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A top UN official has welcomed the release of two hostages in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world body said Saturday in a statement.

The two Congolese men, who were kidnapped while working in the eastern province of South Kivu on the UN-supported Amani disarmament program, were released Friday in good health, it said.

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the DRC, Alan Doss appreciated the efforts of “all those who patiently and with great restraint participated or supported the negotiations leading to the release of these figures,” the statement noted.

Doss, who is also head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUC), paid tribute to the military and civilian personnel of MONUC for “great coolness and professionalism that have characterized their behavior throughout this difficult period,” said the statement.

The special representative highlighted “the firmness with which the international community unequivocally condemns hostage-taking which can in no way be considered an expression of political views or legitimate claims.”

The two men, Georges Shanyungu and Clestin Bamwisho, were kidnapped last month on their way to the eastern city of Uvira along with a team of Congolese contributors to the UN Amani program.

Israeli company Seambiotic and NASA’s John Glenn Research Center will join hands in studying micro-algae cultivation to produce bio-fuel, a local daily reported Tuesday.

The two sides will join hands in the production of micro-algae, which can be used as a feedstock for bio-fuel, in an effort to reduce the use of fossil fuel, said the Jerusalem Post.

Seambiotic USA, a subsidiary of the Israeli company, entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA in late March to combine the agency’s expertise in computing models with the Israelis’ knowledge of a cost-effective method for micro-algae cultivation, said the report, citing Noam Menczel, director of investor relations and business development at Seambiotic.

“This is a major achievement,” Menczel said Monday, adding that “Not many companies are recognized by NASA as a technology leader.”

Ashkelon-based Seambiotic, founded in 2003, was the first company to use flue gas from coal-burning power stations as a source for carbon dioxide to cultivate micro-algae. The nearby Israel Electric Corporation in Ashkelon serves as the source for carbon dioxide and water, which the company uses to cool its turbine.

Seambiotic uses these waste products as raw materials to cultivate the micro-algae, making it the cheapest method to harvest the organism. The research was previously conducted on a pilot level, but is now transiting to a large, industrial size.

“The whole idea is to make the process cheap,” Menczel said. “NASA will develop theoretical models and we will adapt them in the field (in Ashkelon) and make it workable.”

Other methods for creating bio-fuel use corn and sugar as the main substances, which are agricultural products that compete at food prices. However, algae does not face the same price fluctuations, making it a more cost-efficient choice.

As a result of the combined technology from the two groups, a more efficient way for the production of bio-fuel and food additives through micro-algae could be found, Menczel said.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the governmental agency’s ten field centers, focused on conducting basic-level research.

TV starParis Hilton has opened the doors to her pampered pets’ new £216,600 dog house.

The heiress shows off the lavish new custom-built kennel, which has been built on the grounds of Hilton’s Beverly Hills home, in the pages of the latest issue of Life & Style magazine.

Her six pet pooches share the dog mansion, which is wired for electricity and features a wrought iron mini-staircase and crystal chandeliers hanging in the air conditioned bedroom and lounge areas.

Hilton says, “I wanted it to be fun, cute, comfortable and beautiful. My friends just love it and think it’s so adorable and cool.”

Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan’s new brief as “muse” of Ungaro is to give the Paris fashion house a cooler look and be a “travelling ad” for the brand, the head of the luxury firm said Wednesday.

Speaking to AFP, Mounir Moufarrige, president of Emanuel Ungaro, said that when “reaching out for the consumer, it is celebrities who attract a huge degree of attention.”

He met five celebs including Madonna and Paris Hilton before opting for Lohan, a 23-year-old paparazzi favourite who was last week appointed artistic advisor to the label’s new chief designer Estrella Archs.

The House of Ungaro style will remain but Lohan hopefully will bring “something younger, more cool, with a different attitude,” Moufarrige said.

“She knows clothes,” he said. “She will be a travelling advertisement.”

The Lohan/Archs duo are collaborating on Ungaro’s spring/summer 2010 collection to be unveiled at Paris Fashion Week next month.

Moufarrige said sales had remained unchanged during the three seasons when collections were designed by British-Colombian stylist Esteban Cortazar.

“You can’t wait for four or five years during a recession when structural costs are high,” he said.

Lohan was once regarded as one of Hollywood’s brightest young talents, but her career hit the skids in 2007 after she was convicted for drunk driving and taking cocaine.

Since then she has appeared in a series of commercial flops and become famous mostly for partying.

For the briefest moment, it looked as though Justin Leonard only had to pick up his coin for the Americans to win the final match Thursday and take another big lead on opening day at the Presidents Cup.

First, there was some confusion over whether to concede his 3-foot putt.

Then came a shocking miss from Leonard.

The United States still wound up with a 3 1/2-2 1/2 lead at Harding Park, even if the International team claimed a partial victory.

“At the end, we were pretty fortunate to have 2 1/2 points,” Ernie Els said. “That’s one of the better starts we’ve had, believe it or not, for the last three Cups or so. So we are not too despondent about today.”

After Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker dominated early, and Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim came to life late in their foursomes match, a bizarre finish in the final match made it unclear who actually had the momentum going into Friday.

“We wanted to get out of the day with pretty close to a push, and I’m very, very happy,” International captain Greg Norman said.

Leonard and Jim Furyk had a 1-up lead playing the par-5 18th hole, and Leonard hit a splendid fairway metal to the green that left the Americans on the verge of another full point, especially after Furyk lagged the eagle putt to 3 feet. Retief Goosen hit his approach right of the green, Y.E. Yang chipped to 4 feet and Goosen made the birdie putt.

Then, the Goose forgot the score.

He removed his cap and looked at Furyk as if to ask why Leonard should putt, believing the match was all square. Once he realized what was at stake, Leonard settled over the putt and was stunned when it caught the right lip.

Leonard made no excuses.

“I just hit a bad putt,” he said. “I knew I was going to need to make that little putt. Unfortunately, I missed it.”

U.S. captain Fred Couples said Goosen later spoke to him and Leonard and apologized for any misunderstanding.

“He didn’t mean anything by it, and Justin didn’t have a problem,” Couples said. “No one has a problem with it. Did we think we were going to be up 4-2? Yes, we really did. But it won’t be the last putt every missed at the Presidents Cup, and it won’t be the last time a reversal was done. So we’ll just come out tomorrow and try to get 3 1/2 more points against this team.”

It looked simple enough on a cool, cloudy day on this public course south of San Francisco.

Woods and Stricker played bogey-free in the difficult alternate-shot format, teaming up for six birdies in a 6-and-4 victory over Geoff Ogilvy and 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa.

Mickelson and Kim, who sputtered around for 12 holes, closed with four straight birdies for a 3-and-2 victory over Tim Clark and Mike Weir, the only partnership that failed to produce a birdie at Harding Park.

The momentum switched to American red on the scoreboard late, and the final push figured to come from Leonard and Furyk, who made a furious rally in the middle of the match by winning four straight holes to take the lead. They were 2 up with two to play.

Goosen holed a birdie putt on the 17th to send the match to the par-5 18th, setting up the odd conclusion.

“I was a little confused by the whole thing, to tell you the truth,” Stricker said. “It looked like he was going to give him the putt. Obviously, he didn’t. We talked to Jim Furyk, and nothing was ever conceded. But from everybody standing there on the side, it kind of looked like he was going to give it to him.”

Norman said there was no gamesmanship on Goosen’s part.

“He thought the match was over,” Norman said. “He didn’t concede the putt. He just thought the match was over. It was a legitimate mistake, and no intent or malice. It was just the intensity of the game.”

Next up are six more matches Friday, this time fourballs.

Two years ago at Royal Montreal, the International team failed to win a match in the opening session and fell five points behind. This is one time a tie — the halve in the final match — felt far better. It goes into the second round with a fighting chance.

Both teams and captains were around for the finish, and Norman couldn’t help but notice how Leonard went from hitting a clutch shot from the middle of the fairway to missing a short putt for the victory.

“It’s a cruel game,” Norman said.

In the seven previous Presidents Cup, only once has a team trailing after the first session gone on to win — the U.S. team in 2005. The Americans also trailed by one point in 2003 in South Africa, where the cup ended in a tie.

Ishikawa had said he and Ogilvy would be facing the Americans’ best team, and he was right. Woods and Stricker proved to be a tough combination of Woods’ pure iron shots and Stricker’s sure putting.

Woods got them going with an 18-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, while Stricker closed out a flawless front nine with a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-3 ninth.

Weir and Clark, despite not making a birdie, still had a 1-up lead through 12 holes. The Americans squared the match on the 13th, when Kim hit a wedge to 3 feet. On the next hole, Mickelson made an 18-foot birdie, and they were on their way.

“We needed something to ignite us and that wedge shot did the trick,” Mickelson said.

The International picked up some hope from the final match ending in a halve, and a load of confidence from Adam Scott. He was a surprise captain’s pick coming off his worst year on tour, yet Scott was solid with Els against mistake-prone Hunter Mahan and Sean O’Hair for a 2-and-1 victory.

“Any victory is important, but personally for me, it feels great,” Scott said. “But more importantly, we need it for the team.”

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Tuesday announced that his country planned to hand over many districts in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan to the Afghans by next year.

Talking to reporters in London, he said both military and political affairs in these districts will be given in the hands of Afghan officials.

Brown said the American forces will also follow suit in areas under their control.

Britain has some 9,000 troops in the poppy-growing Helmand province known as hotbed of Taliban militants in south Afghanistan. British forces carried out large-scale operation, Panther’s Claw, in the province earlier this year.

However, security situation in the province has remained fragile despite the operation. Seven British soldiers were killed in the province last week, including five gunned down by an Afghan policeman.

The remarks of British Prime Minister came in the wake of calls by Western leaders and military commanders for enhancing the capacity of Afghan National Army (ANA) to enable them to lead actions against Taliban insurgents.

The United States and NATO are already in the process of reviewing their strategy in war-torn country, contemplating military, political, and administrative steps to stem the tide of burgeoning insurgency in Afghanistan.

International coalition is implementing a strategy under which 134,000 Afghan armed forces are to be trained and prepared for shouldering security responsibility by the end of next year.

The British Prime Minister strongly defended his country’s mission in Afghanistan and categorically opposed withdrawal of British forces from Afghanistan, saying that if international forces were withdrawn from Afghanistan, Taliban would regain control over the country.

He said such an eventuality would affect security inside Britain.

Two thirds of terrorist attacks, Brown said, are planned in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He added that the international forces had eliminated half of the top al-Qaida leaders in these areas.

Last month, the British government announced to send additional500 troops to the militancy-plagued country.

Delivering a lecture at the Royal College of Defense Studies in London last week, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain must not “walk away” from Afghanistan despite the number of British troops killed in the conflict rising to 230 since the mission began in 2001.

He said: “When the main terrorist threat facing Britain emanates from Afghanistan and Pakistan; and when (al Qaida) continues to train and plot attacks on Britain from the region, we can not, must not and will not walk away.”

Despite the losses, Brown said, British troops must continue to train the Afghan army because “it is what distinguishes a liberating army from an army of occupation.”

“We will not be deterred, dissuaded or diverted from taking whatever measures are necessary to protect our security,” Brown said.

The British Prime Minister is, for quite some time, under pressure from opposition parties to explain more clearly why Britain’s continued presence in Afghanistan is justified.

Public support has eroded in all countries trying to stabilize Afghanistan.

A BBC survey found drastic decline in public support for Britain’s Afghan mission. Last week, a Channel 4 News poll found that 73 percent of those wanted British troops to come home - up from 62 percent two weeks ago.

Public calls for a pullout of troops further intensified since the Afghan policeman shot dead five British soldiers.

Britain is the largest contributor to NATO forces in Afghanistan after the United States, and its continued presence here is vital to Obama’s strategy.

Brown also urged other members of the international mission in Afghanistan not to give up.

“We entered together eight years ago. We must persist together, in our different ways we must all contribute. In the end, we will succeed or fail together, and we will succeed.”

On Kris Allen’s self-titled debut album, the “American Idol” presents a collection of pop-rock tunes that are cool and simple — a reflection of what we saw from the married 24-year-old on the eighth season of “Idol.”

Allen, known for his boy-next-door charm, co-wrote nine of the 13 tracks and collaborated with Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Carrie Underwood), Toby Gad (Milli Vanilli, Jordin Sparks) and Irish rockers The Script, among others.

While the CD is a somewhat enjoyable one, it is also average — much like Allen himself.

Songs like the heartfelt “Bring It Back” and the soaring “The Truth” could make Allen sound extraordinary — too bad he doesn’t have enough of them.

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: “Bring It Back” is exceptionally slow and smooth — a reflection of Allen at his best.

According to accumulating research, the beloved family dog is really a toddler with a snout and tail.

“Dogs basically have the developmental abilities equivalent to a human 2-year-old,” said dog expert Stanley Coren, who was scheduled to present recent canine research developments at the American Psychological Association annual meeting this week in Toronto.

The average dog can learn 165 words, although “super dog” Rico, a border collie, could understand 200 spoken words. Experts think some dogs can learn up to 250 words.

Dogs can count up to four or five and can correct you if you can’t add one plus one.

One dog apparently learned to “read.” Coren recounted the case of the canine who was able to “deliver” mail addressed to two girls, one with a short name and one with a long name. Although the owner thought the dog was actually reading, it turns out the canine was gauging the length of the name, not the individual characters, enabling him to deliver the mail to the right person.

Different breeds of dog differ in their intelligence, with border collies topping the list for working (instinctive) and obedience intelligence. The next six smartest are poodles, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Dobermans, Shetland sheepdogs and Labrador retrievers. (The third type of dog smarts is adaptive or problem-solving ability.)

“There are two extreme viewpoints when we talk about dogs,” said Coren, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and author of numerous books on dogs including How to Speak Dog and How Dogs Think. “Some tend to think of dogs as if they are little human beings with fur coats. The other extreme is to think of dogs as if they’re unthinking but programmable robots. My little beagle would then be a beagle-shaped bag, a biological equivalent of transistors and gears. The truth of the matter is somewhere in between.”

More and more, scientists are realizing that dogs can think and solve problems in ways previously thought to belong only to humans and higher primates.

Indeed, one recent study also found that dogs were like 24-month-old children, at least when it comes to figuring out where humans have hidden a treat.

Like 2-year-olds, dogs can experience fear, anger, happiness and disgust (perhaps at a human’s sub-par math skills), but not guilt. Humans don’t feel guilt until about age 4, Coren said.

That doesn’t mean they can’t make humans feel guilty. That desolate look when a dog’s human leaves the house is probably legitimate. “Dogs are pack animals,” Coren explained.

Dogs apparently can ponder the meaning of “dog,” in a way. According to Coren, they do have a consciousness of self, though not as complex as that of humans.

They also recognize differences among beings and are cognizant of others’ variable viewpoints and talents.

And they dream, as demonstrated through movements they make while they’re asleep.

Dogs can figure out how to get to the couch before you do and how to operate a latch or other simple mechanism.

They can also deceive other dogs.

Not to mention people.

Coren has both a beagle (ranked seventh from the bottom in obedience intelligence) and a cat. The cat is fed on the counter so the beagle can’t interfere with feline meal-time.

One time, though, the beagle started scrabbling around, digging at the kitchen floor. “I was quite confused,” Coren recalls. “He looked around and continued again, then he looked up at me. I finally got down on my hands and knees and he immediately jumped onto my back and onto the counter. He decided his psychologist father could be used as a ladder.”

“This presentation asks and answers some very deep questions about if, and then how, dogs might think,” said Bonnie Beaver, a professor in the department of small animal clinical sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University. “[But] there is always the possibility that generalizations do not quite fit the data or that the original data may have been weak. Serious students of dogs are advised to go back to original studies, lovers of dogs should view this with interest and leave a little room for doubts.”

There’s no trick to keeping children and the rest of the family safe on Halloween. Some simple precautions will ensure that the night is a treat for everyone.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following safety tips:

Choose costumes that are bright and reflective and short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame. Add reflective tape or striping to costumes and treat bags to make children more visible.

Remember that masks can hinder or block eyesight. Non-toxic makeup and decorative hats are safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over children’s eyes.

Buy only costumes, wigs and accessories with a label clearly indicating they are flame-resistant.

If a sword, cane or stick is part of a child’s costume, make sure it’s not sharp or too long.

Provide children and escorts with flashlights with fresh batteries.

Teach children how to call 911 or their local emergency number.

Have a parent or responsible adult accompany young children when they’re trick-or-treating.

If your older children are trick-or-treating alone, review their route and agree on a specific time when they’ll return home.

Trick-or-treat only at homes with a porch light on. Never enter a home or car for a treat.

Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If there’s no sidewalk, walk at the far edge of the road facing traffic. Never cut across yards or use alleys. Only cross streets at recognized crosswalks. Never cross between parked cars. Never assume the right of way — it can be difficult for motorists to see trick-or-treaters.

When your children return home, sort and check their treats. Throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.

Allow children to draw faces on pumpkins, but parents should do the carving.

Never leave candle-lit pumpkins unattended. Place them on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects. Votive candles are safest for candle-lit pumpkins.

Homeowners, remove tripping hazards from the front yard and porch, such as toys, bikes, lawn decorations and garden hoses. Sweep wet leaves from sidewalks and steps, make sure outdoor lights are working, and keep pets under control.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for collective responsibility and closer collaboration between the United Nations and member states to protect the organization’s staff, who, along with humanitarian workers, are facing increasingly serious threats to their safety in many parts of the world.

“I’m gravely concerned by the wide scale of threats, the rise in deliberate targeting of humanitarian and UN personnel and their vulnerability worldwide,” Ban stated in a new report, which covers the period from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.

“The security of humanitarian and United Nations personnel continues to deteriorate,” he added, noting that over the course of the past year, they were “the targets of deliberate attacks by extremists, armed groups and disgruntled sections of populations in all areas of humanitarian and United Nations operations.”

The period under review saw 490 attacks against UN offices, convoys and premises, with a 38 percent increase in deaths of UN staff — or 26 deaths compared to 16 in the previous year. The majority of those casualties, 22 of the 26, were locally-recruited humanitarian and UN personnel.

It was also the worst period in recorded history for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which lost 63 workers to malicious acts.

Most of the security incidents directed against UN staff occurred in Africa. However, the secretary-general noted, “while threats by extremists existed in the past in a few locations, the threats have expanded indiscriminately to all locations.”

The attack against UN offices in Algiers on December 11, 2007, in which 17 UN staff members were killed, provides “stark evidence of this disturbing trend,” he said.

Among the main factors behind the growth in such incidents are expanded and sustained UN operations, particularly in conflict or post-conflict areas; rising criminality; the spread of terrorist acts; sharp increases in food and fuel prices leading to violent protests; rising public expectations and local misconceptions about UN operations or presence; and the climate of impunity for violent acts against UN and humanitarian personnel.

Ban pointed out that the primary responsibility for the security and protection of the world body’s staff rests with the host governments, which are the “first line of defense in the protection of humanitarian and UN personnel.”

The Algiers attack “is another telling reminder, not only of the changing nature and scale of threats, but also of the urgent need for closer cooperation between the United Nations and the host Governments on security matters,” he added.

The secretary-general called on all member states to address three issues: unlawful arrest, detention and harassments of UN staff, obstruction of freedom of movement of UN and humanitarian workers, and impunity for crimes committed against humanitarian and UN personnel.