77 MILLION POISONED BY ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER IN BANGLADESH

Nearly 90% of Bangladeshis use groundwater Up to 77 million people in Bangladesh have been exposed to toxic levels of arsenic from drinking water in recent decades, according to a Lancet study.

The research assessed nearly 12,000 people in a district of the capital Dhaka for over a period of 10 years.

More than 20% of deaths among those assessed were caused by the naturally occurring poisonous element, it found.

The World Health Organization said the exposure was "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history".

It began after hand-pumped wells were installed in the 1970s to tap groundwater.

Scientists say even small amounts of arsenic over a long period can cause cancer of the bladder, kidney, lung or skin.

Bangladesh was chosen for the study because nearly 90% of the population uses groundwater as its primary source of fresh water.

BRITAIN SUSPENDS STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS

This action was taken after a surge in student visa's from Northern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Those applications are suspended temporarily for at least a month, according to the UK Border Agency (UKBA).

The UKBA said 13,500 from Northern India were submitted in the last three months.Jeremy Oppenheim, of the UKBA, said they continually check and monitor all student applications.

There have been recent media reports that unscrupulous people are helping migrants to obtain a place at bogus colleges in Britain. They are being investigated to ensure they are all genuine.