Of that threat

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Former President Mahinda Rajapksa has complained of a threat to his life. The Organiser of the Peoples' Media Centre along with two lawyers of the former President had lodged the complaint at Police Headquarters on Tuesday morning. The nature of the threat is yet to be made public but it is learnt that the possible release of LTTE suspects, purposefully disregarding the former President's security, lethargy in taking action against criminals, questions against certain behaviour (sic) of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and recalling investigations officers who resided in LTTE-friendly countries such as the USA have been cited among the reasons, according to media reports.

It was only the other day that Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva gloatingly assigned credit to the Rajapaksa regime for the release of LTTE suspects in custody when Justice Minister Wijeydasa Rajapakshe said that there only some 200 former LTTEers still being held. Hence the bulk of the LTTE suspects (over 11,000) had been released under the previous regime and there are not many left. How Rajapaksa can blame the present Government for a threat emanating from this quarter is hard to comprehend.

There is no question that the former President should be provided with the maximum security even though the LTTE is only a distant memory at least in this country. True, Mahinda Rajapaksa should be given the credit for presiding over the defeat of the LTTE described as the world's most ruthless terrorist organisation. By the same token former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga too should have been provided with the maximum security, most importantly because she was indeed a survivor of an LTTE assassination attempt. However Rajapaksa who today sees a threat to his own life from the LTTE thought nothing of withdrawing the security detail of CBK in one fell swoop, leaving her with only a couple of security men, as has been the constant lament of the latter.

This, to a former head of state who was targetted by a LTTE suicide bomber and in fact lost an eye and at a time when the threat was more real unlike at present where an LTTE threat is almost zero.

Rajapaksa who sees a LTTE threat to his life however was not averse to obtaining the assistance of the outfit to ensure his election victory in 2005 through engineering a boycott of the Northern vote that was poised to go overwhelming to his rival Ranil Wickremesinghe. Investigations into this episode that is to commence shortly is bound to unravel more details on the entire conspiracy and the agents involved. Rajapaksa's complain of an LTTE threat to his life no doubt is grounded on the latter being mass murderers who had eliminated national leaders. But the former President it must be remembered thought nothing of consorting with one time Tiger Eastern Commander Karuna and the likes of Pilleyan,both of whom figured in the attacks on the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi and the Sri Dalada Maligawa and was directly responsible for the mass murder of Policemen in the East.

Rajapaksa, according to the news report, in his complaint, also cites lethargy in taking action against criminals as another cause for the threat to his life. Nothing could be more amusing coming from persons who not only gave patronage to criminal elements but also turned a blind eye to the criminal acts committed in the open. It is no exaggeration to say there was no era in post Independence Sri Lanka where criminals had a free run of the country as during the decade under Rajapaksa rule. Well known criminals were let off on the orders from the top and politicians closely aligned to the Rajapaksas, involved in rape and murder had their cases withdrawn. It is well known that the Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman responsible for the murder of a British national faced the full force of the law only because of the intervention of the British Government. Cases against well known criminals were allowed to drag on letting charters like Julampitiye Amare, wanted for serial murder roam freely. Not only that, the spouse of a Government Minister convicted for the murder of her husband's mistress and condemned to death row was granted a Presidential pardon.

One cannot fathom what Rajapaksa means when he refers to 'certain behaviour' by Ranil Wickremesinghe constituting a threat to his, life unless the former President is of the view that ANY reference to the Rajapaksas by the Premier is a threat to his life. So far the public is not aware of any direct threat of bodily harm made to Mahinda Rajapaksa by the Premier. If that is the case all the members of the FCID from the constable to the DIG should make a complaint to Police Headquarters about the real threat to their lives from Southern Provincial Council Minister D V Upul who threatened to stone them all to death when Rajapaksa becomes Prime Minister.

The Bring back Rajapaksa brigade is fast running out of options and is now engaged in a desperate bid to garner sympathy for their former boss with their campaign fast losing steam. With elections drawing near and Rajapaksa groomed as Prime Ministerial candidate there is no knowing to what lengths this cabal would go to hoodwink the masses. 

- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=editorial/threat#sthash.I86qIdVq.r9o6LBVk.dpuf

Namal summoned to CID to query about Natasha’s wedding!

 Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Responding to a tweet by MP Namal Rajapaksa that he has been summoned to appear before the CID, police say no such summons had been issued. However, Namal has in fact been summoned by the FCID, say police sources, to record a statement from him with regard to a recent high profile wedding.

That wedding was of the not-so-popular songstress Natasha Perera and Prihan. Those in the arts circle say the wedding cost around Rs. 20 million, noting that neither of them have that much money to spend. Natasha is not a popular songstress. Her husband Prihan is a monthly wage earner employed by Bhatiya and Santhush. There is reasonable doubt as to how they could have spent so much on their wedding. According to media reports, Natasha’s wedding dress alone cost Rs. one million. The dancing troupe and the Gypsies that performed at the wedding were paid in full.

The Department of Inland Revenue and the Bribery and Corruption Commission have a reason to file action against Natasha and Prihan under the Money Laundering Act.

One of the well known singers who attended the wedding at Colombo Hilton said publicly, “These are the results of ‘touching balls’ of the princes of the royal family.” Agreeing with his remark, the others said that Namal and Yoshitha had borne the full cost of the wedding. It is irrelevant as to what sort of a relationship Namal and Yoshitha had with Natasha.

But, what is relevant to us is as to how they could have had Rs. 20 million to gift a close female friend of theirs.

What Should We Do if the Islamic State Wins?

BY STEPHEN M. WALT-JUNE 10, 2015

It’s time to ponder a troubling possibility: What should we do if the Islamic State wins? By “wins,” I don’t mean it spreads like wildfire throughout the Muslim world, eventually establishing a caliphate from Baghdad to Rabat and beyond. That’s what its leaders say they are going to do, but revolutionary ambitions are not reality and that possibility is particularly far-fetched. Rather, an Islamic State victory would mean that the group retained power in the areas it now controls and successfully defied outside efforts to “degrade and destroy” it. So the question is: What do we do if the Islamic State becomes a real state and demonstrates real staying power?

What Should We Do if the Islamic State Wins by Thavam Ratna

Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi embarks on tricky China visit

Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Pic: AP.

By Asian Correspondent Staff Jun 10, 2015

Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is traveling to China this week for her first visit to the Asian powerhouse. The four-day visit, starting Wednesday, comes at a pivotal time as Beijing attempts to bolster its influence in the Southeast Asian nation.

Democratic reforms in Burma (Myanmar) have seen the quasi-military government in Naypyidaw shift toward Western countries, Japan and other potential investors, Burmese protesters have stalled a Chinese-backed dam out of environmental concerns, and China is upset about fighting between Burma’s military and rebels near the border.

Suu Kyi will meet China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang during the visit, Burma’s National League for Democracy (NLD) said. Reports suggest there was strong opposition to the visit within Chinese political circles, but the trip, framed as a party-to party exchange between China’s Communist Party and the NLD, was ultimately approved.

The NLD is forecast to perform strongly when Burma goes to the polls in national elections later this year, though Suu Kyi herself is unlikely to be able to stand for president. Domestically, she is fighting to have a clause in the constitution that blocks her from standing as a candidate overturned and her chances of success look slim.

Even so, China’s invitation can be seen as an acknowledgement from Beijing that she is now a key political figure in the Southeast Asian nation and is likely to wield major influence there in the years to come. Even just a few years ago, the idea of China allying itself with the Nobel Laureate and ‘democracy icon’ would have been unimaginable.

The visit could be a tricky one for both Suu Kyi and China. For her part, Suu Kyi will be under pressure to tackle Beijing on human rights issues and its detention of fellow Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo. Her ongoing silence on the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Burma has been roundly criticised, and observers will be watching closely to see if she lives up to her ‘democracy icon’ billing on this occasion.

Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo. Pic: AP.

The Chinese media, meanwhile, was pointing to a softening in Suu Kyi’s stance towards Beijing ahead of the visit, with an editorial in the state-run Global Times stating:

“Suu Kyi used to be the most intense critic of the Myanmese junta, and she also raised objections to Chinese investment projects during that time. But since she was elected as a member of the House of Representatives, Suu Kyi has started to recalibrate her policy, stating on many occasions that she expects an improvement in Myanmar-China relations. In media interviews, Suu Kyi also expressed her expectation for a visit to China in an official capacity.”

It added: “Given Suu Kyi’s pragmatic and friendly attitude toward China, her overwhelming influence among the Myanmese and her significant power in the future landscape of the Myanmese politics, China treats her visit as a chance to lay out its diplomatic strategies, a forward-looking move to deal with the result of the upcoming Myanmese election.”

The events of the next four days should tell us a lot about future relations between the two neighbors, and Suu Kyi’s vision for a rapidly changing Burma.

Additional reporting from Associated Press

George Osborne signals RBS selloff at Mansion House speech

Sale of bailed-out bank’s shares at present prices means a £13bn shortfall for taxpayer from 2008 part-nationalisation

 RBS was bailed out in 2008 by the taxpayer. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

Jill Treanor-Wednesday 10 June 2015

George Osborne signalled on Wednesday night he was ready to start selling off the Royal Bank of Scotland, seven years after it was rescued from collapse by the taxpayer.

The chancellor said the timing was right for British business and taxpayers to start selling off part of the 79% stake in the Edinburgh-based bank, even though the shares are worth £13bn less than the state paid for them during the financial crisis. The shares will be sold to major City institutions in the coming months. An offer for members of the public, as has been promised for Lloyds Banking Group, could follow.

Osborne also backed a move by the Bank of England governor Mark Carney to impose tougher punishments on bankers who rig markets. Carney warned City traders they should face up to 10 years in jail for abusing markets as he pledged to end “the age of irresponsibility” that has gripped the financial sector.

The government pumped £45bn into RBS in 2008 to stave off bankruptcy and the taxpayer’s investment is now valued at £32bn. The sell-off could take “some years and will likely involve all types of investors”, Osborne said.

Speaking to an audience of top bankers at London’s Mansion House in the heart of the City, the chancellor said the government would still make a £14.3bn profit on the rescue programme for banks. This figure is reached by adding in the proceeds of share sales from Lloyds, along with cash generated from Northern Rock and the mortgage arm of Bradford & Bingley, which were also rescued during the financial crisis.

“It’s the right thing to do for British businesses and British taxpayers. Yes, we may get a lower price than Labour paid for it. But the longer we wait, the higher the price the whole economy will pay,” said Osborne.

“And when you take the banks in total, we’re making sure taxpayers get back billions more than they were forced to put in”.

By signalling a sell-off of the RBS stake, the chancellor is hoping that City investors will be encouraged by the diminished prospect of the government meddling in the bank. The shares closed on Wednesday night at 354p, below the 502p average price paid for them during the crisis.

Osborne presented his case for a sell-off after commissioning a report from investment bankers at Rothschild and seeking the advice of Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England. Rothschild concludes that RBS shares may never return to their pre-crisis levels and the current share price “fairly reflects the fundamental value of the bank”.

 Rothschild’s analysis on bailed-out banks. Photograph: Rothschild/Rothschild

Osborne blamed the bailout on Labour. “I was not responsible for the bailout of RBS or the price paid then for shares bought by the taxpayer: but I am responsible for getting the best deal now for the taxpayer and doing whatever I can to support the British economy,” he said.

In a letter to Osborne, published on Wednesday night, Carney said: “Continued public ownership without a foreseeable endpoint runs risks including limiting RBS’s future strategic options, and continuing the perception that taxpayers bear responsibility for RBS losses. In these regards, there could be considerable net costs to taxpayers of further delaying the start of a sale.”

Two years ago, Osborne used his Mansion House speech to signal a sell-off the stake in Lloyds, which then stood at 43% and on Wednesday fell to below 18% after more shares were sold on the stock market. In his 2011 speech, he put Northern Rock up for sale, and a deal was later clinched with Virgin Money.

The analysis by Rothschild concludes that a multibillion-pound lawsuit that RBS faces from the US authorities relating to the subprime mortgage crisis and expected later this year will not damage the bank’s fragile share price.

Unveiling his plan to clampdown on rogue bankers, Carney referred to the $150bn (£96bn) worth of fines that have been imposed on major global banks since 2008. He said these had deprived the worldwide economy of $3tn of credit. The misdeeds had raised borrowing costs, led to companies holding back investment and dissuaded people from moving home, he said.

He set out plans to inject more regulation in the fixed-income, currency and commodities (FICC) markets that have witnessed many of the recent fines for market rigging, including a market standards board to draw up and police codes of conduct.

“For the best of the industry this won’t be new. This is just how you run your business. But for others who free-ride on your reputations: the age of irresponsibility is over,” said Carney.

Osborne added: “The public rightly asks why it is after so many scandals, and such cost to the country, so few individuals have faced punishment in the courts.”

The chancellor also set out terms for the UK’s renegotiation of EU membership.“Among the principles we seek to establish in this renegotiation are these simple ones: fairness between the euro-ins and the euro-outs enshrined, and the integrity of the single market preserved,” he said.

Osborne, who last night sanctioned a further sell-off of Royal Mail, said 1% was being kept back for the company’s employees. More details are expected on Thursday.

Forced marriage: man sentenced in historic first prosecution

WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE 2015
A man is sentenced to 16 years in prison after becoming the first person in the UK to be prosecuted under forced marriage laws.

The 34-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was jailed after making a 25-year-old woman marry him under duress last year.

Merthyr Crown Court heard the already married man systematically raped his victim for months before threatening to go public with hidden camera footage of her showering unless she became his wife.

'Irrational obsession'

The 34-year-old developed an "irrational obsession" with his victim and lured her to his home under the promise of a get-together with friends.

But when she arrived at his home in Cardiff, the woman found the property empty before the curtains were drawn and the front door locked.

A judge then told of how the terrified woman - a devout Muslim - was bound and gagged with scarves before music was played loudly to drown out her cries for help.
The Cardiff businessman pleaded guilty to four counts of rape, as well admitting forced marriage, bigamy and voyeurism.

Judge Daniel Williams said the defendant used "constant threats" to try to keep his victim quiet: "You threatened that if she disclosed the rape to anyone, you would make that video public. You made her feel that she was no longer marriage material (for anyone else) in the hope that she would turn to you."

Above: a government poster on forced marriage

The court heard that following months of being "systematically" raped, the man suddenly turned up at the woman's place of work and drove her straight to a mosque.

"She was told that if she did not submit to your demands her parents would be killed," added Judge Williams.

'Exercise of control'

The court heard that the man had preyed upon his victim for years - and even managed to convince her a then boyfriend of hers was gay after setting up a fake Facebook page.

Judge Williams also detailed the defendant's attempts to try to have his case thrown out - changing his pleas a number of times at the 11th hour - as an "exercise of control" over the woman in the hope that she drop the case against him.

For the rapes, voyeurism, bigamy and forced marriage, the defendant was sentenced to 16 years custody before being made the subject of an extended licence for five years.

Judge Williams also said the man - who claimed to follow Islam - would remain on the sex offenders' register for "an indefinite period". Before sending the defendant down, Judge Williams praised the victim's bravery in coming forward.

Forced marriage


Forced marriage Forced marriage was criminalised under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and came into force last June. Iwan Jenkins, Head of Crown Prosecution Wales Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “Forced marriage wrecks lives and destroys families. We hope that today’s sentence sends a strong message that forced marriage will not be tolerated in today’s Britain. "It is a testament to the strength of the case which we constructed with the police that we secured a guilty plea for the offences in this case. "The victim has shown great courage and bravery in reporting these matters. This conviction illustrates the seriousness in which these crimes are treated and investigated by the Crown Prosecution Service and South Wales Police. "I hope today’s sentence brings some closure for those who have suffered as a result of these particularly nasty and invasive crimes.” Minister for Preventing Abuse and Exploitation, Karen Bradley, added: “We made forced marriage a criminal offence to better protect victims and send a clear message that this brutal practice is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK..  "We are encouraged by this first conviction and hope that the new law is also having a deterrent effect. However, we know legislation alone is not enough and we remain focused on prevention, support, and protection for victims and those at risk of becoming victims. "The UK is a world-leader in the fight to stamp out this brutal practice, with our Forced Marriage Unit leading efforts to combat forced marriage both at home and abroad.”

Pope urges Putin to commit to 'sincere, great effort' for Ukraine peace

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets Pope Francis during a private meeting at Vatican City, June 10, 2015.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) exchange gifts with Pope Francis during a private meeting at Vatican City, June 10, 2015.

 BY PHILIP PULLELLA-Thu Jun 11, 2015

Pope Francis urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to commit himself to a "sincere and great effort" to achieve peace in Ukraine, the Vatican said.

The two met for about 50 minutes and agreed on the need to recreate a climate of dialogue in Ukraine, the Vatican added, and to implement a peace deal designed to end fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatist rebels.

Putin met the pope after holding talks with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Milan where the Italian leader showed little sign of breaking ranks over European Union sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis.

Moscow, which annexed Ukraine's Crimea region last year, has dismissed Western accusations that it is arming the separatists in eastern Ukraine and sending its own soldiers to join the fight.

 

The Vatican said the pope told Putin that it was essential to resolve the "grave humanitarian situation" in Ukraine, allow aid into conflict areas, and work for "progressive detente in the region".

During a picture-taking session after their private talks in the Vatican, Francis spoke of the need for a "peace that overcomes all wars" and "solidarity among peoples".

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Turkey's biggest political rivals in coalition talks


CHP and AKP campaign flags fly in Ankara (AFP)

Arwa Ibrahim-Wednesday 10 June 2015

While there are signs that an AKP-CHP coalition could be in the works, some analysts say talks between the two parties are a propaganda stunt 

With Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) still searching for a coalition partner after failing to secure a simple majority during Sunday’s general elections, a so-called grand coalition with the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP) could become a reality.

The AKP and CHP are reportedly testing the waters as to whether they can overcome their deep differences and form Turkey’s next government.  

Through this coalition, the AKP may manage to keep the Kurdish peace process alive and stop the erosion of its support among the Kurds, but the party will also face having to agree to CHP conditions, namely an end to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s vision of moving the country from a parliamentary to a presidential system.

In the unofficial talks between AKP - which garnered 41 percent of the votes - and CHP - which took 25 percent, negotiators are reportedly discussing how an AKP-CHP coalition government would be the best option for the normalisation and restoration of stability in Turkey, according to the Turkish Hurriyet Daily News.

On Wednesday, a surprise meeting between CHP’s freshly-elected Deniz Baykal and Erdogan in which Baykal - as the oldest MP who resigned from CHP after a scandal in 2010 - was appointed to temporarily preside over the assembly was seen by observers as another signal of a potential CHP-AKP alliance forming.

The meeting and talks come a day ahead of a scheduled meeting in which Erdogan is to give Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu a mandate to form the next government.

Just days ago, an AKP-CHP would have been suprising as a possible outcome of the election results. Analysts thought AKP was more likely to either join hands with the pro-Kurdish HDP or far-right nationalist MHP, a scenario that would have put the Kurdish peace process in jeopardy.

But after the election, all opposition groups refused to enter into a coalition with AKP. Now the religiously-conservative AKP and the secular Kemalist CHP - considered bitter rivals because of their starkly different views on the future of Turkey - may agree to put their differences aside.

“While both before, and immediately after the elections, opposition parties were against forming a coalition with AKP, CHP is now considering this option as a means to enter government,” said Turkish journalist Cagri Ozdemir.

An AKP-CHP coalition would potentially focus on efforts to strengthen the economy and intensify social investments, as well as endorse the continuation of the Kurdish peace process as the two parties’ views aren't so far apart on the matter.

“Although two years ago CHP was against the peace process, it now supports the project after the party realised it needs to jump on the bandwagon,” said Ozdemir.

“But CHP will push for making the talks more transparent. Its main issue before [the elections] was that the talks were managed behind closed,” he said, referring to the talks being exclusively between AKP and the outlawed PKK, with little information disclosed to the public on specifics.

The potential for a CHP-AKP alliance has also gained traction with the pro-Kurdish HDP, Salahettin Demirtas, who publically supported discussions between CHP and AKP after the elections, leading some to believe the HDP will likely endorse such a partnership.

But while the coalition may bring stability to Turkey and help AKP pick up some its electoral losses specifically in the Kurdish southeast, HDP’s support would come with conditions.

“An AKP-CHP coalition would have the support of HDP if its mandate is to push for reforms particularly in drafting a new constitution along the lines of Kurdish demands,” said Aaron Stein, an associate fellow at the London-based think tank RUSI.

Erdogan’s presidential ambitions

The biggest hurdle of an AKP-CHP alliance will be Erdogan's ambitions to establish a presidential system in Turkey, something CHP stands firmly against.

The stance Erdogan adopts will therefore play a crucial role in negotiations between the two parties, analysts say.

“The potential problem comes from Erdogan himself and whether he is ready to give up on his presidential aspiration regardless of an electoral outcome,” said Stein.

Ozdemir agrees: “The biggest issue before agreeing to enter into a coalition will be the presidential system. If an AKP-CHP coalition is formed, Erdogan’s ambitions for a presidential system will likely go down the drain,” said Ozdemir.

Another major issue of disagreement is the corruption allegations launched against AKP in December 2013. CHP may demand that four former ministers implicated in the 2013 corruption case be sent to court.

“Such a coalition would need to reopen the corruption cases that were blocked under the previous government. In any case, with its parliamentary majority gone, the AKP cannot prevent these cases from being investigated if the other parties decide to pursue this course of action,” wrote Sinan Ulgen, a visiting scholar at the Brussels-based Carnegie Europe, on Tuesday.

But according to Stein, Erdogan would not support a coalition that would bring back the corruption allegation, giving rise to speculation that there are divisions hardening within AKP.

“AKP will think about what they did wrong. There already is unease within AKP because of Erdogan’s attitude, [which some] feel has pulled AKP down.”

“Dissident voices within AKP may opt to side-line Erdogan so that they can continue with a normalised parliamentary system,” he added.

Stein however believes while a split within AKP is unlikely, he says: "If there was ever a time that Erdogan were to be side-lined, this is it.”

Election still possible?

Erdogan’s written statement after the elections called for all political parties to move responsibly in order to ensure the government does not remain rudderless, but some analysts expect him to push for early elections.

“Erdogan could be angling for an early election since a coalition may be good for AKP, but not for Erdogan himself as there are far more pitfalls for Erdogan in that outcome,” said Stein.

At the same time, while a coalition would allow CHP to be in government, that scenario is also risky for the secular party too.

According to Erden Erdem, a politics researcher at Hacettepe University, the talks are a mere propaganda stunt as CHP entering into a coalition with AKP would lose the party a major part of its voter base.

“CHP supporters are angry with AKP and Erdogan and there support for CHP comes from its campaign against them. If CHP enters into a coalition with AKP, it would lose support,” said Erdem.

“There is literally no chance of a CHP-AKP coalition. There reason for the meeting is that CHP does not want to be seen as responsible for a crises in the country,” he added.

According to Stein, there is consensus that early elections are not healthy for the country and therefore none of the parties wants to be on the hook for what might come if the country is left without a government in place. 

The results of the consultations will be reported to the leaders of the two parties in the coming days. 

- See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkeys-biggest-political-rivals-seek-akp-chp-coalition-1025461859#sthash.CL8e4cPK.dpuf

Man Smart, Woman Smarter?

It is quite obvious that while revered religious leaders have treated women and men equally, the perceived inferiority of women has been a social construct coming through the ages.  It is encouraging that, at least at the present time, humans are measured by their intellect and not by an arbitrary scale of physical prowess.

by Ruwantissa Abeyratne

( June 10, 2015, Montreal, Sri Lanka Guardian) The old adage immortalized by Jamaica Johnny and Harry Belafonte has been endorsed by The Economist in the  theme of its  latest issue entitled “The Weaker Sex”.  Unlike the two singers who sang about the innate ability to outsmart the man in infidelity (contrary to the common claim that it is the other way around) The Economist addresses issues of actual smartness when it comes to intellect and multi tasking.  The newspaper says: ” Working class men need to catch up.  Women have learnt that they can be surgeons and physicists without losing their femininity…”  Of men it says: “Men cluster at the bottom as well as the top.  They are far more likely than women to be jailed, estranged from their children, or to kill themselves.  They earn fewer university degrees than women.  Boys in the developed world are 50% more likely to flunk their basic maths reading and science entirely”.

So what happened to us men over the years?  We were the ones who were considered superior.  It is said in the Book of Genesis: “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee..”. Genesis 3:16.  In Letters to the Corinthians it is said: ” But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God”… 1 Corinthians 11:3, as well :”Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church”. 1 Corinthians 14:34-36.

Biblical wisdom decreed that wives had to keep their mouths shut, be deprived of teaching and education,  and regard their husbands as their superiors. ” Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing”… 1 Timothy 2:11-15..”like ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands”…1 Peter 3.1.

However, Jesus showed an enormous sympathy and respect for women. It is said in the Gospel of St. Mathew that Jesus  didn’t reveal himself to his chosen few apostles, until after he had appeared to some of his favourite female followers.. Mathew 28.1.10.

Life was not any different in Ancient India in the time of the Buddha.  Buddhist Studies, an internet column says: ” In ancient India the position of women does not appear to have been a very happy one. Generally women seem to have been looked upon as being inferior to men. And, at times they were considered as being on the same level as the Sudras, the lowest of the four castes. Their freedom was extremely limited. The general view appears to be that they had to be under the care of parents in their childhood, under the protection of husbands in their youth; and in their old age they had to be under the control of their sons. Therefore, it was thought that they do not deserve any freedom. Their main role was considered to be that of housewives, managing the affairs in the house according to the wishes of their husbands”. 

However, it is also recorded in the same column that the Buddha’s teaching were completely different and that he considered men and women to be equal: “Buddhism does not consider women as being inferior to men. Buddhism, while accepting the biological and physical differences between the two sexes, does consider men and women to be equally useful to the society. The Buddha emphasises the fruitful role the women can play and should play as a wife, a good mother in making the family life a success. In the family both husbands and wives are expected to share equal responsibility and discharge their duties with equal dedication. The husband is admonished to consider the wife a friend, a companion, a partner. In family affairs the wife was expected to be a substitute for the husband when the husband happened to be indisposed. In fact, a wife was expected even to acquaint herself with the trade, business or industries in which the husband engaged, so that she would be in a position to manage his affairs in his absence. This shows that in the Buddhist society the wife occupied an equal position with the husband”.

Simone de Beauvoir in her book The Second Sex (1949) agrees: “Legends notwithstanding, no physiological destiny imposes an eternal hostility upon Male and Female as such; even the famous praying mantis devours her male only for want of other food and for the good of the species: it is to this, the species, that all individuals are subordinated, from the top to the bottom of the scale of animal life. Moreover, humanity is something more than a mere species: it is a historical development; it is to be defined by the manner in which it deals with its natural, fixed characteristics, its facticité. Indeed, even with the most extreme bad faith, it is impossible to demonstrate the existence of a rivalry between the human male and female of a truly physiological nature”.

It is quite obvious that while revered religious leaders have treated women and men equally, the perceived inferiority of women has been a social construct coming through the ages.  It is encouraging that, at least at the present time, humans are measured by their intellect and not by an arbitrary scale of physical prowess.

Study links common heartburn drug to increased heart attack risk

By Melinda Carstensen-June 10, 2015

One in every 14 Americans uses a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)— the most common type of heartburn drug— in any given year, but new research that links them to an increased risk of heart attack has prompted scientists to re-evaluate their safety. 

A study by Stanford University researchers, published Wednesday in the journalPLOS One, linked PPI use to an about 20 percent increased chance of heart attack in patients diagnosed with heartburn. PPIs like omeprazole, sold as Prilosec, are offered over the counter, racking up $14 billion in annual sales worldwide, and are prescribed to more than 20 million Americans each year. They are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also called heartburn or acid reflux.

“The AHA (American Heart Association) estimates a heart attack happens every 34 seconds in America. If we’re estimating this risk is increasing by 20 percent [with PPI use], the public health impact is substantial,” senior study author Nick Leeper, assistant vascular surgery and cardiovascular medicine professor at Stanford University, told FoxNews.com.

Researchers’ findings, drawn from a study group of nearly 3 million American adults, support previous research that suggests that PPIs signal a biochemical reaction that decreases levels of nitric oxide in endothelial cells. Maintaining nitric oxide levels is crucial for dilating blood vessel walls and maintaining cardiovascular health. When nitric oxide levels are low, the chance of adverse cardiovascular events like heart attack is higher.

Their study also suggests that not only people on blood thinners like clopidogrel, sold as Plavix, may be more vulnerable to heart attack with PPI use, but that anyone on the drug and diagnosed with heartburn— regardless of predisposed cardiovascular risk or other medication use— may be at risk.

Lead study author Nigam Shah, assistant professor of medicine and biomedical informatics at Stanford, used a data-mining method to scan electronic health records gathered between 1994 and 2012— consisting of 1.8 million patients seen at Stanford and 1.1 million patients through Practice Fusion Inc., a web-based electronic health record system for clinicians. Among those groups, respectively, researchers identified 70,000 and 227,000 adults diagnosed with heartburn. They compared heart attack rates among those patients who reported using PPIs, either over the counter or by prescription, to patients who didn’t report taking the drugs.

After using a false-positive estimation method similar to one meant to adjust for confounding variables in a traditional study, the data-mining results suggested a 16 to 21 percent increase in the rate of heart attacks among PPI users— a trend that held true even among otherwise healthy participants under age 45.

Stanford researchers further validated their findings by looking at an ongoing progressive, longitudinal genetics study of 1,500 people they are conducting with Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. As part of the study, participants had to record medication usage, including other prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, so researchers were able to identify PPI users. Researchers sought potential links between PPI use and any adverse cardiovascular event, including not only heart attack but also cardiac arrest, stroke and the like. They observed that taking a PPI was associated with a twofold increased risk of any of these events.

Although researchers observed a link between PPI use and a higher heart attack risk in all three data sets, they noted that a larger randomized, blinded study needs to be done to confirm whether that relationship is definitely causal. Study authors’ related research, published April in the online edition of Vascular Medicine, marks the next step in their future analysis. For that pilot study, about half of the 21 adult participants diagnosed with heartburn received a PPI and the other half received a placebo.

“In the Vascular Medicine journal paper, we’re seeing a trend towards worse levels of vascular biomarkers in people on the PPIs,” Leeper said. “All together, we’re painting a picture that this may be associated with risk, and we want to validate that moving forward.”

When those preliminary results are released in August in the print edition of the journal, researchers will present them to pharmaceutical companies and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to seek funding of a larger prospective trial, Shah told FoxNews.com.  

Researchers noted that, in the PLOS One study, while they observed an increased heart attack risk among PPI users, they did not among people who took H2 blockers, the second most commonly prescribed heartburn drug in the United States. Both drugs work to balance acid in the stomach, but while H2 blockers block the histamine receptor, PPIs block the proton pump. PPIs are thought to be more effective at reducing heartburn symptoms, and historically have been thought to have fewer side effects compared to H2 blockers, Leeper said.

“We don’t recommend anyone change their practice— what we’re really recommending at this time is a prospective study,” explained Leeper, who said his team’s findings do suggest patients who are taking PPIs over the counter consult their doctors and evaluate their personal heart attack risk as a precaution.

“This really speaks to the power of big data,” he added, “and this is tangible data that machine learning can be used to identify big risks that haven’t been on anyone’s radar.”