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Pakistan earthquake news
Four children found alive near Balakot
More than a week after a massive earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people in Pakistan, four children have been found alive. The Pakistani military said two boys, aged seven and nine carried their infant sister down a mountain to a relief camp near the town of Balakot. The two boys then led soldiers back to the debris where their three-year-old sister was trapped. She too was rescued unharmed. Rescuers had all but given up hope of finding survivors of last weekend's earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale. Almost 40,000 people have been confirmed dead in Pakistan, with 65,000 others injured and more than three million left homeless.
Let´s bless god!
rimini
Yes, everybody has to decide if to lose on bird flu or on climate change. It´s an easy decision, because war or hunger are no actual alternatives. (Hope my irony comes through.)
Oh this about aids i didn´t know. Interesting story.
What I can remember they said that hiv does often infect monkeys without killing them. Some aboriginals in central africa like to eat monkey cerebric and infect themselves with hiv. This so they told us was the origin of hiv.
The first identified person ill with aids was allegedly a homosexual American flight attendant in the early 70s, who has brought the virus into the scene. (What I remember.)
Good morning 02opida. By the way: what about your user name here?
Not really. Nobody knows how fast it will mutate if it does. And Tamiflu doesn´t seem to be the miracle drug.
Prohibitions and preventive measures alone won´t suffice.
Thus: Let´s enjoy life, kiss our partners and laugh into the sun.
(Do ya remember the AIDS hystery in the 80s? It didn´t come as bad as many feared.)
Hi Mick,
Oktoberfest was great. Over since 2 weeks now. Seems to be starting a bird flu fest now. Difficult situation, concrete dangers are hard to estimate.
Have a nice saturday
rimini
Bird flu news from Europe
Deadly Bird Flu Strain Confirmed in Europe
Hopes that the deadly strain of avian flu had not yet reached Europe were dashed Saturday after tests from Turkey and Romania proved positive.
Europe bolstered its defenses against bird flu Friday after the lethal Asian strain of the virus was confirmed in Turkey, and then later Romania, raising further fears of a potential pandemic throughout the European mainland.
But EU veterinary experts, while approving a package of measures including advising that some poultry should be moved indoors, also underlined that the avian influenza poses no risk to public health "at present."
"Information from the outbreaks of avian influenza this week in East Europe (Romania and Turkey) suggests that the disease remains confined to poultry and wild birds and at this stage no human cases have been confirmed," they said. "Therefore at present avian influenza does not represent a risk to the general public."
Authorities scrambled to allay panic after the H5N1 virus was identified on the continent's southeastern border, but early on Saturday the Romanian state veterinary authority confirmed that lab tests in Britain had discovered that an outbreak of bird flu in Romania to contain H5N1, the strain that is potentially highly pathogenic to humans.
The tests on three ducks found dead in Romania's Danube delta near the Black Sea last week confirmed fears that the disease, which has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003, has entered Europe.
"We have received telephone confirmation from London that it is the H5N1 virus," Alina Monea, spokeswoman at Romania's veterinary and animal health authority, told Reuters.
The commission, the EU's executive branch, on Thursday called on EU governments to stockpile anti-viral drugs, and said people at risk should ensure they are vaccinated against regular influenza.
The big fear among experts is that H5N1 may mutate, acquiring genes from the human influenza virus that would make it highly infectious as well as lethal -- possibly killing millions worldwide as the influenza pandemic of 1918 did.
In Geneva, the World Health Organization said Friday that it was concerned about the new outbreaks -- but sought to allay panic. "The spread of H5N1 to poultry in new areas is of concern as it increases opportunities for further human cases to occur," it said, while stressing that the H5N1 virus "does not spread easily from birds to humans."
In a further worrying sign, a new study said researchers have identified a mutated form of H5N1 bird flu that is resistant to Tamiflu, the drug being stockpiled around the world to counter a feared influenza pandemic.
At the center of the crisis in Turkey, the environment ministry on Friday banned the hunting of wild birds -- but officials remained confident the disease had been successfully contained. "It looks like it is dying out," ministry spokesman Faruk Demirel told AFP.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan tried to calm fears, breaking his dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fast on Thursday with a forkful of chicken salad after the confirmation that the H5N1 virus had been detected in his country. "Do you know what this is?" he asked reporters. "I hope you will change your headlines from now on," he joked.
But Turkish producers said poultry sales slid by up to 50 percent, and pharmacists reported surging demand for anti-viral drug Tamiflu. "I would describe the situation as pure panic," pharmacist Hasan Erdem said in downtown Ankara.
In Romania, veterinary teams accompanied by police sped up the slaughter of poultry in a three-kilometer (two-mile) zone around the backyard farm in the Danube delta where a bird virus had been found.
On Friday Bucharest said the virus was detected in a second village nearby, in samples taken from a goose and a chicken. "The village was immediately placed in quarantine and all the poultry will be sacrificed," a spokesman said.
The EU commission slapped on a ban on live bird imports on Turkey on Monday even before confirming the presence of HN51. It took a similar step Thursday against Romania after the presence of an undetermined strain of bird flu was confirmed.
The German government called Friday on regional states to take rapid steps to enclose flocks of poultry in regions where there is intensive farming of birds to protect them against any possible bird flu epidemic.
In zones at risk "enclosure measures" of "open air" poultry need to be taken, Alexander Müller, secretary of state at the ministry of consumer protection, said.
Geese and ducks should be segregated from chickens, as far as possible, he said after a meeting of representatives of the 16 regional states which have responsibility in this area. Three states -- Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and North Rhine-Westphalia -- have already ordered poultry to be kept inside until November 30.
Special measures are also planned to avoid the possibility of bird flu infecting pigs, Müller said.
Helmut Born, secretary-general of the Federation of German Farmers, called Friday for a nationwide ban on the raising of poultry in the open air.
EU foreign ministers are due to discuss the bird flu threat at an emergency meeting in Luxembourg next week, primarily focused on world trade talks but with the avian influenza crisis forcing itself onto the menu.
Bird flu news
Bird flu - Commission recommends reinforced preventive measures
In Short:
The Commission recommends member states to stockpile anti-viral drugs and take reinforced preventive measures to prepare themselves thoroughly for a possible outbreak of bird flu in Europe.
Brief News:
"Bird flu must become priority for all member states and they need to start necessary investments to prepare for it," said the Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou. "The Commission is considering establishing a 1-billion-euro solidarity fund in case of a pandemic," he added. While the laboratory tests to determine whether the virus found in Romania is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain (already found in Turkey) underway, the EU banned the import of live birds, poultry meat and feathers from Romania for an initial period of six months. Confirmation of the type of the Romanian virus is expected by the evening of 14 October.
To stop the virus from spreading to European poultry, the Commission is recommending member states to take reinforced preventive measures - stockpiling anti-viral drugs and strengthening bio-security (hygiene) in poultry farms. The Commission is also in contact with vaccine manufacturers to increase their capacities and to speed up the production process. The aim is to reduce the normal production cycle of 6-8 months to a couple of weeks. According to New Scientist, "a hybrid vaccine virus" that could immunise people against the H5N1 bird flu virus has already been produced, but manufacturers cannot make it quickly enough.
The Belgian authorities have voiced concerns about EU countries competing with each other for orders of anti-virals and the problem that big countries' orders are taking precedence over the small ones. Asked whether the Commission should not coordinate the production and distribution of antiviral drugs in Europe so that they are made available where absolutely necessary, Commissioner Kyprianou responded that "the Commission does not have such powers but is willing to assist and coordinate the member states in this respect".
An emergency meeting of experts on avian influenza and migratory birds will be held in Brussels on 14 October 2005.
Climate change news
Millions to flee climate disasters by 2010, UN warns
In Short:
By 2010, UN experts predict as many as 50m people will flee environmental deterioration caused by climate change. Rising sea levels, expanding deserts and floods are already causing permanent migrations, says a new report.
Brief News:
By 2010, the world will have to cope with as many as 50 million people escaping the effects of environmental deterioration, the UN warned on 12 October, the international day for disaster reduction.
Victims of highly publicised catastrophes like the Asian Tsunami or hurricane Katrina in the US benefit from millions of dollars from private and public funds, note the experts at the UN University for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS). But they say millions of people caught up in natural disasters do not receive this kind of support.
Unlike victims of political violence, "environmental refugees" are not yet recognised in international law and may have to be considered as a "new category of refugee" says UNU-EHS Director Janos Bogardi. States' obligations need to be formalised to cope with this new type of refugee, he said.
The statement comes with the opening of a new UN University Chair on "social vulnerability" financed by reinsurance company Munich Re. The UNU Chair will study the effects of "slow moving catastrophes", including "desertification, diminishing safe water supplies and climate change-induced sea level rise".
Todays weather report from the Zugspitze
Tuesday, October 11th, 2005, 09:15 a.m.
Sunny, clear sky above the highest mountain of Germany, standing like a watching giant on the boarder to Austria. On top (9500 ft.) it´s cold: 29°F. But the sight over the Northern Alps is great.
http://panpic2.feratel.at/panpic2/index.jsp?design=standard&ID=5740&adv=off&align=center
I will be there the next two days. Good time everybody here.
Oh thanks, I feel honored.
Bird flu can really become a serious problem, as birds a not as mobile as human beings are. lol? no lol!
As I know the only possibly effective drug is Tamiflu by Roche, a Swiss company. http://www.tamiflu.com/ Germany has already bought some reserves. (And guys, this is NO stock tip.)
Hi Mick,
here is a sign of life from rimini.
As you know, bird flu has arrived in Europe. We have first cases in Russia 6 weeks ago, now in Romania and in Turkey.
If you are interested there is a link collection wirth latest news: http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-145566-16&type=News
See ya, rimini
IRBO: Bird flu news
Immune Boosting Drug May Help Prevent Bird Flu Pandemic
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2005 7:30 AM
- PR Newswire
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct 10, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- ImmuneRegen BioSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc. (IRBO) , today announced that it is moving rapidly forward with its strategy for combating avian influenza (H5N1), also known as bird flu. The company, which has seen its proprietary drug, Viprovex(TM), treat other strains of influenza in animal models, is currently pursuing government and military collaborations to test Viprovex on the H5N1 strain itself. Company officials are confident they will find similar results due to the immune boosting nature of the drug. This comes after an announcement from President Bush that his administration is finalizing a plan on preparing for an outbreak of the bird flu. Further, the Senate last week passed legislation authorizing $4 billion for additional purchases of anti-flu medication.
"The scientific community's biggest fear is that before a vaccine is available, the avian flu strain will mutate to where it can infect people more readily, or become transmissible from person to person," says ImmuneRegen CEO, Michael Wilhelm. "Based on the results of our Hong Kong influenza virus research, we believe Viprovex will enable the body's own immune system to fight off any flu strain naturally. This opens the possibility that Viprovex could be used either as a stand alone treatment or as an adjunct to a vaccine or other therapy."
In past studies, ImmuneRegen researchers have found that Viprovex decreases apoptosis (cell death) in pulmonary alveolar macrophages after toxic exposure. The research indicates that Viprovex keeps pulmonary alveolar macrophages alive to fight respiratory viruses. With the Viprovex treatment, studies show a very large decrease in lung injury after Hong Kong Influenza infection in mice. In addition, Viprovex increases interferon gamma production in the spleen after viral infection. Interferon was administered to SARS victims in Canada to fight the deadly disease, but this treatment was rejected in China and other parts of Asia because of the toxic effects of interferon administration.
Earlier in the year, officials of ImmuneRegen presented "A new neurokinin receptor agonist as a potential treatment and prophylactic measure in poultry and humans for avian flu" at the 2-day conference on Avian Influenza held in Paris, France on April 7 and 8, 2005. This abstract showed the possibility of efficacy in treating and preventing the multiple strains of Avian Flu and how, unlike flu vaccines, Viprovex could be a universal protectant against many types of influenza.
About IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc.
IR BioSciences Holdings Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc., is developing Homspera(TM) and its derivatives Radilex(TM) and Viprovex(TM) as a family of countermeasures for multiple homeland security threats, including chemical agents, Acute Radiation Sickness (ARS) from a dirty bomb or nuclear disaster, and infectious disease/biological warfare scenarios. This positions the base compound Homspera as a potential Universal Protectant. Homspera is derived from modified homeostatic Substance P, a naturally occurring peptide immunomodulator and homeostatic compound with the dual effect of improving pulmonary function and the stimulation of the human immune system. Further advances with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the U.S. Air Force are currently being pursued. The development of Homspera and its derivatives is pursuant to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "animal efficacy" rule, which allows an expedited approval process. In addition, these compounds are candidates for the Strategic National Stockpile under current BioShield law. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.immuneregen.com.
Disclaimer
Statements about the Company's future expectations, including future revenues and earnings, and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. The Company's actual results could differ materially from expected results as a result of a number of factors, including the uncertainties inherent in research collaborations, clinical trials and product development programs, the evaluation of potential opportunities, the level of corporate expenditures, capital market conditions, and others set forth in the Company's periodic report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2005 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact: W. Jason Grimley
Spelling Communications
310-477-9500
jgrimley@spellcom.com
SOURCE ImmuneRegen BioSciences
W. Jason Grimley of Spelling Communications, +1-310-477-9500, jgrimley@spellcom.com,
for ImmuneRegen BioSciences
http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright (C) 2005 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
Nice impression, Mick: A devoted love song in favour of homeland, sunshine and the beauty of life. What a coincidence, that the great romanticists in history were Germans.
GZFX
Hey Andi, here is a great minute chart of our yesterday´s pick.
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=8008104
See ya later
Bernd
Here is today´s weather report from Munich, Germany.
Thursday, October 6th, 2005; 11 a.m.
A very beautiful autumn day. Sunny, windless, 18°C. = 64°F., blue sky with few small clouds. This sky we call a typical Bavarian sky, because it pictures the colors of the province, white and blue. http://www.stmi.bayern.de/buerger/staat/wappen/
Have a nice and successful day everybody.
Mr. Clean, you are not alone. Everything has to be perfectly prepared like in an operating room. It costs more time than the painting itself but it makes you happy when there is no need for grooming afterwards.
I nearly like everything in art. You have to be open minded in humility. Do you know Wassily Kandinsky? He worked in Murnau near Munich a hundred years ago. I like his art a lot.
http://www.lenbachhaus.de/4_sammlu/sites/geb_d_b.htm#
Oh, your artwork is great. I was visiting the Twin Towers in 1997 with my wife. Glad I did. It´s unforgettable. Yes, Mr. Bin Laden, it is.
It seems that I was using the wrong word. I renovated in my apartment and soon will start again for finishing the last steps.
rimini how did it work to reunite the two into one again?
Well, it still works and will need some more 15 years to fit the economies in east and west.
One important step has been done: The unity in the heads. Firstly there have been large differences. The Western Germans having grown up in democracy and welfare. The Eastern Germans being influenced by the lack of freedom in a Socialistic system.
Thanks for your interest. My weekend was relaxing, though I had to deal with paintworks in my appartement. But when you have finished this stuff, it is always satisfying.
Today is the last day of the Munich Octoberfest 2005. Usually ending after 2 weeks on Sunday, the day of German unity has led to one day of extension.
The weather report from Munich, Germany.
Monday, October 3rd, 2005, 05:40 a.m.
I´s cold and raining since days continously. 8° C. = 47° F.
The reason for the heavy rain is a low in the northern Mediterrean area (Italy, Croatia), which brings wet air above the Eastern Alps. Those weather conditions are dangerous causing floods in the northern alpine space.
Well, it´s ok. Those few years
Today Germany celebrates the day of German unity.
Thank you America for the help giving to our nation during the last 60 vears.
German Unity Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit), October 3, is a national holiday in Germany celebrating the country's reunification in 1990.
The natural choice would have been the day the Berlin Wall came down, namely November 9, 1989, which happily coincided with the anniversary of the founding of the first real German Republic in 1918 and the sound defeat of Hitler's first coup in 1923, which gave that republic another decade; however November 9 was also the anniversary of the first large-scale Nazi-led pogroms against Jews in 1938 (Kristallnacht), and the day was thus considered inappropriate as a national holiday. Thus, October 3, 1990, the day of formal reunion was chosen instead. Unlike in other countries the day is not celebrated with parades of the armed forces.
Before reunification, in Western Germany the "Day of German Unity" was June 17; this was a somewhat propagandistic interpretation of a failed 1953 revolt staged by East German workers mainly against a raise in work quotas (effectively a wage cut). The revolt was crushed with Soviet aid; the exact number of fatalities is unknown, but estimated at somewhat above 100. In East Germany, the national holiday was October 7.
Good morning Mick,
the golden ornament found near Munich was created 1400/1000 B.C. an shows connections to Mykene (artwork, style) and to Egypt (techniques).
rimini
Hi Mick,
your link includes the forecast for 8 p.m. Seems to get cold at night. Brrrrrrrrrr.
What about this one: Any new hurricans building?
http://www.weather.com/maps/news/septnonactive/atlanticoceansatellite_large.html
WSBL: a gift.
Last 0.013
Bid: 11 MM´s by .0100
Ask: 11 MM´s by .0450
(!)
WSBL: a gift.
Last 0.013
Bid: 11 MM´s by .0100
Ask: 11 MM´s by .0450
(!)
WSBL: a gift.
Last 0.013
Bid: 11 MM´s by .0100
Ask: 11 MM´s by .0450
(!)
Today´s weather report from Munich, Germany.
September 29th, 2005, 6.05 p.m.: It´s dull and showery. Temperature 15° C. = 59° F.
Realtime View from the highest mountain of Germany, the Zugspitze (60 miles far from Munich): http://www.wetterspiegel.de/de/europa/deutschland/bayern/15334c360x6.html
Oktoberfest has announced today, that the 80th bullock is being eaten. New record. On the other side people drink less beer than in the last years.
That´s right. I will concentrate on WSBL. Enjoy looking at last week. A 4-gapper within three days.
WSBL: Good opportunity to to go in or to average down. low floater!
You´re welcome.
By the way: You collect coins, I am collecting beer coasters. I have to submit that drinking beer is more passionate than collecting the accessories.
Mick,
it is not very much gold in value of raw metals. But the findings are arranged in the old greek style and the processing comes from ancient egypt. This is so much exciting history. Bavaria had connections to the ancient global players, when nobody had an imagination of America or China (Andi lol). 1400/1200 BC!
Here are links in German speech, not useful maybe
http://www.kranznet.indi.de/brzeit/goldfund/goldfund.htm
http://www.theiss.de/ktv/detail.php?titelnr=927
Have a nice evening and a happy weekend
rimini
I should like to. I use the same news sources like you of course. Under normal circumstance i cannot completely follow the news stream, cause I´m working in office.
Now I have to leave to an event. They have found ancient gold ornament near Munich from 1200 BC, that proves realationships to Mykene and to Egypt. Very interesting.
Well, let´s balance it in the end.
Ah, that should be bearable. Winters in southern Bavaria are rather severe because of the near Alps. Similar to your northern heartlands I could imagine.
Mick, I am buying US stocks mostly on the US stock exchanges. Sometimes you have a chance to buy US stocks here in Germany on good news on a lower level, when pre-market in the USA hasn´t begun.
Good morning Mick,
you seem to be very busy today. Anyway: The weather report from Munich, Germany, 4:40 p.M.: a perfect autumn day, sunny, blue sky, 21°C = 70°F.
Have a nice day everybody
rimini
you´re welcome, Mr. WSBL-Coholder.
Nice price you got in.