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This Month's
Sponsor
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Legal
Solutions for Consumers
& Small Businesses
The Delamere
Group uses Nolo,
which is the nation's
leading provider of
do-it-yourself legal
solutions for consumers
and small businesses.
Our goal is to help
people handle their
own everyday legal
matters -- or learn
enough about them
to make working with
a lawyer a more satisfying
experience. This service
offers affordable,
plain-English books,
forms and software
on a wide range of
legal issues, including
wills, estate planning,
retirement, elder
care, personal finance,
taxes, housing, real
estate, divorce and
child custody.
We
also offer materials
on human resources,
employment, intellectual
property, and starting
and running a small
business. Although
primarily written
for the US market
the principles and
conditions are universal
in their application
and enforcement. Visit
their site for more
information.
IN
THIS ISSUE
1.
Business: Is Africa
Dying?
2. Business: Kenya
still keen to promote
international business
3. Business: Profile
of Kenya
4. Business: Starvation
in Kenya Aggravated
by Corrupt Government
Officials
5. Business: South
African Labour Laws
to dramatically change
6. Business &
Employment: Handling
a Telephone Interview
7. Education: British
National Archives
8. Education: Should
Scotland Become Independent?
9. Education: Special
Feature for our Poetry
Lovers
10. Immigration: Work
Visa for the USA
11. Travel: Our friend
Joan Root murdered
in Kenya
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1. Business:
Is Africa Dying?
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Anti-globalisation
activists gathering
in Mali for the World
Social Forum face
a crowded programme,
encompassing issues
as various as access
to water and debt.
"Africa is
... a sick body because
of the plunder by
a handful of powerful
super nations,"
according to a document
presented to participants
in the Malian capital
of Bamako.
The forum, held each
year is in response
to the World Economic
Forum of political
and business leaders
in Switzerland, "is
of considerable importance
for Africa because
of the extremely grave
problems that globalisation
has caused on this
continent,"
its national organising
committee said. To
read the full report,
go to our NEWS
DESK link.
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2. Business:
Kenya still keen to
promote international
business
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President
Mwai Kibaki has reassured
both local and foreign
investors that the
Government will continue
implementing policies
that encourage them
to do business in
the country. To read
the full report, go
to our NEWS
DESK link.
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3. Business:
Profile of Kenya
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Situated
on the equator on
Africa's east coast,
Kenya has been described
as "the cradle
of humanity".
The
latest information
researched by the
staff of the BBC will
help our readers to
better understand
this African Country.
To read the full report,
go to our NEWS
DESK link.
Editor's
Note: Visit our
web page on Kenya.
Go
to this link
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4. Business:
Starvation in Kenya
Aggravated by Corrupt
Government Officials
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GARISSA,
Kenya: Millions
of Kenyans are teetering
on the edge of starvation
because of a severe
drought, their plight
worsened by corrupt
officials stealing
and selling sacks
of food aid, analysts
say. To read the full
report, go to our
NEWS
DESK link.
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5. Business:
South African Labour
Laws to dramatically
change
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Cape
Town: The labour
laws will be amended
this year. "That
much is a done deal,"
a senior ANC parliamentarian
conceded this week.
However, the nature
and extent of the
amendments are still
not decided and battle
lines are being drawn.
The
report claims: "Easing
labour market regulations
would help make a
significant dent in
unemployment."
It is also quite blunt
in its criticism of
central bargaining
and its assessment
that "streamlined
[dismissal] procedures
should have a positive
effect on firms' decisions
to hire workers".
To read the full report,
go to our NEWS
DESK link.
Editor's Note:
Visit our web page
on South Africa. Go
to this link.
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6. Business
& Employment:
Handling a Telephone
Interview
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Sometimes,
after you have sent
in your resume or
CV, the company sets
up a "telephone-screening
interview".
Telephone interviews
are becoming more
common as companies
seek to reduce recruitment
costs and reorganise
the selection process.
They are also common
when applying for
overseas jobs. To
read our full report,
go to our NEWS
DESK link.
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7. Education:
British National Archives
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At
the time of their
creation, public information
films created by the
British government
after World War II
may have been seen
as overly didactic
and pedestrian in
their approach to
filmmaking.
Fifty
years on, they are
most correctly seen
as a fascinating way
to gain some insight
into this particular
moment in British
history. The National
Archives has created
this website which
contains several dozen
of these public information
films that deal with
such diverse subjects
as public health,
a trip on a London
bus, and the Berlin
airlift. Before delving
into the films, visitors
may wish to peruse
a timeline of pertinent
events during the
years 1945 to 1951
and also read about
the austere conditions
around much of the
United Kingdom during
the period. Visit
this site.
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8. Education:
Should Scotland Become
Independent?
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"The
idea that Scotland
might one day 'be
a nation again' should
simply be dropped.
We had our chance,
when everyone else
in Europe had it,
in the 19th and 20th
centuries. But we
calculated that the
Union and the Empire
were a better bet
than independence.
Well, live with it."
- Quote from Expat
PROF NIALL FERGUSON.
To
read the full report,
go to our NEWS
DESK link to read
this provocative article.
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9. Education:
Special Feature for
our Poetry Lovers
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Poetry
is often seen by some
as inaccessible, which
is quite a shame,
considering the beauty
that can be contained
within a single stanza,
or in some cases,
the mere elocution
of one word. Hearing
poetry read is a wondrous
joy, and The Poetry
Archive is a great
way to enter this
world.
Established
in 1999, The
Poetry Archive
contains readings
by hundreds of poets,
including a number
of real historical
gems from those who
have passed away.
The site also includes
a "Lucky Dip"
feature, which takes
visitors to the work
of a poet selected
at random from their
generous collection.
The homepage contains
links to a number
of educational resources,
including those for
teachers seeking to
utilize the contents
of the site in their
classroom and for
those looking for
a brief introduction
to reading poetry.
One
recording that should
not be missed is by
the late John Betjeman,
whose poem "A
Nip in the Air"
contains the words:
"Now if the
harvest is over/And
the world cold/Give
me the bonus of laughter/As
I lose hold".
Visit
this site.
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10. Immigration:
Work Visa for the
USA
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The
temporary visa program
known as H-1B enables
U.S. employers to
hire professional-level
foreign workers for
a period of up to
six years.
According
to the law employers
must pay H-1B workers
either the same rate
as other employees
with similar skills
and qualifications
or the "prevailing
wage" for that
occupation and location,
whichever is higher.
This is to prevent
the hiring of foreign
workers from depressing
U.S. wages and to
protect foreign workers
from exploitation.
In spite of the requirement
that H-1B workers
be paid the prevailing
wage, H-1B workers
earn significantly
less than their American
counterparts.
On
average, applications
for H-1B workers in
computer occupations
were for wages $13,000
less than Americans
in the same occupation
and state. To read
the full report, go
to our NEWS
DESK link.
Editor's Note:
Read also about the
new TN1 visa for Canadians
and Mexicans to work
in the USA. Go
to this link.
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11. Travel:
Our friend Joan Root
murdered in Kenya
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Joan
Root was a well-known
and respected figure
in Kenya's Rift Valley.
A celebrated filmmaker
and naturalist, she
had dedicated her
life to protecting
one of Africa's last
wildernesses against
human encroachment.
In recent years, her
one-woman crusade
had concentrated on
the plight of Lake
Naivasha - one of
Africa's richest and
most imperiled bodies
of water. Such was
her standing, a section
of the lake's shoreline
had been named after
her. To read the full
report, go to our
NEWS
DESK link.
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Announcement
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The
Annual General Meeting
for Chipangali Wildlife
Orphanage will be
held on the 25th February
2006 at 14h00 in the
Lady Diana Conference
Centre at the Chipangali
Wildlife Orphanage,
off the Gwanda/Bulawayo
Road, Zimbabwe.
Editor's
Note: The Delamere
Group promotes and
encourages the objectives
of this charity, Chipangali
Wildlife Orphanage.
Visit
their site.
For
other charities supported
by the Delamere
Group visit
this page.
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This month's
quote
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"The
best way to cheer
yourself up is to
try to cheer somebody
else up." ~ Mark
Twain
*********
Disclaimer
*********
Although
great
effort
has been
made in
compiling
and checking
the information
contained
in this
Newsletter
is accurate,
the publisher
shall
not
be held
responsible
for any
errors,
omissions
or inaccuracies
in this
electronic
publication,
or for
any consequences
arising
there
from.
Editorial
materials
published
herein
are provided
for information
only.
The
publisher
expressly
disclaims
any and
all liability
to any
person,
whosoever,
in respect
of any
loss,
damage,
death,
personal
injury
or other
consequences,
by their
use of,
or reliance
upon in
any way,
the information
contained
in this
electronic
publication.
**************
Copyright
Notice
**************
Copyright
2006 by
"Delamere-Pennine
Associates,
International
Business
&
Marketing
Consultants"
All Rights
Reserved.
For easy
access
to Delamere
Group
of Businesses
If
you
wish
to
use
any
of
the
resources
contained
herein,
permission
is
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only
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resources
are
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and
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authors
or
proprietary
owners.
You
may
forward
a
copy
of
this
Newsletter
to
your
friends
and
associates
only
if
it
is
forwarded
in
its
entirety.
