Twenty20: England crush Afghanistan by 116 runs

England crushed Afghanistan by 116 runs courtesy an unbeaten 99 off 55 balls from Luke Wright in a Group A match of the World Twenty20 Championship at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Friday.

Wright and Eoin Morgan put on a partnership of 72 runs, helping England to 196 for five. Stuart Broad, Samit Patel, Jade Dernbach and Grame Swann all took two wickets each as the Afghan innings folded for 80 in 17.2 overs.

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Chris Gayle wants birthday win against Australia

One of the most feared batsmen in the shortest form of cricket, Chris Gayle wants to celebrate his 33rd birthday with a victory when the West Indies play Australia in their opening match of the World Twenty20 Championships on Saturday. The big hitting West Indies opener, who turns 33 on Friday, says an opening win is important in building confidence as the Caribbean side attempts to secure a place in the super-eights, reports CMC.

“The key for us is to get to the second round and try and take it step by step. My birthday is coming up tomorrow, but my mind is on Saturday when we face the Australians,” said Gayle.

“The first game is vital. You don’t want to play catch-up cricket in T20, so it’s a very big match for us. It will also get our confidence going.”

The West Indies are preparing for their opening Group B contest against Australia at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

“No real big plans. I am going to spend it with the West Indies women’s team,” said Gayle jokingly in response to questions about celebrating his birthday.

“I’ll be 33 so I’m really looking forward to it. I’m looking to celebrate with a win over Australia on Saturday night.”

Gayle entertained onlookers with some stunning stroke plays hoisting several balls out of the Colts Cricket Ground as training session continued on Thursday.

The Windies arrived in Sri Lanka ten days ago after a nine-day camp at the Sagicor High Performance Centre in Barbados, and Gayle said everyone is eager to get going.

“In our team we bat right down and bowling-wise we have spinners and fast bowlers,” said the left-hander.

His 117 against South Africa at the Wanderers in 2007 is the only century by a West Indian in the shortest format and he has hit a world-record 290 sixes in 110 T20 matches.

“The key is balance. You have to have good balance to be able to hit a lot of sixes,” he said as journalists queried his ability to hit sixes.

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Leverkusen held to goalless draw by Metalist Kharkiv

Leverkusen and Metalist Kharkiv started with one point in their UEFA Europa League adventure following a goalless draw in Group K at BayArena.Metalist Kharkiv suffered two heavy defeats against Leverkusen two seasons ago but on Thursday they played on an equal footing against the hosts that failed to exploit their goal scoring opportunities in the second-half.

Both sides staged a lively first-half as Kharkiv’s Jonathan Cristaldo forced a parry by Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno from a sharp angle and Renato Augusto’s effort from inside the box was blocked by Metalist goalkeeper Oleksandr Groyainov.

In the second-half Leverkusen were more active whilst Kharkiv fastened on counters.

Leverkusen’s Karim Bellarabi had the winner on his foot twice but Groyainov parried his two efforts, in addition Andre Schuerrle rattled the corner of the goalpost with a rebound.

Rosenborg now occupies first position in Group K, followed by Kharkiv, Leverkusen and Rapid Wien.

“My team made a good impression but they lacked in resoluteness, ” Leverkusen coach Sascha Lewandowski said.

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Stoke’s Andy Wilkinson banned for three matches

Stoke defender Andy Wilkinson has been suspended for three matches for his clash with Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli in the Premier League match.Wilkinson caught Balotelli in the face with his elbow during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium in an incident that was missed by referee Mark Clattenburg.After reviewing the video evidence, an independent Football Association disciplinary panel decided the 28-year-old had a case to answer.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis confirmed the club would not appeal against the punishment, meaning Wilkinson will miss his side’s next three Premier League matches against Chelsea, Swansea and Liverpool.

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Antonio Di Natale denies Anzhi Euro triumph

Substitute Antonio Di Natale rescued a dramatic 1-1 draw for Udinese in the first minute of stoppage time to deny Anzhi Makhachkala a debut victory in the Europa League group stage.The 34-year-old scored when Anzhi goalkeeper Evgeny Pomazan palmed away a weak shot straight into the veteran’s path on Thursday.It extends Udinese’s streak of unbeaten home matches in European competition to seven.Lacina Traore had put Guus Hiddink’s side ahead just before half time, bursting down the left to send a fierce shot across goal that Udinese stopper Daniele Padelli turned into his own net.

The Ivorian was credited with the goal nonetheless.

The encounter was Anzhi’s first serious test of their capability to deliver silverware fast as decreed by billionaire owner Suleiman Kerimov, and it was unclear if they passed.

In a group with Liverpool and Young Boys, Hiddink had played down their tag as favourites to win it, and evidence emerged in Udinese that he wasn’t simply being modest.

Anzhi, riding high in the Russian Premier League, failed to string together the kind of fluid football that saw them roll over their opponents in the preliminary rounds.

But fourth-from-bottom Udinese, for their part, couldn’t seem to improve upon their wretched Serie A form to take advantage of their sub-par opponents.

Mehdi Benatia missed a clear chance for the hosts in the 17th minute, heading Marco Faraoni’s free kick wide from six yards out.

Andrea Lazzari hit a dipping half-volley just after the half-hour mark, and Faraoni went wide ten minutes later.

Traore’s goal left Udinese deflated in a half they had controlled, and they came out in the second half with greater resolve.

Swedish front man Ranegie, a deadline-day signing from FC Malmo, went close twice.

First the 28-year-old volleyed just wide after a well-directed knock-down from Pablo Armero, then he turned Joao Carlos in the box but fired straight at Pomazan.

The chances kept coming with Faraoni the next to miss, sending an inch-perfect cross from the left sailing over the crossbar.

The wasteful finishing prompted Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin to bring on Di Natale in place of defensive midfielder Emmanuel Badu with half an hour remaining.

But Anzhi continued to frustrate their hosts in midfield and broke up attacks in their infancy, detracting from the match as a spectacle but defending a lead away from home effectively.

Yuri Zhirkov linked up well with winger Oleg Shatov down the left for the former to have a shot on goal that was blocked by a sliding defender.

Samuel Eto’o, who scored five goals in the preliminary rounds, nearly put Anzhi two up, sending a curling shot toward the top corner that Padelli got a fingertip to.

Udinese substitute Dusan Basta nearly walked the ball into the net in the 86th minute, but Pomazan scrambled across his goal to stop it before it cross the line, prompting fans to start leaving the stadium.

But the Italians had the final say at the death, taking a deserved point.

Anzhi stormed through the competition’s three qualifying rounds, overpowered Hungary’s Honved 5-0 and Vitesse Arnhem 4-0. Anzhi beat AZ Almkaar 6-0 on aggregate in the play-off round.

Anzhi are currently third in the Russian Premier League with 17 points after eight games, while Udinese are just one place above the relegation zone with one point in three Serie A games.

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Late Inter strike denies Rubin Kazan San Siro win

An injury-time leveller from Yuto Nagatomo denied Rubin Kazan a famous San Siro win against Inter Milan in their Europa League opener.Nagatomo volleyed home Diego Milito’s cross in the 92nd minute to make it 2-2 and share the points with the plucky Russian side Thursday.Rubin had looked to be in for a shock win just six minutes from time when Jose Rondon, a 13 million euro summer acquisition from Malaga, cushioned a through ball from Roman Eremenko and tucked it into the corner.

The Russians had even taken an unexpected lead in the 17 minute, Alexander Ryazantsev slamming home the rebound when Samir Handanovic had saved Bibras Natkho’s weak penalty.

Brazilian midfielder Jonathan had bought down Turkish forward Gokdeniz Karadeniz for the spot kick.

But Inter’s 19-year-old Croatian striker Marko Livaja levelled it in the 39th minute in an exquisite move.

When Antonio Cassano split the Rubin defence to find Esteban Cambiasso, the Argentinean jinked past Sergei Ryzhikov to chip into the path of Livaja, who out-jumped three Rubin defenders to score.

Livaja had headed over from a remarkably similar move moments earlier as the hosts had begun to turn the screw.

But it was far from one-way traffic.

Finnish international Eremenko, who had a stand-out game, burst clear down the right and was inches away with a low drive that whistled past Samir Handanovic’s right post.

And Ryazantsev, revered for a spectacular strike at the Camp Nou in 2009 that helped his side to an improbable 2-1 Champions League win over Barcelona, hit the outside of the post with a run and shot just before half time.

Right after half-time Kurban Berdyev’s side went on the attack, forcing Handanovic into uncomfortable interceptions that prompted the San Siro crowd into jeers.

But Inter broke quickly and Livaja curled just over when released by Cassano.

The introduction of veteran Argentinean striker Diego Milito in the second half couldn’t seem to spur Andrea Stramaccioni’s side onto greater things, but in the dying seconds he combined with Nagatomo to save Inter’s blushes.

In another Italian-Russian clash earlier Thursday, substitute Antonio Di Natale rescued a dramatic 1-1 draw for Udinese in stoppage time to deny Anzhi Makhachkala a debut victory in the competition’s group stage.

Rubin next host Partizan Belgrade while Anzhi welcome Young Boys on Oct 4.

Inter next travel to Azerbaijan to face Neftci Baku.

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New Blood Test a Clue to Premature Birth

Researchers from the University of Gutenberg have claimed to have developed a blood test that helps predict whether a pregnant woman experiencing preterm contractions is likely to give birth within seven days or not. The blood test has been said to be 75 to 80 per cent accurate. The researchers studied 142 pregnant women with early contractions sans rupturing of membranes, who came from the Sahlgrenska University Hospital during 1995-2005.

Preterm delivery or delivery before 37 full weeks of pregnancy is one of the biggest problems in the arena of perinatal medicine because it increases the risk of a child to be seriously ill in the short as well as long-term. The downside is that only about 30 per cent of women, who come in with early contractions, give birth before full-term.

Published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the study revealed that the new blood test method looks at two specific proteins in the pregnant woman’s blood along with an already established examination of the length of the cervix. Researcher Panagiotis Tsiartas said further studies will have to be done before the method can be used. He also added that if the results of the studies are good, new types of treatments will have to be done to prevent premature birth and treat its complications.

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Perfumes could Cause Asthma

According to a new report, scented candles, air fresheners and other such perfumed products may expose a person to adverse health effects, such as migraine and asthma. The report suggested that perfumed products may cause allergies, migraine, asthma and even one’s sex desire. Almost a third of the people exposed to scents in the form of molecules in the fragrances suffer from health effects as these molecules trigger the immune response causing scaly, cracked skin and itchiness.

Dr Susannah Baron, consultant dermatologist at Kent and Canterbury Hospital and BMI Chaucer Hospital said that while the number of cases of allergies is on a rise, so are the amount of perfumed products. Baron added that fragrance allergy as a contact dermatitis or a flare-up of existing eczema comes up at the site where a perfumed product is applied.

Two surveys conducted by Anne Steinemann, professor of civil and environmental engineering and public affairs at the University of Washington were quoted to have found more than 30 per cent of reported adverse health effects arising from being exposed to fragrances in daily life.

Steinemann said that while adding fragrance implies cleanliness, one is exposing himself/herself to a much bigger problem i.e. throwing toxic chemicals in the air.

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Catchy Vegetable Names Make Kids Eat Greens

Catchy vegetable names can convince kids to eat them, suggests a new study. Researchers at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab observed that kids have an aversion of vegetables, but they can be convinced if you rename veggies with a catchy name. The researchers examined study pattern of the 147 students ranging from 8-11 years old students at five ethnically and economically diverse schools. At the schools, vegetable food items were renamed to ‘X-Ray Vision Carrots’, ‘Power Punch Broccoli’, ’Tiny Tasty Tree Tops’ and ‘Silly Dilly Green Beans’ or ‘Food of the Day’.

It was observed that changing the name of plain carrots to X-ray vision carrots increased the intake by 66 per cent, while there was an increase of 32 per cent when plain carrots were labelled as ‘Food of the Day’. Similarly, kids liked broccoli and beans after they were renamed to Power Punch Broccoli and Silly Dilly Green Beans.

In the second-leg of research, similar activity was conducted in two neighbouring New York schools, where researchers noted a similar response.

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World T20 Cup: South Africa thrash Zimbabwe by 10 wicket

South Africa recorded their first win in the World Twenty20 Championship, thrashing Zimbabwe by ten wickets at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Jacques Kallis starred with the ball for South Africa taking four wickets while Richard Levi struck an unbeaten half-century to help chase his team Zimbabwe’s meager target of 93 for eight.

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Three people killed in Afghanistan blast

A child and two policemen were killed while five others injured in a blast which targeted a police vehicle in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province on Wednesday, a government official said.

“A bomb fixed in a motor tricycle was detonated at around 7.45 p.m. when a police vehicle was passing by in the 14 sub-district of Kandahar city,” Jawid Faisal, provincial government’s spokesperson as saying.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

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World T20: India beat Afghanistan by 23 runs

India defeated Afghanistan by 23 runs in their opening match of the World Twenty20 championships at the R. Premedasa Stadium here on Wednesday.

Chasing 160, Afghanistan were bundled out for 136 with three balls to spare.

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EU, Iran to hold n-talks

Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said here on Wednesday that Tehran and the European Union (EU) have agreed to hold a new round of nuclear talks in near future.
Jalili said it during a press conference after holding talks with EU foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton in Istanbul Tuesday.

The time for the upcoming nuclear talks will be decided when Ashton goes back and reports to the P5+1 — the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, he added.

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United Arab Emirates (UAE), Unicef discuss joint cooperation

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Unicef have discussed ways to enhance cooperation and strengthen relations.

UAE government’s programmes for children and the provision of education and healthcare were also reviewed during the meet held between Saeed Mohammed Al Shamsi, assistant secretary of state for International Organisation Affairs and Tony Lake, executive director of the Unicef.

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Prophet’s cartoon irresponsible sensationalism: Italy

Italian Foreign Minster Giulio Terzi on Wednesday described a French weekly’s ridiculing of Prophet Mohammed as “irresponsible sensationalism” which has fuelled anger in the Muslim world.The French magazine Charlie Hebdo Wednesday portrayed Prophet Mohammad naked in cartoons, exacerbating the outrage in the Muslim world after a US-produced anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims” already sparked protests all over the world last week.

“Religions are fundamental, they are important for many billions of people, and no one should allow themselves to mock them or joke about these values,” Terzi said.

The minister criticised that some people in the West were guilty of “irresponsible sensationalism” by abusing “deep religious sensibilities that must be respected for personal advantage”.

Pointed out that it was possible to prosecute those who had offended religion under Italy’s criminal code, the French minister said: “I think this should be a common principle to all the countries of the world.”

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Thursday’s shutdown not to affect Delhi Metro

Delhi Metro services, the lifeline of the city, will remain unaffected by the opposition-sponsored nationwide shutdown Thursday, an official said on Wednesday.“The Metro services will run as per schedule. There is neither any plan to curtail the services nor any plan for extra trips,” a official of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) told Nakul Sharma, Sr. Producer Newsleaks.

Opposition parties have called for nationwide shutdown Thursday to protest against government’s decision to hike diesel price and allow FDI in multi-brand retail.

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Srilanka President Rajapaksa to meet Manmohan Thursday

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived here on Wednesday night for a three-day official visit during which he is to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also visit Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, even as Tamil Nadu parties protested against his visit.Rajapaksa is to attend a dinner hosted by Manmohan Singh Thursday evening at 7, Race Course Road. During the meeting, India is expected to air its concerns over issues related to the rehabilitation of war-displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka and also press for a long-term inclusive solution to the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka, said informed sources.

He is also to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday.

The Sri Lankan president is to visit the Sanchi stupa on Friday and also lay the foundation stone of the University of Buddhist and Indic Studies in Sanchi.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who arrived in Nagpur with over 1,000 party supporters on way to Sanchi, Wednesday attacked the central government and the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government for inviting Rajapaksa to Sanchi.

“Despite knowing that Rajapaksa is solely responsible for the genocide of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh has invited him and the Centre endorsed his visit,” Vaiko said.

Vaiko and MDMK workers are planning to stage a protest in Sanchi against Rajapaksa over alleged atrocities on Tamils in Sri Lanka.

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Children from Ladakh, Kashmir, Assam meet president

Children from remote villages of the Ladakh region, the Badgam district of the Kashmir Valley and the Kokrajhar and Chirang districts of Assam met President Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday, official sources said on Wednesday. The children are visiting Delhi as part of ‘Operation Sadbhavana’ organized by the Army.

Under the programme, young people from troubled areas are taken on tours to different parts of the country to expose them to the rest of India. The programme is intended to reinforce the spirit of nationalism and patriotism amongst the younger generation in these areas.

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Delhi doctor shot dead

A cardiologist was gunned down here early Wednesday by some unidentified assailants, police said.

Sanjeev Dhawan, 43, was fatally shot at around 2.45 a.m. in his Rajinder Nagar residence in central Delhi.

He was taken to nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.

A case of murder has been registered and hunt is on to nab the assailants, said a police officer.

Dhawan was working as a cardiologist at Sir Ganga Ram hospital in Rajinder Nagar.

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3-Parent IVF Treatment Questioned

The technique designed to help families with mitochondrial conditions, 3-Parent IVF, has been questioned by British Government over the concern of passing on incurable diseases. Currently in its research stage, the potential treatment involves implantation of genetically modified embryos into women for the first time.

The technique is known as three-parent in vitro fertilisation (IVF), as the offspring would have genes of three individuals, a mother, a father and a female donor. The fertility treatment involves intervening in the fertilisation process and removing faulty mitochondrial DNA.

Owing to consequences in perpetuity, which include several inherited conditions such as fatal heart problems, blindness, muscular weakness, liver failure and brain disorders, makes it questionable.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is currently conducting the consultation with researchers, keeping a watch on ethical concerns and safety.

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Catchy Vegetable Names Make Kids Eat Greens

Catchy vegetable names can convince kids to eat them, suggests a new study. Researchers at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab observed that kids have an aversion of vegetables, but they can be convinced if you rename veggies with a catchy name.

The researchers examined study pattern of the 147 students ranging from 8-11 years old students at five ethnically and economically diverse schools. At the schools, vegetable food items were renamed to ‘X-Ray Vision Carrots’, ‘Power Punch Broccoli’, ’Tiny Tasty Tree Tops’ and ‘Silly Dilly Green Beans’ or ‘Food of the Day’.

It was observed that changing the name of plain carrots to X-ray vision carrots increased the intake by 66 per cent, while there was an increase of 32 per cent when plain carrots were labelled as ‘Food of the Day’. Similarly, kids liked broccoli and beans after they were renamed to Power Punch Broccoli and Silly Dilly Green Beans.

In the second-leg of research, similar activity was conducted in two neighbouring New York schools, where researchers noted a similar response.

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Sri Lanka post 182/4 in World T20 opener

Sri Lanka posted a formidable 182 for four against Zimbabwe in the World Twenty20 Championship opener at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday.

Kumar Sangakkara (44) and Jeevan Mendis (43 not out) shared a crucial 94-run stand while Tillakaratne Dilshan made 39.

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Ups and downs of Trinamool-Congress relations

The Trinamool Congress’ decision to withdraw from the UPA appears a logical climax of the constant friction between Mamata Banerjee’s party and the Congress over a large range of issues spanning diplomatic, economic and political matters.The two parties came together in 2009 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, but then too there was a tussle over the number and nature of seats to the Congress. Banerjee won the battle.

After the United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) victory, Banerjee took over as railway minister, while five of her colleagues were sworn in as ministers of state.

Relations again soured in the 2010 Kolkata civic polls as the Congress – unhappy with the number of seats given to it – fought alone, and suffered a humiliating defeat. The Trinamool won an overwhelming majority.

Before the West Bengal assembly polls last year, there was again a prolonged stand-off over the number of seats for the Congres, but yet again its leadership blinked and the party got to fight only 65 seats in the 294-seat assembly.

After the assembly polls, the two parties formed an alliance government in the state. Soon the troubles escalated, with the Congress ministers complaining of being kept in the dark about major decisions.

The first revolt came earlier this year, when Congress minister Manoj Chakraborty resigned calling Banerjee a “dictator”.

The relations deteriorated with each passing day, with Banerjee even once asking the Congress ministers to “leave, if you want to”.

Banerjee’s battles with the central government continued, as the Trinamool sought a three year moratorium on interest repayments for loans to tide over the debt-ridden state’s financial problems.

Trinamool also confronted the Congress over the Teesta treaty with Bangladesh and repeated petro price hikes.

Last September, the UPA government suffered a major diplomatic embarrassment as Banerjee cancelled her trip to Dhaka along with the prime minister saying the Teesta treaty was against the interests of north Bengal. A red prime minister returned from Bangladesh without signing the pact.

Later, Banerjee forced the central government to go back on its decision to allow 51 percent Foreign Direct Investment in retail.

There was another major stand-off after an angry Banerjee forced her party leader and Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi to resign after he raised train fares. Banerjee’s long time associate Mukul Roy became minister and withdrew most of the hikes.

The Congress finally checkmated her in the presidential elections in July. After opposing Congress nominee Pranab Mukherjee for days, and trying to put up her own candidates, Banerjee had to finally extend support to him.

The final act in the battle came last week when the suddenly emboldened UPA government raised diesel prices by Rs 5 a litre and cut down on the number of subsidised cylinders per household to six. A day later, it announced a series of sweeping reform measures, including allowing FDI in retail.

An angry Banerjee gave a 72-hour deadline for a roll back, otherwise “hard decisions” would be taken. The Congress refused to relent, and Banerjee responded by withdrawing support on Tuesday.

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CPI-M’s Mollah salutes Mamata’s bold decision

CPI-M’s West Bengal lawmaker and former minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah on Tuesday saluted Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for taking the “bold decision” of withdrawing support to the “anti-people” UPA government.“I offer her ‘blue salute’ (Banerjee’s favourite colour) to Mamata Banerjee for her bold decision of withdrawing support from the anti-people UPA government,” Mollah told reporter.

Offering the “red salute” to comrades is a custom of Left activists and supporters.

Banerjee, also the West Bengal chief minister, Tuesday withdrew her party’s support to the UPA government, but both she and the Congress indicated a last minute compromise may still be possible.

Mollah’s comment is completely opposite to that of Communist Party of India-Marxist’s (CPI-M) central committee member Mohammed Salim, who mocked Banerjee’s decision to pull out from the government by saying that she still kept a window open till Friday for “reconsidering” her decision.

Banerjee announced the unexpected decision after a three-hour meeting of party leaders in Kolkata, four days after the central government unleashed a wave of reforms aimed at kickstarting a stagnant economy.

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Italy’s embassies secure from protests over anti-Islam Movie

Italy’s embassies and consulates worldwide are safe and being protected with “maximum vigilance” amid anger of Muslims over an anti-Islam film which has left at least 19 people dead, a minister said on Tuesday.“We have taken all necessary measures that the situation requires and we have no reason to directly fear protests or acts of violence just as we have no reason to believe that many Italians and Italian companies operating in these Muslim countries are in danger,”
Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said in an interview with Italian state broadcaster Rai.

Terzi urged individuals and media outlets to exercise “utmost sense of responsibility” in relating to “political Islam” in order to safeguard people’s lives.

An ultraconservative Salafi cleric in Egypt Monday called for the death of all those involved in the US-made film, including its director and cast, according to terrorism monitoring service SITE Intelligence Group.

The filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a 55-year-old Egyptian Copt who was sentenced to 21 months in prison in the US in June 2010, has not been seen since Saturday when he was questioned in the US.

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Chechen leader denies having hit-list

Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Russia’s Chechen republic, has denied having prepared “hit lists” of his critics.During a BBC interview, Kadyrov said: “The person who makes this claim is schizophrenic. I swear to Allah, that idea would never come to my mind.”Kadyrov rose to power in 2007, shortly after the 2004 assassination of his father Akhmad, who was also head of the republic.

However, Ramzan Kadyrov has been accused of restoring what he says is law and order in the republic through human rights abuse and a regime of fear.

Critics have accused the leader of involvement in a string of high-profile killings in recent years, including those of a human rights worker and a journalist.

Kadyrov has consistently denied any role in the murders, and claims instead that his critics are attempting to smear him.

“They are prepared to do anything to blacken Kadyrov’s name, and tell the world that Kadyrov is a bad person,” he said.

Chechnya fought two wars with Russian federal forces throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The Kadyrovs initially fought on the rebel side but later turned their allegiance to Moscow and crushed the separatist forces fighting against Russian rule.

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Two policewomen shot dead in Manchester

Two women police officers were killed on Tuesday when they were trying to arrest a murder suspect in Manchester, police said.Both officers were unarmed during the police operation in Tameside, when the 29-year-old murder suspect, Dale Cregan, fired at them, Greater Manchester police officials told reporter. An explosion and 13 gunshots were heard, witnesses said. One of the officers died immediately, while the other was sent to hospital but doctors failed to save her life.

“This is a heartbreaking time for the officers’ families and colleagues, and our thoughts are with them,” said Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan.

Cregan was later arrested when he walked into a police station in Tameside.

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Chinese army performs military drills

The Chinese army has conducted a series of military drills over the past few weeks to finetune its capabilities of amphibious operations, media reports said.The Nanjing Military Command Area held a live-ammunition drill landing combat troops. Three landing ships carrying armoured forces landed near the shore, releasing dozens of amphibian tanks.The troops underwent a simulated attack using live gunfire starting about three kilometres from the shore. They used a smokescreen device to conceal their movements, and their assault was supported by remote artillery fire.

Over 10,000 soldiers and 1,000 armoured vehicles participated in the drill, lasting for more than 20 days in August.

Landing craft and combat vessels from the navy, and the air force’s ground attack aircraft, bombers and fighter jets, as well as attack helicopters from the ground force’s aviation wing also played big roles in the drill.

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‘Iran launches submarine, destroyer’

Iranian Navy on Tuesday launched an overhauled super-heavy submarine and an indigenous destroyer in the Persian Gulf. The Tareq 901 submarine, repaired by Iranian experts, and Sahand destroyer were successfully launched in Iran’s southern port of Bandar Abbas.Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that “Anti-radar systems, wings, pneumatic systems, compressed air systems, pumps and sensors, telecommunication systems, propelling systems, and engine parts (of the submarine) were among the parts repaired in the project all by Iranian engineers,” the report said.

In August, Iran’s defence minister said that the country’s Defence Ministry plans to produce a variety of fighter jets, missiles, drones, submarines and military vehicles by the end of the Iranian calendar year (started March 20, 2012).

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Top cop who took on Gurgaon toll plaza transferred

 Police officer Bharti Arora, whose initiative led to the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway becoming toll free for a fortnight, was transferred ahead of a crucial hearing in the case on Thursday, an official said Tuesday.The deputy commissioner of police heading the traffic wing took on the contractor for not managing traffic on the 32-lane expressway, forcing the judiciary to order a temporary halt in toll collection.

The case will be heard Thursday in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

While the Haryana government termed the transfer of the 1998 batch IPS officer a routine exercise, as 15 others too have been shunted out, Bhatri Arora did not quit her charge on Tuesday.

She had put up a foolproof case against the Expressway concessionaire Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Ltd (DGSCL), backed with evidence which eventually led the court to stay toll collection for 15 days.

It was a team set up by her which ensured smooth ride on the expressway all these days, a miracle for NCR residents for whom long queues at the Sirhol toll plaza had become a daily pain.

According to police sources, Bharti Arora had put together a proposal highlighting how resumption of toll collection would bring back the chaos at the toll plaza.

Her department had also compiled videos, photographs and other evidence of smooth traffic flow in the absence of toll collection.

The department planned to submit the same to the court at the on Thursday hearing.

“The transfer is a huge shock for all of us. We had conducted systematic investigation and got enough evidence to prove that it is just because of toll collection that there is chaos at plaza,” said a official of traffic police who did not wished to be named.

“We also had visual evidences. If they were to be produced in court, the toll would have been permanently revoked,” the source added.

“For years traffic police were blamed for chaos but it was Bharti Arora who highlighted the real cause and even brought to fore the miscalculated loss by the expressway company,” said another official.

In recent meetings between the local administration, the contractor and National Highway Authority of India, it was Bharti Arora who refused to let a ‘cosmetic decongestion plan’ get a go ahead.

Gurgaon’s residents are up in arms against the officer’s transfer. Many have lauded her work on Facebook.

Several Resident Welfare Associations have demanded that her transfer be cancelled.

Bharti Arora did not respond to requests from reporter for a reaction to this story.

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Russia may block YouTube over anti-Islam video

Russia’s communications minister has warned that his country may block access to YouTube over the anti-Islam video that has sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world. Nikolai Nikiforov said on his Twitter account that the block may take place Nov 3, after a new law restricting internet access takes effect Nov 1.The law is designed to protect children from internet pornography, but critics have assailed it as a move to dampen dissent.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has declared the film, “Innocence of Muslims”, to be extremist and will seek a court ruling to ban the video in Russia, its spokeswoman said.

It has instructed the federal mass communications watchdog “to take measures to prevent media distribution of the information contained in this film”.

The watchdog has already recommended that Russian internet providers block access to the film.

Senator Ruslan Gattarov who filed a request to the Prosecutor General’s Office asking to prohibit the online demonstration of the film, compared the film to “child pornography” in his own Twitter blog.

“Obviously, the purpose of this film’s promoters is a religious split of the society, which can have far-reaching consequences,” said Gattarov.

The 14-minute trailer to “Innocence of Muslims” was originally posted on YouTube last June. It attracted little attention until Sep 8, when portions of the trailer were broadcast by a television network in Egypt.

Google, which owns YouTube, has denied a request from the US government to remove the video, saying it does not violate the website’s terms of use.

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Russian girls sweep synchro swimming at junior World Championships

In a sign that Russia’s stranglehold on Olympic synchronised swimming gold could continue for years to come, the country’s girls team won gold in every event at the junior World Championships. Russia has won every Olympic gold medal in synchronised swimming since Sydney 2000, domination that looks set to remain after the results at the championships over the weekend. Russia won all four events, with commanding performances in the two Olympics disciplines, the duet and the team swims.

Milena Miteva and Elena Prokofyeva were far ahead of the competition in the duet with a score of 168.5908, winning by almost six points from Japan, with Ukraine third.

In the team competition, Russia scored 168.1266 with a team of Miteva, Prokofyeva, Vlada Chigireva, Mikhaela Kalancha, Vasilisa Mironova, Evgeniya Shtefan, Maria Shurochkina and Gelena Topilina.

This compared to just 160.6472 for Japan in second, with Ukraine again third.

Chigireva also won the solo event, and was one of the eight-strong team to win the combination event.

Russia’s star performers at the recent London Olympics were Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina, who won the duet with a macabre-theme routine and were part of the gold-winning team.

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Telangana issue again rocks Andhra Pradesh assembly

The Telangana issue rocked the Andhra Pradesh state assembly for the second consecutive day on Tuesday with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) stalling the proceedings, demanding a resolution for carving out a separate state. Speaker N. Manohar adjourned the house for half-an-hour amid noisy scenes and heated arguments among members. He later held a meeting with floor leaders of all parties but it failed to end the deadlock as TRS, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and CPI insisted on a resolution on Telangana while main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) wanted debate on electricity shortage and ‘tainted’ ministers.

As soon as the house met for the day, the speaker announced that he was rejecting adjournment motions moved by TDP, TRS and other parties on various issues. The TRS members rushed to the speaker’s podium and insisted that the resolution on Telangana be taken up immediately.

In an attempt to find a solution, the speaker sought the views of various parties on the issue. TRS floor leader E. Rajender demanded that the assembly immediately pass a resolution urging the centre to take immediate steps for formation of separate Telangana state.

When Lok Satta leader Jaiprakash Narayan told the house that IBM employees had left Hyderabad for Bangalore due to the protests over Telangana, TRS member Harish Rao raised an objection. There was heated argument between the two.

Two ministers Danam Nagender and Mukesh Goud disrupted the proceedings when independent member N. Janardhan Reddy was speaking in favour of a separate state.

Amid the din, the speaker adjourned the house and called all floor leaders for a meeting in his chamber. However, the meeting failed to find a solution.

The first day of the monsoon session had also witnessed uproar over Telangana. The TDP and other opposition parties are already agitated over the government convening only a five-day session. They feel the duration is not adequate to discuss people’s problems.

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The Little Flying Killers

A new breed of mosquito discovered in Africa is now a supposed threat to the human race. Researchers have declared the discovery of this new breed to be a worrying sign. This is mainly because these mosquitoes do not behave like the normal ones. With nearly one million people dying each year due to mosquito bites, this new entry has raised an alarm. Malaria is knocking on our doors again.

Much of this mosquito menace is taken care of with the help of mosquito nets as it stops the female anopheles from reaching us at night. The female anopheleses suck on the blood when they are in need for their egg cycle production at night. The new breed of mosquitoes does not wait for night. They attack in the early evenings when people go outdoors. The greater fear is that scientists could not even match the DNA with any current variety of mosquitos. They even did not physically represent other know malaria mosquitoes.

This has made things so much difficult because one of the most important tool for battling malaria which is the net is now of no use. These neat little soldiers of death are here with a different strategy. The worst thing is that no one yet knows what they are.

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Pain Killers and Women’s Hearing Problems

A little bit of back ache is all it takes for people to pop in a pain killer. Pain killers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol which are very commonly found and used by people can be in fact dangerous. It is especially very a threat for women! A study conducted on more than 62,000 women show that taking the drugs just twice a week increases the risk of hearing loss by up to 13% then on using ibuprofen six times a week the possibility of a hearing problem increases to 24%. Then those taking in paracetamol up to five times a week, are prone to hearing problems 21%.

However, the same effect was not found when taken aspirin. Researchers are trying to figure out whether the damage caused is permanent or not. A national study done in the US on 116,430 female registered nurses female registered nurses have reported more than 10,000 cases of hearing loss.

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Minor Stroke causes Disability

Minor strokes do warn against major strokes in the future, but a recent study has claimed that people who suffer from minor stroke or transient ischemic attacks can develop any form of disability in the immediate days after a stroke attack.The study published in the journal ‘Stroke’ found that 15 per cent people out of 499 patients, who had had experience minor stroke, reported development of some sort of disability within the next 90 days of the stroke, but they were able to perform their routine tasks on their own.

The risk of developing a disability increases by 12 per cent if the patient experiences recurrent strokes within a few days. Other people who are at the risk of developing disabilities are type 2 diabetics and patients with blocked brain arteries.

The authors of the study suggested that if clot-busting drugs are administered to patients with stroke, the risk of disability can be staved off, but it’s crucial that the medications are given within a specified time frame.

Also, with adherence to better lifestyle practices, the risk of disability after a minor stroke can be diminished. A patient must regularly check his blood pressure and diabetes after the stroke attack.

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Deep Sleep induces Onset of Puberty

A new Harvard study has claimed that deep sleep can trigger the onset of puberty in children.
Previous studies claimed that puberty-controlling parts of the body start functioning during sleep, but the latest study has claimed that it is the state of deep sleep that does the task. Deep sleep efficiently activates the parts of the brain that control the onset of puberty and many other hormonal changes in adolescents that occur during this phase. The researchers said that it’s extremely significant for adolescent kids to get adequate amount of sleep every night.

Lead researcher of the study, Natalie Shaw, said that if deep sleep can activate the reproductive system, then disturbed sleep or sleep disorders can possibly interfere with adolescents’ natural pubertal maturation.

The study examined the pulses of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion as per the specific sleep stages of children aged between 9-15 years.


The study will be published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

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Wine Better for Heart, says Study

A Rhode Island study has revealed that wine serves better for heart than its peers as it has cardio-vascular benefits. The scientists found that consuming pinot noir, a light to medium bodied right wine that can be paired with different meals, can be heart friendly. The team of scientists studied effects that consuming red wine and vodka had on pigs with high cholesterol levels. They found that the animals that had a penchant for pinot noir were better off compared with those, who drank vodka. The study paper has been published in the September issue of the journal Circulation.

The study said that red wine may offer an increased level so protection owing to its anti-oxidant properties. While red wine helps in dilating blood vessels, vodka leads to the development of more collateral vessels.

Sellke, study’s principal investigator, said that moderate consumption of vodka and red wine can possible reduce cardiovascular risk, though red wine is likely to offer more protection because of its antioxidant properties. The study also helped the doctor’s determine that the HDl cholesterol or good cholesterol increased significantly in both the alcohol-treated groups, though the total cholesterol levels remained unaffected. The researchers added that though red wine and vodka may be of benefit to the humans, they are so for different reasons.

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The Trials of Cancer Trials

I spent last week trying to hope for the recurrence of a malignancy, a tumor of at least 1.5 centimeters (a bit more than half an inch) that would be visible on a CT scan. Am I crazy? Maybe, yet without such evidence of cancer’s return, I won’t be eligible for a trial that can offer me an experimental drug not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration but potentially useful at keeping my cancer at bay for a bit longer. “At bay”: The cancer in my abdomen can’t be eradicated, so the best option is to live with it for as long as possible or for as long as it (or its treatment) does not destroy my quality of life. But it does feel somehow deranged to wish for a recurrence when, like most other people with cancer, I have spent quite some time pursuing every possible method of purging the disease from my body.

Perhaps I am especially wary because over the course of the past four years I have been expelled from two trials, and so I realize that trials do not always work out. I signed on to the first study a month or so after the diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2008. An experimental drug would be added to the usual chemo cocktail at the second session of a cycle of six chemotherapy infusions. Before that second session, an intestinal infection made it clear to my oncologist, Dr. Daniela Matei, that the drug might be dangerous for me, and I never received it.

After a recurrence some time later and again in consultation with Dr. Matei, I signed up for a trial of another experimental drug and was “randomized” to Arm B; that is, a computer placed me in the control group not receiving the drug. Like many others, I had decided to participate for my personal benefit but also because I believe that the research garnered from trials benefits future generations. I therefore decided to remain in the trial, although I would receive only standard treatment. However, again infections knocked me down and then out of the trial: Dr. Matei believed that the weekly blood tests and intermittent scans required for the study were too arduous for me in my debilitated condition.

I had already experienced, then, two trials of trials: Patients can be thrown out of trials, and patients may be placed in control groups not receiving the new drug. And had I undertaken the trials, another grueling regimen — of being poked with needles for blood draws and spending uncomfortable hours in a hospital attached to various machines, injected with potentially harmful contrast agents, and subjected to potentially harmful radiation — would have been added to the now familiar ordeals of chemotherapy. A logistical worry presented itself when, after a second recurrence, I considered a trial at the National Institutes of Health, for this would involve weekly airplane trips from Indianapolis to Washington, D.C., not to mention hotel stays, both of which would undoubtedly distress me and stress my devoted husband, Don. When that trial fell through because it would not open for a month and my cancer was progressing too quickly to wait for treatment, the challenge of timing became apparent to me.

To these additional trials of research trials, add another: their rigorous prerequisites for admission. Even a glance at Web sites devoted to trials reveals how stringent their eligibility stipulations are, and probably have to be. To get a coherent cohort, physicians must exclude people who have had too many recurrences, or whose blood work might show damage in vital body organs, or whose subtype of cancer is X and not Y, Q and not R. Also excluded are those people whose health insurance will not pay for aspects of regular care not covered by the study. To the nonspecialist, even reading through the requirements can be a challenge, never mind ascertaining whether one has met them.

Reading the informed consent forms of trials can also be a trial. While I waited to see if my tumor would register at 1.5 cm on the CT scan, I perused a number of fear-inducing sentences about the experimental drug’s consequences: “In some cases, side effects can be serious and last for a long time and never go away. There is also a risk of death.”

The authors of the consent form do not mince words, though they sometimes translate words not really in need of translation: “There is no guarantee that you will get any benefit (good things) from being in this study. The study drug is not a cure for your cancer.” In a transparent attempt to forestall litigation, the consent form departs from cheery rhetoric to address the incurable: “You have been selected to participate in this study in part because there is no known standard treatment for your cancer.” Phase 1 trials do not offer cures to participants, though they do offer potential cures for future patients.

By means of an amiable division of labor, my husband and I cope with the schizophrenic dilemma of wishing for the nightmare of a recurrence. He hopes that I will get into the trial so I will receive a drug that might prolong my life; I cannot stop myself from hoping that the cancer has not markedly progressed in my abdomen. Dr. Matei says in an e-mail that the CT scan “shows very little,” but that the blood test is “good enough” to get me into the trial. What she really means is that it was bad enough to get me into the trial. Don and I have both gotten our wishes, but we know from the start that the results of the trial are as uncertain as the grounds on which we are making our decision to embark upon it.

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