London, Feb 22 (IANS) British police have launched a murder hunt after a gang of teenagers in northern England killed an Indian-origin shopkeeper described by locals as a “gentleman, who would do anything for anyone”.
Gurmail Singh, a 63-year-old father of two, suffered head injuries in the robbery by four teenagers at his shop in Huddersfield Saturday and died in hospital Sunday.
The four youths in their late teens entered the store at around 8.30 p.m. and left with a small amount of cash, cigarettes and confectionary, police said.
“It was a robbery but they stole the takings from the till, some cigarettes and sweets. It is hardly a major crime and that makes it all the more sad that he died in this way,” a police spokesman said.
Six men from a nearby pub tried to stop the robbers, but they managed to escape after a struggle, a spokesman for the regional West Yorkshire police said.
“We are also investigating whether there is any link with an incident on Thursday evening in which two youths tried to steal something from the shop and were in an altercation with Mr Singh,” the spokesman said.
After Thursday’s reported incident, Singh was said to have told neighbours he did not want to confront the youth because they were “a lot bigger” than him.
Singh, a long-time resident of the area, was popular with locals, who were shocked by the murder.
“You couldn’t wish to meet a nicer bloke than Mr Singh,” neighbour Ian Davison said.
“Even in the snow he was pulling his sledge up here with his grandson, making sure the papers got delivered.”
Sandra Ward, another neighbour, described him as “a gentleman” who provided the local community with a “fantastic service” by working long hours seven days a week.
The landlord of the nearby Shepherds Arms pub said: “Gurmail was a lovely man - he’d do anything for anyone. It’s tragic.”
понедельник, 22 февраля 2010 г.
понедельник, 15 февраля 2010 г.
Senate OKs tax on some foods to balance budget
The Senate approved a $5.5 billion state budget early Sunday that's balanced by reinstating New Mexico's sales tax on certain foods and increasing the cigarette tax.
The food tax will generate $138 million, but it's expected to run into strong opposition in the House.
The Senate voted 23-19 to impose the gross receipts tax on a wide range of food products, including white flour tortillas, hard taco shells, candy and soft drinks.
New Mexico lifted its tax on food in 2005. The Senate proposal narrows the definition of food. It leaves products tax free if they are considered food under the federal Women, Infants and Children program. Supporters said it will encourage New Mexicans to eat healthier foods and could help reduce obesity.
"It is in effect a tax on salt, on sugar, on white flour and prepared foods," said Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque.
The Senate approved tax measures to generate more than $180 million to balance next year's budget for public schools, colleges and government programs, including health care for the needy. The Senate worked past midnight to finish work on the budget, which passed 25-17.
Senate leaders fine-tuned the financial package Saturday to line up enough votes in the fractured chamber to pass the budget package, which relied on politically painful tax increases and spending cuts for education and governmental services.
The Senate approved:
u A House-passed measure generating nearly $16 million by expanding tax withholding requirements on partnerships and certain small corporations. The goal is to improve tax compliance by out-of-state residents. It passed 40-1.
u An increase in the tax on cigarettes by $1 a package to generate $33 million. New Mexico currently imposes a 91-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes. With the proposed increase, only 15 states would levy a higher cigarette tax. The bill passed 24-18 and was sent to the House.
With the revenues from the cigarette tax, the Senate dropped a proposal that would have cut the take-home pay of state workers and educators by requiring them to increase their pension contributions.
Public employee and educational unions opposed the higher pension payments, which would have lowered contributions by governmental employers by $27 million and increased employee contributions by a similar amount.
The Senate-passed budget will lower spending by about 3 percent next year from what public education, courts, colleges and state agencies were provided this year. The upcoming 2011 budget year starts in July.
"We've tried to spread this pain but we can't cover all of our bases," said Sen. John Arthur Smith, a Deming Democrat and chairman of the committee that developed the budget. "This is not a fun job, but we have to have a balanced budget."
With the Legislature scheduled to adjourn Thursday, the House and Senate will have little time to negotiate a a compromise budget and tax package.
A House-passed budget would cut total spending on education and government programs by about 1 percent next year. The House has approved $300 million in tax increases, including an upper-income surtax and a half-cent sales tax increase, to balance its budget proposal.
A special legislative session will be required later this year if the House and Senate fail to agree on a budget — as well as tax increases to balance the spending plan — before adjourning.
"That's the worst case scenario for us," said Smith.
The food tax will generate $138 million, but it's expected to run into strong opposition in the House.
The Senate voted 23-19 to impose the gross receipts tax on a wide range of food products, including white flour tortillas, hard taco shells, candy and soft drinks.
New Mexico lifted its tax on food in 2005. The Senate proposal narrows the definition of food. It leaves products tax free if they are considered food under the federal Women, Infants and Children program. Supporters said it will encourage New Mexicans to eat healthier foods and could help reduce obesity.
"It is in effect a tax on salt, on sugar, on white flour and prepared foods," said Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque.
The Senate approved tax measures to generate more than $180 million to balance next year's budget for public schools, colleges and government programs, including health care for the needy. The Senate worked past midnight to finish work on the budget, which passed 25-17.
Senate leaders fine-tuned the financial package Saturday to line up enough votes in the fractured chamber to pass the budget package, which relied on politically painful tax increases and spending cuts for education and governmental services.
The Senate approved:
u A House-passed measure generating nearly $16 million by expanding tax withholding requirements on partnerships and certain small corporations. The goal is to improve tax compliance by out-of-state residents. It passed 40-1.
u An increase in the tax on cigarettes by $1 a package to generate $33 million. New Mexico currently imposes a 91-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes. With the proposed increase, only 15 states would levy a higher cigarette tax. The bill passed 24-18 and was sent to the House.
With the revenues from the cigarette tax, the Senate dropped a proposal that would have cut the take-home pay of state workers and educators by requiring them to increase their pension contributions.
Public employee and educational unions opposed the higher pension payments, which would have lowered contributions by governmental employers by $27 million and increased employee contributions by a similar amount.
The Senate-passed budget will lower spending by about 3 percent next year from what public education, courts, colleges and state agencies were provided this year. The upcoming 2011 budget year starts in July.
"We've tried to spread this pain but we can't cover all of our bases," said Sen. John Arthur Smith, a Deming Democrat and chairman of the committee that developed the budget. "This is not a fun job, but we have to have a balanced budget."
With the Legislature scheduled to adjourn Thursday, the House and Senate will have little time to negotiate a a compromise budget and tax package.
A House-passed budget would cut total spending on education and government programs by about 1 percent next year. The House has approved $300 million in tax increases, including an upper-income surtax and a half-cent sales tax increase, to balance its budget proposal.
A special legislative session will be required later this year if the House and Senate fail to agree on a budget — as well as tax increases to balance the spending plan — before adjourning.
"That's the worst case scenario for us," said Smith.
пятница, 12 февраля 2010 г.
Lorillard to Enter Market for Moist Smokeless Tobacco
Newport cigarette maker Lorillard Inc. announced Monday it will soon enter the market for moist smokeless tobacco products, but said that an earlier joint venture with Swedish Match AB to develop a new product in the U.S. had been mutually terminated.
Moist smokeless tobacco is a type of tobacco product that is popular in the U.S. and widely sold by companies like Altria Group Inc. through brands like Copenhagen and Skoal. Sales of these smokeless tobacco products have risen in the U.S. even as cigarette sales have dropped.
Lorillard didn't provide details of the new moist smokeless tobacco product it will sell in the U.S. but said that an existing joint venture with Swedish Match to develop a new "snus" tobacco product for the U.S. had been terminated. Snus is a nearly 200-year-old Swedish product. In 2006 Lorillard entered into a joint venture with Swedish Match North America to develop and study the possibility of marketing a tobacco product for the U.S. market called Triumph Snus.
Snus differs from most smokeless tobacco products in the U.S. as it is created through a special pasteurization process. It comes in small pouches and doesn't require spitting. On a conference call, Lorillard said the snus product didn't make gains in the test markets in the U.S. and that it may not have been the right time for the product in North America. Lorillard appears to be betting that Americans will continue to lean toward traditional formulations like moist smokeless tobacco, as opposed to newer forms they are less familiar with.
Other companies are still saying they believe snus has a future in the U.S. Altria and Reynolds American Inc. have launched snus products, but sales of these products have generally stayed relatively small. Both these companies, however, say they are expanding the reach of their snus products.
A spokesman for Reynolds American, David Howard, said the company has been very pleased with sales of its Camel Snus product and believes that it is a "viable" product. The company rolled out Camel Snus nationwide in the first quarter of 2009 after putting it in test markets for almost three years. "It's a small market but we believe there is potential growth for that market," Howard said. An Altria spokesman, Brendan McCormick, said the company is pleased with the results of its Marlboro Snus product in test markets and will be expanding it nationally at the end of March.
Swedish Match sells its flagship snus brand General in the U.S. as well as another brand called Catch. These were sold outside of the Lorillard joint venture and will continue to be sold here. Swedish Match will also continue selling the moist smokeless tobacco products, such as its Red Man and Timberwolf brands, it already sells in the U.S.
"We remain committed to the U.S. market," Lars Dahlgren, chief executive of Swedish Match said in an email statement. The company says the dissolution of the Lorillard joint venture has no bearing on its snus joint venture company with Philip Morris International Inc. That venture aims to distribute snus products outside of the U.S. and Scandinavia.
Lorillard's fourth-quarter earnings fell 6.2% on declining volume and increased manufacturing and marketing costs, though sales rose with the help of higher prices.
Lorillard dominates the market for menthol cigarettes. Lorillard's Newport brand represents the bulk of its U.S. sales, and its U.S. volume fell 6.5% during the quarter, though its U.S. market share rose to 10.32% from 9.86%.
Overall, the U.S. cigarette industry has seen volumes drop amid higher taxes and bans on smoking in public places. But Lorillard has held up better since its Newport brand has been able to grow its market share.
Moist smokeless tobacco is a type of tobacco product that is popular in the U.S. and widely sold by companies like Altria Group Inc. through brands like Copenhagen and Skoal. Sales of these smokeless tobacco products have risen in the U.S. even as cigarette sales have dropped.
Lorillard didn't provide details of the new moist smokeless tobacco product it will sell in the U.S. but said that an existing joint venture with Swedish Match to develop a new "snus" tobacco product for the U.S. had been terminated. Snus is a nearly 200-year-old Swedish product. In 2006 Lorillard entered into a joint venture with Swedish Match North America to develop and study the possibility of marketing a tobacco product for the U.S. market called Triumph Snus.
Snus differs from most smokeless tobacco products in the U.S. as it is created through a special pasteurization process. It comes in small pouches and doesn't require spitting. On a conference call, Lorillard said the snus product didn't make gains in the test markets in the U.S. and that it may not have been the right time for the product in North America. Lorillard appears to be betting that Americans will continue to lean toward traditional formulations like moist smokeless tobacco, as opposed to newer forms they are less familiar with.
Other companies are still saying they believe snus has a future in the U.S. Altria and Reynolds American Inc. have launched snus products, but sales of these products have generally stayed relatively small. Both these companies, however, say they are expanding the reach of their snus products.
A spokesman for Reynolds American, David Howard, said the company has been very pleased with sales of its Camel Snus product and believes that it is a "viable" product. The company rolled out Camel Snus nationwide in the first quarter of 2009 after putting it in test markets for almost three years. "It's a small market but we believe there is potential growth for that market," Howard said. An Altria spokesman, Brendan McCormick, said the company is pleased with the results of its Marlboro Snus product in test markets and will be expanding it nationally at the end of March.
Swedish Match sells its flagship snus brand General in the U.S. as well as another brand called Catch. These were sold outside of the Lorillard joint venture and will continue to be sold here. Swedish Match will also continue selling the moist smokeless tobacco products, such as its Red Man and Timberwolf brands, it already sells in the U.S.
"We remain committed to the U.S. market," Lars Dahlgren, chief executive of Swedish Match said in an email statement. The company says the dissolution of the Lorillard joint venture has no bearing on its snus joint venture company with Philip Morris International Inc. That venture aims to distribute snus products outside of the U.S. and Scandinavia.
Lorillard's fourth-quarter earnings fell 6.2% on declining volume and increased manufacturing and marketing costs, though sales rose with the help of higher prices.
Lorillard dominates the market for menthol cigarettes. Lorillard's Newport brand represents the bulk of its U.S. sales, and its U.S. volume fell 6.5% during the quarter, though its U.S. market share rose to 10.32% from 9.86%.
Overall, the U.S. cigarette industry has seen volumes drop amid higher taxes and bans on smoking in public places. But Lorillard has held up better since its Newport brand has been able to grow its market share.
понедельник, 8 февраля 2010 г.
Doctor visit: Lawmaker takes aim at tribal lawsuit
The tribe filed a federal lawsuit in January regarding legislation that made changes to the state tax code. Senate Bill 608 seeks to crack down on tobacco bootleggers. Among other things, it stiffens the penalty for those who deal in cigarettes that don’t have proper tax stamps, and requires smokeshops to buy their tobacco from state-licensed wholesalers if the tribe doesn’t have a compact with the state. The Creeks don’t have a compact.
The lawsuit contends that the tax codes run counter to several federal laws and violate tribal sovereignty. The tribe wants the court to rule that the Master Settlement Agreement that the state entered into with tobacco companies more than a decade ago can’t be enforced on Indian land.
Cox, R-Grove, says Principal Chief A.D. Ellis "should be ashamed for pursuing policies that allow the Creek Nation to skirt the regulations of Senate Bill 608.” Smoking only exacerbates high blood pressure and diabetes, two conditions frequently seen among American Indians, Cox said. And inexpensive tribal cigarettes contribute to young people taking up the habit.
"The Muscogee Creek Nation’s continued desire to offer cheap, low-tax cigarettes is counterproductive to the health of all Oklahomans, particularly Native Americans,” Cox said. "Chief Ellis should use tribal resources for education, housing and health care policies rather than attorney fees in attempting to continue his harmful policies.”
The criticism is on target but carries added weight for this reason: Cox himself is of Creek heritage.
The lawsuit contends that the tax codes run counter to several federal laws and violate tribal sovereignty. The tribe wants the court to rule that the Master Settlement Agreement that the state entered into with tobacco companies more than a decade ago can’t be enforced on Indian land.
Cox, R-Grove, says Principal Chief A.D. Ellis "should be ashamed for pursuing policies that allow the Creek Nation to skirt the regulations of Senate Bill 608.” Smoking only exacerbates high blood pressure and diabetes, two conditions frequently seen among American Indians, Cox said. And inexpensive tribal cigarettes contribute to young people taking up the habit.
"The Muscogee Creek Nation’s continued desire to offer cheap, low-tax cigarettes is counterproductive to the health of all Oklahomans, particularly Native Americans,” Cox said. "Chief Ellis should use tribal resources for education, housing and health care policies rather than attorney fees in attempting to continue his harmful policies.”
The criticism is on target but carries added weight for this reason: Cox himself is of Creek heritage.
четверг, 4 февраля 2010 г.
Cigarettes cause morning fire
Cigarettes have been ruled the cause of a morning house fire in Sioux Falls that forced Sioux Falls Fire Rescue to dispatch seven trucks and 33 firefighters.
Firefighters responded shortly after a 7:45 a.m. call to a home at 614 N. Walts Ave., Chief Battalion Steve Dirksen said. Heavy smoke and flames were coming from the house when crews arrived, Dirksen said.
The fire was under control in 45 minutes, he said.“With the amount of fire coming out the windows, we just felt safer to have enough people,” Dirksen said.
Investigators determine the fire was caused by improper disposal of cigarettes, Dirksen said.
The house was empty at the time of the fire. The house was home to six people, Dirksen said.
Red Cross also responded to the scene, Dirksen said.
Firefighters responded shortly after a 7:45 a.m. call to a home at 614 N. Walts Ave., Chief Battalion Steve Dirksen said. Heavy smoke and flames were coming from the house when crews arrived, Dirksen said.
The fire was under control in 45 minutes, he said.“With the amount of fire coming out the windows, we just felt safer to have enough people,” Dirksen said.
Investigators determine the fire was caused by improper disposal of cigarettes, Dirksen said.
The house was empty at the time of the fire. The house was home to six people, Dirksen said.
Red Cross also responded to the scene, Dirksen said.
понедельник, 1 февраля 2010 г.
How To: Guard against gray hair
Most gray hair is unavoidable, the result of aging and genetics. But doctors and hairdressers say there are steps you can try to fight premature loss of pigment.
Stop smoking. Studies show cigarettes speed up the aging process throughout the body, including your hair.
Work to lower stress. While evidence isn't conclusive, many believe anxiety can help trigger graying. Get enough sleep, exercise regularly, make time for enjoyable hobbies and try meditation or deep breathing exercises.
Eat the right foods. Deficiencies of certain nutrients, including copper and B-vitamins, may contribute to early graying. Load up on dark green leafy vegetables, fruit, lean meats, nuts and seeds; take a multivitamin; avoid fatty, greasy and salty foods; and don't skip meals.
Don't drink too much. Excess alcohol and caffeine may be bad news for your hair.
Massage your scalp. Extra rubbing during a shampoo should help stimulate blood circulation in your scalp, which nourishes hair follicles.
Be wary of products. The only item proven to "reverse" graying is hair dye. Numerous supplements and other products, often sold on the Internet, almost certainly are a waste of money and may pose health risks.
Avoid too much heat. Shampooing with hot water and using a hair dryer on high heat may damage hair roots; the same goes for significant sun exposure (wear a hat).
Don't pluck. Pulling out gray hairs won't solve your problem, but it will damage your hair root and possibly cause an infection.
See a doctor. If you have significant graying before age 30 and no family history of that trait, you may have a health problem such as thyroid disease, anemia or a vitamin B-12 deficiency. However, the majority of people don't.
Stop smoking. Studies show cigarettes speed up the aging process throughout the body, including your hair.
Work to lower stress. While evidence isn't conclusive, many believe anxiety can help trigger graying. Get enough sleep, exercise regularly, make time for enjoyable hobbies and try meditation or deep breathing exercises.
Eat the right foods. Deficiencies of certain nutrients, including copper and B-vitamins, may contribute to early graying. Load up on dark green leafy vegetables, fruit, lean meats, nuts and seeds; take a multivitamin; avoid fatty, greasy and salty foods; and don't skip meals.
Don't drink too much. Excess alcohol and caffeine may be bad news for your hair.
Massage your scalp. Extra rubbing during a shampoo should help stimulate blood circulation in your scalp, which nourishes hair follicles.
Be wary of products. The only item proven to "reverse" graying is hair dye. Numerous supplements and other products, often sold on the Internet, almost certainly are a waste of money and may pose health risks.
Avoid too much heat. Shampooing with hot water and using a hair dryer on high heat may damage hair roots; the same goes for significant sun exposure (wear a hat).
Don't pluck. Pulling out gray hairs won't solve your problem, but it will damage your hair root and possibly cause an infection.
See a doctor. If you have significant graying before age 30 and no family history of that trait, you may have a health problem such as thyroid disease, anemia or a vitamin B-12 deficiency. However, the majority of people don't.
Подписаться на:
Сообщения (Atom)