Berlin - German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek- Zeul condemned Monday the murder of Afghan-German provincial legislator and women's rights activist Sitara Achikzai in the Afghan province of Kandahar. "This brave woman wanted to help the people in Afghanistan and applied herself with her full engagement for the rights of women," the minister said.

Achikzai, who was aged in her 50s, was shot dead Sunday afternoon by Taliban fighters riding on motorbikes outside her home in Kandahar city.

Beijing - China has published an action plan to protect the rights of its citizens, including protecting detained crime suspects from torture and forced confessions, the official Xinhua news agency reported Monday. In addition, the 54-page plan is to extend citizens' rights to express complaints against injustices and arbitrary treatment, the report said.

Kochi, Apr 13: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the future of India lies with the youth.

Addressing a press conference in Kochi, Gandhi expressed his firm belief on the power of youth in politics.

"The difference between a young person and an old person is that a young person looks towards the future, okay! An old person looks in the past," said Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters, Gandhi admitted that the lack of youth participation in politics was due to the absence of an appropriate system in the country.

Beijing - China has unveiled plans for upwards of 25 billion dollars' worth of aid and credits in boosting its trade and commercial ties with the South-East Asian region, the Chinese agency Xinhua reported Monday. Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi outlined the plans at a meeting on Sunday with envoys of 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, the agency said.

Amy Winehouse has reportedly angered her record label bosses by delaying the recording of her solo album to collaborate with Gorillaz. Executives at music firm Universal paid for the singer to fly to St. Lucia last month (Mar09) to record the follow-up to her hit 2006 record Back To Black. But instead of heading to the studio to work on her own songs, she has agreed to work with rocker Damon Albarn's band.

A source tells Britain's Daily Mirror, "They were not happy to say the least. They want Amy to get cracking on her new album, but the results have so far not been up to scratch. "Imagine how they felt when they realised she had agreed to work with Gorillaz? They couldn't believe it.

Vilseck, Germany - The final trial of a group of US servicemen who were accused of murdering four blindfolded Iraqi men and dumping their bodies in a Baghdad canal began Monday in Germany. Master Sergeant John Hatley, 40, the highest-ranked of five accused, has been charged with premeditated murder by the military court in Vilseck, Germany, where their unit is based.