Vienna - The search for a successor to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Mohamed ElBaradei officially entered its second round Wednesday as the nuclear watchdog confirmed its list of five candidates. The Japanese and South African candidates, Yukiya Amano and Abdul Samad Minty, re-entered the race after a deadlock in a first round of voting.

The three new candidates are the nuclear industry executive Jean-Pol Poncelet from Belgium, the Slovenian constitutional judge Ernest Petric, and Luis Echavarri of Spain, who heads the nuclear branch of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Jakarta - Indonesia imposed an import ban on pork, in addition to increasing surveillance at all entry points for travelers with flu-like symptoms, to prevent the spread of swine flu, a cabinet minister said Monday. "The import of pork will be temporarily halted until a further progress concerning the swine flu, or until the condition was safe," said Aburizal Bakrie, the coordinating minister for people's welfare.

Vancouver - A court in Canada has reserved judgement in the case of female ski jumpers who are suing to to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics . After five days of hearings, British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon said Friday the issues behind the case were "very complex" and that she needed time to consider all the arguments.

Fifteen female ski jumpers took the Vancouver Organizing Committee to court for the right to compete at the Vancouver Games.

Vancouver - A court in Canada has reserved judgement in the case of female ski jumpers who are suing to to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics. After five days of hearings, British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon said Friday the issues behind the case were "very complex" and that she needed time to consider all the arguments.

Fifteen female ski jumpers took the Vancouver Organizing Committee to court for the right to compete at the Vancouver Games.

Washington, April 23  A newly discovered fossilized skeleton of a carnivorous animal, has helped scientists pinpoint the origin of flippers — limb adaptations for swimming in water, in seals, sea lions, and the walrus.

Researchers from the United States and Canada found the fossilized skeleton of a newly discovered carnivorous animal, Puijila darwini.

The animal is described as having a long tail, and fore-limbs comparatively proportionate to modern carnivorous land animals as opposed to pinnipeds. It is the first mammalian carnivore found at the site.

Kingston - An armed man has taken some 150 people aboard a plane on the Caribbean island of Jamaica hostage, media reports said Monday.

The hostage-taking is believed to be taking place on an aircraft that had been scheduled to fly from the Sangster International airport in Montego Bay, to Halifax in Canada, the news channel CNN reported.

According to the online edition of local newspaper The Gleaner, at 11pm on Sunday (0400 GMT Monday) the gunman boarded the plane using false identification documents, proceeded to rob passengers on the aircraft, and is currently holding them hostage.