International News

Germany - Togo, Italy & Zizour Highlights of Mundial 2006!!

On July 9, Italy won their fourth World Cup in Berlin after defeating France in a penalty shootout. The World Cup competition between 32 national teams was played between June 9 and July 9. The event was filled with excellent preparation, competition and many surprises. The loss of reigning champions, Brazil in the quarterfinal led Brazilian fans to bring down Ronaldinho's (named World's Best Player for 2006) statute in Rio de Janeiro, while on the other hand the Algerian-French team captain, Zineidine Zidane (34), "Zizou" almost reclaimed his heroic stature to end his career which he had achieved in France's World Cup win in 1998 and European Championship in 2000, by scoring a goal in three successive playoff matches, until he disgracefully was shown the red card in the 110th minute of the final game for head-butting Italian defender, Materazzi. The Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo, the same official who sent off Wayne Rooney in the England-Portugal quarterfinal was left with no choice. Millions waited to salute the "French Soccer Saint" in his retirement ceremony at the end of the game, but by losing his temper many believe he ended his career by suicide! Despite that, Zidane was named best player of the tournament, wining the Golden Ball award. On another winning note, the 24-year-old Togolese Edwige-Grâce Madzé Badakou was voted 'Miss World Cup' on June 1. She will be representing her country at a number of events during the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. The former 'Miss Togo' and 'Miss FESPAM' (pan-African music festival), who holds a diploma in finance, was awarded her most prestigious honor to date by a jury of celebrities and sports personalities. Each of the participating nations at Germany 2006 were represented by one entrant, all of whom were born or had citizenship in the respective nations and were aged between 18 and 28. Spain's Maria Garrido Baez and Ecuador's Katty Lopez took the runners-up spots. The winner of the inaugural event will take part in various events associated with 2006 FIFA World Cup and will even appear at certain matches. The religious youngster hopes to use her status to promote peace, environmental awareness and the artists of her country. Her national team could not wish for a better ambassador.

Winnipeg, Canada - Baby Xander's Medical Miracle

Baby Xander Dolski made national and international news because only 4 hours after his birth in Winnipeg last December, he successfully received a new heart, the size of a strawberry. Pre-natal diagnosis by sonography detected a congenital heart anomaly 20 weeks into the pregnancy of 31-year-old, Jennifer Martens. Ms. Martens 37-week foetus was placed on the transplant waiting list. On December 21, she was being rushed into surgery to deliver Xander, since a heart had been found. Now four months old and weighing about six kilograms, the blue-eyed boy is an active infant. At eight weeks after his birth, the robust breast-feeding boy weighs 9 pounds, 1 ounce, and the ruler-straight scar that runs from the top of his chest to his mid-riff has already started to mauve. The donated heart came by air from southern California from an anonymous donor family. Xander now takes 11 medications a day, and he will have to take drugs the rest of his life to prevent the heart from being rejected. He's expected to develop like any other child. Xander's case, became living proof that medical miracles are not just the stuff of primetime TV, but of real life, after receiving a transplant at the tender age of 8 hours.

Egypt - Top Islamic institution honours Prince Charles

Al-Azhar University decided to give Prince Charles of Wales an honourary doctorate in appreciation of his interest in Islam and his promotion of greater understanding of Islam in the West. This university is the foremost Islamic institution in the Sunni Muslim world. The university bestowed the award when the prince visited the institution last March and delivered a lecture on the relations between Islam and the West. The grand sheik of Al-Azhar, His Eminence Dr. Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, attended the ceremony and made a speech. Prince Charles said Christianity, Islam and Judaism had much in common, and people "who are reasonable and responsible and feel things in the heart should speak out about the importance of understanding each other. It's tolerance, it's understanding of what other people hold sacred, which I think is so vital." Charles inaugurated the British University in Cairo, visited the western desert oasis of Siwa, and laid a wreath at the Commonwealth cemetery at El Alamein, the site of a 1942 battle between Montgomery and Rommel that was a turning point in World War II.

Canada - First Solo Exhibition for Aboriginal Artist

The famed shaman artist, Norval Morrisseau, is the first living aboriginal artist to have a solo show at the National Gallery of Canada. Norval was the first to paint the ancient myths and legends of the eastern woodlands, stories previously passed down by the oral tradition. His work invokes our memories of childlike simplicity. His colors affect us in ways that are not immediately apparent. His visions, like ancient taboos that have turned into dreams of the future, come to life on canvas and paper. They are talismans of the future and images of respect of the past. The Water Spirit, painted in 1972, articulates his "visionary spirituality", showing the lake monster, Michipichou - a cat-like horned creature with fierce red eyes, who lived beneath the waves, re-imagined as the electrifying "Water Spirit".

Sweden - "Children's Nobel Prize Winner"

Last April, Craig Kielburger, co-founder of Free The Children, was awarded the 2006 World Children's Prize, commonly known as the "Children's Nobel Prize," by H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden at the Gripsholm Palace. Craig has been honoured with the World Children's Prize for his continued dedication to the education of youth across the globe through his organization, which built 425 schools in developing countries and improved the lives of more than one million children around the world. Craig was selected as the recipient of the award by an international panel of child judges made up of former child soldiers, slaves, refugees and street children. He recently graduated from the University of Toronto, with a B.A. in peace and conflict studies. Craig Kielburger, had gone on several cross-Canada speaking tours at university campuses, and his life was profiled in the Megastars section of The Ambassadors Magazine in July 2004 (Vol.7, Issue 2).

UK - Diana Mania: Revisted!

After the death of Princess Diana in 1997, and the detailed forensic investigations in France and Britain, which cost more than $5 million using advanced techniques, conspiracy theories have been rejected. New official reports showed that the reason for the fatal accident were due to the driver's excessive drunkenness and his reckless driving. Investigators have concluded beyond a doubt that she was not a victim of a plot and that she was not being pursued by spies, mobs, photographers, or agents of Prince Charles as had been suggested in the aftermath of her death. Police investigators confirmed also that Princess Diana was not pregnant at the time of her death and had no planned intentions of marrying her friend Dodi Fayed, who also died in the Paris accident. Diana's therapist and friend, Simone Simons published a tell-all memoir, Diana: The Last Word, discussing the Princess' mercurial lifestyle. Furthermore, an actor friend of Diana, recently released a series of videotaped private conversations which she had recorded from the early-90s.

USA - Dr. Andrew Weil's Healthy Aging

The Harvard University graduate, Dr. Andrew Weil, MD published his most recent book, Healthy Aging, which many believe will be very useful to maximize health and happiness to those who crossed their 60s. Dr. Weil is now a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona, where he founded a program in Integrated Medicine. Interestingly, a number of molecular biologists are looking to identify genetic mechanisms that control the aging process as well as ways of manipulating them. In his book he discusses avoidance of smoking, obesity, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and stress. He remembers key  words of Reinhold Niebuhr, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

Canada -Ancient Chinese Medicine for Infertility

Today, 1 in 6 couples in North America are infertile, and 15% of them will never know why. Western science has just begun to investigate the 2500-years-old traditional Chinese medicine. Mrs. Brenda Swartlikoff, 38, became pregnant after using acupuncture and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Prof. Alice Domar from Harvard Medical School mentioned that "a 2002 study got worldwide attention and showed a lovely increase in pregnancy rate using acupuncture during in vitro fertilization cycles"!

Chicago, USA - New King Tut Museum

The Chicago Tribune covered the journey of his majesty King Tutankamun, commonly known as King Tut, to the United States. The international Egyptologist, Prof. Zahi Hawass, who joined the celebrations in Chicago for the opening of the museum last May, gave several lectures and answered hundreds of questions to the media and those in attendance about the young Pharaonic king. He also organized a meeting with young children who were interested in the stories of "The Golden King". Prof. Hawass denied the presence of a Pharaonic curse, which was sometimes blamed for the death of Lord Carnarvon, who sponsored Carter in his expedition that led to the discovery of tomb and mummy of King Tut. Also, he denied the hypothesis raised by Prof. Bob Brier that King Tut was assassinated as a result of a military revolution, which he published in his 1998 book, "The Murder of Tutankhamen: A True Story".

Beijing, China - The Panda: A Secret Weapon

Cute and cuddly bears become political animals in Beijing's charm offensive against Taiwan. The panda are now political animals. Pandas #16 and #19 will be sent to Taiwan as a goodwill gesture. The Taipei Zoo had already started a $6-million 4-storey panda centre. For now, the male panda is known as panda #19 and nicknamed "Little Darling", while the female is #16 and nicknamed "Cheeky Girl". China launched a high-profile competition to find official names for the pandas. More than 1.3 million people have voted in the contest, with the winning names being announced on the eve of the lunar New Year. The most popular names for the pandas are "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan". Put together, those names mean "Reunion" - the political goal of the Chinese government in its relations with Taiwan.

Canada - The Olympic Flag Flying Over Vancouver

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be held in Vancouver. The quadriplegic Mayor, Sam Sullivan, managed to wave the Olympic flag from his wheelchair during the closing ceremony in Turin, before the eyes of the world. He mentioned that having the five rings flying over the city symbolizes that Vancouver is part of the proud tradition of the Olympic Games and that the attention of the world will be on us for the next four years.

London, UK - Motherhood at 63 years

The 63-year-old Dr. Patricia Rashbrook, a child psychologist from East Sussex, was given in vitro fertilization treatment (IVF) last October. She has a 26-year-old daughter and 22-year-old son from a previous husband. Last year, a 66-year-old Romanian, Adriana Iliescu, became the world's oldest mother when she gave birth to a girl after IVF treatment. Italian doctor Severino Antinori told Reuters that he performed in-vitro fertilization on an English woman in October 2005 in a former Soviet republic. Women over 40 who become pregnant have been found to have double the risk of stillbirth and other complications. In 1997, a Welsh woman, Liz Buttle, became Britain's oldest mother at the age of 60. She was reported to have obtained fertility treatment after lying about her age to doctors, since British clinics refuse to treat women over 45. Last year, Romanian retired history professor, Adriana Iliescu, 66, gave birth to a healthy baby in Bucharest. She had been on fertility drugs for 9 years. Furthermore, an Indian woman, 65, gave birth to a child after 50 years of marriage in 2003. Recently, Lorraine Cohen a 59-years-old American lady gave birth to twins by caesarean section, making her the oldest women in the world to give birth to twins.

USA - Heart Ills Threaten Young Athletes

When cardiac arrest occurs in athletes over the age of 35, it is almost always a result of coronary heart disease, and when it occurs at younger age, a significant proportion are a result of congenital heart problems. Every athlete now has to provide to their doctor if there is a family history of cardiac arrest or death, or whether they themselves had ever fainted during sports. Screening, which includes electro-cardiograms (ECG), is essential before and after the game, and presence of CPR and automatic defibrillators in public places. In March 1990, Hank Gathers, one of the leading basketball players, collapsed and died, and in 2003, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Steve Bechler, collapsed and died during spring training, and in June 2003, Marc Vivian Foe of Cameroon was carried off the soccer field in Lyon, France after he collapsed and died during Cup play.

Germany, Liberia & Chile  - Women Presidents Elected

Recent elections around the world have brought in three female heads of state and government - Angela Merkel in Germany, Michelle Bachelet in Chile, and Ellen Johnson in Liberia. Liberians celebrated the election of "Mama Ellen" as the first female leader to their country. The Harvard trained, 67-year-old economist, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, known as "Mama Ellen", promised to restore power to her country, Africa's oldest republic founded in 1947, within 5-years of taking office. Nigeria's and South Africa's presidents were in attendance along with seven other African leaders. Both Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Condoleezza Rice also attended the inauguration of the new Liberian president, on the day Americans remembered slain civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Michelle Bachelet, 54, a socialist and paediatrician became the first legitimate elected South American female president on January 15. She served as Minister of Health in the outgoing government from 2000-2002, and later as Minister of Defence.

Global - The First Presidential Rockstar in American History

Despite quadruple-bypass surgery in 2004, the 59-years-old Bill Clinton shows no sign of slowing down. The 42nd president of the United States, visits different countries for a series of motivational talks and charity appearances. He receives approximately $150,000 for every appearance he makes. In his visit to Abu Dhabi, UAE last fall, the entry fee was $3000 per person. He visited Indonesia with President Bush the father, monitoring post-tsunami recovery efforts. Mr. Clinton earns $6 million yearly from his speaking fees and his memoirs book, My Life. He visited the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, India during his February visit to the country. This trip was followed by a visit to Canada where he gave talks in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton and Vancouver.

London - More British Statues Stolen

Two more bronze statues have been stolen in England, adding to about 20 such sculptures that have already disappeared in the last year. Thieves took off with a statue by Henry Peegram in Semley, western England, worth $26,000. The sculpture is 1.5 metres high, of a soldier from the First World War on a horseback. A statue by Sydney Mason Collins of another soldier, also on a horse, was taken from Chedzoy in neighbouring Somerset. Last January, two expensive pieces by Lynn Chadwick and Henry Moore, estimated to be worth $3 million each, were stolen and have yet to be recovered. British officials have been investigating the multiple bronze thefts, the most prominent of which occurred last December when the massive Henry Moore sculpture A Reclining Figure — worth 3 million pounds— was stolen from outside the Henry Moore Foundation.

Global - Discordant Identical Twins and Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study of genetic changes that do not involve mutations in DNA and may explain the reasons of why Connie and Kendra Millar, the 31-years-old identical twins, are unalike in many ways. The pair have different interests - Connie likes line dancing while Kendra is an avid royalty watcher, Connie developed allergies to cats and grass while Kendra is fine. In Spain, a recent study showed that as identical twins become older, they become genetically less similar. The reasons may rest in their lifestyle choices and the role they play in a chemical switching system that activates their genes. This may explain also their unforgettable findings in the discordant Siamese twins, Cheng and Eng. The chemical switching system can be affected by diet, the air pollution we inhale, whether we smoke, and the stress we endure. Is it a mechanism through which our environment affects our genes? This may help to explain how a 35-years-old Spanish woman developed breast cancer, but her identical twin did not. Pamela Spiro started hearing voices the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Carolyn, who became a psychiatrist, was on-call when her sister was admitted to hospital in a catatonic state. The two published their memoir in 2005, entitled, "Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia." Global scientists are looking at the role epigenetics plays in various kinds of cancer, schizophrenia, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and bi-polar disorder.

Kuwait - Revisiting Mozart's and Bach's Pedigrees

Last March, the pedigrees of distinguished musicians, Mozart and Bach were presented at the First International Kuwait Medical Genetics Conference while discussing the effect of nature vs. nurture on musical talents. Mozart was born 250 years ago, on January 27, 1756. The world is still looking to solve the associated puzzles and mysteries, since his death in 1791, from what is thought to have been a case of rheumatic fever. The pedigree of Mozart showed an elder sister, his father, both parental grandfathers and his youngest son with musical talents. The pedigree of Bach's family is strictly patrilineal, showing only male relatives with musical abilities. The renowned musician Beethoven was not discussed, since he stands alone in his musical eminence among his relatives.

New York, USA - Picasso Canvas for $95 million

A portrait by Pablo Picasso of the woman who influenced him in the late-1930s and early 1940s, sold for $95.2 million, the second highest amount ever paid for a painting at an auction. The portrait, Dora Maar au Chat, went to an anonymous buyer. Its selling price was second only to another Picasso piece, Garcon a la Pipe, which was sold for more than $104 million in 2004. This cubist painting also shows that Dora Maar is a "double sided" woman - it shows her wisdom and that she liked to cry. Maar did not like cats, and Picasso's inclusion of one in the portrait was to show that he was in control of this woman.

Ottawa, Canada - Ex-PM's Wife Battles Bipolar Disorder

Mrs. Margaret Trudeau, 57, the widow of the former Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, spoke publicly about her battle with bipolar disorder and how she had developed anorexia nervosa after the death of her 8-year-old son, Michael. She mentioned that she had developed post-partum depression, after the birth of her second son, Sacha. She blamed her mental disorders for the breakdowns of two marriages, one to Mr. Trudeau and, years later, to Ottawa developer Fred Kemper. She mentioned that she went through a long period during her marriage to Mr. Kemper when her mental health was good, but entered a period of despair with the death of her dog.

Turkey - A New Neurological Disease in Sibs

The discovery of five brothers and sister of a Turkish family that walk on all-fours, raised great interest among scientists. MRI scans seem to show that they have a form of cerebellar ataxia, which affects balance and coordination. However, scientists are divided on what caused them to revert to quadrupedalism (walking on all fours). It seems that they suffer from an autosomal recessive condition that prevents them from walking upright. All five have lower than normal intelligence and have problems with language. The siblings range in age from 18 to 34 years old, and live in a remote area in southern Turkey. Professor Mundlos has located the gene on chromosome 17 and speculates that a gene important in the transition to bipedalism may have been knocked out in the children.

Ghana - Inter-racial Love Story

Joe and Peggy Appiah inter-racial love story between a British aristocratic lady and an Asante settler in Ghana. Peggy was the youngest of four children of Sir Stafford Cripps and Lady Isobel. On her father's side, she could trace back her lineage to William the Conqueror. Her father was a Labour Party leader and cabinet officer in the post-war Clement Attlee government. In July 1953, she announced plans to marry Jospeh Appiah, who was a law student in London and representative of prime minister of the Gold Coast, the British colony that became Ghana in 1957. He was an aristocrat related to the King of Asante. She died last February at the age of 84 and was buried in Ghana and she will always be remembered as a prolific poet and writer of children's books, many of them based on the Ghanaian folktales her husband told their children, as well as of novels and most recently a collection of 7,000 Asante proverbs, in which she collaborated with her son, Dr. Kwame, a professor of philosophy at Princeton University.

China - Un-earthed Tyrannosaurus Rex Ancestor

The British journal, Nature, published in last February, important news about the discovery of T-Rex ancestor, a dinosaur with a delicate bony triangle, rising out of its nose. This Guanlong wucaii, which translates as crowned dragon of the five coloured rocks was unearthed in western China by international team of scientists, who mentioned that this dinosaur lived 161 -156 million years ago, while T-Rex lived 90 years later, just before the dinosaurs disappeared. Guanlong is considered the most significant missing link between T-Rex and its wimpier ancestors. The team which found the fossils included Dr. Eberth, from the Royal Tyrell Museum in Durmheller, Alta; Dr. Clark, Chinese research  at Xing Xu.

UK - Queen of Britain Shows no Signs of Slowing Down

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, during her 80th birthday, enjoyed sitting in the regency room at Buckingham Palace, looking at thousands of cards sent to her saying, "Long live the Queen". She seemed very happy and fresh, showing no signs of slowing down and leaving the post to Prince Charles or grandson, Prince William. The crown was placed on her head in 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. In 1945, during the Second World War, Princess Elizabeth, joined the auxiliary territorial service, learning how to drive and maintain vehicles, and on November 1947, she married her third cousin, Phillip Mountbatten.

Calgary, Canada - First Gluten-Free Restaurant

The first gluten-free restaurant was recently opened in North America. This is good news for people with Celiac disease, which is a genetic auto-immune gastrointestinal disorder that results in damage to the tiny finger-like protrusions called the villi that line the small intestine when gluten is consumed. Damage to these villi can prevent nutrients being absorbed by the body. The prevalence of this disease is around 1 in 150 adult Canadians. The illness symptoms include constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, cramps, nausea, weight loss, malnutrition and sometimes depression and infertility. Biopsy of the small intestine is the only way of confirming the diagnosis. Until today, there are no drugs to cure this condition, the patient only needs a gluten-free diet. The new restaurant is named, Splitt, and its menu notes that all items are gluten and lactose-free, with the exception of beverages.

Global - Longevity Specialists and Preventive Genetics

Today, many people over the age of 45, visit longevity clinics asking for a sample to be taken from their inner-cheek in order to study their DNA, which could pinpoint the illness that one-day may end the person's life.  The test costs around $2000, and these clinics, which exist now in USA, Canada and in Europe, use the results to design a preventive health and lifestyle plan aimed at reducing those risks. This test is not like going to a psychic to get a palm reading, it uses purely scientific tools. Dr. Elaine Chin, a 41-year-old family doctor with an MBA, describes herself as a longevity specialist. Her organization, Scienta, offers a battery of blood tests, scans and psychological exams as well as customizing diets, fitness and vitamin supplement plans while providing access to naturopath, trainer and dietician. Scienta moved from health-spa-like clinic to a preventive genetic diagnostics, screening the genes of healthy visitors to access their risk of developing everything from cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis to obesity.

France - Brigitte Bardot condemns "Horrible Massacre"

The former filmstar, Brigitte Bardot, 71, attended a 45-minutes news conference to protest against the seal hunt at a downtown Ottawa hotel in Canada last March. She spoke mostly in French, saying that she wants to see an end to what she called a "horrible massacre". She was accompanied by Paul Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and Hollywood actress, Persia White. On the wall behind them was a huge poster of a seal with a club in its mouth, looking ominously at a naked human baby lying on the ice, which was black and blue and bloody. An hour later, and not far away from the hotel at which the news conference was held, Liberal Senator Celine Hervieux-Payette, 65, was holding a news conference of her own on Parliament Hill. Her message was that the hunt was not cruel or offensive and that it is "an essential part of the Inuit way of lfe." She answered questions defending the hunt and those involved in it. There is much attention being paid to the hunt this year because the Harper government has upped the total allowable catch by 5,000. It means sealers can hunt up to 325,000 harp seals.

Global - Salk's Conquest of Polio

The world is eagerly awaiting the WHO to announce the global death of polio very soon. It will be only the second disease that has been completely defeated by health workers, the first being small pox for which there have been no cases since 1978. Poliomyelitis was reported in Ancient Egypt, more than 3,000 years ago, and one of the most famous people who suffered from this disease, was US President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), whose legs were paralyzed for life by the virus in 1921. On April 12, 1955, the 10th anniversary of FDR's death, the world celebrated the announcement of the efficiency of the polio vaccine developed by the US researcher, Dr. Jonas Salk. Within a few years it was replaced by an oral vaccine discovered by Dr. Albert Sabin. An interesting book entitled, "Splendid Solution: Jonas Salk and the Conquest of Polio" by Jeffrey Kluger was published in 2005. Dr. Jonas Salk never won the Nobel Prize despite his great work on polio.

Calgary, Canada - Alberta Museum Collecting Native Artifacts

The Royal Alberta Museum collectors from around the world are working to bring dozens of pieces of Western Canadian aboriginal history home from Scotland, where they had languished in a castle for almost 150 years. The items are owned by James Carnegie, the 9th Earl of Southesk, whose descendants put them on the auction block at Sotheby's in New York. These items are connected to the earl's visit to Canada in 1859. The Edmonton Museum spent about $1.1 million to capture 29 of the 39 lots, including a prized beaded hide dress of a Blood Indian. The museum also acquired a knife and a beaded hide sheath of Assiniboine origin, a colourful beaded Cree cloth, "octopus bag". Mr. Carnegie collected gifts and made purchases of native art and clothing, and kept a detailed journal of his experiences, which was later published in 1876 with the title, Saskatchewan and the Rocky Mountains.

Austria - Gustav Klimt's Mona Lisa!

The cosmetics magnet, Ronald S. Lauder, paid $135 million for the gold-flecked 1907 portrait by Gustav Klimt. The portrait, of Adele Bloch-Bauer, the wife of a Jewish sugar industrialist and hostess of a prominent Vienna salon, is considered one of the artist's masterpieces. Lauder, founder of the 5-year-old Neue Gallerie, a museum devoted to German and Austrian fine and decorate arts said, "this is our Mona Lisa. It is a once-in-a-lifetime acquisition." Bloch-Bauer died in 1925 and requested in her will, that the painting known as the Adele Bloch-Bauer 1, be left to Austria upon her husband's death. However, when Germany annexed Austria in March 1938, he fled leaving the painting behind, which was then confiscated by the Nazi government. Maria Altmann, now 90 living in Los Angeles, the niece of Bloch-Bauer, asked the Austrian government to help her to reclaim the painting. In June 2004, the US Supreme Court ruled in her favour and last January she was awarded the painting.

Canada - Longest Wedded Aboriginal Woman

In 2004, a Taiwan couple assumed the title of longest married couple. No Canadian woman was married longer than Annie Henry, who was wedded to her husband Joe for nearly 81 years. She is a member of Gwich'in band by her birth in Yukon in 1905. She died when she was 100, survived by 12 children and more than 100 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her husband died in 2002 when he was 103 years old. The couple lived together in a semi-nomadic life. She lived in Caribou hunting place, located by Black Stone River, about 120km northeast of Dawson City in central Yukon. She believed that moose, caribou and sheep were better for her than commercial beef and chicken. Her son remains convinced that eating wild meat led to the longevity of his parents sine it is much healthier than hormone laced beef and chicken and that wild game fat contains vitamins absorbed from the greens the animals ingest.
 

UK - Full Face Transplant

In 2005, Isabelle Dinoire, 38, received a new nose, chin and mouth in the world's first partial face transplant in France, after she had been savaged by a dog. This pioneering operation was also successfully completed in China in April 2005 on 30-year-old Li Guoxinj. Dr. Peter Butler, consultant plastic surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital in north London, has been contacted by 29 disfigured volunteers willing to undergo a full face transplant procedure. The ethical committee is discussing whether it is right for that type of operation should go ahead. One potential candidate is reported to be a 22-year-old who was badly burned as a child. In a 2003 report, the Royal College of Surgeons had voiced concerns about such operations in Britain, concluding that more research was needed into the psychological impact of such surgery on the recipient and donor families. It also expressed concern about the long-term risks associated with the drugs that patient would have to take for the rest of their lives to stop them from rejecting their new face.

Canada - 107-years-old Dancer!

Gladys Powers celebrated her 107th birthday last May in British Columbia. Her friends sang to her the "Happy Birthday to you" song, a melody which was written just 6 years before her birthday in London 1899. As a result, she danced happily, remembering her life in three centuries, surviving two world wars and outlasting four husbands. "Ballroom dancing was too slow and boring," she said while taking a breather between tunes. "I like something livelier, like the polka. Waltzes are very nice but they're for older people." Gladys may be Britain's last living female veteran of the Great War and a member of the Women's Royal Airforce. Gladys is still going strong and jokingly denies that she's 106 years old. "It's not right. I'm only 100," she said. "I don't want people adding a couple more years."