Washington, Apr 30 - Ever wondered why there are very few lefties compared to the number of right-handed people? It may be due to the balance between cooperation and competition in human evolution, scientists say.
Left-handers, who represent only 10 per cent of the human population, have been viewed with suspicion and persecuted across history. The word ÒsinisterÓ even derives from left or left-hand.
To find out why they are a rarity, researchers from the Northwestern University looked at data from the sports world.
They developed a mathematical model that showed that the low percentage of lefties could be a result of the balance between cooperation and competition in human evolution, LiveScience reported.
Prof Daniel Abrams, who led the study, said: ÒThe more social the animal -- where cooperation is highly valued -- the more the general population will trend toward one side.Ó ÒThe most important factor for an efficient society is a high degree of cooperation. In humans, this has resulted in a right-handed majority.Ó According to the researchers, who detailed their work in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, if societies were entirely cooperative everyone would be same-handed. But, if competition were more important, one could expect the population to be 50-50, Prof Abrams said.
The new model can predict accurately the percentage of left-handers in a grouphumans, parrots, baseball players, golfersbased on the degrees of cooperation and competition in the social interaction, he said.
The model helps to explain our right-handed world now and historically: the 90-10 right-handed to left-handed ratio has remained the same for more than 5,000 years.
It also explains the dominance of left-handed athletes in many sports where competition can drive the number of lefties up to a disproportionate level, the researchers said.
Cooperation favours same-handedness for sharing the same tools, for example. Physical competition, on the other hand, favours the unusual. In a fight, a left-hander would have the advantage in a right-handed world, the researchers said.
Prof Abrams and co-researcher Mark Panaggio turned to the world of sports for data to support their balance of cooperation and competition theory.
Their model accurately predicted the number of elite left-handed athletes in baseball, boxing, hockey, fencing, and table tennismore than 50 per cent among top baseball players and well above 10 per cent (the general population rate) for the other sports.
On the other hand, the number of successful left-handed PGA golfers is very low, only four per cent. The model also accurately predicted this.
ÒThe accuracy of our model's predictions when applied to sports data supports the idea that we are seeing the same effect in human society,Ó Prof Abrams said.
Handedness -- the preference for using one hand over the other -- is partially genetic and partially environmental, and identical twins who share the same genes don't always share the same handedness, the researchers said.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Gene find raises hopes of new pancreatic cancer treatment
London, Apr 30 - Scientists have identified a gene that slows the spread of pancreatic cancer tumours, a finding they say could lead to new targeted treatments for the deadliest disease.
An international team of researchers found that the gene, called USP9x, is switched off in some pancreatic cancer cells mice. But when turned on, the gene stops cancerous cells from dividing uncontrollably, the researchers said.
The gene is not mutated, but other proteins and chemicals become stuck to it and turn the gene off.
Drugs having the potential to turn the gene back on can help stop the spread of the fifth most deadly cancer that affects nearly 8,000 people in the UK alone every year.
Prof David Tuveson, of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, said: ÒWe suspected that the fault wasn't in the genetic code at all, but in the chemical tags on the surface of the DNA that switch genes on and off, and by running more lab tests we were able to confirm this.
ÒDrugs which strip away these tags are already showing promise in lung cancer and this study suggests they could also be effective,Ó Prof Tuveson was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Dr David Adams, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: ÒThis study strengthens our emerging understanding that we must also look into the biology of cells to identify all the genes that play a role in cancer.Ó They argue that up to 15 per cent of pancreatic cancers could be down the turning this one gene off.
ÒThese results raise the possibility that a class of promising new cancer drugs may be effective at treating some pancreatic cancers,Ó added Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK's senior science information manager.
The study is published in the journal Nature.
An international team of researchers found that the gene, called USP9x, is switched off in some pancreatic cancer cells mice. But when turned on, the gene stops cancerous cells from dividing uncontrollably, the researchers said.
The gene is not mutated, but other proteins and chemicals become stuck to it and turn the gene off.
Drugs having the potential to turn the gene back on can help stop the spread of the fifth most deadly cancer that affects nearly 8,000 people in the UK alone every year.
Prof David Tuveson, of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, said: ÒWe suspected that the fault wasn't in the genetic code at all, but in the chemical tags on the surface of the DNA that switch genes on and off, and by running more lab tests we were able to confirm this.
ÒDrugs which strip away these tags are already showing promise in lung cancer and this study suggests they could also be effective,Ó Prof Tuveson was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Dr David Adams, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: ÒThis study strengthens our emerging understanding that we must also look into the biology of cells to identify all the genes that play a role in cancer.Ó They argue that up to 15 per cent of pancreatic cancers could be down the turning this one gene off.
ÒThese results raise the possibility that a class of promising new cancer drugs may be effective at treating some pancreatic cancers,Ó added Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK's senior science information manager.
The study is published in the journal Nature.
Facebook Partners With Sophos To Identify Potentially Malicious Posts
BANGALORE, India - April 30, 2012 - Sophos, IT security and data protection company, announced
a partnership with Facebook to help protect users from links that lead
to malware or malicious sites. Facebook will use the website reputation
service provided by Sophos-Labs, global network of research centers of
Sophos, along with their own security measures, to help assess whether a
largely distributed link is malicious.
When
Facebook users click a link, Facebook consults its database of
malicious URLs to check the status of the link. Starting today,
Sophos-Labs will be feeding malicious URL intelligence into this
database. Facebook will inform Facebook users, if the link they clicked
on is malicious, and users will be sent to a page that offers the choice
to continue at their own risk, return to the previous screen, or obtain
more information on why the link was flagged as suspicious. Mac users
will also be given the option to download the free Sophos Anti-Virus for
Mac Home Edition from the Sophos Facebook Page as part of the Facebook
AV Marketplace.
Joe Sullivan, Chief of Security at Facebook said "We
are pleased to begin partnering with Sophos to better protect our users
both on and off of Facebook. We believe incorporating Sophos, the
industry-leading computer security intelligence, and expertise, will
help us provide even more security to those using Facebook."
Sophos-Labs is a global network of highly skilled and thoroughly trained analysts renowned
for protecting businesses from known and emerging threats, rapidly and immediately. Sophos- Labs expertise covers every area of network security-viruses, spyware, adware, intrusion, spam and malicious web pages. Innovative technologies such as Behavioral Genotype Protection and rapid signature updates are combined to stop new and unknown malware.
for protecting businesses from known and emerging threats, rapidly and immediately. Sophos- Labs expertise covers every area of network security-viruses, spyware, adware, intrusion, spam and malicious web pages. Innovative technologies such as Behavioral Genotype Protection and rapid signature updates are combined to stop new and unknown malware.
Mark Harris, Vice-President at Sophos said "For
many hundreds of millions of people, Facebook has become the default
forum for sharing and consuming opinions, news and personal content.
Because content is typically posted by a trusted source - a friend, many
users incorrectly assume links are safe. Scammers often take advantage
of the trust relationship to fool users into clicking malicious links.
Our partnership with Facebook will educate users to make more informed
decisions regarding what they click on and will help reduce the spread
of malicious links."
India Extended Date for Suggestions to Formulate Eligibility Conditions for Establishing -Operating LNG Terminals
New Delhi, India, April 30, 2012 - Section 15(1) of the Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act,
2006 provides that every entity desirous of:
(a) Marketing any notified petroleum or petroleum
products or natural gas; or
(b) Establishing or
operating a liquefied natural gas terminal; or
(c) Establishing storage facilities for petroleum,
petroleum products or natural gas
Exceeding such capacity as may be specified by regulations,
and fulfilling the eligibility conditions as may be
prescribed shall make an application to the Board for its registration under
this Act.
Provided that no
registration under this Act shall be required for any entity carrying on any activity referred to in clause (a) or clause (b) or
clause (c) immediately before the appointed day but shall inform the Board
about such activity within six month from the appointed day.
2. Further, Section 60(2) (e)
of the Act provides for the Central Government to notify Rules relating to the
eligibility conditions which an entity shall fulfill for registration under
Section 15(1).
3. It is, therefore,
proposed to hold consultations to finalize the eligibility conditions for
registration as LNG infrastructure, inter-alia, specifying minimum capacity,
open access commitment, physical specifications etc.
4. Accordingly, all
interested stakeholders who were earlier requested to convey their comments
regarding “eligibility conditions” for establishing or operating a LNG terminal
to the Ministry by 24th April, 2012, are now requested to submit
their comments by 30 April 2012.
Radiation Tags Soon for Cell Phones in India
New Delhi, India, April 30, 2012 - All cell-phones would soon be carrying radiation
tags in India. All the indigenous manufacturers have been instructed to display
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value on the mobile handsets on or before
1st September 2012.
Giving details in Rajya Sabha , the Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sh Milind Deora said the Department of Telecommunications has adopted SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) level for mobile handsets as 1.6 Watt/Kg, averaged over a mass of 1 gram of human tissue. On 25th January 2012, all the indigenous manufacturers have been instructed to make necessary changes in the design, software and packaging in compliance with these instructions by 01.09.2012.
Shri Deora said, to regulate indigenous as well as imported mobile phones, Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) has been requested to frame standards for all mobile phones under the BIS Act 1986. All cell phone handsets sold in the marked in India will comply with relevant Bureau of Indian Standard’s (BIS) benchmark.
Giving details in Rajya Sabha , the Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sh Milind Deora said the Department of Telecommunications has adopted SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) level for mobile handsets as 1.6 Watt/Kg, averaged over a mass of 1 gram of human tissue. On 25th January 2012, all the indigenous manufacturers have been instructed to make necessary changes in the design, software and packaging in compliance with these instructions by 01.09.2012.
Shri Deora said, to regulate indigenous as well as imported mobile phones, Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) has been requested to frame standards for all mobile phones under the BIS Act 1986. All cell phone handsets sold in the marked in India will comply with relevant Bureau of Indian Standard’s (BIS) benchmark.
Third Conference on Election Management of SAARC Begins in India
New Delhi, India, April 30, 2012- The Third Conference of Heads of Election Management
Bodies of SAARC Countries started off today in New Delhi. It was
inaugurated by Dr S Y Quraishi, Chief Election Commissioner of India.
The 3-day Conference brings together the Chief Election Commissioners
and senior election officials of the region on a common platform to
share best practices in election administration and management. Some of
the important topics to be discussed are: Empowerment of Election
Management Bodies; Inclusive elections, Voters Education, Controlling
Money Power in Elections, Technology for cost-effective elections etc.
The discussions will also focus on the final shape of the Forum of SAARC Election Management Bodies, which was agreed at the last Conference held in Islamabad.
Mr Fazel Ahmad Manawi, Chairman, Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan, Mr Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh, Mr Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan, Mr Neel Kantha Upreti, Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, Mr Ibrahim Waheed, Commissioner, Maldives, Mr Justice Muhammad Roshan Essani, Member, Election Commission of Pakistan and Mr Mahinda Deshapriya, Commissioner of Elections of Sri Lanka lead their delegations. Representatives from UNDP, SAARC Secretariat and Mr J Lyngdoh, former CEC are attending the Conference as special invitees.
Speaking at the Conference, Chief Election Commissioner, Dr S Y Quraishi, pointed to the common challenges before election managers in South Asia who deal with over a billion electorate which is 60 to 70 percent of the whole democratic world. He said that the Election Commissions of SAARC countries have to find innovative methods to deal with the new problems in the electoral field. Dr. Quraishi said, bitter political competition, the use of money power and apathy of citizens in the electoral process call for innovative methods and strategies. Election Commissioners, Shri V S Sampath and Shri H S Brahma emphasized on continuous exchange of experience and expertise between the SAARC Electoral bodies.
Bangladesh hosted the first Conference in May 2010 and the second Conference was held at Islamabad last year.
Election Commission of India works in close collaboration with the Election Management Bodies of South Asian Countries. In the recent weeks, officials from the Election Commissions of Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan received training at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, IIIDEM of the Commission.
The discussions will also focus on the final shape of the Forum of SAARC Election Management Bodies, which was agreed at the last Conference held in Islamabad.
Mr Fazel Ahmad Manawi, Chairman, Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan, Mr Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh, Mr Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan, Mr Neel Kantha Upreti, Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, Mr Ibrahim Waheed, Commissioner, Maldives, Mr Justice Muhammad Roshan Essani, Member, Election Commission of Pakistan and Mr Mahinda Deshapriya, Commissioner of Elections of Sri Lanka lead their delegations. Representatives from UNDP, SAARC Secretariat and Mr J Lyngdoh, former CEC are attending the Conference as special invitees.
Speaking at the Conference, Chief Election Commissioner, Dr S Y Quraishi, pointed to the common challenges before election managers in South Asia who deal with over a billion electorate which is 60 to 70 percent of the whole democratic world. He said that the Election Commissions of SAARC countries have to find innovative methods to deal with the new problems in the electoral field. Dr. Quraishi said, bitter political competition, the use of money power and apathy of citizens in the electoral process call for innovative methods and strategies. Election Commissioners, Shri V S Sampath and Shri H S Brahma emphasized on continuous exchange of experience and expertise between the SAARC Electoral bodies.
Bangladesh hosted the first Conference in May 2010 and the second Conference was held at Islamabad last year.
Election Commission of India works in close collaboration with the Election Management Bodies of South Asian Countries. In the recent weeks, officials from the Election Commissions of Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan received training at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, IIIDEM of the Commission.
Dudley Wins Walmart FLW Tour Major on Beaver Lake
Michigan's Pipkens Wins Co-Angler Title, $25,000
ROGERS, Ark., April 30, 2012 - Coming in to this event Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., had career winnings of $2.9 million dollars – the most of any professional angler on the FLW Tour. Dudley widened that gap today by winning the Walmart FLW Tour Major on Beaver Lake presented by Straight Talk. The $125,000 victory has pushed him over the $3 million mark. Dudley weighed in a five-bass limit worth 16 pounds, 9 ounces to win the tournament, besting the best bass-fishing pros from all across the United States, Canada, Spain and Japan.
Dudley weighed in 20 bass totaling 54 pounds, 7 ounces during four days of competition fishing. He edged out a man who had previously won this event in 2007, Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., who weighed in five bass today totaling 17 pounds, 8 ounces. Morgan's four-day total of 53-15 was good enough for second place – and a $35,000 check.
"Winning a tournament like this really drives me," said Dudley, who now has 32 top-10 finishes and six victories in FLW competition. "Me and Glenn (Browne) are good friends, but when he said on stage yesterday that there were only three anglers in contention to win and he didn't mention my name, well, it really fueled my fire. So thank you, Glenn Browne. What I did today was like hitting two grand slams in the last inning of a baseball game. I just kept plucking away at it. It's a passion for me.
"You really just have to go out there and catch as much as you can," Dudley continued. "You can't worry about what the other guy is doing. Fishing is so much of a mental game; you have to be mentally tough. It's not about the skill, it's about the decisions. It's not like I'm a better angler than anybody out there. It's the decisions that we make that separate us."
Dudley used his decision-making skills today to leap from fourth place after Saturday's weigh-in into the top spot. He caught most of his fish this week on an umbrella rig, but changed his strategy this afternoon after having a slow morning.
"I was catching them all week on the umbrella rig, but around 1 p.m. I realized that if I wanted to win I was going to need to switch it up," he said. "I went to a steep bank that I had caught a couple off of this week using a wacky worm, and the wind was blowing pretty good against it. I made the decision to switch back to the wacky worm and I just worked my way down that bank. I caught four or five keepers and culled a couple of times, and it just seemed to turn on for me. Everywhere I stopped I caught a big one. I ended up only weighing in one on the umbrella rig today."
Despite the umbrella rig being a key part of Dudley's success throughout the week, he knows that it was not the only factor in his victory.
"That rig is something that we are all still learning about," said Dudley. "It's gotten a bad name because some people say that it mistreats the fish, but it doesn't do any of that. It's a lure that is going to catch some fish, but it does not dominate. Of my 20 bass that I weighed in, only 13 of them came on the umbrella rig. Seven of my fish came on different lures. The umbrella rig is a tool, not a cure-all tool. I believe the key decision to my tournament was not going after the spotted bass. I had a legit 10 to 12 schools located, and it was very tempting. I knew I couldn't rely on them, though, because they would not have had the weight that helped me get to this spot today."
Moments after his emotional victory, Dudley was already looking ahead to the next FLW Tour event on the Potomac River.
"I'm really looking forward to the Potomac, that's for sure. I really love tidal rivers and I love the current.
The Potomac is a very healthy fishery right now, so all of you Fantasy Fishing players out there better pick some good power fishermen."
The remaining top 10 pros finished the tournament in:
|
3rd: Chevy pro Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 20 bass, 53-9, $30,000
|
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4th: Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 20 bass, 52-13, $25,000
|
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5rd: Dr. Pepper TEN pro Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 20 bass, 51-14, $20,000
|
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6th: Chevy pro Jay Yelas, Corvallis, Ore., 20 bass, 50-5, $17,000
|
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7th: Charlie Evans, Gilbertsville, Ky., 20 bass, 46-10, $16,000
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8th: Snapple pro Jacob Powroznik, Prince George, Va., 20 bass, 45-14, $15,000
|
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9th: Kelley Jaye, Dadeville, Ala., 19 bass, 40-2, $14,000
|
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10th: Brad Rightnour, Mingoville, Pa., 17 bass, 38-12, $13,000
|
Overall there were 46 bass weighing 115 pounds even caught by pros Sunday. The catch included eight five-bass limits.
Chad Pipkens of Holt, Mich., won the co-angler division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of nine bass weighing 22-15 followed by Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala., in second place with 10 bass weighing 18-14 worth $7,500.
In FLW Tour Major tournaments, pros and co-anglers are competing for valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 35 pro and co-anglers in the point standings from the six FLW Tour Major tournaments will qualify.
The Tour stop on Beaver Lake presented by Straight Talk was hosted by the Rogers Convention & Visitors Bureau, and was the fourth of 10 Walmart FLW Tour tournaments of the 2012 season.
The Walmart FLW Tour on the Potomac River presented by the National Guard will be the next tournament and will be held May 17-20 in National Harbor, Md. The event will be hosted by the National Harbor and boats will launch from the National Harbor Marina in National Harbor. For a complete schedule, visit FLWOutdoors.com.
Coverage of the Beaver Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when "FLW" airs June 3 from 1 - 2 p.m. ET. "FLW" is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
Visit Chongfu Temple this Summer
SHANXI, China, April 30, 2012 - Chongfu Temple, located in the East Street of New City in Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province,
close to downtown area, with convenient traffic, is the key units of
cultural relics preservation approved by the State Council. The temple
rides north to south in neat layout with five courtyards and ten palaces
totally. There stands Hall of King Kong, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Qianfo Ge, Manjusri Hall, Possession Temple, Daxiong Duan, Amitabha Hall and Goddess of Mercy Temple
from the south to the north of gate, covering an area of 23,400 square
meters, which form such a complete-scale and magnificent ancient
architecture.
Historical Value
Chongfu Temple was built in second years of Tang Lin (year of 665) by E Guogong（royal nobility title）Weichijingde under the imperial order. Through renovation and expansion in successive dynasties, its scale becomes more and more magnificent. The main hall Amitabha Hall was set up in the third year of Jinxizong Huangtong (1143), with a history of more than 800 years. As one of the existing Three Big Buddha Hall in Liao and Jin era, it presents its very important historical value.
Architectural Value
The main hall Amitabha Hall is the largest building in the temple, which embodies the essence of Chongfu Temple. In order to expand the inner space, the craftsmen at that time adopted minus column building, which was unique as the domestic isolated case. Additionally, whether the colored glaze ridge decorations, brackets, plaque-free bar, partition board doors and windows, beam structure on the top to the statue or backlights and wall paintings inside are all original articles from Jin era. They have been preserved until now and rarely to see today, being called "Cultural Palace of Art in Jin Era" by experts. Furthermore, there are many valuable cultural relics such as Thousand-buddha Stone Pagoda of Northern Wei Dynasty.
Nowadays Chongfu Temple, with its unsophisticated and lofty appearance, reappears in the earth of Shuozhou City, keeping on witnessing the changing and developing times.
Route: Start from Beijing, arrive at Shuozhou City after 8.5 hours by train and go to #94 of East Street of New City.
Historical Value
Chongfu Temple was built in second years of Tang Lin (year of 665) by E Guogong（royal nobility title）Weichijingde under the imperial order. Through renovation and expansion in successive dynasties, its scale becomes more and more magnificent. The main hall Amitabha Hall was set up in the third year of Jinxizong Huangtong (1143), with a history of more than 800 years. As one of the existing Three Big Buddha Hall in Liao and Jin era, it presents its very important historical value.
Architectural Value
The main hall Amitabha Hall is the largest building in the temple, which embodies the essence of Chongfu Temple. In order to expand the inner space, the craftsmen at that time adopted minus column building, which was unique as the domestic isolated case. Additionally, whether the colored glaze ridge decorations, brackets, plaque-free bar, partition board doors and windows, beam structure on the top to the statue or backlights and wall paintings inside are all original articles from Jin era. They have been preserved until now and rarely to see today, being called "Cultural Palace of Art in Jin Era" by experts. Furthermore, there are many valuable cultural relics such as Thousand-buddha Stone Pagoda of Northern Wei Dynasty.
Nowadays Chongfu Temple, with its unsophisticated and lofty appearance, reappears in the earth of Shuozhou City, keeping on witnessing the changing and developing times.
Route: Start from Beijing, arrive at Shuozhou City after 8.5 hours by train and go to #94 of East Street of New City.
How You Choose your Spread Betting Provider, 5 Tips
LONDON, April 30, 2012 - The world of spread betting can
prove to be as complex and puzzling as books in a rusty, old library for many an aspiring
trader, loaded with confusing and often complicated information that may make little or no
sense to someone who is new to the financial markets. What, then, should one be looking
out for when choosing a spread betting provider, so that they
can be safe in the knowledge that they will land safely on their feet when placing that
first crucial spread bet.
Reputation
The past decade has seen the rise of numerous firms - big and small - offering spread betting to aspiring traders. It is important, therefore, to pick one that has a good reputation and offers a solid and reliable trading platform that won't let you down. UK spread betting company Finspreads [http://www.finspreads.com ] is a good example of what you could be looking out for when choosing a spread betting provider. The company was one of the first to offer online spread betting in the UK in 1999, and has a very strong reputation in the market, especially among new and beginner traders. More recently, the company has been offering a GBP100 trading credit to new spread bettors who open an account with Finspreads.
Education and training
As with any other form of financial trading, your success as a spread bettor will depend significantly on your level of understanding of the financial markets in general and spread betting in particular. For this reason, it is always useful to choose a spread betting provider that offers adequate spread betting training and education [http://www.finspreads.com/Our_services.aspx ] so you can take your time to understand how the markets works before you start trading seriously.
24-hour access and customer support
Easy access to your spread betting account is another vital tool that will help to determine your success as a spread bettor. It is therefore very crucial to choose a provider that offers 24-hour spread betting through a range of platforms, such as online and mobile trading [http://www.finspreads.com/Spread_betting_Home/Spread_betting_iphone_app.aspx ], so you can keep an eye on the markets even when you're out and about.
Risk management
A key factor in successful spread betting is understanding and managing the risks involved, and there are a number of tools available to help you do this. For example, Finspreads offers a range of risk management orders, including the all-important guaranteed stop loss orders [http://www.finspreads.com/Learn_to_spread_bet/Managing_your_risk.aspx ], so you can know your maximum loss amount right from the outset, even before you place a trade.
Tight spreads
Tight spreads and competitive margins mean cost-effective spread betting. Tracking down the best spreads and margins around can make a significant difference to your bottom line. Finspreads offer tight spreads on thousands of spread betting markets [http://www.finspreads.com/our_services/spread_betting_markets.aspx ], including 1 point on the FTSE 100, Wall Street, DAX 30 and France 40.
As a leveraged product, spread betting comes with high risk; there is the possibility that you could incur losses greater than your initial deposit. Ensure you fully understand the risks before you start trading.
Find out more about the benefits of spread betting [http://www.finspreads.com/Why_Finspreads.aspx ] with Finspreads, one of the leading providers of spread betting in the UK.
Reputation
The past decade has seen the rise of numerous firms - big and small - offering spread betting to aspiring traders. It is important, therefore, to pick one that has a good reputation and offers a solid and reliable trading platform that won't let you down. UK spread betting company Finspreads [http://www.finspreads.com ] is a good example of what you could be looking out for when choosing a spread betting provider. The company was one of the first to offer online spread betting in the UK in 1999, and has a very strong reputation in the market, especially among new and beginner traders. More recently, the company has been offering a GBP100 trading credit to new spread bettors who open an account with Finspreads.
Education and training
As with any other form of financial trading, your success as a spread bettor will depend significantly on your level of understanding of the financial markets in general and spread betting in particular. For this reason, it is always useful to choose a spread betting provider that offers adequate spread betting training and education [http://www.finspreads.com/Our_services.aspx ] so you can take your time to understand how the markets works before you start trading seriously.
24-hour access and customer support
Easy access to your spread betting account is another vital tool that will help to determine your success as a spread bettor. It is therefore very crucial to choose a provider that offers 24-hour spread betting through a range of platforms, such as online and mobile trading [http://www.finspreads.com/Spread_betting_Home/Spread_betting_iphone_app.aspx ], so you can keep an eye on the markets even when you're out and about.
Risk management
A key factor in successful spread betting is understanding and managing the risks involved, and there are a number of tools available to help you do this. For example, Finspreads offers a range of risk management orders, including the all-important guaranteed stop loss orders [http://www.finspreads.com/Learn_to_spread_bet/Managing_your_risk.aspx ], so you can know your maximum loss amount right from the outset, even before you place a trade.
Tight spreads
Tight spreads and competitive margins mean cost-effective spread betting. Tracking down the best spreads and margins around can make a significant difference to your bottom line. Finspreads offer tight spreads on thousands of spread betting markets [http://www.finspreads.com/our_services/spread_betting_markets.aspx ], including 1 point on the FTSE 100, Wall Street, DAX 30 and France 40.
As a leveraged product, spread betting comes with high risk; there is the possibility that you could incur losses greater than your initial deposit. Ensure you fully understand the risks before you start trading.
Find out more about the benefits of spread betting [http://www.finspreads.com/Why_Finspreads.aspx ] with Finspreads, one of the leading providers of spread betting in the UK.
Anti NATO Movement growing day by day
Chicago, April 29, 2012 - A new generation of activists has grasped the central, repressive
role of NATO on a world scale. They will join the protest in Chicago on
May 20 against a NATO summit scheduled there. Their involvement in this
and further actions will strengthen the movement against U.S./NATO wars
of aggression.
In April, a broad layer of churches, peace organizations and labor unions endorsed the May 20 protests. They have also asked for “teach-in” type discussions to learn more about NATO and its role.
Workers World learned of these developments while speaking to some of the anti-war leaders organizing the Chicago protest. The United National Anti-War Coalition and the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) were the first groups to call the protest.
“Something is happening with this protest that is really remarkable. The administration’s decision last year to hold a NATO military summit and a G8 economic summit in Chicago during the same week, even though they later reversed it, educated everyone by linking NATO and G8,” said Joe Iosbaker, a key CANG8 organizer.
“The new Occupy movement already saw the G8 Summit as representing the 1% richest people internationally. Now they see that NATO’s military agenda is set by the same superrich who set the G8's economic agenda. Even after the administration pulled back and moved the G8 meeting to Camp David, many of the Midwest’s Occupy movements decided they would still focus their protest on Chicago and NATO.
“There are many reasons to oppose war,” continued Iosbaker. “People die, the money spent could be used for human needs, but many in the Occupy movement have grasped the most important reason: because NATO launches the war to protect the interests of the same 1% who are the enemy of the 99%.”
NATO threats against Syria
Sara Flounders, International Action Center co-director and an organizer of the May 20 action from New York, said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s threats against Syria and the United Nations’ approval for observers there created “a new emergency.”
“It is urgent to protest NATO aggression,” said Flounders. “Clinton threatened to increase sanctions. Now the U.N. has its foot in the door with so-called observers. This can be used, as it was last year in Libya, to open that door to NATO military intervention.”
Iosbaker said that UNAC and CANG8 had from the beginning opposed any NATO or U.S. military or other intervention against Syria. The Bush administration had included Syria in its “Axis of Evil” a decade ago. “The U.S. and Israel don’t want any government in place that speaks out against their military and economic domination in the region.”
Abayomi Azikiwe, an organizer with the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice, said, “We in MECAWI are outraged about the NATO summit being held in Chicago. Both Chicago and Detroit have been devastated by the world economic crisis that in part was caused by the enormous Pentagon and NATO war budgets. We will be in Chicago to express our solidarity with the other victims of NATO around the world, the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Libya.”
Burgeoning support
Iosbaker spoke of the protest’s growing support: “Rev. Jesse Jackson endorsed at an Occupy rally. The Chicago teachers’ union voted to endorse. First one, then all of the large Service Employees locals are supporting. The [United Electrical Workers] endorsed. We’re hoping to attract even more labor support.
“We’re planning a press conference with Jackson and other ministers. One invited us to a Town Hall meeting to educate the community. This church is in the shadow of the summit. Its board invited protesters to camp on the church’s lawn. There’s a snowball effect.”
The protesters have a permit from the Chicago authorities to march to the block of the NATO summit. “We still have to talk to the Secret Service,” said Iosbaker. “We have a meeting with them on April 24.”
The Chicago media have said that the planned protest caused the administration to move the G8 meeting to Camp David. The Occupy movement’s focus is now on May 20 in Chicago. That movement is still growing. The organizers are looking forward to a strong national protest, said Iosbaker.
(Brought to you by Workers World)
In April, a broad layer of churches, peace organizations and labor unions endorsed the May 20 protests. They have also asked for “teach-in” type discussions to learn more about NATO and its role.
Workers World learned of these developments while speaking to some of the anti-war leaders organizing the Chicago protest. The United National Anti-War Coalition and the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) were the first groups to call the protest.
“Something is happening with this protest that is really remarkable. The administration’s decision last year to hold a NATO military summit and a G8 economic summit in Chicago during the same week, even though they later reversed it, educated everyone by linking NATO and G8,” said Joe Iosbaker, a key CANG8 organizer.
“The new Occupy movement already saw the G8 Summit as representing the 1% richest people internationally. Now they see that NATO’s military agenda is set by the same superrich who set the G8's economic agenda. Even after the administration pulled back and moved the G8 meeting to Camp David, many of the Midwest’s Occupy movements decided they would still focus their protest on Chicago and NATO.
“There are many reasons to oppose war,” continued Iosbaker. “People die, the money spent could be used for human needs, but many in the Occupy movement have grasped the most important reason: because NATO launches the war to protect the interests of the same 1% who are the enemy of the 99%.”
NATO threats against Syria
Sara Flounders, International Action Center co-director and an organizer of the May 20 action from New York, said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s threats against Syria and the United Nations’ approval for observers there created “a new emergency.”
“It is urgent to protest NATO aggression,” said Flounders. “Clinton threatened to increase sanctions. Now the U.N. has its foot in the door with so-called observers. This can be used, as it was last year in Libya, to open that door to NATO military intervention.”
Iosbaker said that UNAC and CANG8 had from the beginning opposed any NATO or U.S. military or other intervention against Syria. The Bush administration had included Syria in its “Axis of Evil” a decade ago. “The U.S. and Israel don’t want any government in place that speaks out against their military and economic domination in the region.”
Abayomi Azikiwe, an organizer with the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice, said, “We in MECAWI are outraged about the NATO summit being held in Chicago. Both Chicago and Detroit have been devastated by the world economic crisis that in part was caused by the enormous Pentagon and NATO war budgets. We will be in Chicago to express our solidarity with the other victims of NATO around the world, the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Libya.”
Burgeoning support
Iosbaker spoke of the protest’s growing support: “Rev. Jesse Jackson endorsed at an Occupy rally. The Chicago teachers’ union voted to endorse. First one, then all of the large Service Employees locals are supporting. The [United Electrical Workers] endorsed. We’re hoping to attract even more labor support.
“We’re planning a press conference with Jackson and other ministers. One invited us to a Town Hall meeting to educate the community. This church is in the shadow of the summit. Its board invited protesters to camp on the church’s lawn. There’s a snowball effect.”
The protesters have a permit from the Chicago authorities to march to the block of the NATO summit. “We still have to talk to the Secret Service,” said Iosbaker. “We have a meeting with them on April 24.”
The Chicago media have said that the planned protest caused the administration to move the G8 meeting to Camp David. The Occupy movement’s focus is now on May 20 in Chicago. That movement is still growing. The organizers are looking forward to a strong national protest, said Iosbaker.
(Brought to you by Workers World)
Get into Summer-Ready Shape
With the heat and summer sun comes the time that most men look forward to and most women dread – bathing suit season. There is no need to fret! Lady Foot Locker joins forces with Harley Pasternak, New Balance brand ambassador and co-host of ABC’s The Revolution, as he shares an exclusive (and accessible) workout session, just in time for summer.
The formula for his “Kick Butt” Express workout is:
- Cardio Warm-Up (do each for approximately 1 minute)
- Jog in place
- Jog forward and backwards
- Side Shuffle
- Grape Vine
- Mountain Climbers
- Resistance Circuit (15-20 repetitions/set)
- Bicep Curl
- Bicep Curl + Shoulder Press
- Dead Lift + Bicep Curl + Shoulder Press
- Dead Lift + Row + Bicep Curl + Shoulder Press
- Cardio Cool Down (repeat all in step 1)
So leave the excuses behind and move towards your beach body with Lady Foot Locker. Put Harley’s exercises and tips to the test with his exclusive fitness video, available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ladyfootlocker.
Palestinian activists urge Israeli response to Arab Peace Initiative
NEW YORK, April 29, 2012 - From a village near Jenin that borders on the 1967 line, OneVoice Palestine youth activists and locals released into Israel hundreds of helium balloons carrying the text of the Arab Peace Initiative on Saturday, drawing attention toward this historic opportunity.
Hundreds of locals, wearing flag caps of countries supporting the regional peace plan, participated in the activity, which was co-sponsored by Jenin's governor and the municipality, to mark the document's tenth anniversary. They called on all Israelis to pressure their politicians into accepting the initiative as a framework for serious regional negotiations to achieve the two-state solution and end the Arab-Israeli conflict. Jenin Deputy Governor Ahmad al-Qassam, Minister of Prisoner Affairs Ashraf al-Ajrami, Fatah spokesman Mahmoud Labadi, and other municipal officials also attended the headline-grabbing event.
"We're urging the Israeli public to demand from their government a real response to the Arab Peace Initiative," said Samer Makhlouf, executive director of OneVoice Palestine. "The document has never been withdrawn or rejected by any Arab state, but despite its apparent resilience, we cannot expect it stay on the table forever."
Exactly 10 years ago, the 22 Arab League member states came together in Beirut to propose a peace plan to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Arab Peace Initiative offered a comprehensive resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the normalization of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It represented an abrupt about-face, from the League's refusal to engage with Israel to the potential for a new era of regional stability and cooperation. While not an end-point for negotiations, the document sets a positive new starting point.
Unfortunately, Israel never accepted the Arab Peace Initiative as a basis for peace discussions. Among Ariel Sharon's 14 reservations to the 2003 Road Map, reservation #10 explicitly rejected the Arab Peace Initiative. Since then, it has lain dormant.
"Accepting the Arab Peace Initiative as a framework for serious regional negotiations is a far better approach than outright rejection wrapped in unsupportable assertions that Israel has done everything it can for peace over the past 64 years and the Palestinians have only been obstructionist," said OneVoice CEO Howard Sumka.
The event is part of OneVoice Palestine's campaign, launched in February, demanding the Israeli government to halt its settlement policy and return to negotiations on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative. From tree plantings in Hebron and Bethlehem and distribution of flyers and bumper stickers across the West Bank, to an online campaign with banners on top local news sites – OneVoice Palestine is creating momentum for the peace plan.
Separately, OneVoice Israel is complementing the effort though parallel action, igniting conversations about the Arab Peace Initiative across their eight university chapters, from Haifa to Sderot. Next month, they will mobilize people in the heart of Tel Aviv, bringing prominent public figures to make soap-box speeches while a giant ice cube containing the Arab Peace Initiative text slowly melts away. Working with the growing Two-State Solution Caucus, they will then deliver their message loudly in the Knesset.
Lawyers for Henry Banda Appeal to UN Special Rapporteurs
LONDON, April 29, 2012 - On 25 April 2012,
the legal team representing Henry Banda filed two letters with several
United Nations Special Rapporteurs requesting Urgent Appeals be
addressed to the Government of Zambia regarding politically motivated accusations against Mr. Banda and harassment and threats against his legal counsel, Robert Amsterdam.
"These documents are the first of many appeals we are preparing before international bodies to expose the unlawful conduct of the Zambian government in the Henry Banda matter, and highlight the ongoing abuses of power by the ruling party to attack and weaken the political opposition," said Mr. Amsterdam. "The allegations reported in the media against Mr. Banda are completely without grounds, and the fact that the government has publicly lied concerning his whereabouts and has refused to respond to our questions should raise obvious concerns."
The request for Urgent Appeals concerning Zambia's unlawful treatment of Mr. Banda was addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions.
A separate request for Urgent Appeals was also sent to the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders and the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers on behalf of Mr. Amsterdam in response to various threats, harassment, and defamation by government and party officials in the media, which is a violation of Mr. Banda's right to counsel.
According to the letter, "Mr. Banda's imminently threatened detention, extradition and prosecution would accordingly violate his rights under Article 9.1 (right to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention), Article 19 (freedom of opinion and expression), Article 22 (freedom of association) and Article 25 (a) (right to take part in the conduct of public affairs) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Zambia has been a State Party since 1984, among other international instruments guaranteeing these rights."
The letter continues, "The threats and intimidation against his lawyer and human rights defender, Robert Amsterdam, violate Principle 16 of the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, and Articles 9.3(c) and 12.2 of the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms."
"These documents are the first of many appeals we are preparing before international bodies to expose the unlawful conduct of the Zambian government in the Henry Banda matter, and highlight the ongoing abuses of power by the ruling party to attack and weaken the political opposition," said Mr. Amsterdam. "The allegations reported in the media against Mr. Banda are completely without grounds, and the fact that the government has publicly lied concerning his whereabouts and has refused to respond to our questions should raise obvious concerns."
The request for Urgent Appeals concerning Zambia's unlawful treatment of Mr. Banda was addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions.
A separate request for Urgent Appeals was also sent to the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders and the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers on behalf of Mr. Amsterdam in response to various threats, harassment, and defamation by government and party officials in the media, which is a violation of Mr. Banda's right to counsel.
According to the letter, "Mr. Banda's imminently threatened detention, extradition and prosecution would accordingly violate his rights under Article 9.1 (right to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention), Article 19 (freedom of opinion and expression), Article 22 (freedom of association) and Article 25 (a) (right to take part in the conduct of public affairs) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Zambia has been a State Party since 1984, among other international instruments guaranteeing these rights."
The letter continues, "The threats and intimidation against his lawyer and human rights defender, Robert Amsterdam, violate Principle 16 of the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, and Articles 9.3(c) and 12.2 of the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms."
British politics : Ethnic Minority Voters and the Conservative Party
LONDON, April 29, 2012 - Lord Ashcroft has today published research shedding new light on the relationship
between the Conservative Party and ethnic minorities.
Despite David Cameron's efforts to broaden the party's appeal, only 16% of ethnic minority voters supported the Conservatives in 2010. Lord Ashcroft's report, Degrees of Separation: Ethnic Minority Voters And The Conservative Party, explores minority voters' perceptions of the party, and the barriers that need to be overcome if they are to be attracted in greater numbers.
The research found a widespread view that Conservatives do not understand, or are even hostile to minority communities, that the party does not stand for fairness or equal opportunity, that it does not share the values of many people from minority backgrounds, and that it is not on the side of ordinary people. While Labour were seen as the party that had helped immigrant communities establish themselves in Britain, the Tories were in many cases associated with historic examples of prejudice - though David Cameron himself was better regarded than the party as a whole.
Degrees of Separation is based on a unique programme of research, including a 10,000-sample poll and discussion groups with voters from black African, black Caribbean, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh backgrounds.
Lord Ashcroft said: "The gulf between the Conservative Party and ethnic minority voters is a well-known feature of British politics but it is little understood, especially in Westminster. I hope the party will absorb these findings and act on them - not just because this problem is costing it seats, but because it is wrong that a large part of the community should feel that the Conservative Party has nothing to say to them."
Despite David Cameron's efforts to broaden the party's appeal, only 16% of ethnic minority voters supported the Conservatives in 2010. Lord Ashcroft's report, Degrees of Separation: Ethnic Minority Voters And The Conservative Party, explores minority voters' perceptions of the party, and the barriers that need to be overcome if they are to be attracted in greater numbers.
The research found a widespread view that Conservatives do not understand, or are even hostile to minority communities, that the party does not stand for fairness or equal opportunity, that it does not share the values of many people from minority backgrounds, and that it is not on the side of ordinary people. While Labour were seen as the party that had helped immigrant communities establish themselves in Britain, the Tories were in many cases associated with historic examples of prejudice - though David Cameron himself was better regarded than the party as a whole.
Degrees of Separation is based on a unique programme of research, including a 10,000-sample poll and discussion groups with voters from black African, black Caribbean, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh backgrounds.
Lord Ashcroft said: "The gulf between the Conservative Party and ethnic minority voters is a well-known feature of British politics but it is little understood, especially in Westminster. I hope the party will absorb these findings and act on them - not just because this problem is costing it seats, but because it is wrong that a large part of the community should feel that the Conservative Party has nothing to say to them."
A poll of 10,268 adults was conducted between 24 October and 4 December
2011. 20 focus groups of voters from black African, black Caribbean, Muslim, Hindu and
Sikh backgrounds were conducted between 31 January and 1 March 2012.
Further details of the research, please go to
http://www.lordashcroftpolls.com
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