Iran's 1st woman minister

Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi (left) was approved despite never having held an executive job in government. -- PHOTO: AFP

TEHERAN - IRAN'S parliament strongly backed on Thursday a cabinet proposed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that includes the Islamic republic's first woman minister and a man wanted for bombing a Jewish community centre in Argentina.

The conservative-dominated assembly approved 18 of 21 nominees, propelling Ahmadinejad into his second term at a time when the Islamic republic is battling its worst crisis since the hardliner's re-election in June.

The candidates who failed to garner the required majority of votes were the two other women proposed and the would-be energy minister.

In a move highlighting Iran's often maverick status in the world, nearly 80 per cent of lawmakers approved Ahmad Vahidi - wanted by Argentina for a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires - as defence minister.

Following the vote, Mr Vahidi said his selection, which was by a far greater margin than any other, was a 'decisive slap to Israel,' an arch-enemy of the country.

The first woman to join a cabinet in the Islamic republic will be Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, who will head the health ministry. A gynaecologist and two-time former MP, Dastjerdi, 50, was approved despite never having held an executive job in government.

Ms Dastjerdi described her selection as an 'important step' for Iranian women.

'I think today women reached their long-standing dream of having a woman in the cabinet to pursue their demands,' she told the parliamentary news service soon after the vote. 'This is an important step for women and I hold my head high.'

The other two women, Sousan Keshvaraz and Fatemeh Ajorlou, fell short of the required number of votes to take over at education and at welfare and social security. But oil ministry nominee Masoud Mirkazemi, who is set to head the crucial portfolio of OPEC's second largest exporter, barely squeaked by after being harshly criticised by a powerful conservative MP.

The voting took place after five days of heated debate saw some key nominees strongly opposed by MPs, yet approved in the end. -- AFP

The moment a heron swooped down and grabbed himself a £200 koi carp lunch

This happy heron can be seen enjoying a posh dinner as he guzzles down two pricey koi carp.

The huge bird - a grey heron - was seen feasting at Herbert Park pond in Dublin last week and amazed onlookers as he ate one and then returned to grab another.

Koi carp are not cheap to come by and usually cost at least £100 per fish, so the heron got himself a gourmet meal deal with his choice.

Now you see him: The grey heron prefers grab and go to eating in with this koi carp

In flight: The koi carp never had a chance

A park visitor said: 'He just swooped in and grabbed the first. It seemed like he knew what he was after.

'He seemed to enjoy the first one so much has came back for seconds with no bother at all.

'We all just watched him gulp them down in one go.'

Death becomes him: The heron didn't stop at one, but grabbed himself a second koi carp

Big mouth: Fish are part of a heron's diet, along with insects and the occasional small mammal

Koi carp are ornamental and domesticated varieties of the common carp, normally kept and bred in ponds.

The bigger varieties can cost over £400.

Grey herons normally feed in shallow water, eating frogs, insects and fish, as well as the occasional small mammal.

They breed close to water, and usually nest in reedbeds or other wetlands. - www.dailymail.co.uk

Library book borrowed in 1939 returned 70 years overdue...

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:21 PM on 11th August 2009


A library book borrowed before war broke out in 1939 has finally been returned - 70 years overdue.

Iris Chadwick took out the score of the musical Rose Marie from Cubitt Town Library on the Isle of Dogs, east London, when she was 13.

The drama of war breaking out meant she forgot to return the book and it has remained in her piano stool until now.

Iris Chadwick took 70 years to return the score of the musical Rose Marie to Cubitt Town Library, east London

Luckily council chiefs decided not to charge her overdue fees which, at 10p a day, would have amounted to more than £2,500.

The 83-year-old, who has been married for 63 years, left east London for Dorset and found the Poplar Borough Council book when having a clear-out.

As her book lay in the stool - undamaged by the imminent Blitz - man walked on the Moon, England won the football World cup and the age of the internet arrived.

Piano player Iris borrowed the music when she was 13

Piano-playing Mrs Chadwick said: 'I've hung on to the book for so long because it was part of my childhood.

'It brings back memories of the teacher who caught me playing the piano and instead of telling me off, told me to go to the library and borrow the music.

'I was going to take it to the charity shop but thought it still belongs to the library, so perhaps I should check.'

She submitted an online form to Tower Hamlets Council, which took over from Poplar council in 1965.

She wrote on the form: 'Would you like to have this, or should I just scrap it?'

Iris said: 'After 70 years I really could not afford to pay the fine but I could just about manage the postage.'

Councillor Rofique U Ahmed said: 'It just goes to show it's never too late to return a book.'

The council has an amnesty for overdue books which runs out on October 31. -www.dailymail.co.uk

Cubitt Town library: Tower Hamlets Council waived the overdue fine

How to: Save a heart attack victim

The heart: Chest compressions can save a life by keeping the blood flowing

You're about to catch a train when a fellow passenger starts to complain of chest pain. You are worried he's having a heart attack.

You call an ambulance, but next thing you know the man has collapsed - and he looks dead.

The only thing that will save him is an electric shock to his heart - and until help arrives, you need to keep the blood going to his brain and heart by doing the work of the heart for him using CPR.

Panic sets in - you did a first-aid course at school, but you can't remember exactly what to do. And could you catch something when doing the 'kiss of life'?

In fact, the advice on what you should do if you see an adult, not a child, suddenly collapse has changed. Yes, first call an ambulance.

But if you are not trained properly in CPR there's no need to worry about the kiss of life or the bit about breathing into the patient's mouth. All you need to do is the chest compressions.

• Put your hands in the middle of the chest on the breastbone and push down as hard as you can, 100 times a minute (roughly the same rhythm as the 'ah, ah, ah' bit in the Bee Gees song Staying Alive; I'd sing it in your head, though).

• Don't worry about doing some damage: it is better to be alive with a cracked rib than dead with ribs intact. And that is all you need to carry on doing until the ambulance arrives. If you are in a public area, there may be an automated defibrillator. It's easy to use. Someone should get it and put it on the patient's chest and do what it tells you (yes, it will speak).

What next? Even during CPR, the brain is not supplied with as much oxygen as from a fully functioning heart. This lack of oxygen causes the release of substances which damage the brain cells.

We used to think there was nothing much that could be done about it, and three in four patients brought to hospital alive following a cardiac arrest died soon afterwards or ended up with brain damage. However, following two recent trials, the current approach is to cool the brain down for 24 hours.

This helps to stop the damage by preventing the release of these products, helping more and more patients survive cardiac arrest with a fully functioning brain.

Eight years ago, when I started as a doctor, it used to be a miracle if someone survived a cardiac arrest if they weren't in hospital. But now - using basic things; hands, electricity and ice - the miracles are becoming more common. Just remember: hands, not lips!

• Dr Rob Galloway is a Specialist Registrar working in accident and emergency and intensive care Medicine. First aid courses to go on: www.bhf.org.uk; www.sja.org.uk; www.redcross.org.uk

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Kuasa Mutlak SUAMI dan IBU

Hanya ada dua orang yang mempunyai kuasa ini. SUAMI dan IBU. Kuasa suami keatas isteri dan kuasa ibu keatas anak2. Kuasa Mutlak ini sungguh besar ertinya disisi agama Islam sehingga seseorang itu akan dimurkai Allah sekiranya dia menyakiti hati dua golongan tadi. Sebagai contoh; seorang isteri yang melukai hati suaminya walau sedikit akan berdosa besar (bukan dalam kes terkecuali) begitu juga anak2 terhadap ibunya

Kalau isteri - bayangkan seorang isteri yang secara tidak sedar menyakiti hati suaminya dan tidak meminta maaf. Isteri tersebut akan terus berdosa dan sekiranya dia hamil, anak tersebut akan dikandung didalam badan yang berdosa.

Besar kemungkinan anak tersebut akan mendapat banyak sifat2 yang tidak baik dan seterusnya anak itu lahir dan membesar dan menjadi dewasa dan membawa sifat2 yang tidak elok itu kedalam zuriatnya. Tambahan pula dalam keadaan berdosa bagaimana doa2nya akan diterima Allah? Tanpa doa yang diterima, apalagi daya kita untuk mendapat kebahagiaan?

Kalau anak-anak cukup senang untuk mendapat dosa. Terguris sahaja hati ibunya oleh kata2 atau perbuatan maka anak tersebut akan berdosa. Yang paling ditakuti dosa tersebut tidak disedarinya. Sekiranya anak tidak meminta ampun maka dosa tersebut akan terus dipikul.

Kesan nya, doa2 anak tersebut tidak diterima Allah, ibadatnya tidak mendapat pahala, hidupnya akan tidak mendapat berkat dll. Akhirnya anak akan mendapat berbagai balasan dari Allah dibumi lagi.

Cerita - Kita sering ditakutkan oleh para ustaz tentang cerita bagaimana dua orang pemuda yang solleh mendapat seksaan Allah dizaman Nabi saw. Yang seorang sebab dia TAK SEDAR menyakiti ibunya apabila habuk yang disapu terkena ibunya TANPA DISEDARI. Dan yang seorang lagi kerana TANPA DISEDARI dia menyakiti hati ibunya kerana mengutamakan isterinya.. Ke dua2 diseksa oleh Allah sehingga nabi memerintahkan kedua ibu tadi mengampunkan anak2nya.

Ustaz kata cerita tersebut menyuruh kita sentiasa taat kepada ibu. Sebenarnya itu hanyalah setengah dari pengajaranya. Ada lagi setengah - IBU mesti tahu kuasa yang diberi kepada mereka. Oleh itu IBU MESTI MENGAMPUNKAN ANAKNYA SETIAP MALAM samada anaknya meminta atau tidak dan begitu juga dengan SUAMI MESTI MENGAMPUN KAN ISTERINYA SETIAP MALAM samada isteri meminta atau tidak. Cerita tersebut mengajar kita bahawa sebagai IBU kita mempunyai satu kelebihan yang besar keatas anak2 kerana berdasarkan cerita itu tidak mungkin pemuda2 tersebut sedar akan kesalahan mereka. Kalau dah tak sedar, bagaimana pula ingin meminta ampun.

Seorang suami dan ibu MESTI tahu akan KUASA MUTLAK ini dan kuasa ini hendaklah dijaga dengan baik. InsyAllah bermula dari satu keluarga yang mana suami memaafkan isteri dan ibu memaafkan anak, maka lahirlah satu masyarakat yang mendapat berkat dari Allah, sentiasa dibawah lindunganNya dan menjadi umat Islam yang menghayati Islam.

Ingatlah seorang ISTERI (wanita) mesti taat kepada SUAMInya (lelaki). Si SUAMI (lelaki) mesti taat kepada IBUnya (wanita). Isteri akan menjadi ibu yang akan melahirkan anak yang akan menjadi suami (anak lelaki) dan juga isteri (anak perempuan) dan seterusnya mereka akan melahirkan pula bakal2 suami dan isteri. Jadi tidak ada yang ketinggalan. Semuanya akan merasa mempunyai KUASA MUTLAK. Tetapi yang penting bukanlah 'mempunyai' tetapi MESTI menggunakan dengan bijak.