Amber Room treasure found in German cavern

LONDON, Feb 20: Treasure hunters have found a huge haul of looted Russian gold in an underground cavern in Germany, which they claim is part of the Amber Room collection stashed away by the Nazis in the dying days of World War II.

The discovery of an estimated two tonnes of gold was made last weekend in the man-made cavern almost 20 metres underground near the village of Deutschneudorf on Germany’s border with the Czech Republic.

Mayor of Deutschneudorf Heinz-Peter Haustein, who is leading the search team, said the cavern had not yet been reached but tests showed what was inside was "definitely" precious metals.

"It’s gold, may be silver. We expect it to be either gold from the Amber Room or gold that would give us clues to another hiding place," British newspaper ‘The Daily Telegraph’ quoted Haustein as saying.

The Amber Room was an 18^{th century chamber inside the Catherine Palace in Leningrad, now St Petersburg, that was made out of amber panels backed by gold leaf. It was stolen in 1941 during the Nazi invasion and taken to Kaliningrad where it was lost in 1945 following Allied Forces’ bombing.}

^{Haustein arrived in Deutschneudorf on a tip off from a German friend whose late father, a signaller in the Luftwaffe, had hoarded documents containing the co-ordinates to and locations where the Nazis supposedly hid gold and diamonds at the end of the Second World War.}

^{One of those sets of co-ordinates was the "exact" location of the dig, he said. The documents also contained warnings of booby traps.}

^{There have been hundreds of theories about the fate of Amber Room treasure. Some historians claim it was destroyed in Knisgburg but there is speculation that it was loaded onto a submarine which was sunk in the Baltic Sea by the Russians. (PTI)}

A dress code for mannequins

DUBAI, Feb 20: Mannequins will wear only decent clothing under a new dress code which is being enforced by the UAE emirate of Sharjah.

The Sharjah municipality has urged shopkeepers to abide by a ban that prohibits the display of mannequins with facial features which means they will be headless, said a senior official.

The municipality in a circular sent to all shops stated the heads of mannequins be removed and that they are forbidden to wear underwear, to uphold the traditional and religious values of the emirate, said the Gulf News in a report today.

"We reinforced the ban because it was a religious issue that raised many complaints from residents, who were against shops displaying men and women’s undergarments on realistic mannequins," said Khalid Al Jaberi, head of market control at Sharjah Municipality.

The municipality has always been keen on conserving the traditional Islamic values of Sharjah and has already implemented several rules, including the ban on men selling women’s undergarments in shops.

Sharjah Municipality originally implemented the ban five years ago following a fatwa issued by the Islamic Affairs Department. However, the ban has been reinforced because several outlets had stopped abiding by the rule. (PTI)

Indian grocer stabbed to death in Kuwait

DUBAI, Feb 20: An Indian grocer was fatally stabbed by some unidentified youths at his shop in Kuwait.

The police are searching for the youths who broke into the grocery shop in Salmiya area and stabbed the owner five times with a knife.

The suspects escaped leaving the victim in a pool of blood. The man succumbed to his injuries, police said.

Police believe that theft was the motive, but it is not known if the suspects escaped with any money. (PTI)

Heart attack deaths ‘rise at nights, weekends

NEW YORK, Feb 20: People who suffer a heart attack at night or during weekends are less likely to survive than those who have a cardiac arrest on weekdays, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University in the United States have carried out the study and found that the time of day at which patients in hospitals suffer heart attacks is important in determining their survival chances.

The researchers came to the conclusion after looking at the survival rates for over 85,000 adults who had cardiac arrests while in hospital between January 2000 and February 2007, and comparing them by time of day and day of the week.

They found that that the rates of survival varied enormously depending on when an individual started to have problems-those whose hearts went into arrest during a weekday had a 35.4 per cent chance of surviving for 24 hours and a 19.8 per cent chance of living until they’re discharged.

However, the study found that for those who suffered cardiac arrest at night, between 11 PM and 7 AM, those rates fell to 28.9 per cent and 14.7 per cent. Similar differences were found if a patient’s heart stopped at weekends.

The researchers have also noticed that a night time cardiac arrest increased the chances of developing brain damage by a third-the results of the study are published in the ‘Journal of the American Medical Association’.

According to the researchers, a number of factors like doctors being more tired, shift changeovers and fewer staff working on wards are responsible for the higher death rates at nights and weekends.

"Night staff proficiency in cardiac resuscitation could be enhanced by additional training, such as ‘mock codes’ and cardiac resuscitation simulation training," the study’s lead author, Mary Ann Peberdy, wrote in the journal. (PTI)

Radio station hauled up for obscene programmes in China

BEIJING, Feb 20: China's broadcast regulator has hauled up a local radio station for airing "obscene" programmes despite an earlier ban on them and asked it to punish officials responsible for it.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) said it had banned 13 local radio stations from broadcasting "sexually suggestive" programmes but Guizhou Radio Station (GRS) renamed the offensive content and broadcast the same.

"The GRS programmes have willfully played on sex life and sex experience and excessively exaggerated functions of sex-enhancement drugs," SARFT said in a circular, according to official Xinhua news agency.

The regulator also censured the Guizhou Provincial Administration of Radio, Film and Television for inadequate supervision of local broadcasting stations.

SARFT issued circulars in July and September last year, banning radio and TV commercials and programmes involving drugs, sex-related health supplements, drugs for sexually transmitted diseases, sex toys and "vulgar" ads for breast enhancement and female underwear.

It had ordered local broadcasting administrations to follow the rules and strictly supervise local stations. (PTI)

Losing your temper ‘can delay healing’

LONDON, Feb 20: Do you lose your temper or get irritated often? It’s high time that you try to become a cool dude. A new study has found that anger, which is known to blow out the light of reason, can delay healing too.

A team of international researchers, led by the Ohio State University in Columbus, has found that being unable to control and vent anger can harm the process of healing a wound, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported today.

In their study, the researchers analysed around 100 participants who had agreed to receive standardised blister wounds, inflicted by a vacuum pump on their non-dominant forearm.

After blistering, the wounds were monitored daily for eight days to assess the speed of repair. The secretion of the stress hormone cortisol was also measured during blistering to evaluate the role of this hormone in the healing process.

Anger control was assessed using a standard scale and the participants were categorised as slow healers if they took more than four days to heal the standardised wound.

Taking into account potential confounding factors, people with low control over the expression of their anger were 4.2 times more likely to take more than four days to heal, compared to those with higher levels of anger control.

Individuals with low anger control exhibited greater cortisol production, which was in turn, associated with delayed healing.

"We found that individuals who were able to control the expression of their anger healed faster standardised wounds. Therefore, the variable of interest in our study is a characteristic of the individual, not of the environment.

"For example, all the participants in our study were exposed to a blistering procedure evoking mild stress for the individual. However, not all participants responded in the same way to this standardised stressor.

"Those who has low anger control secreted more cortisol following exposition to this stressor. This individual difference in the response to the blistering was related to longer healing," lead researcher Jean-Philippe Gouin was quoted as saying.

The results of the study have been published in the ‘Brain Behaviour and Immunity’ journal. (PTI)

After London, Indian investors prefer Birmingham

LONDON, Feb 20: Birmingham, with a large minority of Asian origin, is fast emerging as the most preferred destination of Indian investment after London.

Liam Byrne, Immigration minister who recently visited India, hails from the region, and has been in the forefront of attracting Indian investment to the West midlands.

Trade got a boost with direct flights between India and Birmingham, an industrial city 160 kms northwest of London.

"Trade with India is already booming. In the West Midlands we’ve got the ideas, the skills, the people and the history that puts us in position to lead the way for Britain." said Byrne adding that recent investment in the region by Indian companies demonstrated how important good trade links were.

During the past two years, Indian investment into the West Midlands has more than doubled in terms of the numbers of companies setting up in the region.

Over 1,000 jobs have been created since 2006 by 14 companies, which means that there are now nearly 30 Indian-owned businesses in the region, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Tata Steel, Mahindra and Mahindra and the Aditya Birla Group.

The trend will continue with the expected acquisition of Jaguar land Rover by Tata Motors soon.

"The rapid growth of inward investment from India into our region over the last couple of years shows just how important a market this is for us. Boosting trade is one of the keys to new jobs in the Midlands and India could be the biggest game in town," Byrne said. (PTI)

No plans to quit, says Musharraf

WASHINGTON, Feb 20: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said he is not planning to resign or retire despite his allies suffering a crushing defeat in the general election and asserted that he intends to stay in office to guide the democratic transition in the country.

A day after pro-Musharraf PML-Q was hammered at the hustings, the former military ruler told ‘The Wall Street Journal’ he is neither contemplating retirement nor resigning.

"No, not yet. We have to move forward in a way that we bring about a stable democratic Government to Pakistan," he said adding, he is even prepared to work with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was accused by Musharraf at one time of trying to kill him.

"We are running a parliamentary system. The Government is run by the Prime Minister. The President has no mandate to share governing power with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister runs the Government. The President has his own position but has no authority running the Government."

"The clash would be if the Prime Minister and President would be trying to get rid of each other. I only hope we would avoid these clashes," Musharraf maintained.

Musharraf also made it known that there was no possible way in which the sacked Chief Justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court and other deposed Judges could be brought back.

"Legally there’s no way this can be done. I can’t even imagine how this is doable," he said.

The Pakistani President said he has not met either Sharif, the chief of PML-N, or Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People’s Party since the election.

"I’m not heading a political party. Let the political parties meet with each other and form a coalition," Musharraf said.

"f anyone thinks I can facilitate in a positive way for Pakistan, I would like to do it,"Musharraf said.

After the polls threw up a hung assembly, the PPP and PML-N, together having a majority to form a Government, began consultations yesterday for joining hands.

At a time when questions are being raised in Washington on the implications of the the election result on American foreign policy, especially as it related to the war on terror, Musharraf argued that relationships between two countries are not tied to individuals and it is in the interest of Pakistan to fight terrorism and extremism.

"I don’t think relationships between nations are tied to individuals. There are mutual, national interests that lead to personal relationships. It’s not the other way around. It’s the mutual interests in the region, especially the fight against terrorism, that has led to our strategic relationship.

"Now it is broad based, and long-term. So it is an issue-related relationship, which has led to a personal relationship with President (George W) Bush, and I cherish the relationship," he said.

"The fight against terrorism has a strategic context and we are looking for social and economic assistance especially for the tribal areas. It is the economic bonds that cement relations. We are looking for an increase in market access into the US This is at the core of poverty-job creation-which is at the core of our anti-terrorism drive," he said.

The Pakistan President was asked how military ties with the US might change in the context of him not being in uniform and in having a new Prime Minister.

"It’s in Pakistan’s interest to fight terrorism and extremism. So whatever Government there is I’m pretty sure they will continue to fight terrorism and extremism. Why would any Government change its priorities? I think the policy will remain consistent," Musharraf replied.

Calls for Musharraf to quit mounted yesterday as the opposition scored a sweeping victory over his allies.

"Musharraf has said he would quit when people tell him. People have now given their verdict," Sharif had said.

Top lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, under house arrest since Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in November last year, said the President should quit because he was the "most hated man in the country."

Musharraf’s spokesman, however, had rejected such calls and said the former General was ready to work with whoever forms a Government. (PTI)

Listening to music ‘improves’ stroke patients’ recovery

LONDON, Feb 20: Be it pop, classical or jazz, it’s no secret that music improves mood. A new study has found that it can better your health too, especially after a stroke.

Researchers in Europe have found that listening to music even for a couple of hours a day in the early stages after a stroke can improve a patient’s recovery, the British media reported today.

"As a result of our findings, we suggest that everyday music listening during early stroke recovery offers a valuable addition to the patients’ care... It’s an inexpensive means to facilitate cognitive and emotional recovery," according to lead researcher Teppo Srkm.

Srkm of the University of Helsinki and his fellow researchers came to the conclusion after comparing patients who listened to music for a couple of hours a day, with those who listened only to audio books, or nothing at all.

They recruited 60 patients who had suffered a stroke, of the left or right hemisphere middle cerebral artery and analysed them between March 2004 and May 2006. Most of the patients had problems with movement and with cognitive processes, such as attention and memory.

Patients in the music group were able to chose the type of music they listened to. All patients received standard stroke rehabilitation.

After three months, verbal memory improved by 60 per cent in the music group, compared with 18 per cent in the audio book group, and 29 per cent in the non-listeners. The researchers found that focused attention improved by 17 per cent in the music group, but not at all in the other group.

In addition, patients in the music group were less likely to be depressed, or confused.

"Other research has shown that during the first weeks and months after stroke, the patients typically spend about three-quarters of their time each day in non-therapeutic activities, mostly in their rooms, inactive and without interaction, even although this time-window is ideal for rehabilitative training from the view of brain plasticity.

"Our research shows for the first time that listening to music during this crucial period can enhance cognitive recovery and prevent negative mood, and it has the advantage that it is cheap and easy to organise," Srkm said.

The results of the study have been published in the ‘Brain’ journal. (PTI)

India-US investment protection pact likely by year end: Nath

CHICAGO, Feb 20: With Indian firms investing aggressively in the US, India has put on fast track negotiations on signing an investment protection agreement with the States.

While both the US and India have signed the investment protection agreements with a number of countries, the one between them has to be unique because it is a different type of relationship, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said here last evening.

The two countries would try and conclude the investment protection agreement by the end of this year, he said, adding that Indian investments were not made in the American stock market but in the backyard of the US economy.

India and the US are also stepping up trade volume, particularly in the wake of the impending slowdown in the US.

Nath was speaking at the reception hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the US-India Business Council at the launch of a major initiative to sensitise American opinion-makers about the growing engagement of Indian firms in the US.

Under the programme, ‘Investing in America: The Indian Story’, the two industry bodies will roll out roadshows to change India’s image from being only the recipient of the foreign direct investment to an important source of FDI.

The Indian industry, which has been at the receiving end of the ‘job-shipping’ campaign of the US Presidential candidates, has launched the counter-campaign.

Nath told US Trade Representative Susan Schwab that while the US kept raking up the issue of market access in the Doha Round of negotiations of the WTO, India had already started opening its market on its own. US exports to India have been growing at over 30 per cent, while its imports from the country are increasing only at eight per cent.

Earlier in the day, Nath appreciated the Bush Administration for showing far-sightedness on India-US cooperation in the area of civil nuclear energy.

While India went in for a nuclear explosion and did not become part of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Nath asked who has signed it?

India had a credible record in using the nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, he said, adding that the agreement between India and the US is a testimony to this.

Both Nath and Schwab, who had bilateral meetings, said they were working hard to achieve a breakthrough on the Doha Round of the WTO. "We have been working hard trying to capture that elusive breakthrough that we were struggling for over the past six years."

India and the US have remained at a loggerhead over the contentious issues of cutting farm subsidies and market access for industrial goods along with their partners in respective groupings. (PTI)

Pakistan elections ‘largely fair’: US

WASHINGTON, Feb 20: Terming the elections in Pakistan "largely fair", the US today said President Pervez Musharraf appeared to have put the country back on the "road to democracy" and hoped whichever party forms the government there would be no change in Islamabad’s anti-terror efforts.

Asked whether the elections in which Musharraf’s allies were routed have "weakened" his clout, White House spokesman Dana Perino only said, "well, we’ll have to see".

"I think that what we can say is that they (the polls) seem to have been largely fair and that people were able to express themselves, and that they can have confidence in their vote," she said in a briefing in Accra in Ghana as US President George W Bush arrived there on the fourth leg of his five-nation tour.

Noting that "President Musharraf’s party has conceded that they lost seats in that election", Perino said "now the next step on the path to democracy is establishing what that new Government will look like".

"In democracies you have situations sometimes where your party loses in the Parliament or in the Congress, as President Bush knows very well, since in 2006 the Republicans lost a majority in the House and the Senate. And we’ve continued to work as a strong, functioning Government... And I think a country like Pakistan can get there," she said when asked to comment on Musharraf’s "standing" in the aftermath of polls.

"We asked him (Musharraf) to try to get the country back on the road to democracy and it appears that he has done that with these elections," Perino said.

"I think what President Musharraf has shown is an ability to provide for the country a chance to be confident in their Government and confident in their democracy enough that they can go ahead and concede that they have lost seats, but continue to work together for the good of the country," Perino said.

In the State Department, deputy spokesman Tom Casey said "Pakistan has taken a step towards the full restoration of democracy," something the US wanted to see happen.

At a briefing later, spokesman Sean McCormack, as did his colleague with the travelling White House, refused to be drawn into any inferences for American foreign policy based on the developments in Pakistan or get into a debate on the possible gains and losses for Washington.

The officials said the US will look forward to working with Musharraf and "whatever Government flows from these elections" and expressed optimism that Pakistan will continue to be its "partners in counterterrorism" as that is only in the best interests of the country.

"Whatever the outcome, you have a number of different political parties that have, in one form or another, expressed a deep interest and abiding commitment to fighting violent extremists and fighting terrorists," McCormack said.

Referring to the Pakistan People’s Party, he said it "feels acutely threat from violent extremists and terrorism, having had their party leader recently assassinated. Other moderate forces within Pakistan’s political system have pledged to work against violent extremists".

He urged the "moderate forces" to work together for deepening Pakistan’s economic and political reforms and remain committed to "fighting violent extremists and terrorists in the region and on Pakistani soil".

"This is in the long-term interests of Pakistan and the Pakistani people," he added.

Perino, on her part, said "we hope that the new government, once it’s formed-whatever form that process takes-at the end of the day that we hope that they continue to help work with us as partners in counterterrorism."

"We are going to continue our work with President Musharraf and whatever that new Government may be on goals of our national interests. And we have a deep national interest in fighting violent extremists, breaking up those terrorist cells that may either operate from or from time to time operate from Pakistani territory," McCormack said.

"Fundamentally, regardless of who’s sitting in the Prime Minister’s chair or the foreign minister’s chair or the defence minister’s chair, primarily, that’s our interest, is remaining committed to the Pakistani people," he said.

On if the US would urge opposition parties to work with Musharraf, he said "We have and will continue to urge moderate political forces within Pakistan’s political system to work together to strengthen and broaden Pakistan’s democracy".

Emphasising that "any instances of fraud should be taken seriously and reported", the State Department spokesman said the US will also look to see what the electoral process looked like through the eyes of outside observers, but reiterated that "we will look forward to working with President Musharraf and whatever Government flows from these elections".

McCormack was asked to comment on a statement made by the leader of the PPP that the party is not interested in working with any member of the Musharraf Government.

"We’ll see. Again, let’s let Pakistani politics play out according to their rules and the results of the election. I would expect that there are going to be a lot of statements in the period of the next week, and even after that, a lot of political posturing. I’m not going to get drawn into it."

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell meanwhile said the Defence Department has a relationship with the institutions of Pakistan, "rather than the individuals". (PTI)

TULF leader asks Prabhakaran to give up separation demand

COLOMBO, Feb 20: Reminding LTTE supremo Vellupillai Prabhakaran that New Delhi is interested in the well-being of Tamils, a senior ethnic Tamil leader has asked the Tiger leader to give up his demand for a separate state and agree to the proposal of an interim administration in north Sri Lanka.

"Please take my advice and give up your demand for separation. Agree to a reasonable solution based on the Indian model, for which the international community will give you full backing," Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) President V Anandasangaree said in a letter to 53-year-old Prabhakaran.

He said in the event of his concurring to the peace proposal, the LTTE leader will "surprisingly" find a large section of the people of Sri Lanka also supporting him.

"India is the country from where we all came and therefore it has some interest in us and hence has a major role to play," the Tamil leader said.

Prabhakaran should agree to the proposal to fully implement the 13^{th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution providing for provincial councils in the North and the East, Anandasangaree said.}

^{He said though the 13th amendment in itself does not fully meet the aspiration and grievances of the Tamil-speaking minorities in the island country, Prabhakharan’s approval will at least will create a favourable atmosphere to find a reasonable and acceptable solution to the ethnic strife.}

^{Anandasangree said there was a ray of hope for pulling Sri Lanka out of the muddle with the Government proposing to implement the 13th amendment. He said in the meantime the all party representative committee set up by the Government could continue to work on its final devolution report till a final solution is arrived at.}

^{"I want you to stop fighting and save the lives of several innocent people on both sides. Please agree to accept the interim administration and bring peace to our country and our people," Anandasangree told Prabhakaran.}

^{"If you decide to accept the interim administration or even opt for an election, I will go all out to put you and your cadres in a responsible position," he said.}

^{The TULF chief, in the letter, also told Prabhakaran of India’s "magnanimity" in "sparing" the rebel leader after he was cornered in the 1980s.}

^{"Why don’t you (Prabhakaran) tell the world that it was the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) that rounded you up at least thrice and allowed you to escape, only to help find a solution with your participation? You showed your gratitude to India by reducing the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to pulp," he said.}

^{Anandasangaree said it will not take much efforts to catch Prabhakaran if Sri Lanka acts on any possible request from India to apprehend the LTTE supremo.}

^{"How long do you think it will take for India to get you, if it is determined to catch you? How long will it take Sri Lanka to catch you if India wants your extradition? Both governments have taken a lenient view of this matter".}

^{The 74-year-old TULF chief said this was due to the fact that "both Governments do not want to disrupt the peace process by arresting you".}

^{"Kindly do not treat me as an enemy. If you give up arms and also your demand for separation, I assure you that the country will be prepared to pardon you...Then all can sit down and work out a reasonable solution," he said.}

^{Anandasangree said he was willing to meet Prabhakaran and discuss matters in this regard. (PTI)}