Colombo - Troops in northern Sri Lanka located an airstrip used by Tamil rebels, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said Friday.

The airstrip was near a major irrigation tank in Iranamadu, of the Kilinochchi district, 370 kilometres north east of the capital, he said.

The Defence Ministry said troops reported the strip was 300 metres long and 15-20 metres wide.

"What we see here is more or less a conventional airstrip but adequate for a shorter liftoff," a military official was quoted by the ministry as saying.

Paris - Because of the worsening economic outlook, the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Friday revised downward its global oil demand for 2009.

If the forecast contained in the IEA's monthly Oil Market Report is confirmed, it would mean that demand for oil around the world would shrink for two consecutive years, the first time this has occurred since 1982 and 1983.

London, Jan 16 : Amy Winehouse, who is holidaying in Caribbean, has hit back at claims that her debauched antics are wrecking the peace of St Lucia's 200-pound-a-night Le Sport Spa resort, insisting "I'm not out of control!"

"People think I'm a mess or something but I'm having such a great time and feeling so good at the moment," the Mirror quoted Winehouse, as saying.

"I'm certainly not out of control as some people have said.

"Yes, I've had a few drinks but I'm on holiday - I'm just young and having fun," she added.

"I'm getting loads of exercise, eating brilliantly and I've really been able to relax.

Sydney, Jan. 16 : Swiss tennis star Roger Federer believes achieving tennis''s holy grail, the calendar grand slam is possible as playing surfaces in the modern era have become less distinct.

The calendar grand slam includes winning the four majors, the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open in one year, a feat achieved by Australian great Rod Laver 40 years ago. Few will recall that Laver also won the all grand slams in one year in the non-open era.

Kuala Lumpur - Global seafarers faced an alarming rise in pirate attacks last year, with an unprecedented 49 ships beings seized and 889 crew members held for ransom, a maritime watchdog said Friday.

A total of 293 attacks were recorded in 2008, from 263 recorded in the previous year, the London-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in its yearly report from its reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.

It also noted a surge in the number of violent attacks last year.

A total 46 vessels were fired upon, 32 crew members injured, 11 killed, 21 missing and presumed dead, the report said. The number of incidents in which guns were used nearly doubled from 72 in 2007 to 139 last year.

The latest report of UNICEF paints a grim picture on the part of Uttar Pradesh. The report, considered as a wake-up call for the people of UP, highlights the alarming figures on maternal and neonatal mortality in the state.