News

Thousands Stranded as Bangladesh Flood Spreads

A second spell of floods in less than a month has spread across parts of Bangladesh, killing seven people and leaving thousands stranded, officials said on Monday. They said the overall death toll from flooding since July had risen to 840.

Croat Parties Campaign on EU Hope; Strategy Vague

Croatian parties have kicked off campaigning for a November general election with similar slogans but subtly divergent paths for the crucial last leg of reforms needed for the country to join the European Union.

McCann Family Rejects Spurious Police Evidence

The family of Madeleine McCann dismissed the evidence against her parents as "spurious" on Monday and appealed to Portuguese police to keep looking for the missing four-year-old.

Amnesty says Sudan Tortured Accused Coup Plotters

Rights group Amnesty International said Sudan had tortured five people detained since July on accusations of planning to overthrow the government, and one needed urgent medical help.

Eritrea says Ethiopia Scuppers Border Talks

Eritrea accused Ethiopia of scuppering demarcation talks on their disputed frontier on Saturday, further dimming prospects of resolving a five-year impasse.

Catch 22 Audio Renews Christian Media Vision

Catch 22 Audio has announced a number of exciting new developments in its ministry. The company revealed it is changing its name to 'Catch 22 Media', saying the change has come as part of a move to display the "company's expanding array of services within the world of music and media".

U.N. Sees Afghan Suicide Bombings at Record in 2007

Afghanistan is on course for a record number of suicide bombings in 2007, a top United Nations envoy said on Sunday, the sixth anniversary of the first such attack in the insurgency-racked country.

Howard Says APEC Climate Pact Step Towards Post-Kyoto

An Asia-Pacific climate change agreement was a milestone because it marked the first time the world's biggest polluters had pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Australia's Prime Minister said on Sunday.

Dimas Says Car-Makers Missing CO2 Target Face Fines

European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas warned in a newspaper interview on Sunday that carmakers will face sanctions if they fail to meet new rules on reducing emissions.

Darfur Peace Move Encouraging, but Still Early

The U.N. Secretary-General said on Sunday he was encouraged by the "credible progress" he felt had been made towards peace in Darfur during an Africa tour, but it was too early to talk of tangible results. Ban Ki-moon said the challenge now was to persuade all Darfur's rebel groups to attend talks with the Sudanese government next month, he told international news agencies in an interview at the end of his trip to Sudan, Chad and Libya.

Trade Unions say Close Tax Loophole to Meet UK Poverty Goals

Britain could meet its goal to halve child poverty by 2010 if it closed a loophole that allows more than 100,000 high earners to avoid paying tax on their overseas income, the Trades Union Congress said on Sunday.

UK Civil Service Unions Threaten Brown With Strike

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown could face strikes by more than a million civil service workers in his first year in power unless the government backs down over pay and job cuts, trade unions warned on Sunday. Any widespread industrial action would be a disaster for newly-crowned Brown as he seeks to build on improved public support for the ruling Labour Party ahead of any election following the departure of Tony Blair this summer.