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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 31 OcTOber 2019
UK leader vows to beef up fire safety after Grenfell inferno

LONDON (AP) — British after it became clear the
Prime Minister Boris John- safety systems were failing,
son Wednesday vowed to leading to an increased
speed up efforts to make loss of life.
sure the dangerous clad- It said residents of the pub-
ding used in the Grenfell lic housing building should
Tower is removed from oth- have been told to evacu-
er high-rise buildings before ate more quickly because
there is another tragic fire. the fire was spreading so
Speaking on the day a fast that rescuing people
damning report into the from their apartments was
June 2017 that killed 72 not possible in many cases.
people, Johnson said the Nazanin Aghlani, who lost
government has taken two family members includ-
steps to remove the clad- ing her mother to the blaze,
ding from government- said the death toll should
owned buildings and will have been lower.
take action against private "However brave some of
landlords who do not follow the firefighters were, on the
suit. night there was a serious
"Nearly all private high-rise lack of common sense,"
residential buildings where she said. "They didn't see
such cladding remains are what was so vivid in front of
now in line to have remedi- In this file photo dated Wednesday, June 14, 2017, smoke rises from a fire in the Grenfell Tower them."
al work scheduled," he said. building in west London. She said "a lot of people
"Where that is not case, the Associated Press could have been saved" if
government will work with a sound evacuation plan
local authorities to take en- observed a minute of si- Johnson said as some of those who have suffered so had been in place.
forcement action if land- lence to honor the victims the bereaved families much." London's fire commissioner
lords refuse to deal with the trapped in the inferno. watched from the public The inquiry report published Dany Cotton said Wednes-
problems themselves." "No report, no words, no gallery in Parliament. Wednesday criticized the day that firefighters faced
The prime minister spoke apology will ever make But he said he hoped the London Fire Brigade for al- an "unprecedented" situa-
in a solemn tone after good the loss suffered and report will bring "some lowing a "stay in place" or- tion in the overnight tower
the House of Commons the trauma experienced," measure of comfort to der to remain in effect even fire. q

Activist Thunberg declines climate prize, urges more action

Associated Press award — the Children's Cli-
COPENHAGEN, Denmark mate Prize, which is award-
(AP) — Teen climate ac- ed by a Swedish electric-
tivist Greta Thunberg, who ity company — because
has inspired millions across many of the finalists had to
the world to stage protests fly to Stockholm for the cer-
urging leaders to better emony.
tackle global warming, has Thunberg notes that flights
declined an environmental contribute to global warm-
prize, saying "the climate ing, so she sailed across
movement does not need the Atlantic Ocean for two
any more prizes." weeks on a zero-emissions
Two fellow climate activists sailboat to reach New York.
spoke on Thunberg's behalf There the Swede scolded
at an award ceremony a U.N. climate conference
Tuesday in Stockholm for in September , repeatedly
the regional inter-parlia- asking, "How dare you?"
mentary Nordic Council's "We are in the beginning
prizes, reading a statement of a mass extinction and
thanking the group for the yet all you can talk about is
honor. Thunberg, 16, is cur- money. You are failing us,"
rently in California. she said. Weeks later, Thun-
But Sofia and Isabella berg won the 2019 Right
Axelsson quoted Thunberg Livelihood Award — known
as saying that "what we as the "Alternative Nobel"
need is for our rulers and Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg, attends a climate rally, in Vancouver, British Columbia, — "for inspiring and ampli-
politicians to listen to the on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019. fying political demands for
research." Associated Press urgent climate action re-
The Nordic Council hands flecting scientific facts."
out annual prizes for litera- It was not the first prize that bel Peace Prize this year tion." In May 2019, she was fea-
ture, youth literature, film, the climate activist has won because they believe "the Last year, about three tured on the cover of Time
music and the environ- or been nominated for. massive movement Greta months into her school magazine, which named
ment, each worth 350,000 Three Norwegian lawmak- has set in motion is a very climate strike campaign, her a "next generation
Danish kroner ($52,000). ers nominated for the No- important peace contribu- Thunberg declined another leader."q