London, Feb 21 (IANS) A gigantic asteroid that slammed into Australia more than 300 million years ago changed the face of the Earth forever, says a British media report.

London, Feb 21 (IANS) The obesity epidemic in the United Kingdom has overtaken two-thirds of the male population, leaving less than a third in the ideal weight category, considering that there might also be those with less than normal weight, according to a new finding.

Washington, Feb 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Two American companies have been "Twitter-jacked" this week, taken over by hackers posting crass messages to corporate Twitter pages and replacing corporate logos with those of competitors, further illustrating the often daunting tasks companies face as they strive to manage their social media feeds.

Washington, Feb 21 (IANS) A study combining genetic data with brain imaging has not only identified the APOE gene, tied to the development of Alzheimer's, but has uncovered its link with another gene, called BCHE.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) India's first space mission to Mars will be launched this year, President Pranab Mukherjee said Thursday.

Wellington, Feb 21 (IANS) Telecommunications giant Ericsson is to build its second fiber ducting plant in New Zealand, the New Zealand government announced Thursday.

Kolkata, Feb 21 (IANS) The West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) has sought a report from the state government suggesting ways to block on the internet "rape-games" - the Japanese video games which challenge a player to rape women.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 21 (IANS) Flux-bonded fly ash technology is all set to drastically reduce the clay used in building material, thanks to the initiative of a group of scientists here.

Sydney, Feb 21 (IANS) Kepler-37b, the tiniest planet ever spotted, demonstrates that sun-like stars in our galaxy are capable of hosting much smaller planets than anything detected so far, say researchers.

Washington, Feb 21 (IANS/EFE) The US government has presented a comprehensive strategy to fight industrial cyber-espionage and hacker attacks against the country that infringe on property rights and compromise company secrets.

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) In a bid to empower the physically challenged with computer education and heighten their employment prospects, Microsoft India Wednesday showcased several IT tools that promise to help the handicapped take to computers.

Kolkata, Feb 20 (IANS) Scientists in Kolkata plan to buy fragments of the meteorite that rained in on parts of Russia Feb 15 to investigate the mysteries of the "origin of life".

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the finance and home ministries on a plea to recover tax from social networking websites, arising out of their internet-based business in the country.

Rome, Feb 20 (IANS) Computer modelling has predicted parts of the Pacific experiencing the highest rates of rise in sea levels, while it may actually fall in some polar regions, owing to the interaction of sea, land and ice.

Washington, Feb 20 (IANS) Male superiority over females in spatial navigation may just be a "side-effect" of testosterone, according to an analytical study.

London, Feb 20 (IANS) Hair dyes, which include home hair colouring kits and those used at pricey salons, are linked to deadly cancer-causing chemicals, warn scientists.

Panaji, Feb 20 (IANS) India's information technology (IT) imports will be worth $400 billion by the year 2020, much more than the country's oil imports, a top industry honcho said Wednesday.

Los Angeles, Feb 20 (IANS) Chromosome structures may help predict one's ability to resist cold, says an American study.

Kochi, Feb 20 (IANS) Overcoming stiff global competition, Profoundis Labs, a Startup Village company here has been selected for the Microsoft Accelerator Programme, a company official said Wednesday.

Lucknow, Feb 20 (IANS) They'll cost the Utttar Pradesh government a whopping Rs.2,800 crore and their distribution is set to begin, but each of the 1.5 million recipients of the free laptops being given to school-leavers will have no doubt where they came from - what with tamper-proof images of ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on their covers.

Washington, Feb 20 (IANS) A cutting-edge chip can instantly convert your smartphone snapshots into more realistic, professional-looking ones, an American study says.

Kochi, Feb 20 (IANS) Google Developers Group (GDG), the non-profit community initiative supported by Google Inc., will be soon launched at the Startup Village here, an official said Wednesday.

Mumbai, Feb 19 (IANS) The US State Department's TechCamp was launched in Mumbai Tuesday with an aim to build digital literacy for NGOs, an official statement said.

Washington, Feb 19 (IANS) Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects about 4.1 million people in the United States alone and is the primary cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Current therapy against the infection is not particularly effective.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 19 (IANS) C.N.R. Rao, the scientific advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Tuesday exhorted India's scientists to work in groups rather than functioning in isolation, citing the team spirit of their counterparts in China which has emerged as a world leader.

Washington, Feb 19 (IANS) Scientists are carrying out ultra sensitive experiments on board the International Space Station (ISS), which could pave the way to cutting edge approach in treating and preventing infectious diseases.

Panaji, Feb 19 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Tuesday said he does not know how to handle the e-waste he generates.

Rio de Janeiro, Feb 19 (IANS) The Brazilian Air Force has said it has acquired two more Israeli-made drones last month to boost border security and safeguard upcoming sport events.

Chennai, Feb 19 (IANS) Indian space agency officials are gearing up to make the rocket that would carry seven satellites launch-ready for Feb 25 with a full system check, an official said.

Washington, Feb 19 (IANS) Two specific cell populations, harvested from a patient's healthy bone marrow, are helping pave the way to bladder regeneration, says a new study.

Singapore, Feb 19 (IANS) Google launched its indoor maps feature in Singapore Tuesday, making the city state the second country in Asia to have it.

Barcelona, Feb 19 (IANS) Patients undergoing dialysis can now benefit from a new procedure that removes additional toxins and may increase their longevity, says a study.

Sydney, Feb 19 (IANS) Supercomputers are helping tweak antioxidants to stave off age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer's, shows a study.

Vienna, Feb 18 (IANS) Austrian scientists have developed nano particles that can mimic the function of proteins.

London, Feb 18 (IANS) A cutting-edge technology called synchrotron light is enabling scientists to analyse lethal viruses behind AIDS, Hepatitis and flu at the atomic and molecular level, potentially opening the way to better therapies.

Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) Scientists are wiring oceans to track the movements of deep sea creatures that could help protect marine ecosystems by revolutionizing how we understand their function, population structure, fisheries management and species' physiological and evolutionary constraints.

Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) Predicting how pandemics spread has become a huge challenge, as they no longer follow centuries-old patterns when town after town fell prey.

Wellington, Feb 18 (IANS) Children and adolescents glued to TV sets tend to exhibit anti-social and criminal behaviour as adults, according to a research from New Zealand.

Toronto, Feb 18 (IANS) Using powerful X-rays, researchers have modelled arrhythmia in real time.

Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) Rachel Carson, author of "Silent Spring" published over 50 years ago, got special mention at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting at Boston recently.

Berne, Feb 18 (IANS) Tiny, ultra-flexible electrodes could be the answer to more successful treatment of Parkinson's, which afflicts an estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide.

Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) Air pollution and ozone levels may also play a role in precipitating heart attacks, warns fresh research from the US.

Washington, Feb 18 (IANS/EFE) The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is collaborating in the investigation of a "sophisticated attack" by hackers on Facebook last month, which, according to the social network, has not compromised users' data.

Beijing, Feb 18 (IANS) Chinese authorities have decided to develop a China-specific criteria for diagnosing minors' addiction of online games, Xinhua reported.

London, Feb 17 (IANS) Patients suffering from macular degeneration, one of the commonest causes of vision loss, will now be able to read an entire book, thanks to a latest research.

Beijing, Feb 17 (IANS) The Hongyanhe nuclear power station, the first nuclear power plant and largest energy project in northeast China, started operation Sunday.

New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) Jantar Mantar, the 18th century architectural observatory in Delhi, and Nelson Mandela's Freedom Towers in Soweto in South Africa made a connection with light this week when Patrick Rimoux illuminated the ancient astronomical lab with psychedelic light sculptures.

Washington, Feb 17 (IANS) Reducing carbon dioxide emissions alone may not be enough to curb global warming. There is a need to develop technologies that remove large amounts of the gas at the source, say researchers.

Washington, Feb 17 (IANS) Increasing urbanisation is cutting off people from adequate sunlight, which helps the skin produce vitamin D, facilitating the absorption of calcium, says a study.

Washington, Feb 17 (IANS) Hairless skin among humans first evolved as a way to keep cool.