LONDON - Bad news for tea-lovers. Your favourite drink increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, says a new study.The finding is based on the study of more than 76,000 women. It showed that consuming tea raised the risk while drinking coffee had no impact.Researchers found that tea-lovers who enjoyed more than four cups a day had the highest risk - being 78 per cent more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who drank none.But drinking any amount of tea increased the chance by 40 per cent, compared with people who never drank tea.Professor Christopher Collins, from Georgetown University Medical Centre in the US, said he was surprised by the result of the study.“We set out to determine whether tea or coffee consumption, or the method of preparation of the drinks was associated with an increased risk of (rheumatoid arthritis],” the Scotsman quoted him as saying.“It is surprising that we saw such differences in results between tea and coffee drinkers. This does make us wonder what it is in tea, or in the method of preparation of tea, that causes the significant increase in risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis,” he added.The findings were presented at the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome. (ANI)
Friday, June 18, 2010
Higuain’s hat-trick drives Argentina ahead of South Korea; Argentina score 4-1 goals
A hat-trick by Gonzalo Higuain eased two-time champions Argentina to a 4-1 victory over South Korea in their World Cup Group B match here at Soccer City on Thursday. Higuain's treble plus an own-goal by Park Chu-Young gave the Diego Maradona-coached Argentinians six points from their two matches. They will become the first team in the last 16 should the other group match later on Thursday between Greece and Nigeria finish in a draw. South Korea - whose sole goal came from Lee Chung-Yong - can still reach the second round as they lie on three points having beaten Greece 2-0 in their opening match. Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat trick in Argentina's 4-1 win over South Korea at the World Cup on Thursday, a result that put the South Americans on the brink of qualifying for the next round from Group B. Higuain scored his first goal in the 33rd minute, making it 2-0 following an own goal from Park Chu-young, after Nicolas Burdisso flicked on a cross from Maxi Rodriguez. Lee Chung-yong pulled one back for South Korea by pouncing on a defensive mistake in first-half injury time, but Higuain added two second-half goals -- in the 76th and 80th minutes -- to put the result beyond doubt. With Lionel Messi playing in a slightly deeper role, Argentina lacked a cutting edge in the opening stages, its main threat coming down the left wing where Carlos Tevez was drifting into space and linking well with Gabriel Heinze and Angel Di Maria. Higuain, who missed a string of chances in the opening match against Nigeria, shot high over the bar in the eighth minute and Messi only showed occasional flashes of brilliance as the South Korean midfield closed him down. South Korea came close in the 26th minute when Ki Sung-yong sent in a swerving shot from outside the box that just cleared the crossbar. Two minutes later, Messi backheeled a free kick to Tevez, who sent a powerful shot over the bar. The match was played in a cold wind, and the second half saw the South Koreans emerge with more confidence after they had pulled a goal back. In the 58th, Yeom Ki-hun almost equalized following a flowing counter-attack but put his shot just wide of the left-hand post. Argentina coach Diego Maradona brought on striker Sergio Aguero in the closing stages, and with 14 minutes left Messi skipped past two challenges and shot against the post, and Higuain stabbed in the third goal. Four minutes later, Messi played in Aguero, who crossed for Higuain to head in the fourth.
Manipur yet to move
The problem arising from the Naga blockade has deepened with transporters and bus operators of Manipur refusing to resume service on the highways unless they are recompensed for the losses they have suffered. Further, they want an assurance that no “illegal taxes” will be levied.This, when Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai held a meeting with the chief secretaries of Manipur and Nagaland on Wednesday and said that the first convoy of goods would move towards Manipur capital Imphal on Saturday.“We will not ply our vehicles on National Highway 39 until we’re compensated for our losses (due to frequent blockades) by the Centre and the Nagaland government besides (getting) the assurance that no illegal taxes will be levied in future,” said Ng Haridas, general secretary of the Transporters & Drivers Council of Manipur, an apex body of transporters.On May 4, miscreants burnt seven trucks in the Nagaland sector of National Highway 39.Echoing a similar sentiment, All Manipur Inter-State Bus Association President Budha Luwang said: “We will not resume our service on NH 39 unless the authorities assure that there will be no more blockades on this route.”Operators say every truck passing the Nagaland-Manipur sector of NH 39 was required to deposit at least Rs 20,000 annually with underground groups, apart from “godown taxes” and “daily trip taxes” on items they transported from places such as Dimapur (in Nagaland), sources said.Besides, each truck had to give not less than Rs 100 at every security point along the route, sources said.On average, 275 goods-laden trucks roll into Manipur daily.
