Scientists in California have found a way to ”turn off” a gene that makes cancerous cells lethal. They eliminated aggressive, incurable liver tumours in laboratory mice in four weeks, they report in an advance paper in Nature on Monday. The study, based on a gene called Myc, could lead to new ways of treating cancer.

Building on its global leadership position in smart-card technology, MasterCard International on Monday launched its OneSMART MasterCard programme in Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Ninety percent of South African consumers perceive smart cards to be a far more secure way of protecting cards against fraudulent transactions.

It comes with its own ballroom, nine bedrooms, four terraces, heated marble floors and an address on the swankiest street in the most glamorous city in the world. New York’s most expensive apartment is about to go on the market for -million.

A sunny day in Rome. A table in the open with its own umbrella. A plate of pasta, a glass of wine, and a view of one of Europe’s most glorious monuments. The only problem is no one else will be able glimpse more than fragments of the monument because of all the other open-air tables, each with its own huge umbrella and bevy of customers.

Egyptian security forces investigating the resort bombings that killed at least 33 people were concentrating their hunt on Sunday on a group of previously unknown Egyptian militants. An Egyptian security official involved in the search conceded that ”the perpetrators are Egyptians”, but added that they had ”help from someone outside”.