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October 19: Canadian Base Fire and Trump's Russia Sanctions Delay
In Canada
Four people were killed and dozens more seriously injured in a fast-moving fire at a military training base in Alberta, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday. Military personnel and emergency crews fought the flames through the night. Carney described the fire as one of the Canadian forces’ worst peacetime tragedies on Canadian soil.
In water research
University of Vienna researchers say they have turned plastic waste into porous sponges that capture moisture from the air and release it with mild heat. In laboratory tests, a polystyrene sponge absorbed nearly 60 percent of its weight in water from humid air, and 20 percent in desert-like conditions. The method also worked with a selected mixture of waste plastics. Long-term performance, production costs and environmental impacts still need assessment before the process moves beyond the laboratory.
On Russia and Ukraine
President Trump says he delayed sanctions on Russia and struck a diesel export deal to keep Vladimir Putin engaged in peace talks with Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. The sanctions were blocked two days before they were due to take effect. Trump described negotiations as making “great progress” and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of prolonging the war because of military aid from European allies.
In U.S. news
An Air Force member has died from injuries suffered while rappelling from the Alamodome ceiling during a football pregame ceremony. He was participating in the Salute to Armed Forces event.
Separately, Barack Obama accused the Trump administration of trying to deport Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar as punishment for criticizing the president. His comments came less than a week after federal agents searched Omar’s Washington home.
In British industry
UK Steel says British steelmakers are paying almost 30 pounds more per megawatt-hour for electricity than French competitors, the widest gap in three years. The industry lobby group links the gap to surging global gas prices following the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
In global timekeeping
The General Conference on Weights and Measures has voted to end leap seconds, warning of risks to connected devices and critical infrastructure. A replacement called Continuous UTC takes effect next year, allowing the global time standard to diverge from Earth’s rotation-based time by up to an hour.
In Albania
Prime Minister Edi Rama refused to resign as violent protests in Tirana entered a sixth day. Demonstrators set fire to the Supreme Court building late Saturday, and clashes with police intensified around public institutions.
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