-3,000 acres are burning between Santa Cruz and Gilroy in California. Firefighters hope to catch a break on Friday in getting it under control.
-South African troops have been deployed for the first time in an effort to stop domestic attacks on foreigners as Zimbabweans flood into the country.
-In another blow to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party, special election results in Crewe, England show Conservative Party candidate Edward Timson beating Labour's Tasmin Dunwoody by a healthy margin. The result in Crewe follows a major defeat for Labour for London's mayorality earlier this month.
