THE KIOSK

Dies of shock after robbery

2010-12-07T18:03:00.001+04:00

Sérgio Ribeiro, António
Andrade's nephew, saysthe
shock killed my uncle

Antonio Andrade woke up when two men tried to break the door of his house. He suffered from heart and went out for help but could not resist

Study: Aspirin reduces risk of death from cancer

2010-12-07T17:46:00.001+04:00

Study shows decrease of 60 per cent risk of death in cancers of the esophagus and ten percent in the prostrata

A dose of 75 mg of aspirin substantially reduces the deaths of patients with the most common cancers, according to this British study published Tuesday in the medical journal 'Lancet'.

The study, conducted by the University of Oxford in conjunction with other academic organizations shows that aspirin can prevent a fifth of deaths from common cancers.The investigation comprised 25 000 patients, mostly from the United Kingdom.

Patients who took aspirin during the investigation declined 25 percent risk of death from cancer and a reduction of ten per cent reduction in death from other instances, compared with patients who did not take the medicine.

According to the report now published, the risk of cancer dropped 20 percent in 20 years. Analyzing tumor types separately, there was A decrease risk of death from cancer of the esophagus of 60 percent, which recorded the highest success rate. Also the risk of bowel cancer in decreased drastically, from 40 percent. The lung cancer decreased by 30 percent and 10 percent of the prostate.

Cancer of the pancreas, stomach and brain were difficult to quantify given the low number of deaths.

The experts were also unable to draw conclusions on breast cancer and ovarian cancer, for lack of data.

Until now only brings it knew aspirin cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes in those who are more predisposed, despite increasing the risk of bleeding in the stomach and intestines.

Peter Cardiff, Cardiff University epidemiologist who participated in the study, to drink a glass of milk to reduce stomach irritation.

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Experts sceptical of study linking mobile phones to behavioural problems in children

2010-12-07T17:39:00.001+04:00

MEDICAL experts have cast doubt on a study that found pregnant mothers who regularly used mobile phones were more likely to have children with behavioural problems.

The survey, reported in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that kids who had been exposed to mobile phones both before and after birth were 50 per cent more likely to have problems.

But doctors have said they are sceptical of the study, which used data from Danish couples, and the results were “over-interpreted”.

Wollongong University’s Professor Rodney Croft said the data was not strong enough to indicate causation but just an “association”.

"I do not believe that this study provides evidence of a negative effect of maternal mobile phone use on childhood development, nor for the need for added caution,” Professor Croft said.

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Attitude and booze drive violent men

2010-11-25T17:15:00.000+04:00

Times and roles are changing for Thai males as society tries harder to find more ways to protect vulnerable women

When he finally realised his alcoholism and wife-battering ways were sending him down a bitter dead-end road, former bus driver Damrong Petra knew it was time to change.

Pol Lt Col Pichian Suwapit, of the Salui police station in Chumphon, shows how men can share household chores during an event yesterday to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. LAMPHAI INTATHEP

After years of heavy drinking, Mr Damrong's sister finally managed to convince him to join a self-help session organised by a women's support group. The group invited men to share their stories about their chronic drinking habits and how they managed to quit.

"Stories of their families being torn apart [due to drinking] and their suffering from alcohol-induced paralysis made me start to think about changing my life for the better," Mr Damrong said.

Some women's rights advocates believe it will take a sea change in the attitude of men to reduce or eliminate the problem of domestic violence against women, which is usually associated with alcohol consumption.

Since today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, several organisations will be holding events to remind society of the need to end gender inequality and domestic violence. These activities are expected to last throughout the month.

From being a part of the audience, Mr Damrong, 65, will now sit with those who want to share their stories.

He had been a chronic drinker since he was a teenager.

"I drank until dawn every day then and became furious whenever my wife warned or scolded me [about the habit]. Sometimes, I hurt her," Mr Damrong said.

.bangkokpost.

N. Korea presumed to have used 'fuel-air bombs' in attack

2010-11-25T16:36:00.002+04:00

North Korea is believed to have used a type of bomb that would increase casualties and structural damage when it fired on a South Korean island two days ago, a military source said Thursday.

"After analyzing debris of artillery rounds on Yeonpyeong Island, we preliminarily concluded that some of them were a sort of special weapon similar to thermobaric bombs," the source said on condition of anonymity.
"North Korea appeared to use such weapon to kill a number of people and maximize confusion by causing fire," the source said.
Also known as "fuel-air bombs," thermobaric bombs produce a blast wave for a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives, increasing casualties and damage to structures.

North Korea is presumed to have developed and deployed such bombs from 1985, according to the source.
The barrage of shots fired Tuesday at the inhabited island, just south of the tense Yellow Sea border with the North, killed two marines and two civilians. It also injured 18 people, including at least three civilians, and gutted scores of homes.
Tuesday's attack by North Korea marked the first civilian deaths in an attack since the bombing of a South Korean airliner in 1987.
All of South Korea's military went on full alert following the attack on the island off Incheon, 35 kilometers west of Seoul

koreaherald

Bank's Posen - King crossed the line on fiscal policy

2010-11-25T16:17:00.000+04:00

(Reuters) - Some Bank of England policymakers felt Governor Mervyn King's statement with the bank's May Inflation Report was "excessively

political" in its support for a tough austerity drive to tackle the UK's budget deficit, policymaker Adam Posen said on Thursday.

Posen said dissenting Monetary Policy Committee members raised the issue with Governor Mervyn King, who has this year offered unusually vocal support for the harsh deficit reduction plan adopted by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.

Posen said the majority of the MPC was comfortable with the language in the statement, which was published after Britain's May 6 parliamentary election.

"There was a difference of opinion at the MPC, in particular in the main meeting, over a particular paragraph in the report that was talking about the need for a particular speed with which to deal with the fiscal policy," Posen told lawmakers.

Teens rescued after 50 days in the Pacific

2010-11-25T14:06:00.000+04:00

THREE teenage boys who spent 50 days adrift in the Pacific, eating a seagull to survive have been rescued.

Samuel Perez and Filo Filo, both 15, and Edward Nasau, 14, were presumed drowned after a search failed to find them when they disappeared on October 5 from Atafu Atoll, part of the New Zealand territory of Tokelau about 4000km north of Auckland.

The boys ate a seagull and were drinking seawater in a bid to stay alive during their time adrift, stuff.co.nz reported.

hey drifted about 1300km across empty ocean in a small boat before a New Zealand tuna vessel found them.

The fishing boat, the San Nikunau, was returning to Auckland when the crew spotted the boys. The vessel did not normally operate in the area.

"We got to them in a miracle," First Mate Tai Fredricsen said.

The boys were said to be in comparatively good health considering their ordeal.

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Weapons shock: Home-made stun guns hit the streets

2010-11-24T23:11:00.000+04:00

HOME-MADE stun guns crudely built from disposable cameras using instructions from the internet have hit the streets of Sydney.

The cameras provide the parts and the voltage necessary to create a powerful Taser-like effect.

Two screws protruding from the body of the camera conduct the charge which is fired by pressing the button on the camera, as if taking a picture.

While not lethal, the weapon has a higher voltage than a household power point and can be modified to increase voltage. The more powerful the camera flash, the stronger the electrical charge will be.

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Ireland vows austerity but plan draws scepticism

2010-11-24T23:07:00.003+04:00

Ireland promised on Wednesday to cut spending and raise taxes to combat its banking crisis and secure an international bailout, but drew accusations of overconfidence in assuming the crippled economy can grow.
As tempers flared across Europe over the financial and social cost of rescuing Ireland, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said politicians must show financial markets who is in charge and make investors share in the risk of future debt crises.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, whose government is close to collapse, unveiled a 15 billion euro $20 billion (12.7 billion pound) four-year austerity plan that he said would affect all Irish people.

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Warlords, Taliban and drugs fuel violence

2010-11-24T22:32:00.004+04:00

Afghanistan is struggling to recover from more than a quarter-century of conflict, with violence still raging in much of the country. It is one of the most heavily mined nations in the world and home to a booming narcotics trade. The country's infant mortality rates are among the highest in the world.
Millions fled during the conflict
925 children die every day
About 100.000 foreign troops
Billions of dollars have been poured into rebuilding Afghanistan since the fall of the hardline Taliban regime in 2001. But many Afghans are frustrated at the pace of reconstruction, which has been dogged by security problems and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
The Taliban were toppled by U.S. and mujahideen forces after they refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, architect of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
They have since been fighting to oust tens of thousands of foreign troops and Afghanistan's Western-backed government. Insurgents have launched a campaign of bomb attacks, ambushes and raids.
Fighting has escalated and spread and is now at its heaviest since 2001. As a result, aid agencies struggle to access most of the country, especially rural areas where the needs are greatest.
Anger has grown in Afghanistan over the number of civilians who are killed by U.S. and NATO forces.

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Paris Hilton does not like to wear panties

2010-11-24T17:06:00.003+04:00

Scandalous socialite came in a very awkward situation.

Paris Hilton, a 29-year-old blonde out for a walk in black leggings, short shirt, and, naturally, in high heels. As such, she and her sister Nicky Hilton attended a couple of shops.

With many packages star went to the car, here and there happened to her embarrassment. Near the trunk she had something fell from his hand, and, of course, Paris stooped to pick up the fallen. And just opened a spectacular view of Paris Hilton. Immediately socialite surrounded by paparazzi, and by the light of flashbulbs black leggings Hilton became completely transparent.But the underwear beneath them was not.

Apparently, Paris Hilton does not like to wear shorts. A couple of years ago, the paparazzi have "caught" socialite without underwear, but this time Paris Hilton has decided to show itself delights photographers. Although, certainly, it does not even suspect that her catch in a favorable light.

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Источник

Источн

New Columbine links to Aussie suicide shooting twins

2010-11-24T15:32:00.002+04:00

AUSTRALIAN twins Kristin and Candice Hermeler smiled and walked casually into a shooting range moments before turning guns on themselves, newly released video footage shows.

More links to the Columbine massacre that unraveled nearby 11 years ago also emerged, including a letter found in the sisters' luggage from the family one of 1999 rampage killers.

The surveillance camera footage, obtained by a local TV station, showed the 29-year-olds strolling into the Family Shooting Center in Cherry Creek State Park, Colorado, last week.

Because they were inexperienced, they could only rent small-caliber weapons. The pair practised with for some 80 minutes before switching shooting stalls to move away from a group of men with bigger guns next to them.

The footage stopped just after they both walked forward into the new stall, and did not show the moment they fell backwards, almost simultaneously, having shot themselves in the head, CBS 4 reported.

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Taiwanese law students risk jail over facebook 'vote sale'

2010-11-24T14:01:00.003+04:00

Two Taiwanese college students have been charged with violating election laws Wednesday after allegedly trying to sell their votes for an upcoming election on the social network website facebook.

Voters in Taiwan go to the polls next weekend to elect mayors and councillors.

If the law students are found guilty they could face a prison term of up to three years.

They defended themselves by saying that they are aware vote-buying is illegal and were joking when they offered to sell their votes for 13 euros.

Critics say that vote-buying is a problem in the country. Prosecutors say they are investigating about 160 alleged cases in Taipei city and county alone.

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Portugal general strike disrupts services

2010-11-24T13:40:00.001+04:00

Portugal's unions hope to bring the country to a near standstill on Wednesday as they stage a general strike in protest at planned wage cuts.

Transport, industry and schools are set to be severely affected by the strike, the unions said.

The strike comes two days before the parliament in Lisbon is to vote on an austerity budget.

The budget aims to quell international unease over Portugal's public spending and deficit.

For the first time in 20 years, the country's main unions UGT and CGTP have united in a call for a national day of industrial action.

CP with cuts of 77%

Lisbon: Boats at a halt

Carris with 40% of services

New Zealand mine: 'No survivors' after second blast

2010-11-24T13:18:00.001+04:00

All 29 miners trapped in a New Zealand coal pit since Friday are believed to be dead after a second explosion.

Police Supt Gary Knowles said there was no hope that anyone could have survived the "massive" underground blast at the Pike River mine on South Island.

Prime Minister John Key said the loss of life was a national tragedy.

There had been no contact with the men - 24 New Zealanders, two Australians, two Britons and a South African - since the first explosion on Friday.

The Britons were Peter Roger, 40, and Malcolm Campbell, 25, who were both originally from Scotland.

The mayor of Greymouth, the town nearest the mine, said the miners' families were in "absolute despair" after hearing of the news.

'Still hoping'

Supt Knowles, who was leading the rescue operation, said there had been another explosion at 1437 local time (0137 GMT) inside the mine.

“Start Quote

People shouted out in anger, they are sickened by the whole thing. A lot of them felt misled... This is the West Coast's darkest hour”

Tony KokshoornGrey District mayor

"It is our belief that no-one has survived and everyone will have perished,"

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No room for natural beauties at Miss Plastic Hungary 2010

2010-11-24T10:51:00.002+04:00

Winners of the Miss Plastic Hungary 2009, queen Reka Urban, center, first runner-up Edina Kulcsar, right, and second-runner up Alexandra Horvath, left.

Can I please see your medical notes from your plastic surgeon?

This unusual question will be the first thing asked of beautiful Hungarian girls who want to participate in “Miss Plastic Hungary.”

Natural beauties are not allowed to compete in the pageant in Budapest, Hungary’s capital.

Judges of Miss Plastic 2010 say the standard is high among the 22 contestants in the national rounds, the Sun reported on Tuesday.

The contestants will be judged on their beauty and the quality of their plastic surgery. The winner will go on to a face-off with international contestants in Miss Plastic Universe.

Contestant Timea Kertesz, 27, has had a boob job and buttock implants.
Kertesz told the Sun, “It started when I was 17 and I persuaded my mum to agree to an operation to pin back my sticking out ears. I suddenly discovered I was much more confident and from that moment on I have never stopped improving what nature gave me.”

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Seoul suspends N.K. flood aid

2010-11-24T10:44:00.001+04:00

South Korea has halted shipments of flood aid to North Korea in the aftermath of the lethal shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea a day earlier, the Unification Ministry said Wednesday.

The aid, delivered via the Red Cross but heavily financed by the Seoul government, was promised in September after North Korea had been battered by heavy rains.

Houses on Yeonpyeong Island are seen to be severely damaged by the artillery attacks of North Korea on Tuesday.

Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said that 5,000 tons of rice, 3 million packs of instant noodles and 3,000 tons of cement have been delivered to the North Korean town of Sinuiju bordering China as of Wednesday.
Seoul’s move will stop the planned delivery of 7,000 tons of cement and medical supplies worth 580 million won ($500,000), the ministry said.

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Korea, U.S. to start joint naval drill in West Sea on Sunday

2010-11-24T10:21:00.003+04:00

South Korea and the United States will launch a joint naval drill in the Yellow Sea from Sunday with a nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier participating amid heightened tensions over North Korea's artillery attack on a South Korean island, officials said Wednesday.

"The USS George Washington carrier strike group will join Republic of Korea naval forces in the waters west of the Korean Peninsula from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 to conduct the next exercise," the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said in a stateme

While the four-day exercise has been previously planned well before the North's "unprovoked artillery attack, it demonstrates the strength of the ROK-U.S. alliance and our commitment to regional stability through deterrence," the USFK said in the statement. ROK is an acronym of South Korea's official name, Republic of Korea.

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Pants are ready to take off

2010-11-23T18:00:00.003+04:00

The head of the agency responsible for US airport security, facing protests from travellers and pressure from the White House, appeared to give ground on his position that there would be no change in policies regarding new invasive passenger screening procedures.

The announcement comes as a US man unveiled an invention that he says uses a powdered metal that protects people’s privacy when undergoing security screenings.

Jeff Buske says the underwear’s inserts are thin and conform to the body’s contours, making it difficult to hide anything beneath them.

The mix of tungsten and other metals do not set off metal detectors. It’s unclear whether the pants would lead to a more intrusive pat down by airport officials.

Transportation Security Administration head John Pistole said in a statement that the agency would work to make screening methods “as minimally invasive as possible”, although he gave no indication that screening changes were imminent.

The statement came just hours after Pistole, in a TV interview, said that while the full-body scans and pat-downs could be intrusive and uncomfortable, the high threat level required their use.

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8m crocodile lurks in river in Normanton, pastor says

2010-11-23T17:41:00.001+04:00

A PASTOR says he has evidence that an 8m croc lurks in a river in Queensland's Gulf country.

Pastor Elton Thompson said he took pictures of slide marks from the crocodile last Wednesday on the Norman River at Normanton.

"I haven't actually seen the crocodile but it was the slide marks that was left behind,'' Pastor Thompson said.

He said he took his measuring tape down to the bank.

It's paw imprint spanned 25cm, and some claw marks went into the mud 2.5cm deep.

It measured 1m between its two back feet.

"We're predicting the croc is 1.5m to 2m across its girth,'' he said.

"There's a possibility that the croc is 8m.''

Normanton is famous for its love affair with crocs.

An 8.64m alleged replica of a croc shot in the area in the 1950s sits proudly on the town's main street.

Irish central banker hangs "For Sale" sign on banks

2010-11-23T17:10:00.002+04:00

(Reuters) - Ireland's banks are effectively up for sale, central bank Governor Patrick Honohan said on Tuesday as Dublin sought aid from the European Union and International Monetary Fund to prop up its lenders.
"They are for sale as far as I am concerned," Honohan said. "I've been an advocate for a number of years for small countries to have foreign owners for their banks."
Honohan also said he expected there to be a lot of conditions attached to any bailout deal and that the lack of confidence being shown by financial markets in the country's banks and government was not justified.
The support of the IMF should raise confidence, he told a meeting of accountants in Dublin.
"If there are big numbers announced in a deal it is not certain that they will all be drawn down. To the extent that they are drawn down, to a large extent they will be substituting for market funding," Honahan said, describing bailout loans as "a kind of a backstop for the banking system."

North Korea bombs South Korean island

2010-11-23T12:11:00.001+04:00

South Korea's Yeonpueong Island is engulfed in thick smoke after North Korean military launches artillery attack

North Korea has bombarded a South Korean island with artillery shells, injuring civilians and soldiers and setting more than 60 properties ablaze.

The attack, which comes days after it emerged that North Korea was pressing ahead with its illegal nuclear programme, marks a serious further escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsular.

South Korea officials said dozens of rounds had landed on Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, 50 miles off the South’s northwest coast in an area close a disputed sea border. Other reports suggested as many as 200 shells were fired.

As South Korean forces returned fire, Civilians were evacuated to emergency bunkers, according witnesses quoted by the Seoul-based cable news television channel YTN. Fighter jets were scrambled and an emergency cabinet meeting was called in Seoul.

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The Story Behind Germany's Terror Threat

2010-11-23T10:32:00.003+04:00

Germany is currently in a state of high alert. Security officials are warning that they have concrete information pointing to a possible terror attack on the federal parliament building in Berlin, a massively popular tourist attraction. The days of Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière's reserved stances in dealing with such warnings appear to be over.

The call came from abroad, and the man speaking hurriedly on the other end of the line sounded as if he feared for his life. He wanted out, he told the officers of the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) -- out of the terrorist scene. He wanted to come back to Germany, back to his family. Then he asked if German officials could help him.

Right now, they're trying to do just that. The BKA is pursuing the case under the codename "Nova." The apparently remorseful man could be an important possible whistleblower from a dangerous region of the globe. In fact, he is also the most recent reason why German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière put the entire country in a state of fright on Wednesday.

During a hastily called press conference that day, de Maizière stated that Germany faced the threat of terrorist attacks that might be launched against the country at some point in November. As he put it, Germany is "presently dealing with a new situation."

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Roads are dangerous, say teenagers

2010-11-23T10:25:00.000+04:00

Children are at risk from speeding drivers and "dangerous roads" around schools and homes, a survey has revealed.

As many as 10% of nine to 13-year-olds have been knocked down while walking or cycling, the poll by road safety charity Brake and insurance company QBE found.

More than 60% of nine to 13-year-olds think the roads around their home and school are dangerous for those on foot or bicycles. And almost nine in 10 of these children reckon drivers go too fast in their community.

Based on responses from more than 15,000 children aged between nine and 13, the poll showed that 50% of nine to 11-year-olds and 61% of 11 to 13-year-olds have had a near-miss while walking or cycling.

The survey was launched as part of Road Safety Week during which a petition about road safety will be handed in at 10 Downing Street.

Road safety minister Mike Penning said: "Britain has some of the safest roads in the world, but if we are to continue to reduce casualties then everyone has a role to play.

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Iran official says life of woman may be spared

2010-11-23T09:39:00.000+04:00

There is a good chance the life of an Iranian woman under sentence of death for adultery will be spared, a senior official was quoted as saying on Monday.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, originally sentenced to be stoned to death, is also accused of being an accessory in her husband's murder.

The stoning sentence was suspended earlier this year after it angered human rights groups and caused an international outcry but she could still face execution.

"Iran's Council of Human Rights has helped a lot to reduce her sentence and we think there is a good chance that her life could be saved," the head of the council, Mohammed Javad Larijani told Iran's English-language Press TV, without giving further details.

Under Islamic law in force in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, adultery may be punished by death by stoning and crimes such as murder, rape, armed robbery, apostasy and drug trafficking are all punishable by death.

Earlier this month, the United States condemned the reported plans to execute Ashtiani, Britain warned Iran against going ahead with the punishment and France asked Iran to pardon her.

The case has worsened relations between Iran and the West, already seriously damaged by a dispute over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered asylum to Ashtiani in July, prompting an embarrassing public rejection of his offer by Iran which said he was a "humane and sensitive character" but was not in possession of all the facts.

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