National

Reuters - Pro-Taliban Pakistani militants are trying to create a sectarian rift, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Saturday, as a new wave of violence piled pressure on a government already struggling with a flood crisis.

Reuters - Karun Chandhok declared South Korea's new, and as yet unfinished, grand prix circuit to be in good shape after becoming the first person to drive a Formula One car around it on Saturday.

Reuters - The grit and grime of rural India, its people and problems are all finding their way into the glamorous world of mainstream Bollywood films.

Reuters - Britain's European 5,000 and 10,000 metres champion Mo Farah withdrew from next month's Delhi Commonwealth Games on Friday and said he will not race on the track again this year.

Reuters - With last year's strong election victory India had appeared set to push swift economic reforms, but tackling stubbornly high inflation, a political hot potato, has largely distracted the Congress party-led government.

Reuters - Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar advised young cricketers on Friday to resist the lure of money and play the game in the cleanest possible way.

Reuters - Bharti Airtel, India's No.1 mobile operator, appointed the son of its billionaire founder-chairman as a manager, raising speculation he was being groomed for a top position in the $27 billion company.

Reuters - A suicide bomber struck a rally in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday, killing at least 54 people in the second major attack this week and piling pressure on a U.S.-backed government overwhelmed by a flood crisis.

Reuters - Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes the new domestic one-day format could damage the World Cup preparations of fringe players.

Reuters - Authorities declared a state of emergency after a major earthquake hit New Zealand's second biggest city early on Saturday, bringing down power lines, ripping up roads and wrecking building facades, but authorities reported no deaths.

Reuters - Maartje Paumen scored her second hat-trick of the women's hockey World Cup as favourites Netherlands beat Australia 4-1 in Pool A on Friday.

Reuters - India should move toward capital account convertibility on a calibrated basis according to domestic and global factors, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Duvvuri Subbarao said on Friday.

Reuters - Britain's European 5,000 and 10,000 metres champion Mo Farah withdrew from next month's Delhi Commonwealth Games on Friday and said he will not race on the track again this year.

Reuters - Pakistan captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were questioned by the London Metropolitan police on Friday following their indefinite suspension from all cricket.

Reuters - Flying in the developing world is 13 times more dangerous than flying in the United States or other first world countries, according to a new study.

Reuters - Almost 50 nations made progress on Friday towards a Green Fund to help poor countries fight global warming but hosts Mexico and Switzerland said a full U.N. climate treaty was out of reach for 2010.

Reuters - Thousands of flood-displaced people in India's Himalayan region will have to spend the harsh winter season without homes, mainly due to a scarcity of labour and difficulties in getting construction supplies to the remote area, said aid workers.

Reuters - Cricket's governing body vowed on Friday to do whatever necessary to root out cheats and preserve the integrity of the game after suspending three Pakistan players over match-fixing allegations.

Reuters - A website launched on Friday will help track whether rich countries are keeping a pledge to come up with $30 billion in climate aid for the poor, seen by the U.N. as a golden key to progress in talks on global warming.

Reuters - A suicide bomber struck a rally in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday, killing up to 43 people in the second major attack this week, piling pressure on a government struggling with a flood crisis.