Treat Cancer via InternetHANOVER: The latest scientific information on cancer is now available to all doctors and hospitals in Germany that have access to the Internet. "Odin", short for oncological data and information network, is a database developed and updated at the medical college in Hanover. By logging into "Odin" on the net, doctors are no more than a mouse click away from the latest data. The basic problem, says a member of the database team, is that most doctors rely on too many outdated books.Surveys have found their medical literature on the subject to be on average 10 years old, whereas in cancer treatment in particular a book two years old is no longer up to date.Hi-tech matchmakerKUALA LUMPUR: Concerned over the rise in the number of unmarried Muslim women, an Islamic council in Penang island will soon launch Malaysia's first state-sponsored, computer-based matchmaking service, a report said. The Penang Islamic Religious Council hopes the service, which will be similar to a matchmaking service run by neigbouring Singapore authorities, will be ready by May. It will help women find husbands and tackle the problem of excessive dowries now being demanded by the families of prospective brides.Ramzan amnestyDUBAI: The ruler of Dubai has promised to pardon prisoners who memorise Islam's holy book, the Koran, the Gulf News has reported. Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the amnesty, which applies to all prisoners jailed for non-violent crimes, would take effect immediately. Tuesday was the beginning of Ramzan, which marks the month in which God is believed to have revealed the Koran to Prophet Mohammed some 1,400 years ago. Muslims are forbidden to eat or drink between sunrise and sunset during the holy month. Many Arab Gulf rulers grant amnesties to petty criminals and those accused of minor fraud during Ramzan.Ancient cosmic dustBEIJING: Chinese scientists have unearthed cosmic dust which indicates an area near the northeastern port city of Tianjin was pelted with a meteorite shower more than 1.7 billion years ago. Li Zenghui, a researcher with the Tianjin Institute of Geology , collected some 500 kg of dust from quartz sandstone deposits some 859 meters beneath Changguo village in Ji county, just north of Tianjin. More than 500 mg of cosmic dust was obtained from the sample after a scientific sorting process. Researchers believe the cosmic dust to be about 1.73 billion years old, which coincides with the geological year of the quartz and stone from which the dust was extracted.
