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Does Your Child Have Touch Sensitivity?

Does it disturb your child when you stroke her face? Does your son need to have all the labels removed from his clothing before he will wear them? Does your child refuse to wear wool because it scratches him? Do you have to battle with your daughter in order to brush her hair?

It could be that your child has a sensory motor integration deficit known as tactile defensiveness or touch sensitivity.

What is Touch Sensitivity?

The sense of touch is essential for normal social and emotional development. It is this system that allows us to make the deepest connections with others. It is through touch that the mother and child bond to each other. We connect most closely with our spouses through touch.

Touch also serves a protective function. It is through tactile discomfort or pain that we realize that things like fire are dangerous. Painful or unpleasant touch experiences tell us to prepare for a physical threat that might require a need to run away or retaliate.

In some people this tactile sensory system is not functioning properly. These people experience pain or distress from touch sensations that other people find non-threatening or even pleasant. These people have sensory integration disorder known as tactile defensiveness or touch sensitivity.

Children with touch sensitivity are often in the state of “red alert”. These children are threatened by sensations that others would see as meaningless. Children with touch sensitivity also experience tactile sensations differently than others. A sensation that we would experience as soft may be painful to them. The result is that often their behavior is affected. Casual contact can cause what others view as extreme and inappropriate reactions. These children may whine cling lash out or run away as a result of normal things in their environment.

Sensory motor integration deficits need not affect a child’s learning ability, but the resulting reaction often does. A child with touch sensitivity is constantly on the defense. He can be emotionally insecure and extremely distractible. This is one of the ways that tactile defensiveness differs from ADD ADHD. ADHD children have difficulty sustaining attention, but they are not more easily distracted than other children. Small stimuli that would not affect an ADHD child who is engaged in an activity, may cause disturb a touch sensitive child.

To give you an idea of how these children experience the world, imagine the feeling you have when someone scrapes his nails along a blackboard, or the feeling you have when you cut your nails too short. This is how a touch sensitive child might experience a warm caress. There is a difference, however. When you cut your nails too short, it bothers you for a while, but the discomfort goes away. If a child is touch sensitive, the discomfort never goes away.

The child may not be able to wear his dress pants because the feel of wool is too uncomfortable to bear. He may not be able to concentrate in school because he is enduring the hardness of the chair or the rush of air blowing on him from the ventilation system. He may be quick to lash out when another child bumps him, because of the perceived attack by the other child. He may be unable to make friends because of the fear of being bumped prevents him from interacting in a normal fashion.

Adults with a sensory integration disorder may have problems in their relationships with their spouses. Normal daily contact may disturb them, and they may avoid physical contact with their spouses even when such contact is appropriate. This desire not to be touched can have a seriously negative impact on a marriage.

What You Might See

Here are some of the things that may indicate that your child is touch sensitive. Your child may be touch sensitive if he:

Reacts strongly to sensations that most people don’t notice.

Tries to avoid tactile experiences.

Is easily distracted because things are touching him.

Insists on having certain textures of clothing.

Makes you cut all the tags and labels out of his clothing.

Won’t eat certain foods because of their texture.

Craves certain sensations the he finds calming, like rocking or firm pressure.

Fights irrationally when you are combing or shampooing his hair, cutting his fingernails, or brushing his teeth.

In adults and children with sensory motor integration deficits the palms of the hands, soles of feet, mouth and tongue are usually most sensitive areas.

Coexisting Disorders

Touch sensitivity is a sensory integration problem. Although this disorder can exist by itself, more often it is part of a constellation of other problems that children have. Children with touch sensitivity often have the following other disorders:

Motor coordination problems

Bed-wetting

Speech and language delays

Hand-eye coordination difficulties

Motor planning difficulties

Allergies

Frequent ear infections

Poor eating habits

Problems with digestion & elimination

Sleep irregularities

High anxiety and emotional insecurity

In addition there are a number of medical disorders that commonly have touch sensitivity as a component. These include: Asperger’s Syndrome

Autism

ADHD

Bipolar Disorder

Down Syndrome

Dyslexia Fetal alcohol syndrome

Fragile X

Learning Disabilities

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Pervasive developmental delay

Selective mutism

Causes

Like so many other disorders of the brain and complex neurological function, we do not know why children and adults have sensory integration disorders. In medicine, when we don’t know the cause of something we like to say that the cause is idiopathic. This is a term which is a term derived from Greek or Latin or some other dead language, which means “we don’t know.”

However as scientists, not knowing something makes us very uncomfortable. Therefore there a number of theories on what causes disturbances in sensory processing. There are at least five competing hypotheses. The most recent research suggests that the abnormality may lie in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that modulates sensory motor activity. There might be something to these theories. However, based upon the review of current literature it seems to me clearly, that the cause of touch sensitivity is idiopathic.

What Should You Do Next?

Touch sensitivity is a sensory motor integration deficit. The goal of treatment is to repair the sensory processing disorder by giving the child a means to develop his or her sensory integration. The goal of therapy is to normalize sensory integration and motor planning by improving the way the nervous system registers and interprets tactile information.

Treatment of touch sensitivity is usually done under the auspices of an occupational therapist. If you feel that your child may have touch sensitivity you should first try to confirm the diagnosis by going to someone who is trained in diagnosing sensory integration problems. You should first consult your pediatrician with your concern and try to get a referral to a Pediatric Occupational Therapy Service for diagnosis and treatment. They will manage your child’s treatment plan and teach you what you can do at home to help your child.

Conclusion

Touch sensitivity is one of a number of sensory motor integration deficits that affect children. It often accompanies other disorders such as ADHD, Bipolar disorder, and other developmental childhood disorders.

I have not seen any statistics, but it seems that sensory integration disorders are fairly common. This condition can be severely handicapping. However, it is possible to treat. If you feel that your child may have this condition, it is definitely in your child’s best interest to have a thorough evaluation by an Occupational therapist trained in sensory integration and motor planning.

Death sentences in 2008 Chinese tainted milk scandal

Monday, January 26, 2009

On Thursday, the municipal intermediate people’s court in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, China pronounced sentences for 21 defendants implicated in the 2008 Chinese milk scandal which killed at least six infants and sickened nearly 300,000 others.

In the local court’s decision, 17 accused were indicted for the crimes of “producing, adding melamine-laced ‘protein powder’ to infant milk or selling tainted, fake and substandard milk to Sanlu Group or 21 other dairy companies, including six who were charged with the crime of endangering public security by dangerous means.” Four other courts in Wuji County, in Hebei, China had also tried cases on the milk scandal.

Zhang Yujun, age 40, of Quzhou County (Hebei), who produced and sold melamine-laced “protein powder” in the milk scandal, was convicted of endangering public security and sentenced to death by the Shijiazhuang intermediate people’s court.

The court also imposed the penalty of death upon Geng Jinping, who added 434 kg of melamine-laced powder to about 900 tons of fresh milk to artificially increase the protein content. He sold the tainted milk to Sanlu and some other dairy companies. His brother Geng Jinzhu was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for assisting in adding the melamine.

A suspended capital punishment sentence, pending a review, with two years probation, was handed down to Gao Junjie. Under the law, a suspended death sentence is equivalent to life imprisonment with good behavior. The court ruled that Gao designed more than 70 tons of melamine-tainted “protein powder” in a Zhengding County underground factory near Shijiazhuang. His wife Xiao Yu who assisted him, was also sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Sanlu Group General Manager Tian Wenhua, 66, a native of Nangang Village in Zhengding County, who was charged under Articles 144 and 150 of the criminal code, was sentenced to life imprisonment for producing and selling fake or substandard products. She was also fined 20 million yuan (US$2.92 million) while Sanlu, which has been declared bankrupt, was fined 49.37 million yuan ($7.3 million).

Tian Wenhua plans to appeal the guilty verdict on grounds of lack of evidence, said her lawyer Liang Zikai on Saturday. Tian testified last month during her trial that she decided not to stop production of the tainted milk products because a Fonterra designated board member handed her a document which states that a maximum of 20 mg of melamine was allowed in every kg of milk in the European Union. Liang opined that Tian should instead be charged with “liability in a major accident,” which is punishable by up to seven years imprisonment, instead of manufacturing and selling fake or substandard products.

According to Zhang Deli, chief procurator of the Hebei Provincial People’s Procuratorate, Chinese police have arrested another 39 people in connection with the scandal. Authorities last year also arrested 12 milk dealers and suppliers who allegedly sold contaminated milk to Sanlu, and six people were charged with selling melamine.

In late December, 17 people involved in producing, selling, buying and adding melamine to raw milk went on trial. Tian Wenhua and three other Sanlu executives appeared in court in Shijiazhuang, charged with producing and selling fake or substandard milk contaminated with melamine. Tian pleaded guilty, and told the court during her 14-hour December 31 trial that she learned about the tainted milk complaints and problems with her company’s BeiBei milk powder from consumer complaints in mid-May.

She then apparently led a working team to handle the case, but her company did not stop producing and selling formula until about September 11. She also did not report to the Shijiazhuang city government until August 2.

The court also sentenced Zhang Yanzhang, 20, to the lesser penalty of life imprisonment. Yanzhang worked with Zhang Yujun, buying and reselling the protein powder. The convicts were deprived of their political rights for life.

Xue Jianzhong, owner of an industrial chemical shop, and Zhang Yanjun were punished with life imprisonment and 15 years jail sentence respectively. The court found them responsible for employment of workers to produce about 200 tons of the tainted infant milk formula, and selling supplies to Sanlu, earning more than one million yuan.

“From October 2007 to August 2008, Zhang Yujun produced 775.6 tons of ‘protein powder’ that contained the toxic chemical of melamine, and sold more than 600 tons of it with a total value of 6.83 million yuan [$998,000]. He sold 230 tons of the “protein powder” to Zhang Yanzhang, who will stay behind bars for the rest of his life under the same charge. Both Zhangs were ‘fully aware of the harm of melamine’ while they produced and sold the chemical, and should be charged for endangering the public security,” the Court ruled.

Geng Jinping, a suspect charged with producing and selling poisonous food in the tainted milk scandal, knelt before the court, begging for victims’ forgiveness

The local court also imposed jail sentences of between five years and 15 years upon three top Sanlu executives. Wang Yuliang and Hang Zhiqi, both former deputy general managers, and Wu Jusheng, a former raw milk department manager, were respectively sentenced to 15 years, eight years and five years imprisonment. In addition, the court directed Wang to pay multi-million dollar fines. In December, Wang Yuliang had appeared at the Shijiazhuang local court in a wheelchair, after what the Chinese state-controlled media said was a failed suicide attempt.

The judgment also states “the infant milk powder was then resold to private milk collectors in Shijiazhuang, Tangsan, Xingtai and Zhangjiakou in Hebei.” Some collectors added it to raw milk to elevate apparent protein levels, and the milk was then resold to Sanlu Group.

“The Chinese government authorities have been paying great attention to food safety and product quality,” Yu Jiang Yu, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said. “After the case broke out, the Chinese government strengthened rules and regulations and took a lot of other measures to strengthen regulations and monitor food safety,” she added.

In the People’s Republic of China, the intermediate people’s court is the second lowest local people’s court. Under the Organic Law of the People’s Courts of the People’s Republic of China, it has jurisdiction over important local cases in the first instance and hear appeal cases from the basic people’s court.

The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in China involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, which had been adulterated with melamine. In November 2008, the Chinese government reported an estimated 300,000 victims have suffered; six infants have died from kidney stones and other acute renal infections, while 860 babies were hospitalized.

Melamine is normally used to make plastics, fertilizer, coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It was added by the accused to infant milk powder, making it appear to have a higher protein content. In 2004, a watered-down milk resulted in 13 Chinese infant deaths from malnutrition.

The tainted milk scandal hit the headlines on 16 July, after sixteen babies in Gansu Province who had been fed on milk powder produced by Shijiazhuang-based Sanlu Group were diagnosed with kidney stones. Sanlu is 43% owned by New Zealand’s Fonterra. After the initial probe on Sanlu, government authorities confirmed the health problem existed to a lesser degree in products from 21 other companies, including Mengniu, Yili, and Yashili.

From August 2 to September 12 last year Sanlu produced 904 tonnes of melamine-tainted infant milk powder. It sold 813 tonnes of the fake or substandard products, making 47.5 million yuan ($13.25 million). In December, Xinhua reported that the Ministry of Health confirmed 290,000 victims, including 51,900 hospitalized. It further acknowledged reports of “11 suspected deaths from melamine contaminated milk powder from provinces, but officially confirmed 3 deaths.”

Sanlu Group which filed a bankruptcy petition, that was accepted by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People’s Court last month, and the other 21 dairy companies, have proposed a 1.1 billion yuan ($160 million) compensation plan for court settlement. The court appointed receiver was granted six months to conclude the sale of Sanlu’s assets for distribution to creditors. The 22 dairy companies offered “families whose children died would receive 200,000 yuan ($29,000), while others would receive 30,000 yuan ($4,380) for serious cases of kidney stones and 2,000 yuan ($290) for less severe cases.”

Sanlu stopped production on September 12 amid huge debts estimated at 1.1 billion yuan. On December 19, the company borrowed 902 million yuan for medical and compensation payment to victims of the scandal. On January 16, Sanlu paid compensation of 200,000 yuan (29,247 U.S. dollars) to Yi Yongsheng and Jiao Hongfang, Gangu County villagers, the parents of the first baby who died.

“Children under three years old, who had drunk tainted milk and had disease symptoms could still come to local hospitals for check-ups, and would receive free treatment if diagnosed with stones in the urinary system,” said Mao Qun’an, spokesman of the Ministry of Health on Thursday, adding that “the nationwide screening for sickened children has basically come to an end.”

“As of Thursday, about 90% of families of 262,662 children who were sickened after drinking the melamine-contaminated milk products had signed compensation agreements with involved enterprises and accepted compensation,” the China Dairy Industry Association said Friday, without revealing, however, the amount of damages paid. The Association (CDIA) also created a fund for payment of the medical bills for the sickened babies until they reach the age of 18.

Chinese data shows that those parents who signed the state-backed compensation deal include the families of six children officially confirmed dead, and all but two of 891 made seriously ill, the report said. Families of 23,651 children made ill by melamine tainted milk, however, have not received the compensation offer, because of “wrong or untrue” registration details, said Xinhua.

Several Chinese parents, however, demanded higher levels of damages from the government. Zhao Lianhai announced Friday that he and three other parents were filing a petition to the Ministry of Health. The letter calls for “free medical care and follow-up services for all victims, reimbursement for treatment already paid for, and further research into the long-term health effects of melamine among other demands,” the petition duly signed by some 550 aggrieved parents and Zhao states.

“Children are the future of every family, and moreover, they are the future of this country. As consumers, we have been greatly damaged,” the petition alleged. Chinese investigators also confirmed the presence of melamine in nearly 70 milk products from more than 20 companies, quality control official Li Changjiang admitted.

In addition, a group of Chinese lawyers, led by administrator Lin Zheng, filed Tuesday a $5.2 million lawsuit with the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China (under Chief Grand Justice Wang Shengjunin), in Beijing, on behalf of the families of 213 children’s families. The class-action product liability case against 22 dairy companies, include the largest case seeking $73,000 compensation for a dead child.

According to a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange Market Friday, China’s Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Company, which has a domestic market share of milk powder at 8 percent, reported a net loss in 2008 because of the milk scandal. A Morgan Stanley report states the expected company’s 2008 loss at 2.3 billion yuan. The scandal also affected Yili’s domestic rivals China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited and the Bright Group. Mengniu suffered an expected net loss of 900 million yuan despite earnings in the first half of 2008, while the Bright Group posted a third quarter loss at 271 million yuan last year.

New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, said Saturday it accepted the Chinese court’s guilty verdicts but alleged it had no knowledge of the criminal actions taken by those involved. “We accept the court’s findings but Fonterra supports the New Zealand Government’s position on the death penalty. We have been shocked and disturbed by the information that has come to hand as a result of the judicial process,” said Fonterra Chief Executive Andrew Ferrier.

“Fonterra deeply regrets the harm and pain this tragedy has caused so many Chinese families,” he added. “We certainly would never have approved of these actions. I am appalled that the four individuals deliberately released product containing melamine. These actions were never reported to the Sanlu Board and fundamentally go against the ethics and values of Fonterra,” Ferrier noted.

Fonterra, which controls more than 95 percent of New Zealand’s milk supply, is the nation’ biggest multinational business, its second-biggest foreign currency earner and accounts for more than 24 percent of the nation’s exports. Fonterra was legally responsible for informing Chinese health authorities of the tainted milk scandal in August, and by December it had written off its $200 million investment in Sanlu Group.

Amnesty International also strongly voiced its opposition to the imposition of capital punishment by the Chinese local court and raised concerns about New Zealand’s implication in the milk scandal. “The death penalty will not put right the immense suffering caused by these men. The death penalty is the ultimate, cruel and inhumane punishment and New Zealand must take a stand to prevent further abuses of human rights.” AI New Zealand chief executive Patrick Holmes said on Saturday.

“The New Zealand government does not condone the death sentence but we respect their right to take a very serious attitude to what was extremely serious offending,” said John Phillip Key, the 38th and current Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the National Party. He criticized Fonterra’s response Monday, saying, “Fonterra did not have control of the vertical production chain, in other words they were making the milk powder not the supply of the milk, so it was a difficult position and they did not know until quite late in the piece. Nevertheless they probably could front more for this sort of thing.”

Keith Locke, current New Zealand MP, and the opposition Green Party foreign affairs spokesman, who was first elected to parliament in 1999 called on the government and Fonterra to respond strongly against the Chinese verdict. “They show the harshness of the regime towards anyone who embarrasses it, whether they are real criminals, whistleblowers or dissenters,” he said. “Many Chinese knew the milk was being contaminated but said nothing for fear of repercussions from those in authority. Fonterra could not get any action from local officials when it first discovered the contamination. There was only movement, some time later, when the matter became public,” he noted.

Green Party explained “it is time Fonterra drops its overly cautious act.” The party, however, stressed the death penalty is not a answer to the problems which created the Chinese milk scandal. “The Green Party is totally opposed to the death penalty. We would like to see the government and, indeed, Fonterra, speaking out and urging the Chinese government to stop the death penalty,” said Green Party MP Sue Kedgley.

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UK government stops compulsory testing of fourteen-year-olds

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The UK Government has stated that children in Britain will no longer be required to take compulsory, externally marked tests at the age of fourteen.

The change takes effect immediately, meaning that children who were due to take the test this year no longer have to do so.

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls yesterday announced his plans to radically change the UK testing system, in parliament.

Currently, almost ten million tests are sat each year by British pupils. This change is expected to cut the number of tests taken in half, according to The Guardian.

The tests for seven and eleven year olds are not being abolished. A review group is being set up, however, to research the effect of these tests on eleven-year-olds.

Instead of league tables showing test results, the government will produce report cards for secondary schools. According to Ed Balls, the results from GCSEs will be adequate to judge the performance of schools by their test results.

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The decision to abolish the tests for fourteen year olds came as a result of a situation earlier this year, when there were long delays with the delivery of test results to students of this age.

According to Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the government is admitting that the previous test system failed by making this move.

“For too long English, mathematics and science teachers in secondary schools have found themselves skewing everything to enable their pupils to jump through a series of unnecessary hoops,” she claimed, while Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, said that “the sound of a deep collective sigh of relief will emanate from secondary schools across the country.”

Both major UK opposition parties welcomed this move. Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Children Michael Gove stated that his party have “argued for fewer national tests and more rigor and we want to work constructively to improve the assessment and qualifications regime.”

David Laws, Shadow Secretary of State for Children for the Liberal Democrats, said that “the Sats tests taken by 14-year-olds are not only a waste of time but have been highly unreliable over the last few years.”

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What Is The Purpose Of Getting Police Clearance Certificate Attestation?

Police clearance certificate attestation is the act of legalising a document done by the home country. This certification is done by the police authority of the home country .Attesting the police clearance certificate is known as police clearance certificate attestation. The attestation is done to prove that the individual does not have any criminal records in his name. The police clearance certificate attestation is done with the seal or signature on the certificate. The signature on the certificate signifies that the document is proved genuine by the respective authority. The police clearance certificate attestation is necessary when people are going to foreign countries in search of jobs or higher studies. It is necessary to prove that the person is not harmful to the country which he is migrating.

It is an official document which is issued mostly by the police department. The criminal records of the individual include arrest or any criminal proceeding. The police clearance certificate attestation is one of important thing any individual should do for getting foreign visa.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Fr0GNP_FM[/youtube]

Purpose ofpolice clearance certificate attestation

  • Migration
  • For getting work permit
  • Residence visa
  • Higher education
  • Dependent visa etc

The countries need police clearance certificate to make sure that their country is safe after letting the individual to the country. The name used for police clearance certificates is different in different countries. The police clearance depends on the activities we have done in the past. It is very difficult for a person who has done a crime in the past to get a police clearance certificate. Only if the authorities feel that the person does not have any criminal records in his name he will be eligible to get a police clearance certificate. Legalizing this certificate is termed as police clearance certificate attestation. The certificate also shows the character of the individual whether he is a good or bad citizen.

Basic things you need to get a police clearance certificate attested

  • Original certificate
  • Passport copy

Thepolice clearance certificate attestation is done to prove that your document is authentic and real. The police clearance certificate attestation is not necessary for people going to a foreign country with a visiting visa. Police clearance certificate attestation is necessary for moving to any foreign country.

Wikinews interviews 2020 Melbourne Lord Mayor Candidate Wayne Tseng

This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Thursday, October 22, 2020

2020 Melbourne Lord Mayor candidate Wayne Tseng answered some questions about his campaign for the upcoming election from Wikinews. The Lord Mayor election in the Australian city is scheduled to take place this week.

Tseng runs a firm called eTranslate, which helps software developers to make the software available to the users. In the candidate’s questionnaire, Tseng said eTranslate had led to him working with all three tiers of the government. He previously belonged to the Australian Liberal Party, but has left since then, to run for mayorship as an independent candidate.

Tseng is of Chinese descent, having moved to Australia with his parents from Vietnam. Graduated in Brisbane, Tseng received his PhD in Melbourne and has been living in the city, he told Wikinews. Tseng also formed Chinese Precinct Chamber of Commerce, an organisation responsible for many “community bond building initiatives”, the Lord Mayor candidate told Wikinews.

Tseng discussed his plans for leading Melbourne, recovering from COVID-19, and “Democracy 2.0” to ensure concerns of minorities in the city were also heard. Tseng also focused on the importance of the multi-culture aspect and talked about making Melbourne the capital of the aboriginals. Tseng also explained why he thinks Melbourne is poised to be a world city by 2030.

Tseng’s deputy Lord Mayor candidate Gricol Yang is a Commercial Banker and works for ANZ Banking Group.

Currently, Sally Capp is the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the Victorian capital. Capp was elected as an interim Lord Mayor in mid-2018 after the former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle resigned from his position after sexual assault allegations. Doyle served as the Lord Mayor of Melbourne for almost a decade since 2008.

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GM and Chrysler receive Canadian loans amid US restructuring ultimata

Friday, April 3, 2009

General Motors (GM) and Chrysler will receive bridge loans from the government of Canada and the provincial government of Ontario, however no more will be forthcoming from either Canadian or US governments unless the companies can reinvent themselves.

“This is a regrettable but necessary step to protect the Canadian economy. We are doing this on the assumption that we obviously cannot afford either in the United States or Canada a catastrophic short-term collapse.” said Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.

“We cannot, we must not, and we will not let our auto industry simply vanish. This industry is, like no other, an emblem of the American spirit; a once and future symbol of America’s success,” said Barack Obama, President of the United States. “These companies – and this industry – must ultimately stand on their own, not as wards of the state.”File:Sinsheim quer.jpg

Chrysler will receive CA$1 billion and may in fact be eligible for as much as CA$4 billion. If Chrysler succeeds in the next 30 days with a restructuring plan it would be eligible for a US$6 billion loan. A part of Chrysler’s restructuring plan must include a partnership with Fiat within 30 days to appease the US administration. Fiat is a supplier of smaller fuel-efficient vehicles, and the merger will help Chrysler to be viable in the North American market. A Chrysler court bankruptcy would inevitably lead to it being sold off.

As a part of Chrysler’s restructuring plans, Tom LaSorda, the president of Chrysler announced that Canadian operations would fold if it does not receive both the US commitment of $2.3 billion of aid and a new Canadian Auto Workers CAW contract to reduce all-in costs by CA$19 per hour. As a result of this announcement Chrysler’s auto sales volume in Canada dropped 23% compared to March of 2008.

GM has until the end of May to restructure its company to receive up to CA$7.5 billion. As part of the companies restructuring, General Motor’s chief executive Rick Wagoner was replaced Sunday with Fritz Henderson, the current chief operating officer. Henderson spoke out on Tuesday that GM has submitted a restructuring plan which would close five plants, and this may be increased to meet the requirements for financial aid. He is in full compliance with Obama’s auto task force to seek bankruptcy if GM cannot negotiate with their unions, bondholders and others.

GM recently brought forward the “GM Total Confidence” program providing consumer purchase protection for customers who lose their job for economic reasons within the first two years from purchase. As a result of Chrysler’s restructuring announcement in Canada, GM’s Canadian vehicle sales volume fell only 17.3% compared to 2008, an increase from the previous month.

GM must reduce some of its legacy costs which include its pensions and union health care costs. A part of GM’s ailments arose from investing in supplying truck and SUVs during an economy of high gas prices when consumers were demanding fuel efficient vehicles.

Tony Clement, Canada’s Minister of Industry, is hoping that the CAW will support the restructuring process and re-negotiate their agreement. Whereas a United Auto Workers negotiator has said, “I don’t see how the UAW will do anything until they see what the bondholders will give up.”

The Obama administration is looking toward bankruptcy proceedings for the automakers, “as a mechanism to help them restructure quickly and emerge stronger. [It will] quickly clear away old debts that are weighing them down. What we are asking is difficult. It will require hard choices by companies. It will require unions and workers who have already made painful concessions to make even more. It will require creditors to recognise that they cannot hold out for the prospect of endless government bailouts.” said Obama.

The auto parts suppliers and IT software exporters in India have already been affected by the declining auto sales. GM and Chrysler software contracts provide US$300 to 350 million a year to vendors in India. As well these two major automakers usually award US$1 billion contracts to auto parts suppliers. “We are worried and closely watching the developments in the US to gauge the impact. The decline in auto sales in the US has already hit the order books of Indian suppliers,” said a Delhi auto parts supplier.

“Going forward, the industry will undoubtedly be smaller, but if our efforts are successful it will be viable and it will support good jobs for Canadians,” said Clements.

Betty Sutton, Ohio’s Congresswoman put forward the CARS act which provides a US$3,000 to 5,000 incentive for those who trade in their vehicle for a fuel-efficient car. “It clearly stimulates the economy, and it gets the consumer into the showroom and gets them buying again. But importantly — and this is what I particularly like about it — it really helps the environment quite a bit in two respects.” said William Clay Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor Co.

Ford Motor Company has not come forward with requests for assistance.

Since December GM and Chrysler have received US$17.4 billion government loans.

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World Bank to tighten security belt for Wolfowitz arrival

Saturday, April 2, 2005

Despite controversy ignited by the White House nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank (WB), the 24-member board of directors voted unanimously on Thursday to accept his confirmation. A whirlwind tour by Wolfowitz, who traveled to many capital cities of the bank’s major shareholders and met with voting board members, quieted misgivings over his succession to the incumbent president John Wolfensohn.

Widespread criticism of the Wolfowitz role in the US build-up to war in Iraq heightened levels of security concerns within the bank as they anticipate his arrival. The WB, from the executive level down to memos circulated among departments, express concern for it becoming the target of terrorist attack. The level of seriousness being taken by WB led it to set up cost estimates for improving security.

Wolfowitz will assume leadership in June this year. Despite a belief by some that he acts unilaterally and lacks development experience, a European Commission spokeswoman, speaking for Commissioner Olli Rehn, told a news conference that[Rehn] “was satisfied with everything he heard from Mr Wolfowitz concerning free trade and also on poverty reduction and development policy.”

The Associated Press quotes the Belgian Development Aid minister saying, “There are no objections of EU countries.”

The public display of support belies dissention underneath. Reuters reportedly received a confidential email that provided details of a comment line on an internal website for the WB staff who use it from their far flung locations. The feelings about the Wolfowitz nomination received 1,300 responses, mostly about the bank’s reputation and effectiveness under the new leadership.

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Have You Thanked Your Shipping And Receiving Department Today?}

Submitted by: Tom Knapp

In today’s globalized environment, shipping and receiving has never been more crucial – or more complex. With Americans buying goods from, and selling goods to, the rest of the world, high-quality shipping and receiving professionals are among the most important links in the supply chain. The numbers tell the story: the US Post office handles over a billion packages a year, representing more than three billion pounds’ worth of goods. FedEx delivers over six million every day, while, in the same twenty-four hours, UPS delivers a whopping 15.6 million.

It’s up to shipping and receiving professionals to make sure this enormous volume of mail goes to the right places – and that’s no easy task. Consider the steps a single package goes through – say a video game or DVD you order from an online catalogue, or from an online store like

Amazon.com

or Barnes and Noble.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c61d72fpa4c[/youtube]

Long before you click that “Buy” icon on your Web browser, a distribution center must order its stock from the manufacturer’s warehouse, where a shipping clerk must correctly log the request. Packers must find the ordered materials and package them safely for the series of long journeys ahead. Then the stock must reach the distribution center, where, when it arrives, a receiving clerk must make a note of its arrival, unpack it, and safely store it. Then, finally, when you place your order, someone has to find the materials in the distribution center’s warehouse, at which time they’re packed up once again, and yet another shipping clerk makes sure that they’re sent to the right place, with the right bill, to the right person.

Now multiply all that effort by thousands, and you’ll have some idea of the difficulty involved in shipping and receiving. And let’s not even talk about returns! The shipping and receiving department of today is so central – and so representative of the complexity of modern, globalized business’ that one suspects if Adam Smith were writing The Wealth of Nations today, he might well replace his famous pin-factory example with the shipping and receiving department of a modern corporation.

In such an environment, old-fashioned care and intelligence make all the difference. The mail room must keep meticulous records, noting whether payment has been received from the customer, whether and when orders have been sent, and logging customer complaints when mistakes do occur. Every step in an item’s journey from the manufacturer’s assembly line to your door must be recorded. It’s shipping and receiving workers who keep the records that enable retailers to know which items move quickly vs. which items collect dust in a warehouse. And it’s shipping and receiving workers who tell you when your item has shipped and how long it’ll take to reach you.

But hard work is not enough. Along with smarts and initiative, good tools are a necessity. For example, computers have made the work of shipping and receiving easier and more efficient in some ways, allowing shipping clerks to use barcode scanners, for example, to record all necessary information about an item (or an entire pallet of items) at the touch of a button. These technological breakthroughs make it much easier to track packages in their progress from one place to another. With the help of robotic equipment, too, warehouses can sort items faster. But with these gains in efficiency come increases in customers’ expectations.

Not only flashy new technologies, but the simplest, humblest tools are needed in the mail room. The best packing supplies are needed, along with a good record-keeping system and lots of writing equipment on hand. Good scales (for keeping track of package weights), a plethora of calculators, strong packing tape, and shipping boxes. And, because nothing is more important than the safety of employees, a good, sturdy box cutter is critical – a strong utility knife that won’t dull with frequent use. A priority should be to find and utilize a safety knife that protects hardworking shippers and receivers from work-related injuries.

About the Author:

Safecutters

Inc., provides an online store of utility knife box cutters for opening shipping boxes and shipping packages, as well as safety knives to open moving boxes and packages. For more information about Klever Kutter and other Safecutters products contact us!

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=283528&ca=Business}

More dog and cat food recalled in the United States

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Natural Balance Pet Foods has recalled some of its wet and dry food for cats and dogs after several owners said that their pets were becoming sick. The company urges owners to stop feeding their pets the food immediately.

The brands recalled include Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food.

Last month, Menu Foods recalled all of its 60 million products of dry and wet dog and cat food after pets began to fall ill and in some cases died of kidney failure.

“Natural Balance, Pacoima, CA, is issuing a voluntary nationwide recall for all of its Venison dog products and the dry Venison cat food only, regardless of date codes. The recalled products include Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, Venison and Brown Rice dog treats, and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food. Recent laboratory results show that the products contain melamine. We believe the source of the melamine is a rice protein concentrate. Natural Balance has confirmed this morning that some production batches of these products may contain melamine,” said a press released issued by Natural Balance.

The FDA states that the “investigation remains open and active, and the agency continues to follow leads to get closer to the root cause of the problem and to ensure that all contaminated product is removed from the market.”

“The source of the melamine appears to be a rice protein concentrate, which was recently added to the dry venison formulas. Natural Balance does not use wheat gluten, which was associated with the previous melamine contamination,” said the press release.

Bags, cans and zip lock bags of the food are expected to be the most affected.

“The products are packaged in bags, cans and zip lock treat bags and sold in pet specialty stores and PetCo nationally. No other Natural Balance products are involved in this voluntary recall as none of our other formulas include the rice protein concentrate,” added the press release.

The company states that the food, Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food, are the only brands affected by the recall.

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Tax breaks promised by Australian Prime Minister as election fast approaches

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

In her first election promise, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard specifically offered parents tax breaks of up to A$800 to cover the school uniforms of their children.

Gillard aims to pledge $220 million over four years to expand the current tax breaks to cover refunds each worth $390 for primary school uniforms and $779 for high school uniforms, as well as refunds for other school equipment like texts books and computers. “We all know that uniforms can be an expensive part of sending kids to school, but this change, along with the existing refund for textbooks and computers, will help families with that cost,” stated Gillard.

This comes amongst heavy speculation that a federal election is to be called in the coming days. Education Minister Simon Crean stated that the new proposal is an “important recognition of the cost of school uniforms and it builds on something that we have established in Government but intend extending if we’re [re-]elected …”

As it stands, 1.7 million Australian children are assisted by the current tax breaks; this proposal could extend coverage to an additional million children. The tax breaks will not be available until after the lodging of the 2012–13 tax returns.

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