President Joyce Banda, 62, emerged as Africa?s second female president on April 7th 2012 after her predecessor, Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika, died of heart attack. She promised to shake things up and improve relations with aid donor countries.
One of the steps she took recently was the decision not to extend invitation to President Omar Al Bahsir of Sudan, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for gross human rights abuses. But the more controversial of her agenda to restore the flow of foreign aid to one of the world?s poorest countries is her determination to approach the parliament to quash a legislation outlawing gay marriage in Malawi.
Malawi, a country of about 15 million people, 60 per cent of whom are living below the poverty level, is one of the embarrassments of the African continent where dependence on foreign aid has for long been accepted as part of the nation?s fate.
A country that earned its independence in 1964 has, through its age-old dependence on foreign aid, shown its inability to defend its independence, especially on the economic front.
The decision of President Banda to reverse the ban of same-sex marriage to please Western aid donors is a total betrayal of a country with a proud pre-colonial past which saw the Maravi (?rays of light?) Empire steeped in advanced iron work.
Thus, the president has thrown the dignity of the Malawian people through the window because of filthy foreign aid. She is willing to allow unnatural and abominable practices that have helped to compromise the social and moral substance of Western societies to be foisted on her country.
The late Mutharika was guilty of so many sins, including the misuse of the foreign aid, but at least he firmly upheld the dignity of his country and let Malawians ?go hungry? rather than being subjected to the indignity of imposed Western values.
We call on Malawian people as well as other Africans to rise up against the betrayal of Malawian independence. Banda should borrow a leaf from Nigeria, whose president and parliament boldly rejected same-sex marriage and the foreign aid the West used as an instrument of blackmail.
Surely, Malawians can follow the example of Lee Kwan Yew?s Singapore and pull themselves out of the poverty trap. Unlike Singapore, Malawi is blest with some natural resources including land. Let the Asian countries example of rapidly exiting the indignity of foreign aid through internal re-engineering be the guidepost for struggling African countries.
Homosexuality is a taboo all over Africa. Let Africans, like the Arab/Muslim world, reject any foreign influence that can undermine our social fabric and take away our cultural identity.
Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.
ScienceDaily (June 29, 2012) ? Millions of people worldwide are exposed to arsenic from contaminated water, and we are all exposed to arsenic via the food we eat. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition Journal has demonstrated that people who ate more dietary vitamin B12 and animal protein had lower levels of arsenic (measured by deposition in toenails). Total dietary fat, animal fat, vegetable fat and saturated fat were also all associated with lower levels of arsenic, while omega 3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil, were associated with increased arsenic.
Long term exposure to high levels of arsenic is known to cause skin lesions, cancer and cardiovascular disease, and also affects fetal development. Even low concentrations of arsenic are potentially dangerous. Arsenic is found in some water supplies, but more people are exposed via their diet. Staples such as rice contain arsenic, especially the toxic inorganic forms, while fish, although high in total arsenic, contains organic forms which are thought to be less toxic.
Inside the body arsenic is methylated to aid excretion in urine but arsenic also has an affinity for keratin and can be deposited in hair and nails as they grow. Consequently levels of arsenic preserved in nails or hair can be used as a biomarker for arsenic exposure over periods of months to years.
Researchers from Dartmouth College and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth looked at the levels of arsenic in toenails of residents of New Hampshire who all use private groundwater wells as their household water source.
Results of the study showed that arsenic in nails was positively associated with both alcohol and omega 3 fatty acids, however, lower levels of arsenic were found for people who ate greater amounts of vegetable and animal fat. Prof Kathy Cottingham, who directed the study, explained, "While there may be a direct interaction between fats and arsenic preventing absorption or binding to keratin in nails, the results may simply reflect dietary preference, with people who eat a diet rich in fats not eating foods high in arsenic, such as rice."
Joann Gruber, who led the study, noted that, "Humans can be very efficient at removing arsenic from the body. Improved methylation reduces the amount of inorganic arsenic circulating in the body. Surprisingly, we didn't see a reduction in toenail arsenic with other dietary factors known to be necessary for arsenic methylation such as folic acid. This may be because the population we sampled had adequate amounts of these factors in their diet."
The authors are currently working on similar studies in children, through the Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BioMed Central.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Joann F Gruber, Margaret R Karagas, Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Pamela J Bagley, M Scot Zens, Vicki Sayarath, Tracy Punshon, J Steven Morris and Kathryn L Cottingham. Associations between toenail arsenic concentration and dietary factors in a New Hampshire population. Nutrition Journal, 2012; (in press) [link]
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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.
zxcvbob wrote: > Quinch wrote: >> Hello there, new to the group* , so I apologize in advance if I'm >> going against the rules or something. Anyway, my old food processor* >> finally shuffled off its mortal coil and since I'm looking for a >> replacement, I figured I'd ask around. >> >> On to the specifics - I'm primarily looking for a blender/chopper sort >> of dealie, with the focus being resilience and price rather than bells >> and whistles. I don't need something with a built-in juicer, >> cheesegrater, eggbeater and foot massage {actually, I could go with >> the last one} and of course it doesn't all have to come in one package >> {i.e. a separate blender and food processor is fine}. I've seen that >> processor on sale on Amazon a few threads up, but while the price is >> kindasorta in my range, they don't send them across the ocean. >> >> So, any suggestions or preferences? I'd be grateful for any input. >> >> Regards, >> >> Quinch >> >> >> * {though it definitely looks interesting, I might pester people for >> cooking tips later on} >> >> * Moulinex Masterchef 350, bought 'round... early nineties? It's gone >> through a ridiculous amount of {ab}use in its life. > > I have a Cuisinart one size smaller than the one previously mentioned; > had it for about 25 years. (it could use a new work bowl) It's on sale > at Amazon too, for $100. > http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DLC-.../dp/B00004S9EM > <http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DLC-10S-Classic-7-Cup-Processor/dp/B00004S9EM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340809439&sr=8-2&keywords=cuisinart> > > > Have you checked at amazon.uk ? > > -Bob
Not until now - I sort of assumed it would route me to a version of the site that supported shipping to my location automatically.
Serves me right for putting my faith in technology, eh?
New research shows that the bland flavor of a popular variety of firm tomatoes is caused by a genetic switch. Locating this switch may enable scientists to create good-tasting and good-shipping tomatoes in the future. ?
By Associated Press / June 28, 2012
This file photo shows tomatoes on a market table. New research shows that a popular variety of tomato is bland because of its genes.
AP Photo/Ronald Zak
Enlarge
Using genetics, scientists have been able to dig up the dirt on why homegrown?tomatoes taste so much sweeter than the ones in the supermarket.
Researchers found a genetic switch responsible for some of the sugar production within a?tomato. A new study in Friday's edition of Science found that the common type of?tomato?bred for firmness and good shipping also inadvertently turns off the sugar-producing switch. That makes it less sweet and blander than garden varieties.
University of California Davis plant scientist Ann Powell said knowing the genetics behind the sugar-making could lead someday to development of sweeter?tomatoes?that also travel well.
Kluwe doing the radio ad against the marriage amendment.
Chris Kluwe, 30, is a punter entering his eighth year with the Minnesota Vikings. He has done three radio ads for Minnesotans for Equality, opposed to a November ballot initiative in the state that would change the state constitution to define marriage only between a man and a woman.
Outspoken and articulate, Kluwe talked with me about why he is passionate about the issue, what it means to be a family and how a gay player would fit in the culture of the NFL.
Outsports: How did you get involved in the fight in Minnesota against the marriage amendment?
Kluwe: Someone contacted me on Twitter [from Minnesotans for Equality] and asked if I?d be interested. I said yes. I?ve always believed that people are inherently the same and should have the same rights and equal protection under the law. It really doesn?t matter what you do with who or whom as long as you?re not infringing on someone else?s rights. Everyone should be free to live their own life however it makes them happy.
Outsports: You?ve cut three radio ads so far. How involved are you going to get in this?
Kluwe: We did three of them and hopefully they?ll release the last two in a week or so. Whatever else they want me to do, I?m more than happy to speak up about it.
The Kluwes: Chris and Isabel with daughters Remy (left) and Olivia
Outsports: In the 30-second ad, you referenced families a lot. Families are the thing thrown at supporters of gay marriage because we?re told we have to protect the traditional family. Was that a conscious decision on your part to mention family several times?
Kluwe: I had some input in writing it and I wanted to make sure it was something that would resonate with people. I don?t think a lot of people realize that family is family. It doesn?t matter who you are; the people you grow up with, that?s your family. If you find out your kid is gay, are you going to love him any less? Because if you do, then you?re probably not doing parenting for the right reasons.
One of my wife?s brothers is gay and I know him and his partner [who live in California] would love to get married but they can?t.
Outsports: Do you have close friends who are gay?
Kluwe: None that I know of. Honestly, I?ve never really asked anyone. I?m more interested in if you?re going to play video games with me! Honestly, I don?t care. People don?t ask me what goes on in my bedroom and I try and give them the same privilege.
Outsports: Do you still think you?d be involved in this issue if you didn?t have a relation who was gay?
Kluwe: I would definitely still be signing up for it. One of the things my parents [Ron and Sandy] brought me up with is that you should have equality for everyone. I would like to think I have a pretty strong sense of justice and right and wrong. [The proposed marriage amendment] is just blatant discrimination and that?s not right, that?s wrong. ?
One of the best things parents can teach their children is to have the courage to go out and find your own answers in life. While we can give you a framework, it?s up to you to live your own life.
[Kluwe and his wife Isabel have two daughters: Remy, 2 in October, and Olivia, 4, on July 2.]
Outsports: How do see the issue in Minnesota playing out right now?
Kluwe: I see a slight edge right now among people who want to defeat it. Unfortunately, we?re going to have to wait to see if the people who want to have it pass resort to the kinds of fear tactics they generally use. ?If the gays marry, civilization is going to be ruined! It will be the downfall of everything!? Unfortunately, that seems to work with a lot of people because it hits that gut, instinctual emotional level ? rather than thinking it through and realizing it?s a specious argument.
Outsports: How do you see raising your two children in terms of acceptance?
Kluwe: Making sure they know that people are people and it doesn?t matter what you look like or what you believe in. Judge people on what they do, not what they say. You can proclaim anything you want, but your actions will show people who you really are.
Outsports: Switching to football, have you ever played with a teammate in high school, college (UCLA) or the pros (Minnesota Vikings) who you knew was gay?
Kluwe: No one I knew for a fact was gay, mainly because the locker room culture is the locker room culture. It?s a very tough environment for someone who?s gay to come out in.
I think people are growing more tolerant, as the younger generation has been raised to believe that being gay isn?t a bad thing. As more and more of those guys are getting into the locker room, I think it?s definitely becoming more tolerant.
It?s going to be really hard for someone to come out until someone does it at the professional level, because that will give that Jackie Robinson-type example that hey, it?s OK to do that. I would be completely supportive of a teammate who did that because when it comes down to it, it doesn?t matter your sexual orientation, it matters can you help us win on Sunday. That?s the only thing that matters in the locker room.
Outsports: Do you think it would be possible on the Vikings for someone under the right circumstances to come out publicly?
Kluwe: Yeah, I think it would. It would have to be someone who?s courageous and strong enough to withstand the inevitable abuse and insults that will come their way. It?s not going to be easy. But inside the locker room, I would do my part to make it as welcoming an environment as I could and I would definitely speak up if anyone tried to do anything negative there.
Outsports: What is it about the culture of the locker room that makes it not conducive to someone being open about their sexual orientation?
Kluwe: It?s a very machismo-type football culture. The past 100 years of football have been about it being a guys-guy sport and you have to shrug everything off and you could never show weakness. For a lot of people, they were raised that being gay is either a weakness or a sin, so it?s tough for a lot of guys to get past that kind of cultural conditioning.
But I think views are changing and I think they?ve changed enough to where I think that while it would be tough to come out,? there would be support there.
Outsports: If a Viking came out, he would be the same person but all you guys would know would be one new fact about him, so why would it be an issue?
Kluwe: I think for a lot of guys it?s just the uncomfortable side. They?re a little self-absorbed enough to think that, ?Hey, is this guy going to be checking me out in the shower all the time?,? when he might not even be his type. You tend to think about yourself first and how it relates to you, as opposed to, ?Hey, he?s still the same guy. He?s been showering with me before, he hasn?t done anything.? It?s not like all of a sudden there?s gonna be orgies in the middle of the locker room.
I?ve seen it become less rigid in terms of guys being tolerant, but it?s still tough because there is that football background to everything.
Outsports: Do you hear gay slurs either in the locker room or on the field, such as fag, faggot or queer?
Kluwe: I used to but I think that?s one of the things that?s changed due to culture in general the past 15 years. I know growing up as a teenager, that [fag] was one of the swear words you used with your friends because you thought it was a bad word but you never thought about the hurtful implications. But now people know it?s not just like bitch or ass that you can throw around ? it?s a lot more hurtful.
I definitely hear it a lot less than I did growing up. But that being said, there?s still some guys that use it. I haven?t anyone use it in a serious manner, it?s more they use it because they?re used to using it. I?ll call someone out if I hear someone saying it. ? Also, it does appeal more to a teenage mindset than an adult mindset.
Outsports: Do players gossip about players they think might be gay?
Kluwe: Nothing serious but you will get some guys that say ?He uses a lot of hair products and conditioners, what?s he hiding?? But the thing is you don?t know.
It?s not like people are coming over to my house in the middle of the night to make sure I am sleeping with my wife instead of other guys in the league. Unless someone comes out,? it would be really hard for guys to make a definitive statement that another guy is gay. There?s no flashing sign above your head saying gay or not gay. How you choose to present yourself, you can present yourself as either straight or gay.
There?s probably guys in the league who think that I?m probably gay because of the position I play and the stances I take, but my wife would probably beg to differ. Special teams, we?re kind of the bottom of the totem pole. As a special teams player, a lot of people don?t really consider you to be a football player even though you?re out there helping your team win and practicing like everybody else.
Outsports: How would Vikings fans react to an openly gay player?
Kluwe: I think fans would be OK with it. There?s a rich football tradition in Minnesota and while there are some people who would let their prejudice get the better of them, as a whole the state is fairly understanding when it comes to stuff like that. It?s a pretty liberal state and I think there would be a lot of support from fans if a player came out and he could play. What the fans want is for the team to win, so it doesn?t matter what your sexual orientation is ? can you help the team win?
Outsports: Do you think in the next decade, you will see an openly gay player?
Kluwe: I think we will due to the fact that the subject is coming up more and more not just in politics but in sports.
Outsports: Any last thoughts?
Kluwe: For me, it?s always been about justice and doing what?s right. People should treat each other the way they want to be treated and that?s basically what life boils down to.
Chris Kluwe has an a popular Twitter feed you can follow. Here is a great profile of him from Yahoo.
Read Kluwe?s letter urging Minnesotans to vote no.
For more on the Minnesota marriage amendment, check out Minnesotans For Equality.
Remodeling your home can be an amazing experience. Not only does it give you fulfillment in expressing your creative self, but it also hones your quest for design quality. You may find home remodeling a bit daunting at first, but the important thing is to keep composed through the planning and decision-making and not get overwhelmed by all the choices. To get you past the initial hurdle, here are essential tips on how you can remodel your home like a pro.
Know the extent of the renovation From the beginning, know the scale of the renovation project you're going to undertake. A minor renovation would just involve paint job on the exterior or interior component of your home, installation of wallpaper, decors and appliances. While a major one includes total strip down of the kitchen space, living area, bedroom, or bathroom area (I.e. walls, floorings, appliances, furnishings, etc.) and the installation of newer components.
List every home detail that needs remodeling If you're remodeling a huge part of your home, say a kitchen, you need to list down every detail that needs remodeling. Decide if you need a new flooring installation, appliances, cupboards or kitchen furnishings. Don't forget about the aesthetic value of space; it's just as essential as the objects or installations that occupy it. If you don't take context into view, you're bound to fret over every last detail which could make you into an impossible perfectionist.
Consider a contractor When planning for Omaha home improvement, consider the services of a contractor even if you have prior experience in home remodeling. Unless you are a true home building DIY hobbyist, the odds of doing a fair, clean job of dismantling, refurbishing, painting, and putting things back together, may not be in your favor. You'll need the help of a highly skilled and knowledgeable contractor to ensure that the task gets the quality service you require.
Organize well If you're going to be your own general contractor for the Omaha remodeling, make sure to keep everything organized. You don't want to be all over the place once the construction starts, so keep an expandable folder where you have a list of all the remodel itineraries. Have a separate file for the plumbing, electricity, kitchen or bathroom plans.
Know the entire remodel's worth As you know, home remodeling can be quite extravagant. It's not only the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or Omaha roofing components you're going to finance, you also need to pay your contractors, too. By allocating a fixed budget for home remodelling and the contractor's salary, you keep a tight rein on your budget and not run into excess fees later on. Visit renovation101.com for more information.
This article has been viewed 21 time(s).
It is a violation of our terms and conditions for writers to submit material which they did not write and claim it as their own.
If this article infringes on your copyrights, you MUST either call us at 706-866-2295 or send proof of infringement
along with the offending article's title, URL, and writer name to
IdeaMarketers.com
Attn: Marnie Pehrson - Copyright Concern
514 Old Hickory Ln
Ringgold GA 30736 USA
If you email us or use our problem submission form, we CANNOT guarantee we'll receive your notice!
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? There were no fist pumps for Tiger Woods, just a deep breath and a slow exhale. Jim Furyk walked most of the 7,170 yards at Olympic Club with his head down. David Toms couldn't think of a single shot he hit without his full attention Friday.
They were not the survivors of the U.S. Open. They were the leaders.
And it's no coincidence that all of them have been tested in the majors, none more often than Woods, who survived a patch of bogeys early in his round for an even-par 70 that took him another round closer to a 15th major title.
"I know that it takes a bit out of us, but so be it," Woods said. "Much rather be there than missing cuts or just making the cut. So it's a wonderful place to be with a chance to win your nation's open."
Just when this U.S. Open was starting to look like child's play, a trio of major champions took it back.
Furyk rolled in a 40-foot birdie putt from off the third green in the morning for a 69. Woods and Toms, who showed a steady hand with the putter for a 70, joined him in the afternoon when the conditions were fiery and emotions were frayed.
They were the only players to beat par for 36 holes at 1-under 139.
And they restored some sanity to a major that for a brief and stunning moment had been taken over by a 17-year-old who only two weeks ago didn't even win his state high school championship. Beau Hossler went 11 holes without making a bogey, and took the outright lead on one of the toughest holes at Olympic. He got lost in the thick rough and trees on the brutal front nine, dropping five shots in eight holes for a 73 that left him four shots behind.
That wasn't the only surprise.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy missed the cut for the fourth time in his last five tournaments. He set a U.S. Open record last year at Congressional with a 131 through 36 holes. He was 19 shots worse at Olympic, with a 73 giving him a two-day score of 150.
"It wasn't the way I wanted to play," he said.
Also leaving San Francisco far earlier than anyone expected were Luke Donald, the world's No. 1 player, Masters champion Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, coming off a win last week at the St. Jude Classic.
It doesn't take much at this U.S. Open to swallow up even the best players.
When the last group trudged up the hill toward the stately clubhouse at Olympic, the experience at the top of the leaderboard was impossible to ignore.
"Whoever wins this golf tournament is going to be a great champion, somebody that's probably won events before, that can handle the emotions and can handle the adversity in a U.S. Open, and somebody with experience," Toms said. "At least that's what I think. You never know. Strange things can happen, but I would think that you would see a lot of that on the leaderboard come late Sunday."
It starts with Woods, who is coming off his second win of the year at the Memorial and looks as strong as ever. Hitting shots both directions, mainly with irons off the tees, he overcame three straight bogeys on his front nine, two of those shots not far off from being easy birdie chances.
His only regret was not taking advantage of having a wedge in his hand on the last three holes, all birdie opportunities that became pars.
When he regained a share of the lead with Furyk on the 13th with a 4-foot birdie putt, Woods was coming up on a series of holes that allowed players to at least think of making birdie. In a greenside bunker in two on the par-5 16th ? shortened to 609 yards Friday ? Woods blasted out weakly and missed a 12-foot putt. With a mid-iron in his hand in the fairway on the par-5 17th, he went over the green and down a deep slope. Despite a superb pitch to 8 feet, he missed the putt.
And with a wedge from the fairway on the 18th, he came up well short and into a bunker, having to settle for par.
Pars aren't bad, though.
"This tournament, you're just plodding along," Woods said. "This is a different tournament. You have to stay patient, stay present, and you're just playing for a lot of pars. This is not a tournament where we have to make a bunch of birdies."
Graeme McDowell, the U.S. Open champion two years ago down the coast at Pebble Beach, dropped three shots on his last four holes for a 72. Even so, he was very much in the hunt two shots behind at 141, along with recent LSU alum John Peterson (70), Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium (69) and Michael Thompson, the first-round leader who followed his opening 66 with a 75.
"It's just tough to have fun out there," McDowell said.
Woods had won eight straight times when he had at least a share of the lead going into the weekend at the majors, a streak that ended at the 2009 PGA Championship when Y.E. Yang chased him down from four shots back. Woods hasn't seriously contended in the final hour of a major since then.
And a stern test waits on the weekend. Asked for a winning score, McDowell deferred to the USGA.
"They can have whatever they want," McDowell said. "If they want 5 over to win, 10 over to win it ... they can hide these pins away. I would have to imagine around level par."
Woods, who played the difficult six-hole opening stretch at 1 under in the opening round, wasn't so fortunate the second time around.
He brilliantly bounced his tee shot onto the green at the par-3 third to 5 feet for birdie, and the outright lead at 2 under, and he appeared to have everything under control. That didn't last, though.
He pushed his approach into a bunker on the fifth and took bogey. He got a miserable break on the next hole when his second shot was suspended in the thick collar of the bunker, forcing him to grip his wedge on the steel shaft to play his shot, which went through the green for another bogey. And on the short par-4 seventh, which can be reached from the tee, he three-putted from 8 feet for a third straight bogey.
On the other side of the course, the cheers of disbelief were for Hossler.
The kid rolled in a 6-foot birdie putt on the 520-yard first hole, putting him alone in the lead at 2 under.
"Unfortunately," he said, "I kind of lost it coming in."
It's wasn't the pressure. It wasn't the size of his audience perched along the hills. It wasn't the sight of his name listed over three major champions.
It was The Olympic Club.
Hossler dropped a shot on the next hole, though the real trouble came when he pulled his tee shot on the fourth into the hay and made double bogey. Then, he hit into a bunker on the adjacent hole for another bogey, lost another shot on the sixth and only slowed the damage with a chip-in behind the seventh green for birdie.
He still gets to sleep in on Saturday with his late tee time, and what 17-year-old doesn't like that?
SAN ANTONIO?? A Texas teacher will lose her job after ordering more than 20 kindergartners to line up and hit a classmate accused of being a bully, a district spokesman said Friday.
Only on msnbc.com
Obama administration won't seek deportation of young illegal immigrants
A primer on the painfully slow recovery
Sex case: Jehovah's Witnesses must pay $20 million
Wounded warrior seeks to represent America ? again
EPA proposes tougher rules on soot pollution
'Forest Boy' mystery solved: Man admits identity lies
Violence feared as polarized Egypt returns to polls
The teacher at a suburban San Antonio school is accused of orchestrating the slugfest after a younger teaching colleague went to her last month seeking suggestions on how to discipline the 6-year-old, according to a police report from the Judson Independent School District.
Both teachers at Salinas Elementary were placed on paid administrative leave, though the one who allegedly arranged the punishment will not work for the district next school year, said district spokesman Steve Linscomb. Prosecutors are reviewing the allegations and will determine whether formal charges will be filed in 30 to 60 days.
The police report alleges the teacher chose to show the child "why bullying is bad" by instructing his peers to "Hit him!" and "Hit him harder!" It also states that the second teacher intervened only after one of the children hit the boy hard on his upper back.
"Twenty-four of those kids hit him and he said that most of them hit him twice," Amy Neely, the mother of 6-year-old Aiden, told KENS-TV. She did not specify what injuries her son may have received.
Neely said her son is not a problem child and that this was the first she'd heard of teachers having issues with him. She said she wants to make sure the teacher who ordered the hitting does not work in a classroom again.
"She doesn't need to be around any children," Neely told the television station.
The mother added ? and the police report confirmed ? that some of Aiden's classroom friends told him they didn't want to hit the boy but did so because they were afraid not to.
She said she learned about what happened to her son after a teacher who witnessed the incident and intervened went on to report it two weeks later. Linscomb said Neely filed an official oppression complaint against the teachers with the district police department earlier this week.
A message left by The Associated Press with Neely was not immediately returned Friday afternoon.
Linscomb said other students had perceived the boy as being a bully. That's when the teacher went with her students to a nearby classroom and sought disciplinary advice from her colleague, he said.
The district placed both teachers on paid administrative leave and launched an investigation on May 18. District officials have not released the names of either teacher. The one who asked for help disciplining the boy and then waited to report the incident after witnessing it was reprimanded.
"We can't have teachers acting like a loose cannon," Linscomb said of the teacher who orchestrated the hitting incident. "Doing something that's this far off the charts, doing what they feel like is teaching (students) a lesson; we're not going to tolerate that."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A woman arranges ballot papers at a polling station in Athens, on Sunday, June 17 2012. Greeks voted Sunday for the second time in six weeks in what was arguably their country's most critical election in 40-years, with the country's treasured place within the European Union's joint currency in the balance. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)
A woman arranges ballot papers at a polling station in Athens, on Sunday, June 17 2012. Greeks voted Sunday for the second time in six weeks in what was arguably their country's most critical election in 40-years, with the country's treasured place within the European Union's joint currency in the balance. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)
Leader of the right-wing LAOS party George Karatzaferis exits a polling booth at a polling station in Athens, on Sunday, June 17 2012. Greeks are voting Sunday for the second time in six weeks in what is arguably their country's most critical election in 40 years. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)
A Greek man leaves the booth after voting during the parliamentary elections in Athens, Sunday, June 17, 2012. Greeks vote Sunday for the second time in six weeks in what may be their country's most critical election in 40-years.(AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
A man exits a booth before casting his ballot at a polling station in Athens, Sunday, June 17, 2012. Greeks are voting Sunday for the second time in six weeks in what is arguably their country's most critical election in 40 years. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A gust of wind lifts the uniform of a Greek presidential guard during the changing of the guard ceremony outside the Greek parliament, central Athens, Saturday, June 16, 2012. Greeks cast their ballots this Sunday for the second time in six weeks, after the May 6 elections left no party with enough seats in Parliament to form a government and coalition talks collapsed. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? Greece voted Sunday amid global fears that victory by parties that have vowed to cancel the country's international bailout agreements and accompanying austerity measures could undermine the European Union's joint currency and pitch the world's major economies into another sharp downturn.
For Greeks, it is the second national election in six weeks and arguably the most critical in decades, reflecting political turmoil sparked by a two-year financial crisis that some fear could force the country to abandon the euro and return to its old currency, the drachma. That in turn would likely drag down other financially troubled countries and threaten the euro itself.
The last opinion polls published before a two-week pre-election ban showed the radical left Syriza party of Alexis Tsipras running neck-and-neck with the conservative New Democracy party of Antonis Samaras. But no party is likely to win enough votes to form a government on its own, meaning a coalition will have to be formed to avoid yet another election.
The results of exit surveys were expected at the close of polling stations at 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) Sunday, and the first official projections were expected at around 9:30 p.m. (1830 GMT). Strong winds in the Greek archipelago forced the cancellation of some ferry routes, raising doubts about whether some voters would be able to get to islands with polling stations in time.
Inconclusive elections on May 6 resulted in no party winning enough votes to form a government, and coalition talks collapsed after 10 days. The vote, which also sent the formerly governing socialist PASOK party plunging to historic lows, sent a very clear message that Greeks have lost patience with the deep austerity imposed in return for the country receiving billions of euros (dollars) in rescue loans from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.
"I'd like to see something change for the country in general, including regarding the bailout," said Vassilis Stergiou, an early-morning voter at an Athens polling station. "But at least for us to get organized and at the very least do something."
Tsipras, a 37-year-old former student activist, has vowed to rip up Greece's bailout agreements and repeal the austerity measures, which have included deep spending cuts on everything from health care to education and infrastructure, as well as tax hikes and reductions of salaries and pensions.
But his pledges, which include canceling planned privatizations, nationalizing banks and rolling back cuts to minimum wages and pensions, have horrified European leaders, as well as many Greeks. Tsipras' opponents argue that the inexperienced young politician is out of touch with reality, and that his policies will force the country out of the euro and lead to poverty for years to come.
Virtually unknown outside of Greece four months ago, Tsipras' pledges and his party's strong showing in the May 6 elections, where he came a surprise second place and quadrupled his support since the 2009 election, has put him in the international spotlight.
Scores of journalists and television news crews from across the world jostled for space to cover Tsipras casting his ballot in an Athens polling center.
"We have beaten fear. Today we open a road to hope," he said after voting, adding that he was confident of victory.
"Today we open a road to a better tomorrow, with our people united, dignified and proud. In a Greece of social justice and prosperity, an equal member of a Europe that is changing. A Europe of the peoples and of solidarity."
The young left-wing leader has accused his rivals of attempting to terrorize the population by casting him as the man who will ruin the country, and insists he will keep Greece within the euro ? something that repeated opinion polls have shown about 80 percent of Greeks want.
Greece has been dependent on the rescue loans since May 2010, after sky-high borrowing rates left it locked out of the international markets following years of profligate spending and falsifying financial data.
The spending cuts made in return have left the country mired in a fifth year of recession, with unemployment spiraling to above 22 percent and tens of thousands of businesses shutting down.
For his part, Samaras has cast Sunday's choice as one between the euro and returning to the country's old currency, the drachma. Although he voted against Greece's first bailout in 2010, when his party was in opposition, he backed the second bailout agreed on late last year. He has vowed to renegotiate some of the terms of the accompanying austerity, but insists the top priority is for the country to remain in Europe's joint currency.
"The main thing we will decide on is the dilemma, euro or drachma," he said during his final pre-election rally in central Athens on Friday.
European leaders have cautioned that Greece could be left outside the 17-nation eurozone if it pulls out of its bailout commitments.
Newly elected French President Francois Hollande warned in a Greek television interview earlier this week that "if the impression is given that the Greeks want to move away from the commitments that were taken and abandon all prospects of revival, then there will be countries in the Eurozone that will want to end the presence of Greece in the eurozone."
Nearly 10 million people are eligible to vote in the country of about 11 million people. Polls close at 7pm (1600 GMT), with official results expected a few hours later.
"Today the Greek people speak. Tomorrow a new era for Greece begins," Samaras said after casting his ballot in a small town in southern Greece, the first of the main politicians to do so.
As Greeks went to the polls, more than 250 firefighters and soldiers battled a fire raging south of the Greek capital since Saturday afternoon. Local authorities said several houses were burned. Gale-force winds were hampering the efforts to extinguish the blaze, and Greece asked for help in water-dropping planes from Italy, France and Croatia.
Three firefighters suffered burns on Saturday, while four people were arrested for allegedly starting the fire by accident during welding work at a construction site.
[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
Gov. Scott Walker talks to employees at Steelwind Industries in Oak Creek, Wis. on Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Walker won a contentious recall election against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The recall capped a bitter fight between Walker supporters and public sector unions and labor groups angered by cuts to collective bargaining that the governor advanced.(AP Photo/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, John Klein)
Gov. Scott Walker talks to employees at Steelwind Industries in Oak Creek, Wis. on Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Walker won a contentious recall election against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The recall capped a bitter fight between Walker supporters and public sector unions and labor groups angered by cuts to collective bargaining that the governor advanced.(AP Photo/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, John Klein)
Gov. Scott Walker greets employees at Steelwind Industries in Oak Creek, Wis. on Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Walker won a contentious recall election against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The recall capped a bitter fight between Walker supporters and public sector unions and labor groups angered by cuts to collective bargaining that the governor advanced.(AP Photo/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, John Klein)
Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett delivers his concession speech with his wife, Kris at his side at his election night party Tuesday, June 5, 2012, in Milwaukee. Barrett faced Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in a recall election. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Chart shows the vote results for Wisconsin???s gubernatorial recall race.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) ? Gov. Scott Walker, fresh from becoming the nation's first governor to survive a recall election, wants to go about mending Wisconsin's political divide in an egalitarian way: over brats and beer.
Walker defeated Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on Tuesday for the second time in year and a half, turning back a recall effort that began with the collection of more than 900,000 signatures seeking his ouster. It was only the third gubernatorial recall in U.S. history.
Now the rising Republican star is focusing his message on what lies ahead. His term runs through 2014 in a state that is still bitterly divided over his move to end collective bargaining rights for most public employees.
"It's time to put our differences aside and find ways to work together to move Wisconsin forward," Walker said in an interview minutes after his victory. "I think it's important to fix things, but it's also important to make sure we talk about it and involve people in the process."
Walker planned to invite all members of the Legislature to meet as soon as next week over burgers, brats and "maybe a little bit of good Wisconsin beer."
"The first step is just bringing people together and figuring out some way if we can thaw the ice," he said.
Democrats, including Barrett, pledged to work together too. But the wounds are deep following the rancor of the recall, which was spurred by Walker's surprise proposal to go after public employee unions.
"It is up to all of us, their side and our side, to listen. To listen to each other," Barrett said.
State Rep. Peter Barca, Democratic minority leader in the Assembly, said healing Wisconsin won't be easy.
"I hope Gov. Walker understands and stays true to his pledge to build consensus and be more inclusive going forward," Barca said.
With nearly all precincts reporting, Walker had 53 percent of the vote, compared with 46 percent for Barrett. The margin of victory was wider than many expected and slightly better than Walker's 5.8 percentage-point victory over Barrett in the 2010 race. Some 2.5 million voters cast their ballots.
Democrats and organized labor spent millions to remove Walker, but found themselves hopelessly outspent by Republicans from across the country who donated record-setting sums to the governor's campaign.
Walker's win sets the stage for what is expected to be a hard-fought presidential battle.
Both sides in the presidential contest warned against reading too much into Tuesday's results, but Walker's solid victory is a warning for President Barack Obama in a state he comfortably carried in 2008 and that Democrats have won in six straight presidential elections. Romney has reason to be optimistic, given Walker's own vigorous ground game, the framework of which he will inherit.
Still, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate showed no remorse for pursuing the recall, which was pushed by powerful union leaders and citizens with little or no political experience.
"This is a fight worth having," Tate said. "Some things are worth losing over."
Walker entered the national spotlight last year when he unveiled plans to plug a $3.6 billion budget shortfall in part by taking away the union rights of most public workers and requiring them to pay more for their health insurance and pension benefits. It was one of his first moves in office, and it was explosive.
Democrats and labor leaders saw it as a political tactic designed to gut the power of his opposition. State Senate Democrats left Wisconsin for three weeks to avoid a vote on the measure, as tens of thousands of teachers, state workers and others rallied at the Capitol in protest.
But the tea-party-supported fiscal conservative remained steadfast. Walker believed his plan would help him control the state budget, and his opponents could not stop Republicans who control the state Legislature from approving his plans.
Walker went on to sign into law several other measures that fueled the recall; he repealed a law giving discrimination victims more ways to sue for damages, made deep cuts to public schools and higher education, and required voters to show photo identification at the polls.
Both sides mobilized thousands of people and millions of dollars to influence voters, whom polls showed were more divided than ever. Signs calling for Walker's removal and those supporting the 44-year-old son of a minister dotted the state's landscape all spring at a time normally devoid of political contests.
More than $66 million was spent on the race as of May 21, making it easily the most expensive in Wisconsin history. That money was spent on an all-out barrage of television ads, direct mail, automated calls and other advertising that permeated the state for months.
Also Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and at least three Republicans in state Senate races survived recalls. Unofficial results showed the Democrat ahead in the other Senate race, the outcome of which will determine which party controls the Senate at least through the end of the year.
Walker avoided gloating in his speech and offered his adversaries a fresh start.
"Now it is time to move on and move forward in Wisconsin," Walker said in his speech. "Tomorrow is the day after the election, and tomorrow we are no longer opponents."
In this groundbreaking adventure into the worlds of psychopaths, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton argues that there is a fine line between a brilliant...
Read More??
How aware are plants? This is the central question behind a fascinating new book, ?What a Plant Knows,? by Daniel Chamovitz, director of the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences at Tel Aviv University. A plant, he argues, can see, smell and feel. It can mount a defense when under siege, and warn its neighbors of trouble on the way. A plant can even be said to have a memory. But does this mean that plants think ? or that one can speak of a ?neuroscience? of the flower? Chamovitz answered questions from Mind Matters editor Gareth Cook.
1. How did you first get interested in this topic?
My interest in the parallels between plant and human senses got their start when I was a young postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Xing-Wang Deng at Yale University in the mid 1990s. I was interested in studying a biological process that would be specific to plants, and would not be connected to human biology (probably as a response to the six other ?doctors? in my family, all of whom are physicians). So I was drawn to the question of how plants sense light to regulate their development.
It had been known for decades that plants use light not only for photosynthesis, but also as a signal that changes the way plants grow. In my research I discovered a unique group of genes necessary for a plant to determine if it?s in the light or in the dark. When we reported our findings, it appeared these genes were unique to the plant kingdom, which fit well with my desire to avoid any thing touching on human biology. But much to my surprise and against all of my plans, I later discovered that this same group of genes is also part of the human DNA.
This led to the obvious question as to what these seemingly ?plant-specific? genes do in people.? Many years later, we now know that these same genes are important in animals for the timing of cell division, the axonal growth of neurons, and the proper functioning of the immune system.
But most amazingly, these genes also regulate responses to light in animals! While we don?t change our form in response to light as plants do, we are affected by lab at the level of our internal clock. Our internal circadian clocks keep us on a 24 hour rhythm, which is why when we travel half way around the world we experience jet lag. But this clock can be reset by light. A few years ago I showed, in collaboration with Justin Blau at NYU, that mutant fruit flies that were missing some of these genes lost the ability to respond to light. In other words, if we changed their clocks, they remained in jetlag.
This led me to realize that the genetic difference between plants and animals is not as significant as I had once naively believed. So while not actively researching this field, I began to question the parallels between plant and human biology even as my own research evolved from studying plant responses to light to leukemia in fruit flies.
2. How do think people should change how they think about plants?
People have to realize that plants are complex organisms that live rich, sensual lives. You know many of us relate to plants as inanimate objects, not much different from stones. Even the fact that many people substitute silk flowers for real ones, or artificial Christmas trees for a live one, is exemplary at some level of how we relate to plants. You know, I don?t know anyone who keeps a stuffed dog in place of a real one!
But if we realize that all of plant biology arises from the evolutionary constriction of the ?rootedness? that keep plants immobile, then we can start to appreciate the very sophisticated biology going on in leaves and flowers. If you think about it, rootedness is a huge evolutionary constraint. It means that plants can?t escape a bad environment, can?t migrate in the search of food or a mate. So plants had to develop incredibly sensitive and complex sensory mechanisms that would let them survive in ever changing environments. I mean if you?re hungry or thirsty, you can walk to the nearest watering hole (or bar). If you?re hot, you can move north, if you?re looking for a mate, you can go out to a party. But plants are immobile. They need to see where their food is. They need to feel the weather, and they need to smell danger. And then they need to be able to integrate all of this very dynamic and changing information. Just because we don?t see plants moving doesn?t mean that there?s not a very rich and dynamic world going on inside the plant.
FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2012 file photo, a man rides an electric bike crossing a street shrouded by haze in Beijing. A senior Chinese environmental official told foreign embassies on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 to stop publishing their own reports on air quality in China, a clear reference to a popular U.S. Embassy Twitter feed that tracks pollution in smoggy Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2012 file photo, a man rides an electric bike crossing a street shrouded by haze in Beijing. A senior Chinese environmental official told foreign embassies on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 to stop publishing their own reports on air quality in China, a clear reference to a popular U.S. Embassy Twitter feed that tracks pollution in smoggy Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
BEIJING (AP) ? China told foreign embassies Tuesday to stop publishing their own reports on air quality in the country, escalating its objections to a popular U.S. Embassy Twitter feed that tracks pollution in smoggy Beijing.
Only the Chinese government is authorized to monitor and publish air quality information and data from other sources may not be standardized or rigorous, Wu Xiaoqing, a vice environmental minister, told reporters.
China has long taken issue with the U.S. Embassy's postings of hourly readings of Beijing's air quality on a Twitter feed with more than 19,000 followers since 2008. But its past objections were raised quietly. U.S. consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou also post readings of the cities' air quality on Twitter.
The Twitter feeds were operating normally Tuesday, and an embassy spokesman in Beijing said the air quality reports were meant to inform Americans living in the three Chinese cities.
The air quality readings in Beijing are based on a single monitoring station within embassy grounds, and pollution levels are rated according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard that is more stringent than the one used by the Chinese government.
For instance, the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday reported 47 micrograms of fine particulate matter ? particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size, or about 1/30th the width of an average human hair ? in the air and said the level was "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Readings from Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau's 27 monitoring stations ranged between 51 to 79 micrograms but categorized all those levels as "good."
The Beijing government only began reporting PM2.5 earlier this year after long-standing public and international criticism of its lack of transparency about its air quality.
The government appears frustrated that there are now dueling readings for air quality and that the U.S. readings underscore the fact that pollution levels considered unhealthy in the U.S. are classified as good by China.
Wu said it isn't fair to judge Chinese air by American standards because China is a developing country and noted that U.S. environmental guidelines have become more stringent over time.
The standard China uses "takes into account the level of our current stage of development," Wu said.
Wu also said that air quality monitoring by foreign diplomats was inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and urged diplomats to abide by China's laws and regulations.
It is unclear if other nations monitor and publicize their readings of air quality in Chinese cities, but local Chinese have used the U.S. readings to prod their government into publishing more detailed pollution data.
Later, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin echoed Wu's remarks, saying at a regular press briefing that China objected to the publicity rather than the gathering of the environmental data.
"Of course, if the foreign embassies want to collect air quality information for their own staff or diplomats, I think that is their own matter, but we believe that this type of information should not released to the public," Liu said.
The top environmental official in Shanghai over the weekend also spoke out on the issue, telling local media that an air quality feed launched last month by the U.S. consulate in Shanghai was illegal.
The U.S. Embassy said the air quality monitor in Shanghai measures the air quality in the area around the consulate's office. "The monitor is an unofficial resource for the health of the consulate community," said Richard Buangan, embassy spokesman in Beijing.
China requires concentrations of PM2.5 to be kept below daily averages of 75 micrograms per cubic meter ? more than twice as lenient as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standard of 35 micrograms.
PM2.5 are believed to be a health risk because they can lodge deeply in the lungs, and have been linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer.
___
Associated Press writer Gillian Wong contributed to this report.
___
Online:
U.S. Embassy Beijing air quality monitor: https://twitter.com/(hashtag)!/BeijingAir
U.S. Consulate Guangzhou air quality monitor: https://twitter.com/(hashtag)!/Guangzhou_Air
U.S. Consulate Shanghai air quality monitor: https://twitter.com/(hashtag)!/cgshanghaiair
