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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaMassive taxidermy polar bear stolen in bizarre Canadian heistPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, RCMP handoutBy Max Matza in SeattleBBC NewsPolice in Canada are investigating the bizarre theft of a taxidermy polar bear weighing some 500lb (225kg) from a resort near Edmonton. The bear, standing some 12ft (3.6m) tall, is believed to have been snatched during the cold snap in early January with temperatures near -30C (-22F).It was reported stolen on 22 January by the operators of the Lily Lake Resort, according to police.The public has been asked to keep an eye out for the giant stuffed bear.The resort is located in Sturgeon County, about 30 miles (50km) north of Edmonton. According to investigators, the resort saw a “similar occurrence” last August when two taxidermy raccoons were stolen from the property during a break-in. The cost of all three taxidermy animals is approximately C$35,000 (£21,000; $26,000), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police say.It is unclear if the cases are linked.Image source, RCMP handoutImage caption, Two raccoons that were stolen during a break in over the summerA resort worker told The Globe and Mail that the resort has 24-hour security patrols, but they were cancelled that night due to the bitter cold. Wanda Rowe told the newspaper that the thieves cut the cables that secured the bear, and dragged it outside where they probably had a vehicle waiting. “It 100% had to be planned,” said Ms Rowe.Alberta RCMP Constable Kelsey Davidge described the crime as “The Heist of the Big Polar Bear”, according to the paper.She told residents to keep a lookout, in case the thieves try to sell it online.”That would stick out right away, if you saw that anywhere, right?” she said.Court upholds C$9m fine on maple syrup thiefIceberg water missing in apparent heistHunting polar bears, which mostly live in Arctic regions, is legal in Canada’s northern territories. It is strictly regulated by environmental officials, who estimate that the country is home to around 16,000 polar bears – approximately two-thirds of the global population of the species. Related TopicsPolar bearsCanadaMore on this storyCourt upholds C$9m fine on maple syrup thiefPublished31 March 2022Iceberg water missing in apparent heistPublished15 February 2019Top StoriesMother and girls among nine hurt in ‘corrosive substance’ attackPublished2 hours agoLegal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousandsPublished3 hours agoCouncil financial crisis ‘out of control’, MPs warnPublished3 hours agoFeaturesLegal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousandsHow does the American XL bully ban work?The football terrace singer who’s now a hometown superstarIndia comic’s journey from jail to reality TV stardomCould AI ‘trading bots’ transform the world of investing?The ‘burning prisons’ fuelled by fast fashionIsraelis tell MPs of Hamas sexual violence evidenceNew wave – how one surf club is changing GhanaAttributionSportThe man determined to wrestle Zimbabwe’s ‘crocodile’Elsewhere on the BBCWar, negotiations and geopoliticsLearn about Putin’s war in Ukraine in gripping detailAttributioniPlayerIs nature better off without us?Discover the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderfulAttributionSoundsFrom blueprint to the Manhattan skylineJourney to the past and see the remarkable story behind the iconic Empire State BuildingAttributioniPlayerFrom the Fall to Fifty ShadesActor Jamie Dornan shares the soundtrack of his life with Lauren LaverneAttributionSoundsMost Read1Mum and girls hurt in ‘corrosive substance’ attack2Legal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousands3Sugar says influencers are kept out of Apprentice4Who is Bushra Bibi, the mystical wife of Imran Khan?5Margot Robbie comments on best actress Oscar snub6Sturgeon’s ‘crocodile tears’ and ‘ITV want Winkleman’7Council financial crisis ‘out of control’, MPs warn8Baldwin pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter9Less scope for tax cuts in Budget, says chancellor10Police chief warns of XL bully ban ‘challenges’
[ad_1] The 12ft (3.6m) taxidermy bear was snatched from a Canadian resort during an opportune cold snap.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaCambodia: The ‘burning prisons’ fuelled by fast fashionPublished32 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsClimateImage source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Researchers have documented the health impact on brick kiln workers, who toil in some of the world’s hottest conditionsBy Laura Bickerin Phnom Penh, Cambodia Chantrea drags an electric fan the size of a large door into the airless chamber where she works every day. It is her only respite from the heat inside the brick kiln that looks more like a dimly-lit tomb. “It’s like working inside a burning prison,” the 47-year-old says as she stacks the dried bricks, which will be moved to a warehouse. “I have asked the owners to provide us with more fans. But they won’t because it will cost more money.” The fan she does have slowly clunks as it starts, eventually whirring into action. It barely creates a breeze. How hot is too hot to work? It is a question researchers have found the answer to here, in Cambodia’s brick kilns, where people toil in some of the hottest working conditions in the world, fuelled in part by the scraps of fast fashion.The BBC spoke to several workers who said they sweat so much through the day that it felt like they were in a hot bath. Fainting is common too, possibly because they become dehydrated. Their names have been changed because they fear reprisals from their employers.In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have tried to document how this sustained exposure to extreme heat is affecting workers’ health. Special sensors recorded the core temperature of 30 workers at these kilns over a week and showed that they all had heat stress, or core temperatures of more than 38C. This can cause fatigue, dizziness, nausea and headaches. A healthy body temperature usually ranges from 36.1C to 37.2C. Body temperature over 38C is symptomatic of a fever. Some workers had core temperatures of 40C, which can lead to heat stroke, resulting in convulsions, eventual loss of consciousness and even death, if not treated early. Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/BBCImage caption, Workers say the fresh bricks often burn them through their glovesOne worker told researchers that he had suffered from heart failure due to the heat. But he eventually returned to work because this was the only way he knew to earn a living. This is only made worse by a warming climate and Cambodia’s own weather – last May it hit a new high with 41.6C during the hottest year on record. As global temperatures soar, even a small increase could mean the difference between life and death for the tens of thousands of brick kiln workers across Asia.”One of the big narratives that I hear again and again is that we’re all in this [climate change] together. But that’s absolutely not true. Some of us are a lot more in it than others,” said Laurie Parsons at Royal Holloway University, who authored the study.Fire and smoke It’s a humid afternoon outside the kiln, on the outskirts of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Inside, where Chantrea is stacking bricks, it is stifling. But she is covered from head to toe in clothes that hang off her tiny frame – her only shield against the searing heat and dust. If the bricks are too hot, her skin blisters. The kilns themselves are enclosed by brick walls and sealed. Workers stay outside and feed wood though a hatch to keep the fire hot enough, usually around 1500C to set the clay bricks. Once that happens, they stop fuelling the flames and when the heat seems less unbearable, they enter the chamber.The last chance to save a mighty riverThe shadowy Chinese firms that own chunks of CambodiaThere is no data on the average temperature inside the kilns as it is hard for researchers to gain access. It’s also hard to know how many workers fall ill or worse because of the heat. Injuries from falling bricks are not uncommon, according to Chantrea. And workers told the researchers from the UK that the bricks often burn them, even through the gloves. Outside the kiln, Kosal, a father of two, scoops up a mix of fabric, plastic and rubber that he shoves into the hatch before shutting it quickly. Black smoke seeps through the cracks as children – his and other kiln workers’ – run past. Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Bags bursting with clothing scraps are a cheaper source of fuel for the kilns – but they carry toxic traces”I am used to the black smoke. I don’t notice it any more,” he says. “I have to keep these fires burning for 24 hours. My wife and I split the work between us.”The children crawl over bags bulging with clothing offcuts – more fuel for the kiln from Cambodia’s $6bn garment industry.But what may initially appear a solution to the unwanted scraps of the country’s 1,300 garment factories is actually hiding its own deadly secret.According to a 2018 report – Blood Bricks – by UK academics at Royal Holloway, these scraps have traces of chlorine bleach, formaldehyde and ammonia, as well as heavy metals, PVC and resins used in the dyeing and printing processes. The report also found that brick factory workers reported regular migraines, nosebleeds and other illnesses.The country where Kissinger left a legacy of death and chaosThe record summer that scorched AsiaKosal’s three-year-old girl, her hair caked in dust, skips past a pile of Disney-labelled clothing. Most are flannel pyjamas embossed with images of Anna and Elsa from Frozen. They are made for children living in colder climates. Most Western fashion labels have strict codes of conduct to stop this from happening. A Disney spokesperson told the BBC that the company was investigating the claim and that it “did not condone the conditions alleged in this situation”.The BBC also found labels from Clarks shoes and H&M among others. Clarks called on the Cambodian ministry of environment to investigate and also invited other affected companies to join forces “in working together with the relevant authorities in Cambodia to eradicate this problem”.H&M acknowledged that traceability is still an issue in Cambodia but said they did have their own waste management guidelines to ensure that fabric waste isn’t used as a fuel source by factories, or sent to a landfill.Image caption, Scraps of Disney-labelled clothing show a sliver of Elsa, from the hit film FrozenCambodia’s brick kilns have long been accused of unsafe and unfair working conditions – and they employ some of the world’s poorest people. Now, climate change is only exacerbating those inequalities, experts say. “What we need to do is to consider how climate change impacts people through the lens of labour and inequality, and recognise that labour exploitation is a major factor in the worst impacts of climate change,” Mr Laurie said.The heat trap However toxic or difficult the job is, workers like Chantrea and Kosal can never leave. Victims of climate change, they are trapped in a cycle of heat. The majority of those who work in Cambodia’s brick kilns were farmers. Chantrea used to grow rice. But sparse rainfall in recent years has made it difficult to manage a single harvest.”We borrowed a lot of money after our crops failed. But when they kept failing, we ended up with a lot of debt,” she says. Eventually she had no choice but to migrate to Phnom Penh in the hope of finding a job to repay the loans. More than two million of Cambodia’s 10 million adults have outstanding micro-loans, according to the Cambodian Microfinance Association. On average, they each owe $3,320 (£1,955).This financial insecurity has supplied the vulnerable labour for brick kilns. Owners offer to pay off the loan but, in return, the worker is bonded to the kiln.Often whole families are bonded to the kiln. The BBC saw children helping their parents in the kiln despite efforts by the Cambodian government to prevent child labour.Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Cambodia’s construction boom has come at the cost of its poorest communities”If we leave, we are afraid of being arrested and imprisoned,” Chantrea says. “So we must struggle here. If they ask us to enter the fire, we will do even that just so we can earn more money for food and to pay off our debt.”But the wages are too low for the debt to ever be repaid. Chantrea earns 10,000 Cambodian riel (£1.92; $2.45) for stacking around 500 bricks. With this she has to pay for food, electricity and water. Her home is a tin shack on the edge of the kiln and she supports a boy she found alone on the street and adopted. When they are hungry, they forage together for snails.”After several years, I have never paid the owner back,” Chantrea says. The debt, she adds, has only increased.Cambodia’s kilns have fed the capital’s construction boom. It has drawn foreign investors, including the UK, which has invested one billion pounds, according to researchers from Royal Holloway University.But as Phnom Penh reaches toward the sky, with tower after tower of air conditioned apartments, the city is leaving behind those who’ve helped to build it.Related TopicsAsiaCambodiaClimateTop StoriesNine hurt in ‘horrific’ Clapham corrosive substance attackPublished13 minutes agoLegal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousandsPublished35 minutes agoMan charged with murders of two teenage boysPublished3 hours agoFeatures’I saved £200 by doing Dry January’Sturgeon’s ‘crocodile tears’ and ‘ITV want Winkleman’Former FM returns to centre stage at Covid InquiryWho is Bushra Bibi, the mystical wife of Imran Khan?What is the new Northern Ireland trade deal?’If not Putin, then who?’ – How Russians view looming electionsN Ireland’s new dawn, led by republican first minister’I regret posting online that I was Madeleine McCann’Police officers mock bodycam video of semi-naked womanElsewhere on the BBCWar, negotiations and geopoliticsLearn about Putin’s war in Ukraine in gripping detailAttributioniPlayerIs nature better off without us?Discover the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderfulAttributionSoundsFrom blueprint to the Manhattan skylineJourney to the past and see the remarkable story behind the iconic Empire State BuildingAttributioniPlayerFrom the Fall to Fifty ShadesActor Jamie Dornan shares the soundtrack of his life with Lauren LaverneAttributionSoundsMost Read1Nine injured in Clapham ‘corrosive substance’ attack2Margot Robbie comments on best actress Oscar snub3Legal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousands4Man charged with murders of two teenage boys5Who is Bushra Bibi, the mystical wife of Imran Khan?6Sturgeon’s ‘crocodile tears’ and ‘ITV want Winkleman’7Zuckerberg apologises to families in fiery Senate hearing8’If not Putin, then who?’ – How Russians view looming elections9Israelis tell MPs of Hamas sexual violence evidence10Council financial crisis ‘out of control’, MPs warn](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/E971/production/_132516795_cambodia_brick_kilns-013.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaVladimir Putin: Many Russians see no alternative candidate as election loomsPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, EPAImage caption, Celebrities were in attendance as Vladimir Putin spoke at a major campaign event on WednesdayBy Steve RosenbergRussia EditorIn an exhibition hall opposite the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin walks onto a stage.There’s rapturous applause, a standing ovation.No surprise there. The invited guests – many of them Russian celebrities – are officially supporting Mr Putin’s candidacy in the presidential election in March.The Kremlin leader is running for a fifth term in office. The audience here is only too pleased. “[Putin’s] an extraordinary leader, the most courageous and wise person,” gushes filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky.”The Russian people have never been so united in their support for their president,” claims singer Nadezhda Babkina. “And anyone who tries to prevent that will fail.”The idea behind the event (and this high-profile celebrity support) seems to be to show that candidate Putin is in a league of his own: Premier League Putin.Keep in mind, though: this is a league he created and of which he’s in charge. Russia’s political system is Mr Putin’s political system; his rules of the game; his election. Mr Putin’s most vocal critics have long been relegated. They’re either in exile or in prison. Which makes elections here rather predictable. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russia Today, was among the famous faces to appear in support of President PutinThat wasn’t always the case. Thirty years ago in Moscow I remember watching one of Russian TV’s first ever election night results programmes – it was for a parliamentary election. No-one had a clue who was going to win. I’ll never forget the astrologer they had on to make a political forecast. Quite appropriate really, because three decades ago, Russians had stars in their eyes about democracy, freedom, and their country’s future. For a Russian election today you don’t need astrologers or crystal balls. I can tell you now how the 2024 presidential election will end: with a Vladimir Putin landslide. The reasons for such confidence? First, although his will not be the only name on the ballot, Mr Putin’s challengers will not include arch-rivals like jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Putin v Navalny? Matches like that just aren’t allowed to happen in the Putin Premier League. True, another Kremlin critic, Boris Nadezhdin, is pushing to be on the ballot. But Mr Nadezhdin is not Mr Navalny. He carefully calibrates his criticisms of Mr Putin. He’s also believed to have connections within the presidential administration. If he does end up running, it will be because the Kremlin has decided it’s in Mr Putin’s interests to face a more critical challenger. Image source, EPAImage caption, Boris Nadezhdin, a critic of the Ukraine war, says he has enough signatures to stand in the electionsSecond, in Russia the Kremlin controls television. Mr Putin receives vast amounts of airtime during which he’s much praised and rarely criticised: handy when you’re seeking re-election. And there’s another reason Mr Putin will do well. “We all support your decision to run in the election. Because you’ve been in power as long as I can remember,” said Alexander, a young Russian TV reporter at Mr Putin’s end of year press conference.I’ve met many Russians like Alexander who cannot imagine anyone else in the Kremlin. Not because they idolise Mr Putin. They just see no alternative. I’ve often heard people say: “Well, if not Putin, who then?” The Kremlin has engineered that. It has cleared the political landscape removing any potential challengers to the man who has ruled Russia, as president or prime minister, for nearly a quarter of a century. By doing so, it has ensured that little question – “who then?” – is left unanswered. When I talk to people in the town of Rzhev, 140 miles (225km) from Moscow, about their hopes for the election, many seem to want change – without changing the leader.”I hope things change for the better because there’s stagnation now,” says a young man called Ilya. “But if you elect someone new, that person might not cope with the burden of government. Someone experienced like Putin can develop the country even in the difficult situation we’re in now.””I have big hopes for the election,” says pensioner Lidiya. “I hope that the war will end and the economy will improve. But I do respect Putin.””Is there no-one else who could do his job?” I ask.”Not right now,” Lidiya replies. “Maybe Putin will find someone later. But I think he’ll be in power for a long time to come.”Even the war in Ukraine and significant Russian military losses don’t appear to have sparked widespread disillusionment in Russia’s president and Commander-in-Chief. It was Mr Putin’s decision to launch the full-scale invasion. But some Russians believe that at a time of war it is their duty to back their leader, without questioning his motives or the consequences. Others accept the official narrative/alternative reality that it’s the West, not Russia, that started the war.I meet one woman in Rzhev who does want to see change in the Kremlin. Former TV journalist and regional legislator Yekaterina Duntsova recently tried to run for president herself. She called for peace in Ukraine, the release of political prisoners and a “humane” Russia. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova is setting up a new party after being disqualified from running for presidentRussia’s Central Election Commission refused to accept her nomination, citing errors in her paperwork. “I think the political system here sees me as some kind of alien object, and doesn’t know what to do with me,” Ms Duntsova said. “Because I appeared out of the blue the system doesn’t understand who I am. So it’s decided to keep me well out of harm’s way.”Now she’s setting up a new party. Isn’t she scared that the system will turn on her?”We’re not doing anything illegal. We act according to the law. As for being scared, fear mustn’t prevail. I believe in what I’m doing. And this conviction relegates fear to second place.” Back at the Putin campaign event, I talk to Margarita Simonyan, editor in chief of RT.”A leader in power for a quarter of a century and more… with no checks and balances. Isn’t that dangerous?” I ask.”That’s a mantra you guys have been propagating for years,” she replies. “If a person has been in power for a long time, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be worse than if you change a leader every four years. Pol Pot in Cambodia annihilated a third of his population in three years.”A comforting thought. Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaVladimir PutinMore on this storyPutin challenger submits bid to run for presidentPublished58 minutes agoFears for Russia activist over secretive jail movePublished1 day agoNavalny: Russia’s jailed but vociferous Putin criticPublished4 August 2023Top StoriesLive. New deal means no routine checks on GB to NI goodsLive. Sturgeon: I did not take Covid decisions for political reasonsCrossbow man shot dead by police was stalkerPublished1 hour agoFeatures’I saved £200 by doing Dry January’Sturgeon fights back tears: Key moments from Covid inquiry evidence. VideoSturgeon fights back tears: Key moments from Covid inquiry evidenceWhat is the new Northern Ireland trade deal?’If not Putin, then who?’ – How Russians view looming electionsN Ireland’s new dawn, led by republican first minister’I regret posting online that I was Madeleine McCann’Police officers mock bodycam video of semi-naked womanTwo-child benefit cap: ‘Every month is a struggle’Energy bill error saw man pay £244,000 direct debitElsewhere on the BBCWar, negotiations and geopoliticsLearn about Putin’s war in Ukraine in gripping detailAttributioniPlayerIs nature better off without us?Discover the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderfulAttributionSoundsFrom blueprint to the Manhattan skylineJourney to the past and see the remarkable story behind the iconic Empire State BuildingAttributioniPlayerFrom the Fall to Fifty ShadesActor Jamie Dornan shares the soundtrack of his life with Lauren LaverneAttributionSoundsMost Read1Leaders clash over Iceland worker’s mortgage rise2Crossbow man shot dead by police was stalker3Elmo responds to ‘world is on fire’ angst4Constance Marten taxi driver had ‘uneasy feeling’5Phoenix Nights memorabilia fetches £21k at auction6’I regret posting online that I was Madeleine McCann’7Pharmacists to prescribe drugs for minor illnesses8Two-child benefit cap: ‘Every month is a struggle’9Swedish police destroy object outside Israeli embassy10Harris stripped of licence after ‘campaign of abuse’AttributionSport](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/13DB3/production/_132513318_261b00842def185c582e374560ee299d8d5924f30_0_5292_36131000x683.jpg)
