World News

WITHIN HOURS, the official death toll from a massive earthquake that shook China on Monday afternoon shot up from four to 107 to 'several thousands'. At the time of going to press, more than 9,000 people were feared dead in the earthquake - the worst in China in over three decades.

Pakistan's fragile ruling coalition came apart on Monday, with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party pulling out over Asif Ali Zardari's refusal to reinstate judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf.

DESPERATE TO lead the government, Nepal's Maoist leader on Sunday started consultation with Terai-based political parties. With the aim to form a larger ruling coalition, the Maoist leadership offered the three Madhesi parties to join the new government. The Maoists are trying to unite all the pro-republic political parties.

The chances of Pakistan's largest coalition partners, the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) parting ways grew more pronounced on Sunday, as talks between their senior leaders failed to reach any consensus on the thorny issue of whether the judges who had been removed by President Pervez Musharraf should be reinstated or not.

The fate of the newly-formed Pakistani government hung in the balance as PPP leader Asif Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and their aides held several rounds of negotiations on the contentious judges' restoration issue.

Nepal's ruling Seven Party Alliance (SPA) on Friday decided to convene the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly before May 28. In a meeting held at Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's official residence at Baluwatar, leaders of the SPA resolved to convene the first meeting soon.

Britain's national carrier British Airways has stopped serving beef to its economy class passengers, citing 'religious considerations'. But critics suspect that pressure to cut costs is the main reason for the move. BA has denied the charge.

THE WEST Midlands spokesperson refused to reveal the identity of the 24-year-old man arrested on Wednesday in connection with the murder of 23-year-old post-graduate student Jyotirmayee Nagasaibabu.

CPI (M) POLITBURO member Sitaram Yechury on Friday said that the Maoist, which has emerged as the largest party in the Constituent Assembly elections, will move ahead to form the new government by joining hands with other democratic parties.

In kung fu dominated society, yoga is emerging as a powerful tool for parents to groom their children. Four-year-old Chinese Yammie Lau has just learnt to say namaste with a deep breath.

AS THE Maoists struggle to form a government in Nepal, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Monday urged all political parties to explore ways to give shape to a new coalition.

The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) on Sunday offered conditional support to the new government being formed by the Maoists. Upendra Yadav, the coordinator of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum demanded that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala should immediately step down and amend the interim constitution for the formation of the new government.

Oil ministers of India and Pakistan announced on Friday that they had resolved several outstanding issues on the $7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project and predicted it would start supplying natural gas by 2012. Construction work on the project will begin next year, they said.

WITH hardly 100 days left before the Olympic games open in Beijing, some Indian professionals posted in China – India's largest trade partner – face the prospect of packing up at short notice as visa rules are more strictly enforced. China denies there is a problem issuing visas.

Former Afghanistan foreign minister Dr Abdullah Abdullah has decried any move by the government to legislate a law to ban men's jeans, long hair, makeup, and couples talking in public.

After suffering a humiliating defeat in the Constituent Assembly poll, leaders of the Nepali Congress are now divided over joining the new government to be headed by Maoists. Central working committee member Shekhar Koirala, confirmed the party was divided on the issue, but said a decision would be taken soon.

India must be a part of a 'global new deal', British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in an address to the Labour Friends of India Tuesday. 'We need a global New Deal between rich and poor countries that can release millions of people from poverty, ensure every child goes to school and eradicate preventable and avoidable diseases from the world.

'More Indian content please but not all of it.' While urging India to send more programming content, Afghanistan's Information and Culture Ministry has sought to impose a ban on some of the immensely popular Indian serials because they are deemed culturally inappropriate.

Thousands of workers � most of them of Indian origin � who came to Britain under the Highly Skilled Migrant Professionals (HSMP) scheme but had to leave when stay was not extended under new rules introduced by the Home Office are planning to sue the government.