Srinagar, Oct 5 (ANI): An indefinite curfew has been imposed in the entire Kashmir valley to thwart a march by separatists to Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Monday.

Separatist leaders had planned a march to Lal Chowk to support their demand for right to self-determination.

In certain civilian areas, which are prone to stone-pelting incidents, mobile teams of the police and para-military forces were seen with their anti-riot gear on.

A number of separatist leaders, including the Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yaseen Malik, were put under preventive custody. Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was shifted to a hospital after he complained of chest pain.

The state's Principal Secretary has sought people's cooperation to maintain peace. He said if the situation remains normal, the curfew would be lifted soon. (ANI)

Washington, Sept 12 (ANI): Researchers at Indiana University have found that HIV care providers in rural Indiana fail to offer quality care to their patients.

This is because there is significant stigma and discrimination in the rural medical referral system surrounding issues of HIV and substance abuse.

"The findings of this study demonstrate inefficiencies in our public health care system and our inability to link people easily to a range of health care providers in rural areas," said Michael Reece, lead investigator of the study and director of The Center for Sexual Health Promotion in Indiana University Bloomington's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

"This also has an important economic impact given that our investments in the public health system may not be achieving the outcomes we need, such as improvements in health status," he added.

While most studies involving HIV and stigma highlight patient's perspectives, this study focused solely on the perspectives of providers serving rural Indiana residents.

Providers reported that some rural physicians refused to provide care for their patients. They also reported widespread stigmatizing comments and behaviour from the rural medical community.

For Reece, focusing research locally is important.

"As the incidence of new HIV infections continues to increase in more diverse areas of the country, researchers can make incredible contributions to public health by focusing some of their attention to what is happening in the backyards of their own universities," Reece said.

"Take Indiana, for example. While there is a great deal of research on HIV in other communities, very little research has focused on what is happening right here in southern Indiana. It must become a priority for us in order to help our neighbours deal with the ongoing challenges of the epidemic," he added.

The study appears in the latest issue of the journal AIDS Patient CARE and STDs. (ANI)

London, Sept 24 (ANI): Scotland's traditional dress, kilt, is under threat from cheap foreign "knock-offs"- storming in from the Far East and even Morocco.

Seeing the move, Scotland's leading kilt makers have launched a campaign to protect the traditional knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, from cut-price imitations.

The kilt makers held a summit meeting in a Perth hotel to determine what exactly makes a Scottish-made kilt so special and to identify the skills needed to make one.

Over the next few weeks, industry leaders will create a set of national occupational standards to act as a blueprint for the traditional kilt-making industry.

"Both Scotch whisky and the kilt are synonymous with Scotland. Whisky is regulated, with standards to protect the integrity of the brand - so why should it be any different for the kilt?" the Scotsman quoted Jacqui Cullen, Skillfast-UK's manager in Scotland, as saying.

"We want to help Scotland's kilt-makers to define the kilt, and the skills that go into its creation, to help protect the quality standard and guard against inferior imitations from abroad," Jacqui added.

Cullen said that at its best, kilt making could be compared to the specialist skills required by London's Savile Row tailors.

"At the top end of the market, the kilt is a bespoke garment, tailored for an individual's shape," Jacqui said.

"It is very important for the heritage of Scotland that people who have these talents share the skills and knowledge that they have, so it can be maintained and passed on," Jacqui added.

According to Louise Wood, the council's director of marketing, globalisation has posed a threat to the traditional kilt making industry.

"Garments which are calling themselves Scottish kilts, but are truly not worthy of the name," said Wood.

"They are nice pleated skirts, but they are not to be confused with the genuine Scottish article. But until you have really defined what a Scottish kilt is, then you can't really protect it.

"We would have to jump through a lot of legal hoops to secure a local identification mark, but, potentially, if we can come up with definition of what a Scottish kilt is, it could open up the way for that to happen," she added. (ANI)

London, Sept 29 (ANI): American actress Megan Fox fears she is not "big enough" to play the part of a big-breasted superhero.

Sources have revealed that the 22-year-old, who has signed on to play the role of alien babe Aspen Matthews in the much-awaited movie Fathom, fears that she will not be able to live up to the image depicted in the cult comic.

According to them, the 'Transformers' star studied the comics, and came to the conclusion that she would not be able to look like Matthews, who has been drawn with huge boobs that barely fit into the ultra-tight swimsuits.

"She was really excited about the part but she's now worried that she hasn't got the boobs to satisfy the fans," the Daily Star quoted a source as saying.

"The Fathom comics have a huge fan base of teenage boys and to them Aspen is a goddess.

"Megan is panicking about being big enough to impress them," the source added.

Fox, who had faced claims in the past that she has already enhanced her 34B boobs, might just be tempted to go in for surgery to make them bigger, an insider said. (ANI)