Barking dogs can land owner in jail

ROME: If you live in Italy and if the barking of your dogs keeps the neighbors up at night, it's you who might wind up caged -- in a jail cell.

The top appeals court sentenced four people in Sicily to two months in jail because they refused to keep their 10 dogs quiet at night despite complaints from neighbors who had repeatedly picked a bone with the owners over lost sleep.

The four were also ordered to pay court charges and a fine of 500 euros ($684) each. (Reuters)

‘Artificial pancreas’ shows promise in pregnancy

LONDON: Scientists have shown how an "artificial pancreas" can help pregnant women with type 1 diabetes and say their finding could significantly reduce cases of stillbirth and death among diabetic expectant mothers.

British researchers used a so-called "closed-loop insulin delivery system" or artificial pancreas, in 10 pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes and found it provided the right amount of insulin at the right time, maintained near normal blood sugar, and prevented dangerous drops in blood sugar levels at night.

"To discover an artificial pancreas can help maintain near-normal glucose levels in these women is very promising," said Helen Murphy of Cambridge University, who led the study.

The experimental artificial pancreas was created by combining a continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, with an insulin pump, both of which are already used separately by many people with type 1 diabetes.

Previous trials in children with the condition found that using an artificial pancreas system at night improved blood glucose control and reduced hypoglycaemia -- when the level of glucose in the blood falls too low.

The bodies of type 1 diabetes sufferers become unable to properly break down sugar and if untreated, bloodvessels and nerves are destroyed, organs fail and patients can die.

Pregnancy can be particularly risky for women with diabetes as hormonal changes make it very difficult to keep blood glucose levels within a safe range, especially at night.

As a result of high blood glucose levels, babies of women with diabetes are five times as likely to be stillborn, three times as likely to die in their first months of life and twice as likely to have a major deformity, the researchers said.

Data from previous studies suggest that pregnant women with type 1 diabetes spend an average of ten hours a day with glucose levels outside recommended targets, said Murphy, whose findings were published in thejournal Diabetes Care.

This increases the risk of birth defects, stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm delivery, oversized babies and other complications.

Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys its own ability to make insulin, accounts for around 10 percent of all people with diabetes. The more common type 2 diabetes is often linked to bad diet and lack of exercise.

Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, which part-funded the study, said that although it was a small and early stage trial, the results were encouraging.

"It's a fantastic example of how existing technologies...can be adapted and developed to benefit as many people with diabetes as possible," he said in a statement.

The researchers said more studies were now needed on larger numbers of women to validate their findings, and to see if the system could be developed for use outside of a hospital.

Britain acts to keep Queen's head on stamps

LONDON: The government insisted it is closing a loophole that could see Queen Elizabeth II's head removed from stamps if the Royal Mail national postal service is sold to a foreign firm.

The monarch's head, facing left, has appeared on adhesive postage stamps since their invention with the 1840 "Penny Black", featuring queen Victoria.

The current standard stamps, drawn up in 1967 by Alan Machin, are considered a design classic and a defining icon of Britain.

Her Majesty's Government is in talks with Buckingham Palace after realising that the legislation paving the way for the Royal Mail to be sold off failed explicitly to guarantee the Queen's head would remain on the stamps.

The bill gives Queen Elizabeth a veto over any use of her image but does not insist that her head is shown, as per tradition.

Postal services minister Ed Davey found the loophole but said he was sure a solution could be found before the law passes through parliament.

Pak successfully test fires Ghauri Hataf-V

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan successfully test-fired ballistic missile Ghauri Hataf-V capable of carrying all kind of warheads, the military spokesman said.


According to Geo News, ISPR spokesman stated that the missile is capable of carrying all kind of warheads besides hitting its target at a range of 1300 kilometers.

The test of Ghauri Hataf-V is normal experiment to identify its capability.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have f congratulated Pak Army and the whole nation on succesfull test of Ghori Hataf-V.

Govinda celebrates 47th birthday

MUMBAI: It's Govinda's 47th birthday today, and he is going to have quite a day, that his kids, Narmmadaa and Yash have ensured.

In fact, celebrations began last night, when the family rang in his birthday over a sumptuous dinner. Today's plans include a private family lunch. Says Narmmadaa, "Dad's not very fond of Continental, so we've zeroed in on a nice place that serves great Chinese cuisine, and we'll be cutting the cake after lunch. It's a private family get-together."

The brother-sister duo then plan to gift daddy a surprise birthday present. "We've have been doing it for three years now. Since he's very fond of gadgets we gifted him a smart phone last year. This year, well, it's a surprise, so we aren't disclosing now."

Govinda, who was earlier set to fly to London on his birthday, for a solo vacation, has now postponed the plans. After the family lunch, Govinda is set to fly to Kolkata, "I am going there for a show, and will be visiting a few temples there on my birthday," he told.