Sunday, April 24, 2005

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced last Wednesday that it has agreed definitively to merge with Chicago-based Archipelago Exchange (ArcaEx) and form a new publicly traded, for-profit company known as NYSE Group. This announcement was followed two days later by NASDAQ®, which independently announced a definitive agreement to purchase Instinet Group.

Archipelago and Instinet are innovative e-trading (electronic trading) companies, and formerly were the two largest American rivals to NYSE and NASDAQ, in recent years taking increasingly large portions of their market share. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulatory agencies still have to review and approve the transactions, particularly with respect to US securities law and antitrust law, in order to ensure that the marketplace remains lawful and competitive.

Other pending issues for NASDAQ include obtaining the approval of Instinet shareholders, as well as customary closing conditions. NYSE must obtain the approval of its members and Archipelago shareholders.

These changes, a reaction to increased e-trading competition and a changed regulatory environment, will result in NASDAQ and NYSE trading each other’s shares and attempting to grab market share, which many hope will drive down transaction costs and ultimately benefit consumers. However, at least one commentator, Dan Ackman writing in Forbes, has noted that the trading commission at the NYSE currently averages less than a nickel (US$0.05) per share, and was less enthusiastic about potential efficiency gains from electronic trading at the exchange.

The transactions are also intended to make the two leading American stock exchanges more globally competitive with such exchanges as the London Stock Exchange, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the Australian Stock Exchange located in Sydney.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Gabriel Amorth, the Roman Catholic Church’s leading exorcist, has suggested missing schoolgirl Emanuela Orlandi was kidnapped for sexual abuse at orgies attended by foreign diplomats and arranged by Vatican police. Orlandi was fifteen when she vanished in 1983.

Amorth, 85, who was appointed by the late Pope John Paul II, makes his remarks as Italian police try to determine if bones buried near the body of a mobster belong to Orlandi. Anonymous claims have suggested the tomb of Enrico “Renatino” De Pedis contains clues to her disappearance.

Investigators are examining bones removed from his burial site in the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare. Buried in a nearby crypt, the bones are thought to be centuries old but forensic tests are ongoing. One theory is Pedis kidnapped Orlandi to press Vatican officials over a financial dispute, with his onetime lover claiming her body was disposed of in a cement mixer.

Amorth refutes this explanation, and also an alleged “international dimension”; another theory is that the kidnapping was to try and secure freedom for Mehmet Ali Agca of Turkey, who shot at the pope in 1981. Orlandi’s vanishing “was a crime with a sexual motive” says Amorth. “Parties were organised, with a Vatican gendarme [policeman] acting as the ‘recruiter’ of the girls.”

He further told La Stampa “The network involved diplomatic personnel from a foreign embassy to the Holy See. I believe Emanuela ended up a victim of this circle”. “It has already previously been stated by [the late] monsignor Simeone Duca, an archivist at the Vatican, who was asked to recruit girls for parties with the help of the Vatican gendarmes.”

Orlandi has not been seen since she set off from the family apartment in the Vatican City, heading for a Rome music lesson. Orlandi’s father worked for the Holy See. Amorth is a controversial priest who lays claim to thousands of exorcisms and has criticised activities such as yoga and children reading Harry Potter books as spiritually harmful.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

A military weapons storage facility in al-Masalmyiah, just north of Aleppo, Syria has exploded, killing at least 15 Syrian soldiers and injuring at least 50 others. The explosion occurred on the grounds of a military academy’s infantry school where weapons and ammunition are stored.

The blast, which occurred at 4:30 a.m. EEST (UTC+3) is believed to have been caused by excessive summer temperatures, but other reports suggest that a gas leak may have sparked the blast. The incident is reported to not be terrorism related.

“[The blast was] not the result of sabotage. There is a heat wave and temperatures reached close to 50 degrees (Celsius) [Nearly 115 (Fahrenheit)], which caused an ammunition dump to explode,” said an unnamed Syrian official.

Firefighters report several deaths and injuries, but also said that the fires caused by the blast have been extinguished.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

The upcoming 2006 Brampton municipal election, to be held November 13, features an array of candidates looking to represent their wards in city council or the council of the Peel Region.

Wikinews contributor Nick Moreau contacted many of the candidates, including Dalbir S. Kathuria, asking them to answer common questions sent in an email. This ward’s incumbent is John Sprovieri; also challenging Sprovieri is Derek Begley, Sherdaljit Dhillon, Mahen Gupta, Satpaul Johal, and Vahid Saadati-Khanshir.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

After the final match of the season, Galatasaray became the champions of Turkish Super League with 79 points in 34 games, six points ahead of rivals Besiktas and Fenerbahce.

The 50th season of the top-flight football league in Turkey ended Saturday as Galatasaray and Fenerbahce qualify for next season’s Champions League, third-place Be?ikta? J.K. and Federation Cup winner Kayserispor qualify for the UEFA Cup. There was disappointment for Sivasspor, who came fourth by having same points with Besiktas but less goal average.

Galatasaray trainer Cevat Guler stated that, “There may have been times in recent weeks when the fans didn’t think we would be champions… but we are delighted and thank everyone for their support.”

The Istanbul-based club started season with German coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp, who resigned at the start of April, citing differences with the management. Galatasaray were two points behind Fenerbahçe when Cevat Guler took over in a caretaker role. Also, the team hit by number of injuries, including two key foreign players of this season – Linderoth and Lincoln. However they accomplished five victories in last five games of season and clinched the 17th title for Galatasaray S.K.

After the match, thousands of Turks of all ages rallied at Istanbul’s central Taksim Square to celebrate with fireworks, flags and slogans, singing the club anthems. Similar celebrations took place in big cities like Ankara and ?zmir in the huge outdoor parties, organized on the spot, letting them join their voice with millions of fans around the country celebrating the 17th title of the club.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Monday, March 1, 2021

The Jordanian Ministers for Interior and Justice resigned yesterday after they were found violating anti-coronavirus lockdown measures.

Both Interior Minister Samir Mobeideen and Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni were found at a public banquet violating the social distancing as well as maximum permissible capacity guidelines which their ministries are expected to enforce. Current capacity is limited to 20 people. This comes days after the imposition of new restrictions on Jordanians, including stay-at-home orders, a military-enforced curfew and a 100 dinar (~US$140) fine on those not wearing face masks.

Their resignations were accepted by Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh and, in one of two Royal Decrees, King Abdullah II. According to multiple reports, the second decree ratified Deputy Prime Minister for Local Administration Tawfiq Kreishan to run the Ministry of the Interior and State Minister for Legal Affairs Ahmad Ziadat to run the Ministry of Justice.

A recent surge in new infections by variants of the coronavirus has led to at least 4627 deaths and over 300 thousand cases in the nation of ten million, Reuters reported. Officials attribute it to Jordanians not obeying the restrictions, and have arrested dozens for breaching stay-at-home orders; hundreds of businesses have also been closed, Reuters further added in the report.