News briefs:July 12, 2010
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Friday, January 12, 2007
The iPhone only made its appearance as a prototype and there have been controversies aroused.
The dispute has come up between the manufacturer of the iPhone (which was resented on Wednesday for the first time) – Apple Inc. – and a leader in network and communication systems, based in San Jose – Cisco. The company claims to possess the trademark for iPhone, and moreover, that it sells devices under the same brand through one of its divisions.
This became the reason for Cisco to file a lawsuit against Apple Inc. so that the latter would stop selling the device.
Cisco states that it has received the trademark in 2000, when the company overtook Infogear Technology Corp., which took place in 1996.
The Vice President and general counsel of the company, Mark Chandler, explained that there was no doubt about the excitement of the new device from Apple, but they should not use a trademark, which belongs to Cisco.
The iPhone developed by Cisco is a device which allows users to make phone calls over the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).
Saturday, November 4, 2006
Evangelist Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo, was found guilty on all counts of tax fraud concerning merchandise and amusement park admission sales. The trial began at United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida on Tuesday October 18, 2006, and prosecutors rested their case against Hovind on November 1. Defense lawyers rested their case on the same day without presenting evidence or calling witnesses; Hovind claims that he runs a church, and thus should not have to pay taxes, while prosecutors claimed that he was actually running a business.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Once you get a chance to talk to West Palm Beach, Florida native Whitney Cunningham, who placed seventh on the eighth cycle of the popular reality TV series America’s Next Top Model, you begin to understand what host Tyra Banks meant when she described her as the “full package.”
First of all, she is confident and headstrong, which is a must on these kinds of shows, almost as much as it is to take a beautiful modelesque picture. Second, she turns that confidence into drive. She has been receiving steady work as a model since leaving the show, and still believes that her goal of being the first woman to wear a size ten dress on the cover of Vogue is in reach. Third, and probably most important to television viewers, she obliterates the age-old model stereotype that to be pretty and photograph well, one must also be vapid and without a thought. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Cunningham also dreams of becoming a writer, and is working toward dual goals: a model who can express herself like no other model before her.
Cunningham recently sat down with Wikinews reporter Mike Halterman in an impassioned interview, taking hours to field questions from the reporter as well as from fans of America’s Next Top Model. Always in high spirits, Cunningham shows that she is a distinct personality who has carved her own niche in the Top Model history books. At the same time, she exhibits a joie de vivre that is oddly reminiscent of earlier Top Model fan favorite Toccara Jones, who showed America just how to be “big, black, beautiful and loving it.” However, Cunningham is quick to remind everyone that she isn’t big at all; she is simply a regular woman.
This is the first in a series of interviews with America’s Next Top Model contestants. Interviews will be published sporadically.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Ian Narev, the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, this morning “unreservedly” apologised to clients who lost money in a scandal involving the bank’s financial planning services arm.
Last week, a Senate enquiry found financial advisers from the Commonwealth Bank had made high-risk investments of clients’ money without the clients’ permission, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars lost. The Senate enquiry called for a Royal Commission into the bank, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Mr Narev stated the bank’s performance in providing financial advice was “unacceptable”, and the bank was launching a scheme to compensate clients who lost money due to the planners’ actions.
In a statement Mr Narev said, “Poor advice provided by some of our advisers between 2003 and 2012 caused financial loss and distress and I am truly sorry for that. […] There have been changes in management, structure and culture. We have also invested in new systems, implemented new processes, enhanced adviser supervision and improved training.”
An investigation by Fairfax Media instigated the Senate inquiry into the Commonwealth Bank’s financial planning division and ASIC.
Whistleblower Jeff Morris, who reported the misconduct of the bank to ASIC six years ago, said in an article for The Sydney Morning Herald that neither the bank nor ASIC should be in control of the compensation program.
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Polish Prime Minister Jaros?aw Kaczy?ski has ordered the pharmaceutical company Jelfa to halt production following revelations that Jelfa had placed mislabelled medication on the market, whose use could be potentially fatal.
Jelfa distributed vials labelled as Corhydron, a hydrocortisone used to treat allergies and inflammation, but in fact containing Suxamethonium chloride, a drug normally used to cause muscle paralysis during emergency surgery.
The Health Ministry has appealed to people suffering from asthma or allergies to check their medication and return any Corhydron ampoules they possess to the pharmacy.
Polskie Radio reports that the mislabelling was discovered a month ago, but Jelfa and the Polish Health ministry did not inform of the problem.
Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski ordered Jelfa to halt production until it can assure the Polish Government that it can properly manage its production.
The Polish Outlook reports that that drug companies in Poland were operating unregulated since December, 2005 as the regulations has expired. The government was putting in place new regulations.
The owner of Jelfa is AB Sanitas, the largest drug producer in neighbouring Lithuania. The shut-down has been questioned by the Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas, who expressed concern over the situation and said that he wants to try to settle the issue diplomatically.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
On Monday, June 2, the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, was attacked with a car bomb. The bomb went off in the parking lot of the embassy at around 12:10 pm (UTC+5), killing at least six and wounding at least 30 others. One Danish citizen was killed.
“I think we can say with a reasonable degree of confidence that it was a suicide attack,” said Tariq Pervez, the director-general of the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The bomb forced the closure of the Danish embassy, as well as those of Norway and the Netherlands, which were nearby.
I urge and incite every Muslim who can harm Denmark to do so in support of the prophet | ||
While no group has claimed responsibility, the Danish national security intelligence agency PET has concluded that al-Qaeda was behind the attack. “Extremists can be inspired by the attack in Pakistan,” said PET’s director, Jakob Scharf in a statement.
“We are just trying to find any clue, any evidence,” Pakistani investigator Muhammad Mustafa said to the Associated Press. “You know yesterday it was panic here. Usually we miss important things in panic.”
“Samples have been sent to the laboratory to determine what type of explosive was used,” said Mohammad Ashraf Shah, who is in charge of the investigation. Investigators have found that the car with the bomb was a Toyota Corolla, which bore diplomatic license plates.
“One can of course only condemn it, it’s terrible that terrorists commit such acts,” said Per Stig Møller, the Foreign Minister of Denmark, on TV 2 television.
“It was to be expected that they would do something,” said Ikram Sehgal to Reuters, referring to Ayman al-Zawahiri‘s recent video encouraging attacks against Denmark over the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.
“I urge and incite every Muslim who can harm Denmark to do so in support of the prophet, God’s peace and prayers be upon him, and in defense of his honorable stature,” Ayman al-Zawahri said in a video which became public on April 21.
“This attack was not linked to any event in the country or the region, rather it was part of widespread outrage throughout the Islamic world against publishing blasphemous caricatures,” a local official told Daily Times, adding that it would not affect Pakistani negotiations with “local” Taliban, which is considered separate from the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Friday, September 7, 2012
London, England — On Wednesday, Wikinews interviewed Duncan Campbell, one of the creators of wheelchair rugby.
((Laura Hale)) You’re Duncan Campbell, and you’re the founder of…
((Laura Hale)) And you’re from Canada, eh?
((Laura Hale)) Winnipeg?
((Laura Hale)) You cheer for — what’s that NHL team?
((Laura Hale)) What sort of Canadian are you?
((Laura Hale)) I don’t know anything about ice hockey. I’m a Chicago Blackhawks fan.
((Hawkeye7)) Twenty five years ago…
((Laura Hale)) They said twenty five in the stadium…
((Hawkeye7)) So it was 1977.
((Laura Hale)) You look very young.
((Hawkeye7)) So how did you invent the sport?
((Hawkeye7)) So all wheelchair rugby players are quadriplegics?
((Laura Hale)) When did the classification system for wheelchair rugby kick in?
((Hawkeye7)) Was that copied off wheelchair basketball?
((Laura Hale)) I assume you’re barracking for Canada. Have they had any classification issues? That made you
((Laura Hale)) Do you think the countries that have better classifiers… as someone with an Australian perspective they’re really good at classification, and don’t get theirs overturned, whereas the Americans by comparison have had a number of classification challenges coming in to these games that they’ve lost. Do you think that having better classifiers makes a team better able to compete at an international level?
((Laura Hale)) When you started in 1977, I’ve seen pictures of the early wheelchairs. I assume that you were playing in your day chair?
((Laura Hale)) When did you retire?
((Laura Hale)) When did you get your first rugby wheelchair?
((Laura Hale)) Were you involved in creating a special chair, as Canadians were pushing the boundaries and creating the sport?
((Hawkeye7)) I’d noticed that in wheelchair basketball the low point player actually gets more court time…
((Laura Hale)) Because we know you are going soon, the all-important question: can Canada beat the Australians tonight?
((Laura Hale)) Because Australians love to gamble, what’s your line on Canada?
((Hawkeye7)) Is your colour commentary for the Canadian broadcast?
((Laura Hale)) Are you happy with the level of coverage the Canadians are providing your sport?
((Laura Hale)) Thank you for an honest answer.
((Laura Hale)) Yeah! Go ahead!
((Hawkeye7)) It’s better than the US.
((Laura Hale)) I have one last question: what did it mean for you when they had a Canadian flag bearer who was a wheelchair rugby player?
((Laura Hale)) Thank you!
((Hawkeye7)) Thank you! Much appreciated.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Musician Prince died at home in Minnesota, United States yesterday.
A publicist confirmed his death.”It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson has died”.
A statement from the Carver County Sheriff’s office said Prince was found in an elevator at his home at Paisley Park Studio. Emergency workers were called, but after they were unable to revive him, he was pronounced dead.
Following Prince’s first album in 1978, he came to prominence in the 1980s. His 1980s releases included 1999, Kiss, Purple Rain, and Sign o’ the Times. He went on to record more than 30 albums.During his career he sold more than 100 million records and had 47 songs reach the US Billboard top 100. Five of those songs, When Doves Cry, Kiss, Let’s Go Crazy, Cream, and Batdance, went to number one. The song When Doves Cry was number one for five weeks.
In 1984 Prince starred in the movie Purple Rain, which was based on his album. The movie’s song score won Prince an Academy Award for best original song score. Prince won seven Grammy awards and in 2004 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.He also wrote songs released successfully by other artists, such as Manic Monday released in 1986 by the Bangles and Nothing Compares 2 U released in 1990 by Sinéad O’Connor.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported an autopsy will be conducted to determine Prince’s cause of death.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
A helicopter crash in the Mourne Mountains is believed to have killed four people in Northern Ireland.
Just before 4 pm local time (1500 UTC) the police received reports of a “plane in distress” from residents. The helicopter is believed to have crashed in an area called Leitrim Lodge located between Hilltown and Rostrevor. The Democratic Unionist representative for the region has said “the local community was shocked and now feared the worst.”
The local fire services, police and the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team are currently combing the area from the wreckage. The Air Accident Investigation Branch has been notified about the incident.