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Anti Static Shoes News : International Last Updated: May 12, 2008 - 10:40: AMMonday Newspaper Review - Irish Business News and International Stories - - May 12, 2008By Finfacts TeamMay 12, 2008 - 8:34: AM Email this article Printer friendly pageThe Irish Independent reports that Brian Cowen has set out his plan of action for a new reign of "patriotism" and "idealism" in a series of speeches in his home county.Although supposedly on a homecoming tour to Offaly towns like Tullamore, Clara, Birr and Ferbane, he used the opportunity to send a clear signal to the nation as a whole on his desire to change "consumers" into"citizens".He said yesterday he had been waiting "all his life" for the challenge of being Taoiseach and was "confident" that he could sort out the problems the nation was facing. He compared the situation to a GAA football match where a team had to play "against the wind" in the second half."You say, 'What'll we do now lads?' You go out and you go in harder, you hit harder, you get to the ball quicker, you keep the ball low and you stick it over the bar and you get 10 points in the second half, when you only got five points in the first half when you were asleep. That's what you do,"he said, to cheers from the crowd in Ferbane. In all of his four major speeches around Offaly over the weekend, he sent out a strong anti-racism message, promised to be tough on drug lords, and made a pledge of public integrity."I will not break your trust. I've never done it in 24 years and I'm not going to do it in the next five or six. I'll leave nothing on the field,"he said.Although he tailored his message for local crowds, Mr Cowen said he made no apologies for speaking about the need for "patriotism" and"idealism"."I want people to stand up and have a backbone and stand to attention when you hear your anthem, and look at that flag and recognise there were people who went out one day with very little chance of victory, who were prepared to put their lives on the line so this nation could be reawakened to what was possible if we took control of our own affairs,"he said.ReformHe also spoke about the importance of public sector reform so that the citizen was put at the heart of everything.He warned that people should not be taken in by "common good" arguments which were really about "entrenched" interests."Public services and the reform of public services is on our agenda, not because I don't believe in the public service -- I do -- but because I believe we need to bring new solutions to age-old problems," he said.Mr Cowen portrayed himself as a strong leader who believed the country's people could go "from strength to strength" despite the economic downturn."In the months and years ahead, whether decisions are tough or easy, I will take whatever steps are necessary, whatever temporary adjustments are required,"he said. In one of the strongest contributions to the immigration debate, he warned people not to not to listen to those who would spread prejudice or fear or intolerance in the country."The people represent 30pc of hotel and catering industry, one in eight in manufacturing industry, one in seven of the construction industry, all these people are coming to add to our capacity, to bring a new sense of Ireland and excitement," he said.CrimeHe raised the loudest cheers during his speeches when he consistently pushed home his anti-drug crime message."We need to take on criminals with the pernicious drug culture who are trying to destroy our youth,"he said.He also explained why new Minister for Children Barry Andrews had responsibility for Youth Affairs as well."I want him to show we can engage our young people away from an aimless life of drugs and alcohol abuse and make sure we take on our responsibilities as parents and show them a better way, a more wholesome way, a way forward so they will enjoy life as we enjoyed it,"Mr Cowen said.The Irish Independent also reports that activity in the construction sector last month experienced its steepest fall since 2000 when records began, according to Ulster Bank. The bank's Construction Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell from 36.6 in March to 34.3 last month. Any reading under 50 indicates that the sector is contracting.Pat McArdle, chief economist with Ulster Bank, said: "There is little cheer in the PMI surveys this month. Like the manufacturing and services surveys issued earlier this month, the construction PMI registered a new low in April, with all three sub-components well into negative territory."Construction output has now fallen each month since November 2006. Mr McArdle said: "April was no exception, with falling demand, deteriorating economic conditions and greater competition cited as the key factors.PessimisticThough it remains the case that the faster the contraction in output, the sooner the eventual turnaround, respondents were more pessimistic regarding the future, expecting that activity in a year's time will be slightly below current levels. This is consistent with our view that house completions next year will remain low as the overhang of supply is cleared."More than 47pc of firms survey said that new orders had fallen since March.The record fall in new orders which precipitated a record fall in the Construction PMI, has in turn led to a record fall in employment. The bank noted that employment in the sector is now falling at record levels. It said: "Against this background, the employment index hit a new low, indicating that job losses have continued into the second quarter."ShortageSentiment in the sector is, not surprisingly, poor. Firms were generally negative when asked about the prospects for the year ahead. Aside from the shortage of new work for tender they blamed the strength of the euro and the worsening economic conditions generally.Last week, CSO figures showed that production in construction fell by 15pc in the last three months of 2007, compared to the same period in 2006. Residential construction fell by 31.4pc and the volume of production in the civil engineering sector fell by 14pc.Nor can the sector take much solace from what is in the pipeline. Figures released last week showed just 1,600 new dwellings registered in April, a 45pc fall on the same month last year. For the first four months of this year, registrations are down 62pc on last year and 72pc lower than the peak year of 2006.The Irish Times reports that Taoiseach Brian Cowen will today urge the Fianna Fáil organisation to throw its weight behind the campaign to get the Lisbon Treaty referendum passed on June 12th.Mr Cowen is to call on every unit of the party "to mobilise" over the next four weeks behind the Yes vote, party officials said last night.Meanwhile, at a meeting tomorrow night of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, at which the treaty is the only item on the agenda, he is to warn TDs and Ministers that those who do not campaign fully will face consequences.Mr Cowen's decision to lay such a strong emphasis on a Fianna Fáil Yes campaign illustrates the dangers he recognises to his leadership of a defeat on such a major issue within five weeks of his elevation."Ministers and TDs will be under no doubt but that he wants them out: at every church, at every crossroads, or else face the consequences," said a Fianna Fáil figure.Mr Cowen will go further tomorrow night and make it clear that penalties will still follow for those found not to have played their part, even if the Yes campaign wins.The Government's battle to win the June 12th referendum was given a boost by the latest Sunday Business Post opinion poll. Published yesterday, it showed Yes support up three percentage points to 38; No support down three percentage points to 28 points; and don't knows static at 34 percentage points.Speaking at rallies in Offaly at the weekend, Mr Cowen repeatedly emphasised the importance of securing the referendum's passage."Say yes to openness, yes to the new Europe and yes to the end of totalitarianism, and don't listen to those who say we will be overwhelmed,"he said in Tullamore.Mr Cowen is also expected to highlight British prime minister Gordon Brown's declaration in Belfast last week that the treaty would not affect Ireland's ability to set its own corporation tax rates.Then, Mr Brown insisted that the British government would never have agreed to the reform treaty if it had contained such powers.Meanwhile, launching the Labour Party's Yes campaign, leader Eamon Gilmore said:"The major challenges that Ireland now faces are increasingly global in nature, and so too are the solutions. Our membership of the European Union allows us to work with our fellow member states, to collectively confront the great challenges of our age. The Lisbon Treaty is designed to ensure that we do so more effectively."However, he warned that the Yes campaign faced a major challenge to explain the treaty's contents."Even at this stage, only a month out from polling day, a lot of people aren't quite clear about the content. And there has been a fair degree of misinformation spread around."Questioned on the greater use of majority voting that would be allowed if the treaty was passed, he said: "I think it is common sense that if you increase the membership of any body from 15 to 27, you have to make some rules in the way it makes decisions. You can't have a situation where every individual state has a veto on everything."Labour Dublin MEP Proinsias de Rossa admitted there were elements of the treaty that were "not perfect" in the party's view. "The key thing about the treaty is that it is a compromise," he added.Four Fianna Fáil MEPs - Brian Crowley, Liam Aylward, Seán ó Neachtáin and Eoin Ryan - have called on farmers to back the treaty.A No vote would damage farmers' own interests and send out a message that Ireland was taking "a more detached and isolated approach", said MEP Brian Crowley.Mr Aylward said Ireland needed to maintain a tight alliance with France, which is leading work on a reform of the Common Agriculture Policy. Last Friday French agriculture minister Michel Barnier, speaking in Dublin, made it clear France would veto the current world trade talks offer.The Irish Times also reports that pharmacists have said that the exchequer could save up to €30 million if the Government changed legislation to allow them to dispense cheaper generic drugs and medicines.Under current regulations pharmacists are not allowed to substitute less expensive generic medicines in cases where doctors set out brand-name products on prescriptions.However, at the annual general meeting of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) in Co Meath yesterday pharmacists argued that this system was placing an unnecessary financial burden on patients.Pharmacists claimed that generic substitution was used in most other European countries to save money for both the State and private patients.Pharmacists at the conference also criticised aspects of an agreement between the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the pharmaceutical industry which sought to prohibit generic substitution by pharmacists.Pharmacist Rory O’Donnell from Gweedore, Co Donegal, said that up to €32 million could be saved annually by the State on the most commonly prescribed medicines by introducing generic substitution.“The IPU made numerous proposals to the HSE and the Department of Health and Children regarding generic substitution as part of a move to reduce the cost of medicines for the State and for private patients. However, these proposals were not acted upon. By amending the legislation, the Minister for Health and Children could pave the way for cheaper medicines for the consumer as well as containing the costs of the community drugs schemes for the State.“This cost-saving initiative is a more sensible way to proceed than what has been proposed to date by the HSE.“The HSE decision to slash payment to pharmacists on the community drugs schemes by almost 30 per cent will have a devastating impact on pharmacies across the country and lead to a reduced level of pharmacy service to the public,”said Mr O’Donnell.The IPU maintained that patients could save up to €17 per month if branded drugs for osteoporosis were replaced by generic products.The Irish Examiner reports that Irish employees in medium and large firms earned 57% more than workers from the EU accession states, according to the latest figures from the CSO.It also said Irish workers in small firms earned 36% more than employees from EU accession states.The latest CSO report on small businesses in Ireland found Irish workers earned an average €15.44 per hour in enterprises with 50 or fewer employees, compared with €11.34 per hour for workers from the EU accession states in 2006.However, workers from the UK and other EU-15 stories earned more than Irish employees, taking in €16.16 and €16.25 per hour respectively.Average hourly earnings were highest for Irish employees in medium and large enterprises with 50 or more employees at €19.96.Employees from the UK earned on average €19.41 per hour, which were the highest paid non-Irish employees.The lowest paid were those from the EU accession states, who earned, on average, €11.43 per hour, which was 57% of the average hourly rate earned by Irish employees.The figures also show that there has been an increase of 129% of non-Irish nationals at work in the state, from the second quarter of 2003 to the second quarter of 2007 to 316,300.Also in the construction sector medium and large enterprises had a total turnover of €11.7 billion in 2005.Turnover generated by medium and large construction enterprises has grown year-on-year, increasing by over 130% from 2000 to 2005, and 23% from 2006.Also, 99% of firms employing 20-49 people in the construction industry in Ireland were Irish-owned, however, in the industry sector almost 42% of larger firms were foreign-owned.The Financial Times reports that consumers of basic commodities face some of the highest ever costs to ship goods after a combination of port delays, strong demand and ship shortages last week sent bulk shipping rates back close to record levels.The increases – an almost 80 per cent jump in the past year – come after iron ore producers in Brazil won large price increases from steelmakers, encouraging them to make more ore available for shipment.Rates for larger ships such as the so-called Capesizes, used only to carry the iron ore and coal demanded by the steel industry, had gone up disproportionately, analysts pointed out.“This is steel,”said Martin Stopford, research director at London-based Clarkson shipbrokers. “It’s the big end of the market that’s really gone bang.”China’s imports of iron ore are running at an annualised rate of 455m tonnes, up from 394m tonnes last year. Conditions were exacerbated by demand to ship agricultural commodities.Demand for Brazilian soyabeans, for example, has exploded as traders turn to the country to offset lower exports from Argentina, where farmers have blocked sales as part of their strike against Buenos Aires’s hefty tariffs on crops foreign exports.The number of ships off Ponta da Madeira, Brazil’s largest iron ore and agriculture export terminals, has increased from four to 19 since the end of February.Shipping distances are also longer than before. Importing countries such as China have to buy commodities from further away, cutting the availability of vessels, analysts said.Average charter rates on London’s Baltic Exchange for a Capesize vessel last week reached a high of $188,195, just below the record $195,115 rate of November last year. The Baltic Dry Index of shipping costs – whose peak level last November was 11,039 – rose to 10,237 on Friday; up almost 80 per cent in the past year.The FT also reports that banks and companies raised $20bn on the world’s equity capital markets last week in a sign of growing confidence among investors that the worst of the financial crisis may be over.Equity capital markets only saw more activity the week after the rescue of investment bank Bear Stearns on March 16 – seen by many bankers and investors as the trigger for improving sentiment – according to data provider Dealogic.Some of the biggest deals came from emerging market companies in eastern Europe and Russia, which have withstood the financial shocks fairly well and are now seeking funds for expansion.Sentiment has also been boosted by large rights issues announced by leading banks seeking to repair their balance sheets. The world’s biggest banks have been hit by billions of dollars in asset writedowns in credit and subprime losses.Christoph Stanger, co-head of European equity capital markets at Goldman Sachs, said: “We have seen a significant pick-up in new issue activity as a degree of confidence has returned to the equity markets.“More importantly, banks around the world have raised vast amounts of money from sovereign wealth funds, private equity and shareholders to strengthen their balance sheets.”“While the IPO [Initial Public Offering] market remains fragile, companies with a good story to tell are now able to raise money in the equity markets when they might have struggled to a month or so ago. We don’t want to be too optimistic but it is certainly a lot better today than it was only a few months ago.”Richard Cormack, head of emerging markets equity capital markets at Goldman Sachs, said: “Activity from emerging market issuers continues to be a very significant contributor to new issue activity. We are confident that this trend will continue.”Jerome Booth, head of research at Ashmore Investment Management, added: “We have seen more activity and fund raising in the past few weeks. A lot of these companies have held off from initial public offerings because of the poor sentiment at the start of the year. Now there is more confidence, we are seeing more IPOs.”Craig Coben, managing director of European, Middle East and Africa equity capital markets at Merrill Lynch, said: “The IPO market is starting to open. Investors’ concerns about systemic risk has definitely receded and with that volatility has declined.”Among last week’s issues, New World Resources, which owns four Czech coal and mining companies, raised ￡2.5bn ($4.8bn) in an initial public offering. In addition, X5, the Russian retail group, raised $1.2bn in a secondary offering while International Power, a UK power generation company, pulled in €1bn ($1.5bn) through an issue of convertible bonds which are considered quasi-equity.The $20bn raised last week was nearly double the previous week and the highest since the week beginning December 10, with the exception of the week beginning March 17, which followed the US Federal Reserve’s intervention to rescue Bear Stearns.At the end of last month, HBOS, the UK’s biggest mortgage lender, announced plans for a ￡4bn rights issue, RBS launched a ￡12bn rights issue and UBS announced plans for a SFr15bn ($14.8bn) rights issue

Canadian Boots THE RECTOR of Sunyani Polytechnic (S-Poly), Professor Nsiah Gyabaah has criticized the Canadian Embassy in Ghana for allegedly trying to thwart the efforts of members of the Ghana-Canada in Partnership for Environmental Education.According to Prof. Gyabaah, the Canadian Embassy had refused to grant visas to two students of the polytechnic who were supposed to visit Vancouver Island University, formerly Malaspina University, for an exchange programme.In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, the Rector said the embassy refused the students visas based on their youthful ages, saying the embassy suspected that the students might not return to Ghana when granted the visas.Prof. Gyabaah indicated that the polytechnic was still having discussions with the embassy over the issue.He therefore appealed to the partners from Canada to intervene since the programme would be beneficial to both countries.The Ghana-Canada Environmental Education project dwells on five main areas of waste management, with reference to plastics, HIV/AID awareness creation, bushfire management and village water projects.The Malaspina University two years ago entered into partnership with S-Poly and the Faculty of Forestry Resource Technology (FFRT) of KNUST based in Sunyani.Under the project students of the two tertiary institutions would participate in exchange programmes both in Ghana and Canada.The project, being financed by the Canadian Development Agency (CIDA), is meant to benefit selected communities within the Sunyani Municipality such as Abesim, Fiapre and Sunyani Zongo.The managers of the project have presented waste management equipment such as Wellington boots and refuse containers to the three communities.

frozen mixed vegetables We are amending the Hawaiian fruits and vegetables regulations to allow mangosteen, dragon fruit, melon, pods of cowpea and its relatives, breadfruit, jackfruit, and fresh moringa pods to be moved interstate from Hawaii under certain conditions. This action will allow the movement of these tropical fruits from Hawaii to the continental United States while continuing to provide protection against the spread of plant pests from Hawaii to the continental United States. UPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hawaiian fruits and vegetables regulations, contained in 7 CFR 318.13 through 318.13-17 (referred to below as the regulations), govern, among other things, the interstate movement of fruits and vegetables from Hawaii to the continental United States. The regulations are necessary to prevent the spread of plant diseases and pests that occur in Hawaii but not in the continental United States. The regulations in SEC 318.13-4f identify specific fruits and vegetables that are allowed to be moved interstate from Hawaii if, among other things, they are treated with irradiation in accordance with our phytosanitary treatments regulations in 7 CFR part 305. n November 15, 2007, we published in the Federal Register (72 FR 64163-64170, Docket No. APHIS-2007-0050) a proposal /1/ to amend the regulations to allow mangosteen, dragon fruit, melon, pods of cowpea and its relatives, breadfruit, jackfruit, and fresh moringa pods to be moved interstate from Hawaii under certain conditions. We also proposed to amend SEC 305.31(a) to add irradiation doses for three plant pests: Coconut scale (Aspidiotus destructor), white peach scale (Pseudaulacaspis pentagona), and Copitarsia decolora (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). solicited comments concerning our proposal for 60 days ending January 14, 2008. We received nine comments by that date, from private citizens, members of Congress, Hawaiian fruit growers, a farm bureau organization, scientists, a consumer group, and a foreign agricultural agency. The commenters were generally supportive of the proposed rule, but some did raise issues about the proposal. Those issues are discussed below. commenter stated that the irradiation standards for Hawaiian produce are less flexible than those for international shipments. Specifically, the commenter drew attention to the provisions regarding the design of a facility's dosimetry system and procedures. The regulations in 7 CFR 305.31, which apply to imported produce, provide that the facility operator must address guidance and principles from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standards, or equivalent standards recognized by the Administrator. However, the regulations in 7 CFR 305.34, which apply to Hawaiian produce, specify the use of ASTM standards only, and do not allow for the use of equivalent standards. The commenter stated that this discrepancy gives greater flexibility to foreign imports and allows foreign produce to gain access to markets in the continental United States ahead of Hawaiian produce. e note that the standards for irradiation treatment for Hawaiian produce were established before those for imports. When the standards for imports were proposed, they were identical to those already established for Hawaiian produce. However, a comment we received on that proposal rightly pointed out that the ASTM standards for dosimetry describe basic principles, effective techniques, and best practices, but do not provide absolute or mandatory standards for dosimetry systems. The same comment pointed out that other organizations, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, also have prepared standards regarding dosimetry that could also be used. In response to that comment, we amended the text of SEC 305.31 to change the manner in which we characterized the ASTM standards and to allow for the use of equivalent standards recognized by the Administrator. While it would have been appropriate to have made the same changes regarding standards to SEC 305.34 in the final rule that established SEC 305.31, it did not occur to us to do so at that time. As a result of this more recent comment bringing the discrepancy between the two sections to our attention, we are amending SEC 305.34(b)(6)(iii) in this final rule so that it is consistent with the corresponding provisions in SEC 305.31. We are also amending the regulations in SEC 305.32, which provide for irradiation treatment of produce from areas quarantined for Mexican fruit fly, so that its provisions regarding dosimetry standards are consistent as well. commenter noted that the handling, marking, and shipping requirements for irradiated produce are more stringent than for any other treatment schedules. his may be the case; however, irradiation technology has some unique challenges that are not common with other treatments. Since irradiation treatment may render pests sterile rather than killing them outright, and therefore live pests may accompany shipments, there is no easy way to validate the irradiation treatment as may be done with other treatments. As a result, greater emphasis is placed on treatment monitoring, documentation, and system integrity when irradiation is used than when other treatments are used. This is to remove any chance for commodity commingling or reinfestation by pests. everal commenters requested that we implement a streamlined process for approving Hawaiian produce for movement to the continental United States similar to the one now used for approving imported fruits and vegetables. e agree that a streamlined approach would be appropriate for approving Hawaiian fruits and vegetables and intend to address the issue in a separate rulemaking currently under development. commenter requested clarification of why the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) was included on the list of pests associated with melon from Hawaii. The commenter noted that Medfly has not been reported in interceptions from Hawaii, and that scientific literature does not include references to field infestations of melon by Medfly. he Medfly was included in the pest risk assessment (PRA) for melon from Hawaii for several reasons. The Medfly is a serious agricultural pest and is established in Hawaii. Melon has been found to be a host of the Medfly under experimental conditions. Furthermore, the host fruit conditions determining the suitability or unsuitability of melon for Medfly are unknown. For these reasons melon as a host of Medfly in Hawaii remains in the PRA. We also note that some Bactrocera species fruit flies occurring in Hawaii attack melon. Because the mitigation of choice for Hawaii is irradiation treatment, which has a generic dose for all fruit flies occurring in Hawaii, Medfly as a pest on the pathway in the PRA is not an issue.commenter raised issues that involve matters that are not within the regulatory authority of APHIS. Specifically, the commenter expressed concern that irradiation will lead to nutrient destruction and make foods unsafe to eat. The commenter also stated that APHIS should not approve or promote irradiation treatments because irradiation facilities will pose serious risks to the communities where they are built. e are not making any changes in response to this comment. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has primary regulatory responsibility for ensuring that approved irradiation doses do not render foods unsafe to eat. FDA regulations (21 CFR 179.26) establish a limit of 1 kilogray for disinfestation of arthropod pests in fresh fruits and vegetables. All of the irradiation doses contained in this rule are significantly less than this approved safe dose limit. he safety of operations of irradiation facilities is regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). NRC ensures that such facilities are built and operated according to Federal regulations. To be licensed, the facility must have been designed with multiple fail-safe measures, and must establish extensive and well-documented safety procedures and worker training. With proper design and operating procedures, commercial irradiation facilities can be operated safely and without posing any significant radiation risk to workers or the public. herefore, for the reasons given in the proposed rule and in this document, we are adopting the proposed rule as a final rule, with the changes discussed in this document. Effective Date his is a substantive rule that relieves restrictions and, pursuant to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553, may be made effective less than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register . Immediate implementation of this rule is necessary to provide relief to those persons who are adversely affected by restrictions we no longer find warranted. Making this rule effective immediately will allow Hawaii growers and others in the marketing chain to benefit from access to new markets in the continental United States as soon as possible. Therefore, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this rule should be effective upon publication in the Federal Register .

Natural Sesame Seed Arthritis is a disease that causes pain and loss of movement of the joints. The word arthritis literally means joint inflammation (arth=joint, ritis=inflammation), and refers to more than 100 different diseases. One Highly Effective Arthritis Remedy: A good friend of the author’s successfully used the following regimen with 100% success to rid not only himself, but also friends and two other family members of various forms of arthritis: 1) Plant Minerals - minerals are the building blocks of the enzymes necessary for the utilization of all other vitamins, etc. (rock minerals are a waste of money since only 5-15% can be broken down by the body before being eliminated. Minerals already digested by plants are potentially 100% absorbable). 2) Colloidal Gold - gold has even been used by mainstream medicine to treat severe Arthritis. 3) MSM, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Collagen 4) Calcium with Ostivone 5) Colloidal Silver - some arthritis is believed to be viral related and colloidal silver is an extremely good anti-viral agent. Since arthritis comes in so many different forms and since no two people are alike, what works for one person or one kind of arthritis may not work for another. Following are other remedies, treatments and information which have reported to have been effective with at least some people and some forms of arthritis: Juices for arthritis: Black cherry juice is good for arthritis. Take two glasses of this juice twice a day (each glass contains four ounces of juice diluted with four ounces of water). You can discontinue this treatment once the pain clears up. People with rheumatoid arthritis should include in their daily diets juices high in the anti-inflammatory nutrients. These nutrients include beta-carotene (found in parsley, broccoli and spinach) and copper (found in carrots, apples and ginger). Rheumatoid arthritis improves with a glass or two a day of pineapple juice. Pineapple is a rich source of the enzyme bromelain, which has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Egyptian Rice The global food crisis, Security Council reform and the most recent developments in the Middle East have topped the agenda during talks in Cairo between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Mr. Kerim and Mr. Mubarak held talks yesterday, the first day of the Assembly President’s two-day visit to Egypt, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson. Today Mr. Kerim met with Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and also delivered a lecture last night to the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs. During their talks Mr. Mubarak informed Mr. Kerim he plans to attend the upcoming Rome summit on the food crisis that is being organized by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The prices of many everyday items, such as wheat, rice and corn, have soared in recent months, placing them out of reach of many consumers in developing countries. Mr. Kerim stressed the need for the task force recently formed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to work speedily to both assess the situation and propose solutions to the crisis. Aside from the food crisis, UN reform and the Middle East situation, Mr. Kerim and the Egyptian leaders also discussed the progress so far towards achieving the internationally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Assembly President now travels to Israel for scheduled talks with that country’s President Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and to attend the conference “Facing Tomorrow,” which is being held in Jerusalem. He is also expected to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow afternoon in Ramallah.

Farm Vehicle The Texas Department of Public Safety is still investigating a two-vehicle accident that caused injuries. Two vehicles collided at the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 88 and Mile 16 around 8:56 p.m. Monday. Trooper Johnny Hernandez, the department's public information officer, said he did not know the details of the crash, including how many people were injured and how extensive the injuries were because the trooper was still working on the report.