Nooyi-led PepsiCo more admired than rival Coke: Fortune

NEW YORK, Mar 9: Beverages major PepsiCo, led by India-born Indra Nooyi, has been placed higher than its arch rival Coca-Cola on a list of 20 most-admired global companies prepared by US business magazine Fortune.

The list, published in the latest issue of Fortune, ranks PepsiCo at 13th position as against Coca-Cola at 19th spot.

The list has been led by Apple Computer, the maker of digital music player iPod and Mac personal computers. PepsiCo shares the 13th position with IT services major IBM.

PepsiCo is the only company run by a person of India origin to have figured on the list of most admired firm.

Apple is followed by diversified industrial conglomerate General Electric at the second position and Japanese auto major Toyota at the third place.

Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company of legendary investor Warren Buffett who was crowned the world's richest man last week by another business magazine Forbes, has been ranked at the fourth position on the list of 20 most admired global companies.

Others ranked higher than PepsiCo include consumer goods major Procter & Gamble (5th place), courier and logistics firm FedEx (6th), consumer goods maker Johnson & Johnson (7th), retail giant Target (8th), luxury car major BMW (9th), software giant Microsoft (10th), retail firm Costco Wholesale (11th) and another logistics firm UPS at the 12th place.

PepsiCo has, however, outscored companies like networking solutions major Cisco Systems (15th rank), aircraft maker Boeing (16th), world's largest retailer Wal-Mart Stores (17th), Japanese auto maker Honda Motor (18th) and industrial and farm equipments maker Caterpillar (20th). (PTI)

Saturn's moon may even have rings

WASHINGTON, Mar 9: Like Saturn its moon Rhea too have rings around it, claims new findings by NASA.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has evidence of material orbiting Rhea, Saturn's second largest moon. This is the first time rings may have been found around a moon.

''Until now, only planets were known to have rings, but now Rhea seems to have some family ties to its ringed parent Saturn,'' Cassini scientist Geraint Jones said, who is also the lead author of the paper, Science Daily reported.

Rhea is roughly 1,500 kilometers in diameter. The apparent debris disk measures several thousand miles from end to end. The particles that make up the disk and any embedded rings probably range from the size of small pebbles to boulders.

An additional dust cloud may extend up to 5,900 kilometers from the moon's center, almost eight times the radius of Rhea.

''Like finding planets around other stars, and moons around asteroids, these findings are opening a new field of rings around moons,'' Norbert Krupp, a scientist with Cassini's Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research said.

Since the discovery, Cassini scientists have carried out numerical simulations to determine if Rhea can maintain rings. The models show that Rhea's gravity field, in combination with its orbit around Saturn, could allow rings that form to remain in place for a very long time.

''Seeing almost the same signatures on either side of Rhea was the clincher,'' added Jones.

''After ruling out many other possibilities, we said these are most likely rings. No one was expecting rings around a moon,'' he added.

One possible explanation for these rings is that they are remnants from an asteroid or comet collision in Rhea's distant past. Such a collision may have pitched large quantities of gas and solid particles around Rhea.

Once the gas dissipated, all that remained were the ring particles. Other moons of Saturn, such as Mimas, show evidence of a catastrophic collision that almost tore the moon apart.

''The diversity in our solar system never fails to amaze us,'' co-author and Cassini scientist Candy Hansen said on the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

''Many years ago we thought Saturn was the only planet with rings. Now we may have a moon of Saturn that is a miniature version of its even more elaborately decorated parent,'' he added. (UNI)

Astronomers capture rare video of falling meteor

WASHINGTON, Mar 9: Astronomers have captured rare video of a meteor falling to Earth with the aid of all-sky cameras which scan the sky monitoring for them.

The astronomers from The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario are credited for this feat, Science Daily reported.

''These cameras captured video of a large fireball and the department has also received a number of calls and emails from people who actually saw the light,'' Associate Professor Peter Brown who specialises in the study of meteors and meteorites said.

Brown along with Wayne Edwards, a post doctorate student, hope to enlist the help of local residents in recovering one or more possible meteorites that may have crashed in the Parry Sound area of Ontario, Canada.

''Most meteoroids burn up by the time they hit an altitude of 60 or 70 kilometres from Earth,'' Edwards said.

''We tracked this one to an altitude of about 24 kilometres so we are pretty sure there are at least one, and possibly many meteorites, that made it to the ground,'' he added.

''We would love to find a recovered meteorite on this one, because we have the video and we have the data and by putting that together with the meteorite, there is a lot to be learned,'' he said. (UNI)

Strained mother-child relationship may lead your girl to suicide

WASHINGTON, Mar 9: Next time, think twice before nagging your 15-year-old as it may drive her towards commiting suicide.

A recent study has revealed that a strained mother-daughter relationship along with a low level of serotonin may make adolescent girls more vulnerable to engage in self-harming behaviours.

Serotonin is the brain chemical that plays a crucial role in mood stability.

New University of Washington research published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology indicated that these two factors accounted for 64 per cent of the difference among adolescents who engaged in self-harming behaviours and those who did not.

''Girls who engage in self harm are at high risk for attempting suicide,'' co-author Theodore Beauchaine said.

Experts said the relationship between the level of mother-daughter conflict and self-harming behavior was not strong. There was a stronger relationship between serotonin levels and self-harming behavior. When both factors were considered together, the relationship to self-harming behaviors became very strong.

According to the study, doing home chores was the most common area of conflict and resulted in serious arguments.

''Once self-harming behavior starts it is difficult to stop. Over time, with something such as cutting, children's bodies react to it in a way that helps reduce biological and psychological pain. They essentially become addicted to this behavior,'' Mr Beauchaine said.

(UNI)

Bones may be Australian outlaw Ned Kelly's: Govt

MELBOURNE, Mar 9: Bones found at the former Pentridge Prison site here may include those of the country's legendary outlaw Ned Kelly, the Australian government has said.

Archaeologists, who have been digging at the former prison site, unearthed a mass grave of unmarked coffins containing the remains of 32 executed prisoners buried after being removed from the old Melbourne Gaol when it closed in 1929, Planning Minister Justin Madden said.

Kelly became a folk hero of the nation's colonial past with his gang's daring bank robberies and escapes. Debate has raged for decades over whether he was a hero, a lovable rogue who fought the colonial British establishment, or simply a horse-thieving killer surrounded by a gang of thugs.

He was hanged for his crimes in 1880 and buried in a mass grave at a prison in the southern part of the city in Victoria state.

The remains have been being taken to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine for analysis and identification.

''It may not be possible to conclusively match remains to individual prisoners, we hope the analysis will provide a better understanding of the history of the burials,'' the Age quoted Mr Madden as saying.

Identifying the remains of Kelly may prove difficult as his bones were mingled with those of other prisoners, Senior Archaeologist Jeremy Smith said.

Archaeologists would be looking for a headless body and signs of an injury to a wrist. Kelly's head was known to have been removed from his body after his death and he had a wrist injury from one of his shootouts.

It was also possible that his skull and other body parts were stolen immediately following his execution.

The Planning minister said record keeping of prisoner burials at the time was very poor, but an undated Department of Justice plan helped lead archaeologists to the burial area.

Kelly was hanged at Melbourne Gaol on November 11, 1880. His notorious crimes included murder.

Films have portrayed Kelly as a hero, from one of the world's first feature-length films, the 1906 silent movie 'The Story of the Kelly Gang', to the 1970s version starring Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and the late Hollywood star Heath Ledger's 2003 film.

Australian author Peter Carey's novel True History of the Kelly Gang was awarded the 2001 Booker Prize. (UNI)

Second international airport being planned

BEIJING, Mar 9: After unveiling the worlds largest airport terminal recently, authorities have said they plan to start the construction of a second international airport for the Chinese capital in 2010.

The General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC) had said in January that it had submitted a report to the Central Government on selecting a site for the second international airport to meet the booming air traffic.

"The final results of the site selection will be announced the year after next, and the construction will begin that year", Yang Guoqing, Deputy Head of CAAC, said.

He said with the Beijing Capital International Airport in the north of the city, it was difficult to find an ideal place for the new airport, adding, the western part was not appropriate due to complicated terrain. The eastern part was not suitable either as another airport was in operation in Tianjin, a coastal city close to Beijing.

Taking into account the terrain and airflow factors, the southern part is a relatively favourable choice, he said, according to official Xinhua news agency. "But we have to consider it keeping coordinated development among different regions. Therefore, the final site will not be necessarily be located in an area under Beijing's jurisdiction,"

China had opened the swanky new dragon shaped USD 3.8 billion terminal on February 29, in preparation for a deluge of millions of passengers for the Olympics in August and for meeting its increasing air traffic demand.

British architect Norman Foster who designed the airport had said the new terminal was like Heathrow (London airport) terminals 1,2,3,4 and 5 being brought together under one roof and an extra 17 per cent of floor space added to it.

The new terminal which can handle 76 million passengers a year or 208,000 passengers a day, has 175 escalators, 173 lifts, 437 travelators, 64 restaurants, 300 check-in counters and a modern baggage handling system on 50 kms of conveyor belts. (PTI)

Doctors to face trial for death of skating champ

NEW DELHI, Mar 9: Four years after International skating gold medalist Komal Khatri died following a surgery, a Delhi court has ordered framing of charges against two doctors and director of a private hospital for causing his death due to "gross criminal negligence".

"According to post mortem report, cause of death is asphyxia consequent to choking of the wind-pipe by blood and blood clots aspirated as a result of bleeding from the raw area.... The observations of medical board also leaves no iota of doubt regarding gross criminal negligence," Additional Sessions Judge A K Mendiratta said.

Khatri (12), skating gold medalist at the International Championship 2004 held at Waterleest, Belgium, died on September 30, 2004 after an operation of 'adenoid hyperplasia' -- an over-enlargement of the lymph glands located above the back of the mouth -- at Balaji hospital at North-West Delhi.

"The case in hand exposes the flaws and dangers one may be exposed in an ordinary surgical procedure despite advancement, which places us too distant from an ideal medical system. Treatment can be purchased but not the chances of success," the court observed.

It ordered framing of charges under Section 304 A (causing death by negligent act) of the IPC against surgeon Dr Anil Handa, expert anesthetist Dr Vivek Mangla and Dr Ravinder Gupta, director of Balaji hospital, Pitampura for vicarious liability.

A medical board formed by the Delhi Government in its report on October 14, 2004, concluded that there was contradictory findings on the treatment papers by the doctor while no CT scan or angiography was performed on the patient. (PTI)

Camera that can see through people's clothes from 80 ft:Report

LONDON, Mar 9: An Oxfordshire-based company has claimed to have developed a camera that can see through people's clothing at a distance of up to 80 feet and help detect weapons, drugs and explosives.

The new technology, developed by ThruVision, spun out from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, one of the British government's leading physics research centres, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

Although the camera can see objects under clothes, its designers say the images do not show anatomical details, the report said.

Clive Beattlie, ThruVision's chief executive said: "Acts of terrorism have shaken the world in recent years and security precautions have been tightened globally. The T5000 (the camera) dramatically extends the range over which we can scan people."

The new technology will be displayed at the Home Office scientific development branch's annual exhibition, Britain's premier showcase for security equipment, to be held on a Royal air Force (RAF) airbase in Buckinghamshire this week.

The camera, known as the T5000 system, could be deployed in railway stations, shopping centres and other public spaces to abort terrorist attacks and it has attracted interest from police forces, train companies and airport operations as well as government agencies.

It was designed for use in spacecraft and astronomy but researchers soon realised that cameras capable of seeing through clouds of cosmic dust could also see through clothing. (PTI)

Hungry Kya? Scientists find how hunger works in brain

NEW YORK, Mar 9: The next time you suddenly barge into a bakery after seeing tempting chocolate pastries in the display window, and start indulging on these sweet delicacies, don't blame a lack of self-control.

A team of scientists at Northwestern University, led by an Indian-origin researcher Aprajita Mohanty, has carried out a study and found how hunger works in the brain and the way neurons pull your strings to lunge for the pastries.

"There's a very complex system in the brain that helps to direct our attention to items in our environment that are relevant to our needs, for example, food when we are hungry but not when we are full," Mohanty explained.

Added co-researcher Marsel Mesulam: "If we didn't have this part of the brain, every time you passed by a bakery you would have no control over your eating. If your nerve cells fired every time you smelled something edible, then you'd eat all the time, not just when you're hungry."

In their study, the researchers tested a group of participants in the United States twice -- once after gorging on up to eight donuts until they couldn't eat anymore, and on another day after fasting for eight hours.

In both sessions, the subjects were shown pictures of donuts and screwdrivers, while the team examined their brains in fMRI's. (PTI)

Pak plagued by dynastic politics: Imranl

SLAMABAD, Mar 9: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has said he "completely" agrees with his former wife Jemima Khan's contention that Pakistan has been plagued by dynastic politics.

"I agree with her completely that democracy was meant to finish dynastic rule, in other words, monarchy. In the subcontinent, we have been plagued by this, that just because someone has a blood relationship, it entitles them to inherit power," he said.

"It is quite against the norms of democracy (which) basically means that the best leader should come up," Khan told interviewer Karan Thapar on "Devil's Advocate" programme.

Jemima, who often writes on Pakistan for British newspapers, had been critical of the Pakistan People's Party's decision to make teenaged Bilawal Bhutto Zardari its chief after his mother Benazir Bhutto's assassination last year.

"Here, if you're related you already have a head start...Widows take over or in this case, a widower or the children of leaders," Khan said.

Yet Khan, who heads the Tehrik-i-Insaf Party, sees hope. "I think we are moving towards an evolution of democracy. As we get more mature, I think this will disappear."

Asked if he accepted Jemima's view on Bhutto being a "Kleptocrat in a Hermes scarf" and that she was an incompetent prime minister who brazenly looted the treasury, Khan said, "That's Jemima's article, she writes regular columns. I think you should interview her for that." (PTI)

Smoking does not make you happy: Study

WASHINGTON, Mar 9: A recent research has shown that smoking does not make you happy and is associated with poor quality of life.

England researchers looked at the relationship between smoking and psychological well-being. They found smokers experienced lower average levels of pleasure and life satisfaction compared with non-smokers. The difference was even more pronounced in smokers from lower socio-economic groups, they added.

The study, carried out by Dr Iain Lang at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England, involved 9176 individuals aged 50 or over.

It categorised people as never-smokers, ex-smokers and current smokers, and used household wealth as an indicator for socio-economic position.

''We found no evidence to support the claim that smoking is associated with pleasure, either in people from lower socio-economic groups or in the general population,'' Dr Lang said

''People may feel like they're getting pleasure when they smoke a cigarette but in fact smokers are likely to be less happy overall, the pleasure they feel from having a smoke comes only because they're addicted,'' Sciencedaily quoted him as saying.

''These results show smoking doesn't make you happy. In fact, it is associated with poor overall quality of life. Anyone thinking of giving up smoking should understand that quitting will be better for them in terms of their well-being as well as their physical health in the long run,'' he added.

(UNI)

Women suffer from discrimination in almost every country: UN

NEW YORK, Mar 9: Noting that almost every country in the world still has laws that discriminate against women, the United Nations' top human rights official has said that promises to remedy this have not been kept.

"Many States appear to have simply ignored the commitments they have made," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said on the occasion of the International Women's Day yesterday.

"It is shameful that, in the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, fundamental rights are still not enjoyed by many women around the world."

In some cases, she said, they suffer from multiple forms of discrimination, such as race, age or disabilities as well as their gender. Unless states take their commitments seriously, investing in women and girls will remain a matter of rhetoric, she warned.

This failure to create genuine legal parity between men and women is having "a detrimental effect on women in many countries -- sometimes to a devastating degree," according to a new report commissioned by the High Commissioner's Office (OHCHR).

One of the examples of this involves the recognition of sexual abuse as a crime under a country's laws and enforcing related legislation. "Rape is recognised as a crime in most legal systems," said Arbour. "But, even when it is, inadequate legislation or local traditions often mean laws are not properly enforced."

"In addition, at least 53 States still do not outlaw rape within marriage, and men frequently enjoy total impunity for physical as well as sexual violence against their wives," she noted. (PTI)