News briefs:June 9, 2010| Wikinews Audio Briefs Credits |
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Family blames Scientology for daughter’s deathWednesday, April 16, 2008
The Norwegian press is reporting that Kaja Bordevich Ballo, aged 20, the daughter of Norwegian MP Olav Gunnar Ballo, committed suicide two weeks ago after taking a Scientology personality test. The family blames the Church of Scientology for her death and decided to go public with the story, after the test results and a suicide note were discovered after Ballo’s death.
On March 28, 2008, Ballo, a student at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis located in Nice, France, took the Scientology personality test. A few hours later she reportedly killed herself by jumping from the window of her dormitory. Her friends and roommates claim she was in good spirits and showed no signs of a mental break down or depression prior to taking the test. The test was stamped and dated by the Church just hours prior to her suicide.
“I believe Kaja would have been alive today if she had not gone to the Scientologists,” says friend and fellow student Henrik Møinichen, 19, to Dagbladet.
| The information about the Scientology test has been made public through the priest’s speech at the memorial service. I can confirm that. Due to the recency of her death, I don’t wish to elaborate on or comment on other matters now. | ||
“The information about the Scientology test has been made public through the priest’s speech at the memorial service. I can confirm that. Due to the recency of her death, I don’t wish to elaborate on or comment on other matters now,” said Olav in a statement to the press.
The Church, which is located only meters from Ballo’s dormitory, states that the results had shown Ballo was “depressed, irresponsible, hyper-critical and lacking in harmony.” They also state that it is “unfair to blame Scientology” for Ballo’s death and that the test had nothing to do with it. Ballo left behind a note telling her family she was sorry for not “being good for anything.”
The incident has generated criticism against the Church from friends, family members and politicians. Inga Marte Thorkildsen, one of the members of Norway’s Parliament, told the Oslo newspaper Dagbladet that “All indications are that the Scientologist sect has played a direct role in Kaja’s choice to take her own life.”
Matthias Fosse, information chief for the Church of Scientology in Norway, rejected any links connection between Scientology and Ballo’s suicide, and denied that the personality test was “dangerous”, saying that millions of people have taken it. The Church of Scientology also pointed out Ballo’s history of psychological issues and an eating disorder that she had experienced in her early teenage years.
The Church has since removed the test from its Norwegian website.
Here’s An Opinion On:
byadmin
Sometimes marriages just don’t work and one or both spouses want to legally end the union. In Washington, you don’t need grounds to get a divorce. You don’t even need a lawyer. The courts will allow you to file the paperwork on your own. However, there are definite benefits to hiring a Divorce Attorney Spokane Valley WA rather than doing it yourself.
Unless you have only been married for a very short amount of time, you probably have some joint assets. When you get divorced, those assets have to be divided. The law requires that assets are divided equitably. However, one spouse hides assets or a spouse would rather end the marriage than fight for what is rightfully theirs, one person doesn’t get what they deserve. Having a lawyer on your team can ensure that all of the marital property is accounted for and divided equitably.
Divorcing couples with children often have differing opinions on where the kids should live and how they should be cared for after the divorce. To minimize the effect on the children, a Divorce Attorney Spokane Valley WA may offer advice and suggestions to give the children stability through the divorce process. A lawyer may offer or recommend mediation for the parents to help them make joint decisions for the benefit of their minor children. View website for more details.
Spouses who leave the workforce to take care of their family and support their husband or wife in their career may not have the skills necessary to support themselves immediately after the divorce. In these cases, a lawyer may be able to help them get spousal support until they are able to get the training they need to become gainfully employed and self-sufficient. Divorcing spouses rarely offer spousal support when a lawyer is not involved.
Hiring an attorney does not mean you will have a lengthy divorce trial. It merely ensures that your rights are protected and you will get a fair divorce settlement. Before you file your own divorce documents or agree to a settlement offer, contact an attorney such as Cooney Law Offices to learn about your rights before you lose what you worked so hard for during your marriage.
Anthrocon 2007 draws thousands to Pittsburgh for furry weekendTuesday, July 17, 2007
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Local caterers get ready for big business, as almost three thousand fans converge on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center over the Independence Day weekend for the world’s largest ever furry convention, Anthrocon 2007.
Many hope to renew acquaintances, or meet new friends. Others look to buy from dealers and artists, or show off new artwork or costumes. Some attend to make money, or even learn a thing or two. But one thing unites them: They’re all there to have fun.
India: Jammu and Kashmir government orders private tuitions to shut down for 90 daysWednesday, April 25, 2018
On Sunday, the government of Jammu and Kashmir, India, ordered private academic coaching institutions for students until and including class XII to shut down for the next three months calling those institutions “distractions” for the students; with an exception of coaching institutions preparing students for professional exams.
After meeting the heads of some educational institutions, the state’s education minister Syed Altaf Bukhari said: “We had a discussion with our principals today to how to make the education system better. We have come to a conclusion that the distractions which affect our education system […] one of those distractions are the coaching centres”. He added the government is to review the status of the tuition centres with respect to their decisions twice a month.
High schools and colleges have suspended classes since the beginning of the month. Boycotting the classes, students protested against two encounters in Shopian that resulted in the killing of four civilians as well as twelve militants. Then there were protests against the gang rape and murder of eight-year-old girl Asifa Bano in Kathua who police said was held captive and sedated at a temple in January. Retired government official Sanji Ram and several others —including multiple police officers— were arrested earlier this month for, or in relation to, the gang rape and murder of Asifa. Asifa’s corpse was found in the village of Rasana on January 10.
Some of the protesters clashed with the state security forces, and pellets were fired over the protesters. Bukhari said, “Security of the students is paramount, that is why we kept schools and colleges closed. But now the students should control their emotions and go back to their classes […] Now, enough is enough, they have their protest and should attend school now.” Bukhari went on to add that they cannot “afford to have future a generation of illiterates and uneducated.” He said the students who come to the road for protests “would be treated as rowdies”.
According to an official in Jammu and Kashmir’s education department, the motivation behind the temporary shut down of tuitions was “when the coaching centres are closed, students would not have an option but to attend schools”. Coaching Centre Association president Junaid Yousuf responded to this ban, saying: “What is the point of ordering closure of coaching centres and keeping schools open? This defies logic. You are not shutting down the places where protests occur and closed those centres where there are no protests”.
“This distraction leads to fall in attendances in schools. We are not against coaching centres; we will first see how schools function. Therefore immediately we will request and order the coaching centres to stop their shops for some time[…] We are the custodians of the students and want that they are not distracted”, the Education Minister said.
Second Darwin’s sandwich shop opens in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USAThursday, June 2, 2005
Darwin’s Ltd. opened a second location of their sandwich shop at 1613 Cambridge Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in late May. It is situated across from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Previously limited to one location at 148 Mount Auburn Street, the second store seats approximately 30 people and sells sandwiches, coffee drinks, locally made pastries, as well as some produce and snack foods. The establishment also provides free wireless access through the WanderingWifi service. The shop plays music during the day; during this reporter’s visit to the shop, selections played ranged from David Bowie to The Strokes. The store is air-conditioned.
Key differences between the original store and the new one include the unification of the cafe and the sandwich line now behind one counter, handicap accessible restrooms, no beer or wine sold at location, and a lack of a loyal customer base. Although the recent months have been slow, business is expected to pick up with the return of Cambridge area students this autumn.
While the original location of Darwin’s was recently cited for lacking sneeze guards before the kitchen counter, according to the Cambridge Chronicle, the new Darwin’s has acrylic sheets along the front of their sandwich counter. The original Darwin’s has installed the sneeze guard at the kitchen counter the day following citation.
Here’s An Opinion On:
byAlma Abell
Keeping your smile healthy involves you doing your part and seeing your dentist as often as you should. You need to make sure you brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. It is also imperative you eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. This can help to keep your teeth and gums healthy and strong, so you can avoid dental concerns. As a part of taking care of your smile, you need to make sure you see your dentist at least twice a year. If you are prone to certain oral health concerns, you will need to see the dentist more often. Through dentistry in Heber Springs, your smile can stay healthy.
How Can Your Dentist Help You Prevent Oral Health Problems?
To keep your teeth and gums healthy, the dentist will work to keep your teeth clean. Deep cleanings are carried out on your teeth every six months. These cleanings remove the plaque and food particles that can cause decay in your teeth. This also protects your gum health. If these substances are allowed to stay on your teeth, they can cause cavities and damage. Though you brush your teeth every day, you could still be missing areas your brush cannot reach. Through the thorough cleanings your dentist provides you, your teeth will stay healthier and stronger.
Along with cleaning procedures, the dentist also monitors your oral health and protects it in other ways. Through examinations and X-rays, the dentist can check the health of your teeth and gums and monitor you for any health concerns. Your current examination and X-ray results are compared to past results, so the dentist is always aware of how healthy your teeth and gums are. In the event concerns are found, they can quickly be treated, before they cause major health problems.
To keep your smile healthy and attractive, you need to seek dentistry in Heber Springs. For more information on how dental care can keep your oral health at its best, visit BoldSmiles.com. They will provide you with the dental services you need, to ensure your smile is healthy, strong and beautiful.
News briefs:July 29, 2010| Wikinews Audio Briefs Credits |
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Hurricane Nate weakens as it reaches United StatesMonday, October 9, 2017
After killing 30 people on a rampage through Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua and dumping rain on the Yucatan in Mexico, Hurricane Nate reached the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday night. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) downgraded Nate to a tropical storm on Sunday morning. A state of emergency was declared parts of Louisiana, which saw damage from the significantly more intense Hurricane Harvey earlier this year; Alabama; Florida; and Mississippi.
Nate made its first U.S. landfall on Saturday night, bringing winds of 85 miles per hour (134 kph) and considerable storm surge to the mouth of the Mississippi River. By Sunday morning, these had declined to 35 miles per hour (56 kph). Tens of thousands of households in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana were without power.
In contrast, when Nate made its way across Latin America, dozens of people died. Some 400,000 Costa Ricans lost access to safe drinking water. All train travel and a great deal of air travel halted, and many national parks closed. Landslides trapped travelers in a dangerous road segment nicknamed “the Mountain of Death” on the Inter-American Highway, and the high water of the Tárcoles River raised concerns about crocodile attacks.
“We were well aware that this could’ve been a much more serious storm. There was talk of it being a Category 2 with an 11-feet tidal surge when it came ashore. It did not — happily — it did not live up to that billing,” said Vincent Creel, public affairs manager for Biloxi, Mississippi, near which Nate made its second U.S. landfall.
The storm had been expected to move further west, and some evacuations were recommended in the New Orleans area in preparation. Many of the ports on the U.S. Gulf Coast were closed to shipping. In one way, Nate is having a more pronounced effect than Harvey: production of oil and natural gas is a fraction of normal levels as workers evacuated oil rigs and platforms.
The NHC forecast the storm to continue north and east, losing intensity as it moves inland.
“Our great team at FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] is prepared for #HurricaneNate. Everyone in LA [Lousiana], MS [Mississippi], AL [Alabama] and FL [Florida] please listen to your local authorities and be safe!” tweeted President Donald Trump.
This is the fourth major hurricane to hit U.S. territory since summer, after Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
Blast in a coal mine in Donetsk, UkraineSaturday, December 1, 2007
Another blast shook the Ukrainian coal mine Zasyadko in Donetsk, where over 100 miners died in a methane blast in November. According to the United Press International news agency, 52 miners were injured. The ITAR TASS news agency reports also that most of them suffered carbon monoxide poisoning and were taken to an occupational diseases treatment clinic, while seven were hospitalised at the central hospital of the Donetsk region.
Marina Nikitina, a local officer of the Ukrainian’s industrial safety agency Gosgorpromnadzor, informed the press that all of the 385 miners who were underground when the explosion occurred, have been already evacuated. According to her, the blast took place at 5.55 a.m. EET (UTC+2) in an isolated part of the collery at the deep of 1078 metres, where 63 people were working. A Ukrainian TV channel Kanal 5 reports the disaster has been caused by a methane blast. It informs also that Vitalij Shevchenko, the mine’s general engineer, has been ousted from his post by the Ukrainian mining supervision.
It is the second explosion in two weeks that happened in the pit. The November 18 blast is regarded among the Ukrainian media as the worst coal-mining disaster in Ukraine’s post-Soviet history.
Today’s blast is a part of deadly series of accidents in the Ukrainian coal mining industry; in the Donetsk region alone about 200 people have died this year.