Monday, January 26, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wolves-dogs/story?id=28458597

Why Wolves Became Dogs
COLUMN by LEE DYE
Jan 25, 2015

There's a good reason why wolves became human companions long before domestic breeding turned them into everything from Great Danes to poodles, scientists in Vienna say.

They wanted to be our friends because underneath that furry hide they were a lot like us.

For several years, researchers at Vienna's University of Veterinary Medicine have been studying wolves that have been raised in captivity just like domesticated dogs, to see how they differ from the canine pets that are in so many of our homes. They have even established the Clever Dog Lab and the Wolf Science Center.

In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers Friederike Range and Zsofia Viranyi offer their "Canine Cooperation Hypothesis."

According to the hypothesis, ancient wolves already possessed at least three social skills that made them suitable for human companionship: They were tolerant, attentive and cooperative.

Just like dogs.

And they were very social, running in packs, just like humans.

In the latest in a series of experiments, the researchers found that wolves can learn if a human has food, where it is stashed, and even if the human is just fooling.

If the human hid it behind a shed, the wolf went right to it, apparently because it had observed the human's actions. Dogs that participated in the same experiment were more likely to sniff their way to the food, not relying as much on their powers of observation.

Wolves also proved to be highly attentive, even to the point of figuring out what the researcher was going to do next just by observing her head movements and where she was looking.

And not surprisingly, the wolves liked to cooperate with the researchers, which made them ideal hunting partners sometime between 15,000 and 34,000 years ago.

Eleven North American grey wolves and 14 young dogs, all raised in similar circumstances, took part in the experiments. These were not wild wolves, so some would question whether their performance was based on genetics or learning from their feeders.

Asked about that in an email, Range said, "Of course the attentiveness towards humans can be a learned response towards the human activity or rather they can probably concentrate on humans because they are not afraid of them."

In that case it may be that social tolerance -- a key trait shared by both wolves and dogs -- helped the wolves learn from their human friends.

The study was based mainly on animal-to-animal interaction, and in a number of cases the wolves outperformed the dogs by being more attentive to humans, "one skill that has been suggested to be a precondition of successful cooperation," the study notes.

Many other studies suggest that wolves were domesticated because they were useful to our ancestors, first as hunting partners and later as workers around the farm.

Beyond that, not a whole lot is known about how this all came about. Experts can't even agree on where the first dogs originated.

Four years ago, an international team of scientists led by evolutionary biologist Robert Wayne of the University of California, Los Angeles, published a study in the prestigious journal Nature claiming that genetic data showed that dogs originated in the Middle East.

A year later Swedish scientists claimed they had "proof" that the wolf ancestors of today's domesticated dogs could be traced to East Asia.




“For several years, researchers at Vienna's University of Veterinary Medicine have been studying wolves that have been raised in captivity just like domesticated dogs, to see how they differ from the canine pets that are in so many of our homes. They have even established the Clever Dog Lab and the Wolf Science Center. In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers Friederike Range and Zsofia Viranyi offer their "Canine Cooperation Hypothesis."... In the latest in a series of experiments, the researchers found that wolves can learn if a human has food, where it is stashed, and even if the human is just fooling. If the human hid it behind a shed, the wolf went right to it, apparently because it had observed the human's actions. Dogs that participated in the same experiment were more likely to sniff their way to the food, not relying as much on their powers of observation. Wolves also proved to be highly attentive, even to the point of figuring out what the researcher was going to do next just by observing her head movements and where she was looking. And not surprisingly, the wolves liked to cooperate with the researchers, which made them ideal hunting partners sometime between 15,000 and 34,000 years ago.... The study was based mainly on animal-to-animal interaction, and in a number of cases the wolves outperformed the dogs by being more attentive to humans, "one skill that has been suggested to be a precondition of successful cooperation," the study notes.... Four years ago, an international team of scientists led by evolutionary biologist Robert Wayne of the University of California, Los Angeles, published a study in the prestigious journal Nature claiming that genetic data showed that dogs originated in the Middle East. A year later Swedish scientists claimed they had "proof" that the wolf ancestors of today's domesticated dogs could be traced to East Asia.”

This article is interesting in that it shows modern hand-raised wolves to be “cooperative” with humans to the same degree as dogs, and possibly brighter. The wolves can anticipate the behavior of humans better than the dogs tested, and deduced that a trainer had hidden food behind a shed, going immediately to the spot by sight. The dogs, on the other hand used their noses to find it. This is comparable to chimpanzees who can tell the psychological state of other chimps by watching them. Psychologists call that “theory of mind” perception, and it's considered an important sign of intelligence in that it indicates a sufficient amount of self-awareness as well as the concept that their chimp peers also have their own awareness, leading to empathy. Dog owners know very well that if their pet dog sees them crying it will come to them and lick the tears off their faces. See the following article on very early association between humans and wolves.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2507328/Best-friends-30-000-years-Genetic-testing-proves-dog-ancestors-formed-special-bond-man-Ice-Age.html

Best friends for 30,000 years: Genetic testing proves dog ancestors formed a special bond with man during the Ice Age
By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD
14 November 2013

Photograph – Pictured is skull of a 26,000-year-old Ice Age wolf from the Trou des Nutons cave in Belgium. Researchers believe early tamed wolves may have been trained as hunting dogs or even protected their human masters from predators

The findings challenge a previous theory that dog domestication happened some 15,000 years ago in eastern Asia,

Dogs were man’s best friend as far back as the Ice Age, claim scientists.

A new study has shown that dogs and humans first bonded between 19,000 and 30,000 years ago.

That was when wolves, ancestors of domestic dogs living today, were first tamed by ancient hunter gatherers, according to genetic evidence.

Early tamed wolves may have been trained as hunting dogs or even protected their human masters from predators.

Pictured is skull of a 26,000-year-old Ice Age wolf from the Trou des Nutons cave in Belgium. Researchers believe early tamed wolves may have been trained as hunting dogs or even protected their human masters from predators
The findings challenge a previous theory that dog domestication happened some 15,000 years ago in eastern Asia, after the introduction of agriculture.

In reality, the history of the bond between dog and man appears to go back much further, to a time when fur-clad humans were living in caves and hunting woolly mammoths.

Scientists used DNA analysis to establish what populations of wolves were most related to living dogs.

DNA from domestic dogs most closely matched that extracted from the fossil bones of ancient European Ice Age wolves, as well as modern wolves.

There was little similarity with DNA from wolves, coyotes and dingos from other parts of the world.

The Finnish and German team wrote in the journal Science: ‘Conceivably, proto-dogs might have taken advantage of carcasses left on site by early hunters, assisted in the capture of prey, or provided defence from large competing predators at kills.’

Dog domestication of a ‘large and dangerous carnivore’ was likely to have occurred partly by accident, possibly after wolves were attracted to hunter camp sites by the smell of fresh meat.

The research contradicts earlier studies which suggested that early farming brought wolves sniffing around villages, leading to them forming relationships with humans.

‘Dogs were our companions long before we kept goats, sheep or cattle,’ said Professor Johannes Krause, one of the researchers from Tubingen University in Germany.

The scientists analysed a particular type of DNA found in mitochondria - tiny power stations within cells that generate energy.

Unlike nuclear DNA found in the hearts of cells, mitochondrial DNA is only inherited from mothers. This makes it a powerful tool in tracing ancestry.

The study included genetic data on 18 prehistoric wolves and other dog-like animals, as well as 77 dogs and 49 wolves from the present day.

Among the prehistoric remains were two sets of German dog fossils, one from a 14,700-year-old human burial site near Bonn, and the other dating back 12,500 years from a cave near Mechernich.

Most of the DNA from modern dogs was traceable to just one lineage, closely related to that of a wolf skeleton found in a cave in northern Switzerland.

‘I was amazed how clearly they showed that all dogs living today go back to four genetic lineages, all of which originate in Europe,’ said study leader Olaf Thalmann, from the University of Turku in Finland.





http://news.yahoo.com/greeks-polls-critical-snap-general-election-051116256.html

Greek radical left wins election, threatening market turmoil
AP By ELENA BECATOROS, NICHOLAS PAPHITIS and DEMETRIS NELLAS
January 25, 2015

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A triumphant Alexis Tsipras told Greeks that his radical left Syriza party's win in Sunday's early general election meant an end to austerity and humiliation and that the country's regular and often fraught debt inspections were a thing of the past.

"Today the Greek people have made history. Hope has made history," Tsipras said in his victory speech at a conference hall in central Athens.

Official results with 60 percent of polling stations counted showed Syriza with 36 percent, far ahead of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' conservatives, who had 28 percent.

But it was still unclear whether Syriza would have the minimum 151 of parliament's 300 seats needed to form a government without support from other parties. Greek election officials said that would likely only become clear once all votes were counted — something expected by early Monday at the earliest.

Whatever the case, all eyes will be on the opening of world financial markets after Syriza beat Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' incumbent conservatives.

"The sovereign Greek people today have given a clear, strong, indisputable mandate. Greece has turned a page. Greece is leaving behind the destructive austerity, fear and authoritarianism. It is leaving behind five years of humiliation and pain," Tsipras said to a crowd of rapturous flag-waving party supporters.

The 40-year-old Tsipras campaigned on promises of renegotiating the terms for Greece's 240 billion-euro ($270 billion) bailout, which has kept the debt-ridden country afloat since mid-2010.

To qualify for the cash, Greece has had to impose deep and bitterly-resented public spending, salary and pension cuts and repeated tax hikes. Its progress in reforms is reviewed by debt inspectors from the International Monetary Fund, European Commission and European Central Bank, collectively known as the "troika," before each installment of bailout funds can be disbursed.

"The verdict of the Greek people ends, beyond any doubt, the vicious circle of austerity in our country," Tsipras said. "The verdict of the Greek people, your verdict, annuls today in an indisputable fashion the bailout agreements of austerity and disaster. The verdict of the Greek people renders the troika a thing of the past for our common European framework."



http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30977714

Greece: Euro finance chief warns about debt write-off
26 January 2015

Greece's new government will find little support among eurozone policymakers for a debt write-off, a senior finance chief has said.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who heads the eurozone finance ministers' group, said Greece must "stick to the rules".

Speaking before a Eurogroup meeting on Monday, he said; "There is very little support for a write off in Europe."

It followed anti-austerity party Syriza's election win, which initially sparked big falls on financial markets.

The euro earlier fell to an 11-year low against the dollar, while the Athens stock market fell more than 5%. The markets had recovered by mid-morning, with the main share indexes in London, Paris and Frankfurt also reversing earlier falls on hopes that a compromise over Greece's bailout terms might be found.

Syriza wants to renegotiate the €240bn bailout and slow austerity cuts.

But the party's leader Alexis Tsipras helped calm investors' nerves when he said in a speech that he wanted negotiation, not confrontation, with Greece's international lenders.

"The new Greek government will be ready to co-operate and negotiate for the first time with our peers a just, mutually beneficial and viable solution," Mr Tsipras said.

The troika of lenders that bailed out Greece - the European Union, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund - imposed big budgetary cuts and restructuring in return for the money.

But Mr Tsipras said: "The troika for Greece is the thing of the past."

However, Mr Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister and chairman of the Eurogroup, told reporters on arriving in Brussels for a meeting of finance ministers: "The most important thing is that if you remain in the eurozone you stick to the rules we have. That's true for all countries.

"There has been a lot of easing of the debt already. In the coming years the interest for Greece will be very low. They get a lot of time to pay back loans so the question is whether more has to be done there," he said.

'Stand-off'

The euro briefly fell as low as $1.1088, the lowest level against the dollar in more than 11 years, but in mid-morning trading was 0.4% higher at $1.125.

The euro had already been under pressure following last week'sannouncement of a new stimulus programme by the European Central Bank.

Yields on Greece's 10-year government bonds rose 19 basis points to 8.95%, but are still below the level before last week's ECB stimulus programme was announced.

However, yields on three-year bonds rose much more sharply, up 68 points to 10.89%. The rise reflects investors' concerns about short-term risks of a debt restructuring over the coming months.

The euro hit an 11-year low against the dollar during trading in Asia

Greece's current bailout programme ends in February, and economists say a short-term deal will be negotiated, although difficult talks lie ahead. Germany has indicated that it is not prepared to renegotiate the bailout terms, raising the prospect that Greece could end up leaving the eurozone.

"There is a danger of a prolonged stand-off with the troika as Syriza attempts to negotiate some form of official debt restructuring while not reneging on its promises to voters to cut taxes, raise government spending and increase the minimum wage," said Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics.

Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said: "Tsipras's comments don't appear to leave any room for doubt as he stated that the troika and the bailouts belong to the past,.

"You can be almost certain that these negotiations will be watched carefully by the anti-austerity movements in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France to see what measures if any Greece is able to get out of EU politicians to deal with the problem of Greece's debt, and the terms of the bailout programme."

The UK Chancellor, George Osborne, urged all sides to "act responsibly" in any forthcoming negotiations over Greece's bailout terms. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he understood why, with the Greek economy in trouble, voters were "looking for other answers".

But he warned that Syriza's election promises to spend more on public services and slow the pace of cuts were unlikely to work. "If you take at face value all the things that the new Greek government has promised, including big increases in public expenditure, I think that will be very difficult to deliver," he said.



European Union
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The European Union (EU) is a politico-economic union of 28member states that are located primarily in Europe.[12][13] The EU operates through a system of supranational institutions andintergovernmental negotiated decisions by the member states.[14][15]The institutions are: the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the Court of Auditors, and the European Parliament. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.

The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by the Inner Six countries in 1951 and 1958, respectively. In the intervening years, the community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993 and introduced the European Citizenship.[16] The latest major amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009.

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished.[17] EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital,[18]enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade,[19] agriculture,[20] fisheries, and regional development.[21]

The monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002. It is currently composed of 19 member states that use the euro as their legal tender. Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence. The union maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations, the WTO, the G8, and the G-20.

History

After World War II, moves towards European integration were seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism that had devastated the continent.[26] The 1948 Hague Congress was a pivotal moment in European federal history, as it led to the creation of the European Movement Internationaland also of the College of Europe, a place where Europe's future leaders would live and study together.[27] 1952 saw the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, which was declared to be "a first step in the federation of Europe", starting with the aim of eliminating the possibility of further wars between its member states by means of pooling the national heavy industries.[28] The founding members of the Community were Belgium, France,Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. 

In 1973, the Communities enlarged to include Denmark (including Greenland, which later left the Community in 1985, following a dispute over fishing rights),Ireland, and the United Kingdom.[35] Norway had negotiated to join at the same time, but Norwegian voters rejected membership in a referendum. In 1979, the first direct, democratic elections to the European Parliament were held.[36]

In 2004, the EU saw its biggest enlargement to date when Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland,Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the Union.[41] On 1 January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria became EU members.






Yahoo.com – “A triumphant Alexis Tsipras told Greeks that his radical left Syriza party's win in Sunday's early general election meant an end to austerity and humiliation and that the country's regular and often fraught debt inspections were a thing of the past.... But it was still unclear whether Syriza would have the minimum 151 of parliament's 300 seats needed to form a government without support from other parties. Greek election officials said that would likely only become clear once all votes were counted — something expected by early Monday at the earliest. Whatever the case, all eyes will be on the opening of world financial markets after Syriza beat Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' incumbent conservatives. "The sovereign Greek people today have given a clear, strong, indisputable mandate. Greece has turned a page. Greece is leaving behind the destructive austerity, fear and authoritarianism. It is leaving behind five years of humiliation and pain," Tsipras said to a crowd of rapturous flag-waving party supporters.... To qualify for the cash, Greece has had to impose deep and bitterly-resented public spending, salary and pension cuts and repeated tax hikes. Its progress in reforms is reviewed by debt inspectors from the International Monetary Fund, European Commission and European Central Bank, collectively known as the "troika," before each installment of bailout funds can be disbursed.”

BBC – “Speaking before a Eurogroup meeting on Monday, he said; "There is very little support for a write off in Europe." It followed anti-austerity party Syriza's election win, which initially sparked big falls on financial markets. The euro earlier fell to an 11-year low against the dollar, while the Athens stock market fell more than 5%. The markets had recovered by mid-morning, with the main share indexes in London, Paris and Frankfurt also reversing earlier falls on hopes that a compromise over Greece's bailout terms might be found. Syriza wants to renegotiate the €240bn bailout and slow austerity cuts. But the party's leader Alexis Tsipras helped calm investors' nerves when he said in a speech that he wanted negotiation, not confrontation, with Greece's international lenders.... Greece's current bailout programme ends in February, and economists say a short-term deal will be negotiated, although difficult talks lie ahead. Germany has indicated that it is not prepared to renegotiate the bailout terms, raising the prospect that Greece could end up leaving the eurozone. "There is a danger of a prolonged stand-off with the troika as Syriza attempts to negotiate some form of official debt restructuring while not reneging on its promises to voters to cut taxes, raise government spending and increase the minimum wage," said Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics.... "You can be almost certain that these negotiations will be watched carefully by the anti-austerity movements in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France.”

Wikipedia – “The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished.[17] EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital,[18]enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade,[19] agriculture,[20] fisheries, and regional development.[21] The monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002. It is currently composed of 19 member states that use the euro as their legal tender.”

“Greece is leaving behind the destructive austerity, fear and authoritarianism. It is leaving behind five years of humiliation and pain," Tsipras said...” To me, authoritarianism is always to be feared. Tsipras must have an economic plan to keep their country afloat economically, though the article said that Greece may have to leave the EU. I do hope it doesn't go over to being under Islamic or Russian influence, or worse experience a governmental collapse. Greece has always been on the far border of the Western world and the birthplace of Western ideas. To the east of them lies Turkey which while not fundamentalist is still Islamic, and beyond that Syria itself. ISIS could too easily take over parts of Turkey unless it pushes back very hard. Meanwhile, however, the Greeks are delighted with their new government, and hopefully will prosper under their new economic plan. I am always glad to see an authoritarian rule changed to freedom.





http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/thousands-israeli-holocaust-survivors-struggle-poverty-n293391

Thousands of Israeli Holocaust Survivors Struggle in Poverty
BY PAUL GOLDMAN AND DAVE COPELAND
January 26th 2015

TEL AVIV, Israel — Hadasa Hershkovichi fled to Israel in search of a home after the Nazis murdered her entire family.

But while million-dollar apartments pop up throughout her Tel Aviv neighborhood, Hershkovichi lives in a shack originally built as a laundry room on the roof of a five-story building.

"The cold winter wind is coming in through the windows so I shove newspapers around the edges to stop the wind coming in," said the Romanian-born Hershkovichi, who suffers from a combination of ailments that make it very hard for her to climb the stairs to her tiny apartment.

"This is not the way for a human being to live," the 80-year-old said. "I only have a few more years to live and I want a proper home."

Hershkovichi is one of 190,000 Holocaust survivors residing in Israel today. She is also one of the 50,000 estimated to live below the poverty line, according to the Association for Immediate Help for Holocaust Survivors. Israel classifies a person as poor if they survive on around $600 or less a month.

"I'm ashamed, I want to cry but crying doesn't help," Susan Rotem, a volunteer with the Association for Immediate Help for Holocaust Survivors, told NBC News. "It's hard to be old but it's very hard to be old, sick and lonely."

Rotem and some 3,000 fellow volunteers help people like Hershkovichi by giving them meals and medicine, paying their bills, and keeping them company on their birthdays.

As survivors mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp, campaigners in Israel are calling on the country's government to remember those who lived but now exist in destitution.

"We cannot ignore the fact that the state had failed to provide the remedy, welfare, containment, treatment and the attentiveness that Holocaust survivors need and deserve," a recent report about survivors published in Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper suggested.

Tami Meroz, who supervises services for Holocaust survivors at Israel's Ministry of Welfare and Social Services, said that those who escaped the Nazis "are divided in terms of their socioeconomic level in a similar manner to that of the entire country's elderly."

She added: "As a group they had a remarkable ability to recover after arriving to Israel. We provide for their special needs including building special clubs, mental help and economic help. The presumption that these survivors are miserable and poor is wrong and damaging. All together Israel has assigned $4.5 billion for the Holocaust survivors and we understand that we can always do better and give more money."

Such official assurances provide little comfort to people like Berta Sporan. The 95-year-old Holocaust survivor was kicked out of her apartment by a landlord who wanted to renovate the building.

It was only with the help of the Association for Holocaust Survivorsthat the landlord paid her some money for her to rent another home.

"As a Holocaust survivor I never got anything from the the state," Sporan said. "Our country is very poor and has huge expenses from wars and the army so I don't demand anything.”

Tamara More, the head of the association, was less inclined to let society off the hook.
"Berta is an amazing woman who dedicated her life since the Holocaust to helping others whether it be people or animals in distress," she said. "[She] chose not to bring children into this very sad world and dedicated her life to help others. [Now] we provide for all her needs."




"The cold winter wind is coming in through the windows so I shove newspapers around the edges to stop the wind coming in," said the Romanian-born Hershkovichi, who suffers from a combination of ailments that make it very hard for her to climb the stairs to her tiny apartment. "This is not the way for a human being to live," the 80-year-old said. "I only have a few more years to live and I want a proper home." Hershkovichi is one of 190,000 Holocaust survivors residing in Israel today. She is also one of the 50,000 estimated to live below the poverty line, according to the Association for Immediate Help for Holocaust Survivors. Israel classifies a person as poor if they survive on around $600 or less a month.... Susan Rotem, a volunteer with the Association for Immediate Help for Holocaust Survivors... and some 3,000 fellow volunteers help people like Hershkovichi by giving them meals and medicine, paying their bills, and keeping them company on their birthdays.... "We cannot ignore the fact that the state had failed to provide the remedy, welfare, containment, treatment and the attentiveness that Holocaust survivors need and deserve," a recent report about survivors published in Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper suggested.... She added: "As a group they had a remarkable ability to recover after arriving to Israel. We provide for their special needs including building special clubs, mental help and economic help. The presumption that these survivors are miserable and poor is wrong and damaging.”

It appears that Israel has not set up anything like our Social Security for the elderly who are in need, and as a result numerous of them are beyond poor – destitute. Hadasa Hershkovichi, rather than blaming her government excuses them, saying that Israel is “poor.” It never occurred to me to wonder what the Israeli sources of income are. It does appear that their constant warfare with Palestine must be costly. They could feed and house their elderly if they would settle down within the borders of Israel and make peace with those around them. See the Wikipedia article below on the subject. See this website for a partly apologetic and partly defensive article on the poverty rate in Israel. http://www.jpost.com/Experts/The-high-poverty-rate-and-other-Israeli-myths-379961

Economy of Israel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The economy of Israel is a market economy.[12] As of 2013, Israel ranks19th among 187 nations on the UN'sHuman Development Index, which places it in the category of "Very Highly Developed".
The major industrial sectors includehigh-technology products, metal products, electronic and biomedical equipment, agricultural products, processed foods, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and transport equipment; the Israeli diamond industryis one of the world's centers fordiamond cutting and polishing. Relatively poor in natural resources, Israel depends on imports of petroleum, raw materials, wheat, motor vehicles, uncut diamonds and production inputs, though the country's nearly total reliance on energy imports may change with recent discoveries of large natural gas reserves off its coast.[13][14] Israel is active in software,telecommunication andsemiconductors development.[15]
Israel's quality university education and the establishment of a highly motivated and educated populace is largely responsible for ushering in the country's high technology boom and rapid economic development.[16] With its strong educational infrastructure and high quality incubation systems for new ideas boasts a high concentration of high-tech industries in Israel, which are backed by a strong venture capital industry, gave it the nickname "Silicon Wadi", which is considered second in importance only to its Californian counterpart.[
 American business magnates and investors Bill Gates,Warren Buffett, and Donald Trumphave each praised Israel's economy and each entrepreneur has invested heavily in numerous Israeli industries that range include real estate, high technology, and manufacturing beyond their traditional business activities and investments back in the United States.[23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Israel is also a major tourist destination, with 3.54 million foreign tourists visiting it in 2013.[30][31]



GOOGLE ISRAELI POVERTY STATISTICS – Israelis do not have much confidence in their financial institutions with arate of 38 percent compared to the average OECD rate of 46 percent.Israel has the highest poverty rate among countries in the developed world, according to findings released Tuesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.Mar 18, 2014





Russia dismisses "hysteria" over Ukraine bloodshed
AP January 26, 2015

MOSCOW -- Russia's foreign minister struck a defiant note Monday after Western leaders threatened to further punish Moscow for escalated fighting in eastern Ukraine over the weekend.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists that rocket shellingSaturday in the city of Mariupol, which left at least 30 people dead, was a tragedy that was being manipulated to "whip up anti-Russian hysteria" in the West.

The ruble tumbled by almost 3 percent on news of more possible sanctions against Russia, dropping to 65.5 to the dollar from 63.7.

Lavrov blamed Kiev for the uptick in violence, and said that the rebels were only responding to a government offensive.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a news conference after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman in Moscow, Jan. 26, 2015.

"To expect that they (the rebels) would simply reconcile themselves to being bombed would be naive," he said. "They started to act... with the goal of destroying Ukrainian army positions being used to shell populated areas."

The Russian economy has been hit hard by Western sanctions and plummeting oil prices, and the ruble has already lost about half its value in the past year. While sanctions are set to expire this summer, President Obama said Sunday that Washington would work with its European partners to "ratchet up the pressure on Russia" in response to the latest violence. EU foreign ministers will hold an extraordinary session on Thursday to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

At least 5,100 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since fighting began in April, but fighting this week was the most intense since a cease-fire deal was signed in September.

Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Black Sea still controlled by Ukrainian forces, has been a symbolic bulwark against the separatist advance that if captured by the rebels would give them a land corridor to Russia-controlled Crimea. The city had been relatively quiet for months before Saturday's attack.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's monitoring mission in east Ukraine has said the Grad and Uragan rockets that hit Mariupol were fired from areas under rebel control. Separatist leaders initially announced that they had begun an offensive on the city, but quickly backtracked and blamed Ukraine for the carnage after the extent of civilian casualties became known.

There was no fighting in Mariupol on Monday. A road leading out of the city into rebel territory was closed off by Ukrainian forces, making it unclear whether the rebels had advanced closer to the city outskirts. The city streets were quiet as the families of those killed Sunday gathered to bury their dead.





“Russia's foreign minister struck a defiant note Monday after Western leaders threatened to further punish Moscow for escalated fighting in eastern Ukraine over the weekend. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists that rocket shellingSaturday in the city of Mariupol, which left at least 30 people dead, was a tragedy that was being manipulated to "whip up anti-Russian hysteria" in the West. The ruble tumbled by almost 3 percent on news of more possible sanctions against Russia, dropping to 65.5 to the dollar from 63.7.Lavrov blamed Kiev for the uptick in violence, and said that the rebels were only responding to a government offensive.... While sanctions are set to expire this summer, President Obama said Sunday that Washington would work with its European partners to "ratchet up the pressure on Russia" in response to the latest violence. EU foreign ministers will hold an extraordinary session on Thursday to discuss the situation in Ukraine.... Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Black Sea still controlled by Ukrainian forces, has been a symbolic bulwark against the separatist advance that if captured by the rebels would give them a land corridor to Russia-controlled Crimea. The city had been relatively quiet for months before Saturday's attack.... Separatist leaders initially announced that they had begun an offensive on the city, but quickly backtracked and blamed Ukraine for the carnage after the extent of civilian casualties became known.”

Russians, whether in or outside their borders, do have a tendency to lie. The way they handled the downed airliner would have been funny if it hadn't been a tragedy. Some 300 innocent passengers died that day. The press got their hands on the Facebook conversation first claiming victory and then admitting a mistake. The Russ/Ukrainians blamed the Malaysian pilots for flying over their territory after the mistaken identity became known. A news article yesterday described the increase in Russian military equipment and fighters over the last few months. According to Putin, et al., however, they are never the aggressor or otherwise at fault.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/could-obamas-retirement-proposal-hurt-savers/

Could Obama's retirement proposal hurt savers?
By KATHY KRISTOF MONEYWATCH
January 26, 2015

President Obama's plan to bar millionaires from using retirement plans as tax shelters could block 1 in 10 Americans from saving at some point in their careers, and hit young people the hardest, experts say. They contend the plan could also add a stultifying level of complexity making retirement plan contributions, discouraging millions from using tax-favored accounts.

"Most people hear this affects millionaires, so they think it has nothing to do with them," said Jack VanDerhei, research director at the non-partisan Employee Benefits Research Institute. "But this proposal is incredibly complex and is likely to impact millions of people over time."

The rule is part of a package of proposals that aims to levy higher taxes on the rich, while providing more tax breaks to middle-income families with children. Though there's little criticism of the proposed tax breaks, the additional levies on wealthy filers have triggered a firestorm of protest from both large and small businesses and business owners, who would likely be on the hook for much of the cost.

But the biggest criticism of the proposed cap is that its likely to hit a far wider swath of Americans than advertised.

The government describes the proposal as a loophole closer that would stop individuals from saving in tax-favored retirement accounts once they had more than $3.4 million socked away. Experts estimate that less than 1% of Americans now have retirement plans that exceed the $3.4 million limit, but the limit is misleading. The actual dollar amount that would cause retirement contributions to be restricted varies based on the participant's age and market interest rates, experts contend. In fact, the proposal doesn't close tax breaks -- it simply subjects all retirement savers to one rule that now governs only defined benefit pension plans (the type of pension that pays set monthly benefits for life).

Specifically, defined benefit pensions are restricted from providing a final annual benefit of more than $210,000 to a 62-year-old. Each year, the professionals who administer these pension plans must calculate how much they need to set aside today to deliver the promised benefits in the future, given the age of the beneficiaries and prevailing market investment returns.

At today's historically low interest rates, a 62-year-old could have as much as $3.4 million set aside before running afoul of this rule. But in a more normal interest rate environment, this saver would bump into the rule with $2.6 million in savings, according to the American Benefits Council. And a 35-year-old could be barred from saving in retirement accounts once he had accumulated just $325,000. A 40-year old would be hit at $470,000 in savings.

If interest rates were to rise above their historic norms, critics of the White House plan say young savers could be barred from contributing to tax-favored retirement accounts when they had accumulated far less, making it harder to put money aside.

Worse, the rule would demand that individual savers do some complex math each year before adding any money to retirement savings.

Specifically, before contributing to a tax-favored retirement account, individuals would need to gather information on how much they had accumulated in all types of tax-favored accounts -- IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457 plans, SEPs and Keoghs. Then they would have to add that money together, project ahead to determine what this amount might be worth in the future, given current market interest rates and compound investment returns, and figure out how much of an annual pension benefit that projected savings would produce if annuitized over an average lifespan.

Only after wading through that complex and cumbersome process could the saver figure out how much he or she could contribute to tax-favored retirement accounts.

At that point, if he or she wanted to save through a company 401(k) plan, the saver would be required to report the result to his or her employer, who could then start deducting the appropriate contributions from pay.

Unfortunately, employers also have complex rules they must comply with when administering 401(k) plans. So if some workers at a company are limited by the new rule, it could impact other workers, who would otherwise not be affected, experts say.

"It's just completely impractical," said Lynn Dudley, senior vice president at the American Benefits Council. "That's a huge burden to place on a saver, particularly when we're already grappling with complexities in our tax code and health care system. I don't think anyone wants to do this."

VanDerhei predicts that the rule would add so much complexity to administering small plans that many employers would simply stop offering them.

"Given the incredible problem we have with getting people to accumulate enough to supplement their Social Security, it seems strange that policies would be modified to put arbitrary constraints on the amount people could save," VanDerhei said.





"Most people hear this affects millionaires, so they think it has nothing to do with them," said Jack VanDerhei, research director at the non-partisan Employee Benefits Research Institute. "But this proposal is incredibly complex and is likely to impact millions of people over time.".... large and small businesses and business owners, who would likely be on the hook for much of the cost.... But the biggest criticism of the proposed cap is that its likely to hit a far wider swath of Americans than advertised. The government describes the proposal as a loophole closer that would stop individuals from saving in tax-favored retirement accounts once they had more than $3.4 million socked away.... VanDerhei predicts that the rule would add so much complexity to administering small plans that many employers would simply stop offering them. "Given the incredible problem we have with getting people to accumulate enough to supplement their Social Security, it seems strange that policies would be modified to put arbitrary constraints on the amount people could save," VanDerhei said.”

“... add that money together, project ahead to determine what this amount might be worth in the future, given current market interest rates and compound investment returns, and figure out how much of an annual pension benefit that projected savings would produce if annuitized over an average lifespan. Only after wading through that complex and cumbersome process could the saver figure out how much he or she could contribute to tax-favored retirement accounts.” I've always hated math. Having to do something like this might make me put only a relatively small amount monthly into just one tax-deferred account and leave it at that. There are other ways of investing such as flipping houses and buying gold. I can't imagine having as much as $3 million in any one account, anyway. I think I would go to my old employer Calvert Group if they are still afloat and set up several different regular investment funds that are not tax-deferred to keep down any loss from one account failing and maximize the annual yields. I wouldn't necessarily have to use any tax deferred funds. I might after the $1 million or so level stop all employer activity and start investing in stocks and bonds instead. See the article below:

http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/05/051205.asp

Which option is better on a mutual fund: a growth option or a dividend reinvestment option?
By Investopedia Staff

“When selecting a mutual fund, an investor has to make an almost endless number of choices. Among the more confusing decisions to be made is the choice between a fund with a growth option and a fund with a dividend reinvestment option. Each type of fund has its advantages and disadvantages, and deciding which is a better fit will depend on your individual needs and circumstances as an investor.

The growth option on a mutual fund means that an investor in the fund will not receive any dividends that may be paid out by the stocks in the mutual fund. Some shares pay regular dividends, but by selecting a growth option, the mutual fund holder is allowing the fund company to reinvest the money it would otherwise pay out to the investor in the form of a dividend. This money increases the net asset value (NAV) of the mutual fund. The growth option is not a good one for the investor who wishes to receive regular cash payouts from his/her investments.” 





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/prank-call-british-pm-david-cameron-gchq-spy-agency/

Prank caller gets through to British PM
AP January 26, 2015

LONDON -- British officials are reviewing security measures Sunday after a hoax caller pretending to be the director of the government's eavesdropping agency managed to get through to Prime Minister David Cameron on the phone.

Cameron ended the call when it became clear the call, purportedly from GCHQdirector Robert Hannigan, was a hoax, Downing Street said. No sensitive information was disclosed.

Officials said a separate hoax call was made earlier Sunday to GCHQ, resulting in the disclosure of a cellphone number for Hannigan.

"The mobile number provided is never used for calls involving classified information," officials said in a statement.

All government departments have been alerted for similar calls and security procedures are being reviewed.




So did they find who the prankster was? I'll bet he won't be laughing when they catch him. Likewise, the person who flew their drone onto the White House lawn yesterday won't either. Oh, well. These things give us a little excitement and as long as no one is hurt there's no real problem.