New Delhi/Islamabad - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will make an unscheduled visit to India and Pakistan as ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours came under severe strain following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, officials said Saturday.

Brown will hold talks Sunday with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, during which New Delhi is expected to share evidence about the alleged involvement of Pakistan-based militants in the attacks.

"British Premier Brown will arrive Saturday night and will have his main meeting with Prime Minister Singh on Sunday morning," an official in India's External Affairs Ministry said.

New Delhi, Dec 13 : Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav today stressed the need to strengthen the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in the light of changed security scenario in the country.

Speaking at the investiture parade of RPF here, the Minister outlined various measures to strengthen RPF. He pointed out that latest security equipments and vehicles will be provided to security men in all railway zones including those serving in Jammu and Kashmir.

New Delhi, Dec 13 : China is facing "worse-than-expected" risks of an economic downturn, as the global recession looms large, the country's top economic planner has said.

Zhang Ping, Minister of National Development and Reform Commission, said it is "still very hard" to predict when the worsening global financial crisis will hit.

This is the first time a senior Chinese official has outlined the domestic and global economic landscape while the financial crisis, sparked by the US sub-prime crisis, is still unfolding, the China Daily reported.

"Amid the domestic and global risks and uncertainties, coping with sliding economic growth is top of the government's work agenda," Zhang said.

New Delhi : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will arrive here this evening to further diplomatic ties between India and the UK, especially in a scenario that has developed after the Mumbai attacks.

The increase in tensions between India and Pakistan after the Mumbai attack has attracted the attention of political heavyweights like the US and the UK.

With the United States offering all help to India in its fight against terrorism, the UK has shown its solidarity with India as well.

Britain has already sent a special team of police that has expertise in dealing with terrorism.

New Delhi, Dec 13 : President Pratibha Patil today said that the President''s Estate serves as an ideal platform for promoting education about natural and environmental awareness amongst students and visitors.

Inaugurating the ''Nature Trail'', inside the President''s Estate, Patil said she was happy about the initiative taking shape and hoped that it would bring the President''s Estate closer to the people.

She also hoped the public would learn more about the importance of the environment.

New Delhi, Dec 13 : Moderate polling was reported in the Rajendra Nagar Assembly constituency in West Delhi on Saturday afternoon.

Polling began this morning on a slow note, but later picked up in the 160 polling stations of the constituency.

Twelve candidates are in the fray from this constituency.

The polling was rescheduled following the death of BJP candidate Puran Chand Yogi.

Yogi, 73, was a three-time BJP legislator from Rajinder Nagar. He was seeking re-election for the third time from the seat.

He was first elected to the Assembly in 1993 and was re-elected in 1998 and 2003. In the last Assembly polls, he had defeated Raj Kumar Kohli of Congress by 891 votes.