All Akcess

A missile fired by a suspected US drone has killed at least 10 people in Pakistan, close to the Afghan border, eyewitnesses say.

The missile hit a house in Orakzai tribal area. Residents and local journalists said the house had been converted into a Taleban camp.

The Taleban have cordoned off the entire area, they said.

There have been several drone attacks in Pakistan in recent months. Pakistan is critical of these attacks.

It says civilians are often killed, fuelling support for militants.

---

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation

Popularity: 1% [?]

World leaders are gathering in London to discuss ways to resolve the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.

The G20 summit takes place amid tight security and police warnings of "unprecedented" levels of protest.

Workers in London’s financial district have been told to dress down and stay home to avoid provoking demonstrators.

President Barack Obama has arrived in London on his first visit to Europe since taking office, with hopes high that he can forge a new global deal.

He will begin a round of meetings with other world leaders, including the UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and the Chinese leader, Hu Jintao.

G20 LONDON SUMMIT

• World leaders will meet later this week in London to discuss measures to tackle the downturn. Seeour in-depth guide to the G20 summit.
• The G20 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, the US and the EU.

Detailed bargaining is expected to take place at these face-to-face meetings, although the two-day summit officially begins later when leaders from the G20, which includes the world’s most powerful economies, attend a dinner reception with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

But expectations that the summit will come up with a definitive plan to stimulate the world economy are receding as rifts emerge between Europe and the US and UK.

On Tuesday, the French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said that France would walk away from the meeting if its demands for stricter financial regulation were not met.

Protests

The G20 talks will be accompanied by tight security, with police Cdr Simon O’Brien last week warning the capital was about to see an "almost unprecedented level of activity".

Police leave during the two-day summit has been cancelled and six police forces will be involved in the £7.5m security plan.

The protests are expected to centre on the Bank of England in the heart of the City of London.

Click here for a map of expected protests

Some organisers have dubbed the event "Financial Fools Day" and say their protest will bring together anti-globalisation activists, environmental campaigners and others who are all demanding changes in the global economic system.

Campaigners have been handing out leaflets bearing slogans, such as "Hang A Banker" and "Storm The Banks".

"The summit will almost certainly fall short of the lofty ambitions set out for it "
Jan Randolf
Global Insight

Police said that although the majority of protests were expected to be peaceful, they were concerned about the actions of small groups.

City workers have been advised to swap business suits for casual clothing and police say people should work from home if they can.

Fearing damage to their property, some businesses in the financial district have already boarded up windows.

The prime minister said that police would act quickly if protests turned violent or if property was damaged.

The warnings follow a peaceful protest march of 35,000 people through London on Saturday, during which demonstrators demanded action of poverty, climate change and jobs.

Rifts

The G20 summit will be crucial for Gordon Brown, whose reputation for economic competence has been battered by the financial crisis.

OFFICIAL ADVICE TO CITY FIRMS

• Cancel meetings
• No entry without ID
• Check ID outside buildings first
• Minimise entry and exits
• Review external smoking areas
• Check CCTV equipment
• Don’t antagonise protesters

Source: City of London Police

He has sought to lead the drive for a global approach to the crisis and the meeting is an opportunity to restore his image as a competent economic manager.

But it is unlikely to be smooth sailing.

Jan Randolf, an analyst at Global Insight, said the meeting would be unlikely to live up to the hype surrounding it.

"The summit will almost certainly fall short of the lofty ambitions set out for it last year," Mr Randolf said.

"There may now be stronger agreement on financial regulation, but there is a long way to go before any consensus is reached on practical reform," he added.

Return to the story

---

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation

Popularity: 1% [?]

By John Sudworth
BBC News, Seoul

The national football teams of North and South Korea are to meet in a World Cup qualifier match in Seoul, amid increasing political tensions.

North Korea is planning to launch a rocket shortly in what it says is an attempt to put a communications satellite into orbit.

But the South, and its US and Japanese allies, suggest it will actually be a test for a long-range missile.

The diplomatic stand-off is raising the sporting stakes.

Sometimes, a simple sporting moment takes on a bigger political meaning and the football match between North and South Korea may be just such a moment.

Neutral ground

The two teams have played each other a number of times over the past year during the qualification stages for the next World Cup.

But North Korea’s home matches have had to be played on neutral ground in Shanghai, because the North refused to allow the playing of the South’s national anthem or the waving of its flags.

North Korea’s missile programme

Relations between the two governments have deteriorated since a new conservative administration took office in Seoul last year.

This latest derby clash takes place against a backdrop of even higher political tension.

North Korea is planning to launch a rocket as early as Saturday – an attempt it says to put a communications satellite into orbit.

But the South, and its US and Japanese allies, believe the real purpose of the launch is the development of long-range missile technology.

They are threatening action to agree new UN sanctions in response.

The atmosphere in the ground though will be rather one sided.

North Korea’s travel restrictions on its own people make it impossible for fans to attend, even if they could afford it.

During past games a group of South Korean volunteer supporters have been assembled to provide cheering for the visitors from across the board.

---

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation

Popularity: 1% [?]

Officials from the two biggest Palestinian factions have returned to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to resume reconciliation talks.

Their dialogue, mediated by the Egyptians, was adjourned two weeks ago after they failed to agree on the shape of a unity government.

Fatah and Hamas, which control the West Bank and Gaza respectively, had hoped to reach agreement by the end of March.

Policy, security and electoral arrangements remain areas of dispute.

Ahmed Qurei, the former Palestinian prime minister, is representing Fatah, while the senior Hamas figure at the talks is Musa Abu-Marzuq, who is based in Damascus.

Egyptian intelligence official Omar Suleyman is acting as mediator.

---

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation

Popularity: 1% [?]

The Philippine Red Cross has asked Islamic rebels for proof that three aid workers held hostage are alive.

The request comes a day after a deadline imposed by the Abu Sayyaf group to kill a hostage if Philippine army troops did not leave Jolo Island.

The island’s governor, Sakur Tan, said an informant had told him the hostages were still alive.

Three workers for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were taken hostage by gunmen on 15 January.

Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba have since been held in the jungles of Jolo Island, Mindanao, in the southern Philippines.

The three aid workers were abducted after a visit to a local prison, where the ICRC is funding a water project.

Proof of life

Senator Richard Gordon, head of the Philippine Red Cross said he wanted proof the three were still alive.

Guide to the Philippines conflict

"I want to talk to the three. It is a measure to rebuild confidence," he said in a radio interview.

Security officials told The Associated Press that a last-ditch attempt by two Muslim lawmakers to negotiate the release of the hostages faltered on Tuesday after Governor Tan declared a state of emergency in the predominantly Muslim province.

The declaration included a curfew, roadblocks and the redeployment of government forces near the Abu Sayyaf camp in Indanan township, only a week after they pulled out in hopes the hostages might be freed.

Tanks and truckloads of marines moved toward Indanan to try to surround the gunmen, Governor Tan said.

"We’ll make sure that these bandits cannot kidnap again," he added.

However, other reports suggest the troops have not yet moved into attack positions.

"We are still exploring the possibility of a safe release of the hostages," Lt Col Edgard Arevalo, marine spokesman, told Reuters news agency on Wednesday.

He added that the provincial governor had sent emissaries to talk to the rebels.

The Abu Sayyaf has a history of beheading captives.

In 2001, American Guillermo Sobero was killed after the government turned down attempts by the rebels to negotiate for hostages on the nearby island of Basilan.

---

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation

Popularity: 1% [?]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)has agreed to write off $3bn (£2bn) of Ivory Coast’s $12.8bn national debt.

President Laurent Gbagbo described the measure, under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, as good news and thanked France for its support.

He said the weight of the debt had become a "grave mortgage on the very future" of the country.

The IMF said a big reform programme was needed for the nation to benefit fully from the relief and qualify for more.

Last Friday, the IMF agreed to lend Ivory Coast $565m, attached to strict conditions relating to poverty reduction and financial transparency.

Ivory Coast is still recovering from an armed rebellion in 2002 which split the nation in two.

Despite numerous peace deals, the main players in the conflict have struggled to find a lasting political solution.

---

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation

Popularity: 1% [?]