Marseille - The Spanish port city of Barcelona is to be the seat of the headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean, diplomatic sources said Tuesday in the French city of Marseille.

Agreement on what had been a bone of contention among the 40-plus members of the union was reached overnight during a meeting of foreign ministers from European Union members and their counterparts from Mediterranean states.

The decision to place the group's secretariat in Barcelona is in reference to the original EU Mediterranean initiative on which the Union for the Mediterranean was based, the Barcelona Process.

London/Frankfurt - Faced with a looming recession and rapidly falling inflation, Europe's two leading central banks are expected to cut rates this week as monetary authorities around the world step up efforts to slash the cost of money.

Indeed, analysts are predicting that the Bank of England (BoE) and the European Central Bank (ECB) will each announce on Thursday at least 50-basis-point reductions in borrowing costs in a fresh bid aimed at shoring up economic confidence in Europe.

As much as 93 people were taken into custody by Sri Lankan police for their alleged links with Tamil Tiger rebels. They were arrested in the North-West part of the island nation on Saturday, according to official sources.

The arrests came during an operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Kalpitiya village in Puttalam district, some 165 km from Colombo.

They were arrested during an operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Kalpitiya village in Puttalam district, some 165 km from Colombo.

Nokia Oyj has made announcement about the launching of seven new phones in addition to Internet services for rising markets.

The new phones include the Nokia 1202, a follow-up to Nokia’s hot model 1200, which will sell for around 25 euros and two models with e-mail support priced at 40 euros.

Growing market areas are a stronghold for the world’s major cellphone manufacturer, but it has lately seen increasing rivalry from vendors including China ZTE and Samsung Electronics.

Singapore - Singapore and Kuwait have concluded an Open Skies Agreement (OSA), allowing for full flexibility on air services by carriers from both countries, officials announced Tuesday.

Under the new agreement, Singapore carriers may now operate any number of flights between Singapore and points in Kuwait, as well as beyond Kuwait to any other city in the world.

Similarly, Kuwait carriers will be able to operate any number of flights to and beyond Singapore, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said.

A Memorandum of Understanding on Air Services between the two governments was signed Tuesday at the at the Seif Palace in Kuwait City.

The Assam police have arrested two more suspects in connection with the serial blasts that devastated the state.

The two suspected -- Muzamul Haque and Anwarlul Haque--were arrested from Lakhimpur.

With these arrests total number of persons nabbed by the police rose to five. Earlier three persons were arrested on Saturday.

According to police- the two were in car-theft racket. They changed the number of those vehicles which were used in Guwahati and Bongaigaon blasts.

The police have got vital clues. It would soon zero in on the culprits responsible for the blasts, said Official spokesman and principal secretary (Home) Subhas Das.