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Monday, March 12, 2007 24 of 26 Swiss Cantons rejected the proposal for a single health insurance system, in which premiums would be based on income and wealth. The vote on Sunday was the latest in a series of attempts to cut rising costs and ease the financial burden on citizens. Around 71% of voters rejected the reform. Turnout was at about 46%, slightly above the Swiss average. As expected, voters in the main German-speaking part of the country turned down the planned reform, which was supported by the centre-left…

Friday, September 9, 2005 New Orleans, Louisiana — After Category 4 storm Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, on the night before August 29, 2005, several flood control constructions failed. Much of the city flooded through the openings. One of these was the flood wall forming one side of the 17th Street Canal, near Lake Pontchartrain. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the primary agency for engineering support during such emergencies. A USACE team was assessing the situation in New Orleans on the 29th, water flow was stopped…

Thursday, May 27, 2010 A US Coast Guard official said today that BP’s latest effort to plug the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has been successful in slowing the amount of oil leaking from the well. The official, Admiral Thad Allen, said that the procedure, known as a “top kill” operation, has been able to block some of the leaking oil at the source, the top of the damaged well. The operation involves pumping material into the well to plug the leak before cement is used to permanently seal the…

Sunday, June 21, 2009 Red Bull Racing driver, Sebastian Vettel won the FIA Formula One 2009 Santander British Grand Prix from pole at the Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, England. His teammate, Mark Webber, came second. As the current leader of this season Jenson Button started sixth on the grid of his home Grand Prix, his Brawn–Mercedes teammate Rubens Barrichello took third joining Red Bull’s drivers on the podium. Felipe Massa came fourth for Ferrari) despite starting eleventh. Jenson Button came very close to Massa and and Nico Rosberg from Williams but…

Thursday, November 13, 2008 More than 1,000 protesters showed up to demonstrate in front of the Los Angeles temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday, November 7, to protest the church’s involvement with the passing of Proposition 8. The proposition passed with 52% support, and would amend the California constitution to ban gay marriage, which was recently made legal by court order. The temple is located in Los Angeles, California. According to a member of the Los Angeles Police Department, the Temple grounds were vandalized…

Sunday, January 13, 2013 1 2 3 4 Despite earlier cooler weather, heatwave conditions are expected to resume in New South Wales, Australia. Local weather service forecasts expect temperatures to rise above 40°C (104°F), as-experienced earlier in the week. The percentage of uncontained fires jumped as high as 20%. On Friday, local fire authorities have declared total fire bans across Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Fire crews at the east coast of Australia are readying to battle an increased rate of bushfires during the weekend. Uncontrolled…

Thursday, October 29, 2009 According to US health officials, New York state governor David Paterson has declared a state of emergency in the state as a result of the H1N1 swine flu outbreak. The Associated Press news agency reports that the six-page declaration was issued because at least 75 people have died of H1N1 related illnesses in New York since April. Three have died from H1N1 related illnesses just this past week. The declaration also says that human cases of the virus are on the rise. Paterson says he issued…

Thursday, June 28, 2007 The European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking volunteers who would be ready to take a part on three simulated missions to Mars. The anticipated missions will be a joint effort from ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency. Each crew will consist of six persons – two Europeans and four Russians. The ESA is looking for 2 crewmembers and two backups that must come from ESA member nations that participate in the ELIPS program. The flight simulation should last between 105 to 520 days in a…