Monday, March 13, 2006
The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission approved today the plans by Nanjing Automobile Group to revive the MG Rover brand.
Nanjing Automobile are planning to annually produce 200,000 cars, 250,000 engines and 100,000 gearboxes on the assembly lines purchased from MG Rover.
The first MG produced in Pukou in Nanjing in the east of China will be the sedan version of MG-75, in the first half of 2007.
Submitted by: Eric Delano
No employment and out of insurance? You’re not alone.
The Net could have gone insane even previous to the government-subsidized health coverage for unemployed citizens ended on June 1. A lot of people including those who are on their fifteenth month of COBRA health insurance for unemployed workers and those who are about to be fired have looked to the net for health insurance choices.
It is hard enough to be with no employment and money during these trying times so you can easily imagine how trying things would be if you get ill with no health insurance coverage. But if you act fast, you may still qualify and be able to find national programs and some private health insurance for jobless citizens.
With no federal-subsidized COBRA, the next best options for health insurance for unemployed workers is to get a cheap medical plan which may not be as extensive as your previous health coverage yet which will adhere to your immediate medical necessities like routine visits to your physician or maybe a couple days’ recovery in the hospital.
If you are certain about obtaining employment soon then short-term health insurance for jobless people would be another selection. This type of health insurance is generally available for 6 months to one year and gives protection against grave emergencies.
If you do your studying diligently, then you could be able to attain inexpensive short term health insurance for out of work citizens, that provides insurance for up to two million dollars. It’s possible to get a cheap insurance less than the price of COBRA if you are young, healthy, and without preceding ailments.
If you are unemployed then it might be a perfect time to begin a lifestyle change by removing unnecessary expenses. However, while insurance premiums go into the expenses category, it should not be placed with the expenses you need to get rid of even if you are unemployed.
The key to sustaining health insurance for jobless people is to seek an affordable health coverage that you can afford to pay every month while you are looking for a job or until your financial situation improves.
With the demise of the national subsidy on its people’s health insurance plan, it is near calamitous to lose a job these days and thereby lose your group health insurance coverage. It may be a difficult task given the current state of the economy but it is crucial that you immediately look for employment, another source of pay or a very affordable health insurance for unemployed workers.
Jobless workers that are above 64 years of age and who are experiencing a disease will likely find it challenging to look for short-term health insurance for unemployed workers. Nonetheless, the choices might be less challenging if you are unemployed, yet below 26 years of age because you can try to get insurance with your parents’ health coverage. Nonetheless, do not expect this to provide immediate coverage for you as you may have to wait for the next plan year.
About the Author: Eric Delano is an insurance expert who has helped and serviced individuals and residents in getting affordable, competitive
health insurance for California’s unemployed
and
maternity health insurance
quotes for the past 20+ years.
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=1020322&ca=Finances
Sunday, September 2, 2007
From August 17 to September 3, 2007 the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE or The EX) came back to Toronto for its 128th year. It is the largest in Canada and the fifth largest in North America.
The three day Canadian International Airshow, the horse show called “Tom Bishop’s Trick Riding Show”, and many other events were the main attractions at this year’s CNE. An estimated 1.3 million people attend the CNE every year.
The 680 News tower made entirely from Lego’s was on display, with a fence around it.
On Saturday at 1:00 p.m. was the airshow, which featured award winning aviators, including the Canadian Forces (CF) snowbirds, flying planes used in Afghanistan. The United States Air Force (USAF) also flew planes used in the military and a new F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft for its first time in an international show. A CF-18 Hornet, Canadian version of the USAF F/A-18 Hornet, 1943 Boeing Stock Stearman PT-17, and many other rare planes were also flown. Everyone could see the airshow but for a good photo and video opportunity freelance Wikinews journalist and others paid CA$5.00 to get on top of Ontario Place, across from the exhibition grounds. There was a ton of stairs to get to the top, but it was well worth it if one wanted excellent photos and video to watch with their family.
“I used to come to the air show every year with my dad … being out there flying over Lake Ontario in my hometown is unbelievable,” said Capt. Yanick “Crank” Gregoire of the CF-18 Hornet, on its 25th anniversary.
General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces, made a brief speech and talked about Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. Followed by was a pre-recorded speech made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Then the American and Canadian national anthems were played and the show begun, it even included a live pilot in a Canadian Forces plane talking through his microphone into the speakers on top of Ontario Place. The airshow was something not to be missed as the staggering planes are always best watched live.
In the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place were many vendors and people selling books, cloths, inventions, and even some live cooking shows. There was also a arts, crafts, and hobbies building, which was one of the best places to visit at this year’s CNE. Rides and attractions filled the grounds across Ontario Place.
The famous Iams-sponsored Superdogs performed dog tricks for an audience in a large area, while behind the curtains were salespeople at booths advertising and selling Iams dog food. They perform at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto and other fairs in Canada.
At 5:00pm was the horse show at the Riding Academy “Horse Palace“, hosted by Tom Bishop Sr. There was a woman representing Ontario, a 15-year-old girl from Alberta representing Canada, and a man from the United States on a black horse. One of the horse riders, a champion, was from Canada but moved to the U.S. and has toured both countries. Tom Bishop Jr. stood and rode on top of two “Canadians”, the most rare and oldest horse breed in North America. The horses had to jump over a line of gas-led fire, Tom Bishop Sr. noted beforehand that horses are scared of fire.
At 9:00 p.m. was the Human Cannon Ball, from the U.S. Performed by David “The Bullet” Smith, Jr., son of Cannonball Smith, is the second person in the world that can do the “don’t-do-this-at-home-or-else!” stunt. It is their third year at the CNE. Most people came 20 minutes before to get a good spot. The shot was so loud that some had to plug their ears, and if one didn’t their heart would be beating hard. Smith jumped out like he’s done that stunt a thousand times, he did a push up on the ground and quickly ran back.
While walking to the Ontario Place parking lot, as soon as the “Human Cannon Ball” was finished, the Canadian Forces had several of their vehicles used in Afghanistan on display outside. A snowbirds plane, some LAV III’s, tanks, a helicopter, and a boat were on display. Soldiers were outside to greet and talk to the visitors, and had photos taken. A large banner was hung and old music was playing. People even signed a board beside a tank showing their support and thanks to the soldiers currently deployed. There was also a large tent with real Canadian soldiers giving away bracelets and showing actual uniforms used. They were very heavy and one soldier actually said the cloths are comfortable. It wasn’t clear which base the soldiers came from but one said that he came from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The CNE closes every night at 11:00pm.
It ends on Labour Day at 7:00pm.
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Professor Jo Jorgensen of South Carolina, the U.S. Libertarian Party’s 2020 presidential nominee, answered some questions about her campaign from Wikinews accredited reporter William S. Saturn.
Jorgensen is a psychology professor at Clemson University. In 1992, with the Libertarian Party’s backing, she ran for public office, seeking South Carolina’s 4th congressional seat in the United States House of Representatives. She finished the race in third place with almost 2.16 percent of the total vote. Four years later, the Libertarian Party tapped Jorgensen to be its vice presidential nominee. She joined a ticket with the late Harry Browne. Browne-Jorgensen appeared on every state ballot and received a total of 485,798 votes, which was roughly 0.5 percent. This marked the best performance for the party since 1980 and would not be topped percentage-wise until 2012 when former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson attained 0.99 percent of the vote. Johnson bested that performance in 2016 as the party’s presidential nominee for a second time, earning 3.27 percent of the vote, the highest percentage for the party since its 1971 inception.
For the 2020 nomination, Jorgensen navigated through a primary campaign that featured the short-lived campaigns of former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee and Congressman Justin Amash of Michigan, the first sitting Congressman to be a member of the Libertarian Party. At the virtual 2020 Libertarian National Convention, Jorgensen won the nomination on the fourth ballot, edging attorney Jacob Hornberger, performance artist Vermin Supreme and activist Adam Kokesh, among others. Podcaster Spike Cohen, originally the running mate of Supreme, was picked to be the party’s vice presidential nominee. Cohen spoke to Wikinews back in June. The Jorgensen-Cohen ticket has since secured ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
As a libertarian, an ideology that advocates for lesser government, both in the social and economic realms, Jorgensen’s issue positions include a mix of traditionally liberal and conservative stances. She supports both LGBT rights and gun rights. She opposes the police state and the taxing authority equally. And, she supports an open immigration policy while arguing against the welfare state.
With Wikinews, Jorgensen discusses her background, COVID-19, her potential cabinet, gridlock, and an assortment of issues including climate change, foreign affairs, free speech, and race relations.
By David Chandler
Today childcare centers are gaining importance as a profitable business. Many people are seeking advice to obtain grants to start their own childcare center, expand their program, or upgrade their facilities.
One way to locate financing for your childcare business is to:
Check with your local bank
Research and obtain venture capital
Seek gifts and loans from family and friends
Look for advice from incubator organizations
Obtain counsel from local small business and women’s associations
In a few states, special loan programs have been developed to help childcare centers access immediate funds at affordable rates, like Washington and Oregon’s Cascadian Child Care Fund.
On-line Resources
Independent childcare business owners can also try the Foundation Grants to Individuals Online, a service of The Foundation Center at http://www.fdncenter.org. For a small fee per month (payable by credit card), the Foundation Center offers online listings of Grants to Individuals in the U.S.
Requesting Guidelines and Applications
Once you have completed your initial research and found potential grant funding, the next step involves contacting them and request their latest application and funding guidelines. If the program is operated by a foundation, also request their annual report. It is a good idea to view some common grant applications online so you know what to look for when your information comes in.
Grant/Funding Information Processing
Once you have received various funding information packets and applications, read them carefully and make notes about specific guidelines. Review which of the funding opportunities are available for a childcare center and whether your business plan fits their criteria. Examples of information you would find on a funding information packet would be: the type of program for which funding is available, eligibility requirements, location and populations served, and application deadlines, and so on.
Contact Funding Agencies Directly
Funding guidelines and applications can be quite extensive. While reviewing the guidelines and application, make notes of any questions you may have. Most funding agencies will assist you in completing your application for funding, and will appreciate that you have taken the time to get all the facts before submitting your proposal. Funding proposals are often set aside and not reviewed due to incomplete information, therefore it is critical to review your application to ensure you have met all the eligibility requirements and submitted all the necessary paperwork.
Prepare Your Cover Letter and Proposal
A cover letter is usually required with each proposal submitted. Again, check the guidelines of the funding agencies. Each agency will have different paperwork requirements.
Don’t Give Up
The best advice you can receive as you begin your quest for funding for your childcare center is not to become discouraged. Funding agencies typically receive a lot more proposals than they fund. So apply to more than one funding organization, and follow each organization’s instructions very carefully as to what they want in a proposal, and you will have a much better chance of obtaining funding for your childcare center.
About the Author: For more information about small business grants, visit
smallbusinessgrantsguide.com
.
For information about child day care, visit childdaycareinfocenter.com
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=20369&ca=Family+Concerns
Monday, November 28, 2005
SpaceX called off the much-delayed inaugural launch of their new Falcon 1 rocket on Saturday from Kwajalein’s Omelek Island launch site. The intent was to launch the U.S. Air Force Academy’s FalconSat 2 satellite, which will monitor plasma interactions with the Earth’s upper atmosphere and magnetosphere.
The launch was delayed, then finally cancelled after an oxygen boil-off vent had accidentally been left open. The oxygen was unable to cool the helium pressurant, which then proceeded to evaporate faster than it could be replenished. A main computer issue, probably serious enough to cause a scrub on its own, was also discovered.
This long-anticipated flight was originally expected to be launched in January 2005, however a series of setbacks forced a series of delays, with the flight most recently scheduled to be in early 2006. It was intended to be launched from the Kwajalein atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
The maiden voyage was originally intended to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with a Naval Research Laboratory satellite and a Space Services Incorporated space burial payload.
| This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. |
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.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Safia Ahmed-jan, the director of the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs for the Khandahar province and an advocate of women’s rights and a strong critic of the Taliban‘s repression of those rights, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside her home in Khandahar city in southern Afghanistan on Monday.
Safia Ama-jan, as she was known locally, is the first woman official to be targeted by the Taliban-led insurgency since it was deposed in 2001.
Safia Ahmed-jan taught at a girls’ school and was a high-school principal in Khandahar prior to the Taliban’s 1996 rise to power in Afghanistan. When the Taliban regime banned education for girls and forbade women from working outside the home, she ran an underground school for girls at her home, said her son Naqibullah, speaking to the Associated Press.
After the Taliban government was overthrown in 2001, Ahmed-jan became the provincial chief for women’s affairs in 2002, when the ministry was established and has since then held that position, worked for women’s rights and particularly, championed the cause of educating girls. Her secretary, Abdullah Khan told Associated Press that among her most successful projects were the vocational training schools she opened in Khandahar, where almost 1000 women were taught baking, tailoring and other skills.
Ahmed-jan has also been fiercely critical of the repression of women during the Taliban rule, in a region that has remained conservative and emerged as a hotbed of the Taliban’s insurgent activity. Her requests for personal security guards and transport went unheeded by the government, according to local media reports, though her nephew, Muhammad Asif told the New York Times that Ahmed-jan preferred to keep a low profile and used a taxi or public transport even though her office maintained cars and drivers.
Ahmed-jan was shot dead outside her house at about 7:30 a.m. local time (UTC+4:30) on Monday, as she left for work in a taxi. The gunmen are believed to have left scene on a motorcycle, and tyre marks have been found by the police, said the provincial governor Asadullah Khaled, who visited the scene of the attack.
Ahmed-jan was shot four times with a pistol, Muhammad Haidar, who worked in her office told the New York Times. Mohammad Nader, the head nurse at Khandahar’s main hospital where Ahmed-jan was taken to, confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that she was shot four times, including once in the head.
She was about 65 years old.
Accounts of the shooting are sketchy, several reports suggesting no one witnessed it. However, one man, identified as Allaudin told Al Jazeera that he saw two men on motorcycles waiting on the road, who attacked Ahmed-jan as she left her house.
A spokesman for the Khandahar governor, Daud Ahmadi confirmed the death and said that Ahmed-jan had died on the spot. An investigation into the attack has begun, and local officials have blamed the Taliban.
Hundreds of men and women, including the Governor Asadullah Khaled were present at Ahmed-jan’s funeral on Monday evening, which took place in Khandahar’s main Shia mosque.
The killing has been strongly condemned by the Afghan President Hamid Karzai as well as aid and human rights organisations in Afghanistan.
Aleem Siddique, a spokesman for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that UNAMA was “appalled at the senseless murder” of a woman who was working to ensure a full and equal part in the future of Afghanistan for its women. He added, “We share the sentiment of the majority of Afghan people who are appalled at this killing.”
Abdul Quadar Noorzai, head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) for the Khandahar region told IRIN News that Ahmed-jan’s death will have a “serious impact on women’s activities in the south where women are already suffering from … the deteriorating security and conservative traditions,”.
Fariba Ahmedi, a woman MP from Khandahar who was present at Ahmed-jan’s funeral told the Associated Press, “The enemy of Afghanistan killed her, but they should know it will not derail women from the path we are on. We will continue on our way,”.
Sonja Bachmann, a U.N. political officer who knew Ahmed-jan well told the New York Times that Ahmed-jan “did a good job, she worked in a very low-key way and worked hard to raise awareness about women’s issues.”
Reuters and Associated Press received phone calls, claiming responsibility for the attacks on behalf of Mullah Sadullah, a regional Taliban commander, but no confirmation of the claim has been possible.
Another caller, who identified himself as Taliban commander Mullah Hayat Khan told Al Jazeera that Ahmed-jan was killed because she worked for the government.
The Taliban-led insurgency has stepped up attacks in recent months, killing hundreds of people this year.
Last week, 19 Afghans working for reconstruction projects in the region were killed after their bus was ambushed.The Governor of Paktia province, a close associate of President Karzai, was killed in a suicide bombing on September 10.
Attacks on schools have also been stepped up. According to the Afghan education ministry, there have been 158 attacks on schools this year, compared to 146 last year. The attacks on schools are believed to be due partly to the Taliban’s opposition to educating girls, as well as a way to undermine the Afghan government and it’s reconstruction efforts.
Twelve suspected militants and two Afghan police officers were reported killed on Monday in separate incidents which also left eight others and a U.S. soldier wounded.
“People are scared, of course,” Ahmad-jan’s co-worker Haidar said, “How can we feel secure when the head of our department is killed in front of her house?”
By Gary Jonathan Clay
When children have progressed past the ball and rattle stage it is time to get them interested in toys that are a little more complex. Traditional toys offer many choices and the more colorful and noisy it is the better.
Pull-along toys have long been favorites of course and they have been developed over the years. It used to be a duck being pulled along making clacking noises or something similar but these days they come in many different guises. Chickens complete with chicks, dinosaurs, crocodiles, lions, you name it, its there. But there is another form of pull-along toy that is becoming more popular. The train set! This traditional toy has been transformed into the quintessential toddler toy by taking out the batteries and electricity. The grooved track is built to take a train and carriages. In the carriages come an array of animals or characters, depending on the theme, and add more fuel for imaginary games.
Of course, the train has to be pulled along and the attendant noise making and role-playing opportunities are endless. Some come in full circus mode – with giraffes, lions, tigers etc., – whilst others come in farm animal mode. School sets also make an interesting addition and can be used to introduce the abstract idea of attending school one day. Pull along toys are not restricted to the above. Many children like the idea of police cars, fire engines, tractors and trailers or ambulances – all without battery power – and have to be pushed or pulled along to make the lights work through a dynamo or clockwork style power generators.
Although a lot of toys have an inbuilt learning opportunity, let us not forget that play is absolutely essential for the child to communicate and interact with others. Sometimes it is not about learning but just about having fun. The problem with many of the electronic style games, and yes they are here to stay unfortunately, is that they do not encourage shared play. They also do not promote the imagination and many an hour is spent by young children, glassy eyed, in front of the TV. There is a place for these type of toys of course but at what cost to the development of the child? Perhaps the child could be restricted to a certain time limit for these kind of toys to encourage variety in their play times. In this way surely the child will get the best of both worlds and not lose out on either.
Don’t forget too that you will benefit from playing with your child with a traditional toy. You can introduce and teach new movements and ideas along with engaging completely with the child. There is nothing that children like better than to play with adults and older children and gives a great opportunity for bonding.
Pull-along toys, as in most traditional toys, help in the development of the child. What is more important though is that they promote great, old-fashioned fun – what more could you ask?
About the Author: Gary Clay is an expert on
toddler toys
and manages stylish kids store Monkeyshine the home of luxury
children’s toys
in the UK
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=214008&ca=Parenting
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Many factors of a child’s birth and the condition of the newborn are linked to the future development of autism, but no single factor has been identified as the cause, a meta-analysis of forty previously published research studies concludes.
Autism refers to a cluster of neurological developmental disorders, ranging to mild and severe, that interfere the child’s ability to adjust normally, including defects in normal communication and social interaction.
The systematic review, published in Monday’s issue of Pediatrics, presented the results of a meta-analysis of over sixty perinatal and neonatal risk factors associated with autism reported in the forty published studies. It identified sixteen that were significantly associated with autism. These included low birth weight, complications associated with delivery, fetal distress during labor, “poor condition” of the newborn along with a low Apgar score, multiple births, birth injuries to the baby, and hemorrhaging of the mother during childbirth.
However, the review found that often these factors are linked; not occurring independently but in combination, making the effect of any one factor difficult to determine. Further, the conclusions of the studies often were in conflict with each other regarding the relationship of any single one of the factors to autism. The researcher concluded there was “insufficient evidence to implicate any one perinatal or neonatal factor in autism etiology.” However, they said some evidence suggested the presence of “multiple neonatal complications may increase autism risk.”
| [M]ultiple neonatal complications may increase autism risk. | ||
The review also ruled out some factors, finding some were not linked to autism such as the use during childbirth of anesthesia, forceps delivery or vacuum extractor delivery. High birth weight and large head circumference of the newborn were also discounted.
The researcher who headed the study, Hannah Gardener, who was at the Harvard School of Public Health at the time and is now at the University of Miami School of Medicine, emphasized in an interview that parents should not worry if any one of the factors was present at the time of their child’s birth.
| There is no single strong cause of autism. | ||
She said, “There is no single strong cause of autism.”
Twin studies have concluded that there is a genetic component to autism and Gardener emphasized the importance of the review’s conclusions that point to the need for continuing study of how factors surrounding birth may interact with genetic factors to result in future autism in a child.