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Straits Times
11 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Teenager suffers severe burns when foot sinks near geyser in US' Yellowstone park
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox WASHINGTON - A teenager who was visiting Yellowstone National Park was severely burned this week when his foot sank through the thin crust of ground in a popular geyser area, the US National Park Service said. The teenager, a 17-year-old boy, was hiking on July 28 in the thermal area near the Lone Star Geyser, which is in the same geyser basin as Old Faithful, when his foot broke through the crust, causing 'significant thermal burns to his foot and ankle area,' the park service said in a statement. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, the service said. Park officials, who did not release his name, said that the episode was under investigation. Geysers are a type of hot spring that erupts with both water and steam. Contact with the scalding water in a geyser can cause severe or even fatal burns, so boardwalks and trails have been constructed in the area to protect visitors as well as the thermal formations. Officials did not say whether the teenager was in areas deemed appropriate for tourists when he was hurt or had ventured past the boundaries, either intentionally or by accident. It was the first known thermal injury this year in connection with Yellowstone's famous hot springs, which have been popular but risky tourist attractions for years. They can reach temperatures hotter than 85 deg C, according to US Geological Survey. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet Asia Asia-Pacific economies welcome new US tariff rates, but concerns over extent of full impact remain Business ST explains: How Trump tariffs could affect Singapore SMEs, jobs and markets Asia Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Visitors who have ventured off the boardwalks built around the geysers and broken through ground or come into contact with the hot spray have been scorched, jailed and even killed. Since the park's beginnings in 1872, 22 people have died from burns caused by entering or falling into the hot springs. Eruptions from the Lone Star Geyser shoot up about every three hours, sometimes rising as high as 13m. An asphalt trail leads to the geyser, but the last few hundred feet are unpaved. Boardwalks and trails have been constructed at Yellowstone to protect visitors as well as the thermal formations. PHOTO: REUTERS It is among about 150 geysers in the Upper Geyser Basin, including Old Faithful, one of the most popular features in the park for its predictable and frequent eruptions. The Parks Service routinely advises visitors to remain on boardwalks and trails and avoid touching thermal features or runoff. Entering the waters is prohibited. Visitors are also warned that they should leave geyser basins if they feel ill from toxic gases. NYTIMES
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Caribbean activists celebrate as Saint Lucia strikes down gay sex ban
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox CASTRIES, Saint Lucia - Caribbean gay rights activists celebrated a landmark court ruling this week striking down colonial-era legislation in the island nation of Saint Lucia that criminalized gay sexual relations and imposed prison terms of up to a decade. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court issued the decision on Tuesday in the case brought by LGBTQ rights alliance ECADE on behalf of a gay couple. The court ruled that sections of the criminal code that outlawed "buggery" and "gross indecency" were unconstitutional. "Our own courts are now recognizing that these colonial-era laws are incompatible with human dignity," Dane Lewis, regional program manager at rights group CariFLAGS, said. Many Caribbean countries still have laws forbidding intimacy between people of the same sex, a legacy of British colonial-era statutes. Though rarely enforced, activists say these cement widespread institutional biases and discrimination. Jessica St. Rose, founder of local rights group 758Pride, said the ruling marked a "momentous legal change." "It sends a clear message that love is not a crime," she said, though Saint Lucia still needs reforms to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination and threats to their safety. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet Asia Asia-Pacific economies welcome new US tariff rates, but concerns over extent of full impact remain Business ST explains: How Trump tariffs could affect Singapore SMEs, jobs and markets Asia Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Saint Lucian politicians were mostly silent about the decision publicly, including Prime Minister Philip Pierre who made a national address ahead of Friday's Emancipation Day. In nearby Guyana, where "buggery" is a felony subject to a lifetime behind bars, rights group Guyana Together welcomed that another country in the CARICOM regional bloc had "dismantled these archaic laws." More than 60 countries worldwide criminalize gay sex, many former British colonies across Africa and the Caribbean. There was some criticism on social media from Saint Lucia residents of the decision, some citing Christian scripture and calling the ruling a sin. "We do expect the religious society to come out to speak out against the recent ruling," St. Rose said. Bradley Desir, a gay man from Saint Lucia who moved to Canada in 2016, said he was encouraged by signs of change and would feel safer visiting the island though he would still maintain his guard. "I hope they carry on with the discussion and possibly call for the legalization of (gay) marriage," he said, adding he did not expect this in his lifetime. The growing visibility of LGBTQ people through global media was a positive sign, he added: "Kids today are growing up in a different world." REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
UN report finds United Nations reports are not widely read
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends a press briefing during the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) at the Centre des Expositions conference centre in Nice, France, June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo UNITED NATIONS - A United Nations report seeking ways to improve efficiency and cut costs has revealed: U.N. reports are not widely read. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed countries on Friday on the report, produced by his UN80 reform taskforce that focused on how U.N. staff implement thousands of mandates given to them by bodies like the General Assembly or Security Council. He said last year that the U.N. system supported 27,000 meetings involving 240 bodies, and the U.N. secretariat produced 1,100 reports, a 20% increase since 1990. "The sheer number of meetings and reports is pushing the system – and all of us – to the breaking point," Guterres said. "Many of these reports are not widely read," he said. "The top 5% of reports are downloaded over 5,500 times, while one in five reports receives fewer than 1,000 downloads. And downloading doesn't necessarily mean reading." Guterres launched the UN80 taskforce in March as the U.N. - which turns 80 this year - faces a liquidity crisis for at least the seventh year in a row because not all 193 U.N. member states pay their mandatory regular dues in full or on time. The report issued by the taskforce late on Thursday covers just one of several reform angles being pursued. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet Asia Asia-Pacific economies welcome new US tariff rates, but concerns over extent of full impact remain Business ST explains: How Trump tariffs could affect Singapore SMEs, jobs and markets Asia Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Among the suggestions Guterres put forward on Friday: "Fewer meetings. Fewer reports, but ones that are able to fully meet the requirements of all mandates." REUTERS
