shameen

Anna Hazare’s health stable on second day of fast

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Social activist Anna Hazare continued with his indefinite hunger-strike Monday with a low turnout at his ongoing anti-graft rally at Jantar Mantar here.

The 75-year-old Hazare looked fit on the second day of his fast that he started Sunday.

According to a health bulletin issued by the India Against Corruption (IAC), the group that supports Hazare, the septuagenarian’s blood pressure was recorded normal with pulse rate stable at 89.

His blood sugar level was normal at 98.

Life tough for Pak’s future women judges: Daily

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A Pakistani daily welcomed the government’s decision to appoint women to the Judiciary, but cautioned that “future women Justices are going to find life on the bench no easier than they do in every other aspect of their lives”.

An editorial in the News International Monday said that President Asif Ali Zardari has declared that the government has decided to appoint women to the judiciary, “a move that can only be supported at the same time as noting that it is a move long overdue”.

Bilawal awarded BA Honours degree at Oxford

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Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s son Bilawal has been awarded a BA Honours degree at a convocation of the Oxford University.

The degree was awarded to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, at the convocation held yesterday, the PPP said in a statement on Sunday.

He was accompanied to the event by his aunt Sanam Bhutto and sister Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari.

Bilawal graduated with BA Honours in modern history and politics.

ISAF rebukes Pakistan over cross-border attacks

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The US-led security coalition in Afghanistan has taken strong exception to a claim by Pakistan that it has done little to stop militants from using Afghan territory as a springboard for attacks on its forces.

Pakistan’s military says it has notified the NATO-led force in Afghanistan 52 times about cross-border movement from Pakistan into Afghanistan by militants, without any response from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

London Olympics: Saina, Jai Bhagwan add lustre to India`s campaign

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India`s star shuttler Saina Nehwal eased out her opening match rival and boxer Jai Bhagwan joined his more illustrious team mate Vijender Singh in the round of 16 to raise India`s hopes on a rain-truncated day at the London Olympic Games here Sunday.

Rower Swaran Singh Virk brought more happy tidings as he entered the men`s single sculls quarterfinals, but the story of success ended there as archers continued to be off target, shooters misfired and the lone surviving paddler crashed out of reckoning.

New type of white blood cell discovered

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Scientists have identified a new type of white blood cell which activates a killing immune response to an external source paving the way for better vaccine strategies to treat cancer.

Researchers in Newcastle and Singapore have identified a subset of dendrite cells that can generate a response to an external source of antigen, for example bacteria, vaccines and tumours.

Most cells can only present antigens from within themselves, and so only elicit an immune response if they are infected themselves.

Africa eyes India`s winning plan to fight AIDS

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A highly successful AIDS prevention programme launched in India by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has evoked great interest in Africa where over two thirds of people with the deadly disease live.

“There is so much demand for these learnings in Africa,” Alkesh Wadhwani, head of the foundation`s India programmes, told IANS.

“Multiple countries visit us and seek all the tools and techniques we use to scale up their programme with sex workers,” said Wadhwani who was here to attend the just concluded International AIDS Conference.

Hook on to fish oil to cure most ailments

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For long fish oil has been considered as the best supplement which can fight heart diseases, ease arthritis, and even stave off blindness.

Intake of fish oil supplements is good for the immune system of babies as well as pregnant mothers.

Studies have shown benefits from fish oils for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Fish oils have an anti-inflammatory effect which targets the cause of joint pain and helps the body deal with the pain

First look of Karan Johar`s ` Student Of The Year`

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Karan Johar has revealed the first look of his much-awaited directorial venture ‘Student Of The Year’ on twitter.

He has posted a poster showing three students sitting on a bench wearing t-shirts in identical colour with their names written on back.

“The Student Of The Year (SOTY) teaser poster,” Karan tweeted Sunday.

Though the poster does not reveal much about the story-line, it definitely keeps up with the youthful theme of the movie.

OIC to discuss problems facing Muslim nations

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Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will attend an extraordinary two-day summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation to be held in Saudi Arabia next month to discuss problems facing Muslim nations.

The summit has been convened by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to discuss the current situation in the Muslim world, including the threats of “fragmentation and sedition”.

Pakistani officials confirmed that Zardari would represent Pakistan at the summit to be held in Makkah during August 14-15.

Japan to accept patients from disputed islands off Hokkaido

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Japan will accept two patients from two of the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido at hospitals on the northernmost Japanese main island as part of its support programme for Russian residents of the disputed islands, the Japanese Foreign Ministry has said.

The hospitals will accept the two female patients in their teens from Kunashiri and Etorofu islands, one of whom is suffering from a bone disease and the other from a hearing impairment, from July 30 through August 17, the ministry said yesterday.

Japan has accepted patients from the islands since fiscal 1998.

Visa problems impacting trade, investments: India to UK

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India has raised with the UK the issue of visa problems being faced by its professionals and the way they are impacting bilateral trade and investments.

At a meeting with British Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has said, “The bilateral trade and investment between the two nations is getting impacted by difficulties in obtaining visas.”

Sharma said India wants to make sure that business visitors are able to travel to the UK without facing visa related troubles.

Govt not breaking Team Anna’s unity: Narayanasamy

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Slamming Team Anna, Union Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday said there was lack of unity among members of Anna Hazare’s team and dismissed the charge that government was trying to break it.

“There is already no unity among the members of Anna Hazare’s team. So, there is no need for us to break their unity, as someone alleged,” the Minister of state in the PMO told reporters at the airport here.

Narayanasamy’s remarks come in the wake of charge by Hazare in the backdrop of his meeting with Law Minister Salman Khurshid that the government was conspiring to split his team.

Jet Airways Delhi-Jaipur flight suffers bird hit

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A Delhi-Jaipur flight of Jet Airways on Saturday suffered a bird hit during landing at Sanganer airport here following which the aircraft was grounded for technical inspection.

However, the landing was safe and no untoward incident occurred due to the bird hit, the airport sources told a news agency.

The flight landed here this morning and was scheduled to return to Delhi after 30 minutes. But it was cancelled as the aircraft developed some snag after the bird hit, they said.

US defends rant against outsourcing jobs to India

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The US sees no contradiction in President Barack Obama’s election year rhetoric against outsourcing of jobs to India and its efforts to forge a stronger strategic partnership with New Delhi.

“It’s very important for America to get our economy on track. And we’re always looking for opportunities to promote American business and American jobs,” a senior State Department official told the foreign media Friday.

Russia launches cluster of four satellites

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Russia Saturday launched a rocket with a Cosmos class military satellite and three civilian satellites on board, spokesperson Col. Alexey Zolotukhin said.

The rocket blasted off from the Plesetsk space centre in northern Russia at 5.35 a.m.

The civilian payload includes two Gonets-M telecoms satellites and a MiR scientific microsatellite.

The satellites were put into designated orbits at 7.21 a.m., as scheduled.

The classified military satellite will join a Russian network of about 70 military reconnaissance satellites.

IANS

Skin bacteria can protect against infections: Study

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The millions of bacteria that live on skin can boost immunity and protect the body from infections, a new research has claimed.

Researchers from National Institutes of Health in US found that millions of naturally occurring commensal bacteria in the skin collectively known as the skin microbiota contribute to protective immunity by interacting with the immune cells in the skin.

The study was published in journal Science.

`Stress can cause breast cancer to spread to bone`

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Stress or depression following primary treatment in breast cancer patients can make it more favourable for cancer cells to spread to the bone.

The study published in PLoS Biology journal found that both stress and depression activate the sympathetic nervous system, which increases bone levels of a signalling molecule called RANKL.

The researchers from Vanderbilt Centre for Bone Biology found that breast cancer cell migration to the bone depends on RANKL, which is known to promote the formation of osteoclasts, bone cells that break down bone tissue.

Blame your brain for dessert cravings even after a meal: Study

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Is your sweet tooth ever ready for desserts, even after a sumptuous meal?

Researchers claim that our junk food culture has led the brain`s pleasure centre overpower the chemicals in the stomach which satiate the hunger pangs, the `Daily Mail` reported.

Throughout human evolution, these two systems have co-existed to control fullness and maintain a healthy lifestyle but now that we are surrounded by sugary desserts and junk food, the balance is disturbed.

New therapy to prevent retina damage in diabetes

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Scientists have developed a new method that they claim can regulate blood vessel leakage in the eye, a condition caused by long-term diabetes.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Centre have identified a compound that could interrupt the chain of events that cause damage to the retina in diabetic retinopathy, paving the way to a novel therapy that targets two mechanisms at the root of the disease, inflammation and the weakening of the blood barrier that protects the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans.

Justin Bieber forced to apologise

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Teen sensation Justin Bieber was reportedly forced to apologise to a fellow passenger on an Air New Zealand flight after he allegedly caused a disturbance by cursing loudly in the first class section.

The 18-year-old was travelling back to Los Angeles following a promotional trip to Australia and New Zealand earlier this month, when his antics with his entourage began to get loud, reports a website.

Bieber and his pals were approached by a woman passenger, who urged the singer to stop swearing and keep the noise down.

London Olympics 2012: Indian contingent greeted with huge cheers

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Huge cheers welcomed the colourful Indian delegation into the Olympic Park Friday night during the opening ceremony of the London Games.

The 81-strong Indian contingent, the biggest ever, was led by wrestler Sushil Kumar, a bronze medallist in the 2008 Beijing Games.

It was a smartly dressed Indian contingent. The men wore yellow safas, navy blue blazers, cream-coloured trousers, off-white shirts and ties, and the women were dressed in elegant sarees.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary-general Randhir Singh waved at the contingent from the VIP box.

India to take ‘political call’ on FDI in retail: Sharma

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The Indian government will soon take a “political call” on the contentious issue of FDI in multi-brand retail as it cannot wait indefinitely, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma has said.

Speaking to reporters here last evening, Sharma, who is here to attend the Global Investment Conference and meet senior ministers in the David Cameron government, said the government is seeking to arrive at a consensus not only among political parties but also among all stakeholders, such as farmers, SMEs and community groups.

Tata Power pays Rs 68.4 lakh remuneration to Ratan Tata

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Tata Power has paid its Chairman Ratan Tata a total remuneration of Rs 68.4 lakh in the last fiscal, marking an increase of about Rs 6 lakh from the previous year.

As Chairman and non-executive director of the country’s largest private sector electricity producer, Tata’s remuneration in the year ended March 31, 2012 included sitting fees and commission for the previous year 2010-11 fiscal.

Hina Rabbani Khar to visit Sri Lanka in August

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Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will visit Sri Lanka during August 1-3 to review progress in bilateral ties and to identify areas for strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Khar will visit Sri Lanka at the invitation of Foreign Minister GL Peiris.

“During the visit, the two sides will review progress in bilateral relations and identify areas for further strengthening bilateral cooperation in a comprehensive manner,” the Foreign Office said in a statement issued today.