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CHICAGO: The bugs that help digest food may also cause the body to pack on the pounds if they are not properly regulated, a new study has found. That is because if the wrong kinds of bacteria take over they can cause a low-level inflammation that leads to a pre-diabetic condition and an elevated appetite, the study published Thursday in the journal Science found. "It has been assumed that the obesity epidemic in the developed world is driven by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the abundance of low-cost, high-calorie foods," said senior author Andrew Gewirtz of Emory University School of Medicine. "However, our results suggest that excess caloric consumption is not only a result of undisciplined eating but that intestinal bacteria contribute to changes in appetite and metabolism." Gewirtz and his colleagues studied mice that were genetically engineered to be deficient in a key immune system protein - TLR5 - which helps cells sense the presence of bacte...

NEW DELHI: An Indian mobile phone company has launched a low-cost handset that uses commonly available AAA-sized batteries aimed at the hundreds of millions who live in areas where power supplies are erratic. Priced at 1,699 rupees (35 dollars), Olive Telecommunications' "FrvrOn" -- short for "forever on" -- has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery common to mobile phones, but also a facility to include a AAA, dry-cell battery. "We have electrification all across the country but the power supply is erratic," marketing manager Ravi Perti said. "With our phone, all one needs to do is pack a few extra cells (batteries) if one is travelling in areas where one expects power supply disruptions." He said the phone would run for three hours non-stop on the lithium battery and for another hour with a conventional battery. Though predominantly for the rural market, the handset "is suitable for the urban user as well. It is aimed at the hea...

NAJAF: A car bomb exploded in Iraq's holy city of Najaf on Saturday, killing four Iranian pilgrims a day before a national election, officials said. The explosion gutted at least two tour buses parked at a garage near the revered Imam Ali shrine, which draws millions of Shi'ite Muslim faithful from Iraq and Iran each year. Louay al-Yassiri, a member of the local provincial council, said that in addition to the Iranian pilgrims killed, the blast wounded seven people, including three Iraqi police. At least 45 people have been killed over the past few days as the election campaign drew to a close, some of them members of the security forces who were voting early.

Saturday, March 06, 2010 DAR ES SALAAM: Five people were killed when unidentified gunmen raided a wedding party at a village in northern Tanzania, police said on Saturday. Seven people were injured in the incident that occurred in Tarime district, Mara region, on Thursday night. "The attackers were armed with machetes and firearms and killed five people at the wedding ceremony," Tarime police commander Constantine Massawe said. "Police have launched an investigation into the incident to establish if it was part of the inter-clan fighting that has been going on in the region or otherwise." Mara region is prone to clan fighting and other forms of violence, sparked by disputes over land and livestock ownership. In 2008, Barrick Gold Corp. was forced to suspend operations at its North Mara mine after about 200 people charged the mine and clashed with security personnel, causing about $15 million in damages.

Saturday, March 06, 2010 LONDON: A British soldier has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence here said on Saturday. The explosion occurred near Sangin in Helmand Province on Friday, though the death was not connected to the ongoing Operation Mushtarak to crush the Taliban insurgency, the MoD added in a statement. "It is my sad duty to inform you that yesterday a British soldier from 3 RIFLES died as a result of an explosion in Sangin, northern Helmand," said Task Force Helmand spokesman Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield. "He was on a foot patrol to the south-west of Patrol Base Blenheim when he was struck by an explosion. He died in the course of his duty and among his comrades. He will be sorely missed and we will remember him." Next of kin have been informed. The death brings to 269 the number of British troops killed since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001. Britain has around 10,000 troops in Afg...

Saturday, March 06, 2010:::LOS ANGELES: Hollywood is in full-on Oscar mode. The red carpet has been laid out in front of the Kodak Theatre, topped with a plastic sheet in case of rain. Traffic is snarled. Tourists are flocking to Hollywood & Highland to see a bit of the Academy Awards preparations and snap photos of themselves with giant Oscar statues. The theater itself buzzes with activity, as rehearsals continue from morning until night, with the occasional celebrity quietly stepping in to practice presenting the coveted golden guy. It's Oscar week, and Tinseltown is all aflutter. Dana Delany, Kathy Najimy, Ty Burrell and Rachael Leigh Cook were among the celebrities who recorded public service announcements for the Creative Coalition Friday at Haven 360, an Oscar-week suite comprising gifting, parties and support for the arts. Creative Coalition co-president Tim Daly is directing the public service announcements, which show stars singing the ABC's, as part of the...