Internet mogul Ma Huateng is number nine on Forbes magazine's list of the richest people in China, with a fortune of 4.4 billion dollars. But he gets 450 dollars a month in official housing subsidies.
Ma, 39, is the chairman of Hong Kong-listed Chinese web portal Tencent and has been deemed a "local leading talent" by the government in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen on the border with Hong Kong, where the company is based.
The title gives him the right to 3,100 yuan a month in housing subsidies over a five-year period as an incentive to buy or rent a flat in the city, according to the state-run Global Times, citing the city government.
"The housing-subsidy policy aims to attract talents to Shenzhen and make them stay," an official with Shenzhen's bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, identified by his surname Liu, told the newspaper.
"The city has lost its competitive edge to other cities such as Beijing and Shanghai."More than 2,900 people believed to have contributed to the coastal city's boom had benefited from the programme by early this year, one-third of them businessmen, the report said.
The South China Morning Post said many senior corporate officials were on the list.The news has triggered uproar among the public, particularly the online community, amid soaring property prices and rising concerns over the country's widening income gap.
"Ordinary people cannot afford to buy their flats and there is no policy to address that, but the government is granting house-buying subsidies to the filthy rich.... Who can save China?" one user said in a posting on netease.com.
In a commentary, the Shanghai Evening Post said: "Any incentive policy must not go counter to social equality or hurt the mass public's feelings, nor can it become a treatment for 'super citizens'.
"Officials at Tencent were not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP. The company told the Global Times it respected the policy in Shenzhen to attract top talent, but said nothing further.
Recommended reading:
* Top 10 Richest People - 2010
* White people for rent in China
Somali Militants Executes Two Teenage Girls
More images and commentary of peaceful Muslims .. from Somali. Where are the moderate Muslims on this heinous, evil , sick act? Strapping children to trees and executing them by firing squad is not a matter of religion, speech, or culture.
A Somali militant group publicly executed two teenage girls after accusing them of being spies for the Somali government, according to the group, eyewitnesses and a relative of one of the girls.
"Those two girls were evil and they were spies for the enemy (the Somali government), but the mujahedeen caught them and after investigation, they admitted their crime, so they have been executed," said Sheikh Yusuf Ali Ugas, commander of Al-Shabaab in Beledweyne, a town in central Somalia.
The teens were blindfolded with their hands behind their backs against a tree, and shot, according to a local journalist.
A resident of Beledweyne told CNN that Al-Shabaab called on the town's residents to come out and watch the execution.
"Hundreds of people came out to watch the execution," he said. "It was very bad ... the girls looked shocked and were crying but [no one] could help." A relative of one of the teens denied they were spies.
"My cousin, Ayan Mohamed Jama, was just 16 years old and she was absolutely innocent," said the relative, who did not want their name used out of fear of retribution from Al-Shabaab. "And Al-Shabaab caught her and the other girl between El-gal and Beledweyne and simply accused them of what they were not."
The other girl, said the relative, was 15. Al-Shabaab refused their families' request to see the teens while they were in detention, "and they executed them at a public gathering, so this is inhumane and cruelty."
The El-gal area has been the scene of heavy fighting recently between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab.
"Ayan didn't have any contact with the government and even in her life, she never had a mobile [phone] so we can't understand how she could be accused of being a spy," the relative said.
Last year, Al-Shabaab stoned a teenage girl to death in Kismayo, a town in southern Somalia.
Al-Shabaab is waging a war against Somalia's government in an effort to impose a stricter form of Islamic law, or sharia.
Somalia has not had a stable government since 1991, and fighting between the rebels and government troops has escalated the humanitarian crisis in the famine-ravaged country.
Recommended reading:
* World vs Somali Pirates
* Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani faces stoning
* How Somalia's Fishermen Make Money From Piracy
A Somali militant group publicly executed two teenage girls after accusing them of being spies for the Somali government, according to the group, eyewitnesses and a relative of one of the girls.
"Those two girls were evil and they were spies for the enemy (the Somali government), but the mujahedeen caught them and after investigation, they admitted their crime, so they have been executed," said Sheikh Yusuf Ali Ugas, commander of Al-Shabaab in Beledweyne, a town in central Somalia.
The teens were blindfolded with their hands behind their backs against a tree, and shot, according to a local journalist.
A resident of Beledweyne told CNN that Al-Shabaab called on the town's residents to come out and watch the execution.
"Hundreds of people came out to watch the execution," he said. "It was very bad ... the girls looked shocked and were crying but [no one] could help." A relative of one of the teens denied they were spies.
"My cousin, Ayan Mohamed Jama, was just 16 years old and she was absolutely innocent," said the relative, who did not want their name used out of fear of retribution from Al-Shabaab. "And Al-Shabaab caught her and the other girl between El-gal and Beledweyne and simply accused them of what they were not."
The other girl, said the relative, was 15. Al-Shabaab refused their families' request to see the teens while they were in detention, "and they executed them at a public gathering, so this is inhumane and cruelty."
The El-gal area has been the scene of heavy fighting recently between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab.
"Ayan didn't have any contact with the government and even in her life, she never had a mobile [phone] so we can't understand how she could be accused of being a spy," the relative said.
Last year, Al-Shabaab stoned a teenage girl to death in Kismayo, a town in southern Somalia.
Al-Shabaab is waging a war against Somalia's government in an effort to impose a stricter form of Islamic law, or sharia.
Somalia has not had a stable government since 1991, and fighting between the rebels and government troops has escalated the humanitarian crisis in the famine-ravaged country.
Recommended reading:
* World vs Somali Pirates
* Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani faces stoning
* How Somalia's Fishermen Make Money From Piracy
China's Tianhe-1A Now World's FASTEST Supercomputer
China is solidifying its tech superpower status. China's Tianhe-1A supercomputer has bumped the U.S.'s Jaguar from its top spot as the world's fastest supercomputer.
The computer, known as Tianhe-1A, has 1.4 times the horsepower of the current top computer, which is at a national laboratory in Tennessee, as measured by the standard test used to gauge how well the systems handle mathematical calculations, said Jack Dongarra, a University of Tennessee computer scientist who maintains the official supercomputer rankings.
China's Tianhe-1A blows away the existing No. 1 machine. Tianhe-1A is not only fast, but due to its reliance on GPUs as well as CPUs, it is also "3 times more power efficient -- the difference in power consumption is enough to provide electricity to over 5000 homes for a year.
The machine was developed by China's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), which describes itself as "under the dual supervision of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education."
See a photo of the Tianhe-1A below.
The computer, known as Tianhe-1A, has 1.4 times the horsepower of the current top computer, which is at a national laboratory in Tennessee, as measured by the standard test used to gauge how well the systems handle mathematical calculations, said Jack Dongarra, a University of Tennessee computer scientist who maintains the official supercomputer rankings.
China's Tianhe-1A blows away the existing No. 1 machine. Tianhe-1A is not only fast, but due to its reliance on GPUs as well as CPUs, it is also "3 times more power efficient -- the difference in power consumption is enough to provide electricity to over 5000 homes for a year.
The machine was developed by China's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), which describes itself as "under the dual supervision of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education."
See a photo of the Tianhe-1A below.
Killer Tsunami Strikes Mentawi Indonesia
A powerful, 7.7-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that pounded villages on remote islands off western Indonesia, killing at least 23 people and leaving more than 160 others missing, witnesses and officials said Tuesday.The fault that ruptured Monday, running the length of the west coast of Sumatra island, also caused the 9.1-magnitude quake that unleashed a monster tsunami around the Indian Ocean in 2004, killing 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
The death toll from the quake late Monday, which struck 13 miles (20 kilometres) beneath the ocean floor, was expected to climb as reports on damage and injuries began trickling in Tuesday.
Mujiharto, who heads the Health Ministry's crisis center, said a 10-foot (three-metre) high wave washed away hundreds of houses on Pagai and Silabu, part of the remote and sparsely populated Mentawai island chain. "We have 200 body bags on the way, just in case," he said.
Separately on Tuesday, emergency officials were rushing to evacuate several thousand residents from the slopes of the country's most volatile volcano, Mount Merapi, as scientists warned that pressure building beneath its lava dome could trigger one of the most powerful blasts in years.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire - a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
Getting to the Mentawais, a popular surfing spot 175 miles (280 kilometres) from the Sumatra coast takes 12 hours and the islands are reachable only by boat.
A group of Australians said they were hanging out on the back deck of their chartered surfing vessel, anchored in a nearby bay, when the temblor hit. It generated a wave that caused them to smash into a neighbouring boat, and before they knew it, a fire was ripping through their cabin.
"We threw whatever we could that floated surfboards, fenders then we jumped into the water," Rick Hallet told Australia's Nine Network. "Fortunately, most of us had something to hold on to ... and we just washed in the wetlands, and scrambled up the highest trees that we could possibly find and sat up there for an hour and a half."
By daytime Tuesday, the toll from the quake and tsunami was rising. Ade Edward, a disaster management agency official, said 23 bodies were found in coastal villages - mostly on the hardest hit island of Pagai and another 167 people were missing.
Water in some places reached roof tops, and in Muntei Baru, a village on Silabu, 80 percent of the houses were damaged. Some 3,000 people were seeking shelter Tuesday in emergency camps, Edward said, and the crews from several ships were still unaccounted for in the Indian Ocean.
The quake also jolted towns along Sumatra's western coast including Padang, which last year was hit by a deadly 7.6-magnitude tremor that killed more than 700. Mosques blared tsunami warnings over their loudspeakers.
"Everyone was running out of their houses," said Sofyan Alawi, adding that the roads leading to surrounding hills were quickly jammed with thousands of cars and motorcycles.
"We kept looking back to see if a wave was coming," said 28-year-old resident Ade Syahputra.
Source: AP
Recommended reading:
* Tsunami Predicted on July 22 2009
* 7.2-magnitude quake hit Meulaboh, Aceh
Fake Blood Nest Can Cause Cancer
TWO local bird’s nest manufacturers from Malaysia have been ordered to cease operations for adding nitrates from artificial red colouring to produce “blood nest”, Chinese dailies reported.
Read also Beware of Fake Bird Nest
Sin Chew Daily quoted Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Chua Tee Yong as saying that their unethical practice was discovered after the ministry received complaints from China importers.
Chua said the “fake blood nest” can cause cancer and the ministry has started investigations.
He also told the daily in an interview that he had sent some of the “blood nest” in his home for testing.
He was shocked to receive a report saying that the “blood nest” given as a gift by his friends also contained nitrates.
Chua urged the public to be extra careful when purchasing “blood nest”.
How to test nitrate in bird nest
“Consumers must smell the bird’s nest when they purchase the product.
“If it has a urine smell and the colour of the birds’ nest is very even, there must be something wrong,” he added.
Read also Beware of Fake Bird Nest
Sin Chew Daily quoted Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Chua Tee Yong as saying that their unethical practice was discovered after the ministry received complaints from China importers.
Chua said the “fake blood nest” can cause cancer and the ministry has started investigations.
He also told the daily in an interview that he had sent some of the “blood nest” in his home for testing.
He was shocked to receive a report saying that the “blood nest” given as a gift by his friends also contained nitrates.
Chua urged the public to be extra careful when purchasing “blood nest”.
How to test nitrate in bird nest
“Consumers must smell the bird’s nest when they purchase the product.
“If it has a urine smell and the colour of the birds’ nest is very even, there must be something wrong,” he added.
Peter Bossman becomes Slovenia first black mayor
According to Associated Press's report, Slovenia has elected its first black mayor on Sunday, an immigrant from Africa known as the "Obama of Piran," the town where he lives. A proud day for the black in Slovenia.
In fact, Peter Bossman, a Ghana-born physician, could be the first black mayor elected anywhere in his region of Europe.
Bossman, who settled in this tiny Alpine nation in the 1970s to study medicine in what was then known as Yugoslavia, won a runoff election in the coastal town of Piran with 51.4 percent of votes, defeating Dr. Tomaz Gantar, the outgoing mayor.
The 54-year-old Bossman is a member of Slovenia's governing Social Democrats. He runs a private practice and was previously a member of the Piran City Council.
Following the vote, Bossman said he was "happy and proud."
"I based my campaign on a dialogue, and I think the dialogue has won," he said.
Slovenia, a country of 2 million people is located near Italy, Austria and Croatia, and is a member of European Union and NATO. The vast majority of Slovenians are white, and there are few immigrants. The few blacks who are seen in the country tend to be tourists.
Vlado Miheljak, a political analyst, said the vote in Piran was a test about whether Slovenia was "mature enough to elect a nonwhite political representative."
No racial issues were raised during the campaign in Piran, where Bossman was nicknamed after President Barack Obama, the first African American to hold that office in the U.S. But he was criticized for not speaking fluent Slovene, the nation's official language.
In an interview with Delo, a leading daily newspaper, Bossman said he has a friend who is a professor of Slovenian "and she offered to give me additional lessons."
Piran is a picturesque town of about 17,000 people, surrounding the tiny Gulf of Piran in the Adriatic Sea. Its main revenue comes from tourism.
During the campaign, Bossman offered to introduce electric cars to the town and boost Internet shopping to overcome a problem of too few stores.
He also said he will try to get an airport in Piran and a golf course to boost its tourism.
Recommended reading:
* Jean Gregoire Sagbo First Russian Black Politician
In fact, Peter Bossman, a Ghana-born physician, could be the first black mayor elected anywhere in his region of Europe.
Bossman, who settled in this tiny Alpine nation in the 1970s to study medicine in what was then known as Yugoslavia, won a runoff election in the coastal town of Piran with 51.4 percent of votes, defeating Dr. Tomaz Gantar, the outgoing mayor.
The 54-year-old Bossman is a member of Slovenia's governing Social Democrats. He runs a private practice and was previously a member of the Piran City Council.
Following the vote, Bossman said he was "happy and proud."
"I based my campaign on a dialogue, and I think the dialogue has won," he said.
Slovenia, a country of 2 million people is located near Italy, Austria and Croatia, and is a member of European Union and NATO. The vast majority of Slovenians are white, and there are few immigrants. The few blacks who are seen in the country tend to be tourists.
Vlado Miheljak, a political analyst, said the vote in Piran was a test about whether Slovenia was "mature enough to elect a nonwhite political representative."
No racial issues were raised during the campaign in Piran, where Bossman was nicknamed after President Barack Obama, the first African American to hold that office in the U.S. But he was criticized for not speaking fluent Slovene, the nation's official language.
In an interview with Delo, a leading daily newspaper, Bossman said he has a friend who is a professor of Slovenian "and she offered to give me additional lessons."
Piran is a picturesque town of about 17,000 people, surrounding the tiny Gulf of Piran in the Adriatic Sea. Its main revenue comes from tourism.
During the campaign, Bossman offered to introduce electric cars to the town and boost Internet shopping to overcome a problem of too few stores.
He also said he will try to get an airport in Piran and a golf course to boost its tourism.
Recommended reading:
* Jean Gregoire Sagbo First Russian Black Politician
Albino kid killed for parts
Does witchcraft still exist in this modern world? The dismembered body of a young albino boy has been found in a river on the Burundi-Tanzania border, reports say.
Read also a previous post on Tanzania Albino Victim Of Witchcrafts.
The boy, aged nine, was taken from Makamba province in Burundi by a gang that crossed the border, the head of Burundi's albino association said.
Kassim Kazungu told AFP the remains had been recovered from the Malagarazi river and given a formal burial.
Albino body parts are prized in parts of Africa, with witch-doctors claiming they have special powers.
Mr Kazungu told the AFP news agency that Tanzanian police had arrested five people, although there was no official confirmation from Tanzania.
In Tanzania, the body parts of people living with albinism are used by witch-doctors for potions which they tell clients will help make them rich or healthy.
Dozens of albinos have been killed, and the killings have spread to neighbouring Burundi.
In August a court in Tanzania sentenced a Kenyan accused of trying to sell an albino to 17 years in jail and a fine of more than $50,000 (£41,200).
Tanzanian authorities have promised to crack down on albino traffickers, and several people have been sentenced to death in connection with killings.
Read also a previous post on Tanzania Albino Victim Of Witchcrafts.
The boy, aged nine, was taken from Makamba province in Burundi by a gang that crossed the border, the head of Burundi's albino association said.
Kassim Kazungu told AFP the remains had been recovered from the Malagarazi river and given a formal burial.
Albino body parts are prized in parts of Africa, with witch-doctors claiming they have special powers.
Mr Kazungu told the AFP news agency that Tanzanian police had arrested five people, although there was no official confirmation from Tanzania.
In Tanzania, the body parts of people living with albinism are used by witch-doctors for potions which they tell clients will help make them rich or healthy.
Dozens of albinos have been killed, and the killings have spread to neighbouring Burundi.
In August a court in Tanzania sentenced a Kenyan accused of trying to sell an albino to 17 years in jail and a fine of more than $50,000 (£41,200).
Tanzanian authorities have promised to crack down on albino traffickers, and several people have been sentenced to death in connection with killings.
Gold Bar Vending Machine
We having vending machines dispensing canned drinks, packet tidbits, condoms, toys, porno magazines, prepaid cards and even fresh eggs. There are myriad of vending machines out there. And now, Gold-to-Go provide the convenient of getting gold-bars from vending machine. Just bring enough cash for the transaction. Apart from the gold-plated exterior - and the fact that they are bulletproof - they seem much like any other vending machine. But instead of chocolate bars, a network of ''gold-to-go'' machines dispenses 24-carat bullion.
Originally designed as a marketing device for an online gold trading business, the machines have become such a success that their inventor plans to build a global network, installing them everywhere from fitness centres to cruise ships.
The German businessman behind the machines, Thomas Geissler, said their success was the result of a rush on gold, the price of which has risen from $US250 an ounce in 1999 to about $US1330 an ounce.
'Ordinary people are starting to see its real value,' he said.
Since the first machine was installed in May, in the lobby of Dubai's Burj Khalifa hotel, 20 gold-to-go machines have been installed across Europe. Next month the first machines will open in the US.
Mr Geissler is also meeting representatives of Harrods department store in London to discuss launching the first British machine. He plans to have launched 45 worldwide by the end of the year.
''We notice the sales peak whenever there are signs that the markets are wobbling. When the Greek crisis was revealed in its entirety, our sales went up tenfold. With the current troubles in currency markets, gold becomes even more attractive.''
It was no accident that the machines had taken off so well in Germany. ''Germans are still traumatised by the hyperinflation [of the 1920s], when people walked around with wheelbarrows full of notes, while Americans are still traumatised about the Depression.''
Mr Geissler said most customers of the vending machines were women, who tended to buy in smaller amounts. The larger pieces - it is possible to buy up to 250 grams for about €8,000 ($11,350) - are bought by ''well-off men, of on average 55 years of age''. The bullion are sold in smart presentation boxes.
The machines are monitored from Geissler's company headquarters in Reutlingen, Germany, and the price of the gold is updated every 10 minutes, according to the market price.
The company says its gold is cheaper than that available from the banks because its overheads are lower and the machine gold is available immediately, unlike at banks where customers have to wait for days.
How much is Sex.com worth
The sales auction for Sex.com was supposed to in March 2010 but never materialized. Anyway, there is now fresh bid of the Sex.com and an offshore holding company is out to have its way with sex.com for $US13 million ($13.21 million).
Clover Holdings Ltd, based on the Caribbean island of St Vincent, made the top offer for the hot sex.com internet domain name that Escom LLC is being forced to sell due to bankruptcy, according to court documents.
Attorneys representing Escom are asking a California bankruptcy court to approve Clover as the winning bidder and clear the way for the sex.com deal to be consummated and domain-name trading platform Sedo to get its commissions.
"The proposed sale to buyer was the product of arms-length, good faith negotiations in which the debtor bargained for maximum possible purchase price for the assets," Escom attorney Jeffrey Dulberg wrote in a court filing.
"The negotiations involved substantial time and effort by the parties ... and [the agreement] reflects given-and-take and compromises by both sides."
The world's "most valuable" internet domain name, sex.com, went up for grabs in July this year after US-based Escom filed for bankruptcy.
Escom is reported to have bought the domain name for between $US12 million and $US14 million in 2006.
Sedo, which bills itself as the world's biggest trading platform for domain names, has said the sex.com sale "offers the new owner a unique opportunity to become market leader".
There were a dozen bidders vying to get sex.com, according to court paperwork online today.
Little information about Clover was included in court documents.
Lawyers argued in the filing that "time is of the essence" and asked for a hearing to approve the sex.com sale by October 27.
Via: AFP
Clover Holdings Ltd, based on the Caribbean island of St Vincent, made the top offer for the hot sex.com internet domain name that Escom LLC is being forced to sell due to bankruptcy, according to court documents.
Attorneys representing Escom are asking a California bankruptcy court to approve Clover as the winning bidder and clear the way for the sex.com deal to be consummated and domain-name trading platform Sedo to get its commissions.
"The proposed sale to buyer was the product of arms-length, good faith negotiations in which the debtor bargained for maximum possible purchase price for the assets," Escom attorney Jeffrey Dulberg wrote in a court filing.
"The negotiations involved substantial time and effort by the parties ... and [the agreement] reflects given-and-take and compromises by both sides."
The world's "most valuable" internet domain name, sex.com, went up for grabs in July this year after US-based Escom filed for bankruptcy.
Escom is reported to have bought the domain name for between $US12 million and $US14 million in 2006.
Sedo, which bills itself as the world's biggest trading platform for domain names, has said the sex.com sale "offers the new owner a unique opportunity to become market leader".
There were a dozen bidders vying to get sex.com, according to court paperwork online today.
Little information about Clover was included in court documents.
Lawyers argued in the filing that "time is of the essence" and asked for a hearing to approve the sex.com sale by October 27.
Via: AFP
Be Cool Contest - Be Green Contest
Exabytes is launching part 2 of of their Be Cool Contest aiming at Malaysian students. The second contest themed 'Be Cool Contest Part - BE GREEN' offered hosting package and an iPad prizes.The much awaited 'Be Green Contest' is an environment conservation motivated move by Exabytes, in which you can win a Guaranteed Xtudent Web Hosting + a chance to WIN an iPad while contributing to the effort of planting a tree on this planet!!.
ONLY 2 steps are needed to save the world. Start blogging or creating your website NOW and you are on your way to WIN a COOL IPAD! And this isn’t just a one-time giveaway! Instead, Exabytes will be giving away More Gifts EVERY MONTH.
So why wait? Start your own website or blog NOW and the next Winner might be YOU!
Win a XStudent Hosting
1. You will need to like Exabytes (MY) Fans Page.
2. Download "Be Cool Contest Part 2 - Be Green" picture from our Facebook Photo Album.
3. Tag at least 9 of your friends.
4. Ask all 9 friends of yours to Like it.
5. Submit your Facebook Participation URL in the form below.
6. Hurray! You will be getting a FREE Xtudent Hosting and TLD Domain (worth RM99.00) for yourself and you are NOW in the running towards winning a cool iPad !!
7. This contest is open only to Primary/Secondary/College/University
students in Malaysia.
Win an iPad
1. Get a FREE Xtudent Hosting (Step 1) or use existing hosting to create a blog.
2. Leave a Comment of your blog URL at our Facebook Photo Album.
3. An iPad worth RM1899 is NOW waiting for you to win!!!!!
Read Contest Details
Recommended reading:
* Celebrating .my Innovation Contest With RM100,000 Prize Money
* Baby Contest 2010
Pertussis Outbreak In California Killed 10 Infants
In 2009, Swine Flu was a taboo word in medical term. In 2010, Pertussis could be next taboo term. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, has claimed the 10th victim in California, in what health officials are calling the worst outbreak in 60 years. So parents, take good care of your tots.
Read also Swine Flu Outbreak of 2009
Since the beginning of the year, 5,978 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of the disease have been reported in California.
All of the deaths occurred in infants under the age of 3 months, says Michael Sicilia, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health. Nine were younger than 8 weeks old, which means they were too young to have been vaccinated against this highly contagious bacterial disease.
"This is a preventable disease," says Sicilia, because there is a vaccine for whooping cough to protect those coming in contact with infants, and thereby protect the infants.
However, some parents are choosing to not vaccinate their children. In other cases, previously vaccinated children and adults may have lost their immunity because the vaccine has worn off.
The vaccine "does not protect you for life," explains Alison Patti, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sicilia says California Health Department epidemiologists estimate 50 percent of the children who have gotten sick were infected by their parents or caregivers.
According to the recommended vaccine schedule for infants, newborns don't get their first pertussis vaccine until they are 2 months old, leaving them vulnerable to infection until then if the people surrounding them are infected.
"That's why the real important message is -- whether it's a mom, dad, sibling, grandfather or grandmother that comes in contact with these really young babies -- all the close contacts, including the health care professionals, need to vaccinated," says Patti. It's called the "cocooning strategy," where the newborns are protected because the older people around them have been vaccinated and protected from pertussis, and therefore won't pass it on to little babies.
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease caused by bacteria that can lead to severe upper respiratory infections. The bacteria is spread in tiny droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Initial symptoms are very similar to a cold, but a week or two later, a violent cough develops.
"If you've ever seen a child with pertussis, you won't forget it" -- that's how the American Academy of Pediatrics explains what whooping cough is on its website. The academy says a child with the disease coughs so hard and so often "until the air is gone from his/her lungs and he/she is forced to inhale with the loud 'whooping' sound that gives the disease its nickname."
The cough can last for weeks and children can cough so hard and rapidly,that blood vessels can burst and they have difficulty eating, drinking and breathing. According to the CDC, "about 1 in 5 infants with pertussis get pneumonia, and about 1 in 100 will have convulsions. In rare cases (1 in 100), pertussis can be deadly, especially in infants."
Parents and doctors can often miss the initial symptoms of pertussis in the youngest patients because they often do not have the characteristic cough with a "whoop" says Patti.
According to the National Institutes of Health, "the whoop noise is rare in patients under 6 months and in adults."
That's why parents need to be alert to symptoms in themselves as well as their children, says Patti. If there's a prolonged pause in breathing or they have trouble breathing, that's an important sign and parents should seek medical attention immediately, she explains.
"It's important to go to the doctor early on," says Patti because, "antibiotics don't help you later."
Adults usually don't have the "whoop" cough, so they may not think they have pertussis. Patti recommends if someone has a cough that doesn't go away, they should get tested for pertussis.
Sicilia points out that the pertussis vaccine isn't perfect and its protection wanes after about five years.
Health officials are urging everyone who hasn't had a pertussis vaccine in the past five years or -- doesn't remember if they had one -- to get the shot.
Source: CNN Health
Read also Swine Flu Outbreak of 2009
Since the beginning of the year, 5,978 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of the disease have been reported in California.
All of the deaths occurred in infants under the age of 3 months, says Michael Sicilia, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health. Nine were younger than 8 weeks old, which means they were too young to have been vaccinated against this highly contagious bacterial disease.
"This is a preventable disease," says Sicilia, because there is a vaccine for whooping cough to protect those coming in contact with infants, and thereby protect the infants.
However, some parents are choosing to not vaccinate their children. In other cases, previously vaccinated children and adults may have lost their immunity because the vaccine has worn off.
The vaccine "does not protect you for life," explains Alison Patti, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sicilia says California Health Department epidemiologists estimate 50 percent of the children who have gotten sick were infected by their parents or caregivers.
According to the recommended vaccine schedule for infants, newborns don't get their first pertussis vaccine until they are 2 months old, leaving them vulnerable to infection until then if the people surrounding them are infected.
"That's why the real important message is -- whether it's a mom, dad, sibling, grandfather or grandmother that comes in contact with these really young babies -- all the close contacts, including the health care professionals, need to vaccinated," says Patti. It's called the "cocooning strategy," where the newborns are protected because the older people around them have been vaccinated and protected from pertussis, and therefore won't pass it on to little babies.
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease caused by bacteria that can lead to severe upper respiratory infections. The bacteria is spread in tiny droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Initial symptoms are very similar to a cold, but a week or two later, a violent cough develops.
"If you've ever seen a child with pertussis, you won't forget it" -- that's how the American Academy of Pediatrics explains what whooping cough is on its website. The academy says a child with the disease coughs so hard and so often "until the air is gone from his/her lungs and he/she is forced to inhale with the loud 'whooping' sound that gives the disease its nickname."
The cough can last for weeks and children can cough so hard and rapidly,that blood vessels can burst and they have difficulty eating, drinking and breathing. According to the CDC, "about 1 in 5 infants with pertussis get pneumonia, and about 1 in 100 will have convulsions. In rare cases (1 in 100), pertussis can be deadly, especially in infants."
Parents and doctors can often miss the initial symptoms of pertussis in the youngest patients because they often do not have the characteristic cough with a "whoop" says Patti.
According to the National Institutes of Health, "the whoop noise is rare in patients under 6 months and in adults."
That's why parents need to be alert to symptoms in themselves as well as their children, says Patti. If there's a prolonged pause in breathing or they have trouble breathing, that's an important sign and parents should seek medical attention immediately, she explains.
"It's important to go to the doctor early on," says Patti because, "antibiotics don't help you later."
Adults usually don't have the "whoop" cough, so they may not think they have pertussis. Patti recommends if someone has a cough that doesn't go away, they should get tested for pertussis.
Sicilia points out that the pertussis vaccine isn't perfect and its protection wanes after about five years.
Health officials are urging everyone who hasn't had a pertussis vaccine in the past five years or -- doesn't remember if they had one -- to get the shot.
Source: CNN Health
Avalon recalled by Toyota
Does Toyota has a Recall Division? Maybe. Seems like Toyota is busy producing the latest model of hybrid cars and recalling the previous models.
Reuters reported that Toyota Motor Corp will repair about 1.53 million Avalon and other vehicles globally for problems with the brake master cylinder seal and fuel pump wiring, with most of those to be recalled in the United States and Japan.
The announcement comes less than two months after a recall of 1.3 million Corolla and Matrix cars in the United States and Canada carrying defective engine control modules that could cause the vehicles to stall.
Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, has already recalled more than 10 million vehicles in the past year, mostly for unintended acceleration, denting its reputation for quality and attracting intense scrutiny from U.S. safety regulators.
Toyota said in a filing with Japan's transport ministry on Thursday that about 600,000 vehicles spanning 11 models including the high-end Crown sedan and Lexus IS and GS models were subject to the recalls, either for the faulty cylinder seal, the fuel pump wiring or both.
Toyota's U.S. sales unit said separately it would recall 740,000 Avalon, Highlander, Lexus GS300, IS250 and IS350 cars to replace a brake master cylinder seal because there was a possibility that some brake fluid could leak from the cylinder, causing the brake warning lamp to light up.
Toyota will decide whether to file an official recall in other markets in line with safety regulations in each market, said Tokyo-based spokesman Paul Nolasco. The cars subject to the repairs are sold worldwide, including in Europe, China, South America, Africa and Oceania.
No accidents were reported from the two defects, Nolasco said. He said Toyota does not disclose estimates for recall costs, and had no comment on whether the repairs would have any impact on its earnings.
Toyota's shares ended up 0.4 percent at 2,900 yen in Tokyo after the news, outperforming other Japanese automakers' shares and the broader market.
Recommended reading:
* Husband, don't buy Toyota VIOS for your wife.
Reuters reported that Toyota Motor Corp will repair about 1.53 million Avalon and other vehicles globally for problems with the brake master cylinder seal and fuel pump wiring, with most of those to be recalled in the United States and Japan.
The announcement comes less than two months after a recall of 1.3 million Corolla and Matrix cars in the United States and Canada carrying defective engine control modules that could cause the vehicles to stall.
Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, has already recalled more than 10 million vehicles in the past year, mostly for unintended acceleration, denting its reputation for quality and attracting intense scrutiny from U.S. safety regulators.
Toyota said in a filing with Japan's transport ministry on Thursday that about 600,000 vehicles spanning 11 models including the high-end Crown sedan and Lexus IS and GS models were subject to the recalls, either for the faulty cylinder seal, the fuel pump wiring or both.
Toyota's U.S. sales unit said separately it would recall 740,000 Avalon, Highlander, Lexus GS300, IS250 and IS350 cars to replace a brake master cylinder seal because there was a possibility that some brake fluid could leak from the cylinder, causing the brake warning lamp to light up.
Toyota will decide whether to file an official recall in other markets in line with safety regulations in each market, said Tokyo-based spokesman Paul Nolasco. The cars subject to the repairs are sold worldwide, including in Europe, China, South America, Africa and Oceania.
No accidents were reported from the two defects, Nolasco said. He said Toyota does not disclose estimates for recall costs, and had no comment on whether the repairs would have any impact on its earnings.
Toyota's shares ended up 0.4 percent at 2,900 yen in Tokyo after the news, outperforming other Japanese automakers' shares and the broader market.
Recommended reading:
* Husband, don't buy Toyota VIOS for your wife.
Internet Users Hits 2 Billion By End Of 2010
If the internet is feeling a little more crowded these days, there's good reason. According to a report, there will be 2 billion Web dwellers by the end of this year.The number of internet users worldwide has doubled in the past five years according to the report, from the International Telecommunication Union, an agency of the United Nations.
Much of the big number can be attributed to internet growth in developing countries. The report said 162 million of the 226 million new Internet users in 2010 will live in those countries, where Web access is still growing.
But the gap between access in high-tech countries and those still developing remains big.
About 65 percent of Europeans are on the internet, the report said, compared to less than 10 percent of Africans.
The report also focuses on the growing availability of, and demand for, faster broadband service, which allows users to easily download or share larger files, such as photos and videos.
The ITU, an agency of the United Nations that monitors communication technology issues, said these high-speed internet connections, which are increasingly needed to view modern Web content efficiently, are the key to continued growth.
"Broadband is the next tipping point, the next truly transformational technology," Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure said in a written statement. "It can generate jobs, drive growth and productivity, and underpin long-term economic competitiveness."
Only about 8 percent of the world will have broadband access this year, according to the report.
Recommended reading:
* Digital Superpowers: China vs Rest Of The World
* Mobile phone users numbered 5 billion
Suicide Bomber Attack Chechnya Parliament
Russian local news agencies report shooting taking place in or near the Chechnya parliament in restive Grozny. One agency cites law enforcement agencies as saying a suicide bomber had attacked the building.
The Kremlin is struggling to contain a growing Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus, a strip of impoverished, ethnically mixed provinces along predominantly Orthodox Christian Russia's southern border.
The Kremlin had declared victory in its battle with Chechen separatists, but analysts say a wave of shootings and bombings over recent months shows Moscow has failed to tame the growing insurgency.
Local leaders say it is fueled by desperate poverty, clan rivalries, rampant corruption, Islamism and heavy-handed tactics by law enforcement agencies.
Related links:
* Reuters - Insurgents attack parliament in Russia's Chechnya
* BBC - Chechen parliament 'under attack'
Chechnya Attack | Grozny Attack
The Kremlin is struggling to contain a growing Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus, a strip of impoverished, ethnically mixed provinces along predominantly Orthodox Christian Russia's southern border.
The Kremlin had declared victory in its battle with Chechen separatists, but analysts say a wave of shootings and bombings over recent months shows Moscow has failed to tame the growing insurgency.
Local leaders say it is fueled by desperate poverty, clan rivalries, rampant corruption, Islamism and heavy-handed tactics by law enforcement agencies.
Related links:
* Reuters - Insurgents attack parliament in Russia's Chechnya
* BBC - Chechen parliament 'under attack'
Chechnya Attack | Grozny Attack
Digital Superpowers: China vs Rest Of The World
Most Internet users are probably aware the Internet giants are made in the USA. Well, it used to. China is however leaping USA in most front and that is attributed to the fact that China has an Internet population of 420 million, more than the number of people in the U.S. and Germany.
The Internet’s center of gravity is shifting toward China and below are the Internet Giants (or digital superpowers) from China and USA (and rest of the world) pitting with each other.
1. Online video provider
Youku.com is China’s biggest online-video provider, is the nation’s version of YouTube or Hulu. About 70 percent of the videos on Youku’s site are professionally produced, and the rest are user- generated. Whereas U.S. video sites are dominated by music videos and short clips, about 60 percent of Youku’s content is longer, such as movies, he said.
2. Largest Internet Companies
Tencent and Baidu Inc., China’s largest Internet companies, are larger than EBay Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. by market value. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Alibaba.com unit is also among the 10 biggest Internet companies globally by market capitalization.
3. Online Chat Software
China's QQ online-chat software offer additional features that appeal to youths, helping it beat services from Skype Technologies SA and Microsoft Corp. QQ controlled 77 percent of China’s instant-messaging market as of December, compared with 4.2 percent for Microsoft’s MSN, according to researcher Analysys International.
4. Biggest online shopping site
Taobao.com, China’s biggest online-shopping site, overtook San Jose, California-based EBay within three years of its founding in 2003 by waiving commissions from transactions between its users. The approach by Taobao appealed more to China’s cost-conscious Internet users.
5. Biggest online advertising sale
China trails the U.S. in revenue. Sales from online advertising reached 20.7 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) last year, according to data from Beijing-based iResearch Inc. By comparison, ZenithOptimedia estimates U.S. Internet advertisements in 2009 were valued at $54.2 billion.
The Internet’s center of gravity is shifting toward China and below are the Internet Giants (or digital superpowers) from China and USA (and rest of the world) pitting with each other.
1. Online video provider
Youku.com is China’s biggest online-video provider, is the nation’s version of YouTube or Hulu. About 70 percent of the videos on Youku’s site are professionally produced, and the rest are user- generated. Whereas U.S. video sites are dominated by music videos and short clips, about 60 percent of Youku’s content is longer, such as movies, he said.
2. Largest Internet Companies
Tencent and Baidu Inc., China’s largest Internet companies, are larger than EBay Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. by market value. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Alibaba.com unit is also among the 10 biggest Internet companies globally by market capitalization.
3. Online Chat Software
China's QQ online-chat software offer additional features that appeal to youths, helping it beat services from Skype Technologies SA and Microsoft Corp. QQ controlled 77 percent of China’s instant-messaging market as of December, compared with 4.2 percent for Microsoft’s MSN, according to researcher Analysys International.
4. Biggest online shopping site
Taobao.com, China’s biggest online-shopping site, overtook San Jose, California-based EBay within three years of its founding in 2003 by waiving commissions from transactions between its users. The approach by Taobao appealed more to China’s cost-conscious Internet users.
5. Biggest online advertising sale
China trails the U.S. in revenue. Sales from online advertising reached 20.7 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) last year, according to data from Beijing-based iResearch Inc. By comparison, ZenithOptimedia estimates U.S. Internet advertisements in 2009 were valued at $54.2 billion.
Congo is "rape capital of the world"
The United Nations has named the Democratic Republic of Congo the "rape capital of the world," with 15,000 women raped in eastern Congo last year. The attacks occurred in parts of the country where armed rebel groups moved into areas considered to be pro-government but lacking in army or police protection, according to the U.N.
Margot Wallstrom, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative on sexual violence in conflict, said recently that one distraught Congolese woman had told her that "a dead rat is worth more than the body of a woman."
"It was an expression of how human rights violations against women are still the lowest on a fool's hierarchy of war time horrors," she said.
Sunday's march was organized by the World March of Women in association with local women's groups. Organizers hoped the march would combat the stigma attached to rape victims and draw international attention to the problem of rape as a war tactic.
"It's just great to have so many women out on the streets," said Celia Alldridge, a representative from World March of Women. "We believe that women should not be made prisoners in their own homes."
Among throngs of marchers, many clad in bright traditional garb and carrying homemade signs, one Congolese marcher echoed that sentiment.
"I tell you it's a wonderful thing to see all the women together, just for one reason for the peace of the women of Congo," said Mary Georges. "This is the freedom of the Congo women."
Last month, a U.N. report slammed Congo's security forces for failing prevent a wave of mass rapes over several days during the summer.
The preliminary report confirms the rape of at least 303 civilians between July 30 and August 2 in the Walikale region of Congo's North Kivu province.
The report points to serious shortcomings in the preparedness and response of the local detachments of the Congolese army and the police stationed in the area.
It also notes that their failure to prevent or stop the attacks was compounded by subsequent failings on the part of U.N. stabilization mission forces in Congo.
The report said the force had not received any specific training in the protection of civilians, and suffered from a number of operational constraints, including a limited capacity to gather information, as well as the lack of a telecommunications system in the area.
"The scale and viciousness of these mass rapes defy belief," said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
"Even in the eastern part of DRC where rape has been a perennial and massive problem for the past 15 years, this incident stands out," Pillay said, "because of the extraordinarily cold-blooded and systematic way in which it appears to have been planned and executed."
Via CNN.
Recommended reading:
* Rape-aXe - Anti-rape female condoms
* Bangladeshi rape victim get 101 lashes
* Nation of rapist - South Africa
Margot Wallstrom, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative on sexual violence in conflict, said recently that one distraught Congolese woman had told her that "a dead rat is worth more than the body of a woman."
"It was an expression of how human rights violations against women are still the lowest on a fool's hierarchy of war time horrors," she said.
Sunday's march was organized by the World March of Women in association with local women's groups. Organizers hoped the march would combat the stigma attached to rape victims and draw international attention to the problem of rape as a war tactic.
"It's just great to have so many women out on the streets," said Celia Alldridge, a representative from World March of Women. "We believe that women should not be made prisoners in their own homes."
Among throngs of marchers, many clad in bright traditional garb and carrying homemade signs, one Congolese marcher echoed that sentiment.
"I tell you it's a wonderful thing to see all the women together, just for one reason for the peace of the women of Congo," said Mary Georges. "This is the freedom of the Congo women."
Last month, a U.N. report slammed Congo's security forces for failing prevent a wave of mass rapes over several days during the summer.
The preliminary report confirms the rape of at least 303 civilians between July 30 and August 2 in the Walikale region of Congo's North Kivu province.
The report points to serious shortcomings in the preparedness and response of the local detachments of the Congolese army and the police stationed in the area.
It also notes that their failure to prevent or stop the attacks was compounded by subsequent failings on the part of U.N. stabilization mission forces in Congo.
The report said the force had not received any specific training in the protection of civilians, and suffered from a number of operational constraints, including a limited capacity to gather information, as well as the lack of a telecommunications system in the area.
"The scale and viciousness of these mass rapes defy belief," said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
"Even in the eastern part of DRC where rape has been a perennial and massive problem for the past 15 years, this incident stands out," Pillay said, "because of the extraordinarily cold-blooded and systematic way in which it appears to have been planned and executed."
Via CNN.
Recommended reading:
* Rape-aXe - Anti-rape female condoms
* Bangladeshi rape victim get 101 lashes
* Nation of rapist - South Africa
Energy drink Four Loko could be dangerous
Not all energy drinks are suitable for you. Some of the cases of excessive intoxication were due to drinking energy drink. It could seriously compromise your health.FoxNews.com reported that college students were hospitalized after downing alcoholic energy drink identified as Four Loko.
An alcohol-laced energy drink equivalent to at least three beers, a can of Red Bull and a shot of espresso has prompted a New Jersey college to ban the drink after nearly two dozen students were hospitalized for alcohol intoxication.
Since the beginning of the fall semester, officials at Ramapo College in Mahwah have seen 23 cases of students being hospitalized for excessive drinking, with a handful of them being tied to the energy drink Four Loko, also known as "blackout in a can."
Report suggests that Four Loko contained high alcohol content with a stimulant like caffeine. Experts are saying that caffeine reduces the drowsy feeling of being intoxicated, so people tend to drink more. Fatigue is your body’s way of telling you it’s had enough, so fooling the body with stimulants creates the perfect scenario for acute alcohol poisoning and potentially death.
The bottom line on the alcohol energy drink is it gets you very drunk, very quick. And Four Loko could be a dangerous substance, especially if you did not control your intake.
McDonald's Happy Meal rejected by bacteria
McDonald's fans, here is some finding about the self life of McDonald's Happy Meal. Happy Meal really last long. Why are the bacteria staying away from the Happy Meal? Read on below.
American artist Sally Davies photographed the Happy Meal every day for about six months, documenting the changes that she expected to occur.
Only, there don't seem to be many changes at all. No evidence of mould. No decomposition. Very little has changed," Ms Davies admitted to WAtoday.com.au.
"The meat has shrank a little as it dried out. But other than that, it looks pretty much like when I bought it."
Ms Davies said she chose a McDonald's product for her project simply because it was the closest fast food chain to her New York home.
She decided to embark on the unusual photography idea after reading that a school teacher had kept a burger which failed to decompose for 12 years and used it in her classroom as an example to students. She planned to photograph the decomposing burger every day to monitor the progress, expecting it to rot within a few days.
But she discovered little difference between the photographs from day one through to day 180.
Ms Davies, who insists she has not tampered with the Happy Meal, said her photographic evidence of the lack of decomposition said a lot about the dangers of eating fast food.
While the experiment was conducted in the US, a McDonald's Australia spokeswoman said the outcome of Ms Davies project seemed "virtually impossible".
"McDonald's Australia sources its ingredients from the same producers that supply the bread, meat, cheese and vegetables that are available on Australian supermarket shelves," company spokeswoman Laura Keith said.
"Under normal conditions, most foods will deteriorate and certainly our food is no different. So without knowing the full detail of Sally's project, this outcome seems virtually impossible."
But Ms Davies defended the integrity of her project.
"I heard they are defending their food and saying it is 100 per cent biodegradable. And that I have tampered with this food somehow to achieve this end," Ms Davies said.
"I am an artist, not a scientist. I do not claim to know what is in this food. I can only show you photographs of what it looks like in my living room after 180 days. And you can make your own conclusion."
Ms Davies said McDonald's was in the business of making money, and she would not argue with their freedom to sell what they do.
"It all depends on how much control you want to have over your own life," she said.
"I prefer to cook at home and eat organic fresh fruits and vegetables, and stay out of the doctor's office. When I am an old person, my goal is to be healthy and not be on any medication for anything. And so far, my diet is working."
Recommended reading:
* McDonald loses court battle in Malaysia
* McDonald's going green
American artist Sally Davies photographed the Happy Meal every day for about six months, documenting the changes that she expected to occur.
Only, there don't seem to be many changes at all. No evidence of mould. No decomposition. Very little has changed," Ms Davies admitted to WAtoday.com.au.
"The meat has shrank a little as it dried out. But other than that, it looks pretty much like when I bought it."
Ms Davies said she chose a McDonald's product for her project simply because it was the closest fast food chain to her New York home.
She decided to embark on the unusual photography idea after reading that a school teacher had kept a burger which failed to decompose for 12 years and used it in her classroom as an example to students. She planned to photograph the decomposing burger every day to monitor the progress, expecting it to rot within a few days.
But she discovered little difference between the photographs from day one through to day 180.
Ms Davies, who insists she has not tampered with the Happy Meal, said her photographic evidence of the lack of decomposition said a lot about the dangers of eating fast food.
While the experiment was conducted in the US, a McDonald's Australia spokeswoman said the outcome of Ms Davies project seemed "virtually impossible".
"McDonald's Australia sources its ingredients from the same producers that supply the bread, meat, cheese and vegetables that are available on Australian supermarket shelves," company spokeswoman Laura Keith said.
"Under normal conditions, most foods will deteriorate and certainly our food is no different. So without knowing the full detail of Sally's project, this outcome seems virtually impossible."
But Ms Davies defended the integrity of her project.
"I heard they are defending their food and saying it is 100 per cent biodegradable. And that I have tampered with this food somehow to achieve this end," Ms Davies said.
"I am an artist, not a scientist. I do not claim to know what is in this food. I can only show you photographs of what it looks like in my living room after 180 days. And you can make your own conclusion."
Ms Davies said McDonald's was in the business of making money, and she would not argue with their freedom to sell what they do.
"It all depends on how much control you want to have over your own life," she said.
"I prefer to cook at home and eat organic fresh fruits and vegetables, and stay out of the doctor's office. When I am an old person, my goal is to be healthy and not be on any medication for anything. And so far, my diet is working."
Recommended reading:
* McDonald loses court battle in Malaysia
* McDonald's going green
Armen Kazarian scam millions from US medical insurance system
You don't have to push or deal drug to make million in the US. No blackmailing either. Armen Kazaria leader of Armenian gangsters mastermind the fraudulent of fund from the US health system amounting to over 35 million dollars. BBC has the story below:
US officials have charged 73 people over what is thought to be the largest ever attempt to defraud the country's medical insurance system.
Prosecutors say a network of Armenian gangsters and their associates set up fake clinics using stolen identities to make false claims for treatment.
Investigators said more than $35m (£22m) was paid out.
A US Attorney said the scheme's scope and sophistication put the traditional mafia to shame.
The group, most of whom are of Armenian origin, are accused of setting up some 118 clinics across the US, most of which existed only on paper or were "nothing more than shams, shells, and storefronts", said US Attorney Preet Bharar.
They allegedly stole the identities of real doctors and beneficiaries of Medicare - the US federal insurance programme for the elderly - and "submitted bill after bill for treatment that no doctor ever performed and that no patient ever received," he added.
In addition, the gang were accused of carrying out "a raft of rackets, extortion, credit card fraud, identity theft, immigration fraud, and even the distribution of contraband cigarettes and stolen Viagra".
Investigations began after the personal details of 2,900 Medicare patients in New York were reported stolen, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Much of the paperwork involved also raised suspicion by showing inconsistences such as doctors specialising in dermatology giving heart examinations and ear, nose and throat specialists performing pregnancy ultrasounds, said AP.
Most of the accused were arrested during raids in New York City and Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, but there also were arrests in New Mexico, Georgia and Ohio. The 73 people charged are accused of racketeering and related offences.
Officials say some of the proceeds from the operation were couriered back to Armenia in cash.
The alleged leader of the gang, Armen Kazarian, is now in jail in Los Angeles. He was described by officials as equivalent to a mafia godfather.
"When it comes to making money illegally, this Armenian-American group puts the traditional mafia to shame," said Mr Bharar.
"The reach of this organisation stretches clear across the country and well beyond our shores.
"So in terms of profitability, geographic scope, and sheer ambition, this emerging international organised crime syndicate would be the envy of any traditional mafia family," he said.
US officials have charged 73 people over what is thought to be the largest ever attempt to defraud the country's medical insurance system.
Prosecutors say a network of Armenian gangsters and their associates set up fake clinics using stolen identities to make false claims for treatment.
Investigators said more than $35m (£22m) was paid out.
A US Attorney said the scheme's scope and sophistication put the traditional mafia to shame.
The group, most of whom are of Armenian origin, are accused of setting up some 118 clinics across the US, most of which existed only on paper or were "nothing more than shams, shells, and storefronts", said US Attorney Preet Bharar.
They allegedly stole the identities of real doctors and beneficiaries of Medicare - the US federal insurance programme for the elderly - and "submitted bill after bill for treatment that no doctor ever performed and that no patient ever received," he added.
In addition, the gang were accused of carrying out "a raft of rackets, extortion, credit card fraud, identity theft, immigration fraud, and even the distribution of contraband cigarettes and stolen Viagra".
Investigations began after the personal details of 2,900 Medicare patients in New York were reported stolen, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Much of the paperwork involved also raised suspicion by showing inconsistences such as doctors specialising in dermatology giving heart examinations and ear, nose and throat specialists performing pregnancy ultrasounds, said AP.
Most of the accused were arrested during raids in New York City and Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, but there also were arrests in New Mexico, Georgia and Ohio. The 73 people charged are accused of racketeering and related offences.
Officials say some of the proceeds from the operation were couriered back to Armenia in cash.
The alleged leader of the gang, Armen Kazarian, is now in jail in Los Angeles. He was described by officials as equivalent to a mafia godfather.
"When it comes to making money illegally, this Armenian-American group puts the traditional mafia to shame," said Mr Bharar.
"The reach of this organisation stretches clear across the country and well beyond our shores.
"So in terms of profitability, geographic scope, and sheer ambition, this emerging international organised crime syndicate would be the envy of any traditional mafia family," he said.
Proton Inspira
I don't like Proton brand but only interested in the keyword Proton Inspira. I'm expecting Malaysian to start searching for info, pricing and photo of Proton Inspira, the latest car model from Proton. Don't hope to get early info from Proton website.
photo: paultan.org
According to local news, Proton Inspira is based on current generation Mitsubishi Lancer and aimed to replace older model of Proton Waja and Proton Wira.
photo: funtastickodesign.wordpress.com
Proton Inspira is now available for booking, would be positioned as a high C-segment/low D-Segment vehicle and would be tentatively priced from RM79,888 to RM95,000. Me think the price is too high.
For Proton Inspira, Proton is collaborating with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) for the car development and probably marketing. That just proved that the Proton brand is still weak.
Recommended reading:
* Proton Emas
* Proton Hybrid Car
* Proton Jumbuck a failure in Australia
SEO: proton insfira | inspirasi
photo: paultan.org
According to local news, Proton Inspira is based on current generation Mitsubishi Lancer and aimed to replace older model of Proton Waja and Proton Wira.
photo: funtastickodesign.wordpress.com
Proton Inspira is now available for booking, would be positioned as a high C-segment/low D-Segment vehicle and would be tentatively priced from RM79,888 to RM95,000. Me think the price is too high.
For Proton Inspira, Proton is collaborating with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) for the car development and probably marketing. That just proved that the Proton brand is still weak.
Recommended reading:
* Proton Emas
* Proton Hybrid Car
* Proton Jumbuck a failure in Australia
SEO: proton insfira | inspirasi
WebP – a new image format by Google
As part of its initiatives to make the web faster, Google unveiled a new open-source image format called WebP. This new image format is aimed at further compressing lossy images to make them load faster all the while preserving quality and resolution. Google believes that images not compressed properly can significantly slow down a user’s web experience, especially on mobile devices.
In its experiment to test the effectiveness of the new image format, Google engineers were able to reduce images compressed in other formats like JPEGs, PNGs and GIFs by 39% in their file size. Google has launched a site dedicated to the WebP image format to allow developers assess its performance against other formats. There is also a gallery comparing WebP and JPEG images. You will also find a Linux conversion tool to convert images to the WebP format. Finally, Google is working on a patch for the WebKit browser engine to provide native support for rendering WebP.
It will be interesting to see how WebP is adopted by the industry. I still remember the early days when PNG was getting traction and how it took years to be fully compatible in all browsers.
Related links:
* Google's tips on Optimizing web graphics
* How to do Photo Optimization?
In its experiment to test the effectiveness of the new image format, Google engineers were able to reduce images compressed in other formats like JPEGs, PNGs and GIFs by 39% in their file size. Google has launched a site dedicated to the WebP image format to allow developers assess its performance against other formats. There is also a gallery comparing WebP and JPEG images. You will also find a Linux conversion tool to convert images to the WebP format. Finally, Google is working on a patch for the WebKit browser engine to provide native support for rendering WebP.
It will be interesting to see how WebP is adopted by the industry. I still remember the early days when PNG was getting traction and how it took years to be fully compatible in all browsers.
Related links:
* Google's tips on Optimizing web graphics
* How to do Photo Optimization?
Chile Miners and Number 33
James Read from BBC says the number 33 has taken on a special significance for the miners, who are known to be superstitious:1. there are 33 miners,
2. the rescue shaft has a diameter of 66 centimeters, which is 33 times two,
3. first note the miners sent up to show they were still alive -- "estamos bien en el refugio los 33" (all 33 of us are in the shelter) -- which was 33 characters in length,
4. it took 33 days for the drill to complete the rescue shaft and
5. Roman Catholic Chileans believe Jesus Christ was 33 when he died.
During the months of digging it will take to rescue the trapped miners in Chile, director Rodrigo Ortuzar will be shaping his film about the underground tale of despair and rebirth he has already aptly titled "The 33." So "the movie is going to last one hour and 33 minutes," Ortuzar promised.
Even President Sebastian Pinera mentioned the "magic number" in his triumphant speech after the first miner emerged from the shaft. The date of the rescue 13/10/10, adds up to - you guessed it - 33.
Follow the Live Rescuing of Chile CODELCO miners
SEO: mystical 33 | magical 33 | 33 movies | 33 miners
Live Chile CODELCO miners rescued
The first man is expected to surface from underground within the next few hours, seeing daylight for the first time in 10 weeks. Rescue of trapped miners are under way in Chile. 2 miners are now out of the pit. Read also Chile Miners and Number 33
00:32 AM ET Rescue worker Manuel Gonzalez emerges from the shaft, the final man to leave the San Jose mine. VIVA CHILE. JOB WELL DONE.
00:04 AM ET Cheers ring out as the fifth rescue worker emerges from the rescue shaft.
21:56 PM ET Sirens, cheering and joy at Camp Hope as a 22-hour operation to rescue the 33 miners ends in triumph when Luis Urzua emerged. A topographer by training, Mr Urzua drew up plans of the area where he and his comrades were trapped. All 33 miners are now out.
21:27 PM ET Ariel Ticona arives at the surface, the 32nd freed miner.
21:05 PM ET Pedro Cortez emerges smiling from Chilean mine, the 31st freed.
20:37 PM ET Raul Bustos becomes 30th miner rescued from San Jose mine. Bustos, 40, was taken on as a hydraulics engineer at the mine.
20:15 PM ET Juan Aguilar is free, and embraces the president.
19:45 PM ET Miner number 28 emerges from the San Jose mine: Richard Villaroel.
19:18 PM ET Franklin Lobos arrives at the surface - rescued miner number 27.
18:47 PM ET The 26th miner now being brought up is Claudio Acuna who celebrated his birthday in the mine on 9 September.
18:29 PM ET Renan Avalos looks remarkably composed as he arrives to be welcomed with a long embrace from his wife Brunela Oliva.
17:59 PM ET Jose Henriquez, 54, is the 24th miner to arrive at the surface. Jose Henriquez is an evangelical preacher who has worked in mines for 33 years. He had the role of keeping his colleagues' spirits up during their 69-day ordeal.
17:32 PM ET Carlos Bugueno, 27, is the 23rd miner being brought back to the surface. He was one of the "palomeros", the miners who took it in turns to look after sending and receiving packages that were nicknamed "palomas" or "doves" that were sent via the supply pipes.
17:04 PM ET Samuel Avalos,43, is the 22nd miner to return to the surface.
16:31 PM ET The 21st miner, Yonni Barrios, reaches the surface. Aged 50, he became known as "the doctor" because of his knowledge of first aid from helping his diabetic mother as a child.
16:00 PM ET The 20th miner, Dario Segovia, reaches the surface.
15:28 PM ET Pablo Rojas, the 19th person to be rescued from San Jose mine, has reached the surface.
14:49 PM ET Capsule carrying the 18th person to be rescued from the mine, Esteban Rojas, 44, has reached the surface. Esteban Rojas, a father of three, kneels on the ground and crosses himself as soon as he arrives at the surface.
13:39 PM ET The 17th person to be rescued from the mine, Omar Reygadas, 56, has reached the surface. After he left the capsule, Omar Reygadas knelt on the ground clutching a bible.
12:49 PM ET Daniel Herrera, 27, is the 16th man to be brought out of the San Jose mine. Normally a lorry driver, he acted as paramedic's assistant during the ordeal.
12:00 PM ET 1200 Victor Segovia, the 15th person to be rescued from the mine, has reached the surface. Victor Segovia, 48, an electrician who was given the role of providing a daily report on the situation in the mine.
11:35 AM ET Victor Zamora, 33, is the 14th person rescued. He is a vehicle mechanic who had the misfortune to be in the mine on the day of the accident.
11:00 AM ET The 13th man sent up is Carlos Barrios. Carlos Barrios, 27, was one of the shift leaders at the time of the accident.
10:15 AM ET Capsule bringing 34 years old Edison Pena reached the surface. He's the 12th miner rescued. Edison is a recent triathlete who in the early days of entrapment ran 10 km daily through the tunnels to beat the anxiety.
09:28 AM ET 11th miner, Jorge Galleguillos, who danced traditional "cueca" dance in the mine during the Sept independence celebrations, reached the surface.
08:46 AM ET Alex Vega becomes the tenth man out of the mine.
08:00 AM ET Veteran miner Mario Gomez becomes the ninth man safely pulled to the surface. Mr Gomez, the oldest man in the mine, falls to his knees in prayer.
07:03 AM ET The eighth miner, Claudio Yanez, reaches the surface.
06:21 AM ET Miner No.7 Jose Ojeda surfaced. Jose Ojeda, 46, is a master driller who has spent three decades working as miner, a job he says he enjoys.
05:35 AM ET Miner No.6 Osman Araya finally free.
04:09 AM ET Sanchez becomes the fifth miner to reach the surface - Jimmy Sanchez, 19, has said that thoughts of his two-month-old baby daughter Barbara have helped him to survive the 69 gruelling days underground.
03:11 AM ET Bolivian Carlos Mamani is fourth man out of the mine.
02:08 AM ET And Juan Illanes is with us - Three up, 30 to go - or 33 if you include the three rescuers now underground with the miners. Juan Illanes, now 51, is an old soldier. He was in the Chilean army before he became a miner.
12:16 AM ET Sepúlveda's Screams Of Joy - Mario Sepúlveda had been screaming during his ascent, but everything was OK. In fact, it's better than OK. Sepúlveda is now a free man, the second miner to emerge in Chile.
11:16 PM ET First Miner Is Free - Florencio Ávalos is free, emerging from the mine and into the arms of a family that hasn't seen him for 69 days. Ávalos is the first of 33 miners to escape from under roughly 2,300 feet of rock.
9:48 PM ET Capsule Going Down - Sky News producer Neal Mann reports, "Manuel Alejandro González Pavez will reportedly be the first rescuer to go down, he will remain down there until the last miner is rescued.". Manuel Alejandro González Pavez, a worker from Chile's biggest mining company CODELCO.
Related link:
* Chile Miners Rescue Photo stream
Source:
* Reuters - CHILE MINERS RESCUE
* BBC - Chile Mine Rescue, Live
SEO: Live rescue of chile miners | Chile miners live rescue
00:32 AM ET Rescue worker Manuel Gonzalez emerges from the shaft, the final man to leave the San Jose mine. VIVA CHILE. JOB WELL DONE.
00:04 AM ET Cheers ring out as the fifth rescue worker emerges from the rescue shaft.
21:56 PM ET Sirens, cheering and joy at Camp Hope as a 22-hour operation to rescue the 33 miners ends in triumph when Luis Urzua emerged. A topographer by training, Mr Urzua drew up plans of the area where he and his comrades were trapped. All 33 miners are now out.
21:27 PM ET Ariel Ticona arives at the surface, the 32nd freed miner.
21:05 PM ET Pedro Cortez emerges smiling from Chilean mine, the 31st freed.
20:37 PM ET Raul Bustos becomes 30th miner rescued from San Jose mine. Bustos, 40, was taken on as a hydraulics engineer at the mine.
20:15 PM ET Juan Aguilar is free, and embraces the president.
19:45 PM ET Miner number 28 emerges from the San Jose mine: Richard Villaroel.
19:18 PM ET Franklin Lobos arrives at the surface - rescued miner number 27.
18:47 PM ET The 26th miner now being brought up is Claudio Acuna who celebrated his birthday in the mine on 9 September.
18:29 PM ET Renan Avalos looks remarkably composed as he arrives to be welcomed with a long embrace from his wife Brunela Oliva.
17:59 PM ET Jose Henriquez, 54, is the 24th miner to arrive at the surface. Jose Henriquez is an evangelical preacher who has worked in mines for 33 years. He had the role of keeping his colleagues' spirits up during their 69-day ordeal.
17:32 PM ET Carlos Bugueno, 27, is the 23rd miner being brought back to the surface. He was one of the "palomeros", the miners who took it in turns to look after sending and receiving packages that were nicknamed "palomas" or "doves" that were sent via the supply pipes.
17:04 PM ET Samuel Avalos,43, is the 22nd miner to return to the surface.
16:31 PM ET The 21st miner, Yonni Barrios, reaches the surface. Aged 50, he became known as "the doctor" because of his knowledge of first aid from helping his diabetic mother as a child.
16:00 PM ET The 20th miner, Dario Segovia, reaches the surface.
15:28 PM ET Pablo Rojas, the 19th person to be rescued from San Jose mine, has reached the surface.
14:49 PM ET Capsule carrying the 18th person to be rescued from the mine, Esteban Rojas, 44, has reached the surface. Esteban Rojas, a father of three, kneels on the ground and crosses himself as soon as he arrives at the surface.
13:39 PM ET The 17th person to be rescued from the mine, Omar Reygadas, 56, has reached the surface. After he left the capsule, Omar Reygadas knelt on the ground clutching a bible.
12:49 PM ET Daniel Herrera, 27, is the 16th man to be brought out of the San Jose mine. Normally a lorry driver, he acted as paramedic's assistant during the ordeal.
12:00 PM ET 1200 Victor Segovia, the 15th person to be rescued from the mine, has reached the surface. Victor Segovia, 48, an electrician who was given the role of providing a daily report on the situation in the mine.
11:35 AM ET Victor Zamora, 33, is the 14th person rescued. He is a vehicle mechanic who had the misfortune to be in the mine on the day of the accident.
11:00 AM ET The 13th man sent up is Carlos Barrios. Carlos Barrios, 27, was one of the shift leaders at the time of the accident.
10:15 AM ET Capsule bringing 34 years old Edison Pena reached the surface. He's the 12th miner rescued. Edison is a recent triathlete who in the early days of entrapment ran 10 km daily through the tunnels to beat the anxiety.
09:28 AM ET 11th miner, Jorge Galleguillos, who danced traditional "cueca" dance in the mine during the Sept independence celebrations, reached the surface.
08:46 AM ET Alex Vega becomes the tenth man out of the mine.
08:00 AM ET Veteran miner Mario Gomez becomes the ninth man safely pulled to the surface. Mr Gomez, the oldest man in the mine, falls to his knees in prayer.
07:03 AM ET The eighth miner, Claudio Yanez, reaches the surface.
06:21 AM ET Miner No.7 Jose Ojeda surfaced. Jose Ojeda, 46, is a master driller who has spent three decades working as miner, a job he says he enjoys.
05:35 AM ET Miner No.6 Osman Araya finally free.
04:09 AM ET Sanchez becomes the fifth miner to reach the surface - Jimmy Sanchez, 19, has said that thoughts of his two-month-old baby daughter Barbara have helped him to survive the 69 gruelling days underground.
03:11 AM ET Bolivian Carlos Mamani is fourth man out of the mine.
02:08 AM ET And Juan Illanes is with us - Three up, 30 to go - or 33 if you include the three rescuers now underground with the miners. Juan Illanes, now 51, is an old soldier. He was in the Chilean army before he became a miner.
12:16 AM ET Sepúlveda's Screams Of Joy - Mario Sepúlveda had been screaming during his ascent, but everything was OK. In fact, it's better than OK. Sepúlveda is now a free man, the second miner to emerge in Chile.
11:16 PM ET First Miner Is Free - Florencio Ávalos is free, emerging from the mine and into the arms of a family that hasn't seen him for 69 days. Ávalos is the first of 33 miners to escape from under roughly 2,300 feet of rock.
9:48 PM ET Capsule Going Down - Sky News producer Neal Mann reports, "Manuel Alejandro González Pavez will reportedly be the first rescuer to go down, he will remain down there until the last miner is rescued.". Manuel Alejandro González Pavez, a worker from Chile's biggest mining company CODELCO.
Related link:
* Chile Miners Rescue Photo stream
Source:
* Reuters - CHILE MINERS RESCUE
* BBC - Chile Mine Rescue, Live
SEO: Live rescue of chile miners | Chile miners live rescue
Google Into Power Cable Business
From search engine to phone to power cable, Google leap further into business diversification. Google can actually look into the future whereby most supply of cheap and renewable energy will come from the ocean (either wind powered or under current powered). Those tapped power need to be supplied to the land mass. And power cable are needed.Japan's Marubeni Corp said it would announce a joint venture with Google Inc and other companies to develop a submarine power cable network on the U.S. Atlantic coast.
The Nikkei newspaper said in its electronic edition that Marubeni holds a 15-percent stake in the joint venture, which will soon start a feasibility study on the power cable project.
The project will have a maximum cost of 500 billion yen ($6.09 billion) and provide electricity to four U.S. states from a 6,000 megawatt offshore wind farm, Nikkei said.
The venture hopes to receive approvals from the U.S. federal government and the state governments of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia by 2013 to lay a 2,000 kilometer cable network in a project to be carried out by Atlantic Grid Development of the United States, Nikkei said.
Recommended reading:
* Android to power future gadgets
* WiTricity to provide wireless electricity technology
* Google negative effect on the environment
Windows Phone 7 Smartphones
Ten devices running Microsoft’s new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, will be available in shops from Oct 21, it has been announced.
HTC, the Taiwanese phone maker best known for its Google Android handsets, is releasing five Windows Phone 7 handsets, with one, the HTC 7 Surround, a US-only device. The remaining four devices – the HTC 7 Mozart, the HTC 7 Trophy, the HTC 7 Pro and the flagship HTC HD7 – will be available on a variety of networks and a choice of contracts and tariffs.
LG has released two Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Optimus 7 and the Optimus 7Q. Dell has also unveiled a Windows Phone, the Venue Pro, while Samsung is launching the Omnia 7, a touchscreen device with a 4in super AMOLED display and five megapixel camera with HD recording.
Handsets running Windows Phone 7
1. HTC 7 Surround
2. HTC 7 Mozart
3. HTC 7 Trophy
4. HTC 7 Pro
5. HTC HD7
6. LG Optimus 7
7. LG Optimus 7Q
8. Dell Venue Pro
9. Samsung Omnia 7
Microsoft hopes its new range of Windows Phone 7 devices will help it compete more closely with Apple’s iPhone and handsets running Google Android.
Windows Phone 7 represents a dramatic departure from Microsoft’s previous mobile operating systems. It is based around the concept of “hubs”, to organise contacts, photos, music, videos and Xbox games, and “live tiles”, which are used instead of icons to keep the user constantly updated about new emails, messages and social network status updates.
Microsoft will embark on a $400 million (£250 million) marketing and promotion campaign for Windows Phone 7, and has high hopes that the platform will help it to claw back market share from rivals such as Apple and Google, as well as Research in Motion, which makes the BlackBerry.
SEO: distributor | price | carrier |
HTC, the Taiwanese phone maker best known for its Google Android handsets, is releasing five Windows Phone 7 handsets, with one, the HTC 7 Surround, a US-only device. The remaining four devices – the HTC 7 Mozart, the HTC 7 Trophy, the HTC 7 Pro and the flagship HTC HD7 – will be available on a variety of networks and a choice of contracts and tariffs.
LG has released two Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Optimus 7 and the Optimus 7Q. Dell has also unveiled a Windows Phone, the Venue Pro, while Samsung is launching the Omnia 7, a touchscreen device with a 4in super AMOLED display and five megapixel camera with HD recording.
Handsets running Windows Phone 7
1. HTC 7 Surround
2. HTC 7 Mozart
3. HTC 7 Trophy
4. HTC 7 Pro
5. HTC HD7
6. LG Optimus 7
7. LG Optimus 7Q
8. Dell Venue Pro
9. Samsung Omnia 7
Microsoft hopes its new range of Windows Phone 7 devices will help it compete more closely with Apple’s iPhone and handsets running Google Android.
Windows Phone 7 represents a dramatic departure from Microsoft’s previous mobile operating systems. It is based around the concept of “hubs”, to organise contacts, photos, music, videos and Xbox games, and “live tiles”, which are used instead of icons to keep the user constantly updated about new emails, messages and social network status updates.
Microsoft will embark on a $400 million (£250 million) marketing and promotion campaign for Windows Phone 7, and has high hopes that the platform will help it to claw back market share from rivals such as Apple and Google, as well as Research in Motion, which makes the BlackBerry.
SEO: distributor | price | carrier |
MySpace New Logo
According to TechCrunch, the new MySpace logo was just unveiled at the Warm Gun Design conference.
The old, all-lowercase MySpace logo, which featured three simplified figures next to the words "myspace.com," will be replaced by all-black text, in the Helvetica font, that reads "My" followed by a symbol suggesting a "space."
Which logo do you like better?
The old, all-lowercase MySpace logo, which featured three simplified figures next to the words "myspace.com," will be replaced by all-black text, in the Helvetica font, that reads "My" followed by a symbol suggesting a "space."
Which logo do you like better?
Diet drug Reductil banned over heart and stroke risk
A POPULAR diet pill has been banned from sale after a study showed it could cause a fatal heart attack or stroke.Pharmaceutical company Abbott announced it would stop distributing the drug, sibutramine, which has been sold under the brand name Reductil in Australia since 2001, following a ruling by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Abbott Australia spokeswoman Jennifer Stevenson said yesterday those using the prescription medicine should make an appointment with their doctor for advice on an alternative. ''Doctors should not issue any new prescriptions for sibutramine,'' she said. ''Patients who wish to stop treatment before seeing their doctor can do so at any time.''
The drug ban follows the release of data from the six-year and 10,000-patient SCOUT (Sibutramine Cardiovascular Outcome Trial), which showed the weight loss drug was tied to 16 per cent more major cardiovascular side-effects. The trial included 790 Australians.
Concerns about the drug are not new. It was always known the drug could affect blood pressure and heart rate, but it was believed this would be offset by weight loss.
But after preliminary results of the SCOUT study last November, the European Medicines Agency suspended the marketing of the drug while the TGA moved in June to tighten the conditions under which it could be prescribed.
The TGA carried out its own review and consulted the US Food and Drug Administration before deciding to ban the drug on Friday, TGA spokeswoman Kay McNiece said.
''Analysis of the final results of the SCOUT study have since confirmed there is an increase in risk of major cardiac events such as heart attack and stroke in obese and overweight patients taking sibutramine,'' she said.
Abbott estimates 30 million people have used sibutramine worldwide since 1997. Ms Stevenson would not say how many people had used the drug in Australia since 2001, although it was a ''modest-sized product for Abbott in Australia''.
Patients who have recently bought the drug will be able to return their current supply to their pharmacy for a refund, she said.
The drug had the supposed effect of making people feel fuller, helping to burn calories faster. It was expensive - $80 for a 30-day supply - and its benefits were questionable, doctors say.
James Ritchie, who performs obesity surgery in Sydney, said he had often prescribed Reductil to patients considering gastric banding, to make sure they had tried all options.
''It was fairly widely used for people with obesity. About half the patients for bariatric surgery have used it,'' he said. ''Some found [the drug] highly effective but the vast majority didn't feel it helped much.''
Dr Ritchie said doctors had limited options to treat obesity with drugs. Another popular prescription diet drug, Phentermine, sold as Duromine, could cause sleeplessness, while Xenical, sold over the counter, had side-effects such as diarrhoea. Other weight loss drugs such as Fenfluramine, known as ''fen-phen'', have been withdrawn from sale because of health risks.
''Drug treatment is recognised as one of the most conservative methods of weight reduction,'' Dr Ritchie said. ''But it seems many medications are steadily dropping off the market.''
Australian Medical Association vice-president Steven Hambleton said the SCOUT study showed the weight loss benefits of Reductil were only 2.5 per cent more than a placebo, a ''disappointing'' result.
''Drugs, in the main, have a disappointing outcome. In the end, it's about ELF - Eat Less Food.''
Global sales of sibutramine in the first nine months of this year were $US80 million ($81.2 million).
via Sydney Morning Herald.
Perfect 101010 10/10/10 10-10-10
THE binary numbers of 101010 (or 10/10/10 or 10-10-10) are appearing again on our calendar tomorrow after 100 years and thousands of people around the world are racing to do something different on this day to make it special and memorable. So what is special about Oct 10, 2010?In Asia, special date usually coincide with mass weddings. Mass weddings will be held at various locations throughout Asia. Try to avoid popular restaurant tomorrow unless you have prior booking). Weddings dinners will occupied most restaurants tomorrow.
Oct 10 in 2010 does not really carry any significance in Buddhism and other religion but many choose to tie the knot on this day because the date looks and sounds nice. Mass wedding had increased compared with ‘999’ (Sept 9) last year which fell during the Hungry Ghost month but that the response would not be as good as the year before as ‘888’ (Aug 8) was regarded as a very lucky number for the Chinese.
Others are taking this date to send out a loud message to the intended audience.
It is a day of prayer for at least 10,000 Christians or 40 churches and groups throughout the country, who are taking part in Micah 2010, a campaign to mark 10 years since the United Nations agreed on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to halve extreme poverty by 2015. Ten million handprints are being collected around the world for this cause.
This Sunday will be an important date in the history of green movement. Over 7,000 events are expected to take place in 188 countries for the Global Work Party on this day dedicated to carbon-cutting actions. It was spearheaded by 350.org with hundreds of organisations around the world. The organisers estimate that on Oct 10, over 100,000 trees will be planted, over 100 solar panels will be installed, cyclists will ride over 1,000 miles, citizens will clean up at least 500 miles of coastline and much more.
101010 is also the World Sight Day for Malaysia Lions Club, which is gathering an estimated 10,000 participants to complete a 3km loop in pairs — one of them blindfolded. The massive move is to raise funds for the underprivileged who are blinded mainly by cataract, while educating everyone about sight preservation and preventable blindness.
Ten represents perfection and it seems that the whole world is set to make 101010 the perfect day!
Presenteeism cost billions in company productivity
Obesity is not only bad for your lifestyle but also bad for the employers. According to AP report, presenteeism cost US firms billions annually. The obesity problem has reached the extent that 'presenteeism' is almost becoming as much of a problem in US workplaces as 'absenteeism'.
Obese workers cost US employers $US73.1 billion ($74.6 billion) a year, much of it due to "presenteeism," or being less productive on the job due to health problems, a new study shows.
Read also Top 10 Fattest Countries in the world
The dollar sum lost is the "equivalent of hiring 1.8 million workers a year at $US42,000 ($42,844) each, which is roughly the average annual wage of US workers," found the study led by Eric Finkelstein, deputy director for health services and systems research at Duke-National University of Singapore.
Finkelstein and his team of researchers tallied medical expenditures, presenteeism and absence from work to put a dollar figure on the per capita cost of obesity among full-time US workers.
Taking all three categories into account, the researchers calculated that the per capita cost of obesity was as high as $US16,900 ($17,240) a year for women who were roughly 45 kilograms overweight, or had a body mass index over 40. For obese men with a BMI over 40, the cost was $US15,500 ($15,800) a year.
By comparison, the cost of all three for normal-weight women and men was around $US10,000 ($10,200) a year.
Regardless of weight, presenteeism was found to be "the largest single driver of the costs," found the study, which was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
It accounted for 56 per cent of the total cost for obese women and more than two-thirds of the total for normal weight men.
Presenteeism was defined as the average amount of time between arriving at work and starting work on days when an employee is not feeling well, and the average number of times an employee lost concentration, repeated a job, worked more slowly than usual, felt fatigued or "did nothing at work".
Medical expenditures due to obesity were calculated using a nationally representative survey from 2006.
Absenteeism and presenteeism were assessed using the 2008 US National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), in which respondents self-reported days off work due to ill health, and loss of productivity at work for health reasons.
A study published last month found that obesity costs the US economy at least $US215 billion ($219.3 billion) a year in direct and indirect impacts, including the three criteria looked at in Finkelstein's study and others including disability, premature death and even higher transportation costs to accommodate heavier weights.
In that study, researchers at the Brookings Institution estimated that obesity was costing the United States up to $US66 billion a year in lost productivity.
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index - calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height squared in meters - greater than 30.
In health terms, it means a person is at greater risk for a whole host of maladies, ranging from high blood pressure to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
According to a study published in August in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, more than one in four US adults is obese.
Recommended reading:
* Sharon Mevsimler eating herself to death
* Lei Lei - World's Biggest Infant
Obese workers cost US employers $US73.1 billion ($74.6 billion) a year, much of it due to "presenteeism," or being less productive on the job due to health problems, a new study shows.
Read also Top 10 Fattest Countries in the world
The dollar sum lost is the "equivalent of hiring 1.8 million workers a year at $US42,000 ($42,844) each, which is roughly the average annual wage of US workers," found the study led by Eric Finkelstein, deputy director for health services and systems research at Duke-National University of Singapore.
Finkelstein and his team of researchers tallied medical expenditures, presenteeism and absence from work to put a dollar figure on the per capita cost of obesity among full-time US workers.
Taking all three categories into account, the researchers calculated that the per capita cost of obesity was as high as $US16,900 ($17,240) a year for women who were roughly 45 kilograms overweight, or had a body mass index over 40. For obese men with a BMI over 40, the cost was $US15,500 ($15,800) a year.
By comparison, the cost of all three for normal-weight women and men was around $US10,000 ($10,200) a year.
Regardless of weight, presenteeism was found to be "the largest single driver of the costs," found the study, which was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
It accounted for 56 per cent of the total cost for obese women and more than two-thirds of the total for normal weight men.
Presenteeism was defined as the average amount of time between arriving at work and starting work on days when an employee is not feeling well, and the average number of times an employee lost concentration, repeated a job, worked more slowly than usual, felt fatigued or "did nothing at work".
Medical expenditures due to obesity were calculated using a nationally representative survey from 2006.
Absenteeism and presenteeism were assessed using the 2008 US National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), in which respondents self-reported days off work due to ill health, and loss of productivity at work for health reasons.
A study published last month found that obesity costs the US economy at least $US215 billion ($219.3 billion) a year in direct and indirect impacts, including the three criteria looked at in Finkelstein's study and others including disability, premature death and even higher transportation costs to accommodate heavier weights.
In that study, researchers at the Brookings Institution estimated that obesity was costing the United States up to $US66 billion a year in lost productivity.
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index - calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height squared in meters - greater than 30.
In health terms, it means a person is at greater risk for a whole host of maladies, ranging from high blood pressure to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
According to a study published in August in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, more than one in four US adults is obese.
Recommended reading:
* Sharon Mevsimler eating herself to death
* Lei Lei - World's Biggest Infant
Ancentus Akuku, a polygamist with 100 wives died
Good news for woman rights and equality as well as anti-polygamist. Good ridden to Ancentus Akuku. Read also Global Ikhwan polygamy club.
A notorious Kenyan polygamist known for marrying 100 wives died this week after a short illness, the nation's state media reported.
The lanky man -- nicknamed "Danger" because of his charm and ability to woo women -- had nearly 160 children, according to the Kenya Broadcasting Corp.
Ancentus "Danger" Akuku was in his 90s.
His family was so large, he built a church and a school for them in the western town of Kisumu, KBC said.
Akuku admitted the size of his extended family made it impossible to keep track of them.
The nonagenarian credited traditional food and vegetables for his longevity and zeal for life, state media reported.
He collapsed at his home after high blood pressure complications and was pronounced dead at a local hospital, his son said.
Akuku married his first wife in 1939 and his last wife in 1992.
He also divorced as many as 30 wives, state media said.
Polygamy was a norm in the East African nation during Akuku's time.
While the practice was popular among his generation, it has slowly died out over the years.
Women have acquired more equality in the country, and most vow they would never marry a polygamist.
"I don't care whether he is a king or a president," said Janet Otieno, 25, who lives in Nairobi. "Those days are gone with our grandfathers, women are no longer as powerless as they were back then."
Anastasia Wanjiru echoes Otieno's sentiment.
"All those wives lived together? There would be no peace in my household," Wanjiru, 28, said. "That's not normal. That's madness."
A notorious Kenyan polygamist known for marrying 100 wives died this week after a short illness, the nation's state media reported.
The lanky man -- nicknamed "Danger" because of his charm and ability to woo women -- had nearly 160 children, according to the Kenya Broadcasting Corp.
Ancentus "Danger" Akuku was in his 90s.
His family was so large, he built a church and a school for them in the western town of Kisumu, KBC said.
Akuku admitted the size of his extended family made it impossible to keep track of them.
The nonagenarian credited traditional food and vegetables for his longevity and zeal for life, state media reported.
He collapsed at his home after high blood pressure complications and was pronounced dead at a local hospital, his son said.
Akuku married his first wife in 1939 and his last wife in 1992.
He also divorced as many as 30 wives, state media said.
Polygamy was a norm in the East African nation during Akuku's time.
While the practice was popular among his generation, it has slowly died out over the years.
Women have acquired more equality in the country, and most vow they would never marry a polygamist.
"I don't care whether he is a king or a president," said Janet Otieno, 25, who lives in Nairobi. "Those days are gone with our grandfathers, women are no longer as powerless as they were back then."
Anastasia Wanjiru echoes Otieno's sentiment.
"All those wives lived together? There would be no peace in my household," Wanjiru, 28, said. "That's not normal. That's madness."
Receive Money While You're Dead
Great news for dead American. Cheques were sent to dead people as a part of last year's massive economic recovery package by the US government. This blunder usually happened to developing countries because of poor administration and outdated records. It doesn't happen to poor countries because their government don't even have money for their living.
Despite US being so advanced in technology and are superior in administrative practice, more than 89,000 stimulus payments of $250 each went to people who were either dead or in prison, a government investigator says in a new report. That's over $22 million.
Dead people were ineligible to get the payments. But get this, there is no provision in the US law to recover payments incorrectly sent to dead people. Are they saying that the US government cannot get back the $22 million?
The Social Security Administration claimed that despite tight deadlines, workers accurately processed more than 99.8 percent of the 52 million stimulus payments. 0.2 percent error made by government workers from the US is actually very bad considering their standard.
See US Social Security Administration Inspector general report: http://www.ssa.gov/oig/ADOBEPDF/A-09-10-11017.pdf
Despite US being so advanced in technology and are superior in administrative practice, more than 89,000 stimulus payments of $250 each went to people who were either dead or in prison, a government investigator says in a new report. That's over $22 million.
Dead people were ineligible to get the payments. But get this, there is no provision in the US law to recover payments incorrectly sent to dead people. Are they saying that the US government cannot get back the $22 million?
The Social Security Administration claimed that despite tight deadlines, workers accurately processed more than 99.8 percent of the 52 million stimulus payments. 0.2 percent error made by government workers from the US is actually very bad considering their standard.
See US Social Security Administration Inspector general report: http://www.ssa.gov/oig/ADOBEPDF/A-09-10-11017.pdf
Sex Spree At Delhi Commonwealth Games Village
Sex spree at the Delhi Commonwealth Games Athletes Village that led to toilet blockage. Plumbers sent to unblock toilets said used condoms were the problem, with an un-named health official quoted as saying 2000 of the 8000 free contraceptives had been used so far. The athletes are busy competing with each other but still have time for their extra curricular activities.
Read also 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games Medals Tally
India's Mail Today newspaper carried a front page story on Thursday reporting thousands of condoms were clogging toilets at the village. Commonwealth Games organisers can even spin reports of used condoms clogging toilets at the athletes village into a positive story.
Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell said the report was a positive.
"Well I hope they clear the toilets," Fennell said.
"I am not quite sure what the point is, if that is happening it shows that there is use of condoms and I think that is a very positive story, that athletes are being responsible.
"As you know, this issue was controversial some years back about whether condoms should be issued to athletes and so on.
"But we all know that promoting safe sex is a very responsible thing to do, and if that is being used, then I think the athletes are being responsible."
While Australia is topping the medal table, the report suggests athletes are missing out elsewhere - no such clogging problem has been reported in Australia's sector of the village.
"There is no maintenance issues with the toilets in the three residential blocks that the Australians are in," Australian chef de mission Steve Moneghetti said.
When asked whether that suggested the Australian athletes are "not performing well enough" in their extra curricular activities, Moneghetti gave a vague response.
"It's a very positive story," he said.
Moneghetti said the Australian team also had their own supply of condoms, kept in an abandoned, but clean, toilet bowl in the medical room.
"We have a supply of condoms in the medical door as you come in," Moneghetti said.
Read also 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games Medals Tally
India's Mail Today newspaper carried a front page story on Thursday reporting thousands of condoms were clogging toilets at the village. Commonwealth Games organisers can even spin reports of used condoms clogging toilets at the athletes village into a positive story.
Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell said the report was a positive.
"Well I hope they clear the toilets," Fennell said.
"I am not quite sure what the point is, if that is happening it shows that there is use of condoms and I think that is a very positive story, that athletes are being responsible.
"As you know, this issue was controversial some years back about whether condoms should be issued to athletes and so on.
"But we all know that promoting safe sex is a very responsible thing to do, and if that is being used, then I think the athletes are being responsible."
While Australia is topping the medal table, the report suggests athletes are missing out elsewhere - no such clogging problem has been reported in Australia's sector of the village.
"There is no maintenance issues with the toilets in the three residential blocks that the Australians are in," Australian chef de mission Steve Moneghetti said.
When asked whether that suggested the Australian athletes are "not performing well enough" in their extra curricular activities, Moneghetti gave a vague response.
"It's a very positive story," he said.
Moneghetti said the Australian team also had their own supply of condoms, kept in an abandoned, but clean, toilet bowl in the medical room.
"We have a supply of condoms in the medical door as you come in," Moneghetti said.
Killer monkey abducts and kill an infant
As with all wild animals, never trust a monkey. TheStar.com.my reported that a couple from Seremban, Malaysia lost their baby after a monkey stole the baby and drop the baby from the roof.
In mere minutes, a young woman turned from a happy mother to a grieving one when she lost her four-day-old baby to a wild monkey that was shot dead several hours later.
In the 1.15pm tragedy yesterday, the macaque stole into the living room; snatched the child and fled up the roof of the house. The baby fell to the ground and died.
The mother, V. Revathy, 26, had left her first-born child in the living room of the single-storey house near Taman Happy Garden to use the toilet. The baby’s body was discovered later outside the house with her face and neck badly bitten. She was rushed to the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital here where she was pronounced dead.
Revathi’s father-in-law A. Valayutham, 70, was in the living room with the newborn but had gone to get a glass of water when the tragedy occurred.
“We frantically searched all over the house and saw her body covered in blood lying outside the house,” he said.
Valayutham added that he had noticed a few monkeys outside the house compound at that time.
The area where the family stayed was sandwiched between two residential areas with a foliage of trees nearby where there were monkeys.
Negri Sembilan Wildlife and National Parks director Ishak Muhamad said the macaque was shot dead at 4pm.
“We suspect the macaque was rummaging for food inside the house. It could have taken the baby to the roof thinking the newborn was food.
“The baby died when it fell to the ground. The monkey had apparently released the newborn, probably because it was alarmed by the parents’ shouts,” Ishak said yesterday.
He added that the parents had called the Fire and Rescue Department at 2.15pm, which immediately contacted the Wildlife and National Parks Department.
“We reached the house at about 3pm and set off with the baby’s father to look for the macaque,” he said.
Ishak said department officers saw the macaque in some bushes several metres from the house at about 4pm.
The macaque was shot when it began to act aggressively.
Ishak added that it was the first such case in the state, and believed the male monkey was attracted by a female kept in captivity as a pet by the family.
“This is very unusual. Normally, these monkeys simply steal food or pluck fruit from the yard,” he said.
The baby’s father, lorry driver V. Neru, 29, who was not at home when the incident occurred, said he could not believe that such a thing could have happened.
“I rushed to the hospital only to be told that she was gone.
“She was our bundle of joy and we were looking forward to spending many happy years with her ... I just cannot believe she’s gone,” he said.
R. Shanty, 35, who lives nearby said it was common to see monkeys in groups of three or four in the area.
“A while back, my pet dog was attacked by these monkeys. Its badly-bitten body was thrown from a tree.
“I really hope the authorities take action and not wait until another life is lost,” she said.
Rahang assemblyman M.K. Arumugam, who visited the family yesterday evening, expressed regret over the incident.
“I have brought this matter up before but sadly no action was taken. I am very disappointed that something like this had to happen before the authorities took notice,” he said.
In mere minutes, a young woman turned from a happy mother to a grieving one when she lost her four-day-old baby to a wild monkey that was shot dead several hours later.
In the 1.15pm tragedy yesterday, the macaque stole into the living room; snatched the child and fled up the roof of the house. The baby fell to the ground and died.
The mother, V. Revathy, 26, had left her first-born child in the living room of the single-storey house near Taman Happy Garden to use the toilet. The baby’s body was discovered later outside the house with her face and neck badly bitten. She was rushed to the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital here where she was pronounced dead.
Revathi’s father-in-law A. Valayutham, 70, was in the living room with the newborn but had gone to get a glass of water when the tragedy occurred.
“We frantically searched all over the house and saw her body covered in blood lying outside the house,” he said.
Valayutham added that he had noticed a few monkeys outside the house compound at that time.
The area where the family stayed was sandwiched between two residential areas with a foliage of trees nearby where there were monkeys.
Negri Sembilan Wildlife and National Parks director Ishak Muhamad said the macaque was shot dead at 4pm.
“We suspect the macaque was rummaging for food inside the house. It could have taken the baby to the roof thinking the newborn was food.
“The baby died when it fell to the ground. The monkey had apparently released the newborn, probably because it was alarmed by the parents’ shouts,” Ishak said yesterday.
He added that the parents had called the Fire and Rescue Department at 2.15pm, which immediately contacted the Wildlife and National Parks Department.
“We reached the house at about 3pm and set off with the baby’s father to look for the macaque,” he said.
Ishak said department officers saw the macaque in some bushes several metres from the house at about 4pm.
The macaque was shot when it began to act aggressively.
Ishak added that it was the first such case in the state, and believed the male monkey was attracted by a female kept in captivity as a pet by the family.
“This is very unusual. Normally, these monkeys simply steal food or pluck fruit from the yard,” he said.
The baby’s father, lorry driver V. Neru, 29, who was not at home when the incident occurred, said he could not believe that such a thing could have happened.
“I rushed to the hospital only to be told that she was gone.
“She was our bundle of joy and we were looking forward to spending many happy years with her ... I just cannot believe she’s gone,” he said.
R. Shanty, 35, who lives nearby said it was common to see monkeys in groups of three or four in the area.
“A while back, my pet dog was attacked by these monkeys. Its badly-bitten body was thrown from a tree.
“I really hope the authorities take action and not wait until another life is lost,” she said.
Rahang assemblyman M.K. Arumugam, who visited the family yesterday evening, expressed regret over the incident.
“I have brought this matter up before but sadly no action was taken. I am very disappointed that something like this had to happen before the authorities took notice,” he said.
Toxic spill floods Hungary towns of Kolontar, Devecser, and Somlovasarhely
Oil spill in the Gulf, toxic spill on land. How can this environmental disaster be repeating itself.
The Boston Globe reported that the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency in several towns yesterday, a day after a reservoir at an alumina production plant in Ajka burst its banks, unleashing a flood of toxic red sludge that killed at least four people and injured more than 120, government officials said.
The flood, estimated at 185 million gallons, swept cars off roads, damaged bridges and houses, and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents. People who came in contact with the substance were burned through their clothes.
“People here speak of a mini-tsunami,’’ said Gyorgy Bakos, spokesman for the National Directorate General for Disaster Management, who was close to the scene of the accident.
Hungarian environmental advocates said that the spill could have devastating environmental consequences and that it threatened to pollute the Danube River, causing long-term damage to ecosystems and killing fish and vegetation. The agricultural soil that is now under the sludge will have to be replaced at a potentially high cost, they said.
Authorities and emergency services evacuated residents from Kolontar, Devecser, and Somlovasarhely, in southwestern Hungary, and set up makeshift camps in schools and community centers.
In addition to the dead, who appeared to have drowned, five people were missing, and 7,000 residents were affected by the spill. About 60 people were hospitalized, according to the National Directorate General for Disaster Management.
Zoltan Illes, state secretary at the Environment Ministry, who was also in Devecser, called the spill an “environmental disaster.’’
The sludge leaked and flooded the towns through the Torna River. Some 270 homes were quickly engulfed. The sludge spread over 16 square miles, according to the Environment Ministry.
Residents in Kolontar, not far from where the accident occurred, tried to rush from their homes as a wave of sludge 6 feet high pushed its way through homes and narrow streets.
Gabor Figeczky, deputy country officer of WWF-Hungary, an environmental group, said the main threat from sludge was that it is very alkaline, with a pH as high as 13, making it a caustic detergent that could burn.
Figeczky said the environmental risk was created by the highly alkaline substance flowing into rivers and killing all life there. He said it remained unclear whether rainfall and upstream water could help dilute the caustic mud in the river and avert more damage to the larger rivers downstream.
“There hasn’t been such a spill of this red sludge before anywhere,’’ he said.
The Hungarian Environment Ministry immediately ordered the owner of the Ajka alumina plant, MAL Zrt, the Hungarian Aluminum Production and Trade Co., to suspend all operations.
Viktor Orban, the prime minister, appealed for calm. “There are grounds for panic, and this is understandable,’’ he told reporters.
He added that the government had set up a team of experts to analyze the accident, which he said might have been caused by human error and showed no signs of having been the result of natural causes. He stressed that there was no threat of radiation in the area affected by sludge.
Red sludge, also known as red mud, is a byproduct of the refining of bauxite into alumina, the basic material for manufacturing aluminum, according to the Aluminum Association, an industry trade group based in Arlington, Va. The sludge, a waste product in production, contains heavy metals and is toxic if ingested, scientists say.
The plant’s owner issued a statement yesterday afternoon saying that “the red sludge waste is not considered hazardous waste,’’ according to European Union standards.
Recent spills:
* Zijinshan Copper Mine killed the Ding River
* Large Air Spill at Wind Farm
SEO: Kolontar accident | Devecser accident | Somlovasarhely accident | baleset | mérgező szennyezés | hungary red mud | vörösiszap | tározó tört | Hungary Mal Zrt
The Boston Globe reported that the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency in several towns yesterday, a day after a reservoir at an alumina production plant in Ajka burst its banks, unleashing a flood of toxic red sludge that killed at least four people and injured more than 120, government officials said.
The flood, estimated at 185 million gallons, swept cars off roads, damaged bridges and houses, and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents. People who came in contact with the substance were burned through their clothes.
“People here speak of a mini-tsunami,’’ said Gyorgy Bakos, spokesman for the National Directorate General for Disaster Management, who was close to the scene of the accident.
Hungarian environmental advocates said that the spill could have devastating environmental consequences and that it threatened to pollute the Danube River, causing long-term damage to ecosystems and killing fish and vegetation. The agricultural soil that is now under the sludge will have to be replaced at a potentially high cost, they said.
Authorities and emergency services evacuated residents from Kolontar, Devecser, and Somlovasarhely, in southwestern Hungary, and set up makeshift camps in schools and community centers.
In addition to the dead, who appeared to have drowned, five people were missing, and 7,000 residents were affected by the spill. About 60 people were hospitalized, according to the National Directorate General for Disaster Management.
Zoltan Illes, state secretary at the Environment Ministry, who was also in Devecser, called the spill an “environmental disaster.’’
The sludge leaked and flooded the towns through the Torna River. Some 270 homes were quickly engulfed. The sludge spread over 16 square miles, according to the Environment Ministry.
Residents in Kolontar, not far from where the accident occurred, tried to rush from their homes as a wave of sludge 6 feet high pushed its way through homes and narrow streets.
Gabor Figeczky, deputy country officer of WWF-Hungary, an environmental group, said the main threat from sludge was that it is very alkaline, with a pH as high as 13, making it a caustic detergent that could burn.
Figeczky said the environmental risk was created by the highly alkaline substance flowing into rivers and killing all life there. He said it remained unclear whether rainfall and upstream water could help dilute the caustic mud in the river and avert more damage to the larger rivers downstream.
“There hasn’t been such a spill of this red sludge before anywhere,’’ he said.
The Hungarian Environment Ministry immediately ordered the owner of the Ajka alumina plant, MAL Zrt, the Hungarian Aluminum Production and Trade Co., to suspend all operations.
Viktor Orban, the prime minister, appealed for calm. “There are grounds for panic, and this is understandable,’’ he told reporters.
He added that the government had set up a team of experts to analyze the accident, which he said might have been caused by human error and showed no signs of having been the result of natural causes. He stressed that there was no threat of radiation in the area affected by sludge.
Red sludge, also known as red mud, is a byproduct of the refining of bauxite into alumina, the basic material for manufacturing aluminum, according to the Aluminum Association, an industry trade group based in Arlington, Va. The sludge, a waste product in production, contains heavy metals and is toxic if ingested, scientists say.
The plant’s owner issued a statement yesterday afternoon saying that “the red sludge waste is not considered hazardous waste,’’ according to European Union standards.
Recent spills:
* Zijinshan Copper Mine killed the Ding River
* Large Air Spill at Wind Farm
SEO: Kolontar accident | Devecser accident | Somlovasarhely accident | baleset | mérgező szennyezés | hungary red mud | vörösiszap | tározó tört | Hungary Mal Zrt
Confessions of a scratch-and-win scammer
Some scratch-and-win companies are already getting their salespersons to hit the road and push Chinese New Year packages, a former worker with one such firm said.
Tze Meng (not his real name) also told The Star how he first became involved in the trade and how such companies operated.
He said he started off when he answered an advertisement for a sales job in a Chinese daily.
“The returns or commissions are good; sometimes we get up to 25% of whatever sales we manage from those who supposedly won the scratch and win or draw.
“If we bring in 25 customers, we get at least RM3,000 and this can be achieved within three days.”
Tze Meng revealed that most of the salesmen were from the rural areas, who were naive and thought they could hit the sales target by working hard.
During orientation, Tze Meng said the manager would teach the new recruits how to convince customers to buy their products.
“The ‘lecturer’ made it seem easy to make thousands of ringgit and said everything was legal.
“We were handed 20 cards – 10 with prizes and the others with the words ‘Thank You’ on it,” he added.
Tze Meng said they would be taken to locations such as a shopping complexes, bus terminals, LRT stations, hypermarkets and sometimes outside banks.
“We were taught how to target our customers. If a person is young and we think that they do not have the money then we offer them the ‘Thank You’ card to scratch.
“If the person is older and looks well off, we use the cards that offer prizes like electrical items, energy water system, home theatre system or digital stove worth between RM4,000 and RM5,000,” he added.
Tze Meng said the winner would be brought to the office where a supervisor would give a briefing about the “other prizes” he or she could win; and how much to fork out to redeem them.
They would also be lured into believing they could win a Toyota Altis, Persona, Perodua Viva, 42-inch Plasma TV, LCD TV, Honda motorcycle, refrigerator and video camera.
Before that, the victims would be asked to fill up an agreement form.
“The fine print states that the victims bought the items voluntarily.
“The goods bought were also not returnable,” he added.
However, in most cases, the lucrative prizes never materialised and the customers ended up owning a cheap mattress after forking out thousands.
via TheStar
Tze Meng (not his real name) also told The Star how he first became involved in the trade and how such companies operated.
He said he started off when he answered an advertisement for a sales job in a Chinese daily.
“The returns or commissions are good; sometimes we get up to 25% of whatever sales we manage from those who supposedly won the scratch and win or draw.
“If we bring in 25 customers, we get at least RM3,000 and this can be achieved within three days.”
Tze Meng revealed that most of the salesmen were from the rural areas, who were naive and thought they could hit the sales target by working hard.
During orientation, Tze Meng said the manager would teach the new recruits how to convince customers to buy their products.
“The ‘lecturer’ made it seem easy to make thousands of ringgit and said everything was legal.
“We were handed 20 cards – 10 with prizes and the others with the words ‘Thank You’ on it,” he added.
Tze Meng said they would be taken to locations such as a shopping complexes, bus terminals, LRT stations, hypermarkets and sometimes outside banks.
“We were taught how to target our customers. If a person is young and we think that they do not have the money then we offer them the ‘Thank You’ card to scratch.
“If the person is older and looks well off, we use the cards that offer prizes like electrical items, energy water system, home theatre system or digital stove worth between RM4,000 and RM5,000,” he added.
Tze Meng said the winner would be brought to the office where a supervisor would give a briefing about the “other prizes” he or she could win; and how much to fork out to redeem them.
They would also be lured into believing they could win a Toyota Altis, Persona, Perodua Viva, 42-inch Plasma TV, LCD TV, Honda motorcycle, refrigerator and video camera.
Before that, the victims would be asked to fill up an agreement form.
“The fine print states that the victims bought the items voluntarily.
“The goods bought were also not returnable,” he added.
However, in most cases, the lucrative prizes never materialised and the customers ended up owning a cheap mattress after forking out thousands.
via TheStar
Rainforest Destruction Price - $5 Trillion
British scientific experts have made a major breakthrough in the fight to save the natural world from destruction, leading to an international effort to safeguard a global system worth at least $5 trillion a year to mankind.Groundbreaking new research by a former banker, Pavan Sukhdev, to place a price tag on the worldwide network of environmental assets has triggered an international race to halt the destruction of rainforests, wetlands and coral reefs.
With experts warning that the battle to stem the loss of biodiversity is two decades behind the climate change agenda, the United Nations, the World Bank and ministers from almost every government insist no country can afford to believe it will be unaffected by the alarming rate at which species are disappearing. The Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, later this month will shift from solely ecological concerns to a hard-headed assessment of the impact on global economic security.
The UK Government is championing a new system to identify the financial value of natural resources, and the potential hit to national economies if they are lost. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Teeb) project has begun to calculate the global economic costs of biodiversity loss. Initial results paint a startling picture. The loss of biodiversity through deforestation alone will cost the global economy up to $4.5trn (£2.8trn) each year – $650 for every person on the planet, and just a fraction of the total damage being wrought by overdevelopment, intensive farming and climate change.
The annual economic value of the 63 million hectares of wetland worldwide is said to total $3.4bn. In the pharmaceutical trade, up to 50 per cent of all of the $640bn market comes from genetic resources. Anti-cancer agents from marine organisms alone are valued at up to $1bn a year.
Read the rest of the story at Independent.co.uk - $5,000,000,000,000: The cost each year of vanishing rainforest
Recommended reading:
* Save The World From Global Warming - How to
* $28 trillion loss due to sea level rise
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