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Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

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Syskool
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ASEAN
ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a political and economic cooperation and regional stability of ten countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei joined in 1984, shortly after its independence from the United Kingdom, and Vietnam joined ASEAN as its seventh member in 1995. Laos and Burma were admitted into full membership in July 1997 as ASEAN celebrated its 30th anniversary. Cambodia became ASEAN’s tenth member in 1999.

Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and sociocultural evolution among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.

The ASEAN Declaration in 1967, considered ASEAN’s founding document, formalized the principles of peace and cooperation to which ASEAN is dedicated. The ASEAN Charter entered into force on 15 December 2008. The ASEAN Community is comprised of three pillars, the Political-Security Community, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community. Each pillar has its own Blueprint approved at the summit level, and, together with the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Strategic Framework and IAI Work Plan Phase II, they form the Roadmap for and ASEAN Community.

ASEAN covers a land area which is 3% of the total land area of Earth, and has a population of approximately 8.8% of the world’s population. The sea area of ASEAN is about three times larger than its land counterpart. If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the eighth largest economy in the world.

ASEAN was preceded by an organisation called the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), an alliance consisting of the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand that was formed in 1961. The bloc itself, however, was established on 8 August 1967, when foreign ministers of five countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand – met at the Thai Department of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok and signed the ASEAN Declaration, more commonly known as the Bangkok Declaration.

The five foreign ministers – Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso Ramos of the Philippines, Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand – are considered the organisation’s Founding Fathers.

The motivations for the birth of ASEAN were so that its members’ governing elite could concentrate on nation building, the common fear of communism, reduced faith in or mistrust of external powers in the 1960s, and a desire for economic development.

ASEAN commands far greater influence on Asia-Pacific trade, political, and security issues than its members could achieve individually. This has driven ASEAN’s community building efforts. This work is based largely on consultation, consensus, and cooperation.

Junk food cravings as bad as cigarette cravings

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Syskool
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Junk food cravings ‘as bad as cigarette cravings’

The intensity of junk food cravings is comparable with cigarette or alcohol addiction.
But once the honeymoon is over, the cravings soon set in. And, according to slimmers, the intensity of urges to gorge on junk food is comparable with an addiction to cigarettes or alcohol.
Cravings for food can be as bad as those for drugs, according to new research.
A survey of more than 5,000 slimmers found that a fat ‘high’ can be like an addiction.
And two in three who get these urges feel they are judged by society in a similar way to those hooked on controlled substances.
Three in four (76 per cent) compare their weakness to an addict’s desire for cigarettes, drinks or drugs and more than half (55 per cent) believe they got ‘a buzz’ from their favourite foods in the past.
The survey of 5,139 Slimming World members also revealed most slimmers had tried using food to make themselves feel better when they were low, with 94 per cent having turned to high fat food to boost their mood.
But almost eight in ten (77 per cent) said while there was an initial improvement, they were much worse afterwards. Even more (83 per cent) reported feeling like a failure or criticising themselves for not being able to stick to a diet.
As well as their emotional problems, slimmers also felt challenged by a food environment that encourages unhealthy eating.
Three in four (76 per cent) felt ‘bombarded’ by advertisements for junk food and nine in ten (89per cent) said the modern world made it easier to eat unhealthily than healthily.
Getting an unhealthy meal or snack in their local area after 10pm would be ‘very easy’ for eight in ten (78per cent), but fewer than one in twenty (four per cent) felt the same about a healthy one.
The poll was carried out ahead of a BBC2 documentary looking at food’s affect on emotions and how slimming clubs support people to make healthier choices and manage their weight.
Slimming World research specialist Dr James Stubbs said: ‘We live in a world that encourages people to eat more unhealthily.
‘People get used to using certain foods as a way to try to make themselves feel better and it becomes a habit, so when they are feeling down they are always likely to turn to those foods and it quickly becomes a cycle.
‘With high fat and high sugar foods being so readily available it is really difficult for people to ignore those signals.
‘There is growing evidence high fat, high sugar foods have some addictive qualities and this survey suggests slimmers feel trapped by food cravings, aggressive marketing and easy availability of less healthy foods.
‘The real danger is it is very easy for people to enter into a vicious cycle where they try to take comfort in food when they are feeling down, but then feel guilty and judged for what they perceive as a lack of self control.
‘These feelings of failure and sense of feeling judged affect self esteem and so people take comfort in food again, and so the cycle continues..
Added Dr Stubbs: ‘The group support provided by slimming clubs, and this is especially true of Slimming World where the emphasis is on caring and compassionate understanding, helps to create a safe environment where slimmers can share support with a community of people just like them.
‘Having the care of an empathetic consultant who has lost weight themselves and the understanding of their fellow members, helps slimmers to understand and feel less guilty about their choices, so they are less likely to give themselves a hard time.
‘Being part of the group provides motivation and gives people the confidence to make their own decisions. In a world that encourages people to make unhealthy choices, having the skills and knowledge to eat healthily and the confidence to take responsibility for your own decisions makes healthy eating much easier.
‘The survey revealed 87 per cent of our slimmers feel confident in maintaining these healthier habits in the future..
Tam Fry, chairman of the Child Growth Foundation and spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum, said there should be a limit on chemical food additives beyond which manufacturers cannot go.
He said: ‘The controversy still rages over whether food is addictive, and I think it is. Manufacturers are putting chemicals into food and after a while you do not get the same ‘buzz’ from eating it, so you have to have twice as much.
‘Some of these additives can actually drive children wild. It is appalling. The food manufacturers do not even have to list all of these ingredients, either, so we do not know what they are putting in. A limit could easily be devised by the Food Standards Agency beyond which they cannot go.
‘But we have a messy government in Westminster which is in league with the food industry. It is no good giving them the carrot, when what they actually require is the stick.
Source : i) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
  ii)  http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/21/slimmers-junk-food-cravings-as-bad-as-cigarette-cravings-3931576/

Top 10 Health Benefits of Ginger

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Syskool
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1. Ginger has carminative properties (anti spasmic) and can be used to calm in upset stomach, providing relief for the relief of bloating and gas.

2. The intake of ginger helps stimulate the secretion of mucus, quieting your cough and soothing any scratchiness in your throat.

3. Ginger has been proven (in multiple studies) to treat feelings of nausea, particularly in the form of seasickness, morning sickness, motion sickness and as a side effect of chemotherapy.

4. Ginger contains anti viral, anti toxic, and anti fungal properties, and is used for the prevention of and treatment against the common cold.

5. Ginger acts as an antihistamine and aids in the treatment of allergies.

6. Ginger displays anti inflammatory properties and can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and various other muscular disorders. The chemical components of the root are instrumental in inhibiting the biosynthesis of prostaglandins which are responsible for causing inflammation. Thus the root has proven to be a highly effective form of treatment, in some cases, even more so than the NSAID’s that are traditionally prescribed.

7. Ginger contains special enzymes responsible for catalyzing the proteins in your food, thus aiding in digestion and the prevention of cramps. The ancient Greeks used to eat ginger after a large meal in order to ease the digestion process.

8. Due to its promotion of mucus secretion, ginger protects against the development of ulcers, unwanted holes in the lining of your stomach.

9. Ginger has proven to help lower your cholesterol levels and prevent the formation of blood clots.

10. Ginger is often used to settle an upset stomach or treat severe stomach ailments such as dyspepsia or colic. It is frequently used today in developing countries to treat diarrhea.

ARTICLE 370 (VERY IMPORTANT)

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Syskool
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ARTICLE 370 (VERY IMPORTANT)

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But what exactly is Article 370 and why is the Article so important to keep Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India ?

Here are 10 facts that explain why:

1. According to the Constitution oF India , Article 370 provides temporary provisions to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, granting it special autonomy.

2. The article says that the provisions of Article 238, which was omitted from the Constitution in 1956 when Indian states were reorganised, shall not apply to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

3. Dr BR Ambedkar, the principal drafter of the Indian Constitution, had refused to draft Article 370.

4. In 1949, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had directed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdullah to consult Ambedkar (then law minister) to prepare the draft of A suitable article to be included in the Constitution.

5. Article 370 was eventually drafted by Gopalaswami Ayyangar

6. Ayyangar was a minister without portfolio in the first Union Cabinet of India. He was also a former Diwan to Maharajah Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir

7. Article 370 is drafted in Amendment of the Constitution section, in Part XXI, under Temporary and TransitionaL Provisions.

8. The original draft explained “the Government of the State means the person for the time being recognised by the President as the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers for the time being in office under the Maharaja’s Proclamation dated the fifth day of March, 1948.”

9. On November 15, 1952, it was changed to “the Government of the State means the person for the time being recognised by the
President on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly of the State as the Sadr- i-Riyasat (now Governor) of Jammu and Kashmir, acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers of the State for the time being in office.”

10. Under Article 370 the Indian Parliament cannot increase or reduce the borders of the state.

Members of the space family

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Syskool
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The Sun is a shining spherical heavenly body round which the planets rotate. It is one of some 10,000,000 stars which constitute our galaxy. Its average distance from the Earthis 149,597,900 km. equatorial diameter 1,392,520 km, mass 2×1027 tons and its average density 1.4 grams per cc.

Planets revolve round the Sun. They together constitute the Solar System. Planets are not self-luminous but shine by radiating the light received from the Sun. Their orbits are elliptical. Their sizes, speeds and distances from the Sun are dissimilar. Till recently, it was traditionally held that the total number of planets in our Solar System was nine. However, at the historic assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), world’s top astronomical body, held in Prague (Czech Republic) in August 2006, over 2,500 scientists from all over the globe unanimously passed a resolution through which Pluto was stripped of its long­ standing status as the ninth and outermost planet of the Solar System. In the wake of that decision, there are now eight known planets. They are:

(i) Mercury, (ii) Venus, (iii) Earth, (iv) Mars, (v) Jupiter, (vi) Saturn, (vii) Uranus and (viii) Neptune. Neptune is now farthest from the Sun while Mercury lies nearest to it.

Satellites are secondary bodies that revolve around the planets as planets revolve around the Sun. A satellite is said to have been formed of the matter whirled off from a planet when still in molten state. Except Venus and Mercury, all the other planets have satellites. Moon is the Earth’s satellite.

Asteroids are minor planets whose orbits lie between Jupiter and Mars. These are said to be the fragments of a larger planet disrupted long ago. Their number is estimated to be 30,000 pieces of rocky debris out of which more than half are known. Ceres, the first to be discovered, is the largest asteroid having a diameter of 670 km. Most of them are less than 80 km in diameter.

Meteors are small bodies coming from inter-planetary space. They become luminous by friction on entering the Earth’s atmosphere and are popularly called shooting stars.

Meteorites are the larger meteors that reach the Earth and become meteorites. All meteorites were meteors when in flight.

Star are suns or self-luminous bodies, situated at enormous distances from the Solar System. Some of the stars are so distant that it takes millions of years for their light to reach us. The distances of stars are expressed in light years. There are millions of stars in the Universe.

There are four kinds of stars:

  1. Fixed Stars;
  2. Binary (double) Stars;
  3. Temporary Stars (new stars); and
  4. Variable Stars.
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