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Monday, December 10, 2007

Hugo Chávez, the President of Venezuela has set a new time zone for his country. The new time zone, which is UTC-4:30, is half an hour earlier than the old time. This time zone is unique and does not match any of those used by Venzuela’s neighbors.

This morning, Venezuelans began the work week for the first time under the new time zone, which Chávez announced for the first time in a decree on November 27. According to Chávez, the new time zone would allow school children to wake up with the sun and it would prevent many poor citizens from having to commute before dawn.

“These children have to get up at five in the morning… they arrive at school dead tired,” said Chávez. “And why? Because of our time.” He added, “This affects even the biological functioning of the body. It’s scientifically proven.”

Hector Navarro, the Minister of Science and Technology, agreed that health and productivity would improve as a result. “The human brain is conditioned by the light of the sun,” he said.

“The only thing this will do is inject yet more chaos into our lives,” said John Marulanda, a young executive, to The Daily Telegraph. “This president believes in change for change’s sake.”

The president of Venezuela’s airline association and the head of Copa Airlines in Venezuela, Roberto Pulido, told Bloomberg: “The time change is going to affect many flights, and lots of airlines still haven’t changed their timetables. This is an additional cost, because we’ve had to update all of our reservation systems.”

“I don’t really understand the point, but nothing with this president surprises me,” said Dr. Rafael Sucre to Bloomberg as he exited a subway during his morning commute. “It’s a political whim,” thought Yanitza Lopez, who works as an accountant for a cosmetics company in Caracas. “It’s not going to make any difference for any kids.”

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

The 1999 and 2000 year model Honda Civic SiR tops the list of Canada’s most stolen cars.

Consumer popularity also assures the cars will be popular with thieves. Its the second year in a row the Honda SiR has topped the list.

Rick Dubin Vice President of Investigations for the Insurance Bureau of Canada said “The Civics are easy targets.”

Dubin said that once stolen, the cars are most often sold to “chop shops” where thieves completely dismantle the vehicles. The automobile’s individual parts are worth more than the entire car.

The sheer numbers of the cars and their lack of theft deterrent systems make them thieves’ preferred choices.

1999 and 2000 Honda Civics do not come with an electronic immobilizer, however all Hondas from 2001 and onward are equipped with an immobilizer. Immobilizers will be mandatory on all new cars sold beginning September 2007. The devices enable an engine computer to recognize an electronic code in the key. If the code in the key and the engine don’t match exactly, the vehicle can’t be started.

In third place was the 2004 Subaru Impreza, while the 1999 Acura Integra came in fourth, with the 1994 Honda Civic rounding out the top five.

In sixth place, the 1998 Acura Integra, and the 1993 Dodge Shadow completed seventh.

When asked why early model vehicles are selected, he said that, “auto thieves continue to find it easier to steal older vehicles lacking an IBC-approved immobilizer. We’ve seen this trend developing for several years, and these results confirm it.”

Another Honda automobile, the 1996 year model Civic filled eighth place, with the 2000 German Audi TT Quattro in ninth.

The American 1996 Chevrolet/GMC Blazer rounded out the top ten.

None of the above cars had an electronic immobilizer.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

JAPAN — Japan’s Diet has proposed to reduce economic assistance given to China. Economic aid is currently given in the form of grants and technical assistance under the Official development assistance (ODA) program. ODA contributes to the development of the economies of states harmed by Japan during World War II, an approach pursued not only as restitution but to improve regional stability and to secure scarce natural resource trade.

Assistance to mainland China will total $8.9bn this year, making Japan an unusual second to the United States in aid. This is down 30% from 1997, and is the fourth year-on-year decline as of 2003. Loans to China total $30bn to date.

The ODA has been a key feature in Sino-Japanese economic and diplomatic relations. It was begun in the 1980s as China “opened up” to foreign investment. It is in part restitution for damage inflicted on China and atrocities such as the Rape of Nanking, seen in Chinese culture in much the same way as The Holocaust is in Western culture.

China is increasingly being seen as a competitor, however. Popular opinion in Japan is also increasingly resentful of what is perceived as anti-Japanese sentiment in China. Some feel that China should be grateful for ODA funds and that it is not. China has also been criticized by Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura for not being sufficiently cooperative with regards to environmental issues, which necessarily affect its eastern neighbor Japan.

The People’s Republic of China’s Communist leaders have also been criticized for violating w:human rights and effecting a military build-up. Some argue that economic aid should be tied to compliance on relevant standards.

Through the ODA, Japan enjoys the support of many developing nations in UN votes. When China did not react favorably to Japan’s intention to seek permanent UN Security Council membership, The Japan Times criticized the aid as a “complete waste”.

Asia Times Online predicts “it is inevitable that funds flowing to China are set for further downsizing.”

Total Japanese expenditures on ODA have reached $221bn distributed to 185 nations. Currently, the biggest recipient of Japan’s ODA aid is India. Japan may soon be outspent in aid to China by France, Germany and Italy.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new treatment for a type of leukemia (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) that uses a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer cells. Scientists extracted the blood from three male patients, all of whom suffered from advanced leukemia. They inserted a gene into the patients’ T-cells (the cells normally responsible for ridding the body of foreign pathogens such as viruses), and the gene reprograms the cells to actively seek out and kill cancer cells within the blood. They then returned the modified blood to the patients.

The patients initially reported symptoms similar to those of a bad case of the flu, but the researchers pointed out that this was likely due to the body’s response to rapid cancer cell death all at once. However, once the symptoms subsided, the scientists found that two of the three patients had no signs of leukemia and the third, while still sick, showed significant improvement. Additionally, they discovered that the modified T-cells not only killed existing cancer cells, but brand new ones as well.

Though optimistic, experts say that more research needs to be done to determine if this will be a viable treatment on a large scale and warn that this therapy would not be available as an approved treatment for several more years.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Wednesday was the first of three days for the body of former South African President Nelson Mandela to lie in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, at the same amphitheatre where he was inaugurated on May 10, 1994. The amphitheatre was renamed The Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre, by President Jacob Zuma at the Mandela memorial service held in FNB Stadium in Soweto on Tuesday.

The weather for the memorial service on Tuesday was inclement, as the day was filled with rain and cold wind. There were logistical “glitches” in ferrying the public to the stadium which resulted in long waiting times. A less than expected attendance by the public resulted in a partially filled stadium. Some sections of the crowd were heard booing the state president Jacob Zuma when his image appeared on the stadium screen, prompting the program director Cyril Ramaphosa to call for discipline amongst the crowd. The discovery that the sign language interpreter was actually signing “rubbish” has since caused uproar in the deaf communities of South Africa and around the world.

US president Barack Obama and Mbuso Mandela both received the loudest cheer and standing ovation as they each delivered their tributes. They drew on Mandela’s quotations over the years as they delivered heartfelt and spirit stirring eulogies.

The GCIS has advised that tight security measures will be taken in Qunu Eastern Cape Province where Nelson Mandela is to be buried. No members of the public or Media are to be allowed near the home stead.

The body of the former state man lay in state through yesterday. This morning it was to be transferred from the 1 Military hospital to the Waterkloof Air Force Base and flown by the South African Military to Qunu Eastern Cape Province. The former state man is to be laid to rest amongst his ancestors tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

According to reports, a man protesting the G20 Summit in London, England has died after collapsing at a protester camp.

Sky News says the man collapsed on the street inside a camp close to the Bank of England and when found he was still breathing, but efforts by paramedics to rescue him failed and he was pronounced dead at an area hospital. The name of the person and cause of death are not yet known, but several people were injured earlier in the day. The police claim that protestors threw bottles at them while trying to rescue the protestor.

The London Ambulance Service reported that “we received a 999 call at 7:24 pm from a member of the public reporting that a man had fallen over and was unconscious, but was breathing. [They] made extensive efforts to resuscitate him both there and on the way to hospital.”

Earlier in the day a minimum of 20 protesters broke into the bank and according to reports vandalized furniture, broke windows and cut the telephone lines to the building.

Monday, February 21, 2005The Romanian Government has made plans and identified its aims for the next privatisation program which will end in 2006. By the end of next year, the government hopes to sell all of its shares in Romtelecom, Romania’s largest telecommunications company, which is currently owned by Greece’s OTE but which the government maintains a 47% share in. The full privatisation will occur in two phases, with some of the government’s existing shares being sold on the Bucharest Stock Exchange this year, and the remainder being sold in 2006.

By 2006, the government also wants to sell its share in Postelecom, another telecommunications operator, and complete the privatisation of the Radiocomunica?ii, the national radio communications company.

The Government also wantes to begin analysis and consulting into the privatisation of Po?ta Român?, or Romanian Post, the full privatisation of which is set to be completed by 2009 at the latest.

Romania has embarked on a quite comprehensive program of privatisation since 2000, having privatised a part of Romtelecom, as well as full privatisations of several energy distributors and the nation’s largest banks, in addition to other smaller companies. However, these privatisations are dwarfed by that of Petrom, Romania’s national oil company, which was bought by Austria’s OMV in 2004 and is the largest Romanian privatisation ever.

The current Liberal-Democrat governing coalition in Romania has privatisation and economic liberalism as one of its main policies, having also introduced a 16% flat tax rate for personal income and corporate profits at the start of 2005.

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