Forest fires light up the night sky in this photo taken from the roof of Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant. AP
Forest fires light up the night sky in this photo taken from the roof of Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant. AP
This picture taken on April 10, 2020, shows firefighters battling a blaze that broke out in the wooded zone around the ruined Chernobyl reactor. AFP
This picture taken on April 10, 2020, shows firefighters battling a blaze that broke out in the wooded zone around the ruined Chernobyl reactor. AFP
A period of unusually dry weather preceded the fire. AFP
A period of unusually dry weather preceded the fire. AFP
Ukrainian firemen fight with forest fire which burns near the village of Ragovka, close to the exclusion zone. EPA
Ukrainian firemen fight with forest fire which burns near the village of Ragovka, close to the exclusion zone. EPA
An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in April 1986 sent a plume of radioactive fallout high into the air and across swaths of Europe. EPA/STR
An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in April 1986 sent a plume of radioactive fallout high into the air and across swaths of Europe. EPA/STR
Ukrainian emergency officials say there is no reason to be concerned. EPA
Ukrainian emergency officials say there is no reason to be concerned. EPA
Burned trees are seen after a forest fire outside the settlement of Poliske located in the exclusion zone. Reuters
Burned trees are seen after a forest fire outside the settlement of Poliske located in the exclusion zone. Reuters
Plumes of smoke were visible as the fires continued to burn. AFP
Plumes of smoke were visible as the fires continued to burn. AFP

Europe

Chernobyl nuclear site threatened by massive wildfires

Environment activists say raging fires pose radiation risk as Kiev calls for calm

Arthur Scott-Geddes
Arthur Scott-Geddes

April 14, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Hundreds of Ukrainian firefighters are battling to control forest fires that threaten to engulf the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as environmental campaigners accuse authorities in Kiev of covering up the extent of the danger.

The raging fires, said to be the largest recorded in the so-called exclusion zone – a mostly uninhabited area covering a 30-kilometre radius around the Chernobyl plant – have been burning for more than 10 days.

Ukraine’s Emergency Situations Service on Monday said it was still fighting the fires, one of which is now only one kilometre from the site of what is widely considered to be the worst nuclear accident in history. The disaster sent a cloud of radioactive fallout across Europe when  Chernobyl’s fourth reactor building exploded during a safety test in 1986.

It led to the evacuation of the nearby town Pripyat, then home to around 50,000 people, and the creation of the 2,600-square kilometre exclusion zone on Ukraine’s northern border with Belarus.

Aerial photographs taken on Monday showed a wall of flames inching closer to the reactor complex, with trees ablaze and plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. Kiev has mobilised helicopters and more than 400 firefighters, with planes dropping tons of water on the fire.

"There is no threat to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the storage facilities," Volodymyr Demchuk, a senior Emergency Situations Service official said late on Monday.

Pripyat is still a draw for visitors, not least for its Soviet-era architecture which has been frozen in time. All photos: Declan McVeigh / The National
Pripyat is still a draw for visitors, not least for its Soviet-era architecture which has been frozen in time. All photos: Declan McVeigh / The National
Like thousands of other Soviet towns, Pripyat had memorials to the dead of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War. This one is close to an abandoned nursery in the 30km 'dead zone' around Chernobyl.
Like thousands of other Soviet towns, Pripyat had memorials to the dead of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War. This one is close to an abandoned nursery in the 30km 'dead zone' around Chernobyl.
This enormous Duga-1 OTH radar array – AKA the 'Russian woodpecker' for the interference it caused on shortwave radio – dominates the skyline of this remote part of northern Ukraine near Chernobyl.
This enormous Duga-1 OTH radar array – AKA the 'Russian woodpecker' for the interference it caused on shortwave radio – dominates the skyline of this remote part of northern Ukraine near Chernobyl.
Pripyat was once home to nearly 50,000 people; the city has been left to rot as Ukraine’s government still forbids people from living there.
Pripyat was once home to nearly 50,000 people; the city has been left to rot as Ukraine’s government still forbids people from living there.
An abandoned funfair in Pripyat.
An abandoned funfair in Pripyat.
Before the disaster more than 15,400 children lived in the city of Pripyat alone.
Before the disaster more than 15,400 children lived in the city of Pripyat alone.
One of Pripyat’s 27 restaurants and cafes, left to the elements since 1986.
One of Pripyat’s 27 restaurants and cafes, left to the elements since 1986.
The UN says more than 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer were reported among children from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus up to 2005, 'most likely caused by radiation exposures shortly after the accident'.
The UN says more than 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer were reported among children from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus up to 2005, 'most likely caused by radiation exposures shortly after the accident'.
Classrooms were abandoned as the Soviet authorities ordered people to leave the Chernobyl area. Residents were told they would be leaving for three days, but officials later decided the area would remain empty.
Classrooms were abandoned as the Soviet authorities ordered people to leave the Chernobyl area. Residents were told they would be leaving for three days, but officials later decided the area would remain empty.
This nursery was one of 15 which educated almost 5,000 young children across the area.
This nursery was one of 15 which educated almost 5,000 young children across the area.
The sarcophagus over reactor number four at Chernobyl was designed and built in 1986 to keep in 740,000m3 of radioactive debris and contaminated soil. In November 2016 the sarcophagus itself was covered in the €1.5 billion ($1.49bn) Chernobyl New Safe Confinement project.
The sarcophagus over reactor number four at Chernobyl was designed and built in 1986 to keep in 740,000m3 of radioactive debris and contaminated soil. In November 2016 the sarcophagus itself was covered in the €1.5 billion ($1.49bn) Chernobyl New Safe Confinement project.
A gas mask once worn by one of thousands of Soviet 'liquidators' - a mix of civilian and military workers sent to Chernobyl after the reactor explosion. More than half a million people took part in the clean-up.
A gas mask once worn by one of thousands of Soviet 'liquidators' - a mix of civilian and military workers sent to Chernobyl after the reactor explosion. More than half a million people took part in the clean-up.
The 30km exclusion zone around the site of the blast is dotted with reminders that it was once home to thousands of people. This nursery was abandoned on April 27, 1986.
The 30km exclusion zone around the site of the blast is dotted with reminders that it was once home to thousands of people. This nursery was abandoned on April 27, 1986.
Abandoned buildings in Pripyat remain officially out of bounds, but some people – a mix of former residents, villagers, adventurers and mere loners – have returned to live inside the 30km 'dead zone'.
Abandoned buildings in Pripyat remain officially out of bounds, but some people – a mix of former residents, villagers, adventurers and mere loners – have returned to live inside the 30km 'dead zone'.

The Emergency Situations Service said radiation levels in the exclusion zone had not changed and those in nearby Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, "did not exceed natural background levels".

But a day after the fire broke out, the head of the state environmental service, Yegor Firsov, wrote on Facebook that radiation readings at the centre of the fire were higher than normal. He later withdrew the claim.

And several news outlets, including The New York Times, have reported rising levels as the fires spread some of the radioactive material absorbed by plants in the zone since the disaster.

Environmental campaigners on Monday accused the Ukrainian authorities of covering up the extent of the danger. Greenpeace Russia said the situation is much worse than the authorities have led people to believe. The fires, they say, cover an area one thousand times bigger than is officially claimed.

On April 4, Ukrainian authorities said the largest blaze covered an area of 20 hectares, but Greenpeace cited satellite images showing that it was around 12,000 hectares in size at that time.

Read More

Putin warns Russia to brace for 'extraordinary' virus crisis

Ukraine dusts off Soviet-era ventilator designs to help fight coronavirus

"According to satellite images taken on Monday, the area of the largest fire has reached 34,400 hectares," it said, adding that a second fire, stretching across 12,600 hectares, was just one kilometre away from the defunct plant.

Rashid Alimov, the head of energy projects at Greenpeace Russia, said the fires, fanned by the wind, could disperse radionuclides, atoms that emit radiation. "A fire approaching a nuclear or hazardous radiation facility is always a risk," Mr Alimov said.

Yaroslav Yemelianenko, a Chernobyl tour operator, described the situation as critical. He said that the fire was rapidly expanding and had reached the abandoned city of Pripyat, two kilometres from where "the most highly active radiation waste of the whole Chernobyl zone is located", and called on officials to warn people of the danger.

The fires, which follow unusually dry weather, began on April 3 in the western part of the exclusion zone and spread to nearby forests. Police say that they have identified a 27-year-old local resident who they believe deliberately started them.

The exclusion zone has become a popular tourist destination and has enjoyed a surge in popularity thanks to the hit television series Chernobyl, which dramatised the events surrounding the nuclear disaster at reactor four.

The three other reactors continued to generate electricity until the power station was closed in 2000. A giant protective dome was put in place over the fourth reactor in 2016.

MATCH INFO

What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru

Scoreline

Bournemouth 2

Wilson 70', Ibe 74'

Arsenal 1

Bellerin 52'

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Hydrogen: Market potential

Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.

"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.

Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.

The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Key products and UAE prices

iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229

iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649

iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179

Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
more from Janine di Giovanni
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

More on this story:

The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press

Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.

"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.

"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."

On Women's Day
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EuropeUkraineChernobylRussia