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Thursday, March 13, 2008 Members of Australia’s Health Services Union (HSU) will go on strike in Victoria next week in a dispute over stalled wage and career structure negotiations. Over 5000 physiotherapists, speech pathologists and radiation therapists will walk off the job next week, effectively closing the state’s 68 largest health services. The strike will force the closure of intensive care units and emergency departments across the state. It is feared the strike could continue into Easter. National secretary of the HSU, Kathy Jackson said admissions would be crippled, while…

Friday, April 29, 2005 The world’s most expensive hotel-casino ever has opened in Las Vegas, Nevada. The casino, which was designed and built over a period of five years, cost US$2.7 billion to construct. The hotel stands nearly fifty stories above the Las Vegas valley, with a 180-foot tall mountain in front of the main entrance. Numerous lavish touches contributed to the high expense of the development. The sign in front of the Wynn property has an unusual mechanical design, with a large piece containing the Wynn logo, which can…

Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Operation NANOOK 2008 was held from August 11 to August 25 by the Canadian Forces for the purpose of conducting mock emergency rescue operations for potential maritime disasters in the northeastern Canadian Arctic waters. Two Canadian navy ships and two airforce planes, a CC-138 Twin Otter and a CP-140 Aurora, took part in the exercises in the Canada’s Arctic. The HMCS Toronto and the Canadian Coast Guard ship Pierre Radisson travelled along the Hudson Strait. The Operation extended to Davis Strait, and Frobisher Bay during the…

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 The largest class action in Victorian history was commenced at the Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday the 13th by Slidders Lawyers against electricity distribution company SP AusNet and the Brumby Government in relation to the Kilmore East fire that became part of the Kinglake complex. Because of the lawsuit, SP AusNet SPN.AX’s shares on Monday have dropped more than 13.36 per cent or 14.5 cents, to an intra-day low of 94 cents, was at 98.5 cents at 10:38 a.m. local time, before recovering slightly to…

Friday, March 3, 2006 Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe is reported to be feeling much better after suffering from chest pain for some time. The Olympic gold medalist was due to swim in the 100m and 200m freestyle and in three relays at the Commonwealth Games, but due to his complaints his fitness has been in doubt. He has been unable to take the drugs needed to overcome his pain as they are banned from the Games. Thorpe told the media Thursday “It’s actually the best I’ve felt in a while;…

Saturday, February 18, 2006 Yesterday February 17, 2006, the World Health Organisation officially declared presence of the H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus in Egypt. “There is avian flu now in Egypt,” Hassan el Bushra, regional adviser for emerging diseases at the eastern Mediterranean regional office of the WHO said. His response was to the reported presence of H5N1 virus in dead birds in three areas in Egypt – namely Cairo, Giza, and Al-Minya. Today February 18, 2006, a responsible source from Egyptian ministry of health announced reporting of…

Thursday, August 3, 2006 The United States Food and Drug Administration has announced that it is moving forward in approving over-the-counter (OTC) sale of the emergency contraceptive pill, “Plan B” to women above 18 years of age. The delayed approval of this drug has been raised in the Senate confirmation hearings for President Bush’s nominee for the head of the FDA, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach. Emergency contraceptives, also known as “morning-after pills” are used to prevent an unintended pregnancy, after unprotected intercourse has occurred. They usually contain high doses…

Friday, November 30, 2007 Christine Comer resigned this month as the director of the science curriculum for the Texas Education Agency‘s (TEA) director after more than nine years. Comer said her resignation was due to pressure from officials who claimed she had given the appearance of criticizing the teaching of intelligent design. According to documents obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, “Comer was put on 30 days paid administrative leave shortly after she forwarded an e-mail in late October announcing a presentation by Barbara Forrest, a critic of the intelligent design/creationist…

Wednesday, March 9, 2005File:Plastic bag stock sized.jpg They are cheap, useful, and very plentiful, and that is exactly the problem, according to researchers. A report issued on Feb. 23 by a cadre of environment and economics researchers suggested that Kenya should ban the common plastic bag that one gets at the checkout counter of grocery stores, and place a levy on other plastic bags, all to combat the country’s environmental problems stemming from the bags’ popularity.