A round-up of today's world news stories in brief
German coalition talks continue
BERLIN – The conservatives of German chancellor Angela Merkel and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) say they have narrowed their differences on tax cuts and aim to clinch a deal for a centre-right coalition by next weekend.
After three days of intense negotiations, the parties were still at odds over the size and financing of tax cuts but experts were working through various scenarios.
Germany’s conservatives, including Dr Merkels Christian Democrats (CDU) and Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), are trying to forge a four-year policy agenda with the FDP.
All three parties said they had called conferences for their members to approve the deal for October 25th and 26th, a move that raises the pressure to reach consensus.
Botswana's president wins poll
GABORONE - Botswana's president, Ian Khama, has secured a new five-year term, extending his rule over the world's largest diamond producer, after his governing BDP party swept to victory in a parliamentary election.
Chief justice Julian Nganunu said Mr Khama, son of the country's first president, would remain at the helm of the southern African nation, which is battling a recession and hit by internal party squabbling.- (Reuters)
Immigrants in UK up by more than 2m
The number of immigrants in the UK has increased by more than two million since 2001, a government- commissioned report says.
Consultancy Oxford Economics pointed to surveys that indicated there were now about 6.6 million UK residents who had been born abroad, just under 11 per cent, compared with 4.3 million (7.5 per cent) in 2001.The report said this figure was based on the “best available estimates from sample surveys”. – (PA)
MDC boycotts Cabinet meeting
HARARE – Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe will chair a weekly cabinet meeting tomorrow without members from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party, which boycotted the unity government last week, state media reported yesterday.
Mr Tsvangirai said on Friday his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party would disengage from Mugabe’s “dishonest and unreliable” Zanu-PF party in the country’s coalition cabinet.
The move has sparked the country’s biggest political crisis since the formation of the new administration in February this year, but Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba said the MDC’s boycott was a poor protest.
“As you will certainly see on Tuesday, cabinet will be held,” Charamba said. – (Reuters)
French call to prosecute pirates
SEYCHELLES – French defence minister Hervé Morin asked authorities on the Seychelles yesterday to prosecute suspected pirates operating in the Indian Ocean.
Bringing to justice suspected Somali pirates captured by international navies in the Indian Ocean has proven difficult as lawless Somalia cannot try them, while most European countries do not want to take in a pirate who may then claim asylum. – (Reuters)