Army Chief relents, sees bid to drive a wedge 


New Delhi: The tension between the government and the Army Chief appeared to have subsided on Friday, with General V.K. Singh blaming some “elements” for trying to drive a wedge between him and Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

“There are some elements in our society which are playing an active role in trying to project a schism between the Honourable Raksha Mantri and the Chief of the Army Staff. This is untrue and needs to be guarded against,” Gen. Singh said in a statement, a day after Mr. Antony sought to ease the tension by asserting that all three Services Chiefs continued to enjoy the government's confidence.

The Minister's statement came after some Members of Parliament demanded the removal of the Army Chief following the leakage to a newspaper of a confidential letter Gen. Singh wrote to the Prime Minister. The outrage was preceded by the Army Chief's interview with The Hindu, in which he stated that he was offered Rs.14 crore as bribe by a retired senior officer.

In his latest statement, Gen. Singh emphasised that the Army was, by extension, part of the government and was duty-bound to serve the country and protect the institutional integrity at all costs, even if it meant introspection. “We are duty-bound to serve our country and protect the institutional integrity of the Army at all cost, even if we sometimes have to looking within. We have to identify, and within the confines of the system and the law expose these elements. The freedom of speech and individual opinion need to be respected, but frivolous and uninformed comment on these issues will only muddy the matter.”

As for the timing of his disclosure of the bribe issue, Gen. Singh said that after he brought it to the notice of the Minister, “certain steps” were taken institutionally to keep a watchful eye on the retired officer who offered him the bribe. Without naming the officer, the statement said that after 18 months, this person resurfaced and launched a “smear campaign” alleging that the Army had eavesdropped on the Defence Minister. “Once the individual concerned had been identified by the Army Headquarters, his identity and antecedents were made public,” the statement said, in an apparent reference to the March 5 press release that named Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Tejinder Singh.

Gen. Singh said that though there had been a string of selected leaks [to the media] in the past, it culminated in the airing of the letter he had written to the Prime Minister. For the Congress, however, there was little to cheer about, as the party faced fresh embarrassment with a newspaper reporting that Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad wrote to Mr. Antony on October 5, 2009, asking him to investigate the Tatra trucks scam, and though a probe was promised, nothing came out.

Unofficially, sources in the party admitted that since the reason Mr. Antony cited for not acting on a similar complaint from the Army Chief was that it was not given in writing, the fact that he did not act either on a fellow Minister's written complaint required an explanation. But, when the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded Mr Antony's resignation in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress came to his defence. 

Army Chief relents, sees bid to drive a wedge 


New Delhi: The tension between the government and the Army Chief appeared to have subsided on Friday, with General V.K. Singh blaming some “elements” for trying to drive a wedge between him and Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

“There are some elements in our society which are playing an active role in trying to project a schism between the Honourable Raksha Mantri and the Chief of the Army Staff. This is untrue and needs to be guarded against,” Gen. Singh said in a statement, a day after Mr. Antony sought to ease the tension by asserting that all three Services Chiefs continued to enjoy the government's confidence.

The Minister's statement came after some Members of Parliament demanded the removal of the Army Chief following the leakage to a newspaper of a confidential letter Gen. Singh wrote to the Prime Minister. The outrage was preceded by the Army Chief's interview with The Hindu, in which he stated that he was offered Rs.14 crore as bribe by a retired senior officer.

In his latest statement, Gen. Singh emphasised that the Army was, by extension, part of the government and was duty-bound to serve the country and protect the institutional integrity at all costs, even if it meant introspection. “We are duty-bound to serve our country and protect the institutional integrity of the Army at all cost, even if we sometimes have to looking within. We have to identify, and within the confines of the system and the law expose these elements. The freedom of speech and individual opinion need to be respected, but frivolous and uninformed comment on these issues will only muddy the matter.”

As for the timing of his disclosure of the bribe issue, Gen. Singh said that after he brought it to the notice of the Minister, “certain steps” were taken institutionally to keep a watchful eye on the retired officer who offered him the bribe. Without naming the officer, the statement said that after 18 months, this person resurfaced and launched a “smear campaign” alleging that the Army had eavesdropped on the Defence Minister. “Once the individual concerned had been identified by the Army Headquarters, his identity and antecedents were made public,” the statement said, in an apparent reference to the March 5 press release that named Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Tejinder Singh.

Gen. Singh said that though there had been a string of selected leaks [to the media] in the past, it culminated in the airing of the letter he had written to the Prime Minister. For the Congress, however, there was little to cheer about, as the party faced fresh embarrassment with a newspaper reporting that Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad wrote to Mr. Antony on October 5, 2009, asking him to investigate the Tatra trucks scam, and though a probe was promised, nothing came out.

Unofficially, sources in the party admitted that since the reason Mr. Antony cited for not acting on a similar complaint from the Army Chief was that it was not given in writing, the fact that he did not act either on a fellow Minister's written complaint required an explanation. But, when the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded Mr Antony's resignation in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress came to his defence. 

Ragging: Malayali engg student succumbs to burn injuries

Bangalore: A Bangalore engineering student Ajmal from Chikkaballapur Engineering College, who suffered burn injuries following ragging, died on Thursday night at about 11.30. 

The body of Ajmal will be brought to Kannur on Friday night.

Ajmal was undergoing treatment at the Bangalore Victoria hospital.

Ajmal, hailing from Kannur, is a first year aeronautical engineering student. The boy's burn injuries continues to be a mystery as different versions were given by Ajmal to the police.

Police are probing if Ajmal tried to commit suicide or was he doused with kerosene by some students. 

Ajmal had first given a statement to the police that he wanted to commit suicide because of ragging. Later, he told police that he was pushed into a toilet of the hostel and his friends had poured kerosene on him and set him afire. Infact, in a previous ragging incident, Ajmal had taken his mother's chain and given it to the seniors.

The police registered a case a few days back and are probing his different versions. What emerged is that Ajmal had been ragged in the past. However, the seniors named by Ajmal were not present in Bangalore when the incident took place.

Ragging: Malayali engg student succumbs to burn injuries

Bangalore: A Bangalore engineering student Ajmal from Chikkaballapur Engineering College, who suffered burn injuries following ragging, died on Thursday night at about 11.30. 

The body of Ajmal will be brought to Kannur on Friday night.

Ajmal was undergoing treatment at the Bangalore Victoria hospital.

Ajmal, hailing from Kannur, is a first year aeronautical engineering student. The boy's burn injuries continues to be a mystery as different versions were given by Ajmal to the police.

Police are probing if Ajmal tried to commit suicide or was he doused with kerosene by some students. 

Ajmal had first given a statement to the police that he wanted to commit suicide because of ragging. Later, he told police that he was pushed into a toilet of the hostel and his friends had poured kerosene on him and set him afire. Infact, in a previous ragging incident, Ajmal had taken his mother's chain and given it to the seniors.

The police registered a case a few days back and are probing his different versions. What emerged is that Ajmal had been ragged in the past. However, the seniors named by Ajmal were not present in Bangalore when the incident took place.

UN to observe Earth Hour

Posted on: 31 Mar 2012

United Nations: The UN will observe Earth Hour Saturday by turning off the lights for one hour at its facilities around the world.

The world body, headquartered in New York, will join scores of other landmarks around the globe that are participating in the Earth Hour event. 

Earth Hour, launched in 2007 in Australia by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which is a global conservation group, calls on people, organisations and cities to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour starting at 8.30 p.m. local time.

This is the third year that the UN joins hundreds of millions of people around the world in switching off the lights, Xinhua reported.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said the UN was turning off its lights 'in solidarity with the men, women and children -- 20 percent of all humankind -- who live with no access to electricity'.

Calling Earth Hour 'a symbol of our commitment to sustainable energy for all', Ban said: 'We need to fuel our future with clean, efficient and affordable energy.'

'By acting together today, we can power a brighter tomorrow. The United Nations is strongly behind this cause from Earth Hour to Rio+20,' the secretary-general said, referring to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development slated for June in Brazil.

In 2011, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour to show support for action on climate change.

The Earth Hour event takes place about one week after the vernal equinox -- when night and day are of the same duration in both hemispheres, ensuring that it will be dark everywhere in the world at 8.30 p.m.

UN to observe Earth Hour

Posted on: 31 Mar 2012

United Nations: The UN will observe Earth Hour Saturday by turning off the lights for one hour at its facilities around the world.

The world body, headquartered in New York, will join scores of other landmarks around the globe that are participating in the Earth Hour event. 

Earth Hour, launched in 2007 in Australia by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which is a global conservation group, calls on people, organisations and cities to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour starting at 8.30 p.m. local time.

This is the third year that the UN joins hundreds of millions of people around the world in switching off the lights, Xinhua reported.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said the UN was turning off its lights 'in solidarity with the men, women and children -- 20 percent of all humankind -- who live with no access to electricity'.

Calling Earth Hour 'a symbol of our commitment to sustainable energy for all', Ban said: 'We need to fuel our future with clean, efficient and affordable energy.'

'By acting together today, we can power a brighter tomorrow. The United Nations is strongly behind this cause from Earth Hour to Rio+20,' the secretary-general said, referring to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development slated for June in Brazil.

In 2011, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour to show support for action on climate change.

The Earth Hour event takes place about one week after the vernal equinox -- when night and day are of the same duration in both hemispheres, ensuring that it will be dark everywhere in the world at 8.30 p.m.

Your child's milk tooth can save her life

Posted on: 31 Mar 2012

New Delhi: Is your child about to lose her milk tooth? Instead of throwing it away, you can now opt to use it to harvest stem cells in a dental stem cell bank for future use in the face of serious ailments. Now that's a tooth fairy story coming to life.

Still relatively new in India, dental stem cell banking is fast gaining popularity as a more viable option over umbilical cord blood banking.

Stem cell therapy involves a kind of intervention strategy in which healthy, new cells are introduced into a damaged tissue to treat a disease or an injury.

'The umbilical cord is a good source for blood-related cells, or hemaotopoietic cells, which can be used for blood-related diseases, like leukaemia (blood cancer). Having said that, blood-related disorders constitute only four percent of all diseases,' Shailesh Gadre, founder and managing director of the company Stemade Biotech, told IANS.

'For the rest of the 96 percent tissue-related diseases, the tooth is a good source of mesenchymal (tissue-related) stem cells. These cells have potential application in all other tissues of the body, for instance, the brain, in case of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's; the eye (corneal reconstruction), liver (cirrhosis), pancreas (diabetes), bone (fractures, reconstruction), skin and the like,' he said.

Mesenchymal cells can also be used to regenerate cardiac cells.

Dental stem cell banking also has an advantage when it comes to the process of obtaining stem cells.

'Obtaining stem cells from the tooth is a non-invasive procedure that requires no surgery, with little or no pain. A child, in the age group of 5-12, is any way going to lose his milk tooth. So when it's a little shaky, it can be collected with hardly any discomfort,' Savita Menon, a pedodontist, said.

'Moreover, in a number of cases, when an adolescent needs braces, the doctor recommends that his pre-molars be removed. These can also be used as a source for stem cells. And over and above that, an adult's wisdom tooth can also be used for the same purpose,' Gadre added.

Therefore, unlike umbilical cord blood banking which gives one just one chance - during birth - the window of opportunity in dental stem cell banking is much bigger.

'Of course, age is still a big factor,' added Menon. 'A child's milk tooth has more potency than a wisdom tooth. The ability of a young one's cells to multiply is twice as higher as anyone else.'

Pankaj Kala is one of those who opted for dental stem cell banking for his child.

'I lost my mother to cardiac arrest when she was just 45. She was also a diabetic. After that I decided that I will do everything possible to protect my family from harm. I missed the opportunity of umbilical cord blood banking in the case of my daughter when she was born; so when she was six, we went for dental stem cell banking,' Kala, who is in the jewellery business in Mumbai, told IANS.

'It's been two years now and I have decided to go for the procedure for the second child too. Even my wife will go for stem cell banking using her wisdom tooth. In my case, however, it will be difficult since I had gone for root canal treatment in my wisdom tooth and therefore it's not healthy,' he added.

Anish Jain, another parent who has got his son's milk tooth extracted for stem cell banking, said: 'I know stem cell therapy is a relatively new field, but I didn't want to have regrets later about not doing anything that could help my child if he suffers from any ailment.'

As of now, dental stem cell banking in India is offered by a select few companies, like Stemade and Store Your Cells. The procedure and then preservation of the stem cells can cost around Rs.100,000 for a period of 21 years.

'Around 20 percent of those who have come to us for dental stem cell banking are doctors,' said Gadre, who added they collect 60-70 samples every month.

There are however sceptics.

'Research is still on in stem cell therapy; so to tell people that harvesting your stem cells can save you from any serious disease is still a premature statement,' said a doctor.

(Azera Parveen Rahman can be contacted at azera.rahman@gmail.com)

Your child's milk tooth can save her life

Posted on: 31 Mar 2012

New Delhi: Is your child about to lose her milk tooth? Instead of throwing it away, you can now opt to use it to harvest stem cells in a dental stem cell bank for future use in the face of serious ailments. Now that's a tooth fairy story coming to life.

Still relatively new in India, dental stem cell banking is fast gaining popularity as a more viable option over umbilical cord blood banking.

Stem cell therapy involves a kind of intervention strategy in which healthy, new cells are introduced into a damaged tissue to treat a disease or an injury.

'The umbilical cord is a good source for blood-related cells, or hemaotopoietic cells, which can be used for blood-related diseases, like leukaemia (blood cancer). Having said that, blood-related disorders constitute only four percent of all diseases,' Shailesh Gadre, founder and managing director of the company Stemade Biotech, told IANS.

'For the rest of the 96 percent tissue-related diseases, the tooth is a good source of mesenchymal (tissue-related) stem cells. These cells have potential application in all other tissues of the body, for instance, the brain, in case of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's; the eye (corneal reconstruction), liver (cirrhosis), pancreas (diabetes), bone (fractures, reconstruction), skin and the like,' he said.

Mesenchymal cells can also be used to regenerate cardiac cells.

Dental stem cell banking also has an advantage when it comes to the process of obtaining stem cells.

'Obtaining stem cells from the tooth is a non-invasive procedure that requires no surgery, with little or no pain. A child, in the age group of 5-12, is any way going to lose his milk tooth. So when it's a little shaky, it can be collected with hardly any discomfort,' Savita Menon, a pedodontist, said.

'Moreover, in a number of cases, when an adolescent needs braces, the doctor recommends that his pre-molars be removed. These can also be used as a source for stem cells. And over and above that, an adult's wisdom tooth can also be used for the same purpose,' Gadre added.

Therefore, unlike umbilical cord blood banking which gives one just one chance - during birth - the window of opportunity in dental stem cell banking is much bigger.

'Of course, age is still a big factor,' added Menon. 'A child's milk tooth has more potency than a wisdom tooth. The ability of a young one's cells to multiply is twice as higher as anyone else.'

Pankaj Kala is one of those who opted for dental stem cell banking for his child.

'I lost my mother to cardiac arrest when she was just 45. She was also a diabetic. After that I decided that I will do everything possible to protect my family from harm. I missed the opportunity of umbilical cord blood banking in the case of my daughter when she was born; so when she was six, we went for dental stem cell banking,' Kala, who is in the jewellery business in Mumbai, told IANS.

'It's been two years now and I have decided to go for the procedure for the second child too. Even my wife will go for stem cell banking using her wisdom tooth. In my case, however, it will be difficult since I had gone for root canal treatment in my wisdom tooth and therefore it's not healthy,' he added.

Anish Jain, another parent who has got his son's milk tooth extracted for stem cell banking, said: 'I know stem cell therapy is a relatively new field, but I didn't want to have regrets later about not doing anything that could help my child if he suffers from any ailment.'

As of now, dental stem cell banking in India is offered by a select few companies, like Stemade and Store Your Cells. The procedure and then preservation of the stem cells can cost around Rs.100,000 for a period of 21 years.

'Around 20 percent of those who have come to us for dental stem cell banking are doctors,' said Gadre, who added they collect 60-70 samples every month.

There are however sceptics.

'Research is still on in stem cell therapy; so to tell people that harvesting your stem cells can save you from any serious disease is still a premature statement,' said a doctor.

(Azera Parveen Rahman can be contacted at azera.rahman@gmail.com)

24012 in LD clerk main list

Posted on: 31 Mar 2012

Thiruavanathapuram: PSC recognized the final list for selecting LD clerks to various departments. PSC chairman KS Radhakrishanan said that from Saturday 5 pm the list can be seen in PSC website www.keralapsc.org.
In the main list for 14 districts, 24012 are included. There are 25,000 in supplementary lists. More candidates are from Thiruvananthapuram district, 3062, Kollam- 1930, Pathanamthitta-429, Kottayam-1745, Ernakulam-1942, Idukki-983, Alappuzha-1426, Thrissur-1979, Palakkad- 2078, Kozhikode-1375, Malappuram-2152, Kannur-1741, Wayanad-1002 and Kasargod- 1741.

24012 in LD clerk main list

Posted on: 31 Mar 2012

Thiruavanathapuram: PSC recognized the final list for selecting LD clerks to various departments. PSC chairman KS Radhakrishanan said that from Saturday 5 pm the list can be seen in PSC website www.keralapsc.org.
In the main list for 14 districts, 24012 are included. There are 25,000 in supplementary lists. More candidates are from Thiruvananthapuram district, 3062, Kollam- 1930, Pathanamthitta-429, Kottayam-1745, Ernakulam-1942, Idukki-983, Alappuzha-1426, Thrissur-1979, Palakkad- 2078, Kozhikode-1375, Malappuram-2152, Kannur-1741, Wayanad-1002 and Kasargod- 1741.

Fire breaks out in Mumbai warehouse

Posted on: 30 Mar 2012

Mumbai: A massive fire broke out in a scrap warehouse in northeast Mumbai's Mankhurd area early Friday but there was no human casualties in the incident.

Eight fire tenders rushed to the spot to battle the blaze, which broke out at 4.50 a.m., disaster control officials said. The fire has been brought under control, but the cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Fire breaks out in Mumbai warehouse

Posted on: 30 Mar 2012

Mumbai: A massive fire broke out in a scrap warehouse in northeast Mumbai's Mankhurd area early Friday but there was no human casualties in the incident.

Eight fire tenders rushed to the spot to battle the blaze, which broke out at 4.50 a.m., disaster control officials said. The fire has been brought under control, but the cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Osama moved around in Pakistan for 9 years, fathered 4 children

Posted on: 30 Mar 2012

In one of the most detailed accounts of Osama bin Laden's life on the run, his youngest wife has told Pakistani investigators that the Al-Qaeda leader lived in five safe houses as he travelled across Pakistan with his family for nine years following the 9/11 attacks. The detailed account of bin Laden's life on the run has been given by his 30-year-old wife Amal Ahmad Abdul Fateh, and is contained in a police report dated January 19.

Bin Laden was 54 years old when he was killed last year by US Navy SEAL commandos in Pakistan's Abbottabad. According to the report, Fateh said she agreed to marry bin Laden in 2000 because 'she had a desire of marrying a mujahid.'

In July 2000, she came to Karachi and months later crossed into Afghanistan to join her husband and his two other wives at his base on a farm outside Kandahar.

'The September 11 attacks caused the Bin Laden family to scatter,' the New York Times reported. Fateh returned to Karachi with her newborn daughter Safia and stayed there for about nine months during which she shifted between seven houses arranged by 'some Pakistani family' and bin Laden's elder son, Saad.

She then left Karachi in the second half of 2002 for Peshawar, where she was reunited with her husband. At that time, the American pursuit of bin Laden was running high since Qaeda operatives had attacked an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya and nightclubs in Indonesia.

The search was firmly focused on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area. Fateh told investigators that Bin Laden took his family deep into rural mountain areas of northwest Pakistan and not into the tribal belt where much of the Western attention was focused.

They first stayed in the Shangla district in Swat, about 80 miles northwest of Islamabad, living in two different houses for eight to nine months.

In 2003 they moved to Haripur, a small town closer to Islamabad, where they stayed in a rented house for two years. It was in Haripur that Fateh gave birth to a girl, Aasia, in 2003 and a boy, Ibrahim, in 2004 — both of whom were delivered in a local government hospital.

The police report states that Fateh 'stayed in hospital for a very short time of about 2-3 hours' on each occasion while a separate document states that she gave fake identity papers to hospital staff, the New York Times report said.

Finally in mid-2005 bin Laden and his family moved to Abbottabad, where she gave birth to two more children Zainab in 2006 and Hussain in 2008.

Fateh told investigators that the houses in Swat, Haripur and Abbottabad were organised by their Pashtun hosts, identified as two brothers named Ibrahim and Abrar, whose families stayed with them throughout.

Ibrahim is believed to refer to Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, a Pakistani-born Pashtun who grew up in Kuwait and who was known for a time to American intelligence as 'the courier', because he carried the Qaeda leader's messages.

During the raid by the Navy SEAL commandos, Fateh, who was in the same room as the Qaeda leader, was shot in the leg. She survived but four others were killed in the raid: the courier, his wife Bushra, his brother Abrar, and bin Laden's 20-year-old son, Khalil.

Bin Laden's three widows are currently under house arrest in Islamabad and they along with two of his children face prosecution. A cousin of Fateh's in Yemen has claimed that she was being held in a basement. PTI

Osama moved around in Pakistan for 9 years, fathered 4 children

Posted on: 30 Mar 2012

In one of the most detailed accounts of Osama bin Laden's life on the run, his youngest wife has told Pakistani investigators that the Al-Qaeda leader lived in five safe houses as he travelled across Pakistan with his family for nine years following the 9/11 attacks. The detailed account of bin Laden's life on the run has been given by his 30-year-old wife Amal Ahmad Abdul Fateh, and is contained in a police report dated January 19.

Bin Laden was 54 years old when he was killed last year by US Navy SEAL commandos in Pakistan's Abbottabad. According to the report, Fateh said she agreed to marry bin Laden in 2000 because 'she had a desire of marrying a mujahid.'

In July 2000, she came to Karachi and months later crossed into Afghanistan to join her husband and his two other wives at his base on a farm outside Kandahar.

'The September 11 attacks caused the Bin Laden family to scatter,' the New York Times reported. Fateh returned to Karachi with her newborn daughter Safia and stayed there for about nine months during which she shifted between seven houses arranged by 'some Pakistani family' and bin Laden's elder son, Saad.

She then left Karachi in the second half of 2002 for Peshawar, where she was reunited with her husband. At that time, the American pursuit of bin Laden was running high since Qaeda operatives had attacked an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya and nightclubs in Indonesia.

The search was firmly focused on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area. Fateh told investigators that Bin Laden took his family deep into rural mountain areas of northwest Pakistan and not into the tribal belt where much of the Western attention was focused.

They first stayed in the Shangla district in Swat, about 80 miles northwest of Islamabad, living in two different houses for eight to nine months.

In 2003 they moved to Haripur, a small town closer to Islamabad, where they stayed in a rented house for two years. It was in Haripur that Fateh gave birth to a girl, Aasia, in 2003 and a boy, Ibrahim, in 2004 — both of whom were delivered in a local government hospital.

The police report states that Fateh 'stayed in hospital for a very short time of about 2-3 hours' on each occasion while a separate document states that she gave fake identity papers to hospital staff, the New York Times report said.

Finally in mid-2005 bin Laden and his family moved to Abbottabad, where she gave birth to two more children Zainab in 2006 and Hussain in 2008.

Fateh told investigators that the houses in Swat, Haripur and Abbottabad were organised by their Pashtun hosts, identified as two brothers named Ibrahim and Abrar, whose families stayed with them throughout.

Ibrahim is believed to refer to Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, a Pakistani-born Pashtun who grew up in Kuwait and who was known for a time to American intelligence as 'the courier', because he carried the Qaeda leader's messages.

During the raid by the Navy SEAL commandos, Fateh, who was in the same room as the Qaeda leader, was shot in the leg. She survived but four others were killed in the raid: the courier, his wife Bushra, his brother Abrar, and bin Laden's 20-year-old son, Khalil.

Bin Laden's three widows are currently under house arrest in Islamabad and they along with two of his children face prosecution. A cousin of Fateh's in Yemen has claimed that she was being held in a basement. PTI

Rubbing toothpaste on gums protects against cavities

Posted on: 29 Mar 2012

London: Brushing your teeth twice daily may be sensible advice, but rubbing toothpaste on your gums after lunch also hugely lowers the risk of developing cavities.

'Rubbing toothpaste on to your teeth (and gums) increases the flouride protection by 400 percent,' said Anna Nordstrom from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden who led the study.

'This 'massage' method proved to be at least as effective as a third brushing in increasing the amount of fluoride in the mouth,' added Nordstrom.

Gothenburg researchers were testing the effect of a high-fluoride toothpaste sold over the counter in Sweden. They asked volunteers to brush various numbers of times a day and also tested out the 'finger rubbing' technique, the Daily Mail reports.

'Rubbing the front of your teeth with toothpaste can be an easy way of giving your teeth a third 'shot' of fluoride during the day, after lunch for example,' said Nordstrom.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that prevents decay

Rubbing toothpaste on gums protects against cavities

Posted on: 29 Mar 2012

London: Brushing your teeth twice daily may be sensible advice, but rubbing toothpaste on your gums after lunch also hugely lowers the risk of developing cavities.

'Rubbing toothpaste on to your teeth (and gums) increases the flouride protection by 400 percent,' said Anna Nordstrom from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden who led the study.

'This 'massage' method proved to be at least as effective as a third brushing in increasing the amount of fluoride in the mouth,' added Nordstrom.

Gothenburg researchers were testing the effect of a high-fluoride toothpaste sold over the counter in Sweden. They asked volunteers to brush various numbers of times a day and also tested out the 'finger rubbing' technique, the Daily Mail reports.

'Rubbing the front of your teeth with toothpaste can be an easy way of giving your teeth a third 'shot' of fluoride during the day, after lunch for example,' said Nordstrom.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that prevents decay

CBI registers case in Tatra-BEML truck supply deal with Army

Posted on: 30 Mar 2012

New Delhi: The CBI today registered a case in connection with the supply of all-terrain Tatra trucks through state-owned BEML to the Army and called for questioning Vectra group Chairman Ravi Rishi who is a majority stake holder in Tatra.CBI sources said British national Rishi, who is in the national capital for the Defence Expo, has been called for questioning in the connection with the alleged irregularities in the deal. CBI Director A P Singh had examined a report forwarded by one of the joint directors of the agency who had opined that a case could be made out and a thorough investigation was required, the sources said.

The deal came under scanner after Army chief General V K Singh had alleged that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe to clear a file related to purchase of trucks. The Defence Ministry has sent a reference to the CBI seeking a probe in the allegations. However, the agency is waiting for a complaint from Gen Singh before initiating a probe into his allegations.The sources said based on the reference, two separate cases could be registered by the agency -- one related to the deal and another to the alleged bribery offer. 

Reacting to alleged involvement of agents and lobbyists in placement of orders for the Tatra trucks, state-owned BEML chief V R S Natarajan has said, 'In last 26 years, from 1986 onwards, BEML assembled manufactured, supplied 7,000 Tatra
trucks. All of them have been done on single nomination basis, single inquiry basis. 'This type of equipment nobody in world makes, because of its superior technological features. When I am the single vendor and there is no competition, there is no influence required,' he said. 

The name of Tatra and Bharat Earth Movers Limited was taken by the Army in a press release issued by it on March 5,
alleging that retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh had offered a bribe on behalf of Tatra and Vectra Limited. PTI

CBI registers case in Tatra-BEML truck supply deal with Army

Posted on: 30 Mar 2012

New Delhi: The CBI today registered a case in connection with the supply of all-terrain Tatra trucks through state-owned BEML to the Army and called for questioning Vectra group Chairman Ravi Rishi who is a majority stake holder in Tatra.CBI sources said British national Rishi, who is in the national capital for the Defence Expo, has been called for questioning in the connection with the alleged irregularities in the deal. CBI Director A P Singh had examined a report forwarded by one of the joint directors of the agency who had opined that a case could be made out and a thorough investigation was required, the sources said.

The deal came under scanner after Army chief General V K Singh had alleged that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe to clear a file related to purchase of trucks. The Defence Ministry has sent a reference to the CBI seeking a probe in the allegations. However, the agency is waiting for a complaint from Gen Singh before initiating a probe into his allegations.The sources said based on the reference, two separate cases could be registered by the agency -- one related to the deal and another to the alleged bribery offer. 

Reacting to alleged involvement of agents and lobbyists in placement of orders for the Tatra trucks, state-owned BEML chief V R S Natarajan has said, 'In last 26 years, from 1986 onwards, BEML assembled manufactured, supplied 7,000 Tatra
trucks. All of them have been done on single nomination basis, single inquiry basis. 'This type of equipment nobody in world makes, because of its superior technological features. When I am the single vendor and there is no competition, there is no influence required,' he said. 

The name of Tatra and Bharat Earth Movers Limited was taken by the Army in a press release issued by it on March 5,
alleging that retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh had offered a bribe on behalf of Tatra and Vectra Limited. PTI