World in brief

Zimbabwe leaders 'want to talk'

Zimbabwe: President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai are "as keen as we are to move things forward," South African President Jacob Zuma's spokesman has declared prior to further discussions on the fragile unity government.

Spokesman Vincent Magwenya said that talks on Wednesday were "encouraging - there was commitment all round to work harder in finding a lasting solution."

Mr Zuma has also met attorney general Johannes Tomana and central bank governor Gideon Gono, whose appointments are contested by Mr Tsvangirai.

Leprechaun outfit not lucky for thief

United States: Police shot dead two bank robbery suspects, including one dressed as a green leprechaun, after a St Patrick's Day chase and shootout in Tennessee.

The robbers tried to hold up a bank on Wednesday afternoon. After a brief car chase the men ditched their vehicle and ran into a field, where they were both killed while exchanging fire with officers, authorities have said.

Clinton begins nuclear talks

Russia: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has opened two days of talks with Russian leaders on nuclear arms control, the future of Nato and Washington's amended plans for a European missile defence system.

Ms Clinton is to be joined by the Obama administration's special envoy for Middle East peace George Mitchell to participate in separate talks with diplomats from Russia, the European Union and the United Nations on efforts to restart peace talks between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority.

Washington also hopes to win Moscow's backing for harsher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear energy programme.

Siemens to axe 4,200 jobs globally

Germany: Siemens has announced that it plans to cut 4,200 jobs worldwide at its information technology unit as it restructures.

The industrial conglomerate said that it wants to put Siemens IT Solutions and Services, or SIS, "on a solid long-term foundation" by eliminating 4,200 of the current 35,000 jobs by 2011.

About 2,000 of the job cuts will hit staff in Germany.

'Red shirts' wait in Thai capital

Thailand: Tens of thousands of red shirted demonstrators remain encamped in the historic heart of Bangkok, vowing to wage "class war" until the government called new elections.

A protest rally has been planned for Saturday, but Thursday was a rest day after four days of mass demonstrations and shock tactics such as the pouring of blood at the home of the prime minister and the seat of government.

UFDD activist Suporn Atthawong called on all "workers and government employees who feel injustice to join us."

Ceasefire signed with Darfur rebels

Sudan: The government and a collection of Darfur rebel groups have signed a ceasefire in Qatar's capital Doha, opening the way for political negotiations before a full peace agreement.

Government representative Ghazi Salah Eddin Atabani signed the truce with rebel leader al-Tijani al-Sissi, whose Liberation and Justice Movement unites several small Darfur rebel groups that recently united to negotiate with the government.

Last month, Sudan's government signed a similar truce in Doha with Darfur's most powerful rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement.

Troops arrest police over drugs ties

Mexico: Troops detained more than half the police force of a northern rural town on Wednesday for suspected ties to drug cartels.

Soldiers arrested eight of the 12 officers on the force in Villaldama, a town of about 4,000 people in north-eastern Nuevo Leon state.

In the central State of Mexico, two policemen and two former officers were arrested on charges that they participated in 11 killings related to robberies.

Three convicted of 'Arbeit' sign theft

Poland: A court has convicted three men of the theft of the notorious Arbeit Macht Frei ("work makes you free") sign from the Auschwitz memorial site in December.

The men, two of whom are brothers, were given sentences ranging from 18 months to two-and-a-half years.

Krakow's district court said that the men confessed to the theft and agreed to settlements, which meant the case did not have to go to trial.