Highlights of international news for the week

Digest of international news for week Jan 2- Jan 8, 2010.

Saturday

London: With Yemen emerging as the new hotbed of terrorism, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls an international meeting here later this month on fighting extremism in that country.

Kathmandu: After blaming New Delhi's "naked interference" for the deepening political crisis in the country, Maoists' supremo Prachanda will lead anti-India protests against alleged encroachment of Nepalese territories by its giant neighbour.

Sunday

Melbourne: An Indian youth is stabbed to death by unidentified assailants here, becoming the first victim to succumb to injuries amid a string of racial attacks on the community members in Australia.

Dhaka: Bangladesh's envoy to India seeks immediate steps for upgrading the New Delhi mission's security fearing retaliation by ULFA in the wake of BSF arresting two top militant leaders, who were reportedly earlier detained in his country.

Monday

Washington/New York: The US announces enhanced screening such as body scans and pat-downs for passengers flying in from 14 "terror-linked" nations including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, 10 days after a Nigerian bomber's botched attempt to blow up a packed plane.

Kathmandu: Acting on CBI's request, Nepal police have arrested the son of an influential politician here along with his two Pakistani accomplices and a bodyguard in connection with a fake Indian currency and drugs racket having links to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Tuesday

Dhaka: India and Bangladesh "narrows down" their differences on sharing the water of Teesta river as they agreed to expedite a process soon to sign a treaty on the common river.

Melbourne: Days after a 21-year-old Indian was stabbed to death here, Australian police says that a partially-charred body of another youth from the country was found in New South Wales, amid diplomatic efforts to ease strains in ties over frequent attacks on the community.

Wednesday

Islamabad: A Pakistani anti-terror court rejects an application seeking acquittal of LeT operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others charged with helping plan and execute the Mumbai attacks.

Washington: Noting that there was sufficient information to uncover the December 25 plot, US President Barack Obama says that the intelligence community fails to connect the dots and added that this would not be tolerated.

Thursday

Chicago: Terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana claims in a bail plea that he is an army deserter and will not risk going to Pakistan because he might be arrested and court-martialled there, but failed to get a reprieve from a US court.

Washington: A lawyer for the "third gatecrasher" into

US President Barack Obama's November state dinner says his client was not invited to the White House by either the Indian delegation or the business leaders accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Friday

Kathmandu: A Nepalese student deported from Pune's FTII for alleged "anti-India activities" seeks divorce from her influential politician husband, who has been accused by the woman of "hatching the conspiracy".

Islamabad: Pakistan and India should resolve their bilateral disputes through dialogue and "uncalled for statements" by the Indian Army chief "served no purpose but to vitiate the bilateral atmosphere", Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says.