LONDON - The founder of whistleblower website WikiLeaks will fight charges of sexual offences, with his lawyer saying Sunday that the accusations are a "political stunt" being orchestrated by officials in Sweden, possibly at the behest of Washington.

RANCHI - Over 47,000 candidates are in the fray for Monday's second phase of panchayat polls in Jharkhand, amid a boycott call by the Maoists, an official said.

HONG KONG - Hundreds of protesters marched to Beijing's de facto embassy in Hong Kong Sunday calling for the release of jailed dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo.

KATHMANDU - India's state-owned currency printing firm, the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India, has asked the Nepalese government to reimburse the $48,000 the company incurred after Kathmandu signed a major passport contract with it but then cancelled it unilaterally because of political pressure.

KATHMANDU - India's state-owned currency printing firm, Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India, has asked Nepal to reimburse the $48,000 the New Delhi-headquartered company incurred after the Nepalese government signed a major passport contract with it but then cancelled it unilaterally due to political pressure.