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Cryptome.org, a US-based website, has published a list of 74 individuals[1] claimed to be members of the British "Secret Intelligence Service", MI6. Many are serving members of the UK Foreign Office, including 18 Ambassadors. The leak of a similar list in 1999 led to the prosecution of a former MI6 agent, Richard Tomlinson. The source for this latest leak is referred to only as "A".
Earlier this year New York Times reporter Judith Miller was jailed for refusing to name the US-government source who identified a member of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Valerie Plame.
A general statement on the Cryptome.org web site states:
"Cryptome welcomes documents for publication that are prohibited by governments worldwide, in particular material on freedom of expression, privacy, cryptology, dual-use technologies, national security, intelligence, and secret governance — open, secret and classified documents — but not limited to those. Documents are removed from this site only by order served directly by a US court having jurisdiction. No court order has ever been served; any order served will be published here — or elsewhere if gagged by order."
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | 'MI6 officers' named on US-based website | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22MI6_officers%22_named_on_US-based_website |
Valuable personal items belonging to Mahatma Gandhi, The father of India were auctioned for US$1.8 million by Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York City, New York. Documentary filmmaker James Otis owned these items and put these up for auction.
The items were bought by the owner of the United Breweries group and Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallaya, a Bangalore based Indian entrepreneur. The list of rare personal belongings included a Zenith sterling silver Pocket watch, a pair of eyeglasses used by Gandhi, a pair of leather sandals, his blood work from Irwin Hospital, New Delhi and a brass bowl and a plate set.
The initial bid price was $20,000, but reached $1 million in less than a minute. Mallaya eventually outbid all other bidders for the final price of $1.8 million. The Indian government did not participate in the auction due to a restraint order from the Delhi High Court. The restraining order was passed by the court in response to a written petition filed by the legal heir of Mahatma Gandhi, Navjivan Trust.
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Valuable personal items belonging to Mahatma Gandhi, The father of India were auctioned for US$1.8 million by Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York City, New York. Documentary filmmaker James Otis owned these items and put these up for auction.
The items were bought by the owner of the United Breweries group and Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallaya, a Bangalore based Indian entrepreneur. The list of rare personal belongings included a Zenith sterling silver Pocket watch, a pair of eyeglasses used by Gandhi, a pair of leather sandals, his blood work from Irwin Hospital, New Delhi and a brass bowl and a plate set.
The initial bid price was $20,000, but reached $1 million in less than a minute. Mallaya eventually outbid all other bidders for the final price of $1.8 million. The Indian government did not participate in the auction due to a restraint order from the Delhi High Court. The restraining order was passed by the court in response to a written petition filed by the legal heir of Mahatma Gandhi, Navjivan Trust.
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File:Nixon Mao 1972-02-29.png
The famous "Mao suit", prominently worn by Chinese leaders in the decades following that country's 1949 revolution, is on the verge of disappearing from China, as the fashion-conscious younger generation shuns the previously common style in favor of the latest apparel offered by modern designers.
China's President Hu Jintao was last seen in a green Mao suit while visiting a military base during the Chinese New Year.
During the recent National People's Congress gathering in Beijing, Sun Fucai, manager of the official Red Capital clothing store, reported that Mao suits made up only five percent of his sales.
One shopkeeper near Beijing, Hu Bixing, sells Mao suits, but hasn't worn his own Mao suit for about ten years. He says they are "...so out of fashion."
In China, the style of dress is still worn by older urban dwellers, and many farmers still wear the hat which typically accompanies the suit, called a "Liberation" cap.
The Mao suit has a long history in China, going back to 1912, when it became known as a "Zhongshan suit", because Sun Yat-sen, or Sun Zhongshan as he is more commonly known in Chinese, popularized the style as the president of the Republic of China. It was later made famous by the communist Mao Zedong during his reign as the leader of China.
One Mao suit owner remembers purchasing what for him was a very expensive version of the suit when it was more popular several decades ago.
"I haven't worn it in 20 years," said government-employed driver Zhang Xiaotong. "If I put it on today people would look at me like I was a bit odd."
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BBC News is reporting "up to 267,000 gallons (one million litres)" of crude oil has leaked from a pipeline in the Prudhoe Bay oilfield. Although not as large as the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, this is thought to be the largest spill on record affecting the Alaska North Slope.
The Alaska Wilderness League reports that there is "no confirmation" of the quantity of oil lost; but it points out that it is not only the oil that causes problems. The cleanup efforts will also have environmental impacts.
The Associated Press first reported this spill on 2 March.
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Scottish police have arrested a man and a woman after finding Britain's largest ever stash of Gamma-butyrolactone. The man in charge of the operation, Graeme Pearson, director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, called the find "the most significant discovery of the drug in the UK."
Denise Caron MacPherson, 45, and Hanan Rabin, 53, have been charged with exporting the drug, also known as GHB, to the United States between 19 April and 24 May. The news of the Scottish factory comes as a US study found drug use was involved in two-thirds of sex attacks, while 5 per cent were given an actual "date rape" drug.
Graham Rhodes for The Roofie Foundation, a helpline for victims of drug rape, said: "I am very relieved this has been recovered as in the wrong hands it is very dangerous. Not only is it used to spike the drinks of people to rape them but it's also used to assault and rob people."
Used by ravers, robbers and bodybuilders, the base chemical (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) was taken during a raid on a house and business in West Lothian. The haul would have been put on the United States illicit drug market and sold for fun and more sinister purposes.
In its non-powder form GHB is barely detectable: clear and having no smell it can be particularly potent with a few drops mixed into an alcoholic drink. Once a sufficient amount of the salty liquid has been ingested the victim can be knocked out within an hour.
While GHB is known both as "liquid ecstasy" and the date rapist's "Plan A", the versatile compound is also used by body builders instead of anabolic steroids, by dieters and as a sleeping aid.
In Britain, GHB is a "Class C" drug which means making it, holding it and selling it is punishable with up to two years in prison. The effects of rape, for which the drug is reportedly used, can last a lifetime. Jane Cumming, from support group Crisis, said she received an average of 4 calls a week from people claiming to be victims of date rape.
The pair, who were caught in Livingston, were accused of distributing the drug in Scotland from MacPherson's house around the same time as they were exporting to the United States, while MacPherson was also charged with Cannabis possession.
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On Wednesday, Captain Chesley Sullenberger retired. The US Airways pilot was best known for the "Miracle on the Hudson," when he landed Flight 1549 safely down on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. After a bird strike in which both engines were blown out, Sullenberger was forced to land the plane, which carried 150 passengers, safely down on the river. With help from the crew and first responders on scene, all those on the plane survived with minimal injuries.
Following the near disaster, many people hailed Sullenberger as a hero. Over the past year, he has been involved in writing a book, giving speeches, and appearing before Congress. During his testimony before Congress, he spoke about the importance of pilot safety. He also served as the grand marshal of the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. Sullenberger was additionally hailed at the Obama inauguration and Super Bowl XLIV.
On his final flight, Sullenberger flew from Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte. His co-pilot on the flight, Jeff Skiles, had been with him on Flight 1549. Sullenberger was joined on the flight by his wife, Lorrie, and five passengers from Flight 1549. Sullenberger said in a statement, that he will continue to work as an advocate for aviation safety.
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Jo Hovind, wife of Kent Hovind, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for 44 counts of evading bank reporting requirements. In November 2006 Jo was convicted of 44 counts and Kent was convicted of 58 counts, and both decided not to present a defense at trial.
Kent Hovind, self-styled as Dr. Dino despite lacking any degrees from accredited schools, is currently incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution, Edgefield, and according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons is scheduled for release in July 2015.
In addition to the prison time Jo Hovind, 51, was ordered to pay US$8,000 in fines and serve three years supervision when released from prison. In January 2007 Kent was ordered to pay $640,000 in owed funds to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pay prosecution's court costs of $7,078, and serve three years parole once released.
Though the couple were indicted on these charges last summer in July 2006, they had a long history of tax protesting and running the Creation Science Evangelism Ministry without proper licensing. According to the IRS, Kent Hovind had never filed any income taxes with the agency.
Mrs. Hovind was found guilty in November on 44 counts of evading bank-reporting requirements. The same jury found her husband guilty on 58 federal counts, including failure to pay $845,000 in employee-related taxes. He was sentenced in January to ten years in federal prison.
According to the Pensacola News Journal, Jo Hovind’s attorney, Jerry Barringer, plans to appeal the guilty verdict as well as the prison sentence.
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Hundreds of mourners paid their last respects in honour of Colleen Howe yesterday at St. Hugo of the Hills Church in Michigan, United States.
According to a statement released by the Detroit Red Wings, Howe, who was a business entrepreneur and sports agent with the nickname "Mrs. Hockey", died on Friday of Pick's disease, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She was 76 years old.
Howe, who was born in Sandusky, Michigan in 1933, was most famous for establishing Power Play International and Power Play Publications to manage the hockey career of her husband Gordie Howe and her sons, Marty and Mark. She established the first Junior A hockey team to the United States and Michigan's first indoor ice hockey rink.
Howe is survived by husband Gordie Howe, sons Marty, Mark, Dr. Murray A., daughter Cathy Purnell née Howe, nine grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Red Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch and Red Wings coach Mike Babcock attended the funeral along with vice president Steve Yzerman, Red Wings players Kris Draper Brian Rafalskim, Pavel Datsyuk, and Henrik Zetterberg. Amid the Red Wings contingent was also captain Nicklas Lidstrom.
Retired hockey players also paid their respects, in attendance were Bill Gadsby, Johnny Wilson, Frank Mahovlich, Alex Delvecchio, and Brian Watson.
Howe's motto was "Why not?" said her son, during the services.
Howe was diagnosed in 2002 with Pick's disease, an incurable neurological disease that causes dementia. Red Wings general manager Ken Holland held a moment of silence before the Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game last Saturday. When a picture of Howe and Gordie lit up the scoreboard, fans responded with a standing ovation at the Friday, March 6 Vancouver Giants’ game against the Calgary Hitmen in the Pacific Coliseum.
Howe was one of the founders of the Detroit Junior Red Wings, the first Junior A hockey team in the United States. Howe served as general manager for three years with the Detroit Junior Red Wings. As an assertive and business savvy sports agent she formed Power Play International to manage Gordie, Marty and Mark's business interests. Howe trademarked Gordie Howe's name and nickname, "Mr. Hockey", and her own nickname, "Mrs. Hockey", as registered trademarks.
Howe was instrumental in the construction of the Gordie Howe Hockeyland arena, Michigan as well as the first Michigan indoor ice hockey rink. She was named Sportswoman of the Year in Detroit in 1972 followed by Michigan Sportswoman of the Year in 1973.
The Colleen J. Howe Arena, Sandusky, Michigan, was named in her honour. The Colleen & Gordie Howe Middle School, Abbotsford, British Columbia, British Columbia and the Howe Arena in Traverse City, Mich. are also named in their honour.
Howe established the 1993 Gordie Howe tribute tour in 65 cities and the Howe Foundation which supports charities. She was also the proud recipient of The Hartford Chamber of Commerce award for outstanding community achievement in 1979.
Howe and Gordie jointly received the Wayne Gretsky Award from the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.
Howe wrote the book My Three Hockey Players published in 1975 which became her first venture into writing. Howe, Gordie and Charles Wikins collaborated on the book After the Applause published 1989, followed by When the Final Buzzer Sounds in 2000. A 20th Century Hockey Chronicle written by Howe and Gordie was published in 1994, And ...Howe!: An Authorized Autobiography was written together by Howe, Gordie and Tom Delisle and released in 1995. The final joint venture between Howe and Gordie was You Read to Me & I'll Read to You: 20th-Century Stories to Share which came out in print in 2001. Charities were supported by proceeds from the sales of her books.
—Colleen Howe. Letter to the Colleen J. Howe Arena Sanilac County Hockey AssociationHowe was born as Colleen Joffa, to a farming family in Sandusky, Michigan and married Gordie Howe on April 15, 1953. Together they had four children, Mark, Marty, Murray and Cathy. Together they had four children, Marty, Mark, Dr. Murray A. and Cathy Purnell née Howe. Her son, Murray diverged from the family's footsteps, becoming a doctor, and helped treat Howe during her ordeal with Pick's disease. Howe is survived by nine grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Howe's most remarkable negotiation as sports agent occurred in 1973, when she brought Gordie out of retirement and arranged for Mark, Marty and Gordie to all play together on the Houston Aeros. The three had also played together for the Hartford Whalers. Gordon "Gordie" Howe, Mr. Hockey, OC is a retired professional ice hockey player from Saskatchewan, Canada who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association.
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The Muslim Brotherhood, the largest Sunni Muslim political group, and also an influential Egyptian association, has been under pressure from the Egyptian government. Founded in 1928 in Egypt, the Brotherhood grew to approximately 2 million strong in the 1940s. Soon the Brotherhood was at odds with the government, and one of their members even assassinated the prime minister. Soon after the Brotherhood founder and leader Hassan al-Banna was assassinated, possibly by a government agent.
Tensions with the government have not eased in succeeding years. Although the Brotherhood shuns terrorist violence, it also promotes Jihad. Tensions with the government also arise from the Brotherhood's support of labor rights and political freedom. The brotherhood is at times critical of the government. The Muslim Brotherhood currently participates in the government; even though they are adversarial towards it, they are the largest opposition party, with 20% of Parliament. However, the Brotherhood has been officially banned for much of the time since 1954, so all of its political members are forced to run as independents.
Recently the Egyptian government has resumed suppression of many Brotherhood activities. As many as 600 Brotherhood members have been arrested since it began. As many as four are believed to have been kidnapped or murdered, as the government had not announced their arrests until recently. The Egyptian government has even arrested 6 members of Parliament.
The Brotherhood is on the defensive on all of this. Regarding 4 of the members of parliament imprisoned the Brotherhood lawyer has said, "But they had nothing at all to do with this mess ... and the people questioning them know this, they're certain of this." The Economist speculates that the reason for this recent crackdown by the government is to create a more accepting climate for the rumored inauguration of the current president's son, Gamal Mubarak.
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Former Brazilian association football player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, died in São Paulo of multiple organ failure Thursday. Pelé, whose country's government declared him a "national treasure" in 1961, was 82.
A post by Pelé's official Instagram account announced the death of "The King": "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today...[he] enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love."
Pelé was born on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, a town in the state of Minas Gerais, into an impoverished family. Pelé himself worked as a shoeshiner, playing informally; he acquired the nickname "Pelé" from his incorrect pronunciation of "Bilé", the name of a local association football player.
When he was 15, Santos, a local association football club, recruited Pelé for its juvenile team, and eventually promoted him to the adult team. In 1956, at the age of 16, he joined the Brazilian national team.
The national team brought Pelé, 17, as a reserve during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden; while the Brazilian team was playing in the final, they moved him onto the field. Pelé punted the ball over one of the opposing team's defenders, then wheeled around the other man and propelled it into the opponents' goal, scoring. This was voted among the best plays in the history of association football, and Pelé was proclaimed the winner of the Cup.
Pelé suffered an injury and was largely unable to play in the 1962 World Cup in Chile, although he still won.
Brazil also advanced to the 1966 Cup in England. Although the Associated Press later said that he was "already considered the world’s top player" by 1966, Brazil was ejected in the group stage; Pelé swore never to return to the World Cup. England won the tournament.
Pelé nevertheless played in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, his last Cup. Brazil advanced to the final, facing Italy, with Pelé making the first goal for his team in that game and winning once again.
In 1972, Pelé retired from Santos FC. European clubs invited him to play for them, but he declined. In 1975, Pelé made a comeback playing for the New York Cosmos in the new North American Soccer League. After a 1976 game between the Cosmos and Santos, his old club, of which he played half with each team, Pelé announced he was again retiring from professional association football.
Pelé wrote an autobiography in 1977, My Life and the Beautiful Game, which the Associated Press credited with the popularization of that nickname for the sport.
Pelé had been hospitalized more than a month ago in Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo while undergoing treatment for colon cancer, which he developed in 2021; the hospital attributed the multiple organ failure that killed him Thursday afternoon to this cancer.
After the announcement, current Brazilian footballer Neymar posted to Instagram, "Pelé changed everything. He transformed football into art, entertainment...Football and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure. Pelé is eternal!”
French footballer Kylian Mbappé tweeted, "The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten...RIP KING."
Jair Bolsonaro, the President of Brazil, who will depart that office on Sunday, called Pelé, "a great citizen and patriot, raising the name of Brazil wherever he went" in a statement and ordered three days of national mourning.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the President-elect, tweeted, "few Brazilians carried the name of our country as far as he did."
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, tweeted, "The game. The king. Eternity."
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| "National treasure": Former Brazilian footballer Pelé dies at age 82 | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22National_treasure%22:_Former_Brazilian_footballer_Pel%C3%A9_dies_at_age_82 |
On Thursday, Congress turned down the "Net Neutrality Amendment" to the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act (COPE Act) 269-152.
The COPE Act is designed to make it easier for telecommunications companies to offer cable TV service and strengthen competition. Proponents hope it would lower the price of high-speed Internet for consumer by enabling Internet service providers to bundle phone, data, video and mobile phone services. The act is the first major telecommunications bill to come before Congress in over a decade, and it passed by 321-101 vote on Thursday.
Portions of the "Net Neutrality" amendment to the COPE Act sought to assure that communication companies who provide Internet services treated all data delivery passing through their connections equally. It specified that each broadband provider has the duty "not to block, impair, degrade, discriminate against, or interfere with the ability of any person to use a broadband connection to access, use, send, receive, or offer lawful content, applications, or services over the Internet." The amendment's passage would have prevented AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and other broadband providers from charging content providers like Google, Yahoo, Amazon or eBay for priority access to their networks. Democrats were largely in favour of the legislation with 140 Ayes and 58 Noes, whereas only 11 Republicans voted for the measure, with 211 against.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi argued that "The imposition of additional fees for Internet content providers would unduly burden Web-based small businesses and start-ups," and that "They would also hamper communications by noncommercial users, those using religious speech, promoting civic involvement and exercising First Amendment freedoms."
The phone companies and their Congressional allies argued that the restrictions in the amendment would discourage investment in upgrading networks. Chief technology officer for BellSouth William L. Smith told the Washington Post that telephone companies should be able to charge companies for having their content load faster than that of competitors. "If I go to the airport, I can buy a coach standby ticket or a first-class ticket," Smith said. "In the shipping business, I can get two-day air or six-day ground."
The legislation has been subject to intense lobbying by telecommunication companies on one side, and content providers on the other. The bill is due to be discussed next in the Senate, where lobbying efforts from both sides are expected to intensify. The White House said that it supports the current bill.
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Residents in the city of Port Harcourt said that Nigerian troops burnt down hundreds of slum dwellings, allegedly as reprisal after an Army sergeant was killed in Thursday's abduction of oil workers in the area.
Residents told news agencies that troops poured petrol over slum houses located near a compound belonging to Saipem, a subsidiary of Italian oil company Eni, and set them alight. The fires have reportedly destroyed hundreds of homes and shops and hundreds of people are said to have fled from the area. On Friday, people returning to the area and onlookers were chased away by soldiers.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Army Brigadier General Samuel Salihu denied that Nigerian troops were responsible for the arson. He said that militants active in the area had set the fires, wearing Army camouflage.
On Thursday, oil workers were kidnapped from a bar near the slums by armed men who shot dead an Army soldier guarding the workers, and injured another soldier. Nigerian military sources said at least two foreign oil workers were missing, one of them, Italian. The Italian foreign ministry, though, said that three foreigners were missing.
The oil-rich Niger Delta region has witnessed a spate of kidnappings recently. Nineteen people were held captive in eight separate abductions this month. All but three of them have been released since, some after the state government and the oil companies paid a ransom.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a militant group which has taken hostages and attacked oil facilities, but says it does not kidnap for ransom, said in a statement that it the state government has encouraged such abductions by paying ransoms.
Last week, as part of a tougher line adopted by the Nigerian government, President Obasanjo sent in the Army, with orders to use "force for force" against militants in the region. Over 160 people were taken into custody in a two day crackdown, including over 100 from a nearby slum, but most have been released since then.
The BBC's Alex Last reports that local leaders and oil companies are concerned that this new tough policy will increase tensions in the region.
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Preliminary tests performed on samples taken from six villagers in the Kabanjahe District of Sumatra in Indonesia have tested negative for the deadly H5N1 Avian Flu virus.
"Investigations by the ministry of health lab and Namru, too, on August 2 and 3 on all specimens collected from the suspected cases in Kabanjahe district came up negative," said Indonesia's health minister, Siti Fadilah Supari.
Final test results are expected in at least seven days from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. "The World Health Organization (WHO) requires human samples to be sent to one of WHO's six collaborative centres. So, we only need to send them to CDC Atlanta as it has worked with the U.S. NAMRU-2 lab here," added Supari.
Supari also stated that all individuals are suffering from the "common flu."
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Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. | "No H5N1 virus" found in blood tests of suspected human Bird Flu cluster | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22No_H5N1_virus%22_found_in_blood_tests_of_suspected_human_Bird_Flu_cluster |
File:Lakota Freedom Delegation conference 1.jpg
The Lakota Freedom Delegation, which in December declared that the Lakota people were withdrawing from their treaties with the United States and reasserting their sovereignty as an independent state, is acting without the support of the Treaty Council, the traditional government of the Lakota, Wikinews has learned.
Wikinews spoke with Floyd Looks-For-Buffalo Hand, an Oglala Lakota Treaty Delegate and Elder, also an author and a spiritual leader in the indigenous Lakota religion, and who is also blood uncle to Lakota Freedom Delegation member Canupa Gluha Mani.
The Lakota Freedom Delegation has claimed that, while the BIA-recognized tribal governments of the Lakota have not supported them, the Lakota Freedom Delegation's authority extends from support by the Treaty Council of the Elders of Lakota as well as from the 1974 International Indian Treaty Council.
"There was no treaty withdrawal. It was three people."
"Russell Means and Duane Martin [Canupa Gluha Mani] and that lady [Phyllis Young], they do not speak for the nation. You've got to have consensus" among the eight tribes of the Lakota, he said, which the Lakota Freedom Delegation has not obtained. Mr. Hand stated that he was speaking as a tribal delegate with the consensus of the Oglala Treaty Delegation and his chief, Oliver Red Cloud.
Hand furthermore called the treaty withdrawal event a "publicity stunt" and that furthermore the 1974 meeting was not authorization to act on behalf of the Lakota people. While Means, Canupa Gluha Mani, and the rest of the delegation "have free speech" and can do as they wish, he said, the Elders of Lakota "stated that they should remove themselves from treaty territory," that is, the Reservations inhabited by the Lakota. But "they're still living here" (Canupa Gluha Mani has been residing in Asheville, North Carolina since the treaty withdrawal press conference on December 19).
When asked if the above decisions represented the consensus of the whole Treaty Council, Hand stated, "we all do the same because we're all fullbloods. We all speak our own language."
Hand went on to explain, though, that the Treaty Council was planning to reconsider the Lakota's arrangement with the United States government. The Treaty Council of all eight Lakota tribes, which will meet on 28–30 January 2008, will consider whether to "sit down to negotiate" with the federal government. Members of the Lakota Freedom Delegation are expected to take part in that meeting. European-Americans, Hand said, are "not honoring" the 1851 and 1868 treaties which connected the Lakota to the United States, and noted that the Lakota were the only people to "conquer" the United States during the Indian Wars of the 19th century.
The arrangement with the United States, which he called a "contract", "handcuffs us through the federal programs". On their own, Hand said, "if we rely on a sovereign nation as a nation, relating to other nations with our economic development I think we can survive." Hand noted that one possibility under consideration was asserting the right to negotiate independently of the US government with foreign powers in areas such as airport access rights. The Lakota, he said, would charge foreign airlines half what the United States charges to make use of airports on Lakota soil. "We can be well off," he argued.
In another contradiction of the Lakota Freedom Delegation's program, Hand said that the Treaty Delegations "don't want technology on our reservation". One of his concerns was environmentalism. People of European descent are "taking too much out of Mother Earth", he said, making reference to ongoing environmental effects of uranium mining which has long been a contentious issue on the Lakota reservations. The Treaty Delegation's goal, he said, is "preserving the land and animals and letting the water remain free."
However, one of the plans of the Lakota Freedom Delegation is to install renewable energy technology on tribal land, such as solar and wind farms. This follows projects in the past, whereby wind turbines were erected on the Rosebud Reservation. Such projects would lessen dependence on foreign energy sources, as well as coincide with the Lakota's traditional respect for the environment.
Hand also expressed hope for ethnic solidarity among the non-European peoples of the world. "All the people of color in this world will go for unity and understanding and peace" if they overthrow the Europeans and establish their own governments, he said.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | 'No treaty withdrawal', says Lakota elder | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22No_treaty_withdrawal%22,_says_Lakota_elder |
Aerial evacuations took place and food was airlifted in yesterday after a devastating flood Western Australia emergency services minister Stephen Dawson called the 'worst in a century' isolated communities in the Kimberley.
Flooding began last week after heavy rain from Tropical Cyclone Ellie swelled local rivers, bolstered by La Niña. Notably, the Fitzroy River broke a 2002 record of 13.95 meters (45.8 ft), reaching a water level of 15.81 meters (51.9 ft) on Wednesday, according to a Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson.
The Bureau today released a statement warning while the storm has moved eastward toward the Northern Territory, "record-breaking major flooding" continues in the Kimberley.
Authorities estimate it could take months to recover from what Dawson called "the worst flooding Western Australia has had in its history." While the extent of the damage is not yet known, parts of the Great Northern Highway have been shut, the bridge at Fitzroy Crossing closed and the airstrip inundated.
According to Reuters, among the hardest-hit is the town of Fitzroy Crossing, on the Fitzroy River after flooding created a 50 kilometers (31 mi) wide "inland sea", making roads there impassable.
By Saturday, 233 people had been evacuated from settlements across the Kimberley, which has a 50% aboriginal population, and Australian Defence Force helicopters airlifted approximately 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lbs) of food and supplies as weather has improved and the airstrip reopened. Five new helicopters will begin operations by Thursday, Reuters heard.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the flood as "devastating" and pledged federal assistance for the region. The Western Australian government has also announced a AU$3 million distress fund organized by Perth's Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas.
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| "One-in-100-year flood event" devastates Western Australia | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22One-in-100-year_flood_event%22_devastates_Western_Australia |
Professors at the Energy Science Centre, attached to the Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) in Zurich, have presented their contribution of a car quite similar to Loremo able to travel 100 kilometres (around 62 miles) on a tank with just 1 litre (around 1 quart), equalling to about 235 miles per gallon. They presented their contribution during Swiss Energy Week.
The automobile, which has and will be manufactured by the Swiss company Horlacher, is 75% lighter than an average family car and guzzles a tenth of the fuel thanks to vastly improved aerodynamics.
One drawback to this car is that it has none of the modern safety features found in many cars to-day. But the FIT team is designing technology that lets cars communicate with each other to avoid collisions, using similar computer systems to those in aircraft.
"This car does compromise on style, speed and comfort, but you can't have a free lunch," says Lino Guzzella, one of the centre's members
"Business as usual is no longer an option. If we are to survive in the future, we will have to drastically reduce carbon emissions." Guzzella continued.
There are approximately 800 million cars on this planet and in Switzerland there are 500 cars per 1,000 people, compared with 800 in the United States and less than 50 per 1,000 in India and China.
Swiss drivers also favour more powerful, polluting vehicles than the rest of western Europe. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, the main lobbying group of the automobile industry in the European Union, the average car in Switzerland has a 2 litre engine compared with 1.6 litres in neighbouring countries.
"The Swiss think they are better at cutting harmful emissions than anyone else, but they are not," says researcher Peter de Haan van der Weg.
He believes Switzerland should introduce incentives to make people buy cleaner cars. Some countries already have such schemes: the US awards tax breaks worth up to $3,000 and the Netherlands offers €6,000 to green car owners.
The Swiss authorities are currently thinking about two similar options presented by the city of Bern and the centre-left Social Democratic Party.
"Individuals are not capable of understanding the big picture because it is difficult for people to look 50 years into the future," Mr. De Haan van der Weg said.
"Therefore it is necessary to have government regulations to force changes that will benefit the environment."
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| "One-litre car" may help traffic pollution | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22One-litre_car%22_may_help_traffic_pollution |
Al-Qaeda's notional leader Osama Bin Laden has released a new audio tape in which he delivers a message he describes as from "Osama to Obama". Bin Laden tells the US President that Americans can expect further attacks.
In the tape, aired by al-Jazeera, Bin Laden describes Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab, who tried to blow up a US airliner on Christmas day, as "a hero" who was reaffirming the message of the September 11 attacks. He commented that "If it was possible to carry our messages to you by words we wouldn't have carried them to you by planes."
He tells the US President, as well as his public, that American foreign policy will have to change before he will cease his campaign against the nation. "It is unfair you enjoy a safe life while our brothers in Gaza suffer greatly[,...] Our attacks will continue as long as you support Israel."
The recording lasted one minute. While he stopped short of claiming to be behind the Christmas plane bombing, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have already claimed responsibility. The BBC cites unnamed US intelligence officials as saying the tape could be designed to assert authority over all of al-Qaida's splinter groups. The West has yet to formally identify the tape as Bin Laden, but it is believed the tape represents Osama's first public announcement since September 25 when he sought troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Osama to Obama": Bin Laden addresses US President | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Osama_to_Obama%22:_Bin_Laden_addresses_US_President |
After the launch of "Halo 3" on Tuesday (September 25), Microsoft promoted a brand new Xbox360 racing game "Project Gotham Racing 4" (PGR4) with a friendship match as a "TOP on TOP" competition between Taiwanese World Cyber Games (WCG) PGR3 Delegate You-cheng Liu and "Drift Master of Taiwan" Po-hsiung Chou at YAMAHA MotorTown in Taipei City, Taiwan.
Before the friendship match, Cary Chen (Senior Product Marketing Manager of Entertainment and Device Division, Microsoft Taiwan) show the new features on PGR4 to the press, VIPs, and guests and praised the "PGR" game series with the "Kudos" skill points. He remarked that in the "PGR4", not only joined new car type and racing motorcycles, but also add Dynamic Weather System feature for the performance of new different type experiences on weathers, driving, and racing lane.
Chen also remarked that PGR series is surely respected because of the racing game competition factor on WCG from 2006. This "PGR" series can realize lots of dreams of players on making some special skills which can't be done on reality. With the Xbox Live linking, PGR series has successfully made a great achievement.
After the presentation and demos, Microsoft Taiwan held a friendship match. Before the match, Y. C. Liu welcomed P. H. Chou with Chou drove a BMW car to the main entrance. After the entrance, the match started. With the witnesses of VIPs, press, and players, Liu won the friendship match by the turning fault of Chou. Even though Chou wanted to invite Live as a racer in reality after the match, but Liu temporarily declined with his consideration.
Microsoft Taiwan announced that the Chinese Version of "PGR4" will be available on October 5, and welcomed players competing with "I want 'PGR4' Helmet!" photo competition. And also, "Yamaha PGR4 Cup - Taiwan Driving Master Championship" will be held and set qualification section in October and final section in December of Information Month in Taipei.
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| "PGR4" pre-launch in Taiwan: TOP Drivers' Derby | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22PGR4%22_pre-launch_in_Taiwan:_TOP_Drivers%27_Derby |
Wikinews reported on May 17 that several weeks earlier British police had picked up an unidentified man wandering the streets of Sheerness, United Kingdom. The man who has thus far refused to talk, has demonstrated himself to be an excellent pianist—earning him the nickname Piano Man.
Since publication of our first article, we have been contacted by a fellow wiki contributor informing us that the Piano Man may be a British actor named Geoffrey Betts. Although our contact strongly believed he knew the identity of the man and contacted the relevant authorities in regard to his belief, this has turned out to be false. While Betts was not reachable by phone or e-mail, his website was recently updated to the effect that he is not the man in question. In the meantime, the search for the identity has been narrowed down to three leads by authorities.
The original interview between Wikinews editor CGorman and contributor Steve Magruder is reproduced below.
CG: Who do you think the pianist is?
S: Geoffrey "Geoff" Betts, an actor and British citizen, who I last knew to be living in Euless, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), and who, the last time I saw him was living temporarily months at a time in Louisville, Kentucky.
CG: Why do you think it is him?
S: The person I knew should be 26, perhaps almost 27 now. The personal resemblances are the eyes, facial shape, asymmetric jawline, ears, nose and short hair. The person I knew had colored his hair blonde at least one time when I knew him. His mother is Italian, and his father is British, and the "Piano Man" has the appearance of such an ethnic combination. I also knew that he composed music, but frankly, I did not know he could play the piano. Both the man found and Geoff are thin and physically fit. I also knew Geoff to be a smart dresser.
CG: What is your relationship with Mr. Betts; were you good friends?
S: He is a former business associate of an ex-partner of mine in an upstart film production company that has since gone out of business. Geoff actually lived with us for periods of time in 2003. I would call him a friendly acquaintance, if not a friend, during that time.
(...)
CG: What is your knowledge of Mr. Betts' musical ability?
S: I knew Geoff to compose his own music, but I cannot remember offhand what kind of music.
CG: When was the last time you met Mr. Betts - was it long before the man turned up in England?
S: Early 2004, when Geoff last moved out of the residence where I and my ex-partner were living. I had heard various stories for months after that point regarding him continuing to live in Texas and occasionally visit Louisville, but I had no firsthand knowledge of that.
CG: What was Mr. Betts involved in in the weeks before the appearance of the man in England? Was he working on a film, on a break etc?
S: According to IMDB, Geoff was working on a film recently, but I am not sure of the timing of that with respect to the time the man appeared in England. I have no information on where he might have been in the weeks before the man's appearance.
CG: On a scale of 1 to 10, how sure are you that the man is actually Mr. Betts?
S: 8. I admit I am not as confident as the Polish man living in Italy was (with his 99% certainty that it was his friend Massone), and it turned out he was incorrect. I have to say, however, that I am haunted by how much the "Piano Man" resembles Geoff. Further, the reports indicate the man is 6' while Geoff is 5'10"--I don't know whether the man found was measured with his shoes on or not. Last, my attempts to contact Geoff by a direct email address I found has failed to get any response. I am almost tossing and turning with cognitive dissonance about whether the man found could be Geoff or not.
CG: I know you have already contacted the relevant authorities, but if there was one thing about Mr. Betts that you believe could help further in verification of the pianists identity; what would it be?
S: Geoff's website at http://www.geoffreybetts.com for physical comparison. Also, his mother may still be living in Euless, TX. Last, strangely enough, he also had a wish list at Amazon.com, and one of the last two items he added on April 4 (apparently just before the appearance of the man in England) is an audio CD titled "Silence."
A comparison can be made of images of the Piano Man and Geoff using the below links:
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Piano Man" is not British actor, search down to three leads | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Piano_Man%22_is_not_British_actor,_search_down_to_three_leads |
The finalists for the USC Scripter Awards were announced recently. The teams behind Children of Men, The Devil Wears Prada, The Illusionist, The Last King of Scotland, and Notes on a Scandal all received nods.
For nineteen years, the USC Libraries Scripter Award has honored "writers for the best achievement in adaptation among English-language films released during the previous year and based on a book, novella or short story."
While there are many awards for either screenwriting in general, or adapted screenwriting, the Scripter is the only award to recognize both the screenwriters and the original authors.
The titles were selected by committee, from a list of forty-five eligible films. The committee is made of Writers Guild of America members (including some Academy Award-winning screenwriters and Academy Award-nominated screen writers), authors, film industry executives, USC faculty, the dean of the USC Libraries, and selected members of the Friends of the USC Libraries, the sponsor of the event.
Previous screenwriters and authors honored include the teams behind Capote, Million Dollar Baby, The Hours, A Beautiful Mind, L.A. Confidential, The English Patient and Schindler's List.
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Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Fradkov has resigned, citing his reason as being "the approaching major political events in the country and a desire to give the president full freedom in making decisions, including personnel." Russian President Vladimir Putin has nominated Victor Zubkov to replace him, and a new cabinet is expected to follow as well.
Parliamentary elections are expected to take place in three months as the parliament has not been dissolved, and presidential elections will take place in six months.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | Russian prime minister resigns at President Vladimir Putin's request | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Russian_prime_minister_resigns_at_President_Vladimir_Putin%27s_request |
The self-proclaimed "King of All Media", "shock jock" Howard Stern made his debut on Sirius Satellite Radio, being introduced by the new official announcer, actor George Takei. yesterday with liberal use of profanity. Stern made the deal last year to jump to Sirius after increasing pressure from the government, due to fallout after the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime controversy.
Stern said, "I don't compete on terrestrial radio anymore." Satellite radio is not regulated by the United States government as it is a subscriber service.
In his deal with Sirius, Stern gets two channels, "Howard 100" and "Howard 101". The channels launched in October 2005 under the names "Douche 100" and "Douche 101," filled with mostly dead air. However, due to his contract to former employer, Infinity Broadcasting (now CBS Radio), at the time he could not broadcast on them, so he filled up the time with 24-hour marathons of Wack Pack members until his contract expired on New Year's Day. That day, Stern did a commercial free segment on his two stations, playing clips from his days as a child, to working at WTBU (Boston University college radio), WCCC, W4, WWDC, WNBC, and WXRK. Then on January 3 and 5, Stern and his team did live test broadcasts, listeners did call in during the tests, Stern told them that these were test broadcasts and that debut show would be on January 9.
Stern began his career in his family's basement, making tapes of fictional radio programs. He then moved into real broadcasting when he began a show at WTBU, Boston University's college radio station. He then moved on to Hartford's WCCC, followed by WWWW (W4), before landing a job at DC-101, WWDC, there his morning show became a big hit but was fired for criticizing the station. A notable incident happened the day after the crash of Air Florida Flight 90. He called Air Florida asking how much a one-way trip from the Washington National Airport to the 14th Street Bridge would cost. He then moved to New York's WNBC-AM were he had an overnight program (since Don Imus had the morning show). WNBC management attemepted to control Stern but not to much success he was eventually fired before WXRK "K-Rock" picked him up and where history was made from then on.
With the departure of Stern, K-Rock and some other stations have switched to a francished format know as Free FM. CBS Radio also replaced Stern with Van Halen guitarist David Lee Roth on the East Coast, comedic radio personality Adam Corrolla on the West Coast and a lesser-known DJ know as Rover.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Shock jock" Howard Stern makes his satellite radio debut | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Shock_jock%22_Howard_Stern_makes_his_satellite_radio_debut |
The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and Cranbrook Art Museum debut Shrinking Cities. The project, which examines urban decline in cities across the globe is sponsored by Germany's Federal Cultural Foundation.
Shrinking Cities includes contributions from more than 200 artists, architects, researchers, filmmakers, journalists, culture experts, and sociologists aimed not only at showing the effects of this global phenomenon but also exploring how to deal with it.
The project, which began in 2002, involves local teams from four cities: Detroit, USA, Manchester/Liverpool, Britain, Ivanavo, Russia and Halle/Leipzig, Germany. The teams examined the negatives and the positives of urban decline. Along with the exhibit contribution of the team and international idea competition was launched.
Shrinking Cities premiered in Berlin in 2004 and later traveled to Halle and Leipzig Germany. In Detroit it will run from 3 February until 1 April. Cranbrook Art Museum and the newly founded Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit will cohost the exhibit, with buses running in between the two.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Shrinking Cities" debuts in Detroit, Michigan | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Shrinking_Cities%22_debuts_in_Detroit,_Michigan |
An anti-war demonstration in the streets of New York City failed to apply for a sound permit, normally granted for public demonstrations of all kinds. As a result of what police claim was an unauthorized use of an amplification device, the New York Police Department took action. Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan was speaking to a crowd of 150 before the microphone was removed by the authorities, according to a report published in The Village Voice. The organizer of the event, Paul Zulkowitz (nicknamed "Zool"), was arrested moments before the demonstration was dispersed.
Sheehan's speech was almost over Monday when the police interrupted. As Sheehan was escorted off the scene, the crowd shouted at the cops to "let her speak".
Sheehan said that "I was speaking and someone grabbed my backpack and pulled me back pretty roughly," and that "I was shoved around."
She added that "I think their use of force was pretty excessive for someone that didn't have a permit." Mrs Sheehan noted that this happened when police broke up the rally.
The Sheehan tour's previous stop was in downtown Richmond, Virginia where she addressed a small gathering in front of the Virginia Army National Guard office. The small afternoon demonstration drew only a dozen supporters; and as many pro-war demonstrators joined the gathering.
Sheehan achieved national prominence following her peace vigil at the beginning of August 2005, when she camped in a ditch by a road near United States President George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, vowing to stay until the President agreed to meet and speak with her about the Iraq War.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | NYPD shuts down anti-war speech due to absence of permit | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Shutdown%22_order_issued_at_Cindy_Sheehan_speech |
A small aircraft struck an apartment building in New York this afternoon, killing the pilot and a flight instructor. Cory Lidle, a pitcher for the New York Yankees baseball team, was the registered owner of the aircraft and is believed to have been piloting it; his passport was found on the scene. The flight instructor was Tyler Stanger.
The plane, a Cirrus SR20 with registration number N929CD, hit the 26th floor of the Belaire Condominium, a 50 story brick luxury residential building on the Upper East Side at 524 East 72nd Street at York Avenue near the East River in Manhattan, New York City, of which the first 20 floors are a hospital. An eyewitness, present half a block from the building, reported that the plane hit the building, creating an enormous fireball, broke in two and crashed down onto on the street below. Authorities received a 911 call reporting a crash at 2:42 p.m. Eastern time.
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a press conference at approximately 5:20 p.m. Eastern time to report that the plane was occupied by a flight instructor and a student pilot, but as next-of-kin had not been able to be notified, the identities of the two people on the plane would not be released at this time.
Apartments were seen to be engulfed in flames. The FBI has stated that it was not an intentional attack. The New York area was grey and overcast during the time at crash; however, visibility was not hampered.
After an hour and a half, the fire was extinguished by the FDNY. According to CNN Television ten people have been injured, six of them firefighters. The New York Times, however, reports that eleven firefighters have been injured.
Initial reports suggested that a helicopter was involved, but the FAA has stated that it was a fixed-wing aircraft. CNN Television reported that it was a single-engine fixed-wing plane which left Teterboro Airport, a busy General Aviation airport in New Jersey, circled the Statue of Liberty was tracked on radar until it was lost near the 59th Street Bridge, that the plane may have been having fuel problems or fuel pump problems, and that it was "a pilot in distress."
Wallace Sines, a source for CNN stated he believes the plane was a Cirrus SR-20 with an installed parachute, which did not deploy. The whole-plane parachute system may have saved the lives of the aircraft occupants had it been safely deployed clear of buildings, but the system is not designed to prevent the trauma associated with a plane impacting a builing. The Cirrus SR-20 was introduced in 2001 and the Cirrus line of 4-seater aircraft has since become one of the most purchased single engine aircraft in the world. The SR-20 does not normally carry an airline-style flight-data recorder, but some are equipped with GPS equipment which logs flight direction, speed and altitude.
The aircraft was owned by baseball player Cory Lidle. He was on board reported by AP. Lidle was killed, according to reports. CNN Television reported that the FBI stated he was at the controls as the only occupant of the plane, and that his passport was found on the ground below the accident.
A little over an hour and a half after the crash, the fire was extinguished after 39 fire units and over 100 fire fighters responded.
The White House has said that there has been no change in the terror threat alert level and that President Bush is being updated constantly.
La Guardia airport was temporarily restricted to no take offs from other airports, however by 4:10 Eastern Time, CNN Television reported that all New York-area airports were open.
CNN Television announced at 3:50 p.m. Eastern Time that as of a few minutes earlier, NORAD is putting fighter aircraft on patrol over certain major American cities as a precautionary measure similar to the actions taken after the 9/11 attacks as a "just in case" measure. It also reported that tomorrow is the 6th anniversary of the attack on the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen.
Moments after the crash, there was a drop in the New York Stock Exchange, however it quickly returned to normal after it was reported that the crash was an accident.
The New York Yankees organization confirmed the plane is registered to Cory Lidle of the New York Yankees, who was planning to fly from New York to Florida, and that some unnamed member of the Yankees organization was on the plane.
One eye-witness interviewed by the BBC stated: "I was wondering why the plane was doing acrobatics and then the next thing I knew was that it had crashed into the building."
She also added that the plane was a small, white, 4-seater winged aircraft and not a helicopter as many news agencies were reporting it to be.
CNN Television broadcast reports from eyewitnesses who reported:
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | Small aircraft crashes into building in New York City | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Small_plane%22_hits_apartment_building_in_NYC |
At the Siggraph 2005 computer graphics convention in Los Angeles, California Tuesday, Star Wars creator George Lucas unveiled plans for a weekly computer-animated series based on the science fiction saga.
The new show, to be called Clone Wars, will be a 3-D animated spinoff of the series and is to be produced in a Lucas facility in Singapore. Lucas already has done limited-run 2-D traditional animated television with Star Wars: Clone Wars shorts on the U.S. cable channel, Cartoon Network.
Lucas said advances in digital technology allow an animated television series to do what otherwise would be too expensive.
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Atheists, secularists, and supporters of free speech rallied in London today to protest what they feel is an "increased confidence of Islamists to censor free expression publicly". Around 200 people gathered on the steps of the memorial to King George V in Old Palace Yard opposite the House of Lords in Westminster.
Anne Marie Waters from the 'One Law for All' group, which protests against sharia law in the United Kingdom, said that freedom of expression was "the greatest freedom we have" and included "the freedom to offend".
Accusations of Islamophobia against those who reposted the Jesus and Mo webcomic was one of a number of incidents highlighted by speakers. Susan Zhuang from the University College London Atheist, Secularist and Humanist society spoke of the reaction to the posting of the cartoon to their Facebook profile: "maybe we were naive but we never thought it would come to this". The university's student union demanded that the group remove the cartoon, but the group declined and launched an Internet petition to "defend freedom of expression".
The blogger and activist Rhys Morgan, who had been previously threatened with libel for saying that a clinic operated in Texas by Stanislaw Burzynski was charging hundreds of thousands of dollars to cancer patients for unproven treatments, also spoke of being threatened by his sixth-form college to remove the Jesus and Mo cartoon from his Facebook account. He said that the staff at his college "implied that [he] would be suspended or expelled", claiming that the image offended Muslims. He also said that he had got threats of violence including someone saying that his house would be burned down, and was called a "God-hater".
The philosophy professor A. C. Grayling and the popular science writer Richard Dawkins both spoke at the rally, with the latter criticising the decision by the organisers of a literary festival in Jaipur, India, to "kowtow to a violent threat" by rescinding an invitation to the author Salman Rushdie based on a demand by "some local Islamic scholar". (Dawkins joked about how, unlike Islamic scholars, "a true 'scholar' studies more than one book".)
Dawkins argued that people should "stop being so damn respectful". Without freedom of speech, Dawkins said, society would be in a "scientific, technological, moral dark age".
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At the end of January, Bach Technology announced their new music file format, MusicDNA, which was developed as an intended replacement for the mp3 format, which has been the dominant format in music since its inception. MusicDNA uses similar compression methods to mp3, but then also adds an xml file which defines other content that can be included. Wikinews reporter Tristan Thomas caught up with Bach Technology CEO Stefan Kohlmeyer to find out more.
((Wikinews)) Thank you for agreeing to answer our questions.
((WN)) Can you briefly explain what MusicDNA is?
((Stefan Kohlmeyer)) We believe that MusicDNA is the successor to the MP3, the MusicDNA media extension enables music fans to access from one application the wide range of music-related content they want alongside the music itself - from lyrics, artwork and tour dates to blog posts, videos and twitter feeds.
In addition to all this extra content, MusicDNA files are also intelligent, and include extensive audio analysis information for each single track. This means that search and recommendation tools or automatic playlist generators will be much more sophisticated and provide much better results.
((WN)) How long has it been in development and what role has Karlheinz Brandenburg, the man credited with inventing mp3, played in that?
((SK)) In essence MusicDNA in its current context has been in development since the start of the company in 2007. Bach has an important strategic partnership with Fraunhofer IDMT with its CEO Karlheinz Brandenburg who is an important person for us in all research projects and visionary discussions about the development of the music market.
((WN)) Is this just going to be another consumer hurting format war with iTunes LP? What makes MusicDNA better than iTunes LP?
((SK)) Unlike iTunes LP, MusicDNA files have been built on open standards and are completely platform agnostic, which means that, unlike iTunes LP, you’re not tied to one device or media player. So it’s about the opposite of format wars really.
Whilst LP goes some way to adding value to digital music, it is still essentially a static file with some extra content bolted on. MusicDNA not only gives back all the things we lost when we switched to digital formats, lyrics, liner notes, artwork, but crucially it goes beyond that allowing fans to access everything from Twitter feeds and videos through to concert tickets, this will all dynamically update whenever you're online, so music fans always have the latest information to hand.
Importantly with MusicDNA you can customise single tracks, you’re not restricted to purchasing complete albums as you are with LP.
And because all the additional rich media is integrated into the file (unlike iTunes LP), that content can be easily transferred from one device to another.
Mark Mulligan, vice president and research director of industry analysts Forrester Research recently put it well to the UK’s Telegraph newspaper "innovations like the iTunes LP need to go further. People should pay just once to get everything that artist does over the next year in one file that is regularly updated."
((WN)) Is this really what listeners want-more clutter to distract from the music itself? What's wrong with mp3?
—Stefan Kohlmeyer((SK)) A lot of people, especially those who grew up buying music on vinyl and CD, miss the packaging, the liner notes, all the things that went hand in hand with albums, so for them that ‘clutter’ is an important part of the experience.
We developed MusicDNA based on how people interact with their favourite music and musicians today, so we’re just following the public’s lead in many ways. MusicDNA enables fans to stay constantly connected with the worlds of their favourite artists in a really convenient way. Importantly, MusicDNA files can be customised so that they contain as little or much extra content as the listener wants.
You have to remember the MP3 was developed over twenty years ago, think of how much has changed in that time. It has had a profound effect on the music industry, but beyond portability it doesn't actually add anything to the experience, the opposite in fact.
((WN)) Will MusicDNA be any less susceptible to piracy than other formats?
((SK)) As only paid for files will dynamically update MusicDNA should be an incentive for people to purchase legitimate files rather than downloading them from p2p networks.
Over the last decade a lot of effort has gone into trying to stop piracy through sanctions and enforcement, and, well, the results speak for themselves. We believe in a carrot approach, giving the public what they actually want and a great incentive to go the legit route.
((WN)) Many people argue that music is moving away from being owned and more towards models like Spotify; free, streamed music. Is MusicDNA not too late to the party if this is so?
((SK)) Like many in the industry Bach are of the view that there is no one silver bullet to suit all types of consumer, rather a variety of services will serve different fans with different needs.
There are many occasions when a download is preferable to a stream, and MusicDNA files have the advantage of customised, at your fingertips, rich media available on- and offline. And that is before considering the impact of streaming on growing bandwidth and energy requirements.
((WN)) So when will we start to see MusicDNA and where?
((SK)) Rollout will be staggered over 2010, with the first beta versions available around Easter and the full commercial rollout expected over summer.
((WN)) And finally, your favourite artist at the moment to be released on MusicDNA this year?
((SK)) It's too early to say, but we're in talks with some very exciting artists. I would love to see all my old heroes on MusicDNA, starting with Led Zeppelin and The Clash.
((WN)) Thank you again for your time. Good luck with the launch.
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| "Successor to mp3"; MusicDNA founder interviewed | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Successor_to_mp3%22;_MusicDNA_founder_interviewed |
At 5:36:30 a.m. local time Tuesday, Hollywood was abuzz as the Academy Award nominations were announced by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and past Oscar nominee Salma Hayek. The winners from these nominations will be announced at the 79th Academy Awards ceremonies in Los Angeles on 25 February, 2007.
Best motion picture of the year
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
File:Oscar deriv.png
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Best animated feature film of the year
Achievement in art direction
Achievement in cinematography
Achievement in costume design
Achievement in directing
Best documentary feature
Best documentary short subject
Achievement in film editing
Best foreign language film of the year
Achievement in makeup
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
Best animated short film
Best live action short film
Achievement in sound editing
Achievement in sound mixing
Achievement in visual effects
Adapted screenplay
Original screenplay
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Sunshine", "Queen" in the spotlight as 79th Annual Academy Award nominations announced | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Sunshine%22,_%22Queen%22_in_the_spotlight_as_79th_Annual_Academy_Award_nominations_announced |
A fatal series of mudslides have caused hundreds of deaths in the South East Asian nation of the Philippines. They were triggered by super typhoon Durian's torrential rains as the runoff flowed down the slopes of the Mount Mayon volcano, according to witnesses
Rivers of mud and volcanic ash have swamped settlements in the eastern region of the country, according to officials.
At least 388 people have been confirmed dead, according to the Agence France-Presse.
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| "Super typhoon" triggers fatal mudslides in Philippines | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Super_typhoon%22_triggers_fatal_mudslides_in_Philippines |
On February 8, the same day Super Size Me opened in Prague, a Czech film company's volunteer known as Karel Gustav Bozan began a 1 month diet of Czech pub food and beer in a Czech version called "Super Spek Me"; which translates loosely as "Super Flab Me".
Zuzana Pudilova of Aerofilms described the volunteer at that time: "He is a well-built man between 45 and 50. He is almost 2 metres tall, he is not exactly thin but until now he has had quite a healthy lifestyle."
Karel ate typical Czech pub food for an entire month with three rules: no vegetables or fresh fruit (unless they came with a meal) no exercise, and lots of beer.
Karel's menu consisted entirely of typical Czech dishes. Obesity therapist, Iva Malkova, had warned at the beginning of the project: "People in the Czech Republic eat much more fat, especially animal fat than is recommended." Pub meals in the Czech Republic often consist of such fatty items as goose with dumplings or sausages.
Yesterday the results were announced; Karel lost six kilos, his cholesterol went down and so did his liver enzymes, triglyceride and uric acid levels. His blood pressure did not change. At his interview with Radio Prague he said: "I feel good, great! The food was varied and there were even enough greens in the garnish. As for beer, I tried to alternate brands but I always settled it with Pilsner. I liked the experiment, it was all paid for by the distributor, Aerofilms. I would do it again, maybe they will propose it to me!"
Zuzana Pudilova of Aerofilms said: "The result of the experiment is surprising - both for us and the experts who monitored it. The medical report says our volunteer has lost weight and his blood sugar has dropped. So we have come to the conclusion that fatty Czech pub grub is not all that bad for you - which I guess wasn't meant to be the result of the experiment at all."
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The British teacher jailed for letting her students name a teddy bear "Muhammad" as part of a writing project arrived in England after being pardoned - ending a case that set off an international outcry and angered many moderate Muslims.
Gillian Gibbons is back home after serving eight days of a 15-day sentence for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Muhammad" as part of a writing project. This angered Sudanese authorities who said it was an insult to the Islamic prophet. She was released after being pardoned by Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir.
In Britain, the obviously relieved Gibbons said she was concerned she might have offended people.
"It has been an ordeal but I would like you to know that I was well-treated in prison and everybody was very kind to me. I was very sorry to leave Sudan. I had a fabulous time there. It is a really lovely place, and I managed to see some of the beautiful countryside while I was there," she said. "The Sudanese people I found to be extremely kind and extremely generous, and until this happened to me, I only had a good experience."
Gibbons could have received 40 lashes or a six-month jail sentence. After her sentencing last week, hundreds of Sudanese demonstrated for a stiffer sentence, with some calling for her to be executed.
Gibbons' arrest resulted in an international outcry and a tense stand-off between Sudan and Britain. It was also widely condemned by British Muslims. Her release followed the intervention of two Muslim peers, Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi who travelled to Khartoum and met Monday with President Omar al- Bashir.
A senior adviser of president Bush said Mr. Bashir insisted Gibbons had received a fair trial.
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The British teacher jailed for letting her students name a teddy bear "Muhammad" as part of a writing project arrived in England after being pardoned - ending a case that set off an international outcry and angered many moderate Muslims.
Gillian Gibbons is back home after serving eight days of a 15-day sentence for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Muhammad" as part of a writing project. This angered Sudanese authorities who said it was an insult to the Islamic prophet. She was released after being pardoned by Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir.
In Britain, the obviously relieved Gibbons said she was concerned she might have offended people.
"It has been an ordeal but I would like you to know that I was well-treated in prison and everybody was very kind to me. I was very sorry to leave Sudan. I had a fabulous time there. It is a really lovely place, and I managed to see some of the beautiful countryside while I was there," she said. "The Sudanese people I found to be extremely kind and extremely generous, and until this happened to me, I only had a good experience."
Gibbons could have received 40 lashes or a six-month jail sentence. After her sentencing last week, hundreds of Sudanese demonstrated for a stiffer sentence, with some calling for her to be executed.
Gibbons' arrest resulted in an international outcry and a tense stand-off between Sudan and Britain. It was also widely condemned by British Muslims. Her release followed the intervention of two Muslim peers, Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi who travelled to Khartoum and met Monday with President Omar al- Bashir.
A senior adviser of president Bush said Mr. Bashir insisted Gibbons had received a fair trial.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Teddy bear teacher" returns to England | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Teddy_bear_teacher%22_returns_to_England |
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley beat back a Republican primary challenge from Roy Moore, the former judge who tried to put up a Ten Commandments monument in his courthouse.
In the weeks leading to Alabama's gubernatorial primaries, polls showed Riley had pulled ahead of Moore, the former state chief justice who became a hero to the religious right in 2003 when he was ousted over his refusal to remove a 5,300-pound Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building.
Moore conceded in his hometown of Gadsden, telling supporters, "God's will has been done."
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At least ten attackers with knives, dressed in black, attacked a train station in Kunming, China yesterday. At least 28 victims were killed, with 113 more wounded by knives, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. The local municipal government accuses "Xinjiang separatist forces" for the attack. Xinhua called the attack "an organized, premeditated violent terrorist attack". One suspect was arrested, while four or five suspects were shot dead.
Yang Haifei, a local resident, told Xinhua the attackers rushed in and began attacking people while he was buying a ticket. "I saw a person come straight at me with a long knife and I ran away with everyone," he said, while people who were slower were attacked and "fell on the ground".
Preparations are underway for an annual legislature meeting, at which president Xi Jinping as well as his government are to deliver their first one-year work report on Wednesday. Xi Jinping states there should be "all out efforts" to apprehend the attackers, while the Ministry of Public Security's Security Management Bureau stated law enforcement will "crack down the crimes in accordance with the law without any tolerance." He calls for severe punishments "in accordance with the law", as well as to "crack down on those who have been swollen with arrogance".
China has also blamed a suicide attack in Tiananmen Square late last year, in Beijing, on the separatists.
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The older brother of Christopher Nolan, director of the films The Dark Knight and Memento, has been arrested in connection with an alleged murder in Central America.
Matthew Francis Nolan, 40, was arrested last month and is awaiting extradition to Costa Rica to face murder and kidnapping charges. He is currently being held in prison without bond.
Nolan is accused of killing Robert C. Cohen, a Florida businessman, in 2005 while trying to recover $7 million Cohen owed to another Florida man.
Costa Rican authorities said Nolan posed as a businessman and arranged a meeting with Cohen at a hotel.
Nolan and an accomplice, Douglas Mejia, then allegedly kidnapped Cohen and tried to extort the money from Cohen's family, then killed Cohen when the plan failed.
Mejia has already been convicted of murder and kidnapping and is currently in prison.
Chicago authorities had been investigating Nolan for an alleged $700,000 bank fraud, which was unrelated to the murder, according to media reports. FBI agents arrested Nolan in February while he was leaving a Chicago bankruptcy court hearing.
The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the story on Friday.
Matthew Nolan's brothers, Christopher and screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, are the filmmaking duo behind the films Memento, The Dark Knight and The Prestige.
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| "The Dark Knight" film director's brother arrested for murder, kidnapping | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Dark_Knight%22_film_director%27s_brother_arrested_for_murder,_kidnapping |
Malaysia — Manjit Kaur of the Malaysian Star reports the controversial documentary The Last Communist or Lelaki Komunis Terahkir has finally been banned by the Home Ministry under the Film Censorship Act 1991.
The film was passed without any cuts by the National Film Censorship board in March but the Home Ministry retracted the approval ten days before film was scheduled to start screening.
The film is described as a "semi-musical documentary" and is inspired by the leader of the disbanded Malayan Communist Party, Chin Peng and the Malayan Emergency during which over ten thousand Malayan and British troops and civilians lost their lives.
The film features "interviews with the people in the towns [Peng] lived from birth to national independence" that is "interspersed with specially composed songs in the mould of old-fashioned propaganda films." The film made its world debut at the Berlin Film Festival. It also appeared at this year's Seattle International Film Festival and the London Film Festival.
The ban comes after Berita Harian, a conservative Malay daily, printed a series of articles critical of the film and the Censorship board. In the first article, the reporters ask government ministers and professors to comment on the impact of the film.
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Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. | Malaysia bans film "The Last Communist" | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Last_Communist%22_banned_finally |
Wikinews has learned that a new entity calling itself The Regime used keylogging to gain an administrator password to 711chan.org, a site popular with the open vigilante group "Anonymous" that has recently been attacking Scientology online.
—Message at 711chan.org as of 9:57 p.m. EST on Saturday.At 9:57 p.m. (eastern time) the site 711chan.org, was replaced, allegedly by The Regime by the title Church of Scientology along with a statement on the home page stating "This website has been deleted due to copyright claims from the Church of Scientology." A search performed using Google, on 711chan has returned the number one result of the apparent hack. All that remains of 711chan.org is an apparent message to the members of the site to "run" and "hide."
"711chan is full of fucking fail for siding with Gaia. I'm out of here, faggots. Enjoy your Gaia," said the message, which currently is only available in a cached version.
At 1:45 a.m. on January 27, the site was replaced with "And now a message from our sponsors. YOU SUCK
711chan will be back online shortly. I love you guys for helping me out. <3 plasma," acknowledging the possibility 711chan was back in control of their site. The site's name has been changed to "Church of 711."
The Regime's first attack went along with a message posted to 711chan's website (quoted below) saying that "This site has not been blessed by The Regime and is deemed lame", believing Anonymous to be self-proclaimed hackers (although this title was primarily used by the media). It also refers to Anonymous' attempt to bring down the Church of Scientology (named 'Operation Chanology'), saying that "chanology is lame, scientology is lame". It thereafter declared that the message board where Anonymous had been discussing Operation Chanology had been removed. Minutes later, 711chan stopped responding to queries.
The legitimate administrators of 711chan regained control after only three minutes, but it took nearly six hours to restore the site with recent additions missing. However, The Regime took the site down again twelve hours later, claiming to have removed the backups and stating, "all your db are belong to us" (an allusion to the phrase "all your base are belong to us").
A new video posted to YouTube by someone who claimed to be The Regime shows a logo and uses a computer animated voice to threaten 711chan.org and their affiliates. The Regime, however, denies making the video saying "we are in no way responsible for making, nor are we tied to that video in any way."
The video declares, "Dear 'Anonymous'. We are The Regime. Your attacks on Scientology have not gone unnoticed." The video's text description states that "Your attacks on Scientology have not gone unnoticed, we have the money, resources and tools to put an end to your SP behaviour and so called hacking activities. You have soiled the good name of LRH and now it is you that have *our* attention."
—"Re: Message to Scientology", video posted to YouTube.The acronyms in the text description are Scientology jargon "suppressive person" (a person who criticizes Scientology) and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Both terms were also used recently in a leaked internal Church of Scientology video featuring Tom Cruise promoting his beliefs. The video goes on to state that "Anonymous" has been declared "Fair Game" (another Scientology term).
The title of The Regime video, "Re: Message to Scientology", is a reference to the video "Message to Scientology", which was posted by "Anonymous" to YouTube on Monday. The original "Message to Scientology" video has been viewed over 1,000,000 times since it was posted.
"We have your IP addresses, your documents and secret plans. We own your 711chan, your IRC, and we are taking care of your raid forums. Call off your attacks on our religion immediately, or 4chan YTMND, something awful and your other bases will be brought to ruin. Do not underestimate us. You are out of your league. You have been warned," added the video.
In an exclusive interview with Wikinews, the group is only called The Regime. When asked what their mission was, they stated "we have none."
Wikinews also asked who or what was in charge of their group and they replied, "At one point, this would have been a complicated question as there were many tiers and positions of authority, however now leadership is confined to a single council." They are also not affiliated with any other group and act alone with "no contacts with groups or individuals outside of itself." They also refused to describe their group as a whole. They also stated to "define affiliated" when Wikinews asked if they were part of the Church of Scientology.
Their motivations are still not clear. When asked what motivates their group to do what they do, they replied, "What motivates any human to do anything? Money, Power, Respect? Choose one," but also state that they will continue their attacks "if necessary."
Wikinews also asked if The Regime was in any way affiliated with the Church of Scientology, including working for or against their beliefs or being a 'branch of The Church' The Regime simply replied, "We are not Scientologists, this is all we have to say on the subject."
Sources within the "Anonymous" group have played down the actions of The Regime who - when announced on the IRC channel the group utilizes for communications - were said to be "... a bunch of gloryhunters ridin [sic] on our tails". Another user of the IRC channel, calling himself "Anonz", was quoted as telling other members of the group "... It's funny how they call us scriptbunnies yet use scripts themselves." The general consensus was that "Anonymous is not impressed."
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | 'The Regime' hacks 711chan.org in response to 'Anonymous' attack on Scientology; takes web site off line | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Regime%22_hacks_711chan.org_in_response_to_attack_on_Scientology |
Wikinews has learned that a new entity calling itself The Regime used keylogging to gain an administrator password to 711chan.org, a site popular with the open vigilante group "Anonymous" that has recently been attacking Scientology online.
—Message at 711chan.org as of 9:57 p.m. EST on Saturday.At 9:57 p.m. (eastern time) the site 711chan.org, was replaced, allegedly by The Regime by the title Church of Scientology along with a statement on the home page stating "This website has been deleted due to copyright claims from the Church of Scientology." A search performed using Google, on 711chan has returned the number one result of the apparent hack. All that remains of 711chan.org is an apparent message to the members of the site to "run" and "hide."
"711chan is full of fucking fail for siding with Gaia. I'm out of here, faggots. Enjoy your Gaia," said the message, which currently is only available in a cached version.
At 1:45 a.m. on January 27, the site was replaced with "And now a message from our sponsors. YOU SUCK
711chan will be back online shortly. I love you guys for helping me out. <3 plasma," acknowledging the possibility 711chan was back in control of their site. The site's name has been changed to "Church of 711."
The Regime's first attack went along with a message posted to 711chan's website (quoted below) saying that "This site has not been blessed by The Regime and is deemed lame", believing Anonymous to be self-proclaimed hackers (although this title was primarily used by the media). It also refers to Anonymous' attempt to bring down the Church of Scientology (named 'Operation Chanology'), saying that "chanology is lame, scientology is lame". It thereafter declared that the message board where Anonymous had been discussing Operation Chanology had been removed. Minutes later, 711chan stopped responding to queries.
The legitimate administrators of 711chan regained control after only three minutes, but it took nearly six hours to restore the site with recent additions missing. However, The Regime took the site down again twelve hours later, claiming to have removed the backups and stating, "all your db are belong to us" (an allusion to the phrase "all your base are belong to us").
A new video posted to YouTube by someone who claimed to be The Regime shows a logo and uses a computer animated voice to threaten 711chan.org and their affiliates. The Regime, however, denies making the video saying "we are in no way responsible for making, nor are we tied to that video in any way."
The video declares, "Dear 'Anonymous'. We are The Regime. Your attacks on Scientology have not gone unnoticed." The video's text description states that "Your attacks on Scientology have not gone unnoticed, we have the money, resources and tools to put an end to your SP behaviour and so called hacking activities. You have soiled the good name of LRH and now it is you that have *our* attention."
—"Re: Message to Scientology", video posted to YouTube.The acronyms in the text description are Scientology jargon "suppressive person" (a person who criticizes Scientology) and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Both terms were also used recently in a leaked internal Church of Scientology video featuring Tom Cruise promoting his beliefs. The video goes on to state that "Anonymous" has been declared "Fair Game" (another Scientology term).
The title of The Regime video, "Re: Message to Scientology", is a reference to the video "Message to Scientology", which was posted by "Anonymous" to YouTube on Monday. The original "Message to Scientology" video has been viewed over 1,000,000 times since it was posted.
"We have your IP addresses, your documents and secret plans. We own your 711chan, your IRC, and we are taking care of your raid forums. Call off your attacks on our religion immediately, or 4chan YTMND, something awful and your other bases will be brought to ruin. Do not underestimate us. You are out of your league. You have been warned," added the video.
In an exclusive interview with Wikinews, the group is only called The Regime. When asked what their mission was, they stated "we have none."
Wikinews also asked who or what was in charge of their group and they replied, "At one point, this would have been a complicated question as there were many tiers and positions of authority, however now leadership is confined to a single council." They are also not affiliated with any other group and act alone with "no contacts with groups or individuals outside of itself." They also refused to describe their group as a whole. They also stated to "define affiliated" when Wikinews asked if they were part of the Church of Scientology.
Their motivations are still not clear. When asked what motivates their group to do what they do, they replied, "What motivates any human to do anything? Money, Power, Respect? Choose one," but also state that they will continue their attacks "if necessary."
Wikinews also asked if The Regime was in any way affiliated with the Church of Scientology, including working for or against their beliefs or being a 'branch of The Church' The Regime simply replied, "We are not Scientologists, this is all we have to say on the subject."
Sources within the "Anonymous" group have played down the actions of The Regime who - when announced on the IRC channel the group utilizes for communications - were said to be "... a bunch of gloryhunters ridin [sic] on our tails". Another user of the IRC channel, calling himself "Anonz", was quoted as telling other members of the group "... It's funny how they call us scriptbunnies yet use scripts themselves." The general consensus was that "Anonymous is not impressed."
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | 'The Regime' hacks 711chan.org in response to 'Anonymous' attack on Scientology; takes web site off line | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Regime%22_hits_back_at_Anonymous |
The American cartoon series "The Simpsons" will today be broadcast for the first time in high definition (HD). Today's show will also introduce a new title sequence.
Today's episode, named "Take My Life, Please" (20x10), also makes references to HDTV in the Chalkboard gag when Bart Simpson writes "HDTV is worth every cent" on the chalkboard.
This will be the first major permanent change to the show's introduction since its launch in 1989; previous changes have included variations in the duration of the intro, and special one-shot introductions for the Treehouse of Horror Halloween episodes. This new intro also includes some 3D animation when the camera pans over Springfield.
This episode is not quite the first time The Simpsons has appeared in HD, as The Simpsons Movie was rendered in HD.
Fox will broadcast The Simpsons in 720p and will now letterbox the show on their standard definition feed.
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| "The Simpsons" announces change in title sequence and move to HD | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Simpsons%22_announces_change_in_title_sequence_and_move_to_HD |
"In the Name of the Grandfather", the fourteenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons will today become the first episode of the show to premiere in Europe. It will air at 7:30 PM on Sky1 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and be paired with "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes". The special broadcast is part of FOX's year-long "Best. 20 Years. Ever." celebration which commemorates the 20th anniversary of the show. To promote the broadcast, executive producers Al Jean and James L. Brooks, as well as Nancy Cartwright visited Ireland and are scheduled to participate in the Saint Patrick's Day parade in Dublin. The episode was screened at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin on March 16. The American debut of the episode will be March 22, 2009.
In the episode, the Simpson family travels to Ireland so Grampa can visit a pub where he once had the best night of his life. Guest stars scheduled for the episode include Colm Meaney as Tom O’Flanagan, Kathy Ireland as herself, Glen Hansard as a street musician and Markéta Irglová as an Eastern European woman.
—Al JeanExecutive producer Al Jean stated the episode is intended to be "an affectionate love letter to Ireland" because many of the writers have Irish roots. The episode will feature Irish landmarks including Giant's Causeway, the Blarney Castle and the Guinness Brewery.
Previous episodes of the show where the Simpson family visits other countries have been controversial. For example, the Simpsons visited Australia in "Bart vs. Australia" and Brazil in "Blame it on Lisa", and both episodes generated controversy and negative reaction in the visited countries.
The Rio de Janeiro tourist board claimed that the city was portrayed as having rampant street crime, kidnappings, slums, and monkey and rat infestations; and threatened FOX with legal action. When asked whether he thought this episode would generate similar controversies, Al Jean replied "I'm Irish American and I know Irish people have an excellent sense of humor so we weren’t very worried."
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| The Simpsons episode to premiere on Sky1 | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Simpsons%22_episode_to_premiere_on_Sky1 |
The American cartoon series "The Simpsons" will today be broadcast for the first time in high definition (HD). Today's show will also introduce a new title sequence.
Today's episode, named "Take My Life, Please" (20x10), also makes references to HDTV in the Chalkboard gag when Bart Simpson writes "HDTV is worth every cent" on the chalkboard.
This will be the first major permanent change to the show's introduction since its launch in 1989; previous changes have included variations in the duration of the intro, and special one-shot introductions for the Treehouse of Horror Halloween episodes. This new intro also includes some 3D animation when the camera pans over Springfield.
This episode is not quite the first time The Simpsons has appeared in HD, as The Simpsons Movie was rendered in HD.
Fox will broadcast The Simpsons in 720p and will now letterbox the show on their standard definition feed.
Have an opinion on this story? Share it!
This article is based on "The Simpsons" now in high-def and new adequate intro by Andreas-horn-Hornig/HDTVTotal.com which has a copyright policy compatible with our CC-BY 2.5. Specifically "CC-BY-3.0"
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| "The Simpsons" announces change in title sequence and move to HD | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Simpsons%22_now_in_high-def_and_new_adequate_intro |
The American cartoon series "The Simpsons" will today be broadcast for the first time in high definition (HD). Today's show will also introduce a new title sequence.
Today's episode, named "Take My Life, Please" (20x10), also makes references to HDTV in the Chalkboard gag when Bart Simpson writes "HDTV is worth every cent" on the chalkboard.
This will be the first major permanent change to the show's introduction since its launch in 1989; previous changes have included variations in the duration of the intro, and special one-shot introductions for the Treehouse of Horror Halloween episodes. This new intro also includes some 3D animation when the camera pans over Springfield.
This episode is not quite the first time The Simpsons has appeared in HD, as The Simpsons Movie was rendered in HD.
Fox will broadcast The Simpsons in 720p and will now letterbox the show on their standard definition feed.
Have an opinion on this story? Share it!
This article is based on "The Simpsons" now in high-def and new adequate intro by Andreas-horn-Hornig/HDTVTotal.com which has a copyright policy compatible with our CC-BY 2.5. Specifically "CC-BY-3.0"
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| "The Simpsons" announces change in title sequence and move to HD | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Simpsons%22_now_in_high-def_and_new_title_sequence |
The Simpsons, a major hit animated television show, is set to appear in movie theatres. It has been confirmed that The Simpsons Movie will appear in theatres July 27, 2007.
The Simpsons has been on television for 17 seasons and FOX confirms that it will run at least two more seasons. The show is currently contracted through FOX until 2008 and is the longest running television show on prime-time in the United States. An estimated over nine million people watch the show every Sunday night, but that number is down from earlier peak viewer numbers.
Moviegoers that go to see Ice Age: The Meltdown will get to see a 25-second 'teaser' trailer of the upcoming movie.
The Simpsons first began on the The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 and in 1989 they started their 30-minute series on FOX.
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Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. | "The Simpsons Movie" hits theatres July 2007 | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22The_Simpsons_Movie%22_hits_theatres_July_2007 |
United States President-elect Barack Obama says that it is no longer essential to remove Osama bin Laden from the battle field.
"My preference obviously would be to capture or kill him," said Mr Obama yesterday. "But if we have so tightened the noose that he's in a cave somewhere and can't even communicate with his operatives, then we will meet our goal of protecting America."
Citing a CBS interview, The Australian says that the stance "also appear[s] to contradict Mr Obama's statements during the election campaign." The newspaper noted that at the October 7 presidential debate, Mr Obama stated, "We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al-Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority." But yesterday he softened that stance.
"We have to so weaken [bin Laden's] infrastructure that, whether he is technically alive or not, he is so pinned down that he cannot function and I'm confident that we can keep them on the run and ensure that they cannot train terrorists to attack our homeland."
In a recent audio tape attributed to bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader promised the president-elect that al-Qaeda would open new fronts against the USA. "The worst heritage is when a man inherits a long guerrilla warfare with a persevering, patient enemy - a war that is funded by usury. If he [Obama] withdraws from the war, that would be a military defeat, and if he goes on with it, he'll drown in economic crisis," he said.
Current Vice President Dick Cheney has been quoted as saying he wants to capture bin Laden before leaving office. "We've got a few days left yet," he said. He also cited the containment of al-Qa'ida as a major achievement for the Bush administration. "Osama bin Laden is - wherever he is - he's in a deep hole. He does not have much impact on the organization as best we can tell. The important thing was to go after the organization, after al-Qaeda."
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| Tighten 'noose' so Osama can't operate: Obama | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Tighten_%27noose%27_so_Osama_can%27t_operate%22:_Obama |
Initial fears that the combination of storm damage and flood waters might produce a "toxic soup" in downtown New Orleans have been downplayed by experts in environmental science. While the threat of cholera, typhoid and other diseases is certainly increased by the contamination of the flood waters with sewage and corpses, many of the chemical companies located in or near New Orleans survived the storm without spilling dangerous contaminants into the flood waters. Of course, care should be taken to not ingest any of the flood water. People with open wounds wading or swimming through the water may also be at risk of disease.
Experts at Louisiana State University said that sediments in the Mississippi River and Lake Ponchartrain are not heavily polluted and that the biggest risk of chemical contamination will come when the flood waters recede, leaving shallow pools where the water can evaporate, concentrating heavier chemical pollutants.
The widespread damage caused by the flooding is actually one of the factors in reducing the contamination, since the large amounts of water have diluted many of the contaminants. Most of the chemical pollutants that were released were of low quantity, including gasoline from underground storage tanks, dry cleaning solvents, and household and small-scale industrial chemicals, such as cleaning agents.
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Initial fears that the combination of storm damage and flood waters might produce a "toxic soup" in downtown New Orleans have been downplayed by experts in environmental science. While the threat of cholera, typhoid and other diseases is certainly increased by the contamination of the flood waters with sewage and corpses, many of the chemical companies located in or near New Orleans survived the storm without spilling dangerous contaminants into the flood waters. Of course, care should be taken to not ingest any of the flood water. People with open wounds wading or swimming through the water may also be at risk of disease.
Experts at Louisiana State University said that sediments in the Mississippi River and Lake Ponchartrain are not heavily polluted and that the biggest risk of chemical contamination will come when the flood waters recede, leaving shallow pools where the water can evaporate, concentrating heavier chemical pollutants.
The widespread damage caused by the flooding is actually one of the factors in reducing the contamination, since the large amounts of water have diluted many of the contaminants. Most of the chemical pollutants that were released were of low quantity, including gasoline from underground storage tanks, dry cleaning solvents, and household and small-scale industrial chemicals, such as cleaning agents.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Toxic soup" scenario in New Orleans unlikely | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Toxic_soup%22_scenario_in_New_Orleans_unlikely |
The DVD edition of the vampire romance-fantasy film Twilight sold more than 3 million copies on the day of its release, making it one of the top-five bestselling first-day DVD releases in the last two years.
The movie — based on Stephenie Meyer's novel of the same name — was released as a two-disc special edition DVD March 21. The 2008 film earned almost $380 million in worldwide sales during its theatrical run.
Nearly 6,000 stores around the country held midnight events to mark the home release of the film, which Wal-Mart said was the most pre-ordered DVD in the store's history.
Media reports said it was unclear whether Blu-Ray discs were factored into the 3 million amount.
Among the other recent films with best-selling first-day DVD releases were Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Transformers.
“We are incredibly appreciative that Twilight fans came out to once again support this film at our midnight events across the nation,” Steve Nickerson, president of Twilight studio Summit Home Entertainment, said in a press statement.
“With such successful first-day sales, it is apparent that our fans remain passionate about the Twilight saga and want to own a piece of the Edward and Bella story they have come to love," Nickerson said.
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| "Twilight" DVD sells 3 million copies in first day | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Twilight%22_DVD_sells_3_million_copies_in_first_day |
The torch line of the 11-day "Taiwan Run For UN" relay returned to Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei City yesterday. Taiwan’s president, Chen Shui-bian, launched the event as publicity and support for Taiwan's application to join the United Nations as a new member under the name of "Taiwan", alongside China. In a statement prior to the relay, Chen declared that "Taiwan and China are different countries across the Taiwan Strait."
The relay covered more than 1,200 km through 25 cities and counties since its start on October 24. The organizer of the event, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held night-time parties in the cities of Ilan, Hualien, Taitung, Pingtung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yunlin, Taichung, Miaoli, and Hsinchu as the relay progressed, and finally in Taipei City to welcome the torch relay team.
Shui-bian Chen, Annette Lu, Frank Hsieh (Taiwan's 2008 presidential candidate), and Cheng-chang Su wore "UN for Taiwan" T-Shirts to the Ketagalan Boulevard rally, lit a flame and led people in a formation of "VT" (abbreviation for Victory Taiwan) line.
The rally was met with protesters from the Red Shirts, which complain of corruption in the Chen government. In addition, the China Unification Promotion Party attempted several aggressive actions but ultimately carried out a peaceful protest. Protesters had demonstrated previously, on October 24 at the start of the relay.
Even though the premier of Taiwan, Frank Hsieh insisted on the use of products made in Taiwan during the celebration party in Taipei, mini torch lights held by supporters were "Made in China" and featured the "MIC" mark, according to Eastern Television in Taiwan. These were eventually removed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The use of Made in China products was criticized by DPP legislator Kuo-ching Lin after the television reports.
The party ended with a queue of "VT" lines and a historical collection of two million signatures of support. The issue of Taiwan's application to the UN may become a variable in the upcoming 2008 Taiwan Presidential Election.
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This is a complete or partial translation of the article "台灣入聯聖火 歷經11日 重回凱道 政院高層齊聚", from the Chinese language Wikinews, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
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| Eleven-day "Taiwan Run for UN" torch relay comes to an end | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22UN_for_Taiwan%22_Torch_Relay_Running_ended_with_%22Victory_Taiwan%22 |
Researchers at the Brookings Institution, a non-profit think tank located in Washington D.C., have recently accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of making improper use of almost 16 pages and six figures from a 1982 translation of a 1978 textbook in his economics dissertation. Strategic Planning and Policy, written by University of Pittsburgh professors William R. King and David I. Cleland, was published in 1979.
Brookings Institution researchers Clifford Gaddy and Igor Danchenko claim that Putin's dissertation, which earned him a candidate's degree in economics from the St. Petersburg Mining Institute, copies almost verbatim from the text.
Gaddy states, "I'm convinced that Putin did read that textbook. This is exactly the style of governing the country that he has used in Russia. He's actually taking their ideas and treating Russia as if it's a corporation -- 'Russia Incorporated.'"
Many Russian government officials at the time would pay a ghostwriter for such publications, as gaining a degree could add legitimacy to one's governing policy. In that sense, it is possible Putin bought or paid for the dissertation and did not read over - in essence, passing plagiarised work off as his own, but not himself committing plagiarism. Gaddy states: "It's very clear he never wrote the thing in the first case, this is a clear diploma-mill-type operation. This is a dissertation, paid for, made-to-order."
Although Gaddy and Danchenko set out searching for Putin's views on economics and sustainable development, they noticed in reading his dissertation that certain sections seemed out of place. The only English language source in the text was King and Cleland's book. In the translation from Russia to English of the dissertation, text was discovered that came from that book without credit.
King and Cleland have no plans to sue.
Vladimir Putin's Dissertation reference at the Russian State Library:
http://sigla.rsl.ru/view.jsp?o=a&f=1016&t=3&v0=%D0%9F%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD&o=a&f=1003&t=1&v1=&o=a&f=4&t=2&v2=&o=a&f=21&t=3&v3=&o=a&f=1016&t=3&v4=&o=a&f=1016&t=3&v5=&tr=Cyr-Common&cc=n&i=3&s=2&i18n=en&ce=...U
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Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. | U.S.A. researchers report plagiarism in Putin's dissertation | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22USA_professors_alledge_plagiarism_by_Putin.%22 |
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography, a biography of actor Tom Cruise written by journalist Andrew Morton, has hit the number one spot on Amazon.com's Top Sellers list and The New York Times Best Sellers list.
Morton's book was published January 15, and hit number one on Amazon.com's Top Sellers list on January 18. Yesterday, the book hit the number one spot on The New York Times Best Sellers list. The book is not for sale in Britain or Ireland, and the New York Post has reported that British tourists to the United States are buying copies of the book to bring back home.
Morton makes some controversial assertions in the book, including that Cruise is second in command at the Church of Scientology, and that Scientology was the cause of Cruise and Nicole Kidman's separation.
Cruise's attorney, Bertram Fields released a statement which said that the book was "absolutely loaded with false statements." Cruise has threatened a USD$100 million lawsuit against Morton and the book's publisher, St. Martin's Press. The Church of Scientology also responded to Morton's claims in the book. In a 15-page statement, the Church called the book "bigoted" and a "defamatory assault," and said that Cruise "holds no official or unofficial position in the Church hierarchy."
Morton was interviewed by the Associated Press, and responded to some of the statements made by the Church of Scientology. When asked if he had attempted to interview Cruise for the book, Morton said "I asked Tom for an interview and he declined." In response to a statement released by Cruise's publicists that he had not interviewed "one person who has known or worked with Tom" in the past twenty-five years, Morton responded "I interviewed everyone from scriptwriters to producers to actors to actresses to teachers to girlfriends to pupils to Scientologists to people who have audited him." When questioned about his assertion that Cruise is "second in command" of the Church of Scientology, Morton stated "Scientology would be a shadow of what it is today if it had not been for the involvement of Tom Cruise."
—The Wall Street JournalJanet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that parts of the book "push the limits of responsible reporting." A review in the Chicago Tribune was also critical, and Teresa Budasi wrote "If you read Andrew Morton’s unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise with a fan’s curiosity in one hand and a thinking person’s skepticism in the other, you’ll likely end up in the same place you were before you read it: not all that interested." In his review of the book, Dave Shiflett of The Wall Street Journal commented on the litigious nature of the Church of Scientology, writing "Mr. Morton, apparently unfazed by the reputation of the group's notoriously hair-triggered legal department, leaves few stones unhurled."
Shortly before the book's publication, a video produced by the Church of Scientology featuring Tom Cruise promoting his beliefs appeared on the Internet. After the Church of Scientology sent a legal complaint to the online video-sharing website YouTube, the video was taken down from that site, but is available on Gawker.com. A group of Internet users calling themselves "Anonymous" subsequently announced a "War on Scientology" including denial-of-service attacks against the Church of Scientology's main websites. Andreas Heldal-Lund, founder of the Scientology-critical site and Norway-based non-profit organization Operation Clambake released a statement on Tuesday critical of the actions of the "Anonymous" group, saying that the Church of Scientology deserves the right to freedom of speech.
—Ben StillerActor Jerry O'Connell, who had previously acted alongside Cruise in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, produced a parody of the Cruise video which was released on Wednesday. Other Hollywood acquaintances of Cruise, including comedians Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller, released statements defending Cruise and criticizing those who have mocked him for his beliefs. Sandler stated "To see anyone’s private life invaded and mocked like this is sickening," and Stiller commented "People lose sight of the fact that Tom Cruise is actually a person. I feel for him."
On Wednesday the Associated Press reported that Cruise will be a presenter at the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony on Sunday.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Unauthorized" Tom Cruise bio hits number one on Amazon.com, New York Times best sellers list | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Unauthorized%22_Tom_Cruise_Bio_Hits_Number_One_on_Amazon.com,_New_York_Times_Best_Sellers_list |
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography, a biography of actor Tom Cruise written by journalist Andrew Morton, has hit the number one spot on Amazon.com's Top Sellers list and The New York Times Best Sellers list.
Morton's book was published January 15, and hit number one on Amazon.com's Top Sellers list on January 18. Yesterday, the book hit the number one spot on The New York Times Best Sellers list. The book is not for sale in Britain or Ireland, and the New York Post has reported that British tourists to the United States are buying copies of the book to bring back home.
Morton makes some controversial assertions in the book, including that Cruise is second in command at the Church of Scientology, and that Scientology was the cause of Cruise and Nicole Kidman's separation.
Cruise's attorney, Bertram Fields released a statement which said that the book was "absolutely loaded with false statements." Cruise has threatened a USD$100 million lawsuit against Morton and the book's publisher, St. Martin's Press. The Church of Scientology also responded to Morton's claims in the book. In a 15-page statement, the Church called the book "bigoted" and a "defamatory assault," and said that Cruise "holds no official or unofficial position in the Church hierarchy."
Morton was interviewed by the Associated Press, and responded to some of the statements made by the Church of Scientology. When asked if he had attempted to interview Cruise for the book, Morton said "I asked Tom for an interview and he declined." In response to a statement released by Cruise's publicists that he had not interviewed "one person who has known or worked with Tom" in the past twenty-five years, Morton responded "I interviewed everyone from scriptwriters to producers to actors to actresses to teachers to girlfriends to pupils to Scientologists to people who have audited him." When questioned about his assertion that Cruise is "second in command" of the Church of Scientology, Morton stated "Scientology would be a shadow of what it is today if it had not been for the involvement of Tom Cruise."
—The Wall Street JournalJanet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that parts of the book "push the limits of responsible reporting." A review in the Chicago Tribune was also critical, and Teresa Budasi wrote "If you read Andrew Morton’s unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise with a fan’s curiosity in one hand and a thinking person’s skepticism in the other, you’ll likely end up in the same place you were before you read it: not all that interested." In his review of the book, Dave Shiflett of The Wall Street Journal commented on the litigious nature of the Church of Scientology, writing "Mr. Morton, apparently unfazed by the reputation of the group's notoriously hair-triggered legal department, leaves few stones unhurled."
Shortly before the book's publication, a video produced by the Church of Scientology featuring Tom Cruise promoting his beliefs appeared on the Internet. After the Church of Scientology sent a legal complaint to the online video-sharing website YouTube, the video was taken down from that site, but is available on Gawker.com. A group of Internet users calling themselves "Anonymous" subsequently announced a "War on Scientology" including denial-of-service attacks against the Church of Scientology's main websites. Andreas Heldal-Lund, founder of the Scientology-critical site and Norway-based non-profit organization Operation Clambake released a statement on Tuesday critical of the actions of the "Anonymous" group, saying that the Church of Scientology deserves the right to freedom of speech.
—Ben StillerActor Jerry O'Connell, who had previously acted alongside Cruise in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, produced a parody of the Cruise video which was released on Wednesday. Other Hollywood acquaintances of Cruise, including comedians Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller, released statements defending Cruise and criticizing those who have mocked him for his beliefs. Sandler stated "To see anyone’s private life invaded and mocked like this is sickening," and Stiller commented "People lose sight of the fact that Tom Cruise is actually a person. I feel for him."
On Wednesday the Associated Press reported that Cruise will be a presenter at the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony on Sunday.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Unauthorized" Tom Cruise bio hits number one on Amazon.com, New York Times best sellers list | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Unauthorized%22_Tom_Cruise_bio_hits_number_one_on_Amazon.com,_New_York_Times_best_sellers_list |
United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has announced that the US Government has ended funding for a controversial "virtual fence" along the US-Mexico border.
—Part of a statement from Homeland Security Secretary Janet NapolitanoThe program, called SBInet, will have $50 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that was allocated to it withdrawn in favor of investment in other, immediately available technology for the purposes of security along the border. The program will also have all further funding immediately frozen; as a result, all work will halt on the project beyond two small test projects in Arizona. Officially, the move is in light of a pending reassessment of the program, though it is likely that it signals the end of the five-year project, which has come under mounting criticism based on cost and the time taken to complete the project.
In a statement, Napolitano said that, "effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security will redeploy $50 million of Recovery Act funding originally allocated for the SBInet...to other tested, commercially available security technology along the Southwest border."
Criticism of the project has been largely based on the cost, which has been commented on by several government officials, including Senator John McCain, who criticized the program as "spending over $1 billion of taxpayers' dollars on a failed system of sensors and cameras." According to statements released last year, at the beginning of construction, the project would cost a total of $6.7 billion, of which $3.4 billion has been spent on the first phase of the plan. The shortcomings were acknowledged by Napolitano in her statement, which said that "the system of sensors and cameras along the Southwest border known as SBInet has been plagued with cost overruns and missed deadlines."
The project was originally introduced in 2006 by President George W. Bush, and was envisioned as a high-tech system, dubbed a "virtual fence," that combined cameras, radar, and sensors to allow the Border Patrol to intercept up to 85% of incursions with as few as 22,000 officers. The contract was awarded to Boeing, which has since come under criticism for developing costly new technologies rather than using off-the-shelf systems. Under Barack Obama, the government initially continued to support the program, and laid out a new timetable for the its completion. Last month, however, under questioning from Congress about the program's viability, the administration reduced funding to complete the first phase by 30%, to $574 million.
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| "Virtual fence" along US-Mexico border scrapped | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Virtual_fence%22_along_US-Mexico_border_scrapped |
By the decision of the shareholders the "Voxtel" company will be transformed Into "Orange".
The shareholders of "Voxtel" are: France Telecom – 61%, MMT-BIS – 30%, MobilRom – 4%, IFC – 5%.
"Orange" - is one of the world mobile communication leaders and is a daughter enterprise of the "France Telecom" group. The "Orange" group is present in 17 countries, where it has more than 80 million mobile communication subscribers.
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| 'Voxtel' company will be transformed into 'Orange' | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Voxtel%22_company_will_be_transformed_into_%22Orange%22 |
Anti-war demonstrators in Sydney, Australia on Thursday dubbed U.S. Secretary of State Dr Condoleezza Rice a "war criminal" and "murderer." Two protesters were evicted and five people were arrested during protests against the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Dr Rice, on a three-day trip to Australia, said she understood why people found it hard to be positive about Iraq when all they saw on their television screens was violence.
Soon after Rice began her speech at the University of Sydney's Conservatorium of Music, two protesters shouted from the rear of the auditorium, "Condoleezza Rice, you are a war criminal," and "Iraqi blood is on your hands and you cannot wash that blood away." Standing with their palms towards her, the young man and woman repeated their accusation until security intervened to remove them from the hall.
About 15 minutes into Rice's address, a third protester appeared at a balcony door, interrupting her speech as she referred to freedom. "What kind of freedom are you talking about? You are a murderer," said the demonstrator before he was quietly escorted from the hall. "I'm very glad to see that democracy is well and alive here at the university," she said.
In her speech, Rice sought to justify the U.S. occupation of Iraq, describing Iraqis as now more free. One student asked about abuses committed by U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. She said the abuses had made her "sick to her stomach." However, she defended Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where human rights groups say detainees are held in inhumane conditions and in detention flouting international laws.
Before Rice began her speech, about 50 protesters were gathered at the front gates of the Conservatorium. The group were confronted by police on horseback and by police dogs. Police used the horses to charge into the group of activists and push them back, as a police helicopter hovered.
A police spokeswoman said the group was blocking pedestrian access to the building and that police had spent more than 20 minutes warning them to move. The police then moved in and pushed the crowd back 20 metres. Police say five people have been charged with "hindering police in the execution of their duties."
The "Stop the War Coalition" says Rice is a "war criminal" and is not welcome in Australia. The group's spokeswoman, Anna Samson, says the protest is one of many planned in the lead-up to the third anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq on March 20.
Paddy Gibson, from the University of Sydney's Student's Council, says the protest is in opposition to the Iraq war, and to the use of the University of Sydney's campus to host Rice, "the most powerful woman in the world," who they say is a war criminal. "They're saying, '... you've got Sydney Uni's support to stand up and peddle your murderous hate speeches,' which is what we see it," he said.
"You've got 180,000 people killed, as we said, for no other reason than strategic control of the region's oil resources. And the anti-Muslim racism that's been whipped up to justify this war is being felt by Sydney University students," said Mr Gibson.
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Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. | Demonstrators protest Condoleezza Rice's trip to Australia | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22War_criminal%22_shouted_at_Condoleezza_Rice_by_demonstrators_in_Australia |
While the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games may be hard at work, constructing stadiums, building roads, and launching the event's mascots, a third of Canada remains oblivious.
When polled by Decima Research, 34% of Canadians could not name the location of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sam Sullivan, mayor of Vancouver, was asked by CTV whether he was concerned with the results of the poll, commissioned by the federal government. He remained confident of their abilities as an international host, saying the Games will bring "us together as a country."
Pollsters accepted either Vancouver or Whistler as correct answers. In the host province, British Columbia, all but 3% were aware. But other major provinces didn't fare so well. Only 68% of Albertans and 60% of Ontario residents knew. Quebec remained the least aware, with only 43% giving a correct answer.
Only 2 in 5 Canadians think the Olympics will positively affect those facing social issues. That question fared even worse in B.C., where just 29% agree.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "What Olympics?" say 34 percent of Canadians about 2010 | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22What_Olympics%3F%22_say_34_percent_of_Canadians_about_2010 |
North America's largest outdoor dog festival came back to Toronto last weekend for its fifth year. It ran from the 9th of June to the 10th of June at Toronto's historical St. Lawrence Market. A Wikinews reporter was there on Sunday to report on some of the events that happened on the last day.
The "Woofstock" dog festival attracted as many as 140,000 people with their dogs. The festival had tons of accessories, sold under tents, to buy for dogs; food, toys, designer clothes, and more. About 400 vendors and exhibitors were there to promote their products, which also gave private dog companies or groups a chance to show their new products. The local SPCA and some animal rescues were under tents answering questions from visitors. While walking, all visitors could see the CN Tower and other very tall buildings.
One of the local TV stations, Citytv, was there. They hosted a live event at the show which was broadcast on TV. People came up on the stage and asked questions regarding their dogs and the host and co-host answered them.
A man, who called himself the "Chalk Master", drew two pictures on pavement with chalk. He did it for free but donations were welcome. One was a picture of a girl's head beside a dog's head, and another with a wolf.
A contest called "Canada's top dog" had its own tent with a professional photographer taking pictures of dogs behind a white screen; the winning photo is to be published on the cover of "Puppy and dog basics" magazine.
Large "Gourmet" dog bones were also served from a cart and table.
Next year's festival is expected to be bigger and better with even more attractions.
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| "Woofstock" dog festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Woofstock%22_dog_festival_in_Toronto |
North America's largest outdoor dog festival came back to Toronto last weekend for its fifth year. It ran from the 9th of June to the 10th of June at Toronto's historical St. Lawrence Market. A Wikinews reporter was there on Sunday to report on some of the events that happened on the last day.
The "Woofstock" dog festival attracted as many as 140,000 people with their dogs. The festival had tons of accessories, sold under tents, to buy for dogs; food, toys, designer clothes, and more. About 400 vendors and exhibitors were there to promote their products, which also gave private dog companies or groups a chance to show their new products. The local SPCA and some animal rescues were under tents answering questions from visitors. While walking, all visitors could see the CN Tower and other very tall buildings.
One of the local TV stations, Citytv, was there. They hosted a live event at the show which was broadcast on TV. People came up on the stage and asked questions regarding their dogs and the host and co-host answered them.
A man, who called himself the "Chalk Master", drew two pictures on pavement with chalk. He did it for free but donations were welcome. One was a picture of a girl's head beside a dog's head, and another with a wolf.
A contest called "Canada's top dog" had its own tent with a professional photographer taking pictures of dogs behind a white screen; the winning photo is to be published on the cover of "Puppy and dog basics" magazine.
Large "Gourmet" dog bones were also served from a cart and table.
Next year's festival is expected to be bigger and better with even more attractions.
Share this:
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| "Woofstock" dog festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Woofstock%22_dog_festival_in_Toronto,_Canada |
North America's largest outdoor dog festival came back to Toronto last weekend for its fifth year. It ran from the 9th of June to the 10th of June at Toronto's historical St. Lawrence Market. A Wikinews reporter was there on Sunday to report on some of the events that happened on the last day.
The "Woofstock" dog festival attracted as many as 140,000 people with their dogs. The festival had tons of accessories, sold under tents, to buy for dogs; food, toys, designer clothes, and more. About 400 vendors and exhibitors were there to promote their products, which also gave private dog companies or groups a chance to show their new products. The local SPCA and some animal rescues were under tents answering questions from visitors. While walking, all visitors could see the CN Tower and other very tall buildings.
One of the local TV stations, Citytv, was there. They hosted a live event at the show which was broadcast on TV. People came up on the stage and asked questions regarding their dogs and the host and co-host answered them.
A man, who called himself the "Chalk Master", drew two pictures on pavement with chalk. He did it for free but donations were welcome. One was a picture of a girl's head beside a dog's head, and another with a wolf.
A contest called "Canada's top dog" had its own tent with a professional photographer taking pictures of dogs behind a white screen; the winning photo is to be published on the cover of "Puppy and dog basics" magazine.
Large "Gourmet" dog bones were also served from a cart and table.
Next year's festival is expected to be bigger and better with even more attractions.
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| "Woofstock" dog festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Woofstock%22_dog_festival_in_Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada |
Washington, D.C. —
On a rainy Saturday, February 4, 2006, several thousand protesters gathered in a corner of the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the current administration’s stance on the War in Iraq and to demand that President Bush be impeached or resign as Commander-in-Chief.
Saturday’s demonstration that lasted through five hours of rain ended with a march around the White House was organized by a group called World Can’t Wait – Drive out the Bush Regime. The group organized a smaller rally near the Capital during the State of the Union.
Demonstrators came from as far away as Hawaii; New York sent 12 buses. However the crowd was significantly less than the 30,000 protesters that organizers had anticipated. The actual numbers were more like 2,000 to 3,000 and varied with the strength of the rain. Park Police refused to comment on the size of the crowd.
A series of speakers included a 96 year old great grandmother, and a Georgetown law student that led a protest against a speech given by Attorney General Gonzales. The speeches were followed by the dropping of a 30 foot wire effigy of President Bush from the stage. The crowd, which had already been in a frenzy, chanted in unison: "Bush step down! Bush step down!" After it fell, protesters kicked and cursed at the fallen mass of chicken wire and construction paper.
Some protesters got more visual and burned a mock US flag that contained corporate logos instead of stars as at least one protester yelled that the flag burners were "FBI Plants."
The rally ended with a march around the White House through closed streets escorted by the Capital Police and the Uniformed Division of the United States Secret Service. A group of ten to fifteen counter-protesters waited in front of the White House and although cursing was traded, the obvious police presence kept the scene peaceful.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "World Can't Wait" protesters rally outside the White House | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22World_Can%27t_Wait%22_protesters_rally_outside_the_White_House |
Washington, D.C. —
On a rainy Saturday, February 4, 2006, several thousand protesters gathered in a corner of the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the current administration’s stance on the War in Iraq and to demand that President Bush be impeached or resign as Commander-in-Chief.
Saturday’s demonstration that lasted through five hours of rain ended with a march around the White House was organized by a group called World Can’t Wait – Drive out the Bush Regime. The group organized a smaller rally near the Capital during the State of the Union.
Demonstrators came from as far away as Hawaii; New York sent 12 buses. However the crowd was significantly less than the 30,000 protesters that organizers had anticipated. The actual numbers were more like 2,000 to 3,000 and varied with the strength of the rain. Park Police refused to comment on the size of the crowd.
A series of speakers included a 96 year old great grandmother, and a Georgetown law student that led a protest against a speech given by Attorney General Gonzales. The speeches were followed by the dropping of a 30 foot wire effigy of President Bush from the stage. The crowd, which had already been in a frenzy, chanted in unison: "Bush step down! Bush step down!" After it fell, protesters kicked and cursed at the fallen mass of chicken wire and construction paper.
Some protesters got more visual and burned a mock US flag that contained corporate logos instead of stars as at least one protester yelled that the flag burners were "FBI Plants."
The rally ended with a march around the White House through closed streets escorted by the Capital Police and the Uniformed Division of the United States Secret Service. A group of ten to fifteen counter-protesters waited in front of the White House and although cursing was traded, the obvious police presence kept the scene peaceful.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "World Can't Wait" protesters rally outside the White House | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22World_Can%27t_Wait%22_protestors_rally_outside_Whitehouse |
Washington, D.C. —
On a rainy Saturday, February 4, 2006, several thousand protesters gathered in a corner of the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the current administration’s stance on the War in Iraq and to demand that President Bush be impeached or resign as Commander-in-Chief.
Saturday’s demonstration that lasted through five hours of rain ended with a march around the White House was organized by a group called World Can’t Wait – Drive out the Bush Regime. The group organized a smaller rally near the Capital during the State of the Union.
Demonstrators came from as far away as Hawaii; New York sent 12 buses. However the crowd was significantly less than the 30,000 protesters that organizers had anticipated. The actual numbers were more like 2,000 to 3,000 and varied with the strength of the rain. Park Police refused to comment on the size of the crowd.
A series of speakers included a 96 year old great grandmother, and a Georgetown law student that led a protest against a speech given by Attorney General Gonzales. The speeches were followed by the dropping of a 30 foot wire effigy of President Bush from the stage. The crowd, which had already been in a frenzy, chanted in unison: "Bush step down! Bush step down!" After it fell, protesters kicked and cursed at the fallen mass of chicken wire and construction paper.
Some protesters got more visual and burned a mock US flag that contained corporate logos instead of stars as at least one protester yelled that the flag burners were "FBI Plants."
The rally ended with a march around the White House through closed streets escorted by the Capital Police and the Uniformed Division of the United States Secret Service. A group of ten to fifteen counter-protesters waited in front of the White House and although cursing was traded, the obvious police presence kept the scene peaceful.
Have an opinion on this story? Share it!
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "World Can't Wait" protesters rally outside the White House | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22World_Can%27t_Wait%22_protestors_rally_outside_the_White_House |
The following article contains photographs of women's exposed breasts. Viewer discretion is advised.
Today the "boobs on bikes" parade was held in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The boobs on bikes parade happens in various centres around New Zealand and is designed to kick off, and promote the Erotica Expo.
This parade caught less national media attention before the parade than the Auckland one last year as, unlike Auckland, there was no protest done by the city councillors.
The Christchurch City Council released a press statement stating that they had "not approved or received an application to hold the proposed "Boobs on Bikes" parade on Friday, 2 March, from Erotica event organisers."
The press release stated that the council must be consulted for any procession that will interfere with traffic, or may require crowd management. Erotica Festival organiser Steve Crowe has brushed this off, saying that it is a promotion, not a parade, and all rules of the road will be observed.
City council and organizers of the event say they have received numerous complaints about the parade, however it isn't in the city's jurisdiction to act, as female toplessness is not illegal.
Council transport and streets manager Michael Aitken told NZPA that the "standard of dress of participants is not a matter that the council can control."
Police inspector Gary Knowles commented that it was a "moral not a criminal issue. We have taken legal advice and unless there is a breach of the peace, we cannot intervene."
Wikinews reporter Gabriel Pollard was at the parade to catch the action.
The parade approaches.
At the head of the parade, organiser Steve Crow (next to the woman) is riding along on a trike.
The rest of the parade comes along. On the left is a porn actor showing off his torso, with a female motorcycle driver.
Spectators, women as well as men, are using photo cameras, camera phones and camcorders to capture the parade.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | Complaints lodged, police helpless as "boobs on bikes" parade happens in New Zealand | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22boobs_on_bikes%22_parade_happens_in_NZ;_Wikinews_was_there |
U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates warned that limiting funding for the United States efforts in Iraq could lead to more bloodshed in the Middle Eastern country. In an interview with radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, he said it might even lead to ethnic cleansing in Bahgdad and elsewhere in Iraq.
Gates' comment followed a proposal from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to end most spending on the Iraq war in 2008, limiting it to targeted operations against al Qaeda, training for Iraqi troops and U.S. force protection.
Sec. Gates also said that the duration of the troop increase is not clear and that evaluating whether the Administration's new strategy was working will have to wait till mid-summer. The Army general charged with day-to-day operations has suggested that the increased deployment may extend to early next year.
Gates discussed the military’s need for funding to finance the war effort. He said he is concerned about delays in enacting an emergency supplemental bill. Each house of Congress has passed a version of the bill, and both versions contain a time line for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. The House version sets benchmarks of progress to be met by the Iraqi government. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill containing the withdrawal language.
Gates said each of the armed services will be affected by a delay, with the Army being the worst off. The service may be forced to suspend training for deploying forces, repairing equipment and putting in place a civilian hiring freeze. The secretary said a threatened complete cut-off of war "would be dramatic."
—Robert Gates, Secretary of DefenseThe Bush administration presents congress with war funding requests as emergency supplementals, not as part of the Pentagon's budget, a practice that began as costs were difficult to estimate during the start of the war. On October 10 of last year, Lt. Gen. David Melcher, deputy chief of staff for Army programming, material integration and management, told reporters that costs were now predictable enough to be included in the Pentagon budget proposals. The Bush administration, however, continues with the use of emergency supplementals. The supplemental funding requests are not accounted in national deficits, which, in the short term, gives the impression of a more positive-looking balance-sheet.
Until recently, the Administration had been sending supplemental requests six months after the fiscal year had started, rather than the six months prior to the start of the Pentagon's fiscal year. This meant the military used funds alloted originally for procurement, training and repair, instead for its war efforts during the first six months of the fiscal year. This put pressure on Congress to approve the funding bills quickly to prevent military funding from drying up. Even a separate bridge fund of $50 billion set up to offset the time pressure did not go very far, as $10 billion are used up every month in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 2007 and 2008 supplemental requests were sent to Capitol Hill in February, at the same time as the 2008 Defense Department budget request.
Gates said Thursday that increasing troop strength in Iraq and stepping up security in Baghdad is working.
Planners predicted the increase in major bombings by insurgents, Gates told reporters at a news conference. He blamed a "relatively small" number of people for sectarian killings. An unnamed U.S. military analyst told reporters last month that 70,000 "hard-line operators and part-time supporters" were actively resisting the current security operations.
"So far, so good…the early signs are positive," Gates said. "There is a great reluctance to engage in happy talk about this. It's a tough environment."
"One real possibility is if we abandon some of these areas and withdraw into the countryside or whatever to do these targeted missions that you could have a fairly significant ethnic cleansing inside Baghdad and in Iraq more broadly,"
"What we do know is if Baghdad is in flames and the whole city is engulfed in violence, the prospects for a political solution are almost non-existent,"
Al Qaeda continues to launch dramatic terror attacks against population centres, Gates said, adding some of these attacks are in reaction to the progress being made.
“It’s been part of their strategy since last year to foment sectarian violence,” Gates said. “I think some of these large car bombs are to counteract some of the positive things that have been happening as a result of even the two brigades going into Baghdad along with a significant number of Iraqi forces.”
Gates said he is pleased with the commitment and cooperation from the Iraqi government. The Iraqis have delivered the additional troops they promised, and Iraqi commanders in Baghdad are directing operations. The Iraqi government is allowing Iraqi security forces and coalition forces into any neighbourhood.
The Iraqi government also is maintaining its commitment to no political interference in operations, Gates said.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | US Defense Secretary evaluates Iraq and the political climate | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22ethnic_cleansing%22_if_U.S._pulls_out_of_Iraq |
US Air Forces Central released a statement July 25 a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet "flew dangerously close" meters over a US MQ-9 drone flying a "defeat-ISIS" mission over Syria on July 23. According to the statement, the pilot of the Russian fighter released flares, one damaging the propeller of the MQ-9, which returned safely to its home base.
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A progressive blog, Democrats.com, is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can get United States president George W. Bush to answer a question about pre-Iraq war intelligence. The contest comes after Bush has declined for a full month to answer any questions about a leaked secret British memo, which states, in reference to the Bush administration, that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy". Neither the US or UK government are disputing the document's accuracy. The $1,000 question is:
The contest will also reward anyone who asks the question to Mr. Bush with $100 dollars (video evidence is required). The reward money was generated from small donations to the website.
The contest comes during renewed criticism and pressure on the administration from citizens, members of congress, retired politicians, and constitutional lawyers, generated from the recent leak of the minutes and other British documents.
Earlier this month, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters that the White House saw "no need" to respond to a letter from Congress asking questions about the memo. He also stated that "If anyone wants to know how the intelligence was used by the administration, all they have to do is go back and look at all the public comments over the course of the lead-up to the war in Iraq, and that’s all very public information. Everybody who was there could see how we used that intelligence."
One of the pre-war claims used by the Bush administration to justify the war was that Iraq possessed "weapons of mass destruction". After a thorough search, none were found. Senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee consider three possible causes for the apparent falsity of this claim:
The last of these possibilities has not been formally investigated by the committee.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | $1,000 reward offered for answer from US President | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$1,000_reward_offered_for_answer_from_US_President |
A progressive blog, Democrats.com, is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can get United States president George W. Bush to answer a question about pre-Iraq war intelligence. The contest comes after Bush has declined for a full month to answer any questions about a leaked secret British memo, which states, in reference to the Bush administration, that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy". Neither the US or UK government are disputing the document's accuracy. The $1,000 question is:
The contest will also reward anyone who asks the question to Mr. Bush with $100 dollars (video evidence is required). The reward money was generated from small donations to the website.
The contest comes during renewed criticism and pressure on the administration from citizens, members of congress, retired politicians, and constitutional lawyers, generated from the recent leak of the minutes and other British documents.
Earlier this month, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters that the White House saw "no need" to respond to a letter from Congress asking questions about the memo. He also stated that "If anyone wants to know how the intelligence was used by the administration, all they have to do is go back and look at all the public comments over the course of the lead-up to the war in Iraq, and that’s all very public information. Everybody who was there could see how we used that intelligence."
One of the pre-war claims used by the Bush administration to justify the war was that Iraq possessed "weapons of mass destruction". After a thorough search, none were found. Senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee consider three possible causes for the apparent falsity of this claim:
The last of these possibilities has not been formally investigated by the committee.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | $1,000 reward offered for answer from US President | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$1,000_reward_offered_for_answer_from_the_president |
The United States Senate has cut short their summer recess and has arrived in Washington to approve a $10.5 billion aid bill to victims of Katrina as requested by President George W. Bush.
The United States House of Representatives is expected to pass a similar bill later today.
Bush has told Congress he will ask for more funds in the coming weeks. Most of the money will go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the rest will go to the Pentagon which is dispatching ships to the area.
Bush has also asked his father, former President George H.W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton to help raise private funds for relief like they did for the December 2004 tsunami in Asia.
Over two dozen nations, some with assets in the area, have offered aid to the city of New Orleans, but President George W. Bush has refused any aid from foreign nations which does not take the form of cash.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | US Senate approves $10.5 billon in aid for Hurricane Katrina victims | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$10.5_billon_approved_by_Senate_for_aid |
The United States' House of Representatives backed a US$106 billion dollar (€75 billion) war bill today. The Senate will take a look at the bill next. The bill would fund the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The final vote was 226-202 in favor of the bill. The bill will also give authorization for $108 billion for credit lines for the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The bill will help to move President Barack Obama's plans to the next stage — namely reducing operations in Iraq and expanding in Afghanistan
The bill was tough to pass, with only five Republicans supporting it and thirty-two Democrats voting against. The lack of Republican support was due to the introduction of measures to provide $108 billion of new credit lines to the IMF, which they argue should have been part of a separate bill.
The bill also included compromises with regards to Guantanamo Bay, allowing suspects to be taken to the United States for questioning but not for permanent detention.
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| $106 billion war bill backed by U.S. House of Representatives | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$106_billion_dollar_war_bill_backed_by_House_of_Representatives |
The United States' House of Representatives backed a US$106 billion dollar (€75 billion) war bill today. The Senate will take a look at the bill next. The bill would fund the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The final vote was 226-202 in favor of the bill. The bill will also give authorization for $108 billion for credit lines for the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The bill will help to move President Barack Obama's plans to the next stage — namely reducing operations in Iraq and expanding in Afghanistan
The bill was tough to pass, with only five Republicans supporting it and thirty-two Democrats voting against. The lack of Republican support was due to the introduction of measures to provide $108 billion of new credit lines to the IMF, which they argue should have been part of a separate bill.
The bill also included compromises with regards to Guantanamo Bay, allowing suspects to be taken to the United States for questioning but not for permanent detention.
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| $106 billion war bill backed by U.S. House of Representatives | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$106_billion_dollar_war_bill_oked_by_House |
The United States' House of Representatives backed a US$106 billion dollar (€75 billion) war bill today. The Senate will take a look at the bill next. The bill would fund the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The final vote was 226-202 in favor of the bill. The bill will also give authorization for $108 billion for credit lines for the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The bill will help to move President Barack Obama's plans to the next stage — namely reducing operations in Iraq and expanding in Afghanistan
The bill was tough to pass, with only five Republicans supporting it and thirty-two Democrats voting against. The lack of Republican support was due to the introduction of measures to provide $108 billion of new credit lines to the IMF, which they argue should have been part of a separate bill.
The bill also included compromises with regards to Guantanamo Bay, allowing suspects to be taken to the United States for questioning but not for permanent detention.
Have an opinion on this story? Share it!
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| $106 billion war bill backed by U.S. House of Representatives | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$106_billion_war_bill_backed_by_House_of_Representatives |
The United States' House of Representatives backed a US$106 billion dollar (€75 billion) war bill today. The Senate will take a look at the bill next. The bill would fund the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The final vote was 226-202 in favor of the bill. The bill will also give authorization for $108 billion for credit lines for the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The bill will help to move President Barack Obama's plans to the next stage — namely reducing operations in Iraq and expanding in Afghanistan
The bill was tough to pass, with only five Republicans supporting it and thirty-two Democrats voting against. The lack of Republican support was due to the introduction of measures to provide $108 billion of new credit lines to the IMF, which they argue should have been part of a separate bill.
The bill also included compromises with regards to Guantanamo Bay, allowing suspects to be taken to the United States for questioning but not for permanent detention.
Have an opinion on this story? Share it!
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| $106 billion war bill backed by U.S. House of Representatives | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$106_billion_war_bill_backed_by_U.S._House_of_Representatives |
U.S. Medicare drug benefit cost estimates rise to $558 billion in latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates.
The CBO estimated that the Medicare Modernization Act, "would result in additional direct spending of about $395 billion over the 2004-2013 period." The estimate included $552 billion mandatory spending for Medicare Part D, offset by savings of $13 billion from changes to Parts A and B, and "estimated savings of $145 billion in Medicaid and other federal programs because the Part D benefit would reduce spending in those federal programs."
Although the projections only slightly modified the net costs, from $552 billion to $558 billion, the $158 billion in offset from previous estimates were completely removed with a limited justification. "The estimated savings to Medicaid and other federal programs are incorporated in our baseline projections and are not separately identifiable," the CBO said.
The $552 billion dollar figure is missing from the November 2003 estimates, with a total cost for 2004-2013 presented as single line item of $410 billion as "Prescription Drug Benefit (Title I)." Over the same period the current estimate, which is categorized differently, lists the total costs for the "Benefits and Mandatory Administrative Costs" as $779 billion, with Part D. Premiums and payments by States reducing the number by $221 billion to $558 billion.
The report presented two tables: one justifying the prior $395 billion figure, including itemizations for "Savings to Medicaid and Other Federal Programs" totaling $145 billion and "Other Spending Effects" totaling $13 billion, and another presenting the current estimate, which only listed "Savings to Medicaid and Other Federal Programs" and "Other Spending Effects"as being "Not Separately Identifiable."
"This just brings us back to the Bush administration's credibility gap," Rep. Charles Rangel of New York told the L.A. Times. Medicare is overseen by the House Ways and Means Committee, and Rep. Rangels is the senior Democrat on the committee. "How can we trust them on Social Security when they did not play straight with the facts on Medicare?" he said.
Dr. Mark B. McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, disagreed, saying "there has been no significant change in the cost of the drug benefit" for the years 2006 - 2015 despite the numbers he brought forward having a cost of $1.2 trillion dollars. He points to a difference in years covered by his estimates as the reason, and that the numbers represented "gross costs" and did not reflect premiums paid by Medicare beneficiaries, compulsory contributions by states or savings to the Medicaid program.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | $158 billion missing in U.S. Medicare drug benefit cost estimate | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$158_billion_missing_in_U.S._Medicare_drug_benefit_cost_estimate |
U.S. Medicare drug benefit cost estimates rise to $558 billion in latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates.
The CBO estimated that the Medicare Modernization Act, "would result in additional direct spending of about $395 billion over the 2004-2013 period." The estimate included $552 billion mandatory spending for Medicare Part D, offset by savings of $13 billion from changes to Parts A and B, and "estimated savings of $145 billion in Medicaid and other federal programs because the Part D benefit would reduce spending in those federal programs."
Although the projections only slightly modified the net costs, from $552 billion to $558 billion, the $158 billion in offset from previous estimates were completely removed with a limited justification. "The estimated savings to Medicaid and other federal programs are incorporated in our baseline projections and are not separately identifiable," the CBO said.
The $552 billion dollar figure is missing from the November 2003 estimates, with a total cost for 2004-2013 presented as single line item of $410 billion as "Prescription Drug Benefit (Title I)." Over the same period the current estimate, which is categorized differently, lists the total costs for the "Benefits and Mandatory Administrative Costs" as $779 billion, with Part D. Premiums and payments by States reducing the number by $221 billion to $558 billion.
The report presented two tables: one justifying the prior $395 billion figure, including itemizations for "Savings to Medicaid and Other Federal Programs" totaling $145 billion and "Other Spending Effects" totaling $13 billion, and another presenting the current estimate, which only listed "Savings to Medicaid and Other Federal Programs" and "Other Spending Effects"as being "Not Separately Identifiable."
"This just brings us back to the Bush administration's credibility gap," Rep. Charles Rangel of New York told the L.A. Times. Medicare is overseen by the House Ways and Means Committee, and Rep. Rangels is the senior Democrat on the committee. "How can we trust them on Social Security when they did not play straight with the facts on Medicare?" he said.
Dr. Mark B. McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, disagreed, saying "there has been no significant change in the cost of the drug benefit" for the years 2006 - 2015 despite the numbers he brought forward having a cost of $1.2 trillion dollars. He points to a difference in years covered by his estimates as the reason, and that the numbers represented "gross costs" and did not reflect premiums paid by Medicare beneficiaries, compulsory contributions by states or savings to the Medicaid program.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | $158 billion missing in U.S. Medicare drug benefit cost estimate | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$158_billion_missing_in_drug_benefit_cost_estimate |
Currency hedge fund operator Gregory Chase was alerted by internet sources that former Senator Mike Gravel, a Democratic presidential candidate in the race for presidency, will be excluded from the latest upcoming debate (that will be held this Tuesday at Drexel University and broadcast on MSNBC). Chase immediately took action by contacting NBC executives, who are charge of the debate.
The letter was sent and it includes an explanation as to why NBC should not censor Gravel, and also holds an offer of US$1 million to include Gravel. The US$1 million offer could be given to NBC in exchange for allowing the senator to participate in the 2-hour debate, by either Chase purchasing a million dollars worth of advertising space on their network, donating the million to NBC's favorite charity, or giving the million dollars to NBC's parent company, General Electric.
The decision made by Chase to give the million dollars to NBC is due to criteria that Gravel did not meet, which includes the following; having campaigned in New Hampshire and/or Iowa at least 14 times in the past year, not polling high enough in national polls, and Sen. Gravel's campaign had not raised more than US$1 million.
According to the Gravel for President campaign, Gravel reportedly visited either New Hampshire or Iowa at least 14 times since his announcement on April 17, 2006, and according to a recent poll by CNN, Gravel is tied with fellow candidates Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Sen. Joe Biden, and Sen. Chris Dodd and 1% behind Gov. Bill Richardson.
The fundraising requirement is the only criteria not achieved.
Below is the letter in full that was sent to NBC and Democratic National Committee executives.
My name is Gregory Chase, I live in New Hampshire, and I run a hedge fund that trades currencies. On a personal basis, separate from Senator Mike Gravel's campaign, I am making an independent expenditure of a greater magnitude than what some other candidates' campaigns will spend in the state through the primary. I am sending statewide direct mail, installing lawn signs, and running ads supporting Senator Mike Gravel every day between now and the New Hampshire primary in the state's three largest newspapers: The Union Leader, The Concord Monitor, and The Nashua Telegraph.
It was with great disappointment that I learned that NBC decided to exclude Senator Gravel, and only Senator Gravel, from the field of Democratic candidates for their October 30th 2007 debate at Drexel University in Philadelphia. I learned about Senator Gravel by watching televised debates earlier this year. In my opinion his ideas regarding foreign policy, military spending, and energy independence are advanced relative to the other candidates. I would like Senator Gravel’s ideas to be heard.
NBC cited fund raising as a criteria for inclusion in this debate, stating that a candidate must have raised $1 million to participate. Most current and aspiring politicians, along with the general public, believe money and special interests play too large a part in elections. I don't understand why a certain level of fund raising is a requirement to participate in a presidential debate. Senator Gravel is proud of the fact that that his candidacy is built on ideas, not cash.
As you know, polls taken at this point in the primary measure name recognition more than where votes will actually be cast. The public is just starting to focus on the upcoming primary. Once New Hampshire voters learn about Senator Gravel, and they will, I believe that a substantial number of voters will decide that Senator Gravel's ideas are more in line with their own than with any other candidate's. NBC is doing New Hampshire and the nation a disservice by excluding Senator Gravel. Your company is censoring a multi-term United States senator, a veteran, and a patriot.
If it would help get Senator Gravel back into the debate, I offer to purchase $1 million of advertising from NBC, or simply pay NBC $1 million in exchange for the service of allowing Senator Gravel to participate in your debate.
As of October 26, 2007, Chase has not received a response from NBC regarding the offer.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | $1m offer for NBC to include U.S. presidential candidate Gravel in TV debate | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$1m_offer_for_NBC_to_include_U.S%27s_Mike_Gravel_in_debate |
Currency hedge fund operator Gregory Chase was alerted by internet sources that former Senator Mike Gravel, a Democratic presidential candidate in the race for presidency, will be excluded from the latest upcoming debate (that will be held this Tuesday at Drexel University and broadcast on MSNBC). Chase immediately took action by contacting NBC executives, who are charge of the debate.
The letter was sent and it includes an explanation as to why NBC should not censor Gravel, and also holds an offer of US$1 million to include Gravel. The US$1 million offer could be given to NBC in exchange for allowing the senator to participate in the 2-hour debate, by either Chase purchasing a million dollars worth of advertising space on their network, donating the million to NBC's favorite charity, or giving the million dollars to NBC's parent company, General Electric.
The decision made by Chase to give the million dollars to NBC is due to criteria that Gravel did not meet, which includes the following; having campaigned in New Hampshire and/or Iowa at least 14 times in the past year, not polling high enough in national polls, and Sen. Gravel's campaign had not raised more than US$1 million.
According to the Gravel for President campaign, Gravel reportedly visited either New Hampshire or Iowa at least 14 times since his announcement on April 17, 2006, and according to a recent poll by CNN, Gravel is tied with fellow candidates Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Sen. Joe Biden, and Sen. Chris Dodd and 1% behind Gov. Bill Richardson.
The fundraising requirement is the only criteria not achieved.
Below is the letter in full that was sent to NBC and Democratic National Committee executives.
My name is Gregory Chase, I live in New Hampshire, and I run a hedge fund that trades currencies. On a personal basis, separate from Senator Mike Gravel's campaign, I am making an independent expenditure of a greater magnitude than what some other candidates' campaigns will spend in the state through the primary. I am sending statewide direct mail, installing lawn signs, and running ads supporting Senator Mike Gravel every day between now and the New Hampshire primary in the state's three largest newspapers: The Union Leader, The Concord Monitor, and The Nashua Telegraph.
It was with great disappointment that I learned that NBC decided to exclude Senator Gravel, and only Senator Gravel, from the field of Democratic candidates for their October 30th 2007 debate at Drexel University in Philadelphia. I learned about Senator Gravel by watching televised debates earlier this year. In my opinion his ideas regarding foreign policy, military spending, and energy independence are advanced relative to the other candidates. I would like Senator Gravel’s ideas to be heard.
NBC cited fund raising as a criteria for inclusion in this debate, stating that a candidate must have raised $1 million to participate. Most current and aspiring politicians, along with the general public, believe money and special interests play too large a part in elections. I don't understand why a certain level of fund raising is a requirement to participate in a presidential debate. Senator Gravel is proud of the fact that that his candidacy is built on ideas, not cash.
As you know, polls taken at this point in the primary measure name recognition more than where votes will actually be cast. The public is just starting to focus on the upcoming primary. Once New Hampshire voters learn about Senator Gravel, and they will, I believe that a substantial number of voters will decide that Senator Gravel's ideas are more in line with their own than with any other candidate's. NBC is doing New Hampshire and the nation a disservice by excluding Senator Gravel. Your company is censoring a multi-term United States senator, a veteran, and a patriot.
If it would help get Senator Gravel back into the debate, I offer to purchase $1 million of advertising from NBC, or simply pay NBC $1 million in exchange for the service of allowing Senator Gravel to participate in your debate.
As of October 26, 2007, Chase has not received a response from NBC regarding the offer.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | $1m offer for NBC to include U.S. presidential candidate Gravel in TV debate | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$1m_offer_for_NBC_to_include_U.S._presidential_candidate_Gravel_in_TV_debate |
In the aftermath of the bush fires around Perth the Western Australian government has offered a $A200,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of an arsonist.
Premier Alan Carpenter, who is visiting the area of the Dwellingup fires said, "It is almost inconceivable that anybody could be so stupid and so criminally, willfully damaging to the community as to go about setting a fire deliberately in these circumstances".
Further fires were lit today near Yanchep and in John Forrest National Park both fires are believed to be deliberately lit as they had multiple ignition points.
Earlier this morning the Dwellingup fire, assisted by strong easterly winds , broke containment lines and threatened the town of Coolup. Additional flareups and spot fires from embers have now been contained. This fire has burnt more then 11,000 hectares so far.
Spokesman for the Department of Environment and Conservation, Murray Mitchel says that firefighters were trying to consolidate the fire in preparation for Wednesday's expected 40C (104F) temperatures. A fire weather warning has been issued for the south west of Western Australia.
"Seven bushfires near Perth, Western Australia" — Wikinews, February 4,2007
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| $200,000 reward for information on Perth arsonist | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$200,000_reward_for_Arsonist_conviction |
In the aftermath of the bush fires around Perth the Western Australian government has offered a $A200,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of an arsonist.
Premier Alan Carpenter, who is visiting the area of the Dwellingup fires said, "It is almost inconceivable that anybody could be so stupid and so criminally, willfully damaging to the community as to go about setting a fire deliberately in these circumstances".
Further fires were lit today near Yanchep and in John Forrest National Park both fires are believed to be deliberately lit as they had multiple ignition points.
Earlier this morning the Dwellingup fire, assisted by strong easterly winds , broke containment lines and threatened the town of Coolup. Additional flareups and spot fires from embers have now been contained. This fire has burnt more then 11,000 hectares so far.
Spokesman for the Department of Environment and Conservation, Murray Mitchel says that firefighters were trying to consolidate the fire in preparation for Wednesday's expected 40C (104F) temperatures. A fire weather warning has been issued for the south west of Western Australia.
"Seven bushfires near Perth, Western Australia" — Wikinews, February 4,2007
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| $200,000 reward for information on Perth arsonist | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$200,000_reward_for_information_on_Perth_arsonist |
The X Prize Foundation announced it is offering a US$20 million prize to the first team that lands a rover on the Moon, roves more than 500 meters and transmits back to Earth high definition images and video. The goal of the Google Lunar X PRIZE, like that of the previous Ansari X PRIZE, is to motivate private investment in space exploration and technology.
In addition to the $20 million first prize, there is a $5 million dollar second prize and $5 million in potential bonuses prizes.
The X Prize Foundation is a Santa Monica-based nonprofit institute that hosted the Ansari X PRIZE contest, which led to the first private manned spaceflight in 2004. Google co-founder Larry Page is a trustee of the X Prize Foundation, and has held a charity auction for the institute earlier this year.
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The X Prize Foundation announced it is offering a US$20 million prize to the first team that lands a rover on the Moon, roves more than 500 meters and transmits back to Earth high definition images and video. The goal of the Google Lunar X PRIZE, like that of the previous Ansari X PRIZE, is to motivate private investment in space exploration and technology.
In addition to the $20 million first prize, there is a $5 million dollar second prize and $5 million in potential bonuses prizes.
The X Prize Foundation is a Santa Monica-based nonprofit institute that hosted the Ansari X PRIZE contest, which led to the first private manned spaceflight in 2004. Google co-founder Larry Page is a trustee of the X Prize Foundation, and has held a charity auction for the institute earlier this year.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | $20 million prize offered in lunar rover contest | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$20_million_prize_offered_in_lunar_rover_contest |
Eight security guards were tied up, gagged, and killed when armed robbers held up the Rafidain bank in Karradah district of Baghdad, Baghdad bureau de change, and made off with 8.5ع.د billion (US$7 million).
The robbery occured about 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. Five of the guards were off duty and may have been on break or asleep, and only three were actively on duty at the time of the break in.
Initial investigations in the capital city of Iraq reveal that pillows may have been used to muffle the gunshot noise rather than silencers.
"I have never seen such a brutal crime. Now robberies have become like foreign movies - they steal and kill and disappear," said a bank employee.
It is not certain at this time if the robbers were funding terrorist causes from the proceeds of the bank robbery.
"While I cannot confirm that the attacks were terrorist related, it does fit past trends of terrorist groups in Iraq of financing their operations through crimes — like kidnappings for ransom, robberies and black marketeering," reported U.S. Army spokesman Maj. David Shoupe.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | Seven million dollar Iraq bank heist leaves eight dead | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/$Seven_million_Iraq_bank_heist_leaves_eight_dead |
US Air Forces Central released a statement July 25 a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet "flew dangerously close" meters over a US MQ-9 drone flying a "defeat-ISIS" mission over Syria on July 23. According to the statement, the pilot of the Russian fighter released flares, one damaging the propeller of the MQ-9, which returned safely to its home base.
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On July 15, Wikinews attended the US general debut, and second general showing, of The People's Joker in Los Angeles' Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, part of the LGBT film festival Outfest, with filmmakers Vera Drew and Bri LeRose present.
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Following Interior Minister Hanke Bruins Slot's recommendation, an election is to take place in the Netherlands on November 22, Prime Minister Mark Rutte's caretaker government announced July 14, a week after it resigned over disagreement on asylum policy.
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On July 14, U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut upheld the constitutionality of Oregon Ballot Measure 114 against four consolidated lawsuits.
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Parts of the Birmingham, England area flooded on July 8 amid heavy downpours. Moseley's Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival evacuated, and organisers described the weather as "biblical".
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Wikinews attended the Rose City ComiCon comic-book convention in Tyler, Texas on Saturday. The event was held at the Lonestar Event Center and ran through Sunday evening.
Actor Kevin McNally, most notably recognizable for his role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, spoke at the event. Spectators offered up various questions, including: 'If you attended Hogwarts Academy, to which house would you belong?' and 'Which is your favorite Doctor Who era?' Australian actor Vernon Wells, who appeared in such notable films as Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Weird Science, and Commando was also present to chat with visitors and sign autographs.
Many attendees were present in various costumes, a practice often referred to as 'cosplay'. Noted cosplayer Knightmage was present, offering signed prints depicting him in various character costumes. He offered attendees the opportunity to voluntarily donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Comic collector Kevin Dutton was on hand, offering for sale his collection of 28,000 comic books. A broad array of 'geek-related' items were also available including: custom Lego mini figures, specialty knives, Pokémon merchandise, fantasy game merchandise and more. A caricature artist was also present, selling custom drawn caricatures of attendees.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | Wikinews attends ComiCon in Tyler, Texas | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27%27%27Wikinews%27%27%27_attends_ComiCon_in_Tyler,_Texas(US) |
Wikinews visited 'Doc Wilkes House of Horrors' located in Longview, Texas recently for a private tour. Co-owner Laura Wilkes led the tour and introduced a select number of actors featured in the haunt.
The attraction offers a broad array of elaborate sets and rooms, professionally designed to scare attendees. A broad host of costumed actors finish out the horror-related theme for customers.
Wilkes said the attraction's physical design is meant to, "...play on peoples' natural fears--the dark, narrow passageways, those types of things."
Attendees are greeted by the presence of an antique hearse near the main entrance and the queue area is designed to present a spooky atmosphere with an array or arcane relics.
The haunt's namesake and co-owner, Eugene 'Doc' Wilkes is heavily involved in the attraction's operations. Wilkes has a lengthy performing history, having been a magician and western style actor for many years.
The cast of ghouls includes a human doll, several creepy clowns and other scary attractions. Elaborate lighting and sound effects also heighten the sensory experience.
The haunt is open Friday and Saturday evenings through October, with one Thursday special 'Blackout Night' planned for October 22. This year marks the attraction's 13th consecutive year of operation.
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The long-running family drama television show, 7th Heaven, will conclude the series (in production since 1996) with the 200th episode. 7th Heaven has been the WB's time slot on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. for the past ten years, since August 26, 1996.
David Janollari, President of Entertainment for The WB, and Brenda Hampton, Executive Producer, discuss their finishing touches to the final season. Brenda Hampton states, "We owe a compelling and unforgettable final season to the Camden family and to the millions of viewers who helped grow this program into a huge hit"; and states, "Although we had anticipated this could be the last season, it was difficult breaking the news to the cast and crew," Aaron Spelling, Executive Producer, also notes, "Not many shows make it to 10 years and it's even rarer for a series to go out on top after 10 seasons."
7th Heaven achieved the top 20 viewers of The WB of all times. At the "birth of the twins" in the episode, In Praise of Women, on February 8, 1999, the show got the highest viewer ratings of 12.5 million viewers, making it number one in the time slot against all viewers.
7th Heaven dealt with several social aspects of real life situation/issues ranging from "teen suicide and sibling rivalry to violence in schools". Episodes also touched on subject matters of the Iraq War and the death of "real-life American serviceman who was killed in Afghanistan". 7th Heaven also achieved over a dozen honors and awards from various organizations.
7th Heaven had many honored guest stars such as Wayne Newton, Richard Lewis, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Ashlee Simpson. Other guest stars appear from other shows on the network, such as: Felicity, Smallville, Gilmore Girls, and Charmed.
Stephen Collins as Reverend Camden sincerely states, "7th Heaven has been a gift", "Plus making a bit of TV history while watching our wonderful cast grow up in real time, has been the experience of a lifetime."
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "7th Heaven" television series comes to an end | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27%277th_Heaven%27%27_television_series_comes_to_an_end |
An Al Jazeera cameraman working in Libya was killed in an alleged ambush on Saturday as he was returning with his team to the rebel-held city of Benghazi. Al Jazeera, in an official statement, called the act a "cowardly crime" and "part of the Libyan regime's malicious campaign targeting Al Jazeera and its staff".
Ali Hassan al-Jaber, along with two colleagues, was returning from a reporting assignment on an opposition protest in a nearby town, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the car in which the group was traveling. Al Jaber was rushed to a hospital but a bullet had apparently penetrated his heart and he died. One of his colleagues was wounded.
The director general of Al Jazeera Wadah Khanfar paid tribute to Jaber at the network's media forum. He said, "He was one of those people who lived and eventually died in the pursuit of truth. We are determined to carry on regardless. We cannot sacrifice our lives except for noble causes. There is no nobler cause than the pursuit of truth."
Al Jaber, a Qatari national, is the first journalist reported to have been killed in the Libyan conflict. Reporters who were previously welcomed by opponents of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi now feel threatened by Gaddafi supporters as his forces near Benghazi. There are signs that Gaddafi intends to drive the foreign press out of Libya. He has already announced that foreign reporters working in the east of the country are working for "Al-Qaeda." Many journalists are now planning to leave the city.
The director of Al Jazeera, Wadah Khanfar, said that the killing of the cameraman followed "an unprecedented campaign" against the news organization by Gaddafi. He said, "Al Jazeera reiterates the assault cannot dent its resolve to continue its mission, professionally enlightening the public of the unfolding events in Libya and elsewhere." He described the people in Benghazi who expressed support of the station once news of the ambush was reported.
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NASA engineers announced on Friday that the Discovery's launch is being put on hold indefinitely.
"We are going forward on a day by day basis," Space Shuttle Program Deputy Manager Wayne Hale said at a press conference this afternoon. "As soon as we fix the problem, we will be four days from launch. What is that date going to be? We don't know."
Launch controllers are still optimistic about a launch in the current window of opportunity, which lasts until the end of the month. Twelve teams of engineers are working across the US in order to resolve the problem with the fuel tank sensor.
The fuel tank sensor is vital as it shuts down the main engines when fuel is exhausted - if the engines run dry, the results could be disastrous.
When the huge main fuel tank was drained on Wednesday, the sensor continued to indicate "wet" instead of "dry", but in a series of later tests the sensor began performing properly.
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An investigation performed by the scientific review, Nature, on Wikipedia and Britannica science entries, found that the two encyclopedias have similar degrees of accuracy in their content.
Nature used peer reviewing to compare Wikipedia and Britannica's coverage of science. In this study, entries were chosen from the websites of Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica on a broad range of scientific disciplines and sent to a relevant expert for peer review. Each reviewer examined the entry on a single subject from the two encyclopedias without being told which article came from which encyclopaedia. The reviewers were asked to check for errors, but were not told where the information came from.
Among 42 entries tested, the difference in accuracy was not significant: the average science entry in Wikipedia contained around four inaccuracies; Britannica, about three. In the pairs of articles reviewed, eight serious errors such as misinterpretations of important concepts were detected, four from each encyclopaedia. Reviewers also found many factual errors, omissions or misleading statements: 162 in Wikipedia and 123 in Britannica. Additionally, it was found that Wikipedia articles are 2.6 times as long as Britannica articles, meaning that there is a lower error/ommision per word ratio in Wikipedia.
The main criticism about Wikipedia was on its readability, with several reviewers commenting that the articles they read were poorly structured and confusing.
As well as comparing the two encyclopedias, Nature surveyed more than 1,000 Nature authors and found that although more than 70% had heard of Wikipedia and 17% of those consulted it on a weekly basis, less than 10% help to update it.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales welcomed the study. "We're hoping it will focus people's attention on the overall level of our work, which is pretty good," he told BBC News.
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The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and Cranbrook Art Museum debut Shrinking Cities. The project, which examines urban decline in cities across the globe is sponsored by Germany's Federal Cultural Foundation.
Shrinking Cities includes contributions from more than 200 artists, architects, researchers, filmmakers, journalists, culture experts, and sociologists aimed not only at showing the effects of this global phenomenon but also exploring how to deal with it.
The project, which began in 2002, involves local teams from four cities: Detroit, USA, Manchester/Liverpool, Britain, Ivanavo, Russia and Halle/Leipzig, Germany. The teams examined the negatives and the positives of urban decline. Along with the exhibit contribution of the team and international idea competition was launched.
Shrinking Cities premiered in Berlin in 2004 and later traveled to Halle and Leipzig Germany. In Detroit it will run from 3 February until 1 April. Cranbrook Art Museum and the newly founded Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit will cohost the exhibit, with buses running in between the two.
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The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and Cranbrook Art Museum debut Shrinking Cities. The project, which examines urban decline in cities across the globe is sponsored by Germany's Federal Cultural Foundation.
Shrinking Cities includes contributions from more than 200 artists, architects, researchers, filmmakers, journalists, culture experts, and sociologists aimed not only at showing the effects of this global phenomenon but also exploring how to deal with it.
The project, which began in 2002, involves local teams from four cities: Detroit, USA, Manchester/Liverpool, Britain, Ivanavo, Russia and Halle/Leipzig, Germany. The teams examined the negatives and the positives of urban decline. Along with the exhibit contribution of the team and international idea competition was launched.
Shrinking Cities premiered in Berlin in 2004 and later traveled to Halle and Leipzig Germany. In Detroit it will run from 3 February until 1 April. Cranbrook Art Museum and the newly founded Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit will cohost the exhibit, with buses running in between the two.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | "Shrinking Cities" debuts in Detroit, Michigan | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27%27Shrinking_Cities%27%27_debuts_in_Detroit,_Michigan |
The Simpsons, a major hit animated television show, is set to appear in movie theatres. It has been confirmed that The Simpsons Movie will appear in theatres July 27, 2007.
The Simpsons has been on television for 17 seasons and FOX confirms that it will run at least two more seasons. The show is currently contracted through FOX until 2008 and is the longest running television show on prime-time in the United States. An estimated over nine million people watch the show every Sunday night, but that number is down from earlier peak viewer numbers.
Moviegoers that go to see Ice Age: The Meltdown will get to see a 25-second 'teaser' trailer of the upcoming movie.
The Simpsons first began on the The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 and in 1989 they started their 30-minute series on FOX.
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Former Tubes and Grateful Dead keyboardist/vocalist Vince Welnick is dead of a "probable suicide", according to the Sonoma County Sheriff/Coroner.
Welnick was found dead in his home in Forestville, California, on June 2, 2006. His cause of death is not being released at the family's request, says Coroner's Sgt. Will Wallman.
The 55-year-old musician began his professional career in his native Phoenix, Arizona, putting together a garage band called The Beans. The group moved to San Francisco in 1969 and changed its name to The Tubes, eventually releasing eight albums. Welnick was picked in 1990 to succeed the late Brent Mydland as The Grateful Dead keyboardist, and eventually moved on to solo projects. He was later elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Welnick is survived by his wife, Lori.
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October is National Magic Month in the United States. Wikinews spoke with William Evans, president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, about the current state of magic and what its future looks like in the world of entertainment.
((Wikinews)) For how long have you been involved in performing/studying magic?
((WN)) October is National Magic Month in the US. Do you think magic is alive as a viable form of entertainment today?
((WN)) Has the internet helped or hurt magic?
((WN)) Do you travel much in your current role?
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | Wikinews interviews President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27%27Wikinews%27%27_interviews_President_of_the_International_Brotherhood_of_Magicians |
The definition of what is and what is not a planet is being challenged by a newly announced discovery Friday. Astronomers from the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, California said they found a chunk of ice and rock in the solar system larger than Pluto.
The object, given the temporary generic name of 2003 UB313, is about 9 billion miles away from the sun. It was first photographed in 2003 using the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii. But it was an indistinguishable bright spot among a field of stars in an area of the sky where astronomers don't usually look at for planets or planet-type objects.
Solar system bodies found beyond the orbit of Neptune are called "trans-Neptunian objects". One of them, Pluto, is also classified as a planet. Up until now all other planet-like discoveries beyond Neptune, including Sedna, found by the same Palomar team in 2004, are called Kuiper Belt objects, or minor planets.
Using a photo taken on January 8, the Palomar team compared it with previous 2003 UB313 photos to triangulate the object's distance, brightness and orbit.
Using mathematical formulas, they found a range of sizes for 2003 UB313, with an estimated average showing the approximate diameter of the new body to be about 2,600 kilometers. But even at the smallest estimate scientists are certain 2003 UB313 is larger than Pluto's 2,250 kilometer diameter.
To determine size, Scientists deduce the relative size of a solar system object by its brightness, just as one can infer the size of a faraway light bulb if one knows its wattage. The reflectance of 2003 UB313 is not yet known for sure. Scientists can not yet tell how much light from the sun is reflected away from its surface, but the amount of light the planet does reflect puts a lower limit on its size.
"Even if it reflected 100 percent of the light reaching it, it would still be as big as Pluto," Michael E. Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology said in a NASA press release. "I'd say it's probably one and a half times the size of Pluto, but we're not sure yet of the final size."
"We are 100 percent confident that this is the first object bigger than Pluto ever found in the outer solar system," Brown added.
The object is inclined by a whopping 45 degrees to the main plane of the solar system, where most of the other planets orbit. That's why it eluded discovery: nobody was looking there until now, Brown said.
Most objects in the solar system are just a few degrees from the main plane of the solar system, called the Ecliptic. Pluto, which is considered substantially different from the rest of the planets, is only 17 degrees from this main plane. Astronomers who study the sky for asteroids and comets usually look in the region of the sky that the rest of the planets occupy.
The brightness of this object is just barely fainter than the telescopes from earlier sky surveys were able to identify, so new advances in the making of telescopes has also played a part in this discovery.
Now that the discovery data has been released, the scientists will turn over their work to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which will review it, classify the object and approve a new name to replace the temporary 2003 UB313.
Sometimes the discoverers of a new planetary body get to choose its name, but not always. "We have a name we really like, and we want it to stick," Brown told reporters at a press conference. He said the team has submitted the name to the IAU but would not disclose their choice. In the 2004 naming of Sedna, Brown noted objects found in the Kuiper Belt are usually named after deities of the Underworld.
The astronomers have been using a code name of sorts for the discovery. The tongue-in-cheek nickname is "Xena" after the fictional main character of the television series of the same name. "Because we always wanted to name something Xena," Dr. Brown said in a New York Times report.
There has been controversy in the scientific community about what is and what is not a planet. Some purists insist the Solar system has only eight planets and that Kuiper Belt object including Pluto, Sedna and 2003 UB313 cannot be listed among the major planets.
A minor furor erupted when the IAU suggested removing Pluto from the pantheon of planets a few years ago. Because of that Pluto's status as a "planet" in addition to being a Kuiper Belt object was cemented. But with the discovery of 2003 UB313 the "planet or not" debate may rekindle.
"Pluto has been a planet for so long that the world is comfortable with that," Brown said in the teleconference. "It seems to me a logical extension that anything bigger than Pluto and farther out is a planet."
Offering additional justification, Brown said 2003 UB313 appears to be surfaced with methane ice, as is Pluto. That's not the case with other large Kuiper Belt objects, however.
"This object is in a class very much like Pluto," he said.
The new "10th planet" was not the only new discovery in the Kuiper Belt this past week. José-Luis Ortiz at the Sierra Nevada Observatory in Spain announced the discovery of an object called 2003 EL61. This object, thought to be larger than Sedna, is the brightest trans-Neptune object next to Pluto.
Although some news media confused the discovery of 2003 EL61 with 2003 UB313, they are different objects.
2003 EL61 is so bright, it can be seen with high-end amateur-grade telescopes equipped with CCD cameras. Although this second discovery may not be as large as 2003 UB313, scientists have confirmed that 2003 EL61 has its own moon.
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Garrison Keillor, the humorist and longtime host of A Prairie Home Companion on US public radio network NPR, hung up his microphone this week. The final episode of Companion to be hosted by Keillor was recorded yesterday at the Hollywood Bowl with 18,000 people in attendance. It was broadcast today.
Musician Chris Thile takes over as host in October. Thile is expected to keep the program's basic format intact while updating its content.
Keillor, 73, created A Prairie Home Companion in 1974, and it turned into a "42-year detour". He had gone to Nashville, he said, "to write about the Grand Ole Opry for The New Yorker." Keillor found Nashville "so unbuttoned. All of these wonderful performers — Porter Wagoner was there, and Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff. They were all children of the Depression, and they felt so lucky to have whatever they had. And it was really a happy place. So I got seduced by that into trying to start my own show."
On Friday, Keillor said he kept going for the friendship. "[I]t was to get to meet people if you had no social skills. And people would walk up to you and say, 'I heard you on the radio.' This was the beginning of a conversation that would lead in all sorts of interesting directions." The final episode changed direction very little; Keillor added duets with five of his favorite singers, then closed the show with a medley he performed alone.
Companion highlighted the sensibilities of the Midwest of Keillor's youth. His on-air persona was a throwback; a "radio bard" telling amusing stories spun from the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, Minnesota. Now, he says, that version of the Midwest "is receding in the rear-view mirror at high speed."
Garrison Keillor was one of six children raised in a fundamentalist family in Anoka, Minnesota. Television was forbidden in the home, but their large Zenith radio allowed him to listen to rhythm and blues music and serials like Lassie.
Keillor began writing after deciding he wanted to play football, only to learn that he had a heart defect. "So instead of playing football, I wrote about football. No better thing for a kid, than to write about actual things that are happening before your eyes. [...] I was very, very lucky." His broadcasting career started after a speech coach suggested he could overcome his fear of performing in front of other people by taking off his glasses. "And when you learn that you don't have to be afraid of people you can't see, you've taken a step towards broadcasting, you see?"
42 years later, Keillor says he plans to resume writing. A memoir and a screenplay are in the works.
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In a talk made to officials at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea held on Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned officials of a coming "very giant struggle" in the economic field, reported Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Present at the meeting, which was held in the headquarters building of the Central Committee, were high-ranking party members and military officials, including Party Secretariat Secretary Jo Yong-won and Premier Kim Tok-hun.
The meeting, which had been convened to discuss details on the upcoming fourth Plenary Meeting of the eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), later released its resolution on said issue, with the last third of December being the chosen time frame for the Plenary Meeting and a review of Party work having been placed on the agenda, among other subjects.
At the Politburo meeting, Kim Jong Un said that "the successes registered by us show that the overall affairs that had been planned to lay a foundation for the economic development of the country and the improvement of people's living standard have been vigorously pushed forward", praising successes made in the agricultural and construction fields.
Kim followed by saying that "next year will be an important one as we should wage a very giant struggle as much as we did this year", and that plans made for next year should "be dynamic, onward, scientific and detailed, and consolidate the foundation for implementing the five-year plan."
North Korea's economy has suffered as a result of various factors over the last two years, with a combination of COVID-19 border closures and heavier sanctions topping off a typhoon and heavy flooding. According to Al Jazeera, UN agencies are reporting food and electricity shortages which have been worsened by economic sanctions.
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Maj.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, one of Canada's top generals says Canadians should prepare for a long mission to Afghanistan in order to help it break out of "a cycle of warlords and tribalism." Leslie told the audience attending the 74 Annual Couchiching Summer Conference in Orillia, Ontario, Canada on The Use of Force Within and Between Nations that Canada's troops will have casualties. As many as 1,250 Canadian soldiers will be serving in Afghanistan by February 2006. A 250-strong provincial reconstruction team mission is currently gathering to stabilise the Kandahar region joining the nearly 700 troops already serving in Kabul. "Every time you kill an angry young man overseas, you're creating 15 more who will come after you", he said.
"There are things worth fighting for. There are things worth dying for. There are things worth killing for", Leslie told the conference and he said the end result would be worth the cost:
Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs 74 Annual Couchiching Summer Conference.
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Joe Arpaio, the Sheriff for Maricopa County, Arizona, is expected to endorse Republican Party presidential candidate Governor Rick Perry of Texas this week at a New Hampshire campaign event, according to sources. Arpaio is expected to appear with Perry in Hudson, New Hampshire today, and will remain in the state for three days.
Arpaio, who refers to himself as "America’s Toughest Sheriff", is known for his tough stance on illegal immigration. As Sheriff, he has led raids to gather and arrest illegal immigrants and publicly supported Arizona's stringent 2010 immigration law. GOP presidential candidates Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Mitt Romney have all sought his endorsement. He endorsed Romney in 2008.
The endorsement could help Perry with conservative voters who have had problems with his record on illegal immigration. Perry was attacked for signing a bill that granted in-state tuition benefits to college-age illegal immigrants. He defended the bill during a September presidential debate, saying those criticizing him for it, "don’t have a heart". He later backed down from the statement.
As Governor of Texas for eleven years, Perry has overseen the state that has the longest border with Mexico. He vetoed a bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to receive driver's licenses and signed another that requires identification to vote.
During his presidential campaign, Perry has opposed the proposed full-length border fence, calling it impractical. Instead, he favors targeted fencing combined with mobilization of enforcement personnel.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | 'America’s Toughest Sheriff' to endorse Rick Perry for U.S. President | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27America%E2%80%99s_Toughest_Sheriff%27_to_endorse_Rick_Perry_for_U.S._President |
In a report on cloud computing issued this week, the environmental group Greenpeace rated ten top Internet companies, including Apple, Google, Twitter and Amazon, on several factors such as each company's willingness to be transparent by providing information on its energy sources and the energy efficiency of its data centers.
In the report entitled "How Dirty is your Data", Apple, while receiving good marks for transparency, rated at the bottom for energy efficiency, primarily because its huge, new data center in North Carolina, called iDataCenter, relies largely on coal. Although Apple claimed its California operations used cleaner energy than that produced by most grids, iDataCenter has an estimated energy demand three times Apple's current use, significantly increasing Apple's environmental footprint. As Apple increases the online products it delivers from its iTunes platform, it will enlarge its cloud computing operations further.
"Apple's decision to locate its iDataCenter in North Carolina, which has an electrical grid among the dirtiest in the country (61 percent coal, 31 percent nuclear), indicates a lack of a corporate commitment to clean energy supply for its cloud operations," Greenpeace said in its report.
About 2 percent of worldwide energy use is consumed by data center computer servers, and this amount is increasing by 12 percent a year, Greenpeace reports, an energy demand that is more than that of Russia.
Greenpeace said many IT companies do not reveal the environmental impact of their energy consumption, and concentrate more on energy efficiency that on using clean energy. Most of their energy is supplied by coal and nuclear energy. Companies are locating their data centers in areas that afford cheap, abundant coal-powered electricity.
Yahoo was praised by Greenpeace for placing its data centers near sources of clean energy and its minor use of coal-based power.
—GreenpeaceGreenpeace noted that Google says that it is conscious of the need to use renewable sources of electricity to power cloud computing, but it does not acknowledge the size of its carbon footprint. The company claims it has seven data centers worldwide, but it is estimated to have 20 to 30.
The carbon footprint of cloud computing is a recent emphasis of Greenpeace in its attempt to disprove the belief that the biggest polluters are manufacturers.
—Timothy Prickett Morgan, The A RegisterIn a response to the report, Timothy Prickett Morgan criticized Greenpeace for focusing on data centers which are responsible for using about 3 per cent of the US power generation and globally account for 1.5 to 2 percent. He noted that "the data centers of Amazon, Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Apple, and Akamai . . . are probably not much different from the business where you work every day when it comes to dependency on coal for electricity generation. And ditto for the home that you return to every night."
Morgan quotes data from a 2008 report by the International Energy Agency and cited by the World Coal Association, now known as the The World Coal Institute, that showed coal plants produce over 40 percent of the global electricity. The Institute determined that United States receives half of its power from coal plants. Some other countries, such as South Africa, Poland and China, use more coal. "The world is still dependent on non-renewable energy sources – coal and nuclear with a smattering of oil and gas – to generate electricity," he says, suggesting the IT companies should not be singled out.
Morgan is also critical of Greenpeace's methodology in gathering the data, as it included only a sample of the data centers of these companies, and some that were not yet completely operational. He noted that because the companies were not always cooperative in disclosing information, Greenpeace estimated a portion of the data. He said that the reader has to "drill down into the report" to see the the complete picture.
Another criticism of Greenpeace is its definition of coal and nuclear power as "dirty energy". Because it does not discharge greenhouse gases, nuclear power is rated more favorably than coal by some environmental organizations. Greenpeace is adamantly against nuclear power's radiation risks.
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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. | 'Apple's data is dirtiest,' says Greenpeace | https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27Apple%27s_data_is_dirtiest,%27_says_Greenpeace |