REUTERS, PATNA, India- Authorities struggling to provide aid after devastating floods in Bihar said on Sunday they needed more boats and rescuers to help hundreds of thousands of people still marooned in remote villages.

REUTERS, GENEVA- As ministers from over 100 countries gather in Ghana to review how effective aid is in helping developing nations deal with poverty, many economists argue the answer is elsewhere -- in freeing up trade.

High rise fire

Staff Correspondent

The capital's Kemal Ataturk Avenue was closed Sunday as fire spread in a high-rise building near Banani Market.

Witnesses said scores of people were trapped in the building as fire-fighters fought the flames.

Reaction on the verdict

AFP, PARIS  - Delivery of a second Airbus A380 to Emirates, the airline of the United Arab Emirates, may suffer a further delay of several weeks, an Emirates spokeswoman told AFP on Saturday.

AP, NEW YORK  -- Wall Street tumbled Friday after the government said personal incomes fell last month by the largest amount in nearly three years while consumer spending slowed.

AP, NEW YORK -- Retail gas prices swung higher Friday -- the first increase in 43 days -- as analysts warned that a direct hit on U.S. energy infrastructure by Hurricane Gustav could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon.

Staff Correspondent

The country's first online supermarket www.chorka.com was launched Saturday, allowing people at home and abroad to browse and buy Bangladesh-made goods online.

Official death toll in Bihar state climbs to 75 but aid agencies claim thousands are missing

Agencies

At least 20 people have died after an overcrowded rescue boat capsized in flood-ravaged parts of northern India.

Officials said the situation was worsening because of heavy rains and a greater discharge of water from neighboring Nepal.

AFP, NEW YORK - Roger Federer rolled to his 29th straight US Open match victory and the women shuffled the chairs in the race to knock Ana Ivanovic off her No. 1 perch Friday on a marathon day five of the US Open.

AFP, BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej consulted the king over escalating protests Saturday, after demonstrators forced Phuket's airport to close indefinitely in their drive to force the premier from office.

NY Times

At least 40 million Americans watched Senator Barack Obama accept the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night, a record for convention viewership that exceeded even the expectations of his aides.

AFP, MOSCOW  - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged the European Union to ignore calls to punish Moscow over the Georgia conflict as Tbilisi appealed Saturday for targeted punishment of the Russian leadership.

AFP, STOCKHOLM  - Alcoholism among women in Sweden rose by 50 percent between 2003 and 2007 as beer, wine and spirits have become more accessible in the country long known for its restrictive alcohol policy, a report on Saturday said.

"The number of female alcoholics has risen from 65,000 to about 100,000 and the number of male alcoholics has risen from about 135,000 to about 165,000.

Symposium on climate change and food security

Staff Correspondent

Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed stressed regional and global cooperation in his closing address to an

Staff Correspondent

BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain has slammed Awami League's criticism over Tarique Rahman's getting bail an "aspersion on the judiciary".

Agency

Detectives have arrested three men who they say were allegedly paid nearly Tk 25 lakh by Justice M Fazlul Huq's family to help drop graft charges against the former caretaker government adviser.

Agency

The Supreme Court goes into a 42-day annual vacation from Sunday.

Following the vacation, to embrace those for autumn, eid and Durga Puja, the apex court of the country will reopen October 12.

Dhaka-Delhi talks

Desk Report

Long-standing boundary issues and curbing cross-border crime were high on the agenda as home secretaries of Bangladesh and India began a meeting in Dhaka Saturday.

Our Correspondent

A search and rescue team recovered the body of a drowned Stamford University student Saturday, 22 hours after he went missing at Madhabkundu falls at Moulavi Bazar, a police official said.