Wikinews Shorts: December 20, 2008

20 February, 2021

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A compilation of brief news reports for Saturday, December 20, 2008. The United States government has announced that it will give US$17.4 billion in loans to help three of the nation’s automobile makers – Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford – avoid bankruptcy. The money will be taken from the $700 billion bailout package originally intended to […]

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IMF and EU approve aid for Georgia

20 February, 2021

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008 The International Monetary Fund and the European Union approved aid packages to help Georgia recover from its conflict with Russia, which occurred in early August. The IMF approved a US$750 million loan which will allow Georgia to rebuild its currency reserves. The European Union also approved an aid package of €500 […]

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Electric vehicles can be less green than classic fuel cars, Norwegian study finds

20 February, 2021

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Sunday, October 7, 2012 A Norwegian University of Science and Technology study released Thursday found electric vehicles have a potential for higher eco-toxicity and greenhouse impact than conventional cars. The study includes an examination of the electric car’s life cycle as a whole rather than a study of the electric car’s environmental impact during the […]

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Eight men and several Spinka charities charged with tax fraud in Los Angeles

20 February, 2021

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Monday, December 24, 2007 Eight men and five Brookyln-based Spinka charitable organizations have been charged with tax fraud and money laundering. Six have been arrested, and two are still at large. The men charged are Naftali Tzi Weisz, 59, a Grand Rabbi from Brooklyn; Gabbai Moseh E. Zigelman, 60, also from Brooklyn and Weisz’ assistant; […]

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Anthrocon 2007 draws thousands to Pittsburgh for furry weekend

20 February, 2021

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Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Local caterers get ready for big business, as almost three thousand fans converge on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center over the Independence Day weekend for the world’s largest ever furry convention, Anthrocon 2007. Many hope to renew acquaintances, or meet new friends. Others look to buy from […]

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Andrea Muizelaar on fashion, anorexia, and life after ‘Top Model’

20 February, 2021

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Monday, November 26, 2007 In the 18 months since Andrea Muizelaar was crowned winner of the reality TV series Canada’s Next Top Model, her life has been a complete whirlwind. From working in a dollar store in her hometown of Whitby, Ontario, to modeling haute couture in Toronto, she had reached her dream of becoming […]

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Satanism: An interview with Church of Satan High Priest Peter Gilmore

20 February, 2021

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Monday, November 5, 2007 In the 1980’s and the 1990’s there were multiple allegations of sexual abuse of children or non-consenting adults in the context of Satanic rituals that has come to be known as The Satanic Panic. In the United States, the Kern County child abuse cases, McMartin preschool trial and the West Memphis […]

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Bat for Lashes plays the Bowery Ballroom: an Interview with Natasha Khan

20 February, 2021

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Friday, September 28, 2007 Bat for Lashes is the doppelgänger band ego of one of the leading millennial lights in British music, Natasha Khan. Caroline Weeks, Abi Fry and Lizzy Carey comprise the aurora borealis that backs this haunting, shimmering zither and glockenspiel peacock, and the only complaint coming from the audience at the Bowery […]

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Asbestos controversy aboard Scientology ship Freewinds

20 February, 2021

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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 […]

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Scientists report chemotherapy cocktail may cause adult women to grow new egg cells

20 February, 2021

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016 Chemotherapy is usually associated with a collection of side effects ranging from digestive problems to hair loss, but a study published this week in Human Reproduction demonstrated that female cancer patients may find they have something in common with much younger women in one specific area — their ovaries. Scientists from […]

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