entry 12 November 1st

Five people removed from Toronto-bound flight in Venezuela: Air Canada

Air Canada is confirming that five people were removed from a Toronto-bound flight in Venezuela on Friday due to “immigration issues.”

A flight in Caracas was preparing for takeoff when authorities removed the five people from the airplane. They removed four Iranians and an Afghan. After they removed them from the plain they discovered that they did not have visas or airplane tickets.

Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick confirmed in an email to CTV News that flight AC075 was delayed in Caracas for approximately five hours on Friday due to “immigration issues.”

Charges linked to the illegal trafficking of foreigners will be laid against four people.

Air Canada says it employs a third-party company to provide airport services in Caracas.

I don’t know why those 5 people were on the airplane there could be several reasons why. They could have had no money and tried to sneak there way by. They could have tried to bomb the airplane. No one knows why they did that and how they got across the security the investigations are ongoing and hopefully they can figure out the reason why these people were on the airplane and if it is a bad reason hopefully they get a punishment to teach them a lesson.

Entry 11 Tuesday October 22

Canada faces 'crisis' over aboriginals issues, Anaya tells the UN


Aboriginal issues are still growing concern in Canada and is facing a major crisis even though there have been years of efforts to overcome tensions and distrust in addressing the social issues and problems amongst Canadians and the aboriginals. A protest against shale gas exploration in eastern New Brunswick  was opposed by the First Nations, demonstration against seismic testing by the energy company SWN resources. Six police vehicles were set on fire and 40 people were arrested.

The chief of First Nations group, Elsipogtog, Aaron Sock, criticized the police for their actions and vowed to keep up the fight against the shale gas exploration. The RCMP defended its actions, saying it had worked hard to try to resolve the situation peacefully before moving in.

I feel that the First Nations people have always been fighting a battle with the Canadian government going back decades over land and rights. Companies and government regulations have always created issues amongst the aboriginals and the land that they occupy. It is horrible  when people try to solve issues and turns to violence and innocent people get hurt.

entry 10 Thursday, October 17/13

Hawaii surfer escapes shark attack by throwing punches

 

A 25-year-old Hawaii surfer says he's lucky to be alive after surviving a close encounter with a shark off Kauai. Jeff Horton was surfing Sunday morning with many others when he spotted a dark shadow move toward him. He told Fox News after the attack. While he was surfing for about 3 hours he was looking for a big wave to surf on, while he was looking down he thought he saw a sting ray. He kicked it many times and got on his board ready to surf away while he was knocked off by a shark. While he flew off the board he landed on the shark grabbed the sharks fin and started punching. He got on top of the shark and started punching its head, he punched his mouth a couple of times and got it in the eye once. He knew he was going to die unless he put up his best fight. When Jeff punched the shark in the eye the shark spit out Jeff’s board and started to go after Jeff. Jeff chased his board got on it and started surfing to shore with another surfer panicking swimming for his life. While he was swimming he saw the sharks shadow following him underwater. The shark strangely was not attacking, thankfully Jeff survived and put the board up in his room because it was a really cool experience because the shark’s teeth imprinted on the board.

My opinion is that sharks are really dangerous creatures. Surfers are taking the risk of getting hurt because they know how many dangerous creatures are out in the ocean. I am not saying he deserved it but it was his fault that he was going to deep. Their should be a limit to were you go, be safe and don’t go out to far because the shark will think that you are a threat and attack. Jeff is lucky the shark did not attack again when he could have.

 

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entry 9 Tuesday October 15

Bull gores German cyclist to death in Southern France


The couple were passing a farm near Mejane when fighting broke out among several bulls inside an enclosure and one of the animals broke out. The couple had been holidaying in the nearby village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, they were cycling by a farm when they spotted animals fighting near a fence and the fight caused the fence to knock over. An animal realized an opening, a chance to escape and ran out of it as fast as he could. As the bull ran out, it saw two cyclists riding by the farm, a man and a women. As the couple were riding by, they saw one of the many bulls run out of the fence and coming toward them. I would assume they were trying to pedal away as fast as they could but unfortunately, the bull caught them and attacked. The bull went for the wife first and the husband second. The bull injured the wife and killed the husband. The wife was very injured and had open wounds. They said that she will survive and the injuries will heal. The husband was 54 years old and could not fight or do anything against the bull because he was an older man. The bull gored him around 20 times until there was no more. 

I believe that some animals these days are very dangerous and they will attack whoever they see unless they recognize the person such as a family member perhaps. If someone owns a farm or wild animals such as bulls, they should keep them locked away so people won't be scared to go up t the animal or pass by them. The farmer should have spent some money and should have bought a better fence so the animal could not have escaped from the space inside the fence. There is no reason why innocent people should have died for such a senseless reason.  Wild animals or untamed animals should be in cities or small towns, they should be on herding farmland.  

entry 8 Monday October 14

Fire destroys New Brunswick food bank  





Police and New Brunswick’s fire marshal are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a food bank building in Petitcodia, N.B., on Sunday night.
Murray Bunnett, president of the Support People of Today food bank lost about 12 to 15,000 dollars worth of food, the building also had a clothing depot.
The fire started at 7.30 pm and could been seen by people from kilometers away, it was a very big fire.When they called the fire crew  they asked them to come because there was a big fire. They responded to the call very quickly and tried to be their as soon as they could. Fire spreads really fast and unfortunately, by the time the fire crew got to the food bank it was too late to save the building. The whole building was on fire, it was a total lost.
The food bank just moved to that location a week ago and a fire already occurred. This has been a business that has been going on for 25 years. The food bank is a very important business because it helps so many people that can't afford it and it provides food for people to live for the month until they can afford food. They hope to see the food bank up and running again in a new capacity by Wednesday.

I think that it is very sad that the food bank caught on fire because it helps so many people in the world and is a growing business. To see it catch on fire and know that the building can't be saved means that poor innocent people don't get food for how ever long it takes for the bank to get back up and running. The food bank helps so many people, it is one of those companies that need to be around in today's' time. If I was in that situation I would try my hardest to get it back up and running as soon as possible because every day that there is no food bank is a day where people starve. People who are in need of food and shelter and the necessities of life are dependent on places like the food bank for survival until they are able to get back on their feet and are able to work to afford these necessities on their own.  Thankfully there are many people who donate to food banks in their local area to support the less fortunate people.

Entry 7 October 6th 2013

Police take to the streets in search of leads in probe on severed cat heads

York region police that wee are searching for clues after they found remains of six cats that were dismembered in the Stouffville area during the last two months. One of the first discoveries where found in August when a cats head and two legs were found near a daycare center. The police are still unsure the reason behind these killings but feel that they were done intentionally. Police are warning people in the area to keep their pets indoors. The investigation is still ongoing and police urge people to call in with any information found that could be helpful to the case.

I believe that people should not show harm to innocent people and animals. It is inhuman to hurt small animals that are helpless in this world. If one chooses to have an animal as a pet they should provide a happy home with food, shelter and all the necessities of life. I have a small puppy and I would hate to see it suffer or die. Animal cruelty carries large fines and even criminal charges that could end up in jail.

Entry 6 October 2

73 rescued from Mexican house

 The trek for those traveling through northern Mexico remains dangerous: police rescued 73 people who were being held hostage in the border city of Reynosa. The victims had been kidnapped from buses or bus terminals, and It is likely, though police did not say, that a majority of the victims were migrants on their way north to the United States.  The police approached the house "from where they could hear cries for help, and inside the house, police found 73 hostages: 37 Mexicans, 19 Hondurans, 14 Guatemalans, and three Salvadorans.The victims told police that some had been held between four days and four months. The alleged kidnappers made phone calls to the victims' families, demanding ransom payments in exchange for their release. Some of the people rescued said they were assaulted or raped.Police arrested the two men in the car who arrived at the house, and a third man who they alleged worked as a lookout.  Authorities have discovered at least three mass kidnapping operations in and around Reynosa this year. In July, Mexican authorities rescued 81 migrants they said were held captive in Reynosa. In June, authorities said that in a small town nearby they rescued 165 migrants who were kidnapped as they tried to cross into the United States.They showed symptoms of asphyxiation and serious lesions on their hands and feet when they were rescued.

I believe that the police in Mexico should be more strict and that they should hire more police officers to stay watch in Mexico. Their has been a lot of kidnapping near Reynosa and police just go when they hear about it and there should be a watch patrol that takes shifts of police officers investigating the streets and keeping everybody safe. There seems to be a lot of human kidnapping and asking for ransom for their release and safety.  As the drug world in Mexico keeps rising so does kidnapping of people and human trafficking is at a high rate in poor countries.  

Entry 5 September 31

8 dead, 14 hurt in Tennessee Interstate 40 wreck

Eight people died when a bus carrying church members home blew a front tire, crossed the grassy median of Interstate 40 in eastern Tennessee, clipped an SUV and collided with a tractor-trailer before overturning, officials said Wednesday. Six people on the eastbound bus were killed, along with one of three occupants of the SUV and the tractor-trailer driver. There were 18 people on the bus from Statesville, North Carolina which were a group of senior adults who attend Front Street Baptist Church. The wreck occurred about 2 p.m. in Jefferson County, about 40 miles east of Knoxville, between Interstate 40 near the split with Interstate 81. After the bus went out of control, it struck the westbound Chevrolet Tahoe and the tractor-trailer which then caught on fire.  It was a horrific crash that ended the lives of many people. 

My opinions on this shocking article are that I feel really bad for the people on that bus because the driver was really careless. I also feel sorry for the drivers in the SUV and the tractor trailer because they got clipped by a huge bus because of a careless mistake. I also feel this could have been easily avoided by just keeping your eyes on the road. I also feel bad for the people on the bus because they did nothing wrong to lose their life.

Entry 4 September 25th

Kenya troops clash with hostage-takers at Nairobi mall ; officials say 2 militants killed 

Kenyan troops were in the final stages Monday night of securing the Nairobi shopping mall seized by al Qaeda-linked militants, two days after gunmen seized the mall, taking a number of hostages and leaving at least 62 dead. Security forces said most of the hostages had been released by Monday night.Officials estimate between 10 and 15 gunmen carried out the attack, including at least one who was dressed as a woman. Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs is also suggesting that a 24-year-old from Ontario is among the gunmen.Three of the gunmen who stormed the mall were killed by Kenyan security forces, and officials said more than 10 suspects were arrested. 

The attack was in retribution for a 2011 military operation during which Kenyan soldiers moved in Somali territory and their primary focus is to overthrow Somali's western-back government. The al-Shabaab organization responsible is an African rebel group, that brings the tradition of brutality and harming innocent people, or ruling through terror.

I feel this type of senseless killings is a horrible act that any group or organization could commit. They brainwash young people to give up their lives on these suicide missions to prove a point of power but killing innocent people and injuring many others.  These organizations are against government and they rule on a tradition of brutal acts and terrorize the public. These groups are large in size and are like a cult.  Thankfully the Kenyan soldiers were able to seize the militants in the mall and that more people were not killed and that all the hostages were released by Monday night.

Entry 2 September 19

Honda Minivans, SUV's recalled over possible faulty airbag

Honda, the Japanese automaker is recalling over 400,000 Honda minivans and SUVs that have been sold in North America.  The minivans and SUVs are having problems with the airbag units that can deploy when there has been no vehicle crash.  The auto industry as a whole has experienced similar problems regarding airbags deploying by other vehicle manufacturers and has forced similar recalls of their vehicles over the last year.  The models that have been affected were sold during the 2003-2004 model years, Honda Odyssey and the Acura SUVs. 

Honda plans to notify owners in the weeks to come and it promises to correct the problem by installing an electrical noise filter in the Supplemental Restraint System to block interference and the repairs will be made free of change to the owners.

I believe the auto industry should spend more time making sure each model they manufacture has gone through a series of tests to prevent issues that malfunction.  Thousands of cars and trucks are sold every year and people safety is important and these vehicles are very expensive to own and maintain.  People’s lives are at stake and the auto industry has to be extra careful to make sure they produce a product that is safe and reliable on the road.

Entry 2 Monday September 16th

Gunman in Navy Yard had mental problems, heard voices: officials

Monday, September 16^th, 2013, a former Navy reservist used a valid pass to enter into a highly secured Washington Navy Yard and started firing that killed 12 people and was later killed in a gun battle with police.  A motive for the shooting has not been determined.

Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old information technology employee had been suffering from mental illness, which included paranoia, sleep disorder and had been hearing voices in his head according to officials.  After the shooting rampage, more information about Alexis had surfaced.  Alexis was a black man growing up in New York City who complained about the Navy and being a victim of discrimination.  He had run-ins with the law in Texas and Seattle over other shootings. 

I personally believe that guns are too easily accessible in the US and there should be tougher gun control laws and then these massacre killings would not happen and innocent people would not have to die.  This is a similar example of the killing of 18 children at the Sandy Hook Public School in Conneticut last year.  All government agencies should also have better background checks of the people they are looking to hire, especially where there is high security areas and government information.  There are many people who suffer from mental illness but there should be better awareness and those who suffer should be able to get some help and treatment for it.

Jonathan Filipopoulos

Entry 1/ September 11/13

Syria crisis: Barack Obama puts military strike on hold

Wednesday, September 11th, 2013

BBC News

US President Barack Obama  has put a hold on his military action against the Syrian government and has promised to continue his diplomacy approach to remove the chemical weapons in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad has now admitted  that they have chemical weapons and beginning to agree to abide the Ruissan plan to hand over and have the chemical weapons destroyed by the United Nations. The US has threatened strikes after a gas attack that killed hundreds of people last month. President Obama has ordered the military to keep their current position and keep the presure on Assad and to be in a position to attack if diplomacy fails. There have been debates at the UN with countries such as the UK, the US, and France discussing the time frame and the consequences if Syria does not agree to the resolutions expected.

I agree with President Obama that if they have discussions about the chemical weapons that they can come to an agreement. If Syria does not give up their chemical weapons I believe that the US should side with the UK, France and Russia to send the  military to become one and fight against the Syrian government to order to gain access of the chemical weapons and destroy them. We live in a world that should have peace and no harm done to one another and there should not be room for fighting against dumb things that innocent people should die over. If the the Syrian government does not give up their chemical weapons I believe that we should fight against them to destroy them.