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A compilation of brief news reports for Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

An attack on a U.S. Marine checkpoint in the western Iraqi town of Ramadi saw two marines killed and an additional three wounded. The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated explosives in his vehicle at the checkpoint.

Sources

• “2 U.S. Marines die in Iraqi checkpoint bombing” — MSNBC, April 22, 2008
• “Suicide car bomber kills 2 US Marines in near Ramadi” — Jerusalem Post, April 22, 2008

Following a weekend where Chicago saw 36 people shot, two stabbed, and a total of nine deaths, suspected gang crime continues to take a toll.

Today one person was shot dead in a suspected gang-related incident, and a teen wounded in a separate shooting.

Sources

• “Man killed, teen wounded in gang-related attacks on West Side” — Chicago Tribune, April 23, 2008
• “Police: 36 Shot, 2 Stabbed, 9 Dead Over Weekend” — CBS, April 23, 2008

There has been an underground explosion in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The explosion, which occurred at 15:30 yesterday (local time), resulted in an evacuation of several properties.

Sources

• “Underground Explosion Rattles Fort Lee, N.J.” — wcbstv, April 22, 2008
• “Suspected Underground Fire Forces Evacuations in Fort Lee” — 1010 Wins, April 21, 2008

A gang in San Antonio chased a car on a busy street. The incident, which occurred on Monday, involved a gang which were carrying machine guns. San Antonio is a city located in the American state of Texas.

Sources

• Lomi Kriel. “Gang members firing machine guns chase car on busy S.A. street” — Houston Chronicle, April 22, 2008
• AP. “One injured in shooting on busy San Antonio street” — Star Telegram, April 22, 2008

Sperm has allegedly been stolen from a sperm bank in Aurangabad, India. Two people have been arrested as a result. A local official said that “We are caught in a very difficult situation, as we do not know how many samples have been smuggled out of the laboratory.”

Sources

• AP. “Police arrest 2 in India for allegedly stealing sperm” — Yahoo! News, April 22, 2008
• “Man arrested for stealing frozen sperm” — iol.co.za, April 23, 2008

A US commander in Iraq today called for an end to violence in Iraq. He also asked Muqtada al-Sadr to use his influence to help end the violence in the country.

Sources

• AP. “No. 2 US commander hopes al-Sadr will stop attacks” — Yahoo! News, April 23, 2008
• AFP. “US general urges Sadr to do more to stem bloodshed” — Google News, April 23, 2008

Bottle’s containing cat body parts have been found. Authorities are investigating the incident, which occurred in the US state of Arkansas. All the body parts were from kittens.

Sources

• “Deputies Discover Bottles Filled With Cat Body Parts” — Today’s THV, April 23, 2008
• “Jacob Ln Cabot, AR 72023” — Google Maps, Retrieved April 23, 2008

Sunday, May 31, 2009

The Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services is considering prosecuting and banning some Scientology practices, in particular the use of the Scientology personality test to sell courses. State Secretary Rigmor Aasrud said that the activities in question might be prosecuted as fraud or as violations of existing healthcare regulations. A Norwegian Member of Parliament (MP) whose daughter killed herself after taking such a test, supports the idea of prosecuting illegal practices rather than trying to ban the movement as a whole.

The statement was made after three journalists from the online edition of the newspaper Verdens Gang (VG) took the test. The journalists wore hidden recording devices, and did not disclose that they were journalists; VG put the recordings on its website. Scientology staff members told all three that they should buy a course to handle psychological issues. Two of the journalists filled out the 200 questions with honest answers, while the third gave answers consistent with being depressed. The “depressed” journalist was told that he should avoid traditional medicine, while one of the “normal” journalists was told that the course was her only hope for improvement unless she wanted to start taking “chemicals”.

Matthias Fosse, spokesperson for the Church of Scientology in Norway, said that the staff members in question were acting individually. He said that the Church of Scientology does not give medical advice, but that it encourages people to focus on the side effects of medications, and is critical of the “over-medication” of psychiatric patients.

Olav Gunnar Ballo, a Norwegian MP and medical doctor whose daughter Kaja suddenly killed herself after a negative experience with the Scientology test in France in March 2008, released a book about Kaja Ballo‘s life in April 2009. The book debuted on 2nd place in the Norwegian best seller list. Ballo listened to the recorded test result sessions from VG and said that he found the practice “horrible and harmful”. He told the newspaper Dagbladet that Norway could have something to learn from the current French prosecution of Scientology corporations and individuals, by prosecuting specific harmful practices rather than banning Scientology as a whole.

Matthias Fosse said that France is a far more secular society than Norway, and that France were going too far in their prosecution. He said that France has a list of 165 organizations considered to be “sects”, which not just included Scientology but also covered Baptists such as former U.S. president Bill Clinton. The list which Fosse referred to is a list from the 1995 Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France. Fosse said that the OSCE, the U.S. State Department and the UN had criticised French “violations of human rights”.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

British-based utility company Centrica, which holds ownership of British Gas, has announced its intentions to increase the prices of domestic electricity and gas later this year. On August 18, 2011, the company plans to raise the costs of gas and electrical supplies by eighteen and sixteen per cent, respectively. According to The Guardian, nine million customers will be affected by these changes.

British price comparison website uSwitch has reported that the “[a]verage household bill for a dual fuel British Gas customer will now go up from £1,096 to £1,288”. Mike O’Connor, the chief executive officer of consumer organisation Consumer Focus, has claimed that the announcement “will send a shock wave across the country” and will place an increasing amount of difficulties “on stretched household budgets. Consumers […] rightly question whether prices are fair.”

Phil Bentley, a managing director for British Gas, has claimed that value increases like this are “an issue facing all energy suppliers”. A director for British Gas, named Ian Peters, has claimed that “a fair return” will be made after the changes occur.

In 2010, British Gas experienced its largest ever profit, making £742 million (US$1,192 million, €835 million). Meanwhile, Centrica achieved £2.4 billion (US$3.8 billion, €2.7 billion) in profits. Richard Lloyd from product sampling charity Which? criticised the decision to raise prices, calling the declaration “unwelcome but unsurprising” for British Gas consumers.

Previously in December 2010, British Gas increased the price of its gas by 6.9%, which equates to £43 (US$69, €48). At the same time, the company’s electricity prices were raised by 6.7%, or £28 (US$45, €32). On Friday, Chris Huhne, the secretary of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, said that British electricity businesses must modify themselves so as to avoid “the cycle of fossil fuel addiction. Alternatives like renewables and nuclear power must be allowed to become the dominant component of our energy mix,” said Huhne.

This news comes to light as Scottish Power, a rival energy company to British Gas, announced last month their intentions to up the prices of their electricity and gas supplies by ten and nineteen per cent respectively.