Asbestos controversy aboard Scientology ship Freewinds

Friday, May 16, 2008 Controversy has arisen over the reported presence of blue asbestos on the MV Freewinds, a cruise ship owned by the Church of Scientology. According to the Saint Martin newspaper The Daily Herald and the shipping news journal Lloyd’s List, the Freewinds was sealed in April and local public health officials on…

NFL star Michael Vick indicted for running dog fighting operation

Friday, July 20, 2007 Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and three other men were indicted on Tuesday by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy related to a dog fighting operation. The charges included buying, breeding and training pit bull dogs, transporting the dogs across state lines to illegally participate in fights, and gambling…

Indian Supreme Court verdict: AMU to remain a minority institution

Monday, April 24, 2006 The Supreme Court of India has said that the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) will remain a minority institution and that its character will not change, but refused to stay, till the pendency of the matter, the Allahabad High Court’s verdict striking down the 50% quota for students belonging to the minority…

Thirteen people died in London bus bombing

Friday, July 8, 2005 The Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, Sir Ian Blair, has announced that thirteen people died when a bomb exploded on a bus in Tavistock Square. Initially, only two people were thought to have been killed. All bodies have now been removed from the wrecked bus. The rear of the bus and…

Twelve dead at Brazilian school after man opens fire

Thursday, April 7, 2011 Twelve people died during a shooting at a school in the neighborhood Realengo in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The gunman is numbered among the dead, after taking his own life. Ten people are reported injured during the attack by a man identified as Wellington Menezes Olivera, a 23…

Belgium stops telegram services

Saturday, December 30, 2017 After 171 years of existence, telegram services were permanently stopped in Belgium as of yesterday. The service was launched in 1846, and about 9000 telegrams were sent across the country from January 2017 to November 2017. On December 12, Belgian telecommunication company Proximus, who provided telegram services in the country, announced…

Australian copyright laws to be overhauled in 2006

Wednesday, December 28, 2005The Australian Federal Government has indicated that it will overhaul copyright law in 2006. The changes will legalise the recording of television shows and the right to transfer CDs to portable music devices. The reforms, instigated by Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock aim to add “fair use” clauses for personal use. A spokeswoman for…

Gunman kills self and hostage in Texas NASA building

Friday, April 20, 2007 Around 1:40 p.m. CDT, NASA employees reported that two shots were fired in the NASA Building 44 in the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. A SWAT team later reported that Bill Phillips, a contract engineer with Jacobs Engineering, had killed David Beverly as well as himself, leaving a female hostage…