A fire on Saturday destroyed the main hall of the Egyptian National Theatre in Cairo. Six people have been injured including three firefighters. No one was in the theatre at the time as it was closed for the weekend.
Egyptian state culture minister Faruq Hosni, said “The fire broke out in the main hall of the theatre. It was probably caused by an electrical short circuit.”
Ataba Square was filled with thick white smoke just after sunset as a total of 22 fire engines responded. Egyptian riot police were also deployed to keep crowds of people back while the firefighters attempted to extinguish the blaze.
A civil defence officer described the fire as being almost contained, following a brief burst of high winds which blew the flames towards neighbouring shops and other buildings. The three firefighters were admitted to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.
Brig. Gen. Nasr Zakaria, a senior officer of the Civil Defence Service, later confirmed Minister Hosni’s earlier statement, telling MENA (Middle East News Agency) that an electrical short had indeed caused the fire, by triggering an explosion in the theatres air conditioning system.
There is more emphasis on lifelong learning and adult education these days. More and more people are returning to college as mature students and some choose to attend night and part time classes. Some people also enroll in vocational courses where they can learn new skills to help them get a new job or just to enjoy learning.
There have been a lot of changes in the world of work in the last two decades. A person can be quickly left behind because computers and technology are developing so quickly. Fortunately, people can now get up to speed with computers through adult education IT classes. Proficiency with computers and a degree in IT are required in most jobs nowadays. In fact, there are even companies who pay their employees to go on computer related courses. The popularity of language classes has also significantly increased in the past years. You can take a basic course which will help you to get by on vacation. You can also choose from different levels of courses to suit your needs if you want to learn a language to further your career. The number of languages on offer in adult education is expanding all the time to keep up with the demands of students. You may prefer to do a distance-learning course if sitting in a classroom with others doesn’t appeal to you. You can benefit from the flexibility of working at your own pace and setting your own hours with this form of adult education. You can still have guidance in class because some courses still provide a personal tutor. You can also enroll in some adult education courses, which involve going on residential summer schools. You can talk to tutors, share ideas and concerns with fellow students in these courses. Socializing with like-minded people can often be a morale-lifting boost to your studies. On the other hand, you may just be interested in doing something for fun and not to get a qualification or pass an exam. You can select from many popular adult education courses in painting, yoga, cookery and carpentry. These courses will give you an opportunity to do something that you’ve always wanted and make new friends. You will also gain more confidence in everyday life and learn valuable lesson such as self-defense and car maintenance in these classes.
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning
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Correction — September 10, 2013 The headline should not contain the word fake: the employees posed as reporters; they didn’t pose as fake reporters, on the contrary they were fake reporters posing as real reporters. We aopologize for the error.
The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is under fire after the agency held a fake press conference with fake news reporters in regards to individuals affected by the California wildfires and the assistance they could receive.
The agency called a press conference on Tuesday, giving the press only 15 minutes to show up. When many did not, FEMA brought in agency officials to pose as fake reporters and ask questions. The option for reporters to call into the conference was also available, but the ones who did call in only got to listen to the press conference, and could not ask questions. No reporters were actually present during the conference, parts of which were carried live on Fox News and MSNBC.
During the briefing, FEMA employees asked Deputy Administrator Harvey Johnson a series of what The New York Times called “decidedly friendly questions” such as “What type of commodities are you pledging to California?”, “What lessons learned from Katrina have been applied?” and “Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far?”. The briefing followed the format of a press conference, with FEMA’s press secretary at one point cautioning that he would allow just “two more questions”, then calling later for a “last question”. Officials who posed as fake reporters included the deputy director of public affairs Cindy Taylor and Director of External Affairs John “Pat” Philbin.
White House officials said that they do not condone FEMA’s actions and also state that they had no idea that the conference was taking place.
“FEMA has issued an apology, saying that they had an error in judgment when they were attempting to get out a lot of information to reporters, who were asking for answers to a variety of questions in regard to the wildfires in California. It’s not something I would have condoned. And they — I’m sure — will not do it again,” said Dana Perino, the White House’s press secretary in a statement.
FEMA apologizes for the mishap and says that their intentions were only to get the information to the citizens of California.
“[The purpose was] to get information out as soon as possible, and in trying to do so we made an error in judgment. Our intent was to provide useful information and be responsive to the many questions we have received. We can and must do better,” said Harvey E. Johnson, the agency’s vice administrator. “The real story — how well the response and recovery elements are working in this disaster — should not be lost because of how we tried to meet the needs of the media in distributing facts,” a FEMA statement said.
FEMA is currently deciding whether or not any officials should face punishment for the incident. One of the officials responsible, Pat Philbin, is going on to be the new head of public relations for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
This is not the first time that the Bush administration has come under fire for planting reporters at press conferences. In February of 2005, White House reporter Jeff Gannon was accused of being planted to ask softball questions to President Bush. FEMA itself had earlier undergone criticism during Hurricane Katrina for using disaster workers for public relations in 2005.
A review this week by Wikinews of US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaints about mortgages in the United States shows Bank of America leads all lending institutions in complaints.
Since mortgages complaints were recorded in December 2011, 77,622 total have been added to CFPB’s database. 29.2% of these complaints involved Bank of America, with the second most received by Wells Fargo, accounting for 15.5% of all complaints. JPMorgan Chase ranked third by volume of complaints with 9.8%. Ocwen was fourth with 8.7% and Citibank was fifth with 4.8%. Nationstar Mortgage; Green Tree Servicing, LLC; HSBC; PNC Bank; U.S. Bancorp; OneWest Bank; SunTrust Bank; Flagstar Bank; and Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc. each had between 1.0 and 3.8% of total complaints. The remaining 14.4% of all complaints about consumer mortgages were divided between about 530 other lending institutions.
The Motley Fool reported last month that for the past fiscal quarter, the biggest US based mortgage lenders were from first to fifth Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Quicken Loans and U.S. Bancorp.
According to the US Federal Reserve, debt for family residences stands at US$10.706 trillion for the second quarter of 2013. As of the end of June of this year, Bank of America is the United States’s second largest commercial bank with US$1.343 trillion in domestic assets. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest commercial bank with US$1.251 trillion in domestic assets. JPMorgan Chase is the largest US commercial bank with US$1.329 trillion in domestic assets and US$1.947 trillion in total assets.
The mortgage complaints in the CFPB report include several subproducts. Conventional fixed mortgages account for 27.1% of all complaints. Conventional adjustable mortgages account for 10.0%. FHA mortgages account for 7.7% of all complaints. Home equity loans or lines of credit account for 3.8% of all complaints. VA mortgages are 1.4% of all complaints. Second mortgages and reverse mortgages each account for 0.6% of complaints. The remaining 48.7% of complaints are about other mortgages or other mortgage issues. A few years ago, FHA loans accounted for about 10% of all US mortgages while VA loans accounted for about 3%. Prime loans accounted for over 75% of the market and the rest were subprime mortgages.
Total complaints against mortgage companies by state Image: Laura Hale.
California leads all states by volume of complaints with 14768. It is followed by Florida, New York, Georgia and Texas. When complaints are divided by a state’s total population, New Hampshire leads. The state is followed by Washington D.C., Maryland, Georgia and Florida. Complaints do not correlate with national rankings for August’s foreclosure rate by state where Nevada topped the list, followed by Florida, Ohio, Maryland and Delaware.
Two zip codes account for over 1,000 total complaints between them. 565 complaints originated in the 48382 zip code, which is in Commerce Township, Michigan, located in suburban Detroit. 553 complaints originated in the 33071 zip code, in Coral Springs, Florida. According to real estate website Zillow, there are currently 1,033 properties in foreclosure in Coral Springs while Commerce Township only has 131 properties currently in foreclosure. Four other zip codes have 100 plus complaints originating from them. 91730, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, had 158 complaints. 33409, in West Palm Beach, Florida, had 132. 92626, in Costa Mesa, California, had 125 complaints. 92660, in Newport Beach, California, had 122 complaints. Respectively, the towns had 534, 1,068, 153, and 134 properties currently in foreclosure. These numbers are higher than for the cities of a few sampled zip codes where there was only one complaint, such as Gold Hill, Oregon which has 4 properties in foreclosure, and Decatur, Illinois which has 6 properties in foreclosure.
For the top 5 lenders by volume of complaints, the percentage of complaint types against them. Image: Laura Hale.
The CFPB categorizes complaints into six categories: “Loan modification, collection,foreclosure” or problems when a person is unable to pay; “Loan servicing, payments, escrow account” or problems with making a payment; “Application, originator, mortgage broker”; “Credit decision / Underwriting”; “Settlement process and costs”, and “Other”. The CFPB says the complaint types indicate consumers “appear to be driven by a desire to seek agreement with their companies on foreclosure alternatives. The complaints indicate that consumer confusion persists around the process and requirements for obtaining loan modifications and refinancing, especially regarding document submission timeframes, payment trial periods, allocation of payments, treatment of income in eligibility calculations, and credit bureau reporting during the evaluation period.” Currently, 59.6% of all complaints against lenders deal with being unable to pay. 25.1% deal with problems in making a payment. 7.0% have to do with the application process.
Of the complaint-heavy zip codes, for 48382 in Commerce Township, Michigan, 98.9% of all complaints have to deal with being unable to pay. Accounting for 23.4% of all mortgage complaints in Commerce Township, 132 of the complaints for being unable to pay were made regarding Bank of America, accounting for 97.8% or all but 3 complaints against them from the zip. 121 of the Bank of America responses in Commerce Township were closed with explanation and 12 were closed with non-monetary relief. 33071 in Coral Springs is different, with 537 of the 553 complaints being categorized under other. Only 11 complaints relate to foreclosure and issues with being able to pay. 92626 in Costa Mesa, where 32% of the mortgage complaints were about Bank of America and 26.4% were about Wells Fargo, had 93.6% of its complaints dealing with being unable to pay. 5 total complaints dealt with payment issues and 3 dealt with applications.
Beyond regional variance in complaint types lodged, the top five mortgage lenders by volume of complaints all had being unable to pay as their top complaint category, ranging between 55.8% for Citibank and 69.4% for Bank of America. Problems with payment accounted for the second largest area of complaints, with Ocwen having the largest percentage of complaints at 31.9% and Bank of America having the smallest at 18.8%. Foreclosure was the top area of complaints for a number of other lending institutions including 1st Alliance Lending, OneWest Bank, Ally Bank, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Bank of the West, BMO Harris, BOK Financial Corp, Caliber Home Loans, Inc, Capital One, Deutsche Bank and EverBank.
By state complaints against mortgage lenders by monthImage: Laura Hale.
Nationally, complaints reached a high of 5,840 for January 2013, 1,107 more than the next highest month of April 2013. The total emerging for September is the second lowest since records were first kept in December 2011. On a state by state level, this pattern largely repeats with a major exception for Florida which saw a peak of 849 complaints in June 2012. Then, as now, Florida was one of the top five states in the nation in its foreclosure rate. The national January spike came as the Qualified Mortgage standard required by the The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 came into play. It required mortgage lenders to take steps to insure borrowers could repay their mortgages.
Bank of America’s complaint volume follows the national trend, with a spike in January 2013 with 1,925 total complaints. Unlike nationally, the next month by volume of complaints was February of this year with 1,598 complaints. Prior to that, the highest month was May 2012 with 1,418 complaints. The lowest volume of complaints is September this year with 334.
Wells Fargo matched national trends for volume of complaints by month, with the exception of the current month being the lowest on record for number of complaints with 197 compared to the next lowest month, December 2011, when they had 221. JPMorgan’s complaint volume by month spiked in January and March of this year with 504 complaints. April of this year was the next highest month with 493 complaints, edging out May of last year with 488 complaints. September this year is on track to be the lowest month by complaint volume.
The federal government shutdown is unlikely to impact the current mortgage situation in the United States directly for most consumers, though mortgage processing by the Federal Housing Administration could be slower, resulting in fewer mortgages processed.
On Monday, at the 58th Grammy Awards ceremony, Canadian singer The Weeknd won his first Grammy Award, Best R&B Performance, for his song Earned It, which was also featured on the soundtrack of the 2015 Fifty Shades of Grey movie based on E.L. James’s erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey.
File photo of The Weeknd Image: Kayla Johnson .
The Weeknd also won the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album for his second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness. Abel Tesfaye — The Weeknd — had seven nominations in total including Record of the Year for his song Can’t Feel My Face and Album of the Year.
The YouTube video of the song received more than 179 million views and more than 1.1 million likes.The Weeknd was also nominated for Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance, but British singer Ed Sheeran won the golden gramophone for his song Thinking Out Loud.
Last year, Beyoncé won the Award for Best R&B Song for Drunk in Love featuring her husband Jay-Z.This awards ceremony marked the first Grammy wins for The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran.
Deciding to do a yoga teacher training course is to bring a positive transformation in life. This change will affect all aspects of your life. The physical aspect is the first and basic part of Yoga that tones the body. The mind will become accustomed to remaining calm in tough situations. Spiritual growth will help you understand your connection to the universe.
Whether you are a beginner or a regular yoga practitioner, selecting a good yoga training course is difficult. There are various facilities offered by every yoga school for offline and online classes. The focus should be to select a yoga institute that provides authentic knowledge of yoga. Other reasons to consider should be yoga style, location, duration of the course, and experienced teachers. A lot depends on your objective of joining theyoga teacher training course.
Before joining a yoga teacher training course, take a look at these important points that will help you make the right decision.
Your goal in doing the yoga course
Most dreams and goals come true when the focus of learning is always kept clear. You may be thinking of yoga as your second profession while continuing the present one. Or you want to lose weight, tone, and heal your body. Some students are fascinated by the tradition and history of yoga culture. Others want to improve focus and channelize different energies of the body. The vision of the result will encourage you to make an informed decision. Your interest should match your objective.
Different yoga styles
It is easier to determine which yoga style may suit your body type by looking at yoga videos online. Take time to watch the complete yoga video to understand if your body is ready for a particular yoga style.
Search and read about the yoga style that interests you. Ask your yoga teacher or a yoga friend before joining a yoga school. Yoga practice is easy to modify according to age and health conditions.
A yoga-style can be slow like Yin Yoga or can be sweaty like Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga. Some yoga styles use props like Aerial Yoga, and some use intense breathing techniques that are not suitable for pregnant ladies.
Location and duration of the course
There are lots of options for good yoga schools globally. Sometimes even a gym near your house may be providing a small space for yoga classes. Or it could be in India that is the birthplace of yoga. A private yoga studio near your office will encourage you to pack your yoga attire and become fit. The most convenient option is a trend in online yoga courses. Students can practice yoga in their living room or a terrace and participate in live video yoga classes. The only things that you need is a good internet connection, a yoga mat, and a well-ventilated room.
Some courses are of short duration, like 50 or 75 hours. Other yoga courses may take up to a month to complete. It depends on the syllabus of the course that can be checked online. It should also match your daily schedule. The online yoga classes provide the convenience of studying and completing the yoga course at your own pace. These yoga schools always provide the best online support from teachers to clarify doubts.
Internationally accredited yoga school
It is better to opt for a yoga school that is renowned, authentic, and with a valid license of yoga teacher training. Yoga Alliance is one such independent entity that is formed to provide quality yoga education and certification. You can choose to do a 200, 300, 500-hour course and receive an internationally accredited certificate to teach anywhere in the world. Yoga Alliance also acknowledgestrainingdone in a specialized yoga style. This is counted as part of the continuing education program.
A comprehensive yoga syllabus
Studying yoga is only valuable when the study involves lessons of theory as well as practical. The syllabus of the yoga school should cover the yoga principles and philosophy, anatomy and physiology, chakras and mantra chanting, etc. It should enhance student’s yoga techniques, meditation practice, and different techniques of Pranayama. The online reviews help determine the training and success rate of students.
Learn from an experienced yoga guru
A good yoga school always has the best teachers. It is not difficult to search for a good yoga teacher online. The credentials of a yoga teacher are also given on the yoga school’s website. Yoga is a practice that gradually improves with experience. Therefore, check the number of years of yoga training and workshops that the yoga teacher has taken. Getting an expert and humble yoga guru is getting a mentor for life.
Conclusion
The philosophy of yoga is about the union of physical, mental, and spiritual. A goodyoga teacher training courseshould fulfill all these three aspects perfectly. The yoga journey should be a life-long learning process, and yoga courses are the first step towards it.
Adam Kokesh, an Iraq War veteran, activist, radio show host, and currently a candidate for the US Libertarian Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, spoke with Wikinews to discuss his background, political positions, and campaign for President of the United States.
Adam Kokesh Image: The Adam Kokesh American Referendum Project.
Kokesh, who hails from Arizona, has been active in the anti-war movement since returning home from combat in Iraq. After an initial honorary discharge from active duty with the US Marine Corp in 2006, Kokesh was given a general discharge from the Marine Forces Reserve in 2007 after images of him wearing his uniform while participating in a protest with the Iraq Veterans Against the War were published in The Washington Post. Kokesh has also been involved in demonstrations in support of free speech, gun rights, and marijuana decriminalization. Some of these activities have resulted in his arrest. Kokesh previously hosted a show on RT and currently hosts a show on internet radio.
Politically, Kokesh supported the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns of Ron Paul. He was a featured speaker at Paul’s Rally for the Republic in 2008. Kokesh ran for US Congress as a Republican in 2010 in New Mexico and for US Senate in Arizona in 2018. He announced his 2020 candidacy in 2013 during a jailhouse interview. He has based his campaign on the pledge to begin “dissolving the federal government in a peaceful, orderly manner” and to resign as president and take the title of “Custodian of the Federal Government.”
Other contenders for the Libertarian Party’s 2020 presidential nomination include former Libertarian Party Vice Chairman Arvin Vohra, businessman John McAfee, and New Hampshire state representative Max Abramson. Congressman Justin Amash and former Rhode Island governor and US Senator Lincoln Chafee are both reportedly considering runs. Former New York gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe and former Massachusetts governor William Weld were both previously considered potential candidates but Sharpe suggested he would not run and Weld has decided to run in the 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries, challenging President Donald Trump.
With accredited Wikinews reporter William S. Saturn, Kokesh details his background and activism, his thoughts on the Libertarian Party, the Presidency of Donald Trump, and the goals for his campaign and presidency.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005A team of Australian surgeons yesterday reattached both hands and one foot to 10-year-old Perth boy, Terry Vo, after a brick wall which collapsed during a game of basketball fell on him, severing the limbs. The wall gave way while Terry performed a slam-dunk, during a game at a friend’s birthday party.
The boy was today awake and smiling, still in some pain but in good spirits and expected to make a full recovery, according to plastic surgeon, Mr Robert Love.
“What we have is parts that are very much alive so the reattached limbs are certainly pink, well perfused and are indeed moving,” Mr Love told reporters today.
“The fact that he is moving his fingers, and of course when he wakes up he will move both fingers and toes, is not a surprise,” Mr Love had said yesterday.
“The question is more the sensory return that he will get in the hand itself and the fine movements he will have in the fingers and the toes, and that will come with time, hopefully. We will assess that over the next 18 months to two years.
“I’m sure that he’ll enjoy a game of basketball in the future.”
The weight and force of the collapse, and the sharp brick edges, resulted in the three limbs being cut through about 7cm above the wrists and ankle.
Terry’s father Tan said of his only child, the injuries were terrible, “I was scared to look at him, a horrible thing.”
The hands and foot were placed in an ice-filled Esky and rushed to hospital with the boy, where three teams of medical experts were assembled, and he was given a blood transfusion after experiencing massive blood loss. Eight hours of complex micro-surgery on Saturday night were followed by a further two hours of skin grafts yesterday.
“What he will lose because it was such a large zone of traumatised skin and muscle and so on, he will lose some of the skin so he’ll certainly require lots of further surgery regardless of whether the skin survives,” said Mr Love said today.
The boy was kept unconscious under anaesthetic between the two procedures. In an interview yesterday, Mr Love explained why:
“He could have actually been woken up the next day. Because we were intending to take him back to theatre for a second look, to look at the traumatised skin flaps, to close more of his wounds and to do split skin grafting, it was felt the best thing to do would be to keep him stable and to keep him anaesthetised.”
Professor Wayne Morrison, director of the respected Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery and head of plastic and hand surgery at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, said he believed the operation to be a world first.
There is a vast array of colors and designs for kitchen curtains. Along with that, kitchen curtains also have varied fabrics. From contemporary and even country styles, curtains add a beautiful touch to modern or even traditional kitchens. Curtains also exhale the light from your kitchen windows. These days, manufacturers produce a lot of curtains to alleviate a growing demand. Most of the homeowners everywhere overlook kitchen curtains, but they are just as essential as decor or furniture. Kitchen curtains really exhibit the beauty of your kitchen. Kitchen curtains come in colorful and solid prints, so the prices vary, depending on the fabric and size of the kitchen curtain.
Some kitchen curtains could also have patterns that are no less than hand-sewn. These curtains have intricate designs and some even have motifs that are hand painted. From jacquard laces to plaid styles, kitchen curtains truly enhance kitchens. There are even renowned publications that feature these types of kitchen curtains specifically. They showcase the top brands and sellers, along with tips and ideas to help you spiff up your kitchen. Some trade shows display kitchen curtains for those fresh and new homeowners, as well as remodeling specialists. They showcase a lot of styles that include marquisette, traditional cotton pieces, and even valance. One specific facet of the kitchen curtains is its embroidery. Most of the patrons out there search for original and unique shapes and designs in this area.
With a vast array of shapes and sizes, you can surely express your home style with kitchen curtains. Kitchen curtains have their way of exemplifying your personality. For those people who like their privacy, darker or duller colored curtains are suggested. Whatever your feeling might be, kitchen curtains can speak surprisingly volumes about your environment. In settings that are traditional or country, kitchen curtains have this colonial look to them. On the other hand, city kitchens have curtains boasting out their distinct pizazz and style. You could also opt to buy kitchen curtains that complement your kitchen items. From paintings to pictures, your kitchen curtains have to match in terms of color to have that appealing effect.
An essential factor in selecting kitchen curtains is the window it will be put on. Not all windows are the same. Some windows scream futurism and possess artistic patterns. Some other windows look normal and just general, and these windows should have just the basic kitchen curtains. If you have vertically-opening windows, go all out and use ruffled drapes. But if your windows open outward, make use of flowing curtains. Even windows that have sliding options and separate panels could utilize this kind of curtain. Also present in a lot of curtain brains, the finest linen could easily mix with the surrounding draperies. If you need or want a kitchen curtain that is customized, you could place and order or request at your favored furnishings store. You could also do this online.
Kitchen curtains can easily be considered as a work of art. From breathtaking colors to amazing artistic imagery, they are stunning to look at and are also great in guarding you from the elements.
About the Author: Richard Dinae is an architect, providing information and directories about home improvement, tuscan kitchen curtains, grape kitchen curtains and waverly kitchen curtains
Suzanne Fortin is running for the Family Coalition Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Nepean-Carleton riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed her regarding her values, her experience, and her campaign.
Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.
