Positive News Update

US studies show how fruits and vegetables reduce cancer

A growing body of research that shows fruits and vegetables,
especially richly colored varieties, can reduce the risk of cancer.

Just three servings a month of raw broccoli or cabbage can
reduce the risk of bladder cancer by as much as 40 percent,
researchers reported this week.

Researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo,
New York, surveyed 275 people who had bladder cancer and
825 people without cancer.

They asked especially about cruciferous vegetables such as
broccoli and cabbage. These foods are rich in compounds called
isothiocyanates, which are known to lower cancer risk.

The effects were most striking in nonsmokers, the researchers
told a meeting being held this week of the American Association
of Cancer Research in Philadelphia.

US: Solid job gains, wage growth in November

Employers added a solid 94,000 jobs to their payrolls in
November, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 per cent,
and wages grew briskly, encouraging signs the nation's
employment climate is holding up in the face of turbulence in
the housing and credit markets.

US President Bush celebrates peace
with Northern Ireland leaders

Northern Ireland leaders Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness,
bitter enemies turned partners in government, concluded their
first joint visit to Washington with a celebration of peace with
President Bush at the White House.

Paisley and McGuinness, who formed an alliance in May after
decades of turmoil in Northern Ireland, smiled and chuckled
with Bush during their meeting in the Oval Office.

``I congratulate you for seizing the moment and writing a
hopeful chapter,'' Bush told them.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UK: All homes could be wind powered by 2020

Every home in the country could be supplied by wind power alone
in 2020 by making full use of the wind-swept seas around the
country, Energy Secretary John Hutton said on Monday. Britain
has some of the best wind conditions for generating electricity
in the world.

Iran, IAEA in new talks to clear nuclear doubts

Iran and a team from the UN nuclear watchdog started a fresh
round of talks on Monday in Tehran to resolve doubts about the
Islamic Republic's nuclear work. The International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) delegation arrived in Iran's capital on Sunday,
less than a week after a US intelligence report said Iran halted its
nuclear weapons program in 2003.

Iran denies ever having had such a military program but
welcomed the report that contradicted the US
administration's assertions that Tehran was actively
working on a nuclear bomb.

European Union, Africa open first summit in seven years

Leaders from the European Union and Africa met on Saturday to
forge a new strategic partnership at their first summit in seven
years. The call for a fresh start comes at a time when many African
countries' economies are growing more rapidly than in several
decades, thanks to a commodities-fuelled boom.

Pressured by China's growing investment and influence in Africa,
the Europeans aim to agree an ambitious action plan with the
world's poorest continent to revitalise trade—but also to improve
cooperation in areas like immigration and peacekeeping.

These are all signs of Positive progress that we are making
toward health, peace and sustainability!

Positive Financial News

US:Dow Jones passes 14,000 for record high

Wall Street began the fourth quarter with a huge rally Monday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average to a record close. Stocks were buoyed by a growing belief that the worst of the credit crisis has passed. The Dow rose to 14,087.55, surpassing its closing record set in mid-July. Broader market indexes also rose sharply with the Standard and Poor's 500 index nearing its all-time trading high.

Brazil stocks, currency soar as Wall Street rallies

Brazil's stock market surged to a record on Monday and the national currency rallied past a seven-year high, boosted by US financial markets and increased investor appetite for riskier assets.

Canada: Broad rally sees Toronto stocks jump 100 points

The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index kicked off the fourth quarter with a 100-point gain on Monday, as strength in resource and financial issues led a broad-based rally.

European shares at two-month high, banks lead gains

European shares rose for the second straight session on Tuesday as global stocks hit record highs with shares of financial institutions leading the rally. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index rose to its highest level since 26 July. Around Europe, London's FTSE 100 index, Frankfurt's DAX, and Paris's CAC-40 all gained. MSCI's main world equity index and many Asian markets also hit records.

Hong Kong shares set life high

Hong Kong blue chips jumped 3.9 per cent on Tuesday and China plays leapt 5.6 per cent amid a broad-based rally, as investors cheered a record high on Wall Street. The benchmark Hang Seng Index cleared the 28,000-mark for the first time to end up 1,057.28 points at a fresh record of 28,199.75. Trading volume was unprecedented.

Indian shares hit record, post 10th straight gain

Indian shares hit a ninth successive record high and posted a 10th straight rise on Monday -- their longest winning streak in two years.

Korean leaders meet at historic summit

The second summit between the divided Koreas since World War II began Tuesday in Pyongyang, North Korea. Formal talks between leaders of the two countries begin Wednesday. During the 125-mile journey by road from Seoul, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun stepped out of his vehicle to walk across the border that divides the Koreas in the center of the Demilitarized Zone -- the first time any Korean leader has crossed the land border.

Positive News Update

INTERNATIONAL NEWS


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
and Israeli Prime Minister to meet

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet
next week, and efforts to halt the latest
convulsion of Israeli-Palestinian violence
are sure to dominate the agenda.

On Monday, Abbas appealed to militant groups
to take the first step in forging a new ceasefire
with Israel, saying the alternative would be the
collapse of the Palestinian coalition government.

Diplomats begin work on climate accord

More than 1,000 diplomats from 166 countries
and organizations began work Monday on a new
accord to control greenhouse gases, as they
negotiated the key elements of a treaty to
succeed the 10-year-old Kyoto Protocol,
which expires in 2012.

Democratic Republic of Congo:
More rebels hand in arms in Ituri

Another group of militias from one of the last
active rebel movements in the troubled Ituri
district of eastern Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) has handed in its weapons under
an ongoing demobilization, disarmament,
and reintegration (DDR) process, United
Nations sources said.

LEDs emerge to fight fluorescents

As lightbulbs are being banned worldwide
due to their contribution to global warming,
light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are stepping
into the void by being more energy efficent,
bright, and long-lasting.

Consumers haven't warmed to compact
fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) which take less
energy than traditional bulbs but the
quality of light has not been satisfactory.

Solar power heads mainstream
as costs drop

Advances in solar technology should make
the renewable energy more cost-effective
and allow its use to spread more quickly
to the public -- making it mainstream in
three or four years -- says an environmental
research group report.

What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for my arms and hands because...
whenever I need a helping hand I have two nearby!

Get to know Tawana Williams, she's a good friend,
and you'll better understand my quote above.
http://www.tawanawilliams.com

--Dave

Please share what you are thankful for by commenting
on this post.

US - Positive News 3-3-07

US, EU reach open skies agreement

The US and European Union have reached a tentative
agreement that would give airlines greater freedom
to choose trans-Atlantic routes and potentially
lead to lower fares, the government announced Friday.

Environmental Protection Agency proposes
cuts in diesel exhaust

The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing
to reduce diesel exhaust from trains and ships, a
move supported by some environmentalists.

Manufacturing report calms markets

A better than expected performance from the US
manufacturing sector in February helped calm
investors on Thursday.

February's reading of 52.3, though the index was well
above the January reading of 49.3 and Wall Street's
expectation of 50. A reading above 50 indicates
growth for the sector.

Number one milk company says 'No' to clones

Milk from cloned cows is not welcome at the nation's
biggest milk company. Dean Foods Company of Dallas,
Texas said Thursday that its customers and consumers
don't want milk from cloned animals.

'Numerous surveys have shown that Americans are not
interested in buying dairy products that contain milk
from cloned cows and Dean Foods is responding to the
needs of our consumers,' the company said in a statement.

Whole Foods to buy Wild Oats for $565 million

Whole Foods Market Inc said Wednesday it will pay $565 million
for Wild Oats Markets Inc, a chain of natural and organic food
markets in the United States and Canada.

Wild Oats has annual sales of about $1.2 billion, and
operates 110 stores in 24 states, and British Columbia,
Canada.

International Positive News Update - 3-3-07

Argentine leader lauds economic recovery

Argentine President Nestor Kirchner spoke
of his government's performance on the
economy and human rights during his
state-of-the-nation address Thursday.

In his main speech of the year, President
Kirchner said that Argentina's economy grew
8.5 per cent in 2006 as it continues its
strong recovery from a 2002 financial collapse.

French government wants food warnings

Less fat, less sugar, less salt: Even the
mostly svelte French are cracking down.
Beginning Thursday, the government ordered
food ads to carry cautions telling the French
to stop snacking, exercise, and eat more fruits
and vegetables.

Other European countries have already taken
measures along the lines of France.

Koreas agree to resume family reunions

North and South Korea, holding their first
high-level talks since Pyongyang conducted
a nuclear test, agreed Friday to resume
reunions of families that have been separated
by their divided border.

Peru launches campaign to promote punctuality

Sirens wailed, church bells rang, and a sea of
confetti fluttered through Lima's historical
central plaza at the stroke of noon Thursday,
alerting Peruvians to synchronize their watches
at the start of a nationwide campaign to
promote punctuality.

South Africa and Iceland to enhance trade cooperation

Following the opening of Iceland's South African Embassy
in Pretoria, South Africa's Foreign Affairs Minister
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma met with his Icelandic counterpart
on Tuesday 27 February to determine ways of increasing
trade between their countries.

International Positive News Update 1-28-07

POSITIVE PROGRESS TOWARDS PEACE

Sinn Fein votes to back police - a 1st
by Shawn Pogatchnik

The Associated Press
28 January 2007

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP)- Sinn Fein members overwhelmingly
voted Sunday to begin cooperating with the Northern
Ireland police, a long-unthinkable commitment that
could spur the return of a Catholic-Protestant
administration for the British territory.

The result—confirmed by a sea of raised hands but
no formally recorded vote—meant Sinn Fein, once
a hard-left party committed to a socialist revolution,
has abandoned its decades-old hostility to law and order.

The vote, taken after daylong debate among 2,000
Sinn Fein stalwarts, represented a stunning triumph
for Sinn Fein chief Gerry Adams, the former Irish
Republican Army commander who has spent 24 years
edging his IRA-linked party away from terror and
toward compromise.

It strongly improved the chances of reviving
power-sharing, the long-elusive goal of the 1998
Good Friday peace pact, by Britain's deadline
of March 26.

``Today you have created the potential to change
the political landscape on this island forever,''
Adams told the conference.

Earlier, many speakers said for decades they had
dreamed of defeating the province's mostly Protestant
police force and forcing Northern Ireland into
the Irish Republic.

Some IRA veterans recalled beatings inflicted on
them by detectives during interrogations. Others
noted they had served long prison sentences for
attacks on police, more than 300 of whom were
killed during the IRA's failed 1970-1997 campaign.

But nearly all speakers said they were voting to
dump their party's anti-police position for the
sake of peace.

``This shows that the war is over. And if the war
is over, we have to build the peace,'' Adams said
in an interview during an earlier break in debate.

Positive News is pleased with this important step
towards peace in Northern Ireland


Report: Koreas' nuclear talks to resume
The Associated Press
28 January 2007

SEOUL (AP) - South Korea's foreign minister says
the next round of international talks on North
Korea's nuclear program should resume by early
next month, a news report said Friday.

Foreign Minister Song Min-soon made the comments
to South Korean correspondents in Beijing,
according to Yonhap news agency, a day after he
met with his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing,
and State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan.

The nuclear disarmament talks—which consist of
the United States, China, the two Koreas, Japan
and Russia—should be held before Feb. 10, Song
said without elaborating.

In Tokyo, the Kyodo news agency reported that
the participants are considering resuming their
next meeting in Beijing beginning Feb. 8, citing
unidentified officials.

The ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Russia's nuclear
envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov,
as saying the most likely dates for resumption of
the talks are Feb. 5-8, but the participants must
still reach agreement on 'concrete details of
the agenda.'

A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said he was
aware of the reports but denied the date has been
decided.

Positive News is pleased to see these talks resume
and we view this as progress towards a peaceful
solution.


POSITIVE ENVIROMENTAL TRENDS

German renewable energy sector
shows impressive growth

GreenPrices

On 28 January 2007 GreenPrices reported:
2006 was a year of impressive growth for
the German renewable energy sector.

German wind power installations grew by
23.5 per cent in 2006, while renewable
energy use grew by 11.6 per cent, leaving
the country just 12 per cent short of its
renewable energy target for the year 2010.

The country overall decreased its CO2
emission by an impressive 10 million tonnes.
This, together with the above-mentioned
results has made Germany one of the undisputed
leaders of the green energy sector.

Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel stated
that his ministry would focus next on
formulating a plan to for the development
and usage of renewable heating.

The new program will operate through a
series of subsidies and mandatory
percentages.

Can energy projects play a role
in reducing poverty?

According to the recently released report
'Improving Lives: World Bank Progress on
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in
Fiscal Year 2006' by the World Bank.

The World Bank said that in 2006 it funded
renewable energy projects for a total value
of $668 million, supporting 34 projects in
61 developing nations.

The World Bank report also said that affordable
energy availability was crucial to the elimination
of poverty and malnutrition, since almost all
food needs to be cooked to be properly digested.

The Bank will continue to focus on supporting
renewable energy development in Asia and Africa,
giving more attention to 'solar home-lighting
systems, small hydropower systems, and wind
power and biomass energy production using wood
and animal and crop residues'.

An example of a successful third world project
is a project in Bangladesh where 90,000 homes
have received solar power systems, which the
Bank said is regarded as 'the world's most
successful solar power initiative'.

Also the bank has supported a successful forest
management project in Senegal that produces
wood on a sustainable basis, reducing deforestation,
and generating local income.

Through other projects, solar power has been
used to light public areas in Bolivia and
district heating in Serb schools has been
improved.

US Positive News Update

US News Update

Anti-smoking milestone reached in U.S.

Thirty years after it began as just another quirky
movement in Berkeley, Calif., the push to ban
smoking in restaurants, bars and other public
places has reached a national milestone.

For the first time in the nation's history, more
than half of Americans live in a city or state with
laws mandating that workplaces, restaurants or
bars be smoke-free, according to Americans for
Nonsmokers' Rights.

``The movement for smoke-free air has gone from
being a California oddity to the nationwide norm,''
said Bronson Frick, the group's associate director. `

`We think 100 percent of Americans will live in
smoke-free jurisdictions within a few years.''


New Housing Starts Rise

The Commerce Department reported Thursday
that housing construction rose 4.5 percent in
December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate
of 1.642 million units.

Analysts cautioned that the December figure could
be overstating the extent of the rebound since it
was probably influenced by warmer-than-normal
weather last month.

Employment Numbers Improve

The Labor Department reported Thursday that
applications for jobless benefits totaled a seasonally
adjusted 290,000, down 8,000 from the previous
week when claims had fallen below 300,000 for
the first time in six months.

The back-to-back improvements pushed claims to
the lowest level since the week of Feb. 18, 2006.

NY Subway Hero Saves Stranger

Wesley Autrey from Harlem dove in front of a subway
train earlier this month to save a man who had fallen on
the tracks.

The January 2nd incident, when he saved Cameron
Hollopeter by pinning him down between the rails,
allowing the train to pass over both of them.

Now, he is encouraging all people to find the hero within
themselves. "There's a hero in all of us, you just have to
act on the moment, you know,” said Autrey.

“Don't be afraid, go for it. That's it.”

“This angel has dropped down from heaven onto the
platform of 137th Street and he has gotten his wings,”
added Manhattan Assemblyman Keith Wright. “And
his job is to make sure the rest of us get our wings as well."

Wesley Autrey was applauded by Governor Eliot Spitzer
and the state assembly in Albany. He has received numerous
acknowledgements and awards and even appeared on
the tonight show with Jay Leno.

Autrey says he remains in contact with Hollopeter,
and their families plan to get together soon.

I'm back...

Hello Everyone,

I appreciate your patience with my absence. My
plan is to update this blog each week for you!

Please feel free send me your Positive News.

THX, Dave

PS STAY POSITIVE!

Positive News Update

After 26 Years Secret Santa Introduces Himself!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The answer to one of the happiest
mysteries in the Kansas City area is being revealed this year.

A man who has given away millions of dollars and become
known as Secret Santa for handing out Christmas cash to
the needy is allowing his name to be publicized after 26 years.

But the reason for the revelation is an unhappy one. Secret
Santa has cancer. He wants to start speaking to community
groups about his belief in random acts of kindness, but he
can't do that without telling people who he is.

The man who has spread cheer for 26 years is Larry Stewart,
58, of Lee's Summit, who made his millions in cable television
and long-distance telephone service.

Stewart told The Kansas City Star that he was the man who
would walk up to complete strangers, hand them $100 bills,
wish them "Merry Christmas" and walk away, leaving
astonished and grateful people in his wake.

He handed out money throughout the year, but he said it was
the Christmas giving that gave him the most joy.

Now, he wants to inspire others to do the same. He said
he thinks that people should know that he was born poor,
was briefly homeless, dropped out of college, has been fired
from jobs, and once even considered robbery.

But he said every time he hit a low point in his life, someone
gave him money, food and hope, and that's why he has devoted
his life to returning the favors.

A Positive News subscribe shared this story and we support,
the promotion of "Random Acts of Kindness" at the holidays
and all year long.

Think About This: Even a small gift to a stranger can give you the
same benefits - you don't need to be wealthy to participate - a gift
of your time is always appreciated too!

Positive News Update 10-18-06

Sorry it's been so long between updates
but here are just a few of the Positive News
headlines from around the world.

PNN views these developments as proof
positive that there are many Positive
developments in our world.

First woman wins Bahrain parliament seat
AP - Tue Oct 17, 5:22 PM ET

MANAMA, Bahrain - A British-educated civil
servant has become the first-ever female to
serve as an elected member of Bahrain's
parliament, the Gulf kingdom said Tuesday.

U.N. peacekeepers relish calm in Lebanon
AP - Tue Oct 17, 7:10 AM ET

NAQOURA, Lebanon - The Italian soldier newly
assigned to patrol south Lebanon was confident
he was welcome in one of the world's tensest regions.

Kidnappers free U.S. missionary in Haiti
AP - Wed Oct 18, 1:17 AM ET

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - A U.S. missionary
was kidnapped as he left his church in northern
Haiti and later freed unharmed, his family said
early Wednesday.

Landmines cleared from strategic
Mozambique railway line
AFP - Tue Oct 17, 8:00 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The last landmines and
unexploded ordnance blocking Mozambique's vital
Sena Railway line have been removed, thanks
largely to some 13 million dollars (10 million euros)
in US aid, the US State Department said.

PM says Japan won't build atomic weapons
AP

TOKYO - Japan's prime minister struggled
Wednesday to stifle talk of a move to build a
nuclear bomb, a concept once considered
unthinkable in the only nation ever attacked
with atomic weapons. "The debate is finished,"
Shinzo Abe said.

And just for fun did you know about this...

Clown convention opens in Mexico
AP - Mon Oct 16, 11:33 PM ET

MEXICO CITY - There was hardly room for all
the big feet and rubber noses as hundreds of
clowns from across Latin America opened a
four-day convention in a Mexico City theater
on Monday.

Positive News Update 9-12-06

Blogs help with government oversight

When watchdog groups that monitor federal
spending wanted more information on 1,800
"pork barrel" projects buried in a House
appropriations bill, they listed them on the
Internet and asked readers to dig deeper.

Within days, details began pouring in. "It's
probably the biggest expansion of government
oversight that we'll ever have," says Thomas
Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste,
one of the groups pioneering the effort.

"It will turn every American into a watchdog."

Burundi says last rebel group to disarm

It will take several weeks to disarm Burundi's
last rebel group, the FNL, after it signed a
ceasefire deal solidifying the end of a 12-year
civil war, but this move signifies a vital
development toward long-term peace in Burundi.

Haitian gang members surrender guns

Haitan gang members surrendered their guns
Monday in the first handover of weapons in a
UN-led effort to disarm hundreds of Haitian
criminals, while onlookers cheered in an impromptu
ceremony. The men handing in guns said they
were tired of fighting.

Microbes can clean up toxic waste dumps - scientist

On 11 September 2006 Reuters reported: An
Australian scientist has discovered toxic waste
loving microbes, which may help clean up the
environment.

Megha Mallavarapu, from a government-backed
environmental research centre based in South
Australia state, told Reuters that microbes, which
were found in old waste sites in Australia, can break
down industrial contamination such as waste petroleum
and chlorine, making the soil safe for humans.

Not only is the soil safe but the ground water becomes safe too.

Ozone layer on the mend but recovery delayed - UN

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP),
the earth's ozone layer, which filters dangerous solar radiation,
is on the mend after decades of damage.

The two agencies noted, however, that the recovery process
is going more slowly than expected, with revised projections
of partial recovery over parts of the earth by 2049—five years
later than originally predicted, Reuters reported.

Attack on U.S. Embassy fails in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria — Attackers tried to blow up the U.S.
Embassy in Damascus on Tuesday but were thwarted by
Syrian guards in a fierce gunbattle. Three of the four
attackers and a Syrian guard were killed. No Americans
were hurt.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Imad
Moustapha, Syria's ambassador to the United States, said
it was "logically possible" that an offshoot of al-Qaeda
called Jund al-Sham was responsible.

Positive News Network views these news stories as a
reminder of the rising positivity in our world.

Positive News Update 8-30-06

Here's a few of the 'Positive News"
Headlines from around the world.

These stories show amazing trends
toward enviromental improvement,
prosperity and peace...enjoy!

Argentina moves to clean up
its dirtiest river

After years of neglect, Argentina's Supreme Court
is demanding the cleanup of the Matanza-Riachuelo
river basin, which is home to more than 10 per cent
of the country's total population.

Bumper crop of US wind farms
boosts turbine makers

Electricity generating, clean energy wind farms are going
up at record-breaking speeds across the United States.

Hungary: Biofuel production
to increase tenfold

The Hungarian Minister of Agriculture has announced
that the country plans to increase biofuel production,
currently at 70,000 tonnes, to ten times that amount
by the year 2010.

Japan makes plans for greener cars, batteries

Japan, the world's third-largest oil consumer, has
announced a plan to help reduce its reliance on oil
in the transportation sector by introducing
state-of-the-art environmentally friendly
vehicles in stages.

Japan's unemployment rate continues to fall

Japan's unemployment rate continues to fall for
the eighth consecutive month, which indicates
that the labour market is continuing to improve.

Somali Islamists and the interim
government prepare for peace talks

The interim government of Somalia and leaders of
the Islamist faction that currently controls the
capital, Mogadishu, have agreed to meet for
peace talks.

India, China can sustain stability in the region,
says official Chinese People's Liberation Army

India and China are moving in the direction of
sustaining peace and stability in their neighbourhood
and not just on their frontiers, a top official of the
Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said.

Oil prices lift stocks higher

Wall Street rebounded Monday as energy prices
fell on signs that Tropical Storm Ernesto won't
hit the Gulf of Mexico and as investors grew
optimistic about a series of major economic
reports on tap this week.

Send us your Positive News!

The Dash Poem Movie - almost 1 million views in a week!

I shared the following link in last week's newsletter
for www.TheDashMovie.com and I just got word
earlier today from www.SimpleTruths.com that
almost 1 million people have seen it since!

That just blows my mind - the movie is fantastic,
it really makes you think about what's important!

Check it out - it's only 3 minutes but it really
has an impact. It's based on the world famous
poem "The Dash" by Linda Ellis
www.TheDashMovie.com

Enjoy your Dash...Mr. Positive, Dave Boufford

Positive News Update 7-25-06

Homeless man rewarded
for returning bonds

Detroit: A homeless Detroit man who returned
$20,738.88 in savings bonds he found in a dumpster
to their rightful owner has been rewarded with
cash and a job.

Charles Moore, who found the bonds while sifting
through clothing in a dumpster outside a local church,
was given $100 by the family of Ernest Lehto, who
bought the bonds in the 1980's, The Detroit News
reported.

But the rewards did not stop there. Two suburban
businessmen, inspired by Moore's actions, awarded
the man $1,200 for his honesty and found him a job,
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, reported Tuesday.

The 31 savings bonds, with a total face value of $8,900,
had matured to $20,738.88 after being purchased for
$4,450 about 20 years ago, the Detroit News reported.

"The lesson of it all is; best policy is honesty
and honesty pays off," Moore said.

DiCaprio turns hero in Madonna concert

New York: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, helped two
wheelchair-bound fans at a Madonna concert,
and became a real hero for them.

According to pagesix.com, Francesco Clark, who
worked at Harper's Bazaar until a car accident
left him a quadriplegic, had front row seats at
one of the Madonna's concerts.

However, when the pop diva came onstage the
crowd rushed forward his wheelchair was
almost knocked over.

Clark's friend said, "He couldn't see anything
because people were all standing around him.
He tried to move to the front, but no one would
budge, and nobody cared. Then the security
guard came over and was being rude and told
him to move."

At that point DiCaprio came over and said,
"Why don't you come sit with me and I'll
just move over?"

A few moments later he moved another
wheelchair-bound person next to Clark.

Alaska crews rescue 23 from listing ship

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Helicopters hoisted 23
crew members from a listing cargo ship to safety
overnight, ending a daylong rescue effort as
10-foot waves slapped the ship’s tilting deck
hundreds of miles off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

The morning of July 25, with the crew safe on
Adak Island, the Coast Guard and the ship
operators turned their attention to trying
to salvage the massive car carrier.

The 654-foot Cougar Ace cargo holds nearly
5,000 cars that were being shipped from
Japan to Canada when it began tilting to its
port side late Sunday night.

Clinton Calling For Preassure on Sudan

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton called on
Sunday for pressure to be exerted on Sudan's
government to accept a larger and stronger
peacekeeping force to restore peace in the
country's western Darfur region.

The conflict, which began in early 2003,
has killed 200,000 people, forced another
2 million to flee their homes and spilled
over into neighboring Chad.

'Manatee girl' named young eco-hero

A 17-year-old's dedication to education about
manatees earns her the title of 2006 International
Young Eco-Hero.

When Dara Shore talks to people in her hometown
of Long Island, N.Y., about manatee protection,
they usually respond with: "What's a manatee?"

"And that's one more person that gets educated,"
Shore said.

Shore, 17, became interested in manatee protection
when, as a second-grader, she saw manatees during
a visit to Sea World.

The plight of the water mammals, scarred by boat
propellers, touched her heart. "I was just infuriated"
that they were injured so frequently, she said.

Shore acted on her feelings and soon afterward
started her own organization, Mission Manatee.

"I give talks to schools and raise money for the
Save the Manatee Club," she said. "It's about
involvement. We all need to do our part."

She remembers raising $300 in one afternoon.
Shore was recently named 2006 International
Young Eco-Hero for her continuing efforts to
educate young children about the plight of the
manatee.

"Educating people is important, no matter where
they live," she said. "There may not be any
manatee in New York, but a lot of people have
grandparents who live in Florida and own boats.

"So maybe if they hear safe boating advice from
their grandchildren, they'll be more likely to
listen," Shore said.

Positive New Network applauds all of these
people who have taken action this past week
to make the world a better place for all.

Message from Mr. Positive!

A combination of things have kep me from posting to this blog
the past couple of months. I appreciate your patience and will
now be resuming my weekly updates.

In times like these everyone can use a little good news, in digging
around I found some interesting stories that didn't make the
headlines this month.

I hope you enjoy them and will share your positive news
with us here at PNN.

Thanks, Dave

Positive News Update 7/14/06

I bet these stories didn't make the
front page of your newspaper.

Iraq: Restrained Ramadi offensive
suggests US charm

IRIN News reprorted on 7 July 2006 that hundreds
of families returned to the city of Ramadi, some 110km
west of the capital, Baghdad, two weeks after the
US military launched an unusually restrained
offensive there.

'Residents began returning to Ramadi after being
informed by those who had remained behind that
US troops were not targeting civilians,' said Ahmed
Barak, a spokesperson for the Iraqi Aid Association
(IAA).

On 19 June, thousands of US and Iraqi troops
descended on Ramadi in the restive western
Anbar governorate with the ostensible aim of
restoring stability.

Insurgents had reportedly been in control of much
of the densely populated city, in which street battles
remain common.

According to Barak, while about 1,500 families fled
Ramadi in advance of the attack, more than 1,000
families have since returned. 'Returnees received
some assistance while they were displaced, but this
was only for a short period,' said Barak.

'And those that have returned say they're being
well-treated by the US and Iraqi militaries in Ramadi.'

Local doctors, meanwhile, say there were no civilian
causalities during the course of the offensive, while
residents say that US and Iraqi troops—unlike in
previous episodes—behaved respectfully.

'We didn't flee our home because US troops didn't tell
us to leave,' said Ramadi resident Muhammad Gazi, 55. '

They knocked at our door and politely asked
permission to enter—we were absolutely
astonished.'

US military sources say that this approach is part
of a strategy of adopting more culturally sensitive
tactics when dealing with local populations.

As part of the new charm offensive, US marines
have also begun repairing some of Ramadi's
water-purification and power plants.

'For the first time, US troops have started
getting the Iraqi people on their side,' said Barak.

'Locals are generally afraid of them, but a kind
word can do a lot to end violence.' Residents,
meanwhile, hope that the restraint shown by
the US military will become the rule rather
than the exception.

Positive News Network News comments:
PNN recognises that real problems remain
in the region, but views this as a step in a
more positive direction.


Indonesia approves law
cementing peace deal

7/11/06

JAKARTA, Indonesia the Associated Press
reported that Indonesia passed a law Tuesday
granting tsunami-ravaged Aceh province greater
autonomy and paving the way for elections,
cementing the terms of a landmark 2005 peace
accord with separatist rebels.

The 2004 tsunami that killed more than 131,000
in the province speeded up efforts to end the
29-year civil war that killed 15,000 people.

The rebels handed in all of their self-declared
840 weapons and gave up their long-held
demand for independence, and the government
pulled nearly half of its 50,000 troops from the region.

The 116-page law, rushed through Indonesia's
notoriously slow parliament, gives Aceh control
over 70 percent of its mineral wealth—including
significant oil and gas reserves.

It also allows the former rebels to run in elections
expected later this year for the governor's post and
other senior positions either as independents or
as representatives of their party—both of which
would have been illegal under old laws.

Positive News Network News comments: PNN
recognises that real problems remain in the region,
but views support for national reconciliation as a
step in a positive direction.

Sunni bloc in parliament to end boycott

11 July 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq: Various wire services reported
that the largest Sunni bloc in parliament will end
its legislative boycott following a call for calm and
unity by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr,
the head of the bloc said Tuesday.

The Iraqi Accordance Front suspended its participation
in parliament meetings this month after one of its
members was kidnapped in a Shiite neighborhood
in Baghdad.

Female legislator Tayseer al-Mashhadani is still held
by her kidnappers. ``We have decided to attend the
meetings as of tomorrow in response to the call by
Muqtada al-Sadr,'' Adnan al-Dulaimi, whose bloc
holds 44 seats.

Many Sunnis blamed al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia
for the kidnapping, although the organization has
denied any involvement. Al-Sadr has called for unity
amid rising sectarian tension here.

Positive News Network News comments: PNN
recognises that real problems remain in the region,
but views support for national reconciliation as a
step in a positive direction.

Gun violence down: Police

10 July 2006

Toronto police are optimistic that gun violence
will continue to decrease in the Canadian city.

Police say shootings were down by about 16 per cent
— '137 this year compared to 164 at the same time
last year'

Toronto police are optimistic the city will see a vast
improvement over last year's 'summer of the gun.

Police are seizing guns as aggressively as years past',
Staff Inspector Brian Raybould, head of homicide and
a member of the police force for 37 years as saying,
'we'll keep trying to improve.'

Positive News Network views this news as a
sign of rising positivity in the Toronto.

Togo: Inching towards peace

In a step aimed at ending years of political hostilities,
most of Togo's feuding politicians have agreed on the
general lines of a framework for holding free and fair
elections.

After several months of talks to shore up political
dialogue in the divided country, seven of the nine
groups taking part signed off on a deal late Thursday
that aims to steer Togo onto a peaceful path to
elections expected at the end of next year.

Togo's 'national dialogue' is one of 22 pledges made
by Togo in 2004 to the European Union in order
that Brussels restore aid that was cut off in 1993
due to concerns over human rights and democracy.

Positive News Network News comments: PNN
recognises that real problems remain in the region,
but views support for national reconciliation as a
step in a positive direction.

British dismantling last N Ireland tower

BELFAST, Northern Ireland - The British army
said Wednesday its last watchtower along the
Northern Ireland border will be dismantled
next week, ending decades of high-profile
surveillance in an Irish Republican Army
power base.

The watchtower overlooking the border village
of Forkhill is the last of 16 such observation posts,
which British army engineers erected in the
mid-1980s to hamper movements of the
outlawed IRA in the so-called ``bandit country''
of South Armagh.

Several of the watchtowers were torn down
following Northern Ireland's Good Friday
peace accord of 1998.

Last year, Britain announced that eight
remaining posts would disappear by mid-2006
in response to the IRA's decision to surrender
its weapons stockpiles and declare its 1997
cease-fire permanent.

Positive News Network News comments: PNN
recognises that real problems remain in the region,
but views this as a step in a positive direction.

Positive News May 23, 2006

US NEWS

Hospital purchasing group signs deal
with major organic food distributor

More than 2,000 hospitals in the U.S. now have
access to natural and organic foods, thanks to a
deal announced last week between MedAssets,
a leading group purchasing organization for the
health care industry, and United Natural Food
Incorporated (UNFI), the largest publicly traded
wholesale distributor to the natural and organic
foods industry.

The deal, which is the first contract between a
major health care buyer and organic food distributor,
reflects the growing demand in the health care
industry for healthy food options.

MedAssets purchased more than $200 million
worth of food and supplies for 2,400 hospitals
in the U.S. in 2005.

ADM to build new ethanol plant in Iowa

Archer Daniels Midland Co. plans to build a new
dry-mill ethanol plant that will allow the company
to produce 275 million gallons of the corn-based
fuel each year.

The new plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is expected
to be finished in the second half of 2008, subject to
approval by federal regulators, the company said.

It is the second new dry-milling ethanol plant
announced by Decatur-based ADM this year.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Colombia's homicide rate is the
lowest in nearly two decades

Colombia's peace process with demobilized
paramilitaries was back on track Monday,
following misunderstandings that arose
after a court overturned a law dealing
with peace talks.

Since the demobilization in 2003, Colombia's
homicide rate is the lowest in nearly two
decades.

Bolivia's new President vows to give
unfarmed land to indigenous peoples

Bolivia's President Morales announced that his
government plans to redistribute as much as
54,000 square miles of unfarmed land to the
poor: 'We are defending the right of our
indigenous peoples to their own resources.'

Morales, a former protest leader whose ruling
Movement Toward Socialism party grew out
of the land reform movement, seems
determined to use Bolivia's natural resources
for the benefit of the poor Indian majority.

Chile announces big spending plans

President Michelle Bachelet said Sunday that
Chile will use some of the billions of dollars
from its booming copper exports to advance
her social agenda, creating 130,000 jobs while
investing in health, housing and education.

In her first state-of-the nation address,
Chile's first female president said the big
spending plans did not mean the government
will abandon its fiscal discipline.

She vowed to maintain annual budget surpluses
of at least 1 percent of gross domestic product.