Google to buy photo-editing site Picnik

　　

　　

　　Google is back on the acquisition trail

　　Internet search giant Google has bought online photo-editing site Picnik - its third deal in three weeks.

　　The firm did not disclose the cost of buying Picnik - a five-year-old start-up based in Seattle.

　　The 20-strong team will start working on Picasa, Google's online photo sharing service.

　　In an eventful period since September, Google has bought eight companies, introduced a social network named Buzz and threatened to pull out of China.

　　Last month, Google bought social search engine Aardvark and mobile e-mail service reMail.

　　It also said it would become a network provider, offering super-fast broadband to thousands of US homes.

　　In October, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said the company would resume its historic pace of acquiring one small company a month on average, with larger deals happening every year or two.

　　Google said on 12 January that hackers had tried to infiltrate its software coding and the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists, in a "highly sophisticated" attack.

　　The California-based company, which launched in China in 2006, said it would quit the country unless the government relaxed censorship.

　　China has denied being behind the attacks.

　　It also launched Google Buzz, a social network that is part of its e-mail, but was heavily criticised for not offering enough privacy protections.

 

Euro drops to lowest in 10 months against dollar

　　

　　

　　The euro has fallen to its lowes

　　Persistent worries over its 300bn- euro ($419bn; £259bn) debt has weighed on the European single currency.

　　The euro traded at $1.3436 in late morning, its lowest since May 2009.

　　The pound was lower for a sixth day, down 0.4% to $1.4936 following concerns over a possible hung parliament and the UK's high level of debt.

　　The euro was up 0.4% against the pound, to 90.53 pence.

　　The UK - and eurozone members such as Greece and Spain - have borrowed heavily, making financial markets more nervous about their ability to pay.

　　European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told Austrian newspaper Kurier that European Union (EU) governments need to be more disciplined over their public finances.

　　"Every euro spent to finance the debt cannot be used for schools, hospitals or innovation," Mr Barroso said.

　　

We have a contract which rules out the possibility of bailing out other nations

　　Angela Merkel

　　

　　Paul Mason: Sterling panic

　　Mr Barroso also told Austrian newspaper Kurier that European Union (EU) governments need to be more disciplined over their public finances.

　　Bail-out concerns

　　Greece is moving ahead with efforts to trim its vast budget deficit, as it struggles to sort out its finances.

　　But the proposed austerity measures - such as freezing public sector pay, raising taxes and changing the pension system - have provoked huge street protests.

　　Greece has pledged to reduce its deficit from 12.7% - more than four times eurozone rules - to 8.7% during 2010.

　　Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou is due to visit German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Friday, in what could be a key meeting to decide what, if any, Europe-wide assistance Greece receives.

　　She said again on Sunday that Greece had to sort out its own problems.

　　"We have a contract which rules out the possibility of bailing out other nations," said Ms Merkel.

 

China demands Iran nuclear talks, despite US pressure

　　

　　

　　Tehran says its nuclear programme is for civilian energy purposes

　　China says diplomacy should be given further time in the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, as US officials press for new sanctions on Tehran.

　　China's latest statement came as a senior US diplomat, James Steinberg, arrived in Beijing on the highest level visit since a series of bilateral rows.

　　On Monday, Moscow signalled it would consider new sanctions against Tehran.

　　And Iran rejected a UN International Atomic Energy Agency claim it was not co-operating with its investigation.

　　World powers say Iran is enriching uranium to make nuclear weapons, but Tehran says its atomic programme is solely for civilian energy purposes.

　　Asked about Moscow's statement, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: "We call for a resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic means.

　　

  Sanctions should be calibrated and smart... [they] should not target the civilian population  

　　Dmitry Medvedev　　Russian President

　　"We believe there is still room for diplomatic efforts and the parties concerned should intensify those efforts."

　　Speaking in Paris on Monday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he was open to the idea of sanctions - as a last resort.

　　"Russia is ready, together with our other partners, to consider introducing sanctions" if there is no breakthrough in the negotiations, he told a news conference after talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

　　"These sanctions should be calibrated and smart. These sanctions should not target the civilian population," the Russian leader was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

　　Washington and other Western powers want the backing of China - a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council - for a proposed resolution slapping new sanctions on Tehran.

　　Washington hopes the visit by Mr Steinberg and the National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs, Jeffrey Bader, will help ease Sino-US tensions.

　　"We've gone through a bit of a bumpy path here, and I think there's an interest both within the United States and China to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters in Washington.

　　Beijing and Washington are at odds over a Taiwan arms deal, trade matters, internet censorship, and US policy towards Tibet.

 

'Lame' mosquitoes to stop dengue

　　

　　

　　The dengue virus is spread by infected female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

　　Scientists are breeding a genetically altered strain of mosquito in an effort to curb the spread of dengue fever.

　　The dengue virus is spread by the bite of infected female mosquitoes and there is no vaccine or treatment.

　　Experts say the illness affects up to 100 million people a year and threatens over a third of the world's population.

　　Scientists hope their genetically altered males will mate with females to create female offspring that will inherit a gene limiting wing growth.

　　The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

　　The scientists say their approach offers a safe, efficient alternative to harmful insecticides and could be used to stop other diseases spread by mosquitoes, like malaria.

　　

Current dengue control methods are not sufficiently effective, and new ones are urgently needed

　　Researcher Professor Anthony James

　　They estimate that if released, the new breed could sustainably suppress the native mosquito population in six to nine months.

　　Researcher Professor Anthony James, of the University of California, Irvine, said: "Current dengue control methods are not sufficiently effective, and new ones are urgently needed.

　　"Controlling the mosquito that transmits this virus could significantly reduce human morbidity and mortality."

　　Grounded

　　The plan is to release genetically-altered male mosquitoes who will mate with wild females and pass on their genes.

　　The scientists have shown that females of the next generation who inherit the gene are unable to fly because it interrupts normal wing growth.

　　Male carriers of the gene remain unaffected.

　　Lead researcher Luke Alphey, of the University of Oxford and his own spin-out company Oxitech Ltd, said the approach was highly targeted.

　　"The technology is completely species-specific, as the released males will mate only with females of the same species.

　　"Another attractive feature of this method is that it's egalitarian - all people in the treated areas are equally protected, regardless of their wealth, power or education."

　　Dr Hilary Ranson, of the Liverpool School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the work was a major step forward.

　　"This is a significant advance. It will be logistically challenging to make and release enough of the male mosquitoes and it's not going to be cheap. But it can be done with the right resources."

　　She said dengue fever was an ideal disease to tackle in this way because it is spread by only a couple of species of mosquito.

　　She said malaria would be harder to beat because of the variety of mosquitoes carrying the disease.

 

The Doha Debates

　　

　　The Doha Debates are a unique venture in the Arab world, providing a battleground for conflicting opinions and arguments about the major political topics of the region.

　　SHOWING TIMES

　　0910 GMT on Saturday 20th February

　　Repeated: 2210 GMT on Saturday 20th, 0210 and 1510 GMT on Sunday 21st February

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　　While governments around the world tighten restrictions on press freedom, the Doha Debates openly dissect the vital issues of the Middle East in front of its people and on global television

　　ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME

　　

Tell us what you think about this programme and join our viewer panel

　　For more information and to view past Doha Debates online

　　The Doha Debates are chaired by the award-winning former BBC correspondent and interviewer Tim Sebastian, who founded them in 2004 and secured their editorial independence.

　　The Doha Debates are an initiative of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development which is headed by Her Highness, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned.

　　Past speakers have included President Bill Clinton, Shimon Peres, Amre Moussa, Ayad Allawi, Mahmoud Al Zahar and Sir Malcolm Rifkind.

　　Most Debates are held at the Qatar Foundation headquarters in Doha.

　　This House believes Muslims are not getting a fair deal in India

　　FOR THE MOTION: Seema Mustafa, Journalist and political commentator

　　Seema Mustafa is a political analyst. Previously, she was the editor of Covert magazine and Resident Editor of The Asian Age newspaper.

　　She has co-written a number of books on Indian politics and authored a political biography of former Prime Minister of India VP Singh. In 1999 she received the prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for Excellence in Political Reporting and Analysis for her coverage of the Kargil war.

　　FOR THE MOTION: Teesta Setalvad, Civil rights activist

　　Teesta Setalvad is the co-founder of Sabrang Communications, an organisation aimed at protecting and promoting human rights in India.

　　She has been at the forefront of the campaign for justice for the victims of the Gujarat riots and in 2003 she won the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award.

　　In 2007 she was awarded the prestigious civilian honour, the Padma Shri by the Indian Government for her work in public affairs.

　　AGAINST THE MOTION: Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology

　　Sachin Pilot made history in 2004 when voters in Dausa, Rajasthan elected him by a record margin as India's youngest member of parliament.

　　In May last year he won the Ajmer constituency, previously a BJP stronghold. He is the son of the late Rajesh Pilot, a prominent figure in the Congress Party and a former government minister.

　　AGAINST THE MOTION: M.J.Akbar, Journalist and Publisher

　　Mobashar Jawed (M.J.) Akbar is one of India's most distinguished journalists. He's the Editor of the recently launched Sunday Guardian, published simultaneously in Delhi and London.

　　Mr. Akbar has launched a number of prominent publications in India including The Telegraph, The Asian Age and Covert magazine. He served as a member of India's Parliament from 1989-1992, and as an adviser to the ministry of Human Resources.

　　M.J. Akbar is also a prolific author and has written extensively on India's political landscape.