Space rock may strike Earth in 2048

MELBOURNE, Dec 30: An asteroid that can wipe out life for 6000 sq km and leave a two-km-wide crater if it ploughs into the Earth has been discovered by scientists.

The asteroid, measuring 130 m across and travelling at 70,000 kmph, would cause huge devastation if it hit the planet.

The space rock named '2007 VK184' is 90 million km from Earth and could strike in 2048. It has earned a rare hazard rating of 'one' on the Torino scale, the international barometer of space object impact risk.

Asteroid experts had warned of the tremendous damage such a collision would cause but were hopeful the risk of impact would diminish as more was discovered about VK184's path.

The probability of an impact would come back down to close to zero, The Age quoted astronomer Gordon Garradd as saying.

VK184 had been observed for only 35 days and, given its distance from Earth and the long time until a possible impact, more readings were necessary to determine if a collision was a possibility, he said.

NASA's Near Earth Object Program website said the space rock had a 1-in-3030 chance of hitting the planet in 2048.

Scientists estimated that in case the object struck the Earth, it would cause three times more destruction than the asteroid that hit Russia in 1908.

(UNI)

Oman to apply new airport baggage rules

DUBAI, Dec 30: Oman will apply new security measures at all airports in the country in line with the new global guidelines issued by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

There will be strict restrictions on the quantity of liquids, including aerosols and gels, allowed in the hand baggage of the departing passengers.

As per the new rule which will come in effect from Janaury 1, 2008, liquids, aerosols and gels over 100ml cannot be carried in the hand baggage. These include drinks in cans, bottles, plastic containers, etc, cosmetics and toiletries in liquid/gel form, fragrances and perfumes, creams, liquid foundations and lip gloss, mascara, toothpaste, all products in pressurised containers like hairspray and shaving foam/gels, deodorants, as well as any liquid-based food products in packets, tubes, plastic or tin containers, like jams and syrups, sauces, pastes, yoghurts, soups (cartons or otherwise) and stews or curry.

All containers must be packed in a transparent, re-sealable plastic bag not larger than 20cm x 20cm. Only one plastic bag is permitted per passenger and this must be placed separately at the X-ray machine belt.

Oman Airports Management Company SAOC (OAMC), which is in charge of managing the Muscat and Salalah airports, will implement the new baggage restriction rules, according to Times of Oman. (PTI)

Japan’s Fukuda calls for cooperation with China

QUFU, CHINA, Dec 30: Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda called for more cooperation with China today as he wrapped up a four-day visit in which the two sides pledged to build on a rapid thaw in relations.

"This trip to China has been very meaningful," Fukuda told reporters on a visit to the eastern China birthplace of the ancient philosopher Confucius.

"I have talked with Chinese leaders and agreed that Japan and China can do more if they cooperate than each can do single-handedly."

During his China visit, Fukuda held talks with Premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao in Beijing on closer cooperation between the nations in trade, climate change and other fields, although they failed to close the gap in a stubborn dispute over maritime gas fields.

Fukuda, however, has accentuated the positive during his trip, his first to China since becoming prime minister in September and the latest step forward in a bilateral relationship marked by decades of war and mistrust.

"There’s no good thing if Japan and China confront each other," Fukuda said today.

Fukuda visited a shrine to Confucius in the Shandong province city of Qufu, birthplace of the philosopher, before departing for a flight home.

After leaving Beijing yesterday, Fukuda had visited the eastern city of Tianjin where he inspected Japanese investments, including a Toyota Motor Corp plant.

Japan is the biggest foreign investor in China and trade between the two nations was worth USD 207.35 billion last year, up 12.4 per cent from 2005. (AGENCIES)_

South Africa visits of Singh, Sonia strengthen ties in 2007

DURBAN, Dec 30: Two high-level visits, including that of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, gave a further boost to India's relationship with South Africa in 2007.

The first visit was by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in August and the second by Prime Minister Singh, who attended the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) summit in October.

During her visit, Gandhi held talks with President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria and made a courtesy call on former President Nelson Mandela. She also held talks with the ruling ANC leaders in Johannesburg and delivered a lecture on "The Relevance of Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century" at the University of Cape Town.

Gandhi's visit cemented the close and fraternal relations between the Indian and African National Congresses, whose relations were fostered during the dark days of apartheid when India was at the forefront of the international campaign against the South African regime at the time.

It was following her visit to South Africa and meeting with a delegation of ANC that then Deputy President of ANC, Jacob Zuma, visited India early in December.

According to Indian diplomats here, the IBSA Summit provided new impetus for trilateral relations to move forward on numerous fronts, supported by the Business, Parliamentary, Womens', Academic and other forums.

"Perhaps most important was the decision to accelerate progress on a Free Trade Agreement between India, Southern Africa Customs Union and Mercosur," was the observation of the Indian Consul, Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

In addition to political ties, there was significant progress in the area of trade and investment between the two countries. Bilateral trade increased by 18 per cent from the year 2005-06 to 2006-07. (PTI)

Chavez vows to put 'revolution' back on track

CARACAS, Dec 30: Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez promised to tackle poor garbage collection and high crime in a bid to win back support for his socialist ''revolution,'' which was hurt in a poll defeat a few weeks ago.

Seemingly taking on board common criticism of his performance, Chavez said it was unacceptable that garbage was piling up uncollected in some parts of capital city Caracas, and acknowledged people were worried about crime.

''Yesterday I had to call the vice president and order an emergency meeting about the garbage situation,'' he said yesterday. ''How is it possible that a government can't collect the trash?''

Caracas' garbage problem overflowed in December, with drifts of rotting rubbish blocking sidewalks.

Chavez also made reference to protests this week against violent crime, a issue his government has often claimed is exaggerated by the opposition.

Widespread gun ownership and inept policing contribute to Venezuela's murder rate, which is one of the world's highest.

Chavez spent much of 2007 working on political ''reforms'' that would have allowed him to run for reelection indefinitely and given him sweeping powers to build a socialist state.

His plan was defeated in a referendum earlier this month in part because of growing dissatisfaction among his supporters with corruption, insecurity and even shortages of products like milk in the oil-rich nation.

In an unannounced telephone call to a chat show on state television, Chavez promised things would be different in 2008.

''We are going to make this year one of truly deep revision, of rectification and of revitalizing the revolutionary process,'' he said.

CORRUPTION IS 'A CANCER'

Chavez is still hugely popular among Venezuela's poor, about half the population, who are grateful for new health clinics, pension schemes and subsidized food.

He has enjoyed a boost in the last few days with international attention to his efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Colombian Marxist rebels. Three hostages may be set free in the next few days.

Chavez, an outspoken critic of the United States, has long faced fierce opposition from middle class and wealthy sectors of society, including a coup that briefly expelled him from power in 2002.

But anger has also been rising among traditional supporters, including some who are uncomfortable with apparent corruption and the ostentatious wealth of some of Chavez's colleagues and allies.

''It's a cancer,'' he said in reference to corruption. ''We inherited it but we cannot stay with this cancer our whole lives. Either we defeat it, or it defeats us.''

The United States arrested three Venezuelans two weeks ago in a case case involving 800,000 dollar cash a American-Venezuelan businessman tried to smuggle into Argentina.

The United States alleges the money was sent by the Chavez Government as a secret contribution to the election campaign of recently sworn in President Cristina Fernandez. (AGENCIES)

Bangladesh seeks 'long term contributions' from expats

DHAKA, Dec 30: Bangladesh, the world's fifth largest remittance country, has urged expatriates to make "long-term contributions" for the progress of the nation so that it can a middle-income country by 2021.

"It is now necessary more than ever to create the environment and opportunity for the Non-resident Bangladeshis to make long-term contributions to the socio-economic progress of the nation," interim Government chief Fakhruddin Ahmed said at a three-day expatriate meet in Dhaka yesterday.

The nation's goal is to become a middle-income country by 2021, coinciding with 50 years of independence and it can only be achieved with the support from citizens at home and abroad, the chief adviser said.

"I encourage NRBs to continue and expand our efforts to ensure that the skills developed abroad by our citizens can be used to the fullest advantage of our nation", he said.

Over 1,000 expatriates from 40 countries joined the NRB conference when officials, experts and business leaders shared views on development options and strategies under a series of seminars and discourses.

The conference ended coinciding with the release of Global Remittances Guide report saying Bangladesh emerged as one of the top five remittances-receiving countries in the world in terms of volume after migrants and expatriates sent home USD 5.48 billion last year.

Of the top ten nations in the list, the country secured the fifth position putting behind Pakistan, which received nearly USD 5.40 billion in 2006.

India (USD 25.70 billion) topped the list followed by Mexico (USD 24.7 billion) and China (USD 22.4 billion) in 2006.

The concluding ceremony of the three-day conference also saw acting army chief Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury proposing change of the constitution for granting equal rights to the NRBs and setting up a development bank run with remittances received from expatriates.

The Government earlier received a proposal to establish a development bank created with remittances received from NRBs to finance development projects in numerous d understandable. But if it is specifically told to Madarsas and Maktabs then that is not appropriate," Dev told PTI.

On mandatory hoisting of national flag, he said Article 51-A of the Constitution already talks about it and every citizen is bound to adhere. "There is no point specifically making them mandatory," he said.

The Government should pay attention to the availability and accessibility of educational institutions rather than talking about such measures, Habib said.

"Special grant and hoisting a national flag is not an issue. The real issue is number of educational institutions available in the areas dominated by minorities. There are not enough schools," he said.

"I don't think that there this is an issue. If government is allocating special grant that seems fines," said renowned educationist professor Yashpal.

Madarsa "literally means "a place where learning and teaching is done".

A typical Islamic school usually offers two courses of study: a-hifz course; that is memorisation of the Quran (the person who commits the entire Quran to memory is called a hafiz) and an 'alim' course leading the candidate to become an accepted scholar in the community.

A regular curriculum includes courses in Arabic, Tafsir (Quranic interpretation), Shariah (Islamic law), Hadith (recorded sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad), Mantiq (logic), and Islamic history. (PTI)

UK's Brown sees financial turbulence ahead

LONDON, Dec 30: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said today his 2008 priority would be dealing with the global credit crunch and steering a stable course through the financial turbulence.

''The global credit problem that started in America is now the most immediate challenge for every economy and addressing it the most immediate priority,'' he said in a New Year's message setting out his goals for next year.

''Our strong economy is the foundation. And with unbending determination, in 2008, we will steer a course of stability through global financial turbulence,'' he said.

Six months after succeeding Tony Blair, Brown's popularity has slumped due to government blunders and growing economic clouds, including a crisis at mortgage lender Northern Rock that led to the first run on a British bank in more than a century.

Northern Rock, Britain's highest profile casualty of the credit crisis, has had to borrow at least 25 billion pounds (50 billion dollar) from the Bank of England.

Brown and finance minister Alistair Darling have come under fire for their handling of the crisis but Brown expressed confidence the economy would not be pushed off course.

The economy has enjoyed solid growth since Brown's Labour Party came to power in 1997, but weakening house prices and sliding consumer morale have raised fears of a slowdown next year.

''I promise that we will take no risks with stability,'' said Brown, finance minister for 10 years under Blair, and he vowed to keep interest rates low by keeping inflation low.

Brown has invited German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to London for a meeting on financial market stability, expected in the first half of January.

After an early honeymoon with voters, Brown's popularity quickly wore off and Labour lags the opposition Conservatives by up to 13 points in opinion polls.

An uproar over the tax agency's loss of computer discs containing half the population's personal data and a storm over secret donations to Labour have embarrassed Brown.

Brown, who has been under pressure to set out his vision, attempted to do so in his New Year's message, pledging 2008 would be a year of ''real and serious changes'' for Britain.

New laws would bring long-term changes in energy, climate change, health, pensions, housing, education and transport, he said, while Britain would continue to work to counter the threat of global terrorism.

(AGENCIES)

Bin Laden says US seeks to exploit Iraqi oil

DUBAI, Dec 30: Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden accused Washington of plotting to take control of Iraq’s oil and urged Iraqis to reject efforts to rebuild a US-backed national unity Government.

The militant leader also vowed in an audio recording posted on the Internet yesterday to expand jihad to liberate all Palestinian land and said his group will never recognise Israel.

"America seeks, alongside its agents in the region, to create an allied Government ... That would accept in advance the presence of major US bases in Iraq and give the Americans all they wish of Iraq’s oil," he said.

The Saudi-born militant said the envisaged Iraqi government was also meant to help Washington "fully dominate" the region with help from allies such as Saudi Arabia.

"The Government of Riyadh is still playing its wicked roles," he said, describing Saudi Arabia’s King Abduallah as the United States’ "chief agent".

Referring to a Saudi push in February to help Palestinian rivals agree a unity government which fell apart in June, he said Riyadh was part of a scheme to lure Islamist Palestinian militant group Hamas away from its jihadist roots.

"I assure our kin in Palestine especially that we shall expand our jihad ... We will not recognise a state for the Jews over even an inch of Palestinian soil," he said.

Bin Laden did not mention accusations Al-Qaeda was behind Thursday’s assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. An Al-Qaeda-allied militant leader there has denied involvement.

But bin Laden took a swing at Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, for accepting the expansion of a United Nations force in Lebanon after the Shi’ite group’s war with the Jewish state in 2006.

PEACEKEEPERS IN LEBANON

The peacekeepers dispatched to Lebanon after the war were there to "protect the Jews", said bin Laden, whose group belongs to a school of Islam that sees Shi’ite Muslims as heretics.

Bin Laden said Washington was planning to form a new Iraqi national unity Government and warned that those who took part would be turning their backs on Islam.

Sunni Arabs pulled out of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s Shi’ite-led Government this year, accusing it of being too sectarian.

He also urged Iraqis not to join counter-insurgency patrols-predominantly Sunni Arab tribal police funded by the US military to fight Al- Qaeda and reduce violence-and criticised the Saudi government for pro-US policies in Iraq.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said in a statement the tape was a reminder of al Qaeda’s continued activities in Iraq.

"This is a reminder that the aim of al Qaeda in Iraq is to block democracy and freedom for all Iraqis," Fratto said.

A US counter-terrorism official said Washington was aware of the recording and was looking into it: "There has never been a fake bin Laden tape, so there really wouldn’t be any reason going in to believe it would be anything other than authentic."

Earlier yesterday, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said Sunni Arab Al-Qaeda’s influence in Iraq had dramatically fallen, with 75 per cent of its networks and 70 per cent of its activities having been eliminated.

Bin Laden also said Muslims’ were losing money to "unjust" policies by countries that link their currencies to the weak US dollar, an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf Arab oil producers.

He urged supporting militants so they can "preserve your oil and wealth and protect your money that is slipping between your fingers due to the unjust and arbitrary dollar pegs".

Saudi Arabia and four Gulf neighbours agreed in a summit this month to keep their currencies linked to the dollar after fellow Gulf Arab Kuwait broke ranks and started tracking a currency basket.

AGENCIES)

Cellphones wear Prada...........

LONDON, Dec 30: They have sprayed perfumes, flaunted watches, hankered after handbags and sashayed with the most stylish footwears.

Designers are now working to include mobile phones in the fashion fraternity and have started invading mobile phone market to open new front in fashion wars with a series of launches to cash in on a multimillion-pound market.

Dior and Swarovski would be the latest luxury giants to unveil handsets next year, while Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer is expected to be the first timepiece maker to release one early next summer.

Apple iPhone proves the growing appetite for stylish handsets and the next three years would see non-traditional brands, including fashion designers, grabbing 20 per cent of the global market, selling around 200 million handsets a year, experts have predicted.

So far Italian fashion houses have been the quickest to cash in on this trend, with Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Armani all teaming up with manufacturers to design phones that scream form over function.

Despite steep initial price tags, such phones are proving popular. Prada has sold around 500,000 of its LG phone since its launch last spring, while D&G’s limited edition gold MotoRAZR V3i phone for Motorola sold around 465,000 phones.

Besides the high-end fashion houses, high street retailer ted Baker, denim brand Levis Strauss, Italian luggage maker Mandarina Duck and others have spotted the potential for phone collaborations and launched handsets this year.

Analysts believe fashion and mobiles make perfect bedfellows because with a new product every three months, the handset industry is one of the few able to keep pace with the world of fashion. (UNI)

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Forgiveness: A key to good health.............

NEW YORK, Dec 30: A famous writer once said, forgiveness is a funny thing as it warms the heart and cools the sting, and it goes parallel with the modern science as it reveals the convincing link beween the act of forgiveness and health.

Forgiveness -- a virtue embraced by almost every religious tradition as a balm for the soul -- may be medicine for the body, researchers suggest.

They have shown that ''forgiveness interventions'' -- often just a couple of short sessions in which the wounded are guided toward positive feelings for an offender -- can improve cardiovascular function, diminish chronic pain, relieve depression and boost quality of life among the very ill.

On the other hand failure to forgive may, over a lifetime, boost a person's risk for heart disease, mental illness and other ills -- and, conversely, that forgiving others may improve health, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Surprisingly, an AIDS patient who has forgiven the person presumed to have transmitted the virus is more likely to care for him or herself and less likely to engage in unprotected sex.

Those more inclined to pardon the transgressions of others have been found to have lower blood pressure, fewer depressive symptoms and, once they hit late middle age, better overall mental and physical health than those who do not forgive easily.

Like proper nutrition and exercise, forgiveness appears to be a behavior that a patient can learn, exercise and repeat as needed to prevent disease and preserve health.

In less than a decade, those preaching and studying forgiveness have amassed an impressive slate of findings on its possible health benefits.

''Who would have imagines that something locked away in religious culture could be turned into a secular training programme, it's a skill that can be taught,'' says psychologist Fred Luskin, director of Stanford University's Forgiveness Projects and a leading researcher in the field.

Psychologist Loren Toussaint of Luther University in Decorah, Iowa, and colleagues were the first to establish a long-term link between people's health and their propensity to forgive. (UNI)

Holiday travel, bad eating: recipe for stomach trouble ......

WASHINGTON, Dec 30: Travel compiled with poor eating may lead to stomach problems during the holidays, disrupting the internal body clock, experts suggests.

''Travelling can be very stressful and hard on gut too. People may tend to experience abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea or a combination of any of those problems during travel,'' Washington Post quoted Sandra Hoogerwerf, assistant professor, University of Michigan Medical School as saying.

''The gut's rhythm gets thrown off when you travel, especially across time zones. So, suddenly, one is awake when he should be sleeping, and eating when one is suppose to be sleeping. Essentially, the gut is jet-lagged, and that can cause a lot of gastrointestinal problems,'' Ms Hoogerwerf said.

It was suggested to give some time to the gut to catch up with the new schedule and re-establish its rhythm.

''If you respect your biological rhythms, you're going to feel less irritated, less tired, less fatigued, and your gut is going to feel a lot better,'' she stated.

Poor eating habits can aggravate travel-related stomach problems, Ms Hoogerwerf warned.

''When people travel, they drink lots of carbonated drinks, snack in between meals and often gulp down their meals because they're in a hurry to catch a plane. This eating behavior only worsens the gastrointestinal problems that we already experience due to travel,'' she explianed.

It was recommended to eat light and avoid stuff like caffeine and alcohol while travelling.

At times over-the-counter medications can also help ease travel-related stomach problems, she concluded. (UNI)

Telltale images expose fatal flaws in Bhutto’s security ...

ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: Video footage of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto’s public rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi by a Pakistani private TV channel has exposed fatal security flaws that led to her assassination.

The controversy deepened last night when Dawn News TV aired chilling images of an armed assassin taking a shot at her as she acknowledged the cheers of jubilant party activists from the sunroof of her bullet-proof vehicle.

The Government has insisted that Bhutto died when her head slammed against her vehicle by the blast from a bomb. But the Pakistan People_s Party has held that she died from bullet wounds.

Shot by an amateur photographer, the images telecast by Dawn News TV made it abundantly clear that there was no security cordon around Bhutto’s vehicle.

They showed a young clean-shaven man, wearing a waistcoat and dark glasses, inch inconspicuously towards the slow-moving vehicle of Bhutto. Standing closely behind was a man believed to be the suicide bomber with a piece of cloth draped around his face. The first image catched the duo looking straight into the camera.

Another image showed the sharpshooter open fire on the unsuspecting political leader with remarkable aplomb. He was just a couple of metres away from his target. One of the party activists clinging to the vehicle seem to have spotted the assassin, whose upraised hand carried a gun.

The third image showed activists around the vehicle ducking their heads in reflex, suggesting that the gun had been fired. Unfazed, the assassin was still in their midst.

Crucially, Bhutto had disappeared from the sunroof. And, equally crucially, the suicide bomber was yet to blow himself up.

The unsettling images raise significant questions about the quality of security arrangements made for the former prime minister who narrowly escaped a suicide attack on her homecoming procession on October 18.

The fact that an armed assassin managed to get just a couple of metres away from Ms Bhutto clearly give the lie to the Government claim that she had received a VIP security cover.

Also, the new images seem to lend credence to the assertion made by a close aide to Bhutto who insisted that the opposition leader was shot in the head and neck.

Sherry Rehman, a PPP spokesperson, said, " Bhutto had a bullet wound at the back of her head on the left side. It came out the other (side). That was a very large wound, and she bled profusely through that."

However, the government stuck to its version, saying Bhutto_s party was welcome to disinter her body to check. (UNI)