Tainted ponds kill cattle and children play in contaminated fields in Nigerian lead crisis

Environmental damage looms in Nigerian lead crisis

Saudi placard vandalized, climate talks slowed further

BONN - The official placard of the Saudi Arabian delegation was vandalised at the venue of the global talks here in preparation for the next climate summit. As a result, the talks were held up for hours on the last day Friday.

Scientists observe budding solar systems

WASHINGTON - Scientists have observed, for the first time ever, the processes that give rise to stars and planets in nascent solar systems.

Brit professor to outline his vision for a renewable energy powered UK

WASHINGTON - A University of Nottingham professor is set to go public with his vision for a UK powered completely by renewable energy by 2030.

Youth clubs strengthen children’s self image

WASHINGTON - An Ohio State University study has revealed that when kids belong to a youth club, they gain a stronger sense of who they are as a person.

Now, dating site for people who love Apple products

WELLINGTON - Boys and girls, who love Apple products, can strike new romances based on their favourite gadgets on a new website, called Cupidtino.

No ’safe haven’ for organic molecules on Mars

WASHINGTON - The atmosphere on Mars is not favourable for organic compounds such as proteins, concluded a new study.

Flu’s secret evolution strategy unveiled

WASHINGTON - Flu’s secret formula for effectively evolving within and between host species has been unveiled-balance.

New method can help identify genetic disease in record time

WASHINGTON - For the first time, researchers have proven that it is possible to identify any genetic disease in record time, all thanks to a powerful and reliable exome sequencing method.

Replica of human collagen from tobacco plants could be a medical boon

WASHINGTON - A scientist has succeeded in producing a replica of human collagen from tobacco plants - a feat that could have an enormous impact on the medicine industry.

Co-witnesses ‘can influence children’s testimony’

WASHINGTON - A doctoral thesis has claimed that if children talk to other witnesses about an event, their testimony can ‘become tainted’.

Fern gene that helps clean soil of arsenic

WASHINGTON - Researchers have identified a gene that allows a type of fern to tolerate high levels of arsenic and hope it can help create plants that can clean up soil and water contaminated by the poison, specially in parts of India’s West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh.

New treaty draft presented at Bonn climate talks, some developing nations sharply criticize it

Negotiators debate new climate treaty in Bonn

Biofeedback can help bid stage fright goodbye

WASHINGTON - Traditionally, the most successful methods used to combat stage fright have been prescribed medications (beta blockers) and aerobic exercise.

Raphael’s The Madonna of the Pinks no 19th-century fake

LONDON - Britain’s National Gallery is relieved to have found that a Raphael painting bought for a whopping 34million pounds is indeed genuine.

Naturally occuring protein reverses brain damage caused by meningitis

WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered an important role for a small, naturally occurring protein called interleukin-10 (IL-10) in removing bacteria from the blood of infected mice and reversing damage to the brain.

Popular cancer drug can lead to kidney damage

WASHINGTON - A new research has shown that the widely used cancer drug bevacizumab can cause severe loss of protein from the kidney into the urine that can lead to significant kidney damage and can compromise the efficacy of cancer treatment.

Scientists develop new method to produce natural killer cells for cancer

WASHINGTON - Scientists have come up with a novel method to produce cells that kill tumour cells in the lab and prevent tumours forming in mouse models of cancer.

Rescue boats headed to 16-year-old sailor adrift in Indian Ocean on damaged yacht

Boats heading to teen sailor found in Indian Ocean

New study links smoking to colorectal cancer

WASHINGTON - In a new study, smoking was found to have a strong association with the presence of flat adenomas (precancerous polyps) in the colon and may explain the earlier onset of colorectal cancer in smokers, as well as the advanced stage with which they present when compared to nonsmokers.

Family carers share dying patient’s illness experience

LONDON - Family caregivers who attend to dying patients often share whole illness of their loved ones and need support just as much, says a new study.

Texas uses water-based cranes, shears to target decades of scuttled vessels in Gulf of Mexico

Texas targets decades of abandoned ships off coast

Oil slick not just on Gulf: Petroleum products permeate daily life from sneakers to milkshakes

Just like pelicans, people can’t avoid oil either

Next-gen graphene set to revolutionize nanocircuitry

WASHINGTON - Scientists have made an advance towards replacing silicon with graphene on nanocircuitry.

Sony’s ’super-smart’ TV blurs if kids sit too near

LONDON - Worried that your kids will end up with poor eyesight by sitting too close to the TV? Well, now take a sigh of relief for a new super-smart TV will turn its picture fuzzy if it senses a youngster is too near to the sceen

Storm elves and sprites recorded on video

WASHINGTON - Spanish researchers have made a high-speed recording of elves and sprites — fleeting and luminous electric phenomena produced in the upper layers of the atmosphere — during storms.

Matter falling into super-massive black hole observed

WASHINGTON - An astronomer has for the first time observed matter falling into a super-massive black hole - one of the universe’s brightest objects.

Potential new target for Alzheimer’s treatment identified

WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered how mutations in the presenilin 1 gene cause early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

New system for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s developed

WASHINGTON - A new computer program has been developed that allows early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease through processed images.

Scientists waiting in Australian Outback for Japanese space capsule that visited asteroid

Scientists wait in Outback for Japanese spacecraft

Arabic bloggers to compete for best blogging award

Dubai, June 11 (IANS/WAM) Arabic language blogs have invaded the internet over the last few years, and now outstanding bloggers from the Gulf region will compete for the ‘Arab Blogging Award’.

The secret behind sharks sniffing out their prey

WASHINGTON - It’s no secret that sharks have a keen sense of smell and a remarkable ability to follow their noses through the ocean, right to their next meal.

High meat consumption ‘linked to early periods’

LONDON - A new study by UK scientists suggests that girls who eat a lot of meat during childhood tend to start their periods earlier than others.

Mechanism limiting scar formation discovered

LONDON - American researchers have found that a cellular mechanism plays a key role in breaking down and inhibiting excess scar tissue formation in wound healing.

How sharks sniff out their prey

WASHINGTON - Sharks have a keen sense of smell and a remarkable ability to follow their noses through the ocean, right to their next meal. Now, scientists have discovered how the sharks manage to keep themselves on course.

Bipolar patients may be at risk for high BP

WASHINGTON - A recent Michigan State University study has found that nearly half of patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder may suffer from hypertension, and the younger a person is diagnosed with the psychiatric condition the more likely they are to develop high blood pressure.

Many comets evolved in other solar systems

WASHINGTON - Many well-known comets such as Halley and Hale-Bopp originally formed in other solar systems, according to a Queen’s University researcher.

The social roach loves to dine in groups

WASHINGTON - Cockroaches are social insects and like to swarm on food than to dine alone, a new study reveals.