Islamabad, December 31 (ANI): Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has been named among year 2008's 'Top Ten Prominent Foreign Figures' by a Chinese newspaper.

The paper called Guangming Daily has even profiled Zardari, and published details of his education and political career.

"Consensus says that Zardari's time commenced while Musharraf's time concluded," the Daily Times quoted the Chinese-language paper as noting.

According to the newspaper report, Zardari was nominated as co-chairman of the PPP, and became a prominent political figure both within the country as well as internationally after former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination on December 27 last year.

Time Magazine also list Zardari among the world's top twenty personalities of the year 2008 in its December 26 issue.

U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have also made it to the list.

The magazine chose U.S. President-elect Barack Obama for its annual person of the year award. (ANI)

Melbourne, Dec 30 (ANI): The number of tourists to Australia will decline in 2009 to the lowest level since 1989, a report has said.

As the global financial crisis bites, Australia could be short on overseas visitors for at least the next two years, impacting severely on destinations that rely solely on international guests.

The report said that the number of visitors is predicted to fall from 5.56 million to 5.33 million, with next year shaping as the industry's worst since 1989.

The Tourism Forecasting Committee predicts international numbers will recover by 2010, but other experts warn the pain may continue well into 2010.

"Unless we see a huge pick-up in the global economy to the later half of 2009 into 2010, then that year could be looking just as bleak," the Age.com.au quoted the executive director of the Tourism and Transport Forum, Olivia Wirth, as telling ABC Radio.

"It's too early to call at this stage," she said.

Wirth said that with destinations such as Cairns and Uluru predominantly visited by international guests, some people might lose their jobs and businesses might close.

Other setbacks for Australia's tourism industry include shark attacks and shark sightings.

And with recession taking a toll on Australia's tourism industry, the country is to be promoted through a series of advertisements created by the filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. (ANI)

New Delhi, Dec 30 (ANI): National Conference chief Omar Abdullah will be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir heading a coalition government with Congress.

This was decided after Omar met Congress President Sonia Gandhi here today.

Emerging from a meeting, he said, "It has been decided that I will lead the coalition government in the state of which Congress will be a part of."

"Other nitty-gritty of the alliance will be worked out in due course of time," he added.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of both the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) initially showing inclination to form the government in the State and Congress having a rethink on whether it should support NC or PDP.

Abdullah's National Conference party won 28 of the assembly's 87 seats, the Congress 17, the People's Democratic Party 21, Bharatiya Janata Party 11 and other parties and independents won 10 seats.

The large voter turnout has encouraged New Delhi, which now hopes to blunt separatist sentiments and bring peace by investing heavily in development projects and job creation.

Kashmir came under New Delhi's direct rule in July after the incumbent Congress-PDP coalition government fell over Amarnath land dispute. (ANI)

Srinagar/Amritsar, Dec 30 (ANI): Cold wave gripped north India as the mercury dips to below zero in Kashmir valley, causing disruption of normal life.

Temperature dipped to minus three degrees on Sunday, which kept the residents in Srinagar indoors. Some could be seen huddled together around a fire on roads warming themselves.

Youngsters like Nayeem said that every one was waiting for a snowfall.

"It is so cold here. Everyone is waiting for either a snowfall or rainfall so that the temperature may not fall further," said Nayeem.

Echoing the similar sentiments was Sajad who said that in last one or two-day temperature had dipped a little and only snowfalls could provide respite from falling temperature.

"These days people are waiting for snowfall so that the temperature may not fall further," he added.

The cold wave also swept across Amritsar, the residents complaining of damage to crop.

"We are facing lot of problem due to cold wave here. We cannot go outside due to this. Like Srinagar, Punjab too is facing severe cold. The cold wave is creating problems for poor people and the crops," said Chanchal Singh, a farmer.

Mercury dipped to two degrees in Amritsar on Tuesday, making it impossible for the farmers to go out to their fields. (ANI)