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WORLD NEWS Friday 11 September 2020
New project to probe Hurricane Maria deaths in Puerto Rico

By DÁNICA COTO and shelters.
Associated Press "We're trying to understand
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) how people died," she said.
— U.S. researchers who es- Carlos Santos Burgoa, a
timated that nearly 3,000 professor at the Milken In-
people died in Puerto Rico stitute who will lead the
in the aftermath of Hurri- project, said in a statement
cane Maria are now inves- that he hopes it also will
tigating deaths that might help experts quickly and
have been missed and accurately count deaths
could be linked to infra- following a natural disaster.
structure damaged by the The NIST has said it chose
Category 4 storm, officials to study the impact of Ma-
announced Wednesday. ria in Puerto Rico over Hur-
The Milken Institute of Pub- ricane Harvey in Texas and
lic Health at George Wash- Hurricane Irma in Florida
ington University received because of the sustained
a nearly $1 million contract wind speeds greater than
from the National Institute 140 mph (225 kph) across
of Standards and Technol- a broad region, damage
ogy for the investigation. from wind, flooding and
University officials said the landslides, loss of critical
project seeks to improve services and a prolonged
the death certification In this Sept. 29, 2017 file photo, police lift the coffin that contain the remains of a fellow officer recovery.
process and building stan- who died while trying to cross a river in his car during the passage of Hurricane Maria, in Aguada, Puerto Rico's government
dards across the U.S. main- Puerto Rico. at the time came under
land ahead of future storms Associated Press heavy criticism for severely
as part of a collaboration struck, praised the upcom- died elsewhere...Follow- Center towers, a Rhode Is- undercounting the num-
with the University of Puerto ing investigation and said ing up is very important to land nightclub fire and the ber of deaths related to
Rico and others. she was encouraged that avoid this happening in the 2011 tornado that hit Jop- Hurricane Maria, which
The investigation also aims the storm-related deaths future." lin, Missouri. destroyed the power grid
to identify all direct and will not be in vain. Her It is one of four projects "This isn't a traditional re- and caused more than an
indirect deaths linked to mother had been sched- that studies the impact of search project," Judith Mi- estimated $100 billion in
building and infrastruc- uled to undergo an opera- Hurricane Maria in Puerto trani-Reiser, who leads the damage. The government
ture failures in the first two tion for heart problems in Rico and launched by the institution's division oversee- later raised the official
weeks after Maria struck October that was indefi- National Institute of Stan- ing the Hurricane Maria in- death toll from 64 to 2,975
on Sept. 20, 2017, including nitely postponed as a result dards and Technology, a vestigation, said in a phone following an independent
finding clusters of deaths of the hurricane. non-regulatory agency interview. study by George Washing-
tied to critical facilities such "I think it's fantastic they're within the U.S. Department She said that it will take sev- ton researchers who found
as hospitals and schools. creating this awareness," of Commerce. The $5 mil- eral years to complete and that people succumbed
Yaritsa Santiago, whose Santiago, who lives in Tam- lion investigation is only the that researchers will review in the sweltering aftermath
mother died after she was pa, said in a phone inter- fourth one conducted by government data, inter- and that doctors were not
airlifted from Puerto Rico to view. "A lot of people had the institute. The others fo- view families of victims and trained in how to classify
Miami shortly after Maria to leave Puerto Rico and cused on the World Trade focus on hospital, schools deaths after a disaster.q

Norwegian lawmaker nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

By JAN M. OLSEN month to a historic deal lawmakers, heads of state
Associated Press normalizing relations and and certain international
COPENHAGEN, Denmark are scheduled to sign it at institutions. In 2020, the
(AP) — An anti-immigrant the White House on Sept. committee received 318
Norwegian lawmaker said 15. nominations for the Nobel
Wednesday that he has "No matter how Trump Peace Prize, of which 211
nominated U.S. President acts at home and what are individuals and 107
Donald Trump for the No- he says at press confer- are organizations.
bel Peace Prize for his ef- ences, he has absolutely a Tybring-Gjedde was one of
forts in the Middle East. chance at getting the No- two Norwegian lawmak-
Christian Tybring-Gjedde, bel Peace Prize," Tybring- ers who nominated Trump
a member of the Norwe- Gjedde, told The Associat- for the Nobel Peace Prize
gian parliament for the ed Press. Nominations must in 2018 for efforts to bring
populist Progress Party, be sent to the Norwegian reconciliation between
said Trump should be con- Nobel Committee by Feb. North and South Korea.
sidered because of his 1, meaning the deadline Any lawmaker serving in In this May 5, 2019 file photo, Norway Member of Parliament
work "for a peace agree- to nominate people for a national legislature can Christian Tybring-Gjedde gestures, during the election at FrP's
ment between the United this year's peace prize has nominate someone for the national meeting 2019, in Gardermoen, Norway.
Arab Emirates and Israel passed. Nobel Peace Prize. Associated Press
which opens up for pos- Nominations can be Former U.S. President term, a move many felt commitment to "seek the
sible peace in the Middle made by a select group Barack Obama was was premature. The Nor- peace and security of
East." Israel and the United of people and organiza- awarded the prize in 2009 wegian committee said a world without nuclear
Arab Emirates agreed last tions, including national only months into his first it honored Obama for his weapons."q