Americain Storms Home in 150th Melbourne Cup 2010

It was a nail biting finish with the American bred and French trained horse Americain storming home by two lengths to win the Emirates Melbourne Cup 2010.  It  was  a classic battle with local favourite So You Think to the delight of racegoers at the Flemington race track.

There was truly an international flavour to the win, with the horse owned by Australians, trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre and ridden by French Jockey Gerard Mosse who is based in Hong Kong.

So You Think winner of the Cox Plate was trained by veteran Australian Bart Cummings who attended the race from hospital.  He was hoping to add a win at the 150th event to his previous cup successes but had to be satisfied with second place.  Maluckyday came in third third.

Despite weather forecasts of heavy rain for Melbourne’s VRC Derby Day nothing could stop the annual turnout by more than 100,000 racegoers to see the famous Melbourne Cup.   Punters were relieved a heavy downpour stopped just 10 minutes before the race and for a moment forgot they were rain soaked in the excitement of the event.

This is the 150th occasion of the Melbourne Cup and Americain’s win will certainly increase international interest in the race which brings Australia and New Zealand almost to a standstill annually.   It is an event which engages even novice betters for a once a year flutter in office syndicates or at the local betting offices or on the track.  NZ Punters spent over $8 million on today’s race.

There will be celebrations and no doubt some champagne toasts in France with this historic win,  the first by a French trained horse and ridden by a French jockey.

The Australian Governor General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, wearing a red polka dot outfit with matching hat, presented the much prized cup to the horse’s owners Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford.

Waka Taua Salute WRC 2010 Lake Karapiro NZ

The 2010 World Rowing Championships was officially declared open by FISA President Denis Oswald at the Opening Ceremony at Lake Karapiro New Zealand on 30 October 2010. The ceremony program had many features including a performance by the ‘popera’ group Lyrica, and Zach Washer an acrobatic Cyr wheeler showed off his prowess to the crowd.

Most impressive were the local iwi  Ngati Koroki Kahukura and Ngati Haua who performed a powhiri (welcome) which included a haka and wero  (traditional challenge) as well as a karanga (call of welcome) performed by women, waiata (song) and kapa haka (dances).  It concluded with an impressive presentation by 150 waka taua who arrived in four waka to offer their own salute to the officials and spectators.

The flags for the 49 countries represented at the championships were carried across the stage by local school children who were accompanied by representative athletes.  NZ the host country was represented by Mahe Drysdale and Eric Murray.

The New Zealand national anthem was sung by lead singer from OPSHOP Jason Kerrison as the flag was raised and the ceremony ended with  the release of over 2000 balloons and streamers across the lake.

The event has been years in the planning and is the first time NZ has hosted the event for 32 years, the last occasion being 1978.    Among the notable facilities was the construction of the largest temporary grandstand ever in the country.  It stretches 142 metres providing seating for  nearly 10,000 attendees.   There is covered seating for 6000 spectators and open seating for another 4000 with unobstructed views of the entire course and the podium for the medal ceremonies.

The event will run for eight days with more than 800 athletes from the attending countries – the New Zealand contingent numbers 55 athletes  competing in various races.   With a strong history in rowing NZ is hoping to take out a good tally of gold medals.

Lake Karapiro is 35km south-east of the city of of Hamilton. It was formed behind a dam built with the construction of a hydro-electric power  station built in 1940. It is on the Waikato River which starts at Lake Taupo.

Strong winds on yesterday caused the cancellation of some events on day one of racing and necessitated a new schedule to be released by the International Rowing Federation FISA for today and tomorrow.   While there was some disappointment at the need for this, the event is subject to  the whims of the weather gods Matt Smith, Executive Director for FISA said, “Rowing is an outdoor sport.  We have to be ready for all conditions.   When it’s possible to row, we will row.”

However the crowd were well pleased when the first race to open the 2010 Championships was won by the NZ duo lightweight men’s pair  Graham Oberlin-Brown and James Lassche before further events were suspended after another four races.  “We came out pretty steady and we  were happy with how we started,” said Oberlin-Brown.  “It’s good to start things off with a win and to be able to push past France who are the competition favourites.”

The venue is located on the Mighty River Domain, and includes giant screens, shops and live music and entertainment.   There is no significant  public parking space at the venue and park and ride facilities have been set up in the nearby picturesque town of Cambridge for spectators.

Free shuttle buses will run daily between the hours of 7am – 8.30pm.

USA Targeted in Bomb Packages from Yemen

The discovery was made on Friday of two suspicious mail packages containing Hewlett Packard printer toner cartridges packed with explosive materials bound for the United States.   The packages were intercepted in stopovers in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom in cargo on board two US-bound planes.  The bombs were transported on both passenger and cargo planes before discovery.

The packages originated in Yemen and were delivered for despatch by a female, using a false name, address and phone number, to USP courier services in Hadda Street in Sana’a, the country’s capital.   They were addressed for delivery to synagogues in Chicago.

Despite this attempt at subterfuge Yemeni forces searching for suspected al-Qaeda militants behind the ‘packages’ plot have arrested a 20-year-old female student in Sana’a on suspicion of sending the packages.

Authorities on three continents including the U.S. A.are continuing the hunt for any more suspicious packages following the initial interceptions in the UK and the UAE.  USA President Barack Obama has warned of a ‘credible terrorist threat’ to the United States following their discovery.

This latest terrorist attempt has led to heightened vigilance in some European countries with arrests in Gothenburg in Sweden in connection with a terrorist bomb threat there.   The Swedish police also say they have detained a Turkish man, wanted in Belgium on suspicion of terrorism, at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport on Friday after he arrived on a plane from Syria.

In Manila Philippine police officers  announced on Friday five people were arrested and materials used for making explosives were seized following warnings from Western countries of an imminent attack there.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement on Friday it had sent two U.S. F-15s to escort the UPS aircraft en route from the UK with the suspicious cargo as it entered U.S. airspace.   It was tracked by Canadian planes over Canadian airspace.

Shanghai Expo 2010 Exceeds 70 Million Visitor Target

The 2010 Shanghai a scheduled World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions has been held in Shanghai China for the last six months.

The first Expo was held in London in 1851 and this Chinese World Expo comes to a close on 31 October 2010 after participation by over 246 Chinese and International organisations.  Forty-six international pavilions showcased the goods and services of their countries and six pavilions displayed domestic Chinese businesses as did 10 corporate pavilions.

The organisers set a target of 70 million visitors and this figure was exceeded on 25 October 2010 and broke the record of 64 million visitors set by the 1970 Expo in Osaka Japan.   The Shanghai total included 3.5 million overseas visitors.

Volunteers providing service to the Expo totalled 200,000 including some 130,000 college students who will be looking for employment at the end of the world fair.

A Job Fair is planned for 3 November to be held at the Yuanshen Sports Center Stadium, at which enterprises will be offering employment  opportunities to the volunteers who worked full time at the Expo as a way to repay their services during the six-month event, said Pan Min, secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League of China.

The fair will be open to all job seekers but volunteers and staff who served at the Expo will be given priority according to the Shanghai Corporate Joint Pavilion, organiser of the event.

Li Dong, spokesman with a human resource firm that is co-organising the job fair said 50 foreign enterprises will be among the 200 enterprises  offering positions.  According to the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the Shanghai Municipal  Human Resources and Social Security Bureau it is expected that about 2,000 positions will be offered to the volunteers who impressed both  global visitors and possible future employers.

Following on from the Job Fair a further opportunity for employment will be provided with a career fair offering more than 1,000 positions  scheduled at the Shanghai Corporate Joint Pavilion inside the Expo Garden next month.

Oldest Galaxy UDFY38135539 Spotted by Hubble

The Hubble Space Telescope which was put  into Earth’s orbit by space shuttle Discovery in 1990 has revealed the oldest galaxy ever seen by astronomers .  The galaxy was born nearly 600 million years after the Big Bang.   It is called UDFy-38135539 and is further awayfrom the Earth than any other known celestial object.

The age of the galaxy was worked out from what is called the Redshift, a measurement of how much the light waves have stretched as  they travel from a distant object across the  universe to Earth.  On this journey the universe  expands causing the light waves to be stretched.

The light put out by the galaxy when it was in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum are stretched and they ultimately are measured in the infra red part of the spectrum by astronomers.  How far away and how long  ago the light waves were emitted is identified by the stretch factor.

This galaxy is about 250 billion light years  away from Earth and appears as a blob in the  images.  Astronomers have established the composition of UDFy-38135539 as an early galaxy in the  process of formation and forming stars.

Galaxies which form stars put out a light in the wavelength in the ultra violet part of the spectrum.   This one is believed to be about 10 per cent of the mass of the Milky Way but it is so far away there is little that can be determined  about its actual make up and whether it has planets or possible life.

Astronomers are trying to identify how the galaxies seen today came together.  They started off as clouds of gas and stars which are called proto-galaxies and came together by  mutual gravitation attraction to form what is  seen today.   The study of such early celestial objects continues to aid in the understanding  of how the Universe was formed 13 billion years ago.

James Bond's Aston Martin under the Hammer

The unique and specially modified Silver Aston Martin DB5 coupe created in 1964 for  the James Bond movies went under the hammer today in an auction held by RM Auctions and Sothebys in London all in a good cause.

The car was only driven in the movies Goldfinger and Thunderball by the Sir  Sean Connery who was the first actor to portray the legendary 007 character.

The car was purchased in 1969 by American broadcaster and philanthropist Jerry Lee and he has been its careful owner for the last 50 years.  Mr Lee says the proceeds will go to the Jerry Lee Foundation, a charitable organisation set up more than 10 years ago to support education and anti-crime projects  dedicated to make the world safer.

The Bond movies made Aston Martin a household name and the first street version was available in 1963, but they were out of  reach of the man in the street being handmade and beyond the budget of most.   Production numbers for the DB5 between 1963 and 1965 were 886 Standard and 123  Convertibles. The price range was in excess  of £4,000 at that time.

The auction generated worldwide interest and the car finally sold for £2.6 million ($4.1 million) about a million pounds less than it had been expected to sell for.

The 1964 DB5 is fully functional and the new owner Harry Yeaggy, will be able to drive it away with all the gadgets operational.  These include machine guns, bullet shields and a smokescreen and an ejector seat.

Mr Yeaggy an American businessman and car enthusiast told reporters it had been ‘a last-minute decision’ to fly into London for the auction.  He is expected to display the car at a car museum in Ohio.

Indonesia hit with Earthquake, Tsunami and Mt Merapi Eruption

Monday’s 7.5 magnitude earthquake off the  coast of Western Sumatra close to the  Mentawai Islands triggered a tsunami and the  eruption of Mt Merapi (Fire Mountain) in Java.   A further eruption of the volcano occurred on Tuesday.

The Indonesian archipelago is prone to this  earthquake activity located as it is in what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.  The  deadliest tsunami on record occurred on Boxing Day 26 December 2004 following an  earthquake off Sumatra and killed more than 200,000 people.  This latest activity is believed to be connected to the same tectonic fault.

With more then 300 people reported dead in this latest disaster in Indonesia, hundreds more missing and thousands of families having been displaced  government authorities and relief agencies are struggling to reach survivors and bring aid to the victims.

Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhono has left the East Asia Summit in Vietnam to deal with the emergencies.   The rescue and relief efforts are being delayed by the area’s remoteness according  to Indonesia’s Red Cross with access to the  islands only by sea transport or helicopter.

The nearest major port in West Sumatra to the  Mentawai islands, the location of the tsunami  is Padang and the sea trip normally takes 12 to 14 hours with added time required to get to outer islands.

Volcanic ash from the Mt Merapi crater has  reached Yogyakarta the provincial capital of Central Java  shutting it down for a period.

Financial aid has been pledged by the United States, Australia and the European  Commission.

Government Moves Keep Hobbits in NZ

Filming of the two Hobbit movies will stay in NZ after the Government completed negotiations with Warner Bros executives which will see production get underway in the New Year.

The outcome will see changes made to the country’s labour laws and the movie company will get increased tax breaks of about $33 million.

At a news conference at Parliament last night the Prime Minister John Key backgrounded the reasons for the agreements made.

Key said “It’s a direct and specific action to reflect that we want these movies and other movies to be made in New Zealand.”

On the issue of increased tax breaks Key said that other countries have different criteria and incentives to those offered by New Zealand and in some cases they were greater than those offered in this deal.  However he went on to say the reason that Warner Bros are making the movies in New Zealand is about more than the funding options offered.   “It is because fundamentally they’ve had a long term history here. It’s been successful” he said, “there’s a lot of cachet in making these movies in New Zealand. Clearly Sir Peter Jackson wants to be here.”

The agreement also includes the screening of one of the world premieres of the movies in New Zealand.  Further Sir Peter Jackson will create promotional material promoting New Zealand as a tourism destination to be included in all the DVDs and digital products for The Hobbit.

The deal ends the speculation and debate on the filming location which surfaced at the beginning of the month when an Australian trade union, the MEAA, generated a world wide actor boycott on the movies.

Service Dogs bring Owners Greater Independence

Laci Wilkins a 27 year old from Palm Desert will soon be the proud owner of a specially trained service dog, which will greatly increase her ability to be more independent.

Having been diagnosed with Epilepsy as a young person her condition has progressed as she has got older.   It now makes it difficult for her to perform everyday tasks such as picking up something she may have dropped and be more reliant on help from others.

Founded in 1991 Canine Assistants, a non-profit organization, trains dogs mainly Golden Retrievers or Labradors to assist children and adults with special needs or physical disabilities.

On 22 October Laci attended a special donation on ceremony at the State Bros Supermarket in Palm Desert.   Stater Bros the largest privately owned supermarket chain in Southern California has joined forces with Del Monte brand product Milk Bone are taking the first step to help eliminate the waiting lists at Canine Assistants.

Makenzie Wieden  a 10 year old from Indio attended the donation ceremony with her Canine Assistants’ dog Disco which she received 10 months ago.  She suffers from the same condition as Laci and was able to share her experiences and the benefits of having Disco as her personal assistant.

Training of the dogs includes teaching them how to open doors, retrieve objects and get help in the event of an emergency

Laci’s service dog is yet to be chosen and when it has been trained to meet her specific requirements it will be presented to her at a special training camp at a later date

Lifestyle choices could be Key To Avoid Bowel Cancer

The British Medical Journal yesterday  published a report of research carried out by  Danish researchers which reveals that adherence to a healthy lifestyle could help  prevent colorectal (bowel) cancer.  The  Institute of Cancer Epidemiology and Aarhus  University research was funded by the Danish  Cancer Society.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in developed countries. The  International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation  (WHO) has colorectal cancer rated as the fourth overall most  frequent cancer among  men and women.   WHO statistics record it as  causing 639,000 deaths.  The American Cancer Society report it to be the second  leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women and men combined.  In the UK  it is the third most common cancer with more  then 38,000 new cases diagnosed annually  and more than 16,000 deaths from the  disease.

The research was conducted on more than 57,000 people aged  between 50 and 64 who were recruited for the  Diet, Cancer, Health Cohort Study in  Copenhagen.  Participants selected had no  previous diagnosis of cancer and the study  was carried out over almost a ten year period.

A healthy lifestyle “index” was drawn up with included those engaged in the study being physically active for at least 30 minutes daily,  consuming no more than 14 drinks per week  for men and 7 for women and with a waist  circumference below 88cm (34.6in) for  women and 102cm (40in) for men. Further  they had to be non smokers and consume a healthy diet with defined amounts of fruit and vegetables daily, red and processed meat weekly and other criteria dietary fibre and dietary fat consumption.

All participants completed a questionnaire  which also took into account lifestyle matters on health and reproductive factors.

The researchers calculated that if all participants had avoided one of the risk areas it was possible 13 per cent of the bowel cancer cases could have been prevented, and 23 per cent of cancer cases could have been avoided if all five recommendations had been followed.   During the 10-year follow-up period,  678 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer.

The study noted, ‘Even modest differences in lifestyle might have a substantial impact on colorectal cancer risk.’  The researchers went on to say ‘However, our study findings should  be confirmed in other studies with a diverse  lifestyle among participants to give a comprehensive evaluation of lifestyle patterns and risk of colorectal cancer. ‘   The full study can be found at www.bmj.com.

The disease is most prevalent in the middle aged and is predominantly a disease of the Westernised world.   However, with screening  and early detection a big percentage of cases  of colorectal cancer are believed to be  preventable.

Tiny Critters Continue to Bug New York

Bed Bugs have been around since ancient times and while initially they were thought to have some medicinal purpose through their  blood-sucking behaviour this was disproved long ago.

They did not take kindly to the introduction of strong pesticides such as DDT and improvements in sanitation and general living conditions in the 20th century and appeared to die down in western countries.

The name Bed Bug is derived from their preferred habitat in houses notably bed mattrasses and where people sleep as they are attracted by warmth.  The species of this insect most referred to by this name feed on human blood and do so at night while the  unsuspecting donor is sleeping.

While the Bed Bug bites are themselves painless the health impacts of a bite could include rashes, minor swelling, inflammation and itching, but there is no evidence that they are carriers of infection.

The bugs like to feed regularly, but it is of no comfort to know they  can survive for periods of up to a year without  doing so.  They are extremely difficult to eradicate and this has led to a rise in pest  exterminator services to address the issue.

The reasons why there has been this resurgence of them in recent decades remain unclear,  but it may be linked to the increase in travel and resistence to  pesticides.

Bed Bugs are hardy and able to travel easily in bags and suitcases from anywhere in the world.  With New York such a popular travel  destination new arrivals continue to be transported there by travellers.

New York has in recent years become one of  their chosen locations with reports of a major infestation in recent months on a scale not  seen there in more than 50 years.

Upmarket stores like Niketown and Victoria’s Secret were forced to close down for treatment as were some cinemas.   Workers have reported they have  been bitten at work as well, not even the Wall Street Journal’s Headquarters was immune  and the Empire State Building reported a minor infestation.

The UN General Headquarters has reported several instances of the insects being found in the last two weeks.

New Yorkers are coming to dread the mention of and signs of an infestation and even after having their premises treated by  exterminators the trauma of further attack and the stigma attached lingers on.

This stigma however has an unwelcome  consequence as people are  reluctant to  broadcast an infestation or to warn others so the Bed Bugs  continue to thrive and spread.

Concerns have reached the highest levels and there are worries the  continuing negative publicity, albeit with what have been minor but  high profile Bed Bug attacks, will impact on  New York’s major tourism industry.

In 2009 Mayor Bloomberg signed legislation to set up a Bed Bug Advisory Board and authorities continue their efforts in researching  new ways to combat the pests.

Days of Contraceptive Pill May Be Numbered

The days of women having to suffer the side effects of nausea, acne and the weight gain  from the contraceptive pill may be numbered.

Development of a contraceptive gel which can be rubbed on the skin like a moisturiser could be an attractive alternative say researchers at  the not-for-profit Population Council Research Center in New York.

The gel could also be suitable for breast-feeding mothers who avoid taking the current Pill options as they contain hormone levels which can interfere with milk supply.

The contraceptive trans-dermal patch has been an alternative option to the Pill but it can fall off and is visible making it unattractive for some users.

Director of Clinical Research at the Population Council DrRuth Merkatz said trials were carried out on a small group of 18 women in their 20s to 30s and none became pregnant in seven months. Only a small amount of about 3mg of the gel was required to be used daily.

Dr Merkatz, who is presenting the findings at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s 66th Annual Meeting said:   “They only need to use a small quantity, once a day.   She went on to say “From this small study we found it was effective.”   She also said it was early days, “but if we move on, we will obviously test it in many, many more women.

The gel contains Nestorene, a type of synthetic progesterone and a type of oestregen which is chemically identical to that produced naturally by a woman’s body.  It can be applied to the arms, shoulders, abdomen or thighs, leaves no residue and is quickly absorbed.

The drug is being developed with the drug firm Antares Pharma a company that focuses on self-injection pharmaceutical products and technologies and topical gel -based products.

Fantastico Matteo Wins the 2010 Castello Masters

Italian teenager Matteo Manassero aged 17 is on top of the world with his win at the Castello Masters making him the European Tour’s youngest  winner.   He replaces the previous youngest tour winner New Zealand’s Danny Lee who won the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia when he was 18 in 2009.

Manassero started the final day two shots behind the leader Gary Boyd.  He beat second placed Ignacio Garrido at the Club de Campo de Mediterraneo  in Spain closing with a four-under 67 to give a 16-under total of 268.

England’s Gary Boyd slipped back into a tie for third place with Ireland’s Peter Lawrie, Joost Luiten from Holland and Swede Christian Nilsson.

In 2009 Manassero was the youngest ever winner of the British Amateur Championship and only turned professional on 3 in May 2010.    He  made his professional debut at the BMW Italian Open at the Royal Park I Roveri, Turin.

So far Manassero has amassed earnings of nearly €650,000 on the 2010 European Tour from 15 tournaments played.  With this win he has broken another record and become the youngest full European Tour Member beating the previous record holder Spain’s by  Seve Ballesteros.

Italian Golf is putting its mark on the game this year with Manassero joining fellow nationals Francesco Molinari who turned Pro in 2004 and his  older brother Edoardo joining him in the Pro ranks in 2006.

There are four more tournaments before the November 25-28 2010 Dubai World Championships at Jumeriah Golf Estates and this win will boost Manassero’s rankings and confidence in a fine start to his professional career.

ASX Takeover Offer by SGX

The Singapore Stock Exchange [SGX] has made a takeover offer for the Australian Stock Exchange [ASX] that is in excess of $8 billion.  The combined company will become world’s fifth largest listed exchange company by market value.   The SGX and ASX are Asia’s second and third largest bourses respectively and the combined operations will then rank second in Asia a move that is expected to lead to $30 million in cost savings.

The deal is subject to regulatory approvals in Australia including the requirement for the Australian Parliament to lift a 15 per cent ownerhsip cap on the ASX and approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).  The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is said to see no hurdles in the proposal.

Magnus Bocker, the former head of Nasdaq OMX who took over the job as CEO of SGX just 10 months ago is expected to take the role of Chief Executive Officer of the combined group.

A press release issued jointly stated:  “This combination will bring together the complementary businesses of two successful exchanges in the Asian time zone, with internationally recognised regulatory standards.  The combination leverages the strengths of ASX through its listings, stock options and fixed income franchises, with SGX, the Asian gateway for international listings, equity futures and OTC clearing, to create the region’s pre-eminent exchange group.”

It also stated: “The transaction is unanimously recommended by the Boards of Directors of each of ASX and SGX.”

J Y Pillay, Chairman of SGX, commented:  “We are privileged to partner ASX, which brings to SGX a strong brand, an established business franchise and enriched capabilities.”his will be a highly competitive exchange group in an increasingly globalised world.”

Federer's win at Stockholm Open brings his 64th title

After losing out to Andy Murray in the Shanghai Masters last week Swiss legend Roger Federer was in fine form in Stockholm.  He beat Florian  Mayer in the Stockholm Open final yesterday.

The German Mayer ranked 47th played valiantly and broke the Swiss champion’s serve in the  seventh game of the opening set.

However Federer just powered back to take the first set and went on to finish the match in straight sets 6-4 6-3 in a little over an hour.

This is Federer’s third title of the year and he now equals Pete Sampras’ tally of 64 career titles.  He is ranked No. 2 by the ATP Tour and is the  fifth man to win 50 matches in at least nine straight years in the Open era.

“Early on, I think that feeling of wanting to prove yourself to the world and all the doubters is a very strong one, so you’re very aggressive in your  ways of winning and not enjoying them,” Federer said. “Today it’s much more of the enjoyment part because I don’t need to prove myself to  anyone anymore, except to myself.”

After the match Mayer said,  “I got tired while his game improved a lot, but I felt it was a closer match than the score showed.”  Federer  acknowledged his opponent who he said played a good match.

In his first appearance at the tournament in a decade Federer received a standing ovation from the crowd as Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria  presented him with the trophy.

Lance Armstrong confirms SantosTour Down Under 2011

The Santos Tour Down Under heralds in the first race of the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) World Road Cycling calendar.  Lance  Armstrong the seven-time Tour de France champion is a confirmed entrant for the January 2011 event in South Australia.

Armstrong, returned to cycling in 2009 having quit in 2005 but he confirmed that 2010 would be his last appearance in the Tour de France.  He  finished that race placed 23rd overall, 40 minutes behind the 2010 winner Alberto Contador.

18 UCI pro teams are entered for the event with riders from Australia and around the world, Armstrong is part of the USA Radio Shack Team.

In a statement Armstrong said, “I’m excited to be competing in my last professional ride outside the U.S. at the Tour Down Under. It will be my  third time to the event and I’m sure I will enjoy it as much as I have the first two times.”

The Santos Tour Down Under was first held in 1999 and has grown to become the southern hemipshere’s biggest cycling event.  The event lasts  a week and this year is scheduled to run January 16-23 in the state of South Australia.

It includes circuits through the streets of the state capital Adelaide and other stages take place throughout regional South Australia.

Amateur cyclists can also get involved in the action with the Skoda Breakaway Series providing the opportunity to ride part of the ProTour race route.

In making the announcement yesterday South Australia State Premier Mike Rann said, “This is an amazing opportunity for cycling fans across the  globe to head to Adelaide and be part of history as Lance competes in his farewell ride as a professional on international soil.”   He went on to say,  “We are delighted he has chosen to compete again in South Australia and make his international farewell here.”

NO FUMAR - New Anti-Smoking Legislation For Spain

NO FUMAR signs will be greeting Spanish smokers in the New Year as the days of lighting up in their local Tapas bar are numbered.   The  Congress of Deputies, the Spanish lower house of Parliament, passed legislation on 20 October that will see new anti-smoking legislation  come into effect from 2 January 2011.  The legislation now goes to the Senate where it is expected to be passed as well.

The new law will close off a loophole from the 2006 legislation which gave owners some discretion to exempt certain areas in bars and restaurants,  and make them all no-smoking zones.    With the laxity permitted under the 2006 law exploited by bar and restaurant owners Spain remained notorious for its  smoke-filled cafes and bars.

The new law will also prohibit smoking in outdoor places such as  children’s parks and the grounds of schools and hospitals and will make Spain a  tougher place for smokers than many other countries in Europe where smoking sections continue to be permissible in bars and restaurants.

Bar owners who had hoped for exemptions in the proposed legislation to allow for specially constructed smoking areas failed to convince officials but they did get a small concession on the date of introduction of the new regime.

It has been put off until 2 January to allow the  hospitality industry to make the most of the Christmas and New Year holiday celebrations which  Spaniards enjoy in large numbers in bars and  restaurants.

Jose Maria Rubio President of the Spanish Federation of Hospitality Firms is predicting a downturn in revenue in the sector leading to thousands  of job losses.   However the Health Ministry said similar claims made about anti-smoking laws in other countries such as France, Italy and the UK  did not not come to fruition and instead thousands of lives will be saved in coming years.

A  late amendment to the legislation will also ban showing smoking on TV as well as prohibiting the display of cigarette brands, logos and other signs.

There will continue to be some exemptions which will include prisons, psychiatric institutions and residences for disabled pensioners but special rooms are required to be used for this.  Hotels will be permitted to reserve up to 30 per cent of their rooms for smokers.

Check-in Apps Add to Social Networking

The current generation Apps that are  available on the internet to be used there or  downloaded to a range of devices, including smart phones, PC iPad or even TV continues  to grow daily offering more and more ways for consumers for social networking and as a  dynamic source of information.

Apple recently achieved 1.5 billion downloads  from the range of 65,000 options available in  their Apps Store.  Other providers such as  Google, Nokia and BlackBerry are also  working to increase their offerings for users of their devices.

Check-in Apps offer marketers and social networks a way to interact with  consumers and friends on mobile devices.  Foursquare  is the leading  check-in location service that  allows the user to check in on arrival at a bar,  destination or workplace.  It works via the GPS on the phone which gives a list of  locations where one currently is.  Its value is  mainly social  networking at present, letting  friends know one is out  and about and able to meet and catch up with them.  It also partners with local businesses which can offer  consumers and visitors rewards and notify  them of promotions they are offering.  One of  the rewards allows individuals to become the  “mayor” of an establishment.

Others include Gowalla and BrightKite.  Facebook has recently announced Facebook  Places where the user checks into a location  which then updates their profile.   Google’s  latitude lets users store their location history and has added Alerts and interface with Google  Talk and Gmail.

GetGlue is a free App which allows users to check into the entertainment  sector, movies,  TV shows, books and music.   It will also make  recommendations on other shows or media that one may find interesting based on choices already made.   There are rewards schemes  associated with its use as well.  In the US  GetGlue is partnering with TV shows allowing  people to check in while watching so they can  see who else is watching and give ratings or just social network.

Foodspotting allows upload of images and  information related to food and dishes to the  service.  Users share the information on what  they like by taking an image anywhere of food they know, discover while out or know about in their own locale.  It is a service which can be  an absolute boon when travelling to find out the best local produce and dishes and good places to dine.  Foodspotting has a system where users earn virtual tips and real rewards  by sharing their good food recommendations.

Combatting Prescription Drug Abuse in the Workplace

The Pain Truth, is a state-wide educational campaign by the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (FSIPP) which is dedicated to  fighting prescription drug abuse.   Some prescription drugs can become addictive, especially when  used in a way which does not follow  labeling instruction or for reasons other than those they were prescribed for.

The FSIPP wants to educate both employees and employers on how to reduce the risk of accidents in the workplace resulting from prescription addiction and abuse.

The most commonly abused category of drugs, following marijuana but ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs, are  prescription drugs.  The National Institutes of Health estimate that nearly 20 percent of citizens in the USA have used these type of drugs for  non-medical reasons.

Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic a testing company, reported the use of prescription opiates by American workers and job applicants has risen by 40% since 2005.   The American Council for Drug Education says more than 70 percent of substance abusers hold a job. This includes abuse of both legal and illegal drugs and increases the risk of work related injuries to the users or their workmates.

A White House study released in July revealed a 400 percent increase in substance abuse treatment admissions for prescription pain relievers  between 1998 and 2008.

The FSIPP has drawn up a number of recommendations to assist both employees and employers raise awareness of this abuse.  Among the  suggestions for employers is to provide materials for employees which document the harmful effects of prescription drug abuse.  It also recommends the provision of clearly stated rules and disciplinary actions that will be used in the event such abuse is uncovered.

Management and human resources officers should be trained to identify and manage substance abusers.  They should be able to recognise the  tell tale signs which warrant investigation such as poor attendance and involvement in accidents both at work and elsewhere.

Employees are urged to take responsibility for their behaviour when taking prescription drugs legally or otherwise.  Deborah Tracy, MD, president of FSIPP,  said “Being under the influence of prescription drugs can hinder an individual’s mindset especially when operating heavy  machinery. Individuals affected by such addiction should “take advantage of the programs and information available.”

She went on to say “Safety and precaution are important first steps to take in order to start turning the tide in this current downward trend.”

The FSIPP was an integral part in getting the Prescription Drug Monitoring Legislation passed in the state.

China May Cut “Rare-Earth” Exports

China the world’s largest supplier of “rare-earth” minerals is planning restrictions on their export.  The state-owned China Daily,  cited a senior unnamed Chinese Ministry of  Commerce official in its report that China will “further reduce quotas for rare-earth exports  by 30 percent at most next year to protect the precious metals from over-exploitation.”

The  official went on to say, “The country’s reserves  of medium to heavy rare-earth supplies might run dry within 15 to 20 years at the current rate of production.”

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry [IPUAC] defines these rare-earths as 17 in number in the periodic table of chemical elements which currently numbers  118 elements in total.

2011 was designated  as the International Year of Chemistry by IPUAC and was launched in January at the UNESCO  Headquarters in Paris.

China produces over 97% of the world’s supply, despite it having only 37% of proven  reserves.  These are sourced mainly in Inner Mongolia.  When China became the major supplier it undercut prices and many other countries ceased production and exploration for the rare-earths.

Other countries which have stocks of rare-earths include the United States, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Malawi and Sri Lanka.

Advances in technology have led to increasing demand for the rare-earths  as their use is now required to meet the manufacture of components and magnets for  industries including, aeronautics, automobiles, electronics, medical devices,  military engineering, nuclear power and sporting equipment.

Restarting those suspended operations or starting up  new ones will be costly as the minerals are not usually found in high concentrations and are expensive to extract.  There are also environmental concerns and costs with the use of toxic acids in refining and the need to dispose of the toxic waste output.

The United States Trade Representative recently announced a probe following a petition from the United Steelworkers Union alleging there are a number of subsidies and protections practiced by China which violate World Trade Organisation rules.   The Steelworkers’ petition to the trade office states “China uses export quotas, taxes, and  licensing procedures to restrict exports of these minerals to users in the U.S. and other countries.”

In September the US House of  Representatives passed legislation  authorizing federal loan guarantees for projects to mine and develop rare-earth minerals.

The Energy Department is already working on a strategy that includes the development of substitutes for rare-earths.

Fred Perry Launches Amy Winehouse 2010 Range

Back at the beginning of the year it was announced that British Pop singer Amy Winehouse was going to collaborate with British sportswear brand Fred Perry to design a collection under her name for Autumn 2010.

Winehouse has launched the collection modelling the designs which are available online and from Fred Perry Authentic boutiques.  She will also be featured in a spread in the November issue of Glamour magazine.

The elegant 17 piece collection in colours of mainly black and pink includes pencil skirts, Fred Perry signature polo shirts, Capri pants, shirt dresses, longline sweaters, a reversible belt and clutch bag. There is also a Harrington coat and a cropped trench coat. The collection is intended to continue over four seasons.

The petite singer persuaded the company to include a size six in the range saying she has in the past found it difficult to find clothes to fit her tiny frame.

The designs will be easy to mix and match,  have a fresh and appealing look to them with lots of attitude.  They are expected to sell very well in the UK, where the singer has become something of a fashion icon in her own right.

This is a new venture for Winehouse whose notoriety in the past was more associated with her lifestyle,  drug issues and troubled marital relationship.  She says she is now drug free and has been for some years.

The brand now owned by a Japanese corporation started back in 1952 at Wimbledon when Fred Perry, himself a three times Wimbledon tennis champion, launched his first tennis shirt design.   The range of shirts was extended in colour when it became popular as a fashion statement among young wearers outside the sporting arena.

Study shows 70-year-olds Getting Smarter

Research from the University of Gothenburg based on the H70 studies says 70-year-olds born in 1930 and examined in 2000 performed better in the intelligence tests than their predecessors born in 1901-02 and examined in 1971 in the first study.  The current H70 study started in the year 2000, is still ongoing.

Data from a total of more than 2,000 senior residents from Gothenburg is included in the studies.  The residents have been extensively examined over the years including undergoing tests to measure language, logic memory, spatial awareness and speed. The physical and psychiatric studies have enabled research groups to record different trends in the aging population in both physical and mental health.

Dr Simona Sacuiu, resident in psychiatry at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and medical researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy’s  Unit of Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology said,  “The improvement can partly be explained by better pre- and neonatal care, better nutrition,  higher quality of education, better treatment of  high blood pressure and other vascular diseases, and not least the higher intellectual requirements of today’s society, where access to advanced technology, television and the Internet has become part of everyday life.”

While 70-year-olds today do better in intelligence tests than before, it nevertheless  remains difficult to detect dementia in its early stages say the researchers.  Forgetfulness remains an early symptom for onset of  dementia with the study revealing that memory  problems were the only predictor of which 70-year-olds were at risk of developing the condition.  That is not to say however, that all 70-year-olds with a poor memory go on to develop the illness.

Of the more than 800 dementia-free  70-year-olds in the study 5% developed the illness in the subsequent five years, and  dementia is just as common today as it was 30 years ago in those aged between 70 and 75.

Dr Sacuiu said it is important for people with memory problems to undertake an extensive examination.  She went on to say, “If we are to  identify dementia effectively at an early stage,  we need good tools that include psychometric tests.   However, these must constantly be adapted to new generations, as older people  are performing better and better in  standardised psychometric tests.”

Current tests for detecting dementia include;  cognitive and neuropsychological dementia tests,  brain scans,  laboratory tests,  psychiatric evaluation and pre-symptomatic testing.

Dr Sacuiu said patients are likely to get help and support quicker as more is learned about  detecting early signs of dementia.

Martin Freeman To Head the Cast of The Hobbit Movies as Bilbo

It  came as no surprise when Sir Peter Jackson announced UK actor Martin Freeman is to head the cast  of  The Hobbit movies to play Bilbo Baggins .  For some time now it has been known that Freeman was Jackson’s preferred actor for the role.

Freeman became well known for his character Tim in the UK television program The Office. His other notable roles have included Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Porn star John in Love Actually.

While the coverage on the long delayed movie production over recent weeks has focused on issues related to the financial woes of MGM and a labour dispute in New Zealand,  last week Warner Bros and MGM officially gave the movie the go-ahead.

The story of The Hobbit tells of a young Bilbo Baggins who goes on a quest with a group of dwarves to free their ancestral home from the dragon Smaug, under the Lonely Mountain. The announcement also included the names of some dwarf roles which are pivotal in the fantasy story.

They are New Zealand actors Peter Hambleton as Gloin, father of Gimli in The Lord of the Rings, Mark Hadlow as Dori, Stephen Hunter cast as Bombur and John Callen as Oin.

The role of Thorin Oakenshield, Leader of the Company of Dwarves, has gone to UK actor Richard Armitage, fellow countryman Rob Kazinksy will play Fili with Scottish born actor Graham McTavish cast as Dwalin. Irish actor Aidan is to play the role of Kili.

There has been no indication yet if Ian McKellan will repeat his role as Gandalf the wizard from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The movies are being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM the former are managing production and MGM is responsible for international distribution.  Warner Bros. Pictures will take care of domestic distribution. Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham will produce the films.  Phillipa Boyens will be co-producer and Ken Kamins is named as executive producer.

When filming will start and where is yet to be announced, however the New Zealand actors have declared themselves delighted with the news of their roles.

The scheduled release date for The Hobbit Part 1 is still December 2012, with Part 2 expected to follow in December, 2013.

Suspected Cholera Outbreak in Haiti

While it is yet to be confirmed, there are growing fears that the outbreak of severe diarrhoea affecting hundreds and which has killed 135 people in Artibonite a rural area in central Haiti is due to an outbreak of cholera.

There was relief among aid workers and medical staff that this was not one of the diseases to strike in the Caribbean country after the deadly earthquake in January.

Artibonite escaped the worst of the earthquake but the region already one which suffered from extreme poverty was seen as a haven for huge numbers of Haitians displaced from Port au Prince.

Without the necessary infrastructure to cope with the population influx water resources are believed to have become contaminated.

It is more than 100 years since Haiti last had an outbreak of cholera which is an extremely virulent bacterial infection is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

Transmitted via contaminated food and water the symptoms include diarrhoea, dehydration, abdominal pain, and fever.

Treatment is relatively simple with rehydration therapy to reverse the dehydration.  However it leaves those infected extremely weak and needing medical care to administer the therapy.

The population are already suffering as a result of malnourishment since the earthquake.  Those who contract the cholera will be at greater risk of dying from the disease because of their condition.  Already nearly 300,000 have died in and since the earthquake.

Authorities are struggling to cope with the influx of patients to the St. Nicholas hospital in the seaside city of St. Marc.

The US embassy in Port-au-Prince issued an advisory note urging people to drink only bottled or boiled water and eat only food that has been thoroughly cooked.

Spongy Brakes Issue in Latest Toyota Vehicle Recall

Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan made its latest announcement on vehicle recalls on 21 October 2010.    At issue this time is the possibility of brake fluid leaks affecting up to 1.5 million vehicles worldwide.

About 740,000 cars are believed to be affected in the USA.

The Toyota brake fluid which contains polymers was used in the assembly of vehicles sold in the US market.   In a statement issued by the company it explained the problem.

“The polymers act as lubricants for certain brake system components.  If during vehicle maintenance, brake fluid is used that does not contain such polymers or only small amounts, a part of the internal rubber seal (brake master cylinder cup) located at the end of the brake master cylinder piston may become dry and may curl during movement of the piston.

If this occurs, a small amount of the brake fluid could slowly leak from the brake master cylinder into the brake booster, resulting in illumination of the brake warning lamp.”

The recall is to address the instances of customers who do not use Toyota genuine brake fluid with the included polymers. The company said drivers who continued to use the vehicles despite the brake warning lamp illumination will start to experience “a spongy or soft brake pedal feel” and reduced braking performance.

The production years cover 2004-06 and include Avalons, Highlanders and Lexus models.  On the Toyota Owners Web Site customers can enter their VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) to find out if their specific vehicle is involved in recent recalls.

Beginning in early November 2010 Toyota plans to notify owners of vehicles for recall by first class mail.   The affected brake master cylinder cup will be replaced with a newly designed one by Toyota and Lexus dealers at no cost to the vehicle owners.

Database May Hold the Key to Looted Jewish Collections

An online database cataloguing more than 20,000 artworks stolen from Jewish families by the Nazis in their march across Europe during WWII has gone online.   It provides access to the detailed records kept by the Nazis as well as images of the artifacts and artworks stolen in occupied France and Belgium during World War II by a special task force managed by Alfred Rosenburg and authorised by Adolf Hitler.

The project is a joint one between the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Conference of Jewish Material Claims against Germany.  The database will enable people to search for art which they believe may have been seized by the Nazis.   The service is a free one and can be accessed by galleries, museums and art collectors as well as the general public.

Many families do not know what was taken from them.  The Nazis however were meticulous in recording what they took object by object with details put on index cards and this will allow families who had goods stolen research works that may be been stolen from them and possibly seek restitution.   The purpose is initially to make a list of the families recorded so people will be able to discover what was taken from them.

Among the artworks listed include pieces by Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet, Chagall and Picasso.  The desire is that the works can be returned to the descendants of the original owners for whom these may be the only remaining possessions for some of them from their families who perished in the war between 1940 and 1944.

Museums, art galleries and art dealers may have some of these works in their possession.  The International Council of  Museums has a general principle that there is a moral duty for these bodies to check and validate the provenance of what they have in their collections.  Whether or not an artwork which is discovered to be owned by a family can be returned legally depends on the country in question.

An estimated total of 650,000 objects were stolen by the Nazis from families, private collections and museums of which several hundred thousand remain missing.  Many of the works were repatriated to Germany for private collections, museums or put into secure and hidden storage by the Germans. Some works were destroyed being deemed degenerate by Hitler.

At the end of the WWII the Allies discovered hundreds of these repositories and where possible at the time works were returned but some were never claimed and others were further looted.

The compiled records from the US, Germany and France reveal what was taken from whom.  It also shows the record of those objects that have been restored and what is still missing.  Work is ongoing with other countries to add to the records.

New Apple MacBook Air Launched by Steve Jobs

At a news conference at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California Steve Jobs launched the latest Apple Mac laptop a super-slim computer.

He called it “The future of laptops.”  There is a choice of models with screen size 11.6 inch weighing just 2.3 pounds or a 13.3 inch screen which weighs 2.9 pounds.   The Mack Book air combines features of the iPad and iPhone with traditional the Macbooks.

The MacBook air uses flash storage rather than a conventional hard drive so it can power up almost instantly from standby mode and will store data twice as quickly as a standard hard drive.  It has a battery that will last for up to 30 days in standby mode or runs for seven hours but has less processing power than other Apple laptops.

Apple has focused a lot of attention on iPad and iPhone but with Macs comprising one third of its revenue in 2010 it did foreshadow the MacBook Air’s arrival in July this year.

The MacBook Air will incorporate Face Time video conferencing and a suite of apps which Apple intends bringing to all its Macs.   This will allow for video calls between iPhones, iPod touches and Macs.  Developers will be able to start submitting apps next month for the Mac App Store which go live within 90 days.

Developers will get 70 per cent of the revenue of sales from these. The original App Store which was launched in 2008 has 250,000 apps for the iPhone and more than 30,000 apps specifically designed for the iPad.

The MacBook Air prices start at US$999 depending on the storage and screen size.  The MacBook Air models are now available from the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

A Cold Winter Coming in the UK

The UK Government has released plans to reduce military spending which will cut personnel and equipment to the Army, Navy and Air Force in the coming years. Of two new aircraft carriers under commission one may never be operational with the second having a limited period of service.

The Navy’s warship fleet will be reduced and up to 4,000 personnel will lose their jobs and the Harrier jump-jets will be abandoned next year. The RAF is set to lose 500 personnel but the Tornado fighter bombers will remain in service.

Up to 7,000 soldiers will be lost from the Army as well as a portion of tanks  armoured vehicles.

With a shift in perspective of the future threats facing the country to terrorism, cyber warfare, flu pandemics and illegal immigration there will be increased spending for Special Forces for technology equipment and weapons and personnel.

With a reduced military force the UK will in future have to be part of joint military operations with its allies in the future and is not likely to be able to engage in conflicts such as Iraq or Afghanistan in the future.

It is expected that Britain’s nuclear deterrent will also be reduced and replacement delayed.

Following closely on the Defence cuts official documents being read by the Chief Secretary of the Treasury Danny Alexander revealed the expected cuts in public sector workers.

In what is expected to be the biggest reduction in public employees since World War II up to 500,000 workers could find themselves working shorter hours,and taking pay cuts to hang onto their jobs.

There will be a flow on effect on hundreds of thousands of jobs in the private sector as well for companies which rely on government contracts or grants for their operation.

There will be increased pension contributions required from public sector workers from next year and they also face a two year pay freeze.

Means testing is to be introduced for welfare payments and child benefit payments will cease for higher earners from 2013. However winter fuel payments will continue for the elderly. University budgets are to be cut which will lead to increases in tuition fees from 2012.

Police numbers are expected to be cut by thousands of jobs as are the prison and probation services leading to cuts in prison numbers in the coming years.

Thousands of angry workers marched in protest at the cuts and tax increases.

Wayne Rooney Wants to Quit Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United’s Manager delivered the stunning announcement at a news conference on Tuesday that England International 24 year old Wayne Rooney wants to leave the the English Premier League club after six successful years there.

Rooney was signed to the club by Sir Alex and has developed under his and the club’s tutelage since that time.

At a press conference Sir Alex made a number of statements on the matter but declined to take questions from the attending journalists. He said “We’ve done nothing but help him since he’s been at this club,”

“We cannot quite understand why he would want to leave. No-one can deny this club is one of the most successful in British football.”

“We have won 40 major trophies, countless cup finals, have a fantastic history, a great stadium, great training arrangements.”

“We don’t understand it.  I can’t answer any questions about why he is doing it.  We can speculate.  We can have opinions.  It won’t matter a dickie-bird, simply because the player is adamant he wants to leave.”

Ferguson also said that there was an offer on the table for Rooney intimating he hopes the player will remain at Old Trafford.

There have been reports of a dispute between Rooney and Sir Alex over the status of the player’s injury. Sir Alex said there was no argument between them and gave some insight into the ankle injury which was sustained and received treatment.

In a statement responding to Sir Alex’s comments Rooney has confirmed he has asked to leave Old Trafford and has said he remains a big fan of the club manager and the club.

“I have never had anything but complete respect for MUFC.  How could I not have done given its fantastic history and especially the last six years in which I have been lucky to play a part.?”

Unsafe Drug Sibutramine Found in Herbal Products

Sibutramine an anti-obesity drug which the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority, which oversees medicines in the UK instructed doctors to cease prescribing in January has been discovered in two herbal products. Paiyouji herbal tea and Pai You Guo Slim capsule an unlicensed herbal medicine on sale in the United Kingdom have now been found to contain the drug sibutramine.   They are also widely advertised for sale on the internet. The MHRA said that any product containing sibutramine is considered “harmful to human health”.   They said that not only could it have side effects including high blood pressure, seizures, heart attacks or strokes, but could interfere with other prescription medicines.

Several weeks ago health authorities in Taiwan ordered a recall of Meridia and all other weight-loss drugs that contain sibutramine.   Firms selling Meridia and other weight loss aids containing sibutramine were given a month to remove products from sale.   Licences for 15 other sibutramine-based drugs have also become invalid.  They include Reductil, Sytramee, Losfat, Moi-Allison, Sibutil, Shapedesign and Controkilo.  Current users of the drug have been advised to seek medical advice and alternative treatments.

This move follows the US FDA (Food and Drug Adminisration) instructing Abbott Laboratories manufacturers of Meridia to withdraw the capsules from the US market earlier this month.  The European Union advised its members to suspend Meridia sales in January and Australia has also removed the drug from its market.

Meridia is an appetite suppressant used in combination with diet and exercise to help people lose and maintain weight loss.  The Abbott Laboratories withdrawal followed the US FDA’s release of a study showing a16 per cent increased risk for heart attack, stroke and death among people taking the drug.

Meridia was withdrawn voluntarily in early October in Canada and a few days later Apo-sibutramine another such product was voluntarily withdrawn there by the manufacturer Apotex Inc.

Manhattan's Chelsea Hotel Up For Sale

One of New York City’s best known landmark hotels the Chelsea Hotel located at 222 West 23rd Street, Manhattan is up for sale. It first opened in 1884 as an apartment co-operative and became an hotel around 1905. It has a history and reputation as a center of artistic activity and many famous names have spent long and short sojurns under its roof.

Its front portico has several plaques with the names of some the 20th century’s literary giants including Brendan Behan, Dylan Thomas and Arthur Miller who all wrote while residing there over various periods. Other residents and visitors included the writers Eugene O’Neil, Thomas Wolfe, Arthur C Clarke.  It was a popular spot for musicians among them being Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, the latter who composed songs while staying at the Chelsea.

It continues to be a notable place to visit by both NYC residents and tourists not only for the history of its colorful residents but also its architecture including a beautiful grand staircase which reaches up twelve floors to the roof. In response to public demand the hotel runs public monthly tours of the building which last about three hours.

In 1977 the Department of the Interior placed the building on the National Register of Historic Places and its interiors and history continue to make it attractive as a location for film productions and for publicity purposes.

The property is today controlled by three families in the Chelsea 23rd St Corporation. They have owned it for the last 65 years and Eastdil Secured LLC a wholly owned subsidiary of  Wells Fargo & Company is marketing the property on their behalf.

No indication has been given of the asking price for the 12-storey property which has 125 hotel rooms and 101 residential units. In recent years a major renovation was undertaken of 25 rooms and the lobby.

Mexican Military Marijuana Haul In Tijuana

On Monday Mexican authorities announced a drugs haul of over 100 tonnes of marijuana in the border town of Tijuana.  It is the largest seizure made since President Felipe Calderon launched a nationwide crackdown on drug cartels in 2006.   In total 130 tonnes of marijuana have been seized in Baja California and tunnels built by the cartels to move the drugs to California, USA have also been uncovered this year.

Drugs were found in a convoy of seven vehicles which fired on municipal police on patrol in Tijuana, just across the border from San Diego, California. Army and state police provided reinforcements leading to the arrest of 11 people. The major haul came about after information from those detained directed security forces to the 10,000 packages found in raids at a local ranch, home and apartment.

General Alfonso Duarte told reporters “The seizure of these drugs is without precedent in the country.”  With a street value of $340 million in Mexico this amount would have given the drug cartels a far higher return if they had been able to move the marijuana to the United States.  No information was given as to the gangs involved nor where the marijuana originated.  The packages are being counted and will be incinerated once they have been recorded.

Mexico is the one of the world’s largest exporters of marijuana. The trade is run by increasingly violent drug cartels who generate billions of dollars in revenue.   More than 28,000 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico since 2006.   Marijuana production is increasing in Mexico as  gangs seek to reduce their reliance on supplies from South America according to a report from the US State Department’s 2010 International Narcotics Control Strategy report.

TIROS 2010 Exhibits Interactive Robot

The Taipei International Robot Show opens today and runs until the end of the week.   With nearly 300 booths with exhibits from 66 companies and research institutions the displays cover the gamut of industrial, entertainment and other robotic applications.

The Robotics Association Taiwan organized the fair and its director-general Eric Chuo said there had been a 30 percent rise in the service robots presented at TIROS. He said this is evidence of robotics having a major potential to be mainstreamed into society.

Vice President Vincent Siew said in his opening remarks that the use of robots could influence life quality and industrial development.  He said they will be important in the role they will play with an increasingly aging society, “Robots can also be used in the service industry, such as in the medical-care sector, especially when the population is aging.”

In late September officials from the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, the University of Tokyo and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology announced the development of a robot to aid people with mild dementia.

The robot could be programed to give verbal reminders about taking medication and keeping appointments. It weighs about five kilograms and is about 40 centimeters high and was produced by NEC Corp. It is hoped to have it ready for use in five years.

Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) humanoid service robot Roppie designed to help in aged care and for people with disabilities, by undertaking daily household tasks was unveiled at the 2009 TIROS.  At this year’s show it played a game of tic tac toe with a member of the public demonstrating the potential to provide interactive companionship.

FIFA Launches Corruption Inquiry

Following allegations by the London Sunday Times newspaper that a couple of undercover journalists had filmed evidence of corruption involving two of its executive members, The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has today launched a formal investigation. The incident occurred when the two journalists posing as lobbyists for an American consortium were seeking endorsement of the US bid for the 2022 World Cup final host rights.

The FIFA executives in question are Nigeria’s executive Committee member Amos Adamu and athe Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii from Tahiti. The latter is alleged to have sought $3 million to finance a sports academy while Adamu was allegedly seeking a million dollars to build artificial pitches. Both men have denied the allegations.

Sepp Blatter FIFA’s president in a letter to the executive committee on 17 October 2010 advised them of the issue and said, “I will keep you duly informed of any further developments. In the meantime, I would like to ask you to refrain from making any public comments on this matter.” If found guilty of taking bribes for votes the officials could face suspension or expulsion from FIFA.

The decision on who will be the 2018 and 2022 World Cup final hosts is expected to be announced at FIFA Headquarters in Zurich on 2 December. England and Russia are both bidding for the 2018 tournament and there are also joint bids from Netherlands/Belgium and Portugal/Spain for the rights.

The rights to host the 2022 World Cup tournament is being contested by Australia, Japan, Qatar, South Korea and the USA.

Kremlin Honours US Spies

The arrest of the Soviet sleeper spies in the USA in June and their subsequent speedy deportation in July was reminiscent of the era of the Cold War and the spy scandals and defections in the UK, most notably the Cambridge Five. In July The US group of men and women after pleading guilty to the charges of spying were deported to the Soviet Union via Austria.

Two jets landed at Vienna Airport in an area where they were kept hidden from the media and an exchange was made between the 10 from the USA and four men released from Russian prisons. They were pardoned by President Dimitry Medvedev after they signed documents admitting they had spied for the West.

The release of the four men from Russia was part of the deal agreed between the two countries following the arrest of the 10 in the US and expedited the exchange.

The spies from the US were given a hero’s welcome on arrival in Russia with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin leading them in a patriotic sing-along, those returning from Russia arrived in less flamboyant circumstances.

The Soviet Union has a tradition of honoring its spies and Kim Philby who was the face of the Cambridge Five received one of Russia’s highest awards the Order of the Red Banner in 1965. It is therefore no surprise that President Medvedev has now awarded the highest Russian state honors to the US sleeper agents in a ceremony at the Kremlin to honor members of the Foreign Intelligence Service. At the time of their arrest the US State Department reported that they had achieved nothing of any substance and were amateurish.

Among the US spies Anna Chapman became something of a media sensation before she was deported and she has continued to be seen in the media since her return to Russia. Chapman was formerly married to an Englishman and had UK citizenship. However this was revoked following her arrest in the USA. There has been no publicity or pictures of the award ceremony nor details of the specific award given nor to whom.

More Changes to Australian Policy on Asylum Seekers

Prime Minister Julia Gillard today announced further changes to her government’s policy on the management of asylum seekers arriving by boats in Australia. The Government plans to move children and their families as well as unaccompanied minors out of detention facilities into community-based accommodation. It is intended that community and church groups will work with the government in the set -up and ongoing operation of these facilities and relieve immigration staff and security personnel currently carrying out this supervision for the department by June 2011.

For individuals to be granted this residence at large they must be deemed by the authorities to be of no risk to the community and unlikely to abscond. They will continue to be to be subject to restrictions such as the need to reside at a nominated address and report regularly to authorities while they progress their application for asylum.

However it is considered that these moves will enable children of asylum seekers to be better able to attend school and minimize mental health problems associated with them being held in detention centers as Ms Gillard said in making the announcement today in Canberra, “This is especially important for children, for whom protracted detention can have negative impacts on their development and mental health.”

Two new detention facilities are to be commissioned they are Department of Defense sites which are surplus to operational requirements. The Northam site, situated north east of Perth will accommodate up to 1500 single males and Inverbrackie north of Adelaide will accommodate family groups totaling 400 people. There are currently about 5,000 asylum seekers in detention awaiting processing on mainland Australia or Christmas Island. Facilities on Christmas Island are so stretched that people are being housed in tents as a temporary measure. Relocation to the new facilities will relieve this pressure.

In Parliament at Question Time Opposition leader Tony Abbott asked PM Gillard why she did not get in touch with the President of Nauru and re-open the detention center established there under the Howard Government.  Ms Gillard said that a regional processing center is what her government supports and that discussions continue with East Timor in this regard.

Velux 5 Oceans Challenge Farewells La Rochelle

The Velux 5 Oceans Challenge the longest and toughest race for individuals in any sport is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race across five oceans. Run every four years since 1982 the 2010/11 challenge departed from La Rochelle(France) today at 1.00pm cheered on by the crowds who lined the Bassin des Chalutiers.  In perfect conditions with sun shining and a fresh breeze the five 60ft Eco 60 yachts were accompanied out to the start area by a flotilla of 400 smaller craft carrying family and friends and the Tall Ship Belem which sounded the start of the race.

The contestants are Christophe Bullens (Belgium) skippering Five Oceans of Smiles named after a charity he is he is raising funds for, which supports children who are HIV positive.  He must sail a qualifying segment and return to La Rochell to complete his preparations with his final departure expected on Thursday next.  His first yacht was dismasted on the way to La Rochelle but a replacement was found and given the same name. Chris Stanmore-Major (UK) from the Isle of Wight the youngest contestant is a professional sailor and is at the helm of Spartan. He is being sponsored by Raymarine a global leader in marine electronics.

Zbigniew Gutkowski (Poland) in Operon Racing has already sailed around the world in Le Race but this time he is aiming to become Poland’s first solo round the world sailor. Derek Hatfield (Canada) is sailing for the second time in this challenge, his yacht is called Active House.  He won the class 3 in the Round Alone race in 2002/03 sailing Spirit of Canada. Brad Van Liew is the veteran of the race with this his third challenge.  He first raced it in 1998 in Balance Bar, he came back again in 2002 and was first in class 2 in Tommy Hilfiger. Le Pingouin will be his home for the next nine months as he seeks to make it a hat trick.

The first leg of the 30,000 nautical mile race, which will take an estimated nine months in total, saw the yachts head off into the Bay of Biscay on the first 7,000 nautical miles of their voyage to Cape Town in South Africa. The second leg will be from Cape Town through the Southern Ocean will take them to Wellington in New Zealand in the New Year. From Wellington the boats will head south to round Cape Horn and then up the coast of Argentina to Salvador in Brazil. From Brazil the yachts will sail to Charleston in South Carolina, USA, in the North Atlantic. The final leg will then be the race for home across the Atlantic to finish back in La Rochelle in May 2011.

The Velux 5 Oceans Challenge is named after its major sponsor, Velux a Danish manufacturer of windows and skylights and has been managed by Clipper Ventures Plc since 1995.   The total prize money for this challenge is €500,000 which will be shared among the overall winner and also with prizes for winners of each leg of the race.

Jerry Hall Pockets Millions for Art Collection Sale

Model, actress and former wife of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall has had a clean out of her art collection.  The fourteen works of post-War UK and American modern artists were sold at their Contemporary Art Auction by Sotheby’s Auction House in London over two sessions on Friday and Saturday.  Included were paintings by artists Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Frank Auerbach.

Perhaps the best known among the pieces sold was the portrait by Lucian Freud for which she modeled the day after meeting him at a dinner party when eight months pregnant with her son Gabriel.   The work called Eight Month’s Gone was expected to sell for between £300,000 to £400,000.and fetched £601,250. The work was featured in the handout by the auction house to promote the sale.

The Warhol works were given to Hall by the artist whom she came to know when working in New York in her late teens in the ’70s .  She had just become involved with Mick Jagger and they socialized frequently at Club 54 a regular hangout for Warhol as well.  The Warhol works included Diamond Dusted Chocolates and Dollar Sign which had a personal dedication to her on the back from the artist.

The pre-sale estimate for the works was in the region of £1.5 million but in fact the final sum achieved was £2,489,775 (US $4 million).

When asked why she was selling the paintings Jerry Hall said it was “letting go of the past”.  “At a certain age you just want to get rid of things,” she said. “It’s good to be in the moment and change, I’m not afraid of change.”

Pension Protests Continue on Streets of France

When the French want to protest they do it the best way the know how and take to the streets.  Over the past week they have been doing so in growing numbers to voice their opposition to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s pension reforms.

The proposed changes include raising the age of retirement with a full pension to 67 from 65 and increasing the minimum legal retirement age to 62 from 60.  With refineries shut down by strikes despite police being sent to keep them open, fears of shortages have resulted in car owners queuing at gas stations to top up their tanks.  Airlines flying into Paris are being advised to come with enough fuel for the return journey though it is next week before supplies may run out.

The protests against the government have been ongoing for the days with railways and refineries the main target at the moment. Students have joined the protests with blockades at schools and universities.  There have been clashes with riot police in several cities, including Nanterre outside Paris. While the numbers have been in the high hundreds of thousands they have not reached the millions the unions have estimated.  The largest turnout has been in Paris.

Public and private sector workers took to the streets in Toulouse on Saturday and Tuesday has been earmarked for a nationwide strike the day before the Senate is scheduled to vote on the pension bill.  The unions are vowing to continue protests even if the legislation is passed into law.  Raising the retirement age is a policy increasingly being introduced by countries around the world seeking to find ways to manage the burgeoning cost of pensions and the increase in an ageing population.

There is an inevitability about the regime coming into force ultimately as France is unlikely to be the only country to be able to deliver its citizens what they consider a basic right to retire at 60.   But unions believe that their protests will have won some gains with amendments to the proposed policy.

New TB Booster Vaccine To Undergo Human Clinical Trials

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease which usually affects the lungs but can also attack other areas of the body.  It is spread much like the  common cold is  from the coughs and sneezes of infected people.  The microscopic bacilli they propel into the air is inhaled by others and the infection can ensue.

Despite the development of the BCG vaccine at the Pasteur Institute in France between 1905 and 1921 it was not till after World War II that mass vaccination of children was undertaken.  Those at school in those days and onwards will remember being lined up for the jabs and carry the scars on their upper arms albeit faded now.  A Mantoux skin test was carried out as well to confirm the success of the BCG vaccination.   TB infections were treated with then new antibiotics with good success.   Vaccination and testing of infants and children does continue in some countries but in some so-called developed countries parents will have to ask for this to be done.

However since the 1980s the rise in the strains of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) today it has become a major global public health concern.   According to the World Health Organization someone in the world is newly infected with TB bacilli every second and one third of the world’s population is currently infected with the TB bacillus.  Half a million people now have  a  MDR-TB strain and treatment requires long courses of multiple and costly second-line drugs and can need years of  treatment.  Prevention of TB continues with screening programs and vaccination however the protection from BCG vaccine which is still widely used does diminish over time.

The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) Seattle has announced its development of  a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that protects against  TB including drug-resistant strains of the disease in animal trials. Their research article was published in Science Translational Medicine on 13 October 2010.
Dr. Rhea Coler, Vice President of Preclinical Biology and one of the study’s Principal Investigators, explains,  “Combining proteins in a vaccine is important because tuberculosis bacilli are variable, and no single protein will be effective against all strains.”   In addition, because of human genetic diversity, individuals will respond differently to different proteins.  A combination of proteins, such as exist in natural tuberculosis bacteria,
increases the vaccine’s efficacy.

On 13 October Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO which hosts the Stop TB Partnership announced  The Gobal Plan to Stop TB 2011-2015 “There is an urgent need to scale up action against TB – 10 million people, including 4 million women and children, will lose their lives unnecessarily between now and 2015 if we fail,” said Dr Chan. “TB control works, with global incidence of the disease declining since 2004, although much too slowly.”

The new Global Plan sets out to provide diagnosis and treatment approaches recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for 32 million people over the next five years.

Swiss Celebrate St Gotthard Base Tunnel Breakthrough

While the world was watching and celebrating the miracle of the 33 miners being rescued from the San Jose mine in Chile after 70 days incarceration, halfway across the world the miners at the St Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) in Switzerland were planning their own miracle.  The countdown had started for the final 1.8 meters of tunneling to the breakthrough position of the eastern tube under the St Gotthard massif in the Swiss Alps.

Today the tunneling machine from Faido was started up to push the remaining rock out in the direction of Sedrun and broke through at 14:30pm to create the world’s longest rail tunnel, surpassing the current titleholder the undersea Seikan tunnel in Japan.

A small invited group of 200 witnessed the breakthrough by the boring machine, as about 3500 miners and others who have been involved in the project over its nearly 20 years watched on big screens at various venues. Swiss TV broadcast the event live locally and globally.

Speaking at the breakthrough event in the tunnel, Renzo Simoni, Chief Executive Officer of Alp Transit Gotthard AG, gave special thanks to the miners,  “Through their years of tireless commitment, they have made this world record possible.  The miners are the heroes of today’s celebrations.”

The St Gotthard Base Tunnel was built simultaneously in five sections: Erstfeld, Amsteg, Sedrun, Faido and Bodio.  The first works were carried out back in 1993, and the final breakthrough in the west tube is scheduled to take place in April 2011.  The 57 km GBT is the most deeply set rail tunnel in the world and is the core of the new rail connection, which together with the15.4 km Ceneri base tunnel, will provide a level track through the Alps, constructed as it is underneath the existing  St Gotthard rail tunnel.

Traffic in the region has increased more than tenfold since 1980 and the existing congested St Gotthard road and rail tunnels are at their limits. The GBT came about to meet the aims of the Swiss Alpine Protection Act 1994 which resulted from a series of referendums by Swiss nationals who voted to fund the project.   The objective set was to provide a means to relieve the overuse of roads and the impact on Switzerland’s landscape by heavy trucks carrying millions of tonnes of goods from southern Germany to Northern Italy.    In future the goods will be carried by rail and the tonnage is expected to double while the speed of travel through the tunnel will be halved from what it is today.  Travel times for trans-alpine passenger trains are expected to be reduced by 50 minutes with trains traveling at 250 km/h through the new tunnels.

The cost of the project at latest estimate in October 2010 is in the region of US$22 billion. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is expected to be  commissioned and become operational before the end of 2017.

FDA approves Botox Treatment for Chronic Migraine

The US Food and Drug Administration has given approval today for Botox injections to be administered as treatment to prevent chronic migraine headaches in adults. This follows similar approval which was given by the United Kingdom drug regulators on Health authorities in July. The UK approval came after trials involving up to 1300 people found the treatment beneficial.

Russell Katz, MD director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research today descried the condition as “one of the most disabling forms of headache.” Sufferers of chronic migraine experience a headache most days of the month and  Katz said “This condition can greatly affect family, work, and social life, so it is important to have a variety of effective treatment options available.”

The occurrence of migraine is three times more common in women than men and when one is awake the onset of the migraine which is an intense pain in one are of the head is foreshadowed by one or more of the following symptoms, numbness in the face, “flashing lights”,  nausea,  vomiting,  garbled speech, sensitivity to light.  The migraine headache then persists for any length of time but usually for 24 hours or longer.   This sequence of events can continue to repeat itself for days and weeks at a time.

A severe migraine causes some sufferers to have to go to bed and usually in a darkened room. When the migraine has dissipated one can be left feeling quite drained even if one has been sleeping or resting. There continues to be speculation as to the cause of migraines, stress is blamed, different foods, chocolate, red wine but it remains a mystery much to the chagrin of sufferers who would willingly change their eating habits to avoid getting the migraine.

The proposed Botox treatment for chronic migraine will be administered every 12 weeks with multiple injections around the head and neck to try to dull future migraine symptoms. However botox has not been shown to be effective in treating episodic migraine headaches.

Use of OnabotulinumtoxinA, which is marketed as Botox and Botox Cosmetic by Allergan Inc, has increased in the last decade as a cosmetic treatment by women and now growing numbers of men to reduce the incidence of wrinkles in the face and neck and reduce the look of ageing.

Other conditions already approved by the FDA for Botox treatment include blepharospasm, strabismus and cervical dystonia.

Delhi Commonwealth Games Finish with an Extravaganza

Before a capacity crowd in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium the XIX Commonwealth Games came to an end on 14 October, 2010 in a flawless extravaganza of song and dance and a magnificent fireworks display lighting up the Delhi skyline.

It is hard to credit that four weeks ago there were murmurings that the event might not even get underway. Crises seemed to abound with the facilities still to be completed, the Athletes Village a mess, security and health concerns and other issues delaying the arrival of athletes in Delhi.  Some were spooked by the reports and chose to withdraw and not travel to India.

But the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and authorities battled on and the Opening Ceremony a spectacle of color, music, and a star child drummer preceded the march in of the athletes who received a rousing welcome from the spectators on time on 3 October. The Games were declared open by Prince Charles and President Patil of India.

There was no delay in getting the serious business of the Games underway and the 7,000 athletes from 71 countries got on with what they had been training for over the past four years, showing off their prowess and hauling in the gold, silver and bronze medals. Australia, the country with the largest contingent took the title for the most gold medals.  A couple of well timed performances delivered second place to India on the final day, with England taking third place.

There were a few spills, and upsets but no real controversy marked any of the events, though the poor audiences at some events did give them a slightly disengaged air. This did not diminish the caliber of the athletes nor their performances and the bar remained high for them all.

The closing ceremony included a cameo from the Scots who came with an enormous armadillo feature and bonnie dancers and singers heralding Glasgow giving notice that they will be host to the 20th Commonwealth Games in four years.

Dignitaries attending the ceremony included, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice President M Hamid Ansari, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi,CWG chief Michael Fennell and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Prince Edward, patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation officially closed 19th Games after the CWG flag was handed to the Glasgow officials by the Delhi officials.

So the athletes will now depart for home with unanimous praise for the hospitality they have received and the success they enjoyed with happy memories of an event India can be truly proud of.

The Credit Card Trap For Students

All manner of financial services companies and banks will have their sights on the latest intake of first term university or college students and even  those returning to study further in the new year.  They will be laying out an array of offers to get the students to open bank accounts and set up credit cards with the minimum of fuss.

It is sensible for them to become the banker of choice early in the hope of retaining the students as more lucrative clients when they finish their studies and become the high earners of the future.

A credit card will be a new option for a number of students and if they are living away from home for the first time and coming to grips with their  budgeting it may seem all too attractive to put it on the plastic and worry about payment tomorrow.   It is difficult stretching the funds for food, accommodation, books, and other necessities against the desire to go out and party or buy the latest clothing.

That is not to say that a credit card or a bank account with an overdraft facility cannot be a boon.  Indeed it can but they are like a tiger with a tail,  they must be controlled.   Properly managed and with a sensible upper limit which is paid off in due time it can earn one an enviable financial history which will be a benefit later.  Failure to do this however, could mean being dogged for life with a bad credit report or finding it incredibly difficult to reverse one.

Every financial transaction carried out which involves any form of electronic record such as a bank account or credit card is registered somewhere and forms the basis of one’s financial history and everybody has one. It records bank accounts, credit cards, loans, debts and one’s  registration on the electoral roll.

It is not just being in debt that is to be avoided, missed credit card payments or late bill payments can also be registered as a negative on one’s financial history. The credit report just keeps gathering the information. Credit reference agencies that compile these reports are commercial  companies and get their information from a wide range of sources.  This information is then sold to lenders and financial services companies,  who use it to decide one’s credit worthiness before funds are advanced for a loan or similar financial product and even provision of a credit card.

There are websites which contain the fundamentals about budgeting and just what information is held in one’s credit report.   Credit reference  agencies are a source to get access to one’s credit report and credit score and keep a regular check on them.

"Robosigning" Compromises Mortgage Foreclosures

With the mounting allegations about possible impropriety in the handling of mortgage foreclosures a multi-state group of 49 state Attorneys General and the state bank and mortgage regulators has been formed to investigate the issue.  They have announced that they are working with the Multistate Mortgage Committee which represents regulators from 50 states.

In a statement released yesterday they referred to a process which has come to be known as “robosigning” and brings into question the valididty of documents signed in a manner which is contrary to state laws. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is heading the group but has given no date for completion of the inquiry.

Some banks have also announced that they are undertaking internal reviews on mortgage foreclosures with Bank of America suspending any further foreclosures in 50 states.  Other major lenders JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Ally Financial Inc are also investigating allegations of impropriety in processing foreclosures and have suspended them in some states.

The majority of homes are bought with a mortgage from a bank, which the homeowner pays off over a number of decades. Failure to make due contracted payments allows the bank to exercise its right to to take possession of the property in what is called a foreclosure and to then sell it to recover its monies. While the current questions as to the integrity of foreclosures could cause homeowners to question them it is unlikely to stop them in the end.

The most common reasons for failure to make mortgage payments are a lack of income due to job loss or other circumstance on the part of the homeowner. With the decline in property value since the subprime crisis in 2008 many home owners now find themselves in an even worse situation with mortgages in excess of the value of their property, which has led increasing numbers of them to simply quit their homes.

The administration of President Barack Obama has so far resisted calls for intervention and a moratorium on foreclosures until the issues are resolved. With Fannie May and Freddie Mac placed into conservatorship by the Government in 2008 during the sub prime crisis continuing to hold and guarantee mortgages on hundreds of thousands of homes any delay in disposing of properties subject to foreclosure will only mean ongoing expense for the US taxpayer.

Regulator, Federal Housing Agency Acting Director Edward J DeMarco, also issued a statement yesterday indicating the intention to continue with foreclosures. “The country’s housing finance system remains fragile and I intend to maintain our focus on addressing this issue in a manner that is fair to delinquent households, but also fair to servicers, mortgage investors, neighborhoods and most of all, is in the best interest of taxpayers and housing markets.”

Another Mission Accomplished Towards Space Trips

Virgin Galactic is the company which is part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and plans to offer sub-orbital space flights to the paying public.

The company announced on Monday, 10 October 2010 that its SpaceShip Two had achieved a major milestone with its first successful flight over the Mojave Desert.  Piloted by Pete Siebold who was assisted by co-pilot Mike Alsbury the craft was released from its mothership the WhiteKnightTwo at an at an altitude of 45,000ft.

It then flew freely for 11 minutes before landing at Mojave Air and Space Port in California. This achieved the two main goals of the flight and the pilots were able to carry out other objectives during their brief flight culminating in a safe landing.

Sir Richard who was present at the flight said, “This was one of the most exciting days in the whole history of Virgin.” George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic who was also present, added “To see the world’s first manned commercial spaceship landing on a runway is a sight I always dreamed I would behold.”

Tickets to ride are a mere US$200,000 and Virgin Galatic says it already has received 370 customer deposits totaling $50 million.  This success brings the chance of the inaugural six travelers  getting their boarding pass that much nearer.

Whitesides said they will be continuing the experimental program to be able to get an FAA licence and get the system into service. The commercial flights will be out of Spaceport America, New Mexico.

A documentary on the build up and preparation for the VSS Enterprise’s flight will be aired on the National Geographic channel in the US at 10:00pm ET/PT on Monday 18 October.

33 Miracles Come Out Of The San Jose Mine

At just before 10.00pm Chile time, 13 October 2010 and after under 23 hours of continuous hoisting,  the Phoenix capsule carrying Luis Urzua, 54 the mine shift leader arrived topside of the  San Jose mine in the Atacama Desert in Chile.  He was the 33rd miracle the world watched emerge from what could have been an underground tomb.

In equipment that was simple in the extreme, a metal canister, albeit fitted with some safety features, attached to a metal wire on a big wheel, like a child’s play set it saved the lives of the miners.  It was wound up and down in what was becoming routine by the, nearly700 feet through a narrow rock hole to rescue 33 miners thought dead and buried nearly 70 days ago and it never faltered.

From the discovery of the men trapped underground over two months ago there has been a steady and quiet operation taking place to achieve the rescue just witnessed by the world.

Governments and agencies around the world have all provided help, advice and assistance to the Chilean Government , the authorities and the workers at the San Jose site who just bored away steadily to reach the underground cavern.

The men have been cared for with special food, medical supervision and activities to keep them occupied and they have provided the world on top with recordings and perspectives from their temporary home.

It is a testament to quality of the operation that none of the miners seemed the worse for wear physically after their ordeal and walked unaided from the capsule at the surface.  Just as the timetable to breakthrough to the underground mine came in well ahead of schedule, it is fitting that the exit of the men has also been achieved ahead of target.   What was anticipated would be an hour long operation for each man’s exit was reduced to under 15 minutes from ground floor to the top of the exit hole.

Six miners went down into in the underground cavern to be with the miners facilitating their entry to the capsule and attaching their safety harness and other attachments for the ride up the hole to the sky. In these last stages night has fallen and the moon is shining brightly above.

President Pinera and his wife Cecilia have been by the capsule exit with the operations team to be among the first to greet the miners as they arrived.

Families of the miners have kept vigil in a temporary town which grew up around the mine opening.  There have been tears, laughter, cheers, hugs, thanks and delight all around with the safe arrival of every man.  There have also been  some special moments like the return to the communications specialists by the second to last miner out of the phone hand piece they sent down and which was used for the first communications after their discovery.

After a few brief moments of reunion the men were been stretchered to the nearby hospital facility for attention by the waiting specialists.

All Chile, where children have stayed at home from school today, and many people around the world where news channels from North America to Europe and the Middle East carried live coverage have been glued to their TV sets watching the events unfold.  The high spirits and happiness has been infectious in watching this miraculous event.

The six miners assisting will be hoisted up in the capsule now that the trapped men have been brought up from their dungeon.  It is expected that the mine will be closed up and the buildings and equipment and goods removed and San Jose will return to the quiet of the desert where for a few short months it was the center of so many people’s world.

President Pinera in a press conference following the completion of the rescue said “The rescue was done in the Chilean way.” He thanked the 33 miners who showed “loyalty”and he said he told Luis Urzua that he was a boss who made Chileans proud with words of encouragement and was the last to leave the mine.   He also thanked the families who kept faith and the rescuers who gave themselves body and soul throughout the 69 days.

He said he wanted to thank God and said Chile is ready to face whatever the future brings, “Viva Chile.”  President Pinera ended his press conference with a few words in English and said, “I am proud to have the privilege and responsibility to be President of Chile with the earthquake and the rescue which has been an inspiring effort not only for the Chileans but the whole world.”

Laughter, Tears and Hugs as Chilean Miners Come Topside

The 33 Chilean miners who have been trapped in the San Jose mine in the northern Atacama desert since 5 August are being brought to the surface one by one in a steady stream.  The long wait of over two months is coming to an end for their families and friends who have been waiting at the mine site since they were discovered trapped but alive after having been feared lost in the mine’s collapse.

When the breakthrough was made by the drillers a technical expert in mines was the first to go down in the specially designed capsule to inspect the surfaces.  Two paramedics are overseeing the miners’ physical condition before each is sent skyward.  It was decided to schedule the first miners to make the approximately12 minute journey to be those considered the most psychologically stable in the event here were any glitches during the first few rescues.

A specially designed harness was made for the miners to wear  to ensure safety  in their ascent.   It monitors their breathing rate, oxygen consumption and heart rate and has oxygen masks if required.

Florencia Avalos was the first man out arriving at 4.11am GMT. He was greeted with cheers, tears and chants from the the waiting crowd and hugs from Chilean President Pinera and his family and a few tears from his young son.   The second miner rescued, Mario Sepulveda came bearing gifts for his rescuers.   He warmly embraced his rescuers laughing and joking all the while and then remembering bent down to rummage in his bag and bring out quartz-encrusted rocks which he presented to them as a momento.  After greeting his family he evaded his minders and still laughing happily ran across to other rescuers and led them in singing.  However he was gently led away as there will be no exceptions for any of the men who will undergo medical and psychological checks and remain under observation for at least two days at a specially designed hospital close by to the site.

So far five men have reached the surface up the 625 meter shaft in the Phoenix as the capsule has been named. The others are Juan Illanes who was third, Bolivian Carlos Mamani fourth and and Jimmy Sanchez fifth.   The rescue program is expected to last over the next two days with each rescue expected to take about an hour. Shift leader Luis Urzua will be the last miner to make the upward journey.

The event is being watched globally as it has been since August.  This is a world record for the time workers have survived underground following a mining collapse.