Indian husbands: The second class citizens?

MARRIED MEN in India have been reduced to second class citizens who are systematically discriminated against by the Indian Police, Indian government and the Indian Judicial system. Instead of being protected by the law, laws are used to harass Indian husbands.

Indian men contribute more than 80 per cent of the country’s taxes and have little or nothing spent on their welfare. The state systematically denies any rights in a married life and creates laws to purposely harass them in all ways possible. Thousands of crores are spent every year through various different channels on women’s programmes, little or nothing is being spent on welfare for men. The Government of India has a ministry for welfare of animals but has still not heeded to the requests for creation of a mens welfare ministry .

Laws in India are so biased against men that women who have never married in India or do not have children who are Indian citizens also come all the way to India tomisuse Indian laws. Most marital laws are unconstitutional and go against articles 14, 15, 20 and 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees fundamental rights like right to equality before the law, special provision for weaker sections of the society, multiple trials for the same crimes and right to liberty. On one side, the government promotes that they are committed to eradicating dowry completely from India on the other hand they allow the exchange of dowry to go unabated. But once the exchange has happened, millions of husbands and their families are arrested without the slightest iota of evidence or investigation under the draconian section 498 A of the Anti Dowry act.

In terms of Alimony, Indian laws are no better. In the western world, there exist hard and fast rules for alimony for women. In most states in the US, alimony applies only when the marriage has completed 10 or more years . However, in India, men are forced into a ‘compromise’ against their will and are made to pay huge settlement amounts to women who have broken marriages, which have not even reached their first anniversary. Child custody remains with the mother all the time and the father gets visitation to the tune of one hour a month.

The less written about the newly created domestic violence act of 2005 the better. Better known as the property grabbing act of 2005, this act has been misused by the empowered women of India to grab the properties of husbands and their families. Misuse of the law also has reached epic proportion and now misuse of this law competes with misuse of section 498A, which according to government is misused in 98 per cent of cases .

The resulting consequence of the systematic torture of men in India has been catastrophic. More than 56000 married men commit suicide every year due to spousal as compared to only half that number of women. Even after the suicide of the husband, every attempt is made to make this death as a death due to unknown reasons and no punishment is ever meted out to the wife who was the responsible for the death. In fact the two main categories that men’s deaths are classified in the national crime records bureau are ‘Unknown reasons’ and ‘Other reasons’.

The cruel and deliberate attempts to subjugate the rights of husbands in India is deplorable and shows a very fascist attitude. The government must immediately amend the marital laws to make them gender neutral and then proceed to create a men’s welfare ministry and study and arrest the rising mens suicides in India before the situation goes out of hand 

Crime-lord Dawood's arrest threaten several regimes

AMERICA’S DEMAND that Pakistan must hand over India’s most-wanted fugitive and international terrorist Dawood Ibrahim for his alleged links with Al Qaeda-related terrorist groups and involvement in the global heroin trade should come as good news for India. Washington and New Delhi appear to be on the same wave length on this issue.

Dawood Ibrahim is a ‘living legend’ for all the wrong reasons. No single person in independent India has ever roused so much curiosity, contempt, curse and criticism and evoked such extreme reactions.

In terms of a commoner’s fanciful thought, Dawood is a mystery, an enigma, a fleet-footed nightmarish character who is invisible and yet who is omnipresent in India’s crimeland. Dawood implies gangsterism, killing and looting from Mumbai to Mallapuram. Dawood runs guns and goons, deploys whores and generates wealth, patronises land sharks and leads mafia wars.

The police are chasing him, intelligence sleuths are snooping on him, Customs is issuing classified alerts on him and the Income Tax Department is scrutinising his benami returns. Interpol has been frequently issuing red corner alerts

Yet Dawood remains unfazed and cannot be caged. He is alive but missing. He is supposed to be in Dubai, he was seen at Clifton in Karachi; he reportedly attended a marriage after undergoing cosmetic surgery. Speculations go on and rumours run riot. Yet Dawood remains unseen and unheard.

To make matters worse, the allegations against the most-wanted Indian are indeed serious. That he has invested millions of dollars in the financial capital of India and its outskirts, in trade and industry, in political funding, film production, transport and now communications! Dawood’s ‘investment’ today is ‘bearing fruit’.

In fact what has Osama been to the US since 9/11, Dawood has been to India for the last 25 years. Yet, whereas the world has responded positively to the US call to catch Osama, dead or alive and sustained military operations by international coalition forces have been launched, India’s repeated call to apprehend Dawood has always fallen on deaf ears.

Is it because Dawood has ceased to be a small time criminal and petty gangster of Mumbai? In the arena of criminals and the history of crime, Dawood is a shining example where individual attains the status of an institution who in turn becomes an ‘icon’, and then turns into an ‘idol’.

Yes, since Dawood’s crimes in the past have now started yielding tangible gains in the form of financial profit to his numerous partners, one doubts as to whether he will be caught at all or not.

Assuming, without conceding, that Pakistan does hand over Dawood to American agencies, what happens? In one stroke chaos and all round desperation are likely to follow and fear would grip many powerful individuals across Asia. Since 9/11, the US is supposed to be the strongest, roughest and the toughest votary of the ‘global war on terror’.

Mahindra Satyam says it's chasing 30 large deals

Information technology services provider Mahindra Satyam is pursuing around 30 “large deals” and expects some of these to materialise during the current financial year, according to a senior official of the company.

“We are vigorously pursuing 20 to 30 large deals in the life sciences, public services, transportation and engineering domains, which are showing a lot of positive business momentum. We expect to close some of them to our advantage by this fiscal end,” the official told Business Standard, while declining to share the size of the deals.

A large deal, in normal IT parlance, is anywhere between $50 million (around Rs 245 crore) and $100 million (Rs 490 crore).

The scam-hit company, now logging on to the recovery path after Tech Mahindra acquired a controlling stake in it in April, has been seeing increasing business stability since then, winning over 30 new logos (customer wins), including the five-year SAP contract with global pharmaceutical major GlaxoSmithKline, the official added.

“The company has been witnessing high traction of business from emerging markets like India, Europe, Middle East and Asia (MEA) and the Asia Pacific. These new geographies are now accounting for close to 55 per cent of our business, while the contribution from the US is hovering around 45 per cent, a positive trend which is slowly beginning to grow and drive our revenues further,” he said.

On the company’s business processing outsourcing (BPO) arm’s recent major client win in Tata Docomo for providing back-office support, he said the company had already hired 1,000 professionals for its client. “Mahindra Satyam BPO will be adding 300 people every year over the next five years to service this telecom client,” the official added.

Mahindra Satyam, which had in June announced a one-time virtual pool programme aimed at addressing idle staff costs while retaining talent, had so far recalled 1,000 employees. “We will be calling back some more,” he added.

Mahindra Satyam stock ended the trade at Rs 113.85 on the BSE on Friday, down 0.52 per cent against the previous close of Rs 114.45.

Govt to infuse additional equity in Air India

The government is understood to have decided to infuse additional equity in Air India and give a soft loan to counter the financial crunch, as a high-level Committee today asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to move a note on the issue for consideration of the Union Cabinet.

The Committee of Secretaries, headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, which reviewed the turnaround plan of the ailing carrier, directed the Ministry to prepare the cabinet note on the matter.

The note, to be prepared in consultation with the Finance Ministry, would be ready for circulation to the Cabinet Ministers in the next seven to ten days, official sources said after the meeting here.

Though there was no official confirmation of the quantum of equity infusion and the soft loan the government could give to the national carrier, there were indications that its equity base, which now stands at only Rs 145 crore, would be enhanced by at least Rs 2,500 crore.

While the government would make only a partial contribution as equity infusion to the airline, a major part of resource mobilisation is likely to be through issuance of Initial Public Offer or infrastructure bonds, they said, adding the Cabinet would now take a final call on the issue

Obesity Ages the Brain and Reduces Life Span

Overall, about two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are either overweight or obese and about 6 percent are extremely obese, putting them at an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and even certain cancers. Researchers have also discovered that obesity increases the risk for dementia, and a new study detailed in the online edition of the journal Human Brain Mapping may help to explain why.

When researchers at UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh scanned the brains of 94 people in the 70s, they found that the obese individuals had 8 percent less brain tissue than their normal-weight peers, and their brains looked 16 years older than the brains of lean people—evidence of “severe brain degeneration,” according to study author Paul Thompson, a UCLA professor of neurology. Those classified as overweight had 4 percent less brain tissue and their brains appeared to have aged prematurely by eight years.

For obese people, the areas of significant shrinkage was in the frontal and temporal lobes, areas of the brain critical for reasoning and judgment; the anterior cingulate gyrus, key to attention and decision-making; the hippocampus, which processes long-term memories; and basal ganglia, from which movement is initiated. Overweight people showed shrinkage in the basal ganglia and the parietal lobe, where we integrate sensory input, and in the corona radiata, which helps speed messages among regions of the brain that must work together for proper functioning. 

While the participants of the study showed no outward signs of cognitive impairment at the time of the study, the researchers predicted that the premature aging and loss of brain volume will put the heavier subjects at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative brain diseases. “That’s a big loss of tissue and it depletes your cognitive reserves, putting you at much greater risk of Alzheimer’s and other diseases that attack the brain,” Thompson said. 

Experts say people can greatly reduce their risk for Alzheimer’s and related diseases by exercising, eating healthily and keeping their weight under control. “A brain healthy diet is one that is heavy on fruits and nuts and low in fat and cholesterol,” says Lou-Ellen Barkan, president and CEO of the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “Obesity is definitely not a good thing for a healthy brain.”

But researchers say obesity isn’t just causing the brain to shrink—it is also trimming years off people’s lives. Economists at RTI International, a non-profit research organization in Research Triangle Park, N.C., analyzed data on 366,000 people and found that extremely obese people, those with a body mass index of 40 or greater, live three to 12 years less than their normal-weight peers. And extremely obese people who smoke live an average of 21 years less than non-smokers of normal weight. For instance, an 18-year-old white male who is of normal weight and does not smoke can expect to live to age 81, but if he’s extremely obese and a smoker, his life expectancy fall to 60. The researchers estimate that overall, Americans lost roughly 95 million years in 2008 by carrying around excess weight. 

However, the study found that just being overweight or moderately obese has little or no effect on life span. Non-smokers who are overweight—meaning they have a body mass index of 29 or less—do not have shortened lives, and non-smokers who are obese — those with a BMI of 30 to 39—lose about a year or less off their lives. Lead author Eric Finkelstein says that may be because there are effective treatments to manage many of the health problems that often stem from extra pounds, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. For example, 10 of the top 25 most prescribed medications target the three aforementioned diseases. 

Findings of the RTI study are published online in the journal Obesity.

Hormone Therapy Could Be Risky for Some Prostate Cancer Patients

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men, affecting about one in six men in the United States. It is usually a very slow-growing disease, taking years to spread beyond the gland and pose a serious health threat. Once the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland it can no longer be cured, but it can be slowed down by injecting the patient with drugs that block the supply of testosterone, a male hormone that directly stimulates the growth of both normal prostate tissue and prostate cancer cells. The treatment, known as hormone therapy or HT, can increase survival in more advanced cases of prostate cancer when used with surgery or radiation. But the side effects are unpleasant: hot flashes, erectile dysfunction, bone loss, memory problems, fatigue and loss of interest in sex. And, according to a new study, it may be dangerous for some men with heart disease—doubling their risk of death.

Dr. Anthony D’Amico of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and colleagues studied 5,077 cases of men, average of about 70, diagnosed with localized or locally advanced prostate cancer between 1997 and 2006. All the men were treated with radiation therapy and 30 percent of them also took HT for an average of four months. Over a median follow-up of five years, 419 of the men died. Of those, 200 had no underlying cardiac conditions or risk factors, 176 had one coronary artery disease factor, such as high blood cholesterol, and 43 had suffered from heart failure or had a heart attack.

Analysis of the data showed that, when considering comorbidity groups separately, HT caused no increased risk of all-cause mortality in men with no co-existing conditions (9.6 percent vs. 6.7 percent) or those with a single coronary artery disease risk factor (10.7 percent vs. 7.0 percent). However, for those with a history of serious heart problems, HT was associated with nearly twice the risk of all-cause mortality (26.3 percent vs. 11.2 percent). “Our results should heighten awareness about the potential for harm with hormonal therapy for men with pre-existing heart disease,” said study author Dr. Akash Nanda of the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program in Boston. “The risks need to be balanced with the benefits. For more advanced disease, the primary treatment is a combination of hormone therapy and radiation. So, for them, it becomes a little more tricky.” 

Some experts agree that co-existing heart conditions should be taken into account when deciding which treatment best suits a patient. “I think this is going to make people even more conservative in their use of hormones than when researchers started to identify who benefited,” said Dr. Eric M. Horwitz, acting chairman of the radiation oncology department at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. “We had always thought that there might be cardiac problems with long-term use of hormones, but this shows that even a short course can be harmful.”

For other experts, the findings weren’t unexpected. “For those who’ve been following the field, this is not surprising at all,” said Dr. Stephen Freedland, a Duke University prostate cancer specialist. He said that although some patients benefit from hormone therapy, it’s dangerous in the wrong patients—increasing insulin resistance, raising cholesterol, and increasing fat—likening it to the opposite of performance-enhancing drugs some athletes have taken. “You take away the muscles and give him fat,” Freedland said. 

The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 

Early Treatment off COPD May Increase Life Expectancy

reating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during early stages may slow the progression of the disease, and allow those who suffer from the illness to live longer and suffer less. New research on a promising  anti-inflammatory drug, as well as a study on an already well-known anticholinergic drug, offer renewed hope for those who have been diagnosed with COPD.

Now the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, COPD is a progressive disease that causes irreversible damage to the lungs and is most commonly caused by years of smoking. An estimated 24 million Americans suffer from COPD. Symptoms of the illness may include shortness of breath, a persistent cough, mucus production, wheezing, chest tightness, and tiredness.

In the first of three reports on COPD published in the August 29th issue of the journal The Lancet, patients who began early treatment with the inhaled drug Spiriva (tiotropium) experienced improved outcomes in comparison to patients who remained untreated. According to lead researcher Dr. Marc Decramer, a professor in the department of pathophysiology at University Hospital of the University of Leuven in Belgium, “If you treat moderate disease with these anticholinergic drugs, you get clear improvements in lung function, health-related quality of life, exacerbations and even, maybe, in mortality.” As for the improvement in mortality, Decramer said that although this was not found to be statistically significant, there was a trend observed. He also pointed out that the treatments “seem to reduce the rate at which the disease progresses.”

Decramer and colleagues monitored 2,376 early stage COPD patients who were randomly assigned to receive Spiriva or a placebo. After following the progress of the participants for four years, the researchers found the rate of decline in lung function to be 12 percent lower among the recipients of Spiriva compared to those who received the placebo. In addition, patients taking Spiriva had 18 percent less flare-ups of their COPD, leading to a reduction of 26 percent in hospitalizations due to flare-ups. Decramer explained that it is highly important that COPD be diagnosed in the early stages, and that aggressive treatment begins upon diagnosis to attain the best possible outcomes.

The remaining two reports in The Lancet established the benefits of the new anti-inflammatory drug called Daxas (roflumilast) in the treatment of COPD. The drug is still undergoing the approval process of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In the first study, Dr. Leonardo Fabbri of the University of Modena in Italy and his team followed 3,091 patients who suffered from severe COPD after randomly assigning then to receive either Daxas or a placebo. After monitoring the patients for one year, findings revealed that those patients taking Daxas gained improved lung function and experienced 17 percent less flare-ups of their COPD than did patients taking the placebo. In their report, the researchers conclude, “These results suggest that different subsets of patients exist within the broad range of COPD, and that targeted specific therapies could improve disease management.”

Dr. Klaus F. Rabe, of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands led the second study in which Daxas was used in addition to the standard COPD treatments with long-acting bronchodilators or anticholinergics. A total of 1,677 patients having moderate-to-severe COPD took either Daxas or a placebo for a 24-week period. Those patients who were randomly assigned to receive Daxas also received the bronchodilator Serevent (salmeterol) or Spiriva. The results showed that patients who took Daxas with either Serevent or Spiriva experienced a greater improvement in lung function than they would have by taking Serevent or Spiriva alone.

A decrease in respiratory symptoms was another benefit observed in patients who were treated for COPD with Daxas. However, in both trials, patients taking Daxas experience side effects including nausea, diarrhea and weight loss.

The researchers concluded, “Roflumilast improves lung function in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD who are already being treated with long-acting bronchodilators [or anticholinergic drugs], although with expected class-specific adverse events. Roflumilast could become an important, concomitant treatment for these patients.”
 

Umar Akmal and Iftikhar script crushing win

Umar Akmal’s maiden international hundred, a rousing unbeaten 102 from 72 balls, and Younis Khan’s first half-century as captain took Pakistan to a large total and set up their first win on tour. Batting first has been distinctly advantageous at the Premadasa and so it proved as Pakistan put up a mammoth score and then pressured the Sri Lankan batsmen into self-destruction. Iftikhar Anjum played a major hand, claiming career-best figures as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 175, losing their last seven wickets for 45 runs in 12.3 overs. The pace was set early by Umar’s elder brother Kamran, who ensured the tempo did not flag despite Imran Nazir’s early dismissal, but Sri Lanka’s spinners struck thrice in less than six overs. Young Umar walked to the crease when Pakistan were 130 for 4, with a struggling captain searching for a partner and only Shahid Afridi to follow. He took the opportunity to prove that not all is as made to believe about Pakistan’s domestic set-up. His effervescence complimented Younis’ solidity and their 176-run stand paved the way. Where Nazir, Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq struggled against a combination of tidy bowling and a slow track, Umar appeared comfortable from the get-go. He showed he wasn’t going to get bogged down, swinging his seventh delivery - from Ajantha Mendis, no less - over long-on for a six and flicked almost effortlessly. His was a sensible approach, poaching the odd boundary and turning ones into twos while also dominating the perceived weaker bowlers. Finding the narrowest of gaps in the field and always sprinting hard between the wickets, he began rebuilding. Credit is due to the man at the other end. Younis’ innings contained crisp drives and wristy flicks and stolen runs but most importantly it was an effort that allowed Umar to flourish. Around his captain, Umar could play his own game and Pakistan didn’t feel the pinch. Pakistan had been hurt in the series by Younis’ indifferent form. Today they realised just what a difference runs from him can mean. Importantly, he quickly assessed conditions and played with a welcome smoothness. Younis’ innings was controlled, he ran hard between the wickets, and Pakistan’s run-rate lifted to nearly five-and-a-half an over. With Umar rattling along Younis too changed his game. Soon defence turned to single hunting, gliding and efficiently flicking in the gaps. Umar’s half-century came up from 46 balls, after which he upped his strike-rate. Always keen to get back and across and then mow the ball over the on-side, he took consecutive fours off Mendis and then clubbed Lasith Malinga for 13 in the 46th over. Another effortless six off Malinga followed in the 48th over, the back leg once more lifted to gain power. Younis departed for 89 in the 49th over trying to get six but Umar reached three figures with two balls to spare. You can argue the pressure of winning the series wasn’t there, but maiden ODI centuries don’t come cleaner than this. To chase 322 under lights in Sri Lanka a team needs something near a batting miracle. Upul Tharanga (80) played a cool hand to try and keep the required run-rate in check but there was little support. Pakistan’s bowlers began by bowling too short - in particular Naved-ul-Hasan - and Tharanga and Sangakkara added 65 in good time. Sangakkara sped away to 39 from 33 balls before he was early into a drive against a slower ball from Anjum and scooped a catch to point. From here the attack tidied up, Anjum sticking to a decent length and the spinners taking as much pace off the ball as possible. Thilina Kandamby went next, slashing Saeed Ajmal to slip, and a one-handed effort from Naved in the deep took out Chamara Kapugedera. Anjum bowled a lot of deliveries on an awkward length, too short to drive but too full to pull, and was rewarded with 5 for 30. Ajmal tossed the ball up into the rough with good control to take two wickets. Tharanga played an extension of his half-century in the previous game, accumulating most of his runs by soft-handed steers through the arc between cover and gully. Third man proved a productive area for Tharanga, who didn’t take the aerial route much. With his dismissal, feathering Anjum to Kamsran, went Sri Lanka’s chances. From here on it was a steady procession of wickets and Sri Lanka fell way short of the target.

PCB likely to appoint Saeed Anwar

Chairman PCB today had a discussion with Saeed Anwar regarding utilisation of his services for cricket.The chairman and Saeed Anwar will meet in the coming week to discuss the plan in detail, PCB said in a statement yesterday.PCB chief Ijaz Butt is hopeful that Saeed can use his vast experience for the benefit of Pakistan cricket.’’I am thankful for Saeed’s encouraging response and his offer to assist PCB and Pakistan players. I am sure Saeed will be able to contribute a lot to Pakistan cricket,’’ Butt said.The 40-year-old former batsman had scored 4052 runs from 50 Tests but it was his exploits in the one-day arena that made him a shining star in Pakistani cricket. In 247 One-dayInternationals, Saeed has piled up 8824 runs with 20 centuries.

I will not apologise

Younus’’I accept the responsibility of defeat, but will not apologise to anyone nor will I resign as captain because it’s part of the game to lose and win,’’ Younus was quoted as saying by ’The News’.The Pakistan skipper lashed out at his critics, saying there were some people who were trying hard to oust him as the national team’s captain.’’I am trying my level best to lead the team and achieve the best results but some people want me to relinquish the captaincy, which I won’t.’’ ’’Am I not a good captain, or do I lack leadership qualities?’’ he said.Younus concurred that Pakistan’s success in the last two one-dayers showed that his team have the potential to win in Sri Lanka.

ICC World Twenty20 2009

ICC World Twenty20 Women's final, Lord's: England 86-4 (17 overs) beat New Zealand 85 (20 overs) by six wickets

A devastating spell of high-class swing bowling from Katherine Brunt helped England beat New Zealand comfortably to win the Women's ICC World Twenty20.

Brunt, swinging the ball into the left-handers and seaming it away from the right-handers, took 3-6 as the White Ferns were bowled out for just 85.

Player of the tournament Claire Taylor hit an unbeaten 39 as England won by six wickets with 18 balls to go.

England now hold the Ashes, the 50-over World Cup and the Twenty20 trophies.

In contrast to their nervous performance in the field in the semi-final at The Oval, when Australia hit 163-5, this was a highly-polished display by all the bowlers and the fielders, not least wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor who took a stumping and two fine catches.

The early start, at 1030 BST, may have helped Brunt find swing, and she was quick to cash in, bowling the dangerous left-hander Aimee Watkins (scorer of an unbeaten 89 in the semi-finals), and then adding the wickets of Lucy Doolan - caught behind attempting a paddle-sweep - and Rachel Priest, who was caught and bowled.

Against Australia, Brunt had been brought into the side at the expense of Isa Guha in an attempt to rattled the opposition with pace and bounce. The ploy failed when she went for 39 runs, but England's management intelligently persevered with the woman from Barnsley and here she repaid their loyalty in dramatic fashion.

Laura Marsh (R) after taking the first wicket for England

As important as the wickets was her superb economy rate, in a match in which the other bowlers all cost at least four an over.

After eight overs, the score was 23-4, Laura Marsh having set the ball rolling with a wicket in the very first over with her bravely flighted off-spin, and New Zealand did not know whether to stick, twist or fold.

Medium-pacers Nicky Shaw and Jenny Gunn helped themselves to two wickets each, and the scoring was of the ones and twos variety until the 18th over, by which time England must have felt they had done enough.

By then Holly Colvin had got through her four overs of left-arm spin safely, and it took a burst of 21 runs from 11 balls towards the end, with Sophie Devine and Kate Pulford finally putting some pressure on the fielders, to take the White Ferns past 80.

Lydia Greenway, who had earlier held a fine catch running in from the boundary, produced a deadly accurate throw to run out Devine from the final ball.

England's chase got under way with a lovely cover-drive from Sarah Taylor for four, and skipper Charlotte Edwards took the left-arm seamer for two off-side boundaries in the fourth over.

But Edwards was over-confident. Backing away to leg in a bid to hit Sian Ruck for another boundary, she was defeated by the inswing, and New Zealand had a wicket to celebrate.

In the seventh over, an outside edge from Claire Taylor, off Pulford, was dropped by wicketkeeper Priest before she had scored. The ball escaped for four and a massive opportunity to have England's best batsman back in the pavilion was lost.

England's best batsman Claire Taylor was voted player of the tournament

New Zealand kept attacking field settings, forcing England to hit boundaries, and the tactic had some effect in making the host nation feel pressure that wasn't really there.

Sarah Taylor nicked an attempted cut to fall for 23, before Claire Taylor slipped gears, biffing Pulford down the ground for four and then whipping Suzie Bates through square-leg.

Beth Morgan was dropped once, before holing out to midwicket, but by then Taylor, the Oxford graduate and former hockey player who has become a thorn in the side of so many teams, was in full flow.

Ten runs came from Doolan's first over, and just 14 were needed from the last five overs with seven wickets in hand.

Just as they had done in the World Cup final - when New Zealand were again the opposition - England did not make things entirely straightforward, losing another batsman when Greenway was bowled slogging across the line.

But Taylor was determined to see the job through to the finish, sealing the deal with a lofted straight drive for four off Nicola Browne

Vettori reaches Test double mark

Second Test, Colombo, day one:

Sri Lanka 263-3 v New Zealand

New Zealand's Daniel Vettori became only the eighth player to achieve the 300 wickets-3000 runs double on day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Kumar Sangakkara was the left-armer's 300th victim on a day which ended with Sri Lanka on 263-3.

They were 75-2 earlier in the day put an unbroken stand of 147 between Mahela Jayawardene (79) and Thilan Samaraweera (78) put them in a strong position.

"I still see myself as a bowler, rather than an all-rounder," said Vettori.

"As a spin bowler, I did not think a feat like this would happen, so it's a very special feeling."

The left-arm spinner is the second player from New Zealand after Sir Richard Hadlee to achieve the double and joins a list that also includes the likes of England's Sir Ian Botham, India's Kapil Dev and Australia's Shane Warne.

But the Kiwis still face a tough task in trying to level the series after losing by 202 runs at Galle.

Vettori used himself as first-change and the move paid off when opener Tharanga Paranavitana, who failed twice in the first Test, pushed forward and edged to Ross Taylor at slip, departing for 19.

Seam accounted for Tillakaratne Dilshan in the third over after lunch when he lobbed a return catch back to Iain O'Brien after making 29.

But home skipper Kumar Sangakkara looked in good touch as he struck nine boundaries, only to sweep Vettori to Jacob Oram at mid-wicket just after reaching 50.

It proved to be New Zealand's final success of the day, however, and although the pitch was "extremely flat", according to Vettori, he professed himself slightly disappointed by the match situation.

"We were ideally looking at five wickets, but Mahela and Thilan are seasoned players and are at the top of their game," he said.

"I hope our batsmen will take a leaf out of their book and put up a big score too."

New “liquid condom” to protect women from transmitted diseases including HIV

The new “liquid condom” developed by the scientists will not only empower women by aiding in controlling their pregnancy without their partner’s permission it will also protect them from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.

The new contraceptive gel can trap semen as well as any particles wider than 50 nanometres, which include the HIV, herpes and papilloma viruses.

The new "molecular condom" gel changes in response to changes in pH - acidity or alkalinity - in the vagina caused by the introduction of semen during sex.

It remains in liquid form while in contact with acidity levels normally found in the vagina but it turns into semisolid when it encounters semen which his alkaline, forming a mesh of "crosslinked" molecules.

Lead researcher, Patrick Kiser, and assistant professor at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City says that the chemical bonds between the two polymers constantly attach and detach at normal, acidic vaginal pHs of about 4.8, allowing the gel to flow. But at a pH of 7.6 - the slightly alkaline condition when semen enters the vagina - the PBA and SHA polymers "crosslink" and stick tightly together.

ri Lanka poised to defeat Kiwis

Second Test, Colombo, day four (close):
Sri Lanka 416 & 311-5 dec v New Zealand 234 & 182-6

Captain Kumar Sangakkara completed his 20th Test century as Sri Lanka closed in on a 2-0 series victory over New Zealand in Colombo.

Sangakkara made 109 as the home side, who won the first Test by 202 runs, declared their second innings on 311-5.

It left New Zealand with a target of 494 and despite 50 by Daniel Flynn, they struggled to 182-6 at the close.

Spinner Rangana Herath dismissed Jesse Ryder (38) in the penultimate over of play to finish with figures of 4-73.

For once, Muttiah Muralitharan, Test cricket's record wicket-taker, was outbowled and had to settle for a single success, achieved when Brendan McCullum (13) played on as he attempted to drive.

McCullum's exit came just five overs after Flynn had been trapped lbw on the back foot by Herath after battling to keep the home attack at bay for almost two hours.

And the loss of Ryder, who was leg-before after missing an attempted sweep shot, meant the Kiwis ended another tough day on a low note, although Sri Lanka have yet to reach the tail, with Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori not out at the close.

The home side batted through the morning session with Sangakkara and former skipper Mahela Jayawardene extending their third-wicket partnership to 173.

Sangakkara reached his century - his sixth in Tests at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground - off 164 balls, with a six and 11 fours, but eventually departed when he was caught at slip by Ross Taylor off Jeetan Patel.

First-innings centurion Thilan Samaraweera was lbw to Vettori for 25 shortly after lunch and Sangakkara called a halt when Jayawardene followed for 96, with Taylor taking another catch from the bowling of Patel - this time a superb low effort.

New Zealand made a solid start to their reply before openers Tim McIntosh and Martin Guptill fell in quick succession, McIntosh bowled for seven when he offered no stroke to a ball from Dammika Prasad and Guptill caught behind off Herath for 28.

Flynn and Taylor added 56 for the third wicket before a flighted delivery from Herath lured Taylor (27) into an error and Jayawardene accepted the chance at first slip.

Taylor's downfall left New Zealand on 97-3 and the loss of three further wickets left them needing either inspired batting by Oram and Vettori or an intervention by the weather to save them on the final day.

Coach Andy Moles described his side's batting as "very disappointing and very frustrating".

He added: "These are very talented cricketers but they make the same mistakes over and over again."

India has excellent investment climate: PM

BARMER/RAJASTHAN: Oil exploration major Cairn's success story demonstrates that India is an excellent destination for foreign investment, Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday.

Speaking after inaugurating the Mangala field, India's largest oil discovery in two decades, he said: "It can be demonstrated through Cairn's contribution that there is a very good climate for investment in India".

Urging foreign investors to come to India to take advantage of the opportunities available here, the prime minister said: "I call on investors from different parts of the globe to come here and assure them that they will get full and honest support from the Indian government for all facilities."

Manmohan Singh turned a valve on the dais to symbolically start the Mangala field's production, amidst cheers from the assembled audience of dignitaries, employees and local people, with the Oscar-winning song "Jai Ho" playing in the background.

He was also presented with the first drops of oil from the field in a container.

The prime minister said that the inauguration of the Mangala field was bound to bring enormous prosperity to Rajasthan.

"It is a historical fact that whenever oil has been found in a country, it has developed very fast. I believe after the oil production here, there will be a new Rajasthan where there is no poverty and less unemployment.

"Our country is moving forward at a rapid rate. But to remove poverty, there is a lot left to do," Manmohan Singh said, noting if this rapid rate of growth has to be improved, there will be further need for energy.

"Energy production is taking place, but the demand for oil and gas is also increasing," he added.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were present at the function, held in a massive air-conditioned tent, which had eight large screens hanging from the roof to enable the audience to watch the event closely. The site is 125 km from the India-Pakistan border.

Mangala's peak production of 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) will be reached in the first half of 2010.

Along with the production at its Bhagyam and Aishwarya fields, the aggregate peak production by Cairn India will be 175,000 bpd or 20 percent of India's domestic production - enough to power 3.4 million cars daily or fill up 4.5 million cooking gas cylinders a month.

The three fields are expected to save the country $1.5 billion annually as import bill over the next 10 years. It would also earn the government $30 billion across the life of the field by way of taxes, royalties and profit petroleum revenue.

Deora has said the central government would get Rs.46,000 crore (Rs.460 billion) as profit petroleum revenue. The Rajasthan government would get another Rs.12,000 crore (Rs.120 billion) as royalty revenue for the first five years, he said.

India imports over 70 per cent of its crude oil needs. At its peak, Cairn's production will lead to cutting down about 8 per cent of India's import bill at current oil prices.

7 Hizbul Mujahideen militants convicted in sedition case

HYDERABAD: Seven Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a ’commander’ Mujeeb Ahmed, were on Thursday convicted by a local court in a case of sedition. First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge L Srirama Murthy found them guilty under section 122 (collecting arms with intention of waging war against the government), 124 (A) (sedition) of IPC and Section 23 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. The quantum of sentence against the seven accused including a woman would be pronounced on Friday. Mujeeb alias Ahmed Bhai, a native of Hyderabad was also found guilty under the Indian Wireless and Telegraphy Act, 1933. Mujeeb was arrested by Hyderabad Police on December 26, 2005 on charges of hatching a criminal conspiracy against the state by procuring sophisticated AK 47 rifles from Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin of Pakistan. Police recovered one satellite phone, Rs 1.15 lakh in cash, two CDs containing inflammatory materials and two cell phones from Mujeeb, who was known as ’Ameer-E-Deccan’ and planned to create disturbance in Hyderabad, according to public prosecutor Challa Seshu Reddy.

AP Home Minister Sabitha Reddy no poltical motive in Kovvur MLA

Asserting that there was no ’ulterior’ motive behind the arrest of TDP MLA T V Rama Rao in connection with a sexual assault case, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabita Reddy today made it clear that the law would take its own course’’. The Minister was making a statement in the Assembly when the arrest of Rao for allegedly outraging the modesty of two girl students from Kerala, was raised in the House under rule 344 by Mr M Narasimhulu and other TDP members. He contended the Congress government had foisted the case against him as he was a ’’Dalit MLA’’ and refused to switch over to the ruling Congress from the TDP.Alleging that the TDP member was trying to shield himself by attributing political motives, the Minister denied the charge that the Congress had resorted to political vindictiveness as Mr Rao did not join the ruling party. Investigations were being done by the police impartially as per the law, she added.

Chennai Doctors done 14 breast cancer sureries in 3.5 hrs record

CHENNAI: In a development that has shocked the medical fraternity, doctors at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai said they performed 14 breast cancer surgeries in three-and-a-half hours this week for an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. The hospital claimed that the "feat" was videotaped and sent to the Guinness authorities through the state government. The state health department condemned the move and said no permission was given for such an exercise. It has now ordered an inquiry into the incident by the state’s director of medical education, Dr S Vinayagam. "We do not approve of it and we have not sent it to any agency for recognition. Safety is our prime concern and we condemn anything that can risk a patient’s life," said health secretary VK Subburaj. Rajaji hospital’s head of oncology, Dr BKCR Mohan Prasad, held a press conference on Thursday to announce that an in-house team of three doctors including himself, chief anaesthetist Dr R Chandrasekhar and surgeon Dr Gopinath had achieved the "feat" by operating non-stop on patients from 8.30am to noon on August 24. Hospital dean Dr SM Sivakumar added that "non-stop lumpectomy on 14 women is a proof of the facilities available in the hospital". "We opened four patients at one go. I would open the breast, remove the tumour and nodes and move on to the next patient. My assistant and a post-graduate student would close the wound. When I moved to the fourth patient, the first was ready to be sent to the recovery room and another patient would be wheeled in," Prasad told reporters. The announcement shocked members of the medical fraternity, including those from the Tamil Nadu State Medical Council and the Indian Medical Association, who called it a blatant violation of the Hippocratic Oath.

YSR and finance minister Rosaiah keep their vool in Assembly

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, and the finance minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, were unusually sober and accommodating in the Assembly on Thursday apparently to run things smoothly.This was a sea change from Wednesday when there was a heated discussion over the proceedings. The ruling party seems to have deliberately decided to keep a low-profile to help run the House. The Opposition, except for the Telugu Desam, responded positively to this display of sobriety by the ruling party. MLAs of the Opposition were particularly surprised when the ever-aggressive Mr Rosaiah also tried his best to be cordial.He kept his cool even when there was a chance to criticise the main opposition party, the TD and its president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu. The Chief Minister, who also never misses an opportunity to make sharp remarks on Mr Naidu, maintained restraint throughout his hour-long speech on the 9-hour power supply to the farmers. The TD members continued to heckle him but the Chief Minister did not lose his cool and pleaded with them to give him a chance to explain the government stand. “This is not fair on the part of the main Opposition,” said Dr Reddy.“They level allegations on the government and at the same time do not allow us to explain our version. This is unfair

Jaswant Singh blames Nehru, Patel for partition on Pak television

Islamabad: Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh has once again invited controversy by blaming India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. In an interview with the Dawn News, Singh blamed Pandit Nehru and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel for the partition and creation of Pakistan.Referring to Nehru’s Tryst with destiny speech, Singh said it was nothing short of double standard as Nehru himself talked of secularism while contributing to the country’s division along with Sardar Patel on grounds of so called ’faith’.Singh claimed that later Nehru had himself admitted of being responsible for the partition. It is worth mentioning here that Jaswant Singh’s book ’Jinnah: ndia-Partition-Independence’ which saw him being expelled from the BJP after serving it for nearly 30 years has received an overwhelming response in Pakistan.Singh, in his book, has glorified Jinnah while blaming Sardar Patel for the country’s division in 1947. The book quotes Singh as saying that Jinnah did not win Pakistan, rather Nehru and Patel conceded Pakistan to Jinnah with the help of the British.Meanwhile, authorities have denied permission to Singh to visit Pakistan to launch his book. However, Singh’s son Manvendra Singh said his father has not applied for a visa, and as far as he knew. He also rejected reports that there was a different Pakistan edition of the book.

Brazil swine flu toll 577, highest in world

Brazil: (EFE) A total of 577 people have died from swine flu in Brazil, putting the South American nation at the top of the list of countries reporting fatalities from the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, the health ministry said. The mortality rate, however, is 0.29 percent in Brazil, well below the 1.08 percent rate in Argentina, the 0.75 percent rate in Chile and the 0.67 percent rate in Costa Rica, which have the highest levels in Latin America, health officials said Thursday. The toll from swine flu stood at 488 as of last Friday, the health ministry said, noting that the jump in the death toll was due to lab tests coming back positive for people who died between Aug 16 and Aug 22.Brazil now has the highest number of deaths from swine flu followed by the US with 522, Argentina with 439 and Mexico with 179, according to the World Health Organization. A total of 5,206 people have contracted swine flu and undergone treatment as of Wednesday, the health ministry said.The government has decided to appropriate 2.1 billion reais ($1.13 billion) for the purchase of vaccinations against swine flu, health officials said. The funds will allow health officials to purchase 73 million doses of the vaccine, which will be administered during the first half of 2010 to deal with an expected outbreak of the disease during the southern hemisphere winter

Pregnant woman dies of swine flu, toll rises to 26

PUNE: The swine flu toll in the city went up to 26 with a pregnant woman succumbing to the H1N1 virus at the ICU of a private hospital on Friday.While the contagion claimed three lives in Karnataka, another person succumbed to the virus at Nashik in Maharashtra, pushing the national toll to 83. Rupali Jori (28) of Malkhed village in Haveli taluka, who was moved to the Sahyadri Munot hospital in the city on August 20, died at 8 pm on Friday, PMC deputy health officer D D Chandakkar said. Chandakkar said Rupali Jori had tested positive for the H1N1 influenza. “Rupali, who was pregnant for 20 weeks, showed symptoms of cough, fever and breathlessness. Her condition was critical when she was moved to the isolation ICU of our hospital. She was immediately put on the ventilator, but her condition deteriorated on Friday,” Rajkumar Ambad, medical administrator of Sahyadri Munot hospital said. Earlier, the patient was treated at a private hospital in Wadgaon Dhayri. “But she didn’t show any signs of improvement. Hence, she was moved to our hospital on August 20. Her condition was critical. She had slipped into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS),” Chandakkar added. District collector Chandrakant Dalvi said three people tested positive for the H1N1 virus in the city. A total of 18 patients are in ICUs of various hospitals in city. Out of these, nine are critical and six are on ventilators. Four patients were taken off ventilators on Friday, he said, adding that 7,610 people were screened in the district, of whom 322 were given Tamiflu doses. “So far, over 2.73 lakh people have visited screening centres in the district, which has till now recorded 845 positive patients for the H1N1 flu.” Dalvi said the volume of positive samples and number of visitors, especially children, at screening centres have come down in the last week.

Now you can simply book a refill cylinder by sending an SMS

NEW DELHI: No more visiting your cooking gas dealer for booking a refill. Or having to endlessly try the dealer’s phone which always seems to be busy. From Monday, you can simply book a refill cylinder by sending an SMS from your mobile to a five-digit toll-free number. You can also register your complaints by dialling a six-digit easy-to-remember number that will be common to consumers of all LPG companies.The service, part of junior oil minister Jitin Prasada’s efforts at cutting delays and improving service, will kick off in Delhi and will start in other cities across the country in phases. The new system will be simple and somewhat similar to the railway inquiry or phone-banking services. Some dealers may not be covered by the system in the beginning but will come under the plan in a few days

The first batches of swine flu vaccine rolled out from baxter labs

NEW DELHI: The first batches of swine flu vaccine rolled out from Baxter Inc labs on Friday but there’s little to cheer for India. While the first supplies from Baxter went to the British health network, subsequent batches from Baxter and other pharma companies have been booked by countries such as US and UK which are stockpiling the vaccine to ward off a harsher bout of swine flu. While huge quantities — 195 million and 90 million doses respectively are going to the US and UK — India is still miles from getting vaccines because the government has not entered into any pre-booking contracts with Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline or any others. India also may not have its indigenous vaccine ready before May 2010. China has 20-odd companies racing to make the vaccine, with Sinovac Biotech perhaps the first company worldwide to complete clinical trials for swine flu vaccine.WHO said recently that countries in the northern hemisphere had ordered more than a billion doses, sparking warnings about shortages. Developing a vaccine is the only way to protect people from the disease, which may become severe with the onset of winter and the dire possibility of the H1N1 virus mutating.Despite the swine flu toll touching 90, Indian health authorities have failed to move fast enough. The government has also not placed any orders with domestic manufacturers — Serum Institute, Panacea Biotec and Bharat Biotec which are developing the vaccine. (Cadila Pharma is also developing a vaccine in collaboration with US company Novavax). Serum Institute executive director SS Jadhav told TOI, ‘‘No talks have been held with procurement agencies regarding their plans of stockpiling the vaccine, including the quantity required and target group of population.’’ As a result, companies aren’t sure about the quantities of vaccine they must produce. When contacted, Dr VM Katoch DG, ICMR, said, ‘‘We have asked global companies like Novartis to include Indians in their clinical trials to test efficacy of the vaccine on our population. We are waiting for their reply.