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African leaders meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly have agreed to extend the mandate of African Union peacekeepers in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan until the end of the year. With violence in the region intensifying, and access for humanitarian organizations worsening, African leaders are said to have confronted the Sudanese president with overwhelming pressure to agree to extend the mandate. Our correspondent J* reports from Darfur.

For 2 years, the African Union has made little impression on Darfur's conflict, now thanks to the Sudanese government, they have 3 more months to continue the job. Morale among the 7000 peacekeepers is low, they've been kidnapped, shot at and obstructed by the conflicts many participants. Most just want to go home. On the local level, the AU have made a difference, here in T*, for example, aid agencies have poured out and the 200 peacekeepers provide some security to the 20, 000 miserable people sheltering around the primitive defence But it's a mere sticking plaster on a gapping wound.

The American state of California is suing 6 of the world's biggest carmarkers over greenhouse gas emissions, the state Attorney General B* said he'd seek millions of dollars in compensation for the impact cars have on California's resources, infrastructure and environment. The case is the first of its kind in the US and the companies which include Ford, General Motors and Toyota accused Mr. L* of frivolous politics. But speaking on the BBC, Mr. L* said they've been forced to act by the federal government's lack of action to tackle emissions.

The entire world is doing more about global warming than our country. I wish they were more aggressive, federal leadership but in the absence of that we've got do sth. the clocks running so this is one of many efforts to try to get the automobile industry to be accountable for the 300 million tons of CO2 that they emitted every year in the US.

Thousands of people have gathered outside the Hungarian parliament for a third night running to demand the resignation of the government. On previous nights, the protests have led to violent clashes which police say have been orchestrated by far-right groups, unknown football hooligans.

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The US has condemned Tuesday's military coup in Thailand and called for the restoration of democracy as quickly as possible. The White House said it was disappointed and urged the military leaders to keep their promise to hold elections. However, there was no demand for the deposed PM Thaksin Shinawatra to be returned to power. Mr. Thaksin was at the UN when the coup took place and has now arrived in Britain.

A* was at London's G* airport as Mr. Shinawatra arrived.

The deposed prime minister chartered a long-haul Thai Airway's plane arriving in London late this afternoon as he was driven out of G* Airport in a black limousine, he waved and smiled at photographers still not commenting on the last dramatic 24 hours. Thai Embassy officials greeted him. It's still unclear though, whether he will be using embassy facilities or staying at his own London house. The British government is treating his stay as a private visit. He has a daughter at a university in London. The British Foreign Office said it's concerned by developments in Thailand and it's urging a return to democratic rule as soon as possible.

The quartet group of Middle East Mediators has strongly backed efforts by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to form a government of national unity with the Islamist organization Hamas. Western countries have cut off contact and direct aid to the Palestinian government led by Hamas because the group's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist. The quartet issued a statement after talks in New York involving the American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and senior Russian and European Union officials. Our diplomatic correspondent J* reports from NY.

This latest Quartet statement displays an apparent softening of tone. But it expresses its hope that the platform of the Palestinian National Unity govern't will simply reflect, as it quotes it "Quartet principles and allow for early engagement. " The Quartet also endorsed the continuation on the expansion of temporary international funding arrangements that channel some money to the Palestinians. And they also urged Israel to consider transferring the taxes and customs duties it collects on behalf of the Palestinians into this mechanism. This money the Quartet says, will have a significant impact upon the Palestinian economy.

Scientists have announced the discovery in Ethiopia of a 3. 3 million-year-old fossil remains of a female child which they say will shed new light on a crucial stage in the evolution of human kind.

BBC World News