Mysterious African Disease Is a New Virus: Expert Three Confirmed Dead From Previously Unknown Viral Strain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A mysterious hemorrhagic disease that has killed three people in South Africa and forced others into isolation appears to be a never-before-seen strain of a virus known as an arenavirus, an expert said on Monday.

Genetic testing indicates the virus is a new type of arenavirus -- a large family of viruses that include the germs that cause Lassa fever and the mouse-borne lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, said Dr. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University in New York.

The virus causes hemorrhagic disease -- meaning it can cause internal and external bleeding. The first victim was a woman from Zambia flown to South Africa for treatment. A paramedic who accompanied her and a nurse from the clinic where she was taken also died.

Samples from the patients were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and to Lipkin's lab in New York, where genetic tests are used to find new microbes.

The standard way to identify viruses is by growing them in a lab dish, but this method misses many viruses and some simply cannot be cultured, Lipkin said

"We don't know why it is so pathogenic. It is a new virus, not like Lassa," Lipkin told a news conference at a meeting of infectious disease experts.

The virus is not related to certain other viruses that can cause hemorrhagic disease, such as Ebola or dengue.

South African officials say they are monitoring more than 100 people who may have come into contact with the patients.

Maybe a new Supernova device after all

The teaser website of Nokia didn't gave us a new fashion phone, but nevertheless it seems that the Finnish are making a new Supernova device; the 7100 Supernova.

The name of the device, the Nokia 7100 Supernova is actually quite strange. The previous Supernovas the 7210 Supernova, 7310 Supernova, 7510 Supernova and 7610 Supernova all end with the number 10. Shouldn't this device than be called the 7110 Supernova? Well, never mind.
The looks of the 7100 Supernova has quite what resemblance with the 7610 Supernova. It is a slider device, but with simple and descent specs. The 7100 is a triband device with 1.3 megapixel camera and built-in FM radio. Nokia has given the device an Opera Mini browser and of course the device has Bluetooth to send and receive files.

Multimedia
Nokia has also made the 7100 Supernova able of supporting Flash Lite (version 2.1.1.) In theory this Supernova should be able to support YouTube video's. But we can't confirm yet.

The i7110 is offical; Symbian smartphone hit

Samsung has shown the i7110 to the public for the first time today at the Smartphone Sow in London. We already had information about the i7110, including the first pictures, but now we can also show you the list with features. And they are exciting! The i7110 is a thin device of only 12,9 millimeters. The device has GPS, a 5 megapixel camera with smile- and blinkshot, a FM transmitter and a AMOLED display that can even be read in bright daylight.
Symbian 9.3
The i7110 is based on the Symbian OS version 9.3 Feature Pack 2 and has a 2.6 inch AMOLED display of QVGA resolution (320 x 240 pixels). A distinctive feature of AMOLED is comparison with the mainly used TFT is the fact that a display with AMOLED is still good to see and the letters on the display are still easy to read. And you can not do this with TFT.

This is especially great because the i7110 has a navigation system that can also be used by pedestrians. The program can be used in 10 European cities, like Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Rome. You can also use the navigation system for when you're driving a car, because you can hear the instructions through the auto speakers thanks to the built-in FM transmitter.
The i7110 is shown to the public at the Symbian Smartphone Show from 21 till 22 October in London city. We expect the Samsung i7110 to be come available in stores this quarter.

Launch New Mobile Information

Europe : Knowledge Technology Solutions PLC (KTS) and O2, a leading provider of mobile services to consumers and businesses in the UK, have today launched KTS MarketTerminal with O2.

The new KTS MarketTerminal with O2 service provides mobile access to essential international market data and news. It is delivered through O2's 'always on'data connections via GPRS, 3G and WLAN, turning a subscriber's laptop into a fully-live KTS MarketTerminal.

KTS and O2 are jointly marketing the new service, which, in an age when financial professionals are working increasingly outside the office, allows them to keep completely up-to-date with live international market information, access the latest market news and receive instant price and news alerts.

Subscribers receive always on access to KTS MarketTerminal with O2, which is available throughout the UK over O2's mobile data network. Included in the flat rate £200-per-month (ex VAT) package are the O2 connectivity subscription and O2 3G/GPRS Data Card for laptop computers.

The new service is principally for financial professionals who need live
international stockmarket data, news and other essential financial information when they are out of the office or away from their desktop.

Among the 15 Exchanges covered by KTS MarketTerminal with O2 are the London Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, Euronext, Deutsche Boerse and the Scandinavian exchanges, to name but some. News, data and analytics are supplied by the premium names in financial information, including Interactive Data, AFX News and Dow Jones Newswires.

Dr Marc Pinter-Krainer, Chief Executive of KTS PLC, said:

'Research shows that financial professionals are spending less time than ever at their desks. The new KTS MarketTerminal with O2 mobile service enables our clients to stay in touch with the markets while on the move. In a world where information is power and quick decisions make the difference between profit and loss, KTS and O2 are providing a mobile service that sets the standard in flexibility, speed, resilience and user-friendliness.'

Target customers for KTS MarketTerminal with O2 are primarily City institutions. Both companies' sales teams are marketing it to existing and potential clients. Technical support is being provided by KTS.

With this new service, KTS and O2 are aiming to take a leadership position providing business data across mobile networks, which independent experts Strategy Analytics estimate will grow from $61 billion in 2004 to just over $189 billion by 2009.

Mark Imrie, Head of Products of O2, said:

'KTS MarketTerminal with O2 will change the way financial professionals work. They will be able to stay informed and make crucial financial decisions when away from their desks without compromising on quality or the speed of market data and news. This new service fits perfectly with our strategy to strengthen our position as the leading provider of business services via mobile data connectivity.'

Dr Marc Pinter-Krainer concluded:

'We are delighted to be partnering with O2 in providing a new mobile service that will make it far easier for financial professionals to keep in touch with essential news and data, wherever they are. KTS MarketTerminal with O2 should set a new standard in flexibility. It's all about staying informed, anytime, anywhere.'

US army kills 9 Afghan soldiers by mistake

A US-led coalition airstrike mistakenly hit an Afghan army checkpoint yesterday, killing nine soldiers and wounding three, Afghan officials said.

The strike hit a checkpoint in the Sayed Kheil area of Khost province in eastern Afghanistan, said Arsallah Jamal, the province's governor.

The US said its forces "may have mistakenly killed and injured" Afghan soldiers in what may have been a case of mistaken identity "on both sides."

"As a Coalition forces convoy was returning from a previous operation, they were involved in multiple engagements," a U.S. military statement said. "As a result of the engagements, ANA (Afghan army) soldiers were killed and injured."

Apparent friendly fire incidents have happened before. In June 2007, Afghan police mistook US troops on a nighttime mission for Taliban fighters and opened fire on them, prompting US forces to return fire and call in attack aircraft. Seven Afghan police were killed.

Meanwhile about 35 Taliban militants and three police were killed after about 100 insurgents attacked a district centre in southern Afghanistan, a provincial police chief said yesterday.

Heavy fighting started late Tuesday and lasted into early Wednesday after the rebels launched the attack in troubled Uruzgan province, police chief Juma Gul Hemat told AFP.

"More than 100 Taliban launched an attack to capture the district of Dih Rahwud. Our police bravely resisted and killed 35 Taliban whose bodies are left in the area," Hemat said.

"Three of our policemen were also martyred and nine others were injured in the fighting," he said.

International military war planes were called in to help the Afghan forces, he said. US and NATO forces in Afghanistan could not immediately confirm their involvement.

The Taliban were in government between 1996 and 2001 and are fighting to take back power from the US-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

The insurgency has picked up pace in the past three years, despite the presence of about 60,000 international troops helping Afghan forces to face a rebellion that Afghan officials say is now supported by militants arriving from Iraq.