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Breaking News
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BLAKE EMBARKS ON VISIT TO INDIA, PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN
GOVT BID TO WIN OVER BJP, LEFT
PAKISTAN AGAIN USING MAFIA LINKS FOR TERROR STRIKES
MEMO PRESENTED TO PUNJAB GUV ON USE OF PUNJABI IN UT
GOVT MULLS THREE TRIPS PER MULTIPLE-ENTRY TOURIST VISA
MAYAWATI CASH GARLAND: IT TO PROBE SOURCE OF MONEY
‘WISH SUKHBIR-KALIA REPORT HAD COME IN MY FIRST YEAR AS FM’
RS 252-CR CUT IN ALLOCATION UNDER CENTRAL SCHEMES
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Punjab News
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Chandigarh March 17
Demanding 'due status' for the Punjabi language in the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh, a delegation led by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal submitted a memorandum to Governor Shivraj Patil, who is also the Administrator of the UT.
The delegation comprised of Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur, Mr Sher Singh Ghubaya, MP and Independent MLA Charanjit Singh Channi. Besides the memorandum, the delegation, representing the collective wishes of the people of Punjab also submitted the resolution passed by the state Vidhan Sabha yesterday. The resolution which had the support of the Opposition Congress called for the introduction of the Punjabi language as a compulsory subject upto Class-X in all schools of the UT.
Mr Badal passionately put forward before the Governor that Punjabi language was victim of official apathy and neglect in its own capital city. The Governor after patiently listening to the detailed presentation by Deputy Chief Minister assured to do 'justice'. Mr Patil said that he would get the memorandum examined in light of the arguments put forward by the delegation and ensure that justice was done.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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Jalandhar March 17:
The Centre has finally agreed to release Rs 800 crore as compensation for the drought-hit paddy growers of Punjab. It has also assured to bear the entire cost of revamp- ing the canal irrigation system in the state.
Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral of the SAD, raised these issues in the Upper House during a debate on the Finance Bill. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in his reply that Rs 800 crore would be released as com- pensation for paddy growers soon after the passing of the Union Budget since Punjab farmers had borne heavy input costs to save their paddy crop last season. “The Central gov- ernment will also bear the entire project cost of revamping the canal irrigation system,“ said Pranab.
In his address, Gujral accused the UPA government of dis- criminating against Punjab. “Though the Agriculture Minister had recently announced a compensation of Rs 4,000 crore for drought-hit states, Punjab was not among them,“ he said. Gujral said Punjab's demand to revamp the canal irriga- tion system at an estimated cost of Rs 2,500 crore was yet to get a favourable response from the Centre.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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Chandigarh March 17:
Punjab continues to bear the financial liability incurred during terrorism after more than 15 years.
In fact, terrorism has left a deep hole in the pocket of the state which has been reeling under the burden of debt for fighting the enemy within the territory and from across the border. Of the total debt outstand- ing against Punjab today (Rs 64,924 crore), nearly Rs 38,000 crore is the legacy of the days of terrorism.
The figure works out to near- ly Rs 25,000 per person given the population of the state. The state pays an annual interest of Rs 5,389 crore on the debt to the Central government. Going by this trend, the total debt against Punjab would be Rs 71,086 crore by the next financial year and the state will have to dole out Rs 5,764 crore as interest on this sum.
According to Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the growing debt is a major hindrance for initiating new devel- opmental projects in the state. “The Constitution provides that in case of any internal and external threat, the Central Government is bound to pro- tect the state both physically and financially. But, in our case, the centre has abdicated from its constitutional obligation by not waiving off the debt,“ said Manpreet.
Manpreet said that during the days of terrorism, Punjab had to call in additional paramilitary forces from the Centre to bring normalcy in the state. The expenses incurred on the forces that included boarding, lodging, vehicles, fuel and ammunition, to the tune of Rs 6,772 crore, were waived in two installments. However, the loan taken dur- ing the ten years of terrorism (1983-1984 to 1993-1994) for for- mulating the annual plans presently stands at Rs 38,000 crore. As the state fought down militancy, revenue and tax col- lection was almost negligible.
Such a staggering figure belies all previous claims by various chief ministers that Punjab's outstanding debt of the period of terrorism has been waived off. Both the Congress and Akalis took credit for the waiver. While the Akalis said the waiver was due to former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujaral, the Congress lauded the efforts made in this regard by late Prime Minister Narasimha Rao.
“I have met chairman of the 13th Finance Commission, Vijay Kelkar, thrice and asked him to give us three options to get rid of the debt. First, we demanded a com- plete waiver. Second, was to waive off at least the debt accu- mulated during the 10 years and the last was to write off the interest on the debt,“ said the finance minister.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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Chandigarh March 17:
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon advised the state government to undertake a fresh survey of beneficiaries of the atta-dal scheme to remove anomalies pointed out by the opposition benches.
Kahlon also asked the gov- ernment to get ration cards verified so that only bonafide claimants could get the bene- fit of foodgrains being given out at concessional rates at fair price shops. Congress MLA Ajit Singh Mofar raised the issue in the House. He wanted to know from Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Kairon what steps the state govern- ment had taken to curb the ris- ing prices.
Kairon told the House that the government had regularised the stocks of all essential com- modities including wheat, rice, pulses, edible oil and sugar so that the consumer could get these at low prices. He said the government was already giving atta-dal to below poverty line (BPL) families on highly subsidised rates. For the Above Poverty Line (APL) fam- ilies too, the government is pro- viding essential commodities at controlled rates, he said.
On Mofar's demand that the government should get the num- ber of BPL families verified, Kairon said that a survey in this regard could only be con- ducted by the Centre. Congress MLA Lal Singh wanted the government to ver- ify the credentials of ration cards being issued to people as many did not deserve to have these.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha want- ed to know from Punjab Jails Minister Hira Singh Gabria why some persons undergoing a jail term under the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (TADA) Act could not be released as in case of many others. Gabira said that since they were booked under the Central Act, the state could not do much about it.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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Chandigarh March 17:
Due to the overwhelming response to the sale of liquor vends in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal claimed here today that the Excise and Taxation Department had successfully sold all these vends in the state as the number of applicants exceeded the number of vends.
The Chief Minister informed that there were approximately 6914 liquor vends in the state and the Department had received more applications than the number of licensing units in most of the places. The Department received application money to the extent of Rs 150.20 crore for 2010-11 as against Rs 120 crore in the year 2009-10.
The Chief Minister stated that in the Excise Policy 2010-11, the Department had calculated a net increase of Rs 500 crore with the total excise revenue reaching Rs 2500 crore, which was easily the highest increase ever. Mr Badal, who holds the Excise and Taxation portfolio, further stated that this year, the entire proceeds from the sale of applications would go to the welfare of Scheduled Castes and also be used to meet the expenditure being incurred on their pensions and 'Shagun' schemes.
Giving details of the auction, Financial Commissioner Taxation Shivinder Singh Brar stated that the high revenue earned during the auction had been made possible because the Government adopted a more applicant-friendly Excise Policy, wherein the Department had waived off the 5 per cent deposit of security amount at the time of the submission of the application form.
Apart from this, the Department this time had allotted the liquor quota of each liquor vend in the state after conducting a detailed survey with regard to the potential of each and every vend, he added. This survey brought out the real potential and thus and the Department was able to raise the quota of Punjab Made Liquor (PML) by 15 per cent.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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India News
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Washington March 17:
Close on the heels of Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao’s ongoing visit here, a top US diplomat is embarking on a visit to India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake, who is leaving on Wednesday, will be having consultations with Indian and American business representatives as well as discussions with his counterparts in the Ministry of External Affairs, officials said.
Ms. Rao, who Monday delivered a blunt warning to Pakistan to stop encouraging terror targeted at India, Tuesday met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after a meeting with her US counterpart, Under Secretary of State Bill Burns. State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley told reporters Tuesday that the Clinton-Rao meeting “is part of the ongoing dialogue that we have with India on our strategic dialogue.”
Crowley said Blake will also deliver a keynote address at the Asia Society Corporate Conference in New Delhi on March 20. In Afghanistan, he will meet with embassy officials and travel to Kunduz to meet with local officials and visit with one of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams there, he said.
In Pakistan, he will meet with federal and provincial officials, civil society representatives, religious leaders, and business representatives in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. He will also hold consultations with the European Union in Brussels about ongoing US dialogue in South and Central Asia, Crowley said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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Mumbai March 17:
Saturday's arrests of the two terror suspects in Mumbai who wanted to set fires at three locations across the city shows that Pakistani planners are now returning to their old ally, the underworld, to plot terrorist acts.
In the recent case, Abdul Latif Rashid alias Guddu, 29, and Riyaz Ali Imtiaz alias Rehan, 22, were arrested for conspiring to set fires at the ONGC office in Bandra (East), Mangaldas Market in Kalbadevi and Thakkar Mall in Borivli. Latif's uncle, Abdul Bashir Khan, is an absconding accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, which was plotted and executed by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who is now living in Karachi. Khan is currently living with Dawood in the latter's Karachi flat and works as his assistant.
The security establishment in India has been claiming that the D-gang is hand-in-glove with Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) in the execution of conspiracies in India. In the 11/7 Mumbai train blasts case, the police arrested a doctor, two engineers and a sotware programmer who did not have any prior criminal record. However, the recent case points to the in-depth involvement of the D-gang. "The two accused were in touch with a D-gang member who had asked them to identify youths for terror training in Pakistan," said the source.
Officials in the security forces said terror bosses may have returned to the underworld because the police have mentally de-linked the underworld from terror. "The police seem to have formed an opinion that gangsterism is entirely different from terrorism and they do not pay heed to gangsters when it comes to probing terror cases nowadays. This could be one of the reasons why the Pakistani terror handlers are focusing on the use of the underworld," the security source said.
"In 1993, the underworld had first participated in a terror strike. Later, the modus operandi changed and the handlers started recruiting young people with no criminal records as the underworld was already on the police list," said a security establishment official. In the 2001 Parliament attack, new faces who were neither in the police list nor connected to the underworld were recruited. In the post-2001 modus operandi, the use of educated youths from the Muslim community was seen.
Software engineer Mansoor Peerbhoy, a Pune resident, who had a job with a Rs 19-lakh-a-year salary, was arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch in 2008 for being part of the Indian Mujahideen. He was accused of hacking into computers and sending terror emails. Earlier, in a string of post-2001 terror-related cases in Mumbai, an MBBS, an MBA, three civil engineers, four mechanical engineers, two chemical engineers, a pilot and a professor working for the National Defence Academy, Pune, had been arrested. While the police had focused on these men, most of them were later acquitted by the court or discharged by the central Pota review committee.
Noteworthy also is that absconding Indian Mujahideen operative, Riyaz Bhatkal, who is also suspected to be in Pakistan, was connected to the Fazlur Rehman gang before he formed his own extortion outfit. Bhatkal later took to terrorism.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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Chicago March 17:
Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative charged with conspiring in the Mumbai terror strike, will plead guilty before a US court tomorrow, five months after he was arrested by the FBI.
A court notice said a "change of plea" hearing has been set tomorrow scheduling David Coleman Headley before US District Judge Harry Leinenweber. A routine status hearing was scheduled for Headley on March 23.
"Yes, he (Headley) will plead guilty," John Thesis, Headley's lawyer, told reporters when asked if his client is changing his not-guilty plea. "I expect that is what is going to happen on March 18," Theis said. He, however, declined to comment on whether Headley would be pleading guilty to all or some of the charges in the 12-count superseding indictment filed against him on January 14.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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New Delhi March 17:
Determined to introduce the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill in the Lok Sabha in the second half of the Budget Session of Parliament commencing from April 12, the UPA government has decided to make yet another attempt to build a political consensus on the issue.
During the recess period, National Security Advisor Shivshanker Menon and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee will brief the BJP and Left leaders separately to dispel “misconceptions” about the Bill, government sources said. They are likely to meet Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj of the BJP and Sitaram Yechury of the CPM, said the sources.
The government had deferred introduction of the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday in the face of fierce opposition from the BJP and the Left. The government does not want the Bill to be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy, headed by SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, as it could cause undue delay in carrying out nuclear commerce with international power producing companies.
In the meantime, to counter the “misinformation campaign” about the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, the NSA on Tuesday briefed a group of Congress Ministers and MPs who posed several queries about the provisions of the Bill. They included Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Science & Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal, Minister of State for Communications & IT Sachin Pilot, Rashid Alvi, Sandeep Dikshit, Rajeev Shukla and Jayanthi Natarajan.
The NSA was learnt to have clarified to them that rather than putting a cap on the liability for compensation — as claimed by the opponents of the Bill — the proposed legislation was intended to put in place a liability regime, which does not exist at present. After enacting the domestic legislation, India will sign the IAEA’s Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage and any amount exceeding the government’s liability of Rs 2,200 crore could be accessed from the international funds created under the CSC.
AICC spokesman and MP Manish Tewari said, “The perceptional battle on Nuclear Liability Bill is being fought by innuendos rather than facts. Truth is the only shield against calumny and therefore, people need to fortify themselves.”
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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New Delhi March 17:
The Income Tax department will probe the source of funding and ownership of the money for the garland made of currency notes presented to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at a rally in Lucknow.
The department will check the source of the money estimated to be between Rs 10 to Rs 20 crore, sources said. The probe will be carried out by the IT department in Lucknow as the venue of the function where Mayawati was presented the garland falls under the jurisdiction of the said directorate.
Sources said the I-T department will probe the origin of the Rs 1,000 notes, the bank they have been sourced from and the bank account holder/holder's identity. The department has also asked its intelligence wing to gather information in this regard including the funding of the entire event that took place to celebrate Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) anniversary.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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Sports News
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New Delhi March 16:
Hockey-player-turned-boxer Amandeep Singh (49kg) out-punched Malaysian M Redzuan while Jai Bhagwan (60kg) didn't even step inside the ring to make the finals as a record six Indians assured themselves of at least a silver in the fifth Commonwealth Championships here today.
Good news started trickling in early in the day for India when Asian Championship silver medallist Jai got a walkover into the finals after his English opponent Danny Philips was found medically unfit in the weigh-in this morning. Jai will face Bahamian Valention Knowles in the final tomorrow.
The man who did go to the ring did not disappoint the home fans either. Amandeep, a gold medallist from the January South Asian Games in Dhaka, thrashed Malaysian M Redzuan 7-1 in a lopsided bout to enter the final. He will now face Kenya's Peter Mungai, who notched up a 7-0 win over Botswana's Bathusi Mogajane.
With world number one Vijender Singh (75kg), Asian champion Suranjoy Singh (52kg), World Cup bronze medallist Dinesh Kumar (81kg) and Asian bronze medallist Paramjeet Samota already through to the finals, the Indian team is in contention for lifting the team championship as well.
In the only bout to feature a local favourite today, Amandeep fought from long range to get past his opponent, who was aggressive throughout. A few jabs earned Amandeep a crucial 3-0 lead in the opening round and though he couldn't add to the tally in the next three minutes, the Indian ensured that none of his opponent's wild swings could get to him.
"My opponent was slightly slow and that helped my cause," the 23-year-old Punjab boxer said after the bout. In the final three minutes, Amandeep landed a couple of powerful hooks to increase the lead, adding to Redzuan's frustration, who was penalised two points for bending excessively.
"The plan was to take a good lead in the opening round and guard that. We wanted to be safer in the second round because a tall boxer like Amandeep is an easy prey for wild swings by shorter boxers. So he likes to fight from long range," said national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu. "Amandeep is again facing a southpaw in the final tomorrow," he added.
Looking ahead at tomorrow's final, Sandhu said the performance of his wards has surpassed his expectations "But finals are not going to be a cakewalk. They are tough but hopefully our boys will do well. They are very motivated," he said. Meanwhile, Englishman Ian Weaver, who beat Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar in the 56kg quarterfinals, eked out another shocker by ousting Olympic bronze medallist Bruno Julie of Malaysia from the event.
Baby-faced Weaver, a 20-year-old participating in his first senior international tournament, defeated Julie 12-3. The swift-moving Englishman scored with his precise jabs and forced Julie, who likes to fight with an open guard, to cover up with his aggressive approach.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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New Delhi March 15:
World number one Vijender Singh (75kg) packed a powerful punch quite literally, while Asian champion Suranjoy Singh also notched up an emphatic win as four Indian boxers sailed into the finals on an all-win day for the hosts at the fifth Commonwealth Boxing Championships here today.
Olympic and World Championship bronze-medallist Vijender led Tanzanian Selemani Kidunda 10-1 before landing a power-packed right hook that left his rival with a head injury, prompting the referee to award the bout to the Indian.
Suranjoy was equally dominating in his triumph over Welshman Andrew Selby although the 4-0 victory margin does not reflect the Manipuri's hold on the bout. World Cup bronze-medallist Dinesh Kumar (81kg), competing in his first Commonwealth Championships, was the the third Indian boxer to score an easy win and enter the final.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 15,2
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Sakhir March 15:
Karun Chadhok's F1 debut didn't last even two laps but Vitantonio Liuzzi's ninth place finish earned Force India two invaluable points from the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix here.
While the best Karun could have achieved was to complete the race, Adrian Sutil's 10th place on the starting grid had raised Force India hopes for a good finish.
The German driver, however, dropped out of point race after an opening lap scramble to eventually finish 12th and it was his Italian teammate Liuzzi who took the onus on himself to ensure that the Vijay Mallya-owned outfit gained something from the season opener. In contrast, Hispania driver Karun's Formula One debut was a bllink-and-miss affair with the Indian forced into an early exit by a bump in the circuit.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 15,2
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New Delhi March 14:
Australia won the Hockey World Cup for the second term beating Germany 2-1 in a closely fought final at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium here.
Germany's dream of lifting their third consecutive World Cup title came down crashing with the loss as the Australians found themselves third time lucky after having lost the last two consecutive finals. Australia also broke their 24-year jinx to win the Hockey World Cup after Luke Doerner slammed home a penalty-corner winner. Australia had then beaten hosts England 2-1 in the final at Willesden (London).
Win against Germany was also Australia's first in the World Cup in 16 years. Earlier in the day, the Netherlands beat England 4-3 for third place. In the keenly contested final, Edward Ockenden gave Australia the lead in the sixth minute and Doerner doubled it from a penalty corner at the stroke of an hour. Moritz Furste (48th) scored the only German goal from a penalty corner.
Australia were desperate to win the title and they made their intentions clear right from the start as they took 13 shots on target as compared to Germany's five. Eckenden, who didn't have an impressive World Cup, struck when it mattered the most as he netted from a goal mouth melee as the German defence was caught napping. Germany paid a heavy price for not converting the numerous penalty corner chances that came their way.
Earlier in the day, the Dutch made an epic comeback to beat European champions 4-3 in a thrilling encounter. The Dutch were trailing 1-3, but they came back strongly and slammed in three goals in 19 minutes. The Dutch opened the scoring through their dependable play maker Teun de Nooijer in the 22nd minute, giving the finishing touch to a pass from Robert van der Horst.
England, who largely dominated the first half, fought back with strikes from Alastair Brogdon (23rd minute) and two penalty-corner conversions from Ashley Jackson (30th, 34th). The Netherlands hit back in the 48th minute with a penalty-corner conversion from Taeke Taekama, his eighth goal in the tournament. For the next few minutes, the Dutch gave a harrowing time to the England defence as they skilfully stepped up the attack.
Klaas Vermeulen (55th) equalised with an opportunistic goal from a goalmouth melee. And with three minutes to go, Roger Hofman sneaked one past goalkeeper James Fair for the winning goal to send the crowd into raptures.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 14,2
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New Delhi March 14:
After becoming the only player to have won the World Cup both as a player and coach, Australian hockey legend Ric Charlesworth gave some words of advice to the Indian team to regain their lost glory.
The former India technical director Charlesworth feels the hosts have improved in their style of play under coach Jose Brasa but need to formulate three things in order to become a potent force in world hockey again.
"According to me India need to do three things. First set long term goals, then play as many international matches as possible and thirdly, privatise the game because India has plenty of resources," he told reporters. "They have very good players in the team but need to work on defence. The Indian game fits well with ours but they need organisation in the structure," Charlesworth said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 14,2
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Cricket Special
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Kolkata March 17:
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) snapped Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) winning streak with a comfortable 55-run victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) III at the Eden Gardens here.
The thumping victory can be attributed to CSK's better planning, ruthless execution and above all an insatiable hunger to return to winning ways. A large part of the credit should go to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's inspiring leadership. Having batted excellently to take his team to a position of strength, Dhoni made sure his bowlers routed KKR in front of its home crowd. He was rightly chosen Man of the Match.
KKR had nothing to offer when faced with a target of 165. It lost Brad Hodge when the innings was just two balls old. The Aussie fell pulling Albie Morkel for no score. After Manoj Tiwary had fallen in the next over to Manpreet Gony, Sourav Ganguly and Wriddhiman Saha tried to repair the damage.
But Saha's departure left KKR in tatters. It just could not recover from the situation and folded up for 109 in 19.2 overs. The best partnership (25 runs, 31 balls) was produced by the last pair of Murali Kartik and Ishant Sharma. Earlier, CSK decided to bat on a pitch that lacked pace or bounce. Yet Shane Bond, given his first match, worked up good pace to rattle Murali Vijay but the opener withstood the test.
The early departure of Matthew Hayden did not deter the second-wicket pair of Vijay and Suresh Raina and the two added 37 runs off 33 balls. When Laxmi Ratan Shukla clean bowled Vijay for 33 (26b, 5x4), with the team's total at 53, and Raina fell two runs later, it seemed that KKR had the game under control. Dhoni then joined S. Badrinath and the two produced some scintillating strokes to not only halt KKR in its tracks but also take CSK to a total which looked like a big target to chase.
Dhoni paced his innings superbly. His splendid 66 (33b, 6x4, 3x6) and Badrinath's 43 (33b, 3x4, 1x6) proved decisive in the end. The two put on an unbroken 109-run partnership off just 55 balls. KKR's last five overs cost the team a whopping 68 runs with Ishant Sharma's last over producing 16 runs.
The scores: Chennai Super Kings: M. Vijay b Shukla 33 (26b, 5 x 4), M. Hayden b Ishant 1 (8b), S. Raina b Hodge 18 (20b, 2 x 4), S. Badrinath (not out) 43 (33b, 3 x 4, 1 x 6), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 66 (33b, 6 x 4, 3 x 6); Extras (lb-2, w-1): 3. Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 164.
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-53, 3-55.
Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Bond 4-0-33-0, Ishant 4-0-38-1, Mathews 3-0-29-0, Shukla 4-0-37-1, Kartik 4-0-21-0, Hodge 1-0-4-1.
Kolkata Knight Riders: B. Hodge c Ashwin b Morkel 0 (2b), M. Tiwary b Gony 8 (3b, 2 x 4), S. Ganguly c Morkel b Kemp 11 (20b, 1 x 4), W. Saha b Balaji 22 (13, 5 x 4), O. Shah c Dhoni b Balaji 5 (4b, 1 x 4), A. Mathews lbw b Kemp 6 (13b), L.R. Shukla c Morkel b Muralitharan 19 (16b 3 x 4), R. Gavaskar c Vijay b Kemp 2 (8b), S. Bond b Ashwin 1 (2b), M. Kartik (run out) 21 (20b, 2 x 4), Ishant (not out) 6 (15b); Extras (lb-5, w-3): 8. Total (in 19.2 overs): 109.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-8, 3-34, 4-46, 5-55, 6-69, 7-79, 8-82, 9-84.
Chennai Super Kings bowling: Morkel 2-1-6-1, Gony 3-0-33-1, Balaji 2.2-0-9-2, Muralitharan 4-0-16-1, Kemp 3-0-12-3, Ashwin 4-0-22-1, Raina 1-0-6-0.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 17,2
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Bangalore March 16:
Opting to bat first, Kings XI Punjab posted 203 for three against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their second match of the Indian Premier League here today.
Brief score:
Kings XI Punjab: 203 for 3 in 20 overs (Ravi Bopara 77, Manvinder Bisla 75, Mahela Jayawardene 26 not out; Dale Steyn 1/36).
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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New Delhi March 16:
Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi’s claim notwithstanding, West Indian batting great Brian Lara has made it clear that he is not certain to play in next edition of the Twenty20 league and said he needs to be at the top of his game to compete with the best of the business.
Modi recently revealed on his Twitter account that Lara was keen to play in the fourth season of the high-profile event next year. “I don’t know if I can (play next year). It has been a long time since I have played competitive cricket. The standard of cricket being played in the Indian Premier League is pretty high, so I need to be on the top of my game before I think of joining the League,” Lara was quoted as saying in the iplt20.com.
“So for now I am happy watching it,” the former West Indies captain added. However, Lara praised the concept of IPL. “It is an awesome concept. IPL is into its third year. They had a season in South Africa and this year it is back in India. I like the concept of franchise-based cricket with the private investors coming in,” Lara said.
“Just like in the English Premier League in England and the Spanish League, you know people are following their clubs. The players are real. It is a great venture and is catching up all around the world,” Lara said. Lara quit international cricket in 2007 and then joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL). He played in the ICL for just one season before giving up all forms of the game.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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Mumbai March 16:
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was counting its chickens well before a single ball was bowled at the third season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), thanks to a scrum of brands rushing to cricket's greatest spectacle.
Regardless of the T20 tournament's ability to keep the crowd interest going, the world's richest cricketing body is learnt to be richer by nearly Rs 750 crore, up 25% from last year, after sewing up a raft of deals. For instance, three-year deals with internet giant Google and general entertainment channel Colors inked in January are worth at least Rs 80 crore and Rs 100 crore, respectively, say people from the media and entertainment space.
IPL also bagged sponsorship deals with Swiss watch brand Banderlier, Karbonn Mobiles, Indiagames, Maxx Mobile, V Rock Mobile and Global Cricket Ventures for merchandising, which collectively are worth at least Rs 125 crore a year. Tyre company MRF too joined the IPL brandwagon by sponsoring the blimp, a balloon that floats over the stadium, in a deal said to be worth Rs 15 crore a year. Brand clutter could play spoilsport
"OUR estimate is that IPL-3 will witness a 25-30% growth in revenues," said Basabdatta Chaudhury, CEO, Madison Media, adding that new deals like the theatrical rights sold for Rs 330 crore for 10 years also helped boost IPL revenues this year, besides the many sponsorship deals.
Currently, the broadcasting rights and central sponsorship earnings are shared with the eight teams, with IPL keeping 20% of the broadcasting money and 40% of the central sponsorship pool. Multi Screen Media, the owner of SET Max, along with World Sports Group paid around Rs 8,200 crore for exclusive broadcasting rights for nine years after the deal was renegotiated during the last season.
But the IPL governing council is hazy on sharing with franchise owners the Rs 330 crore from theatrical rights sold to Entertainment Sports Direct for 10 years. There is also no clarity on whether the spoils from the Google deal to broadcast IPL matches live on YouTube and the Colors deal to air shows based on the cricket format would be shared with team owners.
Existing sponsors such as Hero Honda, Vodafone, Citibank and Kingfisher, meanwhile, are believed to have increased their spending by nearly 20%. Vodafone, which paid around Rs 30 crore last year, is spending nearly Rs 35 crore in IPL-3, said people from the media buying segment. Hero Honda, Citi and Kingfisher had spent around Rs 20 crore in the last two seasons.
Despite the upbeat mood of advertisers, sceptics fear a brand clutter could play spoilsport. "IPL should be careful not to kill the golden goose," says Indranil Das Blah, vice-president, KWAN Entertainment and Marketing Solutions. "Deals with brands from the same category such as the ones with Maxx Mobile and Karbonn Mobile do lead to an overkill."
Still, there is not a shadow of doubt about IPL's Midas touch among BCCI mandarins. The addition of two new teams will keep the cash registers ringing as potential buyers are expected to shell out at least $250 million, five times the base price of IPL-1.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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Dubai March 16:
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni now has Australian Michael Hussey breathing down his neck for the top slot in the ODI rankings while teammate Sachin Tendulkar lost his fourth place to West Indies captain Chris Gayle in the latest ICC chart announced
In-form Hussey narrowed the gap with top ranked Dhoni to just eight points after finishing as the second most successful batsman with 198 runs in the series against New Zealand. Meanwhile Gayle, who was in seventh position at the start of the month, was in sublime form in the recently concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe in which he scored 273 runs, including three half-centuries.
Tendulkar is now at fifth place with a total of 819 points. In the ODI Team rankings, India has maintained its number two position with 122 points, while Australia still rules the ratings with 133 points. The second place in the ODI Championship at the annual cut-off date means India wins $75,000 in addition to $175,000 which it won for finishing as the number-one Test side.
Australia will receive a cheque of $175,000 for its number-one position on the ODI Championship table while South Africa will collect a cheque of $75,000 for its second place finish in the Test table. In the bowling ratings, India's spinner Harbhajan Singh continued to be at number seven position with 645 points.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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Business News
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Mumbai March 16:
The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex rose 218 points to an eight-week high after a rally, led by market leader Reliance Industries, on hopes of better quarterly earnings.
The 30-share index shot up by 218.19 points to 17,383.18 points, matching with the levels seen on January 20. RIL surged by 3.8 per cent to Rs 1,066.80 on speculation that its profitability will improve. The company paid Rs 770 crore advance tax for the fourth quarter.
Another blue-chip Infosys rose by Rs 31.15 to Rs 2,732.35. Brokers said expectations of better fourth quarter results after reports of big corporate such as SBI, Indian Oil and LIC paying higher advance tax lifted the sentiment.
A firm opening in Europe ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting tonight, also supported the market sentiment in the last 30 minutes of trading. In 30 stock related counters, 25 gained while five closed with losses.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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New Delhi March 16:
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today cautioned that inflation could be in double digits in March though the government is taking all steps to protect the vulnerable sections from price rise.
"I will not be surprised if it (inflation) reaches double digit in March," he said while replying to a debate on the General Budget 2010-11 in Rajya Sabha. The general inflation has already touched 9.89 per cent in February.
He, however, said that high inflation was partly due to low base last year. Last year, during this time inflation in case of many commodities was in the negative range and, therefore, this impact may continue till May/June this year.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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New Delhi March 16:
State-owned Life Insurance Corp has reversed the trend of losing its market share by registering a hefty growth in the current fiscal, Parliament was informed today.
"In the current fiscal year, up to February 28, 2010, the LIC has increased its market share in terms of first year premium to 65.06 per cent and in terms of policies to 70.79 per cent," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed Rajya Sabha in a reply.
The life insurance behemoth had 61.12 per cent market share in terms of first year premium income and 70.52 per cent in terms of insurance policies in 2008-09, he said. LIC had been losing its market share since the life insurance market was opened up to the private sector in 2000- 01. As on date, there are 22 private insurance companies against one public sector life insurer LIC.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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New Delhi March 16:
The government today said it has no plans to divest its stake in reinsurer General Insurance Corporation (GIC).
"...at present, there is no proposal for disinvestment in GIC," Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. He further said as a result of the opening up of the insurance sector, the public sector general insurance companies have faced increased competition.
"Keeping this in view, the public sector general insurance companies appointed professional consultants to devise a long-term business strategy," Meena added. The appointed consultants have given their recommendations and all the companies are implementing the same, he said. GIC was designated as a reinsurer in 2000 to provide support to both public and private insurance companies.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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New Delhi March 15:
For the second time this month, state-owned oil retailers today raised aviation turbine fuel price by 2.44 per cent in step with firming global rates.
Jet fuel, or ATF, rates in Delhi were raised by Rs 961 per kilolitre, or 2.44 per cent, to Rs 40,268 per kl with effect from midnight tonight, an official of the Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest oil firm, said.
The rate hike comes on back of a 3.5 per cent increase on March 1, when rates were raised to Rs 39,307.07 per kl. Last month ATF price were cut by 5.5 per cent on February 1 and 2.5 per cent on February 16. Jet fuel constitutes roughly 40 per cent of the operating cost of an airline and today's increase in fuel rates would put extra burden on Indian carriers.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 15,2
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Health News
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Washington March 16:
A new study by researchers at the University of York has suggested that drugs increasingly used to treat cancer could have a major impact on a wide range of infectious diseases.
Anti-angiogenic drugs are used to try and prevent cancers from stimulating the growth of the blood vessels they need to survive and grow. The new research has suggested that the same drugs could help in the treatment of other diseases including visceral leishmaniasis.
The findings showed that anti-angiogenic drugs can improve the structure of tissues where immune responses are generated and which are often destroyed by chronic infection or inflammation. The resulting improvement in the immune response can increase the effectiveness of conventional treatments for leishmaniasis, allowing doctors to use lower doses of existing drugs that otherwise have harmful side effects.
"While our research has focused on leishmaniasis the findings could have implications for a range of globally important diseases," Professor Paul Kaye, Director of the Centre for Immunology and Infection, said. "It is particularly exciting that this potential has been discovered in a class of drugs that are already well-established in clinical practice.
"Our research also identifies ways that anti-angiogenic drugs might be used more effectively in the treatment of cancers," he added.The study has been published online by the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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Washington March 16:
Treating vitamin D deficiency with supplements may help to prevent or reduce a person's risk for cardiovascular disease and a host of other chronic conditions, say researchers.
According to two new studies at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah, preventing and treating heart disease in some patients could be as simple as supplementing their diet with extra vitamin D. The finding has been presented at the American College of Cardiology 59th annual scientific session in Atlanta.
"Vitamin D replacement therapy has long been associated with reducing the risk of fractures and diseases of the bone," says Dr. J. Brent Muhlestein, MD, director of cardiovascular research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute. "But our findings show that vitamin D could have far greater implications in the treatment and reduction of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions than we previously thought."
For the first study, researchers followed two groups of patients for an average of one year each. In the first study group, over 9,400 patients, mostly female, reported low initial vitamin D levels, and had at least one follow up exam during that time period. Researchers found that 47 percent of the patients who increased their levels of vitamin D between the two visits showed a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease.
In the second study, researchers placed over 31,000 patients into three categories based on their levels of vitamin D. The patients in each category who increased their vitamin D levels to 43 nanograms per milliliter of blood or higher had lower rates of death, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, high blood pressure, depression, and kidney failure. Currently, a level of 30 nanograms per milliliter is considered "normal."
Heidi May, PhD, a cardiovascular clinical epidemiologist with the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, and one of the study''s authors, says the link between low levels of vitamin D and increased risk for a variety of diseases is significant. "It was very important to discover that the ''normal'' levels are too low. Giving physicians a higher level to look for gives them one more tool in identifying patients at-risk and offering them better treatment," says Dr. May.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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San Diego March 16:
Does weight-loss surgery boost a patient's sex life or libido? Yes, it does, especially when he is suffering from obesity-related erectile dysfunction or ED.
Obese men with ED have low levels of testosterone, and lower still if their girth is greater. Excess abdominal fat, cardiovascular disease, high blood lipids and type-2 diabetes have been associated with ED. "This is a landmark study that shows sexual health is clearly linked to overall health," said Irwin Goldstein, who directs the sexual medicine programme at San Diego's Alvarado Hospital.
However, similar benefits are not as clear for women. Obese women do report more sexual impairment than obese men. Published studies indicate this may be more related to low self-esteem, unsatisfactory relationships, social stigma, and other psychological issues. "A woman's libido can be affected by many factors, such as the stress of caring for a sick relative," Goldstein said. "There is no evidence yet to indicate that weight-loss surgery automatically makes sex better."
He said when it comes to sexual activity, body size doesn't always matter. Thin, healthy people may be perceived as having the best body image and sexual function, but that is not always the case. "There are plenty of sexually active heavy people and sexually inactive thin people," Goldstein said. "I see them everyday in my practice." Then there's the new reflection in the mirror.
A weight loss of 100 pounds or more may leave folds of excess skin. Plastic surgery is effective, but it is costly and not always covered by health insurance. Psychologist Lisa Steres, who provides counselling for bariatric (removal of fat) surgery patients at Alvarado Hospital, says it can take years for a patient's brain to catch up with the new body, said an Alvarado Hospital release.
"Body image greatly impacts libido, particularly in women," Steres said. "Young women typically have better body image, and some women are sexually confident at any size." These findings were recently published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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New Delhi March 16:
An exclusive medical technology -- egg freezing -- is now giving a ray of hope to women seeking motherhood after the age of 40.
Studies have shown that the chances of women getting pregnant after the age of 40 are less especially with one's own eggs. "Egg freezing is a breakthrough technology where eggs from a female are extracted and frozen and preserved to be brought to use when she finally decides to enter motherhood," Dr Hrishikesh Pai, gynaecologist and infertility specialist, Fortis La Femme said.
Claiming that the technology is being taken up in the country for the first time, Pai said, "Preserving their eggs early will not compel them to depend on donated eggs later in life and they can sincerely concentrate on their personal and professional priorities." Pai, however, cautioned, "Anybody interested can consider preserving their eggs till the age of 35 to 37. Not beyond that."
Professionals like lawyers and doctors, mainly career-oriented women who wish to extend their family after a certain age have started preserving their eggs with us, he said, adding that the technology has remained exclusive to cancer patients so far, he said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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Washington March 15:
A University of Florida researcher has urged caution in reducing blood pressure in patients with diabetes and coronary disease.
According to Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff, an associate professor of pharmacy and medicine at UF, new data show an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or death for patients having blood pressure deemed too high or too low. She suggests raising the systolic bar above 120 for blood pressure in patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease, saying that levels between 130 and 140 appear to be the most healthful.
Based on hypertension treatment guidelines, doctors have assumed that with regard to blood pressure, "the lower, the better," Cooper-DeHoff said. But, The International Verapamil SR-Trandolapril study, known as INVEST, suggests that the range considered normal for healthy Americans may actually be risky for those with a combined diagnosis of diabetes and coronary artery disease. Cooper-DeHoff said: "Our data suggest that in patients with both diabetes and coronary artery disease, there is a blood pressure threshold below which cardiovascular risk increases."
Nearly two out of three adults with diabetes have high blood pressure. Normal blood pressure as defined by the American Heart Association is less than 120 systolic and less than 80 diastolic. Blood pressure greater than 140 is still associated with a nearly 50 percent increase in cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes. But efforts to reduce systolic blood pressure to below 130 did not appear to offer any additional benefit to diabetics with coronary artery disease compared with reduction of systolic blood pressure to between 130 and less than 140.
Cooper-DeHoff''s research reveals for the first time that this group of patients also had a similar increase in risk when their blood pressure was controlled to lower than 115 systolic — the range recommended as normal by the American Heart Association. Stephan Brietzke, an endocrinologist who did not participate in the research, said Cooper-DeHoff''s findings parallel recent studies looking at blood sugar control, which suggest a U-shaped curve with higher cardiovascular risks at both "too high" and "too low" extremes. Cooper-DeHoff''s presented the findings of her study on March 14 at the American College of Cardiology''s 59th annual scientific session in Atlanta.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 15,2
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