UK's Grenfell Tower to be demolished more than seven years after blaze
London's Grenfell Tower, which was engulfed in flames more than seven years ago in a disaster that killed 72 people, will be demolished, bereaved families and survivors said on Thursday.
The fire ripped through the 23-story social housing block in one of London's richest areas during the early hours of June 14, 2017. It was Britain's deadliest blaze in a residential building since World War II.
Grenfell Next of Kin (GNK), which represents relatives of nearly half of those who died, said Britain's deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, announced her decision to a room of families and survivors in a meeting on Wednesday evening.
According to the group, the demolition of the tower, which remains standing but covered in protective wrap, will start after the eighth anniversary of the tragedy in June this year.
Engineers advising the government said the structure of the tower would worsen over time, and that the building, or part of it that was significantly damaged, should be carefully taken down.
"Do we wish the whole tower could stand forever? Yes. Is that an option? Not from a structural point of view," GNK said.
Grenfell United said the voices of bereaved families and survivors were not heard or considered by Rayner, during what they described as a short four-week consultation.
"Ignoring the voices of bereaved on the future of our loved ones' gravesite is disgraceful and unforgivable," it said.
The department of housing, communities and local government did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but the decision was confirmed by Joe Powell, the member of parliament for Kensington, the area where the tower is located.
He said on X that the decision had not been taken lightly: "Grenfell Tower will always be in our hearts as a community."
A public inquiry into the fire, which published its final report last year, blamed the disaster on failings by the government, by the construction industry and, most of all, by the firms involved in fitting the exterior with flammable cladding.
Several survivors and families have said the inquiry has delayed any criminal proceedings.
A commission looking at a future memorial on the site of the disaster said in its 2023 report that if the tower came down it should be "dismantled with care and respect."
A final design for the memorial is expected by spring 2026, and construction could begin that year.
The decision on the tower's future came after some relatives of those who died raised concerns about a letter notifying them that a small quantity of human remains were still being stored by the police.
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Voice of America
10-03-2025
- Voice of America
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ກອງກຳລັງພິເສດຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ຍ່າງເປັນລະຍາທາງຫຼາຍກິໂລແມັດພາຍໃນທໍ່ສົ່ງແກັສເພື່ອໂຈມຕີກອງກຳລັງຢູເຄຣນຈາກດ້ານຫຼັງໃນພາກພື້ນເຄີີຣກ (Kursk) ທັງພວກນັກບລອກເກີ້ກ່ຽວກັບສົງຄາມຂອງກອງທັບຢູເຄຣນ ແລະ ຂອງຊາວຣັດເຊຍຕ່າງກໍ່ໄດ້ລາຍງານ, ຂະນະທີ່ມົສກູ ເຄື່ອນໄຫວເພື່ອຍຶດຄືນບາງສ່ວນຂອງແຂວງຢູ່ຊາຍແດນທີ່ກີຢິບຍຶດໄປ ໃນການໂຈມຕີແບບທີ່ບໍ່ຮູ້ເມື່ອ ອີງຕາມອົງການຂ່າເອພີລາຍງານ. ຢູເຄຣນເປີດສາກການຮຸກຮານຂ້າມພົມແດນທີ່ກ້າສ່ຽງ ໃນພາກພື້ນ ເຄີສກ ເມື່ອເດືອນສິງຫາ ຊຶ່ງຖືວ່າ ເປັນການໂຈມຕີດິນແດນຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ຄັ້ງໃຫຍ່ທີ່ສຸດນັບຕັ້ງແຕ່ສົງຄາມໂລກຄັ້ງທີ 2. ພາຍໃນບໍ່ພໍເທົ່າໃດວັນ ກອງກຳລັງຂອງຢູເຄຣນ ຫຼາຍໜ່ວຍສາມາດຍຶດຄອງພື້ນທີ່ໄດ້ 1,000 ຕາລາງກິໂລແມັດ ລວມເຖິງເມືອງຊາຍແດນທີ່ເປັນຍຸດທະສາດ ຄື ຊຸດຈາ ( Sudzha) ແລະ ຈັບຕົວນັກໂທດສົງຄາມຊາວຣັດເຊຍໄປຫຼາຍຮ້ອຍຄົນ. ອີງຕາມການລາຍງານຂອງກີຢິບ ປະຕິບັດການດັ່ງກ່າວ ມີຈຸດໝາຍເພື່ອຂໍ້ຕໍ່ລອງໃນການເຈລະຈາສັນຕິພາບໃນອະນາຄົດ ແລະບັງຄັບໃຫ້ຣັດເຊຍ ຫັນທະຫານອອກໄປຈາກການບຸກໂຈມຕີທີ່ມີຢູ່ພາກຕາເວນອອກຂອງຢູເຄຣນ. ແຕ່ຫຼາຍເດືອນຫຼັງຈາກທີ່ຢູເຄຣນໂຈມຕີິໜັກແບບສາຟ້າແລບ ທະຫານໃນ ເຄີສກຂອງຕົນ ກໍ່ອິດເມື່ອຍ ແລະ ເປື້ອນເລືອດຈາກການໂຈມຕີຢ່າງບໍ່ຢຸດຢັ້ງຂອງທະຫານ 50,000 ຄົນ ລວມເຖິງບາງສ່ວນຈາກເກົາຫຼີເໜືອ ຊຶ່ງເປັນພັນທະມິດຂອງຣັດເຊຍນຳດ້ວຍ ແຜນທີ່ທີ່ເປີດເຜີຍຂອງສະໜາມລົບສະແດງໃຫ້ເຫັນທະຫານຢູເຄຣນຫຼາຍໝື່ນຄົນສ່ຽງທີ່ຈະຖືກປິດລ້ອມ. ຕາມໂພສຂອງ ເທເລແກຣມ ໂດຍ ພວກບລອກເກີ້ ທີ່ສະໜັບສະໜູນ ວັງເຄຣມລິນ ຊຶ່ງເກີດໃນຢູເຄຣນ ເຈົ້າໜ້າທີ່ຣັດເຊຍຍ່າງເຂົ້າໄປປະມານ 15 ກິໂລແມັດພາຍໃນທໍ່ສົ່ງແກັສ ຊຶ່ງຈົນກະທັ້ງບໍ່ດົນມານີ້ ມົສກູ ເຄີຍໃຊ້ສົ່ງແກັສໄປຍັງຢູໂຣບ. ບລອກເກີ້ ຢູຣີ ໂພໂດລຢາກາ (Yuri Podolyaka) ອ້າງວ່າທະຫານຣັດເຊຍ ບາງສ່ວນໃຊ້ເວລາຫຼາຍວັນລໍຖ້າຢູ່ໃນທໍ່ສົ່ງແກັສ ກ່ອນທີ່ຈະໂຈມຕີິກອງກຳລັງຢູເຄຣນຈາກດ້ານຫຼັງໃກ້ເມືອງຊຸດຈາ. ເມືອງນີ້ ມີຜູ້ຢູ່ອາໄສປະມານ 5,000 ຄົນ ກ່ອນທີ່ຣັດເຊຍ ຈະຮຸກຮານຢູເຄຣນໃນເດືອນກຸມພາ 2022 ແລະ ມີສະຖານີຖ່າຍໂອນ ແລະວັດແທກແກັສຫຼັກຕະຫຼອດແນວທໍ່ສົ່ງແກັສ ຊຶ່ງຄັ້ງນຶ່ງເຄີຍໃຊ້ເປັນຊ່ອງທາງຫຼັກ ສຳລັບການສົ່ງອອກແກັສທຳມະຊາດຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ຜ່ານດິນແດນຢູເຄຣນ. ບລອກເກີ້ ສົງຄາມອີກຄົນນຶ່ງ ທີ່ໃຊ້ຊື່ຫຼີ້ນວ່າ Two Major ກ່າວວ່າ ກຳລັງເກີດການສູ້ລົບຢ່າງດຸເດືອນທີ່ເມືອງ ຊຸດຈາ ແລະ ກອງກຳລັງຣັດເຊຍສາມາດເຂົ້າສູ່ເມືອງໄດ້ຜ່ານທໍ່ສົ່ງແກັສ ສຳນັກຂ່າວ ເທເລແກຣມ ຂອງ ຣັດເຊຍ ໄດ້ເຜີຍແຜ່ ພາບຖ່າຍຂອງເຈົ້າໜ້າທີ່ໜ່ວຍລົບພິເສດ ຊຶ່ງໃສ່ໜ້າກາກປ້ອງກັນແກັສແລະຍ່າງໄປຕາມສິ່ງທີ່ເບິ່ງຄືວ່າ ພາຍໃນທໍ່ຂະໜາດໃຫຍ່. ເມື່ອຕອນແລງວັນເສົາຜ່ານມາ ກອງບັນຊາການຂອງຢູເຄຣນ ໄດ້ຢືນຢັນແລ້ວວ່າ ' ກຸ່ມກໍ່ການຮ້າຍແລະບຸກໂຈມຕີ' ຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ໃຊ້ທໍ່ສົ່ງແກັສດັ່ງກ່າວເພື່ອພະຍາຍາມຍຶດພື້ນທີ່ນອກເມືອງ ຊຸດຈາ ໃນໂພສ ເທເລແກຣມ ລະບຸວ່າ ກອງກຳລັງຣັດເຊຍ ' ຖືກກວດພົບໃນເວລາທີ່ເໝາະສົມ' ແລະ ຢູເຄຣນຕອບໂຕ້ດ້ວຍການຍິງຈະຫຼວດແລະປືນໃຫຍ່. ' ຂະນະນີ້ກອງກຳລັງພິເສດຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ຖືກກວດພົບແລ້ວປິດກັ້ນ ແລະຖືກທຳລາຍລ້າງ. ການສູນເສຍຂອງສັດຕູໃນເມືອງ ຊຸດຈາ ນັ້ນສູງຫຼາຍ' ກອງບັນຊາການທະຫານ ໄດ້ລາຍງານ. ອ່ານຂ່າວເປັນພາສາອັງກິດ Russian special forces walked kilometers inside of a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in the Kursk region, Ukraine's military and Russian war bloggers reported, as Moscow moves to recapture parts of its border province that Kyiv seized in a shock offensive. Ukraine launched a daring cross-border incursion into Kursk in August, in what marked the largest attack on Russian territory since World War II. Within days, Ukrainian units had captured 1,000 square kilometers of territory, including the strategic border town of Sudzha, and taken hundreds of Russian prisoners of war. According to Kyiv, the operation aimed to gain a bargaining chip in future peace talks, and force Russia to divert troops away from its grinding offensive in eastern Ukraine. But months after Ukraine's thunder run, its soldiers in Kursk are weary and bloodied by relentless assaults of more than 50,000 troops, including some from Russia's ally North Korea. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers run the risk of being encircled, open source maps of the battlefield show. According to Telegram posts by a Ukrainian-born, pro-Kremlin blogger, Russian operatives walked about 15 kilometers inside the pipeline, which Moscow had until recently used to send gas to Europe. Some Russian troops had spent several days in the pipe before striking Ukrainian units from the rear near the town of Sudzha, blogger Yuri Podolyaka claimed. The town had some 5,000 residents before the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and houses major gas transfer and measuring stations along the pipeline, once a major outlet for Russian natural gas exports through Ukrainian territory. Another war blogger, who uses the alias Two Majors, said fierce fighting was underway for Sudzha, and that Russian forces managed to enter the town through a gas pipeline. Russian Telegram channels showed photos of what they said were special forces operatives, wearing gas masks and moving along what looked like the inside of a large pipe. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Saturday evening that Russian 'sabotage and assault groups' used the pipeline in a bid to gain a foothold outside Sudzha. In a Telegram post, it said the Russian troops were 'detected in a timely manner' and that Ukraine responded with rockets and artillery. 'At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked and destroyed. The enemy's losses in Sudzha are very high,' the General Staff reported.
Voice of America
09-03-2025
- Voice of America
Russia uses a gas pipeline to strike at Ukrainian troops from the rear in Kursk
Russian special forces walked kilometers inside of a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in the Kursk region, Ukraine's military and Russian war bloggers reported, as Moscow moves to recapture parts of its border province that Kyiv seized in a shock offensive. Ukraine launched a daring cross-border incursion into Kursk in August, in what marked the largest attack on Russian territory since World War II. Within days, Ukrainian units had captured 1,000 square kilometers of territory, including the strategic border town of Sudzha, and taken hundreds of Russian prisoners of war. According to Kyiv, the operation aimed to gain a bargaining chip in future peace talks, and force Russia to divert troops away from its grinding offensive in eastern Ukraine. But months after Ukraine's thunder run, its soldiers in Kursk are weary and bloodied by relentless assaults of more than 50,000 troops, including some from Russia's ally North Korea. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers run the risk of being encircled, open source maps of the battlefield show. According to Telegram posts by a Ukrainian-born, pro-Kremlin blogger, Russian operatives walked about 15 kilometers inside the pipeline, which Moscow had until recently used to send gas to Europe. Some Russian troops had spent several days in the pipe before striking Ukrainian units from the rear near the town of Sudzha, blogger Yuri Podolyaka claimed. The town had some 5,000 residents before the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and houses major gas transfer and measuring stations along the pipeline, once a major outlet for Russian natural gas exports through Ukrainian territory. Another war blogger, who uses the alias Two Majors, said fierce fighting was underway for Sudzha, and that Russian forces managed to enter the town through a gas pipeline. Russian Telegram channels showed photos of what they said were special forces operatives, wearing gas masks and moving along what looked like the inside of a large pipe. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Saturday evening that Russian 'sabotage and assault groups' used the pipeline in a bid to gain a foothold outside Sudzha. In a Telegram post, it said the Russian troops were 'detected in a timely manner' and that Ukraine responded with rockets and artillery. 'At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked and destroyed. The enemy's losses in Sudzha are very high,' the General Staff reported.
Voice of America
28-02-2025
- Voice of America
Fort Knox: Is gold there?
'Is the gold there?' As the decades-old question about the legendary Fort Knox makes headlines again, U.S. President Donald Trump is on the hunt for answers. 'We're actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there, because maybe somebody stole the gold. Tons of gold,' Trump said Monday. His demand for an audit is echoing widely, with public figures like his cost-cutting czar Elon Musk and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky joining the chorus in recent weeks. 'Who is confirming that gold wasn't stolen from Fort Knox?' Musk posted on X on Feb. 17. 'Maybe it's there, maybe it's not. That gold is owned by the American public! We want to know if it's still there.' The allegation is not new. Yet despite Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's assurance about the gold's presence and annual audits, suspicion lingers, leading to continued speculation about the state of the treasure at Fort Knox. Here is what you need to know about Fort Knox and the latest debate about its gold deposits. What is Fort Knox? The United States Bullion Depository, often called Fort Knox, is an ultra-secure vault at a World War I-era military installation 56 kilometers (35 miles) south of Kentucky's largest city, Louisville. Named after Henry Knox, America's first secretary of war, Camp Knox was established in 1918 before becoming a permanent military base, rebranded as Fort Knox in the 1930s. The depository was constructed in 1936 to store the government's expanding gold reserves that backed the U.S. currency. In 1937, Fort Knox received its first gold shipment via the U.S. Mail, and by 1941 held a staggering 649.6 million ounces of gold — four times its current holdings. But Fort Knox wasn't just about gold. During World War II, it safeguarded America's founding documents — the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights — and valuable items of other governments, such as a copy of the Magna Carta, England's 13th-century charter of liberties. How much gold is there today? According to the U.S. Mint, the depository today houses 147.3 million ounces of gold, or 5,000 tons. That's half of the U.S. Treasury's reserves, with the remainder stored in other secure facilities around the country. A standard gold bar kept at Fort Knox weighs about 12.4 kilograms (27.5 pounds). The gold's book value was set in the 1970s at $42.22 per ounce. At today's prices, it is worth $428 billion, according to What is known about the vault's security? Fort Knox's legendary security inspired the phrase 'secure as Fort Knox.' Built with 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel and 670 tons of structural steel, the depository building is a formidable fortress. Inside, the two-story vault has 21-inch-thick, concrete-reinforced steel walls. The vault door — blast-, drill- and torch-proof — weighs more than 20 tons and requires 14 turns to open. No single person knows the procedure to open it, former Mint Director Philip Diehl wrote in a 2023 CoinWeek article. Guarded by the United States Mint Police and the large military force at Fort Knox, the facility is nearly impenetrable. Razor wire and minefields add extra layers of protection, according to Diehl. Have visitors been allowed inside? The U.S. Mint calls the depository a 'classified facility,' with a strict 'no visitors, no exceptions' policy. Even former presidents have been barred from visiting. But in 1974, it did make an exception, opening the vaults to a group of journalists and members of Congress. The historic visit, captured on camera and later broadcast on television, came in response to rumors that large amounts of the gold had mysteriously vanished. Four decades later, former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin led a delegation of Kentucky politicians to view the vaults in 2017. "Glad gold is safe!" Mnuchin tweeted after the visit. Prior to these rare visits, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only outsider to enter the vaults, according to the Mint. Now, pressure is mounting for a new public audit. Conservative radio host Glenn Beck wrote to Trump recently, asking to bring a camera crew to Fort Knox 'to document and verify the presence of America's gold reserves.' While few doubt the gold's presence, some industry experts believe opening the vault doors to the public could end the controversy. 'A full, independent audit — potentially even a livestreamed verification — would dispel doubts and reinforce trust in U.S. financial institutions,' wrote in a commentary.
