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Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Greenpeace installs Anish Kapoor artwork on Shell platform in North Sea
Kapoor conceived the piece, titled BUTCHERED, specifically for the protest on the Skiff platform, which is located 45 nautical miles off the Norfolk coast, the campaign group said. Seven climbers suspended a huge 12-metre by eight-metre canvas on one side of the structure on Wednesday. They then hoisted up a high-press hose before pumping 1,000 litres of blood-red liquid – made from seawater, beetroot powder and food-based pond dye – across the fabric to create a crimson stain. Greenpeace said the climbers were highly experienced and boarded the platform safely. Greenpeace activists sprayed red liquid on the canvas after installing it (Andrew McConnell/Greenpeace/PA) The work intends to visualise the wound inflicted on humanity and Earth by emissions from the fossil fuels industry. Greenpeace noted the action comes as heatwaves, wildfires and floods have hit Europe and elsewhere in the world this month, with scientists saying their frequency and intensity is driven by human-induced climate change. Shell is among the fossil fuel giants planning major expansions in its operations despite warnings from scientists and energy experts that no new extraction projects are needed if the world aims to limit dangerous global warming. Kapoor said: 'The carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels is invisible, but we are witnessing the devastation that its extraction wreaks on our world. 'What still remains largely hidden is the responsibility oil giants like Shell bear for causing this destruction and profiting from worldwide suffering. 'I wanted to make something visual, physical, visceral to reflect the butchery they are inflicting on our planet: a visual scream that gives voice to the calamitous cost of the climate crisis, often on the most marginalised communities across the globe.' Artist Anish Kapoor, left, with Greenpeace activists Benji and Poppy (Kristian Buus/Greenpeace/PA) Kapoor is the latest figure to join the 'polluters pay pact', a global Greenpeace initiative backed by politicians, firefighters, unions, humanitarian groups and tens of thousands of people. The artist, whose world-famous work includes the Cloud Gate sculpture, also known as the Bean, in Chicago, said his new piece aims to 'bring home the horror, giving voice to the moral and physical destruction caused by ruthless profiteers', and pay tribute to activists who chose to 'disrupt, disagree and disobey'. Philip Evans, senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: 'Extreme weather is hitting close to home, but the extraction of fossil fuels driving the climate crisis is often out of sight. 'This artwork is a visual gut-punch that makes visible the suffering and damage caused by the oil and gas industry right at the place where the harm begins.' The campaign group called on the UK Government to place new polluter taxes on oil and gas companies, such as a levy on extraction and on shareholders in fossil fuel firms, to help raise funds for climate-impacted communities at home and abroad. Greenpeace said it is the world's first artwork to be installed at an active offshore gas site (Andrew McConnell/Greenpeace/PA) A Shell UK spokesperson said: 'Safety at sea is our priority. 'Greenpeace entered a restricted safety zone around the platform without permission, which is established under UK law to protect people and prevent collisions. 'Their actions were extremely dangerous, involved illegally trespassing, and put their own and others' lives at risk. 'We respect the right of individuals and organisations to protest, but it must be done safely and lawfully.' The Energy Department (Desnz) has been asked for comment.
Western Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Greenpeace installs Anish Kapoor artwork on Shell platform in North Sea
Kapoor conceived the piece, titled BUTCHERED, specifically for the protest on the Skiff platform, which is located 45 nautical miles off the Norfolk coast, the campaign group said. Seven climbers suspended a huge 12-metre by eight-metre canvas on one side of the structure on Wednesday. They then hoisted up a high-press hose before pumping 1,000 litres of blood-red liquid – made from seawater, beetroot powder and food-based pond dye – across the fabric to create a crimson stain. Greenpeace said the climbers were highly experienced and boarded the platform safely. Greenpeace activists sprayed red liquid on the canvas after installing it (Andrew McConnell/Greenpeace/PA) The work intends to visualise the wound inflicted on humanity and Earth by emissions from the fossil fuels industry. Greenpeace noted the action comes as heatwaves, wildfires and floods have hit Europe and elsewhere in the world this month, with scientists saying their frequency and intensity is driven by human-induced climate change. Shell is among the fossil fuel giants planning major expansions in its operations despite warnings from scientists and energy experts that no new extraction projects are needed if the world aims to limit dangerous global warming. Kapoor said: 'The carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels is invisible, but we are witnessing the devastation that its extraction wreaks on our world. 'What still remains largely hidden is the responsibility oil giants like Shell bear for causing this destruction and profiting from worldwide suffering. 'I wanted to make something visual, physical, visceral to reflect the butchery they are inflicting on our planet: a visual scream that gives voice to the calamitous cost of the climate crisis, often on the most marginalised communities across the globe.' Artist Anish Kapoor, left, with Greenpeace activists Benji and Poppy (Kristian Buus/Greenpeace/PA) Kapoor is the latest figure to join the 'polluters pay pact', a global Greenpeace initiative backed by politicians, firefighters, unions, humanitarian groups and tens of thousands of people. The artist, whose world-famous work includes the Cloud Gate sculpture, also known as the Bean, in Chicago, said his new piece aims to 'bring home the horror, giving voice to the moral and physical destruction caused by ruthless profiteers', and pay tribute to activists who chose to 'disrupt, disagree and disobey'. Philip Evans, senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: 'Extreme weather is hitting close to home, but the extraction of fossil fuels driving the climate crisis is often out of sight. 'This artwork is a visual gut-punch that makes visible the suffering and damage caused by the oil and gas industry right at the place where the harm begins.' The campaign group called on the UK Government to place new polluter taxes on oil and gas companies, such as a levy on extraction and on shareholders in fossil fuel firms, to help raise funds for climate-impacted communities at home and abroad. Greenpeace said it is the world's first artwork to be installed at an active offshore gas site (Andrew McConnell/Greenpeace/PA) A Shell UK spokesperson said: 'Safety at sea is our priority. 'Greenpeace entered a restricted safety zone around the platform without permission, which is established under UK law to protect people and prevent collisions. 'Their actions were extremely dangerous, involved illegally trespassing, and put their own and others' lives at risk. 'We respect the right of individuals and organisations to protest, but it must be done safely and lawfully.' The Energy Department (Desnz) has been asked for comment.
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- RNZ News
Auckland Transport urged to do better in managing unplanned transport disruptions
AT's systems for managing disruptions are largely manual, complex, and have resulted in long delays in telling passengers, a report found. Photo: RNZ / Ziming Li The Deputy-Auditor General is urging Auckland Transport (AT) to do better in communicating unplanned transport disruptions to the public, and to improve its processes for managing disruptions. A report published by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has found that AT's systems for identifying and managing disruptions are largely manual, complex, and have resulted in long delays for patrons to be informed. It takes on average 22 minutes for AT to inform patrons about unplanned disruptions after an incident occurs, according to AT's data - and in one instance in 2023, a bus operator took three hours to notify AT's operations team that it had cancelled services on a route due to weather conditions. There have also been multiple instances when children have been stranded due to school bus services not arriving on time, between 2021 and 2024, the report found. The Deputy-Auditor General Andrew McConnell acknowledged that AT manages between 67 and 144 disruptions every day - including planned ones - across its high volume of services, but he stressed that the organisation had a responsibility to provide people with clear and accurate information. "Frequent disruptions can undermine public confidence in the public transport system and people's willingness to use it," McConnell said. Unplanned disruptions include bus delays, diversions due to traffic accidents, cancellations due to severe weather, breakdowns and mechanical issues. McConnell said that while AT had a mobile app accessed by 300,000 people monthly, and 970 digital displays across 15 percent of its stops, the information on these portals were not always accurate. The Deputy-Auditor General highlighted AT's problematic reliance on a largely manual system and outdated technology for managing disruptions. He said this had limited AT's capacity to communicate unplanned disruptions out-of-hours, and to identify issues in a timely manner. AT has a "disruption communication system map" which consultants have described as the most complex they have ever mapped. Informing the public about an unplanned rail disruption could involve up to 20 different people across AT, KiwiRail and Auckland One Rail. The OAG has been told that only 3 percent of the actions were automated. The OAG has also been told by AT staff that sometimes they must rely on others - including operators and members of the public - to alert them to what was happening on the network. The report said the manual processes meant that AT provided limited, or sometimes no information, about unplanned disruptions that happened outside of its business hours. McConnell has given AT a number of recommendations, including reviewing the information it holds about passengers' experience to make improvements, and be more specific on how it will learn from its reviews to better manage disruptions. He said AT was aware of what it needed to improve its communications around disruptions based on its own surveys and research. McConnell acknowledged that AT had a programme underway to address these issues. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Time Out
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Cumulus Inc
Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique. If you were to plan the perfect Melbourne night out for a first-time visitor, what would you include in the itinerary? I love this question, since it's not only a great conversation starter, but there's also something inherently romantic in the exercise. Seeing a city's virtues through another's eyes tends to make you fall in love with it anew. My ideal night starts on the Paris End of Flinders Lane in the form of your classic 'dinner and a show'. After all, you can't go wrong with a meal at Cumulus Inc, the winner of our Legend Award in 2018 and the first hugely successful Melbourne bar and 'eating house' from legendary local chef Andrew McConnell (whose hospo empire today includes the likes of Supernormal, Cutler, Marion, Gimlet and Apollo Inn – all respective Melbourne icons in their own right). And after dessert, you needn't go far for entertainment. Simply descend into the basement of Fortyfivedownstairs, also housed in Collins Place, to feed your second stomach – your stomach for life, of course – with a program of independent art, theatre and music. This is exactly the evening I'd planned a few months ago to coincide with my tickets to a performance of Hamlet presented by the Melbourne Shakespeare Company. While the latter turned out to be extraordinary, a cocktail and snack (spring garlic and ricotta conchiglioni pasta stuffed with tomato and parmesan) at Cumulus Inc before the show were far more pleasurable than I'd anticipated. Like many resident Melbournians interested in eating out, I'd dined at Cumulus Inc before and I knew it was good, but I didn't remember it being this good. Something stirred me to rebook a table immediately for a larger meal. Frankly, not much has changed since Time Out last made an official visit. That dish of tuna tartare, goat's curd, green pea and mint so fresh it sings is still on the menu, as is the much celebrated 1.2-kilogram slow-roasted lamb shoulder with almond and red pepper – perfect for two to share on a date. While these are historically the highlights, there's seductive power in a trio of buttery Abrolhos Island scallops drenched in carrot curry and lime, or a plate of robust gildas ferrying pickled pepper, olive and Freo octopus into our liquor-slackened mouths. Nearly two decades on, McConnell's cracked wheat salad with labneh, preserved lemon and barberry is still one of the most wholesome (yet intriguing) restaurant salads money can buy, and that's not even the end of our praises. The superb staff still welcome you in as enthusiastically as they did back in 2009, their knowledge of the menu and drinks list far broader and more passionate in scope than most venues these days. And like mousse from the heavens, Valrhona soft chocolate is the idyllic crowd-pleaser dessert, served with an Earl Grey-infused cream, orange caramel and flecks of pistachio. My partner and I are smitten. Perhaps people don't talk a lot about Cumulus Inc anymore because there's not a lot that's new to say. There's a new wave of all-day diners following in its footsteps and you're far more likely to find news splashed about these all over the 'gram. But isn't it natural that evolution should stall when perfection has been reached? And if the recipe at this perpetually buzzing venue has been so passionately appreciated by all for so long, then why gussy it up to compete with trends of the '20s? It'd be like a longtime lover switching their cologne and then expecting you to feel the same good feelings when you sniff their sweater.
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Scottish Sun
Brits warned that very popular travel item is banned in hold luggage on flights from UK
It could even get you banned from boarding your flight PACK IT IN Brits warned that very popular travel item is banned in hold luggage on flights from UK Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLIDAYMAKERS are warned to triple check their suitcases before heading to the airport because of a strict ban on a certain item. A number of onboard plane fires have led to new rules being introduced when it comes to travelling with power banks. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Portable chargers have been banned in hold luggage since 2016 Credit: Getty 3 Some passengers have even been refused boarding for having power banks in their checked luggage Credit: Alamy The current rules which have been in place since 2016 ban portable chargers being carried in checked luggage. This is because of fears of them setting on fire, with it unable to be contained if it happens in the hold. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) warns: "Poorly manufactured, faulty and misused lithium batteries and those which have not been protected against short circuit can experience something called 'thermal runaway'. "This results in them getting so hot that they can catch fire, explode and ignite other nearby batteries. "If that were to happen on the flight deck it could significantly disrupt the operation of the aircraft and cause serious injury to flight crew." Andrew McConnell, a spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority, told The Sun: "Lithium batteries power everything from vapes and mobile phones to cameras and power banks. "If they become faulty or damaged, they can cause an intense fire that is difficult to extinguish – both in the cabin or hold of an aircraft. 'Correct handling reduces risk. Lithium batteries should be carried in your carry-on baggage. "Power banks and spare batteries should also be in a cabin bag and should be completely turned off and not in standby mode.' Anyone who tries to check in a suitcase with a power bank faces being removed from the flight along with the luggage. TSA Bans Power Banks in Checked Luggage: Key Changes for Travelers in 2025 Back in 2022, a woman was stopped from boarding because airport staff suspected she had a power bank in her suitcase. Despite this not being the case, she was forced to catch a later flight after being stopped from getting on her initial flight. Also that year, journalist Pandora was refused boarding after mistakenly checking in a "smart" suitcase which had a built in power bank. Currently, UK airlines still allow power banks in hand luggage and overhead lockers. But a number of plane fires have led to a crack down on power banks in carry on luggage by some airlines. Back in January, an Air Busan plane caught on fire due to a malfunctioning power bank, which led to the plane being decommissioned due to the extent of the damage. What do the new power bank rules mean for travellers? The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot weighs in. AS staying connected becomes ever-more important, a ban on the handy gadget that can keep our devices topped up could be seen as a pain. But the catastrophic consequences of a fire on a plane are an obvious reason to make rules stricter. After countless incidents - and with so many counterfeit and faulty goods out there - it makes sense they are cracking down. But airlines do need to understand the need for us to be able to top up our devices in the air. With plans afoot to get rid of physical boarding passes in the coming years, making sure we're able to use our devices will become ever more essential. Adapting plane interiors to include USB ports will alleviate the need to top up on the go. And more needs to be done to highlight the new rules - and the dangers these devices can pose. This led to a full ban of power banks being taken in hand luggage, the first of its kind in the world. Other airlines have followed suit with slightly less restrictive guidelines, but still banning the use of power banks in the cabin, as well as banning them in overhead lockers. This includes Eva Air, Thai Airways and Air Asia as well as Tigerair and Starlux. Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines - who operate flights from the UK - have also introduced the strict power bank ban. It comes days after the US Transportation Security Administration updated its guidelines on checked luggage restrictions in regard to power banks. They must only be in hand luggage, not checked luggage. But some rules have been eased - 11 new items are allowed in hand luggage in the US including certain medications and food.
