Monday, April 21, 2014

McDonald's products in Abu Dhabi contain pork




Gulf News
21 April 2014

Adfca allays rumours that McDonald products in Abu Dhabi contain pork

    By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter

[…] Mohammad Jalal Al Raisi, Director of Communication and Community Service at Adfca, […] said some vigilant residents helped the authority to allay a rumour that some McDonald’s products sold in Abu Dhabi contained ingredients of pork.

“We received enquiries through Abu Dhabi Government’s call centre last week and preliminary investigations found that it was a rumour originated on social media. Still we did not take any chance and our inspectors took samples of McDonald’s products for lab tests.”

The inspections and lab tests proved that “non-halal” products were not present in Abu Dhabi market at all, Al Raisi said.

The rumours quoted some Islamic institutions abroad as saying that McDonald’s products in the emirate, especially mayonnaise and spices, contained pork ingredients as they came from McDonald’s America.

The official said the authority confirmed that such products at McDonald’s outlets in Abu Dhabi came from Egypt. […]

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Gang Initiation Targets Nurses




Winnipeg Sun [Manitoba, Canada]
19 April 2014


[…] A Winnipeg man's Facebook status update on Friday gained a lot of attention on social media.

"Head's up Nurses. We just got a call from the hospital and police due to gang initiation's this weekend looking to rape or stab nurses. Especially ER staff. Same staff memo at the Vic, HSC and Concordia at least. Call your unit manager before heading in and be vigilant," Robert Ihme wrote in a status that has since been shared more than 300 times.

The Winnipeg Regional Healthy Authority has been in contact with police, who have confirmed to them there appears to be no truth in the rumour, said Kat Fox, a spokeswoman for the WRHA.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Mulroney Couldn't Wait




Palm Beach Daily News [FL]
30 March 2014


By Shannon Donnelly
Daily News Society Editor

It’s probably hard to get one over on Brian Mulroney, seeing as how prime minister jobs are almost invariably reserved for folks who are smarter than most, but his wife Mila managed to do exactly that last week when she lured the former Canadian PM to Club Colette for a family dinner.

The “family dinner” turned out to be 100-plus of the couple’s nearest and dearest whom Mila invited to Club Colette for a surprise party honoring Brian’s 75th birthday.

The guest of honor seemed to be genuinely surprised by the shouts and applause that greeted him, but – proving once and for all that good politicians are born and not made – began immediately greeting each and every guest with a hug or a handshake.

As guests sat for dinner, Brian took the microphone and offered a tribute to Mila, and told the tale of how they met. He was at the Mount Royal Tennis Club reading The New York Times when a beautiful, bikini-clad young woman walked by. Brian immediately approached a friend and asked for an introduction, but his friend said “Ask me tomorrow.” Brian said “Why? What happens tomorrow?”

His friend replied “She turns 18.”

“So,” Brian said, “I did what any gentleman would do and asked somebody else to introduce me.” […]

Brian Mulroney, Memoirs 1939-1993 (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2007), 137-8.

The [Mount Royal Tennis Club] was nearly deserted on the late Monday morning in July [1972] when I showed up by the pool with my book and the New York Times to begin a week of swimming and tennis before returning to the law firm. I was sitting alone next to the pool about an hour later when I spotted a stunning young woman in a blue and white bikini strolling by, heading for the soft drink counter. I was, let’s say, struck by her style and demeanour, and asked the manager, Charlie, for an introduction. He gave an interesting response, saying, “Well, Mr. Mulroney, why don’t you wait until Thursday?” When I asked why, he answered, “Thursday July 13 is her birthday and then she’ll be nineteen!” I thanked him for his cautionary advice but, through an acquaintance, managed my own introduction later that day. […]

Although only eighteen at the time we met, Mila was uncommonly mature, thoughtful, and poised, and I was swept off my feet. Within hours I had driven her home and made plans to see her the next day. Within four months we were engaged, and within six more we were married.