Hong Kong's comeback faltered yesterday as investors chose to lock in profits from Wednesday's bounce rather than bet on further recovery.
The Hang Seng index fell 1.4 per cent to 28,751.21 in light trade after surging more than 1,300 points in the previous session.
Falling stocks outnumbered gainers by five to one. Mengniu Dairy , China's biggest milk producer, took the most eye-catching tumble after Merrill Lynch warned that soaring raw milk costs would damage profits.
The milk processor, which elbowed out Nestlé to become supplier to China's KFC and Starbucks outlets, lost 9.7 per cent to HK$27.30 after Merrill downgraded the stock from "buy" to "sell".
Banks, though, were the biggest drag on the index. Bank of Communications and the Bank of East Asia both lost 3.7 per to close at HK$12.68 and HK$48.45 respectively.
News emerged yesterday that Uni-President , Taiwan's largest food conglomerate, plans to list its China-based business arm in Hong Kong in a move seen as an overture to a buying spree in China. One person close to the situation said the initial public offering was planned for next month.
There are already 57 Taiwanese-owned China-based companies listed in Hong Kong, and 30 more are interested in a Hong Kong IPO, according to the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
The damp mood was not confined to Hong Kong, as stocks fizzled across Asia after Wednesday's strong showing.
Japanese shares resumed their slide, with the Nikkei 225 Average falling 0.7 per cent to 15,396.3. The broader Topix closed at 1,498.86, up 0.1 per cent.
Bank stocks rose in the morning in spite of news that three institutions had been hit harder than expected by subprimerelated losses.
Mizuho Financial Group , one of the affected banks, fell 0.7 per cent to Y546,000 after gaining earlier in the day. Aozora Bank slid 1.5 per cent to Y338, but the last of the group, Shinsei Bank , rose 4.7 per cent to Y356.
TDK dropped 6.1 per cent to Y7,350 after UBS put a "sell" recommendation on the electronic components maker and lowered its price target from Y9,500 to Y7,000.
Tokyo stock exchange data showed that foreign investors, the principal driver of the Japanese market in recent years, were net sellers last week, dumping a net Y282bn of shares.
Strategists say some of the sell-off is being driven by the need to cash in liquid stocks to close positions outside Japan, while nervousness about the rising yen and patchy economic data is growing. Goldman Sachs slashed its economic forecast for the country after disappointing gross domestic product data.
In China, the Shanghai Composite also sagged, closing down 0.9 per cent at 5,365.27. Analysts said the market was bracing itself for an impending rise in interest rates, perhaps as soon as today, in an attempt to cool the country's ferocious economic growth.
Minsheng Banking dropped 1.9 per cent to Rm16.48. Vanke , the biggest listed property developer, fell 1.4 per cent to Rm35.49.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 closed down 1.1 per cent at 6,528.6 after a volatile day.
Miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto slid as investors awaited the next move in the former's attempt to take over its rival.
The groups' shares fell 2.5 per cent and 2.1 per cent to A$41.15 and A$134.9 respectively. BHP was also hit by an earthquake in Chile that cut power to its copper mines.
Indian shares faltered too, with the BSE Sensex index closing down 0.7 per cent at 19,784.89.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d1ee57b8-93e5-11dc-acd0-0000779fd2ac.html
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Pennsylvania bans rBGH-free labels on dairy products: Newstarget.com
Beginning January 1, 2008, the state of Pennsylvania will ban labels on dairy products which claim to be rBGH, pesticide and antibiotic free. This means consumers will no longer be allowed to distinguish between dairy products containing hormones, antibiotics or recombinant bovine growth hormone, and dairy products which do not.
The states of New Jersey and Ohio are also considering bans on labeling which would prevent consumers from making informed choices between clean versus tainted dairy products. Organic dairy farmers pledge to avoid the use of rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone, or somatotropin) in their cows. Commercial dairy farmers use rBGH to increase milk production.
The state change in labeling guidelines, which blindsided many in the organic dairy industry, is part of a broader effort by the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department to crack down on labels that highlight what is not in a product, such as "antibiotic-free" and "pesticide-free."
The conclusion of this article appears on NewsTarget.com, the independent natural health news source for consumers. This article, along with other related articles and uncensored news on important consumer health topics, can be found at:
Pennsylvania Bans rBGH-Free Labels On Dairy Products http://www.newstarget.com/022379.html
About NewsTarget
Read by over 500,000 unique readers monthly, NewsTarget is a progressive, independent natural health news site that teaches consumers how to improve their health through foods, herbs, exercise and natural therapies. The site also warns consumers about the dangers of processed foods, pharmaceuticals, chemotherapy, environmental toxins and the failure of government regulators like the FDA.
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=30495&cat=10
The states of New Jersey and Ohio are also considering bans on labeling which would prevent consumers from making informed choices between clean versus tainted dairy products. Organic dairy farmers pledge to avoid the use of rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone, or somatotropin) in their cows. Commercial dairy farmers use rBGH to increase milk production.
The state change in labeling guidelines, which blindsided many in the organic dairy industry, is part of a broader effort by the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department to crack down on labels that highlight what is not in a product, such as "antibiotic-free" and "pesticide-free."
The conclusion of this article appears on NewsTarget.com, the independent natural health news source for consumers. This article, along with other related articles and uncensored news on important consumer health topics, can be found at:
Pennsylvania Bans rBGH-Free Labels On Dairy Products http://www.newstarget.com/022379.html
About NewsTarget
Read by over 500,000 unique readers monthly, NewsTarget is a progressive, independent natural health news site that teaches consumers how to improve their health through foods, herbs, exercise and natural therapies. The site also warns consumers about the dangers of processed foods, pharmaceuticals, chemotherapy, environmental toxins and the failure of government regulators like the FDA.
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=30495&cat=10
BUSINESS CALENDAR
-- Minnesota Real Estate Pre-Licensure Training, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Jan. 11-13, 18-20, 25-27, Minnesota State University Moorhead. Three Minnesota state real estate pre-licensure training sessions in January. Each three-day session is approved for 30 hours of real estate pre-licensure education by the Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce. $280 for each three-day session. North Dakota students can receive reciprocity. For more information or to register, call MSUM's continuing studies office at (218) 477-5051 or e-mail: paulsonk@mnstate.edu">paulsonk@mnstate.edu.
-- Northern Plains Inventors Conference, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 15, Alerus Center, Ballroom 5, Grand Forks. The conference encourages innovation and economic development in Northern Plains states by connecting and exchanging ideas between inventors, entrepreneurs and professionals. Workshops include how to fund the invention process, how to use the media to promote your invention, the patent process, prototype and engineering issues and determining how marketable an invention might be. Event is free. Info and registration: (701)281-8822 or e-mail michael@neustel.com">michael@neustel.com.
-- North Dakota Grocers Association Annual Convention & Trade Show, Jan. 18-20, Ramada Plaza Suites, Fargo. Convention includes awards presentations, exhibits, general membership meeting, entertainment and dining. Registration $85 in advance and $90 at the door. For information call (701) 223-4106.
-- International Business Training Program, 10-month program, first session on Jan. 22, North Dakota State University, Memorial Union, Rose Room, Fargo. Program put on by North Dakota State University and the North Dakota Trade Office includes 10 monthly sessions. Topics include balanced scorecard system, international research, export certification and finance, global project execution, cross-cultural negotiation, team building, international networking, building a productive overseas distribution channel, conflict management and international distribution and contract development. $500 for entire 10-month program or $100 per monthly session. Training is free for North Dakota Trade Office members and graduate students. Registration in advance is requested. Info and registration: call (701) 231-7015 or visit: www.ndsu.edu/dce/html/IBMTP.pdf.
-- Midwest Ag Energy Summit, Feb. 5-6, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, Madison, Wis. Midwest leaders outline needed infrastructure, technology, incentives and policy options for renewable energy development. Registration is $100 before Jan. 11. For more information or to register, visit www.midwestagenergy.net.
-- North Dakota Chamber of Commerce Business Conference, March 4, Fargo. Former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow will be keynote speaker. Other featured topics include community service, teamwork, loyalty and how to attract, retain, and motivate young professionals. Info and registration: (701) 222-0929, www.ndchamber.com/events/default.asp.
-- Organic Dairy 101: A Workshop for Dairy Support Professionals,” March 27, McIntosh, Minn. Daylong professional development workshop from Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota and Minnesota Dairy Initiative regional teams. Topics include organic certification, legal and practical requirements, livestock health and nutrition, economics and performance. $35 per person with discounts available for early registration. Info and registration: (320) 226-6318, www.mda.state.mn.us/food/organic.
-- -- --
Submissions will be printed as room is available. We reserve the right to edit any and all submissions. For information, call (701) 780-1262.
To submit items for the Monday Business section:
-- By mail: Monday Business Section, Box 6008, Grand Forks ND 58206-6008. All submissions must be typed. Photos will be returned if a stamped, self-addressed envelope is enclosed. Label photos with your name, company and address.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=60785§ion=Business
-- Northern Plains Inventors Conference, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 15, Alerus Center, Ballroom 5, Grand Forks. The conference encourages innovation and economic development in Northern Plains states by connecting and exchanging ideas between inventors, entrepreneurs and professionals. Workshops include how to fund the invention process, how to use the media to promote your invention, the patent process, prototype and engineering issues and determining how marketable an invention might be. Event is free. Info and registration: (701)281-8822 or e-mail michael@neustel.com">michael@neustel.com.
-- North Dakota Grocers Association Annual Convention & Trade Show, Jan. 18-20, Ramada Plaza Suites, Fargo. Convention includes awards presentations, exhibits, general membership meeting, entertainment and dining. Registration $85 in advance and $90 at the door. For information call (701) 223-4106.
-- International Business Training Program, 10-month program, first session on Jan. 22, North Dakota State University, Memorial Union, Rose Room, Fargo. Program put on by North Dakota State University and the North Dakota Trade Office includes 10 monthly sessions. Topics include balanced scorecard system, international research, export certification and finance, global project execution, cross-cultural negotiation, team building, international networking, building a productive overseas distribution channel, conflict management and international distribution and contract development. $500 for entire 10-month program or $100 per monthly session. Training is free for North Dakota Trade Office members and graduate students. Registration in advance is requested. Info and registration: call (701) 231-7015 or visit: www.ndsu.edu/dce/html/IBMTP.pdf.
-- Midwest Ag Energy Summit, Feb. 5-6, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, Madison, Wis. Midwest leaders outline needed infrastructure, technology, incentives and policy options for renewable energy development. Registration is $100 before Jan. 11. For more information or to register, visit www.midwestagenergy.net.
-- North Dakota Chamber of Commerce Business Conference, March 4, Fargo. Former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow will be keynote speaker. Other featured topics include community service, teamwork, loyalty and how to attract, retain, and motivate young professionals. Info and registration: (701) 222-0929, www.ndchamber.com/events/default.asp.
-- Organic Dairy 101: A Workshop for Dairy Support Professionals,” March 27, McIntosh, Minn. Daylong professional development workshop from Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota and Minnesota Dairy Initiative regional teams. Topics include organic certification, legal and practical requirements, livestock health and nutrition, economics and performance. $35 per person with discounts available for early registration. Info and registration: (320) 226-6318, www.mda.state.mn.us/food/organic.
-- -- --
Submissions will be printed as room is available. We reserve the right to edit any and all submissions. For information, call (701) 780-1262.
To submit items for the Monday Business section:
-- By mail: Monday Business Section, Box 6008, Grand Forks ND 58206-6008. All submissions must be typed. Photos will be returned if a stamped, self-addressed envelope is enclosed. Label photos with your name, company and address.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=60785§ion=Business
A Clear Connection?
Matthew, a 33-year-old from Jamaica Plain, has battled acne since adolescence. In high school and college, he became obsessed with how lighting could accentuate the marks on his skin. "Fluorescent lighting was the worst and could make me feel depressed all day," he says, "not to mention wildly self-conscious, to the point of hanging my head in an attempt to shade my acne from friends and family."
By high school, Matthew, who asked that his last name not be used, became convinced that certain foods could trigger breakouts. Anything with concentrated sugar or caffeine, from chocolate to orange juice to coffee, could intensify the occurrence of those scarlet bumps, he believed. But whenever he questioned a dermatologist, he got the same rather patronizing answer: There's nothing linking food and acne, but if something bothers you, don't eat it.
"I felt like I had such a clear experience. I felt like, how can this [response] just be so casual?" says Matthew. "I can't be the only one."
Matthew is not the only one. Dermatologists say that many patients ask about a connection between diet and pimples. These sufferers have, for the past 40 years, received the same information: Science shows no link between the two. Doctors learned this in medical school, where they were taught that the diet-acne connection is a myth. But what if the patients are right and the dermatologists wrong? Can a small band of defiant dermatologists - including one in Newton and another in New Hampshire - actually help prove that myth is fact?
DR. VALORI TRELOAR became a dermatologist in 1990, and since then, a large number of patients have come to her suffering from years of mild to severe acne. Treloar, whose practice is based in Newton, had a limited number of treatment options for these patients: cleansing techniques, topical retinoids such as Retin-A, topical or oral antibiotics, and the powerful drug Accutane. But the drugs, particularly Accutane, have a variety of side effects, and for some of her patients the standard acne treatments did not work or worked for only a few months.
After nearly a decade of practice, Treloar became frustrated and began to investigate alternatives. She stumbled across functional medicine, which holds that many diseases are affected by diet, nutrients, exercise, and trauma. She took courses and began to read everything she could about nutrition and physiology. Eventually she sat for the American College of Nutrition exam to become a certified nutrition specialist. "It gave me a whole new toolbox to use with people with chronic diseases for which conventional dermatology is not working," she says.
Treloar began poring over international scientific journals, even reaching outside dermatology journals for information that could help her patients. For instance, studies about heart health demonstrate that omega-3 fatty acids, like those in fish oil, reduce inflammation, and she explains that inflammation is a clear actor in the appearance of acne. Then Alan Logan - a Westchester, New York-based naturopathic physician, meaning a practitioner who encourages the body's ability to heal by considering lifestyle, diet, and stressors - invited Treloar to coauthor a book. In September, the two published The Clear Skin Diet. Filled with references to hundreds of scientific studies, the book explains, in biological detail, how everything from sugar, white flour, and dairy to stress and sleep affect hormones and chemicals in our body that could lead to acne.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2007/12/16/a_clear_connection/
By high school, Matthew, who asked that his last name not be used, became convinced that certain foods could trigger breakouts. Anything with concentrated sugar or caffeine, from chocolate to orange juice to coffee, could intensify the occurrence of those scarlet bumps, he believed. But whenever he questioned a dermatologist, he got the same rather patronizing answer: There's nothing linking food and acne, but if something bothers you, don't eat it.
"I felt like I had such a clear experience. I felt like, how can this [response] just be so casual?" says Matthew. "I can't be the only one."
Matthew is not the only one. Dermatologists say that many patients ask about a connection between diet and pimples. These sufferers have, for the past 40 years, received the same information: Science shows no link between the two. Doctors learned this in medical school, where they were taught that the diet-acne connection is a myth. But what if the patients are right and the dermatologists wrong? Can a small band of defiant dermatologists - including one in Newton and another in New Hampshire - actually help prove that myth is fact?
DR. VALORI TRELOAR became a dermatologist in 1990, and since then, a large number of patients have come to her suffering from years of mild to severe acne. Treloar, whose practice is based in Newton, had a limited number of treatment options for these patients: cleansing techniques, topical retinoids such as Retin-A, topical or oral antibiotics, and the powerful drug Accutane. But the drugs, particularly Accutane, have a variety of side effects, and for some of her patients the standard acne treatments did not work or worked for only a few months.
After nearly a decade of practice, Treloar became frustrated and began to investigate alternatives. She stumbled across functional medicine, which holds that many diseases are affected by diet, nutrients, exercise, and trauma. She took courses and began to read everything she could about nutrition and physiology. Eventually she sat for the American College of Nutrition exam to become a certified nutrition specialist. "It gave me a whole new toolbox to use with people with chronic diseases for which conventional dermatology is not working," she says.
Treloar began poring over international scientific journals, even reaching outside dermatology journals for information that could help her patients. For instance, studies about heart health demonstrate that omega-3 fatty acids, like those in fish oil, reduce inflammation, and she explains that inflammation is a clear actor in the appearance of acne. Then Alan Logan - a Westchester, New York-based naturopathic physician, meaning a practitioner who encourages the body's ability to heal by considering lifestyle, diet, and stressors - invited Treloar to coauthor a book. In September, the two published The Clear Skin Diet. Filled with references to hundreds of scientific studies, the book explains, in biological detail, how everything from sugar, white flour, and dairy to stress and sleep affect hormones and chemicals in our body that could lead to acne.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2007/12/16/a_clear_connection/
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