There has been more fighting between Israel and Hezbollah as attempts to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Lebanon continue.
The Arab League is proposing an amendment calling for Israel’s immediate and complete withdrawal from Lebanon, a condition that is not in the current draft.
There are also objections to the resolution’s call for Hezbollah to end all attacks whilst only requiring Israel to end “offensive” actions. Critics assert this wording gives Israel room to continue defensive operations. Lebanese parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, who is also a member of Hezbollah, said the draft is one sided. “If Israel has not won the war but still gets all this, what would have happened had they won?” Syrian Foreign Minister Wali Muallem called the American-French proposal “a recipe for the continuation of the war”.
Israeli analysts say their government is pleased with the draft. “We got what we wanted” said the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
The draft resolution is not expected to come to the UN Security Council for a vote until Wednesday or Thursday.
The Lebanese government has pledged to dismantle Hezbollah’s “state within a state” and to send 15,000 troops to be part of a peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon if Israel withdraws. The UN resolution proposed by Washington and Paris would allow Israel to remain in Lebanon for the time being. The Beirut government’s pledge was unanimously approved by Lebanon’s coalition cabinet which, significantly, includes two Hezbollah representatives
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the Lebanese proposal an “interesting step”, but said Israel would only pull out of Lebanon once it decides Hezbollah is no longer a threat.
Meanwhile, Israeli air and artillery strikes continue in their effort to secure key strategic points from which Hezbollah has launched rockets into Israel, and to choke off supply lines over which Hezbollah arms have been travelling. Over 90 missiles hit northern Israel by midday.
The intensity of the fighting has forced the UN to delay for a day an aid convoy into south Lebanon.
Nearly 1,000 Lebanese and 100 Israelis have been killed during the month long conflict. Casualties on the Lebanese side have been mostly civilian, while 35 Israeli civilians were killed.
What you are about to read is an American life as lived by renowned author Edmund White. His life has been a crossroads, the fulcrum of high-brow Classicism and low-brow Brett Easton Ellisism. It is not for the faint. He has been the toast of the literary elite in New York, London and Paris, befriending artistic luminaries such as Salman Rushdie and Sir Ian McKellen while writing about a family where he was jealous his sister was having sex with his father as he fought off his mother’s amorous pursuit.
The fact is, Edmund White exists. His life exists. To the casual reader, they may find it disquieting that someone like his father existed in 1950’s America and that White’s work is the progeny of his intimate effort to understand his own experience.
Wikinews reporter David Shankbone understood that an interview with Edmund White, who is professor of creative writing at Princeton University, who wrote the seminal biography of Jean Genet, and who no longer can keep track of how many sex partners he has encountered, meant nothing would be off limits. Nothing was. Late in the interview they were joined by his partner Michael Caroll, who discussed White’s enduring feud with influential writer and activist Larry Kramer.
What would you tell your grandchildren about 2008 if they asked you about it in, let’s say, 20 years’ time? If the answer to a quiz question was 2008, what would the question be? The year that markets collapsed, or perhaps the year that Obama became US president? Or the year Heath Ledger died?
Let’s take a look at some of the important stories of 2008. Links to the original Wikinews articles are in all the titles.
Flowers are the traditional gift for mums on mothers day. As such floristry designers have created wonderful flower arrangements to suits mums of all ages and the purchaser s budget!
The credit crunch may be biting hard for many people, however sending your mum flowers to show your love and appreciation is an affordable gift choice which will be well received and appreciated by a mum.
Designers are also aware that many people s budgets may not be stretching as far as they used to. They have given this serious consideration in their latest flower designs by using and incorporating flowers which are abundant in spring and do not need to be transported from countries far a field.
Tulips are ideal flowers which are prevalent during spring. A hand tied bouquet of a single colour makes for a striking display which provides real impact. Yellow is the colour associated with friendship making this colour the perfect choice. Whilst candy pink is the most popular colour which is generally associated with mothers day.
Mixed candy colours make a great alternative, hand tied and combined with loops of bear or sea grass these styles bring the humble tulip right up to date. This style of design is presented as an aqua pack, which means the flowers arrive in cellophane wrap which contains water in the bottom! This does not only help the flowers to remain fresh, it also provides an effective way to display flowers without fuss and the need for rearranging by your mum!
The palest pink tulips teamed with rich dark purple provides a simplistic modern look and a striking display which mums of all ages will simply adore.
Many online florists are also offering free chocolates with many of their mothers day bouquets, offering another great way to help beat the credit crunch and provide real value for money. Also look for special seasonal offers which lower the costs further.
Vibrant flowers will be loved by mums and provide an striking injection of colour into a room. Hand tied posies of cerise pink peonies, combined with bright yellow and
crisp white tulips, amidst purple iris presented in a stylish clear glass vase will win the heart of any mum!
Pretty basket arrangement are a real winner which are particularly favoured by older mums. These designs require no arranging what so ever, they arrive fresh and fragrant and ready to be displayed. A great mothers day gift for mums in hospital or care homes and perfect for mums who love style. Baskets of tightly packed freesia will not only provide a riot of colour they will also fill a room with their sweet smelling fragrance.
A miniature pretty pink rose plant, accompanied with a bottle of rose and chocolates are a great gift which also has a practical trug style basket are ideal for mums who love gardening and relaxing afterwards with a glass of fine wine!
These are just a few examples of the wonderful Mothers Day Flowers which can be found and ordered online. Surprise your mum on her special day by sending her affordable and stunningly beautiful flowers.
About the Author: Flowers Direct offer a wide range of beautiful
Ian Narev, the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, this morning “unreservedly” apologised to clients who lost money in a scandal involving the bank’s financial planning services arm.
Last week, a Senate enquiry found financial advisers from the Commonwealth Bank had made high-risk investments of clients’ money without the clients’ permission, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars lost. The Senate enquiry called for a Royal Commission into the bank, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Mr Narev stated the bank’s performance in providing financial advice was “unacceptable”, and the bank was launching a scheme to compensate clients who lost money due to the planners’ actions.
In a statement Mr Narev said, “Poor advice provided by some of our advisers between 2003 and 2012 caused financial loss and distress and I am truly sorry for that. […] There have been changes in management, structure and culture. We have also invested in new systems, implemented new processes, enhanced adviser supervision and improved training.”
An investigation by Fairfax Media instigated the Senate inquiry into the Commonwealth Bank’s financial planning division and ASIC.
Whistleblower Jeff Morris, who reported the misconduct of the bank to ASIC six years ago, said in an article for The Sydney Morning Herald that neither the bank nor ASIC should be in control of the compensation program.
24 July 2021: According to recent study, deaths in India number roughly 4 million during COVID-19 pandemic
5 July 2021: Ransomware attack hits over 200 US companies, forces Swedish grocery chain to close
21 April 2021: Wikinews discusses DRM and DMCA with Richard Stallman after GitHub re-enables public access to youtube-dl
7 April 2021: NASA’s helicopter Ingenuity survives its first night at Mars
25 December 2020: ‘Earth-based life can survive in hydrogen-rich atmospheres’: MIT professor Dr Seager tells Wikinews about her research on organisms thriving in oxygen-less environment
18 December 2020: Gregory Kurtzer discusses plans for Rocky Linux with Wikinews as Red Hat announces moving focus away from CentOS
14 December 2020: Red Hat to move focus away from CentOS in favour of Stream; CentOS team discuss implications with Wikinews
26 October 2020: GitHub blocks public access to youtube-dl after RIAA issues DMCA notice
31 July 2020: “Avast ye scurvy file sharers!”: Interview with Swedish Pirate Party leader Rickard Falkvinge
7 July 2020: Astronomer Anthony Boccaletti discusses observation of birth of potential exoplanet with Wikinews
?Category:Science and technology
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Former Salt Lake City mayor and human rights activist Rocky Anderson took some time to discuss his 2012 U.S. presidential campaign and the newly-created Justice Party with Wikinews reporter William S. Saturn.
Anderson served as mayor of Salt Lake City for eight years (2000–2008) as a member of the Democratic Party. During his tenure, he enacted proposals to reduce the city’s carbon emissions, reformed its criminal justice system, and positioned it as a leading sanctuary for refugees. After leaving office, Anderson grew critical of the Democratic Party’s failure to push for impeachment against President George W. Bush, and for not reversing policies on torture, taxes, and defense spending. He left the party earlier this year and announced that he would form a Third party.
Anderson officially established the Justice Party last week during a press conference in Washington D.C.. He proclaimed “We the people are powerful enough to end the perverse government-to-the-highest-bidder system sustained by the two dominant parties…We are here today for the sake of justice — social justice, environmental justice and economic justice.” The party promotes campaign finance reform and is attempting to appeal to the Occupy Wall Street movement. It is currently working on ballot access efforts, and will hold a Founding Convention in February 2012 in Salt Lake City.
Among other issues, Anderson discussed climate change, health care, education, and civil liberties. He detailed his successes as mayor of Salt Lake City, stressed the importance of executive experience, and expressed his views on President Barack Obama and some of the Republican Party presidential candidates. He spoke in depth about former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, with whom he worked during the 2002 Winter Olympics, and fellow Utahan, former governor and U.S. ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, Jr..
Working Capital Loan Choices to Replace Bank Financing
by
Stephen Bush
While success will be different for each business, there are several business financing choices available to consider as effective replacements for working capital financing and commercial loans previously obtained from banks which are no longer providing business finance services to small businesses. Small business owners are likely to hear reports from multiple sources about the increasing difficulty in obtaining business loans from banks. As a result, a prudent alternative is for commercial borrowers to explore whether there are effective commercial finance options to replace bank financing.
The failure of most banks to satisfactorily meet routine daily commercial loan needs is one of the chief ongoing criticisms reported by many small business owners. Even if there has been a long and prosperous working relationship with a bank, very few small businesses have the financial means to overlook the current business loan shortfall exhibited by most banks. One common (but incorrect) response is that nothing can be done to replace the traditional source of commercial financing although it does seem that the reality of less bank financing is acknowledged by many commercial borrowers. For most small businesses needing to explore immediate ways for replacing bank business loans, the three examples provided below are illustrations of practical small business finance strategies readily available to them. Working capital loans from non-bank sources that do not require commercial real estate or other assets as collateral are among the most useful options to replace business bank financing. This kind of business financing might be needed to replace a line of credit which is being reduced or eliminated by a traditional bank. Alternatively a business borrower might need additional commercial funding to buy inventory or supplies. For even the most successful business, a reliable source of working capital is a key ingredient for continued success. As noted both here and in media reports, traditional banks are no longer doing an adequate job of filling this critical role and need to be replaced by effective commercial lending sources. Accounts receivable financing is another practical business finance choice to replace bank financing. To bridge a cash flow gap between sales and payment from customers, this form of receivables factoring can be helpful. While this is by no means a new form of business financing, the major use has typically been by large corporations. Commercial borrowers are rapidly learning to adopt this effective financial strategy due to banks exiting their previous active role of providing small business loans. An equally useful commercial funding approach for businesses which regularly accept credit cards from their customers is generally referred to as a business cash advance or credit card receivables factoring. It is a way for businesses to receive cash now and gradually repay the amount provided by allocating a portion of future credit card processing toward repayment. None of the three working capital management options noted above are totally free of potential problems and complications. At the same time, it should be noted that the sudden lack of reliable bank financing for small business owners is itself a major complication and problem requiring a timely solution. Before finalizing any new arrangement for business financing, the advantages and disadvantages need to be thoroughly reviewed as with any other new business service.
Stephen Bush is a
small business financing
expert and has provided candid advice to business owners for more than 25 years. AEX Commercial Financing Group supplies
Hundreds of developers of freely licensed and open source software from all over Europe met in Brussels, Belgium this weekend for FOSDEM 2008. The 8th edition attracted considerably more visitors than previous editions, mainly from Belgium and its neighbouring countries the Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, but also from other European countries and even from the United States.
During the conference weekend, presentations touched on programming languages, build systems, gaming (such as Battle for Wesnoth, Crystal Space, Globulation 2), packaging, virtualisation and web applications. The conference also has rooms (called DevRooms) were developers who usually work together via the internet can meet in real life and share thoughts on their projects; CentOS, Fedora, CrossDesktop, Drupal, GNOME, KDE, Mozilla, OpenSUSE and X.org had the biggest rooms this year. The corridors were filled with stands from organisations such as the Free Software Foundation Europe and the Free Knowledge Foundation, Debian, Ubuntu, OpenOffice.org, etc.
Since FOSDEM brings many European open software developers to Brussels, it also provides an important networking opportunity. FOSDEM traditionally kicks off Belgium-style on Friday with a beer event, but during the entire weekend several groups hold parties all over town. Wikinews reporters attended a barbecue hosted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Friday for an interview with EFF and Open Rights Group representatives about the upcoming E.U. proposal to extend copyright for performers to 95 years. Wikinews also interviewed Drupal founder and Acquia CTO Dries Buytaert about Drupal and how Acquia will relate to the Drupal developer community.
Main lecture theatre on Sunday.
Lecture on Conary.
Young hackers
Hackers room
Free Knowledge Foundation stand.
DevRoom (Drupal)
One of the talks in the Drupal DevRoom ?was about the Dutch municipality Vught and its journey towards a home page with Drupal.?
The interview was held publicly in a dedicated IRC channel.
What insipred you to get behind Geekcorps, and has there been a big Geekcorps mission, yet?
I got interested in Geekcorps because I’d lived in Ghana as a student in 1993 and 1994While over there, I was amazed at just how little internet connectivity was availableI did a bit of volunteer work helping wire an environmental organization, but basically the only people who had regular net access were US embassy employees.So I was fascinated to learn that my friends in Ghana were getting online in the late 1990s, and I wondered whether anyone would start building net-based businesses, as people were doing in the USMy wife and I went back to Ghana to visit friends and found that there was a huge deal of enthusiasm about the web and the potential it represented, but almost no expertisepeople were really desperate to learn, but very few people were able to teach at the same time, I was ready to step down from Tripod, and I knew a lot of burned out geeksI started wondering whether some of my friends would be interested in sharing their skills in the developing world and whether that would be a useful thing to dolots of international development folks seemed to think it was a good cause, so I started working on it fulltime.We ended up sending about 100 people overseas over the four years I was involved with the projectwe usually sent about 6-8 to a country at a time, working with a variety of businesses, NGOs and government agencies biggest projects were in Ghana, Mali, Mongolia, Senegal.
With Geekcorps you pushed the idea that newly tech-savvy citizens of developing countries could start online businesses to do digital work for the developed world. But from an American perspective, that’s outsourcing, the bane of US workers. How do you justify working towards a goal that might cost Americans their jobs?
Basically, I’m concerned about the ability of people all over the world to make a good living, send their children to school, build nice houses, have enough food and clean water, etc there’s clearly something of a tradeoff offered by all sorts of globalization – as millions of Chinese are lifted out of rural povery, industrial manufacturing jobs in the US disappear but the US has a pretty good history of innovating and creating new jobs in fields that require a lot of intellectual endeavor the US continues to found interesting software companies, pioneer new net services and generally do a lot of the interesting development on the cutting edge of tech I think a lot of routine coding jobs are up for outsourcing, but I don’t think that people who design software – or who manage the outsourcing and software development process – are going away any time soon it’s very hard to outsource creative activities – it’s somewhat easier to outsource repetitive processes.I think we need to worry less about individual job loss and more about the ability to continue creating new projects. at the same time, I’m very excited to see companies in the developing world moving up the value chain as well, starting to innovate and create new projects as well…
Lately you’ve been involved with projects including Global Voices and Worldchanging. Where and how do the two dovetail, and where and how do they differ? What are the strengths of each?
They’re very different projects and communities, WC is a magazine -it’s a chance for a small group of smart people to write original content on green issues it’s a lot less global than GV – perhaps overly focused on the US and Europe – and has a tight subject focus GV is an edited aggregator People are not so much writing original, opinionated content on GV as they are linking to other content indeed, we ask people to try very hard not to be especially opinionated on GV. Not NPOV, but a similar perspective – you point, you don’t advocate<ethanz> also GVO is huge – 10 regional editors, about 60 regular contributors, a network of about a thousand blogs we regularly link to the community has a very different feeling – much more international, more 24/7. both are fascinating projects, successes in their own ways, but quite different on the tech issues, a little – in both cases, we’re taking very simple weblog tools and asking them to support very large communities. And a little bit on the issue of how they interface with mainstream media in both cases, we’re interested in amplifying memes and getting them picked up by popular press as well as on the web.
Isn’t that a contradiction? you’re asking people to be “less” opinionated, but not asking them to be unopinionated?
Blogs are essentially about opinion, asking for NPOV in the blog space misses the point – we want to know what opinions people in Syria have but we want our middle east editor to try to fairly represent the different opinions taking place in that space that said, he’s got an opinion as well so asking for NPOV isn’t the right thing to do – asking him to point to a diversity of opinions is, in our case
