One in 12 babies born to illegal immigrants in US
Washington, Aug 12 : One of about every 12 babies born in the United States in 2008 was the offspring of illegal immigrants, says a new study sharpening a debate over a law that automatically makes them US citizens.
An estimated 340,000 of the 4.3 million babies born in the US in 2008 had parents who were in the country without legal documentation, a Pew Hispanic Centre study released Wednesday concluded.
The study did not give a country-wise break up, but according to official figures there are some 200,000 Indians among over 11 million illegal foreign residents in the US, making them the sixth largest source for unauthorised immigrants with Mexico with 6.7 million (62 per cent) at the top.
Obama sends best wishes to Muslims on Ramadan
Washington, Aug 12 - US President Barack Obama has extended his best wishes to Muslims around the world as Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, starts.
"On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I want to extend our best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world, " Obama said in a statement Wednesday.
"Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality. And here in the US, Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country," Obama said.
He also said he will host a dinner celebrating Ramadan at the White House later this week.
Clinton urges Republicans to support arms treaty with Russia
Washington, Aug 12 : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday urged Republican Senators to support the passage of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, warning the failure of approval could hurt the country's national security.
Clinton said the Senate has enough time to review the detailed information of the treaty, it must act because the national security is at risk, Xinhua reported.
Last week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had delayed a vote on ratification of the treaty until the middle of September.
'US on track for Iraq withdrawal'
Washington, Aug 12 : The US military remains on track for ending combat operations in Iraq by the end of this month, the White House said Wednesday after President Barack Obama held a meeting with key advisors.
"Nothing was brought up with the president that would necessitate us needing to turn back," spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Obama met with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and via videoconference with General Ray Odierno, the top commander of US forces in Iraq.
Obama plans to end the US combat role by the end of August, which would bring the US presence there to about 50,000. All US forces are slated to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011.
Astronauts remove faulty pump outside ISS
Washington, Aug 12 - Two US astronauts successfully removed a stubborn cooling pump outside the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday.
Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson returned to the station after their 7-hour-26-minute spacewalk, where they were confined a bit longer in a secure airlock to make sure no dangerous ammonia had clung to their spacesuits.
During their sojourn, the two astronauts removed the defective pump on the outside of the orbiting ISS that has interfered with the station's cooling system since July 31. A new pump will be installed in the coming days.
NASA scientists discover fresh crater on Moon’s surface
Washington, Aug 11 : NASA has discovered a fresh crater on the Moon’s surface.
The impact occurred sometime between an image of the region taken by the Apollo program in 1971 and an image recently taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a spacecraft that is taking large amounts of data on the Moon''s terrain and mineralogy, as well as taking pictures of the Apollo landers and astronaut footsteps.
Caring for pets shaped human evolution: Study
Washington, Aug 11 : Dogs, cats, cows and other domesticated animals may have been vital to human evolution, a new theory suggests.
The uniquely human habit of taking in and employing animals -- even competitors like wolves -- spurred on human tool-making and language, which have both driven humanity''s success, paleoanthropologist Pat Shipman of Penn State University.says.
"Wherever you go in the world, whatever ecosystem, whatever culture, people live with animals," Discovery News quoted Shipman as saying.
For early humans, taking in and caring for animals would seem like a poor strategy for survival.
Now, a minicooker that saves water-damaged cell phones
New York, Aug 11 : Dropped your cell phone into the toilet? No problem. Heat it in the new mini cooker called ‘Dryer Box’ – which saves your phone from going kaput.
Manufactured by a Japanese gadget company, the minicooker costs 1,000 yen (about 12 dollars).
If they fail to rescue the device after 30 minutes, there''s no charge.
If they do hit the United States, they are bound to cause a rage.
"Me and phones don''t get along too well," The New York Daily News quoted Paolo Glaude, a 21-year-old student from Harlem, as saying.
His BlackBerry was once saved after a dousing but was never the same again.
Gondwana supercontinent underwent 60-degree rotation during Cambrian explosion
Washington, Aug 11 : New evidence uncovered by a team of Yale University geologists has revealed that the Gondwana supercontinent underwent a 60-degree rotation across Earth’s surface during the Early Cambrian period.
Gondwana made up the southern half of Pangaea, the giant supercontinent that constituted the Earth’s landmass before it broke up into the separate continents we see today.
The study has implications for the environmental conditions that existed at a crucial period in Earth’s evolutionary history called the Cambrian explosion, when most of the major groups of complex animals rapidly appeared.
How paint dries and peels off
Washington, Aug 11 : Yale University researchers have come up with a new technique that let’s them take a close look at the mechanics of coating as it dries and peels off.
Understanding how and why coatings fail has broad applications in the physical and biological sciences, said Eric Dufresne, the John J. Lee Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Yale and lead author of the study.
“Coatings protect almost every surface you encounter, from paint on a wall to Teflon on a frying pan to the skin on our own bodies. When coatings peel and crack they put the underlying material at risk,” Dufresne said.
Majestic spiral galaxy discovered within the Coma Cluster
Washington, Aug 11 : Images from Hubble Space Telescope show a majestic face-on spiral galaxy located deep within the Coma Cluster of galaxies, which lies 320 million light-years away in the northern constellation Coma Berenices.
The galaxy, known as NGC 4911, contains rich lanes of dust and gas near its centre.
These are silhouetted against glowing newborn star clusters and iridescent pink clouds of hydrogen, the existence of which indicates ongoing star formation.
85mn-year-old fossil of marine predator Mosasaur reveals new secrets
Washington, Aug 11 : Mosasaur Platecarpus, one of the most formidable marine predators, lived some 85 million years ago and was thought to have swum like an eel – a theory that has been debunked by latest research.
Johan Lindgren (Lund University, Lund, Sweden), Michael W. Caldwell, Takuya Konishi (University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), and Luis M. Chiappe, Director of the Natural History Museum''s Dinosaur Institute conducted the study.
The mosasaur specimen discovered in 1969, contains four slabs, which make up a virtually complete, 20-foot specimen.
Himachal Gives Nod To Six Industrial Plans
According to an official, Himachal Pradesh, on Monday, has given nod to six industrial plans of Rs 267.68 crore.
The reports said that the projects will offer up jobs to 1,353 individuals in the state.
Among the six industrial and three growth plans sanctioned by the cabinet were Blue Star Ltd, Aishwarya Life Sciences, Kuldip Oswal Cotspin Pvt Ltd and Sainath Texport Ltd.
Sansui To Foray Into Cell Phone Biz
Sansui announced that it will foray into the cell phone business in the Indian market.
With the aim to expand its market share in the country, Japanese audio and video equipment maker is all set to roll out 10 mobile phones by 2010 end.
The company introduced its novel variety of slim, LCD TVs and digital video disc players on Monday.
Gayatri Projects Q1 Net Profit Zooms 25.93%
Gayatri Projects Limited has recorded an increase of 25.93% in its net profit for the first quarter of the existing year (2010-11).
During the period, the company registered a net profit of Rs 15.06 crore.
The Hyderabad-based Infrastructure company had a net profit of Rs 11.96 crore during the same period of 2009.
