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Recession causes 2,000 heart attack deaths

Recession causes 2,000 heart attack deaths

Since 2002 the number of people dying from heart attacks in England has dropped by half, the study conducted by Oxford University found. B...

News International offices searched as four more men are arrested

Four men, including a serving police officer, have been arrested in connection with Scotland Yard's investigation into payments to police officers by journalists. Police are also carrying out searches of the News International offices in Wapping, east London, and the homes of the four people. A 29-year-old serving police officer was arrested at his place of work in central London on suspicion of corruption and misconduct in public office. The officer, of the Met's territorial policing unit, is the second police officer to be arrested under the Operation Elveden investigation. A 48-year-old man and a 56-year-old man were arrested at their homes in Essex. Another man, aged 48, was held at his home in north London. All three were arrested on suspicion of corruption and aiding and abetting misconduct in public office. Scotland Yard said the arrests were made following information provided by News Corp's own investigation team. Rupert Murdoch set up the management and standards committee in July following the escalation of the phone-hacking scandal. According to well-placed sources, it has been conducting a forensic analysis of payments by all journalists between 2000 and 2006. A statement from the Met police said: "The arrests were made between 06.00 and 08.00 by officers from Operation Elveden, the MPS [Metropolitan police service] investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to police. "The home addresses of those arrested are currently being searched, and officers are also carrying out a number of searches at the offices of News International in Wapping, east London. These searches are expected to conclude this afternoon. "Today's operation is the result of information provided to police by News Corporation's management and standards committee. It relates to suspected payments to police officers and is not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately." All four men were being questioned at police stations in Essex and London, police said. Twelve people have so far been arrested under Operation Elveden. The operation is being supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and is being run in conjunction with Operation Weeting, the MPS inquiry into the phone hacking of voicemail boxes. It was launched after officers were handed documents suggesting that News International journalists made illegal payments to police officers. Others questioned as part of the inquiry include the former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, the ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson, the former News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner, the paper's former royal editor Clive Goodman, the former News of the World crime editor Lucy Panton and the Sun district editor, Jamie Pyatt. Brooks and Coulson are both former editors of the News of the World, which was closed in July at the height of the hacking scandal following revelations that the murdered teenager Milly Dowler's phone was hacked. Deborah Glass, the deputy chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, said: "It will be clear from today's events that this investigation is following the evidence. "I am satisfied with the strenuous efforts being made by this investigation to identify police officers who may have taken corrupt payments, and I believe the results will speak for themselves."

News International offices searched as four more men are arrested

Four men, including a serving police officer, have been arrested in connection with Scotland Yard's investigation into payments to pol...

A grisly event in South East Asia highlights the region's developing meth-driven drug war

The Mekong River in Thailand Photo via By Jed Bickman 10/11/11 | Share Uppers Rock the World New Life for Asia’s Golden Triangle China Unveils Radical New Approach to Drug Treatment Vietnam's Rehab Gulag Revealed Spinning to Cambodia! In one of the grisliest incidents of the drug war in South East Asia in recent memory, the corpses of thirteen Chinese sailors have been found by Thai authorities on the Mekong River. The victims, including two female cooks, were blindfolded, bound, and shot dead. They're believed to be the crew members of two Chinese cargo ships that were hijacked last week by Thai drug gangs—the boats were recaptured in a firefight with Thai police and 950,000 methamphetamine pills were discovered on board. It's unclear whether the meth was loaded onto the boats by the Thai gangs, or whether it was already being shipped from China. Thai military officials blame a drug trafficking ring led by 40-year-old kingpin Nor Kham—who operates out of northeast Burma and is a wanted man in both Burma and Thailand—for the attacks. Authorities speculate that the Chinese ships neglected to hand over protection money and paid the price. The Chinese government has reacted defensively, suspending cargo and passenger trips along the Mekong river. The region along the border of Burma, Laos, and Thailand—known as the “golden triangle”—is the center of methamphetamine production in Asia, although China has also produced vast amounts of meth since the 1990s. Ephedrine, the base of methamphetamine, is derived from a native Chinese herb—“mao,” AKA "yaba"—which has an important role in Chinese medicine. The UN estimates there are between 3.5 million and 20 million methamphetamine users in South East Asia: such a broad range only serves to illustrate how badly understood the problem is. In 2009, countries in South East Asia collectively reported a 250% jump in methamphetamine arrests, as well as an increasing trend of injecting methamphetamine, which leads to a corresponding jump in HIV and other diseases among users.

A grisly event in South East Asia highlights the region's developing meth-driven drug war

The Mekong River in Thailand Photo via By Jed Bickman 10/11/11 | Share Uppers Rock the World New Life for Asia’s Golden Triangle China Unv...

Arrested businessman had ‘double life’

A MAN, 36, was arrested in Albacete, southeast Spain, accused of the abduction and rape of several women. In Albacete, he was a respected businessman, with a wife and children, but in Madrid, he was wanted for the abduction of one woman, raping another and several robberies. His criminal ‘other life’ allegedly began in 2010 when he began to carry out burglaries when on business trips, mainly to obtain jewellery and cash, although he also kept ‘trophies’ from his victims. With time, he began to commit other crimes and in October he allegedly pointed a gun at a woman in the Chamartin district and kept her captive for 12 hours, threatening her to obtain her credit card numbers and sexually abusing her before letting her go. In November, wearing a balaclava he approached a woman at Barajas Airport, threatening her with a gun and forcing her into the boot of a car. She was able to alert a colleague and her husband with her mobile phone, and was rescued in the Madrid area of Torrejon de Ardoz. The attacker escaped but left behind a shotgun, an airgun and a machete. He was traced to a farmhouse he used to carry out his criminal activity which was guarded by six dogs. Police are now studying the ‘trophies’ he took to determine whether he was involved in other crimes. He has been remanded to prison charged with rape, illegal detention, robbery, illegal weapons possession, causing bodily harm and car theft. On the way to prison, he attempted to escape but was caught by police.

Arrested businessman had ‘double life’

A MAN, 36, was arrested in Albacete, southeast Spain, accused of the abduction and rape of several women. In Albacete, he was a respected ...

northern Spain is the place to go

Spain ranks as one of the most mountainous countries in Europe because – and this isn't obvious – the heart of the country sits on a huge plateau. Madrid is 2,100ft above sea level (which explains why the Spanish capital is so cold in the winter and roasting-hot in the summer).<div class="relatedItemsTopBorder" style="min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"></div> But for impressive mountains, northern Spain is the place to go. If you're arriving here direct from the UK with Brittany Ferries – when you can bring your car to explore the region far and wide – the first thing to strike you as you approach the coast is the range of huge mountains that rears up behind the port of Santander.The snow-capped peaks you're looking at are the Picos de Europa, one of the wildest and most unspoilt regions of Europe – superb walking country and a wonderful place for spotting wildlife.Bears and wolves are said to roam here still, and you will almost certainly spot eagles soaring high in the sky. It's 'secret Spain', a holiday place far from the madding crowds of Benidorm or Torremolinos.Here the accent is on a gentler-paced rural way of life. This is a Big Country in lots of ways – the coast, which runs from the French border in the east to the frontier with northern Portugal in the west – covers a distance of some 500 miles.The northern provinces include some of the country's most historic places: Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Pais Vasco (Basque Country).<div class="artSplitter" style="min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><img alt="San Sebastian" class="blkBorder" height="425" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/17/article-2087943-0F06706200000578-776_634x425.jpg" style="border-image: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 1px solid black;" width="634" />Saints alive: San Sebastian can boast beaches - such as Concha Beach - every bit as inviting as the southern Costas</div>Together they make up what is known as Green Spain – green thanks to the large amounts of year-round rain. Unlike southern Spain, where good, unspoilt beaches are at a premium, along the northern coast you'll find endless stretches of long sandy ones, many of them hidden down coastal valleys of the sort familiar to anyone who has holidayed in Cornwall.And inland, you'll be seduced by sweet countryside – small villages with traditional farms on green rolling hills flanked by mist-covered mountains. These are places steeped in Celtic tradition where the local version of the bagpipes provides a soundtrack to festivities, which are further enlivened by the region's potent cider and strong-smelling cheeses.Northern Spain is also great wine country. This part of the country is, after all, home to the famous rioja grape variety. Rain in Spain actually falls mainly in the north and this helps produce some of the world's finest grapes – Professor Higgins would no doubt have been delighted.Here are my five tips for a great holiday in northern Spain...<h2 style="min-height: 1px; font-size: 1em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">1. Paradors</h2>The Spanish paradors are hotels offering good accommodation, most in buildings of historic or architectural interest, including former castles, palaces, fortresses, convents and monasteries.Ones particularly worth seeking out in northern Spain include the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos in Santiago de Compostela – the finishing point for those who walk the Pilgrim's Way across northern Spain – and the popular Hostal San Marcos in Leon.<h2 style="min-height: 1px; font-size: 1em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">2. Seaside delights</h2>In Santander, the seaside has a delightful Edwardian feel. Further along the coast to the east is San Sebastian, which has a Victorian elegance (it has been a favourite summer-escape destination for the Spanish royal family). All along the coast are a huge variety of small towns and fishing villages with great beaches (many with excellent surfing), lovely restaurants and good-value accommodation.<h2 style="min-height: 1px; font-size: 1em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">3. Great attractions</h2>Bilbao has its own extraordinary outpost of the Guggenheim Museum; Santiago de Compostela boasts a cathedral with relics of St James; in the province of Cantabria you'll find arguably the best collection of cave paintings in the whole of Europe, with more than 50 sites, including some of enormous artistic quality and historical importance. They include Altamira, famous for paintings of boars, bison, deer and horses dating from the end of the Ice Age.<h2 style="min-height: 1px; font-size: 1em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">4. Take the train</h2>Catch the FEVE narrow-gauge railway, one of the most spectacular lines in Europe. It runs along the coast between Bilbao in the east and El Ferrol in the west, travelling over dramatic viaducts and offering stunning views of the coast. The fares are cheap and travellers can jump off the train at picturesque bays and fishing ports.<div class="artSplitter" style="min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><img alt="Altamira cave" class="blkBorder" height="712" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/17/article-2087943-0F066F6200000578-415_634x712.jpg" style="border-image: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 1px solid black;" width="634" />A load of old bull: Ancient paintings adorn the Altamira cave near Santander</div><h2 style="min-height: 1px; font-size: 1em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">5. Wonderful history</h2>Discover cities that have fascinating historical connections with the UK.Charles Wolfe's The Burial Of Sir John Moore After Corunna used to be a poem that British school children learnt by heart: 'Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, As his corpse to the rampart we hurried; Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot O'er the grave where our hero we buried…'Nowadays Corunna is known as A Coruña. The city is a perfect short-break destination in its own right with great hotels and plenty of good restaurants and bars.<h2 style="min-height: 1px; font-size: 1em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Travel Facts </h2>Brittany Ferries (<span class="skype_pnh_container" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; border-image: initial !important; border-collapse: separate !important; bottom: auto !important; clear: none !important; clip: auto !important; cursor: pointer !important; direction: ltr !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; left: auto !important; letter-spacing: 0px !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-position: outside !important; list-style-type: disc !important; overflow-x: hidden !important; overflow-y: hidden !important; page-break-after: auto !important; page-break-before: auto !important; page-break-inside: auto !important; position: static !important; right: auto !important; table-layout: auto !important; text-decoration: none !important; top: auto !important; white-space: nowrap !important; word-spacing: normal !important; z-index: 0 !important; color: #49535a !important; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: 14px !important; line-height: 14px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background-position: 0px 0px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border: 0px !important none !important #000000 !important;" dir="ltr"> <span class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; border-image: initial !important; border-collapse: separate !important; bottom: auto !important; clear: none !important; clip: auto !important; cursor: pointer !important; direction: ltr !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; left: auto !important; letter-spacing: 0px !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-position: outside !important; list-style-type: disc !important; overflow-x: hidden !important; overflow-y: hidden !important; page-break-after: auto !important; page-break-before: auto !important; page-break-inside: auto !important; position: static !important; right: auto !important; table-layout: auto !important; text-decoration: none !important; top: auto !important; word-spacing: normal !important; z-index: 0 !important; height: 14px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background-position: 0px 0px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border: 0px !important none !important #000000 !important;" title="Call this phone number in United Kingdom with Skype: +448712441400" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_pnh_left_span" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: url(../lifbcibllhkdhoafpjfnlhfpfgnpldfl/numbers_common_inactive_icon_set.gif) !important; border-image: initial !important; border-collapse: separate !important; bottom: auto !important; clear: none !important; clip: auto !important; cursor: pointer !important; direction: ltr !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; left: auto !important; letter-spacing: 0px !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-position: outside !important; list-style-type: disc !important; overflow-x: hidden !important; overflow-y: hidden !important; page-break-after: auto !important; page-break-before: auto !important; page-break-inside: auto !important; position: static !important; right: auto !important; table-layout: auto !important; text-decoration: none !important; top: auto !important; word-spacing: normal !important; z-index: 0 !important; height: 14px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 6px !important; background-position: 0px 0px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border: 0px !important none !important #000000 !important;" title="Skype actions">  <span class="skype_pnh_dropart_span" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: url(../lifbcibllhkdhoafpjfnlhfpfgnpldfl/numbers_common_inactive_icon_set.gif) !important; border-image: initial !important; border-collapse: separate !important; bottom: auto !important; clear: none !important; clip: auto !important; cursor: pointer !important; direction: ltr !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; left: auto !important; letter-spacing: 0px !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-position: outside !important; list-style-type: disc !important; overflow-x: hidden !important; overflow-y: hidden !important; page-break-after: auto !important; page-break-before: auto !important; page-break-inside: auto !important; position: static !important; right: auto !important; table-layout: auto !important; text-decoration: none !important; top: auto !important; word-spacing: normal !important; z-index: 0 !important; height: 14px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 27px !important; background-position: -11px 0px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border: 0px !important none !important #000000 !important;" title="Skype actions"><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: url(../lifbcibllhkdhoafpjfnlhfpfgnpldfl/flags.gif) !important; border-image: initial !important; border-collapse: separate !important; bottom: auto !important; clear: none !important; clip: auto !important; cursor: pointer !important; direction: ltr !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; left: auto !important; letter-spacing: 0px !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-position: outside !important; list-style-type: disc !important; overflow-x: hidden !important; overflow-y: hidden !important; page-break-after: auto !important; page-break-before: auto !important; page-break-inside: auto !important; position: static !important; right: auto !important; table-layout: auto !important; text-decoration: none !important; top: auto !important; word-spacing: normal !important; z-index: 0 !important; height: 14px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 18px !important; background-position: -2001px 1px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border: 0px !important none !important #000000 !important;">         <span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: url(../lifbcibllhkdhoafpjfnlhfpfgnpldfl/numbers_common_inactive_icon_set.gif) !important; border-image: initial !important; border-collapse: separate !important; bottom: auto !important; clear: none !important; clip: auto !important; cursor: pointer !important; direction: ltr !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; left: auto !important; letter-spacing: 0px !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-position: outside !important; list-style-type: disc !important; overflow-x: hidden !important; overflow-y: hidden !important; page-break-after: auto !important; page-break-before: auto !important; page-break-inside: auto !important; position: static !important; right: auto !important; table-layout: auto !important; text-decoration: none !important; top: auto !important; word-spacing: normal !important; z-index: 0 !important; height: 14px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background-position: -125px 0px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border: 0px !important none !important #000000 !important;"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: url(../lifbcibllhkdhoafpjfnlhfpfgnpldfl/numbers_common_inactive_icon_set.gif) !important; border-image: initial !important; border-collapse: separate !important; bottom: auto !important; clear: none !important; clip: auto !important; cursor: pointer !important; direction: ltr !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; left: auto !important; letter-spacing: 0px !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-position: outside !important; list-style-type: disc !important; overflow-x: hidden !important; overflow-y: hidden !important; padding-left: 5px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; page-break-after: auto !important; page-break-before: auto !important; page-break-inside: auto !important; position: static !important; right: auto !important; table-layout: auto !important; text-decoration: none !important; top: auto !important; word-spacing: normal !important; z-index: 0 !important; height: 14px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background-position: -125px 0px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; margin: 0px !important; border: 0px !important none !important #000000 !important;">0871 244 1400<span class="skype_pnh_right_span" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: url(../lifbcibllhkdhoafpjfnlhfpfgnpldfl/numbers_common_inactive_icon_set.gif) !important; border-image: initial !important; border-collapse: separate !important; bottom: auto !important; clear: none !important; clip: auto !important; cursor: pointer !important; direction: ltr !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; left: auto !important; letter-spacing: 0px !important; list-style-image: none !important; list-style-position: outside !important; list-style-type: disc !important; overflow-x: hidden !important; overflow-y: hidden !important; page-break-after: auto !important; page-break-before: auto !important; page-break-inside: auto !important; position: static !important; right: auto !important; table-layout: auto !important; text-decoration: none !important; top: auto !important; word-spacing: normal !important; z-index: 0 !important; height: 14px !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: 15px !important; background-position: -62px 0px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border: 0px !important none !important #000000 !important;">      , <a style="min-height: 1px; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; color: #003580; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" href="http://www.brittanyferries.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.brittanyferries.co.uk</a>) operates luxurious cruise ferries to Spain with a choice of routes from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander and Bilbao. Travel to Spain with a one or two-night cruise on a luxury ferry and enjoy comfortable cabins and plenty of entertainment, including cinemas, swimming pool and quality restaurants.Return fares for a car plus two people cost from £470 including en suite cabin accommodation.

northern Spain is the place to go

Spain ranks as one of the most mountainous countries in Europe because – and this isn't obvious – the heart of the country sits on a hug...

Google calls Murdoch's piracy allegations 'nonsense'

Murdoch, a Twitter user for only the past several weeks, used the service to fire a barrage of accusations Saturday night against President Obama and Google. He accused the White House of being in the employ of "Silicon Valley paymasters." Murdoch claimed Google was profiting from advertisements sold against pirated materials. He also called the search company a "piracy leader." (Read more about Murdoch's Twitter tirade here). In an e-mail sent to CNET on Sunday afternoon, Google responded to Murdoch's statements. "This is just nonsense," wrote a Google spokeswoman. "Last year we took down 5 million infringing Web pages from our search results and invested more than $60 million in the fight against bad ads...We fight pirates and counterfeiters every day." Murdoch's Twitter blast against the president and Google was triggered when the White House raised concerns about antipiracy legislation being debated in Congress. The Stop Online Piracy Act (House of Representatives) and Protect IP Act (Senate) are backed by numerous media companies, including News Corp. Supporters say the legislation is needed to protect them from overseas sites that trade in pirated materials but aren't bound by U.S. copyright law. A growing list of opponents, including much of the tech sector, argues the bills would threaten free speech, due process, and innovation without offering any protection against piracy. Google said it thinks there are better methods to fighting piracy than those sought by copyright owners: "We believe, like many other tech companies," Google wrote in its statement, "that the best way to stop [pirates] is through targeted legislation that would require ad networks and payment processors--like ours--to cut off sites dedicated to piracy or counterfeiting."

Google calls Murdoch's piracy allegations 'nonsense'

Murdoch, a Twitter user for only the past several weeks, used the service to fire a barrage of accusations Saturday night against Presiden...

Europe Banks Hoarding Cash Resist Draghi Bid to Avoid Crunch

Banks are hoarding the European Central Bank's record 489 billion-euro ($625 billion) injection into the banking system, thwarting attempts by policy makers to avert a credit crunch in the region. Almost all of the money loaned to 523 euro-area lenders last month wound up back on deposit at the Frankfurt-based central bank instead of pouring into the financial system, ECB data show. Banks will use most of the three-year loans to meet their refinancing needs for this year and next, analysts at Morgan Stanley and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc estimate. “It's illusory to think that the measure will translate into credit generation,” Philippe Waechter, chief economist at Natixis Asset Management in Paris, said in an interview. “It will assuage some of the anxiety banks have regarding their liquidity needs. But they've engaged into a massive overhaul of their strategy and shrinkage of their balance sheets, which is, coupled with the deteriorating economy, not compatible with increasing credit.” Governments are urging European banks to keep lending to companies and individuals while requiring them to raise an additional 114.7 billion euros of core capital by June to weather a deepening sovereign-debt crisis. Instead of raising equity, most lenders across Europe have vowed to meet capital rules by trimming at least 950 billion euros from their balance sheets over the next two years, either by selling assets or not renewing credit lines, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. ECB Deposits That has stirred concern among policy makers that banks will cut lending and throttle growth in the euro region. Banks have been parking almost all extra liquidity from the ECB loans back at the central bank. Barclays Capital estimates firms used 296 billion euros of the Dec. 21 three-year loans to replace maturing shorter-term ECB borrowings. That left only 193 billion euros of additional money for the financial system. Overnight deposits with the ECB have jumped by about 223 billion euros since the loans to a record 486 billion euros, suggesting the central bank funds haven't so far reached customers. Banks account for about 80 percent of lending to the euro area, making them “crucial to the supply of credit,” according to recently installed ECB President Mario Draghi. By contrast, U.S. companies rely more on capital markets for financing, selling bonds to investors. Refinancing Needs The ECB lending, and a follow-up loan offering on Feb. 28, won't ease the pressure on banks to shrink, say analysts including Huw van Steenis at Morgan Stanley in London. “The ECB loans will largely be used to pre-fund 2012 and some of 2013's bank refinancing needs, but it will not stimulate lending,” Van Steenis said. They will “just stop it falling off precipitously.” Euro-area banks have more than 600 billion euros of debt maturing this year, the Bank of England said in its financial stability report last month. The first ECB loan offering should help cover about two-thirds of that amount, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts say. Morgan Stanley's Van Steenis estimates banks may reduce assets by as much as 2.5 trillion euros in two years, a process known as deleveraging. The volume of loans to households and companies in the 17- nation euro area shrank in November for the second consecutive month, the ECB said on Dec. 29. Loans were still up 1.7 percent over the year-earlier period, slowing from a 2.7 percent increase in the 12 months through October. Merkel, Sarkozy When granted, loans are getting costlier for borrowers. Since July, interest margins have increased, with investment- grade borrowers in Europe paying an average of 91.6 basis points more than benchmark rates, up from 84.4 basis points during the first half of 2011, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. A basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point. “We must avoid a credit crunch for our economies,” European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said on Jan. 9. “The recent measures by the European Central Bank on a long-term lending facility for the banks are welcome in this context.” The European Banking Authority, which oversees the region's regulators, asked banks on Dec. 8 to retain earnings, curb bonuses and raise equity to boost core capital before resorting to cuts in lending. The EBA followed both French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in urging banks to keep lending. Sarkozy said on Oct. 27 that he had asked firms to shift “almost all” of their dividends into strengthening balance sheets and to make bonus practices “normal.” Merkel said on Oct. 9 she was “determined to do whatever necessary to recapitalize the banks to ensure credit to the economy.” ‘No Credit Crunch' Bankers have said they haven't restricted lending and that demand for credit is slowing as growth slows. “All banks I talk to keep lending to small- and medium- size enterprises and households,” Christian Clausen, president of the European Banking Federation, an industry association, said on Dec. 9. “That part of the bank will keep rolling.” There is “no credit crunch,” Frederic Oudea, chief executive officer of Societe Generale SA, France's second- biggest lender, and chairman of the French Banking Federation, said last month. “The reality is that credit is available,” he said in an interview on BFM radio on Dec. 16. Even so, companies across Europe say credit is tightening. ‘Double Punch' In France, where credit to the private sector increased by 3.7 percent in November compared with a year earlier, the majority of the country's company treasurers said they encountered “very strong tensions” in negotiating bank loans, with more than 50 percent of respondents saying the process led to more expensive terms, according to a December survey by the French Association of Corporate Treasurers. The majority of those polled said obtaining bank financing was “as difficult as at the end of 2008,” after Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. collapsed. U.K. banks expect to toughen their criteria on loans to companies and households in the first quarter because of strains in the wholesale funding market, the Bank of England said Jan. 5in its fourth-quarter Credit Conditions Survey. Belgian credit growth slowed to 3.1 percent in the 12 months to the end of October, from 3.6 percent at the end of September, the country's central bank said on Dec. 12. In Italy, some companies with annual sales of 30 million euros to 40 million euros are charged as much as 10 percent interest on loans, Emma Marcegaglia, chief of the country's Confindustria lobby group, said in an interview on Dec. 20. Lending to businesses and consumers grew at the weakest pace in a year, the Bank of Italy said today. Draghi's Priority With the ECB's injection, “deleveraging may happen in a more orderly way, but it doesn't mean it will be painless,” said Alberto Gallo, head of European credit strategy at RBS. Banks are faced with high long-term financing costs, a deteriorating economy and difficulties raising capital, he said. “It's what I call the double punch: A combination of negative growth and banks' deleveraging will affect lending activity.” Even the ECB's Draghi, who has made it one of his priorities is to keep credit flowing into the economy, said the central bank's loan offerings may fail to achieve that goal. “Monetary policy cannot do everything, but we're trying to do our best to avoid a credit crunch that might come from a lack of funding,” Draghi said Dec. 19 at the European Parliament in Brussels. “We have to be extremely careful here, because there may be other reasons that create a credit crunch.” Draghi may be wary of the U.S. experience with multiple rounds of bond purchases. That so-called quantitative easing hasn't stimulated lending, Natixis's Waechter said. ‘Kick the Can' “Lending really picked up when the economy got better,” he said. The ECB cut its forecast for euro-area economic growth in 2012 to 0.3 percent on Dec. 8 from a September prediction of 1.3 percent. The central bank expects the economy to expand 1.3 percent next year. In the U.S., almost all categories of bank lending fell in 2009 and 2010 and didn't start improving until last year, when the Federal Reserve stopped its second wave of quantitative easing, according to data by the U.S. institution. Banks increased their holdings of Treasury and agency securities in 2009 and 2010, showing they were using the Fed's cheap money to own safe government paper. Because quantitative easing tends to improve capital markets first, the healing will be even slower in Europe given its reliance on banks for borrowing, according to Gallo.

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there is an area in your brain where you may hold a reservation and that could, in all likelihood, cause you to return to your drinking. I wish that I might reach this place in your consciousness, but alas, I do not have the skill."

Twelve Step people who study A.A.'s Big Book are, of course, familiar with Bill Wilson's medical mentor, Dr. William Duncan Silkworth. Bill called him the benign "little doctor who loved drunks." Silkworth, a psychiatrist, had treated thousands of alcoholics and was director of Towns Hospital in New York where Bill had several times sought help. Though Silkworth had explained the disease of alcoholism to Bill, Bill continued to drink until he met his "sponsor" Ebby Thacher, who had recovered through the spiritual program of the Oxford Group. Ebby had also gone to Calvary Rescue Mission, run by Dr. Sam Shoemaker's Calvary Episcopal Church in New York; and Ebby had there made a decision for Christ. Wilson went there for the same purpose and, according to a conversation the author had with Dr. Shoemaker's widow (Helen Smith Shoemaker), Bill Wilson made a decision for Christ at the Rescue Mission. Bill stayed drunk for a few days and then checked into Towns Hospital and again sought help from Dr. Silkworth. And it was during this stay, that Bill took the life-changing steps of the Oxford Group, had his "hot flash experience," reported it to Dr. Silkworth, and was told by Silkworth that he (Bill) had better hang on to what had happened to him. Silkworth later was asked to write the "Doctor's Opinion" that opens the basic text of the Big Book. Silkworth's picture appears in A.A.'s Pass It On, the biography of Bill's life.        Shortly before his death, the author spent an hour with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, friend of A.A., the Rev. Sam Shoemaker, and Bill Wilson. Dr. Peale told me of the conversations he had with Bill Wilson about Bill's conversion. However, until 1997, I had never heard the following account by Peale about Dr. William Duncan Silkworth. It can be found in Norman Vincent Peale, The Positive Power of Jesus Christ (New York: Foundation for Christian Living, 1980), pp. 60-61. It appears under the title "The Wonderful Story of Charles K.":        Charles, a businessman in Virginia, had become a full-fledged alcoholic; so much so that he had to have help, and fast, for his life was cracking up. He made an appointment with the late Dr. William Duncan Silkworth, one of the nation's greatest experts on alcoholism, who worked in a New York City hospital [the Charles Towns Hospital]. Receiving Charles into his clinic as a patient, the doctor gave him treatment for some days, then called him into his office. "Charles," he said, "I have done everything I can for you. At this moment you are free of your trouble. But there is an area in your brain where you may hold a reservation and that could, in all likelihood, cause you to return to your drinking. I wish that I might reach this place in your consciousness, but alas, I do not have the skill."        "But, doctor," exclaimed Charles, "you are the most skilled physician in this field. When I came to you it was to the greatest. If you cannot heal me, then who can possibly do so?" The doctor hesitated, then said thoughtfully, "There is another Doctor who can complete this healing, but He is very expensive."        "That's all right," cried Charles, "I can get the money. I can pay his fees. I cannot go home until I am healed. Who is this doctor and where is he?"        "Oh, but this Physician is not at all moderate as to expense," persisted Dr. Silkworth. "He wants everything you've got. He wants you, all of you. Then He gives the healing. His price is your entire self." Then he added slowly and impressively, "His name is Jesus Christ and He keeps office in the New Testament and is available whenever you need Him."        Dr. Peale then describes the healing of Charles through the power of Jesus Christ.

there is an area in your brain where you may hold a reservation and that could, in all likelihood, cause you to return to your drinking. I wish that I might reach this place in your consciousness, but alas, I do not have the skill."

Twelve Step people who study A.A.'s Big Book are, of course, familiar with Bill Wilson's medical mentor, Dr. William Duncan Silkwort...

Recovering alcoholic Matt Maden: I began drinking at 10 and now I'm facing death at 26

Matt Maden, now 26, has been living on borrowed time since he was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis five years ago. Despite his desperate need he has only a 20 per cent chance of getting an organ because of the growing demand. ‘It’s really scary living with the knowledge that the odds are so heavily against you,’ he said. His condition was detected when he spent two weeks in hospital in an alcohol-induced coma – but even then he refused to believe he had a problem. ‘My immediate thought was, “It’s not the drink”,’ he said. The first time Mr Maden got drunk was at 15. ‘I remember waking up the next morning and my first thought was, “When can I do that again”,’ he said. Within a year he went from drinking eight cans of lager in a session to 16 in order to get a buzz. ‘After a couple of years I’d have to have maybe a bottle of spirits to go along with that,’ he added. ‘For a lot of years alcohol gave me  confidence. Little did I know it would actually turn on me and it would start to control me.’ After his health scare Mr Maden left his home in Oxford to check into a rehab clinic in Bournemouth and has not touched a drop since 2007. His physician, Dr Varuna Aluvihare, from King’s College London, believes the binge-drinking culture is behind the increasing number of young people needing liver transplants. ‘Tragically, every year we fail to keep someone like Matt alive,’ he said.

Recovering alcoholic Matt Maden: I began drinking at 10 and now I'm facing death at 26

Matt Maden, now 26, has been living on borrowed time since he was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis five years ago. Despite his desperate ne...

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