Rwanda UN chief tries to appease Rwanda Attempting to defuse rising tensions over a leaked UN report. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is in Rwanda, urging the government not to withdraw its 08/09/2010
Muslim anger over Koran-burning ceremony The hugely controversial plans for a mass burning of copies of the Koran in the US have already prompted angry protests among Muslims. In Kabul 08/09/2010
France Sarkozy stands firm on pension reforms The new age of retirement is not negotiable. That is the blunt message from the French President today after a meeting with his government 08/09/2010
Russia Miracle landing for airliner that blew a fuse Eighty-one people on board a Russian passenger jet are thanking their lucky stars after the plane suffered multiple systems failures 10,600 metres up 08/09/2010
United Kingdom British MPs to debate hacking scandal Britain’s opposition is ramping up the pressure on the government over a newspaper phone hacking scandal. MPs will hold an emergency debate in 08/09/2010
Growing global demand for scarce resource For many Europeans it is a commodity that is part of everyday life but nearly one billion people worldwide have little or no access to water 08/09/2010
"Two billion don't have access to good water" Fifteen years ago, a senior World Bank official predicted that the wars of the 21st century would be fought not over land or oil but over one basic 08/09/2010
Anglo-Irish Bank to be carved in two Details of the demise of Anglo-Irish Bank have been announced. It is to be split into two parts: an asset recovery bank and a funding bank. The asset 08/09/2010
Travellers to US now pay to promote the country Travellers to the United States now have to pay 14 dollars — around 11 euros — even if they are visa-exempt. Most of this is to pay for promoting the 08/09/2010
Dana fends off KNOC takeover bid Scottish oil and gas group Dana Petroleum has rejected a hostile takeover bid from the Korea National Oil Corp. The two billion euro bid was not 08/09/2010
Postal liberalisation moratorium urged by unions Hold up liberalisation of Europe’s postal services. That was the call of demonstrators representing more than 150 trade unions from across Europe 08/09/2010
USA US pastor defiant over plans to burn Koran The pastor of a tiny church in the US says he is determined to go ahead with plans to burn copies of the Koran to mark the ninth anniversary of the 08/09/2010
Iran Iran confirms suspension of stoning death Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has won a stay of execution. The Iranian government has confirmed that it has suspended her sentence of death by 08/09/2010
USA BP fingers contractors in oil-spill report The oil-giant BP has pointed the finger at its contractors in a report on the worst ever oil-spill the US has seen. Transocean and Halliburton come 08/09/2010
Kabulbank customers continue to empty accounts Customers of Afghanistan’s biggest private bank continue to empty their accounts despite promises that their money is safe. Armed security guards 08/09/2010
Russia Kazakhstan revives old water solution The leader of Kazakhstan used a meeting with Russia’s President Medvedev this week to revive an old Soviet-era idea to divert Siberian rivers 08/09/2010
futuris Cultural heritage - a new dimension Anne Coulié is a preservation expert at the Louvre, specialising in ceramics from ancient Greece. David Kolin is an IT expert, working on 3 08/09/2010
3D on display at the IFA in Berlin The old radio tower which stands in the middle of Berlin’s amusement park is decked out in ribbons to mark the 50th edition of the IFA, the biggest 08/09/2010
Ryanair still in the market for new planes Low budget airline Ryanair says it might still be interested in buying up to 300 new planes. That’s after it pulled out of a deal for 200 aircraft 08/09/2010
Vodafone sells off China Mobile stake The world’s highest-earning telecoms operator Vodafone has sold its 3.2 percent stake in China Mobile for just over five billion euros. That’s nearly 08/09/2010
Falling demand puts brakes on German exports A fall in German exports in July has got investors ponderously stroking their chins. After two months of gains, exports shrank by 1.5 percent for the 08/09/2010
France Sarkozy stands firm on pension reforms The new age of retirement is not negotiable. That is the blunt message from the French President today after a meeting with his government 08/09/2010
Iran Iran confirms suspension of stoning death sentence Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has won a stay of execution. The Iranian government has confirmed the suspension of her sentence of death by stoning, a 08/09/2010
Venice honours Tamil filmmaker Mani Ratnam The Venice Film festival honours one of Bollywood’s most outstanding protagonists – Tamil film director, screenwriter and producer Mani 08/09/2010
Istanbul and the Ramadan nights Istanbul is a vibrant mix of differing cultures. Over the centuries the city has seen many changes, yet one festival maintains its place in the heart 08/09/2010
Trapped miners watch Chile football match Thirty-three trapped Chilean miners were able to watch the Chilean national squad’s friendly against the Ukraine over a fiberoptic line. 08/09/2010
Security Council urged to act over DRC rapes The UN Security Council has been urged to consider sanctions against rebel leaders suspected of organizing mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of 08/09/2010
Greece More transport disruption in Greece Public transport in Greece is being disrupted today and tomorrow, as unions continue their protest against government austerity measures. The 08/09/2010
USA Clinton: Burn-the-Koran plan is 'disgraceful' The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she is encouraged by the growing condemnation of plans to burn copies of the Koran on the 11th of 08/09/2010