AFP, PARIS - Water bathed the surface of southern Mars for millions of years, helping to create an environment theoretically capable of nurturing life, according to a new study into the planet's mysterious oceans.

A month long tree fair under the auspices of Chittagong City Corporation will be organized at city's outer stadium as of every year from today at 12 noon, says a press release.

Barrister Raja Debashis Roy, special assistant to the Chief Adviser on Forest and Environment and Chittagong Hill Tracts will formally inaugurate the fair to be presided over by acting CCC Mayor Alhaj M Manzur Alam.

Babul Barua

Families of Fatikchari upazila of Chittagong held a views exchange meeting at Lalkhan Bazar area of the district on July 13, Sunday.

Overall welfare of the residents in the area figured in the meeting.

The change that came with the caretaker administration taking office was characterized by marked improvement in the law and order situation in the country. However, by far the greater achievement that came with the changeover was that the unstoppable downward slide that had set in prior to the cut-off date of one-eleven did instantly screech to a halt.

AFP, PARIS  - French researchers on Tuesday said that gene therapy, tested on lab animals, showed promise in combatting the tragic neurogenerative disease known as Huntington's.

Huntington's is caused by a flaw in a single gene on Chromosome 4 called IT15. It causes a mutated form of a protein called huntingtin to run riot, killing cells in the striatum region of the brain.

Crimes surge alarmingly

Solar power and bio—fuel driven energy are the alternative sources of energy worldwide today. In our country,  alternatives to gas and diesel driven power stations may be replaced by coal -driven generations . The Chief Adviser has inaugurated this two-day a two-day programme on July 10 that includes a national workshop and an exhibition of the renewable energy products at a city hotel.

A speeding bus ran over and killed a police officer in front of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on Saturday, police said, reports bdnews24.com

Lifetime achievement

Desk Report

The Old Placidians' Association (OPA) on Thursday honoured veteran teacher, Peter Shaha of St. Placid's High School, for "His Lifetime Achievement".

Attention to land, agriculture is the option

Our Correspondent

Chanpainawabganj district civil surgeon's office has to date identified 845 of its population suffering from arsenic poisoning.

Dhaka-Delhi diplomatic meet

Former President of Chittagong Union of Journalists(CUJ) and Chittagong Press Club, columnist and freedom fighter Mohammed Idris breathed his last at 3.00 pm at CMCH yesterday, says a press release.

He was 58.

He is survived by his wife, son and two daughters.

REUTERS, SAN FRANCISCO- Authorities ordered more than 10,000 residents of Paradise, California, to leave their homes on Wednesday as a stubborn wildfire threatened to jump a river and spread into town where a blaze destroyed 74 homes in June.

The promise of the Group of Eight most powerful countries to halve the world's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 glosses over some of the most terrifying realities of climate change . At the G8 summit in Hokkaido on Tuesday, the rich western nations may have sought emissions cuts, but US president George W Bush has also indicated that he will not be willing to accept binding cuts unless developing nations China and India  the emergent elite of the greenhouse gas emitters' league  also sign up for such cuts.

AFP, PARIS - Men and women in their early seventies are having sex more often and enjoying it more than their counterparts three and four decades ago, according to a Swedish study published Wednesday.

Septuagenarian women in particular expressed satisfaction with their amorous activities, suggesting they may have benefited more from the loosening of sexual mores.

"Our study shows that most elderly people consider sexual activity and associated feelings a natural part of later

REUTERS, TOYAKO, Japan - The world's biggest polluters agreed on Wednesday on the need for `deep cuts' in greenhouse gas emissions, but differences between developed and emerging economies kept them from setting specific targets.

Climate change has been the most contentious topic at this year's Group of Eight summit in Japan, which the heads of big emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil were invited to join on the third and final day.

CG responsible to contain it

Recurring mild to moderate tremor has been a common phenomenon in Bangladesh. The most recent earthquake shook the northern districts at about 11PM on Saturday, measuring about 5.1 on the Richter scale and lasting several seconds. The epicentre of the earthquake was located about 290 kms north-northwest of Dhaka . The impact of the quake was felt in Chapai Nawabganj ,Rajshahi, Natore and Pabna. districts . Many people ran out of their homes in panic , including and around 300 students of Rajshahi University and local colleges staying at a six-storied private hostel at the centre of Rajshahi city . Around 30 old buildings of the north-western part of the city developed cracks.

It is horrifying that some 73 percent of street children in the city are subjected to abuse and suffer from chronic malnutrition. Mortality and morbidity status among the street dwellers has reached an alarming level due to lack of basic healthcare services. The disadvantaged street children are most vulnerable to various complicated diseases because of overcrowding, poor environmental status, and unhygienic foodstuffs.