British film board bans sale of Japanese horror movie

LONDON —

Britain’s film board banned the sale of a Japanese horror DVD, saying Wednesday its violence is so extreme that it could cause psychological harm to audiences.

The film “Grotesque” devoted most of its running time to the sexual assault and torture of its two main characters, the British Board of Film Classification said.

“‘Grotesque’ features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism,” the board said in a statement.

The board has refused to classify the film, meaning it cannot be legally sold or supplied anywhere in Britain.

The board said the movie’s nonstop scenes of torture—including amputation, eye-gouging, castration and evisceration—make it impossible to edit the film in a way which would make it acceptable for British viewers.

The board, which rates about 10,000 films for DVD release each year, said the ban was “very rare.”

The last movie turned down by the board was 2004 film “Murder-Set-Pieces,” which was rejected in early 2008. In 2005, it refused “Terrorists, Killers And Other Wackos“—a film that carried clips of real torture and execution.

WHO warns of swine flu pandemic's second wave

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation is urging the planet to brace for a second wave of the swine flu pandemic as the heavily populated northern
hemisphere edges towards the cooler season when flu thrives.

"The WHO is still mobilised and worried," spokesman Gregory Hartl said as the global health watchdog kept an anxious eye on some "mysterious" patterns of illness associated with the new A (H1N1) virus that appeared in April.

Influenza traditionally surges to its peak during the northern autumn and winter.

WHO Director General Margaret Chan warned on Friday that there had been second and third waves in previous pandemics.

"We cannot say for certain whether the worst is over or the worst is yet to come," Chan said in a videotaped address to a symposium on flu in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We need to be prepared for whatever surprises this capricious new virus delivers next," she added.

Some 1,799 people have died since the A(H1N1) was uncovered in Mexico and the United States nearly six months ago, according to the UN health agency.

By comparison, an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 people die around the world every year from seasonal flu, and overall the symptoms of the new pandemic virus have proved to be mild in the great majority of known cases.

However, it has spread swiftly into 177 countries, proving to be more infectious than seasonal flu and more durable through warmer months.

Through a full season in the southern hemisphere, the pandemic strain gradually became dominant.

WHO monitoring showed that it was now on the decline there, except in South Africa, and in some later affected areas of Argentina, Australia and Chile.

Some 182,000 people worldwide are known to have caught swine flu based on laboratory confirmed cases, but the WHO has long advised countries to give up counting; the true number may in the millions, according to some experts.

It is also striking those in a more physically fragile phase of life, such as pregnant women or the chronically ill, as well as those who are obese and younger age groups than usual.

Many of the most severe cases are among 30 to 50 year -olds.

WHO officials are also mystified at the "most worrying" characteristic of this flu virus, Hartl explained.

About 40 percent of the most severe or fatal cases occur in people who are in perfect health, he said.

However, he was unable to say how many severe cases had occurred, although they are generally regarded as a small proportion of the outbreak so far.

Martial arts instructors condemn bully bashing

WINNIPEG -- Martial arts instructors are condemning a Winnipeg mother's decision to enrol her bullied son in kick-boxing classes and give him permission to retaliate against his tormentors.

The mother, who asked not to be named, gave her son the green light to "kick the snot out of " his alleged tormentor when school starts next month.

But that vision of what selfdefence actually entails has self-defence experts cringing.

"Martial arts is not about kicking and punching," said Sonny Pabuaya, instructor at Iron Fist Tae Kwon Do in Winnipeg. "That's a misconception people have because that's what they see in the movies."

"Violence only invokes more violence," said Diego Beltran, who runs Guardian Dojo-Kyokushin Karate Canada Inc. in Winnipeg. "I'm in total disagreement with the lady."

The mother said a bully has been tormenting her son for years. Both boys are in their early teens, and have attended the same school in Louis Riel School Division.

"It's about time he took a stand and stood up for himself," she said in a recent interview with the Free Press. "He has my full permission to kick the snot out of [the other boy] if he comes up to him."

Mr. Beltran and Mr. Pabuaya both stressed that selfdefence preaches mental discipline before physical training. Both emphasize verbal interaction to avoid heated confrontations.

"I teach my kids respect, discipline and courtesy and work on those three," Mr. Beltran said. "Kicking and punching your way out is not necessarily the way to go. Foundations on respect of discipline and courtesy will teach you that."

Mr. Pabuaya said he teaches his students through a variety of scenarios.

"I always teach, first of all, how to talk their way out of it," he said. "They learn to have confidence in themselves because most of the time bullies start to bully kids who have a lack of confidence."

A criminologist who specializes in bullying said the confidence the boy might draw from his martial arts training might help him--but not if it draws him into a cycle of retribution.

"If it builds his self-esteem, it can be a good thing," said Brenda Morrison, professor of criminology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. "[But] it's better to walk away. Aggression usually breeds further violence. You can't get to a good place in a bad way."

She said she feels a lot of sympathy for the boy's mother, who likely hasn't made much headway trying to protect her son through appeals to school officials.

"Parents don't necessarily get a lot of support [in cases of bullying]," she said. "I understand why parents would think that way, because they often just don't want their children to be hurt anymore.

"[But] ... it's typically going to escalate the problem."

Poor shouldn't marry, says Japan PM

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has again made a major verbal gaffe, just days before the general election.

"If you don't have money, you'd better not get married," Mr Aso said at a meeting with students on Sunday, according to Japanese media.

"It seems rather difficult to me for someone without means to win people's respect."

Mr Aso made the comments after being asked whether a lack of funds made it difficult for young people to start a family.

The Japanese leader has a history of putting his foot in it, accusing doctors of lacking common sense and saying that elderly people have no talent other than working.

His latest remark was seen as too blunt at a time when Japan's youth faces difficulty in finding steady jobs amid the economic downturn.

Opposition leaders erupted in a chorus of disapproval.

Katsuya Okada, secretary-general of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, slammed Mr Aso for "failing to understand the reality ... nobody accepts low income out of choice".

Social democratic party chief Mizuho Fukushima called Mr Aso "too insensitive and too short of awareness about human rights".

"The expression was rather direct," Mr Aso's right-hand man, chief cabinet secretary Takeo Kawamura, admitted at a daily press briefing.

"But I think it reflected his feelings that he must go ahead with measures concerning young people's employment."

Every opinion poll in Japan suggests the Prime Minister and his ruling party are careering towards a crushing defeat in this weekend's election.

South Africa Lethal Cocktail of Epidemics

Johannesburg - A special series of the Lancet focusing on South Africa spells out in painful detail how many of our health indicators are the worst in the world. But while our health system is littered with lost opportunities, the Zuma government brings the possibility of real progress, argue the series authors.



South Africa has a "cocktail of four epidemics" - HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, violence, poor maternal and child health and increasing chronic diseases.



This is according to a special edition of The Lancet, the respected UK-based medical journal, focusing on health in South Africa which is being released in Johannesburg today.



The Lancet makes depressing reading. Some of our statistics - such as for HIV, TB and interpersonal violence - are among the worst in the world. We are beset by racial and gender inequity ingrained by decades of colonialism and apartheid.



"Racial and gender discrimination, income inequalities, migrant labour, the destruction of family life and persistent violence spanning many centuries but consolidated by apartheid in the 20th century" are to blame for the current health problems, according to Professor Hoosen Coovadia and others, who wrote the introductory chapter.



The poorest 10% of households (mostly black) have an average annual income of R4 314 (mostly from grants) while the richest 10% get over ninety times this - some R405 646.



Health indicators are still badly racially skewed. In 2002, the infant mortality rate among whites was seven per 1000 babies born. For African babies, it was 67 per 1000.



There are also inequities between provinces. Western Cape children under five have a mortality rate of 46 per 1000 in comparison to KwaZulu-Natal's 116 per 1000.



Sexual entitlement of boys is ingrained, with almost 40% of girls reporting that they were sexually abused before the age of 18.

Teen pregnancy is widespread, and half of all South African women have had at least one child by the age of 21.The role of alcohol abuse is raised over and over throughout all the six chapters. It plays a major role in violence, including murder and rape, road accidents, unsafe sex.

"Rudeness, arbitrary acts of unkindness, physical assault and neglect by nurses have been widely reported" during the post 1994-era, according to the authors.

Aside from rudeness, there is also a shortage of skilled health staff. Thanks to the ill-conceived decision to close a number of nursing colleges to save money during former President Thabo Mbeki's era and migration, the rate of skilled professional nurses has dropped from 149 per 100,000 people in 1998 to 110 per 100,000 in 2007.

"As many as 40% of nurses are due to retire in 5-10 years and nursing remains the most crucial area for urgent policy intervention," note authors

Poor leadership and stewardship (taking responsibility) also run like a ruinous cancer through the public health system.
Post-1994, many inexperienced managers were placed in positions of seniority and they have struggled to deal with major challenges, particularly human resource management.

Unfortunately, "incompetence within the public sector is widespread" and government has lacked the "political will and leadership to manage underperformance in the public sector". Loyalty rather than the ability to deliver has been rewarded.

There is no personal accountability. Leaders and managers have not been held accountable when mistakes have been made.

"Without concerted efforts to change national thinking on accountability, South Africa will become a country that is not just a product of its past but one that is continually unable to either address the health problems of the present or to prepare for the future," assert Coovadia and others.

Former President Mbeki's "bizarre and seemingly unshakeable belief that HIV did not cause AIDS" resulted in hundreds of thousands of lives lost and a substantial burden of ill health.

While "the public health system has been transformed into an integrated, comprehensive national service" the " failures in leadership and stewardship and weak management have led to inadequate implementation of what are often good policies", conclude the authors.

Lancet UK editors Dr Richard Horton and Dr Sabine Kleinert conclude: "The South African people have shown extraordinary resilience during difficult times. The current leaders have survived apartheid, and often imprisonment, to fight for the future of their country.

Civil society, with its strong voice, has brought about many important changes in health.

"South Africa is a young democracy with pride and hope, and above all with high expectations for a fair, equitable, and peaceful society. Its people deserve a healthy future."

11 moves to be Miss Popular

Ever noticed how some people always manage to attract admirers like honey attracts bees? With our 11 foolproof, tried and tested, carefully dug out popularity techniques, you too can turn from please-notice-me to lovable-as-a-lolly!


1. FLIRT
Flirting comes naturally to people who are popular, and they don't just do it with the opposite sex! It's not an odd coincidence that this makes them all the more sought-after because by flirting, they're flattering the other person's ego, increasing familiarity through dialogue and touch, and exciting others with their playfulness. According to an article in Time magazine, “Flirting is also emotional capital to be expended in return for something else. It's a handy social lubricant, reducing the friction of everyday transactions, and closer to a strategically timed tip than a romantic overture.” Don't restrict your coquetry to your best friend's hot elder brother; make a habit of charming everyone with your sweet ways!

Put an effort into looking good, initiate conversation with those around you, smile and look people in the eye. Researchers have found that one of the most effective ways of heightening interest is holding the gaze for just a second longer. Make sure you're attentive to what the person is saying. If you can't bear to hear your companion's detailed account of how the engine of a 6 cylinder truck works, make sure you at least seem alert by nodding your head and throwing in a giggle here and there. The better you get at making others feel good about themselves, the more they'll want to spend time with you.

2. BE FUNNY
Popular people have high levels of energy and are always game to try out new things, which makes others want to hang out with them more often. Rather than being someone who'll weigh the pros and cons of an idea till nightfall, cultivate an attitude of fun and spontaneity. Enthusiasm also entails being confident enough to not be affected by setbacks.

Paris Hilton may have made enough blunders to go underground for life, but her care-two-hoots attitude has catapulted her onto a new level of fame! While we don't recommend following her word to word (mommy won't be too happy if you made a business out of, well, your home-made videos!) you sure can take a cue from her ability to deal with stressful situations. Always be pleasant and ready to try out new things. Keep a check on yourself if you think you're being a spoilt sport, especially if you don't have your way. The more confidence you display in taking charge, the more people will be attracted to you.

3. LISTEN
Never cut a sentence short even if you're dying to say something. Very often, people just want someone with a patient ear to listen to their own tales rather than hear advice.


4. DON'T BE A CRY BABY
In a recent study it was found that when stuck in a spot, kids who stood up for themselves or their pals gradually rose to being the most popular amongst the rest. This was because in taking responsibility rather than blaming others, they were considered them to be the most reliable. Stephen R. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People calls such people ‘proactive'. He says, “Highly proactive people recognise responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions or conditioning for their behaviour. Their behaviour is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feelings.” While expressing your feelings is definitely a good habit, being a constant whining machine running on extra battery is an absolute no-no. The next time you find yourself cribbing, stop for 10 seconds and analyse whether you'll get anything from it. If you've done something, own up rather than blaming the weather.

5. TOUCH
While it's not a great idea to start stroking every stranger you meet, use the art of touch to make people more receptive to you. You can up your levels of intimacy with a friend by resting your hand on theirs or on their shoulder in the middle of your convo.


6. DON'T BE A BRAG QUEEN
Most of us like to display our feathers for the world to see. Especially when we meet new people, we try our level best to impress them by giving unnecessary details about our achievements, family tree, lovers, pets, favourite store, favourite colour, favourite uncle etc. You don't need to always speak about yourself to look like a rock star, sometimes its good to let others do the praising for you!

Speaking of those who boast, Robert Greene, author of 48 Laws of Power says, “They may not know it but they are secretly creating an enemy, as there isn't a more infuriating feeling than having your individuality ignored, your own psychology unacknowledged.” Of course, this does not mean you sit mum and silently merge with the wallpaper. The next time you meet someone, step back and ask them what they've been up to. By doing so, you'll make them feel special in your company and they'll want to come back to you to relive that feeling. Once the person has opened up to you, you can take your time to tell them your stories. The more others like you, the more they'll trust you and the more popular you will become.



HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS

1. Make the first move: Start a conversation by complimenting someone's dress or shoes to gel instantly.
2. Click away: Everyone wants memories of how much fun they've had and by the time you've given your number around for the snaps, you'll be quite a few names ahead on your friends list already!
3. Join a workshop: Theatre, music, voluntary work, anything that requires interacting with large groups is your destination for chilling with like-minded individuals.
4. Accept every invitation: Push yourself to go to social gatherings—anywhere you can interact with others. Chances are you might meet someone really interesting!

7. KEEP IT COOL
For people to hang out with you, you have to display qualities they admire. Be happy, positive and a chilled out person.

8. PARTY IT UP
Who doesn't like an evening of friends, good food, drinks and music? While guests may forget the honey-glazed ham you especially got for the do, they won't forget your hospitality. Throwing a party is a great way of making friends and increasing your popularity because it shows you're a fun loving and gregarious person, apart from being generous. Tycoon Vijay Mallaya may be the sharpest businessman around, but his popularity isn't as much because of his work as is it because of his extravagant bashes.

According to psychologists, inviting people indirectly puts them under obligation to be nice to you and further invite you to their social scenes. When having a bash, allow your guests to bring a friend with them. The more people you meet, the more you'll increase your social network. If you can't afford to throw a big get together, offer to have a small scene at your pad, even if with a few friends. If someone needs a space to hang out or do some work, let it be yours. If they need to a place to crash after a late night, offer your guestroom. The more generosity you show, the more people will try and curry you up to win favours from you. The nicer things people speak of you, the more popular you'll get even with those who don't know you that well.

9. SMELL SWEET
Scientists have proved that smell is an extremely important determinant for the human mind to discern what is good or bad for you. According to experts on www.psychologytoday.com, “Human emotions are strongly moved by smells. Mood is demonstrably affected by scent—a subtle ‘look this way' budge to the nose, inspiring a stranger's curiosity”. Lavender based perfumes contribute to making one feel pleasant, while when combined with eucalyptus, it increases the respiratory rate which makes others more alert to what you're saying. Once you've managed to put down their defenses, strangers will open up more easily.


10. BODY LANGUAGE
10In order to get people to like you, you need to come across as being an open and dependable person. According to Bruno Catellani of the Institute of Communication and Sales in Switzerland, the instinct part of the brain or the hypothalamus assesses people on the basis of non-verbal communication and accordingly categorises them as either friends or foes. Once the enemy or ‘Gatekeeper' mode gets triggered off, all message receptors in the brain shut down, dismissing the person as someone unreliable. It is therefore important to know how to work with words, tone of voice and eye movement to be readily accepted.

Remember not to use negative body language such as crossing your arms or frowning. Make it into a habit to smile at everyone, right from your maid to the gateman to your colleagues. A smile eases tension, indicates friendliness, a positive attitude and the impression that you're fun to be with. Positive body language and speaking in a calm and controlled manner show that you're a confident and trustworthy person, which is just what you need to draw people to you.

11. DEVOTE YOURSELF TO IT
Being admired is not a one-time jackpot that lasts forever. The real secret to achieving popularity is to work on it on a daily basis. Paul Graham, inventor of the first web-based application and Spam filter did an analysis of why so-called ‘nerds' weren't famous in High School. He concluded, “Popularity is not something you can do in your spare time, not in the fiercely competitive environment.”

In order not to be ‘out of sight, out of mind', take out time to stay connected with friends and people of importance. Just the way you would spare time to straighten your hair or hit the gym to chat up the cute instructor, make a conscious effort to building stronger relationships. Chart out 15-20 minutes a day to talk to your girlfriends. Not only will you be able to bitch your heart out about your uber-competitive colleague, you'll stay updated on what everyone's up to. Even if you'd rather hibernate in your room, push yourself to meet someone or the other over a cup of coffee or a few drinks, if only for an hour. Over time, you will be regarded as someone always there for people and soon they will want to reciprocate the feeling. By creating goodwill on an individual basis you can be sure to be surrounded by friends at any gathering.



LEARN TO BE MORE CONFIDENT

1. List out your talents: Focus on your positive qualities to take attention away from those aspects you don't like about yourself.
2. Remind yourself of your good qualities the next time you think you're not good enough.
3. Become a pro: Nothing gives more assurance than being an expert at an activity.
4. Shake your booty: Physical exercise releases feel-good hormones called endorphins that make one feel happier.

KILLER PARTY DRUGS TO BE BANNED

A KILLER DRUG popular with clubbers known as "liquid ecstasy" will be banned by the end of the year, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said today.
Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), which caused the death of 21-year-old medical student Hester Stewart, will be classified as a Class C drug.

The move means users could land themselves a two-year jail term - and dealers up to 14 years.

But the ban will not be considered in Parliament until MPs return from their summer recess.

HAVE YOUR SAY: SHOULD LEGAL HIGHS BE BANNED NOW?

Miss Stewart, a University of Sussex student studying molecular medicine, died after consuming legal party drug GBL with her on-off boyfriend Anthony Morrison.

Her grieving mother Maryon Stewart said she had hoped the ban could have been brought in before the start of the summer recess.
TRAGEDY: Hester Stewart, 21, died after taking dance drug GBL, pictured left


As it is Parliament cannot start considering the matter until October 12 when ministers return from their summer break.

Mrs Stewart has slammed delays in bringing in the ban and said the killer drug should be placed in Class A alongside heroin and ecstasy.

She said: “It’s not moving as quickly as we would like.

“It’s really disappointing from my point of view because there will be other deaths and other families that have to deal with tragedies.

“Because it’s lethal when combined with alcohol it should be a Class A drug."

The dance drug, used by clubbers as a substitute for banned drug GHB, has already been banned in several countries including the United States, Canada and Sweden, but its industrial use as a paint stripper means it is widely available on the internet and even in some health food shops for as little as 50p per dose.

The Home Office has said GBL will be classified along with two other so-called “legal highs” - cannabis substitute Spice and an amphetamine replacement called BZP, used in fertiliser and to worm animals.

Spice, which will be placed in Class B, is made using synthetic chemicals and herbs and sold in so-called “head shops”. It has been linked to mood swings and paranoia.


A campaign targeting students and clubbers warning of the dangers of legal highs will be launched to coincide with the start of the university term.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “There is a perception that many of the so called ’legal highs’ are harmless, however in some cases people can be ingesting dangerous industrial fluids or smoking chemicals that can be even more harmful than cannabis.

“Legal highs are an emerging threat, particularly to young people, and we have a duty to educate them about the dangers. That’s why we are also launching a campaign in September to highlight the risks.”


The moves follow recommendations from the Government’s drug advisory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

Ministers will also ban 24 different anabolic steroids used by bodybuilders but linked to extreme anger known as “rhoid rage”, stunted growth and fertility problems.

ACMD chairman Professor David Nutt said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to accept our advice and bring GBL; BZP; 1,4-butanediol; synthetic cannabinoids and 24 anabolic steroids within the Misuse of Drugs Act.

“We made these recommendations as it is important to highlight that these are, in fact, dangerous drugs, especially when mixed with alcohol.

“The ACMD are continuing work on other ’legal highs’ and will provide recommendations on separate drugs throughout the year, based on prevalence and harms.”

Steve Rolles, head of research at drug charity Transform, warned the bans could see users returning to the banned drugs the legal highs were designed to replace.

He said those who came up with the drugs could come up with new replacements and questioned why the Government did not consider regulating them like alcohol and tobacco.

He said: “Instead of using Spice, they will go back to cannabis. Instead of using BZP, they will go back to amphetamines, and instead of GBL, they will go back to GHB.”

Martin Barnes, chief executive of drug information charity DrugScope, said it supported the decision on GBL.

He said: “In recent months some DrugScope members working in drug treatment services have reported an increase in the number of people experiencing problems with GBL.

“The drug is unpredictable, is linked to fatalities and there is evidence of people becoming dependent on it after prolonged use.

“It is important that treatment services are geared to identifying and supporting people with GBL related problems.”

But he added: “We have concerns that in lumping all these substances together as ’legal highs’, the significant differences in the effects and potential harms might be hard for young people to identify.

“It is important that public information and education campaigns are comprehensive and ongoing.”

Arrest after sexual assaults on women

A SYDNEY man has been arrested over two sexual assaults and two other attacks on women where one had her head pushed into a brick wall.
Detectives from the sex crimes squad this afternoon arrested a 22-year-old man at a timber yard in Lilyfield, in Sydney's inner-west.

Strike Force Waran was established to investigate possible links between the alleged crimes that began in early 2009.

An 18-year-old woman was walking home at about midnight on February 27 through a golf course at Woollahra, in Sydney's east, when a man allegedly confronted her with an knife and sexually assaulted her.

Police also allege that a 19-year-old woman was similarly assaulted just before midnight on June 29 while walking to a townhouse at Mona Vale, in Sydney's north.

A third woman, 31, was walking in Glebe, in Sydney's inner-west, at about 5.20am on August 1 when she was allegedly grabbed from behind by a man with a knife.

He allegedly pushed her head into a brick wall before making off with her wallet.

Just after midnight on August 2, a 35-year-old woman was allegedly grabbed from behind by a man outside her unit complex at Rose Bay, in Sydney's east.

She managed to defend herself before the man fled the scene.

The 22-year-old man was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of assault with intent to have sexual intercourse, malicious wounding and armed robbery.

Sex crimes squad commander John Kerlatec issued a reminder to women to be mindful of their safety.

"While this is a positive step for police, investigations are continuing and I want to remind women in the community to be vigilant of their personal safety especially if they are out walking late at night or early morning," Det Supt Kerlatec said.

"Police encourage the public to use footpaths that are well lit and visible, and to walk in groups rather than alone."

Police expect the man to face court tomorrow.
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BREAST CANCER BREAKTHROUGH

A MAJOR breakthrough in the search to find a cure for breast cancer has been made by British scientists.

Millions of lives could be saved by a ground-breaking discovery that has found a way to stop cancer tumours from growing and spreading.

Researchers have hailed the findings as “exciting” and claim they are now a big step closer to developing a drug within as little as two years to beat the disease that kills 12,000 British women each year.

Instead of looking at how to stop tumours from ­forming, this new research has found a key molecule that cancer manipulates to spread throughout the body. It is this that kills 90 per cent of cancer victims.

The scientists have discovered how breast cancer cells switch off these vital molecules, called ­microRNAs, which allows the malignant cells to spread unhindered and grow in another part of the body. The scientists are now working on a drug to stop this process.

Dr Justin Stebbing, senior lecturer and consultant medical oncologist at London’s Imperial College and one of the experts behind the landmark discovery, said: “There are no available drugs as yet but they should be available within a couple of years. This is a potential cure for breast cancer. This is a step on the way to it and it helps us understand the way breast cancer cells grow and divide and if we understand this then we understand how it stop it.”

perts say that their discovery explains why some women on so‑called wonder drugs like Tamoxifen can still suffer a relapse with the cancer growing back.

More than 45,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year – around two thirds are oestrogen-receptor positive. This means that they depend on the female hormone oestrogen to grow.

But now the researchers from Imperial College, London, and the James Watson Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories in New York have discovered that microRNAs could hold the key to beating the deadly disease.

In healthy cells microRNAs stop them from growing and dividing but in breast cancer cells the microRNAs are turned off.

The experts, whose research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, hope to develop a drug to prevent this.

This means that the molecules will be produced by the breast cancer cells, stopping oestrogen fuelling the cancer spread.

Dr Stebbing said: “The oestrogen receptor is incredibly important in breast cancer. Most of the treatments around treating breast cancer are blocking it or inhibiting the oestrogen but despite that about half of all women relapse.

“We have found a new genetic pathway that the oestrogen receptor activates, very small molecules called microRNAs that are made of fragments of genetic material. In normal cells, oestrogen stimulates the production of microRNAs but they then stop oestrogenic activity that can fuel cell division, so it is like a perfect circle. But in breast cancer cells, production of the molecules is turned off.”

Dr Stebbing said: “The way to cure breast cancer or any cancer is by fundamental biological understanding of what turns cells on and off, stopping the way tumours grow. We can use these microRNAs as a new treatment and make them do what current drugs don’t do.”

He added: “If we know how to stop it then we can cure it. This only applies in oestrogen positive breast cancer but this could save millions of lives.”

Dr Laura Bell, of Cancer Research UK, said: “This may one day prove useful in future drug development that aims to treat diseases where oestrogen is thought to play a role, as in breast cancers that are oestrogen receptor positive.

“But it’s far too early to say whether or how these insights will translate into clinical benefits for people with cancer. This is a preliminary laboratory study that used cells derived from tumours, rather than looking at how cells behave in the body.

“There is still a lot of follow-up work to be done.”

Dr Alexis Willett, of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “Oestrogen positive breast cancers are the most common form of the disease, and this interesting early research suggests that microRNAs could be a key to treating this type of breast cancer.

“However, this research is still at very early stage.”