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Monday, January 24, 2011

Why is Denmark the cancer capital of the world?

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Why is Denmark the cancer capital of the world?


Why is Denmark the cancer capital of the world? ~ The Swivel Rocker - Daily News
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The Swivel Rocker - Daily News

The Swivel Rocker - Daily News

Why is Denmark the cancer capital of the world?

Denmark has been named as the world's cancer capital, with some 326 people in every 100,000 developing the disease each year.

One reason why Danish people seem to be particularly susceptible to cancer is that its record of diagnosing the disease is so good, meaning that more cases are picked up by the country's doctors than in most other parts of the world.

But there are also lifestyle factors which could be having an influence on the figures reported by the World Cancer Research Fund from the World Health Organisation.

A larger than average proportion of Danish women are smokers, while the country also has high levels of alcohol consumption, both of which have been shown to increase the risk of developing cancer.

The figures show that high-income countries tend to have higher rates of cancer than less developed parts of the world, with 13 European countries, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand among the top 20 states for overall cancer rates.

This is likely to be due in part to better diagnostics in developed countries, but the tendency of wealthier populations to be more obese, consume more alcohol and get less exercise are also a significant factor.

Professor Martin Wiseman, Medical and Scientific Adviser for WCRF, said: “We know that people in high-income countries are more likely to be overweight, to drink a lot of alcohol and to be inactive.

“There is strong scientific evidence that these factors increase risk of several common cancers and these figures show the effect of this. When you look at the list, it is clear that the countries that do worse for these factors tend to be nearer the top.

“The high incidence rates in the UK, Denmark and other high-income countries are not inevitable and lifestyle changes can make a real difference to people’s risk. In fact, scientists estimate that about a third of the most common cancers in the UK and other high-income countries could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, being more physically active and eating more healthily."


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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Middle-classes 'being priced out of boarding schools'

The Swivel Rocker - Daily News

Middle-classes 'being priced out of boarding schools'


Middle-classes 'being priced out of boarding schools' ~ The Swivel Rocker - Daily News
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The Swivel Rocker - Daily News

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Middle-classes 'being priced out of boarding schools'

Thousands of Middle-Class professionals have been being priced out of private boarding schools after fees rocketed five-fold in a generation, researchers claimed today.

The cost of sending a child to a senior independent school has soared from around £6,000 to almost £30,000 in 25 years, it was disclosed.

In the last six years alone, fees have increased by around a third at some schools, figures show, quicker than the rise in earnings.

The disclosure – in research published by the Good Schools Guide – comes despite fears over a squeeze on family finances in the recession.

Researchers warned that the rise meant many middle-income families were effectively being excluded from sending children to some of Britain’s most famous schools, which risk becoming the preserve of sons and daughters of super-rich foreign businessmen.

The number of overseas enrolments at independent schools jumped by 7.4 per cent to 23,307 last year, with most pupils coming from Hong Kong, mainland China and Germany.

But independent school leaders insisted the figures were "highly misleading" and rises were in line with an increase in general education costs, including teachers’ salaries, pensions and the price of building work.

They said fee rises had been much smaller in recent years as schools sought to ease the burden on parents during the economic downturn.

But Janette Wallis, a senior editor at the guide, said “Such an enormous increase in school fees in 25 years is out of sync with the rise in salaries or prices – and it shows in the families who can afford these schools now. Many professionals have been priced out of the private schools market.”

Research to mark the 25th anniversary of the guide, which is published next month, shows that fees at private senior schools have increased much faster than the rise in earnings.

According to data, average fees were set at between £3,600 and £6,000 a year in 1986, although parents were advised to budget for up to £7,000 when extra costs were added.

The guide says parents can now expect to pay between £27,000 and £30,000 to send teenage sons and daughters to senior boarding schools – five times as much for the top schools.

When extras such as uniforms, music lessons, school outings, books and overseas holidays are added, costs can escalate as high as £33,000.

It comes despite the fact that earnings increased by less – around three-fold – over the same period.

At Westminster School, fees increased from £5,025 a year in 1986 to £21,948 in 2006 and £29,406 this year.

Fees at Wycombe Abbey increased from £5,025 to £23,100 in 2006 and £29,250 last year, while those at Marlborough College rose from £5,550 to £29,310 over 25 years, the guide said.

The annual cost of senior boarding at Malvern College increased from £5,400 to £29,256 over the 25 year period.

Fees at Eton went from more than £6,000 to £29,862 and at Harrow costs increased from over £6,000 to £29,670.

David Lyscom, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, said: "Presenting the figures in such a sensationalist way creates a highly misleading impression.

"The figure over 25 years equates to an average annual increase of under seven per cent over the same period.

"To put this in context, the average annual increase of the education component of the Consumer Price Index since the late 1980s is about 7.5 per cent.

"So the increase in boarding fees over the period is not extraordinary, and much of the difference represents the increased cost of meeting higher parental expectations and today's very different welfare and regulatory standards.

"Our schools offer a range of fees for families of varying means and fee assistance is widely available. Given this, and the world-class standard of education at our schools, we believe, and continued parental support confirms, that they still offer excellent value for money."


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Friday, January 21, 2011

Blair Tells Panel He Disregarded Legal Advice On Iraq

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Blair Tells Panel He Disregarded Legal Advice On Iraq


Blair Tells Panel He Disregarded Legal Advice On Iraq ~ The Swivel Rocker - Daily News
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The Swivel Rocker - Daily News

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Blair Tells Panel He Disregarded Legal Advice On Iraq

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has revealed that he pledged support for a military operation against Iraq's Saddam Hussein despite legal concerns.

Blair made the acknowledgement during a second appearance before a British inquiry into his role in the lead-up to the U.S.-led invasion to topple the Iraqi dictator in 2003.

In a written statement to the inquiry, Blair said he disregarded advice from his top legal officer that attacking Iraq would be illegal without a second UN resolution because it was "provisional."

In his first appearance before the Iraq inquiry a year ago, Blair told the panel that Hussein had been a threat to the world and that he had no regrets about the military operation to remove him.

He also denied allegations that he deliberately misled the public over the reasons for the war -- Saddam's alleged weapons of mass destruction, which were never found.

Blair, whose premiership ended in 2007, sent 45,000 British troops to join the invasion.

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

U.S. Senators Call For Joint U.S.-EU Action On Belarus

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U.S. Senators Call For Joint U.S.-EU Action On Belarus


U.S. Senators Call For Joint U.S.-EU Action On Belarus ~ The Swivel Rocker - Daily News
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The Swivel Rocker - Daily News

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U.S. Senators Call For Joint U.S.-EU Action On Belarus

A group of prominent U.S. senators are calling for a strong, joint response by the United States and the European Union to the crackdown on protests against the reelection of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Belarus.

The call came in a letter to EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton signed by six U.S. senators, including Joseph Lieberman, John McCain, and Richard Lugar.

In the letter made available to RFE/RL (pictured), the senators say the trans-Atlantic measures should carry "very real and significant consequences" for Lukashenka and other Belarusian officials allegedly responsible for human rights abuses, vote fraud, and the continued detention of opposition presidential candidates and party leaders following the December 19 presidential election.

They say the measures should renew targeted sanctions against Lukashenka and other officials, and include a ban on doing business with Belneftekhim, Belarus' state oil company.

The senators also call for increased support for political, civil society, and human rights groups in Belarus.

In a resolution adopted in Strasbourg today, the European Parliament also condemned the Belarus crackdown and called for a repeat election that would be "free and democratic."

Ashton said the EU will reinstate a travel ban on Lukashenka. She said on January 19 that "the time has come to act." She said EU foreign ministers will decide on the visa ban at their next meeting on January 31.

Earlier in the day Polish media reported that Poland has already unilaterally decided to impose its own travel ban. Latvia's foreign minister, meanwhile, says the Belarussian government should be punished for its behavior. Girts Kistovskis made his remarks in Helsinki at a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "sanctions mentality exacerbates division lines and destroys trust."

The EU imposed a visa ban against Lukashenka and around 40 officials in 2006 following a crackdown on the opposition, but the measure was suspended two years later in the hope of encouraging changes in the country.


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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Russia To Launch Muslim TV Channel

The Swivel Rocker - Daily News

Russia To Launch Muslim TV Channel

Russia To Launch Muslim TV Channel  ~ The Swivel Rocker - Daily News
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The Swivel Rocker - Daily News

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Russia To Launch Muslim TV Channel

Russia will soon launch a Muslim television channel in what it says is the hope it will foster tolerance.

Russian reports say the satellite channel will go on the air in February or March across Russian, home to some 20 million Muslims.

Analysts say Russian has witnessed a rise in neo-nationalist movements.

In December, Moscow saw the worst nationalist riots in its post-Soviet history, with police unable to stop some 7,000 youths who gathered near the Kremlin from beating people of non-Slavic appearance.

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