Friday, November 3, 2006
On November 13, Torontonians will be heading to the polls to vote for their ward’s councillor and for mayor. Among Toronto’s ridings is Scarborough-Agincourt (Ward 39). Two candidates responded to Wikinews’ requests for an interview. This ward’s candidates include Wayne Cook, Mike Del Grande (incumbent), Samuel Kung, Lushan Lu, Sunshine Smith, and John Wong.
For more information on the election, read Toronto municipal election, 2006.
A compilation of brief news reports for Friday, November 7, 2008.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Labour Party candidate Lindsay Roy defeated the Scottish Nationalist candidate by 6,737 votes, to win the UK parliamentary seat for Glenrothes in Scotland. Opinion polls had predicted a close race, but personal campaigning by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and a high turnout of 52% in Thursday’s vote, secured a high margin for the UK’s governing party.
Friday, November 7, 2008
28 people were wounded and at least 11 are dead after an explosion in the centre of Vladikavkaz, capital of the North Ossetia region of Russia.Local authorities suspect that Thursday’s explosion was caused by a female suicide bomber.
Friday, November 7, 2008
At 0719 UTC (6.19 on Friday evening local time) a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 120 kilometres (75 miles) north east of the South Pacific island of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.It was followed by several less powerful aftershocks. Reports from the US geological service placed the focus of the quakes at a depth of 35 km.Press reports say that no tsunami warnings were issued.
Vanuatu experienced a similar earthquake on Wednesday, near the island of Efate. That event had a magnitude of 6.3.
Friday, November 7, 2008 17:46:00
American car manufacturer General Motors has lost 2.5 billion US dollars in its third quarter of 2008. The hemorrhage of cash has prompted GM to suspend talks of a “strategic acquisition” that some business analysts say may be referring to a possible buyout of Chrysler. Revenue has fallen nearly 5.8 billion dollars, greatly due to the recent global economic crisis which has caused consumers to sharply cut back on spending. The report indicates that GM could go bankrupt in 2009 without government assistance.
Friday, November 7, 2008
World stock markets posted another drop at close of trading yesterday.Blue chip indices showed losses of 3.55% in Tokyo and 6.84% in Frankfurt.Oil prices echoed the trend, falling to $60.77 per barrel, down 6.94%.
| Index | Country | Wednesday close | Thursday close | Change +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAC 40 | France | 3618.11 | 3387.25 | -6.38 % |
| DOW JONES | USA | 9139.27 | 8695.79 | -4.85 % |
| Nasdaq Comp | USA | 1681.64 | 1608.70 | -4.34 % |
| SBF 120 | France | 2590.99 | 2426.35 | -6.35 % |
| Dax Xetra | Germany | 5166.87 | 4813.57 | -6.84 % |
| FTSE 100 | UK | 4530.73 | 4272.41 | -5.70 % |
| Nikkei 225 | Japan | 8899.14 (Thu) | 8583.00 (Fri) | -3.55 % |
| Crude oil | USA | 65.30 | 60.77 | -6.94 % |
Friday, September 26, 2008
On October 14, 2008, Canadians will be heading to the polls for the federal election. New Democratic Party incumbent David Christopherson is standing for re-election in the riding of Hamilton Centre.
From 1985-1990, he served as a Hamilton City Councillor for Ward Four. He was elected to Ontario legislature in 1990, defeating a Liberal cabinet minister. Under Bob Rae, Christopherson served as Minister of Correctional Services and Solicitor-General. He did not seek re-election to legislature in 2003, opting to run for mayor of Hamilton. Considered a frontrunner, he lost to Larry Di Ianni.
He returned to politics just months later, changing his focus to federal politics. Christopherson beat Liberal cabinet minister Stan Keyes, the incumbent, serving as NDP critic for cities, community infrastructure, labour and steel policy. He has served as a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Steel Caucus.
Wikinews contacted David Christopherson, to talk about the issues facing Canadians, and what they and their party would do to address them. Wikinews is in the process of contacting every candidate, in every riding across the country, no matter their political stripe. All interviews are conducted over e-mail, and interviews are published unedited, allowing candidates to impart their full message to our readers, uninterrupted.
First elected in 2004, David Christopherson is the only MP to have represented Hamilton Centre, which was created in 2003 from parts of three other ridings. Only 38 km², small versus other area ridings, its located on the south side of Hamilton Harbour. Alphabetically, Christopherson’s challengers are Anthony Giles (Libertarian), John Livingstone (Green), Lisa Nussey (Marxist-Leninist), Leon O’Connor (Conservative), Ryan Sparrow (Communist), and Helen M. Wilson (Liberal).
For more information, visit the campaign’s official website, listed below.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Two car-rigged explosions in Baghdad killed 15 and injured nearly 40 people beside a Shiite Ahl al-Bait mosque Sunday. In Tikrit, 140km northeast of Baghdad, 6 were killed and nearly 26 injured in two suicide bombings. A car bomber drove into police assembled in an academy compound and detonated, then a second car bomber attacked a nearby army liaison office 20 minutes later.
In the Baghdad attack, the bombings took place in the western al-Shoulah district in front of an ice cream shop near the mosque. The first blast was followed within minutes by the second blast after witnesses to the first bomb rushed in to help survivors.
The anti-coalition insurgencies Sunday inflicted its heaviest toll since the national elections held January 30.
The violence, aimed mostly at Iraqi security forces and Shiite strongholds, is partly blamed on the struggling National Assembly’s efforts to gain a consensus in forming a new government. The lack of leadership has led to appointments of police and security officials with no consent from the Interior Ministry, and is against the requirement of the law. The lack of authority diminishes Iraqi efforts to put down and pursue rebel forces.
Ahmed Chalabi, now-exiled, but a one time a seeker the Iraqi Prime Minister position himself and also a provider of US intelligence on weapons programs, said “We need a government immediately. The delay in forming a government has encouraged the terrorists.”
By late Sunday, reports indicate Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ibrahim al-Jaafari was ready to name a cabinet as early as today or Tuesday, but such hopes have gone unfulfilled in the past. Efforts to include candidates in contentious top cabinet posts with Sunni parliamentarians led by the former PM Iyad Allawi may be abandoned to speed filling the positions.
The dominant Shiite United Iraqi Alliance took 146 of the 275 seats in parliament, while the main Kurdish bloc took 77. To many, exclusion of the Sunni representatives in posts such as defense or interior minister, or either oil and finance minister, is untenable when they control 40 parliamentary seats.
Other reports Sunday include:
Saturday, July 15, 2006
As the conflict in the Middle East goes into its fourth day, Israel launched more air strikes against targets in Lebanon. Israel has also reportedly served Syria with a 72 hour ultimatum to stop the Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel and secure the release of two captured Israeli soldiers.
Israel said Saturday that Hezbollah fired two radar-guided, C802 missiles at an Israeli warship on Friday. Israel earlier said that the ship was hit by an explosives-laden drone. The ship, INS Hanit, was in Lebanese waters near Beirut Friday when it was hit. The first rocket was said to miss and the second hit the helicopter deck. Four Israeli sailors were reported missing, two later confirmed dead, as the ship caught fire. The ship has since been towed back to an Israeli sea port.
The Israeli military said that up to 100 elite Iranian Revolutionary Guards had assisted Hezbollah in providing and helping firing C-802 missiles. This was denied by Iran and Hezbollah. Iran called it an attempt “to escape reality with the aim of covering up (Israel’s) inability to confront the Lebanese nation and resistance”.
An Israeli missile incinerated the people inside a van near the southern port of Tyre, killing eight children and nine adults and also wounding six others. Police said the vehicle the Israelis destroyed was carrying refugees fleeing the village of Marwaheen after Israel told them to flee via a loudspeaker announcement. Some Lebanese civilians sought shelter at a Ghanaian UN position, but were turned away and went back to the village; they were attacked as they fled for the second time.
Early on Saturday, more C-802 missiles were fired toward Israeli warships. According to the Israeli military, the missiles missed their intended target but hit and sank an Egyptian merchant ship.
Israel has given Syria a 72 hour ultimatum to stop Hezbollah’s activity, according to London-based Arabic language newspaper Al-Hayat and a senior source in the United States Pentagon or else Israel “would launch an offensive with disastrous consequences.”.[1] The ultimatum also included the release of kidnapped IDF troops. Israel stated that if such a situation did not come about, they may attack targets within Syria.
Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora declared Lebanon a “disaster zone” Saturday and called upon the international community for a cease-fire and help to stop the Israeli “war machine”. He added; “These are hours for unity, not for division”.
Russian PM Vladimir Putin commented early Saturday that he suspected Israel had more on its agenda than rescuing kidnapped soldiers. Putin said at a G-8 press conference in St Petersburg that “it is our impression that aside from seeking to return the abducted soldiers, Israel is pursuing wider goals”, without elaborating his statement.[2]
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Fourteen houses have been destroyed and another 3 damaged by a bush fire burning in Jarrah forests and farmland near the historical timber town of Dwellingup 70km south east of Perth, Western Australia.
The fire has also destroyed approximately 100 power poles, leading to a loss of telecommunication services to the town and affecting water supplies. Mobile generators have been installed for emergency power.
Steve Slavin, spokesman for Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), said that 250 fire-fighters are containing the fire with crews concentrating on the southern front, which is now within 3 km of the town.
Mr Slavin said “Our concern is that winds this afternoon will be swinging around to the south and increasing in intensity.” “It’s making us nervous. The advice we’re giving to people in Dwellingup is if they’ve decided that they will leave, this would be a good time to do it”
In separate fires near North Yunderup, Greenfields and Parkland have affected transmission lines supplying power to approximately 56,000 properties.
Additional fires are burning near Toodyay 85km north east of Perth, Another fire is burning near Williams approximately 160 south east of Perth and 90Km east of Dwellingup. And in the southern rural suburb of Forrestdale. These fires are reported to be under control.
Western Australian Police Arson squad are investigating these fires as some appear to be deliberately lit. The Police are also investigating the death of a women in her mid 20’s who died on Saturday after her car rolled while fleeing the fire near Toodyay.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
A magnitude 8.1 undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami that has killed at least fifteen people, including six children, in the Solomon Islands. Tsunami warnings have been issued for parts of Australia as well.
According to the US Geological Survey, the magnitude 8.0 quake struck Sunday, April 1, 2007 at 20:39:56 (UTC) about 45 km (25 mi) south-southeast of Gizo, New Georgia Islands, Solomon Islands, at a depth of 10 km.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
On Monday, San Jose, California, US-based software company Adobe Systems announced their plans to acquire California-based e-commerce handling web service Magento Commerce for 1.68 billion US dollars (USD). After Adobe made the announcement via their official website, Adobe’s stocks rose by around one percent, ending Monday extended trading at USD 238.10 per share.
Magento provides services for the creation of digital ads and handling of online transactions. Magento’s services are used by Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Warner Music, and Canon. The acquisition, which is expected to take place in the third fiscal quarter of this year, is to be an all-cash deal. Adobe is to acquire Magento from Permira equity firm. In 2015, Permira bought Magento from eBay, an eCommerce website. Adobe, in their official statement, said, “Magento Commerce Cloud will enable commerce to be seamlessly integrated into the Adobe Experience Cloud”.
Adobe also announced a buyback of shares worth USD eight billion by 2021. Magento’s CEO Mark Lavelle said, “Adobe and Magento share a vision for the future of digital experiences that brings together Adobe’s strength in content and data with Magento’s open commerce innovation […] We’re excited to join Adobe and believe this will be a great opportunity for our customers, partners and developer community”.
After the announcement, stocks of Magento’s competitors Shopify, Inc dropped by about 4.8%. They finished extended trading at USD 137.60 after the announcement.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A Scottish woman who set out before Christmas to purchase a turkey finally made it home on Monday, after being cut off by snow for a month. Kay Ure left the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage on Cape Wrath, at the very northwest tip of Great Britain, in December. She was heading to Inverness on a shopping trip.
However on her return journey heavy snow and ice prevented her husband, John, from travelling the last 11 miles to pick her up. She was forced to wait a month in a friend’s caravan, before the weather improved and the couple could finally be reunited.
They were separated not just for Christmas and New Year, but also for Mr Ure’s 58th birthday. With no fresh supplies, he was reduced to celebrating with a tin of baked beans. He also ran out of coal, and had to feed the couple’s six springer spaniels on emergency army rations.
“It’s the first time we’ve been separated”, said Mr Ure in December. “We’ve been snowed in here for three weeks before, so we are well used to it and it’s quite nice to get a bit of peace and quiet.”