<div class=Irish National Pensions Reserve Fund gains 2.4% in first quarter
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Irish National Pensions Reserve Fund gains 2.4% in first quarter

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Friday, April 22, 2005

Ireland’s National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) has posted a 2.4% return for the first quarter (9.6% annualized). On March 31, the funds value stood at €12.3bn, a rise of €290m (excluding state contributions) since December 31.

Donal Geaney, the fund’s chairman, told the press that growth in the past quarter had been driven by the Fund’s European equity investments.

Mr Geaney, former Élan CEO, has pursued a policy of diversification since February of this year, with the stated aim of placing a larger amount of the funds assets in companies with small market capitalizations and in property funds.

The fund was set up by the National Pensions Reserve Fund Act, 2000 to partially meet the expected rise in Irish pension costs from 2025 onwards.

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<div class=Steve Kubby, co-author of California Proposition 215, grows dangerously ill in US custody
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Steve Kubby, co-author of California Proposition 215, grows dangerously ill in US custody

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Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Steve Kubby who was facing extradition from Canada, returned to California, was arrested, and is now in custody in Placer County, California Jail, pending a hearing today. He is a medical cannabis patient who relies on the drug to regulate the symptoms of malignant phenochromocytoma, a cancer of the adrenal gland which can cause the level of adrenaline in his system to fluctuate out of control. If left unregulated, this can result in sudden, fatal heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, and a variety of other conditions.

Kubby was arrested on arrival at San Francisco International Airport Thursday night on behalf of the Placer County Sheriff’s Department, having exhausted his extradition appeals in Canada. He was taken to San Mateo County Jail, pending transport to Placer County Jail. While at San Mateo County Jail, he was reportedly denied access to medication and sufficient bedding. On arrival at Placer County Jail, his blood pressure was dangerously high, and so was given Marinol, a THC synthetic.

Communication with Kubby is highly restricted. According to his wife, Michele, Kubby has been placed in solitary confinement, denied access several times to sufficient bedding to keep him warm, and denied access to the cannabis which, according to several experts on his universally fatal condition, has been solely responsible for keeping him alive for decades. The Marinol he is being given partially mitigates his symptoms, but does not completely control them. He now grows dangerously ill.

In particular, he relates how he was ordered by prison medical staff to take beta-blockers for his blood-pressure. Due to the episodic nature of the adrenaline spikes causing the high blood-pressure, according to all of his doctors, the beta-blockers would likely kill him once the spikes dropped. In an interview by phone with journalist Pat McCartney over the weekend, Kubby reported that, for refusing the beta-blockers, he was coerced into signing a waiver absolving the prison of liability, and has since been refused all care, including even Tylenol for pain management.

Activists concerned with medical marijuana, human rights and prison reform will hold a rally at noon today in front of the Placer County Superior Courthouse, where Steve Kubby is scheduled to be arraigned on violation of probation charges.

Kubby was a co-author of California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996, also known as Proposition 215. He fled to Canada in 2001 to escape the possibility of incarceration for an extended period without access to cannabis, a possibility which, in both his and expert medical opinion, would certainly prove fatal.

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<div class=Pennsylvania cop on trial for allegedly murdering girlfriend’s estranged husband
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Pennsylvania cop on trial for allegedly murdering girlfriend’s estranged husband

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The trial began today for a Pennsylvania state trooper accused of killing his girlfriend’s estranged husband.

Kevin Foley, 43, is accused of cutting the throat of John Yelenic, a dentist who was in the final stages of finalizing a divorce from his wife, Michele. According to prosecutors, Foley “loathed Dr. Yelenic” so much that he asked another fellow trooper to help him commit the alleged murder, which occurred in Yelenic’s Blairsville home.

Deputy Attorney General Anthony Krastek told an Indiana County jury that Foley also prayed Yelenic would die, and spread false rumors that Yelenic molested his adopted son.

“You will see Kevin Foley has the motive, the opportunity and the ability to commit this crime, almost to the exclusion of anybody else,” Krastek said.

Foley’s defense attorney, Jeffrey Monzo, said during opening statements that DNA evidence was not conclusive. Monzo admitted to the jury that Foley did not like Yelenic, but said that does not mean he murdered him.

“Kevin Foley is innocent,” he said.

Prosecutors said they could call as many as 70 witnesses to try and prove Foley wanted Yelenic to die. The trial, at the Indiana County Courthouse, is expected to last about three weeks.

Foley, who is on unpaid suspension from the Pennsylvania State Police, is charged with criminal homicide. The jury has the option of convicting him of first-degree murder, which could put Foley in prison for life without parole, or of a lesser degree charge, like manslaughter.

John Yelenic was found dead in his home on April 13, 2006, one day before he was planning on signing his divorce papers. Prosecutors said Foley killed Yelenic after going to the dentist’s house to confront him over the terms of the divorce. Prosecutors claim Foley slashed Yelenic several times with a knife and pushed his head through a small window, causing a further gash on his neck. Yelenic bled to death.

Foley had been living with Michele Yelenic for two years at the time of the alleged homicide. Krastek said Michele also helped perpetuate rumors that Dr. Yelenic molested their son. John and Michele Yelenic had been separated in 2002. Michele Yelenic stood to collect Dr. Yelenic’s estate and a $1 million life insurance policy, and could lose about $2,500 a month in support if the divorce was finalized, a Pennsylvania grand jury previously determined.

Michele Yelenic is expected to testify that Foley was home with her when the alleged murder occurred. Krastek told the jury DNA under Yelenic’s fingerprints will ultimately link him to the murder, as will bloody shoe prints found at the crime scene that match athletic shoes Foley is known to wear.

Monzo also said authorities have failed to investigate several other suspects, including Yelenic’s neighbor. Monzo said Yelenic was on very friendly terms with the neighbor’s wife, which could have given him a motive to commit the murder.

Prior to the trial, Foley’s defense attorneys unsuccessfully sought a change of venue because an overwhelming majority of the jury pool was familiar with the allegations. The change was denied when jurors insisted they had not formed an opinion about the charges.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Pennsylvania_cop_on_trial_for_allegedly_murdering_girlfriend%27s_estranged_husband&oldid=2330348”
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Reasons For Hiring A Small Business Bankruptcy Lawyer

Reasons For Hiring A Small Business Bankruptcy Lawyer

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byAlma Abell

If you are a sole proprietor, you and your business are legally one and the same thing, rendering you personally liable for all its debts. Therefore, in the event that your business is declared bankrupt and there is not enough money in the business to pay the debts, creditors will be entitled to not only take the business assets, they can also take your personal assets. This rule also applies for general partners. If your small business is compelled to file for bankruptcy, it is essential that you seek assistance from someone having the requisite legal knowledge in business bankruptcy. Here are some important reasons for hiring a Small Business Bankruptcy Lawyer.

The attorney has undergone certification

A business bankruptcy attorney will have been duly by the American Board of Certification. A certified attorney is likely to have gone through rigorous testing and met objective standards while demonstrating exceptional knowledge in bankruptcy laws and creditors’ rights. Due to their vast knowledge in the prevailing state laws on bankruptcy, such attorneys are capable interpreting the law to the advantage of their clients.

Experience in bankruptcy proceedings

Choosing a business bankruptcy attorney will guarantee you that they already have experience in bankruptcy adjudications on a business level. You may gauge a particular attorney’s level of experience by getting references from their colleagues, as well as visiting their website and examining the various reviews made by their previous clients.

Help with tackling legal complexities

A small business bankruptcy attorney is capable of helping you with the following:

1. Analyzing your situation and explaining your rights and legal options.

2. Taking the necessary precautions aimed at preventing lawsuits, tax levies, garnishments, foreclosure and any other collection actions that may have been brought against you.

3. Providing legal advice that will help you in rebuilding your credit after bankruptcy.

If your business is on the verge of financial failure and you are considering filing for bankruptcy, it is essential that you hire a Small Business Bankruptcy Lawyer who is committed through certification to keeping up their proficiency through continual practice and education. Contact Hitchcock & Associates, P.C. They have competent bankruptcy lawyers with a winning track record. Visit Tomhitchcock.com for details on their services.

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<div class=Gastric bypass surgery performed by remote control
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Gastric bypass surgery performed by remote control

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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.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Gastric_bypass_surgery_performed_by_remote_control&oldid=4331525”
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<div class=Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer
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Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer

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Thursday, November 8, 2007

What you are about to read is an American life as lived by renowned author Edmund White. His life has been a crossroads, the fulcrum of high-brow Classicism and low-brow Brett Easton Ellisism. It is not for the faint. He has been the toast of the literary elite in New York, London and Paris, befriending artistic luminaries such as Salman Rushdie and Sir Ian McKellen while writing about a family where he was jealous his sister was having sex with his father as he fought off his mother’s amorous pursuit.

The fact is, Edmund White exists. His life exists. To the casual reader, they may find it disquieting that someone like his father existed in 1950’s America and that White’s work is the progeny of his intimate effort to understand his own experience.

Wikinews reporter David Shankbone understood that an interview with Edmund White, who is professor of creative writing at Princeton University, who wrote the seminal biography of Jean Genet, and who no longer can keep track of how many sex partners he has encountered, meant nothing would be off limits. Nothing was. Late in the interview they were joined by his partner Michael Caroll, who discussed White’s enduring feud with influential writer and activist Larry Kramer.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Edmund_White_on_writing,_incest,_life_and_Larry_Kramer&oldid=4520289”
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<div class=Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper assigned airforce aircraft to pick up Canadians in Lebanon
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Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper assigned airforce aircraft to pick up Canadians in Lebanon

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Friday, July 21, 2006

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper fulfilled his promise to use his own assigned airforce aircraft to pick up Canadians fleeing from the assault on Lebanon and who are currently stranded in Cyprus.

About one hundred people were taken on board the Prime Minister’s aircraft and flown out of Cyprus with Harper.

Harper, who greeted the evacuees, told the media in an interview that the situation was challenging for the government due to the numbers of Canadians fleeing the war torn region by boat to Cyprus.

Canada has one of the largest groups of nationals in Lebanon of any country in the world, and has already seen eight citizens killed in an Israeli air strike to date.

“Today has been a successful day, as far as the evacuation has gone,” “Nothing is perfect in ideal circumstances, and this is a war zone.” said, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Prime_Minister_Stephen_Harper_assigned_airforce_aircraft_to_pick_up_Canadians_in_Lebanon&oldid=4529554”
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Tips Of Buying A Second Hand Car}

Tips Of Buying A Second Hand Car}

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Tips of Buying a Second Hand Car

by

Alan Lim

There are things to take into consideration before buying the second hand car and these are:

1. Educate yourself as a consumer

2. Prepare a list of your needs. Prioritize between the necessities and the wants.

3. Determine the budget and the kind of car that would best fit.

4. Make a selection by models and types. Narrowing them will be helpful.

5. Research both online and offline by dealers.

6. Know the value of the second hand car in the market.

7. Research the Vehicle Identification Numbers and history.

8. Take a mechanic when checking the second hand car whether buying from a friend or a car dealer.

9. Never shy away from asking questions.

10. If there’s a gut feeling about it not being good, don’t be afraid to walk away.

Bringing a mechanic along is always a good strategy. Make sure your mechanic inspects the totality of the car, from the history down to its last screw. It should be parked on a level spot. You should make certain that it was driven for about an hour. This should make it a good time to make the inspection. Always make it on a well lit surrounding and in broad daylight.

How to inspect it thoroughly:

Checking the exterior. Walk around to see if there is damage to the body. The corners of the car should be shaken and bounced up and down to see if the shock absorbers are still in good condition. Make sure that the wheel bearings do not make any sound when trying to pull the front tires by tugging them. Open the doors lift the hood and the trunk to see if all the rubber seals are still in place. This will also tell if there’s anything loose around the hinges. Check for signs of repaint. There will be difference in the color because shops can never duplicate the original paint of the car. Ask someone to turn on all the lights outside of the car and look if all are working. Cars with only 30,000 miles of travel must still have its original tires. Beware if you find a second hand car with only a few miles of travel but has new tires. When the test drive is done, check the discs of the brakes, this should still be clean and smooth. Check the windshield for cracks.

Checking the Interior. Though it sounds odd, smell the insides of the car. Sniff under mats and the carpet. If it smells like mildew then it’s a sign that there is a leak somewhere or that the car may have undergone flood damage. Switch on the air-conditioning to make sure that it really turns the whole inside of the second hand car cold. Next, try the heater. Try out all lights inside as well and never forget to blow the horn. Also try all the seat adjustments. The upholstery should still be in good shape too. There will be a lot more to check and here is where the mechanic can help the buyer.

Looking inside the trunk. Once more, smell the insides and check for any signs of leaks. Make sure that some basic car tools are still present for the new user.

Checking under the hood. Feel the wiring for any cracks or brittleness. Squeeze the hoses and the fan belt for any cuts and possible electrical tape patches. Do not take off the cap of the radiator until its cool enough. The greenish color indicates a good condition where the coolant is. Beware of stains and dirty-whitish color on the radiator. Again, let the rest be checked by the mechanic like the batteries.

Checking under the car. Lie down if you must and use an emergency light to see the engine underneath. Feel any signs of residue. Check the pipes and examine any possibility of heavy rusting.

Do the Test Drive. The owner or dealer should not stop a buyer from going over about twenty minutes of test drive. This is a special time to thoroughly look for any problems with the air-conditioning, heater, steering wheel, brakes, transmission, and most importantly, the comfort. Feel everything; its okay to try it on a hump or a slight bumpy road to really experience the performance. Listen carefully to check any rattles. Have a pen and paper, flashlight, gloves, magnet, towel, blanket and even CD or tape when checking a second hand car out.

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Tips of Buying a Second Hand Car}

<div class=Mumbai officials demolish 39K shanties; 200K homeless
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Mumbai officials demolish 39K shanties; 200K homeless

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December 25, 2004

Officials in Mumbai, India, demolished over 6,000 shanties today in a push to eradicate the capital city’s slums. In total, 39,000 shanties have been flattened, displacing over 200,000 people, in the city’s biggest-ever demolition drive, which began in early December.

When complete, over 2 million people are expected to be displaced. After wiping out the least desirable shanties, next in line for demolition are the illegal ‘well-off’ shanties and neighborhoods, according to the legal and bureaucratic motions that have been executed toward cleaning up Mumbai’s appearance by lowering the dominance of shanties, which make up 62 percent of Mumbai’s housing.

“As far as eye can see, there are mounds of wood, tin and tarpaulin, the remains of 6,200 illegal homes, flattened by a heavy excavator running on tank-like tracks and giant motorised claws,” the Indian Express reported about today’s destruction. [1]

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said that citizens would see a change within six months. “Every chief minister likes to be remembered, and I’m no exception,” said Deshmukh, who despite having an empty exchequer, also announced that Rs 31,000 crore will be spent on new roads, sea links and rail lines. [2]

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Mumbai_officials_demolish_39K_shanties;_200K_homeless&oldid=935199”
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<div class=Iranian International Master Dorsa Derakhshani discusses her chess career with Wikinews
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Iranian International Master Dorsa Derakhshani discusses her chess career with Wikinews

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Tuesday, April 14, 2020

In February 2017, the Iranian Chess Federation announced two teenage chess players, Dorsa Derakhshani and her younger brother Borna Derakhshani, were banned from representing the national team. The federation announced their decision although Dorsa Derakhshani had previously decided and informed the chess federation she did not wish to play for Iran.

Dorsa Derakhshani is currently 21 years old and holds the International Master (IM) as well as Woman Grand Master (WGM) titles. Her brother, Borna, plays for the English Federation and holds the FIDE Master title.

Dorsa Derakhshani was banned since she did not wear a hijab, an Islamic headscarf, while competing at the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival in January 2017. Under the laws of Islamic Republic of Iran, hijab is a mandatory dress code. Her brother Borna Deraskhsani was banned for playing against Israeli Grand Master (GM) Alexander Huzman at the same tournament. Iran does not recognise the existence of Israel, and previously, Irani athletes have avoided playing against Israeli athletes.

Mehrdad Pahlavanzadeh, the president of the country’s chess federation, explained the decision to ban the players saying, “As a first step, these two will be denied entry to all tournaments taking place in Iran and in the name of Iran, they will no longer be allowed the opportunity to be present on the national team.” ((fa))Farsi language: ?????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ???? ???????? ?? ?? ????? ? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??????? ? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ????. He further stated, “Unfortunately, something that should not have happened has happened and our national interest is paramount and we have reported this position to the Ministry of Sports.” ((fa))Farsi language: ????????? ?????? ?? ????? ????????? ?????? ??? ? ????? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????? ?????.

IM Dorsa Derakhshani, who currently studies at Saint Louis University in the United States and plays for the United States Chess Federation, discussed her chess career, time in Iran and the 2017 controversy, and her life in Saint Louis with a Wikinews correspondent.

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