Six questions for G-20 leaders

The leaders of the 20 biggest economies meet in London Thursday to discuss how to fix the economic crisis. Here's a scorecard to gauge whether the gathering is a success.The G-20 meeting taking place in London Thursday has rapidly turned into a viper's nest of grievances -- and a potential minefield for President Barack Obama on his first big international foray. Behind the scenes, officials are scurrying to find points of agreement, and are sure to play them up in the final communiqué.Barring a public shouting match, the leaders are likely to insist that their gathering was both upbeat and harmonious. But what's really going to happen? Who will emerge as winners and losers? And how will the world be able to judge whether the brief, one-day confab was a historic turning point or an abject failure?Here's a quick guide to the meeting. For the summit to be considered a success, at least two or three of these points will need to be resolved.

1. Will the G-20 truly restructure the IMF?
   
2. Will Germany cough up more stimulus money?
   
3. Will Obama and Brown get serious about financial regulation?
   
4. Will G-20 leaders denounce protectionism?
   
5. Will Obama make nice with the dollar?
   
6. Will the leaders kick the bankers?
   

New Wolverine film leaked online

An almost finished copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman has been leaked online a month before its cinema release.The high quality copy of the film has been uploaded to several file sharing and streaming video websites.The movie is incomplete, with some special effects still in need of fine tuning and green screens and wires attached to actors still visible.The film is not due for release in the UK until 29 April and 1 May in the US.Since being uploaded to file sharing websites on Tuesday, more than 75,000 copies of the film have already been downloaded and reviews by users have started appearing online.One user wrote on aintitcool.com: "The CGI is missing and the movie looks horrible without it."Even if you see the workprint you're still going to have to go see it in the theatre to fully experience the full movie with CGI effects fully intact."The film had been intended to compete alongside other summer blockbuster movies including Transformers 2 and the big budget update of Star Trek.

Miley Cyrus Talks Boobs, Boyfriends and BFFs

Miley Cyrus is so not into people judging her, OMG.While the 16-year-old tween sensation is gracing her first women's magazine cover with the May issue of Glamour, on sale April 7, she still sounds like an everyday teen when talking about her life's trials and tribulations."One thing that bugs me is people who say, 'Miley really needs to lose some weight,' or, 'She got her boobs done,'" says the "Hannah Montana" star. "I did start out really skinny, but you’re not going to have boobs when you’re 12 years old. I’m like, 'What are you talking about—let me grow!'"Cyrus waxes similarly teenager-y when talking about her dreamy new 20-year-old model boyfriend.“The best thing that’s happened to me in a long, long time has been meeting Justin [Gaston]," she moons. "He’s the most respectful and selfless person I’ve ever known.”But Cyrus isn't all googly eyes and OMGs. She puts her foot down when it comes to setting an example for her little sister.“I think it’s selfish to go out partying all the time, especially if you have little ones [in your family]," she says, perhaps alluding to the hard-living elder Spears and Lohan sisters, Brit and Lindsay. "I have a nine-year-old sister, and I don’t want her to go to school and have people make fun of her for it.”

Indian 'riot politician' cleared

A former Indian federal minister accused over the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 has been cleared by police.Congress party politician Jagdish Tytler said the case had destroyed his career but he had now been vindicated.Sikh groups and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party have criticised the police report.Mr Tytler had been cleared in November 2007 but a month later the case was reopened after a witness said he saw Mr Tytler leading a riot mob.The riots, sparked by the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, left more than 3,000 Sikhs dead.Mr Tytler has consistently denied any role in the rioting.

Afghans receive Pakistani assurance

Afghanistan and Pakistan have pledged greater military co-operation to tackle pro-Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters along their shared borders.Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, met Asif Ali Zardari, his Pakistani counterpart, in Ankara, the Turkish capital, on Wednesday.Senior military commanders and intelligence chiefs from the two countries also attended the talks. "We can collectively work together for stability and security in the region," Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistan's foreign minister, said after the talks had concluded."Our political leadership, our ministers and our army chiefs met and evaluated today our security situation. I don't think this nature of meetings have taken place anywhere at any time."Kabul has repeatedly accused Islamabad of not doing enough to stop fighters crossing the border to carry out attacks, but ties have improved under Zardari as he battles growing violence in the tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.

Flu virus hits South Pacific atolls

New Zealand health officials have despatched medical aid to the Tokelau islands, a tiny isolated cluster of atolls in the South Pacific, to try to stem a growing flu outbreak.So far 10 per cent of the 1,500 population on the New Zealand island territory have reportedly fallen sick, most of them children.The Tokelau islands are made up of three tiny atolls located about 500km north of Samoa, and some 4,000km from New Zealand's capital, Wellington.The flu epidemic has forced schools to close and public gatherings to be cancelled, officials in Wellington said on Wednesday.Michael Flyger, a spokesman for New Zealand's health ministry, said latest figures showed that nearly 150 people have been reported sick, but he said the outbreak was not yet at "crisis point".He told the Associated Press that it was "very, very unlikely" that the unknown flu strain had originated from the atolls.

Venezuelan offer for Guantanamo

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said he is prepared to receive detainees held by the US military at the Guantanamo Bay camp in Cuba.US President Barack Obama has ordered the closure of the controversial camp, in which around 240 inmates are held, by next year.Mr Chavez made his offer at a summit of South American and Arab countries.It is highly unlikely the Pentagon will take him up on it, however, given the poor state of US ties with Venezuela.When the Obama administration made it clear it was looking for willing allies to take on detainees from Guantanamo Bay they probably had not imagined an offer coming from Hugo Chavez, the BBC's Will Grant reports from Caracas.Nevertheless, the Venezuelan leader's proposal stands."We wouldn't have any problem in taking in human beings," Mr Chavez told Arabic TV channel al-Jazeera at the summit in Doha, Qatar, where he has been pushing for closer ties with the Arab world.

Deputy replaces PM to confront crisis

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi officially left his post on Thursday after six years in office. His replacement is Najib Razak who is also finance minister, giving rise to hope that he can lift the nation out of the financial crisis.Malaysia's king Thursday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after six years in office, clearing the way for a smooth transfer of power to deputy Najib Razak.Abdullah and then Najib met King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin for successive audiences at the palace to seal the long-planned transition."PM Abdullah offered his resignation to the king. The king is understood to have accepted it," a senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Government officials Wednesday said the king had agreed that Najib could be sworn in as prime minister at 0200 GMT Friday.Najib was last Thursday officially declared president of the United Malays National Organisation party, effectively smothing his path to the premiership because of its dominance of the political scene.He said he would reveal details Friday of the direction he wanted to take Malaysia amid economic crisis and political uncertainty, with the core of his roadmap being a programme aimed at uniting the multi-racial nation."I think this new thrust will ensure there will be a fairer distribution of government allocations and assistance to all communities," he said Wednesday.Analysts say he faces an enormous challenge to rejuvenate his UMNO party, which has floundered since disastrous election results last year, and cushion the country from the worst effects of the global meltdown.Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third largest economy, has been hit by slumping exports and manufacturing, with more than 26,000 people losing their jobs so far this year.

Philippines says hostages 'alive'

The Philippine government has said it is confident three workers for the International Committee for the Red Cross held by the Abu Sayyaf group, are alive, a day after a deadline to behead one of the captives expired.Ronaldo Puno, the Philippine interior minister, said on Wednesday that government authorities had "highly reliable" information the three hostages were safe, but admitted there was no proof."We're still hoping for a negotiated peaceful conclusion to this entire thing," he said in the southern port city of Zamboanga near Jolo island.The hostages include Andreas Notter, a Swiss national; Eugenio Vagni, an Italian; and Mary Jean Lacaba, a Filipina.The three ICRC workers have been held in the jungles of Jolo since January 15.They were abducted after a visit to a local prison where the ICRC is funding a water project.

Pentagon Wants $3 Billion for Pakistan to Fight Insurgents

The money would include $500 million in an additional war budget request for the coming year that will go to Congress this monthThe Obama administration plans to seek as much as $3 billion over the next five years to train and equip Pakistan's military and is considering sending 10,000 more troops to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan, defense officials said Wednesday.The money would include $500 million in an additional war budget request for the coming year that will go to Congress this month, The Associated Press has learned.In outlining the spending program publicly for the first time, defense officials told the Senate Armed Services Committee it is critical to train and equip the Pakistanis so they have the skills and will to fight.The $3 billion for Pakistan would complement a plan for $7.5 billion in civilian aid. That civilian request would come in legislation sponsored by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Democrat John Kerry, and the committee's top Republican, Richard Lugar of Indiana.With the administration's backing, their bill would provide $1.5 billion next year, linked to Pakistan's counterterror and democracy-building efforts, officials said.

Obama Presents Queen of England With Personalized iPod

During their private meeting, President Obama and first lady gave the queen a personalized iPod with video footage of her 2007 visit to Washington and Virginia. It's not every day the American president's driver is told to move his bulletproof car.But Queen Elizabeth II's handlers made the request Wednesday after President Barack Obama's reinforced Cadillac limousine was found to be blocking the garden entrance driveway at Buckingham Palace.After it was moved, Jaguars carrying Prince Charles and other members of the royal family pulled up for the queen's reception for leaders attending Thursday's G-20 summit.Obama and his wife, Michelle -- wearing a black and white dress, pearls and a black coat -- were two of the first dignitaries to meet the queen, who wore a salmon-colored dress and her trademark pearls.During their private meeting, President Obama and first lady gave the queen a personalized iPod with video footage of her 2007 visit to Washington and Virginia. She was also given a rare songbook signed by composer Richard Rodgers.In return the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, gave the Obamas a signed portrait of themselves.

Zimbabwe prison called 'death camp'

Images have been released of Zimbabwean prisoners who are said to be starving and dying of disease, due to meagre supplies and appalling conditions.Male prisoners are seen to be emaciated and too weak to stand in the documentary Hell Hole, shown by the South African Broadcasting Association (SABC) on Tuesday.Inmates covertly took the footage after being instructed by Godknows Nare, an SABC producer, over a four-month period.Many people in the jail at Beitbridge, close to the South African border, are ravaged by diseases such as tuberculosis, and some have lost control of their bodily functions.Zimbabwe is undergoing an humanitarian crisis, with a dearth of food for the majority of the country's population, a collapsed economy and uncontrolled inflation.

Nadal edges into Miami quarters

Rafael Nadal struggled to find his form as he scraped through to the quarter-finals at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, requiring two tie-breaks to overpower Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 7-6.Second seed Roger Federer enjoyed a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win over American qualifier Taylor Dent to set up a clash against local favourite Andy Roddick.Britain's Andy Murray brushed past Serbian challenger Viktor Troicki in just 58 minutes, with a convincing 6-1 6-0 victory.Third-seed Novak Djokovic also advanced with a routine 6-3 6-2 win over Czech Tomas Berdych, setting up a quarter-final showdown with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who rallied for a 6-7 6-3 6-2 win over compatriot Gilles Simon.

North Korea set to launch rocket

North Korea appears to be making final preparations for its anticipated rocket launch, with state media warning that the country's armed forces will shoot down any US spy aircraft that intrude into its territory to monitor the launch.Recent commercial satellite images show what appears to be the rocket being positioned on the launch pad in preparation for lift-off.Analysts say the images from Colorado-based company DigitalGlobe, taken at the weekend, show a three-stage rocket on the pad at the Musudan-ri site in the country's northeast.North Korea's normally highly secretive government has alerted international shipping and aviation agencies that the launch will take place between April 4 and 8.State media has said the rocket will be carrying an experimental satellite but officials in South Korea, Japan and the US have said they believe the launch is cover for a test of a new long-range missile.Both Japan and the US have deployed missile interceptors and say they will shoot down the rocket if it poses a threat.North Korean radio on Wednesday denounced what it said were intensifying flights by US and South Korean spy planes monitoring the launch site.

Karzai, Zardari to hold talks in Turkey

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is holding talks with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari on border security and stronger cooperation between the two countries to fight Islamist extremism in the region.Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrived here Tuesday for Turkish-sponsored talks with Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on boosting cooperation against Islamist extremists, a Pakistani diplomat said.The trilateral meeting -- the third round of fence-mending talks between the two troubled neighbours in Turkey since 2007 -- will be held Wednesday, chaired by Turkish President Abdullah Gul.Karzai was expected to arrive late Tuesday from The Hague where he has been attending an international conference on stabilising his insurgency-hit nation.The talks will also be attended by foreign ministers, army chiefs and intelligence chiefs from the three countries, a Turkish diplomat said on condition of anonymity.Afghanistan says much of its insurgent violence is planned in Pakistan, and, along with the United States, has accused its neighbour of not doing enough to stop militants crossing the border.Pakistan rejects those accusations and says more than 1,500 of its troops have been killed at the hands of Islamist extremists since 2002.Pakistan's northwestern tribal regions have become a safe haven for extremists who fled Afghanistan after the US-led invasion toppled the hardline Taliban regime in late 2001.

Religious extremists threaten Pakistan’s existence: Petraeus

Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the US Central Command, prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington —AP

WASHINGTON Religious extremists operating along the Pak-Afghan border pose a direct threat to Pakistan’s existence, the commander of US forces in the region, General David Petraeus, warned on Wednesday.During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on US President Barack Obama’s new strategy, Gen. Petraeus also vowed to take the fight to insurgents in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.He did not explain how he planned to do so but last President Obama said that the United States would pursue ‘high-value’ terrorist targets inside Pakistan but would consult Islamabad before doing so.Also last week, Obama’s National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones indicated that the US would continue drone attacks inside Pakistan as they had proven ‘effective’ against the militants.Gen. Petraeus told the senate panel that the Taliban and al-Qaeda groups based in the border area were ‘an ever more serious threat to Pakistan’s very existence.’The Pakistani military, he said, had stepped up operations against the militants but more action was needed.The general noted that the situation in Pakistan was closely linked to that of Afghanistan, and praised President Obama’s new plan for developing a regional approach to resolve the issue was a step in the right direction.Gen. Petraeus acknowledged that the militants in Afghanistan were growing in strength but vowed to fight them ‘relentlessly and aggressively.’But Gen. Petraeus and top Defence Department official Michele Flournoy were greeted with sceptical questions from senators about how willing the Pakistani government is to fight extremists hiding in Fata.

Brazen Bashir in Saudi Arabia despite ICC arrest warrant

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrived in Saudi Arabia for a brief pilgrimage, defying yet again an international arrest warrant against him for war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. He has made recent visits to other African and Arab states.Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for a brief pilgrimage, his latest trip abroad in defiance of an international arrest warrant against him, official media said.It was Bashir's fifth visit to a foreign state since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him on March 4, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of western Sudan.The official Saudi news agency said Bashir arrived in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah to perform umrah, a short Islamic pilgrimage.Sudanese television and state radio said Bashir flew from Doha after a summit of Arab and Latin American leaders.Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal has said that issuing the arrest warrant was a politicised decision that "will not lead to the stability of Sudan or solve the Darfur issue".Bashir risks arrest if he leaves Sudan and he has so far visited only countries that are not members of the International Criminal Court.His trip to the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday was his longest and most risky journey abroad so far. The visit to Saudi Arabia would give him a shorter return leg, across the Red Sea.International experts say at least 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.7 million driven from their homes in almost six years of ethnic and political fighting in Darfur. Khartoum says 10,000 people have died.

At least eight dead in North Sea helicopter crash

Police said at least eight people were killed when a helicopter carrying 16 people from a North Sea offshore oilfield crashed off the coast of Scotland. The remaining eight passengers are still missing, rescuers said.At least eight people died when a helicopter carrying 16 people from an offshore oilfield crashed off the northeast coast of Scotland on Wednesday, police said.Rescuers retrieved eight bodies from the North Sea, while the remaining eight people on board were missing, police said."We can confirm that eight bodies have been recovered from the North Sea after a helicopter came down around 35 miles (56 kilometres) off the coast of Crimond," a statement said."The remaining eight persons are unaccounted for," it added.The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the helicopter went down just before 2:00 pm (1300 GMT).Oil giant BP said the helicopter was operating on its behalf, carrying 14 passengers and two crew, but did not immediately confirm the deaths.A BP spokesman said the helicopter had been flying from the Miller oilfield, about 270 kilometres off the coast, back to the mainland when it crashed.

Sarkozy calls for tougher G20 rules

France and Germany have called for tighter regulation of the world's financial system, a day before the G20 summit in London.Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, who has threatened to walk out of the gathering, said that that he would not be associated with "false compromises" over new financial regulation.Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said that she supported Sarkozy's position that the G20 should not settle for weak compromises."What the French president means is that we must ... not make weak compromises with a view to the financial market constitution of the future. I support him in this," she said.