Indians hit by rice rationing, panic buying in Britain

LONDON, Apr 27: Amidst global shortage of rice, several Asian shopkeepers across Britain have started rationing the foodgrain to prevent hoarding and panic buying, while Indian restaurants have begun passing on the hike in its prices to customers.

Shopkeepers in towns with large Asian populations whose staple diet is rice say that they are struggling to procure supplies to meet demand and calm panic buying.

There are also cases of people hoarding rice bags to sell them at a premium later as prices rise.

Growing demand within major rice producing nations such as India has led to restrictions on exports.

According to the London-based Rice Association, the strengthening Indian rupee has increased sterling import costs by more than 10 per cent between August 2006 and January 2008.

Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer which also owns Britain's supermarket chain ASDA, has introduced rationing in the United States by limiting each customer to a maximum of four bags of long-grain rice.

The most affected in Britain are owners of Indian restaurants that make bulk purchases of rice. One restaurant owner in Bradford tried to purchase 50 bags of 10 kg each this week from a wholesaler but was allowed to buy only two bags.

There are similar reports from Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Southall and other places across Britain.

Rice is available in several places, but fear of impending shortage is driving people to indulge in panic purchases.

Tilda, the biggest importer of basmati rice in Britain, said that its wholesale buyers, who sell to Indian and Chinese restaurants and others, were restricting customers to two bags per person. (PTI)

Putin appears with wife at Easter service

MOSCOW, Apr 27: Days after strongly rejecting reports about his divorce and plans to marry a young former gymnast, outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare public appearance with his wife Lyudmila at the Easter service in a local cathedral.

Russian Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter in accordance with the Julian calendar, 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.

Putin, who generally attends Christmas and Easter services without his wife, made an exception last night by bringing Lyudmila along for the mass in the wake of a recent tabloid report about his divorce.

"There is not a single word of truth in what you mentioned," he told reporters recently, responding to a question about 'Moskovsky Korrespondent' tabloid's report claiming that he planned to wed Olympic rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabayeva on June 15 and had divorced his wife in February. (PTI)

Dinosaurs died as they failed to generate heat?

NEW YORK, Apr 27: If you think dinosaurs are hot today, just think back to about 110 million years ago, for a new study has claimed that lack of a heat-generating tissue may have contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs.

A team of researchers at New York Medical College came to the conclusion after discovering why birds, unlike mammals, lack a tissue that is specialised to generate heat, the 'ScienceDaily' reported.

All mammals have two kinds of adipose tissue, white fat and brown fat. White fat is used for storing energy rich fuels, while brown fat generates heat.

For example, hibernating bears have a lot of brown fat, as do human infants, who have much more than adults, relative to their body size. Infants' brown fat protects them from hypothermia.

Clinicians would like to find ways of making adult white fat behave more like brown fat so that we could burn, rather than store, energy. While most mammals have a key gene called UCP1, which is responsible for the heat-generation function of brown fat, birds do not.

The researchers found they could induce a specific type of stem cell in chicken embryos to produce differentiated cells that are structured and behave like brown fat. These chicken cells can even activate a UCP1 gene if presented with one from a mouse. (PTI)

Hugo Chavez ready to 're-engage' in talks to free hostages

CARACAS, Apr 27: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is "ready to help re-engage in negotiations" for the release of three American hostages held captive by rebels in Colombia, a visiting US governor said.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he plans to put forward a proposal for the release of the three US defence contractors in the coming weeks and that Chavez is willing to work with him as a "primary mediator."

The Democratic Governor met with Chavez at the presidential palace yesterday night to discuss the issue. Chavez did not release any statements following the meeting.

Earlier yesterday, the president remarked that he did not know "if I'm going to be able to continue helping."

"I'm going to listen to him, to see how we could," Chavez said.

Richardson, who has experience in helping to get US captives freed in other nations, told the AP he had a "very productive" meeting with Chavez, but he did not divulge any specifics on how they plan to move forward.

Prior to the meeting, the governor told reporters that he would discuss ways to advance a proposed swap of hostages for imprisoned guerrillas. He stressed that he was visiting Venezuela not as an official envoy but at the request of the hostages' families.

Richardson, who speaks Spanish, expressed satisfaction that both the Venezuelan president and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, with whom he met last month, have agreed to cooperate.

"I achieved the two things I came to do," he said. "First, Chavez has agreed to work with me as a primary mediator. But he won't be the only one, obviously. And second, he said he was ready to help re-engage in negotiations." (AGENCIES)

TV spoof on Zardari's graduation degree

ISLAMABAD, Apr 27: There can be no end to spoofs on Pakistani television on PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and the latest one is a spin on the famous "Pappu pass ho gaya!" Cadbury's commercial.

The spoof done by Geo TV has party workers celebrating the striking down by the Supreme Court of the rule introduced by President Pervez Musharraf which made it mandatory for persons contesting elections to be graduates.

There are some doubts about Zardari being a graduate and the PPP leader once famously said he couldn't quite remember what degree he has. But with the striking down of the graduation clause he could well be Pakistan's next prime minister.

The original Cadbury's commercial featured superstar Amitabh Bachchan as a man who runs a kiosk selling chocolates. There is a sudden surge in the sale of chocolates one day, with everyone celebrating Pappu's success in his examinations.

Bachchan too joins in the chorus of "Pappu pass ho gaya" till Pappu shows up a rotund, balding character who is ready to hit his fifties, elated at his success.

The rib-tickling spoof on Zardari -- once described as the "Shakti Kapoor of Pakistani politics" in another TV spoof -- has an aging Pappu who cannot contain his glee at passing the exam.

In the early 1970s, Zardari is believed to have attended the London School of Business Studies and received a bachelor of education degree. However, his official biography says he attended a commercial college called Pedinton School and a search for the school threw up no results. (PTI)

World’s smallest Quran on sapphire stone

DUBAI, Apr 27: The world’s smallest Quran, the Holy book of Muslims, has been inscribed on sapphire stones and set in pendants and wedding rings for marriage ceremonies.

A total of 10,000 lines of text inscribed in white gold or platinum have been inscribed on only 20 sapphire nanochips, measuring just 58 mm by 98 mm. A piece with the setting costs Dh 15,000 and is developed by Mir Enterprises.

"In keeping with the respect for the Quran, this will never be mass produced; only a few will be made for those who want to keep the words close to them, especially for important events," leading newspaper ‘Gulf News’ quoted the company’s Managing Director, Dr Mir Mokhtari, as saying.

The stone is known as Micro Engineering of Quran as Art (MEQA) and has taken two years to create. The surface is protected by a quartz layer to ensure the holy text is not at all touched.

The jewellery was showcased at the IIR Dubai Bride Show from April 23 to 26. Luckily, customers were given a free travel microscope with purchases. (PTI)

Caretakers get advice on caring for polygamist sect children

SAN ANGELO, US, Apr 27: Children removed from a polygamist ranch in west Texas are settling into new surroundings around the state, and caretakers are getting cultural pointers on how to deal with them -- such as no television, no movies, no radio and nothing red.

"The colour 'RED' is not acceptable for clothing," said a memo that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services sent to caretakers at shelters and group homes for the 462 children seized this month from the Yearning for Zion ranch after a tip about possible abuse.

The ranch was established by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and sect members believe red is reserved for Jesus Christ, according to officials in Utah.

So workers at the children's shelter in San Antonio spent part of the week taking anything red off the walls and floors.

Another memo from state officials to caretakers describes the children's dietary and clothing needs.

Some officials said they were sensitive to potential culture shock among the children, who led a sheltered life on the ranch near Eldorado.

"Help them with self-esteem, guilty feelings, shame, confusion about mainstream culture, and learning basic decision making skills," said another memo to caretakers.

As the children began settling into foster homes yesterday, sect leader Willie Jessop sent a letter asking Gov Rick Perry to "block the separation of our 437 children from their mothers," the Houston Chronicle reported. (AGENCIES)

Australia Govt says Sydney could run out of cemetery space

SYDNEY, Apr 27: Australia's most populous city, Sydney, is running out of cemetery space as rising land values and urban sprawl squeeze out potential new areas, a government report said today.

In about 40 years there could be nowhere left to bury the dead within the Sydney area unless cemetery management is changed, the report warned.

"The currently available grave sites may be used by 2050, if not before," the report by the state Lands Department said.

Sydney is a city of 4 million people between the Pacific Ocean and the western barrier of the Blue Mountains.

The report was released today to promote public debate about options to better utilize available cemetery space, such as adopting a tenure scheme similar to those used elsewhere in Australia and across Europe.

Under such schemes, plots are offered for 25 to 50 years and, if the tenure is not renewed by a family member, the grave site can be reused.

Mary Thorne, president of Cemeteries and Crematoria Association of New South Wales state, agreed grave space was running out close to Sydney.

"We've got a big state and a lot of country cemeteries where there is lots of room ... But it is a problem in Sydney," Thorne said. (AGENCIES)

2 Cubans die, 2 missing, 8 rescued from raft

NEW ORLEANS, Apr 27: A dozen Cubans tried to cross the Gulf of Mexico in a raft but ran into trouble about 485 kilometers south of New Orleans, authorities said.

Two died, two were missing yesterday, and six were hospitalized, including a mother and her 16-year-old daughter, the Coast Guard said.

The remaining two were on the Coast Guard cutter that rescued them, Coast Guard Lt Anastacia Visneski said. She said a Mexican naval vessel and a Coast Guard airplane searched all Friday and yesterday for the missing people.

The crew of the 245-meter tanker Eos reported Friday that the raft was in trouble and some people were in the water, Petty Officer Stephen B Lehmann said.

He said six of the rafters were taken to a hospital near New Orleans because they were dehydrated and exhausted. All were in stable condition yesterday, he said.

Visneski said she did not know what sort of trouble the raft was in. (AGENCIES)

US teenager accused of killing father, stepmother and siblings

EASLEY, US, Apr 27: An 18-year-old man gunned down his father, stepmother and two siblings at the home they shared in suburban South Carolina, authorities said.

Nathaniel Dickson, 18, was arrested yesterday evening at a home in Belton about 30 kilometers from where the bodies of his family members were found, Anderson County Sheriff's spokeswoman Susann Griffin said. He was charged with four counts of murder.

Less than 12 hours earlier, an emergency call led paramedics to find the father dead in the yard. Inside the home they found the other three victims, all shot to death.

The youngest victim, Dickson's 14-year-old brother, was apparently trying to hide behind a clothes dryer when he was slain, authorities said.

Investigators have not determined a motive for the killings, Griffin said.

Griffin said Dickson does not have a lawyer. She would not say if he is cooperating with investigators.

The coroner's office identified the victims as Dickson's father, stepmother, 19-year-old stepsister and 14-year-old brother.

Located in northwestern South Carolina, Easley is a city of about 19,000 people some 25 kilometers west of Greenville. (AGENCIES)

'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Ugly Betty' win GLAAD Awards

LOS ANGELES, Apr 27: Two television series were in repeats -- as winners -- at the annual awards honouring good work in media presentations of gays and lesbians.

"Brothers & Sisters" and "Ugly Betty" received awards for outstanding drama and comedy series during the 19th annual Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Awards at the Kodak Theatre last night.

Both ABC network shows, which feature openly gay or transsexual regular characters, received the same awards last year from GLAAD.

On "Brothers & Sister," Matthew Rhys plays Kevin, a lawyer sibling whose dating life is frequently depicted on the drama.

"Ugly Betty" features Marc St James, the flamboyantly gay assistant played by Michal Urie, as well as Alexis Meade, the transsexual editor played by Rebecca Romijn.

Other winners included "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-list" for outstanding reality program, Janet Jackson for the Vanguard Award and Rufus Wainwright for the Stephen F Kolzak Award, in honour of the late casting director who fought homophobia in the entertainment industry.

According to GLAAD, the awards honour individuals and projects in media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans gender community and the issues that affect their lives. The awards are split into four ceremonies, held in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and San Francisco in March, April and May. (AGENCIES)

Low-frequency hearing 'linked to cochlea shape'

NEW YORK, Apr 27: Shape matters even in hearing, for a new study has found that low-frequency hearing is linked to the curvature of the cochlea in the ear.

Researchers in the US have established the link between the cochlea's curvature and the low-frequency hearing limit by analysing a dozen different mammals, the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' journal reported.

Cochlea is the snail-shell-shaped organ in the inner ear which converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers.

"A macroscopic feature of the ear has such a major effect on our hearing. It turns out that it is the curvature of the cochlea, not its size, that is highly correlated to the low-frequency hearing limit," the study's lead author Daphne Manoussaki of Vanderbilt University said.

In their study, the researchers analysed the shape of the cochlea and found that low-frequency hearing limits of species ranging from mice to cats to cows to whales varied in step with the ratio of the radii of curvatures at their cochlea's base to that of its apex.

In fact, the larger the curvature of the cochlea, it is the lower the frequencies that the animal can hear.

"This makes sense because the bigger the ratio, the tighter the spiral is wound and more of the sound wave energy in the low-frequency waves is forced against the cochlea's walls," Manoussaki said.

Added co-researcher Darlene R. Ketten of the Harvard Medical School: "The idea that the cochlea's curvature has a significant effect on hearing has been quite controversial for many years.

"Curvature was often dismissed or, when examined, the theories were not entirely satisfactory. Now we have a theory that we have confirmed with a number of concrete examples using real ear shapes and hearing abilities." (PTI)