Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Police organized a search in the Sydenham Park area of south-east London after a local, Anthony Holder, was attacked by a 6ft long black animal while looking for his kitten in his back yard that borders a woodland.

Holder said the animal pounced, knocked him to the ground, and then he was “in its claws for about 30 seconds. Its teeth were out and I tried to defend myself and eventually I got the thing off my body.” Holder was scratched all over his body and suffered swelling and bruising to his hand and the back of his head. He called the police at about 2:15 am while the animal sat in the garden next door.

While Holder was being treated by paramedics, the Metropolitan Police conducted a search of the area. A citizen and a police officer saw the creature, believed by some to be a panther. Another officer also believed he saw the animal and reports it as approximately the size of a Labrador Retriever. The neighbourhood is being patrolled by an armed police response vehicle staffed by officers equipped with rifles and Taser stun guns.

Scotland Yard is currently seeking specialist advice from experts from the RSPCA and London Zoo. A spokeswoman said: “We are trying to establish exactly where the animal may have come from. In the meantime we are asking the public to be vigilant. If anyone does see the animal, do not approach it but dial 9-9-9 immediately.”

People are also being advised to keep pets indoors.

Sightings of big cats have increased in recent years. The notion of a large predator in London was initially dismissed by scientists, but evidence from footprints and droppings has led to other conclusions. The British Big Cat Society estimates 50 to 100 are currently loose across England. Livestock has supposedly been attacked a number of times. Farmers near Burford in Oxfordshire have offered a £5,000 reward for the capture of a large black creature suspected of killing livestock in the area. However, there have been virtually no human encounters.

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

The Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, was asked in parliament today about the contract to print the new industrial relations legislation booklets. Kelvin Thomson asked the question because the contract was awarded to Salmat Ltd., who has been said to have donated $120,000 to the Australian Liberal Party, of which the Mr Howard is a member. The contract was worth $800,000 AUD. It was revealed by Stephen Smith the week earlier that these booklets were “pulped” at a cost of $152,000 to the taxpayer.

The Prime Minster John Howard said that “the contract was awarded in the normal fashion”, and that he did not know if Salmat donated to any other parties, and said that he ask someone to “just do a little bit of research this afternoon” to get further information on the matter. After Question Time the Prime Minister confirmed that Salmat was selected through an open tender process, and expressed his belief that “expressions of political support should not disbar one from preferment on the merits.”

Friday, March 3, 2006

The Australian foreign minister, Alexander Downer, has confirmed that Australia will not export uranium to India while it is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The confirmation was prompted by a recently announced agreement between India and the United States involving the sale of civilian nuclear technology.

“Well our policy has developed over many years, going right back to the time of the Fraser Government actually, our policy has been that we would only export uranium to countries that are signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” Mr. Downer said in an interview on today’s AM radio programme.

Mr. Downer also said that the Australian government was disappointed when India and Pakistan developed nuclear weapons, but supports the new United States deal with India as an attempt to engage with India and “open up their civilian nuclear industry to International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.”

“We’ve considered very carefully over the last few months the American proposal for this agreement that President Bush has signed with the Indians, and our view about it is that it’s a good step forward in what’s been a difficult situation,” Mr. Downer said.

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) supported the government’s stance on exporting uranium to non-NPT countries. “Any future agreement to export to India must be dependent on India becoming a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the negotiation of a bi-lateral agreement ensuring that Australian uranium is only used for peaceful purposes,” they said in a press release.

The deal between the two countries involves the US supplying civilian nuclear technology to India, in exchange for money and a promise to open some reactors for inspection. India has said it will reclassify 14 of its 22 nuclear reactors as being for power generation only, which will allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAFA) to inspect them.

In a press briefing, National Security Advisor Steve Hadly said that the agreement would bring India “into the international non-proliferation mainstream”, including “placing its civilian nuclear facilities and programs under IAEA safeguards, and also harmonizing its export control lists with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime.” The deal stops short of normalising India’s nuclear status; however it is not clear that this could occur without a complete renegotiation of the NPT, or an abandonment of nuclear weapons by India.

The director of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, called India “an important partner in the non-proliferation regime”.

The NPT permits 5 states to own nuclear weapons: France (signed 1992), the People’s Republic of China (1992), the Soviet Union (1968; obligations and rights assumed by Russia), the United Kingdom (1968), and the United States (1968). All other signatories have agreed that they will not seek nuclear weapons technology. 187 sovereign nations are currently signed on to the NPT; however India, Pakistan, and Israel have not. India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons, and Israel is suspected of possession of nuclear weapons.

Australia has 30% of the world’s available uranium. According to the Uranium Information Centre, from 2000 to 2005 Australia exported 46,600 tonnes of uranium, to the value of over AU$2.1 billion. Australia currently exports to the USA, Japan, South Korea, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Finland. Exports are for electricity generation only, in accordance with the NPT.

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Sunday, September 2, 2012

London, England — Yesterday at London’s Basketball Arena, the Canada women’s national wheelchair basketball team earned their first victory of the London Paralympics when they defeated the Australia women’s national wheelchair basketball team 57–50.

Canada took a one point lead into the second half, when the scores were 33–32 because of a last minute foul that sent Canada to the free throw line where they capitalized by making one of their shots. 4.5 point player Janet McLachlan and 2 point player Katie Harnock dominated in minutes played for Canada during the first half, playing all 20 minutes and leading their team in scoring with 11 first half points for McLachlan and 12 for Harnock. The Canadian team was loudly supported by spectators, earning more cheering from the largely Great Britain supporting fans than the Australians.

The second half saw Canada slowly increase their lead, keeping tied with Australia 4–4 in the first half of third, 6–4 in the last half of the third, 6–4 in the first half of the fourth, and 8–6 in the last half of the fourth. McLachlan finished the game as Canada’s leading scorer with 28 total, 17 in the second half. Harnock had a quieter second half only scoring 2 points to finish with 14. Cindy Ouellett was the team’s third leading scorer, finishing the game with ten.

The Canadian team supported their team from the bench, chanting “Get it out! Get it out!” when on defense and “Let’s go Canada” when on the offense. Other times, one player led the team in chanting support for their players on the court. The team was consistently louder than the Australian bench.

Throughout the game, the Canadians tipped themselves over more in their chairs than the Australians. Ouellett tipped once, and bounced in her chair, with a wheel leaving the ground as she attempted to block shots and steal the ball. Ouellett and Australian Cobi Crispin locked wheels, and required a break in the game where Australia’s coach came on to the court and removed Ouellett’s wheel to detach the pair before putting it back on again.

Following the game, Australia’s Amber Merritt said of playing Canada, “I have the utmost respect for Canada. They’re a great team, but we’ll refocus on the game tomorrow [against the Netherlands] and go out and play like we know we can, the Australian way.”

Prior to the start of the game, McLachlan was the team’s dominating player in the competition. She was ranked eighth in the competition in field goal percentage, and was Canada’a highest ranked player in this category. She ranked second in the tournament in total field goals made per game, with 12. Teammate Katie Harnock ranked eighth. Tara Feser ranked fourth in the tournament for 2 point field goal percentage at 57.1%, while McLachlan ranked ninth with 50.0%. McLachlan was second in 2 point field goals made per game, at 12. Harnock was tied for first with Mexico’s Floralia Estrada Bernal in the competition for 3 point field goal percentage at 20%, and was ranked second in the tournament for most 3 point field goals made with one.

As a team coming into the game, Canada was ranked sixth in total field goal percentage, eighth in free throw percentage, sixth in average rebounds per game, second in fouls, and last in turnovers.

Coming into this game, Canada had lost their first game 70–59 to the Netherlands. They are scheduled to play Brazil today.