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A30 world news
Diahuebs 8 aPRiL 2021

Salvage of Dutch ship adrift off Norway postponed for a day

(AP) — Bad weather con- However, it’s slowly be- ed to shore by helicopter af-
ditions have postponed ing carried landward by the ter the ship sent a distress call
efforts to salvage a Dutch waves, and there is a risk following a power outage in
cargo ship that’s been that it could run aground its main engine in heavy seas
drifting off the coast of later Wednesday. The vessel late Monday.
Norway for two days af- has substantial quantities of
ter its crew was evacuated, diesel and fuel in its tanks, Norwegian news agency
Norwegian maritime offi- which could cause an envi- NTB said that under a sal-
cials said Wednesday. ronmental disaster if released vage plan four Dutch rescue
into the sea. experts would be lowered
Norwegian and Dutch sal- The Eemslift Hendrika, a onto the Eemslift Hendrika
vage experts are now expect- Netherlands-registered spe- by helicopter, after which
ed to try again Thursday. cial ship designed to carry they would attach towing
“Life and health are always boats on its deck, is adrift in ropes to secure the vessel to
the first priority during an an area where the North Sea two waiting tug boats.
incident like this, and it and Norwegian Sea meet, One large boat aboard the
must be safe to carry out the Coastal Administration. diate danger of capsizing — some 40-50 kilometers (25- deck of the 6-year-old Eems-
rescue,” said Hans Petter The weather in the region even though it was listing at 31 miles) off the shore and lift Hendrika fell off the ves-
Mortensholm, emergency has improved slightly and the a 40-50 degree angle — Nor- the city of Alesund. sel in heavy seas Tuesday,
director at the Norwegian ship was no longer in imme- wegian officials said. The crew of 12 was evacuat- helping to stabilize the ship.

Thailand confirms first local cases of coronavirus variant

(AP) — Thailand has con- family arriving from Britain for an entire week. The of-
firmed its first local cases who had been quarantined. ficial holiday was postponed
of the coronavirus variant The new cluster from night- last year to slow the spread of
first detected in the U.K., spots, along with another at a the disease, as it came as the
raising the likelihood that prison in the southern prov- country was experiencing its
it is facing a new wave of ince of Narathiwat, had al- first major outbreak.
the pandemic, a senior ready caused major concern. Prime Minister Prayuth
doctor said Wednesday. Bangkok city officials on Chan-ocha has so far brushed
Monday ordered the closing aside the idea of banning
The variant was found in for two weeks of almost 200 inter-provincial travel for
blood samples from 24 peo- bars and other nightspots in this year’s holiday. A state of
ple in a new cluster of cas- three areas linked to the new emergency declared last year
es involving customers of cases. that is still in effect allows
nightlife venues in the capi- him to take such actions.
tal, Bangkok, said Dr. Yong Many international schools Thailand also has been lag-
Pooworavan, a virologist in the city canceled classes ging in vaccinating its 69 mil-
from the Faculty of Medicine for the week, in some cases lion population. As of Tues-
at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn substituting remote learning. day, according to the World total to 29,905 including 95 ing for 14 days after having
University. The new virus threat comes Health Organization, just deaths. contact with infected people.
Speaking at a Health Minis- at a particularly vulnerable 274,354 people had received a Most of the new cases origi- Transport Minister Saksayam
try news conference, Yong time for Thailand. first vaccine dose and 49,635 nated in the Bangkok enter- Chidchob is the only one
described the variant as 1.7 Next week Thais celebrate a second dose. tainment venue cluster, with who announced he has tested
times more contagious than the traditional Songkran The government’s Center related cases showing up in positive for the disease.
the original coronavirus, still New Year’s holiday, which for COVID-19 Situation the north, south and north- All 61 lawmakers belonging
more common in Thailand. usually sees an exodus of Administration announced east of the country. to Saksayam’s Bhumjai Thai
The variant was found in people from cities to visit Wednesday that it had con- Six of Prayuth’s Cabinet Party also went into quaran-
Thailand for the first time in relatives in other provinces firmed 334 new coronavirus ministers announced this tine because they met with
January in four members of a and is generally celebrated cases, bringing Thailand’s week they are quarantin- him at a recent party meeting.

UK Deliveroo riders strike over pay, gig work conditions

hundreds of riders to take cerns about employment The “success they claim to
part.Deliveroo said that “this conditions for riders and a have had during the pandem-
small self-appointed union dual-class shareholder struc- ic was built on our backs,”
does not represent the vast ture that gives founder Will said Wave Roberts, a Deliv-
majority of riders who tell us Shu outsize control. eroo rider in Reading and
they value the total flexibil- The company, which oper- chair of the union’s couriers
ity they enjoy.” Rider surveys ates in a dozen countries in branch. “It’s not sustainable.
found most are happy with Europe, the Mideast and It’s got to the point where
the company and flexibility Asia, saw its business boom they’ve hired too many peo-
was their priority, the com- over the past year because of ple. They’ve lowered the fees
(AP) — Riders for the smoke flares rode through pany said in a statement. COVID-19 restrictions that too much.”
app-based meal delivery the streets of Central Lon- The strike coincides with powered demand for meal Deliveroo and other gig com-
platform Deliveroo held a don. Socially distanced pro- the first day of unconditional deliveries. More than 6 mil- panies in the U.K. that rely
strike in London Wednes- tests were also planned in share trading for Deliveroo, lion customers order through on flexible workforces are
day over pay and work- York, Reading, Sheffield and which went public last week its app each month and the also facing looming regulato-
ing conditions, part of a Wolverhampton to demand in a multibillion pound stock company promised some ry challenges, after the U.K.’s
broader backlash against fair pay, safety protections offering that was one of Eu- longtime riders bonuses top court ruled Uber drivers
one of the U.K.’s biggest and basic workers’ rights. rope’s most hotly anticipated from the IPO. should be classed as “work-
gig economy companies. The Independent Work- IPOs this year. However, a However, riders say they ers” and not self-employed,
ers’ Union of Great Britain, number of institutional in- haven’t been sharing in the entitling them to benefits
Scooter and bicycle delivery which represents migrant vestors skipped the initial success because the company such as minimum wage and
riders waving flags and red and gig workers, expected public offering, citing con- has been paying them less. pensions.