highlight

of this first day will undoubtedly be Michelle Obama, a great favorite among the">the Democratic faithful. They seem keen to show that they">they're not

browbeaten

by four difficult years in which Barack Obama has struggled to pursue his agenda

in the">the teeth of

the

vociferous

Republican opposition. Campaign officials sound confident, but predict a very tight race.

The European Commission in Brussels says it's launching an investigation to determine whether the Russian energy company Gazprom is

breaching

anti trust regulations in eastern and central European gas markets. Rob Young reports.

The European Commission says it's concerned Gazprom may be abusing its dominant position in Europe – some countries are totally reliant on Russian gas. The commission says it suspects Gazprom may be hindering the free flow of gas and may have charged unfair prices. If the commission finds Gazprom has acted anti-competitively, it could levy a fine on the company running to billions of dollars. However, that may complicate in an already tense relationship. Asked about the probe, the Gazprom spokesman said simply 'let them investigate'.

An elderly man has died in Greece in what health officials believe was the first case of dengue fever in the country for more than 80 years. The Greek Center for Disease Control said the man who was in his 80s, died last month after his fever had developed into a more serious variety.