Record number of failed banks reported in US for February
Sunday, March 1, 2009 According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), a record number of banks for a calendar month have failed in the United States in February. A total of 10 banks failed in February, more than any other month since October of 2000. A total of 16 banks have closed this year so far, with 24 closing in 2008. If the current trend continues, the total number of failed banks will more than double in March, as compared to the total number of failed banks in 2008. The list grew after the FDIC took over the funds from the Security Savings Bank of Henderson, Nevada and the Heritage Community Bank in Glenwood, Illinois on February 27. The FDIC issued press releases for both institutions. The four branches of the Heritage Community Bank reopened on February 28 “as branches of MB Financial Bank,” stated the FDIC. The bank’s…
Mathematics summer school in Turkey threatened by authorities
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 The closure of a mathematics summer camp in ?irince, ?zmir, Turkey by Turkish authorities has drawn scorn from scientists around the world. Professor Alexandre Borovik, who organized some of the opposition, said “We are shocked to learn that the Summer School of Mathematics initiated by Professor Ali Nesin was shut down by local authorities. We found it surprising that such an esteemed mathematician such as Professor Nesin needs a specific permit each time he wants to teach math, as we saw that one of the reasons for shutting the camp down was the lack of such a permit, especially considering how this contradicts the fact that the summer schools organized every year by Professor Nesin are sponsored by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜB?TAK), Turkish Mathematics Association and many respected Turkish universities.” The school was reopened on August 10, 2007; however, Ali Nesin…
Interview with BBC Creative Archive project leader
Thursday, June 22, 2006 Paul Gerhardt, Creative Archive project leader The Creative Archive project is a BBC led initiative which aims to make archive audio and video footage available to be freely downloaded, distributed, and ‘remixed’. The project is still in a pilot stage, and is only available to UK residents, but the long-term future of the project could have a major impact on the way audiences interact with BBC content. The project is partly inspired by the Creative Commons movements, and also by a general move within the BBC to be more open with its assets. Additionally, educational audiences such as schools have expressed an interest in using BBC content within the classroom, both to watch and to create multimedia content from. So far, clips made available under the licence have included archive news footage, nature documentary footage, and video clips content designed for educational uses. “It’s done very…
Media round-up: April Fools’ Day 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 Many media outlets traditionally deliberately spread hoaxes on April Fools’ Day, including notable quality sources such as National Geographic and Science. Presidents Sarkozy and Bush were victims of April Fools’ Day stories. The popular British tabloid The Sun wrote that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to undergo stretch surgery to make him taller than his wife, Italian artist and model Carla Bruni. The report claimed the 5 foot 5 inch leader would be made 5 inches taller in one year using a method by Israeli professor Ura Schmuck. The Sun noted that during his visit to Britain last week, Sarkozy had high-heel shoes while his wife wore a pair of flat pumps. The Guardian on the other hand ran an article that suggested that Carla would head an initiative by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to bring more glamour, good taste and sophistication to the U.K. general…
Mathematics summer school in Turkey threatened by authorities
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 The closure of a mathematics summer camp in ?irince, ?zmir, Turkey by Turkish authorities has drawn scorn from scientists around the world. Professor Alexandre Borovik, who organized some of the opposition, said “We are shocked to learn that the Summer School of Mathematics initiated by Professor Ali Nesin was shut down by local authorities. We found it surprising that such an esteemed mathematician such as Professor Nesin needs a specific permit each time he wants to teach math, as we saw that one of the reasons for shutting the camp down was the lack of such a permit, especially considering how this contradicts the fact that the summer schools organized every year by Professor Nesin are sponsored by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜB?TAK), Turkish Mathematics Association and many respected Turkish universities.” The school was reopened on August 10, 2007; however, Ali Nesin…
Dog laws strengthened in Virginia county
Thursday, May 12, 2005 Amid publicity that arose from deaths and injuries due to dog attacks in the region, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to impose tougher penalties on dog owners who let their dogs run free. After a public hearing Tuesday evening, the board voted for a new animal control ordinance. Now dog owners who are repeat offenders face a misdemeanor crime of $2,500 or up to a year in jail. Dogs that repeatedly chase cars and run free, or otherwise trespass on property, could be euthanized if so ordered by a judge. A dog that is “roaming, running or self-hunting off the property or premises of its owner or custodian and not under the immediate control of the owner or custodian or his agent,” meets the county’s legal definition of a dog running at large. The mauling death of an elderly woman by 3 Pit…
Michael Moore’s new film ‘Sicko’ leaked via P2P
Thursday, June 14, 2007 Publicity poster for the movie A number of reports confirm that Michael Moore’s forthcoming documentary has been leaked onto Peer-to-peer networks. This is the second pre-release leak in a month of a film from Lionsgate Studios. The movie, SiCKO contrasts the U.S. healthcare system with that of several other countries and includes a trip to Cuba for which Moore is being investigated. The investigation by the Office of Foreign Assets Control within the United States Department of the Treasury is looking into whether Moore has violated United States embargo against Cuba, which has been in effect since 1962 and codified in 1992. Moore has, according to agency reports, stored a copy of the original film in Canada as a result of the Federal investigation by the Treasury department. His concern is that an attempt may be made to confiscate the section of the film shot in…
Wikimedian activist Adrianne Wadewitz dies
This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. Thursday, April 10, 2014 A video from 2012 where Wadewitz discusses the impact of Wikipedia Image: Vgrigas. News broke early this morning on Facebook that Wikipedian Adrianne Wadewitz died while rock climbing recently. Wadewitz was well known in the Wikimedia community for her activism drawing attention to the lack of female contributors on Wikipedia. She was also very involved in the Wiki Education Foundation, serving as a member of its board of directors. Wadewitz was one of the most visible women in the media on the under-representation of women amongst contributors to Wikipedia, talking to media organizations like the BBC, the Huffington Post and non-English publications like Greek-language magazine LIFO. Some estimates put female participation rates at around 10% of contributors and there is a body of…
Financial Action Task Force places United Arab Emirates on money laundering ‘grey’ list
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Part of the Dubai International Financial Centre on February 8, 2013. Image: ianpudsey. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed the United Arab Emirates on its global grey list March 4 for “strategic deficiencies” in combatting “money laundering, terrorist funding, and proliferation financing”, subjecting it to heightened scrutiny. The UAE joins 23 countries, including Middle East neighbours Jordan, Syria and Yemen, and Pakistan and Turkey elsewhere in Asia, on the list for active cooperation with the FATF. While less severe than a ‘black’ listing, which includes Iran and North Korea, it could damage the UAE’s business-friendly reputation. It may also subject the regime to unfavourable rate adjustments, higher costs for transactions and increased competition with fellow Gulf state Saudi Arabia. An International Monetary Fund report published May 2021 found grey-listing resulted in an average negative impact of 7.6% of a country’s GDP, which would be USD27.3…
Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Family Coalition Party candidate Suzanne Fortin, Nepean-Carleton
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 Suzanne Fortin is running for the Family Coalition Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Nepean-Carleton riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed her regarding her values, her experience, and her campaign. Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents. Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Ontario_Votes_2007:_Interview_with_Family_Coalition_Party_candidate_Suzanne_Fortin,_Nepean-Carleton&oldid=1852352”