Thursday, April 21, 2005 U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law Wednesday a major bankruptcy reform bill, making the most sweeping changes to the laws of personal bankruptcy in the past two decades. Bill S.256 is predicted to reduce the chances of filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy for 30,000 to 210,000 families per year, according…
Avalanche in Canadian Rocky Mountains kills two
Sunday, March 14, 2010 Two people in the Canadian Rocky Mountains were killed yesterday in an avalanche that struck an informal meeting of 200 snowmobilers. 30 others were hurt, and nineteen people were treated and released at a hospital. According to reports, the incident occurred on Boulder Mountain near Revelstoke, British Columbia on Saturday at…
Blown for Good author discusses life inside international headquarters of Scientology
Friday, November 13, 2009 Wikinews interviewed author Marc Headley about his new book Blown for Good, and asked him about life inside the international headquarters of Scientology known as “Gold Base“, located in Gilman Hot Springs near Hemet, California. Headley joined the organization at age seven when his mother became a member, and worked at…
U.S. automaker GM plans to close 1,100 dealerships
Friday, May 15, 2009 American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) announced plans Friday to shut down about 1,100 of its dealerships, in an effort to evade bankruptcy and lower its expenditures. GM’s move comes a day after Chrysler, another U.S. car maker, released a list of 789 dealerships that it was closing. Unlike Chrylser, GM…
Canada’s west coast battles high winds
Thursday, November 16, 2006 Currently, there are blackouts, heavy rain, and high winds in British Columbia. Over 220,000 BC Hydro customers have no power. Buildings have already collapsed and trees have been knowed down. Five Vancouver rivers were in danger of flooding, which rain fell at 10 mm an hour for more than six hours…
Finnish police isolate ports in Helsinki
Saturday, August 6, 2005 The Finnish police isolated the ports of Katajanokka and Länsisatama on Saturday. The ports were isolated at around 9.30 p.m. local time and the isolation was called off at around 11.30 p.m. Finnish police received reports from Estonia that a shipping container loaded with explosives could be coming from Estonia Saturday…
Blow out sales prices likely on mattresses as new U.S. fire-resistant standards take effect
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 If you are in the market for new bedding, and not too concerned with the new United States guidelines for mattress fire resistance, now might be a good time to buy. Mattresses sold in the U.S. must meet new federal guidelines for flammability starting on July 1. The peak heat release…
500 stranded melon-headed whales rescued in Philippine bay
Saturday, February 14, 2009 Philippine fishermen, volunteers and authorities with dozens of fishing boats have joined hands in guiding back to sea about 500 disorientated melon-headed whales that were stranded in the shallow waters near the mouth of Manila Bay delta in the Bataan Peninsula. The gentle mammals were first spotted swimming back and forth…
Broken pipes cause flood in Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo, New York
Correction — February 13, 2008 The break was a broken sprinkler head in a crawl space above the shop, according to Jeffrey A. Salmon Facilities Manager of the Martin House Restoration Corporation. Not a pipe. Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Buffalo, New York —According to radio communications by the Buffalo, New York Fire Department, at approximately 10:15…
China offers Africa financial aid including $10 billion in loans
Sunday, November 8, 2009 China has offered Africa concessional loans worth US$10 (€6.5) billion as part of a host of new measures aimed at improving the economy of African nations. The announcement was made at the opening of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Leaders of nearly 50 African countries are…