News
African leaders to meet on Zimbabwe
Southern African leaders will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss Zimbabwe's crisis, but the region's designated mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki, will not attend, officials said.
Olmert salvages Israel coalition with deal
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert averted a split in Israel's restive coalition on Wednesday by striking a deal with his biggest partner, the Labour party, that stopped it backing a bill to dissolve parliament.
Medvedev wants 'serious' pact with EU
Russia wants to negotiate a "serious" pact governing its relationship with the European Union but not one overburdened with detail, President Dmitry Medvedev told Reuters in an interview.
Pastor attacked in Sri Lanka
A Christian pastor was attacked on Monday by three men in Ampara, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, while returning home from a church group meeting in Uhana, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
China offers rare praise for Myanmar's drug fight
China praised Myanmar's efforts to fight drugs on Wednesday, lauding the actions of a military government often criticised in the United States and Europe for not doing enough to tackle the problem.
Biofuels pushing 30 million into poverty
Biofuels are responsible for 30 percent of the increase in global food prices, pushing 30 million people worldwide into poverty, aid agency Oxfam said in a report on Wednesday.
Storm lashes south China after Philippines
Tropical storm Fengshen struck south China on Wednesday after tearing through the Philippines last week, bringing driving rain, uprooting trees and closing schools, markets and businesses in Hong Kong.
Ship terrorism alert system seen flawed
A terrorism alert system installed in thousands of merchant ships after the September 11, 2001 attacks is flawed because it does not immediately notify local security authorities of an attack, said a report on the system.
Ecumenical bodies request greater action on Zimbabwe
Ecumenical bodies urge international community to step up efforts to solve Zimbabwe's political crisis and protect citizens.
Power loss in floods was 'unacceptable'
Power stations and water plants must take part in emergency planning to avoid a repeat of last year's floods when supplies were cut to affected areas, the head of a government review said on Wednesday.
UK soldier killed in south Afghanistan
A British soldier has been killed by an explosion while checking for mines in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
Poll shows Labour 20 points behind
The Labour Party is trailing the Conservatives by a record 20 points, a poll released ahead of the first anniversary of Prime Minister Gordon Brown taking office showed.
Greencore says to cut earnings after audit probe
Irish food group Greencore said on Wednesday it had uncovered a "deliberate concealment of costs" at its mineral water business leading and it would restate some earnings lower.
Controversial obesity drug gets final okay
Sanofi-Aventis won a final green light for its obesity drug Acomplia from cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE on Wednesday, clearing the way for doctors to prescribe it on the state health service.
Monet painting smashes auction record
A Monet water-lily painting sold for 41 million pounds Tuesday, doubling the previous auction record for the artist and ensuring London's key art market season got off to a flying start.
Credit crunch looms over regional jobs
The threat to jobs from the global credit crunch will spread wider than the City of London financial district and could affect many regions across Britain, economists said on Wednesday.