CNS Welcomes Go Markets to San Diego Datacenter

SAN DIEGO, CA, Jul 25 (MARKET WIRE) —
Commercial Network Services is pleased to announce the arrival of
Australia’s leading FOREX broker to the CNS San Diego datacenter. Go
Markets has added a new server in the CNS San Diego datacenter to their
global MT4 network. The new server will result in better performance for
traders all over North America and most especially those hosted on a
Trader’s VPS in the CNS-SDCA datacenter, who will enjoy < 1ms latency to
the new server from their MT4 client terminals. The new server is the
latest addition to the growing Go Markets global presence, which now
includes servers in Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and San Diego.

Commercial Network Services is the leading provider of VPS services
designed especially for FOREX traders and operates out of datacenters in
San Diego, New York City and London.

Contact:
Commercial Network Services
www.CommercialNetworkServices.com

Go Markets
www.gomarketsaus.com

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Titan Announces Expiration and Final Results of Tender Offer for its 8% Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2012

QUINCY, Ill.–(Business Wire)–
Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) today announced that the tender offer for
its 8% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2012 (the “Senior Notes”) expired at 12:00
midnight, New York City time, on June 10, 2010 (the “Expiration Time”). As of
the Expiration Time, according to information provided by the tender agent,
$47,352,000 principal amount of the Senior Notes, representing 24.4% of the
principal amount outstanding, had been validly tendered and not validly
withdrawn, of which $46,352,000 aggregate principal amount, representing
approximately 23.9% of the principal amount outstanding had been validly
tendered on or before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 26, 2010 (the “Early
Tender Time”). All Senior Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn have
been accepted for payment.

In connection with Titan`s previously announced early settlement election, Titan
paid $1,050 per $1,000 principal amount of Senior Notes (the “Total
Consideration”) to holders of the Senior Notes, who tendered their Senior Notes
prior to the Early Tender Time, on June 7, 2010. The Total Consideration
included an early tender premium of $50 per $1,000 principal amount of Senior
Notes. Holders of these Senior Notes also received accrued and unpaid interest
up to but not including the settlement date of June 7, 2010.

Holders of the Senior Notes who validly tendered their Senior Notes after the
Early Tender Time, but on or prior to the Expiration Time, and did not validly
withdraw such Senior Notes and which Senior Notes have been accepted for
purchase, will receive the tender offer consideration of $1,000 per $1,000
principal amount of Senior Notes (the “Tender Offer Consideration”). There was
$1,000,000 principal amount of Senior Notes tendered after the Early Tender
Time, but on or prior to the Expiration Time. Holders of the Senior Notes
tendered after the Early Tender Time will not receive the early tender premium.
On June 14, 2010, Titan shall pay the Tender Offer Consideration and accrued and
unpaid interest up to but not including the settlement date of June 14, 2010, to
the holders of the Senior Notes, who tendered their Senior Notes after the Early
Tender Time but on or prior to the Expiration Time.

The sole dealer manager for the tender offer was Goldman, Sachs & Co and Global
Bondholder Services Corporation was the information agent for the tender offer.
The tender offer was made solely by means of the offer to purchase, the related
letter of transmittal and the press release, dated May 27, 2010. Under no
circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to purchase or the
solicitation of an offer to sell the Senior Notes or any other securities of the
company.

This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties, including risks as detailed in Titan International, Inc.`s
periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009. The company
cautions that any forward-looking statements included in this press release are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and the company undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Titan International, Inc., a holding company, owns subsidiaries that supply
wheels, tires and assemblies for off-highway equipment used in agricultural,
earthmoving/construction and consumer (including all terrain vehicles)
applications.

Titan International, Inc.
Courtney Leeser
Communications Coordinator
(217) 221-4489

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Vector Group Ltd. Extends Exchange Offer Deadline for 11% Senior Secured Notes in the Aggregate Principal Amount of $85 Million

MIAMI–(Business Wire)–
Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE: VGR) (the “Company”) today announced that it has
extended the expiration of its exchange offer from 5:00 p.m., New York City
Time, on Friday, June 4, 2010 to 5:00 p.m., New York City Time, on Friday, June
11, 2010. Pursuant to the exchange offer, the Company`s 11% Senior Secured Notes
due 2015 (the “new notes”) which have been registered under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, are offered for exchange for the $85 million of outstanding
11% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 which were issued on September 1, 2009 in a
transaction exempt from registration (the “old notes”).

As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 4, 2010, approximately $84,970,000
in aggregate principal amount of the old notes (or approximately 99.96% of the
old notes) had been tendered pursuant to the exchange offer. The exchange offer
has been extended in order to allow additional time for the holders of the
remaining $30,000 aggregate principal amount of the old notes to participate in
the exchange offer.

Except for the extension of the expiration date of the exchange offer for the
$85 million of outstanding 11% Senior Secured Notes due 2015, all other terms,
conditions and provisions of the exchange offer remain effective as of the date
hereof.

The Company`s exchange offer for its 11% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 that have
been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in the aggregate
principal amount of $75,000,000, expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on
Friday, June 4, 2010.

Questions concerning the delivery of appropriate documentation and the old notes
should be directed to the exchange agent, U.S. Bank National Association,
attention Specialized Finance Department, at (800) 934-6802.

The old notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration
or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release
shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy,
nor shall there be any sale of, these securities in any state in which such
offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or
qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

Vector Group is a holding company that indirectly owns Liggett Group LLC and
Vector Tobacco Inc. and directly owns New Valley LLC.

Sard Verbinnen & Co
Paul Caminiti/Carrie Bloom/Jonathan Doorley
212-687-8080

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Tobacco giants in NYC file lawsuit over graphic anti-smoking posters

New York, June 04 (ANI): Tobacco giants Reynolds, Philip Morris and Lorillard are not happy with the graphic anti-smoking posters in New York City.

The three firms are suing the city over color images of cancer-ravaged lungs, a decayed tooth and a stroke-damaged brain released as part of the City”s new ad campaign against smoking.

They claim that the pictures are “unappetizing” and violate the First Amendment.

“The signs…do not describe the risks of smoking in purely factual terms,” the New York Daily News quoted the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court.

The stores are being forced to “undertake graphic advocacy on behalf of the city.”

The lawsuit claims that is a case of breach of the First Amendment.

Two grocery stores and two retail groups have also joined the suit. (ANI)

Matt Dillon dating celeb fashion designer Charlotte Ronson?

London, May 15 (ANI): Actor Matt Dillon and fashion designer Charlotte Ronson have fuelled dating rumors after they were spotted having dinner together.

Dillon and Ronson – twin sister of DJ Samantha – were caught enjoying dinner on May 2 at Los Angeles restaurant Madeo.

The pair was first spotted together in February (10) at the designer”s New York City fashion show.

“He pursued her, and it really paid off,” the Daily Express quoted a source as saying.

According to U.S. magazine Star, the duo has been dating quietly for months. (ANI)

Justin Bieber recording next album in NYC

New York, May 7 (ANI): Teen idol Justin Bieber is set to record his next album in New York.

Bieber”s record label, Universal, has filed papers in Manhattan Supreme Court, seeking a judge”s permission to get its latest contract with the singer approved.

The 16-year-old signed the two-record deal in December and is getting a 400,000-dollar advance on the first CD, reports the New York Post.

The documents say that Bieber is “providing his services as a recording artist in recording studios located in New York City.”

In the papers, the records label also tells the judge not to worry — “the foregoing services rendered by the minor shall not, however, require excessive time as to interfere with the minor”s education and welfare.” (ANI)

Christie Brinkley denies surgery rumors

London, April 30 (ANI): Christie Brinkley has denied that she underwent a cosmetic facelift surgery, while her daughter was admitted for an elective rhinoplasty procedure.

The model was rumoured to have entered the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, a day before her daughter with musician Billy Joel checked-in.

However, the beauty has dismissed the reports.

“Alexa had breathing difficulties due to a deviated septum and decided to correct the appearance of her nose at the same time,” the Daily Star quoted her representative, as telling New York Post gossip column Page Six.

The spokesperson added: “As far as Christie is concerned, she was at Lenox Hill to support her daughter, and throughout her career people have speculated that she”s done this or that, which she always chooses to take as a compliment.” (ANI)

Matt Damon, wife ‘expecting third child’

New York, Apr 28 (ANI): Matt Damon and wife Luciana are expecting their third child together, it has been reported.

The couple, who has been married for more than four years now, are already parents to daughters Isabella, 3, and Gia, 21 months. And now, the Damon household is about to get a lot noisier, UsMagazine.com reports.

Luciana also has an 11-year-old daughter, Alexia, from a previous marriage, reports The New York Daily News.

Damon, 39, and Luciana, 34, tied the knot at New York City Hall in December 2005. (ANI)

Woman who claimed to be MJ’s wife denied slice of his estate

London, April 19 (ANI): A woman who claimed to be married to Michael Jackson has been denied a slice of the late King of Pop’s estate.

According to TMZ.com, a court has denied Shellie Doreen Smith’ request for spousal support.

Shellie had claimed she exchanged vows with the singer at a low-key marriage ceremony in 1970s at a hotel in New York City and had requested the court to grant her monetary help, reports The Daily Express.

However, her bid for getting a slice from Jackson”s estate was denied in court on April 15 (10). (ANI)

Woman who claimed to be MJ’s wife denied slice of his estate

London, April 19 (ANI): A woman who claimed to be married to Michael Jackson has been denied a slice of the late King of Pop’s estate.

According to TMZ.com, a court has denied Shellie Doreen Smith’ request for spousal support.

Shellie had claimed she exchanged vows with the singer at a low-key marriage ceremony in 1970s at a hotel in New York City and had requested the court to grant her monetary help, reports The Daily Express.

However, her bid for getting a slice from Jackson”s estate was denied in court on April 15 (10). (ANI)

MJ’s ‘secret’ wife denied share in his property

Washington, April 17 (ANI): According to a court’s ruling, the woman who had claimed that she was Michael Jackson’s wife will not be getting any share in the King of Pop’s estate.

A woman named Shellie Doreen Smith had claimed that she and Jackson had married in the seventies in New York City and had hence requested a part in the property.

Shellie had filed a creditor’s claim with the Jackson estate in December 2009, reports TMZ.

But, as per court documents, Shellie’s request for a share in the pop star’s assets has been denied. (ANI)

Media Advisory: Minister Oda to Attend the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Roundtable on Maternal and Children’s

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, Apr 14 (MARKET WIRE) —
The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Canada’s Minister of International
Cooperation, will attend the UN Secretary-General’s high level roundtable
on maternal and children’s health and will deliver a brief statement at
the closing press conference at 3:00pm.

Date: April 14, 2010
Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Dag Hammarskjold Library
United Nations Headquarters
New York

Contacts:
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Jessica Fletcher
Press Secretary
819-953-6238

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Media Relations Office
819-953-6534
media@acdi-cida.gc.ca

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Societies use punishment as a tool to enforce norms in large populations

Washington, Mar 19 (ANI): A society with a large number of people uses punishment to enforce norms, while the same does not hold true for societies with lower population, where everybody knows each other, claims a study.

The new study co-authored by University of California, Davis, anthropologist Richard McElreath suggests that the cooperative nature of each society is at least partly dependent upon historical forces – such as religious beliefs and the growth of market transactions.

The study also found the extent to which a society uses punishment to enforce norms increases and decreases with the number of people in the society.

“It is likely that small and large communities regulate cooperation – mutual defense, conservation, etc. – in different ways, because different mechanisms of monitoring and enforcement of norms work better at different scales of society,” explained McElreath.

“A small town in Kansas, for example, can likely rely upon reputation and the fact that everyone knows everyone else, while the residents of New York City need some mechanism, like punishment, that can work in the absence of reliable reputations,” he added.

The researchers probed why communities often cooperate in diverse ways, from mutual defense to conservation.

People engage in such mutually beneficial acts even though they may be individually costly.

The researchers used behavioural experiments administered across 15 diverse populations, and sought to measure the influence of three different mechanisms – punishment, market integration and religious beliefs – that might maintain cooperation within societies.

Market integration is the extent to which individuals use anonymous, rule-governed transactions to buy and sell goods.

The researchers found that overt punishment, religious beliefs that can act as a form of psychological punishment and market integration each were correlated with fairness in the experiments.

The study has been published in Science magazine. (ANI)

Flip-flop-flip: Military trial for 9/11 suspects?

WASHINGTON: In a potential reversal, White House advisers are close to recommending that President Barack Obama opt for military tribunals for self-professed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four of his alleged henchman, senior officials said.

The review of where and how to hold a 9/11 trial is not over, so no recommendation is yet before Obama and he has not made a determination of his own, officials said.

Attorney general Eric Holder decided in November to transfer the accused terrorists from Guantanamo Bay prison to New York City for civilian trials.

That was initially supported by city officials, but later opposed because of costs and security concerns. ap

Naomi Campbell’s driver says she slapped and punched him: Official

NEW YORK: A law enforcement official says Naomi Campbell’s driver says she slapped and punched him while he was driving her around New York City.

The official says the 39-year-old British model became enraged with the driver and started to hit him from the back seat on Tuesday afternoon.

The official says the driver stopped the car in midtown Manhattan and called police. He says Campbell jumped out of the car and ran away.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because an investigation was ongoing.

Police are looking to speak to Campbell. The driver is speaking to police at a precinct.

Campbell spokesman Jeff Raymond hasn’t returned a telephone call seeking comment.

Argentina’s del Potro fulfills first of his two dreams

New York, Sep.16 (ANI): US Open 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro says that he has achieved one of the two dreams that he had set for himself.

“I had two dreams this week. One was to win the US Open and the other one was to be like Roger.

One is done, but I need to improve a lot to be like Roger,” The Telegraph quoted Del Potro, as saying.

“Roger fought until the final point. He is a great champion. I’m very happy to be here with this trophy, with these people, on this court. This will be in my mind forever,” the fifth seed Argentinean tennis star added.

Del Potro did not celebrate his four-hour, five-set victory, which was Federer’s first defeat in New York City since 2003, with dinner in one of Manhattan’s vegetarian restaurants.

The man nicknamed ‘Enano’ or ‘Dwarf’, who came from behind to win 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 against Federer, stopped the latter from becoming the first man to win six successive US Open titles since Bill Tilden in the 1920s. (ANI)

Your bathroom showers are hazardous to health

Washington, September 15 (ANI): That invigorating relief and good cleansing from daily bathroom showers may bring along a face full of potentially pathogenic bacteria, warn researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Using high-tech instruments and lab methods, the researchers analysed roughly 50 showerheads from nine cities in seven states that included New York City, Chicago and Denver.

CU-Boulder Distinguished Professor Norman Pace, lead study author, says that about 30 percent of the devices were found to harbour significant levels of Mycobacterium avium, a pathogen linked to pulmonary disease that most often infects people with compromised immune systems, but which can occasionally infect healthy people.

The study showed that some M. avium and related pathogens were clumped together in slimy “biofilms” that clung to the inside of showerheads at more than 100 times the “background” levels of municipal water.

“If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy,” Pace said.

He pointed out that research at National Jewish Hospital in Denver indicated that increases in pulmonary infections in the US in recent decades from so-called “non-tuberculosis” mycobacteria species, such as M. avium, could be attributed to people taking more showers and fewer baths.

He said that water spurting from showerheads could distribute pathogen-filled droplets that suspend themselves in the air, and could easily be inhaled into the deepest parts of the lungs.

“There have been some precedents for concern regarding pathogens and showerheads. But until this study we did not know just how much concern,” said Pace.

In Denver, according to the researcher, one showerhead with high loads of Mycobacterium gordonae was cleaned with a bleach solution in an attempt to eradicate it, but tests conducted several months later showed that the bleach treatment ironically caused a three-fold increase in the pathogen, indicating a general resistance of mycobacteria species to chlorine.

Ask Pace whether it is dangerous to take showers, and he says: “Probably not, if your immune system is not compromised in some way. But it’s like anything else-there is a risk associated with it.”

He stresses that plastic showerheads appear to “load up” with more pathogen-enriched biofilms, and thus metal showerheads may be a good alternative.

“There are lessons to be learned here in terms of how we handle and monitor water. Water monitoring in this country is frankly archaic. The tools now exist to monitor it far more accurately and far less expensively that what is routinely being done today,” said Pace.

A research article on his study has been published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (ANI)

Madonna’s heartfelt MJ tribute

Washington, September 14 (ANI): In her recent tribute to Michael Jackson, Madonna held herself and others responsible for ‘abandoning’ the late star.

The Queen of Pop, while speaking at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York City, recalled her time spent with the King of Pop in 1991, when the two went out to dinner.

Madonna revisited the memories when she joked about trying to get the singer to eat French fries, drink and say “bad words”, reports Us magazine.

The two later went to her house to watch a film and “his hand snuck over and held mine,” and “in that moment, he felt like a human being,” she added.

The ‘Material Girl’ confessed that over the years she lost touch with Jackson, who died of acute propofol intoxication on June 25.

When he passed away, “all I could think about him in that one moment was, ‘I had abandoned him,’ that we had abandoned him,” she said.

She went on: “That we had allowed this magnificant creature that once set the world on fire somehow slip through the cracks.

“When he was trying to build a family and rebuild his career, we were all busy passing judgment. Most of us had turned our backs on him… Sometimes, we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them…” (ANI)

US marks eighth anniversary of 9/11 terror strike

New York, Sep 11(ANI): The eighth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, which killed nearly 3,000 people, was observed here on Friday.

On September 11, 2001, four hijacked planes crashed into the twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.

Memorial ceremonies are to be held at these sites and four moments of silence are observed, at 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:59 a.m. and 10:29 a.m. ET, as these were the timings when the attacks took place.

President Barack Obama attended the wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon, where 184 people died.

The names of more than 2,700 victims from the site were also read by family members and volunteers at the New York ceremony, which was attended by U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden.

For the first time, the anniversary was designated as a National Day of Service. On Thursday, Obama issued a proclamation honouring those who died and had urged Americans to mark the anniversary with acts of community service.

Remembering those who lost their lives on the tragic day, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said: “It is the sacred duty of the living to carry within us the memories of those we lost. While there is pain in remembering the loss, there is sweetness in remembering their lives.” (ANI)