Name : Rahul Gandhi
India's Congress party-led government has survived a vote of confidence over a civilian nuclear deal with the US. The vote came after the government's left-wing allies withdrew their support in protest at the controversial accord. The government motion received 275 votes with 256 against, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said, hours after adjourning the debate amid claims of vote buying. If the government had lost the vote, India would have faced early elections, casting the nuclear deal in doubt.
Being physically fit could hold back the advance of Alzheimer's disease, US researchers have suggested. Their study, published in the journal Neurology, looked at 121 people aged over 60, around half of them in the early stages of the disease. Those with Alzheimer's who were less fit had four times more signs of brain shrinkage than those who were fit. The Alzheimer's Research Trust said other research showed exercise reduced the risk of dementia.
Some 700,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, with this number predicted to grow quickly over the next two decades, as the proportion of older people in the population increases.
Other studies looking at the relationship between dementia and exercise tend to focus on whether being active can reduce the risk of the condition developing in the first place. Mr Jeffrey Burns, from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, said his was one of the first to look at whether exercise could affect the progress of the illness. His volunteers underwent a treadmill test to see how fit they were and then their brains were scanned for shrinkage, which is one way of measuring the severity of their Alzheimer's.
While there was no relationship between brain size and exercise in people tested who did not have Alzheimer's, Dr Burns said the four-fold difference in those who did was evidence that exercise might help. He said: "People with early Alzheimer's disease may be able to preserve their brain function for a longer period of time by exercising regularly and potentially reducing the amount of brain volume lost. "Evidence shows decreasing brain volume is tied to poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may translate into better cognitive performance." Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients to brain cells. "This is one possible explanation why dementia progresses slower in people who are physically fit. "Exercise also reduces your risk of developing dementia so it's important to take regular exercise. A healthy heart means a healthy brain." Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "This adds to previous research showing that exercise helps reduce the risk of dementia and slows down its onset. "A balanced diet and regular exercise can improve the quality of life of older people with dementia, as well as those who do not have the condition."
Mothers-to-be who eat nuts every day may increase their child's risk of developing asthma by 50%, claim Dutch researchers. Nearly 4,000 pregnant women completed diet questionnaires, and their children were monitored for eight years. The results, published in a US journal, suggest that potent allergens found in some nuts might prime the foetus to be allergy-prone.However, comparing women who ate nuts daily during pregnancy to those who ate them "rarely" consistently pointed to an increased risk, with between a 40% and 60% rise in the chances of wheeze, asthma symptoms in general, and use of steroids. Dr Saskia Willers, from the University of Utrecht, who led the study, said: "While it is too early to make recommendations of avoidance, it is important for pregnant women to eat healthily, and what is true for many foods is that too much is never good." The study examined the effect of eating different types of nuts, including peanuts, which botanically are not a true nut. Peanuts have been closely associated with allergy.
"Peanut is a potent allergen, and peanut allergy is associated with anaphylactic shock and is less likely to be outgrown than other allergies." The research also found lower asthma rates in the children of mothers who ate more fruit during pregnancy. However, researchers suggested that other aspects of a healthier lifestyle followed by these women might be responsible. The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society. Professor John Heffner, a past president of the society, said there was not enough evidence that the nut diet had caused the problem, and he called for more studies. "These findings emphasise the critical importance of additional investigations into the environmental exposures for both mother and child." Leanne Male, from Asthma UK, also said that further studies would be needed before firm dietary advice could be given to pregnant women, as other research had thrown up contradictory results. She said: 'Some studies say that the vitamin E and other health properties nuts contain, especially when consumed as part of a healthy Mediterranean-style diet, can be protective against asthma."
A bank in the Indian city of Calcutta has opened an account for a beggar who deposited 91kg (200lb) of coins in one of the bank's branches. Laxmi Das says she has been saving the coins since she started begging more than 40 years ago as a child disabled by an attack of polio.
"I saved for the days when I cannot beg,". "I knew one day I would grow old and have diseases, so I was prudent and saved for my pension." Now the fruits of her labour from a busy traffic intersection in north Calcutta have been realised. "She can be projected as a role model to encourage people to begin saving," said TK Haldar, manager of the Central Bank of India's Maniktola branch.
Mr Haldar said Ms Das now has a bank account and those who want to help her can send in account payee cheques in her name to his bank branch. Ms Das began begging aged 16 and saved coins in iron buckets at her home in a shanty town near the crossing. In all, she collected four buckets of coins of all denominations. Some were minted as far back as 1961 and were clearly out of date. But bank officials said they would still accept them as legal tender. It took staff - more used to counting notes - three days to count all the coins. "But be it a billionaire or a beggar, our doors are open for all," said bank spokesman Shantanu Neogy. Ms Das was encouraged to deposit the money by police who feared it could have been stolen from her home.
She chose to ignore - or did not know about - a thriving racket in this part of the world in which old Indian coins are smuggled and melted down in Bangladesh to make razor blades that sell for up to seven times their value as coins. The practice has caused an acute coin shortage in eastern India, forcing government mints to cut down on the amount of metal they use to make the coins.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has suspended bowler Mohammad Asif after he tested positive for a banned substance in an Indian Premier League (IPL) game. "In line with our anti-doping policy, we have suspended Mohammad Asif with immediate effect," said PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi. Asif has asked for his 'B' sample to be tested and is awaiting the results.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has dropped the paceman from the list of probables for the Champions Trophy and, if the positive result is upheld, the 25-year-old could face a ban from future IPL seasons. Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, told reporters that Asif would not play for his country "until the matter is resolved". "He will have the right to appeal under the International Cricket Council's anti-doping regulations," he added. "The PCB will offer all the assistance to the IPL drugs tribunal and implement its findings." Only last month Asif, who played for the Delhi Daredevils during the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, was detained at Dubai airport on suspicion of carrying illegal drugs. He was held in Dubai for two weeks before returning to Pakistan after a decision was made not to press charges. "I am shocked and surprised because I was extra cautious and never used any banned substances," said Asif.
In a statement issued on Monday, IPL committee said: "The Indian Premier League confirms the player in violation is Mohammad Asif. "It was also checked if Mr Mohammad Asif had applied for and was granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). It was found that Mr Mohammad Asif had not applied for a TUE. "A note in writing has been sent to the player and his home board and to the franchisee on the findings." The news that Asif has tested positive for a banned substance is the latest in a series of controversial incidents that the player has been involved in.
In 2006, both Asif and fellow Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar were found to have taken the banned steroid Nandrolone after failing internal Pakistani Cricket Board drug tests.
The pair were banned for one and two years respectively, before the ruling was overturned on appeal. In 2007 Asif was involved in a dressing-room altercation, during which he was struck with a bat by Shoaib, who was later sent home from the World Twenty20 tournament. And 2008 has seen him involved in two separate drug offences.
Great interviews arise from careful groundwork. You can ace your next interview if you:
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Avoid Mistakes:
Spelling Mistakes:
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The second important implication is that making just any sort of contribution is not enough. Your contribution has to be meaningful. A meaningful contribution suggests that
You have a good knowledge base
You are able to put forth your arguments logically and are a good communicator.
The quality of what you said is more valuable than the quantity. There is this myth amongst many group discussion participants that the way to succeed in a group discussion is by speaking loudly and at great length. One could not be more wrong. You must have meat in your arguments. Therefore, think things through carefully. Always enter the room with a piece of paper and a pen. In the first two minutes jot down as many ideas as you can. When you jot down points, keep these pointers in mind.If it is a topic where you are expected to take a stand, say for example, "Should India sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty?" note down points for both sides of the argument. It will be useful on two counts -
The reason why an attempt to build a consensus is important is because in most work situations you will have to work with people in a team, accept joint responsibilities and take decisions as a group.
You must demonstrate the fact that you are capable and inclined to work as part of a team.
This time it is not Osama Bin Laden, but his 16-year-old son Hamza Bin Laden being dubbed 'The Crown Prince of Terror', who ranted in his evil ode that the US and UK and their allies must be wiped out. The teenager declared, ''Accelerate the destruction of America, Britain, France and Denmark.'' He said, ''Oh God, reward the fighters hitting the infidels and defectors. Oh God, guide the youth of the Islamic nation and let them assist with the fighters' plans.'' ''God, be pleased with those who want to go for jihad and blind those who are watching and want to capture them,'' he said. Venus and Serena Williams returned to Centre Court hours after the singles final to beat Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur and win the women's doubles. The 11th seeds broke in the third and seventh games to take the first set. After Raymond and Stosur saved break points early in the second set, two successive double faults by Stosur allowed the sisters to break for 3-2. They broke again before Venus served out to love to seal a 6-2 6-2 win and their third Wimbledon doubles title.
The Williams sisters had not dropped a set in this year's Championships and were back on court after Venus had earlier beaten Serena to retain the women's singles title. They dominated after the early break and wrapped up the first set quite easily. They failed to press home their advantage in the third game of the second set, when Raymond and Stosur clawed them back from 15-40 to deuce before going on to hold serve, but it was only a temporary reprieve. They broke again at the next opportunity, after Stosur's first double faults of the match, and never looked back, wrapping up victory in just 59 minutes before a healthy number of spectators.
Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic won their first Grand Slam title as a pair as they beat Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett in the men's doubles final. The second seeds' serving proved decisive as they only conceded one break point in the entire match. By contrast their opponents, especially Bjorkman at times, struggled with their serve and the second seeds sealed a 7-6 (12-10) 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-2 victory.
An American man who was born female but subsequently underwent gender reassignment has given birth to a girl, US media have reported. Thomas Beatie, 34, is legally male but kept his female reproductive organs after having breast surgery to remove glands and flatten his chest.Nearly four million trucks are being kept off India's roads after their owners began an indefinite strike to protest against rising fuel bills. The soaring global price of crude oil has forced the Indian government to cut subsidies and raise prices. Truck operators say they have been hit hard by oil prices which have risen by 40% since the beginning of the year. Trucks carry food and other essential commodities in India. The strike is likely to push up their prices. Analysts say this will add to the double digit inflation and slow down growth in the country. Similar weeklong strike in 2004 slowed down the annual growth in industrial output to 7.9% from 8.4% in the previous month as the strike disrupted shipments.
ODI PARTNERSHIP RECORDS
New Zealand made a 400-plus score for the first time in one-day cricket as they thrashed Ireland by 290 runs in one of the most one-sided matches ever. Brendon McCullum (166) was at one point on course for the first double-ton in ODIs as he and James Marshall (161) added 274 for the first wicket. That shattered New Zealand's previous best for a partnership in one-dayers. Ireland, needing 403, were bowled out for 112 for the biggest loss ever by a side chasing in one-day internationals.
