Xi'an, China (CNN)It's said if you don't visit the Terra-cotta Army while in Xi'an, your visit to the ancient Chinese city doesn't count.

Constructed more than 2,200 years ago, the army of warrior statues has since guarded the tomb of the emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first ruler to unify China, from 221-207 BC.

Thousands of years later, the soldiers are still there, witnessing the rapidly changing world in solemn silence.

Discovered by chance in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, the Terra-cotta Army is now described by some as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Millions visit the site each year, including world leaders and dignitaries, which is located in Lintong, 25 miles from the Xi'an city center.

The entire area benefits from tourism, which generated 4.6 billion yuan ($720 million) in 2014, according to the local government.

Greatness and cruelty

Since the discovery of the warriors, archaeologists have excavated three pits, uncovering more than 8,000 life-size Terra-cotta figures, horses and chariots.

Experts believe the figures reveal the emperor's craving for eternal greatness.

Amazingly, no two figures are exactly alike.

Each warrior has unique facial features.

Details were so painstakingly sculpted by ancient craftsmen that even hairlines can be clearly identified.

Infantry, archers, generals, cavalry ... the military hierarchy is distinguished by the weaponry each figure holds and positions in which they stand.

Du Wenyiyu, a historian at Shaanxi Normal University, tells CNN the warriors showcase an extraordinary level of craftsmanship and artistry in play 2,200 years ago.

"Look at the soldiers and horses, they were just so vividly carved," he says with the enthusiasm of a first-time visitor.

Terra-cotta concubines and musicians, too

Du, who first saw the warriors when the site was under excavation in 1974, says the grand army reveals a strong burial tradition -- in ancient China, people believed souls carried on in another world.

"The emperor had the strongest army in the world when he was alive, so he wanted the same strong army after he died," says Du.

But it's not just soldiers.

Terra-cotta musicians, officials and concubines have been found in other pits.

"He wanted exactly the same grand services and treatment for his afterlife," says Du.

Before Qin Shi Huang, emperors would bury people alive.

Du believes creating terra-cotta figures to replace people as funerary objects represents a significant move forward in civilization.

Amazing construction

More than 700,000 craftsmen worked round the clock for about two decades to build Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum.

Known for his cruelty, the emperor later killed the laborers who were overly familiar with the map and layout of the underground palace.

Upon excavation, few of the warriors or horses were fully intact.

The now-famed figures lining the pits have all been restored by experts over the past 40 years.

Hundreds of experts are still restoring the warriors by putting together broken pottery pieces.

It takes about a month to reconstruct a single clay warrior.

When the warriors were created, they were painted in bright colors.

Sadly, much of the color vanished almost immediately after excavation.

Even modern digging and preservation techniques are of little help.

The army is only part of a garrison in Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, which covers nearly 14,000 acres -- a little bigger than the size of Vatican City.

Most of it remains unearthed.

More than 400 additional pits have been discovered near the Terra-cotta Army, but the massive underground palace largely remains mystery, as scientists are afraid of damage that might be caused by hurried evacuation efforts.

Getting there

Bus: Bus 306, 914 and 915 run to the museum from the main train station just outside the North Gate (not the fast train station, further north). These are frequent routes with the route labeled in English on the side of the bus.

Taxis cost about 120 yuan ($19) for a one-way trip from Xi'an.

Hired cars (you can arrange through hotel desk) run about 400 yuan ($62.50) for a day trip, including the time the driver waits for your party.

The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Qinling North Road, Lintong District, Xi'an 710600 China; +86 029 8139 9127

Source by : CNN

Xi'an, China (CNN)It's said if you don't visit the Terra-cotta Army while in Xi'an, your visit to the ancient Chinese city doesn't count.

Constructed more than 2,200 years ago, the army of warrior statues has since guarded the tomb of the emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first ruler to unify China, from 221-207 BC.

Thousands of years later, the soldiers are still there, witnessing the rapidly changing world in solemn silence.

Discovered by chance in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, the Terra-cotta Army is now described by some as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Millions visit the site each year, including world leaders and dignitaries, which is located in Lintong, 25 miles from the Xi'an city center.

The entire area benefits from tourism, which generated 4.6 billion yuan ($720 million) in 2014, according to the local government.

Greatness and cruelty

Since the discovery of the warriors, archaeologists have excavated three pits, uncovering more than 8,000 life-size Terra-cotta figures, horses and chariots.

Experts believe the figures reveal the emperor's craving for eternal greatness.

Amazingly, no two figures are exactly alike.

Each warrior has unique facial features.

Details were so painstakingly sculpted by ancient craftsmen that even hairlines can be clearly identified.

Infantry, archers, generals, cavalry ... the military hierarchy is distinguished by the weaponry each figure holds and positions in which they stand.

Du Wenyiyu, a historian at Shaanxi Normal University, tells CNN the warriors showcase an extraordinary level of craftsmanship and artistry in play 2,200 years ago.

"Look at the soldiers and horses, they were just so vividly carved," he says with the enthusiasm of a first-time visitor.

Terra-cotta concubines and musicians, too

Du, who first saw the warriors when the site was under excavation in 1974, says the grand army reveals a strong burial tradition -- in ancient China, people believed souls carried on in another world.

"The emperor had the strongest army in the world when he was alive, so he wanted the same strong army after he died," says Du.

But it's not just soldiers.

Terra-cotta musicians, officials and concubines have been found in other pits.

"He wanted exactly the same grand services and treatment for his afterlife," says Du.

Before Qin Shi Huang, emperors would bury people alive.

Du believes creating terra-cotta figures to replace people as funerary objects represents a significant move forward in civilization.

Amazing construction

More than 700,000 craftsmen worked round the clock for about two decades to build Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum.

Known for his cruelty, the emperor later killed the laborers who were overly familiar with the map and layout of the underground palace.

Upon excavation, few of the warriors or horses were fully intact.

The now-famed figures lining the pits have all been restored by experts over the past 40 years.

Hundreds of experts are still restoring the warriors by putting together broken pottery pieces.

It takes about a month to reconstruct a single clay warrior.

When the warriors were created, they were painted in bright colors.

Sadly, much of the color vanished almost immediately after excavation.

Even modern digging and preservation techniques are of little help.

The army is only part of a garrison in Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, which covers nearly 14,000 acres -- a little bigger than the size of Vatican City.

Most of it remains unearthed.

More than 400 additional pits have been discovered near the Terra-cotta Army, but the massive underground palace largely remains mystery, as scientists are afraid of damage that might be caused by hurried evacuation efforts.

Getting there

Bus: Bus 306, 914 and 915 run to the museum from the main train station just outside the North Gate (not the fast train station, further north). These are frequent routes with the route labeled in English on the side of the bus.

Taxis cost about 120 yuan ($19) for a one-way trip from Xi'an.

Hired cars (you can arrange through hotel desk) run about 400 yuan ($62.50) for a day trip, including the time the driver waits for your party.

The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Qinling North Road, Lintong District, Xi'an 710600 China; +86 029 8139 9127

Source by : CNN

Scientists say they have fine tuned a gene editing method to make it safer and more accurate - vital if it is to be used in humans to cure inherited diseases or inborn errors.

The advance, outlined in Science Magazine, comes as world leaders in the field gather to debate the ethics of altering human DNA using the method, known as Crispr-Cas9.

Gene editing holds medical promise.

But changing a person's DNA also has potential risks and ethical quandaries.

The first International Summit on Human Gene Editing will debate how far the science should progress.

Crispr-Cas9

Crispr-Cas9 is a DNA cutting and pasting system that scientists have borrowed from nature. Bacteria use it to protect themselves against foreign DNA from viruses.

Image copyrightScience Photo Library

Scientists have been using it in the lab to target and cut out faulty DNA in human cells that cause illnesses.

While effective, the process is less than perfect and can cut out too much DNA, experts have found.

How gene editing works

These unwanted or 'off-target' edits could alter other important genes, inadvertently triggering cancer, for example.

Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard believe they have solved this problem by changing the molecular structure of the Cas9 enzyme.

Their modified version should now only snip out the DNA it is designed to, leaving the rest of the precious genetic code intact, the US team say.

They made changes to amino acids - the building blocks of Cas9 - and found this improved its accuracy, reducing the risk of 'off-target' cuts.

In repeated tests on human embryonic kidney cells, the researchers were unable to detect any cutting errors.

Researcher Feng Zhang said this should help address some of the safety concerns.

But he added: "We certainly don't see this as a magic bullet. The field is advancing at a rapid pace, and there is still a lot to learn before we can consider applying this technology for clinical use."

Prof Malcolm White, an expert in Crispr and DNA repair at the University of St Andrews, said the early work was promising.

"The altered version of Cas9 seems to be a safer tool, which would be useful if scientists want to correct defects in human genes. But more studies are needed and ethical debates about when we should use gene editing will no doubt continue."

Source by : bbc

Scientists say they have fine tuned a gene editing method to make it safer and more accurate - vital if it is to be used in humans to cure inherited diseases or inborn errors.

The advance, outlined in Science Magazine, comes as world leaders in the field gather to debate the ethics of altering human DNA using the method, known as Crispr-Cas9.

Gene editing holds medical promise.

But changing a person's DNA also has potential risks and ethical quandaries.

The first International Summit on Human Gene Editing will debate how far the science should progress.

Crispr-Cas9

Crispr-Cas9 is a DNA cutting and pasting system that scientists have borrowed from nature. Bacteria use it to protect themselves against foreign DNA from viruses.

Image copyrightScience Photo Library

Scientists have been using it in the lab to target and cut out faulty DNA in human cells that cause illnesses.

While effective, the process is less than perfect and can cut out too much DNA, experts have found.

How gene editing works

These unwanted or 'off-target' edits could alter other important genes, inadvertently triggering cancer, for example.

Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard believe they have solved this problem by changing the molecular structure of the Cas9 enzyme.

Their modified version should now only snip out the DNA it is designed to, leaving the rest of the precious genetic code intact, the US team say.

They made changes to amino acids - the building blocks of Cas9 - and found this improved its accuracy, reducing the risk of 'off-target' cuts.

In repeated tests on human embryonic kidney cells, the researchers were unable to detect any cutting errors.

Researcher Feng Zhang said this should help address some of the safety concerns.

But he added: "We certainly don't see this as a magic bullet. The field is advancing at a rapid pace, and there is still a lot to learn before we can consider applying this technology for clinical use."

Prof Malcolm White, an expert in Crispr and DNA repair at the University of St Andrews, said the early work was promising.

"The altered version of Cas9 seems to be a safer tool, which would be useful if scientists want to correct defects in human genes. But more studies are needed and ethical debates about when we should use gene editing will no doubt continue."

Source by : bbc

A man's weight affects the information passed on through his sperm and could leave his children predisposed to obesity, research in Denmark suggests.

The sperm cells of lean and obese men possess different epigenetic marks, maybe changing the behaviour of genes.

Dr Romain Barres, the author of the study, said: "When a woman is pregnant she should take care of herself.

"But if the implication of our study holds true, then recommendations should be directed towards men too."

Part of the research - which was carried out by the University of Copenhagen and published in the journal Cell Metabolism - tested the sperm of six obese men who were undergoing weight-loss surgery.

Appetite control

It looked at the men's sperm before treatment, a week after the surgery and then for a third time a year later.

Dr Barres said changes to the sperm were noticeable in the men a week after the surgery, and also one year on.

He said although the genetic make-up of the sperm cells was likely to remain the same, he noticed "epigenetic changes", which could change the way a gene expresses itself in the body.

Dr Barres admits a definitive scientific conclusion for how these epigenetic changes affect the gene is not yet scientifically known.

However, the sperm cell changes he recorded are linked to the genes known for appetite control and brain development.

The five-year study also recorded similar sperm cell changes when it compared 13 lean men - who all had a BMI of below 30 - with 10 moderately obese men.

'Significant differences'

Dr Barres said his findings have also been corroborated on mice and rats.

He goes on to suggest that there are possible evolutionary reasons why information about a father's weight would be valuable to offspring.

Image copyrightRomain Barres

Image captionDr Barres has been working on the research for five years

His theory is that during in times of abundance, it is an instinctive way to encourage children to eat more and grow bigger.

"It's only recently that obesity is not an advantage," he said. "Only decades ago, the ability to store energy was an advantage to resist infections and famines."

Prof Allan Pacey from the University of Sheffield, described the study as "interesting" and said it provided further evidence to support the theory that some characteristics can be passed by sperm, without altering the basic structure of the genetic code.

"Whilst the study examines a relative small number of individuals, the fact that such significant differences can be found in the epigenetic markers of lean and obese men is intriguing and in my opinion worthy of more detailed investigation," he said.

"Until we know more, would-be parents should just aim to be as healthy as possible at the time of conception and not be drawn to faddy diets or other activities in order to try and influence the health of their children in ways we don't properly understand."

Source by : bbc

A man's weight affects the information passed on through his sperm and could leave his children predisposed to obesity, research in Denmark suggests.

The sperm cells of lean and obese men possess different epigenetic marks, maybe changing the behaviour of genes.

Dr Romain Barres, the author of the study, said: "When a woman is pregnant she should take care of herself.

"But if the implication of our study holds true, then recommendations should be directed towards men too."

Part of the research - which was carried out by the University of Copenhagen and published in the journal Cell Metabolism - tested the sperm of six obese men who were undergoing weight-loss surgery.

Appetite control

It looked at the men's sperm before treatment, a week after the surgery and then for a third time a year later.

Dr Barres said changes to the sperm were noticeable in the men a week after the surgery, and also one year on.

He said although the genetic make-up of the sperm cells was likely to remain the same, he noticed "epigenetic changes", which could change the way a gene expresses itself in the body.

Dr Barres admits a definitive scientific conclusion for how these epigenetic changes affect the gene is not yet scientifically known.

However, the sperm cell changes he recorded are linked to the genes known for appetite control and brain development.

The five-year study also recorded similar sperm cell changes when it compared 13 lean men - who all had a BMI of below 30 - with 10 moderately obese men.

'Significant differences'

Dr Barres said his findings have also been corroborated on mice and rats.

He goes on to suggest that there are possible evolutionary reasons why information about a father's weight would be valuable to offspring.

Image copyrightRomain Barres

Image captionDr Barres has been working on the research for five years

His theory is that during in times of abundance, it is an instinctive way to encourage children to eat more and grow bigger.

"It's only recently that obesity is not an advantage," he said. "Only decades ago, the ability to store energy was an advantage to resist infections and famines."

Prof Allan Pacey from the University of Sheffield, described the study as "interesting" and said it provided further evidence to support the theory that some characteristics can be passed by sperm, without altering the basic structure of the genetic code.

"Whilst the study examines a relative small number of individuals, the fact that such significant differences can be found in the epigenetic markers of lean and obese men is intriguing and in my opinion worthy of more detailed investigation," he said.

"Until we know more, would-be parents should just aim to be as healthy as possible at the time of conception and not be drawn to faddy diets or other activities in order to try and influence the health of their children in ways we don't properly understand."

Source by : bbc

The UK is paying less for new cancer drugs than a number of other high-income countries, according to a report in The Lancet Oncology.

While the UK, Greece, Spain and Portugal pay the least, on average, for the drugs they use, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland pay the most.

The authors said more transparency was needed because some countries risked overpaying for drugs.

The pharmaceutical industry said the UK was getting a fair deal on medicines.

Prices of cancer drugs have risen steeply in recent years, placing major stress on many healthcare systems, including the NHS.

The report said drugs had accounted for nearly a third of the EU's 51 billion euro (£37bn) cancer healthcare spending in 2009.

And the researchers then compared the 2013 price of 31 cancer drugs in 18 high-income countries, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden and Portugal.

Open pricing

Prices in Greece were the lowest for 14 out of the 24 cancer drugs available there.

The price of drugs in the UK was also low.

Prices of drugs in Switzerland, Germany and Sweden were frequently the highest - and for some drugs, such as interferon alfa 2b to treat leukaemia and skin cancer, were twice as high.

The price figures come from the Pharma Price Information service in Austria, which details what manufacturers charge per unit - a single tablet or vial of a drug, for example.

But although the official list prices published in this report are freely available, any further discounts - which are often negotiated by organisations in different countries - remain confidential.

Sabine Vogler, report author and researcher at the Austrian Public Health Institute, said some countries risked overpaying for drugs as a result.

"The discounts should be open to everyone, but industry doesn't want to do it. However, it would allow some countries to see that they are overpaying."

David Watson, director of pricing and reimbursement at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the report was evidence that newer medicines "are affordable in the UK".

He said the UK was "getting a fair deal with regards to medicines pricing" and the NHS was "getting good value for money".

Source by : bbc

The UK is paying less for new cancer drugs than a number of other high-income countries, according to a report in The Lancet Oncology.

While the UK, Greece, Spain and Portugal pay the least, on average, for the drugs they use, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland pay the most.

The authors said more transparency was needed because some countries risked overpaying for drugs.

The pharmaceutical industry said the UK was getting a fair deal on medicines.

Prices of cancer drugs have risen steeply in recent years, placing major stress on many healthcare systems, including the NHS.

The report said drugs had accounted for nearly a third of the EU's 51 billion euro (£37bn) cancer healthcare spending in 2009.

And the researchers then compared the 2013 price of 31 cancer drugs in 18 high-income countries, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden and Portugal.

Open pricing

Prices in Greece were the lowest for 14 out of the 24 cancer drugs available there.

The price of drugs in the UK was also low.

Prices of drugs in Switzerland, Germany and Sweden were frequently the highest - and for some drugs, such as interferon alfa 2b to treat leukaemia and skin cancer, were twice as high.

The price figures come from the Pharma Price Information service in Austria, which details what manufacturers charge per unit - a single tablet or vial of a drug, for example.

But although the official list prices published in this report are freely available, any further discounts - which are often negotiated by organisations in different countries - remain confidential.

Sabine Vogler, report author and researcher at the Austrian Public Health Institute, said some countries risked overpaying for drugs as a result.

"The discounts should be open to everyone, but industry doesn't want to do it. However, it would allow some countries to see that they are overpaying."

David Watson, director of pricing and reimbursement at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the report was evidence that newer medicines "are affordable in the UK".

He said the UK was "getting a fair deal with regards to medicines pricing" and the NHS was "getting good value for money".

Source by : bbc

Samsung has agreed to pay Apple $548m (£362m) as part of a deal to settle a long-running patent dispute.

The arrangement was revealed in papers filed to a California court by both companies on Thursday.

The dispute began in 2011 when Apple said Samsung was using some of its patented technologies without permission.

The payment does not mean the end of the row as, next year, a US court will decide if Apple deserves more damages.

Patent exam

A joint case management statement filed to the California court revealed that Samsung had agreed to pay Apple within 10 days of receiving an invoice.

The payment is part of a bigger $1bn damages award that Apple was granted in 2012 by a jury that considered the case. That total was reduced on appeal to $930m. Further legal action split this total into two parts - a $548m chunk for technology patents and a $382m chunk for allegations that Samsung copied Apple's packaging materials.

A jury is due to decide on the second damages award in 2016.

Despite agreeing to pay the first part of the settlement, Samsung said it reserved the right to get its money back if there were further developments in the case. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is currently reviewing some of the patents Apple used in the court case.

Apple has disputed Samsung's right to a refund if the patents are ruled invalid.

One of the patents in the case, covering ways to add the "pinch to zoom" feature to smartphones, has already been ruled invalid by the USPTO. Apple is appealing against this decision.

Soon after the USPTO made the decision to invalidate the pinch patent, Samsung lodged a call to review the entire case with the US appeals court. This call was rejected.

"After years of not getting a cent, more than half a billion dollars is significant," wrote patent expert Florian Mueller in a blogpost.

However, he added, the continuing uncertainty about the validity of some Apple patents and Samsung's plans to file fresh appeals meant the case was a long way from reaching resolution.

Source by : bbc

Samsung has agreed to pay Apple $548m (£362m) as part of a deal to settle a long-running patent dispute.

The arrangement was revealed in papers filed to a California court by both companies on Thursday.

The dispute began in 2011 when Apple said Samsung was using some of its patented technologies without permission.

The payment does not mean the end of the row as, next year, a US court will decide if Apple deserves more damages.

Patent exam

A joint case management statement filed to the California court revealed that Samsung had agreed to pay Apple within 10 days of receiving an invoice.

The payment is part of a bigger $1bn damages award that Apple was granted in 2012 by a jury that considered the case. That total was reduced on appeal to $930m. Further legal action split this total into two parts - a $548m chunk for technology patents and a $382m chunk for allegations that Samsung copied Apple's packaging materials.

A jury is due to decide on the second damages award in 2016.

Despite agreeing to pay the first part of the settlement, Samsung said it reserved the right to get its money back if there were further developments in the case. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is currently reviewing some of the patents Apple used in the court case.

Apple has disputed Samsung's right to a refund if the patents are ruled invalid.

One of the patents in the case, covering ways to add the "pinch to zoom" feature to smartphones, has already been ruled invalid by the USPTO. Apple is appealing against this decision.

Soon after the USPTO made the decision to invalidate the pinch patent, Samsung lodged a call to review the entire case with the US appeals court. This call was rejected.

"After years of not getting a cent, more than half a billion dollars is significant," wrote patent expert Florian Mueller in a blogpost.

However, he added, the continuing uncertainty about the validity of some Apple patents and Samsung's plans to file fresh appeals meant the case was a long way from reaching resolution.

Source by : bbc

Facebook has begun rolling out a new feature on its social network which allows users to stream live video.

A select group of celebrities and high profile users have been able to use the service for several months.

Live streaming via mobile phones has become one of the big technology trends of the year, with Twitter-owned Periscope and Meerkat proving popular.

Last year, Amazon paid $1bn for live streaming game site Twitch.

Initially Facebook's live video feature will be available only to a small percentage of people in the US and will be limited to iPhones.

The tech giant said that "over time, the company plans to bring it to all users" but it did not give specific timescales.

In a blogpost introducing the service, Facebook said: "Live lets you show the people you care about what you're seeing in real time - whether visiting a new place, cooking your favourite recipe or just want to share some thoughts."

The stream will display the number of live viewers, the names of friends who are watching and real-time comments as they are written. The video will be saved to users' timelines until they choose to delete them.

Nation of sharers

Facebook has also updated the way people can share photo collages - allowing users to mix photos and videos.

Ian Maude, an analyst with research firm Enders said of the streaming service: "Facebook has a vast audience to promote services to so there is nothing stopping it from becoming a significant player in video streaming."

He said that Britain, like many other countries, had become "a nation of sharers".

"We like to tell what what we are doing all the time."

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about such services but Mr Maude believes that Facebook will be keen to avoid any controversy.

"They will be cognisant of the privacy concerns and I believe there are restrictions on how the content can be shared, so that it won't be automatically broadcast to everyone."

Source by : bbc

Facebook has begun rolling out a new feature on its social network which allows users to stream live video.

A select group of celebrities and high profile users have been able to use the service for several months.

Live streaming via mobile phones has become one of the big technology trends of the year, with Twitter-owned Periscope and Meerkat proving popular.

Last year, Amazon paid $1bn for live streaming game site Twitch.

Initially Facebook's live video feature will be available only to a small percentage of people in the US and will be limited to iPhones.

The tech giant said that "over time, the company plans to bring it to all users" but it did not give specific timescales.

In a blogpost introducing the service, Facebook said: "Live lets you show the people you care about what you're seeing in real time - whether visiting a new place, cooking your favourite recipe or just want to share some thoughts."

The stream will display the number of live viewers, the names of friends who are watching and real-time comments as they are written. The video will be saved to users' timelines until they choose to delete them.

Nation of sharers

Facebook has also updated the way people can share photo collages - allowing users to mix photos and videos.

Ian Maude, an analyst with research firm Enders said of the streaming service: "Facebook has a vast audience to promote services to so there is nothing stopping it from becoming a significant player in video streaming."

He said that Britain, like many other countries, had become "a nation of sharers".

"We like to tell what what we are doing all the time."

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about such services but Mr Maude believes that Facebook will be keen to avoid any controversy.

"They will be cognisant of the privacy concerns and I believe there are restrictions on how the content can be shared, so that it won't be automatically broadcast to everyone."

Source by : bbc

Defending champions the Czech Republic won a dramatic decisive doubles rubber against Russia to secure a fourth Fed Cup title in five years.

Resuming at 1-1, Maria Sharapova put Russia 2-1 up with a 3-6 6-4 6-2 win over Petra Kvitova.

Karolina Pliskova beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3 6-4 to level things.

In the decider, Pliskova and Barbora Strycova beat Elena Vesnina and Pavlyuchenkova 4-6 6-3 6-2 to secure a 3-2 win for the Czechs.

The match lasted more than two hours, with Russia gaining an early advantage before the Czech pair fought back to secure victory.

"It's the first experience for me in the Fed Cup so I'm really happy how we made it and we both played really good," said world number 11 Pliskova.

"It's definitely one of the biggest wins in my career. I was trying to focus on my serve and it was working so I'm really happy for that."

The Czechs have won the Fed Cup nine times overall, including Czechoslovakia's five before its split in 1993.

Strycova added: "I'm speechless, it was unbelievable."

Defending champions the Czech Republic won a dramatic decisive doubles rubber against Russia to secure a fourth Fed Cup title in five years.

Resuming at 1-1, Maria Sharapova put Russia 2-1 up with a 3-6 6-4 6-2 win over Petra Kvitova.

Karolina Pliskova beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3 6-4 to level things.

In the decider, Pliskova and Barbora Strycova beat Elena Vesnina and Pavlyuchenkova 4-6 6-3 6-2 to secure a 3-2 win for the Czechs.

The match lasted more than two hours, with Russia gaining an early advantage before the Czech pair fought back to secure victory.

"It's the first experience for me in the Fed Cup so I'm really happy how we made it and we both played really good," said world number 11 Pliskova.

"It's definitely one of the biggest wins in my career. I was trying to focus on my serve and it was working so I'm really happy for that."

The Czechs have won the Fed Cup nine times overall, including Czechoslovakia's five before its split in 1993.

Strycova added: "I'm speechless, it was unbelievable."

In the first case of its kind, a female chimpanzee has been observed caring for an infant with severe disabilities in the wild.

The young chimpanzee was discovered in Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania. Known as XT11, she lived for 23 months. 

She was the sixth child of her 36-year-old mother, Christina.

Physically, XT11 was similar to a captive chimpanzee that had symptoms similar to Down Syndrome.

It seems likely that XT11 only lived as long as she did because of the care provided by her mother, and that she would not have survived without it. 

Reporting in the journal Primates, researchers say that the mother "responded to XT11's abnormal behaviours, limited abilities and needs".

She was not observed eating any plants, so she remained completely dependent on her mother's milk long after a baby chimp would usually have been weaned.

 "We suspect that her feeding limitations were due to her lack of motor ability and that she might have suffered from a lack of nutrition because of her milk diet, at least in her latter life," the authors report.

As well as her limited physical abilities, XT11 had an abdominal hernia on her stomach (see above), spinal damage and an extra, inactive finger on her left hand.

Her eyes looked empty, her mouth was often half open, and she was unable to sit without support.

She was able to hold onto her mother's hair, but her feet did not have enough strength to grip, so she mostly dangled.

 Caring for a disabled infant forced Christina to change her behaviour. She stopped fishing for ants in trees, because she needed her hands free to carry XT11.

"The mother of a severely disabled infant probably experiences more stress than other mothers because she must provide intensive care for longer," the authors write.

Occasionally, XT11's 11-year-old sister helped out: she played with her, groomed and carried her.

"There were some cases where the mother spontaneously gave the infant to the elder daughter. This is quite unusual for a mother to do," says Michio Nakamura, co-author of the study from Kyoto University, Japan. 

"While the elder sister was taking care of the disabled infant, the mother climbed on a tree to feed on fruits," he told BBC Earth.

But when her sister had her own child, this extra care stopped.

XT11's relatives were not allowed to groom or carry her, which is unusual. The mother may have understood that it would not be safe for others to carry her child, as they did not fully understand her needs.

The cause of her death is unclear. It may have been due to complications brought on by her limited diet.

Although it is not uncommon for primates to be born with disabilities, only two chimpanzee infants with disabilities have been observed previously.

Both were captive. They were neglected or rejected by their mothers, so humans helped to care for them. One died at 17 months: the other reached 24 months but only after receiving several blood transfusions.

That such care has now been witnessed in the wild, in our closest living relatives, hints that this behaviour has a long evolutionary history. Our common ancestor with chimpanzees may have displayed similar levels of care. 

"Our observation that the elder sister took care of the disabled infant might shed light on how non-maternal care to disabled individuals evolved," says Nakamura.



Source by : BBC

In the first case of its kind, a female chimpanzee has been observed caring for an infant with severe disabilities in the wild.

The young chimpanzee was discovered in Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania. Known as XT11, she lived for 23 months. 

She was the sixth child of her 36-year-old mother, Christina.

Physically, XT11 was similar to a captive chimpanzee that had symptoms similar to Down Syndrome.

It seems likely that XT11 only lived as long as she did because of the care provided by her mother, and that she would not have survived without it. 

Reporting in the journal Primates, researchers say that the mother "responded to XT11's abnormal behaviours, limited abilities and needs".

She was not observed eating any plants, so she remained completely dependent on her mother's milk long after a baby chimp would usually have been weaned.

 "We suspect that her feeding limitations were due to her lack of motor ability and that she might have suffered from a lack of nutrition because of her milk diet, at least in her latter life," the authors report.

As well as her limited physical abilities, XT11 had an abdominal hernia on her stomach (see above), spinal damage and an extra, inactive finger on her left hand.

Her eyes looked empty, her mouth was often half open, and she was unable to sit without support.

She was able to hold onto her mother's hair, but her feet did not have enough strength to grip, so she mostly dangled.

 Caring for a disabled infant forced Christina to change her behaviour. She stopped fishing for ants in trees, because she needed her hands free to carry XT11.

"The mother of a severely disabled infant probably experiences more stress than other mothers because she must provide intensive care for longer," the authors write.

Occasionally, XT11's 11-year-old sister helped out: she played with her, groomed and carried her.

"There were some cases where the mother spontaneously gave the infant to the elder daughter. This is quite unusual for a mother to do," says Michio Nakamura, co-author of the study from Kyoto University, Japan. 

"While the elder sister was taking care of the disabled infant, the mother climbed on a tree to feed on fruits," he told BBC Earth.

But when her sister had her own child, this extra care stopped.

XT11's relatives were not allowed to groom or carry her, which is unusual. The mother may have understood that it would not be safe for others to carry her child, as they did not fully understand her needs.

The cause of her death is unclear. It may have been due to complications brought on by her limited diet.

Although it is not uncommon for primates to be born with disabilities, only two chimpanzee infants with disabilities have been observed previously.

Both were captive. They were neglected or rejected by their mothers, so humans helped to care for them. One died at 17 months: the other reached 24 months but only after receiving several blood transfusions.

That such care has now been witnessed in the wild, in our closest living relatives, hints that this behaviour has a long evolutionary history. Our common ancestor with chimpanzees may have displayed similar levels of care. 

"Our observation that the elder sister took care of the disabled infant might shed light on how non-maternal care to disabled individuals evolved," says Nakamura.



Source by : BBC

Several children were on board when a high-speed train derailed during a test run in France, killing 11 people, the rail company SNCF has said.

Five people are still missing and more than 30 were injured in the TGV crash near the eastern city of Strasbourg.

Investigators are trying to determine who the children are and why they were on board when access was meant to be restricted to technicians.

It is not clear whether children were among the dead.

"That's not a practice that the SNCF recognises," said company chief Guillaume Pepy. "A test train is a test train".

SNCF said it was possible that railway workers' children were on board when the train crashed, reportedly at around 350km/h (217mph).

Excessive speed has been blamed for the crash, the first fatal accident since TGV trains began operating in 1981.

The train ended up partially submerged in a canal under a bridge.

Source by : BBC

Several children were on board when a high-speed train derailed during a test run in France, killing 11 people, the rail company SNCF has said.

Five people are still missing and more than 30 were injured in the TGV crash near the eastern city of Strasbourg.

Investigators are trying to determine who the children are and why they were on board when access was meant to be restricted to technicians.

It is not clear whether children were among the dead.

"That's not a practice that the SNCF recognises," said company chief Guillaume Pepy. "A test train is a test train".

SNCF said it was possible that railway workers' children were on board when the train crashed, reportedly at around 350km/h (217mph).

Excessive speed has been blamed for the crash, the first fatal accident since TGV trains began operating in 1981.

The train ended up partially submerged in a canal under a bridge.

Source by : BBC

Russian military action in Syria is increasing the number of refugees trying to reach Europe, European Council President Donald Tusk has said.

Speaking at a G20 summit in Turkey, Mr Tusk said Russia should focus more on Islamic State (IS) militants and not against "moderate Syrian opposition".

Russia has been carrying out air strikes it says target IS.

But many in the west fear the real aim is to keep Moscow's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in power.

The G20 summit of world leaders is primarily focused on economic matters, but the two-day meeting in the coastal province of Antalya has been overshadowed by the deadly attacks in Paris.

IS said it was behind the series of assaults that left 129 dead, and Mr Tusk said cooperation between the US and Russia in their action against IS in Syria was "crucial".

'New wave of refugees'

"We need not only more cooperation, but also more good will, especially from Russian action on the ground in Syria," he said.

"It must be focused more on Islamic State and not, because we cannot accept it, against the moderate Syrian opposition."

He warned the Russian operations would "only result (in) a new wave of refugees. And we have some signals that in fact it's started.''

IS controls large areas of Syria and Iraq, two countries that have been major contributors to the unprecedented number of refugees arriving in Europe this year.

US President Barack Obama said the killings in Paris were an "attack on the civilised world", pledging to "redouble" efforts to bring about an end to Syria's civil war.

He shared a handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he has differed with on the way to resolve the conflict. The US and its allies insist Mr Assad must stand down as part of a political solution to the crisis.

The two men have been holding talks on the sidelines of the G20, television pictures showed.

Source by : BBC

Russian military action in Syria is increasing the number of refugees trying to reach Europe, European Council President Donald Tusk has said.

Speaking at a G20 summit in Turkey, Mr Tusk said Russia should focus more on Islamic State (IS) militants and not against "moderate Syrian opposition".

Russia has been carrying out air strikes it says target IS.

But many in the west fear the real aim is to keep Moscow's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in power.

The G20 summit of world leaders is primarily focused on economic matters, but the two-day meeting in the coastal province of Antalya has been overshadowed by the deadly attacks in Paris.

IS said it was behind the series of assaults that left 129 dead, and Mr Tusk said cooperation between the US and Russia in their action against IS in Syria was "crucial".

'New wave of refugees'

"We need not only more cooperation, but also more good will, especially from Russian action on the ground in Syria," he said.

"It must be focused more on Islamic State and not, because we cannot accept it, against the moderate Syrian opposition."

He warned the Russian operations would "only result (in) a new wave of refugees. And we have some signals that in fact it's started.''

IS controls large areas of Syria and Iraq, two countries that have been major contributors to the unprecedented number of refugees arriving in Europe this year.

US President Barack Obama said the killings in Paris were an "attack on the civilised world", pledging to "redouble" efforts to bring about an end to Syria's civil war.

He shared a handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he has differed with on the way to resolve the conflict. The US and its allies insist Mr Assad must stand down as part of a political solution to the crisis.

The two men have been holding talks on the sidelines of the G20, television pictures showed.

Source by : BBC