New Delhi - At least 54 people were killed and more than 200 injured Thursday in 11 bomb blasts triggered by suspected separatist militants in India's north-eastern state of Assam, officials and news reports said.

Officials said there were 11 blasts within 20 minutes, the first at 11:20 am (0550 GMT).

Four blasts took place in the state capital, Guwahati; three in Barpeta district; three in Kokrajhar district; and one in Bongaigaon district, all in western Assam, the IANS news agency reported.

Bangkok  - Hundreds of protestors descended on the British embassy in Bangkok Thursday to demand the extradition of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from London to face a two-year jail term in Thailand.

An estimated 1,500 followers of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has been staging anti-government protests since May, marched Thursday after Thaksin was sentenced October 21 on an abuse-of-power conviction.

"We want England to send Thaksin back to Suvarnabhumi Airport, but this time, we want him to lick the ground and not just bow to it," said Somkiat Pongpaiboon, a key leader of the PAD.

Landikotal (Pak), Oct 30 : The Pak-Afghan Highway has proved to be unsafe for local dwellers, passengers and transporters from Takhta Bag check-post to Torkham border, in the wake of bomb blasts, suicide attacks, firing and kidnappings.

Attacks have mainly taken place on trucks carrying supplies for the US and Afghan troops deployed in Afghanistan to combat Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Berlin - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned Thursday's suicide bombing which killed five people at the Afghan information ministry in Kabul.

The attack showed that terrorists wanted to weaken the Afghan state and spread fear and distrust among the population, Steinmeier said.

"This cannot be allowed to happen," the minister said in a statement released during a visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

"together with the Afghan government and the international community we will continue to undertake intensive efforts to ensure that the necessary security is in place for the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan," he added.

Berlin  - Economic confidence in Europe plummeted in October to its lowest level since 1993, according to a key survey released Thursday, adding to signs of a looming recession for the region.

The European Commission's closely-watched economic sentiment indicator (ESI) for the 15-member eurozone dropped from 87.5 in September to 80.4 October in the wake of share market chaos that has helped to fuel the deepening sense of economic gloom facing the currency bloc.

The release of the commission's latest survey comes just one week before the European Central Bank is expected to cut interest rates to help shore up investor and economic confidence.

New York, Oct 30 : American actor Leonardo DiCaprio along with other celebrities used reverse psychology in their ‘No Means Yes’ public service announcement show to get Americans to vote.

DiCaprio produced, directed, and starred in the ad that debuted on My Space Celebrity on October 29, the New York Daily News reported.

The video shows the stars struggling to grasp the concept of “No means Yes”, and using reverse psychology to get people to vote on November 4.