BANGKOK Mon Aug 11,(bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra skipped bail on Monday and went into exile, alleging that political enemies who removed him in a 2006 coup were meddling in the courts to "finish off" him and his family.

ISLAMABAD, Mon Aug 11,(bdnews24.com/Reuters) - An audio tape purportedly made by al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al Zawahri has accused Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and other politicians of trying to destabilize Pakistan at the behest of the United States.

BEIJING, Aug 11 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Germany brushed aside hosts China 4-1 in their pool A first round match on Monday as they began their bid for the men's hockey Olympic gold that has eluded them since 1992.

Tokyo, Aug 11 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Japan that Washington would not remove North Korea from a US list of state sponsors of terrorism on the initial deadline of Monday, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said.

A former Manchester United player whose career was ended when he was injured in a tackle has been awarded more than £4.5m in compensation, reports BBC.

Ben Collett, 23, broke his leg in a reserve game against Middlesbrough five years ago, at the age of 18.

Portsmouth have sealed the signing of Younes Kaboul from Tottenham, reports BBC.

A former Manchester City youth team goalkeeper has admitted blackmailing a top Premier League footballer over sexual images, reports BBC.

Contract rejected but talks continue

Sky Sports

Manchester City star Michael Johnson has rejected the new contract he has been offered, skysports.com understands.

Private-public partnership a must

AP, CHICAGO -- Corporate America may have turned its back on traditional pensions but it appears to be embracing 401(k)s more than ever.

AP

WHAT'S NEW: In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back on buying clothes, but there's been a major shift. Over the past year, men -- enticed by a new slimmed-down silhouette -- have been on a buying spree, while women have pulled back even more. The lopsided fortunes is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years.

AP, WASHINGTON  -- Federal regulators have formed a task force to investigate and prosecute fraud in the retail market for trading foreign currencies outside of commodity exchanges, a field they say is riddled with unscrupulous operators.

AP, FORT WORTH, Texas  -- From his office overlooking the runways of one of the nation's busiest airports, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Chief Executive Jeffrey Fegan sees the slowdown coming this fall.

Observes Marina Mahathir

Staff Correspondent

Marina Mahathir, human-rights activist and daughter of Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohammad, said Monday that she was not tempted to follow in her father's footsteps and go into politics.

Voter enrollment

Staff Correspondent

Detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia has refused to register as a voter from behind bars, a prisons official said Monday.

Appeal against quota system

Staff Correspondent

The High Court on Monday moved to initiate contempt of court proceedings against five senior government officials including cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder.

GATCO Case

Staff Correspondent

The High Court granted former BNP minister Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain three months' interim bail on Monday in the Gatco graft case.

Staff Correspondent

The armed forces will not be deployed at polling centres during the upazila polls, an election commissioner clarified Monday.

Tskhinvali residents head north while volunteer fighters circulate rumours of atrocities in the war zone

Refugees continued to pour out of South Ossetia yesterday, risking snipers, aerial bombardment and tanks to reach safety across the border, reports Reuters.

Bdnews24.com

The British High Commissioner in Dhaka, Stephen Evans, says he believes the state of emergency will gradually be lifted by the time the Jatiya Sangsad polls are due.