NATO rejects Russia’s missile defence proposals

NATO has rejected Russia’s proposals for cooperation on a European missile defence, the Russian defence chief said even as both sides vowed to continue talks.“We have not received any positive and intelligible response. Our concerns have not been dispelled,” Russia’s Defence Minister Antoly Serdyukov told reporters after a ministerial-level meeting of the Russia-NATO council in Brussels on Wednesday. “NATO is not heeding for the moment Russian proposals on missile defences.”

NHRC makes assets of Balakrishnan public

The National Human Rights Commission has made public skeletal details of assets owned by its Chairman K.G. Balakrishnan showing there was no change in the moveable and immovable properties owned by him.According to details of his assets given by the NHRC in response to an RTI application, Justice Balakrishnan owns four properties in his name and one in his wife Nirmala Balakrishnan’s name. One property is a family-owned.

Apple plans new spaceship headquarters

Apple is planning a new headquarters shaped like a spaceship, which it hopes will be the best office building in the world.The ambitious plans were unveiled by Apple CEO Steve Jobs before the Cupertino City Council. Jobs broke into his indefinite medical leave to showcase the new design, which is planned to house 12,600 workers in a four-storey, ring-shaped building with a massive garden in its centre.

Mini spy satellites to track terrorists from space

The U.S. military will soon be using mini satellites called CubeSats, which can be quickly and inexpensively built and operated, to keep tabs on terrorists and other suspects.“Orbital assets can provide persistent, worldwide coverage — anywhere, anytime,” Discovery News quoted Wes Ticer, spokesman with the U.S. Special Operations Command at Florida’s MacDill Air Force Base, as saying.

Now, a new technique to detect onset of blindness

Scientists have developed a new technique, which they claim will help detect healthy people at risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.Using standard clinical techniques, the detection of AMD has previously not been possible in the disease’s early stages. Doctors tend to diagnose AMD once small changes become visible at the back of a patient’s eye. However, degeneration begins many years before these clinical signs appear.

Research identifies treatment for ovarian cancer

An Australian-led clinical trial has been able to identify a promising treatment for the most common type of ovarian cancer.According to AAP report, the international trial tested whether a new medication known as olaparib could prevent the re-growth of ovarian cancer by extending remission after successful chemotherapy.

Nano gets into Sri Lankan taxi market

Tata Nano, one of the world’s cheapest car, on Thursday entered Sri Lanka’s lucrative taxi market with a fleet of 45 cars and an overload of passengers.A local company launched the service as an alternative to expensive air conditioned taxis, but more comfortable than the ubiquitous three-wheel taxi.