Monday, April 22, 2013

World finance leaders say growth still weak

WASHINGTON (AP) ? While world finance leaders say the global economy has improved slightly this year, they said the outlook for the future was uneven with growth and job creation still too weak.

The policy-setting committee for the 188-nation International Monetary Fund said governments need to act decisively to nurture a lasting recovery and restore the resiliency of the global economy.

But the major economies could not reach a consensus on what policies to follow as they move forward.

"The commodity that is in shortest supply now is confidence," Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the chairman of the IMF panel and Singapore's finance minister told reporters. "We need to regenerate optimism and confidence."

The World Bank announced that its steering committee had approved a proposal to establish the goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030. The bank defines this condition as living on less than $1.25 a day. The bank estimates there are 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia.

A spokeswoman for Oxfam , the anti-poverty group, Emma Seery, said while the World Bank target was welcome "we are concerned that it will duck the tough choices needed to reach it."

The weekend began with two days of discussions among finance leaders of the Group of 20 nations, composed of major economies such as the United States, Germany and Japan and fast-growing developing nations like China, Brazil and India. The meetings of the IMF and its sister lending institution, The World Bank, followed.

The finance ministers tried to show they were cooperating even though they did not resolve differences that surfaced after an initially flawed bailout of Cyprus in March. The banking troubles on the Mediterranean island renewed fears that a prolonged European debt crisis still posed risks to the global economy.

The U.S. urged European nations to scale back their austerity programs of spending cuts and tax increases in favor of more stimulus to boost growth and combat high unemployment in countries such as Spain and Greece.

But the push was met with resistance from Germany and Britain, which believe heavily indebted European nations must reduce their debts to give markets confidence and keep government borrowing costs low. In the end, the financial leaders sought to bridge the difference by issuing economic blueprints that left room for both the growth and austerity camps to claim victory.

The G-20 nations did reject proposals to issue hard targets for reducing budget deficits, a victory for the United States and Japan, which had argued for more flexibility.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-finance-leaders-growth-still-weak-115125793--finance.html

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Grape intake may protect against metabolic syndrome-related organ damage

Apr. 22, 2013 ? Consuming grapes may help protect against organ damage associated with the progression of metabolic syndrome, according to research presented Monday at the Experimental Biology conference in Boston. Natural components found in grapes, known as polyphenols, are thought to be responsible for these beneficial effects.

The study, led by investigator E. Mitchell Seymour, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan Health System, studied the effects of a high fat, American-style diet both with added grapes and without grapes (the control diet) on the heart, liver, kidneys, and fat tissue in obesity-prone rats. The grapes -- a blend of red, green and black varieties -- were provided as a freeze-dried grape powder and integrated into the animals' diets for 90 days.

Specifically, the results showed that three months of a grape-enriched diet significantly reduced inflammatory markers throughout the body, but most significantly in the liver and in abdominal fat tissue. Consuming grapes also reduced liver, kidney and abdominal fat weight, compared with those consuming the control diet. Additionally, grape intake increased markers of antioxidant defense, particularly in the liver and kidneys.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together -- increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist or low HDL (the good cholesterol) and increased blood triglycerides -- significantly increasing the risk for heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. Intake of fruits and vegetables is thought to reduce these risks, and grapes have shown benefits in multiple studies. Metabolic syndrome is a major public health concern, and is on the rise in the U.S.

"Our study suggests that a grape-enriched diet may play a critical role in protecting against metabolic syndrome and the toll it takes on the body and its organs," said Seymour. "Both inflammation and oxidative stress play a role in cardiovascular disease progression and organ dysfunction in Type 2 diabetes. Grape intake impacted both of these components in several tissues which is a very promising finding."

This work extends and reinforces the findings of Seymour's previously published research which demonstrated that a grape-enriched diet reduced risk factors for heart disease and diabetes in obesity-prone rats.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/HgWpkzXg2C4/130422111242.htm

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Lyrid Meteor Shower Is Peaking Now

The annual Lyrid meteor shower will peak tonight (April 21) and early Monday, but the moon's bright light may spoil the celestial fireworks display.

The Lyrid meteor shower occurs each year in mid-April when the Earth passes through a trail of dusty debris from the Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1), which orbits the sun once every 415 years. Humans have been observing this particular meteor shower for at least 2,600 years.

Typically, the Lyrid meteor shower is a relatively faint stargazing event, though observers with clear dark skies away from city lights can usually spot up to 15 or 20 meteors an hour. The meteors appear to radiate out of the constellation Lyra (hence their name), which can be found in the eastern night sky tonight. [Amazing Lyrid meteor shower photos of 2012]

The moon is expected to spoil much of this year's Lyrid meteor display because it is currently in its bright gibbous phase, with the lunar disk nearly 85-percent illuminated, according to SPACE.com's stargazing columnist and meteorologist Joe Rao. That means that moonlight will likely wash out fainter Lyrid meteors, with only the brightest streakers being visible.

The best time to seek Lyrid meteors is actually in the wee hours of Monday morning (April 22) after the moon has set, but before the sun rises. This observing window opens at about 4 a.m. your local time and can close by about 4:30 a.m. At that time the Lyrid radiate will nearly directly overhead in the night sky, Rao explained.

Here are some tips to view the Lyrid meteor shower:

Don't stare directly at Lyra:?Focusing on the radiant point of the meteor shower sounds like a good idea, but the Lyrid that tend to occur there appear to have short tails and look more like unimpressive dots, NASA scientists have said. A better technique is to lie on your back (or a comfortable reclining chair) and look straight up.

Get comfortable: It can be a long, cold night without warm clothes or a blanket, depending on your location. Also, don't expect to just step outside and see some meteors. Make sure to give yourself at least 40 minutes to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Get away from city lights:?They really can spoil a meteor shower, and this year that potential is doubled since the moon is already interfering with the display.

The Lyrid meteor shower is not the only celestrial event occuring this week. On Thursday (April 25) the moon will pass through part of the Earth's shadow in a partial lunar eclipse. The eclipse will be primarily visible in its entirety from parts of?eastern Europe or Africa, central Asia and western Australia, according to NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak.

Editor's note:?If you snap a great photo Lyrid meteor shower that?you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send photos, comments and your name and location to managing editor Tariq Malik at?spacephotos@space.com.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him?@tariqjmalik?and?Google+. Follow us?@Spacedotcom,?Facebook?and?Google+. Original article on?SPACE.com.

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lyrid-meteor-shower-peaking-now-113307419.html

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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Some residents allowed back home after Texas blast

Texas and U.S. flags hang from a fire truck ladder above the West Volunteer Fire Department Saturday, April 20, 2013, three days after an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. The massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. Wednesday night killed 14 people including numerous first responders and injured more than 160. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Texas and U.S. flags hang from a fire truck ladder above the West Volunteer Fire Department Saturday, April 20, 2013, three days after an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. The massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. Wednesday night killed 14 people including numerous first responders and injured more than 160. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A sign is seen on a car window as residents wait to enter a damaged neighborhood Saturday, April 20, 2013, three days after an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. The massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. Wednesday night killed 14 people and injured more than 160. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

First responders stand on an Interstate 35 overpass to honor two firefighters being transferred from a hospital in Waco, Texas to Hillsboro, Texas Saturday, April 20, 2013, three days after they were injured in an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. The massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. Wednesday night killed 14 people and injured more than 160. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Emergency workers patrol the scene Saturday, April 20, 2013, three days after an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. The massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. Wednesday night killed at least 14 people and injured more than 160. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Law enforcement personnel patrol the scene Saturday, April 20, 2013, three days after an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. The massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. Wednesday night killed at least 14 people and injured more than 160. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

(AP) ? Stranded families growing weary and frustrated since a deadly Texas fertilizer plant explosion left them barricaded from their battered homes finally began returning Saturday, but only under a curfew and strict warnings to not wander beyond their own yards.

Authorities gave the much-awaited OK after a nervous morning. Emergency workers had told residents packed in a hotel ? waiting for updates about their neighborhood ? that leaking gas tanks were causing small fires near the blast site, keeping authorities from lifting blockades.

Officials quickly emphasized that the fires were contained and the town of West was not in danger. They later repeated that message as evacuees in a mile-long line of cars inched along a downtown road and toward the blast radius, although the chances that most would get to their houses Saturday night dimmed as a 7 p.m. curfew approached.

"It is safe, safe and safe," City Council member Steve Vanek said.

Evacuated residents had been anxiously waiting to return and assess what is left of roughly 80 damaged homes after the blast Wednesday night at West Fertilizer Co. that killed 14 and injured 200 more. The blast scarred a four-to-five block radius that included a nursing home, an apartment building and a school.

Those allowed to return first were residents in a small quadrant of streets that were farthest away from the blast in the barricaded area, and whose homes sustained relatively less damage. Many appeared ready to begin living at their homes again and were not the least bit deterred as authorities went car to car asking if they were current on their tetanus shots and instructing them to drink only bottled water.

Some who do not live in the designated area were turned away. Officials said it could be weeks before those who lived closest to the explosion ? many whose homes were irreparably destroyed ? could go back.

Tom and Tiffanie Juntunen, who were among the first responders to the blast, wanted to grab a few essentials before continuing to spend the night with friends.

"There's a boil order, utilities could be sketchy, better to hit the road," said Tom Juntunen, a 33-year-old construction worker.

During a town hall meeting Saturday, Mayor Tommy Muska apologized for failing to communicate with residents, telling them he had been focused on technical aspects of the situation.

He said the damage northwest of the site is the worst. "When you see this place you will know a miracle happened," Muska told the town hall crowd.

Students from a school near the plant that was heavily damaged by the blast will finish their year in a nearby town at a facility repainted in their school colors, red and black.

Earlier Saturday, at a hotel where evacuees huddled, paramedic and town spokesman Bryce Reed told residents that small tanks were leaking and had triggered fires in one part of town. He said the fires were small and were contained, and didn't cause further injuries.

"The whole place is still on fire, smoldering, all that kind of stuff. It could spark up," Reed said. But, he cautioned, "There isn't really enough structure left to light up and burn."

Reed described dozens of portable, white tanks at the site that are typically filled with anhydrous ammonia from larger storage tanks for when farmers request them. The tanks get weak when they are exposed to fire and bleed, he said.

The tanks are attached to plows pulled by tractors and feed streams of the chemical into the ground as the plow passes to fertilize. Reed said they resemble large, horizontal propane tanks.

Assistant State Fire Marshal Kelly Kistner said Saturday night that there's no sign of criminal activity in the explosion. Kistner said four tanks at the site that contain ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia would be removed to safeguard workers, but he stressed to reporters there was no danger to citizens.

Yet there were still tense moments. Ron Price, a 53-year-old construction worker, hastily parked his truck outside City Hall where dozens of reporters had gathered for a news conference, and warned journalists to get away from the windows. He said state troopers had just shooed him away from the barricade after they, too, "came flying down the road" from a half-block away.

Price said he was told to flee because there was another chance of an explosion. Authorities said there was never such a risk.

"It was pretty scary. Everybody just jumped and took off running," Price said.

Dorothy Sulak, who lost her home and her job when the blast went off, was among those hoping she could get back in. The fertilizer plant secretary fled with only the clothes on her back.

There's a hole in her roof now, and her medicine, cash, even her glasses, are somewhere in the rubble. She used reading glasses for three days, until she could get a ride to nearby Waco to be fitted for new prescription frames.

"Yes, it's just stuff. But it's my stuff," said Sulak, 71.

___

Associated Press writer Paul J. Weber in West, Texas, and Ramit Plushnick-Masti in Houston contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-20-Plant%20Explosion-Texas/id-f23db8101e994490a6f928fdcf0469c4

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US officials: More nonlethal aid to Syrian rebels

ISTANBUL (AP) ? As the U.S. prepares to provide far more nonlethal aid to opposition forces in Syria, the regime of President Bashar Assad faces a new threat from European nations that could determine whether a stronger international intervention might be attempted.

The European Union arms embargo may be allowed to expire at the end of May or modified to only block weapons that are headed to Assad's government. Either course could be only steps away from supplying the rebels with arms.

Assad's reaction to the increase in pressure would be tested and might lead to stronger international action in the effort to persuade him to step down.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Turkey, where he's expected to announce plans to give opposition forces up to $130 million in defensive military supplies ? possibly including body armor, armored vehicles, night vision goggles and advanced communications equipment. U.S. officials said exactly what is given, and how much it will cost, will be determined Saturday at a meeting in Istanbul of the Syrian opposition leadership and their main international allies that Kerry will attend.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss Kerry's announcement publicly.

On Thursday, Kerry said the conference aims to get the opposition and all prospective donors "on the same page" with how Syria will be governed if and when Assad leaves power or is toppled.

"The hope is that that will then create a confidence level about who is getting what kind of aid from whom," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

With Syria's civil war in its third year, the U.S. and its European and Arab allies are struggling to find ways to stem the violence that, according to the United Nations, has killed more than 70,000 people. Despite international pressure, Assad has managed to retain power far longer than the Obama administration expected.

"We need to change President Assad's calculation, that is clear," Kerry said. He said the government's survival largely depends on the continued support it gets from Iran, its proxy Hezbollah, and Russia.

"That equation somehow has to change," Kerry said.

He said boosting the size and scope of nonlethal assistance to the rebels is one way to convince Assad that he must go.

Despite pressure from Congress and even advisers within his own administration, President Barack Obama has said he has no plans to send weapons or give lethal aid to the rebels.

Instead, the U.S. has been shipping food and medical supplies directly to the Free Syrian Army since February and later expanded the aid to include defensive military equipment. So far, the U.S. has provided an estimated $117 million in nonlethal aid to the Syrian opposition, said White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the top Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, renewed his call Thursday for U.S. military action in Syria, including airstrikes on government aircraft and weapons but not sending in American soldiers. He said the steps he recommends would give moderate and secular opposition forces a better chance to succeed without having to depend on extremist groups that are supporting the rebels.

"Do the costs of inaction outweigh the costs of action? I believe they do," McCain said at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. "And as much as I hate war and wish to avoid it, I believe this conflict will grind on with all of its worsening effects until the balance of power shifts more decisively against Assad."

The U.S. is not opposed to other countries arming the rebels ? provided there are assurances the weapons do not get to extremist groups that have gained ground in the conflict.

In Europe, Britain and France are leading a push to modify the European Union's arms embargo on Syria to permit weapons transfers to the rebels by the end of next month. The EU embargo is to expire at the end of May unless it is extended or revised.

Those in favor of the change say there have been no decisions on whether to actually supply the rebels with arms. They argue that allowing such transfers would increase the pressure on Assad. U.S. officials say they support testing this strategy.

Germany and the Netherlands, however, are said to be reluctant to support the step because they fear it would lead to further bloodshed.

Amal Mudallali, a Syria scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, said it's unlikely Assad will leave any time soon. She noted that Syrian forces have stepped up counterattacks against the rebels in recent days, and she predicted the fighting would have to dramatically shift against Assad for him to go.

"If the EU lifts the embargo, maybe this will change things on the ground, but I am not sure it will change the American position," Mudallali said. "But it will put pressure on the Americans because they don't want to feel they are behind on things. It will show people in the region that the Americans are not leading on this ? that the EU is."

In an interview Thursday, the EU's top official for humanitarian aid said arming the rebels or otherwise giving them deadly aid could create a backlash by the Assad government and, in effect, worsen the situation for the Syrian people.

EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva said she does not advocate a position on whether the international community should arm the rebels or not. She maintained efforts to promote diplomacy through dialogue have not yet been fully exhausted.

"Because the Syrian government, the Assad government, has very strong military and chemical weapons, we have to be fair and say there is a risk in Syria that an external use of force may trigger to the detriment of the Syrian people," Georgieva said. "It may get worse."

Kerry said that Assad, his inner circle and supporters in Iran and Russia have yet to be persuaded to enter negotiations with the opposition and allow for a political transition. He said he had not given up on persuading Moscow to reverse its support for Assad, and would be meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week in Brussels on the sidelines of a NATO-Russia Council meeting.

"My hope is still that the Russians can be constructive," he said.

___

Follow Lara Jakes at https://twitter.com/larajakesAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-officials-more-nonlethal-aid-syrian-rebels-075153308--politics.html

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Losing $25M a day? Congress shrugs off USPS losses

The United States Postal Service is losing $25M a day, but Congress voted against cutting Saturday deliveries. The USPS might still choose to deliver nothing but packages on Saturdays, some analysts say.

By Elvina Nawaguna,?Reuters / April 18, 2013

U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Michael McDonald prepares for his delivery run in East Atlanta, Feb. 7. The U.S. Postal Service says it is losing $25M a day, but it can't eliminate Saturday mail delivery as planned because Congress won't allow the change. The Postal Service said in February that it would cut back to five-day-a-week deliveries for everything except packages, as a way to hold down losses.

David Goldman / AP

Enlarge

Congress foiled the financially beleaguered U.S. Postal Service's plan to end Saturday delivery of first-class mail when it passed legislation on Thursday requiring six-day delivery.

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The Postal Service, which says it loses $25 million per day, said last month it wanted to switch to five-day mail service to save $2 billion annually.

Congress traditionally has included a provision in legislation to fund the federal government each year that has prevented the Postal Service from reducing delivery service. The Postal Service had asked Congress not to include the provision this time around.

Despite the request, the House of Representatives on Thursday gave final approval to legislation that maintains the provision, sending it to President Barack Obama to sign into law. The Senate approved the measure on Wednesday.

But some lawmakers who support the Postal Service's plan have said there may still be some room for it to change its delivery schedule. They point out that the language requiring six-day delivery is vague and does not prohibit altering what products it delivers on Saturdays.

The Postal Service has said that while it would not pick up or deliver first-class mail, magazines and direct mail, it would continue to deliver packages and pharmaceutical drugs on Saturdays.

Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Representative Darrell Issa of California on Thursday told the USPS Board of Governors to move forward with implementing the five-day delivery plan for mail.

"The Board of Governors has a fiduciary responsibility to utilize its legal authority to implement modified 6-day mail delivery as recently proposed," the lawmakers said in their letter to the USPS board.

The Postal Service, they said, is in such dire financial need that it must implement all measures to resolve its problems.

LEGALITY IN QUESTION

Several polls have shown a majority of the public supports ending six-day delivery of first-class mail.

The plan for a new delivery schedule would respond to customers' changing needs and help keep the Postal Service from becoming a burden to taxpayers, Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer said.

A number of lawmakers and trade groups said the plan to cut Saturday mail service is illegal because the Postal Service requires Congress' approval before it makes such a decision.

Democratic Representative Gerald Connolly of Virginia said in a letter to the Government Accountability Office on Thursday that the Postal Service is still bound by the six-day requirement.

"Unfortunately, the Postmaster General continues to stonewall members of Congress, withholding his legal justifications for eliminating Saturday delivery from postal customers and the American public," Connolly said.

Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said in a statement on Thursday that cutting Saturday mail delivery would harm rural communities and small businesses and "only serve to accelerate a financial 'death spiral' for the Postal Service."

DROWNING IN LOSSES

The Postal Service, an independent agency not funded by taxpayers, has said it could need a taxpayer bailout of more than $47 billion by 2017 if Congress does not give it flexibility to change its business model and provide it relief from huge benefit payments.

It had planned to drop Saturday first-class mail delivery in August.

Ending six-day, first-class mail delivery is part of the Postal Service's larger plan to cut costs and raise revenues.

The mail carrier lost $16 billion last year. Over $11 billion of the losses come from heavy mandatory payments into its future retirees' health fund take a toll ? something no other agency is required to do? but it has also suffered as more Americans communicate by email and the Internet.

The Postal Service could run out of money by October if Congress does not provide legislative relief, some experts have estimated.

"Once the delivery schedule language ... becomes law, we will discuss it with our Board of Governors to determine our next steps," Partenheimer said.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/9GPt2m14qUw/Losing-25M-a-day-Congress-shrugs-off-USPS-losses

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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Constant Practice is Essential to Make You a Better Singer - Artipot

You have a wonderful voice that many people would give an arm to possess, yet when you sing you sound ordinary. The trick is to acquire the right singing technique to be able to wow your audience. The most powerful lessons are those which work on your voice to strengthen it and train it to bring an awesome range in variations and volume. The singer who learns to make his/her voice cover the entire sweep from that husky whisper to a thundering crescendo has got it made. Just remember, getting the best possible lessons from singing gurus like Ken Tamplin is not adequate. It is up to you to ensure that you benefit from learning those road tested singing techniques.

All said and done, you become a truly fine singer by constant practice. Many people ask whether they can learn how to sing. Of course, almost anybody can become a better singer. Sadly, those same people get disheartened after a few lessons since no teacher has a magic wand which will transform an ordinary singer into a virtuoso overnight. It takes long hours of practice, dedication and individual application of thought and experimentation to scale the heights the singing icons have. Regardless of the genre you want to specialize in, eventually it will depend on how much you listen to your teachers and the different singers to be able to understand and internalize the nuances of singing techniques which will determine the kind of excellence you can achieve.

Also, you need to be mindful that practice is not simply going over various combinations of notes in different scales. It includes understanding what can damage your vocal chords and avoiding them at all times. Practice restraint in the kind of food and drink you take as well as activities which can strain your voice. Cheering one's favorite team is very well as long as you don't shout yourself hoarse. You will know that you really are singing better when people start listening more attentively when you sing.

Source: http://www.artipot.com/articles/1558952/constant-practice-is-essential-to-make-you-a-better-singer.htm

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