Latest news with #Mihai
Gulf Today
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Rats, rotting waste as rubbish row blights UK's city
On a normal day in an ordinary English street there would be nothing special about the arrival of a bin lorry. But in Birmingham, the UK's second city, a rare garbage truck visit brings crowds of people rushing into the road, their arms full of rubbish. Residents are desperately trying to get rid of an estimated 17,000 tonnes of trash that has piled up since refuse workers ramped up a strike last month. Now, as bin bags swelter in the spring sun and rats, foxes, and cats claw through mounting heaps of litter, many people in Birmingham feel the city has reached breaking point. Four weeks in, the city council has declared a 'major incident,' the prime minister has had to defend the government's response in parliament, and residents say their problems are worsening by the day. 'There was a bin fire on the end of our street the other night,' said Abel Mihai, 23, who lives in the Saltley area of the city where mounds of ripening rubbish have attracted worms, maggots and vermin. 'It's scary — I'm worried for my kids,' he said, adding the pest-infested piles were affecting his three-year-old son's health. 'Every time he goes out the back he vomits from the smell,' Mihai said. 'We need to do something about it,' his eight-year-old daughter Vanessa told AFP. 'It's not good.' At the centre of the dispute is a pay row between the cash-strapped city council and refuse workers belonging to the Unite union, which says some staff employed by the council stand to lose £8,000 ($10,400) per year under a planned restructuring of the refuse service. The quarrel also plays into wider problems in British society — from stretched local council funding to sweeping inequality. Residents in poorer areas of the city in England's Midlands region told AFP they felt neglected, and questioned whether the trouble would have spiralled in wealthier parts of the country. City Councillor Mohammed Idrees said he was also worried about Birmingham's reputation. The city of over a million people is known for its industrial heritage and rich multicultural makeup — but he said the strike was 'creating a very bad image throughout the world.' The council has disputed the union's account of the restructure and insists it has 'made a fair and reasonable offer' to workers. But at a union picket line outside a city waste depot, refuse collectors told AFP they felt insulted by the changes, which they said would amount to a hefty pay cut for hundreds of workers. Wayne Bishop, a 59-year-old driver and union member, said he would lose his position under the shake-up and be around £600 per month worse-off. He said the job was gruelling work and deserved to be paid fairly. 'We can't afford that for our toil,' he said. 'We go out all weathers, we was out in Covid, we just can't afford to lose that with the cost of living going up.' The industrial action has been rumbling on since January, but increased to an all-out strike on March 11. It's now begun to cause a political stink for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Confronted by the opposition in parliament on Wednesday, he admitted the situation in Birmingham was 'completely unacceptable' — but insisted his government would provide extra support and stood by the council, which is run by Starmer's Labour party. Residents are tired of waiting though, and some have taken matters into their own hands. The special waste truck visit on the street in Saltley on Wednesday was arranged by members of a community centre who contacted a local councillor for assistance. Organiser Hubaish Mohammed, 26, said the Hutton Hall group had helped hundreds of people lug their rubbish to the temporary collection site, where residents load their waste onto trucks staffed by non-striking workers. Staff said they'd helped collect around 45 tonnes of waste in a single day. 'It's been a graft but we're here to look after the community,' Mohammed said. 'We had to take the initiative.'
Khaleej Times
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Rats and rotting waste as rubbish row blights UK's second city
On a normal day in an ordinary English street there would be nothing special about the arrival of a bin lorry. But in Birmingham, the UK's second city, a rare garbage truck visit brings crowds of people rushing into the road, their arms full of rubbish. Residents are desperately trying to get rid of an estimated 17,000 tonnes of trash that has piled up since refuse workers ramped up a strike last month. Now, as bin bags swelter in the spring sun and rats, foxes, and cats claw through mounting heaps of litter, many people in Birmingham feel the city has reached breaking point. Four weeks in, the city council has declared a "major incident," the prime minister has had to defend the government's response in parliament, and residents say their problems are worsening by the day. "There was a bin fire on the end of our street the other night," said Abel Mihai, 23, who lives in the Saltley area of the city where mounds of ripening rubbish have attracted worms, maggots and vermin. "It's scary -- I'm worried for my kids," he said, adding the pest-infested piles were affecting his three-year-old son's health. "Every time he goes out the back he vomits from the smell," Mihai said. "We need to do something about it," his eight-year-old daughter Vanessa told AFP. "It's not good." At the centre of the dispute is a pay row between the cash-strapped city council and refuse workers belonging to the Unite union, which says some staff employed by the council stand to lose £8,000 ($10,400) per year under a planned restructuring of the refuse service. The quarrel also plays into wider problems in British society -- from stretched local council funding to sweeping inequality. Residents in poorer areas of the city in England's Midlands region told AFP they felt neglected, and questioned whether the trouble would have spiralled in wealthier parts of the country. Pay cut fears City Councillor Mohammed Idrees said he was also worried about Birmingham's reputation. The city of over a million people is known for its industrial heritage and rich multicultural makeup -- but he said the strike was "creating a very bad image throughout the world." The council has disputed the union's account of the restructure and insists it has "made a fair and reasonable offer" to workers. But at a union picket line outside a city waste depot, refuse collectors told AFP they felt insulted by the changes, which they said would amount to a hefty pay cut for hundreds of workers. Wayne Bishop, a 59-year-old driver and union member, said he would lose his position under the shake-up and be around £600 per month worse-off. He said the job was gruelling work and deserved to be paid fairly. "We can't afford that for our toil," he said. "We go out all weathers, we was out in Covid, we just can't afford to lose that with the cost of living going up." The industrial action has been rumbling on since January, but increased to an all-out strike on March 11. It's now begun to cause a political stink for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Confronted by the opposition in parliament on Wednesday, he admitted the situation in Birmingham was "completely unacceptable" -- but insisted his government would provide extra support and stood by the council, which is run by Starmer's Labour party. Residents are tired of waiting though, and some have taken matters into their own hands. The special waste truck visit on the street in Saltley on Wednesday was arranged by members of a community centre who contacted a local councillor for assistance. Organiser Hubaish Mohammed, 26, said the Hutton Hall group had helped hundreds of people lug their rubbish to the temporary collection site, where residents load their waste onto trucks staffed by non-striking workers. Staff said they'd helped collect around 45 tonnes of waste in a single day. "It's been a graft but we're here to look after the community," Mohammed said. "We had to take the initiative." lcm/jkb/ach © Agence France-Presse
Arab News
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
‘More than a dream' — how BASE jumpers filled Downtown Dubai skyline in aerial spectacle
DUBAI: Rainy weather wasn't the only reason Dubai residents and visitors were looking to the skies this week. Over two days, 31 BASE jumpers from 15 countries took over the Downtown Dubai skyline, completing 437 jumps from the 828-meter-high Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The event — EXIT139 — was organized by action-sport brand XDubai in partnership with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Skydive Dubai, and Emaar, and held across two days this week. According to XDubai, the activity built on the legacy of the first BASE jump from Burj Khalifa in 2014. This year's event pushed new boundaries, bringing together 30 of the world's best aerial athletes to complete what the brand described as a 'dream jump.' Among them were three women: Cornelia Mihai, Katie Hansen, and Roberta Mancino. For Mihai, a Romanian athlete and instructor at Skydive Dubai, being part of the event was 'unbelievable' and 'more than a dream.' A Dubai resident who first discovered the sport in 2006, Mihai initially sidelined BASE jumping to focus on skydiving, only rediscovering it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, she has completed over 300 jumps and says the sport has shaped her perspective on life: 'BASE jumping has taught me to trust myself, to trust my decisions and my reflexes, and to love life more than ever. Before a jump, I tell myself that I am very lucky and I love living and I love my life.' For Katie Hansen, an American who started BASE jumping in 2003 and has since completed 1,350 jumps, participating in EXIT139 was a one-of-a-kind experience. A post shared by Katie Hansen Lajeunesse (@flywithkatie) 'It felt very special. I feel very privileged to be here,' she said. 'This is one of the most beautiful buildings in addition to being one of the tallest exit points I have ever jumped. It's a beautiful city with wonderful people, and I feel very, very fortunate to be a part of it.' While many view BASE jumping as an adrenaline-fueled sport for extreme thrill seekers, the athletes themselves take a different perspective, both pragmatic and deeply philosophical. 'We're not thrill seekers, we're life seekers, looking to experience life to the full,' Hansen explained. Mihai echoed this sentiment: 'BASE jumping is not only for the crazy. It's not for the crazy at all, actually. I think us BASE jumpers are actually quite responsible and trustworthy — more than a lot of people out there.' To Mihai's point, extensive planning was required not only from the athletes but also from the event organizers. A 12-meter platform was specially engineered as the launch pad for the jumps, extending six meters beyond the balcony of the 139th floor. According to organizers, safety was the top priority. Beyond technical mastery, both organizers and athletes emphasized the individuality each jumper brings to the sport — making every leap uniquely their own. Italian athlete Mancino, who started BASE jumping in 2009 and has completed more than 600 jumps, described her approach: 'Before a BASE jump, I tell myself to have fun, be relaxed, and enjoy the special moment,' she said. 'I bring my own style just from what I have learned being myself and a girl.' With EXIT139 behind them, inspiring awe among bystanders, many of whom shared the showcase on social media throughout the week, the athletes are reflective. 'I hope we're gonna get the chance to do this all over again because it's amazing. It's hard to describe the past two days in words,' Mihai said. 'I wish people knew that BASE jumping is the most beautiful sport of flying,' said Mancino. 'I mean, who gets to jump from such a building like the Burj Khalifa?' Dawn Barnable is the founder and host of The Mettleset Podcast, a platform dedicated to women in sport from across the region.
