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South Gippsland, Australia local council candidate Sue Plowright speaks with Wikinews about environment, education, and other local issues

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South Gippsland, Australia local council candidate Sue Plowright speaks with Wikinews about environment, education, and other local issues

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Since June 2019, the people of South Gippsland Shire, located at the southernmost tip of Australia, have been without a local council, after a state government inquiry found “high levels of tension” within the council. Administrators were appointed by the Victorian state government in July 2019, who have governed the shire since then. However, South Gippsland’s council is scheduled to be restored with an election to be held via post from October 5-22, 2021.

Wikinews interviewed one of the candidates standing in this election, Sue Plowright. She is an independent contesting the Coastal-Promontory ward, which covers towns such as Venus Bay, Waratah Bay, Yanakie, Foster, Port Welshpool, and Toora. The Coastal-Promontory Ward elects three councillors to the South Gippsland Shire Council.

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Finding A Mortgage Agent That Can Best Assist You

By Adrianna Notton

The work of a mortgage agent is basically to sell mortgages for the banks that employ them. There are standard rules and regulations that have been set for these agents to ensure that they comply with all the banking and financial regulations, and they operate within legal boundaries. Most banks are now turning to mortgage agents due to increased competition in the sector.

The representatives have to work closely with the banks they represent so that there is a seamless flow of information from the bank to the client through the representative and vice versa. They are required to learn everything about the bank’s products that they sell since they will be expected to provide advice to clients on the same on behalf of the bank.

It is the duty of the mortgage representative to generate business for the bank, and this involves finding clients and convincing them to buy mortgages. The provider has to do some marketing on behalf of the bank, educate the potential client on the benefits of the products available, and follow them up until the deal is successfully completed.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2qWqoaRo0U[/youtube]

A good representative will undertake some research in order to learn the market trends so that they know the most appropriate products to offer different clients. The potential client must be furnished with accurate information on a product that best suits their needs so that they find it easy making a decision. The representative will therefore be expected to have assessed the client’s financial standing before fronting a suitable product.

All the documentation and procedures that are necessary before the transaction is concluded are handled by the representative. These documents may include pay slips, bank statements and identification documents like passports and driving licenses. The provider will also explain to the client all the legal requirements and any rules and regulations to be followed as part of the transaction.

The representatives are usually paid based on a commission system that depends on how many mortgages they manage to sell. As a result some of them can be very dishonest and unethical in their dealings, caring only about making their own money at the expense of the client. It is advisable to look at their track records and confirm their reputation in the business.

Before settling on a particular mortgage agent, it is good to keep in mind the costs involved. One should compare the commission rates of different representatives in order to pick out an affordable one. Some agents will charge a client exorbitant fees when they realize that the client is not really keen on these small but important details.

A good mortgage agent should be able to help one find a good deal and complete all the transactions satisfactorily. If anyone feels dissatisfied or wronged by the conduct of the representative at any stage during the transaction, they can always report them to the relevant authorities or sue them for damages. Mortgages are very crucial investments that must be handled with utmost professionalism and courtesy.

About the Author: Start your mortgage comparison by gathering the facts or taking

mortgage broker courses

. Speak to a reputable

mortgage agent

about your options.

Source:

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Ireland requests replay of FIFA World Cup play-off with France

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Ireland requests replay of FIFA World Cup play-off with France

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI), Irish Minister for Sport, Taoiseach and Facebook social network groups are requesting a replay of the controversial FIFA World Cup play-off between Ireland and France in the interests of Fair Play. The FAI lodged an appeal with FIFA and also contacted the French Football Federation (FFF), it appears FAI hopes FFF may agree that a replay is fair play. Both captians, Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane, have called for a replay.

The Irish supporters, who in the past have won the FIFA Fair Play Award, are angry after a blatant double handball by Thierry Henry enabled France to score the extra-time goal that cost Ireland entry to next year’s FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa. Most Irish anger has been directed at FIFA, although French captain Thierry Henry has admitted handling the ball.

FAI has argued that there is a strong precedent; in 2005 where FIFA invalidated the result of a FIFA World Cup qualification match between Uzbekistan and Bahrain on the basis of a technical error by the match referee. However, Law 5 of the Laws of the Game state that: “The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.” and a source at Fifa headquarters in Switzerland said that “there is no way the game can be replayed”. The generic concept of fair play is a fundamental part of the game of football and the Fair Play Campaign was conceived largely as an indirect result of the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, when the handball goal by Diego Maradona.

The referee Martin Hansson and (referee’s assistants) Stefan Wittberg and Fredrik Nilsson were unable to see the incident but didn’t ask Thierry Henry if he handled the ball. Its hoped the mistake won’t cost the Swedish referee’s a place in South Africa. FIFA’s Fair play policy is playing by the rules, using common sense and respecting fellow players, referees, opponents and fans. The French union representing the nation’s gym teachers declared outrage at what it called “indisputable cheating.”

Minister for Sport Martin Cullen wrote to FIFA president Sepp Blatter urging him to call a rematch in the interests of fair play. Taoiseach Brian Cowen raised the issue with French president Nicolas Sarkozy on the fringes of last night’s EU summit. French Prime minister François Fillon said “neither the French government nor the Irish Government should interfere in the functioning of the international federation”.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Ireland_requests_replay_of_FIFA_World_Cup_play-off_with_France&oldid=4511251”

Crane levels New York City townhouse, leaving 4 dead

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Crane levels New York City townhouse, leaving 4 dead

Sunday, March 16, 2008

A construction crane fell from a New York City condominium on Saturday afternoon, demolishing a four-story townhouse and killing four construction workers.

At least ten people were injured in the accident, three of them critically, mayor Michael Bloomberg said. “This accident is one of the worst the city has had,” said the mayor. “Our thoughts go to the families. I hope we will not find other victims.” He added that authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

The crane broke into pieces as it fell from a height of 15 or 20 stories, according to witnesses. It hit three residential buildings in the course of the fall and completely crushed the aforementioned townhouse, which housed a bar on the first floor. “The top of the crane went right through the building, and it sliced it in half,” said Maryann Krajacic, who lives next to the townhouse.

The bar was closed when the crane fell, but John LaGreco, who owns the bar, fears one of his employees may be dead within the rubble. “Our bar is done,” he said. “If I wasn’t watching a Yankees game, I would’ve come to work early and gotten killed.”

Cars were overturned and buried in rubble, and the air was filled with clouds of smoke and dust. Around 150 police officers blocked off the area, and 300 firefighters frantically searched for any additional victims. The search could continue all night, said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, and would include search dogs and thermal-imaging, and listening devices.

More than half a dozen buildings in the vicinity were evacuated, and a Red Cross shelter was set up nearby.

Stephen Kaplan, an owner of the Reliance Construction Group, says the accident resulted from a falling piece of steel, which severed one of the ties holding the crane to the building. “All the piece of steel had to do was fall slightly left or right, and nothing would have happened,” Kaplan said.

Manhattan Borough president Scott Stringer said local residents had often complained about security violations in the building’s construction; they asserted that crews worked illegal hours and that the building was going up too quickly. “Over the last year, this is becoming standard in my borough,” Stringer said. “I think we have a real issue here.”

On March 4, a caller told officials that the crane lacked a sufficient number of safety ties. It was inspected March 6, and no violation was issued. The crane was also inspected Friday, the day before the accident.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Crane_levels_New_York_City_townhouse,_leaving_4_dead&oldid=3063129”

Nokia files lawsuit against Apple

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Nokia files lawsuit against Apple

Friday, October 30, 2009

Mobile phone and computer manufacturer Nokia is filing a lawsuit against Apple over patent infringements. The infringements include speech coding, wireless data, security and encryption technology Nokia claims is used in Apple iPhones.

According to a Nokia press release, 40 other companies are paying royalties to them in return for the use of their patented technology. Therefore, Nokia wants Apple to also pay for its usage.

“The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for,” Ilkka Rahnasto, Nokia’s Vice President of Legal & Intellectual Property, said in the press release. “Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia’s intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation.”

One industry analyst told PC World that that he believes Nokia is seeking 1–2% royalties per device. Based on the number of iPhones sold since its 2007 release date, that figure would amount to approximately 400 million USD.

Ben Wood, research director at CCS Insight, said, “It is almost inconceivable that someone can produce a mobile phone without using Nokia patented technologies,” showing how widespread Nokia’s mobile technology is.

In Apple’s SEC 10-K, Apple responded to Nokia claims. “The complaint alleges that these patents are essential to one or more of the GSM, UMTS and 802.11 wireless communications standards, and that the Company [Apple] has the right to license these patents from plaintiff [Nokia] on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms and conditions. Plaintiff seeks unspecified FRAND compensation and other relief. The Company’s response to the complaint is not yet due. The Company intends to defend the case vigorously,” said Apple.

The Nokia v. Apple lawsuit is set to take place in a Delaware District Court.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Nokia_files_lawsuit_against_Apple&oldid=4629314”

Is The Breeze Scooter Right For You?

Submitted by: Susan Dulce

The Breeze Scooter offers a powerful motor. In fact, a free motor upgrade is all part of the package with a Breeze Scooter. If you like a little more power under the hood, the Breeze Scooter will likely appeal to you. The Breeze Scooters match this power with a heavy duty weight capacity that will help it take cargo and heavier individuals alike. The Breeze 3 Wheel Scooter has a 400 pound weight capacity and the Breeze 5 Wheel Scooter has a staggering 500 pound weight capacity, meaning it can carry almost anything you can think of to reasonably carry on a scooter while you ride. Both the three wheel and the four wheel Breeze Scooter model offer front and rear baskets where you can stow your laptop, purse, or briefcase.

The motor will still provide a smooth ride in spite of being a heavy duty upgrade. The Breeze also has heavy duty shock absorbers to account for the increased motor power. It also has an electromagnetic breaking system that offers smooth handling options.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dbYWfN44sU[/youtube]

The Breeze Scooter cruises along at 9.3 miles per hour. It also has a great battery range at 25-30 miles per hour. That gives it one of the best ranges on the marketplace. It has a number of safety features for outdoor use, including lights and turn signals. If you spend a lot of time outside then this scooter would be a good one to consider.

Like all heavy duty scooters, the Breeze is not necessarily at its best in tight spaces. It has a wide 55 turning radius. If you have a small apartment or workspace you may want to take this into consideration before placing yourself in a Breeze. The four wheel model, while offering even more stability outdoors, only offers a 56 turning radius. If your home has lots of wide open spaces, however, or if you don t use the scooter indoors as much this won t be as big of a problem for you, but if you have total mobility needs indoors and out and have to navigate, say, a narrow apartment kitchen then you might want to consider other options. They have opted to keep the scooter narrow so you still can use it indoors or outdoors, just be aware that maneuvering the scooter might take a wider space than a smaller model would require. The seats do rotate, which helps with maneuvering; instead of turning the entire scooter around to get at something you can also simply rotate the comfortable orthopedic seat and get at whatever it is you need to get to. It s just a matter of what sorts of indoor spaces you need to deal with each day.

Consulting with a personal mobility advisor can be a great way to ensure that you get a scooter that meets all of your daily needs. Make sure you speak to someone friendly who knows different models inside and out before you make your choice. That way your scooter experience will offer the stress-free freedom that you are hoping to enjoy

About the Author: At Go Mobility Scooters we treat our customers like family.You will be assigned your own mobility advisor that will help you pick out the right mobility scooter and accessories that meet your individual needs.Click here for the for the best prices guaranteed

gomobilityscooters.com

Source:

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Wikinews Shorts: August 14, 2009

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Wikinews Shorts: August 14, 2009

A compilation of brief news reports for Friday, August 14, 2009.

A body recovered by Indonesian police on August 8th is not that of Noordin Mohammed Top. The Indonesian authorities had been optimistic that Top, the mastermind behind the 2002 Bali bombings, had been killed on Saturday in a gun battle that concluded a 17 hour siege in the Temanggung district of Central Java.

DNA tests suggests that the body is that of a man identified only as Ibrahim, a florist who was the inside man in the attacks on luxury hotels in Jakarta this July.

Sources

  • Dicky Christanto and Mustaqim Adamrah. “Ibrohim played key role in Jakarta hotel bombings: Police” — The Jarkarta Post, August 13, 2009
  • “Bali bombing mastermind escaped deadly police siege” — Xinhua News Agency, August 12, 2009
  • Anne Tang. “DNA test shows JI leader Top still alive” — Xinhua News Agency, August 12, 2009

Attempts by President Barack Obama to reform the health care in the United States has been met with grassroots opposition. Critics fear that Obama’s reforms are an attempt to socialise health care. However, the President has dismissed such apprehension as an attempt to “scare and mislead” by vested interests hoping to derail the reforms.

Opposition adverts which feature the alleged failures and rationing of healthcare in the British National Health Service (NHS), have been rebutted by citizens, politicians and the media. Spurred on by American commentators that described that the NHS as “evil’ and Orwellian, with over a million responses to an on-line Twitter campaign, called welovetheNHS started in support of the NHS.

Sources

  • Patrick Foster. “Anti-healthcare lobbyists duped us, say Katie Brickell and Kate Spall” — The Times, August 14, 2009
  • Clare Ellicott. “‘I owe my life to the NHS’: Stephen Hawking tells US to stop attacking health service” — The Daily Mail, August 13, 2009
  • “Tough questions, frustrations continue in town halls” — CNN, August 13, 2009
  • Kerry Sheridan. “Obama aims to sooth concerns amid healthcare fury” — Agence France-Presse, August 13, 2009

Three British soldiers of have been killed by an explosion whilst on foot patrol near the town of Sangin in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

The death of the soldiers — two from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles and one from 40 Regiment Royal Artillery — brings the number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 199.

“[These deaths] brings us very close to the sad milestone of 200 fatalities in this conflict. We cannot help but reflect on the toll the mission has taken…” said Bob Ainsworth, the British Secretary of State for Defence.

Sources

  • “Three UK soldiers die in Helmand” — BBC News Online, August 13, 2009
  • “Soldiers killed in Afghanistan to be named: report” — Agence France-Presse, August 13, 2009

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Wikinews_Shorts:_August_14,_2009&oldid=4627106”

Russian President Putin visits India, signs major trade and arms deal

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Russian President Putin visits India, signs major trade and arms deal

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

On Monday, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin visited India in an official visit as a part of the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit. Major trade and arms deals were signed between the two countries. Apart from the leaders meeting, numerous Russian state and private companies such as Rosneft, Kalashnikov Concern and Central Bank of Russia signed agreements facilitating trade and security. This year’s India-Russia Annual Summit was held in India.

Putin visited with the defence and foreign ministers of Russia who held a “2+2” meeting with their Indian counterparts. Both the countries signed a deal reinforcing their military ties till 2031 and a pledge to boost the annual trade between the countries to USD30 billion by 2025. A joint statement published by the Russian and Indian Governments after the talks stated, it “reiterated their intention to strengthen defence cooperation, including in the joint development of production of military equipment.” The Russian arms manufacturer, Kalashnikov announced India is to produce more than 600 thousand AK-203 assault rifles as a result of the signed arms deal. The talk also facilitated the delivery of the S-400 missile system. The leaders emphasised on new factors of growth for a mutually sustained economic development and discussed about regional and global developments, including the post-pandemic global economic recovery, and the situation in Afghanistan. India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said both countries signed 28 investment deals which included major economic activities such as shipbuilding, coal mining and energy. An Indian consular office is also being established in the Russian city of Vladivostok. Apart from these, many more agreements were signed which included branches such as space, banking, petroleum and cyber security.

“Last year, the trade between both the countries had decreased by more than 17% but grew by more than 38% in the first nine months of 2021”, Putin said. Both the leaders talked about the situation in Afghanistan stating, “the developments in Afghanistan are of course a matter of serious concern for us.”

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Lower Back Pain Treatments To Consider

Keeping in mind, today’s working style and culture, maximum people have long hours sitting job or suffer such pains due to bad posture, strained muscles, injuries, muscle sprains, sudden different body movements while lifting weights or aging.

The spine or the back is the most important part of the body as it binds the whole body together and maintains the balance within as well. Difficulty or irritation in the back causes one to unwell or unstable all the time and also causes difficulty in performing day-to-day activities. Since the lower back can be caused by various symptoms, so it becomes difficult to access the root cause of one’s pain without performing a proper physical diagnosis of the body. A few major causes of Lower Back Pain are:

  • Spondylitis
  • Aging
  • Sciatica
  • Slipped Discs.
  • Strains / Muscle Spasms.
  • Pregnancy
  • Muscle / Nerve Injury.
  • Kidney Diseases/ Appendicitis.
  • Being overweight
  • Physically Inactive.
  • Stress

Lower Back Pain Treatment

There are certainlower back treatments by which the pain is treated if the cause of it is diagnosed properly. We have home remedies, rest, medications, and physical movements such as massages, therapies, or surgical treatments.

  • Self-Care/ Home Care Treatments – when you are suffering from lower back pain, the immediate action one should take is to stop doing strenuous physical activities and have some rest which provides immediate pain relief. Putting a pillow under the knees while sleeping provides pain relief to the lower back. Improving sleeping or lying body posture also, reduces back pain. Stretching and strenuous physical exercises should generally be avoided as they may cause irritation in the specific region.
  • Medication- There are a few non-prescribed medications available on the market that are recommended by doctors for instant pain relief. One of the reputed clinics for treating back pain is the ‘Back Solutions Clinic’. A medicine named Ibuprofen is considered the best short-term treatment and pain reliever for lower back pain.
  • Heat and Ice Packs – Heat and cold therapy help in reducing inflammation, thus resulting in lower back pain relief. Ice packs and heat packs both can be used alternately.
  • Chiropractic Treatment – This is mainly used to improve spinal function caused by increasing motion or inflammation, also known as Chiropractic Manipulation.
  • Aerobics/ Exercises – Some specific lower back exercises are prescribed to promote healing, like slow walking or swimming, etc.
  • Physiotherapy/ Massages – Physiotherapy exercise therapy decreases pain. Some electronic shocks or certain ultrasounds and other techniques are used to provide pain relief. Also, certain massages are specially designed to provide effective lower back pain relief. You can get yourself the best massage chair consumer reports as well.
  • Acupuncture – The acupuncture technique is most recommended forlower back pain, as the process includes putting needles on the specific pain region, to loosen up the nerves so that pain goes off.
  • Routine Check – Some little changes in daily routine like maintain a good body posture, eat healthily, have a balanced diet, exercises, and also be careful while sitting and standing, have a firm mattress for back support and keeping a pillow under knees while sleeping, all these helps to avoid severe damage to back pain.

New book links Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield to BALCO

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New book links Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield to BALCO
By Admin | Posted in Uncategorized

Thursday, March 23, 2006

The new book Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports, by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams of The San Francisco Chronicle, is being released today. The authors not only implicate professional baseball celebrity Barry Bonds in the use of performance-enhancing drugs, but also say Gary Sheffield received human growth hormone and testosterone from Greg Anderson, Bonds’s personal trainer.

The book goes on to claim that Jason Giambi also took performance-enhancing drugs from Anderson. Bonds continues to insist that he did not realize his trainer was giving him steriods. He claimed in his grand jury testimony that he thought he was receiving flaxseed oil and an arthritis salve. Sheffield’s response to the claims was quite simple: when asked if the allegations made against him were true, his response was “Nope.”

Despite the book’s accusations of Sheffield and Giambi, it centers around Bonds and the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative or BALCO, Victor Conte Jr. Conte is currently serving four months in prison for distribution of steriods and money laundering. It appears that the steroid controversy concerning Bonds will only intensify as he continues to march on towards the career home runs record, one of baseball’s most sacred records.

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