She’s got the voice, now Christina Aguilera looks for hits

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Christina Aguilera has the vocal chops, the look, the strut and millions of new fans thanks to her stint as a judge on TV singing contest “The Voice.”

But can she still sell records?

The singer, who had global hits with “Genie in a Bottle” and the female empowerment ballad “Beautiful” more than 10 years ago, bids to reclaim her status as one of the world’s biggest pop stars with her new album, “Lotus,” released on Tuesday.

Aguilera, 31, says the title and the mixture of dance-pop, ballads and rock-tinged tracks reflect the hopes and disappointments of recent years that saw her 2010 tour for album “Bionic” canceled, a divorce and the box-office flop of her debut feature film, the musical “Burlesque.”

“Lotus represents the unbreakable flower that stands the test of time. No matter the roughest of weather conditions, it remains strong and continues to thrive. (The album) is a nod to my fans who have been here with me the whole journey, and a nod to myself,” she said.

“It is a record of freedom and embracing that…It is very artistic at times, it is very fun at times, it is very free. I think that’s how music and life should be, away from all the negativity,” the four-time Grammy winner said in an appearance at a Billboard Film and TV Music conference in Los Angeles last month.

Aguilera will perform one of the tracks – “Make the World Move” – with her fellow judge Cee Lo Green live on “The Voice” this week for the show’s more than 10 million viewers.

But music industry experts say Aguilera’s popularity on “The Voice” – where her powerhouse performances leave aspiring pop stars in the dust – may not guarantee huge album sales and won’t give the singer a No. 1 hit.

This week also sees new releases from British boy band One Direction and singer Susan Boyle as well as the new “Twilight” film soundtrack.

NOT A BLOCKBUSTER

“I think ‘Lotus’ will certainly debut in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart. But we don’t see it as being a blockbuster out of the gate,” said Keith Caulfield, associate director of charts at Billboard.

“It is a long road to rebuilding Christina as a brand and as a musician, after the last album didn’t so very well,” said Caulfield. “But it’s not always about first week sales.”

Much like Jennifer Lopez on “American Idol,” Aguilera has seen her star rocket in her 18 months on “The Voice.” Just a few months before the TV show made its debut in spring 2011, Aguilera was arrested for being drunk in public in West Hollywood, and her 2010 album “Bionic” had sold a disappointing 312,000 copies.

“‘The Voice’ has reinvigorated her entire career. A lot of people think she is the star of ‘The Voice’ – the judge you tune in for,” said Lyndsey Parker, managing editor at Yahoo! Music.

Yet the first single – “Your Body” – from the new album failed to make a big impact when it was released in September. It peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and never really caught fire on radio.

“It came and went, which surprised me because I think it is a very strong song. And pretty much everything I have heard on this album is strong. I think it’s a real return to form,” said Parker.

“There are very few people in pop who can sing like her. I do think there is a renewed appreciation for great singing that can be done live and that isn’t just about flash. And Christina is coming back to prove that. I think some people are looking at her to take back her crown,” Parker added.

“Lotus” includes duets with both Green and Aguilera’s fellow “Voice” judge, country singer Blake Shelton. It also features the piano-driven ballad “Blank Page,” which is reminiscent of her 2002 hit “Beautiful” and rock-tinged tracks like “Army of Me.”

Aguilera says she hopes to inspire a new generation of singers who were not around in 1999 for her first big hit “Genie in a Bottle.”

“It’s so exciting for me to show them what I do as an artist,” she said. “I’ve been through a lot over the past few years, going through ‘Burlesque,’ a divorce…having a few setbacks….Stuff happens! This is the business. It’s not going to be all cute and pretty and tied up in a bow.

“All of that combined is in ‘Lotus.’ It embraces the woman that I’ve become, and embracing myself coming full circle as a pop star,” she said.

(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

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Meningitis outbreak spurs calls to strengthen FDA

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. and state health regulators called on Congress on Tuesday to strengthen federal oversight of compounding pharmacies as lawmakers prepared for two days of hearings on a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak linked to a compounded steroid.

But the main federal regulator, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said in a statement to Reuters that it faces legal restrictions in regulating drug compounders such as the New England Compounding Center. The Massachusetts pharmacy was at the center of the outbreak that has infected 438 people, including 32 who have died, in 19 states.

The chief public health officer for Massachusetts also urged immediate congressional action to bolster federal oversight of the little-known, lightly regulated compounding industry, which is primarily overseen by state pharmacy boards.

“It is clear that the patchwork of disparate state regulations is not enough to keep the public safe,” Dr. Lauren Smith, interim commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said in written testimony filed with a U.S. House of Representatives oversight panel.

Lawmakers hope to shed light on why regulators failed to act against NECC despite multiple problems dating back to 1999. They also are focusing on whether new legislation may be needed to grant FDA clear authority to police the drug compounding industry.

“FDA’s authority over compounding pharmacies is more limited by law and needs to be strengthened,” said the federal agency’s statement to Reuters. “We look forward to working with Congress to prevent this from happening again.”

Those sentiments were echoed on Tuesday by a new report from the minority Democratic staff of the oversight and investigations panel.

“Legal authority over compounding has been complicated by court decisions that have cast doubt on FDA’s authority to regulate compounders,” the report said. “Compounders operate in a regulatory gap between state-regulated pharmacies and federally regulated drug manufacturers.”

Smith and FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg are scheduled to testify on Wednesday before the panel, the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee for oversight and investigations. A second congressional hearing is scheduled to take place before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday.

The Massachusetts health commissioner, who took office less than three weeks ago, said she is determined to find out why the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy voted to sanction the company in September 2004 but ultimately agreed to a far weaker consent agreement with NECC in January 2006.

“I will not be satisfied until we know the full story behind this decision,” she said in her written testimony.

DEFRAUDING FDA

Smith said the Massachusetts pharmacy board’s executive director and staff attorney learned in April 2006 that executives from a company hired to ensure NECC’s compliance were convicted of federal crimes related to defrauding the FDA.

“However, we found no evidence to indicate that the executive director or staff attorney … provided this crucial information to the board. Nor did they see fit to send inspectors back to NECC in 2006 to determine if they were fulfilling the requirements of the corrective action plan,” Smith said.

But in May 2006, the board affirmed NECC to be in compliance with the consent agreement.

Smith also believes the board would have acted immediately against NECC last July — a month before it produced the final doses of steroid injections linked to the outbreak — if board staff had told board members about a complaint against NECC brought by Colorado authorities.

Earlier this month, the state fired board director James Coffey and board counsel Susan Manning for failing to act on the Colorado complaint.

The Massachusetts pharmacy board was left to oversee NECC’s operations in 2003 when state and FDA officials agreed that its activities did not constitute a manufacturing operation that would need to meet stringent federal standards for safety and efficacy, the FDA acknowledged on Tuesday.

The decision was originally disclosed on Monday by a House Republican staff report.

Where to draw the line between drug manufacturing and drug compounding is a central question for Congress as lawmakers debate the potential need for new legislation to expand the FDA’s authority.

Drug compounding is a little-known practice in which pharmacists traditionally alter or recombine drugs to meet the special needs of specific patients. It is overseen mainly by state authorities who are often ill-equipped for the job.

The activity has evolved in recent decades to include large-scale production that some experts view as drug manufacturing that should be subject to FDA regulation.

Not everyone agrees that the FDA needed new authority to stop New England Compounding Center from operating, however.

Advocacy group Public Citizen earlier this month called on the Obama administration to launch an independent probe of the FDA’s lack of action against NECC. The group alleges that the FDA already has the authority it needs, but that agency officials failed to take steps that could have prevented the current outbreak.

Smith’s written testimony also shows that NECC co-owner Barry Cadden was named to a state task force to study oversight of the compounding pharmacy industry in 2002. The task force met for two years and discussed potential regulatory changes.

But there is no record of formal recommendations and no changes were ever adopted.

(Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Dan Grebler)

Medications/Drugs News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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EU workers in austerity protests

13 November 2012 Last updated at 20:19 ET

Workers across the European Union are set to stage a series of protests against rising unemployment and austerity measures.

The Day of Action and Solidarity calls on leaders to address growing social anxiety and abandon austerity measures.

Some 40 groups from 23 countries are involved in Wednesday’s protests.

Strikes are expected in Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy, with other protests planned in Belgium, Germany, France the UK and some eastern EU states.

Wednesday’s action, which may affect some transport links and services across the continent, has been urged by the European Trade Union Confederation.

“Austerity is a total dead end, and must be abandoned,” said the group in a statement.

Continental protests

Unions in Spain and Portugal started strikes at midnight local time (23:00 GMT), to protest against austerity measures that have combined cuts in salaries, pensions, benefits and social services with hikes in tax rises.

Italy will see a four-hour national strike which transport workers are also expected to join.

In Greece the strike action is the third major walkout in two months as the country tries to reduce its budget deficit in line with international demands.

Continue reading the main story

The government must meet a 5bn-euro debt repayment by Friday and says it needs the bailout cash to avoid going bankrupt.

Greece must back a package of salary and pension cuts, and labour market reforms, and the 2013 budget, to receive the next part of a bailout – a 31.5bn-euro instalment from the International Monetary Fund and European Union that has been on hold for months – and avoid bankruptcy.

The BBC’s Mark Lowen in Athens says that with proposals for a fifth consecutive cut to pensions, an increase in the retirement age and reductions to salaries, benefits and healthcare, the fury among Greece’s population is growing.

In France, the CGT union has called for public sector strikes, but there are questions about how many workers will stay away.

The strikes are not anti-government, correspondents say, but rather a way of showing that workers in France are in solidarity with their fellow-workers elsewhere in Europe.

While some Belgian unions have told the BBC they will not be striking, all have expressed solidarity with the day’s protests, which is expected to see demonstrations outside the Brussels embassies of Germany, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland.

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Head of Microsoft’s Windows unit steps down

(Reuters) – Microsoft Corp said the head of its flagship Windows division and the driving force behind Windows 8, Steven Sinofsky, will be leaving the company with immediate effect, days after the software giant launched the Surface tablet.

Sinofsky, who presented at the launch of the Windows 8 operating system in New York City last month, will be succeeded by Julie Larson-Green, who will head the Windows hardware and software division, the company said in a statement.

Tami Reller will remain chief financial officer and chief marketing officer and will assume responsibility for the business of Windows.

Both executives will report directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Microsoft said.

At the launch event in October, Sinofsky and his team showed off a range of devices running Windows 8 from PC makers such as Lenovo Group Ltd and Acer Inc, but devoted most of their energy to the second half of the presentation and the Surface tablet, the first computer Microsoft has made itself.

(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad and Nicola Leske; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

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Australia’s INXS calls it quits as touring band after 35 years

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian rock group INXS has called it quits as a live touring band after 35 years, thanking fans and honoring late frontman Michael Hutchence in a statement on Tuesday.

INXS, which sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, including more than 10 million alone of their 1987 breakthrough “Kick”, issued the statement after comments by band member Jon Farriss during a weekend performance sparked a frenzy on Twitter.

“We understand that this must come as a blow to everybody, but all things must eventually come to an end,” INXS members Tim, Andrew and Jon Farriss, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Beers said. “We have been performing as a band for 35 years, it’s time to step away from the touring arena.”

“Our music will of course live on and we will always be a part of that,” they added.

INXS was one of the biggest touring bands of the 1980s and 1990s, playing to 80,000 at Wembley Stadium in London and 120,000 in Rio De Janeiro.

But the death of charismatic lead singer Hutchence in 1997 was a major blow.

A U.S. TV talent show for a new frontman was won by Canadian J.D. Fortune, while Terence Trent D’Arby and Jon Stevens also had a turn at the microphone. Irishman Ciaran Gribbin was the last to take the role.

Farriss, the band’s drummer, set the Internet abuzz on Sunday night after he told the audience during a support performance for U.S. band Matchbox Twenty in Perth that it was the last time INXS would perform together. Saxophone player Pengilly later told a radio station the band was not breaking up.

The group declined to comment further on Tuesday.

(Reporting By Grace Williams, editing by Elaine Lies)

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Canada seen needing to spell out rules for natural gas projects

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – The fate of a handful of liquefied natural gas projects planned for Canada’s Pacific coast may depend on the Canadian government‘s willingness to spell out rules for foreign investment in the country’s energy sector, according to a study released on Thursday.

Apache Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Petronas, BG Group Plc and others are in the planning stages for LNG projects that would take gas from the rich shale fields of northeastern British Columbia and ship it to Asian buyers.

But the federal government’s decision last month to stall the C$ 5.2 billion ($ 5.2 billion) bid by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas C$ 5.2 billion for Canada‘s Progress Energy Resources Corp could lessen the appetite of Asian buyers for Canadian LNG, energy consultants Wood Mackenzie said.

“Some potential off-takers of Canadian LNG like the idea … because it’s perceived as having low political risk, and another reason is because they see the potential for investment opportunities,” said Noel Tomnay, head of global gas at the consultancy.

“If there are going to be restrictions on how they access those opportunities, if acquisitions are closed to them, then clearly that would restrict the attractiveness of those opportunities. If would-be Asian investors thought that corporate acquisitions were an avenue that was not open to them then Canadian LNG would become less attractive.”

The Canadian government is looking to come up with rules governing corporate acquisitions by state-owned companies and has pushed off a decision on the Petronas bid as it considers whether to approve the $ 15.1 billion offer for Nexen Inc from China’s CNOOC Ltd.

Exporting LNG to Asia is seen as a way to boost returns for natural-gas producers tapping the Montney, Horn River and Liard Basin shale regions of northeastern British Columbia.

Though Wood Mackenzie estimates the fields contain as much as 280 trillion cubic feet of gas, they are far from Canada’s traditional U.S. export market, while growing supplies from American shale regions have cut into Canadian shipments.

Because the region lacks infrastructure, developing the resource will be expensive, requiring new pipelines and multibillion-dollar liquefaction.

Still Wood Mackenzie estimates that the cost of delivery into Asian markets for Canadian LNG would be in the range of $ 10 million to $ 12 per million British thermal units, similar to competing projects in the United States and East Africa.

($ 1 = $ 1.00 Canadian)

(Reporting by Scott Haggett; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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Canada seen needing to spell out rules for natural gas projects

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – The fate of a handful of liquefied natural gas projects planned for Canada’s Pacific coast may depend on the Canadian government‘s willingness to spell out rules for foreign investment in the country’s energy sector, according to a study released on Thursday.

Apache Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Petronas, BG Group Plc and others are in the planning stages for LNG projects that would take gas from the rich shale fields of northeastern British Columbia and ship it to Asian buyers.

But the federal government’s decision last month to stall the C$ 5.2 billion ($ 5.2 billion) bid by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas C$ 5.2 billion for Canada‘s Progress Energy Resources Corp could lessen the appetite of Asian buyers for Canadian LNG, energy consultants Wood Mackenzie said.

“Some potential off-takers of Canadian LNG like the idea … because it’s perceived as having low political risk, and another reason is because they see the potential for investment opportunities,” said Noel Tomnay, head of global gas at the consultancy.

“If there are going to be restrictions on how they access those opportunities, if acquisitions are closed to them, then clearly that would restrict the attractiveness of those opportunities. If would-be Asian investors thought that corporate acquisitions were an avenue that was not open to them then Canadian LNG would become less attractive.”

The Canadian government is looking to come up with rules governing corporate acquisitions by state-owned companies and has pushed off a decision on the Petronas bid as it considers whether to approve the $ 15.1 billion offer for Nexen Inc from China’s CNOOC Ltd.

Exporting LNG to Asia is seen as a way to boost returns for natural-gas producers tapping the Montney, Horn River and Liard Basin shale regions of northeastern British Columbia.

Though Wood Mackenzie estimates the fields contain as much as 280 trillion cubic feet of gas, they are far from Canada’s traditional U.S. export market, while growing supplies from American shale regions have cut into Canadian shipments.

Because the region lacks infrastructure, developing the resource will be expensive, requiring new pipelines and multibillion-dollar liquefaction.

Still Wood Mackenzie estimates that the cost of delivery into Asian markets for Canadian LNG would be in the range of $ 10 million to $ 12 per million British thermal units, similar to competing projects in the United States and East Africa.

($ 1 = $ 1.00 Canadian)

(Reporting by Scott Haggett; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Canada News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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U2′s Bono to urge U.S. politicians not to cut aid programs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Irish rocker and anti-poverty campaigner Bono will appeal to Democrats and Republicans during a visit to Washington this week to spare U.S. development assistance programs from cuts as Congress tries to avert the looming “fiscal cliff” of tax hikes and spending reductions early next year.

The U2 lead singer’s visit comes as the Obama administration and congressional leaders try to forge a deal in coming weeks to avoid the economy hitting the “fiscal cliff” – tax increases and spending cuts worth $ 600 billion starting in January if Congress does not act.

Analysts say the absence of a deal could shock the United States, the world’s biggest economy, back into recession.

Kathy McKiernan, spokeswoman for the ONE Campaign, said Bono will hold talks with congressional lawmakers and senior Obama administration officials during the November 12-14 visit.

During meetings he will stress the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance programs and the need to preserve them to avoid putting at risk progress made in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, she said.

Bono, a long-time advocate for the poor, will argue that U.S. government-funded schemes that support life-saving treatments for HIV/AIDS sufferers, nutrition programs for malnourished children, and emergency food aid make up just 1 percent of the U.S. government budget but are helping to save tens of millions of lives in impoverished nations.

The One Campaign would not elaborate which lawmakers and senior Obama administration officials Bono will meet.

On Monday, Bono will discuss the power of social movements with students at Georgetown University. He will also meet new World Bank President Jim Yong Kim for a web cast discussion on Wednesday on the challenges of eradicating poverty.

(Editing by W Simon)

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Nesquik Recall Q and A: Are Your Kids Safe?

Nestlé announced late last week a recall of Nesquik for possible Salmonella contamination. Promoted by the Nesquik Bunny, the chocolate milk flavoring is consumed primarily by children. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your kids are safe from this Salmonella risk.

How Do I Know If My Nesquik Is Part of the Recall?

The Nesquik recall covers only chocolate powder in 10.9, 21.8 and 40.7 ounce canisters manufactured during October 2012. Any other Nesquik products are not subject to recall. According to CNN, 200,000 canisters of Nesquik are included in the recall.

Nesquik subject to the recall bears a Best Before date of October 2014. The applicable UPC codes and production codes include: for 40.7 ounce containers UPC 0 28000 68230 9 with production codes 2282574810 or 2282574820; for 21.8 ounce size, UPC 0 28000 68090 9 and production codes 2278574810, 2278574820, 2279574810, 2279574820, 2284574820, 2284574830, 2285574810, 2285574820, 2287574820, 2289574810, or 2289574820; and, for 10.9 ounce canisters, UPC 0 28000 67990 3 and product code 2278574810.

What About Ready-to-Drink Nesquik Served at My Kid’s School?

In June, Nestlé went after the school lunch market by offering eight-ounce ready-to-drink Nesquik. If your child’s school is serving ready-to-drink Nesquik, there’s no cause for concern. The recall covers only the powder variety of Nesquik, not the ready-to-drink type.

What Led to the Nesquik Recall?

Nestlé identifies a supplier of calcium carbonate used in the drink powder as the culprit. The recall notice says Omya, Inc., notified Nestlé of its own product recall due to Salmonella concerns. There have been no reports of illness associated with the Nesquik recall, Nestlé says.

What Is Calcium Carbonate?

Calcium carbonate is an additive included in powdered products to prevent caking and/or to increase calcium content, according to Self.

If My Child Gets Sick, How Will I Know Whether or Not It’s from Salmonella?

Salmonella infection symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. These normally develop within 72 hours of consuming contaminated food or drink. Most people who do contract salmonellosis get better in about a week without treatment. For infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems, salmonellosis can be life threatening and medical treatment is advised.

Can I Get a Refund?

Yes. Return recalled Nesquik to the store where you bought it for a refund, or call Nestlé Consumer Services at (800) 628-7679.

Carol Bengle Gilbert writes about consumer issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Parenting/Kids News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Microsoft Shows Its Windows Chief the Door

Fresh off the release of Windows 8, Microsoft (MSFT) has decided to part ways with its Windows chief.

Microsoft issued a press release late Monday evening, saying that Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows Division, will leave the company, effective immediately. Sinofsky had spent close to 25 years at Microsoft and developed a reputation as someone who could oversee large, complex software projects and bring them in on time—or whatever counts as on time in Microsoft land. Before shepherding products such as Windows, Windows Live, and Outlook.com, he oversaw many iterations of Office.

The big knock on Sinofsky was his often-prickly nature. He wasn’t seen as a team player within Microsoft and was instead known for protecting his fiefdom. That approach doesn’t go over well at today’s Microsoft, which needs to prove that Windows is just one piece of a larger collective that includes phone software, online services, and entertainment products delivered via the Xbox. Sinofsky also proved reticent to speak with the press and was barely heard from as Windows 8 hit the market late last month.

Microsoft’s chief executive officer, Steve Ballmer, said all the standard, polite things in the statement about Sinofsky’s departure. “I am grateful for the many years of work that Steven has contributed to the company,” Ballmer said. Julie Larson-Green, a Microsoft veteran, has been tapped to run Windows software and hardware engineering and will report directly to Ballmer.

Windows 8 is Microsoft’s biggest gamble in years. The software has a radical new interface that’s equal parts beautiful, playful, and confusing. It brings Microsoft into the modern era, giving the company something that can run on tablets, smartphones, laptops, and PCs.

Sinofsky had been put in charge of Windows to make sure that Windows 8 did not end up a mess. The software has received mostly favorable reviews to date, although Microsoft has failed to drum up a ton of early interest around its application store. Critics of Sinofsky can point to this as an example of his inability to play nice with others and drive partner support. Ultimately, he was the guy who delivered big, complex software programs and did it well—and this was not seen as good enough at a time when Microsoft needs plenty of diplomacy and crafty tactics to regain consumer interest.

“It is impossible to count the blessings I have received over my years at Microsoft,” Sinofsky said on his way out. ”I am humbled by the professionalism and generosity of everyone I have had the good fortune to work with at this awesome company.”

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