London, Oct 30: A pungent peppery spice known as grains of paradise or Aframomum melegueta, which is an integral part of West African cuisine, may harbour diabetes treatment, suggests a new study.

Aframomum melegueta – a member of the ginger family that grows well in the swamps along the coast –has long been known in African folklore as a medicine that aids digestion.

The finding was made after Ilya Raskin, a plant biologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey, tested an extract of A. melegueta on diabetic mice and found that it produced a significant drop in their blood sugar levels, reports New Scientist.

New Delhi, Oct 30 : The three wings of the Indian defense forces including the army, the navy and the air force are holding separate annual conferences here today to address matters of national security.

Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor, Chief Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Air Chief Marshal Fali H Major chaired the respective conferences.

Lieutenant General SPS Dhillon, deputy chief of Army Staff, said that the aim was to take a stock of the operational capabilities during the four day Army commanders'' conference

Washington, Oct 30: A new study has suggested that kids who are breastfed are less likely to suffer from behavioral or mental health issues than those who are not nursed.

The research has been presented at the American Public Health Association’s 136th Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego.

To reach the conclusion, the research looked at whether breastfeeding is

associated with decreased behavioral problems and psychiatric illness during childhood.

Singapore- Shares prices were lifted almost 8 per cent at the Singapore Exchange Thursday, but analysts kept a cautious undertone.

The market rode on renewed confidence injected by the US Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates and work at a multi-billion dollar currency swap pact, which is to include Singapore.

The Straits Times Index (STI) began a climb back from the start of the opening bell at the exchange. It rose 130.71 points to close at 1801.91, up 7.82 per cent.

The Singapore bourse recorded a high level of activity with volume rising to 1,822.6 million shares. The day ended with 406 counters recording gains and 151 finishing with losses.

Dusseldorf - International retailer METRO reported good third-quarter growth on Thursday, buoyed by a strong performance in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.

Sales and profits were up by more than 6 per cent despite indications that the global financial crisis was having an affect on consumption, the Dusseldorf-based company said in a statement.

"METRO Group showed strength in a difficult environment," said Eckhard Cordes, the group's chief executive officer.

Bangkok - Thai shares rose 6.29 per cent Thursday as domestic investors snapped up bargains.