Tuesday, April 6, 2010

US regulators intend to fine Toyota Motor Company $16.4 million over allegations that the company failed to notify government officials in “a timely way” about flaws in its vehicles that led to a major recall earlier this year.

The fine is the maximum penalty allowed under current US law, and would be the largest ever against an automaker, dwarfing a $1 million fine against General Motors in 2004. The U.S. Transportation Department is also considering the possibility of further fines if it was determined that the company had committed other violations of US law. The fine is the result of an investigation opened on February 16 into Toyota’s actions during the recall of 2.3 million vehicles in the US. Toyota now has a period of two weeks in which it can appeal the fine.

Current law requires an automaker to notify the US government within five days if it has determined that a safety issue exists in one of its vehicles. Internal Toyota documents obtained by the government showed that the company was aware of the issues in its cars as early as September 2009, well before it reported the problems to the US government in January.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that the government has “proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations,” and that “they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families.”

Toyota, in a statement posted on their website, said that “We have already taken a number of important steps to improve our communications with regulators and customers on safety-related matters as part of our strengthened overall commitment to quality assurance.” The statement added, “These include the appointment of a new Chief Quality Officer for North America and a greater role for the region in making safety-related decisions.”

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Robert Redeker, a French writer and college tutor in Toulouse, is now in hiding after receiving a series of death threats from Islamic fundamentalists by phone, email, and on a radical Islamist internet forum.

One online posting called upon French Muslims to “follow the lead of Muhammad Bouyeri“, who murdered the Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh after he made a film denouncing the plight of abused Muslim women.

The forum also published photos of him, his home address with directions, the places where he works, and his telephone numbers. Mr. Redeker told i-TV that:

“There is a very clear map of how to get to my home, with the words: ‘This pig must have his head cut off’.”

The French police say they are taking the threats seriously, but did not elaborate on the protection offered to Mr. Redeker.

Mr. Redeker had published an editorial in Le Figaro criticizing Islam. His article stated that the Prophet Mohammed was “a merciless warlord, a looter” and “a mass-murderer of Jews”. He also asserted that Islam “exalts violence and hatred” in its sacred text and religious rites.

Le Figaro has defended Mr. Redeker, publishing a front-page open letter, signed by the editor and the publisher, saying “We condemn with the greatest conviction the grave attacks on freedom of thought and freedom of expression which this affair has provoked.” But later issues apologies.

Education Minister Gilles de Robien expressed “solidarity” with Mr. Redeker but also criticized him for not showing “prudence and moderation”. Two French teachers unions have issued statements defending Mr. Redeker’s right to speak freely while also criticizing his statements.

Le Figaro has been banned in several Muslim countries, including Egypt.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Three people have died after a fire in an Athens bank as protesters fill the streets to demonstrate against austerity measures aimed to save Greece from its massive debts. Many of the nations services were shut down yesterday in a sweeping 24-hour strike, which follows on from earlier strikes and protests Monday.

Protesters reportedly smashed the windows of a Marfin Bank building, and proceeded to hurl bombs containing petrol into the building. Three people, two men and a pregnant women, died of asphyxiation in the resulting fire, and around twenty people were rescued from the wreckage by firefighters. Police in Athens were placed on high alert in response to the attacks.

Up to 100,000 people were reported to have taken part in the demonstrations, the largest since Greece’s economic crisis began last year. In addition to the bank bombings, protesters reportedly set fire to other buildings, cars and bins, as well as setting up barricades in the streets. Protesters also attempted to storm police surrounding the Greek parliament, using marble broken from buildings as weapons.

Police responded by using tear gas and water cannons against protesters; a journalist for Al Jazeera in Athens said that “[i]t looked like a pitched battle for quite a while. An awful lot of tear gas used by the police, they would say no doubt to protect the parliament building and perhaps the people in it.”

The protests occurred during a nationwide strike protesting the austerity measure enacted by the government. The strike has ended all public transportation in the country, as well as services provided by public services like schools, hospitals, and government offices.

The Greek government has been attempting to get funds from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund in response to the country’s debt crisis. Austerity measures were a requirement for getting such funds, and despite the protests, it’s considered unlikely that the government will give up its efforts to enact the measures.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

North America’s largest outdoor dog festival came back to Toronto last weekend for its fifth year. It ran from the 9th of June to the 10th of June at Toronto’s historical St. Lawrence Market. A Wikinews reporter was there on Sunday to report on some of the events that happened on the last day.

The “Woofstock” dog festival attracted as many as 140,000 people with their dogs. The festival had tons of accessories, sold under tents, to buy for dogs; food, toys, designer clothes, and more. About 400 vendors and exhibitors were there to promote their products, which also gave private dog companies or groups a chance to show their new products. The local SPCA and some animal rescues were under tents answering questions from visitors. While walking, all visitors could see the CN Tower and other very tall buildings.

One of the local TV stations, Citytv, was there. They hosted a live event at the show which was broadcast on TV. People came up on the stage and asked questions regarding their dogs and the host and co-host answered them.

A man, who called himself the “Chalk Master”, drew two pictures on pavement with chalk. He did it for free but donations were welcome. One was a picture of a girl’s head beside a dog’s head, and another with a wolf.

“Hello Humans. I’ve been invited here to provide your eyeball(s), with some pretty colours. I don’t get paid as I work this weekend strictly for tips… so, if you like what you see please make a DONATION. If you don’t like it simply reach into the pocket of the person next to you and give me their money. CHALK MASTER.”

A contest called “Canada’s top dog” had its own tent with a professional photographer taking pictures of dogs behind a white screen; the winning photo is to be published on the cover of “Puppy and dog basics” magazine.

Large “Gourmet” dog bones were also served from a cart and table.

Next year’s festival is expected to be bigger and better with even more attractions.

Sunday, August 21, 2005

The Catholic World Youth Day 2005 concluded today with a open-air mass by Pope Benedict XVI at the Marienfeld, about 15 km west of Cologne.

Speaking to some one million pilgrims from about 200 countries the Pope called for a “return to God” . In his sermon, he condemned the commercialisation of faith and said that “Religion constructed on a ‘do-it-yourself’ basis cannot ultimately help us”.

He announced that the next World Youth Day will be held in Sydney and concluded with short addresses in nine languages in which he called upon the faithful to “walk together in unity”.

A journalist working for the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel described the speech this way: “First faith, then morality”.

The Pope has been in his native Germany since Thursday. During his visit he met with high ranking politicians, made the first ever visit of a Pope to a German synagogue and spoke to representatives of the Muslim community.

See the discussion page for instructions on adding schools to this list and for an alphabetically arranged listing of schools.

Due to the damage by Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding, a number of colleges and universities in the New Orleans metropolitan area will not be able to hold classes for the fall 2005 semester. It is estimated that 75,000 to 100,000 students have been displaced. [1]. In response, institutions across the United States and Canada are offering late registration for displaced students so that their academic progress is not unduly delayed. Some are offering free or reduced admission to displaced students. At some universities, especially state universities, this offer is limited to residents of the area.

Friday, March 29, 2019Toronto Comicon 2019 returned to its titular city from March 15 to 17, as one of the largest pop culture events in Canada. The popular event featured celebrity guests like actors Dan Fogler, Ron Perlman, John De Lancie, John Rhys-Davies, and Jaleel White, as well as comic artists, authors, and professional cosplayers. The event included a large show floor with hundreds of retailers and artists promoting their creations. Wikinews’ Nicholas Moreau attended the event, taking photos of the various sights.

John Rhys-Davies broke news when he revealed that a Sliders reboot is being considered. “Jerry [O’Connell] and I are talking to NBC at the moment. The basic problem is that no one knows who owns the rights”. Their legal department had apparently been looking into the matter for two months, as of the convention weekend. Emma Caufield talked of being cast in an NBC television pilot while a recurring guest actor on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Faced with loosing the character of Anya Jenkins, the producers finally committed to making her a regular. “It was a good day,” she recalls.

Special effects costumer Ian Campbell, whose screen credits include Star Trek: Discovery, had a booth at the convention displaying his prop replicas and cosplay items. Amidst the bustle of activity, Campbell was working on a Thanos helmet sculpt. After the convention, he told Wikinews that “it can be tough to maintain focus with so many people streaming past and along questions, but sculpting in front of a crowd at conventions is great because it allows people to see the process that goes into what I do […] it also can serve as inspiration to other to pursue their own artistic endeavors.”

Lisa Mancini has been cosplaying for two years, her “passion” for the hobby “stemmed through my love for Halloween.” She typically chooses “to portray beloved characters from childhood or strong females. I also enjoy a good gender bent cosplay to ensure a touch of uniqueness!”

Mancini told Wikinews after the event that the best part of cosplay is “bringing a character to life.” One of the characters she took on this year was Squirrel Girl, a Marvel Comics character. Mancini has been described by the Daily Hive as a “squirrel whisperer”, for the close affinity some of the animals have for her.

Stephanie Chapman has knit a variety of knit outfits, an uncommon technique for cosplay. Prompted by Ron Perlman’s visit, she wore a costume based on Hellboy character Abe Sapien, which lacks the eyeholes of her normal masks. With “Abe, I wanted to go for accuracy over comfort,” Chapman told Wikinews, a choice leaving her largely helpless without a handler. The costume “is very warm […] so I have to stay hydrated and try to keep as calm as possible. It’s just really hard to stay calm when I meet someone like Ron Perlman”. With the combination of excitement and “the stress I’m putting on my body”, she shared that she was prone to meltdown in suit.

The time is 20:00 (UTC) on August 10th, 2006, and this is Audio Wikinews News Briefs.

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