International stock markets tumble after UK blasts

Thursday, July 7, 2005

Some stock markets fell sharply Thursday upon news that London was hit by a series of coordinated explosions.

The FTSE 100 Share Index fell over 150 points, over 2.8%. Among the hardest hit stocks were airlines, hospitality and insurance companies, according to reports.

At 11:41UTC, the FTSE 100 [1], the yardstick used to measure the largest British companies on the stockmarket had fallen 3.85%, dropping by 201.2 points to 5028.40. British Airways and the Hilton group lead the losers with drops of over 7% each as investors speculated about a terrorist involvement in the attacks which could adversely affect tourism and travel. In Paris the Cac 40 Index [2] of France’s forty largest companies took an even worse beating, dropping almost 4% by 11:47UTC by 170.37 points to 4109.58. Among the top losers was Axa Insurance which dropped by 5.4%.

Across the border in Germany the Dax [3] had shed 3.15%, or 145.47 points, by 11:50UTC to 4470.02 points. Again among the top losers was a major insurer – Allianz which fell over 5%.

It seems that airlines and insurers have been hit the worst so far. Ryanair has dropped 7.73% or over €400m in value and easyjet has shed 7.28%.

Shortly after news of the explosions spread to trading floors, shares of British Airways fell more than 6 percent. Other stocks affected included Carnival Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton Group, and Prudential.

The FTSE had recovered 116 points at 13:43 after it’s initial fall of 206. Increased volume of FTSE futures on LIFFE has meant that many people have been able to profit from the fall.

The price of gold has jumped by 1% as investors seek a secure place for their money.

United States markets have fallen significantly as well, with the Dow having fallen by 65 points, the S&P 500 7.57, and the NASDAQ 7.51 as of 13:43UTC.

Hundreds of thousands rally in Australia against IR legislation

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

People rallied in 300 locations across Australia today to protest the Federal Government’s proposed changes to industrial relations laws, WorkChoices. According to police, around 150,000 people congregated in Melbourne, from where speeches were broadcast throughout the country. In Sydney, thirty thousand gathered in Belmore Park and Martin Place to watch the broadcast before marching to Chifley Square.

Sharan Burrow, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), said that under the changes many working conditions would be under threat, including “penalty rates, public holidays, overtime pay, control over rostered hours, shift penalties, even 4 weeks annual leave.” The government has claimed, despite various expert assesment to the contrary, and opposition from major Australian religious and charity organisations and some concern from its own backbench, that the IR changes will improve the economy and ultimately benefit workers, and dismissed the protests as having “little effect”.

Bottle Manufacturer

Special Need For Water Purifiers}

Special Need for Water Purifiers

by

“Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.” -Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997)

Water is the source of sustenance for all the living beings on the earth. Two third of the globe is occupied by water, but a fraction of that quantity is drinkable. But that water is quite often contaminated; water that is not harmful to the human beings is called the safe drinking water.

Water quality guidelines are not met with proper care and caution with so many unpleasant consequences: The diseases that are very much akin to the human beings – Diarrhoea, Cholera, Hepatitis, Jaundice, Typhoid, Anaemia, and Polio, etc. – are flowing with the water causing a downward shift of healthy routine.

From time immemorial, there has been ways to purify the water to be of drinkable one. Among them water purification is highly recommended by the scientists throughout the world over.

Water purification is the removal of the contaminants from the raw water to yield drinking water that is pure enough for human consumption and for the industrial uses as well. It’s not at all possible to claim the water is safe to drink merely just by looking at it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ2y8VHPX2s[/youtube]

Substances that are removed during the process of water purification are parasites (Giardia or Cryptosporidium), bacteria, algae, viruses. Fungi, minerals (toxic metals such Lead, Copper, etc.) and man made chemical pollutants.

Many contaminants can be fatal. Water is made drinkable from insipidity to a drinking one by way of following certain conventional and modern techniques. A certain amount of disinfectant is left in the water to prevent the re-contamination of water while at the time of distribution.

Even the substances, such as chlorine, that are added to our drinking water to protect us, can form toxic compounds – such as trihalomethanes – and have been linked to certain cancers.

The most effective solution to water pollution is a point-of-use water purification device. There are actually different kinds of water purification techniques which may have relative strengths and weaknesses in killing the water born particles that are detrimental to the human beings. Still it is sometimes not possible to trace the lethal elements and wipe them out completely.

As such, following is an effective technique to purify water :

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1.Pre-Filter renders clarity to water.

2.QC Filter filters macro particles.

3.Sediment Cartridge filters out fine sand, clay etc.

4.BAC Cartridge removes chemicals and organic impurities.

5.RO Membrane removes 99.9% microbes.

6.Post RO Purifier for the double safety to the purifier.

Crystal clear healthy drink is ready now after the purification. So, opt for proper water purification for a healthy droplet.

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Article Source:

eArticlesOnline.com

}

Wikinews interviews Joe Schriner, Independent U.S. presidential candidate

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Journalist, counselor, painter, and US 2012 Presidential candidate Joe Schriner of Cleveland, Ohio took some time to discuss his campaign with Wikinews in an interview.

Schriner previously ran for president in 2000, 2004, and 2008, but failed to gain much traction in the races. He announced his candidacy for the 2012 race immediately following the 2008 election. Schriner refers to himself as the “Average Joe” candidate, and advocates a pro-life and pro-environmentalist platform. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles, and has published public policy papers exploring solutions to American issues.

Wikinews reporter William Saturn? talks with Schriner and discusses his campaign.

Fargo, North Dakota, prepares for record flooding

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Fargo, North Dakota is preparing itself for what could be its worst flood ever. Hundreds of high school and college students worked with two hundred National Guard soldiers Monday on the task of filling over a million sandbags in the effort to stave off the rising Red River. Classes at North Dakota State University were canceled in order to lend the assistance of its students and faculty.

The threat of further rainfall has increased the flood risk, with the river now predicted to crest as high as 52 feet (15.8 meters), over twice that of its lowest flood stage. An emergency levee south of town is also being hastily constructed. Three machines capable of filling 15,000 sandbags an hour are being used around the clock to keep up with demand.

Temporary dikes from Louisiana are being flown in. The dikes, 4 foot high interlocking containers filled with sand, were used during Hurricane Katrina. In Emmons County, several dozen homes were evacuated on Sunday, and families in the town of Beulah, North Dakota have also been forced to leave ahead of the rising waters.

The current scenario is a reminder of the record 1997 flood which inundated the Red River Valley. Fargo constructed a levee system following the disaster to help prevent future flooding. Up to 6000 homes are currently at risk, with many communities farther downriver also preparing for flooding.

The American Red Cross has sent over 20,000 prepackaged meals, along with cots and blankets. Its volunteers around the country have been put on standby, ready to travel to North Dakota if necessary.

All eyes are currently on the skies, as the fate of many communities will be determined largely by how much rain and snow falls over the next week.

Wealth Management

Exposing The Car Insurance Quote Mystery

By Dr. Jay B Stockman O.D.

Congratulations, you have just purchased the car of your dreams; you worked a great deal, now it is time to insure it. Car insurance is mandatory in all states, and must be maintained throughout ownership. Insurance quotes can vary from company to company, and there are a few factors that you can control, and other factors you cannot. A full understanding of how insurance quotes are arrived at, will give you the best rate, and maximum coverage.

Factors that cannot be controlled include the age of the driver. Common sense tells us that a new driver would be more of a risk to an insurance company, than an established driver. Therefore a driver in their early 20’s would pay a higher premium than a driver in their 40’s. Further, elderly drivers have poor reaction time, and similarly would pay more of a premium. The ideal driving age would be between 35 to 55 years; anyone younger, or older would pay more.

Gender is another uncontrolled factor that insurance quotes are based on. Statistically, insurance companies see females as safer drivers than males. As a result, female drivers pay less than their male counterparts.

There are factors, which we can control, namely the amount of traffic tickets and accidents. A ticket is a violation of law that could potentially result in an accident. Insurance companies frown on this, and will penalize the driver with higher rates. Similarly, accidents could indicate a pattern of behavior; as such the driver is penalized with higher rates.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plFoHel0j2w[/youtube]

Where you live is another controlling factor that effects insurance quotes. Living in a rural area, puts the driver at much less risk of accident or theft as compared to living in a city. As a result, city drivers will pay a larger premium than rural drivers with very few exceptions.

Want to drive a Porsche 911 Carrera? It will cost you. The more your car is worth, the higher your insurance quote will be. The logic should be obvious.

Car insurance companies are now looking at your credit worthiness. Do you have excessive, outstanding credit, or no credit at all? If so, you are a risk in the eyes of the insurance companies, and will get socked with higher insurance quotes. Keeping your credit in check will show the insurance companies you are responsible, both financially, and on the road. As a result, you will pay lower premiums.

Your occupation can put you at a higher risk. Jobs that require many hours of driving, or driving in hazardous conditions, or places will put your quote at a higher rate. Less driving, and exposure to high-risk opportunities, will result in lower premiums. Additionally you want to keep your annual mileage down to a minimum. The more miles you drive, the greater the risk of accident.

Vehicle theft is a risk factor that can easily be minimized. Most companies will give you a discount for having better security for your vehicle. An alarm, or another approved anti-theft device will usually result in some discount. Some companies may insist on having such devices installed on more expensive and desirable cars before they even consider offering you a price.

Some companies look favorably on drivers who have taken a defensive driver’s course. They see this as a commitment to safer driving, thereby lowering the risk of accident, resulting in lower premiums.

Keep in mind these are just general guidelines, and the difference in price between various companies can be significant. What one company may consider a high-risk factor another company may not view as so important. The bottom line, keep your credit in check, be careful on the road and choose a car that fits your budgets.

About the Author: Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Car Insurance Quotes Resource Visit

car-insurance-usa.com/

for more information.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=14993&ca=Finances

At least fifteen killed after suicide bombing in Somali hotel

Thursday, December 3, 2009

A deadly hotel bombing in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, has killed at least fifteen people, including three Somali Cabinet ministers, earlier today. Some reports say the death toll could be higher. The blast targeted a university graduation ceremony being attended by a number of government officials.

The Shamo Hotel was hosting a graduation ceremony for Banadir University. Eyewitnesses reported that a suicide bomber gained access to the venue dressed as a woman, donning a full abaya and a veil. The attacker was wearing an explosive strapped to his torso, but was not patted down by security.

The director of Median Hospital, Ali Yusuf, commented that “forty people with shrapnel wounds, including students and medical doctors, have been hospitalized today. Six people died at the hospital.”

Former Islamic Courts Union members at the scene identified the bomber, whose head and face had been completely shaven, as a member of al-Shabab, the ultra-conservative Islamist group believed to have links to al-Qaeda.

Somali Health Minister Qamar Aden Ali, Education Minister Ahmed Abdullahi Waayeel, and Higher Education Minister Ibrahim Hassan Adow were killed in the attack on Hotel.

Abdulkadir Mohamed Osman, the Somali presidency’s director of information, commented on the incident. “This is a national tragedy for the Somali people. The blast rocked inside the hotel, killing three ministers and wounding another one.”

Adow served as the foreign secretary of the insurgent Islamic Courts Union when it took power in 2006. The Somali minister for sports is also reported to be hospitalized and in critical condition.

Mohamed Mohamoud, an attending graduate of the ceremony, said that he personally saw the remains of the health minister on the ground, as well as the corpses of other government officials. “The situation has dramatically changed from happiness to heartbreak. I am really discouraged for my colleagues. They have been studying in such a horrific environment, and today they passed away without benefiting from their education. May Allah give them his paradise,” Mohamoud said.

Two journalists, a reporter for Radio Shabelle and a cameraman with al-Arabia TV, were also found dead from the explosion. The National Union of Somali Journalists has issued a statement condemning the attack and expressing outrage at the loss of their colleagues. Somalia is one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists to work. Eight have been killed in Somalia since the beginning of 2009.

Hotel Shamo is often chosen by government officials to host events and at one time was a popular lodging option for foreign journalists. Recently-released Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan were staying at the hotel before their capture last year.

The hotel security staff say that they were kicked out of the room prior to the ceremony, as government security officials wanted sole handling of the event. The government officials were attending the graduation of 43 students from the local Banadir University.

The official death toll from the blast is expected to continue to rise, with some reports indicating that more than 60 people have been found dead.

The attack is the latest in a string of incidents linking al-Shabab to common insurgent tactics used by Islamist terrorist groups in other parts of the world. Until recently, suicide bombings were an unusual practice in Somalia.

In September, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a bold attack on a meeting between government officials and the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, which killed 17 peacekeepers, including the top Burundian commander. Two vehicles containing explosives were given entry to the AMISOM base and subsequently blew up.

The rebel group is battling for control of the war-ravaged nation against the Western-backed Transitional Federal Government, led by former Islamic insurgent Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. Rebel groups control much of southern and central Somalia, as well as significant portions of Mogadishu.

The government is being bolstered by the continuing presence of the peacekeeping force composed of Ugandans and Burundians. The AMISOM forces are mandated with the protection of key city sites such as the airport, seaport, and presidential palace.

Two nuclear submarines collide in the Atlantic Ocean

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Nuclear ballistic missile submarines Triomphant, from France, and HMS Vanguard, of the British Royal Navy, collided deep under the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the night between February 3 and 4, despite both vessels being equipped with sonar. The collision caused damage to both vessels but it did not release any radioactive material, a Ministry of Defence (MOD) official confirmed Monday.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said nuclear security had not been breached. “It is MOD policy not to comment on submarine operational matters, but we can confirm that the U.K.’s deterrent capability was unaffected at all times and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety. Triomphant had struck ‘a submerged object (probably a container)’ during a return from a patrol, damaging the sonar dome on the front of the submarine,” he said.

A French navy spokesman said that “the collision did not result in injuries among the crew and did not jeopardise nuclear security at any moment.” Lack of communication between France and other members of NATO over the location of their SLBM deterrents is believed to be another reason for the crash.

According to Daily Mail, the vessels collided 1,000ft underwater in the Bay of Biscay (Golfe de Gascogne; Golfo de Vizcaya and Mar Cantábrico), a gulf of the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Punta de Estaca de Bares, and is named for the Spanish province of Biscay, with average depth of 5,723 feet (1,744 m) and maximum depth is 9,151 feet (2,789 m).

Each submarine is laden with missiles powerful enough for 1,248 Hiroshima bombings, The Independent said.

It is unlikely either vessel was operating its active sonar at the time of the collision, because the submarines are designed to “hide” while on patrol and the use of active sonar would immediately reveal the boat’s location. Both submarines’ hulls are covered with anechoic tile to reduce detection by sonar, so the boats’ navigational passive sonar would not have detected the presence of the other.

Lee Willett of London’s Royal United Services Institute said “the NATO allies would be very reluctant to share information on nuclear submarines. These are the strategic crown jewels of the nation. The whole purpose of a sea-based nuclear deterrent is to hide somewhere far out of sight. They are the ultimate tools of national survival in the event of war. Therefore, it’s the very last thing you would share with anybody.”

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band GCB, ADC of the United Kingdom, the most senior serving officer in the Royal Navy, said that “…the submarines came into contact at very low speed. Both submarines remained safe. No injuries occurred. We can confirm the capability remains unaffected and there was no compromise to nuclear safety.”

“Both navies want quiet areas, deep areas, roughly the same distance from their home ports. So you find these station grounds have got quite a few submarines, not only French and Royal Navy but also from Russia and the United States. Navies often used the same nesting grounds,” said John H. Large, an independent nuclear engineer and analyst primarily known for his work in assessing and reporting upon nuclear safety and nuclear related accidents and incidents.

President of the Royal Naval Association John McAnally said that the incident was a “one in a million chance”. “It would be very unusual on deterrent patrol to use active sonar because that would expose the submarine to detection. They are, of course, designed to be very difficult to detect and one of the priorities for both the captain and the deterrent patrol is to avoid detection by anything,” he said.

The development of stealth technology, making the submarines less visible to other vessels has properly explained that a submarine does not seem to have been able to pick out another submarine nearly the length of two football pitches and the height of a three-story building.

“The modus operandi of most submarines, particularly ballistic-missile submarines, is to operate stealthily and to proceed undetected. This means operating passively, by not transmitting on sonar, and making as little noise as possible. A great deal of technical effort has gone into making submarines quiet by reduction of machinery noise. And much effort has gone into improving the capability of sonars to detect other submarines; detection was clearly made too late or not at all in this case,” explained Stephen Saunders, the editor of Jane’s Fighting Ships, an annual reference book (also published online, on CD and microfiche) of information on all the world’s warships arranged by nation, including information on ship’s names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc.

According to Bob Ayres, a former CIA and US army officer, and former associate fellow at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, however, the submarines were not undetectable, despite their “stealth” technology. “When such submarines came across similar vessels from other navies, they sought to get as close as possible without being detected, as part of routine training. They were playing games with each other – stalking each other under the sea. They were practising being able to kill the other guy’s submarine before he could launch a missile.Because of the sound of their nuclear reactors’ water pumps, they were still noisier than old diesel-electric craft, which ran on batteries while submerged. The greatest danger in a collision was the hull being punctured and the vessel sinking, rather than a nuclear explosion,” Ayres explained.

Submarine collisions are uncommon, but not unheard of: in 1992, the USS Baton Rouge, a submarine belonging to the United States, under command of Gordon Kremer, collided with the Russian Sierra-class attack submarine K-276 that was surfacing in the Barents Sea.

In 2001, the US submarine USS Greeneville surfaced and collided with Japanese fishing training ship Ehime Maru (????), off the coast of Hawaii. The Navy determined the commanding officer of Greeneville to be in “dereliction of duty.”

The tenth HMS Vanguard (S28) of the British Royal Navy is the lead boat of her class of Trident ballistic missile-capable submarines and is based at HMNB Clyde, Faslane. The 150m long, V-class submarine under the Trident programme, has a crew of 135, weighs nearly 16,000 tonnes and is armed with 16 Trident 2 D5 ballistic missiles carrying three warheads each.

It is now believed to have been towed Monday to its naval base Faslane in the Firth of Clyde, with dents and scrapes to its hull. Faslane lies on the eastern shore of Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, to the north of the Firth of Clyde and 25 miles west of the city of Glasgow.

Vanguard is one of the deadliest vessels on the planet. It was built at Barrow-in-Furness by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (now BAE Systems Submarine Solutions), was launched on 4 March, 1992, and commissioned on 14 August, 1993. The submarine’s first captain was Captain David Russell. In February 2002, Vanguard began a two-year refit at HMNB Devonport. The refit was completed in June 2004 and in October 2005 Vanguard completed her return to service trials (Demonstration and Shakedown Operations) with the firing of an unarmed Trident missile.

“The Vanguard has two periscopes, a CK51 search model and a CH91 attack model, both of which have a TV camera and thermal imager as well as conventional optics,” said John E. Pike, director and a national security analyst for http://www.globalsecurity.org/, an easily accessible pundit, and active in opposing the SDI, and ITAR, and consulting on NEO’s. File:Triomphant img 0394.jpg

“But the periscopes are useless at that depth. It’s pitch black after a couple of hundred feet. In the movies like ‘Hunt for Red October,’ you can see the subs in the water, but in reality it’s blindman’s bluff down there. The crash could have been a coincidence — some people win the lottery — but it’s much more possible that one vessel was chasing the other, trying to figure out what it was,” Pike explained.

Captain of HMS Vanguard, Commander Richard Lindsey said his men would not be there if they couldn’t go through with it. “I’m sure that if somebody was on board who did not want to be here, they would have followed a process of leaving the submarine service or finding something else to do in the Navy,” he noted.

The Triomphant is a strategic nuclear submarine, lead ship of her class (SNLE-NG). It was laid down on June 9, 1989, launched on March 26, 1994 and commissioned on March 21, 1997 with homeport at Île Longue. Equipped with 16 M45 ballistic missiles with six warheads each, it has 130 crew on board. It was completing a 70-day tour of duty at the time of the underwater crash. Its fibreglass sonar dome was damaged requiring three or four months in Drydock repair. “It has returned to its base on L’Ile Longue in Brittany on Saturday under its own power, escorted as usual by a frigate,” the ministry said.

A Ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident.

The Triomphant class of strategic missile submarines of the French Navy are currently being introduced into service to provide the sea based component (the Force Océanique Stratégique) of the French nuclear deterrent or Force de frappe, with the M45 SLBM. They are replacing the Redoutable-class boats. In French, they are called Sous-Marin Nucléaire Lanceur d’Engins de Nouvelle Génération (“SNLE-NG, literally “Device-launching nuclear submarine of the new generation”).

They are roughly one thousand times quieter than the Redoutable-class vessels, and ten times more sensitive in detecting other submarines [1]. They are designed to carry the M51 nuclear missile, which should enter active service around 2010.

Repairs for both heavily scraped and dented, missile-laden vessels were “conservatively” estimated to cost as much as €55m, with intricate missile guidance systems and navigation controls having to be replaced, and would be met by the French and British taxpayer, the Irish Independent reported.

Many observers are shocked by the deep sea disaster, as well as the amount of time it took for the news to reach the public. ”Two US and five Soviet submarine accidents in the past prove that the reactor protection system makes an explosion avoidable. But if the collision had been more powerful the submarines could have sunk very quickly and the fate of the 250 crew members would have been very serious indeed,” said Andrey Frolov, from Moscow’s Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies.

“I think this accident will force countries that possess nuclear submarines to sit down at the negotiating table and devise safety precautions that might avert such accidents in the future… But because submarines must be concealed and invisible, safety and navigation laws are hard to define,” Frolov said, noting further that there are no safety standards for submarines.

The unthinkable disaster – in the Atlantic’s 41 million square miles – has raised concern among nuclear activists. “This is a nuclear nightmare of the highest order. The collision of two submarines, both with nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons onboard, could have released vast amounts of radiation and scattered scores of nuclear warheads across the seabed,” said Kate Hudson, chair of Britain’s Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

“This is the most severe incident involving a nuclear submarine since the Russian submarine RFS Kursk K-141 explosion and sinking in 2000 and the first time since the Cold War that two nuclear-armed subs are known to have collided. Gordon Brown should seize this opportunity to end continuous patrols,” Hudson added. Despite a rescue attempt by British and Norwegian teams, all 118 sailors and officers aboard Kursk died.

“This reminds us that we could have a new catastrophe with a nuclear submarine at any moment. It is a risk that exists during missions but also in port. These are mobile nuclear reactors,” said Stephane Lhomme, a spokesman for the French anti-nuclear group Sortir du Nucleaire.

Nicholas Barton “Nick” Harvey, British Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for North Devon has called for an immediate internal probe. “While the British nuclear fleet has a good safety record, if there were ever to be a bang it would be a mighty big one. Now that this incident is public knowledge, the people of Britain, France and the rest of the world need to be reassured this can never happen again and that lessons are being learned,” he said.

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson MP for Moray has demanded for a government statement. “The Ministry of Defence needs to explain how it is possible for a submarine carrying weapons of mass destruction to collide with another submarine carrying weapons of mass destruction in the middle of the world’s second-largest ocean,” he said.

Michael Thomas Hancock, CBE, a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South and a City councillor for Fratton ward, and who sits on the Commons defence committee, has called on the Ministry of Defence Secretary of State John Hutton to make a statement when parliament sits next week.

“While I appreciate there are sensitive issues involved here, it is important that this is subject to parliamentary scrutiny. It’s fairly unbelievable that this has happened in the first place but we now need to know that lessons have been learnt. We need to know for everyone’s sakes that everything possible is now done to ensure that there is not a repeat of the incident. There are serious issues as to how some of the most sophisticated naval vessels in the seas today can collide in this way,” Mr. Hancock said.

Tory defence spokesman Liam Fox, a British Conservative politician, currently Shadow Defence Secretary and Member of Parliament for Woodspring, said: “For two submarines to collide while apparently unaware of each other’s presence is extremely worrying.”

Meanwhile, Hervé Morin, the French Minister of Defence, has denied allegations the nuclear submarines, which are hard to detect, had been shadowing each other deliberately when they collided, saying their mission was to sit at the bottom of the sea and act as a nuclear deterrent.

“There’s no story to this — the British aren’t hunting French submarines, and the French submarines don’t hunt British submarines. We face an extremely simple technological problem, which is that these submarines are not detectable. They make less noise than a shrimp. Between France and Britain, there are things we can do together….one of the solutions would be to think about the patrol zones,” Morin noted, and further denying any attempt at a cover-up.

France’s Atlantic coast is known as a submarine graveyard because of the number of German U-boats and underwater craft sunk there during the Second World War.

Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Progressive Conservative candidate Pam Hundal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Pam Hundal is running for the Progressive Conservatives in the Ontario provincial election, in the Bramalea—Gore—Malton riding.

Wikinews’ Nick Moreau requested an interview regarding her values, her experience, and her campaign. In response, Hundal’s campaign office did not send replies to the questions asked, but a general statement. Moreau has excerpted parts of her statement, placing them as answers to related questions. However, a great number of questions have been skipped in the process.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.