Thursday, July 3, 2008

Junior Senator of New York and former United States 2008 presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton attended a ceremony marking the grand opening of the Erie Canal Harbor in Buffalo, New York. This marks the first time in nearly 100 years that the inner harbor of Buffalo’s Canal waterfront has seen significant development, dedicated to tourism and the people.

“Hello Buffalo!” stated an enthusiastic Clinton to a crowd of 500 people. “It is such a privilege and joy to see this project and all that it means not only for Buffalo, but Western New York. This truly has been a labor of love. All of the people before you, plus so many others have seen this vision and have been committed to making it a reality.”

“In a few minutes [I will] walk to the center of the Whipple Truss bridge and reenact that famous ceremony that took place 183 years ago,” added Clinton. “[The original development] took so many immigrant workers and so many leaders who never ever wavered. Local economies boomed, commerce exploded and this (the Canal) became one of the greatest infrastructure achievements in the history of the world,” Clinton added.

In 1825, then state governor DeWitt Clinton dedicated the canal to the city in almost the same spot where Clinton stood. He traveled the entire route of the Canal, bringing water from each stop. In a ceremony, the water was dumped from buckets off the truss bridge, something Clinton and other politicians reenacted today. Off to her right, the Buffalo Fire Department sprayed water into the harbor from a fire fighting boat, just as it did over 100 years ago. Cannons were also fired into the air just like they were when governor Clinton celebrated building of the Canal.

“I am very proud to support the redevelopment of the Erie Canal Harbor. The progress we are celebrating today, will continue. I am as convinced as can be, that as we see progress here at the inner harbor and the outer harbor, we are going to see the revival of Buffalo continue,” said Clinton.

The project cost almost US$55 million to build, and its not over yet. A stretch of lakeside parks, trails and mixed use commercial and residential development is also planned for Buffalo’s waterfront. City mayor Byron Brown says the redevelopment will attract hundreds of millions of dollars in new projects.

Several other politicians were also present such as Senior N.Y Senator Charles Schumer, former Buffalo mayor Anthony Masiello and congressman Brian Higgins.

“By reclaiming our past, we are forging our future. The Erie Canal project is an economic shot in the arm for Buffalo and Western New York that will spur business, jobs and tourism,” stated Schumer.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

A hacker, or group of hackers, operating under the alias of The Dark Overlord uploaded ten episodes of Netflix’s web TV series Orange is the New Black on Friday and Saturday on The Pirate Bay after they said the online streaming service failed to meet their demands. Netflix had planned to release the season on June 9.

According to The New York Times, the unreleased content from the upcoming fifth season of Orange is the New Black was likely stolen from a postproduction company Larson Studios, based in Los Angeles. Netflix in a statement said, “A production vendor used by several major TV studios had its security compromised and the appropriate law enforcement authorities are involved.” In a tweet on Saturday, the hacker said, “Who is next on the list? FOX, IFC, NAT GEO, and ABC. Oh, what fun we’re all going to have. We’re not playing any games anymore.”

The hacker tweeted about uploading the first episode on The Pirate Bay on Saturday saying, “Let’s try to be a bit more direct, Netflix”. The hacker allegedly demanded an amount of money which they publicly described as “modest”, from Netflix for not releasing the episodes prematurely. The New York Times reported that the final three episodes were not pirated since the security breach occurred before the postproduction studio was handed those episodes. In January, the hacker erased the data from the servers of a Muncie-based charity called Little Red Door Cancer Services of East Central Indiana demanding 50 bitcoins to restore their data, which was estimated to be about US$43,000.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reportedly investigating this cyber crime. Netflix has more than 100 million subscribers, CEO Reed Hastings announced recently. Variety noted that Netfilx’s shares experienced a 0.57% loss on the day the first episode was uploaded by the hacker.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

In March, Wikinews reporter Joseph Ford held an exclusive interview with Kevin Baugh, president of the Republic of Molossia, a micronation located near Dayton, Nevada. Due to the interest the article gained, both online and off, a follow-up interview was held this week.

Molossia’s capital city, Espera, is situated on little over an acre of land in Western Nevada, within driving distance of Reno. Another territory, Desert Homestead Province, is located in Southern California. Unlike most of today’s micronations, Molossia allows visitors and has its own economy. It also has its own time zone and holidays as well as a few tourist attractions.

When asked about the culture of his country Baugh replied, “Molossian culture is a mix of several sources. Above all, we value the lifestyle of the western U.S., especially as it pertains to living in a wide-open place such as we do. Life here is fairly relaxed and easygoing.”

He also said that Molossia and the United States “generally ignore each other” and that there haven’t been “any altercations” between the two, despite claiming each other’s land. He went on to tell us much more about his tiny nation, which can be read in the interview below.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Yesterday, Catalan football club FC Barcelona officially announced the Spanish centre-back Gerard Piqué signed a contract extension which runs through June 2022. “If I complete this contract I will be 14 years as a professional at Barcelona” ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Si cumplo este contrato, serán 14 años de carrera profesional en el Barça}, the Spanish international said after the contract extension.

30-year-old Piqué joined Blaugrana through the youth ranks of La Masia in 1997 and made his professional debut for Barcelona on August 13, 2008. In his tenure at Camp Nou, the Spaniard international has won three UEFA Champions League titles, six Spanish LaLiga titles, five Copa del Rey trophies and three FIFA Club World Cups.

Making his international debut in 2009, a year after he returned to Spain after spending four years at Manchester United, Piqué has 94 international caps, and has won the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, as well as the UEFA Euro 2012 trophy with La Roja. He won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester United as well.

Piqué has played 425 games in the Catalan jersey and has won 25 trophies with the Barcelona club, five less than Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi, who have won the largest number of trophies in the Catalan colours.

After signing the contract extension, Piqué said, “I am really happy to be celebrating my extension because this is my home and since my return, my desire has been to end my career here” ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Estoy muy feliz de celebrar mi renovación porque aquí es mi casa y mi deseo ha sido retirarme aquí desde que he vuelto}. He added, “I can only see myself in a Barça shirt. If I had not extended my contract then I would have stopped playing because I only play football because I play for Barça” ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Sólo me veo vistiendo la camiseta del Barça. Si no hubiera renovado dejaría de jugar al fútbol porque sólo me veo jugando con esta camiseta}.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

While nearly all coverage of the 2008 Presidential election has focused on the Democratic and Republican candidates, the race for the White House also includes independents and third party candidates. These parties represent a variety of views that may not be acknowledged by the major party platforms.

Wikinews has impartially reached out to these candidates, throughout the campaign. We now interview independent Presidential candidate Frank Moore, a performance artist.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

On Monday, San Jose, California, US-based software company Adobe Systems announced their plans to acquire California-based e-commerce handling web service Magento Commerce for 1.68 billion US dollars (USD). After Adobe made the announcement via their official website, Adobe’s stocks rose by around one percent, ending Monday extended trading at USD 238.10 per share.

Magento provides services for the creation of digital ads and handling of online transactions. Magento’s services are used by Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Warner Music, and Canon. The acquisition, which is expected to take place in the third fiscal quarter of this year, is to be an all-cash deal. Adobe is to acquire Magento from Permira equity firm. In 2015, Permira bought Magento from eBay, an eCommerce website. Adobe, in their official statement, said, “Magento Commerce Cloud will enable commerce to be seamlessly integrated into the Adobe Experience Cloud”.

Adobe also announced a buyback of shares worth USD eight billion by 2021. Magento’s CEO Mark Lavelle said, “Adobe and Magento share a vision for the future of digital experiences that brings together Adobe’s strength in content and data with Magento’s open commerce innovation […] We’re excited to join Adobe and believe this will be a great opportunity for our customers, partners and developer community”.

After the announcement, stocks of Magento’s competitors Shopify, Inc dropped by about 4.8%. They finished extended trading at USD 137.60 after the announcement.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI began his visit to the United States on Tuesday. In an unprecedented gesture, he was greeted by President George W. Bush, Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna, upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Today, which is also the Pope’s 81st birthday, Benedict XVI visited the White House and more than 9,000 people with tickets were there to see him speak. This makes it “one of the largest arrival ceremonies ever held at the White House,” according to White House Press Secretary Dana Perino. An estimated additional 4,000 people without tickets lined the streets.

The Pope was given a 21-gun salute and greeted by President Bush on the South Lawn of the White House. Benedict XVI addressed the crowd in a short speech. He appealed for support “for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress.”

He further said, “As the nation faces the increasingly complex political and ethical issues of our time, I am confident that the American people will find in their religious beliefs a precious source of insight and an inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible and respectful dialogue in the effort to build a more humane and free society.” Benedict said he has “great respect for this vast pluralistic society” and ended his speech with “God bless America.”

Kevin Waymel, 26, travelled from San Francisco with 80 others to see the Pope. He told The Guardian that he had “come to show support for the Holy Father,” and credited his faith for getting him off drugs.

Afterwards, inside the White House, the first couple presented the Pope with a birthday cake. In a private meeting with Bush, Benedict XVI brought up his concerns about the Iraq war and the treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States, who may number as many as 20 million. Most of these are from Latin America and therefore overwhelmingly Catholic.

After the meeting, Benedict XVI rode along Pennsylvania Avenue in the popemobile with throngs of people lining the street.

Wednesday evening, the Pope met with US bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He addressed the bishops about sexual abuse by the clergy, which the Pope has said made him “deeply ashamed.” The US Catholic Church has paid out an estimated US$2 billion to settle abuse cases in recent years.

Bendict XVI told the gathered bishops that the sex abuse scandal had at times been mishandled and urged them to reach out to the victims.

“It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged,” the Pope said.

Some victims had hoped the Pope would have critcised bishops for transferring pedophile priests from parish to parish. He did not go that far and instead praised training programs for priests and lay people who deal with children. “In this regard your efforts to heal and protect are bearing great fruit not only for those directly under your pastoral care, but for all of society,” said Benedict XVI.

“It’s the closest the Pope has come to saying that the bishops didn’t do their job right. I think that’s quite significant,” said the Reverend Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest and author.

Prior to his arrival, hundreds of people were already gathered outside the Basilica as Benedict XVI arrived. “I’m really excited,” said an unnamed onlooker to NY1. “It’s like a dream, almost. There are, like, other foreign dignitaries, and then there’s the pope. It’s a unique experience and I can’t wait to see him.”

During his flight to the United States, Benedict XVI told reporters that he intended to discuss poverty and development aid to poor countries with President Bush. “The United States has to help these countries develop. It is in the interest of everyone, not only these countries but of the world and particularly of the United States,” he said.

This is the first Papal visit to the United States by Benedict XVI, and the first visit of a Pope to the U.S. since John Paul II’s visit in 1999. The pope scheduled to stay in Washington through Thursday. After that, he will travel to New York City where he plans to address the United Nations, visit the World Trade Center site, and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium.