Sunday, April 19, 2009

Six-year-old Thomas David Horne from the United Kingdom has died and eleven other British tourists were injured Friday when their plane crashed in Canaima National Park in Venezuela. They were on a sight seeing tour of the world’s tallest waterfalls, the Angel Falls.

The single engine, nine-seater Cessna 208 Caravan, lifted off shortly before the end of the runway, lost power, and then surged briefly before plummeting into the Venezuelan jungle in front of the 3,200 ft falls.

“It started to take off and we sensed it was losing power. Then it seemed to get it back and lifted off just 200 metres before the end of the runway. Then it dived into the trees,” reported Makeli Freire, a park tour guide.

Three of the injured sustained serious injuries, while the others suffered mainly broken bones. Thomas Horne, who sustained serious head injuries, died on the way to a local hospital. The pilot, co-pilot and tour guide were among the injured. Everyone on board was flown to Ciudad Bolívar, the capital city of Venezuela’s Bolívar state, where they were treated for their injuries. Among the injured were Thomas’s mother and father Jane and David who were among those who had broken bones. They were British tourists finishing up a two week holiday to Venezuela.

“The young boy died as he was being flown to hospital. His parents are both physically OK but are completely distraught over the loss of their son,” said Maiker Puga, of the Ciudad Bolivar clinic.

Liz and her husband Keith Grainger and S. Phillips, also British tourists, were also injured in the crash. The names of the three other British tourists and the three person crew who were injured have not been released at this time.

The plane tour was offered by First Choice, a division of TUI Travel PLC who extended their “heartfelt sympathy to family and friends during this deeply sad time.” LTA airline has suspended further flights until the investigation is concluded.

June Holman, Thomas’s aunt who was not on holidays said, that “there is nothing worse than losing a loved one, especially not a young child with their whole life ahead of them. The thoughts of us all are with his parents Jane and Dave at this very sad time.”

Sunday, August 21, 2005

A robotic system at Stanford Medical Center was used to perform a laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery successfully with a theoretically similar rate of complications to that seen in standard operations. However, as there were only 10 people in the experimental group (and another 10 in the control group), this is not a statistically significant sample.

If this surgical procedure is as successful in large-scale studies, it may lead the way for the use of robotic surgery in even more delicate procedures, such as heart surgery. Note that this is not a fully automated system, as a human doctor controls the operation via remote control. Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is a treatment for obesity.

There were concerns that doctors, in the future, might only be trained in the remote control procedure. Ronald G. Latimer, M.D., of Santa Barbara, CA, warned “The fact that surgeons may have to open the patient or might actually need to revert to standard laparoscopic techniques demands that this basic training be a requirement before a robot is purchased. Robots do malfunction, so a backup system is imperative. We should not be seduced to buy this instrument to train surgeons if they are not able to do the primary operations themselves.”

There are precedents for just such a problem occurring. A previous “new technology”, the electrocardiogram (ECG), has lead to a lack of basic education on the older technology, the stethoscope. As a result, many heart conditions now go undiagnosed, especially in children and others who rarely undergo an ECG procedure.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Suzanne Fortin is running for the Family Coalition Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Nepean-Carleton riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed her regarding her values, her experience, and her campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

Friday, July 7, 2017

On Wednesday, automobile company Volvo announced all of its cars to be released in 2019 onwards are to use some form of battery-powered engine, leaving conventional petrol-only vehicles altogether. The decision comes after Volvo announced in May their intent to cease production of diesel vehicles.

The chief executive of Volvo Cars, Håkan Samuelsson, said, “People increasingly demand electrified cars”. Volvo aims to release five new electric vehicle models between 2019 and 2021. While little has yet been revealed about them, the company has stated two of them are to be high-performance electric vehicles, branded as Polestars.

Other car models from 2019 may be plug-in hybrid or 48-volt “mild hybrid” systems. Audi and Mercedes-Benz are also releasing mild hybrid cars for the European market.

“This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car. Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1m electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it,” Samuelsson said. Volvo is owned by Chinese automotive giant Geely, and China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has said by 2025 they want new vehicle sales to be 20 percent “new energy vehicles”.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Sunday was the last day of Pope Benedict XVI’s six-day visit to the United States. The first event was a visit to the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York.

The Pope rode his Popemobile down a ramp, to the bottom of the site. Accompanied by Cardinal Edward Egan, the archbishop of New York, he knelt at a rectangular pool and prayed silently for the victims of the September 11 attacks. Then he held up a single lit candle, before he began to speak.

“Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred,” the Pope said. “Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that lives lost here may not have been lost in vain.”

“God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world; peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth,” he said. Afterwards, he met with family members of 16 of the victims and also with four of the rescue workers.

“I didn’t really have anything to say to him,” George Bachmann, a now-retired fire fighter, who broke his back and suffered burns as a first responder. “Being in his presence was enough for me.”

In the afternoon on Sunday, Benedict XVI travelled to The Bronx to hold Mass at Yankee Stadium, which is the home stadium for the New York Yankees baseball team. The stadium has been the scene of papal Masses by Paul VI in 1965 and John Paul II in 1979.

The Popemobile entered the stadium at 2:19 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) and drove around the baseball field in front of the crowd of over 57,000.

“Your pastoral visit is for all of us gathered here in New York a blessing for which we are all grateful,” said Cardinal Egan in his introduction. “It is an extraordinary privilege to be allowed to tell you what a deep and appreciated grace your presence is for all of us.”

Benedict XVI told the crowd that the Mass was “a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming generations.”

During the homily, the Pope said “The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves.” He also touched on the subjects of peace, human rights and religious freedom which had been hallmarks of his previous addresses while in the United States.

It also marked the 200th anniversary of the archdioces in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Louisville, which were all created in April 1808.

“It’s like Jesus Christ visiting America,” Clemens Semon, 50, a resident of Ozone Park, Queens who immigrated from Ivory Coast told The New York Times. “You see how many pack together, come together to see him? He’s a unifier, he brings hope and peace.”

Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne Cheney joined the Pope for the farewell ceremony at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton had been expected, but did not attend. They were even mentioned in Cheney’s prepared remarks.

“You’ve encountered a nation facing many challenges, but with more blessings than anyone could count,” Cheney said in his five-minute speech. “All Americans respect your message of peace, justice and freedom.”

In the Pope’s remarks, the pontiff mentioned the visit to the World Trade Center site, “My visit this morning to Ground Zero will remain firmly etched in my memory.” His last comment as he turned to leave was, “May God Bless America.”

Benedict XVI waved goodbye from the doorway of his Alitalia “Shepherd One” at 8:40 p.m. EDT.

The papal airplane “Shepherd One” touched down at Rome Ciampino Airport, Italy, at 10:40 a.m. CEST (UTC+2) on Monday.

Friday, October 5, 2007

The widow and five children of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet have been arrested in Chile on embezzlement charges. They are accused of illegally transferring USD27 million to foreign bank accounts during Pinochet’s rule from 1973 to 1990. Seventeen of Pinochet’s former associates, including his former personal secretary and three retired army generals, were also arrested.

Pinochet had been charged with tax evasion, fraud, and embezzlement following a 2004 U.S. Senate investigation. In December 2006, he died without having been brought to trial. However, Chilean Judge Carlos Cerda said there were “solid indications” that Pinochet’s family and associates had also “participated in the misuse of fiscal funds”.

Jose Miguel Vivanco of Human Rights Watch called the decision “an extremely important development for Chile’s democracy and the rule of law. Going after the relatives of the powerful and the fortunes they amassed used to be considered off limits,” he said.

Pinochet family lawyer Pablo Rodriguez said he was “astonished by this illegal and abusive decision by the judge”, and that he was “sure that it will be reversed by the Court of Appeals.”

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

North America’s largest outdoor dog festival came back to Toronto last weekend for its fifth year. It ran from the 9th of June to the 10th of June at Toronto’s historical St. Lawrence Market. A Wikinews reporter was there on Sunday to report on some of the events that happened on the last day.

The “Woofstock” dog festival attracted as many as 140,000 people with their dogs. The festival had tons of accessories, sold under tents, to buy for dogs; food, toys, designer clothes, and more. About 400 vendors and exhibitors were there to promote their products, which also gave private dog companies or groups a chance to show their new products. The local SPCA and some animal rescues were under tents answering questions from visitors. While walking, all visitors could see the CN Tower and other very tall buildings.

One of the local TV stations, Citytv, was there. They hosted a live event at the show which was broadcast on TV. People came up on the stage and asked questions regarding their dogs and the host and co-host answered them.

A man, who called himself the “Chalk Master”, drew two pictures on pavement with chalk. He did it for free but donations were welcome. One was a picture of a girl’s head beside a dog’s head, and another with a wolf.

“Hello Humans. I’ve been invited here to provide your eyeball(s), with some pretty colours. I don’t get paid as I work this weekend strictly for tips… so, if you like what you see please make a DONATION. If you don’t like it simply reach into the pocket of the person next to you and give me their money. CHALK MASTER.”

A contest called “Canada’s top dog” had its own tent with a professional photographer taking pictures of dogs behind a white screen; the winning photo is to be published on the cover of “Puppy and dog basics” magazine.

Large “Gourmet” dog bones were also served from a cart and table.

Next year’s festival is expected to be bigger and better with even more attractions.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

A man has been given a prison sentence of nine years for the manslaughter of his wife in Hampshire, England. 40-year-old Sally Sinclair was head of business analysis for mobile phone provider Vodafone and had been killed in August 2008 in her home in the village of Amport, after admitting to her husband that she had had an affair. When her body was found in the kitchen of the house, it was discovered that she had suffered a partially severed head and at least 40 stab wounds. Winchester Crown Court had heard during the trial that the attack was partly witnessed by children.

Alisdair Sinclair, who is 48 years old and caused the attack, was cleared of charges of murder, but was sentenced to nine years in prison for charges of manslaughter. Judge Guy Boney QC has been quoted as saying: “Your wife did everything she could to support and help you and indulge your eccentricities, including spending £100,000 (US$164,470) on three cars of the same model you hardly ever used.

“She wanted to make the marriage work and save it from collapse. These efforts cost her her life. Sally Sinclair appears to have coped with, and tolerated, your behaviour over a long period. When she could not take any more of your behaviour you exploded in a frenzy of brutality in reaction to certain information you forced out of her.”

Speaking about the case, Detective Sergeant Sarah Simpson from Hampshire Constabulary said outside of the courtroom: “A successful career woman had her life tragically and prematurely cut short and her family now have to lead their lives without her. Nothing can ever compensate for that.”