This regional handbook, highlights the idiosyncrasies of overlapping ageing issues in one particular territory and presents a range of key issues and concerns including migration, care-giving, employment, and health care amongst others, whilst providing rich data from various countries such as Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Portugal, Tunisia and Turkey. Ageing in the Mediterranean will be warmly welcomed by researchers in social and public policy, gerontology and geriatrics, welfare economics, and health care.

Evidence of widening inequalities in later life raises concerns about the ways in which older adults might experience forms of social exclusion. Such concerns are evident in all societies as they seek to come to terms with the unprecedented ageing of their populations. Taking a broad international perspective, this highly topical book, edited by T. Scharf and N. Keating, casts light on patterns and processes that either place groups of older adults at risk of exclusion or are conducive to their inclusion.

The Active Ageing Index (AAI) is a new analytical tool that aims to help policy makers in developing policies for active and healthy ageing. Its aim is to point to the untapped potential of older people for more active participation in employment, in social life and for independent living. Mobilizing the potential of both older women and men is crucial to ensure prosperity for all generations in ageing societies.

The Centre for Research on Ageing at the University of Southampton, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission, is offering fifteen scholarships for students from Commonwealth countries to study on the MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning) programme in 2013-14. The scholarships cover tuition fees for the programme, teaching and learning materials, and travel, accommodation and subsistence for a 4-day Residential Course at the University.

The 2nd Africa Regional Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International is hosted by the South African Geriatrics Society (SAGS) and Alzheimer's South Africa in partnership with Dementia SA, South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) and Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) and will take place at the Indaba Hotel. The Africa Alzheimer's Congress has been created to provide education, information, conversation, and inspiration about Alzheimer's and other memory related diseases.

Last February 2013, Dr Norah KEATING, Director of IAGG-GSIA, attended an online seminar organized by the New Zealand Association of Gerontology. She presented images and research stories from two communities in rural Canada, and an urban region in South Africa, as a way of showing the importance of the fit between the needs and resources of older persons and of their communities and offered a re-conceptualisation of the notion of age-friendly communities.

The third IAGG Master Class on Ageing will be hosted by the Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University of Beijing in China. It aims to foster the networking of geriatric medicine in Asia and provide intensive training for young geriatricians with research potentials in the fields of ageing and geriatric medicine. It will bring together international tutors who accept to share their knowledge during this 3-day high-level educational event.

IAGG launches its Student Travel Award for the World Congress that will take place on June 23-27, 2013 in Seoul. The Award includes a 1.000Euros fund to cover travel expenses, as well as free access to the congress. Fill out the application form and send it to the relevant IAGG Regional Chair.

The Legacy Fund of the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG) was established in 2003 for a travel award to assist excellent full-time graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to attend IAGG World Congress meetings. This is a call for applications for travel grants to the IAGG’s Seoul Congress. Awards are valued at $3,000 Canadian each. Anyone who meets the criteria that are listed (Canadian or international) is eligible to apply. Application must be submitted online on or before January 14, 2013. Visit the website AND APPLY ON LINE

An international group of experts on age-related muscle loss convened on December 6-7, 2012 in Orlando, Florida, USA to explore the underlying causes and possible interventions for sarcopenia, one of the most noticeable and disabling consequences of aging. The 2nd International Conference on Sarcopenia Research (ICSR2012) brought together 200 participants from 33 countries. Upload the final program and the press release !!!