NO CONTROL ON NATURE’S CALL: Can't stop men from peeing in public, says Delhi high court

New Delhi: The Delhi high court has refused to intervene on a petition seeking direction to authorities to ensure walls are not defaced by people urinating in public, HC pointed out that it can't issue such directions. While disposing of a plea seeking a restraint on putting up images of deities on walls and buildings to prevent men from urinating in public, the HC threw up its hands at the problem stating that it could not insist that every man who walks out of his house is forced to put a "lock on his zip." The bench of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Deepa Sharma made this observation and said, on a lighter note, that short of ordering that every man's zipper be locked and the keys left at home, there is little it can do to check the menace. The petition was filed by Manoj Sharma. In his petition, Sharma had told the court that the other residents of his society had grown so tired of their boundary walls being treated like public urinals that they had tried several self innovative checks before they knocked at the court’s door. To begin with, they posted pictures of gods and goddesses on the walls, hoping men would not "dare to bare their privates in front of the Lord". HC lamented that even pasting portraits of deities on walls does not stop men from relieving themselves in public. "The petitioner has filed photographs showing that residents of buildings and especially Group Housing Complex. The photos reveal that to shame the offender the owners of the complex have written graffiti ridiculing such men by stating that 'Look here a dog and a donkey is peeing.' In spite thereof, a man is seen peeing on the wall," HC said.

Naxals ambush ambulance and poll officials' bus; at least 12 killed in deadly twin attack

Bijapur/Darbha: The Naxals carried out a twin attack in Bijapur and Darbha valley of Chhattisgarh. According to PTI at least seven members of a polling party were killed in the attack in Bijapur district on Saturday. The naxals attacked a bus carrying poll officials in Bijapur. All seven officials in the bus were killed on the spot. The driver of the bus and one helper were also among the dead. On the other hand, 4 CRPF personnel and ambulance driver were killed while 4 others were injured in Darbha valley in Chhattisgarh. Notably, the attack took place just days after Bastar contituency voted for for the Lok Sabha polls.

Zaka challenges Sethi’s claims

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf has challenged the rosy picture described by incumbent chief Najam Sethi who has claimed that Pakistan will benefit by accepting the supremacy of ‘Big Three’. In a news conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday, Sethi, after officially accepting ‘Big Three’ said Pakistan during the 2015-2023 period would get several home and away bilateral series against top nations including India, and in the process the PCB will get richer by around $30 million. Sethi during the press conference claimed that international cricket ‘Big Three’ -- India, Australia and England -- had assured him that teams including India would visit Pakistan. However, Zaka, who as PCB chairman in February, refused to accept the ‘Big Three’ hegemony said the incumbent chairman was not showing the true picture to the nation. Former chairman, who was ousted supposedly over his opposition to the ‘Big Three’, while talking to Dawn questioned Sethi claim that as per agreement India and Pakistan would play bilateral series. “Sethi failed in pleading Pakistan’s case genuinely,” Zaka reckoned. “What type of agreement is it? Tell me if India will not honour its commitment then what Pakistan can do? How we can rely on Indian courts?” Zaka claimed that he had rejected ‘Big Three’ on the issue that any dispute between cricket states should be settled by the international court of arbitration. “Even now this clause has not been included in the agreement signed by Sethi,” he underlined. Zaka further claimed that there was nothing new in Sethi’s press conference. “As regards ICC’s presidency, it had already been decided during my tenure that Pakistan will hold this position after Bangladesh,” Zaka concluded.

Lahore gets first-ever woman SP

LAHORE: The provincial police chief transferred on Friday 10 assistant superintendents of police (ASPs), including three women officers, and posted them additional superintendents of police (ASPs) across the province after their promotion by the federal government. The Lahore police got the first-ever woman SP against a field posting. Most of the newly-promoted officers belonging to 36th Common of the Civil Service of Pakistan have been posted against vacant posts. According to a handout, Lahore North Cantonment circle ASP Ammara Athar was transferred and posted Lahore City SP Investigation; Rahim Yar Khan Sadiqabad circle ASP Zeeshan Shafique Siddiqi was transferred and posted Gujranwala SP Civil Lines division; Gujranwala Wazirabad circle ASP Fazl-e-Hamid was transferred and posted Gujranwala Saddar division SP; Gujranwala Cantonment circle ASP Muhammad Attique Tahir was transferred and posted Multan SP Headquarters; Lahore Gulberg circle ASP Zahid Nawaz was transferred ad posted Lahore Saddar SP Investigation; Lahore Garden Town circle ASP Nida Umer Chattha was transferred and posted Lahore additional SP Traffic vice SP Mehmoodul Hassan Gilani who was directed to report to the Central Police Office; Lahore Samanabad circle ASP Shaista was transferred and posted Gujranwala SP Headquarters; while Lahore VVIP Security V ASP Agha Ramzan Ali was transferred and posted Lahore VVIP Security SP. The inspector general also transferred Lahore Iqbal Town SP Syed Tauseef Haider and directed him to report to the Central Police Office and posted Lahore VVIP Security ASP Dr Farrukh Raza in his place. Sources claimed that Mr Haider was removed, what appeared to be, unceremoniously. A source close to the recent transfers told Dawn that Mr Raza, already looking after the affairs of Lahore VVIP Security SP in violation of service rules and Police Order of 2002, got his second field posting owing to blessings of some ‘influential’ police officers including a district police officer and an SSP rank officer serving in the Lahore police. Mr Farrukh, who was then ASP, was removed from the post of Lahore Civil Lines SP (Operations) just after three months when the media highlighted indiscipline and his out-of-merit posting as the ASP did not fulfill the tenure criteria to become the additional SP at that time, the source added. According to police record, both Mr Farrukh and Mr Ramzan were posted additional SPs on a pay and scale (OPS) basis in Lahore police in January 2013 when they did not even meet basic criteria for two-year field service. They were also pinned badges by high ups in, what sources believed, violation of the Establishment Division criteria.

Turkmenistan wants work on pipeline begun in 2015

ASHGABAT: Turkmenistan’s president has demanded that construction work begin in 2015 on a pipeline that will carry natural gas from his energy-rich country to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov said all the agreements required for the project’s launch should be completed this year, state media in the Central Asian nation reported on Friday. A memorandum of understanding between the four countries linked by the TAPI pipeline was signed in 2010 and a supply deal was completed in 2012. According to the project specifications, the 1,735km pipeline will cost around $8 billion to complete and have an annual capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of gas. The pipeline will cross the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar and end in the town of Fazilka bordering Pakistan and India.

Armed men seize police department in east Ukraine: minister

KIEV: Armed men have seized a police department in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on Saturday, the latest public building to be taken over in the east as Pro-Russian protesters stand off against Kiev. “Armed men in camouflage uniforms seized the police department in Slaviansk. The response will be very tough because there is a difference between protesters and terrorists,” Avakov wrote on his page on Facebook. A local police spokesman told Reuters the men had not made any demands, but did not give any details on their identity. Slaviansk is in Ukraine's Donetsk region, about 150 kilometres from the border with Russia. In eastern Ukraine, government buildings in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk have been occupied by pro-Russian protesters who want their regions to split from Kiev. On Friday, a deadline set by the Kiev authorities for the protesters to end their occupation expired, but there was no sign of action from the Ukrainian police to force them out. “I will say it again: those who want dialogue...will have dialogue and the search for solutions. Those who are up in arms, set fire to buildings, shoot at people, police, terrorize with bats and masks, these people will face an appropriate response,” Avakov said in his Facebook post.

HomePakistan Bomb-proof wall under construction outside Musharraf's farmhouse

ISLAMABAD: In view of security threats to former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s Chak Shehzad farmhouse, a bomb-proof security wall is being constructed, DawnNews reported. Earlier today, heavy machinery and bomb-proof concrete blocks were transported to the former president’s farmhouse. The construction work is expected to be completed by evening. Musharraf had been receiving several threats to his life since his return to Pakistan and explosives have been recovered from around his farmhouse residence on a number of occasions. Last year, in April 2013, 45 kilograms of explosives had been discovered in a car abandoned near his farmhouse when he was being taken back there after his appearance in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, police had discovered five kilograms of explosive materials, weapons and ammunition close to the route that former dictator was due to take from his house to the court on Dec 24 whereas on Dec 30, the police had recovered four packets of explosive materials near Musharraf’s farmhouse. As recently as March 10, the Islamabad police chief, the chief commissioner and the Interior Ministry had warned that terrorists affiliated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Al Qaeda had planned to target the retired General based on a letter sent to Home Secretary Punjab. Consequently, the ministry advised extreme vigilance and fool-proof security measures be taken to avoid any untoward incident.

Election chief bans rallies by Modi aide over religious hatred

NEW DELHI: Narenda Modi, widely tipped to become India's next prime minister, suffered a setback on Friday when his closest aide was banned from election rallies and meetings after a series of speeches deemed to have stoked tensions with Muslims. Modi, 63, a pro-business Hindu nationalist, is the prime ministerial candidate of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which hopes to oust the ruling Congress Party of Rahul Gandhi with its promises of jobs and new infrastructure. The election, the world's largest ever in which 815 million people are eligible to vote, began this week and is staggered over five weeks, ending on May 12. Results are due on May 16. The aide, Amit Shah, who faces murder charges dating to his time serving under Modi in the state government of Gujarat, runs Modi's campaign in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which has a population larger than Brazil's and holds the keys to national power. Shah says the murder charges are a political conspiracy. It was not immediately clear what impact a possibly disruptive ban on meetings in Uttar Pradesh by such a high profile figure would have on Modi's campaign in the state. Shah is tipped for a senior role in any Modi government. The election commission ruled that both Shah and a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government had made statements that promoted “hatred and ill will” between religions and urged police to press criminal charges. Speaking this month in an area of western Uttar Pradesh hit last year by deadly Hindu-Muslim riots, Shah was recorded telling voters to reject parties with Muslim candidates. He said Muslims in the area had raped, killed and humiliated Hindus. Hindu-Muslim relations have been a key campaign issue, with critics accusing Modi of not doing enough to protect Muslims in unrest in Gujarat in 2002 that left at least 1,000 dead in revenge attacks. About 13 percent of Indians are Muslim. Modi denies that accusation or having any religious bias. However, some of his supporters are openly anti-Muslim and Shah's canvassing has included accusing the state government of pandering to the Muslim vote at the cost of safety for Hindus. Shah has spent time in jail fighting charges that he ordered the extra-judicial killing of a man, the man's wife and a witness who were allegedly involved in organised crime but were accused of plotting to kill Modi. Shah is out on bail awaiting trial. He denies the charges against him. The election commission applied the same restrictions on public meetings or road shows to another controversial politician, Azam Khan, who represents the Uttar Pradesh state government and has verbally sparred with Shah. Khan has made a number of provocative statements in recent days to court the votes of Muslims — a significant vote bank in Uttar Pradesh — including saying that Muslim soldiers had fought more than Hindus in a border war with Pakistan. “These statements...are being made with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings and religious beliefs of different classes of citizens of India,” the commission said in a letter it made public. The BJP is expected to emerge as the largest force after India's election but fall short of a majority. However, Indian elections are notoriously hard to predict and polls are often unreliable.

Woman accused of tossing shoe at Clinton released

LAS VEGAS: An Arizona woman accused of throwing a shoe some 60 feet (18 meters) toward Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared aware during questioning by U.S. Secret Service agents of the allegation against her, authorities said Friday. Alison Michelle Ernst, 36, was given a misdemeanor disorderly conduct summons and freed after she was booked at the Clark County jail, according to a Las Vegas police arrest report. "Ms. Ernst appeared to be in an agitated state but aware of what she had just done," the report said. Ernst could face up to a year in the county lockup if she is convicted of violating a county ordinance during the Thursday incident at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino. She is accused of bypassing security and walking quickly toward a rope line about six rows from the front of a conference audience. Police say she reached into a purse, removed the shoe and threw it overhand toward the stage. Clinton ducked and wasn´t struck. She appeared startled but quickly cracked a couple of jokes before continuing her keynote speech to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. The audience applauded. Ernst was ushered by security guards out of the ballroom with her hands in the air and sat calmly afterward on a sofa in a hallway. She wore a blonde wig, blue dress and thong sandals. She told an Associated Press reporter she threw a shoe and dropped some papers but did not identify herself or explain the action. Security officers ushered reporters and photographers away. A jail booking photo, taken later, shows Ernst with short brown hair. She couldn´t immediately be reached Friday. It wasn´t clear if she had a lawyer.Brian Spellacy, Secret Service supervisory special agent in Las Vegas, said an orange and black athletic shoe was recovered from the stage. Clinton has Secret Service protection because former presidents and their spouses are covered for their lifetime, Spellacy said. Authorities said Ernst wasn´t a credentialed conference attendee and wasn´t supposed to have been in the ballroom, which had more than 1,000 people.

New 6.6-magnitude quake hits Nicaragua

MANAGUA: A 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit Nicaragua´s Pacific region on Friday, one day after a quake of similar magnitude in the area left one person dead. An initial official report said the new earthquake had caused no known deaths or damage. The quake struck at 2:29 pm (2029 GMT) at a depth of 138 kilometers (86 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. The epicenter was 24 kilometers south of Granada and 56 kilometers southeast of the capital Managua, the USGS said. Tremors were felt as far away as neighboring El Salvador and Costa Rica´s northern Guanacaste province. Thursday´s 6.1-magnitude quake, also centered in the Pacific coast region of Nicaragua, killed one person, left 33 people injured and damaged more than 800 homes, the government said.

MH370 co-pilot made mid-flight phone call: report

KUALA LUMPUR: The co-pilot of missing Malaysian airliner MH370 attempted to make a mid-flight call from his mobile phone just before the plane vanished from radar screens, a report said Saturday citing unnamed investigators. The call ended abruptly possibly "because the aircraft was fast moving away from the (telecommunications) tower", The New Straits Times quoted a source as saying. But the Malaysian daily also quoted another source saying that while Fariq Abdul Hamid´s "line was reattached", there was no certainty that a call was made from the Boeing 777 that vanished on March 8.The report -- titled a "desperate call for help" -- did not say who he was trying to contact. Fariq and Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah have come under intense scrutiny after the plane mysteriously vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. Investigators last month indicated that the flight was deliberately diverted and its communication systems manually switched off as it was leaving Malaysian airspace, triggering a criminal investigation by police that has revealed little so far. The fate of flight MH370 has been shrouded in mystery, with a number of theories put forward including a hijacking or terrorist attack and a pilot gone rogue. There have been unconfirmed previous reports in the Malaysian media of calls by the captain before or during the flight but no details have been released. The NST report said that Flight 370 flew low enough near Penang island on Malaysia´s west coast -- after turning off course -- for a telecommunications tower to pick up the co-pilot´s phone signal. The phone line was "reattached" between the time the plane veered off course and blipped off the radar, the government-controlled paper quoted the second source as saying. "A ‘reattachment’ does not necessarily mean that a call was made. It can also be the result of the phone being switched on again." Malaysia´s transport ministry told that it was examining the NST report and will issue a response. The Malaysian government and media have repeatedly contradicted each other and themselves over details of the search and criminal investigation.

14 killed in twin Maoist attacks in Chhattisgarh

CHHATTISGARH: At least 14 people, including poll officials and CRPF troops were killed in two Maoist attacks in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. The first attack took place in Bijapur district where at least seven poll officials were killed after the bus they were travelling in was hit by a landmine blast. The driver and helper of the bus were also killed, three others were injured. The second attack took place in the state's Darbha valley, where an ambulance was blown up using an IED. Five CRPF jawans were killed and six were injured in the blast.

Altaf Hussain applies for Pak passport

ISLAMABAD: The MQM chief, Altaf Hussain, has applied for a Pakistani passport, it has been learnt. Informed sources told The News that the London-based MQM chief has contacted the Pakistan High Commission in London for the issuance of a Pakistani passport. The self-exiled MQM leader, who presently holds the British passport, had the expired copy of his Pakistani passport that was issued to him some 23 years back in 1991. His Pakistani ID card has also expired. Altaf Hussain had left Karachi for London one month before the then PML-N government launched the Operation Clean-up in 1992 and sent the military into Karachi to crack down on the MQM. He applied for political asylum in Britain. Later, he applied for the British nationality and got the UK passport as well. Ever since his departure from Pakistan, Altaf Hussain never showed his intentions to return despite repeated taunts from his opponents to come back and lead the party instead of running the MQM through a remote control. It is not clear even now if he has applied for the Pakistani passport to return to Karachi after rescinding his British nationality.

Microsoft sued over browser error, slapped with $731 million fine

Seattle: Microsoft Corp's board faces a lawsuit over the way it handled an error with its Internet Explorer browser that ended up costing the company a record-breaking $731 million fine by European antitrust regulators. The lawsuit, brought by shareholder Kim Barovic in federal court in Seattle on Friday, charges that directors and executives, including founder Bill Gates and former Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, failed to manage the company properly and that the board's investigation was insufficient into how the miscue occurred. The legal action is the first to emerge from a humiliating episode for Microsoft, which the software company has never fully explained and has accounted foronly as a "technical error." In March last year, the European Union levied its largest ever antitrust fine against Microsoft for breaking a legally binding commitment made in 2009 to ensure that consumers in Europe had a choice of how they access the internet, rather than defaulting to Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser. Its investigation found that updated software issued between May 2011 and July 2012 meant that 15 million users were not given a choice. It was the first time the European Commission, the EU's antitrust authority, handed down a fine to a company for failing to meet its obligations. In her lawsuit, Barovic says she asked Microsoft's board to fully investigate how that mistake occurred and to take action against any directors or executives that had not performed their duties. She says Microsoft replied that it found no evidence of a breach of fiduciary duty by any current or former executives or directors. In a statement on Friday, Microsoft repeated that stance. "Ms. Barovic asked the board to investigate her demand and bring a lawsuit against the board and company executives," said an emailed statement from Microsoft. "The board thoroughly considered her demand as she requested and found no basis for such a suit." The problem on European computers prevented the so-called "ballot" screen from appearing. Sources close to the company have said it was connected to updated Windows 7 software. Ballmer, who was CEO at the time, and Steven Sinofsky, then the head of the Windows unit, both had their bonuses cut in 2012 after the error came to light.

Things will get clear in next 2/3 days: Yusuf Shah

PESHAWAR: Taliban liaison committee member, Maulana Yusuf Shah said fighting between two minor groups of the Taliban would have no affect on the government-Taliban talks and the situation in this regard would be clear in next two/three days. Talking to Geo News, Maulana Yusuf Shah said contacts have made with the Taliban Shura and the infighting would not affect the talks. Taliban political Shura member Maulana Azam Tariq said that talks were making headway gradually. He said that the media hyped Taliban’s ordinary infighting and misgivings between the two groups have been removed and now no infighting would take place.
Yusuf Shah on Talks-12 April 2014 by GeoNews

Three killed as rival groups exchange fire in Larkana

LARKANA: Three persons were killed and two others injured when a shootout took place between two rival groups in Larkana, Geo News reported Saturday. According to police, a clash erupted between two rival groups belonging to Junejo clan due to old enmity near Bakrani area that resulted in three casualties and two others were left injured. The deceased included two brothers who were on their way to the court to attend a murder case hearing. A case pertaining to a piece of land is still pending in the court which is the real bone of contention between the two factions and has so far claimed fifteen lives.

Man slits throat of wife, daughters in Gujranwala

GUJRANWALA: In a horrific incident of attempted murder, a man cut the throats of his wife and two teenage daughters as he was dubious about their character, Geo News reported on Saturday. The injured wife of the culprit said her husband was an addict and the couple used to have frequent domestic clashes. Last night he tried to kill her and while he was slitting her throat, his daughters woke up and he injured them too by attacking them with a knife. The three victims were brought to DHQ Hospital in critical condition where the woman recorded her statement. On the other hand, police took immediate action and arrested the culprit who was identified as Abdul Hameed. In his statement, Abdul Hameed told the police he doubted the character of his wife and daughters, and attempted to kill them as he was agitated by the disrespectful remarks made by local residents.

Judge quashes attempted murder case against 9-month-old baby

Pictures taken at an earlier court hearing of Musa crying as he was being fingerprinted provoked widespread ridicule and provincial officials called for an inquiry. LAHORE: A local judge threw out charges of attempted murder against a nine-month-old baby on Saturday, lawyers said, in a case that cast a spotlight on Pakistan's dysfunctional justice system. Baby Musa Khan appeared in court in the city of Lahore, sitting on his grandfather's lap and drinking from a bottle of milk. He and his adult relatives were charged this month with attempting to murder a policeman after his family clashed with police and gas company workers trying to collect overdue bills. Police registered a case against the whole family. "Police told the court that the nomination of Musa in the case of attacking police and gas company officials was a human error and Musa is not required," defense lawyer Irfan Sadiq told. The baby's grandfather, Muhammad Yasin, and his three sons still face the charges.
Cop suspended for booking infant by GeoNewsEnglish

Constitution allows action against those making anti-army statements: Shujaat

LAHORE: PML-Q President, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said those who are speaking of Article 6 of the constitution should also pay attention to Article 63. Speaking at a function in Lahore, Chaudhry Shujaat asked why the government was not taking action against ministers who had made statements against the army. Shujaat added that the constitution allows for action against those individuals who make statements against the judiciary and army. The PML-Q chief said the word traitor should not be used for Pervez Musharraf. Speaking on the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance, Chaudhry Shujaat said they would never let the bill pass.

7 passengers killed as van overturns in Sheikhupura

SHEIKHUPURA: Seven passengers were killed and thirteen others sustained injuries when an unfortunate van overturned in a suburban area of Sheikhupura, Geo News reported on Saturday. Rescue efforts were kicked off immediately after the passenger van suffered a mishap near Dera Malah area of Sheikhupura. Sources told that the passenger vehicle flipped over due to burst tyre that killed six persons on the spot while one succumbed to his injuries after reaching the hospital. Thirteen others were left wounded in the accident. Hospital sources have confirmed the death toll. The ill-fated bus was enroute to Farooqabad from Khankah Dogran, sources added.

Losing ground: 30,000 Hazaras fled Balochistan in five years

QUETTA: With a surge in violence in Balochistan, members of minority groups have increasingly sought shelter in other parts of the country. Nearly 30,000 members of the Hazara community have migrated in the last five years, according to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Vice Chairperson Tahir Hussain Khan. Speaking with The Express Tribune, Khan said the flow of migration increased as nearly 1,000 members of the Hazara community have been killed in targeted attacks since 2009. Khan, who is also president of the HRCP’s Balochistan chapter, added that more than 10,000 Hindus have also fled the province as abductions-for-ransom have become routine over the last three years here. Members of the Hazara community leaving Quetta and other parts of the province comprise businessmen, highly educated workers and senior government officials, amongst others, he said. Discussing sectarian violence in the province, Khan warned, “This conflict can turn into a civil war if it is not addressed properly at this stage.” The Hazara community has been confined to two localities in Quetta, he pointed out – a four-kilometre radius on Alamdar Road and an 11km area within Hazara Town – after the provincial government set up security checkpoints around these residential colonies. “They are physically isolated from the rest of the city’s population,” he said. “They are not aware of how long they will continue to be confined in such a way.” He pointed to the growing presence of religious parties in the country as a possible reason for increasing sectarian conflict. Within classrooms, Khan said school syllabi create rifts between students of different faiths and sects, particularly when religious extremist thought is inculcated in educational institutions. Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2014.

‘On humanitarian grounds’: SC urges India to free Pakistani fishermen

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday urged Indian authorities to release on humanitarian grounds dozens of Pakistani fishermen languishing in Indian jails. The court also referred to the Indian Supreme Court’s 2010 judgment, in which Pakistani authorities were urged to release Indian fishermen on humanitarian grounds. A three-judge bench – headed by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussian Jillani – was hearing a joint petition, filed by the Pakistan Fisher-folk Forum (PFF) and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), through Raheel Kamran Sheikh advocate. The chief justice observed the issue of release of Pakistani fisherman might be taken up with the members of an Indian delegation which is likely to visit Pakistan next week to attend the International Judicial Conference.

Earlier, the petitioners drew the court’s attention to the imprisonment of Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails for allegedly breaching the international maritime border and entering Indian waters. “[We] crave gracious indulgence of this august court for redress against the blatant negligence and inaction on the part of the respondents to seek the release and repatriation of the Pakistani citizens languishing in Indian jails since as far back as 1993,” the petitioners said. They contended that pollution was gradually lowering the water levels while with the entry of big companies and foreign fishing vessels into common waters, the traditional fisher people had to venture out into deeper waters for a better catch. “However, due to limitations in navigational technology and difficulty in discerning the maritime border, many fisher people often accidentally venture out into Indian waters and are arrested and detained by the Indian Coast Guards,” they added. According to a data chart prepared by the federal government and information provided by the Pakistani fishermen released from Indian jails, 226 Pakistani fishermen are currently detained in Indian jails, some of them since 1993, and with most having completed their sentences, the petitioners stated. “Furthermore, the whereabouts of 66 fishermen, which include minors, are as yet unknown and no efforts have been made by the respondents (government) to obtain information for clarification or confirmation of whether the missing fishermen are in the custody of Indian authorities.” During the hearing, one law officer submitted a report on behalf of the interior ministry, saying that Pakistan had released 471 Indian prisoners but in return New Delhi had freed only 66 Pakistanis. The hearing of the case is adjourned till first week of May. An Indian Supreme Court bench – comprising Justice Markandey Katju and Justice R M Lodha – on March 8, 2010 had also urged the Pakistani authorities to release Indian fishermen. Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2014.

Controversial law: MQM rallies opposition groups against PPO

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has approached other opposition groups in the Senate in an effort to formulate a joint strategy against the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance, which is likely to be tabled in the upper house of parliament in the upcoming session. MQM’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Babar Ghauri, told The Express Tribune on Friday that he has contacted Aitzaz Ahsan, leader of the opposition, Haji Adeel of the ANP and Kamil Ali Aga of the PML-Q to come up with a joint stance on the issue. “I have spoken to these leaders by the telephone and they all have assured that the opposition will resist the PPO with full force,” he said. The government, on April 7, managed to get the PPO cleared by the National Assembly. The controversial legislation was enacted through a presidential decree in October last year. To make it a permanent law, it needs to be passed by both houses of parliament. An ordinance once promulgated lapses within 120 days but can be extended for another four months for one time. Opposition parties have announced to reject the PPO, which, according to human rights groups, gives unchecked powers to law enforcement agencies and violates fundamental human rights guaranteed in the Constitution. Opposition groups if united have a majority in the Senate. The government would need support of more than 50 per cent members in a sitting to pass the bill. In minority on headcount in the Senate, the government would fail to get the upper house’s approval for the bill without support of some of the opposition parties.

Opposition groups have vowed to resist the law when it will be tabled in the Senate. In the 103-member house, the PPP holds 39, ANP 12, MQM 7 and PML-Q 5 seats, enough to reject a proposed law when it is put to vote. Ghauri said during his interaction with opposition leaders it has been decided that they would meet on Monday, April 14, when the house will kick off the new session. Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2014.

Azam Khan's latest: 'Indira, Rajeev and Sanjay Gandhi were punished by Allah for their wrongdoings'

New Delhi: Veteran leader in the ruling Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh Azam Khan is known to be a man who is always in thick of controversies. After making contentious claims about Kargil war some days back, the man has targeted Gandhi family now. He said Indira, Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi were punished by Allah for their wrongdoings. Just before the orders for a ban on his (along with Amit Shah) rallies were released by the Election Commission, Khan came up with this controversial comment. He also raised questions over the Blue Star Operation executed by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and orders about opening of locks in Babri Masjid issued by Rajiv Gandhi. He also ridiculed the forced male sterilization campaign pioneered by Sanjay Gandhi. Khan said that all the three Gandhi members were punished by the Almighty for taking decisions which hurt Muslims. Azam Khan was earlier heard saying that the Kargil War of 1999 that India fought against Pakistan was solely won by the Muslims soldiers.

SAVIOUR OR MONSTER? North-east girl accuses guard of 'molestation' after he rescues her from malfunctioned lift

New Delhi: The shameful incident of molestation with a north eastern girl recently came to light. A north eastern girl was allegedly molested by a security guard. The incident took place in South City phase I area of Gurgaon on April 9. The guard molested the girl while pulling her up from a malfunctioned lift of Ivory Towers. Jai, Prakash, the SHO of sector-40 police station told Daily Mail 'Due to a technical snag the Ivory Towers lift got stuck between the second and the third floor.' The security guard reached the spot after the girls in the lift pressed the emergency button as it stopped due to technical problem. Thereafter, the guard opened the door of the lift using the master key. As he pulled the girls upwards from the lift, he allegedly molested one of them. The complete incident was recorded on the CCTV camera installed in the lift. Jai Prakash told Daily mail ' Thorough investigation of CCTV footage presents a clear evidence to support the victim's claims. We have taken cognisance of the evidence gathered and will take strict action.' He further added ' We are also investigating the matter of whether the technical snag occurred due to some technical/mechanical fault or was it a deliberate manual attempt.' The victim lodged a written complaint against the security guard the next morning at sector-40 police station.

Book by Sanjaya Baru claims PM surrendered to Sonia and allies during UPA II term

New Delhi: The second term of the UPA government is widely being criticized for its failed attempts of developments and major corruption issues. It is an accepted notion that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has no say in the party and works on the instruction of party president Sonia Gandhi. A former close aide of Singh, Sanjaya Baru, has come up with a book which has been published recently. The book takes back to the last five years of UPA term and highlights the troubled relationship of Singh with other cabinet minister. Singh had been "defanged" by the Congress party in his second term with Sonia Gandhi deciding on key appointments to the Cabinet and to the PMO as he seemed to "surrender" to her and to the UPA constituents. Baru, a senior editor and PM's Media Adviser between 2004 and 2008, quotes Singh as having told him that there cannot be two centres of power. "That creates confusion. I have to accept that the party president is the centre of power. The government is answerable to the party," the PM told him, according to the 301-page book "The Accidental Prime Minister--The Making and Unmaking Of Manmohan Singh" published by Penguin. Baru writes that after he had led the Congress party to electoral victory in 2009 Singh had made "the cardinal mistake of imagining the victory was his". He may have convinced himself that his performance and destiny had again made him the PM, and not Sonia. "Bit by bit, in the space of a few weeks he was defanged. He thought he could induct the ministers he wanted into his team. Sonia nipped that hope in the bud by offering the finance portfolio to Pranab (Mukherjee), without even consulting him," Baru writes. Singh had been toying with the idea of appointing his principal economic adviser C Rangarajan, "the comrade with whom he had battled the balance of payments crisis of 1991-92", as finance minister, according to the book. The PM had tried to put his foot down on the induction of A Raja of DMK well before the 2G scam became public knowledge, "but after asserting himself for a full twenty-four hours, caved in to pressure both his own party and the DMK", says Baru. Baru says that besides resisting the induction of Raja, the PM had also opposed the inclusion of TR Baalu in the Cabinet, "for their unsavoury reputations". He succeeded in the case of Baalu but had to yield ground on Raja. According to him, Sonia's "renunciation" of power was more a political tactic than higher calling or to an "inner voice" as she put it in June, 2004 after she chose not to take up the post of prime minister despite leading the Congress to electoral success. "But, while power was delegated, authority was not," he writes, citing the instance of her unsuccessful effort to appoint a retired Tamilian official as Principal Secretary to the PM and to place her trusted aide Pulok Chatterjee in the PMO. The retired official had worked with Rajiv Gandhi but had declined Sonia's invitation. Such appointments were aimed at ensuring a degree of control over the government in addition to the Congress president having a decisive say in the allocation of portfolios. Baru cites the creation of the National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by her, in 2004 as the first sign that Sonia's renunciation of power was a political tactic. It had created a parallel policy structure. Singh had realised that he had no option but to live with it although it seemed that "he was not too comfortable" with it. No one in Singh's council of ministers seemed to feel that he owed his position, rank or portfolio to him. The final word always was that of leaders of the parties constituting the UPA, says the book.

Opposition formulates plan to block PPO in Senate

ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties finalised on Friday their plan to block the Pakistan Protection Ordinance (PPO) in the Senate which would take up the controversial law during its session commencing on Monday, sources said. In a worrying development for the ruling party, not only the four main opposition parties — the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) – will try to block the legislation in the upper house but will be supported by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) which has so far been with the PML-N. Leaders of the opposition parties in Senate contacted each other on Friday to chalk out a line of action to block the proposed law, the sources said. MQM leader Babar Khan Ghauri played a key role in this regard as he contacted on phone opposition leaders like Aitzaz Ahsan of the PPP, Haji Adeel of the ANP and Kamil Agha of the PML-Q. Mr Ghauri termed the proposed law “dictatorial, inhuman, bloody, evil and merciless” and said his party would oppose it at every forum. The leaders of the PPP, PML-Q and ANP supported his stance and pledged that they would never allow its passage in the upper house. A senior PPP leader, Senator Farhatullah Khan Babar, said: “First of all we will try to stop the introduction of the PPO in the house, when the minister concerned will seek permission for tabling it.” If the ruling party manages to present the bill, the opposition would oppose it and propose that it be referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice for necessary amendments, he said. Senators from the opposition parties and the JUI-F would meet in the parliament house on Monday just before the commencement of the session to give final touches to their plan, the PPP leader said. “The PPO is not meant to protect the country from militants. Rather, it gives licence to security agencies to continue kidnapping people and to dump dead bodies across the country,” Senator Babar remarked. “It is a device aimed at removing the inconvenience felt by law enforcers at being questioned by courts or parliament in cases of enforced disappearances.... (The proposed law) will be opposed strongly in the Senate.” He characterised the PPO as a “declaration of war against” Pakistan’s international obligations under the UN conventions ratified by the country, like the Convention against Torture and the Convention for the Protection of Civil and Political Rights. “It is a recipe for making matters worse in Balochistan, Karachi and elsewhere where the trigger-happy law-enforcers have already created havoc,” said the PPP Senator. The PPO empowers security agencies to arrest anybody on the basis of ‘credible information’ regarding involvement in anti-state activities, terrorism and treason. However, ‘credible information’ has not been defined in the ordinance. The PPO allows appeal before the Supreme Court within 15 days. But some analysts are of the view that the appeal time should be stretched to 40 days and there should be provision to file appeals in lower courts and high courts because a majority of appellants cannot bear the cost of pursuing cases in the apex court. The PML-N government introduced the legislation in a bid to curb violence gripping the country since 2007. The country also faces insurgency in Balochistan and rising sectarian violence.

US refuses visa for Iran’s UN envoy

WASHINGTON: The United States, in a rare diplomatic rebuke, will not grant a visa to Tehran's pick for envoy to the United Nations, the Obama administration said on Friday. The move could complicate efforts to thaw the decades-long diplomatic freeze between the US and Iran, as the two countries negotiate a deal to curb Tehran's disputed nuclear programme. President Barack Obama's administration had previously said only that it opposed the nomination of Hamid Aboutalebi, who was a member of the group responsible for the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran as a revolution erupted in Iran. US officials had hoped the issue could be resolved by Tehran simply withdrawing the nomination. That did not happen, so the US made the unusual, if not unprecedented, move to not grant a visa to a UN ambassadorial nominee. ''We've communicated with the Iranians at a number of levels and made clear our position on this – and that includes our position that the selection was not viable,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. “Our position is that we will not be issuing him a visa.'' Aboutalebi is alleged to have participated in a Muslim student group that held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days during the takeover. His nomination has outraged members of Congress, who passed a bill barring entry to the US to an individual found to be engaged in espionage, terrorism or a threat to national security. Carney would not say whether Obama would sign the bill but said the president shares its sentiments. United Nations officials had no immediate comment on the US decision. Iran has called US rejection of Aboutalebi “not acceptable,” with Iranian state television quoting Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham as saying Aboutalebi is one of the country's best diplomats and arguing that he previously received a US visa. Aboutalebi has insisted his involvement in the group involved in the embassy takeover, Muslim Students Following the Imam's Line, was limited to translation and negotiation. Iranian officials said they had submitted a visa application for Aboutalebi, but it was unclear whether the US actually denied the request or simply decided not to act on it. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said the administration was prohibited from discussing the matter in detail because visa cases are confidential. In past problematic visa cases for ambassadors and even heads of state – such as with a previous Iranian nominee in the early 1990s and more recently with Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir – the US has either signalled opposition to the applicant and the request has been withdrawn, or the State Department has simply declined to process the application. Those options, as well as approving or denying the application, are available in the current case. US immigration law allows broad rejection of visas to foreigners and, in many cases, authorities do not have to give an explicit reason why other than to deem the applicant a threat to national security or American policy.

Ministry’s take on power crisis

ISLAMABAD: Responding to a report on power crisis, a Ministry of Water and Power spokesman said on Friday total generation on Thursday remained 9600 to 10,100 MW during the peak hours, whereas the demand fluctuated between 11,600 to 12,800 MW. The demand and supply gap was 2000 to 2800MW, resulting into six to eight hours of load management. The spokesperson said it was incorrect that no action had been taken by the government to alleviate this problem and that government efforts were restricted to generation only. The generation addition is possible through foreign investment in the mid term as well as in long term. He said the impression that the government was paying no heed to efficiency improvement was contrary to the facts. During the last eight months, the recovery has improved by 1.3pc which is at 87.3pc. The losses during the same period cane down to 6.5pc from 7.3pc. Dawn Adds: The demand figure that the ministry has quoted is the same, which it has been claiming during January. The ministry can check its own demand record during the winter to find out the veracity of its claim. The total computed demand on Thursday was over 16,000MW, as conceded by the Pepco officials and proven by historical trend during April when mercury touches 40C in most parts of the country and consumers switch fans and air conditioning on. Generation, as officially quoted by the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), in its feed to the media was 9,500MW. If one takes documented auxiliary and transmission losses of 6.5 per cent (or around 600MW) and 650MW to the Karachi Electric into account, the ministry is left with only 8250MW. It still has to supply power to around 300 feeders, which are exempted from loadshedding, costing the system another around 900MW. That leaves power planners with only 7350MW to juggle around in relatively hot weather. They still exclude 20pc distribution losses (inefficiency, technical) that the distribution companies suffer while supplying power to the end consumers. If the ministry’s claim of demand and supply is true, it needs to investigate why distribution companies carried out up to 12 hour loadshedding on urban and up to 18 hours on rural feeders despite having `adequate’ power supply. The ministry should have also explained why plants of around 2,700MW could not be provided fuel and why its recoveries are hovering at 85 per cent (July-Feb)

IFC to help Pakistan offset effects of Disney ban

WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has discussed with the International Finance Corporation a programme that could help offset Walt Disney's decision to discontinue outsourcing to Pakistan, says a statement issued on Friday. Mr Dar met IFC's Executive Vice President Jin Yong Cai in Washington on Thursday evening and discussed a proposal to assist Pakistan towards initiation of the ILO/IFC “Better Works Programme”. The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and offers investment, advisory and asset management services to encourage private sector investments in developing countries. The “Better Work” is a partnership programme of the International Labour Organisation and the IFC, uniting the expertise of the ILO in labour standards with that of the IFC in private sector development. The programme aims to improve both compliance with labour standards and competitiveness in global supply chains. The US entertainment giant Walt Disney has dropped Pakistan from its list of ‘permitted sourcing countries’ from April 1 because of its alleged "poor governance standards”. The decision has stripped Pakistan of $200 million exports of textile products. On Mr Dar's request for early initiation of the ILO/ IFC “Better Works Programme” in Pakistan to offset the Disney decision, Mr Cai “responded very positively”, and offered to help Pakistan meet the required formalities for joining the programme, the statement said. Minister Dar told the IFC official that Pakistan's Permanent Representative at Geneva had already met DG ILO to start the initiation process. He also assured the ILO chief that Pakistan was prepared to meet two basic requirements for joining the programme: Ensuring security to the ILO personnel carrying out this programme in Pakistan and taking the four provinces on board with respect to ownership and absorption of the “Better Works Programme”. Mr Cai assured the delegation that all possible steps would be taken to ensure the early initiation of this programme in Pakistan and that his office would coordinate and work with the Embassy of Pakistan towards this end, the statement said. Mr Cai also discussed an IFC plan to set up a company in South Asia for infrastructure projects, which will specially benefit the energy sector of Pakistan. The IFC official told the minister that his organisation also wanted to establish an international Pak Rupee programme, which would protect local businesses from exchange volatility. He also expressed interest in issuance of the Pakistani rupee bond and setting up currency swap line. Mr Dar is visiting Washington to attend spring meetings of the World Bank Group and also to represent Pakistan at the economic forum of the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. At the World Bank, the finance minister held a separate meeting with his Iranian counterpart Ali Tayyeb Nia and discussed the timeframe of the Joint Economic Commission that is scheduled in the next quarter. There are about 50 items on the agenda of the upcoming JEC meeting. “They also discussed increased trade within the ambit of UN sanctions,”said a statement issued after the meeting. The sanctions prevent UN members from conducting major commercial deal with Iran. At a meeting with Philippe Le Houerou, the World Bank's vice president for the South Asian region, Mr Dar informed him that Pakistan was ready for the third review of the IMF and that the progress on various requirements by the IMF was on track. The finance minister highlighted government's priority areas of four E's — i.e. economy, energy, extremism and education. The finance minister also spoke about efforts of the government to improve regional connectivity and trade with its neighbours, mentioning in particular the meeting of the joint economic commission with Afghanistan.

TTP meeting discusses ceasefire amid drone flights

MIRAMSHAH: A crucial meeting of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TPP)’s shura was held at an undisclosed place in North Waziristan on Friday to decide about extending or ending the ceasefire as US drones conducted low altitude flights in parts of the tribal region. At the beginning of peace talks with the government, the TPP announced a month-long ceasefire on March 1. Later, it extended it for 10 days (until April 10) to give peace talks a chance. But no important development has taken place during the 10-day period.Sources said that Taliban were not satisfied with the negotiations and that some TTP commanders had reservations over what they perceived as the government’s ‘non-serious’ attitude to the dialogue. They are said to be insisting on calling off ceasefire. Taliban have presented two conditions for further progress. The first is an immediate release of non-combatant prisoners and the second calls for declaration of a “peace zone” for talks in tribal area where militants can freely move about The TTP thinks that the government has yet to show a positive gesture in this regard. However, sources said, other members of the shura were in favour of extending the ceasefire for another short period. The sources are hopeful about an extension in ceasefire. As the government had not backtracked from the talks, the TTP was also willing to push forward the peace process, they opined. Meanwhile, locals said drones kept hovering over the sky in different areas of Ghulam Khan, Dattakhel, Shawal, Miramshah, Mir Ali and Razmak tehsils on Friday. They said that the drones first appeared early in the morning and continued to operate till late in the night. The drone flights and reports of the TTP shura meeting have created fear among the local people.

The many health benefits of milk thistle even herbalists may not know

(NaturalNews) Milk thistle is most well-known and widely-studied for its benefits on liver health. However, milk thistle also has numerous other proven health benefits not many know about. Milk thistle boosts overall liver function and health, protecting the liver from damaging toxins, detoxifying it, regenerating its cells, and giving it a glutathione boost. Research has also shown milk thistle helps with various liver conditions, including cirrhosis, poisoning, hepatitis (viral or alcoholic, B or C), sluggish liver, liver congestion, fatty liver, jaundice, and other liver issues related to drug use and alcoholism. Boosting the liver results in other benefits Milk thistle's positive effects on liver health have a direct impact on a number of bodily functions and health conditions. • It helps those attempting to recover from substance addiction, including drugs and alcohol. • By boosting the liver's ability to deal with environmental triggers, milk thistle can help those suffering from chronic allergies, especially multiple-chemical sensitivity. • Milk thistle increases bile production by the liver, which then helps the body to remove via bowel movements the testosterone by-products that cause acne. Further, by boosting liver function, milk thistle helps to remove harmful toxins in the blood which can cause skin flare-ups. Along the same vein, this makes milk thistle also helpful for other skin conditions like chronic rashes, eczema and psoriasis. • Increased bile production helps to relieve constipation. • The additional bile helps to protect the intestinal lining, which then aids in alleviating Crohn's disease symptoms. • Milk thistle also helps to relieve intestinal inflammation, and it has been used for inflammatory bowel disorders. • By protecting the liver, milk thistle protects the body against the potential harmful effects of long-term prescription medication use and harmful toxins in the workplace. • This herb has been successfully used against deathcap mushroom poisoning. • Traditionally, naturopathic physicians and herbalists have used milk thistle to help deal with hemorrhoids and varicose veins. A clogged or sluggish liver does not process blood very well, and that tends to cause blood to back up in the leg veins and rectum. Thus, with a healthier liver, these conditions can be improved. • A cleaner and better functioning liver is better able to process and deal with various hormones in the body, promoting better hormonal balance. • This makes milk thistle helpful for premenstrual syndrome and prostate enlargement. • Some healing modalities, eg. Traditional Chinese Medicine and French folk medicine, see the liver as closely tied to emotional well being. This makes sense because the liver metabolizes neurotransmitters and hormones and thus has great influence on the overall biochemistry of the human body. A toxic or unhealthy liver can cause emotional discomfort, frustration, anger and even depression. By detoxifying and improving the health of the liver, milk thistle can thus help with emotional issues. Other benefits Silymarin in milk thistle is a potent antioxidant, while milk thistle can also increase the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione, other strong antioxidants. Other health benefits of milk thistle include helping to: • stabilize blood cholesterol levels, reducing total cholesterol levels and helping to convert LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. • stabilize blood sugar levels; used to help with type 2 diabetes. • improve appetite and digestion, including fat digestion. • improve gallbladder disorders, including dealing with gallstones. • boost immunity. • alleviate some symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including heartburn and constipation; increased glutathione levels also help slow the disease's progress. • improve adrenal disorders. • prevent altitude sickness. • prevent and/or fight against certain types of cancer. • slow atherosclerosis development by preventing plaque formation on artery walls. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/044675_milk_thistle_natural_treatments_constipation.html#ixzz2ybhWMP7M

Scientists discover why honey is still the best antibiotic

Conventional antibiotics make users sicker in the long run Doctors carelessly prescribe antibiotics for viral infections, which is useless since antibiotics are only effective for breaking up bacterial infections. To make matters worse, overprescription and overconsumption make future infections harder to fight, since antibiotics deplete the good bacteria in the gut. In this medical travesty, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are rising up, adapting to the singular mode of action that the prescription antibiotics lean on. The CDC has recently identified 20 resistant strains of bacteria, thanks to reckless dependency on these prescriptions. A 2013 report by the CDC sounds the alarm, reporting that over 2 million people contract antibiotic-resistant infections each year. Conventional antibiotics are making users sicker in the long run, more vulnerable and more prone to infection. As this disturbing trend continues, scientists are looking for simpler answers. Researchers from the Salve Regina University in Newport, Rode Island, are rediscovering the reasons why raw honey is still one of the best natural antibiotics around to this day. Honey fights infections on multiple levels and doesn't promote resistant bacteria Lead author Susan M. Meschwitz, Ph.D., presented the findings at the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. She reports, "The unique property of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance." Meschwitz said that honey uses a combination of weapons including polyphenols, hydrogen peroxide and an osmotic effect. Honey is practically an ambidextrous fighter, using multiple modalities to kill bacteria. One of those fighting methods is its osmosis effect. This effect comes from honey's high sugar concentration. In this process, water is drawn from the bacteria cells, leaving the pathogens no option but to dehydrate and die off. Honey breaks up bacteria by destroying its modes of communication Honey also possesses properties that stop the formation of biofilms. These slimy biofilms are bacteria communities which harbor diseases. Honey keeps these biofilms from congregating by breaking up a bacterial communication process called quorum sensing. By breaking up this process, honey stops the bacteria from communicating and expanding their viability. Without this communication mode, the bacteria cannot release the toxins that increase their ability to cause disease. Meschwitz said that, by disrupting quorum sensing, the virulent behavior of bacteria is weakened, "rendering the bacteria more susceptible to conventional antibiotics." Doctors should prescribe honey first, and antibiotics as a last resort Honey is so powerful for destroying bacteria that it should be the first mode of treatment when treating a bacterial illness. Doctors should prescribe honey first, since it attacks bacteria from multiple angles. Prescribed antibiotics should be the "alternative" therapy, or the last resort. Honey is more powerful because it prevents the formation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Conventional antibiotics fail because they only target the essential growth processes of bacteria. This allows bacteria to build up resistance over time, while the user also destroys the good bacteria in their gut. Honey works much differently, breaking down the bacteria's communication processes while dehydrating the bacteria's structures through an osmosis effect. On top of that, honey is filled with powerful antioxidants in the form of polyphenols. Meschwitz adds, "Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between the non-peroxide antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of honey and the presence of honey phenolics." Honey is also antiviral, antifungal and full of antioxidants Not only is honey antibacterial, but it is antiviral and antifungal. These properties alone make it more powerful than conventional antibiotics. Honey can target undetected fungal conditions that may be at the root cause of perpetual illness. Meschwitz said that her team of researchers has been measuring the level of antioxidant activity of honey. "We have separated and identified the various antioxidant polyphenol compounds. In our antibacterial studies, we have been testing honey's activity against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, among others." While many commercial brands of honey are filtered and fake, the best place to look for delicious, medicinal, and unfiltered raw honey is at local honeybee farms. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/044685_honey_natural_antibiotic_bacterial_resistance.html#ixzz2ybY9NMcI

Unprotected sex at young age can cause cervical cancer, claim experts

Casual sex at an earlier age is fuelling cervical cancer rates in young women, says a new study. Researchers at Manchester University have found that the cervical cancer rates have risen steeply in last two decades - in fact, the incidence in women in their 20s has doubled between 1992 and 2006, rising 43 per cent. The cervical cancer rate per 100,000 women aged 20 to 29 rose from 5.5 to 7.9 between 1992 and 2006. In absolute terms, the number of cases in this age group rose from 215 to 283, even though rates in all other age groups have dropped. Robert Alston, who led the study, said: "Our results show that although numbers getting cervical cancer are dropping in the immediate years after cervical screening began, the numbers of women in their 20s now developing the disease have been rising since the early 90s." Hazel Nunn, head of health information and evidence at Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, said that rises in other sexually transmitted infections indicated women were having unprotected sex earlier and with more sexual partners. "These figures show just how crucial it is for all 12 to 13 year-old girls to have the HPV vaccination. Human papilloma virus is a very common infection and the major cause of cervical cancer," she was quoted by 'The Daily Telegraph' as saying.

Beware: 4 food items that cause ageing!

Everything you eat shows on your face. In case you haven’t noticed, there are days when you wake up with a bloated face and saggy eyelids. It is a mere reflection of the food consumed by you and the effect it is having on your health. We bring to you foods which can make you look old. Avoid them. -Salt Watch that salty intake! Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which can weaken the skin by affecting collagen production. This can cause wrinkles, especially in thin-skinned areas, like around your eyes, as well as puffiness. -Sugar Sugar affects your skin in many different ways, one of these being inflammation. When your blood sugar levels spike, your body becomes inflamed, and this inflammation affects all the organs, affecting your skin tone and texture. Opt for smaller amounts of fruit instead, which will satisfy that sweet tooth, but avoid the overload that ages and damages skin. -Coffee Coffee not only stains your teeth, darkening the shiny pearly whites of your younger years, but it also dehydrates your body, causing skin to dry out and look less youthfully plump. -Alcohol It will leave you puffy and bloated and may also have the unfortunate consequence of leaving you reaching for those salty bar snacks such as peanuts, processed meats and pretzels, which as we already know, are extremely bad for your skin!

5 reasons why chewing 'Paan' is good for you

Chewing paan aka betel quid is widely considered a bad habit. While people believe that chewing paan is extremely harmful, let us tell you that the infamous betel leaf mouth freshener has many health benefits. Paan which is often made with catechu (katha), areca nut (supari) and tobacco (zarda) is chewed after meals. With tobacco it becomes harmful and people often get addicted to it. This can lead to acute diseases like oral or stomach cancer. Have a look at the many health benefits of betel life: -It acts as a stimulant. Fresh juice of betel leaves with a teaspoon of honey taken twice a day refreshes the body. -Crushed betel leaves mixed with salt can be used to get relief from toothache. -Betel leaf juice mixed with milk and sweetened a little, eases urination. -Crushed fruit of betel mixed with honey, taken orally can cure sore throat and cough. -Paan acts as a digestive aid.

Mizoram man with 39 wives and 127 children is a decisive 'votebank'

Aizawl: As India holds the latest round of its mammoth elections Friday, one man -- polygamist and sect leader Zionnghaka Chana -- has become the voter every local politician wants to know. With 39 wives and 127 children and grandchildren, Chana is a voter like no other in the remote northeastern state of Mizoram, and can deliver a sizeable bloc of support. "We were witnessing a rush of politicians seeking votes in the last few days," Chana said from his 100-room home in the hills of Baktawng village outside the state capital Aizawl. "During every election we are much in demand as the winning margins of politicians in this state are slim, so even 100-odd votes matter to them," Chana, 70, said earlier this week. Mizoram is the only state voting on Friday, in the fourth of nine stages of voting in the world's biggest election, after the Election Commission rescheduled polling following a dispute over whether tribal groups displaced during recent ethnic strife were allowed to vote in their refugee camps. The state represents less than one percent of India's 814 million-strong electorate. Voting across India ends on May 12, with results due four days later. "When we go to vote, we always cast our ballots for the same candidate or party. That means more than 160-odd votes are assured from one family," said one of Chana's wives, Rinkmini. Like most voters at this election, Chana said he wanted clean government and development so that his family could prosper. "All we want is good governance and the wellbeing of the state instead of personal gains for our family from the politicians," he said. The sect, founded by Chana's grandfather in the 1930s, has some 1,700 members including four generations of the Chana family, many of whom carve wooden furniture and make pottery items. Its philosophy is based on Christian teachings, although leaders from the Presbyterian church, the main faith in the state, reject Chana's embrace of polygamy.

UNBELIEVABLE: You will be shocked to read what our politicians have to say about women!

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has courted controversy once again for making derogatory remarks against women. Mulaym on Thursday opposed the new anti-rape law and said that his party would change the law that entails death for rape. Addressing a rally in Moradabad, Mulayam said, "rape accused should not be hanged. Men make mistakes."The SP chief further said he will support provision for legal action against those who misuse the rape act. But, this is not the first time Mulayam or any political leader has made such a remark against women.

After Mulayam Singh Yadav raking up controversy, Maharashtra Samajwadi Party Chief Abu Azmi has come up with a statement saying irrespective of consent any woman having sex with a man should be hanged. He also claimed that such females only deserve death penalty as per a report published (along with audio conversation) in Mid-Day.

Mamata Banerjee Trinamool Congress’s 'didi' has always been in the news for making similar controversial comments. "Are all women in the state being raped?", she asked at a public rally on June 23, 2013, reacting to media reports on rising crimes against women in West Bengal. She alleged that the channels are operating hand in gloves with Left parties, thereby disrespecting the 'soil of Bengal'.

TMC candidate and celluloid superstar Dev, in a newspaper interview, gone and compared the whole experience of campaigning and all the media attention to being raped. In the interview to a Bengali newspaper that appeared on Monday, the third question Dev was asked was about the media attention he was getting because of his candidature for Trinamool. He was asked the question, "Are you enjoying it?" "Enjoy?" he says. "It's just like being raped. You can shout or you can enjoy it."

Sharad Yadav During the discussion on anti-rape bill in parliament, Sharad Yadav of the JD(U) was of the opinion that stalking women is what comes naturally to Indian men. “Everyone has stalked women at some point in their lives.... Stalking is a norm in the country,” he said. JDU leader Sharad Yadav opposing the Women’s Bill, said that the bill would only benefit the well-off in the cities, describing well-off women as, ‘‘par kati auratein’ (women with short hair)

Lalu Prasad Yadav During the discussion on anti-rape bill in parliament, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said the bill aimed to criminalise ordinary Indian men. “The bill is not against the average Road Romeo, it is against the habitual ghume wala... The Sun Temple in Konark is full of sculptures of naked women and men. Khajuraho is full of such images. What will you do about them? Cover them up all?” Even women MPs like the BJP’s Sumitra Mahajan and Saroj Pandey blamed Western culture, TV programmes, films and advertisements depicting skimpily-dressed women for increasing rape incidents.

During protest against Delhi gang-rape, Congress leader and president’s son Abhijit Mukherjee said: "dented-painted women protesters in Delhi went to discotheques and then turned up at India Gate to express outrage.’

Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam to BJP MP Smriti Irani: It's only four days of your entry into politics and you have become a political analyst. AAP toh TV pe thumke lagati thi, aaj chunavi vishleshak ban gayi (you were shaking your hips on Tv, and now you have become a psephologist).’’

Earlier, Sriprakash Jaiswal had commented after India's win over Pakistan in T20 championship: "“As time passes, the joy of the victory fades, just like a wife becomes old and loses her charm.

Sushil Kumar Shinde during a debate on ethnic violence in Assam in the Rajya Sabha, told SP MP, Jaya Bachchan, "Listen carefully sister, this is a serious matter. This is not a filmy subject."

After Mulayam, now Abu Azmi says 'women having sex should be hanged'

New Delhi: After Mulayam Singh Yadav raking up controversy on Thursday by questioning the amended anti-rape law and the death sentence of three men who were convicted of two (Shakti Mills) gangrapes in Mumbai last week, Maharashtra Samajwadi Party chief has come up with a statement saying irrespective of consent any woman having sex with a man should be hanged. He also claimed that such females only deserve death penalty as per a report published (along with audio conversation) in Mid-Day. Azmi’s idiotic statement comes only after Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had earlier said in a rally in Moradabad “Ladkon se aisi galtiyan ho jati hain, to iska matlab yeh to nahi ki unhe phaansi de di jaaye (Boys make mistakes, but this doesn’t mean you hang them).” Abu Azmi was replying to a question posed by a news reporter regarding Yadav’s views on rape. The report titled “SHOCKING! Women having sex should be hanged, says Abu Azmi” quotes Maharashtra leader saying “Rape is punishable by hanging in Islam. But here, nothing happens to women, only to men. Even the woman is guilty.” He further added that women should also be tried in cases of rapes. However, his son Farhan Azmi who is party’s candidate from Mumbai North Central Constituency and famous hotelier of the city didn’t share same views and said that rapists should be hanged and five of his sisters also believe the same.

Major setback to Supertech: Allahabad HC orders demolition 40-storey towers in Noida

Noida: In a major blow to realty major Supertech, the Allahabad High Court on Friday directed the Noida Authority to demolish two 40-storey towers in Sector 93 A, Noida, said a TV report. According to CNN-IBN, the court also directed the prosecution of officers of Noida Authority and Supertech for carrying out the illegal construction. They have also been asked to return the money to the investors at an interest rate of 14 per cent. The towers whose demolition has been ordered by the court are a part of the Emerald Court Project of the Supertech Group. The project at Taj Expressway is the largest project of the group till date. To be built on an area of 70000 square metre of prime land and cost of 750 crore, the construction of this project is in full swing. Emerald Court Pis a multi-storied project consisting of 15 towers out of which two towers are centrally air-conditioned. It has five towers - Aster, Aspire, Bluestone and Emperor. Supertech has decided to challenge the high court's order in the Supreme Court.

Undeterred by a severe angiography operation, man succumbs on his way to polling booth

Chandigarh: To what length will a person go to exercise his democratic rights. Will you put your life in danger to cast vote? A 85-year-old man in Chandigarh went out to cast his vote even after an angiography operation. Govind Ram recently had his angiography operation and was taking medicines. On Thursday afternoon, he went out with his wife, Bachni Devi, to cast his vote. He walked for 400 meters and reached the polling station. As he was about the reach the polling booth, he experienced severe pain and collapsed. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital with the help of PCR van. He was declared brought dead by the hospital staff

Jamuna Devi Arora stunned everyone when she was seen climbing the stairs of the Sector 50 government school. 101-year-old Devi would be casting her 15th vote. She casted her first vote in Pakistan, in 1935. A reminiscent Devi recalls that she first casted her vote in India in 1956. A nostalgic Devi described how she used to sit at the back of her husband's bicycle and go to Jalandhar's Shahkot tehsil's village Bagga. In 1965, she walked for 12 kms to cast her vote.

Ninety-four-year-old Sardar Singh has served in the British Army. He is unable to recall when he casted his first vote. But, he was very particular about the fact that everyone from the family would go and cast the vote. Singh arrived at the both accompanied by both his wives- 93-year-old Ram and 87-year-old Gyan Kaur. Giving him company were his 54-year-old son, his wife and their 25-year-old son. Singh is bed-ridden and took the assistance of wheel-chair to arrive at the booth. His two wives took the ambulance to reach at the polling booth. Singh says that he has been to many countries. The people there take active participation in voting. But, when I look at my country, it pains me. People celebrate the voting day as a holiday. Singh said that he has always exercised his ballot and taught his children the same.