Earphones as bad as noise from jet engines

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

The meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Zardari on the sidelines of the 16th NAM Summit in Tehran has been prominently reported by most papers of the day. The Asian Age's headline reads, "PM to Zardari : Expedite 26/11 trial".

The Supreme Court has directed Magistrates in the country, to discharge their constitutional duty by providing the accused with a lawyer (if the person is not represented by counsel). A bench of the apex court gave this direction while upholding the death sentence handed out to Ajmal Kasab, the key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, reports the Hindu.

In perhaps the first ever mid-air collision between two MI-17 helicopters in India, 9 Indian Air Force personnel were killed in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This story with photographs of burning remains of the choppers, has been carried by almost all papers.

The Hindu reports that Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams and her Japanese colleague on board the International Space Station, on Thursday ventured outside the Lab to perform maintenance tasks of their 'home in orbit'.

Hindustan Times, as also other papers, have noted that help has arrived for Unmukt Chand, Captain of India's world cup winning junior cricket team, who was barred from taking his BA second semester examination because of inadequate attendance. Delhi University Vice Chancellor got a call from the Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal asking him to resolve the matter on priority, say the papers.

And finally, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has threatened to disrupt 'Sur-Kshetra' - a TV music show featuring artistes from Pakistan and India. MNS has written to the channel and jury member Asha Bhonsle that they respected art but Pakistan did not reciprocate the sentiment when it summarily banned Salman Khan's "Ek Tha Tiger".

Eating a small bar of chocolate every week can dramatically slash the risk of stroke in men, claims a new study, reports the Times of India.

And finally, here is one warning that you wouldn't want to turn a deaf ear to. New research shows that earphones people use with their personal listening gizmos may result in hearing loss and temporary deafness, reports Mail Today, under the headline, "Earphones as bad as noise from jet engines".