Spread of viruses, scientists make new discovery

Scientists have discovered gained fresh knowledge about how viruses such as flu and HIV jump between species, a finding that is expected to help predict the appearance of new diseases.

The research carried out by Edinburgh and Cambridge universities seek to understand how viruses such as bird flu infect distant species like humans.

The scientists found that the viruses were better able to infect species closely related to their typical target species than species that were distantly related.

However, the research also suggested that when diseases make a big leap they may then spread easily in species closely related to the new victim, regardless of how closely related these are to the original target species, the BBC reported.

Dr Ben Longdon, of Edinburgh Universitys school of biological sciences who led the study, said, “Emerging diseases such as Sars, HIV and some types of flu have all got into humans from other species.

By infecting more than 50 species of flies with three different viruses, the researchers showed that species closely related to a virus usual target species were more susceptible than distantly related flies.

They also showed that groups of flies that were closely related were similarly susceptible to the same viruses.

The study, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society, was published in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

Prince William, Kate Middleton survive first official event

TrendPK.com: Prince William and Kate Middleton stepped out last night for their first official event, the ARK 10th Anniversary gala, and seemed to get through it just fine.

While the two weren’t sitting next to each other, the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge did reportedly steal glances and smiles throughout the evening, states UsMagazine.com.

Prince William later spoke at the event where he discussed a “new joint initiative between ARK and The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry” that is intended to help young people in need.

Prince William, Kate Middleton may take time with babies

TrendPK.com: It is being rumored that, despite the constant pressure, Prince William and Kate Middleton may wait a little bit before they have any children.

The two reportedly like to think things through and not rush into anything serious such as having children, states PopEater. Also, considering the busy schedules of the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they may not have time to even think about getting pregnant.

Some think that these two will take so much time in moving forward with a family that Prince Harry will have a child first.

Pink Floyd guitarist’s son arrested

LONDON: The son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour was arrested Sunday on suspicion of attempted criminal damage after he was pictured swinging from Britain”s national war memorial during a student riot.

In a public apology Friday, Charlie Gilmour, 21, identified himself as the man pictured in several national newspapers swinging from the British flag on the Cenotaph in central London.

Thousands of student demonstrators went on the rampage through London on Thursday as the government narrowly won a parliamentary vote on raising university tuition fees as much as threefold.

“A 21-year-old man was arrested at his home address in Sussex (southeast England)… on suspicion of violent disorder, and attempted criminal damage of the Union flag, on the Cenotaph,” Scotland Yard said in a statement Sunday.

“He was taken to a Sussex police station where he has been further arrested on suspicion of theft. He remains in custody.”

Charlie Gilmour, who is the Pink Floyd star”s adopted son, said in his statement Friday that he was sorry for the “terrible insult” to the country”s war dead.

A former model who now studies history at Britain”s prestigious Cambridge
University, Gilmour said he did not realise it was the Cenotaph at the time.

“I would like to express my deepest apologies for the terrible insult to the thousands of people who died bravely for our country that my actions represented,” he wrote.

“I feel nothing but shame… I got caught up in the spirit of the moment.

“I did not realise that it was the Cenotaph and if I had, I certainly would not have done what I did.”

David Gilmour married author and journalist Polly Samson in 1994, and her son Charlie became the Pink Floyd star”s stepson.

Police meanwhile released images of 13 men and one woman they want to identify over the violent disturbances during the riot.

Some demonstrators attacked a car carrying Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and his wife Camilla. Some 35 people have been arrested.

Light exercise, jogging helpful in improving memory

Light exercise and jogging can help improve the memory according to a latest research of medical experts. The research also reveals that jogging twice a week is helpful in ameliorating memory as well as controlling the problem of forgetting things. Light jogging stimulates such cell in the brain as are re;ated with retaining things and events. The research has been done on mice in the Cambridge University that showed that mice that used to run were mentally more active.

John Harvard makes his place in Shoe-Club

A person with sentiments against the Iraq War threw two shoes onto the ex-prime minister of Australia John Harvard in a live TV show; however the ex-pm remained safe.
The shoes were thrown on John Harvard when he was attending a live TV show in Australia. The incident created chaos in the hall and the administration expelled the person who threw the shoes from the hall. John Harvard smiled and continued with the show after the shoes missed him.
Before the said incident, a shoe was also thrown on John Harvard when he was delivering a lecture at the Cambridge University England. The series of such events started when an Iraqi journalist threw a shoe on the then US President George W. Bush (Jr.).

Khawaja Nazimuddin’s 46th death anniversary today

Staff Report

KARACHI: Today marks the 46th death anniversary of Hajji Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin. He was the second Governor-General of Pakistan and later the second Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was knighted by King-Emperor George V when he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE). Sir Khawaja died in 1964 at age 70.

Nazimuddin was born in Dacca, Bengal (now Dhaka, Bangladesh) into a family of the Nawabs of Dhaka. He received his education from Dunstable Grammar School in England followed by Aligarh Muslim University, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge until the mid 1930s. He was knighted in 1934.

After returning to British India, he became involved in politics in his native Bengal. Nazimuddin was initially the Education Minister, but climbed the ranks to become the Chief Minister of the province prior to independence. Sir Khawaja also

President confers civil awards on Independence Day

President Asif Ali Zardari on the occasion of Independence Day has conferred 209 Civil Awards on Pakistani citizens and Foreign Nationals for excellence in various fields of activities. Among these citizens are also included senior anchor person of Dunya News Najam Sethi who will be given the highest civilian award Hilal-e-Imtiaz along with director current affairs Dunya News Naseem Zehra who will be awarded with Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
The investiture ceremony for the awards will take place on the coming Pakistan Day (March 23, 2011). They have been conferred with these awards for contributing their efforts in journalism. Najam Sethi has already received three international awards for his efforts in journalism; where as he has also been imprisoned thrice while fighting against the rights of media and democracy. Najam Sethi is presently the editor in chief for Dunya News and Friday Times. These days he is also the anchor person for Dunya News program Tonight with Najam Sethi; where as Naseem Zehra has also been associated with Harvard University Asia centre and Cambridge University. She has also represented Pakistan in many various international visits. These days Naseem Zehra is working as director current affairs Dunya News and also anchoring a show known as Policy Matters.

Churchill”s archive to go online

LONDON: Winston Churchill”s school reports, a drinking bet he once made, and even information on his budgie will be available to all when the wartime Prime Minister”s archive goes online.

The digitised archive will offer an insight into Churchill”s personal and professional life, from his school days up to his final years as a statesman during the Cold War.

Bloomsbury will publish 2,500 archival boxes of Churchill”s letters, telegrams, manuscripts and photographs in 2012, after striking a deal with the Churchill Archive Trust (CAC).

“As an archival collection, there”s nothing like this,” said publisher of Bloomsbury Academic Frances Pinter.

For a modest, up-front fee, users will be able to search through over 1 million items including a personal copy of the “finest hour” speech, and the less well-known “Savrola,” a novel Churchill wrote when he was 23 years old.

The price is yet to be decided, but Bloomsbury say they will keep it low to maximise the archive”s reach.

Since 1995, when the archive was bought from Churchill”s heirs using 12 million pounds of lottery money, it has been housed in Cambridge, where it can only be viewed by appointment.

Oil hovers below $78 in Asia

SINGAPORE: Oil prices hovered below $78 a barrel Wednesday in Asia after a report showed U.

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Oil hovers below $78 in Asia

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