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A Massive Earthquake expected in Kashmir any time after next 3 months(american scientist) |
Monday, January 23, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Fake and poor quality anti-malarial drugs are threatening efforts to control the disease in Africa and could put millions of lives at risk, scientists say.
The counterfeit medicines could harm patients and promote drug resistance among malaria parasites, warns the study, funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Malaria is believed to kill about 800,000 people a year.
Some of the fake tablets are said to have originated in China.
The researchers, from the Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford University Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, published their work in the Malaria Journal.
They examined fake and substandard anti-malarial drugs that were found on sale in 11 African countries between 2002 and 2010.
They discovered that some counterfeits contained a mixture of the wrong pharmaceutical ingredients which would initially alleviate the symptoms of malaria but would not cure it.
Some of the ingredients in the tablets could cause potentially serious side effects, the study found, especially if they were mixed with other drugs a patient might be taking, like anti-retrovirals to treat HIV.
Drug resistance
The malaria parasite can, after a period of time, develop resistance to the drugs being used to treat it.
This has happened in the past with medicines such as chloroquine and mefloquine.
The researchers warn that the fake drugs could lead to the same effect on artemisinin, one of the most effective drugs now being used to treat malaria.
They say small quantities of artemisinin derivatives are being put in some of the counterfeit products to ensure that they pass authenticity tests.
However, at the level it is present, these drugs are unlikely to rid the body of malaria parasites, but could enable them to build up resistance to artemisinin, the study warns.
The Asian origin of the fake drugs was identified using traces of pollen found in some of the tablets.
The lead researcher on the study, Dr Paul Newton, called for urgent measures from African governments to tackle counterfeit anti-malarials.
"Failure to take action will put at risk the lives of millions of people, particularly children and pregnant women," he said.
"The enormous investment in the development, evaluation and deployment of anti-malarials is wasted if the medicines that patients actually take are, due to criminality or carelessness, of poor quality and do not cure."
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Mohmand Agency: Dunya News correspondent killed
Dunay News correspondent Mukarram Khan has been killed by firing of unknown miscreants in Shabqadar.
As per details, Mukarram Khan was going to offer prayer in the evening when suddenly unknown armed men started indiscriminate firing on him.
As a result, he was severely injured and shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.
It is worth mentioning that Mukarram Khan had been receiving life threats from unknown people.
ISLAMABAD: Amid thunderous applause, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani told the National Assembly on Monday that neither the army nor the judiciary could derail the system and he would respond to the contempt notice issued to him by the Supreme Court by personally appearing before the apex court on January 19, as instructed.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Monday approved with overwhelming majority the ‘pro-democracy’ resolution tabled by the Awami National Party despite stiff resistance from the PML-N which walked out of the lower house after the passage of the resolution.
The house also rejected the three amendments proposed by the PML-N with a majority vote but adopted the minor amendment proposed by the treasury benches.
Through the resolution, the overwhelming majority of the National Assembly endorsed and supported the efforts of the political leadership to strengthen democracy and reposed full confidence and trust in them.
The PML-N remained isolated on the opposition benches with only the support of the one-man PPP (Sherpao) and few members of the like-minded faction of the PML-Q; the other opposition party, JUI-F, supported the resolution and announced that it fully backed democracy in the country.
The passage of the resolution coincided with the Supreme Court’s decision to summon Prime Minister Gilani in a contempt of court notice for not implementing the NRO verdict.
“The court has summoned me and I will appear before it on January 19 as I have always respected the courts,” PM Gilani said amid loud desk thumping while addressing the National Assembly after the passage of the resolution.
In his address to the National Assembly on Friday night, the prime minister said when he was elected as the chief executive, his first order was to release the judges. “The ones we took beatings for are now calling us disloyal,” the PM added.
He said the government did not want a confrontation with any institutions, including the judiciary, and no one should degrade the mandate of the elected government. “The resolution is not meant to get a vote of confidence for or against any institution,” he said, adding: “We don’t need a certificate to prove our patriotism. Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party have already rendered countless sacrifices for the cause of democracy in the country.”
The PM said he had never sought the support of the house for our [PPP-led] government but for democracy. “Even if we have differences of opinion with the army and judges, both have to protect democracy. It will not be possible for anyone to derail the system,” he added.
“If there is no democracy then all of us will go together,” the PM said. “We have to protect this system that our leaders Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto gave their lives for.”
The PM said efforts had been made to provoke him but he had never gotten provoked in the last four years. He said all institutions of the country were passing through evolution and growing with time. We did not come to the assembly under threat and are not against any institution. We did not come here to protect ourselves.”
The PM said he was beaten with sticks, endured tear gas, went to jail and faced anti-terrorism cases for the restoration of judges.
He said in the last fours, this house had approved more than 100 amendments in the Constitution through consensus and even made laws with consensus. “How can the parliament be described as a rubber stamp when a majority of legislation was made through consensus and unanimously,” the prime minister asked.
Justifying the convening of the special session of the National Assembly, the prime minister said if the government had not convened the session, the opposition would have complained that the country was passing trough a critical phase but the government did not summon the session to discuss the situation. “We have summoned parliament to give the message to the world that this is a responsible parliament, which is the supreme institution of the country, and that democracy is stable,” the PM added.
The prime minister said while everyone was talking about the NRO, no one was paying attention to its creator [former President Pervez Musharraf], who was now claiming that Pakistan was calling him. “Is there no law for those who change parties and loyalties?” he asked.
Prime Minister said the present assembly deserved congratulations also for the completion of four years; on average, he said, assemblies in the past had lived for one to two years. He said the present parliament had passed record legislation and adopted constitutional amendments with consensus. He said the assembly has been mandated by the people and their mandate should not be disrespected.
Prime Minister Gilani saluted all coalition partners including the PML-Q, MQM, ANP, the Fata group and the JUI (F) for supporting the resolution.
Earlier, Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar proposed the amendment in the fourth para of the resolution that after the amendment read as: “The House reiterates that sovereignty lies with the Almighty Allah and authority exercised by the people of Pakistan and the parliament is repository of the collective wisdom of the people.”
The resolution that was tabled by ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan in the National Assembly stated: “This House believes that the present democratic dispensation — which is about to complete four years — came in to being as a result of great sacrifices rendered by the people of Pakistan”.
The resolution says: “This House reiterates the belief of the democratic forces that the future of Pakistan and well being of its people lies in the continuation and strengthening of democratic institutions and constitutionalism for the resolution of national issues — strengthening of the federation and empowering the people of Pakistan.
“This House believes that for the furtherance of democracy and democratic institutions the basic constitutional principle of trichotomy of powers must be fully respected and adhered to and all state institutions must strictly function within the limits imposed on them by the Constitution.
“The House reiterates that sovereignty lies with the Almighty Allah and authority exercised by the people of Pakistan and the parliament is repository of the collective wisdom of the people.
“This House endorses and supports the efforts made by the political leadership for strengthening democracy and reposes full confidence and trust in them.”
The treasury benches rejected three amendments by the PML-N regarding ending power and gas loadshedding and implementation of all the orders of the Supreme Court and previous resolutions of parliament.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Monday approved with overwhelming majority the ‘pro-democracy’ resolution tabled by the Awami National Party despite stiff resistance from the PML-N which walked out of the lower house after the passage of the resolution.
The house also rejected the three amendments proposed by the PML-N with a majority vote but adopted the minor amendment proposed by the treasury benches.
Through the resolution, the overwhelming majority of the National Assembly endorsed and supported the efforts of the political leadership to strengthen democracy and reposed full confidence and trust in them.
The PML-N remained isolated on the opposition benches with only the support of the one-man PPP (Sherpao) and few members of the like-minded faction of the PML-Q; the other opposition party, JUI-F, supported the resolution and announced that it fully backed democracy in the country.
The passage of the resolution coincided with the Supreme Court’s decision to summon Prime Minister Gilani in a contempt of court notice for not implementing the NRO verdict.
“The court has summoned me and I will appear before it on January 19 as I have always respected the courts,” PM Gilani said amid loud desk thumping while addressing the National Assembly after the passage of the resolution.
In his address to the National Assembly on Friday night, the prime minister said when he was elected as the chief executive, his first order was to release the judges. “The ones we took beatings for are now calling us disloyal,” the PM added.
He said the government did not want a confrontation with any institutions, including the judiciary, and no one should degrade the mandate of the elected government. “The resolution is not meant to get a vote of confidence for or against any institution,” he said, adding: “We don’t need a certificate to prove our patriotism. Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party have already rendered countless sacrifices for the cause of democracy in the country.”
The PM said he had never sought the support of the house for our [PPP-led] government but for democracy. “Even if we have differences of opinion with the army and judges, both have to protect democracy. It will not be possible for anyone to derail the system,” he added.
“If there is no democracy then all of us will go together,” the PM said. “We have to protect this system that our leaders Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto gave their lives for.”
The PM said efforts had been made to provoke him but he had never gotten provoked in the last four years. He said all institutions of the country were passing through evolution and growing with time. We did not come to the assembly under threat and are not against any institution. We did not come here to protect ourselves.”
The PM said he was beaten with sticks, endured tear gas, went to jail and faced anti-terrorism cases for the restoration of judges.
He said in the last fours, this house had approved more than 100 amendments in the Constitution through consensus and even made laws with consensus. “How can the parliament be described as a rubber stamp when a majority of legislation was made through consensus and unanimously,” the prime minister asked.
Justifying the convening of the special session of the National Assembly, the prime minister said if the government had not convened the session, the opposition would have complained that the country was passing trough a critical phase but the government did not summon the session to discuss the situation. “We have summoned parliament to give the message to the world that this is a responsible parliament, which is the supreme institution of the country, and that democracy is stable,” the PM added.
The prime minister said while everyone was talking about the NRO, no one was paying attention to its creator [former President Pervez Musharraf], who was now claiming that Pakistan was calling him. “Is there no law for those who change parties and loyalties?” he asked.
Prime Minister said the present assembly deserved congratulations also for the completion of four years; on average, he said, assemblies in the past had lived for one to two years. He said the present parliament had passed record legislation and adopted constitutional amendments with consensus. He said the assembly has been mandated by the people and their mandate should not be disrespected.
Prime Minister Gilani saluted all coalition partners including the PML-Q, MQM, ANP, the Fata group and the JUI (F) for supporting the resolution.
Earlier, Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar proposed the amendment in the fourth para of the resolution that after the amendment read as: “The House reiterates that sovereignty lies with the Almighty Allah and authority exercised by the people of Pakistan and the parliament is repository of the collective wisdom of the people.”
The resolution that was tabled by ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan in the National Assembly stated: “This House believes that the present democratic dispensation — which is about to complete four years — came in to being as a result of great sacrifices rendered by the people of Pakistan”.
The resolution says: “This House reiterates the belief of the democratic forces that the future of Pakistan and well being of its people lies in the continuation and strengthening of democratic institutions and constitutionalism for the resolution of national issues — strengthening of the federation and empowering the people of Pakistan.
“This House believes that for the furtherance of democracy and democratic institutions the basic constitutional principle of trichotomy of powers must be fully respected and adhered to and all state institutions must strictly function within the limits imposed on them by the Constitution.
“The House reiterates that sovereignty lies with the Almighty Allah and authority exercised by the people of Pakistan and the parliament is repository of the collective wisdom of the people.
“This House endorses and supports the efforts made by the political leadership for strengthening democracy and reposes full confidence and trust in them.”
The treasury benches rejected three amendments by the PML-N regarding ending power and gas loadshedding and implementation of all the orders of the Supreme Court and previous resolutions of parliament.
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