Friday, January 1, 2021
After an active year of original content published on the English-language Wikinews, we take a look back at some of the two dozen-plus original reports from our contributors during 2020.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Oliver Hill, an American Civil Rights lawyer died today at the age of 100. Hill was attending breakfast, when he died “peacefully,” said a friend of Hill’s family, Joseph Morrissey. The cause is not yet known.
“As a pioneer for civil rights, an accomplished attorney, and a war veteran, Mr. Hill’s dedication to serving the commonwealth and the country never failed,” said Virginia Governor, Tim Kaine in a statement released to the press.
Hill won African American teachers the right to have equal pay in 1940, which was the first civil rights case he won in his career.
He was also the first African American to be elected to the city council in Richmond, Virginia in 1948.
Hill also filed several lawsuits against racial segregation in the U.S. public school systems in 1954. Those lawsuits later became as the ‘Brown vs. Board‘ which overturned laws dating back to 1896 which ruled that separate schools for African Americans and White Americans were “unequal.”
Saturday, January 31, 2015
South African Justice Minister Michael Masutha yesterday announced he is granting parole to Eugene de Kock, an apartheid-era assassin who has spent twenty years in prison.
After South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994 de Kock was arrested and subsequently detailed his actions to the nation’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of a police ‘counter-insurgency’ unit de Kock took responsibility for murdering and torturing dissidents opposed to white-only rule. His methods included bombings, shootings, and stabbings and he operated internationally and at home. His revelations earned him the nickname “Prime Evil”.
The TRC granted de Kock immunity for most crimes in exchange for his testimony. He was charged with remaining offences, not covered due to limits in TRC power, and in 1996 jailed for life for six murders. Additional convictions include kidnap and attempted murder. He received an additional 212-year term for those crimes. The TRC could only grant immunity where the offence was a human rights violation and the offender gave a full confession.
During his TRC testimony de Kock accused police commanders of ordering murders including those of African National Council (ANC) members. In a 2007 prison interview he said FW de Klerk, the last white President, had hands “soaked in blood”. De Klerk denies de Kock’s allegations he ordered individual murders.
| It’s mixed feelings, which is something we’ve gotten used to as South Africans | ||
In the early nineties de Kock teamed up with anti-ANC party Inkatha to arrange violence within black communities. Internal conflict killed 12,000 in the wake of future President Nelson Mandela’s release. Mandela wrote of fearing “a hidden hand behind the violence[…] attempting to disrupt the negotiations”, by orchestrating the clashes in Natal and Transvaal. He was referring to upcoming elections and a transfer of power away from white rule and apartheid.
Masutha said de Kock was being released “in the interest of reconciliation and nation building”. The date, location, and terms are to remain secret.
Reaction from his victims is varied.
Murder victim Glenack Mama’s widow Sandra welcomed the release. She said to a BBC reporter “I think it will actually close a chapter in our history because we’ve come a long way and I think his release will just once again help with the reconciliation process because there’s still a lot of things that we need to do as a country”. She said “He got the instructions from the top and they [more senior officials] got away with it[…] they’re amongst us today and one man is taking the fall”.
| I pray that those whom he hurt, those from whom he took loved ones, will find the power within them to forgive him | ||
Eddie Makue said to The Associated Press the release stirred up “mixed feelings, which is something we’ve gotten used to as South Africans”. He was a South African Council of Churches employee in 1988 when de Kock bombed their headquarters. Jane Quin said she was “terribly disappointed” and he should never be released. Her sister Jacqui Quin was murdered in Lesotho in 1985 by de Kock.
TRC chairman Archbishop Desmond Tutu said “I pray that those whom he hurt, those from whom he took loved ones, will find the power within them to forgive him.” He said the release would not be universally welcome but is nonetheless “to our collective credit, as people and as a nation.” Tutu called it “an indictment on our government” that apartheid officials who did not co-operate with the TRC had evaded prosecution.
Whilst in prison de Kock has assisted the recovery of his missing victims’ remains. Remorse and his help to the Missing Persons Task Team were cited by Masutha as reasons to release him, which was initially decided against last July. “[H]is key role has been to introduce us to other former security police who can assist with finding others,” said Task Team leader Madeleine Fullard. Fullard said de Kock had also directly assisted in retrieving two bodies. “He certainly feels lives were wasted for no reason”, she added, describing a meeting with him at one ANC victim’s grave. “He seemed to be quite stressed.”
Masutha also announced yesterday the rejection of a parole application by apartheid killer Clive Derby-Lewis, an ex-MP. Derby-Lewis is serving life for murdering popular South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani. Hani also led the ANC’s militant division. His killing in 1993 sparked rioting. Derby-Lewis sought parole because he has lung cancer. Masutha said in rejecting the application that Derby-Lewis was remorseless.
Bad Credit Auto Loans – Drive Your Dream Car in Spite of Bad Credit
by
Williams Orchard
Having a bad credit prevents you from owning a new car? Do you have the passion to drive your own car? Do you wish to enjoy the luxury of driving your dream car? Passion is what required fulfilling your dreams. Do not be bothered if you have bad credit because of unfortunate incidents in the past. You can regain all the confidence and start living your life again with ease. The lenders are no more interested in your bad credit rates. There are multiple offers available for such individuals and golden opportunities are being given to own the car and to improve credit score.
With the advancement in science and technology, sky is the limit to conquer. Similar are the conditions for availing bad credit auto loans. Having a bad credit will no way stop you from getting the car loan. Such incident has become a history now. The average rate of interest across the nation is 5.5% and it goes up to as high as 11%. However, people are lucky to get the loans from a base rate of 4.5% and it varies up to 7%. It is good to make use of these opportunities to build up the credit score and to fulfill your dreams. The Loan-To-Amount ratio differs from 90% to 125% traditionally. However, all these interest rates and the ratio will differ according to the lender. The interest rate might be slightly on the higher side due to the bad credit rate.
The borrowers have good chances to negotiate with the lenders to obtain better interest rates. It is good to avail lower monthly payments during the initial stages. Continuing the payment for a certain period of time will help you to improve the credit score. The individuals are eligible to apply for the refinance of car loans. The bad credit score is no more a truth and they can enjoy lower interest rates in the long run by which they can save more money.
The internet is the best place to start your search for genuine lenders. Good amount of research work is needed to find out information regarding them. There are many informative articles available that will help you to get educated about the loan process. You need to be aware of golden rules to be followed while obtaining the loan. Make sure to go through the providers reviews before you apply for the loan. Studying the pros and cons of loans and packages offered by lenders is a good idea. There are many guides available to pin point the frequently made mistakes. Go through such information in order to obtain the best of interest rates. Do not fell prey to lenders those who offer special discounts with lots of hidden charges and complex process. Read the terms and conditions properly before signing the loan papers. Bad credit auto loans are easy to obtain. Find a lender and make your wish true today!
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Article Source:
ArticleRich.com
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Visual art, fabric art, photography, performance, dance, virtual reality, and music were all the subject of sessions at Furnal Equinox 2018, a conference held from March 16 to 18 at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle. Canada’s largest furry convention by attendance, the annual event offers dozens of subculture-specific programs.
The convention’s communications and public relations coordinator for the event, Ronnie, describes furries as “people that enjoy arts and culture centred around animals and animal-themed topics, essentially. Furnal Equinox in particular, we like to celebrate in a very visual and very […] artistic nature, where we have lots of arts and performances and crafts that go on, and people celebrate with lots of socialisation involved.”
Of the attendees, Ronnie told Wikinews “they come from all walks of life. They are people of all ages, sizes, all sorts of backgrounds, and they come together under one mutual interest, which is their love for animal culture.”
“Programming at Furnal Equinox involves[…] a lot of informational panels, so you can find out about topics from art and how to draw, or how to visually incorporate different elements into your artworks. You can also find panels that teach you how to write better, be a better fiction author for example,” explained the event representative.
At one panel Wikinews attended, members of its all-volunteer organising committee spoke of the year-long process of planning the event, and their reasons for committing such a significant amount of their time. Said one panelist, “if you’re happy, we’re happy.”
The largest hub of activity at the convention was a dealer’s room; nicknamed the “Dealer’s Den”, giving it an anthropomorphic twist. Vendors were selling original visual art, wearables like faux fur tails or ears, or things like jewellery or soap with motifs that would interest attendees.
The back area of the room was dedicated to a charity auction, with proceeds benefiting Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary. According to the convention website, the charity is “dedicated to rescuing abused, neglected, and abandoned farmed animals. Their goal is to provide a safe, life-long home for all of their residents, and to educate the public about the true nature of farmed animals through tours, volunteer programs, and community outreach.”
Split into groups, some attendees played “Fursuit Games” in front of an audience, like trying to toss a ball into a garbage can. The activity made harder, of course, by the limited dexterity and vision the most of the costumes entail.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Youths in the Norfolk town of Caister-on-Sea, near Great Yarmouth, England, have been banned from purchasing “squirty bottles” of ketchup, and eggs after a number of complaints from residents in the area. The move, which is backed by the Norfolk Police, is aimed at reducing the number of anti-social incidents occurring in the area. Sergeant Andy Brown, of the Norfolk Police, has said that no further complaints have been received since the ban came into force.
| I know it sounds a bit daft, but it has made a difference because we’ve had no more reported incidents since the supermarkets came on board. | ||
While squirting ketchup itself is not a criminal offence, the damage that it can cause, such as removing paint from cars or houses, is often enough to bring charges of criminal damage. Sgt Brown said that there were “about a dozen complaints from residents, some of them elderly, about people squirting ketchup over doors, windows and vehicles.” Martin Bailie, a spokesperson for Lidl supermarkets, has defended his staff’s actions, saying “the stores’ staff were [already] challenging youngsters who were trying to bulk buy these things. It wasn’t that we haven’t been selling eggs and ketchup to youths, but have been careful about who we have sold them to, and we are glad it has been making a difference.”
No catering business is complete without commercial refrigeration. This article gives you some hints and tips on how best to maintain your commercial refrigeration in order to maximize life span, and prevent expensive service calls.Once youve splashed out a few thousand Euros on commercial refrigeration for your kitchen, you want to ensure you do not fall into lazy routines and not maintain of it. Not only will this shorten the lifespan of the commercial refrigeration, but it will also lower the quality of the food you keep in the units.You should frequently do a a once over on your commercial refrigeration to be certain there are no problems or potential problems, such as problems with the doors or frost starting to form. If you spot it soon enough, it can mean you prevent a really stressful period of time in your kitchen! Imagine if your refrigerator breaks down correctly when you have a restaurant full of customers wanting to be served in your restaurant, you are going to have a mighty task on your hands. So remember to maintain it by checking over things, and repairing any problems as necessary. A small part being worn down can, like anything, results in much bigger issues.So make sure you do the above frequently, and your commercial refrigeration equipment should stay in top condition. Maybe you can predict whats next in order to maintain your commercial refrigeration (and even worse, more importantly) dont you?. Cleaning! It is easy, but you most likely dread having to do it. However its a great feeling when you finish and your equipment looks shiny and new. You have to make sure you clean the interior of the unit really well. Some soapy water will suffice I recommend you do this every month to make sure you keep on top of things. Also clean the outside of the equipment, get it glistening. Each of the components also needs cleaning, e.g. the motor and the fan. You may think this is something you would expect me to tell a child, but please make sure you have unplugged the commercial refrigeration appliances before you do this! Sounds easy, which it definitely is, but lots of people always overlook it, and regret it! Keeping the fan clean will ensure it remains in full working order and will prevent frost-formation, which as you know can cause all sorts of other issues. So you can see how keeping on top of the cleaning can avoid other problems.Hopefully these few tips have given you an idea of what needs to be done in order to properly look after your commercial refrigeration appliances. In the same way that you wouldnt buy a house and not clean it, dont buy commercial refrigeration equipment and not clean it and service it.
A compilation of brief news reports for Thursday, November 13, 2008.
A new study has found that people storing extra fat around their waist have a strongly increased chance of early death, even if their overall weight is average. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine today, found that for each addition 5 cm on the waist, the chance of early death is increased by between 13% and 17%.
In the study, 360,000 people from across nine countries in Europe were surveyed.
One of the study’s authors, Professor Elio Riboli of Imperial College London, commented on the findings. “We were surprised to see the waist size having such a powerful effect on people’s health and premature death,” he stated.
Sources
The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, has today lifted its ban on unusually shaped fruits and vegetables, in what the EU’s agriculture commissioner has called “a new dawn for the curvy cucumber and the knobbly carrot”.
The regulation has previously been criticized as an example of the EU’s bureaucracy by critics of the organisation.
The products affected by the deregulation are apricots, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, avocadoes, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, cultivated mushrooms, garlic, hazelnuts in shell, headed cabbage, leeks, melons, onions, peas, plums, ribbed celery, spinach, walnuts in shell, water melons and witloof/chicory.
Sources
A vase purchased at a car boot sale for £1 has sold for £32,450, following advice from experts on the BBC‘s Antiques Roadshow television program. The vase was sold in an auction at Christie’s.
The vase was found to be a 1929 work made by the French designer Rene Lalique.
Sources
Recent anonymous press briefings by US State Department officials indicated that its arms control division may punish Blackwater Worldwide for improper paperwork.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has the power to fine or agree voluntary penalties with exporters of certain weapons, who do not follow correct procedures. Blackwater Worldwide, a private military company, exported automatic weapons to Iraq that became the subject of a federal investigation first disclosed in 2007.Concern was expressed by the unnamed officials that paperwork errors may make the weapons untraceable, and that some reached Iraq’s black market.
Sources
Monday, October 17, 2005
American helicopters and warplanes bombed 2 villages near Ramadi, Iraq on Sunday. The U.S. military said nearly 70 suspected insurgents were killed, while local witnesses said that at least 39 civilians, including 18 children, were also lost to the attack.
A Ramadi resident, Ahmed Fouad, said that just after 7 p.m. Sunday, U.S. warplanes killed 18 children, including Fouad’s son and 8-year-old daughter. “She was killed with her brother. Her mother had a stroke out of shock.” Fouad said.
Family members of victims gathered at a Ramadi General Hospital where refrigeration space for the dead bodies had been exhausted. In the garden the bodies of a woman and three children lay as relatives sifted through remains.
“[They] were not terrorists…they were only a bunch of civilians whose curiosity prompted them to gather around a destroyed Humvee,” said Dr. Dhiya Fahdawi in reference to the dead and wounded.
The U.S. military neither confirmed nor denied that civilians were killed and issued a statement saying; “All the attacks were timed and executed in a manner to reduce the possibility of collateral damage.”
Thursday, September 25, 2008
A Louisiana representative has proposed a controversial solution to “generational welfare,” which would pay women on welfare to get sterilization. Republican John LaBruzzo said he thought of the idea because of his constituents’ outrage over paying for welfare.
“You have these people who are just fed up with working their buns off to try to provide for their own family and being forced by the government [to] provide for others’ families who just want to have unlimited kids”, he commented. He is currently working with Baton Rouge to gather data in support of his proposal.
The idea, which LaBruzzo has not finished forming, would award any woman on government assistance a check of $1,000 if she gets a tubal ligation operation. LaBruzzo is also considering rewarding sterilization in poor men and giving tax incentives for higher-income families to have more children.
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LaBruzzo, who is pro-life, said that the people “on the other side of the political spectrum are pro-choice. Well, let’s give these people the ability to choose.”
While LaBruzzo has stated that he has received an outpouring of support over his idea, the ACLU spoke out against the proposal and called it a “meanspirited attempt to eliminate the poor.” Planned Parenthood representative Julie Mickelberry called it a “bribery”, suggesting a solution which attacked the root of the problem was needed and that the representative needed to “go back to addressing issues of education about unintended pregnancy and opening healthcare access.”