World News: One million people set to join Egypt demonstrations

A massive demonstration is due to be held in Cairo as protesters step up their efforts to force President Hosni Mubarak from power.

Organisers say they hope one million people will come onto the streets in what is expected to be the biggest show yet. A rally is also planned in Alexandria.

Egypt's powerful army has vowed it will not use force against the protesters.

Meanwhile, new vice president Omar Suleiman says he will hold cross-party talks on constitutional reform.

Mr Mubarak reshuffled his cabinet yesterday to try to head off the protests, replacing the widely despised interior minister Habib al-Adly.

However, correspondents say that the army's statement has been a major blow for President Mubarak, and appears to have encouraged protesters.

At least 100 people have been killed across the country since the demonstrations began a week ago following an internet campaign which was partly inspired by the ousting of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia last month.

Egypt has since cut off internet in the country and text messaging services have been disrupted.

PM's pledge on special forces

New Zealand's prime minister John Key said today that it will extend the deployment of its special forces soldiers to Afghanistan for another year from April, but will reduce numbers from 70 to around 35.

Mr Key said it will likely be the last deployment by the Special Air Service.

Residents flee Cyclone Yasi

Authorities scrambled to airlift hospital patients from the path of a cyclone roaring towards waterlogged north-eastern Australia today and urged residents to flee potentially deadly flash floods.

Cyclone Yasi was expected to slam into the coast of Queensland state tomorrow as a Category 4 storm and dump up to three feet of rain on communities already saturated from months of flooding.

"This storm is life-threatening," said Queensland premier Anna Bligh.

Malaysia blamed over forests

New satellite imagery shows Malaysia is destroying forests more than three times faster than all of Asia combined, and its carbon-rich peat soils of the Sarawak coast are being stripped even faster, according to a study released today.

The report was commissioned by the Netherlands-based Wetlands International.

Volcano erupts again in Japan

A revived volcano in southern Japan erupted today with its biggest explosion yet, shooting out a huge plume of gas, boulders and ash and breaking windows five miles away.

The danger zone around Shinmoedake volcano was widened.New Myanmar parliament to choose leader

Myanmar: The first parliament in more then two decades is set to begin the task of putting together a new government.

The new lawmakers were today due to elect three vice presidents, one of whom will become president.

Pakistan: A court has ordered the government not to release an American official arrested in the shooting deaths of two Pakistanis.

The US says the unnamed man has diplomatic immunity.