Manning to know fate by next week

Bradley Manning will know his sentence in the coming days after his sentence hearing commenced today Wednesday. Some laws experts have alluded that the 20 charges he is convicted of may earn him close to 136 years. Manning was yesterday not found guilty of aiding the enemy but pleaded guilty to 20 other charges including larceny and espionage.

the 25 year old was convicted of stealing classified information totaling 700 files among which were diplomatic cables, southern command and Afghanistan records. He is said to have leaked the information to Wikileaks which has never accepted or rejected that he was their source. The military also accused him of jeopardizing Americans, asserting that similar content had been recovered from Osama bin Laden's compound.

Prosecution however, failed to prove that Manning intended to serve al Qaeda the material and therefore the juror said he did not aid the enemy. In defense manning said he just wanted to inform the public what the US government was doing.

Mr. Assange backed him while talking to the media on Tuesday lambasting the convictions on the 20 counts saying “it was a dangerous precedent and an example of national security extremism." Assange implied that it would encourage cover-ups. Assange joined civil rights organizations that also condemned the convictions and eulogized Manning calling him a hero of free speech

  

Each of the convicted charges carries a maximum sentence of 10 years each in Jail. However, the Judge has the discretion to lighten or tighten the sentence for him.  There is even a possibility of him serving all time concurrently giving him to serve a total of 10 years.  

The former intelligence operative has already been incarcerated for three years.

Manning was convicted of stealing classified information and videos -- more than 700 U.S. Southern Command records, records pertaining to Afghanistan, State Department cables and classified Army documents.

Then he leaked them for publication on the Internet.

Authorities say he delivered three-quarters of a million pages of classified documents to the secret-sharing site WikiLeaks, which has never confirmed the soldier was the source of its information

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Heat wave devastates china's provinces-Hangzhou city is hottest city in China

At least 10 people have been confirmed dead from heatstroke in Shanghai city, as china continues to experience a scotching heat wave, reports say. The elderly, children are the most hit categories of people. In china the youth tend to travel to cities leaving their elderly parents in villages with no help. the government recently passed a law forcing the children to visit and care for their parents.

Nine provinces have been severely affected leading to a national heat alert. The Chinese authority declared the provinces which include; Anhui, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei and Shanghai. All the nine have had their temperatures sustained above 35⁰C in the month of July.

According to Shanghai’s chief service officer Mr Wu Rui, It is in July of this year that Shanghai city reached 40.6 degrees Celsius the highest temperature ever in its records. The heat is too much that plants have started wilting, soil cracking and leaves falling off trees.  

The public have been urged to take protective measures and avoid open-air activities.

There are other affected cities with Hangzhou city being China’s most sizzling city. The city recorded more than 400C for 6 consecutive days which is believed to be the hottest time ever recorded since the 50s when they started recording temperature.  Many people have been seen carrying umbrellas to shield them from direct heat from the sun. Also many abandon their houses during day to seek shelter from the cave by the mountain where it is 220C. Other places with air conditioners like libraries are getting more visitors. Reports from Hangzhou Library indicate that on Sunday it surpassed 2000 visitors, a number which is thrice their average number of visitors.  Although Hangzhou swanks of being heaven on earth due to their beautiful sceneries reports indicate that the number of tourists has significantly reduced.

According to most people it is impossible to for one leave in their house without air conditioners.

The authorities are now considering inducing artificial rain to cool the hot weather.

Meanwhile the heat wave which struck south Eastern Europe has also continued to for some time. The sternly affected countries are Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria and form the nucleus of the heat. Temperatures in the affected areas have ranged between 10-20 degrees higher than normal.

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Zimbwabe general election: I will leave if I lose says Mugabe

Zimbabweans cast their votes today Wednesday in Presidential, parliamentary and locals government elections as President Robert Mugabe battles with his Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.  The 89, has been in power for close to 34 years and seeks to extend his ZANU FP party dominance to 38 years in Zimbabwean politics.

The oldest president in Africa, Dr. Robert Matibire Karigamombe Mugabe in a rare twist has this time said he will relinquish power if he loses. He blamed the current economic crisis in Zimbabwe on the sanctions imposed on his government by western powers. Mugabe derided the West saying: "Keep your pink nose out of our affairs, please,” In the 2008 elections violence broke out after opposition leaders accused Mugabe of rigging the elections and he was later coerced to form a power-sharing government with Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change.

Voting started at 06:00 am and news reaching us indicates that people are cued up in long lines waiting to cast their ballots. Armed forces including the army and police voted early in a bid to beef-up security on the general day of elections. About 6.4 million Zimbabweans are eligible to vote according to ZEC.

The opposition has already indicated their mistrust for the electoral commission (ZEC) alleging that they are Mugabes allies ready to help him rig the elections.  Tsvangirai said: "There is clear evidence of manipulation," in poll preparations. He claimed ballot papers cast in his favor during early voting were discovered tossed in a bin. Tsvangirai also lambasted the ZEC saying that they had deliberately refused to display the final voter register having the actual number of voters. This he said would make it impossible for them to know the actual number of voters and also any tracking malpractices.

Rights groups have also accused the government of daunting and battering opposition supporters. The election comes after the referendum and the constitutional amendments that restored the presidential term limits. In this arrangement Mugabe is allowed to rule till when he is 99 at least theoretically.

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Spain train crash-The phone caused it all

It has emerged that the embattled driver of the Spanish train which derailed near Santiago de Compestela in northwestern Spain last week, killing 80 passenger pilgrims was on talking on phone, information from data recorders suggest. On Tuesday the Spanish court hearing the train crash case has announced that the 52 old was receiving instructions from his bosses while driving at double the recommended speed when the tragedy occurred. The train derailed when negotiating a curve between Madrid and Ferrol. It is said many of the passengers were pilgrims who had travelled to attend the St James festival.

The court said that Mr. Garzon received a call from one of Renfe staff members giving him instructions as he neared the bend. The statement further added that there was background noise which indicates that he was shuffling papers. According to Renfe spokeswoman, in their company both the command and control posts may exchange a few words with drivers at any time during a journey. She added that when the official phones are not working well the drivers are obliged to use their cell-phones. The revelation by the spokeswoman had left many flabbergasted especially in countries where it is illegal to talk on phone while driving.

Experts say the driver should have started applying brakes 2 to 3 miles before the curve. However reports indicate that he started braking minutes before the crash and that he was still on phone when the cabins left the tracks.

Mr. Francisco Jose Garzon, who survived with minor injuries was taken for questioning and later charged with 79 homicide related counts early this week were he admitted his recklessness. His travel documents together with his driving license have since been confiscated and he was ordered not to drive any sort of vehicle for six months.

Meanwhile on Monday a large memorial mass was held in remembrance of the victims at a Catholic cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Spain government officials and the royal family attended. Among the dead were 63 Spanish and others from Europe, US and Latin America United States.

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Swiss train head-on collision leaves one dead and dozens injured

Two passenger trains collided head on the evening of Monday in western Switzerland leaving several nursing wounds reports from officials say. The crash happened at 06:45 p.m. about 8 km south of Payerne in western Switzerland. One died on spot and at least 41 people were injured from with five critical cases. Information on which train suffered more causalities and exact figures about the number of passengers and the respective crews are not known. The cause of the accident is yet to be established. Schaerli said that the authorities did not have any information concerning the cause of the accident. He added that the two trains were on a road between payerne and Lausanne city when the incident happened. The train heads merged becoming inseparable and causing some occupants to be recovered from that which was not carrying them according to emergency workers.  Meanwhile one of the drivers of the collided trains went missing until when he was recovered from the wreckage according to police. An autopsy has been ordered to identify the identity of the fallen driver.  Search crews are busy trying to force open the trains wrecked cab in a bid to find his way about. Traffic has been halted on the affected route until at least mid night said Schaerli.

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Pope okays homosexual orientation

Pope Francis told reporters after flying back to Vatican that the Roman Catholic Church condemns homosexuality but not homosexual orientation. The pontiff was reacting t questions raised by curious reporters who sought the stand of the Catholic Church on some contentious issues. He asked, "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who I to judge him am?"

He also reaffirmed that he wanted women to have a greater role Church, but ruled out their role as priests.

The Pope was from his first foreign trip where he spent a week touring Brazil.  He crowned the journey with a colossal gathering on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro for the World Catholic Youth festival where close to 3 million people were in attendance.

The pope’s soft remarks on gay people sharply contrast those of his predecessor Pope emeritus Benedict the XVI. To some they are seen as much more conciliatory than harsh. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI issued a document in which he categorically stated that men with entrenched homosexual propensities should never be priests.

Pope Francis on the contrary says priests with gay tendencies should be forgiven and their iniquities forgotten.

Reacting on the controversial issues:

The pope while he referred to the said, “Pope Francis said in a wide-ranging 80-minute long interview with Vatican journalists.

The pope while talking to journalists in an interview lasting for 80 minutes said the Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear. "It says they should not be marginalized because of this but that they must be integrated into society." He quoted

The pope however, condemned what he referred to as lobbying by gay people.

He said "The problem is not having this orientation,". "We must be brothers. The problem is lobbying by this orientation, or lobbies of greedy people, political lobbies, Masonic lobbies, so many lobbies. This is the worse problem."

Concerning women role in church, he said: "We cannot limit the role of women in the Church to altar girls or the president of a charity, there must be more.

"But with regards to the ordination of women, the Church has spoken and says no... That door is closed."

About the Vatican bank, he said the institution has to become "honest and transparent". He further said: "I don't know what will become of the bank. Some say it is better that is a bank, others that it should be a charitable fund and others say close it," he said.

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Morsi supporters defiant

The National Defense Council, warned on Sunday of what they called "firm and decisive" action against protesters who go on rampage. The council warned demonstrators of serious consequences if they went near any military installations. Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim the interior minister, has also repeatedly echoed his warning that the brotherhood would be dispersed "soon".  

Protesters have however, defied council’s order and moved towards the military installations, airport road and the interior minister's home. The state of Egypt is in calamity after continued riots and clashes since the removal of President Mohammed Morsi. The Muslim Brotherhood has called on their supporters to storm the city in sit in strikes opposing the manner in which their leader was deposed.

Morsi was ousted by the military on 3 July and his administration replaced by an interim government after large demonstrations against his rule.

Brotherhood supporters say they staged three marches on Monday morning. One is said to have targeted the headquarters of military intelligence. So far there are no reports of confrontation of military intervention.

Unconfirmed reports say the demonstrators marched around the installation for close to 15 minutes before retreat. Morsi supporters say they are planning a mega demonstration on Tuesday dubbed a "million-man march". Morsi supporters, have turned the mosque the central point of their escalating protests.

Several killings have happened with Saturday’s being the most recent ones. More than 70 people are said to have been killed in clashes with the security forces on Saturday.  There were more clashes elsewhere on Sunday, with two people killed in cities north of Cairo - Kafr el-Zayat and Port Said.

On Saturday, Mena state news agency reported that 10 Islamists were killed by the army in the Sinai Peninsula. In a related development, gunmen on Sunday night attacked and killed one soldier in the same region.

Several people have condemned the recent killings with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar mosque calling for an investigation. The vice-president of the interim government, Mohamed ElBaradei, admitted that military used excessive force.

John Kelly, US Secretary of State also condemned the killings calling on the authority in Egypt to "respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression".

Meanwhile, as more foreign pressure builds on Egypt, Catherine Ashton EU foreign policy Chief is said to be in Cairo. She is to meet leaders of Muslim Brotherhood, the head of the Egyptian armed forces, and interim President Adly Mansour.

She said in a statement that she would advocate for a "fully inclusive transition process, taking in all political groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood".

There is doubt whether the brotherhood will agree with the proposal as they continue to push for Morsi’s re-instating to office. They insist Morsi was unlawfully ousted and have since rejected the interim government.

Mr Morsi who has been detained in unknown location since 3 July, has now been formally remanded in jail, according to a court order. Him together with other senior brotherhood members have been accused of the 2001 jailbreak and "premeditated murder of some prisoners, officers and soldiers" in which he and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders were set free. They are jointly charged with Hamas and Hezbollah militants for the killings.

However, many have questioned the spirit of the charges saying that they could be politically motivated. Hamas have since denied any involvement in the attack. 

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Large funeral to be held for Spain train victims

remains of the train

A large funeral service will be held in the city of Santiago de Compostela near the site of the train crash. Several dignitaries will attend including the Prime minster Marian Rajoy and members of the royal family. Three days of national mourning were declared after the crash and the funeral service will be the climax of the period.
Several other services are expected in the US and Canada which had their folks on board.

The accident left 80 people dead and several injured. The 70 injured are still admitted in hospitals with 22 in critical condition. The tragedy shocked many and led to cancellation of the St James festivities.

Meanwhile the embattled driver if the train that crashed, Francisco Jose Garzon Amo was released from detention on Sunday. He was charged with several homicide charges. The driver sustained minor injuries and was since arrested and questioned by both Police and the judge responsible.

Driver questioned

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, aged 52, was presented in court handcuffed on Sunday morning. He was quizzed behind closed doors for close to two hours by Judge Luis Alaez.

Train driver dragged by Police cops

A court statement released indicated that, he had been released pending further investigations but must report in court weekly. He is also not allowed to leave Spain without permission the statement added.

He surrendered both his passport has and his driving permit momentarily revoked.

Officials had earlier indicated that the Spanish driver had admitted negligence by being careless when rounding a curve too fast. It has also been suggested the train was travelling at 190 km/h as he rounded the bend, a speed that was more than double the limit.

All the cabins went off the track in one of the worst train accidents in Spain.

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Testicular cancer under control in UK and US

According to figures released by charity Cancer Research UK, survival rates of men having testicular cancer was at 96% a 28% increase from the 70s to 2009.  

The organization is now directing attention to the remaining 4% according to sources. The significant reduction in the mortality rates could be explained by changes in treatment and awareness of testicular cancer according to experts. The 4% either report the disease late or present vary malignant cancer type.

The chief executive of Cancer Research UK, Dr Harpal Kumar believes that this is a clear success story in cancer research which she attributes to the drug cisplatin.  Dr Harpal says "This is helping almost all men with testicular cancer to beat the disease and is a shining example of what we can achieve through dedicated research. The treatment for testicular cancer is so effective that only 1 in 5000 cases fail.

"For some types of cancer, the word 'cure' is almost a reality - 96% of men with testicular cancer are now cured. But it's important we recognize the four per cent who aren't surviving the disease, as well as the fact that we still need treatments to be kinder to patients in the future."

In the UK each year around 2,300 people are diagnosed with the cancer while in the US 7,920 new cases are diagnosed. Testicular cancer is however, uncommon with only 1 in 270 chances of a man developing the disease. The disease mainly presents with a swelling on the testicle.

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Pope closed week-long world youth celebrations in Brazil

Pope Francis has closed the Catholic world youth celebrations on Copacabana beach in Brazil, with a call for faithful to get out of church and serve. The pontiff made his first foreign trip since becoming pope, amid reports of dwindling numbers of professed Catholics in Brazil from 90 to 65%.

More than 3 million people are estimated to have participated physically for the service on Copacabana beach in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The festivities were earlier shifted to the beach due to muddy conditions in the organized areas.

Several pilgrims are said to have slept on the beach after attending an all-night vigil, also led by the pope. Sunday was the end of the pontiff’s five-working day visit to Brazil.

Most of the people in attendance were youth who came from different parts of the globe to celebrate and see their leader. Both the vigil and the last Sunday mass attracted the biggest crowd ever of its kind in the Catholic history and to Copacabana beach.  The occasion saw rock concerts, New year celebrations and several sports events.

Pope Francis tasked young Catholics to get out of their limited boundaries in to reach out to others. In his words the pontiff said “Go and don't be afraid of serving”.

“Jesus did not gather the Apostles so they lived in isolation. He called them so they formed a group, a community," he added.

At the same occasion the pope announced that the next Catholic youth celebration would be held in Poland at Krakow in 2016. The date coincides with the 10^th anniversary for Pope John Paul the II

The pope flew back to the holy city on Sunday.

Demonstration

Meanwhile female activists demonstrated nearby in support of abortion and their human rights, they particularly wore T-shirts portraying the message. The pope did not directly talk about the scandals in the Catholic Church but rather talked about inefficiency leaving many unsatisfied. Also many think the pontiff has not boldly attacked the problems in the church since he has changed any of the accused priests.

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Scores die in bus accident in Italy

A bus carrying pilgrims hit several cars before going off a bridge and smashing and toppling down about 100 feet a slope in Campania region near the town of Avellino in Italy.  The coach was carrying pilgrims back to Napel from a catholic shrine the Padre Pio shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, over the weekend when the tragedy happened. Reports indicate that several people have died while at least 12 people have been hospitalized with serious injuries. The driver of the bus is said to be among the dead as the cause of the accident remains unclear. Italian officials have said that children were among the dead.

Although there conflicting reports concerning the actual number of deaths, our sources have told us that 37 seven bodies have been recovered from the wreckage according to Pasquale Picone, a police official in Avellino. “However, more bodies could be found in the wreckage”, Picone said. The actual number of pilgrims who were in the bus is not known though some reports have suggested that they ranged from 40 to 50.

Photos and Tv footage showed a severely damaged bus laying on one side surrounded by dead bodies which were being covered in white sheets.

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2011 Jailbreak Charges labeled against Morsi

A judicial statement on Morsi’s detention has been formerly released following over a month since he was ousted from power. The former president is accused of having connived with Hamas militants, the Palestinian Army and Hezbollah to launch attacks on the country’s prison in 2011 freeing prisoners including Brotherhood leaders like him. Together with other Muslim brotherhood members they are accused of premeditated killing of police officers, soldiers and prisoners.

The order issued on early morning on Friday is the first official communication on Mr Morsi's judicial status since he was removed from power. Morsi has been ordered jailed for an initial 15 days.  The Islamist has been kept at an undisclosed location since his removal through bloodless military coup on 3rd July. Egypt’s military overthrew the country’s first ever fairly and democratically elected civilian president after days of mass demonstrations.  

The claims have been rubbished by the the Muslim Brotherhood described them as laughable. They added that what is shown makes the return of the old regime.

Ther is no statement from the co-accused parties regarding the judiciary’s claims that Morsi and his Muslim brotherhood colluded with foreign elements to break jails and release prisoners.

Mr Morsi's supporters are holding a mass rally in Cairo to show their dissatisfaction with the manner in which their beloved was removed and to demand his re-instating.  A counter demonstration is expected as this week, the head of the military Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, called for parallel mass demonstrations Friday to support the country's armed forces. He particularly called brotherhood's opponents to turn out to support the new government and protest what he called terrorism.

Following the bloodless coup, prosecution opened an investigation into allegations that Morsi and senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders fomented violence. However, the labeled charges disclosed on Friday are investigation into the jailbreak from Wadi-Natroun prison in the days after Egypt's 2011 revolution was initiated two weeks ago. It is alleged that during the incident, 19 Brotherhood members escaped from the prison, including Morsi.

Ever since the coup, several Muslim Brotherhood leaders have been arrested including eight leading Freedom and Justice Party icons.  Muslim brotherhood spokesman said that the arrests were politically motivated and unlawful.

Meanwhile UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon has called for the unconditional immediate release of Morsi and other apprehended leaders or that their cases be expedited transparently delay.

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More than 50 suspected Mafias arrested in Italy

The Italian police launched an operation to root out mafias near in Ostia a costal suburb near Rome and in the Southern Calabria region which are hotspots for mafia crime. Backed by a helicopter, dog units and patrol boats about 500 police officers mounted the search.

Three organized crime clans are being targeted which include; Fasciani, Triassi and D'Agati clans. The trio are said to be dominating organized crime for years. The activities of the three Mafiosi clans have been monitored for several months even as they plotted to carry out their fatal attacks.  

The operation has been described by Corriere della Sera as a deadly blow delivered to the cartel. Police had been able to monitor the mafiosi not only as they met to settle disputes and divide up territory, but also as they planned murders, Italian media report.

Politicians and professionals investigated

Meanwhile the operation in the south as seen up to 65 professionals arrested. Among the arrested are doctors and lawyers in the township of Lamezia Terme according to reports.

Members of  PdL party have been linked to the notorious cartels. Former Senator Piero Aiello and Gianpaolo Bevilacqua a former provincial councillor for the PdL, are also under investigation. They are said to be under investigation due to allegations linking him to the cabals.

According to police, the operation has led to seizure of 200m euros worth of assets from five businessmen, suspected of funding the Giampa clan of the Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta crime network.

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Spain is in mourning over the death of 80 people killed in a high-speed train crash on Wednesday.

Spain has declared three days of national mourning over the tragic train accident which claimed up to 80 people near Santiago de Compostela station at 08:41 p.m. local time (18:41 GMT) on Wednesday. The accident is said to be one of its worst ever rail disasters. At least 130 people were taken to hospital after the accident, and 95 are still being treated, health officials say.

Reports say the tragedy involved many nationalities including Americans and British and at least one American was confirmed dead. The train is said to have been carrying some pilgrims who were to attend the st. James memorial.

Footage has been released showing the moment the train derailed as it entered a bend in northwestern Spain on Wednesday. The train was carrying 218 passengers when the tragedy occurred. More than 90 passengers remain in hospital, including at least 30 in critical condition.

The Spanish government is looking at all possible causes of the accident. However, in a radio broadcast, the Secretary of State for Transport, Rafael Catala, has said “early indications suggested the train had been going too fast”.

The train's black box has so far been recovered and is now with the judge in charge of the investigation.

Driver quizzed

Meanwhile the train driver (Francisco Jose Garzon Amo), who sustained minor injuries, has been interrogated and told police the train was too fast when it entered the bend too fast. Francisco Jose Garzon Amo is currently admitted with minor injuries under the watchful eye of the guard in hospital.

Earlier reports from eye witnesses indicated that the train was travelling at more than double the speed limit at the time of the crash.

The spokes person for the railway said “The driver has worked for the company for the last 30 years, a spokesman for the railway”.  In 2000, the driver started working as a train driver assistant, and in 2003 began working as a train driver, a job the driver has held since.

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Pope opens Catholic World Youth Day in “Favela”

Pope Francis driving around Copacabana

Pope Francis has officiated the opening of the greeting ceremony for Catholic World Youth Day in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on his fourth day tour.

The pontiff who arrived by chopper, was driven in a Popemobile along the beach making several stopovers to greet the jubilant crowds. Pilgrims traveled from far and from neighboring countries to have the blessings from the head of the Catholic Church following his program to have the celebrations near a slum town also known as favela in Brazilian terms. The pope waved and greeted his followers who lined the streets in waiting to have a glimpse of him.

The Spartan pope chose to visit the favela in order to identify with the common people especially the poor. Over 1 m youth pilgrims were said to have attended the event. The jubilant pilgrims who talked to reporters expressed their joy and trust in the pope who is seen as a leader to revive the church.

“I came from Argentina to see my former archbishop” said one of the faithful. Clad in rain coats and some carrying umbrellas, many enthusiastic youth were seen expressing their joy.

The pope first addressed his fellow countrymen from Argentina before travelling to Copacabana. While addressing Argentine faithful in Rio’s cathedral, the pope told pilgrims to take to the streets and "stir things up".

"I expect a messy World Youth Day. But I want things messy and stirred up in the congregations; I want you to take to the streets. I want the Church to take to the streets," said the pope. The pope’s message comes at a time when the Catholic Church is strategizing to revamp its message to include the emphasis of salvation on earth.

Earlier before the meeting with Argentines, Pope Francis blessed the new altar at a local church and greeted locals with a kiss who lined Varginha streets.

After his arrival at Copacabana, Pope Francis left his Popemobile and strolled on the street, making several stopovers to bless children with a kiss on the forehead. The catholic head also blessed bottles of water for his followers.

Pope Francis blessing babies

The pope addressed the multitudes from a podium on a muddy pitch amid loud cheers. Starting to address the congregation the pontiff cracked a joke saying "I've always heard that Cariocas did not like the cold or the rain. But you are showing your faith is stronger. Well done!”

He said that no "pacification effort" would last if society ignored the poor and abandoned them. He also appealed to the rich and the authorities to fight the economic divide between the rich and poor.

Security was beefed up in Manguinhos favela, one of the many hillside slums surrounding Rio de Janeiro. Several armed personnel were seen on high alert both in and around Varginha, a recently "pacified" slum-town. The slum was previously referred to as the Gaza Strip because of drug violence.

Favela

Prior to his arrival the police with the help of the military mounted a series of operations in some of the more anarchic favelas such as Varginha to check on criminal gangs and drug dealers said to control colossal chunks of these communities.

Brazil has one of the largest slums favelas in the world, where the poor live. Official statistics show that, more than 20% of the population of Rio lives in favelas. The conditions are so bad with people living in abject poverty. Favelas are also characterized by high crime rate, filthy conditions and drug use.

Meanwhile, terrible weather due to unrelenting rain has forced this weekend's events to be moved from a wet farm on the suburb of Rio to Copacabana according to authorities.  The western outskirts of the Rio had been prepared for Saturday's vigil and Sunday's Mass. Over 2 m people are expected to attend.

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Pope appeals to Latin America not to legalize drug

The pontiff on his third day in Brazil has appealed to Latinos not to adopt plans geared at legalizing the use of illegal drugs. Pope Francis has said that during the inauguration of a clinic for drug addicts in Rio de Janeiro.

“The roots of drug abuse should be tackled”, he said.

The popes’ appeal comes ahead of Uruguay’s adoption of the legal sale of marijuana, with other countries thinking similar liberalization.

Earlier the pontiff sung the first Mass of his trip Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, where he warned tens of thousands of faithful against the ephemeral idols of money, power and pleasure. 12,000 people were estimated to have been in attendance in the basilica while close to 200,000 were outside watching the service on big screens, our correspondent adds.

After his Mass, the Pope appeared on a balcony to greet the crowds.

After the Mass, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, the pope was flown back to Rio de Janeiro where he officiated the inauguration of a drug rehabilitation clinic at the Sao Francisco hospital. He greeted and hugged former addicts and heard their stories.

The holy sea head of state said "It is necessary to tackle the problems which are at the root of drug abuse, promoting more justice, educating the youth with the values that live in society, standing by those who face hardship and giving them hope for the future”.

It is at this juncture that the pope warned against plans to legalise drugs in Latin America and condemned drug-traffickers in strongest terms referring to them as dealers of death.

"How many dealers of death there are that follow the logic of power and money at any cost! The scourge of drug-trafficking, which favours violence and sows the seeds of suffering and death, requires of society as a whole an act of courage," the vicarius filli die said.

In recent times, leaders in Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and others have spoken for softer stances on drugs policy. In Uruguay, a project decriminalizing marijuana sale is in the last stages of being voted in Congress next week.

Meanwhile the pontiff's visit is taking place under very tight security, after weeks of anti-government protests. Also a homemade explosive device was discovered at the of Our Lady of Aparecida shrine on Sunday. Authorities said it was "of low power" and not near the area where the Pope and pilgrims will visit.

The Vatican later down played the discovery saying that it was no cause for concern.

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US overtaken by Mexico and Arab states in having most obese people

The United States has been overtaken by Mexico as nation with most ponderous people according to U.N reports. The U.S dropped few places below Mexico and gulf rich states like Kuwait and Saudi.  

Increase in size is a characteristic of a well to do nation. As countries develop, one unfortunate side effect is that their people also tend grow fatter. Scientists proved that here is a correlation between a country’s income increase and animal protein consumption. This change is responsible for the uncontrolled fattening seen in most wealth countries. The US having the largest economy has been the champion in having obese folks for long till recently. The notion that overweight is a problem of high income countries is changing as now there is a dramatic rise of the problem in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.

The U.N.’s latest figures have 42.8 percent of Kuwait's adult population obese. 35.2 percent in Saudi Arabia, and 33.1 percent in Qatar. That's compared with 31.8 percent in the U.S. And with Ramadan commencing and the associated fasting that comes with it, amazingly the problem is said to get worse. For instance, Qataris' grocery bills are said to double during Ramadan as people fast but then gorge during breakfast.

Qatar authority has decided to launch a campaign to get its people moving at least 10,000 steps a day in order to assuage the escalating problem. However, this measure is likely not to succeed because of the extremely hot outdoor weather in Qatar.

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in the body. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in metres). A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese while a person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight.

Overweight and obesity are linked with a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

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Cancer linked to family history scientists say

A study on 23,000 people in Italy and Switzerland has discovered that having cancer in a family increases the chances of developing not only the same cancer but other types as well. In the study it was found that for each of 13 cancers, close relatives had an increased risk of the same disease.

There was strong evidence that a family history of one cancer could significantly raise the risk of other cancer types. The research, published in the journal Annals of Oncology, monitored 12,000 patients with cancer at different sites in the body. These were compared with 11,000 cancer free people. Information was collected on family history of cancer, notably first degree relatives namely; siblings, parents and children.

Cancer risks are said to depend on genetic makeup, lifestyle and environment.

Having cancer in the family can tremendously increase your chances of developing not only the same cancer but other types too, research findings suggested.

It was discovered that people with a first-degree relative with cancer of the larynx had triple the normal risk of developing oral and pharyngeal cancer while those closely related to someone with oral-pharyngeal cancer had a four time increased chance of oesophageal cancer. Breast cancer doubled the risk of ovarian cancer for female family members.

Men had a 3.4 times increased risk of prostate cancer if a first-degree relative had bladder cancer. Some known cancer risks were confirmed in the due course. They included; a raised risk of women developing breast cancer if they have a family history of bowel cancer.

Principal investigator, Eva Negri (PhD) of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, Italy said "If you have a relative with one type of cancer your risk of the same type of cancer is increased.

"What this study has highlighted is that sometimes if you have a relative with one cancer your risk of another cancer can be increased.

"The relative risk of a different cancer generally tends to be lower than for the same cancer" added Dr Eva.

She also said that in some cases, the links between different cancers may be due to shared lifestyle factors, such as family smoking and drinking habits.

The study also bolstered evidence of genetic factors affecting multiple cancer sites in the body. Eluned Hughes, from the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said some breast cancers do run in the family, however most cases are not hereditary. "In order to fully understand the causes of breast cancer, we need to study more women over a longer period of time," she said.

According to Jessica Harris, Cancer Research UK's senior health information manager, cancer risk is determined by a combination of genes inherited from parents, lifestyles, and our environment.

"Whether or not someone in your family has had cancer, living a healthy life can really help to stack the odds in our favour, and reduce the risk of cancer," she said.

"The main things you can do are to be a non-smoker, cut down on alcohol, and stay in shape by being active and eating a balanced diet."

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