Author: Admin

At least twelve killed after building collapses in Alexandria, Egypt

Thursday, October 9, 2008

At least twelve bodies have been recovered from the rubble of an apartment building in Alexandria, Egypt. Ten people were hospitalized after the four-storey structure, which was illegal, collapsed in at around 1:00 a.m. Tuesday. No survivors have been pulled out since an eleven year old girl was rescued this morning. Search and rescue operations hare scheduled to end tonight.

The 53-year-old building was illegally modified in 1997 with the addition of two extra floors by owner Majdi al-Ishaqi. Two years ago, a court ordered the extra floors to be demolished but this never happened. Another subsequent order for renovations was also ignored. Structural alterations were demanded but never made.

“It was not in keeping with housing regulations. This is the third building to collapse in the district. The municipality cannot be exonerated,” said Saleh Subhi of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood. “The building was already ready to collapse.”

Two neighbouring apartment blocks were also evacuated, one suffering a partial roof collapse. One survivor, Samih Nazmi, said he and his parents escaped their ground floor dwelling relatively unscathed as the ground floor remained largely intact. He also described a sound akin to that of an exploding gas canister as the building came down.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=At_least_twelve_killed_after_building_collapses_in_Alexandria,_Egypt&oldid=3105358”

Wikinews interviews Jeremy Hanke, editor of MicroFilmmaker Magazine

Friday, April 11, 2008

Wikinews held an exclusive interview with Jeremy Hanke, editor of MicroFilmmaker Magazine. The magazine, which is free to read online, was started as a resource for the low budget moviemaker and features book, independent film, equipment and software reviews as well as articles on film distribution, special effects and lighting.

He says that one of the goals of the magazine is to “connect low-budget filmmakers via a feeling of community, as many…..often compete so viciously against one another in film festivals for coveted “shots” with Hollywood, that they can quickly forget their similarities.”

When asked if films made on a shoestring budget can really compete with those made for millions of dollars, he replied, “no…yes…and absolutely. Allow me to explain.” And so he does in the interview below.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Wikinews_interviews_Jeremy_Hanke,_editor_of_MicroFilmmaker_Magazine&oldid=4500791”

Canada’s Scarborough-Agincourt (Ward 39) city council candidates speak

 This exclusive interview features first-hand journalism by a Wikinews reporter. See the collaboration page for more details.

Friday, November 3, 2006

On November 13, Torontonians will be heading to the polls to vote for their ward’s councillor and for mayor. Among Toronto’s ridings is Scarborough-Agincourt (Ward 39). Two candidates responded to Wikinews’ requests for an interview. This ward’s candidates include Wayne Cook, Mike Del Grande (incumbent), Samuel Kung, Lushan Lu, Sunshine Smith, and John Wong.

For more information on the election, read Toronto municipal election, 2006.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Canada%27s_Scarborough-Agincourt_(Ward_39)_city_council_candidates_speak&oldid=435100”
Joint Treatment

Are Toxins And Allergens Causing An Autoimmune Epidemic?

By Mark Hyman, M.D.

It’s a condition that affects 24 million Americans – and its incidence has tripled in the last few decades.

It affects more women that breast cancer and heart disease combined.

And it just may be caused by the huge burden of environmental toxins that surround us.

What am I talking about?

It’s autoimmune disease.

Most of us know the most common autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, type-1 diabetes, hypothyroidism, and psoriasis.

But there are actually more than 100 different autoimmune conditions, which can affect different bodily systems. These conditions occur when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues rather than a foreign molecule like bacteria.

Swimming in a Toxic Soup

Although autoimmune disease can have many causes, toxins may be the most important.

You can read more about this issue in Donna Jackson Nakazawa’s groundbreaking new book, The Autoimmune Epidemic.

Fueled by her own struggle with autoimmune disease, Donna identifies environmental toxins, which she terms ‘autogens’ – foreign compounds that create an ‘auto’ reaction against the self – as the true cause of autoimmunity.

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

In his foreword to Donna’s book, Dr. Douglas Kerr, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, says that ‘there is no doubt that autoimmune diseases are on the rise and our increasing environmental exposure to toxins and chemicals is fueling the risk. The research is sound. The conclusions, unassailable.’

It’s no wonder.

We are exposed to astounding amounts of toxic chemicals.

A recent government survey (‘National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals’ issued in July 2005) found an average of 148 chemicals in our bodies.

Other research has found 287 industrial chemicals in the umbilical blood of infants, including pesticides, phthalates, dioxins, flame-retardants, Teflon, and toxic metals like mercury.

A Better Approach to Autoimmunity

This toxic chemical soup clearly has dire effects on our health. But conventional doctors don’t address this when treating autoimmunity.

Instead, they prescribe heavy-duty drugs like anti-inflammatories, steroids like prednisone, anti-cancer drugs like methotrexate, and new drugs like Enbrel and Remicade that block the effects of a powerful inflammatory molecule called TNF alpha.

These drugs may help in the short term – but they can have serious side effects and don’t address the root cause of autoimmunity.

I take a different approach with my patients. I tackle the underlying causes of autoimmune disease, such as allergens, poor diet, toxins, infections, and stress.

Then I add back the things the body needs to function optimally, like whole, clean food, nutrients, exercise, stress management, clean water and oxygen, community, connection, and meaning.

And the results are stunning.

One of my patients was just 42 but could barely function. She suffered from psoriasis and related arthritis. After eliminating gluten and other food allergens, removing heavy metals, and balancing her immune system, she has lost 30 pounds and is completely free of pain and psoriasis.

Another man suffered for years with the bloody diarrhea and pain of ulcerative colitis – until he removed the mercury and other toxins from his body.

And a recent patient with debilitating fatigue from multiple sclerosis got nearly complete relief of her symptoms after she had the mercury fillings removed from her teeth and went on a comprehensive detoxification program.

But this hasn’t just helped my patients. It’s helped my family, too.

I had chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition that has autoimmune features. Once I addressed my mercury poisoning, my chronic fatigue and autoimmune problems improved.

My wife developed debilitating autoimmunity with joint pain and fatigue. Getting rid of the heavy metals in her body with an intensive detoxification program cured her, too.

You can do it, too!

If you or a loved one has an autoimmune condition, try these tips:

— Read The Autoimmune Epidemic to learn why we have this problem, and how to fix it

— Find a Functional Medicine doctor who can help you address autoimmunity

— Come see us for an appointment at the UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts

— Get tested for mercury and other heavy metals

— Get tested for celiac disease (an autoimmune reaction to wheat and other gluten-containing grains), which causes over 60 autoimmune diseases

— Take immune-balancing nutrients and supplements, including vitamin D, essential fats (like EPA/DHA and GLA), and probiotics

— Practice deep relaxation daily through yoga, meditation, biofeedback, or anything that reverses the stress response

— Practice the precautionary principle, which says that we should avoid anything with the potential for harm. In the US, something has to be proven harmful before it is taken off the market. In Europe, something has to be proven safe before it is allowed on the market. This is also known as ‘better safe than sorry.’

— Learn how to boost your body’s own detoxification system.

Remember, by addressing the root causes of autoimmune disease, you can start feeling better and getting well – today.

About the Author: Mark Hyman, MD is a pioneer in functional medicine, practicing physician and best-selling author. A sneak preview of his book “The UltraSimple Diet” is available. See The UltraWellness Blog for more on

Autoimmune Disease.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=229663&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

Couple takes lawyer hostage and said to have explosives

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

A male and a female took 3 people hostage at a law firm in Statesboro, Georgia. Police blocked off a part of this rural town on Monday. Two suspects , a man and a woman, took a lawyer hostage and claimed that they had explosives.

The suspects, Robert Eugene Brower, 43, a former client of the lawyer, and the female whose name was not released, gave up after demands for cigarettes and food were met and they spoke with a family member.

The standoff lasted for 24 hours and ended, “peacefully,” at around 10AM said Larry Schnall, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol.

The last of the 3 hostages to be released was identified as Michael Hostilo. He and the other two hostages were not injured. There is no word on the names of the other hostages.

Earlier reports stated that there had been a “loud boom” coming from the scene at about six o’clock this morning. Authorities have not stated what the booms were.

Police are now inside the building to locate and defuse the explosive device that the suspects claimed to have had.

Initially when police arrived, there were 3 hostages, but 2 had been recently released and were unharmed, said Maggie Fitzgerald, a city spokeswoman. “They are upset with some legal issues within the recent past and want to get those issues resolved. We are doing everything possible to end this situation without anyone being hurt.”

In a news conference Monday night, Police Chief Stan York said Brower was angry about “having been convicted in a criminal case”, in which the lawyer was his court-appointed attorney. York did not elaborate on the demands of the hostage-takers, other than saying, “they only wanted to call attention to the case.”

Georgia State Trooper Larry Schnall, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, said a SWAT team was sent to the scene.

This morning authorities convinced the two suspects to give-up, but “incidents leading to an escalation resulted in some gunfire,” Stan York in a press conference just moments ago. No one was hurt in the brief eruption of gunfire.

Police later said when the suspects tried to surrender they became apprehensive and made a threatening gesture prompting authorities to draw their guns and open fire.

The standoff began at around 9AM on Monday.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Couple_takes_lawyer_hostage_and_said_to_have_explosives&oldid=4011410”

International Paralympic Committee holds first press conference

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

London, England — Yesterday, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) held their first formal press conference as part of the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Approximately 60 media representatives attended and had the opportunity to ask questions of Craig Spence, IPC President Philip Craven, Chairman of the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralymic Games (LOCOG) Sebastian Coe, and LOCOG Director of Communications and Public Affairs Jackie Brock-Doyle following a short speech on the history of the Paralympic Games.

The reporters asked a variety of questions. A British journalist asked about having ATOS as a sponsor given the negative history the business has had with disability services in the country. The IPC responded by saying this is an issue that should be taken up by the relevant British government agency.

A Wikinews reporter asked if the high cost of technology for participating in disability sport at the elite level would leave Oceania, Asia, and Africa behind. Craven said historically, the IPC has worked on increasing disability sport participation; they were now working on changing that to developing disability sport around the world. He highlighted efforts by the IPC to bring down the cost of wheelchairs and prostheses as these are sporting equipment for participation in disability sport. He also said they had donated 4,000 wheelchairs to help spread disability sport.

A Canadian journalist from the Vancouver Sun asked about the lack of substantial coverage of the Games in North America. Craven responded by saying he was disappointed by United States coverage and the IPC has been aware of the problem for years. He contrasted the situation in the United States with France, where the public successfully put pressure on the rights-holding network to improve the coverage of the Games.

Another reporter asked about Paralympic social media usage during the Games. Craven responded that while not a big user of it himself, the IPC embraced social media. Spence said the IPC encouraged everyone involved to use it; 47 Paralympians have video blogs, and the Opening Ceremonies will be covered while they happen.

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Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=International_Paralympic_Committee_holds_first_press_conference&oldid=4239186”
Networkings Solutions

200 105 Test Certification}

200-105 Test Certification

by

Judith M. Ehlers

Question: 1

Which statement about QoS default behavior is true?

A. Ports are untrusted by default.

B. VoIP traffic is passed without being tagged.

C. Video traffic is passed with a well-known DSCP value of 46.

D. Packets are classified internally with an environment.

E. Packets that arrive with a tag are untagged at the edge of an administrative domain.

Answer: E

Frames received from users in the administratively-defined VLANs are classified or tagged for transmission to other devices. Based on rules that you define, a unique identifier (the tag) is inserted in each frame header before it is forwarded. The tag is examined and understood by each device before any broadcasts or transmissions to other switches, routers, or end stations. When the frame reaches the last switch or router, the tag is removed before the frame is sent to the target end station. VLANs that are assigned on trunk or access ports without identification or a tag are called native or untagged frames.

For IEEE 802.1Q frames with tag information, the priority value from the header frame is used. For native frames, the default priority of the input port is used.

Each port on the switch has a single receive queue buffer (the ingress port) for incoming traffic. When an untagged frame arrives, it is assigned the value of the port as its port default priority. You assign this value by using the CLI or CMS. A tagged frame continues to use its assigned CoS value when it passes through the ingress port.

Question: 2

Refer to the exhibit.

Router edge-1 is unable to establish OSPF neighbor adjacency with router ISP-1. Which two configuration changes can you make on edge-1 to allow the two routers to establish adjacency? (Choose two.)

A. Set the subnet mask on edge-1 to 255 255.255.252.

B. Reduce the MTU on edge-1 to 1514.

C. Set the OSPF cost on edge-1 to 1522.

D. Reduce the MTU on edge-1 to 1500.

E. Configure the ip ospf mtu-ignore command on the edge-1 Gi0/0 interface.

Answer: D, E

A situation can occur where the interface MTU is at a high value, for example 9000, while the real value of the size of packets that can be forwarded over this interface is 1500.

If there is a mismatch on MTU on both sides of the link where OSPF runs, then the OSPF adjacency will not form because the MTU value is carried in the Database Description (DBD) packets and checked on the other side.

Question: 3

Which statement about MPLS is true?

A. It operates in Layer 1.

B. It operates between Layer 2 and Layer 3.

C. It operates in Layer 3.

D. it operates in Layer 2.

Answer: B

MPLS belongs to the family of packet-switched networks. MPLS operates at a layer that is generally considered to lie between traditional definitions of OSI Layer 2 (data link layer) and Layer 3 (network layer), and thus is often referred to as a layer 2.5 protocol.

Question: 4

Which statement about named ACLs is true?

A. They support standard and extended ACLs.

B. They are used to filter usernames and passwords for Telnet and SSH.

C. They are used to filter Layer 7 traffic.

D. They support standard ACLs only.

E. They are used to rate limit traffic destined to targeted networks.

Answer: A

Named Access Control Lists (ACLs) allows standard and extended ACLs to be given names instead of numbers. Unlike in numbered Access Control Lists (ACLs), we can edit Named Access Control Lists. Another benefit of using named access configuration mode is that you can add new statements to the access list, and insert them wherever you like. With the legacy syntax, you must delete the entire access list before reapplying it using the updated rules.

Question: 5

Which two switch states are valid for 802.1w? (Choose two.)

A. listening

B. backup

C. disabled

D. learning

E. discarding

Answer: D, E

Port States

There are only three port states left in RSTP that correspond to the three possible operational states. The 802.1D disabled, blocking, and listening states are merged into a unique 802.1w discarding state.

Question: 6

Which option is the benefit of implementing an intelligent DNS for a cloud computing solution?

A. It reduces the need for a backup data center.

B. It can redirect user requests to locations that are using fewer network resources.

C. It enables the ISP to maintain DNS records automatically.

D. It eliminates the need for a GSS.

Answer: B

Question: 7

Which identification number is valid for an extended ACL?

A. 1

B. 64

C. 99

D. 100

E. 299

F. 1099

Answer: D

Question: 8

Which two pieces of information are provided by the show controllers serial 0 command? (Choose two.)

A. the type of cable that is connected to the interface.

B. The uptime of the interface

C. the status of the physical layer of the interface

D. the full configuration of the interface

E. the interface’s duplex settings

Answer: A, C

The show controller command provides hardware-related information useful to troubleshoot and diagnose issues with Cisco router interfaces. The Cisco 12000 Series uses a distributed architecture with a central command-line interface (CLI) at the Gigabit Route Processor (GRP) and a local CLI at each line card.

Question: 9

Which three options are the HSRP states for a router? (Choose three.)

A. initialize

B. learn

C. secondary

D. listen

E. speak

F. primary

Answer: B, D, E

HSRP States

Question: 10

While you were troubleshooting a connection issue, a ping from one VLAN to another VLAN on the same switch failed. Which command verifies that IP routing is enabled on interfaces and the local VLANs are up?

A. show ip interface brief

B. show ip nat statistics

C. show ip statistics

D. show ip route

Answer: A

Initiate a ping from an end device in one VLAN to the interface VLAN on another VLAN in order to verify that the switch routes between VLANs. In this example, ping from VLAN 2 (10.1.2.1) to Interface VLAN 3 (10.1.3.1) or Interface VLAN 10 (10.1.10.1). If the ping fails, verify that IP routing is enabled and that the VLAN interfaces status is up with the show ip interface brief command.

Question: 11

Which protocol authenticates connected devices before allowing them to access the LAN?

A. 802.1d

B. 802.11

C. 802.1w

D. 802.1x

Answer: D

Explanation:

802.1X authentication involves three parties: a supplicant, an authenticator, and an authentication server. The supplicant is a client device (such as a laptop) that wishes to attach to the LAN/WLAN. The term ‘supplicant’ is also used interchangeably to refer to the software running on the client that provides credentials to the authenticator. The authenticator is a network device, such as an Ethernet switch or wireless access point; and the authentication server is typically a host running software supporting the RADIUS and EAP protocols.

The authenticator acts like a security guard to a protected network. The supplicant (i.e., client device) is not allowed access through the authenticator to the protected side of the network until the supplicants identity has been validated and authorized. An analogy to this is providing a valid visa at the airport’s arrival immigration before being allowed to enter the country. With 802.1X port-based authentication, the supplicant provides credentials, such as user name/password or digital certificate, to the authenticator, and the authenticator forwards the credentials to the authentication server for verification. If the authentication server determines the credentials are valid, the supplicant (client device) is allowed to access resources located on the protected side of the network.

Question: 12

What is a difference between TACACS+ and RADIUS in AAA?

A. Only TACACS+ allows for separate authentication.

B. Only RADIUS encrypts the entire access-request packet.

C. Only RADIUS uses TCP.

D. Only TACACS+ couples authentication and authorization.

Answer: A

Authentication and Authorization

RADIUS combines authentication and authorization. The access-accept packets sent by the RADIUS server to the client contain authorization information. This makes it difficult to decouple authentication and authorization.

TACACS+ uses the AAA architecture, which separates AAA. This allows separate authentication solutions that can still use TACACS+ for authorization and accounting. For example, with TACACS+, it is possible to use Kerberos authentication and TACACS+ authorization and accounting. After a NAS authenticates on a Kerberos server, it requests authorization information from a TACACS+ server without having to re-authenticate. The NAS informs the TACACS+ server that it has successfully authenticated on a Kerberos server, and the server then provides authorization information.

During a session, if additional authorization checking is needed, the access server checks with a TACACS+ server to determine if the user is granted permission to use a particular command. This provides greater control over the commands that can be executed on the access server while decoupling from the authentication mechanism.

Question: 13

Which statement about the IP SLAs ICMP Echo operation is true?

A. The frequency of the operation .s specified in milliseconds.

B. It is used to identify the best source interface from which to send traffic.

C. It is configured in enable mode.

D. It is used to determine the frequency of ICMP packets.

Answer: D

This module describes how to configure an IP Service Level Agreements (SLAs) Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo operation to monitor end-to-end response time between a Cisco router and devices using IPv4 or IPv6. ICMP Echo is useful for troubleshooting network connectivity issues. This module also demonstrates how the results of the ICMP Echo operation can be displayed and analyzed to determine how the network IP connections are performing.

ICMP Echo Operation

The ICMP Echo operation measures end-to-end response time between a Cisco router and any devices using IP. Response time is computed by measuring the time taken between sending an ICMP Echo request message to the destination and receiving an ICMP Echo reply.

In the figure below ping is used by the ICMP Echo operation to measure the response time between the source IP SLAs device and the destination IP device. Many customers use IP SLAs ICMP-based operations, in-house ping testing, or ping-based dedicated probes for response time measurements.

Figure 1. ICMP Echo Operation

The IP SLAs ICMP Echo operation conforms to the same IETF specifications for ICMP ping testing and the two methods result in the same response times.

Configuring a Basic ICMP Echo Operation on the Source Device

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable

2. configure terminal

3. ip sla operation-number

4. icmp-echo {destination-ip-address | destination-hostname} [source-ip {ip-address | hostname} | source-interface interface-name]

5. frequency seconds

6. end

Question: 14

Which type of interface can negotiate an IP address for a PPPoE client?

A. Ethernet

B. dialer

C. serial

D. Frame Relay

Answer: B

Question: 15

Which option is a benefit of switch stacking?

A. It provides redundancy with no impact on resource usage.

B. It simplifies adding and removing hosts.

C. It supports better performance of high-needs applications.

D. It provides higher port density with better resource usage.

Answer: D

A stackable switch is a network switch that is fully functional operating standalone but which can also be set up to operate together with one or more other network switches, with this group of switches showing the characteristics of a single switch but having the port capacity of the sum of the combined switches.

Question: 16

What is the first step you perform to configure an SNMPv3 user?

A. Configure server traps.

B. Configure the server group.

C. Configure the server host.

D. Configure the remote engine ID.

Answer: B

The first task in configuring SNMPv3 is to define a view. To simplify things, we’ll create a view that allows access to the entire internet subtree:

router(config)#snmp-server view readview internet included

This command creates a view called readview. If you want to limit the view to the system tree, for example, replace internet with system. The included keyword states that the specified tree should be included in the view; use excluded if you wanted to exclude a certain subtree.

Next, create a group that uses the new view. The following command creates a group called readonly ; v3 means that SNMPv3 should be used. The auth keyword specifies that the entity should authenticate packets without encrypting them; read readview says that the view named readview should be used whenever members of the readonly group access the router.

router(config)#snmp-server group readonly v3 auth read readview

Question: 17

Which spanning-tree feature places a port immediately into a forwarding stated?

A. BPDU guard

B. PortFast

C. loop guard

D. UDLD

E. Uplink Fast

Answer: B

PortFast causes a switch or trunk port to enter the spanning tree forwarding state immediately, bypassing the listening and learning states. You can use PortFast on switch or trunk ports that are connected to a single workstation, switch, or server to allow those devices to connect to the network immediately, instead of waiting for the port to transition from the listening and learning states to the forwarding state.

Question: 18

How can you disable DTP on a switch port?

A. Configure the switch port as a trunk.

B. Add an interface on the switch to a channel group.

C. Change the operational mode to static access.

D. Change the administrative mode to access.

Answer: A

Question: 19

If host Z needs to send data through router R1 to a storage server, which destination MAC address does host Z use to transmit packets?

A. the host Z MAC address

B. the MAC address of the interface on R1 that connects to the storage server

C. the MAC address of the interface on R1 that connects to host Z

D. the MAC address of the storage server interface

Answer: C

Question: 20

Which Cisco platform can verify ACLs?

A. Cisco Prime Infrastructure

B. Cisco Wireless LAN Controller

C. Cisco APIC-EM

D. Cisco IOS-XE

Answer: B

Test Information:Total Questions 228Test Number: 200-105Vendor Name: CISCOCert Name :. CCNATest Name: Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 (ICND2 v3.0)Official Site: http://www.examkill.co.ukFor More Details: http://www.examkill.co.uk/200-105.htmlGet20% Immediate Discount on Full Training MaterialDiscount Coupon Code: 3219R845096

Article Source:

eArticlesOnline.com}

Chess champion is “Fritzed” by computer

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Russian chess grandmaster, Vladimir Kramnik lost the final match of his man versus machine match against the Deep Fritz chess program. The six game match in Bonn, Germany had a final result of 4-2 for the German-developed chess program which runs on readily available computer hardware.

The first match which concluded on November 25 was a draw, Kramnik lost the second game to the computer with some indications that he overlooked a mate in one win. Third through fifth matches were all draws.

Kramnik, whilst the current world chess champion, is actually ranked third in the world. A contributory factor in this is his health problems. The world champion suffers from a rare form of arthritis which makes sitting playing in tournaments extremely painful for him.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Chess_champion_is_%22Fritzed%22_by_computer&oldid=886390”

Mauritanian refugees begin returning home from Senegal

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Mauritanian refugees stuck in Senegal for nearly two decades after fleeing ethnic clashes in their home country have begun returning to Mauritania under a U.N.-sponsored program. But many do not want to return.

There were goodbye ceremonies and welcoming ceremonies attended by officials on both sides of the Senegal River as more than 100 former refugees were ferried on motorized pirogues.

A spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency, Alphonse Munyaneza, explained international funding will help pay for resettlement.

“Each refugee returning back to Mauritania will receive a piece of land equivalent to 140 square meters for establishing a house. UNHCR and the government of Mauritania will provide construction material so that they can build a house,” explained Munyaneza. “We will provide three months of food ration. We will provide a tent also.”

Each refugee returning back to Mauritania will receive a piece of land equivalent to 140 square meters for establishing a house.

Mauritanian refugee children broke out in song and laughter when officials arrived at their camps close to the border to get the process going.

There are more than 20,000 Mauritanian refugees in Senegal. Officials say the return program will extend over 18 months.

One of those happy to go is Haddy Sy. She says she left Mauritania after she was beaten up. This took place during a wave of ethnic violence that began in Arab Moor-dominated Mauritania in 1989 and escalated into border clashes, forcing tens of thousands of black, mostly ethnic Fula, Mauritanians into exile.

In the late 1990s, more than 30,000 refugees returned by their own means and some U.N. assistance.

Sy says she is leaving behind many good things in Senegal, including a peaceful setting, but that she is still happy to return to her home country.

Since taking office last year, the government of the elected, post-coup President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi has been making efforts to bring home the refugees, including several thousand more in Mali.

But many in Senegal do not want to return home, like Yaraah Sow, who lives in the Dagana refugee camp about 400 kilometers northwest of Dakar.

He says he is still very bitter about what happened nearly 20 years ago. He said his father, who was a civil servant, was attacked by a mob and died of internal bleeding at the gates of a hospital after doctors refused to treat him.

Sow accuses the military of seizing all his family’s property. He says that two of his younger brothers died on the trip to Senegal. He says his children are now going to school and that they are better off in Senegal.

One of the refugee leaders, Mohamed Ali Sow, who left when he was 10, says he is studying at a university in Senegal to become a lawyer to defend the rights of chased out Mauritanians.

He says the return program has been rushed, because he says people who had their property seized, houses burned, and jobs taken away, should have guarantees these will be restored. He says until then, he does not think it is wise to go back.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Mauritanian_refugees_begin_returning_home_from_Senegal&oldid=622744”
Financial Planning

What Is The Best Way To Break The Payday Loan Cycle?

By Vincent A Rogers

The one thing that makes so many people choose to take out a payday loan is also the same reason why some people manage to find themselves in difficulties – convenience. Even if youre struggling financially and have a pretty poor record with repaying debts – leading to an equally poor credit rating – you may still be able to get your hands on a short-term loan. Whilst this is a blessing for many, for those who dont borrow responsibly, it can lead to a cycle of debt that is difficult to get out of.

There are plenty of people who take out payday loans and then need to get a second loan at some stage during the next month, just to cover a few additional costs. As long as this is significantly less than the first amount borrowed, there shouldnt be an issue as you are effectively shrinking your debt. This will mean that you are able to go back to being self-sufficient again in the not too distant future and break the cycle.

For others though, this proves to be a little more difficult. If you take out a payday loan with proper planning or clear understanding of what it entails, its easy to find yourself in a situation where you constantly need to borrow in order to pay off debts. This is hugely dangerous and is likely to end up with the borrower having more debt than they can manage, which makes defaulting the only option.

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This situation really doesnt benefit either party. The borrower will have huge debts and often lose a significant amount in interest over the many months of continually relying on payday loans. They will also have the added problem of having a defaulted payment on their permanent credit history. This will make borrowing of any kind hugely difficult.

For the lender, having a customer that defaults will often lead to the writing off of debts. This means that they lose most, if not all of the money that theyve provided. They may sell this to a debt collection agency if the two parties are unable to come to an agreement on repaying the money. However, they will often do this at a huge loss, with most only recouping 10 pence for every 1 owed.

However to avoid this situation and to break the payday loan cycle, the best advice is to budget. There is no shame in having to seek financial help every now and then, but you cant let it continue unchecked. If you borrow 400 from a payday loan company, the likelihood is that you will need to repay around 500 on the agreed date. This is likely to have an impact on anybodys finances, but with proper financial planning it doesnt need to be an ongoing burden.

Ideally you would be able to save enough to repay the payday loan and get on with your life as normal. However, if things are still a little tight the next month, it may be necessary to borrow more. Now as long as this is less than the original 400, you can begin to work your way out of debt. For instance you may need to borrow a further 200. This would incur an interest charge of around 50, but this is still much lower than the first loan, giving you a good opportunity to escape the debt cycle during the following month.

But to do this, you may need to surrender a few luxuries and maybe even have to do a few hours of extra work. Escaping debt is a gradual process and requires a number of small steps to achieve this ultimate goal. In an ideal world we would never need to take out a loan of any kind, but sometimes things happen that throw our finances into turmoil, thus requiring drastic action. If this is the case, you need to be prepared to work your way out of debt and only ever borrow what you can afford to repay. Otherwise it can easily spiral out of control, leading to months of misery.

About the Author: Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of finance businesses. For Payday Loans, he recommends

Payday Power

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