Month: August 2018

The time is 17:00 (UTC) on August 18th, 2006, and this is Audio Wikinews News Briefs.

[edit]

Thursday, November 8, 2007

India is the latest of the countries where the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) experiment has started. Children from the village of Khairat were given the opportunity to learn how to use the XO laptop. During the last year XO was distributed to children from Arahuay in Peru, Ban Samkha in Thailand, Cardal in Uruguay and Galadima in Nigeria. The OLPC team are, in their reports on the startup of the trials, delighted with how the laptop has improved access to information and ability to carry out educational activities. Thailand’s The Nation has praised the project, describing the children as “enthusiastic” and keen to attend school with their laptops.

Recent good news for the project sees Uruguay having ordered 100,000 of the machines which are to be given to children aged six to twelve. Should all go according to plan a further 300,000 machines will be purchased by 2009 to give one to every child in the country. As the first to order, Uruguay chose the OLPC XO laptop over its rival from Intel, the Classmate PC. In parallel with the delivery of the laptops network connectivity will be provided to schools involved in the project.

The remainder of this article is based on Carla G. Munroy’s Khairat Chronicle, which is available from the OLPC Wiki. Additional sources are listed at the end.

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.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Molten steel spilled out and killed 32 workers at the Qinghe Special Steel Corporation mill in the city of Tieling in Liaoning province, China.

The ladle containing 1,500-degree-Celsius liquid steel poured into an open room, where employees take breaks in-between shift changes, at 7:45 a.m. local time. At least 6 others were injured, one of them critically.

“It is the most serious accident to hit China’s steel industry since 1949,” said China’s deputy head of the State Administration of Work Safety, Sun Huashan.

At least 4 workers have been arrested after the accident. The manager of mill, an operator, technician and a supervisor of a workshop were all arrested and are being questioned as an investigation in launched into what caused the accident to occur.

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.

Friday, November 25, 2005

ESPN recently named the basketball rivalry between Calvin College and Hope College fourth greatest across all divisions of the NCAA, although fans had a different perspective. Now when the rivalry makes its way to Holland, the teams will have a new facility in which to square off.

Hope College has put the finishing touches on the new 102,000 sq ft Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse, whose foundation contributed the $7.5 million anchor gift. Designed by sports architectural firm Ellerbe Becket, the fieldhouse will hold about 3,400 fans for basketball, volleyball and will also be used as a venue for college and community events.

The state of the art facility will also house Hope’s department of kinesiology which includes athletic training, exercise science and physical education. In addition to the construction of the fieldhouse, Hope added a new science center in 2003 and renovated the Peale Science Center for ’04-05.

Ellerbe Becket has designed nearly 20 arenas for NBA and NHL teams, including the new facility for the Charlotte Bobcats.

Calvin visits Hope Saturday, 14 January 2006, and hosts the Flying Dutchman 8 February 2006.

Friday, December 14, 2007

On the eve of December 7, 2007 Dr. Reginald Humayun, a Christian doctor working for Pennell Memorial Christian Hospital in Bannu, Pakistan, was kidnapped along with his driver while returning from a trip to Dera Ismail Khan.

The doctor, a medical superintendent at that hospital, was also the General Secretary of the Church of Pakistan. The All Pakistan Minority Alliance, the Church of Pakistan and the Christian community as a whole have appealed to the Government to expedite efforts for the doctor’s safe recovery.

Dar Ali Khatak, leading the investigation by the Bannu Police has expressed deep concerns and vows to find the hostages though until now no progress has been seen. With the recent state of politics in Pakistan, it is becoming increasingly difficult for those who are providing humanitarian services.

Saturday, July 2, 2005

MTV Networks launched a new cable channel to 10 million homes Thursday featuring movies, documentaries and original programming targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender audience becoming the first 24-hour digital cable network offered in the United States on several cable providers and satellite systems.

Logo will present original series, documentaries and specials as well as a library of over 200 lesbian and gay films. The cable channel is also teaming up with CBS News to cover lesbian and gay stories and headlines.

While the channel debuted Thursday, Viacom, the parent comany of Logo, had still not signed licensing agreements with several of the largest cable providers including Comcast and Cox. DirecTV signed a deal Wednesday making Logo available to 13 million households, and Time Warner and Atlantic Broadband have committed to carry the network.

Advertisers will include Orbitz, Tylenol, Motorola, Miller Lite, Lions Gate Films and Subaru wishing to market to the coveted 25-to-49 age range providing an opportunity to reach out to the lesbian and gay market.

Opposition to the new channel was expected with MSNBC quoting Janice Crouse, senior fellow at Concerned Women for America, a conservative public-policy women’s organization based in Washington, D.C., calling Logo “another example of an assault on children’s innocence, a means of legitimizing a homosexual lifestyle, mainstreaming homosexuality in a positive and appealing way.”

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) hails the launch of Logo.

“Logo has the potential to reach millions of American television viewers with images and stories that can play a vital role in broadening understanding of our lives, our families and our relationships,” says GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Damon Romine. “MTV Networks has a long history of groundbreaking gay and lesbian programming, and devoting an entire network to telling our stories gives us cause to celebrate.”

“What these networks provide is something new: an unprecedented opportunity for gays and lesbians to see ourselves depicted as we are, rather than as others see us,” Romine says. “At its best, television holds up a mirror to our lives, and the advent of these three networks means that LGBT viewers can now see themselves more accurately and fully reflected in that mirror.”

Many have wondered why it took as long as it did to introduce a national LGBT cable channel considering the success of mainstream network shows like “Will & Grace” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”

Sunday, March 18, 2012

They might be occupying first and second place in the Premier League back in England, but Manchester United and Manchester City were defeated following the second legs of their respective UEFA Europa League ties.

Manchester United went into their game against Athletic Bilbao seeking to overcome a 3–2 deficit dealt in the first leg; they were soundly defeated.

Bilbao began the game strongly, immediately pressing United and looking to attack whenever possible. The English side were the first to strike, with left midfielder Ashley Young’s early shot needing a block to stay out. Iker Muniain saw his 14th minute shot strike a post, and Óscar de Marcos miss the rebound, as Bilbao worked to break United’s defence down.

The opener came on 23 minutes, with young Spaniard Fernando Llorente converting from Fernando Amorebieta’s lobbed through ball after completely fooling the United back four. The game ended early for Llorente, as he was forced off the pitch after an injury.

The Manchester side picked up their game in the second half; they were continually thwarted by the host’s defences. Bilbao remained at their high tempo to prevent any sort of response, and soon full back Andoni Iraola knocked wide after an impressive run.

Bilbao’s lead was doubled on 65 minutes as de Marcos converted from a floated cross by Iraola from the right, and the club never looked like slipping up throughout the rest of the game. Wayne Rooney, playing as a lone striker for United, finally gave his club’s fans their money’s worth with ten minutes left to play as he hit home from long range.

It was surely a humbling defeat for a team pushing to beat their city rivals to their domestic title, inflicted by seventh-placed Bilbao of La Liga. It means that for only the first time in ten years, Manchester United have failed to reach a cup final.

Portugal’s Sporting Club had beaten Manchester City 1–0 at home, and only needed to consolidate that result in Manchester. The hosts put up a spirited fightback in the closing minutes; it was not enough to avoid elimination.

A slow first half from a full-strength City side meant they were easily contained by the visitors, and indeed Sporting were first to test the goalkeeper. Xandão’s header early on was a sign of things to come for City, and they opening the scoring on 33 minutes with a free kick taken directly by Matías Fernández.

Just seven minutes later the Manchester team were beaten again, as Marat Izmailov set up a pinpoint cross allowing Dutchman Ricky van Wolfswinkel to tap in a close-range finish and make it 3–0 on aggregate.

Despite trailing by three, City looked far more determined in the first half. Their first goal of the two legs came after an hour, as Argentinian international Sergio Agüero finished off Yaya Touré’s good pass from just inside the penalty box.

Agüero assisted in the second goal, in a way; after falling from a poor tackle by Sporting defender Renato Neto, the hosts were awarded a penalty kick. Mario Balotelli duly took the ball past Rui Patricio to level the scores on the night.

Late substitute Edin Džeko nodded a good corner from Aleksandar Kolarov towards Agüero, who was left completely open at the far post, who made no mistake with his finish to put Manchester City ahead with eight minutes left to play.

An action-packed eight minutes was topped off by City goalkeeper Joe Hart, who got his head onto a ball drifted from the host’s corner but was denied by a good save from Patricio. Sporting struggled to withstand intense pressure, but held out to win the tie on the away goals rule.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

On Saturday, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride in the Irish capital Dublin attracted a record number of people. According to the organisers of the Pride, about 60 thousand people attended the event, almost double the number of attendees in last year’s Pride.

For the first time, members of the Defence Forces attended the annual rally in their military uniforms, The Independent reported. The Defence Forces were led by Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett. This year’s theme was “We Are Family”. Buildings were decorated in the colours of the rainbow on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Dublin Pride.

According to reports, ex-president Mary McAleese and children’s minister Katherine Zappone had attended the Pride. “Happy Pride everyone! Have a great day celebrating equality, inclusiveness and love”, Health Minister Simon Harris tweeted.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in the Irish Republic 25 years ago in 1993, and the marriage of same-sex couples was legalised in November 2015 after a nation-wide referendum. On June 19, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who is the country’s first openly-gay Taoiseach addressed the Dáil saying, “Today the people I want to pay a special tribute to are the unknown heroes, the thousands of people whose names we do not know, who were criminalised by our forbears”.

Same-sex marriage is illegal in the neighbouring country of Northern Ireland. Mary Lou McDonald, leader of the Sinn Féin political party said, “We stand in solidarity to those in the North who are still struggling to have their families recognised in the most basic of ways – marriage equality”. She added, saying, “The people here, the people of pride are an unstoppable force. Rights are for all. Equality is for all. Change is coming and make no mistake the North is next.”