The benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty slipped deeper into the negative in late afternoon trade today, on account of aggressive selling at several blue chip counters.

Oil & gas, metal and realty stocks were hammered badly.

BSE Midcap and Smallcap index lost more than 1% each.

The 30-share index BSE Sensex, today, opened with a gain of 300.05 points at 10,931.17.

At 3:03 a.m., Sensex lost 409.87 points, or 3.86%, at 10,221.25 after touching a high of 10,945.41 and a low of 10,218.92.

Researchers say increasing wait times for hernia surgery for infants and toddlers under two, not only leads to more emergency visits, but could also potentially damage testicles or ovaries

Inguinal hernia, a bulging tissue in the groin area that could also be present at birth, is one of the most common surgical childhood disorders responsible for vomiting, lack of bowel movements and other symptoms, leading to increasing number of emergency room visits.

A study to be published in Lipids reveals, a crop of genetically modified soya bean that could help prevent heart attacks, has successfully passed the first phase of testing in USA.  If approved, it will be the first genetically modified food to carry direct human health benefits. So far, bio-technology firms have tried to develop crops with increased yields, resistancy to pests and disease or the ability to thrive in harsh conditions.

It was a big shock for Pakistan cricket authorities when they come to know that their prolific batsman Mohammad Yousuf is all set to join the ‘rebel’ Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Mohammad Yousuf left Karachi on Monday for New Delhi to play in the Indian Cricket League. The right hand batsman has been named in the national squad for the up-coming series against the West Indies.

PCB officials confirmed they have learnt from Yousuf’s wife that he would be playing in the ICL, dealing a severe blow to the national team which has witnessed a series of defections to ICL in the recent years.

A new study suggests post natal depression, an acuter form of ‘baby blues’ that could cost the life of a new mother or baby, is more due to nature than nurture.  This is in contrast to the findings of previous studies that claimed the serious mood disorders were related to the mother’s circumstances, personality and hormonal changes and which often went undiagnosed and untreated.  A long-lasting condition affecting 10 to 15% of women, it prevents mothers from bonding with their babies, causes suicidal thoughts and if untreated both not only the mother, but the child also suffers which affects the short or long-term development of the baby.

Dr. Muhammad Siddiq, head of the Islamic Medical Association, has been suspended for 12-months over the ‘offensive and homophobic’ letter sent by him to Pulse, a magazine published for general practitioners.

In his letter, Dr. Siddiq claims gays ‘were the root cause of many sexually transmitted diseases’ and required the ‘stick of law to put them on the right path’.  Such comments, according to Andrew Popat, Chairman of the General Medical Council panel are not in the best interests of his patients, tend to undermine public confidence in the medical profession and bring it into disrepute.