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| Saturday, 19 June 2004 |
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Image of Europe: Cologne eyes 'pleasure' to trim deficit Ravisara Kariyawasam reports from Germany Recently, Cologne introduced a new tax the city is levying on all sorts of amusement - from pop concerts and discos to the sex trade. City officials say that this tax was necessary to help plug a Sterling Pound 500 million hole in Colonge's budget caused by recent recession. The city hopes to raise at least Sterling Pound 3.5 million each year from the tax, a quarter of which will be coming from brothels, massage parlours and table-dancing clubs. The tax applies to plays and concerts (with 3.5% surcharge on the admission tickets), but most people consider it to be a sex tax. In Germany, prostitution is legal and regulated. The city authorities now plan to gather the missing money to their budget from the many prostitutes who perform their trade in bars and on the street, much to the dismay of the women. Under German law, Cologne must rid its books off red ink within six years. Brain cell may be key to cures, study finds Scientists reported that a type of self-renewing cell found in the adult human brain may have the potential for repairing brain damage or disease. These cells are called neural stem cells. There are proofs that these cells form ribbons producing different types of brain cells including neurons. These new neurons do not migrate to olfactory regions and are not involved in the human capacity for smell. Experts say that much remained to be learned before it would be known whether the stem cells could be used to regenerate tissue lost to disease or injury. Researchers are very interested in adult stem cells since they do not pose ethical questions raised by stem cells drawn from human embryos. Scientists hope that these cells could provide clues as to what causes the most common form of brain cancer. Rose Monday celebrations in Germany The fools ('Jecken') in Germany's carnival hot spots are eager to start the traditional Rose Monday parades. Punctually at 11.11 am, the fools will start their colourful costume parades through many German cities. Several hundreds of visitors are expected to take part in the celebrations, mainly in the Rhein and Mosel area in Western Germany. But recently, other German regions have branched into the carnival activities as well. In Baden-Wurttemberg, many people go out into the streets and perform traditional rites. In the city of Schramberg, one can even observe colourful rafts floating down the local river. For its 103 traditional Rose Monday festivities, the 'carnival stronghold' Mainz expects half a million visitors to join the processions. In Cologne and Dusseldorf, everything has been prepared for a gigantic celebration. But many would not wait until the official Rose Monday festivities: thousands of people have already celebrated during the weekend, wearing funny costumes and singing carnival songs. Far lower cholesterol cuts risks, study finds Reaching lower cholesterol levels than doctors had formally favoured can substantially reduce patient's risks of having or dying from heart attacks, a study found. The result will greatly change the way doctors treat their patients, cardiologists say. In the study, high doses of a powerful cholesterol-lowering drug were compared to a less potent drug. Patients who took the former medicine were less likely to have heart attacks. Many experts consider the new findings as a great advance in heart disease treatment. Yet there were also some who criticised that not enough patients took part in the research and that the process should have taken a longer time for obtaining adequate results. Originally, the study had been launched to prove that the two different medicines were having the same effect on patients. For this reason, the result came as a surprise to cardiologists. However, the findings can only be applied to people who are hospitalised because of a plaque rupture in their coronary arteries, analysts say. But it is still evident that a low cholesterol level is harming one's health. Vatican posts for women The Roman Catholic Church has quietly taken a step forward for women's equality, naming the first female theologians as Vatican consultants, and promptly denied the appointments had anything to do with their gender. Pope John Paul, whose defence of the male-only clergy has rankled with liberal Catholic women, named the two at the weekend to the International Theological Commission, an influential advisory board. The Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano published without comment on Sunday the list of new members, including Sister Sara Butler of Chicago's University of Saint Mary of the Lake and Barbara Hallensleben of Fribourg University in Switzerland. "They were not chosen because they are women. They were chosen for their competence," Cardinal Georges Cottier, papal household theologian and former head of the commission, said recently. "Women can bring their own sensitivity to certain problems where men might have a different point of view." A senior Vatican source remarked that 'a barrier has fallen' but said the timing had no link to International Women's Day since gender was not an issue. That also explained the lack of publicity, he added. The appointments placed Ms Butler and Ms Hallensleben among the highest-ranking women in the church, which allows only celibate males to be priests. |
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