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Swedish nuclear reactors shut down over safety concerns

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Swedish nuclear reactors shut down over safety concerns
 Author:

6 Apr

Saturday, August 5, 2006

 Correction — August 14, 2006 This article reports that the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant reactor cooling systems failed. This is incorrect. Two of the four emergency diesel generators supplying power to the plant failed to start as expected, during a reactor shut down. The emergency cooling system, which functioned normally was sufficient to meet the reactor’s needs. Wikinews apologises for the error 

Three of Sweden’s ten nuclear reactors have been shut down due to safety concerns following an incident last week at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant, in which the reactor cooling systems failed. The reactor has since been shut down there. After the incident, the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SKI asked all the nuclear power plants to demonstrate that the same failure could not happen in them. On Wednesday, two more reactors at Oskarshamn were shut down after the operator said their safety could not be guaranteed.

Last week’s incident at the Forsmark plant was triggered by a short circuit that cut power to the reactor cooling system. Two of the four backup generators also failed to start, but the remaining two worked and were sufficient to meet the plant’s needs. Greenpeace reports that the fault in the backup power systems were traced to new equipment installed in 1993.

The spokesman of the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate Anders Bredfell denied that there was any danger of a meltdown, adding that there was also a backup gas turbine to power the cooling system in an emergency.

However, Lars-Olov Höglund, who was responsible for the nuclear plant Forsmark for many years, said the incident was the most dangerous one since Chernobyl and Three Mile island, and that a meltdown was avoided only by pure luck. His views have however been questioned as he is involved in litigation with the Swedish nuclear industry and is known as an outspoken nuclear critic. Researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology as well as the personnel at the power plant were critical of Höglunds’ view.

Speaking to BBC News, SKI spokesman Anders Bredfell said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed of the incident as required and that the incident classes as a ‘2’ in the 0-7 scale used by the IAEA to assess the severity of the incident.

Another reactor in Forsmark and a fifth at Ringhals nuclear power plant have been offline due to planned maintenance work. With five of its ten reactors down, Sweden’s power generation capacity is down by almost a fifth.

The environmental group Greenpeace called on the government to shut down all reactors and probe whether the fault was a generic one. The Green Party has called for an independent investigation of the incident. Sweden is scheduled to retire all its nuclear power plants in the next few decades, as decided by a referendum in 1980.

BDSM as business: An interview with the owners of a dungeon

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BDSM as business: An interview with the owners of a dungeon
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6 Apr

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Torture proliferates American headlines today: whether its use is defensible in certain contexts and the morality of the practice. Wikinews reporter David Shankbone was curious about torture in American popular culture. This is the first of a two part series examining the BDSM business. This interview focuses on the owners of a dungeon, what they charge, what the clients are like and how they handle their needs.

When Shankbone rings the bell of “HC & Co.” he has no idea what to expect. A BDSM (Bondage Discipline Sadism Masochism) dungeon is a legal enterprise in New York City, and there are more than a few businesses that cater to a clientèle that wants an enema, a spanking, to be dressed like a baby or to wear women’s clothing. Shankbone went to find out what these businesses are like, who runs them, who works at them, and who frequents them. He spent three hours one night in what is considered one of the more upscale establishments in Manhattan, Rebecca’s Hidden Chamber, where according to The Village Voice, “you can take your girlfriend or wife, and have them treated with respect—unless they hope to be treated with something other than respect!”

When Shankbone arrived on the sixth floor of a midtown office building, the elevator opened up to a hallway where a smiling Rebecca greeted him. She is a beautiful forty-ish Long Island mother of three who is dressed in smart black pants and a black turtleneck that reaches up to her blond-streaked hair pulled back in a bushy ponytail. “Are you David Shankbone? We’re so excited to meet you!” she says, and leads him down the hall to a living room area with a sofa, a television playing an action-thriller, an open supply cabinet stocked with enema kits, and her husband Bill sitting at the computer trying to find where the re-release of Blade Runner is playing at the local theater. “I don’t like that movie,” says Rebecca.

Perhaps the most poignant moment came at the end of the night when Shankbone was waiting to be escorted out (to avoid running into a client). Rebecca came into the room and sat on the sofa. “You know, a lot of people out there would like to see me burn for what I do,” she says. Rebecca is a woman who has faced challenges in her life, and dealt with them the best she could given her circumstances. She sees herself as providing a service to people who have needs, no matter how debauched the outside world deems them. They sat talking mutual challenges they have faced and politics (she’s supporting Hillary); Rebecca reflected upon the irony that many of the people who supported the torture at Abu Ghraib would want her closed down. It was in this conversation that Shankbone saw that humanity can be found anywhere, including in places that appear on the surface to cater to the inhumanity some people in our society feel towards themselves, or others.

“The best way to describe it,” says Bill, “is if you had a kink, and you had a wife and you had two kids, and every time you had sex with your wife it just didn’t hit the nail on the head. What would you do about it? How would you handle it? You might go through life feeling unfulfilled. Or you might say, ‘No, my kink is I really need to dress in women’s clothing.’ We’re that outlet. We’re not the evil devil out here, plucking people off the street, keeping them chained up for days on end.”

Below is David Shankbone’s interview with Bill & Rebecca, owners of Rebecca’s Hidden Chamber, a BDSM dungeon.

Contents

  • 1 Meet Bill & Rebecca, owners of a BDSM dungeon
    • 1.1 Their home life
  • 2 Operating the business
    • 2.1 The costs
    • 2.2 Hiring employees
    • 2.3 The prices
  • 3 The clients
    • 3.1 What happens when a client walks through the door
    • 3.2 Motivations of the clients
    • 3.3 Typical requests
    • 3.4 What is not typical
  • 4 The environment
    • 4.1 Is an S&M dungeon dangerous?
    • 4.2 On S&M burnout
  • 5 Criticism of BDSM
  • 6 Related news
  • 7 External links
  • 8 Sources

NRMA stands by “unsafe” smash repair system

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NRMA stands by “unsafe” smash repair system
 Author:

5 Apr

Wednesday, December 21, 2005NRMA, one of Australia’s largest insurers, has come under scrutiny following the release of a scathing report into its online smash repairs system.

The report by the New South Wales Government’s Staysafe committee found that NRMA’s online repair tendering system was “unsafe”. NRMA has said it has no intention of suspending the system despite the findings.

The report, which was released yesterday found that “[The] system of allocating damaged motor vehicles to smash repairers without the repairers physically inspecting the damaged vehicle before quoting for work … is an unsafe system in its current form”. According to committee member and Port Stephens MP John Bartlett the vehicles were “being repaired to the standard of a brick and the crumple zones at the front and rear no longer worked and all the impact was being felt in the cabin”.

According to the report “the system would lead to cost cutting and unsafe repair practices, with the quality of repairs lowered by encouraging smash repairers to take short cuts”.

According to NRMA, only minor “cosmetic” repairs are put through the system – however often there can be further damage which is only evident after a complete inspection. The NRMA system simply places photographs of the vehicles on its website where approved smash repairers bid to carry out repairs.

David Brown, head of claims and assessments at NRMA, said this of the report: “[W]e totally reject the findings of the report, in fact we find the report’s fundamentally flawed with no evidence of safety issues, and [it] has been prepared without seeing the system first-hand”. He further added that the system would not be scrapped.

Opponents: New Zealand government sneaks bill into House to avoid public backlash

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Opponents: New Zealand government sneaks bill into House to avoid public backlash
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5 Apr

Thursday, December 7, 2006

The New Zealand Government has tabled the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill, despite unprecedented political opposition.

In 2003 the Hon Annette King signed a Treaty with Australia agreeing to hand control of the natural health products sector over to an Australian regulatory body, however she needs to pass enabling legislation in New Zealand. “This will be a world-class joint scheme designed to regulate the safety, quality, effectiveness and promotion of therapeutic products in both New Zealand and Australia. That includes the regulation of complementary and alternative medicines, over-the-counter and prescription medicines, medical devices, blood and blood products and tissues and cellular therapies,” Ms King said.

Twice the Bill has been thrown out by select committees, but the Government is determined to ram it through Parliament, according to the New Zealand Health Trust.

“Late tonight the Bill was finally tabled, with no announcement from the Minister,” said Amy Adams, spokesperson for the Trust, “Clearly the Minister is keen to sneak it into Parliament under cover of the silly season, in the hope that she can keep it under the public’s radar.”

“I welcome the support of a majority of the House who want to see the Bill go to Select Committee where New Zealanders can have their say,” Ms King said.

The NZ Health Trust conducted research earlier this year which showed 62% of New Zealanders used natural health products. “This Bill represents a massive and irreparable change to the way we make rules for New Zealand dietary supplements,” Mrs Adams said.

“Under the proposed regime, well over a million New Zealand consumers would find the choice of products adversely affected, and experience cost increases. So you can see why the Government is trying to sneak this into the House without any fuss – they don’t want the public to know.”

All the political parties except Labour have pledged their opposition the proposal, despite some intense lobbying by Australian and New Zealand officials.

“It is a very serious thing to hand sovereignty over your country over to another nation,” Mrs Adams said. “And all the other political parties see the sense in making sure the sector is regulated from New Zealand – not as a minor state of Australia.”

Ms King said: “The Bill… ensures that New Zealand will have an equal say in the setting up and running of the new Authority and joint scheme.” The new authority will be like a crown-owned entity and will have to provide an anuual report and a statement of intent to parliament each year.

International manhunt for alleged kidney harvester

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International manhunt for alleged kidney harvester
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5 Apr

Friday, February 1, 2008

While the involuntary harvesting of human kidneys may have been relegated to urban legend in the Western world, a raid in India has shown the practice is real and has triggered an international manhunt.

On January 24, police raided a clinic in Gurgaon, a satellite city of Delhi with two million inhabitants, and found that poor laborers were having kidneys removed, sometimes coerced at gunpoint. The kidneys were for transplantation to wealthy clients, both at home and abroad.

In 1995, the Parliament of India made it illegal to donate organs except to close relatives. However, not all states have ratified the bill.

Mohammed Salim is a day laborer who had a kidney removed at the clinic. “I was approached by a stranger for a job. When I accepted, I was taken to a room with gunmen,” he told NDTV, a local television channel. “They tested my blood, gave me an injection and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I had pain in my lower abdomen and I was told that my kidney had been removed.”

Mohinder Lal, the police commissioner in Gurgaon who is heading the investigation, has a suspect thought to be the ringleader. The man, whose true identity is not known, but most recently he went by Amit Kumar, has been called the main doctor in the ring that harvested kidneys. The Indian press has dubbed him “Dr. Horror.”

Commissioner Lal says the scale of this ring is unprecedented. He says four doctors, five nurses, twenty paramedics, three private hospitals, ten pathology clinics and five diagnostic centers were involved. “We suspect around 400 or 500 kidney transplants were done by these doctors over the last nine years,” he said.

When I woke up, I had pain in my lower abdomen and I was told that my kidney had been removed.

As for Amit Kumar, Lal told CanWest News Service, “we know that earlier he was staying in Canada [but] right now, we are not sure if he is in Canada.” Lal further said: “We are trying to get more information through Interpol today.”

The Times of India quoted an investigator with the Moradabad police, Manjul Saini: “We are certain his family is based in Canada and he visited them a fortnight ago.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) says it has limited information on the investigation. “We can, however, say that Interpol-Ottawa has been in communication with Interpol-New Delhi about this case,” said Sergeant Sylvie Tremblay.

Two British citizens, who are alleged to have travelled to India to obtain kidney transplants, have had their passports confiscated by police. Their identities have not been announced and the British High Commissioner says it has not been informed.

Speaking to The Guardian, deputy commissioner of Gurgaon, Rakesh Arya said that “two British people have not been let out of the country.”

“We are holding their passports. They are helping with our investigation… [There] are allegations that they are part [of the buying ring],” Arya continued. “We are cross checking certain things. They have been apprehended but not yet charged.”

This problem comes from the economic disparity between the western hemisphere and the poor here.

A report by the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) has identified Amit Kumar as an alias of Santosh Rameshwar Raut, once a prominent nephrologist, citing police sources. IANS tracked an arrest record dating back to 1993 for the man who is said to be in his fifties.

The IANS estimates that Amit Kumar has amassed a fortune of billions of Indian rupees from the racket. He has also been disowned by his father, Rameshwar Raut, who said, “I had a misunderstanding with him and we have parted ways. Everyone in my village knows about my integrity. I am a freedom fighter and everybody knows this. He has made a mistake and put me to shame. One should never lie come what may. He was a big liar.”

It is alleged that Amit Kumar’s brothers, Jeewan and Ganesh, were instrumental in procuring “donors” and that the organization was very secretive, yet involved an extensive network of doctors at prestigious hospitals, travel agents, and taxicab drivers.

The January 24 raid of the clinic was done after Vidya Prakash Jatav, another laborer, filed a complaint with authorities.

“This problem comes from the economic disparity between the western hemisphere and the poor here. Western patients can simply buy organs and in this country we have no national health service,” Sandeep Guleria, professor of medicine at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences told The Guardian. “Only 20% in the country can access any kind of medical care. We need a much bigger deterrence in terms of jail sentences.”

Tips On Finding The Right Apartment Rentals In Ames

Author:

4 Apr

byAlma Abell

Among the most important decisions a person will have to make in their lifetime is where they will live. For some people, the prospect of buying a home is a bit out of their price range, which is why they have to rent. One of the best ways to get the space and amenities you need is by renting an apartment. In most cases, you will have a number of apartments to choose from in your area, which means you will have to do the right amount of research to find what you need. Here are a few tips on finding the right apartment rentals in Ames.

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Know the Area

The first thing that you need to look at when trying to find the right apartment is the area that the building is in. You want to make sure that you choose a low crime area that is easily accessible and close to your work. The convenience level of a particular apartment should be a deciding factor due to its importance. The more you are able to find out about a particular apartment, the easier it will be for you to find the right one for your particular needs.

What Can You Spend?

The next thing that you have to take into consideration when trying to find the right apartment is the price. You want to make sure that the apartment that you get is within your price range and worth the money that you will pay for it. The best way to avoid spending too much on a new apartment is by setting a budget for yourself. The budget will allow you to know exactly what you can spend, and can be a great way for you to avoid overspending on an apartment.

If in need of high-quality apartment rentals in Ames, let the team at Furman Realty help you out. When you Contact Furman Realty, you will be able to get the professional assistance that you need. Call them or go to their website to get more information on what they can do for you. Working with the professionals can get you into a new home quickly and easily.

European football: Santa Cruz to Rovers

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European football: Santa Cruz to Rovers
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4 Apr

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Paraguayan footballer Roque Santa Cruz has left Bayern Munich for Blackburn Rovers. Roque Santa Cruz signed a four year deal. Roque Santa Cruz became expendable after major signings by Bayern Munich. Santa Cruz became 5th choice striker after Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose, Lucas Podolski and Jan Schlaudraff. Blackburn Rovers beat Manchester City, Porto and Espanyol for the signature of Roque Santa Cruz. The fee is reported to be around £3.4million.

Santa Cruz experienced an injury-plagued and trophy-laden eight-year career in Munich. Santa Cruz scored 31 goals in 155 league appearances and seven goals in 51 UEFA Champions League games for Bayern Munich. He won five German titles, four German Cups and one UEFA Champions League title with Bayern Munich.

Blackburn coach Mark Hughes was quoted as saying, “Santa Cruz is a young player, an international with a good reputation who is playing at a top European club.” and “The good thing from our point of view is that his fitness levels are fine as he has been playing in the Copa America.”

The Advantages Of Stainless Tanks

Author:

4 Apr

Click Here To Know More About:

byAlma Abell

Depending on the type of storage tank you need you may have a variety of different possible options in materials. If you do then it is important to carefully consider the advantages of each before making a choice. Since stainless tanks are usually always an option, reviewing the advantages of this metal allow should be a priority.

Corrosion and Rust Resistance

One of the most obvious advantages to stainless tanks is their natural corrosion and rust resistance. In fact the stainless alloy actually creates, through oxidation, a natural protective film over the surface. This prevents most types of corrosive elements, including fresh or salt water, from damaging the metal.

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Temperature Resistance

For any type of processing work stainless tanks are a good match because they can stand extreme temperature ranges without any damage to the actual surface or physical nature of the alloy. This means that stainless tanks won’t become brittle with heating or the surface won’t begin to scale or flake as seen with some alloys.

Long Life

With excellent corrosion and rust resistance, even if scratched or abraded during use, stainless tanks have very long lives when compared to other equipment used in applications and processes. With longer life the cost of replacement for a tank is greatly reduced, helping to lower overhead and operation without the need for repeated costly replacements.

Highly Workable

Stainless steel is one of the alloys that are easy to fabricate and work with to produce top quality tanks for all types of uses. This includes both storage tanks and pressurized tanks. Stainless tanks, depending on their use requirements, can be welded and fabricated without some of the issues found with other alloys that can weaken the metal through the fabrication process.

Keeps its Looks

Stainless steel is used in many different household products for the very reason it is also used in industrial applications. It is resistant to scratches, scuffing and staining and can look new even after years of demanding use.

For this reason, and because it can be easily cleaned and sterilized, stainless tanks are now the go to choice in virtually all food processing industries as well as in many manufacturing, and pressure vessel applications.

‘Aviator,’ ‘Baby’ dominate 2005 Academy Awards

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‘Aviator,’ ‘Baby’ dominate 2005 Academy Awards
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4 Apr

Monday, February 28, 2005File:Oscar icon by reiartur.png

The 77th Annual Academy Awards were held on February 27th, 2005 and broadcast live across the world. Some of the more poignant moments included a tribute to Johnny Carson, frequent host of the Awards, as well as a video tribute to many people involved in the movie industry who died in the past year, including Rodney Dangerfield, Ossie Davis, Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, and Ronald Reagan, set to the music of Yo Yo Ma.

United States: New York City mayoral swear-in to pair potential 2020 presidential prospects

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United States: New York City mayoral swear-in to pair potential 2020 presidential prospects
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3 Apr

Sunday, December 31, 2017

On New Years Day 2018, on the steps of New York City Hall, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, runner-up for the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nomination and potential 2020 presidential candidate, is to conduct the swearing-in of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, himself a potential 2020 presidential contender. In a statement, de Blasio, who was re-elected as Mayor this past November, claims to have invited Sanders due to the progressive icon’s Brooklyn, New York roots and advocacy on behalf of working people. Analysts say the invitation is a calculated political move on behalf of de Blasio to take advantage of Sanders’ popularity.

Sanders, 76, a self-identified Socialist, was born in Brooklyn before relocating to his current home of Vermont. After running for various public offices in the 1970s as a member of the anti-war Liberty Union Party, Sanders won election as Mayor of Burlington in 1981, serving three successive terms. In 1990, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives as an Independent, serving for 16 years before winning election to the U.S. Senate, again as an Independent. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Sanders garnered grassroots support, finishing second at the Democratic National Convention to Hillary Clinton, whose husband, former President Bill Clinton, administered de Blasio’s oath for Mayor in 2014.

Sanders’ 2016 performance and ensuing popularity within the Democratic Party has led to speculation about his plans in 2020. According to Politico, Sanders is taking steps toward a 2020 run. Referencing Sanders’ advanced age, incumbent President Donald Trump, who has already announced plans to run for re-election in 2020, said he expects Sanders to run “even if he’s in a wheelchair.”

News outlets have also speculated about de Blasio’s 2020 prospects. Last week, de Blasio delivered a speech in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa, prompting publications such as The Week and Newsweek to discuss whether the speech, delivered before about 200 progressive activists in Des Moines concerning the direction of the Democratic Party, was a way for de Blasio to test the waters for a potential run. De Blasio himself has denied he is running for President, though speculation persists.

Congressman John Delaney of Maryland is currently the only prominent Democrat officially running for President. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York are also expected to run.

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