Doctors, supplies head for Rafah
KUALA LUMPUR: Three Malaysian Red Crescent Society doctors and its disaster manager leave for Rafah, Egypt, tomorrow with medical supplies and other relief materials.

Poland urges EU to seek diversified sources of raw materials
In the face of lower gas supplies, the European Union should intensify its moves designed to diversify sources of raw materials, Polish President Lech Kaczynski said on Tuesday. That is the lesson that should be learnt from what has happened, the president said, referring to the Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict. Poland's plans to import raw materials from "the south-eastern direction" from ...

Man arrested with methamphetamine supplies
A Cleburne man arrested on a warrant Dec. 27 had supplies and chemicals commonly used to manufacture methamphetamine, according to Johnson County Sheriff?s Office reports.

Schools' Reaction To Tight Times Seen in Fee Rules
Course fees charged for workbooks, art supplies and other items would be cut by more than half in Montgomery County schools under a proposal Superintendent Jerry D. Weast announced yesterday to ease the burden on parents.

Grants help replace storm damaged supplies
Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union recently awarded two Pearland Independent School District teachers $500 classroom supply grants to replace materials lost during Hurricane Ike.

State wants all schools to combine buying power
Many schools already have purchasing pools, in which districts band together to get the best prices on supplies and services.

Amazing solar-powered fridge invented by British student in a potting shed helps poverty-stricken Africans
It's the kind of simple yet brilliant invention that would have the tycoons of Dragons' Den salivating with excitement. Not only is the fridge solar powered, it can also be built from household materials.

Florida budget cuts impact schools, social services
Teachers are digging into their own pockets for school supplies. Identity-theft investigations are slowing down. And thousands of nursing-home workers are bracing for layoffs.

Should nuclear fuels be taken out of national hands?
To discourage proliferation, calls are growing to establish a system where nuclear materials are managed under international auspices

BASE METALS
Worries about domestic copper consumption coupled with high mine supplies are leading to far higher Chinese smelting and refining charges for copper concentrates.

Researchers make car parts out of coconuts
A team at Baylor University has made trunk liners, floorboards and car door interior covers using fibers from the outer husks of coconuts, replacing the synthetic polyester fibers typically used in composite materials.

Rwanda: Over 34,000 Orphans Given School Supplies (The New Times)
CHF International, a non-profit humanitarian aid organisation, has donated school materials to at least 34,000 orphans and vulnerable children ahead of the beginning of the academic year.

Hong Kong?s Stocks Fall on Job Losses; Bank of China Declines
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong stocks had the biggest two- day decline since October as falling corporate profits and job cuts in the U.S. and at Lenovo Group Inc. stoked concern the global economic slump is deepening.

Coal ash spill reveals risks, lapses in waste regulation
WASHINGTON ? The coal ash spill in Tennessee last month is putting a spotlight on whether the ash from 450 other power plants around the country could be contaminating the nation's drinking water supplies.

Rwanda: Over 34,000 Orphans Given School Supplies
Kigali ? CHF International, a non-profit humanitarian aid organisation, has donated school materials to at least 34,000 orphans and vulnerable children ahead of the beginning of the academic year.

Hong Kong?s Stocks Fall on Job Losses; Bank of China Declines
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong-listed stocks fell for the third day on speculation corporate earnings will decline, as job cuts in the U.S. and at Lenovo Group Inc. stoked concern the global economic slump is deepening.

State proposal would require districts to team up to purchase goods, services
Gov. Tim Pawlenty and some state lawmakers want school districts and charter schools to team up to buy goods and services more cheaply.

Protecting Consumers and Farmers
To the Editor:.

CA-BUSINESS Summary
TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto's main stock index finished higher for a sixth straight session on Tuesday buoyed by strength across its three biggest sectors -- financials, energy, and materials.

Markets Higher Amid Latest Economic Reports
Stock markets pushed higher on Tuesday as investors shrugged off economic reports showing more troubles for America?s factories and service sector, The New York Times?s Jack Healy reported.