Melbourne, Nov 4 : Career-oriented women, who drink to keep up with their male colleagues, are battling with alcohol-related problems, according to a new survey.

The study led by University of Western Sydney involved 120 career women between 35-55 years found a dramatic difference in the "alcohol life cycle" of women and men.

Lead researcher Janice Withnall called it a ‘supermum syndrome’ where many were drinking in private, denied to reveal the extent of their drinking and were reluctant to seek help habits.

Munich - German luxury carmaker BMW said Tuesday that it was lowering its profits forecast for 2009, following disappointing third-quarter results.

Profits plunged 62.9 per cent to 298 million euros (375 million dollars) compared to the same quarter of 2007, the company said in a statement released in Munich.

Turnover was down 8.6 per cent to 12.59 billion euros as global sales dropped 4.2 per cent to 349,098 vehicles, the company said.

The announcement of the closure of

Islamabad - A suicide car bomber attacked a security checkpoint in north-western Pakistan on Tuesday, killing one soldier and wounding seven others, officials said.

The bomber ploughed his explosive-laden car into a security wall around the post, located in Doaba town in the restive Hangu district.

The blast injured eight security personnel, one of whom later died in the hospital, the military said in a statement.

Washington - Election day finally arrived Tuesday for the record throngs of US voters planning to cast their presidential ballots for either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain.

Obama held a significant lead in opinion polls as state officials braced for an unprecedented turnout and massive lines at polling places in an election widely considered the most important in a generation.

Baghdad - Unknown gunmen killed a policeman on Tuesday and injured another two in eastern Baghdad, a security source said.