British actress Jean Simmons dead at 80: report

LOS ANGELES: British actress Jean Simmons, an Emmy Award winner whose career included roles in "Hamlet" and "Spartacus," died in California Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported. She was 80.

The Times said Simmons, who earned two Oscar nominations during a long career that spanned seven decades, died at her home in Santa Monica after losing a battle to lung cancer.

The movie star's manager could not immediately be reached for comment.

Although she worked mostly in television in her later years, appearing in the hit 1983 mini-series "The Thorn Birds," for which she obtained an Emmy Award, Simmons gained fame in the 1950s and 1960s after starring in several hit films.

Her career took off after she appeared as the doomed Ophelia opposite Laurence Olivier in the legendary actor's 1948 production of "Hamlet." Simmons's performance earned her the first of two Academy Award nominations.

Among her notable early roles were playing the young Estella in David Lean's classic 1946 adaptation of "Great Expectations."

Later films included "Guys and Dolls," "Spartacus" and 1969's "The Happy Ending," which earned her a second Oscar nod for her portrayal of an alcoholic wife.

Simmons married twice -- to actor Stewart Granger from 1950 to 1960 and to director Richard Brooks from 1960 to 1977. Both marriages ended in divorce.

The Queen to address UN in July

UNITED NATIONS: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will address the UN General Assembly for the first time in more than 50 years during a July visit to New York, according to the British mission to the world body.

The 83-year-old monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, will arrive in New York on July 6 after making a nine-day state visit to Canada and leave later the same day, it said in a statement.

The queen has addressed the United Nations General Assembly on only one previous occasion, in 1957.

She is addressing the body in her capacity as the head of state of the United Kingdom and 15 other UN member states: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

She is also head of the Commonwealth, an association of 54 countries, mostly former British colonies.

Thinking out loud helps solve problems

LONDON: People who talk out loud to think through their maths problems are able to solve them faster and have more chance of getting the right answer, the research has found.

In a finding that flies in the face of the old-fashioned theory of studying in silence, classrooms should be full of the noise of students tackling their problems out loud.

The research, published in he Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, could even have an impact in the way mathematics is taught.

Professor Jose Luis Villegas Castellanos, of the University of the Andes, Venezuela, said that discussing problems was a smart way to learn.

"Those students who think aloud while solving a mathematical problem can solve it faster and have more possibilities of finding the right solution that those who do not do it," he said.

"Likewise, drawing or making a pictorial representation relating to the also contributed to its solution."

The study, led of the University of Granada, Spain, focussed on final year university maths students, who were recorded while trying to answer complex maths problems.

Those who detailed their thinking process aloud had more chance of answering the same question correctly as those who did not talk about their problem solving plan, the researchers found.

"The ability in the management of representations such as talking aloud or drawing the problems is closely related to the success in problems solution," Prof Castellanos said.

A fruity way to treat dry eyes

LONDON: Eye drops made from exotic tamarind fruit could help millions combat dry-eye syndrome.

In clinical trials of Rohto Dry Eye Relief, the drops were found to improve symptoms 56 per cent more than other treatments.

One in three people suffers at some point in their lives from dry eyes, which can be triggered by spending long hours in front of a computer or TV.

The new eye drops, available from pharmacies, combine two active ingredients for the first time.

Hyaluronic acid can restore and maintain hydration by reducing fluid loss from the eye, while tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) helps repair the tear film - the watery surface layer of the eye - preventing it from drying out.

The clinical trial on 22 patients compared the new eye drops to hyaluronic acid alone.

Spiders' webs to be used to create glue

LONDON: The glue from spiders' webs could be used to create a new generation of eco-friendly adhesives, scientists believe.

It is hoped these new glues will replace current petroleum-based ones.

Much research has been done on spider web silk, which rivals steel in its strength. However, scientists know comparatively little about web glue, which coats the silk threads and is among the world's strongest biological glues.

Researchers at the University of Wyoming discovered that the golden orb weaver spider made web glue from glycoproteins, or proteins with bits of sugar attached.

Research author Omer Choresh said that they had identified two new glycoproteins in the glue.

He said: "Once the cloned genes are over expressed in systems such as insect or bacterial cell cultures, large-scale production of the glycoprotein can be used to develop a new biobased glue for a variety of purposes.

"Spider silk glue, which is considered one of the strongest and most effective biological glues, is an aqueous solution secreted from the orb weaving spiders aggregate glands and coats the spiral prey capturing threads of their webs.

"The web glue appears to have evolved a substantial level of sophistication matching that of the spider silk fibres."

The research was published in the monthly journal Biomacromolecules.

Tories urge end to cannabis trial

The Tories say David Blunkett should 'think again'

The home secretary should think again about a drugs experiment "damaging" the lives of young people in London's Brixton, according to Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.

The "softly, softly" trial in Lambeth was simply "handing over drugs policy to criminals on the street", he claimed.

Mr Duncan Smith said he had reached this conclusion after talking to Brixton residents with shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Home Secretary David Blunkett is expected to announce the downgrading of penalties for possession and dealing of cannabis.

Under the Lambeth experiment - introduced a year ago by former Lambeth police commander Brian Paddick - those found carrying small amounts of cannabis are given a warning by police, rather than prosecuted.

'Deep concern'

Mr Duncan Smith said his reason for taking a closer look at the drugs experiment was that he believed Mr Blunkett planned to roll it out nationwide.

The Tory leader, who was heckled during his visit, stressed that it was important for politicians to meet the locals before making decisions on policy.

Brian Paddick says the scheme is a success

"It is clear from what they were saying to me there... that there is a deep concern that this experiment is actually damaging the young in this area and also many other family sectors as well.

"It is quite wrong, surely, to hand over your drugs policy to criminals on the street, who know the dealers?

"What the dealers are doing is creating new dealers from the young in this community and bringing others in as well - that's our main concern."

Drugs tourists

Mr Duncan Smith insisted: "We are saying to the home secretary: Stop and think again, because this is not the way to go about it."

The Lambeth scheme was launched to give police more time to combat hard drugs.

However, the Tories say there has been a significant increase overall in drug trafficking in Lambeth and drug dealers are in control, not the police.

Kate Hoey, one of the local Labour MPs, has also condemned the experiment, saying it has made drug trafficking socially acceptable.

Last week Mr Paddick defended the scheme saying there was no evidence to show his relaxed approach had attracted an influx of "drugs tourists" to Brixton.

Figures from Scotland Yard last month showed street crime in Lambeth had fallen dramatically.

'Listen up'

Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner Ian Blair, last week said the pilot scheme was "undoubtedly" beneficial to the police.

The policy of issuing police warnings might be extended to other parts of the country, if as seems likely, Mr Blunkett announces on Wednesday that the penalties for cannabis are to be downgraded.

He told MPs last October there was a case for reclassification: for reducing the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis from five years to two years and for trafficking from 14 years to five years.

But Mr Duncan Smith argued that the Metropolitan Police was "deeply concerned about the rise in dealing of hard drugs, as well as soft drugs and the levels of addiction".

Heckling

"What I hope is the home secretary will come and listen to these people and explain to them why he is thinking of making this go nationwide when we have no evidence of its success here."

As one resident heckled the Tory leader, arguing that the experiment was working, Mr Duncan Smith added: "I don't want children in this community to have their lives damaged, to become drug dealers and move into hard drugs."

Grandmother and foster parent Pauline Cumming, 50, said expanding the experiment would be an "absolute disaster".

"The dealers have no need to hide now. If the government wanted to try to control drugs, they should have done it in a controlled way in the bars or other places that adults frequent, rather than on the streets.

Cannabis cafes

"It makes me feel very frightened."

Rev Jeanette McLaren, priest-in-charge at St Paul's Church, Brixton, said she had been offered drugs twice a week since the new policy began.

"My congregation are very against the more liberal attitude on the streets and the effect it is having on our young people," she said.

But youth activist Hughie Rose, 32, called for Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes to control the spread of the drug.

Police shoot man on the M6

The man was shot in the leg A man has been shot by a police marksman on the M6 near Wigan. Greater Manchester Police say the man threatened officers with what they believed to be a firearm. The incident began at 0320 BST when officers followed a car from St Helen's, Merseyside, onto the motorway. As a result of the incident, the M6 was closed in both directions between junction 26 at Orrell and 27 at Standish causing disruption to rush hour traffic. Armed officers from Merseyside and Lancashire Police helped Greater Manchester Police to stop the car on the motorway. Once it reached the Wigan area the driver hit a crash barrier alongside the hard shoulder. Merseyside Assistant Chief Constable Graham Barker said: "Armed officers from Merseyside and Lancashire were joined by unarmed officers from Greater Manchester at the scene. "The man then got out of his car and threatened officers with what was believed to be a firearm. "The man was challenged by officers to put the weapon down. "Officers from Lancashire Constabulary contained the scene whilst armed response officers from Merseyside tried to negotiate with the man. "The incident escalated and officers, unable to persuade the man to put the weapon down and fearing for their safety, discharged their weapons." Mr Barker declined to answer questions, or to reveal whether the alleged firearm was a genuine gun. He added: "It would be inappropriate to comment any further on the detail of the incident as the matter has been referred to the Police Complaints Authority." The injured man has been taken to Wigan Infirmary with leg wounds. Traffic chaos There was heavy congestion on the motorway and on surrounding roads throughout the morning. An AA Roadwatch spokesman said the closure of one of the country's busiest motorways caused rush hour chaos. There were at least eight miles of stationary traffic southbound and also traffic jams northbound. "There has been a knock-on effect and surrounding roads are also congested," said the spokesman. "Our advice is to avoid the area completely." The northbound carriageway was reopened at 1400 BST, about two hours after traffic returned to the southbound lanes. However, traffic is still very heavy in the area.