An infant can recognise a lullaby heard in the womb for several months after birth, potentially supporting later speech development, a new study has found.
The study by the University of Helsinki focused on 24 women during the final trimester of their pregnancies.
Half of the women played the melody of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ to their foetuses five days a week for the final stages of their pregnancies.
The brains of the babies who heard the melody in utero reacted more strongly to the familiar melody both immediately and four months after birth when compared with the control group.
These results show that foetuses can recognise and remember sounds from the outside world.
This is significant for the early rehabilitation, since rehabilitation aims at long-term changes in the brain.
“Even though our earlier research indicated that foetuses could learn minor details of speech, we did not know how long they could retain the information. These results show that babies are capable of learning at a very young age, and that the effects of the learning remain apparent in the brain for a long time,” said researcher Eino Partanen.
“This is the first study to track how long foetal memories remain in the brain. The results are significant, as studying the responses in the brain let us focus on the foundations of foetal memory. The early mechanisms of memory are currently unknown,” said Dr Minna Huotilainen, principal investigator.
The researchers believe that song and speech are most beneficial for the foetus in terms of speech development.
According to the current understanding, the processing of singing and speech in the babies brains are partly based on shared mechanisms, and so hearing a song can support a baby’s speech development.
However, little is known about the possible detrimental effects that noise in the workplace can cause to a foetus during the final trimester.
Karan Johar is back with the new season of Koffee With Karan. The director is all set to host a new season of Koffee With Karan and if the teaser promo is anything to go by, this new outing will be just as spicy as the last few.
The promos shows Karan Johar singing and dancing with chorus girls, promising shocking revelations about all your favourite Bollywood stars.
Previous seasons of the show have seen Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor fling mud at Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor call John Abraham ‘expressionless.’
If sources are to believed, the season, that starts on December 1, will kick off with an interview with Salman Khan a coup for Johar since Salman and KJo’s pal Shah Rukh are still not entirely on talking terms.
DHAKA: Bangladesh beat New Zealand by 40 runs in the second one-day international to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series in Dhaka on Thursday.
Set a target of 248, New Zealand caved in for 207 in 46.4 overs to suffer their sixth successive ODI defeat to Bangladesh, who won Tuesday's series opener by 43 runs.
Off-spinner Sohag Gazi and paceman Mashrafe Mortaza led Bangladesh's bowling attack, sharing six wickets between them to stifle New Zealand, who lost to Bangladesh 4-0 in their previous visit in 2010.
Mashrafe provided the early breakthrough when he bowled Hamish Rutherford for one before Sohag took a return catch to dismiss the other opener, Anton Devcich for 19. The tourists were soon on 45-3 when Abdur Razzak trapped Grant Elliot lbw for 14.
Corey Anderson and Ross Taylor tried to repair the damage, but a stunning catch by Mushfiqur Rahim off Mashrafe ended their 61-run stand and gave Bangladesh a firm grip on the match.
Bangladesh sensed victory when occasional left-arm spinner Mominul Haque had New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum out lbw for 14. Taylor held down one end before he was caught by Mahmudullah off Sohag at long on.
Some late blows by Nathan McCullum (25 off 23 balls) and unbeaten Kyle Mills (27 off 25 balls) only delayed the inevitable.
Earlier, Corey Anderson and James Neesham each grabbed four wickets as New Zealand bowled out Bangladesh for 247 on a slow Sher-e-Bangla pitch.
Anderson finished with 4-40 while Neesham claimed 4-53, his second successive four-wicket haul in the series.
Bangladesh also lost wickets at crucial times even though most of their batsman got a decent start. Tamim Iqbal scored an arduous half-century but was out just when the team were looking for him to accelerate. His 58 off 86 balls, which included five fours and a six, saw him overtake Shakib Al Hasan to become Bangladesh's leading scorer in one-day international cricket.
Tamim, who has now 3,702 runs to his name in 124 ODIs, put on 63 with debutant Shamsur Rahman in the opening stand after captain Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and elected to bat.
Shamsur, replacing Anamul Haque in the line-up, managed only 25 before he fell to Nathan McCullum.
Bangladesh went into the batting powerplay in the 36th over on 149-3, but three wickets in three consecutive overs pegged them back. Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim were the other notable scorers for Bangladesh.
The third match of the series will be held on Sunday at Fatullah.
(AFP)
ISLAMABAD: Police in Gilgit-Baltistan said Thursday they have arrested 18 suspects over the killing of 10 foreign climbers in the Himalayas in June, but warned that others remain at large.
The June 22 attack was the deadliest assault on foreigners in Pakistan for a decade and was claimed by a purported new faction of Pakistan’s umbrella Taliban movement, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Police in the northern districts of Gilgit and Diamer in the Gilgit-Baltistan region said they have arrested 18 suspects on suspicion of planning and carrying out the attack. The officer leading the investigation said only four of those held are believed to have been directly involved in the killings at the foot of Pakistan’s second highest mountain Nanga Parbat.
“We have arrested four culprits who shot the tourists at Nanga Parbat base camp while seven are still at large,” Muhammad Naveed told AFP.
The victims of the attack, carried out by men in police uniforms, were identified as one American with dual Chinese citizenship, three Ukrainians, two other Chinese, two Slovakians, one Lithuanian and one Nepalese. A Pakistani guide was also killed.
Further details of the attack have emerged during interrogation. The suspects have revealed that their original plan was to kidnap the trekkers, an investigating officer said.
“They said their plan went foul when one of the Chinese resisted after they approached them,” he said.
“After the Chinese tourist retaliated, one of the terrorists fired a shot that killed him and the terrorists fought with each other over it. After that they sprayed bullets at all the tourists.”
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has barred a satellite television channel's anchor from spewing venom against Jang Group of Companies, Geo News reported Thursday.
Chief Justice IHC, Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi, has also summoned three people including the TV anchor for broadcasting libelous reports in an attempt to smear Jang Group's image. The stay order halts the media group in question from airing or printing anything against Jang Group.
The three summoners, who have been slapped with the notices, have also been ordered to submit written replies on December 2.
Advocate Faisal Iqbal has defamation suit at the behest of petitioner, Jang Group of Companies, after a "controversy-monger" started letting fly barrages of unfounded accusations at the Group during his talk-shows.
The Jang Group, which always openhearted welcomes constructive criticism from its competitors, was forced to move the court only after the line was crossed.
LONDON: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Thursday said dialogue with Taliban has started and hoped that it will progress within the Constitutional framework of Pakistan.
He was talking to British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who called on him. They discussed issues of mutual interest.
The Prime Minister apprised Clegg on the dialogue with Taliban, relations with India, energy situation and economic reforms agenda of his government, a press release from the Pakistan’s High Commission said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the government could not wait and see the innocent people and members of law-enforcement agencies being killed in the streets of Pakistan.
He said the government was making its counter-terrorism forces and intelligence agencies fully capable to root out extremism and terrorism from the country.
The enhancement of the capacity of the counter-terrorism forces was a part of different options to deal with extremism and terrorism, he added.
The Prime Minister also briefed Clegg on the recently promulgated Protection of Pakistan Ordinance and said that it was specifically prepared to deal with those terrorists who were waging war against the people and the state of Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: In the latest monthly revision of petroleum products prices the government has reduced that of petrol by a meager Rs0.48 per litre, Geo News reported.
A notification issued here by Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) sets the new price of the petrol at Rs112.78/litere. The new rates take effect from November 1, 2013 (12:00 AM).
The prices of the petroleum products, which were raised in rupees, are slashed in paisas which will not help the consumers at large in any way.
According to details, the price of diesel went down by Rs0.20 bringing its new retail price down at Rs116.75, whereas the price of light diesel remained unchanged at Rs101.24/litre. Kerosene oil after a reduction of Rs0.13 will now be sold at Rs108 per litre.
On the other hand consumer will now get High Octane Blending Component (HOBC) for Rs140.23 a litre.
ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Chauhdry Nisar Ali Khan issued orders to suspend and arrest an official of Islamabad police for filing a wrong FIR against singer Annie.
Ch. Nisar said in a statement, over responsibilities of the police, on Thursday that the police should concentrate on capturing the criminal elements and maintaining honor of common citizens’ homes and prestige, instead of poking into the domestic quarrels of the people.
Earlier few days ago, Malik Noured Awan, husband of singer Annie Khalid, filed a FIR against his wife in Kohsar Police Station, alleging she had cheated him.
The police reached on conclusion, after investigation, that the allegations were false and the FIR was registered wrongly against the female singer from her husband.
When Ch. Nisar came to know about this false FIR, he issued orders to take that police official into custody after suspending, who filed wrong FIR against singer Annie at behest of her husband.
NAGPUR (Web Desk) India have completed their second stunning run-chase of the series against Australia as they overhauled 351 in the sixth One-Day International (ODI) at Nagpur. Virat Kohli (115 not out) and Shikhar Dhawan s (100) tons helped India win the contest. Kohli saw it through to the end as India won the game by six wickets.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and put Australia in to bat. India made two changes as Bhuveshwar Kumar and Amit Mishra came in place of R Vinay Kumar and Jaydev Unadkat.
Although the Indian bowlers made early inroads and kept the runs in check. But, once George Bailey and Shane Watson got going there was no stopping the. India had three spinners, but Watson and Bailey were ready for anything. If it was pitched short, they waited back and would smash it over the leg-side.
They also hit anything off the front-foot. Watson raced to his ton and then Bailey was quicker. Ultimately, he finished with 156 off 114 balls as Watson was bowled out for 102.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma started the run-chase in steady fashion and got their eye in initially. They got to the fifty-run mark in the 10th over and were motoring along smoothly. Dhawan was more aggressive of the two and was hitting the regular boundaries as he got to his fifty first.
As India crossed the half-way mark, Rohit and Dhawan then took the attack. The spinners were hit around and Rohit found his touch with a few sixes. However, he then holed out to the deep with James Faulkner taking a good catch. But, that did not affect India as Virat Kohli came out all guns blazing. He started off with a few powerful shots through the off-side and punished anything on his legs.
He also carted a huge six over mid-wicket to announce his intentions. Dhawan then moved along to his century and celebrated in unique fashion. However, he lost his wicket soon after as he walked across the stumps and was bowled by Faulkner.
Suresh Raina walked in at number four and hit a few crisp shots for four. But then, a short ball was his undoing as the umpire ruled that he had gloved one down the leg-side off Mitchell Johnson.
Johnson then welcomed Yuvraj Singh with a bit of short-stuff and then bowled one swinging delivery which was full and it shattered his wood-work. India then needed 61 off 43 balls.
Dhoni walked in and consumed a few deliveries before hitting his first boundary. Kohli then took control in the last four overs with 44 needed as he hit the bowlers around and won the game for India with three balls remaining.
He got his ton by edging one through third-man for four. A few great shots through mid-wicket sealed the deal for India. The series is now level at 2-2 and the two teams move to Bangalore for the seventh and final ODI on November 2.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Central Information Secretary Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Shireen Mazari has said that Chairman PTI Imran Khan is firm on his every word what he said in his interview for a private TV channel.
Talking to Dunya News, she said PTI's central office received a fax copy of a defamation legal notice against party Chairman Imran Khan on October 29.
The notice was sent against his interview that was aired by a private TV channel on October 28. Shireen Mazari said that the legal notice had been sent on behalf of the registered companies that own certain media Groups.
She said the notice had demanded of the PTI chairman that he should stop the broadcast of his interview of 28th October on channel as the language and the conclusive tone that Imran Khan allegedly used in the interview was highly defamatory and unacceptable.
Mazari said that Imran Khan categorically stated in his interview that any allegations regarding any media house relating to money coming from abroad and allegedly creating links with foreign intelligence agencies must be properly investigated.
The PTI chief reiterated that regardless of which media house was alleged to be involved in any such activity an investigation was in order, she added.
Mazari said that the legal notice seems to reflect a guilty mindset where muzzle of free speech is being asserted, while there is clear character assassination of the TV anchor who conducted the interview.
She said that Imran Khan did not take the name of any media house when demanding an inquiry, the defamatory note itself can be subject to a defamatory legal notice to the media house sending it.
As Parliamentary leader of the second largest political party in the country, Imran Khan has every right to seek an explanation of how contracts and bids are decided by the government, she added.
She pointed out that the PTI chief had shown an exceptional level of tolerance to criticism and personalized attacks against him by a certain media group.
But, despite all this, PTI has chosen not to take legal action against that particular media group so far. Those who demand freedom of expression/speech for themselves clearly cannot stomach it for others.
Meanwhile, Mazari stated categorically that Imran Khan stands by all his comments in the interview and PTI stands firmly behind its chairman and the position he has taken.
