TRADE: EU, US reach deal to end beef, cheese spat
The European Commission and the US announced a provisional deal to end a long-standing dispute over an EU ban of US hormone-treated beef. The deal lifts the threat of new retaliatory duties on EU products imported to the US, such as Roquefort cheese.
AFGHANISTAN - PAKISTAN: Obama, Karzai, Zardari unite against Taliban ahead of final talks
US President Barack Obama meets with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts, Hamid Karzai and Asif Ali Zardari, for final talks Thursday, a day after the three leaders announced they were united in their fight against Islamic extremists.
INFLUENZA A (H1N1): Mexico City rumbles back to life after flu shutdown
Mexico's main cities returned to their usual crowded bustle as restaurants and public places reopened on Wednesday after five days of lockdown aimed at containing the deadly A (H1N1) flu virus. High schools and universities reopen Thursday.
INDIA: Key races at stake in fourth phase of election
Voters in 85 constituencies across seven states as well as in the Indian capital of Delhi cast their ballots in the fourth phase of India’s mammoth five-stage general elections Thursday as the contest between the two main parties tightens.
GEORGIA: Riot police repel protesters at security headquarters, 29 injured
Violence flared between police and protesters in Tbilisi during a month-long opposition campaign to oust pro-Western president Mikheil Saakashvili, a day after Georgian troops put down a brief mutiny at a tank base outside the capital.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Draw with Chelsea sends Barcelona to final with Manchester United
Barcelona's Iniesta scored a late goal in a stunning reversal of fortunes to sink unfortunate Chelsea (1-1) in Stamford Bridge. The Catalans will play holders Manchester United in the Rome final on May 27.
FRANCE: China warns Paris against granting Dalai Lama honorary citizenship
China warned Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë not to make the Dalai Lama,Tibet's spiritual leader, an honorary citizen of the French capital, saying that the move would meet with "the Chinese people's firm opposition".
CHAD: Rebels and military clash near Sudanese border
Sudan-backed rebels said they were advancing towards the Chadian capital Ndjamena after clashing with government forces in the country's east. The Chadian government responded by bombing rebel positions.
IMMIGRATION: UK-bound migrants narrowly escape acid-tank death
A dozen migrants trying to get from northern France to Britain avoided a grisly death when a truck driver found them hidden in a tank just as he was about to fill the cistern with sulphuric acid, according to local factory workers.
INFLUENZA A (H1N1): China begins lifting quarantine on Mexican flight passengers
After a seven-day quarantine, China began releasing passengers who had shared a flight from Mexico with a man who later tested positive for the A (H1N1) virus, according to state media.
GEORGIA: 'Isolated' mutiny under control as NATO exercises begin
The Pentagon has played down a mutiny by a Georgian tank battalion, saying it was an "isolated incident". NATO begins month-long exercises in Georgia Wednesday involving soldiers from a dozen NATO countries.
CORRUPTION: France to probe African leaders on corruption allegations
Anti-corruption activists have hailed the decision by a French magistrate to investigate three African heads of state accused of plundering state coffers to go on lavish spending sprees in Paris and the French Riviera.
LISBON TREATY: Czech president stops short of ratifying, senate approves
Senators in the Czech Republic, the current holder of the European Union presidency, on Wednesday approved the EU's reforming Lisbon Treaty. President Vaclav Klaus said he would not sign the treaty as it was "dead for the moment".
SOUTH AFRICA: Zuma elected president
The African National Congress (ANC) seized a large parliamentary majority in April 22's general elections and today voted in ruling party boss Jacob Zuma as president. Zuma will be South Africa's fourth president since the fall of apartheid.
PAKISTAN: Thousands flee Swat as Zardari, Obama seek out new strategies
Tens of thousands of civilians are fleeing new fighting in Pakistan’s Swat valley as a deal establishing sharia law in exchange for peace unravels. The clashes come as Pakistani, Afghan and US leaders meet in Washington.
FRANCE: Sarkozy's polls down after two years in power
President Nicolas Sarkozy marks his second anniversary at the Elysee Palace Wednesday as the French economy and his popularity sink to new lows. According to a new opinion poll, 63 percent of the French see his record as "mostly negative".
GEORGIA: 'Isolated' mutiny under control as NATO exercises begin
The Pentagon has played down a mutiny by a Georgian tank battalion, saying it was an "isolated incident". NATO begins month-long exercises in Georgia Wednesday involving soldiers from a dozen NATO countries.
KIDNAPPING: Hungarian court orders Elise's mother to be extradited to France
A Hungarian court decided that the Russian mother of three-year-old Elise be extradited to France, where she faces charges of kidnapping her child and trying to bring her to Russia. Elise has been at the heart of a multinational custody battle.
INFLUENZA A (H1N1): France confirms a total of seven cases
France confirmed two more cases of Type A (H1N1) influenza, bringing the nation's total to seven. The two new infected people had both been in Mexico.