African leaders start drive to eradicate malaria

Thursday, May 6, 2010

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), consisting of leaders of 26 African countries, are beginning a drive to eradicate malaria from the continent by distributing medication, insecticides, and bed nets.

US$100 million worth of funds will be given out to battle the disease in endemic nations; the budget was announced yesterday at the World Economic Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Ray Chambers, a special envoy for malaria with the United Nations, commented on the push, saying: “We believe that if we cover everybody in Africa with bed nets, insecticides and medication by the end of this year, we will have zero deaths or near zero deaths from malaria in Africa by 2015.” A statement from Chambers said the funds will be provided by the US President’s Malaria Initiative.

The statement continued: “The new US funding comes as ALMA finalises a bulk purchase of long lasting insecticidal nets. This bulk purchase of 50 million long lasting insecticidal nets by twelve African nations will reduce costs and streamline procurement and distribution, accelerating the rate at which nets will begin reaching risk populations […] African leaders, working together with friends of ALMA, are forging the African-led response needed to solve one of Africa’s most severe health challenges.”

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, in comments to the World Economic Forum, said that the same strategy had lowered the incidence of malaria in Zanzibar from 40% to 1%.

According to health experts, use of nets can lower the spread of malaria by 50%, and cut child deaths by a fifth.

Malaria, a disease spread to humans through infected mosquitoes, costs Africa more than $40 billion annually in sick days and treatment, according to the Reuters news service.

South Korea: Fire in hospital housing elderly people kills at least 37

Friday, January 26, 2018

Fire broke out on Friday morning and destroyed the bottom two floors of a six-story hospital in Miryang, South Korea, killing at least 37 people, most of them elderly. More than a hundred injuries were reported, with eighteen people in critical condition. This is the highest death toll from fire in South Korea in almost a decade.

The fire is believed to have started at about 7:30 local time, according to fire chief Choi Man-woo. It originated on the ground floor in the emergency room as per various officials. The hospital has 98 beds and a medical staff of about 35, and specializes in long-term care of elderly patients. It adjoins a nursing home, all of whose 94 residents were evacuated. Staff carried some patients out of the hospital on their backs.

One patient, Jang Yeong-jae, who told his story to JoongAng Ilbo, said he escaped by removing a screen from a window to get to a ladder placed by firefighters. He described people “running around in panic, falling over and screaming as smoke filled the rooms”. The majority of the victims died from smoke inhalation and are believed to be elderly, said the head of the city’s public hospital, Chun Jae-kyung. A doctor, a nurse, and a nursing assistant have died, according to the fire service; it took three hours to put out the fire.

In a press briefing, Seok Gyeong-sik, the director of the hospital, apologized to patients and their families. Son Kyung-chul, its chairman, stated that there were no sprinklers because the facility was small. Sprinklers are being installed in the nursing home, where a new law requires them by June 30.

Last month, 29 people died in a fire in a gym in Jecheon; the owner and the manager were arrested for safety violations. In 2014, a blaze in a nursing home in Jangseong left 21 dead. The President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, responded to the Friday fire by calling an emergency meeting of his staff, and promised that the cause would be found rapidly “to prevent the recurrence of the fire in the future”.

Remnants of Hurricane Felicia affect Hawaii

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The remnants of former Hurricane Felicia continue to affect the Hawaiian islands today, prompting the issuance of a flash flood watch for Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Kauai. According to the National Weather Service, a flash flood watch is issued “to indicate current or developing hydrologic conditions that are favorable for flash flooding in and close to the watch area, but the occurrence is neither certain or imminent”.

Felicia, once a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, weakened to a tropical depression before dissipating Tuesday. Its remnants produced showers across most of the islands, though as of yet, no damage or flooding has been reported. The precipitation, reaching 6.34 inches at a gauge on Oahu, was described as “beneficial”. Some of the rainfall was accompanied by thunderstorms and frequent lightning.

…when I heard there’s going to be 12- to 15-foot faces, I was excited.

The advisories are due to expire late tonight, as officials caution that further rainfall could potentially lead to flooding. On Kauai, some rivers have already begun to swell.

Surfers, however, have been enjoying unusually high waves generated by the storm. One resident of Oahu said, “I’m pretty excited. We usually don’t get this much big surf at [Sandy Beach Park]. So when I heard there’s going to be 12- to 15-foot faces, I was excited. I thought I’d grab my fins, come out, check it out this morning.” Bathers other than experienced surfers were advised to avoid the water.

Despite the demise of Felicia, the tropics remain active; two tropical depressions are currently persisting in the Eastern Pacific, while several systems are being watched for development in the Atlantic.

What Is The Element Molybdenum Used For?

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Submitted by: Gray Rollins

Molybdenum is from the Greek word molybdos meaning lead like. It is directly mined and is a byproduct of copper mining. It was used very infrequently up until the 19th century when Schneider and Co decided to use Molybdenum as an alloying agent in steel. Today there are many uses of molybdenum.

Molybdenum is still used as an alloy agent in steel. All high strength steel contains from .25% to 8% molybdenum which contributes to the hardenability of the steel. It also improves the strength of steel under high temperatures and improves resistance to corrosion.

Steel with molybdenum is used in architectural applications near the ocean; and in environments where road salts are used and there is heavy industrial pollution. The Petrons Towers in Kuala Lumpur are a great example of the use of molybdenum stainless steel.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25w3I2S5Buc[/youtube]

Nuclear energy applications also use molybdenum as do many aircraft parts and missile parts. It s a catalyst in petroleum refining; in fact it is one of the most valuable. It is also used as a filament material in electrical applications and on electrodes for glass furnaces that are electrically heated. It is a good lubricant that will work in temperatures much higher than oil without decomposing.

Its uses are actually more in-depth than one might think. You ll find it commonly used within the power industry, chemical processing industry, water industry, and wastewater industry. It is also used in construction, building, and architecture; which one might have guessed considering its association to steel. And you will find it in the food industry which seems a bit unusual.

Molybdenum is used to harden and strengthen cast iron. It accomplishes this by changing the pearlite temperature. The use of molybdenum eliminates the need for special heat treatments.

Molybdenum is also used in nickel based alloys, which includes jet engines. It strengthens the nickel alloy and extends the service temperature. This combination is considered a super alloy. Over 1/3 of a jet engine s weight is made up of this super alloy.

Molybdenum is a silvery white metal that is very hard. However it is more ductile and softer than tungsten. It has a very high melting point. In fact the only other two metals that have a higher melting point are tantalum and tungsten. Its prime use is in the hardenability and tempering of metals such as steel. It is not a product most of us will ever have direct involvement with but we will likely encounter it in a more subtle manner.

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Interview with Tony Ciufo, City Council candidate for Ward 10 in Mississauga, Canada

Friday, September 22, 2006

The upcoming 2006 Mississauga municipal election, to be held November 13, features an array of candidates looking to represent their wards in city council.

Wikinews contributor Nicholas Moreau has contacted as many candidates as possible, including Tony Ciufo, asking them to answer common questions sent in an email. There is no incumbent in the newly created ward; the sixteen resident competing for the position are Shah Rukh Alam, John Briers, Jamie Dookie, Dale D’Souza, Prag Euclid, Adnan Hashmi, Elias Hazineh, Jack Janiak, Fasal Javaid, Craig Lawrence, Sue M. McFadden, Patrick Mendes, Barbara Polis, Graziano Roti, Ali Tahmourpour, and Scott Wilson.

Pennsylvania man admits to June 25 beating of elderly woman

Wednesday, July 6, 2005

Joshua J. Goyette allegedly confessed to breaking into a Saxonburg, Pennsylvania retirement home and beating 86-year-old Gertrude “Trudy” Johanson in the early morning of June 25, 2005. The crime, which shocked the small community north of Pittsburgh, was not the only one which occurred recently at area retirement homes. Goyette is also suspected in a May incident where another apartment at the Commons of Saxonburg was broken into through a first floor window and the 90-year-old woman inside was groped while she slept.

Goyette, 25, has addresses listed in court documents in New Bedford, Massachusetts; and in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, his mother’s home.

The alleged confession was given last Thursday, June 30, 2005, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to Pennsylvania state police investigators. Goyette is currently being held in the Butler County prison in lieu of $300,000 cash bond. He faces charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and criminal mischief.

Mortgage: Now Or Never?

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By Barry Dawn

With the recent mortgage scare and the aftershocks still reverberating here and there, people are wary of considering financing to get out of their credit card debts or saving their homes from foreclosure. But the prognosis is good as the economy is taking an upbeat trend; still the decision is yours.

The Prospects for the Pros

It is never easy to deal with a mountain of credit card debts; while you pay off one pay-later purchase on one credit card, the interest rates on purchases you used with your other credit cards grow steadily without let-up. Either you sell your house to pay off your debts and live in a cave or get a mortgage to pay off your debts and hold on to your home.

Considering a loan may not be attractive at this point; but then what other options do you have if there is no other way to stem the tide of increasing credit card interest rates? If you opt to pay off your debts in one go to avoid compounding interests and add-on fees that require a big amount of money to pay off, which you know you do not have, a mortgage provides a practical solution to this vexing problem.

Interest rates have declined recently. A 6 per cent interest rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage sounds very good, right? It has gone even lower but of course this will swing a little bit higher. Compared to the pre-bust period in the industry, the offer is way much better – think 7 or 11 percent interest rates that people latched on to last time. At the going rate, taking out a loan for the purpose is practical.

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The Cons of a Loan

Not every one though is a good candidate for a mortgage. Lenders short of looking through the spyglass have clever ways to check you out and the less impressive your credit rating, the higher the interest rates are charged to your mortgage. Seems you are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea but before you faint away, here’s a lifeline – you can shop around for lenders offering the lowest rates for borrowers with poor credit rating.

If you can wait repair your credit score before taking out a mortgage. Interest rates have fallen but then mortgage companies are strict with their requirements. There are lenders though who place a premium on paychecks but after they know what remains of your monthly income. If you can still survive comfortably with the leftovers of your paycheck, including the monthly mortgage bills, the lender will approve your application.

You have been presented with two options if you have a spotty credit rating. You go for the higher interest rates or you repair your credit score. But as things go with people who are desperate to get out of the credit card mess they are ready for anything. Take this advice – if you need $20,000 for your credit card debts, get a $20,000 loan and just that. It won’t take ages to pay this off and you’ll be debt-free in five or ten years.

Living with a mortgage is never easy. Whether it is a low-interest or high-interest fixed rate loan, you have to live frugally on less. So now, is it now or never?

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Sweden’s Crown Princess marries long-time boyfriend

Monday, June 21, 2010

Sweden’s first royal wedding since 1976 took place Saturday when Crown Princess Victoria, 32, married her long-time boyfriend and former personal trainer, Daniel Westling, 36. The ceremony took place at Stockholm Cathedral.

Over 1,200 guests, including many rulers, politicians, royals and other dignitaries from across the world, attended the wedding, which cost an estimated 20 million Swedish kronor. Victoria wore a wedding dress with five-metre long train designed by Pär Engsheden. She wore the same crown that her mother, Queen Silvia, wore on her wedding day 34 years previously, also on June 19. Victoria’s father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, walked Victoria down the aisle, which was deemed untraditional by many. In Sweden, the bride and groom usually walk down the aisle together, emphasising the country’s views on equality. Victoria met with Daniel half-way to the altar, where they exchanged brief kisses, and, to the sounds of the wedding march, made their way to the the silver altar. She was followed by ten bridesmaids. The couple both had tears in their eyes as they said their vows, and apart from fumbling when they exchanged rings, the ceremony went smoothly.

Following the ceremony, the couple headed a fast-paced procession through central Stockholm on a horse-drawn carriage, flanked by police and security. Up to 500,000 people are thought to have lined the streets. They then boarded the Vasaorden, the same royal barge Victoria’s parents used in their wedding, and traveled through Stockholm’s waters, accompanied by flyover of 18 fighter jets near the end of the procession. A wedding banquet followed in the in the Hall of State of the Royal Palace.

Controversy has surrounded the engagement and wedding between the Crown Princess and Westling, a “commoner”. Victoria met Westling as she was recovering from bulemia in 2002. He owned a chain of gymnasiums and was brought in to help bring Victoria back to full health. Westling was raised in a middle-class family in Ockelbo, in central Sweden. His father managed a social services centre, and his mother worked in a post office. When the relationship was made public, Westling was mocked as an outsider and the king was reportedly horrified at the thought of his daughter marrying a “commoner”, even though he did so when he married Silvia. Last year, Westling underwent transplant surgery for a congenital kidney disorder. The Swedish public have been assured that he will be able to have children and that his illness will not be passed on to his offspring.

Westling underwent years of training to prepare for his new role in the royal family, including lessons in etiquette, elocution, and multi-lingual small talk; and a makeover that saw his hair being cropped short, and his plain-looking glasses and clothes being replaced by designer-wear.

Upon marrying the Crown Princess, Westling took his wife’s ducal title and is granted the style “His Royal Highness”. He is now known as HRH Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland. He also has his own coat-of-arms and monogram. When Victoria assumes the throne and becomes Queen, Daniel will not become King, but assume a supportive role, similar to that of Prince Phillip, the husband of the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II.

New Zealand dollar hits new high versus the United States dollar

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

File:New Zealand money.jpg

The New Zealand dollar (NZD) value rose and, for a short amount of time, was worth US$0.7932, the highest level in New Zealand since the dollar was floated in 1985 — 22 years ago.

The value then dropped a little and as of 11.40 a.m. was trading at US$0.7925. This was due to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand announcing that it will intervene next week at their Official Cash Rate review if the dollar continued to rise.

Economists are predicting that the NZD will now go above US$0.80.

The cause of this rise was mainly due to the release of the June quarter retail sales data. The consumer price index data showed that sales increased by 1.2%, instead of the predicted 0.4%. The bigger than expected sales data were mainly due to supermarket, car and petrol purchases. In May, the core sales figures showed a 0.8% rise, these figures excluded car and fuel sales.

Economist correspondents for Radio New Zealand have also said that a weak US dollar is also to blame for the rising New Zealand dollar. Danika Hampton, currency analyst for the Bank of New Zealand, says the NZD is looking expensive and doubts if it will maintain its current high figure.

Michael Cullen, the finance minister of New Zealand, has said that investors will be hurt when the New Zealand dollar does fall. Dr Cullen personally believes that the NZD is currently overvalued.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has called for the New Zealand Government to slow down it’s spending. Charles Finny, from the Chamber of Commerce, says this is one of the core factors, more than the oil and housing markets, despite speculation. Worldwide oil prices are at a current 11-month high.

The retails sales figures also resulted in Government bonds being weakened. The two-year and ten-year Government bonds are at 7.61% and 6.82% respectively.

The Official Cash Rate is currently at 8%, due to other interventions by the Reserve Bank.

The NZD is also trading well against the Australian dollar and Japanese yen.

Anthrocon 2007 draws thousands to Pittsburgh for furry weekend

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Local caterers get ready for big business, as almost three thousand fans converge on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center over the Independence Day weekend for the world’s largest ever furry convention, Anthrocon 2007.

Many hope to renew acquaintances, or meet new friends. Others look to buy from dealers and artists, or show off new artwork or costumes. Some attend to make money, or even learn a thing or two. But one thing unites them: They’re all there to have fun.

Contents

  • 1 Costly expansion
  • 2 Programming and entertainment
  • 3 Audience
  • 4 Art show and dealers
  • 5 Charity and volunteers
  • 6 Local impact
  • 7 Related news
  • 8 Sources