text:
GM, Chrysler offer buyouts and early retirement to workers

February 3, 2009

General Motorsnyse: GM (GM) and Chrysler have both begun to offer layoff packages to their workforces.

The automobile manufacturers have been hard hit in the recent economic downturn and have been forced to seek federal aid from the U.S. government. Reports say that GM's package includes a $20,000 cash payment and a $25,000 new vehicle voucher. Chrysler will offer a $25,000 vehicle voucher and $50,000 with healthcare and $75,000 without. Both will offer the deal to most United Auto Workers (UAW) union members - 62,000 at GM, which is seeking to cut 31,500 jobs by 2012.

The two companies have received $13.4 billion in federal loans to keep them operating, but Congress required them to produce viability plans to demonstrate they were making significant cost cuts and labor concessions in return for the money. UAW workers in Detroit earn $28 an hour; their replacements will earn about half that. The UAW's "jobs bank", a system where workers without duties are still paid, has stopped at both companies.

GM is also attempting to engineer a debt-for-equity swap, reducing its liabilities from $27.5 billion in unsecured debt to $9.2 billion. It is also seeking to sell a truck manufacturer, the Delco Electronics parts group and the Hummer and Saab Automobile vehicle brands.

The entire motor manufacturing sector has suffered under the economic downturn, with the Ford Motor Companynyse: F announcing a $14.6 billion annual loss, although it has not sought federal aid. GM and Chrysler both ran out of operating funds in December, leading to the federal bailout.


text:
Template:NYSE

NYSE:

Usage
This template is for economy and business articles. Usage is: "The Ford Motor Company nyse: F said today that..." which should produce "The Ford Motor Company'' NYSE: F said today that..."

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Template:NYSE


text:
User talk:Noliver

Welcome
Welcome to Wikinews! Redvers (talk) 10:31, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Noliver


text:
User:Manco Capac

w:tr:User:Manco Capac

Commons:User:Manco Capac

title: User:Manco Capac


text: Talk:GM, Chrysler offer buyouts and early retirement to workers


text:
Comments:Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck becomes king of Bhutan

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII BHUTAN NEED A KING LIKE U PLEASE BHUTAN IS A BHUDDIST COUNTRY MAKE BHUTAN BHUTAN POWERFULL COUNTRY LIKE OTHER ITS VERY BAD FOR US THAT BHUTAN IS A VERY POOR AND UNPROGRESSIVE COUNTRY

The king of bhuton is my friend when stydy in NDC NEW DELHI COURSE 45 NDC, I HOPE YOU GOOD LEADER AND GOOD CHARECTER TO LEAD YOUR PEOPLE IN BHUTON BEST REGARD TO YOUR FAMILY JIGME MY FRIEND GOOD JOB, THANKS, AIR VICE MARSHAL AGUS MUNANDAR


text:
Scandinavian Airlines System to cut 8,600 jobs

February 3, 2009 Sweden-based airline Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) said it will reduce payrolls by 8,600 jobs as part of its "Core SAS" restructuring plan.

The airline will cut 3,000 staff directly and eliminate 5,600 by divesting business ventures, reducing the workforce by 40% to 14,000. The restructuring comes after SAS posted losses of 6.32 billion Swedish krona in 2008. The company is also to sell airBaltic and Spanair and its stakes in Air Greenland, BMI, Estonian Air, Skyways Express, Spirit Airlines and Trust. Spanair is to be sold for €1. The company intends to switch to concentrating on its core Nordic market.

SAS is to seek 6 billion krona from shareholders, while the government of Denmark is to invest 600 million Danish kroner in the company. Currently, Denmark owns 14.3% of SAS, Sweden has 21.4% and Norway 14.3%. The rest is publicly traded.

The airline was founded in 1946 when the state airlines of Denmark, Sweden and Norway merged their longhaul services.


text:
User talk:Majorclanger

Welcome
Welcome to Wikinews! Redvers (talk) 12:50, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Majorclanger


text:
Template:LSE

LSE:

Usage
This template is for economy and business articles. Usage is: "Jardine Matheson Holdings lse: JAR said today that..." which should produce "Jardine Matheson HoldingsLSE: JAR said today that..."

title: Template:LSE


text:
User talk:165.138.97.251

Welcome
Thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. , welcome to Wikinews! Please refrain from using content pages for testing. Here are a few good links for newcomers on how to edit Wikinews:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 14:42, 3 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how an article should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

title: User talk:165.138.97.251


text:
User talk:86.7.68.142

Welcome
Thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. , welcome to Wikinews! Please refrain from using content pages for testing. Here are a few good links for newcomers on how to edit Wikinews:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 15:20, 3 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how an article should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

title: User talk:86.7.68.142


text:
Talk:Scandinavian Airlines System to cut 8,600 jobs

600 Danish kroner
This amount does not seem right, and I cannot find it in the 3 sources. -Unicode (talk) 23:08, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

 * Sorry, my fault: a rather large typo. It was 600 million kroner, as noted here. I've corrected the article. Thanks for letting me know. Redvers (talk) 23:14, 3 February 2009 (UTC)


text:
Comments:Barclays Bank credit rating cut by Moody's

I think this story is really really boring. Pasit Pintabut


text:
User:Anonymous101/Links

 * Special:OldReviewedPages
 * Special:RecentChanges
 * WN:WC

title: User:Anonymous101/Links


text:
User talk:75.5.3.41

Blocked
You have been blocked for 24 hours for removing information from articles. Please see the below welcome message on how to edit Wikinews. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 20:16, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

Welcome
Thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. , welcome to Wikinews! Please refrain from using content pages for testing. Here are a few good links for newcomers on how to edit Wikinews:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 20:10, 3 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how an article should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

title: User talk:75.5.3.41


text:
User talk:72.201.249.186

Blocked
You have been blocked for 24 hours for removing information from articles. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 20:21, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:72.201.249.186


text:
Automobile sales in the United States down sharply

February 3, 2009 Sales of automobiles in the United States fell as much as 35% in January, compared to the same month a year ago, as manufacturers reported their January sales.

Ford Motor Companynyse: F sales dropped 42% last month from the previous year. General Motorsnyse: GM reported a 49% decline. Chrysler was hardest hit among the domestically owned manufacturers with a plunge of 55%.

The decline in sales has not been limited to just US manufacturers. Japanese automaker Toyotanyse: TM reported a 32% drop in US sales from a year earlier, Nissan Motorsnasdaq: NSANY dropped 30%, and Hondanyse: HMC sales dropped 28%.

Subaru and South Korean Hyundai Motor Companylse: HYUD were two of the few auto firms that reported an increase in sales. They posted gains of eight and fourteen percent, respectively.

On an annual basis, sales overall have also been plummeting. Industry-wide US car sales dropped 18% last year to 13.2 million automobiles.

GM announced today that it will offer voluntary buyouts to 22,000 employees in the US, in an effort to reduce its expenditures.

Last month, GM and Chrysler were given loans worth US$17.4 billion from the government after they warned of imminent bankruptcy.


text:
Talk:Australian teenager sentenced to three months in jail for graffiti

Five W's already stated
The where has already been stated look at the beinning of the article "a SYDNEY teenager". ~andimahony
 * Where was the teenager arrested, not where is the teenager from. I have to run, but I will give you more help in an hour or so. --SVTCobra 21:23, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

I will try and clean it up if I have time. --SVTCobra 22:29, 3 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Regarding the title:
 * the news isn't the arrest (that was a month ago), the news is that the teenager has been sentenced to 3 months prison
 * the girl's name shouldn't be in the title, she is not known previously
 * Categories can be added at the bottom of the article by adding  and more.
 * "Chinese television station CCTV captured Cheyene defacing the wall" seems to be false.

 * Andimahony, I have done my cleanup. If you look at the edit history, you will see what improvements I felt were necessary before submitting for review. They are not insignificant. We are all volunteers here at Wikinews and you cannot expect that every article that you submit will get fixed on your behalf. We just don't have the manpower. You can only improve your chances of getting published by developing the articles more fully yourself. Cheers and good luck in the future. --SVTCobra 02:36, 4 February 2009 (UTC)


text: Talk:Automobile sales in the United States down sharply


text:
Obama cabinet nominees withdraw over tax issues

February 4, 2009

On Tuesday, United States President Barack Obama saw two of his cabinet nominations withdraw from consideration after issues with their taxes became public knowledge.

Former Senator Tom Daschle from South Dakota withdrew after it was revealed he failed to pay US$128,203 in taxes. He has since made the payment including a $11,964 interest payment. Obama had nominated him as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Nancy Killefer, whom Obama had appointed to the newly created position of Chief Performance Officer, withdrew her nomination because she had failed to pay payroll taxes on a household employee.

"I think I screwed up," Obama said in an interview with CNN. "And, I take responsibility for it and we're going to make sure we fix it so it doesn't happen again."

Last week, Timothy F. Geithner survived his nomination and was confirmed as Secretary of the Treasury, even though it was revealed that he had failed to pay $34,000 in taxes on income earned while working for the International Monetary Fund.


title: File:4February2009.pdf


text:
North Queensland Fury sign former Liverpool great Fowler

February 4, 2009

Australian A-League football (soccer) club North Queensland Fury announced the signing of former Liverpool FC striker Robbie Fowler for their debut season. Fowler will be their marquee player—meaning his wages fall outside the salary cap—as announced at a press conference held by their owner and chairman, Don Matheson. Fowler signed with the club on a two-season deal, for undisclosed terms, which will see him at the Fury until at least the end of the 2010-2011 season.

North Queensland, who will start their competitive history in the 2009-10 A-League season beginning later this year, have had trouble securing a marquee player, after Brazilian Cássio withdrew from negotiations at the last minute to re-sign with Adelaide United. Jade North asked for a release from his freshly-signed North Queensland contract to pursue a future with Incheon United after only five weeks.

Fowler, who was nicknamed "God" by Liverpool fans following his amazing feats for the Merseyside club—128 goals in 266 matches across two periods with the club—left English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers in December and was a free agent. He has been capped 26 times for England at senior level, most recently at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and is the fourth-highest goal-scorer in the 17-season history of the Premier League.

The 33-year-old was announced as in talks with the club in mid-January, and met with Matheson and inaugural Fury manager Ian Ferguson in Townsville for an inspection before flying back to England on January 22 to discuss the move with his family. "I had nothing but good things to tell my family about the football side of things and the lifestyle opportunities North Queensland can offer us," Fowler was quoted as saying.

The signing is a huge boost for the club, who will enter the A-League later this calendar year along with fellow expansion club Gold Coast United, also based in Queensland. Gold Coast, who have secured current Socceroos midfielder Jason Čulina as their marquee player, are largely viewed as the more glamorous of the two, however owner Matheson said this signing went a long way to redressing that.

"Robbie is a legitimate international super star of the game and there’s no doubt he will give us every chance of winning," Matheson said.


text: Talk:Obama cabinet nominees withdraw over tax issues


text:
User talk:75.40.18.151

Welcome
Thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. , welcome to Wikinews! Please refrain from using content pages for testing. Here are a few good links for newcomers on how to edit Wikinews:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! Daniel (talk) 05:05, 4 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how an article should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

title: User talk:75.40.18.151


text: Talk:North Queensland Fury sign former Liverpool great Fowler


text:
Regulator bans UK video-on-demand service

February 4, 2009 The United Kingdom's Competition Commission has decided not to allow a video-on-demand (VOD) service backed by the country's major broadcasters.

Kangaroo would have provided BBC, ITV and Channel 4 (C4) television programmes for download and streaming to UK internet users from a single interface. At present, each broadcaster has its own system. The Commission said that free-to-view Kangaroo would prevent other VOD providers entering the market because the three broadcasters control the vast majority of original programming in the UK.

Commission chairman Peter Freeman said "Without this venture, BBC Worldwide [the BBC's commercial arm], ITV and Channel 4 would be close competitors of each other. We thought that viewers would benefit from better VOD services if the parties... competed with each other".

The Kangaroo consortium issued a statement saying that "the real losers from this decision are British consumers. This is a disproportionate remedy and a missed opportunity in the further development of British broadcasting". Michael Grade, executive chairman at ITV plc, told The Guardian "We are surprised by this decision because we believed that the Kangaroo joint venture, competing in a crowded online world against dominant global brands, was an attractive UK consumer proposition, free at the point of use".

The Times says that Kangaroo had been expected to gain approval, albeit with provisos including BBC and C4 programmes being made available elsewhere.

The broadcasters already have their own existing internet download or streaming services with different funding models. The BBC iPlayer is free to use and carries no advertising; C4's 4oD charges 99p to rent a programme for 48 hours; and the ITV Player is supported by advertising.


text:
Denny's Super Bowl free 'Grand Slam Breakfast' brings 2 million diners

February 6, 2009 Denny's 1,600 chain restaurants across North America, Puerto Rico and Canada, were slammed for eight hours Tuesday with hungry patrons standing on sidewalks for nearly two hours to take advantage of the $5.99 "Grand Slam Breakfast" giveaway.

Denny's, a dining chain with annual revenue of about $900 million, has advertised in a TV commercial Sunday during the Super Bowl XLIII that it would give away its signature breakfast from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. local time Tuesday, at all its restaurants in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, while supplies lasted.

Denny's Diner has promoted the iconic dish giveaway heavily, with a bold 30-second appeal ad that aired during the third quarter of the Super Bowl 43 on Sunday, plus another 15-second ad during the post-game show, offering a free breakfast to some 90 million viewers. In addition, it has placed a full-page ad in USA Today's Monday edition. The promotion was further announced on The Today Show and notices were also sent out to the chain's "Denny's Breakfast Club" members.

The NBC ad, which was bought to unveil a new promotion for customers squeezed by the recession, may have cost as much as $3 million, said Nelson Marchioli, CEO of Denny's Corp. Super Bowl XLIII's 30-second commercial time slot costs $2.4 million–$3 million for the airtime alone, excluding production and talent costs.

The game was televised live by the US NBC Sunday Night Football and Canada's CTV Television Network. BayTSP has reported that, "as of 10 a.m. Wednesday, commercials that initially aired during NBC's Super Bowl XLIII broadcast subsequently had been watched online more than 28 million times."

"The promotion has a total cost of $5 million U.S., which includes $3 million for the commercial on NBC," said a Denny's spokesman, noting also that the company received about $50 million in news coverage, most of which was positive. According to a Denny's representative, two million people walked through the restaurant chains’ doors Tuesday, and each Denny’s restaurant served an average of 130 Grand Slams per hour.

With the "Denny's Feeds America" promotion, the company has reported 14 million hits on its Web site between Sunday night and Monday morning. Denny's shares rose 6 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $1.98 in afternoon trading. The stock has traded in a range of $1.18 to $4.10 over the past 52 weeks.

"Denny's free Grand Slam" has ranked in the top 10 Google searches early Tuesday and fell to No. 18 by the end of the promotion, while “denny s locations” was #9 on Google Trends, which tracks fast-rising searches. It has also held spots No. 1 (Denny's) and 7 (Grand Slam) on Twitter's trending topics. It has generated much chat on Twitter, garnering 1,700 tweets on Tuesday, compared with its average of 59. Doritos, winner of the USA TODAY survey for best Super Bowl spot ad, had 933 mentions after reaching a peak of almost 3,300.

The idea of the TV ad was to get people to come in and re-evaluate Denny’s Diner. “A lot of people have forgotten what Denny’s is, or they think they know, while we’ve come out with a whole lot of new products. We felt like we needed to jump start the brand,” Denny’s Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer Mark Chmiel said.

"We're celebrating the Grand Slam this year," Chmiel said. According to the company's financial data, on January 15 Denny's reported systemwide comparable-store sales for the fourth quarter were down 6.1 percent, compared to a 0.2 percent decline from the same period in 2007.

According to Robert Gonzalez, public relations company Hill & Knowlton spokesman, Denny's has expected at least 2 million people to eat a free Grand Slam by the end of the promotion. "Every restaurant is packed with people and lines," Gonzalez said. "Everything today is about fast. People are on the go, and they're eating fast food. It's cutting into sit-down dining," he added.

"Each of the more than 1,500 Denny's were planning to make about 100 Grand Slams an hour," Denny's spokeswoman Cori Rice said. It had predicted it will have served about 1,400 people per location, more than five times the normal volume. "Grand Slam Breakfast" is a four-item option on its menu, consisting of two pancakes, two eggs, two strips of bacon and two sausage links. It weighs in at 44 grams of fat, 56 carbohydrates and 770 calories.

Nationwide, Denny's expected to sell about 2 million Grand Slams — about 15 percent of the annual tally. According to Mark Chmiel, chief marketing operator and executive vice president, the diner chain has reported approximately 2 million meals worth more than $12 million were given away nationwide and each Denny’s restaurant served an average of 130 Grand Slams per hour. It estimated it has earned about $50 million worth of public relations following the free Grand Slam campaign, Chmiel said.

The company is also experimenting with a Grand Slam Burrito and also has introduced for this year, a Grand Slamwich, which includes eggs, bacon, sausage and cheese between two slices of bread, with a teaspoon serving. "It already has shown strong consumer appeal," said Chmiel. The company has received flood of e-mails and letters proving the positive impact of the Grand Slam campaign and commercials on its customers.

Chmiel also announced he's planning a third major promotion in this year's third quarter, which happens to include another major sporting event, the World Series. "That's one we're definitely looking at," he said.

Jobless Paris Winslow of downtown San Francisco, California has joined the long line which stretched from the front door on Mission Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, to the corner of Fourth and up the block. "The economy is getting kind of scary. This line looks like those pictures of soup kitchen lines during the 1929 Great Depression," Winslow said.

"I came all the way from San Francisco for a free $6 meal, Isn't that pathetic? A year ago, I never would have done this. These days I'm willing to put my ego on the back burner," said Stephen Weller, a jobless contractor who waited with his dog, Emmett. California Denny's restaurant managers have issued rain checks (for free chilled meals, as security backed by actual bacon) to anyone who failed to get in by the 2 p.m. deadline.

A big eater could also "Slam It Up" by adding any two additional items for 99 cents each to their meal. Customers on Tuesday were also handed "bounceback" coupon books that include offers for additional free menu items with purchases. Chicago Tribune reporter Kevin Pang has eaten five free Grand Slams on Tuesday at five different Denny's Diners in four hours. He claims to have consumed 4,100 calories at Harwood Heights, 5:36 a.m, at Schiller Park, 6:22 a.m., at Franklin Park, 7:08 a.m., at Melrose Park, 7:41 a.m. and at Grand Slam No. 5 Oak Park, 8:57 a.m.

"The Grand Slam has always been a Denny's favorite. This free offer is our way of reacquainting America with Denny's real breakfast and with the Denny's brand," Denny's CEO Nelson Marchioli said in a statement. In 1977s, the Grand Slam started as a baseball-related promotion in Atlanta, Georgia. Its normal price averages around $5.99. Marchioli said the event was also a way to kick-off its "Year of the Grand Slam" promotion. Denny's claimed it has sold 12.5 million Grand Slams a year.

"The economy's tough and people are jumping all the way to fast food to try to figure it out. We all use fast food, whether it's for time or convenience or for money. But you can go to Denny's and you don't have to give up a real breakfast and that was the whole focus of our commercial," Marchioli explained. McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500) has done well during this economic meltdown since the global recession pushes people toward less expensive dining options.

McDonald's has announced plans Wednesday to open 175 new restaurants in China this year despite the global economic crisis, thereby increasing the number of outlets in China by 17 percent, from 1,050 currently. Last month, McDonald's 2008 net profit has risen 80 percent from 2007 to 4.3 billion dollars.

Marchioli has also introduced Denny's $4 Weekday Express Slam, which is a streamlined version of the Grand Slam. "I want to take back share. For too long, we have allowed others to take share, whether it was Starbucks or McDonald's. They're fine competitors and I don't expect to take all their business from them, but I'd like a little bit back," Marchioli noted.

According to Rafi Mohammed, author of "The Art of Pricing," people love free. "It triggers a Pavlovian response in people," said Mohammed. If Pavlov's dogs salivate when a bell rings, Denny's free Grand Slam breakfast has attracted 2 million hungry customers. "I believe free maximizes trial and doesn't devalue a product as long as it is a rare event. Aside from the cost, the major downside is that it attracts customers who truly have no intention of coming back," he added.

According to University of Portland consumer psychology professor Deana Julka, people flock to free promotions amid just a few dollars saving because there's nothing in life for free. "So when there's something out there that costs nothing, it creates a psychological rush. Especially in these times when people feel overtaxed or overburden, there's an internal reward people feel by getting something for free," she said. "It's being thrifty and feeling like you beat the system. Free really hits the spot for a lot of people," Julka added.

"Free is an emotional hot button. When free is concerned, there is no downside - or, at least, we don't see the downside immediately. So we overvalue everything that is free. People love free stuff, particularly when money's tight," said Dan Ariely, a business professor at Duke University, author of "Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions."

Experts, however, explained these moves need to be done sparingly, since giveaways can teeter in the balance between desperation and a well designed marketing ploy. "Giving your product away for free is not worth it because it undermines your brand value," said branding expert Rob Frankel, saying people are attached to the idea of it being free, than the actual product itself.

Free giveaways are not anything new in the food industry. "It just feels good when you can get something for free and not have to worry about it coming out of your wallet," Frankel noted. Dunkin' Donuts and Panera Bread all have had free coffee and food promos last year. "In November, Starbucks gave away free cup of coffee to anyone who came in on Election Day. Have you taken a look at how Starbucks is doing now?" Last week it has announced it would shut down 300 stores, in addition to the 600 it already planned to close.

On February 24, IHOP will be offering a free shortstack to every customer to encourage donations (in place of the cost) for Childrens Miracle Network. The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) is a United States-based restaurant chain that specializes in breakfast foods and is owned by DineEquity. The chain had more than 1950 restaurants in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada and Mexico. Since 2006, IHOP's National Pancake Day celebration has raised over $1.85 million. In 2008, over 1.5 million pancakes (12 miles high if they were stacked) were given to customers for donations.

Denny's ("Denny's Diner") is a full-service diner/family restaurant chain in the United States. It operates over 2,500 restaurants in the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Curaçao, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand). The resto chain is known for always being open, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert around the clock.

Today, Denny's operates about 1,600 restaurants in all 50 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. There are also about 578 Denny's restaurants in Japan operated under a license by a subsidiary of Seven & I Holdings, seven Denny's locations in New Zealand, and approximately 38 Denny's diners in the United States. Denny's headquarters is now located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, headquarters of the parent company Trans World Corporation that acquired Denny's in 1987.

Denny's was historically notable for offering a free meal to anyone on their birthday. The offer included a limited number of meal options from a special birthday menu. The promotional ritual ceased in 1993, though occasionally individual franchises will continue the tradition.

In 2008, Denny's has ceased to be in the ranks among the top diner chains in the $83 billion breakfast market, whose top five firms -- McDonald's, Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Burger King and IHOP -- accounted for 22 percent of the volume. "A lot of consumers have written Denny's off their let's-go-there list," said Ron Paul, president of Technomic, a consulting firm.

Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers (15–4) and the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals (12–8) to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2008 NFL season. It was played on February 1, 2009, at Raymond James Stadiumin Tampa, Florida. It has an attendance of 70,774 and 98.7 million viewers. Pittsburgh earned its sixth Super Bowl win, thus securing sole possession of the record for most Super Bowl wins.


text:
Talk:Denny's Super Bowl free 'Grand Slam Breakfast' brings 2 million diners

I CREATED this interesting news article on Denny's Super Bowl XLIII free and egg-cellent 'Grand Slam Breakfast'. I am Philippines Judge Florentino Floro, having registered with Wikinews on December 3, 2008, and is a Editor as of January 12, 2009.
 * In having written more than "62 articles" (here - User:Florentino Floro/MyList and in Wikipedia Encyclopedia User:Florentino Floro/MyList2), I live with my Philosophy and hope to elevate Wikinwews to the phenomenal success of Wikipedia encyclopedia, by writing very comprehensive, detailed and fully synthesized news, amid collaboration of editors and the final touch of the reviewer. Please do not be annoyed if sometimes, (due to stress and human factor - plus the fact that as lawyer and judge, I never ever had enrolled in any journalism subject), I would tend to relax the copyright rules and style guide, but, without however, violating the SPIRIT AND INTENT of both international law of copyright, and Wikinews rules on style guide. REST ASSURED, that in writing every news article, I VALUE fairness, justice, integrity and honesty. This is what NEWS WRITING is all about. Please help in publishing this news. Cheers.--Florentino Floro (talk) 09:56, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

 * Other minor sources: Denny's Grand Slam giveaway draws crowd

Breakfast in America FOLLOW-UP: Denny's patrons in Saginaw Township gobble up pancakes in free promotion Hungry patrons swamp Denny's in Visalia  Free Breakfast at Denny's on Feb. 3rd: Hurry, Hurry! Denny's free food draws big crowds Denny's hits grand slam--Florentino Floro (talk) 15:00, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Big investment on ads $ 3m
Give me some more 3 hours to finish this. I am waiting for the facts, since this is a big story. It is not just about free 8 hours of meal, but the $ 3m +++ invested to catch a part of McDo's success. Today, I saw on Channel News Asia that McDo will put 175 outlets in Asia or Japan. Denny's is not cheap it is hearty but 6$ Now, here in Philippines, because of giant Jollibee, McDo is not even breaking even. It is dying. --Florentino Floro (talk) 08:14, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Title and style
Hey, please if you have more time, put some style guide finishing touches on this. And if you wish to shorten the WACKY long title, please do. I added more details since this is a very interesting news article.
 * Some more sources:McDonald's to open 175 new outlets in China: state media

Laraque says he's reason Habs open up on injuries Denny's Fans To Pack Diner For Free Breakfast Free Grand Slam breakfast offer too awesome for Denny's Web servers Denny's Super Bowl Ad Invites Americans to Enjoy a Free Grand Slam(R) Breakfast on Tuesday, February 3; Unprecedented Offer for a Sit-Down Restaurant in the US Super Bowl battle of the brands continues  Denny's maintains Twitter interest--Florentino Floro (talk) 11:03, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

 * Other sources I added:Free giveaways are not anything new in the food industry. In November, Starbucks offered a free cup of coffee to anyone who came in on Election Day.

Denny's operates approximately 1,500 company and franchised restaurants in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Guam, Mexico, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. Will IHOP Pancake Day Beat Denny's Grand Slam Giveaway? Denny's Promises More Grand Slam Menu Promotions--Florentino Floro (talk) 10:06, 6 February 2009 (UTC)


text: User talk:Hornoir

title: User talk:Hornoir


text: User:Hornoir

title: User:Hornoir


text:
UK television presenter sacked after "golliwog" comment

February 4, 2009 The BBC has sacked Carol Thatcher after she compared a black tennis player to a golliwog doll.

Thatcher, daughter of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was dropped from the primetime BBC One magazine programme The One Show after she made the remark after the show in the studio green room. The BBC has declined to name the tennis player in question. The BBC said that it had hoped for an unconditional apology from the 55-year-old journalist and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here winner after staff reported that the remark to management, but a spokesman said "We're no longer going to be working with her on The One Show" when the apology did not appear.

Thatcher's spokesman said that she "never intended any racist comment", adding that "[s]he made a light aside about this tennis player and his similarity to the golliwog on the jam pot when she was growing up. There's no way, obviously, that she would condone any racist comment - we would refute that entirely. It would not be in her nature to do anything like that". He said that "[s]he has summarily apologised".

The BBC said that remarks of this type were "wholly unacceptable". Former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Tebbit said "It does seem very odd that Jonathan Ross can be back broadcasting having made obscene, insulting remarks on the air, and Carol Thatcher, who said something which is allegedly highly offensive but which I rather doubt was meant to be so, in private, should be banned in this way," adding, "It is probably a bit of a way for the BBC to get back at Carol's mother". The AFP news agency reports that Thatcher will still work with the BBC on other projects.

The Corporation has suffered scandals in the last few years, such as the recent Russell Brand-Jonathan Ross episode, which saw the two presenters making obscene phone calls to actor Andrew Sachs.


text:
Comments:Australian teenager sentenced to three months in jail for graffiti

Broken English is the Voice of Reason. - Don't lock up 2shie!!!
It seems obvious that the cafe owner, Ms. Wang with her broken english, is the voice of reason. Three months in jail costs the state money and introduces them to a whole new culture. Which (as non-violent first time offenders) they will have enough time to have to adapt to. Having them lose a number of their precious saturdays, scrubbing graffiti would also help alleviate graffiti's half billion dollar cleaning cost. It's your money Australia use it wisely. Nick Wheeler, NYC —96.232.16.171 12:17, 4 February 2009 (UTC) Many are caught,all end up scrubbing and the problem grows-ColJohnKeyes (talk)

Give Her A Break!
I think that with her being a first time offender that she needs to be cut a break because every teenager messes up, and she isn't the first and won't be the last. I know that when I was 14 I did some vandilism, and I got cut a break. I'm 17 now and if it wasn't for my break I wouldn't be the young man that I am today. I hope that everything works out for you Cheyne. She has been 'cut a break' 3 months is very lenient-ColJohnKeyes (talk) 19:25, 5 February 2009 (UTC) Kids today don't get punished for anything anymore. When I was growing up I got whipped for the smallest things. After only a few times I stayed out of trouble and was very close to my parents growing up. Lock her up. She needs discipline in her life. Thats the spirit, a good flogging will sort her out,in public preferably-ColJohnKeyes (talk)

You have to be Joking - What was the Judge thinking
At this age and an offense like this Jail will do that person more harm than good.

A hefty fine and community work would have done the trick.

Wrong. What you want is some good old school beat down by her parents. -99.247.16.231 08:33, 5 February 2009 (UTC) What?-ColJohnKeyes (talk)

3 months for graffiti
Tagging is not sophisticated urban art,it is not art of any sort and it's certainly not irrepressable self expression but simply selfish vandalism.Smear your name (Tag)on somebody elses property even ordinary working peoples garden walls,fence, house, business and selfish adolescents think their suddenly 'so cool'.In some urban areas every wall, door, signpost,bus,toilet and even garbage bins are tagged with the idiotic scrawl, usually translated as 'pinhead was here'. 3 months in jail, more than reasonable and despite not having been caught before this one is a repeat offender so has got off lightly. Of course it's sad for her but selfish behaviour must carry it's own reward and if as a bonus it deters other compulsive name signers then so much the better. No doubt a stream of bleeding heart liberal, politically correct bourgeoisie will protest this and no doubt none of them will have been subjected to tagging.

graffiti girl gets 3 months
Girl tags wall and gets 3 months in jail.Is this 'fair'?, of course it's not. But she's become the focus of community anger over the selfish,arrogant and 'I'm so clever' behaviour of adolescents who confuse scrawling their name over any vertical surface with art and repeating the act as creativity.Despoiling the work of other people wantonly and sneakily,usually at night is just wrong and shows an attitude of absolute selfishness.What does a Tag say? It says " look at me, look at me, I'm so clever and your property is now advertising me for all to see,I'm so clever look,my name is everywhere I'm a star.To the more mature amongst us and those who have actually been educated in things like social responsibility and civic duty it says vandalism,it looks ugly and it spoils the hard work of those who have made those signs, painted those walls, spent their wages on attractive sandstone walls only to get up the very next day after laying dozens of heavy blocks and finding that someone has sprayed it with incomprehensible squiggles in a permanent vivid blue solvent based paint. You can't educate these selfish,destructive idiots in doing the right thing, they already know it's wrong but they don't care.Like any group of selfish destructive arrogant people anywhere they only truly understand the effect of their actions when it's done to them, when their precious property is defiled.The easiest way to upset a tagger is to vandalise their little moniker, add a flower and a couple of smiley faces and watch the dismay and anger and incomprehension.Then give them 3 months in jail,for spite and because it makes us feel better, a bit of justice for once.-ColJohnKeyes (talk) 19:11, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Oh my...
3 months in jail for a little bit of graffiti is crazy, and she is a first time offender. Who makes this stuff up?

The best punishment would be having her clean all the mess she's done so far plus something like shaving her hair and oblige her to take esperanto courses.

Deserves everything she gets
Ladies and gentlemen, the soft approach of "There-there, it was only a minor crime. It didn't hurt anybody.  Here, let's hold your hand, give you a big hug to comfort you because you got caught, and then let you back on the streets so you can do it all again" is getting old very fast. She's 18 years old, making her an adult in the eyes of the law. She's likely done the same thing in the past and thinks she can get off with a slap on the wrist yet again. This sorts of selfish individual scoff at law enforcement, have no regard for other people and their property... it needs to stop, and the only way to induce respect for the law is to use the force behind it, otherwise all you end up with is what we have now - repeat offenders that breed criminals.

Rehabilitation does not work, and when that finally dawns on the powers-that-be, offenders are going to be in for a nasty suprise, much like this 'fine and upstanding citizen' was. I heartily praise the judge behind the gavel in this case. Bravo indeed.

Bravo you say?!! Well then, one day you will find that same injustice breathing down your neck. Because the injustice you would have perpetrated onto others will some day be perpetrated against you. What you would permit as harm to another will one day come to harm you. That's karma. God save your pitiless soul..

Common Law Australia
If someone causes harm or loss they should pay for the harm or loss. The cafe owner wanted $200 for damages. If that represents her loss then the teenager girl should meet that cost, and that should be the end of it. For the state to step in and punish the teenager beyond that is completely immoral. And to send her to jail as an example to others is absolutely criminal. These crimes against the public by the courts need to be addressed by the people who form the commonwealth, and if the legal system doesn't listen to the people of the commonwealth it should be completely removed from our land. We the people form the indissoluble commonwealth of Australia. All subsequent organisations exist at our pleasure for our service. What displeases the people should be removed from society. The time has come to remove the corrupt Admiralty law -state imposed legal system, and go back to common law. Mathew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law” This is the whole foundation of common law. Do not cause harm or loss. Failing that take responsibility and be accountable for harm or loss caused by you. And when an organisation like the courts harms one of us, we need to act as one and force the institution to be accountable for its crimes. Touch one touch all. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.101.214.62 (talk) 03:00, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

 * That's a nice sentiment, which I completely disagree with. Teenagers these days see any back step as another point in their perpetual rebellion against their elders, which your statement suggests. "Take responsibility and be accountable for harm or loss caused by you" is exactly what is NOT happening with so many of today's teenagers. The prolonged softly, softly approach that has been espoused by governments and many family groups is obviously not working. "Remove the legal system from the land if it doesn't listen to the people"? What a ridiculous statement to make. Living by the bible is fine in a largely religious community, but enforcing your christian beliefs in a multi-denomination, and an increasingly atheist, society like Australia's is arrogant beyond belief.
 * I say a good public caning would do a world more good. It's reminiscent of the American teenager who was arrested for graffiti in Singapore. He was sentenced to 20 lashes with the cane in public which the government enforced despite the US government's protests. Better still, grafitti her house and get her to clean it off. --217.206.99.134 11:15, 16 April 2009 (UTC)
 * There's a certain temptation to view a little retributive vandalism as appropriate justice, but it's stepping into "mobster justice". Real justice, as it has evolved to today, is a mix of punishment, prevention, and correction. Community service might, in this case, have been more appropriate; perhaps like the UK village shopkeeper who made kids sign bottles and wrappers so they could be identified if they littered - and then made to do a litter cleanup run. --Brian McNeil / talk 14:02, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

Teenager in a jail
Teenager has been jailed for writing her nickname in the wall of a restaurant121.1.18.239 (talk) 07:01, 29 June 2014 (UTC)


text:
Template:NASDAQ

NASDAQ:

Usage
This template is for economy and business articles. Usage is: "Yahoo nasdaq: YHOO said today that..." which should produce "YahooNASDAQ: YHOO said today that..."

title: Template:NASDAQ


text:
Report: Man tries to hang himself on an American Airlines flight

February 4, 2009

According to the newly formed BNO News Agency, an unnamed man tried to hang himself on an American Airlines flight which took off from Cibao International Airport in the Dominican Republic and was traveling to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City located in the state of New York.

American Airlines flight 834 was en-route to New York when the pilot reported that there was a medical emergency on board the plane. BNO says that a man had attempted to hang himself while the plane was in mid-flight. When the plane landed, the man was taken off the plane by emergency services who were on standby at JFK Airport.

Despite the report, American Airlines previously refused to comment on the incident because of the passengers privacy, but an unnamed official said that they had heard about the incident, "but [believed] it is not true." The airline later stated to BNO that "the passenger did not try to commit suicide, however the passenger did have a medical condition that prompted our crew to call the tower and request assistance." Even though the airline insists there was no suicide attempt, BNO states that the FBI was called and put on standby at the airport along with emergency services. Their involvement in the situation is not yet known, but BNO says the FBI is investigating.

On February 10, 2006, a man died after hanging himself in a bathroom aboard a United Airlines flight traveling from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, California.


text:
Talk:Report: Man tries to hang himself on an American Airlines flight

Review 1

 * Would you like to provide a source that says it for sure? As of the moment there is nothing to say it was or wasn't. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 16:40, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Bogus?
The is increasingly seeming bogus. I am unable to find any mention anywhere, besides what is listed in sources, and I have already stated my opinion that the twitty based sources should not be considered reliable. --SVTCobra 01:57, 6 February 2009 (UTC)


text:
User:Mitul0520

I am one of the admins at | Hindi Wikipedia.

title: User:Mitul0520


text:
Comments:Stanford physicists print smallest-ever letters 'SU' at subatomic level of 1.5 nanometres tall

Wondering why there is no image in a story like this...!?!
 * You want an image, okay, here it is

. --Brian McNeil / talk 16:47, 4 February 2009 (UTC)
 * You beat me to it. Fephisto (talk) 00:40, 9 February 2009 (UTC)


text:
User talk:12.145.73.162

Comments
Please do not remove other people's comments. Thank you. --SVTCobra 18:38, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:12.145.73.162


text:
User talk:Bballer213

Welcome
DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 19:59, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Bballer213


text:
Comments:Obama cabinet nominees withdraw over tax issues

Anyone remember when Joe said "It's patriotic to pay your taxes"?--KDP3 (talk) 20:47, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

I think it's good that President Obama took responsibility for this. However, it worries me that only two weeks into his presidency, he already has to apologize for big mistakes.--JTornado (talk) 21:31, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

 * your worries are petty. so they weren't properly vetted. big deal.  - Imind (talk) 02:37, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

Geithner
Why the dig at Geithner? United Nations salaries are tax free: since (unlike other countries) the IRS wants this money anyway, they could at least have the decency to send a letter to these few thousand employees explaining how to calculate these odd taxes.

I bet he is not the only one.

--InfantGorilla (talk) 08:57, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

Why is the Secretary of Treasury the only one who was confirmed who did not pay taxes? It seems to me the Secretary of Treasury should be the first one to get the boot for not paying taxes.

Doubts on Obama's responsibility
Before nominating the said withdrawees, was Obama aware that they had evaded taxes? If not, I see no reason why he should go ahead to accept taking rsponsibility for some persons' acts. He should simply accept their withdrawal as proof of a just democracy and transparency. It's no fault of his.Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.190.224.242 (talk) 14:42, 9 February 2009 (UTC)
 * In both Geitner and Daschle's cases, the Obama team discovered the problems and told them to fix them before their confirmations. I am not sure whether the Killefer issue was a surprise. --SVTCobra 15:09, 9 February 2009 (UTC)


text: Talk:Regulator bans UK video-on-demand service


text:
Talk:UK television presenter sacked after "golliwog" comment

Image
Image is likely to get deleted on Commons, I saved a copy. If deleted, I will evaluate for fair use. --SVTCobra 04:40, 11 September 2019 (UTC)


text:
MySpace removes 90,000 sex offenders

February 5, 2009

On February 4, 2009 in an attempt to keep MySpace safe for young users, MySpace officials stated that they have removed 90,000 sex offender accounts from their website. The social networking site admitted this is double what they anticipated last year. MySpace previously thought the site had 40,000 offender accounts registered. North Carolina attorney general Roy Cooper and Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal stated that they encourage and seek more social networking sites like MySpace to become safer. After the MySpace team calculated the number of sex offenders on their website they submitted the numbers to both attorneys on Tuesday February 3.

"This shocking revelation, resulting from our subpoena, provides compelling proof that social networking sites remain rife with sexual predators," said Blumenthal.

Both attorneys work with Facebook and MySpace in an agreement to make their social networking websites safer, especially for young users. They have already made both websites safer by implementing dozens of safeguards and a special features where users older than the age of 18 have limitations searching users less than 18 years of age.

title: MySpace removes 90,000 sex offenders


text:
UN demands return of aid seized by Hamas

February 5, 2009

The United Nations relief agency United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is demanding that Hamas return food and blankets intended for Gaza Strip civilians in Palestine, which was seized by Hamas' Ministry of Social Affairs.

According to UNRWA, the supplies were seized on Tuesday by Hamas police. The 3,500 blankets and 406 parcels of food were intended to help 500 families affected by the recent Israel–Gaza conflict. "UNRWA condemns in the strongest terms the confiscation of its aid supplies and has demanded that it is returned immediately," wrote UNRWA spokesperson Christopher Gunness in a press release.

"They were armed. They seized this. They took it by force," Gunness added, speaking to the press. He called the incident "absolutely unacceptable."

Meanwhile, The Palestinian Information Center, a Hamas-centric website, reported that Ismail Haniyeh's government denies the UNRWA allegations. Further, it says that the supplies were put in police custody after Hamas learned that they were only being distributed to Fatah supporters.

"UNRWA did not do what it said it would do, and began distributing its aid to groups that tie their activities to political activism," said Ahmad Kurd, the Hamas official in charge of the Ministry of Social Affairs, to the Associated Press.

John Holmes, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said, "The United Nations cannot accept under any circumstances the diversion of aid by a party to a conflict."

"We are very concerned, but this is an isolated incident, we hope," said Alix de Mauny, of the European Commission, which is among the largest donors of aid money to the Palestinians. "We will react accordingly if this develops beyond an isolated incident."

However, Israel indicated that it believes that Hamas routinely seizes aid meant for civilians.

"We have said in the past that we know Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid and donations from international organizations," said Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesperson.

Gunness denied that assertion. "Does anyone really think that the Americans, who are our single largest donor, or the Europeans, who are our largest multination donor, would give us aid in the generous way they do if they thought that aid would go to terrorists?" he said.


text: User:Pietru il-Boqli

title: User:Pietru il-Boqli


text:
User talk:89.155.11.177

Foreign news
Unfortunately the English wikinews does not accept news in other languages however please feel free to submit it to the relevant version as shown here. Thanks --Mark Talk to me 00:26, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:89.155.11.177


title: File:5February2009.pdf


text:
Queensland state Green party to run environmental lawyer in treasurer's electorate

February 5, 2009

The Queensland Greens will run an environmental lawyer against incumbent treasurer Andrew Fraser at this years Queensland state election in Australia. Larissa Waters will be the party's candidate for the seat of Mt Coot-tha.

Ms Waters says she is hoping that the premier does not call the election in May, as she [Ms Waters] is expecting her first child that month.

"I am giving that a fair bit of interest," she said. "Luckily we have a pretty good branch in Mt Coot-tha."

Ms Waters received a 6 per cent swing at the 2006 election in the Brisbane Central electorate, which was then held by then premier Peter Beattie. She then missed out on a federal senate spot by a narrow margin.

While acknowledging Mr Fraser's abilities, Ms Waters questions whether he was still in touch with the electorate.

"This has been the greenest electorate in Queensland is the past few elections," she said. "And Andrew Fraser is just not green enough for this electorate. It think it is more important that he is more connected with the people of his electorate than schmoozing."

The Greens unveiled its policy to open two solar power stations last weekend.

"We can tackle climate change and create long-term jobs, but Labor can't see that because they are blinded by the interests of their big donors - the urban development and coal industries," Ms Waters said.

"The Greens want to give the community and the environment a voice back in State Parliament."

Queensland's unicameral parliament is currently made up of 58 Australian Labor Party (ALP) members, 25 Liberal National Party (LNP) members, one member each from The Greens and One Nation and four independents.

Ms Waters believes there is a general dissatisfaction with both the ALP and LNP and promotes the Greens as an appropriate balance of power, similar to that of the party's federal senate members.

Acknowledging the steps taken by the premier on reforming laws to protect the Great Barrier Reef, she has said that "[i]t is long overdue. But the package doesn't cover the complete range of issues. We need both 'stick and carrot' in our approach in this area."

Her campaign will be officially launched today on Mt Coot-tha.


text:
Talk:MySpace removes 90,000 sex offenders

NPOV
Seems overly pro-myspace. How many sex-offenders intent on attacking minors do the following: I highly doubt this makes anything safer. To the contrary, all it gives is a false sense of security. Bawolff ☺☻ 05:45, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Use their real name on myspace
 * Input their real age


text:
Comments:Automobile sales in the United States down sharply

When automakers think they can do business as usual they are a bad bet. We should have put mandates on the loan or do so retroactively. Public transport and no non-hybrid cars. Nick Wheeler, NYC—96.232.215.153 07:30, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

No Rewards for Bad Business
When automakers think they can do business as usual they are a bad bet. The Gov. should have put mandates on the loan or should do so retroactively. We aren't a bank, who doesn't have to care, how our loans work.

As an auto lender, who can we get to back our loan, China? Those days are gone. We also aren't, just, a corporate bank, that can fold its identity and walk away. Letting everything fall on its tush, because we wanted a bigger managing salary. Instead of relying on the 36.6 = 480 derivative imbalance. See:.

Solely public transport and no non-hybrid cars, ever again is our best bet.

Nick Wheeler, NYC—96.232.215.153 08:04, 5 February 2009 (UTC)


text:
Comments:UK television presenter sacked after "golliwog" comment

Good.--131.251.134.156 08:06, 5 February 2009 (UTC)


text:
Bill Gates releases mosquitoes during conference for malaria awareness

February 5, 2009 , the founder of computer software company Microsoft, tried to bring attention to while speaking at the  (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference on Wednesday February 4 in, California. He did so by releasing a "swarm" of mosquitoes from a jar, into the crowd.

"Malaria is spread by mosquitoes. I brought some. Here I'll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected," said Gates as he opened the jar. After waiting a minute, Gates then stated that the mosquitoes were not infected with the disease.

"There is more money put into baldness drugs than into malaria. Now, baldness is a terrible thing and rich men are afflicted. That is why that priority has been set," said Gates jokingly.

The prank was first reported by Dave Morin, 's manager, on the social networking and micro-blogging site. Morin stated that "Gates just released mosquito[e]s into the audience at TED and said: 'Not only poor people should experience this,'" followed by a smiley face.

Gates donated nearly 170 million to the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative in September 2008 to fund research to fight malaria, and develop a vaccine.

The TED conference, held annually, features, among other things, the latest in technology, science, and politics. People who have previously spoken at the conference include former United States president Bill Clinton and former vice president.


text:
User talk:Nick Wheeler

Welcome
DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 12:52, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Nick Wheeler


text:
User talk:212.219.207.43

Welcome
Thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. , welcome to Wikinews! Please refrain from using content pages for testing. Here are a few good links for newcomers on how to edit Wikinews:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 12:53, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how an article should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

title: User talk:212.219.207.43


text:
User talk:Mmxx

Welcome
DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 12:54, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Mmxx


text: Talk:UN demands return of aid seized by Hamas


text:
User talk:195.195.161.242

Welcome
Thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. , welcome to Wikinews! Please refrain from using content pages for testing. Here are a few good links for newcomers on how to edit Wikinews:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 14:29, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how an article should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

title: User talk:195.195.161.242


text:
Comments:MySpace removes 90,000 sex offenders

Online Danger - Reality Check
While I certainly support measures like this, and don't want to minimize how important it is to get sexual predators off of social networks, we need to make sure that reality is taken into account. The study linked in this Ars Technica article was a part of the agreement that resulted in these account removals, and it paints a very interesting picture, one that the Attorneys General involved here didn't really like.

Some interesting items from the report: "[T]he risks minors face online are complex and multifaceted and are in most cases not significantly different than those they face offline." and "[T]he truth is that there is no 'Internet safety,' there is simply 'safety.'"

From the Ars article, this sums up the reality pretty well:

"When it comes to sexual solicitation, the fraction of individuals targeted by adult strangers is quite small. Most of the youth targeted are older adolescents, and a large majority of those solicitations come from someone under 25; in many cases, they involve other adolescents. Many of those on the receiving end don't view the solicitations they've received as inappropriate, and somewhere in the area of 98 percent of those targeted in this manner brush off the suggestions without giving it much further thought. Far from being innocent victims, the youth who choose to act on these solicitations generally know exactly what they're doing, and their choice is often symptomatic of larger problems. "The psychosocial makeup of and family dynamics surrounding particular minors," the report notes, "are better predictors of risk than the use of specific media or technologies." "

And also of note:

"At least one of the Attorneys General that helped arrange for this report would apparently prefer the focus stay on the horror. Connecticut AG Richard Blumenthal, who is specifically singled out for thanks by the report's authors, is quoted by The New York Times as saying its focus on available statistics "downplayed the predator threat." "

In other words, he thought that the focus on actual, verified facts and available data didn't show what he wanted the report to show. I disagree, and feel that there needs to be a focus on reality, even if the reality is that the problem isn't easy to solve, and likely not as bad as the fear-infused public might believe. So, while getting 90,000 sex offender profiles off MySpace is a big win, and I heartily approve, I hope (likely in vain) that those numbers won't be used to over-inflate the threat. That usually leads to bad laws that hurt everyone on the 'Net. --MJ the Prophet (talk) 14:34, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Sex Offender does not equal predator!
When will these idiots get it through their heads that "sex offender" and "predator" do not mean the same thing?

They need to go back to school and learn the difference, and stop the boasting and grandstanding!

 * I don't blame MySpace for just removing all sex offenders, even people who would not be considered active predators. They are a private company that has taken so much heat for the real predators that crawl their site, that they are smart to remove anybody that has a sex offense on their record. Even if this does not change the true threat on their site, the huge figure of people banned helps save their public reputation.

 * The difference is irrelevant for their purposes. Sex offenders are sex offenders. And nobody wants them around.
 * Oh, you're only a sex offender? That's a relief. Mind watching my kids while I rest easy? -99.224.209.50 12:12, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

I would like to know more. This story sounds like something very positive but there is another side to it that's not discussed:

How do MySpace know for sure who the sex offenders are, and from my point of view how do I ensure that I don't get accidentally labelled as an offender? Do the courts carefully verify every application or is MySpace simply supplied with a list of names? We know how accurate that latter kind of no-fly list can be.

Will the first court case for libel halt this useful child protection scheme due to the consequences of innocent people being hunted in vendettas and having their families taken from them - or has it been well thought through with judicial safeguards and protection until proven guilty? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sufijam (talk • contribs) 21:05, 11 February 2009 (UTC)
 * I very much doubt there will be any way to tell that a closed account on Facebook was for this reason. --Brian McNeil / talk 23:09, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

More Sheeple News...Sounds like a real accomplishment...to a moron.
So let me see if I can get this right.

They found 90,000 Properly & Legally Registered Former Sex Offenders on My Space using their real names, photos, addresses, and profiles, many even acknowledging they were Registered Former Offenders in said profiles.

WOW! Seems like these Sex Offenders are idiots using their real names and information to prey on Children over 13 as My Space says ALL members have to be over 13 and we all know no one makes up false ages or profiles on MY SPACE.

Sounds like shooting fish in a barrel. Easy National Media Coverage for votes and pandering to the public fear and ignorance. No Challenge there. Kinda like a Bank Robber robbing his own bank without a mask and with a note with his name and address on it.

Now let's see them get the real predators off My Space like the recent 18yr old who blackmailed teens for pictures and sex, but wait, he was not a Registered Sex Offender was he. And it is my guess that any future "Predators" discovered on My Space WILL NOT be a Registered Former Offender. Kind of makes the job harder to find the real dangerous members as they are NOT Registered Offenders, they are NOT using their real names and profile information, and NO ONE even knows they are there until it is too late.

"Stupid is as Stupid Does." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.227.96.106 (talk) 18:41, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

People will believe the worst no matter what.
So let me see if I get this right.

They found 90,000 Properly & Legally Registered Former Sex Offenders on My Space using their real names, photos, addresses, and profiles, many even acknowledging they were Registered Former Offenders in said profiles.

WOW! Seems like these Sex Offenders are idiots, using their real names and information to prey on Children over 13 as My Space says ALL members have to be over 13 and we all know no one makes up false ages or profiles MY SPACE.

Sounds like shooting fish in a barrel. Easy National Media Coverage for votes and pandering to the public fear and ignorance. No Challenge there. This is kinda like a Bank Robber robbing his own bank without a mask and with a note with his name and address on it.

Now let's see them get the real predators off My Space like the recent 18yr old who blackmailed teens for pictures and sex, but wait, he was not a Registered Sex Offender was he. Kind of makes the job harder to find the real dangerous members as they are NOT Registered Offenders, they are NOT using their real names and profile information, and NO ONE even knows they are there until it is too late.

"Stupid is as Stupid Does." __16:05, 15 February 2009 (UTC)16:05, 15 February 2009 (UTC)The Gallowsman —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.227.96.106 (talk)

they should!
because one day somebody may ask somebody to come to there house and something bad may happen


text:
Talk:Bill Gates releases mosquitoes during conference for malaria awareness

Missing Review on this published article
Peer reviewed is missing!--SVTCobra 14:52, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * D'oh. Fix'd. --Killing Vector (talk) 15:17, 5 February 2009 (UTC)


text:
Comments:UN demands return of aid seized by Hamas

Man why no one is screaming war crime? Were is all the people yelling at the top of their lungs when Israel bombed Gaza and yelled out genocide? Oh wait when a Muslim kill a Muslim its just the weather channel for most people.--KDP3 (talk) 14:57, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Hamas stealing and shooting rockets at stuff is just not exciting news. -142.150.72.116 17:03, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Indeed. The fact that Hamas is made up of a bunch of thugs and criminals doesn't qualify as news, since everyone already knows it:P. It's like writing an article about the sky being blue. Gopher65talk 18:12, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * If this article was about how Hamas stole things from local Gaza citizens, I would think "Big deal, they do that a lot. Their terrorists!" But since it's concerning Hamas stealing things from the UN, a national organization, I believe it's news worth knowing. JTornado (talk) 23:17, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

i think someones missing the point that hamas is the elected government--M.T.R (talk) 01:12, 6 February 2009 (UTC)


text:
UK rail firm cuts 180 jobs

February 5, 2009 British rail company South West Trains (SWT) is to cut 180 jobs.

The franchisee for lines out of London's Waterloo station has already announced 480 job cuts. The redundancies affect front line staff in ticket offices and at stations and further managers and administrators.

Bus firm Stagecoach Group,lse: SGC which runs South West Trains and East Midlands Trains, says that cuts are required because predicted passenger growth will now not happen. SWT's subsidy from the government is falling from £61 million in 2008 to £23 million this year. The subsidy becomes a premium payment next year, with over £36 million to be paid by SWT in 2010. Train crew and maintenance staff will not face redundancy and the number of services, which are generally mandated by the Department for Transport, will not be reduced. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union condemned the job cuts. Bob Crow, the union's general secretary, said “SWT’s attacks on its staff and passengers are eating into the very fabric of the railway they are supposed to be running, and they must be stopped". He said that the RMT wanted to ensure there were no compulsory redundancies but that "the company seems to be heading towards a ballot for strike action". Crow also restated the union's longstanding demand for the railways to be renationalised, saying "South West Trains has shown itself to be incapable of running a railway for the benefit of its passengers and the economy, and it is time for the franchise [to come] back into the public sector".

SWT's statement on the cuts said "The company will continue to review its operation and take any further steps required to ensure it has a secure business for the long-term. Our priority will remain maintaining services to our customers, protecting jobs for the majority of our people and providing a strong foundation for growth when the economy improves."

title: UK rail firm cuts 180 jobs


text: Talk:UK rail firm cuts 180 jobs

title: Talk:UK rail firm cuts 180 jobs


text:
Strike ends at UK oil refinery

February 5, 2009

Workers at the UK's Lindsey Oil Refinery have voted to return to work.

The week-long strike at the refinery began over the issuing by French owners Total S.A. of a contract to an Italian company, who brought in Italian and Portuguese workers. The unofficial strike had led to similar unofficial sympathy strikes across the country.

The deal to end the strike will see around 100 jobs being offered to British workers. Additionally, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who had repeatedly criticized the strikers, has agreed to review laws governing foreign workers. Unions have warned that, while this action was now over, the country could see further action at other sites with larger numbers of foreign workers. Phil Whitehurst of the GMB union said "It was an excellent decision. We have now got the chance to go back to work but the fight does not stop here". Derek Simpson of the Unite union pointed to Staythorpe Power Station in Nottinghamshire as a potential source of problems. The site has Spanish contractors, although Unite said that they had no evidence the foreign workers there were undercutting UK staff. Gordon Brown's agreement to look into laws on the free transfer of labour within the European Union came during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. A review has been set up to look into the issue and he told the House, "When they have reached their conclusions we will look at what they have to say".

The Times points out that this may conflict with Business Secretary Lord Mandelson's statement on Sunday, where he said that "[i]t is not European law that has caused this problem for us". German politicians have called for a European-wide review, something opposed by the British and Polish governments and the European Commission.

title: Strike ends at UK oil refinery


text:
England's Football Association complains over missed goal

February 5, 2009

The English Football Association (FA) has complained after broadcaster ITV cut away to an advertisement just before a winning goal in a match.

The match, an FA Cup Merseyside derby between Everton F.C. and Liverpool F.C., was in extra time after 118 minutes without a goal when ITV's automated advertisement server, designed for use only during ordinary programming, began playing out commercials. During this time, Everton's Dan Gosling scored the winning goal. In some regions the system returned to the match just before the goal, but viewers in the south of England saw only the celebrations after the goal.

Michael Grade, executive chairman of ITV, admitted to ITN that the broadcast had been a shambles and said that "yellow or red cards" would go to those responsible once it was established how it happened. ITV has received over 1,000 complaints. ITV has previously had issues with FA Cup coverage. The Histon F.C.—Leeds United A.F.C. game managed to include swearing from Leeds fans and scenes of a naked player, whilst heavy rain marred picture quality.

The FA's statement on this issue said "It is obviously very disappointing that viewers and fans did not see the only goal of last night’s FA Cup replay between Everton and Liverpool. Clearly we are seeking a full explanation from ITV as to why this happened. It is important that lessons are learned and that this does not happen again".


text: Talk:Strike ends at UK oil refinery

title: Talk:Strike ends at UK oil refinery


text: Talk:England's Football Association complains over missed goal


text:
Comments:Bill Gates releases mosquitoes during conference for malaria awareness

+2 Cool points for Mr. Gates on this one. DWolf2k2 (talk) 17:29, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, after releasing a horde of mosquitoes nobody paid any attention to Mr Gates speech because they were too busy swatting the pesky insects. --Brian McNeil / talk 17:39, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

BILL GATES IS A CRACK HEAD
 * The previous comment is slamming and unedifying, and should be removed by the admins.--75.16.237.125 21:22, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Is he still worried about going bald? - 67.199.161.112 23:43, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Good work Bill!

Look, I understand that he's trying to get across a point, but scaring people like that is just wrong. For anybody. I don't know what I would do if I happened to be one of the unlucky present when he was speaking, but really, what if those mosquitoes were actually infected? What kind of a prank is that? --  M  (speak/spoken) 00:35, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

Extremely unorthodox, but good on him for donating such an amount to the cause.

Too bad Bill never told them where he got the drinking water for the conference from...

Append to List of crazy persons
Should we add Mr. Gates to List of persons gone haywire ? He clearly fits the bill with his antics. People will avoid his company now.

Anger doesn't inspire donations
I realize that Mr. Gates is a newcomer in the disease-research world. So, he could be forgiven for getting frustrated at where research money is focused; I haven't met anyone in research who hasn't felt this way at some point. However, I am suprised that Mr. Gates does not recognize that research funding is a system. As such, the system designer has to learn the hows and whys of people using (or not using) the current system. This helps the designer to set up a system that is more user-friendly, that will encourage more and more people to take part. Is this sounding like the original marketing system for MS programs? Well, that's why I'm saying Mr. Gates should already know what it takes to design a productive system. Hopefully, he doesn't display this childish behavior during the development of MS software, or I'd feel sorry for his coworkers. Tell someone (talk) 13:18, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

What the crap.
Guys, it's a single jar of mosquitoes. They are NOT _THAT_ annoying. You don't die if you get bitten, and unless you're a wuss, they stop irritating you after an hour. Fephisto (talk) 00:35, 9 February 2009 (UTC)

If it were me I'd hit that rat bastard Gates up with assault. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.210.64.85 (talk) 00:37, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Next thing you know he'll release a bunch of monkeys and say that ebola isn't just for poor African people anymore. What an idiot. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.210.64.85 (talk) 00:41, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

billbill
it is awsome —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.140.201.175 (talk) 20:01, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

billbill
it is awsome and those guys are jackass

crap
what the hell was he thinking —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.140.201.175 (talk) 20:06, 21 March 2009 (UTC)


text:
Wikinews Shorts: February 5, 2009

Flight 1549 transcript released
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has released a transcript of the conversations that went on between Flight 1549 and the control tower at La Guardia before the airplane crash landed in the Hudson river. All 155 passengers and crew survived and were rescued by a flotilla of boats.

The transcripts reveal that the pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, realised that both engines had been disabled by bird strike and that the airplane was about to crash. Controllers attempted to clear runways at nearby airports but Sullenberger had to put down immediately, telling them "we're going to be in the Hudson".

The transcript, in PDF format, can be read here.

Sources

UK house prices rise despite recession
The average price of a house in the United Kingdom rose by 1.9% in January, according to a survey by the mortgage lender Halifax. This takes the average price to £163,966 - a rise, according to The Daily Mail, of £100 a day, although their headline and story do not agree on the figure.

Year-on-year figures show that prices fell 17.2% since January 2007, and 5.1% over the last three months. A similar survey by the Nationwide Building Society said that prices fell 1.3% in January. The Daily Mail says 1.2 million households now have "negative equity", where the mortgage on their property is more than the property is actually worth.

Sources

Bank of England cuts interest rate; European Central Bank waits
The Bank of England, the UK's central bank, has cut interest rates to their lowest level since the bank was created in 1694. The new base rate is to be 1%, down half a percentage point.

Meanwhile, the European Central Bank, which governs rates in the Eurozone, has left its rates unchanged at 2%, but has hinted that a half point cut is possible in the next review in a month's time.

Sources

U.S. new unemployment at 26-year high
The U.S. Department of Labor says that initial jobless claims in the country have gone up 35,000 to a seasonally adjusted 626,000. The figures for the last week of January are the highest since 1982. The four-week average, which removes anomolies like strikes and holidays, were up 39,000 to 582,250. America now has 4.788 million people unemployed and claiming welfare. Bloomberg believes that 7.5% of the working population will be unemployed in figures to be released tomorrow.

Sources

title: Wikinews Shorts: February 5, 2009


text: Talk:Wikinews Shorts: February 5, 2009

title: Talk:Wikinews Shorts: February 5, 2009


text:
User talk:63.96.196.195

Your efforts to change other users' comments are rather pointless; they have been reverted and any more will be reverted quickly. If you do continue, we will also block you. Blood Red Sandman (Talk)   (Contribs) 19:08, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:63.96.196.195


text:
Talk:Wikinews Shorts: February 5, 2008

editprotected

Could something be done about the ugly brown boxes that the sources are in? It looks like they weren't formatted correctly. Thanks, ♪ Tempo Di  Valse ♪ 19:19, 5 February 2009 (UTC)
 * ✅ — Arrrrrg! Who archived this one? Eeesh. Gopher65talk 18:49, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

title: Talk:Wikinews Shorts: February 5, 2008


text:
Comments:England's Football Association complains over missed goal

This really pissed me off. Jolly Ω Janner  19:26, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

This is why I don't watch sport on commercial television. 202.49.0.2 20:17, 16 February 2009 (UTC)


text:
ITV Wales drops local news sign language

February 5, 2009

Members of the National Assembly for Wales have condemned a decision by local broadcaster ITV Wales to drop sign language interpretation for the deaf.

South Wales Plaid Cymru AM Jocelyn Davies, a member of the Welsh Assembly Government, pointed out that the decision "means that deaf British Sign Language users in Wales will no longer have access to local news". Liberal Democrat AM Eleanor Burnham went further, saying it was "an outrageous decision which it seems has been taken without any consultation with deaf people at all, which is appalling".

ITV Wales announced that they were "discontinuing the signed 20 second headlines every weekday" after 23 years and that doing so would bring the Welsh local news programme Wales Tonight "in line with all other ITV regions". They added that "ITV will continue to meet its licence obligations for signing across its family of channels" and that the bulletin would keep its optional subtitling. The move apparently has the blessing of media regulator Ofcom.

The Wales Deaf Broadcasting Council said that it was a "severe blow" and that it was "very concerned that no consultation with the deaf community has taken place about this decision, neither by ITV Wales nor Ofcom".

Plaid's Adam Price said "I am... concerned about the very short notice given for implementation of this decision. I hope that this is not an attempt by ITV Wales to achieve a fait accompli".

ITV has been scaling back its public service broadcasting commitments recently, saying it wished to stop producing and airing local news at all. Ofcom has already allowed the weekly amount of news on ITV Wales to fall from five hours and twenty minutes to four hours.


text:
Talk:ITV Wales drops local news sign language

Add Category:ITV. -- Rayboy8 ( my talk ) ( my contributions ) 18:30, 30 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Done, dependent on being sighted. — μ 20:45, Saturday January 30 2010 (UTC)


text:
US Supreme Court judge Ginsburg undergoes surgery for pancreatic cancer

February 5, 2009

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75, has undergone surgery for early pancreatic cancer today. The disease was spotted during a routine check-up. She is likely to be hospitalised for ten days.

"Justice Ginsburg had no symptoms prior to the incidental discovery of the lesion during a routine annual checkup in late January at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland," the Supreme Court announced.

Ginsburg underwent sugery and had chemotherapy for colorectal cancer in 1999; her mother and husband also suffered from cancer.

She was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and is considered to be on the liberal wing of the nine-member court.

A spokesman for President Barack Obama said that Obama's thoughts and prayers are with Ginsburg.

According to the American Cancer Society, the one-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is 24%, and the five-year survival rate is 5%.


text: Talk:US Supreme Court judge Ginsburg undergoes surgery for pancreatic cancer


text:
Six indicted over jet crash at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport

February 5, 2009

In the United States, six men linked to the defunct Florida company Platinum Jet Management have been charged in connection to the February 2, 2005 crash of a jet owned by the company at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport. The Bombardier Challenger CL-600's crash left twenty people hospitalised and prosecutors allege that regular breaches of federal law were to blame.

The business jet had been privately chartered for a flight to Chicago Midway Airport but failed to take off. Instead, the aircraft broke through a fence, crossed Route 46 and struck a warehouse, causing a fire. The plane clipped two cars on the way across the road and the accident left eleven people onboard the aircraft and nine more on the ground hospitalised.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the accident and found that the flight crew had miscalcualted the aircraft's centre of gravity and that overfilling the fuel tanks had moved it too far forward.

According to a federal indictment filed Wednesday, six men within the company were "routinely undertaking and concealing dangerous fueling and weight-distribution practices." Three co-founders of Platinum - Michael Brassington, 35, his brother Paul Brassington, 29, and Andre Budhan, 42, as well as maintenance director Brien McKenzie, also 42, have been arrested and pilot Francis Vieira, 59, and director of charters Joseph Singh, 37, are being sought.

The 23-count indictment says that Michael Brassington, McKenzie and Vieira regularly stated in paperwork that aircraft were operating at weights up to 1,000 pounds lighter than the true value in breach of Federal Aviation Administration laws. It also accuses Platinum of operating commercial charters for a year between November 2002 and November 2003 without a valid licence and filing such flights as noncommercial.

The document goes on to accuse Platinum of using pilots that lacked proper training; in particular John Kimberling, who flew the jet that crashed, was not adequatly qualified to fly commercial flights, which have stricter regulations than noncommercial air operations. He has not been charged himself at this time, but investigations continue. The Southern Ledger states the accused face charges of "conspiracy, fraud, endangering the safety of aircraft and making false statements to the National Transportation Safety Board."


text:
Talk:Six indicted over jet crash at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport

This has some good free pics for Commons (US Federal Work=Free) but Acrobat has redesigned and I can't figure out how to take an image out. I want figure six - the ariel view - to illustrate this if anyone can help. Blood Red Sandman (Talk)   (Contribs) 21:13, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

 * editprotected
 * I uploaded it at Commons:File:AAR0604 Page 043 Image 0001.jpg. Cheers, Van der Hoorn (talk) 19:49, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

 * Thanks a lot. Unfortunatly, WN:ARCHIVE means we can't actually add the image to this article at this late stage, but I'm sure I will be covering further developments later and the image will be very useful for that. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 19:59, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

 * Alright. If you need any other pictures from the PDF, let me know on my talk page. Cheers, Van der Hoorn (talk) 20:07, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

 * Sure will, thanks. BTW, I added that image to Teterboro Airport, so it is already in use. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 20:10, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

Typo
editprotected "maintenence" => "maintenance" Van der Hoorn (talk) 19:08, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

 * ✅ Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 19:59, 14 March 2009 (UTC)


text:
User talk:71.62.232.171

Welcome
Welcome!

71.62.232.171, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews:
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how articles should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Here are some other hints and tips:

 * I would recommend that you get a username. You don't have to log in to read or edit articles on Wikinews, but creating an account is quick, free and non-intrusive, requires no personal information (not even an e-mail address), and there are many benefits of having a username.  (If you edit without a username, your IP address is used to identify you instead.)

 * When using talk pages (the "collaboration" tab at the top of the page), or the comments pages (tab "opinions"), please sign your name at the end of your messages by typing four tildes (~~). This will automatically produce your username (or IP address) and the date.

If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 21:28, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:71.62.232.171


text:
Talk:Ukrainian ship MV Faina with cargo of tanks freed by pirates

Title
Wouldn't "released by pirates" better reflect the content of the article? When I read "freed by" I automatically think "liberated by", but maybe that is just me. Madcynic (talk) 12:00, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

Typo in title
editprotected

The spelling of "Ukrainian" is incorrect in the title of this page. I spotted this at w:Portal:Latvia/Latvia news/Wikinews. -- John of Reading (talk) 09:05, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

 * ✅ --Pi zero (talk) 17:14, 21 December 2014 (UTC)


text:
User talk:138.162.140.53

Please do not add false statements to Wikinews articles. Our method of reviewing changes means the public will never see it, and we will block you if you continue. Blood Red Sandman (Talk)   (Contribs) 22:00, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:138.162.140.53


text:
Zimbabwean parliament passes unity government bill

February 6, 2009 The parliament of Zimbabwe has unanimously voted for a constitutional amendment allowing a coalition government to be formed between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Under the bill, Mugabe would remain president of the country, but Tsvangirai would take the office the prime minister. The latter is to be sworn into office on the 11th of February.

The bill, after being endorsed by the House of Assembly, was subsequently taken to the Senate, where it was passed without a single dissenting vote. Mugabe is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday.

Tendai Biti, the secretary-general for the MDC, stated that the new coalition government should give hope to the country, saying that "we have no choice other than to give this experiment a try."

Other people, such as political commentator John Makumbe, however, are wary of the deal. "I think Mugabe's plan is to compromise them, and I think he is going to play his usual devious games in that new government as well, try to grab all the powers for himself," Makumbe said.

Tsvangirai won the presidential election in March of last year, but not by a large enough margin to avoid a run-off election, held in June. Tsvangirai withdrew from those elections, citing state-sponsored attacks against his supporters.

The southern African country has been crippled by several crises recently, not least of which are a cholera epidemic, which has killed 3,323 people, and rampant hyperinflation, which has officially been measured at 231,000,000% per annum. The United Nations has estimated Zimbabwe's unemployment rate at 94%.


text:
User:Arobbins100

--Andrew Robbins (talk)

title: User:Arobbins100


text:
Comments:ITV Wales drops local news sign language

It's wrong but surely they have Subtitles?

What you need to bear in mind are two things 1. English is based on sound and a lot of the meanings come from sound. Subtitles remove thoses sounds so that occasionally you are guess. e.g. The word Thanks, this can be genuine Thanks or a sarcastic Thanks, the only way of knowing is through the sound. English is littered with words that only become clear when you hear the sounds.

2. The average reading age of a Deaf school leaver is 8.5 because the education system for Deaf people is such a mess. So you could argue that this is teh fault of politicians for failing to address the issue of Education for Deaf people seriously. In Sweden the typical Deaf person leaves school with knowledge of between 4 to 5 languages, just to give you an idea how crap the education system is in Wales for Deaf people.