Islamabad - At least 13 Islamic militants were killed in clashes with government troops in north-west Pakistan, security officials said Tuesday.

Five insurgents, including their commander, were killed in a gunfight that broke out late Monday when the militants opened fire on security forces during a search operation in the Matta area of the restive Swat district, said Colonel Nadeem Ahmad, an army spokesman in the area.

The troops also destroyed a militant ammunition dump in the fighting that also left several rebels injured, he said.

Islamabad, Nov 11 : The International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s executive board’s meeting, which is scheduled to be held on Nov 22, is likely to approve a two-year 7.5 billion dollar bailout package under the stand-by arrangement (SBA).

The IMF will extend the loan under the newly created short-term liquidity facility (SLF), under which all the emerging economies with a strong record of implementing rigid macroeconomic policies, but caught up in the global financial crisis, are eligible for loans.

Wellington, Nov 11 : New figures have shown that the South Pole is gradually becoming a tourist hotspot, with increasing numbers of tourists heading there for vacation, despite the fact that it is one of the most remote places on Earth.

According to a report in The Dominion Post, arrivals at the South Pole quadrupled from 40 in the 2003-04 season to 164 last year, if statistics from the United States base at the pole are to be believed.

The first humans to arrive at the South Pole were Roald Amundsen and his party, on December 14, 1911.

Lahore, Nov 11 : Policemen who are supposed to perform a 12-hour shift while standing alert at police pickets installed at exit and entry points of Lahore city, are shunning the “heavy” jackets as they weigh around 15-20 kg.

They complain that it was impossible to wear the jackets as they were too heavy to wear for 12 hours at a stretch.

Hence, they have decided not to wear them, thereby putting their lives at stake in a possible suicide attack, reported the Daily Times.

Superintendent of Police (SSP-operations) Shafique Ahmad had during a visit to Sagian Bridge ordered the provision of bulletproof jackets to the police squad.

London, Nov 11 : A coroner has declared three 700-year-old coins, which were found in a field in Flintshire, north-east Wales, as treasure.

John Gittins, Deputy Coroner for North East Wales, declared the coins treasure under the Treasure Act 1996.

According to a report by BBC News, the silver pennies date back to between 1307 and 1314, to the reigns of both Edward I and his son Edward II.

Dubai, Nov. 11 : Leading international cricketers from England, West Indies and Pakistan have helped launch ICC Diversity Day 2008.

ICC Diversity Day, which was held for the first time last year during the ICC World Twenty20 2007, will take place on 20 November 2008 to coincide with a busy programme of fixtures in the international cricket calendar. The day, which is set to become an annual feature in the cricket calendar, will see a variety of activities around the world that celebrate the diversity of the sport.