Thousands of anxious Chinese parents queued at hospitals for health checks on their babies as a spreading scandal involving contaminated milk powder claimed a fourth victim.

Police arrested 12 more people involved in bulking out the milk with the chemical melamine, bringing the total to 18.

More than 1,000 parents crowded into the waiting room at the Beijing Children's Hospital carrying their sleeping babies and toddlers. They said their children had been drinking three major brands of baby milk powder, Yashili, Mengniu and Sanlu, all of which have been recalled after government tests found melamine.

Fang Sunyi, 28, who was holding her three-month-old son, said he had been fed the milk since birt ... Read more »

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish party run by an octogenarian rabbi who has said Hurricane Katrina was divine punishment is emerging as the kingmaker in forming the next Israeli government.

After narrowly winning the Kadima Party leadership, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is likely to need Shas as a partner to become prime minister.

But Shas opposes any compromise on Jerusalem, and including it in a coalition could tie Ms Livni's hands in peace talks with the Palestinians.

Ms Livni wrested a narrow victory in the election to replace the corruption-tainted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as chairman of the governing Kadima Party.

Under Israel's political system, she can become prime minister if she can p ... Read more »