BELGIAN FLIGHTS HALTED AFTER AIR TRAFFIC POWER FAULT
Role: Reporter and writer for Reuters News Agency
The traffic control tower is seen in the background past a row of aircrafts on the tarmac at Zaventem international airport near Brussels, Belgium, May 27, 2015.
By Haley Reed and Jan Strupczewski
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – More than 200 flights in and out of Belgium were cancelled or diverted on Wednesday after a power surge disabled the operations of Belgocontrol, the domestic air traffic controller.
At Brussels Zaventem, the country’s main airport, queues formed at the desk of Brussels Airlines, the national airline, as passengers sought to re-book flights.
The suspension prevented flights from arriving at or leaving all Belgium’s airports, although planes could still cross at higher altitudes, where the upper air space is controlled by the European traffic authority, Eurocontrol.
Air traffic operations gradually resumed from 2 p.m. (1300 London time), but delays could still be expected and some flights would probably be affected on Thursday, Brussels airport said on its web site. It advised passengers to check flight information online or to contact their airline for more information.
A Belgocontrol spokesman said the power surge “also took out our emergency generators, which is why we had to clear the airspace.”
“It’s 6 a.m. at home right now, so we haven’t slept. Now we have to wait in this line,” said Canadian student Shaneh Fielding, waiting at Brussels Zaventem for a connecting flight to Madrid.
French and German aviation authorities said there had been little impact on flights in and out of their countries.
Belgocontrol is responsible for controlling the civil airspace from ground to 24,500 feet (about 7,500 metres) above Belgium and for the space between 14,500 and 24,500 feet above Luxembourg.
The airports of Antwerp, Liege and Ryanair hub Charleroi reported delays, cancellations and diversions.
Luxembourg Airport said the outage had had no effect on its operations.
Hundreds of flights to and from London were disrupted in December by a technical failure at England’s main air traffic control centre.
SEAL HOSPITAL RESCUES FIRST BABY SEALS OF THE SEASON
Role: Reporter, video producer and writer for Reuters News Agency
By Haley Reed and Jan Vermeylen
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Two baby seals are being rescued after being found on a Belgian beach, the first of dozens expected this season
A marine park on the Belgian coast rescued two baby seals this week, the first of dozens expected in a season lasting from July to December.
The first seal was spotted by beachgoers in Blankenberge on Monday (July 20) while the second one was found further down the coast in Koksijde on Wednesday (July 22).
Dozens of baby seals get stranded on Belgian beaches each year. The marine park 'Sea Life Blankenberge' rescues them and provides shelter, medication and care for the young seals who got separated from their mother. The main problem is that the pups are malnourished, Senior Aquarist Tiffany Defonseca said.
"We rescued this baby seal on Monday evening. We got a call around 8 that a baby seal was spotted on the beach of Blankenberge. We had a look and saw that it was a young pup who had lost its mother. We took the animal to our seal clinic. The veterinarian came immediately and checked it. The little animal is not sick but it has lost its mother so it is malnourished," Senior Aquarist Tiffany Defonseca said.
Sea Life staff estimated the seals to be four-weeks-old. The first one weighted 9 kilos and the second 11 kilos. They will be returned to the sea once they get between 35 to 40 kilos, Sea Life staff said. The seal rescued on Monday had light wounds on its flippers and mouth likely to have been caused by seagulls, Sea Life staff also said,
If the seals had not been rescued, they most likely would not have survived, the spokesperson for Sea Life Blakenberge Aafke Budding said. Defonseca said seal pups need to be at least 15 kilos to survive without their mother.
The baby seals will be moved in to the exterior pup pool once they are stronger. Defonseca says the baby seals usually stay at Sea Life between three to six months before being released in the sea.
Adults and children enjoyed watching the pups.
"Two days ago I read in the newspaper, actually it was yesterday, that they found it on the beach. And it is super cute!," visitor Alizee said.
WATERLOO RE-ENACTMENT MARKS 200TH ANNIVERSARY
Role: Reporter and video producer for Reuters News Agency
By Haley Reed
LIGNY (Reuters) – 200 years after the Battle of Waterloo, history buffs recreate life in bivouacs and get ready for the battle that killed 45,000 and redesigned Europe's map for years to come.
Jonathan Butler speaks on social justice
Role: Video producer and writer for Vox Magazine
By Haley Reed
Jonathan Butler captured the nation’s attention after announcing he would not eat until Tim Wolfe resigned from his position as UM System President. In a dramatic and historic month, the Concerned Student 1950 movement held protests on the University of Missouri campus, Wolfe resigned and Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin announced he will transition away from his position at the end of the year.
But social justice and racial equality at the University of Missouri aren’t new issues for Butler.
Vox published an interview with Butler and other student leaders Sept. 22 about what MU means to them. In light of recent events, Vox editors went back to the original interview footage and looked at what Butler had to say weeks before his hunger strike.
One thing was clear: Butler was already on a mission to make MU a more inclusive and safe campus for all students.
“For me Mizzou means two things,” Butler says in the video. “It means struggle, and it means hope.”
As a student of color, Butler says he has faced a lot of discrimination on campus. However, he is inspired by the people around him.
“I am always eager about what can we do to further the social justice causes on campus,” Butler says. “How can we continue to make the campus climate and the environment better for students?”
Butler made it clear he enjoys his program, his classes and the people he works with.
“I also love, even more than that, to see the change that we can continue to make – not only on this campus but in this world.”
But social justice and racial equality at the University of Missouri aren’t new issues for Butler.
Vox published an interview with Butler and other student leaders Sept. 22 about what MU means to them. In light of recent events, Vox editors went back to the original interview footage and looked at what Butler had to say weeks before his hunger strike.
One thing was clear: Butler was already on a mission to make MU a more inclusive and safe campus for all students.
“For me Mizzou means two things,” Butler says in the video. “It means struggle, and it means hope.”
As a student of color, Butler says he has faced a lot of discrimination on campus. However, he is inspired by the people around him.
“I am always eager about what can we do to further the social justice causes on campus,” Butler says. “How can we continue to make the campus climate and the environment better for students?”
Butler made it clear he enjoys his program, his classes and the people he works with.
“I also love, even more than that, to see the change that we can continue to make – not only on this campus but in this world.”