Geneva, September 26: Early use of anti-virals is effective in treating H1N1 flu and health authorities must be vigilant for signs of drug resistance, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.
Drug-resistant pandemic flu viruses have appeared infrequently so far and there is no evidence they are spreading, but further cases are likely, the WHO said on its website.
Sangrur, September 26: Two Dalit youth were killed while three others were injured when they were run over by an unidentified vehicle while jogging early this morning on Sangrur-Barnala National Highway about 10 km from here.
The group of five Dalit youth of Bahadurpur village was on their routine jogging exercise when hit by the speeding vehicle, killing two of them identified as Jaswinder Singh, 17 and Manpreet, 19, on the spot. Surjit Singh, 18, was seriously injured and has been referred to Rajinder hospital, Patiala.
Kochi, September 26: Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Saturday called for the central government to take up the security of the coasts.
“The need of the hour is that the centre should take up the security of the coast. If they can’t do it fully, at least 50 per cent should definitely be taken up by them because states just can’t handle that on their own,” Balakrishnan said at a seminar on internal security here.
Kerala has a 590-km coastline on India’s western coast.
London, September 26: Certain flickering colours, especially red and blue in tandem, seem more likely to cause fits among epileptics, says a new study headed by a researcher of Indian origin.
Joydeep Bhattacharya at the Goldsmiths-University of London (GU-L) headed a team of researchers to probe the brain rhythms of photo-sensitivity.
In 1997, more than 700 children in Japan reportedly suffered an epileptic attack while watching an episode of a popular cartoon.
Washington, September 26: Don’t spank your kids if you want them to be very intelligent. A ground-breaking research has found that children who are spanked have lower IQs.
Corporal punishment is extremely stressful and can become a chronic stressor for young children, says Murray Straus, professor at the University of New Hampshire.
“All parents want smart children. This research shows that avoiding spanking and correcting misbehaviour in other ways can help that happen,” says Straus.
New Delhi, September 26: Global pharma major Novartis Friday announced it is ready with a swine flu vaccine and has started first deliveries to governments in Europe, giving hopes to people in many parts of the world.
“Novartis has already started first deliveries of pandemic vaccines under quarantine to governments in Europe, despite the initially low yields with the current production seed strain provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO). A new seed strain could provide higher volumes,” the company said in a statement issued in Switzerland.
London, September 26: In a surgical feat, doctors have rebuilt the face of a person, suffering from mouth cancer, using different parts of his body including his ribs, hips and even wrists.
46-year-old Tim Gallego, who was unable to talk for a whole year and couldn’t eat or drink, underwent 16 operations to have bones, skin and arteries from all over his body implanted into his face, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported.
Washington, September 26: People tend to link insulin with diabetes, but it has other lesser known uses too. A study has shown that loss of response to insulin plays a major role in decrease of physical strength that occurs as people grow older.
Insulin is necessary for muscle growth, increasing blood flow through muscle tissue, encouraging nutrients to disperse from blood vessels and itself serving as a biochemical signal to boost muscle protein synthesis.
Pittsburgh, September 26: While he persuaded the G20 leaders not to bring an abrupt halt to their stimulus packages to revive their and the global economy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said there was little scope for another such package in India.
“Our specific circumstances have to respond to our domestic situation. It is certainly true that we have limited space and therefore accelerating the scope of stimulus is rather limited,” the prime minister told a press conference here.
Bhubaneswar, September 26: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi and sought Central assistance to tackle the Maoist menace in the state.
During his meeting with Chidambaram, Patnaik asked for at least seven battalions (about 7,000 personnel) of central para-military force and a chopper for tackling the menace.
On Board Air India One, September 26: Ever so shy when it comes to his personal life and plaudits, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who turned 77 Saturday, said he was indebted to the people of India for the faith they have reposed in him, even as he treated the accompanying delegation to a cake.
“I am grateful to the people of India, who have given me this unique opportunity to serve them,” the prime minister said amid birthday wishes from journalists.
Mumbai, September 26: Kareena Kapoor has got her hands full and is having the last laugh too, for the actress who was slammed by eminent journalist Pritish Nandy for looking ‘like a joke’ in ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ has been approached by Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) to star in the sequel of ‘Pyaar Ke Side Effects’ opposite Akshay.
Washington, September 26: Engineers have observed and tracked the movement of E. coli in a liquid medium, which is similar to that of a kayak paddle.
Their findings will help lead to a better understanding of how bacteria move from place to place and potentially, how to keep them from spreading.
Scientists have long theorised that the cigar-shaped cell bodies of E. coli and other micro-organisms would follow periodic orbits that resemble the motion of a kayak paddle as they drift downstream in a current.
Until now, no one had managed to directly observe or track those movements.
Pittsburgh, September 26: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who as finance minister in the 1990s invited criticism for saying he does not lose sleep over the rise or fall of a key equities market index, was cautious Friday night when answering a question on the stock markets.
“I am now out of touch with what’s happening in the stock markets,” the prime minister replied during a press conference after the conclusion of the G20 summit here.
But the economist in him did not betray him.
Peshawar, September 26: Two separate suicide car bombings Saturday rocked Pakistan’s volatile northwestern region, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more, police and witnesses said.
A suicide attacker detonated his explosive-packed vehicle at a busy commercial area of provincial capital Peshawar, hours after a bomber exploded his truck at the gate of a police station in Bannu town.
Seven people were killed at the scene while two succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. At least 85 more were injured, senior police officer Abdul Ghafoor Afridi said.
Gurgaon, September 26: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was named Icon of the Year, while actors Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan bagged the youth icon awards in the entertainment field at a glittering award ceremony here.
Priyanka beat Katrina Kaif to the top spot and Hrithik left behind actor-director Farhan Akhtar at the inaugural edition of the India Youth Icon Awards organised jointly by Wizcraft Entertainment and electronics major Videocon at the Leela Kempinski Hotel here Friday night.
Mumbai, September 26: At least three Air India flights were cancelled Saturday even as the airline management began talks with the agitating pilots here.
“The talks have begun early afternoon. We hope for a positive settlement,” said a senior Air India pilot.
On Friday, 400 pilots of the cash strapped national carrier had threatened to go on sick leave if the airline did not revoke a decision to cut their productivity-linked incentives (PLI) by 50 percent.
Mumbai. September 26: This is one situation late film star and Congress leader Sunil Dutt may not have imagined. His two children, Priya and Sanjay Dutt are campaigning for opposing parties in the Maharashtra assembly polls in the same constituency.
Congress MP Priya Dutt will campaign for party leader and former minister Baba Siddiqui, a confidant of the Dutt family for over three decades, while actor Sanjay Dutt would canvas for advocate Rizwan Merchant.
Wellington, September 26: All-rounder James Franklin will replace the injured Jacob Oram in New Zealand`s Champions Trophy squad, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement on Friday.
Oram damaged his hamstring in training and missed New Zealand`s opening match against hosts South Africa on Thursday when they lost by five wickets.
Franklin, 28, has played in 26 tests and 65 ODIs, taking 80 and 64 wickets respectively.
His last ODI was against Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies, taking two for 46 in New Zealand`s 81-run semi-final defeat.
Washington, September 26: In the never-ending battle to protect computer networks from intruders, security experts are deploying a new defence, modelled on one of nature’s hardiest creatures — the ant.
Unlike traditional security devices, which are static, these “digital ants” wander through computer networks looking for threats, such as “computer worms” — self-replicating programmes designed to steal information or facilitate unauthorised use of machines.
Raipur, September 26: Suspected Maoists in Chhattisgarh Saturday shot two sons of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bastar MP Baliram Kashyap, killing one of them, police said.
“Maoists fired several rounds at Kashyap’s sons, Dinesh and Tansen, when they were at a Mahashthami Durga Puja celebration in Bastar district,” a top police official told IANS.
The incident took place in a temple in Bhanpuri area of Bastar, some 300 km south of here.
Johannesburg, September 26: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara deprecated the wicket of the New Wanderer Stadium where his side lost by six wickets to England in a Champions Trophy match here today.
Sri Lanka struggled to 212 all out as England pacers exploited the seamer friendly pitch to steer their side to an advantageous position.
“The wicket was not best for one-day cricket especially when you want to attract fans. It was not a typical one-day track. It looked like first day of a Test match,” Sangakkara said after the match.
Tehran, September 26: Iran’s new nuclear fuel enrichment plant will be operational soon, head of the office of Iran’s supreme leader Mohammad Mohammadi-Golpayegani said Saturday, according to a media report.
‘This new plant, god willing, will be operational soon,’ Mohammadi-Golpayegani was quoted as saying.
Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi Friday confirmed that Iran is building a new nuclear fuel enrichment plant, a Fars news agency report said.
Muzaffarnagar, September 26: A Dalit woman was allegedly raped by two youths in the district at gun-point, police said today. The victim (27), who is a ”shikshamitra (non-regular teacher)” in a school in Kayampur village, said in her complaint that she was raped at gun-point yesterday while she was on her way to the institute.
The incident took place near Chamau village, 25 km from here. The woman is a resident of the same village.
—PTI—
Muzaffarnagar (UP), September 26: A Dalit woman was allegedly raped by two youths in the district at gun-point, police said today.
The victim (27), who is a ‘shikshamitra (non-regular teacher)’ in a school in Kayampur village, said in her complaint that she was raped at gun-point yesterday while she was on her way to the institute.
The incident took place near Chamau village, 25 km from here. The woman is a resident of the same village.
–PTI