Paris - French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has said that sanctions against Russia are not on the agenda for Monday's EU emergency summit in Brussels. Fillon instead called for dialogue with Moscow.

The meeting, due to begin at 3 pm Brussels time (1300 GMT), had been called to find a common EU position on the issues arising from in the Georgia conflict in August. Sanctions had been widely discussed as one way to reign in an increasingly assertive Russia.

However, Fillon said "Russia is a very large country that matters."

Berlin - The Federation of German Industries (BDI) said Monday it was opposed to sanctions being imposed on Russia over the conflict in Georgia and called for dialogue rather than confrontation.

The BDI issued its call as European Union (EU) leaders prepared to hold an extraordinary summit in Brussels to discuss the bloc's response to the crisis in the Southern Caucasus.

Proposals to put Russia under pressure through sanctions or to halt World Trade Organization (WTO) accession talks or partnership with the European Union (EU) "lead in the wrong direction," BDI President Juergen Thumann said.

"We would all lose if this were to happen," Thumann said.

New Delhi, Sep. 1 : Experts have said that China is concerned, if not annoyed with India’s plans to have a fleet of aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines in the next decade and recently tested nuclear-capable missiles that put China''s major cities well within range.

New Delhi’s decision to reopen air force bases near the Chinese border has also invited negative reactions from officials in Beijing, they claim.

Washington, Aug 30: The Bush administration has cleared the transfer of 227 million dollars of foreign military funds (FMF) to Pakistan for its F-16s mid-life update programme, despite opposition to it from two Congressional leaders.

According to the Daily Times, the upgraded F-16s and additional funds will be used as a counter insurgency measure in Pakistan's volatile Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA). Earlier, two senior House Members, Howard L Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Nita M Lowey, expressed concern that the proposal would "divert funds from more effective counter-terrorism tools."

Algiers - A group of radical Islamic rebels is suspected of having killed six Algerian soldiers and a lorry driver, Algerian security sources said Friday.

London, Aug. 29 : Race row policeman Tarique Ghaffur has been told by his superiors to ‘shut up’ and get on with his job.

The message was conveyed to Britain’s senior most Asian policeman last night after he publicly announced that he would be suing Scotland Yard for racism.

Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur was rebuked after appearing before TV cameras in full uniform to accuse Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, of subjecting him to years of racial discrimination.

Within two hours the Met’s Deputy Commissioner responded angrily. Sir Paul Stephenson said: “I think it is long past time that we all shut up, stop making public statements about private disputes and get on with the job we are paid to do.”