Today News (18-3-2014) Gene causing rare disease found in south Indian woman Haim-Munk Syndrome (HMS) — found only among specific Jewish populations — in a woman of Dravidian descent. Genetic analysis has identified the same gene mutation as the causative factor. The patient, a 23 year-old South Indian woman, showed some symptoms of HMS, though not all, but they were fairly well developed to arrive at a conclusive diagnosis, he adds. She had recurrent skin infections, periodontitis (inflammation that damages the gum and soft bone that support teeth), loss of teeth, and nails resembling claws. “She had not been diagnosed earlier. When we read the premature loss of teeth with some of her other symptoms, the diagnosis became clear: HMS. A genetic test further confirmed it.” Genetic tests are available to test for HMS, and the advantage of detecting it early is to be able to alleviate the symptoms and strengthen the bone and jaws. A task force has been set up at the college that includes members from other colleges and hospitals to record the incidence in Tamil Nadu and to move on to genetic diagnosis. Crimea breaks away from Ukraine, asks to rejoin Russia Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and applied to rejoin Russia, hours after its residents overwhelmingly supported the historic passage in a referendum. Nearly 97 percent of voters said “yes” to revert to Russia, from which Crimea had been separated when the Soviet Union broke up just over 20 years ago. A mere 2.5 percent voted in favour of staying with Ukraine. The turnout was a record-breaking 83 percent of Crimea’s 1.5 million eligible voters. With ethnic Russians constituting 58 percent of the region’s population, the vote results indicate that many ethnic Ukrainians, who account for nearly a quarter of Crimeans, voted for reunification with Russia. The Medjlis of Crimean Tatars said 95 percent of its followers boycotted the vote. Crimean Tatars, who make up about 12 percent of Crimea’s population, still smart from painful memories of their deportation by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin during World War Two. Crimea’s Parliament adopted a declaration of independence and a formal request to accede to Russia. Later a delegation of Crimean lawmakers left for Moscow to fast track the accession process. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will address a joint session of the Russian Parliament in connection with the Crimean referendum. The process of Crimea’s accession may take two to three months, according to experts. The Russian government has promised to raise the salaries and pensions for Crimean residents to the average Russian level, which is two to three times higher. Moscow has also announced plans to expand its naval presence in Crimea, where it has been leasing a base for its Black Sea Fleet from Ukraine. “The Black Sea Fleet will be rebuilt and modernised in an intensive way to prepare it for the new strategic tasks in its zone of responsibility”. Russia’s earlier plans to upgrade and beef up its Black Sea Fleet had been stymied by Ukraine. Paris to get its first woman Mayor Two women are vying to be the new face of Paris, the first time in this city’s long history that the Mayor won’t be a Monsieur. The discreet, hard-working Socialist Anne Hidalgo is the favourite to win municipal elections. India, China to hold strategic economic dialogue India and China will discuss in Beijing counter strategies to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) being negotiated by the U.S. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia is leading the Indian delegation to Beijing for the India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED). On the Chinese side, National Development and Reform Commission Chairman Xu Shaoshi will lead the dialogue. “Developed economies are re-thinking long established rules of engagement…the ongoing regional and global norm-setting in the economic sphere makes it imperative for India and China to work closely as we share intersecting regional and global interests”. “We need to preserve the primacy of the development agenda in the global mainstream and in leading economic frameworks like the G20 and the WTO.” The development assumes significance as, “The two agreements are globally seen as thinly veiled attempts to carve out China, Brazil, India, and other emerging economies from World Trade Organization talks”. The fourth round of European Union-United States TTIP negotiations concluded recently in Brussels. The pact will harmonise standards and licensing procedures and waive tariffs across EU-U.S. trade zone. The TPP is similar and includes the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Chile, Canada, Mexico and Peru. Also on the SED agenda is ways for addressing the “unsustainability of the imbalance” in Indo-China trade. Indo-China trade was $74 billion in 2011. And it went down to $65 billion in 2013. Both governments have set a $100-billion target by 2015. However, India’s trade deficit with China worsened to $31.5 billion in 2013, according to Chinese data. Indian data was expected show an even wider deficit, said the sources. Indian products face significant access barriers such as regulatory impediments in China. “Chinese product approval timelines extend up to 5-6 years, especially in the pharma and the IT services sectors,” the sources said. Crimea sets up central bank Crimea’s Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliev said the region had set up a new central bank, and was expecting to get $30 million in support from Russia. Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, declared itself an independent state after its resident voted overwhelmingly in support of seceding and seeking to join Russia. The West does not recognise the referendum, saying it violates Ukrainian and international norms. Moscow considers the vote legitimate, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will address his parliament on the issue. Mr. Temirgaliyev was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying Russia would send to Crimea one billion rubles ‘in the coming days’ to help it stabilise its financial situation. Mr. Temirgaliyev said the new central bank would later function as a regional branch of the Russian central bank.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:46:36 +0000
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