Refusal to grant visa to Iraqi footballer 'daft': Vaz

LONDON, Feb 1: Labour party MP Keith Vaz has asked the British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to review a decision to refuse a visa to an Iraqi footballer who wanted a work permit to join Manchester City.

Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, said last night the decision was "daft" and should be referred to Ministers for a review and a new decision. He said it was a pointer to what would happen when the Government's new points based system came into force.

Vaz described 24-year-old Nashat Akram as a role model for his country "whose presence here can heal divisions in Iraq. Parliament has given Ministers the right to exercise their discretion and they should use it. This case sends out all the wrong messages."

Akram starred in Iraq's Asian cup-winning team last year and was set to play for Premier League Manchester City.

He cannot come to the UK because of a technicality in immigration rules for footballers. To gain a work permit, the player's national side must be in the top 70 of the FIFA world rankings and Iraq has a highest ranking of 71.

Akram's supporters say this is because Iraq cannot play matches at home because of the security situation and are calling for the decision to be reversed.

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson told the club's website: "This is a big blow and a great disappointment to us. I have huge sympathy for Nashat. He is a very good footballer with an excellent international pedigree. He has now returned to the Middle East and we will keep in touch with him. He is somebody who we will maintain an interest in for the long term." (PTI)

Fragile and expendable, finger-thin
undersea cables tie world

NEW YORK, Feb 1: The lines that tie the globe together by carrying phone calls and Internet traffic are just two-thirds of an inch (1.68 centimeters) thick where they lie on the ocean floor.

The foundation for a connected world seems quite fragile, an impression reinforced this week when a break in two cables in the Mediterranean Sea disrupted communications across the Middle East and into India and neighbouring countries.

Yet the network itself is fairly resilient. In fact, cables are broken all the time, usually by fishing lines and ship anchors, and few of us notice. It takes a confluence of factors for a cable break to cause an outage.

"Most telecom companies have capacity at multiple systems, so if one goes out, they simply reroute to a different system," said Stephan Beckert, analyst at research firm TeleGeography in Washington. "It's just that in this case, both the main route and the backup route got cut for a lot of companies."

The two cables - FLAG Europe Asia and SEA-ME-WE 4 - were cut on the ocean floor just north of Alexandria, Egypt.

By an accident of geography and global politics, Egypt is a choke point in the global communications network, just as it is with global shipping. The reasons are the same: The country touches both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, which flows into the India Ocean.

The slim fiber-optic cables that carry the world's communications are much like ships, in that they're the cheapest way for carrying things over long distances. Pulling cable overland is much more expensive and requires negotiation with landowners and Governments.

So fiber-optic cables that go from Europe to India take the sea route via Egypt's Suez Canal, just as ships do.

Another Mediterranean cable makes land not far away, in Israel.

But there's no cable overland from Israel into Jordan and to the Persian Gulf, which could have provided a redundant connection for the Gulf States and India. Going overland would have been more expensive and politically difficult - Israel and Arab countries would have to cooperate.

There is also no route that goes through Russia, Iran and Pakistan to India. The terrain is rugged, Pakistan is politically unstable, and India and Pakistan are not on good terms.

With two of the three cables passing through Suez cut, traffic from the Middle East and India intended for Europe was forced to route eastward, around most of the globe.

The main route goes through Japan and the United States, crossing both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. According to Beckert, this is normally the cheap way to go for Indian traffic, since capacity is high. However, the distance means more time required to reach Europe and get a response.

The other route from India to Europe goes over China into Russia and along the Trans-Siberian railroad.

Egypt is not the only choke point in the global network. The ocean just south of Taiwan proved to be one in December 2006, when an earthquake cut seven of eight cables passing through the area, slowing down communications in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia for months.

Another possible vulnerability is the U.S. Island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean. It is the spider at the center of a web cables from the United States, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and China. (AGENCIES)

OPEC oil ministers likely to opt to maintain present output

VIENNA, Feb 1: Shrugging off calls to pump more oil, OPEC oil ministers suggested that they will keep production at present levels when they meet today because of fears that soft world economies will translate into weakened demand.

Any decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to open the oil spigots wider would act as a shot in the arm for countries struggling with weak growth, the fallout from the US subprime crisis and negative economic factors.

But comments from the oil ministers yesterday, on the eve of their meeting at OPEC headquarters in Vienna, showed most favoring the status quo - production at present levels, and by extension prices around the USD 90 mark.

Today's special meeting was set in December after prices flirted with the USD 100-a-barrel level to give the 13-nation organization a chance to step in and increase output in case volatile markets needed calming.

But with oil high but steady, the focus has instead shifted to the sputtering US economy with its implication of lessened demand. That and a continued weak dollar, which hurts the purchasing power of OPEC members, has swung sentiment behind keeping outputs where they are.

OPEC nations argue that market speculation and geopolitical factors are the key drivers of oil prices. They assert that increasing production beyond the present level of nearly 30 million barrels a day for the 12 members under quotas would be counterproductive because there is enough crude to meet world needs.

That argument was given at least short-term weight by the latest weekly inventory report from the US Energy Department's Energy Information Administration. It said Wednesday that crude and gasoline stocks rose 3.6 million barrels each during the week ended January 25. (AGENCIES)

Olive ridley turtles dying due to negligence:Wildlife activist

KENDRAPARA, ORISSA, Feb 1: A wildlife activist has alleged that a large number of endangered olive ridley turtles have died on the beaches bordering the Gahiramatha marine sanctuary due to Government’s failure to curb marine fishing.

"Government agencies have failed miserably to curb marine fishing and trawling operation within the 20-km long prohibited no-fishing zone," alleged Biswajit Mohanty of Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO).

Turtles are meeting a gory end either getting entangled in mono-filament fishing nets or being hit by trawls’ propellers, he alleged.

"We are receiving reports of turtles dying in large numbers, both in Gahiramatha and Devi river mouth region. It is a very serious situation before beginning of ‘aaribada’ (mass nesting) of turtles. We are deeply shocked and stunned," he said.

However, Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) of Orissa, B P Patnaik rejected the allegations. "Some olive ridley turtles have died only in the mouth of river Devi in Puri district," Patnaik said.

Mohanty claimed that during his visit to the area on Wednesday last, he found the beach, stretching from Balipadia to Jatadhari in close vicinity of Paradip littered with carcasses of bloated bodies of turtles.

"It was indeed a horrific sight with dogs feasting on the motionless bodies of the animals. Our estimate is that over 3000 turtles alone have perished along the two-km stretch each," Mohanty claimed.

The Chief Wildlife Warden said the Forest department was monitoring the situation and was patrolling the area jointly with the Coast Guard.

"We have also asked the police to provide us more armed police personnel during our patrolling," Patnaik said.

The Coast Guard has seized 15 trawlers for entering the no fishing zone, he said.

Mohanty said "We have written to the chief minister apprising him of the gravity of the situation. Unless the Government agencies wake up and embark on patrol vigil on unauthorised trawling in right earnest, the very safety of breeding turtles is at stake."

"There is little logic in setting up of 45 base camps along the beach while the marauding deep sea trawlers are being given free hand to invade the turtle infested sea coast," he said. (PTI)

Soft drinks 'raise the risk of gout

LONDON, Feb 1: It has long been considered as a disease of the rich. But, no more. Gout can affect all those who have a sweet tooth, according to a new study.

A team of international researchers has carried out the study and found that high consumption of sugar-loaded soft drinks and fruit juices substantially ups the risk of gout which is a painful joint disease.

According to the team, the risks associated with these fizzy drinks are worse than hard liquor.

"This is the first study and a very large one, linking the commonly consumed products to this common disorder. We've found that if you have high consumption of fructose, your gout risk is doubled.

"And that's due to easily available sugary beverages," lead researcher Hyon K Choi of the British Columbia University was quoted by the British media as saying.

The researchers came to the conclusion after following more than 46,000 men aged above 40 with no previous history of gout over a period of 12 years -- the participants' intake of soft drinks, fruits and fruit juices was monitored.

The team found that the risk of developing gout was 85 per cent higher among men who drank two or more cans of soft drinks daily than those who consumed less than one a month -- this is greater than the risk linked to drinking spirits.

Men who consumed large amounts of fruit juice or fructose-rich fruits, such as apples and oranges, also had a higher risk of the condition. However, those who drank diet soft drinks showed no extra risk.

"These findings support the importance of recommending a reduction in fructose intake in patients with hyperuricaemia and gout in order to reduce the risk of gout," according to co-researcher Gary Curhan of the Harvard Medical School.

The results of the study have been published in the 'British Medical Journal'. (PTI)

Police say Ohio nurse accused of rape abused 14 patients

SANDUSKY, US, Feb 1: Investigators have verified 14 cases of abuse by a night shift nurse who told police he abused nearly 100 patients at health care centers since the 1980s, authorities said.

John Riems, 49, was arrested last week and has been charged with raping a partially paralyzed nursing home patient. That case sparked the investigation and emerged when a relative of the patient became suspicious and called police.

Some of the 14 victims were physically or mentally unable to tell others what had happened, Perkins Township Police Chief Tim McClung said yesterday. He said that the victims included men and women, mostly older, and that two have died.

Riems has worked at 12 nursing homes and hospitals in northern Ohio and one care center in New York. Authorities said he told police the pattern of abuse began shortly after he began his career in 1985.

Riems has been charged in only one case. Authorities would not say whether the other allegations are sexual in nature, but said Riems was able to recall specific information in only about two dozen cases. Their investigation is continuing.

"This is a large and complicated case," said Lloyd Early, an investigator with the Ohio attorney general's office. "It's hard to say how big this will become."

Riems pleaded not guilty to rape and gross sexual imposition last week. He appeared in Sandusky Municipal Court yesterday and was bound over to Erie County Common Pleas court, where his case is likely to presented to a grand jury in the coming weeks.

His attorney, Troy Wisehart, would not say whether Riems had admitted anything to him. He said the man's family is shocked. (AGENCIES)

India invites Canadian investment in oil and gas sector

CALGARY, Feb 1: India has invited Canadian firms to invest in India's petroleum sector under the seventh round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) and make use of the opportunities it has to offer.

"India offers attractive opportunities for foreign investors in petroleum sector under the seventh round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP)," Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dinsha Patel said on Thursday, while inaugurating a Road Show here.

The Road show was a part of the country's promotional campaign to invite foreign investors to participate in the bidding under its NELP-VII. Fifty seven exploration blocks including 19 deep water, nine shallow water and 29 inland blocks are open for global bidders under NELP-VII. The offer closes on April 11.

The show attracted 120 top Canadian companies including Niko Resources, Canoro Resources, and Geoglobal Resources.

Highlighting the features of NELP-VII, the minister urged Canadian companies to enter into a long-term relationship with India by becoming part of its growing petroleum sector.

Referring to the excellent business relationship between India and Canada, Patel said the trade between the two nations was valued at about 3.6 billion dollars last year and it was at a stage of take-off.

Commending the contributions made by the Canadian firms in India's petroleum sector, the minister said, production of natural gas from the deep water block awarded in the first round of NELP would commence from June this year, with peak production of 80 million standard cubic meters per day.

The NIKO resource was the partner in this block with Reliance Industries Ltd, he added. (PTI)

Thai man accused of smuggling tigers surrenders to police

BANGKOK, Feb 1: A Thai man accused of trafficking tiger and leopard carcasses as well as hundreds of live pangolins has turned himself over to authorities, police said today.

The Thai navy raided the trafficking operation on the Laos border late Tuesday and retrieved the carcasses of six tigers and five leopards, plus 275 live pangolins.

Authorities have been searching for a group of men who fled the raid on the Mekong River in northeastern Thailand.

One man wanted in connection with the trafficking ring, Samai Pimtha, 36, turned himself into local police yesterday near the Lao border, an official said.

Authorities were speaking with the family of a second suspect, Watthana Porkachang, 35, to encourage him to do the same, police Colonel Chaiyat Saithin told AFP.

Samai has been charged with illegal possession of endangered animal carcasses.

Samai told police that he and Watthana had been hired to transport the animals, and were paid 50,000 baht (USD 1,500) per trip to the border, Chaiyat said.

Police were still investigating the trafficking ring, which they believe was smuggling animals from Southeast Asia into China.

All trade in Asian pangolins, a scaly, toothless mammal that feeds on ants and termites, has been illegal since 2000. Their meat is regarded as a delicacy in China and their scales are believed to cure a wide range of ailments.

Tiger hunting is illegal worldwide. (AGENCIES)

Enzyme that controls ovulation discovered

LONDON, Feb 1: Scientists claim to have unearthed a cause of premature menopause -- an enzyme which controls the rate at which women ovulate.

The international researchers have discovered the PTEN enzyme that keeps immature eggs from ripening prematurely. "It is a kind of brake," according to lead researcher Prof Ilpo Huhtaniemi of Imperial College, London.

The researchers carried out an experiment on rodents and found that in those without PTEN in their eggs, the entire pool of immature eggs is activated prematurely, becoming ripe so the mouse uses up it store of eggs more rapidly.

The team is planning to investigate whether mutations in the PTEN gene are linked with premature menopause in women.

"PTEN works in humans too. We have one good candidate to explain why some women develop premature menopause," Prof Huhtaniemi was quoted by 'The Daily Telegraph' as saying.

In fact, according to the researchers, a drug to mimic the effects of PTEN could be used to prevent or treat premature menopause when combined with new tests that can show how quickly a woman's biological clock is ticking.

"By the same token, a way to block the effects of PTEN could lead to new ways to ripen eggs for IVF, notably if eggs fail to ripen in the first place," co-researcher Dr Kui Liu of the Umea University in Sweden said.

Lab-dish or 'in vitro' egg maturation has produced hundreds of babies worldwide, though is still experimental.

"Now PTEN offers another way to ripen eggs. With the knowledge that PTEN suppresses follicle activation, it is in theory possible to culture a piece of the ovaries in the petri-dish and trigger the follicle growth with a synthetic PTEN inhibitor, which we have started to try.

"Such a method will enrich the source of eggs for IVF or who want to freeze their embryos before going to have chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer," Dr Liu was quoted by the British daily as saying. (PTI)

US top court grants last-minute stay

WASHINGTON, Feb 1: The Supreme Court granted a last-minute stay of execution to an Alabama death row inmate, keeping in place an unofficial US moratorium on executions that has lasted more than four months.

The country's high court yestrday granted a reprieve to James Callahan, 61, a convicted rapist and murderer, just over an hour before he was scheduled to be put to death at 6 p.M. CST/2400 GMT) at the Holman prison in Atmore, Alabama.

It added to a series of reprieves granted by the justices to death row inmates in various states since they agreed on September 25 to decide a challenge to the lethal injection method used across the country. A decision on that challenge is expected by the end of June.

Callahan's lawyers had appealed to the Supreme Court after a US appeals court rejected his request for a stay of execution on the grounds he had waited too long to bring his challenge to the lethal injection method. (AGENCIES)

Haneef’s lawyer cleared for leaking
police interview to media

MELBOURNE, Feb 1: A legal regulatory body today cleared a lawyer of Mohammed Haneef of professional misconduct charges for leaking to the media a transcript of the Indian doctor’s police interview, saying his actions were justified under the extraordinary circumstances of the case.

Stephen Keim, who successfully defended Haneef last year after he was wrongly accused of terror charges by Australian authorities in connection with the failed UK car-bomb plot, was cleared of any disciplinary action by Queensland’s Legal Services Commission.

It was decided that his actions in providing ‘The Australian’ newspaper with a police transcript of interview were justified under the extraordinary circumstances of the case and that there would be no further investigation.

Keim expressed his happiness over the outcome and said "it’s good news. The fact that the complaint is not proceeding is an indication that there was no professional misconduct."

"However, I don’t want anyone describing my experience as an ordeal. The only people who experienced an ordeal were Dr Haneef and his family," the lawyer said after the ruling by the Commission which has the power to initiate action that could have led him to lose his right to practise law.

The Commission had received separate complaints from Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty, and a Brisbane solicitor, Russell Biddle, over Keim’s conduct.

Publication of the sensitive document in the newspaper had revealed that the evidence against Haneef had been threadbare and that false statements had been made about him and attributed to him.

Haneef was arrested on July 2 and 12 days later charged with supporting terrorism after his his SIM card was found with the alleged Glasgow bombers. The charges were dropped a fortnight later but his work visa was cancelled and he was forced to return to Bangalore.

While the new Labour government led by Kevin Rudd has announced a judicial inquiry into the episode, the Australian federal court has already restored the 27-year-old’s visa.

The Commission found that there had been a technical breach of one of the rules relating to the conduct of barristers, but that the circumstances were such that Keim should not be punished for his actions in exposing the truth, the Australian daily reported.

Meanwhile, police chief Mick Keelty has recently come under fire after he launched scathing attack on Australian media and asked it to censor itself in terrorism cases.

Prime Minister Rudd has rejected Keelty’s statement and said that media’s scrutiny and reporting of the Haneef case was in the national interest. (PTI)