Washington, July 24: Scientists at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research have found that bacteria communities use chemicals as weapons to protect themselves against the attacking phagocytes, biological cells that ingest and destroy foreign matter like micro-organisms.

Dr. Carsten Matz and colleagues looked at marine bacteria that face constant threats in their habitat from environmental phagocytes, the amoebae, which behave in a similar way in the sea as the immune cells in the human body.

The Braunschweig-based researcher says that these predators easily pick bacteria when they are swimming freely and separately in the water.

London, July 24 : Brahamdagh Bugti, the grandson of slain Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, has reportedly said that instead of Pakistan’s, the sovereignty of Balochistan was dear to the tribesmen, and that they would welcome any help from across the border for Balochistan’s defence.

London, July 24 : Scientists have used tiny fossils to refine the timing of the climate shift that gave rise to Antarctica’s remarkable Dry Valleys, a landscape akin to Mars, estimating it to date back to 14 million years.

According to a report by BBC News, the famously ice-free terrain enjoyed more benign, tundra-like conditions 14 million years ago - but then flipped to the intensely cold setting seen today.

Scientists determined that ancient lake-living shrimp-like creatures can pinpoint the big switch, as the ostracods would not have coped with a harsh, dry environment.

London, July 24 : The British Government has decided to impose visa curbs on foreign brides and bridegrooms to prevent forced marriages in the country.

The measures introduced on Wednesday will hit 17,000 spouses and fiancé (e)s from the sub-continent the hardest.

According to a report in The Times, teenage foreign brides and bridegrooms will have to be at least 21 years of age to enter the country as a spouse.

London - Britain's leading aid charity Oxfam has warned that 13 million people in East Africa are at risk of hunger and destitution as food prices spiral out of control.

A situation already marked by droughts, war and poverty was made worse by rising food prices which had increased by 350 per cent in some regions between 2007 and 2008, Oxfam said in a report issued in London Thursday.

Oxfam joined calls on donors from other international aid groups to increase aid levels to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Its call followed a warning from the UN World Food Programme which said that more than 14 million people in the Horn of Africa needed food aid because of drought and rising food and fuel prices.

Lahore, July 24: Following intelligence reports that a female terrorist might enter the UK from Pakistan, security forces in Pakistan and Britain, have been put on high alert and are on the look out for the suspect female terrorist who may even travel to Britain along with her children.

The British authorities had declared “red alert” at Heathrow Airport on Monday and Tuesday, the sources said, adding that Pakistani security personnel checked a UK-bound flight at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport following the reports.

The security forces also searched passengers on-board the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-757, the Daily Times quoted the sources as saying.