63% of citizens consider climate change as a very serious problem and 24% a fairly serious problem. Only 10% consider it is not a serious problem and 3% do not know. 47% of respondents consider climate change to be one of the two most serious problems facing the world today. Only poverty scores higher, being placed in the top two by 69%. Most Europeans (62%) believe it is not unstoppable.
A lot of consumers complain that the text on food packaging is too small and difficult to read. A minimum text size for this information is therefore being decided. This is one of a number of proposals from the European Commission that the Member States and the European Parliament are currently negotiating. ... In Sweden and many other Member States, it is already quite common to list the nutritional value of foodstuffs, even though this is voluntary. Under the proposal, it would become compulsory for most packaged food products to have a nutritional analysis. This should show how much energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates (especially sugar) and salt the product contains. The new requirement has strong support and discussions are currently focusing on which nutrients should be included in the list. The Member States and the European Parliament are also discussing suggestions for how the nutritional analysis can be presented in a simplified format. ... Allergies to different food products are very common. To protect consumers, rules state that it must be made clear if a product contains allergenic foodstuffs, including nuts, milk, egg or fish. Today the rules apply to packaged goods, but discussions are underway on extending this to unpackaged goods, for example those served in restaurants.
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In Sweden and many other Member States, it is already quite common to list the nutritional value of foodstuffs, even though this is voluntary. Under the proposal, it would become compulsory for most packaged food products to have a nutritional analysis. This should show how much energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates (especially sugar) and salt the product contains. The new requirement has strong support and discussions are currently focusing on which nutrients should be included in the list. The Member States and the European Parliament are also discussing suggestions for how the nutritional analysis can be presented in a simplified format.
Allergies to different food products are very common. To protect consumers, rules state that it must be made clear if a product contains allergenic foodstuffs, including nuts, milk, egg or fish. Today the rules apply to packaged goods, but discussions are underway on extending this to unpackaged goods, for example those served in restaurants.
A sixth person has tested positive for a Tamiflu-resistant strain of swine flu, public health officials say. The news came shortly before two more swine flu-related deaths in Wales were reported, taking the total to 23. The sixth patient is linked to five people who last week became the world's first confirmed cases of person-to-person transmission of such a strain.
The news came shortly before two more swine flu-related deaths in Wales were reported, taking the total to 23.
The sixth patient is linked to five people who last week became the world's first confirmed cases of person-to-person transmission of such a strain.
In what will be seen as a concession to media baron Rupert Murdoch, Google has made it easier for news sites--such as those Murdoch controls--to opt-out of Google News. Where they used to have to fill out an online form to opt-out of Google's news aggregation site, publishers will soon have a means to opt-out or set other options automatically, using a small file placed on their sites. Murdoch has previously threatened to take News Corp. content, including the Times of London, and the Australian, off Google when at some point in the future they become paid sites. His Wall Street Journal and Barron's are already largely subscription-based.
Where they used to have to fill out an online form to opt-out of Google's news aggregation site, publishers will soon have a means to opt-out or set other options automatically, using a small file placed on their sites.
Murdoch has previously threatened to take News Corp. content, including the Times of London, and the Australian, off Google when at some point in the future they become paid sites. His Wall Street Journal and Barron's are already largely subscription-based.
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Hat tip The Big Picture "Ce qui vient au monde pour ne rien troubler ne mérite ni égards ni patience." René Char
you are the media you consume.
A memo sent to London mayor Boris Johnson, released today, shows he was advised by a senior official in his team that he could hold up the appointment process for a top London arts job until after the general election.The note from Greater London authority deputy chief executive, Jeff Jacobs, appears to bolster the case of critics who have accused Johnson of deliberate delays to install the former editor of the Evening Standard, Veronica Wadley, into the role.Johnson has refused to be drawn on whether he is waiting until after the election, which the Conservatives are favourites to win.
A memo sent to London mayor Boris Johnson, released today, shows he was advised by a senior official in his team that he could hold up the appointment process for a top London arts job until after the general election.
The note from Greater London authority deputy chief executive, Jeff Jacobs, appears to bolster the case of critics who have accused Johnson of deliberate delays to install the former editor of the Evening Standard, Veronica Wadley, into the role.
Johnson has refused to be drawn on whether he is waiting until after the election, which the Conservatives are favourites to win.
The state's senate voted against the legislation by 38 votes to 24. Several Democrats opposed the measure. The bill legalising same-sex marriage had earlier passed easily in the heavily Democratic state assembly. Gay rights activists had hoped New York would join Connecticut, Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire and Vermont in legalising gay unions.
The bill legalising same-sex marriage had earlier passed easily in the heavily Democratic state assembly.
Gay rights activists had hoped New York would join Connecticut, Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire and Vermont in legalising gay unions.
Judge Marta Gomez Alsina, in the capital Buenos Aires, ordered Tuesday's planned wedding of Alejandro Freyre and Jose Maria Di Bello suspended. The court website said she had ordered the wedding blocked until the issue could be resolved by the Supreme Court. The couple were granted permission to marry after successfully appealing against an earlier ruling.
The court website said she had ordered the wedding blocked until the issue could be resolved by the Supreme Court.
The couple were granted permission to marry after successfully appealing against an earlier ruling.
Don't try this at home -- or in jail. An inmate at the Merced County Main Jail had a homemade knife surgically removed from his body cavity last month, according to Merced county Sheriff's officials. He now faces concealed weapons charges. The inmate, 19-year-old Rance Johnson, approached corrections officials Nov. 18, complaining about an item stuck inside his rectum, causing pain, according to Deputy Tom MacKenzie. Even worse, Johnson told deputies the improvised weapon -- known in jailhouse slang as a "shank" -- had been inside his body for three weeks. He was taken to an emergency room in Modesto, and the 5-inch-long plastic shank was surgically removed, MacKenzie said. "The taxpayer money does cover actual stupidity; hence this guy did have to have this surgically removed," said Sheriff Mark Pazin. "It's unfortunate, but it's a mandated surgery." MacKenzie said Johnson told investigators he had no idea what the item was, that he'd found it in an interview room and tried smuggling the weapon by inserting it into his rectum. The item was wrapped inside tissue paper and placed in a sandwich bag before it was inserted, MacKenzie said.
An inmate at the Merced County Main Jail had a homemade knife surgically removed from his body cavity last month, according to Merced county Sheriff's officials. He now faces concealed weapons charges.
The inmate, 19-year-old Rance Johnson, approached corrections officials Nov. 18, complaining about an item stuck inside his rectum, causing pain, according to Deputy Tom MacKenzie. Even worse, Johnson told deputies the improvised weapon -- known in jailhouse slang as a "shank" -- had been inside his body for three weeks.
He was taken to an emergency room in Modesto, and the 5-inch-long plastic shank was surgically removed, MacKenzie said. "The taxpayer money does cover actual stupidity; hence this guy did have to have this surgically removed," said Sheriff Mark Pazin. "It's unfortunate, but it's a mandated surgery."
MacKenzie said Johnson told investigators he had no idea what the item was, that he'd found it in an interview room and tried smuggling the weapon by inserting it into his rectum. The item was wrapped inside tissue paper and placed in a sandwich bag before it was inserted, MacKenzie said.
Lord Mandelson declared war on the Murdoch empire today when he accused News Corporation of maintaining an "iron grip" on pay television and warned that the company wants to import rightwing Fox News-style journalism to Britain.In his strongest attacks on News Corp since the Sun abandoned its support for Labour hours after Gordon Brown's party conference speech, the business secretary accused the company of imperilling the traditions of British broadcasting.Mandelson's intervention came as Rupert Murdoch faces a growing fight with the Australian government over a controversial tax avoidance scheme put in place when News Corp moved its headquarters to the US. Sydney tax commissioners claim that an elaborate series of legal manoeuvres, dubbed "flip and spin" by News Corp, wrongly deprived authorities in Australia, Britain and the US of billions of dollars in capital gains tax.
Lord Mandelson declared war on the Murdoch empire today when he accused News Corporation of maintaining an "iron grip" on pay television and warned that the company wants to import rightwing Fox News-style journalism to Britain.
In his strongest attacks on News Corp since the Sun abandoned its support for Labour hours after Gordon Brown's party conference speech, the business secretary accused the company of imperilling the traditions of British broadcasting.
Mandelson's intervention came as Rupert Murdoch faces a growing fight with the Australian government over a controversial tax avoidance scheme put in place when News Corp moved its headquarters to the US. Sydney tax commissioners claim that an elaborate series of legal manoeuvres, dubbed "flip and spin" by News Corp, wrongly deprived authorities in Australia, Britain and the US of billions of dollars in capital gains tax.
