Washington, Oct 31: A new study by genographic scientists has found that as many as one in 17 men in the Mediterranean basin may have a Phoenician as a direct male-line ancestor.

Part of the National Geographic and IBM’s Genographic Project scientific consortium, the study has led to the development of a new analytical method for detecting the subtle genetic impact of historical population migrations.

Its first application has been to reveal the genetic legacy of the Phoenicians, an intriguing and mysterious first-millennium B. C. trading empire.

Washington, Oct 31: A new research has suggested that the 5,300 year old human mummy – dubbed ‘Oetzi’ or ‘the Tyrolean Iceman’ – is highly unlikely to have modern day relatives.

Oetzi’s mummified remains were discovered in September 1991 in the Eastern Alps near the Austro-Italian border.

He was approximately 46 years old when he died, and examinations revealed that he had been severely wounded by an arrow and possibly finished off with a mace blow to the face.

Moscow - Russia watchers were long curious to hear President Dmitry Medvedev's first national address, originally scheduled for October 23. Now, interest has only grown, after a last-minute decision was made to delay it by almost two weeks.

Speculation about the speech, scheduled for November 5, is rampant. For the past eight years, it has been delivered by former president - now Prime Minister - Vladimir Putin.

The president's office provided no reason for the delay. Igor Shuvalov, Putin's chief economic advisor and deputy premier, told daily Vedomosti that Medvedev needed to personally revise the draft.

National media initially speculated that the global financial crisis forced a change to the content of the speech.

New Delhi, Oct 31 : Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was banned for one Test match after he was found guilty of elbowing Australia all-rounder Shane Watson during the ongoing third Test in Delhi.

International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Chris Broad today charged Gambhir with a level-two offence of not conducting play "within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws of cricket".

Meanwhile, the BCCI is going to appeal to ICC to relax the punishment on Gambhir.

Riga - Relations with Russia are likely to be the focus when a generous sprinkling of former presidents, prime ministers and assorted other regional bigwigs descend on the Latvian capital of Riga this weekend for a NATO-sponsored conference.

Topping the bill will be Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, on his first visit to the Baltic region since his country went to war with Russia in August.

Baltic and central European nations gave Saakashvili strong backing during that war and will be heavily represented at the conference. Saakashvili will appear with Latvian President Valdis Zatlers, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko during a November 1 debate titled "A vision of Europe, whole and free."

Taipei - Taiwan opened the 2008 Taipei International Travel Fair Friday with the aim of attracting more foreign and Chinese tourists.

Sixty-two countries and regions have set up 1,206 booths at the four-day fair with Chinese exhibitors occupying 256 booths, nearly four times more than the second-largest exhibitor, Japan, with 69 booths.

China has sent a 290-strong delegation to the four-day travel fair at the Taipei World Trade Centre, hoping to boost tourism from Taiwan to China.