DEADLY BRONX FIRE CLAIMS 8 KIDS, 9 ADULTS: United States
The promise of a new year turned to tragedy for residents of a 19-story high-rise apartment building.
Authorities have announced that a deadly Jan. 9 fire was caused by a faulty electric space heater. Close to 200 NYFD firefighters, EMS workers and first responders appeared on scene to combat the 5-alarm fire at 333 East 181st Street in the Bronx. There are conflicting reports as to whether or not self-closing doors were working properly in order to limit the spread of the fire and smoke.
In the aftermath, at least 60 people were injured, and 17 people – 9 adults and 8 children – lost their lives due to smoke inhalation. The deceased are reported as follows: Fatoumata Drammeh, 50; Foutmala Drammeh, 21; Muhammed Drammeh, 12; and Nyumaaisha Drammeh, 19; Haji Dukary, 49; Haja Dukureh, 37; Mustapha Dukureh, 12; Mariam Dukureh, 11; Fatoumata Dukureh, 5; Isatou Jabbie, 31; Omar Jambang, 6; Sera Janneh, 27; Hagi Jawara, 47; Ousmane Konteh, the youngest victim at 2 years of age; Haouwa Mahamadou, 5; Seydou Toure, 12; Fatoumata Tunkara, 43.
“What’s happened in the Bronx is an unspeakable tragedy, but I can promise New York City will be there to help our neighbors through it. We’ll give these families all the support they need, and I know all New Yorkers will be there for them too. It’s what we do,” NYC Mayor Eric Adams posted in a tweet.
Over the coming days, it is possible that the number of the deceased will rise. Two class action lawsuits totaling $3 billion have been filed on behalf of the tenants.
PRIME MINISTER COMMITS PARTY FOUL: EUROPE
Days after calling for the public to stay away from large gatherings, news broke that the man who made the request did not practice what he preached.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had to answer to a miffed British Parliament on January 12 after he admitted to attending a gathering in conflict with what he asked of his citizenry. Johnson apologized for being there, and for what it’s worth, said that he “believed implicitly that this was a work event” to “thank groups of staff” for their hard work on the government’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“With hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside,” Johnson added. “I should have found some other way to thank them, and I should have recognized that, even if it could have been said technically to fall within the guidance, there would be millions and millions of people who simply would not see it that way.”
Of course, Johnson’s detractors were not impressed. Among them are Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, who had initially tweeted this before the truth eventually came to light.
“Boris Johnson, your deflections and distractions are absurd. Not only did you know about the parties in Downing Street, you attended them. Stop lying to the British public. It’s time to finally come clean.”
Once Johnson admitted to the act, Starmer simply tweeted, “The party is over @BorisJohnson. Resign.”
The matter has been submitted for a formal inquiry. Meanwhile, as of press time, there is no word on what Queen Elizbeth thinks of the PM’s indiscretions.
SOMBER ANNIVERSARY LAMENTED: CARIBBEAN
On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, leaving its capital Port-au-Prince devastated. About 220,000 people were reportedly killed, among them, 102 United Nations staff who lost their lives when the building housing the mission there, known as MINUSTAH, collapsed.
Paying tribute to all the victims, the UN in Haiti remembered not only the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who lost their lives 12 years ago, but also the many thousands more who sustained permanent injuries.
At the time, some 300,000 people were injured, and 1.5 million became homeless during the 35-second-long tremor.
Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General in Haiti, Bruno Lemarquis, took part in a remembrance ceremony 12 years to the day, to remember the lives lost.
The UN system in Haiti honored those staffers who perished, in a statement released on Wednesday, describing it as “one of the darkest days in its history.”
Since then, “Haiti has drawn on the resilience of its people, the work of its institutions and the assistance of its many friends and supporters to overcome the ravages caused by that calamity.”
Across the UN system, messages of remembrance were shared. UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said on a tweet that “every day we remember the victims and honor their legacy through the Organization’s work.” And the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), renewed its support for Haiti’s “path to recovery, stability and prosperity.”
Last August, another large earthquake hit the southern regions of the country, killing more than 2,200 and injuring over 12,000 people, and leaving thousands of homes destroyed.
The same sense of resilience and solidarity was again in evidence, as Haitians promptly and effectively responded to yet another disaster.
A DISAPPOINTING ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: WORLD
Following a strong rebound in 2021, the global economy is entering a pronounced slowdown amid fresh threats from COVID-19 variants and a rise in inflation, debt, and income inequality that could endanger the recovery in emerging and developing economies, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report.
Global growth is expected to decelerate markedly from 5.5 percent in 2021 to 4.1 percent in 2022 and 3.2 percent in 2023 as pent-up demand dissipates and as fiscal and monetary support is unwound across the world.
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant indicates that the pandemic will likely continue to disrupt economic activity in the near term. In addition, a notable deceleration in major economies – including the United States and China – will weigh on external demand in emerging and developing economies.
At a time when governments in many developing economies lack the policy space to support activity if needed, new COVID-19 outbreaks, persistent supply-chain bottlenecks and inflationary pressures, and elevated financial vulnerabilities in large swaths of the world could increase the risk of a hard landing.
“The world economy is simultaneously facing COVID-19, inflation, and policy uncertainty, with government spending and monetary policies in uncharted territory. Rising inequality and security challenges are particularly harmful for developing countries,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. “Putting more countries on a favorable growth path requires concerted international action and a comprehensive set of national policy responses.”
The slowdown will coincide with a widening divergence in growth rates between advanced economies and emerging and developing economies. Growth in advanced economies is expected to decline from 5 percent in 2021 to 3.8 percent in 2022 and 2.3 percent in 2023 – a pace that, while moderating, will be sufficient to restore output and investment to their pre-pandemic trend in these economies.
In emerging and developing economies, however, growth is expected to drop from 6.3 percent in 2021 to 4.6 percent in 2022 and 4.4 percent in 2023. By 2023, all advanced economies will have achieved a full output recovery; yet output in emerging and developing economies will remain 4 percent below its pre-pandemic trend. For many vulnerable economies, the setback is even larger: output of fragile and conflict-affected economies will be 7.5 percent below its pre-pandemic trend, and output of small island states will be 8.5 percent below.
Meanwhile, rising inflation – which hits low-income workers particularly hard – is constraining monetary policy. Globally and in advanced economies, inflation is running at the highest rates since 2008. In emerging market and developing economies, it has reached its highest rate since 2011. Many emerging and developing economies are withdrawing policy support to contain inflationary pressures – well before the recovery is complete.
“The choices policymakers make in the next few years will decide the course of the next decade,” said Mari Pangestu, the World Bank’s Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships. “The immediate priority should be to ensure that vaccines are deployed more widely and equitably so the pandemic can be brought under control. But tackling reversals in development progress such as rising inequality will require sustained support. In a time of high debt, global cooperation will be essential to help expand the financial resources of developing economies so they can achieve green, resilient, and inclusive development.”
