Beijing, Oct 23 : Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is scheduled to meet his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani here on Friday on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit.

The two leaders will meet to review the progress being made to promote bilateral understanding and co-operation to resolve disputes including Kashmir, the Daily Times quoted a senior Pakistani official as telling a foreign news agency.

The two leaders will likely meet at the Great Hall of the People in the afternoon, after the summit’s opening session.

Manila - Philippine shares dropped by 4.63 per cent on Thursday as scared investors sold their stocks amid unabated decline in the Wall Street.

Sydney - Construction worker Aaron Neiswander, who lives at his parents' Adelaide home, is out of work and on welfare.

He's been idle since January despite an unemployment rate at a 30-year low and companies so desperate for staff that even some McDonald's restaurants are staffed with guest workers from abroad.

Neiswander, 26, blames picky employers. "I'm just out of the age group," he said. "People are looking for juniors - they want cheap labour."

As Australia moves from boom to doom, Neiswander's chances of leaving the dole queue grow bleaker by the day. Economists say the unemployment rate is already surging and that the run of 
16 straight years of heady growth that made Neiswander so choosey is over.

Zaheer Kahn has been fined 80% of his match fee due to his unsporting conduct, against  following the dismissal of  Australian opener Matthew Hayden.  Zaheer pleaded guilty to a charge of conduct opposing to the spirit of the game.

Zaheer was fielding when Hayden was given out LBW to spinner Harbhajan Singh. Chris Broad, the referee of the match, revealed "Zaheer circled the batsman and shouted at him in an aggressive manner." As Hayden walked out of the ground, he complained about Zaheer's indecent behavior to the square-leg umpire Rudi Koertzen.

Hong Kong - Weakening demand and mounting losses have led Hong Kong Airlines to suspend flights to three cities in China, a media report said Thursday.

The regional carrier will halt services to Xian, Chengdu and Chongqing when the winter schedule takes effect on Sunday, the South China Morning Post said.

Flights to Xian will be restored next summer.

Hong Kong Airlines together with rival carrier Hong Kong Express Airways are both partly owned by China's Hainan Airlines Group.