World News: French students aim to bolster pension protests

French students will stage protests today to try to bolster opposition to the government's pension reforms amid some signs of cracks in the movement.

The numbers could be a litmus test, reporters say, after three of 12 national oil refineries voted to end their action and a rubbish collectors' strike in Marseille was suspended.

The row comes to a head this week. Parliament is expected to hold a final vote tomorrow, while a nationwide strike has been called for Thursday.

The vote in parliament is expected to bring into law an increase in the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62.

The students are supposed to be on half-term break but instead are planning a series of marches around the country in opposition to the plan to increase the minimum retirement age.

President Nicolas Sarkozy will be hoping the vote - and the 10-day school holiday - will take the sting out of the protest.

Yesterday all of France's 200 fuel supply depots were cleared of strikers.

And unions said that rubbish collectors in the southern port of Marseille would end their high-profile two-week strike today.

Pinera sorry for Nazi slogan

Chile's president has apologised for writing a slogan associated with Nazi Germany in a government guest book during a visit to Berlin.

Sebastian Pinera wrote "Deutschland uber alles" or "Germany above all" - a phrase that became infamous under the Third Reich.

Politicians face fraud charges

Senior politicians and businessmen are among more than 100 people listed by Nigerian anti-fraud police as being unsuitable to run for political office.

The EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) said they were all being prosecuted for corruption.

Haiti cholera fears remain

Tens of thousands of people in Haiti are still threatened by an outbreak of cholera despite some signs that the epidemic is stabilising, the UN says.

Humanitarian co-ordinator in Haiti Nigel Fisher said the UN was preparing for a wider outbreak although there were no new signs of it spreading.

The Haitian government earlier said that only six new deaths were reported in the past 24 hours. A total of 259 people are now known to have died.

PM in talks over Hobbit films

New Zealand's prime minister John Key held a crisis meeting with studio bosses today in a bid to keep filming of The Hobbit movies in his country, but warned he would not be drawn into a bidding war.

Plans to make the 316 million project in New Zealand fell into disarray last week.

US denies Iraq torture 'was ignored'

United States: The government says it did not "turn a blind eye" to torture in Iraq, in response to allegations raised in files published by whistleblower website Wikileaks.

General George Casey, who was in charge of US forces in Iraq from 2004 to 2007, said all soldiers were instructed to report allegations of abuse.

Indonesia: A powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami warning that sent thousands of residents fleeing to high ground.