World Highlights

O Nepal's King Gyanendra said yesterday after weeks of violent anti-monarchy protests he would restore political power to the people but the largest party said he had not gone far enough and vowed more demonstrations. At least 12 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in police action against protesters since a seven-party alliance launched a campaign on April 6 to demand restoration of multi-party democracy.

O Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday cancelled a senior security appointment by the Hamas-led government, deepening a rift with the new administration as it battles a growing financial crisis. But Hamas government spokesman Ghazi Hamad told a news conference in Gaza late yesterday the appointment of Jamal Abu Samhadana, a radical high on Israel's wanted list, would stand.

O The EU and the US blamed each other yesterday for a stalemate in global trade talks which put beyond reach an end of April deadline for a key deal on farm and industrial goods. Trading powers are struggling to bridge the gaps that stand in the way of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Doha round before it finally runs out of time.

O An Arab militant killed by Pakistani security forces was a "bag man" who distributed funds to the families of al Qaeda fighters, a senior official said yesterday. The militant, shot dead in the Bajaur tribal region on Thursday, was also involved in organising attacks on US-led coalition and Afghan forces in eastern Afghanistan, the security official in North West Frontier Province said.

O A major earthquake struck the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East yesterday, damaging some buildings and slightly injuring a few people in the remote region, the Emergencies Ministry said. The 7.7 magnitude tremor occurred at 12.25 p.m. local time (2325 GMT Thursday) roughly 12.6 kilometres underground, the US Geological Survey said on its website.