Greek coalition leaders are studying a draft deal on further cuts demanded to secure a new bailout that will allow the country to avoid bankruptcy next month.

With the eyes of an impatient Europe on them, Greece’s feuding leaders are united by a desire to avoid blame for the harsh austerity required to save their country from a catastrophic default.

A junior partner in debt-stricken Greece's new interim government says the next national election may be held later than the provisional February 19 date to allow the coalition to complete its mandate.

GREEK Prime Minister George Papandreou agreed to step down as premier to allow the creation of a national unity government that will secure international financing for the country and avert a default.

South Korea midfielder Park Ji-sung has retired from international football, boss Cho Kwang-rae has confirmed.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in central Athens and other Greek cities today for May Day rallies fuelled by anger at expected harsh austerity measures needed to secure rescue loans for near-bankrupt Greece.

Thailand moved today to close a refugee camp and send 4,000 ethnic Hmong back to Laos, despite concerns about their safety.

Greece’s newly-elected socialist government won a vote of confidence in its programme.

Sunderland will draw up a shortlist of candidates to replace Roy Keane later this week – but former boss Peter Reid will not be on it.

Scores of nations began signing a treaty banning cluster bombs today in a move that supporters hope will shame the US, Russia and China and others into abandoning the weapons.

Asian countries today proposed forming an OPEC-style group to gain control over spiralling rice prices.

Official results with just more than 40% of the total vote in the Greek election today counted showed Karamanlis' New Democracy party ahead with 43.7% and the opposition socialist PASOK party in second place with 38.5%.

Polls opened at dawn today as Greeks began voting in snap general elections that will determine the fate of governing conservatives who have been hurt by deadly wildfires and a challenge from the far right.

A 15-year-old Laos girl has died of bird flu, becoming the south-east Asian country’s first known human victim of the H5N1 virus, the country’s health ministry said today.

Indian health officials went door-to-door today searching for people possibly sickened by the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus.

Australia, New Zealand and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations launched historic talks today on a free trade deal linking the regions.

Greece’s conservatives won parliament elections today to return to office after a decade.

Two sisters in Vietnam became the latest victims of Asia’s bird flu crisis today, as ministers from across the region convened an emergency meeting with international health experts in the Thai capital.

THE United States and a bloc of Southeast Asian nations have agreed on a sweeping anti-terrorism treaty intended to plug security holes, boost US aid to the region and free the United States to more easily confront terrorists there.