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Thursday, October 22, 2020

2020 Melbourne Lord Mayor candidate Wayne Tseng answered some questions about his campaign for the upcoming election from Wikinews. The Lord Mayor election in the Australian city is scheduled to take place this week.

Tseng runs a firm called eTranslate, which helps software developers to make the software available to the users. In the candidate’s questionnaire, Tseng said eTranslate had led to him working with all three tiers of the government. He previously belonged to the Australian Liberal Party, but has left since then, to run for mayorship as an independent candidate.

Tseng is of Chinese descent, having moved to Australia with his parents from Vietnam. Graduated in Brisbane, Tseng received his PhD in Melbourne and has been living in the city, he told Wikinews. Tseng also formed Chinese Precinct Chamber of Commerce, an organisation responsible for many “community bond building initiatives”, the Lord Mayor candidate told Wikinews.

Tseng discussed his plans for leading Melbourne, recovering from COVID-19, and “Democracy 2.0” to ensure concerns of minorities in the city were also heard. Tseng also focused on the importance of the multi-culture aspect and talked about making Melbourne the capital of the aboriginals. Tseng also explained why he thinks Melbourne is poised to be a world city by 2030.

Tseng’s deputy Lord Mayor candidate Gricol Yang is a Commercial Banker and works for ANZ Banking Group.

Currently, Sally Capp is the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the Victorian capital. Capp was elected as an interim Lord Mayor in mid-2018 after the former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle resigned from his position after sexual assault allegations. Doyle served as the Lord Mayor of Melbourne for almost a decade since 2008.

Friday, December 7, 2007

The German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, a pioneer of electronic music among major contemporary musicians, died on December 5. The German foundation, named in his honor, announced today, Stockhausen passed away in his Kürten home in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

A prolific composer, he wrote more than 300 works during his career, establishing himself as a pioneer of electronic music, as well as a representative of serialism. Studie I, dated 1953, is considered one of the first electronic music works ever produced.

Born in Mödrath, Germany, in 1927, he was the son of a mother from a wealthy family and a father who was a teacher. He grew up in Altenberg, where he started taking piano lessons. He studied piano and music pedagogy at the Musikhochschule in Cologne. It was at University of Cologne, he later studied musicology, philosophy and Germanics.

He was influenced by musicians such as Oliver Messiaen, Edgard Varèse, and Anton Webern, but also by painters such as Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee. Stockhausen’s works often departed from usual music styles.

During his life as a musician, Stockhausen explored most of the genres and styles. Starting in punctualism and concrete music early in his career, during the 1950s, he proceeded to research the electronic music area, which at the time was in an embryonic state. In the 1960s, he composed works of choral music, putting side-by-side the chorus and the use of electronic facilities. In the 1970s, he dedicated himself to serialism. Between 1977 and 2003, he committed himself to one of his most ambitious projects: a cycle of thematic works named Licht: Die sieben Tage der Woche (Light: the Seven Days of the Week).

Various artists have stated that they were influenced by Stokhausen, including artists as varied as Frank Zappa, Björk, Miles Davis, as well as Roger Waters and Rick Wright—two of the Pink Floyd members. The Beatles included a portrait of Stockhausen among the people pictured on the cover of their album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Italian singer/songwriter Franco Battiato dedicated Sulle corde di Aries to the composer.

While being a controversial artist, Stockhausen became a focus of polemics after he stated that the September 11, 2001 attacks were “works of art”. He later explained the meaning of his statements, and said that they had been, according to him, out-of-context and misquoted.

A compilation of brief news reports for Sunday, March 11, 2012.

The Bangladesh National Party (BNP), the national opposition, claims mass arrests of hundreds or even thousands of people across the state are aimed at thwarting a BNP rally tomorrow. The protest in the capital, Dhaka, is also hampered by hotels declining bookings and travel services shutting down.

The BNP hopes to oust the government and wants a return to elections under a neutral caretaker, which was ended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police respond that the arrests in the city aim to crack down on extortion, and illegal drugs and weapons. A spokesman said the timing was as much to do with an upcoming government rally and the Asia Cup as the BNP event.

Sources

• IANS. “Hundreds of BNP workers arrested in Bangladesh” — Gulf Times, March 11, 2012
• AFP/ck. “Hundreds detained ahead of Bangladesh protest” — Channel News Asia, March 11, 2012

The Italian cargo tanker Gelso M hit rocks off the coast of Sicily near Syracuse in poor weather yesterday. Surrounding reefs meant rescue boats could not approach and lifeboats not be launched when the captain ordered the ship abandoned; four helicopters carried the nineteen aboard to safety.

The weather is considered a likely factor for the accident. The engine room has flooded but a double hull is considered likely to prevent pollution.

Sources

• Indo-Asian News Service. “Ship runs aground off Italy” — Hindustan Times, March 11, 2012
• “Helicopter rescue for crew of ship aground off Sicily” — BBC News Online, March 10, 2012

The brother of an actress who once starred in UK soap EastEnders has been charged with her murder. Tony McCluskie, 35, was arrested after the Metropolitan Police pulled 29-year-old Gemma McCluskie’s torso from a London canal.

Searches continue for the rest of Gemma’s remains. Tony remains in custody and is due to appear before Thames Magistrates’ Court.

Sources

• “McCluskie murder: brother charged” — Press Association, March 11, 2012
• “EastEnders actress’ brother charged” — The Sydney Morning Herald, March 12, 2012

Sunday, February 17, 2008

In a press release today, California-based Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. indicated that it has voluntarily recalled just over 143 million pounds (65 million kilograms) of raw and frozen beef products, which is considered to be the largest single recall of beef products in U.S. history. The move follows an investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) into allegations of animal cruelty and mishandling of cattle destined for the human food chain.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) had determined that beef products produced by the Chino, California company were unfit for human consumption as the cattle had not received “complete and proper inspection.”

The recall has been designated as Class II, which the USDA describes as “a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.”

On Friday, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer indicated that charges had been laid against employees of the plant alleged to have taken part in the mistreatment of cattle. “Today [Friday], the San Bernardino District Attorney filed felony animal cruelty charges against two employees who were terminated by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company,” said Schafer. “It is regrettable that these animals were mistreated and I am encouraged and supportive of these actions by the San Bernardino District Attorney in response to this mistreatment.”

The USDA learned of the possible inhumane handling of non-ambulatory (disabled) cattle at the packing plant on January 30 and has since suspended activities at the plant. “We continue to conduct a thorough investigation into whether any violations of food safety or additional humane handling regulations have occurred,” said Secretary Schafer in a press release. “On February 8, our Office of the Inspector General took the lead on the investigation. At that time, USDA extended the administrative hold on Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company products for the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations while the investigation continues,” said Schafer.

The FSIS reported that Hallmark/Westland had not contacted the FSIS public health veterinarian, as required, when cattle became ill or disabled after undergoing ante-mortem (slaughter) inspection, putting the company out of compliance with FSIS regulations. “Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection FSIS has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall,” explained Secretary Schafer.

The cruelty charges stem from an undercover video that reportedly showed sick cattle being moved by crews using forklifts.

“Words cannot accurately express how shocked and horrified I was at the depictions contained on the video that was taken by an individual who worked at our facility from October 3 thru November 14, 2007,” said Steve Mendell, President, Westland Meat Co. and Hallmark Meat Packing. “We have taken swift action regarding the two employees identified on the video and have already implemented aggressive measures to ensure all employees follow our humane handling policies and procedures. We are also cooperating with the USDA investigators on the allegations of inhumane handling treatment which is a serious breech of our company’s policies and training.”

The USDA stressed that it is “extremely unlikely” that the cattle involved were at risk for Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad-cow disease due to the employment of multiple safeguards. The USDA felt the recall was required, however, as the plant had allegedly violated USDA regulations.

The recall involves raw and frozen beef products produced on various dates from February 1, 2006 to February 2, 2008. For further information about the recall, consumers, media, and distributors are encouraged to contact Hallmark/Westland’s Plant Manager Stan Mendell or Food Safety Consultant Steve Sayer at (909) 590-3340 or the FSIS website, www.fsis.usda.gov.

Friday, September 2, 2005

Fires are raging in New Orleans following a series of explosions along the waterfront. The cause of the blasts is not known. A chemical reaction with the rising waters is one possibility. One official has stated that the explosions took place at a chemical storage facility near the riverfront a few miles south of the French Quarter.

This news comes as police suspended search-and-rescue operations in order to attempt to halt the rising levels of looting in the city, and after Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco ordered National Guard troops to “shoot and kill” rioters and looters. [1]

Although aid has been promised by the US federal authorities, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin criticised them for what he feels is a slow response.

“They don’t have a clue what’s going on down there,” Mayor Ray Nagin told WWL-AM Thursday night.

“They flew down here one time two days after the doggone event was over with TV cameras, AP reporters, all kind of goddamn — excuse my French, everybody in America, but I am pissed.”

Friday, March 10, 2006

Three men have been arrested and a further six “positively identified” following the public release of photographs showing “persons of interest” to police in relation to the Sydney riots last year.

A 20-year-old man from Warilla, a suburb of Wollongong, handed himself into police yesterday after seeing his photograph in a newspaper. He was subsequently charged with riot and affray.

An 18-year-old man from Bella Vista was arrested in a Baulkham Hills hotel yesterday afternoon after he was identified by the public. A 33-year-old Miranda man was also charged after handing himself into police last night. He will appear in Sutherland Local Court today.

Following the release of the photographs on March 8, police have received information from the public identifying seven of those wanted in relation to the riots.

New South Wales police minister Carl Scully yesterday urged the others to turn themselves into police before being arrested. “I’d say to those people, save yourselves the embarrassment and turn up to a police station”, he said.

Police and the police minister have also criticised Sydney’s middle eastern community for failing to assist in identifying men wanted for revenge attacks after the riots.

“Generally speaking, when Caucasians are put on the front pages of newsletters, they’re identified”, said Mr Scully.

“And unfortunately, when footage is presented of people of Middle Eastern background, we get zip.”

A spokesman from the Lebanese Friendship Association said that the middle eastern community was being persecuted.”We are sick and tired of people saying why aren’t we doing enough”, said Keysar Trad.

“If the beat police can’t recognise them, then the chances of anyone recognising them are very, very slim.”

Other Muslim leaders urged parents to question their children and hand them into police if they suspect they took part in the revenge attacks which occurred after the riot. Lebanese Muslim Association spokesman Abdul El Ayoubi said parents should have questioned their children when the events first occurred.

“If (their children) were involved then they have a duty to take them in”, he said.

“What they have done now, might be nothing to what they could do next time.”

The NSW Islamic Council has also backed Mr Ayouvi’s calls.

Detective Superintendent Ken McKay, the head of strike force Enoggera which is investigating the riots, said he was confident of making many more arrests over coming days thanks to the assistance of the public. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we had, within the next day or two, the majority of them.” he said yesterday.

“I’m confident (of arresting all 20). If I was a betting man I’d be running at close to odds-on.”

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Former U.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Mark Everson took some time to talk with Wikinews about his campaign for the U.S. Republican Party’s 2016 presidential nomination.

Everson served as Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the administrative head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from 2003 to 2007, during the George W. Bush administration. After his departure, he briefly served as CEO of the American Red Cross, worked in the cabinet of Indiana governor Mitch Daniels, and worked for the tax consulting firm alliantgroup. He announced his candidacy this past March with a sixteen-page open letter in which he outlined the six pillars of his campaign: amnesty for illegal immigrants, reinstatement of the military draft, a promise to serve only a single presidential term, and calls for tax reform, deficit reduction, and corporate responsibility.

He was excluded from the August 6 Fox News Republican presidential debate and has been excluded from most presidential polls. However, he is listed on the Republican Party’s website as one of 18 candidates and filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint against Fox News for his exclusion from the August 6 debate.

With Wikinews reporter William S. Saturn?, Everson discusses his 2016 campaign, the media blackout of his campaign, and his views on the presidency and the possible Everson administration.

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