Volunteers and food needed for flooded Manitoba, Canada

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Local municipal and provincial volunteers in Manitoba, Canada are exhausted in their efforts to divert the rising waters of the Red River of the North.

It has been hard work with little sleep for the residents who live on the shores of the Red River to shore up their defences with sandbags, build dikes, clear frozen culverts and break ice jams

Volunteers to spell relief for local volunteers and food are desperately needed.

“It’s a week now we’ve been doing this … you’re talking four, five, six public works guys. In my one community we’ve got 25 volunteer firefighters and those guys have been going 24/7, so of course it’s wearing them down.” said Paul Guyader, Manitoba’s emergency measures coordinator.

“We’re dealing with one of the biggest floods the province has ever seen,” said Steve Strang, mayor of St. Clements, Manitoba “We’ve put out hundreds of thousands of bags already. The municipalities are working very well, we’re working with the provincial government, we’ve brought in every possible resource we could to address this issue. The volunteerism within the community has been phenomenal.”

The Portage Diversion has taken some spring waters from the Assiniboine River and diverted the flow to Lake Manitoba.

Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation has been totally evacuated, as well as many homes near the Canada – United States border.

The cold weather is freezing the ice jams into place. Guyader has had 2 Amphibex Excavators operating on the river breaking up ice.

The Red River is right now 16.7 feet (5 metres) above spring ice conditions. The Red River Floodway gates cannot be opened with the current ice jams.

“If we operate now, we can get ice jamming going into the floodway, jamming up against the St. Mary’s bridge, as such, the floodway capacity would be reduced and would cause higher water levels in the city of Winnipeg.” said Steve Topping, Manitoba Water Stewardship spokesman

The floodway was constructed in 1968 following the 1950 flood to divert the overflow spring flooding waters of the Red River. The floodway has been widened the since the 1997 “flood of the century” and the expansion is expected to be completed this spring. As well Manitoba built permanent dikes around communities within the flood plain since the last two major floods..

The Red River waters will crest between the beginning of April to mid April, at which time also the weather should be warming up. Communities are bracing for higher water levels, more ice jams as well as melting snow in the warmer spring temperatures.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Volunteers_and_food_needed_for_flooded_Manitoba,_Canada&oldid=801654”

Gst Input Tax Credit}

GST Input Tax Credit

by

Procedure and Information of Trust RegistrationAs per the update given by the Government the GST will likely to take effect from 1st July, 2017, the successfull implementation of GST will be a game changer in Indian Economy. We are going to look into some points regarding the input credit under GST;A registered taxable assessee under GST can avail and claim the input credit paid by him on inward supplies recieved or to be recieved by him in the course of business if he satisfies the following conditions;

– He must have a tax invoice or debit note

– He must have received goods or services- The input tax must have been paid to the Government- He must have furnished the return

The Government has fixed limits for claiming the input tax credit for taxable persons carrying on the business of telecommunication towers and pipelines which needs to be fixed to earth, the input credit in these cases shall not exceed;

1. One third of the total input tax in the relevant financial year in which the goods are received2. In the second year – two third of the total input tax inclusive of credit availed in the first year3. Balance in the subsequent financial year

In case, the goods are recieved in installments or parts, (against single invoice) the credit will be available when the last installment or part is received.

Where a service recipient fails to pay the amount due on invoice inclusive of the tax payable thereon within a period of three months from the date of invoice, he shall be liable to pay the amount of input tax as his output liability with interest.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQggmxLxDF0[/youtube]

Where the capital goods are purchased, the taxable person can either clai input tax credit or depreciation for the tax paid. Both benefits will not be available.

The tax payer need to avail the credit of the input tax paid till September months return filing of the next year or annual return filing whichever is earlir, otherwise the credit shall lapse.

Division of Input Tax Credit

Where a taxable person uses the goods or services partly for the business purpose and partly for non taxable business or for personal use, he shall be allowed to claim the input credit in such ration in which the goods are use for the purpose of taxable business.

A banking company shall have the option to either comply with the above mentioned provisions or to avail 50% of the eligible input tax credit every month. The option once selected will remain the same for rest of the year.

Negative list of Input Tax Credit- Input Tax Credit Shall not be available in respect of;-

1. Motor Vehicles and other Conveyances except when they are used for the following purposes;

a) For making taxable supplies namely;

– Futher Supply- Transporatation of Passengers- Drivers training, flying, navigatingb) For goods transportation

2. Supply of following goods or services

a) Food and beverages and outdoor catering etc.

b) Club membership, health and fitness centrec) Rent a cab, life insurance and health insuranced) Travel benefits given to employees on vacation

3. Work Contract Services when the supply of goods will be made for the purpose of construction of immovable property other than plant and machinery (except where it is an input service for further supply of work contract)

4. When a taxable person receives goods or services on his own account for the construction of immovable property other than plant and machinery, even if it used for expansion of business.

Conclusion : At the end we can conclude that after the implementation of the GST in India, the indirect taxation regime will be much simplier than the present different types of taxes.

CA Pooja Madhan has over 5 years of experience in the field of Taxation, Accounting, Auditing, Company Law Consultancy, VAT & Sales Tax, Service Tax, International Taxation and Transfer Pricing. IF you interested to register your private firm then contact to CA Sanchar for

GST Registration in Delhi

. If you any doubt related to your GST Registration, please contact us at casanchar.com

Article Source:

eArticlesOnline.com}

Romanian government to strengthen laws against tax evasion

Monday, April 11, 2005

The Romanian government has drafted legislation pertaining to tax evasion that makes it a criminal offence on the same level as crimes against individuals. Developed with the aid of Romania’s business community, the new law is expected to reduce corruption and tax evasion. According to the new law, the maximum jail term for tax evasion will be boosted up to 20 years. This sentence, however, will only be passed in circumstances of large-scale fraud. For evasion of up to the equivalent of 10,000 euro, the punishment will be either a fine or up to 2 years in prison. For tax fraud of up to 500,000 euro, the term will be extended to 2-8 years in prison. It is only for those whose tax evasion exceeds 1 million euro that the jail term will range between 10 and 20 years.

In the same package of legislation, the government approved several changes to banckruptcy law, which makes it easier for businesses to file for bankruptcy. The new laws are expected to make Romania’s business environment cleaner, resulting in more foreign investment, less corruption and more revenue for the government.

At the start of the year, the Romanian government introduced a new flat tax system for Romania, in which the tax rate is 19% for both personal income and corporate profit. This has led Romania to have one of the most liberal tax policies in Europe. The lower rate of tax has already reduced fiscal evasion to a significant extent because more people and businesses are encouraged to pay the tax. However, in order to further reduce the grey economy in Romania, advisers said at the start of the year that the government must also back this up with tougher legislation against tax evasion. Previously, Romania’s tax evasion laws were fairly lax, leading to quite a significant extent of tax fraud. Now, with the new, highly-publicised tax evasion laws, it is expected that the risk of getting prosecuted for not paying an already-low tax rate will force many businesses out of the black market into the legal economy.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Romanian_government_to_strengthen_laws_against_tax_evasion&oldid=4455704”

Ft. Wayne, Indiana burn center treats Afghan child

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Doctors at the regional burn center at St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana are treating a patient flown in from war-torn Afghanistan.

U.S. Army’s 113th Battalion, which is made up of Indiana National Guardsman, discovered five-year-old Zia after a propane explosion in suburban Kabul earlier this year destroyed homes and killed six of the boy’s family members.

The blast left Zia with third degree burns on his arms, torso and legs. Guardsmen, familiar with the Fort Wayne burn center, worked with non-profit group, Northeast Indiana Burn Council to raised $18,500 to fly Zia, accompanied by his father Abdul Qahir, to Fort Wayne for treatment.

Upon arrival, he was rushed to the St. Joseph burn unit, where after a few days of recovery fromtravel, underwent his first surgery June 23. The second and final surgery was postponed ninedays from an original date of July 2 because the boy developed an infection in one of his wounds,which is common for burn patients.

The second surgery grafted skin onto burn wounds on Zia’s arm, chest and the second toe on hisright foot. Tuesday, doctors said Zia was recovering and appeared to be in good spirits. Inpreparation for their planned return trip to Afghanistan in September, doctors are teaching Zia’sfather physical therapy techniques needed for further recovery. “Without good therapy, he couldbe right back where we started,” Dr. John Mancoll, the lead surgeon on the case, said in aninterview with the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette newspaper.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Ft._Wayne,_Indiana_burn_center_treats_Afghan_child&oldid=2825820”

Tips To Find The Perfect Air Conditioning Service

Tips to Find the Perfect Air Conditioning Service

by

Soni

Typically, the honeymoon period of your newly purchased air conditioning unit lasts about 15 months. Honeymoon period meaning everything running smoothly, your air conditioning unit performing at its peak efficiency, and all the parts and components of your air conditioning unit performing to the peak efficiency. When this gets over, things start getting very messy. This is where proper servicing and maintenance comes in. When it comes to air conditioning units, maintenance and service are what make or break the efficiency of your unit. Proper maintenance can cause your air conditioning to perform at its peak while improper air conditioning can cause poor performance that shoots your energy and power consumption through the roof and causes your air conditioning unit to break down in a couple of years. Since air conditioners are the very necessity of our lives, and since neither homes nor offices can do without them even for a short while, it is essential to make sure your air conditioning unit receives the best possible maintenance. Here are some tips to help you choose this best service for your air conditioner.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ18UWWpPo8[/youtube]

1) Reputation. Reputation is one thing that gives you a sure idea about the reliability of the brand. A good brand will have a reputation that is synonymous with the name. They will be known for their quality, regularity in keeping up their maintenance schedules and also the time with which they get back to you after the service. 2) The Skills. Every good service company must have sufficient number of skilled laborers to keep up their work for them. The better the quality of the servicemen, the better the quality of the service of the company. Go through the service record of the servicemen before you agree to let them see your air conditioning unit and lay their hands on it. 3) Surveys. Survey your area for a good servicing company. This helps you make a list of the companies that you find good. Now do not be afraid to strike out a company that does not match up to your expectations because when you do find a company that suits you best, it will be worth your effort. Make sure the company\’s charges are within your budget limit and there are no extra or hidden charges around there. This greatly helps you plan your servicing and maintenance schedule.

The author is

Lakeland Heating & Air Conditioniong

as we are experts in

AC Contractors Lake Elmo

and

AC Maintenance Lake Elmo

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

Report finds teen substance abuse is top public health problem in US

Thursday, June 30, 2011

A report issued Wednesday by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University finds the top public health problem in the United States is teen drug abuse, including the use of alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, marijuana and other controlled substances.

According to the study’s authors, “The study looks at how American culture increases the risk that teens will use addictive substances and how the messages sent by adults, and glamorized by the tobacco and alcohol industries and the media, normalize substance use and undermine the health and futures of our teens.”

Addiction is a disease that in most cases begins in adolescence … We rightfully worry about other teen health problems like obesity, depression or bullying, but we turn a blind eye to a more common and deadly epidemic that we can in fact prevent.

CASA found that 90% of adults who have addictive disorders started using substances before the age of 18. In comparison, only 4% of Americans who abuse as adults started using these drugs when 21 or older.

Further, the consumption of these substances by American teens is rising. Currently almost half of American high school students smoke, drink alcohol or use other drugs, according to the study, and 1 in 5 meet the medical criteria for addiction. Seventy-five percent of all high school students have used addictive substances including tobacco, alcohol, marijuana or cocaine at some point. Over 65% have used more than one.

The researchers found social factors related to the risk of American teens use of addictive substances included parental, community and school acceptance of these substances and the positive media portrayals of drug use as harmless, fun and attractive. Advertising of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes also contributes to the positive image of drug use.

The researchers used online surveys filled out by 1,000 high school students, 1,000 parents of high school students, 500 educators, as well as information from five focus groups and reviews of 2,000 scientific articles and reports, according to US News.

“Addiction is a disease that in most cases begins in adolescence, so preventing or delaying teens from using alcohol, tobacco or other drugs for as long as possible is crucial to their health and safety,” said Susan Foster, CASA’s vice president in a news release. “We rightfully worry about other teen health problems like obesity, depression or bullying, but we turn a blind eye to a more common and deadly epidemic that we can in fact prevent.”

The study’s authors pointed out that the teenage brain is not fully developed and the use of drugs during the teenage years hampers further development of the brain, impairs judgment and increases the risk of addiction as an adult. Heavy substance abuse harms the developing brain far more than the already developed adult brain. They concluded their data shows that adolescence is the critical age period for the onset of substance abuse and its repercussions.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Report_finds_teen_substance_abuse_is_top_public_health_problem_in_US&oldid=4579228”

Public disclosure made of final report on deaths of nine in Finnish school shooting

Friday, April 18, 2008

The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation yesterday released 600 pages of the 2,000 page final report into the Jokela school shooting. 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen opened fire at Jokela High School, killing eight before turning his gun on himself, receiving fatal wounds.

The remaining 1,400 pages of the report are to remain confidential. The public section reveals a number of problems that may have impacted on Auvinen’s decision to conduct the attack, but says that police failed to find any conclusive motive. Also released was an animation depicting events at the school.

The report says Auvinen had been bullied since the age of ten and concludes the extent of this problem was greater than previously thought. Auvinen suffered from anxiety and blushing, especially in lessons, and had been diagnosed with a panic disorder, for which he had been prescribed medication. Auvinen also suffered from sleep disorders and loneliness, and had few friends, although one former bully did go on to become a good friend of Auvinen’s. His mother said inability to settle on a suitable ideology contributed to Auvinen’s depression.

His parents had noticed and reacted to the bullying problem, but their intervention only served to worsen the situation. According to entries in Auvinen’s diary, he first began planning the shooting – which he gave the English name “Operation Main Strike” – about eight months prior to actually conducting the shooting.

Auvinen had told his mother that under certain circumstances he could approve of violence. He had often viewed web sites promoting violence and had a number of online contacts whom he discussed his ideas with. One of these was a United States teen arrested for planning a similar attack, and two others discussed the Columbine High School Massacre with him and traded videos they found online. However, there is no evidence he informed anyone of his plans until immediately prior to the attack.

The report called Auvinen a moderately good student, but noted his mental problems had impacted his performance at school. He had been interested in politics from an early age, being involved with the Centre Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Left Alliance, and the Finnish Communist Party.

“In the best case, this (attack) would create massive destruction and chaos, or even a revolution,” read one diary entry. “In any case, I want this to be remembered forever. Maybe I’ll even have a follower; after all, I am a super-person, almost God.” Another revealed he intended to “kill as many of you bastards as possible”. His diary also reveals he was aware he would be dead by the end of the attack.

He obtained a .22 calliber handgun which he named Catherine, having been denied a license for a 9mm gun, and submitted his plans online – including to YouTube – just 14 minutes prior to firing his first shots, having cycled to school. It was determined that, given the time-frame, there was little that could have been done by anyone who saw the material to prevent the attack. He fired 75 shots, 50 of which struck his eight fatally wounded victims, who were apparently chosen at random. Thirteen others were injured in the event.

The deceased were six students, the school headmistress and the school nurse. Auvinen shot at each several times in the region of the head and upper torso. He ultimately shot himself in the school toilet, and died in hospital from head wounds ten hours later, having never regained consciousness.

Police could not determine why he chose the date he did, although it was noted his online relationship with a foreign girl had ended just days before. It was also determined little could be done to predict and prevent future incidents, although one measure being sought is to require medical checks for gun licences and parental consent for prospective owners under 18.

The confidential section of the report discusses causes of death and police operations.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Public_disclosure_made_of_final_report_on_deaths_of_nine_in_Finnish_school_shooting&oldid=1100423”

Reverse Mortgage A Wise Money Making Option For Senior Citizens

Submitted by: Issac Gates

Whenever you face turbulence in the stock market and your daily living expenses get higher and higher, you seem to get tensed with the thought that your years of retirement might get unpleasant. All future expectations smash and you head on to take pensions for the rest of your life. Recent studies say that pensions have failed to satisfy a good lot of recipients in the UK in the last few years. Therefore, the option of a reverse mortgage is unquestionably a lucrative option for retired individuals to enjoy financial security till their final days on this earth.

Now, many are unaware of the concept of reverse mortgage. It s an out and out lucrative scheme for senior citizens. It s almost synonymous to a sort of regular income. Those who are above 62 can enjoy a 3in1 facility of cash, credit and monthly income at the same time. You are not required to pay back the mortgage and there will be no monthly payments for reverse mortgage.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD2t56zB-Vo[/youtube]

Earlier, reverse mortgage were considered unproductive. In fact, it brought negative consequences for retirees. Well, the present schemes have been enriched with the introduction of new regulations. This has ensured financial security and protection for senior citizens. The present reverse mortgage regulations state that the seniors can never be compelled to leave homes. Also, their residential properties cannot be taken away without their will. Even heirs are also entitled to the amount equivalent to the property s resale value.

Another primary aspect of reverse mortgage is that the cost of closing is considered here. Well, the reason is that the FHA mortgage insurance is needs to provide the loan and the cost therefore gets rolled into reverse mortgage loan. So, you are not required to make the payment immediately through cheque.

Seniors try to make use of this sort of reverse mortgage loan for various purposes. There are some who take it to meet their daily expenses while some others use it for the healthcare expenses. Some make use of the amount to purchase life insurance policies and some use it to get a rental property that will provide them income in the near future.

Hard money on the other hand has become a preferred alternative for many loan borrowers. It simply refers to a sum borrowed from an unknown source. Miami is one such place where seniors are facing financial challenges especially while purchasing loans from banks. Therefore, it s advisable to get in touch a Miami hard money lender who is always ready to bring you out of financial crisis.

The disadvantage of borrowing loans from banks is that these financial institutions take longer time period in sanctioning your loans. In this respect, a Miami hard money lender can be the best option. In case of emergency situations, banks can never turn out to be a good option. Instead, these private money lenders will arrange your desired loan within a short time period. Remember, the interest charged by Miami hard money lenders are a bit high compared to other loan lenders.

About the Author: Issac Gates is a financial advisor who have good information on reverse mortgage & Miami hard money. For more information he recommends to visit

blueh2ofunding.com/

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=842612&ca=Finances

Canadian judge strikes down marijuana possession laws as unconstitutional

Sunday, July 15, 2007

A judge in the province of Ontario, Canada dismissed marijuana possession charges against a Toronto man, ruling that Canada’s laws governing possession are unconstitutional.

The unidentified defendant, 29, had been charged with possession after police had found him carrying 3.5 grams of marijuana.

Since July 30, 2001, Canada has allowed a medical exemption for the possession and growing of marijuana, under Health Canada‘s Marijuana Medical Access Regulations. The regulations describe eligible persons as those “suffering from grave and debilitating illnesses.” Canada contracts a company, Prairie Plant Systems, to cultivate and package seeds and/or dried marijuana for shipping of a monthly supply to eligible patients. A packet of 30 seeds costs CA$20, plus taxes. Dried marijuana costs patients CA$150 for 30 grams (slightly more than one ounce).

The defendant in the legal case was not suffering from an illness and was not in need of an exemption from the possession laws. The man put forth a defence that questioned the legality of the medical exemption since it was only a regulation, not a law. He argued that all possession laws, therefore, should be struck down.

The judge presiding over the case, Howard Borenstein, agreed with the argument. “The government told the public not to worry about access to marijuana,” said Judge Borenstein. “They have a policy but not law. In my view that is unconstitutional.”

The defendant’s lawyer, Brian McAllister, felt that the ruling may have significant consequences for possession laws throughout the province. “Obviously, there’s thousands of people that get charged with this offence every year,” said McAllister. He suggested that Ontario residents can cite the new ruling as a defence for possession charges. “That’s probably why the government will likely appeal the decision,” he said.

Judge Borenstein will make his ruling official in two weeks time. Prosecutors in the case have said that they will appeal the decision soon.

In related news, a Liberal senator from the province of British Columbia, Larry Campbell, said Wednesday that the federal government should decriminalize marijuana and “tax the hell out of it,”. He said the government should use the revenue for health care priorities. Sales should be controlled by government, he stated, in the same way that alcohol is sold. He noted that organized crime is pulling in large profits on the growing and sale of the drug.

Senator Campbell also suggested that too many resources are placed on the criminal prosecution of people for possession of small amounts of marijuana. “This is not a drug that causes criminality,” he said. “People are getting criminal records for essentially nothing.”

A recent UN survey, the 2007 World Drug Report, has determined that marijuana use in Canada is the highest among developed nations. Some 16.8 percent of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 64 used marijuana in 2004, compared to 12.6 percent of Americans, 8.7 percent for Britain, 8.6 percent for France, 6.9 percent for Germany, and 0.1 percent of Japanese.

York University law professor Alan Young, said the report’s numbers may be skewed higher for Canadians due to the willingness of Canadians to discuss the issue. “It’s become a large part of youth culture in Canada, and more importantly, 50 percent of marijuana smokers are over the age of 30,” he said. “So it’s really gone to all age groups, all class groups. There’s no question about it that there is less stigma in Canada.”

Only four other countries ranked ahead of Canada on marijuana use: Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Ghana, and Zambia.

The UN data for harder drugs such as amphetamines and ecstasy showed relatively low use among Canadians.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_judge_strikes_down_marijuana_possession_laws_as_unconstitutional&oldid=2514292”