Beijing - China's authorities on Wednesday issued licences for third-generation (3G) mobile phone services to three operators.

The three operators, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, now granted access to the world's largest mobile phone market with 600 billion users will all pursue individual technologies, the official Xinhua news agency said.

London, Jan 7 : A bronze sculpture of a young ballet dancer created by renowned French artist Degas is set to go under the hammer, and is expected to fetch up to 12 million pounds.

The Little Dancer (Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans) has been put on sale by Sir John Madejski, the millionaire chairman of Reading football club.

The bronze figure, originally made from wax circa 1879-81, will be auctioned at Sotheby''s in London on February 3.

The wax figure was found in the artist''s studio after his death in 1917 and cast in bronze in 1922.

Sotheby''s Melanie Clore said that work is expected to fetch between 9 million pounds and 12 million pounds.

London, Jan 7 : Katie Price a. k. a Jordan has been booted off the social networking site Facebook for violating the terms of use.

London, Jan 7 : Lloyds TSB, the leading financial institution, has topped the league table of the UK's most gay-friendly employers in a new survey.

The police services, banking and management consultant firms have outshined the public sector, media and education at the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index 2009.

Goldman Sachs, the global bank holding company landed at the 11th place.

Sydney - A young woman in Papua New Guinea was stripped and lashed to a pole before being burned alive, news reports from Port Moresby said Wednesday.

Washington, January 7 : It seems that Playboy pin-up Carmen Electra was very interested in strip shows even during her school days, for she once persuaded a couple of girls to bare all for a photo