In order to show their unity with Sri Lankan Tamils and also to protest against the unending Lankan civil war, an eight-hour fast was observed by top South Indian actor Vijay and his fan organizations on Sunday.

However, it was a silent protest with no inflammatory speeches.

Veteran director and Vijay’s father S A Chandrasekar inaugurated the agitation.

Beijing - China's main stock

Kabul - US-led coalition troops detained 14 militants in operations aimed at disrupting the movement of foreign fighters and attacks against international and Afghan forces in eastern Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday.

A US military statement said six insurgents were arrested in Tagab district including one alleged Taliban commander accused of planning and conducting "nefarious" activities. Coalition troops searched the compound without incident while protecting 19 women and 25 children during the operation, it added.

Troops captured four other militants including a suspected local Taliban commander during a search of a compound in Waghez district, Ghazni.

Tokyo - As the Japanese government hopes to encourage consumption by cash handouts as part of its economic stimulus plan, concerns are spreading over whether the money would reach some of the most active consumers.

Prime Minister Taro Aso's administration decided in late October to allocate about 2 trillion yen (20.63 billion dollars) to Japan's households amid escalating global financial crisis.

Washington, Nov 18: Scientists have described apparently productive ecosystems in two places where life was not known before, under the Antarctic ice sheet, and above concentrated salt lakes beneath the Mediterranean.

The findings were described at a European Science Foundation and COST (European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research) ''Frontiers of Science'' meeting in Sicily.

In both cases, innumerable tiny microbes are fixing or holding onto quantities of organic carbon large enough to be significant in the global carbon cycle.

Brent Christner of Louisiana State University, in the US, told the conference about the microbes living within and beneath the ice on Antarctica.

Powered by a good batting performance, Lahore Badshahs registered a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Hyderabad Heroes in the third and crucial final of the second edition of the ICL 20-20 championship trophy at the Sardar Patel Stadium. With this, Lahore Badshahs lifted the the second edition of the ICL 20-20 championship trophy. Man of the Match Imran Nazir scored an unbeaten strutting 44-ball 111.