Jamelle Agbuis

The one thing about technology is that it can come back to bite you at some point. For CNN, that has happened on more than one occasion.

If you think pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines, and various other instruments of modern Western medicine are responsible for improving quality of life and increasing the average lifespan in America, think again.

Cycling Australia is pleased to confirm the Cyclones team for the 2013 UCI Track World Championships being staged in Minsk, Belarus from 20 to 24 February. The team of 15 riders departs tomorrow for Minsk ahead of next week's competition.

A recent study, presented on February 15, involving 16 pregnant women, divided evenly between obese and lean subjects, conducted at the Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI) at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, "found that fetuses of obese women had differences in gene expression as early as the second trimester."

Reigning cross country national champions Daniel McConnell (VIC) and Jenni King (VIC) have predicted tough battles ahead at the 2013 Subaru Mountain Bike Australian Championships in Canberra.

Pirelli's supersoft rubber will be used at Albert Park for the first time this year with the medium compound complementing it at the Australian GP.

In the darkness of the night on the 17th of February, RDA Holding Co., publisher of legendary Reader's Digest, filed for Chapter 11 protection to cut as much as $465 million in debt. It is the second bankruptcy of the over 90-year-old magazine in nearly four years. The publisher of Reader's Digest has informed that it will focus on electronic media as the shift from print to digital media is inevitable.

Germany recently made big news by announcing its plan to bring home part of its massive gold reserves. By retrieving 300 tons from New York and all 374 tons from Paris, 19% of its holdings - $36 billion worth - will be repatriated. By 2020, Deutsche Bundesbank expects to have 50% of its gold reserves stored in its Frankfurt vaults.

Thailand witnessed strong growth in the fourth quarter of 2012 as industry recovered from effects of severe floods. The result of 3.6 percent growth topped analysts' estimates. The Thailand's economy and other Asian countries demonstrated resistance to the struggling global economy as local and domestic demand increased.

Australia are waiting on the fitness of opening batsman David Warner, whose thumb injury has not recovered as quickly as anticipated ahead of the first Test against India in Chennai on Friday.

World number one Rory McIlroy will square up against Shane Lowry in the opening round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday.

Today, we hold our hat in our hand; we bow our head...and let our mouth fall open in amazement. Our Lenten programme of fasting, prayer and meditation is producing results. We are lightheaded from near-starvation and alcohol deprivation. But our thoughts are clear. Or else, we are hallucinating.

The good news is, it's easy to predict what will happen to the world economy in the next few years. The bad news is, the governments won't let it happen. And who knows what they'll come up with instead?

Carlsberg witnessed a decline in its quarterly profits as sales slumped in the Russian and Northern European markets. Similarly, shares of the company shrank following lower-than-expected fourth quarter earnings and high beer making expenses.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron arrives in India on the 18th of February with the biggest ever trade mission and will take part in three-day talks with Indian authorities.

The confidence is back as several mergers have been announced. And what is more, the acquisition of Heinz was announced. Warren Buffett and Jorge Paulo Lemann decided to go into the ketchup business by acquiring H.J. Heinz Co. for over $23 billion. The acquisition of Heinz is believed to be the biggest takeover in the history of the food industry.

At last, the merger of American Airlines and US Airways is said to be announced on the 14th of February.

New Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh is gearing up to cut costs as the world's second largest mining company has just informed that it posted a $3 billion full-year loss.

Rolls-Royce witnessed an increase in the full year profits by 24 percent to over £1.4 billion. The increase in the level of output at Boeing CO. and Airbus SAS led to stronger-than-expected profits for Rolls-Royce. Also, the company named Ian Davis as the chairman of the company.

Stem cells seem to be popular topic in the news; whether there are claims of new research's results or public debates over the use of them. One thing is sure that stem cells are not going anywhere and certainly will not disappear from either academic reality or social common awareness.

http://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/peugeot-citroen-records-massive-net-loss/

Biological Farmers of Australia, or BFA, has announced a name chance to "Australian Organic" this week, which owns the Australian Certified Organic "bud" mark logo.

US Consumers Driven to Fresh Food for the “Taste”, New Research

Americans are watching with morbid fascination as authorities continue to search high and low for Christopher Dorner, the former Los Angeles Police officer and naval intelligence analyst who allegedly shot and killed one police officer and two civilians, as well as wounding two more officers.

Love is in the air as Valentine's Day is getting closer, it is just one day and the big craziness will start. Retailers are gearing up heavily for Valentine's Day as it means more business for them.

The University of Newcastle will tomorrow open an Australian-first radiation therapy simulation laboratory, completing the three-stage education cycle for students studying this life-saving treatment.

Lower Autism Risk with Folic Acid Supplements in Pregnancy

According to the newest Gartner's report, manufacturers have seen mobile phone sales slump for the first time since 2009. Despite weak overall mobile phone sales in 2012, Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. are still the lead and no company would threaten their positions.

Just back in August 2012, G4S Plc informed that the contract for the London Olympic Games had a negative impact on the company's profit. G4S, the world's largest security company, also estimated that its Olympic failure would cost as much as £50 million.