Saturday, January 28, 2006

After seven weeks in the Southern Ocean disrupting the Japanese whaling fleet, a Canadian registered anti-whaling ship, the Farley Mowat, has been detained by South African authorities.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel, its captain Paul Watson, and his crew, have been detained indefinitely. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) have placed a guard on the gangplank and are patrolling the ship.

The Farley Mowat, which sailed from Melbourne, Australia on December 6, was detained in Cape Town harbour, following a request from the Canadian government. A SAMSA official said the ship did not have the required certification.

“They don’t have the right certificates for the skipper, the first-mate or the chief engineer,” an official said. According to SAMSA, the detention adheres to Canadian maritime laws and followed correspondence from Canada, who requested that the authorities check the ship.

According to Scoop Independent, the ship and crew have been detained due to the International Maritime Organization’s ISPS Code. Under Canadian maritime law, both the captain and first officer should be Canadian nationals. Captain Paul Watson is Canadian, First Officer Alex Cornelissen is Dutch.

SAMSA claims that the Farley Mowat was not in possession of an international ship security certificate or a ship security plan.

This means the ship allegedly does not comply with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) – a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the security of ships and port facilities. The code was developed in response to the perceived maritime threats to ships and port facilities in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

The official said the detention was in line with Canadian maritime laws and followed correspondence from Canada requesting the authorities check the ship.

However, Captain Paul Watson says political pressure from Japan is behind the detention of the boat. He says he does not have the necessary documentation required by officials as the boat is registered as a yacht and not a commercial vessel.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

The leading supplier of school uniforms in the United Kingdom, Lancashire-based manufacturer Trutex, has announced it is “seriously considering” including GPS tracking devices in future ranges of its uniform products after conducting an online survey of both parents and children.

“As a direct result of the survey, we are now seriously considering incorporating a [tracking] device into future ranges” said Trutex marketing director Clare Rix.

The survey questioned 809 parents and 444 children aged nine to 16. It showed that 44% of parents were worried about the safety of pre-teen children, and 59% wanted tracking devices installed in school apparel. 39% of children aged nine to 12 were prepared to wear clothing with tracking devices in them, while teenagers were notably less enthusiastic and more wary of what Trutex has admitted they see as a “big brother” concept.

However, Trutex has claimed the tracking devices would bring about worthwhile benefits, including being a valuable resource for parents who wanted to keep a close eye on where their children were at all times.

“As well as being a safety net for parents, there could be real benefits for schools who could keep a closer track on the whereabouts of their pupils, potentially reducing truancy levels” says Rix.

Each year, Trutex supplies 1 million blouses, 1.1 million shirts, 250,000 pairs of trousers, 20,000 blazers, 60,000 skirts and 110,000 pieces of knitwear to the UK.

It is not the first company to manufacture school uniforms with a central focus on child safety; last week Essex firm BladeRunner revealed it was selling stab-proof school blazers to parents concerned about violence against their children. The blazers were outfitted with Kevlar, a synthetic fibre used in body armour. It has already received orders internationally, including Australia.

If the Trutex tracking devices go ahead, it is unclear where in the uniform they will be located.

Monday, June 26, 2006

A Francesco Totti penalty deep in added time put Italy through to the next round of the 2006 Fifa World Cup at the expense of Australia, Monday.

The Australian Socceroos had the ball more, but the more experienced Azzuri defenders created an impenetrable defence, limiting the number of Australian scoring opportunities. This was despite the Italian team shrinking to ten men after Marco Materazzi was shown a controversial straight red card in the 50th minute.

Australia looked to have gained an advantage when Marco Bresciano surged through the Italy defence and Materazzi slid in to trip him up. Though there was an Italy defender on Bresciano’s shoulder, Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo deemed that the tackle was deliberately not aimed at the ball, and considered the foul worth more than a single yellow card. It would not be the only disputed decision in the match.

Both sides had a number of good opportunities to score, but the shots were generally too close to the box to beat the goalkeepers. The best save of the game was made by Mark Schwarzer from a Luca Toni effort 20 minutes into the game.

Guus Hiddink delayed making attacking substitutions against ten-men Italy likely because he expected the game to go to extra time, and so wished to keep a fitness advantage later on in the game. Hiddink’s only substitution, John Aloisi, came on at the 80th minute, while the Italian coach Marcello Lippi had made three, including the crucial one of Totti five minutes earlier.

In the attack Totti was a straight swap for Alessandro Del Piero, a fresh pair of legs which ensured Italy were a threat on the break right until the end of the regular period of play. It was a tactic that paid dividends in the end.

The second disputed referee decision was a penalty kick was awarded to Fabio Grosso three minutes into added time (and the last minute of game time). Grosso was running towards goal from out wide having avoided Marco Bresciano before being obstructed by Lucas Neill. The central defender had fallen to the ground early and Grosso, though not tripped, was impeded and dived straight over him. Medina awarded a penalty shot as this occurred within the penalty area.

Totti, dropped from the game in favour of Del Piero, grinned slightly as he placed the ball on the spot. The ball was struck close to the upper-right corner of Schwarzer’s box, the goalie could do nothing to stop the ball. It was the last kick of the game and the Italians celebrated.

The Budweiser Man of the Match was Gianluigi Buffon of Italy.

The prize was a quarter-final match against the lowest ranked FIFA team in their half of the knock-out tree, Ukraine.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Today, Chennai-based football club Chennaiyin FC defeated FC Goa 3–2 at Fatorda Stadium in Margao in the Indian Super League final.

The match saw five yellow cards, two for the home side. Chennai’s Mehrajuddin Wadoo was the first one to be booked in the 18^th minute. In the 33^rd minute, Goa’s Moura’s shot was deflected by Wadoo. With a single booking, the first half ended 0–0.

In the second half, in the 53^rd minute, Pronay Halder committed a foul on Chennai’s Stiven Mendoza in the penalty area, and the visitors were awarded a penalty kick. Stepping forward for the kick, Bruno Pelissari’s kick was saved by Laxmikant Kattimani but the ball bounced back, and Pelissari made no mistake, scoring. Chennai got a 1–0 lead.

Thoi Singh was booked in the 57^th minute. Halder, in the 58^th minute, assisted Thongkhosiem Haokip and the Indian footballer scored an equaliser for the home side. Grégory Arnolin received a yellow card in the 60^th minute for protesting the referee’s decision. Chennai was awarded another penalty kick. Stiven Mendoza stood up for the penalty, but missed.

Table-turning events took place in the dying moments of the game. Jofre scored a goal in the 87^th minute. A minute later, he was yellow-carded; but, Goa had a 2–1 lead. Goa’s goalie Laxmikant Kattimani scored an own goal for a 2–2 equaliser and in the additional time, Mendoza netted a goal assisted by Jayesh Rane. Next minute, Mendoza was yellow-carded, but the final whistle blew a few moments later, and Chennaiyin FC won the second edition of the Indian Super League in the 3–2 goal tally.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Strong road victories for the Columbus Crew and the Chicago Fire strengthened their positions at the top of the stacked Eastern Conference, while in the Western Conference defending champions Houston Dynamo became the final team to record a win.

Columbus trailed the San Jose Earthquakes going into the 73rd minute, before a double-salvo by Robbie Rogers and a first of the season for Brad Evans handed the Crew a 3-1 lead. A consolation from the Earthquakes could not prevent Columbus securing a fifth consecutive win.

Chicago Fire are just 2 points off Columbus’ tail after they defeated D.C. United 2-0 at RFK Stadium. A cool side-footed finish by Justin Mapp opened the scoring for the visitors, and a spectacular 30 yard drive by Cuauhtemoc Blanco sealed a 4th defeat in 5 for DC, who were without Designated Player Marcelo Gallardo. DC United are now 4 points adrift at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, both New England Revolution and the New York Red Bulls boosted their early season play-off hopes with victories in Los Angeles.

New York defeated LA Galaxy 2-1, with Juan Pablo Angel bagging the game-winner and his first of the season. The Red Bulls had taken the lead in the first half through rookie Danleigh Borman’s first career goal, before Alan Gordon equalised for the Galaxy. However, almost immediately from the restart Dane Richards drove down the pitch and slid Angel in, who subsequently rounded Cronin and slotted home.

In the second game at the Home Depot Center in Week 7, Taylor Twellman announced his return from injury with the 2nd goal in New England Revolution’s 2-1 win over Chivas USA. Gambian teenager Kenny Mansally had put the Revs in front with his 2nd of the season, and Twellman’s left-footed strike gave New England a 2-0 advantage. It proved crucial as Justin Braun netted his first career goal in injury time to give Chivas USA only a consolation.

Out in the Western Conference, leaders, the Colorado Rapids, succumbed to an ill-tempered 2-1 defeat to the Houston Dynamo. Omar Cummings’ equaliser for the Rapids was sandwiched between Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario strikes for the 2007 Champions, who became the last team in this year’s competition to record a victory. The Rapids remain top of the Western Conference with 9 points.

In the 2nd all-West match-up, Real Salt Lake continued their fine home form with a 2-1 success over FC Dallas. Argentine playmaker Javier Morales built on a two-assist performance last week with the opening goal at Rice-Eccles Stadium. While Kenny Cooper would equalise for Dallas with a well taken strike from an acute angle, Kyle Beckerman got a touch to Andy Williams’ deft through ball to hand RSL just their 2nd win of the season.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

When she was barely 20 years old, Dutch singer Edsilia Rombley got her first large taste of international acclaim. Already a winner of the smaller imitation contest Soundmix Show, she decided to shoot higher. With a great deal of determination, she performed in front of hundreds of millions of television viewers at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Her song, the R&B flavored “Hemel en aarde” (Heaven and earth), placed fourth and gave her country their highest placing at Eurovision since their last win in 1975. No Dutch contestant after her has been able to place similarly.

After the accolades died down, Rombley set her sights on promoting her vision and passion through her music. Partnering with producer Tjeerd Oosterhuis became a double blessing; eventually they became husband and wife. Even a return to Eurovision at the 2007 Contest, with less than favorable results, didn’t keep her discouraged for long. Today she has finished recording a live CD of her favorite English songs, and a live DVD of selections in Dutch, and is currently touring in singing engagements this spring in theaters across the Netherlands.

Edsilia Rombley granted Wikinews’ Mike Halterman an interview; she reflected on her career, her inspirations, what a day is like in her life, and what she would love to do in the future. This is the third in a series of interviews with past Eurovision contestants, which will be published sporadically in the lead-up to mid-May’s next contest in Moscow.

Thursday, February 2, 2006

Australian Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says he may introduce plans to make Australian citizens carry an identity card to avert terrorist attacks. “I’ll make an announcement soon and that could be this week,” Ruddock said. “It depends upon when I’m fully satisfied about the issues that we want examined.”

According to a recent poll of 1200 people, over 50 percent would support a national identity card. A Newspoll in The Australian newspaper found that 31 per cent of voters were opposed to the ID card.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard refloated the possibility of an “Australia Card” after the July 7 London suicide bombings. British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government is considering introducing cards identifying Britons by fingerprints and iris scans.

Australia last debated a national ID card (to cut down on tax avoidance), the Australia Card, in 1987, but was defeated in the Senate after public outrage. Mr Howard, then in opposition, opposed the card, but now says times have changed. “This is an issue that ought to be back on the table…in the wake of something like the terrible tragedy in London,” Howard told a news conference in June last year.

Australia has been on medium terror alert since 2001. While there hasn’t been a major terrorist attack on Australian soil, Prime Minister John Howard says it’s a “possibility.”

Mr Ruddock is expected to announce this week the terms of an independent inquiry into an ID card, citing national security and fraud prevention as key concerns. The inquiry will investigate the possible benefits of such a card in combating terrorism and fraud, and whether it could be introduced at a reasonable cost.

Opposition public accountability spokesman Kelvin Thomson said he was unsure whether it would help Australia’s fight against terrorism as there was no great evidence to suggest ID cards assisted those countries that already had them.

Australian Privacy Foundation chief Anna Johnston said the poll was good news for those who opposed the ID card. She said the lower level of support for the ID card compared with 1986 showed that people were better informed.

“I would suggest that this shows the Government is already on very shaky ground on this proposal if there is only this very small majority of people in favour of it,” Ms Johnston said. “Because as more details emerge about what is actually being put forward, support will drop.”

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock, said that policy should not be dictated by public opinion.

Advocacy groups say that work had already started on creating a coalition of lobby groups in readiness for a campaign. “We’re starting to marshall our resources now,” Ms Johnston said. “Like the Australia Card debate, we are looking to establish a broad coalition of people across the political spectrum and from all walks of life.”

Ruddock’s comments have been slammed by security experts, who say national ID cards do not make Australia any safer and could have the opposite effect.

James Turner, security analyst at Frost & Sullivan Australia, said: “ID cards cannot protect us from terrorism because an ID card cannot indicate intention. It’s like signature based anti-virus, the AV signature can only point out the currently known viruses; and an ID card can only identify currently known baddies.”

Jo Stewart-Rattray, director of information security at Vectra Corporation said: “As far as its goal being to protect us from terrorist attacks, I don’t think so. The bad guys will always find a way to propagate their own version of these cards. It is not protecting us against terrorist attacks by any means.”

Stewart-Rattray’s comments echoed those of ex-MI5 chief Dame Stella Rimington, who recently said ID cards were “useless” at fighting terrorism. “If we have ID cards at vast expense and people can go into a back room and forge them they are going to be absolutely useless. ID cards may be helpful in all kinds of things but I don’t think they are necessarily going to make us any safer,” said Rimington.

Bruce Schneier argued that ID cards will not help improve security and would have the opposite effect. He says the card will require an “immense database” with “enormous” security risks.

“The security risks are enormous. Such a database would be a kludge of existing databases; databases that are incompatible, full of erroneous data, and unreliable. As computer scientists, we do not know how to keep a database of this magnitude secure, whether from outside hackers or the thousands of insiders authorised to access it,” wrote Schneier.

Roger Clarke, of the Australian Privacy Foundation asked whether the “billions it would cost would be worth it”, especially considering the “enormous intrusions into the affairs of the majority of law-abiding citizens”.

According to Privacy International, around 100 countries have compulsory identity cards. They also stated that “virtually no common law country has a card”.

Friday, September 1, 2006

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has agreed on a proposal to increase the quotas of China, South Korea, Mexico, and Turkey, the IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato announced. The increases are part of a program of reforms for the organisation, addressing its governance and its macroeconomic monitoring process. The proposals need final approval at the annual meeting scheduled later this month.

Speaking at a press briefing in Washington DC on August 31, Mr. de Rato spoke on the current state of the global economy and outlined the reforms, which include a two-phase reshaping of the quota shares – the proposed increases announced today followed by the development for a new formula to come up with increases for a broader range of members.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

According to New Zealand doctor, Doctor Glenn Twentyman from Child, Youth and Family Services at Wiri, South Auckland, hoodies can be a health risk because they block sunlight which causes a vitamin D deficiency, thus weak bones and low energy.

Dr Twentyman said: “It’s the hoodies and the hats and the downward glance of the teenagers, shading your face all the time.”

Dr Twentyman said that every young person that he had tested showed a deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps vital minerals to be absorbed into the bones. Vitamin D is given to our body from the sun. “A lot of these kids stay away from sunshine. They don’t hang out at the beach or in the bush. Some are into drugs and alcohol and a lot of it is indoor activity and night-time activity. They sleep during the day. They are wearing those hoods and literally they don’t get out in the sun.”

Even though vitamin D is usually absorbed through sun it can also be found in: fatty fish, liver, eggs, full fat milk and butter.

There is an increase in reports of vitamin D deficiency in Oceania. This is most likely because of people trying to cover up because of the higher risk of getting skin cancer due to the ozone hole over New Zealand. His comments come as evidence mounts of increasing vitamin D deficiency in Australasia, partly caused by covering up to avoid skin cancer. Also one student from Tangaroa College, Vincent Wesche, said that he wears a hoodie because “I don’t want to lose my hair,” also referring to rugby player, Carlos Spencer, “Carlos Spencer is starting to lose his hair from the sun.”

Doctor Cameron Grant, from Starship hospital in Auckland, said that he had done a study for four years which found that infants living in Auckland did have a deficiency of vitamin D. “We know that vitamin D deficiency is a health issue in New Zealand. We know that people who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency are for example groups who keep themselves clothed and keep themselves indoors for religious reasons … so his idea is not an unreasonable one.”

Another study also showed that 87% of pregnant woman living in Wellington were vitamin D deficient.

Dr Twentyman said that the people who are most likely to have a vitamin D deficiency are “depressed people and the elderly, such as those kept indoors in rest homes all day.”