Police have arrested a cook accused of poisoning to death 22 people in central Pakistan in a political feud between two branches of the same family.

Paramilitary troops patrolled the streets of an eastern Pakistani city today after eight Christians died in riots led by Muslims, police said.

Pakistan has captured two high-ranking al-Qaida terrorists, including one with a multi-million dollar US bounty on his head, in a sweep that has netted a number of other terror suspects, officials said today.