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The Aviator and Vera Drake scoop top prizes at the 2005 Orange BAFTA Film Awards

Sunday, February 13, 2005

LONDON – The big-budget Hollywood movie The Aviator and the low-budget Brit flick Vera Drake have scooped the main prizes at the 2005 Orange BAFTA Film Awards. Four gongs went to The Aviator with the top ones being Best Film and Cate Blanchett for Best Supporting Actress. Vera Drake got three gongs with Best Director, Best Actress & Costume Design. Jamie Foxx got Best Actor with Ray and Clive Owen got Best Supporting Actor with Closer.

FDA says Coca-Cola’s Diet Coke Plus is misbranded

Thursday, December 25, 2008

The US Food and Drug Administration has written a warning letter to The Coca-Cola Company that Diet Coke Plus violates the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act‘s guidelines. The December 10 letter, signed by Roberta Wagner, director of the office of compliance at the Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, says Coca-Cola should “take prompt action to correct these violations.”

The product’s label describes the drink as “Diet Coke with Vitamins and Minerals.” FDA said the soft drink does not have enough nutrients to justify the use of the word “plus” in its trade name. According to statute, foods must contain at least 10 per cent more of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) or Daily Reference Value (DRV) for a given nutrient “than an appropriate reference food” in order to be called “plus” legally.

The FDA also advised “it is inappropriate to add extra nutrients to snack foods such as carbonated beverages.” The FDA warns Coca-Cola and asks it to revise the drink’s labeling and inform the agency of its reply regarding how it plans to fix the violation, within 15 days of receiving the warning. Coca-Cola says it will submit a reply to the FDA in early January, but currently has no plans to alter the label.

The US Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA, FDCA, or FD&C), is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics. A principal author of this law was Royal S. Copeland, a three-term U.S. Senator from New York, whose concerns about drug safety stemmed from the fact that he was also a homeopathic physician. The act has been amended many times, most recently to add requirements about bioterrorism preparations.

The Coca-Cola Company issued a statement saying, “This does not involve any health or safety issues, and we believe the label on Diet Coke Plus complies with FDA’s policies and regulations.”

The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world, and one of the largest corporations in the United States. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in 1886. Diet Coke Plus (also known as Coca Cola Light Plus) was released in the United Kingdom in October 2007.

Forbes has reported that “Coca-Cola has been on a crusade to revamp its image from a purveyor of highly sweetened, fattening products to a more family-friendly image of low-calorie, nutritional drinks. Its violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act could mean hefty fines and a seizure of product from the pop king, but often these sorts of issues are resolved without incident.”

How To Make A Successful Taxation Planning For The Business?

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How to make a successful Taxation Planning for the business? by Hitech FPOIt is not wrong to say that we all are revolving around the finance and money. We work hard to make more and more money and do plan in various investments and savings because we want that our finances must be in good shape. You should work hard for your business taxation and do the best planning for your business and you should save money.After doing all these, do you ever think that all your financial investments are in perfect shape or all your business investments will give you profit. To make all these things possible, you should have a perfect financial plan and taxation plans. All these thing which affects our business profit are important.If you are not qualified enough to make taxation planning and financial planning, then it is the right time to outsource all your tax related requirements to the experts. Successful taxation planning will help any business to save their a major part of money by investing it in to a fruitful source of investment.Todays world offer many opportunities. But it depends on us that how we pick those opportunities. While peeping in to the finance market, we can see that every second person is talking about finance factors such as taxation planning, investments, savings and so many other financial terms. This is only because planning of taxation and finance is crucial.As a specialist advisor of taxation planning, it is necessary to help the clients and keep them away from complexity of tax by giving them holistic solutions which supports their commercial objectives.Generally Taxation Services includes the following:Tax planning and Tax StructuringInvestment Tax PlanningTax RegistrationsTax CollectionsLegal Tax AdviceTax RepresentationTax Rates and Other InformationPreparation of Tax Payments and ReturnsFrom the above discussion we can say that it is crucial for taxpayers to make the best use of the advices of the professional and expert tax service providers. To make you taxation planning successful, you can visit us at hitechfpo.com.Article Source: eArticlesOnline.com

London terrorist suspects released without charge

Monday, June 12, 2006

Two brothers who were arrested in London last week on suspicion of being involved in terrorist activities were released without any charges by the UK police on Friday.

Twenty year old Abul Koyair and twenty three year old Mohammed Abdul Kahar were arrested during a police raid on June 2 at a house at Lansdown Road, Forest Gate, during which Mohammed Kahar was shot in the shoulder. They were detained under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of being involved in terrorist activities. Both the men denied any such involvement.

Police sources had earlier said that they had information that a chemical device might be found there, the Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman had earlier said the police had received “specific intelligence” regarding the location. Police found no such device.

The Police Complaints Commission is investigating the circumstances of the shooting of Mohammed Kahar.

Wikinews Shorts: August 8, 2009

A compilation of brief news reports for Saturday, August 8, 2009.

1 Leader of Pakistan Taliban may have been killed in drone attack
2 Hillary Clinton arrives in South Africa
3 Anniversary of Georgian War marked by mutual accusations
4 Police in the United Kingdom ordered to review policing of demonstrations
5 Son of missing Japanese actress Noriko Sakai found safe
6 Seven coalition troops killed within 24 hour period in Afghanistan
7 Hong Kong government to begin school drug testing trials in December
8 Nine killed in Belgium care home fire
9 India and China resume border talks
10 President Kennedy’s sister Eunice Kennedy in critical condition at hospital

US Senate panel approves healthcare reform bill

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The United States Senate Committee on Finance approved a proposal to reform health care on Tuesday, clearing it to move forward. The bill passed by a 14-9 vote, gaining support from the committee’s thirteen Democrats, and one Republican.

Senator Olympia Snowe was the only senator from the Republican party to back the bill. However, she said this might change as the bill moves through Congress.

	There are many, many miles to go in this legislative journey

“There are many, many miles to go in this legislative journey. My vote today is my vote today. It doesn’t forecast what my vote will be tomorrow,” Snowe said.

President Barack Obama, who supports the bill as part of his effort to overhaul the country’s health care system, welcomed the committee’s vote. “We are closer than ever before to passing healthcare reform but we are not there yet. Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back – now is the time to dig in further and get this done. In this final phase we should engage with each other with civility and seriousness that has brought us this far and that this subject deserves.”

The bill, which contains a ten-year plan with an estimated cost of US$829 billion, is aimed at lowering healthcare costs and increasing the affordability of insurance. Proponents will now seek to merge it with another bill from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus emphasized, “Americans want us to craft a package that will get the 60 votes needed to pass.” He argued that the Finance bill was the best candidate to attract needed the centrist support.

Critics, however, have said that the proposed plan is too costly, and will cause the government to interfere too much into the private healthcare sector.

“We can now see clearly that the bill continues its march leftward,” said the senior Republican on the committee, Senator Charles Grassley. “This bill is already moving on a slippery slope to more government control of healthcare.”

Eight year old Victoria Stafford of Ontario missing since Wednesday

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Victoria Stafford, eight years old, was sighted leaving her Woodstock, Ontario school on Wednesday afternoon with an unknown woman caught on video camera. She has not been seen since.

Victoria (Tori) attended grade 3 at Oliver Stephens Public School, and the video is from the College Avenue secondary school as Victoria and the unidentified woman walked along Fyfe Avenue.

“I’ve had a lot of problems come up in my life and stuff like that, and I haven’t always been there for my kids, but this is my baby girl and it’s absolutely hurting now,” her father Robert Stafford said, “It’s killing me, [I want to] let her know that I love her and I’ll see her soon. One way or another I’ll see her soon.”

Police teams from Oxford, Waterloo and London have assembled together with rescue dogs and trained search and rescue personnel to find the child.

Police have called the search a criminal investigation, but have not yet issued an Amber alert as there has been no report of an abduction.

150 volunteers joined search efforts and to pass out flyers on the 10th. Police say they have no need of more volunteers at this time, however they would appreciate any tips or calls from anyone who may have seen either Victoria or the woman.

The unidentified woman seen in the video is described as between 19 and 25 years old with straight long black hair. She weighs about 120 to 125 pounds and was wearing a white coat and black jeans in the video. Victoria was wearing a green shirt with a black pleated skirt. She was wearing black and white shoes and carried a purple and pink Bratz purse. She had on a black Hannah Montana jacket which had a white fur lined hood.

“I think what’s happening with members of the public is an expression of their emotions, their concern for this child. And I think that’s good in terms of the willingness of this community to step up,” said Michael Harding, Mayor of Woodstock.

Volunteers are making and handing out purple ribbons, Tori’s favourite colour. A candlelight vigil will be held in the evening on Easter Sunday.

What You Need To Know About Cocktails

What you need to know about cocktails by David YuriEverybody loves good cocktails and the great thing about them is that they are not that hard to make at home if you have the right recipes. In this article we are going to give you some of the most popular mixed drink recipes, starting with the Classic Martini for you to have as reference. All these cocktails are special and they have different ingredients that make them special and exotic. Make sure that you use exactly the same ingredients mentioned in these mixed drink recipes so that you obtain the exact taste you are looking for. The Classic Gin Martini in order to make a great Martini you need some dry vermouth and 2 ounces of your favorite gin. Begin by pouring a small amount of dry vermouth into a chilled martini glass and then swirl it so that you coat the inside of the glass. Then, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and gently stir in the gin. When you’re done, pour the mixture into a glass. If you are looking for an exotic look for your cocktails you may want to garnish the glasses with lemon twist or shave, olive or cocktail onion and add ice if required. Please note that there are quite many variations on this recipe and that is why it is up to your personal preference to add more or less amounts of the ingredients. Cosmopolitan Cocktail – is one of the most popular mixed drink recipes and in order to have a perfect Cosmopolitan you need 1/2 ounce or Triple Sec or Cointreau, 3/4 ounce of vodka, 1 ounce of cranberry juice, some lime (squeeze a dash) and optional some lemon (squeeze a dash). In order to serve the Cosmopolitan cocktails you need to stir the ingredients in a mixer with some ice and then pour the mixture in a previously chilled martini glass. At the end you should garnish the glasses with slices of lemon. Sex on the Beach Cocktail is another popular mixed drink that is made of the following ingredients: 1 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce peach schnapps, 1/2 ounce creme de cassis, 2 ounce cranberry juice, 2 ounces orange juice, orange slice as garnish, and cherry to garnish. For serving this drink you need to consult some mixed drink recipes, however the main idea is to pour all the ingredients into a shaker after adding ice and shake well. When you’re done pour the mixture into a glass and garnish it with the orange slice and cherry.Bloody Mary Cocktail one of the most popular cocktails and it is quite simple to make using the following ingredients: 3 ounces tomato juice, 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 1/4 ounce lemon juice, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, celery stalk as garnish, and lemon also for garnish. All you need to do in order to make a great Bloody Mary cocktail is to mix all the liquid ingredients into a tall glass in which you put some ice and stir well, then add the condiments to reach the desired taste. You can choose to make it spicier by adding more pepper and hot pepper sauce or you can make it just a little bit spicy so that to pinch your tongue just a little when serving it.Manhattan is one of the most loved mixed drink recipes that requires the following ingredients: 2 ounces vodka, 2 ounces fresh lime juice, 2 ounces fresh lemon juice, 2 ounces pure grape juice. In order to make the cocktail you need to mix all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker / stirrer and pour everything into a weird looking glass. Also, you need to add some crushed ice and some decorations to create a special drink.With the right mixed drink recipes you can make your favorite cocktails at home whenever you want and dazzle your friends with your incredible bartending qualities.Article Source: eArticlesOnline.com

The Securities Investors’ Bill Of Rights (Siborap): Part Three}

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The Securities Investors’ Bill Of Rights (SIBORAP): Part Three

Steve Selengut

SIBORAP includes these ten specific sections: (1) Product Transparency, (2) Regulation and Education, (3) Protection from Speculators (4) Control of Hedge Funds, (5) Brokerage Account Statements, (6) Retirement Account Investments, (7) Executive Compensation, (8) Corporate Financial Statements, (9) Taxation of Investment and Retirement Income, and (10) Transactional Greed and Fear Controls.

Section Five: Brokerage Account Statements.Investors have a right to brokerage account statements that: (1) help them monitor and manage their asset allocation, (2) report realized gains and losses for the year, (3) track both the cost of their holdings, and their net account deposits, and (4) emphasize the long-term, cyclical nature of the investment process.Under SIBORAP, all brokerage firms would be required to maintain cost basis information on all holdings, and the ACATS system would be required to provide it in all transfer transactions. Mutual funds would be required to include cost basis information on their quarterly reports. Statements that simply report transactions, and focus only on market value, promote the emotional environment that leads to poor decision-making.Statements must divide securities into three classes: equities, income, and other and specify asset allocation numbers for each class in terms of cost basis. Each client’s equity and income target allocations must be provided and compared with the actual totals. Within each category, sub-categories (e.g., open or closed-end mutual funds, taxable or tax-free income, etc.) would be required.No combined-portfolio graph or chart presentations would be permitted unless accompanied by supporting charts of the separate asset allocation buckets. Supporting charts must compare securities with appropriate indices, and include lines for both working capital (i.e. cost basis) and market value. Associated commentary must describe market conditions in cyclical terms, and describe what reasonable performance expectations would be for each class of security.Statement margin information must include warnings about the dangers of margin borrowing. Investors must be given the opportunity to switch any automatic dividend reinvestment arrangements or withdrawal programs to loan repayment.Investors have the right to statements that inform, report, and educate. Statements should outline reasonable performance expectations for the major classes of securities, the reasons for the assessment, and a sense of how the present environment should be understood in terms of market, economic, and interest rate cycles.Wrap account statements must make it clear to investors that their accounts are identical in all respects to other clients engaged with the same management program, and that the programs are not being managed just with their personal goals and objectives in mind.All retirement portfolio statements must facilitate compliance with SIBORAP Section Six. Section Six: Retirement Account Investments.Investors have a right to augment employer-sponsored programs and Social Security with self directed retirement vehicles of their own design. Tax Code changes mandated by SIBORAP (see Section Nine) exempt retirement income and (most) investment income from taxation by any level of government, and introduce a new “elective” Social Security option.Individual investors have a right to safeguards from excessive risk taking in any and all self-directed retirement portfolios, including those provided by employers. Cost based asset allocation and diversification rules must be applied to all portfolios above $100,000 in working capital and in all portfolios for those aged 55 and above.Asset allocation rules: All retirement portfolios with working capital (cost basis) under $100,000 must have at least 55% invested in top tier (Tier One) income securities. Portfolios with more than $100,000 of working capital must have at least 30% invested in government securities. After age 55, retirement accounts must hold at least 60% (cost basis of securities) in individually owned government securities and/or Closed End Funds comprised of top tier income securities, and which have less than 20% leverage.Diversification rules: No portfolio in excess of $100,000 may contain a single position that exceeds 5% of working capital, or a mutual fund position that exceeds 10%. Sector allocations should be held below 25% of portfolios.No retirement portfolio, non-financial corporation, state or local government, foundation, endowment, or other fiduciary entity may own or trade Tier Four securities and contracts, or derivatives that contain such securities.Retirement accounts that comply with these protective elements are 100% non-taxable, but cannot be borrowed against or withdrawn from before age 60. All Social Security participants under age 40 may elect to use one half of their mandatory salary deductions to fund deferred, fixed-income-only annuity contracts. Google: Guaranteed Social Security Benefits: Make It So, for more information.Section Seven: Executive Compensation. Every shareholder of a publicly traded entity has a right to share in the growth and profit of the business to the same extent and in the same manner as the employees they, in effect, hire to manage the business. Corporate executives and directors have totally lost touch with their equity owners, who were never consulted (in terms that a “Joe the Plumber” could understand) about being compensated strictly in terms of the illusory market value of their holdings. Corporate executive compensation needs to be brought down to a significantly lower “competitive level”, and more of the corporate profit needs to be “spread around” to owners and employees, applied to debt reduction, and placed in reserves for contingencies. It is unlikely that there would be a shortage of qualified CEO applicants at a mere four or five million per year in salary.Section Seven (Executive Compensation) is continued in Part Four of the SIBORAP report, which also includes Sections Eight (Corporate Financial Statements), Nine (Taxation Considerations), and Ten (Transactional Fear and Greed Controls).

Steve Selengut

http://www.sancoservices.com/ http://www.kiawahgolfinvestmentseminars.com Professional Investment Management from 1979 Author of: “The Brainwashing of the American Investor: The Book that Wall Street Does Not Want YOU to Read”, and “A Millionaire’s Secret Investment Strategy”

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The Securities Investors’ Bill Of Rights (SIBORAP): Part Three}

Apple Inc. unveils iPad 2 tablet

Thursday, March 3, 2011

In a media event on March 2, Apple Inc. unveiled its iPad 2 tablet computer, the successor to the company’s iPad. The announcement was made at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. CEO Steve Jobs appeared at the event and introduced the new product, with FaceTime video messaging (with front and rear cameras) as well as a new dual-core Apple A5 processor.

The iPad 2 is an all new design and has several improvements over the original iPad. The device runs on an dual-core Apple A5 CPU. According to Jobs, the CPU’s new dual-core capability enhances multitasking and doubles the processing speed. Apple additionally introduced a magnetic ‘Smart Cover’ accessory that snaps to the front screen of the device along with several new apps ported from the Mac OS X operating system and the iPhone. These include iMovie, GarageBand, and Photo Booth. The new iPad introduces front and rear cameras which enable FaceTime. The new tablet is 15% lighter and 33% thinner than the previous version – thinner than an iPhone 4 – and has beveled edges. It will be available in black and white. The device continues to be capable of ten hours of battery life on a single charge.

The announcement comes after months of rumors about a successor to the original iPad. Competitors have designed tablets to compete with the iPad such as Motorola’s Xoom powered by the Android operating system. One research analyst predicted that iPads would still make up at least 20 million of the more than 24 million tablet computers sold in the United States in 2011. Another analyst credited the Apple’s App store for iPad’s continued success. The device will become available in the United States on March 11, 2011, available in 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes. iPad 2’s 3G models can connect to the wireless networks of AT&T or Verizon Wireless and Wi-Fi. The iPad 2 will start at US$499. In tandem with the announcement, Apple reduced the price of its original iPad to US$399. Shares of Apple inc. rose $2.81, closing at US$352.12 the day of the announcement.

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