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Aviation Min, Dial Refute Cag’s Findings

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The Ministry “strongly refutes the loss figures and other allegations made in the report” and the calculation of “presumptive gain from the commercial use of land at Delhi Airport was totally erroneous and misleading,” an official statement said.

Asked about the report, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said “it is not for us to comment or say whether we accept it or not. The report will go to the Public Accounts Committee which will take a decision.”

Flight School

The Ministry statement said that in the calculation, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) “simply adds the nominal value of the projected revenue, without taking the net present value.

Aviation Colleges

In fact the net present valueof the figure quoted byCAG is Rs 13,795 crores only. CAG has further failed to appreciate that 46 per cent of this amount would be payable to AAI as revenue share.”

It said the views of the Ministry and Airports Authority of India (AAI) had not been incorporated in the report and “there are aspects mentioned in the final report which were neither included in the draft audit report nor were discussed with the Ministry at any point in time.”

NZ law exempts working farm dogs from embedded ID tag rule

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

New Zealand farmers have won a key victory in Parliament, with MPs voting to exempt Working farm dogs from microchipping legislation, passing 61:60.

The Federated Farmers debated the law for a long time, saying that the cost of microchipping all their dogs will be a huge cost and an inconvenience. Under previous legislation, all newly registered dogs were to have identification microchips embedded by July 1. The microchips in dogs are for owner identification, in case of attacks on humans. This law was introduced when Carolina Anderson, 7-year-old, was attacked in 2003.

Parliament has been debating several proposed amendments to the Local Government Law Reform bill, which aimed to change the microchipping requirement.

Blogger David Farrar says “It is very messy for the Government to lose the vote after piling so much pressure on.” In the end only Labour, Progressive plus New Zealand First voted for it.

The Green party split votes (rare for a party). Four Greens MPs voted for the farm dog exemption and two against.

The four Green MPs were – Sue Bradford, Keith Locke, Sue Kedgley and Nandor Tanczos. The Greens had previously proposed that only dangerous dogs should be microchipped.

In favour of exempting farm dogs:

Total: 61

Against:

Total: 60

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=NZ_law_exempts_working_farm_dogs_from_embedded_ID_tag_rule&oldid=566011”

Amazon.com to acquire Whole Foods at US$42 per share

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Yesterday, e-commerce giant Amazon.com announced they are to acquire Texas based retail grocery store chain Whole Foods Market at US$42 per share. According to the deal worth US$13.7 billion (£10.7 billion) the retail grocery store chain is to keep the Whole Foods Market brand name and John Mackey is reportedly to remain its CEO.

After the announcement, Amazon’s shares went up more than two percent and Whole Foods Market shares went up by about 28%. Shares of other grocery-selling chains like Kroger, Target, Sprouts Farmers and Costco experienced a dip after the announcement.

Amazon runs their own online grocery — Amazon Fresh — which started a decade ago in Seattle, Washington. Amazon’s? CEO Jeff Bezos said, “Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy.”

Whole Foods Market started in 1978, and employs about 87000 people in its roughly 460 stores across the US, UK and Canada. The deal is expected to cover debts of Whole Foods Market.

Whole Foods Market CEO Mackey said, “This partnership presents an opportunity to maximize value for Whole Foods Market’s shareholders, while at the same time extending our mission and bringing the highest quality, experience, convenience and innovation to our customers.”

The acquisition, which has not yet received approval from the shareholders of Whole Foods Market, adds a 27% premium to Thursday’s closing value of its stock. This would be Amazon’s largest acquisition if the deal is done.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Amazon.com_to_acquire_Whole_Foods_at_US$42_per_share&oldid=4385142”

Teen broadcasts suicide online

Sunday, November 23, 2008

A Pembroke Pines, Florida teenager killed himself Wednesday, November 19, while broadcasting on the live video site Justin.tv. After making suicide threats and being encouraged by Justin.tv viewers and Bodybuilding.com forum members, Abraham K. Biggs, 19, committed suicide by taking an overdose of opiates and benzodiazepine, which had been prescribed for his bipolar disorder.

Biggs first began blogging about his planned suicide 12 hours before the actual event. He died after taking pills and lying on the bed in front of the webcam. After the broadcast, viewers who apparently thought it was a hoax posted messages such as “OMG”, “LOL”, and “hahahah”.

Hours later, after being alerted by viewers who had noticed that Biggs had stopped breathing, law enforcement and paramedics arrived, discovered his body, and covered the camera. The Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office has reportedly confirmed Biggs’ death.

According to Montana Miller of the Bowling Green State University, the circumstances of this case were not shocking: “If it’s not recorded or documented, then it doesn’t even seem worthwhile. For today’s generation it might seem, ‘What’s the point of doing it if everyone isn’t going to see it?'”

Biggs’ sister Rosalind was angry that neither the website nor its viewers reacted soon enough to save him. “They got hits, they got viewers, nothing happened for hours,” she said. She described him as “very happy” and “friendly and outgoing.” “On a normal day, you couldn’t really tell that he got as low as he did.” However, he did have relationship problems with his girlfriend, according to a friend.

Mental health professionals have warned about the possibility that other mentally troubled people would copy his actions. According to Dr. David Shaffer of Columbia University, “Any video showing it as heroic or romantic or glamorous could reduce the anxiety people might feel about suicide. It becomes a respectable behavior and lowers the threshold of suicide.” He and other psychiatrists recommend that potentially suicidal teens talk to others and “tell what’s going on.”

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Teen_broadcasts_suicide_online&oldid=4579216”

The Work Of The Civil And Structural Consulting Engineer

Reading Level: Beginner

A consulting engineer are called by client when client does not has engineering capability, his engineering staff not qualified in work area, client cannot free his engineering staff from present commitments, or client needs an outside objective analysis (Refer to article Reason for engaging civil and structural engineers).

Normally the work of civil and structural consulting engineer starts when then engineer signs a contract with client. Frequently, the employment of civil and structural consulting engineer will continue whenever the first task for client has been fully satisfied. In a design office such as civil and structural consultant, there are a number of work needs to be done as follow:

Feasibility studies.

When client has a general idea of what he wants on a specific assignment, he may be uncertain about the scope of work. Consulting engineer is called and carry out studies and reports in variety of way. Based on the reports forwarded to client, client is able to determine the workability of his assignment

Preliminary design.

After a project is awarded to engineer, initially client may want to know some preliminary information such as initial cost estimation, equipments, local authorities’ requirements etc. Consulting engineer plays an important role in this matter. In this stage, it may start with some submission of works to authorities for approval.

Liaise with client, architect, quantity surveyors, mechanical and electrical engineers and local authorities.

In order to accomplish the project, civil and structural consulting engineer has to all the time liaise with client and update the changes of client. During the preparation of the preliminary design, civil and structural engineer needs to liaise to architect, quantity surveyors, mechanical and electrical engineers and local authorities. He has to incorporate the entire requirement from these parties into his design.

Detailed design.

Further to the requirement obtained, he is able to prepare detail design such as actual building structural, drainage system, water supply and sewer system for the project.

Preparation of drawings.

All these details are further transform into drawings.

Cost estimation.

When details design drawings is ready, consulting engineer may require preparing cost estimation for client. If client has in house quantities surveyors, he will carry out his own cost estimation and compare with consulting engineer results. Budget will be checked.

Preparation of tender document.

When all the requirements and needs have satisfied the client, it wills be the time for preparing tender document. Tendering will be called.

Evaluation of tender.

After tender closed, reports for evaluation of tender will be forwarded to client. In the reports, engineer will propose recommendation to client. Client will based on his best judgment and select a candidate.

Getting approval from authorities.

During preliminary design until tendering or even during construction, consulting engineer needs to liaise with authorities for getting all necessary approval from local authorities. Without the approval from authorities, project cannot be accomplished.

Project supervision.

After the awarded of project to candidate, project will commence. This is the time of supervision of project start. Throughout the project, quality control must be given the highest priority. Civil and structural consulting engineer will base on his best ability to monitor the project. Attention to quality control during the design and bidding stages will be wasted if adequate of inspection by the consulting engineer is not carried out during construction.

Civil and structural consulting engineer is all the time facing with items that mention above. He will be based on his own professionalism to overcome the mention matters.

Malaysian government warns citizens about Uncyclopedia

This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Satire site Uncyclopedia, a parody of online encyclopedia Wikipedia, has been labeled by the Malaysian government as dangerous. The Internal Security Department of Malaysia issued the warning today, saying that the site has “messages and information insulting Malaysia”.

The warning notes the creation date of the website as being 5 January 2005, and hosted by Wikia, Inc., both of which are correct. However, it claims Wikia owns Wikipedia; Wikipedia is a charitable non-profit website owned by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, while Wikia is an independent, for-profit company.

The report evidently mentions that Uncyclopedia covers Malaysian “history, culture, the political leaders, the government, the national song and the name / history of the national flag,” none of which is “correct”. They accuse the website of helping to reinforce a bad international image of their country.

There are no reports of the site being blocked from access within the country, only this statement, which urges Malaysians not to circulate the content.

Uncyclopedia’s article on Malaysia begins:

Essentially the penis of Asia which is located to the north of their cousins who live on an even smaller island Singapore, Malaysia (also known as Bolehland) is a young nation of diverse cultures and races such as F1 Formula-1 and Nascar. The timezone of Malaysia is unique because it follows the system of +1/+2 PMT (Predetermined Meeting Time) which is 1 or 2 hours later than PMT. Most foreigners have difficulty adjusting to this new timezone as they tend to show up 1 or 2 hours earlier than the local counterparts. The nation is moving forward with a vision towards becoming a developed nation by the year 2020, 3030, 4040 or whatever catchy number.

…Another common state that Malaysians have is denial (no lah, where got?), which incidentally, is a river in Egypt.

The site has fired back with a parody article posted at the site under their UnNews section, titled Uncyclopedia Internal Security Department warns on Malaysia. The article suggests that the “Internal Security Department of the Uncyclomedia Foundation,” which is a facetious and fictitious parent organization of Uncyclopedia, identifies Malaysia “as a dangerous country… It warned its people not to use the country today.”

There are forty-seven individual language editions of Uncyclopedia, including Tolololpedia, which is written in Bahasa Melayu, the Malay language. This is in addition to fictional “language” editions which include Oscar Wilde, Newspeak, N00b, White Supremacist, and Re: PharmaccgRy.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Malaysian_government_warns_citizens_about_Uncyclopedia&oldid=1408264”

Bangladesh security tightened following Pilkhana massacre and Bashundhara City fire

Friday, March 20, 2009

Following the Pilkhana massacre which occurred February 25 and 26 leaving 74 dead and the inferno at the Bashundhara City shopping mall complex March 13 leaving seven dead, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said security measures are being tightened countrywide across Bangladesh.

Fire drills will be enacted at all key-point installations (KPI). Fire fighting systems will be examined by the fire brigade and the public works department (PWD) to ensure functionality. Security measures will be enhanced supplementing areas under private security such as at the Bashundhara City Complex.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence Department requires modernization and needs new equipment to fight fires past the sixth floor of buildings. The Fire Brigade says it needs turntable ladders, snorkels, foam-tenders, lighting units, emergency tenders, fireproof uniforms, and rescue ropes for fire fighting and rescue operations. Transportation to fires is also an issue due to narrow roads, low electrical wires and congestion.

The Bangladesh National Building Code requires fire fighting equipment installed in buildings over seven floors. This code is to be monitored by authorities to ensure compliance with the new guidelines and to make sure buildings are being maintained.

The Bashundhara City Complex opened Monday for shoppers two days after Friday’s blaze. A probe is underway to determine the cause of the fire and to assess structural damage.

Loss of life was minimized as the blaze broke out on a Friday, the beginning of the weekend in Bangladesh, so offices in the upper floors were empty. The lower eight floors are used for shopping and the upper floors are all Bashundhara Group offices.

The mall is valued at Tk 7.0 billion (US$100 million). It is not known if the complex is covered by fire insurance.

It is estimated that it will take over two years to rebuild the area damaged by flames which were burned down to a skeleton. Bashundhara City’s technical advisor, Latifur Rahman, estimated damages at Tk 2.0 billion (US$29m).

Only one television cameraman has been allowed in to film the burnt area. None of the 2,500 shops, cinemas or cafes were burnt by the inferno. The seventh and eighth floors still experience smoke damage, and there was water damage to merchandise.

A three member committee is currently investigating the cause of the fire which will consist of Iqbal Khan Chowdhury, joint secretary of the ministry, representatives of the police, IGP Noor Muhammad, and fire brigade, Director General Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah. The committee is required to report within the week with their findings. The forensics department is also sifting through the burnt remains.

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries has also formed a committee which has begun interviewing witnesses and recording their testimony alongside the government committee.

It has been discovered that 150 closed circuit cameras were not being used when the fire started. Another mystery is why the mall fire fighting system has been found unused.

Why the fire burnt so fiercely is a matter to think….These matters seem to be mysterious

“In the shopping mall there is an ultra-technology elevator which runs even without electricity but we have found that locked,” Iqbal Khan Chowdhury, joint secretary (Police) of the home ministry, said. “Why the fire burnt so fiercely is a matter to think. We have to see if there was any incendiary substance there. These matters seem to be mysterious.”

Mall management has been asked to submit substances and items which would have been in the upper floors when the fire started. The fire erupted on the 17th floor and spread quickly to the two floors above and engulfed the three floors below. The aerial ladders belonging to the Fire Service and Civil Defence reached as high as the 13th floor of the 21-storey building.

Videos have been sent to the United States (US) for examination to assist in determining the cause of the fire and to help in the damage assessment. Experts from the US are expected to arrive soon.

Firefighters were brought to the rooftop of the 20-storey tower by helicopter. The only fatality in this operation was Baki Billa, a firefighter of Bashundhara City firefighting department, who fell when climbing down a rope from a helicopter to the roof of the building. Three other firefighters made the transition safely. At this same time, the chief security officer was safely rescued by the Bangladesh Air Force helicopter, a Bell 212. Six security officers of the complex also lost their lives.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Bangladesh_security_tightened_following_Pilkhana_massacre_and_Bashundhara_City_fire&oldid=4231268”

Tips To Get Your Employment Background Verification Right

Today, almost all companies demand background checks for their employees. But the question is why background checks are needed for the employees? The answer is simple. It gives employers a clear picture of whom they are working with. It has been estimated that around 40% of the resume contains false information. So, a Employee Background Screening helps employers to ensure that the employee is what he is claiming. Moreover, background verifications don’t always mean authenticating major information, but it also mean verifying petty information about the employees. For example- if someone claims that he has done MBA finance or he has graduated from a particular college then a background check can put a tick mark on the said information. These kinds of checks are basically done prior to or during employment.

The Background Verification typically includes a simple verification of the employee’s social security number to a detailed checking. Furthermore, it can include work history, credit, driving records, criminal records, vehicle registration, court records, compensation, bankruptcy, medical records, references, property ownership, drug test results, military records, and sex offender information.

It can involve a character check which has become a vital aspect in today’s scenario. A character check can typically involve speaking with personal acquaintances, including friends and neighbors. The extensiveness of a background check depends on the employer, company, and the job involved.

There are certain things that cannot be involved in a background check such as bankruptcies after 10 years, civil suits, civil judgments and records of arrest after 7 years, paid tax liens after 7 years, and accounts placed for collection after 7 years. Employers can only look into certain records with employees’ consent.

These checks can also help employers get rid of liability issues. If an employee has behavior issues, then the employer can take necessary action against the employee if required. It can also help employers get rid of liability issues. If an employee has behavior issues, then the employer can take necessary action against the employee if required. Here we provide you all with a few tips as to how you can get your employment background verification right.

For most extreme wellbeing and safety, the organization should have a reliable and reasonable policy for verifications that verifies the background of every candidate irrespective of the position they are applying for. There should be no inclinations or loosening up the standards for any applicant and the verification process must be done without any partiality.

While it is essential to lead business check forms on all up-and-comers with no sort of discrimination, it is additionally critical to comprehend that one size doesn’t constantly fit all. Subsequently, it is foremost that work foundation confirmation bundles be custom-made to fit each activity position. The higher the hazard or the more significant the position, the more careful and stringent the personal investigation ought to be.

While searching for Background Screening Companies, look or agencies which have ISO mark. Having an ISO in your background verification companies in India means, they keep the quality and data security norms in leading representative screening administrations for your organization and in particular, agree to information security. In addition, pick sellers who have area aptitude in background confirmation alone, as opposed to the individuals who offer plenty of administrations without having some expertise in anything.

On the off chance that you discover anything in the business foundation check results that may influence the applicant’s capability for the activity position, try to make important move. Don’t simply direct record verifications only for it. Continuously finish relieving dangers for your company.

There are different laws for different kinds of verifications. For example, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) can enable you to discover which background check administrations you can include with regard to data on an applicant’s credit. Choose the law according to the requirement and get your verification done in the right manner.

Whatever the consequence of your business check might be, consistently be straightforward about it with the candidates. You need to advise them about your discoveries, and if there is anything flawed, offer them a chance to clarify and legitimize themselves. One must guarantee that the foundation confirmation procedure is a success win for both the business and the worker and the experience is consistent for both the gatherings.

Stock markets worldwide rise on hopes of US economic recovery

Friday, August 21, 2009

Stock indexes worldwide rose on Friday, after US bank chief Ben Bernanke said that the US economy was starting to recover from the recession.

Addressing a conference in Wyoming, the bank chief said that “the prospects for a return to growth in the near term appear good.”

He added, however, that “the economic recovery is likely to be relatively slow at first, with unemployment declining only gradually from high levels.”

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 155.91 points, or 1.67%, to end the day at 9505.96. The Nasdaq reached 2020.90 points after gaining 1.59%. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, meanwhile, struck a ten-month high, reaching a level of 1,026.13 at the closing bell, up 1.9%.

The British FTSE index rose about two percent, closing at 4,851. The French Cac index gained 3.1% and the German Dax 2.8%.

“Bernanke was a little bit more bullish than most people were expecting. He’s saying that the global economy is starting to emerge from the recession and that the fears of a financial collapse have receded substantially,” said Jacob Oubina, the currency strategist of Forex.com.

“I think the market is just taking those headlines as extreme positives for the outlook.”

Jean-Claude Trichet, the European Central Bank president, warned that talk of a complete recovery might be premature. “I am a little bit uneasy when I see that, because we have some green shoots here and there, we are already saying, ‘well, after all, we are close to back to normal,’ ” he said.

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Andrea Muizelaar on fashion, anorexia, and life after ‘Top Model’

Monday, November 26, 2007

In the 18 months since Andrea Muizelaar was crowned winner of the reality TV series Canada’s Next Top Model, her life has been a complete whirlwind. From working in a dollar store in her hometown of Whitby, Ontario, to modeling haute couture in Toronto, she had reached her dream of becoming a true Top Model.

But at what cost? Unknown to casual television viewers, Muizelaar had been enveloped in the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, which inevitably became too much for her to bear. She gave up modeling and moved back to Whitby, where she sought treatment for her disorder, re-entered college, and now works at a bank. Where is she now? Happy and healthy, she says.

Recently Andrea Muizelaar sat down with Wikinews reporter Mike Halterman in a candid interview that stretched to nearly two hours, as she told all about her hopes and aspirations, her battle with anorexia, and just what really happened on Canada’s Next Top Model.

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