A little alcohol ‘can raise breast cancer risk

NEW YORK, Apr 14: Ladies, beware! Alcohol may be good for your heart in moderation, but drinking more than a glass of wine a day could up your risk of developing breast cancer, a new study has revealed.

And don’t think that switching to beer or spirits is the answer — the more alcohol consumed on a regular basis, the greater the risk of the disease, according to researchers at the University of Chicago.

"Our study shows that not only does a small amount of alcohol significantly increase the risk of breast cancer, it increases the risk of the most common type of breast cancer, responsible for around 70 per cent of cases," lead researcher Jasmine Jew said.

The researchers reached the conclusion after analysing 184,418 postmenopausal women who enrolled in the study and who answered questions about their daily alcohol consumption.

During an average of seven years of follow-up, they found that 70 per cent of participants drank alcohol; The average amount was a little less than a drink a day. The study showed that moderate drinking in women increased their risk of developing breast cancer.

Subsequently, the researchers identified 5,461 cases of invasive breast cancer for which they had tumour type information on 2,391 cases. In all, they analysed data on 1,641 er+/pr+, 366 er-/pr-, 336 er+/pr-, and 48 er-/pr+ cases of invasive breast cancer.

The study found that er+/pr+ cancers showed a stronger association with alcohol than that seen in the overall group.

Compared to non-drinkers, women who consumed less than one drink daily, one to two drinks, and three or more daily drinks, the increase in relative risk for developing er+/pr+ breast cancer was seven per cent, 32 per cent and 51 per cent respectively.

"This suggests that a woman should evaluate consumption of alcohol along with other known breast cancer risk factors, such as use of hormone replacement therapy.

"Our study at this point provides evidence for the notion that alcohol affects oestrogen metabolism, which increases risk of hormone sensitive breast cancer," Lew was quoted by the media as saying. (PTI)

People bee-line to get clicked with Pratibha Patil in Brazil

SAO PAULO, Apr 14: It was a photo opportunity for dozens of Indians in this commercial capital of Brazil as President Pratibha Patil began her first leg of three nation tour to Latin America.

After her brief inaugural speech at the reception hosted in her honour, the organisers of the function, possibly surprised at an early end of the function, asked all those who had gathered to queue up for clicking themselves with the first woman President of India and within no time the entire hall at a five-star hotel saw people bee-lining for the opportunity, taking the security by surprise.

After nearly 30 minutes, the organisers, unable to cope up with the rush decided to call it an end and quickly the President was escorted out of the room.

Patil is on a 13-day visit to Brazil, Mexico and Chile.

In her brief address to the Indian community based in Sao Paulo, the President said both India and Brazil are large democracies and major countries in their respective regions. "The emergence of our two countries as leading players in the global arena has been propelled by their large and qualified manpower resources, big land mass, vibrant trillion dollar economies and the spirit of entrepreneurship that permeates our societies," she said.

"It is only fitting that the visit to Brazil should begin from the large metropolis of Sao Paulo which enjoys the honour of being the economic and commercial capital of Brazil," Patil said, adding the metropolis was unique as it has the world’s only university of yoga.

"I am also told that nearly 80 per cent of Brazilian cattle stock derives its origin from India’s Nellore variety, which is known in Brazil as Zebu. The year 2006 marked the 100th anniversary of the import of first cow from India into north-east Brazil," she said.

She complimented the Indian community for their contribution in development of Brazil and said: "You are not only our ambassadors in a distant country but are also contributing to the building of bridges of understanding between the two countries."

"We have established an overseas Indian facilitation centre, which can be your window to invest in and benefit from India," she said, adding "work has begun on establishing a `diaspora knowledge network’ - an electronic platform to facilitate transformation of ideas into community action in India."

An "India development foundation" is also on the anvil which would allow you to contribute to social development causes in India," she added. (PTI)

11 Afghan policemen killed in Taliban attack: police

KANDAHAR, Apr 14: Taliban militants stormed a police post in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar overnight, killing at least 11 policemen, a police official said today.

The attack in Arghandab district of the troubled province was the latest in a string of violent incidents blamed on the Islamist rebels, who were toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001.

"One of our police posts was attacked in Arghandab last night. At this point I can confirm that 11 policemen have been killed," deputy provincial police chief Amanuallah Khan said.

Police vehicles and weapons were also seized by the attackers, Khan said, blaming the raid on the "enemies of Afghanistan" -- a term Afghan authorities use to refer to the Taliban.

Kandahar province was where the Taliban rose to prominence in the early 1990s and is one of the worst hit regions in an insurgency led by the hardline militia since their ouster.

The attack comes two days after Taliban rebels targeted counter-narcotics police as they destroyed an opium poppy field, killing four officers. (AGENCIES)

Scientists 'solve riddle' of arsenic cancer treatment

LONDON, Apr 14: Scientists claim to have cracked the mystery of how arsenic that causes cancer also cures it, a discovery which could soon lead to better uses for the deadly poison in therapies for leukaemia with fewer side effects.

Arsenic is a poisonous metal that has long been linked to an increased risk of cancers, diabetes, thickening of the skin, diseases of the liver and digestive complications.

Now, the European scientists have unravelled the paradox of how the carcinogenic poison act as a treatment for cancer by watching the behaviour of the arsenic compounds in animal cells, 'The Guardian' reported today.

They found arsenic acts like a glue, sticking itself to a type of molecule involved in leukaemia. This molecule, called Sumo, is then attacked by an enzyme called RNF4, a process that also destroys the cancer-causing proteins.

"Our discovery is key to understanding how we can enhance the anti-cancer properties of this poison. Knowing the specific molecules involved allows us to work on creating more targeted and effective cancer drugs with fewer side effects," lead researcher Ronald Hay of University of Dundee said.

Added co-researcher Michael Tatham: "People have been (trying) for the past 20 years to piece together how treating patients with arsenic results in the death of leukaemia cells. We have added a major piece to that puzzle."

The results of the study, which are published in the 'Nature Cell Biology' journal, have been welcomed by experts in this field.

Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK's Director of Information, said: "It's a great piece of science that will hopefully lead to the development of drugs that home in on specific cancer-causing proteins to beat the disease." (PTI)

Around 30 bodies found in Iraq mass grave

BAGHDAD, Apr 14: US soldiers have discovered around 30 bodies in a mass grave north of Baghdad of people buried nearly eight months ago, the American military said today.

The grave was found yesterday south of the town of Muqdadiyah in the restive Diyala province, north of Baghdad.

"The coalition force was unable to determine whether or not the bodies had been tortured at the time of death," the military said in a statement.

"All the bodies were badly decomposed and appear to have been at the site nearly eight months."

Diyala is one of the most dangerous regions of Iraq where US and Iraqi forces are engaged in sustained military assaults against Al-Qaeda militants.

Human rights groups believe there are hundreds of mass graves in Iraq, mostly of people killed during the regime of Saddam Hussein. (AGENCIES)

IMF to hike India's vote, quota shares

WASHINGTON, Apr 14: India has welcomed the IMF's plan to raise its quota and vote shares in the bank as a "significant" first step that would have a "catalytic effect" on reforms in the World Bank and other institutions under the UN umbrella.

"The IMF can now be justifiably proud that it is the first international organisation that has taken a significant step in reforming its governance structure," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said here.

"This modest, albeit crucial first step will surely have a catalytic effect on reforms in the World Bank and other organisations under the UN umbrella," Chidambaram said.

The major reform proposal under which the quota share would be increased from 1.92 per cent to 2.44 per cent and vote share from 1.88 per cent to 2.34 per cent was endorsed by the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) of the IMF yesterday.

The move would push India's position up to 11th among the 184 member nations of the Washington-based institution.

The IMFC-endorsed reform package, which is expected to be put to formal voting on April 28, came as India sought a realignment of votes alloted to countries in the IMF.

Chidambaram said said a "near consensus" on the new formula was more important than the second round of ad-hoc quota hike itself.

Chidambaram, who was speaking at a World Bank-organised event, also welcomed the forward movement on implementing the income model of the Crockett Committee, particularly on sale of "post-Second Amendment Gold" and the creation of an endowment.

"I expect this proposal will be endorsed expeditiously by national authorities across the membership of the Fund and a significant source of steady income would be available without further delay," he said. (PTI)

HRW wants India to stop "forced" eviction of people in Andhra

NEW YORK, Apr 14: An international human rights watchdog has urged the Indian government to stop alleged forced eviction and relocation of tens of thousands of people from their forest settlements in Andhra Pradesh where, it claimed, they sought safety from the Naxal violence.

The Human Rights Watch said the Andhra Pradesh forest department on April 5 destroyed homes of displaced indigenous persons residing in Kothooru village to "forcibly evict" them.

Since January 2007, the Andhra Pradesh forest department has made about 10 attempts to forcibly evict displaced persons from Kothooru, it said.

"Many thousands of men, women, and children fled to Andhra Pradesh from the conflict in Chhattisgarh," said Meenakshi Ganguly, senior researcher for South Asia at Human Rights Watch.

"Instead of providing them with safe sanctuary, the authorities are tearing down their homes and putting them in harm's way," she claimed.

The watchdog said since June 2005, between 30,000 and 50,000 people have fled to Khammam and Warrangal districts of Andhra Pradesh following escalating tensions in neighbouring Chhattisgarh between Naxalites, an armed Maoist group, and a "state-supported" vigilante group called Salwa Judum.

The HRW said that its investigation in November and December last year showed that most villagers fled to Andhra Pradesh because of attacks by Salwa Judum and police.

Saying these settlements are illegal, the authorities have without prior notice or due process repeatedly burned down the hamlets of hundreds of displaced persons, forcibly evicting them from forest lands, the agency added.

"In some cases, Andhra Pradesh forest department officials have forced them into trucks and dropped them close to the Chhattisgarh state boundary," the HRW alleged. (PTI)

HRW urges China to let North Korean children attend schools

NEW YORK, Apr 14: An international human rights watchdog has urged China to allow children of North Korean women living in the country to attend schools, saying nothing would be gained by having uneducated children grow up.

In a new report released today, Human Rights Watch said denial of education violates international standards as also China's own laws.

"China should ensure all children can go to school without preconditions such as requiring them to show household registration papers. China should also stop arresting and summarily repatriating North Korean women who have had children with Chinese men," it said.

Elaine Pearson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch said, "To uphold the rights of these children, China does not need to implement new laws, or amend existing ones. It has only to abide by its own laws and the international treaties it has ratified."

The 21-page report titled, "Denied Status, Denied Education: Children of North Korean Women in China," documents how such children live without legal identity or access to elementary education.

These children live in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in eastern Jilin Province, northeast China (near its border with North Korea). Some are from North Korea while others were born in China and have Chinese fathers and North Korean mothers. (PTI)

Regional coop to help Arab world shed terror image: Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 14: Malaysia has called for holding regional meetings to enable the Arab world to shed the image of Muslims being associated with terrorism.

Foreign Minister Rais Yatim yesterday said Arab countries would be invited to attend these meetings.

The proposal was made at the Asia-Middle East Dialogue at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on April 5 and 6, he said here.

Rais said Malaysia had also proposed that the anti-terrorism training centre in Kuala Lumpur be used by countries facing terrorism, national news agency Bernama said. (PTI)

Bangladesh celebrates New Year amid tight security

DHAKA, Apr 15: Tens of thousands of people today joined 'Pahela Boishakh' celebrations across the country to welcome the Bengali New Year amid tight security, with police and elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) troops guarding the carnival venues.

Witnesses said thousands of New Year revellers thronged Dhaka's Ramna Batomul, the venue for the annual celebration, where leading cultural groups staged open functions, even as the security agencies kept a sharp vigil against possible attacks by Islamist militants opposed to such festivities.

Bomb disposal units and dog squads stood guard and close circuit cameras were installed at festival venues as part of a three-layer security plan to address security concerns, police said.

The concerns have stemmed after the 2001 deadly bomb blasts at the Pahela Baishakh celebrations which killed at least 12 people at Ramna Park.

Attired in traditional Bengali dresses, adults and children gorged themselves on Bengali delicacies of 'Panta Bhat' (rice soaked in water) and 'hilsha fry' along with smoked chilli at places of Baishakhi congregations.

Leading cultural group Chhayanaut artistes' enthralled the audience by their rendering of the Baishakhi welcome songs at Ramna Batomul.

The celebrations of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla Calendar Year, dates back to Emperor Akbar's reign when it was customary to clear all dues on the last day of Bengali month Chaitra as businessmen opened their 'halkhata' or new account books on the first day of the year.

The Bangla calender today marked the beginning of the year 1415. (PTI)

French fries, colas, disorders and children

LONDON, Apr 14: Binging french fries, colas and being hooked to virtual games of Mario or Max Payne is now being held responsible for sleep disorders in children.

The problem is especially pronounced among young boys and an increasing number of under-11s are being referred to hospital specialists for insomnia, sleep-walking and sleep-related breathing problems.

These disorders in Britain have rocketed by 26 per cent over the past five years.

According to experts, parents have failed to enforce strict bedtimes and allow children to play games and watch TV in their rooms late at night.

Eating too much sugary food is also blamed for preventing children from dropping off to sleep.

Previous studies have linked poor sleep to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and lack of sleep harms children’s ability to learn at school.

Psychologist Chireal Shallow said, "A lot of the problem is guilty parenting where kids are allowed the rule of the roost because mum and dad come home from work late."

"Increasingly, we also don’t let children play outside because of modern dangers and instead put them in front of a screen to keep an eye on them."

According to experts, the light, sound and movement of television or computer screens kept children awake, while there should be at least an hour’s gap before going to bed.

Jim Horne of the Sleep Research Centre said children aged five to eight were particularly vulnerable to sleep problems as a result of "electronic distractions" as having a rigid bedtime routine was so important to them.

Several behavioural issues in schools were also caused by sleeping problems.

Experts have stated that not getting a good night’s sleep can have the same effect as four units of alcohol. Imagine what it is like for a child.

(UNI)

India proposes new steps to combat climate change

WASHINGTON, Apr 14: India has proposed a set of steps, including ‘climate proofing’ of public infrastructure investments, food security and water resources that the developing countries can adopt to combat climate change.

"Governments can start working on key vulnerabilities like ‘climate proofing’ of public infrastructure investments, food security, water resources and pursue policies to incentivise private actions toward energy efficiencies," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said at a breakfast meeting on ‘Taking the Bali Process Forward’, organised as a part of the Spring Meetings of the World Bank here.

Highlighting the steps undertaken by the government, Chidambaram said: "Indias Green House Gas (GHG) emissions are among the lowest in per capita terms. They will, of course, inevitably increase as we endeavour to remove poverty and provide basic needs to all the people."

"Our Prime Minister had categorically declared that even while pursuing development goals, Indias per capita GHG emissions will always remain below the per capita GHG emissions of developed countries," he said.

He said India has unilaterally taken significant steps to meet the challenges including "measures to promote clean technology, review the fuel emission and efficiency regulations, mass transport systems, encourage the use of gas and building sustainable Greenfield cities."

"A quick analysis showed that our Government has spent 2.6 per cent of GDP during 2006-07 on adaptation-related activities. We propose to bring out our National Action Programme on Climate Change shortly," he said.

"We are also going to establish a permanent institutional mechanism to play a coordination role to explore and implement ideas on climate change and to take on the important responsibility of advocacy", Chidambaram said.

He also underlined the need for "fair burden sharing" and efforts to build "trust between developed and developing countries" for an effective global action on climate change.

"Global action on climate change will require building trust between developed and developing countries. There must be trust about the neutrality of processes or institutions through which agreements are implemented, money is disbursed or disputes are resolved," the minister said.

"The solutions should include fair burden sharing and measures to realise sustainable patterns of consumption and production. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change should be the only basis for a global compact, anchored as it is in the well-established principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibility" he said.

The Finance Minister said that no discussion on climate change can be taken forward without underscoring the deep inequity in the causes and impacts of climate change.

"The developed world has caused the problem with many decades of unsustainable development process. But it is the poorer countries that will be worst affected," Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram stressed that the global community had "a shared responsibility to think through the complex challenges of climate change and come up with fair, equitable and imaginative solutions".

"Given their responsibility for causing the problem, the developed world has two clear obligations: to massively reduce their GHG emissions, and to provide new and additional financial and technological help to the developing countries to manage mitigation as well as adaptation efforts," he said. (PTI)