Richard Bransion, British billionaire unveils model of Space Ship Two.
January 31, 2008
On 24 Th January. British billionaire Richard Branson and aerospace designer unveiled a model of Space Ship-Two, the vehicle which will be availed for passenger travel. “Breathtakingly beautiful,” was Branson’s assessment of the ship, which is under construction stage. It is reported that tentatively the test flights begin as early as this year.
Branson, a visionary entrepreneur, before attaining billionaire status, has risen from scrap. He has overcome many a financial crisis in development of Virgin. Branson has been solely responsible for Virgin’s growth and expansion, so for this new venture he will leave no stone unturned. Keeping his style in mind one can expect that the space ship will not only be breathtaking but will be elegant and equipped adequately enough to give passengers a true space joy ride.
Branson and Burt Rutan also showed off a model of the jet that will be utilized for launching of the Space Ship Two into space. In the space , the passengers will be able to unbuckle themselves and experience weightlessness and enjoy an unparallel view before gliding back to Earth. The weightless state will last for about 4 1/2 minutes of zero-gravity before the passengers return to their seats.
Britain takes a major step ahead in treatment of HIV
January 29, 2008
A new class of drug for HIV patients is being introduced in the UK. Researchers mention it as a major step ahead in treatment of the deadly infection. Raltegravir is available as tablets to be had twice a day, and is approved for usage along with other antiretroviral drugs for treating HIV specifically in about one in ten HIV infected people whose therapy has ceased working. Owing to their potential of prolonging life even by decades, HIV drugs are thought to be cost-effective. Raltegravir is most likely to be made available on the NHS for all HIV infected people.
Doctors feel that it could well become standard treatment, thus potentially stopping HIV from becoming full-blown Aids. Trials in this regard have shown encouraging results in terms of a reduction in viral load. Some patients showed a major improvement even to the point where the virus levels were ‘undetectable’.
An estimated 73,000 people in the country are infected with HIV that culminates in Aids. Early diagnosis coupled with appropriate treatment of HIV infection can result in a relatively healthier and normal lifespan for the infected people. However, HIV continually can become immune to treatment, making an updated search for new drugs mandatory. Raltegravir is among the first in a new class of advanced HIV treatments termed integrase inhibitors that is expected to cut down the risks of cancer and heart attack associated with prevailing medication.
Brown reshuffle results in Shrity promotion
January 28, 2008
Work and Pensions secretary of state for Wales quit from his ministerial post as the Metropolitan police launched a probe into his deputy leadership campaign finances. Long-serving Lords Chief Whip Lord Grocott and parliamentary undersecretary of state in department of innovation, universities and skills Lord Triesman also put in their papers.
In the ensuing reshuffle by British Prime Minister, Baroness Shrity Vadera was appointed and promoted as the new under secretary in department for business, enterprise and regulatory reform. She will be in charge of competitiveness, deregulation and the British Business Council. Prior to the new appointment, she had been a low-profile special advisor to Mr. Brown before becoming undersecretary of state in the department for international development last year.
Andy Burnham, 38 year old, got culture, media and spot secretary. James Purnel aged 37 years, who held the post Culture and Media secretary was promoted as work and pensions secretary. Indictment of Ms Yvette Cooper, 38, as chief secretary to the treasure and her husband Ed Balls who is the school secretary, the husband-wife duo were the first married couple to ever to serve together in Britain.
The vacant post of Wales secretary was taken over by former Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy, who will also chair a new cross departmental committee on the sensitive issue of IT and information security, as series of losses of personal data by government agencies.
The present immigration minister in home office Liam Byrne will perform additional responsibility as the new junior minister in treasury.
British memory champion beaten by a Chimpanzee
January 28, 2008
A British memory champion was beaten by a Chimpanzee in a memory contest. Seven-year-old chimp Ayumu, raised in captivity, thrashed Ben Pridmore at a highly demanding computer game based on a memory test that involved recounting the position of numbers as they flashed on a screen.
Ben Pridmore is famous for memorising the order of a pack of cards in mere 30 seconds, but got beaten by a chimp in a game in which numbers appear and then get hidden by white squares. Players afterwards touch the squares in certain numerical order. Digits were displayed for just about one fifth of a second. Chimp Ayumu was correct most of the times – a mind-boggling 90 per cent whereas Ben scored a rather poor 33 per cent.
The contest was held for Extraordinary Animals, a Channel Five programme. The British memory champion remarked: “I would (prefer) rather not been seen on television doing worse than a chimp in a memory test. I shall never be able to live it down.” Both Chimpanzee and he watched a comp screen on which five digits were shown at various positions for a moment. They then were required to touch the respective squares in order of the digits they concealed – from lowest to highest. Mr Pridmore ruefully admitted that he actually had met his match.
A step forward to rein in childhood obesity
January 25, 2008
In a move to fight childhood obesity, British Government announced it’s new policy to introduce compulsory cooking classes in British secondary schools. The move will help secondary school children between age group 11 to 14 to learn new skill and fight obesity at same time.
It is very important to implant, in the child’s mind the importance of proper diet. There can be no surer way of achieving this objective other than Cookery classes. At present according to School’s Secretary Ed Balls Britain’s 85 % Secondary schools have cookery classes. By, 2010, about 800 cookery teachers will be trained for the purpose of achieving the target of cookery classes for all the secondary schools.
Apart from fighting child obesity, the children will benefit in developing culinary skills. At that tender age child’s desire to learn the art can be easily groomed. With proper training, creating anti obesity feeling in the child will be a boon to them.
Who knows today’s child eager to learn culinary will be future’s renowned famed Chef with strong anti obesity focus.
Are Britain’s 120 plus higher education establishments immune to terrorism?
January 24, 2008
The British Government feels as Al –Qaeda inspired militants pose a serous threat at some British universities students should be told about the lurking dangers. Considering that the “Threat from terrorism in the UK is real. There is evidence of serious extremist activity in higher education institutions. Although it is not widespread, Higher education institution and student leaders have an important role in educating their students about how violent groups operate and recruit and who they target,” it said in a public guidance that they should set up support networks for students guidance so that concerned students can communicate by way of confidential helpline or conversing with a tutor or advisor.
Rammell said, as universities were arenas for free speech and debate constraints of using it for illegal incitement must be observed. ”There is a line at which you move from analysis and understanding towards outright advocacy of violent extremism, and it’s that that we’re concerned about.”
Even though students have featured in high profile British terrorism trials, the government’s earlier efforts to tackle campus militants have provoked controversy.
Sally Hunt, UCA leader even though welcoming government’s efforts emphasis on community cohesion, said staff can not be expected to policing their wards and other disturbing factor is that the guidelines specifically targeted Muslims”
The National Union of Students believes that student lectures relationship may be damaged due to the aspects of the proposal. Maybe the measure is like the provable bitter medicine necessary to prevent the spread of the disease.
Brown unclear of Britain’s Nuclear Stockpile
January 23, 2008
Gordon Brown on his visit to India, spoke for a nuclear weapon free world and called on the US and Russia (Nuclear Giants) to reduce their stockpile. However Brown refrained from enlightining whether Britain would be willing to take the initiative and lead the way to eliminate its own nuclear arsenal. Addressing leaders of Indian and British industry, Brown expressed the seriousness to the peace posed by nuclear weapons.
According to Brown, “ The world is facing serious challenges from Iran and North Korea, and it is absolutely necessary to send a powerful signal to all members of the international community that the race for more power and huge stockpiles of nuclear destruction is over.”
Brown assured that “Britain, is equipped with and and ready to use its expertise to help determine the requirements for the verifiable elimination of nuclear warheads.’ He also pledged is support for the campaign to accelerate disarmament amongst possessor states there by to achieve a world, which is free from nuclear weapons.”
Hence for the end to Nuclear threats, the time is ripe for US and Russia to further reduce their stockpiles of nuclear warheads.
Gordon Brown deliberations in Delhi
January 22, 2008
After the sojourn with China , Gordon Brown , British Prime Minister who took over the reins from Tony Blair ex Prime Minister of UK, on his maiden visit to India. Brown believes that the transformation involving today’s independent world where 200 states with global flows of commerce, people and ideas , the economies in the bipolar world are not fit as they were built for 50 sheltered economies. It is felt that Brown is in favor of taking a re-look at the role of, world financial institutions, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and UN in the changed global dynamics. He strongly feels that there is need for a G-8, UN and even IMF, which are apt for the present situation.
To make the UN Security Council more effective, credible and representative by including India as it’s member. At present India, Japan, Brazil , Germany and none of the African country are included in the said UNSC. As a first move he is expected to convey his support to India’s bid for the UNSC seat to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their bilateral talks.
On Sunday, Brown expressed that he was in India to “ celebrate the partnership of equals”, which will grow stronger by the passing of times, and even India and Britain as “ two confident 21 st century economies ‘ as the world’s oldest democracy and the largest democracy are working for common objectives.
Millions of UK households face soaring energy bills
January 22, 2008
Millions of hapless UK households will witness their energy bills zoom by almost £150 a year after the country’s biggest energy supplier chose to bring about a major price hike.
British Gas made an announcement that its 13 million customers would face 15 per cent rise in their electricity as well as gas bills with immediate effect. The energy supplier attributed the hike to shooting wholesale energy prices.
Consumer groups admonished British Gas for piling on the already hassled customers’ agony with this steep rise in midwinter. They asked the Government to summon the Competition Commission for investigating the sector.
The hikes, many times above inflation, will mean increase in average annual bills for around 4.2 million ‘dual fuel’ customers of the company of £143 to £1,055 (nearly £968 for the customers paying by Direct Debit). Average gas-only bills were expected to rise £85 to £568 whereas electricity-only bills were slated to increase rise £54 to £413.
Around 2.4 million customers being serviced on fixed term deals will face no rise at all. On other hand, 340,000 of the most vulnerable consumers will have the hike deferred till March.
Union leaders termed the hikes ‘excessive’ and demanded a ‘windfall tax’ on profits of energy firms.
Growing concern over younger students resorting to plagiarism in their coursework
January 21, 2008
Over 100 colleges and schools have decided to employ the computer software that universities widely use for combating plagiarism. The step has been taken owing to growing concern over sixth-form pupils resorting to plagiarism in their coursework.
Almost all UK universities make use of Turnitin, considered the world’s prominent software for plagiarism-detection. It’s provided by Plagiarism Advisory Service. PAS at Northumbria University is government-funded.
But amid worries over the fact that younger students are also picking up the habit of internet plagiarism, many schools and colleges are in a rush to sign up for it. The software will cost between £300 & £400 for a year that will give them access to the database of Turnitin. It cross-checks work done by students with material located online.
A recent survey of 278 teachers conducted by the Association of Teachers & Lecturers (ATL) discovered close to 60% believed internet plagiarism was a major problem. Of those, over 70 percent stated nearly half the work by their sixth-formers comprised data copied from websites. Teachers came across work ‘blatantly cut & pasted’ with even adverts from the web pages.
Dr Mary Bousted, the ATL general secretary, stated the survey pointed to the risk of putting excessive emphasis on clearing tests and securing high scores. “No surprise, pupils are making use of all the (possible) means that are available for pushing up their coursework marks, even without any understanding of the subjects they’re studying,” she explained.
