World

THE Chinese government warned on Thursday that the death toll from this week's earthquake could soar to 50,000 and appealed to the public for donations of rescue equipment, including hammers, shovels, demolition tools and rubber boats.

UNITED Nations human rights envoy Philip Alston warned on Thursday that foreign intelligence agents are acting with impunity in Afghanistan and have taken part in secret raids which have killed civilians.

A PAKISTAN Taliban leader vowed on Thursday to avenge a missile strike that killed several people in a tribal region.

THE Canadian Autoworkers Union (CAW) and General Motors agreed a tentative new labour contract on Thursday.

US President George W Bush feted Israel on Thursday in honour of the 60th anniversary of its founding.

PENTAGON bigwig Air Force Brigadier General Thomas Hartmann insisted on Thursday that he would not resign as adviser to the legally dubious US war crimes tribunals at the Guantanamo concentration camp in Cuba, despite his removal from the trial of Osama bin Laden's driver because of a lack of impartiality.

THE European Commission gave Spain one month to scrap conditions limiting any foreign takeover of its largest energy utility Endesa on Thursday.

US presidential hopeful Barack Obama secured a long-sought-after endorsement from ex-rival John Edwards on Wednesday night.

THE Swiss-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions said on Thursday that 800,000 residents of the Nigerian capital Abuja were forcibly evicted over a four-year period in response to demands for space in the fast-growing city.

HUMAN Rights Watch said on Thursday that a Dutch policy of forcing some would-be immigrants to pass a language test before seeking a visa is discriminatory.