Pensioners Living on Pocket Money as Savings Recede
by
Mark Miller
Nearly two million retired adults in the UK have less disposable income than the average 11 year old as a savings crisis creates a generation of pension paupers. A new survey said 15 percent of men and women in retirement have an income of less than 154 a week, which falls to 8 after essential living costs. The crisis in Britain brings fresh warnings that Britons will not have enough money to live when they retire. In an annual state of retirement report the insurance agency says that 12 percent of the population over 50s has cut pension savings by an average of 191 a month in the past year as food prices, energy bills and fuel costs have increased steeply. A senior official from the finance department was quoted saying People in their fifties are saying they cannot afford to save as much as they would like to, we are going to have a generation of pension paupers, a generation over the next decade or so who will move into retirement and be disappointed on what they have to live on.
He also added Decades after leaving their childhoods, millions of retired adults now find themselves back in a situation where their weekly spending power amounts to what is essentially pocket money. There is not enough money salted away in pension funds to guarantee a comfortable retirement for British working population.
Why is the pension fund industry hit?
Medical advancements have greatly prolonged the life spans of individuals over the last few years, which have put an additional burden on the pensions industry to support a greater number of pensioners for longer periods. Official figures from the government show that the average life expectancy in the UK rose by five years for men and four years for women between 1980 and 2000. However, the negative returns from the stock market have aggravated the situation. Pension funds are dependent on steady stock market situations to pay policy holders, and when the prices of shares fall it becomes harder for funds to meet their obligations. Lower returns on most of the big company run pension funds are forced to suspend generous schemes which guarantee employees a fixed proportion of their final salaries on retirement. The basic state pension is fixed at 86.05 per week for a single person and 131.20 which is not sustainable for a comfortable living. The low level of pension by the government pension reflects a concerted move by successive governments, worried at the rapid rise of ageing population, to encourage more people to save for their own retirement. Pensions are long term investments and when the market conditions improve and the stock market gets going things will definitely improve. However, to counter this problem the government has introduced the pension protection fund (PPF). The pension protection fund was established to pay compensation for the members of eligible defined benefit pension schemes, when there is a qualifying insolvency event in relation to the employer and where there are insufficient assets in the pension scheme to cover the pension protection fund level of compensation. The PPF is a statutory fund run by the board of pension protection fund, a statutory corporation fund established under the provisions of the Pensions Act of 2004. Over a third of women over their 50 do not have a private pension and 3 percent of 60 to 65 year olds have considered taking a second job to supplement their savings. Official job figures earlier this month showed records of one million people who have crossed 65 years were working.
Mark miller writes for International Finance Magazine.http://www.internationalfinancemagazine.com/
When selecting an eye doctor, numerous factors need consideration. Your sight is vital to your quality of life. By visiting this professional at least one time per year, you are taking steps to maintain it and potentially to prevent loss of it. The health care provider you select for this responsibility needs to be someone you feel comfortable working with on a regular basis. He or she should be someone with the qualifications and experience to help you to trust in the information provided. Not just any practitioner is good enough.The Key Qualifications to Look ForAn eye doctor should be able to provide you with a list of credentials that showcase his or her abilities to provide service to you. You should ask for them. Ultimately, you want to ensure this provider has the ability to diagnosis, treat, and even prevent any type of health conditions related to your optical health.The two most common types of providers are ophthalmologists and optometrists. Both should have certifications and licensing to operate in your state as these positions. The education obtained should be from an accredited school for these programs. The state board of optometry or state medical board will hold these licenses for you to verify. It should be for the current year. In addition, if you are working with an ophthalmologist, this person should have an internship and residency experience. This is part of their training and development.ExperienceConsider the experience the provider has too. If you are looking for a provider who will work with children, be sure he or she has extensive experience in this field. Determine the types of treatment and procedures the provider offers. Some may not perform surgeries, for example. Others may focus their practice on specialized conditions. Some providers use the most up-to-date technologies available. Many will put additional time into training to provide improved abilities or specialized treatments. Look for a provider that is known as one of the best in his or her field, especially in areas of research and development. This is especially important in situations where your condition warrants care that is more extensive.When working with an eye doctor for standard vision screening, get to know the provider well. Discuss your situation in-depth. Ask questions. See whether or not the provider takes the time to sit down and talk to you about your health and wellbeing. The more comfortable you feel with this provider the better. Ultimately, it is up to you to determine the best possible person for the job. Your sight is dependent on the selection you make. Get information about the experience and education of the individual and use your instinct to know if you can trust this professional.
Kinds of picture and experience:Decide for your self what you would like: paper addressing, fabric walls covers, foam vinyl wallpaper, fibreglass wallpaper, etc. Each and every wallpaper features its own person high quality as well as environment, experience or character. Do you want color as well as comparison in your home, or simple colour. Want a receding color (at the.grams. azure), so your space can happen bigger, or go for at the.grams. lemon? Follow a trend or otherwise?Common:Effects in color and design choices for your wallpaper:- light colour wall papers give a feeling of a bigger room- dark colours or a dark wall papers give a smaller space really feel- When using a picture with vertical lines, the space appears higher, but the walls feel smaller- When utilizing a picture with horizontal stripes or perhaps a horizontally design, the area appears lower and the walls appears broader / longer- diagonal lines or even designs provide big places smaller feelBesides the above suggestions, it is advisable to consider accounts of the final design and also the colors in your home that you simply picture. Simply put, for instance, make use of absolutely no stress if you later desire a piece of art on a wall where the interest should be drawn. The picture prospects attention from that what you want to attract focus on, specifically the actual artwork.Picture as well as Wallpapering Tips- It is definitely better to very first eliminate old levels of picture or else you always have the actual ‘problems’ of 1 addressing more than another. This particular elimination is best done with a vapor pole dancer. Wallpapers that are already carried out with latex paint could cause problems within divergence and vinyl wallpapers. The steam is not easily handed with the picture, making it nearly impossible to find to the substrate. You should the begining the picture along with e.grams. the side of the spatula, so the steam could possibly get at the rear of the picture. The use of a hedgehog-roller which you can lease from many shops or even wallpaper, will also help.- Only whenever you completely remove the wallpaper, you have a take on the condition of the surface. It is obvious that you need to get the surface area because flat and solid as possible, before you decide to move forward.- Loose plaster may very first need to get put away and repaired; protrusions will have to be stuffed (leveling). If there is moisture or mildew, try to look for out if it is aged (dried out) or even clean (moist) places. Close that old locations having a vacuum cleaner. The new spots may unfortunately have to be removed.- If you’ve you sanded the stuffed places after that treat the actual wall space with a (extremely) watered down picture paste (for adhesive). Do it yourself much more energy to make the new wallpaper. When the assimilation of the substrate is much less, this lets you play longer and using the new wallpaper movement throughout the application of the actual picture. You must first let the adhesive in order to dried out.- Before a person proceed you can equalize the papered wall having a big (20-30 centimetres) putty knife or even scraping, thus the rest of the leftovers / granules can get eliminated. Take away the filler with extreme caution, pushing across the wall to avoid harmful the walls. Gentle sanding could also be used, however this gives a lot more dust.- The picture insert ought to be produced one day in advance, making certain the actual adhesive can ‘rot’, making it strong.Better Wallpapering – DIY- Begin with the very first monitor perpendicular wallpaper. E.grams. draw the pen tag on the wall or even make use of a plumb collection, where the job must start. If you have an old uneven home, play with the actual gradient very first. Of course it is not fairly when you use perpendicular design, but your wall space, doorways as well as frames in house are sq .. Discover the ‘middle way’, so that it is right to the attention.- Nowadays you’d almost always use wallpaper paste and no lengthier overlap. Therefore it is, in principle, the same wherever you begin.- Use sufficient picture paste properly (recommended) thickness and spread it equally. Save the actual picture work following gluing fifty percent as well as let the glue saturate long enough. Keep the treating time as specific by the manufacturer, which is tailored to the type of picture. When you paste too fast, it remains at the rear of after drying vesicles as start barking and pull these phones leave. Through treating the actual wallpaper a little at start, afterwards the wall it will likely be applied firmly as well as evenly dried out.- Apply the actual picture because restricted as you possibly can, stroke the actual pockets evenly for the sides as well as bottom and top.- As stated, do the work don’t overlap one another as well as against wallpaper (wallpaper and inexpensive building paper covering omitted). Cut away excess wallpaper with a sharp blade, reduce together a ruler. Eliminate excess and spilled adhesive instantly along with thoroughly clean plain tap water.
Concrete is often the product of preference for structures, homes, walkways, along with other constructions nowadays that require to be built to last Might there be any better material? It provides the best resistance to strong winds, hurricanes, earthquakes and overwhelming temperatures and pressure. And being resistant to the regular problems that plague other construction materials like rust, termites and fires, it allows your property to be around even for centuries. The surface of a concrete building is also smooth, so that there will not likely be any requirement for any other finishing elements for outside aesthetics, although having them patterned is an option; while inside a concrete home or building is more healthy to live or work in, as the walls made from the material do not give off toxic fumes and other hazardous g ases. Well, concrete has a lot of benefits as stated, but you get only one thing that’s quite unfavorable for it — the drawbacks of concrete cleaning..
Stains on concrete can be very challenging to clean up, due to its being porous (the same trait that permits it to withstand certain pressures) which allows liquids to ooze between fissures that are part of a pattern or design for stamped concrete, or naturally formed as time passes for those old passed down properties. There are a lot of do it yourself inexpensive and easy methods that you can find on the Internet for cleansing concrete stains, but they don’t actually do the job most of the time. It would be quite a hassle to clean an entire yard of concrete if you want it looking like new for a gathering. And if it’s just the most visible speck that you’re trying to remove, doing it on your own could prove to be harmful if you unintentionally inhale the chemical’s fumes or spill cleaning solution that will burn your skin even if you’re wearing protective gear. Then, if you’re not too bent on carrying it out alone just to save, and you would like that pavement and yard’s old shine back so that your guests will be pleased, you definitely need concrete cleaning that’s from the pros. The right equipment and techniques are what professionals use to proficiently get every inch of dirt and stain to make your aged looking concrete look as good as new High pressure, that’s a lot more than what your garden hose can supply, is what’s usually used for rejuvenating discolored concrete and even other materials in your property. Their services will work nicely on your driveway, sidewalks, walkways, pool decks (elimination of water stains together with other dirt), patios, interlock bricks, natural stone and others. And mainly because they’re professionals, not only your home and garage is included in their proficiency of delivering cleaning services. They do buildings, store fronts, parking lots and other business areas. If you must get the concrete of your property cleaned (whether it’s your home and yard or your bakery, restaurant or shop’s store front), don’t think twice to look for expert concrete cleaning services. Find sources for them on the Internet or visit their websites. Have a look at what services they feature aside from cleaning concrete because you might need to get the other services, too, like sealing or weed removal from interlock pavements. Of course, see the testimonials of their previous customers; these could help you evaluate how superb your professionals do their job. If you want to make sure that you’re not going to go beyond your budget, ask for an estimation; there are companies that allow you to get free estimates that nonetheless are accurate once you give the actual specifications. So, go ahead and give them a call or email, their services might just be what your concrete flooring is asking for.
Have the best
concrete cleaning
without the creases and the bumps that could mar your driveway’s appearance. Get a professional for
concrete sealing
that will answer your needs when you visit their site.
There are a large number of forex signals provider in the market, if you do a quick browse you will come across more than 200 in 5mins, there are a large number of however only a few will produce you money, we recommend you to look meticulously at specified details that will make you see if they are as good as they say.
Many individuals will certainly go for a low cost forex signal service without considering that this is not buying a cheap sofa or a mountain bike to make some exercise on the weekends, here you are risking your hard gained money based on a low cost advisor. Deciding on a cheap provider could cost you a large percent of your trading funds which will be more than what you paid for the signals. If you pay 300$ for your signals and you make 600$ your final profit will be 300$, not amazing but as you increase your trading capital your earningswill grow, meanwhile others will opted for a 50$ provider which unfortunately will lose in two trades 400$, its worth it? If you have an excellent signals service you can produce as much money as you want, wouldn’t most people spend 300$ or 400$ per calendar month for it? When you search for a forex signal service you will see that a large number of them post excellent results, but barely any of them show you a real statement from a forex broker, they just show you an excel sheet with fancy colors and appealing numbers which every person can create on their computer, they don’t post a screenshot where you can see the entry and exit on a real trading account; make sure you ask for real statement or image of the statements with profitable trades. Every business out there is great and generates great results but why no business guarantees you a minimum number of pips? I mean if you make1000 pips per month as you claim in your results, why can’t they provide a 200 pips guarantee? Well, in my opinion is because they don’t generate them, why should you spend for services that don’t produce the numbers they claim? If you are searching for a reputable forex signal service, make sure they provide results or screenshots of a real statement from a real account and make sure that they provide a guarantee on their signals.
If perhaps you looking for a trusted
Forex signal service
that provides you with real images of real trades, a real forex broker statement and a minimum amount of pips guarantee on their
“Old deeds threaten Buffalo, NY hotel development” — Wikinews, November 21, 2006
“Proposal for Buffalo, N.Y. hotel reportedly dead: parcels for sale “by owner”” — Wikinews, November 16, 2006
“Contract to buy properties on site of Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal extended” — Wikinews, October 2, 2006
“Court date “as needed” for lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal” — Wikinews, August 14, 2006
“Preliminary hearing for lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal rescheduled” — Wikinews, July 26, 2006
“Elmwood Village Hotel proposal in Buffalo, N.Y. withdrawn” — Wikinews, July 13, 2006
“Preliminary hearing against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal delayed” — Wikinews, June 2, 2006
Original Story
“Hotel development proposal could displace Buffalo, NY business owners” — Wikinews, February 17, 2006
Image of the Elmwood Village Hotel, redesigned. Image: Savarino Construction Services Corporation.
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Buffalo, New York —In an unanimous vote, the City of Buffalo‘s Planning Board voted to table the Elmwood Village hotel Proposal, postponing voting on legislation for up to 30 days.
The Board said its decision was due to the lack of public involvement, saying that there have not been enough meetings.
The Elmwood Village Hotel is a proposed project by Savarino Construction Services Corporation and was designed by Karl Frizlen of The Frizlen Group. The hotel would be placed on Elmwood and Forest Avenues in Buffalo, New York. In order for the hotel to be built, at least five buildings, that include both businesses and residents, must be demolished.
The Forever Elmwood Corp. is a Buffalo-based non-profit organization founded in 1994. Justin Azzarella, the Executive Director for the organization voiced support for the proposal, stating: “I am here today to lend Forever Elmwood’s support the hotel project. Particularly, Forever Elmwood is encouraged by the fact that this building follows the more stringent Elmwood Village Design Guidelines. We have been speaking with Savarino Construction, and they have promised us [Forever Elmwood] that they will engage the community further, including the surrounding Block Clubs and businesses. For that reason, while Forever Elmwood is in support of this project and the type of project that it is, we are asking also that the project be tabled so that the community can be further engaged. Specifically the surrounding Block clubs which include the Granger, Claremont, Asland and The Lincoln Parkway Block Clubs.”
“Because of the excellent work that Karl does and the game plan that they have, I think its an ideal use of this particular location. I think that this particular type of development needs to be encouraged and promoted as opposed to roadblocked,” said a man who owns five properties near the proposal site.
However, Evelyn Bencinich, a resident of Granger Place and whose house would be located directly behind the hotel said, “My property value will be depreciated or non-existent because no one is going to want to live behind a multi-story hotel. We are facing up to a year of noisy and dangerous demolition and construction. Children, pets and even drunk rebellers could wander on site and get hurt. Traffic tie-ups caused by large machinery and garbage bins is inevitable. Where will pedestrians walk? We could experience increased unsanitary flooding in our yards and basements due to the digging and cementing for the underground parking garage. Rats will be displaced into the immediate neighborhoods and be in great abundance. Once we get past the year of nightmare construction, what if you build it and they don’t come? We could ultimately have a seven million dollar rooming house on our corner.”
Patty Morris, co-owner of Don Apparel with Nancy Pollina at 1119 Elmwood also asked that the project be tabled saying, “this has only been public knowledge for less than two weeks and the public never saw the redesign. How can you vote on anything that no one has seen yet? The Board cut off Morris saying, “so specifically you don’t have any problem with it [the design] you just…” Morris then said, “Oh I am totally against this project, but thats besides the point isn’t it.”
The planning board is also concerned that the current design may still be too big.
At one point Board member Susan Curran Hoyt said, “we know you’ve cut down your number of rooms on this project, but we still see it doesn’t seem to fit the description of a ‘botique’ hotel,” and asked Eva Hassett, Vice President of Savarino Construction, “we wonder if you could reduce the rooms further.”
“One thing I didn’t talk about was the price levels of these rooms and that will be important to know. The room rate will be somewhere between US$120 and $160 a night, which is about the same price of the Hampton Inn down town and the smaller you make the hotel, the more expensive the rooms will get. We believe that we’ve made a good compromise in terms of the size of the hotel and perhaps botique means different things to different people,” said Hassett.
The board was also concerned that there is not enough parking asking, “are there alternative plans for valet parking off-site, in the event that you have a full hotel or a large event going on?”
“We are exploring several possibilities with respect to additional parking for valet and parking near-by,” replied Hassett. “We are also exploring the possibility of using the rear of 1105 Elmwood for additional parking, which would give us an additional ten or eleven spaces.”
The new design has a total of 55 parking spaces for 72 rooms, with 39 of them underground and the rest on ground level.
Although this is the old proposal, the new design will still be the same amount of distance from the property. Image: Savarino Construction Services Corporation.
Hassett also said that a “parking study” will be done on the area.
Concerns that the second floor of the hotel will be too close to the property of 605 Forest were also brought up. The board asked how far the hotel would be from the property and Karl Frizlen replied saying it would “be approximately five feet from the property line,” but he also admitted that, “I do not know exactly how close the house next door” will be from the hotel, but did say “I think the house is about four or five feet away from the property line and we [the hotel] sit right on the property line.”
The board is concerned the setback from the property is not enough saying the space between the building and the hotel is “pretty narrow.”
The City’s Common Council also agreed to table the proposal also citing the need for more public engagement and the need for more organizations to respond including the Buffalo Preservation Board and the Office of Historic Preservation.
During that meeting, Hassett also said the proposal to try and get a variance to obtain the properties of 605 and 607 Forest were “now off the agenda.”
The Common Council is expected to meet and hold a public hearing about the project and the rezoning of the properties to be demolished (1119-1121 Elmwood) on Tuesday March 7, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. At the moment the properties are not zoned for a hotel.
People suffering from celiac disease are suggested gluten free diets but most of them don t know which food item is gluten free and which is not. To avoid confusion we are sharing some knowledge with you so that you have clear idea about the topic. Gluten is basically a protein complex found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale. It is medically accepted treatment for the above mention disease.
You just need basic information about gluten and then you can choose food accordingly. But still you can best gluten free cookies from Mozzarellis.
We are listing some food items that people on gluten free diet can eat. These are All forms of corn like in flour, meal, grits etc. All forms of rice like white brown, basmati and enriched also buckwheat, amaranth, montina, millet, quinoa, teff, sorghum and soy.
You can eat food having the following ingredients: glucose syrup, lecithin, maltodextrin (even when it is made from wheat), annatto, plain spices, oat gum, silicon dioxide, food starch and vinegar (only malt vinegar may contain gluten). Lactic, citric and malic acid as well as sucrose, lactose and dextrose some baking products which include arrowroot, cornstarch, guar and xanthan gums, tapioca, potato starch flour and vanilla.
All forms of wheat which includes spelt, kamut, triticale, durum, farina, einkorn, cake flour, semolina, couscous and matzo or matzah. There are some more ingredients with wheat in the name which includes modified wheat starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein but buckwheat is an exception as it is gluten free. Barley and malt also have gluten in them then rye, breaded meat, floured meat, seafood and vegetables, poultry only when they contain soy and teriyaki sauces. Imitation crab meat is also include in this list, licorice, beer because most of fermented from barley. There are only few companies that supply gluten-free beer.
Typical food items: milk butter, real cheese, margarine, plain yogurt, vegetable oils which include canola. Plain vegetables and fruit, (fresh, canned and frozen), meat, eggs, nuts, beans, seafood, flours made from them and legumes.
Distilled vinegar is also gluten free but don t go for malt vinegar. Distilled alcoholic beverages are gluten free gluten can be removed from wheat via distillation. Mono and diglycerides are fats that are gluten free. All kinds of spices are gluten free.
Now list of some items that you should not eat if you are on Gluten free diet
All forms of wheat which includes spelt, kamut, triticale, durum, farina, einkorn, cake flour, semolina, couscous and matzo or matzah. There are some more ingredients with wheat in the name which includes modified wheat starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein but buckwheat is an exception as it is gluten free. Barley and malt also have gluten in them then rye, breaded meat, floured meat, seafood and vegetables, poultry only when they contain soy and teriyaki sauces. Imitation crab meat is also include in this list, licorice, beer because most of fermented from barley. There are only few companies that supply gluten-free beer.
Mozzarellis is the leading supplier of gluten-free products. If you want to enjoy best gluten free products, order form them. You will love their cookies. You can also buy gluten free cookies online from their website.
About the Author: If you are still confused whether the food you are eating is gluten free or not, just visit
mozzarellis.com
. You will get nothing but gluten-free products from them.
In the local court’s decision, 17 accused were indicted for the crimes of “producing, adding melamine-laced ‘protein powder’ to infant milk or selling tainted, fake and substandard milk to Sanlu Group or 21 other dairy companies, including six who were charged with the crime of endangering public security by dangerous means.” Four other courts in Wuji County, in Hebei, China had also tried cases on the milk scandal.
Zhang Yujun, age 40, of Quzhou County (Hebei), who produced and sold melamine-laced “protein powder” in the milk scandal, was convicted of endangering public security and sentenced to death by the Shijiazhuang intermediate people’s court.
The court also imposed the penalty of death upon Geng Jinping, who added 434 kg of melamine-laced powder to about 900 tons of fresh milk to artificially increase the protein content. He sold the tainted milk to Sanlu and some other dairy companies. His brother Geng Jinzhu was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for assisting in adding the melamine.
A suspended capital punishment sentence, pending a review, with two years probation, was handed down to Gao Junjie. Under the law, a suspended death sentence is equivalent to life imprisonment with good behavior. The court ruled that Gao designed more than 70 tons of melamine-tainted “protein powder” in a Zhengding County underground factory near Shijiazhuang. His wife Xiao Yu who assisted him, was also sentenced to five years imprisonment.
Sanlu Group General Manager Tian Wenhua, 66, a native of Nangang Village in Zhengding County, who was charged under Articles 144 and 150 of the criminal code, was sentenced to life imprisonment for producing and selling fake or substandard products. She was also fined 20 million yuan (US$2.92 million) while Sanlu, which has been declared bankrupt, was fined 49.37 million yuan ($7.3 million).
Tian Wenhua plans to appeal the guilty verdict on grounds of lack of evidence, said her lawyer Liang Zikai on Saturday. Tian testified last month during her trial that she decided not to stop production of the tainted milk products because a Fonterra designated board member handed her a document which states that a maximum of 20 mg of melamine was allowed in every kg of milk in the European Union. Liang opined that Tian should instead be charged with “liability in a major accident,” which is punishable by up to seven years imprisonment, instead of manufacturing and selling fake or substandard products.
According to Zhang Deli, chief procurator of the Hebei Provincial People’s Procuratorate, Chinese police have arrested another 39 people in connection with the scandal. Authorities last year also arrested 12 milk dealers and suppliers who allegedly sold contaminated milk to Sanlu, and six people were charged with selling melamine.
In late December, 17 people involved in producing, selling, buying and adding melamine to raw milk went on trial. Tian Wenhua and three other Sanlu executives appeared in court in Shijiazhuang, charged with producing and selling fake or substandard milk contaminated with melamine. Tian pleaded guilty, and told the court during her 14-hour December 31 trial that she learned about the tainted milk complaints and problems with her company’s BeiBei milk powder from consumer complaints in mid-May.
She then apparently led a working team to handle the case, but her company did not stop producing and selling formula until about September 11. She also did not report to the Shijiazhuang city government until August 2.
The court also sentenced Zhang Yanzhang, 20, to the lesser penalty of life imprisonment. Yanzhang worked with Zhang Yujun, buying and reselling the protein powder. The convicts were deprived of their political rights for life.
Xue Jianzhong, owner of an industrial chemical shop, and Zhang Yanjun were punished with life imprisonment and 15 years jail sentence respectively. The court found them responsible for employment of workers to produce about 200 tons of the tainted infant milk formula, and selling supplies to Sanlu, earning more than one million yuan.
“From October 2007 to August 2008, Zhang Yujun produced 775.6 tons of ‘protein powder’ that contained the toxic chemical of melamine, and sold more than 600 tons of it with a total value of 6.83 million yuan [$998,000]. He sold 230 tons of the “protein powder” to Zhang Yanzhang, who will stay behind bars for the rest of his life under the same charge. Both Zhangs were ‘fully aware of the harm of melamine’ while they produced and sold the chemical, and should be charged for endangering the public security,” the Court ruled.
Geng Jinping, a suspect charged with producing and selling poisonous food in the tainted milk scandal, knelt before the court, begging for victims’ forgiveness
The local court also imposed jail sentences of between five years and 15 years upon three top Sanlu executives. Wang Yuliang and Hang Zhiqi, both former deputy general managers, and Wu Jusheng, a former raw milk department manager, were respectively sentenced to 15 years, eight years and five years imprisonment. In addition, the court directed Wang to pay multi-million dollar fines. In December, Wang Yuliang had appeared at the Shijiazhuang local court in a wheelchair, after what the Chinese state-controlled media said was a failed suicide attempt.
The judgment also states “the infant milk powder was then resold to private milk collectors in Shijiazhuang, Tangsan, Xingtai and Zhangjiakou in Hebei.” Some collectors added it to raw milk to elevate apparent protein levels, and the milk was then resold to Sanlu Group.
“The Chinese government authorities have been paying great attention to food safety and product quality,” Yu Jiang Yu, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said. “After the case broke out, the Chinese government strengthened rules and regulations and took a lot of other measures to strengthen regulations and monitor food safety,” she added.
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in China involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, which had been adulterated with melamine. In November 2008, the Chinese government reported an estimated 300,000 victims have suffered; six infants have died from kidney stones and other acute renal infections, while 860 babies were hospitalized.
Melamine is normally used to make plastics, fertilizer, coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It was added by the accused to infant milk powder, making it appear to have a higher protein content. In 2004, a watered-down milk resulted in 13 Chinese infant deaths from malnutrition.
The tainted milk scandal hit the headlines on 16 July, after sixteen babies in Gansu Province who had been fed on milk powder produced by Shijiazhuang-based Sanlu Group were diagnosed with kidney stones. Sanlu is 43% owned by New Zealand’s Fonterra. After the initial probe on Sanlu, government authorities confirmed the health problem existed to a lesser degree in products from 21 other companies, including Mengniu, Yili, and Yashili.
From August 2 to September 12 last year Sanlu produced 904 tonnes of melamine-tainted infant milk powder. It sold 813 tonnes of the fake or substandard products, making 47.5 million yuan ($13.25 million). In December, Xinhua reported that the Ministry of Health confirmed 290,000 victims, including 51,900 hospitalized. It further acknowledged reports of “11 suspected deaths from melamine contaminated milk powder from provinces, but officially confirmed 3 deaths.”
Sanlu Group which filed a bankruptcy petition, that was accepted by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People’s Court last month, and the other 21 dairy companies, have proposed a 1.1 billion yuan ($160 million) compensation plan for court settlement. The court appointed receiver was granted six months to conclude the sale of Sanlu’s assets for distribution to creditors. The 22 dairy companies offered “families whose children died would receive 200,000 yuan ($29,000), while others would receive 30,000 yuan ($4,380) for serious cases of kidney stones and 2,000 yuan ($290) for less severe cases.”
POS materials from Yili Dairy declaring clean bill of health from AQSIQ.
Sanlu stopped production on September 12 amid huge debts estimated at 1.1 billion yuan. On December 19, the company borrowed 902 million yuan for medical and compensation payment to victims of the scandal. On January 16, Sanlu paid compensation of 200,000 yuan (29,247 U.S. dollars) to Yi Yongsheng and Jiao Hongfang, Gangu County villagers, the parents of the first baby who died.
“Children under three years old, who had drunk tainted milk and had disease symptoms could still come to local hospitals for check-ups, and would receive free treatment if diagnosed with stones in the urinary system,” said Mao Qun’an, spokesman of the Ministry of Health on Thursday, adding that “the nationwide screening for sickened children has basically come to an end.”
“As of Thursday, about 90% of families of 262,662 children who were sickened after drinking the melamine-contaminated milk products had signed compensation agreements with involved enterprises and accepted compensation,” the China Dairy Industry Association said Friday, without revealing, however, the amount of damages paid. The Association (CDIA) also created a fund for payment of the medical bills for the sickened babies until they reach the age of 18.
Chinese data shows that those parents who signed the state-backed compensation deal include the families of six children officially confirmed dead, and all but two of 891 made seriously ill, the report said. Families of 23,651 children made ill by melamine tainted milk, however, have not received the compensation offer, because of “wrong or untrue” registration details, said Xinhua.
Several Chinese parents, however, demanded higher levels of damages from the government. Zhao Lianhai announced Friday that he and three other parents were filing a petition to the Ministry of Health. The letter calls for “free medical care and follow-up services for all victims, reimbursement for treatment already paid for, and further research into the long-term health effects of melamine among other demands,” the petition duly signed by some 550 aggrieved parents and Zhao states.
“Children are the future of every family, and moreover, they are the future of this country. As consumers, we have been greatly damaged,” the petition alleged. Chinese investigators also confirmed the presence of melamine in nearly 70 milk products from more than 20 companies, quality control official Li Changjiang admitted.
In addition, a group of Chinese lawyers, led by administrator Lin Zheng, filed Tuesday a $5.2 million lawsuit with the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China (under Chief Grand Justice Wang Shengjunin), in Beijing, on behalf of the families of 213 children’s families. The class-action product liability case against 22 dairy companies, include the largest case seeking $73,000 compensation for a dead child.
According to a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange Market Friday, China’s Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Company, which has a domestic market share of milk powder at 8 percent, reported a net loss in 2008 because of the milk scandal. A Morgan Stanley report states the expected company’s 2008 loss at 2.3 billion yuan. The scandal also affected Yili’s domestic rivals China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited and the Bright Group. Mengniu suffered an expected net loss of 900 million yuan despite earnings in the first half of 2008, while the Bright Group posted a third quarter loss at 271 million yuan last year.
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, said Saturday it accepted the Chinese court’s guilty verdicts but alleged it had no knowledge of the criminal actions taken by those involved. “We accept the court’s findings but Fonterra supports the New Zealand Government’s position on the death penalty. We have been shocked and disturbed by the information that has come to hand as a result of the judicial process,” said Fonterra Chief Executive Andrew Ferrier.
“Fonterra deeply regrets the harm and pain this tragedy has caused so many Chinese families,” he added. “We certainly would never have approved of these actions. I am appalled that the four individuals deliberately released product containing melamine. These actions were never reported to the Sanlu Board and fundamentally go against the ethics and values of Fonterra,” Ferrier noted.
Fonterra, which controls more than 95 percent of New Zealand’s milk supply, is the nation’ biggest multinational business, its second-biggest foreign currency earner and accounts for more than 24 percent of the nation’s exports. Fonterra was legally responsible for informing Chinese health authorities of the tainted milk scandal in August, and by December it had written off its $200 million investment in Sanlu Group.
Amnesty International also strongly voiced its opposition to the imposition of capital punishment by the Chinese local court and raised concerns about New Zealand’s implication in the milk scandal. “The death penalty will not put right the immense suffering caused by these men. The death penalty is the ultimate, cruel and inhumane punishment and New Zealand must take a stand to prevent further abuses of human rights.” AI New Zealand chief executive Patrick Holmes said on Saturday.
“The New Zealand government does not condone the death sentence but we respect their right to take a very serious attitude to what was extremely serious offending,” said John Phillip Key, the 38th and current Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the National Party. He criticized Fonterra’s response Monday, saying, “Fonterra did not have control of the vertical production chain, in other words they were making the milk powder not the supply of the milk, so it was a difficult position and they did not know until quite late in the piece. Nevertheless they probably could front more for this sort of thing.”
Keith Locke, current New Zealand MP, and the opposition Green Party foreign affairs spokesman, who was first elected to parliament in 1999 called on the government and Fonterra to respond strongly against the Chinese verdict. “They show the harshness of the regime towards anyone who embarrasses it, whether they are real criminals, whistleblowers or dissenters,” he said. “Many Chinese knew the milk was being contaminated but said nothing for fear of repercussions from those in authority. Fonterra could not get any action from local officials when it first discovered the contamination. There was only movement, some time later, when the matter became public,” he noted.
Green Party explained “it is time Fonterra drops its overly cautious act.” The party, however, stressed the death penalty is not a answer to the problems which created the Chinese milk scandal. “The Green Party is totally opposed to the death penalty. We would like to see the government and, indeed, Fonterra, speaking out and urging the Chinese government to stop the death penalty,” said Green Party MP Sue Kedgley.
The Association “Freedom for the Bulgarian Nurses” uses this symbol to represent the cause of the Bulgarian nurses. It represents a ribbon with the colours of the Bulgarian flag, with the words “You are not alone” in Bulgarian and English.Image: Association “Freedom for the Bulgarian Nurses”.
The Supreme Court in Libya has upheld the death sentence for five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian medical intern condemned for infecting 426 children with HIV. Just one day ago, a deal to free the foreign medics was announced.
The six defendants were not present at the court ruling, while family members of the children rejoiced when the judge confirmed the verdict. “This is a victory for the Libyan judiciary system. We are awaiting the execution of the death sentence,” said Al-Monseif Khalifa, a lawyer for the plaintives.
E.U. Commission President José Manuel Barroso remains hopeful that the medics will receive clemency. “We regret that these decisions have been made, but I also want to express my confidence that a solution will be found,” Barroso told the European Parliament.
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov called for a quick solution. He said the verdict came as no surprise, and expressed his hope for a swift final solution. The case will now move to the Supreme Judiciary Council which will hear the case on Monday, according to Libya’s Foreign Minister, Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Shalgam. The Council is headed by the Justice Minister of Libya.
Late Tuesday, the Gaddafi Foundation, a non-profit run by the son of Libya’s de facto leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, said a deal had been reached to free the health workers. The head of the Association for the Families of the HIV-Infected Children, Idriss Lagha, also said announced that a deal could be reached soon.
After the verdict today, Salah Abdessalem, a spokesman for the Gadhafi International Foundation for Charity Associations, reconfirmed to the Associated Press that a settlement to free the detainees still exists, which he said was acceptable to all parties and would end the crisis, without giving further details.
Unnamed officials who wished to remain anonymous disclosed the deal would involve financial compensation in exchange for the death sentences being commuted to a prison sentence, according to the Associated Press. E.U. officials say the European Union would agree to establish a fund of tens of millions of dollars to pay for the children’s future medical care. Bulgaria and the European Union are calling it humanitarian aid instead of compensation, which would imply that their citizens would be guilty.
The convicted nurses and medical intern began working in the El-Fath Children’s Hospital in Benghazi in 1998, and were arrested and jailed one year later when over 400 children were found to be infected with HIV -over 50 have died since. They were sentenced to death in 2004, and again after a retrial last December which came after an international outcry about the affair.
A scientific report by professors Luc Montagnier (one of the original discoverers of the virus causing AIDS) and Vittorio Colizzi used as evidence for the defence in the case said that the virus causing AIDS was widely spread in the hospital before the health workers even arrived, and that the infections were due to negligence and poor hygiene procedures in the Benghazi hospital. The prosecution introduced a report of Libyan scientists saying that this was not the case. The detainees have said that they have been tortured to make confessions.
