Latest news with #Korek
Winnipeg Free Press
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Thrill of the carnival ride comes down to physics: Calgary professor
EDMONTON – Gregg Korek knows a thing or two about roller-coasters. As vice-president of client services for North American Midway Entertainment, he has been part of bringing rides and attractions to one of Edmonton's signature summer events for nearly five decades. Korek said his company has brought back a lot of fan favourites for KDays, the decades-old exhibition that draws thousands yearly to Alberta's capital for rides, games, food and live music. There are familiar coasters, such as the Star Dancer and Crazy Mouse. For those who want something wet and wild, there's the Niagara Falls Flume. Others, such as the Polar Express, are geared towards fast-paced thrill-seekers. The best rides are the fast ones and the ones that go upside down and backwards, Korek said. 'When you're coming down the very first hill on that Crazy Mouse roller-coaster, you're alive,' he said Tuesday. 'The Wave Swinger, that's always been my favourite. It always reminds me of … those dreams that you have where you're flying.' That feeling of hurtling through the air at breakneck speeds is all about physics and your brain fooling you, says a Calgary physics professor. Dr. Phil Langill, an associate professor in the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Calgary, is an avid thrill-seeker and has closely studied midway rides. Langill said it all comes down to gravitational force, or G-force, which measures the acceleration or deceleration relative to the Earth's gravitational pull. When you get on a ride, he said, it's designed in such a way that the seat you're in makes you feel heavy or light. That translates to a feeling of being smashed into your seat and feeling heavier, or of weightlessness, as if you're going to fall out, he said. 'The rides try to play with your psychological being,' Langill said. While many chase the thrill of the ride, carnival classics like the ferris wheel continue to be enjoyed by people like Chris Scheetz, who is on a quest to ride it for 54 hours straight to raise $54,000 for chronically ill children. A self-proclaimed lover of rides, Scheetz said he's done a bunch of 'wild and wacky' stunts dating back to his time as a radio host, such as when he drove a Zamboni from Calgary to Edmonton. When his family found out his plan to break the 53-hour record ferris wheel ride, 'they went, 'Oh, no. Not again,'' he said. Aside from five-minute bathroom breaks every hour, he hasn't stepped off the wheel, even sleeping on it at night. Scheetz said he's had no trouble passing the time, between rides with sponsors, celebrities and media interviews. He's also had children on as part of the Alberta Dreams charity. His ride is expected to end late Wednesday afternoon. KDays runs through Sunday. — With files from Bill Graveland in Calgary This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Thrill of the carnival ride comes down to physics: Calgary professor
EDMONTON - Gregg Korek knows a thing or two about roller-coasters. As vice-president of client services for North American Midway Entertainment, he has been part of bringing rides and attractions to one of Edmonton's signature summer events for nearly five decades. Korek said his company has brought back a lot of fan favourites for KDays, the decades-old exhibition that draws thousands yearly to Alberta's capital for rides, games, food and live music. There are familiar coasters, such as the Star Dancer and Crazy Mouse. For those who want something wet and wild, there's the Niagara Falls Flume. Others, such as the Polar Express, are geared towards fast-paced thrill-seekers. The best rides are the fast ones and the ones that go upside down and backwards, Korek said. 'When you're coming down the very first hill on that Crazy Mouse roller-coaster, you're alive,' he said Tuesday. 'The Wave Swinger, that's always been my favourite. It always reminds me of ... those dreams that you have where you're flying.' That feeling of hurtling through the air at breakneck speeds is all about physics and your brain fooling you, says a Calgary physics professor. Dr. Phil Langill, an associate professor in the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Calgary, is an avid thrill-seeker and has closely studied midway rides. Langill said it all comes down to gravitational force, or G-force, which measures the acceleration or deceleration relative to the Earth's gravitational pull. When you get on a ride, he said, it's designed in such a way that the seat you're in makes you feel heavy or light. That translates to a feeling of being smashed into your seat and feeling heavier, or of weightlessness, as if you're going to fall out, he said. 'The rides try to play with your psychological being,' Langill said. While many chase the thrill of the ride, carnival classics like the ferris wheel continue to be enjoyed by people like Chris Scheetz, who is on a quest to ride it for 54 hours straight to raise $54,000 for chronically ill children. A self-proclaimed lover of rides, Scheetz said he's done a bunch of 'wild and wacky' stunts dating back to his time as a radio host, such as when he drove a Zamboni from Calgary to Edmonton. When his family found out his plan to break the 53-hour record ferris wheel ride, 'they went, 'Oh, no. Not again,'' he said. Aside from five-minute bathroom breaks every hour, he hasn't stepped off the wheel, even sleeping on it at night. Scheetz said he's had no trouble passing the time, between rides with sponsors, celebrities and media interviews. He's also had children on as part of the Alberta Dreams charity. His ride is expected to end late Wednesday afternoon. KDays runs through Sunday. — With files from Bill Graveland in Calgary This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.
Rudaw Net
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq suspends repatriation of ISIS-linked nationals from Syria: Ministry
Also in Iraq Iraq rejects displacement of Palestinians from Gaza Over two tons of drugs seized in Iraq in two months Korek owes $1.5 billion in debts, licensing fees: MP Over 3,000 Kirkuk land seizure cases submitted for compensation A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's migration and displaced ministry said on Wednesday that the repatriation of nationals linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) from al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) has been suspended. Ministry spokesperson Ali Abbas told Rudaw that repatriations from the notorious camp have been suspended for the next four to six months. He said that the process will resume once the rehabilitation program for returnees, carried out in al-Jada camp in Iraq's northern Nineveh province, is completed, adding that 3,500 nationals are currently in the rehabilitation process. According to the latest statistics from the ministry, more than 20,000 Iraqis, including women and children, remain in al-Hol camp. Baghdad had set 2027 as the deadline to finish returning all its nationals from the camp. Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of the 40,000 ISIS-linked people being held at the camp, which has been branded a breeding ground for terrorism. The repatriation of ISIS-linked citizens has sparked opposition in Iraq. Some tribes and communities are unwilling to accept people associated with the group that committed heinous human rights abuses and war crimes from 2014 to 2017, when they controlled vast swathes of the country. Others argue that reintegration should be considered for families of ISIS members, especially those who were not directly involved in severe crimes. Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
05-03-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraq rejects displacement of Palestinians from Gaza
Also in Iraq Over two tons of drugs seized in Iraq in two months Korek owes $1.5 billion in debts, licensing fees: MP Over 3,000 Kirkuk land seizure cases submitted for compensation Iraqi security forces ramp up efforts to combat drug trafficking, ISIS remnants A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq categorically rejects any plan to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip as a 'clear violation of international and humanitarian laws,' President Abdul Latif Rashid said on Tuesday, with a plan by US President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians causing uproar. 'Iraq renews its firm position calling for the establishment of an internationally recognized Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and rejects the policies of ethnic cleansing by the occupying entity against the Palestinian people,' Rashid said in a speech at the Arab Summit. He warned of the 'disastrous effects' of plans that aim to remove Palestinians from their lands and instead called for 'developing realistic solutions' to the cause. 'We call for urgent action to rebuild the Gaza Strip, and we renew our call to establish a fund to rebuild Gaza after the aggression and to develop a thoughtful assessment that determines its needs … and divide the obligations among the participating countries in a systematic manner,' Rashid suggested. Rashid arrived in Cairo on Monday to attend the Arab Summit focused on Gaza. He was joined by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and the Kurdistan Region's Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, among other officials. In early February, US President Donald Trump proposed that Washington would 'take over' Gaza and transform it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East,' expelling its residents to Jordan and Egypt. The announcement was made during a joint presser with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump's proposal has faced widespread global criticism, particularly from Amman and Cairo. Palestinian officials have labeled it as a 'declaration of war' and urged Arab states to take a firm stance against it. In his speech, Rashid also called on the United Nations to take urgent action to stop the aggressions in Gaza. Israel on Sunday halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza to pressure Hamas to extend the first phase of a fragile ceasefire agreement, which ended on Saturday. Tel Aviv says it wants to extend the first phase to secure the release of hostages currently held by Hamas. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect in mid-January, following 15 months of war that began after Hamas launched a large-scale incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,170 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a massive offensive in Gaza, killing more than 46,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Rudaw Net
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Over two tons of drugs seized in Iraq in two months
Also in Iraq Korek owes $1.5 billion in debts, licensing fees: MP Over 3,000 Kirkuk land seizure cases submitted for compensation Iraqi security forces ramp up efforts to combat drug trafficking, ISIS remnants Iraqi PM approves Kurdish farmers' demands in Sargaran: Farmers spox A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi anti-narcotics forces on Tuesday said that nearly two tons of illicit substances have been seized since the beginning of the year, with 2,000 arrests made in the process. Hussein al-Tamimi, spokesperson for Iraq's narcotics directorate, told Rudaw that more than 1 ton and 750 kilograms of various types of illicit substances have been seized since the year began. A committee was also formed with a directive from Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari to conduct unannounced drug inspections and education and government institutions, according to Tamimi. Anyone found using drugs is immediately dismissed. The government has also introduced mandatory drug tests for those seeking master's and doctoral degrees, driver's licenses, and firearm permits to combat the increased use of narcotic substances. In a presser in December, the narcotics directorate revealed that a total of six tons and 183 kilograms of illicit drugs were seized in 2024, with arrests totaling at 14,483 suspects. Of the 14,438 arrests, 144 have been sentenced to death for international drug smuggling, and 454 local dealers were sentenced to life in prison - a term of 20 years. The United Nations has previously warned that Iraq has become a regional hub for drug trafficking and the government has pledged to fight it like it combats terrorism. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani in July 2023 ordered the establishment of rehabilitation centers in all Iraqi provinces, excluding the Kurdistan Region, as part of his cabinet's stated commitment to combat the growing drug trade and use as seriously as the country fights terrorism. In 2023, more than 19,000 people were arrested across Iraq on drug-related charges, according to Baghdad, and over 15 tons of psychotropic substances were seized.
