">
MSN Encarta introduces wiki-like enhancements
January 24, 2022 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

April 9, 2005

This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Microsoft’s Encarta has announced the addition of a blog as well as some wiki-like functionality to the online subscription encyclopedia.Encarta is welcoming revision suggestions from their users, but they have a disclaimer:

Encarta is different from open-content encyclopedias found elsewhere on the Web that post users’ changes immediately.

When the changes are implemented at Encarta, readers can click an “Edit this article” link to have their contribution reviewed by editors at Microsoft for possible use.

The web enhancement has introduced a minor security glitch for the subscription service. When trying to look up an article on Encarta as a non-subscriber, web surfers receive a teaser page suggesting the user sign up for a subscription [1]. However, using the editor URL for the same article will get a WYSIWYG display of the article requested; a simple way around the subscription requirement [2].

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=MSN_Encarta_introduces_wiki-like_enhancements&oldid=4635197”
">
China and Europe face new avian flu outbreaks
January 23, 2022 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

China has announced a new outbreak of avian flu today along with similar cases in Russia, Romania, and Macedonia.

China’s news agency reported that 2,600 birds have died of the H5N1 strain in northern China, declaring that the outbreak was found in a breeding facility in Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia. The government maintains the epidemic is under control.

Russia is waiting for confirmation that it was the H5N1 strain that killed several hundred ducks near Moscow; if the tests return positive it will be a major spread of the virus across the Ural Mountains, into European Russia.

A small village in southern Macedonia also suspects the strain. Plans are already made to kill 10,000 birds to contain the outbreak.

Romania confirmed that there has been another outbreak in the Danube Delta area. The strain was confirmed there last weekend, whereupon 4,500 birds were destroyed.

H5N1 is the strain scientists fear could be transmitted from human to human, causing a flu pandemic. So far 50 people have died of it, all having worked closely with birds. It is not easy to pass the disease from bird to human.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=China_and_Europe_face_new_avian_flu_outbreaks&oldid=4580344”
">
Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England
January 20, 2022 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Monday, December 2, 2013

Police in the West Midlands in England today said nearly 200 kilograms worth of drugs with value possibly as great as £30 million (about US$49 million or €36 million) has been seized from a unit in the town of Brownhills. In what an officer described as “one of the largest [seizures] in the force’s 39 year history”, West Midlands Police reported recovering six big cellophane-wrapped cardboard boxes containing cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA (“ecstasy”) in a police raid operation on the Maybrook Industrial Estate in the town on Wednesday.

The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated

The seized boxes, which had been loaded onto five freight pallets, contained 120 one-kilogram bags of cannabis, 50 one-kilogram bags of MDMA, and five one-kilogram bricks of cocaine. In a press release, West Midlands Police described what happened after officers found the drugs as they were being unloaded in the operation. “When officers opened the boxes they discovered a deep layer of protective foam chips beneath which the drugs were carefully layered”, the force said. “All the drugs were wrapped in thick plastic bags taped closed with the cannabis vacuum packed to prevent its distinctive pungent aroma from drawing unwanted attention.” Police moved the drugs via forklift truck to a flatbed lorry to remove them.

Detective Sergeant Carl Russell of West Midlands Police’s Force CID said the seizure was the largest he had ever made in the 24 years he has been in West Midlands Police and one of the biggest seizures the force has made since its formation in 1974. “The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated”, he said. “The drugs had almost certainly been packed to order ready for shipping within Britain but possibly even further afield. Our operation will have a national effect and we are working closely with a range of law enforcement agencies to identify those involved in this crime at whatever level.”

Expert testing on the drugs is ongoing. Estimates described as “conservative” suggest the value of the drugs amounts to £10 million (about US$16.4 million or €12 million), although they could be worth as much as £30 million, subject to purity tests, police said.

Police arrested three men at the unit on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug. The men, a 50-year-old from Brownhills, a 51-year-old from the Norton area of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, and one aged 53 from Brownhills, have been released on bail as police investigations to “hunt those responsible” continue. West Midlands Police told Wikinews no person has yet been charged in connection with the seizure. Supplying a controlled drug is an imprisonable offence in England, although length of jail sentences vary according to the class and quantity of drugs and the significance of offenders’ roles in committing the crime.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Police_report_drug_haul_seizure_worth_up_to_£30_million_in_Brownhills,_England&oldid=2611781”

Offshore Banking In The Bahamas The Benefits And Drawbacks

January 20, 2022 · Property Investment · (No comments)

By Kate Hobbs

When most people think about offshore banking, they think about the wealthiest people in the world or the world of spies and international crime! For years, these banks have mostly been associated with the super wealthy or criminals who are trying to hide their money. But the truth is that offshore banking is something that is perfectly legal – in fact, a lot of ordinary people do it, as well. In very basic terms, offshore banking simply refers to the practice of opening a bank account outside of your native country. Why do people do it? Mainly because of the tax benefits but there are other advantages to these accounts, as well. There are also a few disadvantages to these accounts.

A World Of Benefits

The Bahamas, along with places like Austria and the Cayman Islands are among the top places for offshore accounts. Apart from the tax breaks, people may opt for offshore accounts in the Bahamas for a number of other reasons. For one thing, these accounts offer the depositor greater privacy, thanks to the Swiss Banking Act of 1934. If the depositor lives in a politically or economically unstable country, storing money in offshore accounts can be a real life-saver. If for any reason they need to flee their homes to another country, they will still have their money safe in the bank. Unstable countries may also resort to freezing bank accounts and offshore accounts bypasses that risk.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kAUzJjCYqM[/youtube]

When compared to interest rates in your home country, chances are that you will get better rates with an offshore account. This is because most offshore banks have much lower overheads and no government intervention – hence they can offer higher interest rates to their clients. Apart from this, offshore accounts entitle the depositor to a number of services they may not be able to get with a domestic bank. This includes better loan rates and the ability to keep your banking details anonymous.

The Downside

Offshore bank accounts in the Bahamas do have their drawbacks, however. For instance, actual physical contact is reduced to an absolute minimum. Thanks to the internet and other global technology, you can easily run your account via phone or email. However, it can be hard to access information immediately – many offshore banks are working on ways to minimize this problem.

Given the world of benefits that these offshore accounts give you, it’s only natural that they be on the expensive side. Opening up an offshore account and maintaining it costs considerably more than keeping an ordinary domestic account. Apart from that, there is still a stigma attached to offshore banking. It’s true that in the past, these banks have been used by the mafia and illegal organizations. There have also been recent concerns that offshore banks have been holding money for different terrorist outfits. Offshore accounts are perfectly legal and are used by numerous well-respected dignitaries from all around the world.

If you have the funds to open and maintain an offshore account, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t! While it might be expensive, the tax benefits and other perks certainly make such an account worth the effort!

About the Author: Features Canadian finance resources on

Offshore Banking

, Personal Finance, and

Debt Consolidation Canada

. When doing research for Canadian Finance issues, consider the Financial Advocate.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=358916&ca=Finances

Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England

">
Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England
January 19, 2022 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Monday, December 2, 2013

Police in the West Midlands in England today said nearly 200 kilograms worth of drugs with value possibly as great as £30 million (about US$49 million or €36 million) has been seized from a unit in the town of Brownhills. In what an officer described as “one of the largest [seizures] in the force’s 39 year history”, West Midlands Police reported recovering six big cellophane-wrapped cardboard boxes containing cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA (“ecstasy”) in a police raid operation on the Maybrook Industrial Estate in the town on Wednesday.

The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated

The seized boxes, which had been loaded onto five freight pallets, contained 120 one-kilogram bags of cannabis, 50 one-kilogram bags of MDMA, and five one-kilogram bricks of cocaine. In a press release, West Midlands Police described what happened after officers found the drugs as they were being unloaded in the operation. “When officers opened the boxes they discovered a deep layer of protective foam chips beneath which the drugs were carefully layered”, the force said. “All the drugs were wrapped in thick plastic bags taped closed with the cannabis vacuum packed to prevent its distinctive pungent aroma from drawing unwanted attention.” Police moved the drugs via forklift truck to a flatbed lorry to remove them.

Detective Sergeant Carl Russell of West Midlands Police’s Force CID said the seizure was the largest he had ever made in the 24 years he has been in West Midlands Police and one of the biggest seizures the force has made since its formation in 1974. “The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated”, he said. “The drugs had almost certainly been packed to order ready for shipping within Britain but possibly even further afield. Our operation will have a national effect and we are working closely with a range of law enforcement agencies to identify those involved in this crime at whatever level.”

Expert testing on the drugs is ongoing. Estimates described as “conservative” suggest the value of the drugs amounts to £10 million (about US$16.4 million or €12 million), although they could be worth as much as £30 million, subject to purity tests, police said.

Police arrested three men at the unit on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug. The men, a 50-year-old from Brownhills, a 51-year-old from the Norton area of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, and one aged 53 from Brownhills, have been released on bail as police investigations to “hunt those responsible” continue. West Midlands Police told Wikinews no person has yet been charged in connection with the seizure. Supplying a controlled drug is an imprisonable offence in England, although length of jail sentences vary according to the class and quantity of drugs and the significance of offenders’ roles in committing the crime.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Police_report_drug_haul_seizure_worth_up_to_£30_million_in_Brownhills,_England&oldid=2611781”

South Gippsland, Australia local council candidate Sue Plowright speaks with Wikinews about environment, education, and other local issues

">
South Gippsland, Australia local council candidate Sue Plowright speaks with Wikinews about environment, education, and other local issues
January 18, 2022 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Since June 2019, the people of South Gippsland Shire, located at the southernmost tip of Australia, have been without a local council, after a state government inquiry found “high levels of tension” within the council. Administrators were appointed by the Victorian state government in July 2019, who have governed the shire since then. However, South Gippsland’s council is scheduled to be restored with an election to be held via post from October 5-22, 2021.

Wikinews interviewed one of the candidates standing in this election, Sue Plowright. She is an independent contesting the Coastal-Promontory ward, which covers towns such as Venus Bay, Waratah Bay, Yanakie, Foster, Port Welshpool, and Toora. The Coastal-Promontory Ward elects three councillors to the South Gippsland Shire Council.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=South_Gippsland,_Australia_local_council_candidate_Sue_Plowright_speaks_with_Wikinews_about_environment,_education,_and_other_local_issues&oldid=4645593”

Did Rev. Dr. Malachi K. York Receive A Fair Trial?

January 15, 2022 · Lawyers · (No comments)

I am sure that many people were fascinated by the Child Molestation Case (which later included money structuring and laundering), that was brought against Rev. Dr. Malachi Kobina York as I was. He is often referred to simply as Rev. York or Dr. York. I for one, followed the case which seemed to have conveniently come during the almost everyday news of Catholic Priests being charged with child molestation charges, Michael Jackson and R&B Singer R. Kelley are also high profile figures who were in the arena for illicit acts with minors as well. After reading the different articles that were posted in the newspapers that are local to the Eatonton, GA area, and listening to the OPINIONS of those who, let’s say, had a prejudiced bias towards the Nuwaupians, I too had begun to give in to the media’s reporting, that was often one-sided to be mild.

This all changed one day when I was in Atlanta, GA and saw a Nuwaupian out propagating the doctrine of the Nuwaupians that Dr. York says he teaches for the benefit of human-kind. This well-spoken and polite young man gave me a flyer and told me to look at the evidence with an open-mind and weigh it against what the prosecution had presented in the trial. One point that the propagator made that stuck with me and nagged at me was if there was such a slam dunk, open and shut, and airtight case against Dr. York, why did the prosecution seal the transcripts and close the court to the public? As I walked away, he left me with one thought, weigh our evidence against theirs and see who really won the case.

1. After reading the flyer it became quite evident why die-hard supporters of Rev. York still maintain to this day HE IS INNOCENT. The judge that presided over the case was U.S. District Court Judge C. Ashley Royal, which leads to the first point in the merit of Dr. York’s evidence. The Father-in-law of Dr. York was in the care of Oconee Regional Hospital and died. A subsequent law suit was filed by the survivors of the deceased against the care provider and the then attorney, C. Ashley Royal was their defense. Royal lost the trial and the family did get a settlement. This is one of the reasons the Nuwaupians feel there is no way as judge for the case, C. Ashley Royal could have been completely neutral. There were times during the trial when Judge Royal reportedly asked the prosecution why they didn’t ask certain questions or present certain things into into motion. There were also multiple occasions when he actually blocked the defense from calling witnesses to the stand who had direct contact and conversations with some of the prosecution’s witnesses that could very well have changed the outcome of the trial.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ydjOym11DI[/youtube]

2. The lead investigator for the FBI, Juliane Ward, in her own testimony admitted that they did not have enough evidence to prove that Rev. York transported minors across state lines (The Mann Act) for the purpose of engaging in illicit acts with them. This is very significant because the notion of transporting minors for sexual purposes was supposed to be the basis of the whole trial to begin. One would think how could the trial even go any further after testimony from the lead investigator that she didn’t even have enough evidence to persecute.

3. The jury was tainted by pre-trial publicity and anonymously hand-picked by Judge Royal himself. Royal changed the venue of the trial which was supposed to be, as he indicated, to be in a place that was free of pre-trial publicity. The place he picked, Brunswick, GA, just happens to be his home town, where he obviously has more influence and power to say the least. There were six months that passed before the trial even began, which definitely destroyed by way of the media any chance for the whole area not to be influenced by pre-trial publicity. At the bond hearing, Judge Claude Hicks compared Dr. York to Jim Jones, Jim Baker, and Jimmy Swagger, presuming guilt through association. Soon there after, the arresting Sheriff of Putnam County, GA, Howard Richard Sills labeled Dr. York a serial pedophile- prior to a conviction.

4. The Federal Agents had the wrong name on the warrant when they came to arrest Rev. York. Their warrant had Dwight D. York listed as the one to be apprehended and it is very much documented that Dr. York’s full name is Malachi Kobina York. This is clearly a violation of his right to due process of law.

5. Judge Royal, being so hell- bent on exacting revenge against York, violated one of the very laws that he was sworn in to protect. On January 19, 2004, Judge Royal allowed trial to proceed, Case #5:03-CV-00422-2(CAR), this just happened to be the day that the Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday fell. Many people may not know that this is a violation of a federal holiday of criminal procedure 6103 Rule 56 which states: “No Court Shall Be Held On A Statute Holiday.”

6. From May 8, 2002 A.D., all the way up to his illegal plea agreement on January 24, 2003, for more than six months, Dr. York endured torturous treatment. This was to include being placed in double solitary confinement, no phone call privileges, and being forced to remain in cell with temperatures as high as 95 degrees. Point being made here is that no where on Dr. York’s paper work was he listed as dangerous or a high risk of flight. Also, he was denied medical treatment for a condition that he suffers from called Hereditary Angioedema. This disease has symptoms of swollen respiratory passages and is triggered by stress, it can also be fatal if left untreated. I would like to remind the reader that Rev. York was a 57 year old man at the time of this mistreatment.

These are six points that I thought were quite interesting to say the least. There is a plethora more that are too numerous to list and explain in one article. However, I think the point of what the followers of Dr. York have been saying all this time should be clear by way of these few examples, that something stinks in the Middle District of Georgia for the 11th Judicial Circuit. It seems as if Judge C. Ashley Royal has given the whole state of Georgia a black eye that is going to take quite some time to heal. It also seems if thinking all the judicial misconduct by Judge Royal, would simply go unnoticed, unpublicized, and get swept under the rug, the 11th Circuit had better think again if the Nuwaupians have anything to say about it.

Article Source: sooperarticles.com/business-articles/press-release-articles/did-rev-dr-malachi-k-york-receive-fair-trial-292972.html

About Author:

Learn about how modern day lynching has ruined the reputation of a honorable man with the wrongful conviction of Dr. Malachi YorkAuthor: Alpha Mcguire

Volkswagen emissions scandal may affect thousands more cars

">
Volkswagen emissions scandal may affect thousands more cars
January 15, 2022 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

The Volkswagen emissions scandal continued yesterday with the company announcing 800,000 mainly diesel vehicles may also be affected by carbon dioxide emissions problems.

The company stated “the safety of the vehicles is in no way compromised”. They estimated potentially this could cost them €2bn on top of the €6.7bn set aside to pay for the cost of correcting 11 million cars affected when the scandal broke, in addition to fines by regulators.

the safety of the vehicles is in no way compromised

This follows Monday’s revelation that the emissions scandal has affected up to 10,000 vehicles sold in the USA by brands in the Volkswagen group, although the company refutes the allegation. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the regulatory body which has been investigating Volkswagen, claims the company fitted a number of recent Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen models with technology that initiates secret components during emission tests to ensure the results are favourable.

The scandal began with damaging revelations that the car manufacturer has been using illegal software to enable diesel cars to cheat on mandatory emissions tests. This lead to a public apology on September 20 by then-chief executive Martin Winterkorn and the promise of an outside inquiry. He then resigned on September 23, and was replaced by Matthias Müller. The new allegation about Porsche is of particular concern for Müller, because he had previously been in charge of Porsche.

The company is expected to foot the bill for the recall of close to 500,000 VW and Audi cars affected at the time. There is also the possibility of Volkswagen having to pay federal fines of up to US$18 billion dollars because the US Clean Air Act sets a maximum fine of US$37,500 for each vehicle that contravenes the requirements of the Act.

An investigation into alleged breaches of environmental law was originally initiated on the advice of the International Council on Clean Transportation, a European non-governmental organisation. The EPA requested tests be carried out by West Virginia University, where the secret software was discovered.

The software, known as a “defeat device”, enabled cars to identify when they were being tested and to switch on the emission control system. The devices may have been adding urea to the car exhaust because that would reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide. The car would release a fraction of the nitrogen oxide compared to when they were being driven normally. Emissions of nitrogen oxide contribute to smog and are thought to have caused a rise in respiratory illnesses like asthma.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Volkswagen_emissions_scandal_may_affect_thousands_more_cars&oldid=4477981”

Crossing guard killed by truck in Glasgow, Scotland

">
Crossing guard killed by truck in Glasgow, Scotland
January 13, 2022 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Friday, January 15, 2010

An elderly woman who was a crossing guard or a “lollipop lady” has been killed in an accident involving a truck in Glasgow, Scotland. The woman has been identified as 59-year-old Catherine Gibson, who came from the Dennistoun district of Glasgow. At around 0850 GMT on Thursday, Gibson was assisting children in crossing a road as part of her job near St. Anne’s Primary School, located in the east side of the city. Gibson was suddenly struck by a truck and dragged underneath the wheels of the vehicle. The children being assisted witnessed the entire collision.

After the accident occurred, Gibson was transported to a hospital but died shortly afterwards. The truck driver, who is aged 64, was not injured in the crash. The vehicle itself was taken away from the scene of the accident at approximately 1200 GMT on the same day. A person working in a garage near where the accident occurred said: “There were children waiting to cross the road and they were all screaming and crying. They all ran back from where the accident had happened. She was found face down and it looked as though the lorry had driven over her shoulder. She was alive when she was found but died a short time later. It was horrific and the kids will probably need counselling.

“It could have been a case of the driver not being able to see her because the vehicle is quite high as he caught her on the passenger side. It’s not clear whether she gave him enough time to stop or whether the driver has failed to stop. It was snowing as well so that could have been a factor.”

Louise Jarvie is the head teacher of St. Anne’s Primary School. “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family at this very sad time,” she said in reference to the incident. “Support and counselling for pupils and staff will be available to anyone who needs it.”

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Crossing_guard_killed_by_truck_in_Glasgow,_Scotland&oldid=1566286”

Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England

">
Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England
January 12, 2022 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Monday, December 2, 2013

Police in the West Midlands in England today said nearly 200 kilograms worth of drugs with value possibly as great as £30 million (about US$49 million or €36 million) has been seized from a unit in the town of Brownhills. In what an officer described as “one of the largest [seizures] in the force’s 39 year history”, West Midlands Police reported recovering six big cellophane-wrapped cardboard boxes containing cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA (“ecstasy”) in a police raid operation on the Maybrook Industrial Estate in the town on Wednesday.

The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated

The seized boxes, which had been loaded onto five freight pallets, contained 120 one-kilogram bags of cannabis, 50 one-kilogram bags of MDMA, and five one-kilogram bricks of cocaine. In a press release, West Midlands Police described what happened after officers found the drugs as they were being unloaded in the operation. “When officers opened the boxes they discovered a deep layer of protective foam chips beneath which the drugs were carefully layered”, the force said. “All the drugs were wrapped in thick plastic bags taped closed with the cannabis vacuum packed to prevent its distinctive pungent aroma from drawing unwanted attention.” Police moved the drugs via forklift truck to a flatbed lorry to remove them.

Detective Sergeant Carl Russell of West Midlands Police’s Force CID said the seizure was the largest he had ever made in the 24 years he has been in West Midlands Police and one of the biggest seizures the force has made since its formation in 1974. “The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated”, he said. “The drugs had almost certainly been packed to order ready for shipping within Britain but possibly even further afield. Our operation will have a national effect and we are working closely with a range of law enforcement agencies to identify those involved in this crime at whatever level.”

Expert testing on the drugs is ongoing. Estimates described as “conservative” suggest the value of the drugs amounts to £10 million (about US$16.4 million or €12 million), although they could be worth as much as £30 million, subject to purity tests, police said.

Police arrested three men at the unit on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug. The men, a 50-year-old from Brownhills, a 51-year-old from the Norton area of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, and one aged 53 from Brownhills, have been released on bail as police investigations to “hunt those responsible” continue. West Midlands Police told Wikinews no person has yet been charged in connection with the seizure. Supplying a controlled drug is an imprisonable offence in England, although length of jail sentences vary according to the class and quantity of drugs and the significance of offenders’ roles in committing the crime.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Police_report_drug_haul_seizure_worth_up_to_£30_million_in_Brownhills,_England&oldid=2611781”