A man photographs the waves in Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne on September 2, 2024, as winds of more than 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour lash the region, leaving about 150,000 people without power. One woman has died, schools have been shuttered and tens of thousands of people were without power on September 2, as wild storms batter Australia. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)
MELBOURNE (AFP) – One woman has died, schools have been shuttered and tens of thousands of people were without power on Monday, as wild storms lashed Australia.
Police said a 63-year-old woman died after a tree fell on a cabin in the country’s southeast.
“Destructive” winds of more than 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour are lashing the region, leaving about 150,000 people without power.
Victorian state premier Jacinta Allan warned power outages could take up to three days to fix.
“There are some areas where the conditions remain too dangerous to make repairs,” she said.
Meanwhile, coastal areas have been hit by high tides – in some cases swallowing up sand dunes.
A man photographs the waves in Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, Australia. PHOTO: AFP
People have been warned to avoid unnecessary travel, while some schools have closed.
Authorities in New South Wales were concerned the damaging winds would increase fire danger on Monday, with many areas on high alert.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service inspector Ben Shepherd warned Sydney and surrounding areas that they would see the worst of the fire danger on Monday, but conditions would ease in the afternoon.
Parts of Tasmania have been inundated by flooding and destructive winds — with gusts peaking at 150 kilometres (93.2 miles) per hour over the weekend.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Christie Johnson said a series of cold fronts sweeping across Australia’s southeast had caused “damaging to destructive winds”.
But conditions were set to ease Tuesday, she said.
Johnson warned further cold fronts would impact the country later in the week, but she did not anticipate conditions to be as extreme.
Australia’s exposure
Australia is highly exposed to extreme weather events, given its remoteness in the Pacific Ocean.
The country recorded its warmest winter last month, with the mercury hitting 41.6 degrees Celsius (106.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in part of its rugged and remote northwest coast.
Official data shows average temperatures for Australia steadily rising, with climate change fuelling more intense bushfires, floods, drought and heatwaves.
Shepard told AFP there was a high risk that the coming summer would see increased fire danger due to the rapid drying of vegetation.
With a few days of hot and windy weather, this vegetation would be primed for fire.
Climate scientists have already predicted that 2024 will be the planet’s hottest year on record.
Temperature records have tumbled worldwide in recent decades as human-caused carbon emissions have risen.
Record temperatures have been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea and Norway’s Arctic Svalbard archipelago in the past few weeks alone.
Scarlett Goddard Strahan, 11, poses for a portrait at her home on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada)
SACRAMENTO, California, USA (AP) — When she was in fifth grade, Scarlett Goddard Strahan started to worry about getting wrinkles.
By the time she turned 10, Scarlett and her friends were spending hours on TikTok and YouTube watching influencers tout products for achieving today’s beauty aesthetic: a dewy, “glowy,” flawless complexion. Scarlett developed an elaborate skin care routine with facial cleansers, mists, hydrating masks and moisturisers.
One night, Scarlett’s skin began to burn intensely and erupted in blisters. Heavy use of adult-strength products had wreaked havoc on her skin. Months later, patches of tiny bumps remain on Scarlett’s face, and her cheeks turn red in the sun.
“I didn’t want to get wrinkles and look old,” says Scarlett, who recently turned 11. “If I had known my life would be so affected by this, I never would have put these things on my face.”
Scarlett Goddard Strahan, 11, poses for a portrait at her home on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Sacramento, California. PHOTO: AP
Scarlett’s experience has become common, experts say, as preteen girls around the country throng beauty stores to buy high-end skin care products, a trend captured in viral videos with the hashtag #SephoraKids. Girls as young as 8 are turning up at dermatologists’ offices with rashes, chemical burns and other allergic reactions to products not intended for children’s sensitive skin.
“When kids use anti-aging skin care, they can actually cause premature aging, destroy the skin barrier and lead to permanent scarring,” says Dr. Brooke Jeffy, a Scottsdale, Arizona, dermatologist who has posted her own social media videos rebutting influencers’ advice.
More than the physical harm, parents and child psychologists worry about the trend’s effects on girls’ mental health — for years to come. Extensive data suggests a fixation on appearance can affect self-esteem and body image and fuel anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
The skin care obsession offers a window into the role social media plays in the lives of today’s youth and how it shapes the ideals and insecurities of girls in particular. Girls are experiencing high levels of sadness and hopelessness. Whether social media exposure causes or simply correlates with mental health problems is up for debate. But to older teens and young adults, it’s clear: Extended time on social media has been bad for them, period.
Young girls’ fascination with makeup and cosmetics is not new. Neither are kids who hold themselves to idealised beauty standards. What’s different now is the magnitude, says Kris Perry, executive director of Children and Screens, a nonprofit that studies how digital media impacts child development. In an era of filtered images and artificial intelligence, some of the beautiful faces they encounter aren’t even real.
“Girls are being bombarded with idealised images of beauty that establish a beauty standard that could be very hard — if not impossible — to attain,” Perry says.
Saving allowances for Sephora hauls
The obsession with skin care is about more than the pursuit of perfect skin, explains 14-year-old Mia Hall.
Mia Hall, 14, poses for a portrait in her neighborhood park while holding some skin care products she uses regularly on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in the Bronx borough of New York. PHOTO: AP
It’s about feeling accepted and belonging to a community that has the lifestyle and look you want, says Mia, a New Yorker from the Bronx.
Skin care was not on Mia’s radar until she started eighth grade last fall. It was a topic of conversation among girls her age — at school and on social media. Girls bonded over their skin care routines.
“Everyone was doing it. I felt like it was the only way I could fit in,” says Mia. She started following beauty influencers like Katie Fang and Gianna Christine, who have millions of young followers on TikTok. Some influencers are paid by brands to promote their products, but they don’t always mention that.
Mia got hooked on “Get Ready With Me” videos, where influencers film themselves getting ready — for school, for a night out with friends, packing for a trip. The hashtag #GRWM has over 150 billion views on TikTok.
“It’s like a trance. You can’t stop watching it,” Mia says. “So when they tell me, ‘Go buy this product’ or, ‘I use this and it’s amazing,’ it feels very personal. Getting what they have makes me feel connected to them.”
Mia started saving her USD20 weekly allowance for trips with friends to Sephora. Her daily routine included a face wash, a facial mist, a hydrating serum, a pore-tightening toner, a moisturiser and sunscreen. Most were luxury brands like Glow Recipe, Drunk Elephant or Caudalie, whose moisturizers can run USD70.
“I get really jealous and insecure a lot when I see other girls my age who look very pretty or have an amazing life,” she says.
The level of detail and information girls are getting from beauty tutorials sends a troubling message at a vulnerable age, as girls are going through puberty and searching for their identities, says Charlotte Markey, a body image expert and Rutgers University psychologist.
“The message to young girls is that, ‘You are a never-ending project to get started on now.’ And essentially: ‘You are not OK the way you are’,”‘ says Markey, author of “The Body Image Book for Girls.”
Products promoting youth, purchased by kids
The beauty industry has been cashing in on the trend. Last year, consumers under age 14 drove 49 per cent of drug store skin sales, according to a NielsonIQ report that found households with teens and tweens were outspending the average American household on skin care. And in the first half of 2024, a third of “prestige” beauty sales, at stores like Sephora, were driven by households with tweens and teens, according to market research firm Circana.
The cosmetics industry has acknowledged certain products aren’t suitable for children but has done little to stop kids from buying them. Drunk Elephant’s website, for example, recommends kids 12 and under should not use their anti-aging serums, lotions and scrubs “due to their very active nature.” That guidance is on the site’s FAQ page; there are no such warnings on the products themselves.
Sephora declined to comment for this story.
Ingredients like retinol and chemical exfoliants like hydroxy acids are inherently harsh. For aging skin, they are used to stimulate collagen and cell production. Young or sensitive skin can react with redness, peeling and burning that can lead to infections, acne and hypersensitivity if used incorrectly, dermatologists say.
Dermatologists agree a child’s face typically needs only three items, all found on drugstore shelves: a gentle cleanser, a moisturiser and sunscreen.
A California bill aimed at banning the sale of anti-aging skin care products to children under age 13 failed this spring, but Democratic Assemblymember Alex Lee says he plans to continue pursuing industry accountability. Lee and other critics say popular brands use colorful packaging and product names like “Baby facial” to attract younger buyers in the same way that e-cigarette companies and alcohol brands created fruity flavors that appeal to underage users.
Lee points to Europe as setting the right example. The European Union enacted legislation last year that limits the concentration of retinol in all over-the-counter products. And one of Sweden’s leading pharmacy chains, Apotek Hjartat, said in March it would stop selling anti-aging skin care products to customers under 15 without parental consent. “This is a way to protect children’s skin health, finances and mental well-being,” the company said.
One mother ‘got rid of them all’
Around the country, concerned mothers are visiting dermatologists with their young daughters, carrying bags filled with their child’s skin care products to ask: Are these OK?
“Often the mothers are saying exactly what I am but need their child to hear it from an expert,” says Dr. Dendy Engelman, a Manhattan dermatologist. “They’re like, ‘Maybe she’ll listen to you because she certainly doesn’t listen to me.'”
Mia’s mother, Sandra Gordon, took a different approach. Last spring, she noticed dark patches on Mia’s face and became alarmed. Gordon, a nurse, threw all her daughter’s products into the trash.
“There were Sephora bags on top of bags. Some things were opened, some not opened, some were full. I got rid of them all,” she says.
Mia wasn’t happy. But as she starts high school, she now feels her mother was right. She has switched to a simple routine, using just a face wash and moisturizer, and says her complexion has improved.
In Sacramento, California, Scarlett missed early signs the products were hurting her skin: She developed a rash and felt a stinging sensation, within days of trying out viral skin care products. Scarlett figured she wasn’t using enough, so she layered on more. That’s when her cheeks erupted in blistering pain.
“It was late at night. She came running into my room crying. All of her cheeks had been burned,” recalls Anna Goddard, Scarlett’s mother, who hadn’t realised the extent of Scarlett’s skin care obsession.
When Goddard read the ingredients in each product, she was shocked to find retinol in products that appeared to be marketed to children — including a facial sheet mask with a cat’s face on the packaging.
What worries her mother most is the psychological consequences. Kids’ comments at school have caused lingering anxiety and self-consciousness.
Goddard hopes to see more protections. “I didn’t know there were harmful ingredients being put in skin care that is marketed to kids,” she says. “There has to be some type of warning.”
Vinicius Goncalves Rodrigues of Brazil and Daniel Wagner of Denmark compete in the men’s 100 m T63 at the 2024 Paralympics. PHOTO: AP
PARIS (AFP) – The Paralympic amputee sprinters burst into action on Sunday and Britain chased China’s medal haul with a golden success in the pool and on the track.
There was a setback though for the organisers who were forced to delay the triathlon events by 24 hours due to concerns about the water quality of the River Seine after heavy rain.
China set the pace again on the fourth day of competition to amass 33 gold medals but Britain moved onto 23 golds after bagging 12 golds on Sunday, the country’s best performance on a single day at a Paralympics this century.
The USA and Brazil both have eight golds.
Athletes compete during the men’s 100m- T64 at the 2024 Paralympics. PHOTO: AP
One of the outstanding British successes came from wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft who made it four titles in the women’s T34 100 metres in four Paralympics stretching back to London 2012.
Cockcroft said she had been boosted by the roars of the estimated 50,000 crowd at the Stade de France.
“My wheels were vibrating!” she said. “They said ‘On your marks’ and it didn’t go quiet.
“I was afraid I wasn’t going to hear the gun. But this is what we want, it’s fantastic.”
“I means so much to get a fourth gold,” she added, and pledged to keep competing until the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics – but her immediate priority is her wedding to fellow British Paralympian Nathan Maguire later this year.
In the pool, British swimmer Maisie Newton Summers won her second gold medal of these Games by taking the SB6 100m breaststroke title.
Britain also won three golds in the track cycling as well, but China’s excellence across a wide range of sports kept them out in front, with eight golds so far in swimming alone. Yang Hong winning the men’s SB6 breaststroke title was among their haul in the pool.
Athletes compete during women’s 800 m. T54 final at the 2024 Paralympics. PHOTO: AP
Setting the pace
Italy’s Maxcel Amo Manu set the pace when the amputee sprinters strapped on their blades and roared into action, while social media sensation Hunter Woodhall scraped into the final.
Manu, who won the world title last year, set a new Paralympic record of 10.69sec to lead all qualifiers in the men’s T64 100m.
Woodhall had to run flat out to finish third from the outside lane in a time of 11.02sec and book his place in Monday’s final.
The 25-year-old American is one half of an Olympic-Paralympic super couple with his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall, who was crowned Olympic women’s long jump champion in the same stadium just weeks ago.
The couple’s Instagram account charting their adventures at the Olympics and their life since has attracted more than half a million followers.
Woodhall, who was given a special roar from the crowd when he was introduced, said: “It’s just so special that the Paralympics are getting this much excitement and hype. I’m just glad people showed up and I’m hoping to give them a good show tomorrow.”
He said his wife will be in the crowd for the final: “She wouldn’t miss it.”
Britain’s Jonnie Peacock, a two-time champion in the event, also progressed after finishing third in the first heat.
The water quality of the Seine, an issue that has dogged both Olympic and Paralympic organisers this summer, caused fresh problems.
The 11 triathlon races were to take place early Sunday but after heavy rain which can stir up pollution in the river, organisers and governing body World Triathlon decided to postpone until Monday.
Meanwhile, the blind football competition kicked off at the foot of the Eiffel Tower with the players guided by a rattle in the ball.
Brazil, who have not lost a single match since the event was introduced in 2004, breezed past Turkiye 3-0 in their opening game and face host nation France next.
Brazil’s Jeferson da Conceicao Goncalves clears the ball past Turkiye’s Semih Deniz and Muhammed Ali Oktem
Mohamad Ali, Senior Vice President of IBM Consulting
SINGAPORE (ANN/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER) – The message from the recently concluded IBM Think 2024 conference in Singapore was clear: corporate chief executives must begin integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations or risk losing their customer base to more innovative and agile competitors.
While 85 per cent of organisations within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recognise AI’s potential to transform their businesses and help them achieve strategic goals, only 17 per cent have implemented a well-defined AI strategy, according to “The AI Readiness Barometer: AI Landscape” study commissioned by IBM. The study highlighted a “significant gap between organisational optimism about AI readiness and the harsher reality.”
One major barrier to widespread AI adoption is uncertainty about its specific benefits and concerns about whether the investment in financial and human resources will yield worthwhile returns. The study, based on insights from 372 technology, data, and business leaders in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, collected data from March to April this year, providing a comprehensive look into the challenges and opportunities of AI adoption in Southeast Asia.
Leveraging AI for business success
Mohamad Ali, Senior Vice President of IBM Consulting, emphasised the importance of taking decisive action during an interview with the Inquirer in Singapore. While there is a risk of reputational damage if an AI strategy is poorly executed, the greater danger lies in staying on the sidelines and allowing competitors to gain a significant advantage.
Mohamad Ali, Senior Vice President of IBM Consulting speaks during the IBM Think 2024 conference in Singapore. PHOTO: IBM
“If you don’t participate and miss the opportunity, your competitor may achieve what you’re doing today in half the time or cost,” said Ali. “So you have to leverage AI in a truly trusted, governed, and secure way.”
Ali suggested that companies could start small, applying AI to internal processes before expanding its use to customer-facing operations. However, he stressed that doing nothing is not an option. “If they don’t, their competitors will, and they’ll fall behind. Just look around; everyone is heading in this direction,” he added.
The study identified that for 2024 and 2025, the top AI priorities for organisations include identifying business use cases for AI, improving data quality, and upskilling employees to be data-ready. For those already utilising AI, the technology is primarily applied in intelligent document processing, support and helpdesk applications, payment and invoicing automation, content strategy, and recruitment.
Boosting employee productivity with Generative AI
Generative AI—AI capable of generating text, photos, videos, code, and data—is being increasingly applied in human resources, marketing, and information technology to automate tedious tasks and boost employee productivity. For example, IBM’s own AI technology has led to a 40 per cent reduction in HR operating costs, with 94 per cent of company-wide requests managed by its digital assistant, AskHR.
According to IBM, 87 per cent of executives expect AI to augment, rather than replace, job roles. The development of “human-machine partnerships” is seen as key to maximizing the benefits of AI.
In customer service, AI is being used to analyse customer data and predict behavior, allowing companies to personalise their approaches and optimise offers, leading to better customer engagement and improved financial outcomes. For example, financial institutions are using AI to tailor their interactions with customers, offering services in preferred languages and providing customized offers that enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
As Ullrich Loeffler, CEO of Ecosystm, which conducted the IBM study, noted, “Tech partners become invaluable allies, helping organisations identify high-potential use cases, choose the right AI tools, and optimise workflows for AI through process reengineering.”
Organisations can effectively unlock AI’s full potential and achieve their business goals through open communication and strategic alignment with tech partners.
New Hyundai cars are displayed on the sales lot at San Leandro Hyundai on May 30, 2023 in San Leandro, California. (Getty Images)
(ANN/KOREA HERALD) – Exports of hybrid cars by Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. jumped 35.2 per cent on-year in the first seven months of this year, industry data showed last Sunday.
Hyundai Motor and Kia exported a total of 222,818 hybrid vehicles between January and July, compared with 164,851 units for the same period last year, according to data from the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association.
Hyundai Motor, in particular, saw its exports of hybrid vehicles soar 58.3 per cent on-year to 141,032 units.
Last week, Hyundai Motor CEO Chang Jae-hoon told investors that the company plans to improve its self-developed hybrid systems to better meet the growing demand for hybrid vehicles.
New Hyundai cars are displayed on the sales lot at San Leandro Hyundai on May 30, 2023 in San Leandro, California. PHOTO: ANN/KOREA HERALD
Hyundai Motor plans to expand its hybrid system, which was previously offered primarily in compact and mid-sized vehicles, to a broader range of models, Chang said.
A forum on peatland biodiversity opened on Monday, bringing together regional experts to discuss conservation and sustainable management of the unique ecosystem.
The ASEAN Forum on Peatland Biodiversity will see 52 participants, comprising experts, researchers and policymakers from ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste, discussing critical issues surrounding biodiversity and ecology in the peat swamp forests across the region over the next three days.
Researchers, experts and policymakers at the forum. PHOTO: FADLEY FAISAL
The forum was organised by Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism through the Forestry Department and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) SUPA/REPEAT, with the support of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).
Deputy Director of Forestry Reni bin Haji Yahya said Brunei Darussalam is committed to conservation of its peatlands, highlighted the country’s pride in its rich natural heritage.
He said the unique peatland ecosystems are vital for maintaining biodiversity and regulating climate.
Topics that will be discussed over the forum include, “Peatland biodiversity to global and regional biodiversity and climate change agendas”, “The importance and current status of peatlands in Brunei Darussalam” and “The vulnerability of peatland biodiversity due to land use and climate change in Indonesia and Malaysia”.
Participants will also compare biodiversity in protected versus unprotected peatland areas within Brunei Darussalam and share national biodiversity commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework 2030.
Participants will also take a field trip to the Badas Peat Swamp Forest in Belait District, to observe the ongoing conservation efforts and plant 50 saplings of the Alan tree (Shorea albida). – Fadley Faisal
Dreamworld on Australia's Golf Coast is home to nine tigers
SYDNEY (Xinhua) – A woman has been hospitalised after being mauled by a tiger at a theme park in the Australian state of Queensland on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Queensland Ambulance Service said that paramedics were called to Dreamworld at 9 am local time on Monday following an incident involving a tiger. They said that an animal handler aged in her 30s suffered several deep cuts and scratches to her arm and was taken to a nearby hospital in a stable condition.
Located 50 km south of the state capital of Brisbane, Dreamworld is Australia’s biggest theme park.
Dreamworld is Australia’s biggest theme park. PHOTO: AFP
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that it is home to nine Sumatran and Bengal tigers.
A spokesperson for Dreamworld confirmed that the victim was trained in handling tigers. “Dreamworld’s immediate focus is on the support of the team member,” they said. “This was an isolated and rare incident, and we will conduct a thorough review accordingly.”
Four people died at Dreamworld in October 2016 when a water ride malfunctioned. The operator of the park was in 2020 fined AUD3.6 million (USD2.4 million) after pleading guilty to safety charges over the deaths.
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim delivers speech at the Malaysia Commercialisation Year 2024 Summit here today.
-- fotoBERNAMA (2024) COPYRIGHT RESERVED
ANN/THE STAR – Reform in the civil service should take place immediately as there is still room for improvement, said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar pointed to several areas in which reforms had not reached satisfactory levels, including reports by department or agency heads on negligence and sluggishness among officials.
Speaking at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly gathering on Monday, Anwar then pointed to several other areas which need to be looked into.
This includes the merging of several departments and agencies as well as the overlapping of positions among officials.
“The administration that I helm demands good governance, a strong economy and the wellbeing of the people. This must be delivered,” he said.
Anwar said that speed and efficiency in the delivery of services must also be improved and be in accordance with public demand.
“How fast we answer public queries and correspondence is important. We must constantly find ways so that we provide satisfactory service to the people,” he added.
“I will discuss with the Chief Secretary to the Government and Public Service director-general on measures to improve performance,” he said without elaborating.
The Prime Minister also welcomed newly appointed Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and called on civil servants to work as a team with him.
“We have a lot to do, especially in improving performance. Which is why it is important that all civil servants give their cooperation to the new KSN (chief secretary to the government),” he said.
Shamsul Azri was appointed to the post on August 7, replacing Mohd Zuki Ali, who retired on August 10.
The 55-year-old was the Public-Private Partnership Unit director-general prior to the appointment and has been in public service for 30 years.
Boats are seen shrouded by dark clouds amid heavy rains brought about by Tropical Storm Yagi at Manila Bay on September 2, 2024. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
The skyline of Manila is seen shrouded by dark clouds brought about by a tropical storm. PHOTO: AFP
ANN/THE INQUIRER – Classes in all levels both public and private in Metro Manila are suspended amid the effects of Tropical Storm Enteng (Yagi), said the Palace on Monday.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), it was the Office of the Executive Secretary who declared the suspension of classes.
“In view of the inclement weather brought about by Tropical Storm Enteng, classes in public and private schools at all levels within the National Capital Region on 02 September 2024 are hereby suspended,” the PCO said in a statement.
Several local governments in Metro Manila already suspended its classes even before the Palace declaration.
It was 11pm on Sunday when the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that Enteng has strengthened into a tropical storm.
As of 3am, Enteng was last spotted moving over the coastal waters of Vinzons, Camarines Norte at 10 kilometers per hour (km/h) west northwestward.
Boats are seen shrouded by dark clouds amid heavy rains brought about by a tropical storm at Manila Bay. PHOTO: AFP
It carried maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h and gustiness of up to 90 km/h.
Despite the heavy rains in Metro Manila, no tropical cyclone signal warning is currently raised in the region.
FILE - In this photo provided by Moj News Agency, rescue team members work at the scene of a crash of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, Monday, May 20, 2024. (Azin Haghighi, Moj News Agency via AP, File)
TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran’s final investigation into the May helicopter crash that killed president Ebrahim Raisi has found it was caused by bad weather, the body investigating the case said on Sunday.
The helicopter carrying 63-year-old Raisi and his entourage came down on a fog-shrouded mountainside in northern Iran, killing the president and seven others, and triggering snap elections.
Rescue team members work at the scene of a crash of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran. PHOTO: AP19
The main cause of the helicopter crash was the “complex climatic and atmospheric conditions of the region in the spring”, the special board investigating the dimensions and causes of the helicopter accident said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
The report added that “the sudden emergence of a thick mass of dense and rising fog” caused the helicopter’s collision into the mountain.
Iran’s army in May similarly said it had found no evidence of criminal activity in the crash that also killed Raisi’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
