French President Sarkozy has decided not to extradite the former Red Brigade member Marina Petrella to Italy, because of her ailing health. The decision retracts an extradition authorisation he had approved in June.

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has awarded nearly all key ministries to his Zanu-PF party in defiance of a power-sharing deal struck with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), according to a list published in the state-run daily newspaper, The Herald, on Saturday.

Leaders of the months-long anti-government protests were granted bail on Friday after turning themselves in to police. This follows the decision by Thailand's Appeals Court on Thursday to drop insurrection charges against the nine main leaders of the protests. They vow to hold fresh rallies aimed at overthrowing the government.

Fighters supporting Laurent Nkunda on Thursday pulled out of a military camp that they had captured from the DRC's army. The United Nations and African Union say they are doing everything possible to maintain the Goma peace accord that is under threat from the latest fighting in the east of the DRC.

For the first time in Europe, the Quai Branly museum in Paris takes visitors on a trip to the polar ice-cap to discover thousands of years of ancient Eskimo culture.

How are designers dealing with the gloom on the financial markets? Is the French capital still the most popular fashion week venue?