Standard Gold Announces New President

MINNEAPOLIS–(Business Wire)–
Standard Gold, Inc. (OTCBB:SDGR) has hired gold industry veteran Steve Flechner
to serve as its president.

At Standard Gold, Mr. Flechner will be working closely with and relying upon two
highly-qualified mineral project specialists, Senior Technical Vice President
Clyde Smith, Ph.D. and Vice President of Exploration and Sustainability David S.
Smith. Together, they have plans for acquisition, exploration, development, and
mining of gold and other profitable mineral opportunities being considered and
pursued in North and South America.

Visit the new Standard Gold website at www.standardgoldmining.com

About Steve Flechner

Mr. Flechner is the former vice president and general counsel of Gold Fields
Mining Corporation, which was the U.S. subsidiary of the former Consolidated
Gold Fields of London. In that position, he established and directed Gold
Fields` land, legal, and environmental functions in order to acquire, permit,
finance, and develop low-cost, heap-leach gold mining operations at the Ortiz
Mine in New Mexico, the Mesquite Mine in California, and the Chimney Creek Mine
in Nevada. These three mines collectively produced over 400,000 ounces of gold
per year with high profitability. Mr. Flechner negotiated $150 million of gold
loans and equipment leases for these projects with Chase, Citibank, Mellon and
Westpac banks. He also served on management committees for budgeting,
environmental compliance, and community relations as Gold Fields grew from 20 to
1200 people. The Mesquite and Chimney Creek mines were later acquired by Newmont
Mining.

More recently, Mr. Flechner has worked with publicly-traded junior exploration
companies on project acquisitions and development. He was instrumental in the
acquisition of a major South Korean tungsten-molybdenum project (one of the
largest tungsten mines in the world) and the formerly-producing largest gold
mine in South Korea. He also assisted in establishing a major gold exploration
project in Papua New Guinea and has worked on other gold projects in Utah,
Nevada, Ireland, Slovakia, Mexico and Columbia.

Mr. Flechner holds a Doctorate in Law from Yale University and has lectured at
the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute on “Environmental Laws & Regulations
Governing Gold Mining in the West”. His track record with Gold Fields and his
experience in domestic and international mining project acquisitions are
indicative of his ability to significantly contribute to the growth of Standard
Gold.

About Dr. Clyde Smith

Dr. Smith, Standard Gold`s senior technical vice president, holds a B.A. from
Carleton College, a M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D.
from the University of Idaho. He is a registered Professional Engineer with the
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. Dr.
Smith has founded or co-founded five exploration companies and is responsible
for the discovery of four deposits: the Jason lead-zinc-silver deposit, Yukon
Territory, Canada; the Santa Fe gold deposit, Nevada; the North Lake gold
deposit, Saskatchewan, Canada; and the Solidaridad gold-silver-copper deposit,
Mexico.

About David S. Smith

Mr. Smith, Standard Gold`s vice president of exploration and sustainability,
holds a B.A. from Carleton College, a M.Sc. from the University of Oregon, and
an MBA from Bainbridge Graduate Institute. He has been involved in minerals
exploration for over 20 years in the US, Canada, Mexico, and China, serving most
recently as a chief geologist, exploration program manager, and sustainability
advisor. He has published research in the leading ore deposits journal Economic
Geology and brings substantial hands-on geologic, management, and project
development experience to the Standard Gold team.

About Standard Gold, Inc.

Standard Gold is a minerals exploration and development company. Through our
wholly-owned subsidiary, Hunter Bates Mining Corporation, we hold title to the
past producing gold mine in Colorado known as the Bates-Hunter Mine. We do not
claim to have any mineral reserves at the Bates-Hunter Mine. Our common stock
trades on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol “SDGR.” To find
out more about Standard Gold, Inc. (OTCBB:SDGR) visit our website at
www.standardgoldmining.com.

Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors

Certain statements included in this press release may constitute forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially. Such statements are valid only as of today, and we
disclaim any obligation to update this information. These statements are subject
to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future
experience and results to differ materially from the statements made. These
statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations as to such future
outcomes. These risks and uncertainties relate to Standard Gold and its
affiliates, and include, among others, the ability to obtain or maintain
regulatory approvals; the ability to obtain necessary financing; and other risks
and uncertainties described in Standard Gold`s filings from time to time with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Standard Gold disclaims any obligation
to update its forward-looking statements.

In addition, the exploration for and development of mineral deposits involves
significant financial risks, which even experience and knowledge may not
eliminate, regardless of the amount of careful evaluation applied to a process.
While the discovery of a mineral deposit may result in substantial rewards, few
properties are ultimately developed into producing mines. Moreover, we cannot
make any estimates regarding probable reserves in connection with any of our
projects and any estimates relating to possible reserves are subject to
significant risks. Therefore, no assurance can be given that any size of
reserves or grades of reserves will be realized. If a discovery is made, the
mineral deposit discovered, assuming recoverable, may differ from the reserves
already discovered and recovered by others in the same region of the planned
areas of exploration. Further, the cost of exploration and exploitation can be
extensive and there is no assurance that we will have the resources necessary or
the financing available to pursue projects we currently hold interests in or to
acquire interests in other mineral exploration projects that may become
available. The risks we face are numerous and detailed information regarding
these risks may be found in filings made by us with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including our most recent annual report.

Standard Gold Inc.
Stephen King, CEO, 612-490-3419
Investor Relations: Dan Schustack, 646-278-6787

Copyright Business Wire 2010

A unique story of parallel evolution in moths unraveled

Washington, Sept 2 (ANI): A new revision of the taxonomic relationships among one group of moths, the subfamily Dioptinae, sheds light on the diversity of tropical moth species and presents a unique story of parallel evolution.

“These diurnal moths are a microcosm of butterfly evolution,” said James Miller, author of the new Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History and a research associate in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology at the Museum.

“There are about 500 spectacular dioptine species, all of which evolved from a common ancestor-a nondescript brown nocturnal moth-into a diversity of butterfly mimics,” he added.

Miller qualifies this with a technicality, though, noting that no one is sure whether butterflies or diurnal moths evolved their colors first (and who is really mimicking whom).

The wing pattern diversity within the subfamily is enormous: some species mimic clear-winged butterflies and inhabit the darker parts of the forest understory where their co-mimics fly.

Still others have wings that are colored blue and yellow and feed on melastomes.

About 100 species feed on Passiflora, the poisonous passion flowers famous for being consumed by the caterpillars of Heliconious butterflies.

In fact, although most of the Dioptinae are diurnal, or fly during the day, a few species like those in Xenomigia have re-conquered the night.

Although most dioptines are neotropical, ranging from lowland jungles to cloud forests at 4,000 meters in the Andes, Phryganidia californica occurs in the western United States.

Miller’s new revision of the Dioptinae is the first systematic look at this group in almost a century.

After studying over 16,700 specimens housed at 38 different institutions and private collections around the world, Miller discovered and described 64 new species and seven new genera, bringing the total to 456 species in 43 genera.

Some of the new species were found during field work in parts of the tropical Americas poorly explored by lepidopterists.

Even so, there is much more work to be done on the Dioptinae.

Miller estimates that there are about 100 to 150 species in collections that still need to be described and inserted into the taxonomy, and he thinks that additional fieldwork in under-sampled countries like Bolivia and Colombia will ultimately bring the total number of species to between 700 and 800.

Miller’s careful analysis has dissected the taxonomic groups, finding that 47 of the previously named species could be included within another existing species. (ANI)

MAT ~ MAT 2009 ~ MAT 2009 Education Test Date 6th September 2009 ~ Management Aptitude Test 2009 ~ Management Aptitude Test on 6th September 2009 at www.aima-ind.org

MAT ~ MAT 2009 ~ MAT 2009 Education Test Date 6th September 2009 ~ Management Aptitude Test 2009 ~ Management Aptitude Test on 6th September 2009 at www.aima-ind.org

MAT – Management Aptitude Test is conducted by All India Management Association (AIMA).

MAT Score is acceptable even to certain other Institutes for considering admission of candidates for Post Graduate Degree / Diploma programmes, besides the above Institutes, subject to specific cut-off marks and other admission parameters.

Test Date – 6th September 2009 (Sunday)

Reporting Time – 9.15 A.M

Test Time – 10.00 A.M – 12.30 A.M

Eligibility for MAT : Graduate in any discipline from a recognized university. Final year degree course  students can also apply.

How to Apply for MAT 2009 Exam :

To obtain MAT Bulletin and Application Form by post, send a Demand Draft of Rs.1050/- to AIMA-CMS, drawn in favour of “All India Management Association” payable at New Delhi alongwith two self-addressed slips/adhesive stickers. Send your request to The Manager-CMS, All India Management Association, Management House, 14, Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003.

OR

Obtain MAT Bulletin and Application Form on cash payment of Rs 980/-(Nine Hundred Eighty only) at AIMA counter at Delhi (Tel:- 24653382), select Bank of Baroda (BoB) Branches, AIMA Nodal Centres and other outlets .Bank of Baroda Branches (Click Here), AIMA Nodal Centres and other outlets.

Important Dates for MAT 2009 Exam :

Last date of Availability of MAT Bulletin: 10 August 2009 (Monday)
Last date for Receipt of Filled form At AIMA, New Delhi : 13 August 2009 (Thursday)

Note:

Forms with Bulletins for 06 September 2009 MAT will be available for sale from first week of July 2009. Details of Participating Management Institute, Test Centre Cities and Sales Outlets will also be available from first week of July 2009.

Candidates may also view/download the MAT Score from AIMA website http://www.aima-ind.org/ after 3 weeks from the date of the test.

Candidates may clarify queries regarding MAT Score, if any, at e-mail : rgusain@aima-ind.org

For more details visit – http://www.aima-ind.org

North Korea’s Kim Jong Il ‘has pancreatic cancer’

Seoul (S. Korea), July 13 (ANI): North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Il, is suffering from cancer of the pancreas and is in danger of dying of the disease, South Korean television reported this morning.

Yonhap Television News attributed the latest health bulletin on the North Korean leader to unidentified Chinese and South Korean intelligence sources, and said it is consistent with a report in a Japanese newspaper over the weekend that Kim has a “serious pancreatic disorder”.

Last week, it was reported that Kim appeared haggard, emaciated and slow on his feet.

Kim disappeared from public view for three months last year after what intelligence agencies assume was a stroke last August. Since then, judging from television footage of him, his health has declined.

His youngest son Kim Jong Un was named as Kim Jong Il’s successor, but China is said to have grave reservations about this.

There are no obvious signs are that Kim Jong Il is in anything less than complete control, but close examination of recent internal developments leads many Pyongyang-watchers to the conclusion that he is leaning towards military hardliners, and away from the more reform-oriented advisers whom he favoured in the middle of the present decade. (ANI)

WHO says TB vaccine too risky for HIV-infected infants

Geneva, July 1 (ANI): HIV-infected infants are at risk of contracting a deadly form of tuberculosis from the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, instead of receiving protection against the disease, according to research published today in the international public health journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO).

While the BCG vaccine is given to approximately 75 percent of newborn babies worldwide, a South African study has found that its harm may outweigh the benefits for HIV-infected infants.

The study recommends delaying vaccination until the infant’s HIV status is known.

“There is an urgent need to assess the risk versus benefits of this vaccine in settings where both HIV infection and tuberculosis burdens are high,” says co-author Professor Simon Schaaf, from the Desmond Tutu TB Centre at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

The Bulletin of the World Health Organization is one of the world’s leading public health journals. It is the flagship periodical of the World Health Organization, with a special focus on developing countries.(ANI)

People unsure of own beliefs less likely to entertain opposing views

Washington, July 1 (ANI): A collaborative team of researchers from University of Illinois and University of Florida have found that while people tend to avoid information that contradicts what they already think or believe, certain factors can cause them to seek out, or at least consider, other points of view.

During the study, the researchers analysed the data of nearly 8000 people, who were asked about their views on a given topic, and then allowed them to choose whether they wanted to view or read information supporting their own or an opposing point of view.

“We wanted to see exactly across the board to what extent people are willing to seek out the truth versus just stay comfortable with what they know,” said University of Illinois Psychology professor Dolores Albarracín.

The study showed that 67 pct of the people were twice as likely to select information that supports their own point of view as to consider an opposing idea (33 percent).

Certain individuals, those with close-minded personalities, are even more reluctant to expose themselves to differing perspectives, Albarracín said.

They will opt for the information that corresponds to their views nearly 75 percent of the time.

Moreover, people are more resistant to new points of view when their own ideas are associated with political, religious or ethical values.

“If you are really committed to your own attitude – for example, if you are a very committed Democrat – you are more likely to seek congenial information, that is, information that corresponds with your views,” Albarracín said.

“If the issues concern moral values or politics, about 70 percent of the time you will choose congenial information, versus about 60 percent of the time if the issues are not related to values,” Albarracín added.

However, people are also more likely to expose themselves to opposing ideas when it is useful to them in some way.

Those who may have to publicly defend their ideas, such as politicians are more motivated to learn about the views of those who oppose them. In the process they sometimes find that their own ideas evolve.

“For the most part it seems that people tend to stay with their own beliefs and attitudes because changing those might prevent them from living the lives they’re living,” Albarracín said.

“But it’s good news that one out of three times, or close to that, they are willing to seek out the other side,” added.

The findings appear in the journal Psychological Bulletin. (ANI)

People not in favor of new privacy curbing Internet law in China

New Delhi, May 26 (ANI): A new Internet law in China that demands netizens reveal their real names when online is not being policed almost one month after its implementation.

The Hangzhou municipal government in Zhejiang province has required Internet portals under its administration to ask for the real identity of their users from May 1.

The law is designed to protect national security, social order and the social moral system.

However, nearly one month after enactment, netizens can still post opinions on most of the city’s popular bulletin boards without registering their personal details.

A spokeswoman surnamed Zhou from 19lou.com, a popular local online forum, said that authorities had not yet asked the website to change its registration process.

“It could be quite complex if the regulation comes into force because our system doesn’t support real name registration, it might still take some time,” Zhou said.

A recent online survey by qq.com found about 78 percent of those polled, or more than 35,000 people, were not in favor of the law.

“The law may be able to curb online rumors and violence, but it may also violate our privacy and freedom of speech, as well as discourage online supervision over political corruption,” a netizen called Baiyunzhijia wrote on bbs.zhoushan.cn.

“The Internet has played a key role in the supervision of government work and in the fight against corruption in recent years,” said another online user Dazhanpeng.

“It would have been impossible for Zhou Jiugeng, former director of a real estate management bureau in Jiangsu province, to have been pulled from his post unless online photographs exposed his lavish lifestyle last year,” the user added.

According to Li Li, deputy director of Shanghai Information Law Association, the law still faced challenges if it were to be executed.

“It is difficult to implement because people in Hangzhou still have the choice to browse websites in other cities if they don’t want to provide their real identities,” he said.

“Netizens already know that even if they don’t use their real names, they could still be tracked through their IP address by authorities. The regulation has only angered them by making that point explicit,” he added. (ANI)

‘Super-recognizers’ who never forget a face do exist

Washington, May 20 (ANI): Harvard University researchers have bolstered the claim that “super-recognizers”-people with extraordinary face recognition ability who never forget someone they met in the past-do exist.

Richard Russell, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology at Harvard, has found in a study that skill in facial recognition may vary widely among humans.

Studies conducted in the past have shown that about 2 per cent of the population suffers from “face-blindness”, or prosopagnosia, a condition characterized by great difficulty in recognizing faces.

This is the first time that a study has shown that others excel in face recognition, indicating that the trait could be on a spectrum, with prosopagnosics on the low end and super-recognizers at the high end.

The researchers involved standardized face recognition tests in their study, and found the super-recognizers to score far higher than any of the normal control subjects.

“There has been a default assumption that there is either normal face recognition, or there is disordered face recognition. This suggests that’s not the case, that there is actually a very wide range of ability. It suggests a different model-a different way of thinking about face recognition ability, and possibly even other aspects of perception, in terms of a spectrum of abilities, rather than there being normal and disordered ability,” says Russell.

The researchers say that the super-recognizers reported being able to recognize other people far more often than they are recognized.

Russell says that it is for this reason that they often compensate by pretending not to recognize someone they met in passing, so as to avoid appearing to attribute undue importance to a fleeting encounter.

“Super-recognizers have these extreme stories of recognizing people. They recognize a person who was shopping in the same store with them two months ago, for example, even if they didn’t speak to the person. It doesn’t have to be a significant interaction; they really stand out in terms of their ability to remember the people who were actually less significant,” says Russell.

Given that one woman in the study was able to prove that she had identified another woman on the street who served as a waitress five years earlier in a different city, the researchers came to the conclusion that super-recognizers are able to recognize another person despite significant changes in appearance, such as aging or a different hair color.

The researchers say that studying differences in people’s ability to recognize faces may be important for assessing eyewitness testimony, or for interviewing for some jobs, such as security or those checking identification.

A research paper on the study has been published in Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. (ANI)

Swine flu’s first genetic analysis reveals potency

London, May 2 (ANI): While swine flu virus H1N1 continues to spread around the world, the first genetic analysis of the efficacy of its transmission from person to person revealed that it spreads barely well enough to keep itself going.

The analysis also suggested that the virus might have started circulating as long ago as January.

However, because of the scarcity of cases to analyse, the calculation is still uncertain, as many believe that the circulation could have started more recently, or as far back as September.

Nicholas Grassly of Imperial College London and Andrew Rambaut of the University of Edinburgh, UK, have analysed the rate of spread.

Their analysis is based on the small mutations that have accumulated in almost two-dozen genetic sequences produced so far, from viruses collected from patients in Mexico and the US.

Unlike H5N1 bird flu, all the genetic sequences of this H1N1 are being posted on bulletin boards like GISAID, so that scientists can access them and compare preliminary analyses.

Scientists who protested that H5N1 sequences were not being made freely available set up the GISAID system in 2006.

“The limited sampling so far gives rise to considerable uncertainty in the estimate,” New Scientist quoted Rambaut as saying.

However, if the rate at which genes mutate is similar for this virus as for other H1N1 viruses, the number of mutations that have accumulated so far have indicated that it has been circulating since January – or even September 2008.

If the new virus spreads from one infected person to the next at about the same speed as ordinary flu, it could give an idea of how many cases there may have been in that time.

A mathematical model permits the calculation of an important variable called R0 – the number of additional people infected, on average, by each case.

If R0 is less than one, an infection dies out.

Also, Grassly cautioned that the estimate is very preliminary.

However, with newly available data, he gets an R0 of 1.16 – enough for the virus to keep going, but only just.

This comes as good news, as epidemiological theory suggests that the lower the R0, the easier it may be to snuff the virus out by further hindering its spread.

And now the onus lies on how quickly the new H1N1 virus from swine adapts to people. (ANI)

Bangladesh issues alert over cyclone in Bay of Bengal

Dhaka – Authorities in Bangladesh on Thursday alerted coastal residents about an intensifying cyclone in the central Bay of Bengal, officials said.

The Meteorological Department advised coastal residents and crews on fishing boats in the bay to be cautious after the deep depression over the south-east and central Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclone early Thursday.

The cyclone was named Bijli and was centred about 875 kilometres south of the port of Cox’s Bazar and 760 kilometres south of Mongla port at 9 am (0400 GMT), according to a department statement.

Department officials said the cyclone was moving slowly northward with maximum sustained winds of 60 kilometres per hour.

The storm has made the sea rough, it added. Fishing boats and trawlers have been asked to remain close to the shore and proceed with caution, it bulletin said.

Many cyclones have made landfall in Bangladesh, causing large losses of lives and property in the past few years. In November 2007, Supercyclone Sidr devastated 12 southern districts, leaving as many as 4,000 people killed and tens of thousands homeless. (dpa)

Folsom Lake Bank Tops $71 Million in Assets With 3/31/09 Financial Results

FOLSOM, Calif., April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Folsom Lake Bank (OTC
Bulletin Board: FOLB), announced unaudited financial results for the quarter
ending March 31, 2009, its second full year of operations. Total assets grew
to $71.2 million, an increase of $33.2 million or 87% over the 1st quarter of
2008. Assets were up $10.7 million or 17% over the prior quarter ending
12/31/08. Total deposits grew to $55.2 million, increasing $11.4 million (26%)
for the quarter and $31.4 million (132%) compared to the prior year. Total
loans outstanding as of March 31, 2009 were $42.8 million, up $4.8 million
(13%) for the quarter and $20.1 million (88%) compared to the prior year.

Robert J. Flautt, President and CEO commented, “We are pleased with the
continued strong growth this past quarter and look forward to additional
growth as we add our second branch in Roseville later this year.” The new
branch on Douglas Blvd is expected to open early July.

First quarter revenue for the Bank was $946,107 up $417,326 or 79% from the
first quarter of 2008 attributable to a strong increase in fee income and a
healthy net interest margin. The Bank reported a net loss of $461,803 for the
quarter, larger than the previous year’s $366,564 loss due to a higher
provision for the loan loss reserve. Operating losses are normal for a startup
bank and the Bank continues to march toward a profitable operation. Excluding
the provisions from both quarters the 3/31/09 loss would be $161,803 and the
3/31/08 loss would be $291,564, an improvement of $129,761 or 44.5%.

The Bank made a special provision of $300,000 in the first quarter to the
allowance for loan losses, to enhance its reserve in these unique economic
times. The Bank also experienced its first loss on a small commercial loan.
The net result was an increase in the loan loss reserve to 1.44% of loans from
the previous year’s 1.17%. Commented Flautt, “We are not unaffected by the
economic downturn, however our loan portfolio remains strong with no past due
or non-accrual loans. We remain an active lender in the community and look
forward to a continued growth in our loan portfolio.”

Folsom Lake Bank is the area’s newest community bank. The Bank is a locally
owned and locally operated full service commercial banking organization
focused on small business owners, professionals and individuals in the
communities surrounding Folsom Lake. By providing the personal attention that
clients want and delivering banking services that they need, the bank
continues to build strong banking relationships across the communities that it
serves. Folsom Lake Bank is publicly traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin
Board. Howe Barnes Hoefer and Arnett (John Cavender 415-538-5725) is the primary
market maker. For more information please call Robert Flautt at 916-235-4570.

This correspondence may contain “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act. All of the statements contained
in this correspondence, other than statements of historical fact, should be
considered forward-looking statements. Although the Bank believes the
expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, it
can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct.
Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date hereof and are not intended to
give any assurance as to future results.

SOURCE Folsom Lake Bank

Bob Flautt, CEO, +1-916-235-4570, or Jack Olson, CFO, +1-916-235-4600, both of
Folsom Lake Bank

FX Real Estate and Entertainment Inc. Announces Voluntary Delisting of Common Stock from NASDAQ and Receipt of Notice of Initiation of Trustee Sale Procedure against Las Vegas Property

Company Anticipates Last Day of Trading on NASDAQ on or about May 4, 2009; Plans
to Seek Listing on OTC Bulletin Board
NEW YORK–(Business Wire)–
FX Real Estate and Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: FXRE) announced that on April 8,
2009 it received notice from The NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) indicating that,
as of December 31, 2008, FXRE is no longer in compliance with NASDAQ`s
continuing listing requirement of a minimum of $10,000,000 in stockholders`
equity.

Under the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules, FXRE is permitted to submit to NASDAQ a plan
to regain compliance with NASDAQ`s continued listing criteria. However, based on
FXRE`s deteriorating financial condition, FXRE has determined that it will not
be able to regain compliance. As a result, FXRE has provided notice to NASDAQ of
its intent to voluntarily delist its common stock from NASDAQ. On or about April
24, 2009, FXRE will file a Form 25 with the Securities and Exchange Commission
relating to the delisting. The delisting is expected to be effective 10 calendar
days after filing the Form 25. FXRE anticipates that the last day of trading for
its common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market will be on or about May 4, 2009.
FXRE will seek to have its common stock quoted on the Over-The-Counter Bulletin
Board shortly after the date of delisting from The NASDAQ Global Market, though
FXRE cannot provide any assurances in this regard.

FXRE further announced that on April 9, 2009, as a result of its Las Vegas
subsidiaries continuing to be in default under the $475 million mortgage loan
secured by their Las Vegas property, the first lien lenders sent a Notice of
Breach and Election to Sell, which initiates the trustee sale procedure against
the Las Vegas property to satisfy the principal amount of $259 million and other
obligations owed to them under the mortgage loan and secured by the property.

Under Nevada law, the Las Vegas subsidiaries have the legal right to cure the
default during a 35-day redemption period that expires on May 18, 2009 or else
the Las Vegas property may be sold thereafter in accordance with Nevada law (the
process takes approximately 120 days) in a trustee sale to satisfy the first
lien lenders` obligations secured by the property. Neither FXRE nor its
subsidiaries are able to cure the default. Consequently, FXRE and the Las Vegas
subsidiaries are considering all possible legal options, including bankruptcy
proceedings. FXRE cannot guarantee to what extent, if any, such actions may be
viable or effective.

FX Real Estate and Entertainment Inc.
Ed Tagliaferri, 212-981-5182

Copyright Business Wire 2009

Most people wrongly understand rainy weather forecasts

Washington, Apr 15 (ANI): Only half the people understand what a forecast means when it predicts a 20 percent chance of rain, according to researchers at the University of Washington.

Susan Joslyn, a UW cognitive psychologist and senior lecturer, has revealed that the majority of people think it means that it will rain over 20 percent of the area covered by the forecast or for 20 percent of the time period covered by the forecast.

“When a forecast says there is 20 percent chance of rain tomorrow it actually means it will rain on 20 percent of the days with exactly the same atmospheric conditions,” she said.

She added: “With the exception of the probability of precipitation, most weather forecasts report a single value such as the high temperature will be 53 degrees. This is deterministic because it implies that forecasters are sure the high temperature will be 53 degrees. But forecasting is probabilistic and 53 degrees is in the middle of the range of possible temperatures, say 49 to 56 degrees.”

In order to know about people’s understanding of the more familiar probability of precipitation, the researchers tested more than 450 Pacific Northwest college students in three experiments.

It was found that students wrongly perceived rainy weather forecasts, and that an explicit statement, such as there is a chance it won’t rain, could weaken the percent of time and area misconceptions.

The researchers said that a person, who thinks that a probabilistic forecast means that the weather event will occur (in some percent of the area or for some percent of the time), might be more likely to take expensive precautionary action than someone who realized that there was only a chance of that event occurring.

Joslyn added if the misunderstandings uncovered in this research exist among a college-educated group of students from the Pacific Northwest, where it frequently rains, then similar error probably occur in similar, or larger, numbers elsewhere among the general public.

According to the researchers, the errors are caused by the difficulty in making decisions when uncertainty is involved.

“In dealing with a forecast about rain people must simultaneously consider several hypothetical outcomes, their corresponding levels of uncertainty and their consequences. For some people it may be easier to commit to a single outcome, reducing cognitive load, and proceed as through the uncertainty has been resolved. In some cases they may not be aware of this simplification,” said Joslyn.

The research also has financial implications for forecast uncertainty and misinterpretations about such weather-related decisions as school closures, agricultural crop protection and highway and road clearing during storms.

The study has been published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. (ANI)

Gunman kills 13 in NY immigrant center – ABC News

A man opened fire in a building where services are provided to immigrants in the New York town of Binghamton on Friday and killed 13 people before killing himself, ABC News reported.

New York Governor David Paterson confirmed that a number of people had been killed. ABC News, citing federal and state authorities, said 26 people were also wounded.

There was no official confirmation of the death toll or the gunman’s fate.

Other local media earlier reported between four and 13 dead in the incident in Binghamton, about 150 miles (240 km) northwest of New York City.

“This is a tragic day for New York. While the situation is still developing and details are being gathered, we do know that a gunman entered the American Civic Association in Binghamton this morning and that there are fatalities,” Paterson said in a statement.

The area was surrounded by police with rifles, some carrying shields. Some local media reports said the suspected shooter was Asian and that authorities requested a Vietnamese translator to speak with him.

As many as 41 people were inside the building when a man entered and started shooting, WBNG television news said, citing police scanners. It said some fled to a basement and more than a dozen were hiding in a closet, adding that emergency dispatchers had been in contact with people inside.

Four people were removed from the American Civic Association building on stretchers and taken to hospitals, the Press and Sun-Bulletin newspaper reported on its website.

Others came out on foot.

“About 15 or so employees of the Civic Association came out crying with their hands behind their heads and they were escorted by the police and they took them to ambulances and took them away,” a witness told WNBF radio.

The American Civic Association building is used to teach English and provide other services to recent immigrants to the United States who are preparing for U.S. citizenship.

Man opens fire in NY town, possible victims – media

A man opened fire in a building where services are provided to immigrants in the New York State town of Binghamton on Friday, shooting as many as four people and taking up to 40 hostage, local media reported.

Four people were removed from the American Civic Association building on stretchers and taken to hospitals, the Press and Sun-Bulletin newspaper reported on its website.

A police special weapons and tactics team was on scene and the shooter still inside, the newspaper said, citing police. Television coverage showed armed police deployed around the building.

As many as 41 people were inside the building when a man entered and started shooting, WBNG television news reported on its website, citing police scanners.

Some people escaped to a basement and more than a dozen were hiding in a closet, WBNG said, reporting that emergency dispatchers had been in contact with people inside.

Police closed down surrounding streets and locked down a high school, WBNG said.

Binghamton Mayor Matthew Ryan, who was at the scene, said there was a hostage situation and the shooter had a high-powered rifle, the Press and Sun-Bulletin said.

Binghamton is about 150 miles (240 km) northwest of New York City with a population of about 45,000.

Hearing impaired can access prime time news on Doordarshan

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Going beyond just a weekly sign language news bulletin for the hearing impaired, national broadcaster Doordarshan will now make prime time news accessible to this section of the population through running scrolls and subtitles.

Javed Abidi, director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), Friday said even though the decision had come late, India had finally joined other countries in giving the right to information to the hearing impaired population.

‘In most developed countries, subtitling of television programmes is a very normal thing. Even the not so developed nations like Thailand are doing it for their deaf citizens. Unfortunately, in India the awareness has been so low that our policymakers and decision-makers did not even think of it,’ Abidi said.

The move comes after a meeting of NCPEDP members with officials at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in late March. The two sides had been discussing the issue for a while.

‘The demand for subtitling television programmes was first raised by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) about two years ago, but the government did not take it very seriously. But after we took it up as one of our demands on World Disability Day Dec 3 last year, things started moving,’ he added.

Coming close on the heels of making government websites accessible to the blind, this decision, Abidi said, was a matter of great happiness to the disabled population and those working for their rights.

‘However, our aim is to ensure that the entire programming on television, at least as far as public broadcasters are concerned, is made accessible. We also aim to extend this dialogue with the private sector,’ he said.

‘The cost of making these changes is negligible. What is needed is awareness and sensitivity and a certain sociopolitical will on the part of the decision-makers,’ Abidi added.

Israel to probe soldiers’ for using excessive force during Gaza operation

Tel Aviv (Israel), Mar.21 (ANI): After repeatedly rebuffing charges of having committed war crimes in its recent war against Hamas in Gaza, a stunned Israel has changed track and instructed its military prosecutor to launch a criminal investigation into the alleged deliberate killing of women, children, and elderly non-combatants by Israeli soldiers.

According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor (CSM), this marks the first acknowledgement by Israel of possible misdeeds in a war that left 1,300 Gazans dead, thousands more injured, and billions of dollars worth of property damaged.

“I hope there’s an in-depth investigation into this issue,” Education Minister Yuli Tamir told the Ha’aretz newspaper.

“This needs to be checked out immediately and openly, and if there’s a grain of truth in it, it must be protested,” he added.arlier this month, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at The Hague said that he is mulling an investigation in to allegations of war crimes in Gaza.

The anecdotal testimony, which was submitted to the army last month and then published in the military prep school’s bulletin, contradicts the military’s portrayal of soldiers as trying to minimize civilian casualties wherever possible.

In one instance, soldiers killed a woman and two children at a distance of 100 to 200 yards away because they had misunderstood the army instructions on how to leave the combat zone.

Another veteran described an officer who ordered machine-gunners to fire at an elderly woman who was also positioned far away.

In the testimony, the soldiers admitted that excessive force was used because the lives of Palestinian civilians were valued far less than those of the soldiers.

“I was shocked,” said an Israeli military spokesperson, who requested to remain anonymous.

“Some of the stuff described there is far from the rules of the engagement that I know,” he added. (ANI)

Family demands steer women away from math/science careers

Washington, Mar 15 (ANI): Women opt out of math/science careers not because they lack mathematical ability, but due to family demands, says a new study.

The research led by Cornell University revealed that women choose non-math-intensive fields for their careers because they want flexibility to raise children, or they prefer less math-intensive fields of science.

“A major reason explaining why women are underrepresented not only in math-intensive fields but also in senior leadership positions in most fields is that many women choose to have children, and the timing of child rearing coincides with the most demanding periods of their career, such as trying to get tenure or working exorbitant hours to get promoted,” said lead author Stephen J. Ceci, professor of human development at Cornell.

The study showed that women with advanced math abilities choose non-math fields more often than men with similar abilities.

According to co-author Wendy M. Williams, Cornell professor of human development, the drop out rate of women in scientific fields – especially math and physical sciences is high, particularly as they advance, because of their need for greater flexibility and the demands of parenting and caregiving,

“These are choices that all women, but almost no men, are forced to make,” she said.

For the study, the researchers conducted an integrative analysis of 35 years of research on sex differences in math.

The authors concluded that hormonal, brain and other biological sex differences were not primary factors in explaining why women were underrepresented in science careers, and that studies on social and cultural effects were inconsistent and inconclusive.

They also reported that although “institutional barriers and discrimination exist, these influences still cannot explain why women are not entering or staying in STEM careers,” said Ceci.

“The evidence did not show that removal of these barriers would equalize the sexes in these fields, especially given that women’s career preferences and lifestyle choices tilt them toward other careers such as medicine and biology over mathematics, computer science, physics and engineering,” he added.

The authors recommended that universities and companies create options for women with math talents who want to pursue math-intensive careers.

These could include deferred start-up of tenure-track positions and part-time work that segues to full-time tenure-track work for women who are raising children, and courtesy appointments for women unable to work full time but who would benefit from use of university resources (e-mail, library resources, grant support) to continue their research from home.

The study appears in the American Psychological Association’s Psychological Bulletin. (ANI)

Radio Pakistan seeks to provoke communal dissention ahead of general elections

Abohar, March 2 (ANI): Ahead of the general elections in India, Radio Pakistan is trying to provoke communal dissentions, particularly in Punjab, by propagating that minorities are not being given their rights in India. Its programmes seem to be fondly looking at the brief success they had in fomenting dissentions two decades ago by provoking proxy war and inciting Sikhs.

The Punabi Durbar programme has been trying to conduct propangada that minorities suffer from many handicaps in the India, particularly in Punjab and they have little to hope from the coming elections.

Listening to its recent bulletin, one gets the feeling that that the producers of the programme do not appreciate the fact that minorities are being offered high positions in India, both as constitutional positions and political life of the country.

The Punjabi Durbar programme of Radio Pakistan has based its campaign on literature allegedly published by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh. It claims that elements in India are warning minorities including Sikhs, Muslims, Christians and Jains to either embrace Hinduism or leave the country!

Listeners in border areas of Punjab point out that Pakistan Radio broadcasters need to remember that in a country where a Muslim can become the President, a Sikh can become the Prime Minister, and a Christian can become the Defense Minister, no single organization can dictate terms to others.

People in Punjab point out that Hinduism doesn’t support religious conversions.

“India belongs to people of all religions. Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Christians live happily together with the feeling of brotherhood and receive same respect,” said Maulvi Sarauddin of Haji Ratan Dargah.

“Firstly, Zakir Hussain had been the President of India and recently Dr. Kalam was the President of India. Dr. Hamid Ansari is the Vice President of India and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is the National Vice President of Bharitya Janta Party (BJP). Thousands of such examples can be mentioned. Pakistan is commenting on India because it is a financially and politically weak country,” said Chiranji Lal Garg, Ex Cabinet Minister, Punjab.

Pakistan, which is an Islamic State, is yet to learn that India is a secular country where practicing one’s religion is a fundamental right accorded to every citizen of the country under the Constitution of India.

No one in the country can prevent anyone, irrespective of one’s religious faith, caste or community, to cherish life with full freedom and occupy any position under the government set up.

About 70 crore people belonging to different religions and communities will exercise their voting rights in April and choose their representatives in the parliamentary elections. The elected persons’ primary duty is to look after the welfare of their people in any eventuality. (ANI)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s health condition improving

New Delhi, Feb.19 (ANI): Doctors attending to former prime minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Atal Bihari Vajpyaee, at the All India Medical Institute of Sciences (AIIMS), stated improvement in his health condition on Thursday.

A medical bulletin issued by the hospital stated on Thursday that his vital parameters are normal and his condition is improving.

“He is in the ICU and his condition is stable. His chest infection has subsided,” said Dr. Sampath Kumar, chief cardio-thoracic and vascular surgeon at AIIMS, told a news agency.

On Thursday, the 84 -year-old Vajpayee had expressed desire for music, which was allowed even on Friday by the attending doctors.

“Vajapyee, known for his penchant for movies, old film music and poetry, has been listening to these songs on AIR FM Gold radio station. Yesterday, I heard him hearing old film music on FM Radio. It was a positive development and so we let it continue. Some time we put on music for him and some time he asks for it to be played. He is now able to sit and listen to music in the morning and in the evening as well,” said Dr. Randeep Guleria, personal physician to the recuperating leader.

According to AIIMS doctors, Vajpayee’s ventilatory support has been removed and he is breathing on his own.

Vajpayee was admitted in the AIIMS in the national capital on February 3 after he complained chest infection. (ANI)