At least 100 people were killed and scores injured when fuel from a pipeline ruptured by an earthmover building a road on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital Lagos caught fire, the Red Cross said last night. "About 100 people have so far been confirmed dead. We have rescued more than 20 people and taken them to hospital," said one Red Cross official. Most of the deaths and injuries resulted from a stampede caused by the fire.

Talks On With Namibia & Niger For Uranium Imports Even As Govt Woos Left For N-Deal With US Subhash Narayan NEW DELHI ENERGY-hungry India is now tapping non-NSG (nuclear suppliers' group) members, including Namibia and Niger, to explore possibilities of importing fuel for its nuclear power plants. This comes even as the government tries to bring on board its Left allies on the Indo-US nuclear deal. At least two units, expected to be commissioned within the next few months, may have to wait for fuel linkages if fresh supplies for uranium are not secured soon.

According to the latest global report card, India ranks 27th along with Ghana and Eritrea when it comes to providing basic healthcare to its children, which includes life-saving interventions like prenatal care, skilled childbirth, immunization and treatment for diarrhoea and pneumonia. Over 53% children in India under five years

Crude oil prices could surge to $200 a barrel in the next two years, according to theGoldman Sachs analyst who three years ago correctly predicted a price "super-spike" above $100 a barrel. The warning by Arjun Murti came as oil prices hit a fresh record high above $122 a barrel, boosted by supply disruptions in Nigeria, lower output in Russia and continued robust demand in China ahead of the Olympics. Mr Murti said the energy crisis could be coming to a head as a lack of adequate supply growth was becoming apparent.

Seen from the porthole of a Super Puma helicopter skimming over the Atlantic, the future of African oil exploration appears for a second like a giant, fire-breathing dragon. Towering 12 storeys above the waters off Nigeria, Royal Dutch Shell's mammoth Bonga facility puffs a constant plume of flame as it sucks oil from below the ocean floor. Shell sees Bonga's start-up in November 2005 as heralding a new era of deepwater operations in Nigeria, where a series of recent reports have revealed the depths of its difficulties onshore in the swamps of the Niger Delta.

A species of cattail grass, Typha australis, is taking over river banks and farmlands in the wetlands of Nigeria's Jigawa state, disrupting farming and fishing activities, said the state