ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s government will restore democracy  quickly in its biggest and politically most important province  as part of reconciliation efforts, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza  Gilani said yesterday.

MOSCOW – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said yesterday  that Russia would rearm its military and boost its nuclear  forces despite the raging economic crisis because U.S.-led NATO  is expanding toward its borders.

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday  rejected Hamas demands to free 450 long-term prisoners in  exchange for a captive soldier, signalling his last-ditch bid to  resolve the crisis may have failed.

KHARTOUM – Eight gunmen attacked a group of international  peacekeepers on patrol in Sudan’s Darfur region yesterday,  killing one in what the force’s spokesman described as a  “cold-blooded ambush”.

BEIJING – North Korean Premier Kim Yong-il praised China as  a regional bulwark before arriving for a visit yesterday that  underscores Beijing’s go-softly approach to Pyongyang’s missile  launch plans that have alarmed the region.