Today's other stories in brief
Democrat Evan Bayh will not seek re-election
WASHINGTON – US Democratic senator Evan Bayh of Indiana announced yesterday he will not be seeking re-election this autumn, citing excessive political partisanship in a decision that may add to US president Barack Obama's difficulty in pushing his initiatives through an unco-operative Congress.
The two-term senator said he was troubled by “a growing conviction that Congress is not operating as it should” and that useful work was thwarted by “narrow ideology”.
Mr Bayh said his passion for public service was undiminished, but his desire to do so in Congress had waned. “Even in a time of enormous national challenge, the people’s business is not getting done,” he said.
– (Reuters)
Hormone could treat autism
WASHINGTON – A hormone thought to encourage bonding between mothers and their babies may foster social behaviour in some adults with autism, French researchers said yesterday.
They found patients who inhaled the hormone oxytocin paid more attention to expressions when looking at pictures of faces and were more likely to understand social cues in a game simulation, the researchers said in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Angela Sirigu of the Centre of Cognitive Neuroscience in Lyon, who led the study, said the hormone had potential for adults as well as for children with autism. “For instance, if oxytocin is administered early when the diagnosis is made, we can perhaps change very early the impaired social development of autistic patients.” – (Reuters)
Deaf couple persecuted after 91m rand win in South African lottery
JOHANNESBURG – A deaf South African cleaner and his family who won 91 million rand (€8.65 million) in a lottery have fled their home after hordes of relatives, friends and strangers besieged them to ask for money.
South African media reported that Cape Town hardware store cleaner Stanley Philander (52) and his family disappeared from their wooden shack in the back garden of a relative’s home after their win attracted scores of people.
Mr Philander and his wife, Diana – who is also deaf – told a local tabloid they had been inundated with requests for money since news got out that their ticket matched Friday night’s winning numbers. – (Reuters)