NO REAL SURPRISE: A Malaysian newspaper quoted a senior coalition minister as saying that general elections would be held within two months
Malaysia is likely to hold general elections in early March, a news report said yesterday, even though the government's popularity appears under threat because of rising prices and anger among ethnic Indians.

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800,000 VISITORS: Conventional wisdom would have it that it is difficult to attract tourists to one of China's coldest cities in winter, but that isn't the case in Harbin
Ice might seem a tough sell in Harbin, one of China's coldest cities, but it has pulled it off with a spectacular annual festival that for many is far more tempting than a warm beach holiday.

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SPRING OFFENSIVE: The 3,000 US Marines will make up part of the shortfall of 7,500 troops after NATO allies backed down on promises to provide troops and equipment
Afghanistan yesterday welcomed US plans to send up to 3,000 addition Marines to counter an expected Taliban spring offensive, but insisted the long-term solution is to boost Afghan forces.

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'RACY': East Japan Railway said that displaying the posters for the Somin Festival at train stations could be `unsettling' and be seen as sexual harassment
Times are changing for a millennium old festival in provincial Japan that features naked men, with a top railway operator saying advertisements for the event were too racy.

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A cyberathlete might not suffer boomeritis as he or she is probably a digital native, but could be at risk of globesity, according to Australia's top dictionary.

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A cloned pig whose genes were altered to make it glow fluorescent green has passed on the trait to its young, a development that could lead to the future breeding of pigs for human transplant organs, a Chinese university reported.

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DEADLOCKED: Police said late on Wednesday that stability had returned to most parts of the country, but attacks and protests were still being reported by the media
Ghanaian President John Kufuor was set yesterday to resume talks with Kenyan leaders to attempt to break the political deadlock after disputed presidential polls that touched off a wave of unrest.

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REAL OR FAKE? : The video showed boats approaching the warships at high speed and racing around the USS 'Hopper,' the USS `Port Royal' and the USS 'Ingraham'
Iran accused the US on Wednesday of "clumsily" fabricating footage claiming to show Iranian speedboats harassing US ships, as Washington issued a new warning to its archfoe on the first day of a Middle East visit by US President George W. Bush.

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INFIGHTING INTENSIFIES: Gerrie Nel is a regional head in the Scorpions, who have been at the center of a dispute between the nation's Justice Department and the police
The senior investigator probing corruption allegations against South Africa's top policeman has been arrested amid concerns that internal political tensions are leading to a standoff between the country's elite anti-graft unit and police.

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Thousands of Palestinian and US security personnel imposed a virtual curfew on the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday hours ahead of a landmark visit by US President George W. Bush.

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The British government yesterday approved a new generation of nuclear power stations, describing the move as "compelling" but infuriating environmentalists who are considering a legal challenge.

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CRUNCH: Analysts say Mitt Romney must get a win in Michigan, and all Democratic candidates except Dennis Kucinich are honoring pledges not to campaign there
The generally Democratic state of Michigan is shaping up to be a key state in the Republican race for the White House, as mixed results in Iowa and New Hampshire place new emphasis on its upcoming primary.

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BODY COUNT: A WHO study says between 104,000 and 223,000 civilians died in Iraq from March 2003 to June 2006, with violence the leading cause of death for men
The WHO on Wednesday waded into the controversial subject of Iraqi civilian deaths, publishing a study that estimated that the number of deaths from the start of the war until June 2006 was at least twice as high as the oft-cited Iraq Body Count.

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Colombian rebels provided a pickup location for two women that they have held hostage for years, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said, and the Colombian government gave him the green light to launch a rescue mission.

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A Vietnamese man angered after a dispute with his wife confessed to tossing his four young children off an Alabama bridge, authorities said.

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Authorities in Mexico City captured the second of two inmates who made a daring escape last month from a New Jersey jail, a US marshal said.

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■ INDIA

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