Disability Rights Handbook - Everything You Need to Know About Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits in One BookLONDON - Disability Alliance is publishing the Disability Rights Handbook this week. Now in its 34th edition, the Handbook provides comprehensive information and guidance on benefits and services for people with a disability or health condition. The new edition has been fully updated to reflect changes in the benefits system, including the introduction of employment and support allowance and its impact on other benefits, and an expanded section on income tax and VAT relief. Connie Talbot Scores Double Chart SuccessALBANY, New York - I Will Always Love You Continues Climb Up The Billboard Charts While the current 2009 series of Britain’s Got Talent reaches fever pitch, one of its original finalists - Connie Talbot - books a double in the US climbing up the Billboard Hot Singles chart to the #6 position, while moving up a notch to #12* on the AC/FMQB radio chart. How Tractor Ted Links Food Farming & Nature for Children & Joins Longleat for New Farm Show June 6th & 7thRADSTOCK, England - With Photo From the seed of an idea five years ago, Alexandra Heard an enterprising Wiltshire mum and David Horler, a Somerset farmer are now ploughing their way into thousands of young children’s hearts with their Tractor Ted farming films and books made using real life ‘fly on the wall’ content. Docu-stories which cover ‘Grow your Own’, ‘The Four Seasons’ and ‘Outdoor Activities’ have been instrumental in showing youngsters how the cycles of farming bring the bread to their plate; encourage them to grow their own and relish the outdoors. With a combination of exciting content, catchy songs and comedy, Tractor Ted has become a children’s icon and won the approval of parents having sold over 300,000 DVDs and books. SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH Lenses Monitor the Final Servicing Mission to the Hubble Space TelescopeBAD KREUZNACH, Germany - Dubbed STS-125, NASA’s final servicing mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope was launched on 11 May of this year. The crew of seven astronauts replaced six gyroscopes, some batteries and a sensor that is used to guide the telescope. On board Space Shuttle Atlantis, three lenses made by Schneider-Kreuznach monitored the rendezvous between the shuttle and the telescope as well as the repair work. Atlantis returned safely to its base on the 24th of May. Desmond Tutu to Receive an Honorary Doctorate From the University of ViennaVIENNA, Austria - The University of Vienna will confer an honorary doctorate in theology on the South African Theologian and Nobel Laureate, Dr Desmond Tutu. The University substantiates the honour with Tutu’s outstanding achievement in applying a theology of “Ubuntu”. The ceremony will take place at 11.00 AM on 12 June 2009, in the Main Ceremonial Chamber of the University. Disney Increases Presence in Central and Eastern Europe, Launching 5 More Disney ChannelsLONDON - Disney Channel Grows CEE Distribution to 12 Million Households With Launches in Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria- IslamicAdvisory.com Launches First Islamic Finance Training PortalDUBAI, UAE - The Islamic finance industry gets its first dedicated training portal: IslamicAdvisory.com, Islamic Finance Training, Online. Certified by leading scholars, the portal is the first to provide streamable, interactive Islamic finance training modules “ideal for training across large-scale institutions,” as one prominent user, Yusuf Jha, Shariah Controller at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, describes it. Laetitia Casta and Stefano Accorsi in Givenchy by Riccardo TisciCANNES, France - The actress Laetitia Casta chose the Couture House Givenchy for the Red Carpet of her new film ‘Face’ by Tsai Ming-Liang. China Dominates the Global Aluminium IndustryLONDON - Roskill Information Services - The Economics of Aluminium (9th Edition) - www.roskill.com/reports/aluminium Banks Must Have More Women at the Top to Avoid Another CrisisLONDON - It’s time to move beyond the “Lehman Sisters would have survived” argument, which suggested that if women had been in charge, the banks would not have fallen into crisis in 2008, says Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, CEO of the consultancy 20-first, author and publisher of the new business website, www.WOMEN-omics.com. Executives Delay Retirement Plans According to Korn/Ferry Executive QuizLOS ANGELES - Results Reveal that More than Half of Executives Plan to Retire After Age 64 - Concern About Losing Baby Boomers from the Workforce Increases SPUC Condemns Scandal of Government Backed AbortionsLONDON - The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has commented on last year’s abortion statistics for England and Wales, which have just been published. Together4Peace.org: Should Netanyahu Be Charged With War Crimes During Visit With President Obama?TEMECULA, California - Together4Peace.org, a volunteer-based group, is urging President Obama’s administration to consider filing Criminal Charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in the Gaza massacres earlier this year. Cluster bombs and chemical weapons were used on the civilian population, causing a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportion, mounting death, and large scale injuries exacerbated by massive devastation to most homes and infrastructure. Together4Peace.org is looking to mobilize a “One Million votes for the Peace Petition,” calling for an end to Israeli occupation. Giving equal rights to all Jews, Christian, and Muslims of the Holy Land, this petition will be delivered simultaneously to all members of Congress, the U.S. Peace Envoy, members of the United Nations Security Council, and President Obama. Competition Lets Children Design Their Own Car SeatLONDON - Budding artists aged three to 12 have the chance to ride in style, in a child car seat customised by themselves. Dystonia: Isolated Through IgnoranceLONDON - A survey among Britain’s 40,000 sufferers from dystonia - a serious neurological movement disorder causing painful muscle spasms - has shown a widespread ignorance about their condition among healthcare professionals and a lack of understanding amongst the public. School for ‘Untouchables’ Makes Academic History in IndiaBANGALORE, India - The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) released their results on Wednesday, and for the second year in a row the entire 10th grade class of Shanti Bhavan (www.shantibhavanonline.org), a tuition-free home and school dedicated to Dalit (formerly known as “Untouchables”) children, secured First Division in the nationally accredited ICSE examination. Shanti Bhavan is the first school for Dalits to achieve First Division in the ICSE exams in India’s academic history and have replicated that success again this year. Great Uncle Bulgaria Launches Campaign to Save British Kids’ TVLONDON - Great Uncle Bulgaria, leader of the Wombles and one of British kids’ TV’s greatest icons, is leading a campaign to save British-made children’s television in the UK. Souptoys Virtual Toys for Children Set FreePERTH, Australia - To the delight of kids around the globe, the virtual toy box known as Souptoys is now available for free. All Parties Support CTI ProgramJAKARTA, Indonesia - The heads of state and government from six countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Island, and Timor Leste, officially signed a Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Leaders’ Declaration on Friday, May 15, 2009, in Manado. In addition to the Declaration, in the opening of the CTI Summit, all heads of state or government also agreed to formally launch a program on Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Securities and Adaptation to Climate Change (CTI-CFFC), and by acclamation stated to adopt a Regional Plan of Action (RPOA). CNN’s Robin Oakley to Chair European Election Hustings at Lambeth’s Biggest Primary SchoolLONDON - At a time when public interest in politics has never been so great, Durand Primary School, an outstanding state primary school in the London Borough of Lambeth, is drawing together MEP Candidates from all of the main political parties to take to the platform, to face public scrutiny and debate their policies and vision, ahead of the European Union Parliamentary Elections on June 4th 2009. New Survey Shows Seven Out of Ten Women Were too Embarrassed to Discuss Vaginal Dryness and Pain With Their PhysicianLONDON - The majority of post-menopausal women are uncomfortable talking about vaginal dryness and pain and are reluctant to seek medical help, according to results from a new international survey presented today at the European Congress on Menopause in London. Results from the survey show that over a third (39 percent) of post-menopausal women experience these symptoms of vaginal atrophy and 40 percent of women who have recently experienced vaginal dryness and pain said it interferes with their sex life, yet seven out of ten would not discuss the problem with their physician (only 30 percent of women would consider talking to a gynaecologist, and only 29 percent would consider talking to a GP). SoftBank SELECTION to Launch English Version of ‘Jigsaw Art’TOKYO - BB Softservice Corp., a Tokyo-based planner and developer of application service in the SoftBank Group, announces that it will release an English version of ‘Jigsaw Art’ application software for iPhone(TM) 3G/iPod touch offered by ‘SoftBank SELECTION,’ in 18 countries in the world on May 15, 2009 at the AppStore. Court of Appeal Upholds Landmark Ruling on Age Discrimination Against Rolls RoyceLONDON - Unite the Union, Britain’s biggest union, has today (14 May 2009) succeeded in securing a landmark judgment from the Court of Appeal against Rolls Royce in one of the first cases on age discrimination to be considered by the higher courts. An Open Letter From the International Women’s Media FoundationWASHINGTON - OPEN LETTER TO: H. E. Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi Head of the Judiciary Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Re: Roxana Saberi Frost & Sullivan: The US and China Threaten the European Solar SupremacyLONDON - Increased competition and the global economic crisis have cast clouds upon the Western European solar energy market. Falling polysilicon and solar module prices have the potential to cement China’s role as a solar manufacturing hub. In terms of installed capacity, the United States is playing a greater role as more and more states are putting the renewable energy standards into existence. Despite these market developments and the current economic crisis, the future of Europe’s solar energy market continues to appear bright as new emerging markets within Europe may turn into strong performers. AlphaSmart’s NEO now Offers Greater FunctionalityLONDON - AlphaSmart, a division of Renaissance Learning, is pleased to announce some significant and important updates for its NEO and NEO 2 writing tools. E. J. McKay Acts as Financial Advisor in Konecranes’ Definitive Agreement to Acquire Majority Stake in Chinese Hoist and Crane Manufacturer SanmaHELSINKI - Konecranes Plc announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the majority equity of Jiangsu Three Horses Crane Manufacture Co. Ltd. (Sanma), a leading Chinese hoist and crane manufacturer. On November 24th, 2008, the parties signed a letter of intent to enter into a definitive agreement, which was successfully accomplished. The final agreement is subject to the approval by Chinese authorities. Nomura Asset Management Deploys Eagle’s Data Management Technology to Support Global Investment PlatformTOKYO - Centralized data management strategy helps mitigate risk and increase business efficiency Dr. Tanaka Appointed as Honorary Consul-General by Republic of SingaporeNAGOYA, Japan - Dr. Hidenari Tanaka, president and CEO of Menicon Co., Ltd. and president of the Japan Contact Lens Association, was appointed as Singapore’s Honorary Consul-General in Nagoya, Japan, by the government of the Republic of Singapore. The appointment was effective April 20, 2009. The Singapore Consulate-General will be located at Menicon’s corporate headquarters in Nagoya. Female Entrepreneurs Benefit From .tel With Seed NetworkLONDON - Telnic Limited (www.telnic.org), the registry operator for the new communications-focused .tel top level domain (TLD), is pleased to announce today that the Seed Network (www.seednetwork.com), Lynne Franks’ community for Women’s Enterprise, has joined the .tel community. Independent Evaluation Reveals Charity v’s Positive Impact on Youth VolunteeringLONDON - The results of v’s first independent evaluation are published today - confirming that eighty-five percent of the investments made by the youth volunteering charity between May 2006 and September 2008 could not have taken place without v funding. The findings, delivered by independent consultancy WM Enterprise, demonstrate the significant added value of v’s role in co-ordinating and commissioning youth volunteering programmes across England, and confirm that there is little deadweight[1] across v’s early investments. ‘The Wedding Weekend’ Starring Molly Shannon Now on DVD … and a Crooner SingsLOS ANGELES - When a group of college band mates reunite 15 years after graduation to sing at a friend’s wedding, they take a break from their less-than-perfect lives to spend a long weekend at a cozy Hamptons beach house with their spouses, children, friends and one Swedish nanny in tow. Reuniting with lifelong friends provides them with some much-needed perspective on how their lives have progressed - and in some cases, regressed - since their college heyday. WEDDING WEEKEND stars Molly Shannon (”Kath & Kim,” “SNL”), Elizabeth Reaser (Twilight, “Grey’s Anatomy”) and Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married, “Mad Men”). TomDick&Sally.com Survey Shows 80% of Gay Community Still Feel the Need to Hide Sexuality in the WorkplaceLONDON - www.tomdickandsally.com - the UK’s brand new dedicated dating site for those in the gay community who are looking for a lasting relationship - has conducted a comprehensive survey of over 1,000 gay and lesbian people looking at attitudes towards dating and finding love in today’s so called modern and media driven world. Frost & Sullivan Reveals IT Security Spending Relatively Low in India Compared to Other Fast-Growing Economies in the WorldMUMBAI, India - Frost & Sullivan’s South Asia Enterprise Security Summit 2009 - Annual Executive MindXchange on Enterprise Security Ticketmaster Proudly Working With Two UK CharitiesLONDON - Ticketmaster UK is Working With Nordoff-Robbins and Sparks Ticketmaster UK Ltd, a Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:TKTM) company, is pleased to announce the launching of two charity partnerships with Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and children’s charity Sparks. |
