News In Brief

Indo-China border row resolved: Sushma
Afp, New Delhi

A military stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops that lasted nearly two weeks and overshadowed a key summit in New Delhi has ended, India's foreign minister said. Troops will start pulling back from the disputed border area today, Sushma Swaraj said, after meeting her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in New York.

Cambodia, Australia sign refugee deal
Afp, Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh and Canberra yesterday signed an agreement for the resettlement of Australia-bound refugees in Cambodia, a deal the UN criticised as a "worrying departure from international norms". In this deal, Australia will pay Cambodia Aus$40 million to permanently resettle those granted refugee status in Nauru who agree to move to the Southeast Asian nation, one of the poorest in the region.

Afghan poll results announced
Afp, Kabul

Ashraf Ghani won Afghanistan's disputed presidential election decisively with 55 percent of the vote, results revealed yesterday, after the figure was kept secret for five days over concerns that fraud allegations could trigger violence. A "unity government" deal was agreed on Sunday, with Ghani serving as the next president and his rival Abdullah taking up the new role of chief executive, similar to that of prime minister.

Catalans set to call independence vote
Afp, Barcelona

Catalonia's president said he will today formally call a vote for November 9 on whether the region should be independent from Spain, defying Madrid's vows to block the move. Spain's conservative central government has branded the planned vote illegal and has vowed to defend the unity of Spain. Catalonia formally adopted the status of a "nation" in 2006 but Spain's Constitutional Court later overruled that claim.

Stampede kills 6 at China school
Afp, Beijing

Six children were killed yesterday and about two dozen injured in an accident and stampede at a primary school in southwestern China, authorities and reports said.  A local newspaper reported that the incident occurred when some children punched a two three-metre tall mattresses causing them to fall on top of other children. In the aftermath, children rushed down a stairway, causing some to fall and be trampled, it added.