The union government may announce a second financial package to boost the economic growth rate amid global slowdown. It was revealed by the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Kamal Nath at the sidelines of a function, organized by the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade.

Kathmandu, Dec12 : Nepali Congress today expressed dissatisfaction over the role played by United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).

During a meeting with UNMIN chief Ian Martin, here, Nepali Congress leaders complained that monitoring of the Maoist army camps has not been effective and that UNMIN failed to check the violent activities involving the members of the People''s Liberation Army (PLA).

"The PLA men went out of their camps and engaged in violent activities a number of times," they added.

Stockholm - The Swedish government said Friday it was concerned over the US Senate's failure to agree on a loan package for the troubled US car industry, which owns Swedish carmakers Volvo and Saab.

The news from Washington also impacted the Stockholm bourse that dropped some 3.5 per cent in early trading.

Speaking to Swedish televison news on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said there was "more uncertainty" after the US decision.

Carmaker Volvo is owned by US auto giant Ford while Swedish-based Saab is owned by General Motors. Both US giants have posted huge losses and have said they were considering selling their Swedish subsidiaries.

Tokyo  - Asian stocks fell sharply Friday on news of the collapse of a bailout plan for the US car industry and gloom over the effects of the US financial slump on Asian exporters.

In Japan, stocks dropped 5.56 per cent, ending a week of moderate gains.

The news of the US Senate's rejection of the latest car industry bail-out also led to the highest drop in the dollar against the yen for 13 years, dealing a further blow to Japanese exporters.

The growth index of six core industries declined to 3.4 per cent in Octobe,r as compared to 4.6 per cent in the same month last year. The decline is reported, following slow in demand and production cuts imposed by various core sectors. Steel production recently imposed a 20 percent production cut due to the decline   in infrastructure sector as per data released by the commerce and industry ministry.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong was embarrassed Friday by the death of a second rare Chinese sturgeon months after it was presented to the city's Ocean Park theme park by the Beijing government.

The death of the endangered fish from a bacterial infection follows the loss of another sturgeon in June which was savaged to death by a barracuda sharing the same tank.

The incident in June came only days after Hong Kong was given the 1.1-metre-long fish, along with two other sturgeon, by China, representing one of the five mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

It developed into a minor but acutely embarrassing diplomatic incident for the government of the former British colony, whose officials are all appointed by China and kow-tow to Beijing.