Asian stock markets caught their breath, though continuing to notch up losses. Overall, smaller negative moves should augur well for equities, but any signs pointing to a moderate reversal of form are not a certainty - and may just as likely be a statistical artefact. R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week’s markets.

The overseas arm of state-owned oil and gas company OVL is at the forefront of India’s push for economic and strategic penetration in Central Asia after signing an accord to prospect inside Uzbekistan borders. The provisional agreement widens the net after a similar deal with Kazakhstan earlier in the year. - Robert M Cutler

United States President Barack Obama is proposing additional funding for schools and a push for better teachers. Nothing will come of it; without better selection of students at all levels of education, spending more money on education will not be a worthy ”investment”.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has offered a $5 billion credit line to African countries over the next three years to help them achieve their development goals. Pride of place in Manmohan’s initiative for training the continent’s labor force is a pledge that spurs demand for studying in India. - Ranjit Devraj

Agreement on Japan’s biggest financial assistance package to Bangladesh in four decades has closed a crucial funding gap. Dhaka can now press ahead with construction of a nearly $3 billion bridge that will slash nine hours off the 12-hour journey from the capital to the key port of Khulna. - Syed Tashfin Chowdhury

An explosion ripped through the subway of Minsk, the capital of Belarus. The cause of the explosion has not been determined yet, officials said. The explosion occurred at Oktyabrskaya station. This is the first time when such an incident takes place in the Minsk subway

A strong earthquake rattled Japan’s northeast coast and sparked a fresh tsunami alert, one month after the worst ever natural disaster devastated the country.

Dust and dirt whipped up by high winds blinded dozens of motorists on a north German highway on Friday, triggering a mass accident, which killed at least eight people and injured 60 others. The sudden sandstorm, which struck south of the eastern German coastal town of Rostock, reduced visibility on the A19 autobahn to zero in a matter of seconds.

One Royal Navy officer was shot dead and another critically injured after a guard opened fire on British’s flagship 1 billion pound nuclear submarine that carries Tomahawk cruise missiles, a media report said. Seaman Ryan Donovan, who has been held, is understood to have opened fire with an assault rifle after an argument on HMS Astute that was berthed in Southampton.

At least 13 people have died after a gunman opened fire in a school in western Rio de Janeiro. The vice-mayor of western Rio said 13 people had died in the shooting at Tasso da Silveira school, although it was not clear if that figure was accurate or included the attacker.