News
More pension schemes to offload liabilities
Around half of private sector final-salary pension schemes expect to offload their liabilities to a specialist provider, according to research released on Thursday by consultancy firm Watson Wyatt.
Report calls for Equitable apology
The government should apologise to more than a million policyholders in Equitable Life and offer them compensation, a long-awaited report by the parliamentary ombudsman said on Thursday, almost a decade after the insurer's near-demise.
London is world's most expensive parking spot
As if rising gasoline prices weren't enough, motorists are being hit by higher parking charges, with London coming up tops as the world's most expensive city to park your car, according to a survey.
What is the Lambeth Conference?
The Lambeth Conference, a 10-yearly Anglican summit hosted by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, opened its doors in the southern English cathedral city of Canterbury on Wednesday.
Pope says save the earth for future generations
Pope Benedict called on Thursday for the earth to be protected for future generations, saying the world had been "scarred" with erosion and deforestation and its oceans squandered to fuel an insatiable consumption.
Saudi king shuns extremism as faiths gather
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah called on followers of the world's major faiths to turn away from extremism and seek reconciliation as he opened an unprecedented interfaith conference in Madrid on Wednesday.
U.S. to establish Tehran presence
The United States will announce in the next month that it plans to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years, a London newspaper said on Thursday.
Malaysia's Anwar freed on police bail
Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim has been freed on police bail, his lawyers said on Thursday, but they added he could still be charged for sodomy later.
Sudan's Bashir could escape indictment
Sudan's president, accused of masterminding genocide in Darfur, might escape war crimes charges if he brings to justice two men suspected of mass killings, Western envoys said on Wednesday.
Nicaragua's Ortega says willing to talk to FARC
Nicaragua's leftist president, Daniel Ortega, said on Wednesday he was willing to accept a request from Colombia's biggest guerrilla force for talks to try to help Colombia end its four-decade-long civil war.
Taiwan issues typhoon warning
A typhoon will hit Taiwan late on Thursday, sparking land and sea advisories and becoming the island's first major storm of the year before moving on to China, weather forecasters said.
World food crisis drives up U.N. aid funding need
The global food crisis is largely responsible for driving up the United Nations' need for funding to confront disasters and emergencies around the world this year by one-fifth, the U.N. said on Wednesday.
Indonesia denies execution of Bali bombers imminent
The execution of three Indonesian men convicted for the 2002 Bali bombs is not imminent since the Supreme Court still needs to respond to a legal appeal, a spokesman for the Attorney-General's office said on Thursday.
Half a million workers strike over pay
Hundreds of thousands of local government workers went on strike on Wednesday in a dispute over pay that paralysed services from education to rubbish collection.
Israel frees 5 Lebanese in swap with Hezbollah
Israel handed over five Lebanese prisoners to Hezbollah via the Red Cross on Wednesday after the Shi'ite guerrilla group returned the bodies of two Israeli soldiers seized in a cross-border raid in 2006.
Religion satire to see the light at Toronto fest
"Borat" director Larry Charles is bringing his follow-up project to the Toronto International Film Festival for its world premiere in September, organizers said Thursday.