Author: Admin

Sunday, June 17, 2007 The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents in the United States, released updates on three major investigations on June 14. The NTSB, well known publicly for its involvement in the investigation of aviation incidents which involve harm or loss of human life, is also an agency that oversees the transportation of refined petroleum and gas products, chemicals and minerals. The agency determined the cause of a natural gas pipeline explosion that killed six. It also detailed the cause of an…

Sunday, April 12, 2009 Troops are being deployed throughout Thailand as the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in reaction to protesters supporting ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Armoured vehicles and bands of protesters are reportedly roving the streets of Bangkok and the prime minister has threatened to use force against the protesters. The protesters are supporters of the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). They demand the immediate resignation of the prime minister and fresh elections. A group of protesters at the country’s Ministry…

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 The United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Honourable Gordon Brown PC MP, in a speech to the British House of Commons today presented his ninth Budget, what is very likely to be his last Budget before the next UK General Election. This opened the parliamentary debate on the 2005 Finance Bill, and was followed by responses from the opposition parties. In a 48 minute long speech, the Chancellor presented a Budget of “tax cuts that are reasonable, spending that is affordable, and [economic] stability…

Friday, May 5, 2006 Schedule Thursday May 4 Prologue: a mysterious arrival Friday May 5 The spectacle begins / Tour 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.,5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday May 6 Sightseeing / A sultan’s welcome 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.,3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday May 7 Sunday in the city / Finale 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.,3 p.m. – 6 p.m. ‘The Sultan’s Elephant‘, an enormous theatrical spectacle, has arrived in London on the start of its four day show. The elephant, a huge moving stage measuring…

Thursday, November 29, 2018 On Monday shortly before noon US west coast time (2000 UTC), NASA’s InSight lander successfully touched down on Elysium Planitia on Mars. It sent a signal beep and image of the surface of Mars to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. The lander used aerobraking with a heat shield, then a parachute and finally rockets to achieve a soft landing on the surface. It used similar entry, descent, and landing sequence to the Phoenix spacecraft. Insight project manager Tom Hoffman said, “We hit the Martian atmosphere…

Tuesday, February 14, 2006 A new 154-page Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says seven federal departments together spent US$1.6 billion on 343 contracts with public relations firms, advertising agencies, and media organizations, as well as individuals involved in such activities. Congressional Democrats requested the report after several incidents surfaced in which journalists or commentators were paid to promote the Bush administrations programs, but did not disclose the financing, so called payola. In one case, Armstrong Williams was paid $186,000 for promotions of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law. The…

Tuesday, March 29, 2005The local chapter of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity at California State University, Chico was suspended after members were linked to a pornographic DVD apparently filmed in the club’s fraternity house. According to reports, the DVD shows students engaged in various sexual activities with female porn actresses. The Chico fraternity also has been suspended by the national Phi Kappa Tau organization and Chico State’s Interfraternity Council, the student governing body for all fraternities. In addition, the national Interfraternity Council issued a press statement saying it was embarrassed…