Prince William’s wife Kate dazzles in queen’s diamonds |
- Prince William’s wife Kate dazzles in queen’s diamonds
- Racist taunts hurled at Jamaican defender
- Double mastectomy may save more women with cancer gene mutation
- More Britons advised to take cholesterol drugs as costs decline
- Shorn White crash-lands in Sochi
- Little India riot: No action to be taken against bus driver
| Prince William’s wife Kate dazzles in queen’s diamonds Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:57 PM PST
The Duchess of Cambridge was wearing a dark Jenny Packham dress, but it was the Cartier diamond known as the Nizam of Hyderabad, given to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947 for her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh, that had tongues wagging. Other guests at the gala dinnerâ€"the duchess’s first official engagement of the yearâ€"included Elizabeth Hurley, rocker Bryan Adams and artist Grayson Perry. The duchess said she was “delighted†to be able to support the gallery. “The gallery’s achievements are exceptional,†she told guests. “They hold the most extensive collection of portraits in the world, and their unique and brilliant exhibitions never fail to inspire us all.†â€" AFP  |
| Racist taunts hurled at Jamaican defender Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:57 PM PST
Pahang FA is expected to report to the FA of Malaysia (FAM) today over alleged racist remarks hurled at their Jamaican defender Damion Stewart by Johor Darul Takzim’s Pablo Aimar and Luciano Figueroa in a Super League match at the Darulmakmur Stadium last Saturday. It is believed this is the first time such a report has been lodged in the history of Malaysian football. It is understood that Stewart was harassed throughout the match and his Pakistan teammate Zesh Rehman will be the key witness in the report to be submitted today. The source said it was fortunate Stewart kept his cool and did not react angrily during the match, despite being constantly heckled by both the former Argentinean internationals. However, after the match, Stewart attempted to confront Aimar and Figuero but was restrained by team officials who asked him to head straight for the dressing room instead. “The good name of the sport lies tarnished with such degrading remarks. Sport is meant to be clean, fair and above all enjoyable,†said the source. “Pahang FA views the incident seriously and will ensure the ugly episode will not be swept under the carpet. We also hope FAM will view the matter seriously enough to deter a repeat of similar incidents in the future.†Last July saw the visiting Chelsea FC complain to FAM after their Israeli forward Yossi Benayoun was taunted by fans during a friendly match against the national team at Bukit Jalil. FAM had then in a statement said: “... if such an incident did happen, we apologise to the player and also to Chelsea FC.†Chelsea sportingly responded by saying: “We regard the matter closed.†Benayoun is one of few Israelis to have played here despite the country not having diplomatic relations with the East Mediterranean nation. FAM’s disciplinary code states a player will be suspended for four matches and fined RM2,000 for the first offence and suspended six matches with a RM3,000 fine for a second offence if they are found guilty of physical contact with intent to hurt or using foul, abusive or insulting words â€" among others â€" to another. |
| Double mastectomy may save more women with cancer gene mutation Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:54 PM PST
Double mastectomy after a cancer diagnosis cut patients’ risk of dying by 48 per cent over two decades in a study of 390 women in the US and Canada, researchers said today in an article published online by the British Medical Journal. While it’s reasonable for doctors to suggest the procedure as an initial treatment for an early-stage breast cancer patient with the BRCA mutation, the findings need to be confirmed in larger trials, researchers said. The results don’t give a full answer to the question of whether women with the mutation should remove a healthy breast if a tumor is found in the other, said Karin Michels, associate professor at Harvard Medical School. “Statistics remain statistics,†Michels wrote in an editorial published with the study. “Breasts are, however not statistics. They are essential parts of women’s identity, sexuality and self-perception.†A double mastectomy is an “individual and personal choice†and should be made after considering alternatives such as monitoring and the use of other medicines, Michels said. Results were limited by factors including the size of the study and researchers’ inability to randomly assign women to different treatments, she said. Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor-suppression genes leave women with about a 60 per cent chance of developing breast cancer, and at higher risk of developing cancer in a second breast if the first is removed. The mutation also increases the risk of ovarian cancer. Mammogram Study A Canadian study published today in the same journal suggested that annual mammograms don’t prevent women ages 40 to 59 from dying from breast cancer and may result in over- diagnosis. The research was a 25-year follow-up of more than 89,000 women, divided into two groups: one got a mammogram, and the other simply an examination. Women in the mammogram group were just as likely to die of cancer, and there was one incorrectly diagnosed cancer for every 424 women who received a mammogram, the researchers said. “Our results support the views of some commentators that the rationale for screening by mammography should be urgently reassessed by policy makers,†wrote the research team, led by Anthony Miller, a professor emeritus at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. An accompanying editorial by Mette Kalager, a doctor in the department of health management and health economics at the University of Oslo, echoed the sentiment. Current Recommendations Current recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care and the US Preventive Services Task Force advise against routine mammograms for women ages 40 to 49 who aren’t at an increased risk for breast cancer due to family history or BRCA mutation. For women 50 to 74, the US task force recommends mammograms every 2 years. The American College of Radiology issued a statement prior to the study’s publication saying its data were flawed, partly because of poor mammography. That included the use of second- hand machines “which were not state of the art at the time of the trial,†according to the statement. â€" Bloomberg |
| More Britons advised to take cholesterol drugs as costs decline Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:47 PM PST
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended that doctors consider more people to be at risk of heart disease, stroke or peripheral artery disease, which together cause one-third of deaths in the UK The agency, which advises the state-run National Health Service on cost-effective treatments, said in 2008 that people with a 20 per cent chance of developing the conditions should take preventive measures. The updated guidelines potentially expand the size of the market for “high-intensity†cholesterol-lowering drugs, which are known as statins and include Pfizer Inc’s Lipitor and AstraZeneca Plc’s Crestor. The guidelines were updated in part because of the greater availability of cheaper, generic statins, NICE said. As many as 7 million Britons take statins at a cost of about £450 million (RM1.5 billion) a year, NICE said. “The risk is measurable and we can substantially reduce someone’s chance of a heart attack, angina, stroke and the other symptoms of cardiovascular disease by tackling the risk factors,†Mark Baker, director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE, said today in a statement. Heart and circulatory diseases are the leading cause of death in England and Wales and killed about 180,000 people in 2010, NICE said. About 80,000 of those deaths were due to coronary heart disease and 49,000 from strokes, the agency said. New US guidelines published by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association on Nov. 12 recommended moderate or high-intensity statin therapy for four groups of people, including those ages 40 to 75 years old who have a 10- year cardiovascular disease risk of 7.5 per cent or higher. â€" Bloomberg |
| Shorn White crash-lands in Sochi Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:43 PM PST
The biggest drawcard of the Games turned out to be one of the major flops after pulling out of his first event and failing to win a medal in his second. For the crowds that flocked to the Caucasus Mountains hoping to see him produce his jaw-dropping tricks and the millions of people watching on television, it was a letdown of major proportions. Before the Games, the American had brazenly talked up his prospects of going for not one but two gold medals after slopestyle was added to the Olympic programme for the first time. But after he fell on one of his first practice runs, the man who was once considered the ultimate daredevil on snow announced that he was pulling out because he wanted to save himself for the halfpipe. The halfpipe has long been White’s domain. He won the gold medal at the past two Olympics and a third victory in Sochi would have elevated him to a rare pantheon of people who have won the same individual event at three Olympics. But in his sport, in which competitors pride themselves on taking risks, he quickly came under heavy criticism from supporters and critics alike. His decision to quit the slopestyle only added to the pressure to win the halfpipe and the 27-year-old looked to be well on his way when he posted the highest score in the qualifiers. But in the final, when the pressure was at its greatest and the crowds were cheering as loud as they could, he was unable to reproduce his best form. He made a hash of his first run and failed to garner enough points on his second to get on the podium as Switzerland’s Iouri “I-Pod†Podladtchikov nailed his landings to take the gold medal ahead of Japanese teenagers Ayumu Hirano and Taku Hiraoka. “I definitely knew what run I wanted to put down,†White told a news conference. “My dream scenario was I was going to land the first run and have the opportunity to maybe do something that’s never been seen before, with the triple cork or something like that. “I tried to win. I went for it, I went for big tricks that only Iouri and myself are doing. I could have played it safe and tried to get a decent score, but I wanted to win.†It was clear from the moment White arrived in Sochi that something was amiss with the normally laidback Californian. When he pulled out of the slopestyle, he described the obstacle course as dangerous. Then he was highly critical of the halfpipe venue, saying the slushy snow had prevented him from practising his best tricks. No blame But yesterday he refused to blame the conditions, dismissing his performance as “one of those nightsâ€. “I had a tough time but everybody was riding the same conditions, everybody was in the same boat, that’s the only thing that you can look at,†he said. Although he said he planned to continue competing, questions about White’s chances of returning to the top are sure to intensify. When he won his first gold medal in Turin in 2006, he was a wide-eyed teenager who had made the transition from extreme skateboarding to snow and ice. Four years later, in Vancouver, he was the coolest cat on the mountain, winning gold in baggy denim jeans with all the fearlessness and unwavering self-belief of an athlete at the peak of his powers. But in the past year, a newer, more mature White has emerged. The long cherry-red locks of hair that earned him the nickname “The Flying Tomato†have been shorn, replaced by a more conservative look. He is part-athlete, part-businessman, developing an expanding portfolio of commercial interests that include his sponsorships with snowboarding manufacturers, cameras, drinks makers and clothing lines. He is already one of the highest-paid athletes in American sport and his added responsibilities have eaten into his playtime. Challenges are nothing new to White, however. Although he started snowboarding at six and turned professional at 13, he has endured his fair share of setbacks. He was born with a heart defect and twice underwent surgery before he was five. In 2004 he spent six months in rehabilitation after coming back too soon from knee surgery. In 2009, he chipped a bone in his ankle and missed most of the season. To stay ahead of the pack, White has had to constantly refine and improve his act, coming up with more elaborate and dangerous tricks. He also modified his training regime. When he was younger he would spend all day on the snow but now he usually goes to the gym. “The tricks that I’ve learned getting ready for this competition I think will carry on for the next couple of years within the sport,†he said. “I don’t really think tonight makes or breaks my career. I’ve been snowboarding for so long and I love it, it’s given me so much. I’m happy just to take this for what it is and move on and continue to ride and put my best foot forward.†â€" Reuters |
| Little India riot: No action to be taken against bus driver Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:42 PM PST
The AGC said it had carefully and extensively studied the evidence â€" submitted by the Traffic Police â€" which included video footage, an independent expert report, written statements of witnesses, autopsy and toxicology reports and other medical evidence, as well as visits to the scene by investigators, prosecutors and forensic experts. Mr Lee Kim Huat alias Lim Hai Tiong, 55, who works for transport company BT & Tan, was arrested on December 9, the day after the accident that killed Indian foreign worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu, and released on bail pending investigations. Four video cameras mounted on the bus driven by Mr Lee captured comprehensive views of the vicinity of the bus’ external surroundings as well as its interior, the AGC said. Investigations showed that Sakthivel walked unsteadily towards Race Course Road after he was asked to get off the bus on account of his misbehaviour, said the AGC. He was moderately to severely intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 217mg/100ml of blood. Video footage showed him then running after the bus unsteadily after it had moved off. In a span of about four seconds, he placed his right palm against the left side of the bus, lost his balance, and fell into the path of the moving bus. The bus was filtering out of Tekka Lane onto Race Course Road when the accident occurred. “Throughout the entire incident, the driver was driving at a very low overall speed of approximately 5.6 to 5.9kmh,†said the AGC. He was focused on avoiding heavy human traffic around his bus, and on negotiating between the stationary and moving vehicles along Tekka Lane, the AGC added. “The driver was watching out for oncoming traffic from his right, and could not be expected to foresee that the deceased had run after the moving bus. Nor could the driver have expected that the deceased would fall into the path of the bus,†it said. After reviewing the evidence, the Public Prosecutor has determined that no offence was committed by Mr Lee in relation to the fatal accident, the AGC added. Mr Lee’s employer, Mr Ben Tan, told TODAY via SMS that Mr Lee is still working as a driver for the company but he did not want to be interviewed as it would disrupt his work. When contacted in the evening, Mr Lee’s 19-year-old daughter said her father did not have any comments on the AGC’s decision. The accident sparked Singapore’s first riot in over 40 years, which led to 25 people charged in court, 57 repatriated and 213 others issued with police advisories. On Monday, the first of the 25 people charged was sentenced to 15 weeks’ jail for continuing in an assembly after it had been ordered to disperse. The public hearing by the four-member Committee of Inquiry on the Little India riot will start next Wednesday. The Committee, chaired by former High Court Judge G Pannir Selvam, will establish, among other things, factors that led to the riot, how it unfolded and how response forces managed the incident before submitting its report and recommendations. Since the riot, measures â€" including restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol during weekends, public holidays and eves of public holidays â€" have been imposed in Little India. Police presence has also been beefed up. Last month, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced a Bill in Parliament seeking to temporarily enhance police powers in Little India for up to a year. Civil society activists on Monday called for Parliament to consider the Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Bill more carefully and slow its passage if possible. ― Today |
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