On a rainy day in February 2012, Abed Salama received the kind of phone call every parent dreads. His 5-yearold son Milad had been excited about a kindergarten trip to a play centre on the Jerusalem-Ramallah road in the West Bank. But, Abed learned, there had been an accident. A bad one. Milad's bus had been hit by a jack-knifing truck-trailer that slid across a rough road in the rain. The old school bus overturned on to its doors, trapping the children inside. Then it caught fire.
It took 20 minutes for passersby to get the driver, teachers and children out of the burning bus. During this time, one of the rescuers was fatally injured and several children died. Not a single firefighter, soldier or police officer came to help as dying children were dragged to safety, despite frantic phone calls to emergency services and the army checkpoint with a water tank just seconds away. There was an Israeli police headquarters nearby and the burning bus was surrounded by Israeli settlements stocked with fire engines and ambulances.
Denne historien er fra March 30 - April 5, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra March 30 - April 5, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.