INDIA: A pre-dawn stampede killed 10 people yesterday as tens of thousands of Hindus were worshipping in an annual procession.
As 50,000 devotees had been marking the holy day of Somvati Amavasyabut during the procession, a live electrical wire shocked one woman and set off a panic, triggering the stampede.
Another 12 were being treated at a hospital for injuries, police said.

EGYPT: A Cairo-based rights group said yesterday that prominent activist Mahienour el-Masry has joined other prisoners in an ongoing hunger strike to protest against the government’s crackdown on dissent.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said that at least a dozen activists behind bars have gone on hunger strike in the past week.
The group said the rise is in reaction to “unfair trials” and “noticeably prolonged detentions” without trial in cases involving freedom of expression.

PAKISTAN: Cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who is leading a mass anti-government rally in front of parliament, has issued a 48-hour deadline for the country’s prime minister to step down or he says he’s prepared to die.
Mr Qadri showed protesters a white burial shroud yesterday in a speech issuing the deadline for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has refused to step down.
It’s not clear what Mr Qadri plans to do after his deadline expires.

SYRIA: Foreign minister Walid al-Moallem warned the US yesterday not to strike inside Syria against the Islamic State group without Damascus’s consent, saying any such attack would be considered an aggression.
Mr Moallem’s words appeared timed to try to pre-empt US military action.
“Syria is ready to co-operate and co-ordinate on the regional and international level in the war on terror,” Mr Moallem said. “But any effort to combat terrorism should be co-ordinated with the Syrian government.”

SPAIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel stuck her nose into internal Spanish politics yesterday, backing the Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s opposition to a proposed independence referendum in Catalonia.
Speaking alongside Mr Rajoy on Monday, Ms Merkel said that while the Catalan question was an internal one, she thought Mr Rajoy’s views were logical and deserved support.
The regional government of Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona, insists it will hold the referendum on November 9.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis is backing an inter-religious football match to promote peace and raise money for at-risk kids.
Former Argentina star Javier Zanetti said the idea arose during an audience with Francis last year.
Argentina coach Gerardo Martino and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will organise teams featuring Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist players.
Among those signed up are Lionel Messi, Filippo Inzaghi and Samuel Eto’o. Francis isn’t expected to play.

UKRAINE: Kiev claimed yesterday that a column of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles had crossed into southeastern Ukraine.
National Security Council spokesman Colonel Andriy Lysenko alleged that that a column of 10 tanks, two armoured vehicles and two trucks crossed the border near Shcherbak.
He claimed they were Russian military vehicles bearing the flags of the Donetsk rebels.
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had no information about the column.

CHINA: Macau police arrested five people involved with an informal poll to measure support for direct elections of the Chinese-controlled city’s leader.
The five were arrested on Sunday after activists kicked off a week-long unofficial referendum inspired by a similar vote in Hong Kong that Beijing denounced as an illegal farce.
Macau’s privacy watchdog had warned organisers they were violating the city’s privacy law by collecting identity card data from voters.