London, Jan 6 : A dormant state called torpor could be as important in helping small mammals to survive cold winters as hibernation.

Zoologists Gerhard Kortner and Fritz Geiser from the University of New England in Armidale came to this conclusion after studying the behaviour of the stripe-faced dunnart
(Sminthopsis macroura) in its natural habitat in the Astrebla Downs National Park in Queensland, Australia.

Their finding attains significance as they have for the first time studied torpor, a last-ditch energy-conservation technique, in any animal in the wild.

London - A temporary ban on the practice of short-selling imposed at the height of the banking crisis last September will be lifted by mid-January as planned, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in London said Tuesday.

The regulatory body said that the three-month ban would expire on Jnauary 16, but could be reinstated if necessary.

Short-selling is when investors, typically hedge funds, borrow shares in a company which they then sell in the hope of buying them back later at a lower price in a process not dissimilar to betting.

Washington, Jan 6 : US First Lady Laura Bush has inked a deal with Scribner to write her memoirs for publication in the spring of 2010.

The memoir will include her experiences in White House and Texas governor's mansion along with some `very personal' details like having a strong-willed mother-in-law, dealing with loss and raising children.

"I am very pleased to be associated with Scribner, the distinguished publishing house of many of my favorite books," Politico. com quoted Bush as saying.

Sofia - The row between Russia and Ukraine over natural gas deliveries hit the Balkans hard Tuesday, with Bulgaria and Croatia reporting a total supply stoppage and Romania a two-thirds drop.

The Bulgarian supplier Bulgargaz said delivery was terminated at Ukraine's border with Romania in the early morning, which also affected the transit of gas to Turkey, Greece and Macedonia.

The Bulgarian government was in an emergency session to discuss the crisis, as supplies may last only a few days.

London, Jan 6 : English singer/songwriter Lily Allen has reignited the feud she had with US singer Katy Perry by threatening to post the `I Kissed A Girl' singer's mobile number on the web.

The two have been at each other's throat ever since Perry called Allen fat, and now the `Smile' singer, who called Perry `crass', has threatened to post her number on the net should she make any more comments.

"I have Katy Perry's number, someone did me a favour," the Sun quoted Allen as having written on her Facebook page.

"I'm just waiting for her to open her mouth one more time then it hits Facebook," she had added.

London, Jan 6 : Pop princess Britney Spears has gone back to preparing for