President Obama has tried to address widespread frustration in the United States caused by problems with his flagship health care policy. Mr. Obama said insurers can now extend existing health plans which without warns have been cancelled. The President admitted that his administration had fumbled the introduction of the scheme knows as Obamacare. From Washington Mark Mardell. “The President admitted implementation of this huge change had been rough and he is unhappy, ultimately this is about trust. President Obama promised people that under his signature legislation the Affordable Care Act they would be able to keep their current health insurance. That isn't true, many plans don't meet the higher standards of cover demanded by the law, and the Republicans have accused him of lying. It's no coincidence that new poll shows 52% of Americans now don't trust the president, his worst ratings ever. So, he's announcing people can keep their old plans for another year.”

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has defended his decision to travel to Sri Lanka for a Commonwealth Summit despite calls for him to boycott the meeting of human rights concerns. Mr. Cameron who has arrived in Colombo told the BBC he would raise the issue of alleged war crimes by the Sri Lankan military in its conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels.

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Brazil says the rate of deforestation in the Amazon has risen sharply after years of decline. The Environment Minister said it had increased by nearly 30% over the past year. She called the destruction a crime, but said the government was working to reverse the trend. Environmentalists have blamed increased destruction on a controversial reform to Brazil's forest protection law.