Beijing, Oct 23 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Thursday arrived in Beijing to attend the seventh Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM-7) scheduled from Friday after his three-day visit to Japan.
On his arrival to Beijing, Dr. Singh said, “This is the first time that I am attending the Asian-European summit as a Prime Minister.”
“I sincerely hope that this meeting of minds between Europe and Asia will produce a solution to many global problems including the current global financial crisis,” Dr. Singh added.
Stockholm - The Swedish government Thursday formally decided to halt an adoption programme with Vietnam over fears of irregularities.
Health and Social Affairs Minister Goran Hagglund said the decision hinged on the government's concern that "the rights of the individual child and biological parents are taken into account."
Hagglund's statement issued after the cabinet meeting said there were "disturbing signals" that children may even have been trafficked.
In September, the United States suspended adoptions from Vietnam over similar concerns.
Zagreb - Croatia's government has agreed to pay 78 million euros (101 million dollars) in damages to firms from Italy and Austria for claims arising from a cancelled highway project and a bank privatization, a local media report said Thursday.
The Croatian news portal business. hr, quoting a government source, said the settlements involve 44.3 million euros for Rome-based builder Astaldi SpA and 34.5 million euros for Austrian-based Hypo Alpe Adria Bank AG.
Dhaka- Bangladesh's military-backed interim government said Thursday that it would provide the highest security to two former prime ministers and leaders of the country's two biggest political parties during the December general election.
"We have decided in principle to provide them with the highest security coverage as they deserve it," an adviser to the government, Hossain Zillur Rahman, told reporters after electoral talks with the opposition Awami League party.