Washington, Nov 7: The victory of Barack Obama has confused the Islamic jihadists’ world, as they are yet to decide how to react to it. Many of them never expected a black to win the poll, reported the New York Daily News.

The first major statement aimed at Obama came yesterday from a nationalist insurgent group in Iraq, who extended a “barbed” olive branch to Obama, who during his election campaign had promised to withdraw US troops from Iraq after assuming the White House.

But, other terrorists were seen divided. “Now is the time for a truce,” an Iraqi jihadi in an Al Qaeda-linked chatroom said.

Washington, Nov 7 : A 6,000 km trip is expected to reveal clues about the migration route of the ancestors of ancient Polynesians and their animals.

The trip, called “Lapita-Voyage”, will be crewed by two Polynesians, two scientists, a cameraman and the initiators James Wharram, Hanneke Boon and Klaus Hympendahl, author and organiser of the project.

The voyage, which would be undertaken by Drs Keith Dobney and Greger Larson, both from the Department of Archaeology, Durham University, will be the first ever expedition to sail in two traditional Polynesian boats, attempting to re-trace the genuine migration route of the ancient Austronesians.

Moscow - The United States has proffered new plans for a missile defence system to Russia in the hopes of mollifying Russia's objections to the program and salvaging nuclear control accords between the two nations, Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday.

Ministry spokesman Igor Lyakin-Frolov said Russia is studying the proposal. It will be discussed when the US and Russian defence and foreign ministers meet for their next round of two-plus-two format talks. No date has been scheduled yet for those talks.

Washington's overture comes after Russia has threatened reactions should the United States set up parts of components of the missile defence system in eastern Europe.

Washington, November 7 : A review of recent studies on social animals like birds and bees suggests that social interactions can alter gene expression in the brain to influence behaviour.

University of Illinois entomology and neuroscience professor Gene Robinson, lead author of a review on the subject this week in the journal Science, says that a critical insight came from a study of songbirds led by David Clayton in 1992, which showed that expression of a specific gene increases in the forebrain of a zebra finch or canary just after it hears a new song from a male of the same species.

The gene, egr1, codes for a protein that itself regulates the expression of other genes, the reviewer points out.

Washington, Nov 7: People around the world rejoiced Barack Obama’s victory on Tuesday, even as workers at a pan-Arab news channel went around the newsroom congratulating each other as if Obama were their president-elect, and Kenya, the birthplace of Obama’s father declared Thursday as a holiday.

According to a Fox News report, Obama''s election set off international celebrations and ignited fervor for the US that has been unseen since the 9/11 attacks. To some observers, the international reaction has elevated America''s president-elect to an unparalleled post: President of the world, added the report.

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US president-elect Barack Obama agreed in a telephone call to work together to help solve global challenges, a Berlin government spokesman said Friday.

The stabilization of Afghanistan, the global financial crisis, climate change and Iran's controversial nuclear programme require closer cooperation, the spokesman said in a statement following Thursday evening's telephone call.

Merkel also congratulated Obama on his "historic" election victory, the statement said.