December 18, 2017

'Stupid idea' propels trail-blazing Silk Road runner

https://www.yahoo.com/news/stupid-idea-propels-trail-blazing-silk-road-runner-064048560.html

Shanghai (AFP) - The world today is enough to make some people want to get up and just run to the ends of the Earth, so that's what Kai Markus decided to do.

Troubled by what he sees as growing bigotry and division in the world, the German management consultant gave up a successful business to run the ancient Silk Road from Hamburg to Shanghai in a Quixotic quest to show that we are all one.
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Nine months, eight countries, 12,000 kilometres (7,500 miles) and two fractured heel bones later, Markus hobbled across a symbolic finish line in Shanghai on Saturday with a feeling of mission accomplished.

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The first time he heard his now 18-month-old son say "Daddy" was on a bittersweet video call.

Halfway through China, their faithful Beetle's exhausted engine finally died. The car's corpse will be shipped back home.

Then, in late September, a freak stumble while running in China's central Hubei province broke both of Markus' heel bones. The incident made Chinese state news broadcasts, sent some sponsors fleeing and seemed like the end.

December 18, 2017

'Human error' after US chopper window falls on Japan school

https://www.yahoo.com/news/human-error-us-chopper-window-falls-japan-school-085507527.html

The US military on Monday blamed human error after a window from one of its helicopters fell onto a school sports ground in Japan, sparking anger among local residents.

The military said it had conducted a thorough investigation into last Wednesday's accident and concluded that "the incident was caused by human error".

"The window in question is designed to be removed in order to assist pilot egress in an emergency situation. The appropriate procedures for ensuring the window was secured were not correctly followed," added the military in a statement.

It again apologised for what it called a "regrettable" accident.

There were no serious injuries from the window that landed at an elementary school near the Futenma marine airbase on Okinawa island.

December 18, 2017

Zimbabwe army ends intervention that led to Mugabe's ouster

Source: AFP

Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwe's army chiefs announced Monday the end of the military intervention which forced former president Robert Mugabe to resign, while urging citizens to remain alert and allow a smooth transition of government.

"The defence and security services come before you to pronounce the end of Operation Restore Legacy," Zimbabwe National Army commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda told journalists.

"Normalcy has now returned to our country. We want to thank all Zimbabweans for their support, patience and understanding during the five weeks of Operation Restore Legacy," he added.

Sibanda also called on people to be on alert for "malcontents and saboteurs".

"Your defence and security services would like to remind all Zimbabweans to remain vigilant and report any suspicious objects and individuals to law enforcement agents.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/zimbabwe-army-ends-intervention-led-mugabes-ouster-111432676.html

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They may have democracy before us!