China today dismissed accusations that its military had hacked into Pentagon computers, calling the claim “cold war” thinking.

The robust Chinese response followed a front-page report in the Financial Times saying Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) hackers broke into a US defence department network in June, taking data and causing the shutdown of a system serving the secretary of defence, Robert Gates.

“The Chinese government has consistently opposed and vigorously attacked according to the law all internet-wrecking crimes, including hacking,” the foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu was quoted by Reuters as saying.

“Some people are making wild accusations against China… These are totally groundless and also reflect a cold war mentality.”

According to the FT, a senior US official said the Pentagon had pinpointed the exact origin of the attack. Another official told the paper there was a “very high level of confidence… trending towards certainty” that the PLA was responsible.

The paper quoted a former US official as saying the PLA was able to disrupt and even disable the Pentagon’s computer system. “The PLA has demonstrated the ability to conduct attacks that disable our system… and the ability in a conflict situation to re-enter and disrupt on a very large scale,” the former official told the FT.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has raised similar concerns about Chinese hackers infecting German government ministries with spying programs.

In the attack against the Pentagon, the FT said, hackers from several locations in China spent several months probing the Pentagon system before overcoming its defences. The Pentagon was forced to take down the network for more than a week during the attacks.

“There are multiple wake-up calls stirring us to levels of more aggressive vigilance,” Richard Lawless, the Pentagon’s top Asia official, told the FT at the time.

The report comes as the US president, George Bush, is to meet Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, tomorrow in advance of the Apec summit of Pacific rim leaders.

In May, the small Baltic country of Estonia was subjected to a «www.guardian.co.uk» that disabled websites of government ministries, political parties, newspapers, banks and companies.

The attacks led to Nato urgently examining the offensive and its implications. They came amid a row over Estonia’s removal of the “bronze soldier” Soviet war memorial in central Tallinn. The issue brought relations between Russia and Estonia to their lowest ebb since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

LIFE expectancy in the Lothians has improved by two and a half years in the past decade, new figures revealed today.

And people now being born in the area can expect to live one year longer than the Scottish average.

Life expectancy for both men and women has gone up all over Scotland, but people’s prospects of a long life here do not compare well with many other countries in Europe.

Statistics from the Registrar General for Scotland show life expectancy at birth in the Lothians is 78.2 years compared with 75.7 in 1994-96. Only Shetland and the Highlands showed a bigger improvement.

Life expectancy for males in the Lothians has gone up from 72.8 to 75.7 and females from 78.3 to 80.4.

That compares with figures of 74.6 for males and 79.6 for females across Scotland as a whole.

In Edinburgh, life expectancy at birth for males has increased from 72.6 to 75.8, putting the Capital thirteenth in the ranking of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas.

For females in Edinburgh, life expectancy has risen from 78.5 to 80.9, seventh best in the table.

At the age of 65, men in Scotland can expect to live for another 15.9 years and women for another 18.6 years.

But for both, life expectancy at birth is still among the lowest out of 25 European countries.

For men, it is one year shorter than the EU average and for women it is nearly two years.

And for both sexes, life expectancy is about four years lower than in countries such as Sweden, whose citizens live the longest.

The statistics show the gap between life expectancy for men and women in Scotland is closing - dropping from 5.7 years to five years over the past ten years.

But there are big local differences - Glasgow has the lowest male life expectancy at 70.5 years, while East Dunbartonshire has the highest at 78.

Women can expect to live to 81.9 in East Renfrewshire but only 77 in Glasgow.

In Shetland, men can expect to live to 76.6 and women to 81.5. And those already aged 65 in Shetland can expect to live the longest of anyone in Scotland - an extra 18 years in the case of men, and 20.5 years for women.

Registrar General Duncan Macniven said: “Our calculations show that people throughout Scotland are likely to live longer now than they did ten years ago. But that improvement is not spread equally.”

MOST Scots do not need an excuse to enjoy a good curry. But new research may offer another reason to indulge in their favourite spicy food.

A study has discovered that a substance found in turmeric root could hold a key to tackling Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists in the United States discovered the extract may be capable of boosting the immune system to help combat the plaques which form in the brain, leading to the death of brain cells and dementia.

The latest study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focused on a substance called bisdemethoxycurcumin, which is found in the turmeric root.

The researchers, from the University of California, Los Angeles, used blood samples from Alzheimer’s patients.

When they added the curry substance, it boosted immune cells called macrophages. These helped clear compounds known as amyloid beta, which create the plaques which build up in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers.

The researchers, led by Dr Milan Fiala, also identified the genes linked to this effect.

“The study provides more insight into the role of the immune system in Alzheimer’s disease and points to a new treatment approach,” the report said.

The findings could lead to blood tests to identify which patients may respond to the substance, allowing treatment to be individualised for them.

And new drugs could be developed using information on how the turmeric substance affects the immune system.

Previous research has suggested that rates of Alzheimer’s are much lower among the elderly in India than they are in western countries.

Almost 60,000 people in Scotland are estimated to suffer from some form of dementia.

Dementia affects one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80.

By 2031, the number of sufferers in Scotland is set to exceed 100,000, leading to calls for action now to reduce the impact of what campaigners have called the “dementia epidemic”.

Charities welcomed the latest research looking at the potential benefits of curry ingredients in tackling Alzheimer’s.

Maureen Thom, information manager at Alzheimer Scotland, said: “Laboratory and animal studies of the role of curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, have previously shown encouraging results.

“This study using human subjects may bring us a step closer to developing a new treatment but more research is necessary using larger study groups.”

Previous research has suggested that a healthy diet, rich in fruit and vegetables, could play a key part in preventing Alzheimer’s.

Experts also believe that exercise and keeping the brain alert by doing crosswords and other puzzles such as Suduko may help combat dementia.

But Joanne Lunn, a scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, said people should be aware that eating too much curry may have unhealthy consequences.

“You have to watch the very creamy curries as they can have a high fat content. The more vegetable based curries with tomato based sauces may be a better option for those wanting to eat them on a more regular basis.”

Ms Lunn said that a healthy and varied diet throughout life was thought to be the best way of lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Physical exercise and keeping mentally active are also recommended.

“It is unlikely that by just eating curry we are going to prevent Alzheimer’s. But having the odd vegetable curry as part of a varied diet is not a bad thing.” ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR A HEALTHIER OUTLOOK

CURRY has all the ingredients for a healthy diet. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric that makes curries yellow, has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used to treat arthritic pain in Indian households for centuries. A study in mice also suggested that it could slow the growth of cancer.

Another favourite ingredient is ginger, which can be helpful in combating nausea in expectant mothers and novice sailors, while garlic - a curry staple - has been hailed as being good for the heart, as well as acting as an effective antibiotic and mosquito repellent. Organic varieties, which generally have higher sulphur levels, are most effective.

Adding plenty of fresh chillies, left, to a curry can help to clear a blocked nose. They have also been reported to help stabilise insulin levels, which keeps blood-sugar levels regular and controls the appetite. Coriander, a herb used in rogan josh and other dishes, helps to fight bacterial and fungal infections. It can also reduce bloating and stomach problems.

The mangoes in chutney, meanwhile, are rich in antioxidants and help to unclog the pores, giving that flawless complexion we all crave.

Related topic

- «news.scotsman.com»
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1375