New Zealand dollar hits new high versus the United States dollar

Tuesday, July 17, 2007 File:New Zealand money.jpg The New Zealand dollar (NZD) value rose and, for a short amount of time, was worth US$0.7932, the highest level in New Zealand since the dollar was floated in 1985 — 22 years ago. The value then dropped a little and as of 11.40 a.m. was trading at US$0.7925. This was due to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand announcing that it will intervene next week at their Official Cash Rate review if the dollar continued to rise. Economists are predicting that the…

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Negotiations for hijacked Saudi oil tanker begin

Thursday, November 20, 2008 Vela International Marine, the Saudi Arabian company that owns the MV Sirius Star oil tanker which was captured by pirates on November 15, has begun negotiations with the Somali pirates. The Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al Faisal said that talks had begun, but he did not say whether a ransom would be paid. Vela International Marine, which is owned by state-owned Saudi Aramco, would only say it is “working toward [the crew’s] safe and speedy return.” “We do not like to negotiate with pirates, terrorists or…

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MLB: Pirates complete sweep of Astros

Thursday, April 5, 2007 Pittsburgh Pirates 5 4 Houston Astros The Pittsburgh Pirates swept the Houston Astros in a 5-4 victory at the Minute Maid Park Wednesday. Xavier Nady did very well in the first three games of the season, going 1 for 4 with 2 runs to lift the Pirates over the Astros. Tom Gorzelanny made his debut in the last game of the series, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits, with 2 errors, with one ball batted and four strikeouts. This is the first time since May…

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Micro-loans to US poor from Bangladesh’s Grameen Bank

Sunday, February 17, 2008 Grameen Bank of Bangladesh has made the first loans to U.S. citizens who do not have a bank account. Grameen Bank is experienced in micro-financing in its home country, lending money to poor women that want to start small businesses. Since the start of the mortgage-crisis more people in the U.S. tend to turn to fringe financial institutions bypassing the mainstream bank institutes. “Now is a good time because of … the subprime crisis and that highlights the issue that the financial system is not perfect,”…

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Explosives pass security checks in Slovakia, arrive in Ireland in failed test

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 A failed test of security at Slovakia’s Poprad airport resulted in a 49 year-old man unknowingly carrying plastic explosives from Slovakia to Dublin, Ireland. The explosives were concealed so well that the man did not find them when he unpacked his bag at his apartment. On Saturday, Slovak authorities planted contraband in passengers’ luggage at Poprad’s Poprad-Tatry Airport without the knowledge of passengers. Seven of the eight items were recovered, while an eighth made its way to an apartment in Dublin. Slovak authorities realised on Tuesday…

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Queues form outside struggling UK bank; calm urged

Saturday, September 15, 2007 Nervous savers have re-formed queues this morning outside many branches of Northern Rock, after the £2.68 billion bank took an emergency loan from the Bank of England, the UK central bank. Shares in the bank had dropped 25% by lunchtime yesterday in London – and stood nearly 60% lower from their high of February – after the Bank of England acted in its capacity as “lender of last resort” to provide Northern Rock with short-term financing to enable it to continue operations. The Bank of England…

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United States: Two killed, more than a hundred injured in Amtrak train collision in South Carolina

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 Early on Sunday morning, Amtrak’s passenger train number 91, the Silver Star, bound for Miami from New York, slammed into a stationary CSX freight train in Cayce, about ten miles (16 km) south of Columbia, capital of the US state of South Carolina. Two Amtrak employees were killed and at least 116 were injured, some seriously. The two killed were 54-year-old engineer Michael Kempf of Savannah, Georgia, and 36-year-old conductor Michael Cella of Orange Park, Florida. Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told…

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Horse flu spreads in Australia

Monday, August 27, 2007 The number of horses confirmed to be infected with Equine Influenza in Australia has risen to 47, all in the state of New South Wales. So far none of those confirmed infected have been thoroughbred race horses. The NSW government has confirmed infections at the federal government’s quarantine facility at Eastern Creek and Centennial Park in Sydney; at Cattai and Wilberforce in North-Western Sydney; and in Moonbi, Parkes, Berry and Wyong in regional NSW. It is also feared that the outbreak may have spread to Warwick…

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NHL: Vancouver Canucks showcase new uniform

Thursday, August 30, 2007 The Vancouver Canucks, hockey team to Vancouver, British Columbia, unveiled it’s new home and away uniforms today. Keeping the trade-mark Orca, the jersey has remixed the colors as well as adding a green stripe for both the home and away uniforms. This is the 5th jersey the team has gone through since 1970 when the team was founded. The redesign has been met with some criticisms. John Carter a graphics arts instructor at a local college was quoted as calling the redesign an “utter disappointment.” The…

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