Press Sense! (1)

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Press Sense - 7 / 3 / 05 : Aspirin Therapy Affects Men, Women Differently

Aspirin Therapy Affects Men, Women Differently
Mon Mar 7, 2005

BOSTON (Reuters) - Taking a baby aspirin may prevent heart attacks in men, but it does little to ward off a first heart attack in women aged 45 to 64, researchers reported Monday.

However, the low-dose aspirin therapy widely recommended for both men and women may reduce the risk of stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain, according to the findings.

The results do not apply to people who are taking aspirin because they have already survived a heart attack.

Until now, doctors have widely recommended low-dose aspirin therapy for both genders, even though that advice was based on studies that mostly included men.

But when researchers tested aspirin on nearly 40,000 women as part of the Women's Health Study, they found the women who received a placebo were no more likely to have a first heart attack than those who regularly took aspirin for 10 years.

"Aspirin had no significant effect on the risk of fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction (heart attack)," said the team, led by Paul Ridker of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

But women who took 100 milligrams of aspirin every other day -- the equivalent of taking one baby aspirin each day -- were 24 percent less likely to have an ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke caused when blood can't get to the brain.

That benefit came with a price.

The women who were taking aspirin were 40 percent more likely to develop serious stomach or intestinal bleeding that required a transfusion.

Among the 4,097 women in the study over 64, regular aspirin use began to show a clear benefit, cutting the risk of ischemic stroke by 30 percent and the chance of heart attack by 34 percent.

"Age significantly modified the effect of aspirin," the researchers said.

Previous research on men showed regular aspirin use reduced the risk of having a heart attack by 32 percent, yet did not seem to affect the likelihood of a stroke.

Ridker and his colleagues said the findings "clearly demonstrate the importance of studying women as well as men in major cardiovascular clinical trials."
...


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http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=7826967

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Press Sense - 8 / 3 / 05 : Sivaratri Focus On Srikalahasti Temple

Sivaratri Focus On Srikalahasti Temple

TIRUPATI, MARCH 7. The famous Srikalahasteeswara Swamy temple at Srikalahasti situated on the banks of the river Swarnamukhi, 40 km from here, has been spruced up for Sivaratri tomorrow. The portals of the temple and its environs were tastefully illuminated with serial lamps and thematic cut-outs depicting legends from the holy Siva Puranam.

The pilgrim influx into the temple is expected to touch its peak-- nearly a lakh tomorrow -- when devotees from all over South India would converge at the shrine for a glimpse of the deity on Sivaratri. The temple authorities have made elaborate arrangements to regulate the inflow and ensure an orderly darshan of the Lord to the visiting pilgrims.

VIPs Galore

Meanwhile, VIPs also have been thronging the temple, which is in the midst of its annual Brahmothsavam. Among the VIPs who offered prayers in the temple today, a day ahead of Sivaratri, were the Union Finance Minister, [bP.Chidambaram[/b], and ace police officer and the former STF chief, Vijayakumar, who was responsible for gunning down the forest brigand, Veerappan, last year.


Visit:
http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/08/stories ... 500500.htm

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Press Sense - 9 / 3 / 05 : Sehwag Rampage Puts India In Control

Mohali Test: Sehwag Rampage Puts India In Control

MOHALI, Mar 9 (PTI) Virender Sehwag gave a ruthless exhibition of strokeplay with an unbeaten 95 as India took firm control of the first cricket Test against arch rivals Pakistan on a rain-hit second day.

After three and half hours of play were lost due to persistent drizzle, Sehwag set the PCA stadium ablaze with his strokes to steer the home team to a comfortable 184 for one at close, 128 runs adrift of Pakistan's first innings total.

The dashing Sehwag cracked his ninth Test half century and was was batting on 95 with a confident Rahul Dravid giving him company on 39 before the day's play was called off due to bad light.

Sehwag and his opening partner Gautam Gambhir (41) provided a blazing start to the innings as they put on 113 runs for the first wicket and the Indian batsmen maintained the tempo scoring at a brisk pace to make amends for the lost time.

None of the Pakistani bowlers could make much of an impression despite the cloudy conditions as Sehwag launched his assault to enthrall a sizable crowd on a murky but satisfying day for the hosts.
- PTI



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http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf

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Press Sense - 10 / 3 / 05 : No Problem for LPG Use in Vehicles

HYDERABAD, MARCH 10.t: No Problem for LPG Use in Vehicles

Fuel conversion to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is being implemented in the twin cities and Ranga Reddy district for cars and two-wheelers without a problem -- technical or administrative.

Stating this in the Assembly on Wednesday in reply to a question by M. Ranga Reddy (Congress), the Transport Minister, S. Santosh Reddy, said permission for fuel conversion had been given so far to 3,800 cars and 2,582 two-wheelers in these areas.

All these vehicles were 1991 models. Eight LPG filling stations had been opened for them.
- The Hindu



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http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/10/stories ... 960300.htm

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Press Sense - 11 / 3 / 05 : Move Your Bottom and Beat Infertility

Hyderabad, March 10:: Move Your Bottom and Beat Infertility

Sedentary employees and frequent travellers beware! According to a study by a team of city doctors, people who sit for long hours at work and those who travel long distances quite frequently are more susceptible to impotency or loss of sexual vigour than people on the move.
- DC



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http://deccan.com/home/homedetails.asp# ... nfertility

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Press Sense - 12 / 3 / 05 : Fanning The Fire

Fanning The Fire

"Oye, othe ghar nu aag lagi hai". (Oye, there is a house on fire).
"Saanu ki?" (How am I bothered?)
"O tuhada ghar hai". (That is your house)
"Te pher, tuhanu ki?" (So then why are you bothered?)
- SUNDEEP DOUGAL Web | Mar 11, 2005



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http://outlookindia.com/

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Press Sense - 13 / 3 / 05 : China, Greenspan Rub Salt on Dollar Wound

China, Greenspan Rub Salt on Dollar Wound

Dollar jitters continue, with none other than Alan Greenspan now warning that the party may be over for the greenback as foreign investors tire of paying for the US's uncontrollable fiscal deficit and consider shifting to other currencies. Reports reveal that China has been doing that for quite some time now, reducing its dollar holdings from 82% in 2003 to 76% in 2004.



Visit:
http://atimes.com/

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Press Sense - 13 / 3 / 05 : China, Greenspan Rub Salt on Dollar Wound

China, Greenspan Rub Salt on Dollar Wound

Dollar jitters continue, with none other than Alan Greenspan now warning that the party may be over for the greenback as foreign investors tire of paying for the US's uncontrollable fiscal deficit and consider shifting to other currencies. Reports reveal that China has been doing that for quite some time now, reducing its dollar holdings from 82% in 2003 to 76% in 2004.



Visit:
http://atimes.com/

[HH]

Press Sense - 16 / 3 / 05 : 2 Arrested For Taking Cell Picture

2 Arrested For Taking Cell Picture

Hyderabad, March 15: Humayunnagar police arrested two persons on eve teasing charges for taking photographs of a woman with their mobile phone camera on Monday evening. Though cellphone cameras had created furore over the country, this is the first time that anyone in the State has been arrested for this crime.

The arrested were identified as Mohammed Intiyaz and J Vijay Kumar, both residents of Langerhouz. They run vegetable shops at Rythu Bazaar in Medhidipatnam. Police booked the case as per the complaint lodged by the victim, a resident of Balreddy Colony in Tolichowki and a lecturer in Sharada Vidyalaya.

“She caught the duo clicking pictures and informed officials at Rythu Bazaar,” said Humayunnagar Inspector S V R Nayak. “They called us up and we arrested the two offenders.” Police did not seize the mobile phone. “We have released them on bail,” said Nayak.



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http://www.deccan.com/home/homedetails. ... %20picture

[HH]

Press Sense - 17 / 3 / 05 : Iraq's Post-Saddam Parliament Opens Without Deal On Government

Iraq's Post-Saddam Parliament Opens Without Deal On Government (17/03/2005)

BAGHDAD (AFP)

Iraq opened a new 275-member national assembly but politicians failed to form a unity government in the landmark session, just days before the second anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Wednesday's inauguration won praise from US President George W. Bush, who said it was "a bright moment in what is a process toward writing of a constitution, ratification of a constitution, and elections".

As the milestone 90-minute session began, a pair of mortars or rockets hit the sealed-off enclave of US and Iraqi institutions where the Baghdad ceremony was being held, but the US military reported no casualties.

The historic inauguration, coming six weeks after elections, was largely ceremonial amid the political stalemate between the Kurds and Shiites.

Haggling over Kurdish claims on the ethnically-divided, oil-rich city of Kirkuk and the status of their peshmerga militia was helping stall progress on key Cabinet appointments.

The Shiite candidate for prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, said it could take another fortnight but denied that the talks had hit a brick wall.

But the landmark parliament session served as a forum for Islamists, secular Iraqis, Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis to stake out their positions ahead of their main task of drafting Iraq's permanent constitution.


Visit:
http://www.afp.com/english/home/

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Press Sense - 17 / 3 / 05 : Iraq's Post-Saddam Parliament Opens Without Deal On Government

Iraq's Post-Saddam Parliament Opens Without Deal On Government (17/03/2005)

BAGHDAD (AFP)

Iraq opened a new 275-member national assembly but politicians failed to form a unity government in the landmark session, just days before the second anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Wednesday's inauguration won praise from US President George W. Bush, who said it was "a bright moment in what is a process toward writing of a constitution, ratification of a constitution, and elections".

As the milestone 90-minute session began, a pair of mortars or rockets hit the sealed-off enclave of US and Iraqi institutions where the Baghdad ceremony was being held, but the US military reported no casualties.

The historic inauguration, coming six weeks after elections, was largely ceremonial amid the political stalemate between the Kurds and Shiites.

Haggling over Kurdish claims on the ethnically-divided, oil-rich city of Kirkuk and the status of their peshmerga militia was helping stall progress on key Cabinet appointments.

The Shiite candidate for prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, said it could take another fortnight but denied that the talks had hit a brick wall.

But the landmark parliament session served as a forum for Islamists, secular Iraqis, Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis to stake out their positions ahead of their main task of drafting Iraq's permanent constitution.


Visit:
http://www.afp.com/english/home/

[HH]

Press Sense - 18 / 3 / 05 : Jackson Singled Out Young Boys, Ex-Maid Says

Jackson Singled Out Young Boys, Ex-Maid Says - Fri Mar 18, 2005

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (Reuters) - Michael Jackson took a special interest in a number of young boys including his teen-age accuser and actor Macaulay Culkin, the pop icon's former maid testified on Thursday, describing his Neverland ranch as a "Pinocchio's pleasure island" for children.

Kiki Fournier, who worked for Jackson between 1991 and 2003 and testified for prosecutors in his sex abuse trial, named 10 adolescent boys whom the star singled out for close friendships over the years at the ranch.

"With an absence of authority figures these children became pretty wild," said Fournier, describing her experience at the 2,800-acre Neverland Valley Ranch in the central California foothills that features a zoo, amusement park and arcade.

"Without parents it became like Pinocchio's pleasure island sometimes."

Fournier said children at Neverland were allowed to eat whatever they wanted, stay up late and spend their time playing video games or watching movies.

On at least three occasions she said she saw children who appeared to be drunk. Once while serving dinner to Jackson and about five children, she said, she suspected that the self-proclaimed "King of Pop" and at least three of the youths were intoxicated ... *****



Visit:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=7943257

***** ... Too Sickening ... So Called "Celebrity" Lives

[HH]

Press Sense - 19 / 3 / 05 : $27 Million Lottery Winner Rushes Back to Work

$27 Million Lottery Winner Rushes Back to Work - Fri Mar 18, 2005

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's biggest individual lottery winner had no time to celebrate after becoming 20.4 million euros ($27 million) richer, because he was too worried about being late for work.

When the salesman, who was not identified by WestLotto, arrived Thursday to buy his weekly lottery ticket at a shop in the industrial Ruhr area he was told last week's 12-euro ticket that he hadn't bothered to check had won the jackpot.

The man's reaction left the lottery operator dumbfounded.

"After he was told he had won the jackpot, he said he didn't have time to chat because he would get into trouble with his boss*****," a lottery spokesman in the western city of Muenster said. Instead, he rushed off to catch a bus to work.

There were few details about the lucky man, a pigeon-lover in his 30s, except that he planned to trade in his rented apartment for something a little bigger in the country. It was not known if he would stay on in his job as a salesman.

Visit:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=7944710

***** ... "Vaddantey Dabbu" ! ... "Dabbu Vastundi ... Potundi" ... "Udyogamey ... Sadyogamu" ...

[HH]

Press Sense - 20 / 3 / 05 : Jinnah's Unfulfilled Vision -
The Idea of Pakistan

Jinnah's Unfulfilled Vision - The Idea of Pakistan - Mar 19, 2005

Stephen Cohen concludes his new book***** The Idea of Pakistan with an ominous sentence, to the effect that Washington has "one last opportunity to ensure that this troubled state will not become America's biggest foreign-policy problem in the last half of this decade". For those looking for inspiration to avail themselves of this opportunity to set things right in Pakistan, this book has much to offer.
# In some ways, this book is a companion piece to Cohen's India: Emerging Power that appeared three years ago. But in other ways, it extends the work that began with The Pakistan Army, a book that was banned in Pakistan when it came out in 1984.
# Nothing generates more controversy among Pakistanis and Pakistan-watchers than the idea of Pakistan. Some opine that it was a bad idea to begin with, while others argue that it went awry because of faulty implementation.
# Cohen's book is likely to get a cold reception in Pakistan, where anyone questioning the idea of Pakistan is viewed as unpatriotic. But it will be read with great interest in Britain, China, India, Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and, most particularly, in the United States.
# Cohen discusses how the state of Pakistan came to be ruled by an oligarchy composed of the army, the civil bureaucracy and the landowning class (called feudal lords in Pakistan). Reflecting on Pakistan's troubled history, he is moved to quote from Aristotle, who in his classic work on Politics regarded oligarchy as the evil twin of aristocracy, one of three forms of government along with monarchy and polity. The book concludes with a presentation of future scenarios and an assessment of US policy options.
# Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who came to be known as the Quaid-e-Azam (great leader), was the founder of Pakistan. He brought to fruition the idea of Pakistan that was first put forward by the great poet and philosopher of India, Allama Muhammad Iqbal. As Cohen says, the Quaid had the vision of a secular, liberal and democratic nation state that would serve the needs of the Muslims of British India.
# Cohen says there are at least three potentially conflicting visions of Pakistan: a state for the Muslims of South Asia, an Islamic state and a democratic state. Some would argue that this ambiguity and conflict are captured in the official name of the country, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
# Cohen argues cogently that the pursuit of Kashmir has done more damage to the nation-state of Pakistan than any other single issue. In his other writings, he has argued that Pakistan's dispute with India is more than just a quarrel involving a piece of territory: it is a dispute about national ideology. One wishes he had expanded upon this line of reasoning in this book.
# The Pakistani army has to shoulder the responsibility for bringing terrorism into the social fabric of the Pakistani nation-state, but the blame must also rest on the shoulders of Washington, which bought into the army's strategy of using the mujahideen in the covert war against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
# Cohen contends that there was confusion from the very beginning about the idea of Pakistan but stops short of pronouncing judgment on whether the idea was good or bad to begin with. Others have been less circumspect in concluding that it was a bad idea. Altaf Hussain, who leads a large political party in Pakistan, gave a speech in New Delhi recently in which he said, "The idea of Pakistan was dead at its inception, when the majority of Muslims chose to stay back after partition, a truism reiterated in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971."
# The book lays out six scenarios of the near-to-mid-term future: (1) continuation of the status quo, which involves rule by an establishment-dominated oligarchic system, (2) liberal, secular democracy, (3) soft authoritarianism, (4) an Islamist state, (5) divided Pakistan and (6) postwar Pakistan.
# Given the author's standing as a veteran South Asian analyst, the book will be widely read in the corridors of power throughout the globe. It presents a US view of Pakistan, an increasingly apprehensive view, but one that can only be ignored by the military rulers in Islamabad at their own peril.

- Ahmad Faruqui

***** BOOK REVIEW :
"The Idea of Pakistan" by Stephen Cohen. Washington 2004: Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0-8157-1502-1. Price US$32.95; 382 pages.


Visit:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC19Df04.html

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Press Sense - 23 / 3 / 05 : The Puss of the Baskervilles?

The Puss of the Baskervilles? - Tue Mar 22, 2005

LONDON (Reuters) - A London man trying to coax his cat back into the house before he went to bed got more than he bargained for.

Instead of a tame pussy, the cat-like creature that emerged from the bushes in response to his calls was nearer the size of a Labrador dog.

Neither was the snarling beast in the mood for a quiet bowl of milk. It flew at the man, giving him the fright of his life, and several nasty scratches.

The man alerted police after scrambling back into his house.

Officers who visited the scene soon afterwards believe they saw the culprit.

"One police officer believes they saw a large black cat-like animal approximately the same size as a Labrador dog," a police spokesman said.

London Zoo was contacted for advice later on Tuesday morning and schools were alerted.

So far, no further sightings have been reported.

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http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=7973436

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Press Sense - 24 / 3 / 05 : Water Conflicts Spiralling: Report

Water Conflicts Spiralling: Report - Tue Mar 22, 2005

HYDERABAD, MARCH 23 -From sparking off a family discord over sharing of a borewell to inter-State and trans-boundary disputes, water conflicts in India are assuming dangerous proportions both in scale and complexity requiring urgent dialogue and resolution, says a preliminary report documenting 68 such case studies across the country.

The Report "Compendium of Case Studies On Water Conflicts in India," prepared by Society for Promoting Participate Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM) was presented to the National Policy Dialogue Meeting on Water Conflicts at ICRISAT here on Tuesday. The meeting was organised by the Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts, a network promoted by the World Wide Fund for Nature, International, coinciding with World Water Day. Representatives from the judiciary, Government, political parties, NGOs and media attended the meeting.

Clash at Various Levels

The illustrative report says the conflicts and tensions around water have been on the rise. They are taking place at various levels -- around inter-state and sharing of rivers, inter and intra-basin sharing, big dams, tanks, canal command areas, distributaries and pipe outlets. Yet the existing legal frameworks and institutional mechanisms nor the alternative practices like watershed development is able to cope with the growing number and the kind of conflicts.

Individuals, communities and the State have to pay a heavy price. The sporadic violence almost ritually seen every year in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery water is an eloquent example. They have had equally serious repercussions on the health of ecosystems and the livelihood of communities.

Presenting the report, K. J. Joy of SOPPECOM said pollution was found to be a major cause of water conflict in ten cases, Eloor in Kerala, Noyyal in Tamil Nadu and Kolleru in Andhra Pradesh being some of them. Mining and sand excavation was the cause in six, including Paapagani in Andhra Pradesh, Baliraja Dam in Maharashtra and Nadanvara Dam in Madhya Pradesh. Within dams, faulty design and displacement ignited conflict in six cases.

Caste Factor

Caste continued to be cause of water conflict in some cases, the classic one being between Dalits and upper castes in the villages of Mangaon taluk of Raigad district in Maharashtra. All these villages were located close to Mahad where B. R. Ambedkar led the famous Chavdar Tank Satyagraha, to give Dalits the right to access public sources of water, 76 years ago.
- K. Venkateshwarlu
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http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/24/stories ... 120500.htm

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Press Sense - 25 / 3 / 05 : Most-Corrupt Departments *****

Most-Corrupt Departments *****

Mumbai, February 17: WHEN a former police commissioner lists some of
the biggest government departments as the most corrupt, it's time to
worry.

Dr P S Pasricha, Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), listed Revenue, Police, Sales Tax, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra State Electricity Board as among the most corrupt state government departments. So does that leave anyone at all?

It leaves names like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development
Authority, the Road Transport Office and the Excise Department—they
make up the rest of the list.

Pasricha was addressing a press conference on Thursday at the ACB's
Worli office and said ACB traps are 100 per cent accurate but
conviction rates are only 35 per cent to 37 per cent. This year's two
high-profile corruption arrests were of IPS officer Rahul Gopal and
the director of Mahananda Dairy, Shivaji Talekar.

Pasricha said low conviction ratios were mainly due to ''lengthy court
procedures that see the complainant withdrawing the case or losing
interest, or the accused intimidating the complainant.''

Besides laying traps, the ACB also investigates Disproportionate
Assets, where success rates are dismal due to lack of information.
Pasricha requested the public to come forward with leads, promising
action as well as confidentiality for informers. Pasricha also said
the ACB now has an internal vigilance cell to keep a watch on its own
men.
- Express News Service

***** ... What About Our LOCAL "Friends Of Everyone" ...

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Press Sense - 27 / 3 / 05 : Phone Shaadi Unites Pak Star, Indian Beauty

Phone Shaadi Unites Pak Star, Indian Beauty

Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik married a Hyderabad girl over the phone two years ago. The handsome Malik and Maha (Ayesha to friends and family) of Hyderabad met in Dubai and fell in love. They conducted their nikah over phone — he in distant Sialkot and she in Hyderabad. His parents knew about the marriage though. Malik is in India with the 16-member Pakistan squad but he has not been playing because of his suspect bowling action. He is likely to visit the city next week and will meet his bride’s folks.

- DC, 27 Mar 2005

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http://www.deccan.com/
http://www.deccan.com/home/homedetails. ... n%20beauty

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Press Sense - 28 / 3 / 05 : Laughter, the Best Medicine for Indo-Pak Ties

Laughter, the Best Medicine for Indo-Pak Ties : Monday March 28 2005

NEW DELHI: Do not be afraid of laughing at yourself if you care for the health of India-Pakistan relations. If more Indians and Pakistanis could laugh together, peace and harmony will be easier to achieve, says Faiza Kazi, an actress and the mentor of the visiting Karachi-based Grips Theatre Group.

"People are the same everywhere. We can spread harmony better if we do not shy away from laughing at our foibles and pretensions," says Kazi, who has a robust faith in the therapeutic power of pure laughter sans malice.

Grips Theatre is in the capital to stage "Lines Out of Control" - an irreverent satire on the power-besotted world swarming with inanities. The play, on Sunday night at the India Habitat Centre, takes potshots at just about everything, including cricket mania, the American postures on Iraq and Iran and India-Pakistan relations.

"Political satire has a big role in exposing the powerful and focussing on gut issues that really matter to people," says Kazi, a teacher by profession.

"We are patriotic Pakistanis who love to make others laugh but our barbs are such that no one takes umbrage at them," she clarifies, while unravelling the increasingly open nature of Pakistani society.

"Our plays have been huge hits with even the victims of our barbs, including Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, eagerly showing up for our performances," Kazi told IANS. She loves to recount the laugh riot Grips' play "Mush Nahin To Kucch Nahin" sparked when it was staged in Karachi.

Another myth Kazi loves to puncture is the stereotype of Pakistani woman clad in burqa (veil). "Nothing could be more distorting than the burqa myth. Some of the strongest women in the world are Pakistani women," she asserts.

Mishi Khan, a television actress and game show host, is all praise for Musharraf for being so hospitable to the muse of satire.

"Musharraf is cool. He is the coolest president we have ever had," says the actress, who shot to national stardom in Pakistan with her role in the eponymous serial "Aroosa".

She also got rave reviews for her portrayal of Monica Lewinsky in "Bill To Pagal Hai" - a rip-roaringly hilarious play that comically recreates the sex scandal that nearly cost former US President Bill Clinton his presidency.

Shah Rukh Khan can also do wonders for India-Pakistan relations, says the actress, who loves all the Khans (Amir, Salman et al) who are ruling stars in Bollywood. "He creates magic on the screen and is the only celebrity whose popularity cuts across generations in Pakistan," she says in the tone of a breathless fan.

Mishi Khan is all for more cultural contacts between the two countries that are slowly dismantling stereotypes and making peace a real possibility. "Artists, singers and actors have no boundaries. Nothing is impossible if we set our heart on it," says the actor, who is looking forward to a taste of real India in Delhi's Chandni Chowk area, eating, shopping and talking.

Kazi, too, believes in the power of creative people to dissolve boundaries.

"Art, music and theatre fosters a better relationship and helps in demolishing prejudices," says Kazi, for whom her passage to India is a provocation to rediscover her roots in places like Aligarh, Rampur and Surat that still house members of her extended family.

- NIE, 28 Mar 2005

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http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.as ... e&Topic=0&

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Press Sense - 29 / 3 / 05 : The US Comes Out Fighting With F-16s

The US Comes Out Fighting With F-16s : South Asia
Mar 29, 2005

Islamabad is elated, India is miffed: the decision by the United States***** to sell F-16 strike fighters to Pakistan involves much more than a simple sale of arms - important geostrategic undercurrents are at play involving not only the Indian sub-continent, but also China.

# ... Bush ***** offered a significant upgrade of India-US strategic ties. Reports indicate that the US has offered F/A-18 Hornet fighter planes to India, which are considered to be more advanced than F-16s.
# G Parthasarathy, former Indian ambassador to Pakistan, was quoted as saying, "India cannot ignore the first-ever US offer of co-production of a major weapons system and platform and expanding cooperation in nuclear energy and space."

- Kaushik Kapisthalam, Asia Times Online

Visit:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC29Df03.html

***** For Uncle Sam ... It's ... "bUS-I-ness" ... as ever ... Pakistan / India / China & Other Countries All Over The World ... Please Note!

[HH]

Press Sense - 30 / 3 / 05 : Senior Seer Misses Death By A Whisker

Senior Seer Misses Death By A Whisker : Wednesday March 30 2005

CHENNAI: The Shankaracharya of Kanchi mutt, Jayendra Saraswathi, had a brush with death when his van crossed an unmanned level crossing near Arni, just a 'few seconds' before a passenger train passed on the track.

The Southern Railway has instituted an 'internal probe' into the incident which occurred on Monday night near Arni in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, railway and police sources said here on Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 7.30 pm on Monday night when the vehicle carrying the seer went through the unmanned***** level crossing at Pinvalathur in Arni taluk. The Vellore-Villupuram passenger train passed on the track, just 15-20 seconds after the seer's vehicle had crossed.

Jayendra was in Arni area visiting various temples and performing poojas.

- NIE, March 30, 2005 : PTI

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http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.as ... u&Topic=0&

***** unmanned level crossing ... ... Man Made Disaster Avoided ... My God! ...

[HH]

Press Sense - 6 / 4 / 05 : No More ‘Prisons’ to Choose Next Pope

No More ‘Prisons’ to Choose Next Pope, thanks to amendments by John Paul : Wednesday April 6 2005

VATICAN CITY: Once cardinals were locked up like prisoners with no running water and one bathroom between five until they picked a new Pope. When they finally made a decision, they announced it with a stream of white smoke.

But when the red-clad cardinals meet this month to choose the next pontiff, it will be a different kind of conclave.

Thanks to changes made by Pope John Paul, who died on Saturday, there will be more modern quarters, helpers to do the washing and cardinals will be allowed to move about the walled Vatican City and even stroll in its gardens.

When a new pope is chosen, the Vatican will not just burn ballot papers but ring the great bells of St. Peter's Basilica so there is no confusion among the crowds of faithful and media who will be scrutinizing the sky for black or white smoke.

"This time it's a looser lock-up," Archbishop Piero Marini, the Vatican's Master of Ceremonies, told reporters on Tuesday.

"Before, cardinals were shut inside, the windows were sealed, they shared bathrooms. In some ways it was easier as they were all corralled in to make a decision but there were many difficulties -- the poor men couldn't get out," he said.

The spartan conditions of the conclave -- from the Latin "cum clave" (with a key) -- were imposed to force cardinals to make a decision quickly and avoid a repeat of a 13th century election that took 2 years, 9 months and 2 days.

In the 21st century, they will stay in a new hotel inside the Vatican which looks out onto gardens and the back of the basilica, and have a short walk to the Sistine Chapel to vote.

The world-famous chapel, home to Michelangelo's most renowned frescoes, is inside the Vatican museums and will be closed from April 7 to allow preparations for the conclave, the Vatican announced on Tuesday.

TIMES CHANGE, SECRECY REMAINS

Although some of the traditions are changing, secrecy will still be strictly policed.

Cardinals may not use phones, listen to the radio, watch television or speak to anybody apart from other cardinal electors about the voting. In short, no outside influence should sway their thinking, only the Holy Spirit.

Anybody caught bugging the Sistine Chapel to get a break on the voting will be "subject to grave penalties" decided by the future pope.

Any cardinal found bribing his peers to win votes will be excommunicated or thrown out of the Church. The same fate awaits any of the cleaners, cooks, doctors or confessors serving the cardinals who communicate anything to or from the outside world.

Only cardinals below the age of 80 -- there are 117 at the moment -- can vote for a pope. The conclave's start date has not yet been picked but must fall between April 17 and April 22.

After the twice-daily sessions, votes are counted and if no-one has the necessary majority, the ballots are burned in a stove with an additive to make black smoke pour out of a small metal chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel.

A different additive is used to make the smoke white when a pope is chosen.

In a 1978 conclave, confusion reigned when something went wrong in the ballot burning and the smoke came out grey.

"The stove ritual will remain the same but we will try to make it work better than last time," Marini said. "The bells will also peal out joyfully so journalists don't have any doubt."

- Reuters :

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http://www.newindpress.com/popejohnpaul ... Sub=&Cat=&

[HH]

Press Sense - 9 / 4 / 05 : Kashmiris Hope Bus Service Takes Road To Peace

Kashmiris Hope Bus Service Takes Road To Peace
: Saturday April 9 2005

SRINAGAR: Kashmiris hailed on Friday a historic bus service between Indian and Pakistani Kashmir as a concrete step towards resolving the vexed territorial dispute and said militant separatists should not be allowed to disrupt it.

Analysts praised India and Pakistan for what they said was the determination of the nuclear-armed rivals to go ahead with the bus launch on Thursday, the first to connect the two Kashmirs in nearly 60 years, despite threats from militants.

But they said New Delhi and Islamabad -- who have fought two wars over Kashmir -- still had a long way to go to untie the Kashmir knot, as they had yet to show much inclination to move from entrenched diplomatic positions despite the hype and celebrations over the transport link.

"I was crying with joy when I saw television pictures of the bus crossing over to this side," Pakiza Carrim, 25, a sociology student at a university in Srinagar, said. "Kashmiris have won half of the battle."

"Now, it is the sincerity of the two countries that will make a difference to the future of Kashmir. I wish this bus runs daily," she said, a day after the first fortnightly service rolled into Srinagar from across a military ceasefire line.

Nineteen Indian Kashmiris, mostly elderly, on Thursday defied separatist threats and crossed a "Peace Bridge" across a military line that divided them for more than half a century, hours after 31 Pakistanis walked into the Indian side for an emotional reunion with relatives.

Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistani Kashmir, erupted into spontaneous celebrations as the first passengers broke down with joy over seeing their dear ones, many of them for the first time.

"It is a great step towards peace," said Adbul Hamid Bhat, a businessman in Srinagar. "Kashmir is a more than 50-year problem and things will not change overnight. Some elements will oppose it for their vested interests but let's go ahead."

Newspapers in India and Pakistan were also upbeat.

"The determination shown by India and Pakistan to go ahead with the bus service in the face of terrorism is praiseworthy," Pakistani daily The News said in an editorial on Friday.

"It will send an unambiguous message to the shadowy groups that there will be no bowing to terrorism."

NO REDRAWING OF MAP

A day before the service was launched, militants fighting against Indian rule in the Himalayan region staged a suicide attack on a heavily guarded government complex sheltering the Indian passengers, torching the building.

None of the passengers were injured but five pulled out subsequently.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the bus had opened a door and it was the beginning of a new phase for Kashmir.

Singh, who flagged off the bus, is due to hold talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in New Delhi this month to boost a slow peace process between the neighbours.

- Reuters :

Visit:
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.as ... pic=%2D391

[HH]

Press Sense - 9 / 4 / 05 : 'That's No Camel, That's My Baggage!'

'That's No Camel, That's My Baggage!'
: Fri Apr 8, 2005

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A baggage handler wearing a camel suit taken from a passenger's luggage has left Qantas Airways red-faced, with Australia's national carrier investigating a potentially embarrassing security lapse.

Passenger David Cox complained after he saw a baggage handler driven across the Sydney airport tarmac Wednesday wearing the camel suit that had been packed into the baggage he had checked in only minutes earlier.

Cox, a marketing manager, had checked the camel suit and a crocodile costume onto Qantas flight 425 from Sydney to Melbourne in a large bag which had been marked to say it was carrying animal costumes.

He said he was standing near his boarding gate and at first thought nothing when a child said "there's a guy with a moose head." But then he looked up and saw his camel costume.

"I obviously was flabbergasted. My jaw dropped to the ground," Cox told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said Friday the incident was being investigated. A baggage handler had been identified on closed-circuit television and faced disciplinary action that could include dismissal.

"What has happened is completely unacceptable and is unacceptable to the vast majority of decent, hard-working Qantas employees," Dixon said in a statement.

"We are acutely aware of heightened community concerns around the security of baggage," he said.


Visit:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=8126944

[HH]

Press Sense - 11 / 4 / 05 : Expo Highlights Health Aspects Of Mother, Child

Expo Highlights Health Aspects Of Mother, Child

HYDERABAD : APRIL 11 Do you know that one mother falls into the clutch of ignorance and gradually, of death, every five minutes in India? Or that in 2002 alone, 1.36 lakh maternal deaths were reported in India? Imagine the larger number that could have gone unreported.

With the country, and the State in particular, suffering from low awareness levels on pre and post-natal care, the Osmania Medical College Doctors' Forum (OMCDF) has come forward, in collaboration with the Family Planning Association of India, to encourage institutional deliveries and reduce infant and maternal mortalities. The effort is in the form of an exhibition on Maternal and Child Health at the Health Museum in Public Gardens.

The expo, which is also part of the Health Fortnight being observed from April 7 to 21, runs on the theme `Make Every Mother and Child Count' and will be open daily from 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.


Visit:
http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/12/stories ... 570300.htm