United States presidential candidate Barak Obama is due to arrive soon in Berlin for the first stop of his European tour. He is to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier to discuss issues such as trade, climate change and troop commitments to Afghanistan. Later on Thursday, Obama is expected to hold his only public speech of his week-long foreign tour in Berlin's central Tiergarten Park. Plans to hold the speech on transatlantic relations at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate were changed after controversy in Germany over the symbolism of the site. The Democratic candidate for president is very popular in Germany and his speech is expected to draw tens of thousands of onlookers.

The lawyer of ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic says his client wants to conduct his own defence at his war crimes trial in The Hague. He said Karadzic, who was arrested in Serbia on Monday, would, however, have a legal team in Serbia to support him. Karadzic is accused of crimes against humanity for the massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995 and the 43-month-long siege of Sarajevo, during which some 11,000 people died. He spent 12 years on the run, posing as a doctor of alternative medicine in Belgrade. European Union officials say his arrest will boost Serbia's bid to join the EU, as it showed the new Belgrade government's commitment to peace and stability in the Balkans.

The US House of Representatives has passed major legislation aimed at limiting the economic fallout from the US housing crisis. The bill is intended to provide relief to some 400,000 struggling US homeowners and help them to avoid foreclosures and prevent troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing. The two companies, which own or guarantee almost half of the 12 trillion dollars in US mortgage debt, have recorded heavy losses in the past year amid rising defaults. If they were unable to keep financing mortgages, analysts say the already weak housing market could grind to a halt, tipping the US economy into a deep recession. The measure is on track to pass the Senate and become law within days, after President George W. Bush dropped his opposition.

Around 100 staff were evacuated from a nuclear power plant in southern France on Wednesday, after radioactive particles spewed from a pipe. The power company EDF said that sensors detected a rise in the level of radiation while maintenance work was being carried out at the reactor, which had been shut since July 12. 97 staff were evacuated from the plant and sent for medical tests. EDF said 70 of them showed low traces of radioelements, but said there was no danger to staff or the environment. This was the latest incident there after a case of uranium  spillage two weeks ago.

France's parliament has passed a law that will allow companies to by-pass compulsory 35-hour working week limits. The law, which also includes measures aimed at ensuring that unions are more representative, will permit firms to set individual deals with unions over working hours and overtime. President Nicolas Sarkozy has repeatedly criticised the 35-hour working week as one of the biggest factors hampering France's economic competitiveness. The measures were approved by the National Assembly lower house earlier this month and now become law with the backing of the Senate, where Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party has a majority.

Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, says he will not be intimidated by his indictment on genocide charges. He made the statement during a rare two-day visit to Darfur. His visit comes a week after the International Criminal Court prosecutor in The Hague, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, sought an arrest warrant against Bashir accusing him of war crimes in Darfur. Al-Bashir described the move as an attempt to foil his government's efforts to restore peace in the region. He added that Sudan would not be cowed by the threat of sanctions either. According to the United Nations the ethnic cleansing unleashed by President al-Bashir in Darfur left 300,000 dead and 2.5 million homeless.

Germany's luxury carmaker Porsche has won antitrust approval to take over Europe's biggest car manufacturer, Volkswagen AG. The European Commission said in a statement that the deal would not stifle competition. Porsche holds more than 30 percent of Volkswagen and is its largest shareholder. It is currently trying to increase its stake in the company.

Spain's Carlos Sastre of the CSC team has won the 17th stage of the Tour de France and taken the overall leader's yellow jersey from teammate Franck Schleck. Another Spaniard, Samuel Sanchez of the Euskaltel team, finished second. The stage was the last of three in the Alps. Racers will face a time trial on Saturday that's likely to determine the Tour winner. Cadel Evans of Australia remains a favourite to win the Tour because he is the best time trial rider among the remaining contenders.