London, December 7 : A London trainee GP has been beaten and withheld hostage by her family who are forcibly trying to marry her to a stranger in Bangladesh.

Dr Humayra Abedin, who has remained a prisoner since August by her parents, is believed to have been gagged, tied and violently struck to make her submit to her parents'' wishes.

The 33-year-old had trained as a doctor in Bangladesh and arrived in England to pursue her studies at Leeds University, reports the Independent.

Dr. Abedin, who had made East London her home while working in hospitals since 2002, is said to have developed a close bond with a Hindu Bangladeshi man – an act vehemently opposed by her Muslim family.

London, December 7 : The Queen is to continue her efforts to show support through recession and has allegedly put 50 pound limit to all family presents beginning with her festive crackers.

The Royal Family’s previously custom-made crackers had included posh gifts such as Montblanc gold cuff-links and expensive lighters.

The monarch has, however, this time around, apparently told Royal warrant holder Tom Smith to bear in mind the economic slump and use cheaper gifts, reports News of the World.

A royal source said: “The directive has come from the top that the family must in tune with the rest of the country. She is aware that extravagance would not be welcomed at this time.”

London, December 7 : Madonna is reportedly set to hand out 32 million pounds to ex-hubby Guy Ritchie as part of the divorce package.

The ‘RocknRolla’ director is said to receive 12 million pounds in cash in his account in addition to having ownership of the Queen of Pop’s 20 million pound Ashcombe House country estate in Wiltshire.

The Brit will further hold on to his 3 million pound Punchbowl pub as the ‘Material Girl’ keeps their London marital abode, reports News of the World.

Kathmandu, Dec 7 : Nepal Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has said that the nature of democracy envisioned by CPN-Maoist for new Nepal would be fundamentally different and pro-poor.

Nepalnews quoted Thapa as saying that we will refrain from adopting the form of democracy being practiced by countries like the US and India where weak and poor people are subjugated to the vested interest of strong and rich.

Stating that the new democratic framework of Nepal will enable the people of the same socio-economic status to compete with each other he said, "The new constitution to be proposed by his party will rule out every vestige of feudalism in the country".

Kathmandu, Dec 7 : Nepali Congress (NC) president Girija Prasad Koirala has urged for unity among democratic forces in order to what he called as attempt to foil totalitarian aspirations of the Maoists.

Addressing a rally here on Saturday, Koirala said that Prime Minister and Maoist chairman Prachanda was veering towards totalitarianism by speaking against democracy.

"The continued violation of past pacts and agreements by the Maoists would lead to their downfall," he added.

New Delhi, Dec. 7 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has condemned Pakistan in strong words clarifying his stance on the hoax call issue.

“I had made no such telephone call. My last and only conversation with President Asif Ali Zardari was in Islamabad during my visit to Pakistan in May 2006,” Mukherjee said in a statement released by the External Affairs Ministry today.