Latest news with #Toombs
National Observer
3 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
With the Ottawa Treaty under threat, one expert warns landmines won't keep Europe safe
An expert who has disposed of bombs in some of the world's most dangerous places says European governments pinning their security hopes on landmines are turning to an ineffective tool that will only spread misery and hunger. "It's an outdated technology that can quite quickly be rendered useless," said Gary Toombs, a senior explosive disposal technician with the charity Humanity and Inclusion. "The use of anti-personnel mines really doesn't warrant the impact that it will have in the longer term, for the short-term gains that it may have." Anti-landmine advocates are urging Canada to step up efforts to convince European countries to remain in the 1997 Ottawa Treaty, which Canada brokered to end the use of anti-personnel landmines around the world. The treaty led most of the world's countries to ban the use of these weapons and mobilized funding to clear unexploded landmines from former war zones in places like Vietnam. This spring, six countries bordering Russia announced plans to leave the Ottawa Treaty. Ukraine, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have argued that the threat posed by Russia justifies the possible use of landmines to thwart or slow ground incursions. Toombs disposed of bombs for the British army in the 1990s. He now manages an international team with Humanity and Inclusion that surveys land and clears it of explosives, either by removing the bombs or destroying them on-site. The job has taken him recently to Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Syria and Iraq. In all of these places, he said, landmines failed to stop ground invasions. "Landmines have been historically used to block or slow an advancing military force, but (their) effectiveness in modern warfare is significantly diminished due to advances in technology," he said. Toombs said the war in Ukraine has shown how unmanned drones can circumvent minefields, while ground-based sensors can detect troop movements and show where mines are being placed. He said these advances have upended a decades-long tactic of deploying "obstacle belts" — like minefields — to corral opposing forces into places where they can be targeted. In past conflicts, tanks would become trapped in minefields where their wounded crews could be picked off by gunfire. Now, many modern combat vehicles have mine-plows that can clear six-metre-wide lanes to give tanks safe passage, Toombs said. Ukrainian troops have managed to bypass minefields laid by Russian troops that are also protected by barbed wire and anti-tank obstacles called "dragon's teeth." "I've never seen minefields laid in such density as I have in Ukraine," he said. "These incredibly dense minefields with these obstacles are still being breached." Toombs said anti-personnel mines are particularly "insidious" because while they cost about $4 each, removing a single one can cost more than $1,400. As of July, 444 civilians in Ukraine had been killed and 1,084 had been injured by mines and explosive remnants since February 2022, according to the UN Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict database. Toombs' organization says those numbers likely underestimate the true casualty rate. A fact sheet Humanity and Inclusion published in June said more than one-fourth of Ukraine's territory is already "littered with landmines and other deadly explosive ordnance," including cluster munitions. Landmines can continue maiming and killing civilians decades after the end of a conflict. The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor group says 84 per cent of landmine victims in roughly 55 countries in 2023 were civilians, and children and youth are disproportionately vulnerable. Toombs said these weapons also pollute soil and water sources, rendering large swaths of arable land unusable for decades. He said he fears what this might mean for global food systems. Ukraine is a major source of wheat for Asia and Africa. In 2022, Turkey helped broker an agreement with Russia to allow grain shipments after disruptions caused by the war put a heavy strain on global food prices. Toombs said that during his four visits to Ukraine since 2022, he saw farms rendered unusable and towns split in half by landmines. "Huge amounts of land are no longer able to be accessed safely. Roads and communities are being separated," he said. An analysis last fall by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, in partnership with Ukraine's economy ministry, said landmine contamination is costing Ukraine US$11.2 billion annually — about 5.6 per cent of the country's pre-invasion GDP. Toombs said he fears the situation is only going to get worse as funding for mine-clearing shrinks and new, cheaper landmines hit the market. He said that countries exiting the treaty might "start making new types of anti-personnel mines" themselves, adding that the Ottawa Treaty is "one of the most successful treaties" that ever received widespread uptake. "Anybody that's thinking of leaving should really think about the long-term impacts, rather than the short-term gains that they think it might deliver," he said. Ukraine has signalled it intends to leave the Ottawa Treaty, even though signatories are technically not allowed to exit during an armed conflict. The Ukrainian Embassy in Ottawa said it could not provide comment while its ambassador is in the process of being replaced. Global Affairs Canada wrote in June that it's aware of European countries making "difficult and complex decisions" about the treaty. It wrote that defending the Ottawa Treaty is "a core priority for Canada." Humanity and Inclusion, previously called Handicap International, is a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Anne Delorme, executive director of Humanity and Inclusion Canada, said the federal government needs to do more to defend the Ottawa Treaty. "There seems to be a certain acceptance," she said. "Canada needs to find that same courage that it did when it first led on the Ottawa Treaty." Delorme said Canada can acknowledge the threat posed by Russia while advocating against landmines by arguing that unravelling the treaty would make the proliferation of other restricted arms — such as cluster munitions, chemical weapons and atomic bombs — more likely. She also said it doesn't make sense for these countries to insist that they will respect international humanitarian law when landmines are "indiscriminate in nature." "There is absolutely like no data or research that demonstrates that (landmines) are of any use in Ukraine," she said. Delorme noted that Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has listed the "safety of civilians" among her key priorities since taking on the job in May. She said Canada ought to host the rotating one-year presidency of the treaty when it reaches 30 years in 2027, and convene a summit to rally support for it. Adam Chapnick, a professor with the Royal Military College, said Canada — as a country with a small population and modest military capacity — relies on international agreements like the Ottawa Treaty. "The treaty reflected a degree of optimism about the capacity of the world to co-operate in support of reasonable moral intentions," said Chapnick, who has researched the evolution of Canada's foreign policy through the decades. He said that while Canadians can be proud of what the treaty accomplished over 25 years, he's not sure it will hold for much longer, given how Russia's invasion has upended the international rules-based order. "It's difficult to make the case as strongly today," he said.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
With the Ottawa Treaty under threat, an expert warns landmines won't keep Europe safe
OTTAWA – An expert who has disposed of bombs in some of the world's most dangerous places says European governments pinning their security hopes on landmines are turning to an ineffective tool that will only spread misery and hunger. 'It's an outdated technology that can quite quickly be rendered useless,' said Gary Toombs, a senior explosive disposal technician with the charity Humanity and Inclusion. 'The use of anti-personnel mines really doesn't warrant the impact that it will have in the longer term, for the short-term gains that it may have.' Anti-landmine advocates are urging Canada to step up efforts to convince European countries to remain in the 1997 Ottawa Treaty, which Canada brokered to end the use of anti-personnel landmines around the world. The treaty led most of the world's countries to ban the use of these weapons and mobilized funding to clear unexploded landmines from former war zones in places like Vietnam. This spring, six countries bordering Russia announced plans to leave the Ottawa Treaty. Ukraine, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have argued that the threat posed by Russia justifies the possible use of landmines to thwart or slow ground incursions. Toombs disposed of bombs for the British army in the 1990s. He now manages an international team with Humanity and Inclusion that surveys land and clears it of explosives, either by removing the bombs or destroying them on-site. The job has taken him recently to Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Syria and Iraq. In all of these places, he said, landmines failed to stop ground invasions. 'Landmines have been historically used to block or slow an advancing military force, but (their) effectiveness in modern warfare is significantly diminished due to advances in technology,' he said. Toombs said the war in Ukraine has shown how unmanned drones can circumvent minefields, while ground-based sensors can detect troop movements and show where mines are being placed. He said these advances have upended a decades-long tactic of deploying 'obstacle belts' — like minefields — to corral opposing forces into places where they can be targeted. In past conflicts, tanks would become trapped in minefields where their wounded crews could be picked off by gunfire. Now, many modern combat vehicles have mine-plows that can clear six-metre-wide lanes to give tanks safe passage, Toombs said. Ukrainian troops have managed to bypass minefields laid by Russian troops that are also protected by barbed wire and anti-tank obstacles called 'dragon's teeth.' 'I've never seen minefields laid in such density as I have in Ukraine,' he said. 'These incredibly dense minefields with these obstacles are still being breached.' Toombs said anti-personnel mines are particularly 'insidious' because while they cost about $4 each, removing a single one can cost more than $1,400. As of July, 444 civilians in Ukraine had been killed and 1,084 had been injured by mines and explosive remnants since February 2022, according to the UN Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict database. Toombs' organization says those numbers likely underestimate the true casualty rate. A fact sheet Humanity and Inclusion published in June said more than one-fourth of Ukraine's territory is already 'littered with landmines and other deadly explosive ordnance,' including cluster munitions. Landmines can continue maiming and killing civilians decades after the end of a conflict. The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor group says 84 per cent of landmine victims in roughly 55 countries in 2023 were civilians, and children and youth are disproportionately vulnerable. Toombs said these weapons also pollute soil and water sources, rendering large swaths of arable land unusable for decades. He said he fears what this might mean for global food systems. Ukraine is a major source of wheat for Asia and Africa. In 2022, Turkey helped broker an agreement with Russia to allow grain shipments after disruptions caused by the war put a heavy strain on global food prices. Toombs said that during his four visits to Ukraine since 2022, he saw farms rendered unusable and towns split in half by landmines. 'Huge amounts of land are no longer able to be accessed safely. Roads and communities are being separated,' he said. An analysis last fall by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, in partnership with Ukraine's economy ministry, said landmine contamination is costing Ukraine US$11.2 billion annually — about 5.6 per cent of the country's pre-invasion GDP. Toombs said he fears the situation is only going to get worse as funding for mine-clearing shrinks and new, cheaper landmines hit the market. He said that countries exiting the treaty might 'start making new types of anti-personnel mines' themselves, adding that the Ottawa Treaty is 'one of the most successful treaties' that ever received widespread uptake. 'Anybody that's thinking of leaving should really think about the long-term impacts, rather than the short-term gains that they think it might deliver,' he said. Ukraine has signalled it intends to leave the Ottawa Treaty, even though signatories are technically not allowed to exit during an armed conflict. The Ukrainian Embassy in Ottawa said it could not provide comment while its ambassador is in the process of being replaced. Global Affairs Canada wrote in June that it's aware of European countries making 'difficult and complex decisions' about the treaty. It wrote that defending the Ottawa Treaty is 'a core priority for Canada.' Humanity and Inclusion, previously called Handicap International, is a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Anne Delorme, executive director of Humanity and Inclusion Canada, said the federal government needs to do more to defend the Ottawa Treaty. 'There seems to be a certain acceptance,' she said. 'Canada needs to find that same courage that it did when it first led on the Ottawa Treaty.' Delorme said Canada can acknowledge the threat posed by Russia while advocating against landmines by arguing that unravelling the treaty would make the proliferation of other restricted arms — such as cluster munitions, chemical weapons and atomic bombs — more likely. She also said it doesn't make sense for these countries to insist that they will respect international humanitarian law when landmines are 'indiscriminate in nature.' 'There is absolutely like no data or research that demonstrates that (landmines) are of any use in Ukraine,' she said. Delorme noted that Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has listed the 'safety of civilians' among her key priorities since taking on the job in May. She said Canada ought to host the rotating one-year presidency of the treaty when it reaches 30 years in 2027, and convene a summit to rally support for it. Adam Chapnick, a professor with the Royal Military College, said Canada — as a country with a small population and modest military capacity — relies on international agreements like the Ottawa Treaty. 'The treaty reflected a degree of optimism about the capacity of the world to co-operate in support of reasonable moral intentions,' said Chapnick, who has researched the evolution of Canada's foreign policy through the decades. He said that while Canadians can be proud of what the treaty accomplished over 25 years, he's not sure it will hold for much longer, given how Russia's invasion has upended the international rules-based order. 'It's difficult to make the case as strongly today,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Metro Parks seeks community feedback on potential names for new North Nashville park
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Metro Parks wants your help determining the name of a new park coming to a North Nashville neighborhood. For over a year, the Metro Parks and Recreation Department has been working on plans for a brand new, 59-acre park located near the intersection of West Trinity Lane and Whites Creek Pike. The first informational meeting was held on May 30, 2024, at the Hartman Regional Community Center with Parks officials and representatives from design team Gresham Smith. According to documents from the presentation, some possible items that could be included in the park include adult fitness equipment stations, different kinds of playgrounds for children, trailhead signage, restroom screening and access trails. According to Metro District 2 Councilwoman Kyontze Toombs, the main entrance for the new park will be on Aldrich Lane next to Parkwood Ballpark off Ewing Drive. The southern portion of the park will have a walking entrance from the Trinity Hills neighborhood. Franklin Pride returns to the Park at Harlinsdale Farm for 5th year Toombs told News 2 the original idea of putting a park in that area was actually first broached several years ago, when Habitat for Humanity started establishing its affordable homes. In an agreement with Metro, Habitat was able to purchase some of the land in question with the understanding they would turn 6 acres of it into parkland to be deeded back to Metro. Metro, in turn, would use those 6 acres plus another 53 acres of city-owned land in the Trinity Hills area into a green space. After several years, those plans are finally coming close to fruition, according to Toombs. 'There's a growing need or desire in the community to have even more green spaces and options to get out and enjoy neighborhoods,' she said. 'Before I got into office there was a desire to keep that space green, because there's creeks there, there's an endangered salamander species that folks want to preserve.' Keeping the land as a city park not only preserves that endangered salamander species; it also prevents higher-density development in a largely single-family residential neighborhood of Nashville, Toombs added. 'It's mostly a single-family area, and just as the area grows, they're just wanting to preserve as much green space as possible, space that folks can get out and enjoy and not just be surrounded by new construction,' she told News 2. Neighborhood News: Stories impacting your community | Read More While still in the design phase, Metro Parks officials have opened up an opinion survey for potential names of the park. According to the survey, four names are considered contenders for the new park: Trinity Hills Park – named for the neighborhood area Senator Thelma Harper Park – named for the first African-American woman to serve as a state senator in Tennessee and the longest-serving state senator in Tennessee history, who was a resident of the neighborhood Salamander Park – named for the endangered salamander species that resides in the park area A. Barbouri Park – named for the specific endangered species of salamander in the area, Ambystoma Barbouri Neighborhood residents who fill out the survey will be asked to rank those four options in order of preference. Additionally, they will also have an option to submit an alternative name suggestion. If residents opt to submit an alternative name, they must also include an explanation and/or background information supporting the submission. | READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County If residents want to submit the name of an individual, they must not be currently living, according to the survey. Any names submitted will be 'thoroughly vetted' by the Metro Parks Board Naming Committee. The feedback from the survey will be used by Parks officials, and the final name selection will ultimately come from the Naming Committee and voted on by the Metro Parks Board, according to the survey. 'There's a lot of opportunities coming to the area for folks to have a lot of green space to enjoy, to get out and walk, bike, exercise, bring their kids to the playground, have family gatherings—there's going to be plenty of space to do it in,' Toombs told News 2. Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
CBC
11-02-2025
- CBC
Former school guidance counsellor pleads not guilty to 3 sex charges against minor
A former school guidance counsellor who has been charged with sex crimes against a minor has pleaded not guilty in P.E.I. Supreme Court. Bethany Jean Toombs, 41, was not in court Tuesday but her lawyer entered the pleas on her behalf on three charges: sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, and sexual assault. The alleged victim is a minor whose identity is protected by a publication ban. No trial dates have been set, but Toombs had previously opted to have her case tried before a judge and jury in the Supreme Court. "I think everyone's looking forward to having the matter resolved in court," defence attorney Chris Montigny told CBC News after entering the pleas. Montigny had previously requested a preliminary hearing, a process held before a provincial court judge that's designed to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed. In Toombs' case, the hearing had been scheduled for later this month. However, the court heard on Tuesday that Attorney General Bloyce Thompson has used his power under the Criminal Code of Canada to direct an indictment in the case. That means it will go directly to trial without a preliminary hearing. "We did ask for it, but there is a process that exists that allows the minister to direct indictment. That was their choice," Montigny said. A fourth charge was originally laid: a violation of the provincial Cannabis Control Act for allowing a minor to use the substance. At an appearance in provincial court last month, though, the Crown told the court it did not intend to pursue that charge. Before her arrest in September, Toombs was a guidance counsellor at East Wiltshire School in Cornwall. The Public Schools Branch has said it is co-operating fully with the investigation and its procedure is to place employees facing such charges on leave. Toombs was released on a number of conditions after being charged. Police have said they do not believe there are other alleged victims, and Toombs is not thought to pose a risk to the public. The case is scheduled to be back in court April 8.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
Two Colerain Twp. men admit to robbing postal carriers at gunpoint of universal keys
Two Colerain Township men admitted to robbing letter carriers of their universal mailbox keys so they could steal checks and deposit them under other names. Antonio Toombs, 21, and Lorenzo Brandon, 22, admitted Tuesday in federal court in Cincinnati that they robbed two letter carriers at gunpoint of their United States Postal Service "arrow keys." The universal keys open collection boxes, parcel lockers and apartment panels. Toombs and Brandon pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and conspiracy to use a gun during a violent crime. They each face a combined sentence of 25 years in prison, among other penalties, according to the plea agreement. In late October 2023, according to court documents, Toombs, Brandon and an unidentified minor were driving around Westwood when they stopped near a letter carrier. One of the men, armed with a pistol, exited the car and demanded the carrier give over their arrow key, saying, "Give me the key, I ain't playing." Then three hours later, Toombs, Brandon and the minor were driving around Harry Lee Lane in Colerain Township when they stopped another carrier and stole a second arrow key. The minor is not facing federal charges for his role in the robberies but has been referred to Hamilton County Juvenile Court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Mangan said. Surveillance footage from nearby the first robbery showed a Jeep Grand Cherokee that was used in the robbery. Investigators were able to trace the vehicle back to Toombs using a license plate reader. Documents say authorities found a bookbag in Toombs' bedroom that contained one of the stolen arrow keys. They also found three guns, checks which did not belong to either Toombs or Brandon, debit cards in other people's names, a printer, a bottle of antifreeze and two bottles of acetone. Investigators said that mail thieves use chemicals like antifreeze and acetone to "wash" checks of the pen ink. Toombs, Brandon and the minor stole more than $5,000 as part of the scheme, Mangan said during the hearing. Investigators later searched through Toombs' phone and found texts from the morning of the robbery, describing a plan with another person to rob postal carriers that day. "I don't even know where a mailman at," Toombs texted to the person, whose name was redacted in court documents. "They all around. Drive around and we find one. It's simple," the person replied to Toombs. U.S. District Judge Judge Jeffery Hopkins told Toombs to reflect on his actions ahead of his and Brandon's sentencing in a few months. "You're going to go away for a bit," Hopkins said. "You're a young man and you need to think about what you're going to do with your life." Toombs is in custody at Butler County jail while Brandon remains out on bond. "I'm disappointed in myself," Brandon said as he pleaded guilty. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Two men admit to robbing postal carriers in Westwood, Colerain Twp.
