Tbilisi/Moscow  - Four months after the war in Georgia, Georgia's Prime Minister Grigol Mgaloblishvili continued to award key portfolios in his cabinet Tuesday.

Georgia's former ambassador to the US, David Sicharulidse, was going to head the country's Defence Ministry, while Lasha Shvania, another diplomat, would be economics minister, the prime minister was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

The appointments followed the dismissals of Eka Tkeshelashvili as foreign minister and David Keserashvili as defence minister.

Prague  - The Czech parliament's lower house Tuesday adjourned a session on the European Union's reform treaty until February 3 in a bid to postpone the vote on the pact.

The 200-seat house adjourned the session in a 159-8 vote, requested by the party of Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.

Topolanek's centre-right Civic Democrats want to barter their support for the Lisbon Treaty in exchange for opposition votes for a US plan to place a missile defence installation on Czech soil.

Windhoek  - Jacob Zuma, the leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress party, on Monday reiterated his calls for a speedy solution to the political crisis in Zimbabwe as he started a two-day visit to Namibia.

Zuma is in Namibia to boost relations between the ANC and its Namibian counterpart, the former liberation-movement-turned-ruling party, SWAPO.

"We need some swift action to deal with the situation in Zimbabwe," Zuma told Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba during official talks between the ANC and SWAPO at State House in the capital Windhoek.

Kiev  - A spokesman for Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Monday said a parliamentary election set for mid-December was "on hold," marking the govermnent's first official admission the vote would not be as scheduled.

"The order on the new elections has been placed on hold, but (the vote) has not been cancelled," said Iryna Bannikova, at a Kiev press conference.

Yushchenko dissolved a hung parliament in October, ordering new elections for December 15. Opponents within the administration and the legislature torpedoed the Ukrainian leader's initiative by refusing to authorize government financing for the polling, or prepare voter lists.

Maharashtra Chief Minister designate Ashok Chavan and deputy Chief Minister designate Chhagan Bhujbal, along with several other cabinet and state ministers, will be sworn in on Monday. 

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Darbar hall of Raj Bhavan. 

According to official sources, no pandal has been erected for the ceremony, to be held at 1650 hrs, as the administration and both coalition partners -- Congress and Nationalist Congress Party – have appealed to their supporters to avoid celebrations, in the wake of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.  
Several rounds of consultations were held among the members of both parties to finalise the names of ministers, who would be sworn in.  

Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi Sunday appointed his brother and actor Pavan Kalyan as the president of youth wing of the party. 

Chiranjeevi announced this in a press conference at party office in Hyderabad. 

Kalyan was nominated as Yuva Rajyam president as he wants to serve people, Chiranjeevi said.  

Chiranjeevi claimed that Kalyan has his own identity. "It is not proper to keep him away just because he is my brother," the superstar added.