DUBLIN - Campaigners against the Lisbon treaty are focussing their attention on the Republic of Ireland, the only country in the European Union which is having a referendum on it.
LONDON - Abortion by pill from nurses at doctors surgeries comes a step closer, sparking fears of 'emotional scarring' to young girls
TOKYO, Japan - A strong earthquake struck off the coast of Japan early Thursday, the national Meteorological Agency said, waking up people 100 miles away in Tokyo.
LAKE ARROWHEAD, CALIFORNIA - A coyote grabbed a 2-year-old girl by the head and tried to drag her from the front yard of her mountain home in the third incident of a coyote threatening a small child in Southern California in five days, authorities said.
USA - A group of mostly centrist U.S. evangelicals released a lengthy manifesto on Wednesday which called for the movement to pull back from explicit partisan political activity, saying faith was being used to express "political points that have lost touch with biblical truth."
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan successfully tested a nuclear-capable, air-launched cruise missile with a range of 350 km (220 miles) on Thursday, the military said, a day after India tested a long-range missile.
DHARAMSALA, INDIA - An envoy to the Dalai Lama said on Thursday Chinese negotiators had shown a willingness to engage with the Tibetan side during recent talks, despite major differences on important issues.
JERUSALEM - Celebrations are under way across Israel to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Jewish State.
MOUNT EVEREST - Chinese climbers bearing the Olympic flame have reached the summit of Everest, the world's highest mountain.
BRUSSELS - The EU's monetary affairs commissioner has called for far-reaching new powers for the European Commission.
LONDON - Fifteen councils across Britain are to be offered lie detectors to help catch out benefit cheats who cost taxpayers up to £400m a year.
JERUSALEM - On the eve of Israel's 60th Independence Day, the country's population stands at 7,282,000, according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
PYONGYANG - Nearly one million people starved to death when a murderous famine gripped North Korea in the 1990s. Now, the most backward, isolated country in the world may be about to see history repeat itself.
TOKYO - The leaders of Japan and China called for a new era in relations at a summit Wednesday, pledging to hold annual meetings, resolve an angry dispute over maritime gas deposits and not allow their bitter history to divide them.
SYDNEY - Pope Benedict will text message thousands of young Catholics on their mobile phones during World Youth Day in Sydney in July, hoping going digital will help him connect better with a younger audience.