The British government has said it fears that two bodies handed back by the Iraqi authorities are those of two Britons captured in 2007. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that forensic tests were currently being conducted to determine whether they were indeed those of the hostages.
In May 2007, four security guards and an IT consultant, Peter Moore, were kidnapped at the Ministry of Finance by armed militants of the Islamic Shiite resistance. The kidnappers released a video of the captives, saying that one will be killed if British forces do not withdraw from Iraq.
HAVE YOUR SAY
How can allied forces mitigate the risks for private contractors?
Add or view comments
Miliband said that “we have never speculated on the outcome of this case although we have been working intensively on it, so the overriding feeling today is one of deep sadness and fear. Our immediate thoughts are clearly with the families of the five Britons taken hostage in Baghdad in May 2007.”
Foreign Office sources have suggested that the bodies have been dead for several months.
Chinese officials have said that their country’s exports surged last December to edge out Germany as the world’s biggest exporter.
The official Xinhua news agency reported today that figures from the General Administration for Customs showed that exports jumped 17.7% in December from a year earlier. Over the whole of 2009 total Chinese exports reached US$1.2 trillion, above Germany’s forecast $1.17 trillion.
Huang Guohua, a statistics official with the customs administration, said the December exports rebound was an important turning point for China’s export sector. He commented that the jump was an indication that exporters have emerged from their downslide.
“We can say that China’s export enterprises have completely emerged from their all-time low in exports,” he said.
However, although China overtook Germany in exports, China’s total foreign trade — both exports and imports — fell 13.9% last year.
I sent copies of the book to book bloggers who responded to my email that they indeed wanted to review the book but who never reviewed the book. I later realized that I wasn’t anyone to them so my book obviously got buried in the avalanche of books they receive.
Now what I did right:
I researched on Amazon for reviewers who had written good reviews about similar-themed books. I contacted them through the Amazon friend feature and offered my book for review. (Note — there is no payment given for these reviews.) I got a few replies, including some who told me they were too busy along with some who really wanted to review the book and did.
When I emailed these Amazon reviewers to consider reviewing the book, I gave them the link to my website with the first four chapters available for free. I suggested they read those chapters to see if the book might appeal to them. Obviously, if they didn’t like the first four chapters, they probably wouldn’t want to read the whole book.
I took a virtual book tour through virtual book tour organizer Pump Up Your Book Promotion, and several book bloggers agreed to review the book. (Again, no payment.) I said yes to providing a second free book for a contest connected with the review (or interview). And the winner of the contest often had her/his own book blog.
I started using social media platforms especially Twitter and Facebook to make “friends” online. Now when these people said yes to reviewing my book I was no longer a nobody to them. We had a relationship.
More valuable reviews from people who were interested in my book:
The reviews I got by approaching people interested in my book’s fiction genre were much more valuable than the reviews I got using, for example, pay-for-review services where the reviewer might not even like my type of book.
And, yes, doing the work to find and contact reviewers who like your type of book takes time and effort. It can be much easier to use pay-for-review services even thought these reviews might not be as targeted and sincere.
If you do use pay-for-review services, ask if the reviewer will be someone who likes the genre in which you’ve written. You could even ask to see samples of the reviews the proposed reviewer has written on books of this genre. In this way you may have a better chance of getting a reviewer who will appreciate your book.
And if right now you’re still writing your book or it’s still in the publication process, this is an excellent time to start forming relationships on Twitter and Facebook. The key to both these social media platforms is to freely share information that can help others. If you do this wholeheartedly, in return your online “friends” may sincerely help you.
About the Author: For a free report
7 DYNAMIC REASONS FOR TAKING A VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR
and other book marketing information, visit http://www.queensofbookmarketing.com. Follow Phyllis Zimbler Miller on Twitter at @ZimblerMiller and connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn as Phyllis Zimbler Miller.
This weekend saw the opening of two new exhibitions at Edinburgh’s National Gallery of Modern Art. Wikinews attended Thursday’s press preview for the event where a full contingent of the capital’s press turned out to see the striking collection of paintings, photographs, and other works. Presented below are a selection of images captured at the preview.
REFLECTIONS: A Series of Changing Displays of Contemporary Art, billed as a showcase of a “diverse range of internationally-renowned contemporary and modern artists” is to display major works from the Gallery’s permanent collection, alongside important loans. Alongside this broad range of works, a three-room display of pieces on-loan from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation — with a dramatic painted steel relief, ‘borrowed’ from the Tate in London — runs from March 14 through to January 10 next year.
Admission to both exhibitions is free; being located in Dean, to the north-west of Edinburgh’s city centre, a free Gallery bus service is available.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Edinburgh’s press pack at the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition preview. Image: Brian McNeil.
The exterior of the Modern One building of Edinburgh’s Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
A film crew sets up with one of Roy Lichtenstein’s works as a backdrop, and the steel roundel on-loan from the Tate Gallery in London dramatically displayed on the wall of the main Artists’ Room. Image: Brian McNeil.
The exterior of the Modern One building of Edinburgh’s Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
A rather unusual installation; part of the REFLECTIONS exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
Dorothy Lichtenstein, at the press preview for an exhibition of her late husband’s works. Image: Brian McNeil.
A pair of Lichtenstein’s paintings, hanging in the main gallery of the Artists’ Rooms. Image: Brian McNeil.
The exterior of the Modern One building of Edinburgh’s Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
A selection of prints and postcards, available for sale in the Gallery’s shop. Image: Brian McNeil.
The ‘scrum’ of photographers capturing Roy Lichtenstein’s widow, Dorothy, in front of one of her late husband’s paintings. Image: Brian McNeil.
Dorothy Lichtenstein, being lit as she poses for the cameras at the press preview of her late husband’s work. Image: Brian McNeil.
Another pair of Lichtenstein’s paintings, with the doorway through to another part of the Gallery. Image: Brian McNeil.
A corridor in the Gallery makes an effective space to display a range of the works from the REFLECTIONS exhibit. Image: Brian McNeil.
The main Artists Room of the Gallery, displaying some of Lichtenstein’s dramatic works. Image: Brian McNeil.
A different take on the corridor display part of the REFLECTIONS exhibit, with mirror at end of corridor. Image: Brian McNeil.
A display of photographs from the REFLECTIONS exhibit. Image: Brian McNeil.
Member of the press admiring one of Lichtenstein’s works at new exhibition in the Modern One building of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. Image: Brian McNeil.
One of the display galleries hosting part of the REFLECTIONS exhibit. Image: Brian McNeil.
Wall of artworks making up part of the REFLECTIONS exhibit, with mirror at end of corridor. Image: Brian McNeil.
Press film crew sets up and tests lighting levels in front of one of Lichtenstein’s most-famous works. Image: Brian McNeil.
The licensed cafe on the lower level of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
The kitchen garden to the rear of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
The licensed cafe on the lower level of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
Rear of the Modern One building of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. Image: Brian McNeil.
Display of cakes and biscuits in cafe of the Modern One building of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
Douglas Gordon’s dramatic List of Names which adorns the wall of the stairwell in the Modern One building. Image: Brian McNeil.
“Old deeds threaten Buffalo, NY hotel development” — Wikinews, November 21, 2006
“Proposal for Buffalo, N.Y. hotel reportedly dead: parcels for sale “by owner”” — Wikinews, November 16, 2006
“Contract to buy properties on site of Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal extended” — Wikinews, October 2, 2006
“Court date “as needed” for lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal” — Wikinews, August 14, 2006
“Preliminary hearing for lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal rescheduled” — Wikinews, July 26, 2006
“Elmwood Village Hotel proposal in Buffalo, N.Y. withdrawn” — Wikinews, July 13, 2006
“Preliminary hearing against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal delayed” — Wikinews, June 2, 2006
Original Story
“Hotel development proposal could displace Buffalo, NY business owners” — Wikinews, February 17, 2006
Image of verified petition/complaint.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Buffalo, New York —A copy has been obtained of the lawsuit filed against the City of Buffalo for allegedly fast-tracking a seven million dollar hotel proposal.
The Elmwood Village Hotel is a 72-room, seven-million-dollar hotel proposed by Savarino Construction Services Corporation and designed by architect Karl Frizlen of the Frizlen Group. Its construction would require the demolition of at least five buildings, currently at 1109-1121 Elmwood, which house several shops and residents. Although the properties are “under contract,” it is still not known whether Savarino Construction actually owns the buildings. It is believed that Hans Mobius, a resident of Clarence, New York and former Buffalo mayoral candidate, is still the owner. The hotel is expected to be a franchise of the Wyndham Hotels group.
According to official court documents, there are more defendants than previously thought. Documents state that not only Buffalo’s Common Council and Planning Board are named in the lawsuit, but also the Mayor of Buffalo, Byron W. Brown, Savarino Construction Services Corporation, Hans J. Mobius and his son Hans S. Mobius owners of the properties at stake, Pano Georgiadis, owner of Pano’s Restaurant on Elmwood, and Cendant Corporation, the parent company of Wyndham Hotels are also named in the suit.
According to the lawsuit, during the length of the trial, Savarino Construction along with their employees, Hans Mobius and his son are not allowed to make any alterations or “engage in the physical alteration” of any of the said properties, 1109-1121 Elmwood and 9999 Forest. The suit also states that the owner of 605 Forest, Pano Georgiadis is also to follow the same rule.
The suit also states that Hans Mobius, his son and employees or “agents” are not allowed to “take any step, lawful or otherwise, to terminate [the] petitioners, Nancy Pollina and Patricia Morris,” owners of Don Apparel at 1119 Elmwood “tenancies.” Although the business is owned by Pollina and Morris, they are without a lease.
Land use and zoning of proposed site of Elmwood Village Hotel, April 2006.
Within the suit it states that the rezoning of the properties 1119-1121 Elmwood and 605 Forest, by the Common Council, from a ‘R3’ Dwelling District to a C2 commercial zone “constitutes as impermissible ‘spot-zoning'” and is “not in accord with a well-considered plan for the development of the community and is null and void.” According to the suit the courts of New York have defined spot-zoning as “the process of singling out a small parcel of land for a use classification totally different from that of the surrounding area, for the benefit of the owner of such properties and to the detriment of other owners.” The suit also states that the proposed site for the hotel is different from the surrounding properties because none of the zoning classifications, ‘EB’ [Elmwood Avenue Business District], ‘R3’ [Dwelling District], ‘R1’ [One Family District] and ‘R2’ [Dwelling District], permit the construction and operation of a hotel.
It is alleged that Savarino Construction “failed to utilize forms obtainable from the city clerks office, failed to include an accurate map or survey showing the location of all buildings and structures and failed to include the names and addresses of each of the owners of the properties to be rezoned.”
Site plan or zoning referral to Erie County, New York and reply to municipality.
It is also believed that recommendation in regards to [hotel] compatibility, different land uses, traffic studies, community character, population density, relations between other residents and business owners, public convenience, governmental efficiency, and achieving and maintaining a satisfied community, were to be sent to Erie County’s Planning agency and was to refer Savarino’s rezoning application and site plan to the agency, however; the lawsuit alleges that although a referral was given to Savarino, it “does not appear that the ‘full statement of such proposed action’ was forwarded to the County [Agency].”
The suit also alleges that the Common Council “failed to wait the ‘statutorily-mandated’ 30-days after the County’s Planning Agency’s receipt” of recommendations from the Council. The County’s Planning Agency replied to the recommendations, however; the Agency replied on March 27, 2006, just six days after the Council made its recommendations, falling well short of the “statutorily-mandated” thirty days. The Agency’s reply however, did not support or oppose the recommendations or hotel proposal.
Public hearings are required to be registered by the City clerk to the City Planning Board, and according to the suit, “no record” of the Public hearing on March 7, presenting the initial proposal to the public, was made within the City’s Clerk office or Planning Board.
Comments from Erie County Division of planning on the SEQRA.
The suit also alleges that the Common council and Planning Board also violated the State’s Environmental Quality Review Act or SEQRA and the City’s Environmental Review Ordinance by allowing the Planning Board to be the “lead agency” instead of the Common Council. A lead agency is an involved agency principally responsible for undertaking or approving an action and therefore responsible for determining whether an Environmental Impact Statement or EIS is needed, according to the SEQRA regulations. The suit also states that the hotel proposal “constitutes an action under the SEQRA” because the project could “affect the environment by changing the use, appearance or condition of any natural resource or structure that requires one or more approvals from an agency or agencies” and that the Common Council and Planning Board are “obliged to comply with both the letter [recommendations] and spirit of the SEQRA review process” which include identifying the areas of environmental concerns and taking a “hard look” at them. The suit also claims that the Common Council has the “sole authority to grant Savarino Construction’s rezoning request” and “to approve the special development plan,” but it also claims that the Planning Board is “an involved agency” but that it is “clearly subordinate to that of the Common Council” therefore the decision made by both the Council and Planning Board to allow the Planning Board to be the ‘lead agency,’ is in “violation” of the State’s SEQRA and “renders all determinations” made by the Planning Board and Common Council on March 14, 21, and 28, 2006, “void and unauthorized.” It goes on to say that the Council “proceeded without or in excess of their jurisdiction, and/or made a determination in violation of lawful procedure, affected by an error of law, and/or in an arbitrary and capricious manner.” It also states that unless the requirements of the SEQRA are met, then the petitioners have the right to “seek a temporary restraining order” from the Court if circumstances require it.
The suit also states that a failure to grant a preliminary injunction, through the courts, will result in “irreparable injury” to the petitioners and that the Council and Planing Board have failed to comply with the requirements of the SEQRA and have violated several other state laws and city codes.
So far, Savarino Construction has not responded to any calls or e-mails. District councilman Joseph Golombek also has not responded. Georgiadias was unavailable for comment.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m. on June 8, 2006 in the Supreme Court building at 50 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, on the 8th floor, part 31.
Indian film actor Om Puri died this morning of heart failure at his Mumbai home, according to reports. He was 66.
Born in Haryana in 1950, Puri trained at the Film and Television Institute of India. He starred in both arthouse and conventional movies, making his début in Ghashiram Kotwal in 1976. He gained national prominence in the 1980s and 1990s. Internationally, he starred in British, Hollywood, and Pakistani projects.
Two weeks ago Puri was looking back on his career on Twitter. “I have no regrets at all. I have done quite well for myself. I didn’t have a conventional face, but I have done well, and I am proud of it.” Honours include the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1982, the Padma Shri in 1990, and an honorary Order of the British Empire award in 2004.
His wife Nandita and son Ishaan survive him. Tributes have come from colleagues in the film industry, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Friend Ananth Mahadevan, an actor and director, called the death “a personal loss and a loss to cinema because he was truly India’s international star.”
One cannot negate the fact that one of the most attractive flooring materials available today is real wooden flooring. The primary challenge with this is is placing it in a part of the house which has moderate to high levels of humidity and moisture because that will eventually make the wood crack, peel, or warp on the surface. Even so, it still adds a a certain kind of warmth, that, if complemented with the right design, would make the entire room a sight to behold.
What kind of material do you use for your floors? If you are looking for a floor tile that is durable and fashionable at the same time, then you should try using real wood for your home flooring needs. This material has a distinctive appearance that will make it very difficult to completely be copied. Some may resort to vinyl to have a semblance of wooden floors but the effect is really different and one will readily know with a quick glance and a quick feel of the feet that that is not real wood.
One crowning trait of real wood is that it is easily repairable. Depending on the degree of damage, a basic way to restore wood is by sanding and refinishing it. Yes, vinyl is a lot more cheaper but you can do nothing except to dispose it once it is damaged.
Another reason why this is one of the most popular floorings is that it adds monetary worth to your property, especially if they are maintained in a good condition for a long period of time. Some antique houses comprise of floorings as old as 100 years back, so the value of the overall property will be much higher.
On the other hand, if you are one of those people who are prone to allergic reactions, it may be favourable for you to know that wooden floors do not heap pollens, dusts, or pet hairs as what carpets may do. Cleaning is basically also just a sweep or mop away. Do for avid pet owners and allergic people, this floor covering is for you.
If you already have wooden floor tiles in your home, it may be a good idea to set up cheap blinds or temporary blinds instead of thick drapes and curtains, so that it would be more convenient for you every time you need to sand down your wooden floors.
One important thing that this material can offer is the environment it creates. Different floorings elicit different feels. Timber is a thick material and is also a good insulator than plain vinyl or ceramic tiles. That is why using this floor covering will definitely be a good investment over time.
It is also good to note that timber is a renewable resource. High quality timber is just around the corner and you do not have to go through lengths to find it. If you are an environmentally conscious individual, you can also ask timber companies if they are initiating tree planting activities every time they cut down trees, and stick with the companies that do that.
To get the best of your wooden flooring, try to regularly clean it and maintain it to last for a lifetime.
About the Author: The author is an interior design expert specialising in budget re-decoration and has knowledge on how to install cheap window blinds to cover your windows and how to use budget blinds. Find where to buy them at
This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.
Thursday, October 22, 2020
2020 Melbourne Lord Mayor candidate Wayne Tseng answered some questions about his campaign for the upcoming election from Wikinews. The Lord Mayor election in the Australian city is scheduled to take place this week.
Portrait of Wayne TsengImage: Wayne Tseng.
Tseng runs a firm called eTranslate, which helps software developers to make the software available to the users. In the candidate’s questionnaire, Tseng said eTranslate had led to him working with all three tiers of the government. He previously belonged to the Australian Liberal Party, but has left since then, to run for mayorship as an independent candidate.
Tseng is of Chinese descent, having moved to Australia with his parents from Vietnam. Graduated in Brisbane, Tseng received his PhD in Melbourne and has been living in the city, he told Wikinews. Tseng also formed Chinese Precinct Chamber of Commerce, an organisation responsible for many “community bond building initiatives”, the Lord Mayor candidate told Wikinews.
Tseng discussed his plans for leading Melbourne, recovering from COVID-19, and “Democracy 2.0” to ensure concerns of minorities in the city were also heard. Tseng also focused on the importance of the multi-culture aspect and talked about making Melbourne the capital of the aboriginals. Tseng also explained why he thinks Melbourne is poised to be a world city by 2030.
Tseng’s deputy Lord Mayor candidate Gricol Yang is a Commercial Banker and works for ANZ Banking Group.
Currently, Sally Capp is the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the Victorian capital. Capp was elected as an interim Lord Mayor in mid-2018 after the former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle resigned from his position after sexual assault allegations. Doyle served as the Lord Mayor of Melbourne for almost a decade since 2008.
Prescription placebos used in research and practice.
A new study amongst doctors in the United States on the use of placebos—pills with no medical effect—shows that almost half of the questioned practitioners prescribe placebos, most of them within the last year.
The majority of 466 faculty physicians at Chicago-area medical schools interviewed by a research group of the University of Chicago stated that placebos are useful to calm a patient down or to respond to demands for medication that the doctor disagrees with, i.e. “to get the patient to stop complaining”.
96 percent of the physicians surveyed believe that placebos can have therapeutic effects. Close to 40 percent stated that placebos could benefit patents physiologically as well as mentally.
Twelve percent of surveyed physicians think that placebos should be banned from clinical practice. Among the doctors who prescribed them, one in five said they outright lied to patients by claiming a placebo was medication. But more often the physicians came up with ways to explain like that “this may help you but I’m not sure how it works.”
The American Medical Association (AMA), the largest association of U.S. doctors and medical students, tells its members that “[p]hysicians may use placebos for diagnosis or treatment only if the patient is informed of and agrees to its use.” The research, published in Journal of General Internal Medicine this week, is the first major U.S. study of doctors on the use of placebos since 1979.
Tingles, a pink space squirrel. Image: Nicholas Moreau.Eredran, the “Business Dragon”. Image: Nicholas Moreau.
From March 15 to 17, the Canadian city of Toronto played host to the tenth Furnal Equinox, an annual event dedicated to the “furry fandom.” Wikinews attended. Programming ranged from music to gender, science to art, covering dozens of aspects of the varied subculture. The event’s featured guests were visual artists Moth Monarch and Cat-Monk Shiro, as well as the co-owners of US fursuit costume builders Don’t Hug Cacti.
The event raised nearly CDN$11,000 for Pet Patrol, a non-profit rescue organization in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, run by volunteers. This exceeded their goal of $10,000, the funds needed to finish a rural sanctuary. The furry community is well-known for their charitable efforts. Along with direct donations, the funds were raised through a charity auction offering original artwork, and a fursuit design by guests of honour “Don’t Hug Cacti.” Last year, Furnal Equinox raised funds for a farm animal sanctuary.
While only 10–15% of people within the fandom own a fursuit according to a 2011 study, event organizers reported this year 908 of the 2240 attendees at Furnal Equinox brought at least one elaborate outfit to the event. The outfits are usually based on original characters, known as “fursonas”.
Guests of Honour Cherie and Sean O’Donnell, known within the community as “Lucky and Skuff Coyote”, held a session on fursuit construction on Saturday afternoon. The married couple are among the most prominent builders in the fandom, under the name Don’t Hug Cacti. The scale of their business was evident, as Sean had made over a thousand pairs of “handpaws”, costume gloves.
The couple encouraged attendees to continue developing their technique, sharing that all professional fursuit makers had developed different techniques. They felt that they learned more from failed projects than successful ones, citing the Chuck Jones quote that “every artist has thousands of bad drawings,” and that you have to work through them to achieve. Cherie, known as Lucky, recalled receiving a Sylvester the Cat plush toy from a Six Flags theme park at age 10. She promptly hollowed the toy out, turning it into a costume. Creating a costume isn’t without its hazards: the company uses 450°F (232°C) glue guns. They’re “like sticking your hand in an oven.”
Other programming included improv comedy, dances, life drawing of fursuiters, a review of scientific research by a research group at four universities called FurScience, a pin collector’s social, and workshops in writing.
The 3D printed base for a fursuit mask, incorporating in tiny screens as eyes. Image: Nicholas Moreau.
The “Dealer’s Den” hall was expanded this year, with even more retailers and artists. While many offered “furry” versions of traditional products, at least one business focused on “pushing the boundaries of fursuit technology.” Along with 3D printing a bone-shaped name tag when Wikinews visited, Grivik was demonstrating miniature computer screens that could be used as “eyes” for a fursuit. The electronic displays projected an animation of eyes looking around, blinking occasionally. The maker has also developed “a way to install a camera inside suit heads, to improve fursuiter visibility.” He hopes the tech would reduce suiting risks and accidents. Without the need for eyeholes, fursuit makers would have “more options for building different eyestyles.”
