Month: October 2009

In Egypt, swine flu fears buried under rubbish threat

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Cairo, October 02: “Look, that’s where the swine flu is going to come from,” said a weary Marzouka Beshir, pointing to a pile of rubbish rotting under the blazing sun in Imbaba, a working class neighbourhood in Cairo.

In their overcrowded areas, overflowing with litter, many like this 52-year-old Egyptian woman, have trouble coming to grips with the dramatic measures taken by authorities to combat the A(H1N1) flu.

Over 900 cases of swine flu have been reported in Egypt, and two people have died from it.

Boat tragedy: Kerala government criticises centre for not providing plane

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Thiruvananthapuram, October 02: Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Friday criticised the central government for not providing a military aircraft to transport the bodies of the victims of the Thekkady boat tragedy.

Achuthanandan’s response came in reply to a question put by reporters at a function.

Forty one tourists were killed when the double-decker fiberglass boat owned by the state-run Kerala Tourism Development Corporation capsized Wednesday evening in Thekkady lake at the Periyar wildlife sanctuary.

25 percent of HIV infected in Britain remain undiagnosed

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London, October 02: More than a quarter of over 77,000 people infected with HIV remain undiagnosed in Britain.

Almost a third (31 percent) are being diagnosed late with HIV, which implies their missing out on benefits associated with early diagnosis, including longer life expectancy.

Britain’s National Guidelines for HIV Testing, under publication, will encourage health professionals who work in areas other than HIV, to consider HIV testing as routine when making a diagnosis.

New soil tester to assess earth’s health

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Washington, October 02: Our planet has a fever. But global warming’s effects on farming and water resources is still a mystery. Now an invention may provide a new diagnostic tool for assessing the health of the earth’s soil.

A Tel Aviv University (TAU) invention, the Optical Soil Dipstick (OSD) designed by Eyal Ben-Dor will help scientists, urban planners and farmers understand the changing health of the soil, as well as its agricultural potential and other associated concerns. It could be used as a whistle-blower to catch polluters.

Abhishek, Asin in Ashutosh’s next

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Mumbai, October 02: The lead pair of Ashutosh Gowariker’s next, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, which is based on the Chittagong Uprising, is finally in place. We had earlier reported that Abhishek Bachchan will play the lead role as Surjya Sen. Gowariker has now finalised Asin to play the female lead.

A source said, “This will be the first time that Abhishek and Asin will be paired opposite each other. The film’s first schedule will tentatively start around November 25.”

Choppers, boats rescue flood-hit in Karntaka, toll 71

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Bangalore, October 02: Helicopters and boats were deployed Friday to rescue hundreds of people marooned in north Karnataka battered by heavy rain since Wednesday. The number of people who have died in the torrential rain has risen to 71.

According to reports reaching the state disaster management office here, the majority of deaths till Friday morning have occurred in Bijapur (23), Gulbarga (13), Raichur (11), Koppal (10), Bagalkot (10) and Bellary (7).

Natural killer cells help keep immune system in balance

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Washington, October 02; Natural killer (NK) cells, part of our immune system, kill cells infected with a given virus. Researchers have now found that the cells also help keep T-cells from over-responding.

Such a balance helps T-cells — that also kill the body’s own cells after being infected by viruses or bacteria — maintain their role in the body’s adaptive immune response, rather than becoming too numerous and activated to cause harm.

New nasal spray perks up memory

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London, October 02: There’s some good news for students with feeble memories. A nasal spray developed by German scientists promises to boost late night cram sessions, provided a good night’s sleep follows.

The scientists have shown how a molecule from the body’s immune system (interleukin-6) when administered through the nose helps the brain retain emotional and procedural memories during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It is linked to dreaming.

“Sleep to remember, a dream or reality?” said Lisa Marshall, study co-author, neuroendocrinologist at the University of Lubeck in Germany.

Unprecedented inflows in Srisailam triggered Andhra floods: Minister

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Hyderabad, October 02: The unprecedented inflows into Srisailam dam across Krishna river in Kurnool district have triggered flash floods in Andhra Pradesh, state Minister for Revenue and Relief Dharmana Prasada Rao said Friday.

The inflows, the highest since India’s independence, have not only inundated Kurnool and Mantralayam towns and dozens of villages in Kurnool district but have also caused floods in neighbouring Mahabubnagar district and posed threat to downstream Krishna and Guntur districts.

No hike in salary but IIT row resolved ‘within norms’

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New Delhi, October 02: There will be no increase in the salary of the protesting Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) professors but many aspects of their row with the government was resolved after Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal Friday promised “flexibility” in promotions and fresh appointments.

“On Gandhi Jayanti, I want to give a good news to the nation. Now, there is no issue between government and the IITs,” the HRD minister said after an hour long meeting with IITs’ faculty federation at his official residence here.

Boat tragedy: search resumes, boat services cancelled

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Kerala, October 02: The Indian Navy team, with the support of police, Fire and Rescue personnel and the Forest Department officials, is conducting the search operation on the belief that more bodies might have trapped beneath the ill-fated boat and in the depth of the Mullaperiyar lake.

On Friday morning also the rain and wind hindered the search operations.

Export only third option in Dhaka’s gas exploration policy

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Dhaka, October 02: Bangladesh says export of gas is only the third option in its production-sharing contracts with multinationals engaged in exploration.

“We think ultimately gas export will not be needed as we have a shortage of gas,” said Muqtadir Ali, chairman of the state-owned oil company Petrobangla, at a media briefing here Thursday.

The statement came after the Sheikh Hasina government this year opened limited bids to award three blocks in the upper reaches of the Bay of Bengal, triggering off protests from opposition parties and environmentalists.

MPs, legislators also hit by Andhra floods

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Hyderabad, October 02: It is not just the common man who is trapped in the flood waters in Andhra Pradesh but MPs, state legislators and other public representatives too are hit by the natural calamity.

In the worst-hit Kurnool district, at least three legislators are among the affected people. While one legislator is trapped in Mantralayam town, water gushed into the houses of two other legislators and one MP in Kurnool town.

Vigorous workout can cut down breast cancer risk

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Washington, October 02: Post-menopausal women can cut down their risk of breast cancer by engaging in a moderate to vigorous workout, says a new study.

“With an estimated 182,460 new cases diagnosed in the United States in 2008, breast cancer is recognised as the most common cancer affecting US women,” says Tricia M Peters, of US National Cancer Institute (USNCI) in Maryland, who led the study.

‘Sri Lanka discharges nearly 25,000 deserters’

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Colombo, October 02: Sri Lanka’s military has formally discharged nearly 25,000 security personnel who deserted the army at the height of fighting with Tamil rebels, officials said Friday.

Military officials said some 20,000 troops in the army and about 5,000 from the navy and airforce had been taken off the books of their respective units in line with an overhaul of the security forces.

The government has in recent months freed thousands who had been jailed for deserting the military.

PM calls for reform in panchayati raj institutions

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New Delhi, October 02: Exhorting state governments to strengthen legal provisions and reform panchayati raj institutions to make them effective, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday emphasised that more needed to be done to improve the institutions of local governance.

Italian sweeping machines raise dust in Chandigarh

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Chandigarh, October 02: Chandigarh may claim to be the cleanest city in India but an ambitious multi-million rupee plan of local authorities to make it still cleaner with imported Italian sweeping machines has backfired.

The city’s mayor has recommended a vigilance probe into the Rs.5 crore/Rs. 50 million purchase of the three Italian sweeping machines last year.

City councillors now allege that the sweeping machines have become white elephants due to their whopping cost, equally expensive maintenance and inability to actually clean the city.

Controversy over custody of mentally challenged rape victim in Chandigarh

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Chandigarh, October 02: A fresh controversy has erupted over the issue of custody of a 19-year-old mentally challenged pregnant rape victim between the administration of this union territory (UT) and a Delhi-based trust.

A meeting between the officials of the Chandigarh administration and the trust’s representatives, in New Delhi Thursday, to decide the custody of the woman, who is now in the 27th week of the pregnancy, ended without any agreement.

Raveena goes bong!

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Mumbai, October 02: Kolkata is not new to her. But what was new was her presence as judge for Dance Pe Chance Boudimoni. Incidentally, this association with a Bengali reality show has been the first of its kind for Raveena Tandon Thadani. Truth is, this was also the first time that the working mom was away from her kids.

Developing countries need money to weather 2010: World Bank chief

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Istanbul, October 02: Developing nations will need outside support to help them boost domestic demand as the world begins an uncertain recovery from a devastating economic crisis, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Friday.

Speaking ahead of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings here, Zoellick said many emerging countries were poised to become major drivers of world growth. He sought more funds for the World Bank to help them complete the process.

Nortel’s GSM business also on auction block

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Toronto, October 02: Nortel, the 124-year-old Canadian telephone equipment company that is selling its various businesses to pay off its debtors, has announced to auction its GSM (global system for mobile communication) business also.

Like the previous auctions of the company’s wireless business and enterprise unit, the GSM division will also be sold through “open auction”, Toronto-based Nortel said in a statement here. Nortel makes equipment for GSM networks under this division.

Spanish boat attacked by pirates in Indian Ocean

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Madrid, October 02: Pirates attacked a Spanish tuna trawler Friday in the Indian Ocean and contact with the vessel has been lost, the ship’s owner said.

Echebastar Fleet, based in Spain’s Basque region, said the ship Alakrana was carrying a crew of 36.

The ship sent out distress signals advising of a pirate attack and since then the company has not been able to communicate with Alakrana, the company said.

The Defense Ministry said it had no immediate information. Spanish military forces are taking part in an EU anti-piracy flotilla deployed in the Indian Ocean.

Wake up call for Karan Johar over his new movie ‘Wake Up Sid’

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Mumbai, October 02: Filmmaker Karan Johar got a rude wake-up call Friday when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists protested the use of ‘Bombay’ instead of Mumbai in his latest movie “Wake Up Sid” as soon as it was released.

Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, is the latest offering from Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd.

Even as angry activists vociferously protested the movie and tried to disrupt its screening in at least two south Mumbai cinemas, a harried Karan rushed to meet MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his Shivaji Park residence.

Govinda teams up with David

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Mumbai, October 02: Look what’s back… Bollywood’s Jodi No 1, the irrepressible and heady combo of David Dhawan and Govinda — one the Pasha of Comedy who has made 40-odd films, the other our film industry’s original Comedy King.