Thursday, July 15, 2010

A trustee of the estate of the late author Adrian Jacobs filed a lawsuit against the US publisher of the Harry Potter series, Scholastic Inc, on Tuesday. He claimed that J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, had copied scenes from Jacob’s novel, The Adventures of Willy the Wizard, to the fourth novel of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The suit followed a similar case last year, in which the trustee sued the UK publisher of the series, Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Both of these cases are currently pending.

The complaint stated that in both books, the protagonists “are required to deduce the exact nature of the central task in the competition”, and had done so in a bathroom. Both books also involved “rescuing hostages imprisoned by a community of half-human, half-animal creatures.” The suit also claimed that Christopher Little, a literary agent of Rowling, was originally the literary agent of Jacobs. The claim was denied by Scholastic.

Scholastic called the claim “completely without merit”. They pointed out that Rowling had said in February that she had never read Jacobs’ book. The trustee said that the US was the world’s largest foreign market, so they brought their first overseas action there. He demanded that all copies of the Harry Potter novel be destroyed, and all the profit made by the book given to him.

Friday, August 12, 2011

On Monday, Judge Rodion Kireyev declined the second request to release Yulia V. Tymoshenko, who was jailed last Friday for contempt of court. Tymoshenko faces trial in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, facing charges of abuse of office and exceeding her power as Prime Minister.

Prosecutors charged Tymoshenko in May 2011 for overstepping her powers by signing a gas deal with Russia in January 2009. Investigators believed the gas price agreement was too high and caused the Ukrainian economy to lose at least US$182 million. As a result of these initial charges she was placed under travel restrictions.

As the trial began, Tymoshenko was accused of repeatedly violating court rules and proceedings. The judge ordered her arrest for contempt after she reportedly refused to stand up whilst addressing the judge. The prosecution accused Tymoshenko of mocking witnesses openly questioning Judge Rodion Kireyev’s objectivity. Tymoshenko denies these charges and believing the trial is merely political. Tymoshenko’s lawyer Sergei Vlasenko describes her detention as “unprecedented and illegal.”

Many have appealed for her release, including her lawyers, 200 prominent Ukrainians who signed a petition, leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Patriarch Filaret, and Foreign Minister Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk. Both Tymoshenko and her supporters believe this trial is politically motivated with ties to President Viktor Yanukovych, suspected of attempting to bar her from future elections. The trial has attracted the attention of both the US and EU, who have criticised the charges, saying selective prosecution of political opponents is evident. However, the Ukrainian government denies any involvement.

Outside the court, protestors have been occupying Kiev’s main streets, setting up tents and waiving the white and red flags of Tymoshenko’s political party. The support for her release is overwhelming, despite a ban on rallies passed by city court. Protestors are being watched closely by dozens of Berkut anti-riot police. If sentenced, Tymoshenko may face up to ten years in prison. The trial is expected to continue next Monday.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Torbjorn Zetterlund is running for the Green Party of Ontario in the Ontario provincial election, in the Willowdale riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

Friday, March 20, 2009

In the United States, a suspended Pennsylvania state trooper has been convicted of first-degree murder for killing his girlfriend’s estranged husband.

Kevin Foley, 43, faces a mandatory life sentence without parole for slashing to death John Yelenic, a Blairsville dentist who was in the final stages of divorcing his wife, Michele. Foley’s attorney said he plans to appeal the decision. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.

Foley previously said he “loathed Dr. Yelenic” and asked another fellow trooper to help kill him. During his testimony, which lasted several hours, Foley claimed he was joking and had no true intention of carrying out the threat, but the Indiana County jury rejected that defense after about six hours of deliberations.

John Yelenic was found dead in his home on April 13, 2006, one day before he was planning on signing his divorce papers. Charges were brought against Foley in September 2007, more than 17 months after the murder.

Foley, who had been on suspension from the Pennsylvania State Police, was himself the final witness to take the stand Wednesday in the trial. Foley insisted he was innocent during his testimony, and even made jokes that the jury laughed at on a few occasions.

“I never made a threat with the intention of carrying it out,” Foley said under cross-examination by the prosecution.

When Senior Deputy Attorney General Anthony Krastek pressed Foley for what was funny about asking another state trooper to help him kill Yelenic, Foley answered, “There isn’t any joke. It’s just my personality, my behavior (with co-workers).”

Prosecutors said Foley killed Yelenic after going to the dentist’s house to confront him over the terms of the divorce. Prosecutors claim Foley slashed Yelenic several times with a knife and pushed his head through a small window. Yelenic bled to death.

“John has his justice tonight,” Mary Ann Clark, a cousin of Yelenic, told MSNBC. “John deserved this; he was the most wonderful person in the world. He died the most horrible death and tonight, this is his night. The system worked.”

Foley had been living with Michele Yelenic for two years at the time of the homicide. Prosecutors previously said Foley and Michele helped perpetuate rumors that Dr. Yelenic molested their son. John and Michele Yelenic had been separated in 2002. Michele Yelenic stood to collect Dr. Yelenic’s estate and a US$1 million life insurance policy, and could lose about $2,500 a month in support if the divorce was finalized, a Pennsylvania grand jury previously determined.

Michele Yelenic, who has not appeared at the trial, may face legal action herself, media reports indicated. A sentencing hearing for Foley is scheduled for June 1.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

The following is the ninth in a monthly series chronicling the U.S. 2012 presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after a brief mention of some of the month’s biggest stories.

In this month’s edition on the campaign trail: the rules of third party candidate polling are examined, a third party activist causes four other parties to lose their place on the Illinois presidential ballot, and the new vice presidential nominee of the Justice Party speaks with Wikinews.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

The contaminated pet food that was recalled after it was found to contain a harmful industrial chemical called melamine, has been used as pig feed at a hog farm in Ceres, California, located in the United States.

At least seven urine samples taken from pigs at the American Hog Farm, were tested and the results came back positive for the chemical melamine. At least three samples from the feed used to feed the pigs were tested and those results also came back positive for melamine.

Reports say that at least 100 pigs from the farm were slaughtered and sold from the “custom slaughterhouse” that is operated on the farms site. The meat is then sold to different places as “individual orders” and is not sold commercially for supermarkets. The affected meat goes as far back as April 3 and the company is asking anyone who bought it to return the product or throw it out.

Despite the sale, California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer says that no evidence has turned up to suggest that the meat that was sold entered the human consumption chain.

“There is no evidence that any products from this farm have entered the food supply. The risk to people right now is minimal,” said Breitmeyer who also said that pet food from bags or boxes that have been torn or ripped, is sometimes reused as feed for small farms.

California’s Department of Food and Agriculture investigated the company and found that it had received the contaminated pet food from Diamond Pet Foods, which supplies retailers with the pet food Natural Balance, one of the over 100 recalled brands of pet food. Authorities then quarantined the farm to further investigate the situation.

At least 1,500 pigs are on the farm.

As of the moment, no other farms are being investigated, but officials say that other farms may also be affected.

“In the course of our investigation, we may find similar situations in other parts of the country,” said head of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Sundlof.

The FDA is continuing to investigate and Sundlof says that there is a possibility that the contamination of the pet food may be intentional.

“It would certainly lend credibility to the theory that it may be intentional. That will be one of the theories we will pursue when we get into the plants in China,” said Sundlof.

Last month, Menu Foods was the first to recall all of its 60 million products of dry and wet dog and cat food after pets began to fall ill and in some cases died of kidney failure. The FDA found melamine in samples of Menu Foods pet food and in samples of wheat gluten, imported from China, which was used as an ingredient.

Monday, February 4, 2008

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints named Thomas Spencer Monson their 16th president at a press conference on Monday after being ordained the day before.

Monson, at 80 years old, succeeds Gordon B. Hinckley, who died January 27 and was buried on Saturday.

“Hinckley’s passing has affected all of us,” Monson said at the press conference held at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. “We shall miss him, yet he has left us with a wonderful legacy.”

Monson says he intends to continue Hinckley’s legacy, and that he expects “no abrupt changes from the courses [the church] [has] been pursuing.”

Monson named Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf the First and Second Counselors, respectively, of the First Presidency, which is the highest governing body of the church.

“I learned quickly in the church that we’re not representing a nation or country or ethnic group,” said Uchtdorf, a native German. “We are … representing the Church of Jesus Christ.”

The LDS church follows a pattern of succession in choosing a new president. When the president dies, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is handed the position. Boyd K. Packer will now serve as President of the Quorum, after years of serving as the Quorum’s acting president.

Monson simultaneously served as both First Counselor and President of the Quorum under Hinckney’s administration due to his seniority. He also served as Second Counselor under the previous two presidents of the church. He was first called to be an apostle in 1963 at the age of 36.