Washington, Apr 15 : Male circumcision reduces the risk of contracting HIV in heterosexual men, concludes a new study.

"Research on the effectiveness of male circumcision for preventing HIV in heterosexual men is conclusive. No further trials are required to establish that HIV infection rates are reduced in heterosexual men for at least the first two years after circumcision," says lead researcher Nandi Siegfried, Co-director of the South African Cochrane Centre at the South African Medical Research Council.

Washington, April 15 : A new study of storm-related deaths from a super cyclone that hit the eastern coast of India in 1999 finds that villages shielded from the storm surge by mangrove forests experienced significantly fewer deaths than villages that were less protected.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Delhi and Duke University, analyzed deaths in 409 villages in the poor, mostly rural Kendrapada District of the Indian state of Orissa, just north of the cyclone's landfall.

Washington, Apr 15 : Drugs and radiotherapy given to fight cancer can lead to nausea and vomiting, mouth sores and dermatitis. Now, Cochrane Researchers claim that homeopathic medicines can help reduce these unpleasant side effects.

In a systematic review of randomised controlled trials, scientists examined recent evidence for the safety and effectiveness of homeopathic medicines used in this way.

Washington, Apr 15 : Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt General Shuja Pasha is in the United States on a two-day visit for talks on intelligence cooperation in wake of US military chief Admiral Michael Mullen’s warning that violence in Afghanistan is set to rise in the coming months.

Lt General. Shuja Pasha’s visit to the US comes amidst increasing concerns voiced by US generals regarding the ISI’s alleged relationship with militant organisations.

Washington, Apr 15 : Do you suffer severe stress and anxiety associated with having and undergoing treatment for coronary heart disease? Well, then bring on the iPod.

A Cochrane Systematic Review has suggested that music can be good for heart disease patients.

According to researchers, listening to music could decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of anxiety in heart patients.

Washington, April 15 : Twin NASA spacecraft have provided scientists with their first view of the speed, trajectory, and three-dimensional shape of powerful explosions from the sun known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs.

This new capability will dramatically enhance scientists'' ability to predict if and how these solar tsunamis could affect Earth.

When directed toward our planet, these ejections can be breathtakingly beautiful and yet potentially cause damaging effects worldwide.