| This exclusive interview features first-hand journalism by a Wikinews reporter. See the collaboration page for more details. |
Saturday, November 4, 2006
On November 13, Torontonians will be heading to the polls to vote for their ward’s councillor and for mayor. Among Toronto’s ridings is Scarborough East (Ward 44). One candidates responded to Wikinews’ requests for an interview. This ward’s candidates include Donald Blair, Diana Hall, Mohammed Mirza, Ron Moeser, Kevin Richardson, Richard Rieger, Richard Ross, and Kevin Wellington.
For more information on the election, read Toronto municipal election, 2006.
Friday, July 7, 2006
A 36-year-old man, who is yet to be named, is undergoing surgery after an attacker lodged a knife through one cheek and out the other. The handle broke off, leaving the 15-cm (about 6 inches) blade inside him. The man was rushed to hospital today, July 7, at about 2 a.m. NZST. The attack occurred last night after a domestic row in Albany on Auckland‘s North Shore.
New Zealand Police report that the knife just missed his optic nerve and his condition is stable and not life threatening.
John Chaplin, head and neck surgeon said, “the man could be treated relatively simply. The major blood vessels of the head were further back in the neck and the knife could be relatively easily removed in an operating theatre where bleeding could be controlled.”
The police have issued an arrest warrant for Vance Paraki Tuheke, 31-year-old, in relation to the attack.
The victim may suffer from some facial numbness.
Get More Information Here:
byAlma Abell
Renting scaffolding is an ideal route to take if the purchase of the scaffold components and the eventual storage costs don’t make economic sense. A complete system is expensive and unnecessary if it is required for a one time project. Making the decision to approach a scaffolding hire in Glasgow company may provide the ideal solution but it is recommended that the decision be approached cautiously. Cost and structural safety are of primary importance but there are other issues that also should be taken into account.
First off, have a good look at the building or house that is to be fitted with scaffolding. There are a number of different types of scaffolding; fixed, mobile or hanging are the three options, your job is to determine which will best suit the demands of the job. Normally fixed scaffolding is used as it does not require any additional support from the building itself. Mobile scaffolding is exactly what it says, it is scaffolding mounted on wheels which can easily be rolled from place to place. This type is more often used on a level surface and is frequently used in re-lamping projects and ceiling maintenance. Hanging scaffold is a suspended platform that can be raised and lowered, somewhat like a swing stage but guided by vertical tubes.
Once the scaffolding design has been settled it is time to make a list of materials that need to be included in the hire contract. Many scaffolding hire in Glasgow companies have interactive internet web sites that you can check for a pricing estimate. You can easily make a calculation of all the components that you will need simply by entering a few basic parameters, the site will make the calculations and present you with a bill of materials, including cost. As there are a number of companies in most areas that offer scaffold hire services, it is always best to check one against the other in the event there are competitive advantages. When scaffold hire in Glasgow is being considered it is advisable to make the hire within the limits of Glasgow proper as shipping is an expensive part of the total cost and this can be minimized by hiring locally. Not only will you save costs, you are close to technical assistance should it become necessary. Working with larger companies has advantages, such things as erection tutorials and instant repair and replacement of damaged components being two reasons.
When hiring scaffolding never attempt to “jury rig” homemade components. All the couplings, pipe, toe boards, ladders etc are made to fit perfectly and any use of components other than those from the manufacturer can easily jeopardize safety.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Reports suggest the World Health Organisation’s declaring a swine flu pandemic was an error driven by drug companies, and lead to unjustified fear. A year after the swine flu pandemic was declared, stocks are left unused and governments try to abandon contracts, pharmaceutical companies have profited at least £4.6billion from the sale of vaccines alone.
Reports by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) and the Council of Europe claim that The World Health Organisation reaction to H1N1 was influenced by pharmaceutical companies and that key scientists behind advice had financial ties with firms Roche and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). These conflicts of interest have never been publicly disclosed by WHO, an apparent violation of its own rules.
The World Health Organisation issued H1N1 guidelines in 2004, recommending countries to stockpile millions of doses of antiviral medication. The advice prompted many countries around the world into buying up large stocks of Tamiflu, made by Roche, and Relenza manufactured by GSK.
A joint investigation with the BMJ and the BIJ, found that scientists involved in developing the WHO 2004 guidance had previously been paid by Roche or GSK for lecturing and consultancy work as well as being involved in research for the companies. “The WHO’s credibility has been badly damaged,” BMJ editor Fiona Godlee said in an editorial.
A report by the health committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, a 47-member human rights watchdog, found that the WHO’s reaction was influenced by drug companies that make H1N1 antiviral drugs and vaccines. It criticised WHO lack of transparency around the handling of the swine flu pandemic and says the public health guidelines by WHO, EU agencies and national governments led to a “waste of large sums of public money and unjustified scares and fears about the health risks faced by the European public.”
| We’re still in the pandemic | ||
A spokesman for WHO said the drug industry did not influence its decisions on swine flu. Margaret Chan, the organisation’s director, had dismissed inquiries into its handling of the A/H1N1 pandemic as “conspiracy theories” earlier this year, she had said: “WHO anticipated close scrutiny of its decisions, but we did not anticipate that we would be accused, by some European politicians, of having declared a fake pandemic on the advice of experts with ties to the pharmaceutical industry and something personal to gain from increased industry profits.”
Yesterday, a 16-member “emergency committee” consisting of advisors from the World Health Organisation said that the H1N1 pandemic is not yet over. The WHO has refused to identify committee members, arguing that they must be shielded from industry pressure, so possible conflicts of interest with drug companies are unknown. The BMJ report also reveals that at least one expert on the “emergency committee” received payment during 2009 from GSK.
In related news, Reuters reported, Pfizer Inc, the world’s biggest drugmaker, is selling its swine vaccine business to Chinese Harbin Pharmaceutical Group for $50 million.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Indonesian state-owned flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has been expanding, with the airline set to add nine new jets to its fleet and double its flights between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Garuda is also considering a bid for defunct rival Linus Airways.
Garuda is expecting the imminent arrival of four new Airbus jets and five new Boeings. The Airbuses, A330-200s, are earmarked to fly international routes to Seoul and Shanghai starting in July. All four have Internet and telephone access for passengers. The Boeings, B737-800 Next Generation aircraft, are due to be in service by the 2010.
Also planned before the year’s end is the increase in flights on the Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur route from one to two per week. “We saw our current load factor[s] have reached 75 percent and even more during school breaks like June and July,” Said the company’s Vice President for Network Oversight, Risnandi. “This is very promising.”
Garuda is now reported to be considering a bid for Linus, who stopped operating on April 27 and have recently been stripped of the rights to fly their former routes as legally required for airlines that do not operate for more than thrity days. Linus still holds some documents of worth to Garuda for transfer to their subisidiary Citilink.
“I heard that Garuda intends to buy Linus who already hold an aviation business license (SIUP) and an air operators certificate (AOC) for the scheduled air services,” said Indonesian Director General of Civil aviation Herry Bakti S. Gumay to reporters for Bisnis Indonesia. He said that his office was in favour of a takeover by Garuda because foreign bids are limited to holding a maximum total of 49% of the shares in Linus.
Linus Airways’ President Directer Indra said that “we are flexible to acquisition, depending on the investor. If someone wants to buy 100% of the shares we can release our shares, but if someone wants take only a majority shareholding with us as a partner – we are also open.” Indra commented that he has had an informal meeting with Garuda CEO Emirsyah Satar but says that they never discussed acquisition by Garuda and that Linus is already in talks with another ‘strategic investor’ with a view to resuming operations.
Two airlines, Riau Airlines and Kartika Airlines, have both launched bids for the ten routes formally operated by Linus, which include four from Jakarta and three from Batam.
Garuda Indonesia’s Financial Direcotr Eddy Purwanto has anounced that US$650 million worth of loans from Bank Mandiri have been restructured. Garuda, who has apointed Rothschild’s as their international financial advisors, will now pay US$450 million by 2015.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
After an early morning fire began, four out of the nine people living at the Riverview Individual Residential Alternative group home located in Wells, New York were killed by the blaze. The Sunmount Developmental Disabilities Services Office, which supervises the home, told the media that the fire started at approximately 5:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time. Two staff members were at the home at the time, who safely evacuated four of the five survivors.
The names of the residents killed in the fire were not able to be released due to New York’s Mental Hygiene Law, but are able to be identified as two adult men, aged 32 and 52, and two adult women, aged 43 and 60. A 71-year-old male was injured in the fire, and was taken to a hospital in Utica, a nearby city. The other four residents have been relocated to an unnamed group home. Both staff members are also being examined at the hospital.
“On behalf of all New Yorkers, I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the families, loved ones and friends of the four victims and to continue to pray for the full recovery of those five people and two staff members who survived this incident. I also want to express my thanks and appreciation for the first responders and volunteers who worked swiftly and diligently to respond to this tragedy,” David Patterson, the governor of New York, said to the media.
The exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined. However, the New York Civil Liberties Union stated that “the blaze appears to have been an electrical fire and the sprinkler system was knocked out immediately.” They also called for “an immediate investigation into the causes of and contributing factors of the fire.”
The New York State Department of State Office of Fire Prevention and Control is currently investigating the causes of the blaze, with help from New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities.
Get More Information Here:
Submitted by: Colleen Langenfeld
If you are in the middle of potty training, you know you can always use more toilet training tips.
After training four children of my own, here are my favorite ideas for keeping training moving forward.
– Use rewards and prizes but make them count for something.
A young child knows when he hasn’t earned the prize. Make sure if you are using rewards it is clear to your child exactly what he has to do to earn the prize and then pay up promptly.
If a toddler has to wait for her prize, she will lose her connection to the event that earned her the prize.
Make sure the prizes you are offering are of value to your toddler. I once trained using candy with my youngest only to find out she really didn’t care if she got candy or not.
That seriously stopped the motivational process.
In fact, here is some serious toilet training advice. If there’s something your toddler really wants, tie getting it to potty training. Use a chart to keep things visual. If it is big make sure there are subgoals and prizes along the way; toddlers cannot delay gratification well enough to work towards a large project over several weeks.
– Stop when there’s a problem.
I learned this the hard way. If you encounter serious resistance (not just a grumpy toddler on a napless afternoon), stop potty training for a few days.
Sometimes a toddler simply needs a break.
It helps to remember you are asking him to grow up. To change and mature.
That sounds good, until you have to do it 24/7. Then it becomes awful. And resistance is the natural outcome of feeling that way.
So listen to your toddler or preschooler. They might need a few days off. A few days to feel like a comfortable ‘little’ person again – maybe even feel like a baby.
Let them. Give extra cuddles and hugs. Talk about how great it was to be little and how much fun it will be to grow up. Completely take the pressure off. Remind him he can use the potty chair whenever he needs to – after all, someone as smart and grown up as he is certainly will be more comfortable doing so.
Then back off.
Do not put your child back in diapers at this point, if he has been out of diapers. Simply tell him you understand he needs a break and that if he chooses to go in his pants he will need to clean it up.
Now, you’re going to have to help with this, of course. Just be matter-of-fact and calm. Use plastic pants over the undies if you wish, but he needs to feel uncomfortable if he has accidents.
Then it will be his own body telling him it is time to grow up; not just Mom or Dad.
Remember, keep the ‘idea’ of potty training ever present; just not the pressure. Sometimes this method will train a resistant preschooler in just a few days. Odds are it won’t be long and he’ll be ready to train again.
– Train a doll.
One of the most effective toilet training tips I ever used was to train a doll alongside of my daughter.
Even when she didn’t want to train, we trained the baby doll – together. I put her in charge of the doll’s potty training.
She took the bait and started insisting the doll go potty regularly. We would always check to see if the my daughter needed to go potty, too, after all she was showing her baby what to do.
We made real strides forward using that technique with my strong-willed daughter.
Are you stuck in the middle of potty training with no end in sight? Collect toilet training advice and try new ideas regularly. You never know when you’ll hit upon the right combination of tips and timing.
Before you know it, your child will be potty trained completely. And you can celebrate together.
About the Author: Colleen Langenfeld has potty trained four kids and helps other moms get more out of their mothering at http://www.paintedgold.com . Toilet train faster using her potty reward charts and creative ideas plus uncover more about
toilet training tips
by visiting her website now.
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=617378&ca=Parenting
|
Audio Wikinews News Brief for July 15, 2008 |
|
|
|
Recorded by: DavumayaProblems listening to the file? See media help.
RSS
|
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
United States President Barack Obama stated Monday that insurance giant AIG is in financial trouble due to “recklessness and greed,” and called for legal action to stop the company from giving out millions of dollars in bonuses to its executives.
“It’s hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay,” Obama said. “How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat.”
Obama’s statement comes after reports surfaced last weekend saying the insurance agency, which is in deep financial trouble, had paid US$165 million to executives in bonuses, after receiving $170 billion as part of a government bailout plan.
AIG has said that the bonuses have to be given out, as the company is legally required by contract to do so. A representative with the National Economic Council, Lawrence H. Summers, also said that the bonuses were required to be given out. If AIG had refused to give out the bonuses, employees could file a lawsuit against the company for the money.
“We cannot attract and retain the best and the brightest talent to lead and staff the A.I.G. businesses — which are now being operated principally on behalf of American taxpayers — if employees believe their compensation is subject to continued and arbitrary adjustment by the U.S. Treasury,” AIG CEO Edward M. Liddy said in a letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner on Saturday.
Liddy said that he asked Geithner “to use that leverage and pursue every legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole.”
“I want everybody to be clear that Secretary Geithner’s been on the case,” Obama said. “He’s working to resolve this matter with the new CEO, Edward Liddy, who, by the way, everybody needs to understand, came on board after the contracts that led to these bonuses were agreed to last year.”
If the bonuses cannot be stopped, the U.S. Congress says they want AIG to reimburse the government. Congress is looking to impose stiff new taxes on the pay, or ordering the company to return the money which was originally granted from a government bailout. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, senator Richard Shelby promised that the treasury will recover all of the money. Several U.S. senators along with Liddy have sent letters to AIG asking for the bonuses to be renegotiated, something AIG agreed to and says they will reduce future bonuses by 30%. Senators state that if Libby does not respond by renegotiating the bonuses, the Senate Finance Committee will propose an excise tax. Not only will an excise tax be proposed on AIG, but all companies receiving bailout money and their employees who receive bonuses.
| What is the highest excise tax we can impose that will stand up in court? Let’s find out. | ||
Numerous House Democrats have introduced legislation which would place a 100% tax on any bonuses of over $100,000 from companies that are receiving government bailout funds. Meanwhile in the Senate, a bipartisan proposal by Max Baucus (D-Montana) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) would levy a special 90% excise tax on AIG’s bonuses. Asked Senator Baucus, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee: “What is the highest excise tax we can impose that will stand up in court? Let’s find out.”
Monday, February 12, 2007
Cars drove home the big prize last night, from the 34th Annual Annie Awards. The animation industry’s highest honor, ASIFA-Hollywood’s Annies recognise contributions to animation, writing, directing, storyboarding, voice acting, composing, and much more.
As mentioned, Pixar took home the big prize last night, after facing stiff competition from four other Happy Feet, Monster House, Open Season, and Over the Hedge.
But the biggest winner of the night didn’t get a “Best Animated Feature” nod at all. Flushed Away won five feature animation categories including Animated Effects (Scott Cegielski), Character Animation (Gabe Hordos), Production Design (Pierre-Olivier Vincent), Voice Acting (Sir Ian McKellan as Toad), Writing (Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keenan, and Will Davies).
Over The Hedge won awards for Directing (Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick), Storyboarding (Gary Graham), and Character Design (Nicolas Marlet).
Of little surprise, Randy Newman won an Annie for Cars in the “Music in an Animated Feature Production” category. Newman has won many Oscars for his movie music, and has a nomination this year for the song “Our Town”. Newman didn’t attend the Annies, instead picking up a Grammy for “Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media”.
DisneyToon Studios’ Bambi II won “Best Home Entertainment Production”, while “Best Animated Short Subject” went to Blue Sky Studios’ No Time For Nuts, which is based on Ice Age.
“Best Animated Video Game” went to Flushed Away The Game, while a United Airlines ad named “Dragon” won a “Best Animated Television Commercial” Annie for DUCK Studios.