Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Tom Cruise this week took the delivery service to a whole new level. Celebrating his 43rd birthday with numerous guests at a party in the USA, Cruise decided to call up his three favorite chefs, all living in Italy, to prepare a meal.
Cruise decided to fly all three chefs out to the United States at a cost of €14,500. According to the Daily Mail the chefs cooked the celebrity tagliatelle ragu, veal, and chocolate tiramisu.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Victoria Wyndham was one of the most seasoned and accomplished actresses in daytime soap opera television. She played Rachel Cory, the maven of Another World‘s fictional town, Bay City, from 1972 to 1999 when the show went off the air. Wyndham talks about how she was seen as the anchor of a show, and the political infighting to keep it on the air as NBC wanted to wrest control of the long-running soap from Procter & Gamble. Wyndham fought to keep it on the air, but eventually succumbed to the inevitable. She discusses life on the soap opera, and the seven years she spent wandering “in the woods” of Los Angeles seeking direction, now divorced from a character who had come to define her professional career. Happy, healthy and with a family she is proud of, Wyndham has found life after the death of Another World in painting and animals. Below is David Shankbone’s interview with the soap diva.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Television producer and owner of the anti-Scientology website www.xenutv.com (XenuTV), Mark Bunker, also known as Wise Beard Man, chatted online with Wikinews for nearly three hours. More than 120 people followed the interview live (many from Project Chanology), which makes this exclusive Wikinews interview our most attended IRC interview to date.
Bunker started XenuTV in 1999 and began to make videos that he provided for the Lisa McPherson Trust. Bunker has been a critic of the Church of Scientology since 1997.
In 2006, he won a Regional Emmy Award after he and KUSI-TV news reporter Lena Lewis produced a documentary news video on the issues with the United States – Mexico border with San Diego, California.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Las Vegas, Nevada – The San Jose Police Department has announced that Anna Ayala, the woman who claims to have found a human finger in a bowl of chili at a Wendy’s restaurant in San Jose, California, was arrested at or near her home in Las Vegas on Thursday evening, in connection with the case.
According to court documents, she has been charged with one count of attempted grand larceny related to the chili case, and one count of grand larceny in an unrelated real estate deal, and is being held without bail in Clark County, Nevada, pending extradition. A press conference by the San Jose Police and Wendy’s was to be held on Friday, April 22, at 13:00 PDT.
Wendy’s had offered a reward of as much as $100,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case. Ayala claimed to have discovered the finger while eating at a Wendy’s on March, 22. Ayala later dropped plans to sue the restaurant after previous lawsuits, including one against another fast food restaurant, were made public.
The charges place the value of the attempted theft against Wendy’s at $2.5 million. The unrelated charge stems from an incident, also in San Jose, when Ayala allegidly received an $11,000 down payment on a mobile home she did not own. Ayala will face an extradition hearing on Tuesday, April 26.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Over 40 children have died in an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in China, and the country’s capital of Beijing reported its first death due to the disease on Wednesday. According to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing Health Bureau spokeswoman Deng Xiaohong said that the 13-month-old boy died Sunday while en route to the hospital. Health authorities state that 24,934 children in mainland China are afflicted with the disease, and 42 children have died from it. The cause of the disease has been identified as Enterovirus 71 (EV-71). HFMD can also be caused by Coxsackievirus.
Another child infected with the virus died Monday, but as he died in Hebei province his death was counted there. Xinhua News Agency also reported that a 21-month-old boy died Monday of the virus in Hubei province. After an order was given last week by the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China that all cases must be reported, the count of those infected has increased markedly.
Eastern China saw a large number of cases in early March, but this information was not made public until late April. In March, Children under age six in eastern Anhui province began being admitted to hospitals with symptoms of the virus, and the outbreak spread quickly after that. The city of Fuyang in Anhui province was especially hard-hit by the outbreak. “The majority of patients who were in critical condition have recovered,” said a Health Ministry official in a statement on Monday. As of Monday, 3,606 HFMD infections had been reported in Beijing. Deaths have occurred in the provinces of Anhui, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Zhejiang, Beijing and Hubei.
| What I know is the death rate has gone down drastically since early May. | ||
“What I know is the death rate has gone down drastically since early May. There are very, very few cases with complications — 99 percent of these are mild cases,” said World Health Organization (WHO) China representative Hans Troedsson in a statement on Wednesday. Incidents of the disease are expected to peak in June and July.
Children with mild cases of the disease generally recover rapidly after manifesting a rash and a fever. Other symptoms include diarrhea, cold-like symptoms, and sores on the extremities and mouth. In severe cases, fluid may accumulate in the brain, and result in meningitis, encephalitis, pulmonary edema, paralysis and death. The EV-71 virus is spread through contact with fluid secreted from blisters, nose and throat mucus, feces and saliva. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus. The disease is unrelated to foot-and-mouth disease, which affects livestock.
| China is confident that it can control the spread of the disease with effective prevention methods. | ||
United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt was visiting in the country, and said in a statement Monday in Shanghai that the U.S. is assisting China fight the outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, symptomatic treatment can be given to address possible fever and aches and pains. The CDC advises children and adults to practice proper hand washing technique, and to wash and disinfect contaminated items and surfaces using diluted solution of chlorine-containing bleach.
China is also dealing with a magnitude-7.9 earthquake which hit the country Monday and has killed almost 15,000. The outbreak is a concern to the government, as the country prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing this August. “We are confident the potential outbreak will not affect the Beijing Olympic Games,” China’s Health Ministry spokesman Mao Qunan stated. And at a joint press conference held by China’s Ministry of Health and the WHO, he further noted that, “China is confident that it can control the spread of the disease with effective prevention methods.”
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A driver has been fined after following the directions of his satellite navigation system, leading him to the edge of a massive cliff drop in West Yorkshire, England.
Robert Jones, who is 43 years old, appeared in Calderdale Magistrates Court on Tuesday, representing himself. He was prosecuted by Waseem Raja. Waseem told the court: “The defendant was using a TomTom satellite navigation system. The defendant followed that system to the letter, so much so it led him up a lane clearly unsuitable for motor vehicles.”
“The path was such it was not designed for use of motor vehicles yet Mr Jones slavishly continued to follow the satnav system to the point where his eyes and his brain must have been telling him otherwise to such a degree he was not exercising proper control of the vehicle.”
On March 22, 2009, Robert Jones was driving a BMW 5 Series and was trying to get to his home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire after staying with friends in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. He was unsure of the route home and so followed his satellite navigation system, which was in the car. He continued to follow instructions despite being told that the narrowing dirt track he was driving on was actually a road. At the time the petrol gauge in the car indicated that he had just seven miles of fuel left. Because of this, Jones was desperate to find a filling station. He became so distracted by the sat-nav that he didn’t realise his mistakes until he struck a fence on the edge of a 100 foot (30.5 metre) drop. The battery on his mobile phone had run out so he had to walk to a nearby village to get help.
In his defence, Robert told the court: “I might have been an idiot for taking the wrong road or carrying on but I have not driven without due care or attention. I’m sorry it happened. I certainly would not do it again. I drive 5,000 miles a week and I never have had a problem with it. I had no reason not to trust it.”
Jones was found guilty of driving without due care and attention. He was fined £370 (US$610) with £500 ($824) costs and ordered to pay a £15 ($24) victim surcharge. He also got six points on his licence and had to pay £1,000 ($1,624) in recovery charges.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
On the Feb. 27, Chile was hit by an magnitude 8.8 earthquake; almost 500 were killed, with resulting tsunami destroying most coastal towns between Llolleo and Araucanía Region. A second earthquake last week, with its epicentre in Pichilemu, caused destruction in the Coquimbo and Bío Bío regions.
A Wikinews contributor is in the area, and we look at the extent of this natural disaster’s damage through his photographs.
People camping in La Cruz Hill, Pichilemu. They even constructed little houses, to make their stay more comfortable.Image: Diego Grez.
Church of Santa Cruz, after the February earthquake.Image: Diego Grez.
The Arturo Prat square before and after the earthquake and tsunami in Pichilemu.Image: Diego Grez.
Boat after tsunami in Pichilemu.Image: Diego Grez.
Military representatives in La Cruz Hill, Pichilemu, after the March earthquake.Image: Diego Grez.
On-scene soldiers on a truck, in Lolol, after the March earthquake.Image: Diego Grez.
Destroyed balaustrades and the ceiling of a kiosk over another balaustrades, near the beach of Pichilemu.Image: Diego Grez.
Lolol church after the March earthquake.Image: Diego Grez.
Many houses in Lolol were declared Historic Monuments of Chile. This is one of many that are going to be demolished.Image: Diego Grez.
Destroyed building Mirador by the tsunami in Pichilemu, and also by a kiosk/container.Image: Diego Grez.
Cars driving to La Cruz Hill in Pichilemu, a few hours after the disaster.Image: Diego Grez.
Chilean singer Joe Vasconcellos did a free solo tour in Chile after the Pichilemu and Maule earthquakes. Pictured during his performance in La Cruz Hill, Pichilemu.Image: Diego Grez.
House in front of the Main Beach of Pichilemu after the tsunami and earthquake combo.Image: Diego Grez.
Bucalemu was severely impacted by the February tsunami and earthquake; this picture taken after the March temblor.Image: Diego Grez.
Many houses were destroyed after the earthquake in Lolol, because they were old and made with rustic materials.Image: Diego Grez.
Another destroyed house, a few meters behind the Lolol church.Image: Diego Grez.
Pichilemu highway, the day of the earthquake and tsunami.Image: Diego Grez.
Most of the balustrades aroundRoss Park, in Pichilemu, were destroyed after the 2010 Pichilemu earthquake.Image: Diego Grez.
Destroyed kiosks after the tsunami in Pichilemu.Image: Diego Grez.
Just one kiosk and some bathrooms in front of the Arturo Prat Square survived the tsunami in Pichilemu.Image: Diego Grez.
The Cahuil Bridge was severely damaged after both quakes. It is broken in half and is a serious danger to motorists.Image: Diego Grez.
Several houses were destroyed in the town of Bucalemu, almost 40 kilometers from Pichilemu. In this picture, a house located in front of the beach was later thrown in the half of the roadway.Image: Diego Grez.
Cobquecura, the epicentre of the February quake.
The building Alto Río, in Concepción, collapsed after the February earthquake.Image: Claudio Núñez.
A severely damaged building in Maipú.Image: Jorge Barrios.
Collapsed Vespucio Norte Express Highway in Santiago, after the February earthquake.
The damaged Museum of Contemporary Art, after the February earthquake.
Aftermath of the February earthquake and tsunami in San Antonio.Image: Atilio Leandro.
Damaged Autopista del Maipo, near the city of Chada.Image: Lufke.
People trying to buy gasoline, in Chillán.Image: JOjo Jose Tomas.
Fire in the University of Concepción, after the February earthquake.
Destroyed houses in the Maule Region.Image: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Fire in a plastics factory, in Ruta 5 Norte.
Chillán‘s Medialuna after the February earthquake.
House in Pelluhue after the February temblor.Image: Caritas Linares.
US President Barack Obama holds a conference call from the White House Situation Room.
President Sebastián Piñera visits ONEMI after the February quake.Image: Sebastián Piñera E..
Zones affected by the February earthquake.Image: B1mbo.
Map of Chile showing the epicenter of the February quake.
USGS shake map of the February earthquake.
USGS intensity map of the March earthquake.
USGS intensity map for the most strong aftershock of the temblor.Image: USGS.
Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Tom Cruise this week took the delivery service to a whole new level. Celebrating his 43rd birthday with numerous guests at a party in the USA, Cruise decided to call up his three favorite chefs, all living in Italy, to prepare a meal.
Cruise decided to fly all three chefs out to the United States at a cost of €14,500. According to the Daily Mail the chefs cooked the celebrity tagliatelle ragu, veal, and chocolate tiramisu.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Microsoft, along with MetroFi, are set to construct a community wide Wi-Fi network in Portland, Oregon. Craig Mathias, founder of Farpoint Group, believes that one day Wi-Fi will offer a viable alternative to Cable and DSL.
“I think muni Wi-Fi will become enormous,” said Mathias.
Currently 68 cities in the United States have city wide Wi-Fi with 132 more planning deployments.
Monday, July 7, 2008
The captain of a USA Jet Airlines McDonnell-Douglas DC-9-15 freighter has been killed and the co-pilot seriously injured after the aircraft crashed onto a highway in Mexico. The crash occurred near Jose Lopez Portillo and split the aircraft into four main pieces.
The accident at 0:14 local time yesterday left debris strewn across a 600-metre radius. The co-pilot was hospitalised in a critical condition with second and third degree burns, but is expected to recover. The plane had picked up four tons of car parts in Hamilton, Ontario and after making a stop at Shreveport, Louisiana was headed toward Plan de Guadalupe International Airport, which serves Mexico’s Saltillo city.
The crash occurred around twelve kilometres from the runway. An investigation has been launched and the Public Ministry and the Civil Aeronautic Authority say an engine failure seems to have left the plane uncontrollable. The deceased has been identified as 46-year-old Lon McIntosh, and the co-pilot Chris James, was listed in critical condition after undergoing surgery at a Saltillo hospital.
The jet was registered N199US. Because the plane was registered and manufactured in the United States, and the engines were built there, a team from the US has been sent to assist Mexico in the investigation. The US National Transportation Safety Board has sent a senior investigator as the US representative, and he brings with him experts in weather and aircraft systems. Also on the team are technical advisors from the Federal Aviation Authority, manufacturer Boeing (who bought out McDonnell-Douglas) and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.
The highway, which leads to Monterrey, was blocked as a result of the crash.