Eurasia

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Prospects for political stability in Pakistan faded on Tuesday, a day after a split in the ruling coalition, with a battle looming over who will become the next president of the nuclear-armed U.S. ally.

KARACHI (Reuters) – Pakistani stocks fell over 4 percent on Tuesday to a new two-year low as investors sold blue chips such as OGDC on fears a break-up in the coalition government would raise political uncertainty.

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev convened security chiefs on Tuesday to consider a plea from parliament to recognize two separatist regions of Georgia as independent, a move Washington says would be unacceptable.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) – A blast hit a rally promoting autonomy for Pakistan’s gas-rich Baluchistan province on Tuesday, wounding more than 20 people, while in the city of Peshawar shots were fired at U.S. consulate staff.

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned ex-Soviet Moldova on Monday against repeating Georgia’s mistake of trying to use force to seize back control of a breakaway region.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif pulled his party out of the ruling coalition on Monday over disputes with his main partner over the judiciary and who should be the next president.

BISHKEK (Reuters) – Kyrgyzstan announced a national day of mourning for Tuesday after 65 people died at the weekend in one of the tiny Central Asian state’s worst air disasters.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s parliament will call on Monday for President Dmitry Medvedev to recognize Georgia’s breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s parliament unanimously approved resolutions on Monday calling for the recognition of two rebel regions of Georgia as independent states, a move likely to worsen already strained relations with the West.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The Pakistani Taliban have “the upper hand” and should be put on the list of banned organizations in Pakistan, said Asif Ali Zardari, who has been nominated by his party to be the country’s next president.