Angela Merkel tries to allay Greece default fears
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has sought to calm market nerves over a possible Greek debt default, saying the eurozone must stick together. The collapse of Greece and its exit from the euro would have a domino effect, she told German radio. Her comments came after reports that Germany was preparing for Greece to potentially leave the euro. Fears of a Greek default caused sharp falls in shares on Monday, but markets ultimately rose on Tuesday. Read More
Pakistan is hit by dengue fever epidemic
The government in Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab is struggling to control a growing dengue fever epidemic, officials say. They have warned that it threatens to affect other parts of the country. More than 4,000 cases of dengue fever have been reported in the past two months, officials say, and at least eight people have died. Read More
Republican contenders clash at Florida TV debate
Texas Governor Rick Perry’s outspoken views on Social Security have come under fire as Republican White House contenders hold their latest TV debate. Read More
Jobs Act: Obama plan eyes taxes on rich
US President Barack Obama is proposing to pay for his $447bn (£282bn) jobs plan with taxes on the wealthy. Republicans objected to the proposal, saying the president wanted to bill “job creators”. Read More
Smurfs movie
Smurfs movie
The Smurfs make their first trip to the big screen in Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy. Read More
George Clooney kicks off Venice Film Festival
Organisers of the Venice Film Festival are promising a glamorous event
The Venice Film Festival gets underway shortly with the world premiere of The Ides of March, a thriller directed by and starring US actor George Clooney. Read More
Irene floods in North Carolina and New York ‘disaster’
Irene floods in North Carolina and New York 'disaster'
US President Barack Obama has declared a “major disaster” in North Carolina and New York state, as cresting rivers and floodwaters threaten communities in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. Read More
Arizona’s top five Old West experiences
A Sunset horseback ride at Grand Canyon West Ranch, near Meadview. (Holger Leue/LPI)
Cowboys and miners, plus a few mountain men, were the first to eke out a living in Arizona after the Spanish. The Old West history remains current in Arizona, where cowboys still ride the range and old-timey saloons still serve the road-weary traveller. Read More
Finding ‘friluftsliv’ in Norway
Geirangerfjord, one of Norway’s most dramatic fjords, and the dramatic Seven Sisters waterfall. (Justin Foulkes)
Slartibartfast, a planet designer in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, won an award for his work on Norway and it is not hard to see why. Skewered with a thousand still, blue fjords and stacked with the sort of pointy, snow-topped mountains you do not often see, outside children’s drawings, it is a huge and empty land inlaid with a host of scenic riches. Read More