Drinking milk can delay knee problem in women

Washington: Women who frequently consume fat-free or low-fat milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, research indicates.

The findings showed that women who ate cheese saw an increase in knee OA progression.
Yogurt, however, did not impact OA progression in men or women.

'Milk consumption plays an important role in bone health,' explained lead author Bing Lu from Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

OA is a common, degenerative joint disease that causes pain and swelling of joints in the hand, hips or knee.

For the study, 2,148 participants with knee OA were recruited.

At the start of the study, dietary data was collected and joint space width was measured by x-ray to evaluate OA progression.

As the intake of milk increased from none to less than 3, 4-6, and more than 7 glasses per week, the joint space width in women also decreased by 0.38mm, 0.29mm,0.29mm and 0.26mm, respectively.

Results persisted even after adjusting for disease severity, body mass index (BMI) and dietary factors.

No association between milk consumption and joint space width decrease was reported in men.

'Our findings indicate that women who frequently drink milk may reduce the progression of OA,' Lu said in the study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

Drinking milk can delay knee problem in women

Washington: Women who frequently consume fat-free or low-fat milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, research indicates.

The findings showed that women who ate cheese saw an increase in knee OA progression.
Yogurt, however, did not impact OA progression in men or women.

'Milk consumption plays an important role in bone health,' explained lead author Bing Lu from Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

OA is a common, degenerative joint disease that causes pain and swelling of joints in the hand, hips or knee.

For the study, 2,148 participants with knee OA were recruited.

At the start of the study, dietary data was collected and joint space width was measured by x-ray to evaluate OA progression.

As the intake of milk increased from none to less than 3, 4-6, and more than 7 glasses per week, the joint space width in women also decreased by 0.38mm, 0.29mm,0.29mm and 0.26mm, respectively.

Results persisted even after adjusting for disease severity, body mass index (BMI) and dietary factors.

No association between milk consumption and joint space width decrease was reported in men.

'Our findings indicate that women who frequently drink milk may reduce the progression of OA,' Lu said in the study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

Defeat 'forces of darkness', Sonia urges voters

Thrissur : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday appealed to voters to defeat the 'forces of darkness' while slamming the BJP for being divisive and the CPI-M for pursuing a redundant ideology.

At an election rally in Thrissur, Gandhi said the 2014 Lok Sabha polls were crucial for India and it was up to the voters to choose between a divisive Bharatiya Janata Party and a unifying Congress.

'We should fight to defeat the forces of darkness and we will make the forces of light come alive in our country, as we have always done,' she said.

Accusing the BJP of dividing India, Gandhi asked voters to cast their ballots in favour of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in order to ensure that the 'country remains united'.

'You have to choose between the UPA, which has always stood for a secular India, and one where we have protected our democratic institutions, while our main opposition (BJP) wants a single-man rule and one which wants our country to get divided,' she said.

The choice before the voters was very clear, the Congress president said.

'Do you want an India that belongs to all or an India that belongs to a few, which will serve the interests of a few,' she asked.

Kerala goes to the polls Thursday to elect 20 Lok Sabha members. In the outgoing Lok Sabha, the ruling Congress-led UDF had 16 and the Left opposition had four members.

'These elections are very crucial as the future of our country and the direction that our country needs to take to go forward depends on its outcome,' she said.

Gandhi also lashed out at the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the main opposition party in Kerala, accusing it of following a redundant ideology and pursuing politics of murder.

'Here, our opposition (CPI-M) is one party which has an ideology that has lost its relevance. We follow the principle of non-violence, while they promote violence,' she said.

The Congress chief went on to add that the opposition has been hurling baseless charges of corruption against the UPA government.

'I stand here and challenge them to tell us what steps did they take in their states when corruption issues surfaced. No one has done like what we have done to tackle corruption,' she said.

Gandhi's Thrissur rally was a hasty affair with the Congress president rushing off to another meeting in Kozhikode. Earlier in the day, she also addressed a rally in Kochi.

Gandhi was the Congress's third star campaigner in Kerala. On Sunday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed a rally in Kochi while party vice president Rahul Gandhi addressed four rallies across the state Saturday.

Defeat 'forces of darkness', Sonia urges voters

Thrissur : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday appealed to voters to defeat the 'forces of darkness' while slamming the BJP for being divisive and the CPI-M for pursuing a redundant ideology.

At an election rally in Thrissur, Gandhi said the 2014 Lok Sabha polls were crucial for India and it was up to the voters to choose between a divisive Bharatiya Janata Party and a unifying Congress.

'We should fight to defeat the forces of darkness and we will make the forces of light come alive in our country, as we have always done,' she said.

Accusing the BJP of dividing India, Gandhi asked voters to cast their ballots in favour of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in order to ensure that the 'country remains united'.

'You have to choose between the UPA, which has always stood for a secular India, and one where we have protected our democratic institutions, while our main opposition (BJP) wants a single-man rule and one which wants our country to get divided,' she said.

The choice before the voters was very clear, the Congress president said.

'Do you want an India that belongs to all or an India that belongs to a few, which will serve the interests of a few,' she asked.

Kerala goes to the polls Thursday to elect 20 Lok Sabha members. In the outgoing Lok Sabha, the ruling Congress-led UDF had 16 and the Left opposition had four members.

'These elections are very crucial as the future of our country and the direction that our country needs to take to go forward depends on its outcome,' she said.

Gandhi also lashed out at the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the main opposition party in Kerala, accusing it of following a redundant ideology and pursuing politics of murder.

'Here, our opposition (CPI-M) is one party which has an ideology that has lost its relevance. We follow the principle of non-violence, while they promote violence,' she said.

The Congress chief went on to add that the opposition has been hurling baseless charges of corruption against the UPA government.

'I stand here and challenge them to tell us what steps did they take in their states when corruption issues surfaced. No one has done like what we have done to tackle corruption,' she said.

Gandhi's Thrissur rally was a hasty affair with the Congress president rushing off to another meeting in Kozhikode. Earlier in the day, she also addressed a rally in Kochi.

Gandhi was the Congress's third star campaigner in Kerala. On Sunday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed a rally in Kochi while party vice president Rahul Gandhi addressed four rallies across the state Saturday.

Modi attacks Vadra over land deals, targets Congress on poll promises

Jhajjar (Haryana)/Jayal/Ratkudiya (Rajasthan): BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Monday attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra over his alleged land deals and accused Congress of not fulfilling promises in its manifesto.

Addressing rallies in Haryana and Rajasthan, Modi sought support for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates and those of its allies to provide a strong government at the centre.

Speaking at Ratkudiya in Pali district of Rajasthan, Modi hit out at Vadra over his alleged land deals in the state during the chief ministership of Ashok Gehlot.

'Gujarat and Rajasthan are very similar and in Gujarat, we have set up solar power plants. In Rajasthan, they (the Congress) put up boards of solar power but it became damaad (son-in-law) power.'

'We heard all types of power but here we hear damaad power,' Modi said,

'In the name of solar power, you took land and gave land to your son-in-law for his benefit,' he alleged.

Amidst chanting of slogans 'Modi Lao, Desh Bacho', Modi termed the Congress manifesto as a 'Dhokha Patra' (bundle of lies).

'They in 2009 promised to provide jobs to 10 crore youths but they never gave the jobs and now they are making the same promises,' he said.

He claimed nothing has changed for the people in the last 10 years of rule of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance.

'Elect a BJP government and we will give water by inter-linking the rivers. We will give water to the people,' he said.

Earlier speaking at Jayal in Rajasthan's Nagaur district, Modi said Congress will be defeated in the polls.

Referring to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's speech in which he said that his mother Sonia Gandhi considers power as poison, Modi said: 'Who has been in power the maximum - the Congresss...so who has tasted poison the most....in whose stomach is maximum poison?'

Modi referred to Rahul Gandhi as 'shehzada' (prince) and said that he speaks like he has come from Mars.

'The Congress has nothing to do with this country. Are those who are running the government at the centre telling you what they did for you. You should ask the Congress leaders when they come to you what have they have done in the last 10 years.'

'They promised to create employment and curb inflation... but have they have fulfilled any promise and again they have come out with a manifesto to lure people,' he said.

In his rally at Jhajjar in Haryana, Modi attacked Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Rahul Gandhi over alleged land deals concerning Vadra.

'In Haryana, father-son are active. In Delhi mother-son are active. Whatever was lacking, then son-in-law also came,' he said.

'Can shehzada tell us who is the magician who gained from policies of Haryana government,' Modi said.

Polling to Rajasthan's 25 Lok Sabha constituencies will be held in two phases - April 17 (20 constituencies) and April 24 (5). Haryana's 10 constituencies will see voting April 10 in the third phase.

Modi attacks Vadra over land deals, targets Congress on poll promises

Jhajjar (Haryana)/Jayal/Ratkudiya (Rajasthan): BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Monday attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra over his alleged land deals and accused Congress of not fulfilling promises in its manifesto.

Addressing rallies in Haryana and Rajasthan, Modi sought support for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates and those of its allies to provide a strong government at the centre.

Speaking at Ratkudiya in Pali district of Rajasthan, Modi hit out at Vadra over his alleged land deals in the state during the chief ministership of Ashok Gehlot.

'Gujarat and Rajasthan are very similar and in Gujarat, we have set up solar power plants. In Rajasthan, they (the Congress) put up boards of solar power but it became damaad (son-in-law) power.'

'We heard all types of power but here we hear damaad power,' Modi said,

'In the name of solar power, you took land and gave land to your son-in-law for his benefit,' he alleged.

Amidst chanting of slogans 'Modi Lao, Desh Bacho', Modi termed the Congress manifesto as a 'Dhokha Patra' (bundle of lies).

'They in 2009 promised to provide jobs to 10 crore youths but they never gave the jobs and now they are making the same promises,' he said.

He claimed nothing has changed for the people in the last 10 years of rule of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance.

'Elect a BJP government and we will give water by inter-linking the rivers. We will give water to the people,' he said.

Earlier speaking at Jayal in Rajasthan's Nagaur district, Modi said Congress will be defeated in the polls.

Referring to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's speech in which he said that his mother Sonia Gandhi considers power as poison, Modi said: 'Who has been in power the maximum - the Congresss...so who has tasted poison the most....in whose stomach is maximum poison?'

Modi referred to Rahul Gandhi as 'shehzada' (prince) and said that he speaks like he has come from Mars.

'The Congress has nothing to do with this country. Are those who are running the government at the centre telling you what they did for you. You should ask the Congress leaders when they come to you what have they have done in the last 10 years.'

'They promised to create employment and curb inflation... but have they have fulfilled any promise and again they have come out with a manifesto to lure people,' he said.

In his rally at Jhajjar in Haryana, Modi attacked Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Rahul Gandhi over alleged land deals concerning Vadra.

'In Haryana, father-son are active. In Delhi mother-son are active. Whatever was lacking, then son-in-law also came,' he said.

'Can shehzada tell us who is the magician who gained from policies of Haryana government,' Modi said.

Polling to Rajasthan's 25 Lok Sabha constituencies will be held in two phases - April 17 (20 constituencies) and April 24 (5). Haryana's 10 constituencies will see voting April 10 in the third phase.

Search continues for Malaysian flight MH370

Perth: Up to 11 military planes, three civil planes and 14 ships will assist in Tuesday's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) for the international search efforts said.

The search area is approximately 77,580 sq km, and good weather is expected throughout the day, Xinhua reported.

According to the JACC, the underwater search continues with Australia's vessel Ocean Shield at the northern end of the defined search area, and Chinese ship Haixun 01 and British HMS Echo at the southern end.

The pulse signals consistent with those from aircraft black box were detected by Ocean Shield and Haixun 01 over the weekend in separate locations at a depth of 4,500 metres undersea. But further confirmation is needed as to whether these detections are related to MH370.

The Malaysian jetliner is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean although no confirmed debris has been found since it went missing on March 8 on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

Search continues for Malaysian flight MH370

Perth: Up to 11 military planes, three civil planes and 14 ships will assist in Tuesday's search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) for the international search efforts said.

The search area is approximately 77,580 sq km, and good weather is expected throughout the day, Xinhua reported.

According to the JACC, the underwater search continues with Australia's vessel Ocean Shield at the northern end of the defined search area, and Chinese ship Haixun 01 and British HMS Echo at the southern end.

The pulse signals consistent with those from aircraft black box were detected by Ocean Shield and Haixun 01 over the weekend in separate locations at a depth of 4,500 metres undersea. But further confirmation is needed as to whether these detections are related to MH370.

The Malaysian jetliner is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean although no confirmed debris has been found since it went missing on March 8 on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

Three convicts sentenced to death in Shakti Mills gang rapes

MUMBAI:  Three men convicted of two gang rapes in the abandoned Shakti Mills in Mumbai last year have been sentenced to death. The men were convicted yesterday under a new legal provision that punishes repeat offenders with a life term or death sentence.

Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali and Salim Ansari are the first to be sentenced to death under Section 376 E for repeat offenders, which was brought in force along with major changes in the law after the fatal gang-rape of a young student in Delhi in December, 2012.

The three men were the common factor in the gang rapes of a photojournalist and a telephone operator in the deserted mill in the heart of Mumbai, which ruptured the city's image as one of India's safest.

 The group's crimes were exposed after the 23-year-old photojournalist's rape in August last, which sparked a fresh wave of outrage across the country, months after the Delhi gang rape.

The photographer was on assignment at the mill with a male colleague when five men tied him up and took turns to assault her, holding a broken bottle to her head. The attackers were found guilty of offences that included showing pornography to her and forcing her to perform similar acts, stripping her, and destroying evidence.

The phone operator came forward after reading about the photographer's ordeal.

The police describe the attackers as unemployed school dropouts and neighbours say they were a gang known for petty theft and drinking in the area.

Three convicts sentenced to death in Shakti Mills gang rapes

MUMBAI:  Three men convicted of two gang rapes in the abandoned Shakti Mills in Mumbai last year have been sentenced to death. The men were convicted yesterday under a new legal provision that punishes repeat offenders with a life term or death sentence.

Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali and Salim Ansari are the first to be sentenced to death under Section 376 E for repeat offenders, which was brought in force along with major changes in the law after the fatal gang-rape of a young student in Delhi in December, 2012.

The three men were the common factor in the gang rapes of a photojournalist and a telephone operator in the deserted mill in the heart of Mumbai, which ruptured the city's image as one of India's safest.

 The group's crimes were exposed after the 23-year-old photojournalist's rape in August last, which sparked a fresh wave of outrage across the country, months after the Delhi gang rape.

The photographer was on assignment at the mill with a male colleague when five men tied him up and took turns to assault her, holding a broken bottle to her head. The attackers were found guilty of offences that included showing pornography to her and forcing her to perform similar acts, stripping her, and destroying evidence.

The phone operator came forward after reading about the photographer's ordeal.

The police describe the attackers as unemployed school dropouts and neighbours say they were a gang known for petty theft and drinking in the area.