hand over
power to civilian authorities.
World News from the BBC
Non-governmental organisations operating in Zimbabwe say they will defy a government ban to work in the country. Last weekend at his 88th birthday celebrations, President Robert Mugabe attacked the mainly foreign NGOs for being partisan and ordered them to leave. The NGOs say that
intimidation
is now happening on a national scale and is being carried out by supporters loyal to the president.
The iPhone and iPod manufacturer Apple is now
reckoned
to be worth $500bn. Its market capitalisation broke through the $0.5tn mark on the New York Stock Exchange early on Wednesday. Mark Gregory reports.
The latest climb in Apple's stock market value came amid reports that it will unveil a next generation of iPad tablet computers next week.
Apple was already the world's biggest company measured by the value of its shares, worth about $90bn more than its nearest rival, the oil giant Exxon. And now following another surge in the share price, Apple has become only the sixth American corporation ever to have a market capitalisation of above $500bn.
Reports from the Seychelles say the government believes the operation to rescue a stricken cruise liner has been affected because the fishing boat towing it to land refused help from tugboats. The Seychelles' home affairs minister said the financial objectives of the French fishing boat may have been put ahead of the interests of the passengers and crew of the Costa Allegra. A spokesman for the liner said it didn't use the tugs because the fishing vessel guaranteed the smoothest voyage.