Features

People who eat an egg just about every day may have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke than individuals who do not eat eggs at all, a large Chinese study suggests. 

Researchers examined survey data on egg consumption among 461,213 adults who were 51 years old on average. When they joined the study, none had a history of heart disease. Overall, they ate an average of half an egg daily; about 9 per cent of them avoided eggs altogether while 13 per cent ate roughly one egg every day. 

At least half of the participants were followed for nine years or more. During that time, 83,977 people developed heart disease or had a heart attack or stroke and 9,985 died from these conditions. 

Compared to people who never ate eggs, individuals who ate an average of 0.76 eggs per day were 11 per cent less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases and 18 per cent less likely to die from these conditions, the study found. 

“This is important to people, especially those in the part of the world where eggs are major sources of high-quality proteins and other important nutrients for the body,” said Luc Djousse, a researcher at Harvard Medical School in Boston who was not involved in the study. 

“The take-home message from this is that when consumed in moderation, there does not appear to be an elevated risk of developing heart disease or stroke,” Djousse said by e-mail. 

But that does not mean people should be rushing to make a three-egg omelette every day for breakfast. 

That is because the study does not offer any insight into the risk of heart disease or stroke associated with more than one egg a day, Djousse said. 

“Eggs are not safe for anyone at risk of heart attacks or strokes, but particularly not for diabetics,” said J. David Spence of the Western University Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre in London, Ontario. 

“Eggs increase the risk of vascular disease,” Spence, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by e-mail. For example, egg yolks contain phosphatidylcholine, a chemical that can contribute to clogged arteries, he said. 

Eggs are a primary source of dietary cholesterol, but they also contain high-quality lean protein and many vitamins, the study team notes in the journal Heart. Previous research on the link between eggs and heart disease have offered inconsistent results, with some pointing to a protective effect and others suggesting that eggs might make people more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

Part of the issue revolves around cholesterol.

Eggs can contain around 200 milligrammes of cholesterol, and scientists used to think that eating eggs would lead to higher levels of cholesterol in the blood, Djousse said.

Some more recent research, however, suggests that eggs might block the liver from making low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad kind of cholesterol that can build up in blood vessels and lead to clots and heart attacks, and boost production of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the good kind needed for healthy blood flow. 

The study was not a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how eggs might impact the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying from it. Senior study authors Canqing Yu and Liming Li of Peking University Health Science Centre in Beijing did not respond to a request for comments. 

Another limitation is that the results in China might not apply in other parts of the world. The study participants were typically a healthy weight, and most of them did not have high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease. 

In the US — where most adults are overweight or obese and eat a Western diet heavy on meat and potatoes and light on fruits and vegetables — the connection between eggs and heart disease might look quite different. 

For optimal heart health, the AHA recommends the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet or a Mediterranean-style diet. Both diets emphasise unsaturated vegetable oils, nuts, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish and poultry and both limit red meat, as well as foods and drinks high in added sugars and salt. 

Where were you when Harry and Meghan got married last weekend? Watching the proceedings on television I hope. It is not everyday one gets to see the nuptial of two people who were conferred the titles of duke and duchess of Sussex by the queen of England simply because they decided to marry each other. It was almost as if the monarch acknowledged their wedding as a supreme act of bravery. Which it is, to a certain extent, for the young prince, who has embarked on it for the first time, unlike his American wife, who is a divorcee and has considerable more experience in this field.

The last time the world viewed Prince Harry so intently was in the year 1997, when he trailed his mother’s coffin at her funeral procession, as a forlorn 12-year-old. Two billion people had turned up to say farewell to his mum, Princess Diana, who had died in a car crash in Paris but it was the sight of the grieving prince that stayed with everyone.

Throughout his tumultuous youth, he was a tabloid sensation and a darling of the paparazzi who regularly featured him on the front pages in an inebriated and dishevelled state. Dirty Harry and Playboy Prince were some of risqué labels assigned to him, and he unwillingly though invariably, lived up to that image. 

When he was introduced to the sensible Hollywood actress Meghan Markle on a blind date, which was set up by common friends, opposites did attract, so to speak. They hit it off and, without divulging too much of behind the scenes activity that might be construed as pure conjecture, we all ended up positioning ourselves in front of our respective idiot boxes. To observe the events unfold at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, on Saturday the 19th of May.

The best part of any wedding, everybody agrees, is analysing the entire occurrence a few days later with the entire family, during the screening of the DVDs. Here one can catch the gossiping aunties, the intoxicated uncles, the exaggerated dancers and the overactive children — in all their resplendent glory. There is always one odd invited guest, who complains that the naan bread is not hot or the ice cream not cold. Their petty petulance is a comical add-on to the overall entertainment. 

The undisputed highlight of this royal wedding was a passionate sermon that was delivered by the African American preacher, the Most Reverend Michael Curry. He became the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in 2015 and his speech was fiery, in every sense of the term.

Bishop Curry spoke at length about fire, quoting the late French philosopher and Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who had “suggested that the discovery and harnessing of fire was one of the great technological discoveries of human history”. He then listed the many uses of fire, from cooking food, to aviation, to “broadcasting this wedding around the world”.

My family WhatsApp group, whose members are spread across various continents, was beeping notifications every second. 

“What’s he doing?” messaged my brother-in-law from Delhi. 

“He is hilarious,” our daughter typed from London. 

“The royal family can’t contain themselves,” our son-in-law chipped in.

“We need to get you all married,” the Reverend drawled dramatically. 

“Two young people fell in love, and we all showed up,” he continued.

“What’s he doing?” my sister-in-law from Dubai complained this time. 

“Stealing the limelight,” I wrote back.

Married people may be more likely to spot a deadly skin cancer sooner than their counterparts who are not part of a couple, a US study of melanoma patients suggests. 

For the study, researchers examined data on 52,063 adults diagnosed with early-stage melanoma from 2010 to 2014. The study included 36,307 married patients, 7,570 never-married people, 3,650 individuals who were divorced and 4,536 who were widowed. 

Compared to married patients, widows were 70 per cent more likely to have early-stage melanoma diagnosed when it was thicker and harder to treat, while divorced people were 38 per cent more likely to get diagnosed later and never-married individuals had 32 per cent higher odds, the study team reports in JAMA Dermatology. 

“We suspect that part of the reason that married patients present with earlier-stage melanoma is from having another pair of eyes on their skin that allows for identification of suspicious lesions,” said lead author Cimarron Sharon of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. 

“People in long-term relationships see their partner’s skin frequently over time, and are able to notice any new or changing lesions, especially in difficult to see areas, such as the back,” Sharon said by e-mail. 

Melanoma diagnoses and deaths in the US have been rising steadily in recent years despite widespread prevention efforts aimed at encouraging people to limit sun exposure and use sunscreen and protective clothing when they’re outdoors. 

Even with the majority of melanoma cases that are caught early, the thickness of tumours can influence how easy they are to treat and patients’ survival odds. 

In the current study, researchers wanted to see if marital status might influence how often people got diagnosed with early-stage melanoma at what’s known as stage T1a, when tumours are no more than 1 millimetre thick and have not reached the innermost layers of the skin. 

Overall, 46 per cent of married patients were diagnosed at stage T1a, compared with 43 per cent of never-married people, 39 per cent of divorced individuals and 32 per cent of widows. 

Married people were also more likely to get what is known as sentinel node biopsies to confirm whether tumours have spread to other parts of the body. This suggests that spouses not only catch the skin problems, but also push their partners to follow up with any recommended tests or treatments, Sharon said. 

The study was not a controlled experiment designed to prove whether marriage actually helps people catch melanoma sooner or live longer with this diagnosis. One drawback of the study is that researchers lacked data on whether non-married people might be living with a partner or in a long-term relationship. 

Even so, the results make sense and offer fresh evidence of the importance of having a another set of eyes on the lookout for changes in the skin, said Jeffrey Farma, surgical director of the melanoma programme at Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia. 

“Intuitively one would surmise that a partner would be more likely to identify or facilitate evaluation of a concerning skin lesion and this excellent paper has scientifically demonstrated this,” Farma, who was not involved in the study, said by e-mail. 

“It is important for clinicians to understand these social implications when evaluating patients and considering treatment choices in these different groups of patients based on marital status,” Farma added. “There is a higher chance that a partner could identify suspicious lesions in difficult-to-visualise areas.” 

Beyond just providing another set of eyes to be on the lookout for anything suspicious on the skin, a spouse might also help encourage people to seek medical help sooner and follow any recommendations from the doctor, said Saira George of the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston. 

“Encouraging married people to partner up to examine their skin regularly could help magnify that benefit,” George, who was not involved in the study, said by e-mail. “For those who are unmarried, it may be worthwhile to emphasise the importance of skin self-examinations and regular clinical screenings or suggest they pair up with a friend or family member for skin checks and support in getting evaluation and treatment.” 

LOS ANGELES — Deadpool might not consider himself a superhero, but its latest installment is off to a powerful start.

The Marvel Comics film from 20th Century Fox debuted in North American with $125.5 million in 4,349 locations. That was not enough to match the debut of its predecessor, 2016’s “Deadpool”, which had the biggest opening ever for an R-rated film with $132.4 million. The Ryan Reynolds-starrer bowed overseas with $174.6 million for a global weekend total of $300.1 million.

Although it debuted under estimates, “Deadpool 2’s” launch was nothing to complain about. It still secured the second-best opening for an R-rated film, as well as the third-biggest debut of the year behind Marvel blockbusters “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Black Panther”. It also secured Fox its second-highest opening weekend in history.

The sequel is still boasting a promising critical consensus, with an 84 per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating and an A CinemaScore.

“Deadpool 2’s” strong debut is a testament to Reynolds, according to Fox’s president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson.

“I just can’t say enough about him,” Aronson said. “Not just the character, but promoting it. I feel great about this opening.”

Its opening was enough to crush “Avengers: Infinity War’s” reign on the domestic box office. After securing the No. 1 spot for three weeks, the Disney and Marvel superhero tentpole dropped to second place. Its fourth weekend haul was still impressive, reeling in $29.5 million from 4,002 screens. “Infinity War’s” domestic tally currently sits at $595.9 million.

“Infinity War” was followed by Paramount Pictures’ new release, “Book Club”. The romantic comedy — starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen — came in slightly ahead of expectations, earning $13.6 million on 2,781 screens.

The weekend’s other newcomer, Global Road Entertainment’s “Show Dogs”, landed in sixth place, only digging up $6 million from 3,212 locations. The family-friendly comedy garnered an A CinemaScore. Its Rotten Tomatoes critical score did not fare quite as well, averaging a 26 per cent.

Rounding out the top five are two film’s sophomore frames. Warner Bros.’ “Life of the Party” rallied in $7.6 million from 3,656 locations. Domestically, it has made $30.9 million. Universal’s “Breaking In” secured $6.8 million on 2,537 screens. In two weeks, it is earned $28.8 million.

“Overboard” ($4.6 million), “A Quiet Place” ($3.9 million), “Rampage” ($1.6 million) and “I Feel Pretty” ($1.3 million) rounded off the top 10.

In the specialty market, Focus Features’ “Pope Francis — A Man of His Word” opened with $480,000 on 346 screens for a per screen average of $1,389.

“RBG”, the documentary on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is still holding strong. In its third weekend, it expanded to 375 locations for a three-day total of $1.28 million. That is a per screen average of $3,413. Magnolia Pictures and Participant Media co-produced the film with Storyville Films and CNN Films.

Thanks to a trio of superhero powerhouses, the domestic box office is up 6.3 per cent from 2017, according to comScore. The weekend-to-date is up a staggering 62.9 per cent, compared to 2017 when “Alien: Covenant” was the No. 1 film.

“A crowded powerhouse of a mid-May weekend benefitted from a very diverse line-up of newcomers to appeal to almost every taste and demographic,” Paul Dergarabedian, box office analysis at comScore, said.

Launched globally in recent weeks, the Range Rover P400e PHEV is Land Rover’s entry into the full-size luxury hybrid SUV segment. Introduced as part of a model-wide revision, the P400e is an efficiency-minded take on the large and heavy Range Rover flagship line.

As an efficiency model, the P400e is a petrol-electric hybrid alternative to the diesel Range Rovers popular in Europe. It meanwhile plays an opposite to thirsty supercharged V8 petrol versions popular in the Middle East, and should do well as in more price-sensitive markets with steep fuel prices and tax incentives for electrified vehicles.

Accessibility and efficiency

A more accessible proposition and entry to Range Rover ownership, the P400e makes one of the most desirable SUVs a more realistic prospect, with low claimed 2.8l/100km combined fuel efficiency, 64g/km CO2 emissions and 51km electric-vehicle range. If not quite carrying the same cache as more powerful variants, the P400e should, however, appeal to a significant number of potential owners willing to stretch their initial layout, but not for the fuel costs of running a petrol V8 Range Rover. Furthermore, and contrary to skeptic expectations, the plug-in hybrid model is particularly suited to the Range Rover.

Only just heavier than the turbo-diesel V8 Range Rover, but 126kg more than the supercharged petrol V8, the 2509kg P400e, additional weight from its hybrid motor, batteries and systems, however, does not seem to affect it too much, given it is a rather hefty vehicle to begin with. With its electric motor contributing to a vast and easily accessible torque reservoir, much of which is available from idling engine speed, the generous and broad torque output is exactly what a large and heavy luxury vehicle needs for smooth, quiet and effortlessly muscular progress, and is especially useful for off-road driving.

Effortless torque

Powered by a combination of Jaguar Land Rover’s inhouse-developed turbocharged 2-litre direct injection 4-cylinder Ingenium engine developing 296BHP and a 114BHP electric motor, for a combined output of 398BHP, the P400e deliver brisk 6.8-second 0-100km/h acceleration.

Meanwhile, it develops a massive 472lb/ft of torque, of which the electric motor’s portion is instantly available, which allows for accessible and effortless on-the-move versatility, including 80-120km/h acceleration in 4.2-seconds, and a 220km/h top speed. Smooth, refined and muscular in delivery, the P400e drives with the confidence of a bigger engine, and only sounds slightly strained at heavy load and high revs.

Ideal for cruising and city driving, one is unlikely to drive the P400e at full throttle for long enough to deplete the batteries before its petrol engine and brakes regenerate sufficient electrical charge. A plug-in hybrid, it can be fully charged in 2-hours and 45-minutes with a high capacity charger, but with a standard home plug-in charger takes seven and a half hours for a full charge. Capable of 51km on electric-only driving, the P400e can also drive in silent electric mode in moderate off-road situations, but the combustion engine needs to be on when driving through water, to not flood the exhaust system.

Silent off-roader

With its electric motor positioned between its inline combustion engine and smooth and slick shifting 8-speed automatic gearbox, the P400e’s front weighting is little altered, and sitting behind the front axle, keeps turn-in tidy and without any greater nose-heavy tendencies. However, the battery pack does add some weight aft of the rear axle. With its electric motor position, the P400e remains a true off-roader using the same four-wheel-drive system and drive-line as regular Range Rovers, rather than employing a partial and half-hearted system with the electric and combustion engines driving one set of wheels each.

With its driveline hardware unchanged, the P400e’s off-road ability remains unchanged too, and features a low gear ratio transfer for full power crawling for steep inclines, and locking differentials to for added traction on slippery off-road surfaces. Riding on double wishbone front and integral-link rear height adjustable air suspension, the P400e can be raised for off-road driving, where it delivers generous 900mm water fording, 220mm ground clearance, and 26° approach, 24.6° departure and 22.1° break-over angles. Meanwhile, its Terrain Response adaptive off-road driver assistance system automatically recalibrates throttle, braking, differentials and stability and traction control systems for different off-road conditions.

Riding high

Smooth and comfortable on road, the P400e’s air suspension lowers at speed and goes a long way to take the edge off the vehicle’s large 21-inch alloy wheels and low profile 275/45R21 tyres. Driven on narrow and imperfectly textured UK roads, the P400e was supple, settled and stable at speed and over lumps, bumps and rebounds. Seated high and with good visibility, one was able to accurately place it on road, even from a right-hand driving position. Balanced and tidy through corners, the P400e well controls body roll despite the added hybrid system weight, while different suspension settings allow one to adjust ride quality between comfort and control.

Little altered visually with minimal grille and bumper, faux side vents alterations, the revised 2018 Range Rover also receives more advanced LED lighting options, but the emphasis is, however, on interior improvements. A luxurious, stylish and spacious environment, the Range Rover’s cabin now features improved seating front and rear, with better leathers, functionality and includes wider seat frames, deeper cushioning and improved bolstering. Tech and infotainment systems are also improved, but the hybrid model driven does lose 98-litres of cargo capacity owing to its battery pack, but remains generously accommodating at 802-litres.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2-litre, turbocharged, in-line 4-cylinders & electric motor

Bore x stroke: 83 x 92mm

Compression ratio: 9.5:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC, variable timing, direct injection

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive, low gear transfer

Ratios: 1st 4.714; 2nd 3.143; 3rd 2.106; 4th 1.667; 5th 1.285; 6th 1.0; 7th 0.839; 8th 0.667

Reverse/final drive ratios: 3.317/3.73

Combined power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 398 (404) [297] 

Combustion engine, power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 296 (300) [221]

Electric motor, power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 114 (116) [85]

Power-to-weight: 158.6BHP/tonne

Combined torque, lb/ft (Nm): 472 (640)

Torque-to-weight: 255Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 6.8-seconds

80-120km/h: 4.2-seconds

Top speed: 220km/h

Fuel economy, combined: 2.8-litres/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 64g/km

Fuel capacity: 90-litres

Electric drive range: 51km

Charging time, at 10amp: 2-hours, 45-minutes

Charging time, at 32amp: 7-hours, 30-minutes

Length: 5,000mm

Width: 2,073mm

Height: 1,869mm

Wheelbase: 2,922mm

Track, F/R: 1692/1,685mm

Aerodynamic drag co-efficiency: 0.34

Weight: 2,509kg

Approach/departure/break-over angles: 26°/24.6° /22.1°

Towing, braked/unbraked: 2500/750kg

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbones/integral link, adaptive air suspension

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 12.33-metres

Brakes, F/R: 380/365mm ventilated discs

Tyres: 275/45R21

PARIS — While physical exercise may stave off dementia, it does not delay mental decline in people after they have been diagnosed, a study in nearly 500 people with the condition reported on Thursday.

While a fitness regime improved physical fitness in people with mild to moderate dementia, it “does not slow cognitive impairment”, researchers reported in The BMJ medical journal.

It is generally accepted that exercise can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

But whether or not it can slow symptoms after the onset of mental decline, has been the subject of much debate.

For the latest study, researchers took 494 people in England, who had been diagnosed with dementia, and assigned 329 of them to an exercise programme. 

They took part in 60-90-minute group sessions in a gym twice a week for four months, and home exercises for an additional hour per week.

The average age of the group was 77.

Participants were assessed at six and 12 months after starting the programme.

The researchers noted that cognition had declined in both the exercise and non-exercise groups.

In the exercise group, the decline was steeper, “however, the average difference was small and clinical relevance was uncertain”, said a press statement.

Commenting on the study, Brendon Stubbs of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, said its findings was “enormously important” for the care of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Whilst previous smaller studies have suggested that exercise can prevent or improve cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease, this robust and very large study provides the most definitive answer we have on the role of exercise in mild-moderate Alzheimer’s disease,” he said via the Science Media Centre.

“The search for effective lifestyle interventions that can delay cognitive decline in dementia must continue.”

Washington’s Long War on Syria
Stephen Gowans
Montreal: Baraka Books, 2017
Pp. 278

Combining analysis, polemics and hard facts, Stephen Gowans looks at the war in Syria from an angle not usually presented in the media. Rather than framing it as a popular struggle for democracy against a brutal dictatorship, he identifies it as a conflict rooted in US imperialism’s drive to eliminate all obstacles to its profit-seeking political and economic control.

“The thesis of this book is that Wall Street’s war on Syria was motivated by the same aim [as the war on Iraq]: the de-Baathification of Syria and the elimination of secular Arab nationalist influence from the Syria state, as a means of expunging the Arab nationalist threat to US hegemony…” (p. 21)

Gowans argues convincingly for this thesis by contrasting the contradictory orientations of the US and Syrian state systems. He amasses much evidence showing that US policy, whether domestic or foreign, reflects the interests of the wealthy few rather than the majority of citizens: “Corporate America has the wherewithal to dominate policy formation in Washington, and uses its vast resources to do so. Consequently, US foreign policy reflects a Wall Street agenda.” (p. 209) 

This is not just a behind-the-scenes reality. The 2006 National Security Strategy openly stated: “The United States will use military force, unilaterally if necessary… when our livelihoods are at stake”, and Defence Secretary Robert Gates elaborated by saying that the US had a “national interest in… unimpeded economic development and commerce”. (p. 208)

Accordingly, the motivation for seeking regime change in Syria had nothing to do with democracy, especially considering that the majority of US allies in the region are far from democratic. Rather, Arab nationalist, Baathist Syria was targeted for its aspirations of Arab unity which could pool the oil and other resources of the region. Equally, Syria was targeted for its opposition to foreign domination and its state-directed economic development, including protection of local industries. 

“Needless to say, the Baathists’ programme was the very antithesis of the model the United States favoured… one of a US-superintended global economy based on free trade, free enterprise, and open markets, overlaid with US political leadership and military domination. It would be naïve to think that Washington was prepared to tolerate an ideology which challenged this paradigm so fundamentally, especially in a region teeming with oil.” (p. 43)

Added to this was the Syrian regime’s alliance with Iran, its opposition to Israeli occupation and expansionism, and its support to Palestinian resistance organisations. While one might object that the regime merely paid lip-service to some of these goals, Gowans assures that US strategists took them seriously.

As early as 1957, the US and Britain charged the CIA’s Middle East chief, Kermit Roosevelt (mastermind of the 1953 coup against Mossadegh who had nationalised Iran’s oil), with assassinating leading figures in the Syrian regime and fomenting an internal uprising with the help of the Muslim Brotherhood. They feared that “Syria’s Baathist-Communist alliance would encourage Mossadegh-like policies throughout the Middle East, and foster popularly-led regime change which would produce pro-independence policies”. (p. 90)

This plan was never carried out as Jordan and Iraq failed to support it, but some of its features reappeared in the 2011 uprising. Evidence exists that the Muslim Brotherhood’s violent campaign against the Syrian regime starting in the 1970s was receiving Western support by the 1980s, and the Bush administration began working with the Brotherhood to topple the regime in 2005, if not earlier. This paved the way for the current CIA programme which by 2015 had trained and equipped nearly 10,000 anti-regime fighters.

The book demolishes a whole slew of myths that have been promoted by the US and other Western governments and media to justify the war on Syria. Chief among them are that the armed opposition was originally democratic and secular, that Bashar Assad’s regime was deeply unpopular, and that it was sectarian, thus pitting “the dominant Alawite minority against the Sunni majority” with little attention paid to the loyalties of other denominations, such as Christians or Druze. “Painting the conflict as a sectarian one also obfuscated the role played by Washington in using mujahedeen as a proxy force to wage war on the Arab nationalists.” (p. 186) 

A whole chapter is devoted to countering the myth of the moderate rebel. Another chapter unmasks media bias and Western hypocrisy, with Gowan noting, “We heard endlessly about the use of lethal force to quell internal disturbances in Libya and Syria, and less about the use of the armed power of the state to suppress uprisings in the Arab Gulf kingdoms.” (p. 169) 

All in all, this is a fascinating account from a little-aired perspective. Gowan adds depth to his analysis of the workings of imperialism by comparing the Syrian war to what has happened in other countries. While the comparisons to Iraq and Libya are obvious, there are other unexpected international historical references and comparisons to the Russian Revolution, aspects of World Wars I and II, and more. “Washington’s Long War on Syria” is a good example of how historical knowledge can contribute to a better understanding of the present.

Bullying can affect the physical and emotional health of your child, both in the short term and later in life. Since there is no school in Jordan that is immune to the problem of bullying, we invited Kings Academy Dean of Middle School Reem Abu Rahmeh and Wellness and Advising Director, Nada Dakhil, to speak to parents at Ask Our Experts II*.

People tend to confuse normal peer conflict with bullying, so defining bullying is essential. Bullying entails three key elements, advise Abu Rahmeh and Dakhil:

• An intent to harm

• A power imbalance

• Repeated acts or threats of aggressive behaviour

Bullying 

prevention skills

Abu Rahmeh and Dakhil highlight all that can be done to circumvent bullying: 

• Helping children and teens learn how to express themselves and be heard 

• Nurturing communication so that children feel comfortable connecting with at least one adult

• Talking about values

• Equipping children and teens with the tools to ask for help

• Teaching assertiveness: eye contact, how to carry themselves — your child’s body language affects how others see and interact with them

• Role playing: “We can’t tell children to stand up for themselves. We have to demonstrate it to them,” says Abu Rahmeh

• Equipping kids with conflict resolution tools

Bystander versus upstander

A bystander is someone who witnesses bullying but does not get involved. An upstander knows that what is happening is wrong and does something to help. Abu Rahmeh and Dakhil work on teaching students how to advocate for their friends and how to report bullying when they see it.

Dakhil noted that her school has a peer counselling programme where students are trained as peer counsellors to support other students. This helps report and reduce bullying. And since victims of bullying tend to have fewer friends, Dakhil encourages parents to arrange playdates, teachers to foster friendships behind-the-scenes and students to reach out to people who seem lonely.

School policy

Every school should have a bullying policy in place since every school is affected, says Abu Rahmeh. “We can say we don’t have tolerance for bullying, regardless of who the child is. Our school is clear on this – it doesn’t matter who you are. If you are bullying, there are learning opportunities and there are consequences,” she adds. 

Dakhil stresses that reporting is not just for the victim: “it’s important for the culture of the school and for the bully too”, she says, noting that reporting “prevents escalation of the problem”. She notes that bullies tend to get vilified as the enemy, but it’s also important for schools to help the bully with emotional and social skills. “A child’s behaviour tends to be a reflection of something happening in their life — a risk factor, a life event.” This is when a school may get involved, conveying feedback to parents when we know what’s impacting the child.”

Takeaway message 

for parents

Dakhil suggests tackling “any topic that’s heavy or raises anxiety and fears from a growth mind-set. This means approaching every situation, every conflict, as a growth opportunity for individuals and communities.” Abu Rahmeh says we think too much about children’s physical health and academic achievements, stressing that mental and emotional health is really important. “We need to think about wellbeing not just when a child is sick or failing in school but as a tool kit they need to be emotionally and mentally healthy,” she concludes.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

TAMPA — Highways are being paved, oil is being drilled and entire cities are sprouting up inside many of the world’s nature preserves, imperilling the very creatures they are meant to protect, researchers said on Thursday.

The vast harm being wreaked by people inside protected areas that are home to endangered animals like the eastern black rhinoceros, Sumatran tiger and spectacled hare-wallaby was detailed in the journal Science.

One third of the world’s protected areas are under “intense human pressure”, warned the report.

Furthermore, some 6 million sq.km of protected land — equivalent to two-thirds the size of China — are unlikely to conserve endangered biodiversity.

“Only 10 per cent of lands were completely free of human activity, but most of these regions are in remote areas of high-latitude nations, such as Russia and Canada,” it said.

The problem is most acute in Asia, Europe and Africa, study co-author James Watson, director of the science and research initiative at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told AFP.

“Most nations are doing the first step, and gazetting protected areas but not doing the harder, and more important, second step of funding the management of those protected areas and ensuring they were secured against large-scale human interference,” he said.

Protected areas are seen as a critical solution to the biodiversity crisis facing the planet, by allowing safe havens for birds, mammals, and marine life to thrive.

The amount of lands set aside globally as protected areas has doubled since 1992.

“We know that when they are well managed, well financed and well placed, they work,” Watson said.

Six-lane highway?

But researchers found disturbing examples of large-scale human infrastructure being built inside nature preserves.

For example, railways run through Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks in Kenya, home to the endangered eastern black rhinoceros and lion populations famous for their strange lack of manes, Watson said.

“Plans to add a six-lane highway alongside the railway are well underway,” he said.

Barrow Island National Park in Western Australia — home to endangered mammal species such as the spectacled hare-wallaby, burrowing bettong, golden bandicoot and black-flanked rock-wallaby — also house major oil and gas extraction activities.

In the Indonesian island of Sumatra, more than 100,000 people have illegally settled in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park — home to the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, orangutan and rhinoceros — and converted around 15 per cent of the park area for coffee plantations.

US national parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone also suffer due to “the increasingly sophisticated tourism infrastructure being built inside their borders”, he said.

“We found major road infrastructure such as highways, industrial agriculture, and even entire cities occurring inside the boundaries of places supposed to be set aside for nature conservation,” said co-author Kendall Jones, a researcher at Queensland University in Australia.

“More than 90 per cent of protected areas, such as national parks and nature reserves, showed some signs of damaging human activities.”

Researchers said solutions include making sure governments set aside the funds to manage preserves strictly for biodiversity.

Some of the success stories in this realm include Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia, Madidi National Park in Bolivia, and Yasuni Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador, Watson said.

Don’t wait for the beep: Voicemail is going the way of the dinosaurs.

Although phone-message technology advanced steadily from cassette recorders attached to landlines to services offered by phone companies to cloud-based message storage for mobile devices, it’s now running up against a changing society that places increasing value on saving every possible moment of time.

With the prevalence of mobile phones, texting, chat apps and e-mail, voicemail just is not as what it used to be.

“Let’s say I get a phone call from my brother,” said Nora Lara, a 50-year-old employee at Santa Clara County Superior Court, who is no fan of voicemail and prefers texting to talking on the phone. “I’ll ignore it. And then he’ll text me. When people leave me voice messages, I just delete them without even checking. If they want to get hold of me, they can text me.”

Roman Basinschi, a 26-year-old software engineer, never uses voicemail. “I don’t think it’s even set up,” he said. Occasionally he’ll leave a voicemail — but only for older people and only in more formal situations.

Lara and Basinchi illustrate a profound and widespread change, one that is re-shaping personal and professional communications and creating a whole new set of rules for how to connect. Voicemail is now seen viewed as inefficient. And for many, that feeling extends to phone conversations in general. These days, a phone call often requires advance scheduling.

The frantic pace of life and work is pushing out phone-based voice communication in favour of text, chat, email and other options seen as more efficient, said Mary Jane Copps, a Canada-based phone-communication consultant known as “The Phone Lady” who gives workshops and consultations across North America.

“We’re all feeling more and more overwhelmed,” Copps said. “We all have less time.”

Businesses began adapting in the past few years to the trend away from voicemail, according to Naomi Baron, an American University linguist who studies language and technology.

In 2014, Coca-Cola scrapped voicemail for employees in a move designed to increase productivity. JPMorgan Chase followed suit in 2015, stripping the service from its consumer-bank workers. Baron said her own university two years ago stopped automatically providing employees with voicemail, and made it an opt-in service.

“There is a death knell being sounded for voicemail in business,” said Baron.

If you are looking to point a finger at those responsible for the looming demise of voicemail, and the change ways we use our phones, Millennials are an appropriate target, experts said. That is because they cut their communications teeth on text messaging and e-mailing, Baron said.

“This is a large generalisation, but they don’t feel that comfortable in face-to-face spoken interaction or its derivative over the phone,” Baron said. “They haven’t had the practice. You have far greater control when you can type something out… and then read it again before you send it, and then edit if you choose to.”

Copps sees people under 40 or so as the leaders in the movement against voicemail. Leaving messages for them is usually a waste of time, she said. “They’ve stopped listening to voicemail, so if your phone number shows up on their phone and they recognise your number they’ll call you back, but they won’t listen to your message,” Copps said.

Advertising account manager Tiffany Sung, 24, said she used to talk on the phone a fair amount, but that was back when it cost a dime to send a text. “When texting became unlimited, I stopped making phone calls as much,” said Sung, who typically does not leave voicemails and rarely listens to them except those from her doctor’s office.

Not only is texting usually faster, “You can do it wherever, whenever,” said Cici Tong, 26, an accountant from San Jose.

With people moving away from voicemails and phone calls, we face a whole new series of decisions about how to get in touch with someone, said Anne Ricketts, a communications coach and founder of LIghthouse Communications in San Francisco. It all depends on whom you’re trying to reach, she said.

Among younger adults, a phone call can come as an unwelcome surprise. “lf you don’t schedule it beforehand… people think it’s an emergency, their heart rate goes up,” Ricketts said.

“If it’s more of a formal relationship, I don’t think you text — you e-mail,” Ricketts said. “If it’s a colleague I was comfortable with, I’d just shoot them a text, but I wouldn’t do that with someone I didn’t know very well.”

For matters too complicated to sort out effectively via e-mail or text, a phone call may be required. But that call is best arranged in advance — via e-mail, text or an app, Ricketts said. That is because voicemail will most likely go unheard.

“In the last three to five years the majority of phone calls in my world are booked ahead of time, just like a meeting,” Copps said, noting that a host of apps are now available to make scheduling calls even easier.

But not every social revolution results in positive change.

“I’m not sure we’re moving toward more efficiency,” Copps said. “We’ve been seduced by text communication. It makes us feel more efficient because we can finish our part of the conversation. We’ve developed a discomfort with conversation.”

In many cases, especially when making logistical plans, text-based communication can actually steal far more time from participants than a quick phone call would, Copps said.

It is also lot harder to convey and understand emotion and nuance in written language than through spoken words, Copps added. “If I send a client a proposal and they email me back and they say, ‘No,’ or ‘not right now’… are they saying, “No, we don’t have the budget,’ or, ‘No, but in three weeks we’ll be ready?’ You need tone of voice.”

If you are going to leave a voicemail, it’s important to hedge your bets, Baron said. She suggests that if you leave one, you should also send a text or email to make sure your message gets through.