International Mainstream

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: Save the lungs of our planet 2008-05-15

The resignation of Marina Silva as the Environment minister of Brazil is a blow to the very future of the planet. Five years ago, she was appointed guardian of the Amazon but, in that time, she has fought an uphill battle against the loggers and ranchers of Brazilian agribusiness. Indeed, she often seem a lone voice in the Brazilian government &ndash&#59; outvoted on the introduction of genetically-modified grains, on the construction of a new nuclear power plant and on massive infrastructure projects, including two big hydro-electric dams and a major new road in the rainforest. She has finally quit, worn down by ill-health and the appointment of a rival minister to speed the approval of energy projects.

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: The real injustice 2008-05-15

When the court martial of six British soldiers accused of beating an Iraqi hotel receptionist to death ended in acquittals, some organs of public opinion in this country reacted with anger that these men were ever put on trial in the first place. This was a shameful reaction because it wilfully ignored the real injustice at the heart of the affair.

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: The good, the bad and the gimmicky 2008-05-15

The new proposals announced by the Prime Minister yesterday in the Government's draft Queen's Speech were the usual New Labour-style mix of the good, the bad and the gimmicky. One of the good ideas was reform of banking regulations. The run on Northern Rock last autumn demonstrated the pressing need for more solid guarantees of ordinary depositors' savings to mitigate outbreaks of panic in the retail banking sector.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: The only ones: how China's single-child policy doubled the agony of parents 2008-05-15

The woman had brought pyjamas and a change of clothes for her only child, a student at the Hanwang Technical College, devastated by the earthquake two days ago which left thousands of parents childless. "My son is studying in this school and I'm waiting for the police to dig him up. I still hope he's alive," she said at the gate of the college, where soldiers in camouflage fatigues brought out bodies of the young victims of the quake and laid them in front of the gates. When the school director broke the news that her son had died in the quake she shook with grief.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Rocket fired from Gaza injures 14 Israelis in shopping mall 2008-05-15

At least 14 people were wounded &ndash&#59; three of them seriously, including a child &ndash&#59; when a Grad rocket fired by Gaza militants exploded in a shopping centre in the Mediterranean Israeli city of Ashkelon yesterday.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Obama returns to the flag after Republicans attack his patriotism 2008-05-15

Battered in West Virginia by white, working-class voters, the "almost nominee" of the Democratic party, Barack Obama, wants to re-brand himself as a flag-waving American. Or at least as a flag-pin-wearing American.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: I give up, says Brazilian minister who fought to save the rainforest 2008-05-15

Brazil has been accused of turning its back on its duty to protect the Amazon after the resignation of its award-winning Environment Minister fuelled fresh fears over the fate of the forest. The departure of Marina Silva, who admitted she was losing the battle to get green voices heard amidst the rush for economic development, has been greeted with dismay by conservationists.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: US enacts law to protect polar bears, but only from hunting 2008-05-15

The United States declared the polar bear a threatened species yesterday; saying the dramatic reduction in sea ice caused by global warming has put it in imminent danger of extinction.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Edwards endorses Obama in bid to end clashes among Democrats 2008-05-15

John Edwards, the champion of poor Americans who left the presidential race in January, endorsed Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate at a rally in Michigan last night.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Sibling rivalry: Hollywood's oldest feud 2008-05-15

Whatever happened to Olivia and Joan? Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine that is, among the brightest jewels of 1940s Hollywood, Oscar-winners both but also sisters locked into an ancient sibling rivalry that, according to accounts from the tinsel city, is alive and well even though both are now in their 90s, grandes dames from a vanished era.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Flooding is new fear after quake leaves dams at breaking point 2008-05-15

The death toll from China's strongest earthquake in more than half a century rose to nearly 15,000 yesterday, as thousands of Chinese troops rushed to shore up "extremely dangerous" cracks in a dam strained to bursting point.

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Film Weekly: Cannes special 2008-05-15

This week's episode is live from the Cannes film festival, with reviews of Fernando Meirelles's Blindness and an interview with the star of the film, Alice Braga

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: 24 hours in pictures 2008-05-15

A selection of the best images from around the world

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Visceral Brit offering opens Un Certain Regard section 2008-05-15

Arts & entertainment: Cannes film festival: Disturbing vision of life in Maze prison shown in UK's most prominent entry

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: 'I can't wait for Lenny Henry to die' 2008-05-15

Arts & entertainment: Interview: Gina Yashere on being a black comedian and tokenism on British TV

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Restaurant on Skiddaw 2008-05-15

Life & style: 'Social climbing' groups adds fourth highest peak in England to bizarre eating venues

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Icahn launches attempt at Yahoo coup 2008-05-15

Business & money: US tycoon attempts boardroom coup after web giant rejects Microsoft bid

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: New housing starts hit 12-year low 2008-05-15

Business & money: Government figures reveal slump in market as builders put projects on hold

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Join the Fringe in Prague 2008-05-15

Travel: Binge on culture rather than booze during the eight-day Fringe festival in the Czech capital

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Golden guides to Britain 2008-05-15

Travel: Shell's quirky guides to England are back in vogue, but does the country they depict still exist?

guardian.co.uk World news: China appeals for heavy lifting equipment as time runs out to find earthquake survivors 2008-05-15

Chinese government makes emergency appeal for cranes and heavy lifting equipment amid warnings that time is running out to rescue survivors

guardian.co.uk World news: Video: Amid death and destruction in China 2008-05-15

Dan Chung and Jonathan Watts report from Chenjiaba, where Chinese troops are helping surivors search for loved ones still missing after Monday's earthquake

guardian.co.uk World news: Einstein's letter on religion sells for £170,000 2008-05-15

Letter in which Einstein branded religious beliefs as 'childish superstitions' sells at auction for £170,000, breaking the world record for a letter by the great scientist

guardian.co.uk World news: Rocket man flies into record books at 180mph 2008-05-15

Swiss pilot puts on jet-propelled solo aerobatic show with home-made folding wing after being dropped from plane

guardian.co.uk World news: Video: On a wing and a dare 2008-05-15

Swiss 'Fusion Man' is the first person to successfully fly with a rocket-propelled wing after leaping from plane

guardian.co.uk World news: Obama apologises to reporter for 'sweetie' remark 2008-05-15

Obama's encounter with reporter Peggy Agar was the second time in two months that he raised eyebrows by calling a woman "sweetie"

guardian.co.uk World news: UN to hold emergency summit on Burma aid, says Brown 2008-05-15

Prime minister sees progress in coordinating the global effort to get aid to cyclone victims

guardian.co.uk World news: Ian MacKinnon on the difficulties of getting aid to Burma 2008-05-15

Ian MacKinnon reports on the difficulties for aid workers in getting to Burma's cyclone victims

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Flexible working to be extended 2008-05-15

Government announces plans to extend flexible working rights to all parents with children under 16

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Ancient bust of Caesar found in river 2008-05-15

Bust of Roman ruler shows a man in his fifties with receding hair

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Man faces court over bakery killing 2008-05-15

A 19-year-old man will appear in court this morning after being charged with the murder of schoolboy Jimmy Mizen

guardian.co.uk World news: Ian MacKinnon on difficulties getting aid to Burma 2008-05-15

Ian MacKinnon reports that there are still difficulties for aid workers getting to the cyclone victims in Burma

guardian.co.uk World news: Ancient bust of Caesar found in French river 2008-05-15

Bust of Roman ruler shows a man in his fifties with receding hair

guardian.co.uk World news: Guardian Daily podcast: Brown"s relaunch; plus UK troops" abuse of Iraqi prisoners 2008-05-15

In our daily audio show, Jon Dennis and guests discuss the draft Queen"s Speech; UK troops" abuse of Iraqi prisoners; and Cannes

guardian.co.uk World news: McCartney criticised as hybrid car is flown in from Japan 2008-05-15

Fromer Beatle faces criticism after his hybrid car was delivered to him by cargo plane

Reuters: Top News: Bush stirs up U.S. campaign with "appeasement" remark 2008-05-15

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush stirred up the campaign to replace him on Thursday, suggesting Democratic front-runner Barack Obama's pledge to meet Iran's leader was akin to U.S. appeasement of Nazi Germany before World War Two.

Reuters: Top News: House defeats $162.5 bln in new war funds 2008-05-15

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday defeated legislation that would have funded the war in Iraq for another year, in a surprise move that the Senate could overturn.

Reuters: Top News: Senators reach deal on housing rescue: sources 2008-05-15

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Key members of the U.S. Senate have reached a deal on a sweeping housing rescue plan in which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would backstop a government mortgage insurance fund, two industry sources said on Thursday.

Reuters: Top News: McCain: U.S. can win Iraq war by 2013 2008-05-15

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Thursday he believes the Iraq war can be won by 2013, leaving a functioning democracy there and allowing most U.S. troops to come home.

Reuters: Top News: Myanmar junta insists aid effort running smoothly 2008-05-15

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government said on Thursday its cyclone relief effort was moving along swiftly even as foreign powers warned of starvation and disease among up to 2.5 million people left destitute by the storm.

Reuters: Top News: Arab mediators reach deal to end Lebanon violence 2008-05-15

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Arab League mediators announced a deal on Thursday to end Lebanon's worst internal fighting since the civil war, after the U.S.-supported government backed down in its conflict with Hezbollah.

Reuters: Top News: Nigeria pipeline blast kills at least 100: Red Cross 2008-05-15

IJEGUN, Nigeria (Reuters) - At least 100 people were killed and scores injured when fuel from a pipeline ruptured by a bulldozer caught fire and exploded on Thursday in a village near Nigeria's biggest city of Lagos, the Red Cross said.

Reuters: Top News: Bush hails Israel's "chosen people" as Arabs lament 2008-05-15

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - President George W. Bush told Israelis on Thursday they were a "chosen people" who can forever count on American support against enemies like Hamas and Iran.

Reuters: International News: China says quake toll could rise above 50,000 2008-05-15

YINGXIU, China (Reuters) - The death toll from China's earthquake could soar to more than 50,000, state media reported on Thursday, as rescuers struggled to help survivors and hope faded for thousands buried under rubble.

Reuters: International News: Interpol says no tampering on FARC laptops 2008-05-15

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Interpol, the international police agency, said on Thursday documents found on Colombian rebel computers, which Colombia's government charges show that Venezuela and Ecuador supported leftist guerrillas, were authentic.

Reuters: International News: French teachers go on strike over job cuts 2008-05-15

PARIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of French teachers and other public sector workers went on strike on Thursday to protest against job cuts and reforms announced by conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy's government.

Reuters: International News: Indian police probe bombing leads 2008-05-15

JAIPUR, India (Reuters) - Indian police probed on Thursday whether Indian Islamist groups or Bangladeshi infiltrators were behind bombings in a popular Indian tourist city that killed 61 people this week, but made no major arrests.

Reuters: International News: Council backs stronger U.N. presence in Somalia 2008-05-15

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Thursday that opens the door to a stronger U.N. presence in Somalia and possible deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in the lawless Horn of Africa country.

Reuters: International News: Thousands flee north-south clashes in Sudan oil town 2008-05-15

ABYEI, Sudan (Reuters) - Thousands of civilians fled clashes between Sudan's former north-south civil war foes in the oil-rich central town of Abyei on Thursday before a ceasefire was agreed, officials said.

Reuters: Top News: China intensifies quake rescue as hopes dim 2008-05-15

HANWANG, China (Reuters) - Fresh aid reached China's earthquake-devastated areas on Thursday but the sheer magnitude of caring for tens of thousands of homeless, grieving survivors threatened to overwhelm relief efforts.

Reuters: Top News: Indian group claims responsibility for bombings 2008-05-15

JAIPUR, India (Reuters) - An unknown militant group has claimed responsibility for setting off a coordinated series of blasts that tore through a packed shopping area in a popular Indian tourist city on Tuesday.

Reuters: Top News: Letting Iran have nuclear arms "unforgivable": Bush 2008-05-15

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - President George W. Bush will tell Israel's parliament on Thursday that letting Iran acquire nuclear weapons would be an "unforgivable betrayal of future generations".

Reuters: Top News: Bush tours Israel's ancient fortress of Masada 2008-05-15

MASADA, Israel (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Thursday toured the Roman-era desert fortress of Masada, a national symbol in Israel of Jewish fighting spirit and self-sacrifice against powerful enemies and overwhelming odds.

Reuters: Top News: CORRECTION: Foreign powers lean on Myanmar to open up aid 2008-05-15

(Corrects month to “May” in second paragraph under “POLITICAL PRESSURE” subhead)

Reuters: Top News: Suicide blast kills 18 Afghan police, civilians 2008-05-15

HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide blast killed 18 police and civilians on Thursday in Afghanistan's western province of Farah, officials said.

Reuters: International News: Arab mediators expected to seal Lebanon deal 2008-05-15

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An Arab League delegation is expected to conclude a deal to end fighting in Lebanon on Thursday after the U.S.-backed government backed down in a conflict with Hezbollah.

Reuters: International News: Seven die in clashes in Baghdad's Sadr City 2008-05-15

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Clashes between Shi'ite militiamen and security forces in Baghdad's Sadr City slum killed seven people and wounded 19 overnight, Iraqi police and hospitals said on Thursday.

Reuters: International News: Anger, blood, at scene of missile hit in Pakistan 2008-05-15

DAMADOLA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Angry residents of a Pakistani village on the Afghan border stopped government officials on Thursday from approaching the ruins of a house struck by missiles suspected to have been fired by a U.S. drone.

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Tory MP banned for quad bike offence 2008-05-14

A Conservative MP was banned from driving for two months today after pleading guilty to riding a quad bike on a public road with no insurance

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Jaipur curfew imposed after bombs 2008-05-14

Police impose day-long curfew across Indian heritage city as death toll tops 80 from bombings

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Watchdog clears Speaker over wife's taxis 2008-05-14

The parliamentary watchdog today dismissed a complaint about taxi journeys claimed on expenses by Commons speaker Michael Martin's wife

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Nato allies agree to cyber defence unit 2008-05-14

Seven Nato members signed a deal today to provide staff and funds for a new research centre designed to boost the alliance's defences against cyber-terrorism

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Cherie's book upsets Kelly family 2008-05-14

Cherie Blair should be "ashamed of herself" for writing about the suicide of the MoD scientist David Kelly in her memoirs, his family said today

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Daily podcast: China's rescue effort 2008-05-14

Latest audio report from the deadly earthquake

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Meirelles scores with vision of horror 2008-05-14

Arts & entertainment: Cannes review: Blindness is a drum-tight thriller that challenges as it chills

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Organic cotton T-shirts for men 2008-05-14

Life & style: In pictures: Buy organic cotton and you'll do developing countries a favour

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: 'She gave a voice to Irish women' 2008-05-14

Life & style: June Caldwell pays tribute to a feminist titan - the writer Nuala O'Faolain, who died last week

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Bradford & Bingley under fire 2008-05-14

Business & money: Bank struggles to defend £300m cash call

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Blending with the locals in Cairo 2008-05-14

Travel: Cairo's friendly coffee houses are the best places to soak up the flavours of the city, says Will Hobson

guardian.co.uk World news: Baha Mousa 2008-05-14

The MoD has announced an inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa, an Iraqi hotel receptionist, in British custody in Basra in 2003

guardian.co.uk World news: US drops charges against 9/11 suspect detained at Guantánamo 2008-05-14

The move has bolstered critics of the controversial military tribunal system set up to try the detainees

guardian.co.uk World news: Bush assassination plotters jailed in Jordan 2008-05-14

Three Jordanian militants were today found guilty of plotting to assassinate the US president, George Bush, and jailed for 15 years by a Jordanian military court

guardian.co.uk World news: Fears for Amazon rainforest as Brazil's environment minister resigns 2008-05-14

Fears are growing for the future of the world's largest tropical rainforest, after the sudden resignation of Brazil's environment minister, Marina Silva

guardian.co.uk World news: MoD launches inquiry into Iraqi Baha Mousa's death in army custody 2008-05-14

Baha Mousa died with 93 identifiable injuries on his body while being held in a British detention centre in Basra in 2003

guardian.co.uk World news: China says 26,000 are buried in earthquake rubble 2008-05-14

State media says another 14,000 people are missing after quake disaster

guardian.co.uk World news: Troops sent to repair cracks in Chinese dam hit by earthquake 2008-05-14

2,000 Chinese troops sent to repair 'extremely dangerous' cracks in dam upstream of earthquake-hit city where 500,000 people live

guardian.co.uk World news: Breakfast with the rocket man 2008-05-14

In his fourth diary extract from Afghanistan, the photojournalist John D McHugh reflects on Pashtun honour and ingrained suspicion of Pakistan

guardian.co.uk World news: MySpace spammers fined $230m 2008-05-14

"Spam king" sent more than 700,000 messages to users fooling them into visiting gambling and porn sites

guardian.co.uk World news: Timeline: Baha Mousa case 2008-05-14

Key events, from the Iraqi hotel clerk's killing by British soldiers to the MoD announcement of an inquiry

guardian.co.uk World news: Iraq withdrawal risks new terror attack, says Bush 2008-05-14

US president claims Democratic candidates' plans for quick withdrawal could lead to new strike on America

guardian.co.uk World news: Second storm threatens cyclone Nargis survivors in Burma 2008-05-14

New tropical storm could hamper efforts to help 1.9 million people left homeless by cyclone Nargis, UN says

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: Mirrors that reflect the reality of regimes 2008-05-14

Contrast the response of two leaders to massive national emergencies within their countries. The day after the Chinese earthquake, in which some 12,000 people at least have perished, the country's prime minister, Wen Jiabao, rushed to the area to which he had already dispatched troops on disaster relief duty. In Burma, 10 full days after the cyclone in which 100,000 are dead or missing &ndash&#59; and the UN estimates a staggering 1.5 million people are at risk &ndash&#59; the leader of Burma's military government, General Than Shwe, is in hiding. Even the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has been unable to get through to him on the phone to express his "immense frustration" at what he described as Burma's "unacceptably slow" response in which fewer than a third of those at risk have received any assistance at all.

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: A cynical stunt that backfired 2008-05-14

The saga of the 10p tax rate has been an object lesson in bad government. Every chapter has illustrated the deficiencies of ministers and even, at times, our political system itself. Gordon Brown abolished the bracket and also cut the basic rate of income tax last year in his final budget as Chancellor in an attempt to wrongfoot the opposition and to give himself some momentum for his planned move to 10 Downing Street. But in his haste Mr Brown did not think through the consequences of his actions. Nor, it seems, did his officials at the Treasury.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Dam scare hampers China rescuers 2008-05-14

Soldiers rushed to plug cracks in a dam scarred by a powerful earthquake while aid supplies arrived in the epicenter for the first time today.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: New cyclone forming in Burma area, says UN 2008-05-14

The United Nations said today another cyclone was forming near Burma, less than two weeks after it was devastated by a killer storm.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: White voters shun Obama as Clinton wins West Virginia 2008-05-14

Hillary Clinton won a big victory over Barack Obama in West Virginia when the state's white working-class voters resolutely turned their backs on America's first black presidential candidate.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Bodies are found in rubble that was once a school 2008-05-14

Rain turned the playground to mud as rescuers dragged the bodies of hundreds of schoolchildren out of the wreckage of the Juyuan Middle School, in earthquake-shattered Sichuan province, leaving the corpses to be identified by their grieving parents in a makeshift mortuary in the basketball court.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Chinese Prime Minister leads new era of openness 2008-05-14

The death toll from Chinese natural disasters was a state secret until only three years ago.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Six bombs leave up to 60 people dead in India 2008-05-14

Up to 60 people have been killed in a series of bomb attacks in India's western city of Jaipur, officials and witnesses said.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Robert Rauschenberg, champion of junk art, dies aged 82 2008-05-14

Robert Rauschenberg, the most versatile, inventive and iconoclastic American artist of the past 50 years, who would use anything from canvas to a stuffed goat or household junk for his creations, has died in Florida after a long illness, his gallery representative said. He was 82.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Surf wars: a killing that made waves 2008-05-14

It is a year now since the town of La Jolla, a surfers' paradise north of San Diego, has struggled with karma lost. The sun still catches the plumed crests of the waves as they roll toward the beaches of Windansea and Bird Rock and the bleached hair of the ocean athletes who wait patiently to ride them. But nothing has been the same since Emery Kauanui died, his skull split in three places.

Reuters: Top News: Clinton vows to keep her uphill bid alive 2008-05-14

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton's landslide West Virginia victory barely made a dent in Barack Obama's big lead in the Democratic presidential race but she promised to keep pushing until the front-runner clinches the nomination.

Reuters: Top News: Curfew in historic Indian city a day after blasts 2008-05-14

JAIPUR, India (Reuters) - Authorities imposed a dawn-to-dusk curfew in parts of India's historic western city of Jaipur on Wednesday, a day after eight bombs ripped through bustling streets, killing 61 people and injuring 216.

Reuters: Top News: U.S. says Iran security pledge not on table in atom row 2008-05-14

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday six world powers had no plans to offer Iran security guarantees to encourage it to suspend nuclear activity, hours after Russia floated the idea.

Reuters: Top News: Lebanon set to cancel anti-Hezbollah measures 2008-05-14

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's cabinet was expected on Wednesday to cancel measures it took against Hezbollah that triggered fighting during which the Iranian-backed movement briefly took over parts of Beirut, political sources said.

Reuters: Top News: Myanmar aid trickles in; EU warns of starvation 2008-05-14

YANGON (Reuters) - The 1.5 million people left destitute by Myanmar's cyclone are in increasing danger of disease and starvation, experts said on Wednesday, but its ruling junta rejected a Thai request to admit more aid workers.

Reuters: Top News: House votes to stop adding to oil stockpile 2008-05-14

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives on Tuesday followed the Senate in rejecting the Bush administration's policy of adding oil to the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve while fuel prices are high.

Reuters: Top News: U.S. says N.Korea to cooperate on nuclear checks 2008-05-14

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea has agreed to cooperate fully on verifying its nuclear declaration, a U.S. official said on Tuesday as he displayed some of the 18,822 documents Pyongyang has given Washington about its plutonium program.

Reuters: Top News: Jordan jails three for Bush assassination plot 2008-05-14

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's state security court jailed three Islamists for 15 years on Wednesday for plotting to assassinate U.S. President George W. Bush during his visit to the kingdom in November 2006, judicial sources said.

Reuters: International News: Iran's Ahmadinejad says Israel "dying" 2008-05-14

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Israel was "dying" and that people in the Middle East would destroy it if given the chance.

Reuters: International News: Regional body says Zimbabwe not ready for fair vote 2008-05-14

HARARE (Reuters) - Conditions are neither safe nor fair yet for a run-off election in Zimbabwe in which the opposition hopes to unseat President Robert Mugabe, the regional SADC organization which will monitor the poll said on Wednesday.

Reuters: International News: Judge says Berlusconi can testify in CIA kidnap case 2008-05-14

MILAN (Reuters) - Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi can be called to testify in a trial of U.S. and Italian spies who are accused of kidnapping a terrorism suspect in Milan and flying him to Egypt, a Milan judge ruled on Wednesday.

Reuters: International News: Austrian axe man kills five family members 2008-05-14

VIENNA (Reuters) - A Viennese man axed to death five family members, including his daughter aged 7, then turned himself in saying he had financial problems, Austrian police said on Wednesday.

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Clinton's easy victory 2008-05-14

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: A tool of foreign ambitions 2008-05-13

After more than 30 years of civil war, invasion and conflict, you might have thought that the poor people of Lebanon deserved a period of peace and reconstruction. It is apparently not to be. First came the Israeli invasion of 2006 and now comes the sudden falter of violence between Shia and pro-government forces over the weekend.

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: Dignity and decent care, from cradle to the grave 2008-05-13

Gordon Brown's announcement on social care for the elderly yesterday helped shift the media spotlight briefly away from his own political troubles. But, unfortunately, from the perspective of the elderly, the Prime Minister's announcement contained little substantive. Mr Brown merely unveiled a six month public consultation.

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: Welcome back 2008-05-13

Hype is, of course, as essential to the Hollywood cocktail as vodka is to a Cosmopolitan. And barely a year goes by without a new film being heralded as a triumph that has skewered a zeitgeist like the heel of a Manolo Blahnik descending on a red carpet. But there is something about the release of the Sex And The City film, which premiered last night in London, which does feel rather momentous; and not just for the armies of fans of the long-running and award-winning US television series, but, in some way, for gender relations too.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Hillary softens tone for primary swansong 2008-05-13

It was pouring with rain in this down-at-heel railroad town as a few hundred die-hard supporters of Hillary Clinton waited patiently for a handshake, an autograph or even a quick photo with the aspiring US president.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Frantic search for thousands trapped by Chinese quake 2008-05-13

China was last night facing the fallout from its worst natural disaster in three decades with at least 9,000 people known to have been killed in a massive earthquake that struck the mountainous province of Sichuan. Tens of thousands more people are feared dead or trapped in the rubble with 80 per cent of buildings reportedly razed to the ground in many areas by a quake that registered 7.8 on the Richter scale.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: First US aid flight arrives in Burma as new storm looms 2008-05-13

The first shipment of American emergency supplies arrived in Burma yesterday as aid agencies warned that the number of people in desperate need of help had risen to two million. In some camps set up by the government, whole families are being given just one cup of rice a day.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Opinion divided over air drops 2008-05-13

The debate over whether to air-drop humanitarian aid into Burma without the junta's consent has intensified, with the British Government and the opposition expressing sharply different views over the most effective way of overcoming the junta's resistance to the international aid effort.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Al-Sadr ceasefire allows troops to enter Shia slum 2008-05-13

The anti-American Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is the great survivor of Iraqi politics. In a tactical retreat he yesterday authorised a ceasefire under which the Iraqi army, but not US troops, will enter the great Shia slum of Sadr City in Baghdad while Mr Sadr's Mehdi Army militia will stop firing rockets and mortars into the fortified Green Zone.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Chavez faces battle with his fiercest critic - his ex-wife 2008-05-13

The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, has moved swiftly to try to contain the political fallout from a bitter dispute with his ex-wife, announcing he will withdraw a custody suit he had filed against her last week.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: McCain aides forced to quit over ties to Burmese junta 2008-05-13

Two top aides to the Republican presidential nominee John McCain have been forced to resign over their ties to the Burmese military junta, providing yet another embarrassment for Mr McCain who is trying to present himself as the scourge of special interests in Washington.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Pakistan rejoins Commonwealth 2008-05-13

The Commonwealth restored Pakistan's membership yesterday in recognition of the democratic steps taken there since the country rescinded emergency rule late last year.

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Darling to flesh out 10p tax plans 2008-05-13

Chancellor to unveil measures to help those who have lost out from abolition of 10p starting rate

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Food prices send inflation surging 2008-05-13

City shocked by sharpest increase in cost of living in almost six years

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: EU chief: use all means to aid Burma 2008-05-13

Call comes amid growing pressure for aid to be flown in without Burmese government approval

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Clinton expects West Virginia win 2008-05-13

Hillary Clinton hopes anticipated landslide could interrupt Obama's glide to Democratic nomination

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Bush gives backing to Lebanese army 2008-05-13

US prepared to strengthen Lebanese army to help disarm Hizbullah after week of violence

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Women dominate Turner shortlist 2008-05-13

Cathy Wilkes, Runa Islam, Goshka Macuga and Mark Leckey in running for £25,000 prize

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Driver put beer's safety before child's 2008-05-13

Australian motorist fined for putting seatbelt around case of beer instead of five-year-old passenger

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Schools minister defends Sats 2008-05-13

School tests are vital in preparing children for high-stakes GCSEs and A-levels, says Jim Knight

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Daily podcast: aid for Burma 2008-05-13

In today's audio show Belinda Rhodes hears from our correspondent about the earthquake in China, about getting aid to Burma and how SATs distort education

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Dead Lepers? Sounds a great show 2008-05-13

Arts & entertainment: As his play Fat Pig prepares to open, Neil LaBute explains the art of giving a work the right name

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: 10 ski resorts for summer 2008-05-13

Travel: As the snow melts, many European resorts offer cheap accommodation, says Sean Thomas

guardian.co.uk World news: W Virginia Democrats go to polls 2008-05-13

Clinton campaigned doggedly yesterday, hoping an anticipated landslide could interrupt Obama's glide to the party's nomination

guardian.co.uk World news: 12,000 dead in China quake; rescuers struggle to reach thousands injured 2008-05-13

Rescuers were struggling today to reach victims of the devastating earthquake that killed 12,000 people in south-west China and trapped thousands more in the rubble of collapsed schools, factories, hospitals and homes

guardian.co.uk World news: Police suspect Olmert aided bids for government contracts, reports claim 2008-05-13

Police have raided Jerusalem's city hall in inquiry into Ehud Olmert's financial dealings, Israeli newspaper claims

guardian.co.uk World news: Quake aftermath in Dujiangyan, Sichuan 2008-05-13

Scenes from the town in Sichuan province, where a school collapse killed hundreds

guardian.co.uk World news: Dujiangyan's residents turn anger against Chinese officials 2008-05-13

Distress turns to anger at Chinese soldiers and officials over the response to the huge earthquake

guardian.co.uk World news: Northern Ireland policeman survives car bomb attack 2008-05-13

An Irish republican armed group identified by the International Monitoring Commission last week as a major threat to the Northern Ireland peace process was today being blamed for an overnight bomb attack on a police officer

guardian.co.uk World news: Israel to relax West Bank restrictions, says Blair 2008-05-13

Middle East envoy hails Israeli agreement to scrap one checkpoint this week and remove or relocate several others

guardian.co.uk World news: Aftermath of the earthquake in China 2008-05-13

Rescuers in China struggle to reach people trapped in collapsed buildings after the earthquake centred on the Sichuan region that has killed an estimated 10,000

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Larger than life 2008-05-13

Arts & entertainment: Richard Serra's new sculpture is nothing if not epic. The artist walks Adrian Searle through it

guardian.co.uk World news: Guardian Daily podcast: Chinese earthquake, aid for Burma and scrapping SATs 2008-05-13

In today's audio show Belinda Rhodes hears from our correspondent about the earthquake in China, about getting aid to Burma and how SATs distort education

Reuters: Top News: Iran president to offer proposals in nuclear row 2008-05-13

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will soon put forward new proposals to resolve its dispute with the West over its nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday.

Reuters: Top News: U.S.-Vietnamese activist convicted, to be deported 2008-05-13

HANOI (Reuters) - An American-Vietnamese political activist was sentenced to six months jail in a one-day trial, but he will be deported at the weekend as he had already served the time, U.S. embassy officials and his party said on Tuesday.

Reuters: International News: Israel agrees to ease some W. Bank restriction: Blair 2008-05-13

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has agreed to ease gradually some travel and trade restrictions on Palestinians and to cede more security authority in parts of the occupied West Bank, Middle East envoy Tony Blair said on Tuesday.

Reuters: International News: Serb parties enter tense coalition negotiations 2008-05-13

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's outgoing prime minister Vojislav Kostunica, once valued as a champion of reform by the West, teamed up with ultranationalist Radicals on Tuesday seeking to form the country's next government, his party said.

Reuters: International News: Berlusconi vows to end Italy's "paralyzing pessimism" 2008-05-13

ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made a sober, conciliatory inaugural speech on Tuesday, vowing to dispel Italy's "paralyzing pessimism" while showing fiscal restraint and respect for the defeated centre left.

Reuters: International News: Thousands displaced by fighting in Afghan south: U.N 2008-05-13

KABUL (Reuters) - Thousands of people have fled their homes as a result of fighting between U.S.-led forces and Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan this month, a U.N. official said on Tuesday.

Reuters: International News: At least 44 dead in Bangladesh ferry accident 2008-05-13

DHAKA (Reuters) - At least 44 people are confirmed dead and many more missing after a ferry carrying nearly 150 passengers capsized in Bangladesh, police officials and witnesses said on Tuesday.

Reuters: Top News: Two more U.S. aid flights set to fly to Myanmar 2008-05-13

YANGON (Reuters) - Two more American aid flights were due to leave for cyclone-hit Myanmar on Tuesday where the reclusive military government is keeping most foreign aid workers away from the devastated Irrawaddy delta.

Reuters: Top News: Lebanese army starts drive to end armed presence 2008-05-13

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's army began taking steps on Tuesday to stop gunmen and groups from illegally carrying arms and to end -- by force if necessary -- a week of fighting between Hezbollah fighters and pro-government gunmen.

Reuters: Top News: Bush heads back to Mideast amid fading peace hopes 2008-05-13

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush heads back to the Middle East on Tuesday facing broad skepticism over his chances of securing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before he leaves office in less than nine months.

Reuters: Top News: WTO chief says trade deal still possible in 2008 2008-05-13

PARIS (Reuters) - It is still possible to reach a deal on long-delayed world trade negotiations before the end of the year, the head of the World Trade Organisation said in an interview published on Tuesday.

Reuters: Top News: Marijuana may up heart attack, stroke risk: study 2008-05-13

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Heavy marijuana use can boost blood levels of a particular protein, perhaps raising a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke, U.S. government researchers said on Tuesday.

Reuters: Top News: Clinton aims for big win in West Virginia 2008-05-13

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton appeared headed to a big West Virginia victory over front-runner Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential race on Tuesday, although it could be too late to turn around her faltering White House bid.

Reuters: International News: S.Korea to discuss North's nuclear list with China 2008-05-13

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's chief nuclear envoy goes to China on Tuesday for talks that could preface North Korea's return to international disarmament negotiations and the release of a long-delayed inventory of its atomic arms programme.

Reuters: International News: Dozens feared dead in Bangladesh ferry accident 2008-05-13

DHAKA (Reuters) - At least 40 people are confirmed dead and many more missing after a ferry carrying nearly 150 passengers capsized in Bangladesh, a police official said on Tuesday.

guardian.co.uk World news: Video: Search for China earthquake survivors 2008-05-13

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: A fateful vote that may dash hopes of peace in the Balkans 2008-05-12

Slobodan Milosevic must be smirking in his grave. Almost a decade after street protests toppled the late dictator of Serbia and Balkan warmonger, his political heirs have come within a whisker of regaining power in Belgrade.

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: A rotten policy demands a rethink 2008-05-12

It was a big mistake on the part of the Government when it caved into the Tories' anti-immigration clamour and slapped a partial ban on labour coming in from the EU's two newest members, Bulgaria and Romania.

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading article: A lesson in loyalty 2008-05-12

By virtue of leading Manchester United to their 10th League title under his managership, Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday cemented his reputation as the greatest club boss in the history of the English game. Even given the huge commercial power that United wield as a worldwide brand, it is still an astonishing record in an era when those charged with bringing success on the football field have never had to work under such unremitting pressure. It is also testimony to the wisdom of giving a manager time to establish himself.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: China says up to 5,000 killed in earthquake 2008-05-12

A powerful earthquake in south-west China has killed up to 5,000 people and left as many as 10,000 injured, state media said, as hundreds of children remained trapped in at least eight collapsed schools.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Burma's towns face refugee crisis alone as aid piles up 2008-05-12

Some have come by boat, others by truck. Some had arrived with a handful of possessions, others with just the clothes they stood in. All have remarkable stories to tell, both of their escape from the cyclone and of their friends and relatives who did not survive.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Rebel raid prompts Sudan to break off Chad relations 2008-05-12

Sudan severed relations with Chad yesterday, accusing it of supporting fighters who assaulted the capital the night before, and warned that a top Darfur rebel leader was hiding somewhere in the city.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Blast kills Gaza teacher in front of her children 2008-05-12

The UN is demanding an investigation into how the Israeli military killed one of its Palestinian school teachers by blasting open the front door of her Gaza home with explosives in the presence of three of her children.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Uluru tourists return 'cursed' souvenirs 2008-05-12

Hundreds of tourists who have taken home a chunk of Australia's best-known landmark, the towering monolith called Uluru, have returned their illicit souvenirs, with some claiming to have been struck by bad luck as a result of the theft.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Fighting moves outside Beirut 2008-05-12

Lebanon hung between fears of all-out war and hopes of political compromise yesterday even as government supporters and opponents battled with rockets and machine guns in the mountains overlooking the capital.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Run-off Zimbabwe vote will be delayed 2008-05-12

The presidential runoff pitting President Robert Mugabe against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will not be held in the next few weeks as required by law, the head of the electoral commission has said.

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Revealed: torture site linked to MI5 2008-05-12

Pakistani building where British terror suspects were allegedly tortured found

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Stone 'planned to cut Sinn Féin leaders' throats' 2008-05-12

Michael Stone had plotted to stab Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness before cutting their throats when he stormed the Northern Ireland Assembly in November 2006, a court was told today

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Serbia parties seek to block pro-EU government 2008-05-12

Serbia's general election gives the president, Boris Tadic, an eight-point lead but nationalist parties could form majority coalition

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: British Gas to hike prices again 2008-05-12

Centrica warns rising cost of wholesale gas eating into retail profits

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Bodies of two babies found in box 2008-05-12

Police in Manchester investigate possibility that recently deceased elderly woman kept deaths secret

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Bush reflects on daughter's wedding 2008-05-12

The US president says the wedding of his daughter Jenna to Henry Hager was 'spectacular'

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Daily podcast: abortion and embryology 2008-05-12

Belinda Rhodes and her guests discuss abortion and embryology as MPs vote on the issue, Man Utd's Premier League win and life in Gaza

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: HSBC takes $3.2bn sub-prime hit 2008-05-12

Business & money: UK's biggest bank predicts US will slide into recession but its first-quarter profits are up on last year

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: The soldier who saw hell 2008-05-12

Arts & entertainment: Winter Soldier is a harrowing film in which Vietnam veterans confess to atrocities. How did it come about? John Patterson finds out

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: A vision in denim? 2008-05-12

Life & style: Hadley Freeman: When can a man wear a denim jacket? And what are the rules about men's ties?

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Brooklyn or bust 2008-05-12

Travel: If you've seen the sights of Manhattan, why not try an alternative view of New York?

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Vélo fever 2008-05-12

Travel: Few things will make you feel more Parisian than hopping on one of the city's communal bikes

guardian.co.uk World news: Afghan security chiefs suspended after Karzai attack 2008-05-12

Afghanistan's top civilian counterterrorism official and the chief of police in Kabul suspended from their posts after an assassination attempt on the country's president, Hamid Karzai, officials said today

guardian.co.uk World news: Video: Bush reflects on daughter's wedding 2008-05-12

The US president says the wedding of his daughter Jenna to Henry Hager was 'spectacular'

guardian.co.uk World news: Video: First US aid flight reaches Burma 2008-05-12

Plane touches down more than a week after cyclone Nargis left tens of thousands dead and an estimated 1.9 million homeless

guardian.co.uk World news: China earthquake kills thousands 2008-05-12

Between 3,000 and 5,000 people in Sichuan province die in powerful earthquake, with 10,000 feared injured, state-run new agency reports.

guardian.co.uk World news: Hacker posts data of 6m Chileans 2008-05-12

Personal details posted in the internet by a Chilean hacker might include information about the president's daughter

guardian.co.uk World news: World CO2 levels at record high, scientists warn 2008-05-12

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to new figures that renew fears that climate change could begin to slide out of control

guardian.co.uk World news: Obituary: Nuala O'Faolain 2008-05-12

Obituary: The writer, journalist and broadcaster was a leading figure in modern Irish culture. By Luke Dodd

guardian.co.uk World news: Revealed: torture centre linked to MI5 2008-05-12

Existence of high-security compound in Pakistan backs up claims by British terror suspects that they were beaten and menaced after UK authorities had them arrested

guardian.co.uk World news: Brown criticised over Dalai Lama meeting 2008-05-12

Gordon Brown was today criticised by pro-Tibet campaigners for deciding to hold his upcoming meeting with the Dalai Lama at Lambeth Palace rather than at Downing Street

guardian.co.uk World news: Serbian nationalists aim to block pro-EU government 2008-05-12

Serbia's general election gives the president, Boris Tadic, an eight-point lead but nationalist parties could form majority coalition

guardian.co.uk World news: Rory McCarthy reports the latest effects on the blockade of Gaza 2008-05-12

Rory McCarthy reports on the latest moves to end the blockade of Gaza and how it is affecting the lives of ordinary people

guardian.co.uk World news: Guardian Daily podcast: abortion and embryology bill and more politics 2008-05-12

Belinda Rhodes and guests discuss the MP's vote on abortion and embryology and Man U winning the premiership and life in Gaza

Reuters: Top News: U.S. flies cyclone aid to Myanmar 2008-05-12

YANGON (Reuters) - The first U.S. military aid flight landed in Myanmar on Monday, but relief supplies continued to just dribble into the reclusive state nine days after a devastating cyclone.

Reuters: Top News: McCain pledges to combat climate change 2008-05-12

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Republican John McCain pledged to take the lead in combating global climate change if elected president in a speech that set him apart from the policies of President George W. Bush.

Reuters: Top News: Mountain clashes bring Lebanon death toll to 81 2008-05-12

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Pro-government Sunni Muslim gunmen and militiamen loyal to Lebanon's Iranian-backed Shi'ite Hezbollah battled with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in the northern city of Tripoli on Monday.

Reuters: Top News: Iraqi PM says crackdown shows he's not sectarian 2008-05-12

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's prime minister said on Monday a crackdown on Shi'ite militias proved his government was not sectarian, in the face of persistent accusations by Sunni Arabs that he has favored Shi'ites since taking office.

Reuters: Top News: Darfur rebel leader vows more attacks on Khartoum 2008-05-12

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Darfur rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim said on Monday he would launch more attacks on Sudan's capital Khartoum until the government fell.

Reuters: Top News: Developing countries eye nuclear power: report 2008-05-12

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 40 developing countries have recently approached United Nations officials to express interest in starting nuclear power programs, the Washington Post reported on Monday.

Reuters: Top News: Tornadoes kill 21, injure hundreds in U.S 2008-05-12

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Tornadoes killed at least 21 people and injured hundreds as they ripped through the central and southeastern United States over the weekend, destroying homes, overturning cars and downing trees and power lines.

Reuters: International News: Russia keeps key ministers in Putin new cabinet 2008-05-12

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Incoming Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced his cabinet team on Monday, keeping most key ministers in their posts and taking powerful Kremlin figures with him to his new job.

Reuters: International News: Sharif's party pulls out of Pakistan government 2008-05-12

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif pulled his party out of Pakistan's six-week-old coalition government on Monday, plunging the volatile Muslim nation back into political uncertainty.

Reuters: International News: Egypt optimistic about Israel-Hamas truce 2008-05-12

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A top Egyptian mediator said on Monday he had "high expectations" that a ceasefire deal could be reached between Israel and Hamas Islamists controlling the Gaza Strip.

Reuters: International News: Serbia in coalition scramble after ambivalent vote 2008-05-12

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's pro-European alliance sought a coalition deal with smaller parties on Monday to stave off a challenge from nationalist runners-up who say they too can form a government after Sunday's parliamentary election.

Reuters: International News: Zimbabwe rejects Western election observers 2008-05-12

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe will not invite election observers from Western countries to monitor a presidential run-off unless they remove sanctions, state media said on Monday, rejecting opposition demands in a political crisis.

Reuters: Top News: U.S. flies cyclone aid to "outpost of tyranny" 2008-05-12

YANGON (Reuters) - The first U.S. military aid flight left Thailand on Monday for Myanmar, an "outpost of tyranny" according to Washington, as relief supplies continued to dribble into the reclusive state nine days after a devastating cyclone.

Reuters: Top News: Taliban deliver silent death threats after midnight 2008-05-12

KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghans call them 'night letters' -- notes scattered or pushed under doorways by Taliban militants in the dead of night, threatening villagers' lives if they cooperate with foreign forces and the government.

Reuters: International News: Sharif's vows to back Pakistani coalition: PM's office 2008-05-12

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif pledged on Monday to maintain support for Pakistan's 6-week old coalition, whatever the party decides to do over an impasse over the restoration of judges, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Reuters: International News: China travel agents seek to cash in on torch euphoria 2008-05-12

BEIJING (Reuters) - Missing the patriotic frenzy that has so far accompanied the Olympic torch relay on its China leg?

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: Prescott told Blair to sack Brown 2008-05-11

Former deputy PM also told Brown to resign but neither man could take final step

guardian.co.uk home | guardian.co.uk: 'This regime is good at killing people, not helping them' 2008-05-11

Cyclone refugees face second battle for survival

guardian.co.uk World news: Male viewers on Sex and the City 2008-05-11

Female fans of Sex And The City never hesitated when Carrie asked them to choose between man or Manolo. But what did male viewers think of the show's bedroom antics and explicit girl talk, and will they be queuing to see the film on 28 May?

The Independent - World RSS Feed: White House vs white bear: Judge says Bush must decide whether to save the polar bear as the ice melts 2008-05-11

It's a classic stand-off between one of the world's best loved animals and one of its most unpopular leaders, between the planet's largest bear and its most powerful man. And it comes to a head this week.

The Independent - Leading Articles RSS Feed: Leading Article: Brown: the case for the defence 2008-05-11

The time has come to make the case for Gordon Brown. This may seem counterintuitive. After all, so everybody is agreed, Mr Brown has been a disaster as a Prime Minister. He has no story to tell; he is indecisive, a ditherer in Conservative Central Office's lexicon; and he is painfully slow on his feet. In short, he is a busted flush. Just look at the local elections and the opinion polls.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Burma cyclone special report: 'I can hear the cries of their spirits' 2008-05-11

At a jetty on the Payapon River, a storekeeper said, with a haunted look: "So many people drowned here that at night I can hear the cries of their spirits." But Burma is an entire nation crying for help.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Burma death toll 'could reach 1.5 million' 2008-05-11

Oxfam warned yesterday that 1.5 million people could die needlessly in Burma as the first outbreaks of disease were reported in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, and many of the worst-hit areas went an eighth day without aid.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: At last: the Fall of the House of Clinton 2008-05-11

Never count a Clinton out. Not even when he &ndash&#59; or, in this case, she &ndash&#59; is sealed in a tomb. Bill came back from scandals that would have felled a less resilient politician. And now we have Hillary, refusing to accept a political death plain to all except her, yet commanding a grudging admiration for her defiance, even among her foes.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Darfur rebels poised to take Khartoum 2008-05-11

The vicious conflict in Darfur suddenly came to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, yesterday, with fighting reported in the western suburbs of the city.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Mangroves would have protected villagers 2008-05-11

Tens of thousands of people died in the Cyclone Nargis disaster because vital mangrove forests had been cut down, destroying the land's protection against the sea.

The Independent - World RSS Feed: Tsvangirai: I'm ready to fight Mugabe in election run-off 2008-05-11

Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, announced yesterday that he would take part in a presidential election run-off against Robert Mugabe &ndash&#59; but it may be next year before the vote is held.

Reuters: International News: Zimbabwe opposition seeks peacekeepers for run-off 2008-05-11

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's main opposition group said on Sunday it had stepped up efforts to secure regional peacekeepers for a run-off presidential election against Robert Mugabe after weeks of violence that intimidated voters.

Reuters: Top News: At least 19 dead in Oklahoma, Missouri tornadoes 2008-05-11

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - At least 19 people were killed in Missouri and Oklahoma when tornadoes and violent storms ripped through the central and southeastern United States, devastating neighborhoods and injuring hundreds, officials said on Sunday.

Reuters: Top News: Tragedy of dead and survivors in Myanmar grows worse 2008-05-11

YANGON (Reuters) - Desperate survivors of Cyclone Nargis headed out of Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta in search of food, water and medicine, but aid workers said on Sunday that thousands will die if emergency supplies don't get through soon.

Reuters: Top News: Hezbollah battles Druze east of Beirut 2008-05-11

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Shi'ites loyal to Lebanese opposition group Hezbollah battled Druze supporters of the ruling coalition east of Beirut on Sunday, adding to the worst civil strife since the 1975-90 war.

Reuters: Top News: Sudan cuts ties with Chad after rebel attack 2008-05-11

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan cut diplomatic relations with Chad on Sunday after an attack on Khartoum by Darfur rebels which it said was supported by Chadian President Idriss Deby.

Reuters: Top News: Iran, IAEA to resume nuclear talks on Monday: report 2008-05-11

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran and the U.N. nuclear agency watchdog will resume talks on Tehran's disputed nuclear program in the Iranian capital on Monday, an Iranian official was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Reuters: Top News: Jenna Bush weds Virginia politician's son 2008-05-11

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's daughter Jenna was married on Saturday evening to Henry Hager, the son of the Virginia Republican Party chairman, in front of more than 200 family members and close friends.

Reuters: Top News: Serbs weigh pride against prosperity in key election 2008-05-11

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbs voted on Sunday in a parliamentary election that will show whether the lure of European Union membership outweighs their anger over the Western-backed secession of Kosovo.

Reuters: Top News: Turkish military says hit Kurdish rebels in Iraq 2008-05-11