Latest news with #Guido
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dive-bombing buzzard causes school playground ban
A village primary school in east London has ordered pupils to stay inside due to a dive-bombing buzzard taking up residence in its playground. There are concerns the bird is guarding its nest and may attack children at Dame Tipping Primary School in Havering-atte-Bower after there were reports it had swooped on residents in the village. Havering Council has said its health and safety team had provided "detailed advice to the academy trust responsible for the school, including the use of legal deterrents and other controls". The council has also suggested hiring a falconry expert who may be able to deter the raptor. Buzzards are the most common and widespread bird of prey in the UK and often feed on carrion, according to the RSPB. Havering Council said the RSPCA had advised that the buzzard may be protecting its nest or chicks. The council said that, as buzzards are a protected species under UK law, "intervention options are very limited". The council added: "We completely understand how difficult and worrying this situation is for the school and local residents and we regret that there is not a quick or straightforward solution." Head teacher Stella McCarthy told the BBC the school was trying to allow children to play outside where possible and was regularly taking pupils to a nearby outdoor learning facility. "We had to think about how to risk assess this... it's quite an unusual situation, having to risk assess a buzzard. "We tried our nearer playground areas thinking they would be safe, but soon discovered that Brenda was quite attracted to children playing outside." But she said they all accepted "there was nothing we could do" to remove the buzzard and that teachers were instead educating children about the bird. "We embraced it as a learning experience for the children," Ms McCarthy said. "The children the named the bird Brenda and put out posters for protecting Brenda and looking after her... they've been writing stories, reports; next week they'll be doing and newspaper articles, they've done artwork." As part of their learning experience, a bird of prey expert visited the school - bringing with him a Chilean blue buzzard eagle called Guido. Ross Hicking said: "Guido is here today to help educate the children about what Brenda the buzzard is dong, why she's behaving like this, the natural habits of buzzards, to foster interest in birds of prey and also to teach them about conservation and what we can do to protect birds of prey in the wild." Mr Hicking said that, while "99% of the time" buzzards would avoid people due to fear, Brenda's swooping could be connected with the nesting season. "Brenda could behaving like this because she has a nest in the nearby area, so she might be that bit more defensive of her nest. "Another big factor is, living in a suburban area, she may be in close proximity to people so that will mean she's a lot more comfortable around people and lot less fearful than most buzzards would be." Additional reporting by Tim Muffett Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Hawk that terrorised village given forever home Pensioner treated in hospital after hawk attack Dive-bombing hawk taken for retraining Havering Council
Gulf Today
21-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Germany's infrastructure push needs more than money
Clement Kasser, Agence France-Presse As construction crews using heavy excavators demolished a major highway bridge in Berlin, pensioner Guido, like many Germans, greeted the dusty spectacle with grim satisfaction. "For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro ($563 billion) infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka". After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long (1,300-foot-long) bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden, with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help — but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level."
Local Germany
21-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Germany's infrastructure push needs more than money
As construction crews using heavy excavators demolished a major highway bridge in Berlin, pensioner Guido, like many Germans, greeted the dusty spectacle with grim satisfaction. "For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka" . Wake-up call After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden , with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Advertisement Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help -- but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." READ ALSO: The German industries that would fall apart without immigration Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. 'Fanciful projects' "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Advertisement Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany's infrastructure push needs more than money
As construction crews using heavy excavators demolished a major highway bridge in Berlin, pensioner Guido, like many Germans, greeted the dusty spectacle with grim satisfaction. "For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro ($563 billion) infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka". - Wake-up call - After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long (1,300-foot-long) bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden, with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help -- but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. - 'Fanciful projects' - "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level." kas-vbw/fz/rmb/rsc
Int'l Business Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Germany's Infrastructure Push Needs More Than Money
As construction crews using heavy excavators demolished a major highway bridge in Berlin, pensioner Guido, like many Germans, greeted the dusty spectacle with grim satisfaction. "For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro ($563 billion) infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka". After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long (1,300-foot-long) bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden, with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help -- but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level." The partially collapsed Carola Bridge (Carolabruecke) is pictured in the city centre of Dresden, Saxony, eastern Germany, on September 17, 2024 AFP Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a major facelift, also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines AFP Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans AFP Excavators demolish a section of the 'Ringbahn' bridge of the A100 motorway over the tracks of the suburban S-Bahn train in Berlin AFP A demolished section of the 'Ringbahn' bridge of the A100 motorway in Berlin's Charlottenburg district AFP A construction worker welds part of an excavator as a bridge is being torn down in Berlin's Charlottenburg district AFP Cranes involved in the renovation of Berlin's Ostbahnhof train station operate in front of the TV Tower AFP
