CALCUTTA: At least 51 people have been killed and about 170,000 people made homeless in floods and landslides in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.

The dead were crushed by landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains in the past two days, which also destroyed more than 100 homes. West Bengal Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said 170,000 villagers had been evacuated to relief camps.

Sanctions call

BRUSSELS: Denmark was today expected to lead calls for the European Union to impose sanctions on Burma's military regime over the death in custody of an envoy who represented several Scandinavian countries, and the suppression of democracy campaigners. However Britain and others oppose sanctions without the backing of the United Nations.

Oil blaze battled

HOUSTON: Firefighters said it could take up to 10 days to put out a fire at an oil well in rural Texas, where the flames shot 2000ft into the air at one stage and could be seen 20 miles away. Two people were killed in an explosion at the well near Dime Box, 55 miles east of Austin, on Saturday, but their bodies could not be recovered because of a 40ft fireball throwing off 1000F (538C) heat.

Barracks blast

MADRID: Two grenades were launched against barracks of the paramilitary Civil Guard in the north-eastern Spanish town of Ochagavia yesterday. No-one was hurt but there was some damage. It was the second grenade attack against Civil Guard barracks in the region this month. The first, in Olite, was attributed to Basque separatist rebel group Eta (Basque Homeland and Freedom).

Campers attacked

SCHWERIN: A youth group leader and five children were injured over the weekend when their camp site was attacked by a gang wielding knives, baseball bats, and pipes, the latest in a series of similar attacks. Police in the German state of Mecklenburg-Pomerania arrested 49 youths, aged between 18 and 23, who were camping in the woods nearby. Seven were expected to face charges.

Deal signed

BEIJING: China and Canada signed an agreement on the financing of a nuclear power project in east China, whereby Canada will supply two 700-megawatt heavy water reactors. The deal, which took seven months of negotiations, must now be approved at the highest levels of the Chinese government.

Ravers praised

BERLIN: Police praised the behaviour of the 750,000 people who attended Berlin's eighth annual weekend ``Love Parade'' festival of techno music and dance. The parade, one of the largest gatherings in the city's post-war history, passed off without serious trouble. About 34 were arrested mainly on drugs offences and some 1600 people needed minor first aid, mostly for exhaustion after dancing non-stop for hours.

Militants to die

PARIS: An Algerian court has sentenced 128 Muslim militants to death in absentia for involvement in guerrilla activities. It also convicted another 67 absent militants to life imprisonment. More than 1200 Muslim militants have been condemned to death since 1993, the year after Algeria annulled elections that Islamists were poised to win.

Caught in act

CAIRO: An Egyptian woman brandishing slippers chased her naked husband down a crowded Cairo street after she found him in bed with another woman. The woman reportedly returned from shopping to find her 30-year-old spouse with the other woman. The wife hit her husband's lover with a bottle, cutting her face, and then turned on her husband. She was later arrested for attacking the woman.