NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fitch Ratings affirms the senior student loan bonds at ‘AAAsf’ and downgrades the subordinate bond to ‘Bsf’ issued by Education Loan Company Trust I Series 2006-1. Stable Outlooks are assigned to the senior and subordinate bonds. Fitch used its ‘Global Structured Finance Rating Criteria’ and ‘FFELP Student Loan ABS Rating Criteria, as well as the refined basis risk criteria outlined in Fitch’s Sept. 22, 2010 press release ‘Fitch to Gauge Basis Risk in Auction-Rate U.S.

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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – The federal government of Canada will announce on Thursday that it will lift the freeze on Employment Insurance premiums. The freeze was part of the economic stimulus package offered by Ottawa to battle the recession.

The lifting of the freeze was originally scheduled Jan. 1, 2010, but the federal government listened to the warning from business leaders, labor representatives and the political opposition that the move would stymie Canada’s recovery.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Ottawa is still reviewing how much the EI rates would go up, but he hinted it would be less than the amount recommended by a rate setting board established by the federal government.

The current rate is $2.42 for employers and $1.73 for employees for every $100 income of the worker. The board recommended a 21 cents hike for employers and 15 cents increase for employees.

On Wednesday, Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff withdrew his support for a bill that would improve EI benefits. Ignatieff explained his change of stand to the enhancements being too expensive and no longer needed because it was a product of the recession.

Ignatieff used the EI reforms last year to push for a federal election. His withdraw of support for the bill filed by Bloc Quebecois MP Yves Lessard is a personal stand, not a party stand, Ignatieff clarified.

Lessard’s bill proposed reducing the qualifying period for EI from the present 420 hours minimum to 360 hours, hiking the weekly earnings from 55 percent to 60 percent of past earnings and increasing the length of time benefits could be collected.

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Piscataway, NJ, United States (AHN) – The family of a Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi admitted Wednesday that he killed himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22 after learning his roommates had broadcasted live on the Internet his gay sexual encounter.

In a statement, the Clementi family requested that their privacy be respected and disclosed that they are cooperating on the investigation of Tyler’s roommate and another Rutgers University student.

Dharun Ravi, 18, of Plainsboro, and Molly Wei, 18, of Princeton were charged with invasion of privacy for setting up a camera in Clementi’s dorm room on Sept. 19. The two then viewed Clementi’s sexual encounter with an unidentified male and livestreamed the scene online, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

Ravi also tried to broadcast Clementi’s second sexual encounter on Sept. 21 but failed. A conviction for the offense is punishable by up to five years in prison.

On Sept. 22, Clementi left a message on his Facebook page at 8:42 p.m. saying, “jumping off gw bridge sorry.” His body was recovered from the Hudson River north of the bridge.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The Federal Trade Commission has issued an administrative complaint against the makers of a popular pomegranate juice brand for making what the agency calls “false and unsubstantiated claims.”

The FTC issued the complaint earlier this week against POM Wonderful LLC and its sister corporation, Roll international, because of advertisements that say POM Wonderful 100% prevents or treats heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.

“Any consumer who sees POM Wonderful products as a silver bullet against disease has been misled,” David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

The ads in question appeared in popular publications such as Parade, Fitness, The New York Times and Prevention magazines, as well as on the Internet and billboards, according to the FTC statement.

The FTC complaint means that any health claims made by the juice maker must be supported by the Food and Drug Administration.

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DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As the Economy Remains a Challenge for Job Seekers, Westwood College Provides Tips on What to Look for When Preparing for a New Career

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NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fitch Ratings affirms the senior student loan notes at ‘AAAsf’ and downgrades the subordinate bond to ‘BBsf’ issued by SLM Student Loan Trust 2003-10. Stable Outlooks are assigned to all bonds and the Rating Watch Negative on the subordinated bond is removed. Fitch used its ‘Global Structured Finance Rating Criteria’ and ‘FFELP Student Loan ABS Rating Criteria’, as well as the refined basis risk criteria outlined in Fitch’s Sept. 22, 2010 press release ‘Fitch to Gauge

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Bentonville, AR, United States (AHN) – The world’s largest retailer intends to expand to the African continent with a proposed acquisition of Massmart Holdings. A South African union has already signaled it plans to fight the merger.

Wal-Mart has made a preliminary, non-binding offer to the Johannesburg-based retail chain for 148 rand ($21) a share. The proposal, which puts the value of Massmart at 32 billion rand ($4.6 billion), continues Wal-Mart’s emphasis on international sales.

“We are continuing to deploy our strategy to accelerate growth and improve returns in our international business and this region of the world fits with our focus on large, high growth markets,” said Doug McMillon, president and chief executive of Wal-Mart International.

Massmart operates 288 stores in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The company is the biggest wholesaler of basic foods and the third-largest distributor of consumer goods in the continent.

“We are at the beginning of the process and it is difficult to say how long it will take or whether it will lead to an offer,” Massmart said in a statement. “The immediate next steps will be a confirmatory due diligence exercise, whereafter regulatory and shareholder approvals will be sought.”

Wal-Mart posted net sales of $103 billion for the second-quarter of fiscal year 2011, an increase of 2.8 percent despite continued decline in sales in the U.S. market. International sales led growth, rising 11 percent with strong performance in Brazil, China and Mexico.

The Arkansas-based company is facing union opposition to its plans to buy Massmart.

The Congress of South African Trade Union in the province of Western Cape said it “will oppose the setting up of any Walmart stores.”

“Companies whose practice it is to abuse workers rights are not welcome in South Africa,” the nation’s biggest union federation said in a statement. “We need a retail sector that creates decent work opportunities in this expanding sector, and the undermining of rights in one chain of stores will force non-compliance in other chains of stores and put our country on a downward spiral in terms of labor law compliance.”

McMillon had assured that Wal-Mart, which has faced criticisms for its labor practices and is fighting a decade-old sex discrimination lawsuit, “respect[s] and honor[s] pre-existing union relationships and [is] committed to abiding by South African labor laws.”

Massmart also told stakeholders, “It is worth noting that Walmart has relationships with unions, at some level, in approximately half of the countries in which it operates.”

Wal-Mart operates more than 8,500 stores in 15 countries. The company employs 2 million people worldwide.

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Austin, TX, United States (AHN) – A shooting on the campus of the University of Texas Tuesday morning left one suspected gunman dead and a possible second accomplice at large. The suspected gunman reportedly died of self-inflicted wounds, while officials said the second suspect was believed to be unarmed.

Witnesses said the suspect entered the campus library carrying an AK-47, and wearing a tuxedo and ski mask.

The campus remains on lockdown with SWAT teams searching the area for the second suspect. No one else was reported injured.

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Oulu, Finland (AHN) – Elderly women who regularly exercise are at a lower risk for injuries from falls, including hip fractures, according to Finnish researchers.

Scientists with the Oulu Deaconess Institute said in a statement that falls are responsible for at least 90 percent of all hip fractures.

The researchers studied 160 women who participated in a randomized trial. Some 84 of the participants were assigned to an exercise group, while the remaining 76 were placed in a control group.

The women in the exercise group attended supervised balance, leg strength and impact training sessions once a week for a six-month period each year from 1998 to 2001.

The average observation time was seven years. During that time, 17 women in the exercise group were hospitalized for fractures, compared with 23 in the control group.

A full report on the study is published in the Sept. 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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