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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned today, following a controversial move regarding a US military base.

Hatoyama told a news conference broadcast nationwide that he will step down after a broken campaign promise to move a US Marine base off the southern island of Okinawa. The decision to resign followed poor poll ratings for Japan’s Democratic Party in an upcoming parliamentary election. Members of the party have called for Hatoyama’s resignation in order to preserve their chances of victory in the election. He is expected to formally resign before a meeting of party leaders today.

Hatoyama had previously won a landslide election last August, but his approval ratings of late were around 20%. He will likely be succeeded by current Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan. Hatoyama also mentioned a series of money scandals that had plagued him in his decision to resign. Democratic Party secretary-general Ichiro Ozawa, who was involved in the scandals, also agreed to leave when asked by Hatoyama. He will be the fourth Japanese leader in a row to resign without being in office for a year.

Hatoyama had made a deal Friday with US president Barack Obama to retain the Marine base on Okinawa, citing threats to both countries’ national security, but the agreement was strongly opposed in Japan. His resignation means that the deal may not go through after all.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Fighting continued in Israel and Lebanon as Israel attacked targets in Lebanon using aircrafts and ships. Rockets were fired from Lebanon and landed on the Israeli side of the border, Thursday. Israel called their military action “Operation Just Reward”.

The clashes follow a Hezbollah raid into Israel which they called “Truthful Promise” in which Hezbollah claimed to have captured two Israeli soldiers. Israel said the men were kidnapped.

Israeli aircraft launched missiles at Beirut international airport and damaged runways and fuel stores. Additional targets were attacked, including 18 bridges, and a Hezbollah run TV station, Al-Manar, which continued to broadcast after being targeted, but later went partially off air.

45 Lebanese civilians and two soldiers were reported killed as a result of Israeli overnight raids and 103 people were injured. In some areas Israeli planes had dropped leaflets to warn residents to stay away from Hezbollah buildings.

Over 100 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel Thursday, which the Israeli Army says are the acts of Hezbollah. Two Israeli civilians were reported killed over 100 injured.

The Lebanese road communications network was targeted: 18 bridges were damaged and early on Friday the highway linking Beirut and Damascus was hit by five Israeli missiles. The highway is the only route out of the country after the airport was shut down. Witnesses said that the road was free from traffic when the missiles hit.

In a television interview, Wednesday July 12, Brigadier Gen. Dan Halutz had told Israel’s Channel 10 that if the Israeli soldiers were not returned Israel would “turn Lebanon’s clock back 20 years”. He also said of Lebanon “nothing is safe.”

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

A lorry spilt thirteen tonnes of raw fish on a road in the small British town of Shaftesbury, Dorset, earlier today.

Crates of iced fish, worth £80,000, apparently burst out the rear doors of the lorry as it climbed a hill.

The BBC reports Dorset Police as saying “It appears as the lorry started its ascent up the hill the load in the rear of the articulated container slipped backwards, probably on the wet floor, and the weight of the fish on the rear doors forced the doors open.”

The clean-up was hampered by poor weather conditions as Dorset County Council struggled to use a digger and a second lorry to clear the fish.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

WikiLeaks has released a mass of “secret” material from the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan in the five years from 2004 to 2009.

The material was scrutinised in co-operation with the main stream newspapers The Guardian and The New York Times, and the German magazine Der Spiegel, who cross-referenced the leaked documents with published material to check the veracity of the material.

The material makes explicit the accusation that the Taliban is receiving support including man portable anti-aircraft missiles from Iran, and Pakistan. However, despite being condemned by the authorities in the United States, commentators have said that nothing in the released material would come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the war.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Between August 17 and August 19, 2007 in S?upna Park in Mys?owice, Poland, the second edition of Off Festival had place. Art director of the edition was Artur Rojek, the leader of Myslovitz band.

Beside concerts, the main attraction of the festival, Indie Label plants, hosted by Philippe Petit and Markus Detmer, took place along with Children’s Happiness Feast (?wi?to Rado?ci Dzieci) with 400 children playing and the Second International Volunteer Work Expo (II Mi?dzynarodowe Targi Wolontariatu). At the event came around 8 thousand people. Along the VIPs there was former Prime Minister of Poland, Jerzy Buzek reading the storybooks for children. On the volunteer work expo came around 200 people from various organizations.

A compilation of brief news reports for Monday, July 8, 2013.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Coinciding with Easter Sunday, Glasgow Cannabis Social Club’s annual 420 event was held on Glasgow Green, under sunny blue skies, and overlooking the river Clyde. Despite the city’s council attempting to revoke permission for the gathering at the last minute, police were happy for it to go-ahead with approximately a dozen officers attending in high-visibility vests.

The Daily Record reported five arrests were made for minor offences, likely smoking and possession of small quantities of cannabis. Taking a less-sensational — and more accurate — line of reporting, the Monday edition of Glasgow’s Evening News stated five were referred to the Procurator Fiscal who is responsible for deciding if charges should be brought.

Official figures provided by the police were that 150 attended. With people coming and going, Wikinews reporters estimated upwards of 200 attended, compared to nearly 700 who had signed up for the event on Facebook. Hemp goods were advertised and on sale at the event, and some attendees were seen drinking cannabis-themed energy drinks.

“I was searched and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act (which is a lot of bollocks)” one attendee noted online, adding “not fair to happen on a brilliant day like it was, other than that I had a great day!” A second said they were openly smoking and ignored by police, who “were only really focusing on people who looked particularly young”.

Cannabis seeds were openly and legally sold at the event and a hydroponics supplier brought a motortrike towing an advertising trailer. Actually growing cannabis is, however, illegal in the UK.

With the event openly advocating the legalisation of cannabis, speakers put their arguments for this to a receptive crowd. Retired police officer James Duffy, of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, spoke of the failed United States alcohol prohibition policy; stressing such policies needlessly bring people into contact with criminal elements. Highlighting other countries where legalisation has been implemented, he pointed out such led to lower crime, and lower drug use overall.

One speaker, who produced a bottle of cannabis oil he had received through the post, asserted this cured his prostate cancer. Others highlighted the current use of Sativex by the National Health Service, with a cost in-excess of £150 for a single bottle of GW Pharmaceuticals patented spray — as-compared to the oil shown to the crowd, with a manufacturing cost of approximately £10.

Similar ‘420’ pro-cannabis events were held globally.

Monday, June 8, 2015

On Saturday, F.C. Barcelona football club of Barcelona, Spain won the UEFA Champions League 2014–2015 which was held in Olympiastadion stadium in Berlin. The team defeated Turin, Italy based football club Juventus 3–1 to clinch the title for the fifth time.

Italian defender Chiellini could not play after suffering a calf injury.

Ivan Rakiti? scored for Barca in the opening minutes of the game. This gave The Catalans an early lead over The Old Lady. Álvaro Morata, playing for Juventus, scored but could not match up La Liga winners Barca. Luis Suárez and Neymar scored in the second half for Barca.

Barcelona won the treble — domestic league, domestic cup, and European title — for a second time by winning the European title. Both teams had won the respective cups.

Luis Enrique, ex-Barcelona player and current manager of the team, wins the league for Barcelona in his first year as its manager.

Monday, February 20, 2006

The New Zealand government has announced that it will be reviewing funding for medical and dentistry students at Otago and Auckland Universities to certify the institutions’ standards and help staff retention.

The dean of Auckland University’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Professor Iain Martin says the review “can’t come soon enough”.

The Medical Students Association welcomes the review. It says that it has been worried about student debt for years “High debt encourages too many graduates overseas, or into high paying areas of practice at the expense of areas like general practice”

Saturday, December 2, 2006

As families fled their homes in the early morning hours on Thursday October 26, there was no warning. The Esperanza Fire southeast of Los Angeles and West of Palm Springs, California, had ballooned under the influence of Santa Ana winds to more than 19,000 acres as of the morning of October 27. No time to get the animals, no time for crates or even a leash. Sadly, owners left behind not only their horses, lamas, donkeys, chickens, rabbits, but also their dogs and cats.

Many of the families who did manage to evacuate their pets found themselves in the parking lot at the Fellowship in the Pass Church Red Cross Shelter where a MuttShack Animal Rescue team caught up with them.

Pam Anderson, Director of the emergency Red Cross shelter said that many people with animals had come and left.

The air was thick with smoke, and ash was raining down on the parking lot where dog owners, not able to take their dogs into the shelter were camping out in pup tents andin their cars.

Those who could afford it checked themselves into pet friendly hotels in nearby towns.

Some were prepared. Jane Garner, a small dog breeder was able to get all her animals out, and had set up her puppy runs alongside her RV in the parking lot. Others were not doing too well, having left home without as much as a leash.

The same scenario played out at the Red Cross shelter at Hemet High School. Animals were being boarded in vans, trailers and cars and small travel crates.

When MuttShack Animal Rescue arrived, a small fracas had sent several dogs off in different directions, running out of the school parking lot down busy streets necessitating an instant rescue response.

The Incident Command for the Esperanza Animals, Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto welcomed MuttShack‘s offer to help at the shelters.

Ramona Humane Society had recently published a notice in their Newsletter about the newly passed “PETS Act”and warned owners not wait until a major disaster such as an earthquake or fireto prepare. “Be proactive to ensure that your pet will be taken care of.”

MuttShack and PetSmart Charities set up ad hoc facilities for the animals at both shelters.

The Red Cross shelter, run by Madison Burtchaell of the Orange County Red Cross was very accommodating about allowing a small emergency pet shelter adjacent to the School.

Barbara A. Fought of PetSmart Charities, an organization that works with animal welfare organizations and provide assistance in disasters, provided crates and emergency supplies.

MuttShack and Red Cross volunteers, Martin St. John, Tom Hamilton, and Steve Meissner helped assemble the crates to secure a safe environment for evacuated pets.

It was a great relief for evacuees who had camped out in the parking lot to finally leave their vehicles and relax at the shelter, setting up their cots to grab some sorely needed rest.

Firefighters and residents reported loss of wildlife and animals. The Esperanza fire burned 34 homes, consumed 40,000 acres and cost five Firefighters their lives before it was contained four days later on October 30. Firefighting operations cost nearly $10 million.

MuttShack Animal Rescue is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization active in disasters and dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and care of lost or discarded dogs, cats and other animals.