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Saturday, February 11, 2006

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent emergency surgery at Hadassah Medical Center in Israel to treat intestinal damage revealed by a recent computed tomography, better known as a CT scan. The Chief Surgeon said, “Sharon is out of danger, for the moment. His condition is stable and the surgery was a success.” Sharon is currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital.

Yesterday doctors treating Sharon had noticed a swollen abdomen and ordered a CT scan on his torso and found the damage to his intestine. Later tests had shown that part of the large intestine had developed necrosis and needed to be immediately removed.

Hospital director Shlomo Mor-Yosef stated a press conference that there were “no complications” during surgery. “His (Sharon’s) key problem is lack of consciousness. There is no significant change in his condition. Doctors did not find any occluded artery and there were no blood vessels blocked. He is stable but in critical condition at this time and he is in no immediate danger at this moment.”

Yosef also said that Sharon’s sons and family had met earlier and decided to go forward with the surgery and treatment.

Doctors removed at least 50cm of Sharon’s large intestine.

Yosef also said that possible reasons as to why Sharon’s intestine was damaged were, “maybe infection or decline of blood supply to the intestine.” Yosef also said that the surgery was both a “routine procedure” and “not a dramatic” one. “Hospitals perform these operations sometimes two or three times a day,” he added.

Yael Bossem-Levy, a spokesman for Hadassah Medical Center said earlier that, “the prime minister’s life is in danger. His condition is now very serious, or critical. Sharon’s digestive tract has undergone severe deterioration while he’s been unconscious, and there appears to be a blockage in his blood circulation. The restricted blood flow raised the possibility of necrosis, or death of tissue, in the intestines.”

Levy also stated that Sharon’s condition has “deteriorated to its most critical point since his admission.”

The 77 year-old leader has been hospitalized since January 4th, after suffering a massive stroke which left him comatose. This is his seventh surgery since his hospitalization.

Sharon has been hospitalized for thirty-nine days, and has been on a feeding tube for two weeks.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Around 2500 tonnes of oil were spilled into the Strait of Singapore today after two ships collided.

The two ships involved in the collision were the oil tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 and the bulk ship MV Wally, which collided around thirteen kilometers south of Singapore. The tanker received an estimated ten meter gash on its left side, while the bulk ship sustained only minor damage. After the incident, both ships moved away from the spill and are now anchored.

The oil slick has moved north, and is now now encompassing an estimated four square kilometers around six kilometers south of Singapore. Emergency teams from both Singapore and Malaysia have been mobilized, and around twenty vessels are taking part in the clean-up operations. Both containment booms and chemical dispersants are being used to clean up the oil.

The spill is not expected to have any major effects on shipping; Victor Shum, an official from a consulting firm in Singapore, said that “[i]f it is contained within an oil retaining booms, it may not disrupt shipping traffic. There is no comparison. That one has really no limit at this stage.” Shum also expressed environmental concerns, saying that “certainly the concerns are there. Even if it is contained, it will take some time to clean up.”

No crew members from either of the ships involved were reported to be injured.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Former world champion boxer Anthony Mundine has beaten long-time rival Danny Green on a unanimous points decision in a non-title World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight bout. Mundine, an ex-rugby league star promoted the much-anticipated fight that attracted around 40,000 spectators and a national record for a pay-per-view television event.

“Who’s the man, who’s the man?” Mundine asked the crowd after the fight. Western Australia’s Danny Green (the “Machine”) was defeated after 12 rounds at the Sydney Football Stadium by “the Man” Mundine. Mundine has improved his overall record to 26 wins and three losses. His victory sets up a world title bout against Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler.

After the bout Mundine praised his opponent’s tenacity: “I just wanna’ thank Danny for a great fight… I was starting to get loose man, Danny was starting to put a lot of pressure on me, he’s got a good long jab, I had to evade that,” said Mundine. “I utilized my speed to catch him and it paid dividends. I was looking for the knockout, I caught him with a few great shots, [and] he can take a great punch. He put up a good performance. He come around, he come prepared – I was the better man tonight Dan, thank you very much. We can do it again maybe, soon.”

Green agreed that Mundine fought the better fight. “He just beat me fair and square. I have no excuses at all, I trained unbelievable, my preparation was great… Anthony was the better man tonight,” said Green.

The WBA fight consolidated six years of taunts and hyperbole to settle a long-running feud between the men and their supporters. According to media reports the battle was personal from the outset with Mundine’s mother Lyn yelling at her son from ringside to “Knock him out Choc, shut him up my baby”.

Sports media commentators reported that the pace remained hectic in the first four rounds as Mundine stood firm and used his jab as Green mixed his trademark “power punches.” As the fight wore on, Mundine appeared in greater control and in better condition. However, Mundine did end up on the canvas in the seventh round, after being pushed through the ropes by Green.

Throughout the fight, Green’s power punches “missed, missed and missed again”. In the final “ferocious” round, Mundine rocked Green with a combination to the head, taunting Green to “Come on.” Green attempted plenty of combinations, but Mundine’s speed caused problems. After 12 rounds, Judge Pinit Prayadsab from Thailand gave the fight to Mundine 118-11, South Korean Michael Lee scored it 116-113 and Australian Derek Milham had it 118-112.

Australian newspapers report that the appreciative crowd included corporate CEOs, former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, bikie gangs, peroxide blondes and rugby league players. Referee Terry O’Connor described the event as a fight Australia can be proud of. “They both gave their all, it was a great fight.” He described the atmosphere at Aussie Stadium as “fantastic” “It was the greatest fight I have refereed, it was brilliant,” O’Connor said.

The “Man v Machine” event fight, promoted by Mundine’s Boxa International and the “Green Machine” promoters is believed to have beeen the “biggest boxing match in Australian history”, grossing an estimated $20 million. Each boxer is reported to be earning a seven-figure sum, while spectators have paid up to A$1000 for a seat at the bout. Foxtel reported record sales for their exclusive pay-per-view event, claiming that subscriptions outsold the Lennox Lewis v Mike Tyson heavyweight bout. Heavy betting ensued with one punter laying a $500,000 bet on Mundine to take the honours.

Of his upcoming bout with Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler, Mundine said: “It was a close fight last time. I think he’s the best fighter out there, but I’ve shown I can match it with him. I’m ready.”

Friday, August 1, 2008

International tennis star Maria Sharapova will miss the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of a shoulder injury sustained during the WTA Rogers Open in Montreal, Canada.

Sharapova, 21, defeated Poland’s Marta Domachowska during the second round of the Open, but was in pain during the three-hour match.

“This is something that needs a lot of time to heal. It really hurts me to say I have to miss the Olympics,” she said on her official website, according to the BBC. “After Wednesday’s match I knew there was something seriously wrong with my shoulder.””There are so many mixed feelings because on Wednesday night they were almost positive there was something wrong with my nerve, which could have ultimately been much more serious,” Sharapova said, according to The Daily Telegraph. “But after Thursday morning’s tests, for the first time in a while, they were able to give me a different answer and a different problem. This is something that needs a lot of time to heal. It really hurts me to say I have to miss the Olympics.”

The Associated Press reports that Sharapova, three-time Grand Slam champion, has has two small tears in tendons in her shoulder, discovered through an MRI exam and other medical tests.

The tennis section of the Olympics will start on August 11 and run through to August 15. The U.S. Open tournament will start Aug. 25 and the Associated Press reports that Sharapova may also miss that tournament.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Sharapova joins former world No 1 and Athens Olympic silver medalist Amelie Mauresmo and fellow French star Mary Pierce on a list of tennis players not competing in the 2008 Olympics.

The Kommersant reported Friday that Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina will play for Russia in Beijing.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Friday, a song by US teen singer Rebecca Black, has gone viral after the song’s music video was uploaded onto video sharing website YouTube. The video has attracted over thirty-five million views since its February 10 upload — and critics think it could be the world’s worst.

Ark Music Factory produced the song and video, using US$2,000 (£1,223, C$1,964, €1,412) from Black’s mother. Friday’s video was shot at Black’s father’s house, with her family and friends as extras. The song beat an alternative track when choosing what to record.

The single is climbing up the iTunes singles chart in the United Kingdom and the United States, gaining a higher position in the US than Canadian singer Justin Bieber.

Despite the song’s popularity, it has received a largely negative reception. According to Newsbeat, critics have cited Friday as being “the worst song of all time.” On YouTube, the video attracted approximately thirty-six thousand ‘likes’ versus over 314,000 ‘dislikes’. The song itself has been ridiculed for its lyrics and criticised for its use of Auto-Tune.

Feeling “like [she was] being cyber-bullied,” Rebecca Black said “[w]hen I first saw all these nasty comments I thought this is all my fault, … this was all because of me.” Black says of “[t]hose hurtful comments”, the worst was “I hope you cut yourself and I hope you get an eating disorder so you look pretty. I hope you cut and die.” Clarence Jey, of Ark Music Factory, offered to take the video off YouTube, but Black declined.

In contrast, British music executive Simon Cowell has expressed a positive interest in Rebecca Black. “I love her and the fact she’s gotten so much publicity,” Cowell commented. “People are so upset about the song, but I think it’s hysterical. I want to meet her. Anyone who can create this much controversy within a week, I want to meet. I love people like that.”

Rebecca Black herself wants to record a duet with Justin Bieber. “I have Bieber fever — I am in love with Justin Bieber,” Black commented. The teenager said it “would be unbelievable and make my life”.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

A dead body was left in a ward in Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland for seven hours before it was removed.

Christine Martin, who saw the body, said that although there were curtains around the body, they “were open sufficiently for me to see this man, whom we had got to know over a period of 10 days, lying dead, face uncovered.”

Officials from the hospital have apologized for having allowed the incident to occur. The son of the dead man said that the hospital acted with “utter compassion” when permitting his request to see his father’s dead body in the ward.

National Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde said in a statement that, “we have acknowledged to the Martins that, beyond this, there was some delay in the transfer of the patient to the mortuary and steps have already been taken to ensure that this does not happen again.”

The Royal College of Nursing also released a statement on this incident. “The normal practice if someone has died in a four-bedded ward is to access a single room where the deceased could be viewed by the family and the family can have some time with the relative, and for that to be done in as dignified manner as possible,” said Lynn McDowall, a professional officer for the organization. “This case highlights the campaign we’re running and highlights the kind of problems nurses come across, because no nurse would want a deceased patient lying on a ward for seven hours.”

Thursday, March 18, 2021

On Monday, Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned the United States and South Korea as a reaction to the joint military drills conducted by the US and South Korea.

In a statement released by the Rodong Sinmun, Kim Yo Jong said: “The peaceful spring days of three years ago are unlikely to return”. Arirang News asserted the “peaceful spring” refers to the inter-Korean meetings held in April 2018.

In her statement, Kim described ‘the south Korean authorities’ as “all born with stupidity” and “become the dumb and deaf bereft of judgment”. In response to the drills — which the North Korean government reportedly perceived as a threat — Kim expressed the possibility of closing various inter-Korean organizations like the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country and the Kumgangsan International Tourism Bureau. “We also examine the issue of dissolving the Kumgangsan International Tourism Bureau and other organizations concerned as any cooperation and exchange with the south Korean authorities antagonizing us are no longer necessary”, Kim said.

Towards the end of the statement, Kim said, “If it [the United States] wants to sleep in peace for coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step.”

Speaking to Arirang News, Yang Moo-Jin, the vice president for public affairs at the University of North Korean Studies, said the message indicates “the regime is willing to talk […] as long as the South [Korean authorities] show some sincerity by not raising tensions through the joint drills”. Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean studies at the Kyungnam University, said the North “is reaffirming its long-held stance that there will be no talks unless sanctions against the regime are lifted”. In an interview with Arirang News, Andrei Lankov, the director of the Korea Risk Group, said the message is nothing out of the ordinary, and similar messages have been coming each spring and the contents of this message are not to be overestimated. He qualified the statement as being “business as usual” and “by the North Korean standards it’s pretty tame”.