* Yom Kippur: Beyond words Rosh Hashana is “the day of the sounding of the shofar [ram’s horn],” according to its biblical definition (Numbers 29:1). However, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and Forgiveness.

* EU wipes England off the map The Tories have issued a St George’s Day rallying cry against plans by Brussels to “wipe England off the map” and create a United Europe.

* NATO sending ships to tackle Somali pirates NATO agreed Thursday to send ships soon to protect vessels off Somalia’s coast as bandits holding a Ukrainian ship laden with weapons softened their ransom demands in response to mounting international pressure.

* World finance chiefs heading for Washington for crunch talks Finance chiefs from the world’s richest nations are set to meet in Washington for a crucial but uncertain meeting.

* Shares rally after intervention Most global stock markets have rallied after investors absorbed news of a co-ordinated interest rate cut.

* UK calls for EU-wide rescue plan In a sharp about face, UK Prime Minister Gordon has written to EU leaders encouraging the creation of a “Europe-wide funding plan” to tackle the worsening financial crisis.

* Hamas ready to discuss elections Hamas officials in Cairo say they will meet representatives of the rival Fatah movement this month to discuss the timing of fresh Palestinian elections.

* Vatican defends wartime pope against charge he turned blind eye to Holocaust The Vatican on Wednesday rejected charges that wartime Pope Pius XII turned a blind eye to the Holocaust.

* Global Competitiveness Report Lauds Gulf Countries, Some Mideast Economies Do Badly Gulf economies, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, posted large gains in global competitiveness in 2008.

* Opec members seek emergency meeting Members of the Opec oil cartel are considering an emergency meeting in Vienna next month as oil prices dropped to their lowest level in nearly a year.