Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

Breaking chain of drug supply: 8, 640 sachets of illicit gin seized in Gicumbi

{A Police operation in Gicumbi District on Sunday seized about 8, 640 sachets of contrabands in different brands in Cyumba Sector.}

The contrabands packed in banned plastic bags included 480 dozen of Zebra Waragi, 144 dozen of Chief Waragi, 96 dozen of Kick Waragi and 32 litres of crude gin commonly known as Kanyanga.

Chief Supt. Dan Ndayambage, the District Police Commanders of Gicumbi said the successful operation was conducted at about 8PM after resident informed officers on patrol in the area.

“When a resident saw people crossing from Uganda through an illegal border and carrying the luggage, he became suspicious and informed officers who were on patrol in the area. When the traffickers saw the patrol, they fled leaving the luggage behind,” said Chief Supt. Ndayambaje.

“There is increased awareness on community policing especially urging the residents to joint efforts to break the supply of contrabands, a crime that is still relatively high in Gicumbi compared to the rest of the country due to its strategic location,” he added.

“Through such sensitization activities in communities, residents have taken an upper hand, reported the dealers, routes used and went an extra mile to form anti-kanyanga clubs. So far, 17 out of 21 sectors of Gicumbi have formed at least one club. These clubs have become an eye and ears of security organs in dealing with the vice,” he explained.

In August last year, illicit drugs worth Rwf17 million were destroyed in Gicumbi. Later in November, other drugs worth Rwf21 million seized in three-month police operations were also destroyed.

Source:Police

February 21, 2017
Only one-third of parents think they are doing a good job helping kids eat healthy foods

{If you know healthy eating is important for your kids but you also feel like it’s easier said than done, you’re not alone.}

Nearly all parents agree with the importance of healthy diets during childhood, according to a new national poll. But when it comes to their own homes, only a third of parents of children ages 4-18 are confident they are doing a good job shaping their child’s eating habits.

While a little more than half of parents polled believe their children eat mostly healthy, only one in six rate their children’s diets as very nutritious, according to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. Meanwhile, about a fourth of parents say their child’s eating is somewhat or not healthy at all.

Common challenges get in the way: Price, picky eaters and convenience.

“Most parents understand that they should provide healthy food for their children, but the reality of work schedules, children’s activities and different food preferences can make meal preparation a hectic and frustrating experience,” says poll co-director Sarah Clark.

“The tension between buying foods children like, and buying foods that are healthy, can be an ongoing struggle. Many of us know the feeling of spending time and money on a healthy meal only to have our children grimace at the sight of it and not take a single bite.”

Most parents polled agree it’s important to promote a healthy diet for their children. Still, one in five don’t think it’s important to limit fast food and junk food in their child’s diet. Another 16 percent believe it is somewhat or not important to limit sugary drinks.

In general, parents of teens were less worried about unhealthy eating habits compared to parents of younger children.

“It can be easy to slip into more convenient habits that seem less stressful and less expensive. But if occasional fast food or junk food becomes the norm, it will be even more difficult to promote healthy habits for kids as they grow up,” Clark says.

“Many convenience foods are high in sugar, fat and calories and overconsumption of fast food can cause childhood obesity and other health problems.”

Another hurdle: The often overwhelming quest to shop healthy. Nearly half of parents polled admit that it is difficult to tell which foods are actually good for them. Phrases such as all-natural, low-fat, organic, and sugar-free are used inconsistently on food labels and packaging and can be confusing for shoppers.

Additionally, about one in four parents say healthy foods are not available where they shop, a challenge which is more prominent among parents with lower education and income levels.

“Most parents want their children to eat as healthy as possible but may need help making that happen,” Clark says. “Some parents need help with shopping, meal preparation, or other household chores so that mealtimes are not so hectic. Others would benefit from easy-to-understand information on how to identify packaged foods that are healthy, ideas on how to make kid-friendly recipes a little healthier, and practical suggestions on convincing picky eaters to try a more balanced diet.”

This report is based on responses from 1,767 parents who had at least one child age 4-18 years.

Source:Science Daily

February 21, 2017
Security is a collective duty, RPC tells Ngororero residents

{The Western Regional Police Commander (RPC), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Emmanuel Karasi has urged residents of Ngororero District to be security agents in identifying and reporting people that could be involved in wrongful acts.}

He noted that ensuring security is equally their responsibility to ensure their social wellbeing as well as facilitating development.

The RPC was speaking on Sunday shortly after a community policing football match between Police officers operating in the region and Morning Sport club of the business community in Ngororero town, which ended 2-all draw.

He appealed to the to work with local leaders to ensure that information flows in real time on anything that can affect their way of exercising their rights and development activities.

“This bond will significantly lead to crime prevention, and where a crime occurs we will be able to identify and arrest the culprits, and recover stolen items,” said ACP Karasi.

He seized the opportunity to appeal to parents to take their children to school and always be close to them against peer pressure which at times influences them to indulge in abusing illicit drugs, which forces them to drop out of school and engage in other criminal activities like theft.

He asked opinion leaders to advise parent against gender and domestic violence.

Present at the occasion was also the mayor of Ngororero, Godfrey Ndayambage, who echoed the same message but tasked grassroots leaders to spearhead the security and development agenda.

Source:Police

February 21, 2017
Prospect for more effective treatment of nerve pain

{Trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by sharp, lancinating pain in the teeth or facial area. The standard treatment for this chronic nerve pain can cause burdening side effects. A novel substance inhibits the pain effectively and is well tolerated, as documented by the initial results of an international study involving the Center of Dental Medicine at the University of Zurich.}

The sharp pain shoots to the face or teeth and seriously torments patients. Known as trigeminal neuralgia, it is one of the worst chronic nerve pains. The bouts are triggered by touch, such as shaving, putting on make-up, showering, talking and tooth brushing, or even a gust of wind. The cause is usually an irritation of the trigeminal nerve, the cranial nerve responsible for the sensory innervation of the facial area, parts of the scalp, and the oral cavity.

However, there is now a glimmer of hope for patients: Thanks to a newly tested substance, the pain can be reduced to a tolerable level, as indicated by the promising results of an international phase II study involving the Center of Dental Medicine at the University of Zurich.

{{Less burdening side effects}}

Pain signals reach the brain via the activation of sodium channels located in the membranes of nerve cells. The sodium channel “1.7” is frequently expressed on pain-conducting nerves and higher pain intensity is linked to higher channel activity. Blocking this sodium channel — e.g. by a local anesthetic — inhibits the pain. In trigeminal neuralgia, the nerve damage is presumed to be at the base of the skull. However, this region is hard to reach by local injections and therefore requires drug treatment.

The novel substance BIIB074 which was tested in this phase II study inhibits the sodium channel 1.7 state-dependent, meaning: The more active this sodium channel gets, the stronger it is blocked by BIIB074. By contrast, currently available medications block the sodium channel 1.7 irrespective of the nerve activity, which commonly results in burdening side effects. “Unlike conventional drugs, which often cause tiredness and concentration problems, BIIB074 was not only effective; but also very well tolerated,” explains Dominik Ettlin, a dental specialist from UZH. “We will now test the new substance in a lot more subjects during the next study phase, which will reveal whether the new hope for more effective pain relief is justified,” he concludes.

{{Trigeminal neuralgia}}

Around 13 people in every 100,000 are diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia every year — that’s around 1,100 throughout Switzerland. Trigeminal neuralgia affects more women than men, the majority of whom are pensioners. Around one percent of all multiple sclerosis patients develop trigeminal neuralgia.

Source:Science Daily

February 21, 2017
Guys ,if she has these 15 qualities ,you should never let her go

{If you are lucky as a man to find a woman you love who has most of the qualities listed below, you should never let her go.}

1. If she’s kind and attentive to your needs as a man, you should never let her go. A woman who cares for you as much as she cares for herself is a keeper.

2. You should never let her go if she’s authentic and doesn’t pretend to be someone else.

3. Every man needs a woman who brings meaning and direction to his life. So if she’s supports your career and goals no matter how unrealistic everyone else thinks they are, you should never let her go.

4. Beauty definitely lies in the eyes of the beholder. If you see her as the most beautiful woman in the world, you should never let her go.

5. We all make mistakes and it’s important as a man to have a woman who is honest enough to tell you when you are wrong. If you find a woman who is honest with you, never let her go.

6. If you have a woman who doesn’t bear grudges but easily forgives, then you should never let her go. Forgiveness is the foundation of every relationship.

7. If you have a woman who motivates you to be a better man, never let her go. You improve yourself as a man when you have a woman who challenges you.

8. If you have a woman who is energetic, lively and fun to be with, never let her go. Sometimes life can become boring and monotonous, so having a woman like this makes life more interesting.

9. If she loves you with all of her heart, you should never let her go. A woman who loves you with all of her heart will genuinely dedicate herself to you. Such a woman is a treasure you should keep for ever.

10. If you have a woman who has a positive outlook about life, then you shouldn’t let her go. Negative people are toxic so you should appreciate your woman for being optimistic.

11. A relationship can only work if both partners are willing to compromise. So if you have a woman who is willing to compromise, then you should never let her go.

12. We can’t have a healthy relationship if we expect to have a perfect partner. Expecting a perfect partner leads to constant criticism. So if you have a woman who accepts your flaws, you should never let her go.

13. You should never let her go if she makes you feel like you’re in the right place by being with her. When you have such a woman who makes you feel that way, you don’t need any other woman in your life.

14. If you have a woman who has her own life and goals and knows exactly what she wants out of life, never leave her. Be with a woman who doesn’t need you but wants you.

15. If you truly love her and she makes you feel like the only man in the world, you should never let her go.

Source:Elcrema

February 21, 2017
Empathy and moral choices: Study limits the role of emotions in moral decisions

{Empathy and emotional awareness do not affect our moral decisions. This is suggested by a new study published on Social Neuroscience and led by SISSA neuroscientist Marilena Aiello. Our choices do not depend on our empathy. The difference, instead, lies in our emotional reactions, more pronounced in more empathic people. In particular if we opt for uncomfortable decisions for a greater good.}

Could you harm another person to save yourself? Could you kill one person to save five? The answer depends neither on our ability to share someone else’s feelings — known as empathy — nor on our lack of emotional awareness — known as alexithymia. Surprisingly, the decision taken will be the same, both for emotional and detached people. The difference lies instead in the emotional reactions to the decision-making process.

“This is the first study to analyse at the same time the role of empathy and alexithymia in moral choices through decision-making rather than judgment tasks, in order to investigate what happens when subjects are directly involved” Marilena Aiello and Cinzia Cecchetto, first author of the study, explain. “Moreover, for the first time we examined the emotional reactions with both explicit and implicit measures, combining participants’ self-reports with two physiological indices: heart rate and skin conductance.”

The study involved forty-one volunteers, whose levels of empathy and alexithymia were assessed through standard questionnaires used by clinicians. Participants had to solve forty-six dilemmas, with either deontological — i.e. based on the principle of not harming others — or utilitarian choices — i.e. based on the achievement of a greater good. During the tasks, researchers monitored heart rate and skin conductance of participants, who, at the end of each dilemma, reported on their emotional state.

To better understand, let’s imagine there is a runaway trolley barrelling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people. The only way to save them is by pulling a lever that will make the trolley switch to a side track, where, however, there is another person. Would you pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track to save five people? The utilitarian choice would be “yes,” the deontological one “no.”

“We expected a high number of deontological choices in individuals with high empathy and a high number of utilitarian choices in people with high alexithymia. Instead we found out that the type of decision depends neither on our empathy nor on our alexithymia” Cinzia Cecchetto comments. “However, both explicit and implicit measures of emotional reactions confirmed what we expected: more emphatic individuals experience higher distress in utilitarian choices. Similar results appeared only through implicit measures in individuals with high levels of alexithymia who, in line with the type of disorder, showed reduced physiological activation during moral decisions, but normal self-report ratings..”

“These are important results, not only because they suggest that moral decisions are more rational than what was previously suggested, but also for the methodological approach” Marilena Aiello concludes.

Source:Science Daily

February 21, 2017
India to open resident mission in Rwanda soon: Ansari

{Seeking to give its diaspora community in Rwanda a greater push, India will open its resident mission in the Rwandan capital ,Kigali a move that will further enhance bilateral ties.}

“We are great friends (India and Rwanda), and Rwanda has a good population of Indian community here…And, we have had a valid complaint of not having a resident mission in Kigali.

So, I must tell you that the government has already taken up the matter and in coming weeks or months, we will have a physical presence of a resident mission here,” Vice President Hamid Ansari today said.

Ansari, who is on a five-day visit to Rwanda and Uganda, was addressing a gathering of Indian community here at a banquet hosted by a diaspora group in his honour.

Rwanda has about 3,000 people from Indian community and Ansari said, they are “very purposeful, very entrenched and very well-doing.”

“Our relationship should grow further by this week end. Our government is working to build ties and give it more content. And, most important segment of that is this community. So, we want to build up and give you a little more support,” he said.

A delegation of FICCI is also here, consisting of both public and private sector representatives, Ansari said.

Sources said, the decision to open the mission has reached advanced stage and a skeletal set up will be ready in few months.

“Both countries have in principle agreed to open the mission here and modalities are being worked out,” the source said.

Ansari also said that RwandAir will soon begin its operations to India.

Source:India Express

February 20, 2017
India vice president in Rwanda on a three-day state visit

{India vice president,Hamid Ansari, has arrived in Rwanda for a three-day working visit. He was received by the Senate president, Bernard Makuza at Kigali International Airport last evening. }

Hamid coming to Rwanda follows President Paul Kagame visit to India when he attended Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January 2017.

Hamid will hold talks with President Kagame, speaker of the parliament, senate and deliver a lecture to students at the University of Rwanda.

He will also visit Gisozi genocide memorial to pay tribute to victims of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi and meet Indians living in Kigali at a luncheon with Rwanda’s Prime Minister.

February 20, 2017
Thai Citizens Making a Hand Printing Flag with Wishes for Peace

{On January 31st 2017, a peace event of making hand printing flag for peace took place at Asawittaya school in Thai, Bangkok. With 1,300 participants of the students, parents, teachers and the citizens of the communities, the peace event was held to boost civic awareness for peace and encourage participation in peace activities of the local communities in Thai. }

The event was held by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) and its supporting group, the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG). The purpose of this event is to spread a culture of peace. The program was started by watching videos introducing the two organizations and the 2nd Commemoration of the WARP Summit. After that, the students performed a dance show with the theme of longing for peace and made a hand printing Thai flag. The event enabled participants to think about being a Thai and the value of motherland for them.

Ms. Aphinita Chaichana who is the President of Namobuddhaya Club and IWPG Peace Ambassador said “This is a great beginning in Thailand. I have been very happy to cooperate with IWPG, IPYG and HWPL. After this event, I am sure that many people in Thailand will know and be interested in the culture of peaceful life. And I will try to make peaceful Thailand and peaceful world step by step.”

Founded in 2012, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) is a non-governmental organization with the goal of achieving world peace and the cessation of war. With over 70 branches in Korea and another 100 branches around the world, HWPL, in conjunction with the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) and the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), is actively working to bring all wars to an end.

To pursue this goal in a practical way, HWPL is taking steps to establish an enforceable law based on the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) proclaimed on 14 March, 2016. In addition, HWPL is operating 194 World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Offices in 104 countries to resolve religious conflicts which takes 80% of all ongoing wars.

Stemming from the malay muslim conflicts caused by historical background and religious differences in the southern part of Thailand is still ongoing up until today. It is expected to see how HWPL that planted the seed of peace in Bangkok will yield results on the settlement of the dispute in that area.

February 20, 2017
Malaysia-North Korea row escalates over Kim Jong-nam

{CCTV footage purportedly showing the deadly assault on Kim Jong-un’s brother by a woman in Malaysia is also released.}

Malaysia has summoned the North Korean ambassador over his accusation that it was conspiring with “hostile forces” as it investigates the murder of leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother.

Malaysia also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang after a spat erupted when North Korean demands to hand over the body of Kim Jong-nam were rejected.

“The ministry emphasised that as the death occurred on Malaysian soil under mysterious circumstances, it is the responsibility of the Malaysian government to conduct an investigation to identify the cause of death,” a foreign ministry statement said after a meeting with the North Korean ambassador.

Ambassador Kang Chol last week accused Malaysia of colluding with “hostile forces” to damage the North, after rival South Korea said Pyongyang had orchestrated the airport attack.

Malaysia views the complaint as “baseless”, the foreign ministry statement said.

“The Malaysian government takes very seriously any unfounded attempt to tarnish its reputation,” it said. “The Malaysian ambassador in Pyongyang has been recalled to Kuala Lumpur for consultations.”

CCTV footage purportedly showing the deadly assault in Malaysia on Kim Jong-nam by a woman – who is believed to have wiped a fast-acting poison on his face – was released on Monday.

Kim Jong-nam died last Monday a short time after the attack in the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where he had been preparing to take a flight to Macau.

Malaysian police have detained four suspects – a Vietnamese woman, an Indonesian woman, a Malaysian man, and North Korean man – and are on the hunt for four other North Koreans who fled the country on the day of the attack.

At least three of four North Korean men wanted in connection with the murder caught a flight from Jakarta, Indonesia to Dubai on the evening of the attack, Indonesian immigration office spokesman Agung Sampurno told Reuters news agency by text message. The details of the fourth suspect were unclear.

The grainy closed-circuit television footage showed from two different angles a woman wearing a white top grab a man’s face from behind with both hands and walk away.

A second woman was also seen walking swiftly away in another direction after the assault, though it was unclear if she had participated in the attack.

The portly, balding, middle-aged man was seen stumbling and wiping his face after the assault, and later clips showed him seeking help from people while gesturing to his face and then being escorted to a clinic.

More footage showed him inside the clinic seeking medical assistance.

The authenticity of the video could not independently be verified, and police officials were not immediately available for comment.

Half-brother of Kim Jong-un assassinated in Malaysia

In a press conference on Sunday, the police said the victim complained to the airport customer service personnel that two women had “wiped his face with a liquid”.

Autopsy results could be released as early as Wednesday, Malaysia’s health minister said on Monday.

“We are talking about the normal period of time to complete most post mortem and give results, so on this basis, yes,” Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam told reporters in response to a question about when results would be released.

North Korean officials have sought to prevent Malaysia from carrying out an autopsy and demanded the body be handed over directly.

South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn told a meeting of South Korea’s National Security Council on Monday it was nearly certain that North Korea was behind the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Kim Jong-nam, 46, who had been living in the Chinese territory of Macau under Beijing’s protection, had spoken out publicly against his family’s dynastic control of the isolated, nuclear-armed nation.

Source:Al Jazeera

February 20, 2017