Written by admin on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 ( Start discussion )
Tags: 2024, Book, Dallas, Exhibit, Jan., Latest, Meeting, Midwinter, Ristech, Scanner, Share, Technology
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) January 10, 2012
During the ALA exhibit, Ristech will showcase its two chief digital book scanning products for libraries: the Book2net Spirit, which is the first entry-level high-resolution scanner designed for fast and simple public use, and the Book2net Kiosk, which includes a high-resolution, single-shot camera that can scan up to 2,000 pages per hour and is still very gentle on books.
?We look forward to sharing the latest in book scanning technology at this first big event of 2012,? said Robb Richardson, president, Book2net, North American operations. ?We enjoy helping libraries of all sizes and locations save time and money while also enjoying the energy-efficient benefits of our book scanners and microfilm scanners.?
The ALA Midwinter Meeting at the Dallas Convention Center offers more than 200 discussion groups, 350 exhibits and additional events designed to support libraries throughout the country.
Please follow the link below to register online for a free pass to attend the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Exhibit. The meeting badges will be mailed to you: http://registration3.experient-inc.com/showALA121/DefaultExhGuest.aspx
About Ristech Company
Ristech Company is a leading supplier of microfilm and book digitization technology for fragile and bound documents. Specializing in the capture and distribution of images, Ristech has an impressive list of end users and partners in the imaging market place. Our technology is used extensively in libraries, archives and research facilities where quality and careful handling of materials is a concern. Some of our clients include The Library of Congress, Library and Archives Canada, The University of Toronto, University of Laval and McGill University, to name a few. For more information, please visit http://www.ristech.ca.
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About book2net Inc.
book2net Inc. is an international alliance of manufacturers, libraries and service providers that design and produce book scanning technology. With an installed base of more than 500 clients including the Library of Congress, the British Library, National Archive of Sweden and many leading academic libraries in North America, book2net develops technology from the ground up with end users at the table. For more information, visit http://www.book2net.net.
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Written by admin on Saturday, January 14th, 2012 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Advice, Around, Bird, BirdBGone, Control, Gives, Globe, Ornithologist, Ornithologists, Urban
Mission Viejo, CA (PRWEB) January 10, 2012
Bird-B-Gone?s Ornithologist, Dr. Rob Fergus, recently gave a lecture to scientists from around the globe on urban bird control at the International Congress for Conservation Biology held in Auckland, New Zealand.
The lecture was titled ?Urban bird Conservation: For Birds and People? and focused the practical aspects of urban bird conservation and education. Dr. Fergus also considered how urban bird conservation efforts could be integrated in sustainable city planning and design.
Urban settings attract birds for a variety of reasons, namely shelter and a continual food source. These birds can become a nuisance when they decide to roost or nest in areas where the buildup of bird droppings and nesting materials pose an operational, health or safety risk. Dr. Rob proposed that Ornithologists work with cities and municipalities for humane effective solutions to bird problems.
Dr. Fergus specializes in urban ecology and human/wildlife interactions. He received his Ph.D. in urban bird conservation from the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to researching and consulting on human/bird interactions in cities across the United States, Latin America, and Europe, Dr. Fergus currently teaches at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey and Rosemont College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Bird-B-Gone, Inc is the only bird control company with an on staff ornithologist. Customers contact Dr. Fergus through ?Ask the Bird Expert? to get answers about humane, effective bird control measures in a variety of settings. The addition of Dr. Fergus to the Bird-B-Gone team has helped close the gap between the science of nature, and the nature of bird control.
About: At Bird-B-Gone it?s our expertise, training and customer service that set us apart. Our high quality bird control products carry the longest industry guarantees, and are proudly made in the United States.
Visit the ?Ask the Bird Expert? today at http://www.birdbgone.com/ask-the-expert/blog or call us at 1-800-392-6915 for more information.
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Written by admin on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Changes, Comments, David, Implementing, Marshall, OSHAs, Rule, SarbanesOxley, Submits
Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 05, 2012
In a written comment to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (?OSHA?), attorney David J. Marshall, from the whistleblower law firm of Katz, Marshall & Banks in Washington, DC, strongly urged OSHA to implement its proposed rule strengthening employee protections under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (?SOX?). Marshall?s comments were directed to Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary for OSHA at the Department of Labor (?DOL?), regarding OSHA?s interim final rule related to Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended. While in large part the rule simply effectuates the changes made by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, and are rather modest in scope, Marshall wrote in support of some of the positive changes that will most help protect whistleblowers.
Some lawyers representing corporate interests, however, have criticized the interim rule as going beyond merely implementing the changes to SOX made by the Dodd-Frank Act, and instead furthering an employee-friendly agenda. One recent article reported a management-side concern that the interim rule ?will make pursuing a SOX whistleblower claim far less daunting.? Ben James, OSHA Changes To SOX Whistleblower Regs Go Too Far: Attys, LAW360 (Nov. 10, 2010). As Marshall wrote to OSHA, however, ?if the purpose of SOX whistleblower protections is to encourage and facilitate the timely reporting of financial fraud that can cause tremendous harm to the public good, the administrative process should be as accessible as possible. There is no good reason to make the prospect of blowing the whistle on one?s employer more daunting.?
Some critics of the proposed rule have also complained that allowing OSHA to put oral complaints into written form inappropriately expands OSHA?s role from independently reviewing a whistleblower?s complaint to developing and authoring it. Marshall argues in response that making it clear that OSHA can accept oral complaints is more accurately described as a clarification than as an amendment to existing procedures. ?OSHA has historically had a duty to investigate and supplement complaints filed by employees under the various whistleblower laws the agency administers. Thus, in practice, the interim rule?s amendment regarding oral complaints changes very little in how OSHA has been operating for some years.? Furthermore, adds Marshall, ?whatever flexibility OSHA procedures afford to complainants in the administrative process benefits not only the complainants but also the public at large, who have a strong interest in the timely reporting of fraud. Millions of people have lost billions of dollars in assets in recent years as a result of fraud committed by Enron, Bernard Madoff, and more recently MF Global Holdings Ltd. Preventing such fraud is the overriding purpose of the whistleblower provisions that Congress included in the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts.?
In his public comment letter, Marshall also argued in favor of OSHA?s decision to remove a statement from Section 1980.105(a)(1) ?that reinstatement would not be appropriate where the respondent establishes that the complainant is a security risk.? The new rule explains that a determination of whether reinstatement is appropriate should be based on the facts of each particular case. Marshall states that while opponents might point to instances of federal courts declining to enforce preliminary orders of reinstatement, no court has held that it lacks jurisdiction to enforce them. In fact, of the judges who have confronted the question, many appear to believe, as OSHA does, that the courts do have the power to enforce preliminary reinstatement orders. Additionally, from a public policy standpoint, preliminary reinstatement protects a number of important values; it should be ordered and enforced unless the respondent is able to make a credible and persuasive showing that these values are outweighed by security or other concerns.
Marshall concluded his comments to OSHA by stating: ?These amendments help to promote early reporting and protect whistleblowers, which, in turn, increases the likelihood that significant issues of fraud will be discovered and rectified before damage is passed on to innocent shareholders or the general public.?
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Written by admin on Monday, January 9th, 2012 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Addresses, Calls, Crackdown, Ghalioun, Holiday, Involvement, Nation, President, Season
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) December 28, 2011
In a televised speech marking the holiday season, Dr. Burhan Ghalioun, president of the Syrian National Council (SNC) called for a UN involvement as Arab League officials were setting up observer teams in Syria. Observers are monitoring the Assad regime’s compliance with the plan to end the violent crackdown on protesters that has killed more than 5000 people since last March, according to the UN.
On Christmas day, security forces continued with raids in several cities and arrests of peaceful protesters around the country. Ghalioun quoted the bible when addressing the nation on Christmas. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” (Matthew 5:4) he said, while wishing Syrians a merry Christmas and a happy new year. “We will ring the bells of the coming Christmas together in a new Syria; a Syria of love and peace,” Ghalioun added.
SEE: SNC President Dr. Ghalioun Addresses the Nation on Christmas and New Year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y00nDg4rUnU (Arabic, with English subtitles).
Syrian protesters were creative while celebrating Christmas this year in the besieged city of Homs, as well as Hama. YouTube videos show protesters in Santa Claus suits in Homs. In Hama, protesters around a Christmas tree standing in front of a mosque demanded Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to step down.
The Syrian American Council (SAC) reiterates Dr. Ghalioun’s call to bring the UN into the Arab League’s effort, and demands the Syrian regime to immediately end its violent crackdown on peaceful protesters. The Assad regime has shown absolutely no sign of wavering in its policy of mass murder, arbitrary arrests and torture of protesters. Therefore, SAC supports the establishment of safety zones and humanitarian corridors to protect Syrian civilians from the regime’s brutality.
The Syrian American Council (SAC) was founded in 2005 to mobilize Syrian Americans to strengthen civil society in Syria, to promote friendly relations between the Syrian and American peoples, to engage civic and governmental organizations to advance civil liberties, human dignity and democracy in Syria. The organization has represented Syrian Americans to the U.S. State Department, Congress, and in international meetings and councils.
Contact: SAC Communications Director Rashad Al-Dabbagh, (626) 375-2537.
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Written by admin on Friday, January 6th, 2012 ( Start discussion )
Tags: 2011, According, Cocoa, Diabetes, Good, Lowers, People, ProactiveLife, Published, Research, Risk, Shows, Stroke, Studies, this, Type
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (PRWEB) December 26, 2011
There are 26 million Americans with diabetes and 79 million Americans at risk of developing diabetes who can benefit from pure cocoa which is good for your brain and heart. Type 2 Diabetics who consumed pure cocoa witnessed a 30% increase in arterial blood flow according to the Journal of American College of Cardiology June 3rd addition. Additionally, a presentation presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2011 Congress showed that people who consumed the most chocolate had a 29% lower risk of stroke compared with people who consumed the lease amount of chocolate as researched by ProactiveLife.
A new company called ProactiveLife (http://www.proactivelife.com) seeks to harness the power of cocoa to lower blood sugar and protect against cardiovascular disease. ProactiveLife was started to help people with chronic disease improve their health by incorporating community, lifestyle changes, and natural supplements clinically proven to assist in one?s overall being.
Diabetes Support contains 10 clinically proven ingredients to lower blood sugar naturally including cocoa, cinnamon, omega-3, vitamin D and others. Along with lifestyle changes including diet and exercise Diabetes Support is a new proactive approach to Type 2 Diabetes management. A Community of Experts has been created to share tips on healthy eating, proper exercise and provide the latest news on diabetes
Over 79 million people and growing are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes; a new approach combining lifestyle modification and clinically proven natural supplements utilizing a proactive approach is needed.
By James Lowenstein
ProactiveLife
http://www.proactivelife.com
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Written by admin on Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 ( Start discussion )
Tags: According, Continues, Increase, Maven, Spending, Study, Wave
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) December 22, 2011
Maven Wave Partners refreshes the IT Spending & Investment Study, through 3Q 2011, the results generated some surprise as continued sequential quarterly growth in IT hardware, software and workforce and hardware spending outpaced projections.
In early 2011, Maven Wave Partners? IT Spending & Investment Study revealed that the IT spending squeeze brought on by the financial crisis of 2008 ended in 4Q 2010. The study also predicted sustained growth in spending on IT hardware, software, and workforce spending. Based on the study, Maven Wave established two indices designed to assist clients, market participants, and analysts in tracking the pace and value of IT investment by enterprise:
The Maven Wave Partners IT Investment Index (the ?MIT Index?), a bellwether measure of aggregate spending on information technology
The Maven Wave Partners IT Value Index (the ?MIV Index?), tracking corporate earnings in relationship to spending on the Information Technology workforce
As we reported in 2Q, the MIT Index increased outpacing expectations by 6%. The increase was driven largely by stronger than expected hardware sales. For 3Q 2011, our model again predicted that 3Q spending would be somewhat weaker (down 5%) as companies continued to digest the substantial increase in IT investment made earlier in 2011. Here are the third quarter results:
The MIT rose to 142.6, up just over 2% over the previous quarter driven by sequential quarterly increase across the board with particular strength in hardware sales and workforce spending
The MIV rose just over 8% sequentially to $ 21.03 (meaning a dollar in IT workforce spending is worth $ 21.03 in corporate profit)
?For two quarters in a row, our model has suggested a pause in the growth of IT spending, and twice the market has surprised us with sequential increases,? said Brian Farrar, partner at Maven Wave Partners, ?with the continued overhang in the European sovereign debt market, a gridlocked US Congress, and a potentially vigorous 2012 election cycle in the US, we remain vigilant for a break in the action, but the numbers to date bode well for 2012.?
Maven Wave plans to extend its forecast of the indices through 2015 in connection with our 1Q 2012 update.
For more information on the Maven Wave Partners IT Spending & Investment Study please visit LINK or contact Matt Batt at matt(dot)batt(at)mavenwave(dot)com
About Maven Wave Partners
Maven Wave Partners provides management consulting, technology delivery and outsourcing services to companies that seek exceptional business advancement through transformation. Companies seeking to accelerate performance improvement rely on Maven Wave Partners for strategy-led, results-focused management, technology, and cloud solutions.
The management team of Maven Wave Partners has successfully delivered for a wide variety of clients and industries.
For more information, visit http://www.mavenwave.com.
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Written by admin on Sunday, January 1st, 2012 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Association, Barrasse, Board, County, Court, Directors, Drug, Joins, Judge, Lackawanna, Michael, National, Professionals
Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) December 21, 2011
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is proud to announce that the honorable Michael Barrasse of the 45th Judicial District of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, has been elected to serve on its Board of Directors. Judge Barrasse was elected to chair the Board?s DWI Committee and serve on the Veterans Treatment Court Committee.
?We are honored to welcome Judge Barrasse to the NADCP Board of Directors,? said incoming Board Chair Judge Robert Rancourt. ?As one of this nation?s most respected treatment court judges, he will bring invaluable expertise and guidance as we look to further expand these programs throughout the United States. Judge Barrasse serves the citizens of Pennsylvania with integrity and we are fortunate to have a judge of his caliber joining our team.?
As a member of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Board of Directors, Judge Barrasse recently travelled to Washington, DC to speak at a briefing in conjunction with the House of Representatives Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus to discuss Drug Courts and Veterans Treatment Courts. Judge Barrasse joined actor Matthew Perry in urging Congress to fund Drug Courts and Veterans Treatment Courts. Following the briefing he met with Representative Patrick Meehan (R-PA) to discuss Veterans Treatment Court legislation.
Prior to joining the bench, Judge Barrasse served three terms as District Attorney of Lackawanna County as well as serving as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Special Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and senior trial Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. Judge Barrasse is currently responsible for the Administration of the Criminal Docket and presides over several treatment court programs including Adult Drug Court, Family Dependency Treatment Court, DUI Court, Re-entry Court, Veterans Treatment Court, and Co-occurring Court. In addition, Judge Barrasse serves as a Judicial Fellow for the National Drug Court Institute, and helped develop the nation?s first Veterans Treatment Court training curriculum as part of the National Drug Court Institute?s Veterans Curriculum Committee. He is a past member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Advisory Board on Adult Treatment Courts and a past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Drug Court Professionals.
?The National Association of Drug Court Professionals is an outstanding organization that is truly changing the face of criminal justice in this country,? said Judge Barrasse. ?Drug Courts are the most effective criminal justice program for saving lives, saving money and cutting crime. In joining NADCP?s esteemed Board of Directors I look forward to continuing the effort to put a Drug Court within reach of every person in need.?
Drug Courts now number over 2,600 and are located in every U.S. state and territory, including over 60 programs in Pennsylvania. Nationally, Drug Courts have been demonstrated to reduce crime by up to 50% and save up to $ 27 for every $ 1 invested. Approximately 75% of Drug Court graduates remain arrest-free following completion of the program.
About National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP)
Drug Courts combine rigorous drug treatment and accountability to compel and support drug-using offenders to change their lives. After 22 years of innovation, there are now over 2,600 Drug Courts located in all 50 states. Since 1994, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), a non-profit organization 501 (c) (3) representing over 27,000 multidisciplinary justice professionals and community leaders, has worked tirelessly at the national, state and local level to create and enhance Drug Courts. NADCP and its professional services branch, the National Drug Court Institute, have directly trained 65,440 Drug Court professionals from all fifty states and U.S. territories as well as fourteen other countries. NADCP is recognized as the experts in the field of addiction and the criminal justice system. For more information, For more information, visit http://www.AllRise.org.
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Related Congress Press Releases
Written by admin on Thursday, December 29th, 2011 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Australia, Bank, Children, Couples, Expands, Help, Wanting, Women, WORLD
Melbourne, Australia (PRWEB) December 20, 2011
The CEO & Founder of The World Egg Bank, in Phoenix, Arizona meets with top fertility specialists in Australia to expand availability of fresh and frozen donor eggs for infertile women at the 14th World Congress on Human Reproduction in Melbourne, held earlier this month.
The four-day Congress hosted by the International Academy for Human Reproduction and the Fertility Society of Australia (FSA) attracted fertility specialists from around the world to discuss advancements in human reproduction, while considering the technical and ethical aspects of infertility and women?s health.
For three years, The World Egg Bank, the largest commercial fresh and frozen donor egg bank in the world has partnered with the Queensland Fertility Group in Brisbane as its sole provider. ?Frozen technology with eggs and embryos has improved vastly in the last five years. The Queensland Fertility Group has an outstanding record in helping women and couples experiencing infertility,? said Diana Thomas, CEO & Founder of The World Egg Bank. ?The Brisbane clinic is reporting a 50 percent pregnancy rate in using frozen eggs or embryos,? Thomas added.
Studies have shown pregnancy rates using frozen oocytes (eggs) were comparable to those of cryopreserved embryos and even fresh embryos. While specialists have been using frozen sperm for more than three decades, it?s only been in the last five years the techniques for thawing frozen eggs and embryos has become routine. Oocyte cryopreservation is used in women diagnosed with cancer who are undergoing treatment, infertile women, and those who want to preserve their eggs for future pregnancy.
Oocyte cryopreservation technology is advancing. In Melbourne, Thomas continued to strengthen TWEB?s collaboration with Queensland Fertility Group while establishing new relationships and expanding availability of donor eggs into Australia.
?We are helping women in Australia whose only remaining hope to conceive a child is with donor eggs. There is a five-year wait for egg donors so to say there is a need is an understatement. We are going to meet this need,? added Thomas.
In Australia and in Europe women do not get paid for donating their eggs. In the U.S. women are compensated between $ 3,500 and $ 5,000 dollars for their eggs.
Thomas is strengthening her connections in Europe and in the US. Earlier this year, Thomas met with experts in human reproduction research at the 27th Annual European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology Conference in Stockholm, Sweden and the 67th Annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine Conference in Orlando, Florida.
TWEB also ships eggs to the United Kingdom and is finalizing a partnership with a fertility clinic in Ireland.
Once a fertility clinic partners with The World Egg Bank, its scientific director provides a complimentary demonstration of the state-of-the-art thawing technology in each new clinic?s laboratory to enhance the lab technicians existing skills. ?This results in achieving the best possible outcomes for their patients,? said Thomas.
Since it?s inception in 1997, The World Egg Bank has operated as a leading donor agency across the US and Canada, and remains one of the longest operating donor agencies in the country today. The World Egg Bank is at the forefront of scientific expertise with the oversight of a Scientific Board comprised of world-renowned fertility pioneers.
For those faced with infertility, The World Egg Bank strives to make building a family a simple reality.
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Written by admin on Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 ( Start discussion )
Tags: $890000, 2011, Abbott, Alerts, Congress, Consumer, Depakote, FOUNDATION, Justice, Laboratories', Lobbying, Manufacturer, Public, Quarter, Spending, Third
(PRWEB) December 19, 2011
The Consumer Justice Foundation, a for-profit corporation that is comprised of a team of professional consumer advocates who advise and alert the public by way of free online resources with regards to the dangers of certain prescription medications, hereby alert the public of a CNBC report that detailed the funds Abbott Laboratories, the manufacturer of Depakote, spent on lobbying during the third quarter of 2011.
Specifically, the CNBC report stated that Abbott Laboratories spent $ 890,000 on lobbying costs during the third quarter of 2011, and this money was spent backing positions that Abbott Laboratories favored in terms of public policy. Examples of the polices backed by Abbott Laboratories in the report included being against a law that would make it easier for Americans to import less expensive medications from Canada, supporting a provision that would introduce a fee-based system with the FDA?s approval arm that would make the approval of prescription medications occur more quickly and continued lobbying on the implementation of the health care reform law.
This $ 890,000 spent on lobbying represents an increase of 78 percent from the $ 500,000 that the company spent on lobbying in the third quarter and a two percent decrease from the $ 910,000 the company spent on lobbying during the third quarter of 2010. As stated above, Abbott Laboratories is the manufacturer of several medications including Depakote, and the CNBC report also indicated that the problems associated with Depakote side effects and other medications have led the company to spin off a separate division that has yet to be named that will specifically handle pharmaceutical medications.
About the Consumer Justice Foundation
The Consumer Justice Foundation, whose Web site is located at http://www.consumerjusticefoundation.com, is a public resource that’s been built and maintained by a group of concerned professionals who want to provide general information for consumers regarding the potential dangers involved with the use of Depakote while pregnant. This resource is not to be considered as medical or legal advice, which should only be dispensed by a licensed medical doctor or a Depakote lawyer.
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Written by admin on Saturday, December 24th, 2011 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Announces, Highlights, Olympic, Week
(PRWEB) December 16, 2011
IOC ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT
This week in Vidy, IOC President Jacques Rogge has met:
IOC member Ching-Kuo Wu;
G. Nicolas Hayek Jr, CEO of Swatch Group, accompanied by Swiss Timing CEO Eckhard Frank and Director General Christophe Berthaud;
World Squash Federation (WSF) President N. Ramachandran;
a delegation from the NOC of Ghana, led by its President, Francis Dodoo;
World Karate Federation (WKF) President Antonio Espinos; and
Deputy Mayor of Shanghai Zhao Wen.
Also this week he attended the traditional meeting with the City of Lausanne representatives and Lausanne?s sports leaders.
This weekend, the IOC President will be in Athens (Greece), where he will take part in the ceremony to light the flame of the Innsbruck Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Next week, President Rogge will be made an Officer of the Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, at a ceremony organised at the Elysée Palace in Paris.
INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has announced the details of its plans to celebrate its centenary next year. Indeed, the IAAF, which was created in Stockholm (Sweden) two days after the Closing Ceremony of the 1912 Olympic Games, will be 100 years old on 17 July next year. A Centenary Working Group has been set up, headed by IAAF Council member Helmut Digel. The activities/events include publishing a book, running an exhibition, broadcasting a TV series, organising a World Congress on School and Youth Athletics and establishing an IAAF Hall of Fame.
Venezuela and Turkey will host the World Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for the London 2012 basketball competitions. The decision was taken by the Central Board of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) at its recent meeting in Madrid (Spain). From 2 to 8 July 2012, Caracas, Venezuela, will host the 12 men?s teams vying for the last three Olympic places. The previous week, from 25 June to 1 July, in the Turkish capital of Ankara, 12 women?s teams will battle for the five remaining places for London.
Australia?s Jamie Dwyer has been honoured by his fellow hockey players who named him ?Player of the Year 2011? of the International Hockey Federation (FIH). His compatriot Matthew Swann won the Young Player award. They received their prizes at the Owen G. Glenn FIH Champions Trophy in Auckland (New Zealand) from FIH President Leandro Negre. The winners of the women?s Player of the Year awards will be announced at the Argentine Champions Trophy, which will be held in Rosario between 28 January and 5 February 2012. The 2011 FIH All-Star teams will be decided by public vote on the FIH web site between 12 and 21 December.
At the Judo Grand Slam organised recently in Tokyo (Japan), the President of the International Judo Federation (IJF), Marius L. Vizer, and the President of the French Judo Federation, Jean-Luc Rouge, presented donation cheques offered by their Federations to the three Japanese provinces most affected by last March?s earthquake: Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi. The donations will be used to support the re-development of judo in the affected areas.
The best nine Athletes of the Year 2011 have been selected by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in its five aquatic disciplines. After collecting votes from the FINA?s 202 national member federations, media and aquatic experts, the list of the best athletes has been published. They are: for swimming, Ryan Lochte (USA) and Melissa Franklin (USA); for diving, Qiu Bo (China) and Wu Minxia (China); for water polo, Filip Filipovic (Serbia) and Alexandra Asimaki (Greece); for synchronised swimming, Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina (Russia); and for open water swimming, Thomas Lurz (Germany) and Keri-Anne Payne (Great Britain).
The International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) Executive Board has awarded the 2016 Senior World Championships to Moscow (Russian Federation), which successfully organised the 2011 edition. The Argentine city of Buenos Aires will host the Centenary (64th) UIPM Congress from 18 to 21 October 2012. In addition, at its 63rd Congress, the UIPM approved the proposed ?No Needle Policy?, which comes into force immediately. The UIPM thus joins other IFs and the IOC in enforcing this policy for the London 2012 Games, aiming to limit athletes? use of syringes or any other medical equipment that could potentially be used for doping purposes.
Bernard Lapasset has been re-elected as Chairman of the International Rugby Board (IRB) for a second consecutive term until 2016. The IRB Council, which recently met in Los Angeles (USA), also elected South African Rugby Union President Oregan Hoskins as Vice-Chairman. Lapasset and Hoskins will begin their tenures on 1 January 2012.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced that Serbian Novak Djokovic and Czech Petra Kvitova have been named 2011 ITF World Champions. Bob and Mike Bryan (USA) have been named Men?s Doubles World Champions for the eighth time, while Kveta Peschke (Czech Republic) and Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) have become Women?s Doubles World Champions for the first time. The Czech Republic?s Jiri Vesely and Russia?s Irina Khromacheva won the Junior titles; and Dutch duo Esther Vergeer and Maikel Scheffers won in the wheelchair category. The trophies will be presented at the World Champions Dinner on 5 June 2012, during the French Open in Paris.
The World Archery Federation (FITA) has announced the re-launch of its online shop. New products, a new design with simplified processes and a new customer service are among the improvements made at the website.
The International Triathlon Union (ITU) has become a member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The IF?s affiliation was ratified at the 15th IPC General Assembly in Beijing (People?s Republic of China) (see also ?Recognised Organisations?) last weekend. Paratriathlon has been included in the programme of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Some 35 sports leaders from the Dominican provinces of San Juan de la Maguana, Elías Piña and Las Matas de Farfán took part in a sports administration course organised recently by the Dominican NOC?s sports academy in the framework of Olympic Solidarity. During the four days of the course, 26 themes were addressed, such as the bases of the Olympic Movement, time management, using prohibited substances in sport, team selection, and organising an Olympic mission.
The Lithuanian NOC has informed us that a silver coin worth 50 litas has recently been struck for the London 2012 Games. This is the fifth in a series of commemorative coins. The obverse of the coin features a representation of yachting and sails. Lithuania?s Gintare Volungeviciute won the silver medal in the laser radial class at the Beijing 2008 Games. The coin was presented in the presence of NOC President Arturas Poviliunas and Secretary General Vytautas Zubernis.
A few weeks ago in Lima, the Peruvian NOC organised the Latin-American ?Peace and Sport? Forum, under the auspices of the IOC, and with the support of the municipality of Miraflores. The Forum was opened by the Minister for Education, Patricia Salas. A message from President Rogge was read by IOC member Iván Dibos. Representatives of 12 countries in the region drafted a declaration that underlined the most important points resulting from the three-day meeting. These included the right to sport for all, integration through sport, strengthening women?s participation in the Olympic sphere, and establishing physical education in schools and universities.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
At its 15th General Assembly, held last week in Beijing, the IPC awarded the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships to the French city of Lyon. The event will run from 20 to 29 July and is expected to draw 2,000 athletes and officials from 118 countries. Also in Beijing, at the Paralympic Awards Gala, the IPC honoured the top (male and female) athletes, best team, best Games debut, most exemplary official, and the best media (written, photography and broadcast) coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Order was awarded to four people in recognition of their important contribution to the Paralympic Movement.
For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000
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