Indonesia wants higher wages for maids in Malaysia: Report

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3: Indonesia will seek higher wages for its nationals working as domestic helpers in Malaysia as the cost of living rises, the country's ambassador said in an interview published today.

Dai Bachtiar told the Star daily higher wages would top a list of demands for Indonesian maids here, including more time off and a proper mechanism to resolve disputes with employers.

"If costs are rising here due to higher fuel prices and food prices are going up, then our workers too should be entitled to what is deemed fit by the Malaysian government," he was quoted as saying.

"We also want a system in place whereby if an employer accuses workers of any wrongdoing the issue will be handled with fairness."

Malaysia relies heavily on foreign workers for menial jobs, and the Indonesian embassy says about 300,000 of its national are employed here as maids.

In 2006 Malaysia rejected a proposal to set a minimum wage of USD 150 a month for Indonesian domestic helpers and most are paid between USD 122-150 to work for long hours with few days off.

Jakarta will seek the changes at an upcoming meeting in Kuala Lumpur. (AGENCIES)

London Mayor 'a descendant of King George II'

LONDON, Aug 3: Mayor of London Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a direct descendant of King George II and a distant cousin of the Queen of England, it has been revealed.

King George II, who was on the throne from 1727 until his death 33 years later, was the last British monarch to have been born outside the country -- in Germany -- and during his last years, British dominance in India also increased with the victories of Robert Clive at the Battles of Arcot and Plassey.

Interestingly, the colourful Johnson's blue-blood lineage comes via his paternal grandmother Irene Williams whom he knew as "Granny Butter" and an illegitimate daughter of a 19th century German Prince, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

In fact, according to the findings to be aired in a 'BBC' programme 'Who Do You Think You Are?' later this month, Williams' great grandparents were Baron Charles de Pfeffel and Karoline von Rottenburg.

Though Pfeffel was a minor noble, his wife was the illegitimate daughter of an actress called Margrethe Port and Prince Paul von Wurttemberg. The Prince, in turn, was a great-great-grandson of George II.

"One of the mysteries of my childhood was just how posh was Granny Butter? Was she really a French toff like she'd told us? It actually turns out that granny was right," the newspaper quoted Johnson as telling the programme which was recorded last year.

However, due to the illegitimate "kink" in his lineage, Johnson has claimed that he has no legal right to the titles or treasures of his ancestors. (PTI)

Report: Therapist feared scientist poisoned people

FREDERICK, MARYLAND, Aug 3: Bruce E Ivins, the late microbiologist suspected in the 2001 anthrax attacks, had attempted to poison people and his therapist said she was "scared to death" of him, according to court testimony that has emerged.

Social worker Jean Duley testified at a court hearing in Frederick, Maryland on July 24 in a successful bid for a protective order from Ivins - who five days later committed suicide - that he "actually attempted to murder several other people."

Ivins took a fatal dose of acetaminophen, the active drug in Tylenol, as federal authorities monitored his movements and prepared to charge him with the murder from anthrax poisoning in the weeks after the Sept 2001 terror attacks.

Five people died and 17 others were sickened when anthrax-laced letters began showing up at congressional offices, newsrooms and post offices soon after Sept 11, 2001.

After wrongly investigating Army scientist Steven Hatfill, the FBI more than a year ago began looking at Ivins, who worked at the same military lab. Ivins, a decorated scientist who was working on an anthrax cure, killed himself last Tuesday.

An audio recording of the court session was obtained by The New York Times and posted it on its Web site yesterday.

"As far back as the year 2000, the respondent has actually attempted to murder several other people, either through poisoning. He is a revenge killer. When he feels that he's been slighted or has had - especially toward women - he plots and actually tries to carry out revenge killings," Duley said.

She added that Ivins "has been forensically diagnosed by several top psychiatrists as a sociopathic, homicidal killer. I have that in evidence. And through my working with him, I also believe that to be very true." (AGENCIES)

Now, men falling prey to 'anorexia'

LONDON, Aug 3: Anorexia is no longer a problem of only young women. Even men are now falling prey to the eating disorder -- courtesy the rising popularity of TV commercials and lifestyle magazines featuring trim actors and models.

In fact, a new survey in Britain has revealed that the number of young men being treated for anorexia has gone up by nearly 67 per cent in the last five years, leading newspaper the 'Daily Mail' reported.

According to British government figures, appointments in hospitals for anorexia have actually risen by 32 per cent to 1,700 in the past year.

Some areas are worse affected than others. In Durham the number of anorexics being seen in hospitals has rocketed by 360 per cent, in South-East London the figure has risen by 246 per cent while in Yorkshire by 139 per cent.

According to health experts, the figure is just tip of the iceberg.

Susan Ringwood, the Chief Executive of eating disorder charity Beat, said the rise in male anorexia actually masked a much bigger problem because men traditionally "are less likely to seek help".

"There has been a rise in focus on the body aesthetic and that's affecting men as well as girls. Clinics are seeing many more men, as well as children as young as eight. We know children are more likely to develop an eating disorder during puberty, and puberty is starting on average five years earlier than it did 50 years ago," she said.

Consultant Psychiatrist Frances Connan said that it was doubly humiliating for men to come forward because mental health and anorexia were seen as girls' problems. "But men are now succumbing to the same idealistic stereotypes as women." (PTI)

Pak govt bracing for publication of A Q Khan's memoir

NEW YORK, Aug 3: The Pakistan Government, already under pressure over its failure to control terrorists in its tribal ares bordering Afghanistan, is bracing for publication of a memoir by Pakistan's disgraced atomic scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.

Stating that the book could contain more bad news, Newsweek said officials fear that Khan may disclose secrets about the country's nuclear capability.

Khan, currently living under house arrest, was detained in his home in Islamabd in February 2004 after he admitted to involvement in a nuclear proliferation ring.

In recent interviews, however, Khan has recanted that confession. He has also claimed the army was aware of the transportation of uranium enrichment material to North Korea.

A Pakistani court last month allowed Khan to meet his relatives and friends subject to security clearances but barred him from giving interviews to the media regarding the nuclear proliferation scandal. (PTI)

US underestimated country's HIV epidemic

WASHINGTON, Aug 3: US health authorities acknowledged that they have substantially underestimated the number of new HIV infections in the country, in a study showing that the epidemic is worse than previously thought.

About 56,300 people were infected with the virus that causes AIDS in 2006, a figure 40 per cent higher than the previous estimate of 40,000 new infections a year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

"This new picture reveals that the HIV epidemic is -- and has been -- worse than previously known and underscores the challenges in confronting this disease," Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.

The CDC said new technology allowed it to establish a more precise estimate of the epidemic.

"These data, which are based on new laboratory technology developed by CDC, provide the clearest picture to date of the US HIV epidemic, and unfortunately we are far from winning the battle against this preventable disease," said CDC Director Julie Gerberding.

"We as a nation have to come together to focus our efforts on expanding the prevention programmes we know are effective," she said.

The study found that the annual number of new infections was never as low as 40,000. While new infections increased in the last 1990s, they have been roughly stable since then.

"While the level of HIV incidence is alarming, stability in recent years suggests that prevention efforts are having an impact," said Richard Wolitski, acting director of the CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

The study also found that gay and bisexual men as well as and African American men and women are the groups most affected by HIV. (AGENCIES)

Balle, balle! now on streets of Birmingham

LONDON, Aug 3: Stepping beyond the fields of Punjab, the traditional Bhangra beats have now become the most common sound booming out of the music boxes on the streets of Birmingham.

The journey of the pulsating folk music from Punjab to the streets of United Kingdom since 1970 has been charted out in a recent book titled "Bhangra: Birmingham and Beyond," written by Rajinder Dudrah, head of the Department of Drama and senior lecturer in Film and Media Studies at the University of Manchester.

"The book is an introduction to British Bhangra music, using the city of Birmingham as a starting point to map out the journey that UK Bhangra has travelled, from its folk beginnings in the Punjab, to a fusion-based music in Post-war Britain, to now in the 2000s having crossed over into the mainstream through American hip hop artistes and others using the Bhangra beat and sounds," said Dudrah.

The book draws on interviews with artistes, lyricists and promoters of the scene, including analysis of lyrics and some album covers to provide an insight into the industry.

"British Bhangra has now come full circle. Whereas it started off in the post-war period as folk dance and music from the Punjab, in the present it has forged a path for itself, making it quite fashionable," Dudrah told PTI.

People from Punjab have been one of the largest groups that migrated to Britain. They brought with them the beats of Bhangra, which over the years, has grown into a distinct genre on the British music scene. It continues to have close links with Bhangra artistes in India.

"Punjabi folk music was used and transformed by the early pioneer bands and artists in Britain in the 1970s such as Anari Sangeet Party and Bhujangy Group both from Birmingham, and the female singer Mohinder Kaur Bhamra," he said. (PTI)

10-day Indian Cinema Festival to be held

LONDON, Aug 3: A 10-day Indian Cinema Festival, with special focus on Bollywood and Malayalam movies, will be held here from August 14.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s box office hit ‘Chak de India’ and director Sagar Bellary’s comedy film ‘Beja Fry’ are among the movies to be screened at Mantra in Tower Hill organised by India’s global construction company, SRK Group.

Other films featuring in the festival include ‘Bhairavi’ - a musical legacy left behind by renowned sitar player Ustad Karimuddin Khan, ‘Summer 2007’ - a film about the sensitive issue of farmers suicide in Vidarbha in Maharashtra, and ‘Delhi Heights’ - a film about three couples, a mystery man and a bunch of youngsters.

In addition, ‘Mithya’ directed by Rajat Kapoor with Naseruddin Shah and Neha Dhupia in leading roles and Jonny Gadhhar, starring Dharmendra, Neil Mukesh, Rimi Sen and Vinay Pathak are the other movies.

The Malayalam films are ‘Sheelabathi’ - a movie about a computer teacher who disappears mysteriously and ends up being sexually exploited, ‘Mayavi’ - a young man who fights against injustice and ‘Kadhaparayumpol’ - a film based on a barber’s life.

The festival would conclude with ‘Dance Tunes’ and musical shows involving Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam Cinema songs. Artistes of Anandha Mantra, the art and cultural of Anandha Darsan, a London-based media production will perform at the ‘Dance Tunes’.

The entry for the film festival is 12 pounds per show which would also include an Indian buffet dinner specially prepared by chefs of Mantra, a north and south Indian cuisines. The organisers are also offering the 10-day package for 90 pounds and 50 pounds for five shows including dinner. (PTI)

Kids need adventure of ‘risky games’....

LONDON, Aug 3: The next time you find your kid playing some risky games, don’t intervene, for a new study has revealed that parents can harm their children’s development if they deprive them of such pleasure.

Researchers in Britain have found that for their own development, kids need to explore adventure in their childhood and test and challenge themselves in plays involving a certain level of risk.

Yet millions of children are being deprived of such pleasure because their parents are nervous about exposing them to any risks—some moms and dads are going to such extreme lengths that they have even said ‘no’ to hide-and-seek, the study has found.

"Children are not being allowed many of the freedoms that were taken for granted when we were children. They aren’t enjoying the opportunities to play outside that most people would have thought of as normal when they were growing up," ‘The Observer’ quoted Adrian Voce as saying.

According to Voce, the Director of Play England, part of the UK’s National Children’s Bureau, which commissioned the study, it is becoming a "social norm" for younger children to be allowed out only when accompanied by an adult.

"Logistically that is very difficult for parents to manage because of the time pressures on normal family life. If you don’t want your children to play out alone and you have not got the time to take them out then they will spend more time on the computer," he said.

Voce claimed that the tendency of parents to wrap their children in cotton wool has transformed how the toddlers experience childhood which could have a negative impact on they grow up.

The study has also quoted a number of play providers who have highlighted the benefits to children of taking risks. "Risk-taking increases the resilience of children," said one, while another added, "It helps them make judgements." (PTI)

PM meets Koirala; India to support Nepal democratic transition

COLOMBO, Aug 3: Amid political wrangling in Nepal over government formation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met its caretaker Premier Girija Prasad Koirala on the margins of the SAARC summit here and assured him of India’s continued support to the Himalayan state’s democratic transition.

During the meeting between the two leaders, Singh told Koirala he was impressed by the steps taken by the Himalayan country to usher in democracy, including the conduct of the Constituent Assembly elections on April 10, officials said.

The Prime Minister said India will continue to work to support Nepal in its democratic transition.

Koirala, whose attendance in SAARC had raked up a controversy in Nepal as both Maoists and CPN-UML were opposed to the caretaker Premier representing the Himalayan state instead of its President Ram Baran Yadav, briefed Singh on the developments in his country.

Both Maoists and CPN-UML had agreed to Koirala attending the summit after he apologised for not consulting them on the matter in advance.

Maoists, who had emerged as the largest group in the Constituent Assembly polls followed by Koirala’s Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, have been invited by the President to form a government of national consensus. However, former rebels are yet to convince the major parties to join them.

All major parties in Nepal are currently engaged in cajoling fringe groups whose support is crucial for formation of a Government.

Singh and Koirala also reviewed bilateral ties and expressed satisfaction at the state of the relationship.

Besides Koirala, the Prime Minister met Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and reviewed relationship between the two countries, the officials said.

Both Singh and Gayoom expressed satisfaction at state of the bilateral ties.

The two leaders also discussed the SAARC process as Maldives will be hosting the next summit at Male.

Gayoom, an elder statesman of SAARC, has attended every summit of the eight-nation forum. (PTI)

Bahrain faces severe shortage of nurses....

DUBAI, Aug 3: Bahrain is facing severe shortage of thousands of nurses as the available number was not enough to fulfill the World Health Organisation’s parametres of having a medical attendant to every 5,000 people.

"At night there is sometimes one nurse for 22 patients and there should be one nurse to every four patients. We have severe shortage," Bahrain Nursing Society president Rula Al Saffar was quoted as saying in a media report.

There are 6,000 nurses available in the Gulf state.

Noting that the nurses in the country have to work overtime, Al Saffar said: "there is one nurse for every 20,000 people, but the WHO say there should be one nurse to every 5,000 people".

"Bahrain is taking several new initiatives to make the profession attractive for the national cadres but new nursing pay scale proposal was unfair and not according to nurses’ demands," she said.

Compiled by the Health Ministry and Civil Service Bureau, the new pay scale proposal said that nurses will either be on a professional or a general track. More than 400 nurses with bachelor degrees will be put on a professional pay scale track, it said.

The new cadre will benefit 2,597 medical attendants including 223 trained practical nurses as well as another 600 nurses who work in primary health care.

"The nursing society wants all nurses to be on the professional cadre to tell people that nursing is a profession," the report in the Gulf Daily News quoted her as saying. (PTI)

Just two singles in world’s young women billionaire club

NEW YORK, Aug 3: It may disappoint many dreaming to tie the knot with someone worth a billion-dollar, but there are just two surely single ladies and no Indian in a list of the world’s youngest women billionaires.

The 20-strong list of youngest women billionaires aged between 24 to 49 years, published by the online edition of the US business magazine Forbes, include celebrity writer J K Rowling and Barack Obama’s presidential campaign finance chief Penny Pritzker.

"The question likely on many a men’s minds: How many of these ladies are single? Only two are—with certainty—single: Turkey’s Serra Sabanci (35) and Filiz Sahenk (41). Nothing is known about the marital status of Chu Lam Yiu," Forbes said in a report on its website.

Regardless of being single or married, self-made or inherited these women have "limitless earning potential and decades ahead to see their investments and business ventures flourish," it said.

"...Emerging from some of the world’s biggest economies, taking on corporate roles their grandmothers and even mothers never would have dreamt possible," the report added.

According to the report, the number of young billionaire women under the age of 40 jumped to seven in 2007 from just two a year earlier. While the under 50 club grew to 20, from 17 in 2006.

Pointing that just two per cent of the world’s billionaires are women under the age of 50, the report said the list is diverse and impressive.

It "includes the world’s richest author, Barack Obama’s finance chief, four Turkish sisters, two former factory workers who created their own billion-dollar fortunes, and two heiresses still in their 20s."

The youngest female billionaire in the list is Hind Hariri, the youngest child of slain Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who inherited a stake in the family’s construction, banking and media holdings.

She also happens to be the overall second youngest billionaire in the world, according to the Forbes list of richest people published earlier this year.

Apart from 49-year-old Penny Pritzker and J K Rowling (42 years), others in the list include 26-year-old Chinese Yang Huiyan, four people from Turkey—Begumhan Dogan Faralyali (31 years), Hanzade Dogan Boyner (36 years) and Vuslat Dogan Sabanci (37 years).

Other names are China’s Chu Lam Yiu (38 years), Zhang Xin (43 years), Dinara Kulibaeva (40 years) from Kazakhstan, America’s Margaret Magerko (42 years), Abigail Johnson (46 years), Jean Pritzker (46 years), Nancy Lerner (48 years) and Winnie Johnson-Marquart (49 years); Turkey’s Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag (43 years), Russia’s Elena Baturina (45 years) and Germany’s Susanne Klatten (46 years).

"A family feud led to the fortune being split 11 ways. Penny is also a member of Chicago’s 2016 Olympic Games Organising Committee."

There are about five 30-something female billionaires and six of the seven women in their 20s and 30s and nine of the dozen in their 40s inherited their money from their fathers.

"The youngest self-made female billionaire in the world is Hong Kong citizen Chu Lam Yiu, the 38-year-old head of Huabao International, a company which makes fragrances and flavorings for cigarettes, detergents, beverages, dairy products and cosmetics," the report noted. (PTI)