United Kingdom

‘Nanonet’ technology may soon make for flexible electronics

London, July 24 : A team of researchers from Purdue University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign claims to have overcome a major obstacle in producing transistors from networks of carbon nanotubes, a technology that could make it possible to print circuits on plastic sheets for applications including flexible displays, and an electronic skin to cover an entire aircraft to monitor crack formation.

The researchers say their work may help significant improve the so-called "nanonet" technology, which involves circuits made of numerous carbon nanotubes randomly overlapping in a fishnet-like structure.

They point out that the network is generally contaminated with metallic nanotubes, which cause short circuits.

Tory councillor arrested for loo sex act

London, July 24 : North London Police have arrested a Tory councillor after he was allegedly caught in a sex act with a man in a loo.

Brit junior doctors being forced to drive taxis due to lack of work

London, July 24: Thousands of junior doctors in Britain are reportedly driving taxis due to a lack of work.

According to The Telegraph, most of these general physicians have been forced to take up menial second jobs to make ends meet because their ''greedy'' senior partners are not offering them full time posts.

Next week 2,500 doctors will qualify as general physicians (GPs), and according to the British Medical Association, a vast majority have not found full time jobs and will have to live ''hand to mouth.

It costs the British taxpayer around 250,000 pounds to train each graduate to junior doctor level and many are considering travelling abroad or working in another speciality even though there is predicted to be shortage of GPs.

Gordon Brown backs off on language tests for migrants

British Prime Minister Gordon BrownLondon, July 24: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has decided to amend a legislation that insists that prospective foreign spouses have to take an English proficiency test before marrying a British citizen.

According to The Sun, the government has said that those intending to marry British citizens and settle here will be required to take language lessons only after they arrive.

The country’s Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said it would be impractical to demand tests beforehand because English lessons are not widely available overseas.

Fear over pandemic disease effort

The report presented by the House of Lords claimed that a threat of pandemic is looming over Britain.

The report said, "Estimates are that the next pandemic will kill between two million and 50 million people worldwide and between 50,000 and 75,000 in the UK. Socio-economic disruption will be massive."

The report further added that changes in lifestyle are supplementary to such infections.  The report mentioned various diseases like Malaria and TB which are developing resistance to the antibiotics. The report also presented concern over the various diseases that are now transmitted from animals to humans.

New computer virus infects key government and consumer websites

computer virusLondon, July 23 : Eastern European hackers are suspected of placing the Asprox virus on more than a thousand British websites, which including key government and consumer websites, in the past two weeks.

According to a report in The Times, using the virus, the hackers have been able to steal the personal details of anyone browsing the sites.

Experts described the Asprox virus as an alarming departure from commonplace viruses which tend to be spread through rogue e-mails and unregulated websites.

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