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Flesh and blood
Perhaps in all the years in this lifetime that Israel has been at war, we Filipinos never made enough sense of what it is really about. Not until we learned, since 7 October, how cruel and bitter it can be — in the photos of a grown man forever captured screaming into the air over his dead nephew’s body; of shrouded bodies that may never be identified; or a clip of a father holding plastic bags of his kids’ remains. And the babies. And the burned bodies. And the blood splattered all over a bomb shelter. No one — unless it is you or yours — can imagine how it truly feels. If you can feel rage and grief at seeing images alone, how much more can your heart take if it were happening right before you? “We are all human,” a father said on Tiktok. It was he who posted about that father with the plastic bags. “There is no difference between me and this man. When we talk of kids getting killed, bombed, or put on fire, it doesn’t really matter what you believe in, where you come from, or what religion you follow. This is never acceptable! You just have to be a human being to stand up and say stop.” Now I am not sure whether this man was genuine (heaven knows there has been plenty of fake and biased news) or if it was propaganda designed to turn sympathy toward a specific cause. But what he said about being human was true. Amid all the atrocious crimes we have seen in the war raging in Gaza, we need to view the whole situation through our humanity. When Gaza struck Israel the way Hitler hit the Jewish people — with extreme violence and a detailed plan to eliminate the enemy in very specific ways — we recoiled. We remembered. But when Israel defended itself, many condemned it. Why? Many immediately concluded that the war was a Palestinian issue, or about Israel’s attempt at occupation or conquest. It is not. So, while it is natural to react the way we do over civilian casualties and collateral damage — likely letting our emotions get the better of us — we need to muster the sense to take it all in with the correct perspective. We must know more, learn more. Shooting from the hip or erupting without understanding — well, wouldn’t that be just as bad as the perpetrators of the war? What is fact and what is fiction? We must seek the truth in light of the misinformation being deliberately spread on social media. One such claim was debunked on Associated Press recently, about the bombing of a hospital in Gaza supposedly by the Israeli military. This was spread in a social media post written in Arabic. AP said, “No such post exists on the military’s actual social media pages and its top Arabic-speaking spokesperson confirmed his office had issued no such statement.” To think this is but one aspect of the entire issue. Let’s begin with the fact that Hamas is a terrorist organization. It is not about Palestine, it is about pushing Islamic supremacy through force. Israel, if you think about it, has “no quarrel with Palestinians,” as Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss, himself emphasized in a talk with DAILY TRIBUNE on Monday. “We are in a war against Hamas, not Palestinians — we have to defend our citizens,” he said. It is a “war of survival,” he added. Israel has long been fighting against Islamic forces that want to see it obliterated from the planet. “We don’t have a choice. We will fight. We will win.” The ambassador added, “The charter of Hamas calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. And it says that there is no political agreement…no political agreement can be reached with Israel. Israel has to be eliminated, and Israelis and Jews have to be killed. That’s the agenda of their philosophy. It has to be an Islamic land. “So, when people ask me today, what is the political future here? I say this is a question that you have to ask Hamas or the Palestinians, because in Israel, we have a government that makes decisions, makes a lot more, and when we sign a document, we respect it, and we can negotiate. We’re a political entity. “Hamas is not in a negotiating position. It is in a war position to eliminate Israel. Very simple. And you see the history. I’m not going into the long history, but Israel had pulled out of Gaza since 2005. We are not controlling Gaza. We are on the international border. So, it’s not about a few patients. It is about an organization that, every few years, initiates again an attack against Israel. This time it was the biggest…” However, the ambassador admits, on a personal level, that a solution seems hazy “because it is continuing and we are living in a complicated neighborhood,” he told this columnist. The enemies are “fundamentalists that are promoting these Islamic states, promising these fundamentalistic terror agenda…” Ambassador Fluss may be keeping it all real as a diplomat, but what he may not ever say is that this war is about all of us, too — humans and families and connected lives. When a Filipino caregiver refuses to leave her ward, sacrificing her own life to the end, that is humanity. But to believe that life is only worth living if another race or culture is removed, where is the humanity in that?.....»»
Caregiver scarred, scared by Hamas attack
An overseas Filipino worker, one of 18 who flew home from Israel on Friday, said he remained unsure whether to return to the country should its conflict with Hamas subside or be resolved peacefully. Elmer Puno, a 43-year-old caregiver from Pampanga, said his employer in Israel called him up before he left for the Philippines, urging him to return when things settle down. Puno said his experience during the attack by Hamas militants on Israel on 7 October had left him emotionally scarred and traumatized. “My employer called me and said that when the situation goes back to normal, if I still want to come back, I can. But I said to myself that I cannot decide yet because of what I encountered in Israel,” Puno said. He said he still has two years left of his four-year contract but decided to resign for his safety and his family’s concerns. “My salary is pretty good. In our currency, that is P70,000 a month, tax-free,” he said. “When I heard the sirens, I ran to a bomb shelter. I was talking to my wife, who also heard the sirens and bombing.” “She was so scared. She asked me to urgently go home. My children said that I should go home, so when there was an opportunity for repatriation, I didn’t think twice about asking the government to repatriate us,” he said. Of the 18 repatriates from Israel, one was left behind in Abu Dhabi due to elevated blood pressure. Puno and his fellow OFWs arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Etihad Airlines flight EY 424. The 18 OFWs received P105,000 each in direct financial assistance from various government agencies, and they are entitled to livelihood training to start a business. The post Caregiver scarred, scared by Hamas attack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OFW undecided to return to Israel when war is over
An Overseas Filipino Worker said on Friday during the arrival of the second batch of repatriated OFWs in Israel that he is still uncertain of his return to Israel if the war subsides. Elmer Puno, a caregiver who has resided in Pampanga, said that his employer promised him that he could still work for them anytime he is ready but still undecided because of his traumatic experience during the attack by Hamas Militants in Israel. “To be honest, when I was about to fly yesterday, my employer called me and said when the situation comes back to normal, if I still want to come back, I can. But I said to myself that I cannot decide yet because of what I have encountered inside Israel,” Elmer said. Elmer’s contract has not yet ended as he still has two years and three months to finish but he decided to resign from his job as a caregiver as he worries for his safety and his family. He said he worked in Israel for two years and earned a good salary. “My salary is pretty good. In our currency, that is P70,000 a month, tax-free,” he said. Elmer stated that he did not hesitate to ask for repatriation to the Philippine government because of his family who is worried for his safety. “When I heard the siren, I ran to a bomb shelter, I was also talking to my wife who also heard the sirens and bombings. She was so scared. She is asking me to go home urgently. My children said that I should be home so when there was an opportunity for me to ask for repatriation, I didn’t think twice about asking the government to repatriate us,” he lamented. There are around 18 repatriated OFWs including a Filipino left in Abu Dhabi due to high blood pressure who arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 via Etihad Airlines EY 424. The Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Maria Anthonette C. Velasco, together with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Deputy Administrator Honey Quino, Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Ada Colicon, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Deputy Director General Vidal Villanueva, received the second batch of repatriated OFWs. According to DMW Undersecretary Maria Anthonette Velasco, the government agencies provided financial assistance to the OFWs. “The 18 OFWs received P105,000 direct financial assistance today. P50,000 from OWWA, P50,000 from DMW, and P5,000 from DSWD. TESDA gave vouchers to the OFWs for them to undergo for training in opening a business and pursuing an entrepreneurship program,” Velasco said. Velasco added that the OFWs will be receiving medical assistance. Psychological first aid is one of the agency’s priorities for OFWs who are still traumatized. The post OFW undecided to return to Israel when war is over appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Narcolepsy, cancer tipped as Medicine Prize opens Nobel week
Narcolepsy, cancer, or mRNA vaccine research could win the Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday when a week of announcements kicks off, but experts see no clear frontrunner for the Peace Prize. The awards, first handed out in 1901, were created by Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel in his 1895 will to celebrate those who have "conferred the greatest benefit on mankind." The Medicine Prize is first out and will be announced in Stockholm on Monday around 11:30 a.m. (0930 GMT), followed by the awards for physics on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday, and literature on Thursday. The Peace Prize, the most highly-anticipated Nobel and the only one announced in Oslo, will follow on Friday, before the Economics Prize rounds things off on October 9. The Medicine Prize has over the years crowned groundbreaking discoveries like the X-ray, penicillin, insulin, and DNA -- as well as now-disgraced awards for lobotomy and the insecticide DDT. Several Nobel watchers have suggested this year's prize could go to research into narcolepsy and the discovery of orexin, a neuropeptide that helps regulate sleep. It could also go to Hungarian-born Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman of the United States for research that led directly to the first mRNA vaccines to fight COVID-19, made by Pfizer and Moderna. Their discovery has already won a slew of major medicine prizes, but the Nobel committee nowadays often waits decades to bestow its laurels to ensure the research stands the test of time. "Maybe the Academy thinks it needs to look into it more, but someday they should win," predicted Annika Ostman, science reporter at Swedish public radio SR. Gene engineering and IceCube telescope But Ostman said her guess for this year was on Kevan Shokat, an American biologist who figured out how to block the KRAS cancer gene behind a third of cancers, including challenging-to-treat lung, colon, and pancreatic tumors. T-cell therapy for cancer treatment and work on the human microbiome could also be contenders, said David Pendlebury, head of the Clarivate Analytics group which identifies Nobel-worthy research. "There are more people deserving of a Nobel Prize than there are Nobels to go around," he told AFP. Lars Brostrom, Ostman's colleague at SR, singled out two American biologists, Stanislas Leibler, and Michael Elowitz, for their work on synthetic gene circuits which established the field of synthetic biology. It enables scientists to redesign organisms by engineering them to have new abilities. But Brostrom noted the field could be seen as controversial, raising "ethical questions about where to draw the line in creating life". For the Physics Prize, twisted graphene or the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica were seen as possible winners, as well as the development of high-density data storage in the field of spintronics. Peace Prize to Iranian women? For Wednesday's Chemistry Prize, Pendlebury suggested next-generation DNA sequencing could get the nod, or research into how to target and deliver drugs to genes. Brostrom said he would love to see it go to US-based chemist Omar Yaghi for his work into porous materials known as MOFs, which can absorb poisonous gases or harvest water from desert air, and is an "important field for the future" with enormous potential for the environment. Criticism over a lack of gender and geographical diversity has plagued the Nobels over the years. US-based men have dominated the science fields, while women account for just six percent of overall laureates -- something the various award committees insist they are addressing. Among the names making the rounds for Thursday's Literature Prize are Russian author and outspoken Putin critic Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Chinese avant-garde writer Can Xue, British author Salman Rushdie, Caribbean-American writer Jamaica Kincaid and Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse. But for the Peace Prize, experts have been scratching their heads over possible winners, as conflicts rage around the globe. Some have pointed to the Iranian women protesting since the death in custody a year ago of Mahsa Amini, arrested for violating Iran's strict dress code imposed on women. Others suggest organizations documenting war crimes in Ukraine, or the International Criminal Court, which could one day be called upon to judge them. "I think that climate change is a really good focus for the Peace Prize this year," Dan Smith, the head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told AFP after a year of extreme weather around the world. For the Economics Prize, research on income and wealth inequality could be honored. Recent winners of the Nobel Medicine Prize Here is a list of the winners of the Nobel Medicine Prize in the past 10 years: 2022: Swedish paleogeneticist Svante Paabo for his discoveries on the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution. 2021: US duo David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for discoveries on human receptors responsible for our ability to sense temperature and touch. 2020: Americans Harvey Alter and Charles Rice, together with Briton Michael Houghton, for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus, leading to the development of sensitive blood tests and antiviral drugs. 2019: William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza of the US and Britain's Peter Ratcliffe for establishing the basis of our understanding of how cells react and adapt to different oxygen levels. 2018: Immunologists James Allison of the US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan, for figuring out how to release the immune system's brakes to allow it to attack cancer cells more efficiently. 2017: US geneticists Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael Young for their discoveries on the internal biological clock that governs the wake-sleep cycles of most living things. 2016: Yoshinori Ohsumi of Japan for his work on autophagy -- a process whereby cells "eat themselves" -- which when disrupted can cause Parkinson's and diabetes. 2015: William Campbell, an Irish-US citizen, Satoshi Omura of Japan, and Tu Youyou of China for unlocking treatments for malaria and roundworm. 2014: American-born Briton John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser, and Edvard I. Moser of Norway for discovering how the brain navigates with an "inner GPS". 2013: Thomas C. Sudhof, a US citizen born in Germany, and James E. Rothman and Randy W. Schekman of the US for work on how the cell organizes its transport system. The post Narcolepsy, cancer tipped as Medicine Prize opens Nobel week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
More than 50 killed, dozens wounded in Pakistan blasts
More than 50 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Friday by a suicide bomber targeting a procession marking the birthday of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, officials said. A second suicide attack by two men at a mosque hundreds of kilometers north in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province led to a roof collapse that killed four people, officials said. While the celebration of the Prophet's birthday is accepted by the majority of Islamic sects in Pakistan and elsewhere in the Muslim world, certain denominations view it as an unwarranted innovation. In southwestern Balochistan, officials said a suicide bomber detonated a device as rallies from neighborhood mosques converged on a meeting point in Mastung, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the provincial capital, Quetta. "My feet trembled and I was thrown to the ground," said 49-year-old Hazoor Bakhsh. "As the dust settled, I saw people scattered in all directions, some screaming while others called out for help." Local hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of wounded, and provincial authorities used social media platforms to appeal for blood donors. The death toll kept climbing throughout the day. "I can confirm that the death toll has increased to 52, with over 70 individuals injured," Munir Ahmed Shaikh, the deputy inspector-general of Balochistan's police force, told AFP. Every year, mosques and government buildings are elaborately illuminated with strings of lights, and people march in processions to mark the Prophet's birthday. On the same occasion in April 2006, a suicide bomber killed at least 50 people in the port city of Karachi after detonating a device at a gathering of Sunni Muslims. Surge in violence Friday's blast comes as Pakistan prepares for an election due in January next year -- while grappling with a political crisis, a crippled economy, and a surge in militant violence inspired by the return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2021. Jan Achakzai, Balochistan's minister for information, announced a three-day mourning period. Balochistan, Pakistan's least populous province, is also home to several militant groups fighting for independence or a greater share of the region's mineral resources. Hundreds of kilometres north in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, four people were killed after the roof of a mosque collapsed following a suicide attack. "Two militants, armed with automatic firearms, hand grenades, and suicide vests attempted to breach the mosque's security," senior district police officer Nisar Ahmad told AFP. "They were intercepted at the main entrance leading to an exchange of gunfire. One of them detonated his vest, while the other managed to enter the mosque's hall through a window." Ahmad said most of those inside had managed to escape as the shooting started, but the detonation of the second bomber's vest brought the roof down, killing four people. In July, more than 40 people were killed in a suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at a religious political party's gathering. Pakistan's Taliban have stepped up attacks against military and government targets since the return to power of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. But the group said it had nothing to do with the Balochistan attack. The regional chapter of the Islamic State group, known as Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), has also carried out attacks in the area in the past. "The attack on innocent people who came to participate in the procession... is a very heinous act," the interior ministry said in a statement. Separately, Pakistan's military said Friday four soldiers had been killed as they fought an attempt by TTP militants to infiltrate Balochistan from Afghanistan. The post More than 50 killed, dozens wounded in Pakistan blasts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dangerous escalation: U.S. troops in Hormuz
US President Joe Biden sent 3,000 soldiers to the Red Sea last 6 August in what TV Vantage News viewed as a step towards responding to “Iranian aggression.” Washington justified the move by saying Iran had captured around 20 tankers in the Gulf in the last 20 years. The US fears that continued “Iranian aggression” will worsen with the currently high global price of oil. The US soldiers are aboard two warships, the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, and the USS Carter Hall, used for docking. The goal is for the rapid deployment of troops on oil tankers which are considered potential targets for capture by the Iranian navy. The idea is for the presence of US soldiers to act as a “deterrence” against an Iranian assault. They are thus being placed up front as possible sacrificial lambs if Iran insists on assaulting the troop-laden tankers. Biden’s move is essentially a psychological tactic. It is similar to terrorists using civilians as shields against an assault. Soldiers have no value or role in a naval confrontation of missiles and drones. In fact, Iran’s undeterred response to the US troop initiative is to arm its warships with the new Abu Mehdi missiles, which have a range of 1,000 kilometers. How can soldiers face missiles? It is like the children sent by the Church as crusaders, in the hope the Muslims would not harm children. They were instantly massacred without hesitation. Who drew first blood? Actually, the original aggressor, the one that drew first blood, was the US, consistently capturing Iranian vessels, prior to the troop initiative, on the pretext of its almighty sanctions. For a long time, Iran had no response for fear of derailing the ongoing nuclear deal negotiations, which was a thorn in its throat, until finally they could not take it anymore. They also must have felt that the negotiations were not going anywhere. Iran’s Defense Minister Nasser Kenaani, in response to the US troop initiative, said the US troops were not necessary and that the region can handle local security by themselves without foreign interference. Indeed, the US move may be seen as an invitation to a confrontation rather than a “deterrence.” The presence of US troops in Hormuz has “massive implications both for the US and for the rest of the world,” according to Vantage. The US, in its military initiative in Hormuz, is actually a multi-tentacled octopus spreading itself too thin across the planet, such as in the protracted war in Ukraine, and in the Taiwan Strait. The US is worried that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are shifting towards relations with China. US carriers are tied down in the West Philippine Sea, especially following the recent Philippine diplomatic protests over China harassing its Coast Guard. The Philippines may invoke mutual defense if push comes to shove. The US maintains 17 military bases throughout the breadth and length of the Philippine archipelago. The Hormuz chokepoint, where about 20 percent of global oil supplies pass through, is a mere 39 kilometers wide between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. It is considered one of the most dangerous powder kegs in the entire Middle East, capable of evolving into a full-scale war in the blink of an eye. History of US-Iran conflict In 1988, a tanker war ensued wherein the US attacked Iranian oil rigs and sank many Iranian vessels. All these happened after the US lost control of Iranian oil and gas with the fall of the Shah, the greatest single tragedy of the US in its search of gulf energy. Since then, the Pentagon had been planning the future invasion of Iran, staging the most expensive and ambitious $250-million war game called 2002 Millennium Challenge. In 2011, the sinking of the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain was predicted by military experts. Admiral William Fallon, ex-US Centcom Commander and head of the Fifth Fleet, in fear of Iranian underground hypersonic missiles, said, “There will be no attack on Iran on my watch.” He was sacked instantly and replaced by Gen. David Petreaus. Pentagon initiatives are deterred by 1) an Iranian underground air force with hypersonic missiles and killer drones (now being used by Russia in Ukraine); 2) Iran being an ally of Russia (an attack on Iran instantly involves Russia), and 3) a more sober civilian government opposing Pentagon brinkmanship. In his frustration, Biden, worried about his reelection and his dwindling charisma, is sending US troops to Hormuz, a dangerous catalyst to all-out war. The post Dangerous escalation: U.S. troops in Hormuz appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ukraine claims 40 drones, 30 missiles shot down
The Ukrainian air force claimed Sunday that it had destroyed all 40 of Russia’s Shahed drones and 30 of its 40 cruise missiles launched against it. “In total, the enemy used 70 air attack weapons in several waves from Saturday night until Sunday morning,” Ukrainian authorities said in a statement. It added that Russia also fired off three Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, although it did not say if they had been shot down. Likewise, the facilities that were struck by the missiles that got past air defenses were not identified by the Ukrainian armed forces. According to the Russian army, it had attacked “airbases of the Ukrainian armed forces around the settlements of Starokostiantyniv in the Khmelnytskyi region and Dubno in the Rivne region.” The western Khmelnytskyi region, hundreds of kilometers from the front lines of combat and home to a significant airbase, has been regularly attacked during the war. According to local official Sergiy Tyurin, the Khmelnytskyi region has been targeted three times since yesterday evening. The majority of the missiles were shot down. He also shared images of a burning building in disrepair, claiming it was a grain waste storage. A bus station and a number of buildings were destroyed. According to Vitaliy Koval, the district administrator, “only a few private households were damaged” in the Rivne region that Russia claimed it struck. Blood center attacked On Saturday, Ukraine reported that a blood transfusion center in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine had been attacked by Russian forces. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the incident resulted in deaths and injuries. “This war crime alone says everything about Russian aggression,” he continued. The alleged attack happened soon after Zelensky claimed that Russian missiles had struck a Motor Sich facility in Ukraine, one of many businesses the government has taken control of since Moscow’s invasion. WITH AFP The post Ukraine claims 40 drones, 30 missiles shot down appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Six white US police officers admit torturing Black men
Six white Mississippi police officers tortured two innocent Black men using a sex toy, Tasers and a sword in an hours-long attack that ended with one man shot through the mouth and neck, the US Department of Justice said Thursday. The brutal assault, and its subsequent cover-up in which the men left one victim bleeding as they hid evidence of their crimes, is the latest race-tinged stain on US policing. "The defendants in this case tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims, egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect, and shamefully betrayed the oath they swore as law enforcement officers," said Attorney General Merrick Garland. Five now-former members of Mississippi's Rankin County Sheriff's Department and one former member of the Richland Police Department pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple charges including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. All six acknowledged that while responding to a report of suspicious activity on January 24 this year, they kicked in a door at a house and began a sustained and unprovoked attack on two Black men there. They handcuffed the men and racially abused them, warning them to "stay out of Rankin County," the DoJ said. "The defendants punched and kicked the men, tased them 17 times, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a dildo," a press release said. They also hit one man multiple times with a metal sword and a wooden kitchen implement, the DoJ said. Deputy Hunter Elward, 31, removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun and forced his weapon into one man's mouth before pulling the trigger. "Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated (the victim's) tongue, broke his jaw and exited out of his neck," the DoJ said. As their critically injured victim lay bleeding, the men set about planting evidence to justify their actions. "Remarkably, the victim survived the shooting even though these defendants left him lying on the floor gushing blood for a considerable amount of time... because they were too busy developing a false story to try and cover up their misconduct," prosecutor Kristen Clarke told reporters. "The actions of these defendants not only caused significant physical, emotional and psychological harm to the victims, but also caused harm to the entire community, who feel they cannot trust the police officers who are supposed to serve them and leaving other police officers to try to mend the communal wounds inflicted by these defendants," said Clarke. "This trauma is magnified because the misconduct was fueled by racial bias and hatred." Elward, Brett McAlpin, 52, Christian Dedmon, 28, Jeffrey Middleton, 46, Daniel Opdyke, 27 and Joshua Hartfield, 31, pleaded guilty to all charges against them. Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke also pleaded guilty to three other felony charges stemming from another episode of brutality against a white man in December. All six are due to be sentenced November 14. Horrifying episodes of police abuses against minorities in the United States burst into the public consciousness with unwelcome frequency, with victims like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor symbols of what critics say is wrong with the US model of law enforcement. The post Six white US police officers admit torturing Black men appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Several hurt in South Korean ‘stabbing rampage’: police
A man went on a "stabbing rampage" near a South Korean subway station, police said Thursday, with as many as 10 people reported wounded two weeks after a similar attack killed one person. The attack took place near the Seohyeon subway station in Bundang, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Seoul, an official at the National Police Agency told AFP. The suspect "had been arrested at the scene", the official said. The Yonhap News Agency reported that 10 people had been wounded in the incident. Unverified images of Thursday's attack showed what appeared to be a floor stained with blood drops and at least one emergency medical helicopter. One person was killed and three wounded in another stabbing attack in the South Korean capital on July 21. South Korea is typically an extremely safe country, with a murder rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2021, according to official statistics. By comparison, the United States has 7.8 homicide deaths per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bundang, an affluent satellite city of Seoul, generally has a reputation for safe streets and residential neighborhoods but the two stabbings triggered concern online. "The attack (near the) Seohyeon station is really terrifying," one wrote on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X. "How can we feel safe and comfortable going outside with incidents like this happening?" The post Several hurt in South Korean ‘stabbing rampage’: police appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Suicide bomber attacks political gathering, kills 44
A suspected suicide bomber attacked a political rally in northwesst Pakistan on Sunday killing at least 44 people and injuring more than 100 others. “There was utter confusion, with human flesh, limbs, and body parts scattered throughout the area, alongside lifeless bodies,” witness Abdullah Khan said after the attack on 400 supporters of the the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F party in the town of Khar, near the Afghan border. “I found myself lying next to someone who had lost their limbs. The air was filled with the smell of human flesh,” Sabeeh Ullah, a 24-year-old party supporter who had his arm fractured by the blast, said. Images from the blast site circulating on social media showed bodies strewn around, and volunteers helping blood-soaked victims to ambulances. Riaz Anwar, the health minister for Khyber Pakht unkhwa province — told Agence France-Presse late Sunday that the bomber detonated himself in close proximity to the stage. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the blast Sunday on social media, offering condolences to the victims and vowing to punish those responsible. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police said Monday their initial investigation suggested that the local chapter of the Islamic State was behind the bombing, according to Geo News. District Police Officer Nazir Khan said three suspects had been arrested, Geo News reported. The JUI-F is a major ally of the coalition government of Sharif, which is preparing for the November national elections. Last year, IS said it was behind violent attacks against religious scholars affiliated with the party, which has a huge network of mosques and madrassas in the north and west of the country. The jihadist group accuses JUI-F of hypocrisy for being an Islamic group while supporting hostile governments and the military. WITH AFP The post Suicide bomber attacks political gathering, kills 44 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Islamic State claims responsibility for Pakistan blast that killed 54
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Monday for a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people, including 23 children, at a political party gathering ahead of elections due later this year. The blast has raised fears Pakistan could be in for a bloody election period following months of political chaos prompted by the ousting of Imran Khan as prime minister in April last year. Around 400 members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) party -- a key government coalition partner led by a firebrand cleric -- were waiting Sunday for speeches to begin when a bomber detonated a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings near the front stage. "I was confronted with a devastating sight -- lifeless bodies scattered on the ground while people cried out for help," Fazal Aman, who was near the tent when the bomb went off, told AFP. Shaukat Abbas, a senior official with the counter-terrorism department (CTD) told AFP that 54 people had been killed, including 23 under the age of 18. On Monday the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. "A suicide attacker from the Islamic State... detonated his explosive jacket in the middle of a crowd" in Khar, the jihadist group's news arm Amaq said in a statement Monday. The attack occurred in the town of Khar in the northwestern Bajaur district, just 45 kilometers from the Afghan border, in an area where militancy has been rising since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. Parliament is likely to be dissolved after it completes its term in the next two weeks, with national elections to be held by mid-November or earlier. The local chapter of the jihadist Islamic State group has in the past targeted JUI-F rallies and leaders. Shattered family On Monday, blood-stained shoes and prayer caps littered the site, along with ball bearings and steel bolts from the suicide vest. Pieces of human flesh could still be seen, blasted 30 meters (100 feet) from the stage where the bomber detonated his device. Thousands of mourners attended the first funeral ceremonies, including for two young cousins aged 16 and 17. "It was not easy for us to lift two coffins. This tragedy has shattered our family," said Najib Ullah, the brother of one of the boys. "Our women are profoundly shocked and devastated. When I see the mothers of the victims, I find myself losing my own courage." JUI-F's leader, cleric Fazl-ur-Rehman, started political life as a firebrand Islamist hardliner, and while his party continues to advocate for socially conservative policies, he has more recently forged alliances with secular rivals. He has operated in the past as a facilitator for talks between the government and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a rival of the jihadist Islamic State group. Last year, IS said it was behind attacks against religious scholars affiliated with JUI-F, which has a huge network of mosques and schools in the north and west of the country. The jihadist group accuses the JUI-F of hypocrisy for being a religious party while supporting secular governments and the military. JUI-F officials hit out at the government for failing to provide security in areas where militants operate. "The state has not fulfilled its responsibilities. I think the state has failed regardless of who is in power," said Shams uz Zaman, deputy general secretary of its Bajaur branch. "For God's sake take notice of the situation." While Rehman's party never musters more than a dozen or so seats in parliament, they can be crucial in any coalition and his ability to mobilize tens of thousands of religious school students allows him to punch above his weight. "It is important to consider why workers of a religious inclined political party could have been subjected to such bestial violence," Dawn newspaper said in an editorial Monday. "However ultra-conservative the JUI-F's worldview, the party has chosen to contest power and operate within the parameters set by the Constitution of Pakistan." A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said the blast was "an attempt to weaken democracy". Rise in attacks Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks since the Afghan Taliban surged back to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. In January, a suicide bomber linked to Pakistan's Taliban blew himself up in a mosque inside a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing more than 80 officers. The militant assaults have been focused in regions abutting Afghanistan, and Islamabad alleges some are being planned on Afghan soil -- a charge Kabul denies. Analysts say militants in the former tribal areas have become emboldened since the return of the Afghan Taliban. The blast coincides with a visit to the country by a senior delegation of Chinese officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng, who arrived in the capital Sunday evening. The post Islamic State claims responsibility for Pakistan blast that killed 54 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Empty seats, discarded shoes remain after Pakistan bomb kills 47
Blood-stained chairs, scattered ball bearings and shoes shed by the dead, wounded and panicked bore testimony Monday to the carnage caused by a suicide bombing at a Pakistan political event. At least 47 people were killed and more than 100 wounded on Sunday when a blast ripped through a gathering of Islamic Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F party members in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The marquee hoisted in the town of Khar lay mangled and charred the morning after the explosion, partly collapsed onto blood-soaked carpets with around 400 upended red chairs strewn about. "Upon arriving at the scene, I was confronted with a devastating sight," Khar resident Fazal Aman, 29, told AFP on Monday. "Lifeless bodies scattered on the ground while people cried out for help." Party paraphernalia, including hats and scarves in JUI-F's black-and-white branding, were abandoned and trampled into the dusty ground, some flecked with dried blood. The first funerals for the victims got underway on Monday, including for a pair of cousins aged 16 and 17 where young boys wept by coffins. "These two were very serious and down-to-earth individuals in our family," said 24-year-old shopkeeper Najeeb Ullah. "This is a great injustice on our land." Mound of sandals Remnants of human flesh and hair could be seen as far as 30 meters (100 feet) from a shattered stage, the apparent epicenter of the blast near Khar's main bazaar. Gulistan Khan, a 40-year-old farmer being treated at a nearby hospital, said he was in the third row when the bomb detonated as local JUI-F leaders arrived to crowds chanting slogans. "I was thrown backwards as if lifted off the ground," he said. "The blast was powerful. Flames coming out were very high so I couldn't see anything." A mound of about 40 sandals and shoes had been piled in the shade behind a cordon of yellow police tape as zebra-striped JUI-F flags fluttered in the breeze. Investigators in rubber gloves and facemasks picked through the scene on Monday morning, one using a trowel to scoop up a sample from a dark patch on the floor of the stage. The site was swarmed by security forces carrying assault rifles and surrounding roads were peppered with police checkpoints. Regional counter-terrorism deputy inspector general Sohail Khalid told AFP the bomber used around 40 kilograms (90 pounds) of explosives, bound up with ball bearings to cause maximum carnage. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but the local chapter of the Islamic State group has recently targeted JUI-F, a key government coalition partner led by a firebrand cleric. The post Empty seats, discarded shoes remain after Pakistan bomb kills 47 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hero or villain? Mexicans remember revolutionary Pancho Villa
Thousands of Mexicans on horseback parade through the town where Francisco "Pancho" Villa, the outlaw turned revolutionary who inspired countless myths and legends, was killed 100 years ago. Wearing leather boots and cowboy hats to shield from the blazing sun, riders filled the streets of Parral in the northern state of Chihuahua on Wednesday for commemorations marking the centenary of his death. Shouting "Viva Villa! Viva Mexico!" (Long live Villa! Long live Mexico!), the procession paused next to a statue of the mustachioed icon before filing through the town where bands played and crowds lined the streets. It was the culmination of a journey in the saddle that for some participants began more than two weeks earlier -- and around 600 kilometers (370 miles) to the north -- near the Mexican-US border. Others joined along the way as the procession crossed the vast plains of Chihuahua -- once a hotbed of the revolution -- to honor the man known as the "Centaur of the North." "He was a hero. Others consider him a villain and others a murderer. But he wasn't like that," said Javier Baca, a 55-year-old resident of Parral who came dressed as Villa, with his trademark brimmed hat and bullet belts strung across his chest. "I feel very proud to be present on this day," he told AFP. Great military leader Villa was one of the leading forces of the 1910 revolution, which began as an uprising against dictator Porfirio Diaz and led to the drafting of a new constitution. "His contribution to the revolution is without doubt. Villa was the great military leader of the revolution in the second stage," Spanish-Mexican writer and historian Paco Ignacio Taibo II told AFP. Villa generated among historians "a combination of admiration, repulsion, fascination, fear, love and hate" he wrote in his biography of the man who "married, or maintained close quasi-marital relationships, 27 times and had at least 26 children." To his admirers, Villa was a Mexican version of Robin Hood who robbed the rich to give to the poor, before becoming a social-minded revolutionary and talented military general. Other accounts portray Villa, the son of sharecroppers whose real name was Doroteo Arango, as a bandit, cattle rustler and cold-blooded murderer who fell in with revolutionaries despite having no real ideology. "There are legends of Villa the Robin Hood, Villa the Napoleon of Mexico, Villa the ruthless killer, Villa the womanizer, and Villa as the only foreigner who has attacked the mainland of the United States since the war of 1812 and gotten away with it," the Austrian-born historian Friedrich Katz wrote in his book "The Life and Times of Pancho Villa." "There is widespread agreement among friend and foe that Villa was capable both of great acts of generosity and of equally great acts of cruelty," he added. Helped the poor Villa's life and death inspired a host of popular ballads as well as Mexican and Hollywood movies. In the United States, Villa is known for his brazen attack on Columbus, New Mexico in 1916. In response, the US government sent troops under the command of General John J. Pershing on a fruitless mission to capture Villa. "He's a hero here in Mexico, because no one else has managed to stop the gringos in war," said Ruben Palma, a 25-year-old engineer. Villa's luck eventually ran out on July 20, 1923 when at the age of 45 he was ambushed while driving to a baptism -- an event reenacted on Thursday in front of hundreds of spectators. As the revolutionary drove along Gabino Barreda street -- today home to a museum in his honor -- an accomplice of the assassins pretending to be drunk shouted "Viva Villa!" as a signal to the gunmen lying in wait. The car came under a hail of bullets, leaving a blood-covered Villa slumped in the driver's seat and his men sprawled out dead or wounded in the street. According to Katz, there appears little doubt that the government of then president Alvaro Obregon "was not only implicated in but probably organized the assassination of Villa" because it feared he might take part in another uprising. Villa was buried in a graveyard in Parral. In 1976, his remains were exhumed and deposited in the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City, leaving a mixed legacy in Parral. "For some people he was a very good person and for others he was bad," said Gaby Armendariz, a 45-year-old housewife who came to watch the parade. The post Hero or villain? Mexicans remember revolutionary Pancho Villa appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fear, grief after 41 dead in ‘brutal’ Uganda school attack
Grieving families buried their dead in western Uganda on Sunday while others searched desperately for missing loved ones after militants killed dozens of students in a "brutal" school attack. Officials say at least 41 people, mostly students, were massacred Friday in the worst attack of its kind in Uganda since 2010. President Yoweri Museveni, in his first statement since the attack, vowed to hunt the militants "into extinction". Victims were hacked, shot and burned in the late-night raid on Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe, which lies less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pope Francis offered a prayer on Sunday for "the young student victims of the brutal attack" that has shocked Uganda and drawn condemnation from around the globe. Ugandan authorities have blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia based in DR Congo, and are pursuing the attackers who fled back toward the border with six abductees. "Their action -- the desperate, cowardly, terrorist action -- will not save them," said Museveni. Fifteen others from the community, including five girls, were still missing, said Eriphaz Muhindi, chairman of Kasese district, which shares a long and forested border with DR Congo. - 'Great pain' - Families desperate for news waited all night in the cold outside a mortuary in nearby Bwera. Those able to identify loved ones embraced and wept as they took away the bodies in coffins. "We flocked (to) the hospital and found many bodies -- of boys and girls, some cut with pangas (machetes), others hit with hammers on the head," Roti Masereka, a farmer, told AFP. He left with the body of his brother -- 35-year-old Mbusa Kirurihandi, a security guard at the school -- and his 17-year-old son. But a third son, aged 15, is missing, and the family is distraught. "Today we have buried two bodies, the father and his son. But we are still looking for the missing child," he said. The government said Sunday it would assist with funeral arrangements and support the injured. Seventeen victims were burned beyond recognition when the attackers set a dormitory ablaze, frustrating efforts to identify the dead and account for the missing. Muhindi said they had been taken away for DNA testing, a process that could take some time. "This is a great pain to their families," he told AFP. - 'They wore military camouflage' - Officials said 37 students were killed -- 17 in the torched men's dormitory, and 20 female students who ran but were hacked to death. Elias Kule, an 18-year-old survivor, said the boys locked their dormitory door when they heard gunshots and saw armed men entering the school. "They wore military camouflage. Each had a hammer, a hoe, knives, pangas (machetes) and guns with magazines," he told AFP. He said the attackers started firing through the windows and doors, hitting at least one student, before lobbing a "bomb" into the dormitory that started a fire. "I ran out of oxygen, I covered my mouth and nose with a cloth... I got blood and smeared myself on the head and ears to claim I was dead," he said, waiting until the coast was clear to escape. Four non-students, including the security guard Kirurihandi, were also killed. - 'Appalling act' - The African Union, France and the United States, a close ally of Uganda, offered their condolences and condemned the bloodshed. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: "Those responsible for this appalling act must be brought to justice." Questions have been raised about how the attackers managed to evade detection in a border region with a heavy military presence. Major General Dick Olum told AFP that intelligence suggested the presence of the ADF in the area at least two days before the attack, and an investigation would be needed to establish what went wrong. Uganda and DR Congo launched a joint offensive in 2021 to drive the ADF out of their Congolese strongholds, but the measures have failed to blunt the group's violence. Originally insurgents in Uganda, the ADF gained a foothold in eastern DRC in the 1990s and have since been accused of killing thousands of civilians. The Islamic State group claims the ADF as its Central African affiliate. Attacks in Uganda are rare but in June 1998, 80 students were burnt to death in their dormitories in an ADF raid on Kichwamba Technical Institute near the DR Congo border. More than 100 students were abducted. The attack was the deadliest in Uganda since 2010, when 76 people were killed in twin bombings in Kampala by the Somalia-based group Al-Shabaab. gm-np/bp © Agence France-Presse The post Fear, grief after 41 dead in ‘brutal’ Uganda school attack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The truth about high blood pressure
Based on recent data, high blood pressure is living up to its reputation as a silent killer. The fifth leading cause of death among Filipinos, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s June 2022 report, hypertension among Pinoys rose by 37 percent in 2021. That’s the highest since 1992, said a study on hypertension in the Philippines by the Philippine Heart Association. Though regarded as an old person’s disease, high blood pressure has now been diagnosed in at least five percent of Filipino youth between the ages of 12 and 18. Here’s the more startling fact: Regardless of age, hypertensive adults and adolescents shared the same profile -- a higher body mass index, waist measurement and central obesity rate. Why is hypertension so difficult to control? Makati Medical Center points to the lack of warning signs or symptoms. “Usual symptoms like headaches, dizziness or shortness of breath are not specific to high blood pressure,” says Dr. Saturnino P. Javier, chief of Cardiology section. “And they usually present themselves when one’s blood pressure has surged to life-threatening levels. More alarmingly, someone may have high blood pressure and not feel anything at all. Measuring the blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer is a very reliable method that a doctor can perform in the clinic to know what your blood pressure is and whether you’re hypertensive or not.” Dr. Javier cites the need to note these two numbers each time your blood pressure is taken on a sphygmomanometer. The first or upper number is called systolic blood pressure, the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second or lower number is the diastolic blood pressure; that’s the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats. “When you have high blood pressure, the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is very high. This can damage the arteries and set up a series of events which can lead to catastrophic outcomes — like heart attack and stroke,” explains Dr. Javier. Local BP guidelines have been created, which adopt many recommendations from American and European colleagues. These have provided blood pressure thresholds for medical professionals to follow. In general, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a blood pressure of less than 120/80 mm Hg normal. A BP that is consistently 130/80 mm Hg is viewed as high normal and already warrants dietary and lifestyle recommendations. Striving for the ideal BP seems like a tall order, but it’s a necessary one as Dr. Javier underlines. Uncontrolled high blood pressure makes you vulnerable to stroke, heart attack and other conditions. These important lifestyle tweaks will make a huge difference: When you exercise regularly, you strengthen your heart, which then pumps more blood with less effort. This decreases the force of blood on the artery walls and lowers blood pressure. You should target the ideal body weight, Dr. Javier emphasizes. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. Smoking cessation is a very vital component of lifestyle intervention among hypertensive individuals. Nicotine serves absolutely no useful purpose in one’s overall health, adds Dr. Javier. It’s also best to focus on lean protein and fruits and vegetables representing the colors of the rainbow and to cut back on sodium or salt. Managing stress is a must in dealing with hypertension. “When you’re stressed, the body releases hormones that elevate your heart rate and constrict blood vessels, causing your blood pressure to spike,” explains Dr. Javier. Go for a walk, meditate, spend time with family and friends. These have a way of calming you and lifting your spirits. If you think you have high blood pressure, MakatiMed encourages you to see your cardiologist who can make a proper diagnosis and come up with the best ways to lower your blood pressure and prevent the condition from escalating. For more information, contact MakatiMed On-Call at 8888-8999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph or visit www.makatimed.net.ph. The post The truth about high blood pressure appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russia says repels attack on border as three killed in Kyiv
Moscow said Thursday it thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to penetrate its southwestern border as it pounded Kyiv with missiles, killing three including a child. The Ukrainian capital has faced nearly nightly air raids in May, and an unusual daytime attack on Monday that sent residents running for shelter. As Kyiv deployed its air defences against a fresh volley of Russian missiles, Moscow said it pushed back an attempt by Ukrainian troops to invade its southwestern Belgorod region at about 3:00 am local (0000 GMT). "Overall, the attack involved up to 70 militants, five tanks, four armoured vehicles, seven pickup trucks and a Kamaz truck," the Russian defence ministry said in the evening, reporting at least three attempted crossings. It said it used air force and artillery to repel the attacks, killing more than 50 Ukrainian fighters. The Belgorod region, which saw an unprecedented two-day armed incursion last week, has come under intensified fire in the past days. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said 12 people had been wounded in the previous 24 hours in the district of Shebekino, whose residents poured into centres for displaced people in Belgorod city. "There are many families with children, including infants and disabled people. We will try to provide them with as much care as possible," Belgorod mayor Valentin Demidov said. Two people were wounded in the city when a drone crashed near a petrol station, Demidov said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was being constantly informed of the situation. "The main question now is to provide assistance to people, and support resettlement for those who need it," he added. Peskov also denounced the silence from the international community over the strikes. Despite "every opportunity to see the footage describing strikes on residential buildings, social infrastructure... there is not a single word criticising Kyiv," Peskov said. Russia has seen repeated attacks on its soil, with a drone attack in Moscow last week. After at least eight drones were used in that attack, the Russian foreign ministry accused the West of "pushing the Ukrainian leadership towards increasingly reckless acts." Ukraine has denied "direct involvement." Moscow's latest attack on Kyiv began just before 3 a.m. local time when missiles were fired from Russia's Bryansk region. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted and destroyed all 10 missiles. Three people, including a nine-year-old child, were killed in Kyiv's northeastern Desnyanskyi district as a result of falling rocket fragments. Another 16 people were wounded. The husband of one of the victims, Yaroslav Ryabchuk, said the shelter where they routinely hid from Russian strikes was closed on Thursday, and he ran to seek help. "When I came back there was a lot of blood, children and women were lying there. There were screams and dust," he told AFP. "Nothing matters any more," he said, adding his children have been "left without a mother." Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the three people were killed when a fragment of a rocket fell close to a clinic as they ran for cover after an air raid alert. "A closed shelter in wartime is not just indifference, it is a crime," said Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, adding that an investigation had been opened. In a press conference in Moldova, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said people would be "held responsible" for the closed shelter. Moscow says that it only targets military installations in Ukraine. Meanwhile the UN secretary-general's office on Thursday expressed concern over a drop in Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea, citing the "specter of food inflation". A crucial agreement allowing Ukrainian grain to reach the global market despite Moscow's invasion was renewed again in May but for only two months. "We are concerned about the continuous slowdown of the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "In May, 33 vessels departed Ukrainian ports, half of the number compared to April." He linked part of the slowdown to Russian demands that its own exports of fertilizer components be freed up despite strict sanctions. The post Russia says repels attack on border as three killed in Kyiv appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
12 things to know about your thyroid
It’s International Thyroid Awareness Week, from 25 to 31 May. We each have a thyroid gland, a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck, just above your collarbone. It is usually flat and cannot be felt even if you press around that area of your neck. Here are some things other things that you should know about your thyroid. The thyroid gland makes thyroid hormone, a substance that controls your metabolism. An excess of thyroid hormone is called hyperthyroidism, where your metabolism can be very fast. This can cause weight loss, palpitations, sweats, tremors, feeling warm and a characteristic eye stare. A lack of thyroid hormone is the opposite, with a slow metabolism that can lead to weight gain, a slow heart rate, constipation and feeling cold. Any enlargement of the thyroid is called a goiter. The whole thyroid can be enlarged or just a small part which can be a nodule if it is a solid mass, or a cyst, which is filled with fluid. There can also be multiple nodules or cysts or both. [caption id="attachment_137002" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MAKATI MEDICAL CENTER | Any enlargement of the thyroid is called a goiter.[/caption] Having a goiter does not always mean that you have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Most patients have normal thyroid function tests, which are known as TSH, free T4 and free T3. There are many misbeliefs about goiter. Goiters are not caused by shouting, singing, drinking cold water, lifting heavy things, straining or eating certain foods. You can do all these things without causing your thyroid to become enlarged. Goiters can affect anyone and can be present at birth. If they remain small they may not even be detected until they are found on a routine physical examination or incidentally with tests done for other reasons, like a CT scan or X-ray of either the head or chest that may include part of the neck. [caption id="attachment_137005" align="aligncenter" width="525"] PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNSPLASH/clem onojeghuo | The most common symptom of thyroid goiter is a lump in the neck.[/caption] The most common cause of goiters worldwide is a lack of iodine in the diet, which is needed to make thyroid hormone. Other causes are autoimmune disorders where antibodies produced by your immune system mistakenly attack your thyroid gland. [caption id="attachment_137004" align="aligncenter" width="525"] PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNSPLASH/JAKUB KAPUSNAK | FISH are rich in iodine.[/caption] Pregnancy can also cause the thyroid to enlarge slightly, and thyroid problems can occur with the hormonal changes of pregnancy and menopause. Certain medications can also stimulate the thyroid or damage it, such as amiodarone and lithium. Exposure to radiation through radiation treatments to the head and neck also increase the risk of developing a goiter. Most goiters are not cancer. A neck ultrasound is the best imaging test to take a closer look and depending on the appearance and size of the nodule, an ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy can be done if it looks suspicious for cancer. If thyroid cancer is found, the good news is that the usual thyroid cancers are slow to grow and slow to spread or metastasize. Complete removal of the thyroid or a total thyroidectomy is recommended for high risk patients, and this includes Filipinos. And unlike some cancers that require several courses of chemotherapy, a single dose of radioactive iodine in a capsule may be all that is needed in thyroid cancer to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue. If your entire thyroid removed you have to take thyroid hormone replacement for life. Thyroid hormone should be taken regularly on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, and only take with water. One way to remember is to place the medication next to your bed and to take it upon waking. Wait at least 30 minutes before taking any other food or medication. [caption id="attachment_137003" align="aligncenter" width="525"] PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNSPLASH/mary skrynnikova | DAIRY, such as milk, is a major source of iodine in human nutrition.[/caption] If you think you have a goiter, consult your doctor to get a proper diagnosis and timely treatment. And remember to see your doctor regularly for follow-up tests. Thyroid cancer patients need blood tests done every three to six months to monitor hormone levels for medication dose adjustment and to check that the cancer has not recurred. The post 12 things to know about your thyroid appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pig’s blood on fish
Octogenarians are not easily provoked. They are ever protective of their mental and physical health, fragile as they are. Their low immune system is vulnerable to being compromised if negative emotions are aroused. Science and medicine tell us that these emotions could trigger chronic diseases and cardiac, respiratory and other related medical issues common to the elderly. A bad temper leads to blood pressure rising and if untreated angina and myocardial infarction or stroke. Hence, when they cannot suppress anger, it means their tolerance level has reached rock bottom. Muslim elderly had experienced this outburst of anger recently. A bit of news, pedestrian it may seem in media reporting has provoked the ire of this writer. It was a bad hair day. This may have skipped notice from readers who are more focused on headline-hugging news. It was buried in the inside pages. And in the print media of yore, perhaps along with obituaries. A report last week datelined General Santos, Philippines says “A group of inspectors uncovered a deceitful practice . . .on which several market vendors were found coating fish slices with pig’s blood to make them look fresh. Plastic packs of pig blood were seized from the vendors involved. The discovery sparked controversy among Muslims and other non-pork eaters . . .” This has opened Pandora’s box. It triggered indignation and condemnation from Muslims and non-Muslims. It was most deceitful and malevolent. This should not be treated only as a “public health issue.” It is an attack upon the sensitivity and religious beliefs of some sectors of society. The Muslims, Seventh Day Adventists, and others shy away from eating pork and its derivatives because of their religion. We suggest that the local government of General Santos City impose the corresponding penalty commensurate to the gravity of the crime. It should not stop from merely imposing administrative sanctions like canceling the license of vendors but also filing a criminal case for fraudulent misrepresentation or other deceit. Allow me to quote part of the article I wrote earlier about the same issue. “What is in pork that makes it an abhorrent animal? Why is it specially mentioned in the Holy Koran as prohibited for consumption by Muslims? For one, it is considered one of the dirtiest animals which thrives on filth and unsanitary environment. Pig is considered garbage and waste eliminators. . . “which eat its own feces, as well as dead carcasses of sick animals, including their own young.” The scientific reasoning is that “Swine serves as a vector for pathogenic worms to enter the human body. Infections by Trichinella spiralis and Taenia solium are not uncommon. Fatty acids and composition of pork fat have been mentioned as incompatible with human fat and biochemical systems.” In other words, the strong underlying reason for this religious proscription is its damaging effect on humans which could cause a variety of medical issues like “increased cancer risk” and many health problems. It is for this reason that Islam is not the only religion that bans pork from its adherents. Other religious sects like the Seventh Day Adventists, the United Church of God, the Orthodox Jewish Kosher, etc., prohibit pork consumption. In an article by Dr. Josh Axe he mentioned that “in the Old Testament, God warned us that the pig was an unclean animal. Why? Because pig is a scavenger and not meant for human consumption.” The greatest fear among Muslims and non-pork-eating citizens is that this may have been going on in several markets in the country without being detected. The local government units should be uncompromising in the exercise of their supervisory and monitoring power over market operations to prevent a repeat of this criminal act. It should never abdicate its inherent oversight duty. How can one person be possessed of so much greed to resort to a reprehensible way that violates the belief of a fellow human being? It reflects a social malady that government must help to address. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Pig’s blood on fish appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
No brushing aside hypertension — experts
Health experts have reminded Filipinos of the importance of monitoring their blood pressure ahead of National Hypertension Awareness Month in May. In a public briefing, Philippine Society of Hypertension president Dr. Dolores Bonzon and PSH vice president Dr. Alejandro Diaz warned of rising hypertension-related deaths. “In 2019, 10.8 million people (around the world) died due to hypertension and its complications, including stroke and heart attack, which are also among the top 10 leading causes of mortality in our country,” Bonzon said. Diaz added that the prevalence of hypertension has been rising in the Philippines, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Many people have not had the chance to have their blood pressure measured or receive treatment, which has contributed to the increase in hypertension cases,” he said. He encouraged all Filipinos aged 18 and above to participate in the May Measurement Month survey by scanning the QR code provided and inputting their blood pressure and pulse rate readings. “Hypertension awareness through blood pressure screening during May Measurement Month has increased to over 30 percent, which shows the program’s effectiveness,” he said. Aside from consuming salty foods, stress is also a contributing factor to hypertension, the experts warned. Dr. Diaz advised the public to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, such as reducing salt intake, exercising regularly, and managing stress. “Preventable deaths due to hypertension can be avoided through medication and lifestyle changes,” he said. Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) said the prevalence of hypertension among Filipino adults aged 20 years old and above has significantly declined from 2018 to 2019. This is despite the increase in the prevalence of hypertension among Filipino adults of the same age from 2013 to 2015. DOST-FNRI noted that controlled hypertension is more common among females, who have a higher level of attention to healthcare and adherence to prescribed medications. Additionally, adults with higher educational attainment tend to have a higher rate of controlled hypertension than those with lower educational status, as they have better access to anti-hypertensive medications. The post No brushing aside hypertension — experts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Snooky Serna nearly eloped with first love Albert Martinez if not for his asthma
Actress Snooky Serna revealed that she and ex-boyfriend nearly eloped when she was just 15 years old, if not for an asthma attack......»»