Coming soon: Harry Potter theme park

London, Sep 16 (ANI): Harry Potter fans can soon experience the thrills of the adventures of the hugely popular boy wizard, for a new theme park based on the hit franchise is set to open next year.

The theme park, called ‘The Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter’, is set to open in spring 2010 at Universal Studios, the Orlando resort has announced.he park is being developed in coordination with J.K. Rowling, the author of the immensely successful books, which have been adapted into films.

Recreating the fabled Hogwarts school that Potter and his friends attend, as well as the nearby village of Hogsmeade, the theme park promises a “completely immersive environment” for visitors.

“All of the action and adventures of Harry Potter’s world will come to life here at Universal Orlando Resort,” the Telegraph quoted Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts, as saying.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be unlike any other experience on earth,” he added.

In fact, visitors at a replica of the Three Broomsticks, one of Hogsmeade’s popular pubs, will be treated to traditional British fare and have the chance to sip on Butterbeer – Potter’s tipple of choice.

The park will also feature theme rides, including the ‘Flight of the Hippogriff’, which will simulate a training flight on the magical, quick-to-offend creature.

Those who lobed the fast-paced wizard sport Quidditch, will also have a chance to participate in a simulated Triwizard Tournament, as well as examine Quidditch equipment and even the elusive Golden Snitch at several Hogsmeade shops.

“Harry Potter continues to spark the imaginations of fans of all ages and we really have seen the anticipation continue to build for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” said Brad Globe, president of Warner Bros. Consumer Products. (ANI)

The Caribbean hotel that offers $300 off to couples conceiving during stay!

London, September 15 (ANI): Here’s good news for those planning ‘good news’. A luxury resort on a Dutch Caribbean island has come up with an unusual scheme-a discount of 300 dollars for couples if they conceive a child during their stay.

The Westin Resort in Aruba introduced the offer, open to guests staying at the hotel before December 18 of this year, in a bid to lure future mothers and fathers.

Couples can bag a 300-dollar ‘Conception Credit’ if they are able to prove the baby was conceived on the resort’s premises during the time of their stay, reports the Telegraph.

A spokesperson for Westin said that a doctor’s note confirming that the probable conception date coincided with the lovers’ stay would be received as evidence.

And if successful, couples can also enjoy at least one nights’ complimentary accommodation at the 200-dollar a night resort. (ANI)

US Fritzl told wife “to take the cute blond girl” during “child shopping” trip

London, Sept 13 (ANI): Phillip Garrido, the “American Fritzl”, selected Jaycee Lee Dugard as his prey during a “child shopping” trip because she looked cute, his wife has told police in California.

Describing the precision that went into the abduction of the then 11-year-old Jaycee, Nancy told cops that they decided not to snatch the pretty blond girl with the gap-toothed grin that day in June 1991 because she was walking through South Lake Tahoe along with few school friends.

Instead, they apparently trailed her to her home before returning the next morning to complete their mission.

Garrido allegedly jumped out of their car and grabbed her as she walked to nearby a bus-stop, while her husband remained behind the wheel.

“That’s the one I want,” Garrido told her when he saw Jaycee in the resort town.

“She’s cute, but she’s with the other kids. Let’s come back later and get her,” she added.

After being briefed on Mrs Garrido’s testimony by law enforcement contacts, Michael Cardoza, a Californian attorney and former prosecutor, relayed his coldly calculating words to the Telegraph.

“This was nothing less than a child shopping trip. It just makes their actions all the more horrendous and reprehensible,” he said. (ANI)

UN strongly warns Lanka over continued holding of civilians in refugee camps

London, Sep 12 (ANI): The United Nations has strongly warned Sri Lanka that the world body cannot continue funding indefinitely the huge refugee camps in the north of the country, and asked the authorities to allow the hundreds of Tamil civilians to leave.

The senior UN official in the country hardened their stand when they said the camps should be a last resort for civilians with nowhere else to go.

Sri Lanka faces increasing international criticism over its treatment of the estimated 300,000 civilians held in camps, with the EU poised to cancel a trade concession worth one billion dollars to the government, The Independent reports.

Humanitarian aid groups have complained that conditions in the vast Menik Farms camp, where most people remain behind razor wire are still inadequate four months after the decades-long civil war ended.

“Nothing has changed over the past three months for the people in the camps. They are overcrowded, with poor sanitary conditions and inadequate health care. There are concerns about what may happen when the monsoon rains arrive in the next couple of months,” the UK-based Catholic Fund for Overseas Development said on Friday.

The UN’s senior official in Sri Lanka, Neil Buhne, told the BBC: “The best solution is, obviously, that as many people leave as soon as possible; and, for the people who have no place else to go, that the site can become an open one.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also said that he intends to speak directly to Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to protest against the decision to expel the spokesman for Unicef, accused by the government of acting as “propagandist” for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

He will also raise the issue of two UN workers in the Tamil-dominated north arrested in June. (ANI)

Original Walt Disney drawings found in an attic office in Blackpool

London, Sep 9 (ANI): Original Walt Disney drawings have been recovered from an attic office in Blackpool, which could be worth up to 12,000 pounds each.

The 15 mint condition black and white and colour drawings were in the middle of hundreds of files gathered in over a century of Blackpool Illuminations.

Altogether the files have been valued at 500,000 pounds for insurance purposes, but it is thought the original Disney drawings alone could fetch up to 180,000 pounds altogether should they be auctioned off.

The material is being catalogued, and will be archived for future public viewing for the first time.

The Disney drawings had been sent from Hollywood to Blackpool by Walt Disney himself.

His studio was first approached in 1953 by Blackpool Council’s Illuminations staff, when they wanted to include characters, including Mickey Mouse, in their tableaux.

One of the drawings featuring Mickey shows how they wanted to animate him for the Golden Mile, but Disney demanded the characters be totally accurate to the original cinema blockbusters, and so sent off artists’ work to the English resort.

“The attic room is actually part of one of Blackpool’s original farmhouses built long before the town became a seaside resort,” the Telegraph quoted Colette Halstead, Illuminations’ creative development coordinator, as saying.

“The Illuminations department has just grown round it over the decades and old files and equipment like the ex Army field telephones used to co-ordinate the seven mile switch on were stored there.

“We are slowly moving to new premises and we were asked to catalogue the room’s contents when we came across the Disney material,” she added. (ANI)

Anand Jon’s sister seeks Govt. intervention, threatens hunger strike

New Delhi, Sep.1 (ANI): Sanjana Jon, sister of celebrity fashion designer Anand Jon has appealed to the Government to intervene in the case of her brother, failing which she would observe hunger strike.

On Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court sentenced Anand Jon to 59 years in prison for sexually assaulting aspiring models as young as 14 years in age.

Sanajana said that she would observe a hunger strike, if her pleas for help at the inter-governmental level were not paid heed to.

“My appeal is for intervention and I have said if I don’t get any help, my only resort, last resort would be to sit on a hunger strike till my voice is heard,” said Sanjana Jon.

In Bangalore, Anand Jon’s fashion designer friend and stage artiste, Prasad Bidappa expressed sorrow at the American court’s judgement.

“Anand Jon case, I find particularly sad because I feel he was truly a very good talent; somebody who, I think, was taking India’s torch forward in terms of fashion. I feel very sad that it had to come to an end like this,” said Prasad Bidappa.

Last November, thirty five-year-old Jon was found guilty of 16 counts, including rape, sexual battery and performing lewd acts on a child.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Wesley sentenced Jon to 59 years to life after denying his motions for a new trial.

Prosecutors said the crimes started in 2001 when Jon set up a fashion design business through which he lured would-be models to Los Angeles.

Later, the police got involved in March 2007 after a woman said she was sexually assaulted at his Beverly Hills apartment.on, whose full name is Anand Jon Alexander, denied the charges. His lawyers said the girls and young women were revenge seekers who had made up their stories or who had ‘invited what happened’, and that in the case, there had been least physical evidence.

The Indian-born designer was profiled on the TV show ‘America’s Next Top Model’ in 2003 and selected by Newsweek magazine as one of the world’s most successful South Asians in 2004. (ANI)

Jordan ruins her kids’ holiday with Peter Andre

London, Aug 31 (ANI): Former model Katie Price, a.k.a. Jordan, is said to have ruined her kids’ holiday with her estranged hubby Peter Andre, after she leaked the location on her Twitter page.

Andre, 36, was due to fly out to a secret resort on the Italian island of Sardinia with Harvey, 7, Junior, 4, and two-year-old Princess Tiaamii on September 1, but had to cancel after Jordan, 31, revealed the location.

“Heard Pete doing shoot with the kids in sardina (sic) an going Tues dont know why he is doing a shoot he has set up every other one in papers sad!” the Daily Star quoted her as having written on her Twitter page.

But pals of Andre have insisted that he had no intention of using his children in photo opportunities.

“Pete is very, very upset about this,” said a close friend.

“He and the children were really looking forward to spending some time together on holiday.

“He’d planned this trip in secret to avoid attention but now she’s managed to act like a real selfish bitch and ruined everything.

“Pete had chosen the resort because it was private and he could take the kids around to different activities without being hassled.

“Far from wanting to be photographed the whole purpose of the visit was to avoid photographers.

“Kate may have used the kids for publicity but Pete hasn’t,” the friend added. (ANI)

Police resort to cane charge to quell unruly youth seeking jobs in Chhattisgarh

Durg (Chhattisgarh), Aug 31 (ANI): Police in Durg district resorted to baton charge to quell an unruly protest by a bunch of youth seeking jobs at a local cement company.

Violence started when hundreds of local youth, under the aegis of the Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch (self-respect group), tried to storm the hotel where the company was holding interviews for various posts.

Police caned and chased away the unruly mob.

“Their way of protesting was against law. We asked them to protest in a lawful manner but they tried to barge into the hotel and when security personnel tried to prevent them they started bullying. In order to control them we used mild force and arrested some protestors,” said M. L. Kotwani, Additional Superintendent of Police.

Protestors accused police and local authorities of colluding with the representatives of the cement company.

“The manager of the JP Group is following a discriminatry against us and local authorities and police are cane charging instead of helping us. This is an injustice and we seek clarification from the state government,” said Mahesh, a protestor.

Lack of job opportunities for locals has in recent years triggered protests and even violence against outsiders in several parts of India. (ANI)

Muthoot’s family alleges conspiracy behind murder

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 29 (ANI): A week after Kerala business tycoon Paul Muthoot was found murdered, his family has refuted Kerala Police’s road rage claim saying that there’s something more creepy behind his death.

Jnanamma Thomas, Muthoot’s grandmother refuted Kerala police’s road rage angle, alleging a cover-up of a brutal murder of her grandson .

“They did not tell us there was an accident angle to it in the beginning. But only they told there was an accident,” she said.

George P Easo, a family member said, “Politicians are changing their statements every other day. We don’t know whom to believe.”

Earlier, Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has dismissed opposition Congress charge that his son had links in connection with the recent murder of Muthoot group scion Paul M George.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Balakrishnan said, “My son (Beenish Kodiyeri) has no relation with the case whatsoever. The allegation that Beenish had connections with wanted gangsters was to create a ‘mystery’ over the case.”

Rejecting the charge that the Home Department was trying to interfere in the investigation process, he said a deliberate attempt was being made by vested interests to hamper the probe.

The government had nothing to hide in the case and was open to “any sort of investigation”, he added.

Balakrishnan also announced that a special investigation team had been constituted under the leadership of Inspector General of Police Vinson M. Paul to probe the murder of the Paul Muthoot George.

He said that the team was constituted as the inter-district ramifications of the case and deeper links would have to be probed in detail. The investigation would cover links of Muthoot George with goonda elements.

According to the police theory, a gang of nearly 22 men was behind the murder of Paul.

Paul was killed last Friday night on the Alappuzha-Changanassery road. A friend who was with him was injured and is in hospital; both were stabbed.

Paul, who was based in Delhi, had recently returned to Kerala to take charge of the leisure and hospitality arm. He was returning from an under-construction resort at Mararikulam when he was stabbed to death.

On Sunday, police arrested 12 persons, including notorious criminals, identified as Om Prakash and Rajesh. (ANI)

Bariatric surgery can eliminate diabetes symptoms

London, Aug 28 (ANI): Weight-loss surgery can help eliminate the symptoms of type 2 diabetes in nearly 80 percent patients, an international study has found.

The research team led by Professor Henry Buchwald of the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, observed almost 135,000 patients for the study.

The findings concluded that 78 per cent patients had a “complete resolution” of diabetes for up to two years post-surgery, while 87 either saw resolution or noted an improvement in their condition, reports Timesonline.

Type 2 diabetes is common to obese people and occurs when the body stops producing or using insulin, the hormone that maintains the sugar level in blood.

Losing weight can help the body to efficiently use available insulin, and thus prevent kidney failure, nerve damage and eye problems.

The weight-loss surgery, medically known as the bariatric surgery, or the gastric-band operation, fits a band around the upper part of the stomach, restricting the amount people can eat before feeling full. Though the operation can benefit diabetes patients, it is advised only for the very obese, who’ve failed to lose weight otherwise.

But charity Diabetes UK is a little sceptical about the findings of the research.

Zoë Harrison, care adviser for the charity, said: “Although the data shows good results from bariatric surgery, it must be remembered that any surgery carries serious risks.

“Bariatric surgery should be considered only as a last resort. It can lead to dramatic weight loss, which in turn may result in a reduction in people taking their type 2 diabetes medication, and even in some people needing no medication at all. This does not mean type 2 diabetes has been cured.

“These people will still need to eat a healthy, balanced diet and be physically active to manage their diabetes.” (ANI)

Bariatric surgery can eliminate diabetes symptoms

London, Aug 28 (ANI): Weight-loss surgery can help eliminate the symptoms of type 2 diabetes in nearly 80 percent patients, an international study has found.

The research team led by Professor Henry Buchwald of the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, observed almost 135,000 patients for the study.

The findings concluded that 78 per cent patients had a “complete resolution” of diabetes for up to two years post-surgery, while 87 either saw resolution or noted an improvement in their condition, reports Timesonline.

Type 2 diabetes is common to obese people and occurs when the body stops producing or using insulin, the hormone that maintains the sugar level in blood.

Losing weight can help the body to efficiently use available insulin, and thus prevent kidney failure, nerve damage and eye problems.

The weight-loss surgery, medically known as the bariatric surgery, or the gastric-band operation, fits a band around the upper part of the stomach, restricting the amount people can eat before feeling full. Though the operation can benefit diabetes patients, it is advised only for the very obese, who’ve failed to lose weight otherwise.

But charity Diabetes UK is a little sceptical about the findings of the research.

Zoë Harrison, care adviser for the charity, said: “Although the data shows good results from bariatric surgery, it must be remembered that any surgery carries serious risks.

“Bariatric surgery should be considered only as a last resort. It can lead to dramatic weight loss, which in turn may result in a reduction in people taking their type 2 diabetes medication, and even in some people needing no medication at all. This does not mean type 2 diabetes has been cured.

“These people will still need to eat a healthy, balanced diet and be physically active to manage their diabetes.” (ANI)

Kerala businessman’s murder mystery solved, claims police

New Delhi, Aug. 24 (ANI): The murder case of Kerala businessman Paul Muthoot George has been solved, Kerala Police claimed on Monday.

According to the police theory, a gang of nearly 22 men was behind the murder of Paul, 30, who was heading the Muthoot M George Group’s hospitality business.

The hired man who stabbed Paul has not been arrested so far, police said

Paul was killed last Friday night on the Alappuzha-Changanassery road. A friend who was with him was injured and is in hospital; both were stabbed.

On Sunday, police arrested 12 persons, including notorious criminals, identified as Om Prakash and Rajesh.

A team led by the IGP, Ernakulam Range, Vinson Paul, is interrogating the suspects.

The Muthoot Group is a major player in the financial services business in Kerala and has been slowly expanding its reach to other parts of the country. Paul is the chairman’s second son.

Earlier, media reports had suggested business rivalry could be a reason. Involvement of persons related to the narcotics trade was also not being ruled out.

The dead man and his friend were found by the roadside on Friday night. The vehicle they were travelling in was missing. The vehicle, a Ford Endeavour, was found abandoned this morning at Kollam, 40 km away.

Paul, who was based in Delhi, had recently returned to Kerala to take charge of the leisure and hospitality arm.

He was returning from an under-construction resort at Mararikulam when he was stabbed to death.

Paul was Chairman M G George Muthoot’s second son, while his two brothers, George Muthoot George and Alexander George Muthoot, are also associated with the group as executive director and as a director, respectively.

In addition, four of Paul’s cousins are part of the fourth generation of Muthoot directors, who had been inducted into the group. (ANI)

12 arrested for violence in Kolkata football match

Kolkata, Aug 24 (ANI): Kolkata police on Monday arrested 12 people in connection with Sunday’s violence during a football match.

The violence erupted after an irate mob set a premier resort on the outskirts of the city on fire on Sunday evening.

According to sources the team that lost the match picked up a fight with the referee. Soon, some trouble mongers stormed the ground, threw bombs and even opened fire, killing one boy.

Police said problem started after the loosing team suddenly attacked the winners with bombs and guns.

“One person was killed and over 15 were injured in the clash. The injured were hospitalised. At least 30 cottages have been burnt and 10 fire tenders are trying to control the blaze,” Deputy Inspector General of Presidency Range, S N Gupta said.

The hooligans then fled to the Vedic Village – a luxury tourist resort next door. Locals chased them and set some buildings on fire.(ANI)

Clash after a soccer match in Kolkata, one dead

24 North Parganas (WB), Aug 24 (ANI): Clash after a soccer match killed one and injured 15 others at Rajarhat, 40 kilometres away from Kolkata.

Reportedly the defeated team attacked the winners with guns.

The mob also set ablaze a neighbouring premier resort.

“There was a local football match going on outside our property and there was some altercation between two teams. It appears that some people ran into our property and they were followed by a mob.The mob kept looking for them, they could not find them. So, there was some enragement and they put this place on fire.

The damage is limited only to the main building,” said Robertson, Director of the Vedic Village, Resort and Spa. (ANI)

Meet Ashton Kutcher, the graffiti artist

London, Aug 20 (ANI): Actor Ashton Kutcher showed off his artistic skills when he spray painted the roof of a Sin City hotel in Las Vegas.

Kutcher was in Vegas with his wife, Demi Moore, to celebrate his stepdaughter, Rumer Willis’ 21st birthday over the weekend.

After taking permission from the hotel officials, the ‘My Boss’s Daughter’ star teamed up with German artist Nomad to “tag” the roof of the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

The pair painted a large white outline of a slot machine with the words “Lucky Me”, reports the Daily Star.

Kutcher boasted of his achievement in a post on his Twitter.com, telling fans, “Just tagged the roof of Planet Hollywood.” (ANI)

Elton John heads off to St. Tropez for holiday

London, Aug 19 (ANI): Brit singer-songwriter Elton John has followed in the footsteps of other stars, and headed off to St. Tropez for a holiday.

John, 62, has been busy with his shows in Las Vegas, and it is only now that he has been able to join his partner David Furnish, who has been at the posh French resort since last month, reports the Mirror.

The singer, who is taking a break before he kicks off a Canadian tour next month, was seen heading for the beach as soon as he got there.

Other celebrities who recently visited the summer celeb retreat were Jack Nicholson, Lily Allen, and Kate Moss. (ANI)

India, Pak foreign secretaries burn midnight oil to find common ground

Sharm-el-Sheikh (Egypt), July 15 (ANI): Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan – Shiv Shankar Menon and Salman Basheer – burnt the midnight oil on Tuesday to try to work out some kind of framework to lay the ground for the resumption of talks between the two countries.

Mandated by their respective Prime Ministers’ – Dr. Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani-to work out the modalities before the two heads of government meet on Thursday (July 16). Menon and Basheer interacted with each other without the assistance of aides late into the night.

The 90-minute meeting took place soon after the Indian delegation landed here from Paris after attending the French National Day celebrations there.

According to senior officials, the discussions between the two were good and detailed, and both agreed to meet again on Wednesday on the sidelines of the XVth Non-Aligned Summit that opens in this Red Sea resort today.

There were suggestions of some movement being made by both sides on the issue of terrorism and the possibility of a joint media appearance by the Prime Ministers’ of the two countries after they hear from their respective foreign secretaries.

Menon and Basheer are believed to have discussed the progress made by Islamabad in its probe into the 26/11 strikes and the steps taken to dismantle the terrorism infrastructure on its soil.

Menon and Basheer’s discussions are also believed to have covered Pakistan’s flip-flop over the arrest and release of Sayeed and the withdrawal of petitions challenging his release from the Supreme Court.

Ahead of the meeting between the two foreign secretaries and the two Prime Ministers’, Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has demanded a “visible response” and undertaking from Pakistan on bringing the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks to justice.

Prime Minister Gilani, who also arrived here on Tuesday, has said that he will approach his meeting with Dr. Singh with an “open heart and a positive mind.”

But he refused to comment on the Punjab provincial government’s decision to withdraw the petitions that challenged last month’s release from house arrest of Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammed Sayeed.

Tuesday night’s talks come four days after Pakistan handed over a fresh dossier on its probe into the Mumbai terror attacks to India.

The dossier, handed over to the Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad on Saturday, identifies 13 new suspects and gives an update on Pakistan’s investigations into the November 26 attacks, sources said.

After Prime Minister Singh’s disclosure on Saturday that ISI chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha had met some Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad, speculation are rife about the powerful spy agency’s influence on the talks process.

At present, the Indian side is unwilling to hazard a guess on whether the ISI will be a part of the talks.

There is, however, a hope on the Indian side about some kind of commitment being made by Pakistan to bring the Mumbai terror accused quickly to justice and to stop the use of Pakistani soil for terror acts against India.

The Pakistani side is of the view that the composite dialogue process should not be held hostage to one case. (ANI)

Bruce Willis slammed over private airport plans in Idaho

London, July 13 (ANI): Bruce Willis has incurred the wrath of local critics over his plans to build his own airport near his ski lodge, the Soldier Mountain resort, in Idaho.

The ‘Die Hard’ star reportedly wants to have the private airport close to the small town of Hailey, where he moved almost 20 years ago.

But local residents have criticised the actor for eyeing entry into the aviation business, leaving managers to worry about Hailey’s own airport, Fried-man Memorial.oth airports want 8,000ft runways, long enough for big passenger jets, but they may be too close together, said an aviation expert.

“The authorities will have to rule which is the safest. Friedman has a solid record but it is boxed into canyons. Willis carries a big stick and offers fresh employment opportunities,” the Daily Express quoted the expert as having told Britain’s The Sunday Times. (ANI)

‘Bullet fingerprinting’ technique improves recovery rate of prints

Washington, July 13 (ANI): A team of scientists has developed ‘Bullet fingerprinting’ technology, which is a simple but effective method to visualize fingerprints even after the print itself has been removed.

The technology has been developed by Dr John Bond, from Northamptonshire Police Scientific Support Unit and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Leicester’s Forensic Research Centre, in collaboration with University scientists.

Continuing work exploring this forensic technique in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Leicester is uncovering new ways of recovering fingerprints from metal surfaces.

Researcher Alex Goddard has uncovered a natural technique that he believes is so simple, which can explain why it has been overlooked until now.

The technique involves studying the chemical and physical interactions occurring between the metal and the fingerprint sweat deposit.

Using advanced surface imaging techniques, such as an Atomic Force Microscope, nanoscale observations of fingerprinted brass samples can identify optimum conditions to promote the natural enhancement of the fingerprint, vastly improving their recovery rate.

It has also proven that components of the sweat deposit survive washing and wiping of the surface.

According to Goddard, “Once a finger has touched the metal surface, a residue remains behind. This starts to react with the metal and an image of the fingerprint can be developed by use of elevated temperature and humidity, with the resultant image becoming a permanent feature on the surface of the metal.”

“Currently, fingerprint recovery from bullets is very low; less than 1 percent. This uses a natural process and even if it only leads to small increase in success rate, then that would be significant,” he said.

“Previous recovery methods include applying powder to the material which can actually damage the evidence,” said Goddard.

“This new technique promotes a naturally occurring process which does not involve adding anything to, or damaging, the evidence. Instead, it employs heat and humidity to promote the enhancement of the fingerprint image.

There are also indications that it could be used after other techniques have failed, perhaps as a last resort,” he added. (ANI)

England soccer ace struck with swine flu in Cyprus

London, July 11 (ANI): England soccer ace Micah Richards is stranded on a holiday island after being struck down with swine flu.

The Manchester City defender was banned from flying back to the UK after falling ill with the bug during a break in Cyprus.

He is virtually trapped in his hotel room for fear of spreading the virus. On Friday, Richards was spotted blowing his nose on his balcony.

He fell ill last weekend while staying with 10 pals at a posh resort near party centre Ayia Napa, The Sun reports.

Richards was told to separate himself from friends after testing positive for the flu and moved into a five-star beach hotel nearby.

The star was due to jet back on Wednesday, but has been told he is not allowed to go until he gets a clean bill of health.

He is taking Tamiflu medication and now hopes to be well enough to fly tomorrow.

“At first I thought it was a really bad chest infection, or maybe alcohol poisoning. I felt so weak that I couldn’t move or eat. My friends had to bring me drinks in bed,” Richards said.

“When I was told I had swine flu all sorts of things started going through my mind. You see on the news people dying of it,” he added.

Richards, 21, flew out to Cyprus after representing England in the UEFA Under-21 Championships in Sweden. (ANI)