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Date announced for by-election to replace former New Zealand PM Clark

Monday, April 20, 2009

The government has announced 13 June as the date for the upcoming Mount Albert by-election.

The by-election has been caused by former Prime Minister Helen Clark‘s departure to head the United Nations Development Program. While it is considered to be a safe Labour seat, the by-election is expected to be heavily contested.

Candidates must be nominated by 19 May.

Nominations for the Labour Party close on Wednesday. So far four candidates have put their names forward: Auckland city councillor Glenda Fryer, former candidate Hamish McCracken, University of Auckland political studies lecturer Meg Bates and employment lawyer Helen White. List MP Phil Twyford, widely expected to succeed Ms Clark, has not put his name forward.

The National Party has narrowed its possible candidates down to two: list MP Melissa Lee or unsuccessful 2008 candidate Ravi Musuku. The decision will be made at a party meeting on 4 May.

The Greens and ACT New Zealand will both contest the by-election, but have yet to select candidates.

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G8 Summit debates Middle-east crisis, WTO trade talks

Monday, July 17, 2006

The leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) nations met over the weekend in St. Petersburg in Russia for the 32nd G8 Summit, held under Russia’s presidency, to discuss the ongoing Israel-Lebanon crisis, the stalled world trade talks and other issues. They also met with other world leaders, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy.

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DiCaprio finally wins Oscar for Best Actor

Monday, February 29, 2016

Yesterday Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar, for Best Actor, at the 88th Academy Awards. The award ended DiCaprio’s long wait for an Academy Award — he was first nominated in 1993 and won on his sixth nomination, for his role in The Revenant, which also won Best Cinematography and Best Director.

I thank you all for this amazing award tonight. Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted. Thank you so very much.

In his acceptance speech, DiCaprio described The Revenant as “about man’s relationship to the natural world”, and spoke of underprivileged people affected adversely by human activities on nature. He also said “Our production needed to move to the southern tip of this planet just to be able to find snow”. He concluded saying “I thank you all for this amazing award tonight. Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted. Thank you so very much.”

DiCaprio was previously nominated for his work in The Wolf of Wall Street, for Best Actor and Best Picture; Blood Diamond, for Best Actor; The Aviator, Best Actor; and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, for Best Supporting Actor.

Kate Winslet, who co-starred with DiCaprio in Titanic, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Steve Jobs, but lost to Swedish actress Alicia Vikander for her role in The Danish Girl. Brie Larson collected Best Actress for her performance in Room.

Mad Max: Fury Road had ten nominations and won six of them: Best Costume Design, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Ex Machina won the award for Best Visual Effects. Spotlight won the Best Picture award, and Sam Smith’s song Writing’s on the Wall won Best Original Song for Spectre ahead of the Grammy-winning song Earned It by Canadian singer The Weeknd.

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Tax Services Help When Starting A Company

byAlma Abell

No matter where you are starting a business it is important to make sure that you have a full understanding of the financial options you have. This is true if you are setting up an online business or an actual brick and mortar store or office. Using tax services in Mesa even before you make your first sale can help you in preparing and planning for the future of your company.

Planning a start-up business as an entrepreneur can often be a time consuming and challenging task. This is especially true if you have never started your own business before and this is a first venue into this area. There are ways that you can protect yourself and limit your taxes while staying within all the regulations. It is just smart business practice and tax services in Mesa can help ensure that you are making the right choices.

Consulting

Under the tax code there are various types of businesses that pay or do not pay specific types of taxes. Non-profits and charities are taxed differently than for profit businesses, and this is well worth considering based on the type of service you are providing. Consulting, in advance, with professionals offer tax services in Mesa will make sure that you are doing everything right with regards to choosing the right category or type of legal business status.

Understanding Business Taxes and Deductions

The top tax services in Mesa will also work with entrepreneurs and business owners to develop a comprehensive understanding of what is taxable income and what can be used as a deduction. This will assist the business owner in documenting and accurately reporting all income and deductions from the first day.

With accurate record keeping and a good understanding of the tax code as it applies to your specific type of business you can make better financial choices throughout the year. Your tax services in Mesa will work with you in strategic planning for your business to take full advantage of tax deductions and special programs and incentives that may be available to your business.

Getting the best possible information about your business and taxes doesn’t mean you have to become an accountant. You can work with top tax services in Mesa that will advise, consult and assist you in growing your business even before you make your first sale.

NASA prepares to launch mission to nearby asteroids

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

NASA is beginning the final preparations for next Wednesday’s launch of the Dawn probe, aboard a Delta II rocket. The Dawn probe, costing over US$250 million, will visit the dwarf planet Ceres and the asteroid Vesta. The launch was originally planned for mid-June, however due to a damaged crate, shipping delays, and a damaged solar panel, NASA chose to delay it until now. Last week the spacecraft was delivered to the launch pad, and engineers performed tests to ensure that it is ready for launch. Today, the payload fairings were installed, and the probe is ready for its launch next week onto its 5 billion kilometer (3.2 billion mile) mission.

As the Delta II launches, three stages of rockets will propel the probe towards its first target. With the help of ion thrusters, it will reach Mars in mid-2009. Using Mars’ gravity, the probe will speed up and proceed towards the first asteroid, Vesta, in late 2011. After orbiting for seven months, it will leave Vesta in mid-2012, and arrive at Ceres in 2015. After making scans of Ceres, it will enter an orbit around Ceres that will ensure that it does not impact the asteroid for half a century. This is required due to the United Nations’ “Outer Space Treaty”, which states that “harmful contamination” of these asteroids must be avoided.

The targets of this mission, Ceres and Vesta, couldn’t be less alike. Ceres (diameter 975 km, 600 miles) is larger than Vesta (578 km, 350 miles). This makes Ceres approximately the size of Texas. NASA believes Ceres could contain water beneath its outer crust because, like Earth, its inner layers are heavier than the outer layers, and Ceres’ outer layer is lighter than water. Vesta, on the other hand, is the size of Arizona, and has a surface of volcanic rock, which astronomers believe came from its hot inner layers. Vesta also has a large crater – almost 500 km (300 miles) across – on its southern pole. The collision that caused this likely blasted enough rock into space to fill a container 160 by 160 by 80 km (100 by 100 by 50 miles).

The probe will make several observations of these asteroids: it will compare the makeup, shape, size, and densities, analyze craters, and determine mass, gravity, rotation. To determine the makeup, the probe carries a mapping spectrometer, and tools to map emissions of neutrons and gamma rays. Using this information, NASA can compare the formation of these bodies to learn more about our solar system, for example, to test a theory which states that a number of stony meteorites may be debris from Vesta.

There’s one more piece of equipment aboard the probe: A small silicon chip containing the names of 350,000 people who submitted their names to the “Send Your Name to the Asteroid Belt” campaign. After next week’s launch, the spacecraft will deploy its solar panels and undergo two months of testing before it begins the cruise to Mars.

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Author Amy Scobee recounts abuse as Scientology executive

Monday, October 11, 2010

Wikinews interviewed author Amy Scobee about her book Scientology – Abuse at the Top, and asked her about her experiences working as an executive within the organization. Scobee joined the organization at age 14, and worked at Scientology’s international management headquarters for several years before leaving in 2005. She served as a Scientology executive in multiple high-ranking positions, working out of the international headquarters of Scientology known as “Gold Base”, located in Gilman Hot Springs near Hemet, California.

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Eight Californians seriously ill after eating live shellfish

Saturday, September 9, 2006

Eight Californians contracted a rare lung infection after eating live sawagani crabs at several southern California restaurants.

The freshwater crabs, also known as river or regal crabs, were purchased in several restaurants, including Riptide Rockin’ Sushi & Teppan Grill in Mission Viejo and Chomp Rockin’ Sushi & Teppan Grill in Fullerton. The crabs were infected with a parasite called paragonimus, a flatworm similar to lung fluke.

The parasite travels to the lungs six to ten weeks after ingestion. Symptoms include coughing, diarrhea, breathing problems, chest pain, abdominal pain, fever, and hives. The worm can spread to other organs, including the brain.

According to Wikipedia, about 5,000 Americans die of foodborne illness every year.

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Choosing The Right Home Insurance In Austin, Tx

byAlma Abell

Home insurance in Austin, TX covers damage due to fire, lightning, hail, and natural disasters. You also receive coverage for damage due to frozen plumbing pipes and theft of property. A basic homeowner’s policy does not cover intentional property damage by the owner or intentional bodily harm sustained on or within the property. If you decide to operate a business within your home, your homeowner’s policy will not cover equipment or other business related property.

Choosing the Right Homeowner’s Insurance

Your preferred insurance agent will discuss possible homeowner’s insurance policies with you. This will assist you in determining which policies are right for your needs. Basic homeowner’s insurance is the least amount of insurance coverage required by mortgage lenders. However, these policies typically cover unexpected damage and liabilities.

This coverage will pay out when structural damage is sustained during a storm or natural disaster. It does not cover intentional damage by the property owner or their family. In terms of accidents that occur on the property, the policies only pay for medical costs associated with unintentional injuries. Altercations that result in injuries are not covered within the homeowner’s policy.

Local Insurance Provider

Patrick Court is your local State Farm agent. He offers a wealth of insurance products to meet your needs. He will discuss these options with you to ensure that you receive adequate coverage for your property. This insurance agent can perform a risk assessment for you to determine whether additional coverage is needed for your home or automobiles. To receive a free quote from this provider contact him locally or submit a request through the Statefarm.com website.

Summary

Home Insurance in Austin, TX is available in basic and extended coverage options. Basic homeowner’s insurance provides you with coverage for the unexpected. This includes storm damage, vandalism, and theft. Coverage for fire and natural disasters are covered within the basic policies. If your mortgage lender requires that you possess flood insurance, it is not included in your basic homeowner’s insurance policy. You are required to purchase flood insurance through an additional policy. Contact your local insurance provider to receive a free quote for homeowner’s insurance.

Burris sworn in as US Senator for Illinois

Friday, January 16, 2009

American politician Roland Burris of the United States Democratic Party was sworn in Thursday as US president-elect Barack Obama’s replacement in the United States Senate.

Burris was initially not admitted into the Senate, even though Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich appointed him to the position, due to allegations that the governor tried to sell the seat. Blagojevich was arrested and has been impeached for the alleged crime. Burris was denied his position on January 6 by other Democratic members of the Congress because his appointment papers were not signed by Jesse White, the Illinois Secretary of State, who had refused to sign his name due to the charges faced by Blagojevich.

Burris was officially sworn in by United States Vice President Dick Cheney with no objections from other members of the Congress. Harry Reid, the senior Democratic senator from Nevada and majority leader, who had led the opposition to Burris being appointed, welcomed him into the Senate.

“On behalf of all senators, Democrats and Republicans, we welcome you as a colleague and a friend,” Reid said.

“No one’s ever had anything against Sen. Burris. Like any other senator, he’ll have to learn the ropes and not get lost getting to committee hearings, like I have. I think he’ll come in with people open to meeting with him and getting to know him. I think it will be just fine,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota on the matter. Most other comments by senators stated that they were not against Burris as a person, but were against his appointment by Rod Blagojevich.

With the appointment, Burris becomes the only African-American member of the United States Senate. This makes the count of Democrats to Republicans in the Senate 58 Democrats and 41 Republicans, with the final seat waiting on a vote recount ordered by Norm Coleman in his loss to Al Franken of Minnesota.

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New faces emerge as veteran politicians step down in Hong Kong legislative election

Friday, September 9, 2016

The Hong Kong legislative election was held on Sunday, with a record-breaking turnout of around 2 million voters and turnout rate of 58%. The results show the anti-establishment camp successfully maintained a majority in the geographical constituencies’ seats thus veto power to any members’ bills, and also a minority larger than a third to veto any bills featuring major political reforms. Young and new faces emerged in the new council members, as veteran politicians stepped down in both the anti-establishment and pro-Beijing camps.

In the New Territories West geographical constituency, nonpartisan pan-democrat Eddie Chu was elected with 84,121 votes, the most given to any list in the geographical constituencies. Other anti-establishment candidates elected in this district were localist camp’s Cheng Chung-tai of Civic Passion, pan-democracy camp’s Kwok Ka-ki and Andrew Wan of respectively Civic Party and the Democratic Party. The pro-Beijing camp candidates elected were New People Party’s Michael Tien, DAB’s Ben Chan and Leung Che-cheung, FTU’s Alice Mak and pro-establishment nonpartisan Junius Ho. Two pan-democratic veteran politicians Lee Cheuk-yan of the Labour Party and Frederick Fung of ADPL were defeated in this constituency, with Junius Ho defeating Lee Cheuk-yan by around five thousand votes.

In the New Territories East geographical constituency, pan-democracy camp councillors Alvin Yeung from the Civic Party, Fernando Cheung of the Labour Party, Raymond Chan of People Power, and Leung Kwok-hung of LSD were successfully elected. Pan-democrat Lam Cheuk-ting from the Democratic Party and localist group Youngspiration’s Baggio Leung were successfully elected newcomers. For the Pro-Beijing camp, Elizabeth Quat of DAB was elected with 58,825 votes, the highest in the constituency. Other pro-Beijing candidates elected in this constituency were Gary Chan of DAB and Eunice Yung of New People’s Party. Pan-democrat Gary Fan of the Neo Democrats failed to get re-elected in this constituency, and resigned from his leadership in his party due to its election defeat.

File:Law Kwun Chung5.png

In the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency, pro-Beijing New People Party’s Regina Ip was re-elected with 60,760 votes. Other pro-Beijing elected were FTU’s Kwok Wai-keung and DAB’s Horace Cheung. Demosisto’s Nathan Law earned a surprise victory as second place in the constituency with 50,818 votes, and becomes the youngest Legislative Council member in Hong Kong’s history. The other two anti-establishment camp elects were Hui Chi-fung from the Democratic Party and Tanya Chan of the Civic Party, both considered to be in the pan-democracy camp. Pan-democrat veteran Cyd Ho from the Labour Party lost her seat in this constituency.

In the Kowloon West geographical constituency, pro-Beijing councillors Ann Chiang of DAB and Priscilla Leung of BPA were successfully re-elected, as well as pan-democratic councillors Claudia Mo of the Civic Party and Wong Pik-wan of the Democratic Party. The rest of the candidates elected in this constituency were young and relatively new activists from the localist camp, Lau Siu-lai and Youngspiration’s Yau Wai-ching. Yau Wai-ching defeated another localist camp candidate, veteran politician Raymond Wong of the Proletariat Political Institute, by 424 votes.

In the Kowloon East geographical constituency, pro-Beijing district councillor Wilson Or was elected with 51,516 votes, the highest in this constituency. Nonpartisan Paul Tse and Wong Kwok-kin of the FTU were successfully re-elected. Pan-democracy camp councillor Wu Chi-wai of the Democratic Party was elected. Civic Party’s Jeremy Tam was elected for the first time. Localist group Civic Passion’s Wong Yeung-tat was defeated in this district, and resigned his leadership in Civic Passion.

In the District Council (Second) functional constituency, commonly know as “Super District Council” seats, pan-democracy camp’s Kwong Chun-yu of the Democratic Party received 491,667 votes, the highest in this constituency. Other pan-democrats elected were Leung Yiu-chung of NWSC and James To of the Democratic Party. Pro-Beijing DAB’s Starry Lee and Holden Chow were successfully elected in this constituency, while pro-Beijing veteran politician Wong Kwok-hing of FTU was defeated by 10,694 votes by James To.

In traditional functional constituencies, the pan-democracy camp gained a seat from the pro-Beijing camp. Shiu Ka-chun of the Social Welfare constituency defeated their opponents, hence the pan-democrats’ seats in the functional constituencies increased from 9 to 10. Also, an independent who does not claim to belong to either camp, Edward Yiu of the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape constituency, defeated his opponents and was elected.

The turnout of this election was the highest in the history of Legislative Council elections, with around 2 million voters voted and a turnout rate of 58%. At a polling station in Taikoo of the Hong Kong Island constituency, after the polls closed at 22:30, with the long queues outside the station the last ballot there was cast at 02:30 the next day, four hours after the last person was allowed to join the queue. The previous general legislative election in Hong Kong was before the 2014 protests. The election elects 70 members of the Legislative Council.

Election Results
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