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The Weekend in Pictures
Cancer recurs in ‘dense’ breasts
Women treated for breast cancer are at a higher risk of a relapse if they have “dense” breasts, say researchers.
Those with denser breasts are four times more likely to see their cancer return, compared to women with less dense breasts, says the journal Cancer
The Canadian authors advise that women with the densest breasts should have radiotherapy while the women with less dense breasts could be spared.
Experts say further studies are necessary before any treatment change.
The researchers from the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Canada, looked at the medical records of 335 women who underwent surgery for invasive breast cancer and for whom a pre-treatment mammogram was available.
Patients’ breasts were categorised as low density, intermediate or high.
Greater risk
Breast density was higher in the younger women in the study, which surveyed women with an average age of 63.5 years.
The women in the high density group experienced a much greater risk of breast cancer returning.
Over a 10 year period, they had a 21% risk of cancer recurrence, compared to a 5% risk for women with the least dense breasts.
After 10 years, the difference in the rates of disease recurrence for women who did not receive radiotherapy after surgery was more pronounced, with 40% of women with high density breasts experiencing cancer recurrence compared with none of the women with the lowest density of breasts.
The authors said their findings indicated that women with low breast density, may not need radiotherapy, but that women with high breast density could significantly benefit from the therapy.
‘Breast density modifiable’
The researchers believe the hormonal profile of denser breast tissue makes it more susceptible to cancer.
Dr Steven Narod, of the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Canada, said: “The composition of the breast tissue surrounding the breast cancer is important in predicting whether or not a breast cancer will return after surgery.
“Breast density has been found to be modifiable to some extent by physical activity and hormone therapy.”
‘Attractive prospect’
Stephen Duffy, Cancer Research UK’s professor of screening, said: “This is intriguing.
“One reason for this could be that we know breast density increases the risk of a breast cancer in the first place, so it may simply increase the risk of a second one.
“Another possibility is that the dense tissue makes it more likely that other areas of cancer in the breast are not visible at initial diagnosis and so are not removed when surgery takes place.
“The potential to spare women who do not have dense tissue from radiotherapy is a very attractive prospect. But further studies will be necessary to be sure that this is safe practice.”
Maria Leadbetter, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, said: “By being able to determine which women may or may not benefit from radiotherapy it may be possible to offer more tailored treatment.
“It could also reduce the total number of women having radiotherapy, which can have significant long-term side effects.”
[BBC]
Kunda exposes HH
VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda says it appears that United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema does not want to contest the 2011 presidential elections and is instead selling the candidature of Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata.
Mr Kunda said Mr Hichilema is unlikely to stand in 2011 and was in Solwezi to campaign for Mr Sata.
He was addressing hundreds of Solwezi residents who welcomed him at Solwezi airport yesterday.
“Now, here in Solwezi and many parts of the country, we do not vote for Mr Sata. Go to Central Province, go to Southern, Western (provinces); people do not vote for Mr Sata,” he said.
He said people do not vote for Mr Sata because of his bad campaign strategies.
Mr Kunda said Government declared Zambia a Christian nation and that the ruling party is committed to the declaration.
He said the MMD has no problem with the declaration and will support it in the National Constitution Conference (NCC).
Mr Kunda said the MMD has maintained peace and stability in the country from 1991 and that is what the party wants to continue doing.
He said with peace, the people of Zambia can protect their propertyand their investment.
“Reject violence and vote for MMD which wants peace,” he said.
Mr Kunda said the ruling party has everything to lose when there is violence and called on the police to guard the peace that the country is enjoying.
The Vice-President said Government would like to see issue-based campaigns and will not condone any act of violence from the opposition.
Mr Kunda said the MMD is committed to promoting and maintaining peace and stability the country has continued to enjoy since 1991.
“We will not sit and watch selfish politicians destroy our peace,” he said.
He called on the people of Solwezi to reject the pact by voting for MMD candidate Albert Chifita, who he described as a man of the people.
Mr Kunda said the MMD is not going to engage in violence, but will concentrate on issues that affect the people of Solwezi.
He called on Zambians to uphold the slogan of ‘One Zambia One Nation’ for the country to continue enjoying peace.
Mr Kunda said North-Western Province has a great economic potential, adding that the people of Solwezi Central should give the MMD a vote for it to continue implementing the programmes it has planned for the province.
“I have travelled with a high-powered delegation, and all these ministers are here to explain our development agenda for Solwezi,” he said.
Mr Kunda is accompanied by Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao, his Transport and Communications counterpart Geoffrey Lungwangwa, Deputy Minster of Agriculture Albert Mulonga and his Community Development and Social Services counterpart Moses Muteteka.
Deputy Minister in the Office of the Vice-President Gaston Sichilima is also in the entourage.
The Vice-President was met at the airport by North-Western Province Minister Joseph Mulyata and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kabinga Pande.
He said the MMD will address problems in the health, education, agricultural and mining sectors.
[Daily mail]
Eight firms bid for oil exploration
Eight foreign and local firms have submitted bids to explore for oil in three provinces in Zambia, Godwin Beene, permanent secretary for the ministry of mines and minerals development said on Sunday.
Zambia, Africa’s top copper producer, invited bids from foreign companies for oil exploration in June after demarcating 23 oil blocks in its northwestern, western and eastern provinces.
Beene said in a statement foreign companies GP Petroleum and Petrodel Resources from the United Kingdom, Glint Energy from the United States and Exile Resources from Canada had submitted bids along with four Zambian firms.
“The Petroleum committee has begun analysing the bids and the minister of energy will announce the names of the successful bidders after the committee completes its work,” Beene said.
Beene said the successful bidders needed to demonstrate proven ability to raise the funds required for the projects, and also show they have assets, machinery, technical expertise, equipment and tools required to explore, produce and sell oil.
The bids were initially scheduled to close in August but the government extended the tendering period to allow more companies to submit their bids
Zambia does not produce oil, but the government says soil samples sent to European laboratories, have shown good traces of oil, particularly in areas bordering oil-producing Angola
[Reuters]
K148m NGOs scam under investigation
The first two cases of NGO officials, who allegedly pocketed more than K148 million donor funding will be handed over to the police fraud department, Home Affairs Minister, Lameck Mangani said yesterday.
He said in an interview yesterday that the matter had been referred to the police for further investigations and warned that all found culpable would face the law.
“The matter has been referred to the police for further investigations and these are some of the NGOs that are vocal and talking a lot about corruption and the acquittal of Dr Chiluba. Once they have been found guilty, they may face the law,” Mr Mangani said.
Mr Mangani said what was annoying was the fact that the NGOs in question were among those vocal civil society organisations that were agitating for honking against the acquittal of second Republic president, Fredrick Chiluba, thereby being in the forefront to promote anarchy in the nation.
Commenting on the whistling by the CSOs which went on undisturbed in Lusaka on Friday last week, Mr Mangani said such action was still an offence, especially that the CSOs had agreed that they had stopped their action when they last met with the Government and the police.
He wondered what the CSOs would achieve by whistling.
[Times of Zambia]
MMD, Pact agree to end violence
THE MMD and the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact yesterday called for an end to violence during the campaign for next Friday’s Solwezi Central Constituency parliamentary by-election.
The two parties denounced the violence that has rocked the campaigns with the latest being on Saturday night when cadres from the two parties clashed.
Campaign managers for ruling MMD candidate, Albert Chifita and Patriotic Front- UPND Pact aspirant, Watson Lumba were forced to step in to condemn the violence after MMD and UPND cadres clashed on Saturday after they crossed paths in the central business district.
MMD campaign manager, Kabinga Pande and PF-UPND Pact campaign manager, Steven Katuka denounced the violence during a Press briefing held in Solwezi yesterday after the two camps had a meeting with the North-Western provincial police command.
The two managers, who are both members of Parliament (MP) in North-Western Province, said the people in the constituency were peaceful and were all related, and the two camps agreed that there should be no violence.
Mr Pande said campaigns for the poll to fill the seat left vacant following the death of Solwezi Central MP, Benny Tetamashimba had been going on smoothly and peacefully after the violence at nominations until “yesterday (Saturday) when there was an incident.”
“People here are all related, and we have agreed that there should be no violence.
‘‘Any cadre who will be involved in the violence, it will be him or her and the police; and the police from now onwards would not let anyone be violent.
‘‘They charge immediately,” Mr Pande, who is Foreign Affairs Minister, said.
Mr Pande, who is Kasempa MP, said he had agreed with his Mwinilunga East counterpart, Mr Katuka to speak to their supporters against violence, which was first experienced during nominations for the November 19 by-election.
He said the two major camps would also monitor each other and would keep their communication lines open, with the campaign managers asked to inform the police and the rival camp before any impending violence.
He said the two parties had allowed police, who would not tolerate any violence, to search at random any vehicle, including those of senior officials like himself and Mr Katuka of any weapons.
Mr Katuka said the two camps condemned the violence by its cadres in the strongest possible terms, as while elections would come and go, the people, who were brothers and sisters, would remain.
He said he would talk to the supporters in his camp about avoiding violence so that the election, whose other candidates are Muhammad Kalela of the Forum for Democratic Altenatives and independent, Thomas Kafula could be won on merit and not through intimidation.
Meanwhile, MMD cadres clashed with some miners on a bus taking them for work around 17:30 hours on Saturday after they responded with opposition symbols as the ruling party cadres were driving by.
Div 1 North Week 32 Results
Here are the results from division 1 north week 32 matches played 07-08/11/2009
FAZ Division One Week 32 Fixtures
North
07/11/2009
Nchanga Rangers 2-Kalulushi Modern Stars 0
Zesco-Luapula 0 – Mufulira Blackpool 2
08/11/2009
Nkana 1- Afrisports 0
Mufulira Wanderers 0-Chindwin Sentries 1
Prison Leopards 2-Indeni 1
Mining Rangers 1-Kitwe United 0
Chingola Leopards 0-Kalewa 0
Ndola United 2-Muchindu 1
Lime Hotspurs 4-Luanshya United 1
South
[standings league_id=2 template=extend logo=false]
Babies ‘cry in mother’s tongue’
German researchers say babies begin to pick up the nuances of their parents’ accents while still in the womb.The researchers studied the cries of 60 healthy babies born to families speaking French and German.
The French newborns cried with a rising “accent” while the German babies’ cries had a falling inflection.
Writing in the journal Current Biology, they say the babies are probably trying to form a bond with their mothers by imitating them.
The findings suggest that unborn babies are influenced by the sound of the first language that penetrates the womb.
Cry melodies
It was already known that foetuses could memorise sounds from the outside world in the last three months of pregnancy and were particularly sensitive to the contour of the melody in both music and human voices.
Earlier studies had shown that infants could match vowel sounds presented to them by adult speakers, but only from 12 weeks of age.
Kathleen Wermke from the University of Wurzburg, who led the research, said: “The dramatic finding of this study is that not only are human neonates capable of producing different cry melodies, but they prefer to produce those melody patterns that are typical for the ambient language they have heard during their foetal life.
“Contrary to orthodox interpretations, these data support the importance of human infants’ crying for seeding language development.”
Dr Wermke’s team recorded and analysed the cries of 60 healthy newborns when they were three to five days old.
Their analysis revealed clear differences in the shape of the infants’ cry melodies that corresponded to their mother tongue.
They say the babies need only well-co-ordinated respiratory-laryngeal systems to imitate melody contours and not the vocal control that develops later.
Dr Wermke said: “Newborns are highly motivated to imitate their mother’s behaviour in order to attract her and hence to foster bonding.
“Because melody contour may be the only aspect of their mother’s speech that newborns are able to imitate, this might explain why we found melody contour imitation at that early age.”
Debbie Mills, a reader in developmental cognitive neuroscience at Bangor University, said: “This is really interesting because it suggests that they are producing sounds they have heard in the womb and that means learning and that it is not an innate behaviour.
“Many of the early infant behaviours are almost like reflexes that go away after the first month and then come back later in a different form.
“It would be interesting to look at these babies after a month and see if their ability to follow the melodic contours of their language is still there.”
[BBC]
Power, Buffaloes Reach Barclays Cup Final
Power Dynamos and Green Buffaloes are through to the final of this years Barclays Cup.
Buffaloes made it to the final after beating Roan United on post-match penalties while Power thumped Choma Eagles 3-0 in their semifinal doubleheader tie played at the Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola today.
In the lunchtime kickoff, Power were up 1-0 going into half time through midfielder Kennedy Mudenda who scored the opener in the 13th minute.
Striker Elson Mkandawire later struck twice in the last 12 minutes of the match with goals in the 74th and 87th minutes to secure Power’s passage to the final.
Meanwhile, Buffaloes beat Roan 5-4 on post-match penalties after the two sides finished 0-0 at full time.
Embrace World Cup Trophy Tour-Maradas
Africa should embrace the 2010 Fifa World Cup tour, Fifa representative Emmanuel Maradas has said.
Maradas said in Lusaka as the World cup trophy made its 33rd stop on the 53-city tour of Africa that the onus was on as a whole Africa to leave a legacy starting with the tour.
“It depends on all of us to work hard to make sure the world cup (In south Africa) is a success,” Maradas said.
Meanwhile, the world cup Trophy went on public display at Mulungushi Hall in Lusaka to all those that managed to get limited free tickets to view the iconic accolade today after being unveiled this morning at an official breakfast ceremony attended by vice president George Kunda.
The trophy will leter leave this evening for Burundi on its next stop of its tour of Africa.
A Different Spirit
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it”
(Numbers 14:24, NAS)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
One time in Scripture, Moses sent twelve men to spy out the Promised Land. The people of Israel were camped right next door and excited about possessing the land. But after 40 days, ten of the men came back with a negative report. They said, “Moses, there are giants in the land, and we’ll never defeat them.” That negative report spread throughout the rest of the camp, and the people began to murmur and complain.
But one of the spies named Caleb said, “Moses, we are well able to defeat these people. Let us go up at once and take the land!”
It’s interesting that they all saw the same land, the same circumstances, yet they had totally different views. How could their reports be so opposite? Here’s how: Caleb had a different spirit. He saw things with a different perspective. Others were focused on the giants, but Caleb was focused on his God. The people who complained never actually made it into the Promised Land, but Caleb did. He accompanied a new generation that chose the blessing of God.
Today, choose to have a different spirit. Don’t listen to what everyone else says, listen to what God says. Choose to believe His Word, and He will carry you into your promised land!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father in heaven, today I choose to tune out the negative voices of the world. I choose to trust in You even when no one else will. I thank You for the good things You are doing in my life and trust that You will fulfill every promise You’ve made to me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. ”
Joel Osteen ministries
The Government Is the Problem, Not the Media!
By Henry Kyambalesa
The statement made in Parliament recently by Vice President George Kunda that the government was treading carefully on the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill because it can be used for espionage by what he referred to as some irresponsible and unpatriotic media houses does not make sense because state secrets are not supposed to be made available to the media even if the Bill was to be enacted.
Besides, voices of dissent and criticism of the government come from citizens who love their country. There is a need for George Kunda to avoid using rehearsed statements designed to brand Zambians who are critical of mediocrity in the governance of the country as being unpatriotic citizens. We are fed up of such language, which was often used during the UNIP era, and which has now been adopted by the MMD government.
In fact, the preoccupation by President Rupiah Banda’s administration with enacting legislation designed to regulate the operations of NGOs and the private media is a clear case of misplaced priorities. Zambians have now become tired of asking MMD leaders to address their demands on the government. Among other things, Zambians want a smaller and more efficient government, free formal education, merit-based scholarships for vocational training and university education, low-interest educational loans, free life-saving healthcare for all Zambians, greater and sustained food security, and greater employment opportunities.
Moreover, they want lower PAYE and value-added taxes, lower interest rates, safer local communities, improvements in garbage collection and disposal, improved socio-economic conditions in rural areas, improved public infrastructure, lower water charges and electricity tariffs, a system of justice that is free and impartial in both word and deed, greater care for children and the handicapped, a genuine effort to address the scourge of corruption, sustained protection of the fragile natural environment, and consolidation of our oneness and common future as members of the Zambian family.
Criticisms of the MMD government by some segments of Zambian society are clearly a result of government’s failure to address these demands. If the government can start tending to these demands and set timeframes for meeting them, they will be surprised how quickly the criticisms will subside and give way to genuine praise from both the private media and the general public. It is as simple as that!
Private media institutions are, therefore, not the problem; it is an inept government that is actually the problem—a government that has clearly failed to address the sources of the discontent among citizens and continued to castigate the private media through which such discontent is expressed!
If Zambians expect the Rupiah Banda administration to address their basic needs, they are fooling themselves; they will eventually realize that they have government leaders who are more interested in lining up their pockets, and the pockets of their kith, kin and sympathizers.
Rangers Move Closer To Promotion
Nchanga Rangers coninue to move closer to a swift return to the Faz Premier Division after beating Kalulushi Modern Stars 2-0 at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola today in a division 1 north week 32 game.
Rangers, who were demoted last season, move to 60 points and only need a win and one draw in their next two games to make sure of their promotion back to the Faz Premier League.
Goals from Floyd Phiri and Mathews Macha made sure Rangers three points at home.
Second placed Nkana who sidelined coach Fewdays Musonda last week only play on Sunday when they host Afrisports in a Kitwe derby in Wusakile.
Musonda was suspended after poor run of results over the last three weeks with club officials claiming it was for his own safety as they could not guarantee his security on the bench on match days from the easily combustible Nkana fans.
Seven Pros Expected on Sunday
Zambia go into camp on Sunday with seven foreign-based players expected to arrive in camp on day-one at Chrismar Hotel in Lusaka.
The six include captain and striker Christopher Katongo of 2.Bundesliga side Armenia Bielefeld in Germany.
Team manager Solly Pandor said the team will only have four home-based players who also report to camp on Sunday.
The quartet of local call-ups comprises of defenders Thomas Nyirenda,Dennis Banda and Hichani Himoonde of Zanaco, Green Buffaloes and Zesco United respectively including clubless midfielder Stopilla Sunzu.
Striker Given Singuluma of TP Mazembe in DR Congo is also expected to join the team tomorrow after playing in today’s Caf Champions League final against Heartland of Nigeria in Lubumbashi.
Attacker Signs Chibambo too is due to join the team after turning out for Heartland against TP in the Caf Champions League.
The rest of the foreign-based call-ups expected today including the Israeli-based duo of striker Emmanuel Mayuka of Maccabi Tel Aviv and midfielder Willam Njobvu of Hapoel Kiryat Shmone.
Noah Chivuta of Maritzberg United and another South African based player Joseph Musonda of Golden Arrows in South Africa complete the list of players expect on Sunday.
The rest are due to arrive in camp on Monday while Rainford Kalaba is the only player expected on Tuesday.
Zambia depart for Rwanda on Thursday on the mid-morning Kenya Airways flight to Kigali via Nairobi.
DRC thanks Zambia for hosting refugees
The Congolese Government has thanked President Banda and the Zambian community for hosting the Congolese refugees over the years.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Katanga Province Vice Governor, Yav Tshibal, however, urged the Congolese refugees in Zambia not to overstay but to consider returning home because there was peace as stipulated under the current voluntary repatriation plan.
To date, over 15,600 Congolese refugees have returned home. The Congolese nationals are being repatriated by both road and water using boats from Mpulungu Harbour and by road.
Mr Tshibal made the remarks at Mwange refugee camp in Mporokoso district in Northern Province when a delegation of senior DRC Government officials from Lubumbashi and Kinshasa conferred with the refugees as part of information campaign to sensitize them to return home.
Mr Tshibal expressed confidence that the repatriation exercise will be successfully conducted and come to an end in 2009.
“I wish to thank President Banda and the Zambian community for hosting our brothers and sisters from my home country over the years. Now that there is peace back home, you should not over stay in Zambia but you are welcome back home,” advised the Vice Governor.
He assured the refugees that the DRC Government, working with other co-operating partners, is trying to ensure their smooth re-integration upon returning home in addressing challenges when back home.
Mr Tshibal appealed to the donor community to increase their support to the re-integration programme in DRC.
Secretary General (Permanent Secretary) in the DRC Ministry of Interior, Xavier Mirindi Kiriza, also commended the pace of the Congolese repatriation from Zambia.
The Secretary General urged the UNHCR and the Zambian Government to mobilize enough logistics to ensure that more Congolese refugees repatriate before the end of the year.
And UNHCR Head of Sub Office based in Kawambwa district, Phillippe Creppy, assured the refugees that his agency would assist all the refugees that come forward to repatriate.
Mr Creppy added that now that the rains have started, weather and other logistical conditions permitting will be organized soon before the end of this year.
The Congolese repatriation is being conducted by the Zambian Government in conjunction with the UNHCR, the international Organisation for Migration and World Food Programme.
Last year 9,700 Congolese refugees returned home from Zambia, while 7,323 repatriated in 2007.
ZANIS