Should all men be screened for prostate cancer? | Health | Reuters

Reuters By Anthony J. Brown, MD

Fri Sep 25, 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Screening all men for prostate cancer using a currently available common blood test is not worthwhile, according to a new study.

The study suggests that doctors need better tests before they can recommend large-scale screening, study co-author Dr. Mattias Johansson told Reuters Health. "In particular, tools that help distinguish rapidly growing and potentially lethal tumors from slow growing tumors are warranted in order to minimize overdiagnosis and overtreatment."

Johansson, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, and his colleagues looked at more than 500 men with prostate cancer and more than 1000 case without it with similar characteristics.

They found that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) - a common blood test used to detect the disease - could not reliably distinguish between slow-growing prostate cancers that were not likely to cause any harm, and those that were likely to become aggressive and deadly.

The authors did, however, find that a very low PSA level -- below 1.0 nanograms per milliliter of blood -- virtually rules out prostate cancer. Given that many men would have higher values, however, it would be unclear what to do with many results.

In an analysis accompanying the study in the BMJ, Dr. Jennifer Stark, from Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues examined the benefits and harms of PSA screening and concluded that at present there is simply not enough data to support population-based screening.

Moreover, they note, further studies with more precise measures are needed to gauge the financial and psychological toll of false positive PSA results, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment of prostate cancer.

Before men undergo PSA screening, they should be fully informed of the benefits, harms, and uncertainty associated with the test, Dr. Stark and colleagues emphasize.

SOURCE: BMJ, Online First September 25, 2009.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Poland okays forcible castration for pedophiles...

Reuters

Fri Sep 25, 2009 WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland on Friday approved a law making chemical castration mandatory for pedophiles in some cases, sparking criticism from human rights groups.

Under the law, sponsored by Poland's center-right government, pedophiles convicted of raping children under the age of 15 years or a close relative would have to undergo chemical therapy on their release from prison.

"The purpose of this action is to improve the mental health of the convict, to lower his libido and thereby to reduce the risk of another crime being committed by the same person," the government said in a statement.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said late last year he wanted obligatory castration for pedophiles, whom he branded 'degenerates'. Tusk said he did not believe "one can use the term 'human' for such individuals, such creatures."

"Therefore I don't think protection of human rights should refer to these kind of events," Tusk also said.

His remarks drew criticism from human rights groups but he never retracted them.

"Introducing any mandatory treatment raises doubts as such a requirement is never reasonable and life can always produce cases that lawmakers could never have even dreamt of," said Piotr Kladoczny from the Helsinki Foundation of Human Rights.

"If somebody is of sound mind, we punish him. If he is sick, we try to cure him -- that's how it works in Polish law. This bill introduces both approaches. As far as I know, this makes our law the strictest in Europe on this issue," Kladoczny said.

The bill, which also increases prison sentences for rape and incest, must still be approved by the upper chamber of parliament. This is seen as a formality as Tusk's Civic Platform party holds a majority of its 100 seats.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Louise Ireland)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Clinical trial of new HIV vaccine...

Clinical trial of new HIV vaccine

Saturday, September 26, 2009. A clinical trial of a new HIV vaccine has proved effective in cutting the infection rate of the virus that leads to Aids.

The US Army carried out tests on 16,000 HIV-negative volunteers in Thailand.

It found that infections were prevented in over a third of the 8,000 people who received the vaccine, compared with the other 8,000 who were given the placebo.

The study, which started in 2003, used a combination of two vaccines, both of which have proved to have little or no effect on infection rates when used as single doses in previous trials.

In the final analysis, 74 placebo recipients became infected with HIV compared to 51 in the vaccine regimen group.

Although a difference of 23 people is not huge, the 31.2% decrease has given scientists hope that in the future there could be a way of preventing the spread of this highly contagious virus which infects around 6,800 people a day.

Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker, Surgeon General, US Army said: 'We are very excited and pleased with the outcome of this trial and congratulate all those who participated in it.'

The purpose of the study was to evaluate how well the vaccine could prevent infection as well as reduce the amount of HIV in the blood of someone who has already tested positive.

The research found the vaccine had no effect on the amount of virus in the blood of volunteers who became HIV-infected during the study.

Although the findings show potential for a successful vaccine in the future, scientists say more research needs to be done into how this particular vaccine reduced the risk of infection.

Sky News health correspondent Thomas Moore said: 'This is the first time we have seen such a big effect from an Aids vaccine trial.'

But he added that the results 'were not significant enough for you to be confident relying on this vaccine to protect yourself from a deadly disease'.

There is currently no cure for Aids but anti-retroviral drugs can be taken to limit the symptoms.

Colonel Nelson Michael, Director, Division of Retrovirology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Director, US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) said: 'These results show that development of a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine is possible.'

More detailed results of this study will be presented next month at the Aids Vaccine Conference in Paris, France.

Body Worlds plans cadaver show dedicated to sex..

By Jason Rhodes

Friday, 11 Sep 2009. ZURICH (Reuters) - German anatomists plan a new show dedicated solely to dead bodies having sex as part of the Body Worlds exhibitions.

Gunther von Hagens and his wife Angelina Whalley show corpses prepared using a technique invented by von Hagens called "plastination," that removes water from specimens and preserves them with silicon rubber or epoxy resin.

"It's not my intention to show certain sexual poses. My goal is really to show the anatomy and the function," Body Worlds creative director Whalley told Reuters in an interview, adding the sex exhibition may open next year.

Body Worlds exhibitions, visited by 27 million people across the world, have been criticized for presenting entire corpses, stripped of skin to reveal the muscles and organs underneath, in lifelike and often theatrical positions.

Von Hagens has already triggered uproar with a new exhibit which shows just two copulating corpses.

German politicians called the current "Cycle of Life" show charting conception to old age "revolting" and "unacceptable" when it showed in Berlin earlier this year because it included copulating cadavers.

The way a plastinate is exhibited can vary from country to country to reflect local sensibilities. A vote of local employees decided that one of the copulating female cadavers should wear fewer clothes in Zurich than was the case in Berlin.

"Switzerland is the first country that already said from the outset that we could show whatever we wanted," said von Hagens.

"Zurich is ready ... but it's maybe not so easy in every other town," he said. "We have discussed whether it is proper to show homosexuality and in what way. This is a very delicate subject."

Von Hagens and Whalley said they both intended to donate their bodies for plastination, but would not leave instructions about how to display them, dismissing this as vanity.

"I find it a great opportunity to give something to others by donating my body, namely self-awareness," said Whalley.

Von Hagens said he and some other body donors even saw plastination as an alternative to burial or cremation, giving them more certainty about would happen to their bodies after death.

"Cremation for me is hell," he said.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Que shiraz, shiraz!...

Wed Sep 9, 2009 SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian wine that was once considered a non-collectable item has sold at a record price, surpassing the country's most acclaimed vintage as wine lovers target rare bottles from the last century.

At the annual Penfolds Wine Auction this weekend, the Penfolds 1957 Shiraz St. Henri was hammered off for A$8,110 ($6,991) a bottle, the highest price ever paid for a St. Henri.

Bottles of 1955, 1959 and 1971 St. Henri also beat the records for the same vintages of the famous Penfolds Grange, widely recognized as Australia's most coveted and expensive wine.

"The result is extraordinary, probably ten times what they expected to bring, we don't see that very often," Stewart Langton of Langton's wine auction house told Reuters.

"I don't think any wine is intrinsically worth A$8,000 a bottle and basically people who spend that on a bottle aren't going to drink that wine, they put it away, it's a trophy," said Winsor Dobbin of "Food and Wine" magazine.

While Penfolds Grange was seen as a collectable wine, St. Henri was usually drunk, making older bottles of it quite rare.

St. Henri's first commercial vintage was 1957 and it gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as wine connoisseurs started to appreciate its distinctive style.

"People are focusing on those hard to find rare bottles that occasionally come up, so we are seeing price rises across the board from the wines from the 50s and early 60s," Langton said.

Penfolds, one of Australia's oldest wineries with an extensive product range, was founded in 1844 by British physician Christopher Rawson Penfold. The winery is now part of the beverage giant Foster's Group.

(Editing by Miral Fahmy)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Even modest fitness may extend lifespan | Health | Reuters

Health Reuters By Amy Norton

Fri Aug 21, 2009. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who stay even moderately fit as they age may live longer than those who are out-of-shape, a new study suggests.

The study, of nearly 4,400 healthy U.S. adults, found that the roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels were twice as likely to die over the next nine years as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels.

That was with factors like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes taken into account -- underscoring the importance of physical fitness itself, researchers report in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

"Our findings suggest that sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain (the) two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit healthy individuals," lead researcher Dr. Sandra Mandic, of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, noted in an email to Reuters Health.

She pointed out that nearly two-thirds of the least-fit study participants were not getting the minimum recommended amount of exercise -- at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, like brisk walking, on five or more days a week.

"These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity," Mandic said, "particularly in poorly fit individuals."

The study included 4,384 middle-aged and older adults whose fitness levels were assessed during exercise treadmill tests sometime between 1986 and 2006; they were then followed for an average of about nine years.

When Mandic's team separated the participants into five groups based on fitness levels, they found that one-quarter of the least-fit men and women had died during the study period, versus 13 percent of those who were slightly more in shape.

Among adults in the most-fit group, only 6 percent died during the follow-up period.

Overall, the five groups showed little difference in their reported exercise habits over their adult lives. Where they did differ was their activity levels in recent years.

"Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection," Mandic said, "it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life."

And since fitness is linked to longevity regardless of weight and health conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, exercise is important for all, according to Mandic.

That, she said, includes people who are thin and in generally good health.

SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2009.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

10 Windows XP services you should never disable...

Between the Lines ZDNet.com Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:15 am

August 24th, 2009 10 Windows XP services you should never disable

There are dozens of guides out there that help you determine which services you can safely disable on your Windows XP desktop. Disabling unnecessary services can improve system performance and overall system security, as the system’s attack surface is reduced. However, these lists rarely indicate which services you should not disable. All of the services that run on a Window system serve a specific purpose and many of the services are critical to the proper and expected functioning of the desktop computing environment. In this article, you’ll learn about 10 critical Windows XP services you shouldn’t disable (and why).

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download. For a quick how-to video on the basics, see Disable and enable Windows XP services.

1: DNS Client
This service resolves and caches DNS names, allowing the system to communicate with canonical names rather than strictly by IP address. DNS is the reason that you can, in a Web browser, type http://www.techrepublic.com rather than having to remember that http://216.239.113.101 is the site’s IP address.

If you stop this service, you will disable your computer’s ability to resolve names to IP addresses, basically rendering Web browsing all but impossible.

2: Network Connections
The Network Connections service manages the network and dial-up connections for your computer, including network status notification and configuration. These days, a standalone, non-networked PC is just about as useful as an abacus — maybe less so. The Network Connections service is the element responsible for making sure that your computer can communicate with other computers and with the Internet.

If this service is disabled, network configuration is not possible. New network connections can’t be created and services that need network information will fail.

3: Plug and Play
The Plug and Play service (formerly known as the “Plug and Pray” service, due to its past unreliability), is kicked off whenever new hardware is added to the computer. This service detects the new hardware and attempts to automatically configure it for use with the computer. The Plug and Play service is often confused with the Universal Plug and Play service (uPNP), which is a way that the Windows XP computer can detect new network resources (as opposed to local hardware resources). The Plug and Play service is pretty critical as, without it, your system can become unstable and will not recognize new hardware. On the other hand, uPNP is not generally necessary and can be disabled without worry. Along with uPNP, disable the SSDP Discovery Service, as it goes hand-in-hand with uPNP.

Historical note: Way back in 2001, uPNP was implicated in some pretty serious security breaches, as described here.

If you disable Plug and Play, your computer will be unstable and incapable of detecting hardware changes.

4: Print Spooler
Just about every computer out there needs to print at some point. If you want your computer to be able to print, don’t plan on disabling the Print Spooler service. It manages all printing activities for your system. You may think that lack of a printer makes it safe to disable the Print Spooler service. While that’s technically true, there’s really no point in doing so; after all, if you ever do decide to get a printer, you’ll need to remember to re-enable the service, and you might end up frustrating yourself.

When the Print Spooler service is not running, printing on the local machine is not possible.

5: Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Windows is a pretty complex beast, and many of its underlying processes need to communicate with one another. The service that makes this possible is the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service. RPC allows processes to communicate with one another and across the network with each other. A ton of other critical services, including the Print Spooler and the Network Connections service, depend on the RPC service to function. If you want to see what bad things happen when you disable this service, look at the comments on this link.

Bad news. The system will not boot. Don’t disable this service.

6: Workstation
As is the case for many services, the Workstation service is responsible for handling connections to remote network resources. Specifically, this service provides network connections and communications capability for resources found using Microsoft Network services. Years ago, I would have said that disabling this service was a good idea, but that was before the rise of the home network and everything that goes along with it, including shared printers, remote Windows Media devices, Windows Home Server, and much more. Today, you don’t gain much by eliminating this service, but you lose a lot.

Disable the Workstation service and your computer will be unable to connect to remote Microsoft Network resources.

7: Network Location Awareness (NLA)
As was the case with the Workstation service, disabling the Network Location Awareness service might have made sense a few years ago — at least for a standalone, non-networked computer. With today’s WiFi-everywhere culture, mobility has become a primary driver. The Network Location Awareness service is responsible for collecting and storing network configuration and location information and notifying applications when this information changes. For example, as you make the move from the local coffee shop’s wireless network back home to your wired docking station, NLA makes sure that applications are aware of the change. Further, some other services depend on this service’s availability.

Your computer will not be able to fully connect to and use wireless networks. Problems abound!

8: DHCP Client
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a critical service that makes the task of getting computers on the network nearly effortless. Before the days of DHCP, poor network administrators had to manually assign network addresses to every computer. Over the years, DHCP has been extended to automatically assign all kinds of information to computers from a central configuration repository. DHCP allows the system to automatically obtain IP addressing information, WINS server information, routing information, and so forth; it’s required to update records in dynamic DNS systems, such as Microsoft’s Active Directory-integrated DNS service. This is one service that, if disabled, won’t necessarily cripple your computer but will make administration much more difficult.

Without the DHCP Client service, you’ll need to manually assign static IP addresses to every Windows XP system on your network. If you use DHCP to assign other parameters, such as WINS information, you’ll need to provide that information manually as well.

9: Cryptographic Services
Every month, Microsoft provides new fixes and updates on what has become known as “Patch Tuesday” because the updates are released on the first Tuesday of the month. Why do I bring this up? Well, one service supported by Cryptographic Services happens to be Automatic Updates. Further, Cryptographic Services provides three other management services: Catalog Database Service, which confirms the signatures of Windows files; Protected Root Service, which adds and removes Trusted Root Certification Authority certificates from this computer; and Key Service, which helps enroll this computer for certificates. Finally, Cryptographic Services also supports some elements of Task Manager.

Disable Cryptographic Services at your peril! Automatic Updates will not function and you will have problems with Task Manager as well as other security mechanisms.

10: Automatic Updates
Keeping your machine current with patches is pretty darn important, and that’s where Automatic Updates comes into play. When Automatic Updates is enabled, your computer stays current with new updates from Microsoft. When disabled, you have to manually get updates by visiting Microsoft’s update site.

New security updates will not be automatically installed to your computer.


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Stolen dogs found in Peru medical school lab...

Reuters By Madelyn Fairbanks

Fri Aug 21, 2009. LIMA (Reuters) - At least two stolen dogs were found in an operating room used for dissections at the medical school of South America's oldest university, but its dean denied relying on dognappers to collect specimens for classes.

The University of San Marcos does not have access to enough human cadavers for its students, so they sometimes cut open dogs instead.

Carmen Valverde's dog Tomas was stolen by two men while she was walking in the working-class Brena district of Lima, and a friend who works at the school's teaching hospital spotted him by chance in a surgery room where dogs are dissected.

Valverde donned a lab coat and snuck into the hospital to rescue Tomas. Video her friend shot a week ago, aired on local television, shows him sedated, splayed, and strapped to a stainless steel table -- just moments away from the knife.

After local newspapers published the story, other people missing dogs rushed to the hospital's door and one owner found her dog Chico.

"The University of San Marcos still hasn't apologized for what it has done," Valverde told Reuters Thursday.

Ricardo Rubios, dean of the medical school, acknowledged that stolen dogs had wound up in the surgery room, but said the school only uses strays for classes.

"I assure you we would have returned the dog. All our experimental surgeries are done to dogs that don't have owners," Rubios told Reuters.

Romila Briones, a member of ASPPA, a Peruvian animal rights group, said the law does not protect strays.

"In Europe, they don't kill animals for education, they use dummies. Unfortunately, animals are just property in the eyes of the law here, like furniture," Briones said.

(Additional reporting by Carlos Valdez; editing by Terry Wade and Mohammad Zargham)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Millions face shrinking Social Security payments...

Yahoo! News By Associated Press Writer Stephen Ohlemacher.

Sun Aug 23,2009. WASHINGTON – Millions of older people face shrinking Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise. The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won't be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years. That hasn't happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975.

By law, Social Security benefits cannot go down. Nevertheless, monthly payments would drop for millions of people in the Medicare prescription drug program because the premiums, which often are deducted from Social Security payments, are scheduled to go up slightly.

"I will promise you, they count on that COLA," said Barbara Kennelly, a former Democratic congresswoman from Connecticut who now heads the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. "To some people, it might not be a big deal. But to seniors, especially with their health care costs, it is a big deal."

Cost of living adjustments are pegged to inflation, which has been negative this year, largely because energy prices are below 2008 levels.

Advocates say older people still face higher prices because they spend a disproportionate amount of their income on health care, where costs rise faster than inflation. Many also have suffered from declining home values and shrinking stock portfolios just as they are relying on those assets for income.

"For many elderly, they don't feel that inflation is low because their expenses are still going up," said David Certner, legislative policy director for AARP. "Anyone who has savings and investments has seen some serious losses."

About 50 million retired and disabled Americans receive Social Security benefits. The average monthly benefit for retirees is $1,153 this year. All beneficiaries received a 5.8 percent increase in January, the largest since 1982.

More than 32 million people are in the Medicare prescription drug program. Average monthly premiums are set to go from $28 this year to $30 next year, though they vary by plan. About 6 million people in the program have premiums deducted from their monthly Social Security payments, according to the Social Security Administration.

Millions of people with Medicare Part B coverage for doctors' visits also have their premiums deducted from Social Security payments. Part B premiums are expected to rise as well. But under the law, the increase cannot be larger than the increase in Social Security benefits for most recipients.

There is no such hold-harmless provision for drug premiums.

Kennelly's group wants Congress to increase Social Security benefits next year, even though the formula doesn't call for it. She would like to see either a 1 percent increase in monthly payments or a one-time payment of $150.

The cost of a one-time payment, a little less than $8 billion, could be covered by increasing the amount of income subjected to Social Security taxes, Kennelly said. Workers only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,800 of income, a limit that rises each year with the average national wage.

But the limit only increases if monthly benefits increase.

Critics argue that Social Security recipients shouldn't get an increase when inflation is negative. They note that recipients got a big increase in January — after energy prices had started to fall. They also note that Social Security recipients received one-time $250 payments in the spring as part of the government's economic stimulus package.

Consumer prices are down from 2008 levels, giving Social Security recipients more purchasing power, even if their benefits stay the same, said Andrew G. Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.

"Seniors may perceive that they are being hurt because there is no COLA, but they are in fact not getting hurt," Biggs said. "Congress has to be able to tell people they are not getting everything they want."

Social Security is also facing long-term financial problems. The retirement program is projected to start paying out more money than it receives in 2016. Without changes, the retirement fund will be depleted in 2037, according to the Social Security trustees' annual report this year.

President Barack Obama has said he would like tackle Social Security next year, after Congress finishes work on health care, climate change and new financial regulations.

Lawmakers are preoccupied by health care, making it difficult to address other tough issues. Advocates for older people hope their efforts will get a boost in October, when the Social Security Administration officially announces that there will not be an increase in benefits next year.

"I think a lot of seniors do not know what's coming down the pike, and I believe that when they hear that, they're going to be upset," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who is working on a proposal for one-time payments for Social Security recipients.

"It is my view that seniors are going to need help this year, and it would not be acceptable for Congress to simply turn its back," he said.

Putpockets give a little extra cash...

Reuters

Wed Aug 19, 2009 LONDON (Reuters) - Visitors to London always have to be on the look out for pickpockets, but now there's another, more positive phenomenon on the loose -- putpockets.

Aware that people are suffering in the economic crisis, 20 former pickpockets have turned over a new leaf and are now trawling London's tourist sites slipping money back into unsuspecting pockets.

Anything from 5 pounds ($8) to 20 pound notes is being surreptitiously deposited in unguarded pockets or open handbags in Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and other busy spots.

The initiative, which runs until the end of August in London before being rolled out countrywide, is being funded by a broadbrand provider, which says it wants to brighten up people's lives in unusual ways.

"It feels good to give something back for a change -- and Britons certainly need it in the current economic climate," said Chris Fitch, a former pickpocket who now heads TalkTalk's putpocketing initiative.

"Every time I put money back in someone's pocket, I feel less guilty about the fact I spent many years taking it out."

London's police have been briefed about the plan, which will see at least 100,000 pounds given away.

(Reporting by Luke Baker; Editing by Kate Kelland)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Swiss seek Pope's blessing to stop glacier melting...

Reuters

Thu Aug 6, 2009. ZURICH (Reuters) - After centuries of praying for a local glacier to stop growing, Swiss villagers are now seeking an audience with Pope Benedict to get his blessing for prayers against the global warming that is causing it to recede.

In 1678, the inhabitants of the Alpine villages of Fieschertal and Fiesch made a formal vow to live virtuously and to pray against the growth of the Aletsch glacier, Europe's longest, which had caused a lake to flood into their homes.

To reinforce their prayers, they started holding an annual procession in 1862, when the glacier reached its longest during the mini-Ice Age Europe suffered in the mid-19th century.

But the villages now want to seek permission from Pope Benedict to change their vow as the glacier is melting fast due to climate change and have requested an audience with him.

"The residents of Fiesch and Fischertal hope that this will happen in September or October and are optimistic that the Holy Father will decide in their favor as he has repeatedly spoken out about climate change," they said in a statement.

Switzerland's glaciers shrank by 12 percent over the past decade, melting at their fastest rate due to rising temperatures and lighter snowfalls, a recent study showed.

Glaciers are a key source of water for hydro-electric plants in Switzerland as well as an important tourist attraction.

Researchers are predicting that the temperatures in the Swiss Alps will rise by 1.8 degrees Celsius in winter and by 2.7 degrees Celsius in the summer by 2050.

(Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Jon Boyle)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reser

Telstra admits denying rivals access to copper network - Computerworld

Computerworld By Daniel Bishton

ACCC action alledges misleading and deceptive conduct

06 August, 2009 11:51 .Telstra has admitted to allegations of misleading and deceptive conduct by denying rivals access to its copper network.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged that Telstra denied competitors access to seven of its telephone exchanges by claiming there was insufficient capacity on its main distribution frames.

Telstra has admitted to an undisclosed number of the allegations, each of which holds a maximum penalty of $10 million under the Telecommunications Act.

The ACCC brought proceedings against Telstra in March, claiming 30 breaches of its standard obligations under the Trade Practices Act. The obligations state that Telstra must allow other carriers access to their Unconditioned Local Loop and Local Line services.

The Melbourne Federal Court has accepted evidence from Australian ISPs in support of the ACCC’s allegations at a directions hearing.

In May, the ACCC rejected Telstra’s December 2007 attempt to deny competitors access to its copper infrastructure and then extended its determination for a further five years in July.

The date for the next directions hearing has been set for October 2.

Protesters back woman in trousers case...

Reuters By Andrew Heavens

Tue Aug 4, 2009. KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Police used teargas to disperse protesters rallying in support of a Sudanese woman facing 40 lashes for wearing trousers in public Tuesday, a case that has become a public test of Sudan's indecency laws.

Lubna Hussein, a former journalist and U.N. press officer, was arrested with 12 other women during a party at a Khartoum restaurant in July and charged with being indecently dressed.

Women's groups have complained that the law gives no clear definition of indecent dress, leaving the decision of whether to arrest a woman up to individual police officers.

Dozens of men and ululating women gathered outside a Khartoum court room where Hussein appeared Tuesday, carrying banners with the message "No return to the dark ages" and "Lubna's case is a case for all Sudanese women."

Speaking after the hearing, Hussein said the judge had adjourned her case until September 7.

"They want to check with the U.N. whether I have immunity from prosecution. I don't know why they are doing this because I have already resigned from the United Nations. I think they just want to delay the case," she told Reuters.

Hussein said she resigned from her U.N. job last week to give up any legal immunity so that she could pursue the case to prove her innocence and challenge the decency law.

Journalists were allowed into the downtown court building, but a line of police prevented them from entering the room where the case was heard.

Hussein went on to greet her supporters, gathered on a traffic island, then led them on a march, blocking a busy road.

In a rare and short unauthorized rally, they flashed V-for- Victory signs and received supportive hoots from passing cars.

Armed riot police advanced toward the crowd, beating their shields with batons. Officers later fired teargas canisters into the air, forcing the crowd to disperse.

"We are against this law. It is against women, against Islam and against human rights," said Zainab Badradin, one of the women in the crowd.

"I want to send a message to the government to stop harassing women," said Nusayba Abdel Mahmoud, 20, who came to the rally wearing jeans. "This is what I wear. It is normal."

Indecency cases are not uncommon in Sudan, where there is a large cultural gap between the mostly Muslim and Arab-oriented north and the mainly Christian south.

Hussein has attracted attention by publicizing her case, posing for photos in her loose green trousers and inviting journalists to campaign against dress codes sporadically imposed in the capital.

"Her main argument is that her clothes are decent and that she did not break the law," defense lawyer Nabil Adib Abdalla told Reuters shortly before the hearing.

"Failing that, we will ask for a stay of the proceedings to challenge the trial in the constitutional court ... We are saying the law is so widely drafted that it contravenes her basic right, her right to a fair trial," he added.

Hussein told reporters 10 of the women arrested with her pleaded guilty and were whipped the day afterwards.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week said he was "deeply concerned" by the case.

(Additional reporting by Khaled Abdel Aziz; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Kiss warning issued for rock festival due to flu | Oddly Enough | Reuters

Reuters

Fri Jul 31, 2009. BERLIN (Reuters) - Fans attending one of the world's biggest heavy metal festivals in Germany were asked on Thursday to avoid "hugging, kissing on the cheek, and shaking hands" lest they spread the H1N1 influenza. On its website, the health ministry of Germany's northern Schleswig-Holstein region optimistically advised revelers to restrain from any such sociable behavior so as to minimize the infection risk at the Wacken Open Air festival, which runs until August 1.

It also recommended fans did not share bottles of beer.

"We know that kissing and what have you can't be ruled out," said ministry spokesman Oliver Breuer. "They're just tips."

Stalwart rockers Motorhead, Anthrax and Napalm Death are among the bands due to perform at the three-day festival, which organizers expect to attract about 75,000 fans.

More than 430 people worldwide have died from the flu and more than 94,000 people have been, or are, infected.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by Matthew Jones)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Kiss warning issued for rock festival due to flu...

Reuters

Underweight team told to eat at least 15 eggs a day ...

Reuters

Fri Jul 31, 2009.CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - India's unfancied rugby sevens side must bulk up if they hope to make an impact at next year's Commonwealth Games, eating seven meals and at least 15 eggs a day, the country's South African coach said on Friday.

"I have told them (his players) they must eat at least 15 eggs a day, six for breakfast and the remaining nine any time, any how, during the day," the country's South African coach Norman Laker told the Telegraph newspaper on Friday.

"The players have three meals a day and that's not enough. In South Africa, elite rugby players have seven meals a day."

India is rated a lowly 83rd out of the 95 teams in the International Rugby Board rankings which are currently headed by South Africa.

"Indian players weigh 72-77 kg on an average whereas the international players weigh between 88 and 100 kg. That is the weight difference you have to make up," Laker said ahead of the team's departure to South Africa for a training stint.

India is hosting the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.

(Reporting by Sanjay Rajan; Editing by Nigel Hunt.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved.

Flight grounded by coffee maker aroma...

Reuters

Tue Jul 28, 2009. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The electrical smell that caused a Southwest Airlines Co flight to make an unexpected landing Sunday was caused by a coffee maker in the back of the aircraft, a company spokesman said on Monday.

The coffee maker was in the back galley of the Boeing 737 plane. The aircraft was examined and put back into service by 12:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, said Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz.

"Anything that might have touched the burner might have caused the electrical smell," Mainz said. He added that the problem was "fairly unusual," although it was not the first time it has happened.

Flight 693 bound for Orlando, Florida, departed from Bradley International Airport in Connecticut at 7:21 a.m. EDT Sunday. The plane, which held 131 passengers and 5 crew members, landed at Long Island Islip MacArthur Airport shortly before 8 a.m.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

German official under fire for taking limo to Spain...

Reuters

Mon Jul 27, 2009. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrat (SPD) health minister came under pressure Sunday to explain why she took her official limousine, complete with chauffeur, to Spain where the vehicle was stolen.

Opposition politicians demanded Ulla Schmidt provide more details about the affair, which could damage the SPD who trail Merkel's conservatives by more than ten points in opinion polls in the run-up to a September 27 federal election.

Thieves stole the keys from the chauffeur's accommodation near Alicante, a ministry spokeswoman said on Saturday, adding Schmidt had used the Mercedes for official meetings to discuss healthcare and pensions with Germans who had retired to Spain.

German media reported that Schmidt had paid for her own flight to Alicante, where she was also taking a holiday, but a driver had brought over her limousine to Spain from Berlin.

Otto Fricke, head of Germany's parliamentary budget committee, said he would summon her to answer questions.

"I would like to know which of Mrs Schmidt's appointments required an official car and chauffeur in Alicante and why it was not possible for the embassy to arrange transportation," Fricke, an opposition Free Democrat, told Bild am Sonntag.

Germany's Taxpayers' Association also attacked Schmidt.

"We demand an explanation of why her official car had to be brought almost 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) across Europe. Taxpayers' money should not be wasted on the comfort of a minister," he told Bild am Sonntag.

The ministry spokeswoman said Schmidt had rented a car for her own private use in Alicante, a popular retirement and holiday destination for Germans on Spain's Costa Blanca.

Greens budget expert Alexander Bonde told the Saarbruecker Zeitung: "Why does the minister need an armored limousine in Spain? The budget committee will insist that just referring to official appointments is insufficient and implausible."

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; editing by Andrew Roche)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Saucy sausage ads condemned...

Reuters

Thu Jul 23, 2009.LONDON (Reuters) - A saucy radio advert for sausages which encouraged listeners to reveal "where you like to stick yours" was criticized by Britain's advertising watchdog on Wednesday.

The ads for Mattesons smoked sausages elicited 21 complaints from listeners who said they were offensive because of the sexual innuendo and should not have been aired when children were likely to be listening.

"Think about all the things you can stick this tasty, extraordinarily large sausage in," one advert said.

"Mmm... Pizza, pasta, stir fry. You have any ideas? Give me a call and tell me where you like to stick it."

Kerry Foods, which makes the sausages, said its adverts were intended to be tongue-in-cheek and were not designed to be offensive.

The Advertising Standards Authority did not uphold the complaints about the innuendo because it was not sexually explicit, but said the ads could "cause harm to children."

It ruled the ads should not be aired at times when they were likely to be heard by children.

(Reporting by Michael Holden, editing by Paul Casciato)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Yahoo set to unveil new homepage...

Reuters

Tue Jul 21, 2009. SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc said it plans to introduce a major overhaul of its Internet home page on Tuesday, as the company strives to make itself more relevant to Web surfers and create new ways to sell advertising.

The new homepage blends Yahoo's collection of online content and products with popular social networking services like Facebook and Twitter, representing what a Yahoo official called the most "radical" make-over of the site since its inception more than a decade ago.

"It's a sea change in the way we think about products, the way we think about users, and the way we think about our business," Yahoo Senior Vice President of Integrated Consumer Experience Tapan Bhat said in a conference call with reporters ahead of the announcement.

The new homepage comes as negotiations between Yahoo and Microsoft Corp on a search and advertising partnership are regaining momentum.

Yahoo, which is due to report its second-quarter financial results on Tuesday, is facing increasing competition from Microsoft, following the release of Microsoft's Bing Internet search engine in June.

According to comScore, Yahoo's share of the U.S. search market decreased to 19.6 percent in June from 20.1 percent the month before, while Microsoft's search share increased from 8 percent to 8.4 percent.

Yahoo's homepage, however, is one of the most visited pages on the Web, and among the most valuable of Yahoo assets. The homepage had more than 100 U.S. million unique visitors a month in June, according to comScore, and 330 million worldwide in May.

The new Yahoo homepage is less cluttered than the existing version, showcasing fewer of Yahoo's products and services. A column that runs down the lefthand of the Web page allows users to swap-in various "apps" that preview content from third-party websites like USA Today and Facebook, as well as Yahoo sites, when a user rolls a cursor over them.

Yahoo will sell display ads that run alongside the app previews.

Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz had previously said that the new homepage was set to go live in the Fall.

According to Yahoo's Bhat, the new homepage will be available in the U.S. on Tuesday, and in several other countries in the coming weeks, as a beta product that users can opt-in to receive. The new homepage will become the standard option for all visitors to Yahoo sometime in the fall, he said.

(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; editing by Carol Bishopric, Gary Hill)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Lawyer describes Theophanous' unwelcome advances...

"THE AGE" Melbourne

July 21, 2009 - 4:06PM .A woman has described how Victorian MP Theo Theophanous brushed his hand on her thigh when she was a parliamentary intern 10 years ago.

The woman, who is now a practising lawyer, claims the MP also made unwelcome advances toward her in 1998, the same year he's alleged to have raped another woman in his chambers at Parliament House.

Theophanous is facing a committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court over the alleged rape. He denies the allegation.

The former intern's statement to police was tendered to the court on Friday.

In a police statement of her evidence released to the media on Tuesday, she said she was having coffee with Theophanous near Parliament House when the first incident occurred.

"Mr Theophanous made some kind of reference along the lines that university students lead wild and free lives and as he did so he brushed his hand across my thigh," she said.

"It seemed to have been intentional, however, done in a subtle way."

The lawyer said she awkwardly laughed off the moment and pulled her leg away.

She told Theophanous her boyfriend "wouldn't be cool with that".

The lawyer said that on another occasion at the MP's suburban electoral office he told her she was gorgeous and put his hand on her "hip/arse area".

She said on a third occasion at the same office the MP said he found her attractive and moved into her personal space.

The hearing before Magistrate Peter Reardon continues.

AAP

World stocks near 9-month high on earnings hopes...

ReutersBy Natsuko Waki

Tue Jul 21, 2009. LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks approached a 9-month high on Tuesday while emerging stocks hit a 2009 peak as investors anticipated upward surprises from earnings results due later given a run of strong reports over the past week.

On Wall Street on Monday, the S&P 500 index hit an eight-month closing high after troubled lender CIT (CIT.N) reached a deal with bondholders for $3 billion in emergency financing, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Ahead of a twice-yearly testimony to Congress later in the day, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke reassured that loose monetary policy with near-zero interest rates would be around for a while longer in an article in the Wall Street Journal.

With general improvement in risk appetite, investors are looking to more corporate earnings results from firms including Volvo (VOLVb.ST), Yahoo (YHOO.O), Apple (AAPL.O), Coca-Cola, Merck and Dupont.

"The general sense as results season is upon us is that there will be fewer negative surprises than in 2008... it will be comfortable which is helping increase risk appetite," said Jeremy Batstone Carr, equity strategist at Charles Stanley. MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS rose 0.4 percent to levels, approaching the high set last month, which was a level last seen in October.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 rose a quarter percent. British supermarket group Morrison (MRW.L) rose 7.6 percent and led retailers higher after saying full-year results would beat expectations.

Nordea (NDA.ST), the Nordic region's biggest bank by value, rose 1.2 percent after reporting a smaller-than-expected drop in second-quarter operating profits and raised its full-year outlook.

Emerging stocks .MSCIEF hit their highest since late September -- levels last seen after Lehman Brothers went bankrupt.

According to Thomson Reuters data, the second-quarter earnings growth rate for the S&P 500 improved to -35.2 percent as of end last week from -35.7 percent, thanks largely to better-than-expected earnings from companies in the financial sector.

However, all sectors in the S&P 500 are expecting a year-over-year decline in earnings with the materials, energy, financials and industrials anticipating the lowest earnings growth rates for the quarter.

U.S. crude oil fell a quarter percent to $63.83 a barrel.

The September bund futures rose 18 ticks.

The dollar .DXY recovered slightly from a seven-week low against a basket of major currencies while the euro fell 0.2 percent to $1.4200 after hitting a six-week high on Monday.

Bernanke will start his twice-yearly testimony on the economic outlook and monetary policy before the House Financial Services Committee at 1400 GMT. Analysts say Bernanke was likely to make clear again that there is no rush to tighten.

"Whilst there are obvious signs that the economic data is improving or at least showing signs of bottoming out, recent rhetoric from the Fed has remained dovish," Calyon said in a note to clients.

"The economic contraction may be slowing, and the eventual need to boost inventories should spur production, but consumption looks set to be constrained by rising unemployment. Hence, Bernanke should reiterate that the slack in the economy will keep the inflation outlook subdued."

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Cannes bans nudists after yacht club complains...

Reuters

Fri Jul 17, 2009. PARIS (Reuters) - Authorities in Cannes have banned naturists from a public beach after the southern French town's yacht club complained the naked bathers had begun to get out of hand.

Naturists have been tolerated for years on Palm Beach, which lies directly in front of the exclusive club.

But the yacht club said they had recently begun exposing themselves more visibly to club members, particularly in front of the restaurant's windows.

"We organize sailing for children, we have a restaurant, but when the naturists get up from bathing they walk around naked," a spokeswoman for the club said.

"Until now they were tolerated, they were quite discreet, but the problem that triggered the decision was that recently their behavior became more questionable."

The town hall issued the order Monday banning naturism on Palm Beach.

"Naturists have been coming to the beach for years and this had provoked complaints, notably from the yacht club," a Cannes town hall spokeswoman said.

First time offenders will now face a fine of 11 euros ($15), with more serious cases possibly earning a prison sentence and a fine of 15,000 euros.

(Reporting by Joseph Tandy; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

And WHY did they let him out?

Reuters

Fri Jul 17, 2009.BERLIN (Reuters) - German police had to rescue a 20-year-old man from a train station suitcase locker after he shut himself in for fun and began to suffocate.

After a night out drinking with friends, squeezing into the locker had seemed like an amusing idea to the man, police in the southwestern city of Ludwigshafen said Friday.

But the laughter faded when he started to run out of oxygen and his companions couldn't open the locker. Police broke open the door and dragged the groggy man to safety.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh, editing by Paul Casciato)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

In love? It's not enough to keep a marriage, study finds...

Reuters

Tue Jul 14, 2009. SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Living happily ever after needn't only be for fairy tales. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it's a lot more than just being in love.

A couple's age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.

The study, entitled "What's Love Got to Do With It," tracked nearly 2,500 couples -- married or living together -- from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated.

It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.

Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship -- having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.

Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.

A couple's parents also have a role to play in their own relationship, with the study showing some 16 percent of men and women whose parents ever separated or divorced experienced marital separation themselves compared to 10 percent for those whose parents did not separate.

Also, partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90 percent more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.

Not surprisingly, money also plays a role, with up to 16 percent of respondents who indicated they were poor or where the husband -- not the wife -- was unemployed saying they had separated, compared with only nine percent of couples with healthy finances.

And couples where one partner, and not the other, smokes are also more likely to have a relationship that ends in failure.

Factors found to not significantly affect separation risk included the number and age of children born to a married couple, the wife's employment status and the number of years the couple had been employed.

The study was jointly written by Dr Rebecca Kippen and Professor Bruce Chapman from The Australian National University, and Dr Peng Yu from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Single spelling mistake can derail job application...

Reuters

Wed Jul 15, 2009. TORONTO (Reuters) - Typing mistakes in a job application can kill a would-be employee's chance of landing a job as employers bet that a sloppy resume means the applicant will do a sloppy job.

A telephone survey of 100 senior Canadian executives showed that more than a fifth of executives said a single typo on a resume or cover letter could cost a potential employee a job, while 28 percent said two mistakes would kill their chances.

The survey, published on Tuesday, was carried out by online job search firm Accountemps.

"The resume is an applicant's first chance to impress the hiring manager," said Kathryn Bolt, president of Accountemps' Canadian operations. "Mistakes on one's application materials may prompt employers to assume there also will be mistakes made on the job."

But 19 percent of the executives said they would still consider an applicant with four or more typos on their resume.

Common mistakes include: "Dear Sir or Madman", "I'm attacking my resume for you to review", "Following is a grief overview of my skills" and "Have a keen eye for derail.

(Reporting by Nina Lex; editing by Janet Guttsman)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Microsoft Office users attacked by cybercriminals...

Reuters By Jim Finkle


Tue Jul 14, 2009. BOSTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp warned that cybercriminals have attacked users of its Office software for Windows PCs, exploiting a programing flaw that the software giant has yet to repair.

The world's largest software maker issued the warning on Tuesday as it released patches to address nine other security holes in its software.

"Despite today's fixes, Windows users continue to be under attack. Microsoft is taking two steps forward, while attackers are putting it one step back," said Dave Marcus, McAfee Inc's Avert Labs director of security research.

Cybercriminals target Microsoft programs because they are so widely used, allowing them to go after the largest number of potential victims with one set of code. (Windows runs more than 90 percent of the world's PCs. Office has some 500 million users).

Hackers take advantage of the Office vulnerability by booby-trapping websites with malicious code that loads onto computers running Office software. Infected PCs are commandeered into a botnet, a network of hijacked computers. They are used for identity theft, spamming and other cybercrimes.

Microsoft did not say how many machines were attacked.

Users can prevent attacks by disabling functions within the Office software that allow it to work over the Web. Microsoft has posted a tool for doing that on its website -- here

Office XP, 2003 and 2007 are vulnerable to the attacks.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Carol Bishopric and Richard Chang)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved.

Berlin sex academy offers tips for visitors...

Sat Jul 11, 2009. BERLIN (Reuters) - Wannabe Latin lovers can improve their technique by playing with the erogenous zones of naked mannequins at a new interactive exhibition that has now opened in Berlin.

The "Amora sex academy" that opened in Berlin on Thursday welcomes visitors with the wry slogan, "Finally -- an exhibition for those who always have to touch everything."

More than 50 interactive displays guide visitors through the intimate areas of the male and female bodies, offering helpful tips on everything from striptease to oral sex and how to achieve a perfect orgasm.

"A lot of couples come in here together to learn something," said Uta Barkow, the manager of the Beate Uhse sex chain which is hosting the academy. "It's been very well received so far. A lot of exhibits have that 'aha' effect on a lot of people."

The show features several life-sized plastic models, naked and in various positions. One female mannequin light ups when touched in the right spot. A voice shrieks "That's it!" when the visitor manages to put his finger on the elusive G-spot.

Next to it is what the museum called its "Spank-o-meter." It measures the level of pleasure a mannequin receives when spanked with a leather whip.

"So far we've had just as many women in here as men," Barkow said. "Women coming in tend to have fewer inhibitions while the men tend to be a bit more embarassed."

The museum also shows film clips of various sexual positions, including the "Italian chandelier" that the viewer learns can burn up to 920 calories per hour.

Founded by Frenchman Johan Rizki, the sex academy opened in London earlier this year and is also due to come to Barcelona.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Drunk badger disrupts traffic...

Reuters

<---Kyrgyz Taigan dogs chase a badger during a hunting festival near the village of Bokonbayevo, some 300 km (186 miles) east from the capital Bishkek, August 24, 2007. By: REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov

Thu Jul 9, 2009. BERLIN (Reuters) - A badger in Germany got so drunk on over-ripe cherries it staggered into the middle of a road and refused to budge, police said on Wednesday.

A motorist called police near the central town of Goslar to report a dead badger on a road -- only for officers to turn up and discover the animal alive and well, but drunk.

Police discovered the nocturnal beast had eaten cherries from a nearby tree which had turned to alcohol and given the badger diarrhoea.

Having failed to scare the animal away, officers eventually chased it from the road with a broom.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; editing by Myra MacDonald)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserve

Prostate cancer screening still unproven: report...

Reuters

Fri Jul 3, 2009. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - PSA blood tests are often used to screen men for prostate cancer, but there is still no good evidence that they cut death rates from the disease, a new review finds.

Based on two recent major clinical trials, the practice of routinely screening men with the PSA test has "at best" a small effect on deaths from prostate cancer, according to the review, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

The studies, which came out earlier this year in The New England Journal of Medicine, appear to bolster the positions of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and other major medical groups, which do not recommend routine PSA screening for symptom-free men at average risk of developing prostate cancer.

PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by the prostate gland, blood levels of which generally rise when a prostate tumor is present. PSA blood tests can catch the cancer in its early stages.

But while use of the test has led to more prostate cancer diagnoses, it has done little to nothing to actually cut death rates from the disease, according to the researchers on the new review, led by Dr. Otis W. Brawley of the ACS.

In one of the recent trials, U.S. researchers found that among more than 38,000 men between the ages of 55 and 70, annual PSA screening was no more effective than less-frequent screening at cutting prostate cancer death rates.

The second study, of 182,000 European men, found that PSA screening every few years was associated with only a modest reduction in death risk.

The central problem with prostate cancer screening is that most prostate tumors are slow-growing and would not be deadly even without treatment. So screening can lead to unnecessary treatment of cancers that would never had been life-threatening.

Because prostate cancer treatments, such as surgery and radiation, can have side effects -- incontinence and erectile dysfunction, for instance -- it is possible to do many men more harm than good by treating small tumors.

Researchers are continuing to study ways to refine prostate cancer screening, Brawley and his colleagues point out. That includes measuring "biomarkers" other than PSA that may be able to not only signal the presence of tumors, but also indicate whether they are aggressive and require immediate treatment.

Until then, the researchers say, men should talk with their doctors about whether PSA screening is a good idea. A man's personal risk factors for the disease -- including his family history of prostate cancer -- are key in that decision, according to Brawley's team.

The ACS recommends that most men discuss the possibility of PSA screening with their doctors starting at age 50. Men who are at relatively higher risk -- including those with a brother or father who developed prostate cancer before the age of 65 -- can have that talk after age 40. PSA screening is not generally recommended for men age 75 and older.

SOURCE: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, July/August 2009.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Would you pledge your soul as loan collateral?

Reuters

Fri Jul 3, 2009.RIGA (Reuters) - Ready to give your soul for a loan in these difficult economic times? In Latvia, where the crisis has raged more than in the rest of the European Union, you can.

Such a deal is being offered by the Kontora loan company, whose public face is Viktor Mirosiichenko, 34.

Clients have to sign a contract, with the words "Agreement" in bold letters at the top. The client agrees to the collateral, "that is, my immortal soul."

Mirosiichenko said his company would not employ debt collectors to get its money back if people refused to repay, and promised no physical violence. Signatories only have to give their first name and do not show any documents.

"If they don't give it back, what can you do? They won't have a soul, that's all," he told Reuters in a basement office, with one desk, a computer and three chairs.

Wearing sunglasses, a black suit and a white shirt with the words "Kontora" (office) emblazoned on it, he reaches into his pocket and lays out a sheaf of notes on the table to show that the business is serious and not a joke.

Latvia has been the EU nation worst hit by economic crisis.

Unemployment is soaring and banks have sharply reduced their lending, meaning that small companies offering easy loans in small amounts have become more popular.

Mirosiichenko said his company was basically trusting people to repay the small amounts they borrowed, which has so far been up to 250 lats ($500) for between 1 and 90 days at a hefty interest rate.

He said about 200 people had taken out loans over the two months the business was in operation.

(Reporting by Patrick Lannin; Editing by Steve Addison)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Police foil radio control zeppelin jailbreak...

Reuters

Fri Jul 3, 2009 MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police said on Friday they had foiled an Italian drug trafficker's plan to break out of jail in the Canary Islands using climbing equipment and a four-meter-long zeppelin.

"The plan consisted of using a remotely controlled zeppelin to bring him night-vision goggles and climbing equipment with which to escape," a National Police statement said.

The prisoner, named as Giulio B., 52, was in jail after being caught piloting a seaplane taking 200 kg (440 pounds) of cocaine from Mauritania to the Canaries.

Police said they had arrested three people outside the jail who were preparing the escape, and had intercepted a package sent from Italy containing the balloon, night-vision goggles and climbing gear.

House searches on Grand Canary island had also uncovered a tent and a telephoto lens the gang had used to observe security details at the jail from a hill 600 meters away, as well as plans drawn by the prisoner.

The plan was for Giulio B. to climb out of the prison and meet a driver who would smuggle him off the island, said police, who have been investigating the plot since February.

"They would then have gone abroad to lie low while waiting for forged papers and to continue arranging the shipment of narcotics into our country," the statement added.

(Reporting by Martin Roberts, editing by Tim Pearce)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Airline crew bares all to get flyers' attention...

Reuters

Thu Jul 2, 2009. WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Air New Zealand has hit on a novel way to make sure even the most jaded flyers keep their eyes glued on its flight safety briefing.

The national carrier's safety video for domestic services on its Boeing Co 737 planes show pilot and cabin crew dressed only in body paint.

But the safety message is kept seemly by carefully chosen camera angles. A copy of the briefing has been posted on the popular Internet site, YouTube.

The safety video follows the same tactic as the airline's recent marketing campaign for its low-priced fares, which featured staff, including chief executive Rob Fyfe, adorned in only body paint. (Reporting by Adrian Bathgate; Editing by Valerie Lee)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserve

Michael Jackson's death sparks bus braw...

Reuters

Fri Jun 26, 2009. MIAMI (Reuters) - A fight broke out on a Florida bus when news of Michael Jackson's death sparked debate over whether he should be remembered as a great musical talent, and one passenger was charged with assault, police said on Friday.

The bus was moving through the city of North Lauderdale on Thursday when passenger James Kiernan received a text message about Jackson's death on his cell phone, and he read it aloud on the bus, the Broward County Sheriff's Department said.

The unidentified bus driver opined that "Michael Jackson should have been in jail long ago," prompting Kiernan, 60, to retort that "the world just lost a great musical talent," the police report said.

It said the last remark enraged another passenger, Henry Wideman, who started a swearing match with Kiernan, then pulled out a knife and chased Kiernan down the aisle with it.

The driver called his dispatcher and pulled over near a convenience store to wait for sheriff's deputies, who arrested Wideman, 54. He remained in jail on Friday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

(Reporting by Jane Sutton; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)

Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Microsoft unveils Windows 7 pricing upgrade programs...

TechSpot News By Jose Vilches, TechSpot.com

Published: June 25, 2009. Microsoft has finally announced pricing for its upcoming Windows 7 operating system, and is offering some substantial savings for those willing to order an upgrade nearly four months before the software officially goes on sale. Starting tomorrow, customers in the US, Canada or Japan who already own a PC running XP or Vista will be able to pre-order the upgrade disc at around half the price that they’ll eventually sell for.

This means you can pre-order Windows 7 Home Premium for $49.99 or Windows 7 Professional for $99.99 – Windows 7 Ultimate is not part of this discount plan though. The pre-order deal will be accessible at store.microsoft.com and most major retailers through July 11 or “until a certain number of licenses is sold,” which supposedly adds up to about a year of Vista sales volume at retail.

Microsoft also confirmed that, starting tomorrow, anyone who buys a PC “from a participating OEM or retailer” with Windows Vista Home Premium, Business or Ultimate on it will all receive a free upgrade to the equivalent version of Windows 7. The Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program will be available until January 31, 2010 and is global. As noted, the upgrade plan depends on the manufacturer, but I’m guessing most will want to participate.

Special offers aside, prices for Windows 7 will be largely in line with those for Vista. Microsoft has set the upgrade and full price for Windows 7 Home Premium at $120 and $200, respectively; $200 and $300 for Windows 7 Professional; or $220 and $320 for Windows 7 Ultimate. That saves you $10 and $40 compared to the upgrade and full editions of Vista Home Premium, but prices remain the same for the latter two.

All in all, Microsoft is offering some pretty decent deals for anyone itching to upgrade immediately or buy a new PC, but somehow I believe many Vista users will be irked by the fact that they are getting the same upgrade prices as those still clinging to Windows XP.

Israel's richest woman gets messages, has visions...

Reuters

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Shari Arison, Israel's richest woman and the controlling shareholder of the country's second-largest bank, said on Sunday she has visions and receives messages "from above," but they do not influence the management of her companies.

Arison set off an uproar in Israel after she revealed that information in an interview with Channel Two broadcast late on Saturday.

"I get a picture, I can feel it. If it's fire, I feel like I'm burning. If people are dying I feel pain," she confirmed in an interview with Reuters.

The Israeli-American Arison along with her brother inherited billions of dollars from her late father Ted Arison, who founded Carnival Corp, the world's biggest cruise ship operator.

She is the controlling shareholder in Bank Hapoalim and controls Housing and Construction, Israel's biggest construction company.

She said these visions are meant to help lead the world elsewhere. To this end, she is releasing her first book this week, entitled "Birth - When the Spiritual and the Material Come Together," which details her journey both spiritually and in business.

She stressed that her visions do not interfere with the running of Hapoalim, in which she has no active role.

"The bank is managed very professionally, there's a chairman and a board and everything is done according to law. It's not my visions that run the bank, that's ridiculous ... there's nothing to be worried about," she said.

Shares of Hapoalim, Israel's second-largest bank, rose 1.6 percent on Sunday.

"When I talk about a vision in business I am talking about you can have a profit, you should be professional but you can give added value," Arison said.

The central bank declined to comment on Arison's remarks and said she has not been contacted by them since the interview was aired.

Arison said the messages do influence her personal decisions regarding her assets.

In the book she tells how she was on the verge of selling Housing and Construction when she received a message not to sell "because with this company I could a make a difference with sustainable building," she said.

Arison said she would not consider at this point selling her stake in Hapoalim or any of her other assets and is looking to invest in ventures in the fields of clean air and clean energy. She already has set up a company to invest in clean water projects.

She begins the book with her premise that the world is "collapsing" because of broad-based greed. The emphasis of the book is that every individual has to take responsibility for making the world a better place.

"I am aware of fact that in Israel there's a lot of cynicism, a lot of opposition ... I was very much aware that coming out with this book and my visions would create the same thing, cynicism and objection, until people understand."

Arison, who is also known in Israel for her philanthropy, said two years ago she got a message that there would be an economic crisis and people would go crazy.

But after years of seeing catastrophes she now believes the world is moving toward a better future.

"For the past year I've been seeing peace and happiness," she said. "I don't know when that will happen. I know I have a role to tell people ... Everyone has to make it happen."

(Editing by Maureen Bavdek)

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