05.11.2006

• Computer game to battle AIDS
• The UNICEF has announced the launch of a computer game targeted at young people aimed at helping them make better choices to combat diseases like AIDS.
• In its Swahili version, the game is called “Ungefanyaje” (What would you do?). It takes the player through a series of relationship based scenarios that emphasize the importance of HIV prevention and testing.
• Prevention is considered essential to halve the spread of HIV/AIDS. But an alarming 80% of all young people still don’t know how to protect themselves from the virus.
• New clue for AIDS drug
• An enzyme called A3G which disables the HIV by making it mutate to death, noticed by scientists recently could be giving hope for fighting AIDS.
• Government to make use of private security guards for information gathering
• There are about 50 lk private security guards in the country.
• This is more than double the number of police personnel.
• The idea of using them is to boost the government’s intelligence network, make available their services to the people besides regulating the security agencies.
• There is an act called Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act. Government is thinking of bringing another one to regulate the private detective agencies on similar lines.
• World’s biggest container ship
• MS Emma Maersk, weighing 170,000 tonnes, a quarter mile long, 200 ft high and powered by the biggest engine ever built.
• Curiously it is reportedly operated by only a crew of 13 people.
• India’s first auction house
• Osian’s is the first auction house in India.
• It is promoted by Neville Tuli.
• Demand for workspace
• The workspace demand in the country is on a growth path. In 2002 it was 6.5 mln sft; it was 25 mln sft in 2005. Is expected to see a growth rate of 25 to 30% in the next couple of years.
• Cost of occupation in various cities across the world are:
• Mumbai $56.83
• Delhi $40.62
• Manhattan $52.04 (i.e., NewYork)
• UN Report on Greenhouse gases
• Says that carbon dioxide levels have reached an all time high of 379.1 parts per billion in 2005, and the global average for nitrous oxide hit a record 319.2 part per billion.
• Greenhouse gases are generated by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. They trap the sun’s rays and cause the temperature of the earth to rise, leading to melting of polar ice caps and glaciers, a spike in extreme weather, storms and floods, and other environmental shifts that are expected to worsen in coming years.