In a very peaceful settlement between the star singer Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie, the custody of the children was given to Madonna.

The Pop Diva's Daughter Lourdes (12) from a previous relationship with a fitness trainer, the couple's eight year old biological son Rocco and their adopted son David will stay with their mother but Ritchie will have 'Broad Access' to  his children Rocco and David.

Washington - Insurance giant American International Group Inc, bailed out of a cash-flow crisis last month by a loan that temporarily made the US government its majority shareholder, said Monday that it would stop lobbying in Washington.

A spokesman said that the company's Washington office would continue to monitor federal lawmaking to assess impacts on AIG, but that routine work to influence congressional legislation would stop.

In addition, the company has cancelled more than 150 posh corporate events, saving an estimated 80 million dollars. AIG management came under fierce criticism from lawmakers after the revelation that executives spend 440,000 dollars on a retreat at a luxury spa, just days after the federal loan that kept the company afloat.

Washington, October 21: Johns Hopkins scientists have found that sugar plays a significant role in how cells work, paving the way for new therapies for a number of diseases like diabetes, neurodegeneration, and cancer.

The researchers say that sugar may be as influential as phosphate in putting the proteins in cells on and off.

The conventional wisdom was that the job of turning proteins on and off fell to phosphates, which did so by fastening to and unfastening from proteins, a process called phosphorylation.

The latest research paper by the Johns Hopkins team suggests that sugar also plays a role in regulating phosphorylation itself.

Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday welcomed US efforts to stabilize the global financial markets and conveyed his intention to play a leading role as Group of Eight chair in the upcoming financial crisis meeting in the US, the top Japanese government spokesman said.

The saying 'Old Is Gold” still holds ground even today, as one saw the launch of an album in which veteran singers Asha Bhonsle and Ghulam Ali came together.

The album promises 12 melodious power packed songs. The music for the album 'Generation’ has been given by Ghulam Ali and Son Aamir Ali.

Going down memory lane the accomplished gazal singer said "Earlier we had done the record in '84 and until now people look for it, good things never die”.

La Paz - The government and opposition agreed to hold a nationwide referendum Sunday on the new draft constitution proposed by the president, after he agreed to term limits, a senior official said.

Rural Development Minister Carlos Romero said on Monday the agreement moves up the next general election by one year, to January 2009, which President Evo Morales would contest for his second and final term.