Antibiotic use may increase diabetes risk

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 London: Frequent use of antibiotics might increase your risk of developing Type-2 diabetes, a new study warns.

Danish researchers have found that people who developed Type-2 diabetes tended to take more antibiotics in the years leading up to the diagnosis than people who did not have the condition.

'In our research, we found people who have Type-2 diabetes used significantly more antibiotics up to 15 years prior to diagnosis compared to healthy controls,' said one of the study authors Kristian Hallundbæk Mikkelsen from Gentofte Hospital in Hellerup, Denmark.

'Although we cannot infer causality from this study, the findings raise the possibility that antibiotics could raise the risk of Type-2 diabetes,' Mikkelsen noted.

Another equally compelling explanation may be that people develop Type-2 diabetes over the course of years and face a greater risk of infection during that time, he pointed out.

For the study, the researchers tracked antibiotic prescriptions for 170,504 people who had Type-2 diabetes and for 1.3 million people who did not have diabetes.

Individuals who used more antibiotics were more likely to be diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes.

A person develops diabetes, which is characterised by high blood sugar levels, when the individual cannot produce enough of the hormone insulin or insulin does not work properly to clear sugar from the bloodstream.

Past research has shown that antibiotic treatments can alter the bacteria in an individual's gut and that certain gut bacteria may contribute to the impaired ability to metabolise sugar seen in people with diabetes.

This may explain why higher rates of antibiotic use are associated with the development of Type-2 diabetes, but more research is needed to explain the findings, Mikkelsen said.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Car rams into tempo traveller claiming 3 lives in Kozhikode

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Kozhikode: Three Sabarimala pilgrims were killed in a Kozhikode road mishap on Saturday morning. The accident happened at Azhinjilam on the National Highway when a car smashed against a tempo traveller. Two others were seriously injured and have been rushed to the Kozhikode Medical College hospital. The deceased were Karnataka natives Manjunath, Thilakanath and Anil Chowdhary.

3 arrested in connection with deaths of 71 migrants in truck

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Vienna:Police arrested three people in Hungary overnight in connection with the deaths of 71 migrants found in a refrigerated truck abandoned on Austria's main highway, a police official said today.

The migrants likely suffocated, said Hans Peter Doskozil, chief of police in eastern Burgenland province. A Syrian
travel document was found, indicating that at least some of the dead were refugees fleeing violence in Syria, though it
wasn't clear if some were for elsewhere. The 71 included eight women and four children.

It was the latest tragedy in a year that has seen tens of thousands of people risking everything to seek a better life
or refuge in wealthy European countries.

At least 2,500 have died, mostly at sea, where another tragedy was unfolding today as Libyan authorities counted
bodies from two ships that capsized off the coast of that country. The UN refugee agency said 200 were missing and
feared dead.

Migrants fearful of death at sea in overcrowded and flimsy boats have increasingly turned to using a land route to Europe
through the Western Balkans.

They start in Greece, which they can reach via a short boat trip from Turkey. But the discovery of the bodies in the
truck showed there is no truly safe path.

The refrigerated truck was found parked in the safety lane of the highway from Budapest, Hungary, to Vienna yesterday.

The death toll was initially estimated at 20 to 50.

The bodies were partially decomposed and police had the truck towed to a refrigerated warehouse before they began a
body count and tried to identify them. Autopsies were being conducted.

At least two of those arrested are Bulgarian citizens, while the third has Hungarian identity papers, police said.
(AP)

No ID card? You are a ticketless passenger

 

Chennai: The Railway has revised the norms for tatkal booking in trains.

As per the new norms, neither the copy of identity card nor its number is not required while booking tatkal tickets at the counter. However, the passengers should carry anyone of the 10 documents mentioned by the Railway during travel. Otherwise, they should be considered ticketless passengers and fine would be imposed.

Documents accepted as identity proof:
1. Electoral identity card
2. Passport
3. PAN card
4. Driving licence
5. Photo identity card bearing serial number provided by state or central government
6. Identity card provided to students by their institutions
7. Pass book of a nationalised bank carrying photo
8. Laminated bank credit card
9. Aadhaar card
10. Photo identity card provided by central government-owned public sector institutions, district administrations and local bodies

OROP: Gen V.K. Singh's daughter joins protesters

New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs and former army chief V.K. Singh's daughter Mrinalini Singh on Sunday joined a protest here by ex-servicemen against the delay in the implementation of 'One Rank One Pension' scheme.

Demanding a speedy resolution to the contentious issue, she said: 'I am here to support the cause of ex-servicemen because I too am an ex-serviceman's daughter. I feel that the OROP should be implemented as soon as possible.

'Even my grandfather was a soldier, and may be my son would also become one. I hope the government will soon heed to this demand. It's long overdue. I did take up the issue with my father. He has written a letter to the prime minister,' she said at the Jantar Mantar protest site here.

The ex-servicemen have been protesting since June demanding that there should be no change in the definition of OROP, the date of implementation should remain April 1, 2014, and the base year must remain 2013-14.

Onion prices skyrocketing, one kg at Rs.75

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Kochi: Wholesale onion prices have risen to Rs.75 from Rs.50 per kg within a week. The prices increased by an average of Rs.5 daily in the past few days.

The recent price rise is attributed to the dip in the supply coming from Maharashtra. There has been a decline in the total production and the harvest is delayed. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan witnessed a fall in production.

Traders alleged that large-scale dealers in Maharashtra are hoarding onion, leading to shortage of supply and consequently price rise. The 'hoarded' onion will be let into the market only if sufficient amount of onions are imported.

Even though the Central government announced import of 10,000 tonnes of onion, there are allegations that this is proceeding at a slow pace.

Meanwhile, there are no significant changes in the price of other vegetables.

Tomato, pumpkin, drumstick, cucumber are sold at Rs.20 per kg. Raw mango is the most expensive one in the market. The retail price of pineapple is Rs.42 per kg whereas that of lemon is Rs.50 .

The price of cabbage has also increased following onion. Cabbage is widely used to prepare samosa and salad, which led to the price rise, say traders.

US says 'disappointed' that India-Pak talks called off

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Washington : Hours after Pakistan called off the Indo-Pak NSA-level talks, the US today said it was 'disappointed' with the development and encouraged the two sides to resume formal dialogue soon.

'We are disappointed the talks will not happen this weekend and encourage India and Pakistan to resume formal
dialogue soon,' State Department spokesman John Kirby told PTI.

The spokesperson, however, said the 'constructive' interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Ufa, Russia, was encouraging.

'We were encouraged by the constructive interaction between the leaders of India and Pakistan earlier this year at
Ufa, particularly the announcement of dialogue between the countries' National Security Advisors,' Kirby said.

Pakistan last night called off the NSA-level talks proposed for today after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj virtually gave an ultimatum to Islamabad to give a commitment that it would not meet Kashmiri separatist leaders.

Swaraj was reacting to Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz's remarks that he was willing to come to India for talks without any
pre-conditions.

India was also upset over Pakistan including Kashmir as part of the agenda for the NSA talks that was mainly scheduled
to discuss terror.

The first-ever NSA-level talks was agreed upon in July in Ufa during a meeting between the prime ministers of India and
Pakistan. PTI

Dawood has nine residences in Pak: Indian dossier

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New Delhi : In evidence to show that Dawood Ibrahim is holed up in Pakistan, a dossier prepared by India listed nine residences of the underworld don in that country and stated that he is known to frequently change his locations and addresses there.

The information about the residences in Pakistan, including one bought near the house of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,
son of late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in Karachi two years ago is contained in the dossier that has been
prepared to be handed over to Pakistan's NSA Sartaj Aziz in the event of his talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval
taking place here.

Pakistan has been consistently saying that Dawood is not living in Pakistan.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, said that Dawood is permanently living in Pakistan though he may be
changing locations in that country even as BJP said there was 'irrefutable evidence' of India's most wanted criminal's
presence there and that it can not longer remain in denial. 'Such people keep changing their location... but he is
permanently living in Pakistan,' Singh told reporters in Lucknow.

The dossier also said that Dawood has three Pakistani passports which he frequently uses to travel.
Dawood is wanted in India for the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in which 257 people were killed and nearly a
thousand injured. He is also accused of masterminding other terror attacks and of money laundering and extortion.

The dossier said a new residence Dawood bought is located at Shireen Jinah Colony near Ziauddin Hospital, Cliffton,
Karachi.

'This accommodation was purchased in September, 2013 and is located near the hospital where medical treatment could be
provided to Dawood whenever required. This place is close to the residence of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of former Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto,' the dossier reads.

Apart from this house, the other places where he regularly frequents are: Moin Palace, near Abdullah Shah Gazi Dargah,
Cliffton, Karachi, 6A Khyabar Tanzeem, Phase V, Defence Housing area, Karachi, ISI safe house located on Bhoubhan
Hill, around 20 km from Islamabad on Islamabad-Muree Road, P 6/2, street no.22, House no. 29, Maragalla Road, Islamabad, 17 C P Bazar Society, Block 7-8, Amir Khan Road, Karachi, 30th street in Phase 6 extension of DHA in Karachi, 8th floor of
Mohran Square near Pardesi House 3, Tawar area, Cliffton, Karachi and a palatial bunglow in the hilly area of Nooriabad,
Karachi.

'Dawood is known to frequently change his locations and addresses in Pakistan. He has amassed immense property in
Pakistan and moves under the protection of Pakistani agencies,' the dossier says.

According to the dossier, Dawood has three Pakistani passports -- first one issued in Rawalpindi (No.G-866537),
second in Karachi (No. C-267185) and a third one which was also issued in Karachi (No. KC-285901).

Dawood's wife Mahajabeen holds a Pakistani passport No. J-589103, son Moeen's Pakistani passport No. J-588518 and
daughter Mehrukh's passport No. J-563473. Mehrukh is married to former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad's son Junaid.

Dawood's another daughter Mehreen has a Pakistani Passport whose number is J-563439. Dawood's brother Anees and Mustaqim too have Pakistani passports with the Nos. H 144394 and KA-713357 respectively.

The dossier says that Dawood was declared a global terrorist by the US State Department on October 16, 2003 and
he was included in the UN list as an associate of Al Qaeda on November 3, 2003 under the UNSC resolution no. 1267

'Pakistan has failed to issue a red corner notice and take action as per UN notice against Dawood,' the dossier says. PTI

CET mishap: Main accused arrested

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Thiruvananthapuram: Police on Sunday arrested the main accused in the CET mishap case. The prime accused Baiju was held by the police for knocking down a third year engineering student on the campus during the Onam celebrations at the College of Engineering in Sreekaryam.

Baiju surrendered before the police on Sunday night. Baiju's relatives were present at the police station when he surrendered. His arrest was recorded by the Shangumugham assistant commissioner of police. Following his surrender, he was interrogated by the Thiruvananthapuram police commissioner Sanjay Kumar. He will be taken to the engineering college campus on Sunday morning for evidence collection.

Baiju, who absconded after the incident, had taken refuge in Kodaikanal and Madurai after finally deciding to surrender. Baiju had escaped to nearby Tamil Nadu in a bike.

The police on Saturday recovered another jeep that was used during the Onam celebrations at the College.

Police said the students used two open jeeps and lorry without permission of authorities during the Onam celebration on the campus. The police had seized the jeep involved in the accident the other day.

Thasni Basheer (21) of Pullancherry Veedu at Kunnath, Vazhikkadavu, in Malappuram, was fatally knocked down by the jeep driven by Baiju, a seventh semester student hailing from Kannur, during the Onam celebrations on the campus.

Now, blood from blood banks for MBBS docs only

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 Mumbai: MBBS doctors alone will get blood from blood banks from now on. The office of the Drug Control General of India has issued a circular stating that blood will be given based on the prescriptions of MBBS doctors only.

That means the prescriptions of ayurveda, homeopathy, and unani doctors will not be enough to seek blood from blood banks.

The circular has been issued in the wake of increased rate of deaths and diseases caused by blood transfusion. In the hospitals in metro cities including Mumbai, ayurveda doctors too are given charge of wards and ICUs. The new decision is a setback for such hospitals.

Meanwhile, Drug Controller General Dr G N Singh said that the decision was taken considering only the welfare of the patients. 'It is important to know who demands blood and also the volume of blood sought. It's high time blood banks are strictly monitored,' he added.