N Korea eases South border rules

North Korea has agreed to reopen its border with South Korea and allow tourism and family reunions to resume, the North's KCNA news agency said.

But at the same time KCNA reported that the entire country had been ordered on to special alert over joint US-South Korea military exercises.

The border easing followed talks between the North's leader Kim Jong-il and the head of the Hyundai group.

Hyundai chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun also won the release of a detained worker.

The man had been held since March for allegedly criticising Pyongyang's regime.

North Korea also recently pardoned two jailed US journalists.

'Prompt annihilating strike'

Hyundai heads up tourism to the North and operates a joint factory just south of the border that is a key source of revenue for the impoverished regime.

There was no word on whether Hyundai had agreed to the North's demands for large wage increases for workers at the Kaesong industrial park.

But the KCNA statement said South Korean tourists and business people would soon be allowed to cross freely.

It also said it would allow more reunions of Korean families - separated since the 1950-1953 war - starting around Korean Thanksgiving Day, which falls on 3 October.

The meeting between Kim Jong-il and the Hyundai officials came a week after Pyongyang released the two US journalists following an unexpected visit by former US President Bill Clinton.

However, in keeping with its usual response to South Korea's military exercises, the North vowed to retaliate for any breach of its sovereignty with a nuclear attack.

It threatened a "merciless and prompt annihilating strike at the aggressors", saying the drills south of the border were a "grave threat" to peace and a prelude to an invasion.

SPORTS: MURRAY bows down DEL POTRO

Britain's Andy Murray completed a superb week by fighting back to beat Juan Martin del Potro in the final of the Montreal Masters.

The 22-year-old Scot defeated the world number six from Argentina 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 for his 13th career title, and fourth at the elite Masters level.

By reaching the final, Murray had guaranteed that he will move to second in the new world rankings on Monday.

He heads to Cincinnati next week to defend the title he won last year.

Del Potro was playing in his first Masters 1000 final and for much of the second set looked like taking the title, but Murray's superior fitness played a huge part as he outlasted the 20-year-old in the hot conditions.

After a cagey start that yielded no break points in the opening 12 games, Murray appeared to just have the edge going into the tie-break, but Del Potro made the breakthrough with a surprise chip-and-charge return to lead 5-4 and two good serves gave him the set.

Murray then won a gripping game at the start of the second by converting his fourth break point when Del Potro put a backhand wide, but he let a 30-0 lead slip in the following game to hand his hard-earned advantage straight back.

Del Potro had beaten Murray for the first time in four meetings on clay in Madrid last time out and has been in tremendous form, winning in Washington last week and extending his unbeaten run to 10 matches in Montreal.

The momentum was certainly with him as the second set progressed and when Murray missed two more break points in game nine, the Argentine was on the brink at just a game away from the title.

Finally, and with perfect timing, the Murray serve began to click into gear and he held his nerve superbly to force a second tie-break, despite clearly being unhappy when Del Potro called an injury time-out for treatment to his shoulder.

Some brilliant scrambling from the Briton earned him the crucial break for 5-3 in the tie-break and he quickly levelled the match from there.

That effectively ended the Del Potro challenge and, as Murray's game went from strength to strength, the Argentine's legs appeared to have gone beneath him.

Murray swept into a 4-0 lead and, despite losing one of the breaks when a now free-swinging Del Potro connected with a few returns, the new world number two sealed victory with an ace after two hours and 42 minutes.

Among his many recent achievements, Murray also becomes the first Briton in 128 years to lift the Canadian title.

Jinnah was great, writes Jaswant Singh

New Delhi: Controversy has been sparked by Jaswant Singh's observation regarding partition in his book about India's independence struggle. Mr. Singh has, contrary to popular perception prevailing in India, glorified Jinnah who is often demonised in India, as an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Singh’s view of Jinnah is markedly different to the accepted Indian image. He sees him as a nationalist, even accepting that Jinnah was a great Indian.

Jaswant Singh also goes on to term Nehru as one of the principal architects of India's partition. He also writes that Jinnah did not win Pakistan, rather Nehru and Patel conceded Pakistan to Jinnah with help of the British.

The BJP leader supported his opinion saying that till 1945 Jinnah was seeking a solution to the problems between Hindus and Muslims. And consider it not as a communal problem but as the problem of a nation.

Earlier, Advani, senior leader of BJP also faced a lot of public and political scorn when he called Jinnah a great nationalist.

This book can evoke serious contempt from the leaders of RSS which has zero tolerance against the Pakistani leader and is likely to cause turmoil in Indian politics.

Two Russian jets collided in mid air

Two Russian fighter jets have collided while training for an air show near Moscow, killing one pilot and injuring at least five people on the ground.

Two pilots from the elite Russian Knights aerobatic team parachuted to safety, but a third, the group's commander, did not survive.

One woman suffered burns and at least four other people were injured as one jet struck houses near the airfield.

Initial reports say that pilot error caused the crash of the two Su-27 jets.

Air force spokesman Lt Col Vladimir Drik said the fighters collided near Zhukhovsky airfield, east of Moscow, where they were preparing for the Maks 2009 aerospace exhibition, due to start on Tuesday.

The dead pilot was named as Russian Knights' commander Igor Tkachenko, 45, a decorated air force colonel.

Russia's entire fleet of Su-27 jets was grounded earlier this year after two crashes in three days, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Pak Army begins relief activities in flooded areas of NWFP

MARADAN: Pak Army has launched relief activities in flood-hit Mardan and Swabi areas where emergency has been declared in all the government hospitals.

Funds have been issued to the district administration of Mardan and Swabi for helping the flood victims.

According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Army troops have reached Muhib Banda, Bagram and Ismailia along with boats.

Pak Army has also set up a flood relief camp in Peshawar which will function in coordination with the Provincial Flood Relief Commissioner and PDMA.

The flood water level is easing in Kalpani Nala, Mardan and the road will be opened for vehicular traffic soon.

The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) has released the necessary funds to the district administration for helping the flood affectees. Hundreds of tents, medicines and other essential items have been dispatched for the victims of Mardan and Swabi.

Steps are also being taken for providing cooked food to the affectees.

SPORTS: Zimbabwean batsman equals Saeed Anwar’s world record

BULAWAYO: Zimbabwean batsman Charles Coventry equalled the record of the highest individual ODI innings, set by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar, smashing an unbeaten 194 runs against Bangladesh in the fourth One-day International here on Sunday.

Batting first, Zimbabwe made 312 runs for eight wickets in the allotted 50 overs at the Queen’s Sports Club ground in Bulawayo.

The main highlight of the innings was Coventry’s marathon batting as the right-hand middle-order batsman struck seven sixes and 16 fours, facing 156 balls.

He equaled the 12-year-old world record of stylish left-hand batsman Saeed Anwar, who made 194 from 146 balls against India at Chennai.