Previous Day
Zimbabwe opposition campaign unhindered in Harare
ZIMBABWE: In stark contrast to previous elections
marred by violence, Robert Mugabe's intimidation tactics have been
noticeable this time only by their absence, writes
Bill Corcoran in Harare p
Militia in Basra given 72 hours to surrender their arms
IRAQ: IRAQ'S PRIME minister, Nouri al-Maliki, yesterday gave Shia militia and other gunmen a 72-hour deadline to surrender their weapons as his forces engaged in fierce street battles in the southern city of Basra for the second consecutive day. p
Peru's cocaine traffickers enjoy high life again
PERU: Booming demand and the ingenuity of new gangs have given impetus to Peru's drugs trade, writes Patrick McDonnell in Santa Lucia. p
Sarkozy sings Britain's praises in dazzling address
BRITAIN: PRESIDENT NICOLAS Sarkozy wowed
Westminster yesterday with a historic address combining praise for
Britain's sacrifice and leadership in two world wars with the
promise of "a new Franco-British brotherhood for the 21st
century". p
Other World Stories
Mugabe curbing free vote, reports Amnesty
ZIMBABWE: SUPPORTERS OF opposition candidates in Zimbabwe continue to face harassment and intimidation ahead of this weekend's national elections, Amnesty International has said. pRestive region of Xinjiang gives China's rulers more food for thought
CHINA: Fear of a terror attack from the huge Muslim province is growing, writes Clifford Coonan in Beijing pChina tries to smother Tibet protests as boycott calls rise
CHINA: CHINA HAS sought to keep a lid on ongoing protests in ethnic Tibetan regions, with violence reported in the western provinces of Sichuan and Qinghai and more arrests in Lhasa. pBrown attempts to assuage DUP fury at perceived snub of Northern Ireland
BRITAIN: BRITISH PRIME Minister Gordon Brown has assured DUP MP Nigel Dodds that he "values" the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and says he "will work to make that Union strong". pCrackdown reflects policy of sectarianism
IRAQ: Some fear the US is encouraging the Maliki government to adhere to an ethno-sectarian approach, writes Michael Jansen p'Lidl Stasi' spied on staff, German magazine reports
GERMANY: GERMAN DISCOUNT retailer Lidl has been accused of systematically spying on its employees with hidden cameras and microphones. pIrish arm denies covert observation
IRELAND: LIDL IRELAND says it does not carry out covert observation of its staff using security cameras or by any other means. pFrench in Ireland ashamed of embassy being up for sale
FRANCE: AT THE demand of the opposition socialists, the French National Assembly will hold a debate today on the parlous state of the country's finances. Prime minister François Fillon has said he is "at the head of a state that is bankrupt". pMillion-year-old hominid fossils found in Spain
SPAIN: A FOSSILISED jawbone and teeth found in a cave in northern Spain may have belonged to one of the first human ancestors to set foot in western Europe. pUS diplomats engage with Pakistan's new ruling elite
PAKISTAN: THE BUSH administration is manoeuvring to engage with Pakistan's new ruling elite as power flows from its ally, President Pervez Musharraf, to a powerful civilian government buoyed by anti-American sentiment. pScientists promote potatoes as cereal prices boil over
PERU: FOOD SCIENTISTS are meeting in Cusco, Peru, this week to find ways of boosting world potato production to ease the strain of surging cereal prices on the world's poorest countries. pJapan battles the bulge with mandatory fat checks
JAPAN: ONCE THE butt of jokes, the sight of men sucking in their bellies to hide expanding waistlines just got a lot more serious in Japan, where the government has introduced mandatory "fat checks" for the over-40s. pRubbish sends Italy's mozzarella sales into meltdown
ITALY: WILL IT take a "mozzarella crisis" to prompt Italy's political class to finally take meaningful action against organised crime? The question asks itself in the wake of international concern about the safety of its famous buffalo mozzarella cheese, a product that comes almost exclusively from the Campania region around Naples. pBucharest braces itself to host fraught Nato summit
ROMANIA: AS SECRET service agents swarm into Romania to prepare for the attendance of dozens of world leaders at next week's Nato summit, the political pace is also quickening as countries seek to resolve a host of vital issues before the gathering in Bucharest. pIn Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief. p
