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Benazir says PPP prepared to fill political vacuum ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said that her party was prepared to ....more Man trapped in snow BEND, ORE, Dec 28: An alleged air force deserter survived for 16 days trapped in a snowdrift in an Oregon forest by eating candy and snow before ...more Russia despatches its Defence Minister to Iran DUBAI, Dec 28: Ignoring US threats of economic sanctions, Russia has despatched its Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev to Iran for bolstering the arms ...more Mixed findings on lung disease treatment: Study BOSTON, Dec 28: Inhaling steroids to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, may ease.....more |
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Former Pak Finance ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Pakistan’s military regime has released former federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, a close aide of exiled Premier Nawaz Sharif, after........more Antibiotics resistance common, rising: Study BOSTON, Dec 28: The risk of developing an antibiotic-resistant infection rose by about a third from 1995 to 1998, the latest warning that antibiotics .......more Sri Lanka raises COLOMBO, Dec 28: Sri Lanka’s biggest Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplier Shell Gas Lanka Ltd (SGL) on Monday raised domestic gas prices ......more Drug can quickly BOSTON, Dec 28: If you can’t cure your hiccups with a glass of water, a sudden scare or by holding your breath, an injection of the drug nefopam may help, according to a letter published in .......more |
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Benazir says PPP prepared to fill political vacuum ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said that her party was prepared to fill the "political vacuum" subsisting in the country following the exile of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a newspaper report said. "Given the state of crisis, I believe my leadership is needed to steer the country out of troubled waters," Bhutto told the daily `The News’ from Dubai. "I see myself leading the popular forces in building a federal, liberal and moderate Muslim state at peace with itself and its neighbours", she said. "The PPP and I are asking the people to give us a two-third majority to bring about constitutional restructuring," she said. Bhutto, who is also the chairperson of the PPP confirmed that the party was discussing her return from the self-imposed exile to lead PPP in the next general elections. She called for establishing a "truth and reconciliation commission" to sort out the present crisis of credibility of the country’s political leadership. "This commission should be set up to determine how much far cases of corruption, murder and abuse were born of an attempt to pervert the judicial course by a powerful establishment bent upon crushing the popular forces," Bhutto said. She also proposed the setting up of a National Security Council to put an end to the rule by intelligence agencies and the role of military in political intelligence, the daily said. (PTI) |
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Man trapped in snow for 16 days rescued BEND, ORE, Dec 28: An alleged air force deserter survived for 16 days trapped in a snowdrift in an Oregon forest by eating candy and snow before being saved by snowmobilers who had to dig through feet of snow to rescue him from his car, police have said. Thomas Truett, 29, was pulled from his vehicle last Saturday, two days before Christmas, suffering from frostbite, hypothermia and dehydration, corporal Neil Mackey of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s office said yesterday. Truett, a fuel management technician at Ellsworth Air Force base in South Dakota, had allegedly deserted on Dec 3, setting off on a road trip up the west coast and into Oregon. "He was dealing with some personal problems that kind of got overwhelming. He’s a Florida native and he decided he wanted to see the west. He drove through Colorado, Utah and was headed into California to see the redwoods," Mackey said. But on December seven his 1982 Mazda Sports Car became stuck on a logging road in the middle of Deschutes National Forest, a 1.6 million-acre expanse of mountainous woods in the heart of the pacific northwest state of Oregon. Truett lived in the woods for four days, lighting small fires with his cigarette lighter to keep warm, Mackey said. After the lighter ran out of fuel, Truett sought shelter in his car, living on a quart of water, some orange juice and a package of M M Almond Candies. Mackey said he probably ate snow when his other supplies ran out. As the winter skies dumped 4-1/2 feet of snow on the forest, burying his car in a snowdrift, Truett wrote a farewell note to his parents. Last Thursday, Truett heard snowmobiles nearby and threw his backpack and other items out of his window in a desperate but futile bid to attract attention. The next day, another group of snowmobilers were cruising past the area when they noticed part of a backpack sticking out of the snow. They dug the pack out and tossed it aside, where it knocked snow off Truett’s car, revealing the windshield and the unfortunate occupant behind it. "I call it a two-fer in the miracle department. It was a miracle he survived and it was a miracle he was found," Mackey said. "Where he was, it’s not part of a trail system and the fact that someone was in the area was pretty remarkable." "If they hadn’t found him it may have been spring time before the snow melted and someone saw the car and said, hey there’s a body in here," Mackey said. Truett was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in fair condition and due to be released yesterday. "He had some frostbite to the feet and hands, but no permanent disability," Mackey said. "He does have some swelling and circulation problems, but the doctor said that isn’t serious." Truett, who had weighed about 80 kg when he drove into the forest, shed more than nine kg during his ordeal, Mackey said. "Some of the skeptics are saying there’s no way he could have done that (survived), given the altitude, temperature and snow, but when I look at him I have no doubt that when he says it was December seven when he got stuck, that’s the gospel truth," Mackey said. But the rescue doesn’t spell an end to Truett’s troubles. He is to be turned over to air force officials from his base upon his release, and will be flown back to South Dakota, where he will likely face federal desertion charges. (REUTERS) |
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Russia despatches its Defence Minister to Iran DUBAI, Dec 28: Ignoring US threats of economic sanctions, Russia has despatched its Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev to Iran for bolstering the arms trade between the two countries. Mr Sergeyev arrived in Iranian capital on Tuesday night on the first-ever visit of a Russian Defence Minister to Iran since the 1979 revolution and said Moscow was ready to supply spare-parts for the soviet-made equipments to Teheran. He made it clear that "Iranian-Russian military cooperation will not be prejudice of any third country", according to Irna. The Russian Defence Minister’s comment came against the backdrop of Washington opposing any defence cooperation between Moscow and Teheran. Russia recently announced its decision to withdraw from a 1995 agreement between Moscow and Washington, which restricts the conventional arms sales to Iran. US has threatened Russia with economic sanctions if it went ahead with arms sales to Iran. However, no direct measure has so far been taken by Washington, which has had no relations with Iran ever since the Islamic revolution. Mr Sergeyev declined to make any direct comment on Washington’s threat by merely stating "Russia will not contravene international agreements". He said "we are convinced that strengthening military cooperation between Iran and Russia is a good foundation for the region’s security and stability". The highlight of Sergeyev’s visit to Teheran was his meeting with President Mohammed Khatami last evening. The visit was an important landmark which would culminate in establishing and developing bilateral relations, Khatami told the visiting Russian Minister. Sergeyev yesterday visited Iran’s Aerospeace Industries Organisation and familiarised himself with Iran’s rocket production problems with specimens of armament. He devoted his attention to technology of production of portable and stationery short-range missiles, including anti-tank ones, as well as to air-to-surface missiles. Meanwhile, Iran’s Defence Minister Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani asserted that Moscow-Teheran cooperation was in line with all international standards and would serve the interests of both the countries. (UNI) |
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Mixed findings on lung disease treatment: Study BOSTON, Dec 28: Inhaling steroids to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, may ease symptoms but does not slow lung damage, according to a study published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine. Patients inhaling a steroid experienced fewer symptoms and made fewer trips to the hospital than those who did not, but lung capacity, which deteriorates in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), was unchanged. COPD is a category of lung disease that includes chronic bronchitis and some forms of asthma, but its severe form is more like emphysema in that it damages the lungs’ ability to function properly and can cause death in some cases. The new findings, which are similar to other studies on the effects of inhaled steroids, suggest that the treatment may be useful for patients with moderate or severe COPD, but not for people with a mild form of the illness, Dr. Christina Elisabetta Mapp of the University of Padua in Italy said in an editorial in the journal accompanying the study. A better strategy, she said, would be to prevent the disease by finding improved ways to help people stop smoking. "The cessation of smoking is the only intervention that effectively slows the decline in pulmonary function in such patients," Mapp said. The study, led by Dr. Robert Wise of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, found no difference in lung capacity between the 559 volunteers who received the inhaled steroid triamcinolone, available from several drug companies, and 557 volunteers who inhaled a placebo. However, the triamcinolone group had 25 per cent fewer respiratory symptoms than the volunteers who were given the placebo and they had 43 percent fewer visits to the doctor for breathing problems. The study also found that the treatment may weaken bones. Mapp said the lesson to be learned is that in spite of its benefits, inhaled steroid treatment "does not alter the progression of airflow obstruction." Better drugs, better ways to deliver them and basic research into COPD "are needed if we are to modify the current opinion that it is an untreatable disease," she said. (REUTERS) |
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Former Pak Finance Minister freed ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Pakistan’s military regime has released former federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, a close aide of exiled Premier Nawaz Sharif, after 14 months of detention. Dar was freed late last night in Lahore, the second minister of the Sharif cabinet to be released in four days. Former Information Minister Mushahid Hussain Syed was released on Monday. Army guards posted outside Dar’s house were removed yesterday. Dar described the past 14 months as a "difficult period" in his life and said he had come out "clean in all respects." He told reporters at his residence that as Finance Minister he had taken some difficult decisions but had never compromised national interests. He declined to comment on Sharif’s exile saying he was not fully aware of the political developments during his detention. (PTI) |
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Antibiotics resistance common, rising: Study BOSTON, Dec 28: The risk of developing an antibiotic-resistant infection rose by about a third from 1995 to 1998, the latest warning that antibiotics are losing their effectiveness due to overuse, researchers reported in today’s New England Journal of Medicine. Extensive use in both people and animals is breeding new generations of bugs that withstand antibiotics, drugs that revolutionized medicine when they were introduced in the middle of the 20th century. The declining effectiveness of antibiotics is a serious concern to the medical community. The new study focused on streptococcus pneumoniae, the most commonly identified cause of meningitis, pneumonia and middle ear infections in the United States. The findings illustrated that the risk of developing an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection rose substantially between 1995 and 1998. Among those who developed a streptococcus pneumoniae infection, 14 percent in 1998 had one resistant to at least three different types of antibiotics, compared to 9 percent in 1995. "Multidrug-resistant pneumococci are common and are increasing," said the research team, led by Dr. Cynthia Whitney of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. About 160 million antibiotic prescriptions are written in the United States each year for some 25 11.3 million kg of antibiotics. About half of those prescriptions are unnecessary, according to an editorial in the journal. Animals are fed a similar amount of antibiotics. The new study’s findings were based on tests of 3,475 samples from 1998 from all over the country. Twenty-four percent of the bacteria in the samples were resistant to penicillin, and the rate ranged up to 35 percent in tennessee and down to 15 percent in New York and California. Once the bacteria had adapted to fight off penicillin, the researchers found, they were likely to be able to withstand the onslaught of other types of antibiotics as well. One answer, researchers said, is to take greater care in the use of the drugs, which are so common they are often included in the food of livestock. Another is to immunize people against pneumococcal infections through vaccination. The vaccine, already used for adults, recently has become available to young children in the United States. In their editorial, Drs. Richard Wenzel and Michael Edmond of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond said routinely immunizing infants in the United States would prevent 53,000 cases of pneumonia, 12,000 cases of meningitis and 110 deaths each year. The elderly and those with weak immune systems also face a high risk of death or illness from pneumococcal infections. "We need to reassess policies on antibiotic use while changing our approach to include vaccinations against pneumococcal infections of all children over the age of 4, all adults over age 65, and all people with hiv infection," Wenzel and Edmond said. (REUTERS) |
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Sri Lanka raises LPG diesel, kerosene prices COLOMBO, Dec 28: Sri Lanka’s biggest Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplier Shell Gas Lanka Ltd (SGL) on Monday raised domestic gas prices for the second time in as many months after an overnight hike in diesel and kerosene prices. "Since June this year, the world LPG price has risen by 25 percent while the rupee has devalued by 9.5 percent, raising the cost of LPG by 36 percent," said a statement issued by SGL, which is a partly owned subsidiary of the royal Dutch Shell Group. It said a 12.5 kg cylinder of gas for household use would cost 8.3 percent more at 509 rupees. SGL, which lost its monopoly of the LPG market earlier this month, raised prices for its industrial customers by more than 16 per cent last month to meet soaring import costs. Three new firms have entered the market, but are yet to commence operations. The state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp (CPC) said in a statement seen by reuters today the price of diesel had gone up by three rupees per litre, while kerosene was up by one rupee per litre. Before the price hike took effect at midnight yesterday regular diesel was retailing at 21.50 rupees per litre, while kerosene, which is used largely for cooking, cost 17.40 per litre. The CPC did not give a reason for the price hike but the move was widely expected because of rising global crude oil prices and a weakening rupee. Prices of both fuels were increased by three rupees each last month. The Government has been forced to increase its inflation rate forecast to 7.0-7.5 percent by the end of the year, against a 1999 inflation rate of 4.7 percent. The price hikes are politically sensitive in Sri Lanka. Previous increases by SGL caused an uproar earlier this year prompting calls by the opposition for the Government to cancel its agreement with company. Opposition lawmakers rode to Parliament in bullock carts to protest last month’s fuel price increase. (REUTERS) |
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Drug can quickly block hiccups BOSTON, Dec 28: If you can’t cure your hiccups with a glass of water, a sudden scare or by holding your breath, an injection of the drug nefopam may help, according to a letter published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers in Rome said they were able to relieve incapacitating hiccups in three patients within a minute with a single injection of the drug, a painkiller that prevents shivering that is available outside the United States. Hiccups are a common phenomenon caused by a sudden, involuntary spasm of the diaphragm, producing a quick inhalation. The sudden closure of the vocal chords at the same time leads to the characteristic hiccuping sound. In severe cases, if hiccups do not go away by themselves, doctors can find them difficult to cure. Drs. Frederico Bilotta and Giovanni Rosa of the University of Rome La Sapienza first treated the patients with chlorpromazine and then lidocaine. But when that treatment did not work, they experimented with nefopam, which strongly and rapidly eliminates pain. It worked in all three cases, the researchers said. Nefopam commonly produces nausea, nervousness and dry mouth as side effects. In each case, the Italian doctors switched the patients to other medication once the hiccups had stopped. (REUTERS) |
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