Brit men having moob jobs on the rise

London, Sep 18 (ANI): It has emerged that more and more Brit men are having cosmetic surgery to get rid of their “moobs”.

According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), there has been a 44 per cent year-on-year rise in the number of men wanting to get rid of their ‘man boobs’.

The AGM of BAAPS in Cardiff heard that the procedure is now the fifth most popular cosmetic op for men, with more than 1,000 men forking out more than 2,000 pounds to get rid of their flabby breasts in the last 12 months.

Delegates were told over the past five years the numbers of men losing their moobs have shot up by an amazing 1,000 per cent.

“We are seeing men of all ages coming in to have their breasts made smaller,” the Sun quoted plastic surgeon Douglas McGeorge as saying.

“They are losing their inhibitions about the operation and deciding to undergo an operation which previously was a women’s operation,” he said.

McGeorge, who is based in Chester, revealed that a recent patient, who had never taken his shirt off, was typical of the men queuing up for the op.

“It was a grandfather who had never taken off his T-shirt in his life because he was so embarrassed about the size of his breasts,” he said.

“He had never been able to strip to the waist on the beach in front of his own children – but was determined not to be in the same position with his grandchildren,” he stated.

The moob jobs pushed out facelifts to become the fifth most popular plastic surgery for British men after nose jobs, eyelifts, ear corrections, and liposuction.

“Reasons for the upsurge include men being more open now about their physique than years ago,” plastic surgeon Fazel Fatah said.

“And they can get more and more information about it from internet sites which encourage them to have the op,” he added. (ANI)

Stem cell transplantation may correct rare genetic disorder in kids

Washington, Sep 18 (ANI): Scripps Research Institute scientists have offered new hope for parents whose children suffer from the rare genetic disorder ‘cystinosis’ by showing through an experiment on mice that stem cell transplantation can successfully correct the defect.

“After meeting the children who suffer from this disease, like an 18-year-old who has already had three kidney transplants, and the families who are desperately searching for help, our team is committed to moving toward a cure for cystinosis, a lysosomal storage disorder. This study is an important step toward that goal,” said principal investigator Stephanie Cherqui.

In the study, the researchers used bone marrow stem cell transplantation to address symptoms of cystinosis in a mouse model.

The procedure virtually halted the cystine accumulation responsible for the disease, and the cascade of cell death that follows.

Cystine is a by-product of the break down of cellular components the body no longer needs in the cell’s “housekeeping” organelles, called lysosomes.

Normally, cystine is shunted out of cells, but in cystinosis a gene defect of the lysosomal cystine transporter causes it to build up, forming crystals that are especially damaging to the kidneys and eyes.

Cystinosis is a rare but devastating disease affecting children as young as six months, who begin to suffer renal dysfunction, which grows progressively worse with time. Other symptoms include diabetes, muscular disease, neurological dysfunction, and retinopathy.

The only available drug to treat cystinosis, cysteamine, while slowing the progression of kidney degradation, does not prevent it, and end-stage kidney failure is inevitable.

In the new study, the researchers found that transplanted bone marrow stem cells carrying the normal lysosomal cystine transporter gene abundantly engrafted into every tissue of the experimental mice.

This led to an average drop in cystine levels of about 80 percent in every organ.

Not only it prevented kidney dysfunction, there was less deposition of cystine crystals in the cornea, less bone demineralization, and an improvement in motor function.

“The results really surprised and encouraged us. Because the defect is present in every cell of the body, we did not expect a bone marrow stem cell transplant to be so widespread and effective,” says Cherqui.

Cherqui said that adult bone marrow stem cell therapy is particularly well suited as a potential treatment for cystinosis because these cells target all types of tissues.

In addition, stem cells reside in the bone marrow for the duration of a patient’s life, becoming active as needed, a particular benefit for a progressive disease like cystinosis.

The study has been published in the journal Blood. (ANI)

Dial auto service launched in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Sept 17 (ANI): In a bid to provide quick, hassle free and reasonably charged mode of transportation, a dial-an-auto service equipped with GPS navigation system has been launched for the first time in Chandigarh.

The neat and clean pink coloured motor rickshaws, known as Tuk Tuk, are changing the way people travel in the city.

The fleet of 10 dial-an-auto-rickshaw, which is only a phone call away, also boasts of two lady drivers, the first in Chandigarh.

Women passengers, who feel safer traveling with lady drivers, are appreciating their services.

“Chandigarh is one city where people are safe anyway. We have been told we are safe with the service,” said Alka Thapar, a lady auto driver.

One has to just dial 4242424 for calling an auto rickshaw to get it at your doorstep.

The autos are equipped with tamper proof fare meters to assure passengers of not being overcharged.

“We maintain our call center. Whenever any individual requires an auto he rings up and the call centre picks up the call. They record the call and then convey to the driver by selecting the vehicle nearby to pick up the customer. That’s the procedure and customer has to pay from the pick up point to the drive point only,” said VS Dhillon, Managing Director of the Tuk Tuk Auto Rickshaw Company.

The service aims at providing a quick, reliable and safe journey to people who can relax and sit back without the fear of getting fleeced by drivers.

“I’m using it for the first time It’s reasonably priced and I’m really liking it,” says Charanjit, a customer.

The new service is a welcome change for commuters. With the new service in place, passengers can hope for a change in the attitude of traditional auto drivers who are often accused of fleecing customers. By Sunil Sharma (ANI)

Theron will not play Kidman’s wife in sex-change drama

Washington, Sep 16 (ANI): South African actress Charlize Theron has turned down a role in a new movie about the first person to undergo a sex-change operation.

Theron, 34, was to play as Gerda Wegener, the wife of artist Einar Wegener opposite Nicole Kidman, 42, in ‘The Danish Girl’, but she recently turned down the role.

Kidman will star and co-produce the project, which is adapted from David Ebershoff’s novel about Wegener, who underwent a procedure to become a woman in the early 1930s.

Tomas Alfredson, who will direct the film, is refusing to let the casting hiccup upset his filming schedule.

“We have been in talks for close to a year, and we are soon going into production,” Contactmusic quoted him as having told Daily Variety. (ANI)

‘Two for one’ breast boosting technique not as viable as it seems

London, Sep 16 (ANI): A technology that was claimed as the ultimate solution to give a boost to women’s breasts by using fat removed from thighs is not viable as it seems, say experts.

Mel Graham, chairman of the Harley Medical Group, recently claimed that the “two for one” procedure could extract excess fat from where it was not wanted – the belly, hips or thighs – and relocate it to the bust.

However, rival cosmetic surgeons criticised the “hype” surrounding the new operation, insisting that it was “premature”.

“(This) is setting consumers up for disappointment and there are many reasons for vigilance,” the Independent quoted Dai Davies, of Plastic Surgery Partners in Harley Street, as saying.

He said that doctors have long been experimenting with innumerable aids to give women larger busts, including using body fat as a procedure.

The technique of removing fat by liposuction, and then injecting it into the chest has been tried for almost 20 years but with limited success, said Davies.

“Where you are injecting small amounts of fat into the face, which has a good blood supply, there is good evidence that it works. Most plastic surgeons would agree there is a place for it. But this involves injecting a large blob of fat into the breast area. Fat consists of living cells and living cells must have a blood supply, otherwise they die,” he explained.

In a Japanese study last year, 230 women underwent fat transfer, and it was found that, on average, half the fat injected was lost and all the women needed a second procedure after a year.

There are also fears that dying fat cells could cause micro-calcification in the breast leading to difficulties in breast screening and an increase in biopsies – an invasive procedure to remove tissue to check for cancer.

“I don’t think we should be a testing ground for all these techniques. You are feeding on a susceptible group of people. There should be controls but, sadly, the Government has decided it won’t implement regulation,” said Davies.

Professor David Sharpe, a plastic surgeon in Yorkshire and the founding chairman of the breast special interest group of BAAPS, said: “This sounds like another example of creative marketing. Breast implants are a well-tried and tested method. At the moment, I would stick with that.”

Mel Braham, chairman of the Harley Medical Group, said results of a US trial to be presented next month would demonstrate the success of the operation.

“The results will be assessed by our medical board and, if approved, the operation will be introduced next year. I don’t take risks with patients. I am confident this is a safe procedure,” he said. (ANI)

Victoria Police deny Indian bashing cover-up

Melbourne, Sep.16 (ANI): Victoria Police has denied they had a plan to limit publicity about the bashing of four Indian men outside a Melbourne pub on Saturday night.

Four men were arrested in relation to assault and affray, but they were released pending further investigations.

Police believe a fifth man may also have been involved in the bashing outside a pub at Epping in Melbourne’s east.

Details of the incident only emerged publicly today, prompting an outraged Indian media to claim Victoria Police had been involved in a cover-up.

Police said the Indian media were made aware of the incident via “other channels”.

Acting Senior Sergeant Glenn Parker said there was no cover-up, although he did admit the police media department would have known about the incident in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“Unfortunately, this type of incident occurs regularly. This is really treated no differently to any other event of this type. There has been no deliberate attempt to suppress it. It’s just part of normal procedure. It’s attracted more media attention than anticipated,” news.com.au quoted him, as saying.

According to the police, the four men were playing pool on Saturday night at a bar in High St, Epping, when a female hurled a racist remark at them.

The men left not long after but were followed into a car park by up to four males who were part of a larger group celebrating a birthday in the bar’s function room.

It has been alleged the Indian men were set upon and seriously assaulted by the group of males.

Police were called and arrested four males, who were interviewed in relation to assault and affray. ll four were released pending further investigations.

While only four men were arrested, one of the alleged victims told ABC Radio today that more than 70 people could have been involved.

He said the attackers didn’t use weapons, but racism was behind the incident.

“Definitely racism,” he said.

Police say that when the arrests were made, a group of about 15 men and women, who had been celebrating a birthday, directed racist abuse at the Indian men.

As the victims were escorted away by police, officers allege the larger group continued its “threatening behaviour and racist remarks”. (ANI)

Adopt new, transparent selection process for police forces: Chidambaram

New Delhi, Sep 14 (ANI): Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday asked the State Governments to adopt new, time bound and transparent selection process for the state police forces on the lines of the Central Police Force selection procedure.

Addressing the three-day long conference of the Directors Generals and Inspectors Generals of state police forces organized by Intelligence Bureau, Chidambaram said: “Revamp the recruitment procedures and make them quick, time bound and transparent. We have introduced a new recruitment procedure in the CPMFs that is based on technology, objective assessment and transparency. I would take this opportunity to urge State Governments to immediately adopt the new procedure.”

Chidambaram expressed concern over the way police officers are treated and asked states to constitute the police establishment boards as the earliest.

“Constitute a Police Establishment Board that would decide on transfers and postings. It is a matter of deep regret that many police officers have been reduced to a football, to be kicked here and there, from one post to another, without regard to the damage done to the job as well as the officer,” he said.

Expressing concern over the non providing of funds to the police forces by some of the states, Chidambaram said: “I am also concerned about the attitude of some State Governments to providing funds for the police. Let me remind you that Police and Public Order are State subjects. States are right in zealously guarding their turf. The Central Government has no desire to encroach upon the jurisdiction of the State Governments. Given the Constitutional responsibility, State Governments must provide adequate funds for the State Police. “

The Home Minister appealed to the state governments to change the practice of allotting the residue – after providing funds for other Plan and Non-Plan Schemes to the head of Police.

The Central Government increased over Rs.13, 000 crore in the budget of the current fiscal to strengthening the CPFs, and for Modernization of Police Force, CCTNS, Strengthening of Fire and Emergency Services, Scheme of ICP, etc.

Chidambaram called on the conference to mark the beginning of a process of reinventing the security system in the country.

“We must learn from our past mistakes. We must also learn from the experience of other countries. It is the neglect of tried and tested methods that has led us to a situation where we seemed unequal to the challenges that face the internal security of the country,” he said.It is not enough to walk with firm steps on the path that is known. We must also lay out a path forward that will draw heavily upon technology and innovation,” Chidambaram added.

He said once the ambitious projects of CCTN and NATGRID are fully rolled out and implemented, it would mark a quantum jump in our ability to counter the challenges that we face.

Chidambaram also stressed on the creation of a first rate National Counter Terrorism Centre.

“It is also my desire that once the Police Mission submits its report, we should implement the recommendations in a time-bound manner. There is the need to enact a “Model Police Act”. Mega-city policing is a new requirement, and there is much to learn from the experiences of other mega-cities,” Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram also asked the state police chiefs to sharply upgrade our Forensic Science Laboratories and make them among the best in the world. (ANI)

Computer may help dictate best play to call in any game situation in football

Washington, September 12 (ANI): Researchers have developed a new computer model for football that would be able to take the play-calling load off of the coach and, through fast, real-time analysis of all the offensive and defensive possibilities, dictate the best play to call in any game situation.

Operations researcher Sharif Melouk and applied statistician Marcus Perry, both from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, collaborated with a graduate student to apply techniques often used to allocate resources in contexts like business and antiterrorist protection efforts to football play calling.

The program takes the human element out of play calling and instead uses mathematical and statistical techniques.

The new model analyzes what the opposing team is likely to do and chooses the play that will best counter it in a given game situation.

“The offense knows all the different sorts of plays they could call for a particular situation, and they’re also going to know what all the different types of defenses that the defense could throw at them,” said Melouk.

“The end result of the procedure is that you come out with some reward or some value to that particular play,” he added.

If coaches can enter accurate data into the model, then it will be effective.

The better the data, the better the performance of the model will be.

Removing the human element from play calling may improve the team’s performance, or at least provide a basis from which to compare and analyze play calling.

One interesting feature of the model is that it can reveal what both teams should do, which is called the Nash equilibrium, after the Nobel laureate John Nash.

“Basically, player two (the defense) is looking to minimize the maximum gain of player one (the offense), and player one is looking to maximize the minimum gain of player two,” said Melouk.

“There’s one point that tells you each of these players should do this one thing and they shouldn’t deviate from this particular strategy,” he added.

When there are two players in a game where both are attempting to stop the other one, sometimes it’s best to seek guaranteed modest gains instead of doing something risky.

“If we knew what play, however, that the opponent was going to choose, then we could maximize our gain,” said Perry.

“But we might be able to choose a play … such that, hey, it doesn’t matter what they choose. We’re still going to get this particular level of gain regardless,” he added. (ANI)

World’s first patient implanted with smallest rechargeable neurostimulator completes one year

Washington, Sep 12 (ANI): The world’s first patient to have been implanted with the smallest ever neurostimulator for chronic pain is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his procedure today.

One year ago, former U.S. Army parachutist Adam Hammond became the first patient in the world to have been implanted with an Eon Mini neurostimulator.

Adam got the chronic pain after a skydiving accident when his parachute deployed incorrectly, leaving him in a coma with life-threatening injuries, including a severed spine, broken femur, fractured pelvic bone, and torn aorta.

Although Adam recovered from his accident, he battled chronic pain that left him dependent on a wheelchair.

But, today, the picture has completely changed and Adam is active and exercising, studying for his law degree and no longer in need of a wheelchair.

Adam also went to Washington, D.C., recently to meet with representatives and advocate for pain legislation.

However, Adam is not the only chronic pain sufferers who have been helped with neurostimulation, an FDA-approved therapy that uses electrical pulses to interrupt pain signals to the brain.

Over 60,000 St. Jude Medical neurostimulation devices have been implanted in patients in 35 countries around the world. (ANI)

CBI to visit YSR’s helicopter crash site today

New Delhi, Sep 12 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will visit on Saturday the site of the helicopter crash, where former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and four others were killed, in order to probe the crash at Pavirallagutta in the dense Nallamalla forests.

The CBI multi-disciplinary investigation team (MDIT) would be headed by Deputy Inspector General V V Lakshmi Narayana and comprise officers from the Indian Air Force and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation also.

The CBI would also inquire whether any sabotage was behind the crash and what forced the helicopter to deviate from its set path, besides the response from the Air Traffic Control(ATC) in Chennai.

The CBI probe has been ordered under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Such a probe is conducted by a police officer specially empowered by the State Government when the deceased has been killed by another or by an animal or by machinery or by an accident.

A two-member expert committee is already investigating the incident. It has been told to submit its report in two months. (ANI)

Novel minimally invasive surgery for treating spinal cancer patients

Washington, Sep 8 (ANI): Doctors at Toronto Western Hospital have come up with a new minimally invasive, outpatient spine surgical procedure for treating cancer that has spread to the spine.

It is believed that almost 40-50 percent of metastic cancers end up in the spine and the most common primary cancers to spread to the bones of the spine are breast and lung cancer.

Spinal tumours can drastically affect a patient’s quality of life and result in pain and reduced mobility.

A spinal tumour or a growth of any kind can impinge on nerves, leading to pain, neurological problems and sometimes paralysis.

The new procedure involves a small incision in the back (the size of a loonie) in order to remove the tumour and stabilize the damaged spine.

Other than providing a shorter recovery time, its benefits also include allowing patients to receive radiation treatment shortly after surgery.

Traditional surgical methods involve a longer and more painful recovery process, thus making patients to wait weeks before resuming radiation treatment.

The combination of surgery and radiation leads to better outcomes and quality of life. (ANI)

Imran Farhat discontinues his ICL contract

Lahore, Sep.4 (ANI): Another Pakistan batsman Imran Farhat has parted ways with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Farhat has handed over a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), saying he longer is affiliated with the ICL.

“Imran Farhat came to me to give ICL’s NOC and the PCB will adopt the same procedure, which has been applied in the case of the other ICL players,” The Dawn quoted PCB Chief Operating Officer (COO) Wasim Bari said.

Farhat, who has played 27 Test matches and 33 One-day Internationals for Pakistan had joined the ICL in 2007.

Farhat follows middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf and bowling all-rounders Abdul Razzaq and Rana Naved-ul-Hassan. (ANI)

Now, preferential voting for best film Oscar

London, Sept 2 (ANI): The voting pattern for deciding the best movie at the Oscars is all set to change.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which presents the Oscars said preferential voting will now decide the best film.
Under the system, voters will rank nominees in their order of preference from 1 to 10.

The nominee who bags the most votes will be declared the winner.

The same preferential voting is used by the Academy in its nominating process.

However, it is being introduced to judge films for the first time since 1945.

The new voting procedure has been brought in to bring in more movies to compete for the award. Now 10 films can be accommodated in the category, which allowed only 5 previously.

The BBC quoted Academy president Tom Sherak as saying: “Instead of just marking an X to indicate which one picture they believe to be the best, members will indicate their second, third and further preferences as well,”

He said this would “establish the best picture recipient with the strongest support of a majority of our electorate”.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be declared on February 2, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. (ANI)

New stem cell op may prevent thousands from having hip replacements

London, August 31 (ANI): British surgeons at the Spire Hospital in Southampton are using a novel technique that uses stem cells to repair damaged bones.

Media reports on this procedure suggest that it may prevent thousands of people from needing to have an artificial hip fitted.

Mark Venables, 39, is one patient on whom doctors at the Spire Hospital conducted one of their first operations.

He suffers from a condition where bone in his hip died, weakening his joint and causing pain on movement.

The surgeons at the hospital used his own stem cells to rejuvenate the affected bone.

“I just want to get back to an active life,” Sky News quoted Venables as saying before the operation.

For the operation, the surgeons first purified stem cells from bone marrow that they had extracted from Venables’ pelvis.

The doctors then mixed them with cleaned, ground-up bone from another patient, who had had their own hip replaced.

After removing the dead tissue from the ball of his hip, the doctors filled the cavity with the mixture of stem cells and donated bone.

Surgeon Doug Dunlop said that the bone would have collapsed without the stem cell treatment, and that Venables would have then needed an artificial hip joint.

“If this new procedure works, he won’t need a hip replacement. It will fix his hip for life,” said Dunlop.

To date, six patients have been operated using the new procedure, and only one surgery has failed.

Professor Richard Oreffo, of Southampton University, is now hoping to improve the technique further by replacing the donated bone with an artificial material containing chemicals that help the stem cells grow.(ANI)

Gene breakthrough could banish inherited diseases

London, Aug 26 (ANI): Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University’s Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) have developed a new technique that could banish a host of crippling inherited diseases forever.

The landmark research raises the prospect of wiping out diseases passed on from mothers to their children through mutated DNA in cell mitochondria.

“We believe this discovery in nonhuman primates can rapidly be translated into human therapies aimed at preventing inherited disorders passed from mothers to their children through the mitochondrial DNA, such as certain forms of cancer, diabetes, infertility, myopathies and neurodegenerative diseases,” said Shoukhrat Mitalipov, from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).

Mitochondria are structures that are found in all cells that provide energy for cell growth and metabolism, which is why they are often called the cell’s “power plant.”

The structures produce energy to power each individual cell. Mitochondria also carry their own genetic material.

When an egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell during reproduction, the embryo almost exclusively inherits the maternal mitochondria present in the egg. This means that any disease-causing genetic mutations that a mother carries in her mitochondrial DNA can be passed on to her offspring.

OHSU researchers’ method transfers the mother’s chromosomes to a donated egg that has had its chromosomes removed, but which has healthy mitochondria, thereby preventing the disease from being passed on to one’s offspring.

During the research, scientists collected groups of unfertilized eggs from two female rhesus macaque monkeys (monkeys A and B). They then removed the chromosomes, which contain the genes found in the cell nucleus, from the eggs of monkey B, and then transplanted the nuclear genes from the eggs of monkey A into the eggs of monkey B.

Then the eggs from monkey B, which now contained their own mitochondria but monkey A’s nuclear genes, were fertilized. The fertilized eggs developed into embryos that were implanted in surrogate monkeys.

The initial implantation of two embryos resulted in the birth of healthy twin monkeys. These monkeys are the world’s first animals derived by spindle transfer.

Follow-up testing showed that there was little to no trace of cross-animal mitochondrial transfer using this procedure. This shows that the researchers were successful in isolating nuclear genetic material from mitochondrial genetic material during the transfer process.

“In theory, this research has demonstrated that it is possible to use this therapy in mothers carrying mitochondrial DNA diseases so that we can prevent those diseases from being passed on to their offspring,” Mitalipov said.

“We believe that with the proper governmental approvals, our work can rapidly be translated into clinical trials for humans, and, eventually, approved therapies,” Mitalipov added.

The research has been published in the Aug. 26 advance online edition of the journal Nature. (ANI)

SMS text messages can be used as evidence for divorce in France

London, Aug. 25 (ANI): In a new legal development in France, SMS text messages revealing adultery can be used as evidence for divorce.

The Supreme Court of the country has ruled the decision claiming that it will make the divorce procedure smoother.

The step out rules a 2007 declaration by a lower court that using phone exchanges in court was a breach of privacy, reports the Telegraph.

To date, the time taken for legal separation of couples is generally long in France.

People had to wait for years to get out of a marriage if they could not prove that their partner was misbehaving or mistreating them.

Also, the law says that if the spouses fail to agree to separate by mutual consent, those seeking a divorce have to prove that the spouse is cheating or abusing or mistreating him or her.

And in case the judge is not convinced, a divorce will be pronounced only after two years of living separately.

In fact until 2004, French law required couples to wait six years for decision. (ANI)

Now, a ‘patch’ to mend broken hearts

London, Aug 25 (ANI): Scientists in Israel have developed a ‘patch’ from heart muscle that can be used to fix scarring left over from a heart attack.

The researchers showed that the technique strengthened the hearts of rats that had suffered heart attacks, reports the BBC.

The ‘patch’ was grown in abdominal tissue first, then transplanted to damaged areas of the heart.

This is the first experiment to show that such patches can actually improve the health of a heart after it has been damaged.

The researchers measured an increase in the size of the muscle in damaged areas, and improved conduction of the electrical impulses needed for the heart to pump normally.

Heart attacks usually cause irreversible damage to heart muscle. If people survive, then the damaged muscle can cause another serious condition called heart failure.

The researchers, led by Tal Dvir from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, hope that the procedure may eventually lead to treatments in humans because of its “simplicity and safety”.

However, they added “because most patients with heart attacks are old, and multiple surgery can pose a large risk to them, our strategy is not currently an option”.

The study has been described in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). (ANI)

Alcohol-soaked Bali is running out of booze!

Sydney, Aug 21 (ANI): In an unusual instance, a British-owned hotel in Bali has reportedly requested its guests to bring in some extra alcohol.

After the re-election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as Indonesian president last month, the nation’s liquor importation laws have been further tightened.

The government has cracked down on illegal alcohol importation too.

And now, the booze stocks are so low and prices so high that a particular hotel has resorted to asking guests to import alcohol, promising reimbursement.

The hotel is apparently asking quests for namely top-shelf spirits and wine.

Australia-Indonesia Business Council claims that 90 per cent of liquor found in the country is illegally imported in order to avoid the 200 per cent duties and taxes generally levied.

“It’s not because they cant get access to suppliers, it’s more to do with … the procedure for clearing wine through customs has been tightened up considerably,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ross Taylor, the national vice-president of the Australia Indonesia Business Council as telling Radio 6PR. (ANI)

Cabinet approves amendments to National Institutes of Technology Act

New Delhi, Aug 20 (ANI): The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal to amend the National Institutes of Technology Act 2007.

The main features of the amendment are: incorporation of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) in the National Institutes of Technology Act 2007; need to strengthen existing transitional provisions of the Act; need to give representation to nearby premier Central Institutions in the Board of Governors; and need to amend the procedure for appointment of Deputy Directors in NITs.

Effective amendments into the NIT Act 2007 will remove certain drawbacks in the NIT Act 2007; and incorporation of IISERs into the NIT Act, 2007.

Declaring them as Institutes of national importance, will enable them in awarding of the degrees.

The proposed amendments aim at fostering improvements in the existing set-up, establishment of proper and effective management structures in the technical institutions, providing an environment to encourage innovative ideas.

The National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007 covers 20 such institutions as listed in the Schedule of the Act.

Now that the Act has been in operation for about 23 months, a need has been felt to amend it.

The Bill to amend the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007 will be introduced in both the Houses of Parliament in their next session. (ANI)

Akhtar unlikely to get a chance even through ‘wild card’: Qasim

Lahore, Aug.20 (ANI): Pakistan cricket chief selector Iqbal Qasim has ruled out ontroversial speedster Shoaib Akhtar’s chances of getting into the ICC Champions Trophy squad.

Qasim said there is only a ‘remote’ possibility of Akhtar getting a place in the team through a ‘wild card’.

“There is a committee of the ICC which follows a strict procedure in terms of a player’s replacement. If someone is to be replaced from the pre-announced side then a solid reason has to be presented,” Qasim said.

He, however, did not completely ruled out Akhtar’s chances, saying: “Anyone who is fit and performing will be considered for selection.”

Akhtar, who last played against Australia in the UAE series, has not even been included in the 30-member preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy.

When asked about the tainted fast bowler Mohammad Asif , Qasim said he (Asif) is physically fit and would be considered for the national squad.

“We got his positive medical report from the National Cricket Academy. He is attending the ongoing Under-23 emerging camp in Karachi. All I can say is that he is fit,” The Daily Times quoted Qasim, as saying.

Asif, who has been included in the preliminary squad, stands a good chance of cementing a place in the final 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy.

Asif has not played any cricket since July last year and was banned last September by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after testing positive for nandrolone during the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) inaugural season. (ANI)