Berlin  - Germany plans to contest an Italian court ruling in order to head off new claims for damages arising from Nazi atrocities during World War II, officials said Saturday.

"The government intends to obtain a clarification on the issue from the International Court of Justice," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said in Berlin.

London - Furious at a furniture store for failing to deliver a bed ordered in July, a mother took her three-year-old daughter and made herself at home in the store itself, taking over a bedroom suite.

The 30-year-old hung up clothes in a wardrobe, then snuggled down with her daughter in a nearby bed and read her a story. It took half an hour for the store manager to react, it was reported Saturday.

"I just wanted to see what my daughter's things looked like hung up in a wardrobe and what it feels like to sleep in a bed again," said the mother. The store's failure to deliver had meant she had to sleep on the floor at home.

Dhaka - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Dhaka Saturday to discuss topics including politics, the economy and social affairs ahead of Bangladesh's December general elections.

Receiving the UN chief at Dhaka's Zia International Airport, Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said that Ban's visit was significant for both the UN and Bangladesh, especially given the upcoming elections.

The elections are considered pivotal, as it will give the country the chance to return to democracy after two years of rule by an unelected, military-backed interim government.

Cairo - Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) began its fifth annual conference on Saturday, promising to tackle chronic education, housing and health issues, as opposition voices accused the government of economic policies "skewed" in favour of the rich.

Acknowledging the difficulties and challenges that face NDP's performance, NDP Secretary-General Safwat el-Sherif lashed out at the party's critics for what he called "baseless" attacks.

Guwahati, Nov 1 : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has today called for a 12-hour shutdown in Assam that was rocked by serial blasts on October 30, leaving over 70 people dead.

The VHP, which is protesting against the failure of the government to protect the people from the blasts in the state, is joined by the Bajrang Dal and Assam Chamber of Commerce.

Shops and businesses establishments remained closed and vehicles remained off the roads.

Berlin - Berlin is locked in art fever, with four powerful exhibitions going ahead including work by Jeff Koons and Paul Klee.

At the Mies van der Rohe-designed New National Gallery, US contemporary artist Koons is parading a glittering array of huge sculptures and paintings.

On a lower floor is a superb selection of work by the late German expressionist painter Klee, garnered from both private and international collections.

Simultaneously, the 13th Art Forum - Berlin's International Fair for Contemporary Art - is being staged at the city's Funkturm trade fair grounds.