2014, സെപ്റ്റംബർ 7, ഞായറാഴ്‌ച

Obesity causes stroke — Expert

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A neurosurgeon, Dr. Biodun Ogungbo, tellsARUKAINO UMUKORO why stroke can also affect young people
What is stroke?
Stroke is simply the ack of blood supply to a part of the brain. The brain needs constant and continuous blood supply since it does not store food or nutrients. Hence, any sudden interference with blood supply will cause injury or death to the brain tissue.
What are the major causes of stroke?
The major or leading cause of stroke in Nigeria is hypertension. Hypertension damages the vessels carrying blood to the brain. It can lead to narrowing of the vessels, complete occlusion of the vessels or rupture leading to bleeding into the brain. Other causative factors of blood vessels damage are: diabetes, sickle cell disease and smoking.
What are the signs and symptoms of stroke?
Stroke is sudden weakness of an arm or a leg, sudden blindness, sudden severe headaches, confusion or difficulty walking. It is most often sudden, as if someone switched off the blood supply to the part of the brain affected.
Stroke is usually associated with old age, but now it also affects younger people, what is the cause of this?
Stroke can actually affect anybody and any age. It can affect the rich, poor, rural or urban dwellers. It affects Christians, Muslims or traditional religion adherents. It is more common in older people and more common as we get older. This is because of the damage to our blood vessels by hypertension, diabetes and obesity over time.
Which age group is most at risk of having stroke and why?
Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more people in their 40s and 50s suffer from stroke in Nigeria. I suppose this is because our life expectancy is pretty low and these age groups are actually ‘old people’ in Nigeria. In younger people, below the age of 20, stroke is often due to congenital conditions that they were born with, things such as sickle cell disease and abnormalities of the blood vessels themselves. Above the age of 20, lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, sedentary living, lack of exercise, and hypertension take over as the major causes.
Does age affect the recovery of someone who suffered a stroke?
Younger people do better than older people and their powers of recovery of more functions are higher. Stroke patients can recover fully if treated early. This is why we advocate early presentation or transfer to a hospital, early identification that a stroke has occurred and early treatment in the hospital. Everything must be done to reopen the blood vessels that are blocked or to remove the bleeding from the brain to prevent permanent injury or death.
Are there particular diets for people who have had stroke or are recovering from stroke?
People who have had a stroke need special diets depending on the cause of the stroke and the underlying disease. For example, those with diabetes need less sugar and starchy foods, those with hypertension require less salt in their food and others may need less fat and weight reduction programmes. Stroke affects different people in different ways and the treatment is specially developed for each person.
How can one avoid having a stroke?
The key strategies are actually pretty simple. People must know what stroke is and that it can be prevented. The prevention is to watch the dirt and keep the weight down. This reduces the level of fat in the body and layers of fat that may obstruct the blood vessels of the brain. It is also important to control the diseases that lead to stroke. These include hypertension, diabetes and sickle cell disease. Regular exercise and not smoking are also vitally important.
Can stroke be cured?
Stroke can be prevented in most cases but rarely cured. The most important is the prevention of the first stroke and then prevention of further strokes. The risk factors must be identified and managed expertly and by the affected person to prevent further strokes. Minor strokes are sadly, a harbinger of bigger and worse strokes and must not be ignored. Minor strokes are warning signs that the person is predisposed to having a stroke and must be managed effectively by doctors to prevent a bigger stroke. Anyone with symptoms of stroke must go to the hospital immediately. Churches, pastors and herbalists cannot treat or cure stroke. Even doctors cannot cure stroke, but we do the best we can to limit the damage and prevent further strokes.
Are there available statistics for the number of stroke sufferers in Nigeria?
We do not have good, reliable statistics because such research is not funded. So, we cannot reliably say the number of Nigerians suffering a stroke each day, hour or minute. This is sad and does not help with planning or resource allocation. The government needs to be encouraged to see stroke as a national tragedy. Many people with stroke die or become disabled, that we know as doctors. Many Nigerians know someone living with stroke. Stroke is a common health issue in Nigeria.
Is the country’s health system well equipped to care for stroke patients and help them recover fully?
No, the healthcare system is not well equipped and many shortcomings are evident everywhere. The lack of an emergency number to call, well equipped and staffed ambulances in Nigeria are some of the major issues. Lack of diagnostic equipment, properly trained staff, free early treatment for stroke patients are major hindrances to good recovery and survival.
What can be done to improve this aspect of healthcare in the country?
There should be better research and funding of the health sector to deliver life-saving drugs, techniques, personnel and free investigations are important. People with stroke cannot wait for the bank to open before being offered treatment. Time is critical. Time wasted is brain wasted.
How can more awareness be created about the effects of stroke?
The main focus in Nigeria must be on preventive strategies and ways to harness local resources in the acute treatment of stroke patients. Health education of the community, with emphasis on control of the predisposing factors, especially hypertension, would reduce the burden of stroke in the country. Risk factor management should begin in childhood, with emphasis on exercise, nutrition, weight and blood sugar control, avoidance of tobacco and excessive intake of alcohol.
What should one immediately do to help someone who suffered a stroke before the person is taken to the hospital?
Prevention is important. Next to that is early presentation to hospital. ‘Brain attack’ is a term that has been coined to emphasise the need for urgent action. Studies have shown that delays in presentation are caused mostly by lack of awareness of stroke. Stroke victims must be taken to hospital immediately. Do not waste time at home.
What is the relationship between a stroke and a cardiac arrest?
Stroke is simply lack of blood supply to a part of the brain. So, any sudden interference with the blood supply will cause injury or death to the brain tissue. On the other hand, cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest, is the cessation of normal blood circulation due to failure of the heart to beat properly. The heart beats 70 to 80 times a minute in a normal adult. The heart beat must also be full and complete to get the blood to all the areas it needs to reach, like the brain, in adequate quantity.
A cardiac arrest is different from (but may be caused by) a heart attack, where blood flow to the muscle of the heart is impaired. Arrested blood circulation prevents delivery of oxygen and glucose to the body. Lack of oxygen and glucose to the brain causes loss of consciousness, which then results in abnormal or absent breathing. Brain injury is likely to happen if cardiac arrest goes untreated for more than five minutes. For the best chance of survival and complete recovery, immediate and decisive treatment is necessary. The cardiac arrest must be reversed and heart function restored, by whatever means.
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Hit-and-run driver kills Sun vice chairman

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Son of famous journalist and Vice Chairman of Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Dimgba Igwe, Miracle Igwe, on Saturday said his father has died at a time he needed him to celebrate his call to bar at the Nigerian Law School.
Miracle went on his Facebook page to say, “I cannot stop crying. Darkness has befallen on me. Daddy, you died when I just needed you to celebrate my call to Nigerian bar as a barrister after all the money you pumped into my life.
“Daddy! Daddy!! I can’t believe it that your journey is so brief. I am sincerely frozen at this tragedy that has befallen us. But only God knows how to twist his hands to wipe dry our tears. I love you so much.”
The veteran journalist died on Saturday morning after he was knocked down by a vehicle while jogging around his residence in Okota area of Lagos State.
Igwe, who was said to have sustained a fatal injury from the accident, died immediately after undergoing a surgery at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
The late journalist, aged 58, had also served as the Deputy Managing Director and Deputy Editor-in- Chief of the Sun Newspapers.
Igwe was, until his death, the Assistant General Overseer of the Evangel Pentecostal Church, Lagos.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan, media practitioners and prominent Nigerians have described the news of his death as shocking.
Jonathan said Igwe would always be remembered as “a hardworking and dependable professional, who, through his various writings as columnist, author and public speaker, demonstrated a special ability to convey the truth and his convictions in lucid, compelling prose, and in a style that was shorn of cant and foppery.”
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan urged Igwe’s friends and associates to be consoled by the knowledge that “he put his God-given abilities to the best possible use in a very purposeful life that was wholly devoted to the defence of truth and the public interest, as well as the promotion of the highest standards of his chosen profession of journalism.”
A former governor of Abia State and Chairman of Sun Publishing Limited, Dr. Orji Kalu, expressed shock on receiving the news of the incident. He described Saturday as the darkest day in the history of the organisation.
A former Ogun State Governor and ex-Managing Director of the Daily Times, Olusegun Osoba, said, “His death has taught me another lesson of life; a terrible lesson of life. We were together in Katsina for the editors’ conference up till last weekend. He even collected a copy of Ovie Kokori’s autobiography from me and he promised to use it in his column; he promised to see me this week. I never knew it was a parting gift.”
Miracle Igwe
Miracle Igwe
Also, the Publisher, LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah, who spoke with our correspondent on Saturday, described the death as a tragedy.
“It is a very sad news. His relationship with Mike Awoyinfa is a very strong union many of us were proud of. I commiserate with family and twin brother (Awoyinfa),” he said.
The President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina, described Igwe’s death as devastating, while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria.
He said, “It is very sad. It is a colossal loss to journalism. He was a very dedicated journalist; a general of the guild and an impeccable writer.
“At our last conference in Katsina, he contributed a lot and was one of the discussants in a paper. To hear that he is dead one week after is indeed devastating,” he said.
In his reaction, a former Editor of the Daily Times, Areoye Oyebola, described the death as a sad occurrence at a time when the coming generation of journalists would need his experience and skill to sustain the industry.
Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) described Igwe as trailblazer, who, along with Awoyinfa, pioneered “a refreshing brand of newspapering with the Weekend Concord.”
The governor described the death as a sad loss to the journalism profession in particular and the literary world in general.
Similarly, his Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, recalled Igwe’s “deep, incisive and fluid” commentaries.
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US strikes Islamic State militants near Iraq dam

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The US is carrying out a series of air strikes on Islamic State militants close to the vital Haditha dam in western Iraq, US officials say.
The strikes are to protect the Iraqi forces and Sunni tribesmen in control of the dam.
The US has carried out scores of air strikes to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces as they try to halt the advance of the militants in the north and west.
Earlier, Kurdish forces retook the strategically important Mount Zarta.
Islamic State fighters have targeted a number of dams in their offensive, capturing the facility at Fallujah and battling for the largest dam at Mosul.
The group has so far failed in its attempts to capture Haditha dam in western Anbar province.
It is Iraq’s second largest dam.

PDP won Plateau’s Langtang North LG poll -Tribunal

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The Local Government Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, has reaffirmed the victory of Mr. Nanmwa Kumzhi of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2014 local government election in Langtang North Local Government council .
In a six-hour judgment on Saturday, the Chairman, Justice Halima Nshi, dismissed the petition brought by Mr. Daniel Dul of Democratic People Party challenging the election of Kumzhi.
Dul had alleged Kumzhi falsified the result of the election in Jat ward of Langtang North
The tribunal however noted that the petitioner did not produce enough evidence in support of the allegation of massive rigging and forgery of results by the returning officer in the ward to the favour of the respondents.
Though the tribunal ruled that it has the jurisdiction to entertain the case, it said there was no case of over-voting in Jat ward as was alleged by the petitioners’ claims because there was no prove from the supervisory officer of Longmak, Kelir, Sabon Layi and other polling units.
The tribunal chairman added that they didn’t produce any result on the side of witnesses in the judgment but relied on Obasanjo Vs Mahammadu Buhari supra 2003 judgment.
Counsel for Nanmwa Kumzhi, Mr. Sunday Oyawole, in his written address argued that the petitioner could not prove his case that the election in Lohmak B and sabon Layi ward was full of malpractices.

‘Sugar Daddies’ and HIV in Africa (Scientific American)

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Examining a common assumption about the transmission of HIV in Africa, the Geisel School of Medicine’s Tim Lahey poses a question in his recent opinion piece in Scientific American: “Ultimately, the real question is whether intergenerational sex drives the burgeoning HIV epidemic in Africa and other developing world countries?”
Citing research findings, he writes, “Contrary to expectations, the high-quality, longitudinal study showed that participation in intergenerational sex did not impact the likelihood of contracting HIV infection.”
Lahey, an associate professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology, says the research does not exonerate intergenerational sex as a factor in the transmission of HIV in Africa, and adds that more research must be done.
However, he writes, “the most critical implication of this study is that researchers and public health authorities should be cautious about making assumptions about sexual behavior in Africa, particularly when those assumptions travel across national or continental boundaries.”
Read the full opinion piece, published 9/4/14 by Scientific American.

PM announces Rs.1,000 crore aid for Jammu and Kashmir

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 Jammu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, announced a special assistance of Rs.1,000 crore for the flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir besides a Rs.2 lakh compensation from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the kin of the dead and Rs.50,000 for those seriously injured.

Modi, who took an aerial view of the flood-affected Jammu and Srinagar regions, said the current crisis was a 'national level disaster'.

He assured the people of the state that they were not alone in this crisis.

'I would like to assure the people of the state that it is not their crisis alone. It is a crisis for the whole country,' Modi said.

The prime minister also offered to extend all possible help to the flood-affected people in the Pakistan-administerd Kashmir.

'India will never hesitate from doing work of humanity,' Modi said, adding the government was prepared to help the people of Pakistan-administered Kashmir in every capacity.

Over 100 people have died in floods in the state due to incessant rainfall during the week.

Modi arrived at the Jammu airport here Sunday, specially to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged areas of the state.

He was received by Governor N.N. Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

IANS

UNSC condemns US journalist's killing

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United Nations: The UN Security Council (UNSC) Saturday strongly condemned American journalist Steven Sotloff's killing by the Islamic State (IS) and called for the immediate release of all civilian hostages held by militant groups.

'This crime is, yet again, a tragic reminder of the increasing dangers journalists face every day in Syria,' Xinhua quoted the security council members as saying in a statement to the press in which they expressed deep sympathy and condolences to Sotloff's family.

'It also once again demonstrates the brutality of ISIL, which is responsible for thousands of abuses against the Syrian and Iraqi people,' the Council members said, underlining the need to bring perpetrators of the reprehensible act of terrorism to justice.

The militant group on Tuesday released a video online that appears to show the beheading of US journalist Sotloff.

The 15-nation body stressed again that ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) must be defeated and that the 'intolerance, violence and hatred' it espouses must be stamped out.

'The members of the Council further emphasised that such continued acts of barbarism perpetrated by ISIL do not intimidate them but rather stiffen their resolve that there has to be a common effort amongst governments and institutions, including those in the region most affected, to counter ISIL, Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Al Qaeda,' the statement said.

The most powerful body of the UN demanded the 'immediate, safe and unconditional' release of all those who are kept hostage by those militant groups.

ISIL, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State (IS), has recently claimed to have established an 'Islamic Caliphate' in parts of Syria and Iraq, threatening the stability of the region.

Ebola virus: Tripura, Mizoram take preventive measures

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Agartala/Aizawl: The Tripura and Mizoram governments have taken a number of preventive measures to check spread of deadly Ebola disease, officials from both the states said on Sunday.

'The Tripura government has taken four-pronged steps to prevent contact or spread of Ebola virus,' Health and Family Welfare Minister Badal Choudhury told IANS in Agartala.

'All people coming from Ebola-affected countries would be thoroughly screened and they would be quarantined for 21 days, if they have fever,' he added.

Health authorities of all the eight districts were alerted and precautionary guidelines were sent to them, he said, adding that an isolation ward was set up in the state-run Gobinda Ballav Pant Medical College and Hospital in Agartala.

A medical team was formed at the hospital to check people coming from abroad.

In Mizoram, the state government has put the health department on high alert to deal with any eventuality of Ebola outbreak.

'Senior officials of health department met in Aizawl Saturday to review the preparedness to tackle the dreaded disease,' Pachuau Lalmalsawma, nodal officer of integrated disease surveillance programme, told reporters in Aizawl.

No Ebola case has been reported in India so far, Lalmalsawma said.

He said the state government was yet to get any advisory from the union health ministry and the external affairs ministry in this regard.

The official said a state-level rapid response team was constituted while district-level rapid response teams, headed by chief medical officers of all the eight districts, were also formed.

Tripura shares 856 km border with Bangladesh while Mizoram shares unfenced border of 404 km with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh.

IANS

Iraq air strike kills seven in hospital near Kirkuk

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BAGHDAD: Iraq's air force hit a hospital in a town controlled by Islamic State and other militant groups on Saturday, killing seven patients and wounding 22 others, including children, eyewitnesses said.

The attack on Hawija, near Kirkuk city, was one strike in a series of raids by warplanes in the area, the witnesses said.
The government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Islamic State launched a lightning advance through northern and central Iraq in June, declaring an Islamic caliphate. With the help of U.S. air strikes, Iraq's army and Kurdish forces have been able to push the fighters back from some areas.

Civilian deaths are hard to quantify due to security restrictions in the roughly third of Iraq that Islamic State controls.

REUTERS

Indian-Americans fared better than others during recession: US report

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Washington: Like other Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) including Indian-Americans were hit hard by the Great Recession, but they fared better than any other racial group, according to a new report.

During the economic downturn, the unemployment rate more than doubled for Asian American workers from 3.2 percent in 2007 to 7.5 percent in 2010, a study released by the US Department of Labour.

But 'For the most part, as a group, AAPI workers have had more favourable economic outcomes than workers in any other racial group,' noted the study titled 'The Economic Status of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the Wake of the Great Recession.'

In 2013, the AAPI community had nearly the highest labour force participation rate at 64.9 percent and the lowest unemployment rate at 5.6 percent.

Within the group, the Japanese have the lowest unemployment rate at 3.3 percent followed by Indian and Chinese at 4.4 percent and Vietnamese at 5 percent.

Together, workers in AAPI communities also have the highest weekly median earnings of all the major race and ethnic groups ($987).

Based on raw data, the unemployment rate for Indians is lower than the unemployment rate of whites.

However, when controlled for age, sex, and educational attainment, unemployment rate for Indians is actually higher than comparable whites, the study found.

This difference suggests that the Indian community as a whole tends to be more educated, but when looking at similarly situated white workers, their employment outcomes are less favourable.

Among Asian Americans, Indian (16 weeks) and Korean (15 weeks) unemployed workers have the shortest average durations of unemployment, whereas Vietnamese workers have the longest (27 weeks).

Weekly earnings of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese workers are well above the average for all AAPI workers.

Indian and Pacific Islander women have similar gender earnings ratios as the average for all Asian Americans (75 percent).

The report suggested that education differences may play the greatest role in the differences in earnings of the racial groups.

Indian, Japanese, and Chinese Americans have the highest wages, making 32, 24, and 13 percent more than whites respectively.

But if individuals with the same level of education are compared, the gaps for Indian, Japanese, and Chinese workers shrink dramatically to 10, 8, and 1 percent, respectively, the study found.

Thus for these ethnic groups, education explains most of the wage differences, since on average Indian, Japanese, and Chinese workers have higher levels of education than the rest of the labour force.

Since many AAPI workers are concentrated in relatively high-wage areas-such as metro-areas in California or New Jersey-this also explains some of the difference in average wages relative to whites.

Overall, when workers who are similar in terms of demographics, education, geographic location, citizenship and English language ability are compared, the wage differences between AAPI and white workers change considerably.

For Indian and Japanese workers, the wage differences shrink to one-third and one-fourth, respectively, of their original magnitudes.

Reflecting the relatively recent influx of immigrants, a large share-about 65 percent-of the AAPI community is foreign born including over 70 percent of Indians, Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese.

Nearly one-third of the AAPI community resides in California alone, compared to roughly 12 percent of the total US population located there.

Within Asian ethnic subgroups, 76.1 percent of Indian, 58.7 percent of Korean, and 56.8 percent of Chinese individuals have a bachelor's degree or higher.

The Japanese community has the lowest labour force participation rate; Pacific Islander and Indian communities have the highest.

Within the AAPI community, Indian and Filipino groups have the highest rates of employment at 64.9 and 64.6 percent.

Within Asian subgroups, more Filipino women are employed (57.1 per-cent) than any other community; Indians had the smallest share of employed women (36.8 percent).

Over 100 killed in Punjab torrential rains, floods

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LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to declare flood emergency and expedite relief activities in the face of floods and torrential rains which killed over 100 people.

Water level in all the rivers has surged, causing evacuation of large number of people from different areas of the country.

The Pakistan Army evacuated flood affected people form areas lying alongside the Chenab river. Met Office said the Chenab river was flowing at the level of 818000 cusecs at Head Marala.

As many as 103 people have been killed and 294 others injured in Punjab in recent rains and floods.
 

Eight-member team make away with Rs eight crore diamond

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KOLLAM: Eight-member team, who had impersonated as diamond buyers,  made away with a diamond worth Rs eight crore from a house at Iravipuram. The incident happened around noon yesterday.

According to the members of the house, diamonds were treasure trove they spotted some time ago while demolishing their family temple.

A middleman involved in the robbery has been admitted to hospital.      
The stolen item is a white silky diamond classified under Natural Rough Diamond. It weighs 25 gram and is of 24 carat, say the police.

The family members have been treating the treasure piously by lighting lamp in front of it. Recently Sindhu’s son got information from a private institution in Ernakulam that the diamonds could be precious and worth Rs 50 crore. After this, the family started thinking of selling the diamonds with the help of the son’s friend.

Coming to know about diamond collection, the eight-member team accompanied by Savia John, the middleman and a native of Neendakara approached the family a few months. The business didn’t happen as the family demanded Rs 50 crore for the diamond, while the team bargained to lower the rate to Rs eight crore. The team left after that.     

The team revisited the house yesterday and made away with the diamond after pretending to be examining the diamond. However, Savia John, while making an attempt to flee, entered into a tussle with Sindu’s son. The local people, who crowded in front of the house, caught hold of Savia and turned him in to the police. His car was also confiscated by the police.

In the midst of interrogation, Savia is said to have expressed bodily discomfort and he was soon admitted to hospital.

Meanwhile, the policemen led by Kollam Assistant Commissioner Lalji have intensified search for the burglar’s team.

2014, സെപ്റ്റംബർ 5, വെള്ളിയാഴ്‌ച

Australia ready to join US coalition on Iraq, Julie Bishop says

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Newport, Wales: The US is drawing together a coalition of nations for new military action in Iraq, including air strikes against the Islamic State extremists, and Australia is ready to play its part, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop says.
"We are keen to play our part in ensuring that this heightened terrorist risk to Australia can be tackled head-on," Ms Bishop said.
The Australian military are already drawing up contingency plans to send forces into the region to deal with the global threat posed by Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
However before the government gives final approval it wants to see who is in the coalition and get a firm timetable and clear objectives for the proposed air strikes so "we know what success looks like", Defence Minister David Johnston said.
The plan will be drawn up over the next few weeks.
Ms Bishop and Mr Johnston spent Thursday and Friday in meetings with allies at the biennial NATO summit in Wales.
One issue that dominated formal and bilateral meetings at the summit was the "sudden and bloody emergence of ISIL as a terrorist organisation that not only has an impact in the Middle East … but also globally," Ms Bishop said.
At a meeting on Friday morning of foreign and defence ministers, Ms Bishop spoke of her concerns about Australian fighters leaving to carry out "brutal, bloody terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq".
The meeting, hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, and including British Defence Minister Michael Fallon and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, discussed "supporting a US-led coalition that will seek to tackle ISIL head on," Ms Bishop said.
"The US air strikes have had some significant impact but there is more that needs to be done to ensure that ISIL doesn't continue to grow and spread its poison beyond the region."
Ms Bishop said the meeting discussed a range of options as to how the Islamic State threat can be eliminated.
"We talked about a range of ways that the countries can assist a US-co-ordinated approach."
Australia has already helped out with humanitarian supply drops and in supplying weapons to the Kurdish Peshmerga.
"The countries that have expressed a willingness to tackle ISIL head-on have also looked at what more can be done in terms of air strikes and Australia will respond when a formal request is made," Ms Bishop said.
"The red line is combat troops on the ground. There is no interest from any country present to commit combat troops but there is much that can be done to seek to combat ISIL in other ways and Australia is prepared to play its part."
ISIL was a direct domestic threat to Australia because of "hardened homegrown terrorists" who could return to Australia after fighting in Iraq.
"This is a far greater threat than we faced after Afghanistan," Ms Bishop said.
"The bigger risk could well be doing nothing and enabling [ISIL] to spread its poison and ideology way beyond Syria, Iraq, Lebanon. That's the concern that Australia faces and we take it very seriously."
But no formal request has yet come through, Ms Bishop said, so Australia has not yet committed to joining the action.
"We would weigh the options, we would weigh the risks. There must be a clear and proportionate role for Australia, there would have to be a humanitarian objective and there would have to be a realistic assessment of what resources and assets would be required and in what timeframe."
The humanitarian element came from ISIL attacking innocent civilians throughout Iraq, Syria and beyond.
Mr Johnston said contingency planning has been under way "from a very early point" in anticipation of air strikes, however the planning is at an early stage.
"We are some distance from specific requests," he said. "But naturally in the face of this tantamount genocide the Australian Defence Force starts to be ready."
"Let's see what the combined coalition wants to do, let's see who's in the coalition, let's see the inclusiveness of the government in Baghdad and let's consult with our friends and our allies, particularly the US as to the proper way forward."
"There's a number of very strong capabilities that we have."
The plan would need clear, defined, feasible objectives with a clear duration of the operation and "some definition of what success looks like," Mr Johnston said.
"We need to see the plan … to understand the length and breadth of the plan."
Fairfax Media understands the next key dates are the formation of a new government in Iraq and then a global leaders meeting to be convened by US President Barack Obama in New York later this month, before the new session of the United Nations General Assembly.
 

One person commits suicide every 40 seconds: World Health Organisation Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/one-person-commits-suicide-every-40-seconds-world-health-organisation-20140905-10cq0s.html#ixzz3CSFqSPgp

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Geneva: One person commits suicide every 40 seconds - more than all the yearly victims of wars and natural disaster - with the highest toll among the elderly, the United Nations said on Thursday. In its first report on suicide, the UN's World Health Organisation blamed intense media coverage when celebrities kill themselves for fuelling the problem.
"Suicide is an amazing public health problem. There is one suicide every 40 seconds - it is a huge number," said Shekhar Saxena, director of WHO's mental health department, at the presentation of the report in Geneva. "Suicide kills more than conflicts, wars and natural catastrophes," she said. "There are 1.5 million violent deaths every year in the world, of which 800,000 are suicides."
Some of the highest rates of suicide are found in central and eastern Europe and in Asia, with 25 per cent occurring in rich countries, the report says. Men are almost twice as likely as women to take their own lives.
"Globally, suicide rates are highest in people aged 70 years and over. In some countries, however, the highest rates are found among the young," WHO said. "Notably, suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year-olds globally."


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/one-person-commits-suicide-every-40-seconds-world-health-organisation-20140905-10cq0s.html#ixzz3CSFyJYo8

Iraq delays delivery of RAAF arms to Kurds

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A much-needed RAAF arms delivery to Kurdish troops battling the brutal Islamic State was grounded in Baghdad for a day because of an Iraqi government delay.
Kurdish leaders in the country's north have expressed anger at what they see as Baghdad's meddling over international arms deliveries, underscoring the sensitivities in the fragmented nation, which is under threat from the onslaught by the  extremists.
The revelations came as Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister David Johnston discussed Australia's possible military involvement in Iraq with counterparts from NATO at a summit in Wales.
Dr Rowsch Shaways, the outgoing deputy prime minister of Iraq and former Peshmerga commander, said long-standing tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government were delaying the arrival of these weapons being delivered by Australia and Western partners. He accused the Iraqi government of preventing the delivery of the weapons in order to "keep the Peshmerga weak – a policy that has been a constant of the Baghdad government for years".
An official from the Ministry of the Peshmerga repeated the allegations.
RAAF C-17 transport planes have delivered two loads of weapons and ammunition to the Kurdish city of Erbil in northern Iraq in the past week, as part of a co-ordinated international effort to bolster the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, who are bearing the brunt of fighting Islamic State in the north.
In both cases, the Iraqi government has given its approval for the deliveries. The deliveries both needed to go through Baghdad to clear customs.
But Fairfax Media understands that on the second occasion, Baghdad officials temporarily rescinded their approval, leaving the RAAF plane and its crew stuck on the ground in the capital for about 24 hours. The approval was then reinstated, allowing the delivery to Erbil to go ahead.
This is understood to have reflected Baghdad's view that Western efforts including the arms deliveries should be helping Iraq as a country, not just the Kurds in the north.
The ADF is expected to carry out further weapons and munitions drops to the Kurds in coming days.
The Abbott government is considering contributing to an expanded, US-led air strike campaign in Iraq, possibly with Super Hornet fighter planes.
The NATO leaders agreed that bigger sanctions, not direct military intervention, would be the best way to push Russia out of Ukraine.
With Nick Miller
The story Ir

Outraged By Rape And Inequality, Indian Women Seek Justice Through Entrepreneurship

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BANGALORE — In India, women are frequently mistreated, rape is so prevalent that tourists are scared to go, and female victims fear reporting violent crimes.
That’s the country’s reputation, at least — particularly since the horrific December 2012 gang rape thattook the life of a young woman.
But now, thousands of Indian women are fighting back, eager to show the rest of the world that, despite the real problems they face in India, they’re not just victims.
They’re embracing women’s empowerment — through business.
In cafes, garages and shared workspaces across Bangalore, home to India’s lucrative tech industry, they’re launching startups and growing businesses.
They’re the IT-girls of Bangalore.
Atta Galatta coffee shop is a typical scene for these pioneers. Offering frothy caffeinated drinks to its trendy clientele, the place would not look out of place in Seattle or Palo Alto. Rows of books line the walls, sofas are adorned with cushions and several tables are occupied by young women, hunched over their laptops. Despite the comfy surroundings, they mean business.
There is chat flying around about domain names, app building and investor pitches over fat-free lattes.
At one table sits 30-year-old entrepreneur Malini Gowrishankar, busy making calls while scanning her screen.
“This is my office, I come here every day,” says smiley Gowrishankar, who runs F5 escapes, an online travel business for women.
“It’s a convenient place to work and there is a creative buzz here which I like,” she adds.
As a travel site for women in India, F5 faces an uphill battle, owing to the Dehli gang rape, which revealed the systematic abuse of women in the country.
But for many women, like Gowrishankar, the brutal incident gave her the push she needed to start her business.
“I wanted to help women to understand it is safe to travel without your family. There is no tradition for solo women travelers in India and I wanted to change that, create a business which helps women feel safe whilst they are experiencing new things,” she says.
Gowrishankar’s F5 currently offers both customized and group tours to female travelers, a business idea she says is unique in India.
“Women make great entrepreneurs because we may have a better understanding of our own market segment and we have the tenacity to run the business long-term. My business is low on overheads and high on innovation,” she says.
Bangalore’s position as India’s start-up capital is undeniable. According to the World Startup Report, 41 percent of India’s startups are now based in Bangalore. Over 10,000 of them emerged from Bangalore last year alone. About one-third are run by women — the number has doubled in recent years, thanks to the shift in attitudes.
“Being an entrepreneur is now cool,” says Niti Shree, who runs Headstart Networking events for the city’s startups.
“In the past, Indian parents wanted their daughters to get married and have kids but now more and more are accepting that women want to take charge of their lives. Each event we do, we get more women coming. So much so that we will soon run women-only events,” she said.
Bangalore’s key startup hubs are located in the regions of Koramangala and Indiranagar, where thousands of innovative small businesses are emerging, powered by the enormous opportunities of a country with over 1.2 billion people and a brand-hungry middle class.
India is a nascent market for many products and services that have been around in the West for years.
That was a discovery made by the founder of another Bangalore startup, the specialist bra fitting serviceButtercups.in.
“I worked in the lingerie industry for years and measured over 3,000 women over the years and realized there were no properly sized bras available for women to buy in India,” says 37-year-old founder of Buttercups.in, Arpita Ganesh.
Her idea was ready, and there was a demand for it. She even created an app that helps women to find out their correct size, which became massively popular. But starting up her business was tough.
Convincing male investors that women need better fitting bras was often awkward. India is a conservative country where women don’t even shake hands with male colleagues. “I’ve met many investors, most of whom are men, who were genuinely interested in my business but they were simply too embarrassed to talk about it directly to me,” she says.
But Bangalore’s women are resourceful and Ganesh, a determined entrepreneur, decided to get around India’s crowd funding ban by offering her customers a chance to pre-order the products online. She raised nearly $7,000, which in India is serious money.
Finding funding for a startup is difficult for women because traditionally bank loans have been borderline impossible for women, thanks to archaic rules that often require a husband’s or father’s assets as a loan guarantee or land as a collateral.
According to a recent study by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, less than 30 percent of the financing needed for women-run businesses came through the traditional route of banks, cooperatives, micro lenders and financial institutions.
In comparison, male entrepreneurs get over 70 percent of their financing from official lenders.
The IFC report estimates that the total financial requirement for women entrepreneurs was $158 billion in 2012 but they only had access to around $42 billion from official lenders.
Apart from the institutions’ strict financial rules for women, investors are wary of female-run startups because the phenomena is new in India.
“A lot of female entrepreneurs have to rely on the F&F — family and friends — route of funding. Most investors are very focused on quick growth and mass products, not long-term profitability. And they can be wary of women entrepreneurs,” Ganesh notes.
Despite the challenges, the buzz and determination among the young women are tangible, and support is growing fast.
Bangalore has a wide variety of informal meetings such as Open Coffee Club and HeadStart, which help female entrepreneurs with training opportunities, pitching for investors and introductions. The city is also home for several accelerator programs run by large companies such as Microsoft and Google, and it has startup service organizations such as TiE.
With a wide network of angel investors, fast internet across the city and plenty of cheap programming talent, Bangalore is now becoming a serious rival to San Fransisco Bay Area.
And for India’s tech businesswomen, Bangalore is where it’s at.
“The city is a brilliant place to be an entrepreneur today. So many women entrepreneurs are putting themselves out there, making a go at it and breaking traditional boundaries,” Ganesh said.
This article was written by  for Global Post.
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