Colombo - Polling on the Maldives started Tuesday as voters choose between one of Asia's longest-serving leaders against a former political prisoner.

Voting started at 9 am (0330 GMT) to either re-elect incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, to a seventh consecutive term or to opt for Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed, a 41-year-old activist who was once imprisoned by Gayoom's government.

Gayoom, 71, received 41 per cent in the first round of elections held October 8, while Nasheed got 25 per cent - both short of the necessary 50 per cent.

About 209,000 voters registered to vote and results are expected late Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

London, Oct 28 : Anthropologists have suggested that Neanderthals had big noses because of the degree to which their face used to jut forward, indicating that the odd feature was a fluke of evolution, not some grand adaptation.

The Neanderthal nose has been a matter of befuddlement for anthropologists, who point out that modern cold-adapted humans have narrow noses to moisten and warm air as it enters the lung, and reduce water and heat loss during exhalation.

Big noses tend to be found in people whose ancestors evolved in tropical climates, where a large nasal opening helps cool the body.

But Neanderthals go against this trend, according to Tim Weaver, a palaeoanthropologist at the University of California, Davis.

Washington, Oct 28 : Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has promised to restore economic prosperity and a sense of “higher purpose” to a tired, embattled nation. 

“We are one week away from changing America,” the Democratic presidential candidate proclaimed, campaigning with the confidence of a contender nearing victory. 

Jerusalem - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni may be married with two children, but that did not stop a Canadian admirer from sending her what looks like a diamond ring, an Israeli newspaper reported Tuesday.

The 18-karat golden ring arrived at Livni's office in Jerusalem with an international package delivery service, Yediot Ahronot said.

Her security people first scrutinized it to ensure the package contained no bomb, but once they opened it, they found a silver- coloured luxury box with the ring inside.

A letter with only the words "I'm aware of myself" and a photograph of the sender, a Canadian from Quebec, accompanied the box.

London - Oil giant British Petroleum (BP) Tuesday reported third-quarter profits of 6.4 billion pounds (10 billion dollars) on the back of record oil prices.

Hamburg  - Ferrari's Felipe Massa believes all the pressure is on title rival Lewis Hamilton ahead of the final Formula One race of the season, Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

The McLaren-Mercedes driver Hamilton holds a seven-point lead over Massa following his victory in Shanghai on October 19 and will be crowned the youngest F1 world champion ever at the age of 23 if he finishes in fifth place or higher.

Even if Hamilton finishes outside the points, he will still clinch the drivers' title, if Massa finishes third or lower.

But despite the destination of the championship being out of his hands, the Brazilian feels confident that he could still snatch the title from Hamilton.