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Wikinews interviews Amber Merritt Australian Paralympic wheelchair basketballer

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Wikinews interviews Amber Merritt Australian Paralympic wheelchair basketballer
By | Posted in Uncategorized

Thursday, September 6, 2012

London, England— Tuesday, following her team’s 62–37 win over Mexico in the quarter-finals at the North Greewich Arena, Wikinews interviewed Amber Merrit of the Australian women’s national wheelchair basketball team.

In their next match, the Gliders will face the victors from the United States versus Canada, having suffered their first loss of this year’s Games to Canada on Sunday night by seven points.

((Laura Hale)) I’m excited to see you in London, because you were so fantastic in that interview.

[Wikinews previously interviewed Merrit, and teammates in July. —Ed.]

Amber Merrit: Thank you.

((WN)) Which state are you from?

AM: I’m from WA. [Western Australia —Ed.]

((WN)) You wheel change! What was wrong with your wheel?

AM: I smashed out three spokes. Someone hit me, and I lost three spokes in my chair.

((WN)) was that because you were playing really aggressively against Mexico?

AM: Yeah, or they were playing really aggressive against us.

((WN)) Watching that game it didn’t seem that they were playing that aggressive, in terms of they came in with set pieces; they weren’t doing the full-court press; they didn’t seem prepared for your offensive and defensive tenacity. ((Hawkeye7)) You kept on all holding them out, where they weren’t even getting across the centre line

AM: I think we have a really physical style of basketball where we’re going to press, and when we press we try to stop chairs and make sure they don’t get over that halfway line. They’re going to come out and play as hard as they can against us and sometimes there is that odd mishap where they might smash a few spokes cause they hit us. It happens.

((WN)) You tipped a lot in previous games. You haven’t tipped so much in this series.

AM: No, I’ve managed to keep my balance this time. Or maybe they haven’t hit me hard enough to put me down on the floor.

((WN)) Part of the appeal of wheelchair basketball, and I feel guilty admitting it, it watching you guys tip.

AM: And fall out. It’s embarrassing but I like it.

((WN)) You’ve got your next game coming up, which is going to be against the winner of the United States or Canada later today

AM: We’re not 100% sure yet who that’s going to be.

((WN)) Looking forward to meeting them?

AM: Yeah! Looking forward to coming up against them.

((WN)) Who would you prefer?

AM: I don’t know if I have a preference, to be honest. Whoever its going to be, we’re still going to go out there and play as hard as we can and take it to them as a team.

((WN)) Do you think you’ve been adequately prepared coming in to this, with your tournament in Sydney, your tournament in the Netherlands?

AM: Yeah, I think we’ve come in very well prepared for this tournament. We’ve been together for a while now as a team. Of course we had the Gliders and Rollers world challenge. We also went to Arnheim in the Netherlands for a pre-tournament, and we’ve trained together in Cardiff. And then after Cardiff we came in to London; so we’ve had that time together as a team and we’re doing really well.

((WN)) Does that give you an advantage over other teams?

AM: I’m not sure, because I don’t know what other teams have been doing behind the scenes as their training.

((WN)) Thank you very much.

AM: No worries!

July 14, 2018 – 1:31 am
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Iraqi elections kept low-key, but secure, in Paris

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Iraqi elections kept low-key, but secure, in Paris
By | Posted in Uncategorized

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Fourteen countries outside of Iraq have been selected for the installation of polling stations for the Iraqi National Assembly election. Among these, Paris, capital city of France, will welcome voters from France, Belgium, and Switzerland.

While the event has not been kept secret, the French government and media have been quite discreet about it. The polling station has been installed in an unused elementary school in a calm residential neighbourhood of the XIIIe arrondissement, without fanfare. Most inhabitants are not even aware of its presence – that is, until they notice the unusual deployment of police and come across the posters written in French and Arabic. Despite the discretion, the sight of police guarding a polling station is striking in a country where elections are a calm affair on a Sunday, and polling stations, most of which are installed in schools, are only noticeable because of the official billboards carrying the candidates’ posters.

Security measures have been taken – metallic barriers prevent parking in and around the front and back entrances to the station, and CRS riot police with bulletproof vests guard the entrances.Still, overall, the security measures remain limited. Traffic flows in the street, passers-by freely walk in front of the station entrance, no display of heavy weapons. This contrasts with the use of military troops and deployments of gendarmes mobiles that France used in its Vigipirate anti-terror plan following the Islamist terror bombings that it suffered in 1995, or the typical security measures kept around possible terror targets such as the embassies of Israel and the United States of America. This time, military cars and a handful of soldiers were seen in the morning, but were gone in the afternoon.

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.
This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

July 14, 2018 – 1:29 am
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Freighter hits fishing boat in Gulf of Suez; thirteen dead

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Freighter hits fishing boat in Gulf of Suez; thirteen dead
By | Posted in Uncategorized

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

A freighter hit a fishing boat around midnight on Sunday morning in the Gulf of Suez in the Red Sea. Of the 40 Egyptian fisherman on board, thirteen are dead and thirteen more missing.

Survivor Al Sayyed Mohamed Arafat told local media he jumped from the fishing boat, named Badr al-Islam, as the container ship approached. He says he hung onto a wooden crate for four hours before rescue. Local authorities have promised compensation to each survivor.

A vessel, flagged in Panama, suspected to be involved in the collision has been detained by the military. The army said yesterday one victim raised the alarm by phone and the military sent four boats and a helicopter to commence search and rescue off the Gabal al-Zayt coastline.

A plane has since joined the search. The military say the fishing boat lacked safety equipment for emergency communications.

The detained ship was found south of the Gulf, near the port of Safaga. It was carrying 220 tonnes of cargo according to the General Authority for the Red Sea Ports.

July 14, 2018 – 1:28 am
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Large blizzard sweeps through British Columbia, Northern Alberta and Saskatchewan

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Large blizzard sweeps through British Columbia, Northern Alberta and Saskatchewan
By | Posted in Uncategorized

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan –

Contents

  • 1 Travel shut down
  • 2 SGEU Snowplow operators strike overview
  • 3 Environment Canada Blizzard Warning
  • 4 Weather shuts down Saskatchewan
  • 5 Photographs of the Storm
  • 6 Aftermath
  • 7 Footnotes
July 14, 2018 – 1:28 am
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Recalled pet food found to contain rat poison

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Recalled pet food found to contain rat poison
By | Posted in Uncategorized

Friday, March 23, 2007

In a press release earlier today, New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker, along with Dean of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Donald F. Smith, confirmed that scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified Aminopterin as a toxin present in cat food samples from Menu Foods.

Menu Foods is the manufacturer of several brands of cat and dog food subject to a March 16, 2007 recall.

Aminopterin is a drug used in chemotherapy for its immunosuppressive properties and, in some areas outside the US, as a rat poison. Earlier reports stated that wheat gluten was a factor being investigated, and officials now state that the toxin would have come from Chinese wheat used in the pet food, where it is used for pest control. Investigators will not say that this is the only contaminant found in the recalled food, but knowing the identity of the toxin should assist veterinarians treating affected animals.

The Food Laboratory tested samples of cat food received from a toxicologist at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University. The samples were found to contain the rodenticide at levels of at least 40 parts per million.

Commissioner Hooker stated, ““We are pleased that the expertise of our New York State Food Laboratory was able to contribute to identifying the agent that caused numerous illnesses and deaths in dogs and cats across the nation.”

The press release suggests Aminopterin, a derivative of folic acid, can cause cancer and birth defects in humans and can cause kidney damage in dogs and cats. Aminopterin is not permitted for use in the United States.

The New York State Food Laboratory is part of the Federal Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) and as such, is capable of running a number of unique poison/toxin tests on food, including the test that identified Aminopterin.

July 14, 2018 – 1:24 am
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Microsoft announces plan to acquire GitHub for US$7.5 billion

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Microsoft announces plan to acquire GitHub for US$7.5 billion
By | Posted in Uncategorized

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

On Monday, United States technology giant Microsoft announced their plans to acquire GitHub, a San Francisco, California-based web-based hosting service for software version control using Git, for 7.5 billion US Dollars (USD).

In the official announcement at the Microsoft News web site, the company said they are to reach agreement with GitHub by the end of the year. They said the agreement would allow them to deliver Microsoft development services to GitHub users, and “accelerate enterprise use of GitHub”. GitHub had been financially struggling recently and is expected to get a new CEO.

In 2016, according to financial news and media company Bloomberg L.P., through three quarters GitHub lost USD 66 million, while in nine months of that year GitHub had revenue of USD 98 million. In August 2017 GitHub said they were seeking a new CEO. According to the announcements by GitHub and Microsoft, the Microsoft Corporate Vice President Nat Friedman would become the new CEO of GitHub. He had created app creation platform company Xamarin and was “an open-source veteran”, Microsoft said.

GitHub confirmed the acquisition plans on its blog. In this announcement they alluded to concerns about past friction between Microsoft and open-source software, however they said “things are different. […] Microsoft is the most active organization on GitHub in the world”, mentioning VS Code as an example. In the announcement, GitHub also referred to its several years of collaboration with Microsoft on Git LFS and Electron. GitHub also mentioned the Azure development platform run by Microsoft.

July 14, 2018 – 1:23 am
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Recovery plan for New Orleans to be ratified

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Recovery plan for New Orleans to be ratified
By | Posted in Uncategorized

Saturday, February 10, 2007

In a community congress in January, residents of the devastated city of New Orleans offered their support for a sweeping plan to rebuild the city, its districts and its neighborhoods. The “Unified New Orleans Plan” is a multi-faceted document that incorporates a number of different recovery planning efforts, including federal infrastructure plans and specific small-scale blueprints developed by individual neighborhoods.

Residents overwhelmingly approved the comprehensive recovery and rebuilding plan, which is expected to be reviewed and ratified by the city in February. The plan offers incentives for raising houses.

Concerns have been raised over whether some of the hard lessons taught by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have been learnt. The Washington Post reports that some residents are beginning to rebuild their homes in the same vulnerable floodplains that in Fall 2005 were under 10 to 20 feet of water. Despite the threat, a surprising amount of the new development in New Orleans is being built without raised foundations.

Mayor C. Ray Nagin has been a proponent of allowing people to return to their old neighborhoods, even if they are particularly vulnerable. But as rebuilding continues, planning officials recognize that encouraging people to return to susceptible floodplains could pose another big problem down the road.

The Bush administration wants to dedicate 3.1 billion dollars to the repairs of flood defences.

According to a study by the Rand Corporation in three years the city will have a population of only 275,000 compared to 465,000 inhabitants before Hurricane Katrina.

The disaster also brings the unique opportunity for modernization. Ecological activist organizations have been writing green guidelines for New Orleans schools that the Louisiana Recovery Authority wants to incorporate into its plan.In American history, the challenge to rebuild vast swaths of a city is comparable to the great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Both projects were much further along in their recovery 18 months after the tragedy than New Orleans is today.

July 14, 2018 – 1:23 am
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Refinishing The Bathroom

By | Posted in Kitchen Home Improvement

By Yakove Vahava

There are many ways to make your bathroom look better, even look new. For one thing, a dirty bathroom always looks old, so the first thing you can consider is cleaning your bathroom and keeping it clean. There are many ways to keep your bathroom clean and looking fresh all the time. Cleaning the sink out after you have completed shaving, for one thing, is an easy way to start to keep your bathroom clean. The same situation should concern other appliances in the bathroom as well; this way, you will not have to clean the whole bathroom at one time every month, spending more hours in it than you would expect.

You can also consider hanging some bathroom-specific pictures in the bathroom or placing different types of air-fresheners in the bathroom, as these always tend to make your bathroom smell nice and a nice smelling bathroom is typically a clean bathroom. You can use your own imagination when you clean your bathroom, as it does not take that much to clean such a small room in your house and keep it clean.

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

If you dare to move towards other goals with respect to your bathroom, there are always ways to make it look more appealing to the eye, especially if you are trying to sell your home. There are a number of companies that advertise their services on television as well as the Internet that cater to such needs. For example, if your bathtub is old and cracking, you can consider replacing it with a new one. A similar situation can apply to your sink in the bathroom. Although they might be a little pricy, these items can actually make your bathroom look years younger than it really is. It’s up to you with respect to which direction you might go.

If you are looking for ways to redo the entire bathroom, then you might want to consider other options that are available to you. If you look at your tile in the bathroom and it is cracking, and the mold around the tile is yellow, it might be time to consider other things to make your bathroom appear new and clean. If there are cracks in the sink, no cleaner will get them out. At this point, cleaning the bathroom will remain the same chore it has always been, but the bathroom will continue to look dirty and old, as the cracks and the yellowing will still be there after you are completed with the cleaning. Consider consulting one of the many companies that are capable of re-doing your bathroom tile and your tub. There are times when you really don’t need to go out and buy a new tub. Some companies are capable of making an old tub look new for you. There are oodles of companies that perform these and other services, such as bath refinishing and bath resurfacing. Essentially, these people can resurface the entire bathroom for you and refinish certain kinds of appliances, depending on who or what company you hire.

About the Author: To learn more about

bath refinishing

and

bath resurfacing

tips, visit our site and blog at http://www.bathroomremodelingexperts.com.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=731341&ca=Home+Management

July 14, 2018 – 1:22 am
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Gamespy, IGN award Galactic Civilizations II expansion Editors’ Choice

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Gamespy, IGN award Galactic Civilizations II expansion Editors’ Choice
By | Posted in Uncategorized

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Plymouth, Michigan, United States – This week, independent software developer Stardock released Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar, an expansion to their PC turn-based strategy game Dread Lords. Industry websites IGN and GameSpy responded with Editors’ Choice awards, while UGO gave it an A. The expansion had previously been named as one of GameSpy’s Most Wanted Games of 2007.

Reviewers cited the significant increase in customization options, better artificial intelligence, and an improvement in graphics quality as decisive factors. UGO’s Adam Swiderski noted that “if creating a fleet of death-dealing starships sounds like fun to you (and it really should), this is your dream playground,” while GameSpy’s reviewer suggested that “after a week of playing Dark Avatar, you may forget Master of Orion altogether.” Criticism mostly revolved around “uninspired” ground combat, a too-generic tech tree, and the continued lack of multiplayer support.

The original game received some publicity for its lack of copy protection, but gained far more by the actions of a StarForce forum administrator, who made a post linking to an illegal BitTorrent download of the game. StarForce developer Protection Technology later claimed this to be a poorly-considered attempt to demonstrate the result of not using their software, which is designed to prevent software piracy. The result was a media backlash against the company, including satirical commentary by gaming webcomic/blog Penny Arcade describing the action as “extortion.” Its writer, Jerry Holkins, asked that “publishers distance themselves from a company that has shown such contempt for their industry.”

The expansion is available as an online purchase in CD or digital download form through Stardock’s gaming subsidiary, TotalGaming.net. A compilation of the original and expansion has also been released as Galactic Civilizations II: Gold Edition and is available in stores, say Stardock. Their retail game releases still contain no copy protection, but online activation is required to download updates.

July 14, 2018 – 1:21 am
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Cook Grill Stainless Steel Fire Stone Electric Grill

By | Posted in Private Service Professionals

By Pierre Paul Joseph

Electric BBQ grills are an alternative, although they take longer and food doesn’t taste as good. Gas BBQ grills is so much easier to use than charcoal grills. Gas BBQ grills are indeed cleaner and easier to take care of. The answer of whether gas BBQ grills are better than a charcoal grill for flavor and overall cooking quality will probably always come down to the opinion of the person doing the cooking.

Grills

There are many popular brands of BBQ grills. Most people store their grills on a back patio or by the garage for convenient use one or two times per week, with extra use during the summer months. Electric grills are also one of the easiest types of cookers to get your hands on – available from many different manufacturers. Electric BBQ grills are another option that provides a greener solution to outdoor cooking, especially if your home uses an alternative energy source other than fossil fuels. These grills still provide the same great flavor that people are accustomed to when grilling season comes around. These grills cook food perfectly with the simplicity of electricity. One of the best benefits of electric BBQ grills is that people who are not homeowners can use them as well.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGfud7yuQ84[/youtube]

The main purpose for this site is to help you, our visitor, find as much information as you can about gas, Electrical, Charcoal grills and other. There are so many bbq grills available today that it can be overwhelming as you try to compare each model with one another.

Natural

Gas grills can be fueled with natural gas or propane. They mostly use propane and natural gas as fuel instead of charcoal which is still used in traditional grills. These grills are available in 5 different sizes, including a portable model and an extra large version, and the company offers a selection of electric and natural fire starters, natural lump charcoal, and an assortment of wood chips for a more environmentally safe grilling experience. There’s been plenty of debate over the best fuel for grilling – traditional charcoal produces all sorts of toxins, while propane and natural gas are nonrenewable resources that contribute a few chemicals of their own. If you do not already have natural gas supplied to your house, a natural gas BBQ grill is probably not going to be practical or economical. So make sure you have natural gas to your house. Or you could buy new natural gas burners, but the end cost of doing all of that would probably be just as much as buying the whole grill.

Cook

Cooking steaks on your BBQ Grill means you need a very high heat area to sear the meat. I lay the probe on the meat/fish in early going to determine the cooking temperature, and then later insert it into the flesh to determine the internal temp. The only way you can mess up salmon is to over cook it or to over season it. For many people the sound and smell of steaks cooking on the grill is one of life’s sublime joys. Most fish take well to quick cooking over direct heat. Don’t risk serving undercooked or overcooked foods.

About the Author: appliancesforthekitchen.com/cook-grill this article was written by the producers of Cook GrillOutdoor Appliances

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=524769&ca=Home+Management

July 14, 2018 – 1:15 am
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