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Female sponge contraceptive re-approved for US market

Saturday, April 23, 2005

What was once the most widely sold contraceptive for millions of women, the Today® Sponge, has been re-approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be brought back for sale to the American marketplace, as early as this summer.

The reintroduction of the sponge, demanded by many women for years, is noteworthy because it offers certain distinct advantages versus other forms of contraceptive:

  • It does not interfere with the natural sensations of intercourse, compared with male or female condoms.
  • It does not require multiple applications of contraceptive gel or cream, unlike the diaphragm.
  • It remains effective at preventing pregnancies for up to 24 hours after insertion, even with several acts of sexual intercourse.
  • It will legally be made available over-the-counter an estimated price of $7.49 to $8.99 for a package of 3.

The sponge does not, however, protect against sexually transmitted diseases, and it carries with it certain minor risks which should be noted by potential users.

  • There is a minor risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome, a risk also carried by certain other female hygiene products, such as tampons.
  • Product should not be inserted during menstruation, and should be removed after no more than 30 hours of continuous use.

The sponge has also been found less effective as a form of birth control than oral contraceptives, Depo-Provera injections or an intrauterine device (IUD), although similar in effectiveness to the male condom. A pregnancy rate of 13 to 16% is expected from a year of “typical use” as a standalone method of birth control. The product varies in effectiveness depending on if the woman forgets to insert the device before intercourse, uses the device incorrectly, or fails to wait at least 6 hours after intercourse before removing the device.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Female_sponge_contraceptive_re-approved_for_US_market&oldid=1982804”
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Open source game developer Perttu Ahola talks about Minetest with Wikinews

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Recently, Finnish open-source video game developer Perttu Ahola discussed Minetest, his “longest ever project”, with Wikinews.

Started in October 2010, Minetest was an attempt by Ahola to create a sandbox game similar to Minecraft. Minecraft is a multi-platform commercial game, which was in alpha version when Ahola challenged himself to create something similar to it from scratch, he told Wikinews.

Minetest is an open-source game, which is free for anyone to download and play. It is written in the C++ programming language, and the source code is available on code-hosting site GitHub. According to Ahola, Minetest attempts to run on older hardware, with limited graphics, but to be accessible to more people: those who have outdated technology, and making it available for no cost. Minecraft, on the other hand, is a paid game, currently costing USD 26.95 for its computer version. Minecraft is currently owned by Microsoft, and performs poorly on older hardware.

A correspondent from French Wikinews contacted Perttu Ahola via Internet Relay Chat a few weeks ago, discussing Minecraft. This interview is built on top of the previous interview, as we take a deeper dive into knowing more about this free game which is about to turn ten years old in a few months.

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UK pay freeze on public sector employees will end next year

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

On Monday, United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak revealed in a media briefing that he will confirm in his Budget, scheduled for half-noon Wednesday, an end to the partial pay freeze on 2.6 million public sector employees introduced last November, alongside a 6.6% increase to the National Living Wage.

Sunak used the fall in wages during COVID-19 to justify his “pause” in public sector employees’ pay that exempted 2.9 million National Health Service workers and those earning under GBP24 thousand per year, but applied to 2.6 million teachers, police, civil servants and members of the British Armed Forces. While a pay rise is in order from spring next year, the precise details are pending consultation by independent advisers and pay review bodies, according to the i. The Guardian writes some 5.7 million public sector employees could see a pay rise.

In addition, about two million on minimum wage, including some from the above 5.7 million, could benefit from an increase in the national minimum and national living wages. According to the i and The Guardian, the National Living Wage applicable for over-23s will increase by 59p to GBP9.50 an hour from next April, about GBP1000 for a full-time worker, in line with recommendations from independent advisory board the Low Pay Commission. The National Minimum Wage for those aged 21 to 22 will rise 82p to GBP9.18 an hour, and the Apprenticeship Rate will go up 51p to GBP4.81 an hour.

However, according to senior research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies Tom Waters: “While this boosts earnings for full-time minimum wage workers by over £1,000 a year, those on universal credit will see their disposable income go up by just £250 because their taxes rise and benefit receipt falls as their earnings increase.” Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury and Labour MP Bridget Phillipson said the offer was “underwhelming”, and “[m]uch of it will be swallowed up by the government’s tax rises, universal credit cuts and failure to get a grip on energy bills”. UK inflation rose 2.9% the year to September, according to the Office of National Statistics.

Phillipson contrasted Sunak’s measures with those of a Labour government, according to The Independent: “With a new deal for workers, exploitative practices like zero hours contracts banned, Fire and rehire outlawed, a minimum wage of at least £10 an hour and fair pay agreements, a Labour government will transform work and raise standards.”

However, the Daily Mirror says Mr Sunak is considering a rise to GBP10.50 an hour, and the qualifying age for the National Living Wage lowered from 25 to 21 by the next election in 2024. This would match or exceed Labour’s pledge of “a decent income that you can raise a family on”: an increase of the “minimum wage to at least £10 an hour”.

Mr Sunak said during the media briefing that Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle would later call “riding roughshod” over parliamentarians, that it was “[t]he economic impact and uncertainty of the virus” that led to the “difficult decision to pause private pay”, which “[a]long with our Plan for Jobs, this action helped us protect livelihoods at the height of the pandemic. And now, with the economy firmly back on track, it’s right that nurses, teachers and all the other public-sector workers who played their part during the pandemic see their wages rise.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced at the Conservative Party conference his intent to create a “high-pay, high-skill economy” after Brexit, but it may take years for salary growth to catch up with mounting financial pressures, according to the i.

According to The Guardian, analysis by the Resolution Foundation indicates those impacted by the freeze earned nearly 8% less than their private sector counterparts. The differential widened to 0.6% for all public sector employees, including those exempt. The Office of National Statistics writes total private sector pay grew 8.3% from June to August 2021, while public sector pay grew only 2.5%.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=UK_pay_freeze_on_public_sector_employees_will_end_next_year&oldid=4684870”
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Where To Find The Best Bollywood Movie Ratings In 2013

October, 2013 byAlma Abell

If you love Bollywood cinema, you will definitely want to find out about the newest movies that have come out this year. One of the best ways to do this is to read movie ratings. But, how can you find the best , Bollywood movie ratings in 2013? Fortunately, you have some options. From seeking out some of the best review sites out there, to talking to your friends and family for recommendations, it is easier than ever to find the best Bollywood movie ratings in 2013.

Talk to Your Friends and Family

If you are interested in learning more about Bollywood movies, especially new releases, you will probably want to talk to people you know and trust. If you, for instance, have some friends who are really interested in Bollywood and they always seem to know what movies are out there, ask them how they know. You will likely find that they have a site that they use or even have the ability to read reviews as soon as they come out. You can be fairly certain if your friends or family like a site for Bollywood ratings, you will like it as well.

Find a Ratings Site on Your Own

If you don’t have any friends or family who are interested in Bollywood movies, you may need to search for sites on your own. This isn’t as difficult as it may sound. There are many Bollywood ratings websites out there, but not all of them will really meet your needs. You will know that you have found a good ratings site by the content of the site. For instance, if they give you a brief synopsis as well as a reason for their review, you can be fairly sure that this is a good site.

In addition to reviews, you will also be able to find information about the movies on a good site. For instance, you can see what actors are part of the movie, who directed the movie and other useful information. On top of that, you should seek out a site that offers other information like blogs, trailers, rankings and other information that movie lovers will seek out. When you find a site like that, you can be sure that you are using a site that will be the best for your needs.

If you are seeking out Bollywood movie ratings in 2013, use the site Rate Movies Here. You can easily find the site online at http://www.ratemovieshere.com.

Sam Brownback on running for President, gay rights, the Middle East and religion

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

Monday, October 15, 2007

Sam Brownback is perplexed. The U.S. Senator from Kansas and Presidential candidate is a Republican whose politics—he is against marriage for gay people, he is against abortion, and he has a clean image in a party tainted by scandal—should speak favorably to the party’s base. But it has not. “I’m baffled by that myself,” Senator Brownback told Wikinews reporter David Shankbone. “We haven’t been able to raise money.”

A recent poll in Iowa has put him in eighth place, with 2% supporting his campaign. “If we don’t finish fourth or better in Iowa…we’ll pull out.”

Senator Brownback’s relationship with God infuses almost every answer you find below. Although he doesn’t feel “competent” to explain why God would dislike gays, he does feel strongly that allowing two men or two women to enter into the union of marriage will destroy it for heterosexuals. Pointing to the research of Stanley Kurtz at the Hoover Institution, Brownback asserts that Northern Europeans have “taken the sacredness out of the institution.”

In the interview, Senator Brownback discusses the tug-and-pull that befalls him when his constituents show up at his office and say, “Look, I’m a conservative, but we need this bridge, we need this subsidy, we need this hospital.” Brownback feels this spending system needs to be changed; however, when it comes to energy policy, Brownback is there for his constituents. David Shankbone asked the Kansas Senator, a supporter of cellulosic ethanol, why he doesn’t support the lowering of tariffs on sugar since sugar ethanol delivers 8 times the energy output of cellulosic ethanol. Brazil, in particular, has become energy independent because of its sugar ethanol program. It’s cheaper to produce, and there is vastly more bang for the buck in sugar fuel than in corn fuel; an entire country no longer needs to import oil because of it. Federal tariffs currently make sugar ethanol too expensive in the United States. “You’re going to kill the ethanol industry here just as it gets going,” was Senator Brownback’s response. However, there is a debate over whether the process to make corn ethanol uses more energy than the ethanol itself produces.

Below is David Shankbone’s interview with Senator Sam Brownback.


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Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai discharged from hospital

Friday, January 4, 2013

The Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban for campaigning for education for girls, was discharged yesterday from the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham, England after success in the first stage of her medical treatment.

In October, Yousafzai was shot by Taliban forces on a school bus in Mingora, Swat District, Pakistan. She was given emergency treatment in Pakistan and then flown to Britain for treatment at a specialist unit which deals with injured soldiers.

Dave Rosser, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust medical director, gave a statement about Yousafzai’s release from hospital: “Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery. Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home with her parents and two brothers. She will return to the hospital as an outpatient and our therapies team will continue to work with her at home to supervise her onward care.”

She is due to return to hospital in a few weeks for cranial reconstructive surgery.

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Wikinews interviews specialists on China, Iran, Russia support for al-Assad

Monday, September 23, 2013

Over the past week, diplomatic actions have averted — or, at least delayed — military strikes on Syria by the United States. Wikinews sought input from a range of international experts on the situation; and, the tensions caused by Russia’s support for the al-Assad regime despite its apparent use of chemical weapons.

File:Ghouta chemical attack map.svg

Tensions in the country increased dramatically, late August when it was reported between 100 and 1,300 people were killed in an alleged chemical attack. Many of those killed appeared to be children, with some of the pictures and video coming out of the country showing — according to witnesses — those who died from apparent suffocation; some foaming at the mouth, others having convulsions.

Amongst Syria’s few remaining allies, Iran, China, and Russia continue to oppose calls for military intervention. In an effort to provide a better-understanding of the reasoning behind their ongoing support, the following people were posed a range of questions.

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Medical School Admission Requirements Combine Several Key Factors

When considering a career as a doctor, you will find that the medical school admission requirements are more then grades that you make in undergraduate classes. There are many other requirements that you will need to fulfill in order to have the strongest chances of being admitted to the US medical school of your choice. When you start planning your undergraduate studies, you need to already know the general medical school admission requirements that you will need to fulfill.

One requirement that many undergraduates overlook are extra-curricular activities during your undergraduate studies. It is important in the field of medicine to give back to the communities that you will have a practice. Additionally, people in the field of medicine must have strong leadership, communication and social skills.

It is mainly during these extra-curricular activities that an undergraduate student is able to develop his leadership and communication skills. Applications are evaluated on the type of work pursued; the quality of service and commitment to these projects are important factors that US medical schools measure in an applicant. It must show in your application your willingness and capacity for hard work in order for you to reach your goals.

Volunteer service in public clinics, hospitals or any health related work experience is another medical school admission requirement. Undergraduates are expected to donate some of their time and service to medical institutions. Through this, students will have a feel for the profession and learn additional skills that will benefit them greatly when they finally get to medical school. It will help them cope with the fast-paced and time-consuming work during their three-year residency under a licensed doctor in medical school.

Of course, academic coursework is also a medical school admission requirement for undergraduates. In order to be admitted, you need to have at least one-year of chemistry, biology, calculus, and English. These courses can also be taken after your premedical studies, but it has to be before you apply in a medical school.

Aside from general coursework, a lot of medical schools also require an additional year of chemistry, set number of units in any humanitarian course, aptitude in the use of a computer, and ability to communicate effectively. Knowing all the general medical school requirements and other requisites will increase your chances of getting admitted to the medical school you want.

Admission to a medical school is very competitive. Thus an undergraduate must not only have a strong grade point average and ranking, he must also do well in the medical school admission test. The test is the same as the required premedical coursework, so an undergraduate should review on the subjects he took, practice for the oral test, and prepare for the essay. Learn more about preparing for medical school at

Once you have completed all of the medical school admission requirements, the admission board will then carefully study your application. All of your skills, experiences, grades, scores, and accomplishments will affect their decision on whether you meet their standards or not.

Therefore, what you do during your undergraduate years and how you fare in the medical school admission tests, will determine your eligibility in a medical school. You need to know what the medical school admission requirements are in your prospective medical school before you start premedical studies. A lot of students realize this too late and do not meet admission standards. A student will then have to spend another year as an undergraduate to complete what he or she lacks. So to have a better chance at being admitted to your preferred medical school, you should be aware of the requirements, carefully plan what you need to do, and have the determination to accomplish your goals.

Malaysian government warns citizens about Uncyclopedia

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

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Satire site Uncyclopedia, a parody of online encyclopedia Wikipedia, has been labeled by the Malaysian government as dangerous. The Internal Security Department of Malaysia issued the warning today, saying that the site has “messages and information insulting Malaysia”.

The warning notes the creation date of the website as being 5 January 2005, and hosted by Wikia, Inc., both of which are correct. However, it claims Wikia owns Wikipedia; Wikipedia is a charitable non-profit website owned by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, while Wikia is an independent, for-profit company.

The report evidently mentions that Uncyclopedia covers Malaysian “history, culture, the political leaders, the government, the national song and the name / history of the national flag,” none of which is “correct”. They accuse the website of helping to reinforce a bad international image of their country.

There are no reports of the site being blocked from access within the country, only this statement, which urges Malaysians not to circulate the content.

Uncyclopedia’s article on Malaysia begins:

Essentially the penis of Asia which is located to the north of their cousins who live on an even smaller island Singapore, Malaysia (also known as Bolehland) is a young nation of diverse cultures and races such as F1 Formula-1 and Nascar. The timezone of Malaysia is unique because it follows the system of +1/+2 PMT (Predetermined Meeting Time) which is 1 or 2 hours later than PMT. Most foreigners have difficulty adjusting to this new timezone as they tend to show up 1 or 2 hours earlier than the local counterparts. The nation is moving forward with a vision towards becoming a developed nation by the year 2020, 3030, 4040 or whatever catchy number.

…Another common state that Malaysians have is denial (no lah, where got?), which incidentally, is a river in Egypt.

The site has fired back with a parody article posted at the site under their UnNews section, titled Uncyclopedia Internal Security Department warns on Malaysia. The article suggests that the “Internal Security Department of the Uncyclomedia Foundation,” which is a facetious and fictitious parent organization of Uncyclopedia, identifies Malaysia “as a dangerous country… It warned its people not to use the country today.”

There are forty-seven individual language editions of Uncyclopedia, including Tolololpedia, which is written in Bahasa Melayu, the Malay language. This is in addition to fictional “language” editions which include Oscar Wilde, Newspeak, N00b, White Supremacist, and Re: PharmaccgRy.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Malaysian_government_warns_citizens_about_Uncyclopedia&oldid=1408264”
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Somali pirates release Greek-owned ship

Friday, December 11, 2009

Somali pirates released a Greek-owned cargo ship and its 24 Ukrainian crew members earlier today, after seven months in captivity.

The director of Greek shipping firm Alloceans Shipping, Spyros Minas, announced that pirates freed the Ariana, after the company paid a ransom. The released sailors were in good health, Minas noted.

Ukrainian president Victor Yushchenko also announced the crew’s release from Kiev. “I congratulate the nation, and I congratulate the families on the successful operation to free our sailors,” he commented.

The shipping company did not reveal the size of the ransom, but pirates told reporters the amount was more than US$2.5 million. The pirates claimed it was worth US$3 million.

The Ariana, reported to be carrying several thousand tons of soya, was en route from Brazil to the Middle East when it was seized by pirates.

Pirates have continued to hijack vessels off the eastern coast of Africa despite the presence of foreign naval patrols in the area. They are still believed to be holding around 260 crew members on nearly a dozen captured ships.

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