World news from the BBC.
The Ukrainian football star Andriy Shevchenko has said he is retiring from the sport and begin a new career in politics. Shevchenko, a former European footballer of the year, who won the Champions League with AC Milan, said he wanted to do something for his country. From Kyev, here is David Stern.
Adrew Shevchenko announced he would be joining Ukraine Forward, a pro-business political party led by Natalia Korolevska, a prominent opposition politician. He said that he would foucs on issues connected to the social sector and sport. Ukraine Forward is taking part in the country's parliamentary elections in October. Shevchenko is the second well known sport figure to enter Ukraine's political
arena
. Heavywight champion Vitali Klitschko heads his own political party.
The wife of Oswaldo Paya, a prominent Cuban activist who died in a car crash last Sunday, has rejected the official report which blamed driver error. The government statement said the driver of the car was speeding when it hit a tree killing Mr. Paya and another Cuban opposition activist. Mr. Paya's wife, Ofelia Acevedo, says she had not been permited access to the driver and the second survivor of the crash both being in custody since it happened.
The authorities in eastern China announced they are scraping the construction of an industrial waste pipeline after an angry demonstration via thousands of people. It's the second time this month that the Chinese industrial project has been canceled after public pressure. Residents in Qidong near Shanghai have complained that the pipeline from a paper mill will poison their coastal waters.