Botswana holds parliamentary elections

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Voters in Botswana will head to the polls this Friday to vote in parliamentary elections. The incumbent Democratic Party, in power since 1966, is expected to win the vote.

Some voters left their homes as early as 04.00 local time to be in time for the opening of polling stations two hours later, and voters moved through polling stations at a steady pace throughout the day.

About 700,000 residents are registered to vote. Joseph Gaie, lecturer in political ethics at Botswana University in Gaborone, told the Voice of America news agency that a good turnout had been expected.

Well a lot of people, elderly people take this as a duty – every five years they have to go and vote.

“Well a lot of people, elderly people take this as a duty – every five years they have to go and vote,” he said. “And then a lot of youth that have just come, this will be the first time that 18-year-olds vote, so they are very excited about it.”

Voting had proceeded without incidents or violence at polling stations, officials said. “We have not received any complaints of intimidation from any of the political parties,” said the head of the Southern African Development Community observer mission Francisco Madeira.

The two major opposition parties, the Botswana National Front and the Botswana Congress Party, are hoping to do much better this time than in previous elections and have indicated they may cooperate in parliament after the poll.

Botswana is a democracy that has seen consistent economic growth in the 43 years since it won independence from the UK. That growth is largely due to exports from the country’s diamond industry, which suffered dramatically in the global economic crisis. The net effect of that has seen an 11.5% contraction of the economy in the year that ended in June. The election results will be known on Saturday.

Utilizing Cash Advances Too Often Will Cause Budget Problems

Utilizing Cash Advances Too Often Will Cause Budget Problems

by

Holly Petherbridge

If you are looking towards a cash advance in order supplement your income, you may want to keep looking for other solutions. An online cash advance is definitely a fast way to get extra cash for emergency purposes. Convenience and speed for immediate cash is appealing to struggling customers. As great as they can be to help out a financial crunch, they can also wreak havoc for a budget.

When the convenience starts to borderline on being a necessity, there needs to be some kind of financial intervention. The low cost cash advance is exactly that when used appropriately. People who are depending on the cash advances and take out five or more loans in a year are spending too much money on fees. A cash advance will extend a loan to a customer and charge a certain fee per one hundred dollars. When you are facing bank overdraft fees or late charges from your creditors, obtaining a cash advance online is a great way to save money. Depending on this loan each month in order to pay for regular expenses, the fees become a budget buster. When solving long-term debt problems, you want to find solutions which help your finances not hinder them. This money spent on fees could be the extra amount used to pay down debt.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYObq4tQAqo[/youtube]

Most people who use these online cash advances have already fallen into some sort of debt and/or credit trouble. People are closing credit accounts or are running their balances to the maximum are finding their credit scores dropping. The utilization rate makes up about one third of your credit score. A creditor will look at how much money has already been spent towards your balances and compare how much you could potentially use if all balances are maxed out. The credit bureaus state that no more than 30% of your balance should be used at any given time. Closing credit cards and maxing balances are two of the most common reason for people to turn to lenders who do not use credit checks for approval. Those with credit problems are rampantly applying for online cash advances and payday loans because their utilization rate is keeping them from obtaining money anywhere else.

Once your debt has piled up and you find yourself relying on direct cash advances, it is time to do some remodeling of the budget. Strip your budget bare and reload your prioritized bills. Focus your income towards paying off your debt. Pay off one creditor at a time in order to raise your utilization rate. Building or rebuilding your credit will keep you from depending on cash advance loans each month.

Responsible online cash advance lenders work at educating customers on the dos and don\’ts of fast approval online cash advances. Use them as the help you need to get to the next paycheck when the abundant time-sensitive demand for payment is draining your bank account. The low cost cash advance will keep your budget running through the next month.

Spotya! Online Cash Advances

promotes responsible borrowing to keep your debt from raging out of control. Use cash advances in those emergency situations in between paychecks and keep your budget on target. Visit

Spotya!

to find out more about cash advance applications.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

Westchester County, NY to build affordable housing for non-whites

Thursday, August 13, 2009

In a settlement, hailed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a “historic civil rights settlement,” the county government for Westchester County, New York has agreed to spend US$51.6 million to build 750 affordable housing units that will primarily be offered to non-white minorities.

The settlement is the result of a federal lawsuit filed by the Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York (ADC) against the county under the False Claims Act, which alleged that the county was negligent in its oversight of federal funds that it received from HUD for community development which stipulated that it “affirmatively further fair housing.” The ADC suit which claimed $180 million in damages, also said the county failed to build affordable housing and reduce segregation in some of the more affluent communities.

Prior to the settlement, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that Westchester had failed to analyze the effect of race in relation to access to fair housing when it applied for HUD funds.

The county redistributed the federal funds to town and village governments, and the court concluded it did so without ensuring that guidelines were being followed or considering where the affordable housing was being placed.

Westchester County admitted no wrongdoing and says it has “for many years considered the impact of race on affordable housing,” according to County Executive Andrew Spano.

Westchester County will also pay $8.4 million as a fine to the federal government and $2.5 million to cover legal expenses of the ADC.

630 of the 750 housing units must be built in communities which are less than 3% black and less than 7% Hispanic. The county will be required to market the homes “aggressively” to minorities, though federal law prevents them from being offered exclusively to certain races.

This is consistent with the president’s desire to see a fully integrated society

The case is a landmark for HUD and the way that the Obama administration will use the government agency.”This is about expanding the geography of opportunity for families who may have been limited in their housing choices. The agreement we announce today demonstrates Westchester County’s commitment to make sure its neighborhoods are open to everyone, regardless of the color of their skin,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “This agreement signals a new commitment by HUD to ensure that housing opportunities be available to all, and not just to some.”

“This is consistent with the president’s desire to see a fully integrated society,” said HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims. “Until now, we tended to lay dormant. This is historic, because we are going to hold people’s feet to the fire.”

It is not yet decided where the affordable housing will be placed, but Westchester County has a number of towns and hamlets which qualify under the stipulated racial requirements, including Chappaqua, which is noted as the official residence of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton.

“Some constituents have had strong reactions, but that’s just based on what they read in the papers and what the headlines are,” said County Legislator Peter Harckham. “But there are no details yet to get excited about.”

“I certainly approve of nondiscriminatory policy for housing,” Alan Harrow, a resident of Somers, told The Journal News. “Looking at it from my own point of view, I moved into this very rural area, and if there’s suddenly a large housing development and 200 families there, it’s probably something I won’t really welcome.”

News briefs:March 04, 2008

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.
This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Contents

  • 1 Wikinews News Brief, March 04 2008
    • 1.1 Introduction
    • 1.2 Events of worldwide notability, military action, disasters etc.
      • 1.2.1 Computer documents suggest link between Chavez and FARC
      • 1.2.2 Medvedev becomes Russian president-elect
      • 1.2.3 At least 40 killed by bombing in Pakistan
      • 1.2.4 United Nations condemns Palestinian rocket attacks and Israel’s ‘disproportionate’ response
    • 1.3 Non-disastrous local events with notable impact and dead celebrities
      • 1.3.1 Canadian musician Jeff Healey dies of cancer
      • 1.3.2 Nepali goddess retires at age 11
    • 1.4 Sports
      • 1.4.1 National Hockey League news: March 3, 2008
    • 1.5 Footer

[edit]

UK energy companies announce that prices for bills could increase

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Six energy companies in the United Kingdom have announced that it is likely that the prices for energy bills could increase over the course of 2010.

The companies, which are nicknamed the “big six” in the United Kingdom, did not pass on information that there would be price cuts in energy bills despite increasing profits. However, the companies have in fact sent a message in response saying that the prices of bills may even increase over the course of the next year. Energy company watchdog the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) have estimated that energy companies will make gross margins of £170 ($276) per dual fual customer over the course of the next twelve months, due to the recent fall in wholesale energy costs.

Ofgem have said: “Our analysis shows that based on an 18-month hedging strategy and assuming that retail prices remain unchanged, projected gross margin is set to increase by around £80 for dual fuel customers over the next six months.”

The “big six” energy companies in the United Kingdom are British Gas, E-on, Npower, Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Power, and EDF Energy. British Gas stated: “Prices [are] likely to remain at historically high levels, and in fact likely to increase as non-commodity costs rise ever upwards.”

EDF Energy said: “[We] would of course be prepared to reduce tariffs if market conditions allowed.” Scottish Power stated: “There are no immediate signals that would indicate a fall in retail prices for this winter, and risks of an increase next year.” Scottish & Southern Energy commented: “With forward annual wholesale prices significantly higher, and with upward pressures in terms of distribution, environmental and social costs, seeking to avoid an increase between now and the end of 2010 is an important goal.”

Meanwhile, a study by Consumer Focus in early September 2009 suggested that “energy companies were overcharging customers by £100 ($162) every year. A spokesperson for Ofgem said that there was no evidence of any cartel in operation, or evidence of profiteering. The spokesperson commented: “It is up to the companies themselves to decide whether to cut their bills. Consumer Focus data suggests that Scottish Power has increased dual fuel prices by the most since 2003 – up 148% – while decreasing prices by 0.6% so far this year. RWE’s Npower has increased tariffs by 132% since 2003, but has reduced bills by 2.7% in 2009.”

Debt Recovery The Letter Of Demand

By Nicholas Corr

It is important for companies and businesses to ensure that appropriate policies for debt recovery solutions and debt collection solutions are put in place. There are various internal and external avenues that a company or business can take to limit the risk of its cash flow suffering from outstanding debtors exceeding normal trading terms.

This series of articles contains general information regarding external debt recovery procedures and processes and debt collection procedures and processes. If internal attempts at recovering outstanding tax invoices from overdue debtors fail then assistance from an external debt collection law firm or debt recovery law firm may result in defaulting debtors making payment of those outstanding invoices. It is not only debt collection lawyers and debt recovery lawyers which can assist to obtain payment of overdue tax invoices. Debt collection companies or debt collection agencies can also assist to seek payment of overdue invoices.

This series of articles focuses on the role of lawyers (or barristers and solicitors) in recovering debts and collecting debts within the jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court of Victoria. The debt recovery process or the debt collection process can be divided into four main stages. The stages that may be necessary as a part of debt recovery action or debt collection action include: 1) the initial demand for payment or letter of demand; 2) the commencement of legal proceedings; 3) the obtaining of a Court Judgment or Court Order; and, 4) taking recovery action to enforce the Judgment debt.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjvRqXbaAlY[/youtube]

In this article, we focus specifically on the initial demand for payment. It is often not necessary for creditors to provide too much detail to their lawyers in order for a letter of demand to be drafted. In many circumstances, it will suffice to simply provide a copy of the outstanding invoice(s) and to provide details of the amounts and dates of any payments made by the customer or client to reduce the amount outstanding. If there was a quotation, purchase order and / or standard terms and conditions relevant to the debt then copies of any such documents would also be required for the initial demand.

Although the drafting of a letter of demand can in most circumstances be completed without any substantial costs being incurred, it is important to ensure that the letter does indeed demand all amounts to which a creditor may be entitled. For example, it may be that any standard terms and conditions that apply between the parties give rise to a right to claim from the debtor costs incurred in attempts made to recover the debt. In addition, it is often the case that there is a claim that can be made to interest accrued on the debt.

In many circumstances, a letter of demand of itself will result in payment (or satisfactory arrangements for payment under an installment agreement). This may render it unnecessary to take any formal Court action. As a letter of demand is in most circumstances relatively inexpensive, it is often an appropriate means by which to procure payment of outstanding debts. If the letter of demand is ignored or if payment is not made the decision can then be made as to whether to take the next step and sue the debtor.

The size of a company or business will have a bearing upon the most suitable policies and procedures to adopt for the recovery of debts. The policies and procedures may vary depending upon whether they relate to undisputed debts or disputed debts. This series of articles focuses on undisputed debts. All businesses (whether they are small businesses, medium sized businesses or a large businesses) should take action early to prevent their normal trading debts becoming stale debts or bad debts.

Disclaimer

The facts and circumstances applicable to every client are different. The above article is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, legal advice as to the subject matter of the article. Should you have legal issues that are similar to above then you should not place any reliance on the content of this article but, instead, you should seek legal advice.

About the Author: Nicholas Corr is one of the highly experienced

Melbourne Business Lawyers

at Dalton Sundberg Corr

Lawyers Melbourne

.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=550209&ca=Finances

Smoke from massive warehouse fire in Buffalo, New York USA can be seen 40 miles away

Monday, May 14, 2007

Buffalo, New York —A massive warehouse complex of at least 5 buildings caught on fire in Buffalo, New York on 111 Tonawanda Street, sending a plume of thick, jet black colored smoke into the air that could be seen as far away as 40 miles.

As of 6:40 a.m., the fire was under control, and firefighters were attempting to stop it from spreading, but could not get to the center of the fire because of severe amounts of debris. Later in the morning, the fire was extinguished.

“The fire is mostly under debris at this point. It’s under control, but it’s under some debris. We really can’t get to it. We’re just going to have to keep on pouring water on it so it doesn’t spread,” said Thomas Ashe, the fire chief for the North Buffalo based fire division who also added that at one point, at least 125 firefighters were on the scene battling the blaze. One suffered minor injures and was able to take himself to the hospital to seek medical attention.

Shortly after 8:00 p.m. as many as 3 explosions rocked the warehouse sending large mushroom clouds of thick black smoke into the air. After the third explosion, heat could be felt more than 100 feet away. The fire started in the front, one story building then quickly spread to three others, but fire fighters managed to stop the flames from spreading onto the 3 story building all the way at the back.

According to a Buffalo Police officer, who wished not to be named, the fire began at about 7:00 p.m. [Eastern time], starting as a one alarm fire. By 8:00 p.m., three fire companies were on the scene battling the blaze. Police also say that a smaller fire was reported in the same building on Saturday night, which caused little damage.

At the start of the fire, traffic was backed up nearly 4 miles on the 198 expressway going west toward the 190 Interstate and police had to shut down the Tonawanda street exit because the road is too close to the fire.

At one point, traffic on the 198 was moving so slow, at least a dozen people were seen getting out of their cars and walking down the expressway to watch the fire. That prompted as many as 10 police cars to be dispatched to the scene to force individuals back into their cars and close off one of the 2 lanes on the westbound side.

One woman, who wished not to be named as she is close to the owner of the warehouse, said the building is filled with “classic cars, forklifts, and money” and that owner “does not have insurance” coverage on the property. The building is not considered abandoned, but firefighters said that it is vacant.

Officials in Fort Erie, Ontario were also swamped with calls to fire departments when the wind blew the smoke over the Niagra River and into Canada.

It is not known what caused the fire, but a car is suspected to have caught on fire and there are reports from police and hazmat crews, that there were also large barrels of diesel fuel being stored in one building. Firefighters say the cause of the blaze is being treated as “suspicious.” The ATF is investigating the fire and will bring dogs in to search the debris.

Wikinews Shorts: March 28, 2007

A compilation of brief news reports for Wednesday, March 28, 2007.

Contents

  • 1 US to seek less than 20 years for Hicks
  • 2 Global stock markets are lower
  • 3 Gunmen kill 50 overnight in Sunni district in Iraq
  • 4 UK releases GPS data in dispute with Iran
  • 5 First black airmen in US Airforce to be honored

The United States will reportedly seek a jail sentence of less than 20 years for Australian David Hicks. He pleaded guilty to providing material support for terrorism, but not an act of terrorism. Hicks may be sentenced by the end of the week. He could be returned to Australia to serve out his sentence, with credit for the years at Guantanamo Bay.

Related news

  • “Guantanamo detainee David Hicks pleads guilty to providing “material support”” — Wikinews, March 27, 2007
  • “US charges Australian David Hicks” — Wikinews, March 26, 2007

Sources

US stocks fell on Tuesday starting another round of global selling, as worries about the US housing market and weaker consumer confidence. Lennar Corp., one of the largest US home builders reported that profits fell 73%. Wednesday, Asia markets opened steady to higher, but fell as rising oil prices and the geopolitcal standoff between Britain and Iran made investors seek the safety of government bonds. European and North American markets are trading lower in the Wednesday trading session.

Sources

In an apparent reprisal for bombings in Shi’ite areas, gunmen went on a rampage in a Sunni in Tal Afar, Iraq, killing about 50 people. There have been reports that the gunmen included police.

Sources

The United Kingdom has made public GPS data that it says proves that the 15 navy personnel were well inside Iraqi waters when they were seized by Iran. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the dispute would be solved “based on rules and regulations” and that the female sailor would be released soon.

Related news

  • “UK prepared to go ‘into different phase’ if sailors and marines not released by Iran within days” — Wikinews, March 27, 2007
  • “British sailors detained by Iran “to be tried for espionage”” — Wikinews, March 25, 2007
  • “15 Royal Navy sailors captured at gunpoint by Iranian guards” — Wikinews, March 23, 2007

Sources

Surviving members of the 332d Air Expeditionary Group and 99th Pursuit Squadron, widely known as the Tuskegee Airmen, will be honored on Thursday by President Bush at a ceremony at the US Capitol. They will receive the Congressional Gold Medal for fighting both the Nazis abroad and racial segregation at home.

Sources

Student Credit Card Apply Online

Submitted by: Mario Churchill

Within this article today on student credit card apply online, we will look at a couple of different cards that will benefit show for those of you who are working towards your degree. Whenever you are looking at getting a credit card though, there are certain factors that you should way, no matter what type of card it is.

These factors are: interest rate, security, rewards, and any annual fees. The interest-rate is important because if you carry a balance every month you are going to be paying a certain amount of interest. This is often calculated by the number of days that the credit card cycle runs times the annual percentage rate. This can often be confusing so if you have a question about this, make sure to call and ask the credit card company before you apply for the credit card. Often if you are late this can cause you a late fee of somewhere between 30 and $40. Secondly, make sure that there is good security for the cards or some sort of fraud happens, you are not held liable and it is investigated immediately. There are many cards without annual fees and some of these have rewards so try and find something that will benefit you for using the card without you having to pay for it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIn7mD4C6aU[/youtube]

Here is a website that we would like you to use that caters towards students in offers credit cards for them:

creditcards.com/college-students.php

. There are many different choices of credit cards for you here so see which type of reward works best for you. You can receive cash back as well as zero percent for certain number of months on any purchases or balance transfers with many of these cards. One of the cool features that many these cards also offer is online account management, which can be very beneficial for you. You may not be home that often where you go talk to someone about the card and this will allow you to log on at any point to check out your card and balances. Students lives can be very hectic so allowing you to take care of your financial life at any point during the day is something that will be of great benefit to you.

Hopefully this article on student credit card applying online has helped you out. There are many different cards that can fit your needs but pick the one that is going to best fit everything that you wanted a credit card. Their many different cards out there so make sure to take your time in picking.

About the Author: Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written many articles on various subjects. For more information on

blue american express

or to get a

american express blue card

checkout his websites.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

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