Saturday, March 1, 2008

While nearly all coverage of the 2008 Presidential election has focused on the Democratic and Republican candidates, the race for the White House also includes independents and third party candidates. These parties represent a variety of views that may not be acknowledged by the major party platforms.

Wikinews has impartially reached out to these candidates, throughout the campaign. We now interview independent Presidential candidate Frank Moore, a performance artist.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

On Monday, San Jose, California, US-based software company Adobe Systems announced their plans to acquire California-based e-commerce handling web service Magento Commerce for 1.68 billion US dollars (USD). After Adobe made the announcement via their official website, Adobe’s stocks rose by around one percent, ending Monday extended trading at USD 238.10 per share.

Magento provides services for the creation of digital ads and handling of online transactions. Magento’s services are used by Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Warner Music, and Canon. The acquisition, which is expected to take place in the third fiscal quarter of this year, is to be an all-cash deal. Adobe is to acquire Magento from Permira equity firm. In 2015, Permira bought Magento from eBay, an eCommerce website. Adobe, in their official statement, said, “Magento Commerce Cloud will enable commerce to be seamlessly integrated into the Adobe Experience Cloud”.

Adobe also announced a buyback of shares worth USD eight billion by 2021. Magento’s CEO Mark Lavelle said, “Adobe and Magento share a vision for the future of digital experiences that brings together Adobe’s strength in content and data with Magento’s open commerce innovation […] We’re excited to join Adobe and believe this will be a great opportunity for our customers, partners and developer community”.

After the announcement, stocks of Magento’s competitors Shopify, Inc dropped by about 4.8%. They finished extended trading at USD 137.60 after the announcement.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI began his visit to the United States on Tuesday. In an unprecedented gesture, he was greeted by President George W. Bush, Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna, upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Today, which is also the Pope’s 81st birthday, Benedict XVI visited the White House and more than 9,000 people with tickets were there to see him speak. This makes it “one of the largest arrival ceremonies ever held at the White House,” according to White House Press Secretary Dana Perino. An estimated additional 4,000 people without tickets lined the streets.

The Pope was given a 21-gun salute and greeted by President Bush on the South Lawn of the White House. Benedict XVI addressed the crowd in a short speech. He appealed for support “for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress.”

He further said, “As the nation faces the increasingly complex political and ethical issues of our time, I am confident that the American people will find in their religious beliefs a precious source of insight and an inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible and respectful dialogue in the effort to build a more humane and free society.” Benedict said he has “great respect for this vast pluralistic society” and ended his speech with “God bless America.”

Kevin Waymel, 26, travelled from San Francisco with 80 others to see the Pope. He told The Guardian that he had “come to show support for the Holy Father,” and credited his faith for getting him off drugs.

Afterwards, inside the White House, the first couple presented the Pope with a birthday cake. In a private meeting with Bush, Benedict XVI brought up his concerns about the Iraq war and the treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States, who may number as many as 20 million. Most of these are from Latin America and therefore overwhelmingly Catholic.

After the meeting, Benedict XVI rode along Pennsylvania Avenue in the popemobile with throngs of people lining the street.

Wednesday evening, the Pope met with US bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He addressed the bishops about sexual abuse by the clergy, which the Pope has said made him “deeply ashamed.” The US Catholic Church has paid out an estimated US$2 billion to settle abuse cases in recent years.

Bendict XVI told the gathered bishops that the sex abuse scandal had at times been mishandled and urged them to reach out to the victims.

“It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged,” the Pope said.

Some victims had hoped the Pope would have critcised bishops for transferring pedophile priests from parish to parish. He did not go that far and instead praised training programs for priests and lay people who deal with children. “In this regard your efforts to heal and protect are bearing great fruit not only for those directly under your pastoral care, but for all of society,” said Benedict XVI.

“It’s the closest the Pope has come to saying that the bishops didn’t do their job right. I think that’s quite significant,” said the Reverend Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest and author.

Prior to his arrival, hundreds of people were already gathered outside the Basilica as Benedict XVI arrived. “I’m really excited,” said an unnamed onlooker to NY1. “It’s like a dream, almost. There are, like, other foreign dignitaries, and then there’s the pope. It’s a unique experience and I can’t wait to see him.”

During his flight to the United States, Benedict XVI told reporters that he intended to discuss poverty and development aid to poor countries with President Bush. “The United States has to help these countries develop. It is in the interest of everyone, not only these countries but of the world and particularly of the United States,” he said.

This is the first Papal visit to the United States by Benedict XVI, and the first visit of a Pope to the U.S. since John Paul II’s visit in 1999. The pope scheduled to stay in Washington through Thursday. After that, he will travel to New York City where he plans to address the United Nations, visit the World Trade Center site, and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

File:ACORN logo.png

The US community organizing group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) will end its operations due to dwindling funds. The group said in a statement that it would close most of its field offices by April 1.

The heads of the organization said in a joint statement that “ACORN’s members have a great deal to be proud of—from promoting homeownership to helping rebuild New Orleans, from raising wages to winning safer streets, from training community leaders to promoting voter participation—ACORN members have worked hard to create stronger communities, a more inclusive democracy, and a more just nation.”

The group, founded in 1970, played a prominent role in the 2008 US presidential elections, as it conducted many voter registration drives and fundraising for then-Senator Barack Obama, among other Democratic candidates. The organization first became scrutinized during the 2006 mid-term elections, when some of its employees were accused of voter fraud. Matters got worse in 2009 after an undercover video revealed two of its employees giving advice on how to set up a prostitution ring and commit tax fraud.

Friday, February 6, 2009

United States swimmer Michael Phelps has been banned from competition and his training stipend revoked for three months by USA Swimming after Phelps was photographed smoking from a glass pipe, often used for smoking cannabis. The picture was published last Sunday by British tabloid News of the World.

USA Swimming, which is the governing body of swimming in the United States, however said that no “anti-doping” rules had been violated.

“This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero,” it stated. “Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust.”

The suspension will end in time for Phelps to train for the US Championships, which are to be held on the 7th of July.

Phelps has also lost sponsor Kellogg, who said that it would not renew its deal with the swimmer next month.

Phelps won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing last year, and has since become one of the world’s most famous athletes.

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Saturday, September 29, 2007File:Misza 1980.jpg

For the first time after the fall of the iron curtain Russia will host the Olympic Games – in 2014 the Winter Olympics will take place in Sochi, a Black Sea resort town. The games are considered a matter of national prestige and generate more media attention than the recent changes in Russian government (Russia’s Putin recently installed the new prime-minister, who, incidentally, also became the chair of the Russian Olympic committee.)

As Russia takes enormous efforts to prepare for the Olympics and build a modern sport infrastructure from scratch, the Russian public is more concerned with the mascot for the upcoming games. When Moscow hosted the Summer Olympics in the 1980, the mascot for the Moscow Games was Misha the Bear, developed by children’s book illustrator Victor Chizhikov. Misha instantly became a graphic-design hit, especially in the Soviet bloc. Olympic posters were snatched up and t-shirts were fought over. And as Sochi is set to become the new Olympic city, Russians are keen to see the old bear return.

There is a long way to the Sochi Olympics, but the Bear is already coming back from retirement. Russia! magazine, an English-language publication distributed in the US and the UK, has commissioned the most prominent designers and artists to do their own renditions of the famed mascot. “The Olympic Bear turns any Russian between the ages of 25 and 50 to quivering jelly. Our artistic compatriots were happy to whip the old bear into shape for 21st century use” – says Ilya Merenzon, the magazine’s publisher. “And the readers’ response was overwhelming. As soon as the new issue arrived at the stores, we constantly get emails requesting the Bear t-shirts. The animal is regaining his popularity”. – adds Merenzon.

It has not been decided, however, on the Sochi Games mascot. Another option is Cheburashka, a famous Russian cartoon character with big ears and humble smile. Cheburashka was the mascot for the Russian Olympic team in Turin and is one of the best-selling children’s toys in former USSR countries and, surprisingly, Japan, where it is known as “Chebu”.

Wednesday, February 9, 2005Copenhagen – The Danish people have voted to keep the current centre-right political coalition of the Venstre (The Liberal Party), Det Konservative Folkeparti (Conservative People’s Party) and the Dansk Folkeparti (Danish People’s Party).

Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s Liberal Party retained the largest number of seats in parliament. The governing coalition between the Liberals and Conservative People’s Party remained intact. They will likely be supported largely by the Danish People’s Party, which gained 2 seats. The Radikale Venstre (Radical Left) party gained the most seats of any party, although it remains outside the governing group of parties. The election marked the second time in a row that the Social Democrats were not the largest party in the parliament, a change from most of the 20th century. The party lost 5 seats and leader Mogens Lykketoft resigned immediately after the election.

Venstre, the liberal party of the prime minister, campaigned on their municipal restructuring plan, as well as a continuation of the “tax-freeze” and tight immigration requirements. They also promised to see 60,000 jobs created during a second term.

The largest opposition party, the Socialdemokraterne (Social Democrats) led by Mogens Lykketoft focused on employment, which they claim has decreased under the current government.

The Dansk Folkeparti, who support the Venstre-Conservative coalition, criticized the “tax-freeze” but agreed, conditionally, to support it for another parliamentary term. They also wanted increasingly tough immigration restrictions.