Wikinews interviews the Socialist Alliance about the upcoming Queensland State election

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Wikinews interviews the Socialist Alliance about the upcoming Queensland State election

Monday, March 2, 2009

With a Queensland state election coming up in Australia, many minor parties will be looking to hold balance of power and making the major parties listen to what they have to say. The Socialist Alliance (SA) is one of these parties.

SA is a left-wing political party. There stated describes itself as an anti-capitalist party which believes in “a democratic society that is run by and for working people, not the tiny, greedy, destructive elite that now rules.”

It should be noted that SA is not registered for Queensland elections due to what they describe as “restrictive rules for registration.” Their candidates will run as independents. They are, however, registered for federal elections and elections in other states.

Queensland’s unicameral parliament is up for election on March 21. The election campaign will run for a total of 26 days following the issue of the writs by Governor Penelope Wensley.

Wikinews held an exclusive interview with the SA. Answering on behalf of the party was Queensland State Gonvenor Paul Benedek.

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Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England

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Police report drug haul seizure worth up to £30 million in Brownhills, England

Monday, December 2, 2013

Police in the West Midlands in England today said nearly 200 kilograms worth of drugs with value possibly as great as £30 million (about US$49 million or €36 million) has been seized from a unit in the town of Brownhills. In what an officer described as “one of the largest [seizures] in the force’s 39 year history”, West Midlands Police reported recovering six big cellophane-wrapped cardboard boxes containing cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA (“ecstasy”) in a police raid operation on the Maybrook Industrial Estate in the town on Wednesday.

The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated

The seized boxes, which had been loaded onto five freight pallets, contained 120 one-kilogram bags of cannabis, 50 one-kilogram bags of MDMA, and five one-kilogram bricks of cocaine. In a press release, West Midlands Police described what happened after officers found the drugs as they were being unloaded in the operation. “When officers opened the boxes they discovered a deep layer of protective foam chips beneath which the drugs were carefully layered”, the force said. “All the drugs were wrapped in thick plastic bags taped closed with the cannabis vacuum packed to prevent its distinctive pungent aroma from drawing unwanted attention.” Police moved the drugs via forklift truck to a flatbed lorry to remove them.

Detective Sergeant Carl Russell of West Midlands Police’s Force CID said the seizure was the largest he had ever made in the 24 years he has been in West Midlands Police and one of the biggest seizures the force has made since its formation in 1974. “The impact this seizure will have on drug dealing in the region and the UK as a whole cannot be underestimated”, he said. “The drugs had almost certainly been packed to order ready for shipping within Britain but possibly even further afield. Our operation will have a national effect and we are working closely with a range of law enforcement agencies to identify those involved in this crime at whatever level.”

Expert testing on the drugs is ongoing. Estimates described as “conservative” suggest the value of the drugs amounts to £10 million (about US$16.4 million or €12 million), although they could be worth as much as £30 million, subject to purity tests, police said.

Police arrested three men at the unit on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug. The men, a 50-year-old from Brownhills, a 51-year-old from the Norton area of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, and one aged 53 from Brownhills, have been released on bail as police investigations to “hunt those responsible” continue. West Midlands Police told Wikinews no person has yet been charged in connection with the seizure. Supplying a controlled drug is an imprisonable offence in England, although length of jail sentences vary according to the class and quantity of drugs and the significance of offenders’ roles in committing the crime.

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Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Family Coalition Party candidate Mark Morin, Chatham—Kent—Essex

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Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Family Coalition Party candidate Mark Morin, Chatham—Kent—Essex

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Mark Morin is running for the Family Coalition Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Chatham—Kent—Essex riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

He did not reply to the questions “Which of your competitors do you expect to pose the biggest challenge to your candidacy? Why?” and “Of the decisions made by Ontario’s 38th Legislative Assembly, which was the most beneficial to your this electoral district? To the province as a whole? Which was least beneficial, or even harmful, to your this riding? To the province as a whole?” Some spelling corrections have been made.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

Posted: November 5th, 2018 by

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Chilean miners trapped after mine collapse; miscalculated drilling delays rescue

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Chilean miners trapped after mine collapse; miscalculated drilling delays rescue

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

A gold mine collapse in Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile has trapped 33 miners since last Thursday. Another collapse occurred on Saturday, that provoked temporary suspension of the rescue works.

Rescue efforts were first focused on a ventilation shaft, but attempts to reach the miners failed. Rescuers have been drilling into the mine since Sunday. “The situation is very complex, the mine continues to have collapses because there is a geological fault-line,” said Sebastián Piñera, President of Chile, who “pledged to do everything possible to get to the trapped miners,” but acknowledged he was pessimistic.

There is no certainty that the miners, who are trapped about 400 meters (1300 feet) below the ground, are still alive.

Posted: November 4th, 2018 by

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UK’s Liverpool FC unveils plans for new stadium

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UK’s Liverpool FC unveils plans for new stadium

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Liverpool FC revealed the plans for its new Stanley Park Stadium today. The stadium is to be built over the next three years in Stanley Park, to replace Liverpool’s long time home at Anfield. The plans as submitted would provide for a capacity of 60,000, with a possible increase towards 80,000.

The design by HKS is situated approximately 8 meters below the surface to lessen its impact. The cost of construction is said to be £300 million.

Posted: November 4th, 2018 by

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Space Shuttle Discovery arrives at International Space Station

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Space Shuttle Discovery arrives at International Space Station

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Space Shuttle Discovery, flying the STS-133 mission, has successfully rendezvoused and docked with the International Space Station (ISS) today at 18:14 UTC for what is scheduled to be the final time in its career.

Discovery is delivering six astronauts to the orbiting outpost, as well as station parts and supplies including the Permanent Multipurpose Module Leonardo, the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-4 and Robonaut2, the first dexterous humanoid robot in space.

The docking, Discovery’s 13th and final scheduled docking, occurred two minutes ahead of schedule, having been originally scheduled for 19:16 GMT today.

The hatch between the space shuttle and the ISS was opened at 20:16 UTC, after which the crew members of Expedition 26 welcomed the crew of STS-133 aboard the station. The crew then participated in a safety briefing with Expedition 26 commander Scott Kelly, while Shuttle Flight Director Bryan Lunney took part in a mission status briefing on the ground which began at 20:50 UTC.

Later on today, crew members Nicole Stott and Michael Barratt are scheduled to move the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-4 from the payload bay using the shuttle’s robotic arm to the station’s own robot arm for placement on the exterior of the orbital laboratory.

There was a delay in the docking mechanism’s ability to make a seal between the two spacecraft during docking operations, so activities occurring later on in the day, including the transfer of ELC-4, may be delayed. This was primarily because of a mis-alignment between the docking systems of the shuttle and station due to gravitational effects. The entire delay took up approximately 40 minutes.

During Discovery’s approach to the station earlier on today, the crew of Expedition 26 took pictures of the shuttle’s underside from the station’s windows in order to assist in analysis of the heat shield of the spacecraft.

NASA officials are debating whether or not to extend the mission an additional day for a photo shoot of the International Space Station, as it is currently host to six docked spacecraft from the United States, Russia, Europe, and Japan. A decision regarding this possibility is expected on Tuesday.

STS-133 is Space Shuttle Discovery’s 39th and final scheduled mission into space and the program’s 35th mission to the ISS, as well as the 133rd in the entire Shuttle Program. There are two flights remaining before the retirement of the fleet that are still in planning: STS-134 and STS-135.

Posted: November 3rd, 2018 by

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What A Cpa In Yorktown Can Do For You

byAlma Abell

When most people think certified public accountants (CPA) only handles taxes. While many CPAs are tax experts, they offer a number of other services that can help people with their personal or business finance needs. Here are just a few things a CPA in Yorktown can do for you.

Payroll Accounting

Payroll is more than just cutting checks to your employees for wages. In addition to withholding and reporting payroll taxes to state and government agencies, you need to account for the money paid to employees in business financial statements and tax returns. This can easily take hours, if not days, to complete. A certified public accountant can handle the calculations and reporting for you. Simply submit the required information like employee hours and pay rate and the accountant will handle the rest. This leaves you with time to manage your business or take a day off.

Financial Advice

You invest a lot of time, money, and effort building your business. A CPA can help you protect your investment and plan for the future. This may include helping you with estate planning so you can pass your wealth onto your heirs or developing a financial strategy for limiting your liabilities while building wealth. They can even provide some advice on the type of accounting software you should use to manage your business’ money and account for every incoming and outgoing penny.

Tax Planning

Last, but not least, a CPA in Yorktown can help you manage your tax obligations. They are knowledgeable about all the business structures (sole proprietorship, LLC) and can help you plan for the associated taxes and get those returns filed in a timely manner. CPAs can also help your family manage taxes related to inheritance and estate planning, so your heirs are not hit with a giant tax bill that threatens their security.

Properly managing money is critical to your personal and business success. A CPA can help you plan for eventualities and ensure you stay on track on the road to success. Invest in hiring a great accountant and that investment can pay off with increased profits down the line.

Posted: November 3rd, 2018 by

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French journalist beaten in Tunis

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French journalist beaten in Tunis

Saturday, November 12, 2005

A journalist for the French Daily Libération, Christophe Boltanski, was attacked on Friday by several men in a street of Tunis, where he was reporting on the repression of human rights activists.

He was badly beaten and stabbed with a knife in the back by four unidentified assailants near his hotel in the embassy district. Boltanski was also hit in the face by pepper spray. He called for help, but the policemen on guard outside the nearby Czech Embassy did not react, according to Libération.

Boltanski filed a complaint on Saturday morning before returning to Paris. Libération and Reporters without Borders suspect this attack was a deliberate act of intimidation decided by the Tunisian regime. According to a United Press International report, Tunisian authorities arrested two men Saturday on suspicion of assaulting Boltanski.

Posted: November 3rd, 2018 by

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Oil leaking container ship might cause environmental catastrophe

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Oil leaking container ship might cause environmental catastrophe

Sunday, January 21, 2007

In the United Kingdom, an anti-pollution operation is under way after the stricken ship MSC Napoli started to leak dangerous heavy fuel oil.

The heavy fuel oil that is leaking from the beached Italian ship is extremely dangerous for the environment. Fear of pollution increased after the ship was further damaged during storms last Thursday. MSC Napoli was beached by Devon coastguards after it suffered heavy structual damage in the gale force storms of Thursday, 18 January 2007, that wreaked havoc across Northern Europe. The ship, which contains 160 containers of hazardous chemical substances, is listing at 35 degrees.

The entire 26-man crew was rescued by navy helicopters Thursday after severe gales. Cracks were found on both sides of the ship, but the current oil leak was not expected.

Around 2,400 containers were carried by the 62,000 tonne ship, some of which contain potentially dangerous hazardous chemicals.

The Coastguards have reported that up to 200 of the containers carrying materials such as perfume and battery acid are loose from the ship and they are looking for missing containers. South African stainless steel producer Columbus Stainless confirmed on Friday that there was at least 1,000 tonnes of nickel on board MSC Napoli.

A hole in the ship flooded the engine room and there’s now fears that the ship will break up. Saturday MSC Napoli was towed to Portland when a ”structural failure” forced the salvage team to beach it. As the storms have continued MSC Napoli has been further damaged.

The authorities have warned people about the pollution, which already has reached the beaches at Devon, but many want to see it on their own. Police have closed Branscombe Beach as more than 20 containers have broken up scattering their contents along the beach.

Sky News reported Sunday that the costs of the accident might be very high as thousands of pounds worth of BMW motorbikes, car parts, empty oak barrels and perfume might get lost in flooding containers.

Posted: November 2nd, 2018 by

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Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with NDP candidate Sheila White, Scarborough-Rouge River

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Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with NDP candidate Sheila White, Scarborough-Rouge River

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Having worked as an aide, advisor, and Executive Assistant to municipal and provincial politicians, Sheila White is running for the Ontario New Democratic Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Scarborough-Rouge River riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed her regarding her values, her experience, and her campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

Posted: November 2nd, 2018 by

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