Short items

James Murdoch and GSK

James Murdoch, chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, is also a non-executive director at pharma company GlaxoSmithKline. On joining the board in 2009, the chairman welcomed him, noting his dedication to corporate responsibility. Murdoch has recently been giving testimony regarding the News of the World  phone hacking scandal. 
The Guardian, 18 July 2011

Cancer wonder drug 

Studies suggest that a family of breast cancer drugs, known as PARP inhibitors, could be effective against all cancers. PARP inhibitors block the pathway used by certain types of tumour to repair themselves. Scientists at the University of Newcastle, UK, have now shown that blocking a Cdk1 molecule makes the drug effective against other cancers. 
Daily Mail, 27 June 2011 

Biofuelled Boeing 757 

The first commercial biofuel powered flight in the UK has been cleared for take-off. The Thomson Airways Boeing 757 flying to Panama from Birmingham will be partly powered by used cooking oil. The cooking oil is collected from US restaurants and refined before it is blended with 50 per cent paraffin, making a ready to use aviation fuel. 
The Times, 1 July 2011 

Drug resistant STD found 

A new, drug-resistant strain of gonorrhoea has been discovered, prompting a worldwide alert. Globally there are more than six million cases of gonorrhoea a year and it is currently treated with a single dose of antibiotics. The concern is that the new strain could transform the easily treatable infection into a global threat to public health, researchers said. 
The Independent,  12 July 2011