Wednesday, March 22, 2006 Today H.E. Suzanne Mubarak, wife of the Egyptian president, and H.R.H. Prince Charles inaugurated the British University in Egypt. The visit started with a tour of the campus, where they saw a demonstration physics laboratory as well as seminars in engineering and business. This was followed by speeches in front of…
Investigation into US Airways river ditching in New York completed
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed its investigation into the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 into New York’s Hudson River. The fifteen-month probe began after the Airbus A320 performed a water landing when bird strikes damaged both engines in a move dubbed the “Miracle on the…
2007 Baseball World Cup Day 1: Taichung starts prior to Taipei
Thursday, November 8, 2007 The opening ceremonies for the 2007 Baseball World Cup (2007 BWC) were held Tuesday. Torrential rain, however, made Panama vs Spain the opening match of the 2007 BWC in Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium. The original opening match of Chinese Taipei vs Italy was postponed until next week and will be played…
Ex-US soldier sentenced to life in prison for Iraqi teen rape, four murders
Saturday, September 5, 2009 A former US soldier has been sentenced to life in prison for raping a teen and murdering her and her family while on active duty in Iraq. The jury failed to reach the unanimous verdict required for the death penalty sought by the prosecution. […] if I had never gone to…
Australian opposition minister gives speech on poverty
Thursday, October 20, 2005 Australian shadow minister for work, family, youth, and community, Tanya Plibersek, gave a speech today on poverty as part of Anti-Poverty Week 2005. During the speech she criticised the government in a number of areas, including not committing to the UN Millennium Development Goals, the proposed industrial relations legislation, and the…
Scientists find key human language gene
Thursday, November 12, 2009 Researchers have found a crucial genetic difference between humans and chimps that could help explain our language and speech abilities. The difference lies in a gene called FOXP2 which encodes for a protein of the same name. This acts as a transcription factor, controlling the activity of other genes. The human…
Opponents: New Zealand government sneaks bill into House to avoid public backlash
Thursday, December 7, 2006 The New Zealand Government has tabled the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill, despite unprecedented political opposition. In 2003 the Hon Annette King signed a Treaty with Australia agreeing to hand control of the natural health products sector over to an Australian regulatory body, however she needs to pass enabling legislation in…
Norway’s Conservative, Progress parties form minority government coalition
Monday, September 30, 2013 Following three weeks of talks, the leader of Høyre, Norway’s Conservative Party, Erna Solberg announced today that the Conservatives will form a minority government in a right-wing coalition with the Progress Party. The coalition will be the first time the Progress Party have been in power in the executive branch. The…
Iran to conduct missile defense exercise
Saturday, September 26, 2009 The Iranian government has announced that the nation will be participating in a missile defense test which could take place as early as tomorrow. According to the IRNA, Iran’s official news agency, the test is an annual exercise aimed to “maintain and develop” defense capabilities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The…
Chula Vista, California becomes model for blight control laws in the US
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 The San Diego, California suburb of Chula Vista has responded to the recent housing crisis with an aggressive blight control ordinance that compels lenders to maintain the appearance of vacant homes. As foreclosures increase both locally and throughout the United States, the one year old ordinance has become a model for…