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Darling announces UK budget for 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, yesterday announced the 2009 budget. The budget is an annual audit of the nation’s finances, and decides what should be done with taxpayers’ money.

The chancellor fell under scorn for his GDP growth forecasts, which are considered to be too optimistic in predicting that Britain will bounce back from its weakest economic performance since the end of the second world war. Darling forecast GDP growth of 3.5% in 2011, even after he was made to downgrade his predictions. He expects a record expansion of 1.25% next year, but chief UK economist Howard Archer disagrees, calling Darling’s predictions “mildly optimistic in the near term and much more optimistic in the long term.”

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Was the increase in the ISA limit “too little, too late”?
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His plans for savers and pensioners, however, were commended by many, though was also criticised by a large portion of the populace. In the budget, Darling increased the amount that savers can put into an Individual Savings Account (ISA) from £7,200 to £10,200, of which £5,100 can be saved in cash. These increased limits will be available only to people aged over 50 from 6 October this year, and will not be available to everyone until 6 April next year. A number of financial experts described the move as being “too little, too late”, and Rumina Hassam, of price comparison website uSwitch.com, said: “The government’s decision to increase the cash ISA limit by £1,500 to £5,100 for the over 50’s is a just another kick in the teeth for the majority of savers as they will have to wait even longer to benefit. There is no doubt that savers have been sacrificed as a result of the plummeting base rate, bringing savings rates to an all time low.”

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Oil spill hits Australia’s Sunshine coastline

Sunday, March 15, 2009

200,000 litres of oil leaked into waters off the coast of Brisbane from the Pacific Adventurer when their fuel tanks were damaged in rough seas on Wednesday. The figure is about ten times higher than the original estimate of twenty thousand litres of oil. The devastating diesel oil spill has spread along 60 kilometres (37 miles) of the Queensland coast. In addition, 31 containers with 620 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser flew overboard during the violent storm.

Questions are being asked why the Hong Kong cargo ship was out in seas with nine meter waves caused by Cyclone Hamish, a Category 5 tropical cyclone, as well as why the fertiliser containers were not properly secured. One of the overboard containers ruptured the hull of the Pacific Adventurer, causing between 30 to 100 tonnes of oil to spew from the severely damaged ship.

If the ammonium nitrate mixes with the heavy oil, an explosion could occur. None of the containers have been recovered. Some of these may float, but it is believed that they may have sunk which then may cause algal blooms.

Disaster zones have been declared at Bribie and Moreton Islands, and along the Sunshine coast.

The vessel’s owner, Swire Shipping, reported that a second leak began on Friday, when the ship began listing after docking at Hamilton for repairs. “As full soundings of the vessel’s tanks were being taken at the port to determine how much oil had leaked from the vessel, a small quantity of fuel oil escaped from the Pacific Adventurer,” it stated. The ship was brought upright, and a recovery vessel was used to suck up the oil from the water. The leak produced a 500m-long oil slick down the Brisbane River. Booms were placed around this oil spill so that a skimmer could clean up the second spill.

Swire Shipping could face clean up costs of AU$100,000 a day as well as fines up to AU$1.5million (US$977,000; £703,000) if found guilty of environmental breaches or negligence.

Sunshine Coast beaches are slowly starting to be reopened. The beach of Mooloolaba was still closed following reports of burning sensations from swimmers. 12 beaches remain closed; however, 13 have been reopened.

Over 300 state government and council workers are using buckets, rakes and spades in the clean up effort. Sunshine Coast Mayor Bob Abbott says the majority will be gone by Sunday afternoon. The full environmental impact on wildlife is not yet known. One turtle and seven pelicans have been found covered in oil.

There are concerns that the drinking water of Moreton Island is at risk, as the island uses water from the underground water table near the oil spill site.

“Every bucketload of contaminated sand has to be removed from the island by barge, and each bucketload from a front-end loader weighs about one tonne. It’s just an impossible task,” said Mr Trevor Hassard of the Tangalooma Dolphin Education Centre.

The commercial fishing industry has suffered from the incident. Trawlers won’t resume operations until Sunday evening, and any catches will be tested for human consumption.

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Baby dies after being found abandoned behind shop in Gwent, Wales

Saturday, March 20, 2010

According to an announcement from Gwent Police, a baby boy has died after being found abandoned behind a convenience store in Gwent, Wales. The boy, who has not yet been identified, was found behind a Spar convenience store in the town of Cwmcarn at 1815 GMT on Tuesday. The baby was found to be wrapped in a towel which was in a plastic shopping bag. Bystanders who were walking past the scene mistakenly believed that the bag had been unintentionally left there by a person who had visited the gym that is located next to the store.

A 14-year-old boy, who is the son of the man who owns the convenience store, then examinied the bag and discovered the baby. He made a phone call to the emergency services, however, when the baby was taken to Royal Gwent Hospital, it was pronounced dead on arrival. The baby was younger than one day old at the time of his death. A post-mortem examination proved to be indeterminate. Gwent Police have now launched an investigation to try and determine the identity of the baby’s mother.

Gursewak Singh, the father of the person who discovered the baby and the owner of the shop, explained: “We asked friends and colleagues what the bag was doing there, but it didn’t belong to anyone. A boy who works with us said it was just a towel in there and he didn’t open it. In the evening I went out to it and opened it, only saw a towel on top and didn’t look thoroughly. I just thought it was clothes underneath and didn’t want to root through them. I picked it up and hanged it on the gatepost so someone walking by might see it and recognise it as theirs. At about six o’clock there was a power cut and my 14-year-old son went out and picked up the bag and opened it and saw a little head in there. He called his uncle and said: ‘It’s not clothes, come and look’. They came over and saw the baby in there.” Singh commented that this incident “was shocking. We were all devastated. I wish we had checked earlier. If we had gone through the bag we could have made a difference. I’m worried what sort of condition the person who left the bag is in. We are so concerned about her. Other people saw the bag, but nobody thought about it. There could be a baby still alive. I wish we had checked straight away.”

Gwent Police member Superintendent John Burley stated about this case: “We are extremely concerned about the health and wellbeing of the mother of the baby and are appealing for her to come forward to receive any medical treatment she may require. This is a tragic incident which will sadden the local community and our priority at the moment is finding the mother of the baby. I would appeal to anyone who may have been in the vicinity of the Spar store on Thursday morning or afternoon who may be able to offer any information to assist our inquiry.”

Perhaps The Best Residential Location In Pattaya Thailand And Value Investment

Perhaps the best residential location in Pattaya Thailand and value investment

by

Jenny Balee

Reaching into the sky and possessing beautiful views on all sides, The Peak Towers boasts perhaps the best residential location in Pattaya. Situated on the Cozy Beach side of Pratumnak Hill, it is ideally placed directly between both resorts of Jomtien Beach and Pattaya City.

Every owner of The Peak Towers has the option to enjoy a lifestyle that others simply dream of. It is not so far away, just decide to move, and reach the peak of your desires. A lifestyle that becomes a reality and happens right here. Your new home is packed with facilities that spoil you to the depth that you deserve. A lifestyle that you choose to confirm to yourself now.

Once inside the apartment, your experience becomes personal. Every room type of The Peak Towers has been meticulously designed, knowing that coupled with the latest trends in style, they must of course be practical…. allowing you to truly enjoy the comfort and living that you deserve. We maximized the space and ensured a beautiful view that you can treasure. With only a small number of rooms on each floor, privacy belongs to you.

Heights Holdings, a leading Pattaya based property developer presents a range of 14 beachside high-rise properties for first time investors & those looking for holiday homes. In this series of articles we look at what these properties offer in their brochures and how they successfully combine luxury and affordability.

Heights Holdings mantra is to bring luxury seaside living at affordable prices to the East Coast of Thailand, particularly the Pattaya, Jomtien beach area.

How do Heights Holdings deliver the luxury when the affordable aspect is clearly achieved by limiting the size of the units? I am not saying small units are a negative. The use of smart design and clever innovations ensures that every inch of space is well thought out and the overall results are pleasing. What I think Heights Holdings do so well is to create luxury within the common areas.

Thailand is ideal for outdoor and communal living. Landscaped swimming pools and lagoon with exotic gardens, top of the line gymnasium complexes, saunas & spas, secure parking, attentive coinsure services and effective security all put together within a quality design. Heights Holdings projects encourages its owners to enjoy the common areas by providing a lifestyle that is usually only obtainable at high-end resorts, but by owning a Heights Holdings unit you can enjoy this level of luxury year round.

With this question clearly answered let s present a Heights Holdings project in their own words.

OVERALL STRUCTURE

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buB6BHk2I6w[/youtube]

Piling using bore pile with concrete cast in place, Reinforced concrete footing and columns, Reinforced concrete shear walls, Post-tensioning floor slab system.

COMMON AREAS

Lobby and Corridors, High quality ceramic floor tiles, Plastered masonry walls partly painted finish and partly wall decorative covering, Decorative painted gypsum board ceilings, High quality aluminum frame doors and glass windows, Concealed air conditioning units in ground floor lobby area.

Facilities

3 Pool areas: (1) Main swimming pool on 2nd floor (Tower A) Main communal area (2) Infinity edge swimming pool on the rooftop area (Tower A) (3) Shallow depth pool on the ground floor (Tower B) Relaxation & Children swimming area,Landscaped gardens, water features and a strip of chill out relaxation Salas, Equipped fitness and exercise room on the rooftop area, Sky lounge relation Salas on the rooftop area (Tower A),Business Centre with internet and meeting areas (Tower B), Restaurant & Shop area (Tower A), Other services provided for hire: Laundry and housekeeping services.

Car Parking

Multi-levels of Covered & Underground parking with security.

BUILDING FACILITIES

6 High speed elevator (4 Passenger & 2 service)

Fire Protection

Fire prevention with smoke detectors, Fire sprinkler system, Fire alarms and fire extinguishers, Emergency lighting to common areas.

Security

24 hour security guards and CCTV system, Key card only access or similar.

Electrical Installation

Electrical systems, Individual electricity meter for each residential unit, Emergency power supply for common area and elevator, Sensor lighting in corridors.

Television and Telephone

TV outlet, Cable TV ready, direct telephone line outlet, Wi-Fi Internet System.

Water Systems

Each tower has 2 x water tanks; 1 rooftop and 1 underground – with pressure pump systems, Individual water meter for each residential unit, Each tower has 2 waste water treatment system.

Lightning Protection

Lightning protection system in accordance to internationally accepted standards.

Apartment Specifications

European-standard fitted kitchens; European-standard fitted bathrooms, Built-in wardrobes, Built-in kitchen cabinets, Quality acrylic solid kitchen counter, Slim line wall type air-conditioner in every room, Fire and lighting protection including safety detector systems, Balcony railing with quality transparent tempered glass, Timber laminated entrance door with solid timber frame.

Website: http://www.thepeaktowers.com/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/PeakTowersPattaya http://www.youtube.com/user/PattayaCondos Author: Jenny Balee, Bangkok Video Reporters. http://www.bangkokvideoproductions.com/

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

Wikinews interviews You-peng Wang of Taipei Electrical Commercial Association

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Wikinews interviews You-peng Wang of Taipei Electrical Commercial Association
Author:

26 Jun

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Besides becoming a political stomping ground for the Pan-Green and Pan-Blue coalitions, there are other changes from past years of Taipei Audio Video Fair (TAVF). With those changes in mind, Wikinews reporter Rico Shen interviewed You-peng Wang, chairman of the Taipei Electrical Commercial Association (TECA), the main organizer of TAVF, about the 60th year anniversary of TECA and the changes to the show.

Open software developers meet at FOSDEM 2008

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Open software developers meet at FOSDEM 2008
Author:

25 Jun

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Hundreds of developers of freely licensed and open source software from all over Europe met in Brussels, Belgium this weekend for FOSDEM 2008. The 8th edition attracted considerably more visitors than previous editions, mainly from Belgium and its neighbouring countries the Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, but also from other European countries and even from the United States.

During the conference weekend, presentations touched on programming languages, build systems, gaming (such as Battle for Wesnoth, Crystal Space, Globulation 2), packaging, virtualisation and web applications. The conference also has rooms (called DevRooms) were developers who usually work together via the internet can meet in real life and share thoughts on their projects; CentOS, Fedora, CrossDesktop, Drupal, GNOME, KDE, Mozilla, OpenSUSE and X.org had the biggest rooms this year. The corridors were filled with stands from organisations such as the Free Software Foundation Europe and the Free Knowledge Foundation, Debian, Ubuntu, OpenOffice.org, etc.

Since FOSDEM brings many European open software developers to Brussels, it also provides an important networking opportunity. FOSDEM traditionally kicks off Belgium-style on Friday with a beer event, but during the entire weekend several groups hold parties all over town. Wikinews reporters attended a barbecue hosted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Friday for an interview with EFF and Open Rights Group representatives about the upcoming E.U. proposal to extend copyright for performers to 95 years. Wikinews also interviewed Drupal founder and Acquia CTO Dries Buytaert about Drupal and how Acquia will relate to the Drupal developer community.

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New Zealand medical student funding to be reviewed

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New Zealand medical student funding to be reviewed
Author:

25 Jun

Monday, February 20, 2006

The New Zealand government has announced that it will be reviewing funding for medical and dentistry students at Otago and Auckland Universities to certify the institutions’ standards and help staff retention.

The dean of Auckland University’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Professor Iain Martin says the review “can’t come soon enough”.

The Medical Students Association welcomes the review. It says that it has been worried about student debt for years “High debt encourages too many graduates overseas, or into high paying areas of practice at the expense of areas like general practice”

Roofing: Building Shades For Human Dwelling}

Click Here To Know More About:

ROOFING: BUILDING SHADES FOR HUMAN DWELLING

by

RH ConstructionEvery house remains to be a house unless a family makes it their home. So many emotions and feelings attach you more to the place you live in for years and sometimes even for the lifetime. Over the years after construction of houses they tend to deteriorate. Home maintenance is imperative for its long life. Hiring contractors for exterior waterproofing

is worth just after the construction and also years after staying inside. This will not only make you property look nicer but also will extend its life. Durable roofing is must for protection of house against rain, wind and more. Also it adds value to your house at the time of reselling.

Since houses are the most prized possessions of tons of people they need to be remodeled and renovated by the proficient contractors. Roof of your home faces all abuse in form of different weather conditions. Professionals cater to all your roofing needs. Putting new roof to repairing the old one all must be done with utmost perfection and expertise. Why you need the best roofing services?This is highly important that you have the best roofing contractor by your side since their services are highly important for maintaining the longevity of your house. They deal with all the roofing concerns of your establishment. Some need to avail their assistance for chimney removal/ installation, drip age works, ice and water protection etc. Top 5tips to find the best roofing contractorAs foundation is important to your house so is the roof. They both are fundamentally important for the well-being of your house. You will be staying safe and secure under a strong roof.Sometimes homeowners’ biggest challenge is to find the best roofing service Brooklyn

. Hence the compilation of the tips is given below for your ready help.

1)Knowing the right roofer is something not everybody enjoys. Start from the insurance. Make sure that the roofer you are considering has all the certificates and confirm with the insurance carrier whether or not they are valid. 2)The company providing roofing services should be reputed and have been in industry for years. 3)Their reach should be coming easy to your locality. That does not necessarily mean that they have to be local. 4)Price does not only matter. The heavy prices do not assure that the services are worthy. Spending money should not be your priority but they also need to be rightly priced. Fixing problems should be their priority and not earning money from their clients. 5)Get the warranty. It should not only be the verbal commitment but on papers. Roof, the most important part of home, ensures safety of everyone. Keeping it strong and ensuring it withstands any type of climatic conditions is one of the most important responsibility. Roofing service Brooklyn has solutions that are genuine, long-term and affordable. Call the professionals for immediate solutions and let your property remain secure.

Established in 1979, RH Construction has served hundreds of successful projects of all size. It’s known as the best construction company in Pacific Northwest due to their amazing portfolio, invaluable experience and knowledgeable employees. Grab their empirical thoughts on house renovation,

roofing service Brooklyn

,DIYs and other maintenance practices through their write ups.

Article Source:

eArticlesOnline.com}

Pakistani parliament passes bill for transgender rights

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Pakistani parliament passes bill for transgender rights
Author:

24 Jun

Friday, May 11, 2018

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s parliament passed a bill at Islamabad’s National Assembly which granted transgender people various civil rights. The bill, “Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act”, which was presented by Pakistan Peoples Party’s lawmaker Naveed Qamar, was approved by the senate in March, and now awaits signature of the president Mamnoon Hussain.

The bill ensures people have the right to identify themselves as male, female or as “third gender”, also known as khawaja sira in Pakistan. This identity choice is to be reflected in the National Database and Registration Authority, as well as other official documents like passports and driving licence.

Per the bill, transgender people can now cast votes, run for election, have the right to assemble, and can obtain loans for business startups. They are also eligible to inherit property per their identified gender. Transgender people are to be no longer discriminated at school, working place, for medical services, public transportation facilities, by their employers, or at private business. Separate confinement areas, jails and prisons are to be established for transgenders. Anyone found guilty of forcing transgenders to beg is to face a six-month prison term as well as 50 thousand rupees fine.

The legislation was sent to and later approved by the Council of Islamic Ideology, a government advisory body. Lahore-based activist Mehlab Jameel, who was involved in writing the bill, said the Council of Islamic Ideology “appreciated that the bill included directions on inheritance in accordance with Shari’a” law.

Last year, transgenders were included for the census count for the first time. Mehlab Jameel said, “the definition of ‘transgender’ […] was basically based on genitals” in the initial draft of the bill, written last year.

Speaking to National Public Radio, Jameel said, “This kind of development is not only unprecedented in Pakistani history, but it’s one of the most progressive laws in the whole world.” Human Rights Watch has reported at least four deaths of transgenders in the country since the beginning of 2018, and at least 57 transgenders were killed in Pakistan since 2015. Pakistan’s —reportedly— first transgender news anchor and activist Marvia Malik told Images the transgenders “are forced to dance and beg because they have no other means to make ends meet.” “My trans friends who have masters degrees don’t have jobs which is why they end up on streets or become sex workers”, Malik added.

The draft for the policy to implement this bill is not yet prepared. From the date the bill was approved, President Hussain has ten days to sign the bill or reject it.

News briefs:June 30, 2005

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News briefs:June 30, 2005
Author:

24 Jun

Thursday, June 30, 2005

Contents

  • 1 Bodies found at crash site of US helicopter in Afghanistan
  • 2 Flash floods hit Australia’s eastern coast
  • 3 Undercover investigation into protests planned for July’s G8 summit
  • 4 Rwandan businessmen sentenced for War Crimes
  • 5 Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales announces cooperation between KDE Group and Wikimedia
  • 6 OhmyNews forum discusses experiences in citizen journalism
  • 7 Sharapova knocked out of Wimbledon 2005 in semi-final
  • 8 Brazil wins Confederations Cup
  • 9 Football: Kežman goes to Madrid
  • 10 Closing comments