The Indian Supreme Court has ruled the Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt that he cannot contest in the forthcoming elections, convicted for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. The court declined Dutt's request to suspend his conviction saying he had been involved in a serious offence. Sanjay Dutt is one of India’s most Bankable Bollywood stars.
The Prices in Zimbabwe have begun to fall after years of galloping inflation, according to figures from the state Central Statistical Office (CSO). Prices of goods bought in US dollars, Zimbabwe's new official currency, fell by up to 3% in January and February. They were the first official figures since the country's recent adoption of the US dollar. The IMF meanwhile said it would not give aid to Zimbabwe until it cleared its debts and implemented sound policy.
The US collector James Otis, who sold the rare belongings of Mahatma Gandhi, has apologized in Delhi for "unintentional hurt" to Indian sentiments. He said the money raised from the auction would go to groups promoting Gandhian values. James said the items had not arrived in India because of a row over taxes.
The auction house selling Michael Jackson’s memorabilia will still go ahead, despite the singer taking legal action to stop it. Earlier this month the 50-year-old star filed a legal action in Los Angeles claiming that Julien's Auction House had effectively stolen his property. However, Darren Julien said they are really puzzled and disappointed that he is trying to stop it. He said Jackson knew about the sale and even approved a press release about it.
Iranian scientists have found that drinking steaming hot tea has been linked with an increased risk of oesophageal (food tube) cancer. A study by the British Medical Journal found that drinking black tea at temperatures of 70C or higher increased the risk. Experts said the finding could explain the increased oesophageal cancer risk in some non-Western populations. Adding milk, as most tea drinkers in Western countries do, cools the drink enough to eliminate the risk.
The oesophagus is the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. Oesophagus cancers kill more than 500,000 people worldwide each year and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type. Tobacco and alcohol are the main factors linked to the development of oesophageal cancers in Europe and America. But it has not been clear why other populations around the world have high rates of the disease although there has been a theory that regularly drinking very hot drinks damages the lining of the gullet.
