153 dead in Madrid plane crash Only 19 people survived after a packed passenger plane crashed Wednesday during takeoff at Madrid's airport, burst into flames and broke into pieces, according to officials.

More deadly car bombings plague Algeria Two more deadly car bombings have rocked Algeria, killing at least 11 people according to state radio.

In Vietnam, Press Freedom Stifled It's getting tougher to be a journalist in Vietnam, a tough one-party communist state. Two prominent high-level journalists are now in jail and many are wondering if the press will engage in self-censorship to avoid the conservatives' wrath.

Bolt Keeps Electrifying Track It's another race with history at the Bird's Nest, as the free-spirit Jamaican sprinter sets his second world mark

TRINIDAD-TRADE-Trinidad will sign EPA in September PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - The Trinidad and Tobago government Wednesday reiterated that it would sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union during a ceremony in Barbados on September 2.

DOMINICA-POLITICS-Trinidad and Tobago PM begins lobby for political union by Brenton Henry ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC - Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning Wednesday met with members of the Dominica government at the start of a visit to several countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

JAMAICA-EDUCATION-Fines, prison terms for accepting non-immunized students KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Health and education officials have called on school administrators not to accept students who do not meet the prescribed immunization requirements, warning that they face both fines and imprisonment if they do so.

Ortega sets conditions for missile talks Nicaragua says it will start talks with the US on the destruction of Soviet-made missiles only if Colombia pulls out its warships from the disputed waters.

North Korea slams US war games North Korea has criticized a major US-South Korean military exercise, saying it might hinder the nuclear disarmament deal.

US-Warsaw missile deal raises stakes Warsaw and Washington on Wednesday signed a deal to deploy a US missile shield in Poland, in the face of deep anger and threats of retaliation from Moscow.

Tube workers' strike averted with pay deal Tube workers who threatened eight days of strikes will receive pay increases of up to £4,600 (Dh31,477), it was revealed on Wednesday.

Report urges fines for big businesses, supermarkets Ministers should stop penalising householders over their rubbish and instead tackle waste generated by supermarkets and businesses, a report urged on Wednesday.

'As I helped paramedics I realised dying crash victim was my wife' A husband told how he held a drip attached to the dying victim of a car crash - unaware that the woman was his wife.

7/7 bombers 'benefited from BBC charity money' The 7/7 bombers used thousands of pounds from BBC Children In Need charity donations to fund their terrorist activities.

Navy adds minesweeping kit to its inventory The navy has purchased sophisticated Australian minesweeping suites that will qualitatively enhance the protection of its vessels from underwater objects.

Floods displace thousands Floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains left some 50,000 people homeless in India's remote northeast, officials said on Wednesday, warning of more rains in one of the country's most flood-prone regions.

Men missing from border village Residents allege seven were snatched by militiamen fleeing Russian advance.

Hopes fade for abandoned baby whale in Australia Hopes of saving a baby whale abandoned by its mother in a bay north of Sydney on Wednesday faded as the calf continued to try to suckle from a moored yacht. International experts said it had just days to live.

US assists those displaced by clashes The US has provided emergency assistance to Pakistanis displaced by an army operation against militants in a northwest tribal region bordering Afghanistan, embassy officials said on Wednesday.

Plea to prevent Musharraf trip abroad A petition seeking a ban on former president Pervez Musharraf from leaving the country will be heard by the Islamabad High Court today.

US official says ISI remains master of its whims Urges civilian government to take full charge of intelligence apparatus.

Scientists find new way to make safe blood Scientists said Tuesday they have devised a way to grow large quantities of blood in the lab using human embryonic stem cells, potentially making blood drives unnecessary.

Regulators detain two legislators from Malaysia's opposition party Malaysia's anti-corruption watchdog arrested two state lawmakers from opposition leader Anwar Ebrahim's party for alleged bribery on Wednesday, complicating Anwar's bid to re-enter Parliament.

Flights from UAE not affected International flights to and from India were not effected on Wednesday despite a trade union strike in India, said some of the major airlines operating from UAE to various Indian cities.

Delhi attributes several blasts to Islamist group The Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was behind several terror attacks in India, including the serial bombings in Ahmedabad last month, the government has informed the Supreme Court while justifying a ban on the organisation.

Height of humility Tallest man forgoes Guinness record to keep low profile.

Granny gets custody of surrogate baby The Supreme Court yesterday allowed Japanese citizen Emiko Yamada, 74, to take custody of her 25-day-old granddaughter Manji, born to an Indian surrogate mother.

Relief for family of man who carved road through hill An embarrassed state administration in Bihar has moved to control the damage caused by a goof up over the healthcare expenses of a man whom the chief minister had promised to look after.

McCain gains momentum in White House race John McCain has begun rallying dispirited Republicans behind him, while Democratic rival Barack Obama has made scant progress building new support, leaving the presidential race closer than before. Obama is leading 45 per cent to 43 per cent, according to a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll.

Pullout: Russians keep West waiting Russian military trucks trickled back from across the Georgian border yesterday but no armoured vehicles or artillery passed and there was no sign of the large-scale and rapid pullout demanded by the West.

Inflation protest action cripples three Communist-ruled states A nationwide shutdown on Wednesday by Left-backed trade unions crippled the three states ruled by Communist parties but the rest of India was more or less unaffected. An unrelated strike almost paralysed nationalised banks in many parts of India.

Opposition backs Zardari for president Muttahida Qaumi movement support for PPP could throw spanner in the works of Sharif party.

Yushchenko Seeks Security Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, summing up the consequences of the Russian-Georgian conflict for Ukraine on his website on Friday, said that it was necessary to "drift toward a system of collective security." He did not offer any specifics about such a system. The Party of the Regions is urging stringer military and political ties with Russia, while the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc wants to concentrate on creating a new collective defense system that includes the countries of the European Union.

Capital Flight The Mechel case and war in the Caucasus have frightened investors much more than the financial crisis did. Russian indexes are falling more sharply than the world average, and yesterday the total capitalization of Russian companies fell below $1 trillion for the first time since June 2007. The Russian stock markets fell steadily yesterday from the beginning of trading. They fell 1.45-2.3 percent more than American and Asian markets. The selloff gained momentum after the publication of economic data in the United States indicating rising production costs there and investors waited to hear the results of the NATO emergency session on South Ossetia. The reaction of NATO to the events in that region was a source of uncertainty for the past several days. Yesterday, it became clear that relations were on the brink of collapse.

Denmark 'faces terror threat' Danish intelligence officials say Denmark faces its worst terror threat in many years with a possible attack happening at any time.

Nuke deal may trigger arms race A nuclear energy deal between the United States and India may fuel an arms race between India and Pakistan unless it is amended, two US lawmakers say.

Rice: No new Cold War US Secretary of States Condoleezza Rice says that Russia and the West are not locked in a new Cold War, despite the crisis in Georgia.

Drug lord's extradition to U.S. approved Brazil's Justice Ministry said Wednesday it has approved the extradition of Colombian drug lord Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia to the United States to face racketeering charges.

U.S. OKs draft security deal with Iraq The Bush administration announced Wednesday it has approved a draft agreement with Iraq on a U.S. military presence there.

Warming wreaks havoc, islanders say Climate change is wreaking havoc in the small island states of the South Pacific and assistance is needed for those already hit by rising seawater and severe storms, an islands leader said.