Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Adam Spencer, 26-years-old, and former (CEO) of Emexis Integrated Solutions Inc. turned himself in yesterday morning. His family and his lawyer were with him.

This came after a Canada-wide police search was started on January 12, 2007. The Oakville, Ontario man disappeared last year after asking for money from Canadian investors to help his company Emexis go public. However, Spencer did not take Emexis public as promised.

Eighty-nine investors, who, at the time, believed Spencer, have come forward to police.

“The long and the short of it is that he did not meet his obligations in terms of what he promised his investors,” Mr. Peter Leupen, one of the investors who helped Spencer, said. “He promised us a dividend on an initial investment and that never happened.”

“He’s genuinely dishonest, I think he’s immature and putting the best gloss on it, he let the money he was collecting go to his head. He was spending it like a drunken sailor on boats, houses, race cars, everything but what he was supposed to be spending it on,” Mr. Symon Zucker, a Toronto lawyer who the investors sought help from.

Spencer was last seen before Christmas and recently returned to Canada. Detective Jeff Thompson said Spencer was in Chicago, Illinois for the weekend.

“It appears that he was not in any hurry to face the music,” said Thompson.

Spencer will go to a Toronto court on Monday.

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Huffington Post reported Friday that U.S. presidential candidate Buddy Roemer received a $25 campaign donation from an individual listed as ‘Homer Simpson’; the same name as the main character of the long running animated television series The Simpsons. Along with the name, the donor also shares the cartoon character’s place of residence and employment. He claims to live at 742 Evergreen Terrace, and to work as Safety Inspector at Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.

The Huff Post discovered the July 31 donation while analyzing Roemer’s Federal Election Commission records. After being notified, Roemer’s campaign manager, Carlos Sierra, responded “Oh my God. That is too funny”. He added that the campaign uses “one of the best accountants in the business,” and that he would personally find out who actually made the donation. Sierra noted that “we do not accept anonymous donations”.

Roemer, who previously served as a member of the House of Representatives (1981–1988) and Governor of Louisiana (1988–1992), has been running for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination since earlier this year. However, he has failed to receive invitations to any presidential debates.

Roemer, who recently expressed his support for the Occupy Wall Street protests, has focused his campaign on finance reform, and has limited individual contributions to $100. In the third quarter of 2011, he raised $138,000.

Wikinews contacted Carlos Sierra yesterday for an update on the matter. He explained, “I reached out to the individual and he was very apologetic. I have the correct information now and will turn it over to our compliance officer.”

Saturday, April 17, 2021

On Wednesday, the US President Joe Biden announced plans to withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, officially ending the US’ involvement in the 20-year-long war in Afghanistan. Similar troop withdrawals by the United Kingdom and NATO were also announced.

Former US President Donald Trump had set May 1 as the deadline. Both the US and NATO allies are to begin troop withdrawals on May 1. The date of conclusion of the US withdrawal is to coincides with the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, incidents which began the US-led incursion into Afghanistan, now the nation’s longest war.

Speaking from the room George W. Bush announced the US had launched airstrikes on Al-Qaeda training camps, Biden said “[w]e went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago. That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021. […] We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create ideal conditions for the withdrawal and expecting a different result”. On the war’s longevity, Biden said “I’m now the fourth United States president to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan: two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth”.

Biden said of a worldwide threat assessment claiming “the Taliban is likely to make gains on the battlefield” and “American troops shouldn’t be used as a bargaining chip between warring parties in other countries. That’s nothing more than a recipe for keeping American troops in Afghanistan indefinitely.” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a tweet “we will work with our U.S. partners to ensure a smooth transition.”

The US currently has about 2500 troops stationed in Afghanistan of a NATO mission of 9600; according to NPR, as many as 1000 special operations forces may be present as well. However, combat operations from both the US and UK ended in October 2014.

Biden said “[i]t’s time for American troops to come home”, the exit will be done “responsibly, deliberately and safely”. Though NATO and the United Kingdom will join the US in making considerable withdrawals in the coming months, according to the BBC the US will continue “diplomatic and humanitarian work” in Afghanistan.

NATO has said they have achieved their goal of “prevent[ing] terrorists from using Afghanistan as a safe haven to attack us”, and “[t]here is no military solution to the challenges Afghanistan faces”. According to Politico, NATO’ statement read: “Our troops went into Afghanistan together, we have adjusted together, and now we are leaving together”. Defence Minister of Germany, a NATO member, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told the German public broadcaster ARD “we’ll go in together, we’ll leave together. I am for an orderly withdrawal”.

Pledging co-operation, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Brussels “I am here to work closely with our allies […] on the principle that we have established from the start: In together, adapt together and out together.”

According to the BBC, in announcing the British “drawdown” Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said while “[t]he people of Afghanistan deserve a peaceful and stable future”, “the security of our people currently serving in Afghanistan remains our priority and we have been clear that attacks on Allied troops will be met with a forceful response.” Wallace said in his statement “we must remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, who will never be forgotten.”

After a phone call to the former President Bush, Biden said “[w]e’re absolutely united in our respect and support for the valor, the courage and integrity of the women and men of the United States armed forces who have served”.

In the United States Senate, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the move “a grave mistake”, adding “[f]oreign terrorists will not leave the United States alone simply because our politicians have grown tired of taking the fight to them.” Republican Representative Liz Cheney called it “a huge victory, huge propaganda victory, for the Taliban, for Al-Qaida”. Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan criticised the plan saying “Withdrawal of U.S. troops must be based on the facts on the ground, not arbitrary deadlines”. Her fellow Democrat Elizabeth Warren said Biden “recognizes the reality that our continued presence there does not make the U.S. or the world safer.” Former US President Barack Obama gave his support as well, saying it was “the right decision”.

Director of the US’ Central Intelligence Agency told the Senate “I think we have to be clear-eyed about the reality, looking at the potential terrorism challenge”, there is a “significant risk” and “Al-Qaida and ISIS in Afghanistan” could pose a threat to “US targets”.

Thursday, January 4, 2018

A fire on Sunday night in the seven-storey carpark for the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England destroyed almost all the vehicles parked inside and led to cancellation of the final evening of the Liverpool International Horse Show and evacuation of nearby blocks of flats. The blaze reportedly started with a parked Range Rover Discovery.

Investigators with the fire brigade stated that they believe the fire began with an accidental engine fire in the Range Rover at about 4.30 pm. The first call was made at 4.42 and firefighters arrived eight minutes after that. Ultimately twelve engines and 85 firefighters were involved in combatting the blaze. Aerial appliances were used and also three high-volume pumps. Fed by the fuel in vehicles parked inside, the temperature of the fire in the carpark is believed to have reached as high as 1,000°C. It was too hot to be extinguished with water from hydrants, so a high-volume pump was used to draw water from the River Mersey, and two more were brought from other fire brigades in the region.

The carpark has seven storeys and a capacity of 1,600 vehicles, and approximately 1,300 were parked in it when the fire broke out. According to Dan Stephens, chief fire officer for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, almost all of them were destroyed, with the exception of a few parked on the top level and at corners. “With these very high temperatures, you were never going to put the fire out without the whole building taking hold. The speed at which the fire spreads means you simply aren’t going to put it out,” said Stephens.

The carpark itself was severely damaged; according to Joe Anderson, the mayor of Liverpool. It is not in danger of collapsing but will have to be demolished, which will be difficult with the many burned-out cars still inside it, Anderson told the BBC.

According to Stephens, there were no serious injuries: one woman injured her hand, and two people were treated for smoke inhalation. A spokesman for the Echo Arena also stated that all animals were safe. All horses were successfully evacuated from the carpark and then removed from the stables after smoke spread to them. Six dogs were also rescued unharmed, two on a lower level in the early stages of the fire and four that had been left in a car on the top level, freed by firefighters on Monday after the fire was put out.

The final evening of the four-day Liverpool International Horse Show had been scheduled to begin at 7.30, and had to be cancelled. Many attendees were stranded in the city on New Year’s Eve night. Merseyside police directed people to the Pullman Hotel, where Red Cross assistance was available, and the Liverpool City Council set up an assistance centre at the Lifestyles Gym. A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers has said that insurance companies will “move very quickly” to reimburse owners whose vehicles were destroyed.

Nearby blocks of flats were evacuated because of the smoke. Eyewitnesses reported hearing what they at first thought were firecrackers, then “multiple explosions”, “bangs and popping”, “the bangs of car windows exploding”. People reported leaving everything in their cars, including their cellphones, and running for their lives.

Mayor Anderson tweeted that cuts to fire services over the last two years made it significantly harder to fight the fire and might have caused it not to be controllable. He also suggested that fire safety in multi-storey carparks had not been sufficiently considered and that installing sprinklers in them might help stop future fires before they become unmanageable, in a letter to Nick Hurd, a member of Parliament.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Protests which began Monday escalated to a riot on Wednesday consisting of over 10,000 people in Chi?in?u, the capital of Moldova, protesting the results of Sunday’s 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election, which showed an apparent, narrow victory for the Communist Party (Partidul Comuni?tilor din Republica Moldova, PCRM). Demonstrators claim the victory was the result of electoral fraud.

The demonstration escalated to a “flash mob” of between 10,000 to 15,000 communicating via online tools like email, micro-blogging tool Twitter, and social-networking website Facebook. “We sent messages on Twitter but didn’t expect 15,000 people to join in. At the most we expected 1,000”, said Oleg Brega of the activist group Hyde Park.

Police deployed tear gas and water cannons, and fired blanks into the crowd. The rioters threw stones at the riot police and took control of the parliament building and presidential office. A bonfire was built out of parliamentary furniture and all windows below the 7th floor were broken.

Approximately one hundred protesters and 170 police officers are reported as injured. There have been conflicting reports as to whether a female protester died during the altercation.

193 protesters “have been charged with looting, hooliganism, robbery and assault,” said an Interior Ministry spokesperson. This announcement sparked another protest by those demanding the release for those detained.

There is wide speculation about who was to blame for the rioting.

President Vladimir Voronin has expelled the Romanian ambassador from Moldova, blaming Romania for the violent protests. “We know that certain political forces in Romania are behind this unrest. The Romanian flags fixed on the government buildings in Chisinau attest to this” said Voronin. “Romania is involved in everything that has happened.“ Voronin also blamed the protests on opposition leaders who used violence to seize power, and has described the event as a coup d’état.

Protesters initially insisted on a recount of the election results and are now calling for a new vote, which has been rejected by the government. Rioters were also demanding unification between Moldova and Romania. “In the air, there was a strong expectation of change, but that did not happen”, said OSCE spokesman Matti Sidoroff.File:Dorin Chirtoaca.jpg

“The elections were fraudulent, there was multiple voting” accused Chi?in?u mayor Dorin Chirtoac? of the Liberal Party. “It’s impossible that every second person in Moldova voted for the Communists. However, we believe the riots were a provocation and we are now trying to reconcile the crowd. Leaders of all opposition parties are at the scene,” said Larissa Manole of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) proclaimed the PCRM to have won 61 seats in initial counts, enough to guarantee a third term in power for Voronin, who has held the position since 2001. But the Central Election Commission has received evidence of election violations, according to RIA Novosti, and upon recounts conducted of disputed polls, the commission reported that the Communists achieved 49.48% of the Moldovian vote, giving them 60 parliamentary seats — one short of the total needed to win the presidential election. “The electoral commission also granted opposition parties permission to check voter lists, fulfilling one of their chief demands,” said Yuri Ciocan, Central Election Commission secretary.

Voronin will step down in May, however his party could elect a successor with 61 parliamentary seats without any votes from outside parties as well as amend the Constitution. With the PCRM garnering 60 seats, the opposition will have a voice in the presidential election for a new successor.

The western part of Moldova was a part of Romania from the Romania’s independence until the region was detached by the USSR in 1940 to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. On independence in 1990 the country sought union with Romania but the eastern, Russian- and Ukrainian-inhabited areas of the country declared themselves independent from Moldova and formed the state of Transnistria and movement toward union was halted.

Moldova is Europe’s poorest country, where average income is less than $250 (£168) a month. The country’s neighbours are Romania and Ukraine. Romania is a European Union (EU) state.