Mother gives birth to five baby girls

Doctors in Oxford have helped a woman deliver quintuplets defying the odds set out by the new mum's Russian doctors, reports claim. The 29-year-old mother gave birth to five healthy baby girls four weeks preterm on Saturday at John Radcliffe Hospital, marking the first woman to give birth to quints in the UK for five years. A team of 18 doctors and nurses assisted the birth of the sisters weighing between 1lb 13oz to 2lb 2oz by caesarean section. During the multiple pregnancy, doctors in Russia reportedly advised the mother to have selective terminations to minimise risk, however she declined. Dr Lawrence Impey, a clinical specialist in high-risk pregnancies, told the BBC: "[The] mother is recovering well and the babies are doing well." The last set of quintuplets to be born in the UK was delivered in Northern Ireland in 2002, meaning that the miracle babies are now at school age

Healthy eating for people with diabetes

Having diabetes does not change the kinds of foods you should eat. Nutritious foods can improve everyone's health. Choose foods that keep glucose levels in good control and that provide enough calories to maintain a healthy weight. If you monitor your blood glucose consistently, you will learn how different foods effect blood glucose level.
The amount of each type of food you should eat depends on your diet, your weight, how often you exercise, as well as other existing health risks. Everyone has individual needs, which is why you should work with your doctor and, possibly, a dietician to develop a meal plan that works for you.
But there are some solid, general recommendations to guide you. The Diabetes Food Pyramid, which resembles the old USDA food guide pyramid, splits foods into six groups in a range of serving sizes. The Diabetes Food Pyramid differs in that that food groups are based on carbohydrate and protein content instead of their food classification type. A person with diabetes should eat more of the foods in the bottom of the pyramid (grains, beans, vegetables) than those on the top (fats and sweets). This diet will help keep your heart and body systems healthy

Foods like bread, grains, beans, rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables are at the bottom of the pyramid because they should serve as the foundation of your diet -- together as a group, they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy carbohydrates. But the key is, choose sources with plenty of fiber. Choose whole-grain foods such as whole-grain bread or crackers, tortillas, bran cereal, brown rice, or beans. Use whole-wheat or other whole-grain flours in cooking and baking. Eat more low-fat breads such as bagels, tortillas, English muffins, and pita bread.

For snacks, try pretzels or low-fat crackers.

1 slice bread
1/2 small bagel, English muffin, or pita bread
1/2 hamburger or hot dog bun
4 - 6 crackers
1/2 cup cooked cereal or pasta
1/3 cup cooked rice
3/4 cup dry cereal
1/2 cup cooked beans, lentils, peas, or corn
1 small potato
1 cup winter squash
1/2 cup sweet potato or yam
A serving can be:

Vegetables
(3 - 5 servings)

Choose fresh or frozen vegetables without added sauces, fats, or salt. You should opt for more dark green and deep yellow vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, romaine, carrots, and peppers.
1 cup raw vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1/2 cup tomato or vegetable juice
A serving can be:

Fruits
(2 - 4 servings)

Choose whole fruits more often than juices. They have more fiber. Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines, are best. Opt for fruit juices without added sweeteners or syrups.
1 small fresh fruit
1/2 cup canned fruit
1/4 cup dried fruit
1/2 cup fruit juice
A serving can be:

Milk
(2 - 3 servings)

Choose low-fat or nonfat milk or yogurt. Yogurt has natural sugar in it, but it can also contain added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Yogurt with artificial sweeteners has fewer calories than yogurt with added sugar.
1 cup milk
1 cup yogurt
A serving can be:

Meat, Fish, and Meat Substitutes

(2 - 3 servings)
Choose fish and poultry more often. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey. Select lean cuts of beef, veal, pork or wild game. Trim all visible fat from meat. Bake, roast, broil, grill, or boil instead of frying.
2 - 3 oz. cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
1/2 - 3/4 cup tuna
2 - 3 oz. cheese
1 egg*
2 Tbsp. peanut butter*
4 oz. tofu*
A serving can be:
*equivalent to 1 oz. of meat
Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol
In general, you should limit your intake of fatty foods, especially those high in saturated fat, such as hamburger, cheese, bacon, and butter. Sweets are high in fat and sugar, so keep portion sizes small.
1/2 cup ice cream
1 small cupcake or muffin
2 small cookies

Political Head was killed in SLAF air attack

The LTTE Head quarters announced that the Head of the LTTE Political Division, S P Tamilselvan, was killed in a Sri Lankan Air Force aerial bombardment today at 6.00am. The full text of the announcement made by the LTTE Head Quarters is as follows: "With deep sorrow we announce to the people of Tamil Eelam, the Tamil people living all over the world and the international community that at 6.00am today, Friday 2nd November 2007, Head of our organization's Political Division, Brig. S P Tamilselvan was killed by the Sri Lankan Air Force aerial bombing. With him Lt Col Anpumani (Alex), Major Mihuthan, Capt Nethagy, Lt Adchgivel, and Lt Vahaikumaran were also killed

Military officials said Friday they had received a report of a top-level gathering near the northern town of Kilinochchi, the political capital of the LTTE, where Thamilselvan was based, and ordered the air raids

World Toilet Summit 2007

" Millions of people in India have no access to proper toilets "

A World Toilet Summit has opened in the Indian capital, Delhi, with more than 40 countries taking part.

The four-day meeting will examine solutions and technologies that can be used to provide a basic need for nearly half the world's population.
According to estimates, 2.6bn people around the world lack access to a hygienic toilet.
The United Nations hopes to halve this figure by 2015 as part of its millennium development goals.
In India alone, more than 700 million people have no access to toilets which have proper waste disposal systems.

It is as important an issue as anything," says Bindeshwar Pathak of Sulabh International, an NGO that promotes the use of low-cost toilets in India and is joint organiser of the summit.
"It is mostly the Asian, African and Latin American countries that lack basic sanitation. So that's what we will be discussing at the summit," he adds.
It is a sight familiar to anyone travelling around India by train

Early morning, many Indian villagers head to the nearest railway track and squat by its side relieving themselves.
Others use their fields, the forests or any piece of open land that they can find.
Women are particular badly off - they either have to head out before dawn or in the night when it is relatively more private, but it means they are vulnerable to disease or even sexual assault.
The UN wants to remedy the situation by 2025.
But the problem is that it is quite expensive for most countries in the developing world to set up western-style toilets and sewage systems.
But there are alternatives.
Anita Jha, vice-president of Sulabh International explains, "We have several models of traditional Indian-style squat toilets. These range in cost from 700 to 3,000 rupees ($18 - $75) and also use very little water."
"That makes them very useful in countries with a water scarcity problem," she says.