The White House downplays a Republican win in Wisconsin's recall election, but the victor calls the state "competitive" ahead of November's election.

Human rights groups warn that a Palestinian footballer who has been on hunger strike for 80 days in an Israeli jail faces imminent danger of death.

Spain will try to raise money on the credit markets on Thursday, days after it said it was blocked from them, as bailout rumours continue to swirl.

Italian police arrest a man in connection to the bombing of a school in Brindisi last month, in which a 16-year-old girl was killed, local media says.

US shares see their biggest daily jump this year on hopes of a rescue for Spain's banks and a Fed survey suggesting the US economy is picking up.

Facebook shareholders are offered $40m by the Nasdaq stock exchange for a hitch that stopped them trading on debut day.

A huge concrete dock torn from a Japanese port by last year's tsunami washes up in the US state of Oregon - 8,050km (5,000 miles) across the Pacific.

Chinese state media say 17 people, including 12 children, have been injured in an explosion at a religious school in the restive Xinjiang province.