Science
News This Week:
1)
Experimental drug prolongs life span in mice:
Scientists
newly identified a protein's key role in cell and physiological aging and have
developed an experimental drug that inhibits the protein's effect and
quadrupled the lifespan in a mouse model of accelerated aging. Their lungs and
vascular system were protected from rapid aging. The experimental drug could
potentially be used to treat human diseases that cause accelerated aging such
as chronic kidney disease, diabetes and HIV infection and even extend someone's
healthy life.
N0rthwestern
Medicine® scientists have newly identified a protein's key role in cell and
physiological aging and have developed -- in collaboration with Tohoku
University in Japan -- an experimental drug that inhibits the protein's effect
and prolonged the lifespan in a mouse model of accelerated aging.The rapidly
aging mice fed the experimental drug lived more than four times longer than a
control group, and their lungs and vascular system were protected from
accelerated aging, the new study reports.
The
experimental drug could potentially be used to treat human diseases that cause
accelerated aging such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes and HIV infection as
well as the effects of cigarette smoking."A drug like this could help
reduce complications in clinical conditions that reflect accelerated
aging," said Douglas Vaughan, M.D., senior author of the study. "This
had a very robust effect in terms of prolonging life span."Vaughan is the
chair of medicine and the Irving S. Cutter Professor at Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine and physician-in-chief at Northwestern Memorial
Hospital.
This is a
completely different target and different drug than anything else being
investigated for potential effects in prolonging life, Vaughan noted.While the
experimental drug is in the early stages of testing, Vaughan said, "It
makes sense that this might be one component of a cocktail of drugs or supplements
that a person might take in the future to extend their healthy life."The
study was published April 28 in Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.The experimental drug, TM5441, is one of only several chosen each year
by the National Institute on Aging to be tested in its Interventions Testing
Program, which investigates treatments with the potential to extend lifespan
and delay disease in mice.The discovery is the result of 25 years of research
by Vaughan's lab.
When
cells or tissue age -- called senescence -- they lose the ability to regenerate
and secrete certain proteins, like a distinctive fingerprint. One of those
proteins, PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor) has been the focus of
Vaughan's research, originally as it relates to cardiovascular disease."We
made the intellectual leap between a marker of senescence and physiological
aging," Vaughan said. "We asked is this marker for cell aging one of
the drivers or mechanisms of rapid physiological aging?"
For the
study, he and colleagues used mice bred to be deficient in a gene (Klotho) that
suppresses aging. These mice exhibit accelerated aging in the form of
arteriosclerosis, neurodegeneration, osteoporosis and emphysema and have much
shorter life spans than regular mice. Vaughan determined that these rapidly
aging mice produce increased levels of PAI-1 in their blood and tissue.Then
scientists fed the rapidly aging mice TM5441 -- the experimental drug -- in
their food every day. The result was a decrease in PAI-1 activity (the aging
protein Vaughan's team had identified), which quadrupled the mice's life span
and kept their organs healthy and functioning.Northwestern scientists also
genetically produced the same life prolonging results when they crossed the
mice deficient in the age-suppressing gene with mice deficient in PAI-1.
Importantly, partial genetic deficiency of PAI-1 and the experimental PAI-1
antagonist produced provided similar benefits in the mice, Vaughan noted.
2) ‘Hidden
dragon’ fossil is oldest flying reptile:
The
pterodactyl Kryptodrakon progenitor lived 163 million years ago. Deep beneath
an ash bed in an area of northwest China famed for its mud-filled “dinosaur
death pits” that snared all sorts of prehistoric creatures, researchers have
unearthed the oldest pterodactyl ever discovered.
Named
Kryptodrakon progenitor, or “hidden serpent first-born” for its discovery near
the filming site for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the ancient flying reptile
lived about 163 million years ago. The new find pushes the fossil record for
this type of pterosaur back more than five million years to the boundary
between the middle and late Jurassic period.
Researchers
pieced together fragile fossil fragments of Kryptodrakon’s spindly skeleton,
which once belonged to an adult with a wingspan of 1.47 meters, about as long
as a bicycle, Brian Andres of the University of South Florida in Tampa and
colleagues report April 24 in Current Biology.
Though
petite, this winged reptile is the ancestor of what would eventually become the
largest flying animals ever to soar over the Earth.
3) 'Wimpy'
dwarf fossil galaxy reveals new facts about early universe:
0ut on
the edge of the universe, 75,000 light years from us, a galaxy known as Segue 1
has some unusual properties: It is the faintest galaxy ever detected. It is
very small, containing only about 1,000 stars. And it has a rare chemical
composition, with vanishingly small amounts of metallic elements present.Now a
team of scientists, including an MIT astronomer, has analyzed that chemical
composition and come away with new insights into the evolution of galaxies in
the early stages of our universe -- or, in this case, into a striking lack of
evolution in Segue 1. Commonly, stars form from gas clouds and then burn up as
supernova explosions after about a billion years, spewing more of the elements
that are the basis for a new generation of star formation.Not Segue 1: In
contrast to all other galaxies, as the new analysis shows, it appears that
Segue 1's process of star formation halted at what would normally be an early
stage of a galaxy's development.
"It's
chemically quite primitive," says Anna Frebel, an assistant professor of
physics at MIT, and the lead author of a new paper detailing the new findings
about Segue 1. "This indicates the galaxy never made that many stars in
the first place. It is really wimpy. This galaxy tried to become a big galaxy,
but it failed."But precisely because it has stayed in the same state,
Segue 1 offers valuable information about the conditions of the universe in its
early phases after the Big Bang."It tells us how galaxies get
started," Frebel says. "It's really adding another dimension to
stellar archaeology, where we look back in time to study the era of the first
star and first galaxy formation."
Metal-poor
stars: a telltale sign
The
paper, "Segue 1: An Unevolved Fossil Galaxy from the Early Universe,"
has just been published by Astrophysical Journal. Along with Frebel, the
co-authors of the paper are Joshua D. Simon, an astronomer with the Observatories
of the Carnegie Institution, in Pasadena, Calif., and Evan N. Kirby, an
astronomer at the University of California at Irvine.The analysis uses new data
taken by the Magellan telescopes in Chile, as well as data from the Keck
Observatory in Hawaii, pertaining to six red giant stars in Segue 1, the
brightest ones in that galaxy. The astronomers are able to determine which
elements are present in the stars because each element has a unique signature
that becomes detectable in the telescope data.In particular, Segue 1 has stars
that are distinctively poor in metal content. All of the elements in Segue 1
that are heavier than helium appear to have derived either from just one
supernova explosion, or perhaps a few such explosions, which occurred relatively
soon after the galaxy's formation. Then Segue 1 effectively shut down, in
evolutionary terms, because it lost its gas due to the explosions, and stopped
making new stars."It just didn't have enough gas, and couldn't collect
enough gas to grow bigger and make stars, and as a consequence of that, make
more of the heavy elements," Frebel says. Indeed, a run-of-the-mill galaxy
will often contain 1 million stars; Segue 1 contains only about 1,000.The
astronomers also found telling evidence in the lack of so-called
"neutron-capture elements" -- those found in the bottom half of the
periodic table, which are created in intermediate-mass stars. But in Segue 1,
Frebel notes, "The neutron-capture elements in this galaxy are the lowest
levels ever found." This, again, indicates a lack of repeated star
formation.Indeed, Segue 1's static chemical makeup even sets it apart from
other small galaxies that astronomers have found and analyzed."It is very
different than these other regular dwarf-type galaxies that had full chemical
evolution," Frebel says. "Those are just mini-galaxies, whereas
[Segue 1 is] truncated. It doesn't show much evolution and just sits
there.""We would like to find more"
Dwarf
galaxies, astronomical modeling has found, appear to form building blocks for
larger galaxies such as the Milky Way. The chemical analysis of Segue 1 sheds
new light on the nature of those building blocks, as Frebel notes.Indeed, other
astronomers suggest that the study of galaxies such as Segue 1 is a vital part
of progress in the field. Volker Bromm, a professor of astronomy at the
University of Texas, says the new paper is "very nice and important,"
and "substantiates the idea" that analyzing faint dwarf galaxies
produces new insight into the universe's development.As Bromm points out, when
it comes to the chemical composition of early stars, any search for clues among
stars closer to us in the Milky Way can be problematic; most such stars have
had "a very complex assembly and enrichment history, where many
generations of supernovae contributed to the abundance patterns [of elements]
seen in those stars." Dwarf galaxy stars do not come with that problem.The
findings on Segue 1 also indicate that there may be a greater diversity of
evolutionary pathways among galaxies in the early universe than had been
thought. However, because it is only one example, Frebel is reluctant to make
broad assertions."We would really need to find more of these
systems," she notes. "Or, if we never find another one [like Segue
1], it would tell us how rare it is that galaxies fail in their evolution. We
just don't know at this stage because this is the first of its
kind."Frebel's work often focuses on analyzing the chemical composition of
unusual stars closer to us. However, she says she would like to continue this
kind of analysis for any other galaxies like Segue 1 that astronomers may find.
That process could take a while; she acknowledges that any such future
discoveries will require "patience, and a little luck."
4) Drug
resistance has gone global, WHO says:
World
Health Organization reports that antibiotics are failing worldwide against
infections. Microbes resistant to frontline antibiotics are now widespread
around the world, posing a risk that infections routinely vanquished by drugs
in the past won’t be susceptible to them in the future. A World Health
Organization report issued April 30 finds high resistance rates in diverse
quarters against common microbes causing tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhea and
infections of the blood, wounds and the urinary tract.
In
addition to well-known staph, strep and E. coli bacteria, WHO cites increasing
drug resistance in bacteria causing salmonella and gonorrhea as well as in
nonbacterial agents that cause HIV and malaria.
Without
concerted disease surveillance and collaboration to slow the spread of
resistant microbes, the world is headed for a “post-antibiotic era,” warns
Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general for health security.
WHO
divides the globe into six regions. It found that five of the six had reported
high rates of resistance in hospital-related cases of E. coli and
Staphylococcus aureus. Drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae showed up in all
six regions.
Antibiotic
groups losing their punch include the penicillins, fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins
and carbapenems. Resistance to drugs results in higher death rates from
disease, longer hospital stays for those who survive and higher medical costs.
5)
'Off-the-shelf' equipment used to digitize insects in 3-D:
Scientists
have developed a cost-effective, off-the-shelf system to obtain natural-color
3D models of insects, according to results published April 23, 2014, in the
open access journal PLOS ONE by Chuong Nguyen from CSIRO in Australia, and
colleagues. Scientists studying insects rely on collected specimens that are
often shared between scientists through written descriptions, diagrams, and
images. These 2D tools are important in understanding and sharing specimens,
but they often lack the precise detail of the actual 3D specimen. The authors
of this study, interested in understanding the feasibility of digitizing
insects for research purposes, created a cost-effective prototype to produce 3D
naturally colored digital models of medium-to-large insects (3 to 30mm in
length), using off-the-shelf equipment and software. The prototype captures
color images from different angles and focal depths using a digital single lens
reflex camera and a two-axis turntable. These 2D images are then combined into
3D reconstructions.
The
resulting 3D models are compact (around 10 megabytes each), have excellent
optical resolution, and can be embedded into documents and web pages, as well
as viewed on mobile devices. The authors suggest the system is portable, safe,
relatively affordable, complements existing imaging techniques, and reduces the
need to handle or ship delicate insect specimens. Furthermore, they hope that
this technology opens new opportunities and applications for research data
collection, education, art, entertainment, biodiversity assessment, and
biosecurity control.
Dr.
Nguyen added, "These 3D models represent high quality visualisations of
physical specimens that will enable novel solutions to quickly extract, analyse
and share rich information. The 3D models are of great value for biodiversity
discovery, species identification, quarantine control, and unlocking big data
in our biological collections."
6) Basel
Egyptologists identify tomb of royal children:
Who had
the privilege to spend eternal life next to the pharaoh? Close to the royal tombs
in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, excavations by Egyptologists from the
University of Basel have identified the burial place of several children as
well as other family members of two pharaohs. Basel Egyptologists of the
University of Basel Kings' Valley Project have been working on tomb KV 40 in
the Valley of the Kings close to the city of Luxor for three years. From the
outside, only a depression in the ground indicated the presence of a
subterranean tomb. Up to now, nothing was known about the layout of tomb KV 40
nor for whom it was build and who was buried there.The Egyptologists assumed
that it was a non-royal tomb dating back to the 18th dynasty. They first
cleared the six meter deep shaft which gives access to five subterranean
chambers and then recovered the countless remains and fragments of funerary
equipment.
Mummified
royal children
The
scientists discovered mummified remains of at least 50 people in the center
chamber and in three side chambers. Based on inscriptions on storage jars,
Egyptologists were able to identify and name over 30 people during this year's
field season. Titles such as "Prince" and "Princess"
distinguish the buried as members of the families of the two pharaohs Thutmosis
IV and Amenhotep III who are also buried in the Valley of Kings. Both pharaohs
belonged to the 18th dynasty (New Kingdom) and ruled in the 14th century BC.The
analysis of the hieratic inscriptions (related to hieroglyphics) revealed that
tomb KV 40 contains the mummified remains of at least 8 hitherto unknown royal
daughters, four princes and several foreign ladies. Most of them were adults,
however, mummified children were also found: "We discovered a remarkable
number of carefully mummified new-borns and infants that would have normally
been buried much simpler," describes Egyptologist Prof. Susanne Bickel the
findings. "We believe that the family members of the royal court were
buried in this tomb for a period of several decades."The identification of
people buried in the proximity of the royal tombs gives the team of researchers
important insight into who had the privilege to spend eternal life close to the
pharaoh. "Roughly two thirds of the tombs in the Kings' Valley are
non-royal. Because the tombs do not have inscriptions and have been heavily
plundered we so far have only been able to speculate on who lies buried in
them," explains Susanne Bickel in regard to the importance of the findings
for the field of Egyptology.
Remains
of later burials
Even
though the tomb was looted several times in Antiquity as well as at the end of
the 19th century, the researchers found countless fragments of funerary
equipment, such as fragments of coffins and textiles. "The remains and the
walls have been heavily affected by a fire that was most likely ignited by the
torches of the tomb raiders," suspects Susanne Bickel. The fragments of
various wooden and cartonnage coffins indicate that tomb KV 40 was used a
second time as a burial ground: long after the abandonment of the valley as
royal necropolis, members of priestly families of the 9th century BC were
interred here.Anthropological analyses as well as further examination on the
burial goods will deliver important insight into the composition of the
pharaonic court of the 18th dynasty as well as the conditions of life and the
burial customs of its members.
Movie
Release This Week:
We've
always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself:
the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the
extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2,
Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead.
It's
great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling
quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending
time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only
Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that
threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must
confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn
(Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one
thing in common: OsCorp.
In the
harsh, wintry woods of rural Quebec, Bruce (Academy Award-nominee Thomas Haden
Church), a down-on-his-luck snowplow operator, accidentally kills a man during
a drunken night joyride. Stricken with panic, he hides the body and takes to
the deep wilderness in hopes of outrunning both the authorities and his own
conscience. But as both begin to close in, Bruce falls apart mentally and morally
and mysteries unravel to reveal who he was before the accident, the truth
behind his victim, and the circumstances that brought them together in a single
moment. A darkly comic noir in the vein of the Coen Brothers, Emanuel
Hoss-Desmarais's Whitewash is a gripping exploration of a well-meaning Everyman
at the end of his rope.
The
outrageous comedy Walk of Shame stars Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Pitch
Perfect) as a resourceful reporter whose one-night stand with a handsome
stranger (James Marsden of Anchorman 2) leaves her stranded the next morning in
downtown Los Angeles without a phone, car, ID, or money - and only 8 hours
before the most important job interview of her career. From Lakeshore
Entertainment and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Walk of Shame also stars Gillian
Jacobs (Community), Sarah Wright Olsen, Kevin Nealon, Ethan Suplee, Bill Burr,
and Willie Garson (White Collar). Written and directed by Steven Brill, the
movie is produced by Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, and Sidney Kimmel. The
executive producers are Eric Reid, Ted Gidlow, Jim Tauber, Bruce Toll, Matt
Berenson, and Peter Schlessel.
Annie
Parkerhas a personal relationship with breast cancer. Her mother and her sister
died of the disease and ultimately she is diagnosed with it too. Naturally
affable with an offbeat sense of humor – even in the face of her own mortality,
she struggles to hold her family and life together, as her body betrays her.
Meanwhile,
geneticist Mary-Claire King is convinced there is a link between DNA and cancer
– even if no one in her profession shares her belief. Against the advice of
nearly all of her colleagues, she persists in her research and her dogged
pursuit for funding that will lead to the groundbreaking study that will join
the two women together.
Poland,
1962. Anna is a novice, an orphan brought up by nuns in a convent. Before she
takes her vows, she is determined to see Wanda, her only living relative. Wanda
tells Anna that Anna is Jewish. Both women embark on a journey not only to
discover their tragic family story, but who they really are and where they
belong, questioning their religions and beliefs.
Political
news of this week:
1) Chennai
train blasts were not targeted at any political figure':
Twin
blasts were reported at the Chennai central railway station on Thursday
morning.One person has been reported killed and 12 others are injured, two
critically. The deceased was identified as 22-year-old Swati from Guntur.
Eyewitnesses
said they heard two explosions on coaches S4 and S4 of the Bangalore-Guwahati
Kaziranga express as it arrived at the Chennai railway station.The train
arrived at 7.05 am and the explosions took place at 7.15 am. The train was on
its way to Guwahati.One suspect who had been detained following the twin blasts
may be released.
The
Railways has announced a solatium of Rs 1 lakh for the deceased and Rs 25,000
for seriously injured and Rs 5,000 for those who have sustained minor
injuriesThe entire area is being sanitised.Intelligence Bureau officials have
confirmed that the blasts at Chennai were an act of terror.Without naming any
group, IB sources informed that going by the bomb composition and the manner in
which they had been placed it was clear that the attack was aimed at killing
more than one person and hence classifies as a terror act.Investigations into
Thursday’s blasts at Chennai Central railways station suggest the involvement
to two persons. One of them used a fake name, Raman, to book the tickets. The police say he is not an Indian national
and the blast was not targeted at any political figure.The police suspect the
involvement of a Bangladeshi national and a Sri Lankan.
Both the
Intelligence Bureau and police officials rule out that the train had more
explosives that were being transported to some destination. The intent was to
carry out a blast at a railway station and cause panic while making an
announcement that a strike could occur any time.The police say the bomb seems
to have been packed in a pipe. Pipe bombs have been used regularly in Tamil
Nadu. They were used in the blast before BJP leader L K Advani’s rally and in
the Coimbatore blast.
2) India
test-fires Akash surface-to-air missile:
successfully
test fired indigenously-developed surface-to-air Akash missile with a strike
range of 25 km and capability to carry warhead of 60 kg from the Integrated
Test Range at Chandipur as part of a user-trial.
Describing
the launch as successful, Defence sources said that the sophisticated missile
was test fired at about 10.58 hours from launch complex-3 of the Interim Test
Range.
"The
mission was successful. The trial was conducted by Indian Air Force
personnel," ITR Director M V K V Prasad said.Akash, which aimed at a
para-barrel target during the trial, is a medium range surface-to-air
anti-aircraft defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.The
missile has the capability to target aircraft up to 30 km away and is packed
with a battery that can track and attack several targets simultaneously, the
sources said.With the capability to neutralise aerial targets like fighter
jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles, Defence experts compared
Akash to the American MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system.While the
Air-force version of Akash has already been inducted into the armed forces, the
Army version is in the final stage of induction, the sources said.The missile
was last test fired from the same base on April 26, 2014.
3) Lok
Sabha polls: Moderate to high turnout in seventh phase of voting:
Moderate
to high turnout marked the polling on Wednesday in the seventh phase of Lok
Sabha elections on a day when Narendra Modi sparked a major controversy by
violating the election law by making a speech and displaying BJP's poll symbol
in a booth.The fate of some of the top guns of Congress, including Sonia
Gandhi, and BJP like Modi, L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi
and Arun Jaitley were decided in the seventh round that covered 89
constituencies across seven states and two union territories.The whole of
Gujarat with 26 seats and Punjab with 13 seats were among the constituencies
which went to polls today in which 13.83 crore voters were eligible to exercise
their franchise.While Punjab recorded a turnout of 73 per cent, the day's second
highest after 81.35 per cent in nine seats in West Bengal, Gujarat witnessed a
62 per cent turnout, a quantum jump from 47.92 percent in the last Lok Sabha
polls.
In
Gujarat, BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and party veteran L K
Advani were among the early voters in Gandhinagar.However, in an embarrassment
for Modi, he violated election laws by displaying BJP's poll symbol 'Lotus' and
making a speech after casting his vote in a booth in Gandhinagar, after which
an FIR was registered against him by police following a directive of the
Election Commission.Vadodara constituency in Gujarat, where Modi is contesting
LS poll for the first time, saw a turnout of 70 per cent. He is pitted against
Madhusudan Mistry of Congress.
In
Punjab, clashes erupted between Akali Dal and Congress workers in Moga, Khadoor
Sahib and Amritsar, leaving 15 people injured.Among the riveting contests in
the state is that between BJP's Arun Jaitley, also making his debut in Lok
Sabha poll, and senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh in Amritsar. Ambika
Soni, who too is contesting her first national elections, is in fray from
Anandpur Sahib.An estimated 70 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise
in Telangana to elect its 119 representatives to the proposed state's first
assembly and 17 representatives to Lok Sabha.Uttar Pradesh saw a turnout of
57.10 per cent in 14 seats where SP, BSP, Congress and BJP are locked in a
bitter battle to establish supremacy. Congress, which had done quite well in
this region last time, may find the going tough this time but Sonia Gandhi
appears comfortably placed to win from Rae Bareli for a third consecutive term.
Polling
in seven constituencies in Bihar, crucial for RJD, BJP and JD(U) whose chief
Sharad Yadav is in fray from Madhepura, saw a turnout of 60 per cent.JD(U),
which broke ties with BJP in the state on Modi as PM issue, finds an uphill
task this time, according to ground reports.Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok
Sabha constituency, where union minister and NC leader Farooq Abdullah is in
fray, saw a turnout of 25.62 per cent, the lowest in today's exercise.The
seventh round saw completion of polling in 438 of the total of 543
constituencies. The exercise was already over in 349 constituencies in the
first six phases. Voting in the remaining 105 constituencies will he held on
May 7 (64 seats) and May 12 (41) before counting of votes is taken on up on May
16.
4) Curfew
remains in force in Kashmir valley:
Curfew
remained in force on Thursday in parts of Kashmir valley as a preventive
measure to maintain law and order after a youth was killed when security forces
allegedly opened fire to chase away stone-pelting protesters.
"Curfew
has been imposed in eight police station areas of the Srinagar city," a
spokesman of the district administration said in Srinagar.It was in force in
all the police station areas of the interior city and Maisuma near the city
centre, he said, adding curfew was clamped as a precautionary measure to
maintain law and order.Police and paramilitary CRPF have been deployed in large
numbers, and the security forces have erected barricades at many places within
the city.
On
Wednesday, a 24-year-old youth Bashir Ahmad Bhat was killed and two others were
injured when security forces allegedly opened fire to chase away stone-pelting
protesters in Nawa Kadal area when security forces were being withdrawn after
the poll duty.Meanwhile, life in other parts of Kashmir valley was disrupted
due to a strike call by the separatist groups to protest against the
killing.Both factions of the Hurriyat Conference and pro-freedom Jammu and
Kashmir Liberation Front have given a general strike call while condemning
Bhat's killing.
Shops and
business establishments remained shut in most district headquarters, while
educational institutions and government offices saw thin attendance, officials
said, adding public transport were also off the roads and only private cars,
cabs and auto-rickshaws were seen plying.Kashmir University has also postponed
all the examinations that were scheduled today in view of the curfew and strike
call.Opposition PDP also cancelled all its scheduled political activity for
today in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency due to the prevailing situation, a
spokesman of the party said
5) Defiant
militia strike again in Ukraine:
The
spiralling crisis in Ukraine has resulted in Russia and the United States
stepping up the rhetoric as defiant pro-Russian militant took control of key
buildings in the country's chaotic east.
Pro-Russia rebels, led by a heavily armed mob, took control of the
police station in Lugansk after a stand-off with tear gas and shots fired.
Police
tried to hold off an angry mob of some 1,000 demonstrators with grenades and
tear gas but eventually turned over their headquarters and weapons to the rebels.The
building in Ukraine's Donetsk region is the latest to fall under the control of
pro-Russian militants.A pro-Russian activist holds a mace outside the regional
government headquarters in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine. Hundreds of pro-Russian
separatists seized the regional government headquarters in Luhansk on Tuesday,
unopposed by police, underlining the lack of control of central government over
swathes of eastern Ukraine
6)
Seemandhra face-off: Naidu vs Jaganmohan:
Lok Sabha
and assembly polls on May 7 in Seemandhra seem to have narrowed down to a N
Chandrababu Naidu versus Y S Jaganmohan Reddy fight, with the TDP chief seeking
a comeback while the YSRC supremo is looking to expand his party's footprint in
the political arena.
Reflecting
the national pattern of general elections being a Narendra Modi versus Rahul
Gandhi fight, Seemandhra -- which represents regions of Rayalaseema and Coastal
Andhra -- is witnessing a direct battle of personalities with respective parties
having taken a back seat in the run-up to the polls.
Post
bifurcation, the two "chief minister hopefuls" are projecting
themselves as the lone constructive leader in rebuilding residual Andhra
Pradesh.While Naidu is seeking a sixth straight term from Kuppam assembly seat,
which he has been winning since 1989, Jaganmohan is contesting from Pulivendla
assembly segment.TDP spokesperson Kodela Shiva Prasad Rao, also a close aide of
the party chief, admits that the election scenario in Seemandhra region has
become a virtual fight between Naidu and Jaganmohan."People believe that
Andhra Pradesh can only prosper under Naidu and his contributions to Hyderabad
stand as a classic example," he says.Congress and its leaders are
understood to be facing a tough time in Seemandhra as many locals term
"unilateral" the division of Andhra Pradesh by the ruling party at
the Centre. A total of 333 candidates are in the fray for 25 Lok Sabha seats
and 2,243 for 175 assembly seats in Seemandhra.The 64-year-old Naidu, a former
chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, is credited with bringing in global IT giants
to set up shop in Hyderabad while Jaganmohan, 41, is seen as carving out his
own niche even as he seeks to continue his father and former Chief Minister Y S
Rajasekhara Reddy's legacy.
7)
Digvijaya admits to relationship with journalist Amrita Rai:
Congress
general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday admitted to his relationship
with Rajya Sabha TV anchor Amrita Rai.
Some
intimate photos showing the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and the TV
journalist were leaked on the Internet and went viral.Singh tweeted on
Wednesday, “I have no hesitation in accepting my relationship with Amrita Rai.
She and her husband have already filed a mutual consent divorce case”.
He also
tweeted, “Once that is decided we would formalise it. But I do condemn
encroachment in our private life.”Meanwhile, Rai had alleged that her computer
had been hacked.She tweeted, “I have separated from my husband and we have
filed a mutual consent divorce papers. After which I have decided to marry with
Digvijaya Singh”.Meanwhile, social media circles are abuzz with ‘digs’ at
Digvijaya. Here are a few examples:
@SirJadeja:
That awkward moment when you realise even Digvijay Singh has a girlfriend but
you don't.
@suhelseth:
What diet are the Congress old fogeys on? Diggy, ND TIWARI and so on? They
should be on India's Old have Talent!, and, 'Karan JOHAR announces: Diggiwale
Dulhaniya Le Gaye Hain'.
@lindsaypereira:
Must give credit to #DigVijaySingh and Amrita Rai for admitting to a
relationship. Others refuse to acknowledge their wives for decades.
8) Fresh
FIR filed against hawala accused in centre of CD storm:
Days
after he became famous after pictures of him with Bharatiya Janata Party’s
prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi were released, the Enforcement
Directorate has filed a fresh First Information Report against Afroz Fatta, who
was arrested last month in Surat in connection with an alleged hawala racket to
the tune of Rs 700 crore, on money laundering charges.
Sources
said Fatta, who was summoned by the ED, appeared before officials in Surat on
Tuesday has not been cooperative in the investigations and no clean chit has
been given to him by the ED as of now.
Fatta was
arrested in Surat on March 21 on the charge of transferring money outside India
on fake bills of importing diamonds. Earlier, the ED had registered a case
under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Now another FIR has been filed under
the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, sources said.
On
Monday, the Congress had released a photo of Fatta with Modi and alleged a
nexus between the two. The BJP rejected any links between them and hit back by
circulating a photograph of Fatta with Mohammed Azharuddin, the Congress
candidate from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur.
SP0RTS NEWS THIS WEEK:
SP0RTS NEWS THIS WEEK:
1) VVS
Laxman’s words inspired Irfan Pathan to produce a match-winning performance
against MI:
Irfan
Pathan cannot contain his excitement after getting rid of Kieron
PollardLeft-arm seamer Irfan Pathan says that the words from his team mentor VVS
laxman inspired him to produce a match-winning performance for Sunrisers
Hyderabad (SRH) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Mumbai
Indians (MI) on 30th April.
“Today, I
had a good chat with Laxman bhai before the game. He said, ‘No matter what you
do outside the park, you need that fire and aggression between the 22 yards;
that’s what counts’. That struck me. His words have always helped me out and
they did today again,” Irfan said after the game last night.
Pathan’s
impressive figures of 2 for 10 ensured a stunning win for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Pathan feels that this performance will inspire him to do better in the coming
matches.
“I didn’t
bowl much in the previous games and I thought I might not bowl even today. But
then, Pollard got going and that gave me an opportunity to bowl. This
performance is going to take me a long way in the tournament. Coming back from
injury is never easy, but when you start giving performances like this, the
process of regaining your rhythm gets faster,” he was quoted as saying by
IPLT20.com.Irfan seems very much positive about making a comeback into the
Indian team. “I am a bowler and I know what I am capable of doing. To be a
bowler, you have to have that fire. If you don’t have it, you might as well
just go and bat. I understand that you must earn the trust of your captain and
show that you are improving continuously.”Irfan was satisfied that his yorkers
landed on the right spot during his crucial spell, especially with Kieron
Pollard at the crease.
“There were
a couple of people like Shikhar and Sammy who wanted to tell me things and help
me form plans. But I tried to keep my head clear. Then Steyn came to me and
said, ‘Whatever you do, just make sure you focus all your energy in
that’.“Also, after Steyn bowled the 18th over, Shikhar told me I will be
bowling the final over. That gave me the time to get prepared mentally. I
decided to go with a clear plan of bowling the best yorkers I could and leave
the rest to the batsman. Fortunately, most of the balls pitched nearly there
and thereabout.”Irfan Pathan said that with Mumbai needing 20 runs in the final
over, getting Pollard out first ball made it much easier for him.
“They
needed 20 runs from the last over, but guys like Pollard need just three balls
to get 18 runs. Getting him out the first ball made the remaining five balls
much easier.
“However,
they could win it with a couple of sixes and fours and so I knew it wasn’t
finished. But yes, with Pollard’s wicket, I thought the job was half done.”
2) Cricket:
Australia reclaim top Test ranking:
Australia
have reclaimed the number one Test ranking for the first time in five years
following their Ashes whitewash of England and a series defeat of South Africa.
Australia
also remain the top-rated one day international side in the latest official
rankings from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
It is the
first time since December 2008 that Australia have been ranked number one in
Tests and ODIs at the same time. They last held the top Test ranking in August 2009,
when they were displaced after losing the Ashes 2-1 to England.Darren Lehmann's
Australians nudged out South Africa, who had held the top Test spot since
August 2012.
Australia
gained eight ratings points to move up from 115 to 123 points to be equal with
South Africa, who dropped from 127, but Australia moved ahead by a fraction of
a point.
England
are currently third, ahead of Pakistan and India.Australia captain Michael
Clarke said he was delighted with the turnaround in his team's fortunes.
"We
are incredibly proud to be the number-one ranked team in the world in both Test
and ODI cricket, which are two of the team's most important goals," Clarke
said.
"There
has been an enormous amount of hard work and effort on and off the field that
has led to this result.
"However,
the true test of a great side is sustained success and now our goal is to
maintain these rankings and continue to play great cricket as we lead into
challenging Test series against Pakistan and India, and the ICC Cricket World
Cup at home."Lehmann has turned around the fortunes of the Australian Test
and one-day sides following a tumultuous period in which coach Mickey Arthur
was sacked.After losing the 2013 Ashes series 3-0 in England, Australia swept
their return home series against England 5-0 during the last southern
summer.They then scored an impressive 2-1 away series win over South Africa.
3)
Mourinho rues crucial minute after semi-final defeat:
Chelsea's
Champions League semi-final defeat by Atletico Madrid hinged on a pivotal
second-half minute and the expertise of a young goalkeeper on loan from the
Premier League club to the Spanish side, Jose Mourinho said on Wednesday.
Atletico
beat Chelsea 3-1 to set up a final against city rivals real Madrid after coming
back from a goal down at Stamford Bridge.
Atletico
equalised just before halftime and Belgium goalkeeper Thibault Courtois, on
loan from Chelsea, showed lightning reactions to keep out a John Terry header
on the hour.Less than a minute later Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o brought down
Diego Costa in the area and the Atletico forward converted the subsequent
penalty.
"The
difference was one minute in the second half where a goalkeeper makes an
impossible save and instead of 2-1 for Chelsea there was a penalty...and after
that it was 2-1 for Atletico. And that completely changed the game,"
Chelsea's Portuguese coach told reporters.
Mourinho,
who won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, suffered three
successive semi-final defeats with Real Madrid before rejoining Chelsea at the
start of the season.In his first spell as Chelsea coach from 2004 to 2007 he
took them to the semi-finals twice and lost on both occasions.
"These
matches are normally decided by details and that minute had two details - the
save was amazing - and the penalty," Mourinho said.
"I
think that minute was crucial - after that Atletico had complete control. We
had the feeling that the game was lost, they had for sure the feeling of much
more confidence. They played very well - a very mature performance and I
congratulate them," he added.Mourinho felt the difference between his side
and Atletico was that Diego Simeone had been building the Spanish league
leaders for three years and he had been back at Chelsea only one season.
"It's
the difference between one year and three and it's a big difference...they are
a very good side, very adapted to the ideas of this manager every player fits
his idea of how to play," he said.
4)
Anti-racism campaign was planned for Neymar:
FC
Barcelona's Neymar, from Brazil, right, and Daniel Alves, from Brazil, arrive
for a religious ceremony at Barcelona Cathedral for late former FC Barcelona's
coach Tito Vilanova in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, April 28, 2014. FC Barcelona
announced on their web page Friday April 25, 2014, that Vilanova had died
Friday following a long battle with throat cancer. He was 45.
5) China
reaches World TT quarters:
The
Chinese men's table tennis team, the defending champions, whitewashed Serbia
3-0 in their final group match to reach the quarterfinals of the 2014 World
Team Table Tennis Championships here Thursday.Chinese team captain Ma Long
thrashed Marko Jevtovic in three games 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 to give China the early
lead, reports Xinhua.
Wang Hao,
who has only made one appearance for China in the previous four group matches,
then beat Bojan Crepulja, also in three games.
Xu Xin
put the result beyond Serbia defeating Zolt Pete 11-9, 11-2 and 11-6.
The
defending champions won all their five group matches 3-0 and became the first
team to reach the quarterfinals.
Book of
This Week:
Pather
Panchali (novel)
ABOUT THE NOVEL
The novel pather
panchali(THE SONG OF THE ROAD) has been divided into three sub-parts- ballali
balai, aam aatir vepu, and akrur sanbad. The story line of the novel is very
simple: the common things that happen in a poor village family; but it’s the
description given by the author, the beautiful use of language and the
wonderfully described truth of poorness, is what makes this novel unique…
SOME OF THE MAJOR
CHARACTERS
Harihar Ray: a poor
Brahmin of Nishchindipur village.
Sorbajaya: Harihar’s
wife,over conscious of her self respect and a fond mother…
Durga: Harihar’s
eldest daughter. She had the bad habit of stealing and lying, for which she had
been punished many times. Nevertheless she was
an extremely loving sister.
Opu: well he is the
prime character of this novel. He is harihars younger son, extremely fond of
his sister and mother.
Indir thakrun: A
distant old cousin of harihars.
Sejo thakrun, ranu,
sotu, potu etc: neighbours of the ray family at nishchindipur.
THE STORY
Ballali Balai
Well in the first
part, the story evolves round the tragic life led by Indir thakrun. Indir
thakrun(now a widow) was a victim of the ballali system(i.e. a Brahmin man had
many wives but did not accept their responsibilities.After marriage the wives
had to stay at their father’s house and not at their husband’s house) that
prevailed in Bengal at that time .She is dependent on Harihar and has no other
living relation, but Sorbojaya could not tolerate her. Durga was really close
to her aunt and this made Sorbojaya even more furious. Many times they
quarreled and finally one day Indir thakrun decided to go away but after some
months she came back…and now Sorbojaya turned her out of her house again.Indir
thakrun really felt helpless and didn’t know where to go,when on the road she
died….
Aam Aatir
Vepu
This part depicts the
growing stage in Opu and Durga’s life. They are both good looking (especially
Opu) and are fond of each other. Imaginative Opu’s feelings have been mostly
potrayed in this part.It depicts incidents like: Opu-Durga getting lost while
searching for railway tracks, their secret picnics, Durga getting beaten by her
mother and once by sejo thakrun for stealing things from sejo thakrun’s house,
opu’s dream of flying,etc..But the most tragic thing that takes place here is
Durga’s death:she had been suffering for quite a long time from malaria and
soon after recovery she died because of heart fail…Harihar was not present at
the time of Durga’s death and when he came back after a long time,he decided to
take his family to Kashi, where(Harihar thought) they had hopes of a better
future…Opu was not willing to leave his lovely village, his
friends,ranudi,potu,etc., the trees, their house.. and the memories of his
sister….but he was forced to……
Akrur Sanbad
In Kashi, Harihar’s
prospects did not improve at all…and after some months there Harihar also died.Sorbojaya didn’t have
enough money.. and she could not go back
to Nishchindipur(because her self respect stopped her…),so she took up a job as
a cook in a rich family. She and Opu were not at all happy there but what could
they do??? Well here Opu found a new friend Leela, a girl of the family where Sorbojaya worked, but soon
enough she also went away to some other place and again Opu was left alone…Once
after being mercilessly flogged by the head of the family where they
lived,Opu’s mother proposed that they should go back to Nishchindipur…This
aroused a new light of hope in Opu.He has always felt that Nishchindipur has
been calling out to him and now he prayed to God that he must send them back to
Nishchindipur,to where they belonged…But the god of the road answered him that
he did not bring them all this long way just to send them back…..Opu’s journey
has just begun and he has a long way to go…..And here ends the SONG OF THE
ROAD…
Bibhutibhushan
Bandyopadhyay (September 12, 1894 –
November 1, 1950) was an Indian Bengali author and one of the leading writers
of modern Bengali literature. His best known work is the autobiographical
novel, Pather Panchali (The Song of the Road), which was later adapted (along
with Aparajito, the sequel) into the Apu Trilogy films, directed by Satyajit
Ray.
The 1951
Rabindra Puraskar, the most prestigious literary award in the West Bengal state
of India, was posthumously awarded to Bibhutibhushan for his novel, Ichhamati.
Writing
Bibhutibhushan
Bandyopadhyay's works are largely set in rural Bengal, with characters from
that area. Many of his novels are set in the city of Bongaon, including Pather
Panchali, Adarsha Hindu Hotel, Ichamati and Bipiner Sansar.
In 1921,
Bibhutibhushan's first published short story, "Upekshita," appeared
in Probashi, at the time one of Bengal's leading literary magazines. However,
it was not until 1928, when his first novel Pather Panchali (also known in
English as Song of the Little Road) was published, that Bibhutibhushan received
critical attention. Pather Panchali brought Bibhutibhushan to prominence in
Bengali literature and the novel and its sequel Aparajito, were subsequently
translated into numerous languages.Additionally, these two were made into films
by Satyajit Ray and, together with Apur Sansar, formed the highly successful Apu
Trilogy.
Ray
referred scriptwriting students to the author with the following line of praise
for the author's skill with written dialogue: "His lines fit the
characters so well, they are so revealing that even when the author provides no
physical description, every character seems to present itself before us simply
through the words it speaks.
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