Canadians losing confidence in economy: survey


Global financial uncertainty and slowing job creation made Canadians feel less optimistic about the economy last month, according to a Royal Bank of Canada survey.

Less than a third - 32 percent - of Canadians felt positive about the outlook for the economy over the next year, down from 43 percent in January 2011, and from the 56 percent who were positive two years ago, the poll showed.

The RBC Canadian Consumer Outlook Index released on Thursday revealed only 36 percent of respondents expected their own personal financial situation to improve in the next 12 months, compared with 38 percent in 2011 and 45 percent in 2010.

The online survey was taken January 9 to 16. The Canadian economy added just 2,300 net new jobs in January and the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent as global financial uncertainty, including the euro zone debt crisis, weighed on growth.

RBC Chief Economist Craig Wright said in a statement the bank was cautious about the Canadian outlook for 2012 given slowing jobs growth and concerns about the U.S. and European economies.

Another challenge for the Canadian economy has been a spike in household borrowing, triggered by the ultra-low interest rates that followed the recession. Last year, the ratio of debt to disposable income climbed to a record 153 percent and is approaching levels seen in the United States before the financial crisis.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadians-losi ... 30350.html



Canadians paring down debt but not racking up savings, Royal Bank study suggests



TORONTO - The Royal Bank says Canadians are managing to pay down their debts but most haven't got any savings set aside for a rainy day.

The RBC Canadian Consumer Outlook Index, released Thursday, found personal debt down to $11,729 in the first quarter from $13,020 in the previous quarter, but also that 57 per cent of respondents did not have an emergency savings fund.

About 46 per cent of respondents also said they feel they are "standing still" when it comes to their personal finances compared with last year.

As the economy weakens and unemployment rises, Canadians are increasingly worried about their economic future and paying down personal debts. However, mortgage debt remains high in most parts of the country as house prices continue to rise.

"We're encouraged to see that Canadians are trying to find ways to manage their finances, which is particularly crucial given the current economic environment," Dave McKay, group head of Canadian Banking said in a statement.

"Reducing debt is a very good goal, but having money set aside for something unforeseen is also important. Sitting down with a financial planner to ensure you balance day-to-day-costs with growing your savings and planning for the unexpected should be part of your complete financial plan."


http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canadi ... 37789.html

Experts warn of influenza A outbreak in Norway


09:23, February 09, 2012 OSLO, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Health experts warned on Wednesday that Norway is facing an outbreak of influenza A, which is caused by a new strain of virus known as H3N2.

More and more people were visiting doctors in recent days, with complains of having flu-like symptoms, said researchers with Norway's Public Health Institute.

Among all patients who saw their doctors last week, 1.4 percent was diagnosed with flu, with the cases of the influenza A occupying a dominating position, which indicates the threshold of outbreak is reached, according to Norwegian health experts.

The Southern and Western coastal areas of Norway are most affected while reported cases of the infection remain low in other parts of the country.

Since mid-December in 2011, the cases of laboratory confirmed influenza increased markedly, with virus being detected throughout Norway.

The Public Health Institute said that it expects a continued increase in the coming weeks.

"It is urgent now to let themselves be vaccinated against seasonal flu," the institute said, offering advice to people belonging to risk groups.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90777/7724142.html?


New strain of swine flu detected

The Heath Ministry has quoted sources from the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute confirming that a new kind of porcine flu virus, A/H3N1, has appeared, apparently a combination of the pig-related A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 flu viruses.

The medical sector has monitored 10 patients infected with the A/H3N2 virus with porcine origin, and found that three of them had not had direct contact with any diseased pigs.

Therefore, the sector has not ruled out the possibility of a mutation in the A/H3N2 strain which could lead to transmission between humans, instead of strictly from pigs to humans as previously.

However, the situation has not reached an alarming level because the virus has not changed much; it has low toxicity and has shown no sign of drug resistance.

Flu vaccines are able to cope with small changes in this kind of virus, said Le Hoang San, Vice Director of the HCMC Pasteur Institute.


http://english.vov.vn/Home/New-strain-o ... 134722.vov


Not sure if they are quoting from the ones in the US earlier last year or if they have a new outbreak themselves




Pigeons die after bird flu culling

Shillong, Feb 9 (PTI) Eighteen days after culling of bird-flu affected poultry ended in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills, residents of a locality and government officials were in a tizzy after more than 100 pigeons died in the past one week here.

State veterinary officials rushed to the spot today to pick up the dead birds for sampling and to aware the residents of the possible bird-flu virus afflicting the birds. "We have rushed veterinary doctors to Keatinge Road locality to initiate remedial measures and to take samples of the dead birds for testing," State Veterinary Director L Lyngwa told PTI.

He said, "We are sending the samples to Assam-based Regional Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (RRDL) for a detailed testing tomorrow before we can take decision on what to do next. The officials have directed the families rearing those pigeons not to touch the dead birds with bare hands and to dispose them off properly.

However, the same problem was also reported in the areas last year in which bird have died in the same manner. More than 6000 domesticated birds were culled in Williamnagar town last month to contain the spread of the H1n1 virus which broke the in the government-run farm. PTI

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-n ... 65184.html?

credits to Punkincat

Greek Doctors Battle Hospital Superbug

Greek doctors are fighting a new invisible foe every day at their hospitals: a pneumonia-causing superbug that most existing antibiotics can’t kill.

The culprit is spreading through health centers already weighed down by a shortage of nurses. The hospital-acquired germ killed as many as half of people with blood cancers infected at Laiko General Hospital, a 500-bed facility in central Athens.

The drug-resistant K. pneumoniae bacteria have a genetic mutation that allows them to evade such powerful drugs as AstraZeneca Plc’s Merrem and Johnson & Johnson’s Doribax. A 2010 survey found 49 percent of K. pneumoniae samples in Greece aren’t killed by the antibiotics of last resort, known as carbapenems, according to the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network. Many doctors have even tried colistin, a 50-year-old drug so potent that it can damage kidneys.

“We’re not used to seeing people die of an untreatable infection,” said John Rex, vice president for clinical infection at London-based AstraZeneca, which is developing a new generation of antibiotics. “That’s like something in a novel of 200 years ago.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-0 ... erbug.html

House passes insider trading bill


The House passed a bill banning Congress and executive branch officials from insider trading, but brushed aside a provision aimed at reining in those who pry financial information from Congress and sell it to investment firms.

Thursday's 417-2 vote likely sends the legislation to a House-Senate conference, where supporters of the tougher regulation will try to restore the proposal that was included in the version passed by the Senate. Voting against the bill were Reps. John Campbell, R-Calif. and Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02 ... z1lxrtnKDu

Shyness, grieving soon to be classified as mental illness










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Millions of healthy people - including shy or defiant children, grieving relatives and people with fetishes - may be wrongly labeled mentally ill by a new international diagnostic manual, specialists said on Thursday.


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"Many people who are shy, bereaved, eccentric, or have unconventional romantic lives will suddenly find themselves labeled as mentally ill," he said. "It's not humane, it's not scientific, and it won't help decide what help a person needs."

Radical, reckless and inhumane

Simon Wessely of the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London said a look back at history should make health experts ask themselves: "Do we need all these labels?"


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/02/0 ... z1lxsNruP6

No more Prepping for me

he was on National G about prepping and now they have taken his guns away...please watch


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUv9pjxq ... ploademail

Tassimo brewers, packages recalled amid burn concerns

These are those single brew coffee makers

A massive recall of Tassimo single-cup home-brewed coffee makers has been ordered in Canada and the United States after reports a malfunction can burn users.


About 900,000 of the machines are being recalled in Canada and another 835,000 in the U.S.


The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada said there were 140 reports of the brewers injuring people, including 37 cases involving second-degree burns.


Health Canada said 61 of those cases occurred in Canada and 79 in the U.S.

One incident resulted in a 10-year-old Minnesota girl being hospitalized with second-degree burns to her neck and face.

A two-year-old Canadian girl also suffered second-degree burns to her face.



Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20 ... z1ly18vmm7

link to recall

http://www.tassimosafetyrecall.com/

The drum beat of an unwanted war


Israel's foreign minister is in Washington. There's a lot to talk about.

Politicians and diplomats can be surprisingly coy about asking direct questions, even in private. So, "are you going to plunge us into a war in an election year?" may remain unspoken.

The drumbeat of war has grown louder in the past few days.

The Washington Post reported that US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta believes Israel could attack Iran as early as this spring.

Mr Panetta did not deny the story.

This was reinforced by a fascinating and incredibly detailed article by the Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman.

"After speaking with many senior Israeli leaders and chiefs of the military and the intelligence, I have come to believe that Israel will indeed strike Iran in 2012," Mr Bergman concludes.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16937613

Greeks strike against austerity, EU demands more cuts


Greek workers went on strike against austerity measures on Friday, docking ships and halting public transport, hours after euro zone finance ministers said Athens needed to make more cuts to convince them to release a financial bailout.

The euro and shares fell on Friday, reflecting concern over a possible failure in the debt restructuring after the European Union and International Monetary Fund indicated that a hard-won Greek deal on spending cuts and wage cuts did not go far enough.

The EU and IMF are exasperated by a series of broken promises by Athens and weeks of disagreement over the terms of a 130 billion euro ($172 billion) bailout, with time running out to avoid a default.

Before they release more aid, Greece's financial backers have demanded parliamentary ratification of the new austerity package this weekend, the identification of a further 325 million euros of spending reductions by next Wednesday and a strong commitment from all parties to implement the reforms.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/greece-deal-fa ... 57119.html