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[mariebenz]

Cornell Scientists Make Progress Toward Male Contraception

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Melanie Balbach PhD Postdoctoral Associate in Pharmacology Weill Cornell Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: For men, the only two options for birth control currently available are condoms and vasectomy. Additional contraceptive methods are required to more equally distribute the burden of contraception between men and women. We aim to develop an on-demand contraceptive pill for men where sperm motility and thereby fertility is only blocked for multiple hours. The idea is that men take our contraceptive shortly before intercourse and regain fertility about 24 hours later. MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? Response: Soluble adenylate cyclase (sAC) is an enzyme that converts ATP to cAMP. cAMP and thereby sAC are crucial for sperm motility and the maturation process sperm undergo in the female genital tract to gain fertilization competence. sAC is like the “on-switch” of sperm and is activated once sperm are ejaculated, male mice that lack sAC are immotile and infertile. Since sAC is so crucial for sperm function and fertility we chose it as our contraceptive target. With this study we provide the proof-of-principle in mice that on-demand, reversible male contraception via inhibition of sAC is possible. When injecting male mice with sAC inhibitor sperm were immotile 30 min later and for the following 2 hours the males remained infertile. 24 hours later the males regained fertility.  MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a results of this study? Response: As next steps we will test our inhibitors in a second animal model and will further refine our preclinical drug candidates for first clinical trials in humans. Citation: Balbach, M., Rossetti, T., Ferreira, J. et al.��On-demand male contraception via acute inhibition of soluble adenylyl cyclase. Nat Commun 14, 637 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36119-6 The information on MedicalResearch.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.     Read the full article

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[padmshre-blog]

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[bigyack-com]

Brace For what's To Come, Say Firefighters As Australia Bushfire Rages On

With bushland tinder-box dry, authorities warned locals near existing blazes that fires could spread.Sydney, Australia: Firefighters in Australia warned on Tuesday they would not be able to contain some of the 100 fires still ablaze in the country before conditions are expected to deteriorate later this week.Temperatures across parts of the eastern state of New South Wales (NSW) are expected to top 40 degree Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, just shy of a record high for Australia's most populous state.With bushland tinder-box dry, authorities warned locals near existing blazes that fires could spread."People should be under no illusion, we won't contain the fires by the time the weather deteriorates later this week," NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers told Australia's Channel 9."People need to brace themselves in those areas for what's potentially to come."Firefighters are battling more than 120 fires across NSW, including a 60 km (37.2 miles) firefront northwest of Sydney, one many of that have been burning since November.The fires have killed six people, destroyed more than 680 homes and burned nearly 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) of bushland.While the bulk of the blazes have been concentrated across Australia's east coast, hot weather has ignited firefronts in other parts, stretching authorities to the limit.In Western Australia, cooler weather has eased the earlier threat of fires, authorities said.Escalating wildfires threaten to blanket Sydney - home to more than 5 million people and better known for its clear skies and blue harbour - in smoke and ash again.Haze in recent weeks had turned Sydney's daytime sky orange, obscured visibility and prompted many commuters to wear breathing masks as air quality plunged to hazardous levels not previously seen in the city.Bushfires are common in Australia's hot, dry summers, but the ferocity and early arrival of the fires last month in the southern hemisphere spring is unprecedented. Experts have said climate change has left bushland extremely dry.The crisis has also put pressure on Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who critics say has not done enough to address the impact of climate change.Morrison has defended his government's policies, but some former firefighters chiefs say Australia must abandon its existing strategy that puts the main responsibility for extinguishing blazes in the hands of state and territory governments."Business, as usual, doesn't work and we need a roundtable to get that sort of thinking with all agencies involved," Peter Dunn, former Emergency Services Authority commissioner in the Australian Capital Territory, told reporters in Sydney.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Read the full article

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[mariebenz]

Scientists Develop Mouse Embryo from Stem Cells, Including Brain and Beating Heart

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Amadei Gianluca Amadei PhD Post-Doctoral Fellow University of Cambridge, UK MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The background of this study is that we tried to build a structure that looks and develops like a real mouse embryo using different kinds of mouse stem cells. The main findings are that the resulting structures develop the entire embryonic body axis and the extraembryonic tissues that are required to support embryonic development. Our structures develop to a stage comparable to 8.5 days of embryonic development of the natural mouse embryos and have a brain and neural tube, a beating heart-like structure, gut and primordial germ cells. MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? Response: I think the key message is that stem cells have the potential to capture and reconstruct real embryos very closely. As we improve these structures more and more, we will be able to capture even more aspects of embryonic development. The end result is that we will be able to decrease our reliance on mouse animal models, perform experiments that are difficult to do using real mouse embryos and hopefully expedite the pace of research.  MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a results of this study? Response: Without a doubt, it is only a matter of time before a similar system is developed using human cells. It is important to have a serious ethical debate now, as a society, to define how we feel about these models and decide whether there should be guidelines and limitations imposed on this kind of research. Citation: Amadei, G., Handford, C.E., Qiu, C. et al. Synthetic embryos complete gastrulation to neurulation and organogenesis. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05246-3 The information on MedicalResearch.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.     Read the full article

[mariebenz]

Avoidance of Blue Light Might Be A Good Anti-Aging Strategy

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Giebultowicz Dr. Jaga Giebultowicz Professor Emeritus, Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331 MedicalResearch.com:  What is the background for this study?  Where is blue light commonly found? Response: Our study in short-lived model organism Drosophila revealed that cumulative, long-term exposure to blue light impacts brain function, accelerates the aging process and significantly shortens lifespan compared to flies maintained in constant darkness or in white light with blue wavelengths blocked. Blue light is predominantly produced by the light-emitting diodes (LEDs); it appears white due to the addition of yellow fluorescent powder which is activated by blue light. LEDs has become a main source of  display screens (phones, laptops, desktops, TV),  and ambient lights. Indeed, humans have become awash in LEDs for most of their waking hours. MedicalResearch.com:  What are the main findings? Response: Our work shows that chronic exposure to blue light can reduce energy production  in mitochondria and this is detrimental to cellular heath.   We show that aging flies are more susceptible to phototoxic effects of blue light. Exposure to the same length and intensity of light decrease lifespan and increase neurodegeneration more significantly in old then in young flies. This is because aging leads to light-independent accumulation of cellular damage, so cells of aged organism are more vulnerable to blue light stressor. MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? Response: Blue light have detrimental effects on eyes, and our study show that long term exposure  is damaging to other cells, such as skin and neurons. We suggest that humans may want to  reduce exposure to blue light by wearing amber-tinted glasses and setting device screens to nighttime, starting in early evening.  Such precautions may be especially important for older individuals. MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work? Response: Energy producing pathways are highly conserved  between flies and humans. Our study on flies suggest that future research involving humans is needed to establish the extent to which human cells may be damaged by prolonged exposure to blue light. MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Response: To understand the mechanism of  blue light effects, we used a fairly strong light in flies. Humans are  exposed to less intense light, so cellular damage may be less  dramatic. Yet, our study suggest that avoidance of excessive blue light may be a good anti-aging strategy. Citation: Yujuan Song, Jun Yang, Alexander D. Law, David A. Hendrix, Doris Kretzschmar, Matthew Robinson, Jadwiga M. Giebultowicz. Age-dependent effects of blue light exposure on lifespan, neurodegeneration, and mitochondria physiology in Drosophila melanogaster. npj Aging, 2022; 8: 11 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-022-00092-z The information on MedicalResearch.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Some links may be sponsored and no links are warranted or endorsed by MedicalResearch.com or its parent company, Eminent Domains Inc. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.   Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

US Wants Turkey To Explain Threats To Close Down Military Bases

Mark Esper noted he was disappointed by the direction Ankara seems to be taking.Washington, United States: US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday he wants an explanation from Ankara over threats to close two strategic military bases used by the United States in Turkey.Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday threatened to close the Incirlik and Kurecik bases while speaking to a pro-government television channel. The two bases sit on Turkey's southwest coast, near the border with Syria.The US air force uses the airbase at Incirlik for raids on positions held by the Islamic State (ISIS) group in Syria. The Kurecik base houses a major NATO radar station.Mark Esper told reporters he would need to speak to his counterpart, defense minister Hulusi Akar, "to understand what they really mean and how serious they are.""If the Turks are serious about this, I mean, they are a sovereign nation, to begin with... they have the inherent right to house or not to house NATO bases or foreign troops," Mark Esper said on a plane as he flew back from Belgium, where he had attended the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge."I think this becomes an Alliance's matter, their commitment to the Alliance, if indeed they are serious about what they are saying," he added.Mark Esper also noted he was disappointed by the direction Ankara seems to be taking, moving away from NATO and getting closer to Russia.Turkey faces US sanctions over its decision to buy the Russian S-400 missile defense system, despite warnings from Washington.Tensions also rose when Turkey launched a military incursion into northeastern Syria in October against the Kurds, who were US allies in the fight against ISIS.The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee last Wednesday adopted a bipartisan bill that sets tough sanctions against Turkey and its leaders over its offensive in Syria and the purchase of the Russian missile system.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

US man, tried 6 times for murder, freed on bail for first time in 22 years - world news

A Mississippi man whose murder conviction was overturned by the US Supreme Court for racial bias was granted his freedom for the first time in 22 years Monday while prosecutors decide whether to retry him for a seventh time.A judge set a bond of $250,000 for Curtis Flowers, but told him he would have to wear an electronic monitor while awaiting a decision by the district attorney’s office to either try him again or drop the charges.Flowers was convicted four times in connection with a quadruple slaying in the city of Winona in 1996: twice for individual slayings and twice for all four killings. Two other trials involving all four deaths ended in mistrials. Each of the convictions was overturned, but Flowers has remained in jail because the original murder indictment is still active.Circuit Judge Joseph Loper said it was “troubling” that prosecutors had not responded to a defense motion to drop the charges against Flowers. He said if prosecutors do not respond, “the state will reap the whirlwind” from him.Assistant District Attorney William Hopper left the courtroom without speaking to news reporters. Earlier, he declined to comment when asked if the district attorney’s office would try Flowers a seventh time.Flowers’ attorney Rob McDuff said after the hearing that a person who wanted to remain anonymous was putting up the standard 10% percent, or $250,000, required for Flowers’ release. McDuff said Flowers could be freed later Monday.Supporters who were among the more than 150 people packing the wooden pews of the 1970s-era courtroom hugged Flowers after the judge announced his decision. His father, Archie Lee Flowers, choked back tears. He said the first thing he would do when his son was released, was pray.The elder Flowers said he frequently visited his son in prison, where they sang and prayed together. He said he has always believed in his son’s innocence.During his sixth trial in 2010, Flowers was sentenced to death. The US Supreme Court overturned that conviction in June, finding that prosecutors had shown an unconstitutional pattern of excluding African American jurors in the trials of Flowers, who is black.After the Supreme Court ruling, Flowers was moved off death row at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and taken to a regional jail in the central Mississippi town of Louisville.“This case is unprecedented in the history of the American legal system,” McDuff told the judge during Monday’s hearing. He said Flowers had spent 23 years in prison “without a lawful conviction to justify his incarceration” and had an “exemplary” record of good behavior in prison.Hopper had asked the judge to deny bond. He cited several examples of evidence that he said pointed to Flowers’ guilt.Four people were shot to death on July 16, 1996, in the Tardy Furniture store in the north Mississippi city of Winona. They were owner Bertha Tardy, 59, and three employees: 45-year-old Carmen Rigby, 42-year-old Robert Golden and 16-year-old Derrick “Bobo” Stewart.A daughter of Tardy was in court Monday. She sat across the aisle and one row back from Flowers’ daughter, Crystal Ghoston, who sat in the front row.Ghoston, 26, told The Associated Press that she had seen her father only once since he was imprisoned: about 10 years ago, and even then she could only talk to him through a reinforced window. She said they wrote letters to each other and spoke on the phone every few weeks, and that he talked about meeting her 2-year-old daughter, who calls him “Paw-Paw.”“We’re so much alike,” Ghoston said. “We laugh all the time on the phone.”Ghoston, of Grenada, Mississippi, said after her father’s release, they will take their first-ever photo together.Winona sits near the crossroads of Interstate 55, the major north-south artery in Mississippi, and US Highway 82, which runs east to west. It about a half-hour’s drive from the flatlands of the Mississippi Delta. Among its 4,300 residents, about 48% are black and 44% are white. Census Bureau figures show that about 30% live in poverty.In mid-November, four black voters and a branch of the NAACP filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to permanently order Evans and his assistants to stop using peremptory challenges to remove African American residents as potential jurors because of their race.The lawsuit cites an analysis of jury strikes by Evans from 1992 to 2017 by American Public Media’s “In the Dark” podcast. It found Evans’ office used peremptory strikes, which lawyers typically don’t have to explain, to remove 50% of eligible black jurors, but only 11% of eligible white jurors. The analysis was performed as part of a series of episodes questioning Flowers’ conviction in his sixth trial. Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

Ex-US NSA Michael Flynn gets sentencing date as judge throws out all challenges - world news

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will be sentenced next month for lying to federal agents after a judge rejected his request to throw out his case.US District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington also said that Flynn wasn’t entitled to additional evidence.“It is undisputed that Mr. Flynn not only made those false statements to the FBI agents, but he also made the same false statements to the vice president and senior White House officials, who, in turn, repeated Mr. Flynn’s false statements to the American people on national television,” Sullivan said in a 92-page ruling.Flynn, a retired US Army general who served as the president’s first national security adviser, will be sentenced Jan. 28. He was fired three weeks into his job after word of his contacts with then-Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, became public.Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI. His sentencing last year was scrapped in the middle of a hearing because Flynn was still cooperating with prosecutors. The judge also had him admit to his guilt again, after his lawyers suggested investigators had tricked him into making a false statement.Flynn later replaced his lawyers with firebrand conservative attorney Sidney Powell, who sought to rebuild Flynn’s defense by challenging the very basis for the prosecution. She accused the Justice Department of withholding exculpatory evidence and again claimed that Flynn had been deceived by investigators. Powell didn’t return an email seeking comment on Monday.Sullivan was scathing in his rejection of Powell’s claims, noting at one point in his ruling that the lawyer had “lifted verbatim portions from a source without attribution.”The case is US v Flynn, 17-cr-232, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington). Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

Cuba Says It Is Prepared If US Chooses To Sever Diplomatic Ties

Cuba says the US does not have the moral authority to lecture anyone on human rights (Representational)Havana, Cuba: Cuba's Communist government is prepared if the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump decides to sever diplomatic relations although it hopes that does not come to pass, a top Cuban diplomat said on Monday.Relations were re-established five years ago this week under former Democratic President Barack Obama following half a century of hostility, a stance that earned the United States lots of goodwill from Latin America, which has been clamouring for such a detente for years.Washington loosened trade and travel restrictions, Obama visited Havana, and the old Cold War foes looked on track to fully normalizing their relationship.But under Republican Trump all that has changed. Amid an attack on socialism in Latin America, his administration has not only tightened restrictions, such as banning U.S. cruises again, but even imposed sanctions it had never resorted to before.It has, for example, allowed U.S. citizens to bring lawsuits against foreign companies deemed to be trafficking in Cuban properties nationalized after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, damaging investor appetite."There are powerful people today in the U.S. government that want to increasingly apply hostile measures and sever our bilateral relationship," the Cuban Foreign Ministry's General Director for U.S. Affairs Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told reporters on the sidelines of an annual U.S.-Cuban academic conference in Havana."If that were to be the case, we are ready to face that reality, but it is not what the people of Cuba want and not what the government of Cuba is seeking."The U.S. says it is pressuring Cuba to end human rights violations such as harassment of opponents of Cuba's one party system. It also wants Havana to stop supporting socialist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro."While there are no plans to break off diplomatic ties at this time, one thing that has clearly reached a low point is the Castro regime's abuses of its own people," a State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "In addition, the regime is spreading its totalitarian repression to other countries in the region."Havana says the United States does not have the moral authority to lecture anyone on human rights and should not intervene in other countries' domestic affairs.Analysts say Cuba paradoxically often clamps down more on dissent when it feels under siege from the United States. Activists have complained of an increase in repression of late.Some believe Trump is eyeing the 2020 election, with the swing state of Florida home to many Cuban-American exiles who welcome the harder line on Havana.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

Women, You're Better Than Us

Barack Obama said women aren't perfect, but are "indisputably better" than men. (File)Singapore: Former US President Barack Obama on Monday said that if women ran every country in the world, there would be a general improvement in living standards and outcomes.Speaking at a private event on leadership in Singapore, Mr Obama said while in office he had mused what a world run by women would look like, reports the BBC.The former leader said women weren't perfect, but were "indisputably better" than men, adding that most of the problems in the world came from old people, mostly men, holding onto positions of power."Now women, I just want you to know; you are not perfect, but what I can say pretty indisputably is that you're better than us (men)," Mr Obama said."I'm absolutely confident that for two years if every nation on earth was run by women, you would see a significant improvement across the board on just about everything... living standards and outcomes."When asked if he would ever consider going back into political leadership, the former President said he believed in leaders stepping aside when the time came."It is important for political leaders to try and remind themselves that you are there to do a job, but you are not there for life, you are not there to prop up your own sense of self importance on your own power," the BBC quoted Mr Obama as saying.Since leaving the White House, he and former first lady Michelle Obama have set up a foundation mentoring young leaders around the world.The couple was in Kuala Lumpur last week for an Obama Foundation event. Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

US quietly expelled two Chinese diplomats who drove onto military base: Report - world news

The United States quietly expelled two Chinese embassy officials in September after they drove onto a sensitive military base in Virginia, The New York Times reported Sunday.The newspaper, which cited multiple people with knowledge of the episode, said it appeared to be the first time in more than 30 years that the US has expelled Chinese diplomats on suspicion of espionage.At least one of the diplomats was believed to be an intelligence officer operating under cover, the Times said.The incident comes as the United States and China, the world’s two biggest economies, wrangle over trade. The two sides announced a mini-deal on Friday to reduce some tariffs.The Times said the diplomats, accompanied by their wives, drove up to the checkpoint at the entrance to a sensitive installation near Norfolk, Virginia that includes special operations forces.The guard saw that they didn’t have permission to enter and directed them to go through the gates, turn around and exit.The Chinese officials continued onto the base, evading military personnel pursuing them until they were forced to stop by fire trucks blocking their path, according to the Times.The Chinese officials said they had not understood the instructions they were given, but US personnel were unconvinced by their explanation.The motive for the incursion was not clear, but US officials said they believe the Chinese diplomats were hoping to test the security measures at the base.The two officials were expelled “this fall,” the Times said. Neither country made the incident public, and Beijing apparently did not respond with tit-for-tat expulsions of US diplomats in China.The State Department did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment on the report.The United States and China remain at odds over a number of issues including industrial espionage, Beijing’s presence in the South China Sea, and the situations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.Weeks after the incident at the Virginia base, the State Department placed restrictions on the activities of Chinese diplomats, in what it said was a response to years-old Chinese regulations limiting the movements of US diplomats.China instituted similar restrictions on US diplomats in December.It is not clear if the restrictions were linked to the incident in Virginia. Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

Britain's Boris Johnson Sets Off On Post-Election Brexit Mission

Boris Johnson's focus is on a new government agenda that Queen Elizabeth II will read out in parliament.London, United Kingdom: Prime Minister Boris Johnson will unveil a new government Monday that wields a sweeping mandate to take Britain out of the European Union after years of acrimonious debate.Boris Johnson's simple promise to "get Brexit done" resonated in a snap election Thursday that became a re-run of Britain's 2016 EU membership referendum.A narrow majority had then opted to quit the European project. UK leaders have been arguing about how -- or even whether  -- to cut ties with the other 27 nations in the bloc ever since.The arguments were settled when Boris Johnson's Conservative party secured its biggest majority in the House of Commons since the heyday of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.The main opposition Labour party was relegated to its worst defeat since before World War II.Parliament will now be free to approve the divorce deal Boris Johnson struck with Brussels so that Britain can leave without any more delays on January 31."The first piece of legislation new MPs will vote on will be the (EU-UK) Withdrawal Agreement Bill," a government source said."We must repay the public's trust by getting Brexit done."Locking in Labour votes Boris Johnson is only expected to tinker around the edges of his current government and conduct a real overhaul once the first stage of Brexit is safely out of the way.London and Brussels will then have to set off on yet more negotiations aimed at striking a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of 2020.EU officials caution that such deals usually take years to complete.Boris Johnson has warned repeatedly that he will not seek an extension that would keep Britain tied to EU rules without having a say in how the bloc is run.Failure to reach a compromise deal will have unknown repercussions for financial markets and economic growth.But Boris Johnson's immediate focus is on a new government agenda that Queen Elizabeth II will read out in parliament Thursday.The programme is expected to focus heavily on social spending aimed at locking in the future votes of traditional Labour supporters who switched sides and backed the Tories this time around.Boris Johnson tore up the Conservative rulebook and committed himself to heavy social spending during the five-week election campaign.Those promises blunted the impact of Labour's own message on traditional election issues such as healthcare.The government source said Boris Johnson's new programme will include Britain's first legal commitment to boost spending on the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) by a set amount.The pledge is at least partially aimed at dispelling concerns that the principle of free care for all will be ended and that the NHS will be opened up to "Big Pharma" as part of a post-Brexit trade deal with US President Donald Trump.Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claimed to have evidence that Boris Johnson's government has conducted secret talks about the NHS with Washington.Both Trump and Boris Johnson have denied the charge and the issue ultimately failed to help Labour at the ballot box.But polls show the NHS remains a top concern for British voters of all political stripes.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

US Expelled Two Chinese Embassy Officials In September Over Spying Claims: Report

One of the diplomats was an under cover intelligence officer, a newspaper reported.Washington: The United States quietly expelled two Chinese embassy officials in September after they drove onto a sensitive military base in Virginia, The New York Times reported Sunday.The newspaper, which cited multiple people with knowledge of the episode, said it appeared to be the first time in more than 30 years that the US has expelled Chinese diplomats on suspicion of espionage.At least one of the diplomats was believed to be an intelligence officer operating under cover, the Times said.The incident comes as the United States and China, the world's two biggest economies, wrangle over trade. The two sides announced a mini-deal on Friday to reduce some tariffs.The Times said the diplomats, accompanied by their wives, drove up to the checkpoint at the entrance to a sensitive installation near Norfolk, Virginia that includes special operations forces.The guard saw that they didn't have permission to enter and directed them to go through the gates, turn around and exit.The Chinese officials continued onto the base, evading military personnel pursuing them until they were forced to stop by fire trucks blocking their path, according to the Times.The Chinese officials said they had not understood the instructions they were given, but US personnel were unconvinced by their explanation.The motive for the incursion was not clear, but US officials said they believe the Chinese diplomats were hoping to test the security measures at the base.The two officials were expelled "this fall," the Times said. Neither country made the incident public, and Beijing apparently did not respond with tit-for-tat expulsions of US diplomats in China.The State Department did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on the report.The United States and China remain at odds over a number of issues including industrial espionage, Beijing's presence in the South China Sea, and the situations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.Weeks after the incident at the Virginia base, the State Department placed restrictions on the activities of Chinese diplomats, in what it said was a response to years-old Chinese regulations limiting the movements of US diplomats.China instituted similar restrictions on US diplomats in December.It is not clear if the restrictions were linked to the incident in Virginia.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Read the full article

[padmshre-blog]

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