US will succeed in Afghanistan: Obama

August 9, 2011 By

The United States will succeed in its mission in Afghanistan despite a recent incident in which more than 30 American soldiers were killed in a chopper crash in the war-ravaged country, President Barack Obama said today.

“I know that our troops will continue the hard work of transitioning to a stronger Afghan government and ensuring that Afghanistan is not a safe haven for terrorists.

“We will press on and we will succeed,” Obama said his remarks to the White House correspondents on Monday.

There is no one who embodies the qualities that I mentioned more than the men and women of the United States armed forces, and this weekend we lost 30 of them when their helicopter crashed during a mission in Afghanistan, he said

.

“And their loss is a stark reminder of the risks that our men and women in uniform take every single day on behalf of their country. Day after day, night after night, they carry out missions like this in the face of enemy fire and grave danger.

And in this mission, as in so many others, they were also joined by Afghan troops, seven of whom lost their lives as well,” he said.

Obama said now is the time to reflect on those US soldiers lost and the sacrifices of all who serve, as well as their families.

“These men and women put their lives on the line for the values that bind us together as a nation.

They come from different places, and their backgrounds and beliefs reflect the rich diversity of America,” he said.

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Stressful job can increase risk of asthma

May 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London May 27 (IANS) Being part of a stressful job can increase a person’s risk of developing asthma by 40 percent, reveals a new study.

The research led by Heidelberg University in Germany tracked 5,000 men and women aged between 40 and 65 over eight years. They found that among those free of asthma at the start of the project, there was up to a 40 percent higher incidence of asthma eight years later if they suffered stress at work.

The signs were long working hours, demanding schedules and uncomfortable working conditions.

‘Our study suggests work stress and the inability to relax after work are associated with an increased risk of asthma,’ dailymail.co.uk quoted the report as saying.

Earlier studies have shown stress can lead to the release of chemicals that promote allergies and disrupt the way the body halts inflammation of the airways.

However, the team stressed that the absolute risk of someone developing asthma because they are overloaded at work is still very small.

The study appears in journal Allergy.

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Hockey India’s claims meaningless, says Gill

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) K.P.S. Gill, president of the court-reinstated Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), Sunday trained his guns at Hockey India (HI) after the ad hoc body decided to go ahead with the election, and said whatever the HI does after the Delhi High Court order is ‘meaningless.’

HI secretary general Narinder Batra, who Saturday told IANS that the court judgement would not in anyway affect HI’s existence, reiterated his stand in a statement Sunday that the IHF was disaffiliated by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 2000.

Gill, disagreeing with Batra, said the IHF was never disaffiliated by the international body.

‘It is completely wrong. The IHF was never disaffiliated by the FIH, only its name was changed to Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC),’ Gill told IANS Sunday.

Asked about HI getting ready to hold the election, Gill said: ‘Whatever they do is meaningless because there is something called the law of the land and it applies to everyone.’

‘I am told that there are a number of court cases against HI across the country. They have also been de-recognised by the government.’

‘Let us see what steps they take. We will do whatever is required,’ Gill said when asked whether the IHF would take legal course if the HI went ahead with the election.

Batra had told IANS Saturday that decks have been cleared for HI election in June or early July and the election notice will be issued in four-five days.

He said the Delhi High Court’s order to reinstate the IHF does not affect the functioning of the HI.

‘IHF was disaffiliated by the FIH in 2000 and the IHC was formed consisting of both men and women units. This was necessary since the FIH had made it clear that if both units are not merged as per the IOC Charter, India would not be allowed to participate in international events,’ Batra said.

‘The IHC was disaffiliated by the FIH in 2008 and the HI took over from the IHC in 2009. As of today it is only the HI which has the affiliation of the IOA, AHF and FIH.,’ Batra said.

‘The court order has no bearing on HI status as it is recognised by the FIH after it disaffiliated the IHF,’ Batra added.

‘The judgment deals with the fact that while suspending/ disaffiliating the IHF, the IOA and the sports ministry did not follow the course of natural justice. This issue can be best clarified by the IOA and the sports ministry as to how they plan to follow the course of natural justice again.’

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Critics of US intelligence failures force National Intelligence chief Blair to resign

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 21 (ANI): The exposure of American intelligence failures by critics has forced the Obama administration to accept the resignation of National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair.

Blair said on Thursday that he would resign.

The intelligence failures include the Fort Hood shooting to the failed Christmas Day bombing plot to the attempted Times Square bombing.

“It is with deep regret that I informed the president today that I will step down as director of National Intelligence effective Friday, May 28th,” Fox News quoted Blair, as saying in a written statement.

“I have had no greater honor or pleasure than to lead the remarkably talented and patriotic men and women of the Intelligence Community,” he added.

In a written statement, President Obama said he was “grateful” for Blair”s leadership in the job.

“During his time as DNI, our intelligence community has performed admirably and effectively at a time of great challenges to our security, and I have valued his sense of purpose and patriotism,” he said.

“He and I both share a deep admiration for the men and women of our intelligence community, who are performing extraordinary and indispensable service to our nation,” he said.

The president is already is interviewing potential successors. (ANI)

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Critics of US intelligence failures force National Intelligence chief Blair to resign

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 21 (ANI): The exposure of American intelligence failures by critics has forced the Obama administration to accept the resignation of National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair.

Blair said on Thursday that he would resign.

The intelligence failures include the Fort Hood shooting to the failed Christmas Day bombing plot to the attempted Times Square bombing.

“It is with deep regret that I informed the president today that I will step down as director of National Intelligence effective Friday, May 28th,” Fox News quoted Blair, as saying in a written statement.

“I have had no greater honor or pleasure than to lead the remarkably talented and patriotic men and women of the Intelligence Community,” he added.

In a written statement, President Obama said he was “grateful” for Blair”s leadership in the job.

“During his time as DNI, our intelligence community has performed admirably and effectively at a time of great challenges to our security, and I have valued his sense of purpose and patriotism,” he said.

“He and I both share a deep admiration for the men and women of our intelligence community, who are performing extraordinary and indispensable service to our nation,” he said.

The president is already is interviewing potential successors. (ANI)

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”Avatars” to help breed the ideal body

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Sydney, May 20 (ANI): Thousands of men and women from around the globe are participating in an experimental Sydney-based sex project that seeks to “breed” the ideal body.

For the study, volunteers rate the attractiveness of computer-generated avatars representing male and female bodies of every shape and size.

The study, by researchers at the University of NSW project, aims to understand how individual features of the human body have a bearing on attractiveness.

To find the perfect body shape, the least popular body types will slowly be culled, as the researchers try to virtually “breed” new body shapes from the existing avatars.

With over 11,000 responses in just a few weeks, researchers believe they might be able to come up with their findings in almost half the time that was initially set for the project.

“We initially intended to take a year, but if the visit rate keeps growing like this we will be done in six to eight months,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Prof Rob Brooks, as saying.

Brooks added: “We are about to launch generation two of male bodies and as soon as we can after that we will launch generation three of the females.” (ANI)

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Aguilera says she finds women more attractive to the naked eye

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 19 (ANI): ‘Genie in a bottle’ hitmaker Christina Aguilera has revealed that she finds women ”more attractive to the naked eye”.

In an interview with Out magazine, the pop diva says she likes both men and women.

“I definitely love women. They are more attractive to the naked eye,” the Mirror quoted her as saying.

Aguilera recently revealed that she enjoys watching female strippers to male strippers. (ANI)

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Number of Malaysian women in high posts still way behind male counterparts

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, May 16 (ANI): The percentage of Malaysian women occupying top-positions is increasing, but they have a long way to go before they catch up with their male counterparts.

According to Good Governance and Gender Equality Society vice-president Professor Dr Cecilia Ng, only 10.8 percent of MPs were women, adding that they only comprised 12 percent of those holding senior posts in the local authorities, The Star reports.

“We are still far from achieving the target of women constituting at least 30 percent at the decision-making level,” she says.

She envisages an equal power-sharing scenario for men and women in the future, “We hope to have a 50-50 share between men and women in all fields one day.”

Authorities in Penang have initiated a workshop on “Including Gender in Good Governance.”

About 40 officers from the two councils and heads of departments attended the workshop that was aimed at introducing the concept of gender equality.

Topics covered in the workshop include- the principles of good governance like transparency and accountability, the impact on gender perceptions on the implementation of good governance principles etc, the paper reports. (ANI)

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Lyricist Javed Akhtar gets e-mail threat for criticizing Deoband fatwa

May 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, May 15 (ANI): Lyricist and Rajya Sabha member Javed Akhtar on Saturday lodged a case with the Mumbai Police after he received a e-mail threat for criticizing a fatwa banning women working with men.

In the complaint, Akhtar said that he received an email in which it was stated that the countdown to his end has begun.

The email also dared Akhtar to try to save himself if he could.

On Tuesday, the Darul Uloom Deoband, in a Talibanesque fatwa, decreed that it is “haram” and illegal according to the Sharia for a family to accept a woman”s earnings.

Clerics at the largest Sunni Muslim seminary after Cairo”s Al-Azhar said the decree flowed from the fact that the Sharia prohibited proximity of men and women at the workplace.

The e-mail taunted Akhtar, claiming he is a Muslim only in name and is actually a Jewish agent.

Reportedly, the e-mail signed by Aneesul Islam, accuses Akhtar of hurting Muslim sentiments with his comments.

The email said Akhtar could ignore the Ulema”s orders if he wished, but he should not have said the fatwa was irrelevant.

The threat to Akhtar comes on the heels of a group of clerics criticizing his anti-fatwa comments.

The clerics said that since Akhtar was not an authority on Islam, he should not comment on Islamic affairs.

Akhtar had opposed the Darul Uloom Deoband”s fatwa that asked them not to work with men and apparently described muftis as insane. (ANI)

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Women wear £1K worth of clothes, jewellery every day!

May 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 14 (ANI): A typical woman’s day-to-day outfit involves underwear worth 26.61 pounds, a skirt at 30.46 pounds, top 22.83 pounds, knitwear 38.85 pounds, coat 64.75 pounds, tights 3.90 pounds and shoes 51.21 pounds, a study has found.

And all of this is teamed up with jewellery worth 378.82 pounds and a 76.49-pound watch.

What’s more, she accessories this with a 106.58-pound handbag with a purse containing cash, tickets and passes worth a total 146.29 pounds and a 106.06-pound mobile phone.

That means the average woman top-to-toe is worth 1,052.85 pounds on a daily basis – 93.84 pounds more than the typical man, reports The Daily Express.

Nikki Sellers, head of Sheila’s Wheels home insurance which funded the study of 3,000 adults, said: “While celebrities wouldn’t be seen without their designer clothes, this shows 1,000 pounds is enough to give most British men and women the feel-good factor.” (ANI)

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Henna dye associated with high leukaemia rates in UAE women

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 10 (ANI): Henna dye may be linked to high rates of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in Emirati women, according to a new research conducted by a university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Women in the UAE are almost two times as likely as men to have leukaemia, while they were also 63 per cent more likely to be affected than expatriate women, reports The National.

The researchers arrived at their conclusions after looking at 263 cases of AML and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

The study also demonstrated that the rate of AML among UAE nationals was 78 per cent higher than in expatriates.

According to Dr. Inaam Hassan, an associate professor at the UAE University, chemicals in henna dye and a lack of sunlight could be the reason behind the increased incidence, reports Xinhua.

She said: “I could not understand the results because men and women live in the same environment; they eat the same foods and breathe the same air.

Hassan added: “The only difference was the use of henna.”

It may be noted that many modern henna dyes use synthetic chemicals lijke benzene to produce a deeper colour. (ANI)

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Paris female pants law could be lifted

May 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 5 (ANI): The law that banned women from wearing trousers in Paris could finally be lifted more than two centuries after first being enforced.

The rule, which was first introduced in late 1799 by Paris” police chief, stipulated that any Parisienne wishing to “dress like a man” must seek special permission from the city”s main police station.

However, a group of ten French MPs has now submitted a draft bill to parliament to remove the law, which has survived repeated attempts to repeal it.

The latest attempt to remove the out-of-date rule was in 2003, when a Right-wing MP from President Nicolas Sarkozy”s UMP party wrote to the minister in charge of gender equality.

“Disuse is sometimes more efficient than (state) intervention in adapting the law to changing morays,” the Telegraph quoted the minister as responding then.

Already, the rule has been contradicted by legislation that has made men and women equal in the eyes of the French constitution since 1946.

But the MPs say the trouser ban is “obsolete” and should be “de-legislated”.

The development comes in line with Sarkozy”s recent announcement that parliament should be given a break in the second half of this year to look back over old French laws that need repealing. (ANI)

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Brit kids feel safer in mum”s taxi than when dad is behind the wheel!

April 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, April 30 (ANI): Most British children prefer being in mum”s taxi than when dad is behind the wheel, says a survey.

The British Guild of Experienced Motorists survey found that a lot of children feel their fathers drive too fast.

Apparently, six out of 10 children aged five to 16 are happier and more relaxed when their mother is driving.

The survey claimed that 39 per cent of the kids were too scared to comment when their fathers drove rashly. Only 26 per cent asked dad to slow down and 22 per cent gripped the seat nervously.

On the other hand, 70 per cent of children said their mums happily sang their heart out while driving and 52 per cent said they talked non-stop to keep the family entertained.

Meanwhile, Australian road safety campaigner Russell White insists there is a difference between the way men and women drive.

“Women are more neutral in their views of the external environment while men are more aggressive. It”s one of the reasons kids get car sick,” the Couriermail quoted him, as saying.

He added: “Kids exposed to poor driving copy that behaviour. They are a product of their parents.

“They watch everything that is going on and those seeds that are planted early come to fruit in their teens.” (ANI)

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A little motivation can improve eyesight

April 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 30 (ANI): Eyesight markedly improved when people were experimentally induced to believe that they could see especially well, a new study found.

Harvard University psychologist Ellen Langer and her colleagues reported the finding in the April Psychological Science.

The boffins emphasize that such expectations actually enhanced visual clarity, rather than simply making volunteers more alert or motivated to focus on objects.

In the study, “20 men and women who saw a reversed eye chart — arranged so that letters became progressively larger further down the chart, with a giant “E” at the bottom — accurately reported more letters from the smallest two lines than they did when shown a traditional eye chart with the big letters on top. All volunteers had normal eyesight.

These results reflect people”s expectation, based on experience with standard eye charts, that letters are easy to see at the top and become increasingly difficult to distinguish on lower lines, the researchers suggest.

Participants who said they thought that they could improve their eyesight with practice displayed a bigger vision boost on the reversed chart than those who didn”t think improvement was possible, but only for the next-to-smallest line. Both groups did equally well at reading the smallest, topmost line”, reports Discovery News. (ANI)

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Cheating on girlfriend? Save your car!

April 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The relationship between men and women, when it turns sour because of the philandering habits of the former, can cost him his wheels.

Women are more likely than men to seek revenge if they found out their partner was cheating on them, with 10 percent of angered females targeting their man’s motor, a poll has found.

The poll of 3,000 people by the Autoglass company found that three in every five people would seek revenge if their partners cheated on them.

Of those who decide to get even, 22- to 25-year-olds are the most likely to smash a car windshield, reports The New York Daily News.

“Our research clearly shows that in the UK most people won’t turn the other cheek when it comes to infidelity,” Autoglass managing director Nigel Doggett said, according to the Independent. “And as the car seems to be one of the prime targets for getting even, this poll should serve as a warning to anyone thinking of straying.”

Social worker Irina Firstein said: “When a spouse has an affair, it is a rejection and a betrayal of the promise or agreement that it implicit in a marriage or a committed relationship. We have notions about what is fair and not fair, and this is not fair in our minds. The impulse for revenge often translates into an action, which of course means hurting the other person.”

And as to why trash the cheater’s car, Firstein said: “It’s like kicking a guy in his privates.”

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Men who believe in love at first sight three times more likely to cheat

April 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 21(ANI): Men who believe in love at first sight are more likely to cheat on their partners, a new study has found.

The study, conducted by researchers for dating website Parship, found that 42 per cent of men who believed in love at first sight had later cheated.

To reach the conclusion, boffins had quizzed 5,000 single men and women.

According to the study, for 75 per cent of single men and 80 per cent of single women it takes at least five dates over a number of weeks to decide whether or not to get serious.

What’s more, the baby boomer generation, now over 50, cheated more when younger than people under 30 do today, reports The Daily Express.

Twenty percent said they had been unfaithful in a previous relationship. However, nine in 10 said they expected fidelity from their next partner.

Dr Nafsika Thalassis, Parship’s singles coach, said: “This survey indicates that there is a close relationship between infidelity and impulsiveness.

“Men who consider themselves ‘in love’ within minutes of meeting someone are likely to fall in love rather frequently. It is also likely that such men interpret attraction and love as more or less the same thing.” (ANI)

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Visibly aroused nude model removed from exhibition

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New York, Apr 19 (ANI): A nude male model had to be removed from an exhibition, when he became visibly aroused.

At the Marina Abramovic installation on the sixth floor of the Museum of Modern Art, naked men and women — eight at a time, 38 in all — taking turns on display.

One can see a pair face one another at the entrance close enough that visitors brush against them on the way in.

Another nudist is tied to a cross, reports the New York Post.

According to reports, several visitors were asked to leave after touching the performers.

However, the organisers had to tell one model in the show to leave the gallery because he became visibly aroused. (ANI)

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‘Kissing disease’ takes its toll on female students at Edinburgh University

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 19 (ANI): A kiss is certainly the best way to express love, but for female students at Edinburgh University it spells trouble—they are dropping out after falling ill by contracting what has been tagged “the kissing disease”.

A study followed 57 students who developed glandular fever during their studies, tracking their symptoms and recovery.

And it was found that women lost more study time and had more severe symptoms than their male counterparts with the illness.

Now, the experts are hoping that the findings could help reduce cases of glandular fever and its effects.

This could include directing vaccines, currently being developed, to those groups most at risk.

The study found that women suffered worse from glandular fever than men in several ways—on average, the female patients missed 16 hours of classes because of the illness compared to three hours for men.

Women also experienced severe tiredness – one of the main symptoms of the disease – for twice as long as men, at four months compared to two months.

For both men and women, study time was reduced by an average of 25 hours a week after being diagnosed.

Researcher Karen McAulay said that it was not yet known why woman seemed to suffer worse than men.

“We are not sure why that would be the case at all. They tended to report their disease being more severe. They had more effects such as not being able to swallow, not being able to take exercise, not being able to go to classes or have social activities,” the Scotsman quoted her as saying.

“Even at the six months follow-up, the women were more likely to say that they had tiredness and fatigue than the men,” she added.

McAulay said there were vaccines in development which could be used to vaccinate students against glandular fever in future.

“You need to know who is most likely to be affected and how they will be affected to determine the best usage of the vaccine. That is what these studies are primarily for – to see who would be the best groups to target,” she said.

Dr Karen Macsween, lead researcher on the study, said: “There is clear evidence that glandular fever may affect both the academic and social activities of students, particularly in the case of female students.

“Depending on the severity of the illness, this may have an adverse effect on a student”s overall performance at university.”

The study has been published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. (ANI)

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Men’s apologies could improve women’s health: Study

April 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, April 19 (ANI): Scientists have claimed that when a man refuses to apologize to a woman for something wrong he has done, he could put her at risk of a heart attack.

A study found that women who are starved of an apology for rude or hurtful behaviour suffer an increase in blood pressure, which can raise the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The research also showed that those who hear a well timed “sorry” calm down more quickly, with their blood pressure returning to normal 20 percent faster.

On the other hand, a man’s blood pressure takes 20 percent longer to recover after an apology – suggesting men become more worked up after hearing an admission of guilt.

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, US, measured the diastolic blood pressure of 29 men and 59 women throughout the experiment.

Both groups were asked individually to complete a maths test in five minutes. They were interrupted three times during the test and told angrily to hurry up.

At the end of the test, they were told: “You”re obviously not good enough.”

Two minutes later, researchers apologised for their rudeness to half of the men and women.

The women who received an apology calmed down faster, while the men became more agitated.

“Results indicate that there are potentially healthy benefits to forgiveness and apology,” the Telegraph quoted one of the researchers as saying.

Diastolic blood pressure, a measure of pressure in the blood between heartbeats, can increase the chances of stroke or heart attacks if it remains high. (ANI)

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Visibly aroused nude model removed from exhibition

April 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New York, Apr 19 (ANI): A nude male model had to be removed from an exhibition, when he became visibly aroused.

At the Marina Abramovic installation on the sixth floor of the Museum of Modern Art, naked men and women — eight at a time, 38 in all — taking turns on display.

One can see a pair face one another at the entrance close enough that visitors brush against them on the way in.

Another nudist is tied to a cross, reports the New York Post.

According to reports, several visitors were asked to leave after touching the performers.

However, the organisers had to tell one model in the show to leave the gallery because he became visibly aroused. (ANI)

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