Monday, March 20, 2006

Fears of contaminated bone and skin grafts are being felt by unsuspecting patients following the revelation that funeral homes may have been looting corpses.

Janet Evans of Marion Ohio was told by her surgeon, “The bone grafts you got might have been contaminated”. She reacted with shock, “I was flabbergasted because I didn’t even know what he was talking about. I didn’t know I got a bone graft until I got this call. I just thought they put in screws and rods.”

The body of Alistair Cooke, the former host of “Masterpiece Theatre,” was supposedly looted along with more than 1,000 others, according to two law enforcement officials close to the case. The tissue taken was typically skin, bone and tendon, which was then sold for use in procedures such as dental implants and hip replacements. According to authorities, millions of dollars were made by selling the body parts to companies for use in operations done at hospitals and clinics in the United States and Canada.

A New Jersey company, Biomedical Tissue Services, has reportedly been taking body parts from funeral homes across Brooklyn, New York. According to ABC News, they set up rooms like a “surgical suite.” After they took the bones, they replaced them with PVC pipe. This was purportedly done by stealth, without approval of the deceased person or the next of kin. 1,077 bodies were involved, say prosecuters.

Investagators say a former dentist, Michael Mastromarino, is behind the operation. Biomedical was considered one of the “hottest procurement companies in the country,” raking in close to $5 million. Eventually, people became worried: “Can the donors be trusted?” A tissue processing company called LifeCell answered no, and issued a recall on all their tissue.

Cooke’s daughter, Susan Cooke Kittredge, said, “To know his bones were sold was one thing, but to see him standing truncated before me is another entirely.” Now thousands of people around the country are receiving letters warning that they should be tested for infectious diseases like HIV or hepatitis. On February 23, the Brooklyn District Attorney indicted Mastromarino and three others. They are charged with 122 felony counts, including forgery and bodysnatching.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Austrian police today found an estimated 20–50 decomposing corpses in an apparently abandoned lorry.

Roadworkers who spotted the vehicle, which had been there since yesterday at least, alerted police. Responding officers found it full of corpses. The lorry is on the so-called “Eastern Motorway”, the A4, close to the Hungarian border. It was on the hard shoulder between Neusiedl and Parndorf, closer to Parndorf.

The victims are thought to have suffocated. Police are seeking the driver. The Krone published an image of a non-articulated food lorry on the hard shoulder, which they report is the vehicle in question. The photo shows a pool of dark liquid on the ground beside the vehicle.

Video from a passing motorist shows at least one helicopter on-scene. The truck, which has pictures of meat on the side, shows branding for Slovakian food firm Hyza. Earlier today the company’s website sported an apparent anti-immigration graphic, which has since been removed.

Wikinews got in touch with Hyza. “We are truly sorry about [the] tragedy” they told us in a statement. They said they have checked GPS trackers on their fleet and all their vehicles remain in Slovakia. The statement says the lorry in question was one of 21 Hyza vehicles sold on last year. It was then sold again and exported to Hungary, where it is now registered. Hyza told us the new owners have not changed the branding on the vehicle. According to the Bild newspaper, Agrofert — the parent company of Hyza — said in a statement the new owners were required to do so.

Hyza says they will “actively cooperate with Slovak police”, and “express [their] sincere condolences to the bereaved families.”

Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner called it “a dark day” and called for European Union-wide measures to protect immigrant refugees and tackle human traffickers. Neighbouring Hungary is constructing a border fence across its entire frontier with Serbia. Yesterday alone saw a record 3,241 attempts to enter Hungary illegally, according to authorities there.

Conflict in Syria and other parts of the world has led refugees to Europe. Once inside, they can move freely inside the Schengen Area, which covers most of the EU.

Austrian police earlier this week arrested three motorists suspected of people smuggling. One driver is accused of moving 34 people, ten of them children, into Austria from Serbia. The group were left by the roadside near Bruck an der Leitha and reported struggling to breathe in the van.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Six teenagers were killed in a horrific road accident near Mildura in north-western Victoria, Australia late at night on February 18.

Cassandra Manners, aged 16, Stevie-Lee Weight, 15, Cory Dowling, 16, Shane Hirst, 16, and his sister, Abby Hirst, 17, died at the scene. Josephine Calvi, 16, was flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where she later died of head injuries. Seven other teenagers were injured, including 15-year-old Marco Medici who is now in a stable but critical condition in The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

The accident occurred after the teenagers left a 16th birthday party and walked along Myall Road, Cardross, south-east of Mildura. A car allegedly came speeding around a bend, hit the gravel on the side of the road, lost control and struck the group. The alleged driver, later identified as 34-year-old Thomas Graham Towle, fled the scene on foot, leaving his 10-year-old daughter and four-year-old son in the car. Towle was later arrested by police in Redcliffs. He was taken to Mildura police station for questioning.

Towle has been charged with six charges of culpable driving causing death, four charges of negligently causing serious injury, one charge of failing to stop and one charge of failing to render assistance after an accident. Towle faced Mildura Magistrates’ Court on February 20. Magistrate John Dugdale remanded him into custody to reappear before the court on June 26.

Meanwhile, the town of Mildura and surrounding areas is in deep mourning. Premier Steve Bracks said the State Government will provide $AU40,000 for counselling and support services.

Around 3,000 people attended the funeral for Josephine Calvi today. Funeral services for the other five teenagers were held last week.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Mr Justice Saunders today imprisoned a man for eight years at the Old Bailey in London after an FBI sting in which he tried to buy ricin on the Dark Web.

Mohammed Ali, 31, from Liverpool, was convicted at trial of attempting to possess a chemical weapon. He told the jury he was “curious” about the Dark Web, which is a largely hidden and difficult to police section of the Internet. Ali said he didn’t realise he had done anything illegal.

Ali was prosecuted under the Chemical Weapons Act 1996 after sending an undercover agent a message reading “Hi, would you be able to make me some ricin and send it to the UK?” He bought 500mg, which has the potential to kill about 1,400, but was sent a dummy package. Counter-terror police in the UK liaised with the FBI.

The powder, which Ali paid for in BitCoin, was actually harmless. Hidden inside a toy car, the package was treated with markers and his face glowed under ultraviolet light, indicating he had handled it. The judge said today there was “real risk” involved.

Ali told his trial he had discovered drugs and guns for sale. Computer analysis showed he had looked up ricin and other poisons; he said he went for ricin simply because it had appeared in Breaking Bad. He also searched for small animals after being advised to test it on a rodent; a to-do list on his computer included “paid ricin guy” and “get pet to murder”.

Mr Justice Saunders said the case called for “a deterrent sentence”, which “will appear harsh to the defendant and his family.” “Everyone needs to know that the possession of a chemical weapon is extremely serious and long prison sentences will follow.”

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

The New Zealand government officials have announced that it will give NZ$160,000 in aid to help farmers who were affected by the huge amounts of snow in Canterbury, New Zealand two weeks ago.

The aid package will provide four regional offices for co-ordination, food supplies and ongoing support.

The Federated Farmers for mid Canterbury say that the aid will be a start to what looks like a tough winter. President of the mid Canterbury Federated Farmers Rupert Curd says, “It is too early to say exactly how much help the relief package will provide.”

The snow has not yet reached a crisis point.

The Insurance Council has estimated the cost of the snow storm has reached $35 million so far. Chief Executive of the Insurance Council says, “There has been damage to homes, commercial premises both on farms and in town and vehicles. Businesspeople who have been without power are also claiming for loss of income.”

The Minister of Agriculture Jim Anderton has said that they are not ruling out giving further aid.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The implosion of a relationship between Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and journalist Rachel Marsden has resulted in controversy and international headlines. Associated Press and ABC News have also reported on questionable activity by Wales involving Wikimedia Foundation expenses. The Wikimedia Foundation is a donor-supported non-profit organization which runs Wikipedia.

Marsden had contacted Wales two years ago about concerns she had over the article about her on Wikipedia, and Wales determined the article was not compliant with Wikipedia’s standards. The tech blog Valleywag revealed Wales had a personal relationship with Marsden, and posted supposed transcripts of their instant message conversations on its site, www.valleywag.com. Wales and Marsden met in February, and The Times reported that “An apparent transcript of their conversations before that meeting suggests that, although Mr Wales had withdrawn from the editing process, he was still influencing the editors.” The Times quoted Wales from the chat logs as having stated to Marsden “The truth is of course a much worse conflict of interest than that; but that will do.” — in reference to his conflict of interest regarding Marsden’s article on Wikipedia.

Wales posted a public statement on Saturday on Wikipedia addressing the matter, and stated that his relationship with Marsden was over: “First, while I find it hard to imagine that anyone really cares about my sex life, the facts are: I am separated from my wife. I considered myself single at the time of my one meeting with Rachel Marsden on Feb. 9, 2008 … I am no longer involved with Rachel Marsden. Gossipy stories suggesting that I have been in a relationship with her ‘since last fall’ are completely false … I care deeply about the integrity of Wikipedia, and take very seriously my responsibilities as a member of the board and as a member of the Wikipedia community. I would never knowingly do anything to compromise that trust.” With regard to the conflict of interest in Marsden’s article, Wales had acknowledged to a team of Wikipedia editors in February 2008 that he and Marsden “became friends … and that we would be meeting about that,” and stated “I recused myself from any further official action with respect to her biography.”

On Sunday, The Canadian Press reported that Marsden had posted photos of herself on Ebay, and was selling items that Wales had left at her New York City apartment. In her Ebay posting, Marsden stated: “Hi, my name is Rachel and my (now ex-) boyfriend, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, just broke up with me via an announcement on Wikipedia … It was such a classy move that I was inspired to do something equally classy myself, so I’m selling a couple of items of clothing he left behind, here in my NYC apartment, on eBay. Jimbo was supposed to come visit me in a couple of weeks and pick up some of his stuff, but obviously that won’t be happening now.” Marsden told The Canadian Press “It didn’t really help matters that Jimmy chose to announce the breakup to the entire world via Wikipedia (which apparently now is an online encyclopedia that doubles as a personal soapbox?) rather than to me directly (which he did much later, in an instant message discussion).”

Marsden placed a t-shirt and sweater which she said were left at her apartment by Wales up on Ebay, and started the bidding for each at ninety-nine cents, with the auctions set to end on March 12. By Monday, bidding on the t-shirt had reached US$300, and by Tuesday the highest bid had reached $12,200. In an email to The Globe and Mail, Marsden stated “My only focus right now, to be really honest, is on my career and finding a way to get back into print, TV, or radio here in NYC,” she wrote. “All of this other personal stuff is just an unfortunate distraction.”

Jay Walsh, the Wikimedia Foundation’s head of communications, told the San Jose Mercury News that Wales’ actions in relaying Marsden’s concerns about her Wikipedia article to a team of trusted editors was within his “routine” role. When asked by the San Jose Mercury News if Wales’ actions regarding the Marsden article could compromise his role with the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia, Walsh responded “No, absolutely not.”

On Tuesday, ABC News carried a story by Wired News reporter Megan McCarthy regarding allegations of “excessive spending” by Wales, and Associated Press also reported on questions involving Wikimedia Foundation expenses. McCarthy reported that former Wikimedia executive Danny Wool, who had left the foundation last year, criticized Wales’ use of Wikimedia Foundation expenses in a blog post. Wool stated that Wales had tried to expense $300 bottles of wine, a $1,300 dinner for four at a Florida steakhouse, and visits to Moscow massage parlors to the foundation, and that the foundation rescinded Wales’ corporate credit card in 2006. Wool also stated that Wales paid the foundation $7,000, after being short $30,000 on receipts for expenses.

Wool told EPICENTER that “There were occasions where he used [the Wikimedia Foundation] for personal advancement under the guide [sic] of the mission. And, as someone who was in there for the mission part of it, I found that rather distressful.” Wool commented in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle: “Originally, it was carelessness … But as things developed, it became more apparent and obvious that he was taking advantage of the foundation credit card. It was almost like his personal piggy bank.”

In an instant message exchange with Associated Press, Wales denied that the Wikimedia Foundation had taken away his corporate credit card, and asserted that he had made the decision to stop expensing business travel for the foundation. Wales highlighted a statement by the foundation’s executive director Sue Gardner: “Jimmy has never used Wikimedia money to subsidize his personal expenditures. Indeed, he has consistently put the foundation’s interests ahead of his own.” In an email to Associated Press, Brad Patrick, a former attorney for the Wikimedia Foundation, stated “Danny seems interested in blogging his way straight to a lawsuit”.

Florence Devouard, who chairs the Wikimedia Foundation, told Associated Press that Wales had been “slow in submitting receipts,” and that the foundation had rejected Wales’ expense at the Florida steakhouse. Devouard told fellow foundation board members in a private email that she had convinced Associated Press that “the money story was a no story,” and told Wales “I find (it) tiring to see how you are constantly trying to rewrite the past. Get a grip!” Wales told Associated Press: “The board, the current executive director, the previous executive director, and independent auditors have reviewed our books and publicly agree that all of my expenses were appropriate and fully accounted for.”

Media reports speculated on how the controversy would end up being represented in Wikipedia itself. On Wednesday, the St. Petersburg Times wrote: “Wales’ Wikipedia page said only this about Marsden: ‘Wales had a brief relationship with Canadian journalist Rachel Marsden.'” An article in The Australian surmised: “History will decide whether Mr Wales broke his own principles, but before that happens there may well be a Wikipedia page devoted to the controversy.”

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Saturday in a game played at Colegio San Agustin in Madrid in Spain’s top level wheelchair basketball league, CD Fundosa ONCE decisively beat Getafe BSR 86–36. ONCE, with 2012 Summer Paralympics Australian international Bill Latham and British international Terry Bywater, came into the game with a multi-game winning streak in which they averaged 79 points while holding their opponents to an average of 31.5 points.

Coming to the game with several loud chanting fans and a drum, Getafe scored the first point of the game about 15 seconds into it off a free throw made by Polish player Krzysztof Bandura. ONCE got the ball, and quickly scored 2 points.

With 8:34 left in the first quarter, Getafe led 3–2. Cuidad Real local Francisco S. Lara was doing a lot of early shooting and rebounding for Getafe.

By the time there was 6:42 left in the first quarter, ONCE had pulled ahead with an 8–5 lead. Gexto native Carlos Medina kept his team in it, scoring two points with 5:10 left in the first. Terry Bywater tried a behind the back pass at 4:45 left in the first that resulted in turning the ball over to Getafe. With 4:08 left in the first, Bywater made a 3 pointer that tied the score up at 13–13. Shortly after that, ONCE had a player get a personal foul, turning the ball over to Getafe who were unable to hold onto it.

With 2:20 left in the first, ONCE led 15–13 and a timeout was called. Players took the opportunity to re-hydrate. From this point, ONCE never lost the lead. A few seconds after the timeout, they made a 2 pointer to bring the score to 17–13. They built on that for a score of 19–13 with 1:00 minute left in the first. Bywater committed a personal foul in the remaining minute, falling over in his wheelchair while committing it.

With a few seconds left in the first, ONCE scored and Getafe was unable to get a shot up in the remaining seconds. The first quarter ended 21–13.

Getafe scored first in the second quarter. ONCE was unable to answer back on their run down the court, with Getafe getting the ball back and also being unable to score. The start of the second saw ONCE more aggressive than Getafe, earning a few personal fouls.

The Getafe coach verbally expressed his frustration his team’s lack of rebounding at 7:42 in the second. Shortly after that, he made a substitution. By the time there was 7:09 left in the second, ONCE led 26–17. They added another two points at 6:09 to bring the score to 28–17.

With 5:17 left in the second, ONCE forced a turn over, and made a substitution with Spanish international Paul Zarzuela coming out. Getafe committed personal fouls at 4:00 and 3:46 left in the second. With 3:39 left on the clock, the score was 30–17. Jerez de la Frontera native Alejandro Zarzuela made a pair of free throws shortly after that to bring the score to 32–17.

Getafe took a timeout, and made a substitution, bringing in Virginia Perez, the team’s only female player. With 3:11 left in the second quarter, Spanish international Rafael Muiño scored an easy layup for ONCE to bring the score to 34–17. With 2:47 left, Getafe made another substitution, taking Swiss international Maurice Amacher out.

Getafe sent ONCE to the free throw line at 2:31 but ONCE was unable to make either basket. With 2:29 left in the second, Zarzuela needed a wheel change. At 2:17, Connecticut native Ryan T. Martin shot an air ball. At 2:09, Bill Latham was at the line for ONCE, making his first free throw but missing his second. With 1:44 left, Getafe scored for the first time since the eighth minute of the second quarter. Getafe fouled Latham, who went to line and successfully converted the three-point play.

With 1:11 left in the second and the score at 41–19, the Getafe coach threw his clipboard on the ground. With less than a minute left in the half, Getafe spent a lot of time playing with the ball and almost had a shot clock violation, before turning the ball over. ONCE capitalized on it to score, ending the half with a score of 43–19.

The third quarter started with Getafe possession, but the team quickly turned the ball over, followed by Canary Islands native Daniel Serapio committing a foul against ONCE. At 9:21 left in the third, the first points of the quarter were scored, bringing the game to 45–19 in a three point play that Latham successfully finished to bring the score to 46–19. At 8:49, Medina took a shot for Getafe and missed. ONCE got the rebound, only for Getafe to foul them. At 8:33, Getafe made a substitution, taking Serapio out and putting Madrid native Angel Silvela in. At 8:00 left, Getafe got their first points of the quarter when Medina made two points to bring the score to 46–21.

At the 7:29 mark in the third, Getafe got a rebound off an ONCE shot turned the ball over to ONCE who then scored two points bringing the score to 48–21. At 7:11 left, Czech player Petr Tucek subbed out after his behind small wheel came off.

ONCE subbed three people in at the 6:17 mark, bringing in Madrid native Carlos Vera, Barcelona native Jaume Llambi, and Pablo Zarzuela. Alejandro Zarzuela scored one of his two free throw attempts at 6:09 to bring the score to 49–23. ONCE scored another basket at the 5:39 mark. Getafe’s Medina made a pass to no one at 5:18, but his team managed to get the ball back — but were unable to get their own rebound. Getafe made a substitution at the 5:01 mark, with Lara coming in for Madrid native Jose Angel Mingo.

Pablo Zarzuela went to the free throw line for ONCE, missing both shots for score of 52–23. He recovered his rebound, missed with Latham getting the rebound and making the shot at the 4:34 mark in the third.

Bandura got a shot up for Getafe at the 4:29 mark but missed. ONCE scored 2 points at 4:05 to bring the score to 56–23. Bandura scored Getafe’s next points at the 3:29 mark for the game to be 58–25. At 3:07, the score is 58–27. At the 2:28 mark, Rodríguez gets an ONCE rebound, Latham gets the ball, shoots and misses. ONCE got their own rebound and scored 2 points to bring the game to 60–27 at the 2:15 mark. They quickly got another 2 points, and a timeout was called at 1:57 left in the third. Tucek had successfully re-attached his wheel but was not subbed in. Getafe’s Iranian international Morteza Gharibloo made a three point shot attempt that was an airball at the 1:36 mark, with ONCE picking the up the rebound. ONCE turned the ball over, with Getafe regaining possession only to lose it because of a shot clock violation. The third quarter ended 62–27.

45 seconds into the fourth quarter, ONCE subbed Vera out, bringing Alejandro Zarzuela in. Tucek scored for ONCE at the 9:05 mark. With 8:45 left in the game, Martin took a shot and missed. At the 8:36 mark, a technical was called against Getafe with Bywater taking both shots. Making both, the score was then 66–29. Latham scored for ONCE at 8:23. Swiss international Philipp Häfeli was double teamed, and fouled at 8:07. By the time 6:59 was left in the game, the score was 72.33. Latham scored for ONCE at the 6:15 mark following a missed shot by Rodríguez.

Llambi went to the line for a pair of shots at the 6:02 mark, missing both free throws. At the 5:43 mark, Latham was fouled. Rodríguez brought the ball in for his team. Bywater put up a three point shot, but missed. Gharibloo got the rebound for Getafe, took a shot and also missed.

With 4:54 left, ONCE scored for the score to be 76–34. At the 3:24 mark, Spanish international Almudena Montiel entered the game for the first time following a timeout. Montiel was the only woman on the ONCE team. ONCE then scored with 3:14 left in the game, bringing the score to 80–34. The game would go on to end 86–36 following a basket made by Llambi with 0:15 left in the game.

Next week, ONCE is scheduled to play Adapted Sports Cai Zaragoza in a fourth round game played at home.