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Saturday, September 1, 2012

London, England — Earlier today at the Greenwich Park, riding third in the Paralympic Dressage Individual Championship Test – Grade II, Grace Bowman withdrew mid-ride after a series of low scores during the event. Bowman was Australia’s only rider in this event.

Prior to entering the competition ring, Bowman’s horse Kirby Park Joy was in poor form, with Bowman unable to get control of her, showing little harmony between horse and rider. With a score of 70% or better expected for the best competitors, Bowman started with 48.0% on the halt salute, 44% on the half circle and 48.7% on the medium trot. Things did not get better as the ride continued, with Bowman earning a 45.8% in the reinback, 39.8% for the circle R 8m and 37.3% for the circle L 8m. Shortly after this, Bowman signaled to the judges her desire to withdraw from the ride. In the competition ring, she was frequently pulling on the reins as Kirby Park Joy was frequently tossing her head. According to a Dutch equestrian journalist, her horse was not agreeing with her from the start. Bowman left the field of play in tears.

Bowman had said this event was her favorite, telling the media Thursday following her ride in the team competition, “I enjoy the individual test best of all, but don’t like the freestyle — it’s my least favourite.”

Kirby Park Joy has had problems in London, with Bowman telling the media, “She was a bit tense and didn’t like the big scoreboard ahead of us, so our score was much lower than usual.” Australian Team Manager Sally Francis confirmed this, saying in a media release, “Grace’s horse has had some issues with the sight screen in the arena. […] Grace did well to control her during the team test and finish [Thursday]. We’ve been working very closely with her horse since to try to alleviate any stress it might be under.”

It isn’t the first time Bowman has had horse problems at the Paralympics; her horse at the 2008 Summer Paralympics had similar issues.

Bowman’s London Paralympic campaign has come to an end without a medal, after having finished 21st Thursday in the Team Test – Grade II event.

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Businessman Rocky De La Fuente took some time to speak with Wikinews about his campaign for the U.S. Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nomination.

The 61-year-old De La Fuente resides in San Diego, California, grew up in Tijuana, and owns multiple businesses and properties throughout the world. Since getting his start in the automobile industry, De La Fuente has branched out into the banking and real estate markets. Despite not having held or sought political office previously, he has been involved in politics, serving as the first-ever Hispanic superdelegate to the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

De La Fuente entered the 2016 presidential race last October largely due to his dissatisfaction with Republican front-runner Donald Trump. He argues he is a more accomplished businessman than Trump, and attacks Trump as “a clown,” “a joke,” “dangerous,” and “in the same category as Hitler.” Nevertheless, De La Fuente’s business background begets comparisons with Trump. The Alaskan Midnight Sun blog described him as the Democrats’ “own Donald Trump.”

While receiving only minimal media coverage, he has campaigned actively, and according to the latest Federal Election Commission filing, loaned almost US$ 4 million of his own money to the campaign. He has qualified for 48 primary and caucus ballots, but has not yet obtained any delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Thus far, according to the count at The Green Papers, De La Fuente has received 35,406 votes, or 0.23% of the total votes cast. He leads among the many lesser-known candidates but trails both Senator Bernie Sanders who has received nearly 6.5 million votes and front-runner Hillary Clinton who has just shy of 9 million votes.

With Wikinews reporter William S. Saturn?, De La Fuente discusses his personal background, his positions on political issues, his current campaign for president, and his political future.

Friday, May 11, 2007

At least two Kentucky Fried Chicken [KFC] restaurants, operated by G & H Restaurant Specialties, have closed in Buffalo, New York “for remodeling,” according to signs placed on the front doors of at least one location on Elmwood Avenue and Bryant Street in Buffalo. The other KFC is located on East Delavan Avenue, also in the City of Buffalo.

Despite the claim of closing for remodeling, the Erie County Health Department says that several health code violations were found at both locations. The most recent violation was logged by the health department in March at the Elmwood location for failing to keep food stored at correct temperatures. Violations were also cited for failing to keep cooking supplies and equipment sanitary and for not supplying hot water to the bathroom for employees.

G & H Restaurant Specialties has not released a statement regarding the violations, but the corporate offices in Louisville, Kentucky for KFC said, “our franchisee has finalized a plan for some structural repairs… The units will be temporarily closed while these building maintenance issues are addressed. [They will be] re-opened as soon as the repairs are complete.”

The health department also gave violations out to the East Delevan store for failing to maintain a clean floor throughout the restaurant and for not stopping food from becoming contaminated. Several rat traps were also found inside the storage cooler and around the kitchen area, but the establishment was “not free of rodents,” said Commissioner of the Erie County Health Department, Dr. Anthony Billittier.

Billittier also said that caulking and traps were seen on the outside of the East Delevan restaurant, which was an attempt to keep the rats out. “It shows that they’re trying to take care of a problem. But it also shows that they have a problem.”

As of Thursday, May 10, 2007, the Elmwood KFC has yet to reopen. It is not known if the East Delevan location opened today or not.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

The top kill procedure implemented by BP on the leaking Deepwater Horizon oil well on Wednesday has failed. According to David Suttles, BP’s chief operating officer, “We have been unable to overcome the flow.” Suttles stated that after studying three days of results, BP determined that the procedure was a failure.

On Wednesday, BP began pumping mud into the leaking well, a procedure known as top kill. BP chief executive Tony Howard said it would take at least 24 hours to determine if the procedure was successful. The procedure has worked before in surface situations, but was not previously attempted at 5,000 feet underwater.

The procedure involves pumping heavyweight drilling mud from the surface through a drill pipe, which directs the mud into a manifold lying on the sea bed. From the manifold, the mud is pumped into the blowout preventer, which is sitting on the well.

BP says it pumped 30,000 barrels of mud into the well at rates of up to 80 barrels a minute. After three attempts, the well was still leaking.

The next option, the sixth, is called the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Cap containment system. This procedure involves a ROV using a saw to cut off the leaking pipe and place a cap on the pipe. The LMRP Cap is at the scene and the procedure is expected to take four days to complete.

In New Orleans hundreds gathered in protest, calling for a fast stop to the spill and greater efforts to mitigate its ecological and economic effects.

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.

Monday, December 19, 2005

Larry Robinson resigned as coach of the New Jersey Devils on Monday afternoon because of stress-related health issues. Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello will take over the coach position temporarily until the new coach would be brought “as soon as possible”.

“Stress is a killer,” Mr. Robinson said during the announcement. “I lost a dear brother last year and that changed my thoughts about life a lot. My parents are no longer around. I want to be able to enjoy my kids. I worked and I played for 20 years so I could give everything I wasn’t able to have for myself to my children, and they suffered for my absence.”

Robinson, who coached Devils to 2000 Stanley Cup championship and 2001 Stanley Cup Finals, returned to coach the Devils last July after Pat Burns was diagnosed with cancer.

“A lot of things were getting to me. I want this team to be successful, but if I can’t be at my best and it’s bothering me healthwise, I can’t do that,” Robinson said.

Robinson’s resignation is the second NHL coaching change this season, following Eddie Olczyk’s dismissal by the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.

54-year-old Robinson missed 2 games this month with flu and sinus problems, he said that he already underwent tests, including an CAT test because of continuing “horrible headaches”.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The name Robert Cailliau may not ring a bell to the general public, but his invention is the reason why you are reading this: Dr. Cailliau together with his colleague Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, making the internet accessible so it could grow from an academic tool to a mass communication medium. Last January Dr. Cailliau retired from CERN, the European particle physics lab where the WWW emerged.

Wikinews offered the engineer a virtual beer from his native country Belgium, and conducted an e-mail interview with him (which started about three weeks ago) about the history and the future of the web and his life and work.

Wikinews: At the start of this interview, we would like to offer you a fresh pint on a terrace, but since this is an e-mail interview, we will limit ourselves to a virtual beer, which you can enjoy here.

Robert Cailliau: Yes, I myself once (at the 2nd international WWW Conference, Chicago) said that there is no such thing as a virtual beer: people will still want to sit together. Anyway, here we go.