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Washington D.C. [US], Sept. 23 : In a recent research conducted at the Harvard Medical School, scientists have found that DNA methylation, a process by which cells control gene activity and modifies the function of genes, could reveal a person's smoking history.

As a result, targeted new therapies for diseases associated with smoking could be developed.

Author Stephanie J. London said, "These results are important because methylation, as one of the mechanisms of the regulation of gene expression, affects what genes are turned on, which has implications for the development of smoking-related diseases."

She added, "Equally important is our finding that even after someone stops smoking, we still see the effects of smoking on their DNA."

Chennai [India], Sept. 23 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J.

Agartala (Tripura) [India], Sept. 23 : Tripura Pradesh Youth Trinamool Congress (TPYTMC) will observe Friday as the 'Day of Integrity' between the tribal and non-tribal sections of the state.

This is in protest against the alleged ruling CPI-M-conspired clash between the two sections in Agartala on the same day a month back.

To take part in the programme, TPYTMC national president and MP Abhishek Banerjee, along with other TMC leaders and the party's vice president Mukul Roy, are arriving here today.

TPYTMC state president Sushanta Chowdhury has alleged that the ruling CPI-M led Left Front, which is in power for the last 23 years, has miserably failed to provide jobs and quality education to people in the state, leaving the younger generation frustrated.

New Delhi [India], Sept. 23 : India is likely to ink a deal for direct acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France on Friday.

The negotiations to buy the Rafale fighter jets came through on Wednesday.

French Defence Minister Yves Le Drian is arriving today to finalise the deal which will cost India Euros 7.8 billion.

The development comes after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) discussed the deal and gave the green signal to go ahead with its signing to give a crucial boost to the Indian Air Force.

In June, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had stated that the number of the fighter jets were "on path of coming to conclusion".

New Delhi [India], Sept. 23 : A group of ministers, led by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, will today review the first-of-its-kind national policy to curb the menace of drug abuse and trafficking in the country.

The policy, which was redrafted by the Social Justice Ministry, aims at efforts to reduce drugs to address the problem.

It also aims to create awareness about ill-effects on the individual, family, workplace and the society at large. The proposal is to focus on demand and supply aspects of the drugs to solve this problem.

New Delhi [India], Sept.23 : The sixth meeting of BRICS on Agriculture and Agrarian Development that began in New Delhi yesterday with an official-level meeting, will be followed by a ministerial meeting today.

The two-day conference is being hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and will centre around the five priority areas of cooperation in the BRICS Action Plan for 2012-2016.

The areas of cooperation include creating basic agricultural information exchange systems, strategy for ensuring access to food for the most vulnerable population, reducing the negative impact of climate change on food security, adaptation of agriculture to climatic change, enhancing agricultural technology cooperation and innovation, trade and investment promotion.