AP - Thousands of people marched in support of President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday morning, hours after he made a defiant speech promising to serve out the last months of his term and "die on Egyptian soil."

AP - A colossal blizzard roaring across a third of the country paralyzed the nation's heartland with ice and snow, shuttering airports and schools and leaving normally bustling downtowns deserted.

AFP - A massive cyclone roaring towards Australia has strengthened to the most dangerous threat level, as officials are warning it could be the strongest storm in generations.

Mobile phone giant Vodafone chooses the boss of electronics firm Philips, Gerard Kleisterlee, as its new chairman.

Reuters - Police turned desperate people away from overcrowded shelters in northeastern Australia on Wednesday as one the most powerful cyclones in the country's history bore down on a string of popular tourist cities lining the coast.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh says he will not extend his presidency, or appoint his son to the role, when his current term expires in 2013.

Pressure remains on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to quit immediately after a speech in which he said he would not stand for re-election in September.

BBVA, the second largest bank in Spain, reports a 9.4% rise in full-year net profit to 4.6bn euros.

At the eleventh hour Chelsea secured Spain star Fernando Torres for a staggering £50m. But why do people buy under pressure?

Heidi the opossum, the cross eyed marsupial that became a media sensation earlier this year, is set to go on a strict diet to ease her eye condition.

Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Robert Kubica are all in action on the second day of the first F1 pre-season test in Valencia.

A global rights group accuses Indian security forces of carrying out torture, religious discrimination and arbitrary arrests in a new report.

At least nine people are killed in a bomb attack near a police station in north-western Pakistan, police say.

A 15-year-old boy dies and three teenagers are injured when a car being pursued by police crashes into a wall in Norfolk.

An investigation is launched into allegations that confidential police tapes were found at a Glasgow bus station.

Reuters - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Tuesday he would surrender power in September, angering protesters who want an immediate end to his 30-year-rule, and prompting the United States to say change "must begin now."

AP - President Barack Obama is prodding Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to quickly loosen his grip on power, sternly telling the world that the longtime leader's transition from the presidency "must begin now."

Egypt woke up to a day of uncertainty Wednesday as opposition groups and protesters dismissed President Hosni Mubarak's pledge to not seek office again after his current term -- and continued their demand for him to step down immediately.

Wales' education minister is to unveil measures to raise standards in schools, including an annual reading assessment for each pupil.

Japan's Sumo Association calls an emergency board meeting after media allegations of match-fixing, further tarnishing the scandal-plagued sport.