Mingora (Pakistan), Sept 30: The Pakistan’s unit of the Taliban – Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - have reportedly offered to released the two Chinese engineers, whom they had abducted earlier this month, in exchange for 136 jailed militants.

The extremists also declared a unilateral ceasefire in Swat till the third day of Eidul Fitr, but said that they would retaliate if attacked by Pakistani security forces.

Speaking to journalists on phone from an unspecified place on Monday, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that the kidnapped engineers of a private Chinese cellular company were ‘safe’ in their custody, reported the Dawn.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares slumped by more than 4 per cent Monday as the bailout deal for the US economy failed to excite officials in the former British colony.

The blue-chip Hang Seng Index shed 801.41 points, or 4.29 per cent, to close at 17,880.68 points. Turnover was a weak 54.96 billion Hong Kong dollars (7.07 billion US dollars).

The price falls mirrored regional losses and were led by property stocks which tumbled on worries over the housing market and an increase in mortgage rates by HSBC.

Earlier in the day, Hong Kong government officials gave a muted welcome to the 700 billion US dollar deal agreed in Washington early Monday Hong Kong time.

New Delhi, September 29: China has announced that a manned lunar landing is its next target when the current three-stage space program expires in 2020.

“When the three-phased strategy in our manned space program is completed, we will travel even further terrestrially,” said Wang Zhaoyao, deputy head of China’s manned space program office and Shenzhou VII mission spokesman.

“After comprehensively analyzing the general trend in international manned space developments, as well as Chinese realities, we see a manned lunar landing as both a very challenging and tactical field in global hi-tech,” he added.

“We deem it necessary for our country to do something in this field,” he further added.

Beijing, Sept. 29: The wives of China’s first astronauts to walk in space have hardly been able to contain their excitement and emotion over the achievement.

Astronauts' wives Zhang Yao, Zhang ping and Zhang Shujing said they were all happy that the goal had been achieved with success and safety.

Xinhua quoted Zhang Shujing, the wife of Zhai Zhigang, who made his historic walk in space and waved the national flag, as saying: "When he opened the hatch door, my hands were full of sweat."

She said she had lost seven pounds over the past two weeks.

"Now I have prepared lilies and a rose for my husband's return. The rose represents my heart," she said.

Hong Kong - Nearly half of Hong Kong women gamble regularly and 2 per cent of them are pathological gamblers, according to a survey released Monday.

Interviews with almost 1,500 women and teenage girls found that 48 per cent admitted to gambling regularly, compared to 35 per cent three years ago.

Playing the Chinese board game mahjong, card games and lotteries are the most popular form of gambling for women, researchers at a rehabilitation centre for problem gamblers found.

Beijing  - Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou 7 returned safely Sunday to Earth after a three-day trip into space that included China's first ever spacewalk.

The three taikonauts on board touched down safely near the planned landing site in the northern Chinese province of Inner Mongolia at 5:38 pm (0938 GMT) as the capsule's descent by parachute was carried live on Chinese state television, ending a 68-hour mission.

The craft withstood the dangerous re-entry into Earth's atmosphere well, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The taikonauts were also in good health, Xinhua reported, citing ground control officials in Beijing. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was present in the ground control centre to watch the landing.