Friday, June 19, 2020
The following is the first edition of a monthly series chronicling the 2020 United States presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after an overview of the month’s biggest stories.
This month’s spotlight on the campaign trail includes interviews with the vice presidential nominees of the Constitution and Libertarian parties as well as the chosen running mate of the leading Green Party presidential candidate.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
The central government of Taiwan’s attempts to remove symbols referring to Chiang Kai-shek from the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, have led to a major debate between the Pan-Green and Pan-Blue coalitions and the public. The Ministry of Education wants to remove the title from the “Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness” along the Hall. Chiang Kai-shek of the Kuomintang (part of the pan-Blue coalition) was the leader of the national government from 1928 to 1975, and the Hall was built as a Memorial after his death.
Officials from Taipei City Government and Pan-Blues firmly opposed the plan, but relatives and survivors from the 228 Incident (a Taiwanese uprise that started on February 28, 1947 that was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government under Chiang Kai-Shek) and Pan-Greens are in favor.
In fact, members from “League of Redress White-terror in 1950’s” claimed in a press conference: “The slaughterer [referring to Chiang Kai-shek and relatives] should admit and apologize for his faults so that we can consider on forgiveness,” and stressed: “DAMN IT! Why is the public still supporting the slaughterer and autocrat? How can an autocrat’s virtues be eulogized? The public in other countries can trace on the truth from history and jury for the slaughterer, why can’t it be so in Taiwan?”
The debate has become a topic in the 2008 Taiwanese Presidential elections. Kuomintang Candidate Ying-jeou Ma said: “If I win this election, I’ll put the title back!” After the current President of the Republic of China Shui-bian Chen heard those words, he replied: “Did he mean on Lian-ying Li‘s?” But the Vice President Annette Lu said: “Depend on what Frank (Hsieh) will say.”
Submitted by: Joel Teo
Are you looking to get your feet wet in real estate but dont know how to begin. If you ask the more creative and experienced of investors, they would suggest that you look for financial institutions that finance investment property. That is, the golden rule of real estate is to use other peoples money to leverage your investments.
Seasoned investors advise against investing scads of money on a single real estate asset, even if you have the funds to do it simply because it is too risky a proposition. Moreover, you forego the benefits of leveraging.
Nowadays, several reputable lenders offer finance for up to 95% of the purchase price of the property. The most alluring feature of such schemes is that they cut back on your out of pocket costs when acquiring an investment property. Moreover, the finance is typically available in the shape of a single loan, which can be used to invest further in other properties.
The benefits of financing can be better understood with an example. Lets assume that you purchase an investment property, without financing, for $150,000. If your expected yield from the property is 10%, then you would get returns of $15,000, which is a 10% return on your investment. On the other hand, if you get your property financed up to 95%, then you would effectively make the same profit on a mere investment of $7,500, which amounts to be an overwhelming 200% return on your investment.
Lenders that finance investment property up to 95% normally offer loans with a 15-year or 30-year term. These loans may either be fixed-rate or adjustable-rate. Lenders verify your credentials, such as your income source, savings and credit score, prior to offering finance. Though low credit scores are permissible by many financial institutions, a healthy credit score does help acquire finance at low interest rates.
While choosing a financial institution that will finance investment property, ensure that you are thorough with the terms of the finance agreement. Although financing your investment property seems like a profitable option, you may not be able to acquire finance for just about any property you desire. Reputable lenders offer finance for no more than 5 investment properties. And this too can be rather tough to accomplish. You need to be eloquent enough to persuade the lender into offering finance.
All in all, it is prudent to seek lenders that finance investment property. Financing empowers you to leap ahead in your real estate career at a rapid pace. It helps you augment your investment portfolio, which leads to significant profits in the long run.
Copyright 2006 Joel Teo. All rights reserved.
About the Author: Joel Teo writes on
Ahwatukee Real Estate Investment
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Two passenger trains collided in India early on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than twenty others, reports have said. The accident occurred at around 05.30 local time (00.00 UTC), when a passenger train collided with another train which was waiting at a red signal near the northern city of Agra.
Both the trains were in the final leg of their journey at the time of the collision. They were heading to the capital, New Delhi, which is about 200 kilometers north of the accident site.
Passengers said that they were sleeping when they felt a heavy jolt. One eyewitness told television crews that people on the upper berths of the train came tumbling down due to the impact: “We felt a massive jolt. People sleeping on upper berths fell to the floor.”
“There was a loud bang and we were suddenly thrown out of our seats. There was panic everywhere,” another passenger recounted.
A northern railway spokesman, R. D. Vajpayee, told the Voice of America news agency that the rear coach of the stationary train bore the brunt of the collision’s impact. “We had to rescue, take out the passengers which were trapped in the last coach. And, gas cutters were used, and we had called the army also. They had assisted us and, within a few hours, we had completed with rescue operations.”
An unnamed eyewitness told the CNN-IBN news agency that “there are many people who are injured and many people who are dead. A lot of people fell onto the tracks because of the impact of the collision.”
Railway officials said they are not certain what caused the accident, but one of the trains may have overlooked a signal to stop. An inquiry into the incident has been ordered.
Trains are the most popular mode of long-distance travel in India. India operates one of the most extensive and busiest rail networks in the world; 9,000 passenger trains run every day, carrying more than eighty million people daily across the country. There are about 300 rail accidents in the country every year, prompting calls for improving safety standards on the rail network. Earlier this month, one person was killed when a train derailed. In February, another train accident in eastern India claimed sixteen lives.
Monday, March 31, 2014
The Eleventh International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Docudays UA, in Kyiv, Ukraine, ended on Friday.
The Awards Ceremony was held in the Red Hall of the Kyiv Cinema House. There were 36 documentary films competing for prizes in three festival programs: DOCU/Short, DOCU/Right, DOCU/Life. There were also special prizes from Students’ Jury, Audience Award, and the Andriy Matrosov Award from Docudays UA Organizing Committee.
The special guest of the Awards Ceremony was a symbol of the festival — Nikita Mikhalko. He is featured on the official posters of the festival. Nikita was on Maidan Nezalezhnosti on February 19, in the morning. The picture of him was chosen by the organizers as the “image that would deliver the spirit of our [Docudays UA] festival to the best of its possible might”. The piece of movie where he is taking tangerines from a woman that morning has become the official trailer of the festival. The episode is featured in the opening film of the festival Euromaidan: Rough Cut. Thus Nikita and his burning glasses have become the symbols of the festival. The organizers decided to find out who the symbol of the festival was, and if he was alive. They have started looking for him and luckily, they were able to ask him to come as a special guest of the Awards Ceremony. Nikita had the opportunity to say on the microphone, “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine), and have the whole hall hollering back at him, “Heroiam Slava” (Glory to the Heroes).
The Eleventh Docudays UA Winners are (in the order of awarding):
The Audience Award went to Joanna, directed by Aneta Kopacz, Poland, 2013.
The Students’ Jury Award went to Tucker and the Fox, directed by Arash Lahooti, Iran, 2013, awarded for “an optimistic story about a life-long passion”.
Joanna, directed by Aneta Kopacz, Poland, 2013, received special mention. The jury chose it for “filmmaker’s ability to be both intimate and discreet”
Mom, directed by Lidia Sheinina, Russia, 2013, received special mention for “ability of the filmmaker to find in the closed world of one apartment ‘things that quicken the heart'”.
The main prize went to Liza, Go Home!, directed by Oksana Buraja, Lithuania, Estonia, 2012. The film was awarded for “filmmaker’s poetic sensibility and respect for other humans’ secrets”.
Andrei Zagdansky, a Ukrainian-American, was awarding. The other two members of the jury were Victoria Belopolskaya of Russia, and Stéphanie Lamorré of France.
No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka, directed by Callum Macrae, UK, 2013, received special mention. The film was awarded for “the powerful use of video advocacy in global awareness-raising and opinion-shaping regarding the mass murders of civilians belonging to a Tamil minority in Sri Lanka”.
Captain and His Pirate, directed by Andy Wolff, Belgium, Germany, 2012, received special mention for “exceptional courage of the film crew and an outstanding presentation of international piracy phenomenon as presented by a victim and his prison guard”.
The main prize went to Mother’s Dream, directed by Valerie Gudenus, Switzerland, 2013. The jury awarded the film for “a highly sensitive, empathic, and artistic presentation of a controversial and socially resonant human rights problem, affecting the fates of women and children globally”.
Natalka Zubar of Ukraine announced the winners. The other two members of the jury were Andrzej Poczobut of Belarus, and Oksana Sarkisova of Hungary.
Crepuscule, directed by Valentyn Vasyanovych, Ukraine, 2014, received special mention. The film was awarded for “a visually and emotionally superior depiction of human resilience, sensibility, and interdependence”.
Night Labor, directed by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, USA, Canada, 2013, received special mention for “a provocative, atypical, allegorical description of industrial work and personal freedom”.
The main prize went to The Last Limousine, directed by Daria Khlestkina, Russia, 2014, awarded for “a dignified, compassionate portrayal of state-factory workers lost in transition, but not in humanity”. The jury mentioned the film was perfectly casted.
The whole jury was present: Boris Miti? of Serbia, Chris McDonald of Canada, and Simone Baumann of Germany.
The Andrey Matrosove Award went to A Diary of a Journey, directed by Piotr Stasik, Poland, 2013.
People are gathering. Image: Antanana.
A queue is forming. Image: Antanana.
After the ceremony The Last Limousine, the winning film of DOCU/Life program, was screened.
The festival was first held in 2003, called at that time Docudays on Human Rights. In 2006 the festival was accepted as part of the international Human Rights Film Network at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. It is usually held during the last week of March.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
On Sunday, police stopped Istanbul Pride, a yearly LGBT march in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul. Police officials reportedly used rubber and plastic bullets and sprayed tear gas to prevent the participants from parading, after the Istanbul Governor’s office ordered them on Saturday not to conduct the march, asserting security reasons. This marks the third consecutive year activists were banned from holding the rally.
The statement released by the governor’s office read, “no application that suits the methods was made to our governor’s office”, though the organisers of the march disagreed. Homosexuality has been legal in Turkey for almost a century, but the governor’s office reported “serious reactions against the march.” Activists found checkpoints and a large number of police near Istiklal Avenue.
The pride organisers reported 41 were arrested by the police. Far-right Alperen Hearths was amongst nationalist groups calling for prohibiting the parade. Last week, on June 19, Kür?at Mican of Alperen said, “We will not allow them to walk. Wherever they march, we’ll also go. We will close down that street and they will not be able to go there. If we want, our numbers can reach 200,000”.
In a statement by the organisers of the rally, on Sunday, they said, “Our security will be provided by recognising us in the constitution, by securing justice, by equality and freedom”. Turkish legislators have yet to enact laws shielding the LGBT community from hate speech and ensuring civil rights. In 2010, Selma Aliye Kavaf, then-Minister of Women and Family Affairs said, “I believe homosexuality is a biological disorder and this disease needs treatment.” ((tr))Turkish language: ?Ben e?cinselli?in biyolojik bir bozukluk, bir hastal?k oldu?una inan?yorum. Tedavi edilmesi gereken bir ?ey bence. After the unsuccessful attempt to conduct the parade, organisers released a statement on Sunday, saying, “We are not scared, we are here, we will not change[…] You are scared, you will change and you will get used to it.”
Istanbul Pride was first organised in 2003, attracting by varying reports from tens of thousands to possibly a hundred thousand people in 2014. That was the last actual march before it was blocked three times in the last three years. Last year, the organisers were not granted permission for Istanbul Pride after Istanbul faced militant attacks. The 2015 march was stopped as it was about to start, and police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters.
byadmin
Every business owner knows how important it is to properly dispose of documents containing proprietary information. When those hard copies are no longer needed, the most common approach is to shred them. While it is possible to invest money in shredding equipment, a better approach is to hire a professional to take care of this important task. Here are some of the benefits that come with hiring a Shredding Service.
Employees Are Free to Take Care of Other Tasks
On the surface, buying a shredder may seem like a good investment. After all, employees can take on the task of shredding documents if necessary. The thing to remember is that every minute an employee stands at the machine shredding printouts and other hard copies, that is a minute the employee could be working on something else. Rather than tying up employees with this type of task, have a Shredding Service destroy those unwanted documents. Doing so means all of the employees can devote themselves to tasks that help generate more business volume.
Secure Disposal
With a professional taking care of the shredding, there is no chance of the documents finding their way into the hands of competitors. This is because professional shredders typically use equipment that reduces the documents to extremely small pieces. Not all the shredders available at the local office supply house will produce the same results.
In addition, the team who arrives on the site are not likely to hold out a document and see who would be interested in purchasing it. Their goal is to maintain a good business relationship with the customer. That means making sure every document scheduled for shredding is completely destroyed.
Aiding the Recycling Effort
Not everyone realizes that shredding companies recycle those shredded documents. Once they are reduced to tiny bits, the paper can be turned in at a recycling center and used to create new paper products. As an alternative, the customer can keep the tiny shreds and use them as packing materials. With either approach, those old documents serve a purpose other than taking up space in a landfill.
Business owners who are interested in learning more about shredding should Call Us Today for a FREE Consultation & Estimate. After learning more about the benefits and the cost, the owner will want to get started with the plan right away.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
A recall issued last week for Thomas the Tank Engine toys made in China and containing lead-based paint, is the latest scare for consumers, and follows recent scandals involving Chinese-made pet food, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste and other toys, The New York Times has reported in a series of articles.
Last week, RC2, a U.S. toy company based in Oak Brook, Illinois, issued a recall for its popular wooden “Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends” train sets. The recall involved 1.5 million “Thomas Wooden Railway” vehicles and train sets sold at toy stores and various retailers across the U.S. from January 2005 through June 2007.
A subsequent recall has been issued in the United Kingdom, where Thomas the Tank Engine was originated in the 1940s as a character in a children’s story by the Reverend W.V. Awdry. Around 70,000 toys are involved in the U.K. recall, according to The Guardian.
“RC2 has determined that the surface paints on the recalled products contain lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects,” the Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a press release dated June 13. “Consumers should take the recalled toys away from young children immediately and contact RC2 Corp. for a replacement toy,” the commission said.
Those “adverse health effects” could include brain and nerve damage, especially in young children, as well as blood and brain disorders. Severe lead poisoning causes vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, anemia, loss of appetite, headaches and in particularly high doses, coma and death.
In an article on Monday, The New York Times reported that recalls have been issued for 24 different toys in the U.S. in the past year, and every one of them was made in China. According to the Toy Industry Association, toys made in China account for around 70 percent to 80 percent of all the toys sold in the U.S., The Times said.
“These are items that children are supposed to be playing with,” Prescott Carlson was quoted as saying by The Times. Carlson is a co-founder of a child-safety website called Imperfect Parent, which tracks recalls of toys and other baby products. “It should be at a point where companies in the United States that are importing these items are held liable,” Carlson said.
RC2 would not comment to The Times, and a Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman would not say how long ago the problem with the lead paint was discovered.
For a follow-up article on Tuesday, The Times visited a factory in Dongguan, in China’s Guangdong province, where the “Thomas and Friends” toys are made. The paper interviewed workers and took photos on the factory floor.
“You’re intruding,” a factory manager identified only as Zhong was quoted as telling the reporters. “Tell me, why exactly are you here?”
During the visit, a reporter, translator and a photographer were detained by factory officials, and released a day later after local police and government officials intervened.
The factory also produces other toys for RC2, including toy John Deere trucks, NASCAR racing models and M&M’s cars, The Times said. RC2 makes the toys under licenses from various companies. The “Thomas and Friends” toys are made under license from Hit Entertainment, which owns the “Thomas” brand.
According to RC2, items in the “Thomas and Friends” recall are:
Toys listed that are marked with codes containing “WJ” or “AZ” are not included in the recall.
Earlier, RC2 said that customers would have to cover shipping costs to return the toys to the company. It later agreed to cover postage after angry complaints by parents, The Times said in an article yesterday. Refunds will take about two months.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
| Wikinews Australia has in-depth coverage of this issue: 2006 East Timor crisis |
Ahead of the deployment of 1000-1300 Australian troops in the next couple of days, fighting between renegade East Timorese military forces and government security forces has continued in East Timor’s capital, Dili, from which at least 21,000 people have fled. The 600 renegade military personnel were fired from East Timor’s 1400 strong army after striking over poor pay and conditions, including ethnic discrimination. Based in the Aileu mountains, the rebel force is making small attacks around the southern, eastern and western sides of Dili, but reports of gunfire in the city centre are developing.
Australian-trained Major Alfredo Reinado, who leads the renegade force, has said that he aims to “guarantee justice and the creation of a professional defence force,” not topple the East Timorese government.
Lieutenant General Peter Leahy, the Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force, is to touch down in Dili today to discuss Australian troops’ deployment in Dili and their Rules of Engagement (ROE) with the East Timorese Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, and other government officials. However, gunfire and the burning of houses has been reported on a main road to Dili international airport, cutting it off from the city. In response, Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced the deployment of 150 soldiers from 4 RAR (Commandos) with Blackhawk helicopters and C-130 transport planes in order to take the airport and secure its perimeter to allow for flights to continue.
The multinational deployment has been met with appreciation amongst both the rebel and government forces. Foreign minister Jose Ramos-Horta has said that that the arrival of troops and police from Australia, New Zealand, Portugal and possibly Malaysia (which has indicated it may send up to 500 police and troops), is still necessary for security. News of the arriving Australian-led peacekeeping force, was welcomed by Dilinese refugees Mr Ramos-Horta said; “Their mere presence in Dili, the capital city, will have a psychological calming effect.” The leader of the rebel forces, Major Reinado has also welcomed the deployment, saying that he hoped the peacekeepers would be able to create a peace. MAJ Reinado has said “This is the only solution, …There is no other way, or it will be war forever. The Government has taken too long. It is not capable of resolving this.” and even told Portuguese news agency Lusa that he would personally shake the hands of the arriving multinational force. The United Nations Security Council, having appealed for an end to fighting, welcomed the deployment of military forces to East Timor.
Australia also led the successful International Force East Timor (INTERFET) and United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) forces from 1999 to 2002.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Buffalo, New York —A massive warehouse complex of at least 5 buildings caught on fire in Buffalo, New York on 111 Tonawanda Street, sending a plume of thick, jet black colored smoke into the air that could be seen as far away as 40 miles.
As of 6:40 a.m., the fire was under control, and firefighters were attempting to stop it from spreading, but could not get to the center of the fire because of severe amounts of debris. Later in the morning, the fire was extinguished.
“The fire is mostly under debris at this point. It’s under control, but it’s under some debris. We really can’t get to it. We’re just going to have to keep on pouring water on it so it doesn’t spread,” said Thomas Ashe, the fire chief for the North Buffalo based fire division who also added that at one point, at least 125 firefighters were on the scene battling the blaze. One suffered minor injures and was able to take himself to the hospital to seek medical attention.
Shortly after 8:00 p.m. as many as 3 explosions rocked the warehouse sending large mushroom clouds of thick black smoke into the air. After the third explosion, heat could be felt more than 100 feet away. The fire started in the front, one story building then quickly spread to three others, but fire fighters managed to stop the flames from spreading onto the 3 story building all the way at the back.
According to a Buffalo Police officer, who wished not to be named, the fire began at about 7:00 p.m. [Eastern time], starting as a one alarm fire. By 8:00 p.m., three fire companies were on the scene battling the blaze. Police also say that a smaller fire was reported in the same building on Saturday night, which caused little damage.
At the start of the fire, traffic was backed up nearly 4 miles on the 198 expressway going west toward the 190 Interstate and police had to shut down the Tonawanda street exit because the road is too close to the fire.
At one point, traffic on the 198 was moving so slow, at least a dozen people were seen getting out of their cars and walking down the expressway to watch the fire. That prompted as many as 10 police cars to be dispatched to the scene to force individuals back into their cars and close off one of the 2 lanes on the westbound side.
One woman, who wished not to be named as she is close to the owner of the warehouse, said the building is filled with “classic cars, forklifts, and money” and that owner “does not have insurance” coverage on the property. The building is not considered abandoned, but firefighters said that it is vacant.
Officials in Fort Erie, Ontario were also swamped with calls to fire departments when the wind blew the smoke over the Niagra River and into Canada.
It is not known what caused the fire, but a car is suspected to have caught on fire and there are reports from police and hazmat crews, that there were also large barrels of diesel fuel being stored in one building. Firefighters say the cause of the blaze is being treated as “suspicious.” The ATF is investigating the fire and will bring dogs in to search the debris.