News briefs:May 28, 2010| Wikinews Audio Briefs Credits |
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Home of controversial book publisher set ablazeSunday, September 28, 2008
Four people have been arrested on terrorism charges in Islington, London, England, after a suspected petrol bombing on the house of Martin Rynja, owner of book publishing company Gibson Square.
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His company recently sparked controversy after buying the rights to publish The Jewel of Medina, a work of fiction by Sherry Jones depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad and his child bride, Aisha.
The bombing, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning, led to the evacuation of the £2.5 million property in Lonsdale Square. Three men, aged 22, 30 and 40, were arrested at 2:25am BST by armed officers, two in Lonsdale Square, and one after being stopped near Angel tube station.
Police comments suggested that the trio had been under surveillance, and that they had advance knowledge of the plot and simply waited for the arsonists to strike, before arresting them.
On Saturday, a woman was arrested for obstructing police during their searches of four addresses – two in Walthamstow, and two in Ilford and Forest Gate.
Speaking earlier this month, Mr Rynja said that “The Jewel of Medina has become an important barometer of our time. As an independent publishing company, we feel strongly that we should not be afraid of the consequences of debate.” Ms Jones commented that she did not intend for her novel to be offensive to Islam. She noted that she “[has] deliberately and consciously written respectfully about Islam and Muhammad.” She “envisaged that [her] book would be a bridge builder” between Islam and the western world.
Category:July 20, 2010Popular soap opera ‘The Young and the Restless’ celebrates 35 years on the airWednesday, March 26, 2008
The popular American soap opera The Young and the Restless, currently the reigning Emmy Award-winner for best daytime drama, celebrated 35 years on the air Wednesday.
The 35th anniversary also comes after the series, known colloquially as Y&R, marked its 1,000th straight week as the highest-rated soap opera in a daytime slot. In addition to keeping the #1 spot every week since December 1988, Y&R has also been the top-rated soap in the African-American demographic since 1991.
A trend-setter since the beginning, Y&R relied on character-driven storytelling, accentuated with understated sexuality from its cast, which at that time was mostly young, in order to bring in teenage and twentysomething viewers who were ignored by soap producers and networks up to that time. These traits immediately set Y&R apart from other soap operas, and other soaps have since mimicked Y&R’s formulaic approach to offering something for everyone, especially younger viewers.
Since premiering on March 26, 1973, Y&R has become a worldwide cultural institution in its own right, racking up an impressive 100 Emmy Awards between the writers, producers, cast and crew since 1974. The show has aired in over 100 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, and Turkey, and reaches a worldwide audience of ten million daily. So far-reaching was Y&R’s appeal that Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci chose the serial’s theme song as accompanying music to her floor exercises at the 1976 Summer Olympics. In Australia, where Y&R has aired since 1974, the show was canceled by the original network that aired it in 2007, prompting a widespread fan backlash in that country. It was quickly moved to a pay channel.
Over the past 35 years, countless characters, marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and every joy and trauma in between have visited the residents of Genoa City, where Y&R is set. To commemorate the milestone, Mike Halterman from Wikinews interviewed three actresses who have played long-running characters on Y&R, and asked them to share their memories. All three responded to questions about what being on Y&R means to them, what their favorite storylines were, what they perhaps would have wanted to do all over again, and what they’d love to tell their fans directly.
Below are portions of all three interviews.
Submitted by: Conn Hutzell
In a farting contest the one who craps his pants is the winner. There are no continuances, take backs or do oversits finished. And like with any other contest the winner stands alone. Only, if you win a farting contest this way (the winner by crapping) not only will you stand alone, you will stand alone at a great distance from everyone else.that is unless youre in a car.
The boys were having one such olfactory offensive contest one day when we were on our way back from the beach. Nothing like swallowing half a lake of water to get the ole gastro-intestinal functions pumping. Anyway, they were in the backseat letting go with Rippers, Squeakers, Lone Rangers and the ever-popular Boomers. Like any great contest, faces were turning red and the grunts could be heard outside the carwith the windows rolled up. I was grateful though; that we were on a main road so the windows could be kept rolled down to eliminate the aftermath of the festivities in the backseat. At one point I had the car up to 80 just trying to keep the air flowing enough so Angela and I wouldnt pass out from the fumes.
But, unlike other contests, the noise and cheers are during the contest only. In this competition, the winner is not cheered but rather, ostracized by his fellow competitors and silence thus ensues. This is how we knew the competition had ended. All we heard in the front seat was the wind rushing by and all we could smell were the scents of the pines and the roadside diners..for about 2 minutes. You see, after a fart becomes real, it takes a minute or two for the reality to sink in, or rather to squish out.
What is that smell Angela asks me. I think one of the boys crapped his pants I respond. Did one of you crap your pants? Angela inquires to the back seatcomplete silence.
WE HAVE A WINNER! Faces were no longer red but kind of a sheet white color. Blake expounded his defeat I didnt do it! Andrew, even in victory, softly speaks: I think I did. Well did you or didnt you? (Angela by this time is almost completely turned around) Yesbut I didnt mean to!. He sat there silently when he should have been screamingBUT I WONI PAID THE ULTIMATE TO SUCCEEDI CAME, I SAW, I CRAPPED MY PANTS!! I have to admit it myself, not many kids have that kind of desire and drive. Needless to say, we all shared in Drews victoryall the way home! The windows stayed down and I picked it up to 85 just to stay ahead of the green fog that was permeating the car.
The silence continued until we arrived home. As soon as the car came to a stop, three doors flew open and the exodus from the car was faster than a dog with an infection scooting across the living room carpet. Drew remained seated for a few seconds, wallowing in his victory (so to speak). As he exited the car he proudly walked, bow legged, up the steps to the front door only to be denied entry. Angela stripped him not only of his trophy but also his swimsuit and dignity right there on the front porch. Till the day I die I will never forget his victory walk to the shower displaying his triumph.all the way up his back.
About the Author: Conn Hutzell is a self taught Internet and computer geek and the owner of
allthatshopping.com
where you can shop, compare and save big from your own home. SHOP NAKED!!!!
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=80966&ca=Humor }
Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan engagedMonday, January 15, 2007
Legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has confirmed that his son Abhishek and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai were engaged last evening at a private ceremony at the Bachchans’ residence in Mumbai.
It is believed that the younger Bachchan proposed to his bride-to-be in New York, soon after the Toronto premiere of his new movie Guru. The media had been following the romance between the two closely for some time past, but this is the first time they have come out in the open about their relationship. Rumours that the couple were planning to spread the know began to spread in November last year, when they visited the Sankat Mochan Temple together, with some even saying that they had already been married even earlier at the Meenakshi temple in Madurai
According to one daily, the wedding will take place either on February 19 or March 7 at the Hyatt Mumbai. “The children have decided. We are very happy and thought we should go ahead with the ‘roka’ ceremony. It was held in the evening.”, Amitabh Bachchan said of the ceremony, which was attended by the family’s close friends, including Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, Aishwarya’s parents, and industrialist Anil Ambani and the latter’s wife Tina Ambani. The couple have now flown to Ujjain to take a holy dip in the Ganga.
Houston mayor urges evacuations as Hurricane Rita moves closer to shoreThursday, September 22, 2005
Traffic is bumper to bumper on Houston interstate highways as citizens try to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Rita. Houston Mayor Bill White urged citizens in low areas of the city to “begin making their evacuation plans” in preparation for what is currently the 3rd strongest hurricane to ever form in the Atlantic Ocean and the worst to enter the Gulf of Mexico.
Acting U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director David Paulison was quoted saying “I strongly, strongly urge Gulf Coast residents to pay close attention to this storm. It’s already a Category 4, a huge storm, it’s in warm waters and there’s a potential for it to increase more,” at a briefing in Washington DC. The storm was upgraded to a category 5 hurricane on Thursday, the strongest category of storm. Recently, Rita has lost intensity since entering cooler waters and facing wind shear from an opposing weather front, and is now a Category 4 storm.
Houston, Texas lies 50 feet above sea-level on average, but the area is still prone to flooding as the region is very flat and supported by multiple bayous. In 2001, following Tropical Storm Allison, large areas of Houston remained flooded after receiving 10 inches (250 mm) of rain, causing over $US 5 billion in damage. Meteorologists fear that Rita could cause similar, if not worse damage.
Located 50 miles away from the inland city of Houston, and situated on the Gulf’s coastline, lies Galveston, Texas at a mere 8 feet above sea level. The island city, with a population of nearly 60,000, built a 10-mile-long, 17-foot-high solid granite barrier next to the sea as a defense against hurricanes.
The National Hurricane Center currently predicts a storm surge from Rita in the 15 to 20 feet range, along with strong battering waves. The city manager of Galveston, Steve LeBlanc said, “Galveston is going to suffer. And we are going to need to get it back in order as quickly as possible. I would say that we probably have 90 percent of our residents have left the island. It feels like a ghost town to me, and that’s a good thing.”
Rita is expected to slow down and linger after making landfall in the region. That could possibly mean even more damage from heavy rainfall accumulations. The governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, said the rain is a threat to New Orleans. Anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of rainfall are expected there, when earlier predictions estimated that 3 inches of rainfall would be enough to cause more flooding in the city.
News briefs:April 29, 2005Friday, April 29, 2005
By Elizabeth Chastain
Party favors for teenagers that say thank you for attending my party, along with providing a tangible remembrance of all the good times without breaking the bank can be quite the challenge. After all, does the word inexpensive and teenager belong in the same sentence? Yes, it is a little more challenging then buying favors for little tikes who were satisfied with the simpler things in life, but it is not impossible.
To come up with some party favors for teenagers, put on your creative cap and let’s start brainstorming. Start by thinking of the things that correspond with the theme of the party you will be hosting. Remember, favors don’t necessarily have to be fun they can also be useful.
One idea for you to consider is to make a mixed CD of music that can either go along with the party’s theme or just be various songs that the teens enjoy listening to. Of course, your teenager will be able to assist in this endeavor to ensure success. I know I have yet to meet a teen who doesn’t enjoy listening to music. The tunes may vary from country-western to Christian to rock, but they all seem to have something that they enjoy.
All teen girls love having make-up in their lives. Therefore, one good idea for a party favor for girls would be to provide them with a decorative cosmetic bag. You could even add a few items to the bags, as long as you keep the items neutral. Things like a clear lip-gloss, nail polish and some hand cream would all be great choices.
If you’re hosting a beach or pool party for the teens, then perhaps you might want to consider buying pool or beach-related items to serve as the party favors for teenagers. You may want to purchase some beach bags and then fill them with things like sunscreen, sunglasses, flip-flops, or perhaps a beach towel.
One thing that so many teenagers love doing is spending time at the malls. It would be a good idea to give away several gift certificates from local shops like Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, Best Buy, or Jamba Juice, just to name a few. You do not need to spend too much money, just give them enough so they are able to get a discount on their next pair of shoes or you can even give them tickets to a movie theater. Along these same lines, you might consider opting for gift cards for teen online favorites like iTunes or Amazon.
Another thing that teens enjoy is their electronics. You might consider giving them a flash drive, and these days you can find them for about $6.00. This way, they will be able to keep their precious electronic data close at hand and take it wherever they might go.
I hope you liked some of the above ideas, or perhaps they have assisted you in coming up with some of your own ideas for party favors for teenagers. However, if you are still in want and your idea machine is a little clogged, then you might want to consider clicking on over to the website listed below for some additional options.
About the Author: Explore these
Party Favors For Teenagers
, along with many other party-related items, by visiting
birthday-party-ideas-101.com
, a party planning website written and edited by Professional Organizer, Elizabeth Chastain. You’ll also find lots of ideas for party themes, invitations, decorations, party food, and much more! Copyright: You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links, and this copyright notice remain intact.
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=709603&ca=Entertainment
Submitted by: Alexis Jensen
If you simply go online and find one of those price comparison websites for car insurance in West Virginia and you play around with it for a while you will probably save some money each month on your car insurance.
However, you might be able to save even more money by first learning some of the steps you can take to reduce the cost of your car insurance even before you get online.
For example, did you know that parking your car in a garage at night can save you money?
Did you know that paying your premiums automatically each month out of your checking account also saves you money?
Did you know that some insurance companies will give you a break on the cost of your insurance if you buy and use a simple steering wheel locking device?
Did you know that your car insurance agent may know of other simple and inexpensive anti-theft devices that you can install on your car that will save you money every single month?
Did you know that if you were to use public transportation as much as possible and leave your car parked at home that you might be able to save a considerable amount on your car insurance? It’s true. If you can reduce your monthly driving to below 500 miles your insurance company may give you a substantial Low Mileage Discount.
Did you know that if you join (or set up) a carpool at work that you can save money every month on your car insurance? Part of your monthly premium is based on the number of times you drive back and forth to work in rush hour traffic every month. If you can cut that number in half then you can save a nice chunk of change on your insurance every month – plus you’ll be doing something good for the environment and saving wear and tear on your car.
Did you know that paying for collision or comprehensive insurance on an older car that no longer has any Kelly Blue Book value is a total waste of your money?
Did you know that young drivers can save at least 5% a month on their car insurance simply by staying in school and maintaining at least a “B” grade average?
Did you know that you can save on car rental coverage if you have a credit card that provides automatic coverage on rental cars?
Did you know that if you have a health insurance plan you may be able to reduce or even cancel the Personal Injury Protection portion of your car insurance, saving you quite a bit of cash each year?
Did you know that if you are married you can save money each month by listing the wife as the primary driver and the husband as the secondary driver on your car insurance policy?
Did you know that if you don’t make small claims against your insurance company that you can save money on your premium every month? Most companies offer some sort of discount after six or twelve claim-free months.
Did you know that some places of work and many clubs, organizations and associations offer their members low-cost group car insurance? If you don’t belong to any group or club that offers its members group car insurance ask friends and family if any of them belong to such a group. Then join.
Did you know that increasing your deductible will drop your cost of insurance overnight? Obviously you’ll need to review your financial situation before deciding on a deductible since you don’t want to agree to pay more if you file a claim that you can actually afford.
And did you know that if you buy your car insurance online you can save over buying your car insurance from most brick and mortar locations? Don’t get lazy, however, and only check out one of the websites that permit you to compare the prices of car insurance policies from a variety of different insurance companies here in West Virginia.
If you really want to see prices from every insurance company you are going to have to spend a little extra time and do your comparisons on a minimum of 3 different comparison websites. Also – and this is important – you need to use the information you have gleaned from this article and fill out the form on all 3 websites EXACTLY the same.
This is the only way for you to compare the same policy across all three websites and it is the best way to insure that you will end up with the best possible price.
Once you have completed all of your comparisons then the rest is a snap. Just choose the lowest-priced policy – and you’re done! This is how you become an expert and make certain that you get cheap car insurance online in West Virginia and save money for years to come.
About the Author: My recommended sites here:
Cheap Car Insurance Online
The Most Affordable Auto/Car Insurance Company and Quote Estimates
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=210589&ca=Automotive }