Syria`s war: Eastern Ghouta ceasefire violations kill two

At least two civilians have been killed less than two hours into a truce in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, activists said, as Syrian government forces launched fresh attacks in the rebel-held Damascus suburb. 
Syrian warplanes launched several air strikes in Douma and Harasta on Tuesday, Mahmoud Adam, a spokesman for Syria's Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, told Al Jazeera.  In Douma, one of Eastern Ghouta's main towns, two people including a woman lost their lives and several others have been wounded, Adam said. 
Alaa al-Ahmed, a local activist, told Al Jazeera that the attacks started at 9:30am (7:30 GMT) on Tuesday, as a Russia-backed truce was supposed to halt the fighting.  The truce was meant to evacuate civilians from the rebel-held enclave that has been under continuous aerial bombardment since February 18.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin had ordered the ceasefire from 9am-2pm (7:00-12:00 GMT) on Tuesday, as air strikes and ground operations killed more than 550 civilians in the last eight days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). According to al-Ahmed, Russia did not provide a guarantee or a "trusted third party" to help evacuate the injured out of the area.
"How could people trust Russia - the same people bombing us - with assisting in the safe evacuation of the injured?" he said. "There is huge contradiction." The bombardment of the Damascus suburb, home to some 400,000 people, has been one of the most intense in Syria's seven-year-old war. "What happened this morning is a clear violation of the truce - which is merely propaganda," al-Ahmed said.
The suburb's humanitarian situation has been deteriorating, causing widespread international condemnation, with UN Secretary-General describing the enclave as "hell on earth". On Monday, a suspected chemical attack killed one child, according to the White Helmets.
The reported chlorine gas attack injured at least 18 others when it hit Eastern Ghouta's Al-Shifaniyah town close to the front lines, where rebels are fighting Syrian ground forces who have been trying to penetrate into the besieged enclave since Sunday. Nour Othman, a local journalist based in Douma, told Al Jazeera warplanes have also targeted the al-Marj area on Tuesday morning, a town near the outskirts of Douma. 
"Tens of people have been injured in the last couple of hours," he said. 
And in the town of Misraba, at least seven people have been wounded as a result of surface-to-surface missiles, Othman added.  "The medical facilities are in a state of chaos - either because of the shelling or due to the high number of admitted injuries," he explained. 
The truce was supposed to establish "safe corridors" to facilitate the evacuation process, but activists say there has been no attempt at doing so.
"To this moment, not a single person inside Eastern Ghouta has been evacuated," Adam said, describing the truce as "dishonest".  
"Shelling is ongoing and there have been barrel bombs used in the outskirts of Douma," he added.
Syria's Civil Defence team have started transferring people to medical facilities at this time.
Similarly, Firas al-Abdullah, an activtst in Eastern Ghouta, confirmed that at least three towns have been hit on Tuesday, and that there has been no signs of a ceasefire coming into effect. 
"No one left, no one entered - there has been nothing of this sort," he said of the proposed evacuation plan. 
Locals have also noted that several government warplanes are flying over villages on the outskirts of Douma. 
On Saturday, an earlier attempt to implement a 30-day ceasefire in Syria failed, when a United Nations Security Council resolution was not upheld.
Eastern Ghouta has been under rebel control since 2013, after which President Bashar al-Assad's government imposed a siege on the area in an attempt to drive out opposition fighters.
The blockade has caused a food and medicine shortage, and has caused inflation rates to soar, and aid convoys have not been able to deliver much of the desperately needed supplies.

James Bond director Lewis Gilbert dies

British filmmaker Lewis Gilbert has died at the age of 97, James Bond producers said of the director famed for his work on three 007 movies. 

"It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of our dear friend Lewis Gilbert," producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said Tuesday, describing the director as "a true gentleman". 

"He made an enormous contribution to the British film industry as well as the Bond films... His films are not only loved by us but are considered classics within the series," the added. 

Gilbert directed Sean Connery in the 1967 "You Only Live Twice", returning to the British film series a decade later with "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977) and "Moonraker" (1979) starring Roger Moore. 

While most well-known for his work on the spy series, Gilbert also directed a young Michael Caine in the 1966 movie "Alfie" which gained four Oscar nominations. 

Born in east London in 1920, Gilbert's first directing credit came in 1945 with "The 10 Year Plan", a documentary about postwar housing. 

After a lengthy career including production and writing roles, his last of 33 directing credits came in 2002 with "Before You Go". 

"The BFI salutes the most prolific of British filmmakers," said Heather Stewart, creative director of the British Film Institute which had awarded Gilbert a fellowship for outstanding contribution to British film. 

Stewart praised the late director for telling stories of British wartime bravery, to creating working class heroes and "funny and real character studies of women" rarely seen on screen. AFP

Sridevi’s body flown back to Mumbai

The body of Bollywood icon Sridevi, who died in Dubai, was flown back to her home in Mumbai late on Tuesday night.

Hundreds of her fans and well-wishers waited to pay their last respects to her before the funeral later this afternoon, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

A chartered plane—Embraer-- provided by a company belonging to India’s top industrialist Anil Ambani carried the mortal remains of the 54-year-old actress from Dubai at around 9:30pm Indian time.

Sridevi’s family members, including her film-maker husband Boney Kapoor and stepson Arjun Kapoor, brought her body in the private jet after three days of uncertainty over her unexpected death on Saturday in Dubai.

Hundreds of fans had waited outside the Kapoor residence in Lokhandwala as the ambulance carrying Sridevi drove from the airport with a police escort to her residence in Lokhandwala in Mumbai’s suburb Andheri, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Anil Ambani, his wife Tina Ambani and Sridevi’s brother-in-law and actor Anil Kapoor were among those at the airport when the plane landed.

The mortal remains of arguably the first woman superstar of the silver screen will be kept at the Sports Club Garden in Lokhandvala Complex where people can pay their last respects from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm tomorrow. The last rites will be held at 3:30 pm, according to a statement issued by her family.

Fans have started gathering outside Mumbai's Celebration Sports Club amidst heavy security.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Dubai Public Prosecutors Office, after a thorough probe, "released" to the family the body of the actress who died in the bathroom of a hotel here three days back. The Dubai police said she accidentally drowned following loss of consciousness. However, it did not say what caused her to lose consciousness.

As the ambulance carrying Sridevi's mortal remains entered her residence in suburban Andheri, a large number of fans jostled for a glimpse of their favourite actor.

Both sides of the road leading to Sridevi's 'Green Acres' residence in Lokhandwala were crowded with her fans, with some even climbing the trees to have a clear view. The ambulance, escorted by three police vehicles, brought the body home from the airport at around 10:30 PM Indian time soon after it arrived from Dubai.

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi and her husband Javed Akhtar were among those who visited the residence soon after the arrival of the body.

Sridevi, known as Indian cinema's first woman superstar, leaves behind her husband and their two daughters Jahnvi and Khushi.

Sridevi’s final journey will commence at 2:00pm from Celebration Sports Club to Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium and Hindu Cemetery," the statement issued by her family said.

In Mumbai, Bollywood personalities and friends visited the family in the home of Anil Kapoor. With their father Boney Kapoor away, Sridevi’s daughters Khushi and Jahnvi were at their uncle's Juhu home.

"For me it's the most painful thing I have dealt with after my dad's passing away. And her face is coming in front of me again and again," actor Rani Mukherji told PTI.

"The love she had for me was so tremendous and intense that I feel somewhere that I have lost a guiding light in my life. She has been my inspiration personally and professionally. She was very close to me. She was like my 'maasi' I would say. She was someone I looked up to. I just feel there is one more person I have lost in my life I loved and who loved me back," Rani said.

The others who have called on the family in their hour of grief include Shah Rukh Khan, and his wife Gauri, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Tabu, Rekha and Farah Khan.

Long lasting depression may alter your brain

The brain alters after years of persistent depression, suggesting the need to change how we think about depression as it progresses, a new study has revealed.

The research shows people with longer periods of untreated depression, lasting more than a decade, had significantly more brain inflammation compared to those who had less than 10 years of untreated depression.

“Greater inflammation in the brain is a common response with degenerative brain diseases as they progress, such as with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” said co-author of the study, Jeff Meyer from Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Ontario, Canada.

This study provides the first biological evidence for large brain changes in long-lasting depression, suggesting that it is a different stage of illness that needs different therapeutics — the same perspective taken for early and later stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the researcher said.

For the study published in the journal, The Lancet Psychiatry, researchers involved a group of people with more than 10 years of depression, another group with less than 10 years of depression along with a group of people with no depression as a comparison group.

The brain inflammation, in the study, was measured using a type of brain imaging called positron emission tomography (PET).

The brain’s immune cells, known as microglia, are involved in the brain’s normal inflammatory response to trauma or injury, but too much inflammation is associated with other degenerative illnesses as well as depression.

When microglia is activated, they make more translocator protein (TSPO), a marker of inflammation that can be seen using PET imaging.

The researchers found that TSPO levels were about 30 percent higher in different brain regions among those with long-lasting untreated depression, compared to those with shorter periods of untreated depression.

The group with long-term depression also had higher TSPO levels than those with no depression.

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I deserve more respect for scoring record, says Lukaku

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku believes he has nothing to prove to his critics and deserves more respect for his goalscoring record.

Lukaku cancelled out Willian's opener and set up midfielder Jesse Lingard to score the winner in Sunday's 2-1 Premier League victory over champions Chelsea at Old Trafford.

The Belgian international has scored 13 league goals this season, four in the Champions League and four in the FA Cup, but has been criticised for not being effective against the bigger teams in England.

"You expect a bit more respect but it's the situation we're in," Lukaku told the club's website (www.manutd.com) after his first goal against a top-six side in seven games this season.

"I started playing when I was 16. Year in, year out people expect 20 goals from me. I have been doing it for 10 years straight so I think I've proved myself."

Lukaku joined United in the close season after scoring 25 league goals for Everton in his final campaign on Merseyside. The 24-year-old enjoyed a bright start to his United career before going off the boil towards the end of last year.

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane (24), Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (23) and Manchester City duo Sergio Aguero (21) and Raheem Sterling (15) have moved ahead of him in the race for this season's golden boot.

"I'm 24 and I have a lot of years ahead of me to improve before my prime so I'm never satisfied," Lukaku said.

United return to league action with a trip to Crystal Palace next Monday.

I love doing comedy: Rachel McAdams

Actress Rachel McAdams said she likes physical comedy because they are 'endlessly challenging'.
"I love doing comedy and physical comedy because they are endlessly challenging," McAdams said in a statement. 
McAdams expressed love for comedy when she was talking about her film 'Game Night' -- which tells story of a couple who get addicted to playing board games and find themselves trapped in a game night. The Warner Bros. Pictures project released in India on Friday. 
Talking about the film, she said: "I also loved the opportunity to work with Jason Bateman again. I've always admired him as both a dramatic and comedic actor. Ten years ago, we worked together for one day on the dramatic film 'State of Play', which is very different from 'Game Night'. So, this was a great opportunity to get to team up with him again in an entirely different way." 
The film is co-directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. And McAdams lauds their vision. 
"I really liked the directors' vision, which was to mix thriller elements with the comedy. That was a unique and smart approach. I love a game night, too, so I already knew a little about that aspect of the film," she added.

AFD arranges musical event at Shilpakala today

French singer Ariana Vafadari to perform

Alliance Française de Dhaka is organising a music performance with French singer Ariana Vafadari today at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segun Bagicha of the capital.

Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor will attend the musical event as the chief guest, while the Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie-Annick Bourdin will be present as special guest.

French mezzo-soprano classical singer Ariana Vafadari, as a part of her world tour, is performing here in Dhaka.

She recently performed at the famous Sacred Music Festival in Fès (Morocco) and in Paris at the Theatre de la Ville, the prestigious French concert hall dedicated to world music. For the concert, Ariana Vafadari composed songs based on Gathas, mystic prayers of Zoroastrism, the ancient religion of Persia. The profound connection she feels with her Iranian roots has brought out remarkable renditions of 3,700-year-old Gathas. These prayers are surprisingly modern, exposing life, doubts and choices of man. Vafadari will perform her musical pieces accompanied by 3 French musicians playing oud, double bass and drums.

Neymar suffers fractured metatarsal, serious doubt to face Real

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday's win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

The Brazilian, who signed for PSG in a world-record move from Barcelona last year, is now a serious injury doubt for the Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes on March 6.

PSG trail in the tie after a 3-1 first-leg defeat in Spain, with their hopes of a maiden Champions League title taking a further body blow with the confirmation of Neymar's injury, although they didn't specify how long the 26-year-old would be out of action.

"Additional examinations performed today (ultrasound and CT) confirmed an external sprain of the right ankle, but also an associated fissure of the fifth metatarsal," PSG said in a short statement.

The chances of Neymar returning to fitness in time to face the reigning European champions now appear extremely slim.

He is all but certain to miss Wednesday's French Cup quarter-final against Marseille and the weekend's Ligue 1 visit to Troyes, with the Real clash just three days later.

Metatarsal injuries usually take weeks, if not months to recover from.

Just last year, Neymar's international team-mate Gabriel Jesus was out of action for two months after breaking a metatarsal with Manchester City, and has struggled with further injuries since.

Former England stars David Beckham and Wayne Rooney spent six weeks on the sidelines with metatarsal injuries in the past, with both still arguably being rushed back too soon for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups respectively.

Brazil fans will also be keeping a close eye on Neymar's fitness, especially after he missed their 2014 World Cup thrashing by Germany with injury.

PSG, who lead the French top flight by a massive 14 points, also said that Brazilian centre-back Marquinhos had picked up a leg muscle problem.

- Stretchered off in anguish -

Neymar was stretchered off in anguish towards the end of PSG's 3-0 victory over their great rivals in the capital, having innocuously rolled his right ankle and flopped to the ground in pain.

With the game already as good as over, the stadium held its breath as he was treated and then carried away, with PSG forced to finish the match with 10 men having made all of their substitutions.

Neymar himself posted a picture on Instagram of his right leg with the ankle and foot heavily bandaged, before later appearing to delete the post. "08:10. Finished for today," said the caption.

French newspaper Le Parisien had earlier reported that tests on Monday morning had ruled out a "fracture of a serious sprain".

But the club later confirmed their fans' worst fears, with the return game against Real just eight days away.

Despite the injury potentially benefiting Madrid, the Spanish side's coach Zinedine Zidane claimed he hoped Neymar would recover in time to play.

"I'm not happy with the Neymar injury and I hope he can be back for the game. I will never want a rival player to be out injured," Zidane said at a press conference in the Spanish capital earlier on Monday.

While Neymar was leaving the Parc des Princes on crutches on Sunday, PSG coach Unai Emery insisted he was "optimistic".

"We will be optimistic. If I had to say today (whether or not he will face Real) I would rather say yes," said the Spaniard.

But now his team's hopes of keeping their European dream alive are hanging by a thread, despite the continued presence up front of Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe.

PSG have never reached the Champions League final, and lost at the last-16 stage last season after a humiliating 6-1 second-leg thrashing by a Neymar-inspired Barcelona, having won the first game 4-0.

Vegetarian, Mediterranean diet may keep heart diseases at bay

Consuming a form of vegetarian diet, which includes eggs and dairy but excludes meat and fish, may be just as effective as a Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of heart diseases and stroke, researchers have claimed.

A lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is a kind of vegetarian diet that includes animal products such as eggs and dairy products but excludes the intake of meat and fish.

A Mediterranean diet, meanwhile, includes the consumption of poultry, fish and some red meat as well as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.

“The take-home message of our study is that a low-calorie lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet can help patients reduce cardiovascular risk about the same as a low-calorie Mediterranean diet,” said lead author Francesco Sofi, Professor at the University of Florence in Italy.

“People have more than one choice for a heart-healthy diet,” Sofi added.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, found that a vegetarian diet was more effective at reducing LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol, while the Mediterranean diet resulted in greater reductions in triglycerides, high levels of which increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.

The research included 107 healthy but overweight participants, between 18 and 75 years of age, who were randomly assigned to follow for three months either a low-calorie vegetarian diet, which included dairy and eggs, or a low-calorie Mediterranean diet for three months.

The results showed that people on either diet had lost about four pounds of their weight overall, along with a three-pound loss of body fat.

They also experienced the same change in body mass index, a measure of weight in relationship to height.

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Imrul, Taskin, Nurul return to Bangladesh T20 squad for NIDAHAS tri-series

Imrul Kayes, Taskin Ahmed and Nurul Hasan Sohan have returned to Twenty20 International squad as Bangladesh Cricket Board is banking on experience.

Bowling Coach Courtney Walsh has been made the head coach for the NIDAHAS Trophy tri-nation tournament to be held in Sri Lanka from Mar 6 to 16. Apart from the hosts, the other team is India.

The BCB announced the 16-member squad on Monday, including Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who will play if all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan cannot recover fully from a finger injury.

Chief Selector Minhazul Abedin said at a news conference at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium it would take seven to 10 more days for Shakib to recover.

“We would have announced a 15-player squad if Shakib had recovered. Now we’ve taken off-spinning all-rounder Miraz as his cover,” he said.   

Mahmudullah, who had led the team in the absence of Shakib against Sri Lanka in the home series, has been made vice-captain.

Out of the six players who debuted in the T20 series against Sri Lanka earlier in February, left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam Apu and middle-order batsman Ariful Haque have been retained.

Mohammad Saif Uddin, Mehedi Hasan, Zakir Hasan, and Afif Hossain made their international debut in the home series, but have failed to break into the tri-nation series squad.

Mohammad Mithun, who had also been in the squad for the home series, has been dropped.

The squad:

Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Mahmudullah (Vice-captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarker, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Haider Rony, Abu Jahed Rahi, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Nazmul Islam Apu.

Walsh head coach

Minhazul said the absence of a head coach caused problems in making final decisions in the last tournament.

“Besides this, we need someone who can be called the mentor and is respected by all as a senior. We’ve considered everything while selecting Walsh as head coach,” he said.

“He is very much experienced and respected by all. I don’t think someone has any doubts about it,” he added.

Bangladesh have been searching for a head coach since November last year when Chandika Hathurusingha resigned and joined his home team Sri Lanka.

Hathurusingha’s Sri Lanka won the tri-nation ODI series against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Bangladesh also lost the Test and T20 series against Sri Lanka.

BCB Technical Director Khaled Mahmud, who worked as head coach unofficially during the tournament, recently stirred a debate, saying he did not want to work in a ‘dirty environment’.

Sridevi's Body to Be Flown Back To Mumbai Today For Funeral

Megastar Sridevi's mortal remains will be flown to India on Monday, said the official spokesperson of producer and late Sridevi's husband Boney Kapoor.

"Late Sridevi Kapoor's body will arrive in India tomorrow. We will update you on all further information as and when it's available to us," an official statement by Kapoors said.

It added: "Boney Kapoor, Jhanvi, Khushi and the entire Kapoor, Ayyappan and Marwah family are deeply bereaved and shocked with the untimely loss of Sridevi Kapoor. They thank the entire media for their prayers, support, and sensitivity during their time of grief," the statement reads.

The actor, who was in Dubai for a wedding, reportedly had a fainting spell in her bathroom after which she was immediately rushed to Rashid Hospital in Dubai but could not be saved.

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Industrialist Anil Ambani on Sunday sent an aircraft to Dubai to bring back the deceased actor's body.

The 13-seater private jet, (Embraer-135BJ) belonging to Reliance Transport & Travel Ltd, left Mumbai for Dubai around 1.30 pm on Sunday.

The demise of the first female superstar of Bollywood, Sridevi has left the film industry and her fans in a deep state of shock.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri and Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul, Indian Consulate representatives were coordinating with Dubai Police and other authorities concerned. However, the procedures to sent her body to India could not be completed yesterday before office hours in local departments here.

The Bollywood icon was known for her iconic roles in Hindi movies like Mr India, Chaalbaaz, Nagina, Sadma, and many more. She had more than 250 acting credits to her name including those in regional languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Sridevi started her career as a child artist in Tamil movie industry and made her Bollywood debut in 1975's Julie. In fact, in 2013 she was awarded Padmashri for her contribution to Indian cinema, according to Outlook India.

She is survived by her husband Boney Kapoor and two daughters- Janhvi and Khushi.

Pep's City thump Arsenal in final

Manchester City rolled back the years on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Pep Guardiola era with three of their veteran players scoring in an emphatic 3-0 win against Arsenal at Wembley.

Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva were all on the scoresheet as City lifted the trophy for the fifth time -- only Liverpool have won it more.

It was an impressive statement of intent from Guardiola's men after a shock FA Cup defeat to lowly Wigan last week ended their bid for an unprecedented quadruple.

"It was a difficult game, but as much space there was for us and Arsenal, we did well and controlled the space and I am proud of the team," said Kompany. "Winning 3-0 at Wembley is a massive result against any opponent.

"Before the game, I thought I was going to score. I came close during the game so there was some luck on the day, but also self-belief."

City opened the scoring in the 18th minute when a long punt upfield from goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was controlled by Sergio Aguero, who coolly lifted the ball over a helpless David Ospina in the Arsenal goal.

Captain Kompany doubled the lead in the second half with just over half an hour to go and Silva put the game out of reach.

The runaway Premier League leaders will be hoping to use the victory as a springboard to greater glory as the season approaches its final stretch but defeat for Wenger means he has never lifted the League Cup.

On a bitterly cold, clear day in London, City, in their light blue kit, took control early, playing measured football and enjoying the lion's share of possession against a side who have made Wembley a second home in recent years.

It was Aguero who broke the deadlock, controlling the ball as Arsenal's defence failed to deal with the danger, silencing the boisterous Arsenal fans.

The Argentine striker has scored in each of his past five games in all competitions against Arsenal and this was his 199th goal in City colours. It was an unusual goal for Guardiola's team, who have been lauded for their silky passing game this season.

City made a bright start to the second half and captain Kompany was in the right place to steer home Ilkay Gundogan's shot from the edge of the box after a Kevin De Bruyne corner in the 58th minute.

Just seven minutes later Arsenal were left with a mountain to climb when Silva smashed the ball past Ospina into the far corner of the net to make it 3-0.

'THIS IS FOR CITY, NOT ME'

Guardiola insisted his first trophy in English football was due to the skill and dedication of his players rather than his coaching magic touch.

"It's important. We're so happy, and a big congratulations to all of Manchester City, and our fans. This trophy is for Manchester City and not for me," Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"The first half we were not good, there were a lot of mistakes, in the second half we played with a lot more courage and personality -- we were outstanding."

For Arsenal, it was a poor afternoon with fans leaving Wembley in their droves after Silva added the third goal in the 65th minute.

"Arsenal were an absolute disgrace," former Manchester United star Gary Neville said on Sky Sports as Gunners boss Arsene Wenger came under renewed pressure.

"You have to accept being criticised when you lose games," Wenger said.

"But I believe we have to recover quickly. We got to the final, we lost, so now we have to focus on the next Premier League game."

Asians, Europeans genetically prone to dengue: study

Scientists have identified gene variants that make people of Asian and European ancestry more prone to developing severe dengue.

Dengue fever is endemic to tropical and subtropical regions of East Asia and the Americas, but the virus responsible for the disease has recently spread to North America and Europe due to the introduction of its vectors — mosquitoes of the Aedes genus — into these regions.

The dengue virus can lead to a wide spectrum of illness, ranging from classic dengue fever (DF) to the potentially-fatal dengue shock syndrome (DSS).

Ethnic diversity has long been considered as one of the factors explaining why the severe forms of dengue are more prevalent in Southeast Asia than elsewhere, as previously shown in epidemiological research, yet the phenomenon has never been explained by human genetics.

Researchers, led by Anavaj Sakuntabhai from National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, studied the genetics of 411 patients admitted with dengue virus infection to three hospitals in Thailand between 2000 and 2003.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, identified two genes related to blood vessel inflammation that confer risk of severe dengue, and four genes related to metabolism that affect risk of classic dengue fever.

Further experiments showed that variations in the genes led to observable changes in cellular dynamics.

A comparison with the genetic databases of individuals of African and European origin showed that the prevalence of these variations varies based on ethnic ancestry.

“The particular genetic risk conferred by these genes indicates that Southeast and Northeast Asians are highly susceptible to both phenotypes, while Africans are best protected against severe dengue,” said Mr. Sakuntabhai.

“Europeans, on the other hand, are less susceptible to classical dengue fever but more susceptible to severe dengue fever,” he said.

This research offers insights that can help understand the pathophysiology of this infectious disease and develop new therapeutic approaches.

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Major quake cuts communications, halts oil and gas operations in Papua New Guinea

At least one company began evacuating non-essential personnel after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Papua New Guinea’s energy-rich interior on Monday, causing landslides, damaging buildings and closing oil and gas operations.

The tremor hit in the rugged, heavily forested Southern Highlands about 560 km (350 miles) northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, at around 3.45am local time (1545 GMT Sunday), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

A spokesman at Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Centre said by telephone the affected area was very remote and the agency could not properly assess damage until communication was re-established.

He said there were no confirmed casualties, although the International Red Cross (IRC) in Papua New Guinea said some reports indicated there were “fears of human casualties”.

“It’s a very serious all across the Southern Highlands and also all over the western highlands. People are definitely very frightened,” Udaya Regmi, the head of the IRC in Papua New Guinea, said by telephone from Port Moresby.

The PNG government also said it had sent disaster assessment teams. At least 13 aftershocks with a magnitude of 5.0 or more rattled the area throughout the day, according to USGS data, but no tsunami warnings were issued.

“The Papua New Guinea Defence Force has also been mobilised to assist with the assessment and the delivery of assistance to affected people as well as the restoration of services and infrastructure,” Isaac Lupari, the chief secretary to the government, said in a statement.

ExxonMobil said it had shut its Hides gas conditioning plant and that it believed administration buildings, living quarters and a mess hall had been damaged. It also said it had suspended flights into the nearby Komo airfield until the runway could be surveyed.

“Due to the damage to the Hides camp quarters and continuing aftershocks, ExxonMobil PNG is putting plans in place to evacuate non-essential staff,” the company said in an emailed statement.

Gas is processed at Hides and transported along a 700 km (435 miles) line that feeds a liquefied natural gas plant near Port Moresby for shipping.

PAPUA PANIC

PNG oil and gas explorer Oil Search said in a statement it had also shut production in the quake-affected area.

The giant Grasberg copper mine operated by the Indonesian unit of Freeport McMoRan in neighbouring Papua province was not affected, a Jakarta-based spokesman said.

However, the quake and several aftershocks caused panic in Jayapura, the capital of Indonesian Papua, Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said in a statement, but there were no reports of casualties or damage there.

The IRC’s Regmi said communications were “completely down” in Tari, one of the larger settlements near the quake’s epicentre, and that landslides had cut roads.

Several other aid and missionary agencies said poor communications in the area made damage and injury assessment difficult.

“The bush structures that they build tend to handle earthquakes extremely well,” Christian missionary Brandon Buser told Reuters after contacting several remote villages by shortwave radio.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire”, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

“This is the Papuan fold-and-thrust belt, so it’s a typical movement of faults in that region, but it’s big,” said Chris McKee, acting director of the Geohazards Management Division in Port Moresby.

Part of PNG’s northern coast was devastated in 1998 by a tsunami, generated by a 7.0 quake, which killed about 2,200 people.