Three dead, over 70 injured in Bangkok blasts

Three dead, over 70 injured in Bangkok blasts

Three dead, over 70 injured in Bangkok blasts

Thursday, April 22, 2010

A series of explosions occurred in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, on Thursday, in which at least three people died and at least 70 people were wounded. The army says the explosions were caused by five M-79 grenades; three in the Saladaeng Skytrain station on Silom Road, one close to Dusit Thani Hotel, and one near a bank. The Thai government said the attacks had been from anti-government protestors. The explosions occurred in the business district of the city.

Television footage showed ambulances coming to the area and locals carrying the injured to safe spots. Office windows were destroyed and pavements had traces of blood.

Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman of the army, mentioned that five M-79 grenades had been used in the attack. Three of these were thrown through the roof of Saladaeng Skytrain station, along Silom Road, the central part of Bangkok’s business district, he added. He said the fourth and fifth bombs exploded on a pavement close to the five-star Dusit Thani Hotel and near a bank, respectively. The attacked railway station was soon closed, according to sources.

Central Bangkok has been the site of recent protests staged against the current Thai government. A coalition of protesters, named the Red Shirts, have been demanding new elections and the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for five weeks. Recently, 21 people died in clashes between the Red shirts and government forces. The military has recommended using tear gas, rubber bullets and other ammunition to prevent the protesters from causing disruption, if necessary. However, Army Chief General Anupong Paochinda is reluctant to use such ammunition, being unwilling to renew violence.

Setting Up A Square Foot Gardening Layout

By Hank Gordon

In a lot of countries a day-to-day worry of many people is how they can provide for their own families. The high price of standard fruit and vegetables usually makes doing so an actual challenge. Having said that, several have determined a relatively basic solution, planting some of their own food! Chances are you’ll very well choose to try out beginning a small garden your self. True, there may not be a lot land close to your own house, but probably there is some terrain close by that you can arrange to develop. Think of all the bucks you are able to spend less by producing great tasting and healthy food! Growing plants could even be the best way for you to obtain some necessary exercising. A patio or garden may also be a family project that your children will love. Indeed, cultivating a vegetable garden is certainly useful.

Why pay your resources on stuff that you can grow your self? Depending on the garden soil as well as the local climate, it might be plausible to plant items like okra, peppers, spinach, parsley, lemongrass, green onions, cassava, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn right next to your house. At the very minimum, these types of a vegetable garden can complement your family’s diet, and you may even have certain extra goods that you can sell. In the event you do not have the desired area of soil necessary for that garden, it would help to make a square foot gardening design.

The Rewards of a Square Foot Gardening Design

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pJwxwwnejQ[/youtube]

With the use of several bits of wood made as vegetable garden beds, a square foot gardening layout could already be cultivated inside of a small spot inside your backyard. This kind of square foot gardening layout allow for a number of levels of garden containers placed in on top of the other permitting for that empty space in a yard be applied for the best. Through smartly setting the mentioned plant boxes, a square foot gardening plan shall definitely make a fantastic beneficial matter for your entire family who has a tendency to the mentioned vegetable garden. It’s indisputably true that the explained sort of garden layout best matches the need of those living in locations with smaller free lots which could host significant vegetable back garden cultivation.

This particular square foot gardening design may be used both on indoor or even in vegetable garden designs. With the successful selection of soil and vegetables to grow, this kind of square foot gardening plan would certainly yield the best fruits of labor that had been produced by the cultivators of the vegetable garden.

If you are aiming to make a vegetable garden that will best meet your needs plus your family’s wellbeing demands as well, it will be best to take square foot gardening layout into account, especially if you are coping with small area locations for that mentioned garden.

Yes, absolutely, the size of the square foot gardening may possibly not matter so much, but the most important to take into account is that of the soil, the location as well as the type of planting that will be embedded within the garden. Any square foot gardening design, no matter how small the design will surely give you the best advantages that you simply will need.

About the Author: The author of this article, Hank Gordon, writes at his website Gardeners Info Point. com about

raised vegetable garden beds

and a composting system like a

rotating compost bin

.

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Tip For Buying Murano Glassware}

Submitted by: Namon Pragopbun

Murano glassware; that’s, the glassware designed and created by foundries in Murano, Italy, is extremely stunning, and quite expensive. it’s distinguished by it’s plethora of colours and it’s art-deco styles. There are many models Murano Style, which are currently available on market or online store , and are a good cut price.This is especially true for those pieces designated as Wedding Vase.

For those who can afford the real thing . It’s a glass collectors dream. There are; but, alternatives for those that love the sweetness of designer glassware; however, who cannot pay the terribly high costs commanded by Murano and it’s vendors. These purchasers ought to look for: MURANO LIKE, or MURANO inspired.

Most of the Murano Like glassware is truly created in China and is imported to the present country. Like everything else,there’s top quality craftsmanship and there’s the other. it’s straightforward to differentiate between Murano and Murano like.. search for clean mouldings, no mould lines with sharp/rough edges. search for air bubbles and straw marks within the glass. These nearly always indicate accellerated cooling, so as to extend production; however, they’re distractors from the standard and sweetness of the piece. The exception to the present,is very thick and/or very old glass. Extraordinarily complicated shapes might result in such producing marks. search for clean,inventive detail, and vivid, well outlined colours and patterns.

They are absolutely NOT Murano, but they are beautiful. These are constant vases you’d purchase in several brick-and-mortar, discount stores in your hometown. Genuine Murano glass is, and should only be sold in exclusive stores. Murano like add something beautiful and classy inside affordable for those who can not afford the real thing. It is not over illigitimate to sell these pieces of what is selling hand-painted copies of old-master paintings, provided that the seller makes it abundantly clear that you just aren’t puchasing a Murano piece.

Now here is some tip TO HELP YOU IDENTIFY FAKE MURANO ITEMS ON Online Store, HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT CLUES AND CHARACTERISTICS TO LOOK FOR:

Many of these sellers use the exact same photo over and over in their listings. Look at the seller’s previous listings and you will see the exact same photos used over and over and over! Obviously, these sellers are too lazy to photograph every item, they cannot have identical pieces to the photo/s they continue to post – so you will NOT receive the item/s in the photo/s

===> You will almost certainly NOT receive the item in the photo/s. This is similar to BAIT and SWITCH schemes. These sellers lure you in, making you think the item in the brilliant photo/s is the one you will be receiving. Remember that you will most probably NOT receive the actual item in the photo/s. Please read the fine print (if there is any), which may, or may not, disclose (often in a deceptive way) that you will receive another, substitute item that is not the one photographed.

===> Often, their shipping costs are extremely high – $14 or $20 or $25 or $28 or $30 or more. Since so many of their items sell for such little amounts of money (often just one penny to $10), these sellers make most of their profit on high shipping and handling amounts.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OjyIw2jpXk[/youtube]

===> Some of these questionable sellers include a truly unbelievably high value in their titles – like $625 or $775 or $595, etc. – again, trying to fool you! These Chinese-made inferior pieces are often worth less than $5.00 – FIVE DOLLARS!

===> You may also see huge, staged (vibrant and gaudy) photos of these fake Murano items in their listings, and the photos may make them look far better than they do in real life. Plus – You will almost certainly NOT receive the item in the photos.

===> Another ploy is to use fake Italian or Roman or Venetian or Murano names or phrases, to make you think these Chinese pieces are made in Italy.

===> In fact, some sellers even display photos/pictures of Murano Italy which they have stolen from legitimate books or legitimate websites. This is Blatant Plagiarism and is meant to mislead you into thinking the items are from Italy.

===> Most of these sellers list these fake items under the category “ITALIAN GLASS”

===> They almost always include the word “MURANO” or “ITALIAN” or “VENETIAN” or “ITALY” in their Titles – trying to fool you.

===> You will also see some of these sellers offering multiples of the item listed – within the same listing. Please note that 5 of the same vases will almost certainly be those poorly made Chinese vessels – not Murano glass! A real Murano art glass item is one of a kind – not mass produced!

===> Some of these listings include a section about the history of Murano glass. Such blather is intended to make you think the item is from Italy when, in reality, it is not — the item is usually made in China. Unfortunately, this practice shows that some sellers purposely choose to take advantage of buyers, by offering misrepresented items at prices that are, actually, too good to be true.

===> Did you ever notice that, and wonder why, so many of these questionable sellers are offering the exact same items? These vessels and figurines are not from Italy! Murano artists do not make the same piece over and over – every piece would be unique, not alike.

===> In Bargain and Discount Shops all over the United States, you can find many of these MADE in CHINA fake Murano Italian items for prices starting at $3.99, or less. These mass-made, cheap, poor quality items are NOT made in Italy.

===> Some of these questionable sellers even print up, or obtain Fake Murano labels / stickers that they then apply to these Made in China items. This practice is used to fool you.

===> Read everything on a seller’s listing page. Once in a great while you will see a sentence at/near the end of the listing (and usually in very tiny print) stating either (1) that the item is not made in Italy, or (2) that it is made in China (sometimes in very poor English – with misspellings). Deceptive sellers also claim that glass made in Asia, or other places, is real Murano glass. This is untrue. Murano glass is ONLY made in Murano Italy. Read Everything!

===> Sometimes a seller will offer one or two real Murano items along with 5O to many hundreds of pieces of fake Murano glass. – Be Careful!

===> Check the seller’s feedback record carefully — You should read each seller’s feedback. If you see negative and neutral and withdrawn feedbacks with phrases like — “lots of flaws “- “not from Italy” – “seller says it is out of stock” (it has not arrived from China yet) – “ugly item” – “defective” – “very poor quality” – “does not look at all like item in photo” – “has ‘Made in China’ sticker” – “definitely not Murano” – “junky glass” – “inferior product” — all these are more clues to BEWARE.

===> Also be aware of many dishonest sellers with multiple names/stores on ebay. Some sellers who are suspended from eBay – start again with a Brand New Name and Store. Read the listings carefully and be aware of similarities in language and so-called rules in these listings of fake Murano glass.

===> Finally, remember this — if you do get the item and realize or find it is not real Murano, and even if you are able to convince the seller to take back the item and give you a refund, the seller will usually only refund the actual $0.01 or $0.99 sales price –NOT any of the shipping costs, and you will still have to pay to ship the item back to the seller. Thus, at the end of the day, you will have paid for shipping from the seller and then back to the seller, only to get a $0.01 or $0.99 refund. This is why it is important that you not be taken-in by a “low price” but, instead, consider all the information available to you from the sellers’ item descriptions, photos, shipping costs, disclaimers, and feedbacks.

===> Also be aware of dishonest sellers who, once they have received dozens of negative feedbacks or are suspended from eBay, open another eBay store with a new name. Please note that some of these sellers sell on multiple eBay sites with various names. You can almost always find great similarities or exact replications (in descriptions, photos and/or payment instructions) among these stores, so don’t be tricked by their deceptive tactics.

By Furniture Design

http://www.furnitureandvase.com/

About the Author: Furniture and Vase Review Provides ideas, pictures, Clip, and articles on interior design, home decor, furniture, and decorating for people to beautify and personalize furnishings their environment while increasing quality of life through great design. Visit

furnitureandvase.com/

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Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO apologies for financial planning scandal

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Ian Narev, the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, this morning “unreservedly” apologised to clients who lost money in a scandal involving the bank’s financial planning services arm.

Last week, a Senate enquiry found financial advisers from the Commonwealth Bank had made high-risk investments of clients’ money without the clients’ permission, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars lost. The Senate enquiry called for a Royal Commission into the bank, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

Mr Narev stated the bank’s performance in providing financial advice was “unacceptable”, and the bank was launching a scheme to compensate clients who lost money due to the planners’ actions.

In a statement Mr Narev said, “Poor advice provided by some of our advisers between 2003 and 2012 caused financial loss and distress and I am truly sorry for that. […] There have been changes in management, structure and culture. We have also invested in new systems, implemented new processes, enhanced adviser supervision and improved training.”

An investigation by Fairfax Media instigated the Senate inquiry into the Commonwealth Bank’s financial planning division and ASIC.

Whistleblower Jeff Morris, who reported the misconduct of the bank to ASIC six years ago, said in an article for The Sydney Morning Herald that neither the bank nor ASIC should be in control of the compensation program.

Arson charge for man who cleaned home with gasoline

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Ernest Krajniak from Chilton, Wisconsin in the United States has been charged with arson after a lit cigarette ignited gasoline soaked clothes, setting his apartment ablaze.

On Friday April 3, Krajniak, 47, cleaned his entire apartment with about five gallons of gasoline, wiping everything down with the soaked clothes. After he was finished, he piled the soaked clothes in the center of his bedroom, lit a cigarette and then threw what was left of the still lit cigarette, into the pile.

Krajniak never called the fire department and never pulled the alarm. Instead he yelled ‘fire’ a few times then walked to the police station where an ambulance took him to a local hospital for the treatment of minor burns. The fire department later arrived to put out the blaze and his apartment was extensively smoke damaged. 11 other apartments were also damaged, leaving the occupants without a place to stay for at least a week.

“I should have never used that,” said Krajniak during a court appearance on Monday. He admitted to knowing that gasoline was highly flammable. He was arrested and his bond has been set a US$2,500. Krajniak’s next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, April 13. According to WISinfo.com, Krajniak has no prior criminal record.

The careless smoking of cigarettes has been blamed for thousands of fires across the U.S. In January 2008, an unnamed elderly woman in Buffalo, New York was receiving oxygen for medical problems in her home and lit a cigarette and began to smoke it. The oxygen coming from her mask then facilitated the ignition of her clothing, setting her on fire.

In the U.S. in 2002, only 4% of all residential fires were reportedly caused by smoking materials. These fires, however, were responsible for 19% of residential fire fatalities and 9% of injuries. The fatality rate due to smoking is nearly four times higher than the overall residential fire rate; injuries are more than twice as likely. Forty percent of all smoking fires start in the bedroom or living room/family room; in 35% of these fires, bedding or upholstered furniture are the items first ignited.

French journalist beaten in Tunis

Saturday, November 12, 2005

A journalist for the French Daily Libération, Christophe Boltanski, was attacked on Friday by several men in a street of Tunis, where he was reporting on the repression of human rights activists.

He was badly beaten and stabbed with a knife in the back by four unidentified assailants near his hotel in the embassy district. Boltanski was also hit in the face by pepper spray. He called for help, but the policemen on guard outside the nearby Czech Embassy did not react, according to Libération.

Boltanski filed a complaint on Saturday morning before returning to Paris. Libération and Reporters without Borders suspect this attack was a deliberate act of intimidation decided by the Tunisian regime. According to a United Press International report, Tunisian authorities arrested two men Saturday on suspicion of assaulting Boltanski.

Seven bushfires near Perth, Western Australia

Sunday, February 4, 2007

Fourteen houses have been destroyed and another 3 damaged by a bush fire burning in Jarrah forests and farmland near the historical timber town of Dwellingup 70km south east of Perth, Western Australia.

The fire has also destroyed approximately 100 power poles, leading to a loss of telecommunication services to the town and affecting water supplies. Mobile generators have been installed for emergency power.

Steve Slavin, spokesman for Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), said that 250 fire-fighters are containing the fire with crews concentrating on the southern front, which is now within 3 km of the town.

Mr Slavin said “Our concern is that winds this afternoon will be swinging around to the south and increasing in intensity.” “It’s making us nervous. The advice we’re giving to people in Dwellingup is if they’ve decided that they will leave, this would be a good time to do it”

In separate fires near North Yunderup, Greenfields and Parkland have affected transmission lines supplying power to approximately 56,000 properties.

Additional fires are burning near Toodyay 85km north east of Perth, Another fire is burning near Williams approximately 160 south east of Perth and 90Km east of Dwellingup. And in the southern rural suburb of Forrestdale. These fires are reported to be under control.

Western Australian Police Arson squad are investigating these fires as some appear to be deliberately lit. The Police are also investigating the death of a women in her mid 20’s who died on Saturday after her car rolled while fleeing the fire near Toodyay.

Anthrocon 2007 draws thousands to Pittsburgh for furry weekend

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Local caterers get ready for big business, as almost three thousand fans converge on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center over the Independence Day weekend for the world’s largest ever furry convention, Anthrocon 2007.

Many hope to renew acquaintances, or meet new friends. Others look to buy from dealers and artists, or show off new artwork or costumes. Some attend to make money, or even learn a thing or two. But one thing unites them: They’re all there to have fun.

Contents

  • 1 Costly expansion
  • 2 Programming and entertainment
  • 3 Audience
  • 4 Art show and dealers
  • 5 Charity and volunteers
  • 6 Local impact
  • 7 Related news
  • 8 Sources

U.S. tariffs on Chinese solar panels to be contested

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The United States continues to implement new trade barriers; the most recent tariffs emerged on Wednesday, targeting solar panels imported from China.

The new tariff is a result of a query submitted in December 2008 by GES USA, an American solar company. The resultant inquiry sought to clarify tariffs levied on solar panels imported from China, imports which, for nearly two decades, were considered a duty-free commodity.

In early January, U.S. Customs officials reportedly informed the company that the solar panels contained electronic devices that place the panels in the electric generator import category which is subject to a 2.5% import tariff. Specifically, the ruling cited the presence of diodes on the solar panels as evidence of electric generation and hence they must be treated as an electric generator. Small solar panels already incur a 3.9% tariff. The January decision was made by a U.S. trade specialist whose rulings can be overturned.

The tariffs will be levied on imported panels that provide electricity for all uses. Additionally, tariffs will be collected dating from the beginning of 2009. The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that the accumulated tariffs from this year may total more than US$ 70 million. This week’s tariff revelation caught many industry leaders off-guard and yesterday the Solar Industries Association moved to block the tariff. The Association president, Rhone Resch, stated “… We’re taking it [the tariff] very seriously and we will be responding. … The industry is in the process of preparing a challenge”. The Association intends to file their appeal with senior U.S. Customs officials who have the option to overrule the decision to implement the tariff. However, if the officials do not revoke the tariff, then the case must go before the U.S. Court of International Trade.

The U.S. amount spent on imported solar panels roughly matches the income from exported panels; US$ 605 million imported versus US$ 555 million exported, according to the Commerce Department figures on the first seven months of this year. Major solar panel importers have already begun to move their operations to the U.S.

Prince Laurent of Belgium testifies in marine fraud case

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

This article features in a News Brief from Audio Wikinews:

Prince Laurent of Belgium, the youngest son of King Albert II of Belgium, has been questioned last night by the federal police and is attending today’s court session in Hasselt in a marine fraud case that has gripped Belgian media since last December. He arrived in a Smart car and was accompanied by his lawyer and former politician Fred Erdman. The case turns around funds of the Belgian Navy that have been used to beautify the Prince’s villa in Tervuren. The Prince is expected to testify this afternoon.

In total, 2.2 million was supposedly diverted from the marine’s purchasing services using false invoices. Roughly € 185 000 was allegedly used to paint the Prince’s villa, install lights in the garden, for the purchase of carpet and furniture, and for his secretariat and for animal clinics the Prince supports via his Foundation. Twelve marine officers and contractors are being accused of document fraud, collusion, bribery, embezzlement of government money etc. and could face 10 years in prison. The money was part of the budget that wasn’t spent at the end of the year, and which would flow back to the government if the army didn’t spend it.

The Prince, who is also an officer in the navy, is being treated only as a witness in this case, there have been no charges against him. The Attorney General in Hasselt Marc Rubens has said that there are no elements in the investigation that point to the fact that Laurent was aware of the affair, however several accused have contested this in the press. Technically, the villa is not the property of the Prince himself, but of the Royal Gift, which manages the real property of the Royal Family.

During his interview by the police last night, Prince Laurent stated that he needed funds to renovate his villa, and that Noël Vaessen, his adviser, told him the Navy could help him. The Prince stated that he thought it was legal, and that he had no reason to doubt his adviser.

Ex-Colonel Noël Vaessen was an adviser of the Prince between 1993 and 1999. Vaessen has declared in the media during the last month that the Prince actively participated in the fraud, and that he fears a cover-up. He said that the Prince was a demanding party in the operation, and that “he knew that we were arranging things to make his life and his work as comfortable as possible.” According to Vaessen, the Prince was in need of money to support a royal lifestyle, and “didn’t even have enough money to buy food.”

In 2001, Vaessen was discharged with honour from the army “for medical reasons”, but Defence Minister André Flahaut is investigating if there was no agreement to give him his pension in exchange for the fact that he wouldn’t incriminate the Prince. Vaessen also accused the Prince of other things, such as racing against the high-speed train TGV on a French highway. He has also incriminated Admiral Herteleer. Captain Johan Claeys, one of the accused, studied with the Prince and worked at the facturation services of the Navy in 1998 and 1999. One of the accused contractors, Marc Luypaerts, has told the press that the judge responsible for the investigation in Hasselt had forbidden him to speak about Prince Laurent.

Laurent’s status as a Prince has several judicial consequences for the trial. In Belgium, it’s against the law to incriminate the Royal Family during a trial. Also, the Prince is protected from judicial pursuit because he is also a Senator by law. Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinx has issued a Royal Decrete, which the King has signed while on holiday in Napels, which would make it possible for Princes to testify in a trial.

However, Public Prosecutor Erwin Steyls has chosen to have Laurent interrogated by the police last night in Hasselt. This was the first time during the last six years of the inquiry that the Prince was questioned. Today in the court, the Prosecutor defended the act of having him questioned outside the trial, saying that there were several procedural issues. First, the subpoena for the Prince wasn’t issued in time to be legal. Second, the details of the protocol to hear the Prince in court were not explained in the recent Royal Decrete, making it worthless -something Minister Onkelickx denied. Thirdly, nobody can be forced to testify against himself, and if the Prince were to make false statements under oath, he could only be sued for perjury. However, the court has decided to let him testify anyway this afternoon.

Quote

Nobody is above the law and the Justice Department must be able to complete its task in full independence. When the courts find embezzlements, it seems fair to me that they would be compensated by anyone who profited from them.

During the last month, the case has caused a several spin-off discussions in Belgium. One of the surprises during this period was the King’s Christmas Message, in which he referred to the case. The regional governments are now investigating and discussing their donations to the IRGT/KINT, an environmental organisation supported by Prince Laurent. But there is also an ongoing debate over the position of the Monarchy in Belgium. Some politicians are suggesting to limit the role of the Monarchy, and other think that only the King and Queen, the Crown Prince or Princess and the widow(er) of the King or Queen should receive state funding.