Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Recently, Wikinews spent time with with New Zealand Paralympic skier Adam Hall who was at Copper Mountain, Colorado for the IPC Nor-Am Cup.

((Wikinews)) We’re interviewing famous Kiwi Paralympic legend Adam Hall, Paralympic skier. What classification are you?

Adam Hall: An LW1.

((WN)) LW1. So you are a standing skier?

Adam Hall: Stand up skier.

((WN)) And how does a Kiwi end up skiing? Because it’s not known as the world’s greatest country for skiing.

Adam Hall: Oh, actually we have quite a lot of good resources down in New Zealand for skiing and a lot of world class athletes and countries from all over the world come down to New Zealand and train during the off season. So, actually, kind of world-renowned for skiing.

((WN)) New Zealand’s had a couple of really famous skiers compared to their neighbour [Australia], right?

Adam Hall: Yeah I guess so. Especially in the able bodied world. Back in the early 90s we had some good success at the Olympic medal.

((WN)) You’re the most decorated New Zealand Paralympian on the winter side?

Adam Hall: Uh, no, not yet. We’ve also had a very successful Winter Paralympics ski racing team also in the 90s as well and also in the 80s as well when Paralympic skiing first evolved. We have had quite a successful team over the years, and we try to continue that[?].

((WN)) Are you from the South Island?

Adam Hall: From the South Island.

((WN)) So you ski in Otago?

Adam Hall: Yeah, I am from Otago and I train out of Wanaka.

((WN)) After the Summer Olympics, your government had all sorts of budget issues. Has that impacted the Paralympic stuff on the winter side or in general, or is it just the Olympics where they are like “we don’t want to fund everything”?

Adam Hall: I’d much rather stay out of all that political side of things, and I don’t really know much about it…

((WN)) They are giving you money to ski?

Adam Hall: Based on your results you’re pretty well supported, and you have to obviously show your results to get the kind of resources and help. If you’re successful you’re lucky enough to get world class resources to help you along.

((WN)) Do you think you’re better resourced than, say, the Americans?

Adam Hall: It’s hard to say what each country gets, but I’m really happy and definitely privileged to have the support that I have behind me.

((WN)) Are you going to go to Sochi?

Adam Hall: Definitely, yeah. That what my eyes are set on at the moment and it’s for Sochi in 2014.

((WN)) Have you qualified points-wise points already?

Adam Hall: Yeah, right now I have the qualifications and [?] points to qualify for the games.

((WN)) What’s your favourite skiing events?

Adam Hall: Slalom and Super G, and the two combined.

((WN)) It’s because you like to go fast?

Adam Hall: I like to go fast and I like the technical things as well.

((WN)) Anything that people should know about disability sport in New Zealand?

Adam Hall: No, not really, the whole disability world, world-wide, is moving in a positive way and continues to when you look back in previous years with people with disabilities were kind of classed as second-hand[?] citizens and it is moving in a positive way and continues to.

((WN)) Okay, cool. Thank you very much.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

In a press release today, California-based Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. indicated that it has voluntarily recalled just over 143 million pounds (65 million kilograms) of raw and frozen beef products, which is considered to be the largest single recall of beef products in U.S. history. The move follows an investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) into allegations of animal cruelty and mishandling of cattle destined for the human food chain.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) had determined that beef products produced by the Chino, California company were unfit for human consumption as the cattle had not received “complete and proper inspection.”

The recall has been designated as Class II, which the USDA describes as “a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.”

On Friday, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer indicated that charges had been laid against employees of the plant alleged to have taken part in the mistreatment of cattle. “Today [Friday], the San Bernardino District Attorney filed felony animal cruelty charges against two employees who were terminated by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company,” said Schafer. “It is regrettable that these animals were mistreated and I am encouraged and supportive of these actions by the San Bernardino District Attorney in response to this mistreatment.”

The USDA learned of the possible inhumane handling of non-ambulatory (disabled) cattle at the packing plant on January 30 and has since suspended activities at the plant. “We continue to conduct a thorough investigation into whether any violations of food safety or additional humane handling regulations have occurred,” said Secretary Schafer in a press release. “On February 8, our Office of the Inspector General took the lead on the investigation. At that time, USDA extended the administrative hold on Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company products for the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations while the investigation continues,” said Schafer.

The FSIS reported that Hallmark/Westland had not contacted the FSIS public health veterinarian, as required, when cattle became ill or disabled after undergoing ante-mortem (slaughter) inspection, putting the company out of compliance with FSIS regulations. “Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection FSIS has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall,” explained Secretary Schafer.

The cruelty charges stem from an undercover video that reportedly showed sick cattle being moved by crews using forklifts.

“Words cannot accurately express how shocked and horrified I was at the depictions contained on the video that was taken by an individual who worked at our facility from October 3 thru November 14, 2007,” said Steve Mendell, President, Westland Meat Co. and Hallmark Meat Packing. “We have taken swift action regarding the two employees identified on the video and have already implemented aggressive measures to ensure all employees follow our humane handling policies and procedures. We are also cooperating with the USDA investigators on the allegations of inhumane handling treatment which is a serious breech of our company’s policies and training.”

The USDA stressed that it is “extremely unlikely” that the cattle involved were at risk for Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad-cow disease due to the employment of multiple safeguards. The USDA felt the recall was required, however, as the plant had allegedly violated USDA regulations.

The recall involves raw and frozen beef products produced on various dates from February 1, 2006 to February 2, 2008. For further information about the recall, consumers, media, and distributors are encouraged to contact Hallmark/Westland’s Plant Manager Stan Mendell or Food Safety Consultant Steve Sayer at (909) 590-3340 or the FSIS website, www.fsis.usda.gov.

Friday, February 12, 2010

An Indonesian court has convicted the former head of the country’s anti-corruption agency of murder. The prosecution of Antasari Azhar and three others has been controversial, with some fearing the so-called “Judicial Mafia” played a role.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) already saw a proven plot to discredit it and frame its senior members. Shortly after Azhar’s arrest in May last year police came to take away Bibit Rianto and Chandra Hamzah, two deputy commissioners, to face trial for corruption. The trial, instead, unveiled a plot to convict the men of offences they had not committed. Protests in the street ensued, and locals gave corrupt officials the joint nickname of the “Judicial Mafia”.

The scandal resulted in the resignations of a chief detective and a deputy attorney general; the KPK had begun probing the attorney general’s office and that of the national police. During Azhar’s time as chair the KPK has exposed bribery at the former and prosecuted an in-law relative of the president during the country’s election preparations, with a jail sentence being the result.

The defendants had claimed political elements orchestrated a conspiracy to see the quartet convicted. The judges disagreed, with judge Herri Swantoro telling the court, “Defendant Antasari Azhar has been legitimately proven guilty of participating in persuading the carrying out of a premeditated murder.” The court’s judgement ran to 179 pages.

The case saw the four accused of plotting the March 2009 murder of tycoon Nasruddin Zulkarnaen, shot dead in his car by a motorbike assassin in Jakarta. Zulkarnaen was Azhar’s golfing partner and the businessman was alleged by the prosecution to have been blackmailing the KPK leader, who is a former prosecutor.

Azhar is alleged to have had an affair with one of Zulkarnaen’s wives, a golf caddie. With Zulkarnaen threatening to inform the press and parliament, Azhar is alleged to have plotted murder with several other officials. Police commissioner Wiliardi Wizar was accused of locating the assassins used; he claimed his senior had ordered him to testify he had been told by Azhar to kill Zulkarnaen.

Media mogul Sigid Haryo Wibisono stood accused of financing the contract killing, and businessman Jerry Hermawan Lo of arranging a meeting with the gunmen. All three were convicted alongside Azhar, who received an eighteen-year prison sentence. Wizar was jailed for twelve years, Wibisono for fifteen and Lo for five. All intend to appeal the verdicts.

One person who feels the court got it wrong is a human rights lawyer who defended Bibit and Chandra. “I think that this is all still a mystery,” said Taufik Basari. “I don’t think the judge had all the necessary facts to warrant a verdict of eighteen years.”

Despite the conviction of his relative, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono retained the presidency last June by a landslide majority. Originally elected in 2004, Yudhoyono has used an anti-corruption stance in his campaigns, heaping praise upon the KPK which Azhar was head of from December 2007 until his arrest.

The four new convicts join five men convicted of the murder in December. Alleged to have comprised the gang behind the shooting, they received sentences varying from seventeen to eighteen years imprisonment.