Huge gap in world cancer survival

There is a huge variation in cancer survival rates across the world, a global study shows.
The US, Australia, Canada, France and Japan had the highest five-year survival rates, while Algeria had the worst, Lancet Oncology reported. The UK faired pretty poorly, trailing most of its western European neighbours - although the data is from the 1990s since when survival rates have risen. Spending on health care was a major factor, the study of 31 countries said.
Researchers said higher spending often meant quicker access to tests and tThe research was carried out by more than 100 scientists across the world led by Professor Michel Coleman, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

It involved analysing data on more than two million cancer patients who were diagnosed and treated during the 1990s. The study showed the US had the highest five-year survival rates for breast cancer at 83.9% and prostate cancer at 91.9%. Japan came out best for male colon and rectal cancers, at 63% and 58.2% respectively, while France faired best for women with those cancers at 60.1% and 63.9%.

The UK had 69.7% survival for breast cancer, just above 40% for colon and rectal cancer for both men and women and 51.1% for prostate cancer. There were also large regional variations within the UK, which were linked to differences in access to care and ability of patients to navigate the local health services. Both are directly linked to deprivation. Algeria, the only African country involved, came bottom in all types of cancer.

Bush 'concern' at N Korea issues

US President George W Bush has said he remains concerned about North Korea's alleged enrichment of uranium and other security issues.

But, speaking after talks with Japanese PM Yasuo Fukuda ahead of Monday's G8 summit in Japan, he acknowledged North Korea had addressed some concerns. Mr Fukuda said he would attend the Beijing Olympics opening, which other leaders will miss over rights concerns. The G8 summit is being held at a resort on the northern island of Hokkaido.

North Korea handed over a long-delayed list of its nuclear activities to Washington on 26 June, but it is not thought to have given details of uranium enrichment, which the North denies."North Korea did provide a declaration of its plutonium-related activities and did blow up the cooling tower of its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon," Mr Bush said at the summit venue in Tokayo. "That's been verified and is a positive step, but there are more steps to be taken. "We are concerned about enriched uranium and proliferation, human rights abuses and ballistic missile programmes."

Mr Bush also promised Mr Fukuda that he would "not abandon" the question of Japanese citizens allegedly abducted by North Korea to help train North Korean spies.Asked by reporters about the ailing US economy, the American leader said he was committed to a strong dollar.
"Our economy is not growing as robustly as we'd like..." he said. "The United States believes in a strong dollar policy and believes the strength of our economy will be reflected in the dollar."
The Group of Eight (G8) consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. Leaders began arriving on Sunday. Mr Bush arrived in time to celebrate his 62nd birthday in Japan.

Warning as France takes EU helm

$85M Sought for Defective Lottery Tickets

ROANOKE, Va. — In the latest challenge to a state lottery's deceptive practices, a business professor's lawsuit seeks to hold the Virginia Lottery accountable for selling about $85 million in defective scratch-off tickets.
A lawsuit by Washington and Lee University professor Scott Hoover seeks reimbursement for purchasers of an estimated 26.5 million tickets over the past five years. He asserted that the tickets had no chance of winning the top prize promised on them.
John Fishwick, a Roanoke attorney for Hoover, on Monday released copies of a lawsuit filed in Richmond Circuit Court. It seeks an $85 million judgment and an injunction preventing the Lottery from selling the outdated tickets.
The practice among state lotteries is widespread, said Rob Carey, an attorney who has filed similar challenges in Arizona, California, Colorado and Washington state.
"It's flat-out false. It's deceptive," he said. "They all play for the grand prize."
In New Jersey, for instance, no top prizes remain for an 8-month-old game, $1 million Explosion, but Lottery spokesman Dominick DeMarco said he was unaware of any similar lawsuits in that state.

Army criticizes itself in Iraq invasion report

The U.S. Army's official history of the Iraq war shows military chiefs made mistake after mistake in the early months of the conflict.

Failures to recognize the chaos engulfing the country and to send in enough troops to restore order after the 2003 invasion have long been highlighted by critics, but a new report shows the Army assessing itself.
Frank opinions from officers serving in the 18 months from the start of war to Iraqi elections in January 2005 reveal there were concerns at the time, not just about assumptions made by planners but at decisions taken once U.S.-led coalition forces had control of Iraq.
"I flipped," Gen. Jack Keane, then the Army's deputy chief of staff, told the historians of his reaction to a June 2003 decision to transfer control of all coalition troops away from the land forces command that had been preparing for the mission.
He recounted a conversation with Gen. John Abizaid, who succeeded the invasion's architect, Gen. Tommy Franks. "I said, 'Jesus Christ, John, this is a recipe for disaster. We invested in that headquarters. We have the experience and judgment in that headquarters."
Keane said it took the U.S. command between six and eight months to get the new headquarters up and running. During that time, troops in the field saw the mood of ordinary Iraqis turn against Americans and watched the insurgency take root.
"By the time we got a plan together to resource everything, the insurgents had closed that window of opportunity quickly," Col. David Perkins, a brigade commander in the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, told the historians. "What we started doing in September was probably a good idea to have done in April 2003."
Franks, who would soon retire and be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, said he ordered the transition to force the Pentagon to get leaders into the field to work with civilian occupation officials.
"That is a task that John Abizaid and I very simply laid on Washington and said, 'Figure it out. Do it fast. Get me a joint headquarters in here. We have a lot of work to do and [civilian administrator of Iraq] Jerry Bremer has a lot of responsibility and he needs help,' " he recalled.

Students Flay Flat Public Transport Fare in Valley

The eight student unions have expressed their dissatisfaction over the flat fare of Rs 12 for 0-6 km distance in public vehicles in Kathmandu valley and have demanded a new fare system.The students have demanded different fares of Rs 5 for 0-2km, Rs 8 for 0-4 km and Rs 10 for 0-6 km distances in public transport vehicles within the Kathmandu valley."The government has maintained the flag down rate for meter taxi at Rs 10 but one has to pay Rs 12 once a passenger steps into a public bus or minibus. This is not fare," said Himal Sharma, general secretary of ANNISU-R.The students have also demanded an end to the syndicate system in the transportation sector, which is virtually still existing.The unions have warned to continue protest programmes if the government remained indifferent to their demands until July 2, 2008.Meanwhile, Sharma said the minister and secretary of Ministry for Labour and Transport Management today met with the students to discuss on their demands."We agreed to form a task force under the leadership of Director General of Department of Transport Management to discuss over the demands of the students," Sharma said. The task force would include the representatives of both student unions and the transport entrepreneurs.According to Sharma a meeting would be called by DoTM after two days to discuss on the issues.

नेपालमा प्रधानमन्त्री कोइरालाद्वारा राजीनामा घोषणा

26 जुन, 2008 - नेपालको इतिहासकै निकै महत्वपूर्ण दुईवर्ष लामो कालखण्डमा सरकार र राष्ट्रको समेत नेतृत्व गरेका प्रधानमन्त्री गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालाले बिहीबार पदत्याग गरेको घोषणा गरेका छन्। गठबन्धन भित्रैबाट चर्को दवाव परेपछि उनले व्यवस्थापिका संसदको हैसियतमा बिहिवार बसेको संविधानसभाको बैठकमा त्यस्तो घोषणा गरेका हुन्। धेरै कुराबाट मुक्त भई आफू उपस्थित भएको बताउँदै कोइरालाले भने, "म यहींबाट प्रधानमन्त्रीको पदत्याग गरेको घोषणा गर्दछु।"प्रधानमन्त्रीले राष्ट्रपति समक्ष राजीनामा दिनुपर्ने संवैधानिक व्यवस्था छ। नेकपा माओवादीले नयाँ सरकार गठनको बाटो खोल्न कोइरालाको राजीनामा माग गर्दै आएको थियो। प्रधानमन्त्रीमाथि थप दवाव सृजना गर्न सत्तालिप्साको आरोप लगाउँदै केही दिन अघि माओवादीले सरकार समेत त्यागेको थियो। सहकार्य र सहमतिराजीनामा घोषणा गर्दै कोइरालाले माओवादीलाई सरकार गठनको पहल गर्न पुन: आग्रह गरेका थिए। नेपाली कांग्रस बाहेकलाई राष्ट्रपतिमा समर्थन गरिने नेकपा माओवादीको भनाईपछि दलहरू विभाजनकै संघारमा पुगेका छन्। माओवादीको त्यस्तो धारणापछि कांग्रेस प्रतिपक्षमा बस्ने खबरहरू आइरहेका बेला कोइरालाले भने आफूलाई सहमति सहकार्य र एकताको पक्षमै उभ्याए। अन्यथा देशको अस्तित्व नै संकटमा पर्ने उनको भनाई थियो।संविधानसभालाई सम्बोधन गर्दै उनले भने, "रक्तपात विहिन रुपमा संविधानसभाको चुनाव र राजतन्त्र अन्त्य गर्न सफल भयौं। आपसी एकताले गर्दा त्यो सम्भव भएको हो। देशको अस्तित्व जोगाउन पनि त्यो जरूरी छ।"