Sarkozy wins 'mandate for reform' French President Nicolas Sarkozy's party vows to press ahead with reforms despite a disappointing election night.
US drag car race death toll rises Three more people die after an accident at a drag car race in Tennessee, bringing the death toll to seven.
Woman breaks space flight record
As of 0547 GMT on Saturday, she had passed the 188-day, four-hour mark set by Shannon Lucid in 1996.Mrs Williams, who is of Indian and Slovenian extraction, is due to return to Earth on Thursday on the Atlantis.She earlier set a record for the longest spacewalk by a woman, reaching 22 hours and 27 minutes.That record had been held by astronaut Kathryn Thornton at just over 21 hours.In her six months in space, Mrs Williams has also "run" the Boston Marathon on a treadmill.
IAEA inspectors to visit N Korea The UN nuclear watchdog says it will go to North Korea next week to discuss shutting the Yongbyon reactor.
EU plans direct Palestinian aid The EU says it will resume direct aid to the Palestinian Authority, as Israel backs a new emergency government.
Children die in Afghan air raid Seven children are killed in a US-led coalition air strike against a suspected al-Qaeda hideout in Afghanistan
Pakistan anger over Rushdie award
A lower house resolution said honouring the author "hurt Muslim sentiments".Sir Salman's book The Satanic Verses sparked protests by Muslims around the world and led to Iran issuing a fatwa in 1989, ordering his execution.Iran also criticised the knighthood, saying praising the "apostate" showed Islamophobia among British officials.A spokesman for the British High Commission in Islamabad would not comment on the parliamentary resolution, but he said the knighthood was a reflection of Mr Rushdie's contribution to literature throughout a long and diverse career.
Airbus enjoys bumper orders Airbus is boosted by orders at the Paris air show, led by Qatar Airways' near $17bn order for A350 and A380 planes.
China banks hit for illicit loans
The China National Nuclear Corporation and China Shipping Group illegally used the billions of yuan loaned to them.The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) has now punished 18 executives involved in the lending with penalties including warnings and fines.Authorities fear increased speculation may lead to a stock or property bubble.BANKS INVOLVED IN LOANSBank of CommunicationsChina Merchants BankIndustrial and Commercial Bank of ChinaBank of ChinaIndustrial BankChina CITIC BankBank of BeijingShenzhen Development Bank"The announcement indicates that the government is still worried about a possible overheated stock market as the index continues to rise quickly above the 4,000-point level," said Zheng Weigang, senior analyst at Shanghai Securities.'Isolated incidents'Eighteen people from branches of Bank of Communications and Bank of Beijing were issued with reprimands, given fines, or both.The CBRC fined the Dongdaming branch of China Merchants Bank 1.69 million yuan (£221,500; £117,000) and banned it from corporate lending for half a year. The other five were fined up to 500,000 yuan each.It also said the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission would punish China Nuclear and China Shipping.But the banking regulator said the cases found were isolated and did not reflect widespread illicit lending for the purposes of speculative investments.
Blockbuster to focus on Blu-ray
The move is viewed as a blow for the rival Toshiba-backed HD DVD format - which has been battling against the Blu-ray format, supported by Sony.Blockbuster said that consumers have chosen Blu-ray over HD DVD in the 250 stores where both were available.The limited choice of titles in the HD DVD format was also a factor in focusing on Blu-ray, Blockbuster said."The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing," Matthew Smith, senior vice president of merchandising at Blockbusters, told the Associated Press news agency.Mr Smith added that most studios were offering films on Blu-ray, with the exception of Universal which has been supplying films on HD DVD alone.The North American HD DVD Promotional Group said Blockbuster's move was short sighted, and had been prompted by the success of films released exclusively in the Blu-ray format in early 2007 such as Casino Royale and Spider Man."I think trying to make a format decision using such a short time period is really not measuring what the consumer is saying," said Ken Graffeo, co-president of the group.The HD DVD format will still be available at Blockbuster in 250 of its stores as well as via the internet.
Supply fears push up oil prices
Brent crude, deemed a key indicator of the oil market, rose 27 cents to $71.63 after a 10-month high at $71.88. Sweet crude rose to $68.12 in New York.Analysts are concerned that old US refineries are not able to meet demand. Stocks are also unusually low.Instability in Gaza has raised concerns over wider conflict in the Middle East, which supplies a quarter of world oil.