Dublin - Following an austerity budget prompted by ailing public finances amid a recession, Ireland's ruling Fianna Fail party suffered a massive 10-percentage-point drop in support in an opinion poll published Sunday.

In the Red C poll published in the Sunday Business Post, only 26 per cent of voters would opt for Prime Minister Brian Cowen's party, well behind the opposition Fine Gael party on 33 per cent.

The seven-point lead for Fine Gael is the largest since polling began, Irish national broadcaster RTE reported. Fine Gael had gained five points since the last poll.

Islamabad, Oct 26 : US special forces have started training a Pakistani paramilitary unit how to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda, hoping to strengthen a key front-line force as violence surges on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border.

The start of the programme has not been officially announced, but Pakistan Army officers confirmed on Saturday that 32 Americans were training 116 senior personnel of the Frontier Corps in the restive region.

The officials said the course included classroom and field sessions, and the mission would last for around six months.

Washington, Oct 26 : A new study has revealed that being overweight, particularly if one has a higher than average body mass index, may increase the person’s risk of developing severe osteoarthritis in hips and knees.

Osteoarthritis, or OA as it is commonly called, is the most common joint disease affecting middle-age and older people.

It is characterized by progressive damage to the joint cartilage, the slippery material at the end of long bones, and causes changes in the structures around the joint.

Lahore, Oct 26 : Sacked Pakistan cricket team coach Geoff Lawson has refused to leave Pakistan until the PCB pays all his dues.

Geo News quoted sources as saying that Lawson was in contact with the Australian High Commission.

PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt said the board would review Lawson’s agreement on Monday and would pay him any remaining dues, the Daily Times reported.

Islamabad, Oct 26 : Indus Water Commissioner (IWC) Jamaat Ali Shah has said Pakistan will approach the World Bank and receive compensation from India for obstructing water flow from the Chenab River and defects in the design of the Baglihar Dam.

Talking to Indian journalists at the Indra Gandhi Airport before his departure to Pakistan, Jamaat Ali Shah said he visited the district Doda of Jammu and Kashmir and found several defects in the Baglihar Dam.

“Talks at length were held with my Indian counterpart but I am not satisfied with it,” he said.

Islamabad - Pakistani army troops killed at least eight rebels Sunday as they continued with their push to root out Islamist militants in the restive Bajaur tribal district bordering Afghanistan, media reports said.

Ground troops backed by helicopter gunships and artillery pounded militant positions in the Tang Khata and Chaharmang areas of Bajaur, which is considered a stronghold of al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, the private Aaj television channel reported.