World Headlines

United Kingdom: Pop star Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie are to begin their divorce at the High Court in London on Friday. According to reports, the couple have reached a settlement over finances and sharing custody of their children. If there are no disputes, they can legally end the marriage in weeks. The couple were married at Skibo Castle in Scotland in December 2000, and they announced their separation in October. According to The Times, the 50-year-old singer will retain the bulk of her wealth, estimated to be 300 million pounds. Ritchie’s personal fortune is thought to be around 30 million pounds. BBC reports suggest the couple’s two sons may share their time between their U.K. and U.S. homes,

United Arab Emirates: The owners of the Atlantis hotel in Dubai held its opening Thursday. 13.5 million pounds were spent on its opening party. Sol Kerzner, a South African billionaire, is the chairman and chief executive officer of Kerzner International, who built the resort on the man-made Palm Island in partnership with Nakheel, a state-owned developer. The cost of one night in the Atlantis Hotel Bridge Suite, which has been open for six weeks, costs 35,000 pounds.

Democratic Republic of Congo: The United Nations Security Council has voted to send 3,000 more troops to the country following renewed fighting in the country’s east. The increase means the peacekeeping mission, Monuc, will have about 20,000 troops and police on the ground – the biggest UN force of its kind. But correspondents say diplomats admit they do not know where the troops will come from, or when they will be sent. The move coincided with a charity appeal to help victims of the fighting. Clashes between the army and rebels led by Gen Laurent Nkunda have created a humanitarian crisis in recent weeks, with an estimated 250,000 people forced to flee their homes.

France: The opposition Socialist party is voting for a new leader amid bitter infighting and splits in the party. Former presidential candidate Segolene Royal is up against Lille Mayor Martine Aubry and leftist MEP Benoit Hamon. The leadership issue is being decided by 233,000 party members in Paris. The winning candidate needs at least 50 percent of the vote to avoid a run-off on Friday. The voting comes after last weekend’s party congress – that was meant to back a single candidate – ended in disarray. The party has been beset by infighting since France’s last Socialist President Francois Mitterrand stepped down in 1995. At their annual congress in Reims at the weekend, top party members failed to reach consensus on a new leader.

India: An Indian Navy warship sank a Somalian pirate vessel Tuesday evening after it did not stop for investigation and instead opened fire, according to a statement released by the Indian Navy Wednesday. The navy said the pirates on board were armed with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers. India is among several countries patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Piracy off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden—an area of more than one million square miles—is estimated to have cost up to $30 million in ransoms this year, according to the BBC. More than 90 vessels have been attacked by pirates this year.

United States: Politicians have told the crisis-hit “Big Three” carmakers to come up with their own viable recovery plan if they want a $25 billion government rescue. The leaders of both houses of Congress said Ford, General Motors and Chrysler had until Dec. 2 to present a plan. Their comments came after four senators – Republicans and Democrats – said they had agreed on a bipartisan aid deal. The White House said President George W. Bush favored their deal, which would have used an energy department loan, and encouraged Congress to pass it. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said there would be no bail-out without a plan showing that the money would make them financially viable. After the car industry executives return to Washington on Dec. 2, Congress could be reconvened the following week to vote on a bail-out bill.