Lybrel : Birth control pill that can terminate a woman's monthly periods

Birth control pill ends monthly periods
A birth control pill that can terminate a woman's monthly periods indefinitely will soon be available... [more]
Source : California Aggie

The People's Liberation Army in China Preparing for Cyberwar

China to use computer viruses

The People's Liberation Army in China is building up its cyberwarfare capabilities, even creating malware that could attack enemy computer systems in first-strike attacks... [more]
Source: CRN Australia

SWEDEN SLAMMED AS PROPOSED WIRETAPPING LEGISLATION ILLIBERAL

Google likens Sweden to dictatorship
Search engine giant Google has slammed Sweden's proposed wiretapping legislation as illiberal and incompatible with Western democracy... [more]
Source: The Local

BIOTERROR ALERT MAKE RUSSIANS BAN HUMAN TISSUE

Russia bans human tissue export in bioweapon alert
Kommersant attributed the ban to fears in the secret service that Russian genetic material could be used abroad to make biochemical weapons targeting Russians. The quality daily cited anonymous sources in the medical community... [more]
Source: New Scientist

The Mysterious Disappearance Of The Golden Tub

Mystery of vanishing golden tub
A bathtub made of gold, worth 120m yen has disappeared from a Japanese resort hotel in circumstances that remain unclear, police said... [more]
Source : BBC

Extraterrestrial Life

Red dwarfs might be more hospitable to life than earlier thought
Red dwarfs, the cool, low mass stars that make up more than 75 percent of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy might be more hospitable to life than was previously thought, according to a new study by a Pennsylvania research team... [more]
Source : The london news net

WARMING EU - RUSSIAN RELATION ?

Putin Finds an Ally in Portugal
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates warned against preaching to Russia about democracy, and President Vladimir Putin promised not to preach to the European Union about Polish meat at a summit next week... [more]
Source : The Moscow Times

Nigerian scam : English Bulldogs For a Bargain Price

New face of Nigerian scam
Be wary of any ad or site that, for free or for a bargain, promises adorable puppies -- the new face of the old Nigerian money scheme... [more]
Source : Los Angeles Times

BRAZIL : 25 CENTS FOR A MONTH'S SUPPLY OF CONTROL PILLS FOR THE POOR'S

Catholic Brazil to offer cheap birth control pills
Brazil's government is cutting the price of birth control pills to less than 25 cents for a month's supply so poor women can afford the contraceptive... [more]
Source : CBC News

Shopping Preferences and The Psychological Study of Disgust

The Science of Disgust
The ewww factor. A new study explains why we think some things are icky - and marketers are starting to take heed... [more]
Source : Time

CHINESE CORRUPTION

Ex-China drug regulator to be executed
China's former top drug regulator was sentenced to death Tuesday in an unusually harsh punishment for taking bribes to approve substandard medicines, including an antibiotic blamed for at least 10 deaths... [more]
Source : Chron com

Laughable : French wine militants issues stern warning

France: CRAV wine militants issue ultimatum
French wine militants have warned the country's new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, there will be more violence if he does not offer more support to the sector... [more]
Source : Foodproductiondaily

Dangers of Smoking During Pregnancy

Hyperactivity in young linked to smoking during pregnancy
Children whose mothers smoked during their pregnancy are up to nine times more likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder... [more]
Source : Guardian

GENETIC MUTATION

Scientists breed cows that give skimmed milk
and hope to establish herds of the cattle to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers. The milk is also high in omega3 oils, claimed to improve brain power, and contains polyunsaturated fat... [more]
Source : Times Online

THE SAFETY OF CHINESE FOOD IMPORTS

As Imports Increase, a Tense Dependence on China
Toothpaste from China is the latest official worry. This week, the Food and Drug Administration began testing it at U.S. ports of entry after contaminated Chinese toothpaste began showing up in other countries... [more]
Source : NPR

MYTHIC AND MYSTERIOUS CREATURES ON EXHIBIT

Exhibit: Dragons, Other Mythic Creatures
Harry Potter would probably feel right at home here.A new exhibit pairs an unusual subject _ dragons and other fantastic creatures _ with an unlikely location: a science museum. "Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids" opens Saturday at the American Museum of Natural History... [more]
Source: Washington Post

Gene Therapy for Arthritis

Experimental Gene Therapy “Abolishes” Arthritis Pain and Lessens Joint Damage

Early-stage research has found that a new gene therapy can nearly eliminate arthritis pain, and significantly reduce long-term damage to the affected joints, according to a study... [more]
Source : University of Rochester Medical Center

Adult Stem Cells From Human Cord Umbilical Cord Blood Succesfully Engineered To Make Insulin

Researchers report success engineering adult stem cells from human umbilical cord blood to make insulin
In a fundamental discovery that someday may help cure type 1 diabetes by allowing people to grow their own insulin-producing cells for a damaged or defective pancreas, medical researchers here have reported that they have engineered adult stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood to produce insulin...[more]
Source: University of Texas Medical Branch

Fuel-cell-powered cars enabled to drive over 300 miles

Hydrogen Breakthrough Could Open the Road to Carbon-Free Cars
A new breakthrough in hydrogen storage technology could remove a key barrier to widespread uptake of non-polluting cars that produce no carbon dioxide emissions... [more]
Source: Epsrc

France plans to offer incentives to immigrants to return home

France wants to encourage immigrants to return home

France plans to offer incentives to more immigrants to return home, especially to Africa, new immigration minister Brice Hortefeux said Wednesday... [more]
Source: Expatica

Transparency International Judicial corruption

Report: Judicial corruption is worldwide
Widespread bribery of judges around the world and inappropriate political interference in legal systems are denying millions their right to a fair and impartial trial, a leading global anti-corruption
group said... [more] and [more] Source: Fort Wayne & BBC

THE BEST TOURISTS IN THE WORLD

Japanese 'best tourists in the world' Britons are the second worst-dressed tourists behind their American fellow travellers, according to a survey of European hoteliers published... [more]
Source : News.com.au

Can flies think?

Do flies have free-will?
Even tiny fruit flies may have something akin to free will, according to a remarkable study that adds a new twist to a problem that has perpelexed philosophers for millennia... [more]


Source: Telegraph

Nanotechnology In Nearly 500 Everyday Products: An Inventory

Nanotechnology Now Used In Nearly 500 Everyday Products
The number of consumer products using nanotechnology has more than doubled, from 212 to 475, in the 14 months since the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies launched the world’s first online inventory of manufacturer-identified nanotech goods in March 2006. Clothing and cosmetics top the inventory at 77 and 75 products, respectively... [more] &
A Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory... [more]
Source: Nanotechproject.org

GERMANY : STASI TACTICS

German authorities use scent tracking to keep tabs on G-8 protesters
German authorities are using scent tracking to keep tabs on possibly violent protesters against Group of Eight summit - a tactic that is drawing comparisons with the methods of former East Germany's secret police... [more]
Source: Kyiv Post

ENGLISHIFICATION OF RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

English Newspeak
Many borrowings from English have entered the Russian language, especially since the fall of communism, but not all Russians are comfortable with them... [more]
Source : BBC

THE MYSTERY OF CRACKING JOINTS

Cracking joints
Cracking joints is the practice of manipulating one's joints such that it produces a sharp sound, likened to cracking (also likened to popping, etc.). To produce the clicking sounds, many people bend their fingers into relatively unusual positions, that their own muscles are unable to achieve, and which are not commonly experienced in everyday use. For example, bending a finger backwards away from the palm (into extension), pulling them away from the hand (distraction), or compressing a finger knuckle toward the palm (into flexion)... [more]
Source : Wikipedia

A GIANT TELECOPE PROJECTED ON THE MOON

A Plan to Build a Giant Liquid Telescope on the Moon

University of Arizona, is proposing an enormous liquid-mirror telescope on the moon that could be hundreds of times more sensitive than the Hubble Space Telescope. Using a rotating dish of reflective liquid as its primary mirror, Angel's telescope would the largest ever built, and would permit astronomers to study the oldest and most distant objects in the universe, including
the very first stars... [more]
Source: Wired

AUSTRALIAN CHOCOLATE WAR

Purple blue over chocolate
CONFECTIONERY giant Cadbury Schweppes has had a Federal Court win against competitor Darrell Lea over the use of the colour purple.Cadbury has accused Darrell Lea of misleading and deceptive conduct by using a shade of purple it alleges bears "a striking and obvious" resemblance to its own "Cadbury Purple"...[more]
Source: The Australian

NEW WOOD DERIVED BIOFUEL FOR UNMODIFIED DIESEL ENGINES

New Biofuel From Trees Developed

Unlike previous fuels derived from wood, the new and still unnamed fuel can be blended with biodiesel and petroleum diesel to power conventional engines... [more]
Source: Science Daily

MALARIA VACCINE ANTICIPATED

Immune Gambians provide malaria vaccine hope

A vaccine for malaria looks tantalisingly close: researchers have isolated antibodies from the blood of people who have a natural immunity to the disease. When injected, the antibodies protected against malaria infection in a mouse study, researchers say...[more]
Source: NewScientist

DRUGS AT CHEAPER PRICES

Thai, Brazilian patent busters forge link
Thailand and Brazil – both have used World Trade Organisation provisions to override drug patents held by international pharmaceutical giants – have agreed to sign a health cooperation agreement in Brazil... [more]
Source: Bangkok Post

JAPAN : THE SHINTO CULT

Japan's ancient religion attracts new following
Shinto is experiencing a revival as a renewed sense of identity, national pride and appreciation for tradition draw a growing number of Japanese to its tenets... [more]

Source: Taipei Times

CHINA : THE COMMUNIST OFFICIAL EMBRACE FENG SHUI

Officials embrace feng shui amid job worries

Some Chinese Communist officials have turned to once-outlawed feng shui masters to get a better chance of promotion amid nationwide job reshuffles... [more]
Source: News Scotsman

Mrs. Clintons six-year tenure as a director of Wal-Mart

As a Director, Clinton Moved Wal-Mart Board, but Only to a Point

Mrs. Clinton’s six-year tenure as a director of Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest company, remains a little known chapter in her closely scrutinized career. And it is little known for a reason. Mrs. Clinton rarely, if ever, discusses it, leaving her board membership out of her speeches and off her campaign Web site... [more]
Source: Newyork Times

Primitive Stone Age cultures nearly destroyed 13,000 years ago by a comet

Diamonds tell tale of comet that killed off the cavemen

Scientists will outline dramatic evidence that suggests a comet exploded over the Earth nearly 13,000 years ago, creating a hail of fireballs that set fire to most of the northern hemisphere... [more]
Source: Guardian

VEGETARIANS WILL CONTINUE TO EAT MARS PRODUCTS

Vegetarians force Mars bar U-turn

A furious protest by vegetarians has forced the company that makes Mars Bars to stop using rennet, an animal enzyme taken from the stomach lining of new-born calves, in some of its chocolate bars... [more]
Source: Timesonline

BACKPACK WITHOUT BACK PAIN

Back-Saving Backpack
A new ergonomic backpack could be a load off the shoulders of school kids and soldiers everywhere, wearingthe backpack is almost like
growing someextra muscle... [more]

Source: Sciencentral

NEW FORENSIC METHOD REVEAL ON YOU THE DRUG ADDICT, COFFEE DRINKER OR THE SMOKER

New fingerprint analysis identifies smokers

Images that show how fingerprints can be used to reveal whether you are a smoker, an avid coffee drinker or even a drug addict have been revealed by UK scientists... [more]

Source: New Scientist

TURKEY : SECULAR DEMOCRACY IN DANGER

Media fury in Turkey over swimsuit photo ban

A decision by Turkey's largest city to ban some pictures of swimsuit models has revived claims about the rising power of Islam, with newspapers saying the move was more befitting of theocratic Iran than a secular democracy... [more]
Source: Stuff.co.nz

FRANCE: SARKOZY AND FRENCH MIDDLE EAST POLICY

Will Mr Sarkozy shift France from its close ties to the Arab world ?

The election victory of Nicolas Sarkozy in France was greeted with cheering in Israel and concern among its neighbours that the new right-wing President could swing French Middle East policy away from its traditional support for the Arab nations... [more]
Source: Times online

CHINESE EXPORTS

Fake goods and unsafe food threaten Chinese exports

Weeks after tainted Chinese pet food ingredients killed and sickened thousands of dogs and cats in the United States, China faces growing international pressure to prove that its food exports are safe to eat.

But simmering beneath the surface is a thornier problem that worries Chinese officials: how do they assure the world that this is not a nation
of counterfeits and that "Made in China" means well-made?... [more]
Source: IHT

USA : WHITE HOUSE AGAINST PAY RAISES FOR THE ARMY

White House: 3.5 percent pay hike unnecessary
Troops don’t need bigger pay raises
White House budget officials said Wednesday in a statement of administration policy laying out objections to the House version of the 2008 defense authorization bill... [more]
Source: Army Times

State-led censorship of the net is growing

Global net censorship 'growing'
The study of thousands of websites across 120 Internet Service Providers found 25 of 41 countries surveyed showed evidence of content filtering... [more]
Source: BBC

Odd News : Window cleaner drowned on his own bucket

Window cleaner drowned in bucket
A window cleaner drowned in his bucket of water after suddenly collapsing while he worked... [more]
Source: BBC

SECRET IRAQ DOCUMENTS FOUND ON THE WEB?

The secret Iraq documents 8-year-old found

With a couple of keystrokes, you too can read the hidden history of the Coalition Provisional Authority, America's late, unlamented occupation
government in Iraq... [more]
Source: Salon.com

COFFEE PRODUCTION AND COFFEE CONSUMPTION INCREASING IN CHINA

Coffee gains foothold in tea-drinking China

Coffee is fast catching on, especially among younger urban Chinese, and the percentage increase in demand is in the double digits -- though still less than one tenth of tea consumption... [more]
Source: China Daily