Month: June 2015

Scientists have identified new immune molecules that protect against deadly Marburg virus, a relative of Ebola virus.

“These antibodies attack a new site on Marburg virus we had not seen before,” said Erica Ollmann Saphire, senior author of the new study, professor at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and director of the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Immunotherapeutic Consortium.

The new antibodies identify and neutralise Marburg virus which has a mortality rate of up to 90 per cent.

Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments specifically for Marburg infections.

CaEgypt has cancelled celebrations marking the second anniversary of the June 30 revolution which ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, as the country mourns the killing of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat. “Celebrations will be cancelled as the country mourns Egyptian General Prosecutor Hisham Barakat, who was assassinated on Monday,” a statement by the presidency said.

“Egypt has lost a great judicial figure who has shown dedication to work and commitment to the ethics of the noble judicial profession,” the statement said on Monday.

A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale shook the Kashmir valley in the early hours of Tuesday.

“A moderate intensity earthquake occurred at 3.40 a.m. today,” an official of the local MET department here told IANS.

“The magnitude of the earthquake was 5.5 on the Richter scale. The epicentre of the earthquake was in Hindukush mountain range of Afghanistan.”

The tremors were felt when Muslims had just finished their pre-dawn meal to begin the day’s fast on the 12th day of the holy month of Ramadan.

No loss of life or property was reported.

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday, media reported.

The epicentre of the quake was recorded at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

The tremors were felt across Punjab province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the capital city of Islamabad, Geo News reported. Tremors were also felt in the border areas of Afghanistan.

No casualty or damage to property has been reported so far.

The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), a benchmark index for Indian equities, on Tuesday opened higher, but it soon headed south and was trading at 27,720.75 points some 30 minutes after the opening bell.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading lower at 8,311.65 points with a loss of 6.75 points or -0.08 percent.

The 30-share Sensex opened at 27,720.75 points against the previous close at 27,627.39 points. At 9.45 a.m. it was ruling at 27,638.22 points with a loss of 6.93 points or -0.03 percent.

Japanese authorities on Tuesday raised the volcano alert at Mount Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture from level two to level three, indicating a possible eruption.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued an evacuation advisory in the area within a one km radius of the Hakone area, Xinhua reported.

The higher alert restricts people from entering the area.

Mount Hakone last erupted 2,900 years ago.

Expressing support for “pro-business reforms” undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his commitment to fighting corruption, the US has said it encouraged all governments, including India, to address the issue of corruption.

“Speaking generally, we’re supportive,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters Monday when asked if Washington thought if US investments will be safe in India in view of recent action taken against NGOs in India.

Hollywood funnyman Robin Williams’ last film Boulevard will have its European premiere opening at the 13th Ischia Global Film and Music Festival on July 12.

In the film, Williams plays a married bank employee whose encounter with a young hustler forces him to face his repressed homosexuality, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sudanese authorities have rescued 154 illegal immigrants from the Sudan-Libya border, a media report said on Tuesday.

The immigrants were onboard a truck whose driver was planning to smuggle them to a European country across Libya, and the truck broke down near the border area with Libya, Brigadier Mohamed Ibrahim, director of Sudan’s human trafficking control unit, said.

They were rescued by the authorities on Monday.

“The vehicle was found with the immigrants onboard, some of them were in critical health condition,” Ibrahim said.

A minor fire broke out at the 12th floor of the Delhi Police headquarter here on Tuesday morning.

The incident was reported around 8.45 a.m. when technicians noticed smoke from one of the windows on the floor and alerted the security guards who informed the fire officials.

Ten fire tenders were rushed to the spot and doused the flames by 9.15 a.m.

Officials said the fire occurred because of a short circuit in an office store room.

The 12th floor houses the office of the Public Works Department.

An RTI enquiry has revealed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s electricity bill over a two-month period exceeds Rs one lakh.

According to reports, documents procured by RTI activist Vivek Garg showed that Kejriwal had received two electricity bills worth Rs 55,999 and Rs 65, 780. (ANI)

Congress candidate K.A. Sabarinathan on Tuesday won
the Aruvikara assembly constituency by-election in Kerala.

He was ahead of his rivals when the counting of votes crossed the half way mark.

The assembly constituency witnessed a triangular contest between the Congress, the CPI-M and the BJP.

Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar today extended his greetings to new captain Ajinkya Rahane, hoping the youngster will do a good job during the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.

Rahane, 27, is first cricketer from Mumbai in 15 years to be handed the reins of the team since Tendulkar led the team in 2000.

The selectors announced a second-string team for the tour, resting most of the senior players such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli.

China has raised the highest security level and stepped up street patrols in Beijing to counter terrorism ahead of World Championships in Athletics and 70th anniversary of the victory in anti-fascist war.

Patrol officers, traffic officers, armed police and assistant police will be deployed to densely populated venues, subways and busy streets to enhance patrolling, state-run Global Times reported today.

The campaign, coded “peace action,” will last until mid August. Security guards and volunteers in communities are also included in the patrol team, Beijing police said.

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a man from Madhya Pradesh who played a key role in the five bomb blasts that rocked various parts of the state in the aftermath of the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

Mohammad Irfan Qureshi, on the run for 13 years, was nabbed from a village in Shahdol district on receiving a tip-off about his presence there, an ATS release said.

Qureshi, in his 40s, allegedly played a key role in carrying out the multiple explosions, which killed three persons and injured many others in 2002, it said.

A 30-year-old man, working in a diamond polishing unit in Surat, received burn injuries to face and hand when his mobile phone, kept in the pocket, exploded.

The incident took place when Bhavesh Thakkar, resident of Puna Gam area, was sitting with his friends at a shop this afternoon. “I had kept my mobile phone in the upper left pocket of shirt. Suddenly it exploded, causing severe burns on the left side of my face and on hands. The phone was totally destroyed in the explosion,” Thakkar told PTI.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was discharged after preliminary treatment.

Five teenage girl students from Bengaluru won the Technovation challenge at a global pitch event at San Francisco city in the US.

Sanjana Vasanth, N. Anupama, Mahima Mehendale, Swasthi P. Rao and B. Navyashree, all aged 14, won the award for their app Sellixo which provides an online marketplace to buy and sell dry waste.

The girls said they were inspired by the prime minister’s Swachh Bharat Mission, Digital India and Save the Girl Child initiative and embarked on “a challenge like this”.

United Democratic Front ( UDF) candidate K Sabarinathan is currently in the lead in the Aruvikkara by-polls in Kerala.

As per latest reports, Sabarinathan currently leads by over 6000 votes, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP are in the second and third place respectively.

The counting is still underway. (ANI)

At least 410 students of Delhi University colleges have failed in Sociology examination triggering protests by them alleging error in evaluation.

While 250 out of 260 students of Shivaji college have failed the examination, 102 out of 120 Political (Hons) students at Laxmi Bai college, 38 out of 50 at Janki Devi Memorial college and 20 out of 25 at Keshav Mahavidyalya have also failed to clear the exam.

A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped and violated with sticks by neighbours in Civil Lines area here, y. in Badaun, a part of Uttar Pradesh that has been in the spotlight since two cousins were found hanging from a tree last yearpolice said on Monday.

The youths had taken the girl to a secluded spot on some pretext, gang-raped her and fled from there, leaving her in an unconscious state, police said.

A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by three youths from her neighbourhood in Civil Lines area in Badaun, police said on Tuesday.

The youths had taken the girl to a secluded spot on some pretext, gangraped her and fled from there, leaving her in an unconscious state, police said.

Police have registered a case in this regard and arrested two of the accused. A medical examination of the girl was conducted.

DIG, Bareilly zone, R K S Rathore said the probe is on the basis of details provided by the victim.

India has been successful in bringing Pakistan under the monitoring of the Asia Pacific Group to enforce UN sanctions against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, terror mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed despite strong opposition from China.

Expressing concern over Modi government’s stringent actions againt non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the United States on Tuesday cleared air about the situation.

The American nation maintained that it supports the “pro-business reforms” of the Modi Government but at the same time remains concerned about difficulties caused to non-governmental organisations, a top State Department official has said.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key member of Naga insurgent group NSCN-K for allegedly being a part of conspiracy to carry out the June 4 ambush that killed 18 army men in Manipur, in the first breakthrough in the probe into the incident.

Khumlo Abi Anal, 40, the self-styled ‘Regional Commander’ of NSCN-K, is alleged to be a part of the conspiracy that was hatched to carry out the attack on army men at Chandel area of Manipur on June four, NIA said.

The first phase of the much anticipated multi-crore Metro Rail chugged into the city today, with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa flagging off the inaugural service steered by a woman driver.

Jayalalithaa launched the services on the Alandur-Koyambedu sector by flagging it off from the state secretariat through live video, throwing open to the public a mass rapid transport system.