Paris - An appeals court in the eastern French city of Colmar on Thursday confirmed a 200,000-euro (292,000-dollar) fine imposed on Volvo for the deaths of two children in a 1999 accident.

The court found that the Volvo 850 TDI driven by a French teacher ran over the two children, aged 9 and 10, because its brakes had not functioned correctly.

The children had been on the way to school when the fatal accident occurred. A third child was seriously injured.

Paris - An appeals court in the eastern French city of Colmar on Thursday confirmed a 200,000-euro (292,000-dollar) fine imposed on Volvo for the deaths of two children in a 1999 accident.

The court found that the Volvo 850 TDI driven by a French teacher ran over the two children, aged 9 and 10, because its brakes had not functioned correctly.

The children had been on the way to school when the fatal accident occurred. A third child was seriously injured.

Zardari held a meeting with the tribal elders at the President House to take their suggestions about combating terror on Wednesday.

However, tribal elders expressed reservations about the US drone attacks and said innocent people were also being killed.

According to the Dawn, President Zardari is reported to have told tribal elders, "There is no alternative to fighting militancy because militants want to capture political power through the use of force to impose their own political agenda. This the government would never allow."

London - The British government confirmed Thursday that it has been in talks with the Indian-owned Jaguar Land Rover car producer over the possibility of state aid.

Confirmation of the talks from Industry Secretary Peter Mandelson came as figures published Thursday showed a 33-per-cent slump in car production in Britain in November, compared with the same month in 2007.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) said the rapid slowdown in output required "urgent support" to restore demand and relax credit restrictions.

London, Dec 18 : Dispelling all rumours surrounding their separation, Madonna and Guy Ritchie have issued a joint statement saying that they are both happy with their divorce agreement.

The duo said that a "misleading and inaccurate" statement, specifically relating to the sums of money involved, was incorrectly issued, reports the Independent.

They said: "The financial details of the settlement will remain private, save to say that both of us are happy with our agreement.

Damascus (Syria), Dec 18 : A research team from Udine University in Italy has uncovered a vast, ancient necropolis near the Syrian oasis of Palmyra.

The team, headed by Daniele Morandi Bonacossi of Udine University, believes the burial site dates from the second half of the third millennium BC.

The necropolis comprises around least 30 large burial mounds near Palmyra, some 200km northeast of Damascus in Syria.