Ever wondered why some people seem to feel less pain than others? The answer could lie in mindfulness, which could be targeted in the development of effective pain therapies, researchers say.

The findings showed that people with higher dispositional mindfulness during painful experience showed greater deactivation in a brain region called the posterior cingulate cortex — a central neural node of the default mode network. 

They also experienced less pain. 

Conversely, those with lower mindfulness ratings had greater activation of this part of the brain and also felt more pain.

“Mindfulness is related to being aware of the present moment without too much emotional reaction or judgment,” said lead author Fadel Zeidan, Assistant Professor at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre in North Carolina, US. 

“We now know that some people are more mindful than others, and those people seemingly feel less pain,” Zeidan added.

For the study, published in the journal PAIN, the team analysed nearly 100 healthy volunteers to determine if dispositional mindfulness, an individual’s innate or natural level of mindfulness, was associated with lower pain sensitivity and to identify what brain mechanisms were involved.

Then, while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging, they were administered painful heat stimulation (120°F).

The default mode network extends from the posterior cingulate cortex to the medial prefrontal cortex of the brain. These two brain regions continuously feed information back and forth. This network is associated with processing feelings of self and mind wandering, Zeidan said.

“Importantly this work shows that we should consider one’s level of mindfulness when calculating why and how one feels less or more pain. 

“Based on our earlier research, we know we can increase mindfulness through relatively short periods of mindfulness meditation training, so this may prove to be an effective way to provide pain relief for the millions of people suffering from chronic pain,” Zeidan noted.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Saturday that the youth killed by unidentified gunmen on Saturday in Hazratbal area of Srinagar city was an active militant of the Islamic State.

The police said the slain person has been identified as Asif Nazir Dar of Panzgam Awantipora in Pulwama district.

“One pistol along with one magazine was recovered from him. According to sources, he was an active member of the IS. Unidentified gunmen had shot and killed this person in Hazratbal area of Srinagar,” the police said.

An identity card was recovered from the slain person, which lead the police to believe that he was Ishfaq Ahmad, a student of the Islamic University.

The Islamic University, however, denied that the slain person was their student.

In a separate incident earlier in the day, unidentified gunmen killed an activist of a Hurriyat group led by Syed Ali Geelani in Bomai area of Sopore town.

The activist, Hakim-ul-Rehman Sultani, had been recently released from jail.

With the party deciding to fight the next Lok Sabha elections under his leadership, BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday hit out at opposition plans for a grand alliance, saying his party was not in the least bothered about it calling it an “eyewash”.

In his inaugural speech at the two-day National Executive of the BJP, he accused the Congress of aligning with forces that want to “break” India while his party was focussed on “making” India.

He gave the message that the party was keen to win the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram to which list has been added Telangana, where the Assembly has been dissolved.

“The talk of mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) is eyewash based on falsehood. It is not going to make any difference in 2019 because we have fought against each and every opposition party in 2014. We are not bothered about it,” Shah was quoted as saying by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who briefed the media on the presidential speech.

Shah urged party workers not to be complacent because of the continuous electoral successes since 2014 and to reach out to the people with a clear-cut message that BJP was not at all worried about the opposition ganging up against the party.

Shah said the party was in power already in 19 states where it was sure of doing well in the Lok Sabha elections. 

“West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana and other states where the BJP was in second position in 2014, we need to take advantage of anti-incumbency there. We will also perform better in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Shah said the BJP would contest the next Lok Sabha polls on the plank of its performance and organisational strength and form a government with a bigger mandate than in 2014.

Attacking former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his critical comments on Friday against the Modi government’s performance, Shah said “Manmohan Singh follows his party, while Modi leads. That is the difference.”

Referring to various issues including the “backlash” from upper castes on the recent amendment to the SC-ST law, Shah dubbed all the allegations by the opposition as “baseless”. 

“While Make in India is not a mere campaign but a movement for building the country, Congress is running a campaign of breaking India. Congress has identified itself with breaking groups,” he said.

The BJP President also hit out at former Finance Minister P Chidambaram for being critical of the economic achievements of the government. He asked the party cadres to apprise themselves of the facts on economy and challenge “PC and his company” on the issue.

He listed the achievements of the government on the economic front and said whatever good work done by the government including the yet-to-be launched Ayushman Bharat scheme, inreased MSP for farmers and constitutional status for the Backward Classes Commission should be taken to the people.

Shah picked on the urban naxal issue in the context of the recent arrest of alleged Maoist sympathisers and said the Congress was raking up the issue for its vote bank politics. He hailed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the police action against urban naxals.

Dealing with the controversial issue of National Register of Citizens, he said the BJP would move forward with strong determination to implement it. Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and Jains in neighbouring countries who seek refugee status will be given shelter without hesitation. 

Referring to the triple talaq issue, he said even many Islamic countries have cleared legislations on the subject and was not an issue there. “But here due to the hypocritical stand of the Congress, the bill is stuck in Rajya Sabha. We want to get this bill passed.” 

Earlier, the meeting deferred organisational elections till after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which will enable Shah to continue in the top post and lead the party in the general elections. 

Countries in WHO South-East Asia have resolved to accelerate efforts to control dengue which threatens nearly 1.3 billion people with frequent and large-scale outbreaks, and control malaria, that continues to be endemic in the Region.
The 11-Member countries of the Region which accounts for one-fourth of the global population, 58% of the global burden of Plasmodium vivax malaria, and is at increasing risk of dengue and other vector borne diseases in view of the increasing urbanization and climate change, adopted a resolution to prioritize dengue control and malaria elimination.
Reviewing the progress, challenges, capacities and opportunities for strengthening health workforce, the countries agreed to continue to focus on frontline workers, improve rural retention and transformative education, and increase coordination between health and other ministries., a WHO statement said.

“We need to intensify multi-sectoral approach at the national as well as the grassroots level to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized communities,  strengthen surveillance, operationalize cross-border collaboration and most importantly promote vector control,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia, said at the Seventy-first Regional Committee session, which concluded here.
To further advance health of newborns, children and mothers, the countries agreed to enhance budgets and address social inequities. They emphasized that integrated approach with reproductive newborn, maternal, child and adolescent health programmes activities are at the heart of universal health coverage and for ensuring quality of care while “leaving no one behind”.
Monitoring progress against universal health coverage (UHC) and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, the Member countries agreed to continue to develop and implement policies to advance equity and efficiency, the statement said. 
The Regional Committee session adopted the ‘Delhi Declaration’ with Member countries committing to make essential medical products accessible and affordable to all, both within the Region and beyond.
The session adopted another resolution which seeks to strengthen emergency medical teams (EMTs) to enhance preparedness in WHO South-East Asia, prone to natural disasters.
The Member countries welcomed expansion of the mandate of South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF), from response to preparedness, to be better equipped to handle disasters. The SEARHEF has supported 37 emergencies in nine countries of the Region since its inception a decade ago, meeting immediate needs of affected communities, and save lives.

Jaipur based Rambagh Palace has been ranked amongst the top 24 in ‘Most Beautiful Heritage Hotels in Asia’ by CNN’s Ultimate Guide to Asia’s Heritage Hotels. The list explores 24 of the Asia’s most stately places and includes heritage hotels from countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, among others.

General Manager, Rambagh Palace, Mr. Ashok S. Rathore said, “It is indeed a matter of honour for the hotel to be a part of this prestigious list of the World’s Most Beautiful Heritage Hotels. Rambagh Palace offers a unique blend of traditional Indian hospitality infused with the local Rajasthani culture to its discerning guests.”

It is to be noted that Jaipur’s Rambagh Palace and Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan are the only heritage hotels featured from India in the list.

Rambagh Palace is a living legend in Jaipur. It is to be recalled that originally built in 1835, Rambagh Palace, Jaipur has stepped gracefully through many royal transitions. In the finest tradition of Rajput hospitality, the Rambagh Palace offers its guests a taste of royal living – a luxury and extravagance that was once the sole preserve of kings. Its elegantly appointed rooms, marbled corridors and majestic gardens echo with history.

US Secretary of Defence James Mattis made a surprise visit to the Afghan capital on Friday and in a meeting with President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani assured Washington’s long-term support to Afghanistan.

Mattis also assured that his country would continue its security and economic cooperation for enhancing bilateral relations between the US and Afghanistan, according to a statement released by the Presidential Palace.

Heading a ranking delegation, which also included Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, Mattis in the meeting with Ghani also exchanged views on the impact of US strategy on Afghanistan and South Asia, the upcoming Afghan parliamentary and presidential elections, the war on terror and talks with Pakistan, it said.

The Afghan President, accompanied by Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, said that the Afghans and their government were thankful to Washington for its support to Kabul, the statement added.

Mattis arrived here at a time when Washington is trying to make headway in Kabul after 17 years of war.

The arrival of Mattis coincided with the recent takeover by Austin Miller from John Nicholson as NATO-led Resolute Support Mission and US Forces Afghanistan commander, Efe news reported.

Mattis, who reached Kabul in the morning from New Delhi, had, along with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, discussed with their Indian counterparts, Nirmala Sitharaman and Sushma Swaraj respectively, the importance of both India and the US in Afghanistan.

New Delhi and Washington reiterated their support for an Afghan-led peace process in a joint statement on Thursday, in which the latter acknowledged the former’s longstanding and ongoing contribution to Afghanistan as well as India’s role in its neighbour’s development and stability.

The same subject was addressed by Pompeo and Mattis during their stopover in Pakistan, where the Secretary of State stressed the need for Pakistan “to seriously engage to help us get to the reconciliation we need in Afghanistan”.

The Communist Party of India (M) has welcomed the judgement of the Supreme Court striking down Section 377 of the IPC thus decriminalizing same sex consensual relations between adults.   

This constitutes a historic victory for the LGBT communities who have suffered humiliation, bigotry and even violence at the hands of retrograde forces, a statement issued by the party has said.

The CPI (M) has always supported the struggle against Section 377 which the Supreme Court has rightly held to be arbitrary and discriminatory. 

Meanwhile, the Population Foundation of India (PFI) has also congratulated LGBTQ citizens on the Supreme Court verdict setting aside provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal code that criminalises consenting sexual activities deemed ‘unnatural’.

It is a victory for LGBTQ individuals and those who have stood with them in a long and hard battle against an archaic provision of law, which infringes on individual bodily autonomy, sexual rights and identity. The judgement demonstrates the value of collective and persistent community activism, as with persons living with HIV/AIDS, who continue to collectively fight against stigmatisation worldwide to gain equal status on individual rights, a statement issued by PFI has said.

The SC verdict is heartening for PFI as a ray of hope on ensuring freedom of choice, equal rights and access to sexual and reproductive health services without prejudice or discrimination for other marginalised communities.

“We thank and congratulate the Honourable Justices in delivering this landmark judgement as the first step to ensuring that LGBTQ citizens are guaranteed the same constitutional rights as their fellow citizens. PFI also underlines that progressive changes to law are a necessary precondition, but not sufficient to ensure equal rights in practice. We must work on changing social norms that stigmatise or ghettoise individuals based on regressive perceptions of social acceptability and morality. We call upon all sections of society to ensure implementation of the law in its true spirit. The judgement needs to be followed through with policies that address the barriers faced by LGBTQ individuals, such as sensitising the medical fraternity, doing away with ‘conversion therapies’, seeking help on sexual and mental health services, redressal for workplace discrimination and broader legal rights’’, the statement has said.

PFI commits to including messages that shift social norms defining the space for LGBTQ individuals in all our programmes, especially related to social and behaviour change communication. We take this as the first step to a longer, and perhaps equally challenging, battle at the community level to ensure that LGBTQ citizens can fearlessly demand dignity, equality and respect.

Every one in four adults globally are physically inactive, accounting for 28% or 1.4 billion adults. In some countries it could be one in three individuals even, new data published in The Lancet Global Health has said.  

The paper, authored by four experts of the World Health Organization, reports data that update 2008 estimates on levels of activity and, for the first time, reports trend analyses showing that overall, the global level of inactivity in adults remains largely unchanged since 2001.

Women were less active than men, with an over 8% difference at the global level (32% men vs 23%, women). High income countries are more inactive (37%) compared with middle income (26%) and low income countries (16%).

These data show the need for all countries to increase the priority given to national and sub-national actions to provide the environments that support physical activity and increase the opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, to be active every day.

The new Global Action Plan on Physical Activity sets the target to reduce physical inactivity by 10% by 2025 and 15% by 2030, the report says. .

Regular physical inactivity increases risk of poor health, including cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and diabetes, falls, as well as mental health conditions. Publication of levels of participation in children and young people are forthcoming.

“Unlike other major global health risks, levels of insufficient physical activity are not falling worldwide, on average, and over a quarter of all adults are not reaching the recommended levels of physical activity for good health,” warns the study’s lead author, Dr Regina Guthold of the WHO, Switzerland.

The new study is based on self-reported activity levels, including activity at work and at home, for transport, and during leisure time, in adults aged 18 years and older from 358 population-based surveys in 168 countries, including 1.9 million participants. 

Among the study’s main findings were that in 2016, levels of insufficient activity among adults varied widely across income groups – 16% in low-income countries compared to 37% in high-income countries.  In 55 (33%) of 168 countries, more than a third of the population was insufficiently physically active while in four countries, more than half of adults were insufficiently active – Kuwait (67%), American Samoa (53%), Saudi Arabia (53%), and Iraq (52%).

Countries with the lowest levels of insufficient physical activity in 2016 were Uganda and Mozambique (6% each). Women were less active than men in all regions of the world, apart from east and south east Asia. In 2016, there was a difference in levels of insufficient activity between women and men of 10 percentage points or more in three regions: South Asia (43% vs 24%), Central Asia, Middle East and north Africa (40% vs 26%), and high-income Western countries (42% vs 31%).  Across regions, many individual countries recorded large differences in insufficient activity between women and men. Examples include Bangladesh (40% vs 16%), Eritrea (31% vs 14%), India (44% vs 25%), Iraq (65% vs 40%), Philippines (49% vs 30%), South Africa (47% vs 29%), Turkey (39% vs 22%), the USA (48% vs 32%), and the UK (40% vs 32%), the study said. 

From 2001-2016, substantial changes in insufficient physical activity levels were recorded in multiple regions. The regions with the highest increase in insufficient activity over time were high-income Western countries (from 31% in 2001 to 37% in 2016), and Latin America and the Caribbean (33% to 39%). Countries from these regions driving this trend include Germany, New Zealand, the USA, Argentina, and Brazil. 

The region with the largest decrease in insufficient activity was east and south east Asia (from 26% in 2001 to 17% in 2016), which was largely influenced by uptake of physical activity in China, the most populated country in the region. There has been an increase of 5% in prevalence of insufficient activity in high-income countries, from 32% in 2001 to 37% in 2016. In comparison, there has been an average rise of just 0.2% amongst low-income countries (16.0% to 16.2%). 

In wealthier countries, the transition towards more sedentary occupations, recreation and motorised transport could explain the higher levels of inactivity, while in lower-income countries, more activity is undertaken at work and for transport, according to the authors. While declines in occupational and domestic physical activity are inevitable as countries prosper, and use of technology increases, governments must provide and maintain infrastructure that promotes increased walking and cycling for transport and active sports and recreation.

The study’s release comes ahead of the Third United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on NCDs and their risk factors, including physical inactivity, being held on 27 September 2018 in New York.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that commercial vehicles such as buses, taxis and rickshaws powered by alternative fuels such as “Ethanol, Methanol, Bio-diesel and CNG” will be exempted from the requirement of a permit.

The Minister for Road Transport and Highways was speaking at the 58th annual convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

“I am happy to announce that we have decided that electric vehicles and all vehicles which operate on Ethanol, Methanol, Bio-diesel, CNG will not require a permit,” Gadkari said.

The minister told the convention that the move will open more business opportunities for the industry. 

According to the minister, transport ministers of all the state governments have given their unanimous support to the criteria.

“Now, the states will implement it and there will be no need for any permits for electric auto rickshaw, buses and taxis….”

Besides, Gadkari informed the convention that the central government is going to cancel the requirement of speed governors. 

“We don’t need it as we are developing good roads. There is no need to limit the speed artificially,” he said.

In addition, the minister asked the automobile industry to offer better engines and produce high performance vehicles. 

(IANS)

The Supreme Court has unanimously decriminalised same sex relations between consenting adults. Homosexuality was criminalised under Section 377 of the IPC.  

A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, struck down a key component of the 158-year-old colonial law under Section 377 of the IPC.

The judgement termed the part of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises same sex as “irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary’’. The judgement, however, said other aspects of Section 377 of IPC dealing with unnatural sex with animals and children shall remain in force.  

The bench, which also comprised Justices R.F.Nariman, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y.Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, struck down Section 377 as being violative for right of equality.

The Supreme Court set aside its own verdict of 2013. In 2017, the Apex Court had said privacy is a fundamental right, opening the door for fresh plea to decriminalise gay sex.

Section 377 refers to `unnatural offences’ and says whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment with life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to pay a fine.

The judgement came on a batch of writ petitions filed by individuals who had sought decriminalisation of consensual sex between two consenting adults of the same sex by declaring Section 377 illegal and unconstitutional.

The issue had been first raised by Naaz Foundation, which approached the Delhi High Court in 2001. The Delhi High Court had in 2009 decriminalised sex between consenting adults of the same gender by holding the penal provision as “illegal.’’

This high court judgement was overturned in 2013 by the Apex Court which also dismissed the review plea against which the curative petitions were filed which are pending.

The writ petitions were opposed by Apostolic Alliance of Churches and Utkal Christian Association and some other NGOs and individuals, including Suresh Kumar Kaushal.

Important quotes in the judgement:

CJI Dipak Misra and Justice Khanwilkar:

“I am what I am. So take me as I am.”

“Only Constitutional morality and not social morality can be allowed to permeate rule of law…Sexual orientation is one of the many natural phenomena…any discrimination on basis of sexual orientation amounts to violation of fundamental rights.”

Justice Nariman:

“Homosexuals have right to live with dignity. They must be able to live without stigma.”

Justice Chandrachud:

“Human sexuality cannot be reduced to a binary formulation and decriminalising Section 377 is but a first step.”

Justice Indu Malhotra:

“History owes an apology to members of the community for the delay in ensuring their rights.”

Justice Indu Malhotra, the only woman on the five-judge bench, says history owes an apology to the members of the community for the delay in ensuring their rights. In her judgment, she iterates that Section 377 will continue govern non-consensual sexual acts, carnal intercourse with minors and acts of bestiality.

Meanwhile, the United Nations in India has welcomed the landmark ruling by of India on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and hoped that the ruling will be the first step towards guaranteeing full range of fundamental rights to LGBTI ( lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) persons.

In a statement, UN in India said sexual orientation and gender expression form an integral part of an individual’s identity the world over, and violence, stigma and discrimination based on these attributes constitute an egregious violation of human rights. It added that LGBTI persons across the world continue to be the targets of violent attacks and are affected by multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based on age, gender, ethnicity, disability and social status.

“The UN in India sincerely hopes that the court’s ruling will be the first step towards guaranteeing the full range of fundamental rights to LGBTI persons. We also hope that the judgment will boost efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination against LGBTI persons in all areas of social, economic, cultural and political activity, thereby ensuring a truly inclusive society. The focus must now be on ensuring access to justice, including remedy; effective investigations of acts of violence and discrimination; and effective access to economic, social and cultural rights,” the organisation said.