Manila - Developing Asia's economic growth will slow down to 5.8 per cent in 2009 as the impact of the global financial crisis spreads to emerging markets, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) warned on Thursday.

According to the Asia Economic Monitor of the Manila-based ADB, Asia's economic resilience will be tested by weakening exports and a sharp slowdown of private capital flows due to the global slump.

New Delhi - India and China began the second phase of joint military exercises Saturday, focusing on ant-terrorism training in the southern Indian town of Belgaum.

The exercise code-named Hand-in-Hand 2008 is aimed at expanding and strengthening ties between the two countries' armed forces, an Indian Defence Ministry release said.

The first joint military exercise was held in China's Kunming in October 2007.

India and China fought a bitter war in 1962 over disputed territory, and the current joint military exercise is the first to be conducted on Indian soil.

The Chinese Army has sent a 137-strong contingent for the drill which will include joint tactical manoeuvres and joint command post procedures.

Islamabad - Nuclear-armed Pakistan edged to the brink of war with India when its president received a threatening call from someone posing as Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee following last week's Mumbai attacks, a media report said Saturday.

The caller, who was put through to President Asif Ali Zardari late in the day on November 28 without verification of his claimed identity, warned that India would take "military action if Islamabad failed to immediately act against the supposed perpetrators of the Mumbai killings."

Washington, Dec. 6: Inflamed passions across India and Pakistan must be controlled to prevent another war between India and Pakistan.

“People of both the nations will have to control inflamed public passion and manipulative politicians too,” Austin Bay reports in his column for the Washington Post.

“Statesmen will have to confront the terrorists responsible for the heinous crime,”Bay comments.

Large scale public anger can be witnessed across India after the deadliest terror attack to have ever hit India, shook Mumbai last week.

There are fears that India could attack Pakistan and Indian and Pakistani media reflect this speculation in their war of words.

Beijing, Dec. 5:China has said that it would like both India and Pakistan to tone down tensions and function as good neighbours of the country.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said “Both Pakistan and India are good neighbors of China.”

He urged India and Pakistan to work together.

“We sincerely hope that India and Pakistan will step up co-operation and dialogue and jointly safeguard peace and stability in East Asia, which is in the interest of both countries and the region,” Jianchao said during a press briefing.

Lahore, Dec. 5: Pakistan has demanded compensation from India for the latter allegedly stopping the flow of water of the Chenab River.

Pakistan’s Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf told journalists after the 32nd Annual Convention of Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers of Pakistan, that New Delhi must compensate Islamabad for the misuse of water flows.

The Daily Times and The News quoted Pervaiz as saying that Pakistan had registered its protest with India at every level, including the offices of the prime minister and the president, and had made it clear to New Delhi that it wanted water in compensation, adding, “We are waiting for India’s reply.”