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Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Recently the first ever Nestorian Search Engine went online currently offering users more than a million resources…

The Web site says that is the “official Search Engine for all things Nestorian.” The Nestorian Search Engine has materials ranging from Assyrian, Chaldean, Biblical languages, Aramaic, Hebrew, Christianity, Judaism, Armenian texts, and much more.

This is the only Nestorian Search Engine on the Internet. Spokesman Marcus Levine said, “Our Search Engine spiders the internet on a daily basis for Nestorian related Web sites and research materials in general.” Levine said the Nestorian Search Engine is an ongoing project.

“We are working on many features that will be of interest to Nestorians and all Christians in general such as recipes from Nestorians around the world. Users will soon be able to post their own recipes or request others. Get breaking news from your city, state or country through the free service as well as local weather – users can find out what the weather’s like in their area or anywhere in the world”, Levine said.

The Nestorian Search Engine will also include a service called “Nestorian Books”, which Levine said would serve as a “book finder and publishing service. We will be offering a free print-on-demand service. You can upload a PDF or MS Word doc of your manuscript and the service will publish it. The search engine will also be able to find online books within just a matter of seconds.”

Other features the Nestorian Search Engine will include:

• Nestorian Q&A – Nestorian Question and Answer. Post a question and get an answer from a clergy person with the Nestorian Orthodox Church.
• Nasrani Blog – Users can sign up for a free blog and post their thoughts daily, every other day, or weekly with the free service.
• The Global Nestorian – This is the search engine in the user’s own language. Soon users will be able to search Nestorian sites in many different languages.
• Free Translation Service – Need a translation of a verse or passage in the Scriptures? Want to see your congregation’s name in another language such as Nasramit, Hebrew or Aramaic? Users will be able to post translation requests and get their answer emailed to them.
• Nestorian Chat – Users will be able to start chatting soon with fellow Nestorians worldwide with the free Nestorian toolbar.
• Photo Gallery – Find Nestorian graphics, create your own Nestorian photo gallery or view other galleries with the click of a button.

You can visit the beta site of the Nestorian search engine by going to this link: [1] The Nestorian Search Engine is provided by the Nasrani-Kazaam Software Foundation and sponsored in part by the Nasrani Church of the East and Abroad which is also known officially in many parts of the world as The Nestorian Orthodox Church.

Friday, September 9, 2022

On Tuesday, September 6, Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio, United States announced that Top Thrill Dragster, the second tallest-roller coaster in the world, has permanently closed. The ride was the first full-circut strata coaster, a roller coaster exceeding a 400 feet (122 m) height limit, in the world.

Director of communications at Cedar Point, Tony Clark, released a statement that “after 19 seasons in operation … the world’s first strata coaster, Top Thrill Dragster … is being retired.”

The news comes after an accident on August 15, 2021, when an L-shaped bracket fell on the head of a guest in the queue line, causing a serious brain injury and leading to the closure of the attraction for the rest of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The bracket was later identified as a sensor used to detect where the cars were on the track.

The park was cleared by Ohio officials in February 2022 of any wrong-doing or of having reason to believe that the ride was unsafe before operation. Prior to the August 2021 accident, two guest-related accidents occurred on the attraction.

Although the ride has been retired in its current form, park officials have stated that they are working on “creating a new and reimagined ride experience.” It was not confirmed if it was the accident that led to the permanent closure of the attraction.

Sunday, June 26, 2005

MTV Networks’ MTV and VH1 have secured the rights to distribute over cable networks the Live 8 series of concerts which will be taking place at 8 venues in Europe, North America and Japan. The concerts are meant to raise awareness of poverty in Africa and charitable donations to fight it.

America Online holds the rights to broadcast Live 8 over the Internet and is currently in talks with American Broadcasting Company to also broadcast the concert.

MTV, VH1, and its college network, mtvU will broadcast the concert from noon to 8 PM. This will be the second outing for MTV, as they broadcasted the original Live Aid concert. If ABC decides to air the concert as well, this will also be their second going as well. According to MTV, this is the longest MTV has gone without a televised event since the coverage of the violent, riot-filled Woodstock 1999.

Two radio networks will also broadcast the concert. The subscription-based XM Satellite Radio will broadcast the original five announced concerts but will not broadcast the Tokyo or Barrie concerts. Premiere Radio Networks will broadcast the concerts tailored to the three genres of urban, rock and roll and pop music.

Some of the performers slated are: U2, Coldplay, Madonna, Dave Matthews Band, Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child and a reunited Pink Floyd.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Visa, Inc. announced on February 25, 2008 that it would soon go ahead with a much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) of about half its shares. This would make it the single biggest IPO in United States history, according to the regulatory filing the company made. Visa hopes to raise about US$17-19 billion, emulating its main rival, MasterCard Inc., which successfully put out an IPO in 2006.

Shares are expected to range from $37 to $42 each. Visa is banking on a changing global economy which relies less on liquid cash and more on credit. Revenue at both Visa and MasterCard has climbed as consumers pay for more purchases with credit and debit cards, instead of cash. Cards are expected to be used for 55 percent of all U.S. consumer transactions by 2011, up from 40 percent in 2005.

Analysts have suggested that current economic conditions, the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the weakening dollar, may leave investors skeptical about Visa’s potential earnings. However, as both Visa and MasterCard charge fees for transactions made with their cards and do not actually give credit, they avoid the current credit crunch and possible defaulted loans. Nonetheless, a slowdown in consumer spending would hurt the revenue stream of both Visa and MasterCard.

The two other main competitors, American Express and Discover, operate their own credit-lending networks and could therefore be vulnerable to credit risks.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

A fighter jet crashed, killing the pilot, at Hat Yai International Airport, Songkhla?, Thailand this morning during an annual Children’s Day airshow.

The JAS 39C Gripen crashed onto a runway at around 9:30 am local time (0230 UTC) and exploded, closing the airport to commercial flights. The pilot was identified as Squadron Leader Dilokrit Pattavee. Local media reports an airport fire vehicle rolled over while responding.

Children screamed in video footage of the crash. The Royal Thai Air Force asked that images of the accident not be shared, but this has not deterred the press. Air Force spokesperson Pongsak Semachai said an investigatory commission would be formed. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha offered his sympathies to Pattavee’s relatives.

Thailand began purchasing the Swedish-built Gripen jets in 2008 and has twelve. None of its neighbours have similar aircraft, which cost the nation around 2.5 billion baht (US$70 million) each.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

US stock markets dropped to twelve-year lows on Thursday, amidst falling confidence in the financial sector and worries over whether the US automobile manufacturer General Motors will be able to keep operating.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 4.08%, or 280.52 points, at the closing bell, reaching a level of 6595.32, a new 12-year low. The Nasdaq Composite lost 54.15 points, or 4%, to 1299.59, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 plunged by 30.27 points, or 4.25%, closing at 682.60.

Every stock in the Dow Jones, other than Wal-Mart, either lost ground or remained even, and all stocks in the S&P 500 index lost ground.

General Motors’ shares lost 15.5% after the auto firm announced that its auditors had “substantial doubt” over whether it would be able to keep operating.

Shares of financial companies were lower by nine percent, with Bank of America losing 11.7% and Citigroup falling by 9.7%.

“What’s most worrisome is that we haven’t hit the crescendo yet,” said Bill Groeneveld, the head trader for vFinance Investments. “Asset-management divisions are getting calls to just liquidate everything, and we haven’t seen the big players come back in at all.”

“This is one of the worst bear markets in the last 100 years; it started out with the credit crisis and the subprime [loans], but it is like a forest fire that has raced across the clearing and ignited other parts: Autos, auto parts, the insurance companies have been hit very hard. The credit crisis is causing an unraveling of industry after industry because the banks don’t lend,” said David Dreman, the chief investment officer of Dreman Value Management.

European markets were also lower today, with the London’s FTSE index losing 3.2% and the DAX index of Germany falling by five percent.

Friday, May 1, 2009

At approximately 06:00 a.m. (00:30 GMT) Wednesday, between four and seven people were killed when an Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) passenger train crashed into a stationary freight train at Vyasarpadi Jeeva station, in Chennai, India. Between eleven and twenty persons were injured, and rushed to General Hospital in Chennai.

Officials are unsure of the number of persons aboard the passenger train, which was operated by an unknown person. “It is not clear who operated (it),” said S. Jayanth, acting general manager of Southern Railway. The operator of the EMU train was not in the train when it left 15 minutes to half an hour before the scheduled departure time. It is said some passengers did board the passenger train.

The EMU train ignored all signals, and drove about 7 kilometers (4 mi) at high speed, jumping tracks, before colliding with the goods train.

The driver of the goods train, Arumugam, has been confirmed as one of those who has died. The goods train was traveling between Arakkonam to Chennai. The motorman, guard and assistant jumped from the goods train sustaining fractures.

“We heard a loud noise and saw several compartments in flames. The smell emanating from bodies from the mangled coaches was nauseating,” said M.N. Selvi, a nearby resident.

The platforms at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva station were destroyed, and electrical cables were torn down. The EMU train caught fire in the collision destroying two compartments completely. The other compartments were thrown from the tracks. The freight train was loaded with oil tanks, however reports indicate that only the EMU train was set ablaze.

All train services were canceled for a time on one of the busiest rail lines of India. “Train services are disrupted due to the mishap but we hope to restore the services in two to three hours time,” an Indian Railways spokesperson.

Railways Minister Lalu Prasad announced that an inquiry will be held.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Today the New Zealand Finance Minister, Hon. Dr Michael Cullen, presented the 2006 New Zealand Budget to the House of Representatives. There is a NZ$8.5 billion OBERAC surplus and a NZ$1.5 billion cash surplus.

It has been labelled as the “Bondi Budget” by National leader Don Brash, “Helen Clark and Michael Cullen believe there is a place for tax cuts – it’s called Australia” he said.

The budget allocates new operating spending of $9.6 billion and capital of $2.7 billion over the next four years.

Key issues in the budget includes:

• The Telecom New Zealand local loop unbundling (released earlier due to leak).
• $1.3 billion extra for transport.
• $3 billion extra for health care, over the next four years.
• $361 million extra for schooling
• $166 million extra for tertiary education and skill training
• $162 million extra for early childhood education