 |
| Julian Assange |
The Swedish prosecutor that investigated the sexual assault allegations issued a European arrest warrant for Assange in 2010, is a “judicial authority” under European Union law, Britain’s top court ruled today. Assange’s lawyers argued only a judge could issue such a warrant.
“The words ‘judicial authority’ bear the meaning that includes a public prosecutor,” the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-2 decision.
The claims by two women that Assange sexually assaulted them became public around the same time he posted classified U.S. military and diplomatic cables on the WikiLeaks website, creating controversy for U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration. The 40-year-old Australian claimed the arrest warrant was fabricated by Sweden to assist the U.S. in punishing him for the breach.
Assange’s lawyer Dinah Rose told the court she may seek to challenge the decision and the extradition will be stayed for 14 days. He could also apply to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, which would have two weeks to respond, according to the U.K. Crown Prosecution Service, which represents Sweden in the case.
2010 Arrest
Assange, arrested in London in December 2010, is accused of failing to use a condom with one of the women and having sex with the other while she was asleep. The women, both supporters of WikiLeaks, let Assange stay at their homes during a speaking tour in Sweden in 2010. The U.K. Court of Appeal ruled in November that he should return to Sweden to face the claims. He hasn’t been charged with a crime.
The British appeal doesn’t involve the substance of the rape claims and focuses on Europe’s practice of honoring arrest warrants issued from any EU member country.
Rose told the Supreme Court at a hearing in February that a clarification of the law is needed because some of the EU’s 27 members allow prosecutors to issue such warrants and some require judges.
Rose also argued that Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny’s actions -- probing the claims and then issuing a warrant herself -- breached the European rule “that nobody may be a judge in their own cause.”
Assange, arrested in London in December 2010, is accused of failing to use a condom with one of the women and having sex with the other while she was asleep. The women, both supporters of WikiLeaks, let Assange stay at their homes during a speaking tour in Sweden in 2010. The U.K. Court of Appeal ruled in November that he should return to Sweden to face the claims. He hasn’t been charged with a crime.
The British appeal doesn’t involve the substance of the rape claims and focuses on Europe’s practice of honoring arrest warrants issued from any EU member country.
Rose told the Supreme Court at a hearing in February that a clarification of the law is needed because some of the EU’s 27 members allow prosecutors to issue such warrants and some require judges.
Rose also argued that Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny’s actions -- probing the claims and then issuing a warrant herself -- breached the European rule “that nobody may be a judge in their own cause.”
Radical provisions of the new Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (PCSOA) are both empowering and threatening to teenagers accustomed to mixing freely with others. The cause for concern goes beyond PCSOA criminalizing teenage sex by increasing the age of consent from 16 to 18. Teenagers would do well to know how this 'child-friendly' law could affect their lives, for better or for worse, and how different it is from the corresponding IPC provisions dealing with adults.
Read The Text here
Rape is gender neutral for juveniles
Under IPC enacted in 1860, "A man is said to commit rape." But under PCSOA, "A person is said to commit penetrative sexual assault." This means that when it comes to adults, only women can be raped. PCSOA for the first time recognizes the possibility of a boy being raped by a girl or a woman
Definition of "penetration" has been expanded
In IPC's conception of rape, penetration is a necessary condition and it has been traditionally limited to penile vaginal intercourse. In the corresponding provision of PCSOA, the penile penetration need not be only of the vagina; it can be of the mouth, urethra or anus of the child. It also covers situations where the offender "inserts, to any extent, any object or a part of the body, not being the penis, into the vagina, urethra or anus of the child" . Equally unprecedented is the stipulation that oral sex with anybody below 18 would be treated as rape
Penalty for molestation of a child enhanced
Under IPC, any man who outrages the modesty of a woman is liable to be punished with a maximum imprisonment of two years. As a result of the public outrage over the Ruchika Girhotra case, PCSOA stipulates that any adult who molests a child shall be awarded sentences ranging from three to five years
No close-in-age reprieve for statutory rape
While increasing the age of consent from 16 to 18, PCSOA failed to provide the safeguard adopted in liberal societies of taking a lenient view of consensual sex with a minor if the age gap between the partners is within three years. The absence of such a safeguard can have draconian implications for hormonally driven teenagers
Burden of proof on the accused, not the victim
Doing away with the presumption of innocence, PCSOA states that for sexual offences committed against children, the burden of proof shall be on the accused rather than the victim. This opens up scope for abuse: for, even if the accused is a minor, the defence case will always have to be presented first during the trial
False complaint by a child not punishable
If an adult makes false allegations against somebody of committing a child sexual offence, such a person would be punished under PCSOA with imprisonment up to six months. But PCSOA exempts a child from such a liability. "Where a false complaint has been made or false information has been provided by a child, no punishment shall be imposed on such child." This means that if one teenager makes a false allegation against another, the former is statutorily protected from any liability.
Rape is gender neutral for juveniles
Under IPC enacted in 1860, "A man is said to commit rape." But under PCSOA, "A person is said to commit penetrative sexual assault." This means that when it comes to adults, only women can be raped. PCSOA for the first time recognizes the possibility of a boy being raped by a girl or a woman
Definition of "penetration" has been expanded
In IPC's conception of rape, penetration is a necessary condition and it has been traditionally limited to penile vaginal intercourse. In the corresponding provision of PCSOA, the penile penetration need not be only of the vagina; it can be of the mouth, urethra or anus of the child. It also covers situations where the offender "inserts, to any extent, any object or a part of the body, not being the penis, into the vagina, urethra or anus of the child" . Equally unprecedented is the stipulation that oral sex with anybody below 18 would be treated as rape
Penalty for molestation of a child enhanced
Under IPC, any man who outrages the modesty of a woman is liable to be punished with a maximum imprisonment of two years. As a result of the public outrage over the Ruchika Girhotra case, PCSOA stipulates that any adult who molests a child shall be awarded sentences ranging from three to five years
No close-in-age reprieve for statutory rape
While increasing the age of consent from 16 to 18, PCSOA failed to provide the safeguard adopted in liberal societies of taking a lenient view of consensual sex with a minor if the age gap between the partners is within three years. The absence of such a safeguard can have draconian implications for hormonally driven teenagers
Burden of proof on the accused, not the victim
Doing away with the presumption of innocence, PCSOA states that for sexual offences committed against children, the burden of proof shall be on the accused rather than the victim. This opens up scope for abuse: for, even if the accused is a minor, the defence case will always have to be presented first during the trial
False complaint by a child not punishable
If an adult makes false allegations against somebody of committing a child sexual offence, such a person would be punished under PCSOA with imprisonment up to six months. But PCSOA exempts a child from such a liability. "Where a false complaint has been made or false information has been provided by a child, no punishment shall be imposed on such child." This means that if one teenager makes a false allegation against another, the former is statutorily protected from any liability.
Ray Dalio, is a legend amongst money managers, running not only the largest hedge fund in the world (Bridgewater Associates with $120BN under management) but also one of the most successful funds in the business. Their flagship fund has returned 22.75% per annum over the last three years. Ray gives only occasional interviews, and his annual feature with the financial magazine Barron's is a must read for investors and people who are interested in the macro themes for the global economy and financial markets. To summarise:
-There are three methods of debt deleveraging for an economy : 1) Austerity which implies less spending and is therefore deflationary and constricts growth, 2) Restructuring of debt by paying less which is also deflationary as it has a negative effect on wealth and causes credit to decline ,and, 3) Printing money through quantitative easing which puts money into the system and is inflationary and stimulates the economy.
-The US has been able to achieve a "beautiful" deleveraging by pursuing all three options in a balanced manner and has therefore avoided high deflation or a depression and managed slow (but positive) growth. The Fed will do more quantitative easing if the economy slows down again.
-Fiscal stimulus is also important as the government has to spend more to offset declining sales and tax revenues and fund unemployment and other social benefits. This causes wealth redistribution as the wealthy need to be taxed more thereby causing social tension.
-The key is to keep nominal interest rates below the nominal growth rate of the economy, without printing too much money so as to cause inflation. This can be achieved by simultaneously having some austerity and debt restructurings.
-Europe is a unique case in history, as there is no decision-making process which typically produces an agreement for a country about using monetary and fiscal stimulus to reflate an economy. The LTRO operation of the ECB saved a debt collapse in Europe by financing banks to buy government debt (and refinance their debt) as investors have less money to buy the debt. The ECB needs to continue with this programme but there is resistance from some individual central banks due to the repayment risk on this debt.
-The current European situation is analogous to the US in 1789. After the colonies declared independence in 1776, they all had debt problems and no central taxation, and it was only in 1789 when a constitution (and a country) was formed that a treasury and central taxation was feasible. This allowed revenues to be produced for the country and the issuance and restructuring of debt.
-Europe is fast reaching a decision point where it will have to decide whether it wants to create a sufficient central government having the ability to collect taxes and issue debt that obligates the whole. The key question is how much pain will this cause Europe and does the pain cause a collapse before it forces the right choices to be made.
-Europe will be in a depressed state and if its banks delever in an orderly way, supported by refinancing by the ECB, the impact on the global economy can be manageable. Banks in countries like the US, China and Brazil can replace the European banks in terms of lending sources.
-However, there is a 30% risk that in the next six-month to two-year period there is a bad shock from Europe as there is no clarity on whose has got authority and control and no clear means to achieving a resolution. There are no provisions in the Maastricht Treaty for the break-up of the monetary union and exits of countries, compounded by a lack of enforceability on country debt and no resort to local currencies to devalue and repay the debt.
-Currently the global economy is slowing down and the big question is whether we get a big European shock that will favour low-risk assets. But to the extent we get negative conditions we will get central banks printing money which will cause a rally in stock markets around the world.
-So we are likely to get bull and bear markets going forward with no big trend, with the upswing lasting twice as long as the downswing. Currently we are in the higher stages of the up-cycle.
-Neutral on bonds, and over the next few years long-term bonds are likely to be a poor investment as the yield will be low relative to inflation and growth and therefore provide an inadequate return.
-The US economy will be slowing into the year-end and 2013 will be difficult year with the negative impact of the fiscal-cliff and higher taxes. The key here will be how well is the policy managed, particularly in the year after a US election which makes it more difficult.
-China and emerging markets are doing much better, as they were previously in a bubble since their debts were growing too fast relative to incomes, but growth rates have slowed significantly and are likely to remain at a moderate pace going forward.
-Neutral on commodities, with the slowing in demand. Positive on gold over the longer-term and investors should have about 10% of their assets in gold, because of the good long-term growth prospects as well as being a diversifier against the other 90%. Gold is like an alternative currency and with the massive money printing going on in the developed world, it is important to have some gold.
-Deleveragings go on for about 15 years, as an adjustment to a debt bubble which is typically a 30-40 year process typically culminating in a last two year surge like we had from 2005-2007 and 1927-1929 in the US, and 1988-1990 in Japan.
Fascinating thoughts, and his point about the requirement for quantitative easing to make deleveragings manageable is critical to the outlook for the global economy. In the US, the Fed has made it amply clear that they will act if the economic and financial conditions deteriorate enough. The ECB has been more ambivalent on this approach, but their LTRO programme was a game changer and it is likely that they will continue this policy going forward due to the serious structural issues facing Europe (as outlined above). Therefore, while the current market weakness is likely to continue into the summer , subsequent concerted actions by central banks will produce a market rally into the year-end. For long term investors, adding to long positions on market downturns and perhaps trimming positions on market surges makes sense. Buying the European stock market on further weakness later in the summer making further ECB action very likely, could be an attractive play. China, India and other emerging markets continue to present attractive buying opportunities.
Some charts which illustrate themes more clearly than words:
-With the forthcoming US elections, the state of the economy and unemployment levels are traditionally important factors in determining the outcome. In addition, the stock market is a key real-time indicator of the election outcome as the graph below clearly illustrates. The pressure on the Fed to act will increase as the economy slows and the market weakens.
-Investor "Risk-Love" sentiment in the US (from Deutsche Bank) has decidedly turned negative, which typically precedes a market downturn and subsequent policy action. We are getting closer to that point.
-
-The change in the China credit multiplier (from Deutsche Bank) is a great leading indicator for industrial growth, and is now predicting a surge in growth.
-
-The above combined with extremely attractive stock market valuations on a historical basis (see chart below from Morgan Stanley) , make the market an attractive value buy.
 |
| Rave Party |
The Acid connection
Rave parties, apart from the electronica-trance music and unbriddled dancing, are typically associated with Acid House parties where the revellers consume a semi-synthetic psychedelic drug called Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly referred to as Acid. Rave revellers are typically known to have a halucinatory and delusory trip. But in India, the use of LSD is pretty limited and instead people cocaine, speed (Ecstasy) or cheaper derivatives which usually do not provide their users a 'rave on' trip as Jeff Beck or Eric Clapton of The Yardbirds, a popular British band of the 60s, would have defined the rave experience.
But in India, parties where men and women drink, consume marijuana or hashish, pop tranquilisers and dance to any kind of music is often referred to by the authorities and the press as 'rave' parties.
Origin of raves
The exact origin of raves is disputed. Some say the wild Bohemian parties in the late 1950s London used the term "rave" loosely to describe the events of Soho. According to a public document on the website of the US Justice Department, raves evolved from 1980s dance parties, aided by the emergence of European techno music and American house music.
Raves were exclusive parties organised by European clubs in the 1980s – secretive, after-hours and private – to ensure minimum interference from law officers. Attendance was restricted to invitees only. The venue of rave parties was a closely guarded secret that only the invitees and friends of invitees were told at the night of the party to keep out unwanted visitors. The document states that the secrecy surrounding the party gave the rave culture an "underground" status.
Mass marketing of raves
By the mid-1980s, rave parties overseas had developed such a following among youths that by 1987 London raves had outgrown most dance clubs. It then became common to hold all-night raves - which drew thousands of people - in large, open fields on the outskirts of the city. As the movement continued to grow in the late 1980s, the first rave parties emerged in US cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.
A new rave culture emerges as teenagers took over the traditional young adult ravers. The events became highly promoted and heavily commercialised and as a result less cloak-and-dagger. Many rave promoters were career criminals who profited from organising events tailored for teens. According to the document, capitalising on the growing popularity of raves, specialized industries were developed to market clothes, toys, drugs, and music.
Today's raves are characterised by high entrance fees, extensive drug use, exorbitantly priced bottled water, very dark and often dangerously overcrowded dance floors, and "chill rooms," where teenage ravers go to cool down and often engage in open sexual activity. Many club owners and promoters appear to promote the use of drugs - especially MDMA. They provide bottled water and sports drinks to manage hyperthermia and dehydration; pacifiers to prevent involuntary teeth clenching; and menthol nasal inhalers, chemical lights, and neon glow sticks to enhance the effects of MDMA.
Electric Daisy Carnival
The Electric Daisy Carnival is one of the world's largest electronic music festivals, with a weekend of outdoor music and dancing in Las Vegas with 26 carnival rides, kaleidoscope sculptures, pyrotechnic displays, a pulsating soundtrack and a reputation for heavy drug use that it hoped to live down.
The increasing notoriety of raves has caused the rave culture to spread from major metropolitan areas to more rural or conservative locations. The genres of electronic dance music played at raves include house, trance, psytrance, techno, house, jungle and jungle techno.
The parties have also spread to Asian countries such as India and Malaysia. In India, St Mary's Island, Udupi, on the Malpe coast often play host to hundreds of foreigners and tourists who had come from Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and other parts of India to participate in a three-day Rave Party called 'Spring Zouk' - the Island Festival. Over 600 couples participated in the festival.
Flashy lights, crowded beaches, loud rock music, round the clock acid house party packed with high levels of energy marked the festival.
Sale of liquor in the Island, nude and half nude appearances by the party animals, smoking of banned substances like ganja in a party were introduced for the first time in the Udupi region. Over 300 tents are installed every year at the Island for the tourists. The Udupi District Administration in association with 3W Concepts had organised the event as a tourism promotion tool. Locak folk forms like Dollu Kunita, Kangeelu, Yakshagana, Suggi Kunitha by the Halakki tribes are also staged before the tourists.
The 28-year-old’s fortune fell to $14.7 billion today from $16.2 billion on May 25, as shares of the world’s largest social-networking company dropped 9.6 percent to $28.84. That extended the stock’s losses to 24 percent from the worst- performing large initial public offering in the past decade.
“It seems to be a clear reflection that there was just too much stock issued, that the valuation was aggressive and that a lot of people who lined up to buy it really had no intention of holding it,” Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of BMO Harris Private Bank in Chicago, said today in a telephone interview. The bank oversees about $60 billion of assets.
Facebook shares closed at $38.23 on May 18, the first day they began trading, giving Zuckerberg a net worth of $19.4 billion. The Menlo Park, California-based company ended the day with a price-earnings ratio of 83.1, making it more expensive than 99 percent of Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (SPX) stocks. The company went public as the equity index was heading for its biggest monthly decline since September.
Facebook options trading began today, with volume for puts exceeding calls by 1.2 to 1, data compiled by Bloomberg show. More than 200,000 puts were traded, giving the holder the right to sell the shares at a specified price. June $30 puts were the most active contracts, with volume at 23,835. They were followed by June $34 calls and June $32 calls, which carry the right to buy the shares.
Zuckerberg is now $800 million behind Luis Carlos Sarmiento, who ranks 40th with a fortune of $15.5 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world’s wealthiest people.
US markets had an excellent session and closed near day's high. All dow components were closed positive. European woes are residing as investors feel tired of hanging policies. Valuations look attractive as buying at lower levels may be a strategy for now. Asian markets were shown a significant weakness due to rising spain debt yield to unsustainable alarming levels. All asian markets were in red, while hong kong markets and taiwan down over 2 percents.Nifty Trading Tips & Outlook Today
Nifty will see a mild correction today after two days of rally, use this dip to accumulate Nifty at lower levels. Trend will be positive in near term. Buy on dips around 4930-4940 ( spot ) levels. Don't short Nifty at current levels.
Check out our previous recommendations here
What the world needed, they agreed, was a metric to reliably rate someone's looks.
Seven and a half years after launch, they sold HotorNot for a reported $20 million, and now the site--at least as it was--no longer exists. But here's how it looked back in 2001, and an interview with Hong which proves that the right pivot can score you a date.
Opera Software shares soared over 20 per cent on Tuesday on talk Facebook was in discussion to buy the firm, while analysts said competition from Google and others could push the price tag of any deal over $1 billion.
Shares of Oslo-listed Opera, coveted for its advanced mobile phone software technology, jumped as much as 26 percent, valuing the firm at over $800 million.
Opera's mobile technology, along with 170 million Opera Mini users, give the firm extensive commercial relationships with mobile phone manufacturers and operators.
Facebook has struggled to convert its rapidly increasing traffic from mobile platforms to revenue, and purchasing Opera would be a faster solution than building its own platform or browser, analysts added.
"Opera would be sensible for Facebook on several levels as it would enhance the now limited mobile experience of Facebook, improve Facebook's mobile monetization problem, help Facebook retain online game developers leaving the social network over a lacking mobile platform and further improve Facebook's ability to target ads," Arctic Securities said.
It would be such a perfect fit for Facebook, analysts said it would have to pay a hefty premium.
DNB, Norway's top bank, said the price would have to be double Friday's closing level, or 68.6 crowns, valuing the firm at $1.35 billion, while Danske Bank predicted a price between 50 and 60 crowns a share, or between $1 billion and $1.2 billion.
At 1021 GMT, the stock traded up 16.9 percent at 40.1 crowns a share, valuing the firm at around $800 million.
Opera officials have repeatedly declined to comment.
Obstacles
Still, several obstacles remain.
Opera founder and top shareholder Jon S Von Tetzchner said the firm should focus on organic growth.
"I want Opera to focus on growth and delivering good results; there are big opportunities for Opera," Tetzchner, who holds 10.9 percent of Opera told Reuters. "We have been promised 500 million users by 2013 and I think that's a good goal and the firm should keep going for it."
"I personally think that an ARPU (average revenue per user) goal of $1 is even modest," he said. "I am not pushing for a takeover."
Tetzchner said he was not aware of a bid and had not decided how he would react to one but added it would be "undemocratic" for him to try to block it if others supported it.
Another obstacle could be Google, which has extensive relationships with Opera.
"A takeover by Facebook will likely send cold water down Google's spine," Arctic Securities said.
Google is Opera's default search partner for Opera Mini and Opera Mobile worldwide outside Russia/CIS, making the firm a key relationship for Google.
If the firm continued to grow organically, it would be able to maintain several parallel relationships with firms like Facebook and Google so if one of them wanted full control, the premium would have to be hefty, analysts added.
• Merck KGaA (MKGAF.PK) to Disclose More Job Cuts More...
• Leukemia Drug Leads to New Jobs at Nova Laboratories More...
• Dongcheng Biochemicals Stages $110 Million IPO in Shenzhen More...
• Eli Lilly and Company (LLY), Teralys Capital Invest in $150 Million Fund More...
• Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMLN) Said to Draw First-Round Bids From Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), Sanofi (France) (SAN.PA) More...
• AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) Could Consider Shrinking Rather than Expanding: Analyst More...
• Can Regenerative Medicine Firm Tengion Inc. Conjure a Medtronic, Inc. (MDT) Partnership? More...
• Bioheart, Inc. and Ageless Regenerative Partner to Advance Stem Cell Field With New Laboratory Training Program on June 23-24, 2012 More...
• Raptor Pharmaceutical Inc. (RPTP) Licenses Intellectual Property Related to Malaria From McGill University More...
• Ensemble Therapeutics Corporation and Genentech (RHHBY) Initiate Collaboration to Discover Macrocyclic Drug Candidates More...
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) Announces Global Collaboration with Leading Academic Institutions to Advance Science of Immuno-Oncology More...
• Heart Failure Society of America Announces New CEO More...
• CMC Contrast AB Appoints Patrick Greatrex as Chief Executive Officer More...
• DARA BioSciences, Inc. Announces New Organizational Responsibilities in Preparation for the Launch of New Products and to Strengthen Product Development Capabilities More...
• Biostem U.S. Corporation (BOSM) Appoints Philip A. Lowry, MD as Chairman of Its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors More...
• AusBiotech Ltd. Announces New Board Appointment More...
• Isconova - Interim Report January-March 2012 More...
• Pivotal Therapeutics Inc. Reports 1st Quarter 2012 Results More...
• Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (WPI) Announces Lidoderm® Patent Challenge Settlement More...
• Mylan Inc. (MYL) Announces Settlement Agreement in Patent Infringement Litigation Relating to Sunovion's Brovana® Product More...
• High Court Rules for AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) Over Deaths from Iressa More...
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) Plunges on Bungled CF Data More...
• Tranzyme Pharma (TZYM)/Norgine GI Drug Fails Second Late-stage Trial More...
• High Hopes for Sanofi (France) (SAN.PA)/Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN) Cholesterol Drug More...
• Lundbeck Inc. (LUN.CO) Says Alzheimer's Drug Effective in Trial More...
• Andromeda Announces FDA Orphan Drug Designation for DiaPep277 for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes With Residual Beta Cell Function More...
• Ranbaxy Laboratories (RANBAXY.BO) Gets FDA OK for Acne Treatment Absorica More...
• Eisai Inc. (ESALF.PK) Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for Fycompa More...
• Genzyme Corporation (GENZ) and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ISIS) Announce Filing of U.S. NDA for KYNAMRO™ (mipomersen sodium) in Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia More...
• BioAlliance Pharma: Receivability of Sitavig® US Registration Dossier (NDA) for the Treatment of Recurrent Orofacial Herpes Validated by the FDA More...
• Janssen Therapeutics Release: FDA Issues Complete Response Letter for 800mg PREZISTA® (darunavir) Tablet More...
• Aspirin May Prevent Skin Cancer, Aarhus University Hospital Study More...
• Less Couch Time Equals Fewer Cookies, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Study More...
• Night Shift Might Boost Women's Breast Cancer Risk, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Reveals More...
• People Born With Certain "Personality Genes" May Live Longer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Study More...
• Travel to High Altitudes Tied to Crohn's, Colitis Flare-Ups, Trieml HospitalStudy
More...
• Amarin Corporation PLC (AMRN) Announces U.S. Patent Issuance for AMR101 More...
• Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ORMP.OB) Granted Core Technology Patent in New Zealand More...
• European Medicines Evaluation Agency Clears Roche (RHHBY) Cancer Drug MabThera More...
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (TEVA) Decides Not to Launch Generic Lipitor More...
• Leukemia Drug Leads to New Jobs at Nova Laboratories More...
• Dongcheng Biochemicals Stages $110 Million IPO in Shenzhen More...
• Eli Lilly and Company (LLY), Teralys Capital Invest in $150 Million Fund More...
• Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMLN) Said to Draw First-Round Bids From Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), Sanofi (France) (SAN.PA) More...
• AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) Could Consider Shrinking Rather than Expanding: Analyst More...
• Can Regenerative Medicine Firm Tengion Inc. Conjure a Medtronic, Inc. (MDT) Partnership? More...
• Bioheart, Inc. and Ageless Regenerative Partner to Advance Stem Cell Field With New Laboratory Training Program on June 23-24, 2012 More...
• Raptor Pharmaceutical Inc. (RPTP) Licenses Intellectual Property Related to Malaria From McGill University More...
• Ensemble Therapeutics Corporation and Genentech (RHHBY) Initiate Collaboration to Discover Macrocyclic Drug Candidates More...
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) Announces Global Collaboration with Leading Academic Institutions to Advance Science of Immuno-Oncology More...
• Heart Failure Society of America Announces New CEO More...
• CMC Contrast AB Appoints Patrick Greatrex as Chief Executive Officer More...
• DARA BioSciences, Inc. Announces New Organizational Responsibilities in Preparation for the Launch of New Products and to Strengthen Product Development Capabilities More...
• Biostem U.S. Corporation (BOSM) Appoints Philip A. Lowry, MD as Chairman of Its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors More...
• AusBiotech Ltd. Announces New Board Appointment More...
• Isconova - Interim Report January-March 2012 More...
• Pivotal Therapeutics Inc. Reports 1st Quarter 2012 Results More...
• Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (WPI) Announces Lidoderm® Patent Challenge Settlement More...
• Mylan Inc. (MYL) Announces Settlement Agreement in Patent Infringement Litigation Relating to Sunovion's Brovana® Product More...
• High Court Rules for AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) Over Deaths from Iressa More...
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) Plunges on Bungled CF Data More...
• Tranzyme Pharma (TZYM)/Norgine GI Drug Fails Second Late-stage Trial More...
• High Hopes for Sanofi (France) (SAN.PA)/Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN) Cholesterol Drug More...
• Lundbeck Inc. (LUN.CO) Says Alzheimer's Drug Effective in Trial More...
• Andromeda Announces FDA Orphan Drug Designation for DiaPep277 for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes With Residual Beta Cell Function More...
• Ranbaxy Laboratories (RANBAXY.BO) Gets FDA OK for Acne Treatment Absorica More...
• Eisai Inc. (ESALF.PK) Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for Fycompa More...
• Genzyme Corporation (GENZ) and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ISIS) Announce Filing of U.S. NDA for KYNAMRO™ (mipomersen sodium) in Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia More...
• BioAlliance Pharma: Receivability of Sitavig® US Registration Dossier (NDA) for the Treatment of Recurrent Orofacial Herpes Validated by the FDA More...
• Janssen Therapeutics Release: FDA Issues Complete Response Letter for 800mg PREZISTA® (darunavir) Tablet More...
• Aspirin May Prevent Skin Cancer, Aarhus University Hospital Study More...
• Less Couch Time Equals Fewer Cookies, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Study More...
• Night Shift Might Boost Women's Breast Cancer Risk, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Reveals More...
• People Born With Certain "Personality Genes" May Live Longer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Study More...
• Travel to High Altitudes Tied to Crohn's, Colitis Flare-Ups, Trieml HospitalStudy
More...
• Amarin Corporation PLC (AMRN) Announces U.S. Patent Issuance for AMR101 More...
• Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ORMP.OB) Granted Core Technology Patent in New Zealand More...
• European Medicines Evaluation Agency Clears Roche (RHHBY) Cancer Drug MabThera More...
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (TEVA) Decides Not to Launch Generic Lipitor More...
Several online sources, including 9to5Mac and MacRumors today posted photos of what's said to be the chassis of the upcoming iPhone. 9to5Mac notes its source is a reputable one, being the same people who revealed that a white iPad was en route.
The images show a device that is, as rumored, taller and thinner than existing iPhones, and includes a redesigned, smaller iPod dock connector. The headphone socket has also moved to the bottom of the phone and it's said the extra space in the "chin" of the phone is to improve the iPhone's speakers. The format does agree with many long-standing rumors, from the alumninum back to a thinner format, and also is compatible with the notion Apple may go for a bigger screen that could be in 16:9 HDTV shape.
Questions have arisen about the parts' authenticity, but a number of clues point to genuine Apple provenance. These include the high-detail milling of the device's back surface--a feature that reminds us of the first iPad, and which would need a high-spec manufacturing process that is now an Apple trademark.
Separately, Bloomberg recently revealed that Steve Jobs was intimately involved with the design of the upcoming device right up until his death.
Grooveshark Reveals Free User Data Analytics Targeting Artists And Advertisers
Grooveshark has opened up a trove of user data to the world for free, via an in-depth analytics service called Beluga. The data Grooveshark has collected is anonymized and comes from surveys that users have responded to in exchange for points on the music network. User information spans a whole gamut, from the cell phones they use, to their annual income, to the kinds of nail paint they prefer. The data also includes age and sex demographics information, and of course, the time, frequency and device used for music listening--all searchable by artist. Grooveshark hopes the free data and analytics will help artists understand their audiences better (though, as TheNextWeb rightly points out, the pool is skewed towards a survey-answering, Grooveshark-using, BlackBerry-weilding demographic) and even perhaps snag advertising partners on the music network--a plus for Grooveshark and a bonus for the artists on it.
23andMe Parkinson's Disease Discovery To Get Patent Approval
Google-backed personalized genomics company 23andMe is expecting approval for its very first patent, inspired by a discovery about Parkinson's disease that the company's research staff made in October last year. They identified a genetic variant that could protect people with a certain kind of mutation that put them at risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Identifying the variant is a first step to developing a treatment for the disease. 23andMe is continuing work on the variant in collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, co-founder Anne Wojcicki wrote in a blog post--work that could one day find use in drugs developed by biotech companies and pharmaceuticals. 23andMe has been cultivating a patient community and database of information about Parkinson's among its members for about a year now. Parkinson's is of particular interest to Wojcicki's husband and 23andMe backer Sergey Brin, who has been a strong supporter of Parkinson's research since 2005 and also carries a gene for the condition.
SoftBank's New Smartphones Will Detect Radiation
Japan telecom operator Softbank will start selling smartphones this summer with radiation sensors built-in. The Pantone 5 107SH (which comes in eight colors) is waterproof and dustproof, but will also detect radiation in microsieverts per hour when a key is pressed. Also, a map app will keep track of past radiation check locations and levels. While Sharp has yet to release pricing details for the phone, Softbank founder Masayoshi Son said the phone would be "affordable." The Pantone series is considerably popular in Japan already, and the fact that this phone is the first to run Android 4.0, The Verge points out, may be reason enough for its success, even without the addition of this rather unusual feature. After Fukushima, radiation has become a day-to-day concern for people in Japan, making its way into the environment and mixing itself up with some kinds of food.
Samsung Launches Music Hub, A Direct Competitor To iTunes, Spotify
Alongside the launch of its new top-line Galaxy S3 smartphone, Samsung has released its Music Hub app in a number of European nations. It's an all-in-one music portal costing £9.99 a month that offers to act as an MP3 player as an app, and also as a music locker offering free streaming access to your music, including the opportunity to upload tracks that aren't included in the list of around 19-million tracks that Samsung has already stored in its cloud. The intention is to release the service on all Samsung phones going forward, and possibly to release it for other devices. Music Hub's systems are very similar to the latest iteration of Apple's iTunes and its iCloud integration, and also challenge other streaming apps like Spotify.
Alongside the launch of its new top-line Galaxy S3 smartphone, Samsung has released its Music Hub app in a number of European nations. It's an all-in-one music portal costing £9.99 a month that offers to act as an MP3 player as an app, and also as a music locker offering free streaming access to your music, including the opportunity to upload tracks that aren't included in the list of around 19-million tracks that Samsung has already stored in its cloud. The intention is to release the service on all Samsung phones going forward, and possibly to release it for other devices. Music Hub's systems are very similar to the latest iteration of Apple's iTunes and its iCloud integration, and also challenge other streaming apps like Spotify.
Facebook Rumored To Be Buying Israeli Face Recognition Firm Face.com
Over the weekend rumors began to swirl that Facebook was looking at spending about $100 million to buy Israeli startup Face.com to access its clever face recognition technology. Now it's suggested via GigaOm that the momentum for the deal is actually in Russia's search engine leader Yandex, which invested in Face in 2010, and may be looking to sell its large stake in the company for a combination of cash and Facebook stock. It is likely that many such acquisition rumors will surround Facebook now that it has its cash reserves buffered by the IPO, but this one is particularly interesting: Face recognition systems would be useful for Facebook, although controversial for their privacy implications...and it's a tech that other tech giants like Google and Apple are exploring too.
Groupon Getting In On Square's Game, Low Rates And Free iPod Included.
According to a report at VentureBeat, daily deals site Groupon is testing an iPhone payments system like that of Square, PayPal and Verifone. The system is said to include aggressive pricing of 1.8% fee and 15 cents per transaction--compared to Square's 2.75% share with no transaction fee and PayPal and Verifone's 2.7%. Critically, in what may be a deal-maker for many low-end merchants, Groupon is offering a free iPod Touch alongside its free card reader, while its peers require the merchant to buy an expensive iPod, iPhone, iPad or Android device of their own. The information comes via a leaked internal email, and Groupon has no comment. Groupon recently reported profits after a period of poor performance. Considering Groupon's expertise is in daily deals and discount coupons, it's possible that the firm will leverage this system into its new mobile pay service--meaning our prediction for the rapidly-evolving future of the credit card looks on target.
Microsoft Downplays Windows 8 Adoption Numbers, Preps 80-Inch "Tablet"
According to Wired.co.uk, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has an 80-inch giant Windows 8 "tablet" hanging on the wall of his office, and he's ditched his phone and his note paper. The tablet is made by a different company, but a Microsoft spokesperson made a note of saying the machine--effectively a Windows 8-equivalent of its Surface product--will go on sale. Meanwhile Microsoft is in PR withdrawal, correcting some words Ballmer uttered last week to say "500 million users will have Windows 8 next year." Ballmer was restating, out of context, some figures that had been previously released, MS now asserts, which represent the maximum possible ugrade path from Windows 7 devices. In other news, Microsoft has upset some developers by saying it will withdraw some of its software support tools for writing Windows 8 desktop apps, intending to concentrate its app push onto full Metro-supporting software (implying full touch control, versus more traditional Windows code).
