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Lal Salaam and Dalal Salaam heated exchanges between SP and BJP
15.07.2008 10:22
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They often correctly say – “there are no permanent foes or friends in politics”. If one glances back a few years, the Samajwadi Party, which then ruled in Uttar Pradesh, had extended a five-star treatment to the BJP during its national executive meeting in Lucknow. Then it was an open secret that the SP had unofficially given a “state guest” honour to the BJP, because both were at a distance from the Congress, which virtually ruled, and still does, at the Centre. That was an era when the SP and the BJP were hobnobbing behind the doors. ‘Behind the doors” because of their politico-ideological compulsions – one is identified as having secular credentials and the other a ‘communal’ image. But, today, after seeing SP General General Secretary Amar Singh addressing a press conference and castigating BJP leader LK Advani for describing that he is a ‘dalal’, it became amply clear that once “behind the doors friends” are attacking each other. Taking a strong exception to BJP leader LK Advani’s recent remarks that the Congress had turned from doing ‘Lal Salaam’ to ‘Dalal Salaam’, Amar Singh said that it was only a matter of months when the BJP leader had changed the impression about him. Recalling the “closed door meetings” between the SP and BJP till a few months ago, he said that the BJP had even gone to the extent of committing its support to a government led by SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav at the Centre. “But Mulayam Singh ji had on every occasion declined the offer, saying that the Samajwadi Party can’t go along with the communal BJP,” he added. The connotations “Lal Salaam” and ‘Dalal Salaam” are being used in regard to the Congress distancing itself away from the Communist parties (have red party flags) and turning to the Samajwadi Party (who had dalals like Amar Singh). “Though Advani indirectly said the Congress was indulging in ‘dalal salaam’, his insinuation was directed at me. I want to recall that Advaniji had great affection for me till a few months ago, when he delivered a copy of his autobiography ‘My Country My Life’ through his daughter at my residence. It was because he had invited me at the launch of his book but I couldn’t attend it. Also, Advaniji had himself handed over a copy of his book to Soniaji at her official residence because she also could not attend the book launch ceremony,” said an infuriated looking Amar Singh. He also referred to the meetings which took place at the residence of George Fernandes, and at other places including Hotel Maurya Sheraton, where senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh had committed his party’s support to a Mulayam Singh-led government at the Centre in order to topple the Congress-led government. But Mulayam Singhji refused saying that he can’t sit in the same boat with the BJP, added Amar Singh at the press conference flanked by SP leader in Lok Sabha Prof Ram Gopal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav. (ANI)
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Social Life
W. Australia Deputy Premier meets Deora, MoU on oil and gas cooperation
15.07.2008 10:22
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Western Australia''s Deputy Premier Eric Ripper today called on Petroleum and Natural Gas MInister Murli Deora. The two leaders reportedly discussed ways of taking forward existing cooperation between India and Western Australia in the oil and gas sector. Both felt that there was potential for cooperation in various activities in these two sectors, especially in exploration and production, coal bed methane, LNG, etc. During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Directorate General of Hydrocarbons(DGH) of India and Department of Industry and Resources(DOIR) of Western Australia. Stedman Illias, Deputy DG, DOIR and V.K. Sibal, DG, DGH, a technical arm of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry in the upstream sector, signed the MoU. The two leaders described the MoU signed on Tuesday as a significant beginning in the cooperation between India and Western Australia. The MoU aims at enhancing cooperation and understanding on oil and gas related issues and exchange information and pass on good practices in the development of policy on oil and gas exploration, production and field abandonment, exchange of expertise etc. It also identifies broad areas of cooperation. These include aquifer depletion specific to the oil and gas sector, enhanced oil recovery, coal bed methane gas, education and training, joint research and development and any other areas that are mutually agreed upon by both parties. The two sides will seek to approve a programme of cooperation each year or such other jointly decided time period. The MoU is valid for a period of five years and may be further extended with mutual consent. (ANI)
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Government to brief IAEA on India-specific safeguards agreement in Vienna on July 18
15.07.2008 10:22
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The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government will brief the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors in Vienna on July 18 on the India-specific safeguards agreement without which the Indo-US civil nuclear deal cannot be operationalised. The IAEA Board of Governors has been informed about Friday’s briefing, said official sources here on Tuesday. It is expected that informal consultations among the 35 member IAEA Board of Governors will take place on the India-specific safeguards agreement on or around August 1. A senior External Affairs Ministry official is leaving for Vienna on Wednesday to attend the briefing. An IAEA Board of Governors meeting to build a consensus on the India-specific safeguards agreement is essential to help implement the Indo-US civil nuclear deal. A meeting was to take place on July 28, but this has been postponed. (ANI)
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UPA Govt bound to fall as its strength in LS is not more than 250, claims BJP
15.07.2008 10:22
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Senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra today claimed that the Congress-led UPA Government was bound to fall on July 22 because “the ruling coalition was not able to cobble together more than 250 members in the Lower House of the parliament”. In order to win the trust vote, the UPA ought to have 272 votes in the 545-member strong House. Malhotra suggested that the five MPs who have been convicted or are facing trial must not be allowed to vote in the trust motion. Malhotra, party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said that a few small parties, and even a section of the Congress MPs (in Lok Sabha), were in constant touch with the BJP and were ready to vote against the Government during the trust motion over the Indo-US nuclear deal. He, however, did not divulge the names of the political parties and the Congressmen. Malhotra said that the NDA was intact and that a meeting of all NDA chief ministers has been called tomorrow in the Capital to discuss the future political strategy, as the Centre Government was bound to fall. He said thereafter a meeting of the NDA allies would be called at Leader of Opposition LK Advani’s residence. “Our core group has been meeting regularly over the past few days to read the latest political situation in the country ahead of the trust vote on the Indo-US nuclear deal,” Malhotra told media persons at the regular press briefing this afternoon. Interacting with the press persons on the occasion, party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the BJP was “not in favour of the Indo-US nuclear deal in its present form and that it opposed in national interest. We are not against friendly relations against the US,” he clarified. He said that incorrect conclusions have been drawn over the past few days regarding the BJP’s stance regarding the deal, and added “we are opposing the deal in its present form which is against the national interests.” (ANI)
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Bhutan seeks medical college in collaboration with AIIMS
15.07.2008 10:21
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Bhutan has sought India''s cooperation for setting up a medical college in collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). This proposal was discussed during Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss''s meeting with visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley, here today. The Prime Minister of Bhutan raised the issue of setting up of medical college in the context of ongoing cooperation between the two countries in the health sector. India is setting up two hospitals in Bhutan. Dr. Ramadoss mentioned that he met the Health Minister of Bhutan in Geneva during the recent health assembly where he discussed this issue as well as starting a nursing college in Bhutan. Thinley also requested for more seats for Bhutan students in Indian medical colleges. Ramadoss assured that he will look into the matter. A delegation led by the Health Minister of Bhutan will visit India to workout of the details raised during the meeting, both said. (ANI)
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Obesity is top health concern for US kids in 2008
15.07.2008 10:21
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A new report, released by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, has shown that childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern for US kids in 2008. The second concern for Americans is drug abuse while smoking is the third cause of anxiety. “The National Poll on Children’s Health report clearly shows that adults in America are very concerned about the problem of childhood obesity and its causes,” said Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the National Poll on Children’s Health. “While recent studies have suggested that the childhood obesity epidemic may be leveling off, the results of this poll reveal that adults in the U.S. are still very much concerned about this issue,” he added. The National Poll on Children’s Health, which asked adults to rate 20 different health problems for children living in their communities, reveals that bullying also now ranks among the public’s top concerns for children’s health, ahead of teen pregnancy and alcohol abuse. Top 10 overall health concerns for U.S. children in 2008: 1. Childhood obesity 2. Drug abuse 3. Smoking 4. Bullying 5. Internet safety 6. Child abuse and neglect 7. Teen pregnancy 8. Alcohol abuse 9. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 10. Chemicals in the environment (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Argentinean scientists make low-fat, low-sodium hamburger
15.07.2008 10:21
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Here’s some good news for hamburger lovers who are forced stay away from their favourite food: Researchers in Argentina have come up with a low-fat, low-sodium hamburger. The only drawback however, is that it doesn’t taste very good. Researchers from th eCenter for Research and Development of Food Cryotechnology have the past two years developing the burger. The boffins have taken the beef fat out of the meat and replaced it with a combination of substitutes less likely to clog arteries, reports thewashingtonpost.com. Those substitutes include high oleic sunflower oil and fats from seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which many studies suggest benefit cardiovascular health. They also added phytosterols to the mix -- a byproduct of soybeans that can lower the body''s cholesterol absorption. Those who have tasted the burger however, say that it’s not very good. "The taste is very similar to a regular hamburger because the oils and fats we''ve added -- even the seafood oils -- are neutral in taste and smell," said Alicia Califano, another chemist who developed the burger recipe. "But if you tried to make a hamburger this lean at home, it would be really hard and dry." (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Living near busy traffic streets ups kids allergy risk
15.07.2008 10:21
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Children living near busy traffic streets are at an increased risk of developing allergic diseases, a new study suggests. In the study led by Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, a German research group has found that increased exposure to traffic-related air pollution leads to allergic diseases in kids. The researchers tracked 3,061 six-year old children from Munich and its surroundings, and studied behavioural and environmental risk factors for allergic diseases. They based their analysis on the corresponding distance of the parental home to streets busy with traffic and air pollution with fine dust, diesel soot and nitrogen dioxide. They found that an increased exposure to fine dust led to asthmatic bronchitis and allergic sensitization to pollen. Moreover, exposure to nitric oxide was linked to an increase in eczema. The study led by Dr. Joachim Heinrich of the Institute of Epidemiology of the Helmholtz Zentrum München showed that children who lived less than 50m from a very busy main road were between 1 pct and 50 pct more likely to contract these diseases, while the risk lowered with increasing distances to the main roads. The results are published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (ANI)
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Health & Beauty
National Australia Bank to halve local workforce, outsource more jobs to India
15.07.2008 04:22
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The National Australia Bank (NAB) plans to more than halve its local technology workforce and outsource jobs to India in the next five years, as part of its massive technology transformation program ‘Neos’. In an email written last week, NAB chief information officer Michelle Tredenick told his technology staff that it was increasing its off-shoring initiatives as part of Program Neos. “As we progress our transformation we''re thinking about the future shape and size of our workforce. Decisions on how we mobilise and prioritise the rollout of our next-generation platforms also influence the number and type of roles we need in our workforce,” The Australian quoted Tredenick as saying in the email. At a technology team event last month, technology banking Australia general manager Craig Bright said technology staff numbers could drop to less than 1000 over the next five years. NAB presently employs about 2600 technology staff. To a question - What do you think will be the size of technology in five years at NAB, Bright said “As low as 1000. It could be a bit higher if New Zealand''s processing is moved over to Australia”. But, a NAB spokeswoman downplayed Bright’s statement, saying that the number of jobs to be cut and outsourced is not known yet. She said: “Craig said there are known factors that would reduce the size of the workforce, such as offshoring and moving to next-generation platform. Equally, there are unknown factors that could also affect the size of the workforce if NAB extended its role by providing services to its New Zealand and Asian businesses. Overall, this points to the message that NAB continues to reiterate, and again repeated at last week''s staff briefings: it is too early to know the final size and structure of the technology business unit at this stage.” Last week, NAB informed staff that as part of the ‘ITO Second Wave’ of its information technology outsourcing program it was reviewing the positions of 148 staff across the TBA and technology MLC divisions. ‘ITO Wave One’ targeted about 264 technology jobs for transfer to technology outsourcers Satyam and Infosys by October. So far, 100 positions have been sent to India, between 10 and 15 staff have accepted redundancy, and another 30 per cent have requested voluntary redundancy. NAB could send more than 450 jobs to India by the end of the year, in addition to the sizeable workforce it already has there. NAB recently bolstered its off-shoring credentials by appointing ANZ Bank technology executive Denis McGee. McGee, who left ANZ in March after 39 years, was one of the technology architects responsible for ANZ''s successful IT operations in Bangalore. Founded in 1988, the Bangalore centre now has about 1500 employees and underpins ANZ''s core banking overhaul across its Asia-Pacific business, including Vietnam. (ANI)
India
Economics & Finance
The smoking cessation therapies that are more effective than placebos
15.07.2008 04:22
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A total of six smoking cessation therapies have proved to have an edge over placebos when it comes to kicking the butt, revealed researchers from McGill University and the University of Montreal. Conducted on 32,000 participants, this meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials found that varenicline, nicotine nasal spray, bupropion (Wellbutrin), nicotine patches, tablets and gum helped people quit smoking. But researchers said that "despite the documented efficacy of these agents, the absolute number of patients who were abstinent from smoking at 12 months was low." In fact, they pointed out that varenicline was about twice as effective as bupropion. They pointed out that there is a need to do more work for developing improved therapies to help people quit smoking and to "identify optimal cessation strategies, including alternative ways to use existing agents." In a related commentary, Mayo Clinic researchers said that effective strategies to communicate options to stop smoking need to be developed. "We are confident that the recommended treatments will substantially increase rates of smoking abstinence when given to smokers who wish to quit," yet there are barriers to these treatments. The study also indicated an inability to translate and communicate research findings to the general population and laid stress on the need to develop better programs to disseminate smoking cessation therapies to smokers. In a research letter, Dr. John Cunningham of Toronto''s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health said that free nicotine replacement therapy could reap major benefits in helping people stop smoking. He writes this could have major policy implications. The findings of the study appear in an article published in CMAJ. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Indoor air quality more harmful than outdoor air
15.07.2008 04:22
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One may crib about the pollution outside and prefer to stay inside the four walls of the home, but even this may not be a good idea, for researchers say that indoor air quality has a greater impact on health than outdoor air quality. In a new study, researchers said that exposure to chemical and biological contaminants and possible cancer-causing agents is possible, and can contribute to the risk of developing respiratory and neurologic symptoms, allergies, asthma and lung cancer. While North American adults spend almost 90% of their time indoors, researchers at the University of Ottawa; the Environmental Health Sciences Bureau (Canada); the Air Health Effects Division, Water, Air and Climate Change Bureau; and Health Canada review sources, health effects and control strategies for several major sources of residential indoor contaminants. This information is useful for both homeowners and physicians in helping prevent and treat possible health problems. The study also cited that exposure to second hand smoke and radon are the most common causes of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. (ANI)
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Health & Beauty
Plant sterols may pose health risk
15.07.2008 04:22
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They might be known for lowering bad cholesterol and reducing heart disease risk, but plant sterols have their own health risks, say researchers. The researchers found that these compounds may accumulate in heart valves and lead to stenosis, abnormal narrowing in blood vessels. Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is caused due to accumulation of cholesterol in the valve between the left ventricle and aorta, which impedes the flow of blood and puts extra pressure on the heart. Nearly, 2 pct of individuals over 65 and over 5pct of those over 85 have AS, and as the population ages, it is becoming an increasing problem. Plant sterols can block the absorption of dietary cholesterol into the body, and as such high vegetable diets and/or plant sterol supplements are often used to alleviate high cholesterol. The team led by Satu Helske collected blood samples from 82 patients with severe AS and aortic valves from 21 individuals undergoing valve surgery. They found that non-cholesterol sterols, including plant sterols, can accumulate in aortic valves, and at levels that directly related to their blood concentration. These findings suggest that beneficial plant sterols may end up becoming a risk factor for AS. The study appears in the July JLR. (ANI)
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Health & Beauty
Coronary heart disease patients have poor quality of life
15.07.2008 04:22
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Better treatments boost survival rates of coronary heart disease patients, but the quality of those extra years may be less than ideal, according to a new study. Adults with cardiovascular trouble scored up to 9 percent lower on four scales measuring their quality of life, when compared with adults without coronary heart disease (CHD). Lead author Jipan Xie, M.D., Ph.D., former health scientist in the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga, said that patients with coronary heart disease were more likely to say they had poorer quality of life, or describe themselves as sick. Those most likely to report poorer quality of life in this study were between the age group of 18 to 49; women; and black or Hispanic. Xie said that the age-related difference probably reflects a difference in age-related expectations. "Younger people may feel more pressure - especially younger men - in the workplace and may be more threatened by limitations imposed by their disease," she said. Older people, especially those who were older than 65, were less likely to say heart disease limited their life or had an adverse effect on their quality of life. "The implications of these findings underscore the need for interventions aimed at improved health-related quality of life for people with coronary heart disease - a population that has been growing rapidly," she said. For the study, researchers used data from the 2000 and 2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys and they identified 2,091 people with a history of coronary heart disease from a sample of 37,386 individuals. On average, CHD patients had 2.4 percent lower mental health scores; 4.6 percent lower health utility scores - which measured mobility, self-care, usual activity, pain and anxiety; 9 percent lower self-ratings of health; and 9.2 percent lower physical health scores. Researchers noted that men and women with heart disease rated lower on the mental health measure than did participants free of CHD. Yet, while self-rated health scores indicated that men were more affected by CHD than women, physical health scores indicated women with heart disease had more functional impairment than men. Xie said contradictory findings are fairly common in these types of analyses, but the findings suggest a disconnect between self-perception and functional ability. Researchers said the study is limited because the disease status was self-reported and patients had various stages of CHD and treatments. Also, there was not enough information to explain the differences in patient-reported health status among demographic subgroups. The study is published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. (ANI)
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Health & Beauty
Snapshots of eyes may help catch diabetes early
15.07.2008 04:22
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Snapshots of eyes, used for detecting eye disease, can also serve as an early warning for diabetes, say researchers. The new vision-screening device developed by scientists Victor M. Elner, M.D., Ph.D., and Howard R. Petty, Ph.D from University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Centre helps in measuring metabolic stress in retina. The device takes a specialized photograph of the eye and is non-invasive, taking about five minutes to test both eyes. "Our objective in performing this study was to determine whether we could detect abnormal metabolism in the retina of patients who might otherwise remain undiagnosed based on clinical examination alone," said Elner, professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at U-M Medical School. In the previous study, Petty and Elner had revealed that high levels of flavoprotein autofluorescence (FA) act as a reliable indicator of eye disease. Metabolic stress, and therefore disease, can be detected by measuring the intensity of cellular fluorescence in retinal tissue. In the present study, the researchers measured the FA levels of 21 individuals who had diabetes and compared the results to age-matched healthy controls. They found that FA activity was significantly higher for those with diabetes, regardless of severity, compared to those who did not have the disease. Out of 21 participants, 12 were known to have diabetic retinopathy, a disease in which blood vessels in the eye are damaged. The individuals with diabetic retinopathy in at least one eye had significantly greater FA activity than people with diabetes who do not have any visible eye disease. "The abnormal readings indicated that it may be possible to use this method to monitor the severity of the disease," said Elner. "Increased FA activity is the earliest indicator that cell death has occurred and tissue is beginning to break down," said Petty, professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the U-M Medical School. "FA serves as a ''spectral-biomarker'' for metabolism gone awry, and we can use the results to detect and monitor disease," he added. Petty also said that unlike glucose monitoring, elevation of FA levels reflects ongoing tissue damage, which could motivate patients to intensify their efforts to manage the disease. The researchers believe that the device has great potential as a tool for diabetes screening and management. The study appears in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
IIT alumni condemn association with Dow
15.07.2008 03:24
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Alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have criticised the institution for accepting Dow Chemical Company as one of its sponsors. Dow is the current owner of Union Carbide, whose plant leaked toxic gas killing 3, 500 people in Bhopal in 1984. IIT Mumbai has accepted Dow as its gold sponsor for its golden jubilee celebrations this year, sparking protests among its alumni. Praful Bidwai, a columnist and an alumnus of IIT, said the premier institute should in no way associate itself with Dow. "About 500 alumni of IIT Mumbai and 43 faculty members have written letters to the organizers of the IIT Golden Jubilee conference, basically condemning the association of Dow Chemical Company with the program of the conference as a sponsor, as a high profile gold sponsor," Bidwai said. Bidwai also said that any association with Dow would harm national interests. "We strongly believe that it would be against our national interest to accept or encourage any offer by the government. We also believe that the acceptance of the sponsorship from Dow for the 2008 golden jubilee conference for July 18-19 would set an incorrect and only help to legitimize Dow''s ongoing efforts to set up alliances with various academic institutions, Forty-three faculty members have signed unprecedented letter," he said. Over 3,500 people died in the days and weeks after toxic fumes spewed out of a pesticide plant in Bhopal on the night of December 2, 1984. Officials say nearly 15,000 people have died from cancer and other diseases since then. Activists have put the toll at 33,000 and claim that toxins from thousands of tonnes of chemicals lying in and around the site have seeped into ground water. Union Carbide in 1984 accepted moral responsibility for the tragedy and established a 100 million dollars charitable trust fund to build a hospital for the victims. Later Union Carbide was taken over by Dow Chemicals. The company also paid 470 million dollars to the government in 1989 in a settlement reached after a protracted legal battle. The victims were paid 25,000 rupees in case of illness and 100,000 rupees or so to the next of kin of those killed. Michigan-based Dow Chemical says it is not responsible for the clean up as it never owned or operated the plant. The Madhya Pradesh state government now owns the abandoned plant. (ANI)
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