Washington, Oct 31: A US intelligence official has said that the series of homicide bombings in Somalia on Wednesday “were probably the work of a local group that was likely facilitated by al Qaeda.”

The official described the attacks as a fairly sophisticated and complex event, which has all the attributes of an al Qaeda attack. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet.

The wave of homicide bombings killed more than 20 people in northern Somalia, striking just as international leaders held talks on ending decades of deadly turmoil in this chaotic African nation.

New Delhi - The death toll in serial bomb explosions that struck India's north-eastern state of Assam rose to 74 Friday with several of the injured succumbing to their injuries overnight, police said.

More than 400 people were injured Thursday in 12 blasts that took place in quick succession - six in Assam's main city of Guwahati and six in the three western districts of Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Bongaigaon.

The bombs were placed in cars, autorickshaws and drains in busy market areas. They were synchronized to explode within minutes of each other.

London, Oct 31: UK physicists are constructing a new gamma-ray detector that will help to uncover the structure of the atomic nucleus, as well as in the advancement of medical gamma-ray technology, used in hospital scans.

Named as the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA), it will be a thousand times more sensitive than previous detectors.

Atomic nuclei make up most of the visible matter in the Universe, including ourselves. So, unlocking their structures is of great significance in not only understanding how the forces of nature work but also how the elements were created. 

With the intention to endorse its motto of ‘Education anywhere and anytime’, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has decided to impart students capsule courses on dance, music, art, public health and other subjects via mobile phones.

Mr. V.S. Rajasekharan Pillai, vice chancellor IGNOU, stated, “Looking at the mobile phone penetration in our country, we thought of using the medium to impart education. Its called M-education.”

New York, Oct 31: A growing number of voters have concluded that Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, is not qualified to be vice president, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Fifty nine percent of voters surveyed said that Palin was not prepared for the job, up nine percentage points since the beginning of the month.

Nashville, Oct 31: America’s top intelligence officer has said that the next US President will govern in an era of increasing international instability, including a heightened risk of terrorist attacks in the near future, long-term prospects of regional conflicts and diminished US dominance across the globe.