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New air filter system can destroy up to 99.9 per cent of bugs on aircraft

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 16 (ANI): British researchers have developed an air filter system that destroys up to 99.9 per cent of infectious viruses and bacteria as well as pollutants that can circulate in the confines of an aircraft, especially on long-haul flights.

According to a report in The Times, the machine has been developed by aerospace giant BAE Systems, in collaboration with Quest International, a small company based in Cheadle, South Manchester, UK.

The device, called AirManager, uses a controlled electric field to filter out and destroy any airborne particles or germs as they pass through an aircraft’s air conditioning system, emitting only clean, sterilized air.

After four years of development and tests, BAE says it has received its first orders from a major European airline and announced the technology is also being considered for use in NHS hospitals as a way to stop the spread of “superbugs” such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

The air on board a passenger jet must be pressurized in order for passengers to be able to breathe, but scientists and lobby groups have previously claimed that passengers can be exposed to toxins as a result of the “bleed air” system that is used to redirect air from the engines to the cabin and cockpit.

Air inside the cabin is then circulated and re-circulated up to 30 times an hour, far more than in conventional air conditioning systems, meaning that infectious viruses and bacteria can quickly spread.

Unlike conventional filters, which are designed to sieve out particles from the air as it passes through perforated barriers at high speed, David Hallam, an engineer and founder of Quest International, said that the AirManager used an “avalanche of electrons” emitted in a closed electric field to break down and destroy the atomic structure of any pollutants or germs.

“This works with swine flu, avian flu, norovirus, MRSA, even a modified form of anthrax,” Hallam said.

Hallam said that he originally designed the “close coupled field” in the late 1990s to rid nursing homes of biological odours caused by bacteria.

But, the filter was later found to have an effect in reducing the airborne transmission of bacteria such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Clostridium difficile.

BAE Systems expressed interest in the technology four years ago for use on aircraft and the system was recently tested on the flight deck and cabin air systems of Boeing 757 and Avro RJ passenger jets by five European airlines, with successful results. (ANI)

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Indian cricket team leaves for Sri Lanka, Kirsten rues Sehwag’s absence for tri-series

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chennai, Sep. 9 (ANI): Before boarding a special Air Indian flight for Colombo on Wednesday,Indian cricket team coach Gary Kirsten said the team would draw inspiration from its past success in Sri Lanka and also cope with the “huge” loss of explosive opener Virender Sehwag during the the tri-series involving Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the island nation.

The Indians will play their first match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Asked who would be opening the innings with Gautam Gambhir, Kirsten said, “We are not sure about the combination. We would decide it on the day of the game. But obviously, missing Sehwag is huge. He is a high quality player and any team would love to have him in the mix. But we have got a lot of depth in the team.”

Kirsten also said that he was quite excited about Rahul Dravid’s return to the team after being out for close to two years.

“It’s great to have him. With the sort of experience he brings, it’s going to help the team. It’s great,” he said.

A clean-sweep in the short series would catapult India to the top of the ICC ODI rankings and Kirsten said being the best in the world is high on the team’s list of targets for the next eight months.

“We have set our goals. One of them is to be the best cricket team in the world. We are headed that way and we are very excited. We know we have to perform well as we continue the quest to be the best,” Kirsten said.

He said that the six week long break for the team was great.

Asked about the team’s chances in the tri-series, Kirsten said, “We won the last two series in Sri Lanka and we are confident. But we think ahead and don’t harp on the results ofthe past. We have got a good batting line-up which is quite flexible in the middle. We would like to mix it up during the series.” (ANI)

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510-year-old church in Newfoundland may be New World’s oldest Christian site

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Ottawa, September 7 (ANI): In a new project, a team of archeologists is planning to search for the remains of a 510-year-old church on the western shore of Conception Bay, Newfoundland, which may be the oldest Christian site in the New World.

According to a report in the National Post, the project is aimed at adding to a string of recent discoveries about explorer John Cabot’s history-making voyages to Canada in the late 15th century.

The recent emergence of new evidence about Cabot’s voyages, including potentially “revolutionary” findings by the late British historian Alwyn Ruddock, has renewed interest in England’s earliest New World ventures during the reign of King Henry VII.

Canwest News Service recently revealed a researcher’s discovery of a 1499 letter in which Henry VII himself describes a previously unknown expedition to Canada headed by William Weston, a Bristol merchant who is finally emerging – five centuries after his death – as a key backer of Cabot’s quest to establish an English foothold in North America.

The king’s letter also contained the earliest known use of the phrase “new founde land” to describe Canada’s easternmost province, which Cabot is believed to have reached in June 1497 – the first European landfall in North America since the age of the Vikings.

Bizarrely, the recent spate of revelations from the dawning days of Canadian history follows Prof. Ruddock’s order – carried out by the executors of her will after she died in 2005 — that her unpublished research be destroyed.

But, through a project headed by University of Bristol historian Evan Jones, Prof. Pope and other scholars are combing through a small collection of Prof. Ruddock documents that survived destruction and may point the way to fresh discoveries – including the suspected Catholic mission at Carbonear.

In the outline for a book she never completed, Prof. Ruddock claimed to have found documents detailing the establishment of a church at Carbonear.

Historians generally believe Cabot perished during the voyage, and little was accomplished by any of the ships involved in the expedition.

But Prof. Ruddock’s sketchy references to a New World church built as early as 1498 has electrified Prof. Jones and other researchers.

“If she were correct, this would be the first European Christian settlement in North America, with the church Prof. Ruddock mentions being the first built on the continent,” said Jones. (ANI)

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Indians, Chinese credited with helping make Wellington an international city

September 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington, Sep. 5 (ANI): New Zealand-born Indians and Chinese living in Wellington have been credited with helping the capital in its quest to become an international city.

According to an Asia NZ Foundation report by Auckland University’s Wardlow Friesen, India and China have close links with the city, as one-third of Indians and Chinese living in Wellington are New Zealand-born.

“The report shows how far the city has come in terms of diversity of its population, which was something people had generally embraced and celebrated.

“Its conclusions reflect a very important step on Wellington’s journey to becoming a truly international city,” The Dominion Post quoted Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast, as saying.

The study points out that a small Chinatown emerged in Wellington in the 19th century as Chinese moved north after the gold rush, whereas Indian settlement was more sporadic and gradual.

Thanks to diplomatic posts and international universities, Wellington is continuously attracting Asian population, which is predicted to double from 37,000 to 61,000 by 2012, it adds.

Asians living in Wellington consider the city to be “cosmopolitan”, “quiet”, and its people friendly.

“I never feel like a stranger in this city. Actually now it feels like my home,” said Sarjon Warde, originally from Iraq.

There are 121 Asian restaurants in Wellington, including 30 Indian, 29 Chinese and 15 Thai restaurants. (ANI)

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DNA analysis key for solving mystery of King Tut’s origins

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 26 (ANI): Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, has said that harvesting DNA from ancient mummies would be the key to solving the mystery surrounding Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen’s origins.

According to an article authored by Dr Hawass in the Asharq Alawsat Newspaper, he was in for a surprise when he entered the royal tomb of Tutankhamen with Professor Zakaria, and managed to get DNA samples.

Previously, there was hardly any hope in obtaining DNA samples from mummies, and Dr Hawass believed that he would prove to the world that mummies did not have any DNA suitable for analysis.

“For the first time, I saw that it is possible to harvest DNA from a mummy, and I believe that this will be the key to solving the mystery surrounding King Tutankhamen’s origins,” he wrote in the article.

Tutankhamen, the golden pharaoh, continues to bedazzle the entire world.

The discovery of King Tut’s tomb, which took place around 85 years ago, remains the most important archeological discovery of our time, not just in Egypt, but in the entire world.

This was the first time that a royal tomb of one of Egypt’s pharaohs was discovered untouched, and with the complete set of funeral furniture which was buried with the King.

In addition to this, there was also the treasures and jewelry which blinded anybody who set eyes on them.

“In an attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding King Tut’s family and discover the identity of his father, we find that there are some archeologists who strongly suggest that this is most probably King Akhenaton,” said Dr Hawass.

Akhenaton was the first Pharaoh to advocate monotheism, not just in ancient Egypt, but in the world. Others believe that Akhenaton’s father, King Amenhotep III is a more likely candidate for Tutankhamen’s father.

As for King Tut’s mother, “If we follow the speculation mentioned above with regards to Tutankhamen’s father, his mother is most likely either Queen Tiye, the consort of King Amenhotep III or the extremely famous, Queen Nefertiti, the consort of King Akhenaton,” said Dr Hawass.

These questions are enigmatic, and archeologists are having a hard time trying to answer them.

According to Dr Hawass, “We have embarked upon the quest to solve the mysteries surrounding King Tut thanks to the two DNA analysis laboratories that we have access to, as well as the availability of a CT-Scan machine, through which we are able to know every single detail about a mummy.” (ANI)

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Maldives can always count on India as a well-meaning friend, says Antony

August 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Male’ (Maldives), Aug 22 (ANI): Defence Minister A K Antony has said India and Maldives are a ‘shining model of how two countries of differing sizes can cooperate with each other as equals’.

Speaking at the concluding session of the India-Maldives Friendship Week here last night, he said: “India would like to share views on issues like climate change, economic development as well as problem areas such as drug trafficking, extremism and the threat of terrorism that is afflicting the region as well as the larger world.”

“We would be happy to work with Maldives in these areas to evolve collaborative and cooperative approaches,” he added.

Antony said: “Both countries have been extremely conscious of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and, at the same time, realize that their destinies are intertwined. Both countries have always emphasized the mutuality of interest and support each other in numerous ways- at the bilateral, regional and International level.”

“India is proud of this partnership and engagement and deeply value the friendship of the people of Maldives. In this quest, the people of Maldives can always count on India as a sincere and well-meaning friend,” he added.

Referring to the democratic transformation that has taken place in Maldives in recent years, he said India would be happy to assist Maldives in any way that is possible in strengthening democracy and democratic institutions that are being built in Maldives.

The event was attended by the top leadership of Maldives including President Maohammed Nasheed.

Meanwhile, Nasheed has agreed to a request from Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to be the chief guest at the Technology Development and Transfer Meeting on Climate Change to be held in New Delhi on October 22.

The request of the Prime Minister was conveyed by Antony to Nasheed in Male’ on Thursday. (ANI)

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Heidi Pratt goes nude for Playboy

August 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, August 13 (ANI): Heidi Pratt has dropped her layers to pose for a racy Playboy photoshoot.

The 22-year-old, best known for appearing on the MTV reality series “The Hills”, said she would bare it all after getting more plastic surgery, adding she wants “to go bigger on my boobs” for her husband Spencer Pratt, 26.

“I did pose nude,” Us magazine quoted her as telling Spencer, who interviewed her for Playboy.

She added: “The body is a beautiful creation. If anything, the reason I didn’t show everything is because I plan to get a few more upgrades. I’m definitely not done with my surgical quest.”

Spencer revealed he had hung up poster-sized photos of the nude shots on his bathroom wall.

He added: “Now when I’m peeing, I get to see a 10-foot naked photo of of my wife.” (ANI)

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CT scans deepen murder mystery of 1,700-year-old mummy

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 10 (ANI): The murder mystery of a 1,700-year-old Graeco-Roman mummy has deepened, with CT scans revealing that a ‘metallic’ object stuck in its neck is in fact one of three or four fragments lodged in the base of the skull.

According to a report by Sky News, the 1,700-year-old mummy was scanned along with two other Egyptian mummies from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, in a quest for more information on the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The scans were arranged by Bob Loynes, previously an orthopaedic consultant at Mid-Staffs Hospital, UK, and a keen Egyptologist.

In the past, it has been necessary to unwrap mummies to carry out investigations, but this risky process can now be avoided.

“The opportunity to help with the further investigation of these mummies was a very exciting one for me,” Loynes said.

“The CT Scans have shown amazing details, which have produced as many questions as they have given answers,” he added.

Scans of the second mummy, that of Padimut, priest of the goddess Mut and probably of the 21st Dynasty (1085-935 BC), showed evidence of high quality mummification, including removal of the brain and plates in front of the eyes.

Investigations into the third mummy threw up another mystery.

The mummy, from the Namenkhetamun of the 26th Dynasty (664-525BC), was described as ‘the daughter of Amunkhau’ on the coffin lid.

But, the scan has revealed the mummy is male.

Researchers also discovered another mystery – an unexplained hole in the mummy’s back, about the size of a fist.

According to curator Adam Jaffer, “This scanning has produced views of the museum’s mummies which have never been seen before. We have been able to ‘virtually unwrap’ them without causing any damage.”

“However, scanning poses new questions about the life and death of these ancient Egyptians which we will try to find the answers for,” he said. (ANI)

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Jacko feared “ending up” like dad Elvis, says Lisa Marie Presley

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, June 27 (ANI): Michael Jackson’s former wife and Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie has revealed that the legend feared dying like her iconic father.

She had been married to the legend for less than a couple of years before parting ways in 1996.

She wrote on her MySpace blog that Jackson had feared ending up like her dad in a “deep conversation” 14 years ago, The Sun reports.

She wrote: “He may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my father’s death. At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and stated with an almost calm certainty, ‘I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did’.

“I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.

“As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play the exact scenario I saw on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (a sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted.”

Presley’s daughter also suggested that Jackson was becoming unorthodox and though she wanted to help she could not.

She explained: “I became very ill and emotionally/spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behaviour and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetise around him. I was in over my head while trying.

“We all worried that this would be the outcome then.

“I wanted to save him from the inevitable which has just happened. His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this but didn’t know how and this was 14 years ago,” she added.

The Thriller singer, who was 50, died from an apparent heart attack while Elvis collapsed at 42 and officially the cause was the same. (ANI)

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Victoria signs Bravo for domestic T20 championship

June 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, June 24 (ANI): West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will be unveiled today as Victoria’s first international cricket signing, contracted for next summer’s domestic Twenty20 competition.

Bravo will join the Bushrangers in between international commitments, and will help Victoria in its quest to avenge last season’s loss to NSW in the Twenty20 final through his lusty hitting and clever medium pace.

Although he won’t be in Melbourne for the announcement, Bravo has been signed under Cricket Australia’s new provisional rules, which encourage states to lure more international players to take part in the domestic Twenty20 competition, The Age reports.

But he won’t be able to qualify for Victoria’s participation in the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League, which is scheduled to be played in India in October.

Bravo, 25, has played 31 Tests, 95 one-dayers and 15 Twenty20 internationals for the West Indies. (ANI)

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Man on mission to visit every Starbucks coffee shop on the planet

May 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 29 (ANI): An American is on a mission to visit every single Starbucks coffee shop in the world.

According to the Times, the 37-year-old software engineer has already been to more than 9,100 – and he is due to arrive in London to polish off the outstanding 400 or so in England, Scotland and Wales.inter, who changed his name from Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr, will then move on to Spain, Portugal and Germany for more ‘Starbucking’.

He decided 12 years ago that his project in life was to drink a cup of coffee in every Starbucks in the world.

However, his mission has been torpedoed by the recession-hit company’s decision to start closing premises.

He is now rushing to tick coffee shops off his list before they shut.

He calculates that he has more than 3,000 shops around the world still to visit.

As part of his mission, he has to drink a cup of coffee in every shop he visits, usually a regular brewed coffee, and takes a picture and puts it on his website, starbuckseverywhere.com.

Winter, who spends three months a year on his quest, said that he was in a race against time.

“There’s huge uncertainty for me, as Starbucks does not announce which stores are shutting. I am highly motivated to get to them. In this world it is difficult to do something unique – I just have found the whole process a great deal of fun,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

Winter estimates that he has spent about 100,000 dollars in the last 12 years.

A Starbucks spokesman said: “Winter demonstrates a great enthusiasm for the Starbucks experience. It’s flattering to learn about his passion for Starbucks coffee.” (ANI)

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In quest for supremacy, IAF inducts AWACS

May 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): The Indian Air Force’s eye in the sky, AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) platform fitted on IL-76 aircraft, was formally inducted by Defence Minister A K Antony today.

The IAF has raised a new squadron of AWACS, which will be called ‘Squadron 50′. Two more AWACS will be inducted in the squadron by the end of the next year.

The planes will especially be used to reinforce maritime security in the wake of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. India is one of the few countries to have inducted the AWACS in their air forces.

Antony described the induction of AWACS as a milestone, and added that it would help to improve the country’s security apparatus.

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali H Major said: “AWACS will enable the Air Force to project itself as a formidable force. Integration of this sophisticated platform with our Air Defence Network will add a new dimension to the IAF’s capability to guard the Indian skies.”

“AWACS will be a dynamic asset in the air, which can be mobilised in a quick time to counter an emerging threat and tilt the balance in India’s favour. It will provide defence in depth and enable the friendly forces to neutralise the adversary before it can pose a serious danger,” he added.

The first of three Indian Air Force AWACS arrived in Jamnagar, Gujarat on May 25. It took off from Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport on Sunday, first for Ovda in the southern Israeli coastal town of Eilat. At night, it flew from Eilat to Jamnagar, reaching India on Monday.

The Israeli-built system is mounted on a Russian-built IL-76 transport aircraft as a part of the tripartite agreement between India, Israel and Russia.

The AWACS are slated to operate from the Agra airbase under the Central Air Command. India’s most potent force multiplier, AWACS, is capable of tracking down incoming missiles. The all weather system is capable of engaging 60 targets simultaneously and has a range of 400 km.

It has a radar that can help detect cruise missiles or aircrafts at ranges much beyond the capabilities of present systems. It can also collate information about troop movements and missile launches on ground and even intercept highly secured communication networks of the enemy.

The IAF AWACS would help pilots find hitherto unconceivable space and room for tactical manoeuvres in the air under controlled directions that would give them an edge over their adversaries at all times.

AWACS, a potent force-multiplier, would significantly enhance the effectiveness of both offensive and defensive operations. The swift mobility that it provides would help neutralise any threat, as it could be moved anywhere at a very short notice. By Praful Kumar Singh (ANI)

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Thousands gather to hear, cheer Iran’s Michelle Obama

May 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Tehran (Iran), May 25 (ANI): There are some in Iran who are hoping that Zahra Rahnavard, the wife of presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi, will become Iran’s Michelle Obama.

Though dancing in public is not allowed in Iran, but thousands could hardly contain themselves at a recent presidential campaign rally in Tehran.

According to a CNN report, the deafening cheers were not for Mousavi, but for his wife.

The comparisons with Obama stem from the role Rahnavard is playing in her husband’s quest for the presidency.

Never in the history of Iranian presidential elections has a candidate put his wife in the forefront of his campaign.

Wherever Mousavi-a centrist candidate-goes, Rahnavard is usually nearby.

“We look at her and we say, ‘we want to be like her in the future, ‘ ” said Shakiba Shakerhosseie, one of 12,000 people who packed into Tehran’s indoor Azadi (Freedom) sports stadium to hear Rahnavard speak.

Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile.

The revolution also ended the ceremonial role of first lady that the last queen, Farah, enjoyed.

At this rally, Rahnavard-a writer and art professor-spoke for her husband, who was campaigning elsewhere.

Wearing a floral headscarf and a traditional black chador-a full-length loose robe that women in Iran wear like a cloak-Rahnavard called for freedoms she says were lost during President Mahmoud Ahmadijenad’s term.

“I hope freedom of speech, freedom of the pen and freedom of thought will not be forgotten,” she said.he crowd, which was clad in Mousavi’s trademark color green, cheered wildly. It waved placards with his picture and swayed from side to side, chanting and beating drums.

The women sat on one side; the men on the other.

The overwhelming majority were young voters, many of whom said they attended because of Mousavi’s wife, a mother of three.

Iran’s population-estimated at more than 66 million-has a median age of 27.

Mousavi, a former prime minister, is considered a threat to Ahmadinejad, a hard-liner, in the June 12 elections. He is credited for successfully navigating the Iranian economy during a bloody eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s.

Over the weekend, the Iranian government blocked access to the social networking site Facebook, where Mousavi has a page with more than 5,000 supporters, the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) said.

Those attempting to visit Facebook received a message in Farsi saying, “Access to this site is not possible.” (ANI)

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Prabhakaran is alive, claims LTTE

May 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Colombo, May 19 (ANI): Rejecting Sri Lankan Government’s claim that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s chief V. Prabhakaran has been killed by the army, LTTE’s International Relations head S. Pathmanathan on Tuesday said Tamil Tigers chief is still alive and healthy.

According to a website TamilNet, Pathmanathan said: “I wish to inform the global Tamil community distressed witnessing the final events of the war that our beloved leader is alive and safe. He will continue to lead the quest for dignity and freedom for the Tamil people.”

He asked the Tamil community to be vigilant and to exercise maximum restraint whilst grieving for the loss of civilian lives in the barbaric conduct of the final chapters of this battle.

Pathmanathan further said that the Tamil freedom struggle is a just cause and will not be quashed by the events of the last 24 hours. Truth and justice will always prevail.

Earlier on Monday, Sri Lanka formally announced the end of war against the LTTE after chief V. Prabhakaran was shot dead while trying to flee in an ambulance from the war zone in northern Sri Lanka.

The three-decade long fight by the LTTE for a separate homeland for Tamils came to end after the death of Tamil Tigers chief.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse told President Mahinda Rajpakse on Monday in a nationally televised ceremony that Sri Lanka’s war against Tamil Tiger rebels has “ended successfully.”

“We have successfully ended the war,” he told the President, who is his brother and commander-in-chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Sri Lankan military commanders also lined up and shook hands with him before starting closed-door talks.

According to the military, the Tamil Tigers tried to evacuate its leaders early this morning in two vehicles. Army special soldiers of 53 Division intercepted the vehicles moving north and destroyed the convoy after fierce fighting.

The military said it had found 150 bodies of LTTE cadres so far and they are in the process of identifying them.

The news of Prabhakaran’s death also came along with reports of bodies of his son Charles Anthony and three other top leaders-Pottu Amman, Soosai and Nadesan being found. (ANI)

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