Friday, November 30, 2012

PM Cameron opposes press law after hacking scandal

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday that he had serious concerns about legislation to regulate the media, risking a split in his coalition after a damning inquiry triggered by a phone-hacking scandal proposed a press watchdog backed in law.

Opposing a legal foundation to an independent press regulator will delight the British media ahead of the 2015 election but will deepen a divide in Cameron's coalition government and within his own party.

"We should be wary of any legislation that has the potential to infringe free speech and the free press," Cameron told parliament, watched from the chamber's gallery by victims of tabloid newspaper phone-hacking who have campaigned for tougher rules governing Britain's recalcitrant media.

"I'm not convinced at this stage that statute is necessary to achieve Lord Justice Leveson's objectives," Cameron said, referring to the judge who has spent a year investigating the press. "I have some serious concerns and misgivings on this recommendation."

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Ed Miliband, said he supported a proposal by Leveson to back a new independent press watchdog with legislation.

Leveson said he had no intention of ending three centuries of press freedom but condemned sometimes "outrageous" behavior by the press that had "wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people".

"The ball moves back into the politicians' court: they must now decide who guards the guardians," Leveson told a news conference in Westminster, opposite the House of Commons.

Leveson's inquiry was ordered by Cameron after public outrage at revelations that reporters at one of Rupert Murdoch's tabloids hacked the phone messages of a 13-year-old murder victim, Milly Dowler.

Leveson said there should be a new independent self-regulatory body, which would be recognized in law, something the press and many within Cameron's own party, including senior ministers, have adamantly opposed as an erosion of press freedom.

Nick Clegg, the leader of the junior Liberal Democrat partners in the coalition government, will deliver his own statement to parliament after Cameron, implying that the two disagree on the way forward.

'TOO CLOSE'

Leveson, whose inquiry laid bare phone-hacking, claims of police bribes and the cozy relationship between top editors and the political elite, said the relationship between politicians and the press was too close.

Leveson warned that the close ties formed between the government and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp over the aborted takeover of BSkyB was concerning and had the potential to jeopardize the $12 billion bid.

But he offered little in the way of direct criticism of individuals, ammunition for those who hoped it would condemn Cameron for his links to Murdoch's media empire

He said there was no credible evidence of bias on the part of senior minister and Cameron ally Jeremy Hunt in his handling of the BSkyB takeover, but said the close ties allowed a perception of favoritism.

Inquiry hearings embarrassed Cameron by exposing his close ties to executives at Murdoch's British newspaper empire, notably former top lieutenant Rebekah Brooks, who is facing criminal action over phone-hacking and other alleged illegal actions.

Cameron, three former prime ministers, senior ministers, press barons including the 81-year-old Murdoch, plus an array of celebrities such as Hollywood actor Hugh Grant were among the 164 witnesses to appear before the inquiry.

(Additional reporting by Tim Castle, Writing by Guy Faulconbridge,; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/british-inquiry-calls-law-underpin-press-body-134857637--finance.html

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hilario melisenda: USA Fitness Shop ? HEALTH & PERSONAL CARE

How do you discover the greatest house fitness equipment in Scottsdale? The solution is easy for many, but for those of you who have lately made the choice to purchase exercise equipment for your home may not possess a clue regarding where you need to begin! There are plenty of various brand names, designs and designs it can be next to impossible to decide on what?s best for you and your loved ones. This article will provide you with info on what to expect, where you can go and what to buy. Whether or not you?re looking for a fundamental device or one with the latest technology has to offer, the next info will probably be advantageous to you and will help you choose the physical exercise gear that?s best for you.

Discover Out Everything You need To Know About Fitness Gear. Do you Need It? Or Are you Better Off Investing Into A Health and fitness Trainer?

The health and fitness equipment industry is growing these days. And because of this manufacturing companies cannot satisfy the growing fitness consumer demands. To help deal with this situation, used health and fitness gear has become a realistic option for numerous home health and fitness enthusiasts.

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USA Fitness Shop

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Buying home health and fitness equipment may be challenging and costly, so knowing what you are trying to accomplish with your health and fitness goals is critical before you make a purchase. Keep in mind what you need the fitness gear to do, so you purchase the machines or devices that will help you reach your goals. Weight loss will require each cardio and strength training, toning will require strength as well as limited cardio, and muscle development or body building will require specific, increasingly challenging weight designed to work particular muscles from the body. Using the incorrect type of house health and fitness gear in your exercise will only lead to frustration and disappointment in your results.

If the amount of accessible space at your disposal is restricted, don?t despair. Numerous popular types of house gym gear have the ability to fold up into a much smaller size for storage, but consider if it will dampen your motivation if you have to drag out heavy exercise equipment each and every time you want to work out.

Old and used fitness equipment that has been used for two to three years is now bought by large fitness companies with $500 trade-in type programs. What they do is simply dump or actually bury this used gym equipment so they won?t impact the sales of new fitness machines sales. The biggest workout gear manufacturers are beginning to see all the benefits of various trade-in programs and using short term lease programs to produce much more new exercise equipment sales.

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The real problem with this approach is that well being clubs or health and fitness gyms will never sell most of their two to three year old workout machines for just five hundred dollars. That?s because all this commercial health and fitness equipment is built sturdy enough to have almost an eight to ten years lifespan. So, they simply won?t trade-in their three-year old used machines unless the offered price is high enough.

Second, you?re able to use your personal gear without any problems. You are not limited to the amount of time you spend using the gear because someone else is waiting in line, as often occurs at a fitness center center. You?re free to use it for whatever amount of time you select to spend.

How often you train will determine the quality and expense from the equipment that will match your level of vigor. In the event you see your self working out just once inside a blue moon, then cheaply priced or second hand equipment might suit your requirements to the letter. On the other hand, if you are a gym-junkie type, it will spend to dish out a few more dollars for a much more reliable piece of kit that can match your level of self-punishment.

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White House 'cliff' offer gets GOP cold shoulder

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House is seeking $1.6 trillion in higher taxes over a decade and an immediate infusion of funds to aid the jobless, help hard-pressed homeowners and perhaps extend the expiring payroll tax cut, officials said Thursday as talks aimed at averting an economy-rattling "'fiscal cliff" turned testy.

In exchange, the officials said, President Barack Obama will support an unspecified amount of spending cuts this year, to be followed by legislation in 2013 producing savings of as much as $400 billion from Medicare and other benefit programs over a decade.

The offer produced a withering response from House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, after a closed-door meeting in the Capitol with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. "Unfortunately, many Democrats continue to rule out sensible spending cuts that must be part of any significant agreement that will reduce our deficit," he declared.

Boehner added, "No substantive progress has been made between the White House and the House" in the two weeks since Obama welcomed congressional leaders at the White House.

Democrats swiftly countered that any holdup was the fault of Republicans who refuse to accept Obama's campaign-long call to raise tax rates on upper incomes.

At the White House, presidential press secretary Jay Carney said, "There can be no deal without rates on top earners going up." Taking a confrontational, at times sarcastic tone, he said, "This should not be news to anyone on Capitol Hill. It is certainly not news to anyone in America who was not in a coma during the campaign season."

With barely a month remaining until a year-end deadline, the hardening of positions seemed more likely to mark a transition into hard bargaining rather than signal an end to efforts to achieve a compromise on the first postelection challenge of divided government.

Boehner suggested as much when one reporter asked if his comments meant he was breaking off talks with the White House and congressional Democrats.

"No, no, no. Stop," he quickly answered.

"I've got to tell you, I'm disappointed in where we are, and disappointed in what's happened over the last couple weeks. But going over the fiscal cliff is serious business."

Republican aides provided the first description of the White House's offer, although Democratic officials readily confirmed the outlines.

Under the proposal, the White House is seeking passage by year's end of tax increases totaling $1.6 trillion over a decade, including the rate hikes sought by Obama.

Obama also asked for approval by year's end of $30 billion to renew expiring jobless benefits, $25 billion to prevent a looming Jan. 1 cut in fees for doctors who treat Medicare patients and an undisclosed amount to help homeowners hit by the collapse in real estate values.

The White House also wants a new stimulus package to aid the economy, with a price tag for the first year of $50 billion, as well as an extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut that is due to end on Dec. 31, or some way to offset the impact of its expiration.

In political terms, the White House proposal is a near mirror image of what officials have said Republicans earlier laid down as their first offer ? a permanent extension of income tax cuts at all levels, an increase in the age of Medicare eligibility and steps to curtail future growth in Social Security cost-of-living increases.

In exchange, the GOP has offered to support unspecified increases in revenue as part of tax reform legislation to be written in 2013.

The GOP said the White House was offering unspecified spending cuts this year. Those would be followed next year by legislation producing savings from Medicare and other benefit programs of up to $400 billion over a decade, a companion to an overhaul of the tax code.

For the first time since the Nov., 6 elections, partisan bickering seems to trump productive bargaining as the two sides maneuvered for position.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters, "We're still waiting for a serious offer from Republicans," the Nevada Democrat said at a news conference.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was more emphatic.

Referring to a meeting at the White House more than a week ago, he said both sides agreed to a two-part framework that would include a significant down payment in 2012, along with a plan to expand on the savings in 2013.

"Each side said they'd submit a down payment. We have. Our preference is revenue. What is theirs?" he said, speaking of the Republicans.

The White House also circulated a memo that said closing loopholes and limiting tax deductions ? a preferred Republican alternative to Obama's call to raise high-end tax rates ? would be likely to depress charitable donations and wind up leading to a middle class tax increase in the near future.

At issue is a bipartisan desire to prevent the wholesale expiration of Bush-era tax cuts and the simultaneous implementation of across-the-board spending cuts. The potential spending reductions, to be divided between military and domestic programs, were locked into place more than a year ago in hopes the threat would have forced a compromise on a deficit reduction deal before now.

Economists in and out of government warn that sending the economy over the "cliff" would trigger a recession.

To avoid the danger, Obama and Congress are hoping to devise a plan that can reduce future deficits by as much as $4 trillion in a decade, cancel the tax increases and automatic spending cuts and expand the government's ability to borrow beyond the current limit of $16.4 trillion.

In the first few days after the elections, Boehner said he was willing to accept a deal that included new revenues, a long-time Democratic demand, and Obama has said he will sign on to savings from Medicare, Medicaid and other benefit programs that Democrats have long defended from proposed Republican cuts.

At the same time, both sides have worked to tilt the bargaining table to their advantage. As part of that effort, Obama travels to Pennsylvania on Friday to campaign for his tax proposal.

Boehner, who will begin a second term as House speaker early next month, has appealed to his rank and file to remain united. At a closed-door meeting this week, he displayed polling data that showed the public would rather see loopholes closed than rates raised as a means of raising revenue for the government.

At the same time, there are tremors within the GOP ranks, with a small number of Republicans saying they are willing to let tax rates rise at upper incomes in view of the election returns, and others predicting legislation to that effect would pass the House if put to a vote.

___

Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn, Julie Pace, Alan Fram, Stephen Ohlemacher and Andrew Taylor contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-cliff-offer-gets-gop-cold-shoulder-231714835--finance.html

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Tunisia secures more loans as protests hit deprived town

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia, struggling to ease economic difficulties that have provoked unrest since its democratic revolution, said on Wednesday it had secured more international lending to cover its 2013 spending.

Tunisia's new, elected Islamist-led government has sought to revive the economy in the face of a decline in trade with the crisis-hit euro zone and disputes between secularists and hardline Salafi Islamists over the future direction of the North African Arab state.

At least 200 people were injured when Tunisians demanding jobs clashed with police on Tuesday and Wednesday in the city of Siliana in a region on the edge of the Sahara desert that has long complained of economic deprivation.

The state news agency TAP said Tunis had clinched a $500 million loan from the African Development Bank, after the World Bank approved a $500 million loan on Tuesday, and a government minister told Reuters finances were now in order for 2013.

"Next year our public expenditure is essentially covered, thanks also to lines of credit for a total of $1 billion from the World Bank and the African Development Bank," Investment Minister Riad Bettaieb said on the sidelines of a meeting with a European Union business delegation.

"So we are not planning to ask for further international support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)," he said.

But he said Tunisia could ask the IMF for a standby credit line worth $2.5 billion for 2014 and beyond. "We are considering asking the IMF for a precautionary line of credit to give a guarantee for our financing needs ... around $2.5 billion."

The loans, the World Bank's second since the "Arab Spring" uprising that toppled autocrat Zain al-Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, aim to support economic recovery by improving the business and financial sectors and reforming social services.

BLINDED BY BIRDSHOT

In Siliana on Wednesday, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds who rallied for a second day.

A medic from Siliana Hospital who did not wish to named said more than 200 people had been injured in the clashes. A journalist from France 24 television told Reuters he and a colleague had been hospitalized for wounds from birdshot apparently fired by riot police.

State media said 17 people had been blinded by birdshot wounds to the eyes. Residents blocked the entrances to the city, setting tyres alight on roads.

Many protesters called for the resignation of local officials, saying the authorities had failed to release development funds for their region.

Iyed Dahmani, a politician from the Republican Party in the town, said the national guard - an interior ministry-run security force - had deployed tanks to help restore order.

Interior Minister Ali Larayed appeared on state television to call for calm. "I ask people in Siliana to calm down, to protest calmly and accept dialogue," he said, accusing leftist politicians of inflaming the situation.

But state TV also showed Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali saying he would not remove the unpopular governor of the region: "I won't accept sacking him; he will stay in place."

Jebali has accused both Salafis and liberal elites of harming Tunisia's economy and image through their conflict with each other. His Ennahda party has tried to present itself as a middle way between liberals and Salafis.

The protests are the fiercest since hardline Salafi Islamists attacked the U.S. embassy in Tunis in September over an anti-Islam film made in California. That violence left four people dead.

(Writing by Andrew Hammond)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tunisia-secures-more-loans-protests-hit-deprived-town-205119284--business.html

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RIM loses in arbitration with Nokia, may have to pay royalties on BlackBerrys with WiFi

Thorsten Heins of RIM and Stephen Elop of Nokia

Nokia and RIM already have a troubled history whenever they come into contact, so it's no surprise that what truces they do have are fraying at the edges. Thanks to filings, we now know that RIM has lost a Swedish arbitration proceeding where it tried to extend a 2003 patent cross-licensing deal with Nokia to include WiFi devices; the wireless technology isn't covered, the arbitrator says, and RIM now has to either pay royalties worldwide or risk seeing its devices yanked from the market. Nokia isn't wasting any time pressuring the team in Waterloo into coughing up -- it's taking steps to enforce the decision in Canada, the UK and the US. RIM has so far turned down any comment, although it's more likely that their firm will cut a deal rather than risk a sweeping ban. Consider it another of the many hurdles for RIM to jump on the road to January 30th.

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Big Tobacco uses trade pacts to thwart new laws

A pack of Marlboro Menthol cigarettes intended for sale in Australia. As of Dec. 1, all cigarettes sold in the country must be sold in plain packaging with graphic warnings covering 75 percent of the front and 90 percent of the back of the pack under a groundbreaking law.

By Myron LevinFairWarning

As countries around the world ramp up their campaigns against smoking with tough restrictions on tobacco advertising, the industry is fighting back by?invoking international trade agreements to thwart the most stringent rules.

A key battlefront is Australia, which is trying to repel a legal assault on its groundbreaking law requiring cigarettes to be sold in plain packs without distinctive brand logos or colors. Contesting the law, which takes effect Dec. 1, are the top multinational cigarette makers and three countries ? Ukraine, Honduras and Dominican Republic ? whose legal fees are being paid by the industry.

The dispute underlines broader concerns about trade provisions that enable foreign companies to challenge national health, labor and environmental standards. Once a country ratifies a trade agreement, its terms supersede domestic laws. If a country?s regulations are found to impose unreasonable restrictions on trade, it must amend the rules or compensate the nation or foreign corporation that brought the complaint.


In the case of Australia?s plain packaging law, the tobacco industry and its allies are challenging the measure as a violation of intellectual property rights under trade agreements the nation signed years ago.

Public health advocates fear the legal attack will deter other countries from passing strong measures to combat the public health burdens of smoking. The ?cost of defending this case, and the risk of being held liable, would intimidate all but the most wealthy, sophisticated countries into inaction,? said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in Washington D.C.

The advocates also say countries should be free to decide how best to protect public health, without being second-guessed by unelected trade panels. Moreover, they argue, tobacco products, which kill when used as intended, should not be afforded the same trade protections as other goods and services.

Worldwide, nearly 6 million people a year die of smoking-related causes, according to the World Health Organization, which says the toll could top 8 million by 2030. With fewer people lighting up in wealthy nations, nearly 80 percent of the world?s 1 billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.

Marlboro, the world's top-selling brand, is shown packaged under labeling laws of, clockwise from upper left, the U.S., Egypt, Djibouti, Hungary.

Countries have been emboldened to pass more stringent measures by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. In effect since 2005, the treaty has committed about 175 nations to pursue such measures as higher cigarette taxes, public smoking bans, prohibitions on tobacco advertising, and graphic warning labels with grisly images such as diseased lungs and rotting teeth (The U.S. has signed the treaty, but the Senate has not ratified it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered graphic warnings for cigarette packs, but an industry court challenge on 1st Amendment grounds has stalled the rule.)

Cigarette makers say they acknowledge the hazards and the need for regulations. ?We actually support the vast majority of them,? said Peter Nixon, vice president of communications for Philip Morris International, which has its headquarters in New York, its operations center in Switzerland, and is the biggest multinational cigarette maker with 16 percent of global sales.

Bans on cigarette ads spread
But the industry has watched with growing concern as more than 35 countries have adopted total or near-total bans on cigarette advertising. Its big profits depend on consumer recognition of its brands. Yet in many countries, the once-ubiquitous logos and imagery are receding, leaving the cigarette pack as a last refuge against invisibility.

Now the pack, too, is under attack. Along with plain packaging laws such as Australia?s, countries are weighing retail display bans that keep cigarette packs out of view of consumers, and laws requiring graphic health warnings so large that there is barely any room for trademarks. Tobacco companies contend that countries enforcing such rules are effectively confiscating their intellectual property and must pay damages.

The industry also claims that measures like plain packaging are counterproductive. ?We see no evidence ? none at all ? that this will be effective in reducing smoking,? Nixon of Philip Morris International said in an interview. In fact, he said, generic packaging likely will increase sales of cheap, untaxed counterfeit smokes, thus increasing consumption.

Todd Rosenberg / Philip Morris

Louis Camilleri, chairman and CEO of Philip Morris International.

Louis C. Camilleri, chairman and CEO of Philip Morris International, drew a line in the sand in remarks to Wall Street analysts in November, 2010. The company would use ?all necessary resources and?where necessary litigation, to actively challenge unreasonable regulatory proposals,?? Camilleri said, specifically mentioning plain packaging and display bans.

Up to now, tobacco-related trade disputes have mostly involved quotas or tariffs meant to protect domestic producers from foreign competition.??

The key issue now, though, isn?t traditional trade barriers, but whether health regulations unduly restrict the movement of goods. In challenging anti-smoking rules, the industry has drawn on global treaties, such as the 1994 pact known as TRIPS (the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of International Property Rights), that include broad protections for intellectual property and foreign investment.

In the hands of aggressive corporations, such long-standing provisions have become ??the ticking time bomb for this century as governments tackle problems like tobacco, the environment, obesity, access to essential medicines,? said Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

Two recent legal decisions showed that such cases are no slam dunk for the industry.? In September, a court in Oslo, Norway, rejected a lawsuit by Philip Morris Norway AS that challenged the country?s retail display ban. The company had claimed that in enforcing the ban, Norway had violated the European Economic Agreement by failing to adopt the least trade-restrictive measures to achieve its public health goals.

The court, siding with Norway?s government, found that other measures would not be as effective in insuring that ?as few as possible youngsters begin to smoke.??

Australia also triumphed in the first round of its legal defense of plain packaging. Rejecting a lawsuit by the four top global companies -- Japan Tobacco Inc. and Imperial Tobacco, along with British American and Philip Morris International ? Australia?s High Court upheld the law as legal and constitutional.?

The law requires that all cigarettes be sold in drab olive-brown packs, with pictorial warnings covering 75 percent of the front and 90 percent of the back.

The goal is to reduce ?the attractiveness and appeal of tobacco products to consumers, particularly young people,? a spokeswoman for Australia?s Department of Health and Ageing said in an email to FairWarning.

But two major challenges remain.

Australia law challenged under trade pacts
In one, Philip Morris Asia has accused Australia of violating a 1993 bilateral trade pact between Hong Kong and Australia. Such agreements, known as investor-state treaties, allow a foreign investor by itself to bring an arbitration claim for damages against a country.

The case is before an arbitration panel of the U.N. Commission on International Trade Law.

In the other, Ukraine, Honduras and the Dominican Republic earlier this year brought their challenges before the World Trade Organization.

The complaint in March by Ukraine was a striking paradox. Its trade ministry filed the challenge within hours of Ukraine?s president signing a ban on tobacco advertising, and its parliament voting to ban public smoking ? revolutionary moves in chain-smoking Eastern Europe. Trade officials took the action despite Ukraine having no tobacco exports to Australia, and therefore no apparent financial interest in its anti-smoking policies.

But prodded by the tobacco industry, the trade ministry branded the plain packaging law as a violation of intellectual property rights that Australia was bound to protect.

Honduras and the Dominican Republic soon joined the attack on Australia, filing similar complaints with the WTO.

Cigarette makers are paying for heavyweight lawyers to represent the three countries.?

As company representatives have told FairWarning, Philip Morris International is paying the firm of Sidley Austin to represent the Dominican Republic, while British American is picking up legal expenses for Ukraine and Honduras.?

?We are happy to support countries who, like us, feel plain packaging could adversely affect trade,? said British American spokesman Jem Maidment.?

It?s not unusual in trade disputes for corporations to give legal assistance to governments with mutual interests. In this case, however, the three countries appear to have little, if any, direct stake in Australia?s tobacco control policies.

While tobacco exports from Ukraine to Australia are nonexistent, exports from Honduras and Dominican Republic in the past three years have averaged $60,000 (U.S.) and $806,000, respectively, according to figures from Australia?s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Responding in April to an inquiry from Ukrainian journalists, the country?s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade said it had ?a policy of supporting Ukrainian producers and protecting their interests in the internal and external markets.? In this case, the ministry said, it had ?received concerns? about Australia?s law from the Ukrainian Association of Tobacco Producers, made up of the top tobacco multinationals, and from the Union of Wholesalers and Producers of Alcohol and Tobacco Association.?

Konstantin Krasovksy, a tobacco control official in Ukraine?s Ministry of Health, told FairWarning the countries had allowed themselves to be used. ?Honduras, Dominican Republic and Ukraine agreed to be a prostitute,? he said.

Honduran officials, in an April press release, said Australia?s law ??contravenes?? its trade obligations. It noted that the tobacco industry ?employs several hundred thousand people directly and indirectly throughout the supply chain in Honduras.?

The Dominican Republic, a major cigar exporter, also said plain packaging ?will have a significant impact on our economy.?? In a written statement to FairWarning, Katrina Naut, director general for foreign trade with the country?s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said that if other countries join Australia in adopting plain packaging, it will lead to falling prices for name-brand tobacco products and ?an increase ? rather than a decrease ? in consumption and illicit trade.??

Uruquay vs. Philip Morris
Among supporters of Australia, none is more vociferous than the government of Uruguay. It recently told the WTO?s Dispute Settlement Body that the global trading system ?should not force its Members to allow that a product that kills its citizens in unacceptable and alarming proportions continues to be sold wrapped as candy to attract new victims.?

Uruguay?s stance reflects its own high-stakes battle with Philip Morris.

The tobacco giant has challenged Uruguay?s requirement of graphic warnings on 80 percent of cigarette packs. Philip Morris is also fighting a rule that limits cigarette marketers to a single style per brand, making it illegal to sell Marlboro Gold and Green along with Marlboro Red.

The challenge by Swiss units of Philip Morris cites a 1991 bilateral treaty between Switzerland and Uruguay. Since filing the complaint in 2010, the tobacco company has also closed its only cigarette factory in Uruguay.

The regulations ?are extreme, have not been proven to be effective, have seriously harmed the company?s investments in Uruguay,? according to a statement by Philip Morris International.

Uruguay, with a population of less than 3.5 million and an annual gross domestic product of about $50 billion, seems a poor match for the tobacco giant, which had sales of $77 billion in 2011.

Amid reports that government officials were seeking a face-saving settlement, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced in late 2010 that it would fund the legal defense of Uruguay?s anti-smoking laws. New York Mayor and businessman Michael R. Bloomberg, an ardent tobacco foe, affirmed the support of his namesake charity in a call to Uruguayan President Jose Mujica.

Advocates fear other countries may have a harder time standing their ground. ?Bloomberg has been very generous, but his resources are not unlimited and he can?t pay to defend every tobacco regulation in every country,? said Chris Bostic, deputy director for policy for the group Action on Smoking and Health.

The Uruguay case could be pivotal, said Dr. Eduardo Bianco, president of the Tobacco Epidemic Research Centre ?in Uruguay. ?If they (Philip Morris International) succeed with Uruguay they would send a clear message to the rest of the developing countries: ?take care about us, you can be next.?"

FairWarning (www.fairwarning.org) is an online, investigative news organization based in Los Angeles that focuses on safety and health issues.

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    Thursday, November 29, 2012

    China box office will surpass U.S. by 2020: Study

    LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Chinese box office, currently the second largest international market behind Japan, will exceed the U.S. box office by 2020, according to a report issued Wednesday by Ernst & Young.

    China's entertainment market is growing even faster than anticipated, creating unprecedented opportunities for media investment, according to the Spotlight in China report, which comes out of the company's Media & Entertainment Emerging Markets Executive Forum underway in Shanghai.

    Chinese spending on entertainment and leisure activities rose 56% from 2010 to 2011 and that trend will continue, the report said. The annual growth rate for China's media and entertainment industry between 2010 and 2015 is estimated to be 17%, which is significantly higher than the country's overall economic growth rate, according to Ernst & Young.

    The report advised the largest global entertainment companies to seize the opportunities.

    "Their global strategy has to have China front and center," said David McGregor, Asia-Pacific media & entertainment leader for the firm. "Between the impact of digital adoption and the government of China easing regulatory restrictions, both foreign and domestic media and entertainment companies are in a position to make new inroads into this extremely promising market."

    Last year, the Chinese box office grew by 35 percent, to $2 billion, according to the Motion Picture Assn. of America. In 2011, the U.S./Canada box office was $10.2 billion -- more than five times that of China, but it was down 4 percent compared to 2010. Worldwide, the box office reached $32.6 billion in 2011, up 3 percent from 2010.

    With 1.3 billion people, China is the most populous nation and largest internet market in the world and its digital entertainment continues to grow exponentially.

    Spotlight on China identified several trends driving growth in China's media and entertainment economy, including an increasing disposable income among consumers; the convergence of networks, devices and content; the digitization of distribution infrastructure; advertising expansion; growth of second-tier cities; emerging business models and regulatory reform.

    It also highlighted the challenges facing media and entertainment companies doing business in China, including changing consumer preferences in a diverse marketplace, an evolving and highly competitive digital landscape, price sensitivity, intellectual property rights infringement and government control and regulatory restrictions.

    The report identified four key factors critical to success in China. These are building a strong brand, succeeding in digital, forming and operating successful partnerships and navigating the regulatory landscape.

    "The challenges for media and entertainment companies to penetrate China are still considerable, however the vast potential of the market makes it impossible to ignore," said John Nendick, global media & entertainment leader for Ernst & Young. "Companies will need to understand that investing in China is a long-term proposition, and those who can make that commitment will be in a much better position to succeed."

    Cultural influences were cited as a key factor, too.

    "Companies cannot underestimate the importance of culture in China," said Peter YF Chan, Greater China media & entertainment leader for the firm. "An understanding of the cultural nuances across geography, age and income level is necessary to win the loyalty of Chinese consumers."

    The report comes out amid more evidence that the Chinese government is aggressively supporting the growth of its entertainment industry to rival Hollywood.

    Two state-owned Chinese film studios are looking for listings on Shanghai's stock exchange, according to the Wall Street Jounal. Beijing-based China Film Co. and Shanghai-based Shanghai Film Group Co. have both applied for IPOs, which will require approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission. No financial details and specifics about timing were disclosed.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-box-office-surpass-u-2020-study-234233777.html

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    Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

    Source: http://teenvogue.tumblr.com/post/36679615893

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    Hult International Business School is Ranked # 1 in Percentage ...

    (LONDON ? October 17, 2012) For the third year running, The Economist?s Which MBA? rankingnamesHult?s MBA program as the undisputed leader in percentage salary increase ? ahead of all other business schools.

    The Economist, which bases its scores on feedback from recent graduates, also ranked Hult first for the diversity of recruiters. This ranking measures how broadly students were recruited from companies across 11 sectors, including consulting, financial services, pharmaceuticals, technology, and non-for-profit.

    Hult was also acclaimed for the internationalism of its alumni, making it into the top five. Just a handful of the schools in The Economist?s three-year study have campuses in multiple countries. Of these, Hult (which has campuses in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, and Shanghai, plus rotation centers in S?o Paulo and New York City) is best equipped to offer its students a truly international experience. At any given time, Hult has students from more than 140 different countries studying at its campuses, taught by world-class faculty with extensive business experience. Students can also benefit from being part of a diverse network of more than 8,000 alumni.

    ?By embracing diversity, welcoming new technology and giving our students the chance to study in the world?s most exciting economies, we?ve developed a truly unique and global learning experience,? said Hult President Dr. Stephen Hodges. ?Graduates are increasingly expected to enter the employment market with an understanding of subtle cultural differences, and these results show that we?re helping them achieve that.?

    He added: ?Only the best business schools are selected for inclusion in the annual Which MBA? ranking, and I?m delighted that our learning environment ??so often praised by students and global corporations ? has been awarded such an impressive overall score.?

    The 2012 Which MBA? ranks Hult as the 21-best MBA program in the United States and the 31-best in the world ? beating out respected institutions like Oxford and Boston University.

    About Hult International Business School

    Hult is the world?s most international business school with campuses in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai, and rotation centers in New York City and S?o Paulo. The School offers a range of business-focused programs including MBA, Executive MBA, Master and Bachelor degrees. Hult?s one-year MBA program is ranked 1st in International Experience and 3rd in International Business by the Financial Times, and 31st the world by The Economist. www.hult.edu.??

    Media Contact?

    Related posts:

    1. Hult International Business School is Ranked # 1 in Percentage Salary Increase by The Economist ? Hult Media
    2. Hult International Business School is Ranked # 1 in Percentage Salary Increase by The Economist ? Hult Media
    3. Hult International Business School is Ranked # 1 in Percentage Salary Increase by The Economist ? Hult Media
    4. Hult International Business School is Ranked # 1 in Percentage Salary Increase by The Economist ? Hult Media
    5. Hult International Business School is Ranked # 1 in Percentage Salary Increase by The Economist ? Hult Media

    Source: http://www.earic.com/school-education/business-school/hult-international-business-school-is-ranked-1-in-percentage-salary-increase-by-the-economist-hult-media-8.html

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    Tuesday, November 27, 2012

    Body of Turkish ex-leader shows signs of poisoning: paper

    ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An autopsy on the exhumed body late President Turgut Ozal, who led Turkey out of military rule in the 1980s, has revealed evidence of poisoning, a newspaper reported on Monday.

    There had long been rumors Ozal, who died of heart failure in 1993 aged 65, was murdered by militants of the "deep state" - a shadowy nationalist strain within the Turkish establishment of the day. He had angered some with his efforts to end the Kurdish conflict and survived on assassination bid in 1988.

    His body, dug up last month on the orders of prosecutors investigating suspicions of foul play in his death, contained the banned insecticide DDT and the related compound DDE at ten times the normal level, Today's Zaman cited sources from the state Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) as saying.

    "Ozal was most likely poisoned with four separate substances," the paper reported the sources as saying, also naming the toxic metal cadmium and the radioactive elements americium and polonium as substances found in Ozal's remains.

    Forensic institute officials declined to comment.

    Ozal, whose economic reforms easing the grip of the state on business helped shape modern Turkey, was in poor health. After undergoing a triple heart bypass operation in the United States in 1987, he kept up a grueling schedule and remained overweight until he died.

    His moves to end a Kurdish insurgency and create a Turkic union with central Asian states have been cited as motives for would-be enemies in "deep state", in which security establishment figures and criminal elements colluded.

    It was Turkey's military leaders who appointed him as a minister after a period of military rule following a 1980 coup.

    He went on to dominate Turkish politics as prime minister from 1983 to 1989. Parliament then elected him president, but those close to him believe his reform efforts displeased some in the security establishment.

    While prime minister, Ozal survived an assassination attempt by a right-wing gunman in 1988 when he was shot at a party congress, injuring a finger.

    Turkish political history has been littered with military coups, alleged anti-government plots and extra-judicial killings. A court is currently trying hundreds of people suspected of links to a nationalist underground network known as "Ergenekon" accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

    A media report at the start of November said Ozal's autopsy had revealed high levels of the pesticide strychnine, but the ATK subsequently denied the report.

    The head of the ATK has said the institute aims to complete its work in December and that its report would be handed over to prosecutors.

    (Reporting by Seda Sezer; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Nick Tattersall)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/body-turkish-ex-leader-shows-signs-poisoning-paper-095558842.html

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    Using Video to Tell Your Personal or Business Story ? My Life Audio

    Http://MyLifeAudio.Com and Http://LeonardSipes.Com

    Ask yourself, if ten billion 14 year olds can upload video to YouTube, why can?t you?

    There are endless reports about the ever-increasing presence of video in our daily digital lives. Another from Nielsen is below;?nearly half of all Americans are watching some form of streaming video.

    The truly amazing thing is the presence of YouTube and the ability of a free hosting source for your video products ?if? they are 15 minutes or less in length.

    You have the option of creating a series of 15-minute videos on different aspects of your life or business. All you have to do is create and link to the YouTube video from your website.

    Fearing Video:

    But people simply have reluctance to create a video presence; they seem to fear the complexities and the results. It?s easier to have someone interview you and take care of all the production issues but it is?possible?to do it yourself.

    The ability to do long-distance interviews via the internet is emerging and getting easier all the time.

    It?Helps Your Website:

    If you run a business there are reasons for using video as an outreach strategy. There are millions of websites and even at the local level, there?s lots of competition. Put yourself in the shoes of someone coming to your site, what do they need to see and hear to do business with you?

    They need to have a reason to engage your services or believe in your cause. What?s more convincing than a personal message via video?? What more enticing than a series of instructional videos helping your visitor navigate through issues that concern them?

    What?it?Requires:

    What does self-created video require? Steve Garfield?s site (see link below) will explain all but essentially it takes a $120.00 pocket video camera with a remote microphone (which excludes most ?smartphones) a tripod and good lighting (including natural lighting).

    Note that the secret to good video is good audio thus the need for a microphone that you attach to your lapel going directly to your camera.

    We are talking about a probable ?expenditure of $250.00 for everything.

    What People Want:

    People want authenticity more than polish. It?doesn?t?have to be perfect. It needs to be from the heart. A?great?way to express all is to create?your?own video or have someone create it for you.

    Best, Len.

    If you like this article, please comment, share or follow.

    Social media and news media articles offered through my Facebook page at?http://www.facebook.com/LeonardSipes?or via the Facebook button on this site.

    Sources:

    One of the reasons online video is the fastest growing ad segment is because nearly half of all Americans are watching some form of streaming, according to?Nielsen?s Cross-Platform report.

    The best source for inexpensive video creation is Steve Garfield at?http://stevegarfield.com/Site/Welcome.html.

    ?

    ?

    Source: http://mylifeaudio.com/using-video-to-tell-your-personal-or-business-story/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=using-video-to-tell-your-personal-or-business-story

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    Mozilla Launches Custom Firefox With MSN Edition

    Firefox with MSNMozilla just launched a special customized edition of Firefox for fans of Microsoft's MSN portal. Firefox with MSN comes with MSN as the default home page and automatically opens msnNOW, the memetracker-like version of MSN as a Firefox app tab. And of course, this edition offers an MSN theme and uses Bing as the default search engine instead of Google, which is the standard for regular Firefox releases.

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/HW45UGDKZV0/

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    How One Can Decide The Suitable Web Hosting Plan | Hugo Hosting

    Each individual online world internet site that is demonstrated over the internet is backed by an internet hosting provider. Webpage proprietors agreement using this type of for an range of multiple expertise, together with displaying their web-based online websites on the internet so On-line buyers may have use of them. So this services is usually a firm which allows for space for page owners to exhibit their world wide web website pages with the Online world.

    Internet business world wide web internet hosting can be a provider that caters to organizations that happen to be involved with the marketing of services on the internet. This provides benefits that in particular are intended for online business this includes e-mail, domain title registration, merchant accounts, aid for purchasing cart packages and charge gateways. Plenty also will offer you Webpage design and style and management providers which may be beneficial towards smaller small business that doesn?t contain the skill, time, or economic assets to maintain its venture Internet site. Like several other form of World wide web hosting, the client ratings the readily available assistance blueprints plus the capabilities, and then buys the one that pursuits him or meets his business enterprise must have.

    It is very important meticulously have a look at which support to work with to get a corporation. There is a multitude of variables to ponder prior to when buying out certainly one of these solutions. The kind of firm a particular operates should be taken into consideration. Other elements to generally be considered include things like the service?s abilities, value, tools for e-commerce, methods for progress and any ensures or extras. Whilst a few of these issues may not appear needed for the firm at this time, it is very really important hold in your mind they may just be needed in the future.

    The dependability of an online host is a crucial issue to take into account. It?s always important to decide on a trusted assistance as a way to be certain that visitors can usually have use of the website. Irrespective of how advanced an internet site pattern is, website visitors can eliminate assurance inside of the opportunity if it experiences a number of downtime. A reputable web internet hosting services will ensure up-time of about ninety nine.9% or far better to make sure that the web sites they host operate smoothly. The up-time may be verified on an unbiased web host monitoring webpage this kind of as World-wide-web Internet hosting Things, Ultimate Host Ratings or Host Peek. These web pages can test which they are up and operating and might provide you with impartial stories on up-time.

    Word wide web place and bandwidth may also be other components to just take into consideration when trying with the most beneficial corporation web site hosting service. It is usually important to get really adequate internet area to make for your firm online internet sites. It?s also imperative to acquire an internet hosting program that gives adequate bandwidth in order to permit adequate information transferring.

    One other principal consideration when searching for your top assistance often is the choice of specialized help offered. It?s important to locate a provider with 24-hours-a-day customer program in order to confirm that problems when using the online business may be settled with no need of delay. One method to uncover out can be to contact shopper help and find out just how long it requires them to respond to an inquiry in addition to how beneficial and knowledgeable the team is.

    Breaking Down What You Need From Internet Hosting can present you with highest possible information for Attempt One Internet Hosting If Your Hosting Company Is Costing You An Excessive Amount Of Cash.Please head to the post for more data!

    Related posts:

    1. How To Decide On The Correct Web Hosting Plan
    2. Methods To Choose The Suitable Internet Hosting Plan
    3. Learn How To Decide The Correct Web Hosting Plan
    4. Find Out How To Decide The Appropriate Internet Hosting Plan
    5. How To Decide On Your Internet Hosting Provider Rigorously

    Source: http://www.hugohosting.com/how-one-can-decide-the-suitable-web-hosting-plan.html

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    Monday, November 26, 2012

    Dating sites pair politicos by their leanings

    This Thanksgiving, are you looking for someone to bring home to the family who likes taking long walks on the beach, playing frisbee in the park and?voting on the same side of the ticket as you?

    With the American electorate increasingly divided between Republicans and Democrats, three men have decided to play yenta with politics. JD Beebe, Alex Fondrier and Francois Briard are the team behind Political Matchmakers, a company that runs two separate online dating sites: Red State Date and Blue State Date.

    The sites match users for compatibility based on their political leanings, "because no one should have to date a liberal," the host says at the end of a tongue-in-cheek video promoting RedStateDate.com.

    The slogan is reversed in the BlueStateDate.com video.

    In the dating world, "Status quo is to avoid talking politics at all costs," Fondrier said. But for most partners, politics plays a more important role than looks or personality, according to a study out of the University of Nebraska.

    Beebe compared Red State and Blue State Date to sites like Geek 2 Geek , a site that brags it's "the best place on the net to meet geeks."

    But for some singles, politics are their main passion. "People crowding the rallies, people in public relations, groups of people who work in government, in Washington, D.C., and the state capitals," Foundrier said.

    "There's obviously tons of people out there like this," Beebe said. "Let's make something for them."

    When users first sign up at one of the sites, they're asked for standard information like gender, looks and marital status.

    But what sets these sites apart is what comes next: Users rank where they stand on issues like the Patriot Act, abortion and fiscal policy. Then they're given a score that tells them how liberal or conservative they are and serves as a basis to help find their matches.

    There's no "Conservatives Keep Out" sign on the Blue State Date site, but Beebe and Fondrier say they hope eventually to offer the option of matching users to people on the other end of the political spectrum. There are some self-identified conservatives who've chosen to be on the blue side, and vice versa. The founders aren't about to kick them off.

    "We're learning along with the users how they want to best use it," Fondrier said.

    The sites have seen thousands of users sign up since their launch a couple of weeks before the election.

    Does their success mean there's no hope that Dems and the GOP can ever get along?

    "When it comes down to the everyday American, I think they're willing to befriend people from the other side of the aisle, no problem," Fondrier said. "But I think in a long term relationship, marriage, raising children, that's a little bit different."

    "That decision has already been made long before we came onto the scene."

    Also Read

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dating-sites-pair-politicos-leanings-110114415--abc-news-politics.html

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    Did you see that? How could you miss it?

    Did you see that? How could you miss it? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Nov-2012
    [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

    Contact: Stuart Wolpert
    swolpert@support.ucla.edu
    310-206-0511
    University of California - Los Angeles

    You may have received CPR training some time ago, but would you remember the proper technique in an emergency? Would you know what to do in the event of an earthquake or a fire? A new UCLA psychology study shows that people often do not recall things they have seen or at least walked by hundreds of times.

    For the study, 54 people who work in the same building were asked if they knew the location of the fire extinguisher nearest their office. While many of the participants had worked in their offices for years and had passed the bright red extinguishers several times a day, only 13 out of the 54 24 percent knew the location.

    When asked to find a fire extinguisher, however, everyone was able to do so within a few seconds; most were surprised they had never noticed them. The researchers found no significant differences between men and women, or between older and younger adults.

    "Just because we've seen something many times doesn't mean we remember it or even notice it," said Alan Castel, an associate professor of psychology at UCLA and lead author of the study. "If I asked you to draw the front of a dime or the front of a dollar bill from memory, how well could you do that? You might get some elements right. Do you know who the president is? On the dime, is he facing left or right? Does it say 'In God We Trust' on the front of the dollar or the back? Do you know what else it says? You've seen it so many times, but you probably haven't paid much attention to it."

    Castel said that not noticing things isn't necessarily bad, particularly when those things are not important in your daily life. "It might be a good thing not to burden your memory with information that is not relevant to you," he said.

    But with safety information, such as knowing where fire extinguishers are or what to do in an emergency, being prepared can, of course, be very useful.

    "When you're on an airplane, do you know where the life vest is and what to do in the event of an emergency?" Castel asked. "You've been told many times, but how would you respond under stressful conditions, when there could be smoke and people screaming?"

    A few months after being asked the location of the nearest fire extinguisher, the study participants were asked again if they knew where the closest one was. All of them knew.

    "We don't notice something if we're attending to something else," Castel said. "Fire extinguishers are bright red and very conspicuous, but we're almost blind to them until they become relevant."

    What does this tell us about the importance of training, whether for emergencies or something as common as learning a new computer program?

    Castel stresses that making errors during training is useful. As with the fire extinguisher exercise, errors or simple oversights can teach us that we don't know something well and need to pay more attention in order to remember it.

    "It's good if errors happen during training and not during an event where you need the information," he said. "That's part of the learning process."

    The study is published in the journal Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics.

    ###

    Castel's co-authors are Michael Vendetti, a UCLA psychology graduate student, and Keith Holyoak, a UCLA professor of psychology. The study's participants work in UCLA's psychology building.

    UCLA is California's largest university, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the university's 11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer 337 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Six alumni and six faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

    For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.


    [ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

    ?


    AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


    Did you see that? How could you miss it? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Nov-2012
    [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

    Contact: Stuart Wolpert
    swolpert@support.ucla.edu
    310-206-0511
    University of California - Los Angeles

    You may have received CPR training some time ago, but would you remember the proper technique in an emergency? Would you know what to do in the event of an earthquake or a fire? A new UCLA psychology study shows that people often do not recall things they have seen or at least walked by hundreds of times.

    For the study, 54 people who work in the same building were asked if they knew the location of the fire extinguisher nearest their office. While many of the participants had worked in their offices for years and had passed the bright red extinguishers several times a day, only 13 out of the 54 24 percent knew the location.

    When asked to find a fire extinguisher, however, everyone was able to do so within a few seconds; most were surprised they had never noticed them. The researchers found no significant differences between men and women, or between older and younger adults.

    "Just because we've seen something many times doesn't mean we remember it or even notice it," said Alan Castel, an associate professor of psychology at UCLA and lead author of the study. "If I asked you to draw the front of a dime or the front of a dollar bill from memory, how well could you do that? You might get some elements right. Do you know who the president is? On the dime, is he facing left or right? Does it say 'In God We Trust' on the front of the dollar or the back? Do you know what else it says? You've seen it so many times, but you probably haven't paid much attention to it."

    Castel said that not noticing things isn't necessarily bad, particularly when those things are not important in your daily life. "It might be a good thing not to burden your memory with information that is not relevant to you," he said.

    But with safety information, such as knowing where fire extinguishers are or what to do in an emergency, being prepared can, of course, be very useful.

    "When you're on an airplane, do you know where the life vest is and what to do in the event of an emergency?" Castel asked. "You've been told many times, but how would you respond under stressful conditions, when there could be smoke and people screaming?"

    A few months after being asked the location of the nearest fire extinguisher, the study participants were asked again if they knew where the closest one was. All of them knew.

    "We don't notice something if we're attending to something else," Castel said. "Fire extinguishers are bright red and very conspicuous, but we're almost blind to them until they become relevant."

    What does this tell us about the importance of training, whether for emergencies or something as common as learning a new computer program?

    Castel stresses that making errors during training is useful. As with the fire extinguisher exercise, errors or simple oversights can teach us that we don't know something well and need to pay more attention in order to remember it.

    "It's good if errors happen during training and not during an event where you need the information," he said. "That's part of the learning process."

    The study is published in the journal Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics.

    ###

    Castel's co-authors are Michael Vendetti, a UCLA psychology graduate student, and Keith Holyoak, a UCLA professor of psychology. The study's participants work in UCLA's psychology building.

    UCLA is California's largest university, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the university's 11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer 337 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Six alumni and six faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

    For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.


    [ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

    ?


    AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


    Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uoc--dys112612.php

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    Kids removed from UK couple over support for 'independence' from ...

    By Ian Johnston, NBC News

    LONDON -- Three children were removed from the care of an English couple because their support for the U.K. Independence Party meant they were unsuitable to provide foster care, an official said Saturday.

    Local government body Rotherham Council said that the three children were not ?indigenous white British? and that social workers had raised concerns about the UKIP political party?s stance on immigration, ITV News reported.

    Joyce Thacker, the director for children and young people's services at Rotherham Council, told BBC News that the children were placed with the couple on an emergency basis and were not due to remain with them permanently. She confirmed they had been removed from the couple's care.

    ?If the party [UKIP] mantra ? is ending the active promotion of multiculturalism, I have to think about that,? she added. ?I think they [UKIP] have very clear views on immigration.?

    She told the BBC that the decision had not been ?easy? and she did not think UKIP was a ?racist party.?

    'Ruled by this regime'
    UKIP campaigns for Britain to withdraw from the European Union, saying "we do not have to be ruled by this regime" in order to trade with European countries.

    On immigration, it says "the tide of mass EU immigration has pushed down wages and restricted job opportunities. Only by leaving the EU can we regain control of our borders." The party is calling for a permanent immigration freeze for 5 years and says immigrants "must be fluent in English, have minimum education levels and show they can financially support themselves."

    Read more UK and world stories from ITV News

    UKIP party leader Nigel Farage said in messages on Twitter that the authorities ?clearly have no understanding of UKIP and by their actions, clearly no desire to know.?

    He said the council was ?partially backtracking? by saying the couple would still be allowed ?to adopt. But by the sounds of it, only white children. New Apardheid? [sic]??

    Read more World stories from NBC News

    The British Education Secretary Michael Gove, a member of the center-right Conservative Party, also attacked the decision, ITV News reported.

    ?Rotherham's reasons for denying this family the chance to foster are indefensible. The ideology behind their decision is actively harmful to children,? he said.

    ?We should not allow considerations of ethnic or cultural background to prevent children being placed with loving and stable families. We need more parents to foster, and many more to adopt,? he added.

    The center-left Labour Party said in a message on Twitter that ?Membership of UKIP shouldn't block parents from adopting children. There needs to be an urgent investigation by Rotherham Council into this.?

    ITV News is an NBC News partner.

    More world stories from NBC News:

    Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

    Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/24/15407064-kids-removed-from-uk-couple-over-support-for-independence-from-europe?lite

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    Sunday, November 25, 2012

    New Nashua Historical Society president hopes to grow ...

    [unable to retrieve full-text content]NASHUA ? Terry Romano counts herself a lucky person. She feels this way because of friends.

    Source: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/984909-469/new-nashua-historical-society-president-hopes-to.html

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    Ala. deputy killed, another critical in home shootout

    Baldwin County Sheriff via AP

    Baldwin County Sheriff Deputy Scott Ward, left, was killed in a confrontation Saturday with Michael Jansen, right.

    By Reuters

    A man shot and killed one Alabama sheriff's deputy and critically wounded another when they went to his home near Fairhope, Ala., on a report that he was acting aggressively toward family members, authorities said on Saturday.

    The shooter, Michael Jansen, also was killed in the exchange of gunfire on Friday afternoon, the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

    Baldwin County Sheriff Huey Mack told reporters that the deputies responded to a report that Jansen had "been confrontational with some family members" and were speaking with him at his home near Fairhope, about 15 miles southeast of Mobile.

    "While the deputies were on scene and talking to the individual, the individual produced a handgun and began firing at the deputies," Mack told reporters.


    A third deputy at the scene was not wounded.

    The two deputies suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were taken to USA Medical Center in Mobile, where Deputy Scott Ward was pronounced dead and the second deputy, who has not been identified, was listed in critical condition, the sheriff's office said.

    Ward served as a sheriff's deputy for 15 years.

    "I'm very proud of him, it's a big loss," Mack told reporters. "But he was doing his job and we'll pull together in a time like this and we'll honor his memory by carrying on."

    The shooting is being investigated by the Baldwin County Major Crimes Task Force, he said.

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    Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/24/15412203-alabama-sheriffs-deputy-killed-another-critical-in-shootout-at-home?lite

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