Thread for obviously newsworthy stuff

[Uncle Sparky]

Happy new decade

Will this be considered the first FULL decade of the Trump Era?

[Proteus_MST]

Happy new decade

[Broken_Erika]

Cancer patient set on fire during operation in Romania
A hospital patient has died after being set on fire during surgery in Romania.

Surgeons at Floreasca Hospital in Bucharest used an alcohol-based disinfectant on the woman, 66, before carrying out her operation for pancreatic cancer on 22 December.

But they then used an electric scalpel - which, as it came into contact with the alcohol, set the woman's body alight on the operating table.

She suffered burns to 40% of her body, and died in hospital a week later.

Police have opened an investigation into the woman's death, local media report.

The victim's family told Romanian media they hadn't been told of "the gravity of the situation" or the details of what had happened - only that it was "an accident".

"We found out some details from the press, when they were broadcast on TV stations," they said. "We aren't making accusations, we just want to understand what happened."

Health minister Victor Costache has promised to investigate the "traumatic" incident.

"We hope to learn from this troubling episode," he said in a statement. "Both myself and the Ministry of Health team that I coordinate will do everything possible to find out the truth."

Deputy minister Horatiu Moldovan added: "The surgeons should have been aware that it is prohibited to use an alcohol-based disinfectant during surgical procedures performed with an electric scalpel."

Romania spends the least on its healthcare system of any EU country, both per resident and as a percentage of its GDP. It has the highest child mortality rates on the continent, along with an underdeveloped hospital infrastructure and a persistent shortage of medical staff.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50947404

[Aeson]

President Thanos and a trade war with Wakanda. Precursor to a war to protect our interests in vibranium?

[Broken_Erika]

US government lists fictional nation Wakanda as trade partner
The US Department of Agriculture listed Wakanda as a free-trade partner - despite it being a fictional country.

A USDA spokesperson said the Kingdom of Wakanda was added to the list by accident during a staff test.

The department's online tariff tracker hosted a detailed list of goods the two nations apparently traded, including ducks, donkeys and dairy cows.

In the Marvel universe, Wakanda is the fictional East African home country of superhero Black Panther.

The fictional country was removed soon from the list after US media first queried it, prompting jokes that the countries had started a trade war.

Wakanda first appeared in the Fantastic Four comic in 1966, and made a reappearance when Black Panther was adapted into an Oscar-winning film last year.

The unusual listing was spotted by Francis Tseng, a New York-based software engineer who was looking up agricultural tariffs for a fellowship he was applying for.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50849559

[-Jrabbit]

I blame the crystals.

[-Jrabbit]

His Dem opponents and their allies.

[giblets]

Weird that Buttigieg is getting slammed for doing what politicians have done for decades - meeting wealthy donors on their home turf to woo their support and donations.

It's not like he ordered the Swarovski crystals for the chandelier.

And in those decades America has gone to sh!t

[rah]

Who is doing the slamming?

[-Jrabbit]

Weird that Buttigieg is getting slammed for doing what politicians have done for decades - meeting wealthy donors on their home turf to woo their support and donations.

It's not like he ordered the Swarovski crystals for the chandelier.

[Broken_Erika]

I want that chandelier. I must have it. I must.

[Dinner]

I like it.

[giblets]

Pete Buttigieg seeks blessing of the Illuminati in a wine cellar

[BeBMan]

Poor octonauts

[Broken_Erika]

Meanwhile, Scientists and researchers seek to answer one of life's great mysteries; What would happen if we feed party drugs to an Octupus.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/w...=pocket-newtab