Oman bans poultry from India

DUBAI, Jan 20: Oman has banned the import of domestic birds, their products and derivatives from India, following the outbreak of bird-flu.

Sheikh Salim bin Hilal Al Khalili, Minister of Agriculture, has issued a decision banning import of domestic birds, their products, derivatives and waste from India, Oman news agency said.

The decision was based on the recommendation of the veterinary authority concerned, it added.

Earlier this week, Qatar had imposed a ban on the imports of poultry and their products, including eggs, from India after avian flu cases were confirmed in West Bengal. (PTI)

Aus PM rules out Beazley for Governor-General

SYDNEY, Jan 20: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today discounted suggestions that his predecessor as Labour Party leader Kim Beazley could be appointed as the country's next governor-general.

Responding to a media report that senior cabinet figures wanted Beazley to take over when current incumbent Michael Jeffery ends his term later this year, Rudd said he was not considering a present or former politician for the role.

"When we turn our minds to this, the next Governor- general of Australia will not be a former or serving politician, conservative or Labour," Rudd told reporters.

"And the reason being is I believe it's an office which is often best discharged by someone from the broader community."

Sydney's Sun-Herald reported today, quoting unnamed cabinet sources, that senior figures in Rudd's Government were backing Beazley for the job, feeling they owed him a debt of gratitude for leading the party during difficult times.

Beazley led the ruling Labour Party to election defeats in 1998 and 2001 but was ousted by Rudd during a second stint as leader in a snap party vote just over a year ago.

Rudd won a landslide election victory in November, ending 11 years of conservative rule. (AGENCIES)

Hefty pay cheques, spirituality make Bhutanese happy

THIMPHU, Jan 20: One thing about Bhutanese is they always want to be happy.

A recent survey found a hefty pay cheque, family, health, spirituality, and good governance to be the key factors of them being happy.

A majority 66 per cent felt that good income was the most important requirement for happiness, according to the pilot survey conducted by the Centre for Bhutan Studies to determine the indicators that are expected to help the country develop its vision of Gross National Happiness (GNH).

As many as 56.3 per cent of the respondents, mostly youth, are optimistic about the future and 72.8 per cent have a strong sense of belonging in society.

About 60 per cent of the population are spiritual and pray often and 35 per cent understand compassion.

The survey found men to be happier than women, the educated happier than the illiterate, and larger families happier than smaller families.

But the survey found that Bhutanese people are getting increasingly stressed, the main causes being the concern for the future of their children, their financial state, and illness.

More than 19 per cent suffer a high level of stress.

Meanwhile, 13 per cent of people are often angry, 17.4 per cent say they have poor health, 16.6 per cent suffer from disabilities, and 31.7 per cent feel that they are poor with the average annual income for a family of five or more estimated at Nu 92,000.

The burden of work is felt more by women, especially rural women, and women with young children get the least sleep.

The study also found that Bhutanese, on an average, sleep about eight hours a day and 77.2 per cent, mostly men, consume alcohol with about 20 per cent drinking daily.

The people are also become more wealth conscious.

"As many as 47.7 per cent emphasise that wealth is important. People's trust in each other is as low as 25.1 per cent and 70.6 per cent are careful when dealing with other people, while 61 per cent believe that selfishness and generosity are both increasing," the survey said.

The data was collocated on the basis of interviews with 350 people between October 2006 and January 2007.

The surveyors spent two days with each person, asking questions on subjective well being, health education, income, community environment, time use, and governance.

CBS director Karma Ura said the data will be updated by April, after the centre completes interviews with more than 1,000 people.

The indicators, according to him, were being developed "to reflect GNH values, determine GNH policies, and track GNH progress". (PTI)

China to build third station in Antarctica

BEIJING, Jan 20: In a move to improve its polar research facilities, China is planning to build a third station around the highest point in Antarctica, captain of the expedition team to the continent has said.

The site of the station will be next to the Dome A, the continent's peak point at 4,093 m above sea level, Sun Bo on board the vessel Xuelong was qouted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The vessel is also shipping building materials for expanding China's two existing stations there.

A 17-member Chinese expedition team successfully scaled Dome A for the second time in history on January 12 after a grueling 21-day journey, it said. (PTI)

Obama donates contributions linked to indicted developer

WASHINGTON, Jan 20: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is giving charity more than USD 40,000 in past political contributions linked to Chicago real estate developer and fast food magnate Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who is facing federal corruption charges, his campaign has said.

The contributions are from seven people who contributed to Obama's House and Senate campaigns. None of the money was for his presidential bid.

"Recent public information has called into question contributions to the Obama campaign from a donor and fundraiser," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement yesterday.

"It is the policy and practice of the campaign to review all such new information and dispose of questionable funds such as the potential illegal 'straw donations' that campaigns, like other presidential campaigns this cycle, must address as new facts emerge.

"Our consistent practice in these circumstances is to give the funds to charity out of an abundance of caution," Burton said.

The decision to dispose of the money came after the Chicago Sun-Times reported yesterday that Obama is the unnamed "political candidate" mentioned in one paragraph of a 78-page prosecution document that outlines the case against Rezko.

Rezko, a longtime fundraiser for Obama, is charged with fraud, attempted extortion and money laundering.

Prosecutors say he conspired to get campaign money and payoffs from firms seeking to do business before two state boards. (AGENCIES)

Uranium sale policy won't affect ties with India: Australia

MELBOURNE, Jan 20: Days after making it clear that it would not sell uranium to India which is not a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Australian Government has expressed confidence that its strict policy on the issue would not affect ties with New Delhi.

The ruling Labour party's policy on uranium sales will not affect Australia's relationship with India as well as ongoing efforts to further enhance it, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said.

"India is aware of the government's policy to supply uranium only to countries which are members of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," Smith was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.

"Australia's relationship with India and further progress in that relationship does not depend on uranium sales," he said.

The Kevin Rudd government had signalled that stronger ties with the economic powerhouse were one of its top foreign policy priorities.

Despite this ambition, the ruling labour government last week stated that it had no intention of changing its policy of only selling uranium to countries which are party to the NPT. (PTI)

Republican lawmaker Hunter abandons
bid for White House

WASHINGTON, Jan 20: Republican long-shot candidate Duncan Hunter has dropped out of the race for his party's presidential nomination after a poor showing in the Nevada caucuses, his campaign said in a statement.

"Today we end this campaign," the California lawmaker said in the statement yesterday.

"I ran the campaign exactly the way I wanted to, and at this point not being able to gain traction in conservative states of Nevada and South Carolina, it's time to allow our volunteers and supporters to focus on the campaigns that remain viable," he said.

With all votes counted in yesterday's contest in Nevada, Hunter won only two per cent support and in South Carolina, with 94 per cent of precincts reporting, he trailed far behind with less than one per cent of the vote.

He also failed to make his mark in previous contests this month in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Hunter did not endorse any of the remaining candidates in the Republican nomination race.

He had recently expressed anger at television executives for not being invited to participate in debates before the New Hampshire primary vote.

Hunter, who launched his candidacy a year ago, had emphasised a strong national defence and immigration in his campaign but his bid never caught fire in a crowded Republican field.

But Hunter said he had helped influence the debate among Republican presidential hopefuls by urging the construction of an elaborate border fence with Mexico to counter illegal immigration and by warning of the threat posed by China's military and economic power. (AGENCIES)

Get lost often on city roads? Blame your brain

LONDON, Jan 20: Do you often get disoriented or lost while trying to find a way through the city streets? Well simply blame it on your brain.

Researchers in Britain have found that two key parts of the brain "talk" to each other and allow people to remember routes as well as plan new ones, but if either of these is not working, the ability to find the way around gets impaired.

While the first part called the hippocampus stores memories about key locations and landmarks, the other brain cells, known as grid cells, provide the internal sense of space and distance, like a GPS system.

According to the researchers, in those people who get lost easily, navigation cells are less efficient at talking to each other, so they get lost.

"People who get lost easily don't make good use of their grid cells. These provide us with information about distance, movement and direction while linking to memories about specific landmarks. For each location a specific pattern of cells will send signals to trigger a particular memory.

"For example the entrance to Top Shop on your local high street will have one pattern while another will trigger a memory of St Pancras station. By talking to each other in this way, the cells allow the brain to produce a route it has to follow," lead researcher Dr Hugo Spiers of University College London was quoted by 'The Sunday Telegraph' as saying.

According to them, training the cells can help people navigate more easily and it may explain how the city's cabbies gain the "knowledge", the encyclopedic memory of the city's streets required before they can get a licence.

The findings have been revealed as part of an exhibition at London's Giomple Fils Gallery, funded by the medical research charity Wellcome Trust. (PTI)_

India to attend UAE meet on labour issues

DUBAI, Jan 20: India is among the 22 countries attending a three-day meeting in UAE capital Abu Dhabi from January 20-22 which would make recommendations on improving the market for temporary contractual labour.

The meet which would be attended by India's Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi would also focus on protection and welfare of workers.

Labour ministers and senior officials from 22 nations would participate in the meeting titled 'The Ministerial Consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia: The Abu Dhabi Dialogue'.

"The Abu Dhabi Dialogue will discuss the entire cycle of temporary contractual labour, beginning and ending with national and human development," Labour minister Dr Ali Abdullah Al Ka'abi said.

Explaining the importance of the meeting, Al Ka'abi said "This year's meet is expected to strengthen cooperation between countries of origin (of labour) and destination.

The conference will also "provide a forum for the 11 Asian labour-source countries to share their views in the field of labour mobility policies, review the implementation of recommendations of the previous Ministerial consultation in Bali, and identify further steps for effective management of labour mobility and temporary contractual labour for the benefit of all concerned", he added.

The labour-sending countries are India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Participating labour-receiving countries include GCC countries and Yemen, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea and Singapore. (PTI)

US urges OPEC to raise oil output

DUBAI, Jan 20: The United States has asked the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to raise its oil output to meet the growing energy demands.

"I think it is possible for an increase in supply over a period of time because there is adequate reserve in the Kingdom," US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said during a visit to Riyadh yesterday.

"The new energy reality means the world must develop safe, reliable, clean, affordable and diverse energy supplies" he was quoted as saying by Arab News.

The US official stressed that the world needed a more diverse group of energy suppliers and a more diverse network of energy supply routes.

Quoting the recent World Energy Outlook, Bodman, who met his counterpart Ali Al-Naimi yesterday, said the world's primary energy needs will grow by 55 per cent by 2030.

"This alone creates for the world a set of energy challenges that require the active involvement of energy producer and consumer countries. And no one nation or a sector can meet them alone", he added. (PTI)

Extinct marsupial lion far superior to African lion

NEW YORK, Jan 20: Pound for pound, Australia's extinct marsupial lion would have made mince meat of today's African lion had the two big cats ever squared off in a fight to the death, if a study is to be believed.

A team of researchers has carried out the study and found that the marsupial lion killed prey rapidly, using its "bolt-cutter" type teeth to scissor through hide and flesh, whereas African lions use their bite force to suffocate prey, using a "clamp and hold" technique.

"Our results suggest that the marsupial lion employed a unique killing technique. It used its massive carnassial cheekteeth to effect major trauma and a rapid kill.

"Unlike any living mammalian carnivores, the marsupial's carnassials were not only butchery tools but also active components in the killing process," according to lead researcher Stephen Wroe of the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Using a sophisticated computer modelling method that renders dynamic 3D models based on CT scans of the marsupial's cranial mechanics and musculoskeletal architecture, the team has found that the creature's skull, jaw, and head and neck muscles were well adapted to using the unique technique for killing large prey.

"The marsupial lion also had an extremely efficient bite. In addition to very powerful jaw muscles for its size, its muscle and skull architecture were arranged in such a way as to take greater advantage of leverage than in living cats," the 'ScienceDaily' quoted Wroe as saying. (PTI)

Immigrants in UK opting for name change

LONDON, Jan 20: Thousands of newly arrived migrants in the UK, including Indians, are adopting common British names to avoid "discrimination" and mispronunciation.

Indians bearing the surname Shital prefer to be known as Sheet while Arabic names such as Karim and Muhammad are being changed to Kevin and Michael, according to a report in 'The Sunday Times'.

The trend is part of a boom in name changing, fuelled by websites that allow people legally to rename themselves by deed poll within a few hours, usually for about 30 pounds.

About 70,000 people are expected to change their name using either the UK Deed Poll Service or the Name Change Company this year, two of the most popular services in Britain, th report said. In 2001, the number of such people was fewer than 20,000.

The paper said Chinese people have anglicised their names by adding prefixes such as John, Jason and Sue. In one instance, a refugee from Uzbekistan called Avlar Jon Akherov became Adrian Barry Roberts. In another case, a young Polish woman with an 18-letter surname opted for the brevity of one of Britain's most common names - Hall.

The migrants coming to the UK are adopting common British names to avoid either discrimination or poor pronunciation, the report said. (PTI)