World Highlights

¤ Health workers went door-to-door looking for people with bird flu symptoms in western India yesterday, while the virus killed a dog in the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan. Denmark became the latest European country to report a case of highly pathogenic bird flu in wild fowl, although it has yet to confirm it is the feared H5N1 strain that has killed around 100 people in Asia and the Middle East. Neighbouring Sweden said that tests had identified H5N1 in two wild ducks found on its east coast, confirming its first outbreak.

¤ The five veto-holding UN Security Council powers faced another struggle yesterday to come up with a text aimed at reining in Iran's nuclear ambitions without threatening sanctions or other punitive measures.

¤ Libya signed a cooperation agreement with France on peaceful uses of nuclear energy yesterday and said the accord would help it generate atomic power to desalinate sea water for the desert country.

¤ A Spanish hospital ship recovered the bodies of 18 migrants from the sea off Mauritania yesterday as Spain acted to stem a surge in migrants from the West African country trying to reach the Canary Islands.

¤ Kenya yesterday announced fraud charges against five high-profile figures linked to its biggest graft scandal, in the most concrete move yet by a government under heavy fire for tolerating corruption.

¤ Greek private and public sector unions launched a 24-hour strike yesterday in protest against government economic reforms, shutting down most of the country and crippling transport.