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Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced on Tuesday that Old Parliament House in Canberra has been heritage listed. It is the 31st entry on the National Heritage List.

The listing acknowledges the role the building has in shaping Australia’s culture and protects it from being modified in any way which could affect its historic value.

Old Parliament House served as the home of Australia’s parliament from 1927 until 1988, when it was relocated to the present parliament house. From 1901-1927, parliament met in Melbourne in the Victorian Parliament House (the state parliament was relocated for 26 years). Before being known as Old Parliament House, the building was known as Provisional Parliament House – as it was intended to be used for 50 years before a permanent building could be built.

In the 61 years the building was used as the seat of parliament, the government changed only seven times, and several new political parties were formed (the Liberals, Anti-Communist Labor Party, and the Australian Democrats).

Mr Howard said the building played an important part in Australia’s political history. “Old Parliament House will always be an important part of our political history with its rich collection of original furniture, art and memorabilia helping to illustrate the story of Australia’s political customs and functions,” he said.

According to Mr Howard, the National Heritage List lists sites which have helped shape the country. “The National Heritage List contains places that have played an important role in the development of our nation, such as Captain Cook’s landing place in New South Wales, Port Arthur in Tasmania and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra,” said the Prime Minister.

The building currently houses Australia’s National Portrait Gallery, and serves as a venue for receptions and exhbitions.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Journalist, counselor, painter, and US 2012 Presidential candidate Joe Schriner of Cleveland, Ohio took some time to discuss his campaign with Wikinews in an interview.

Schriner previously ran for president in 2000, 2004, and 2008, but failed to gain much traction in the races. He announced his candidacy for the 2012 race immediately following the 2008 election. Schriner refers to himself as the “Average Joe” candidate, and advocates a pro-life and pro-environmentalist platform. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles, and has published public policy papers exploring solutions to American issues.

Wikinews reporter William Saturn? talks with Schriner and discusses his campaign.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Journalist, counselor, painter, and US 2012 Presidential candidate Joe Schriner of Cleveland, Ohio took some time to discuss his campaign with Wikinews in an interview.

Schriner previously ran for president in 2000, 2004, and 2008, but failed to gain much traction in the races. He announced his candidacy for the 2012 race immediately following the 2008 election. Schriner refers to himself as the “Average Joe” candidate, and advocates a pro-life and pro-environmentalist platform. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles, and has published public policy papers exploring solutions to American issues.

Wikinews reporter William Saturn? talks with Schriner and discusses his campaign.

Friday, January 11, 2008File:Flag of Hezbollah.svg

Thaicom, a Thai satellite company has begun airing Hezbollah network Al-Manar, much to Israel’s discontent. Al-Manar now can be viewed in Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and most of Europe, a blow to Israel who is trying to fight Hezbollah. Many fear this will increase support and recruiting for Hezbollah, which the United States, Israel and some other countries consider a terrorist organization. Thaicom considers Al-Manar programming as “news and entertainment.”

Al-Manar was designated a ‘terrorist entity’, and banned by the United States in December 2004. It has also been banned by France and Spain, and has run into some service and license problems abroad, making it unavailable in the Netherlands, South America and Canada while it has not officially been banned in any of these regions.

The station was launched by Hezbollah in 1991 with the help of Iranian funds. By 2004, Al Manar was estimated to hold 10-15 million viewers daily worldwide. Critics claim al-Manar’s agenda is influenced by Iran by virtue of the “significant portion” of Hezbollah’s budget shortfall that is covered by Iran, via some of the “US$100 and $200 million a year” Iran provides to Hezbollah itself. Al-Manar officials strongly deny this, saying they are subsidized by the Hezbollah party and donations from other Muslims, not by Iran. Al-Manar calls itself the “Station of the Resistance” (qanat al-muqawama) and is a key player in what Hezbollah calls its “psychological warfare against the Zionist enemy”

“It’s a war. Al-Manar is Hezbollah’s main communication tool, through which it spreads anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, and anti-American incitement. It spreads Hezbollah and Iranian values of radical Islam,” Dr. Reuven Erlich said. Erlich is the head of the Terrorism Information Center in Herzliya, Israel. He added that the fact that Al-Manar can now be seen in south-east Asia, means that Indonesia and Malaysia, two countries with a large Muslim population, are open to its messages of hatred.

Thaicom said it is considering its response and will only offer a formal reaction over the weekend adding the decision to transmit Al-Manar broadcasts was a “purely business decision, which had nothing to do with politics.”