Western Australia apologises to abused wards-of-state

April 7, 2005

The state Premier of Western Australia (WA), Dr Geoff Gallop, gave an apology to children physically and sexually abused in institutional care within the state between the 1920s and 1970s. The statement was given in reaction to an Australian Senate inquiry into institutional child abuse published last year.

“We acknowledge our state’s history, the role played by the state in providing care for children and particularly past practices in the provision of care,” Dr Gallop told Australian Associated Press.

“We apologise to all those people who were harmed as children while in institutional care, and express deep regret at the hurt and distress caused. We recognise that the effects of physical, psychological and sexual abuse did not end when these children became adults.”

Many of the children had been placed in care by government agencies.

“Overwhelmingly, the (submissions) make tragic and distressing reading. They tell of neglect, of shocking abuse, of predatory behaviour from so-called carers and of criminal activity,” Senator McLucas told federal parliament at the time of the Forgotten Australians report, last year.

“The evidence is also there that authorities in the church and in governments either knew or should have known that much of this horrific activity was occurring.”

The inquiry found that an apology was an important symbolism in recognising past wrongs and helping victims gain closure, according to an ABC News report. And Dr Gallop said the victims’ personal histories must be heard and acknowledged in order to build a better care system for the future.

WA’s Community Development Minister, Sheila McHale, said those wishing to find out about their time in care in WA as children should contact the Department for Community Development, which is also providing counselling services to those who were abused in an institution.

Atlantis launched, heads for International Space Station

Saturday, June 9, 2007

In the first space flight of 2007, Space Shuttle Atlantis blasted off on schedule yesterday, starting on an 11-day mission to the International Space Station.

Atlantis and its seven astronauts lifted off at 7:38 p.m. EDT (2338 GMT) from the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The launch pad, newly refurbished by NASA, had not been used since the launch of Space Shuttle Columbia, which ended in disaster on Feb. 1, 2003.Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the space station at around 1930 GMT tomorrow.

The goal for the Atlantis crew is to carry out the two missions that were left incomplete from the previous flight due to broken and jammed equipments. During the flight, the shuttle and its seven astronauts will deliver a new segment and will install energy-producing solar panels to the International Space Station. The payload is the heaviest ever flown to the space station, and includes a 45-foot (14-meter), 35,678-pound (16,183 kilogram) aluminium segment that will become part of the station’s superstructure.

The mission, STS-117 has been dogged by trouble. It was scheduled to launch in March, but a hailstorm in February damaged the orange external fuel tank, so the shuttle had to be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs. After repairs, the tank had white specks visible in the orange insulation, and there was some concern over whether the insulation would hold. Falling foam insulation was blamed for the Columbia crash, in which all seven astronauts aboard were killed.

But yesterday’s launch appeared to be flawless. “Give me more speckled tanks,” the shuttle program manager, N. Wayne Hale Jr., was quoted as saying.

The delay in the launch of Atlantis also pushed back other missions.

NASA faced a scandal earlier in the year when one of its astronauts, Lisa Nowak, was fired after being charged in the attempted kidnapping of a fellow astronaut, William Oefelein, with whom she had been having an affair.

Colleges offering admission to displaced New Orleans students/LA-ND

See the discussion page for instructions on adding schools to this list and for an alphabetically arranged listing of schools.

Due to the damage by Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding, a number of colleges and universities in the New Orleans metropolitan area will not be able to hold classes for the fall 2005 semester. It is estimated that 75,000 to 100,000 students have been displaced. [1]. In response, institutions across the United States and Canada are offering late registration for displaced students so that their academic progress is not unduly delayed. Some are offering free or reduced admission to displaced students. At some universities, especially state universities, this offer is limited to residents of the area.

Contents

  • 1 Overview
  • 2 Louisiana
  • 3 Maine
  • 4 Maryland
  • 5 Massachusetts
  • 6 Michigan
  • 7 Minnesota
  • 8 Mississippi
  • 9 Missouri
  • 10 Montana
  • 11 Nebraska
  • 12 Nevada
  • 13 New Hampshire
  • 14 New Jersey
  • 15 New Mexico
  • 16 New York
  • 17 North Carolina
  • 18 North Dakota

U.S. general to head NATO forces in Afghanistan

Thursday, February 15, 2007

General Dan McNeil, the highest-ranking U.S. general, will soon lead NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Following a year of increasing violence in the south of Afghanistan, NATO forces began to attack the heartland of the Taliban. NATO Commander General McNeil is expected to enact a more aggressive policy towards militants than his predecessor, British General David Richards. General Richards supported a peace agreement in the city of Musa Qala, but his plan of action failed when an estimated 200 Taliban fighters overran the town on Thursday. McNeil was appointed two weeks after the Defense Department extended the tour of 3,200 10th Mountain Division soldiers.

Col. Tom Collins, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force, said that McNeill’s arrival and increased troop levels underscored American commitment in Afghanistan. Today there are 26,000 troops in Afghanistan compared to 9,500 troops in 2002. About 14,000 of these troops are under NATO command, 12,000 of whom train Afghan forces in the area. McNeil, who served in Afghanistan in 2002-2003, said “We will quit neither post nor mission until the job is done or we are properly relieved.”

Is The Commercial Stuff Like Burns Dog Food Good Enough?

Submitted by: Matthew Heini Clark

A question I find that is frequently asked is, is commercially manufactured pet food the best thing for your animal? Obviously some are such as the Burns dog foodrange but there are sadly others that are not. There are some commercially produced pet foods that are purse friendly, but they are not always precisely giving you the best value for money in terms of nutritional value. The large majority of vets tend not to recommend most ‘off-the-shelf’ commercially produced dog food because of its low nutritional value; however this is definitly not true of the good quality brands such as Royal Canin dog foodrange. I have used the word range twice now in relation to the manufacturers I have mentioned. It is something you want to look out for, the fact that the makers have a range. Look out for products specific to breeds of dogs and stage of life products, puppy, adult and senior.

Getting the wrong dog food can mean your pet is not taking in sufficient nutrients for your pet s particular requirements. The wrong dog food can have a signifincant amount of synthetic additives and artificial colorants which though generally not harmful just may not suit your dog. Even so, not all makes of off the shelf dog food will harm your animal’s health, both Burns dog food and Royal Canin dog food ranges are of a high quality.

Of course if you have the time and inclination you can avoid the commercial choices? There are the uncooked pet meals which are popular choices with many pet owners. These can be obtained as ready-to-go packaged meals which you can then easily cook in your own kitchen. This food alternative is known for its totally holistic ingredients and all natural contents. Or you could choose home made foods for dogs which are great for those that want to monitor every single aspect of their pet s nutrition. Many different recipes are available for dog owners who would like to cook the most suitable snacks and food for their pets. An important feature about this option is that you can prepare them using whatever ingredients you have got in your house, and it can be very quick and easy to make.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bccJaN6OWT0[/youtube]

The commercial types of dog foods and more are available for you to buy at http://www.petshouse.co.uk so have a look today and choose the perfect dog food for you and your dog.

A question I find that is frequently asked is, is commercially manufactured pet food the best thing for your animal? Obviously some are such as the Burns dog foodrange but there are sadly others that are not. There are some commercially produced pet foods that are purse friendly, but they are not always precisely giving you the best value for money in terms of nutritional value. The large majority of vets tend not to recommend most ‘off-the-shelf’ commercially produced dog food because of its low nutritional value; however this is definitly not true of the good quality brands such as Royal Canin dog foodrange. I have used the word range twice now in relation to the manufacturers I have mentioned. It is something you want to look out for, the fact that the makers have a range. Look out for products specific to breeds of dogs and stage of life products, puppy, adult and senior.

Getting the wrong dog food can mean your pet is not taking in sufficient nutrients for your pet s particular requirements. The wrong dog food can have a signifincant amount of synthetic additives and artificial colorants which though generally not harmful just may not suit your dog. Even so, not all makes of off the shelf dog food will harm your animal’s health, both Burns dog food and Royal Canin dog food ranges are of a high quality.

Of course if you have the time and inclination you can avoid the commercial choices? There are the uncooked pet meals which are popular choices with many pet owners. These can be obtained as ready-to-go packaged meals which you can then easily cook in your own kitchen. This food alternative is known for its totally holistic ingredients and all natural contents. Or you could choose home made foods for dogs which are great for those that want to monitor every single aspect of their pet s nutrition. Many different recipes are available for dog owners who would like to cook the most suitable snacks and food for their pets. An important feature about this option is that you can prepare them using whatever ingredients you have got in your house, and it can be very quick and easy to make.

The commercial types of dog foods and more are available for you to buy at http://www.petshouse.co.uk so have a look today and choose the perfect dog food for you and your dog.

About the Author: Our selection includes the Burns Dog Food and the Royal Canin Dog Food ranges. Check them out at

petshouse.co.uk

.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=886827&ca=Pets

Spelbound declared winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2010

Monday, June 7, 2010

An acrobatic group known by the name of Spelbound has been declared as the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2010, a televised variety talent show competition broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom. As the winning act of the show, Spelbound have won £100,000 (US$144,580, €120,313, A$175,079) and a place at The Royal Variety Performance, an annual gala evening that is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family.

In no particular order, the top three acts were revealed to be two dancers known by their stage name of Twist and Pulse, gymnastic group Spelbound and Kieran Gaffney, whose act involves playing on the drum kit. After Kieran Gaffney was revealed to be in third place, Anthony McPartlin, who hosts Britain’s Got Talent with Declan Donnelly, said to Kieran: “Well done Kieran. Kieran, you’re a star, you came back, you got all the way to the final. I know you’ve loved this. You’ve loved this, haven’t you?” In response to this, Kieran Gaffney stated: “Thank you very much. Thank you, everyone for supporting me. Thank you.”

Shortly afterwards, on the episode that was broadcast live on ITV1 on Saturday, Anthony announced: “After tens of thousands of auditons, five semi-finals and an amazing final, this…this is it. One of you is about to walk away with £100,000 and a place at this year’s Royal Variety Performance. The winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2010 is…Spelbound!” Glen Murphy from Twist and Pulse commented about finishing in second place, stating: “Yeah, it’s amazing. I can’t even believe it. I can’t believe it at all.”

Alex Uttley, a 24-year-old member of Spelbound, commented on the gymnastic group’s victory, commenting: “Oh, my god. This is unbelieveable. We just want to say thank you to everyone out there. It just shows that all our hard work has paid off.” One of the coaches of Spelbound, named Neil Griffiths, stated about Spelbound: “Oh, they’ve worked so hard over the last few weeks. Um, since the semi-final, we…we really had to pull out the stops to try and up the game. They’ve not known they’ve worked in the gym from six in the morning till twelve…twelve o’clock of the night. I couldn’t have asked for more. Um, it’s a team of coaches. I don’t take all the credit myself. There’s, uh, two people up there that know who they are who’ve been fantastic.”

Spelbound consists of 24-year-old Alex Uttley, Nicholas Illingworth, aged 24, Adam Buckingham, aged 21, 20-year-old Adam McAssey, 19-year-old Douglas Fordyce, 18-year-old Edward Upcott, 18-year-old Leighanne Cowler, 17-year-old Katie Axten, 17-year-old Lauren Kemp, 15-year-old Jonathan Stranks, Abigail Ralph, aged 15, 13-year-old Hollianne Wood and Amy Mackenzie, aged 12. Bookmakers had previously predicted that Spelbound would be the most likely act to become the winner of the series.

The running order for the final started with Twist and Pulse. The second act to perform was Liam McNally, a 14-year-old singer. The running order subsequently continued with 40-year-old impressionist Paul Burling, singer Christopher Stone, aged 28, Tina & Chandi, a woman and dog dancing act, Connected, a five-piece singing group, Kieran Gaffney, aged 12, 22-year-old Tobias Mead, a dancer, 80-year-old singer Janey Cutler and Spelbound in that particular order.

Earlier on in the final, Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has stated to Spelbound: “We are hosting the 2012 Olympics and I think ‘what a brilliant opening act’.” Fellow judge Piers Morgan also commented that “[t]he purpose of this show is to identify hidden great British talent. You are that act.” After Spelbound won in the final, another judge, named Simon Cowell, stated that “the right boys and girls won on the night” and that he could “only say on live TV that that was one of the most astonishing things I have ever seen. Seriously.”

FC Barcelona signs Jasper Cillessen

Sunday, August 28, 2016

On Thursday, Spanish football club FC Barcelona announced signing of Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from Dutch capital football club AFC Ajax for €13 million on a five-year deal. Per the agreement, Barça is obliged to pay add-ons of €2 million.

27-year-old Cillessen made his professional debut for his boyhood club N.E.C in 2010. A year later, he joined Ajax for €3.2 million. Spending five years at the Amsterdam ArenA, Cillessen has won three Eredivisie titles in a row and one Dutch Super Cup in 2014.

Cillessen made his last appearance for Ajax on Wendsday, losing 4–1 (5–2 on aggregate) against Russian club FC Rostov in the UEFA Champions League’s qualifying round. Cillessen underwent his medical tests on Thursday. Afterwards, he posted on Instagram saying, “Dreams do come true!” ((es))Spanish language: ?Sueños de hacen realidad!Cillessen was to be presented at Camp Nou on Friday.

Shortly after Cillessen’s signing, Barcelona announced their previous goalkeeper and Chile’s captain Claudio Bravo joined Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

France sends special envoy to North Korea

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

France has dispatched a special envoy to North Korea for talks that are expected to focus on establishing diplomatic ties with Pyongyang and possibly on the country’s nuclear program.

French special envoy Jack Lang arrived in North Korea for a five-day visit that could mark a turnaround in relations with the country. France is the only major European country not to have formal ties with Pyongyang, and it never recognised the country after it split from Korea following the Korean War. Some international observers consider dispatching a high-level envoy like Lang, a former French minister, an unusual move.

France is not a member of the six-party talks aimed to end North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program, but it is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Lang told news agencies the French government could play a role in reviving the stalled six-party talks. He noted that he would “discuss all the problems, [and] the nuclear question, naturally.”

Senate Committee hears bailout proposal

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke fielded questions from the Senate Banking Committee today. Paulson and Bernanke were joined by Christopher Cox, chairman of the SEC, and James Lockhart, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The four urged the Committee to pass legislation allowing the Treasury to spend up to US$700 billion to bailout investment banks by purchasing their “illiquid debt”.

They made the pitch to the committee to bail out Wall Street by passing legislation giving the Treasury unprecedented authority and little oversight. The $700 billion will bail out investment banks with illiquid mortgage assets, securities these firms cannot sell because of the state of the housing sector. The proposal will create a reverse auction, in which the illiquid debt will be bought by the Treasury at a price much higher than the fire sale prices the securities are currently valued out.

The debate centered around whether the government should be involved, is $700 billion too much, will it work, the issue of oversight, and the urgency of the situation.

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Paulson and Bernanke claimed that such a bailout is precondition to a healthy recovery to the economy; credit is contingent on a healthy economy, the purchase of the bad debt will increase the lending to business and consumers to help the recovery of the economy.

Building collapse in Barbados traps family

Sunday, August 26, 2007Miami Dade Fire Rescue, Urban Search and Rescue Florida Task Force 1 Members were on the scene since last night. Search dogs worked the scene all night.

According to current reports, sometime early this morning, an apartment building in Brittons Hill, Barbados fell into a cave below.

Five family members are known to be trapped in the collapse, although reports have not be made as to whether these are the only individuals involved. Rescue workers, as well as several prominent politicians are currently on the scene; two cranes have been deployed to remove debris. Evacuation has occurred, with an extension of this area being discussed.

Miami Dade Police arrived on the scene late Sunday night and are now in a joint effort with the Barbados Defence Force, Barbados Fire Service and Royal Barbados Police Force to rescue possible survivors. Prime Minister Owen Arthur also stated that surveys are currently being conducted to determine the stability of the surrounding area, and only after these reports have been compiled will residents know whether they will be able to return to their homes.

A cadaver dog was sent into the cavern and has identified two areas where there are possible dead bodies. Sadly it is no longer a rescue mission but recovery one.