News
Bush says U.S. is Israel's 'best friend'
President George W. Bush, in the Middle East to encourage struggling Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, has emphasized historic ties with Israel saying the United States was its "oldest and best friend in the world."
Polar bears listed as U.S. threatened species
Polar bears were listed on Wednesday as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act because their sea ice habitat is melting away.
Accused September 11 planners set for court on June 5
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of masterminding the September 11 attacks, is tentatively due to appear before a U.S. war court judge at Guantanamo Bay for the first time on June 5, a military official said on Wednesday.
Burma to seek ASEAN help and won't allow foreigners
Cyclone-hit Burma could seek assistance from Southeast Asian nations at a meeting in Singapore but is unlikely to allow foreigners to enter the country, The Straits Times quoted Singapore's foreign minister as saying.
Bush arrives in Israel as scandal clouds peace hopes
U.S. President George W. Bush arrived in the Middle East on Wednesday to celebrate Israel's 60th birthday and try to energise peace efforts complicated by a corruption scandal that could topple Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Afghanistan protests to Iran over border killings
Afghanistan has protested to neighbouring Iran over the killing of a number of its nationals by Iranian forces, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Arab mediators seek to defuse Lebanon conflict
A high-level Arab League delegation starts a mediation mission in Beirut on Wednesday to try to pull Lebanon back from the brink of a new civil war.
Aid trickles in for Myanmar's cyclone survivors
The 1.5 million people left destitute by Myanmar's devastating cyclone were increasingly desperate on Wednesday, as foreign aid remained at a trickle and overstretched aid workers struggled to reach hard-hit areas.
Clinton vows to keep her uphill bid alive
Hillary Clinton won a landslide victory over front-runner Barack Obama in West Virginia and vowed to keep her beleaguered White House bid alive until voting ends in the Democratic race.
Curfew in historic Indian city a day after blasts
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 around 60 people and injuring 150.
Troops rush in to help China quake rescue
China poured more troops into the earthquake-ravaged province of Sichuan on Wednesday to speed up the search for survivors as time ran out for thousands of people buried under rubble and mud.
Police launch knife crackdown in London
London police chiefs said they were launching a widespread crackdown on youths carrying knives after admitting that a recent spate of murders showed current initiatives were not stopping the problem.
Jury shown impact of 'airline bombs'
A jury was shown video footage on Tuesday of what prosecutors said would have been the devastating impact of liquid explosives a group of men were planning to use to blow up transatlantic airliners.
Bank faces inflation headache as growth slows
New Bank of England economic forecasts on Wednesday will probably have a hawkish tinge despite a slowing economy, and may signal whether interest rate cuts risk drying up following some diabolical inflation data.
Darling says tax cuts will help in slowdown
Chancellor Alistair Darling said on Wednesday that the global credit crunch was slowing down the economy but income tax cuts announced this week would help many Britons weather the storm.
Two arrested over Oxford Street murder
Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a man stabbed to death in London's Oxford Street, police said on Wednesday.