A painkilling, anti-inflammatory drug may help prevent headaches in Muslims fasting from dawn to dusk for Ramazan, according to a study from Israel -- where a "Yom Kippur headache" is also known.

About four in every ten people who abstain from food and water all day during the month-long Ramazan period get headaches, said the study, published in the journal Headache.
Doctors aren't quite sure what causes them. It could be dehydration, or caffeine withdrawal in people who are used to getting their morning coffee, Drescher told Reuters Health.

Drescher and his Israel-based colleagues had already shown that Jews who took the drug known as etoricoxib, or Arcoxia, before fasting for 25 hours on the Yom Kippur holiday got fewer headaches than those who didn't.

Arcoxia, a cousin of the painkiller Vioxx, isn't approved for use in the United States because the Food and Drug Administration decided it was too similar to Vioxx, which Merck pulled from the market in 2004 when it was linked to a higher risk of heart attack. But Arcoxia is available in Israel, among other countries.

The drug has a longer-lasting effect than some other painkillers, which is important because taking a pill in the middle of the day when a headache sets in would be considered breaking the fast.

"If you take Tylenol (acetaminophen)... by the time you get around to feeling the effects of the fast, the medicine is long out of your system," Drescher said.

To see how Arcoxia would work during Ramadan, the researchers assigned 222 adults planning to fast in 2010 to either take the drug or an inactive placebo pill just before the start of fasting each day. All participants recorded how often they had a headache, and how severe it was.

After a week they switched treatments.

During the first day of fasting, when headaches are thought to be most common, 21 percent of people taking Arcoxia reported having a headache, compared to 46 percent of those who took the placebo pill.

The Arcoxia group also reported fewer total headaches during that first week, the researchers wrote. And when they did have headaches, they rated them as less severe than participants taking the placebo.

Kate Winslet escapes fire at Branson holiday home

 British Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet was among the guests who escaped unhurt from a fire which swept through Richard Branson's Caribbean holiday retreat overnight.

Branson said the blaze was caused by a lightning strike on The Great House on Necker Island, and that the building was completely destroyed.

Branson, his wife Joan and son Sam were staying in a nearby property, but among those who fled the affected building were 35-year-old Winslet, her boyfriend and family, Branson's mother Eve and his daughter Holly.

"Around 20 people were in the house and they all managed to get out and they are all fine," Branson said in comments released to the British media.

"We had a really bad tropical storm with winds up to 90 miles per hour. A big lightning storm came around 4 a.m. and hit the house.

"My son Sam rushed to the house and helped get everyone out. Kate Winslet, her boyfriend and her family were there and Holly and some of her friends were also staying. My mother was there and they managed to get her out and she is fine."

He said his office was based in the main house, and that he had lost thousands of photographs in the fire.

Branson added that he planned to rebuild the property, which British media said had been expected to be the venue for the marriage later this year of Holly to fiance Fred Andrews.

Necker Island is part of the British Virgin Islands and is privately owned by Branson.

Astronomers discover planet made of diamond

 Astronomers have spotted an exotic planet that seems to be made of diamond racing around a tiny star in our galactic backyard.

The new planet is far denser than any other known so far and consists largely of carbon. Because it is so dense, scientists calculate the carbon must be crystalline, so a large part of this strange world will effectively be diamond.

The evolutionary history and amazing density of the planet all suggest it is comprised of carbon -- i.e. a massive diamond orbiting a neutron star every two hours in an orbit so tight it would fit inside our own Sun," said Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.

Lying 4,000 light years away, or around an eighth of the way toward the center of the Milky Way from the Earth, the planet is probably the remnant of a once-massive star that has lost its outer layers to the so-called pulsar star it orbits.

Pulsars are tiny, dead neutron stars that are only around 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) in diameter and spin hundreds of times a second, emitting beams of radiation.

In the case of pulsar J1719-1438, the beams regularly sweep the Earth and have been monitored by telescopes in Australia, Britain and Hawaii, allowing astronomers to detect modulations due to the gravitational pull of its unseen companion planet.

The measurements suggest the planet, which orbits its star every two hours and 10 minutes, has slightly more mass than Jupiter but is 20 times as dense, Bailes and colleagues reported in the journal Science on Thursday.

In addition to carbon, the new planet is also likely to contain oxygen, which may be more prevalent at the surface and is probably increasingly rare toward the carbon-rich center.

Its high density suggests the lighter elements of hydrogen and helium, which are the main constituents of gas giants like Jupiter, are not present.

Just what this weird diamond world is actually like close up, however, is a mystery.

"In terms of what it would look like, I don't know I could even speculate," said Ben Stappers of the University of Manchester. "I don't imagine that a picture of a very shiny object is what we're looking at here."

Amazing and Interesting =)

A 99-year old man has ended his lifelong holdout and tied the knot for the very first time.

Gilbert Herrick met 86-year-old Virginia Hartman, a widow who raised five children, while living at Monroe Community Hospital near Rochester, New York. Something that hadn't clicked for 98 years finally did.

They tied the knot June 6. Her five children, grandchildren and great grandchildren helped plan. Both are confined to wheelchairs, making their first dance as a couple tricky. They waited for the floor to clear, said Herrick.

Boy undergoes unusual cancer surgery

OHIO: A boy in Ohio had his leg backward after he had undergone an unusual leg surgery to beat cancer. Dugan Smith, 13 year old boy from Ohio is now able to play football, thanks to a unique procedure that turned his foot backwards. It wasn’t a medical mishap or a doctor error – it was a bridge to getting the boy cancer-free and allowing him to keep most of his leg. Dugan was 10 when he fell from a tree and fractured his femur. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that's extremely rare in children, and Dugan’s parents had to make a difficult decision of having their son undergo a complicated leg surgery.

'Final Destination 5' a hoot for the strong of stomach

 Finally, you can cheat death in a "Final Destination" movie. Just take someone else's life -- adding your victim's years to your own.

It's not only the only twist in the new "Final Destination 5," it's a philosophical conundrum square in the middle of the least philosophical franchise ever.

As usual for the series, director Steven Quale delivers shocking scenes of horrifying murder and mutilation. But there is this: Quale shot second unit on James Cameron's "Titanic" and "Avatar"; for the latter, he was responsible for much of the groundbreaking 3D technology.

He employs it to superlative effect here. "FD 5" may reek in the acting department, but Quale is sure-handed with narrative montage, ratcheting up the tension as the reaper closes in with outlandish coincidence that makes even a massage parlor a potential death trap.

As for the story, once again it's a case of set it up and then let the bloodbath begin.

And so it starts with young Sam Lawton (Nicholas D'Agosto) on a tour bus to a company retreat when he has a startling vision of a bridge collapse with each of his friends meeting gruesome Wile E. Coyote-like deaths.

Snapping out of his nightmarish reverie, Sam herds his friends and whoever will listen off the bus only to see it consumed in a collapse matching his vision.

Unfortunately, D'Agosto loosely anchors the movie in a wan and passive manner. His roots are in TV, and he appears lost on the big screen, although screenwriter Eric Heisserer's alarmingly inept ear for dialogue doesn't help matters much.

Miles Fisher plays the company's ethically challenged alpha male, a role by which he oddly channels Tom Cruise, delivering a hackneyed performance as he struggles with a character arc that barely makes sense. Veteran actor Courtney B. Vance acquits himself well in a limited role as a cop, and David Koechner, as the typically clueless office manager, gets a few hardy laughs.

But, per usual, "Final Destination 5" only becomes watchable when people are perishing, in ways so outlandish that they border on self-parody. There are at least as many laughs as there are scares, such as when one poor victim has his face caved in by a stone Buddha, or when a gymnast fumbles on a difficult dismount, landing like a pretzel.

It's a hoot, if you can stomach it. The concept for the original "Final Destination" back in 2000 was a sound one -- for the cheap thriller that it was. To stretch it to a five-picture franchise is, you'll pardon the pun, overkill. It has over the years become nothing more than a celebration of graphic gore and pain meant to elicit chills and laughter.

Researchers creating bullet-proof skin

Dutch researchers are creating a form of synthetic skin tough enough to stop a speeding bullet. According to reports, researchers genetically engineered goats to produce milk packed with the same protein as silk spiders. Dutch researcher, Jalila Essaidi said keratin; the protein responsible for the toughness of human skin will be replaced by the spiders protein. She added that this was possible by adding silk producing genes of a spider to the gnome of a human, creating a bulletproof human.

ICC warns Mohammad Amir

Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Amir has escaped further punishment for flouting his five-year ban by playing for an English amateur side in a league match in June.

Amir has been cautioned by the International Cricket Council and warned over his future conduct.

"Mohammad Amir has been warned and has been provided with further clarification as to the terms of his suspension," an ICC spokesman said.

The 19-year-old played for Surrey Cricket League Division One team Addington, prompting the ICC to launch an inquiry.

Amir was banned for a minimum of five years along with team mates Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt by an ICC tribunal in February for bowling deliberate no balls during a test match in England last year.

London Riots

LONDON: Police will be on high alert at the Notting Hill Carnival in London this weekend amid fears that Europe's biggest street festival could be marred by a repeat of this month's devastating riots. The annual extravaganza, dubbed by organisers as a "Caribbean showcase for the world", attracts a million spectators to see floats with powerful sound systems packed with outlandishly dressed dancers make their way through west London. With costumes such as colourful headdresses decorated with feathers and huge wings, the troupes dance in front of packed crowds as the smell of exotic food fills the air, in an event that is a huge tourist draw for the area. But the festivities on Sunday and Monday's highpoint -- which is also a public holiday -- almost did not take place at all this year in the wake of riots that erupted in the capital and spread across England. The frenzy of looting and destruction, which started in the north London district of Tottenham on August 6 before spreading across the capital and to other cities, left five people dead in the worst riots in England for decades. Police have arrested more than 2,000 people in London alone in connection with the violence. Add to this the Notting Hill Carnival's reputation as a magnet for troublemakers, and many commentators thought it inevitable the event would be axed. The organisers were not ready to admit defeat in the face of an outbreak of civil disobedience, however, especially because the carnival itself originated as an act of defiant celebration in response to race riots in the 1950s. The carnival was founded in 1964 following the disturbances in Notting Hill six years earlier, which saw clashes between whites and newly arrived immigrants from the West Indies. "We are not going to let a minority stop us from doing what we want," Ancil Barclay, the festival's co-director, told. "Cancelling the event would have had a negative impact and would have sent a bad message with the Olympics next year. It would have told the world that London isn't equipped to deal with disturbances." Nevertheless, authorities are on edge. Police said Wednesday they had made at least 35 arrests ahead of the carnival and warned intelligence showed that gangs were planning to cause trouble. There will be 6,500 police officers on duty in the area on Monday, almost 1,000 more than last year, while there will also be several hundred extra officers on duty on Sunday. More than 4,000 officers will be on duty elsewhere in the capital "as well as the thousands who are normally on duty", said Steve Rodhouse, a commander with London's Metropolitan Police. "We realise that carnival will be taking place this year in unusual and exceptional circumstances," Rodhouse said. Organisers have also taken steps to ensure trouble does not flare up, with the festival starting and finishing earlier and extra stewards to keep order. But despite fears of violence, many remain positive about the event, which Barclay hailed as "a Caribbean showcase for the world and the biggest ethnically diverse event in Europe." (AFP)

JOHANNESBURG: Wayne Parnell, the South Africa left-arm seamer, has announced that he has converted to Islam.

Parnell confirmed in a statement on Thursday that he converted to Islamic faith in January this year and is considering to change his name to Waleed, which means 'Newborn Son'.

Parnell confirmed that he will "continue to respect the team's endorsement of alcoholic beverages." South Africa's Test team is sponsored by Castle Lager, a local beer. Hashim Amla, also of Muslim faith, does not wear the beer logo on his playing kit after making a special arrangement with CSA because of his religious beliefs.

Proteas team manager Mohamed Moosajee, himself a Muslim, said Parnell's Muslim teammates Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir had not influenced his decision to convert from Christianity.

Supporting Moosajee's denial of influence by Amla, the players said he had never attempted to convert them to his religion, although they had all been very impressed by the discipline and strict adherence that Amla showed to his religion, by refusing to participate in celebrations with them that involved liquor, staying steadfast in his daily prayers even while on tour, and refusing to wear the kit sponsored by South African beer brand Castle Lager.

Sahahbaz Taseer, son of slain ex-governor Punjab Salman Taseer has been abducted from Lahore's Gulburg area Friday.
According to the sources, he was traveling with his friend when four armed men abducted them on gunpoint and later released Shahbaz's friend.

US senators stress complex nature of Pakistan ties

The safe havens in Pakistan for the Haqqani network and the Quetta Shura posed a greater threat than ever, a group of US senators said on Wednesday.

Over 20 killed in Kohistan flooding

DPO Kohistan Mohammad Ilyas said rescue operations were difficult to manage due to the remoteness of the areas affected.

LAHORE: A 12-year-old boy was killed by the owner of the house he was working at for not feeding the pet dog, According to police, the victim was a resident of Chiniot. He was asked to feed the pet dog by his employer Saeeda Asif who left the house shortly after. Upon return she felt that her dog had not been fed. She locked the victim in a room and beat him to death. The body was recovered after police received information form neighbours and the victim’s father was summoned. A case was lodged by the police against the woman but she had already locked the house and fled along with other members of her family. The neighbourhood guard revealed that previously another servant had been tortured in this house.

LAHORE: Captain of the Pakistan Women’s cricket team, Sana Mir expressed hope that the team would perform well during West Indies tour. A 14 member squad would depart for the Caribbean from Karachi tonight. Sana Mir while speaking to reporters in Lahore said the series will not be easy and that two changes had been made in the team. The women’s cricket team will play four one day international and four T20s against the West Indies.

TRIPOLI: Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi on Wednesday urged residents to cleanse Tripoli of "rats", after rebels overran his compound in the centre of the capital.

In an audio message on Syrian-based Arrai Oruba television station and rebroadcast by satellite channel Al-Arabiya, Kadhafi also said he had walked incognito through the streets of Tripoli.

"I walked incognito, without anyone seeing me, and I saw youths ready to defend their city," the strongman said, without specifying when he took to the streets. He also urged residents to "cleanse Tripoli of rats."

On the other hand,Libyan rebels hunted Wednesday for Moamer Kadhafi and battled the remnants of his forces after overrunning his Tripoli compound, as the strongman urged residents to cleanse the capital "of rats." Two powerful blasts thought to be caused by an air attack rocked the capital early in the morning as a NATO warplane flew overhead. The explosions came during a night of shooting as fighting continued following the storming of Kadhafi's Bab al-Azizya compound by rebel fighters on Tuesday.

the pictures clearly showing the extreme violence going on in Karachi.

Latest Breaking News Karachi: Rangers Ready to Raid in Unrest Areas of Karachi > Pakistan Rangers officials told that they are ready to operation against criminals who make unrest the city and killed at least 106 peoples and more then 250 peoples got injuries. According to report, at least 33 peoples killed by firing on Friday... 

Karachi situation

As you are all aware of the grave situation KESC has been facing for the past over 2 months. Hostile attacks on people and property and threats by union miscreants have crippled company’s operations.

Despite all odds KESC’s management, officers and workers have been relentlessly working day in and day out for the relief and comfort for the people of Karachi. However, we have now reached a unfortunate point where continuing field operations and repair and maintenance work, in the absence of law enforcement and protection of our people and other assets is no longer possible.

KESC has gone beyond the call of duty in the most dangerous of situations, but some of the recent incidents, especially those on July 20, 2011 suggest that our lives are gravely endangered, especially where law enforcement seems to be siding with the offender.

We would like to share our recent communication with the higher ups in the government regarding the current situation. This will give you a clear idea of the gravity of matters. Following are some of the main points covered in the letter for your knowledge;

Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) stand as silent spectators as KESC’s people and assets continue to get attacked by union miscreants
Summary of the gross violations for the past 2+ months;

The fifth attempt to gain access to central store at SITE, which contains critical material (PMTs, Cables, and Joints etc), culminated in a 12 hour long hostage situation while law enforcement assumed the role of spectators.
In view of the above and other incidents KESC has decided to discontinue its field operations and expose its people to a bunch of hooligans who are free to break the law at any time. Hence starting from today KESC has suspended all its operations till there is adequate protection for us which is our fundamental right.

On top of all this our Head office was attacked and was brought under siege and our people were made hostage. The load operations center was also disconnected today.

Our hearts go out to all our consumers who have suffered at large alongside us. We once again regret inconvenience and hope that the necessary authorities will assist us and take appropriate measures in restoring business as usual.