February
24
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Two probes have been initiated into the collapse of the Big Valley Jamboree stage which killed one person, placed four others in the critical care unit and caused injuries to 75 others in Camrose, Alberta located in Canada.
“We are trying to determine from what is left of the evidence what damage was done by the wind and what damage was down by rescue workers. We may not be able to make that determination. So that is going to hamper things. It will be tougher,” Chris Chodan, spokesman for Alberta Occupational Health and Safety.
Panhandle Productions has brought in independent investigators to determine why the stage collapsed and to collect evidence. Due to the large number of people trapped under the stage the evidence had to be moved for rescue operations.
The stage collapsed shortly before 6:00 p.m. local time on Saturday killing 35-year-old Donna Moore, who was attending the festival from Lloydminster. Premier Global Productions supplies the stage for the event, which are transported from venue to venue in sections via three semi trailers. “It’s their stage. In fact, I know this stage has been used by Paul McCartney, it’s been used by Metallica, and by Tim McGraw on tour.” said Larry Werner the producer from Panhandle Productions.
The stage is suspected to have been brought down by a phenomenon called plough wind, which produces winds similar to a tornado. This particular front hit speeds greater than 100 km/hr (62 mi/hr). A plough wind travels in narrow straight line paths rather than in circular formations, but causes damage similar to that inflicted by a tornado.
Alberta Municipal Affairs has initiated their investigation into the engineering specifications of the stage and emergency procedures. Alberta occupational health and safety is investigating building codes.
The Big Valley Jamboree is a large annual country music festival located in Camrose, Alberta, Canada which sees 25,000 people attending the four day event.
February
23
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Copies of The Profit, a 2001 film blocked from distribution in the United States due to a court injunction won by the Church of Scientology, appeared on the Internet Friday on peer-to-peer file-sharing websites and on the video sharing site YouTube.
Directed by former film executive Peter N. Alexander, the movie has been characterized by critics as a parody of Scientology and of its founder L. Ron Hubbard. Alexander was a Scientologist for twenty years, and left the organization in 1997. The film was funded by Bob Minton, a former critic of Scientology who later signed an agreement with the Church of Scientology and has attempted to stop distribution of the film. Alexander has stated that the movie is based on his research into cults, and when asked by the St. Petersburg Times about parallels to Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard said: “I’ll let you draw that conclusion … I say it’s entirely fictional.”
The film was released in August 2001, and was shown at a movie theatre in Clearwater, Florida and at a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France. A Scientology spokesman gave a statement at the time saying “the movie is fiction and has nothing to do with Scientology”. The Church of Scientology later took legal action in an attempt to stop further distribution of the film. The Church of Scientology claimed that the film was intended to influence the jury pool in the wrongful death case of Scientologist Lisa McPherson, who died under Scientology care in Clearwater, Florida.
In April 2002, a Pinellas County, Florida judge issued a court order enjoining The Profit from worldwide distribution for an indefinite period. According to the original court injunction received by Wikinews, the movie was originally banned because the court found that it could be seen as a parody of Scientology. In his April 20, 2002 ruling on the injunction, Judge Robert E. Beach of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Pinellas County, Florida wrote: “…an average person viewing the film entitled The Profit could perceive that it is a parody of the Church of Scientology”.
“To the extent that any person considered as a potential juror in evaluating any issues involving the Church of Scientology, the process of voir dire provides a fair and complete remedy to eliminate any potential juror that may possibly have been influenced to be less than fair and impartial,” added Beach.
Luke Lirot, the attorney for the film’s production company, announced on the film’s website on April 7, 2007 that “We have absolutely no exposure for any repercussions from the court order,” but that the film was still blocked from distribution due to an ongoing legal battle. Lirot wrote: “all that’s stopping the release of the movie is the legal battle with the partner who was compromised by Scientology (Robert Minton) and is currently using his power as partner to stop the release of the film.”
In an October 2007 article, The Times described the film as “banned in the US because of a lawsuit taken out against it by The Church of Scientology,” and Russ Kick’s The Disinformation Book of Lists included the film in his “List of 16 Movies Banned in the U.S.”. An 8-minute teaser segment from The Profit appeared on the film’s website and on the video sharing site YouTube in February 2008, and an attorney representing Bob Minton sent a letter to Luke Lirot requesting that the film clip be taken down. In a response letter, Lirot wrote that “Rather than damage any asset of the LLC, the short clip merely keeps the film in the public eye, and in a positive way.”
On Friday, copies of the film began to circulate on peer-to-peer file-sharing websites and on YouTube. A link related to the film’s appearance on the Internet on the community-based link aggregator website Digg.com had 3,638 “Diggs” – and hit the front page of the site’s Entertainment section on Saturday.
| I had nothing to do with this release at all. But I’m happy it’s out there. | ||
On Saturday, Scientology critic and Emmy award-winning journalist Mark Bunker put a streaming version of the film on his website, www.xenutv.com, and encouraged others to watch and discuss the film on a real-time chat channel. In a video posting to YouTube Saturday, Bunker said “I did not do it. I had nothing to do with it … I had nothing to do with this release at all. But I’m happy it’s out there … people are finally having a chance to see it. A lot of people have been curious over the years and there’s been a lot of interest in seeing the film, so finally you can.”
| We have all wanted to see this movie that scientology kept hidden away from us. We have all wondered just how damning could this story be that we were banned from watching it. | ||
On the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology, a poster by the username “Alexia Death” commented on the film’s appearance on the Internet in the context of censorship: “It is out! And so it is a WIN if many people review it even if they say it SUCKS! … Being bad is no cause to allow censorship … And being censored is no cause to assume its good”. A post to the blog Blogsreel commented: “We have all wanted to see this movie that scientology kept hidden away from us. We have all wondered just how damning could this story be that we were banned from watching it.”
In a post on Sunday to the message board attached to the official website for the film, attorney Luke Lirot asked that individuals stop distributing copies of The Profit over the Internet. Lirot wrote: “It has been brought to my attention that several unauthorized transmissions and downloads of this protected work have taken place over the last 72 hours. Such actions are copyright violations and are unlawful. I request that any further distribution and/or dissemination of this important work cease immediately and any copies of the work that have been downloaded please be deleted.” In his statement, Lirot recognized the rights of individuals under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, but also said that unauthorized distribution of the film “will only serve to harm the goal of vast distribution”.
Blog postings have attributed the film’s appearance on the Internet as part of the anti-Scientology movement Project Chanology organized by the Internet-based group Anonymous, but this has not been confirmed. Wikinews previously reported on international protests against Scientology which took place as part of Project Chanology on February 10 and March 15. A third international protest by Anonymous is scheduled for April 12. Titled “Operation Reconnect”, the third international protest will focus on highlighting Scientology’s practice of disconnection.
February
21
Thursday, August 31, 2006
A Russian-made aircraft carrying sophisticated arms and ammunition to Nepal has been detained in Ahmedabad. The Jana Astha reported that the plane’s cargo, which was comprised of rifles, ammunition and anti-aircraft guns, was probably made in Israel. The lack of documents regarding the cargo made Indian authorities suspicious, prompting them to order the aeroplane to land after it entered Indian airspace. The plane, headed for Kathmandu has been on the tarmac at the Sardar Patel International Airport for six days now.
According to reports, the consignment is part of a deal struck between Nepal and the manufacturer of the arms, at a time when both India (the largest supplier of arms to Nepal) and the U.S have suspended military dealings with the King to show their displeasure at his attempts to suppress democracy in his country. India has contacted the Nepalese embassy in New Delhi about this matter
India has long been supplying military equipment to its Himalayan neighbour, that too at a 70% subsidy. Many Nepalese governments however, failed to make payments, thereby resulting in a credit amount of several million rupees. India waived the dues as a goodwill gesture when Nepal’s PM Girija Prasad Koirala visited New Delhi this June.
February
18
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Konami Cup Asia Series 2007 battled in Tokyo Dome today, with 2007 BWC in Taiwan and upcoming 2007 Asian Baseball Championship chained on the qualification of 2008 Summer Olympics, this series may varied Asian’s teams recently.
Linen Suits are all about perfect look and comfort
by
antoniobristow
For the perfect look, feel, snug fit and of course, fall of a suit, a linen suit wins hands down. The male corporate executive seldom goes wrong with this. To make an interesting cocktail of looks, attitude, personality and wit, a pair of linen suit transforms it into a classy and lethal combination.
Linen suits which are in demand in the market nowadays, can be available in different shades of colour and designs with just about the right blend of the fabric. It makes a deadly style statement, sure to make girls drool over you, and your colleagues and associates envy your wardrobe. Linen suits with its understated and not-so-flashy look, go amazingly well with any occasion. Not only is it high on the comfort quotient, it also takes the shape of your body. One of the reasons of its being so popular is because the suits can be bought readymade and are easily available in the shops. When it comes to money matters, it comes along with a big price tag in it. But the male corporate executive who is always on the move and is trying to fool time doesn t mind investing his money in it. The fabric is cool, fresh and durable, too.
Historically speaking, it owes its origin to a material which was almost exclusively of fibres from linum usitatissimum better known as flax plants. It is said that clothes maketh a man. Let s not get into a debate whether they do or not but the first impression certainly depends a lot on your outer skin. And what better way to express it than a charismatic linen suit? Whichever part of the world be it may, whatever significant or insignificant occasion it might be, it never ceases to make you feel like a king in it. It is like a royal piece of clothing, sometimes bold and sometimes gentle, sometimes romantic and sometimes orthodox. Whether it is the present generation of people or the older ones of the bygone eras, people from all walks of life would still cherish having a nice linen suit. They never go out of fashion.
Antonio Bristow has penned down several articles on
Linen suits
for trendy and comfort loving men.
Article Source:
ArticleRich.com
February
16
Monday, November 2, 2020
The following is the sixth and final edition of a monthly series chronicling the 2020 United States presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after an overview of the month’s biggest stories.
This month’s spotlight on the campaign trail: the Free and Equal Elections Foundation holds two presidential debates, three candidates who did not participate in those debates give their final pleas to voters, and three political pundits give their predictions on the outcome of the election.
Thursday, March 9, 2006
Toronto’s public utility, Toronto Hydro Telecom, will make Canada’s largest city into a huge wireless hotspot.
“This is both an exciting and very important initiative for the city of Toronto”, said Toronto’s mayor, David Miller. “It puts us on the leading edge of the telecommunications industry nationwide and globally.”
Toronto Hydro Telecom will offer customers free access for the first six months. After that, it will begin to charge for services.
“Wi-Fi technology is the new benchmark for urban living”, stated Toronto Hydro president David Dobbin. “It’s standard equipment in many electronic devices, from laptops to portable entertainment units.”
Private telephone companies are questioning why a public utility needs to compete with the private sector.
Mike Lee of Rogers Communications Inc. questioned why the city of Toronto wanted to enter the internet access business.
“It will not be an easy business”, Lee told the National Post. “In this day and age, the focus should be on core operations more than anything. I was surprised to see they are looking to get into this business.”
Brian Sharwood, a telecom analyst in Toronto, said the municipality will likely install the wireless transmitters and receivers on its lamp posts as a way to blanket the city, a process known as “wireless mesh networking”.
| This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. |
Thursday, October 22, 2020
2020 Melbourne Lord Mayor candidate Wayne Tseng answered some questions about his campaign for the upcoming election from Wikinews. The Lord Mayor election in the Australian city is scheduled to take place this week.
Tseng runs a firm called eTranslate, which helps software developers to make the software available to the users. In the candidate’s questionnaire, Tseng said eTranslate had led to him working with all three tiers of the government. He previously belonged to the Australian Liberal Party, but has left since then, to run for mayorship as an independent candidate.
Tseng is of Chinese descent, having moved to Australia with his parents from Vietnam. Graduated in Brisbane, Tseng received his PhD in Melbourne and has been living in the city, he told Wikinews. Tseng also formed Chinese Precinct Chamber of Commerce, an organisation responsible for many “community bond building initiatives”, the Lord Mayor candidate told Wikinews.
Tseng discussed his plans for leading Melbourne, recovering from COVID-19, and “Democracy 2.0” to ensure concerns of minorities in the city were also heard. Tseng also focused on the importance of the multi-culture aspect and talked about making Melbourne the capital of the aboriginals. Tseng also explained why he thinks Melbourne is poised to be a world city by 2030.
Tseng’s deputy Lord Mayor candidate Gricol Yang is a Commercial Banker and works for ANZ Banking Group.
Currently, Sally Capp is the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the Victorian capital. Capp was elected as an interim Lord Mayor in mid-2018 after the former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle resigned from his position after sexual assault allegations. Doyle served as the Lord Mayor of Melbourne for almost a decade since 2008.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Austrian police today found an estimated 20–50 decomposing corpses in an apparently abandoned lorry.
Roadworkers who spotted the vehicle, which had been there since yesterday at least, alerted police. Responding officers found it full of corpses. The lorry is on the so-called “Eastern Motorway”, the A4, close to the Hungarian border. It was on the hard shoulder between Neusiedl and Parndorf, closer to Parndorf.
The victims are thought to have suffocated. Police are seeking the driver. The Krone published an image of a non-articulated food lorry on the hard shoulder, which they report is the vehicle in question. The photo shows a pool of dark liquid on the ground beside the vehicle.
Video from a passing motorist shows at least one helicopter on-scene. The truck, which has pictures of meat on the side, shows branding for Slovakian food firm Hyza. Earlier today the company’s website sported an apparent anti-immigration graphic, which has since been removed.
Wikinews got in touch with Hyza. “We are truly sorry about [the] tragedy” they told us in a statement. They said they have checked GPS trackers on their fleet and all their vehicles remain in Slovakia. The statement says the lorry in question was one of 21 Hyza vehicles sold on last year. It was then sold again and exported to Hungary, where it is now registered. Hyza told us the new owners have not changed the branding on the vehicle. According to the Bild newspaper, Agrofert — the parent company of Hyza — said in a statement the new owners were required to do so.
Hyza says they will “actively cooperate with Slovak police”, and “express [their] sincere condolences to the bereaved families.”
Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner called it “a dark day” and called for European Union-wide measures to protect immigrant refugees and tackle human traffickers. Neighbouring Hungary is constructing a border fence across its entire frontier with Serbia. Yesterday alone saw a record 3,241 attempts to enter Hungary illegally, according to authorities there.
Conflict in Syria and other parts of the world has led refugees to Europe. Once inside, they can move freely inside the Schengen Area, which covers most of the EU.
Austrian police earlier this week arrested three motorists suspected of people smuggling. One driver is accused of moving 34 people, ten of them children, into Austria from Serbia. The group were left by the roadside near Bruck an der Leitha and reported struggling to breathe in the van.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Port Authority police on Friday arrested a New Jersey man in connection with a security breach at Newark Liberty International Airport last Sunday that contributed to widespread delays on all major flights to and from the airport.
According to a statement released by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Haisong Jiang, aged 28, of Piscataway, New Jersey was arrested and charged with a single count of defiant trespassing. No further details about the circumstances of Mr. Jiang’s arrest and the overall status of the ongoing investigation have yet been provided.
This Thursday, at the behest of U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a surveillance video of what exactly had transpired.
According to the tapes, a man—allegedly Mr. Jiang—wearing a light-colored jacket stood inside a rope barrier, and a guard approached him apparently telling him to stay within said security cordon.
However, less than a minute later, the very same guard is allegedly shown leaving his assigned post, and disappearing into the sea of passengers. Following this, the man is accused of having slipped undetected underneath the barrier. He then is said to have met a departing woman, who appeared to have already passed through security. He then apparently proceeded to kiss her, before the two walked off holding hands.
A bystander waiting for an arriving family member noticed the breach and told the guard. TSA officials then discovered that security cameras at the checkpoint were not fully operational, and consequently had not recorded what had occurred. As a result, investigators were forced to consult backup cameras maintained by Continental Airlines.
In an address to the media, Senator Lautenberg heavily praised the joint investigative team for their efforts. “With this arrest, law enforcement will be able to take a closer look into how and why this incident occurred and make sure that it never happens again.”
The guard in question is now on administrative leave, and could face possible disciplinary charges.