The authorities in Texas have now removed almost two hundred people,most of them young girls from a ranch of a Mormon sect led by the jailed polygamist Warren Jeffs.On Thursday night,police officers raided the ranch of the fundamentalist church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,after reports that a 16-year-old girl has been physically and sexually abused.From the United States,Peter Bowes reports.

"Local police enter the retreat to look for evidence of a marriage between the 16-year-old and a man aged 50.The warrant to search the property,said the girl had a baby eight months ago when she was 15.Under Texas law,girls younger than 16 can not marry even with parental approval.Warren Jeffs,the head of the church,is serving ten years in prison for being an accomplice to rape.He was convicted after he forced a 14-year-old girl to marry her(his) cousin."

The computer software giant,Microsoft has given Yahoo a three-week deadline to respond to its offer to buy out the Internet company.Microsoft said it will take its case directly to Yahoo's shareholders,if its board of directors fail to respond in time.Microsoft made an offer of more than 40 billion dollars in January,but Yahoo rejected the bid.