Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Oct. 29 : Visiting the world famous Khajuraho temples in Madhya Pradesh is a charm not many people around the world can avoid.

One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture.

But over the years, a number of unlicensed and rogue tourist guides, locally referred as ‘Lapkas’ in Khajuraho, have affected the temples’ fascination among tourists.

These individuals are today looked upon as a major nuisance and have become a reason of tourists’ disappointment here.

Moscow - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said his personal savings were safe in the bank and held himself up as the example to follow in an interview published Wednesday to sooth growing distrust among his countrymen.

"I have kept all of my bank accounts. I did not withdraw any money and I did not transfer my rubles to dollars," Medvedev answered a reader's question in the Russian daily Argumenty i Fakty.

"I am sure that my savings, just like the savings of all other Russians, are not under threat," he added.

In January election campaign disclosures, Medvedev, the former chairman of Russia's largest firm, energy giant Gazprom, had 2.74 million rubles (100,000 dollars) deposited in eight bank accounts.

Male, Oct 29 : Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Asia''s longest serving leader and a campaigner against rising sea levels on Wednesday lost power to a former political prisoner Mohammed Nasheed in the first-ever democratic presidential polls in the island nation.

President Gayoom, 71, won the first round this month, but failed to secure the 50 per cent needed for outright victory

Nasheed of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had won 54.25 per cent of the votes cast in on Tuesday''s presidential run-off as against 45.75 per cent by Gayoom, election officials said.

Warsaw - Poland marked the end of its mission in Iraq with a ceremony on Wednesday to welcome the last returning contingent of soldiers in the northwestern city of Szczecin.

Some 100 Polish soldiers landed Tuesday morning at a nearby airport, marking the end of the country's five-year mission.

"There is no good war," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at the ceremony. "War always brings evil, blood, suffering and casualties, but the sacrifices of a soldier for his country has the deepest meaning."

Tusk said the mission served Poland's defence, and that the soldiers left Iraq safer than it was five years ago. Tusk had promised a quick withdrawal during his election campaign.

Lucknow, Oct 29 : In the wake of killing of a youth hailing from Uttar Pradesh in Mumbai, State Chief Minister Mayawati has asked the Centre and Maharashtra Government to take immediate action to stop attacks on north Indians.

"The Centre and Maharashtra government should initiate immediate measures to check attack on north Indians in Maharashtra," Mayawati said in a letter shot off to the union government and Maharashtra chief minister.

Mayawati said that both the Centre and the Maharashtra government have failed to check such "unconstitutional acts".

Hamburg - Felipe Massa has finally stepped out of the shadows at Ferrari and goes into Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix in his native city with the chance of claiming the Formula One drivers' championship.

Born in Sao Paulo on April 25, 1981, Massa has managed 10 wins, 26 podium placings and 14 pole positions in an F1 career spanning six years and 105 races. He married Anna Rafaela Bassi on November 30, 2007.

Massa's driving career began with karting at the age of eight before moving up the ranks and signing for the Sauber F1 team in 2002, partnering Nick Heidfeld.