Hong Kong - Banking giant HSBC axed 450 jobs in Hong Kong Monday because of the impact of the global financial crisis, a government-run radio station reported.

The bank blamed the cuts among the 20,000-strong Hong Kong workforce on the deteriorating global economy and a pessimistic outlook for 2009, according to Radio Television Hong Kong.

Both front and back office staff have been affected by the job cuts, the radio station said.

Bandipur (J-K), Nov 17 : Angry women protesters clashed with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at Bandipora in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday amidst the first phase of seven-phased Assembly polls.

Witnesses said that men, women and children assembled outside the polling booths in the town and tried to stage pro-freedom demonstrations.

The CRPF personnel resorted to baton charge and scuffled with demonstrators to disperse them. Protesters offered stiff resistance and in the police action and mob retaliation at least three persons sustained injuries.

New Delhi, Nov 17 : Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath on Monday stated that there is a need to develop diversified economic relations and at the same time continuous efforts are needed at bilateral and multilateral levels.

During his bilateral meeting with Martin Riman, Czech Trade Minister, here today, he informed that today our bilateral trade has crossed one billion dollar and is increasing rapidly.

New Delhi - More than 600 exiled Tibetan leaders gathered in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala Monday to air their views and aspirations on the best course of action for the Tibetan cause.

The situation in Tibet was serious and at this "critical stage" all Tibetans needed to find a consensus on what future action should to be taken, Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said in his opening speech.

Belgrade - The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Serge Brammertz, arrived in Belgrade Monday to press Serbian officials for the arrest of Ratko Mladic, the most wanted war crimes suspect.

But Belgrade, despite its ties with the European Union hinging on the arrest of fugitive war criminals, has again said Mladic, the Bosnian Serb wartime military chief, is out of its reach.

"We have no trail leading to Mladic, only if a miracle should happen," Serbian minister in charge of cooperation with ICTY, Rasim Ljajic, said ahead of Brammertz's arrival.

Chennai, Nov 17 : The Communist Party of India (CPI) convened an ''All-Party Meeting'' in Chennai on Monday to decide their further course of action after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa''s statement in New Delhi on November 13 ruled out any possibility of a ceasefire till the rebels laid down their arms.

Participants at ''all-party meeting'' decided to mobilize people to mount pressure on the Central government to intervene in the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka and to stop the war.