Singapore- Shares prices were lifted almost 8 per cent at the Singapore Exchange Thursday, but analysts kept a cautious undertone.

The market rode on renewed confidence injected by the US Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates and work at a multi-billion dollar currency swap pact, which is to include Singapore.

The Straits Times Index (STI) began a climb back from the start of the opening bell at the exchange. It rose 130.71 points to close at 1801.91, up 7.82 per cent.

The Singapore bourse recorded a high level of activity with volume rising to 1,822.6 million shares. The day ended with 406 counters recording gains and 151 finishing with losses.

Taipei - Taiwan prosecutors on Thursday requested a 14-month prison term for a city councilman after charging him with inciting a mob to attack a visiting Chinese official last week.

The indictment clouded next week's visit by China's top negotiator with Taiwan, Chen Yunlin, as pro-independence groups saw the charges as the government appeasing China and vowed to confront Chen wherever he goes.

New Delhi - Envoys of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, were travelling to Beijing on Thursday for a new round of talks with Chinese officials, a senior Tibetan official said.

"The envoys Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen took a flight for Beijing early Thursday morning. They will be there (Beijing) for about a week," said Thubten Samphel, spokesman for the Tibetan government-in-exile in India.

Beijing, Oct 30 : The Chinese government is learnt to have chalked out a new schedule for holding another round of talks with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s representatives “in the near future”.

The announcement of the planned talks came a day after the Dalai Lama reportedly called a special meeting of Tibetan exile communities and political organizations next month.

The five-day gathering, scheduled for mid-November, could mark a shift in the Dalai Lama''s strategy for dealing with the central government, foreign media have reported.

Taipei - Taiwan prosecutors on Thursday requested a 14-month prison term for a city councilman after charging him with inciting a mob to attack a visiting Chinese official last week.

"Through radio broadcasting, the defendant Wang Ting-yu publicly incited the public to rally at the venue where Zhang Mingqing visited and led the mob in applying violence by pushing Zhang, resulting in Zhang being shoved to the ground and injured," prosecutor Lee Ching-wen said.

"For this, we are seeking a sentence of one year and two months in prison against the defendant," she said.

Moscow/Astana, Kazakhstan - Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao flew to the Kazakh capital of Astana from Moscow on Wednesday for the last leg of a tour focused on China's energy ties and the global financial crisis.

The official purpose of Wen's visit is a summit meeting on Thursday and Friday of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a security grouping of central Asian states, including Russia.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will also attend. The two leaders will hold talks on the sidelines.