Paris  - It will take some time to recover from the current economic slowdown, and many industrial nations will eventually plunge into recession, chief OECD economist Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel said in an interview made public on Friday.

"Our base scenario is built on the premise that the current freeze in short-term financial markets will be resolved in a relatively short time span, but that bank deleveraging and recapitalisation, as well as re-building of trust in the markets, will take much more time," Schmidt-Hebbel said.

Prague - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has cancelled next week's four-day US trip, including a White House visit with President George W Bush, to focus on domestic politics, his spokeswoman said Friday.

Topolanek, one of the most pro-US leaders in Eastern Europe, is fighting for his political survival after his senior ruling Civic Democrats were trounced in a regional election last week.

The premier decided to stay in Prague between October 29 and November 1 to both deal with domestic political troubles and back Czech-US missile defence treaties that parliament could take up next week, his spokeswoman Jana Bartosova said.

Vienna- Austrian authorities said Friday they would soon start a new probe into the abduction and eight years of incarceration of Natascha Kampusch, in order to investigate whether her abductor had accomplices.

The decision came after an independent commission installed by the interior ministry found flaws in the investigations in July.

Beijing - Asian and European leaders plan to urge Myanmar's military rulers to be more tolerant toward opposition political parties and release political prisoners, according to a draft summit statement seen Friday.

The leaders attending the biennial Asia-Europe Meeting would urge Myanmar to "engage all stakeholders in an inclusive political process in order to achieve national reconciliation and economic and social development."

Washington, Oct 24 : Doubts are being expressed about a McCain volunteer’s claim of being robbed in Pittsburgh by an attacker who cut a ''B'' in her face after noticing a McCain bumper sticker on her car.

According to the FOX news, within hours after the alleged assault was made public, doubts were expressed about her account. Police say Todd initially refused medical attention, though she later went to the hospital.

London, Oct 24 : The Labour party has been accused of hiding the true extent of the surge in violence in Britain.

According to the Sun, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith admitted some forces have not kept proper records for ten years, following revelations that police chiefs hid a massive surge in violence.

Tories and anti-crime campaigners said the system has created a "shambles", and blamed it on Labour''s obsession with crime-fighting targets.

Since Labour came to power, cops have recorded assaults under a less serious category if no grievous harm was inflicted, quoted the newspaper.