GlaxoSmithKline P. L. C.'s drug Avandia is facing flak for causing more than one dozen cases of liver failure and death in patients taking the drug according to a consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.

A study by Swedish researchers has found that the extra hour of sleep that the daylight savings time gives could prevent some people from having a heart attack. The research based on heart attacks in Sweden found that lack of sufficient sleep could adversely affect cardiovascular health and may even result in an increased likelihood of having a heart attack.

Hong Kong - A 16-year-old Hong Kong schoolgirl unhappy about her appearance forged documents to get a bank loan to pay for plastic surgery, a news report said Tuesday.

Chan Yee-yee paid an older friend to supply her with payrolls advice slips so she could apply for the 20,000-Hong-Kong-dollar loan (2,580 US dollars) and pay for the surgery, a court heard Monday.

New York - A painting by Russian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich was sold at a New York auction for a record 60 million dollars despite concerns that the global financial crisis might dampen buyer interest, Sotheby's auction house said Monday night.

According to Sotheby's it was not only the highest price ever fetched for a Malevich, but also the highest sum ever paid in an auction for a Russian art work.

However, the abstract painting Sumprematist Composition, painted by the Russian artist in 1916 had been estimated at a minimum of 60 million dollars.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks ended morning trading higher Tuesday as investor confidence was regained on a series of economic stimulus packages and the Asian stock market's advance the previous day.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 320.89 points, or 3.74 per cent, to 8,897.87. The index had lost 5 per cent Friday. The Tokyo market was closed Monday for a national holiday.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues gained 28.83 points, or 3.19 per cent, to 895.95.