Spectrum

AJITH's ASAL

2009-04-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

Stills : Behindwoods.com

Kamal's DASAVATHARAM

2008-06-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

Ipods -- Crime ??

2008-03-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

BOSTON -- It's easy to see why iPods would be alluring targets for criminals: The music players are valuable and easy to resell, and people absorbed in their personal soundtracks can be vulnerably oblivious to their surroundings.

But could the temptation for stealing iPods be so strong that they're behind an increase in the crime rate? Researchers at a public policy institute say yes.

They argue that the tantalizing gadgets are perhaps the main reason U.S. violent crime rose in 2005 and 2006 after declining every year since 1991 -- although a close look at the findings suggests the hypothesis has holes.

The Urban Institute, a Washington think tank, first raised the subject of an "iCrime wave" last September, and held a panel discussion Tuesday to explore it further. The researchers don't blame iPod maker Apple Inc. or any other device maker for crime, but they do say consumers should demand technologies that would render stolen gadgets useless.

Apple -- which has explored anti-theft locks in patent filings -- had no comment.

A key point in the Urban Institute's argument is that robberies -- the taking of something by force or the threat of it -- had seen dramatic reductions since the 1990s, but jumped in 2005 and 2006. FBI statistics show the robbery rate went from 137 per 100,000 people in 2004 to 141 per 100,000 in 2005 and 149 in 2006. That helped boost the overall rate of violent crime in those years, even as rape rates fell and aggravated assault was generally flat.

During those years, iPods were going mainstream. In late 2004, Apple had sold about 5 million iPods. By the end of 2005 that had ballooned to 42 million, and in 2006 the number neared 90 million.

One widely accepted theory holds that crime happens when three things come together: A motivated offender encounters a suitable victim and perceives a high chance of getting away with it. And the Urban Institute researchers believe the sudden prevalence of iPods increased all three factors.

Motivation: The iPod's several-hundred-dollar expense and pop-culture buzz made potential thieves, especially young ones, crave the device for themselves or for a lucrative resale market. Suitable victims: People listening through the iconic white earphones are easy to pick out and often unaware of their surroundings. Easy to get away with: IPods lack a mechanism that would pinpoint a thief's location or a subscription that could be canceled by the rightful owner.

Anecdotal evidence bears out a lot of this. Subway officials in New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., reported big increases in iPods being stolen from passengers. News reports cast the iPod as the latest must-steal item for some thugs, following in the footsteps of things like Air Jordan sneakers.

Furthering this idea, the rate for robberies by juveniles increased during this "iCrime Wave" to a much greater degree than the rate for adults, Urban Institute researcher John Roman pointed out. And if economic woes could explain the jump -- a traditional place to look in crime research -- Roman doesn't believe the overall rates of property crimes would have dropped in '05 and '06, as they did.

But is it plausible that so many iPods and similar gadgets were stolen that they drove the rising robbery rate? That robbers would not have just stolen something else if not for shiny music players? This is where the iCrime Wave begins to seem less certain.

For one thing, homicides also increased in this same span, albeit slightly, from 5.5 per 100,000 people to 5.6 in 2005 and 5.7 in 2007. Since crime trends are often murky, whatever caused the bump in homicides might also explain the rise in robberies.

Roman responded that increases in violent crimes like robberies tend to correspond with rises in the homicide rate: Muggings often go badly and end in murder, so with more muggings going on, more homicide victims should be expected. But without good data indicating lots of people killed in iPod thefts, Roman acknowledged it's possible that "we've got our causation backwards."

It's also curious that while iPod thefts on subways and other crowded urban settings provide the best anecdotal evidence, the 2005-06 crime increases were highest in small and midsized cities -- places with less-dense pedestrian traffic, let alone teeming subways.

Also, some stolen iPods might fall into the category of larceny -- a theft without force, such as when something is filched from a backpack -- and larcenies dropped in '05 and '06.

In other words, there might have been an iCrime wave, but it would be hard to be sure. After all, robberies also jumped in pre-iPod 2001.

"There has been a lot of anecdotal evidence of cell phones, iPods, GPS systems that have been targets for theft. No research can tell us those wouldn't have been substituted for other things," said Jack McDevitt, associate dean at Northeastern University's College of Criminal Justice.

"I guess I could sort of understand and buy that in a very narrow place, in a short period of time -- a short spike for a few months," he said. "But to suggest that that's driving the crime numbers in any major way, I don't think so."

Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera !!

2008-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

Let the Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera be your first line of defense. Strength through obscurity! The 7 megapixels are completely insufficient to show a vampire on film, and the auto focus and image stabilization work to keep the shot in frame at all times. This helps the vampire hunter by making it obvious what he or she can’t see, which in turn should make it obvious who the real vampire is. There’s also a USB connection, so moving the video back to your Vampire Hunter’s Laptop (running Vindows VP or Mac OS V) should be as easy as that chick who changed her name to Darkchylde Rosepetal after her parents split up. Which reminds me, the Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera has a built in Tripod socket.

3x optical zoom, 15x digital zoom, and a wrist strap designed to keep your Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera close as you run from the wolves, bats, gnarled assistants and evil mist. Man, nothing is worse than evil mist. It gets all in your lungs and you get a cold and you’re coughing out vampire for a week. Which the doctors never believe. Stupid World Health Organization coverup. I just wanted some penicillin.

The Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera comes with battery, battery charger, and power adapter as well. So don’t live in fear! Order a steak with extra garlic and grab the camera. The next knock on the window… could be your last!

Choose between Silver or Copper at check out

Warranty: 1 Year Kodak

Features:

7 megapixels, Captures a resolution up to 3072×2304 and prints out 11×14 photos
Auto focus for easy to take photos, point and shoot
Image stabilizer, counteracts small vibrations and movement for sharper photos
Tripod Socket
USB connection to your computer
3x optical zoom, 15x digital

Specifications:

CCD:	1/2.5 in. CCD, 4:3 aspect ratio
Output Image Size:	7.1MP: 3072 x 2304 pixels 6.1MP (3:2): 3072 x 2048 pixels 5.0 MP: 2592 x 1944 pixels 3.1 MP: 2048 x 1536 pixels 2.2 MP: (3:2) 1800 x 1200 pixels 2.1 MP: (16:9) 1920 x 1080 pixels 1.2 MP: 1280 x 960 pixels
Display:	6.35 cm (2.5 in) color hybrid LCD, 154 K pixels
Lens:	3X optical zoom lens f/2.8–f/4.9 35 mm–105 mm (35 mm equivalent)
Lens Barrier:	Automatic built-in
Digital Zoom:	5.0X continuous with 0.2X increments Nor supported for video capture
Focus System:	TTL-AF, selectable: Multi-zone AF, Center-zone AF. Working range: 0.5 m (19.6 in.)–infinity @ wide 0.5 m (19.6 in.)–infinity @ telephoto 0.1–0.5 m (3.9–19.6 in.) @ wide close-up/macro 0.4–0.8 m (15.7–31.5 in.) @ telephoto close-up/macro
Exposure Metering:	TTL-AE; Center-weighted
Exposure Compensation:	+/-2.0 EV with 0.5 EV step
Exposure Bracketing:	Yes
Long Time Exposure:	Yes
Shutter Speed:	Mechanical shutter with CCD electrical Auto: 4–1/1400 sec.
ISO Speed:	Auto: 80–200 Selectable: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 (800 available only for smallest picture size setting)
Electronic Flash:	Guide no. 5.6 Auto flash with pre-flash Working range at ISO 200: 0.5–2.3 m (1.6–7.5 ft) @ Wide;0.8–1.4 m (2.6–4.6 ft) @ Tele
Flash Modes:	Auto, Fill, Red-eye, Off
Capture Modes:	Auto, Digital Image Stabilization, Portrait, Night Portrait, Sports, Landscape, Close-up, SCN (Scene Modes), Video
Burst:	Maximum 3 pictures; 1.9 pictures per second
Video Capture:	VGA (640 x 480) @ 15 fps QVGA (320 x 240) @ 30 fps
Image File Format:	Still: EXIF 2.21 (JPEG compression); file organization: DCF Video: QuickTime (CODEC MotionJPEG)
Image Storage:	SD/MMC Card Not compatible with SD cards over 2GB
Internal Storage Capacity:	32 MB internal memory/26 MB available for image storage (1 MB equals one million bytes)
Quickview:	Yes
Video Output:	NTSC or PAL selectable
Power:	Kodak Li-Ion rechargeable digital camera battery KLIC-7005; Kodak 5V AC adapter
Communication With Computer:	USB 2.0 full speed via USB cable model U-8, EasyShare camera dock, or printer dock
PictBridge Support:	Yes
Self Timer:	2 seconds, 10 seconds, or 2-shot
White Balance:	Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent
Auto Power Off:	Selectable 1, 3, 5, 10 minutes
Color Modes:	Color, Black & White, Sepia
Date Stamp:	None, YYYY/MM/DD, MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY
Tripod Mount:	1/4 inch
Operating Temperature:	32-104°F (0–40°C)
Size:	90 mm (3.5 in.) x 60 mm (2.4 in.) x 23 mm (0.9 in.) @ power off
Weight:	130 g (4.6 oz.) without battery or card

In the box:

Kodak C763 Camera
USB Cable
Wrist Strap
Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery
Battery Charger
Power Adapter
Kodak EasyShare Dock Faceplate
Kodak EasyShare Software for Mac and Windows
Users Guide

Triple Treat for Indian Cricket Lovers !!

2008-03-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

* Team India (under 19) wins the Under 19 World Cup.

* Sachin Tendulkar Classy 42nd Ton .

* Team India wins the first final against Aussies in CB series.

Its a SUPER SUNDAY for Indian Cricket !!

Oscar winner faces 9/11 backlash !!

2008-03-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard is facing criticism after footage of her apparently questioning the 9/11 attacks surfaced on the internet. In a interview she reportedly gave a year ago, the star is shown commenting on the events of 11 September 2001.

"I think we're lied to about a number of things," the Paris-born 32-year-old is seen saying in French.Cotillard's best actress Oscar was one of several awards she won for playing singer Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. She is due to begin filming gangster movie Public Enemies with actor Johnny Depp shortly.

Transcript

In the interview, given to French TV show Paris Premiere, Cotillard appears to suggest the attacks on the World Trade Center were staged to avoid the expense of refurbishing them.

"We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes, are they burned?" she asks. "There was a tower, I believe it was in Spain, which burned for 24 hours.

"It never collapsed. None of these towers collapsed. And there [in New York], in a few minutes, the whole thing collapsed."The Twin Towers, she claims, were a "money sucker" that would have cost much more to modernise than to destroy.

The actress goes on to cast doubt on the Moon landing of 1969. "Did a man really walk on the moon?" she asks. "I saw plenty of documentaries on it and I really wondered. In any case I don't believe all they tell me."

A transcript of Cotillard's interview has been posted on France's Marianne2 website.

Why Yahoo is better than Google ??

2008-03-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, an ex-classmate from RMIT University, Australia dropped by Malaysia for a tropical summer holiday. Every morning as I was going to work, I would drop him off at a tourist spot to amuse himself until evening.

During the early morning journey, we'd always have the radio turned on. On the fourth day, as the weather forecast came on, my friend roared in laughter.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

Choking back his laughter, he went,

"The... Hahaha! The... Haha... The *gasp* Weather Report! HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!" He roared again in my ears.

After he'd wiped off his tears, he said,

"What's the point of having weather forecast here? It's exactly the same thing every day. I bet they had it pre-recorded years ago and just rewind the same thing for you every morning."

Hmm... it was a little rude for an Australian to laugh at my countryman in my car, but I have to admit, my friend has a point. Unlike in Melbourne, none of us checks the weather forecast to help decide what to wear for work.

In a few hours I will be leaving to climb Mount Huangshan in China so I actually needed to check out the climate.

I googled for Huangshan weather, and found this:-

I then Yahooed for Huangshan weather, and found this at Yahoo! Weather

You tell me which one is better ?

Source: http:// www.asia.cnet.com

9 year Old - Remarkable Story Of Survival !!

2008-03-02T05:08:00.000-08:00

Nine year old Job McCully is a fighter who refuses to give up. Five years ago he faced down leukemia. Last year his heart stopped twice. Now he's recuperating from a lung transplant he received in December at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

The youngster from a small town near Little Rock, Arkansas, spent an entire year hospitalized waiting for a transplant and then recovering. He technically died in October when his heart stopped for eight minutes. His lungs were on the verge of failing when the donor organ became available. "When I got the call the donor organ was a match, I was speechless," explained his mother Tina McCully. She cried and prayed the operation would actually take place.

Job left Children's Hospital on February 21 to live with his mother and grandmother at an apartment provided by the Ronald McDonald House charity. The fourth grader attends class and physical therapy sessions each day at the hospital.

"Right now I can't stand and I get out of breath easy," said Job. When asked how he would describe this lengthy hospital experience, he paused thoughtfully; then said, "Frustrating." The child went on to explain he'd been fighting the disease for five years. Treatment for his leukemia caused the lung damage and prompted the need for a transplant. Despite the successful lung transplant, Job is not ready to declare victory. The drugs he's taken have caused cataracts and diabetes.

Nevertheless his mother sees a positive future. "I have all the hopes in the world. I really believe he'll have a full life," she said. West County Assembly of God Church is planning a benefit for the family March 7 and 8. "It just means so much that there are so many loving people in St. Louis that's took care of us when we didn't have anybody here and I just appreciate it," McCully said.

Sachin 'THE MASTER' !!

2008-03-02T04:42:00.000-08:00

India Won the 1st Final Against Australia, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.After failing throughout the series, Sachin Tendulkar delivered when it mattered the most.

Sachin Tendulkar’s bat did all the talking as the master batsman came up with a blistering century at the SCG on Sunday. Chasing 240, along with Rohit Sharma, Tendulkar came up with an incredible knock to take India one up in the series

India thoroughly deserved their win through Tendulkar’s excellent century, his 42nd ODI ton, and eighth against Australia, but the first against them in their country.

US christens '9/11 steel' warship !!

2008-03-02T00:52:00.001-08:00

Thousands of people have watched the christening in Louisiana of a US warship built partly from steel salvaged from the World Trade Center.The twin towers in New York were destroyed in the hijacked planes attack of 11 September 2001.

Friends and families of 9/11 victims were among those at the ceremony for the new amphibious assault ship, the USS New York, in the base of Avondale.The bow contains 7.5 tonnes of steel taken from Ground Zero.It also bore a shield with two bars to symbolise the towers and a banner with the slogan Never Forget.

Hurricane Katrina

The wife of Deputy Defence Secretary Gordon England broke the champagne with the traditional salute of "May God bless this ship and all who sail on her".Mr England said the name of the ship would be a source of strength and inspiration to the crew.

In the US Navy, state names are normally reserved for submarines, but former New York Governor George Pataki had asked for the ship to carry the name.During construction the ship also had to survive the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The USS New York will be commissioned into service next year.Lee Ielpi, president of the September 11th Families' Association, told Associated Press: "We're sending a message that we're standing strong. This ship, as it cuts through the water, is going to send a ripple. That ripple will say, 'We cherish our freedom'."

Playboy Wants Lindsay Lohan !!

2008-03-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner hopes to land Lindsay Lohan for a nude photo shoot as Marilyn Monroe for the magazine. Hefner was reportedly impressed by Lohan's recent Monroe recreation spread in New York Magazine and is interested in doing a similar photo shoot for Playboy. Hefner is also rumored to be interested in asking the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, to pose naked as well.

Actress Lindsay Lohan was the prima donna of buzz in February for posing semi-nude in a NewYork Magazine ,recreation of a Marilyn Monroe's last professional photo shoot. Now it seems Playboy's Hugh Hefner wants Lohan to recreate another famous Monroe spread in the pages of his magazine. According to a report by Splash News , Hefner hopes to convince Lohan to recreate Monroe's naked swimming scene from Something's Got to Give.

Considering Lohan's New York Magazine portrayal sparked an Internet frenzy over the photos, even crashing the magazine's web site, it is unsurprising that Hefner might wish to capitalize on the publicity of another nude Lohan shoot.

Lohan is not the only starlet to currently hold Hefner's interest. According to reports by several gossip sites, including Star Magazine,Playboy would also like to acquire the Olsen twins for a nude photo shoot. Hefner reportedly asked the twins to pose for the magazine when they turned 18, but was refused. Now Hefner is rumored to be trying to seal the deal with the twins again to celebrate their 22nd birthday. An unnamed 'insider' told Star that Hefner believes the twins are "every young man's fantasy."

Although speculation is high on Hollywood gossip sites that Lohan might actually go for the idea of another nude spread, it is considered likely the Olsen twins would only hand Hefner another rejection.

Chef Robert Irvine Fired !!

2008-03-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

Food Network celebrity chef Robert Irvine is headed for the chopping black after lying on his resume when hired for the network's Dinner: Impossible series. Irvine was fired for embellishing his resume by saying he graduated from the University of Leeds and had cooked for Princess Diana, among other claims. Questions over the chef's true qualifications arose after an investigation launched by the St.Petersburg Times.

In researching Irvine's history for a story about his failed restaurant launches in St. Petersburg, the Times uncovered multiple instances where fact did not quite match the fabulous image of a worldly, first-class British chef. One of the most telling revelations was that the University of Leeds had no record of Irvine ever attending the university or having any connection to it, according to a press officer at Leeds.

Another tale that didn't quite match up was Irvine's story of helping to work on the wedding cake for the famous wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The story, which Irvine has reportedly told several press sources and includes in his biography Mission: Cook! may not be quite true either. When confronted by the Times, he backed off his original tale that we worked on the "elaborate side panels" of the cake and said he helped by "picking fruit and things like that."

One lie about his past Irvine has confessed to is his claim of being a "knight." The Times reports they inquired about this claim with the press officer at Buckingham Palace, which revealed Irvine had never been knighted. Irvine admitted he was not, in fact, a knight of any variety, claiming it was something he said "keep up with the Joneses. I was sitting in a bar one night and that came out. It was stupid."

On Friday, the Food Network issued a statement regarding the information in the Times story. "We looked into the situation and found that, as Robert as already admitted, there were some embellishments and inaccuracies in his resume," Food Network President Brooke JohnsonDinner Impossible have been removed. said in the statement. "The few and minor incidents of the inclusion of these embellishments in

While the statement said the network will continue to show reruns of previous shows and the new series of the show currently in production, the network will not renew Irvine's contract for future seasons.

In addition to losing his future career with the Food Network, Irvine is facing a plethora of legal and financial problems revolving around the two restaurants he had planned to open in St. Petersburg. The restaurants still remain under construction and various parties say Irvine owes them tens of thousands of dollars for their work on the uncompleted projects.

Christiane Plante’s Hot Affair with Hulk Hogan !!

2008-03-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

Brooke Hogan’s friend, Christiane Plante, has disclosed publicly that she slept with Brooke’s dad, Hulk Hogan. Plante kissed and told to The National Enquirer about her conquests with the wrestling great.

She says that the marriage was already over and that she was basically just helping cheer the Hulk up during the tough time.

“My relationship with Terry began at a time when Terry and Linda privately knew their marriage was ending. She had left him already, although no official papers had been filed. Terry is a good man, good father and a good friend, and he and I grew close at a time when he was going through a very difficult period. It seemed right then, but I know it was wrong. Having felt the guilt and pain build up, I gave a note to Brooke apologizing for my actions. I will never be able to fully forgive myself for this. I have lost an amazing friend.”

Hulk Hogan’s real name is Terry Bollea. His wife, Linda, filed for divorce in November.

Lets not make any mistakes. Hulk Hogan is the greatest wrestler of all-time. I believe fame and success with the reality show was not good for anyone involved from mom and dad down to Brooke and Nick.

It has been a very tough twelve months for the Hogans. Christiane how was Hulkamania running all over you?

Man Charged With Making Child Porn !!

2008-03-01T22:36:00.000-08:00

A joint effort between the FBI and St. Louis City Police helped round up a dangerous suspected child predator.

His story was scheduled to run on FOX 2's St. Louis' Most Wanted Saturday, but after searching for him for a couple of weeks city police were able to arrest him without incident.

"This individual in addition to sexual molestation charges that have been brought by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, he's also wanted for child pornography," says FBI Supervisory Special Agent Zachary T. Lowe, Jr.

The exact charges against 28-year-old Donnell McCloud include production of child pornography, four counts of statutory rape, four counts of statutory sodomy and one count of child molestation and assault.

"McCloud is a very dangerous predator in our community," says Lowe. He was once a predator on the prowl, now behind bars. McCloud was arrested Thursday night.

The FBI says St. Louis City Police kind of stumbled across the case while serving a search warrant at McCloud's home in mid February on an unrelated matter.

But when they got there McCloud had a child living with him and there was evidence of sexual abuse."We believe McCloud met one of his victims through the internet and lured them to the St. Louis area."

The feds say the two met in an internet chat room, and had been communicating for over a month. The feds and city police now hope parents in our area will sleep a little better knowing one less child predator is on the streets.

McCloud is being held at the justice center on a $300,000 secured bond.

Football Gossip !!

2008-03-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Transfer Rumours

Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is planning to tempt Frank Lampard to Barcelona if he takes over from Frank Rijkaard at the Nou Camp in the summer. (Daily Mirror)

Rafael Benitez has played down fears Steven Gerrard will quit Liverpool because of his frustration at their inability to win the Premier League title. (Sun)

Tottenham are chasing Norway keeper Hakon Opdal, who let in eight goals against Everton, as a replacement for Paul Robinson. (Daily Mirror)

Spurs are also battling Barcelona for the signature of 16-year-old Uruguayan defender Diego Polenta. (Daily Express)

Manchester United look likely to miss out on Lyon striker Karim Benzema as the France forward prefers a move to Italy or Spain. (Daily Mail)

Liverpool striker Peter Crouch's representatives are in negotiations with the club to seal a new contract. (Independent).

Senegalese defender Lamine Diatta looks set to sign for Newcastle next week after impressing in training. (Daily Express).

Chelsea skipper John Terry is eager to commit himself to the club for the rest of his career. (Sun)

Other Gossip

Lord Coe is trying to persuade Sir Alex Ferguson to manage a Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics. (Times)

Former England striker Teddy Sheringham is to hang up his boots at the end of the season, at the age of 41. (Various)

Ken Bates has accepted the Football League's offer of private arbitration over the 15 points deduction imposed on Leeds. (Various)

Alan Shearer is wanted as manager of Sheffield Wednesday by the consortium bidding to take over at Hillsborough.

And Finally

Middlesbrough defender David Wheater has admitted to being a huge bingo fan - "I even met my missus when she used to work there," he says. (Sun)

Juvenile’s Daughter Killed !!

2008-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Rapper Juvenile’s daughter was murdered in Georgia, along with the girls mom and her sister. The killer is the girls older brother and the mom's son , Anthony Tyrone Terrell Jr.

Anthony Tyrone Terrell Jr. allegedly gunned down his mother, Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Deputy Joy Deleston, 39, and her two daughters, Micaiah, 11, and Jelani, 4.

Jelani was Juvenile’s daughter. In 2003, the rapper, whose real name is Terius Gray, was arrested for abandonment of a dependent child after a DNA test determined he was the father.

I am sure Juvenile just sees it that he no longer has to pay child support. One has to wonder what was so horribly wrong with this boy’s life to kill his mother and two kid sisters.

Suzanne Pagella Dead !!

2008-03-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

Former TV news anchor Suzanne Pagella was found hanged by her mother in her Detroit home last weekend in an apparent suicide. Pagella had been on a downward spiral for several months.

As a married Suzanne Wangler, she appeared to have it all: a career as a popular television news anchor, a husband who was a former college quarterback, four children.

But at some point, Wangler’s life went into free fall, with a divorce, debt and several arrests, including one last week on an embezzlement charge. It ended with a crash last weekend when Wangler’s mother found her hanging from a beam in the basement of her Royal Oak home, just north of Detroit.

She was known as Suzzane Page as a news anchor around the Detroit area.

How slip catchers react so fast !!

2008-03-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

With so many fielders pulling off impossible catches in the slips, the Academy thought it was about time to find out exactly how they do it.

Is it instinct, or does practice make perfect?

We spoke to Mark Simpson, a top physiologist at the English Institute of Sport, to shed some more light on the subject.Taking a catch can be divided up into three parts - anticipation, reaction and movement.

Anticipation

Fielders always expect the ball to come to them, so they're constantly aware of what's going on around them. Their level of awareness will increase when the bowler starts his run-up.

Their level of anticipation will rise even further depending on the how the bowler is holding the ball, the shape of his body or where the previous delivery went.All of these factors give the fielder important information on where they expect the ball to go.The fielder will have made all these decisions before the ball has left the bowler's hand.

Previous experience of fielding in that particular position also plays a major part in their decision-making. And when the ball hits the bat, that's when their reaction time kicks in.

Reaction

The first part of reaction is identifying that the ball is actually coming their way. The second part is to the make the right decision on what to do. The third part is to initiate the action. The reaction time can be seen as the start of the catching movement.

Reaction is automatic - it's not a conscious process, but it can be speeded up through practising specific drills.
Fielders can practice improving that reaction by receiving close fast catches. This will help them prepare for the catches out in the field.

Movement

The physical side is actually getting to the ball. If you're not quick enough, you're not going to catch the ball, no matter how fast your mental reaction is.Specific explosive weight training and speed training can help improve jumping and moving actions, meaning the fielder can get to the ball quicker.

The other skill involved is pinpointing the ball when it comes off the bat.The player has to have his eyes on the ball, which requires a high level of visual accuracy to actually concentrate your vision on a small object moving very, very quickly.

The fielder has to know where their body, in particular his hands, are in space and time and to coincide their hands with the actual flight of the ball.The ability to coincide his hands in the right place at the right time to meet the ball in it's flight path is called "coincidence timing".

And it's all down to hundredths of milliseconds - it's that fast.All of this evolves over time. You can see this in how animals catch their pray, how it develops into instinct.

For example, lizards survive by catching flies flying in the air with their tongues.

Jodhaa Akbar, now in Tamil !!

2008-03-01T06:37:00.000-08:00

After having wowed audiences in the Hindi belt, Ashutosh Gowariker’s magnum opus Jodhaa Akbar, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai, is now to be released in Tamil. The music for the film is by maestro A.R. Rahman, who has come out with some grand numbers. The Tamil lyrics have been written by Na. Muthukumar. The audio, released recently, has been doing well, say sources. The film has turned out to be a super-hit, especially in the overseas market where it is doing terrific business aided by favourable reviews from the foreign press. The domestic revenue too has been above average considering that the film has not been released in Rajasthan and has been banned in Madhya Pradesh and certain other areas. The Hindi version, released two weeks back, has so far collected 65 lakhs from Chennai alone. This is indeed quite a feat, considering the film’s running time of 3 hours and 30 minutes. However, UTV is planning to release a more tightly-edited version. The dubbed version will release across Tamil Nadu on March 6.

Australian teenager allergic to water !!

2008-03-01T03:27:00.000-08:00

A 19-year-old in Melbourne, Ashleigh Morris is allergic to water. That’s right, she can’t go swimming, take a long bath, or even get overly sweaty without breaking out in a painful rash ever since she was 14. How awful!

She suffers from an extremely rare skin disorder called Aquagenic Urticaria - so unusual that only a handful of cases are documented worldwide.

When Ashleigh gets wet her body explodes in sore, itchy red lumps that take about two hours to ease.

She has to wash. But showering is a painful experience and she can only do it for a minute at a time.

These brief showers are the only contact Ashleigh has with water. The one thing she doesn’t miss is the washing up.

“People find it hard to believe, they say things like ‘Oh my god, how do you wash. “That makes me feel dirty, but I consider myself a very clean person,” she said.

Most of us take showering for granted but for Ashleigh it’s a painful endurance that often reduces her to tears.

Teacher accused of emailing topless photos to student !!

2008-03-01T03:11:00.000-08:00

Melissa Moss, an English teacher at Barat Academy in Dardenne Prairie — a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri — has been charged with taking topless photos of herself and emailing them to a 15-year-old boy in her class. The boys parents found the naughty pics and reported the teacher to the school and the police. And we’re sure the boy didn’t share the photos with *any* of his friends….

We talked with the Robert and Kelly Pfeiffer- their son was in Moss’ class. They say they thought she was a great teacher and they’re stunned by the charges.

“It is very disturbing and you know it’s kind of a sign of the times the way we live with a lot of internet access and Face book and things like that. As a parent you have to be on constant vigil to make sure, you have to know what your kids are getting into,” said Robert Pfeiffer.

His wife, Kelly, added, “I was kind of shocked because I worked with her a lot as far as one on one talking to her you know about his grades and keeping up with them and I thought she was a really nice teacher. So when this came about, it really shocked me.”

Barat Academy is a private, independent catholic high school that opened last September.

28 inch tall woman gives birth to 18 inch baby !!

2008-03-01T02:49:00.000-08:00

Stacey Herald, a woman from northern Kentucky, gave birth to a baby girl 18 inches long — not exactly astonishing until you realize that Herald is only 28 inches tall herself.

Iam 28 1/2 inches, head to heel,” said Herald, who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Herald’s 16-month-old daughter, Katira, also suffers from the genetic disorder that causes bones to break easily, but her youngest daughter, Makaia, is expected to grow to average height.

“’Yesterday I was five weeks old, (and) I’m already over half as big as my mommy,’” said Herald, changing her infant daughter’s diaper.

Officials from the Guinness Book of World Records are investigating Herald’s claim as she savors the joys of motherhood with her husband, Wil Herald, who is studying to become a minister.

Full Story : http://www.wlwt.com/news/15442384/detail.html

Worldwide alert on escaped suspect !!

2008-02-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

A worldwide security alert has been issued two days after a suspected Islamist militant leader escaped from jail in Singapore. Global police body Interpol is circulating fingerprints and images of Mas Selamat Kastari to 186 countries. He is thought to be a leader of the Jemaah Islamiah militant group.

Police believe he planned attacks on the US embassy in Singapore and plotted to hijack and crash a plane at the city-state's international airport.

To help with the search, Interpol issued an Orange Notice - invoked after any event the France-based agency believes could pose a risk to the safety of people worldwide.

"Singapore is clearly doing all that it can on a national level to locate this fugitive," said Interpol's Jean-Michel Louboutin."Through issuing an Orange Notice, Interpol and all of its member countries can support these efforts on an international scale."

Kastari has been in detention since 2006 under Singapore's Internal Security Act.He was first imprisoned for immigration offences in Indonesia in 2003 and was extradited to Singapore three years later.

The authorities said he escaped after being granted permission to visit the toilet during family visiting hours at his detention centre.Police, Ghurkas and special forces are now reported to be involved in the search for Kastari, who walks with a limp.

Jemaah Islamiah, which has links to al-Qaeda, is blamed for the bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002 which left 200 people dead.

'£5 bet' murder !!

2008-02-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

A man and two youths who kicked a disabled man to death over a £5 bet have been jailed for life.Brent Martin, 23, who had learning difficulties, died in hospital after he was found in a pool of blood on Sunderland's Town End Farm estate.William Hughes, 22, and Marcus Miller, 16, had admitted the murder but Stephen Bonallie, 17, had denied the charge.The judge at Newcastle Crown Court ruled they must serve minimum terms of between 15 and 22 years.

Head injuries

The three, all trained boxers from Sunderland, repeatedly punched, kicked, stamped on and head-butted their victim over a £5 bet to see who could knock him out first.

They chased him around the Town End Farm estate just three months after he was released from a psychiatric hospital where he had been staying due to his learning difficulties, the court heard.Finally he was stripped of his trousers and pants and left dying next to a parked car in Baxter Road, Town End Farm, as his attackers posed for photographs.

A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Martin died from a massive head injury and had suffered at least 18 separate blows to the head and neck.

'Gentle person'

Hughes, from Washington Road, must serve a minimum of 22 years, Bonallie, from Birtley Avenue, 18 years, and Miller, from Baxter Road, must serve at least 15.Judge John Milford described the attack as "sadistic conduct on an extremely vulnerable victim".

He said: "I would hope the minimum terms imposed upon young offenders are sufficiently long to spell out to young people the consequences of committing murder."If I am wrong, then perhaps the 12-year starting point for those under 18 needs to be looked at again by Parliament when the murder is, as in this case, particularly serious."

Judge Milford also said their victim has been a "gentle and caring person" who had a long history of mental health problems.

More Jackson house debts revealed !!

2008-02-29T06:57:00.000-08:00

Singer Michael Jackson has repeatedly failed to pay the mortgage of a Los Angeles house used by his family, public documents show.

The news comes after it was revealed that he could lose his Neverland ranch because of arrears of $25m (£12.5m).Documents filed with the Los Angeles country recorder relate to a property in Encino, California, that has been used by the singer's family for years.

They show the singer has missed payments of $153,910 (£77,589).The missed payments relate to a $4m (£2m) loan from mortgage lender Indymac Bancorp, based in Pasadena, California.Documents show Jackson previously faced possible default over missed payments on the property due in April and August of last year.

According to reports, the 49-year-old is seeking a new loan that would save Neverland from being sold at auction next month.If he does not pay the $25m arrears that he owes on the sprawling California property, it will go to auction on 19 March.

Rowling 'exploited' by book plan !!

2008-02-29T06:41:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter author JK Rowling said she would feel "exploited" if an unofficial reference book about the boy wizard was published, according to court papers.

The writer is taking legal action in New York against Steve Vander Ark and publisher RDR Books over their plans to release a Harry Potter encyclopaedia."I am very frustrated that a former fan has tried to co-opt my work for financial gain," Ms Rowling said.Lawyers for RDR Books said it was a "legitimate literary activity".

'Rip-off'

They added: "Like a reference book or a guide to literature, it's a long-recognised genre. "We are not replacing the novel or taking away the market."Ms Rowling has said she will write her own definitive Harry Potter encyclopaedia, including material that did not make it into the novels.

"I believe that RDR's book constitutes a Harry Potter rip-off of the type I have spent years trying to prevent," Ms Rowling said in a written declaration to the court."Both I, as the creator of this world, and fans of Harry Potter would be exploited by its publication.

"I feel intensely protective, firstly of the literary world I spent so long creating, and secondly, of the fans who bought my books in such large numbers."The contested book, Harry Potter Lexicon, is based on material from an internet fan site of the same name.

On its website, RDR Books said it was "determined to publish this book for the benefit of Harry Potter fans everywhere" .The publisher agreed to delay the release of the book after Ms Rowling sought an injunction against its release in October.

It had been scheduled for publication on 28 November 2007.The case against the publisher and the writer is being brought by Ms Rowling and Harry Potter copyright-holders Warner Bros.

Ms Rowling's Harry Potter novels have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide.

Dave Clark Five Singer Smith dies !!

2008-02-29T04:32:00.000-08:00

Mike Smith, the lead singer of 1960s British pop group The Dave Clark Five, has died at the age of 64.

He died from pneumonia at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, his US agent Margo Lewis confirmed.This was a result of complications from a spinal cord injury sustained in 2003 which left him paralysed from the waist down, she added.

The Dave Clark Five had 19 UK Top 40 hits, including Bits and Pieces and the number one single Glad All Over. The group are due to be inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York on 10 March, alongside acts including Madonna, John Mellencamp and Leonard Cohen.

Ms Lewis said the singer and keyboardist was admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit on Wednesday with a chest infection.He had been in hospital since September 2003, but was released last December to live with his wife in a specially-prepared home nearby.

Ms Lewis said: "I am incredibly saddened to lose him, his energy and his humour."But I am comforted by the fact that he had the chance to spend his final months and days at home with his loving wife, Charlie, whom he adored, instead of in the hospital, and that he was able to attend a recent concert in London by his good friend, Bruce Springsteen."

She said Smith had felt honoured at the band's Hall of Fame induction."I am glad that he will be remembered as a 'Hall of Famer', because he was in so many ways," she added.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame president Joel Peresman told Associated Press he was saddened by the news, but that the ceremony would go ahead as planned, with "a little extra significance".

'British invasion'

The band, which broke up in the 1970s, sold more than 100 million records and recorded 23 albums, many of them for the US market.They were part of the so-called 1960s British invasion of the US, as the Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Animals stormed the American charts.

The Dave Clark Five had US hits with Because, I Like it Like That and Glad All Over, and set a record among British acts after appearing on the Ed Sullivan show 13 times.Bandmate Denis Payton, who played saxophone, harmonica and guitar, died of cancer in 2006.

The rest of the band were drummer Dave Clark, lead guitarist Lenny Davidson and Rick Huxley on bass.

Top 10 most prevalent global malware !!

2008-02-29T04:16:00.000-08:00

1. TROJ_GENERIC

Malware Type: Trojan
This is the Trend Micro generic detection for low-threat Trojans. It also installs itself as a browser helper object (BHO) by creating certain registry keys.

2. WORM_NUWAR.CQ

Malware Type: Worm
This worm arrives as an attachment to mass-mailed email messages. It spreads by attaching a copy of itself to an email message, which it sends using its own Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) engine. Having its own SMTP engine allows it to send messages without using any mailing application, such as MS Outlook.

3. WORM_NYXEM.E

Malware Type: Worm
This worm propagates by attaching copies of itself to email messages that it sends to target addresses, using its own SMTP engine. Through this SMTP engine, it is able to easily send the email message without using other mailing applications, such as Microsoft Outlook.

4. WORM_NETSKY.DAM

Malware Type: Worm
This is Trend Micro's detection for the damaged samples of WORM_NETSKY variants. It runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000 and XP.

5. HTML_NETSKY.P

Malware Type: HTML
This HTML malware arrives as an email with an executable file attachment that is detected by Trend Micro as WORM_NETSKY.P. It exploits a known vulnerability in Internet Explorer versions 5.01 and 5.5 known as the Automatic Execution of Embedded MIME Type. This vulnerability causes Internet Explorer to automatically run executable file attachments in email messages.

6. TROJ_SMALL.EDW

Malware Type: Trojan
This Trojan arrives as a file dropped by other malware like WORM_NUWAR.CQ or as a file downloaded unknowingly by a user when visiting malicious URLs. It may also arrive as a downloaded copy by earlier variants.

It is also spammed via email using subject lines related to specific events. The image below is a sample of the said email message.

7. WORM_RONTKBR.GEN

Malware Type: Worm
This is Trend Micro's detection for unknown and future variants of WORM_RONTOKBRO and WORM_BRONTOK malware programs. It serves as a proactive means of safeguarding against possible attacks of the aforementioned malware.

8. WORM_ANIG.A

Malware Type: Worm
This memory-resident worm propagates by dropping copies of itself in shared network drives. It steals login information and saves the obtained data in a file, which can be retrieved by a remote user. Its keylogger component substitutes the standard Microsoft Graphical Identification and Authentication DLL (MSGINA.DLL) to carry out its information-stealing routine.

9. PE_PARITE.A

Malware Type: Worm
This file infector infects .EXE and .SCR files on an infected system and on remote network shares with read and write access. It makes use of port 30167 in order to access network shares. It stays in memory by injecting itself into EXPLORER.EXE; thus, hiding its running process.

10. WORM_MOFEI.B

Malware Type: Worm
This destructive, memory-resident worm attempts to log on to remote machines using a list of user names. It then drops and executes a copy of itself on the remote machines. It has backdoor capabilities, and may execute commands coming from a remote malicious user. The said routine provides the remote user virtual control over the affected machine, thus compromising system security.

Source: Trend Micro

Budget to stimulate investment, growth !!

2008-02-29T04:09:00.000-08:00

Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the Union Budget for 2008-09 would stimulate investment and consequently growth, while pointing out that he had done the best through the budgetary exercise by providing credit facilities to the farm sector.

"Credit is only one element of the story in the farm sector. I provided more credit. Budget can only address credit side and the farm sector has not done too bad this year," he said in his post-Budget comments.

The Finance Minister had announced debt waiver and relief worth Rs 60,000 crore to small and marginal farmers in the Budget, the last full financial statement before the general elections in 2009.

"This Budget will stimulate investment and growth and that growth will create wealth. The economy is growing by eight per cent, people have become more tax compliant and they are willing to pay taxes," he said on the buoyancy in government's revenues.

Final goodbye for early web icon

2008-02-29T03:45:00.000-08:00

A web browser that gave many people their first experience of the web is about to disappear.

Netscape Navigator, now owned by AOL, will no longer be supported after 1 March 2008, the company has said.In the mid-1990s, as the commercial web began to take off, the browser was used by more than 90% of people online.

Its market share has since slipped to just 0.6% as other browsers such as Microsoft' Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox have eroded its user base.The company recommends that users upgrade their browser to either Firefox or Flock, which are both built on the same underlying technologies as Navigator.

"I think we represent the hope that was of Netscape," Mitchell Baker, chair of the Mozilla Foundation which coordinates development of Firefox, told BBC News."We have picked up many of the things that Netscape launched but we've taken them further in terms of openness and public participation and excitement and feeling this is my internet and I've created it and I have a say in the product."

Ms Baker was one of the first employees at Netscape in 1994.

Web window

Netscape was created by Marc Andreessen who as a student had co-authored Mosaic, the first popular web browser.His company Netscape Communications Corporation released the first version in 1994.

According to Shawn Hardin, President and CEO of Flock, Netscape played an important role in making the internet "a relevant mass market phenomenon"."Netscape had a critical role in taking all of these zeros and ones - this very academic and technical environment - and giving it a graphical user interface where an average person could come online and consume information," he told BBC News.

"During its halcyon days…it really felt like the internet and Netscape were really the same thing," he said. Other companies capitalised on Netscape's success, notably Microsoft, which began to bundle IE with its Windows operating systems.

lthough this lead to legal wrangles over anti-competitive behaviour, IE now dominates the browser landscape with an 80% market share.As a result, Netscape became unviable.

"While internal groups within AOL have invested a great deal of time and energy in attempting to revive Netscape Navigator, these efforts have not been successful in gaining market share from Microsoft's Internet Explorer," said Tom Drapeau on the Netscape blog last year, when the demise of the browser was first announced.

Future return?

For the past week Netscape users have been shown a message alerting them to the end of support for the browser."Given AOL's current business focus, support for Netscape browsers will be discontinued as of March 1st, 2008," the message reads.

It then suggests users upgrade to either Flock or Firefox.Firefox is the main competitor to IE, particularly in Europe where it has a 28% market share, according to some statistics.

The open source browser's development is coordinated by the Mozilla foundation, set up by Netscape staff made redundant in 2003.It has had more than 500 million downloads worldwide and in countries such as Finland it is the most popular browser.

"Competition is what brings quality," said Ms Baker.Flock describes itself as "the social web browser" and allows people to see feeds from community websites, such as Flickr and Facebook, and post to blogs without having to navigate to the page.

"There are lots of ways that people are engaging in having a conversation and Flock is very focused on making that as effortless and convenient as possible," said Mr Hardin.However, not all Netscape users are happy about having to change browser.

"I'm sad. Flock still needs improvement and I am not happy with Firefox's interface. I'm [an] orphan!" read one post on the Netscape blog.Others who posted comments on the blog predicted the browser will make a return.

"Netscape is a wonderful browser, and it will be so in the future," read one.

FIBER !!

2008-02-29T03:02:00.000-08:00

Fiber is part of a healthy diet, discover why?

Fiber plays a very important role in a healthy diet. Fiber is found in plants, and dietary fiber –the kind of fiber we eat- comes to us inside the fruits, vegetables and grains we eat.

Human provides no calories, as it cannot be digested by humans. Why is it so important then?

Fiber adds bulk to the diet. This bulk aids digestion by making food move faster through the system; not only preventing constipation but preventing the absorption of unhealthy substances as well. Fiber also protects the intestinal wall. With this function in mind, fiber helps to prevent diabetes, heart disease and diverticulosis, which sometimes develops into colon cancer.

Fiber makes you feel full faster and keeps you satisfied for longer, a priceless function when you are trying to control your weight.

DAILY RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF FIBER

Older children, teenagers and adults should aim to have 20-35 grams fiber per day. Fresh fruit, vegetables and cereals should be introduced to younger children, but without counting grams. The amount of food young children should eat in a day doesn’t allow to reach this level of fiber in their diet.

WAYS WITH FIBER

The way to ensure adequate fiber intake is to eat a variety of foods, including more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cereals, and dried beans and peas.

If you are not having enough, add fiber to your diet gradually. Water aids the passage of fiber through the digestive system, so drink plenty of fluids. Take a few weeks to build up the amount of fiber in your diet to avoid discomfort.

When you don’t peel fruits and vegetables, you are actually getting some more fiber. Cooked food may actually increase your fiber intake by decreasing the volume of the food that you eat. Eating fiber rich food is beneficial, no matter if it is cooked or raw.

HOW TO GET FIBER

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion, slowing it. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables. Soluble fiber has been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol, which can help prevent heart disease.

Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. Insoluble fiber seems to speed the passage of foods through the stomach and intestines.

THE DARK SIDE OF FIBER

Eating too much fiber in a short period of time can cause bloating and cramps. This usually goes away once the natural bacteria in the digestive system get used to the increase in fiber in the diet. This is the reason to take some weeks to reach the recommended amount of fiber.

It has been mentioned that too much fiber may interfere with the absorption of minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. As high fiber foods are usually also rich in minerals, this should not take your sleep away. However, consider this effect in the case of young children.

TIP

If you swallow a sharp object by accident –a little piece of broken glass, for instance- eat artichokes and asparagus -bread also helps. Their bulky fiber will wrap the object helping it to go through without causing injury.

Gatlin steps up Olympic Games bid !!

2008-02-29T02:49:00.000-08:00

Justin Gatlin is asking for an appeal against his doping ban to be completed by the end of May in a bid to defend his 100m Olympic title in Beijing.Gatlin wants to compete in June's US trials ahead of this summer's Games.

The 25-year-old was suspended for four years in January after a positive test for testosterone in 2006 was deemed a second offence.He claims a 2001 positive for drugs taken for attention deficit disorder should not have counted against him.

Gatlin was initially banned for eight years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) but it was reduced to four years after an appeal in January.His appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) claims that any enhancement of the 2006 case caused by the first positive test constitute a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Justin should be allowed to compete in the June's US trials for the Beijing Olympics because the anti-doping authorities violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it sanctioned Justin in 2001 for taking attention-deficit disorder medication and later used that sanction to bar him from participating in the Olympics," said Gatlin's attorney Maurice Suh.

"Punishing Justin for taking medicine that was prescribed by a doctor and does not enhance performance in any way is unfair and constitutes discrimination against a person with a diagnosed disability," added Suh.

Had the US panel, in a split decision, not considered the 2001 test in its verdict, Gatlin may have received a two-year suspension as a first-time offender.That would have made him eligible to return to competition in May, a month before the US Olympic trials.

Pietersen denies Indian offers !!

2008-02-29T02:34:00.000-08:00

Star England batsman Kevin Pietersen has ruled out playing in the multi-million pound Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.Pietersen said he had been approached by the IPL but that no amount of money would tempt him away from England.

"There's no way in this world I'd turn my back on England," he insisted."I know there is interest and, yes, there have been offers, etc etc, but it's not something I'm particularly interested in."The IPL, which starts on 18 April and will clash with the start of the English season, has attracted many of the world's top players.

The biggest international stars will earn huge amounts of money - Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds was signed for nearly £700,000.And Pietersen and his England team-mate Andrew Flintoff, who is injured, are of great interest to the IPL organisers because of their flamboyant style

IPL organiser Lalit Modi told BBC Sport on Thursday that "most of the England players" wanted to play in the competition.But Pietersen, who was born in South Africa and had a four-year apprenticeship in county cricket before being promoted to the Test squad, said his loyalty to England was greater than the lure of a big pay-day.

"Money's not really too important, it's not as if I need money right now. I'm really enjoying doing what I'm doing," he added."I love playing for England, I love playing for the spectators. England has given me a fantastic opportunity to a fantastic life at the moment. So I'm fully committed 100% to playing for England, to winning games for England, to scoring thousands more runs for England.

"I love playing for England and there will be nothing that will lure me away from England just yet."I'm really enjoying what I'm doing. It's a great challenge, challenging myself against the best players in the world in Test and one-day cricket."

'Chemical Ali' execution approved !!

2008-02-29T02:20:00.000-08:00

The execution of Saddam Hussein's cousin and henchman "Chemical Ali" has been approved by Iraq's presidency.He was condemned to death on genocide charges for killing 100,000 Kurds during the 1988 Anfal campaign against the Kurds in northern Iraq.

Chemical Ali - whose real name is Hassan al-Majid - was initially sentenced to death in June last year but legal wranglings held up the case.The execution was approved two days ago, to be carried out within 30 days.

He was convicted along with two other top officials - Hussein Rashid al-Tikriti, a senior military chief, and the former defence minister, Sultan Hashem.

Poison gas

The presidency, which is made up of President Jalal Talabani and two vice-presidents, has not yet approved the hanging of al-Tikriti and Hashem, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad.

The two men will remain in limbo not knowing whether they are to live or die, says our correspondent. The trio, who are in the custody of American forces, were supposed to have been hanged by October.

But the executions were delayed after Hashem became a cause celebre among Sunni politicians. Iraqi Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi has been among prominent Sunnis who insisted Hashem had simply been a career soldier carrying out orders and should be reprieved.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's administration had argued with the US embassy and demanded all three be handed over to face the gallows.Former regime leaders, including Saddam Hussein himself and his half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti, have been handed over by the Americans and hanged by the Iraqi government without significant popular or political repercussions.

The regime claimed the Anfal campaign was a necessary counter-insurgency operation during Iraq's bloody eight-year war with neighbouring Iran.Majid acquired his nickname Chemical Ali during the operation after poison gas was used.

Over the course of the Anfal trial, which opened in August last year, a defiant Majid showed no trace of remorse for ordering the attacks.He said at one hearing: "I am the one who gave orders to the army to demolish villages and relocate the villagers. I am not apologising. I did not make a mistake."

Various Faces of MJ !!

2008-02-29T00:05:00.000-08:00

Boyd Coddington, Hot Rod King, Dead !!

2008-02-28T23:21:00.000-08:00

World-renowned tuner and hot rod king Boyd Coddington died at 6:20 am this morning. The cause of death is still unknown. Coddington, founder of Boyds Wheels and designer of prize-winning custom cars, had recently been hospitalized twice for an undisclosed medical condition. Although he was though to be in recovery, rumors of his untimely death began circulating today throughout the forums. A spokesperson for Boyd Coddington's corporation has confirmed to Jalopnik that those rumors are true. The company will be releasing a statement later today.

Cadzilla

One of Coddington's most beloved custom cars was the Cadzilla, which was created for ZZ Top singer Billy Gibbons (sometimes referred to as CadZZilla). Truly a unique ride, the custom cost around $900,000 to build. This might explain why ZZ Top put Cadzilla in so many videos. Our favorite has to be the video "Doubleback" for the Back To The Future Part III soundtrack, which features both a DeLorean and Cadzilla. As always, the day is saved by three leggy young women in a custom hot rod. We love America.

New Clue in MND !!

2008-02-28T23:11:00.000-08:00

Researchers say they have made the most significant breakthrough for 15 years in the quest to understand the fatal condition Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

A team says a mutated gene is behind one form of the disease - and can be used to understand it better. Campaigners say the study, published in Science, is the most important since a first gene was identified in 1993.

MND involves the progressive wasting of the muscles - while usually leaving the mind unaffected. It affects some 5,000 people in the UK. At least five people each day die of the condition.

Biological tool

The international team, led by King's College London, found that in one family affected by a rare, inherited form of the condition, there were mutations in the gene coding for the protein TDP-43.

The protein has long been known to accumulate abnormally in MND patients, but it had been thought this was an innocent by-product of the disease.Now, says Professor Chris Shaw, who led the research, it is clear that this protein is "directly toxic" to motor neurones.

While the inherited form of the disease this mutation causes is extremely rare - accounting for just 1% of MND cases - researchers can use their findings to give animals the disease and investigate how it develops.

"It is a new biological tool to understand the disease and develop treatments," says Professor Shaw. "It is another part of the jigsaw, but there are still, admittedly, a lot of pieces missing."

The first part of that jigsaw was uncovered in 1993, when researchers found the gene mutation SOD1 was responsible for one form of MND. Experts say this finding improved understanding, although it has yet to impact significantly on treatment.

But the MND Association says this latest finding should now speed that up."This new information will be a springboard to greater understanding of the processes that cause motor neurones to die," said Dr Brian Dickie, director of research."It is through such understanding that we will develop the treatment strategies to defeat this devastating disease."

Fisherman swims 10 hours to shore !!

2008-02-28T22:58:00.000-08:00

A fisherman swam for more than 10 hours to find help for the two companions he left behind after their boat sank off the east coast of Australia.

The exhausted swimmer was found on a beach, and coastguards were then able to find one of the men. He had spent 30 hours at sea, clinging to debris.The search continues for the boat's skipper.

The three fishermen were on board a trawler that sank about 15km (9 miles) off the east coast near Byron Bay."Judging that the second fisherman survived through the night... we can only hope that the same has occurred with the third," a spokesman for the Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter service said.

Exhausted

The fishermen were thrown into the sea early on Wednesday after their ship hit a reef, prompting a major search and rescue operation.Hours later, fisherman Michael Williams crawled onto New Brighton Beach, north of Byron Bay.

Chris Gort, who saw Mr Williams on the beach, said the fisherman "had pretty bad cuts and bruises to his legs and his arms, he was pretty exhausted, pretty badly sunburnt".Mr Williams raised the alarm about his two companions, and a second fisherman was picked up by a rescue helicopter 30 hours after first being thrown into the ocean.

John Jarratt was found at sea north-east of Ballina, suffering from hypothermia and dehydration.Mr Jarratt said he and skipper Charlie Picton, an experienced fisherman, had clung to an insulated cooler after the ship went down, but that in the darkness the two became separated.

He said a rescue helicopter had apparently flown above the exhausted pair without spotting them.Mr Jarratt has told friends from hospital that he will "never" go back in the ocean, local media reported.

England stars 'eye Indian league' !!

2008-02-28T22:34:00.000-08:00

The head of the Indian Premier League says some of England's leading players have approached him to take part in the multi-million pound competition.

IPL chairman Lalit Modi said he opted against signing English players because of international commitments, but did not rule out their future involvement."Most of the English players say they'd like to play," Modi told BBC Sport.

But an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman said centrally contracted players were out of bounds to the IPL.The ECB said that England's commitments to the International Cricket Council's Future Tours Programme, which ends in 2012, would mean that the 12 players signed to central contracts would be unavailable to the IPL.

The massive wages on offer in India will be difficult for England's stars to ignore with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) already earning over £800m selling TV rights and team franchises for the IPL.

Over 70 of the world's best cricketers will be in India for the start of the inaugural tournament, which begins on 18 April.Last week's player auction in Mumbai raised a staggering $42m (£21.2m) as eight city franchises fought to recruit the likes of India one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

Dhoni, who attracted the highest bid at the auction, will earn $1.5m (£770,095) in wages, while Symonds will pocket $1.35m (£681,861) for his role in the seven-week competition.

And Modi, vice-chairman of the BCCI as well as chairman of the IPL, said England's best players are keen to get involved."We have a huge amount of pressure from the English players to be participating in it," he said.

"It's not that we couldn't sign them (but) because it directly conflicts with the English games."Sooner or later we will look at adjusting our programmes while we try to bring our league forward."The objective would be in the future we would be working with the ECB to ensure the overlap doesn't take place."

However, Modi believes county cricket - traditionally the leading wage earner for overseas Test players - will be left trailing the IPL as the world's best players choose to play in India rather than England.

"They have decided to sign with us over and above the counties," said the 42-year-old."The counties are going to deprived of these players going forward."Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes agrees that county cricket faces a huge threat from the IPL."I think it's inevitable the way things are going that we'll lose some of our top players," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I don't think we can compete, certainly not financially. A county player might be offered £60,000 to £70,000 a year to play for his county and if he's offered a quarter of a million to play half the cricket abroad... I'd ask the question of anybody: where would you go?

"It's also going to have a big influence on overseas players. They're not going to be available to us for two or three months at the start of the English season so is it going to be worth signing them?"

The creation of the league has already caused conflict between Nottinghamshire and their overseas player David Hussey.Despite penning a new two-year contract at Trent Bridge in October last year, the Australian has also been signed by Kolkata for $625,000 (£315,579).

If he does play in India, Hussey is expected to miss Nottinghamshire's first five championship matches and all eight Friends Provident one-day games."We were expecting him to come to us in the middle of April," Notts director of cricket Mick Newell told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We all want to work towards a compromise. David is keen to play in the IPL, the sums people are talking about are mind-blowing for cricket, so I'm sure both sides are keen to find a solution."

However, Modi insists the IPL only needs a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Cricket Australia, not via Nottinghamshire, for Hussey's authorisation to play.He said: "David Hussey has nothing to do with Nottinghamshire, as far as we are concerned he only needs an NOC from his home board."

China to log its worst polluters !!

2008-02-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

China has begun an ambitious project to survey the country's major sources of pollution.

Factories, farms and other polluters will have to declare how much, and what kind of pollutants, they discharge.The government admits it will be difficult to get companies to supply accurate data, so it is offering them immunity from fines and prosecution.

But even with this incentive, some say the system has flaws which will make it difficult to get accurate information.Companies across the country are currently being asked to provide information for the China Pollution Source Census, which will be published next year.

In an interview with the BBC, Wang Yuqing, the man in charge of the project, said the main aim was to get a clear picture of China's pollution problem.The government will then use the information to develop new policies, he said.

Mr Wang added that the government would not use the information it collects against polluting firms."It is not about punishing or fining any particular company," he said on the sidelines of a meeting about the census in Kunming, Yunnan Province.

Date gaps

But getting a clear picture could be difficult, as companies are being asked to supply their own pollution data.Officials are concerned that some firms will cover up the amount of pollutants they discharge.

Census officials have already set up a hotline so people can phone in and expose firms supplying false information.Mr Wang said companies will be punished if they do not report accurate data.

Ma Jun, of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said the government census was a good idea.But he added: "We need reliable date and, at the moment, there are obvious gaps."

The institute he works for has a list of 15,000 polluting businesses in China, compiled from information released by the government.That list is getting longer all the time.

"On the pollution situation, we have seen improvements, but we haven't got to the turning point yet," he said.

Sea reptile is biggest on record !!

2008-02-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

A fossilised "sea monster" unearthed on an Arctic island is the largest marine reptile known to science, Norwegian scientists have announced.

The 150 million-year-old specimen was found on Spitspergen, in the Arctic island chain of Svalbard, in 2006.The Jurassic-era leviathan is one of 40 sea reptiles from a fossil "treasure trove" uncovered on the island.

Nicknamed "The Monster", the immense creature would have measured 15m (50ft) from nose to tail.And during the last field expedition, scientists discovered the remains of another so-called pliosaur which is thought to belong to the same species as The Monster - and may have been just as colossal.

The expedition's director Dr Jorn Hurum, from the University of Oslo Natural History Museum, said the Svalbard specimen is 20% larger than the previous biggest marine reptile - another massive pliosaur from Australia called Kronosaurus.

"We have carried out a search of the literature, so we now know that we have the biggest [pliosaur]. It's not just arm-waving anymore," Dr Hurum told the BBC News website.

"The flipper is 3m long with very few parts missing. On Monday, we assembled all the bones in our basement and we amazed ourselves - we had never seen it together before."Pliosaurs were a short-necked form of plesiosaur, a group of extinct reptiles that lived in the world's oceans during the age of the dinosaurs.

A pliosaur's body was tear drop-shaped with two sets of powerful flippers which it used to propel itself through the water."These animals were awesomely powerful predators," said plesiosaur palaeontologist Richard Forrest.

"If you compare the skull of a large pliosaur to a crocodile, it is very clear it is much better built for biting... by comparison with a crocodile, you have something like three or four times the cross-sectional space for muscles. So you have much bigger, more powerful muscles and huge, robust jaws.

"A large pliosaur was big enough to pick up a small car in its jaws and bite it in half.""There are a few isolated bones of huge pliosaurs already known but this is the first find of a significant portion of a whole skeleton of such a giant," said Angela Milner, associate keeper of palaeontology at London's Natural History Museum

"It will undoubtedly add much to our knowledge of these top marine predators. Pliosaurs were reptiles and they were almost certainly not warm-blooded so this discovery is also a good demonstration of plate tectonics and ancient climates.

"One hundred and fifty million years ago, Svalbard was not so near the North Pole, there was no ice cap and the climate was much warmer than it is today."

The Monster was excavated in August 2007 and taken to the Natural History Museum in Oslo. Team members had to remove hundreds of tonnes of rock by hand in high winds, fog, rain, freezing temperatures and with the constant threat of attack by polar bears.

They recovered the animal's snout, some teeth, much of the neck and back, the shoulder girdle and a nearly complete flipper.Unfortunately, there was a small river running through where the head lay, so much of the skull had been washed away.A preliminary analysis of the bones suggests this beast belongs to a previously unknown species.

Unprecedented haul

The researchers plan to return to Svalbard later this year to excavate the new pliosaur.A few skull pieces, broken teeth and vertebrae from this second large specimen are already exposed and plenty more may be waiting to be excavated.

"It's a large one, and has the same bone structure as the previous one we found," said Espen Knutsen, from Oslo's Natural History Museum, who is studying the fossils.

Dr Hurum and his colleagues have now identified a total of 40 marine reptiles from Svalbard. The haul includes many long-necked plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs in addition to the two pliosaurs.

Long-necked plesiosaurs are said to fit descriptions of Scotland's mythical Loch Ness monster. Ichthyosaurs bore a passing resemblance to modern dolphins, but they used an upright tail fin to propel themselves through the water.

Richard Forrest commented: "Here in Svalbard you have 40 specimens just lying around, which is like nothing we know."Even in classic fossil exposures such as you have in Dorset [in England], there are cliffs eroding over many years and every so often something pops up. But we haven't had 40 plesiosaurs from Dorset in 200 years."

The fossils were found in a fine-grained sedimentary rock called black shale. When the animals died, they sank to the bottom of a cold, shallow Jurassic sea and were covered over by mud. The oxygen-free, alkaline chemistry of the mud may explain the fossils' remarkable preservation, said Dr Hurum.

The discovery of another large pliosaur was announced in 2002. Known as the "Monster of Aramberri" after the site in north-eastern Mexico where it was dug up, the creature could be just as big as the Svalbard specimen, according to the team that found it.

But palaeontologists told the BBC a much more detailed analysis of these fossils was required before a true picture of its size could be obtained.

Former Thai PM Thaksin detained !!

2008-02-27T19:51:00.000-08:00

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been taken into custody on his arrival in Thailand after spending 17 months in exile.

He said he would beat what he called politically motivated corruption charges from the years he was in power. The 58-year-old billionaire businessman surrendered to police at the airport to be taken to the Supreme Court.

He was removed from power in a military coup in September 2006 and has lived outside the country since then.

Mr Thaksin is expected to be released on bail on two separate charges.Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Harding on the flight from Hong Kong, Mr Thaksin said he wouldn't be seeking revenge against the coup bosses who forced him out of power after five years in office.

He said he had mixed feelings about returning to home, but that he had finished with politics and wished to focus on his football interests - he owns Manchester City and was travelling with two of the British club's players.

His party, Thai Rak Thai, was outlawed following the coup and he was personally banned from politics for five years but his opponents fear he has returned to influence events from behind-the-scenes.

Many of Mr Thaksin's followers formed the People Power Party (PPP), which won elections in December last year.

Sicily Mafia 'restoring US links' !!

2008-02-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

Sicily's Mafia is rebuilding its networks in the US, according to an Italian parliamentary report.

The report says Cosa Nostra has been sending people to the US to form alliances with families with which it had lost contact in the 1980s.

It says that while the mob maintains a foothold in the lucrative drugs trade, it is now moving into new areas.Although Cosa Nostra has its roots in Italian organised crime, it has long been a separate organisation in the US.

But this month in an operation codenamed Old Bridge, a reference to these long-standing links between Sicily and New York, the FBI revealed details of the new relationships being formed across the Atlantic.

They rounded up more than 80 gangsters in New York including the acting bosses of the Gambino crime family - known to have direct links with Sicily.

Fewer witnesses

The Italian anti-mafia commission says Old Bridge was a remarkable success but it shows the Sicilian Cosa Nostra is "re-establishing its links with the American cousins".

The comission says it has evidence Cosa Nostra is sending its top members to New York while allowing those expelled by the mob during the clan wars of the 1980s to return home to Sicily.

Their report says that many US food distribution and construction firms are now controlled by the US Cosa Nostra, whose bosses are of Sicilian origin and have direct links.

And while Cosa Nostra still maintains its control over the lucrative drugs trade and its traditional activities of extortion and racketeering, it is now diversifying into new industries like online gambling.

Angela Napoli, a member of the anti-mafia commission, says the work to defeat Cosa Nostra falls on the Italian politicians - who must do more - and on the very brave witnesses who come forward to give evidence.

The commission says not enough is being done to help them.Those under state protection say they feel abandoned.And consequently the number now prepared to come forward is falling.

Writer Sujatha passes away ..

2008-02-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

Sujatha, the well known author of several novels and short stories, and who has also penned the dialogs for several movies, passed away earlier today. A dear loss to Indian literature, indeed.

His true name was Rangarajan, Sujatha being a pseudonym. He has written of over 100 novels, 250 short stories, ten books on science, ten stage plays, and a slim volume of poems. His very first story featured in a magazine called Sivaji in 1953. His short story called Idadhu Orathil was published in a Tamil magazine in 1962 and he soon became a regular contributor. His writings are well known and much read.

His writing expertise took to the silver screen with movies such as Gayathri, Priya and Vikram, and eventually he became a popular writer in filmdom as well. Some of his recent works in cinema include Anniyan and Sivaji. The soon to release movie Anandha Thandavam is the on screen adaptation of a novel by Sujatha. He was also working on the script for Shankar's much awaited Robot.

However, nature's course has changed his. Today we have lost one of the most revered writers down South. We extend our heart felt condolences to the bereaved.

Millau Viaduct – World's Tallest Bridge !!!

2008-02-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

An Engineering Work of Art

To me there are few things more impressive than being on a man-made structure, such as a very tall building or a bridge, and viewing blue sky above and clouds below. Of, course for this to occur the structure has be be rather high and the clouds low.

This is why I was immediately impressed when a friend sent me pictures of the Millau Viaduct, which crosses the valley of the Tarn River valley near the city of Millau in the mountains of southern France.

Normally it is the high mountains that present a challenge to engineers building roads that connect two or more points. However, in case of the Millau Viaduct, the mountain area through which the A75 autoroute, also known as la Méridienne, passes is apparently rather high most of the way until it reaches the Tarn River valley. As can be seen from the picture at the right, one has to traverse a long, winding road down the mountain on one side of the valley and then immediately repeat the process while climbing up the mountain on the other side of the valley. In addition to the kilometers / miles and time added by the trip down into the valley and back up into the mountains, time was also lost in the past to traffic congestion in the town and on the two lane bridge across the Tarn River. It is estimated that the bridge over the valley has shortened the driving distance between the Paris and the Mediterranean coast of France by 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) and, during the summer tourist season, reduced travel time by as much as four hours.

Construction of the bridge was a joint Franco-British project with help from companies in other European countries. Financing for the 394 million Euro (U.S. $524) project was provided by the French construction firm Eiffage. As a result of corporate mergers*, the Eiffage frim includes the firm that built the Eiffel Tower in Paris which, at the time of its completion in 1887, was the tallest structure in the world. This is obviously a company with long experience in being involved with construction of structures of record setting size. British architect Norman Foster designed the bridge, which has come to be viewed both as a work of art as well as a construction marvel, while the French bridge engineer, Dr. Michel Virlogeux, provided the engineering design.

While planning began in the late twentieth century, actual construction did not begin until December 2001 and its 2005 target completion date was achieved a little early when it was formally dedicated on December 14, 2004 and opened to traffic on December 16, 2004.

The Millau Viaduct is an artistic and engineering marvel. It currently holds the record for having the highest piles (the pilers rising from the ground and supporting the bridge from below) of any bridge in the world with its highest being 244.96 meters (803.7 feet) and the highest mast (the pilers rising up from the top of the bridge and holding the suspension cables) which towers 343 meters (1,125 feet) above the roadbed of the bridge. It also has a claim to having the highest roadbed of any bridge in the world with its roadbed reaching 270 meters (885.8 feet) above the river below. However, the roadbed of the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado in the United States tops this with its roadbed which towers 1,053 feet (321 meters) above the river below. Based upon height of roadbed, the Royal Gorge Bridge is the highest in the world while based upon mast height, the Millau Viaduct is the highest in the world. Regardless of which is the highest, the Millau Viaduct is the clear winner in terms of length and beauty.

Top Five Midwest Family Vacation Destinations !!!

2008-02-26T11:14:00.000-08:00

Whether you prefer the beauty of an urban skyline or a rugged mountain, the Midwest offers a vacation destination for every family. Take your pick from the entertainment of Branson, the sophistication of Chicago, or the wet and wild fun of the Wisconsin Dells. Take in the natural beauty at a Jellystone Campground and expand your family's horizons at Mt. Rushmore.

Branson, Missouri

Branson, Missouri is one of the top vacation destinations in the country with close to seven million visitors annually. Branson offers attractions and world-class entertainment for all ages, all in the gorgeous setting of the Ozark mountains. The flavor of Branson is wholesome. Shows are available for all ages and families will appreciate live performances in any of the city's 49 state-of-the-art theaters.

Families can enjoy a patriotic revue, listen to a cowboy poet reading, or take in one of the family-friendly variety shows. Magic and comedy share the stage with animals, acrobats, and special effects. Kids will love the dinner show at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede restaurant where they'll see horses and stunt riders perform amazing tricks.

By the first week of November most of the shows in Branson gets into the Christmas spirit. Christmas in Branson includes plenty of holiday-themed music, sets, costumes and production numbers.

Silver Dollar City has been named the number one theme park in the world by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions. This 50-acre, 1880s-themed park is set naturally into its surroundings and features more than 100 craftsmen demonstrating their skills. There are festivals going on from April through December including a Bluegrass & BBQ Festival, National Kids' Fest, and a Salute to the Great American Cowboy. The holiday music festival and light parade at Silver Dollar City was named one of the top 10 in the country by USA Today.

But wait, there's more. You can rent a boat and water ski on beautiful Table Rock lake, or spend some quality time in nature at Big Cedar Lodge. Save money for shopping because Branson boasts many outlet centers and the famous Bass Pro sporting goods super store.

Chicago

A Chicago vacation offers the finest in the arts and amusements. From the top of the Sears tower to the miles of paths along the shores of Lake Michigan, the family is sure to love the windy city.

The kids' favorite among Chicago's world-class museums is sure to be the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier. Kids can experiment with inventions, reconstruct dinosaur bones, play on a make-believe schooner. The Field Museum comes in a close second with it's full size T-Rex and King Tut exhibits. At the Museum of Science and Industry the whole family can walk through a huge, working model of the human heart. Plan a trip to the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum on a Friday for special programs.

The John G. Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium is the world's largest indoor aquarium. You can even walk through a simulated Amazon and observe the sea life there. The Brookfield Zoo is has been named one of the top ten family-friendly zoos by Child magazine.

Take in the city's amazing architecture, from the 110-story Sears Tower, which is the tallest in North America. Then get down on street level around the Loop to get up close and personal with sculptures by Picasso, Miro, and Chagall among other. If you're lucky you'll also catch a street performance of a group of bucket drummers.

Do not leave the city without sampling the deep-dish pizza. Chicago style pizza is like no other. You may even get kids to eat their spinach when it's piled on one of these culinary works of art!

Jellystone Campground Parks

Anyone who grew up with Yogi and Boo Boo will get a huge kick out of introducing these lovable characters to their kids at a Jellystone campground park. These parks are located throughout the Midwest and have become the favorite destination for many families. In addition to the joys of camping, Jellystone parks offer waterslides, pools, and bike trails. There's also the chance to get involved in sports like volleyball and mini-golf. In the evening, families enjoy quality time around the campfire, or at the movies!

The Warrens, Wisconsin Jellystone Park is one of the finest Resort Camps in the United States with a 50,000 sq. ft. Indoor Water Resort, and different styles of lodging to suit many tastes and budgets. Generally, the parks offer tent camping, RV sites, and cabin rentals.

Parks are franchises, independently owned and operated throughout the Midwest, so you'll want to check out the Jellystone main website and do a little homework on which park is best for you because the amenities will vary. Midwest park locations include Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Missouri.

Yogi Bear, Cindy Bear, and Boo Boo make daily visits to campers. If you're lucky, you may even get tapped to play Yogi or Cindy!

Wisconsin Dells

Wisconsin Dells on the Wisconsin River is known as the waterpark capital of the world. There are several outdoor and indoor waterparks to choose from, as well as more than twenty waterpark resorts!

The indoor waterparks help contribute to the year round family fun at this Midwest vacation destination, but there's more to the Dells. The fall color in the Dells is spectacular and the area has plenty of campgrounds where you can experience the colorful change of season up close.

Cruise boats and the amphibious vehicles called Ducks take you on scenic tours to see the Wisconsin River rock formations. Afterwards, go to the International Crane Foundation, a wildlife preserve where you can see all 15 living species of cranes. There's no other spot on earth where you can see all these birds in one place.

Nearby Baraboo is home to the Circus World Museum, which boasts the world's largest collection of one-of-a-kind antique circus wagons. There are 50 wagons, some in the process of restoration. You can even watch as craftsmen toil away at reviving these treasures of American history.

There are arts-a-plenty in the Dells as well. Landscape photographer, H.H. Bennett is considered among the top 10 of the 19th century. He introduced the world to stop-action photography and you can see some of it at his studio on the Dells' boardwalk. Architecture aficionados can visit the Frank Lloyd Wright's Seth Peterson Cottage, the only home Wright designed that is available for rent to the public.

For pure entertainment, check out the Tommy Bartlett Show, a water ski extravaganza that is one of the longest running live outdoor entertainment shows in the country.

South Dakota: Black Hills, Badlands, and Mount Rushmore

South Dakota is home to amazing natural beauty as well as attractions to please any family. Perhaps the best-known landmark is Mount Rushmore, but there is so much more to see. Families can learn about the history of the Great Plains at various memorials and state parks. Kids and adults alike can explore caves, canyons, and hiking trails.

The Black Hills region of South Dakota is home to five national parks and memorials. The Mount Rushmore National Monument boasts 60-foot faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, carved into the granite of Mount Rushmore. The monument is best viewed in the light from sunrise to ten o'clock in the morning. You'll want to consult the calendar of events to find out if there are any special programs going on during your visit.

Make time to learn investigate history at the Journey Museum where you'll hear the scientific explanation of fossils and geology as well as the Lakota Sioux mythology of the origins of the Plains. One of the most popular exhibits is a hologram of a Native American woman telling her story in a tepee. Talk about bringing history to life!

Visit the Crazy Horse Memorial, which is expected to be the world's largest mountain carving when it is complete. They even project a laser show onto the five-story stone. Next, head to Custer State Park to see over 1,500 head of buffalo. The first Monday in October they have a buffalo roundup, but you'll need to make your plans many months in advance.

Wind Cave National Park has the fourth-longest cave in America. Explore a bit of its 120 miles of mapped passages. Mammoth skeletons are the main attraction at the indoor Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. From June 1st - August 15th the Junior Paleontologist Excavation lets kids ages 4 to 13 dig for fossil replicas, but space is limited so make reservations for this activity. A drive through the 244,000-acre Badlands National Park gets you a glimpse at bison, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep.

10 things you should NEVER say during a job interview !!!

2008-02-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

1. How much does the job pay?

Some people ask this question before the interviewer has a chance to even ask THEIR first question and this is a big mistake. It makes it seem as if all you are after is money. As a rule, wages and salaries are not discussed during the first interview. You may have three interviews altogether with one company. If money is discussed, it is up to the interviewer from the company to open up that subject. If they ask you how much money you want, have a range of salaries to give them and not a specific amount. First, research how much the job you want really pays in your town or state and then come up with a range of a yearly salary to request.

Let's say an auto mechanic makes $35,000 a year in your city after working five years. When you apply to become an auto mechanic, state the range of pay you want as $32,000 - 38,000 a year. Or you could use a broader range, like $30,000 - $40,000 a year. Make sure it is a realistic range. For example, if a fast food full-time grillman in your town usually makes $13,000 per year, don't interview at that restaurant and ask for $20,000 - $30,000 per year.

2. What does your company make (or do)?

A job candidate must research the company for which they want to work before going into a job interview with them. Look the company up on the Internet and read as much as you can about it and take notes. Try to find the company's Annual Report and read it. Your local libraries can help you do that.

3. Do not use SLANG words or phrases in your job interview.

The interview is not a casual conversation with friends on a street corner or in a lounge. It is a formal conversation and requires the use of good English grammar. There is not time enough during an interview for the interviewer to figure out what you are talking about. They also should not HAVE to figure it out. On the other hand, even if they do understand you, you are being disrespectful and overly casual in the interview by using slang. You will also sound like you are playing and not serious about doing good work, and the interviewer won't take you seriously. Just don't do it.

4. What can you do for me; what are the benefits like vacations, promotions and bonuses?

Hiring officers and job interviewers like job candidates with self-confidence, but they do not like people who are selfish. The first interview you have with a company is all about what you can do for THEM. You are not doing them a favor by interviewing with them, so keep these questions until the second interview or until the interviewer opens up the subject. The interviewer will ask you why the company should hire you and then you can emphasize your skills, talents and contributions you have to offer them. Be prepared to tell clearly what specific ways you have helped your former employers.

5. No profanity or cursing of any kind.

You must never curse, cuss, or use any kind of profanity in any job interview. That includes the word p_ssed, as in "p_ssed off." That is cursing and profanity. Do not say it. Do not say "damn", "hell", or the F-word or the n-word. In addition, women are women and not "‘hos."

6. No stereotypical language.

Do not refer to people of other genders, sexual orientations, nationalities, ethnicities, races, handicaps, religions or other diversity in any slang terms, slurs, or other denigrating language. Ever.

7. Do not criticize any former employer.

Bashing a former boss, or criticizing them in any way, lets the interviewer know that you will do the same to them if you leave their company. Instead, you can explain that you had a difference of opinion with your former employer in work philosophies or styles. Do not dwell on your answer about an employer where things did not go so well for you, and make it short.

8. If you are asked if you have any questions, don't say "No."

Saying NO says to the interviewer that you are not very interested in the company and not very smart. So be smart. When you research the company before your interview, come up with at least three questions to ask about the company itself during the interview. For example, ask what plans they have to expand in the next 10 years, or ask what new products and services they might be considering. This is not the time to ask about salary and benefits, either.

9. I don't have any weaknesses.

You will likely be asked what strengths and weaknesses you have. If you say you don't have any, the interviewer will believe that you are lying or that you are not thinking. You can say that you don't like to waste time on small talk and are working on being more friendly in the workplace. This is a positive "weakness."

10. Don't tell them your life story.

The interviewer will ask you to tell them a little about yourself, but this means where you went to school, what you accomplished in school, where you have worked, and how you have helped your former employers. It can include a little about hobbies and volunteer work, but don't dwell on these things.

Don't tell the employer anything that will lead them to knowing your age, race, gender orientation, religious beliefs, medical conditions, or other personal information. Legally, until they are offering you a job, the employer is not allowed to ask you if you are married, have children, or are planning these things in the future. They CAN ask you what certifications and licenses you have relevant to the position. If they ask you what nationality your last name is, politely answer that you don't know how that is relevant to the job, but that you would like to discuss your qualifications. If they ask you how old you are, tell them that you will gladly provide that information after you are hired. The exception to this is if you need to be at least 18 years old to work for the company in the USA. If you are 21 and look young, you may have to answer this question. Lastly, do not bring up personal problems in a job interview, including divorce, breaking up with a girlfriend, bankruptcy, etc.

The Truth About Labial Adhesions !!

2008-02-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

What Are Labial Adhesions?

No one seems to talk about this one, but Labial Adhesions are a common occurrence in little girls. It's when the inner vaginal lips (labia minora) fuse together appearing to close off the opening to the vagina. It's thought to occur in 1-2% of girls aged 3 months to 6 years.

A parent may notice labial adhesion, but they usually cause no symptoms and are noticed only at a routine well-child checkup with a pediatrician. They are easy to treat, if they need to be treated, but the doctor may want to rule out any other vaginal disorders before treatment.

What Causes Labial Adhesions?

Experts aren't 100% sure what causes labial adhesions, but most agree they are caused when the labia become irritated or inflamed, as could be the case in a wet diaper. When the raw skin heals, it creates tissue that fuses the labia together. Soap residue on clothing may play a part as well as low levels of estrogen, which is normal before puberty. They may be the result of sexual abuse, but this is certainly not the reason for the majority of cases.

Labial adhesions can cause blockage of the urinary tract. A child may also complain of ‘drips' or parents may notice urine-stained underwear. Even if the adhesions are not fully blocking the urethra, a pocket of skin may form, trapping small amounts of urine, which are released when the child stands.

Bladder infections may be more common in girls with labial adhesions. Urine trapped in the extra tissue may make it's way back up into the urethra cuasing infection.

Treatment

Some doctors like to treat labial adhesions, while others believe that left untreated they most like will resolve on their own at puberty.

Treatment usually consists of the application of topical estrogen cream to the affected area. This causes the tissue fusing the labia to dissolve, separating the labia. Once separate, antibiotic cream is used to promote healing.

If your doctor opts to treat your daughter's labial adhesions, don't be surprised if they separate, heal, then later return.

Always follow the advice of your pediatrician. Never try to separate the labia with force. It will hurt and traumatize the child and usually cause the adhesions to heal worse than they started. In rare cases, the labia may need to be surgically separated by a doctor.

Effects of Estrogen Cream

It's important to note that estrogen cream can have side effects. Girls and even infants may show some minor breast development during estrogen treatment. The skin around the labia and/or nipples may darken. Stopping estrogen may even cause vaginal bleeding, but this should be very minimal and not a cause for concern. These symptoms usually subside after estrogen treatment is stopped and most girls will use estrogen without any side effects.

Prevention of Recurrence

Good vulvar care includes avoidance of irritants. Keep diapers dry and use fragrance free detergents. Don't scrub, but clean the vulva daily with water. Stay away from the bubble bath! And teach your daughter to wipe from front to back. Let the area get some air every day. Apply a lubricant like petroleum jelly to the labia at night.

The main thing is to remember it's nothing you did wrong, and it's a very common occurrence - even if no one says so!

Common Sense Medical Disclaimer:

Just in case you wonder, I'm not a doctor or any other kind of medical expert. I am just an experienced mother. Information contained in this article is intended as an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatment. It is not a substitute for a medical exam, nor does it replace the need for services provided by medical professionals. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any prescription or over the counter drugs (including any herbal medicines or supplements) or following any treatment or regimen. Only your doctor or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for you or your child.

Anti-depressants' 'little effect' !!

2008-02-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

New generation anti-depressants have little clinical benefit for most patients, research suggests.

A University of Hull team concluded the drugs actively help only a small group of the most severely depressed.

Marjorie Wallace, head of the mental health charity Sane, said that if these results were confirmed they could be "very disturbing".

But the makers of Prozac and Seroxat, two of the commonest anti-depressants, said they disagreed with the findings.

A spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Seroxat, said the study only looked at a "small subset of the total data available".

Reviewed data

And Eli Lilly, which makes Prozac, said that "extensive scientific and medical experience has demonstrated it is an effective anti-depressant".

Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, has announced that 3,600 therapists are to be trained during the next three years in England to increase patient access to talking therapies, which ministers see as a better alternative to drugs.

Patients are strongly advised not to stop taking their medication without first consulting a doctor.

The researchers accept many people believe the drugs do work for them, but argue that could be a placebo effect - people feel better simply because they are taking a medication which they think will help them.

In total, the Hull team, who published their findings in the journal PLoS Medicine, reviewed data on 47 clinical trials.

They reviewed published clinical trial data, and unpublished data secured under Freedom of Information legislation.

They focused on drugs which work by increasing levels of the mood controlling chemical serotonin in the brain.

These included fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Seroxat), from the class known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), alongside another similar drug called venlafaxine (Efexor) - all commonly prescribed in the UK.

The number of prescriptions for anti-depressants hit a record high of more than 31 million in England in 2006 - even though official guidance stresses they should not be a first line treatment for mild depression.

There were 16.2m prescriptions for SSRIs alone.

The researchers found that the drugs did have a positive impact on people with mild depression - but the effect was no bigger than that achieved by giving patients a sugar-coated "dummy" pill.

People with severe symptoms appeared to gain more clear-cut benefit - but this might be more down to the fact that they were less likely to respond to the placebo pill, rather than to respond positively to the drugs.

Lead researcher Professor Irving Kirsch said: "The difference in improvement between patients taking placebos and patients taking anti-depressants is not very great.

"This means that depressed people can improve without chemical treatments.

"Given these results, there seems little reason to prescribe anti-depressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless alternative treatments have failed to provide a benefit."

Professor Kirsch said the findings called into question the current system of reporting drug trials.

Reviewing guidance

Dr Tim Kendall, deputy director of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Research Unit, has published research concluding that drug companies tend only to publish research which shows their products in a good light.

He said the Hull findings undermined confidence in the ability to draw meaningful conclusions about the merit of drugs based on published data alone.

He called for drug companies to be forced to publish all their data.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently reviewing its guidance on the use of antidepressants.

Marjorie Wallace of Sane commented: "If these results were upheld in further studies, they would be very disturbing.

"The newer anti-depressants were the great hope for the future.... These findings could remove what has been seen as a vital choice for thousands in treating what can be a life-threatening condition."

Dr Andrew McCulloch, of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "We have become vastly over-reliant on antidepressants when there is a range of alternatives.

"Talking therapies, exercise referral and other treatments are effective for depression.

"It is a problem that needs a variety of approaches matched to the individual patient."

Dr Richard Tiner, of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said there was no doubt that was a "considerable placebo effect" from anti-depressants when treating people with mild to moderate symptoms.

But he said no medicine would get a licence without demonstrating it was better than a placebo.

Dr Tiner said: "These medicines have been licensed by a number of regulatory authorities around the world, who looking at all the evidence, have determined that they do work better than placebo."

Pakistan lifts the ban on YouTube !!

2008-02-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

Pakistan's telecoms regulator has lifted the restrictions it imposed on video-sharing website YouTube.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority has told internet service providers (ISPs) to restore access to the site, according to a spokeswoman.

Google, the owner of YouTube, confirmed service had been restored in Pakistan.

The attempt to block the site, reportedly because of a "blasphemous" video clip, caused a near global blackout of the site on Sunday.

A spokesman for YouTube told the BBC News website: "We are pleased to confirm that YouTube is again accessible in Pakistan."

It is reported that a trailer for a forthcoming film by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which portrays Islam in a negative light, was behind the restrictions.

The ban was instigated by Pakistan on Friday. At the time, the BBC News website's technology editor, Darren Waters, said that to block citizens from accessing YouTube it was believed Pakistan Telecom "hijacked" the web server address of the popular video site.

Those details were then passed on to the country's internet service providers so that anyone in Pakistan attempting to go to YouTube was instead re-directed to a different address.

But the details of the "hijack" were leaked out into the wider internet by Hong-Kong based provider PCCW and as a result YouTube was mistakenly blocked by other ISPs around the world.

The block on the servers was lifted once PCCW had been told of the issue by YouTube engineers.

A statement from Google said that the problems lasted for "about two hours".

"Traffic to YouTube was routed according to erroneous internet protocols, and many users around the world could not access our site," it said.

A leading net professional told BBC News: "This was probably a simple mistake by an engineer at Pakistan Telecom. There's nothing to suggest this was malicious."

IP hijacking involves taking over a web site's unique address by corrupting the internet's routing tables, which direct the flow of data around the world.

Other countries that have temporarily blocked access to YouTube include Turkey and Thailand.

Los Angeles is tops for tap water !!

2008-02-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

While Los Angeles was handing out Oscars, the city itself has won an award for having the tastiest tap water in the United States.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California shared the award with the Canadian town Clearbrook, British Columbia.They beat 120 rivals at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting.

And while the winner may have been wet, there were no acceptance speech waterworks like those at the Oscars.

No water-works

"It's not the first time Los Angeles has won, they've won a number of times over the years," said Jill Klein Rone, the competition's organiser.

"It means they give special care and attention to their water and how it is processed."As at LA's more famous awards ceremony, short-listed candidates came from across the globe.

They included entrants from New Zealand, Romania, Macedonia and the Philippines.Unlike the Oscars, however, selection criteria was based on taste, smell, texture, after taste and clarity.

A panel of 10 judges - mostly comprising journalists and food critics - supped sparkling, tap and bottled water from 19 US states and 9 other countries.The awards were the 18th to be held in Berkeley Springs - reportedly the world's largest and longest-running water-tasting competition.

Financial waterfall

While Oscar winners can expect a flood of offers of lucrative work on the back of their success, there will be financial windfalls for winning waters too.

"The people who won, particularly the bottled water people, their phone will be ringing off the hook," said Ms Rone.The award for best sparkling water went to Salvus Mineralwasser Medium of Emsdetten, Germany.

And in the bottled water category, newcomer Tumai Water of Martinsburg, West Virginia, won over. The company donates profits to Aids relief and water needs in Africa.

Iran's 'diagnosed transsexuals' !!

2008-02-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Homosexual relationships are banned in Iran, but the country allows sex change operations and hundreds of men have elected for surgery to change their lives.

Ali Askar had a sex change operation and is now called Negar

"He wants to kill me. He keeps telling me to come home so he can kill me. He had put rat poison in my tea."

For Ali Askar, at age 24, the decision to become a woman came at a heavy cost. His father threatened to kill him if he went ahead with surgery.

Now renamed Negar, she says she would not have had the operation if she did not live in Iran.

"If I didn't have to operate, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't touch God's work.But as Ali, he felt he had no identity.

He could not work with men because they sexually harassed him and made fun of him. But he could not work with women because he was not officially a woman.

"I am Iranian. I want to live here and this society tells you: you have to be either a man or a woman".

"Diagnosed transsexuals"

Sex changes have been legal in Iran since Ayatollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of the 1979 Islamic revolution, passed a fatwa - a religious edict - authorising them for "diagnosed transsexuals" 25 years ago.

Today, Iran carries out more sex change operations than any other nation in the world except for Thailand.The government even provides up to half the cost for those needing financial assistance and a sex change is recognised on your birth certificate.

"Islam has a cure for people suffering from this problem. If they want to change their gender, the path is open," says Hojatol Islam Muhammad Mehdi Kariminia, the religious cleric responsible for gender reassignment.

He says an operation is no more a sin than "changing wheat to flour to bread".Yet homosexuality is still punishable by death.

"The discussion is fundamentally separate from a discussion regarding homosexuals. Absolutely not related. Homosexuals are doing something unnatural and against religion," says Kariminia. "It is clearly stated in our Islamic law that such behaviour is not allowed because it disrupts the social order."

Sex change surgery

I wanted to live like everyone else, like all the other boys and girls walking around. My goal was simply to find my own identity

Anoosh

Dr Mir-Jalali, a Paris-trained surgeon, is Iran's leading specialist in sex change surgery.

He claims to have performed over 450 operations in the last 12 years.Many of his patients are struggling to figure out what to do because they do not fit into the norm. They see Dr Mir-Jalali as a saviour.

"Transsexuals feel that their body doesn't match how they feel," he says. "Whatever you do, psychiatrists, pills, prison, punishment, nothing helps".

Another of his patients, Anoosh, 21, was deeply unhappy before surgery and felt pressured to leave school because of his feminine behaviour and appearance.

"I wanted to live like everyone else, like all the other boys and girls walking around. My goal was simply to find my own identity."

Like many young people in Iran, Anoosh struggled to reconcile his sexual identity with the wishes of family, community and culture. He says he was continuously harassed and threatened with arrest by Iran's morality police before he had his sex change.

His boyfriend was also keen for him to go ahead with the sex change because 90% of the people they passed in the street said something nasty.

"When he goes out in female clothes and has a female appearance it is easier for me to persuade myself that he is a girl. It makes the relationship better," he says.

For Anoosh's younger brother, Ali Reza, it was harder to come to terms with Anoosh's desire to become a woman."I have had a brother for many years. I can't just suddenly accept him as my sister. If I refer to him as my brother he gets upset. But it's hard for me to believe this".

Anoosh's mother, Shahin, raised her children alone and had high hopes for her son."My child was meant to be the star of the family. I counted on him to be something other than this".

Avoiding shame

Documentary film maker Tanaz Eshaghian spent weeks filming Anoosh, Ali and other transsexuals in Iran. She thinks that part of what is driving many of the boys to operate is the desire to avoid shame.

"If you are a male with female tendencies, they don't see that as something natural or genetic. They see it as someone who is consciously acting dirty."

Being diagnosed as a transsexual makes it a medical condition, not a moral one.Once a doctor has made a diagnosis - and an operation is in the pipeline - the transsexual can get official permission from his local government official to cross-dress in public.

"They look for a solution that will at least allow them to be attracted to the gender they are naturally attracted to - without feelings of shame, sin and wrong-doing - and move around in society without harassment. The price is often being disowned by your family," says Tanaz Eshaghian.

After surgery

Anahita and her boyfriend got engaged after the operation

Ali Askar - now renamed Negar and aged 27 - said that after the sex change operation she was initially depressed.

"But now, it's like I have been born again and I am in a new world."

But her family's reaction has taken its toll. Although they warned her she would be disowned, she thought that they would change their mind after the operation.

"They pray for me to die soon. If I'd known that my family would truly shun me like this, I would never have done it."

She now lives with other transsexuals who have had a sex change. She has had to work as a prostitute to make ends meet.Rejection by her parents has affected her deeply: "When parents can kill the love for their own child inside themselves, I have killed love in my being. I will never fall in love".

But for Anoosh - who has changed her name to Anahita - there is a more positive outcome."Now when someone is attracted to me, it is as a girl," she says.She is now engaged to her boyfriend and even her mother is happy.

"A boy will always just get married and leave his mum, but a girl stays, a girl is always yours and will never leave, and now I will never experience the sadness that occurs when a boy leaves.

"I always wanted a daughter and I think it's a gift from God that I finally got one."

Man dies in cake-eating contest !!

2008-02-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

An inquest is to be held on a man who died during a contest to see who could eat the most fairy cakes.

The man, thought to be from Birmingham, collapsed at a Swansea nightclub during the event at the end of a party to raise funds for an art exhibition.

Police say there are no suspicious circumstances following the incident at the city's Monkey Cafe and Bar early on Friday.The coroner has been informed and the family have been told.

It is believed attempts were made by staff and customers at the nightclub to revive the man.
In a statement, club owners Amanda Davey and Paul Dyke said: "We are all devastated by this tragic accident.

"We are all in shock."It was a tragic accident and very sad and should serve as a cautionary tale."Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family."

A South Wales Police spokesman said: "There are no suspicious circumstances and a file is being prepared for the coroner."

Bomber strikes Iraq Shia pilgrims !!

2008-02-24T07:04:00.001-08:00

At least 40 people have been killed and scores more injured by a suicide bomber targeting Shia pilgrims in the Iraqi town of Iskandariya, south of Baghdad.

An official told the BBC that a bomber wearing a suicide vest had detonated his device in a crowd. At least 60 people were injured in the attack.

The blast happened on a main route to the Shia city of Karbala, which is hosting a religious festival.

The bomb comes despite a recent lull in violence following a US troop increase.Police told the BBC the bomber walked into a comfort station for pilgrims and then detonated a device.

Gunfire

It was the second attack on Sunday on pilgrims commemorating Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

The first occurred in Baghdad, in the southern district of Doura.Three were killed and 49 wounded when militants attacked passing pilgrims.A roadside bomb was detonated with gunmen then opening fire.

The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says that, because of attacks on pilgrims in previous years, security was extremely tight, with vehicles banned from many main routes, observation points set up and armed foot patrols moving among the hundreds of thousands of people joining the pilgrimage.

However, our correspondent says that protecting so many people, many of them travelling on foot, from bombers willing to mingle with the crowd and carry out suicide attacks is an extremely difficult task.

Insurgents' campaign

Iskandariya, in Babil province, was a flashpoint for years, but correspondents say violence had recently declined there.

The US said this was due to a Sunni alliance siding with the US against al-Qaeda in Iraq, as well as the influx of US troops.

However, our correspondent says that this latest attack shows that despite a relative improvement in the overall security situation since last summer, the campaign to revive the cycle of sectarian violence in the country is very much alive.

The religious festival of Arbaeen marks the end of 40 days of mourning for Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, who was killed along with his family in 681, by the Muslim ruler of Arabia, Yazid.

Millions of Shia pilgrims are expected in Karbala for the festival this week - many prefer to walk believing the effort will bring them greater spiritual reward.

Gene for left-handedness !!

2008-02-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Scientists have discovered the first gene which appears to increase the odds of being left-handed.

The Oxford University-led team believe carrying the gene may also slightly raise the risk of developing psychotic mental illness such as schizophrenia.The gene, LRRTM1, appears to play a key role in controlling which parts of the brain take control of specific functions, such as speech and emotion.

The study appears in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.The brain is set up in an asymmetrical way.In right-handed people the left side of the brain usually controls speech and language, and the right side controls emotions.

However, in left-handed people the opposite is often true, and the researchers believe the LRRTM1 gene is responsible for this flip.

They also believe people with the LRRTM1 gene may have a raised risk of schizophrenia, a condition often linked to unusual balances of brain function.

Further research

Lead researcher Dr Clyde Francks, from Oxford University's Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, said the next step would be to probe the impact on the development of the brain further.

He said: "We hope this study's findings will help us understand the development of asymmetry in the brain."Asymmetry is a fundamental feature of the human brain that is disrupted in many psychiatric conditions."

However, Dr Francks said left-handed people should not be worried by the links between handedness and schizophrenia.

He said: "There are many factors which make individuals more likely to develop schizophrenia and the vast majority of left-handers will never develop a problem."We don't yet know the precise role of this gene."About 10% of people are left-handed.

Differences

There is evidence to suggest there are some significant differences between left and right-handed people.

Australian research published last year found left-handed people can think quicker when carrying out tasks such as playing computer games or playing sport.

And French researchers concluded that being left-handed could be an advantage in hand-to-hand combat.However, being left-handed has also been linked to a greater risk of some diseases, and to having an accident.

Dr Fred Kavalier, a consultant geneticist at London's Guy's Hospital, said: "I don't think left-handed people should be alarmed.

"Undoubtedly there are many, many other factors that contribute to schizophrenia. This may be a tiny little element in the big jigsaw."

'Devastating condition'

Marjorie Wallace, of the mental health charity SANE, said scientists working in its research centre in Oxford were also looking at the link between brain asymmetry and schizophrenia.

She said: "We desperately need research into the origins of psychosis to better understand why some people are more vulnerable than others.

"Then the treatment could be more targeted and carry the potential to prevent this devastating condition which affects one in 100 people worldwide."

Jane Harris, of the mental health charity Rethink, said: "No-one really understands what causes schizophrenia yet."It is probably a combination of factors, including genetics, problems in childbirth, viral infections, drug use, poverty and urbanisation."

Microsoft warns on Vista update !!

2008-02-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

Microsoft is warning Windows Vista users that a forthcoming service pack for the operating system may stop some third-party programs working.

The software giant has released a list of programs that may be broken by the SP1 update for Vista.

Most of the software hit by the upgrade are security programs that prevent Windows users falling prey to viruses, trojans and booby-trapped webpages.The Windows Vista update will be released to the public in mid-March.

Update loop

Service Packs are among the biggest updates Microsoft issues for its various operating systems. The software firm said SP1 makes Vista more secure and reliable and introduces some new features.

The list of programs affected by SP1 is divided into three. Some will be blocked by the update, some will not run and others will lose some of their functions.

Of the 12 programs mentioned, six block viruses or keep an eye on the places someone visits online.Microsoft warned that its list was not "comprehensive" and asked people to get in touch with the maker of any affected software to fix problems.

Although the update will become widely available in March, Microsoft is releasing it to business customers in February.Microsoft has also been forced to withdraw an update to Vista that was required before Service Pack 1 could be applied.

Writing on the Windows Vista blog, Nick White, Microsoft product manager, said the company had withdrawn the preparatory update while it investigated.

Isolated reports suggest that some machines on which the preliminary update has been applied go into an update loop.He wrote: "We are working to identify possible solutions and will make the update available again shortly after we address the issue."

PROGRAMS HIT BY SP1

BitDefender AV

Fujitsu Shock Sensor

Jiangmin KV Antivirus 10

Jiangmin KV Antivirus 2008

Trend Micro Internet Security

Zone Alarm Security Suite

Iron Speed Designer

Xheo Licensing

Free Allegiance

NYT Reader

Rising Personal Firewall

Novell ZCM Agent

Bluetongue risk 'starts in April' !!

2008-02-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

Livestock farms in the UK will again be at risk from bluetongue from the second half of April, predict scientists.

Researchers have produced a map showing when farms in different parts of England and Wales are at most risk.

They say midges that could spread the virus will become active from the middle of March, but could begin infecting livestock just weeks later.

Last year, only a small number of farms were affected, but scientists warn many more are at risk during 2008.

The head of the team feared that a vaccine would not be ready until after the first animals had become infected.

Philip Mellor of the Institute for Animal Research warned that the disease, if left unchecked, would spread across the country this year."In the UK in 2007, the disease involved between 60 or 70 farms," he told BBC News.

"But with the sort of increase in infection we've seen in northern Europe, we'd be expecting thousands of farms to be infected this year."Professor Mellor's team has been studying the lifecycle of midges and what happens to them when they are infected with the bluetongue virus.

The researchers have discovered that if the temperature doesn't drop below 15C (59F), it would take about two weeks for the insects to build up a sufficient amount of the virus to infect livestock.

Assuming that this year's weather follows the same pattern as 2007, they have built up a picture of how they think bluetongue could spread.

Current estimates suggest that animals in Kent will be the first to be at risk from 21 April.But days after, midges in other parts of southern England could begin spreading infection.

By May, outbreaks could be happening in Wales and the Midlands; towards the end of the month and early June, the disease is predicted to have made its way to northern England.

According to one of the scientists involved, John Gloucester, who is on secondment from the Met Office, the projections should help the government contain the disease.

"At the end of the day, we can't stop the midges from flying from one area to another," he told BBC News."But clearly we can target the vaccines and general surveillance in the areas that are first likely to become infected."

The government's acting chief vet Fred Landeg has ordered 22.5 million doses of vaccine."Almost certainly the disease will re-emerge because that's been the experience of northern Europe," he said.

"Unlike last year in northern Europe, we hope that vaccine will be available and should limit clinical signs in herds and protect them from infection."But I think if people don't vaccinate you will see the disease re-emerge with a vengeance and slowly spread."

Professor Mellor's and his team's projections suggest that the first infections could begin before the first batches of vaccine are available to farmers."This vaccine is supposed to arrive in May this year - that's the time that virus transmission should be getting underway," he explained.

"So it's a race between the delivery of vaccine and transmission of the virus - it is going to be a very close race."

Saudi men arrested for 'flirting' !!

2008-02-23T04:39:00.000-08:00

Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have begun investigating 57 young men who were arrested on Thursday for flirting with girls at shopping centres in Mecca.

The men are accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to attract the attention of girls, the Saudi Gazette reported.

They were arrested following a request of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The mutaween enforce Saudi Arabia's conservative brand of Islam, Wahhabism.

Earlier in the month, the authorities enforced a ban on the sale of red roses and other symbols used in many countries to mark Valentine's Day.

The ban is partly because of the connection with a "pagan Christian holiday", and also because the festival itself is seen as encouraging relations between the sexes outside marriage, punishable by law in the kingdom.

The Prosecution and Investigation Commission said it had received reports of such "bad" behaviour by 57 young men at a number of shopping centres in the holy city of Mecca, the Saudi Gazette said.

The guardians of some of the men defended their actions, however, saying they would regularly get together at the weekend to have fun without ever violating laws governing the segregation of the sexes, it added.

Heart-check beds to be developed !!

2008-02-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

A bed packed with sensors could keep a close watch on the health of heart failure patients, it has been claimed.

It is hoped the system, alongside similar devices built into clothing, could help reduce the need for emergency hospital treatment.

The project will be funded by the EU, and led by electronics giant Philips.

The UK cardiologist helping to develop the devices said the key to dealing with long-term health problems was to help patients treat themselves.

It is estimated there are around 63,500 new cases of heart failure each year in the UK which, if poorly controlled, can lead to a much shorter life expectancy.

Repeated hospitalisation also puts an expensive burden on the NHS, and one of the aims of the "MyHeart" initiative is to help spot problems several days before they become life-threatening.

The bed would include, not only an electronic weight scale and blood pressure monitor, but also sensors which measure heart rate, breathing rate and body movement while sleeping.

In addition, the patient could wear a vest with woven-in electrodes to provide a full electro-cardiogram reading.

All this information would be analysed on a PDA and the results sent via a telephone line or broadband connection to doctors.

The device, it is claimed, could even provide clues to interrupted sleep by measuring sleep phase patterns.

False alarms

Professor John Cleland, head of cardiology at the University of Hull, said: "The greatest challenge and opportunity for the management of long- term medical conditions is to help patients to help themselves.

"Investing directly in people who need help and not just in services that do things to or for them makes sense in terms of improved care, greater affordability and the effective deployment of scarce nursing and medical resources."

Dr Nick Robinson, a member of the Royal Society of Medicine's Telehealth forum, said that, while the technologies involved in gathering, storing and transmitting the information were becoming far more readily available, doctors might struggle to interpret the results.

He said: "We are used to making decisions based on taking a blood pressure reading on an occasional basis - and all the evidence we have for intervening is based on this.

"The real challenge for this technology is not taking the measurements, but working out what to do with it, so that we are not constantly getting false alarms."

It is not yet known which EU countries involved in the four-year project will be chosen to test the technology, or precisely when it will become available.

'Dozens dead' in Turkish assault !!

2008-02-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

Turkey's army says its ground offensive in northern Iraq has left five soldiers and dozens of Kurdish rebels dead.

Turkey said its ground forces had crossed the border to tackle rebels late on Thursday after an air and artillery bombardment.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the offensive is limited in scale and troops will return as soon as possible.

The UN secretary general and the US have urged Turkey to show restraint in the offensive.

A Turkish army statement said: "It has been understood from preliminary information that the terrorists have suffered heavy losses under long-range weapons fire and air strikes."

A Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) spokesman, Ahmad Danas, earlier said two Turkish troops were killed and eight wounded in fighting.

Neither report can be independently confirmed.Mr Erdogan had told Turks on television: "The target, purpose, size and parameters of this operation are limited.

"Our armed forces will come back in the shortest time possible as soon as they achieve their objectives," he said, insisting that members of the PKK were the sole targets.

Correspondents say the aim is to isolate the organisation and prevent it using northern Iraq as a launch pad for attacks on Turkish soil.

Washington said it had been informed of the incursion in advance and that it had urged the Turks to limit their action to precise targeting of rebel Kurdish targets.Reports from Turkey on the size of the assault force have varied from 3,000 to 10,000 soldiers.

But senior Iraqi Kurdish sources told the BBC the Turkish side had exaggerated the operation, which they believe to be "very, very limited", and in a remote border area.

'Unusual timing'

Turkey's military said the cross-border ground operation backed by the Air Force was launched at 1900 [1700 GMT on Thursday].

Turkey has carried out at least one ground incursion, as well as frequent air and artillery strikes, against suspected PKK targets in Iraq since parliament authorised the army to act in October 2007.

But this operation's timing is unusual as the mountainous border area is still covered with heavy snow, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Istanbul.

Nor have there been any major PKK attacks inside Turkey for some time, she adds.More than 30,000 people have been killed since the PKK began fighting for a Kurdish homeland in south-eastern Turkey in 1984.

The US, the EU and Turkey consider the PKK to be a "terrorist" organisation.

President's call

Top Iraqi Kurdish and government officials are saying there has been no crossing at the Habur bridge, the only major land route into Iraq, the BBC's Jim Muir reports from Baghdad.

Kurdistan Democratic Party militants who control the area in question inside northern Iraq say they have not detected any Turkish forces near any of their own lines.The office of Turkish President Abdullah Gul says the leader phoned his Iraqi counterpart, Jalal Talabani, about the operation on Thursday evening.

Mr Talabani's office confirmed a conversation had taken place during which Mr Gul invited him to visit Ankara officially, and also assured him that any Turkish operations were against the PKK, not against the Iraqi Kurds.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about the situation."The protection of civilian life on both sides of the border remains the paramount concern," he said.

No survivors in Venezuela crash !!

2008-02-22T20:13:00.000-08:00

A commercial aircraft was totally destroyed when it crashed into an Andean mountain-face in Venezuela, killing all 46 people on board.

Wreckage of the plane was found early on Friday just 10km (six miles) north-east of the city of Merida.

It had taken off from the western city shortly before dusk on Thursday and on a flight to the capital, Caracas.

President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela was in mourning and called for a full investigation into the incident.

The mostly Venezuelan victims among the 43 passengers and three crew members included three Colombians and a US citizen.

Wall of rock

"The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically pulverised," firefighter Sgt Johnny Paz told the Venezuelan TV station Globovision.

"It crashed at an altitude of 12,000 feet (4,000 metres) against a wall of rock," he said. "There are no survivors."

The area's mountainous terrain has made reaching the wreckage difficult."The plane is just too destroyed and it is in such a tough area," said Gerardo Rojas, a regional civil defence chief.

Only the tail of the twin-engine ATR-42 plane, operated by the Santa Barbara airline, was visible from the air.Rescuers abseiled down from helicopters to search the wreckage.Other search parties had been sent on Thursday night by foot.

Difficult to navigate

At Simon Bolivar airport in Caracas, where the plane had been due to arrive, relatives of victims received support from psychiatrists having been informed there were no survivors.

Merida is located about 680km (420 miles) south-west of Caracas.It is notoriously difficult to navigate around the city.Pilots are given special training to take off and land at the airport because the city is surrounded by high mountains.

Visibility is often poor and planes are not allowed to take off at night.However, the weather on departure was said to have been normal for Merida.No distress call was reported from the pilot.

The crashed plane was a turboprop aircraft produced by ATR, a French-Italian company.Santa Barbara airline's president, Jorge Alvarez, said the plane had been well maintained and had no history of technical problems.

The plane was about 20 years old and the pilot had been working for Santa Barbara for eight years, he said.

Indian Premier League !!

2008-02-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

Dhoni and Symonds top $1m mark in IPL auction

MUMBAI: India one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian Andrew Symonds crossed the million-dollar mark as the world's top cricketers were auctioned off for the Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Chennai bought Dhoni for $1.5 million, which was nearly four times the Indian's base price of $400,000 in the opening round of the novel sell-off held before the lucrative 44-day tournament's debut in April.

All-rounder Symonds was a close second after going for $1.35 million to the Hyderabad team. Team-mates Brett Lee was bought by Mohali for $900,000 and Ricky Ponting by Kolkata for $400,000.

Eight franchise owners, including corporate tycoons and Bollywood actors, were bidding for 77 cricketers in a pioneering process that some observers believe will change the face of the game.

"It's a landmark day. I have not seen anything like this before. It has been amazing," said IPL governing council member Inderjit Singh Bindra.

STAR PLAYERS AND THEIR PRICE TAGS

Jaipur: S Warne ($450,000), G Smith $475,000), Y Khan ($225,000), K Akmal ($150,000), Y Pathan ($475,000), M Kaif ($675,000), M Patel ($275,000), J Langer ($200,000)

Chennai: MS Dhoni ($1.5m), M Muralitharan ($600,000), M Hayden ($375,000), J Oram ($675,000), S Fleming ($350,000), P Patel ($325,000), J Sharma ($225,000), AMorkel ($675,000), S Raina ($650,000), M Ntini ($200,000), M Hussey ($350,000)

Mumbai: S Tendulkar (icon), S Jayasuriya ($975,000), H Singh ($850,000), S Pollock ($550,000), R Uthappa ($800,000), L Malinga ($350,000), D Fernando ($150,000), L Bosman ($175,000)

Bangalore: R Dravid (icon), A Kumble ($500,000), J Kallis ($900,000), Z Khan ($450,000), M Boucher ($450,000), C White ($500,000), W Jaffer ($150,000), D Steyn ($325,000), N Bracken ($325,000), S Chanderpaul ($200,000).

Hyderabad: A Gilchrist ($700,000), A Symonds ($1.35m), H Gibbs ($575,000), S Afridi ($675,000), S Styris ($175,000), VVS Laxman ($375,000), R Sharma ($750,000), C Silva ($100,000), RP Singh ($875,000), C Vaas ($200,000), N Zoysa ($110,000).

Mohali: Y Singh (icon), M Jayawardene ($475,000), K Sangakkara ($700,000), B Lee ($900,000), S S ($625,000), I Pathan ($925,000), R Powar ($170,000), P Chawla ($400,000), S Katich ($200,000), R Sarwan ($225,000).

Kolkata: S Ganguly (icon), S Akhtar ($425,000), R Ponting ($400,000), B McCullum ($700,000), C Gayle ($800,000), A Agarkar ($330,000), D Hussey ($675,000), I Sharma ($950,000), M Kartik ($425,000), U Gul ($150,000), T Taibu ($125,000).

Delhi: V Sehwag (icon), D Vettori ($625,000), S Malik ($500,000), M Asif ($650,000), AB de Villiers ($300,000), D Karthik ($525,000), F Maharoof ($225,000), T Dilshan ($250,000), M Tiwary ($675,000), G Gambhir ($725,000), Glenn McGrath ($350,000).

'IPL COACHES '

Australian Tom Moody has signed up to coach the Mohali team in the money-spinning Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise has announced.

“With Yuvraj (Singh) being our captain and Moody as coach, I think everything has fallen into place for us,” Ness Wadia, co-owner of the team, was quoted by the Indian media on Monday.

Moody, 42, a member of two World Cup-winning Australian teams, coached Sri Lanka for two years before leaving in May last year to take up reins for Western Australia.

“We really don’t know much about the game and its technicalities,” said Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who is also part of the consortium that bought the franchise for $76 million over a 10-year-period. “But we will take professional help to run the franchise in the most efficient manner. “We will take input from captain, coach and the technical members that we are hiring,” she added.

The inaugural edition of the International Cricket Council-sanctioned Twenty20 league starts on April 18.

The tournament will be played over 44 days between eight franchises in eight cities and will feature 59 matches.

Indian media has said former India coach Greg Chappell, ex-Australia coach John Buchanan and Victoria’s Greg Shipperd were the other Australian coaches targeted by IPL teams.

More than 80 international cricketers are expected to feature in a player “auction” in Mumbai on Wednesday with each franchise allowed a cap of $5 million.

Daytime dozing 'stroke warning' !!

2008-02-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Regular unintentional daytime dozing may be an early warning sign of stroke in elderly people, say US researchers.

For those who had a habit of nodding off, the risk of stroke was two to four times higher than for those who never fell asleep in the day, a study found.

Speaking at the International Stroke Conference, the team advised doctors to check out older people who found they were dropping off in front of the TV.

The study asked 2,000 people how often they dozed off in different situations.

These included while watching TV, sitting and talking to someone, sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol and stopping briefly in traffic while driving.

The risk of stroke over the next two years was 2.6 times greater for people who reported "some dozing" compared to those with no dozing.

Among those who reported "significant dozing" the risk was 4.5 times higher.

The researchers also found the risk of heart attack or death from vascular disease was 1.6% higher for moderate dozers and 2.6% higher for significant dozers.

Study leader, Dr Bernadette Boden-Albala, assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University, New York, said: "Those are significant numbers. We were surprised that the impact was that high for such a short period of time."

Poor sleep

Previous research has shown that people who suffer from sleep apnoea - short periods when breathing stops during sleep - have an increased stroke risk.

It could be that daytime sleepiness is a sign of sleeping poorly at night because of sleep apnoea.

"Given what's known now, it's worth assessing patients for sleep problems," Dr Boden-Albala said.

"If patients are moderately or significantly dozing, physicians need to think about sending them for further evaluation."

She added other studies had shown people were not getting enough sleep, making them consistently tired.

"But the real question is: 'What are we doing to our bodies?'. Sleepiness obviously puts us at risk of stroke."

Dr Heinrich Audebert, consultant stroke physician at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London said the findings seemed reasonable.

"Sleep apnoea is a risk factor for stroke and in Mediterranean countries the siesta is associated with a little bit of an increased daytime risk of stroke."

He explained that patients with sleep apnoea had increased blood pressure levels during the night.

One other potential cause for the findings could be previous undiagnosed minor strokes causing damage to the brain and leading to more sleepiness during the day, he said.

"What we really encourage is that all patients who have breaks in sleeping in the night should have sleep apnoea screening."

Around 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke every year.

IVF technique 'cuts twin births' !!

2008-02-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

Using a targeted IVF technique could greatly reduce risky multiple births without curbing the overall chances of pregnancy, a study suggests.

A study of hundreds of IVF patients at a London hospital found using a single, slightly more mature embryo in certain women dramatically cut multiple births.

And pregnancy rates actually increased, doctors wrote in the journal BJOG.

Doctors say choosing from older embryos allows them to identify those with the best chance of implanting in the womb.

At present, more than one embryo is often placed in the womb to increase the chances of at least one surviving.

But this frequently leads to twin or triplet births, which can place the lives of both mother and child at risk.

All the key bodies involved in IVF, including the HFEA, the British Fertility Society and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, have thrown their weight behind efforts to bring the multiple birth rate down.

However as private IVF is expensive - and NHS treatment often limited to one cycle - many couples are prepared to take the risks involved in order to maximise their chances of conceiving in one go.

An older egg

This technique uses a blastocyst - a five-day-old fertilised egg which has already started to develop into placenta and foetus.

In the study at the Assisted Conception Unit at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, two groups of women were investigated.

The first group, which was treated between 2004 and 2005 before the technology was available, had up to three embryos implanted, two to three days after insemination.

Some 13% of these involved the transfer of just one embryo.

The pregnancy rate for this group was 27% and the multiple pregnancy rate 32%.

In a second group, younger women with good quality embryos who were seen most at risk of multiple pregnancies had the option of receiving a blastocyst instead.

Nearly 20% of the embryos transferred were blastocysts, and of these, the majority were single transfers.

The pregnancy rate for this group, which included older women who had received multiple implants, was 32% and the multiple pregnancy rate was 17%.

Saving money

Effectively, the study suggests, by changing the treatment of a relatively small number of women, the overall multiple birth rate could be reduced by as much as 50%.

"It is a myth that single embryo transfer lowers the success rate of pregnancy," said Dr Yakoub Khalaf, who led the study.

"If the right patients are selected for blastocyst transfer, success rates can be maintained and multiple pregnancy can be significantly reduced."

According to the HFEA, about a quarter of clinics are now regularly providing blastocyst transfer.

Dr Mark Hamilton, chairman of the British Fertility Society, welcomed the study's findings.

But he also called for couples to have access to the three cycles of IVF treatment that NICE guidelines recommend, but which so few obtain.

That way, couples would be less likely to ask for multiple embryo transfers in order to improve their chances in just one cycle.

"By reducing the number of multiple births, the money you would save on premature baby care would easily be enough to fund those extra cycles," he said.

Microsoft set to open up software !!

2008-02-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has announced that it will open up the technology of some of its leading software to make it easier to operate with rivals' products.

The technology giant is to publish key software blueprints on its website.

It also promised not to sue open source developers for making that software available for non-commercial use.

Microsoft is being investigated by the European Commission on the grounds that limiting access to its technology could be stopping competition.

Implementation?

"The Commission would welcome any move towards genuine interoperability," it said.

"Nonetheless, the Commission notes that today's announcement follows at least four similar statements by Microsoft in the past on the importance of interoperability."

In January, the Commission launched two formal investigations into Microsoft for suspected abuse of its dominant market position, including one on the interoperability of its software.

The commission said it would assess whether the principles announced on Thursday were in fact "implemented in practice".

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer said: "Our goal is to promote greater interoperability, opportunity and choice for customers and developers throughout the industry by making our products more open and by sharing even more information about our technologies."

In 2004, the commission fined Microsoft 497m euros (£375m, $735m) and forced it to offer a version of its Windows operating system without Microsoft's own media player.

The firm was also told to give competitors more information about how Windows operates, so their own software could work better with the operating system, which runs on some 90% of the world's computers.

Microsoft recently made an unsolicited bid to acquire Yahoo in a cash-and-share deal worth more than $40bn (£20.4bn), but the move was rejected.

Since then, Microsoft has stepped up its campaign to buy the firm by hiring a company that specialises in take over deals.

Storm over Serbia embassy !!

2008-02-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

Attacks by Serbian protesters against embassies in Belgrade have drawn strong criticism from the US and the UN.

In the worst incident, Serbs angered by Western support for Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence set fire to parts of the US embassy.

An unidentified charred body was found inside. The US denounced the "thugs" who carried out the attack, which the UN condemned "in the strongest terms".The violence followed a peaceful rally against Kosovo's secession.

Most Serbs regard the former Serb province as their religious and cultural heartland. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica delivered an impassioned speech.

"As long as we live, Kosovo is Serbia. Kosovo belongs to the Serbian people," he told the flag-waving crowd.

Later, about 1,000 protesters smashed their way into the US embassy, throwing flares through a window while others scaled walls to rip down the US flag.At the time there appeared to be no police protecting the embassy, but riot police later intervened, firing tear gas.

'Mob attacks'

The fires raged for half an hour, and when firemen finally managed to get inside the building they found the body.It has not been identified, although US officials said all embassy staff of US nationality had been accounted for.

White House spokesman Dana Perino said the embassy had been "attacked by thugs" and that Serbian police had not done enough to stop them.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the US had warned Mr Kostunica and his foreign minister that it would hold them personally responsible for further damage.Mr McCormack added that the protesters had entered the chancellery but had not breached the embassy's secure area.

Smaller groups later targeted the Croatian, Turkish and British embassies but were beaten back.In New York, the UN Security Council condemned what it called "mob attacks" on US and other embassies in Belgrade.

In a unanimous statement, the council recalled the inviolability of diplomatic missions under international law, but welcomed steps by Serbian authorities to restore order.

Kosovo 'stolen'

Serbian President Boris Tadic appealed for calm. "This only keeps Kosovo distant from Serbia," he said.Serbia, supported by Russia and China, says Kosovo's Sunday declaration violates international law.

During Thursday's rally, ultra-nationalist leader Tomislav Nikolic accused the US and EU of trying to steal Kosovo."Hitler could not take it away from us, and neither will today's [Western powers]."

After the speeches, the crowd marched to the city's biggest church, the Temple of Saint Sava.Thick, black smoke had also earlier billowed from the crossing point at Merdare, 50km (30 miles) north-east of Kosovo's capital Pristina, as Serb army reservists tried to enter Kosovo.

"We are here in support of the Serbs who still live in Kosovo," Dejan Milosevic, one of the organisers, told the Associated Press news agency.

The Kosovo police, backed by Czech troops from the Nato-led peacekeeping force, put a steel barrier across the road and were able to hold their line.

Protest rallies were also held in the Bosnian Serb republic (Republika Srpska).There were unconfirmed reports of injuries as several hundred protesters clashed with police outside the US consulate in Banja Luka.

In the coming weeks, an almost 2,000-strong EU mission will be deployed to help Kosovo develop its police force and judiciary.

Triplets again !!

2008-02-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

A 16-year-old Argentine girl has given birth to female triplets - for the second time.

The girl, named only as Pamela, had her first set of female triplets aged 15, having first given birth to a son when she was just 14.

All seven children were born prematurely but without any kind of fertility treatment.

While doctors say the three newborns and their mother are well, the case has sparked debate across Argentina.

In bars and cafes, as well as the letters pages of newspapers, there has been widespread criticism of Pamela's alleged promiscuity.

Seeking more

Pamela's family already receives help from the provincial authorities, which donated land and built them a house when the first set of triplets was born.

Pamela's mother, who cleans houses to support her daughter and rapidly increasing number of grandchildren, says they will now seek more assistance from the government for the new additions to the family.

Some Argentines are arguing that perhaps what Pamela needs is more advice on contraception.

The teenager, who will be 17 on Monday, comes from the remote town of Leones in the central Argentine province of Cordoba.

Venezuela passenger jet missing !!

2008-02-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

The authorities in Venezuela say they fear a commercial plane with 46 people aboard has crashed.

The plane took off from Merida in the west of the country and was destined for the capital, Caracas.

The twin-engine aircraft was diverted because of poor weather, before losing contact with air traffic controllers.

There is no confirmation that it has crashed, but rescue teams are preparing to search the area near Merida for wreckage and any survivors.

Civil defence officials say operations will have to wait till daylight on Friday, because the rugged terrain makes it too difficult to search in the dark.

Merida is located in a mountainous region, 680 km (422 miles) southwest of Caracas.

Israeli MP blames quakes on gays !!

2008-02-21T21:12:00.000-08:00

An Israeli MP has blamed parliament's tolerance of gays for earthquakes that have rocked the Holy Land recently.

Shlomo Benizri, of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas Party, said the tremors had been caused by lawmaking that gave "legitimacy to sodomy".Israel decriminalised homosexuality in 1988 and has since passed several laws recognising gay rights.

Two earthquakes shook the region last week and a further four struck in November and December.

Adoption

Mr Benizri made his comments while addressing a committee of the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, about the country's readiness for earthquakes.

He called on lawmakers to stop "passing legislation on how to encourage homosexual activity in the state of Israel, which anyway brings about earthquakes".

Israeli court rulings in recent years have granted inheritance rights to gay couples and recognised same-sex marriages performed abroad.Last week, Israel's attorney general ruled same-sex couples could adopt.

Pakistan parties agree coalition !!

2008-02-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

Pakistan's two main opposition parties have agreed to form a coalition government after they won the most seats in Monday's general election.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said he had agreed "a common agenda" with the party of assassinated opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

He had been in talks with Ms Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari, the new leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Such a government could put renewed pressure on President Pervez Musharraf.

'Lot of ground'

"We will work together to form the government in the centre and in the provinces," Mr Sharif, head of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), said at a joint news conference with Mr Zardari.

He said the two parties had agreed that the country's chief justice, sacked by President Musharraf in November, should be immediately reinstated.

Mr Zardari said there was "a lot of ground to cover" between the two parties, but "in principle, we have agreed to stay together".

Doubts remain about who will emerge as a possible prime minister.

The party backing President Musharraf, the PML-Q, and its coalition partners have now lost their majority in parliament and Mr Zardari said none of them would be invited into the new governing coalition.

If Mr Zardari's and Mr Sharif's parties can form a grouping with a two-thirds majority, they could call for Mr Musharraf to be impeached.

Map pinpoints disease 'hotspots' !!

2008-02-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

Map of world's Emerging Infectious Diseases hotspots

A detailed map highlighting the world's hotspots for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) has been released.

It uses data spanning 65 years and shows the majority of these new diseases come from wildlife.

Scientists say conservation efforts that reduce conflicts between humans and animals could play a key role in limiting future outbreaks.

Writing in Nature, they said their map revealed that global anti-EID resources had been poorly allocated in the past.

Researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), and the US-based University of Georgia and Columbia University's Earth Institute analysed 335 emerging diseases from 1940 to 2004.

They then used computer models to see if the outbreaks correlated with human population density or changes, latitude, rainfall or wildlife biodiversity.

Finally, the data was plotted on to maps to reveal the "hotspots" around the globe.

Healthy environment

"Our analysis highlights the critical importance of conservation work," said co-author Dr Kate Jones, a research fellow for ZSL.

"Conserving areas rich in biodiversity from development may be an important means of preventing the emergence of new diseases."

The researchers found that 60% of EID events were caused by "non-human animal" sources.

They add that 71% of these outbreaks were "caused by pathogens with a wildlife source".

Among the examples listed by the team was the emergence of Nipah virus in Malaysia and the Sars outbreak in China.

Others included the H5N1 strain of bird flu, Ebola and West Nile virus.

The number of events that originated from wild animals had increased significantly over time, they warned.

"This supports the suggestion that zoonotic EIDs represents an increasing and very significant threat to global health," the paper's authors wrote.

They added that it also highlighted the need to understand the factors that lead to increased contact between wildlife and humans.

"We are crowding wildlife into ever smaller areas, and human population is increasing," explained Dr Marc Levy, a global change expert at Columbia University's Earth Institute.

"Where those two things meet, that is the recipe for something crossing over."

He added that the main sources were mammals that were most closely related to humans.

'Missing the point'

While some pathogens may be picked up while hunting or by accident, others - such as Nipah virus - are transmitted to humans from wild animals via livestock.

Because humans had not evolved resistance to these EIDS, the scientists said that the results could be "extraordinarily lethal".

The main hotspots were located in low latitude regions, like South Asia and South-East Asia, which were not the financial focus of global funds to prevent the spread of EIDs.

"The world's public health resources are misallocated," opined co-author Peter Daszak, executive director of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine at the US-based Wildlife Trust.

"Most are focused on richer countries that can afford surveillance, but most of the hotspots are in developing countries.

"If you look at the high-impact diseases of the future, we're missing the point."

However, Dr Dazak said that the maps were the first to offer a prediction of where the next new disease could emerge.

His colleague, Dr John Gittleman from the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology, described the data-set as a "seminal moment in how we study emerging diseases".

"Our study has shown that bringing ecological sciences and public health together can advance the field in a dramatic ways," he observed.

The researchers said that the priority should be to set up "smart surveillance" measures in the hotspots identified on the map.

Dr Daszak explained that logistically straightforward bio-security measures, such as screening people who come into contact with wild birds and mammals in the hotspot areas, could halt the "next Aids or Sars before it happened".

"It simply follows the old adage that prevention is better, and cheaper, than finding a cure.

"If we continue to ignore this important preventative measure, then human populations will continue to be at risk from pandemic diseases," Dr Daszak warned.

Wright guilty of Suffolk murders !!

2008-02-21T08:22:00.000-08:00

Steve Wright has been found guilty of murdering five women in Suffolk.

The bodies of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls were found in Ipswich over a 10-day period in December 2006.

Wright, 49, of Ipswich, said during his trial that he had sex with four of the five women, who were working as prostitutes, but denied killing them.

The jury at Ipswich Crown Court found him guilty of all five murders and he will be sentenced on Friday.

'Crucifix pose'

The trial heard the bodies of Miss Alderton and Miss Nicholls were found arranged with their arms outstretched in a crucifix pose.

The prosecution said Wright "systematically selected and murdered" all five women over a six-and-a-half-week period.

Suffolk police began an inquiry after Miss Nicol, 19, vanished in late October 2006.

Two weeks later, Miss Adams, 25, vanished and detectives began a "major inquiry", saying there were "obvious similarities".

This was followed by the disappearance of Miss Alderton, 24, Miss Clennell, 24, and 29-year-old Miss Nicholls.

Their bodies were eventually found in isolated locations around Ipswich.

In 2001, Wright worked as a barman at the Brook Hotel in Felixstowe before being sacked for stealing hundreds of pounds from the till, for which he was ordered to carry out 100 hours community service.

It was a DNA sample taken at the time of that conviction which led to police matching samples taken from the dead women.

He was put under surveillance by police before being arrested on 19 December and charged two days later.

Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said the decision by the women to turn to prostitution "was ultimately to prove fatal".

He called on the judge to impose a "whole life term".

Gemma Adams' father Brian said: "I am very relieved and pleased for all of the families that this is now over and we can now start to get on with our lives.

"I can't speak highly enough about the police in this case.

"I don't have any feelings about Wright."

Wright's brother Keith said after the verdict: "I'm surprised the verdict has been so quick.

"I would have thought there is enough things for them to have some doubt.

"Whatever the sentence, it's all over now."

Michael Crimp, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said from outside the court: "Steve Wright is the factor that links all five women.

"He was last person to see them alive and the scientific evidence proved that he was responsible for their deaths.

"One telling piece of evidence was a carpet fibre from the footwell of Steve Wright's car found in Tania Nicol's hair.

"This was despite her body being found in water."Her killer failed to destroy this significant piece of evidence."
He added that the victims' families had sat through harrowing evidence and he hoped they could take some comfort from the verdicts.

Det Ch Supt Stewart Gull, who led the investigation, said: "These appalling crimes left a community, a county and a nation in a state of profound shock."They left Suffolk constabulary facing its most daunting challenge in history." He thanked local people for their support during the investigation.

New US rape allegation in Okinawa !!

2008-02-21T02:23:00.000-08:00

Another US military serviceman has been detained over an alleged sexual assault on Japan's southern island of Okinawa.

In the latest of a string of incidents involving US troops, the man is accused of raping a Filipino woman at a hotel.

The alleged rape happened before a 24-hour curfew was imposed on US troops, their families and civilians working for the military on Okinawa.

The focus on crime by military personnel in recent days is affecting relations between Japan and the US.

Local anger

Another American serviceman is accused of rape on Okinawa, the second alleged incident in 10 days.

The first complaint was made by a 14-year-old schoolgirl, the second by a woman from the Philippines who says she was attacked in a hotel.

n the last few days another soldier was found drunk asleep on a sofa in a house he had broken into, while another was arrested for drink-driving.

What is happening here is that a high-profile incident, the alleged rape of the schoolgirl, has focused an unusual amount of attention on the behaviour of the tens of thousands of US troops stationed on Okinawa.

Crimes carried out by US personnel there have always angered local residents.

Usually offences like drink-driving would get reported only in the local paper, but right now they are being reported around the world.

The US authorities know this is a problem.

High-ranking White House officials visiting Tokyo find themselves having to reassure their Japanese counterparts they are doing all they can to reduce the amount of crime.

A 24-hour curfew has been imposed, not just on servicemen but on their families and civilian staff too.

It aims to prevent US personnel drinking in bars or clubs and getting into trouble.

The military will be hoping that in time Japan's national media will lose interest in the story.

There is no evidence that more crimes are being carried out than before.

Last year just 46 US military personnel were arrested on Okinawa in connection with criminal cases, a tiny proportion of those stationed there, and that figure was less than half the number five years ago.

Yellow fever crisis !!

2008-02-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

Thousands of people in Paraguay have been queuing for vaccines against yellow fever, after the first outbreak of the disease in 30 years.

At least four people have died, and the government declared a state of emergency last week.

Health workers have given 160,000 vaccines in recent days, but officials say they need to administer many more.

Another health alert was declared in Paraguay last month amid a suspected outbreak of dengue fever.

Protests

Yellow fever is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and is generally confined to rural or jungle areas. The last outbreak was in 1974.

Walberto Pinanes, the director general of Vigilancia de Salud, a Paraguayan health agency, told the BBC that demand for the vaccine had exploded among fears that the outbreak was spreading.

In Luque, a suburb of the capital Asuncion and an area considered high-risk, hundreds of protesters tried to hammer down the door of a health centre, the Reuters news agency reported.

In Villa Elisa, another city close to Asuncion, residents blocked a highway and burned tires.

At least 13 people are thought to have died in an outbreak of the disease in neighbouring Brazil.

Castro steps down !!

2008-02-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

Cuba's ailing leader Fidel Castro has announced he will not accept another term as president, ending the communist revolutionary's 49 years in power.

The 81-year-old handed over power temporarily to his brother Raul in July 2006 when he underwent surgery and has not been seen in public since then.

Cuba's new parliament will meet on Sunday to elect a new president.

Washington has called for Cuba to hold free elections, and said its decades-long embargo would remain.

President George W Bush said the US was ready to help the "people of Cuba realise the blessings of liberty".

A senior US state department official, John Negroponte, added that the 1962 embargo would probably not be lifted "any time soon".

The European Union said it hoped to relaunch ties with Cuba that were almost completely frozen under Mr Castro, while China described Mr Castro as an old friend and said it would maintain co-operation with Cuba.

Mr Castro has ruled Cuba since leading a revolution in 1959.

The BBC's Michael Voss reports from Havana that most Cubans will be saddened by news of their leader's retirement, but many hope the political transition will bring economic improvements.

Soldiering on

Mr Castro made his announcement in a letter published on the website of the Cuban Communist Party's newspaper Granma in the middle of the night, Cuban time.

He said he would not accept another five-year term as president when the National Assembly met on Sunday.

"It would betray my conscience to take up a responsibility that requires mobility and total devotion, that I am not in a physical condition to offer," he wrote.

Mr Castro said he had not stepped down after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in 2006 because he had had a duty to the Cuban people to prepare them for his absence.

But retirement, he added, would not stop him from carrying "on fighting like a soldier of ideas", and he promised to continue writing essays entitled Reflections of Comrade Fidel.

"I will be one more weapon in the arsenal that you can count on," he said.

Search for new leader

The National Assembly is widely expected to elect Raul Castro, 76, as Fidel's successor.

He has mooted major economic reforms and "structural changes".

But some analysts see a possible generational jump, with Vice-President Carlos Lage Davila, 56, a leading contender.

Anyone hoping that Fidel Castro's departure from the political scene would bring about the end of the communist regime was disappointed, the BBC's Nick Miles reports.

Whilst Cuban exiles celebrated in Miami, Florida, there were no protests on the streets of Havana calling for political change.

In part, our reporter says, this is because the regime does not tolerate dissent - but it is also because many in Cuba are wary of what change will probably mean: a mass influx of exiles returning from Miami.

Raul Castro has worked to ensure a smooth political transition, keeping the army loyal to the regime and strengthening the Communist Party's hold by introducing reforms and weeding out corrupt officials.

He has also had the advantage of continued economic support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the form of millions of barrels of cheap oil, our reporter adds.

Mixed legacy

It is not clear whether Mr Castro's retirement was prompted by a further decline in his health - the state of which is an official secret.

Though Fidel Castro has not been seen in public for 19 months, the government occasionally releases photographs and pre-edited video of him meeting visiting leaders from around the world.

The retiring leader will be remembered as one of the most distinctive and enduring icons from the second half of the 20th Century, the BBC's Paul Keller writes.

With his olive green fatigues, beard and Cuban cigars, Fidel Castro was the original Cold Warrior.

Under his leadership Cuba established the first Marxist-Leninist state in the Western hemisphere, almost within sight of the US coastline.

Embracing communism and the patronage of the Soviet Union, Fidel Castro transformed Cuba economically and socially but had to struggle when it collapsed.

He leaves his country with universal free healthcare and a much-admired education system, which has produced doctors for the developing world, but also a failing economy.