 | European leaders agree to unified response to financial crisis
The leaders and finance ministers of Europe's largest economies have agreed to work together to reform the global financial system and to tighten market regulation. Speaking from a Berlin summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe had to form a united front in its response to the biggest economic crisis in decades while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for global new deal to tackle the crisis. Key points raised by the leaders included tougher regulation against tax havens and hedge funds, a precautionary fund of 500 billion dollars for international institutions, a greater role for the World Bank and unified energy policies. The Berlin summit precedes a broader summit of the Group of 20 economic nations in London on April 2.
|  | | Taliban seize Pakistani official amid talks
Pakistan's government says Taliban militants have kidnapped a senior official in the north-western Swat valley amid ongoing peace talks. Police say armed men abducted Khushal Khan and his six security guards as they drove toward the region's main town. A Taliban spokesperson in Swat confirmed the kidnapping. It comes a day after the government claimed to have secured a "permanent truce" with Taliban militants in Swat, in return for allowing Sharia law to be practised in the tribal region. | | | Israel's Netanyahu appeals to rivals to enter coaltion talks
The leader of Israel's right-wing Likud party has appealed to rival parties to enter talks on forming a broad centrist coalition government. Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking an alliance with the centrist Kadima party of Tzipi Livni and the left-wing Labour party of Ehud Barak. Netanyahu called on Livni to abandon preconditions for negotiations. Livni has ruled out joining a coalition which she cannot lead as her party came first by a slim margin in this month's elections. Israeli President Shimon Peres tasked Netanyahu with forming government. He is seen as having a greater range of potential political alliances. | | | Clinton ends tour of Asia
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has ended her visit to China by meeting rights activists and attending a state-sanctioned church service. The appointments, on the last day of her Asia tour, aimed to highlight Clinton's commitment to human rights, without upsetting the Chinese government. Clinton earlier made clear that rights issues would take a back seat to discussions on the global economic crisis, security concerns and climate change. During her meetings with China's leaders, Clinton praised Beijing for continuing to hold US treasury bonds. She said that the two countries were dependent upon the recovery of the US economy and would rise or fall together. China, with foreign exchange reserves of about two trillion dollars, is the world's largest holder of US government debt.
| | | Chinese mine blast kills dozens
Chinese state media report that a gas explosion in a coal mine has killed at least 73 people and left another 65 trapped. Over a hundred casualties are being treated in hospital. The blast happened in the country's north, near Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi province. China's mining industry is the deadliest in the world, around 3,200 people died in mine accidents last year.
| | | Australia mourns bushfire victims
Australians are holding a national day of mourning for the 209 people killed by wildfires earlier this month. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was joined by Britain's Princess Anne at the main ceremony in Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, which was so badly hit by the fires. Addressing a 15,000-capacity stadium, in a nationally televised event, Rudd promised to help rebuild communities in which some 1,800 homes were destroyed. He also pledged that Australia would fly flags at half mast every February 7 to remember the victims of the so-called "Black Saturday" bushfires. | | | Burma releases over a dozen political prisoners
Burmese activists say more than a dozen political detainees have been released by the country's military regime as part of a general amnesty. The regime announced the release of over 6,000 inmates on Friday after the United Nations human rights rapporteur ended a five-day visit, which included meetings with a handful of political prisoners. Burmese activists said five Buddhist monks were among those freed, as well as six people affiliated with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, among other groups. | | | America's Vonn takes 19th Alpine World Cup
American Lindsey Vonn has won the women's Super Giant Slalom at the alpine World Cup in Italy. The Double world champion took her 19th World Cup, a new American record, in one minute and 21.72 seconds. Switzerland's Fabienne Suter and Slovenia's Tina Maze came in second and third. | | | | |
European Leaders Agree to Clean Up Financial Markets
