BBC ON THIS DAY 11 1998: India explodes nuclear controversy
Ten Years of Nuclear regime
1998: India explodes nuclear controversyThe Indian government has announced it has carried out a series of underground nuclear tests.
It is the first time India has carried out such tests since 1974.
The experiments took place without any warning to the international community, and there has been widespread outrage and concern over the move.
The test site, in Pokhran in the northern desert state of Rajasthan, is only about 150km (93 miles) from the border with Pakistan.
The two countries have fought three wars since independence with Britain in 1947, mainly over the disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and there are fears the tests could escalate the conflict and spark a regional nuclear arms race.
'Contained explosions'
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee broke the news to journalists in a hastily-convened news conference.
"These were contained explosions like the experiment conducted in May 1974," he said.
"I warmly congratulate the scientists and engineers who have carried out these successful tests."
He said the devices tested were a fission device, a low-yield device and a thermonuclear device. He said there had been no release of radioactivity into the atmosphere.
There was immediate condemnation of the tests from Pakistan.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, said his country had been trying to draw the world's attention to India's nuclear programme.
"As a sovereign and independent nation," he said, "Pakistan will make its own decision on the steps to be taken towards its sovereignty and defence."
Arms race threat
There was already strong diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to show restraint and avoid retaliating - the only hope of avoiding a damaging arms race.
Last month Pakistan tested its own long-range nuclear missile, the Hatf-5, which has a range of up to 1,500km (932 miles).
The tests are said to have contributed to India's decision to launch its own nuclear tests today.
India is known to have developed a short-range nuclear missile, the Prithvi, with a range of 150km (93 miles) but it is working on a much longer range system, the Agni, which could reach targets up to 2,500km (1553 miles) away.
India, Pakistan and Israel are the three nations widely suspected of nuclear capability which have not joined the 1970 nuclear non-proliferation treaty, now observed by 185 countries.
Friday, May 11, 2007
DNA - Mumbai - One lakh tribals may convert to Buddhism - Daily News & Analysis
DNA - Mumbai - One lakh tribals may convert to Buddhism - Daily News & Analysis
One lakh tribals may convert to Buddhism
PTI Friday, May 11, 2007 11:55 IST
To reprint this article, contact 3DSyndication
MUMBAI: Around one lakh tribals, including those belonging to nomadic tribes, are expected to convert to Buddhism here on May 27.
"We expect around 10 lakh people to attend the function being held at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse," Laxman Mane, a nomadic tribal leader, said.
Mane, whose autobiography 'Upara' (Outsider) is a landmark in Marathi literature, is currently undertaking a state-wide tour to drum up support for the conversion campaign.
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday allowed Royal Western India Turf Club to let the organisers hold the event there.
RPI president and Lok Sabha member Ramdas Athavale is among the organisers.
A citizens' group, Public Concern for Governance Trust, had filed a petition in 2005 requesting the court to bar such public functions at the race course.
Mane converted to Buddhism in Nagpur on October 2, 2006.
Asked why he chose Buddhism, Mane said tribals had been following the Buddha's teachings without knowing it. "But now we've realised that our practices are similar to Buddhism," he said.
The 56-year-old leader, who has been working with NCP president Sharad Pawar's daughter, MP Supriya Sule, among nomadic tribes, said the conversions were a protest against the government's apathy.
One lakh tribals may convert to Buddhism
PTI Friday, May 11, 2007 11:55 IST
To reprint this article, contact 3DSyndication
MUMBAI: Around one lakh tribals, including those belonging to nomadic tribes, are expected to convert to Buddhism here on May 27.
"We expect around 10 lakh people to attend the function being held at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse," Laxman Mane, a nomadic tribal leader, said.
Mane, whose autobiography 'Upara' (Outsider) is a landmark in Marathi literature, is currently undertaking a state-wide tour to drum up support for the conversion campaign.
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday allowed Royal Western India Turf Club to let the organisers hold the event there.
RPI president and Lok Sabha member Ramdas Athavale is among the organisers.
A citizens' group, Public Concern for Governance Trust, had filed a petition in 2005 requesting the court to bar such public functions at the race course.
Mane converted to Buddhism in Nagpur on October 2, 2006.
Asked why he chose Buddhism, Mane said tribals had been following the Buddha's teachings without knowing it. "But now we've realised that our practices are similar to Buddhism," he said.
The 56-year-old leader, who has been working with NCP president Sharad Pawar's daughter, MP Supriya Sule, among nomadic tribes, said the conversions were a protest against the government's apathy.
Poet summoned for using ‘derogatory words’ - Sify.com
Poet summoned for using ‘derogatory words’ - Sify.com
Parveen's Problem
IANS
Poet summoned for using ‘derogatory words’
Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court has served summons on Urdu poet and singer Abrarul Haq for using the name ‘Parveen’ in his song that forced a girl with the same name to drop out of college as she complained that the poet had used "derogatory words in the song".
Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Rana Bhagwandas took suo motu notice of a letter written by the girl to the editor of an Urdu newspaper complaining that the lyric had led to her being ridiculed by boys in her college, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
The words used about Parveen are: "Ne Parveen too bari namkeen; ooper sey to miskeen, andar sey too bari shauqeen", which roughly translated says Parveen is 'cute' or 'saucy' and appears 'simple' or 'innocent' on surface, but is actually 'romantic'.
In her letter, Parveen said the song forced her to abandon her studies at a college in Lahore.
"Whenever I would pass by the college canteen, the boys would start singing the song and laugh at me," Parveen said.
Taking note of her anguish, the court issued a notice to the Advocate General of Punjab to appear before it at a date that is yet to be fixed, The Daily Times reported on Friday
Parveen's Problem
IANS
Poet summoned for using ‘derogatory words’
Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court has served summons on Urdu poet and singer Abrarul Haq for using the name ‘Parveen’ in his song that forced a girl with the same name to drop out of college as she complained that the poet had used "derogatory words in the song".
Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Rana Bhagwandas took suo motu notice of a letter written by the girl to the editor of an Urdu newspaper complaining that the lyric had led to her being ridiculed by boys in her college, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
The words used about Parveen are: "Ne Parveen too bari namkeen; ooper sey to miskeen, andar sey too bari shauqeen", which roughly translated says Parveen is 'cute' or 'saucy' and appears 'simple' or 'innocent' on surface, but is actually 'romantic'.
In her letter, Parveen said the song forced her to abandon her studies at a college in Lahore.
"Whenever I would pass by the college canteen, the boys would start singing the song and laugh at me," Parveen said.
Taking note of her anguish, the court issued a notice to the Advocate General of Punjab to appear before it at a date that is yet to be fixed, The Daily Times reported on Friday
Thursday, May 10, 2007
DNA - World - Under Pooja’s skin: How girls experience race in America - Daily News & Analysis
DNA - World - Under Pooja’s skin: How girls experience race in America - Daily News & Analysis
Under Pooja’s skin: How girls experience race in America
Uttara Choudhury Thursday, May 10, 2007 23:13 IST
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NEW YORK: Writer Pooja Makhijani has been an East Coast girl her whole life and she has no time for people who trumpet their sense of alienation. But growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood in New York Makhijani hated having to rely only on Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book for a good Indian story.
“When I was growing up there was no literature that I can remember for South Asian kids. We did get material from India and I devoured Amar Chitra Katha, but it had a different sensibility,” said 29-year-old Makhijani who has just added her second book Mama’s Saris published by Little, Brown Books to US bookshelves.
“This is the book I would have loved to read as a child. It is also a story that every little girl can identify with. As a child I went to my friends’ houses and we would pull out their moms’ clothes and play “Dress Up.”
I remember all of us trying on hats and shawls, falling over in leather pumps and getting tangled in costume jewellery, putting on pink blush that found its way to our noses. When I got home, though, it was my mother’s saris which captivated me.”
“It is a universal story in some ways couched in a very cultural specific context,” added Makhijani, who has a day job in New York’s Sesame Workshop supervising aspects of the Sesame Street India project.
In the introduction to her hugely popular first book Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America, Makhijani confessed to suffering a fleeting “I-refuse-to-be-Indian-how-can’t-you-see-that-I-am-as-white-as-you” phase. In one of her candid essays, Makhijani recalls a childhood spent swapping the traditional Indian lunches her mother packed for the processed school lunches other ‘luckier’ kids bought.
1 2 NEXT PAGE
Under Pooja’s skin: How girls experience race in America
Uttara Choudhury Thursday, May 10, 2007 23:13 IST
For the latest World News on mobile sms WOR to 4567
Email Article
Print Article
Most Emailed Articles
Most Viewed Articles
Share this article
RSS Feed
Digg it
Add to del.icio.us
Google bookmarks
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Add to Newsvine
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To reprint this article, contact 3DSyndication
NEW YORK: Writer Pooja Makhijani has been an East Coast girl her whole life and she has no time for people who trumpet their sense of alienation. But growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood in New York Makhijani hated having to rely only on Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book for a good Indian story.
“When I was growing up there was no literature that I can remember for South Asian kids. We did get material from India and I devoured Amar Chitra Katha, but it had a different sensibility,” said 29-year-old Makhijani who has just added her second book Mama’s Saris published by Little, Brown Books to US bookshelves.
“This is the book I would have loved to read as a child. It is also a story that every little girl can identify with. As a child I went to my friends’ houses and we would pull out their moms’ clothes and play “Dress Up.”
I remember all of us trying on hats and shawls, falling over in leather pumps and getting tangled in costume jewellery, putting on pink blush that found its way to our noses. When I got home, though, it was my mother’s saris which captivated me.”
“It is a universal story in some ways couched in a very cultural specific context,” added Makhijani, who has a day job in New York’s Sesame Workshop supervising aspects of the Sesame Street India project.
In the introduction to her hugely popular first book Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America, Makhijani confessed to suffering a fleeting “I-refuse-to-be-Indian-how-can’t-you-see-that-I-am-as-white-as-you” phase. In one of her candid essays, Makhijani recalls a childhood spent swapping the traditional Indian lunches her mother packed for the processed school lunches other ‘luckier’ kids bought.
1 2 NEXT PAGE
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Christians top the unemployment list
Christians top the unemployment list
Christians most unemployed in India
Enlarge Photo
By IBNlive.com
Thursday May 10, 12:41 AM New Delhi: Even as UPA goes on pushing Muslim’s unemployment issue, a survey reveals that it is the Christians community that has the highest rate of unemployed youth in the country. The unemployment rate is highest among Christians who are followed by Sikhs, said the government survey. Minister of state for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes quoted a census of 2004-05 said in the Rajya Sabha which shows that in rural and urban areas, the percentage of unemployed Christians is 4.4 and 8.6 respectively while the figure for Sikhs stands at 3.4 and 4.7 per cent. Muslims stand third in the list with their unemployment rate being 2.3 per cent in the rural areas whereas the Hindus are better off among the religious groups in the rural sector with unemployment rate at as low as 1.5 percent. In the urban areas, however they lag behind their Muslims counterparts. For Hindus it is 4.4 per cent against 4.1 per cent in Muslims community. Fernandes said estimates of employment and unemployment among major religious groups in the country are obtained through quinquennial labour force surveys conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation. Giving details of the programmes to create job opportunities for the needy, the minister said the government has launched Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna, Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojna, Prime Minister's Rojgar Yojna, Rural Employment Generation Programme and various others. With inputs from PTI
Christians most unemployed in India
Enlarge Photo
By IBNlive.com
Thursday May 10, 12:41 AM New Delhi: Even as UPA goes on pushing Muslim’s unemployment issue, a survey reveals that it is the Christians community that has the highest rate of unemployed youth in the country. The unemployment rate is highest among Christians who are followed by Sikhs, said the government survey. Minister of state for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes quoted a census of 2004-05 said in the Rajya Sabha which shows that in rural and urban areas, the percentage of unemployed Christians is 4.4 and 8.6 respectively while the figure for Sikhs stands at 3.4 and 4.7 per cent. Muslims stand third in the list with their unemployment rate being 2.3 per cent in the rural areas whereas the Hindus are better off among the religious groups in the rural sector with unemployment rate at as low as 1.5 percent. In the urban areas, however they lag behind their Muslims counterparts. For Hindus it is 4.4 per cent against 4.1 per cent in Muslims community. Fernandes said estimates of employment and unemployment among major religious groups in the country are obtained through quinquennial labour force surveys conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation. Giving details of the programmes to create job opportunities for the needy, the minister said the government has launched Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna, Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojna, Prime Minister's Rojgar Yojna, Rural Employment Generation Programme and various others. With inputs from PTI
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | UN warns on impacts of biofuels
BBC NEWS Science/Nature UN warns on impacts of biofuels
Biofuels new source of food scarcity
UN warns on impacts of biofuels
Plantations for biofuels may threaten forests and wildlifeA UN report warns that a hasty switch to biofuels could have major impacts on livelihoods and the environment.
Produced by a cross-agency body, UN Energy, the report says that biofuels can bring real benefits.
But there can be serious consequences if forests are razed for plantations, if food prices rise and if communities are excluded from ownership, it says.
And it concludes that biofuels are more effective when used for heat and power rather than in transport.
"Current research concludes that using biomass for combined heat and power (CHP), rather than for transport fuels or other uses, is the best option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade - and also one of the cheapest," it says.
The European Union and the US have recently set major targets for the expansion of biofuels in road vehicles, for which ethanol and biodiesel are seen as the only currently viable alternative to petroleum fuels.
Forest clearance
The UN report, Sustainable Bioenergy: A Framework for Decision Makers, suggests that biofuels can be a force for good if they are planned well, but can bring adverse consequences if not.
"The development of new bioenergy industries could provide clean energy services to millions of people who currently lack them," it concludes, "while generating income and creating jobs in poorer areas of the world."
Intensive farming of energy crops demands water and resourcesBut the prices of food, land and agricultural commodities could be driven up, it warns, with major impacts in poorer countries where people spend a much greater share of their incomes on food than in developed nations.
On the environmental side, it notes that demand for biofuels has accelerated the clearing of primary forest for palm plantations, particularly in southeast Asia.
This destruction of ecosystems which remove carbon from the atmosphere can lead to a net increase in emissions.
The report warns too of the impacts on nature: "Use of large-scale mono-cropping could lead to significant biodiversity loss, soil erosion and nutrient leaching."
This has been avoided, the report says, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo where sugar cane farmers are obliged to leave a percentage of their land as natural reserves.
Water is also a concern. The expanding world population and the on-going switch towards consumption of meat and dairy produce as incomes rise are already putting pressure on freshwater supplies, which increased growing of biofuel crops could exacerbate.
In conclusion, UN Energy suggests policymakers should take a holistic look before embarking on drives to boost biofuel use.
"Only through a convergence of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and water-use policies can bioenergy find its proper environmental context and agricultural scale," the report concludes.
Biofuels new source of food scarcity
UN warns on impacts of biofuels
Plantations for biofuels may threaten forests and wildlifeA UN report warns that a hasty switch to biofuels could have major impacts on livelihoods and the environment.
Produced by a cross-agency body, UN Energy, the report says that biofuels can bring real benefits.
But there can be serious consequences if forests are razed for plantations, if food prices rise and if communities are excluded from ownership, it says.
And it concludes that biofuels are more effective when used for heat and power rather than in transport.
"Current research concludes that using biomass for combined heat and power (CHP), rather than for transport fuels or other uses, is the best option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade - and also one of the cheapest," it says.
The European Union and the US have recently set major targets for the expansion of biofuels in road vehicles, for which ethanol and biodiesel are seen as the only currently viable alternative to petroleum fuels.
Forest clearance
The UN report, Sustainable Bioenergy: A Framework for Decision Makers, suggests that biofuels can be a force for good if they are planned well, but can bring adverse consequences if not.
"The development of new bioenergy industries could provide clean energy services to millions of people who currently lack them," it concludes, "while generating income and creating jobs in poorer areas of the world."
Intensive farming of energy crops demands water and resourcesBut the prices of food, land and agricultural commodities could be driven up, it warns, with major impacts in poorer countries where people spend a much greater share of their incomes on food than in developed nations.
On the environmental side, it notes that demand for biofuels has accelerated the clearing of primary forest for palm plantations, particularly in southeast Asia.
This destruction of ecosystems which remove carbon from the atmosphere can lead to a net increase in emissions.
The report warns too of the impacts on nature: "Use of large-scale mono-cropping could lead to significant biodiversity loss, soil erosion and nutrient leaching."
This has been avoided, the report says, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo where sugar cane farmers are obliged to leave a percentage of their land as natural reserves.
Water is also a concern. The expanding world population and the on-going switch towards consumption of meat and dairy produce as incomes rise are already putting pressure on freshwater supplies, which increased growing of biofuel crops could exacerbate.
In conclusion, UN Energy suggests policymakers should take a holistic look before embarking on drives to boost biofuel use.
"Only through a convergence of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and water-use policies can bioenergy find its proper environmental context and agricultural scale," the report concludes.
BBC NEWS | Business | Payments 'wrong' says Black aide
BBC NEWS Business Payments 'wrong' says Black aide
International Fraud Captains
Payments 'wrong' says Black aide
Lord Black faces more than 100 years in jail if convictedMedia mogul Lord Black's closest business partner has described how he knew a scheme he and his boss hatched to pay themselves bonuses was wrong.
David Radler, chief prosecution witness in Lord Black's fraud trial, described how the two divided up $600,000 (£300,800) from two separate deals.
Prosecutors have argued that Lord Black and his co-defendants stole $60m from media group Hollinger International.
Lord Black has denied all charges of fraud and racketeering.
Prosecutors at Lord Black's fraud trial in Chicago have argued that the media mogul and his accomplices diverted so-called "non-compete" payments from companies buying Hollinger assets - money which should have gone to the company.
At its height, Hollinger International owned several prestigious newspapers, including Britain's Daily Telegraph, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Jerusalem Post.
Fraud conviction
Radler was one of Lord Black's closest business partners
During the third day of Radler's testimony, chief prosecutor Eric Sussman asked if the former Hollinger executive had advised the company's board about the $600,000 that was kept.
"No, I didn't," Radler replied.
Asked why not, the former chief operations officer of newspaper publisher Hollinger International replied: "I knew the process of creating these non-competes was wrong."
Radler, who was convicted of fraud in 2005, has agreed to co-operate with the authorities.
Prosecutors allege that Lord Black and fellow Hollinger executives effectively stole $60m over a number of years through "non-compete" deals - agreements designed to recompense a firm for not competing with an asset it has sold.
Lord Black has contended that Hollinger International's board approved all the payments in question.
If convicted, he faces a jail sentence of more than 100 years and heavy fines.
International Fraud Captains
Payments 'wrong' says Black aide
Lord Black faces more than 100 years in jail if convictedMedia mogul Lord Black's closest business partner has described how he knew a scheme he and his boss hatched to pay themselves bonuses was wrong.
David Radler, chief prosecution witness in Lord Black's fraud trial, described how the two divided up $600,000 (£300,800) from two separate deals.
Prosecutors have argued that Lord Black and his co-defendants stole $60m from media group Hollinger International.
Lord Black has denied all charges of fraud and racketeering.
Prosecutors at Lord Black's fraud trial in Chicago have argued that the media mogul and his accomplices diverted so-called "non-compete" payments from companies buying Hollinger assets - money which should have gone to the company.
At its height, Hollinger International owned several prestigious newspapers, including Britain's Daily Telegraph, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Jerusalem Post.
Fraud conviction
Radler was one of Lord Black's closest business partners
During the third day of Radler's testimony, chief prosecutor Eric Sussman asked if the former Hollinger executive had advised the company's board about the $600,000 that was kept.
"No, I didn't," Radler replied.
Asked why not, the former chief operations officer of newspaper publisher Hollinger International replied: "I knew the process of creating these non-competes was wrong."
Radler, who was convicted of fraud in 2005, has agreed to co-operate with the authorities.
Prosecutors allege that Lord Black and fellow Hollinger executives effectively stole $60m over a number of years through "non-compete" deals - agreements designed to recompense a firm for not competing with an asset it has sold.
Lord Black has contended that Hollinger International's board approved all the payments in question.
If convicted, he faces a jail sentence of more than 100 years and heavy fines.
BBC NEWS | Europe | Irish teen wins abortion battle
BBC NEWS Europe Irish teen wins abortion battle
Righting Wrong
Irish teen wins abortion battle
The teenager fought her legal battle in the High Court in DublinAn Irish teenager has won a High Court battle in Dublin to be allowed to visit Britain for an abortion.
The 17-year old was told by doctors her four-month foetus would not live more than a few days beyond its birth.
She is in the care of the Irish Republic's health service, which had issued an order stopping her from going to Britain.
Abortion is illegal in the Republic except when the mother is threatened by a medical condition or a suicide risk.
Thousands of Irish women get around the ban by privately travelling to Britain, where abortion was legalised in 1967, to undergo terminations.
The Irish Republic has a constitutional ban on abortion, but in 1992 made it legal to receive information about foreign abortion services and to travel for abortions in Britain.
An estimated 7,000 women travel outside Ireland each year to terminate unwanted pregnancies.
The High Court has now ruled there were no statutory or constitutional grounds for preventing the teenager, known only as Miss D in court, from travelling to Britain for the operation.
Legal arguments
Justice Liam McKechnie had heard arguments over the past week from three sides.
These were the girl and her estranged mother, who both approve of the abortion; her legal guardians at the Health Service Executive (HSE) - the republic's national health service, which opposed the abortion at first but has since altered its position; and lawyers appointed by Attorney General Rory Brady to represent the right to life of the foetus.
The teenager comes from the Leinster region and has been under the guardianship of the HSE since March.
Doctors said Miss D's foetus has anencephaly, a condition which means that a large part of the brain and skull is missing.
Babies with anencephaly live a maximum of just three days after birth.
Righting Wrong
Irish teen wins abortion battle
The teenager fought her legal battle in the High Court in DublinAn Irish teenager has won a High Court battle in Dublin to be allowed to visit Britain for an abortion.
The 17-year old was told by doctors her four-month foetus would not live more than a few days beyond its birth.
She is in the care of the Irish Republic's health service, which had issued an order stopping her from going to Britain.
Abortion is illegal in the Republic except when the mother is threatened by a medical condition or a suicide risk.
Thousands of Irish women get around the ban by privately travelling to Britain, where abortion was legalised in 1967, to undergo terminations.
The Irish Republic has a constitutional ban on abortion, but in 1992 made it legal to receive information about foreign abortion services and to travel for abortions in Britain.
An estimated 7,000 women travel outside Ireland each year to terminate unwanted pregnancies.
The High Court has now ruled there were no statutory or constitutional grounds for preventing the teenager, known only as Miss D in court, from travelling to Britain for the operation.
Legal arguments
Justice Liam McKechnie had heard arguments over the past week from three sides.
These were the girl and her estranged mother, who both approve of the abortion; her legal guardians at the Health Service Executive (HSE) - the republic's national health service, which opposed the abortion at first but has since altered its position; and lawyers appointed by Attorney General Rory Brady to represent the right to life of the foetus.
The teenager comes from the Leinster region and has been under the guardianship of the HSE since March.
Doctors said Miss D's foetus has anencephaly, a condition which means that a large part of the brain and skull is missing.
Babies with anencephaly live a maximum of just three days after birth.
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Perth girls get life for murder
BBC NEWS Asia-Pacific Perth girls get life for murder
Friends Killers
Perth girls get life for murder
Two teenage girls in Western Australia have been sentenced to life in prison for killing a friend to see whether they would feel remorse at the deed.
The girls, aged 16 at the time of the murder, strangled Eliza Jane Davis then buried her under a house.
They told police they knew it was wrong to kill but it "felt right", and they did not regret Davis's death.
Perth Children's Court president Denis Reynolds said the murder was "gruesome and merciless in the extreme".
Shallow grave
The pair, who cannot be named because of their age, killed 15-year-old Davis while the three were staying at the same house in the coal-mining town of Collie, south of Perth, on 18 June 2006.
They had been discussing how neither would feel bad about committing murder when they decided to kill Davis, who was sleeping in another room, a court heard in April.
They dressed in old clothes then strangled Davis with speaker wire and buried her body under the house, the court heard.
The girls confessed to police after deciding the grave was too shallow and that they would inevitably be caught.
Earlier, they had reported Davis as missing and pretended to help with the search for her body.
Their lawyers said experts were baffled as to the motivation behind the attack.
The girls were jailed for life, with a minimum sentence of 15 years.
Friends Killers
Perth girls get life for murder
Two teenage girls in Western Australia have been sentenced to life in prison for killing a friend to see whether they would feel remorse at the deed.
The girls, aged 16 at the time of the murder, strangled Eliza Jane Davis then buried her under a house.
They told police they knew it was wrong to kill but it "felt right", and they did not regret Davis's death.
Perth Children's Court president Denis Reynolds said the murder was "gruesome and merciless in the extreme".
Shallow grave
The pair, who cannot be named because of their age, killed 15-year-old Davis while the three were staying at the same house in the coal-mining town of Collie, south of Perth, on 18 June 2006.
They had been discussing how neither would feel bad about committing murder when they decided to kill Davis, who was sleeping in another room, a court heard in April.
They dressed in old clothes then strangled Davis with speaker wire and buried her body under the house, the court heard.
The girls confessed to police after deciding the grave was too shallow and that they would inevitably be caught.
Earlier, they had reported Davis as missing and pretended to help with the search for her body.
Their lawyers said experts were baffled as to the motivation behind the attack.
The girls were jailed for life, with a minimum sentence of 15 years.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
BBC NEWS | Middle East | King Herod's ancient tomb 'found'
BBC NEWS Middle East King Herod's ancient tomb 'found'
Herodium
King Herod's ancient tomb 'found'
Archaeologists believe this is the podium of Herod's tombAn Israeli archaeologist says he has found the tomb of King Herod, the ruler of Judea while it was under Roman administration in the first century BC.
After a search of more than 30 years, Ehud Netzer of the Hebrew University says he has located the tomb at Herodium, a site south of Jerusalem.
Herod was noted in the New Testament for his Massacre of the Innocents.
Told of Jesus' birth, Herod ordered all children under two in Bethlehem to be killed, the Gospel of Matthew said.
According to the New Testament, Jesus' father Joseph was warned of the threat in a dream and fled with his wife and child to Egypt.
Limestone fragments
"When I realised it was the tomb there was great happiness," said Prof Netzer, who has worked at the Herodium site since 1972.
WHO WAS HEROD?
Roman-appointed King of Judea from around 37 BC to 4 BC
A bloody ruler who killed political rivals
Ordered the Massacre of Innocents to protect his throne, the New Testament says
Behind ambitious building projects including expanding Second Jewish Temple and walls around Jerusalem
"Everyone has an interest in the Holy Land and Herod's tomb is part of that story."
It was an ancient staircase built for Herod's funeral procession - described in detail by First Century historian Josephus Flavius - that led Prof Netzer's team to the hill-top burial site.
"The monumental stairs were built specifically for the funeral," Prof Netzer said.
At the site, archaeologists found a smashed limestone sarcophagus that, when whole, would have been around 2.5m (8ft) long.
Ornate rosette decorations on the fragments alerted the team to the coffin's significance.
No bones were found at the site. Prof Netzer said that they had likely been removed by Jewish rebels who fought against Rome between 66 and 72 AD.
Major find
If the find is confirmed, this will rank as a major archaeological discovery, BBC Jerusalem correspondent Tim Franks says.
Experts have always believed that Herod was buried somewhere within the palace complex he had constructed on a flattened hilltop in the Judean desert, but they had repeatedly struggled to find any evidence to back up their theories.
Herod was appointed "King of the Jews" by the Roman authorities and ruled Judea from 37 BC until his death in around 4 BC.
He is known for his expansion of the Second Jewish Temple and the construction of walls around the Old City of Jerusalem.
He also built the fortress of Masada, which became the last stand of Jewish rebels in 73 AD.
Herodium
King Herod's ancient tomb 'found'
Archaeologists believe this is the podium of Herod's tombAn Israeli archaeologist says he has found the tomb of King Herod, the ruler of Judea while it was under Roman administration in the first century BC.
After a search of more than 30 years, Ehud Netzer of the Hebrew University says he has located the tomb at Herodium, a site south of Jerusalem.
Herod was noted in the New Testament for his Massacre of the Innocents.
Told of Jesus' birth, Herod ordered all children under two in Bethlehem to be killed, the Gospel of Matthew said.
According to the New Testament, Jesus' father Joseph was warned of the threat in a dream and fled with his wife and child to Egypt.
Limestone fragments
"When I realised it was the tomb there was great happiness," said Prof Netzer, who has worked at the Herodium site since 1972.
WHO WAS HEROD?
Roman-appointed King of Judea from around 37 BC to 4 BC
A bloody ruler who killed political rivals
Ordered the Massacre of Innocents to protect his throne, the New Testament says
Behind ambitious building projects including expanding Second Jewish Temple and walls around Jerusalem
"Everyone has an interest in the Holy Land and Herod's tomb is part of that story."
It was an ancient staircase built for Herod's funeral procession - described in detail by First Century historian Josephus Flavius - that led Prof Netzer's team to the hill-top burial site.
"The monumental stairs were built specifically for the funeral," Prof Netzer said.
At the site, archaeologists found a smashed limestone sarcophagus that, when whole, would have been around 2.5m (8ft) long.
Ornate rosette decorations on the fragments alerted the team to the coffin's significance.
No bones were found at the site. Prof Netzer said that they had likely been removed by Jewish rebels who fought against Rome between 66 and 72 AD.
Major find
If the find is confirmed, this will rank as a major archaeological discovery, BBC Jerusalem correspondent Tim Franks says.
Experts have always believed that Herod was buried somewhere within the palace complex he had constructed on a flattened hilltop in the Judean desert, but they had repeatedly struggled to find any evidence to back up their theories.
Herod was appointed "King of the Jews" by the Roman authorities and ruled Judea from 37 BC until his death in around 4 BC.
He is known for his expansion of the Second Jewish Temple and the construction of walls around the Old City of Jerusalem.
He also built the fortress of Masada, which became the last stand of Jewish rebels in 73 AD.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Lost wallet found after 55 years
BBC NEWS Americas Lost wallet found after 55 years
Lost wallet found after 55 years
A wallet misplaced during a romantic embrace has been returned to its forgetful owner after 55 years.
Two classic car collectors from the US state of Idaho found the wallet after it fell out of the back of a vintage car they were planning to restore.
After an internet search they found and contacted the owner, Glenn Goodlove.
Mr Goodlove said he probably lost the wallet in the back seat of his 1946 Hudson car while kissing a girl when he was home on leave from the US Navy.
"If it was in my sailor-mentality years, I might have attempted to, as they said in those years, 'make out,"' Mr Goodlove told the Idaho Twin Falls Times-News.
Vital clues
Jon Beck, 61, and Chuck Merrill, 72, bought the now-vintage vehicle in Idaho after placing an ad in a local newspaper to buy a classic car in need of restoration.
Like a couple of kids, we thought we had a goldmine
Jon BeckClassic car collector
Since 1952, the car had travelled from Washington state, where Mr Goodlove's grandfather owned it, to finish up neglected in Idaho, changing hands several times en route.
Driving the car home after buying it, the collectors stopped at a restaurant and saw something had dislodged below the back seat.
"Like a couple of kids, we thought we had a goldmine," Mr Beck said.
Instead, they found some small change - the leather wallet held a $10 bill, Mr Goodlove's military ID, his Social Security card, his driver's licence and several jewellery receipts from 1952. But they were all in the name of Glenn Putnam.
After searching online, Mr Beck discovered that Mr Putnam had since changed his name to Glenn Goodlove and moved to San Diego, California.
He called Mr Goodlove, asking to speak to a man who used to drive a '46 Hudson.
"There was a silence for about 15 seconds," Mr Beck told the Twin Falls Times-News. "Then he said, 'Who is this?"'
Mr Goodlove, now 75, says he did not even remember losing the wallet, but the find has brought memories of his youth in Everett, Washington, flooding back.
"I could see the house and the car and the town and all the good stuff from living there," he said. "They've been flowing ever since he talked to me."
Mr Beck and Mr Merrill will post the wallet back to Mr Goodlove.
Lost wallet found after 55 years
A wallet misplaced during a romantic embrace has been returned to its forgetful owner after 55 years.
Two classic car collectors from the US state of Idaho found the wallet after it fell out of the back of a vintage car they were planning to restore.
After an internet search they found and contacted the owner, Glenn Goodlove.
Mr Goodlove said he probably lost the wallet in the back seat of his 1946 Hudson car while kissing a girl when he was home on leave from the US Navy.
"If it was in my sailor-mentality years, I might have attempted to, as they said in those years, 'make out,"' Mr Goodlove told the Idaho Twin Falls Times-News.
Vital clues
Jon Beck, 61, and Chuck Merrill, 72, bought the now-vintage vehicle in Idaho after placing an ad in a local newspaper to buy a classic car in need of restoration.
Like a couple of kids, we thought we had a goldmine
Jon BeckClassic car collector
Since 1952, the car had travelled from Washington state, where Mr Goodlove's grandfather owned it, to finish up neglected in Idaho, changing hands several times en route.
Driving the car home after buying it, the collectors stopped at a restaurant and saw something had dislodged below the back seat.
"Like a couple of kids, we thought we had a goldmine," Mr Beck said.
Instead, they found some small change - the leather wallet held a $10 bill, Mr Goodlove's military ID, his Social Security card, his driver's licence and several jewellery receipts from 1952. But they were all in the name of Glenn Putnam.
After searching online, Mr Beck discovered that Mr Putnam had since changed his name to Glenn Goodlove and moved to San Diego, California.
He called Mr Goodlove, asking to speak to a man who used to drive a '46 Hudson.
"There was a silence for about 15 seconds," Mr Beck told the Twin Falls Times-News. "Then he said, 'Who is this?"'
Mr Goodlove, now 75, says he did not even remember losing the wallet, but the find has brought memories of his youth in Everett, Washington, flooding back.
"I could see the house and the car and the town and all the good stuff from living there," he said. "They've been flowing ever since he talked to me."
Mr Beck and Mr Merrill will post the wallet back to Mr Goodlove.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Supernova captured in 'real time'
BBC NEWS Science/Nature Supernova captured in 'real time'
Supernova captured in 'real time'
The shockwave bursts through the star's surface, releasing its energyAstronomers say they have witnessed a stellar explosion - or supernova - unfolding in real time.
Supernovae occur when huge, mature stars effectively run out of fuel and collapse in on themselves.
The observations, outlined in the journal Nature, offer the most detailed picture yet of these cosmic explosions.
An initial release of energy from the star was picked up by the Swift satellite in February, allowing experts to train their telescopes on the event.
This short, sharp outburst, known as an X-ray flash, amounted to an early warning signal that the star was going to turn supernova.
Energy release
Swift is a US-British-Italian mission designed to look out for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), intense and energetic outbursts of radiation thought to arise from the collapse of massive stars in a supernova.
However, not all supernovae generate GRBs, and it remains to be determined what causes some but not others to produce these bursts.
The stellar explosion occurred 400 million-light years awayAn X-ray flash can be regarded as a less energetic form of GRB. It was previously unclear whether these lower-energy events were generated by the same process of stellar collapse during a supernova. The latest results seem to confirm that link.
The release of energy that occurs in the X-ray flash lasts for about 15 minutes and is followed by a day-long "breakout" phase, in which a shockwave is thought to breach the surface of the collapsing star, unleashing its energy.
This expands into space as radiation at all frequencies and lasts for a period of days to months - the classic signature of a supernova.
Four groups of astronomers gathered data on the event, and have now published separate research papers in Thursday's issue of Nature.
Compact remnant
Mission team member Paul O'Brien, of the University of Leicester, UK, said: "The three onboard telescopes detected a slowly brightening then fading object.
"The results suggest a broad jet expanded into the surroundings but it was accompanied by a slower-moving and incredibly hot - two-million-degree - bubble of gas produced from the shockwave of the exploding star."
Analysis of the expanding debris suggests the initial star had a lower mass than is the norm for such explosions. Gamma-ray bursts are thought to be associated with the collapse of a star into a black hole. But lower mass stars are believed to collapse into a compact object known as a neutron star.
"Those observations capture the time when the star collapsed, ejected its outer envelope and most of its mass and left a compact remnant behind. And we think that compact remnant is a neutron star," said Paolo Mazzali, one of the authors who is based at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching, Germany.
So what powered the X-ray flash and shockwave? The researchers think these were produced by energy supplied by the highly magnetised neutron core, or magnetar as it is known.
Supernova captured in 'real time'
The shockwave bursts through the star's surface, releasing its energyAstronomers say they have witnessed a stellar explosion - or supernova - unfolding in real time.
Supernovae occur when huge, mature stars effectively run out of fuel and collapse in on themselves.
The observations, outlined in the journal Nature, offer the most detailed picture yet of these cosmic explosions.
An initial release of energy from the star was picked up by the Swift satellite in February, allowing experts to train their telescopes on the event.
This short, sharp outburst, known as an X-ray flash, amounted to an early warning signal that the star was going to turn supernova.
Energy release
Swift is a US-British-Italian mission designed to look out for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), intense and energetic outbursts of radiation thought to arise from the collapse of massive stars in a supernova.
However, not all supernovae generate GRBs, and it remains to be determined what causes some but not others to produce these bursts.
The stellar explosion occurred 400 million-light years awayAn X-ray flash can be regarded as a less energetic form of GRB. It was previously unclear whether these lower-energy events were generated by the same process of stellar collapse during a supernova. The latest results seem to confirm that link.
The release of energy that occurs in the X-ray flash lasts for about 15 minutes and is followed by a day-long "breakout" phase, in which a shockwave is thought to breach the surface of the collapsing star, unleashing its energy.
This expands into space as radiation at all frequencies and lasts for a period of days to months - the classic signature of a supernova.
Four groups of astronomers gathered data on the event, and have now published separate research papers in Thursday's issue of Nature.
Compact remnant
Mission team member Paul O'Brien, of the University of Leicester, UK, said: "The three onboard telescopes detected a slowly brightening then fading object.
"The results suggest a broad jet expanded into the surroundings but it was accompanied by a slower-moving and incredibly hot - two-million-degree - bubble of gas produced from the shockwave of the exploding star."
Analysis of the expanding debris suggests the initial star had a lower mass than is the norm for such explosions. Gamma-ray bursts are thought to be associated with the collapse of a star into a black hole. But lower mass stars are believed to collapse into a compact object known as a neutron star.
"Those observations capture the time when the star collapsed, ejected its outer envelope and most of its mass and left a compact remnant behind. And we think that compact remnant is a neutron star," said Paolo Mazzali, one of the authors who is based at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching, Germany.
So what powered the X-ray flash and shockwave? The researchers think these were produced by energy supplied by the highly magnetised neutron core, or magnetar as it is known.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Star dies in monstrous explosion
BBC NEWS Science/Nature Star dies in monstrous explosion
Star dies in monstrous explosion 240 million light-years old Supernova
SN 2006gy impression: The most powerful supernova yet recorded
Enlarge ImageA massive star about 150 times the size of the Sun exploded in what could be a long-sought new type of supernova, Nasa scientists have said.
Supernovae occur when huge, mature stars effectively run out of fuel and collapse in on themselves.
But scientists believe this one was obliterated in an explosion which blasted all its material into space.
And astronomers say a star in our own Milky Way galaxy could be about to perform the same celestial fireworks.
The supernova star, called SN 2006gy, was originally discovered in September last year.
The explosion was seen to peak for about 70 days, during which it is thought to have shone about five times more brightly than any supernova seen in the past.
"Of all exploding stars ever observed, this was the king," Alex Filippenko, one of the Nasa-backed astronomers observing the phenomenon, said.
'Monstrous explosion'
Nathan Smith, who led a joint team from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Texas in Austin, said it was a "truly monstrous explosion, a hundred times more energetic than a typical supernova".
"That means the star that exploded might have been as massive as a star can get, about 150 times that of our Sun. We've never seen that before."
Eta Carinae's explosion could be the best star-show in the history of modern civilization
Mario Livio
He said the explosion, which was located some 240 million light-years away, polluted the surrounding environment with metals and elements that are needed for life.
Scientists say that the star which blew apart is similar to Eta Carinae, an enormous star in our own Milky Way, 7,500 light-years from Earth.
They say that before SN 2006gy went supernova, it expelled a large amount of material, similar in mass to that now being ejected by Eta Carinae, prompting speculation that a similar fate awaits Eta Carinae.
Dave Pooley, at the University of California at Berkeley, said if Eta Carinae were to explode "it would be so bright that you would see it during the day, and you could even read a book by its light at night".
He added there had not been a supernova witnessed in the Earth's Milky Way galaxy for more than 400 years.
Mario Livio, of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said that Eta Carinae could be seen to explode at any time.
"We don't know for sure if Eta Carinae will explode soon, but we had better keep a close eye on it just in case," he was quoted by AFP as saying.
"Eta Carinae's explosion could be the best star-show in the history of modern civilisation," he said.
The latest SN 2006gy results will appear in the Astrophysical Journal. They incorporate observations from the Lick, Keck and Chandra observatories.
Star dies in monstrous explosion 240 million light-years old Supernova
SN 2006gy impression: The most powerful supernova yet recorded
Enlarge ImageA massive star about 150 times the size of the Sun exploded in what could be a long-sought new type of supernova, Nasa scientists have said.
Supernovae occur when huge, mature stars effectively run out of fuel and collapse in on themselves.
But scientists believe this one was obliterated in an explosion which blasted all its material into space.
And astronomers say a star in our own Milky Way galaxy could be about to perform the same celestial fireworks.
The supernova star, called SN 2006gy, was originally discovered in September last year.
The explosion was seen to peak for about 70 days, during which it is thought to have shone about five times more brightly than any supernova seen in the past.
"Of all exploding stars ever observed, this was the king," Alex Filippenko, one of the Nasa-backed astronomers observing the phenomenon, said.
'Monstrous explosion'
Nathan Smith, who led a joint team from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Texas in Austin, said it was a "truly monstrous explosion, a hundred times more energetic than a typical supernova".
"That means the star that exploded might have been as massive as a star can get, about 150 times that of our Sun. We've never seen that before."
Eta Carinae's explosion could be the best star-show in the history of modern civilization
Mario Livio
He said the explosion, which was located some 240 million light-years away, polluted the surrounding environment with metals and elements that are needed for life.
Scientists say that the star which blew apart is similar to Eta Carinae, an enormous star in our own Milky Way, 7,500 light-years from Earth.
They say that before SN 2006gy went supernova, it expelled a large amount of material, similar in mass to that now being ejected by Eta Carinae, prompting speculation that a similar fate awaits Eta Carinae.
Dave Pooley, at the University of California at Berkeley, said if Eta Carinae were to explode "it would be so bright that you would see it during the day, and you could even read a book by its light at night".
He added there had not been a supernova witnessed in the Earth's Milky Way galaxy for more than 400 years.
Mario Livio, of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said that Eta Carinae could be seen to explode at any time.
"We don't know for sure if Eta Carinae will explode soon, but we had better keep a close eye on it just in case," he was quoted by AFP as saying.
"Eta Carinae's explosion could be the best star-show in the history of modern civilisation," he said.
The latest SN 2006gy results will appear in the Astrophysical Journal. They incorporate observations from the Lick, Keck and Chandra observatories.
NDTV.com
NDTV.com
Rani of Jhansi 1857 remembered
Rajesh Ramachandran
Tuesday, May 8, 2007 (Jhansi)
On the 150th anniversary of the Great Revolt of 1857, we focus on the role of the great Rani of the Revolt - Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi.The image, real or imagined, of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi taking on the British is probably the nation's most enduring memory of the Great Revolt of 1857.While the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar meekly surrendered to the British, the last Peshwa Nana Sahib disappeared and most other leaders of the Revolt had an inglorious end, Lakshmi Bai a was the only leader who fell fighting the British.And that could be why she has a special place in the Indian imagination of 1857.It is her presence and that of other princes that makes the 1857 Revolt more than a mutiny of the Company's mercenary sepoys.By 1857, Jhansi had been annexed by the British after Lakshmi Bai's husband and son had died and the East India Company refused to accept her adopted son Damodar.But she patiently petitioned the Company till the Company's sepoys rebelled without her leadership.They captured the fort, and at Johan Bagh, the Rani's army chief, Rasaldar Kala Khan, ordered the massacre of British prisoners of war.However, she joined the battle against the British only when they attacked her almost a year later to re-conquer Jhansi in March 1858.A blood-soaked battle raged for over a week; local men and women fought for the Rani, but could not hold out.Soon, the Rani was forced to flee the fort with Damodar on her back, leaving behind a ghost town of 5000 dead men, women and children.She then joined forces with Tatia Tope, the General of Peshwa Nana Saheb's army who was camping at Kalpi between Jhansi and Kanpur along with Nana's nephew Rao Saheb.And although they lost the battle at Kalpi, Tatia, a great organizer, decided to march to Gwalior banking on his Maratha ties and the nobility there for support.But Scindia wasn't keen to join the rebels. After Tatia Tope and Rani Laxmi Bai defeated him, he fled to the British in Agra, and the rebels enthroned Rao Saheb the king of Gwalior.Two weeks later, the British marched to reclaim Gwalior for the Scindia.On June 18, 1858, the Rani of the great Revolt led her troops thorough this gate to meet Major-General Huge Rose. It is there that she was shot from the back.As she turned and fired at her attacker, he ran a sword through her.Her companions quickly made a pyre and cremated her to prevent her body from being defiled by the enemy.Rani Laxmi Bai may not have been a battle-hardened general, but her valour, recorded by her enemies, gave her immortality - even exaggerated importance.The legend took root years later when Subhash Chandra Bose set up a contingent of women fighters for his Indian National Army, calling it the Rani of Jhansi brigade.
Rani of Jhansi 1857 remembered
Rajesh Ramachandran
Tuesday, May 8, 2007 (Jhansi)
On the 150th anniversary of the Great Revolt of 1857, we focus on the role of the great Rani of the Revolt - Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi.The image, real or imagined, of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi taking on the British is probably the nation's most enduring memory of the Great Revolt of 1857.While the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar meekly surrendered to the British, the last Peshwa Nana Sahib disappeared and most other leaders of the Revolt had an inglorious end, Lakshmi Bai a was the only leader who fell fighting the British.And that could be why she has a special place in the Indian imagination of 1857.It is her presence and that of other princes that makes the 1857 Revolt more than a mutiny of the Company's mercenary sepoys.By 1857, Jhansi had been annexed by the British after Lakshmi Bai's husband and son had died and the East India Company refused to accept her adopted son Damodar.But she patiently petitioned the Company till the Company's sepoys rebelled without her leadership.They captured the fort, and at Johan Bagh, the Rani's army chief, Rasaldar Kala Khan, ordered the massacre of British prisoners of war.However, she joined the battle against the British only when they attacked her almost a year later to re-conquer Jhansi in March 1858.A blood-soaked battle raged for over a week; local men and women fought for the Rani, but could not hold out.Soon, the Rani was forced to flee the fort with Damodar on her back, leaving behind a ghost town of 5000 dead men, women and children.She then joined forces with Tatia Tope, the General of Peshwa Nana Saheb's army who was camping at Kalpi between Jhansi and Kanpur along with Nana's nephew Rao Saheb.And although they lost the battle at Kalpi, Tatia, a great organizer, decided to march to Gwalior banking on his Maratha ties and the nobility there for support.But Scindia wasn't keen to join the rebels. After Tatia Tope and Rani Laxmi Bai defeated him, he fled to the British in Agra, and the rebels enthroned Rao Saheb the king of Gwalior.Two weeks later, the British marched to reclaim Gwalior for the Scindia.On June 18, 1858, the Rani of the great Revolt led her troops thorough this gate to meet Major-General Huge Rose. It is there that she was shot from the back.As she turned and fired at her attacker, he ran a sword through her.Her companions quickly made a pyre and cremated her to prevent her body from being defiled by the enemy.Rani Laxmi Bai may not have been a battle-hardened general, but her valour, recorded by her enemies, gave her immortality - even exaggerated importance.The legend took root years later when Subhash Chandra Bose set up a contingent of women fighters for his Indian National Army, calling it the Rani of Jhansi brigade.
NDTV.com
NDTV.com
Dalits voting for the first time since independence
Election commission's role has been widely praised in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls this time.Tight security ensured that many marginalised sections came out and voted. This was perhaps best epitomised in Naukagaon, a Dalit village which voted on Tuesday for the first time since independence.Naukagaon is a Dalit village in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh. In the politically charged 15th Assembly elections in UP Naukagaon is at other end of the democratic spectrum. Not one of the Dalit villagers has ever voted in an election before.The upper castes from adjoining villages have forbidden them from voting, threatening them with dire consequences if they exercise their franchise.''The upper caste men used to threaten us. That's why we couldn't vote,'' said Dhani, a resident of Naukagaon.But this time the election commission, having spotted this anomaly, issued special instructions to the district magistrate and the SP of Ballia to ensure that these villagers voted.Democracy triumphedThe EC also set up a special polling booth for the villagers of Naukagaon. On Tuesday morning, before polling began, troublemakers were identified and dealt with.''We came here because we received complaints that no one from this village has ever voted,'' said Vijai Pratap, SP, Ballia.With the goons out of the way the authorities went about trying to convince villagers to come out and vote.It started with a trickle but before long the lanes in the village were empty and democracy triumphed.
Story Finder
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
Dalits voting for the first time since independence
Election commission's role has been widely praised in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls this time.Tight security ensured that many marginalised sections came out and voted. This was perhaps best epitomised in Naukagaon, a Dalit village which voted on Tuesday for the first time since independence.Naukagaon is a Dalit village in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh. In the politically charged 15th Assembly elections in UP Naukagaon is at other end of the democratic spectrum. Not one of the Dalit villagers has ever voted in an election before.The upper castes from adjoining villages have forbidden them from voting, threatening them with dire consequences if they exercise their franchise.''The upper caste men used to threaten us. That's why we couldn't vote,'' said Dhani, a resident of Naukagaon.But this time the election commission, having spotted this anomaly, issued special instructions to the district magistrate and the SP of Ballia to ensure that these villagers voted.Democracy triumphedThe EC also set up a special polling booth for the villagers of Naukagaon. On Tuesday morning, before polling began, troublemakers were identified and dealt with.''We came here because we received complaints that no one from this village has ever voted,'' said Vijai Pratap, SP, Ballia.With the goons out of the way the authorities went about trying to convince villagers to come out and vote.It started with a trickle but before long the lanes in the village were empty and democracy triumphed.
Story Finder
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
Monday, May 7, 2007
BBC NEWS | Europe | Row over Nefertiti bust continues
BBC NEWS Europe Row over Nefertiti bust continues
Nefertiti
By Tristana Moore BBC News, Berlin
The bust was unearthed by a German in 1912
She was rumoured to be the world's most beautiful woman in her time.
Nefertiti, Queen of Egypt, was the co-ruler of her country in the 14th Century BC. Today, the bust of Nefertiti (whose name literally means "a beautiful woman has arrived") has pride of place in the Antiquities collection in Berlin's Altes Museum.
Her face features on postcards of the city and each year, thousands of visitors flock to the museum to admire the ancient treasure.
But, once again, the bust of Nefertiti is the subject of a heated debate, as it appears the Egyptians want it back.
The head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, Zahi Hawass, recently said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry would send letters to Germany requesting that the treasure should be loaned temporarily to Egypt.
This latest announcement has opened a can of worms as the German government has refused to give it back.
'German property'
The bust of Nefertiti was unearthed at Amarna in Egypt by a German archaeologist, Ludwig Borchardt, in December 1912. It's thought the bust was made around 1350BC.
Back in 1912, the excavation was financed by a Berlin philanthropist, James Simon. Nefertiti's bust was then taken to Germany under the terms of an agreement reached in 1913.
According to both museum officials and the German government, it is definitely German property. The treasure has been on public display in Berlin since 1923.
It is an enormous risk to let her travel. We could never be certain that she would arrive in good health
Dietrich WildungCurator, Berlin Egyptian Museum
"Nefertiti's face is an icon of beauty, and the bust is the ultimate symbol of female beauty," says Dietrich Wildung, the curator of Berlin's Egyptian Museum.
"But it is an enormous risk to let her travel. We could never be certain that she would arrive in good health. There are serious conservation issues. The bust is made of limestone and thick layers of plaster and it's very sensitive to vibrations, shock, and any change of temperature," he said.
The German Culture Minister, Bernd Neumann, has also supported the position of museum officials. Mr Neumann said the bust of Nefertiti was too fragile to travel and he reiterated "that there were no doubts about the legal ownership of the priceless artefact.
The museum says the bust is too fragile too travel
"Experts have reservations about taking Nefertiti on a long trip, and we have to take these concerns seriously," said Mr Neumann in a statement.
Bizarrely enough, a campaign has now been launched in Germany called "Nefertiti Travels".
The new initiative was launched by a cultural association based in Hamburg, CulturCooperation.
They have written an open letter to the German Culture Minister, Bernd Neumann, urging him to offer the statue to Egypt on loan.
I think Egyptians should have the chance to see the bust of Nefertiti in Egypt
Alexander Schudy, Berlin Network for Development Co-operation
"For the last 95 years, Berlin has insisted that the ownership of Nefertiti's bust is legally perfectly clear," says CulturCooperation's Lena Blosat.
"The Germans claim that Nefertiti has become an integral part of our cultural identity here in Germany, which we are not prepared to part with. And the Egyptians say she is our Egyptian Queen and thus part of our culture.
"Today, even allowing the bust to be exhibited in Egypt for three months is an issue which museum directors are obviously not willing to discuss," she said.
Campaigners have distributed postcards depicting the bust of Nefertiti with the words "Return to Sender."
'Best ambassador'
"I think Egyptians should have the chance to see the bust of Nefertiti in Egypt. They shouldn't have to travel all the way to Germany to admire their country's cultural assets," says Alexander Schudy, who works for a group called the Berlin Network for Development Co-operation.
"Nefertiti is not a unique case. There are many works of art in Germany which have a dubious past, and it's about time that we address this topic so that we can have a fair and honest debate," he says.
But museum officials are adamant that the bust of Nefertiti will not return to Egypt.
"I think Nefertiti is the best ambassador of Egypt. She is accepted here, although she is still unique and different. She must stay in Germany," says Dr Wildung, the curator of the Egyptian Museum.
As I stand and admire the bust of Queen Nefertiti, wearing her distinctive blue crown, I am struck by her enigmatic smile. I wonder what she would have made of all this fuss.
Nefertiti
By Tristana Moore BBC News, Berlin
The bust was unearthed by a German in 1912
She was rumoured to be the world's most beautiful woman in her time.
Nefertiti, Queen of Egypt, was the co-ruler of her country in the 14th Century BC. Today, the bust of Nefertiti (whose name literally means "a beautiful woman has arrived") has pride of place in the Antiquities collection in Berlin's Altes Museum.
Her face features on postcards of the city and each year, thousands of visitors flock to the museum to admire the ancient treasure.
But, once again, the bust of Nefertiti is the subject of a heated debate, as it appears the Egyptians want it back.
The head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, Zahi Hawass, recently said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry would send letters to Germany requesting that the treasure should be loaned temporarily to Egypt.
This latest announcement has opened a can of worms as the German government has refused to give it back.
'German property'
The bust of Nefertiti was unearthed at Amarna in Egypt by a German archaeologist, Ludwig Borchardt, in December 1912. It's thought the bust was made around 1350BC.
Back in 1912, the excavation was financed by a Berlin philanthropist, James Simon. Nefertiti's bust was then taken to Germany under the terms of an agreement reached in 1913.
According to both museum officials and the German government, it is definitely German property. The treasure has been on public display in Berlin since 1923.
It is an enormous risk to let her travel. We could never be certain that she would arrive in good health
Dietrich WildungCurator, Berlin Egyptian Museum
"Nefertiti's face is an icon of beauty, and the bust is the ultimate symbol of female beauty," says Dietrich Wildung, the curator of Berlin's Egyptian Museum.
"But it is an enormous risk to let her travel. We could never be certain that she would arrive in good health. There are serious conservation issues. The bust is made of limestone and thick layers of plaster and it's very sensitive to vibrations, shock, and any change of temperature," he said.
The German Culture Minister, Bernd Neumann, has also supported the position of museum officials. Mr Neumann said the bust of Nefertiti was too fragile to travel and he reiterated "that there were no doubts about the legal ownership of the priceless artefact.
The museum says the bust is too fragile too travel
"Experts have reservations about taking Nefertiti on a long trip, and we have to take these concerns seriously," said Mr Neumann in a statement.
Bizarrely enough, a campaign has now been launched in Germany called "Nefertiti Travels".
The new initiative was launched by a cultural association based in Hamburg, CulturCooperation.
They have written an open letter to the German Culture Minister, Bernd Neumann, urging him to offer the statue to Egypt on loan.
I think Egyptians should have the chance to see the bust of Nefertiti in Egypt
Alexander Schudy, Berlin Network for Development Co-operation
"For the last 95 years, Berlin has insisted that the ownership of Nefertiti's bust is legally perfectly clear," says CulturCooperation's Lena Blosat.
"The Germans claim that Nefertiti has become an integral part of our cultural identity here in Germany, which we are not prepared to part with. And the Egyptians say she is our Egyptian Queen and thus part of our culture.
"Today, even allowing the bust to be exhibited in Egypt for three months is an issue which museum directors are obviously not willing to discuss," she said.
Campaigners have distributed postcards depicting the bust of Nefertiti with the words "Return to Sender."
'Best ambassador'
"I think Egyptians should have the chance to see the bust of Nefertiti in Egypt. They shouldn't have to travel all the way to Germany to admire their country's cultural assets," says Alexander Schudy, who works for a group called the Berlin Network for Development Co-operation.
"Nefertiti is not a unique case. There are many works of art in Germany which have a dubious past, and it's about time that we address this topic so that we can have a fair and honest debate," he says.
But museum officials are adamant that the bust of Nefertiti will not return to Egypt.
"I think Nefertiti is the best ambassador of Egypt. She is accepted here, although she is still unique and different. She must stay in Germany," says Dr Wildung, the curator of the Egyptian Museum.
As I stand and admire the bust of Queen Nefertiti, wearing her distinctive blue crown, I am struck by her enigmatic smile. I wonder what she would have made of all this fuss.
Report on Nandigram stirs a hornet’s nest - Deccan Herald - Internet Edition
Report on Nandigram stirs a hornet’s nest - Deccan Herald - Internet Edition
Report on Nandigram stirs a hornet’s nest
DH News Service Kolkata:
The question that has been doing rounds in the corridors of power is whether Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee gave a green signal to Mr Roy to submit such a report to the High Court, which could potentially damage his own party.
The West Bengal government’s status report on Nandigram submitted to the division bench of the Calcutta High Court has stirred a hornet’s nest with chief secretary P R Roy accusing the CPM supporters, hailing from the villages bordering Nandigram, of triggering violence in at least three places. The question that has been doing rounds in the corridors of power is whether Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee gave a green signal to Mr Roy to submit such a report to the High Court, which could potentially damage his own party.“I have written whatever I have gleaned as truth. If you doubt whether the chief minister is in the know of it, kindly ask him,” Roy’s sharp retort to the newspersons at the state secretariat on Saturday left little doubt over the fact that Mr Bhattacherjee had approved the report.
And since the filing of the status report to the division bench on Friday, speculation in the state’s political circles has almost reached the roof as to whether Mr Bhattacherjee is now determined to restore peace in the violence-scarred Nandigram, steamrolling all opposition from a section within the CPM.On three occasions, armed CPM activists mounted attack from villages neighbouring Nandigram, the report said and accused the Farmland Resistance Committee (FRC) members of involving in a bitter feud with their counterparts in the CPM over a prolonged period.This “admission” has run contrary to the contention of the CPM East Midnapore district leaders who have charged the FRC with fomenting trouble and misguiding the farmers at Nandigram where sporadic gun fire and bomb bursts continued to rock the fragile peace on Sunday.“I don’t know how this report has been prepared. The CPM activists were not responsible for any attack at Chandipur,” East Midnapore district leader Ashok Guria told Deccan Herald over phone from Khejuri.The home secretary directly blamed the CPM supporters for resorting to an attack on a team of intellectuals who were on a visit to Nandigram. The team members who later met governor Gopal Krishna Gandi, told him that post-Nandigram the CPM top brass had little control over the grassroots workers.The CPM Central Committee member Benoy Konar reacted sharply on the content of the report and said: “If he (Roy) had actually blamed our partymen for these incidents, I am compelled to say he is not the home secretary of the West Bengal government, but of the Opposition Trinamool Congress.”However, the Opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress have hailed the status report and congratulated the home secretary for “exposing” the Marxists for abetting the violence at Nandigram.“We’ll preserve the report and take it to the people to prove that we are for peace, but the CPM is not,” former WBPCC secretary Somen Mitra said.
Report on Nandigram stirs a hornet’s nest
DH News Service Kolkata:
The question that has been doing rounds in the corridors of power is whether Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee gave a green signal to Mr Roy to submit such a report to the High Court, which could potentially damage his own party.
The West Bengal government’s status report on Nandigram submitted to the division bench of the Calcutta High Court has stirred a hornet’s nest with chief secretary P R Roy accusing the CPM supporters, hailing from the villages bordering Nandigram, of triggering violence in at least three places. The question that has been doing rounds in the corridors of power is whether Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee gave a green signal to Mr Roy to submit such a report to the High Court, which could potentially damage his own party.“I have written whatever I have gleaned as truth. If you doubt whether the chief minister is in the know of it, kindly ask him,” Roy’s sharp retort to the newspersons at the state secretariat on Saturday left little doubt over the fact that Mr Bhattacherjee had approved the report.
And since the filing of the status report to the division bench on Friday, speculation in the state’s political circles has almost reached the roof as to whether Mr Bhattacherjee is now determined to restore peace in the violence-scarred Nandigram, steamrolling all opposition from a section within the CPM.On three occasions, armed CPM activists mounted attack from villages neighbouring Nandigram, the report said and accused the Farmland Resistance Committee (FRC) members of involving in a bitter feud with their counterparts in the CPM over a prolonged period.This “admission” has run contrary to the contention of the CPM East Midnapore district leaders who have charged the FRC with fomenting trouble and misguiding the farmers at Nandigram where sporadic gun fire and bomb bursts continued to rock the fragile peace on Sunday.“I don’t know how this report has been prepared. The CPM activists were not responsible for any attack at Chandipur,” East Midnapore district leader Ashok Guria told Deccan Herald over phone from Khejuri.The home secretary directly blamed the CPM supporters for resorting to an attack on a team of intellectuals who were on a visit to Nandigram. The team members who later met governor Gopal Krishna Gandi, told him that post-Nandigram the CPM top brass had little control over the grassroots workers.The CPM Central Committee member Benoy Konar reacted sharply on the content of the report and said: “If he (Roy) had actually blamed our partymen for these incidents, I am compelled to say he is not the home secretary of the West Bengal government, but of the Opposition Trinamool Congress.”However, the Opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress have hailed the status report and congratulated the home secretary for “exposing” the Marxists for abetting the violence at Nandigram.“We’ll preserve the report and take it to the people to prove that we are for peace, but the CPM is not,” former WBPCC secretary Somen Mitra said.
DNA - World - Muslim veils can be outlawed from school classrooms: Falconer - Daily News & Analysis
DNA - World - Muslim veils can be outlawed from school classrooms: Falconer - Daily News & Analysis
Muslim veils can be outlawed from school classrooms: Falconer
PTI Monday, May 07, 2007 19:45 IST
LONDON: Muslim veils, full-face niqab, can be justifiably outlawed from schools on the grounds of school uniform policy, Britain's legal chief has said.
Lord Falconer, a Cabinet minister, said that this also included other Islamic religious garments such as the full-length jilbab gown. He said common sense rather than concerns about human rights should govern what pupils wear to school.
His declaration to a head teachers' conference last night has been welcomed by professionals and many parents.
A spokesman for the National Association of Head Teachers said, "A return to common sense has been our policy all along. Uniform policy should be worked out in consultation with an entire community, not based on the interests of one section."
But critics of the Government's Human Rights Act questioned why schools have had to face massive legal battles to uphold uniform policy.
Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said, "The Human rights Act has nothing to do with common sense. It's no wonder that teachers are left so confused by these issues."
Lord falconer, the Lord Chancellor who is a close friend of Prime Minister Tony Blair, told the head teachers' national conference that he backed the decision of a Luton school to stop Muslim pupil Shabina Begum from wearing a jibab gown to class.
The teenager took legal action against Denbigh High School in 2002, citing the right to 'freedom of thought, religion and expression.'
Shabina won an earlier ruling at the Court of Appeal that her human rights had been violated when she was told by a teacher to go home and change into a uniform approved by the school. But Law Lords last year ruled that the school had been justified in its decision.
Muslim veils can be outlawed from school classrooms: Falconer
PTI Monday, May 07, 2007 19:45 IST
LONDON: Muslim veils, full-face niqab, can be justifiably outlawed from schools on the grounds of school uniform policy, Britain's legal chief has said.
Lord Falconer, a Cabinet minister, said that this also included other Islamic religious garments such as the full-length jilbab gown. He said common sense rather than concerns about human rights should govern what pupils wear to school.
His declaration to a head teachers' conference last night has been welcomed by professionals and many parents.
A spokesman for the National Association of Head Teachers said, "A return to common sense has been our policy all along. Uniform policy should be worked out in consultation with an entire community, not based on the interests of one section."
But critics of the Government's Human Rights Act questioned why schools have had to face massive legal battles to uphold uniform policy.
Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said, "The Human rights Act has nothing to do with common sense. It's no wonder that teachers are left so confused by these issues."
Lord falconer, the Lord Chancellor who is a close friend of Prime Minister Tony Blair, told the head teachers' national conference that he backed the decision of a Luton school to stop Muslim pupil Shabina Begum from wearing a jibab gown to class.
The teenager took legal action against Denbigh High School in 2002, citing the right to 'freedom of thought, religion and expression.'
Shabina won an earlier ruling at the Court of Appeal that her human rights had been violated when she was told by a teacher to go home and change into a uniform approved by the school. But Law Lords last year ruled that the school had been justified in its decision.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
NDTV.com
NDTV.com
Vanzara - typical Guj Cop!
NDTV Correspondent
Friday, May 4, 2007 (Ahmedabad)
The Crime Investigation Department in Gujarat has sought permission to conduct brain mapping and polygraph tests on the three IPS officers arrested for killing Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter.Sources have told NDTV that the CID has asked for the approval of the court to conduct tests on DG Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian and Dinesh MN.Vanzara had allegedly taken a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from Tulsiram Prajapati, an extortionist and an accused in a shooting case, to ensure Prajapati's case remains in his own jurisdiction wherever he went.Sometime after this Prajapati witnessed the fake encounter in which sohrabuddin was killed. Vanzara then asked for more money from Prajapati but he refused and filed a petition with a court superintendent saying he feared Vanzara would kill him the same way he had killed Sohrabuddin.Before the petition could be moved in court Prajapati was arrested and later killed. In fact, cell phone records show Vanzara was in constant touch with Banaskantha SP Vipul Aggarwal on the day Prajapati was killed and the SP was taken into confidence before Prajapati was killed.The CID has also found that four previous encounter victims killed in 2004, including 19-year-old Ishrat Jahan, were kept in the same bungalow where Sohrabuddin and Kausar Bi were kept before they were killed.Sources have told NDTV Vanjara will be shifted to the Mehsana jail for safety reasons. Separate barracks are being prepared for him and the two others at the jail.Meanwhile, the CID has also questioned eight more policemen who were detained on Thursday and are linked to the fake encounters. They are:
DSP B L Parmar: Now with IB, Gandhinagar. He led the team that picked Sohrabbudin from a bus in Andhra Pradesh.
Inspector N H Dabi: Now with IB. He claimed to have the information that Sohrabbudin planned to kill Modi.
Senior Inspector B R Chaubey: He shot Sohrabbudin.
Senior Inspector N V Chauhan: Part of team that picked Sohrabuddin, kept watch on Kausar Bi.
Constables Ajay Parmar and Santram Sharma: Part of encounter team.
Driver Nathu Singh: Moved Kausar Bi's body from the bungalow to Ilol where it was burntOther senior official who will be questioned is former Banaskantha DSP Vipul Aggarwal, who led team that allegedly killed Prajapati. Former DSPs Narendra Amin, G L Singhal, A Chaudasma will also be questioned as they knew about the fake encounter and tried to scuttle probe.
Vanzara - typical Guj Cop!
NDTV Correspondent
Friday, May 4, 2007 (Ahmedabad)
The Crime Investigation Department in Gujarat has sought permission to conduct brain mapping and polygraph tests on the three IPS officers arrested for killing Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter.Sources have told NDTV that the CID has asked for the approval of the court to conduct tests on DG Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian and Dinesh MN.Vanzara had allegedly taken a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from Tulsiram Prajapati, an extortionist and an accused in a shooting case, to ensure Prajapati's case remains in his own jurisdiction wherever he went.Sometime after this Prajapati witnessed the fake encounter in which sohrabuddin was killed. Vanzara then asked for more money from Prajapati but he refused and filed a petition with a court superintendent saying he feared Vanzara would kill him the same way he had killed Sohrabuddin.Before the petition could be moved in court Prajapati was arrested and later killed. In fact, cell phone records show Vanzara was in constant touch with Banaskantha SP Vipul Aggarwal on the day Prajapati was killed and the SP was taken into confidence before Prajapati was killed.The CID has also found that four previous encounter victims killed in 2004, including 19-year-old Ishrat Jahan, were kept in the same bungalow where Sohrabuddin and Kausar Bi were kept before they were killed.Sources have told NDTV Vanjara will be shifted to the Mehsana jail for safety reasons. Separate barracks are being prepared for him and the two others at the jail.Meanwhile, the CID has also questioned eight more policemen who were detained on Thursday and are linked to the fake encounters. They are:
DSP B L Parmar: Now with IB, Gandhinagar. He led the team that picked Sohrabbudin from a bus in Andhra Pradesh.
Inspector N H Dabi: Now with IB. He claimed to have the information that Sohrabbudin planned to kill Modi.
Senior Inspector B R Chaubey: He shot Sohrabbudin.
Senior Inspector N V Chauhan: Part of team that picked Sohrabuddin, kept watch on Kausar Bi.
Constables Ajay Parmar and Santram Sharma: Part of encounter team.
Driver Nathu Singh: Moved Kausar Bi's body from the bungalow to Ilol where it was burntOther senior official who will be questioned is former Banaskantha DSP Vipul Aggarwal, who led team that allegedly killed Prajapati. Former DSPs Narendra Amin, G L Singhal, A Chaudasma will also be questioned as they knew about the fake encounter and tried to scuttle probe.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
The Hindu News Update Service
The Hindu News Update Service
Behind the Quota strikes
'Venugopal played active role in quota agitation'
New Delhi, May 6 (PTI): In a damning report, a committee set up to investigate allegations of harassment and abuse of SC/ST students in the institute has said the administration headed by noted cardiac surgeon P Venugopal played a pro-active role in last year's anti-quota agitation.
"There is sufficient evidence to support the view the administration of the AIIMS headed by the Director Dr Venugopal played a proactive role in the organisation of the agitation," said UGC chairman Prof S K Thorat in his report.
The report, which was submitted on Saturday to Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, said about 69 per cent of these medical students report they did not receive adequate support from teachers.
The Committee, which was set-up in the wake of media reports and complaints to the government of harassment and abuse of SC/ST students at AIIMS in September, said of the total response about 72 per cent of students mentioned some kind of discrimination being faced in teaching session.
The voluminous report, which has annexures running into several pages, including clippings from newspapers, said that one third of the students have given caste background as reason for avoidance by the teachers.
"Thus it emerged that SC/ST students do not receive the kind of support that other students receive from their teachers. Given the dependence of students on teachers for learning and skill, the lack of adequate support to the SC/ST reflects in performance and psychological problems," the report, which is available to PTI, said.
"About 88 per cent students mentioned they got fewer marks from what they expected. Only 20 per cent mentioned they got feedback on their answers papers. About 84 per cent mentioned that their grades were affected because of their caste," it said.
Behind the Quota strikes
'Venugopal played active role in quota agitation'
New Delhi, May 6 (PTI): In a damning report, a committee set up to investigate allegations of harassment and abuse of SC/ST students in the institute has said the administration headed by noted cardiac surgeon P Venugopal played a pro-active role in last year's anti-quota agitation.
"There is sufficient evidence to support the view the administration of the AIIMS headed by the Director Dr Venugopal played a proactive role in the organisation of the agitation," said UGC chairman Prof S K Thorat in his report.
The report, which was submitted on Saturday to Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, said about 69 per cent of these medical students report they did not receive adequate support from teachers.
The Committee, which was set-up in the wake of media reports and complaints to the government of harassment and abuse of SC/ST students at AIIMS in September, said of the total response about 72 per cent of students mentioned some kind of discrimination being faced in teaching session.
The voluminous report, which has annexures running into several pages, including clippings from newspapers, said that one third of the students have given caste background as reason for avoidance by the teachers.
"Thus it emerged that SC/ST students do not receive the kind of support that other students receive from their teachers. Given the dependence of students on teachers for learning and skill, the lack of adequate support to the SC/ST reflects in performance and psychological problems," the report, which is available to PTI, said.
"About 88 per cent students mentioned they got fewer marks from what they expected. Only 20 per cent mentioned they got feedback on their answers papers. About 84 per cent mentioned that their grades were affected because of their caste," it said.
BBC NEWS | Programmes | Click | Social lending gains net interest
BBC NEWS Programmes Click Social lending gains net interest
Social lending gains net interest
Try Zopa
By Katie Ledger Reporter, BBC Click
Pouring your cash into the far reaches of the world wide web may sound like a crazy idea.
Lending cash to others online can cut out the middleman
After all, the internet has seen its fair share of nasties from phishing e-mails posing as a bank to key logging software pinching our passwords and personal information, all in an effort to steal our identity and cash.
But now there is a wave of sites trying to convince people that the web is the place for their money.
The concept is called social lending and the idea is to introduce people who need money to people who want to lend some - cutting out the middlemen like banks and mortgage companies.
Zopa is a pioneer in this space. For the past two years it has allowed members to borrow and lend on their own terms.
Alison Daniel is an HR Advisor at a magazine publishing company who was looking for a loan to pay her overdraft.
"I looked at my bank and other various banks where I could get a loan and then I heard about Zopa, went on to their online calculator and the rates came up really cheaply so I opted for Zopa," she said.
The site itself is very easy to use. After both the borrower and the lender have registered, they choose what rate at which they would like to borrow or lend. If the rate they choose corresponds then the site brings them together.
You do feel a connection to the people you are loaning to
Jane BennettLender, Kiva
But how trustworthy is the site and will lenders get their money back?
James Alexander, CEO of Zopa says they do everything they can to minimise any risk.
"We risk assess, identity and credit check every individual that comes to Zopa," he said. "So it's a community of known individuals and what Zopa does is connect these people so they can borrow and lend money on their own terms."
To minimize risk Zopa will spread your loan among a few borrowers. So if are lending £500 ($993) then your money will automatically go to 50 different people.
Banker to the poor
So think of Zopa like eBay for money, and like eBay, there are still risks involved in trading. But social lending is not just for people looking for a material gain, it can also be an easy way to give a helping hand to those most in need.
The social lending site Kiva allows lenders to give to a specific entrepreneur in a poor or developing world country.
Social lending enabled Angel Isaev to start a cycle business
One person who has been helped by the site is Angel Isaev from Bulgaria.
Two years ago, he decided to open up his own bicycle repair business after losing his job at a local shop that closed down. And to make this dream come true he needed cash.
"At the beginning I was a very, very poor boy," said Mr Isaev. "Then I was told about Kiva, and with their help I was able to fulfil my dream; I was able to prove I'm a businessman."
For a minimum loan of $25 (£13) Kiva allows people to sponsor a business by choosing from thousands of cases detailed online.
Mr Isaev's lender Jane Bennett says an attractive feature of Kiva is that she can see who she is lending to.
"There are certainly occasions when I am looking to see who I am going loan money to and I would like to loan to them all because it is just amazing to see the stories of these people and how they are getting on with their lives," she said.
"You do feel a connection to the people you are loaning to and I think it is because you see a picture of them and find out a bit about their life."
Throughout the period of the loan - usually six to 12 months - sponsors receive e-mail updates about how borrowers are getting on as they repay their loan.
This sort of scheme is generally called Microfinance. It is not new, but the web's ability to allow anyone to become a banker to the world's poor certainly is.
Currency exchange
And the web is also turning other established financial models on their head, such as currency exchange.
FXA World is the world's first peer-to-peer currency exchange where you can trade your foreign currency at a rate that you have set or at the rate the banks trade among themselves.
The site will offer you two options: Instant Challenge will give you the best rate available from a peer at any given time, or you can place an eBay-style listing where you can choose your rate and wait for someone else who is happy to trade.
Sites like this give more choice to users in deciding what they do with their money.
So, is social lending set to be the next big thing?
"They are what we call a niche mass," explained social lending expert Professor Michael Hulme of Lancaster University.
"In other words, it is likely that there will be a growing market but not a market that replaces financial services and high street banking and stuff like that."
Social lending gains net interest
Try Zopa
By Katie Ledger Reporter, BBC Click
Pouring your cash into the far reaches of the world wide web may sound like a crazy idea.
Lending cash to others online can cut out the middleman
After all, the internet has seen its fair share of nasties from phishing e-mails posing as a bank to key logging software pinching our passwords and personal information, all in an effort to steal our identity and cash.
But now there is a wave of sites trying to convince people that the web is the place for their money.
The concept is called social lending and the idea is to introduce people who need money to people who want to lend some - cutting out the middlemen like banks and mortgage companies.
Zopa is a pioneer in this space. For the past two years it has allowed members to borrow and lend on their own terms.
Alison Daniel is an HR Advisor at a magazine publishing company who was looking for a loan to pay her overdraft.
"I looked at my bank and other various banks where I could get a loan and then I heard about Zopa, went on to their online calculator and the rates came up really cheaply so I opted for Zopa," she said.
The site itself is very easy to use. After both the borrower and the lender have registered, they choose what rate at which they would like to borrow or lend. If the rate they choose corresponds then the site brings them together.
You do feel a connection to the people you are loaning to
Jane BennettLender, Kiva
But how trustworthy is the site and will lenders get their money back?
James Alexander, CEO of Zopa says they do everything they can to minimise any risk.
"We risk assess, identity and credit check every individual that comes to Zopa," he said. "So it's a community of known individuals and what Zopa does is connect these people so they can borrow and lend money on their own terms."
To minimize risk Zopa will spread your loan among a few borrowers. So if are lending £500 ($993) then your money will automatically go to 50 different people.
Banker to the poor
So think of Zopa like eBay for money, and like eBay, there are still risks involved in trading. But social lending is not just for people looking for a material gain, it can also be an easy way to give a helping hand to those most in need.
The social lending site Kiva allows lenders to give to a specific entrepreneur in a poor or developing world country.
Social lending enabled Angel Isaev to start a cycle business
One person who has been helped by the site is Angel Isaev from Bulgaria.
Two years ago, he decided to open up his own bicycle repair business after losing his job at a local shop that closed down. And to make this dream come true he needed cash.
"At the beginning I was a very, very poor boy," said Mr Isaev. "Then I was told about Kiva, and with their help I was able to fulfil my dream; I was able to prove I'm a businessman."
For a minimum loan of $25 (£13) Kiva allows people to sponsor a business by choosing from thousands of cases detailed online.
Mr Isaev's lender Jane Bennett says an attractive feature of Kiva is that she can see who she is lending to.
"There are certainly occasions when I am looking to see who I am going loan money to and I would like to loan to them all because it is just amazing to see the stories of these people and how they are getting on with their lives," she said.
"You do feel a connection to the people you are loaning to and I think it is because you see a picture of them and find out a bit about their life."
Throughout the period of the loan - usually six to 12 months - sponsors receive e-mail updates about how borrowers are getting on as they repay their loan.
This sort of scheme is generally called Microfinance. It is not new, but the web's ability to allow anyone to become a banker to the world's poor certainly is.
Currency exchange
And the web is also turning other established financial models on their head, such as currency exchange.
FXA World is the world's first peer-to-peer currency exchange where you can trade your foreign currency at a rate that you have set or at the rate the banks trade among themselves.
The site will offer you two options: Instant Challenge will give you the best rate available from a peer at any given time, or you can place an eBay-style listing where you can choose your rate and wait for someone else who is happy to trade.
Sites like this give more choice to users in deciding what they do with their money.
So, is social lending set to be the next big thing?
"They are what we call a niche mass," explained social lending expert Professor Michael Hulme of Lancaster University.
"In other words, it is likely that there will be a growing market but not a market that replaces financial services and high street banking and stuff like that."
Friday, May 4, 2007
Web 2.0: Wired to the world
Web 2.0: Wired to the world
Blogs: The 'write' debatePosted by Meghna Saraswat on 1.5.2007
Ask a traditional journalist what blogs are all about and you are most likely to hear voices of contempt. For old school writers, blogosphere qualifies for a space for failed writers taking refuge under a series of posts scribbled in the form of a diary on a webpage. Devoid of any kind of journalistic training, bloggers churn out no more than a heady cocktail of high voltage facts and fiction- something on the lines of 'organised gossip'. But for those who view blogs as the greatest breakthrough in popular journalism, the argument may be very different. Bloggers are known to be reckless and the least submissive to a sustained narrative or analysis. And thus it would be a sweeping assumption to say that these new age writers are wannabe journalists, out to replace mainstream media. This rather revolutionary branch of the fourth estate instead provides a mechanism for instant comment and opinion. The snobbery towards bloggery reflects upon a pseudo intellectual prejudice, one that believes that free speech is limited to journalists alone. It is this intolerance for a diversity of opinion that reflects upon a dangerous trend. The popularity of blogs remains unchallenged, clearly not on account of any journalistic expertise but simply because it distances itself from controlling opinion. Those who've mastered the art of sound editorial judgement may argue that blogs often get reduced to myths in a rather raw and exciting form. Coherence and accuracyBut then coherence, accuracy or balance were never the buzzwords for blogosphere. The online diaries, as some would call them, reflect upon the power and knowledge of the people on the edges, professional ethics and quality control be damned. Bloggers are known to chomp down hard on a story of interest with instant mastery in a bid to initiate a dialogue and the rest is then history. But while a blog may offer its readers a social alternative to political interaction, its linkages with mainstream media cannot be ignored. Without a story to comment on or an editorial to rubbish, they would have little to offer. Serious journalism is labour intensive and to call blogs the face of new age journalism may be a little too premature. There is more weight to journalism than instant reaction and response, a fact endorsed by the best in the field of factual reportage. Journalists are known to measure facts, while bloggers are more akin to prejudices, often feisty and furious. Experts argue that 'pub-style debates', a term coined by the intellectual, can never make for intelligent journalism. But in all fairness, blogs have in the past made attempts at generating a light hearted analysis of some of the most dogmatic issues, packaging it for the reader at large. 'News junkies'The 'news junkies' may not have walked ravaged lands or mastered their grip on reality in the corridor of powers but their views, often overly opinionated, serve as a trigger to an informed debate in a civil society. They introduce fresh voices into national discourse and help build communities of interest. If blogs are trustworthy, people will return to add analysis, insight and commentary. Engaging the audience in the collection and dissemination of news would help crack the walls and evolutionise journalism. Similarly the old media may have something valuable to offer to the young leaders of blogosphere. Accuracy, trustworthiness and credibility are guidelines that even bloggers shouldn't isolate themselves from. For bloggers to achieve the status of trained journalists, their work will have to become more of a product of judgement.The main gripe for bloggers is the constant scrutiny by journalists. For those inviting opinion based on hard facts and a logical viewpoint, insidious accusations can often prove revolting. The society by large is intelligent enough to gauge the authenticity and value of the information fed to them. And if a platform for their voice is what they seek, then so be it. Journalism has evolved with time and is now moving from broadcast to a conversation. In the changing scenario, while genius bloggers, with access to truth and facts, will find their niche, quack bloggers will fade into oblivion in no time.So with reasonable suspicion, lets lower our guards and make way for the live wire, called blogs. In an environment of abundance, a despicable view of blogs may deter the creative process.
Blogs: The 'write' debatePosted by Meghna Saraswat on 1.5.2007
Ask a traditional journalist what blogs are all about and you are most likely to hear voices of contempt. For old school writers, blogosphere qualifies for a space for failed writers taking refuge under a series of posts scribbled in the form of a diary on a webpage. Devoid of any kind of journalistic training, bloggers churn out no more than a heady cocktail of high voltage facts and fiction- something on the lines of 'organised gossip'. But for those who view blogs as the greatest breakthrough in popular journalism, the argument may be very different. Bloggers are known to be reckless and the least submissive to a sustained narrative or analysis. And thus it would be a sweeping assumption to say that these new age writers are wannabe journalists, out to replace mainstream media. This rather revolutionary branch of the fourth estate instead provides a mechanism for instant comment and opinion. The snobbery towards bloggery reflects upon a pseudo intellectual prejudice, one that believes that free speech is limited to journalists alone. It is this intolerance for a diversity of opinion that reflects upon a dangerous trend. The popularity of blogs remains unchallenged, clearly not on account of any journalistic expertise but simply because it distances itself from controlling opinion. Those who've mastered the art of sound editorial judgement may argue that blogs often get reduced to myths in a rather raw and exciting form. Coherence and accuracyBut then coherence, accuracy or balance were never the buzzwords for blogosphere. The online diaries, as some would call them, reflect upon the power and knowledge of the people on the edges, professional ethics and quality control be damned. Bloggers are known to chomp down hard on a story of interest with instant mastery in a bid to initiate a dialogue and the rest is then history. But while a blog may offer its readers a social alternative to political interaction, its linkages with mainstream media cannot be ignored. Without a story to comment on or an editorial to rubbish, they would have little to offer. Serious journalism is labour intensive and to call blogs the face of new age journalism may be a little too premature. There is more weight to journalism than instant reaction and response, a fact endorsed by the best in the field of factual reportage. Journalists are known to measure facts, while bloggers are more akin to prejudices, often feisty and furious. Experts argue that 'pub-style debates', a term coined by the intellectual, can never make for intelligent journalism. But in all fairness, blogs have in the past made attempts at generating a light hearted analysis of some of the most dogmatic issues, packaging it for the reader at large. 'News junkies'The 'news junkies' may not have walked ravaged lands or mastered their grip on reality in the corridor of powers but their views, often overly opinionated, serve as a trigger to an informed debate in a civil society. They introduce fresh voices into national discourse and help build communities of interest. If blogs are trustworthy, people will return to add analysis, insight and commentary. Engaging the audience in the collection and dissemination of news would help crack the walls and evolutionise journalism. Similarly the old media may have something valuable to offer to the young leaders of blogosphere. Accuracy, trustworthiness and credibility are guidelines that even bloggers shouldn't isolate themselves from. For bloggers to achieve the status of trained journalists, their work will have to become more of a product of judgement.The main gripe for bloggers is the constant scrutiny by journalists. For those inviting opinion based on hard facts and a logical viewpoint, insidious accusations can often prove revolting. The society by large is intelligent enough to gauge the authenticity and value of the information fed to them. And if a platform for their voice is what they seek, then so be it. Journalism has evolved with time and is now moving from broadcast to a conversation. In the changing scenario, while genius bloggers, with access to truth and facts, will find their niche, quack bloggers will fade into oblivion in no time.So with reasonable suspicion, lets lower our guards and make way for the live wire, called blogs. In an environment of abundance, a despicable view of blogs may deter the creative process.
Yahoo! Mail - jacobthanni@yahoo.co.in
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Cancer Update from John Hopkins
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no
more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver,
Kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains,seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment.About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts)and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine.Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence,Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information.If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this email or any action taken in reliance on this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
Cancer Update from John Hopkins
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no
more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver,
Kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains,seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment.About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts)and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine.Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence,Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information.If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this email or any action taken in reliance on this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
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