Tomra Systems ASA: Extended agreement with COOP Trading

June 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

COOP Trading has extended the agreement with Tomra Nordic to also include Finland. The
agreement now covers reverse vending systems, service agreements and other services in
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Estonia. All machines can have donation
functionality, where the deposit can be donated to charity. This functionality making
the recycling experience more exciting for the consumer, which again will improve
customer store-traffic.

For further information please contact CEO Stefan Ranstrand, mobile +47 97 47 72 70.

Asker, 1 June 2010
Tomra Systems ASA

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Why consumers feel confident about some choices

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 19 (ANI): The confidence of consumers when making a choice depends on how easy the choice seems and whether the person making the choice is thinking concretely or abstractly, according to experts.

Claire I. Tsai from University of Toronto and Ann L. McGill from University of Chicago, the authors of the study, insist that abstract thinking and concrete thinking determine the theory consumers adopt to interpret their subjective experiences.

They wrote: “We found that subjective feelings of ease experienced during judgments (e.g., choosing a digital camera, art, movie, or charity) can increase or decrease consumers” confidence in their choice and the amount of donation depending on whether consumers are thinking, respectively, concretely or abstractly.

“Consider, for example, the feeling of difficulty one experiences when studying for an exam. The subjective experience of difficulty can lead to a feeling of high confidence, providing this difficulty is interpreted as effort put forth to ensure a good grade. On the other hand, the same subjective experience can lead to feeling very low confidence about the grade, if processing difficulty is interpreted as inability to process the study materials.”

The authors conducted three experiments using a sample of 750 participants. They tested a variety of product categories: electronic products, art, movies, and charitable giving. They manipulated ease of processing by varying the clarity of print advertisements or the number of thoughts participants were asked to generate to explain their choices. In addition, they manipulated abstract and concrete thinking by asking participants to consider issues that weren”t related to the product categories.

The experts added: “Specifically, we induced abstract thinking (or concrete thinking) by asking participants to focus on the why (or how) aspects of an event.

“As predicted, we found that when consumers are thinking more concretely and focusing on details of product information, ease of processing-making a choice based on a clear ad or a few reasons-increases confidence.

“Difficulty of processing-making a choice based on a blurry ad or having to generate many reasons to explain one”s choice-decreases confidence.”

The study has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research. (ANI)

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Novice climber becomes youngest Brit woman to conquer Mt Everest

May 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 18 (ANI): Bonita Norris, a 22-year-old woman, has become the youngest British female to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

The adventurer said it was a “crazy” dream to climb the world’s highest mountain.

“One morning, in 2008, I woke up with a crazy idea – the kind of idea you dismiss as a pipe dream,” Sky News quoted her as stating on her website.

She added: “The kind of idea that you feel embarrassed to have even considered yourself able to put into action.

“But it stuck – my idea was to climb Everest in its spring season of 2010, and raise a shed load of cash for charity along the way.”

Norris had teamed with British mountaineer Kenton Cool, 36, for the climb.

Also, Cool set a new British record by climbing Everest eight times.

A statement issued on behalf of Cool said he had now reached the summit of Mount Everest four times more than the next most successful Briton.

The climber, from Fairford, Gloucestershire, relayed a message from the summit saying: “I love Everest.

“To have summited once was mildy insane, to have summited for an eighth time is utter madness. Why eight times? Why not.” (ANI)

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Kate Hudson to be Almay’s new face

May 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New York, May 14 (ANI): Kate Hudson has been roped in as the new face of cosmetics brand Almay.

The actress follows the likes of celebrity faces Leslie Bibb and Elaine Irwin Mellencamp, who have modelled for the brand.

Hudson, who will appear in TV and print ads for the label beginning in August, will celebrate her contract tonight at the Rainforest Fund benefit concert at Carnegie Hall.

Sting, Elton John, Mary J. Blige, Debbie Harry and Dame Shirley Bassey are among those expected to perform, reports the New York Post.

Sting and Trudie Styler launched the charity in 1989. (ANI)

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Fruits, vegetables ‘can cut child cancer risk’

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 10 (ANI): Children must eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of cancer in later life, a charity has said.

The latest published Health Survey for England (HSE) for 2008 suggested that four in five children are not eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.

Now the World Cancer Research Fund has warned that this could lead to an increased risk of them developing cancer in later life.

“The fact that only a fifth of children are getting enough fruit and vegetables is a concern because it is important that we encourage children to get into healthy habits as early in life as possible,” the Daily Express quoted Nathalie Winn, nutritionist for the WCRF, as saying.

“This is because scientific research shows that eating a plant-based diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains and pulses probably reduces the risk of a number of types of cancer later in life,” Winn added.

Ahead of its annual Fruity Friday campaign, the WCRF is highlighting the importance of a good diet.

The research shows that, on average, boys aged five to 15 eat 3.1 portions of fruit and vegetables while girls have 3.3 portions a day, according to the Health Survey for England 2008.

It even showed that one in 14 boys and one in 25 girls did not eat any fruit or vegetables at all on the day of the survey. (ANI)

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Country musicians support CF project

May 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mogo Zoo on the New South Wales Far South Coast was treated to a night of country music at the weekend, to raise funds for the Red Rose House Project.

It has taken locals five years to build the house at Malua Bay, relying on materials, money and labour donated by the community.

When the house is sold, the proceeds will be donated to Cystic Fibrosis Australia.

Musicians from Bargo and Merimbula joined forces on Saturday to support the initiative.

Organiser Michael Skuse says the project will benefit from the length of time it has taken to complete.

“The market was a bit tough in the last couple of years, and we made a decision that that wouldn’t be the best time to finish it and sell it,” he said.

“If we can sell it for another $50 000 in a better market condition, that’s all going to the charity.”

For more, go to the South East News blog at http://bit.ly/dgL1SN

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Macca admits small gigs make him nervous

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 03 (ANI): Sir Paul McCartney has admitted that he still gets butterflies in his stomach – when he plays in small venues.

The former Beatle says that playing in front of a large audience doesn’t bother him but it’s the more intimate gigs that still make him nervous, reports the Telegraph.

Sir Paul – due to play the Hard Rock Calling event in Hyde Park, as well as the Isle Of Wight Festival in June said in an interview with Absolute Radio:

””I”ll tell you what does get me nervous, when you”re playing to small groups of people. If it”s at all kind of corporate – so in other words, charity dos – you don”t know who you”ve got in the audience.

“It can be people who really don”t like rock and roll, and you”re sitting there going ”Yeah, we”re going to have a great time tonight” and they”re just chatting to each other.

””You know, ”Well I think that was a great deal, how”s your bank?’ I sort of turn round to the band and give a look which says ”We”re working, we”re going to have to work this one, you know, there”s no relaxing”.””

Sir Paul told DJ Geoff Lloyd that he once almost gave up before Beatles were due to play at the NME pollwinners concert in the 1960s, but now he has no such problem with massive shows.

””I don”t get that kind of nervous, because if the tickets sell really well, you get an idea that these people really want to come and see you. And I kind of feel that about the people who come and see me, we”re sort of mates. We get this kind of thing going, so I don”t feel too bad.”” (ANI)

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Flower can boost efficiency of anti-cancer drugs by one million times

April 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 29 (ANI): An extract from the white bloom can boost the efficiency of anti-cancer drugs by one million times, claim scientists.

According to experts working for Leukaemia Busters, molecules from Gypsophila Paniculata – commonly known as Baby”s Breath – appeared in trials to break down the membrane of deadly cancer cells.

This makes it far easier for antibody-based drugs to attack the cancer itself, reports The Sun.

The Southampton-based charity was set up by Dr David Flavell and his wife Bee.

Dr Flavell said yesterday: “This could truly revolutionise the way these antibody-based drugs work and it will save lives. And there is a really big possibility this can be used for many cancers.”

Scientists are now preparing for clinical trials. (ANI)

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British woman doctor becomes first and youngest to walk to North Pole

April 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr.26 (ANI): A British woman doctor has become the first and the youngest to walk 500 miles to the North Pole.

Twenty-seven-year-old Amelia Russell and her boyfriend Dan Darley, 34, walked 500 miles in 58 days from Resolute Bay in Canada in aid of the charity Help for Heroes, The Telegraph reports.

Russell completed the trip despite dislocating her shoulder twice during the expedition and resetting it herself.

The couple dragged two sleds carrying food fuel and equipment weighing around 300kg and without the aid of dogs or kites in temperatures of around -40 degrees.

Speaking after arriving at the North Pole on Sunday she said they had to endure temperatures as low as -50C.

“It””s been an extremely difficult and challenging expedition but there””s a huge sense of satisfaction in having got through it. It””s a had a huge physical and mental impact on both of us.” (ANI)

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Belgian bishop resigns over abuse of boy

April 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A Belgian Catholic bishop resigned on Friday after admitting he had sexually abused a boy when in charge of the diocese of Bruges.

“When I was still a simple priest, and for a while when I began as a bishop, I sexually abused a boy in my close entourage,” the bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, said in a statement issued at a news conference in Brussels.

“I profoundly regret what I have done and I present my sincerest apology to the victim, his family, the Catholic community and society in general,” said the 73-year-old.

The abuse took place more than 20 years ago. It was not clear how old the boy was when the abuse began or how long it lasted.

Vangheluwe stepped down after a person close to the victim complained to the church. His is the first such case in Belgium, although a church commission said it was investigating about 20 other cases involving sex abuse allegations.

Hundreds of instances of abuse by clergymen have come to light in Europe and the United States in the last month as disclosures encouraged victims to go public with their allegations.

Vangheluwe was born in the western town of Roeselare and was ordained as a priest in Bruges at the age of 26. He was appointed bishop of the historic city aged 48, a role he held for 25 years until his resignation on Friday.

Vangheluwe had a high profile at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, one of Belgium’s leading universities, where he often delivered a homily at the beginning of the academic year. He also sat on the steering committee of a local charity.

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Man hopes to break record by spending 4 months with poisonous snakes!

April 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, April 17 (ANI): A carpenter from Sussex is eyeing a world record by spending four months in a room with poisonous snakes.

David Jones, 44, from Crawley will take a shot at the risky daredevilry in Johannesburg from April 24. The duration to attempt to break the record will be of 121 days, reports Sky News.

The snakes will include snouted cobras, green and black mambas, deadly puff adders and boomslangs.

He told Five News” Jason Farrell why he”s decided to take the risk.

“I wanted to challenge myself, and I also wanted to raise some money for charity,” he told Five News.

The current world record rests with Martin Smith of South Africa who had spent 113 day with the poisonous snakes in the room.

But Jones differs from Martin a.k.a. Mad Martin as he is a trained snake handler whereas Jones is an amateur. (ANI)

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Man charged over Salvos depot fire

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A man has been charged over a fire which destroyed a Salvation Army depot at North Parramatta in Sydney’s west.

The 29 year old from Toongabbie was arrested at a nearby car dealership shortly after the fire began and has now been charged with malicious damage by fire, as well as break, enter and steal.

The man is due to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.

Seventy firefighters from 15 stations spent more than two hours putting out the blaze at the charity’s two-storey North Parramatta store in western Sydney this morning.

Surrounding factories were evacuated and bus services diverted away from Church Street, but no-one was inside the Salvation Army building at the time of the blaze and there were no injuries.

The Salvation Army’s western Sydney area manager, Ted Greenaway, says the charity had planned to leave the shop for bigger premises in the next couple of months and the fire will hit the charity hard financially.

More than $100,000 worth of goods destined for needy families were lost in the blaze, and Mr Greenaway says the Salvos will have to pay the first $100,000 of any insurance claim plus other costs.

He says the fire has devastated staff.

“It’s really set us back in terms of moving to the new shop,” Mr Greenaway said.

“I’ve told all the staff to go home and take a few days off, come back next week maybe and we’ll take it from there.”

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Millions ‘wasted’ on payroll system that doesn’t work

April 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Queensland Opposition says the State Government wasted millions of dollars on a new payroll system that does not work.

The Queensland Health system is being blamed for some staff being underpaid, or not paid at all, for the past two pay periods.

Staff at the Royal Brisbane Hospital were sent an email with phone numbers for charities.

Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek says it is not good enough.

“This is something the Government, having spent millions and millions of dollars on trying to have a coordinated payroll scheme, clearly have failed at this,” he said.

“If they can’t pay their nurses and their police correctly, as we’ve seen over the last few weeks, what else can they not get right?”

Queensland Health has apologised for the pay bungle and says staff will be reimbursed.

Health Minister Paul Lucas says staff who have been underpaid should not have been referred to charities for help.

Mr Lucas says he wants the pay problems fixed immediately.

“It is not on to suggest that if someone is not paid correctly they go and seek charity,” he said.

The Australian Services Union has gone to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission asking for more resources for payroll staff so they can fix the problems.

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Muslim Aid’s links to banned terror organisations being probed

April 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr. 4 (ANI): A widely acclaimed British Muslim charity is being probed by the Charity Commission for allegedly channelling hundreds of thousands of pounds to a banned terrorist organisation.

According to its accounts, the Muslim Aid paid 325,000 pounds to the Islamic University of Gaza, where leading Hamas figures teach, and 13,998 pounds to the al-Ihsan Charitable Society, which is described by the US government as a “sponsor of terrorism” and a front for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group.

Security sources said that Muslim Aid has helped channel a further 210,600 pounds to six other Hamas-linked organisations in the Gaza Strip since July 2009.

“We take very seriously allegations of links between charities and terrorist activity, and consider funding of terrorist organisations to be a ‘zero tolerance’ issue,” The Telegraph quoted the Charity Commission, as saying.

“The Commission has opened an investigation into Muslim Aid in light of these allegations and is working with the charity to address the issues raised,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Aid has refused to deny these claims.

The group, banned from the West Bank by the Israeli Government, has been praised by Prince Charles and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for its “valuable work”.

“I wish the Muslim Aid and its passionate and committed staff and supporters the very best for another 25 years of achievement,” Brown said in a video address to Muslim Aid’s 25th anniversary last month.

The Prince also sent a message saying that “our country is incredibly fortunate to be able to count on organisations like Muslim Aid, who bring not only help, but hope to those most in need”. (ANI)

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Movie Stars Help Father Maurice Chase on Easter Sunday

April 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Father Maurice Chase, Los Angeles Catholic priest, former Assistant to the
President of Loyola Marymount University, and Skid Row activist, will give out
on Easter Sunday, $15,000 in one dollar bills to the poor and homeless on LA’s
Skid Row.

The free money will be handed out at The Salvation Army Mission (1 block from
the Fred Jordan Mission) at 5th and Stanford Streets beginning at 8:00 a.m., on
Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010.

The Easter gifts will be given to the poor and homeless, larger amounts to
mothers with children. 20 one hundred dollar bills will be given to the poorest
and very neediest.

The Skid Row ministry is financially supported by Mrs. Bob Hope, Mrs. Frank
Sinatra, Bob Newhart, Eli Broad, Michael King, Vin Scully and many others.

Father Maurice Chase of the Skid Row Charity Fund can be contacted at (310)
839-0023. He is available mostly in the mornings.

Skid Row Charity Fund
Father Maurice Chase, 310-839-0023

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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Snoop Dogg’s U.K ban lifted

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, March 30(ANI): Snoop Dogg has thanked U.K. immigration officials for helping overturn his visa ban.

The ‘Beautiful’ hitmaker said he was grateful to two senior immigration judges who ruled against border authorities.

“As we speak I”ve been reinstated and I”m on my way back to the U.K. so I wanna give a shout out to all the beautiful people who allowed me to come back,” the Daily Star quoted him as telling U.S host Larry King.

Border officials had arrested the rapper following a brawl at Heathrow Airport in 2006.

Authorities later denied him entry in 2007 branding him a threat, referring to his prior drug and firearms offences.

However, Snoop Dogg, real name Calvin Broadus, challenged the decision in court.

His lawyers appealed for repealing the ban emphasizing on his charity and community work as a high school football coach at an Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in February (10).

Now, the tribunal has decided to end the ban. (ANI)

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Charity sinks ferry purchase plan

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Sale Rotary Club has decided not to buy a paddleboat from Ballarat after receiving a marine surveyor’s report.

The club was considering buying the Begonia Princess ferry to operate from the port of Sale.

But spokesman Alan Lewis says the boat has been grounded since 2002 and regulations to register boats with the marine board have changed since then.

“Regulations with respect to survey of boats have changed and there was some doubt expressed whether – even if we did refurbish it – we could in fact get it back into survey,” he said.

“In light of that we considered it inappropriate to proceed.”

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Bikers saddle up for 350km charity trek

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A group of 150 motorbike riders will travel from Townsville to Cairns in far north Queensland tomorrow to raise money for cystic fibrosis.

Justin Redfern, from the Bike Crazy Queensland club, says the idea for the 350 kilometre event came from a member who has a nephew with the condition.

He says the riders are aiming to raise more than $5,000 along the way.

“Everyone seems to have heard of the problem of cystic fibrosis but education is very limited, so a lot of people don’t know exactly what it entails and how hard the disease is to live with,” he said.

“It’s very important for us to try and raise awareness and funds for research to try and help the sufferers of cystic fibrosis.

“One of our riders says he will wear a ‘mankini’ from Townsville to Cairns on his motorcycle, nothing but a mankini, and there is sponsorship, people are sponsoring him per kilometre that he actually rides in this attire.

“It’s a very interesting, but good way to raise some funds.”

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Sienna Miller in Robin Hood-style tax campaign

March 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, March 24 (ANI): British actress Sienna Miller has become the face of a new Robin Hood-style drive to tax the banking system.

The ad campaign for Oxfam witnesses the 28-year-old Miller donning a green mask.

“It is time for the Government to be like Robin Hood. This could be the world’s first popular tax,” the Daily Star quoted the charity’s Max Lawson, as saying. (ANI)

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