World in brief

Portugal's new Prime Minister, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, took office yesterday after forging a centre-right coalition with former political foes that will have to tackle a yawning budget deficit amid a slowing economy. After he was sworn in by President Jorge Sampaio, former Foreign Minister Durao Barroso, 46, said his government would take steps to correct a 'financial and budgetary crisis'.

His conservative Social Democratic Party (PSD) ousted the ruling Socialists in an election on 17 March.

Portugal's deficit is threatening to breach an EU limit for countries using the euro.

It is predicted that the PSD will probably delay tax cuts that were part of a 'fiscal shock' proposed in the party's manifesto to kick-start the economy. The new government is likely instead to trim government spending, which at some 44 percent of GDP is among the highest in the EU.

A likely target for reform is Portugal's creaking state-run health service, which was €1 billion in the red last year and has a 90,000 waiting list for operations.

Durao Barroso has already scrapped plans to build a €1.8 bn new airport in Lisbon and a third bridge across the Tagus.

Backyard bear attack

A Romanian is in hospital after a brown bear mauled him in his backyard. The animal attacked Cezar Popa, 64, in the mountain town of Busteni, a popular tourist area about 100 miles north of Bucharest. He suffered skull and leg injuries.

Thais flock to magic guru

A school in rural Thailand for black magic has attracted hundreds of students who want to learn love potions, verses to ward off ghosts and body tattoos that can stop bullets.

'I want to pass all of my knowledge to new generations,' said self-styled guru Harn Raksajit. 'Black magic is an intellectual heritage from our ancestors, but it is about to die because of modern science.'

Bangladesh's fatal fish

Bangladeshis scrambled for dead fish from a lagoon on the outskirts of Dhaka, which the authorities had poisoned - to clear it of harmful fish. Experts warned that the fish could be fatal if eaten.

Tourist link

India, Burma and Thailand have agreed to build a 1,000-mile road linking the three countries to promote trade and tourism.