Rugby Union: Queensland’s Ballymore Cup quarter finals
Thursday, July 23, 2009 The Ballymore Cup Quarter Finals were played Wednesday. The Ballymore Cup is a state wide Rugby Union competition in the Australian state of Queensland. Schools participating in the Greater Public Schools (GPS) competition do not compete in the Ballymore Cup. The North Queensland quarter finals are played as a round robin competition between four teams in Makay while the three other quarter finals are played at Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane. Below are reports off each match in division 1. Siena Catholic College 11 – 5 Marsden State High School Siena Catholic College from the Sunshine Coast managed to slip past Marsden State High School 11 points to 5. Both sides crossed the oppositions line but penalties committed by Marsden gifted Siena the victory. Siena defeated reigning champions Mountain Creek State High School in the Sunshine Coast division 1 competition final. They will play the winner of…
Canadian government announces major tax reductions
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced a five-year program that could reduce taxes by a total C$60 billion. The planned tax reduction measures include: Low-end personal income tax rates would be reduced from 15.5% to 15%, taking retroactive effect to the start of 2007; The basic personal exemption, the amount at which income is taxable, is raised from C$8,929 to C$9,600, also backdated to January 2007; Business tax rates are expected regularly drop from the current 20.5% to 15% in 2012; The Goods and Services Tax that applies to most purchases would be reduced from 6% to 5% as 2008 begins. This rate was previously reduced from 7% July 2006, shortly after Prime Minister Stephen Harper took office. These measures will be brought before the House of Commons in Ottawa on Wednesday as a confidence motion. In Canada’s minority government situation, opposition parties could defeat these…
After uncertain day of Eurovision rehearsals, EBU will place sanctions on Spain and RTVE
Friday, May 15, 2009 After a tense day of rehearsals, in which Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said publicly that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) would not be imposing sanctions on them for pre-empting the second live Eurovision semi-final, the EBU has made an official statement, contradicting RTVE and announcing that sanctions will be placed on Spain. This year’s act, former Operación Triunfo finalist Soraya Arnelas, will not be affected by the EBU ruling, and she will be allowed to perform her song “La noche es para mí” in Moscow as scheduled on Saturday. By late Friday evening, the newspaper ABC announced that while RTVE and the EBU were in talks all day, it looked as if Soraya’s spot would not be in danger, as she participated in dress rehearsals during the afternoon. Later, the EBU released their statement, which says in part, “Spanish broadcaster [RTVE] did not broadcast the second…
Several groups seek to purchase Saturn auto brand
Thursday, May 7, 2009 Penske Automotive Group, Inc., an Ohio-based investment group and Telesto Ventures have indicated separately that they are interested in purchasing the Saturn auto brand from General Motors (GM). According to The Wall Street Journal, Nissan-Renault is interested in purchasing Saturn. Bloomberg, however, indicated that Nissan-Renault may be a partner of Penske’s potential bid. If Penske acquired the brand, they would distribute Saturn vehicles and outsource the assembly. GM revealed that the Saturn brand along with Saab and Hummer were up for sale when unveiling their restructuring plans to Congress for governmental loans. While the Pontiac brand was originally to be a niche brand, GM had changed their plans recently and decided to eliminate the brand. Telesto Ventures is an investment group that includes private equity firm Black Oak Partners LLC of Oklahoma City and several Saturn dealerships. Initially, Telesto will purchase Saturn branded cars from GM…
Cisco sues Apple for iPhone trademark
Friday, January 12, 2007 The iPhone only made its appearance as a prototype and there have been controversies aroused. The dispute has come up between the manufacturer of the iPhone (which was resented on Wednesday for the first time) – Apple Inc. – and a leader in network and communication systems, based in San Jose – Cisco. The company claims to possess the trademark for iPhone, and moreover, that it sells devices under the same brand through one of its divisions. This became the reason for Cisco to file a lawsuit against Apple Inc. so that the latter would stop selling the device. Cisco states that it has received the trademark in 2000, when the company overtook Infogear Technology Corp., which took place in 1996. The Vice President and general counsel of the company, Mark Chandler, explained that there was no doubt about the excitement of the new device from…
Viktor Schreckengost dies at 101
Sunday, January 27, 2008 Viktor Schreckengost, the father of industrial design and creator of the Jazz Bowl, an iconic piece of Jazz Age art designed for Eleanor Roosevelt during his association with Cowan Pottery died yesterday. He was 101. Schreckengost was born on June 26, 1906 in Sebring, Ohio, United States. Schreckengost’s peers included the far more famous designers Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes. In 2000, the Cleveland Museum of Art curated the first ever retrospective of Schreckengost’s work. Stunning in scope, the exhibition included sculpture, pottery, dinnerware, drawings, and paintings.
Chrysler files for bankruptcy, Fiat Group SpA to run company
Friday, May 1, 2009 The American auto company Chrysler filed for bankruptcy Thursday, however a deal with European auto maker Fiat went through. The emerging Chrysler will be owned 55 percent by the United Auto Workers, eight percent by the United States Government, two percent by the Canadian Government and Fiat would begin with a 20 percent share. Chrysler Chief Executive Robert Nardelli will step down when the bankruptcy proceedings are finalized. Initially, the Italian company, Fiat, will appoint three members on the emerging Chrysler’s new board, and the United States government will appoint six. Fiat can assume the majority of the ownership upon repayment of American loans. Chrysler administrators expect that the bankruptcy should take a couple of months. “We expect this to be a very short, 30-to-60-day bankruptcy process, during which the company will function normally,” a top administration official said, “People will be able to buy cars,…
BBC spends £3.4m on sell-off
Friday, June 27, 2008 Newspaper The Guardian reports today that the sale of the BBC subsidiary BBC Resources Ltd., has cost £3.4m in consultancy fees — over £1m more than the £2.3m trading profit the commercial division is estimated to have made for the last financial year. Details of the failed privatisation were released by the BBC following a freedom of information request, and prior to publication of its annual report on July 8. Fourteen months after advisers were appointed to try to sell BBC Resources Ltd., only one of the three main business units has been sold — its Outside Broadcast division to Satellite Information Services Limited (SIS), for an estimated £20m. On March 7, 2008 it was also announced that the studios operation would remain in BBC ownership and in early June, the fate of the third business was put on hold with the BBC stating that “like…
2006 “Stolenwealth” Games to confront Commonwealth Games in Melbourne
Friday, March 3, 2006 The possibility of large-scale protests in the face of the 3,000 journalists covering the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, has event organisers and the Government worried. The group “Black GST” – which represents Indigenous Genocide, Sovereignty and Treaty – are planning demonstrations at prominent Games events unless the Government agrees to a range of demands including an end to Aboriginal genocide, Aboriginal Sovereignty and the signing of a treaty. The Black GST say they hope the focus of the world’s media will draw attention to the plight of indigenous Australians during the Games. Organisers say supporters are converging from across Australia and from overseas. Organisers say up to 20,000 people may take part in talks, rallies, colourful protests and many cultural festivities designed to pressure the Federal Government on Indigeneous rights issues. They want the Government to provide a temporary campsite for the supporters, saying “organised chaos…
Viktor Schreckengost dies at 101
Sunday, January 27, 2008 Viktor Schreckengost, the father of industrial design and creator of the Jazz Bowl, an iconic piece of Jazz Age art designed for Eleanor Roosevelt during his association with Cowan Pottery died yesterday. He was 101. Schreckengost was born on June 26, 1906 in Sebring, Ohio, United States. Schreckengost’s peers included the far more famous designers Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes. In 2000, the Cleveland Museum of Art curated the first ever retrospective of Schreckengost’s work. Stunning in scope, the exhibition included sculpture, pottery, dinnerware, drawings, and paintings.