Latest news with #southAsian
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict LIVE: Ceasefire talks underway in Malaysia, US and China in attendance
Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire talks: Ceasefire talks are underway between Thai and Cambodian leaders in Malaysia amidst international calls for peace as the deadly border clashes between the two south Asian nations entered their fifth day. The talks are taking place in Malaysia's administrative capital, Putrajaya, and are also being attended by the ambassadors of the United States and China, reported news agency Reuters, citing a Malaysian official. US and Malaysia supporting peace efforts: Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday that both US and Malaysia are supporting the peace efforts. Thailand confirmed its participation in the talks, which were arranged by Malaysia in its role as ASEAN chair. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said State Department officials were on the ground in Malaysia to support peace efforts. 'We want this conflict to end as soon as possible,' Rubio said in a statement issued early Monday in Asia.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Why illegal migrants are a bigger crisis for UK than US
Migrants becoming a hot button issue in the US has so engrossed the media space that similar crises in other Western countries, especially the UK, have almost escaped notice read more Britain has to face up to the fact that it is no longer an Empire with millions of acres of land at its disposal; it is a tiny island which is trying desperately to keep its faltering economy above the water. Representational image: REUTERS A photograph of anti-migrant protesters at London's Canary Wharf last week in an inside page of a major British daily this week included a Sikh waving a placard saying 'Stop calling us Far Right. Protect our women & children' and there was at least one other south Asian in the frame. But the overwhelming impression in the British media is that only gangs of white, Far-Right thugs are on the rampage to stop the influx of poor, starving, non-white asylum seekers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That is clearly not the correct picture, as a few candid photos show. It's not only the white nativists who are alarmed at the boatloads of 'asylum seekers' arriving on British shores to increase the burden on already inadequate public services—even as scores of more prosperous Britons flee to escape rising taxes. Britons with businesses struggling to survive or even those living in neighbourhoods where changing demographics have caused huge tensions are worried. Migrants becoming a hot button issue in the US—a country built by successive generations of emigration from Europe and elsewhere—has so engrossed the media space that similar crises in other Western countries, especially the UK, have almost escaped notice. And yet, given that the UK has such a large population of what is largely now third or fourth generation British-Indians, the warning signals should be heeded about rising public apprehensions about migrants. Many of those agitated on both sides of the migration issue are unable to understand that all migrants are not the same; nor are their intentions. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's parents, for instance, did not go to Britain from East Africa to live off welfare and create mini ethnic enclaves. They were hardworking professionals who contributed meaningfully to their adoptive country and assimilated even as they preserved their own cultural best practices. The waves of migrants who have arrived in Britain in the 21st century do not all fall into the Sunaks' category of new arrivals. Many of them have made little effort to support themselves financially and far too many of them have been unable to integrate with or even understand the society they are now part of. And the incomprehension is mutual because the newcomers are not very willing to let the locals into their close-knit social and even religious network. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The result is the latest phase of unrest and demonstrations at hotels in various English counties that have been mandated by the government to house migrants. And the catalyst—several recent violent incidents in the UK allegedly linked to migrants—make President Donald Trump's views on similar happenings in the US seem scarily prophetic. Except that Britain is far smaller and more densely populated than the US and therefore more vulnerable to rising tensions. It is germane to note that the people preemptively described as 'asylum seekers and refugees' arriving in the UK by boats across the English Channel from Europe are mostly Muslim and mostly from the Middle East, from Iran to Syria, though the two largest nationalities right now are Pakistani and Afghan. Ukrainians are another cohort. In 2024, a record 1.8 lakh asylum applications were made in the UK (the highest since 2002) and most of them were permitted to stay. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The trial and sentencing of an 18-year-old Somali-British national to 52 years in jail for killing three girls (aged 6 to 8, each was stabbed over 80 times) revealed that he had been flagged thrice in the five years before his murderous rampage, but investigators did not act on any of the complaints. The same reluctance to follow up cases of Pakistani-British men grooming and sexually exploiting white girls in northern England also showed institutional laxness. That has given rise to very justified fears among the public that their government is not willing to understand the ramifications of years of deference to multiculturalism, and that its institutions are chary of taking action for fear of being pulled up for racism. Protesters also believe if something is not done to regulate the flow of different kinds of migrants—winnowing out freeloaders and allowing in only those who can benefit the UK—there will be hell to pay. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Branding all anti-illegal-migrant protesters as 'Far Right' does not do any cause any favours. The key word is 'illegal' which is often deliberately omitted in reports to further the narrative that opposition to this ingress comes only from one quarter. There is also a big difference between migrants and asylum seekers. Migrants can be qualified professionals moving for career advancement, but the latter almost always implies that the state will have to look after them Lodging migrants, whether families or single men, in hotels situated in small communities pending processing is also an ill-thought measure, as integration there is even more difficult than in big cities. An Ethiopian asylum seeker arrested and charged this month with trying to forcibly kiss a local teenager in one such small community—to which he has registered a plea of not guilty—highlights the inherent danger of summarily accommodating migrants just anywhere. Opting to house asylum seekers in cities also draws flak as can be seen from the uproar over a four-star hotel in London's once glitzy Canary Wharf being kitted out with new mattresses, sanitaryware etc to house migrants. Instances of local police forces escorting 'pro-migrant' activists to places where the 'anti-migrant' camps are protesting—in the name of the democratic right to protest—only make matters worse as they increase the public's suspicion of official bias. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Britain has to face up to the fact that it is no longer an Empire with millions of acres of land at its disposal; it is a tiny island which is trying desperately to keep its faltering economy above the water. It may be flattering that so many refugees still consider the UK to be an attractive destination, but the fact is, there is no land to house them and no public willingness to accommodate them economically, socially or culturally. Seeing it as anything else is self-delusional. The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Int'l genetic study predicts childhood obesity risk using Indian data
Cleared: dk Hyderabad: In a major study, an international team of over 600 scientists from 500 institutions developed a genetic test — polygenic risk score (PRS) — which can predict adult obesity as early as age five. The study analysed data from over five million (50 lakh) individuals worldwide, with significant representation from India. Scientists from city-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) played a key role in characterising the genomes of Indian individuals, including those monitored for diabetes over the long term. The south Asian data shaped PRS, making the findings especially relevant to the Indian context, where obesity-related disorders like diabetes and cardiovascular disease are on the rise. The tool, shown to be twice as effective as previous models, offers the potential for early lifestyle interventions in genetically high-risk children. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad CCMB researchers on Tuesday said that obesity increases the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, poor bone health, reproductive problems, and cancers. Scientists worldwide worked with the largest and most diverse genetic dataset ever assembled, which included genetic data from the GIANT consortium and the consumer DNA testing company 23andMe. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo In a statement, CCMB said: "The PRS discovery could help identify children and adolescents already at higher genetic risk of developing obesity, who could benefit from targeted preventative strategies such as lifestyle interventions at a younger age. Additionally, this score is twice as effective as the previous best test at predicting a person's risk of developing obesity." "What makes the score so powerful is its ability to predict, around the age of five, whether a child is likely to develop obesity in adulthood — well before other risk factors start to shape their weight later in childhood. Intervening at this point can have a huge impact," University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) assistant professor Roelof Smit, who is the lead author of the research published in the journal 'Nature Medicine', said. Indian Representation in the Study The pattern of obesity in India differs notably from that in Europe, with Indians tending to have more central (abdominal) obesity. Earlier studies by Dr Giriraj Ratan Chandak at CCMB showed that the genetic basis of non-communicable diseases varies significantly between Indians and Europeans. In the latest study, researchers at CCMB, led by Dr Chandak, characterised the genomes of the Indian population, including individuals with diabetes as well as those with normal blood glucose levels. These individuals were followed for nearly 20 years, providing a unique opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of obesity in Indians. Several obesity-associated genetic changes were identified and used to develop PRS for Indians, effectively creating a "virtual individual" to model obesity risk. The Indian data served as a representative subset for the South Asian population in the global study, making the findings more applicable to India and neighbouring countries. The researchers also examined the link between a person's genetic risk of obesity and the effectiveness of lifestyle-based weight-loss interventions, such as diet and exercise. They found that individuals with a higher genetic risk of obesity responded better to interventions — but also tended to regain weight more quickly once those interventions ended. The study further highlights the role of population ancestry in predicting obesity risk. Despite using a globally representative dataset, PRS performed more accurately in individuals of European ancestry than in those of other ancestries, including South Asians. Many gene variants associated with obesity in Europeans do not have the same effect in Indians, reflecting the unique pattern of obesity observed in the Indian population. "The observations made in this study are consistent with our earlier findings," Dr Chandak noted.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A potted history of fermented foods – from pickles to kimchi
Are you a pro at pickling? How about baking sourdough bread or brewing your own kombucha? If the answer is yes, you've probably picked up on one of the recent trends promoting fermented foods, which promise to boost your gut health and save both you and the planet from the scourge of food waste. For the uninitiated, fermented foods include anything that uses bacteria to break down organic matter into a new product. Look around an ordinary kitchen and you'll almost certainly find something fermented: yoghurt (milk), beer and wine (grain/fruit) or vinegar (alcohol). Not all of these will give you the promised health boost, however, which comes from 'live' ferments containing probiotic microbes, usually lactic acid bacteria. In alcohol and vinegar the fermenting bacteria die during the process. The health benefits of fermented foods are widely promoted. Some advocates, like epidemiologist Tim Spector, suggest the gut microbiome is the key to our health, while others are more cautious: in essence, although kefir is certainly good for your gut, it isn't a cure-all. Still, the research is ongoing and diversifying: one study has even suggested that probiotics could fight the less pleasant recent phenomenon of microplastics in our stomachs. The future of fermented foods is definitely something to keep an eye on, but equally interesting is their long past and the different fermented food fashions we see over time. Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here. People have been fermenting food since before the written word. Thanks to archaeological discoveries, we know that 13,000 years ago ancient Natufian culture in the Levant was fermenting grain into beer and that around the globe in Jiahu, Northern China, 9,000 years ago, a mixture of rice, honey and fruit was fermented to make early 'wines'. In fact, most cultures have at some point in their history fermented plants into alcohol, from agave pulque in Mesoamerica to gum-tree way-a-linah in Australia. As to preserving food, archaeologists have found that nearly 10,000 years ago fish was fermented by the Mesolithic inhabitants of Sweden. Today nam pla (fish sauce made from fermented anchovies) is very popular, but fermented fish sauces were a major commodity in the ancient world, including the garum of the Romans. This was made from the blood and guts of mackerel, salt-fermented for two months. Although it might not sound very appealing, garum was an expensive condiment for the Roman nobility and was shipped all the way from Spain to Britain. Garum eventually lost its popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages, but fermented fish made a comeback in the 18th century. In Asia fish sauces had continued strong, and colonialism brought the south Asian fish sauce kê-chiap to Europe, alongside soy sauce (fermented soybeans). Salt-fermenting oysters and anchovies in this style became popular in England and North America, and people eventually branched out to preserving tomatoes – giving us modern ketchup. Cabbage cultures No discussion of fermentation would be complete without pickled vegetables. Today, the most talked-about fermented vegetable is the cabbage, in the form of kimchi and sauerkraut, thanks to its strong probiotic and vitamin C content. The historical origins of these dishes are unclear. Online articles might tell you that pickled cabbage was first eaten by the builders of the Great Wall of China 2,000 years ago and brought to Europe in Genghis Khan's saddlebags. These kinds of apocryphal stories should be taken with more than a grain of salt. So should the apparent connection to Roman author Pliny the Elder, who made no mention of 'salt cabbage' anywhere in his works. While the Greeks and Romans loved cabbage and considered it a cure for many illnesses, they almost always boiled it, which would kill the lactobacillus. Still, as Jan Davison, author of Pickles: A Global History, writes, literary evidence suggests that salt pickling in general does have a long precedence. Pickled gourds were eaten in Zhou dynasty China around 3,000 years ago. It's hard to say when sauerkraut became a common dish, but the term was in use by the 16th century and was associated with Germany by the 17th. As to Korean kimchi, research suggests this style of preservation was practised by the 13th century, only using turnips rather than cabbage. The popularity of radish and cabbage kimchi only came about in the 16th century, alongside the use of chilli peppers. Now an iconic aspect of this bright-red dish, peppers were not part of 'Old World' diets before the Columbian exchange. History reveals our long relationship with fermented food. Our pickling ancestors were more interested in food preservation than in their bacterial microbiome – a very modern concept. Looking to past practices might even help us innovate fermentation technologies, as recent research from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels shows. I'm not sure about bringing back fermented fish guts, but more pickled turnips doesn't sound half bad. This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from The Conversation UK may earn a commission. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Serin Quinn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
UPI
15-07-2025
- Business
- UPI
Trump says 19% tariff deal reached with Indonesia
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C. "We will pay no tariffs," he said on a possible tariff deal with Indonesia. "So they are giving us access into Indonesia, which we never had." Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo July 15 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a trade deal with Indonesia was reached to set 19% tariffs on its U.S. exports. But it was not immediately clear if Indonesian officials had approved the deal's terms. "We will pay no tariffs," the president said to the press outside the White House. "So they are giving us access into Indonesia, which we never had." Trump said that's "probably" the biggest part of the preliminary deal and the other that Indonesia will pay a 19% duty. He claimed later in a social media post that Indonesia, as part of the deal, reportedly "committed to purchasing $15 Billion Dollars in U.S. Energy, $4.5 Billion Dollars in American Agricultural Products, and 50 Boeing Jets, many of them 777's." America's 2024 trade deficit with Jakarta ran more than $17 billion. Oilseeds, grain along with oil and gas were the top U.S. exports to Indonesia. A 19% tariff rate would stand in contrast to his initial threat of 32% on imported goods. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, Indonesia is one of the top 25 U.S. trading partners with over $38 billion exchanged in goods last year. On Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested in a television interview that the south Asian nation may drop its U.S. tariffs as as facet to the new deal. "No tariffs there. They pay tariffs here," he said. Trump added in a Truth Social post that the agreement arrived as a direct deal with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto. "I spoke to their really great president, very popular, very strong, smart, and we made the deal," he said in Washington later on Tuesday. Indonesia is the world's third biggest copper exporter. Trump on his way to Pittsburg in the day stated that Indonesia "has some great products," saying that "one of the things, as you know, they're known for is very high-quality copper, which we will be using." But it was also unclear if this new trade deal will give an exception to Trump's looming 50% global tariff on metal set to begin in August. Meanwhile, June's Consumer Price Index released Tuesday showed that annual inflation grew to around 2.7%, which has put a damper on Trump's plan to drive down borrowing costs. This week in Washington President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One on Tuesday. Trump will announce $70 billion in artificial intelligence and energy investments in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, the latest push from the White House to speed up development of the emerging technology. Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo
