International news digest for the week

Saturday

United Nations: UN chief Ban Ki-moon welcomes the recent "constructive" talks between the Indo-Pak Foreign Ministers and encouraged the two countries to resolve their outstanding issues through dialogue in the interest of the regional security.

Oslo: The self-confessed Norwegian killer Anders Behring Breivik told police he had several targets in mind when quizzed after the attacks that killed 77 people, a police prosecutor says.

Sunday

Islamabad: The CIA station chief in Islamabad, who oversaw the team that spotted Osama bin Laden, leaves Pakistan for medical reasons amid "extremely tense" ties with the ISI head, the second time in seven months that the US agency's senior- most officer has exited the country.

London: The leadership of both Conservative and Labour parties have been tarnished by their 'too cosy' relationship with Rupert Murdoch, but one winner from the imbroglio is clearly Ed Miliband, who has come into his own from a shaky start as the leader of the Labour party.

Monday

Beijing: For the first time, China blames Uygur "militants" trained in Pakistan for the deadly violence in its restive Xinjiang province which left at least 22 people dead.

Colombo: For the first time Sri Lanka admits that civilian deaths did occur during the final phase of the country's three decade-long civil war against Tamil rebels but says it was "impossible" to avoid deaths in a military campaign against a ruthless opponent.

Tuesday

Moscow: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin approves an Indo-

Russian deal easing issuance of business and tourist visas to their nationals.

London: Former managing editor of the News of the World, Stuart Kuttner, has been apprehended and later released on bail, marking the 11th arrest in the phone-hacking scandal at the now-defunct tabloid.

Wednesday

New York: In the biggest ever series of cyber attacks uncovered to date, hackers have been found to have broken into networks of the Indian government, United Nations and US defence companies, with security experts pointing to China as the culprit.

Cairo: Egypt's once all-powerful President Hosni Mubarak appeared a frail figure as he was wheeled into a courtroom on a stretcher to face trial on charges of corruption and killing protesters, pleading not guilty.

Thursday

Paris: A French court ordered a probe for embezzlement and other fraud-related charges against IMF head Christine Lagarde dating to her time as France's finance minister, a prosecutor says.

New York/New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi undergoes surgery in a US hospital for an undisclosed ailment which will keep her out of India for a month during which the party affairs will looked after by Rahul Gandhi-led four- member group.

Friday

Washington: The whopping $7.5 billion American aid to Pakistan runs into serious trouble as only a fraction could be spent due to differences in priorities, even as remaining money is under scrutiny.

Bangkok: Yingluck Shinawatra, who rode to election victory on her promise of achieving national reconciliation in Thailand after five years of political turmoil, has been formally chosen by the parliament as the first woman Prime Minister of the country.