Gene therapy experiments improve vision in nearly blind

Gene therapy experiments improve vision in nearly blind
NEW YORK - Scientists for the first time have used gene therapy to dramatically improve sight in people with a rare form of blindness, a development experts called a major advance for the experimental techniqueSome vision was restored in four of the six young people who got the treatment, teams of researchers in the United States and Britain reported Sunday. Two of the volunteers who could only see hand motions were able to read a few lines of an eye chart within weeks.

"It's a phenomenal breakthrough," said Stephen Rose, chief research officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which helped pay for one study done at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

If successful in larger numbers, experts said, the technique has the potential to reverse blindness from other kinds of inherited eye diseases.

"I think this is incredibly exciting," said Dr. Jean Bennett, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania and a leader of the Philadelphia study. "It's the beginning of a whole new phase of studies."

The research was published online Sunday by the New England Journal of Medicine in conjunction with presentations at a medical meeting in Florida.

The two teams of scientists, working separately, each tested gene replacement therapy in three patients with a form of a rare hereditary eye disease called Leber's congenital amaurosis. There's no treatment for the disease, which appears early in infancy and causes severe vision loss, especially at night.

An estimated 2,000 Americans have the form of the disease they targeted, Bennett said.

Gene therapy — replacing faulty genes with a normal version — has been studied in humans for over 15 years with limited success. The field suffered a setback with the 1999 death of Jesse Gelsinger, 18, in an experiment for a liver disorder at Penn. And some children treated for an immune disorder called the "bubble boy disease" later developed leukemia.

The early results of the eye experiments should give the field a boost, some experts said.

"I think it's really a big shot in the arm for gene therapy and for medicine in general," said Dr. Ronald Crystal, head of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

Each of the study participants had mutations in a gene that makes a protein needed by the retina, which senses light and sends images to the brain. Those without the gene gradually lose sight until they are blind in early adulthood.

The retina itself stays in relatively good shape for a while, making it a good candidate for gene therapy, said Robin Ali, a professor at University College London, who led the British team. He likened the defective gene to a missing spark plug in a car engine.

"The whole engine can be absolutely fine, but if it doesn't have a spark plug, the car's not going to work," said Ali.

For the experiment, the scientists injected millions of copies of a working gene beneath the retina in the back of the eye. Only one eye was treated — the worst one — in case anything went wrong; the untreated eye was used for comparison. After the treatment, their eyesight and light sensitivity were measured periodically; mobility was tested in a maze or an obstacle course.

All three of those treated in Philadelphia showed significant improvement in their vision, the researchers said. The volunteers — two women, 19 and 26, and a man, 26 — were from Italy, where they had been screened by researchers there. The longest follow-up was six months.

Besides reading lines on an eye chart, they could see better in dim lit, Bennett said.

"We were not expecting to restore their vision to 20/20," she said.

In the British group, the treatment only worked in 18-year-old Steven Howarth, whose disease was less advanced than the other two — a girl, 17; and a man, 23, who was followed for a year.

Howarth said he used to rush home from school because he was worried about getting around in the dark, according to remarks issued by the university.

"Now, my sight when it's getting dark or it's badly lit is definitely better. It's a small change — but it makes a big difference to me," said Howarth, who lives in Bolton, near Manchester.

After the injection last July, Howarth said his eye felt like sandpaper. It was better after a week, and his eyesight gradually improved. He was able to negotiate a dimly lit maze in 14 seconds without bumping into any obstacles; before it took him 77 seconds with eight errors.

There were no serious side effects reported in either group. One of the patients in Philadelphia developed a hole in his retina which didn't affect his eyesight. The researchers think the hole was related to the surgery and not the injected gene.

The researchers said there was no evidence that the altered virus used to ferry the gene into the retina's cells had traveled outside the eye to other areas of the body.

The groups have each treated a fourth patient, including a preteen in England. The researchers hope to see better results with higher doses and in younger patients with less eye damage.

The National Eye Institute is funding a third similar study at the University of Florida.

The research in Philadelphia and London was paid for by a variety of government agencies and private foundations. An employee of Targeted Genetics Corp., which made the altered virus used in London, is a co-author of their report. Four of the Philadelphia researchers, including Bennett, have either applied for or have patents related to gene therapy. Ali and another British researcher have also applied for a patent for the procedure

Merrill Lynch posts steep first-quarter loss on write-downs

Merrill Lynch posts steep first-quarter loss on write-downs

NEW YORK - Merrill Lynch & Co., the world's largest brokerage, on Thursday said it would cut 4,000 jobs after more than $6.5 billion of fresh write-downs pushed it to a loss for the first quarter. It marks the third straight quarterly loss for Merrill amid a global credit crisis that began last summer. Banks and brokerages have racked up nearly $200 billion of write-downs to date, with more feared to come.

John Thain, hired as chief executive four months ago to clean up the firm's books, cautioned that things were unlikely to improve in the next couple quarters. The New York-based brokerage lost about $2 billion during the most recent quarter, and has now written off about $29 billion worth of risky asset-backed securities and leveraged loans.

"This was about as difficult a quarter as I've seen in my 30 years on Wall Street," Thain told analysts during a conference call. "We are planning for a slower and more difficult next couple of months and probably next couple of quarters, but are also hopeful for our full year 2008 results."

His comments echo those of rival investment banking chiefs, who in recent days have said the worst of the crisis is over — but that a resurgence might not happen until the second half of the year. Thain also said that April is so far shaping up to be a better month for the brokerage compared to previous months.

That was good news for battered shareholders who have seen their investment in Merrill Lynch tumble 53 percent in the last year. Shares rose $1.06, or 2.4 percent, to $45.95 in morning trading.

Merrill Lynch lost $2.14 billion, or $2.19 per share, after paying preferred dividends, during the first quarter. This was well below the profit of $2.11 billion, or $2.26 per share, a year earlier. Total revenue fell to $2.93 billion from $9.6 billion a year earlier.

Results missed Wall Street projections for a loss of $1.99 per share on $3.7 billion of revenue, according to analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

"Merrill Lynch's and other investment banks' write downs are a stark reminder that we are not out of the woods yet in terms of the credit crisis," said Octavio Marenzi, head of financial consultancy Celent LP. "There is more pain to come and pressures on earnings are going to continue."

The results caused Moody's Investors Service to say it may trim Merrill Lynch's ratings for the second time in six months. The rating agency cited "deteriorating conditions in the mortgage market" and the latest write-downs.

Merrill Lynch's plan to trim its ranks of 63,000 employees comes after it recently cut 1,000 jobs, mostly from subprime mortgage division First Franklin. The latest round will leave Merrill's army of 16,000 brokers and financial advisers — arguably the most powerful group within the company's ranks — unscathed.

Merrill said it will record a restructuring charge of $350 million in the current quarter for the layoffs. However, it will generate some $850 million of cost savings each year.

Thain also told reporters that although the investment bank does not plan to issue common stock to boost capital, it is open to issuing preferred shares — a move that would not be harmful to investors. Merrill Lynch raised $12 billion since the credit crisis began to boost its balance sheet.

Behaviour contracts for students

Behaviour contracts for students

University students are facing "legalistic" contracts when they begin their studies - which can include requirements on dress and behaviour.

Teenagers do not realise what is in these lengthy documents, says the adjudicator of student complaints.

These contracts could be one-sided and non-negotiable, warns the adjudicator.

Vice-chancellors' body Universities UK said such "charters" helped to clarify the increasingly complex relationships between students and universities.

Baroness Ruth Deech, the independent adjudicator for higher education - who resolves complaints between students and universities - said the use of formal contracts and "charters" was likely to grow.

'Non-negotiable'

She said: "Our view on balance is that the student contract is not a good thing.

"It is useful to let students know that they have to work hard but I think the contract is too legalistic."

The contracts covered issues such as student accommodation, bursaries, discipline policies and the use of computers.

"I have seen one that even laid down that students should dress neatly when going to lectures. I don't know that that is enforceable," Baroness Deech added.

Concerns over the contracts were aired in the adjudicator's annual report.

It said: "Our concern with the new written university-student contracts is that students do not appear to favour them, regarding them as one-sided and non-negotiable, laying down, they would say, duties on students and using exclusion clauses to protect the university from liability."

President of Universities UK Professor Rick Trainor said there had always been some form of contract between the student and university.

"Universities are aware that the student-institution relationship is increasingly complex, with a variety of regulations and procedures already in place.

"As such, some institutions have found that student agreements, charters or guides developed with students are helping to clarify rights and responsibilities on both sides."

He said only one in five told a recent survey they had a formalised contract in place or were currently developing one.

"We also found the sector as a whole was cautious about the use of formal legal documents and their potential difficulties," he added.

Retailers post sluggish sales in March

Retailers post sluggish sales in March
With prices at the pump rising and worries about jobs increasing, shoppers bought basics at discounters and wholesale clubs and snubbed mall-based chains' clothing, jewelry and furniture. The earliest Easter in 95 years also hurt sales; shoppers weren't in the mood to buy spring clothing in cold weather.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. were among the best performers. Wal-Mart raised its earnings outlook, noting that better inventory control helped to limit markdowns on merchandise.But March proved to be another weak month for many others, including J.C. Penney Co., Gap Inc., and Limited Brands Inc. All of them reported sharp drops in sales.

"Discounters are going to continue to do well in this economy," said Ken Perkins, president of RetailMetrics LLC, a research company in Swampscott, Mass. "Anything that is discretionary is going to continue to be under pressure."

According to a preliminary tally by UBS-International Council of Shopping Centers, sales slid 0.5 percent versus its original estimate of 1 percent growth. The results, based on same-store sales or sales at stores opened at least a year, were the weakest since March 1995, when the industry registered a decline of 0.8 percent .

The retail industry already had been bracing for a weak March because Easter landed two weeks earlier than last year, on March 23 when winter weather still gripped most of the country.

A deteriorating economy, soaring food and gas prices, limited credit and slumping home prices shook shoppers further. The Conference Board, a business-backed group, said late last month that consumers' outlook for the economy was the gloomiest in 35 years.

At the pump, the national average price of a gallon of gas rose 1.4 cents overnight to a record $3.357 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices have set a string of records in recent weeks, and are 56 cents higher than a year ago.

With the peak summer driving season still to come and crude oil prices rising too, gas may reach the retail price of $4 a gallon that the Energy Department has been forecasting.

A sluggish job market is adding to worries. On Thursday, the Labor Department said that applications for jobless benefits totaled 357,000 last week, down by 53,000 from the previous week. Even with the improvement, the four-week average for claims rose by 2,500 to 378,250, the highest level since early October 2005.

While many economists believe that the country is in a recession, the Bush administration says that growth should revive this summer when 130 million households start spending their economic stimulus checks. Janet Hoffman, managing partner of the North American retail division of Accenture, and other analysts believe that any sales lift at stores will only be temporary, however.And many believe that shoppers will use a chunk of the money to pay down debt.

In this challenging economy, "consumers are looking for value and are willing to trade down," said Hoffman.

Wal-Mart Stores reported a 0.7 percent gain in same-store sales. That was slightly below the 1.0 percent estimate by analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.

The nation's largest retailer said that food and consumables, and electronics such as video games and digital cameras sold well. But cold weather hurt apparel, except for basics like T-shirts. Home furnishings continued to be weak.

Wal-Mart raised its first-quarter earnings outlook because better inventory controls yielded fewer markdowns and reduced store theft.

Rival Target Corp., which has been stumbling lately, posted a 4.4 percent decline in same-store sales. Analysts had expected a 2.7 percent decrease.

Costco posted a 7 percent gain in sales. Analysts had expected a 5.9 percent gain.

But many department stores and apparel chains suffered.

Among department stores, J.C. Penney posted a larger-than-expected 12.3 percent sales decline. The department store retailer had warned late last month that same-store sales would be down at least 10 percent amid a souring economy.

Even high-end department stores like Saks Inc. which operates Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom Inc. languished. Saks reported a 2.9 percent decline in same-store sales, worse than the 3.5 percent gain that Wall Street anticipated. Among the weakest areas at Saks were women's designer apparel and fine jewelry. Nordstrom had a 9.1 percent decline in same-store sales; analysts had expected an 8.0 percent drop.

Limited Brands reported an 8 percent drop in sales, larger than the 7.2 percent decline that analysts had expected. Gap reported an 18 percent drop in same-store sales; analysts had expected a 7.7 percent decline. At the company's Old Navy division, same-store sales were down 27 percent.

Frog without lungs found in Indonesia

Frog without lungs found in Indonesia

BANGKOK, Thailand - A frog has been found in a remote part of Indonesia that has no lungs and breathes through its skin, a discovery that researchers said Thursday could provide insight into what drives evolution in certain species.The aquatic frog Barbourula kalimantanensis was found in a remote part of Indonesia's Kalimantan province on Borneo island during an expedition in August 2007, said David Bickford, an evolutionary biologist at the National University of Singapore. Bickford was part of the trip and co-authored a paper on the find that appeared in this week's edition of the peer-reviewed journal Current Biology.

Bickford said the species is the first frog known to science without lungs and joins a short list of amphibians with this unusual trait, including a few species of salamanders and a wormlike creature known as a caecilian.

"These are about the most ancient and bizarre frogs you can get on the planet," Bickford said of the brown amphibian with bulging eyes and a tendency to flatten itself as it glides across the water.

"They are like a squished version of Jabba the Hutt," he said, referring to the character from Star Wars. "They are flat and have eyes that float above the water. They have skin flaps coming off their arms and legs."

Bickford's Indonesian colleague, Djoko Iskandar, first came across the frog 30 years ago and has been searching for it ever since. He didn't know the frog was lungless until they cut eight of the specimens open in the lab.

Graeme Gillespie, director of conservation and science at Zoos Victoria in Australia, called the frog "evolutionarily unique." He said the eight specimens examined in the lab showed the lunglessness was consistent with the species and not "a freak of nature." Gillespie was not a member of the expedition or the research team.

Bickford surmised that the frog had evolved to adapt to its difficult surroundings, in which it has to navigate cold, rapidly moving streams that are rich in oxygen.

"It's an extreme adaptation that was probably brought about by these fast-moving streams," Bickford said, adding that it probably needed to reduce its buoyancy in order to keep from being swept down the mountainous rivers.

He said the frog could help scientists understand the environmental factors that contribute to "extreme evolutionary change" since its closest relative in the Philippines and other frogs have lungs.

Bickford and Gillespie said the frog's discovery adds urgency to the need to protect its river habitat, which in recent years has become polluted due to widespread illegal logging and gold mining. Once-pristine waters are now brown and clogged with silt, they said.

"The gold mining is completely illegal and small scale. But when there are thousands of them on the river, it really has a huge impact," Bickford said. "Pretty soon the frogs will run out of the river."

Rising exam bill 'is inefficient'

Rising exam bill 'is inefficient'

Head teachers have criticised the "desperately bad use of public money" on rising exam costs.

The bill to schools and colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is put at £700m a year.

A report for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority said £400m went to exam boards while £300m was spent on exam invigilators and administrators.

Another shows a fall in A-level costs as they change from six units to four, but big variations between boards.

John Dunford of the Association of School and College Leaders said the whole system needed "severe pruning".

'Criticisms'

The QCA report, compiled by Europe Economics, said: "Over time the system almost certainly has engendered inefficiency and in our view is likely to go on doing so.

"Unless action is taken, the burden on taxpayers will increase."

The report added: "Schools and college representatives were vocal in their criticisms of the rate at which exam fee expenditure had risen in the last few years."

Dr Dunford said: "This is a desperately bad use of public money.

"It has become the second biggest item after staffing in most secondary school and college budgets.

"This bloated external examination system is in need of severe pruning."

He repeated his association's call for more assessment to be done by teachers - suggesting the number of exams might be halved.

'Upward trends'

The QCA has also published its annual report on the qualifications market, amid ministerial concern at what has been called the "alphabet soup" of qualifications.

It says there was a growth between 2002 and 2006 in the numbers of qualifications on offer across exam boards or awarding bodies as they are known.

"VRQs and NVQs have increased and new developments in general qualifications and Diploma-related courses have also made a significant impact on overall numbers.

"Numbers of achievements gained, the number of recognised awarding bodies and popularity of courses all show upward trends."

The one area of contraction has been due to the changes to A-levels, which among other things reduce the number of elements students have to tackle.

A report by the QCA on these changes - published jointly with the Welsh regulator DCELLS - shows A-level fees falling.

"The level of this saving varies by awarding body and by subject, with some subjects not seeing a saving."

It adds: "The analysis does highlight some differences in the fees charged by different awarding bodies for the same subjects.

'Better informed'

For example, AQA has a flat rate of £67 for all it's A-levels. But biology, for example, with the Edexcel board costs £97 and design and technology is £148.

But the report adds: "On average, centres can expect to see a reduction in expenditure on A-levels."

It says colleges and schools have competitive choices based on specification, services and fees.

QCA chief executive Ken Boston said: "Choices by centres of which qualification to use are rightly based on a wide range of factors, not just the price.

"But our report on A-level fees will allow them to make better informed judgments."

However another report, this time by accountants PKF in December 2006, has suggested that the introduction of Diplomas from this autumn could see costs rise.

They would involve "a large amount of capital investment" by exam boards, who would pass the costs on the schools.

The report said: "Not only is the cost of investment in the Diplomas uncertain, but there is also uncertainty about what the level of demand will be.

"If there is low demand for the Diplomas the awarding bodies risk not recovering their initial cost of investment."

Also, reductions in the amount of coursework in GCSE exams would push up the cost of those courses, it said.

Diplomas begin replacing A-levels

The government is to start scrapping qualifications in England as the new Diplomas are rolled out to all by 2013.

Applied A-levels are likely to be the first to go, along with thousands of little-used vocational qualifications.

BTecs and City and Guilds may be subsumed in Diplomas as the system is streamlined. Colleges think A-levels will go the same way.

In what the Tories say is a U-turn, ministers are dropping Tony Blair's International Baccalaureate pledge.

The changes were signalled in a green paper for consultation, Promoting achievement, valuing success: a strategy for 14-19 qualifications.

'Overly complex'

A new Joint Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval will decide which qualifications get public funding to be offered in schools and colleges.

NEW 14-19 STRATEGY FOR ENGLAND
GCSEs and A-levels
Diplomas
Others reassessed by new Committee for Qualifications Approval
Apprenticeships
To be reviewed in 2013

Of the "alphabet soup" of 6,500 or so existing qualifications 65% are taken by fewer than 100 students a year, according to the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Those with very low uptakes - such as a certificate for parking attendants - are likely to go unless there is a proven demand from students and employers.

Schools Minister Jim Knight told reporters: "Our long-term goal is that every learner in this country has an engaging and comprehensible set of options ... that equips them well for the world of work and higher education."

He said the existing system was "overly complex" and difficult for youngsters and their parents and advisers to understand.

Applied A-levels

This will be essentially three-pronged: Diplomas, GCSEs and A-levels, and Apprenticeships.

The government says it is investing to ensure GCSEs and A-levels continue to be high quality and important for "many" young people.

But it says: "Diplomas will in practice duplicate the offer currently provided by Applied A-levels, and will provide a stronger learning experience".

So from 2013 Applied A-levels "will no longer be needed as part of the qualification offer in England".

It will be up to the devolved administration in Wales and Northern Ireland to decide what to do.

Applied GCSEs, on the other hand, will stay for now.

BTecs

Diplomas include an optional element which ministers say can bring in "the best of existing qualifications - for example some existing vocational qualifications such as BTecs, City and Guilds awards, OCR Nationals and others".

The strategy makes clear that this could also include A-levels and AS-levels.

Exam board Edexcel, which owns the BTec brand, said it thought the strategy meant they could continue both as an integral part of the Diploma and as stand-alone qualifications.

The whole system will be reviewed in 2013, as previously promised.

Mr Knight said: "We are completely open minded about that review at this point."

The director of learning and quality at the Association of Colleges, Maggie Scott, said: "We can see the point at which A-levels, BTec Nationals and other qualifications that serve a purpose for learners might be subsumed under the Diploma umbrella. "

Accreditation

The strategy calls the International Baccalaureate (IB) one of "a number of other general qualifications already in use or that schools are preparing to deliver". Another would be the new Pre-U.

It says it will be for the new exams regulator, Ofqual to consider whether they meet its accreditation criteria.

If they do, the government will consider whether they "fill a gap" and therefore should continue to be funded.

"Where we do continue to fund them, we shall include consideration of their future alongside GCSEs and A-levels as part of the 2013 review," the strategy says.

Late in 2006 the government said it would fund every local authority to have at least one centre offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

It now says it will not force this on the minority that have not come forward.

Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove called this a U-turn "denying students choice and closing down opportunity".

Liberal Democrat spokesman David Laws said: "It should be up to schools, not central government, what qualifications ought to be offered."

The Association of School and College Leaders and the National Union of Teachers said GCSEs and A-levels should be brought within the Diploma framework.

The general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Mary Bousted, said: "There is still a long way to go before we have a unified qualification framework rather than three distinct tracks - academic, occupational and vocational."

Exams cost too much, say colleges

Colleges are spending more money on entering students for exams than they are on heating, cleaning or computers, they say.

The Association of Colleges says the cost of entering students for exams has gone up by 36% in the past three years.

Some larger colleges have seen their exam bill rise by more than 25% in one year and face annual bills of over £1m.

The government ordered a review of exam fees last year and has said the results will be published later this year.

The concern comes as the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is considering a cap on what exam boards can charge.

The association welcomed the QCA's review, saying many colleges faced too-high bills.

For example, the annual bill for exams at the City of Bristol College is £1.5m.

Vice principal Judith Stradling said this was a rise of about 30% in four years.

"It's a cost that needs to be recognised - particularly for 16 to 18-year-olds," she said.

"It's a reflection of your success in a way, because it shows you've got a lot of students achieving qualifications."

Mrs Stradling said the increasing number of modular exams would put costs up further.

'Unacceptable'

Truro College in Cornwall spent just under £1m on exam fees last year.

Principal Jonathan Burnett said students lost out as a result.

"The proportion of funding that we have to spend on exam fees at the college reduces what is available for students," he said.

"We think that that is unacceptable."

Transparency

Last week the board of England's exam watchdog, QCA, heard that exam fees had been rising "well above the rate of inflation".

The QCA is now considering whether a price cap is necessary for the revised A-levels and new specialised Diplomas.

It also wants greater "transparency" in the pricing, and aims to publish all the boards' fees on its website.

AoC chief executive, John Brennan, said: "The AoC welcomes the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's new review on exam fees and their commitment to taking college concerns seriously.

"Examination costs are higher because government policy requires colleges to use external qualifications as a pre-condition for receiving funding.

"The continuing rise in exam-fee expenditure above 10% a year is unsupportable and will deny other resources to students."

The Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said there would be a review of exam fees, although the government believed expenditure on exam fees had increased in line with the greater number of learners taking qualifications.

"More and more young people and adults, are achieving the qualifications they need for sustained employment and to meet the skills needs of the economy," he said.

"We have asked QCA to look at the exam fees charged by awarding bodies for GCSEs and A-levels and to make recommendations for a clear pricing structure.

"The findings and recommendations from the review will be published later this year."

Fees for A-levels may be capped

England's qualifications regulator is considering a cap on some fees exam bodies charge schools and colleges.
The board of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority heard that exam fees had been rising "well above the rate of inflation".

It is wondering whether a price cap is necessary for the revised A-levels and new specialised Diplomas.

It also wants greater "transparency" in the pricing, and aims to publish all the boards' fees on its website.

Minutes of the board's February meeting show that the director of regulation and standards, Isabel Nisbet, presented members with information on changes in fees from 2002-03 to 2006-07.

It endorsed her recommendation that from September, awarding bodies should be required to publish fees for GCSEs and A-levels one year in advance.

They should also have to advise it what they were planning to charge for the revised A-levels and the first five Diplomas "to enable QCA to decide whether a price cap might be necessary".

A spokesman said: "We plan to publish more information for centres about exam fees later this year.

"We are keen to see greater transparency about charges to enable centres to make informed judgements about fees and quality of service."

A-level re-sits


The board also began considering whether the credibility of A-levels is reduced by a perceived "re-sit culture", with no limit on the number of times students can re-take the units that make up the qualifications.

It decided re-sits should continue to be allowed.

But there was a feeling that the two parts of an A-level, AS and A2, should be split, so the full A-level was not dependent on grades at AS, where most re-sits occur.

Members also felt the QCA should accredit International GCSEs as "other general" qualifications, if they were asked to do so - but that the term "GCSE" should not be part of their name.

Salman and Katrina are together!

Break ups and link ups are very common amongst Bollywood celebrities. It is not at all surprising to see these celebrities who are responsible for creating such news, later laugh when reported by the media. Lets discuss the recent buzz doing the rounds of Bollywood, about Salman and Katrina’s split.

The news of the rift between the couple was all over the town after the buzz of Salman slapping Katrina came out. Katrina denied being slapped by Salman, but everyone certainly raised eyebrows when he did not turn up for the premiere of her movie Race .

But does this actually prove that the most beautiful couple of Bollywood is no more together? A close friend of the couple informs us that these stories seem to have no truth in it. “Salman was absent on the premiere night because he was not in India. He was busy shooting for Wanted Dead Or Alive . Though he wasn’t there his family was present to cheer Katrina.”

Being happy about the love and support by Salman’s family Katrina says, “Salman's mother is a lovely lady and has a lot of integrity. So are his sisters. It's a wonderful family who cares for me a lot. I bond with them very well.”

“Salman and Katrina are very much together. In fact Katrina was a perfect host at Salman’s party where he called all the cast and crew of Yuvraaj at his Panvel farmhouse.” reveals Subhash Ghai.

Though Katrina and Akshay have great onscreen chemistry, Katrina feels that she has a rocking onscreen chemistry with beau Salman Khan. The couple will be seen together in Subhash Ghai’s Yuvraaj . She says, “People like my onscreen chemistry with Akshay but I feel Salman and I look superb and stunning on screen.”

Needless to say such rumors don’t matter to the couple, who are very much together and looking forward to more good times together.

Olivier Martinez is history: Kylie

Pop princess Kylie Minogue seems to have moved on in life, for she considers ex-flame Olivier Martinez history.In an interview on NBC's The Today Show, the Aussie sensation referred to Martinez in the past tense, when asked about a Czech Republic concert wedding report.

Minogue told the host Matt Lauer that she had ‘dated’ Martinez, reports News.com.au.Lauer asked: "Dated - past tense?" Minogue replied: “Yes".Then Lauer asked: "So there's no rekindling and no engagement in the future that I need to know about?" Minogue said: “No". Minogue earlier scotched reports she would marry Martinez dismissing rumours they were still dating.