In a bid to ease the liquidity pressure in the monetary system, the union government has directed public sector enterprises to keep their surplus funds with public sector banks (PSBs) without any competitive bid. Total surplus funds amounts to about 1,00,000 cror. This amount would meet fund requirement of the banks, as they have already used funds to cover government sponsored farm loan waiver and other debts.

Washington/Seoul  - The United States on Wednesday criticized North Korea's refusal to allow samples to be taken to verify its nuclear disarmament as the country again slowed the dismantlement of its nuclear facilities.

US State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters in Washington that in a deal made last month, the United States and North Korea had "basically agreed that experts could take samples and remove them from the country for testing."

He also added that the United States kept its part of the deal by shipping 500,00 metric tons of heavy fuel oil to the impoverished communist state.

Havana - Cuban President Raul Castro replaced his foreign investment minister after the agency reported a drop in the number of state firms receiving foreign investment.

The announcement of the cabinet change was made Wednesday night on state-run television and did not give a reason for removing Marta Lomas, 58, and replacing her with UN Ambassador Rodrigo Malmierca, 52.

Los Angeles - A woman who once tried to become a contestant on American Idol was found dead outside the home of Paula Abdul, one of the talent show's judges, in a case police are investigating as a possible suicide, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

The woman was identified as Paula Goodspeed, 30, who auditioned for the show in 2005. She identified Abdul as her idol and bore a remarkable resemblance to her.

Kathmandu  - At least six people were killed and dozens more injured in a bus-tractor accident in eastern Nepal, police said Thursday.

Police said the bus crashed into a tractor in Sunsari district, about 400 kilometres east of the Nepalese capital, late Wednesday night.

Among those killed where the people travelling on the tractor. More than 30 people were injured and some were in serious condition.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known. However, police suspected speeding by the bus was the main cause of the accident.

Los Angeles  - He was born from misfortune, formed in a creative flash by Walt Disney who had just been dispossessed of his previous cartoon character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, in a trademark dispute.

As the cartoon genius sought a replacement, he considered a horse, dog, cat, frog and cow. But his mind kept returning to the mouse he had kept as a pet growing up on the family farm.