Washington, Oct 22 : A new research has explored the possibilities of how enzymes produced by both termites and the micro-organisms that inhabit their gut could help to produce biofuel from non-edible plant material such as straw and wood.

Michael Scharf, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and his colleague Aurelien Tartar undertook the research.

“Through millions and millions of years of evolution, termites and their symbionts have acquired highly specialised enzymes that work together to efficiently convert wood and other plant materials into simple sugars,” said Scharf.

“These enzymes are of the most value to bioethanol production,” he added.

Munich  - Troubled German state bank BayernLB announced Wednesday a review of all its costs just one day after it said was tapping the government's financial rescue plan for 5.4 billion euros (7.1 billion dollars).

"We will be looking at all positions," said a spokesman of the Munich-based bank, which has been badly hit by the global financial crisis and which became the first German financial house to apply for financial support from Berlin's 480 billion-euro bank rescue package.

The cost review includes the 19,000 BayernLB's world-wide labour force with the bank having already warned that it might not be able to avoid job cuts.

The Bavarian state bank is planning a 400-million saving project in the next three years.

New Delhi - A stockbroker in India's financial capital of Mumbai killed his pregnant wife before committing suicide due to the financial downturn, media reports said Wednesday.

Parag Tanna and his wife Neha were found dead by relatives in the city's Kandivali area Tuesday night, police told CNN-IBN network.

Police suspect that Tanna, who strangled his wife, had huge investments in the stock exchange and that his recent losses drove him to commit suicide.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has demanded for a central law to tackle religious conversions.

Addressing a press conference the RSS executive member Ram Madhav Said that the conversions should be debated at the national level especially the rampant inter-denominational conversions within the Christian community.

Now there are anti-conversion laws in various states but the authorities are not implementing it properly. Presently Orissa, MP, Himachal Pradesh have such laws.

At the same time RSS have demanded for the immediate arrests of culprits and conspirators behind the brutal killing of Swami Laxamananda Saraswati.

Brussels - Greece's budget deficit surged to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2007, according to revised figures published on Wednesday by the European Union's statistical office, Eurostat.

The figure is well above previous estimates and exceeds the 3-per cent limit by which countries which share the euro need to abide to.

The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, had earlier warned that it would open infringement procedures against Greece if its excessive deficit was confirmed.

However, national governments agree on the need to relax the strict rules governing the EU's Stability and Growth Pact in light of the "exceptional circumstances" resulting from the current financial crisis.

According to the US researchers, sun-damaged skin can be improved by laser treatment. In this treatment a topical solution increases the skin’s sensitivity to light, and can improve the sun burnt skin.

Researchers at the University Of Michigan Health System Department Of Dermatology said that the worst damaged skin may also respond very well in this treatment.