●BBC NEWS Madagascar exile out of elections

A court in Madagascar has decided that exiled opposition leader Pierrot Rajaonarivelo cannot stand for president in elections in December. His application was rejected by the court on a technicality - he was not there to sign for his candidature. Despite having his papers in order and meeting the deadline, the court ruled that his absence invalidated his claim. Two recent attempts by Mr Rajaonarivelo to return home were blocked. The government says he is a security risk. Mr Rajaonarivelo, who heads the opposition Arema party, has been living in exile in France for the past five years. Air Mauritius refused to carry him home before Saturday's registration deadline. His supporters held a peaceful rally at the airport in the capital, Antananarivo, on Saturday to meet him. An earlier attempt by Mr Rajaonarivelo to return home was blocked after Madagascar closed an international airport. Mr Rajaoanarivelo was one of four candidates not allowed to continue with their candidature. The others were thrown out for reasons involving non-payment of fees and incomplete dossiers. Mr Rajaonarivelo was sentenced in August to 15 years' hard labour for misuse of funds. He denies the charges. The government has said it will arrest him the moment he sets foot in Madagascar. The would-be candidate served as deputy prime minister in the government of President Didier Ratsiraka - who has also been in exile in Paris since 2002 when the country was split in two following disputed presidential elections.

●Sri lanka star On the brink of war

Terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka do not have the same resonance as atrocities carried out by jihadists, perhaps because the travails of this tear-shaped island are seen as unconnected to wider global trends. But this week has seen nearly 100 sailors killed in a suicide bombing by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - a method pioneered by the group - as well as several lesser incidents. Violence has spiralled since late July, shattering a fragile ceasefire that was agreed in 2002. It is now gravely threatening the prospects for peace talks scheduled to take place in Switzerland later this month. It will take more than Alpine scenery and the patience of Norwegian and Japanese intermediaries to calm things down. Velupillai Prabhakaran, the ruthless LTTE leader, seems to be trying to escalate and provoke. The aim may be to improve the group's bargaining position in pursuit of self-rule for the poorer northern and eastern part of Sri Lanka. But it is far more likely to produce a return to all-out war. The latest attacks brought retaliatory airstrikes and must risk further harsh reaction from the Colombo government.

●North korea daily Rice presses Seoul to make use of leverage

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Seoul yesterday urged South Korea to use «leverage» in bringing North Korea closer to international demands in dismantling its nuclear program. Highlighting that the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative was not aimed to increase tension on the Korean Peninsula, Rice said Washington looked forward to continuing consultations with Seoul. «Everyone should take stock of the leverage we have to get North Korea to return to the six-party talks,» Rice said in a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon. The talks came amid apparent differences between Seoul and Washington over what «leverage» is sufficient enough to break down North Korea's nuclear ambition.

In a separate dinner meeting, Ban, Rice and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso agreed to not recognize North Korea as a nuclear state despite its purported successful test. South Korea remains hesitant over fully joining the Proliferation Security Initiative as well as risking losing prosperity gained through inter-Korean projects.

●Indian express This Diwali, it?s time for less smoke

Sale of firecrackers so far has been 40 per cent less compared to last year. Stringent checks by Delhi Police on unauthorised sale of firecrackers, strict court orders banning bursting of crackers after midnight and widespread anti-cracker campaigns seem to be the primary reasons for the drop in sales, he says. «Business has been down this year as sales have not touched 25% of last year figures with less stock and high prices,» says a dealer of Sai Fire Works. «Authorities have the habit to impose stringent laws and take strict actions just days before Diwali. Diwali is the only time when we sell our goods, and all our hardwork in the 365 days of the year goes for a toss with authorities taking actions only around Diwali,» he adds. Senior Scientist M P George of Delhi Pollution Control Committee says that most of the sale of crackers take place on the last day of the Diwali, and that tonight will give authorities the final picture.