London, Oct 31: A study that has accurately dated sophisticated stone tools made by our ancestors has suggested that technological innovation is more likely to have spurred the first modern humans to migrate out of Africa than climate change.

Scientists have long argued about the forces that drove the transition to modern human behaviour after our species evolved in Africa up to 280,000 years ago.

Most scholars agree that Homo sapiens passed a threshold between 60,000 and 80,000 years ago, with evidence for more complex technology, ornaments and symbolic art turning up in the archaeological record.

Human genetics research also suggests that the population expanded markedly during this time.

Taipei - Taiwan stocks rose nearly 4 per cent Friday on an overnight rally on Wall Street and in expectation of expanded Taiwan-China exchanges.

The Taiex index soared 187.02 points, or 3.99 per cent, to close at 4,870.6.

Analysts attributed the surge not only to Thursday's rally on Wall Street, where the three major indices rose more than 2 per cent, but also to China's promise to ease restrictions on mainlanders visiting Taiwan.

The Orissa government has ordered for Crime Branch enquiry to the death of Father Bernard Digal. Father Diggal was allegedly attacked in Kandhamal and died in Chennai in Last Tuesday.

A criminal case in this regard had been registered in a Police Station at state Capital Bhubaneswar. Father Joseph Kalathil, the vicar-general of the archbishop's house in Bhubaneswar has lodged the complaint, said police DG M.M Praharaj. Father Digal will be creamated today near St.Vincent Church. A post-mortem was conducted at the Capital Hospital here after the deceased's body was flown from Chennai via Mumbai.

Taipei - Former vice premier Chiou I-jen has been arrested on accusations he embezzled a half-million US dollars during his time as Taiwan's intelligence chief, court officials said Friday.

"When he was secretary general of the National Security Council in 2004, the defendant asked the Foreign Ministry for 500,000 US dollars to finance a secret diplomatic mission, which actually was already completed with no more financial need," said Taipei District Court Judge Huang Chun-ming.

Ace veteran Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna will be seen in a flick called ‘Wafaa’ along side hot Pakistani beauty Saara Khan.

And thats not all, the actor has also indulged in bold, intimate bedroom scenes with Saara who is half his age.

Washington, Oct 31: Women who gain more than 40 pounds (18 kg) during their pregnancies are nearly twice as likely to have a heavy baby, suggests a new study.

The study was conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, which included more than 40,000 women and their babies.

The study has been published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.