Vets in New York have reportedly diagnosed the first known case of H1N1 Swine Flu in a dog.

The LA Times reports…The virus has been found before in other pets, including at least three ferrets, several cats and pigs and a cheetah named Gijima at a wildlife preserve in Santa Rosa.

A couple of the cats died, but most of the animals recovered.

Full story here- http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-sci-swine-flu-dog23-2009dec23,0,2022503.story

They say we should not be alarmed by this alarming development. Reportedly it is a “rare” occurence.

What do you think? …how are we going to get the dogs and cats to wash their hands?

I am kind of concerned, lots of dogs around here!….

It seems that Google likes to roll out new tools to help webmasters without really saying why. So, when Google launches a new tool that helps you determine if your web page is too wide or long for most browser sizes, you have to wonder: will the dimensions of your web site become the next variable added to Google’s algorithm?

It’s not out of the realm of possibility, when you consider that the speed of your site will soon be a factor in determining your Google ranking.

Whether I’m reaching here–or close to home–I don’t know. What I do know is that Google wants YOU to be aware of how many Google users don’t get to see all of your web content at first glance.

Browser Size is cute, ugly, and useful. It’s best to just show you:

As you can see, Trackur.com fits within the entire web browser of only 20% of all users, but our call to action gets seen by 90-95%–without any scrolling needed. You’d think that the tool would have cleaner lines, but I suspect the “kids crayon” interface is designed to not look too sinister and official–so you don’t suspect it will become part of Google’s algorithm.

Go and check your own web site and let me know how you fair.

PS. Keep in mind that if you use a floating width/margin, you should re-size your own browser to lose the white space either side of your main content.

Social Media Monitoring in Just 60-Seconds. Guaranteed!

The World Health Organization reports insecurity in Afghanistan is jeopardizing health operations and preventing qualified staff from working in remote and rural areas of the country. WHO says this is of particular concern right now as the H1N1 influenza pandemic is spreading in cold parts of the country…. From VOA. Full story

This site may contain information about: virus. The blog is also related to: virus.

NEWS

Health care overhaul bill slowed by read-a-thon
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Ken Thomas
Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats’ drive to pass the health care overhaul by Christmas sputtered Wednesday as a lone moderate holdout remained undecided and Republican delaying tactics stretched an already protracted debate even further.

Despite a one-on-one meeting Tuesday with President Barack Obama that lasted 30 minutes, Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said he still has concerns about abortion and other issues. Nelson, the only known holdout among 60 senators whose votes are needed to move the bill, said it had been his third meeting in eight days with the president.

Obama “made a strong case for passing health care reform now,” said Nelson. “But I think it still remains to be seen if it was compelling.” The legislation needs to be improved, he added, and liberals resisting his proposals – even saying the bill should be scrapped – are running out of alternatives.

“I do say if nothing is done, I’m not sure what Plan B is,” he said. “If Plan B is start over…it’s quite possible that it just won’t happen. It seems to me that we have a chance right now to fix a flawed bill.”

To make matters more complicated, the Senate stumbled into health care gridlock after a Republican senator forced the clerk to read aloud a 767-page amendment.

GOP Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma had sought approval to require that any amendment considered by the Senate must be offered 72 hours in advance and with a full cost report.

When he was rebuffed by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, Coburn invoked his right to require that an amendment by another Democrat be read aloud. That sent the Senate into limbo, since the amendment by Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders is 767 pages long. It calls for guaranteeing coverage to all through a public program similar to Medicare and is not expected to pass.

Obama cajoled restive Democrats on Tuesday, urging them not to lose perspective amid intense intraparty battles over government’s role and reach in health care. The public plan liberals hoped for appeared dead in the Senate, as did a Medicare buy-in scheme offered as a fallback.

“The president and vice president pointed out that you take your victories when you can and nothing prevents you from fighting on for the things you believe should have been achieved,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. “But why spurn a victory in hand?”

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., a moderate who had been on the fence, said Tuesday night it’s time to pass the bill.

But Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was still scrambling to secure the 60 votes he needs to overcome a Republican filibuster. One holdout – Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman – was coming around fast. Another – Nebraska’s Nelson – continued to criticize the bill.

“History will be made either way,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Wednesday. “A handful of Democrat leaders press ahead in a blind rush of frantic dealmaking to find 60 votes by Christmas; a handful of other Democrats are wondering which side they really want to be standing on when the dust settles.”

Just as unhappy with the legislation was former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, an outspoken liberal.

Interviewed on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the physician and former presidential candidate said the Senate bill has some good provisions, “but there has to be a line beyond which you think the bill is bad for the country.”

“This is an insurance company’s dream,” Dean said. “This is the Washington scramble, and it’s a shame.”

Obama said Democrats were “on the precipice” of victory, not breakdown.

The president said differences still remain over details but described the bill as an accomplishment for the history books.

The legislation includes “all the criteria that I laid out” in a speech to a joint session of Congress earlier in the year, he said. “It is deficit-neutral. It bends the cost curve. It covers 30 million Americans who don’t have health insurance, and it has extraordinary insurance reforms in there to make sure that we’re preventing abuse.”

Democrats were still awaiting a final cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office on the latest version of the bill. At its core, the legislation is designed to spread coverage to 30 million Americans who now lack it, impose new consumer-friendly regulations on the insurance industry and try to slow the rate of growth in health care spending.

Most Americans would be required to purchase insurance, and the government would establish new insurance supermarkets called “exchanges” through which consumers could shop for policies.

Large companies would not face a requirement to cover their employees. But the government would impose charges if any of them did not do so and any of their workers qualified for federal subsidies to help them afford private coverage.

It would be financed with tax increases and Medicare cuts.

Democratic leaders mapped out a timetable that envisioned passage before Christmas – but just barely. The House approved its version of the bill earlier this fall, and final negotiations between the two chambers would follow a vote in the Senate.

© 2009 The Associated Press

BEIJING, Dec 16, 2009 (AFP) – China on Wednesday reiterated its opposition to the idea of “carbon tariffs” being imposed on goods made in the developing world, calling it an unfair trade restriction that hurts poor countries.

The idea for such tariffs has been floated in the United States and Europe as a way of penalising imports from countries that do not have statutory curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, such as China.

“China firmly opposes carbon tariffs,” commerce ministry spokesman Yao Jian told reporters.

He said such tariffs “restrict trade and economic development.”

He added they “ignore the fact that developed and developing nations are in different stages of development and should take on different historical responsibilities and liabilities.”

China is among the leading developing-country voices insisting that rich nations bear “historical responsibility” for emissions of greenhouse gases that cause climate change and should shoulder the burden of reducing such emissions.

The issue has led to a contentious atmosphere at global talks in the Danish capital Copenhagen on how to address climate change.

Some richer nations argue their industries are being punished by tough domestic environmental laws, which encourage the shift of polluting industries to countries with less stringent controls.

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AshMan says…

Microsoft’s Bing, which uses the ‘decision engine’, is a pretty good search engine. There are features included which aren’t available with other search providers, and now they are available on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

All your search needs fulfilled by Bing on iPhone

The new Bing application will join the list of Microsoft applications which are already available on the App Store including Microsoft’s Tag and Seadragon.

When you open the application you will be greeted by Bing’s daily image, which also includes the facts which you see on the desktop version. You can search for images, movies, maps, businesses, news, directions or just you normal search. The Maps feature works quickly and accurately when finding your position, which is always good when you are trying to get somewhere quickly.

Bing's Daily Image is a nice feature compared to Goolge's offering

The App is available now via iTunes on the App Store.

]]> http://mobilementioned.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/swaziland-pro-democracy-group-says-ready-to-dialogue-with-government/ Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:53:11 +0000 neatnew http://mobilementioned.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/swaziland-pro-democracy-group-says-ready-to-dialogue-with-government/

In Swaziland, a leading member of the United Democratic Front party says the group is ready to engage in an honest? dialogue with the government to bring about democratic reforms… From VOA. Full story

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NEWS

Upbeat Obama says Senate near health care passage

By David Espo
AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prodded by President Barack Obama, Senate Democrats won tentative backing from one holdout and worked intensely to satisfy another Tuesday as they grappled with the last, lingering disputes blocking passage of health care legislation by Christmas.

Obama said his congressional allies were “on the precipice” of a historic accomplishment that has eluded presidents and lawmakers for generations, adding the emerging bill includes “all the criteria that I laid out” in a speech to a joint session of Congress earlier in the year.

“It is deficit-neutral. It bends the cost curve. It covers 30 million Americans who don’t have health insurance, and it has extraordinary insurance reforms in there to make sure that we’re preventing abuse,” he said.

In the privacy of a presidential meeting, liberals vented their frustration at having to abandon the last vestige of a government-run insurance option in the legislation, a slow-motion concession made over many months, most recently to moderates including Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Connecticut.

Two days after jolting the leadership by threatening to oppose the measure if it included an expansion of Medicare, Lieberman said with the agreed-upon changes, “I’m going to be in a position where I can say what I’ve wanted to say all along: that I’m ready to vote for health care reform.”

That left Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., the only known potential holdout among the 60 senators who are members of the party’s caucus, a group that includes 58 Democrats, Lieberman, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Nelson has already has won key concessions from Majority Leader Harry Reid, including an agreement to leave in place the insurance industry’s exemption from anti-trust laws. He also is seeking changes to increase restrictions on abortion coverage in a new insurance marketplace the bill would establish.

“I have spoken with the president and he knows they are not wrapped up today,” Nelson told reporters of the changes he wants.

The White House meeting unfolded as Democrats awaited a final cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office on the latest version of the bill, and the full Senate rejected an amendment to permit the importation of prescription drugs from Canada and elsewhere.

The vote was 51-48, short of the 60 required, and handed drugmakers a victory that may help secure passage of the bill. The pharmaceutical industry backs Obama’s overhaul.

At its core, the legislation is designed to spread coverage to 30 million Americans who now lack it, impose new consumer-friendly regulations on the insurance industry and slow the rate of growth in health care spending nationally. Most Americans would be required to purchase insurance, and the government would establish a new series of “exchanges” through which consumers could shop for policies.

The measure includes hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to defray the cost of insurance for families with incomes up to about $88,200 a year for a family of four. Additional assistance would go to small businesses to help them afford coverage for their workers.

Large firms would not face a requirement to cover their employees. But the government would impose charges on them if any of them did not do so and any of their workers qualified for federal subsidies to help them afford private coverage.

The meeting followed an intense two days in which Democrats struggled – apparently successfully – to keep the legislation moving forward despite a flare-up over a proposal to expand Medicare to uninsured men and women as young as 55.

Lieberman announced on Sunday he opposed the proposal. He threatened to join Republicans in voting against the overall measure if it stayed in the bill, and while no formal announcement has been made, officials said he had prevailed.

With the president urging lawmakers to look beyond disappointments they may have about parts of the legislation, several Democrats said that in the private session, liberals lamented the absence of a government-run insurance option they had long sought. “There was frustration and angst” expressed, said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. agreed: “There’s a lot of that going around.”

Rockefeller added that Obama had emphasized the historic nature of the legislation, quoting him as saying the bill was the “biggest thing since Social Security.” Rockefeller added, “It’s hard to ignore that.”

Democratic leaders mapped out a timetable that envisioned passage before Christmas – but just barely.

That assumed that Nelson and Lieberman would join 58 others in swinging behind the bill once the CBO cost estimates become available.

The House approved its version of the bill earlier this fall, and final negotiations between the two houses would follow a vote in the Senate.

In his remarks, Obama took issue with ads and claims by critics about the bill’s impact on the federal budget, citing earlier CBO estimates that predicted it would reduce the deficit. “So all the scare tactics out there, all the ads that are out there are simply inaccurate,” he said.

“There are still disagreements that have to be ironed out. There is still work to be done in the next few days,” he said, without going into specifics.

But in a clear signal of his commitment to the bill, he said, “I told my former colleagues today … that we simply cannot allow differences over individual elements of this plan to prevent us from meeting our responsibility to solve a longstanding and urgent problem for the American people.”

Unless they act, he said, costs will continue to rise, employers will drop coverage and “Medicare and Medicaid will blow a hole through our budget.

“Those things are guaranteed. That’s the status quo. That is the trajectory we are currently on,” he said.

The legislation would be financed by about $460 billion in cuts in projected Medicare payments to health care providers over a decade. It also includes higher payroll taxes on individuals making more than $250,000 annually and higher taxes on high-cost insurance policies, drug makers, medical device makers and others.

© 2009 The Associated Press

Energy Minister Mel Knight said Monday there will be no moratorium on nuclear energy plants in Alberta. (CBC)Alberta will not stand in the way of the construction of nuclear power plants, Energy Minister Mel Knight said Monday, following the release of a telephone survey that suggests 45 per cent of Albertans want nuclear plants approved on a case-by-case basis.

“There’ll be no moratorium,” Knight told reporters at the Alberta legislature.

“We are not proponents of nuclear energy. We’re not working with any company to build nuclear energy. ? We’re saying that we need power, and proponents that want to build in the system in Alberta are welcome to do so.”

In the government-commissioned telephone survey, 45 per cent of respondents said they wanted projects considered on a case-by-case basis, 28 per cent opposed any proposals for nuclear power plants in the province, 19 per cent felt the province should encourage proposals and eight per cent said they didn’t know.

In the intial voluntary online and mail-in survey, about 55 per cent opposed proposals for nuclear plants, about 28 per cent felt the province should encourage proposals and 16 per cent felt projects should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

However, unlike the telephone survey, the results of the voluntary survey are not considered to be a statistically valid sample of Albertans.

The random telephone survey of 1,024 Alberta residents was conducted from July 8 to 20 by Innovative Research Group, Inc. The poll has a margin of error of 3.06 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

The surveys were part of Alberta’s nuclear power consultation that was launched earlier this year after an expert panel in March identified issues around nuclear power but made no recommendations about the direction the province should take.

Plans for 1st nuclear power plant in Alberta

There are no nuclear power plants in Alberta. Bruce Power is working on a proposal to build a plant about 30 kilometres north of Peace River, in northern Alberta.

NDP legislature member Rachel Notley says the government is ignoring what Albertans want by allowing nuclear plants in the province.(CBC)Any prospective applications would go through the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, where proponents would have to hold public hearings, Knight said. While Alberta does have the power to put a moratorium on nuclear power, Knight said the province isn’t going to do that.

“This is a really disappointing outcome for Albertans,” NDP MLA Rachel Notley said.

Even though the government engineered the consultation process to get a certain outcome, Notley said, the results showed many Albertans are still concerned about the launch of nuclear power in the province.

“If this government was really interested in listening to Albertans, what they would do is they would close the door [on nuclear power].”

The questions in the telephone survey were developed after an initial consultation period that involved discussion groups with 193 people in 10 communities, an online and mail-in workbook that was completed by another 3,615 people, and consultation with community, business, environmental and First Nations groups.

With files from The Canadian Press

Exxon bets on natural gasCanada gained surprising 79,000 jobs in November

Fidel Castro says President Barack Obama’s “friendly smile and African-American face” are hiding Washington’s sinister intentions for Latin America — more evidence of a new cooling in U.S.-Cuba relations after a thaw had seemed possible just months ago.

In a letter to Hugo Chavez that the Venezuelan president read at the close of a summit of leftist Latin American nations Monday, Castro said the U.S. “empire is on the offensive again” in the region.

He blamed Washington for a military coup that toppled leftist President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras in June and criticized a U.S. agreement with Colombia that allows U.S. troops greater access to seven of that country’s military bases.

“They are obviously the real intentions of the empire, this time under the friendly smile and African-American face of Barack Obama,” Castro said.

Cuba’s President Raul Castro, right, and Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez

The 83-year-old former Cuban president heaped praise on Obama when he first took office, calling him intelligent, sincere, serene, courageous, honest and well-meaning. He later endorsed Obama’s winning of the Nobel Peace Prize.

But Castro has turned on Obama, saying in an opinion piece in state media last week that the U.S. president’s acceptance of the Nobel prize after deciding to send 30,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan was “a cynical act.”

His letter to Chavez is the latest sign that reconciliation between the U.S. and the communist-governed island isn’t likely soon. That had seemed a possibility as recently as the spring, when the White House eased restrictions on Cuban-Americans who want to travel and send money to this country and Obama spoke of a possible new beginning in relations.

On Saturday, the U.S. State Department said Cuba detained an American citizen Dec. 5 who had been working in Cuba as a subcontractor for a Maryland-based economic development organization.

Cuba’s government has not commented, but word of the arrest came after both sides blamed each other for the postponement of meetings scheduled for this month to discuss immigration issues.

In November, the State Department denounced an assault — allegedly by plainclothes Cuban state security agents — on the island’s top dissident blogger, Yoani Sanchez. Obama later sent a lengthy message praising Sanchez and answering a series of questions from her.

Prominent American blacks recently denounced racism in Cuba, which is a touchy subject for this nation, and the Cuban military conducted war games against a U.S. invasion, which authorities here still insist is a real possibility.

The idea that Washington is turning up the heat on the leftist governments in Latin America dominated the two-day meeting of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, a regional trade group known as ALBA that was founded by Chavez as an alternative to U.S.-backed, free-trade consortiums.

Bolivian President Evo Morales said that if the U.S. threatened Latin America militarily, the region would rise up and create “a second Vietnam.” Chavez quipped that Obama was the winner of the “Nobel Prize of War.”

The Venezuelan leader also responded to recent comments by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who warned Latin American governments to “think twice” about building ties with Iran.

“It’s ridiculous, the threat of the secretary of state, and we aren’t afraid of her,” Chavez said.

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Nicole Richie braved the rain on Saturday to launch her House of Harlow holiday collection and meet fans at the Bloomingdale’s in the South Coast Plaza. She also got to show off her newly darker hair which we got a peek of in those adorable family photos she shared last week. One of our favorite celebrity twitterers greeted the long line of people who came out to support the line and get a photo with Nicole. A children’s chorus, who was performing elsewhere in the store, even came over to serenade Nicole with a carol during her appearance. We had a chance to chat with her a bit about the new pieces, her hair color decision and what to expect from her exciting upcoming projects.

Nicole Richie:

On dying her hair dark: I was just bored. I’ve been pregnant and nursing for the past two years, and I really haven’t been able to do a lot with my hair color — I haven’t had time. I was sick of being blonde, so we just decided to dye it brown. I feel smarter already.

On the House of Harlow holiday collection: I went a little more sophisticated with this line just because it’s holiday, it’s Winter. It’s just a completely different look. I was inspired a lot by equestrian pieces.

On her upcoming clothing line: My line Winter Kate is coming out in the Spring. It’s a lot of really great pieces, I worked really hard on it. It’s actually almost done. It’s a lot of flowy pieces, really light material. Really easy. I dress for comfort all the time and I know that it’s really hard to dress for comfort and also look good at the same time, so I wanted to create that for my collection.

On her TV show: I can’t really say a lot about it since we’re just in the development phase right now, but I’m so excited. I’m so excited to have a pilot on ABC. This has been my dream for years now, and I just couldn’t be happier.

Steven Bosworth’s 3-day mission to North Korea was the first high level meeting between Pyongyang and the Obama administration…. From VOA. Full story

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Steven Bosworth tells reporters in Tokyo Sunday that he urged North Korea to engage with Japan, including on the issue of abductees…. From VOA. Full story

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Deposed Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya said he would remain at the Brazilian embassy in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa until January 27, 2010 at the latest, when his term formally ends.

Supporters wave a flag with a large image of deposed Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya on it. (AFP Photo)

“However, I would like to leave as soon as possible, obviously with the support of the Brazilian government,” Zelaya told Brazil’s Globo television.

The cowboy-hatted ousted president, exiled in a military-backed coup in June, secretly slipped back into Honduras in September and has remained at the heavily fortified Brazilian embassy ever since.

“He is absolutely aware that when his mandate ends, he will need to go elsewhere,” said the Brazilian embassy’s charge d’ affaires Francisco Catunda.

The de facto regime of Roberto Micheletti on Friday demanded that Brazil clarify its reasons for allowing Zelaya to remain inside its embassy.

“The Honduran government, once again, calls on the government of Brazil to define the legal status under which Jose Manuel Zelaya remains in its facilities,” the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

On Thursday, Zelaya, who has steadfastly insisted he be returned to power, rejected a Mexican offer for safe passage after Micheletti imposed the condition he be granted political asylum, which, he said, would invalidate his claim to the presidency.

The chances of his return to power were eroded by successful November 29 elections that were recognized by a number of nations, including the United States and Costa Rica.

The winner, Porfirio Lobo, is set to take office after Zelaya’s term expires next month.

Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez on Friday said he would meet Zelaya on Sunday and Lobo on Monday in Santo Domingo, in his bid to mediate in the Honduras crisis.

Fernandez, who said he already spoke with both men in the past, said he hoped the de facto regime would not stifle this new attempt at negotiations and allow Zelaya to travel to the Dominican Republic.

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Special U.S. envoy in Beijing after getting a pledge from North Korea to work with the United States on resolving differences over resuming nuclear disarmament talks… From VOA. Full story

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Anthony Lacavera is the chairman of Globalive, which got approval Friday to become Canada’s fourth major mobile phone company after Rogers, Bell and Telus. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

Upstart wireless company Globalive said it could launch its Wind cellphone network “as early as Monday” in Toronto and Calgary after the federal government approved its ownership structure Friday.

Globalive chairman Anthony Lacavera floated the possible Monday launch date in comments he made to CBC News after a press conference in Toronto on Friday announcing the network.

CEO Ken Campbell, who was also at the press conference, was more vague, saying Wind would be available in Toronto and Calgary “very soon.”

Globalive plans to have its wireless service available across the country, except in Quebec, in 2010, starting with major cities.

The company bought the right to establish a new wireless network after spending $442 million in a government auction of airwaves last year.

The federal government had set aside airwaves in the auction for new players in the hopes of encouraging more competition in the wireless market and lowering prices for consumers.

Campbell said consumers in the launch markets won’t have to wait until Christmas to get a Wind cellphone.

“The objective is to have quite a few Wind mobiles under Christmas trees,” he said.

The company already has national and international roaming agreements and will be offering smartphones, including a selection from brands such as HTC, Samsung and BlackBerry. But it won’t be offering Apple’s iPhone or any phones using Google Inc.’s Android software.

Three-month stock chart for BCE Inc. on the TSX.(CBC)

Three-month stock chart for Telus on the TSX.(CBC)

Three-month stock chart for Rogers on the TSX.(CBC)CRTC decision overruled

Industry Canada had approved Globalive’s ownership structure, but the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said in October that the company did not meet Canadian ownership and control requirements.

The regulator said the fact that the Toronto-based company has received most of its funding from Naguib Sawiris, the billionaire head of Egyptian telecommunications company Orascom, disqualified it from operating in Canada.

But on Friday, Industry Minister Tony Clement overturned the CRTC ruling, saying a government review found Globalive met Canadian ownership and control requirements under the Telecommunications Act.

“We take this decision very seriously. It is based on the application of these requirements to the facts in this case,” said Clement.

He said the decision would allow Globalive to set up shop “effective immediately” and would not require the company to make any changes to its ownership structure.

Industry Minister Tony Clement on Friday said Globalive will not have to make changes to its ownership structure, even though it is mostly funded by the head of an Egyptian telecommunications company.

Globalive had argued its ownership was Canadian and that it would liked to have secured financing from other sources, but the global credit crunch prevented it from doing so for much of the past year.

Canada’s existing cellphone companies, Bell, Rogers and Telus, had argued that Globalive was little more than a front for Orascom. The carriers were disappointed with Clement’s ruling.

“If Wind is Canadian, then so was King Tut,” said Michael Hennessy, head of regulatory affairs for Telus, on his Twitter page. “When you have no effective opposition party, you can make the rules you want.”

Shares of the three major Canadian wireless players all declined sharply on the Toronto Stock Exchange Friday morning.

Consumer advocates cheered the government’s decision as a big win for cellphone customers.

“More competition should elevate Canada’s market to that approaching what exists in the rest of the world,” said Michael Janigan, director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Clement said the ruling was a one-time decision specific to the company’s situation and would not have any bearing on foreign-ownership restrictions currently in place.

Videotron ideal suitor for Globalive: analystEd Hardy’s expertise led Great American Country to gains

North Korea said after a visit to Pyongyang by U.S. President Barack Obama’s special envoy that six-party talks on its nuclear program should restart.

Special envoy Stephen Bosworth’s visit to the secretive communist state saw the first direct talks between the U.S. and North Korea since President Obama took office.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry said Pyongyang would seek to work with Washington to clear up “remaining differences.”

“[North Korea] and the United States agreed to continue cooperation in order to narrow remaining differences,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by North Korean media.

“The two sides were able to deepen mutual understanding, narrow differences in views and find considerable common ground. A series of mutual understandings were also reached on the need to resume [six party talks]“.

Bosworth had earlier described the three-day talks as “useful” but said he did not know when talks would start again.

Six-party talks involving the two Koreas, China, the U.S., Russia and Japan broke down in April when North Korea walked out of the negotiating process over U.S. condemnation of its missile tests. The North recently hinted that it was willing to return to six-party talks, but insisted it first negotiate directly with the U.S. to repair “hostile relations.”

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AngryApe: Rihanna has a crush on Megan Fox, and would love to film a lesbian scene with the ‘Transformers’ actress.

The singer was asked if she would ever consider taking on movie work in the future, to which she replied: “Hopefully – we are working on that idea right now.”

As for what kind of storylines and roles the ‘Russian Roulette’ star would take on, Rihanna revealed: “I’d love to be an assassin. Either that or a lesbian.

“Maybe both! Hey, a gay assassin, there’s nothing hotter than that.” Ri joked. “Megan Fox would play my girlfriend – hands down. She’s yummy. She’s hot.

“All humans are born with the ability to be attracted to both sexes. I mean, I could see myself in a relationship with a girl.”

The BBC’s Tom Burridge dines out at the Swedish fast-food chain which is leading the way when it comes to environmental labels for food…. From BBC News. Full story

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The recession is over in Northern Ireland according to the chief economist working for one of NI’s ‘big four’ banks…. From BBC News. Full story

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Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Da Nang, Hanoi and Hai Phong should lead the country in education quality, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said December 5.

Delegates from five major cities attend a meeting in Hai Phong December 5 held by the Ministry of Education and Training on enhancing Vietnam’s education and training quality (Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper)

Mr. Nhan, who is also the Minister of Education and Training, was speaking at the first conference for the 2009-2010 school year, which was held by the ministry in Hai Phong with representatives from the five major cities.

In an effort to increase teaching standards, Education and Training Departments in the cities have carried out campaigns encouraging teachers to instill ethical values in their students through example.

Charitable projects have also been undertaken including raising money for disadvantaged students, planting trees and building toilets for schools.

The projects raised a total of around VND6.5 billion (US$351,000) and schools donated 17 tons of clothes, schoolbooks and study aids to underprivileged students. More than 66,000 trees were planted and over 10,000 toilets have been installed.

Hanoi alone invested over VND317 billion ($17 million) for classroom lightning systems, modern toilets, and building upgrades.

The municipalities should also lead in calling on the private sector to build education infrastructure and universalize schooling, Mr. Nhan said.

Experts say the number of teachers meeting or exceeding standards in the five cities has increased consistently. Schools report more educators striving to improve their knowledge, including learning foreign languages and computer skills, while developing their professional ability.

From 2010 to 2011, the cities will also run a pilot program teaching English to students beginning in grade 3.

During the conference, delegates signed an agreement which included the goals of innovating management, strengthening information exchange between localities, and enhancing the quality of teachers and staff to improve education and training.

In addition, they discussed measures to improve the administration of high school exams.

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