Washington, Dec 9 : Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch CEOs have given up bonuses amid a climate of bank failures, thousands of layoffs and an economic recession

Morgan Stanley CEO John J. Mack is giving up a bonus for the second straight year, CBS News reported.

Mack said in a memo on Monday to employees that he and the firm’s two presidents, James Gorman and Walid Chammah, informed their board’s compensation committee of their decision to forgo 2008 bonuses, and the committee accepted.

He also said the company is planning to make further changes to year-end compensation for other employees.

Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 9 : The North Western Malaysian state of Kedah has been approached to declare a holiday on the occasion of the Tamil festival of Thaipusam.

The chief Parti Keadilan Rakyat Lunas unit in Kedah, S. Neelamegan, described Thaipusam as an important festival for the Indian community, adding that it was the responsibility of the state government, now led by PAS, to consider the request made via a memorandum.

Melbourne, Dec 9 : Software engineer Rex Jameson literally turned into ''Iron Man'' when he stepped into a robotic soldier, and his strength got multiplied as many as 20 times.

In fact, by using the outfit''s claw-like metal hand extensions, he grips a weight set''s bar at a demonstration and knocks off hundreds of repetitions, and once he even managed to press it 500 times.

"Everyone gets bored much more quickly than I get tired," the Daily telegraph quoted Jameson as saying.

Working for robotics firm Sarcos Inc in Salt Lake City, which is under contract with the US. Army, Jameson is helping assess the 68kg suit''s viability for tomorrow''s soldiers.

London, Dec. 9 : NATO countries are scrambling for alternative routes as far afield as Belarus and Ukraine to supply their forces in Afghanistan, reports the Guardian newspaper.

The step is being taken in the wake of four serious attacks on US and NATO supplies in Pakistan during the past month, including two in the past three days.

New Delhi, Dec 9 : A love-struck man was fined 30 dollars after he was caught trying to sneak into an explosive detection X-ray machine to show his heart to her ladylove.

Zhang's girlfriend was angry as he was constantly looking at beautiful girls on the street as they strolled together after dinner on Nov 25, reports the China Daily.

Scared by her threats to leave him and to make her happy, this migrant worker in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, decided to give his ladylove a look at his heart.

To show his girlfriend that his heart only belonged to her, Zhang attempted to sneak into the scanner situated in a secure area.

Srinagar, Dec 9 : Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has said that the Kashmir issue needs to be solved in a political manner.

In resuming the campaign against elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq said separatist leaders were being put under house arrest.

Mirwaiz was placed under house arrest since November 14 when he was scheduled to lead anti-election rally at Bandipora town in Kashmir.