Members from both the treasury and opposition benches demanded an increase in the budget allocations for the health and education sectors, as the National Assembly held its second day of debate on the federal budget for the Fiscal Year 2008-09 on Sunday. They said that subsidies on oil and electricity should continue to control price [...]

On a visit to Ashgabat this month, Russian fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev professed his fascination with traditional Turkmen clothes, and announced plans to create a new collection featuring elements of traditional Turkmen costumes.
Zaitsev, who was in the Central Asian republic to take part in the Turkmen Textile Exhibition, said the collection would mostly consist of [...]

By Harnessing the power of “word-of-mouth” advertising Patti Ainalis has driven her fashion label a long way from its humble beginnings in a spare room.
As a 21-year-old, Ms Ainalis decided that the three-by-two room opening onto a footpath, was perfect to display her women’s suits to the public.
“I thought, ‘Well, we’ll open the doors and [...]

SUFFOLK’S health chiefs should be more accountable and have elected representatives, it has been claimed today.
Elected councillors have highlighted concerns that NHS bosses are appointed and do not rely on the support of the public to stay in office, despite making extremely important decisions.
On Monday eighteen Ipswich Borough councillors met with Carole Taylor-Brown, the chief [...]

Not nearly enough has been said about the massive subcultural phenomenon that has grown out of the photographic narcissism of girls.
Put it this way: the most fought-over toy in our house is my digital camera, which is put to heavy use practically every evening and weekend, taking hundreds of shots of my 15-year-old daughter and [...]

In May, Augusta Resource Corporation, aka Rosemont Copper, released its quarterly report to stockholders and the press. Since this is a company that has nothing to report to its investors but red ink — only expenses and no revenue — one might expect it to put the best light on its situation, which it did.
However, [...]

The office of Bernard Paniel on the outskirts of Paris has for years been a mandatory stop for many Muslim women nervous about getting married.
An obstetrician-gynecologist for France’s public health system, Dr. Paniel performs an operation to reattach the hymens of women who want to appear as virgins. For such patients, virginity is a prerequisite [...]

According to a new warning released from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, mercury that is used in dental fillings poses a major health risk.
Mercury is commonly used in amalgam dental fillings and poses the greatest health risk to children, as well as pregnant mothers and their fetus.
The FDA, following pressure from many health groups, [...]

Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon Draud knew and approved the extra cost of his new state vehicle, even after a finance official offered him a chance to reconsider because of the state’s bleak budget, government e-mails show.
In a March 20 e-mail to Robin Kinney, the education department’s associate commissioner for operations, Mitchell wrote that “all other [...]

Women’s groups have come out in support of the Health Ministry for promoting the use of condoms to combat HIV, but say practising safe sex is the responsibility of both men and women.
Sisters in Islam programme manager Norhayati Kaprawi said it was her group’s hope that both men and women are encouraged to practise safe [...]