Latest news with #Bering
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
The Russian past of Alaska, where Trump and Putin will meet for summit talks on Ukraine war
Bering's expedition kicked off a century of Russian seal hunting, with the first colony set up on the southern Kodiak Island. In 1799, Tsar Paul I established the Russian-American Company to take advantage of the lucrative fur trade, which often involved clashes with the Indigenous inhabitants. However, the hunters overexploited the seals and sea otters, whose populations collapsed, taking with them the settlers' economy. The Russian empire sold the territory to Washington for US$7.2 million ($12m) in 1867. The purchase of an area more than twice the size of Texas was widely criticised in the US at the time, even dubbed 'Seward's folly' after the deal's mastermind, secretary of state William Seward. Hunters return from a trip along the coast of the Bering Sea near the climate change-affected Yupik Eskimo village of Quinhagak in Alaska. Photo / Mark Ralston, AFP Languages and churches The Russian Orthodox Church established itself in Alaska after the creation of the Russian-American Company, and remains one of the most significant remaining Russian influences in the state. More than 35 churches, some with distinctive onion-shaped domes, dot the Alaskan coast, according to an organisation dedicated to preserving the buildings. Alaska's Orthodox diocese says it is the oldest in North America, and even maintains a seminary on Kodiak Island. A local dialect derived from Russian mixed with Indigenous languages survived for decades in various communities – particularly near the state's largest city Anchorage – though it has now essentially vanished. However, near the massive glaciers on the southern Kenai Peninsula, the Russian language is still being taught. A small rural school of an Orthodox community known as the 'Old Believers' set up in the 1960s teaches Russian to around a hundred students. The Saint Sophia Orthodox Church where the Reverend Michael Trefon who is of Yupik Eskimo descent, is the rector and conducts Russian Orthodox church services. Photo / Mark Ralston, AFP Next-door neighbours One of the most famous statements about the proximity of Alaska and Russia was made in 2008 by Sarah Palin, the state's then-Governor – and the vice-presidential pick of Republican nominee Senator John McCain. 'They're our next-door neighbours, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska,' Palin said. While it is not possible to see Russia from the Alaskan mainland, two islands facing each other in the Bering Strait are separated by just 4km. Russia's Big Diomede Island is just west of the American Little Diomede Island, where a few dozen people live. Further south, two Russians landed on the remote St Lawrence Island – which is a few dozen kilometres from the Russian coast – in October, 2022, to seek asylum. They fled just weeks after Putin ordered an unpopular mobilisation of citizens to boost his invasion of Ukraine. For years, the US military has said it regularly intercepts Russian aircraft that venture too close to American airspace in the region. However, Russia is ostensibly not interested in reclaiming the territory it once held, with Putin saying in 2014 that Alaska is 'too cold'. -Agence France-Presse
New York Times
19-03-2025
- General
- New York Times
Small Plane That Crashed in Alaska Was a Half-Ton Overweight, U.S. Says
A small plane that crashed in Alaska last month, killing all 10 people on board, was a half-ton overweight for the icy weather conditions under which it was flying, federal investigators said in their initial report on Wednesday. The plane, which disappeared on Feb. 6 and was found the next day near the western coast of Alaska, was on a regularly scheduled afternoon flight between Unalakleet and Nome, a trip of about 150 miles. Bering Air Flight 445 vanished about 10 minutes before it was set to arrive in Nome, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. When its position was lost, the aircraft was 12 miles offshore, it said. After studying the baggage and cargo that was found, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the weight of the plane at takeoff was about 1,000 pounds over the maximum takeoff weight for a flight heading into forecast or known icing conditions, according to guidelines. It was also about 800 pounds over the maximum takeoff weight for any flight operation, the investigators said in the nine-page report. Excessive weight reduces flight performance, aviation experts say, in almost every aspect. Weather conditions in the region between Unalakleet and Nome included snow, fog and low temperatures on the afternoon of the Feb. 6 takeoff. A radar analysis showed that the Bering flight, a Cessna 208B Caravan, experienced 'a rapid loss of altitude' and a 'corresponding rapid loss in speed,' the Coast Guard said in February. Before the plane disappeared, the pilot told air traffic control in Anchorage that he had intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway in Nome to be cleared, according to the Nome Volunteer Fire Department. Then the plane lost contact. A pilot and nine passengers were on board the flight, said David Olson, the director of operations for Bering Air. Their Cessna Caravans are allowed to carry as many as nine passengers and two crew members, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Bering Air did not immediately return inquiries for comment on Wednesday. The N.T.S.B. investigation is continuing. Accident investigations typically take one to two years to complete, according to the agency. More than 80 percent of communities in Alaska are inaccessible by road, according to the Alaska Transportation Department. Air connections, like those operated by regional carriers such as Bering Air, are critical for delivering supplies like fuel and food. Bering Air is based in Nome, with hubs in Kotzebue and Unalakleet, and operates flights to 32 destinations, according to its website. Nome is home to about 3,500 people, and Unalakleet about 800. The Bering Air crash was the third involving an airline flight in the United States during an eight-day stretch from late January into early February. An Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet over the Potomac River on Jan. 29 as the jetliner approached Ronald Reagan National Airport, near Washington D.C., killing 67 people. Two days later, a small medical plane carrying six people crashed near a shopping center in northeast Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing everyone on board and one person on the ground, and sending a large fireball into the air that engulfed homes and vehicles in flames.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brazil's socialist president tells citizens not to buy expensive grocery items as food prices rise
Brazil's leftist president recently told the country's citizens not to purchase expensive grocery items in an effort to combat soaring food prices. In a video being shared online, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged Brazilians to be frugal when grocery shopping. "If you go to the supermarket in Salvador and you suspect that a certain product is expensive, don't buy it," he said. "Look, if everyone thought like that and didn't buy things they thought were expensive, whoever is selling is going to have to lower the price in order to sell it. How Brazilian Police Say Bolsonaro Plotted A Coup To Stay In Office "Because if they don't, it's going to spoil." On Thursday, da Silva said he was worried about rising food prices but projected the increases would slow and voiced an optimistic tone about the economy. Read On The Fox News App "The Brazilian economy is living its best moment," Lula said during an interview with radio stations, Reuters reported. The leftist leader noted that Brazil's real was still at a low level against the U.S. dollar but sees the rate "adjusting," according to Reuters. Bering Air Plane Vanishes In Alaska While Carrying 10 People In January, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said he expected food prices to decline this year due to strong agricultural production. Prices tend to stay at high levels until food production "corrects this price distortion to an adequate level," he told a local news outlet. Haddad added that officials predict Brazil's economy will grow 2.5% in 2025, slowing from an expected 3.5% last year. "I believe we have room to grow 2.5% by reducing inflation," he told RedeTV, according to article source: Brazil's socialist president tells citizens not to buy expensive grocery items as food prices rise
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Passenger plane goes missing mid-air in Alaska
A search is under way for a small passenger plane that disappeared mid-air during dangerous winter weather in rural Alaska on Thursday. The Bering Air Caravan was reported missing at about 4pm local time (1am GMT), while travelling from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot, according to Alaska's Department of Public Safety. Authorities are working to determine its last known coordinates. Unalakleet is a community of about 690 people in western Alaska, about 150 miles (about 240 kilometres) southeast of Nome and 395 miles (about 640 kilometres) northwest of Anchorage. The Cessna Caravan left Unalakleet at 2.37pm (11.37pm GMT), and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later, according to David Olson, director of operations for Bering Air. The aircraft was 12 miles (about 19 kilometres) offshore, according to the US Coast Guard. 'Staff at Bering Air is working hard to gather details, get emergency assistance, search and rescue going,' Mr Olson said. Bering Air serves 32 villages in Western Alaska from hubs in Nome, Kotzebue and Unalakleet. Most destinations receive twice-daily scheduled flights Monday through Saturday. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department said in a statement on social media that it was conducting a ground search from Nome and White Mountain. 'Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time,' it said. People have been told not to form their own search parties because the weather is too dangerous. The National Guard, the Coast Guard and troopers are also helping with the search, according to the fire department. A Federal Aviation Administration weather camera near Nome appeared to show near-whiteout conditions over several hours Thursday afternoon, according to Alaska's News Source The names of the people onboard have not yet been released.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Passenger plane goes missing mid-air in Alaska
A search is under way for a small passenger plane that disappeared mid-air during dangerous winter weather in rural Alaska on Thursday. The Bering Air Caravan was reported missing at about 4pm local time (1am GMT), while travelling from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot, according to Alaska's Department of Public Safety. Authorities are working to determine its last known coordinates. Unalakleet is a community of about 690 people in western Alaska, about 150 miles (about 240 kilometres) southeast of Nome and 395 miles (about 640 kilometres) northwest of Anchorage. The Cessna Caravan left Unalakleet at 2.37pm (11.37pm GMT), and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later, according to David Olson, director of operations for Bering Air. The aircraft was 12 miles (about 19 kilometres) offshore, according to the US Coast Guard. 'Staff at Bering Air is working hard to gather details, get emergency assistance, search and rescue going,' Mr Olson said. Bering Air serves 32 villages in Western Alaska from hubs in Nome, Kotzebue and Unalakleet. Most destinations receive twice-daily scheduled flights Monday through Saturday. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department said in a statement on social media that it was conducting a ground search from Nome and White Mountain. 'Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time,' it said. People have been told not to form their own search parties because the weather is too dangerous. The National Guard, the Coast Guard and troopers are also helping with the search, according to the fire department. A Federal Aviation Administration weather camera near Nome appeared to show near-whiteout conditions over several hours Thursday afternoon, according to Alaska's News Source The names of the people onboard have not yet been released. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
