London, Apr 20 : For the first time, the jailed radical Islamic cleric Abu Qatada has been linked to terrorist organisation al-Qaeda by one of the terror group's own leaders.

Adil al-Abbab, revealed recently as Osama Bin Laden's head of religious affairs in Saudi Arabia, said: "Free our prisoners and the prisoners of the Muslims. O Allah! Free Sheikh Abu Qatada."

Qatada, long suspected of being the network's top European envoy, was respectfully referred to as "Sheikh" which denotes leadership, The Sun reports.

Lahore, Apr. 20 : While Pakistan, in its effort to convince the international community, has repeatedly said that it is sincere in thwarting the rising Taliban influence in the region, the United States believes that Islamabad does not have either the will, nor the capacity to pose a challenge for the extremists.

Terming Pakistan as a `big problem', US Senator Ted Kaufman has said that the country lacks both ability and capacity to counter the insurgents from expanding their writ inside its territory.

Washington, April 20 : A new report has determined that climate change and major water conservation projects are a major risk to the long-term "health" of the Yangtze River in China.

The Yangtze Conservation and Development Report 2009, compiled by the China Academy of Science (CAS), states the basin of China's longest waterway has been hit by a yearly reduction in rain since 2006, brought on by global warming.

New Delhi, Apr 20 : China has started the construction of its first third-generation pressurized water reactors using AP 1000 technologies developed by US-based Westinghouse.

The reactors, located in Sanmen of east China's Zhejiang Province, will also be the first in the world using such technologies.

The Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant will be built in three phases, with an investment of more than 5.88 billion dollars injected in the first phase, Xinhua reported.

Hong Kong - The waiter serves up a generous helping of hyperbole with his sales patter as he points to a giant garoupa gawping out of the glass of a neon-lit fish tank on the pavement outside a seafront restaurant in Hong Kong.

"This is a very special fish - it is more than 100 years old," he says, gesturing to the fish struggling to turn its metre-long body in the confines of the tank.

"If you want to eat it, it will cost you around HK$500,000 (64,500 US dollars). You will need a very big party."

New Delhi, Apr 20 : The growth of the Chinese Navy is in line with its economy and "it's no surprise to see it develop the way that it has," a top US naval officer has said.

"The advancement and growth of the PLA navy is consistent with China's economic advancement and its role in a globalised world," said Admiral Gary Roughead, US Chief of Naval Operations.

Admiral Roughead told reporters in Beijing that China's plan to build its first aircraft carrier is not a cause of worry.