness” his death and called him “one of the U.K.’s most influential and prolific songwriters.” The Buzzcocks announced in a tweet on its website. It did not elaborate on the details of Shelley’s death but said that more information would be released later.
The Buzzcocks were part of the punk revolution which began in England in the mid-1970s and also featured such groups as the Sex Pistols and the Clash. Like their contemporaries, the Buzzcocks scorned what they considered the pretensions and bloated style of mainstream groups and turned out brief, stripped down songs, performed at manic speed.
Pete Shelley – a true gent!
He helped us so much at the start of our career out of a sheer love for all things punk. Without Pete & the Buzzcocks I would probably still be working at the Docks. RIP mate. X
Their singles included “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve),” the explicit “Orgasm Addict” and “What Do I Get?” Their energy and intensity were worthy of punk, but they also had a melodic streak, with the song “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays” sounding at times like a punk version of the Beach Boys.
On Thursday, Mike Mills of R.E.M. tweeted: “Damn. Pete Shelley gone. The Buzzcocks were and are a favorite of mine, and I was fortunate to be able to hang with Pete a few times and tell him so.”
Shelley, whose real name was Peter Campbell McNeish, was born in the English town of Leigh in 1955. He founded Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto after they met at what is now the University of Bolton. The band debuted in 1976 in Manchester, opening for the Sex Pistols. Devoto left in 1977 and Shelley took over as lead singer.
The Buzzcocks broke up in the early 1980s, but reunited in the late ’80s and continued to perform and record over the past three decades.
Tributes poured in from around the music world.
Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan tweeted: “As a lifelong @Buzzcocks fan…I so appreciate the musical influence Pete. Condolences to your family….”
Peter Hook, the bassist and co-founder of Joy Division and New Order, tweeted: “Pete Shelley – a true gent! He helped us so much at the start of our career out of a sheer love for all things punk. Without Pete & the Buzzcocks I would probably still be working at the Docks. RIP mate.”
ZURICH — FIFA says it wants a soccer player who has refugee status in Australia to return to the country “at the earliest possible moment” rather than be extradited from Thailand to Bahrain.
Former Bahrain international Hakeem AlAraibi was detained at Bangkok airport last week. An Interpol warrant for his arrest was issued in apparent violation of rules protecting refugees.
World soccer’s ruling body FIFA says it now expects his case “to be solved in accordance with well-established international standards,” and has asked Australian soccer officials to urgently “take the matter up with their government.”
Australian authorities said last week that embassy officials in Bangkok were working on the case.
Rights activists say AlAraibi was tortured after being arrested in 2012. He fled to Australia which gave him political asylum.
A photo published by the Organization for a Thai Federation purports to show a group of people unfurl a republican flag in Udon Thani province. Image: Organization for a Thai Federation / YouTube
BANGKOK — Deputy junta chairman Prawit Wongsuwan said Friday a Thai republican group believed operating from Laos should not be taken seriously.
Gen. Prawit’s assessment of the underground network came after a meeting with the Laotian defense minister earlier today. Prawit said Gen. Chansamone Chanyalath confirmed the republicans are based in his country.
Prawit said Chansamone told him the cell consists of only a small number of people.
“Their movement is not worrying because they cannot do anything,” Prawit, who also serves as Thailand’s defense minister, said at a news conference. “They can only be a nuisance. They don’t have any force.”
Prawit added that Chansamone assured him Laotian authorities are looking into possible action against the group, which calls itself the Organization for a Thai Federation.
Calling for a republic is widely considered a crime in Thailand, where the constitution dictates that the country is ruled by a monarchy.
In September, at least four people were arrested for possessing black T-shirts emblazoned with the group’s symbol. On Wednesday police questioned two men who wore the T-shirts in public before releasing them without charge.
The pro-republic organization continues to publish videos advocating its cause on YouTube. In one recent video, the group called on supporters to don black shirts this past Wednesday, a public holiday dedicated to King Rama IX, as a show of strength.
The group also posted photos purportedly showing its supporters wearing black on that day in shopping malls like MBK, Mega Bangna and The Mall Bangkapi.
One photo shows a group of people, including a monk, unfurl a republican flag at a a shopping mall in the northeastern province of Udon Thani.
Trader Thomas McCauley works Thursday on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo: Richard Drew / Associated Press
TOKYO — Asian shares were mostly higher Friday after gains on Wall Street but investors continued to watch for news about U.S.-China trade friction.The Stock Exchange of Thailand was up slightly in late-morning trading.
KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.1 percent to 21,524.02, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.5 percent to 5,685.50 in early trading. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.1 percent to 2,070.83. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng inched up less than 0.1 percent to 26,164.46, while the Shanghai Composite was also up less than 0.1 percent at 2,606.52. Shares were also higher in Indonesia and Taiwan.
ANALYST’S TAKE: “Clouded with much uncertainty, markets will likely remain jittery and may struggle to hold on to the gains,” says Jayden Loh, a Trader at IG in Singapore.
WALL STREET: The S&P 500 index fell 4.11 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,695.95. The benchmark index had been down as much as 2.9 percent. The Dow dropped 79.40 points, or 0.3 percent, to 24,947.67. The average briefly slumped as much as 784 points. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite reversed an early loss to finish with a gain, adding 29.83 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,188.26. The Russell 2000 index of small-company stocks gave up 3.34 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,477.41. U.S. stock and bond trading were closed Wednesday because of a national day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush.
FED WATCH: Last week, stocks jumped after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell indicated the central bank might consider a pause in rate hikes next year while it gauges the impact of its credit tightening program. The Fed has raised rates three times this year and is expected to boost rates for a fourth time at its Dec. 18-19 meeting of policymakers. At the same time, there has been growing evidence that global economic growth is slowing.
TRADE WATCH: The gap between what the U.S. sells and what it buys from foreign countries hit $55.5 billion in October, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The politically sensitive deficit with China rose 7.1 percent to a record $43.1 billion. The dramatic arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, has driven home why it will be so hard for the Trump administration to resolve its deepening conflict with China. Skepticism is growing about the trade truce Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping reached last weekend in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
ENERGY: U.S. benchmark crude fell 24 cents to $51.25 a barrel. It dropped 2.6 percent to $51.49 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, dipped 39 cents to $59.67.
CURRENCIES: The dollar weakened to 112.75 yen from 112.80 yen late Thursday. The euro rose to $1.1376 from $1.1345.
Buddhist Monks pay their respects Nov. 31 at Leicester City Football Club in Leicester, England. Photo: Mike Egerton / Associated Press
LONDON — Investigators say the helicopter involved in a crash that killed the owner of English soccer team Leicester and four other people lost control because of a mechanical fault.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch says the mechanism linking the pilot’s pedals with the tail rotor blades became disconnected, resulting in the helicopter making an uncontrollable right turn before it spun and crashed.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Thai retail entrepreneur who owned Leicester, was among those killed when his aircraft crashed and burst in flames outside the King Power Stadium following a Premier League game on Oct. 27.
The AAIB provided its update on Thursday after a detailed examination of the helicopter’s control system. It will continue to investigate.
Footage of the incident appears to show that sections of the tail rotor may have fallen off in mid-air.
Foreigners look at a Huawei computer at a Huawei store in Beijing, China, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
WASHINGTON — The dramatic arrest of a Chinese telecommunications executive has driven home why it will be so hard for the Trump administration to resolve its deepening conflict with China.
In the short run, the arrest of Huawei’s chief financial officer heightened skepticism about the trade truce that Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping reached last weekend in Buenos Aires, Argentina. On Thursday, U.S. stock markets tumbled on fears that the 90-day cease-fire won’t last, before regaining most of their losses by the close of trading.
But the case of an executive for a Chinese company that’s been a subject of U.S. national security concerns carries echoes well beyond tariffs or market access. Washington and Beijing are locked in a clash over which of the world’s two largest economies will command economic and political dominance for decades to come.
“It’s a much broader issue than just a trade dispute,” said Amanda DeBusk, chair of the international trade practice at Dechert LLP. “It pulls in: Who is going to be the world leader essentially.”
The Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, was detained by Canadian authorities in Vancouver as she was changing flights Saturday — the same day that Trump and Xi met at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina and produced a cease-fire in their trade war. The Globe and Mail newspaper, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Meng is suspected of trying to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran. She faces extradition to the United States, and a bail hearing was set for Friday.
The British bank HSBC is cooperating with U.S. authorities in its investigation, people familiar with the matter said Thursday.
Meng Wanzhou (Huawei via AP)
Huawei, the world’s biggest supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies, has long been seen as a front for spying by the Chinese military or security services, whose cyber-spies are widely acknowledged as highly skilled. A U.S. National Security Agency cybersecurity adviser, Rob Joyce, last month accused Beijing of violating a 2015 agreement with the U.S. to halt electronic theft of intellectual property.
Other nations are increasingly being forced to choose between Chinese and U.S. suppliers for next-generation “5G” wireless technology. Washington has been pushing other countries not to buy the equipment from Huawei, arguing that the company may be working stealthily for Beijing’s spymasters.
Beijing protested Meng’s arrest but signaled that it doesn’t want to disrupt progress toward settling its trade dispute with the Trump administration. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said China is confident it can reach a deal during the 90 days that Trump agreed to suspend a scheduled increase in U.S. import taxes on $200 billion worth of Chinese products.
U.S. national security adviser John Bolton told NPR that he knew of the pending arrest in advance. He noted that there has been much concern about the suspicion that Chinese firms like Huawei use stolen U.S. intellectual property.
In the view of the United States and many outside analysts, China has embarked on an aggressive drive to overtake America’s dominance in technology and global economic leadership. According to analysts, China has deployed predatory tactics, from forcing American and other foreign companies to hand over trade secrets in exchange for access to the Chinese market to engaging in cyber-theft.
Washington also regards Beijing’s ambitious long-term development plan, “Made in China 2025,” as a scheme to dominate such fields as robotics and electric vehicles by unfairly subsidizing Chinese companies and discriminating against foreign competitors.
In addition to Trump’s tariffs, the administration is tightening regulations on high-tech exports to China. It’s also making it harder for Chinese firms to invest in U.S. companies or to buy American technology in such cutting-edge areas as robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Earlier this year, the United States nearly drove Huawei’s biggest Chinese rival, ZTE Corp., out of business for selling equipment to North Korea and Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. But Trump issued a reprieve, possibly in part because U.S. tech companies are major suppliers of the Chinese giant and would also have been scorched. ZTE got off with paying a $1 billion fine, changing its board and management and agreeing to let American regulators monitor its operations.
The U.S. and Chinese tech industries depend on each other so much for components that “it is very hard to decouple the two without punishing U.S. companies, without shooting ourselves in the foot,” said Adam Segal, cyberspace analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Dean Garfield, president of the U.S. Information Technology Industry Council trade group, said innovation by U.S. companies often depends utterly on product development and testing by Chinese partners, not to mention component suppliers.
British Telecom said this week that it would stop using Huawei equipment in its 5G network, the BBC reported, and U.S. lawmakers have lobbied Canada’s prime minister to freeze out the Chinese supplier. New Zealand and Australia already have. Other, less wealthy nations are concerned less about spying and more about low prices, which play to Huawei’s advantage.
Both Huawei and ZTE have not only been barred from use by U.S. government agencies and contractors; they have also been mostly locked out of the American market. A 2012 report by the House Intelligence Committee report urged U.S. businesses to avoid their products and called for blocking all mergers or acquisitions involving them.
And nearly a year ago, AT&T pulled out of a deal to sell Huawei smartphones.
“There is ample evidence to suggest that no major Chinese company is independent of the Chinese government and Communist Party — and Huawei, which China’s government and military tout as a ‘national champion’ is no exception,” Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote in October to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They urged him to keep Huawei off Canada’s next-generation network.
Priscilla Moriuchi, a former East Asia specialist at National Security Agency now with the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, said both ZTE and Huawei are wedded to China’s military and political leadership.
“The threat from these companies lies in their access to critical internet backbone infrastructure,” she said.
“No matter what happens in the short term, (the arrest of Huawei’s CFO) is a symptom of a long-term technology clash,” said Derek Scissors, a China specialist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “We’re not going to deal that away in 90 days.”
Scissors said he doubts that China will change its tech policies. Beijing must develop innovative technologies to keep its economy growing as its labor force ages and it confronts a huge stockpile of debt. Yet its political and economic system — which promotes inefficient state-owned companies at the expense of nimbler private ones — discourages innovation.
“I don’t see a way out of this,” Scissors said.
Likewise, Rod Hunter, an international economic official in President George W. Bush’s White House and a partner at law firm Baker McKenzie, said, “I’m skeptical that the Chinese are going to want to say ‘uncle.’ ” U.S. and Chinese officials are “trying to tackle a problem that is going to take years, maybe a decade, to resolve.”
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Bajak reported from Boston. AP staff writers Rob Gillies in Toronto and Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed to this report.
BANGKOK — Netizens have been touching their nozzles in a mix of awed confusion after a post of silicone implants went viral – especially since every faux-nose costs under 100 baht.
It started with an online post consisting of nothing but bundles of silicone noses that appeared Thursday night and has since been liked and shared tens of thousands of times. What really caught attention was these olfactory augmentations are being sold not at nosebleed prices but for less than many Bangkok meals.
“I was looking for stuff to sell but found this. They sell them by the kilo – silicone noses and chins from America, Korea and China,” Ratchadaporn Sathipjan, who posted the images, wrote. “Each one is less than 100 baht. No wonder plastic surgeons are rich as hell!”
Ratchadaporn, who imports clothing and other items from China for resale, said she found the images and prices on a Chinese wholesale website. She won’t tell nosy netizens which one, however.
“I already did a nose job, so I decided to post it for fun since it was interesting to me,” Ratchadaporn said by phone.
A lot of discussion ensued, but mostly of the positive variety – no one was looking down their septums at these noses. Especially those who’ve gone under the rhinoplasty knife.
“Dammit, one of those is in my nose! 5555,” commented user Muekeyboard Pookaamodduaymueplao.
“I guess some fresh doc grad is gonna set up a clinic with a 4,900 baht or 7,900 baht promotion now,” wrote Pacharawalee Changkeb.
Bangkok's BTS Skystrain in 2010. Original image: Ilya Plekhanov / Wikimedia Commons
BANGKOK — Commuters can now use their cleverphones to pay for fares by QR code at six BTS Skytrain stations, the operator announced Thursday.
The system is being piloted at BTS Siam, Ari, Chong Nonsi, Samrong, Paknam and Kheha, with the aim of expanding it to all stations by next month, according to BTS chief Surapong Laoha-Unya.
Paying for tickets with cash is inconvenient for both commuters and the company, Anat Arbhabhirama, a company executive, said. He added that the change will save the operator time lost handling cash transactions.
Similar to the present ticket vending machines found at some stations, there are now two automatic machines that take coins and QR codes – but not cash – at the six stations, two of which are on the new extension to Samut Prakan that opened today.
Passengers can scan the displayed QR code with their smartphones using Line or their commercial banking app to pay for single ride tickets.
Until now, only a few BTS stations have machines that can accept both coins and banknotes. Often, commuters without enough coins for a ticket have to line up to get change from an attendant then requeue to pay the machine.
BANGKOK — Ask for the right room inside a style-heavy boutique hotel in Ari to discover a hidden bar whose special cocktails retrace the globetrotting journey of one “Mr. Josh.”
Enter an already-hip neighborhood to find the devoutly hip Josh Hotel, which borrows liberally from the visual style of director Wes Anderson. Step inside and tell staff you’re checking into room No. 72. Key card in hand, pass through a vampy red door to find not a single bed nor well-furnished suite, but a bar called The Key.
The speakeasy, which opened in late August, lays out its concept to serve cocktails invented by fictitious hotel and bar owner Mr. Josh, a world traveler who’s settled in Bangkok. What he looks like is up to guests’ imagination. One hint is a cartoon depiction on a sign out front that’s reminiscent of young reporter Tintin.
The bar, painted in vibrant red (like the reception area and elevator in “The Grand Budapest Hotel”), offers a long list of alcoholic beverages such as negroni, long islands and sazerac. But what barflies must really try is one or more of nine signature cocktails.
A rough day can be pushed away with a sip on the spirit-forward Mr. Josh’s Journey (380 baht). After the bartender takes a torch to it, the blended malt whiskey is served with the fragrance of smoked rosemary and a wafer of caramelized brown sugar. Nibble on the latter from time to time for a break from the heavy, bitter booze.
‘Mr. Josh’s Journey’
Mr. Josh must’ve visited America sometime between 1950 to 1959 because one of his drinks is called Marilyn 1950s (380 baht). It’s vodka, lime juice, honey syrup and grapefruit bitters. Cinnamon poured on top is a good compliment. Compared to the “Journey,” Marilyn is much easier to drink – and sexier, too.
If none of above suit your fancy, pick your favorite destination:
A Drop of Tokyo (350 baht) mixes vodka with sake joined by wasabi syrup. The Communists (320 baht) blends whiskey with coffee and star anise, a well-known Asian herbal spice, and is served with dried coconut. Josh’s trip to France becomes Sweet as Josephine (380 baht) as he puts truffle oil, raspberry syrup and lime juice in cognac.
Off the menu but available to order, Roasted Coconut (380 baht) is carefully crafted by mixologist Danuwat Into, who won second place at a recent contestchallenging them to use local ingredients. The very drink that brought him home the award, it’s a rum-based concoction with smoked coconut water and a pinch of aromatic floral tonic, garnished with a single piece of burnt dried coconut.
Music fans should come on Fridays and Saturdays for full-on jazz music. The space-limited, refurbished meeting room can accommodate up to 24.
The Key Room No. 72, is open 6pm to 2am every day inside Josh Hotel on Soi Ari 4 (North), a few minutes’ walk from BTS Ari.
Josh Hotel opened late last year with designs and decorations inspired by the visual style of American director Wes Anderson. The hotel attracts many visitors who check in for a getaway in Ari and, of course, snaps for their Instagram.
