The Jewish Home | MARCH 31, 2022
12
The Week In News
Volcano Erupts in Philippines
A volcano near Manila, Philippines, erupted on Saturday morning, sending thousands fleeing for their lives. Taal volcano erupted at 7:22a.m. on Saturday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement. That eruption was followed by “nearly continuous phreatomagmatic activity” that sent plumes of
ash stretching 4,900 feet into the air. It raised the alert level from two to three. The Institute warned that further eruptions were possible and could trigger a tsunami, as well as flows of gas, debris, and ash. Residents of five fishing and farming settlements near the lake in which the volcano is located were ordered to leave their homes. Following the order, thousands of people fled their homes. Last July, the agency raised the alert level to three after Taal reawakened. The alert level was dropped back down to two before Saturday’s eruption. Taal is one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes. Despite standing at only 1,020 feet, it can be deadly. An eruption in 1911 killed more than 1,300 people. In January 2020, Taal shot a column of ash and steam as high as 15 km, which forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate while dozens of flights were canceled. Taal Volcano sits on the Ring of Fire – a horseshoe-shaped belt in the Pacific Ocean basin where most of the world’s active volcanoes lie. It’s also where 90% of earthquakes happen as tectonic plates push against each other, causing tremors.
Suspected Poisoning
This week, it was reported that Russian-Israeli Oligarch Roman Abramovich suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after a peace talk meeting earlier this month in Kyiv. Ukrainian peace negotiators who participated in the meeting also suffered the same symptoms, according to the report by the Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the developments. Sources in the article blamed the suspected attack on hardliners in Moscow who oppose talks to stop the conflict that has raged since Russia invaded its neighbor last month. Abramovich and at least two senior members of the Ukrainian negotiating
team developed symptoms of constant, painful tearing, as well as red eyes and skin peeling on their faces and hands. Their conditions have since improved; it was not thought that the poisoning was meant to be fatal. A Guardian reporter, Shaun Walker, quoted a source confirming the report and said the source added that “Roman lost his sight for several hours” and was treated in Turkey. Western experts who probed the incident said it is hard to verify if the symptoms were caused by a chemical or biological agent, or even possibly an electromagnetic-radiation attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also met with Abramovich, had not been affected. Abramovich has been one of the only oligarchs who has spoken out publicly about his efforts to push Moscow to reach a peaceful resolution. He has shuttled between Moscow and Kyiv, as well as “other negotiating locations.” Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Zelensky asked Washington to not put sanctions on Abramovich, as Europe did to him and other oligarchs, telling U.S. President Joe Biden that he hoped the Russian-Israeli billionaire
