sharif. his election was a first-ever democratic transition in that country from one elected government to another. it represents a sign of progress in pakistan. we discussed our trade economic and cultural ties and agreed to work together in extremism and tackling poverty in dealing with the issues that can fuel to power -- terrorism. building on -- i welcome and prime ministers commitment to working with afghanistan defeating terrorism across the region. mr. speaker let me turn to last week's european council. this was rightly focused on sorting out europe's economy is doing what we are doing in britain getting a grip on spending and supporting private enterprise to create jobs and growth. while spending the council finalized with the european parliament the seven year budget deal we successfully negotiated in february. this will create new possibilities between different years and between different budget headings but crucially the deal delivers for the first time a real terms cut on the c

he's to meet with newly elected prime minister nawaz sharif. the visit came as pakistani police said they've recaptured more than 40 inmates who escaped from a prison monday night. taliban attackers had freed some 250 prisoners in all. the 35 guards on duty at the site were overwhelmed by 150 attackers who carried guns, bombs and grenades. reports said only ten of the guards were armed. thousands of people in zimbabwe headed to the polls today to elect a president, and possibly, end an era. incumbent president robert mugabe was trying to keep his 33-year grip on power in the african nation. we have a report from neil connery of "independent television news." >> reporter: first light-- but in the chill of dawn, there is hope in the air. the polls have just opened, and already the queues stretch out, such is the hung tore make their voice heard, as zimbabwe votes. opposition candidate ian mcconey arrives to cast his ballot. he believes this could be the most significant day for this country since independence. >> 1980 was a watershed election fro

nawaz sharif won the election in may because of his opposition to drone activity. the obama administration has refused to change its policy and says drone strikes are legal under domestic and international law. >>> a deadly strain of bird flu has claimed another victim in cambodia. the health ministry says nine people died from the h5n1 virus so far this year. a 6-year-old girl from a village in a southern province died last friday. the girl was likely exposed to infected poultry. the health ministry says 13 cases of h5n1 bird flu have been confirmed in the country this year. the world health organization says 20 people were infected worldwide between the start of january and 4th of june. 15 of those cases resulted in death. the w.h.o. says the virus is endemic among poultry in cambodia. children seem to be most vulnerable because they often like to play in areas where poultry also graze. >>> packed subway trains are part of everyday life for singaporean commuters. congestion is getting so bad the transport authorities are now offering free fares for people who tra

pakistani prime minister nawaz sharif is working to promote economic ties with china. he is visiting beijing where he has met with top leaders. patchari raksawong in bangkok has more. >> sharif and his chinese counterpart attending a ceremony for signing a series of agreements on friday. since returning to power in june, sharif has set his eyes on building stronger relations with china. he is working with the old ally in the hope of rebuilding pakistan's economy and developing its infrastructure. sharif chose china as the destination of his first official overseas visit since taking office. pakistan and china are close allies in part because of their mutual rivalry with india. >> our friendship is higher than this and deeper than the deepest sea in the world. and sweeter than honey. >> there may be another reason behind sharif's glowing message to china. pakistan's energy shortages continue to worsen. some areas of the capital, islamabad, are without power more than ten hours a day. sharif wonover voters during his campaign by condemning the previous government for fai

during his election campaign earlier this year, the prime minister nawaz sharif pledged to engage militants in talks to improve security in pakistan. >>> thailand's economy is booming, but the benefits don't always reach people at the bottom of the pyramid. many children from poor families don't have access to a proper education, but one woman born in a bangkok slum hopes to change that. nhk world reports. >> reporter: affectionately known as dr. slum. she just received her ph.d in biotechnology at the age of 28. her accomplishment is attracting a lot of media attention in this country, where a wide gap remains between rich and poor. she wouldn't have got so far without the support of her parents and her sister and brother, who gave up their own studies to earn money for the family. >> translator: i'm so proud of her. i'm speechless. i'm so happy she's made a success of herself. >> translator: i'm so happy my brother, sister, and parents can all be with me today. thanks to them, i've been able to take the first step towards my goal. >> reporter: thailand's booming economy means little here.

sharif, has announced a series of measures to run state-owned companies more efficiently, to get the country's fiscal house in order, and to open up the economy. most tantalizing is the prospect of better economic relations with india. pakistan will get a huge boost if the government would remove barriers and burdens that are the product of old animosities rather than any sensible economic thinking. this week al jazeera leaked an astounding report on pakistan. the supreme court investigated how on earth osama bin laden managed to live there for so long undetected. the report reveals a completely inept police and military, and it hints that certain elements within the pakistani establishment may have known about bin laden. it said connivance, collaboration, and cooperation cannot be entirely discounted. the message should be clear. pakistan's main enemies are not the ones its military would have you believe. india, afghanistan, or the united states. the real enemies lie within. extremism, military dictatorship, weak institutions and corruption. islamabad now has a mandate and the time